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codename-mom · 4 months

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A noticeable absence... or maybe not

Summary: Post-S05E01. Hotch has been stabbed by Foyet and is now back to work. But it seems that the team has something to say to him.

Characters: BAU team

Contents: this text is part of a self-challenge on the theme "It's cute but...". So, it's supposed to be funny and/or cute with a slice of bitterswitness. Hope you'll enjoy it!

TW: mention of pain, wounds and anxiety.

PS : English is not my mother language so they are necessarily mistakes. Sorry about that.

___

Hotch mechanically raised his hand to his side as a flash of pain crossed his chest. The unpleasant sensation quickly dissipated and he was able to breathe normally again. Picking up his mouse again to reach the shortcut he was interested in, his gaze was drawn to a movement at the edge of his field of vision. Dave had stepped into his office and knocked on the open door.

“Aaron?”

“I'm listening,” he affirmed, taking his eyes off the screen and settling back into his seat.

A new twinge sheared through his abdomen, but he suppressed a grimace. His long-time sidekick, who wore an indecipherable expression, took a few steps into the room before declaring:

“Kids have something to tell you.”

His supervisor felt like reminding him that he was not related in any way to the agents working under him, but the ex-retiree was far too amused by the appellation to refrain from using it, even though he'd get the boot every time.

“About what?” he questioned.

“They’re in the meeting room.”

And he said nothing more to him, turning around and leaving the premises under the puzzled gaze of the tenant. Intrigued, the BAU director locked his computer and rose from his chair, taking care not to make any false movements. Indeed, although his wounds were apparently healed – but still visible – every stretch of skin or muscle on his torso produced painful spikes that forced him to freeze for a moment. He had been assured that he would regain full mobility as soon as the epidermal and muscular tissue had regained its elasticity, but this was clearly not yet the case. Fortunately, he could still breathe and walk without difficulty, and so joined his colleagues without having to hide his feelings. The whole team was waiting for him, and they looked more worried than ever. What was going on?

“Dave told me that you’ve got something to say.”

“Yes, er... Prentiss ventured, before looking to her peers for support. We… we would like to apologize.”

He widened his eyes in surprise. He didn't see why his agents would need to be forgiven. From his point of view, they had done nothing wrong.

“Apologize? For what?”

“For betraying your trust,” replied Penelope, her voice strangled.

“For not being up to scratch,” declared Spencer, lowering his nose.

“For showing ourselves unworthy of you,” added JJ, embarrassed.

The giant heard the words of his employees but was unable to relate them to a known situation.

“Do you understand anything?” he asked to Rossi, sitting quietly in the nearest chair.

“I know what they’re talking about, if that’s your question, and they know what I think about all this, but ask yourself.”

So he turned back to the agents.

“What are you talking about?”

“The fact that none of us were worried about you, even though you're the first to sound the red alert when one of us doesn't respond,” said Garcia, her eyes shining.

“True, retorted the liaison officer. We've all tried to call you at one time or another, we've left you messages, but none of us thought that maybe something went wrong.”

“Even I, when I rang your doorbell, only expected to find you half-asleep," revealed Emily, looking flustered.

“Which would have made sense given the very short night we all had, Reid pointed out in a flash. But the fact that you were the only one absent should have tipped us off.”

“That's it," punctuated the unit's analyst.

Aaron took in this flood of information and digested it for a long minute, leaving a heavy silence hanging over the assembly. Gradually, he put the pieces back in the right order and discovered what has taken place far from his field of perception. At the same time, however, he noticed that the people in front of him – who were obviously particularly embarrassed by the situation – were omitting an important detail in the chronology of events.

“… Do you realize that I was unconscious all this time?”

“That's exactly what I told them,” Dave sighed.

“But you were a complete stranger for over twelve hours!” burst out the luscious blonde, apparently outraged by her own attitude during that day.

“Because Foyet had taken my papers and, I repeat, I was unconscious, he reminded them, not understanding what the problem was. I wasn’t aware of anything and, when I opened my eyes, Prentiss was there.”

“But if Foyet hadn't taken you to hospital…”

“I would have died, he concluded abruptly, but not because of you. I was dropped off in San Sebastian at 4 a.m. You were probably all asleep.”

After an emotionally taxing case not far from the Canadian border, the team had returned to Virginia in the dead of night, and everyone had gone home to collapse in bed. Although the adrenalin must still have been pumping through their veins on their return, physical and mental fatigue must have quickly taken over, sending them into the arms of Morpheus without even giving them a chance to cogitate. He hadn't been so lucky, for a surprise guest had emerged from the half-light of his apartment to make him pay for his lack of consideration. A guest who had been kind enough – and well-advised – to dump him on the hospital sidewalk once he'd done what he'd set out to do.

“But...” hiccupped the ambassador's daughter, ready to argue vehemently.

“Listen, he interrupted her immediately, I understand that you've been affected by what's happened, but you're not responsible and I don't blame you for pursuing the investigation you had to manage. On a contrary.”

As fate would have it, the BAU was summoned to help local authorities a few hours later to track down a man threatening the lives of a doctor and his son. Barely recovered from their emotions and their minds still clouded by lack of sleep, the agents set about their task without reluctance, converting the crumbs of energy they had left to complete the job as soon as possible. And they had succeeded with flying colors, preserving the existence of their two intended targets, while juggling with the sudden disappearance of their hierarchical superior. That they acted as if everything was fine in the face of the police and the people concerned was perfectly normal from his point of view.

“But you'd never let a situation like this occur,” Penelope moaned, frowning.

“And it comforts me to see that you're not as stressed as I am about each other's health.”

“How's that supposed to be a good thing?” Morgan raised an eyebrow, mute until then.

“Because you really think it would be a good thing to be like me? He replied, perplexed. I'm on your back so much that you call me "Mom".”

He'd probably never admit it, but every time one of his team members left his field of vision during an investigation, his blood pressure soared and only subsided when the agent reappeared in front of him, conscious and in one piece. And he sincerely hoped he was the only one living in this permanent state of fear.

“Are you sure you don't have a grudge against us?” inquired Garcia, still pained.

“No, not at all. To be honest, until you mentioned it today, I hadn't even thought about it.”

He had enough of his own pain and the consequences of this attack to deal with to have noticed that the Earth had continued to rotate during his absence. The team, however, looked at him with a puppy dog expression – with the exception of Dave, who observed the scene with a certain detachment – and Aaron had to offer a few more reassuring words.

“Everything is fine. I was taken care of by the hospital service, you were there when I woke up and... I'm standing here with you today. So take a breath and smile.”

Frozen, pathetic smiles stretched the agents' lips.

“Forget it.”

Penelope timidly raised a trembling hand, ready to make a request. He guessed right away what she had in mind.

“No, Garcia, no hug. I've been stabbed a dozen times, the last thing I need is to be compressed by all of you.”

“A restaurant, then?” Suggested Emily in return.

He was going to refuse – hunger being the last emotion he felt at the moment and his desire for worldliness being lower than ever – but the hopeful expressions of the people standing in front of him hindered his action. He was in pain and down in the dumps, but he didn't have the mental strength to push them away completely.

“… Okay. Let’s go for a restaurant.”

The whole gang was immediately smiling again. They then scattered happily back to their respective offices, while Rossi remained in the room with him.

“You could have told them it didn't matter, scolded the unit manager. That I knew very well it... it didn't mean they didn't care about me.”

“I tried, Aaron. But you know them, when they have an idea in mind, they don't have it anywhere else.”

“Unfortunately,” he sighed.

“Look on the bright side, you've won a restaurant," declared his eldest, patting him on the shoulder.

The giant nodded silently and shuffled off to his den, hoping he wouldn't have to deal with any more twists and turns this day. This single confrontation seemed to have drained all his strengths.

___

Short one before the next post who will be an entry for the current CM fanfic challenge. :D

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pitske · 6 months

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:3 can u tell me about your ocs?

A’ight so I’m answering this as fast as I possibly can so just bear with me, please. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING BTW OMG :D I have three little main guys which, as a trio, are called Goldtooth trio. since the story I’m writing hast he draft name Goldtooth. I only ever posted OC art of Goldtooth (the Cat, the Demon and the Tooth guy) so I’m assuming you mean them?

So my three little abominations are called Yimo, Nathan and Chére (this is how you spell their names but I always struggle with putting the accent on the e when writing on my laptop, so just ignore that I’ll not add it fort he rest of this post).

ALL RIGHT THEN! So because I will physically refrain from simply copy and pasting my info cards of them into this answer I will instead give you a brief summary of the character and their part of the plot in the story.

First up’s Nate who’s, at first glance, the most responsible oft he three, since he actually has a "job" and is usually not as feral. Do not be fooled, though, cause this walking pair of dentures is filled to the brim with so much anger and is also part of an illegal bike street racing community. (which is how he makes money). He’s being hunted down (-ish) by the local police officer similar to Chere, but unlike Chere the police do not know his name or face. He’s a major nerd, but tries to appear calm and stoic when in public- and Jesus Christ it sounds like I’m writing a tinder bio a’ight next guy then- Yimo! Yimo’s the youngest oft he three and is, like Nathan, German. Yimo is also a nerd but because of her excessive amount of free time she spends a lot of it outside, unlike Nate. She is incredibly obsessed with the paranormal and tries to find evidence of it’s existence. Due to a lot of recent UFO sightings (or other cryptid, we’ll see how I write this) she has been actively investigating the probability of the rumored paranormal life in their city. Yimo also has a small Youtube channel and films everything. She claims it’s for paranormal investigating only, but at least half of the videos on the channel include roommate shenanigans.

(Yimo’s plot part is the one I’m most unsure about so a lot of this will most likely change…)

LAST UP: CHERE!

Okay so my buddy @tectco and I have basically made him the tumblr sexyman of the group, although this man has negative charisma and should not be allowed to talk to anyone without supervision, ever. Aside from that he’s the oldest oft the trio and does not act like it. He’s also plagued by absolutely terrible luck which made him get into the unfortunate situation of being accused of multiple murders he did not commit simply because of his murderer-look-alike. Because of this he is unable to get a job and is wanted by the police so he’s stuck desperately trying to hide from them (at Nate and Yimo’s apartment). He’s also American. And a cat. I need to stop talking about him.

I think I might’ve rambled too much. I hope this is somewhat comprehensible. Ummmmm thank you for letting me ramble about them! Have a great day, Anon!

PS: because Tec told me there's a lot of spelling mistakes. I have dyslexia, please excuse that.

#Goldtooth trio #Goldtooth Nathan #Goldtooth Chére #Goldtooth Yimo #thank you for asking about my silly little guys :]#I hope you have a very nice day!#pitskederdoenerhaendler #ocs #original character

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drizzileiscool · 6 months

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new pinned

yo. what's up. my name is azure, im a drizzile.. or something like that. this is my blog. I guess

i was created in a lab.... I think..... and these weird scientist people turned me into a shiny and stuck an everstone inside me during an extremely painful process. long story short, the experiment gave me sentience, they found out, and injected something into me that made me black out and next thing I knew I was in some forest.

i now hate (most) humans. especially scientists. actually if there's any humans on here I'd advise you not to interact. eebydeebies and humans that have only temporary been turned into pokemon are allowed, though.

currently living in a hotel in sinnoh. it's only temporary, though.

at the time of writing this, my only friends right now are the people over at @thatoneguy031. I've known guy since I first joined, but I've only just gotten acquainted with cherry and mx. suicune.

please feel free to send asks about literally anything (as long as it isn't anything nsfw), I like answering questions and I'm currently trying to talk to more people to grow my social circle

i feel like I should add more stuff, but that's mostly it for me. follow if you want, I guess

////pokemon sprite art created by ernmuffin on twitter!! please follow her!!! sprites downloaded from the pmd sprite repository!!!!

//more ooc under the cut

hello peoples!!!!!!!!!!! this is like my 4th time doing a pinned post lol

and I actually @ mentioned someone this time!! normally I'd be too nervous or shy but I actually did it this time yippee!!!

also follow @amber-bnnuy this is a spinoff sideblog taking place in the same universe but with a different protagonist, amber the eebydeeby lopunny.

pronouns/gender for characters:

Azure - Any/all, Genderless

Crys - She/her, Cis woman

Cobalt - He/him, Trans man

Unnamed human - She/her, Cis woman

ps: I know I said humans dni in the in-character part, but human characters are allowed to interact lol. I think it would be nice if people helped restore azure's trust in humans (this may be a thing for an upcoming arc! or it might not depending on how it goes. we'll see!) and also it would be funny to see azure react to finding out a human interacted with them

azure is bi and uses any pronouns. currently, they have No Gender and really couldn't care less about what people interpret their gender as. go wild with this. call them a man, a woman, non-binary, demigender, genderfluid, or whatever! neopronouns are also ok, feel free to come up with the most annoying pronouns possible for azure!

magic anons and pelipper mail are also on! send asks for any of those things (as long as it doesn't affect the story, or makes a part of the story finish faster. for example, no giving them items that they are currently searching for, and no offing people)

anyways now to the actual ooc stuff

about me

you can call me either sig, drizzile, or mod drizzile!

I am under 18, non-binary and use they/them pronouns. I like pokemon, persona, puyo puyo, tetris, and rythym games as well as a bunch of other stuff. pokemon and persona are currently the things I'm into the most right now, but I am still pretty good at tetris. I am also bisexual

This is also a personal blog, since this is the only blog I have

Also, I'm not good at interacting with people. If you wanna have an interaction with me, you're gonna have to start it

also to any irls who somehow find this, please refrain from using my real name on here! I don't like having people I don't know irl know my name

DNI if:

You are an nsfw blog. I'm ok with suggestive content, though.

You make/look at suggestive/nsfw/kink/fetish drizzile content. Ultra hell for you. Banished to eternal damnation. I will not tolerate drizziles in any nsfw thing, even if they aren't apart of the "main thing".

You dislike drizziles or piplups. drizziles and piplups are very important to me personally.

You are a terf, or are transphobic in general

You are lgbtq+phobic

You are a proshipper

You support israel

You are a pedophile. And yes, loli/shota counts as pedophilia.

You are a zoophile

You post spoilers for any pmd game. I've only beaten pmd2 and have basically no way of playing the other pmd games (citra runs like shit on my phone, and I can't get the pmd1 remake and refuse to play it any other way) but I would still like the chance to go into these games blind

azure's backstory

Azure woke up in a lab one day with no prior memories. It isn't amnesia, they were literally made in the lab. A group of unknown scientists were conducting experiments on several pokemon, azure being one of them. Azure's experiments involved getting made in a lab as an artificial pokemon, having a substance being put into them to turn them into a shiny, and having some scales on their neck being replaced with parts of an everstone, rendering azure unable to evolve. After azure gained sentience as a side effect of one of these experiments, the scientists quickly injected something into azure, causing them to block out and appear in a forest. After a few weeks, azure discovered galar mine #2, and decided to dig a hole in the wall and make it's home there. An unnamed human miner who was doing work in this mine discovered azure's home, and is now looking after her by giving them berries each day. This human also gave azure a piece of azurite, which lead to azure choosing their name to be azure.

Azure is currently living with the unnamed human, since they wanted an actual home after staying with her for a while at the crown tundra. The only other pokemon living with them is crys, a very shy lampent who is over 200 years old.

Azure is currently in their second arc. They have learned how to get out of their body, and have awakened the original owner, Cobalt the drizzile. This is more or less just a filler arc until I create more lore, and cobalt doesn't get have a backstory.

tags

if you have any triggers, please feel free to tell me what they are so I can tag them!

not drizzile - ooc stuff (will also be tagged as ooc, reblogs will not be tagged)

azure lore - events/information about azure or what they're currently doing

amber's adventures - posts reblogged from my sideblog, @amber-bnnuy because I want people to see them more

crys the lampent - posts featuring or about crys, the extremely shy lampent

cobalt the drizzile - posts featuring cobalt, the drizzile.

drizzile is liveblogging - me (or azure, if I can find a way to make it canon) liveblogging games

possible azure spoilers - ideas for things I have about azure's storyline that I'm deciding whether or not they should be canon. please block this tag, as some of the things may become canon.

possible amber spoilers - same as above, but for amber

hey future drizzile you should draw this - ideas of things to want to draw

art of drizzile - art I make

ideas of drizzile - cool ideas for things

drizzile's unnamed office rpg concept - concepts for an rpg game I want to make that takes place in a workplace or office. currently unable to create it due to a lack of coding knowledge, but I will be posting ideas for what I would like to see in it whenever I get a new idea.

drizzile tagging tag - a tag for when I'm coming up with new tags (and ironically, this tag wasn't created by me lol. it was created by @thatoneguy031)

important - things that I would consider important to this blog, such as announcements and other stuff

tw suggestive - a trigger/content warning for when a post is suggestive or slightly nsfw. this is the only tag I will use for reblogs btw

swsh only drizziles challenge - a challenge I'm doing I completed where I try to beat swsh using only drizziles

vent - self explanatory

links

Twitter (currently private with no plans of unpriving, but I will gladly accept follow requests)

Carrd (has more info on me)

anyways that's the end of this pinned post I think. please note that one of my irls follows me on here so I won't be able to post as "freely" as I do on twitter

#pokemon #drizzile #pkmn irl #pokeblogging #pokeblr #what other tags do i use fuck #pin #pinned post

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toranekooo · 2 years

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EDITING RESOURCES!

actually, this has been sitting in my drafts for a while and i never quite had the energy to fix or format it but yeah. basically this is a catalogue of editing resources i personally use and/or am acquainted by!

for clarity's sake, i am by no means some great editor. i'm here for the fun and the pretty colors, and while i have been editing personally for a few years, i'm not the most knowledgeable person for this. i created this list first for personal reasons but figured everyone else might find it useful as well. so, yeah, just in case i miss a particular resource or don't add something you like, try to keep that in mind.

this will (attempt to) follow the format of me stating the resource (and if possible, a link) and some personal thoughts and critiques on said resource, especially for those unfamiliar with it.

EDITING SOFTWARE/APPLICATIONS

✧ Adobe Photoshop

is...is this even a question. of course, a natural given part of editing is adobe photoshop, it's universal and well-known, and pretty much is associated with any form of the word "edit." atlhough i can say, it's a bit dizzying for beginners but there are plenty of tutorials everywhere + it's very versatile, you can go from making gifs to drawing art, just nice to use all around.

✧ Photopea

now, photopea, in layman's terms, is just photoshop made online. so you can save yourself the download and the loooooong adobe loading screen with photopea. personally, i use this to color my gifs and for most simpler projects, because i vehemently refuse to wait 2 hours for photoshop to open so i can make a gif lol. it has a simpler interface, easy enough to understand so long as you read the labels. highly recommended for three types of people: those who can't afford ps, those who find ps hard to understand, and those who are both :D /j

✧ Picsart

the golden lamp of the editing community, simply because picsart provides A LOT of user-submitted materials through the form of "stickers" making everything so much more accessible to anyone who needs it. easy to use, easy to grasp, piscart captures editing down to a tee and is great overall! although i will warn you, a number of its resources are locked behind the gold paywall (not the user-submitted ones though) and it has issues with lag and ads in some devices. lastly, some of those stickers you find are fanart, and not all of these artists are okay with people altering or editing their work without permission, and most times, the credit never reaches them anyway. so please be mindful of what you use, artists spend a great deal of time working on their craft, just like us :)

✧ Pixlr E

i have never personally used it but its UI is greatly similar to photopea, simple and eye-pleasing. a great number of editing blogs use this for their work and it's a very capable software for editing.

✧ Ibis Paint X

technically NOT an editing software lmao, but it serves its purpose and it does it well, although it takes some effort. ibis paint x is intended for drawing, but i, as well as a good amount of other editors, can repurpose certain parts of it for editing purposes. it's a great app, from personal experience, and i'll leave some tips regarding it down below!

✧ Polarr

FANDOM-SPECIFIC RESOURCES

i have never seen so many filters in my entire life /hj just your day-to-day edit software, however polarr shines where most apps are weak, it has an extreme amount of mostly user-made filters, which you can find on literally everywhere.. i'm sure you'll enjoy using it~

✧ bsd mayoi wiki

I DO NOT SUPPORT GENSH.INRESO.URCE.

they have made statements regarding hoyoverse's sumeru that are not only dismissive but incredibly harmful for people of color like me, who are having their culture fetishized and skin color villainized by the direction sumeru is taking. dditionally, if you continue to interact with said blog, refrain from interacting with me. i will not be associated with it anymore.

@genshingraphics is an alternative blog for those who are seeking the same effect.

yes, this much is a given but i see a ton of people using the bsd wiki version of the mayoi cards (which are not transparent) when you can access the transparent versions, as well as the chibis, and their different modes in the sprite viewer. A+ for accessibility!

✧ cookie run wiki

okay, i know what you're thinking. there are already separate wiki pages for ovenbreak and kingdom, et cetera, but this one allows you to access both of them in compilation. remember to check a character's gallery, most times it contains official art not featured in game!

✧ ghibli screenshots

quality? amazing. official? yes. free to use? absolutely! little history lesson from your local cat! around the end of 2020, studio ghibli officially released over one thousand high definition screencaps of their films, making all of these images freely accessible to the public. this was a big thing because now you were legally allowed to use all these images so long as it isn't for monetary profit. everything from the big names like spirited away and howl's moving castle to the underrated gems of when marnie was there and tales from earthsea, the official studio ghibli website gives you access to the best quality content of their greatest works, all completely free!

✧ @.bsdwanscreenshots / @.bsdscreenshots

just as it says on the tin, beautiful quality screenshots of the bungou stray dogs anime + wan!

✧ @.teyvatcompendium / @.genshinsnapshots

like the others, in-game images and screenshots in high quality! they're beautiful to look at too~

✧ @.kodokuna-tamashii

they make enhanced screenshots of multiple animes! please remember to like and reblog the screenshots you'll use as appreciation for their hard work! i'm sure this'll be useful to everyone~

GENERAL RESOURCES

✧ list of transparent/png blogs

✧ list of stimblrs (this is outdated to an extent, so please check the dnis of them just in case.)

✧ @.allresources

✧ list of reverse image search software (directed at people listed in tip #7)

✧ aesthetics wiki

✧ pride flags (deviantart)

✧ unsplash ; pixabay ; pexels (stock photos! good for moodboards, aesboards, backgrounds, etc.)

✧ remove.bg

✧ coolors ; list of color palette blogs

✧ waifu2x ; resizeimage.net (in case you need to upgrade or downgrade image sizes!)

✧ how to add gradient/html-colored text on tumblr posts (only desktop but this can be bypassed by using puffin—a mobile web browser—and using the "request desktop site" feature.)

NEKO'S TIPS AND TRICKS:

✧ if you're new to tumblr, i suggest going through this comprehensive guide for new tumblr users. it helps ensure your privacy and prevents unsettling events from happening, because tumblr's userbase and features vary immensely from other sites.

✧ to add a cut / read more on your tumblr post on mobile, simply type ":readmore:" without the quotes and hit enter. you can find the same feature on the post's meatballs menu on the website/desktop. if you're posting something that may be triggering / an extremely long post, please put a read more so it doesn't clog everyone's dash. adding dots on every line does NOT work on tumblr.

✧ if you ever want to put a particular tag on top [e.g. credit or something important you want to say] put the words between quotation marks (" "). it should show up at the very top of the tags.

✧ commas don't work on tumblr tags, however users have found a way to bypass this—like how you can see commas in my tags—with a special type of character that resembles a comma. it's this ( ‚ ).

✧ desktop themes exist! it's comprised mostly of HTML and there are a big amount of amazing theme makers out there. most of you may not pay attention to desktop themes but adding a personal touch to your blog might brighten your day :)

✧ now, onto some edit-specific tips. if you're making reply icons on ibis paint x, i suggest creating the icon first, then going to the tools and choosing canvas. there, pick resize canvas and input the size you want your replycons to be! remember to turn off the keep aspect ratio switch, and when saving, make sure to use "save as transparent png" so the white background won't look off-putting.

✧ tumblr's average icon size is 128*128. however this size can make your edits look blurry or bad in quality which is why most editors choose bigger sizes for optimal clarity. headers are 640*360 for mobile and 3000*1055 for desktop. you will also notice that your edits tend to look blurred on the posts and only increase quality when tapped, this is because tumblr downgrades the display sizes of images. don't worry! this has no effect whatsoever towards the actual edit's quality, as it only changes how it appears on people's feed. clicking the edits showcases its genuine quality!!

✧ so you want to use fanart for your edits. i'll preface you with the fact that i don't use fanart and continuously refuse to do so, for reasons stated in this post here. anyway, in this post, i provided you 5 different reverse image search software, to aide in searching for the artist of a fanart. when using fanart for edits, crediting is required. and if you can't find the artist despite going through all the image search software i provided, you do not use the art. crediting sites such as pinterest, pixiv, etc. are useless. tag the actual artist. if you find they don't allow edits or resposts, delete the edits. if you can't see it on their bio/carrd/whatever, ask them. this isn't asking, this is basic decency towards content creators just like us.

✧ some genuine advice: the first few days of starting up can be...hard. there might be little traction, there might be none at all. requests will be slow as people start to grasp your edit style and understand your character. it can be a little discouraging because you feel like you're flopping, but stick through! make edits you enjoy, ask for promos, and my tidbit: while waiting for requests, try and edit for all your sources! it's a nice way to put your name on all the tags and it also draws more attention to your blog! another thing is making lots and lots of self-indulgent edits! have fun with it, as always~

✧ tag your posts! i am literally begging you to tag your posts bc tagging well is the only way to get better reach on tumblr! the only way to reach people's "for you tabs" as well as properly show up in tumblr's search function, regardless of how broken it is. some tips! if you're making a stimboard, tag every single stim! from food stims to clay stims, be as specific as necessary. tagging them also helps people who are filtering particular content from their dashes as it gives them the ability to block that tag! tag your aesthetics, fandoms, everything! please please tag well, it may be exhausting and repetitive but it lets your post be seen by ppl outside your followers which can lead them to following you for more content!

✧ curate your experience. make that dni! expand that blacklist! use that block button! delete those hateful anons! overuse the tag filtering feature! unfollow people who make you uncomfortable! refuse that request if it's rude and hurtful! as your senpai or senior or whatever, both seemingly tumblr-wise and edit blog-wise, no one else can control what you see, what you make, who you interact with, but yourself. so don't hold back or beat around the bush! making your blog a safe space for everyone is important, but never forget to make it a safe space for yourself, hm? ♡

✧ be kind to yourself. i know it's easy to get swept up in all the drama and discourse, especially for those of you who are new and unaware. just like any other community, editors have some rough edges too, we all have some bad times but please don't let it overshadow the good ones. you'll make mistakes, that much is inevitable, you're only human after all. correct them, fix them, take care never to repeat them, move on. you'll get tired and burnt out, and that's perfectly normal, you're still a person behind that screen after all. rest, find things you enjoy, distract yourself, discover something new. don't despise yourself for every little thing. this goes for other people too. we all have our faults, and we find ways to make up for it. your mistakes aren't who you are completely, no? and everything can be a learning experience. i know you're kind, so be kinder to yourself. i know you're trying your best, so take care of yourself as well. keep going, i'm proud of you!

and that's a wrap, folks! i hope this at least helped some of you and feel free to send me an ask just in case anything isn't working. i do not claim to own any of these resources, please give credit to their respective owners. this was made to help editors, new and old, so please preserve that ideal and use these in good faith. thank you to everyone who kept up with it and i hope everyone finds this somewhat useful!

#there! finally done!!#also i posted this late out of spite toward the rude anons #promo reblog in a bit~#୨୧ * important #this was hell to make and organize to pls appreciate it #if this flops well idc

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maloskiworld · 2 years

Text

He’s my favorite track - Pierre Gasly (x Verstappen reader/driver)

MASTERLIST (requests are open!)

Summary : stepping in the footsteps of your big brother, you were a reserver driver for RedBull. Wen they asked you to replace Yuki at Alpha Tauri, things took a pleasant turn with your teammate.

Click here to read part 2 “ My love ”

Warnings : some languages (not so much), light mention of sickness, a very sweet Pierre, big brother Max

Words count : +3.5K

A/N : Hi everyone ! This is my first F1 one shot. I’m so happy to post it ! I hope you enjoy it. Feedbacks are more than welcome. 🌻

PS : English isn’t my first language, so sorry if there’s any mistakes ! 💙

not my gif, credits to the owner !

🌻🌻🌻

You'd never thought this day would come. Even in your wildest dreams. Because you dreamt of it. Many many times. But to you, it was just one of those fantasies. Just like when you were imagining yourself being married to the one and only Harry Styles. Your phone was still in your hand, but your mind was gone somewhere else. Shivers running down your spine. The loud ringing of your ringtone took you out of your daydreaming. It was your brother. Well, if you intended on keeping it secret, it was probably already screwed.

" I can't believe it ! ", you heard him scream through the device.

" Well, hello to you, Max. I guess you already know ? ", you happily sighed.

" You made it ! I'm so so proud of you. " His words brought a smile to your lips. He was proud. All your life, that was the feeling you were searching to get. The only gratitude you needed.

" I'll make you even prouder if I step on the podium, though. " You were already imagining yourself on the spotlight. Winning your first F1 race.

" Oh, easy there. It's only Alpha Tauri ! " he replied, laughing a little. God, his sister was a dreamer.

" Pierre did it ", his name in your mouth made your stomach flipped.

The conversation didn't last long after that. The siblings agreed to go on a run before they had to leave for Monza. Yuki was very sick, and had to be replaced for at least one race. You were one of the reserver drivers for RedBull. For some reasons, they decided to let you race for Alpha Tauri. Some say - well mostly Max - that it was because you were talented and they wanted to see you on track.

One name didn't leave your mind after the small talk. Pierre. You met him a few years ago. You attended a race with your brother, following him everywhere like a lost puppy. You stumbled across the blondie boy after a great qualification from him. You were impressed. You didn't know how he didn't give up. This season was so hard on him, yet he was still trying to show everyone wrong. And he was doing it in the best way possible. You looked at him from afar, admiring him.

The next season, you became a reserve driver for RedBull and attended every race, but Monza hold something different. Pierre managed to get the sixth place with his Alpha Tauri during qualifying. You were so happy for him - and you didn't really know why. Maybe it was because you thought he was one of the bravest man on the grid. Or maybe it was the way he was looking in his white suit. The day after, he won his first f1 race. Monza, how you were magical. But Max had to retire the car. He was so pissed of about it that he took you partying all night long just to get his mind off things. That's when you saw Pierre again. When your eyes found his, you felt like melting right there. Damn, this guy was beautiful. You two never stopped looking at each other all night. You didn't dare to go speak to him, too afraid to stutter and not be able to form a correct sentence. And he didn't dare to come close to you, because you were Max Verstappen little sis.

Your brother wasn't one to refrain you from dating who the hell you wanted. But to say he was scaring - without even realising it - every gut that every tried to date you was underestimate. Pierre was sure that the RedBull driver would kill him if he made a move on his sister. So he never did, but always regretted it.

That night, you fell in love with Pierre Gasly. His deep blue eyes were to die for. His french accent was the cutest sound your ears had ever heard, and you'll never be tired of it. One year later, he was still the guy that made your heartbeat faster. You never said a word to anyone, but always hoped that one day you'll be his.

Since that day, you saw him a little more. Chatting for a bit in the paddock. He always had a nice word to you. Complimenting your clothes, laughing at your jokes or congratulating you for your performances on the sim - because he heard you were doing great. He made your heat fluttered every time, and you tried your best not to show it. Hiding your red cheeks behind your hands. It wasn't much, but those 5 min interactions were the highlights of your day.

You weren't nervous, you were scared as hell. Your hands were trembling as one of the team's members passed you your gloves. You tried to hide it. Smiled to everyone, and joked around. But one person noticed it.

" Hey ", you jumped, not expecting anyone to talk to you with your headphones on. You were met with ocean eyes, and your stomach did a flip.

" Hi ", you smiled lightly.

" Nervous, uh ? " he looked straight at you. You felt so little under his gaze. It's like he knew exactly what was going on in that brain of yours.

" I'm fine ", you tried to lie. You didn't want him to think you were a coward. A lot of people thought so. You were a girl, and girls don't belong in Formula 1, right ? Bullshit. You worked your ass for this place, and you earned it. You were ready to prove it. Nevertheless, you were still scared. What if you weren't good enough ? What if you crashed ? Your mind was working a hundred miles an hour. You were so lost in your thoughts that you didn't notice that the french driver was still standing in front of you.

" I was so scared ", he admitted. You lifted your head up, frowning. " My first F1 race. I was terrified. I had so much expectation. Winning a race for my first ? That was my goal. I was so gutted when I didn't achieve that. I mean, I didn't even get in the points ! " he laughed a little. " I wished someone told me it was okay. Don't rush things, it's your first race. And don't overthink too much. Just go out there and do your best. I'm sure you'll do amazing, anyway. "

You were about to answer when someone called your name.

" Y/N ! " You turned around, to face Max. " Is my little sis nervous ? ", his smirked your way.

" I'm not. " Seeing your brother made you find a little more confidence hiding somewhere inside you. You've always admired Max, wanting to step in his footprints.

" Good luck today, little one. I'll see you right after the practice ends, alright ? " He embraced you in a tight hug. You wished he never let go of you. Your brother always knew what you needed, because he stayed like that a little longer than usual.

" C'mon, show everyone what the Verstappen are made of ! ", he laughed and then went back to the RedBull garage. You looked back to where Pierre was, just to find him talking to Pyry. He looked so good in his white suit. You gulped and made your way to the car.

You can do this, Y/N, you thought to yourself.

Practice went well for you. Monza was an amazing track. Well, it was your favorite track. It always had been. You felt so confident driving up there. The car felt good to. Everything looked good for you. You were so excited for qualification. Hoping you'd make it to Q2, if not Q3. You were smiling ear to ear when you entered the Alpha Tauri garage on that saturday afternoon. Greeting everyone that crossed your path.You were about to go talk to your phisio, before someone interrupted you.

" Someone looks happy, today. " He stood next to your car. His bright smile plastered on his face. He had a look on face that you didn't fully recognized.

" Hi, Pierre. How are you ? ", you answered cheepisly, playing with your drink. " Better now that I see you smile ", he replied honestly. You blushed, hoping he wouldn't notice. You didn't even know if you'd be capable to look his way after that.

" Ready for quali ? ", he kept talking with his sweet voice.

" More than ready. Maybe I'll beat you ", you said, not thinking of what you really said. When you realized, your eyes widened. Pierre let a true laugh out. Throwing his head back, letting his neck totally on display. You stared a bit, imagining how you could brush your lips against it. He must of know because he slowly touched the side of it. Butterflies erupted in your body. You looked straight into his eyes, panicking a bit.

" I'm - I... " you stumbled on your words. Shit, shit, you hated yourself on that moment.

" It's cool. Hope you enjoy the view ", he said so casually. " Hey, let's do a bet. If you beat me, I'll take you on a date. ", his voice was so hopeful. You stood there, not knowing what to say. You wanted to scream yes but your brain wasn't really taking on what was going. It was frozen. Was Pierre Gasly flirting with you ? You must be dreaming. That can't be true. Your mouth started to open up, but someone dragged you out of the conversation and put you in a dark corner of the garage.

" Max, it could have waited. I was in the middle of a conversation ! ", you groaned. He just ruined your moment with Pierre. " What do you want now ? ", your voice was so harsh. You were faced with silence. Max was looking at you with big eyes. You never got mad at him - at anyone in general unless it was super important (like your life depended on it).

" I just... Just wanted to say good luck... " He was taken aback by your attitude. Realization soon crossed his face. " Something's going on with you and Pierre ?", you could hear the slight shock in his voice.

" No- no. It's - it's not like that ", you finally muttered.

" You like him ? ", he screamed, not in an angry way. More like in a happy way.

" Shut up ! ", you put one of your finger on his mouth. He started to smile. You took a step back. " You're not mad ? ", you ask, kind of dumfounded by his reaction. Literally admitting you had feelings for your teammate of a week.

" No, no. You do you. I'm happy for you no matter what, no matter who you're with. Hope he's gonna get his seat at RedBull back, so that my sister's not gonna support another team ", he winked at you. " Oh and if he breaks your heart, i'll ruin him. See you after quali ! " and with that he run away from you.

" We're not even together yet...", you breathed out.

You made your way back to the garage. Your hands were sweating. You wanted to go back so bad to the small talk you were having with Pierre. But he was nowhere to find. You frowned, hoping you'd see him before qualifying started. But you didn't, hopped in your car, helmet on. Q3, here I am.

Gutted. That's what you were. In the middle of Q1, you had to retire the car. Mechanic problem. You were so mad at everything and everyone. You wanted to punch and insult the whole world. You were doing so great, definitively would have made it far. You kept your helmet on as you crossed the garage. Every mechanic was silent, scared to say a word to you. You were fuming, seeing red. You didn't care about the rest of the qualifying and went to your motorhome. Slamming the door so loud to let everyone know that you were mad. Talk about Verstappen's genes. You slid along the wall. Head in your hands, crying your anger away. You were frustrated at yourself, and a little bit at the team. How could they not see the issue before ?

You didn't know how long you stayed in this position, and it's not like you really cared. A little knock on the door got to your ears. You groaned, not wanting to see anyone.

" Go away, Max " you answered, you were so sure it was your brother. You refused to let him see you in this state. Another soft knock.

" Leave me alone ", you tried to scream but your voice came muffled, a sob left your mouth. The door opened gently. You erased the tears from your cheeks with the sleeves of your racing suit. A hand landed on your shoulder. You relaxed into the touch. Your anger already got the best of you, you were tired of fighting with your emotions. You were put in a loving embrace. You immediately recognized the scent of the stranger. Wooded but sweet as honey. You sobbed more.

" Hey, it's alright ", Pierre said, running his hand through your hair. The other one was placed on your back, rubbing it with little rounds. " It's not your fault. "

You wanted him to shut up as much as you wanted to hear him said you'd be okay. You remembered his words from yesterday " don't rush things, it's your first race ". It wasn't even the race, just quali. Maybe the mechanics would be able to fix the car and you'd take the start tomorrow. And if not, it was okay. It happens. You'd have an another chance. You realized you literally overreacted. You rested your head in the crock of his neck, sniffing a little. You leaned into his touch, letting yourself completely enjoy the moment.

" You were amazing on track. Heard they'll fix your car for tomorrow. I'm sure you'll prove everyone wrong. " His words touched you so much. You really had the impression he knew exactly how you were feeling. Always choosing the right thing to say, even if you never really spoke about those kind of things with him. He knows because he's been there, you thought.

You let go of him - even if you wanted to stay in his strong arms for the rest of your life. Your red eyes looking behind him, a soft smile painted on your face.

" I overreacted. I'm so dumb. " You laughed, fixing your bun. Your hands were shaky, so you hid them in the pockets of your race suit. You got up, Pierre imitating you.

" Don't say that. I know the feeling, a little bit too much by the way - he laughed in a satiric way. I usually hit the gym when it happens to me. It helps me relieve the anger. " He paused a little bit, searching for what to say next. There's so much he wanted to say, to do, but he was scared of your reaction. You left without saying anything after he had mentioned a date. " Hum-..."

" Y/N ! Oh. Oh. Hey, Pierre ", your brother stood by the door, a smirk on his face. " Well, I wanted to comfort my little sis, but someone did it for me I see. Thanks man. She's the worst when she's mad. She's not a mini me for nothing. " You threw a mean look to your brother. Pierre laughed a little, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding. " I'm gonna leave you two love birds alone..."

" Y/N ! We need to talk to you ", you heard someone call for you in the distance. You sighed, time to get back to work.

" Thanks Pierre ", you said squeezing his arm a little to say goodbye. You quickly hugged Max, and joined the team to debrief the afternoon.

You got back to the hotel really late, hungry and tired. Your stomach was growling, and your eyes were trying to shut. To say the less, you were a mess. The terrible qualification was out of mind (you'd be able to take the start tomorrow, it was all that mattered), but something else was stuck in your thoughts. Pierre, of course. You couldn't shake him out of your spirit. He owned every part of you, especially after today. You touched your shoulder where his hands have been, trying to find the comfort of his touch again. Oh boy, you were so in love with him.

" Getting back late ", Pierre was standing by the elevator. Of course, it had to be him. He looked like he just did a workout session. His body was covered in sweat. He was rubbing a towel against his forehead. That man will be the end of you, and you knew it.

" Same for you ", you didn't know what to say. You were a bit awkward, and playing with your hands was suddenly the most interesting thing in the world.

" Pretty long day ", you chuckled at his words. He couldn't be more right. This weekend was taking a toll on you. So much pressure. So much emotion. You looked at him - well, stared at him. You wished he'd hold you all night. You wanted to feel his raspy hands against you again, and smell his scent to fall asleep. You were captivated by him. The little noise of the elevator made you look away. The tension in the tiny space could be cut with blades. Pierre wanted to hug you, kiss you til the birds sing in the morning. But the race was tomorrow. It was Monza, and he didn't want to mess up. Last year, he won there. He wanted to do it again. Monza, his beloved. He'll wait after the race to talk to you. Hoping you'd say yes to him. He'd follow you around the world if you'd let him.

You both got out, and without saying a word he accompanied you to your door. You were so tensed and exhausted. You opened you room and turned around.

" Have a good night, Pierre. Thanks again for today, you really helped me out there ", you tried to smile brightly but failed and yawned instead. He reciprocated your touch from earlier by squeezing your arm a little. It warmed your heart a little.

" Go get some rest, you deserved it. Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine, love. " With those words, he left you standing in the door of your hotel room. The nickname made you flustered. Butterflies came back in your stomach. You'd wish he'd call you that every freakin' day. It rolled out of his tongue so easily. You went to bed, and fell asleep with a smile on your face and Pierre in your dreams.

Before the race, you stayed in the RedBull garage with Max. It was relaxing to be with your big brother. You knew he'd protected you from everything. The media had gone crazy after your retirement in the qualifications. It was a mechanic problem, but they saw the opportunity to drag you down. Saying you weren't good enough and all those things. It was getting to your head again, but Max knew how to calm you down. You only went back to Alpha Tauri just in time to get ready for the race. You were so focused that you didn't saw the longing looks Pierre was throwing your way. He couldn't wait to be done with the race to put his heart out for you. He was ready for you to pick it up or for you to broke and stepped on it.

The race went amazing for you, you ended up in fifth place. You were more than happy. It felt so incredible. With an Alpha Tauri and for your first race, it was almost a miracle. As soon as you got back to the garage, you took off your helmet and hugged every mechanic you stumbled on. You couldn't stop smiling. Happier than ever. You were on a little cloud of euphoria.

Soon enough, your path crossed Pierre. His eyes held a mix of sadness and pure joy. He had to retire the car. No Monza win for him this year. You didn't think much and threw yourself around his neck. He held you so tight. His head was hiding in the crock of your neck. His hot breath against your skin making you shiver. You felt how much he needed this. How much he needed you. You let your hands drew random patterns on his hair. It felt so right.

" I'm so sorry ", you whispered in his ear. In response, he hugged you even more. You were scared you'd start suffocating, but you stayed still.

" Don't be. I'm so proud of you. You're damn talented. You deserved it so much. So much, love ", his words sent a shiver down your spine. There, that nickname again. It could make you go crazy. You loved it so much, it made you feel so...loved.

" Molto bene Y/N ! ", you heard behind you. You let go of Pierre and turn around to see some mechanics clapping and whistling. You laughed and thanked them. They did an amazing job too. You quickly went to high-five some of them, and returned to the french driver waiting for you.

" Well...", Pierre tried to create a full sentence but he was so nervous words didn't come out as he wanted. " I - so... Yesterday, I-...". He didn't how he was going to get out of this. He probably looked like a fool. The fact that you were glancing at him through your lashes didn't help him. Your face was red, still covered in sweat. Hair was crazy. And how your white race suit fitted your body was almost too much for him. You looked so beautiful.

" Technically, I beat you ", you simply stated with a huge smile on your face. The adrenaline from the race still running through your veins. You were ready to risk it all for him. He smiled back, and you could swear it lightened up the whole room.

" Is that a yes ? ", his eyes were hopeful.

" Yes. "

Monza was no longer your favorite track, Pierre Gasly was.

-------------------------------------------------------------

🌻 Thanks for reading 🌻

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pedrosbrat · 3 years

Text

Bordeaux & Opéra

AU- Pedro Pascal as Lord Nikolai Casillero - XXth century.

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 6K

Warnings: Smut, Talk about a threat, alcohol, P in V, unprotected sex, fingering, slight cock touch, OVERTHINKER READER ...

Summary: In the 20th century, you work in the house of Lady Casillero, one of the richest families in the country thanks to their quality wine (and other rumours).

You will meet her brother for the first time during a visit to his sister's house, and will be quite taken with this handsome devil...

Little Comment : Hello to all! This is obviously a little idea/joke made on purpose in view of the pictures and commercial we had with Pedro as a thief for Casillero del diablo AND IT MAKES ME FERAL ! It's all fun I hope you will enjoy it! (if you see any mistakes let me know and I will correct it) - comments and reblogs are appreciated 🖤 Enjoy!

PS: (You won't see any fanfic from me where Pedro's name will be displayed! unless requested, but I don't see myself writing fanfic about a real person, only the characters he plays) I will create a part in my Masterlist with "AU-Pedro Pascal" where you can find invented characters 🖤

You have been working as a maid for years for Lady Casillero, a task less complicated than people think...

She is a very sweet and patient woman, who because of her surname scares most people away from her, a name she got from her father, and which has also been passed on to her brother... Her brother you have never met, who has earned a rather peculiar nickname according to several rumours: doing business with him is like making a pact with the devil, handsome as a devil, ruthless, cold, thief... Everyone knows the Casillero family and in particular the heir to the fortune, the brother of your mistress... El Diablo.

You spent most of your morning at the market, as your Lady asked you to, insisting that you would have a guest tonight, but would not give his identity, letting you know that the neighbours would hurry to see him in the flesh...

You didn't ask any more questions, not being very curious by nature, thinking of someone important with whom she probably has to do business for her family, as it can happen from time to time.

You pass through the servants' entrance at the back, putting everything down in the kitchen, leaving Laura, the cook, to deal with it all, thanking her, before shedding your coat and heading into the sitting room to see if her ladyship needs anything before you start your duties.

"My Lady may I be of assistance to you in..."

You pause, noticing that she is not alone, a man standing in front of her, who does not even disdain to turn around when you enter the room... You are only a servant, you know that very well, but it is still quite pleasant to be respected from time to time...

"Oh dear!" she said, jumping up to you. "My brother has arrived earlier than expected! Could you please prepare a room for him?"

Her brother?!

"Yes, my lady..."

You were about to finish your sentence when your gaze fell on her brother who had just turned in your direction, walking towards you with a slight smile on his face. Not a perverse smile like most men are used to presenting, a soft and comforting smile, which you refrain from returning, which might come across as inappropriate.

"Good morning mademoiselle," he says, kissing your hand.

You widen your eyes, not knowing how to react to such gestures which are not normally reserved for you, coming from men of his class. So you say nothing and just bend your knees slightly.

You didn't pay attention to it right away, but it's when he raises his face that you confirm at least one of the rumours about him: he's beautiful... A tan complexion, like his sister's, beautiful sad eyes of a rather dark brown, yet giving off a warmth and beauty like you've never seen before, pointy lips, and a nose... A magnificent aquiline nose that falls perfectly with the rest of his features... You stay like that observing him for a moment, not realizing that you've been staring at him for quite a while now without saying anything, wanting to run your hands through his beautiful chocolate curls, not before Lady Casillero speaks.

"Nikolai, let her go, you can see she's uncomfortable!" she says, patting his arm.

"I don't think she's uncomfortable, my dear sister..." he says as he stands up without taking his eyes off you, lightly stroking the back of your hand.

You rush off towards the stairs that lead to the rooms without looking back the second he lets go of your hand, the second you can finally breathe, not even realizing that you were holding your breath in front of this man who is indeed handsome as hell...

It is quite complicated for you to concentrate throughout the day while doing your chores. It was quite easy at the beginning when you prepared his room, then started your tasks, because he was not there... But when you had to tidy up the ground floor, and his presence was felt around you, it was at that moment that you felt a big problem or rather the beginning of major problems.

And that feeling you had all day in the back of your neck was not a hallucination or anything, it was just because he was watching you, not in a stalker way, but in a simple observation way like he does with everybody. He examined you, without any shame, sitting in one of the offices you were cleaning, for example, observing every facial expression, letting his eyes fall on the curves of your body from time to time...

He watched you enough to see that you were avoiding his gaze, wondering if he had gone a little too far with that chaste, but possibly misinterpreted, kiss... Not that his thoughts of you since he arrived are chaste, but his intentions are anything but bad...

The problem is that you seem like a good woman... Most of the women Nikolai associates with are women of joy, or smugglers... Or in some cases the wives of very high-ranking Men who are looking to get certain things that only a thief can get, a thief with a big enough name that nothing will backfire on them, or if it did, they would deny it, like the Casillero family denies the origin of their fortune behind the wine...

He's not used to women like you, so pure, calm, hard-working, who don't really seem to care about him, or to make him indecent proposals, which he always accepts, being just another man after all...

He then focused his mind on the reason for coming to this town, which for people will only be to see his dear little sister, but in reality, a large part of their family's wine shipments are disappearing, and despite his sister's efforts, it has been impossible to get hold of the people doing this...

"Are you sure you haven't seen or heard anything my dear sister?"

You are standing in the library room next to the desk when you hear the Casillero's voices in the next room, and decide to listen even without being curious, knowing that it can do no harm... You are a maid after all...

"I asked every kitchen workers to keep an eye out, but there was nothing... And I trust them Nikolai!"

"I didn't say anything about that dear."

"I know you, you doubt everyone..."

"Because I know the depths of human nature... I work with it every day."

His sister reached behind the desk to put her arms around her brother's shoulders, letting him grab her hands to hold her tighter against him.

"A family of thieves, stolen... That's not the best, my dear brother..."

"It won't last. I've sent our men into the city... And when they find them I'll deal with them."

"You promised me less violence Nik..."

"Only on business. This is personal."

He stops, looking in the direction you're standing, the door slightly ajar, and you hurry back to clean up, sure he didn't see you in such a fine line as the opening was...

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

The night is cold, the smell of paraffin lamps floods the city streets, and you try to get to the opera house as quickly as possible, pressed for time and afraid of being approached by a man in the street as night falls on the city, leaving far too many dark and unlit corners for a woman to walk alone...

You work at the opera in addition to your job as a maid for the Casillero's, not that you are badly paid, it is a very honest salary and even more than that for your profession, but you have always loved to sing and you were lucky to find an employer who let you have a second job and sleep in the little room there, not having told the Lady of course, but you don't want to sleep there where you spend most of your day cleaning...

You walk into your dressing room and open the little door behind it, opening onto your little flat, which is quite well decorated for what it's worth: a velvet sofa and a nice double bed, which you traded in for one of your theatrical gowns only a few months ago, having been more than tired of having a bad back from having a bad posture all day in view of your maid's work and bad night's sleep... A small kitchen with only the minimum, a shower and toilet... The minimum, a roof over your head and you know it's not the big house you work in, but you like what you have very much, you worked hard for it...

You lock the door again, and undress in your dressing room to put on your make-up, do your hair and warm up your voice, getting ready to go on stage in a few minutes.

"You're late"

You don't have to turn around to know that it is Martha who has just entered your dressing room, one of your only friends, your best friend who has been working with you at the opera for longer than you can remember.

"I know, excuse me... Did you cover me?..."

"Always my dear " she says as she starts to do your hair.

"So, what's this about today?"

"...Nothing..."

She frowns as you look down to avoid her gaze in the mirror and smiles slightly at your efforts to hide a look she knows well, not insisting, knowing you always end up talking to her about everything.

"... If you say so... Come on put this on and get on stage we're full tonight!" She says, pulling your best dress out of your wardrobe.

You smile at her and add a final touch of black to your eyes before getting up to put on your armour for tonight...

She then accompanies you to the stairs, as she does at all your performances, as you will do later in the evening for her, to watch you climb into your beautiful red dress, applauded by the audience, and begin to sing, to let only your voice resonate in the silence of the opera.

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

"That was beautiful, baby! Do something like that next week with all the lords arriving, and you're sure to have success in the rest of the country!

"Martha... Don't pressure me please" you say as you remove the last layer of make-up, smiling at her nonetheless "... You were perfect too you know, you too will be singing next week and..."

"Martha, a man is calling you by the stairs!" a young girl shouted from the top of the stage.

You beckoned her to go and promised her that you would talk tomorrow, as you always do, but which turns out to be a lie, always working too hard to discuss... Still, you were happy enough to lock your dressing room and go to bed, exhausted by this day, thinking only of tomorrow... Thinking only of seeing dear Nikolai again...

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

The morning was rough, like every morning after the theatre, but you know you can't afford to show it, not in this kind of job...

"Good morning..."

You turn around with a jump, not having heard anyone coming up behind you, putting what little energy and concentration you have into the tasks at hand.

Nikolai is standing behind you, at first leaning in the doorway leaving you to wonder how long he's been standing there, then finally straightening up, closing the door behind him, locking you both in the guest room.

"Good morning Lord..."

"What did you hear yesterday?" he cuts you short.

You swallow, thinking at first to lie to him, to deny it, but you know he'd realise, because he must, after all, spend his life surrounded by liars for his job

"I... I..."

"...You?"

You look at him with round eyes, not knowing if you can't say a single word because you fear getting killed right here and now or because you are far too absorbed by the beauty and charisma he exudes...

"You had quite a voice last night, would it be possible for you to use it to answer me dear? Your dress looked lovely on you, if I may say so," he says, smiling.

You close your eyes, understanding that he was present at the opera, probably brought by his sister; and finally find a minimum of courage to tell him the truth, keeping your eyes as closed as ever.

"I heard you talking about stolen wines, and about people you have to take care of," you say firmly.

He stares at you for a second, realising that you are probably afraid of him, and just fills the space between you slightly.

"I wish to see your beautiful eyes when you tell me this again."

Oh no...

You don't know why but you obey him without hesitation, opening your eyes to look up at him shyly, to see him staring at you intensely, preventing you from looking away now that you've met his... And scented himself...

"Wine... Stolen and... You're going to kill people." you say with a stammer, not understanding how man can have such an effect on you.

The fact that he's smiling at you now doesn't help matters at all, leaving a unique dimple on his cheek, sending shivers down your core, almost stopping you from breathing... Pull yourself together, for Christ's sake...

"I'm not going to kill anyone, sweetheart... Not right now." he said as he turned on his heels and finished with you, leaving you surprised by his reaction.

"You don't threaten me..."

"To see fear on such a beautiful face every time you look at me? No, that's not the kind of look I want to get from you..." he said, turning around "...I'll just ask you not to talk about it... Think of it as our first secret."

"...Is there supposed to be more?"

"I dearly hope so."

And he disappeared with those last words, leaving you alone in the room, out of breath for some reason, and you finally allow yourself to lean on the edge of the sink to regain your composure, knowing that this man... dear Nikolai will end up killing you one way or another...

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

The days passed, becoming weeks, weeks during which you had very few discussions with him, much less than you would have hoped, but it's not that he's avoiding you or that you're avoiding him, he's just too busy to see anyone, and you know it because his sister is complaining about it a lot... All day long, in fact... She's also full of all the looks that have been cast on your house since the whole town knows that her brother is back.

A lot of maids and kitchen ladies asked you what he was like, as intrigued as you were the first time you met him, and you obviously said nothing but good things about him, because that's all there is to say about him... Good things... He's a good man, with some dubious secrets in his wardrobe, but still a good man... And very charming one...

Unfortunately, you are obviously not the only one to have noticed this kind of detail. All the women in the city rush to see him every time he goes out... That's how you know he comes to every one of your performances, having a swarm of admirers at the end of each performance waiting for him at the exit... And you don't even lie to yourself, knowing that you are totally jealous...

That night you decided to go for a drink with Martha in your favourite pub, accompanied by one of the boys from the scene, for fear of being caught by men so late at night.

It's a small pub hidden away not far from the opera house where only artists and a few businessmen looking for a good time with the girls of joy go. It's quite a good atmosphere, only surrounded by people from the scene from here and there...

Martha has gone to get you some drinks at the bar, which you down faster than you would have liked, needing a little more than a drink after all the excitement you've felt in recent weeks.

"For God's sake what aren't you telling me... Is this about the brother of..."

"STOP... Stop please I don't want to have to lie to you..." you say cutting her off.

"...I'll take that as a yes... Just please be careful... He has a reputation that is quite..."

"False. Believe me if I tell you it's fake."

She frowned for a moment but didn't insist and handed you the bottle, seeing that you would need more than one drink to sleep well tonight... You grabbed the bottle, letting your finger brush against the logo a logo engraved in it that you recognised with a sigh... A devil's head...

You don't explain why to Martha and just tell her that you have to go to the Casillero's quickly, not giving her time to answer you, watching you run towards the pub's exit at full speed.

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

You run through the town ignoring the whistles on your way, suddenly realising the stupidity of having just left on a whim in the middle of the night, not even sure if you'd make it to the big house with the number of men who may or may not have been drinking a little too much being on the streets...

But you get there and enter through the front door without warning, interrupting a big meal the siblings were giving to introduce their neighbours to Nikolai.

The looks you get from the guests are strikingly disdainful. You ignore them and focus on the masters of the house.

You can see in Lady's eyes that your arrival isn't necessarily a good time as she walks towards you.

"I gave you the night off..."

"Madam, I must speak to your brother... Please, it is... It is urgent."

She looked at you panting, leaning on the column behind you, thinking that you wouldn't have run here in the middle of the night without a good reason, especially on one of your free nights.

Nikolai stands up having heard your words, looking coldly at their guests, not appreciating the looks of superiority directed at you, forcing them to look down or away before he approaches you and grabs you by the arm to take you into what is now his library office.

"You walked through the city alone?"

"Yes, but..."

"In the middle of the night? Are you unconscious?!"

You sense anger and concern in his voice as he cuts you off and comes close to shouting at you, probably worried...

You don't get up and shove the thought to the back of your mind, telling yourself that you're probably imagining things, because after all, he hasn't spoken to you for a good two weeks... You simply hand him the bottle that he didn't even notice you were holding.

"I was in a pub with a friend, and these are the bottles they serve... I'm pretty sure small pubs can't afford your bottle... Not at the price..."

"Where?" He cut you again, looking suddenly more serious, and darker.

"Near the opera house... But I don't know who sells it to them... I didn't think to ask really..."

"I'll take care of all that, love..." he said, setting the bottle down on his desk and ringing a bell outside.

Two men arrived within seconds, and you saw him whispering things in their ears, much too low for you to hear. He then turned to you, closing the door after his men had left, and you can feel that wave of chill run through your body once more, after this little pet name that he always gives you, the little smiles... Like every time you find yourself in his presence...

"So you came across town to give me this information?"

"Yes I..."

"Information that could have waited until tomorrow, but you chose tonight, in the middle of the night where you could have ended up in a street corner left for dead..."

You don't answer that... Not really knowing what to say to him, a little ashamed that you acted so stupidly, that you ran to him as if you owed him that... Maybe you do... To be at his mercy... In every way imaginable...

"Did you love it?"

"I ask you Pardon?"

"The wine love, did you like it?"

"... Yes, yes, of course it's a very good wine.

He moved towards you... suddenly depriving you of all personal space, leaving you to bump into his desk, sharing his air with yours.

"Can I taste it?" he murmured in a low, husky voice, looking at your lips

You hesitate for a few seconds but you know you want him too, you want this man who has occupied your thoughts for weeks, never being able to satisfy what you really want from him... So you finally let these words fall from your lips, less chastely than you imagined.

"This is your wine... You can taste it whenever you want my Lo..."

He didn't let you finish and put his lips on yours, tenderly and yet so hungrily. You can feel that he was waiting for this as much as you were by the way he clutches his hand around your body, pressing you completely against him letting you feel every part of his body and the way he lets his lips crash against yours, finally letting his tongue possess yours and hearing you moan with desire as he pulls away to kiss the small of your neck and make that arousal grow in your lower belly, faster than usual..

"Nikolai?"

You push him away abruptly, hearing his sister's voice coming closer in the hallway, remembering that there are guests in your dining room, and straighten up slightly, looking at him with a smile on your lips to let him know that you don't regret that kiss, but it's not the right time for more.

"I'm coming, dear," he calls out before placing a kiss on your forehead and smiling tenderly. "It wasn't the day, love" he said as he reluctantly walked away, leaving you once again in an empty room after turning your being and your mind inside out...

You walked towards the exit after waiting for a few minutes, but you were blocked by Lady Casillero who was waiting for you, arms joined in front of her, a neutral face coming towards you:

"Remember that I have nothing against you... But know that what you are doing will be complicated for you right?”

"And not for him?" you say softly, not wanting to overlook her kindness.

"He is a man my dear... They always gets away with it... But it's not bad behaviour I'm worried about, or his name... My brother doesn't care about any of that, his reputation is already quite dark..." she says, grabbing your hand "... You're a maid who's venturing into something with a man of title, with a lot of gossip around him... Can you handle all that? The looks, the whispers?"

"You're handling it well..." you say, smiling at her, reassured that she doesn't hate you for what's happened.

"I'm just his sister... It's not that hard. Being the woman on his arm will be more complicated..."

"I don't think your brother sees me in such a definitive way... I'm just a maid as you yourself said."

She smiles more broadly, being amused by the way you are blind to the kindness her brother has towards you and only you, then turning her back on you to head back up the stairs.

"You shouldn't think that my dear... Trust me!"

You frowned and wondered for a moment if he would have talked with his sister about you... But you're pretty sure that it's not something common among people of their class to do that kind of thing... No... He wouldn't have talked to his sister about me... Would he?

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

You're pretty sure your performance tonight wasn't as good as your normal one, but how can you concentrate after what happened two nights ago... You'd like to go back and take matters into your own hands; having thought he'd have come back on his own yesterday...

But you don't want to look so hungry... Not in front of a man like him... Maybe he's testing me...

You shake your head, remembering that you have totally zoned out in front of your mirror, under the eyes of Martha, who as usual helps you to get rid of your corset.

"Three times in less than ten minutes, my dear... Are you going to tell me who it is?"

"Who is who? ..."

"No lies between us, remember?!"

I need to talk to someone after all... I need advice...

"... There's this..."

A drumming on your dressing room door cuts you off, making Martha walk towards it, waiting a few moments for you to put on a dressing gown to open the door, and when your eyes widen as you take in who's in front of your dressing room, Martha realises what's going on and just grabs her scarf and winks at you to get out of there...

Have a good time..." she whispered to you before leaving the room, looking very indiscreetly at your surprise guest, who gave her a cold, empty look as he does with everyone except you... Martha still smiled at him in return before leaving, her nature being warm, and he closed the door behind her... with a double lock this time...

"Good evening love..."

This nickname...

"Good evening, Lord..."

"Nikolai. You'll have to start calling me Nikolai love and stop playing shy with me..."

You didn't answer and he walked towards you without taking his eyes off you, taking off his burgundy jacket and dropping it on one of the sofas in the room, and started to undo his bow tie. You realised what was happening and didn't know what else to do but to lean on your Vanity behind you.

"I had to take care of the problem yesterday... I couldn't come to you before..."

You nod your head in silence, suppressing a smile being quite happy that he had some business to attend to and that this is the only reason he couldn't come and see you before...

"...But I'm totally yours now..." he said, still holding your gaze.

He moved dangerously close to you and grabbed you by the hips to press you against him, letting out a small cry of surprise from between your lips and you looked up at him, putting your hands under his shirt to caress that broad chest you've dreamed so many times of being crushed against during cuddling in bed, or feeling his weight on top of you when he impales you to make you see stars.

"Beautiful performance tonight... your lips never disappoint me..."

You can no longer sustain the tension between you and don't care about manners or propriety at the level you're at, just resting your lips against his impatiently.

He responded to your kiss by pressing you harder against him, lifting you up and placing you on the Vanity behind you. You taste those lips again, and they feel even better than they did the first time. You moan silently between his lips letting him lick your bottom lips that you open to let him possess you completely, feeling his swollen cock in his trousers and run your hand over it to feel him, making him make a low, muffled thud in his chest.

He placed kisses on your neck, nibbling and sucking on it, causing you to mewl in anticipation, to which he responded by running his fingers under your dress to caress your clit slowly.

"You're already so yet beautiful..." he murmured into your neck, extremely excited by this, by the fact that your body responded so easily to his presence.

You gasp under his expert fingers, so pleasurable, immediately finding how your body works, immediately finding the movements you like, the pressure you love, you gasp as you cling to the edge of the vanity, when he pushes a finger into you, looking into your eyes, placing light kisses on your lips, not letting go of your gaze, whispering praise softly at the same pace he fingers you, slowly tenderly, gradually adding a second finger inside you, making you gasp for air where you can, liquefying you completely under that fingering.

You find the semblance of strength you need to let the rest of your dressing gown slip off your shoulders, followed by your cotton bra, to reveal your breasts and look up at him with doe eyes, blowing his mind away.

"That's the kind of look I want from you lovel..." he says with a husky voice

He looked at you intently, as if you were the most precious thing he'd ever seen in his life. He couldn't help but place another kiss on your throat, which he felt vibrate under his lips from the obscene sounds you began to make less and less discreetly as he found that spot in you that stops you from breathing.

He felt you tremble, your walls contracting around his fingers and when he looked up at you and straightened to kiss you, you stopped him, grabbing the back of his neck and looking into his eyes as he made you cum like you'd never cum on his fingers, making a O with your mouth, trying to say is name, but only babeling...

"That's it beautiful, cum for me..."

You let out cries of pleasure and mewled between his lips as you pulled him close to you again.

"Take me Nikolai... I need you."

He grunted between your lips and unbuttoned his trousers, while you undid the buttons on his shirt, wanting to see his magnificent chest when he made you cum for the second time.

Your eyes widened as you saw him take hold of his cock, which is also much larger than you felt a few minutes before, his cock now completely hard from all the sounds you made from feeling you from the inside so wet for him, from getting a taste of what's to come.

But nothing could have prepared either of you for what followed... You couldn't have anticipated the gentle stretch he caused in you, gradually, slowly, letting you feel every vein and inch of his being opening you up delectably...

Nor could he have anticipated that you would be so tight, so hot and wet around him, being able to feel every throb your pussy produces as it contracts around his cock. He's biting the inside of his cheek to keep from cumming inside you, knowing full well that he must pull out long before that.

"Oh LORD!" you shout in a running breath.

"I already told you to call me N-Nikolai, love!" he laughs, making you follow him slightly in his joke.

It's the first time it's been so hard for him to contain himself in this way, installed deep inside you, never having felt the slightest bit for his former one-night stands, never having wanted to make love to a woman whose face is so pure and yet broken by the pleasure in front of him... He's never wanted another woman like he wants you.

You put your legs around his hips and one of your arms around his neck to kiss him, begging him to move inside you, unable to wait for more, and he began to move inside of you, first slowly, then a little faster, moving his hips in delicious ways that forced you to grip the edges of the furniture, to get some balance and join him.

He thrust into you slowly, then quickly, and repeated the movement countless times, killing you slowly, making you moan for him, restraining himself from growling too loudly for his part by muffling his noises by taking one of your breasts in his mouth to lick and suck at it, not having been able to stop himself from seeing them bouncing around in front of his eyes for the last few seconds.

You cried again and again, trying to contain your screams, which when he straightened up and started to thrust with his hips more sharply, became almost non-existent, you just couldn't let any sounds out... It is too good... He is too good.

He grabbed you by the little ponytail you made for the night, and pulled your head back, to look you straight in the eye, pushing harder and harder into you.

" Cum for me beautiful... G-Give me that a second time" he says through clenched teeth feeling his own release coming.

You gasp and search for air with your mouth open, not knowing what else to do but obey him and roll your eyes when you coat his dick, seeing stars, gasping, letting him gives you a kiss, continuing his thrusts into you, until he pulls out and takes a cloth next to you to cum, not wanting to cum inside you without your permission.

You wait for him to come back and take him in your arms, placing kisses on his nose, his neck, his eyes, smiling tenderly, tired and satisfied.

He cuddled you for a long time, and whispered sweet nothings to you... Leaving you wondering how people could paint him so harshly... You smiled at him, seeing his blissful face and a tender smile, genuinely tender with no backhanded cockiness that he usually sends back despite himself, a smile that he returned and lifted you up to the room he glimpsed when he arrived.

He laid you on your bed and undressed you completely, cleaning you carefully and putting you under your sheets.

You saw him disappear into your dressing room and the lights go out, only to return a few minutes later, undress and lie down beside you, to take you in his arms and let you snuggle up to him in a soothing silence...

"That was..."

"Perfect." he says, tracing circles on your back with his fingers.

You closed your eyes, inhaling his scent, hoping that it would stay on your sheets for days, in case he didn't come back to you... The thought broke your heart slightly, so you decided to change the subject.

"Who was it?... For your wine?"

"Your cook. She was notifying people of transits and making a profit..."

Laura... You find it hard to believe, but it doesn't surprise you either because in the grandest logic it had to be someone on the inside... I hope her sister is okay... She who was so trusting...

"Your sister knew, didn't she?..."

"For your cook I..."

"No silly..." you say, patting his chest "For us..."

He smiles at the fact that you finally get comfortable enough with him to call him that... The opposite case would have been quite strange this he says, he was fucking you in the next room just a few minutes ago...

"My sister always knows everything... Even when I'm not talking... So I didn't see the point in lying to her when she asked me why I was watching you so much..."

You smile to yourself, learning that he was drawn to you as quickly as you were to him... Then reality hit you.

"When are you going to leave Lor... Nikolai? ..." you say, more and more sad.

"I don't think I'm going back..."

You straighten up slightly to face him and he looks at you, smiling as you lie on the bed in his arms.

"There's a lot to try in this town...a lot I think I'll enjoy very much I think..." he says with a cocky smile.

You kissed him with a smile and closed your eyes, happy, happier than you've ever been, in the arms of the Devil of Casillero...

⊱•~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ •⊰

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chibinekochan · 3 years

Text

How to become a Demon Ruler 113

Part: 01 I 02 I 03 I 04 I 05 I 06 I 07 I 09 I 10 I 11 I 12 I

GN. Reader insert

taglist: @ayesha95 ; @nomnomcupcakesworld ; @fex-phoenix ; @depressed-bixch ; @kitsune-oji ; @witch-o-memes

The party is the last part of this story. So there is one more part after this one.

I wake, being cocooned in my blanket.

I can't see Barbatos anywhere so I just proceed to stand up. I plan to take this morning slowly.

I get ready much like usual.

Strangely, Barbatos doesn't show up at all. As much as his sudden appearances scare me sometimes, right now I miss him.

I find the outfit for the party hanging by the door. It looks very nice. I fondly remember how I bought it.

I find my breakfast ready for me. Another bit of loneliness hits me. This means I won't see Diavolo this morning either.

I sigh and look at my favorite breakfast. Obviously made to make me feel better.

I can only sigh at it. Then I see a note, placed at the side of my dish.

Dear young Master,

I humbly apologize for not being able to wake you up this morning.

I have full faith that you will find this in time before lunch. Please rest until then.

I will be there in time to help you dress.

Your loyal servant Barbatos.

PS. Sorry for leaving you all alone. Please don't cry. ≈ Diavolo

Somehow I can't help but smile at the note. It's obvious how much they care.

I then see the items I requested from Barbatos. He is diligent as always. He even prepared wrapping paper, knowing that I'd insist on wrapping them myself.

So I eat my meal, with little enjoyment, and then wrap all of the presents for the brothers.

I do my best but they aren't perfect.

After that, I'm unsure what to do all by myself.

A wave of sadness rushes over me. I never realized how lonely my life was before coming here. Living day in and day out, always the same, always all alone.

Funny how everything can change so much in a single instance.

Barbatos left me a stack of books. I give this a dry chuckle.

What am I thinking? I have to survive first of all. No time to mope around.

With a bit more motivation I open a book and start to read.

So I pass time until a knock rips me out of the colorful devildom history.

"Come in." I hope it's Barbatos.

"You should ask first, who is there? You never know who might be on the other side." Barbatos shakes his head, but can't hide his smile.

"I was hoping that it would be you." I simply close my book and get up from my bed.

"What would you have done if it wasn't me?" Barbatos sighs.

"Umm, throw a book?" Some of them are heavy enough to do damage.

"I will add self-defense to your lessons." Then he seems to stop himself from saying something else. "We should get you ready."

I look at him, slightly suspicious. "Did you want to say something else there?"

Barbatos seems surprised that I caught on to this. "I need to be more careful around you. Sadly, I have promised not to say anything so please be patient. Just know that I would… no, I already said too much." Barbatos sighs once more. I have never seen him this troubled before.

"I hope keeping secrets from me won't become a habit. I honestly hate that sort of thing." I speak firmly, grimacing at this. "Diavolo acted a bit shady yesterday too." It makes me feel very uncomfortable.

"I understand, . From now on I will not keep secrets from you as long as I can avoid it." Barbatos acts like he is fully agreeing with it, but his words are clear to me.

"You will keep secrets to protect me I assume?" I can't hide my disdain for this.

"Yes. I will shield you from any harm." He doesn't even hesitate.

"It will harm me more if you hide important things from me. I'd rather get hurt by knowledge than by mistrust." I look away from Barbatos.

"What if the truth kills you?" Barbatos seems to honestly consider it.

"Well that might be an exception, but know that I will likely still end up trusting you less. Especially when I realize that you are hiding something." I can't truly fault him for that and it seems like a pretty unique exception.

Barbatos nods in understanding. "I will consider these points in the future. Regardless of this specific case, I have promised to keep it a secret. I hope you can forgive me for this." His consideration is probably as much as I will get out of him.

"Fine, and I forgive you this once." I'm glad he got my message at least.

Barbatos seems relieved by my words. "I'm glad that it's settled. Now we should let you get changed."

I feel pretty embarrassed. "You don't expect me to change in front of you, do you?"

"Based on your reaction, I'd suppose I don't, but this outfit seems rather fragile so if you need assistance I will be right here." Barbatos clearly planned to dress me himself.

There is no way I'd let that slide. "I will change in my dressing room. Will you change too?" Now I wonder how he would look in a different suit.

"No, I will only attend as your butler tonight." Barbatos calmly explains.

"Too bad. I bet you would look great in a different suit." I shrug and smile at him.

"Maybe next time." He smiles gently at me.

Somehow I expected him to protest.

I take my outfit and head to my changing room. Much to my surprise, I find matching underwear and shoes waiting for me. I mean I kind of expected shoes but underwear? This is very embarrassing.

I strip naked and start to get dressed. The outfit for the party is indeed very fancy, it takes me a while to figure out how to dress it all by myself. My pride prevents me from calling out for help from Barbatos.

Then finally I step outside. I walk very slowly, thanks to the new shoes and the new outfit.

Barbatos looks at me with wide eyes.

"Do I look weird?" My cheeks become hot once again.

"Oh no, quite the opposite. You look gorgeous." Barbatos looks at me full of admiration. "Now I regret even more that I wasn't with you when you picked this outfit." He sighs lightly. "Well regardless. I have to insist on taking a picture of you." Barbatos suddenly has a camera.

"A picture? Now I feel like this is my prom night." I chuckle.

Barbatos quickly takes the photo at that very moment. "This will be my greatest treasure."

"Barbatos, you sound like a parent." I smile and shake my head.

He huffs. "I'm just very happy to be able to share this moment with you. Furthermore, I'd like you to refrain from calling me your parent."

"I know you aren't my parent. I think of you much more like a friend, even if you are seeing me as your master." I have to clearly say this to him.

"I'm pleased you see me this way. I don't just think of you as my master either." Barbatos smiles in his usual way.

"That is very good to hear. I can't say how much that means to me." He feels incredibly close to me, I'm very glad it's not one-sided.

Barbatos nods slowly. "I feel the same way." Then he pauses for a moment. "Shall we head over to the venue then?" Barbatos holds his arm towards me.

"Yes, lead the way." I take his arm with a bright smile.

Together we head to the big ballroom. Barbatos matching my speed to perfection.

I notice this especially since I'm slower than usual.

We meet with Diavolo by the entrance.

"Good evening. You look beautiful." Diavolo gives me his biggest smile yet.

Somehow the warmth of his smile seems to radiate right into me.

I take a moment to appreciate his prince outfit. It's similar but different from his usual attire. "You look very beautiful yourself."

Is it right to call him beautiful? Well he is, I have no regrets.

"Thank you. What a shame that Barbatos can't dress up today." Diavolo likes my compliment.

"Yeah, I said the same thing." I chuckle lightly.

Barbatos shakes his head. "You both should take your seats. For the first part of the party, everyone will come to greet you. The brothers should be first. That would be the best opportunity to give them their presents. I have placed them by your seat. After the greeting, there will be dinner. Then casual conversation and dancing. The first dance will be led by Diavolo and you." Barbatos summarizes the full event.

"You have forgotten the speech my father will give." Diavolo only adds that.

"So he will show up? I wasn't sure." Barbatos doesn't look like he knew.

"Only for a bit. I assume it's to watch over my lovely sibling." Diavolo shrugs.

I feel a cold chill running down my spine.

"You don't need to worry about him. You will, as they say, knock him off his socks." It feels very strange to hear Barbatos saying this. I look at him wide-eyed.

"Haha, sounds like you had a chat with Levi." Diavolo chuckles.

"I only hope he won't kill me." This is the only thing that matters to me.

"He would never do such a thing." Diavolo seems very surprised by my words.

I'm not too sure about that but maybe Diavolo is right. I trust him and silently pray that he is right.

"Let us sit down now before everyone arrives." Diavolo then offers me his arm instead and I take it.

I'm more steady now than before but it still feels very nice to do this.

I see two throne-like chairs on the far back of the room. They are on a small stage.

This will be awkward for sure.

I sit down, at least it's pretty comfortable.

"Everyone will go to greet Diavolo first and then you." Barbatos has already taken his position behind my chair. Probably because I might require his assistance.

"I was expecting that. Would it be okay if I get water or something in between the greetings?" I'm known to get a dry throat.

"Naturally. You can also take a bathroom break." Barbatos seems to add this for my sake. That's good to know.

For a bit, I watch the other servants doing whatever. We do have them after all. It's amusing to finally actually see them. I was honestly starting to think that Barbatos does everything by himself.

Then finally something starts to happen.

The big entrance door gets opened and someone announces the demon brothers.

I watch them all with great curiosity when they all walk into the room.

Most of them don't look eager to be here, I share their feelings.

They all wear fancy suits, at least one of them looks extremely uncomfortable in it.

Lucifer walks calmly over to us. Much as expected, he greets Diavolo first, though he keeps it very brief.

Then he comes over to me. "Good evening. It's a pleasure to meet you again. I hope this evening will be a great success." He is very polite.

"It's a pleasure to see you again Lucifer. I hope we get the chance to meet more casually next time. I took the liberty to buy you and your brothers presents in the hopes of forging a good relationship." I smile at him and speak in a manner befitting a man of his stature.

"How very kind of you. I and my brothers have prepared a present for you as well. Please open it later." Lucifer takes a big box from one of his brothers.

He holds it out for me.

"Please allow me to take it for safekeeping." Barbatos quickly chimes in and takes the box. I wonder what they got me.

"Thank you very much for your kindness." I give him a big smile and Lucifer nods at me seemingly pleased.

"Lucifer, when can we eat? I'm hungry." One of the brothers speaks up.

"Beel I told you to eat before we came." Lucifer sighs.

"I'm afraid we cannot serve you food at this point." Barbatos sighs. The kitchen is still preparing it seems.

"I think I might be able to help. I prepared a big amount of cookies for Beel as his present. Please feel free to eat some now." I gently smile at Beel and Barbatos hands him the nicely wrapped cookies.

"Oohhh, how sweet of you." Beel takes the whole package and straight-up eats it, with the packaging still intact. I almost gasp in disbelief.

"Beel don't eat things with the packaging." One of the other brothers shakes his head.

"Sorry, they are very good though. You want some too, Belphie?" Beel shows the half-eaten package to his brother.

"No thanks." Belphie shakes his head.

"I apologize for his behavior." Lucifer sighs.

"Don't worry about it. I have put a few cookies into everyone's present." I somehow expected this to happen.

"Haha everyone knows how much of a glutton you are. Oh so lovely to see you again. That outfit looks very beautiful by the way." Asmo giggles and then calmly compliments me.

"Thank you Asmo. You look gorgeous tonight." I ignore his obvious undertone and calmly smile.

"I know, but I would look even better without the strict dress code." He shakes his head.

"Asmo, I told you, you need to greet Diavolo first." Lucifer seems pretty exhausted. "Beel you didn't even greet the new heir." He looks sternly at the still munching Beel.

"Ups sorry, I just got distracted by that outfit." Asmo doesn't seem sorry at all, but he walks over to Diavolo anyway.

Lucifer sighs again. He certainly doesn't have an easy life.

"I'm sorry. I was just hungry. The cookies were very great. Thank you for them." Beel sheepishly apologizes to me.

"I'm glad you enjoyed them." I can't be very mad at him. He has that puppy aura.

"Thank you for helping Beel. I'm Belphie by the way." He seems grateful and then he yawns.

"It's a pleasure meeting you. Please enjoy your present." I smile and hand him the gift. It's very light compared to Beels.

He unwraps it and starts to smile. "Nice, I will test this right away."

"No you won't, go over to your chair if you are done here," Lucifer tells him off. I start to wonder if they are children.

"I'm back. Sorry, I was cut so short. Anyway, I was talking about how much better I'd look in a more flashy outfit." Asmo his back, casually continuing.

"Stop talking so much and let the others have a turn." This brother sounds rather annoyed.

"Gee, excuse me for making small talk." Asmo rolls his eyes.

"We should talk more later. Please enjoy your present for now." I try to mediate between them.

I show the present to Asmo, I made sure to make it look extra pretty.

"It's so beautifully wrapped. Let's take a Pic before I open it." Asmo proceeds to be busy with that for a moment.

"You must be Satan. I'm very pleased to meet you." I smile politely.

"How did you know? He seems surprised by my guess.

"It was an educated guess. A few things gave you away, like your cat-shaped pin." To be completely honest it was his temper but I will not tell him that.

"Mammon told you about that huh? Well, I'm happy to meet you. I wasn't sure what to expect, to be honest, but you seem to be doing just fine." Satan is pretty polite, it seems.

"I hope you will enjoy your present." I smile at him. He doesn't seem to be too bad.

"Thanks for the gift. I didn't get the chance to buy it. I'll wear it for the after-party." Asmo is cheerfully holding the top I bought for him.

"I'm just glad you like it. Please tell me what you think after wearing it." I feel pretty good about his reaction.

"Sure, I will ask Mammon for your number if you don't mind." Asmo smiles.

"Of course." I think this is a good sign.

Satan has meanwhile gotten his present from Barbatos and seems to be pretty happy.

"Asmo, Satan, when you are done join the others." Lucifer sounds about done with them.

I can see other guests start to line up already.

Satan seems to mumble about something and they both leave.

"Yo, you look great tonight. Almost didn't recognize ya." Mammon is very casual. I don't mind that though.

"Mind your manners." Lucifer scolds him.

"I don't mind if you are casual with me." I smile and notice the last brother still standing awkwardly around. "And you don't need to be scared of me I promise I don't bite." I try to reassure him.

"Don't mind Levi, he is socially awkward." Mammon is pretty blunt about it.

"I understand, . I'm not offended if you are too shy to talk to me. Please take your present anyway. It's some Manga from the human world. I hope you don't own them already." I hope this will help to break the ice.

Levi's eyes light up in an instance.

"This is for you Mammon." I hand him his present.

He basically rips the packaging apart. "Oh, sweet new shades." Mammon looks happy.

Levi meanwhile opens his package very carefully, even when it's all inside of a box. His eyes seem to light up with every title he takes out. "Wow, I haven't seen any of these yet. Amazing! We need to talk about all of them soon!" All of his awkwardness seems to be gone now. I feel relieved.

"Of course, let's do that. I have read all of them myself. You can ask Mammon for my number too if you want." It does sound like fun to talk about my old Manga with someone.

"S-sure.. Thank you so much." Levi blushes and basically runs off. Mammon follows after him.

Lucifer shakes his head. "I hope they didn't give you a bad first impression."

"Not at all. They all seem very nice." I had somehow expected worse.

"I'm glad that you see it that way. I had some kind of idea for you, after hearing so much from Diavolo. He hasn't exaggerated. I look forward to getting to know you better." He smiles kindly and joins his brothers.

"I feel the same way." I need to find out what Diavolo is saying about me. I'm sure it's very embarrassing.

"I'm sure you will fit in just fine." Lucifer smiles kindly at me. I'm not sure what he means but I smile back at him.

The seven brothers are certainly an interesting bunch.

#obey me #obey me!#demon ruler 101 #how to become a demon ruler #omswd #obey me barbatos #obey me diavolo #obey me demon brothers #obey me shall we date #obey me one master to rule them all #obey me fanfic #obey me fanfiction #om! shall we date #om!

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sixfingeredman · 2 years

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Greetings,

I am Count Tyrone Rugen. My employer is Prince Humperdinck of Florin. I am also the Grand Vizier to the aforementioned ruler.

Other things you may wish to know about my person: I enjoy a glass of Gilderan port in the evenings. I have six fingers on my right hand and have had tailored gloves made to fit it. My favorite color is somewhere between yellow and orange. I am thirty-nine years of age. I frequently don velvet and black leather. In terms of personal pursuits, I often engage in hunting and, notably, the study of pain. I may or may not have (allegedly) murdered the father of a swordsman who shall remain unnamed here. And no, my hair is not dyed.

Pronouns: your grace/my lord/grand vizier/sir/count/he/he’s/he’d/his/himself/they/their/they’re/them/theirs/themself/themselves.

DNI: In*go Mont*ya

Signed,

Count Rugen

This blog will behave and speak as though it is run by the ghost of Count Rugen himself (which it is). However, it is primarily a fan blog for the promotion of the 1987 film The Princess Bride — and the book which inspired it, The Princess Bride by William Goldman. This blog is very much alive and kicking — and part of the Princess Bride fandom. Please read the content on this blog as though it is first and foremost a joke (which it also is) and refrain from sending hate. Thank you.

PS - the age of Count Rugen described above is the age of Christopher Guest, who played the character, at the time the film came out in ‘87.

PPS - this blog will act like Count Rugen most of the time. This may vary depending on the mood of the Count and the mood of the ghost running the blog. For now assume that it will behave like the Count 70% of the time.

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shinidamachu · 4 years

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So here’s the thing...

From day one, I knew Hanyou no Yashahime was created to profit off childhood nostalgia. In fact, some people pointed that out quite exhaustively. I have always been aware of it. Still, I gave it a shot (and was super excited to do so). Why? Three reasons: Inuyasha, Kagome and the child born from their love.

I also knew there was a real chance Rin would be the mother of Sesshoumaru’s twins, but I gave Sunrise the benefit of the doubt. Which is why I watched the four episodes on an illegal site, just in case they were playing me.

That’s what kept me going. That, and the certain no matter who the mother was, it would only be revealed at the very end, so I wouldn’t have to worry about it too much and could just enjoy whatever glimpse of Inuyasha, Kagome and Moroha I could get.

And boy, did I enjoy it. Moroha is everything I needed her to be and more. And it was really fun to see this super creative fandom making theories and being so active here every saturday. I had a great time.

Unfortunately, as for this saturday, this wasn’t the case anymore. When I first got the spoilers it was Rin in the tree, I started to mull it over, but decided not to make any judgements until I watched the episode myself, so I could get to my own conclusions.

Here’s where I am at: I have been getting strong vibes from episode four that Rin is, after all, the mother. Granted, the fact that the narrative have been hitting so early and so strongly toward this path can also mean the exact opposite, for the sake of plot twist, since it’s one of the biggets mysteries of the show.

However, there is no actual confirmation at all. So Sunrise waves to Rin being the mother while simultaneously not officially confirming. That way, Sessrin shippers are getting the content they want and the antis still stick around because as long as there is no official confirmation, there is still hope it’s not Rin. We had already called out that would be their game, though: profiting off both sides. I just thought they would drag the issue until the very end instead of straight up writing Sessrin fanfiction.

This is just disappointing, and that’s coming from someone who had very low expectations from this sequel. I’ve seen people complaining about the art style. I’ve seen people complaining about the plot(holes). I’ve seen people complaining about the characterization (me included). None of it was a deal breaker to me, because I’ve never expected too much. All I wanted was for them not to follow the path where one of the main characters had children with someone he meet when she was a child and saw him as an authority figure for the entirety of their relationship. It baffles me that apparently it was too much to ask.

So if this is what Hanyou no Yashahime really is: Sessrin fanfiction, then I’m not the audience for it. And I hate to feel they’re using Moroha and Inukag as baits to keep me watching. I hate to feel like they’re not doing Inuyasha and Kagome any justice. Again: Inukag and Moroha are the reason I ever started this show to begin with, so it’s just not worth it to feel this uncomfortable when I can get the bits that truly interest me through Tumblr posts, gifsets and youtube videos.

I promised myself I would drop it as soon as it stopped sparking joy and today was it for me, so that’s what I’m doing. I might be right, I might be wrong. Maybe by some miracle Rin isn’t the mother in the end of the day. I just really don’t have the energy to stick around until we finally find out, anymore. They were never going to see my money anyway (not that it would make any difference), but my time is far more precious. I don’t want to be invested in this if I’m so certain it will end badly.

And this isn’t about ship wars. In my headcanons, Sesshoumaru was always asexual. Sure, I also saw a lot of potential on his relationship with Kagura and I would have loved if they had gone down this road, too. The truth is: I never cared enough for Sesshoumaru to actively ship him with anyone. But I do care about his character development, which Sessrin would inevitably ruin. And I care about the little girls watching this show, growing up to think this is a healthy kind of romance.

All of that being said: I don’t feel like watching Hanyou no Yashahime anymore. Sessrin shippers can have it, it was clearly made for them. I can see myself writing Moroha on my future fanfics for sure, but as far as I’m concerned Hanyou no Yashahime is not canon and nothing anyone say will ever change that.

There’s still probably some Hanyou no Yashahime in my queue. After that, I intend to refrain from reblogging original content from the show. I don’t want to be a part of it, so I’ll probably only reblog fanarts.

For those of you who will still watch the show, good luck and enjoy yourselves. Other than keeping track of my daughter Moroha, I pretend to ignore it completely and that means I won’t be making any negative comments on it, either. This is my issue and I don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade. I will still be very vocal against Sessrin, tho. If that bothers you, feel free to unfollow or block me, it’s the healthy thing to do and I promise: no hard feelings about it.

To be very clear: this post is not me trying to tell people to stop watching something they like. This post is me venting and getting some heavy shit off my chest. I can give the show a second chance later if I change my mind or if the mother is confirmed to be someone else, but right now this is it. Thank you for reading.

PS.: I won’t be replying to any comments of this post.

#This whole thing was the cherry on top of a truly awful week #I feel like I deserve a break and that's why I'm pulling a Joey Tribbiani and putting this story in the freezer #It got to scarry #Sidposting #Hanyou no Yashahime #Hanyou no Yashahime Spoilers #Yashahime Spoilers #Anti Sessrin

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sxvxrxssnape · 3 years

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minerva mcgonagall’s personal mission to make severus love christmas part 4

aka snolidays/snapemas day 5 and 6 (lights festival, food, memories, stockings) // pre-PS/the years between. minerva and severus friendship // ft. the hogwarts staff gently bullying sev and getting wine drunk together. mentions of sev’s plum blancmange @deepperplexity @blog4snape

The rest of the week passed by in a blur of teaching, brewing, and general sulking.

The term wouldn’t end until late January, but final exams were scheduled for the week before winter break and Severus had a thousand other things to finalize before the break started. There was a stack of assignments he needed to grade before everyone parted, the annual inventory that needed to be done, and he had about half a dozen cauldrons slowly simmering away with potions for the infirmary, not to mention he was creating both a study guide for the upcoming exam and an assignment that could be turned in for extra credit.

If even one student dared to fail his class after all the effort he put into making sure they passed, he was going to turn them all into frogs.

He almost felt bad that he hadn’t made much time for Minerva, and aside from seeing each other at meals - and even then, Severus wasn’t quite known for his perfect attendance in the Great Hall - he hadn’t spoken more than eight words to her since their trip to Diagon Alley.

It wasn’t as if he were avoiding her.

Much.

He just needed a few days to himself - as much as he could get when he taught two classes a day (three on Wednesdays and Thursdays) anyway. He knew the only reason they hadn’t talked about his miniscule breakdown was because they had been in public and maybe he was a little afraid of being cornered by her in private.

It was Friday now, his afternoon class had just ended, he had already checked on the status of his cauldrons, so all that was left on his to-do list was to hide himself away inside of his quarters and sulk.

Except he was all out of sugar.

Alright, not the worst problem to have and yes, he could call up a house elf and simply ask for the container to be refilled, but maybe a small part of him wanted to run into Minerva on neutral ground, so he wouldn’t have to knock on her door and risk coming off as lonely and needy. So rather than being a normal-functioning adult about this, he took his coffee ground-filled french press and flooed directly into the staff lounge.

He didn’t spend very much time in this particular room - large, brightly lit, and nestled between two towers somewhere on the fourth floor with large windows that overlooked the quidditch pitch - but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He found the lounge to be rather appealing, with its burning fireplace, sitting area, stacks of abandoned books, journals, and magazines, abundance of cabinets he liked to rifle through, and best of all, the fully stocked coffee bar off to the left of the round table.

The room wasn’t empty, and unfortunately, devoid of the person whom he was seeking. Pomona was sitting at the table with a cup of tea, poring over a stack of papers with a furrowed brow and a bit of ink smeared over her cheek. Aurora was sitting on the lone couch, momentarily distracted from the magazine she had been leafing through to look up at him as he entered, eyebrow raised at the contraption he cradled.

“What brings you here?” she asked, flicking her wand towards the record player and lowering the music that had been softly playing.

The action caused the herbology professor to look up and she frowned. “Oh, Severus.” she greeted, barely giving him more than a cursory glance. “I haven’t seen you here in a bit; thought you might have forgotten where it was.”

“Well, he did floo.” Professor Sinistra returned, her lips curling into a grin. “It’s quite possible he forgot where to find the door.”

“I didn’t forget.” Severus scowled, making his way towards the bar.

“You tell yourself that.”

“There’s tea if you want some.” Pomona called out, raising her own teacup. “Mint.”

He ignored the steaming teapot in favor of the kettle, flicking his wand to heat up the water before pouring a little over the grounds in the press. He missed the simple pleasures of having an electric coffee maker - perhaps the only positive that came from summers at Spinner's End - but he would be lying if he said he didn’t prefer the taste of the pretentious, one-cup-at-a-time brew.

While the grounds took the time to presoak, he wandered over to the pink pastry box and eyed its contents. The house elves always made sure to stock the staff room with snacks - biscuits, fruit, packages of crisps - but pastries from the local bakery were the most sought out after.

“The blueberry strudel belongs to Filius,” Pomona suddenly mentioned, not looking up from her task, “he’s already claimed it.”

Severus scowled at the remaining treat. “He’s not here, is he?” he mumbled, opening the box. He yelped as something sharp pierced his hand and drew back immediately, his face coloring slightly as Aurora started laughing.

“Like she said,” Aurora chuckled. “Filius already claimed it.”

Severus cursed under his breath and returned to his coffee, pulling down a clean mug and the sugar jar on the way. He was pouring the rest of the hot water when the door opened.

“French press again?” Minerva’s voice asked.

“Like he makes it any other way.” Aurora returned. “Professor I-Brew-Potions-For-A-Living is, unsurprisingly, the coffee snob among us.”

“I am not.” Severus frowned, placing the plunger over the glass and giving it a slight swirl before setting it aside. “It’s not my fault the rest of you don’t have any taste.”

“Oh, the baby thinks he has taste.”

Severus blinked. “Perhaps I’ll refrain from giving you a gift this year after all.” he muttered, glaring at her. “Also, you’re the second youngest professor here.”

“But not the youngest.” Aurora grinned. “That pleasure is all yours, I’m afraid.”

Before Severus could form a rebuttal, Pomona stood up and gathered her papers, rushing towards the door with an annoyed, “I can’t get any work done with you two around.” Aurora followed suit, magazine under her arm, a cheeky, “baby” escaping her lips as she closed the door behind her.

Severus sat down in Pomona’s abandoned chair, hands in his hair, as he groaned out a, “I’m most definitely not giving her a gift now.”

Minerva laughed and sat down across from him, a cup of mint tea in her hands.

“Are we still on for tomorrow?”

“The lights?”

Minerva nodded and he considered her question as he got up to finish making his coffee. He grabbed milk from the cold cupboard and then stopped to look at her. “What if we went tonight, instead?”

“Tonight?”

Severus shrugged, sitting down with his cup and a package of biscuits. “We can grab dinner beforehand, I’m thinking Italian.”

“Really?”

“Invite some of the others.”

Minerva eyed him carefully. “Do my ears deceive me, Severus Snape, or are you suggesting a staff outing to see the lights? You?”

“Don’t push it.”

“I’ll let everybody know.”

“I think we should hang the stockings in the staff room.”

“What?”

“The stockings.” Minerva emphasized, buttoning her capelet. She was standing in front of her dressing mirror, adjusting the green tartan fabric over her shoulders. She was wearing a long sleeved dress under it and, no doubt, a warming charm had already been cast over the black fabric. Her hair was free of its usual pins, the soft curls seemingly trying their best to retain their accustomed shape.

They were both in her private quarters, Severus sprawled on her couch with a book, as she finished getting ready for their outing. He had opted for his usual black on black on black, but had foregone his cloak for the grey wool coat he rarely wore.

So rarely, that when he put his hands in his pockets, he came across the crumpled ticket of a play he had seen two winters ago.

He couldn’t remember much about the show itself, but it had been the first time he had been invited to go out by his fellow colleagues and he had jumped at the chance. Of course, he had first pretended to consider it for half a day before telling Albus that he had nothing better to do that day and that he might as well tag along.

“Are you listening?”

“No.” Severus admitted, returning to the present.

Minerva scowled. “I said, we should hang the stockings we bought in the staff room. It’s got a fireplace and the room is awfully drab, don’t you think? Plus, it's neutral ground so both our stockings can be up together.”

“Well, alright.”

“Excellent, let’s go then.”

“Now?”

“We have dinner reservations at seven - which is in twenty minutes, I might add - so yes, right now. Before we’re late.”

They flooed into the staff lounge, finding Aurora leafing through a book and listening to music once again. She raised an eyebrow at the paper shopping bag they were carrying.

“What’s this?”

“Christmas.” Minerva replied simply, pulling out a stocking and handing it over. His name was now stitched along the edge in black thread and he frowned.

“When did-?”

“I asked the house elves when we first got back.”

They hung their stockings on the mantle with a temporary sticking charm and surveyed their work.

“I expect the rest of you to have a stocking on here by next week.” Minerva insisted, taking Severus’ hand and leading him out the door. “Come now, or we’ll be late.”

“Aren’t you coming?” Severus asked Aurora, pretending to eye her teaching robes in confusion. “We’re going out to dinner and then the lights festival.”

Aurora scowled at him, eyeing him carefully. “I would, but I have a class tonight.” she muttered, glancing out the window at the darkened sky. It was cloudless and few stars could be seen from her vantage point; there was no reason to cancel Astronomy tonight.

“Oh, that’s a shame.” Severus shrugged, turning around quickly to hide his smirk. “I wouldn’t have chosen tonight if I knew.”

“Liar.”

The door closed behind them.

“You know I don’t approve of this.” Minerva told him, as they made their way down the stairs and out of the castle.

“Don’t approve of what?”

Minerva shook her head at him, but didn’t answer.

They met Filius at the front door, his too-long blue scarf trailing behind him as they made their way towards the apparition point. They met Pomona on the way and once they cleared the wards, apparated into an alley close to the restaurant.

Albus was already waiting inside, looking perfectly at ease in his three-piece suit, sipping on a glass of white wine.

“Ah, there you all are.” he greeted them, as they took their seats. “This wine is absolutely wonderful, by the way - do order a glass.”

“Someone dressed up for the occasion.” Minerva eyed the headmaster.

“I wear it quite well, don’t I?”

They were brought water glasses and bread, offered three types of wine - “I really must insist on the pinot gris.” Albus interrupted - and given a set of menus.

“It’s been a while since we’ve all gone out.” Filius mentioned, taking a slice of baguette and dipping it in olive oil and balsamic. “It’s quite nice.”

“We have Severus to thank for the idea,” Albus grinned, clasping a hand on his shoulder. He flinched slightly, but he didn’t think anyone noticed.

Except for Albus, who immediately dropped his hand and offered an apologetic look.

They ordered - and unsurprisingly, Minerva ordered herself the special - and fell into easy conversation as they waited for their meal. When the food arrived, it was met with excited sounds from the (perhaps a little wine-tispy) table and plates were quickly passed around with insistent, “You need to try this fried stracchino!” and “I swear, you will never taste a better beef stracotto pasta than this one.” and even a, “Listen, I know it sounds weird, but I’m telling you - you have to try the baccala! I don’t care if you don’t like fish!”

The dessert menu left him a little discombobulated and he ordered himself coffee while the others shared rum babas and marzipan balls. One of the rum soaked sponge cakes was pushed towards him, split down the middle and filled with cream and sour cherries. He glanced up from his bicerin to find Minerva watching him.

“Try it, before these vultures get to it.”

He obliged, cutting a piece off with his fork.

“Why are you frowning?” Minerva asked, leaning closer. The others were a little pink-faced, laughing, as they played a game of rock-parchment-diffundo for the last chocolate and marzipan ball. “We are eating delicious food and drinking delicious wine - two things I know you like - and then we’re going to see the lights with all our friends. You shouldn’t be frowning.”

“I think you’ve had enough wine.”

She made a face at him. “Oh, let me guess.” she pursed her lips. “You have some sort of traumatic childhood memory involving all of this and you are currently reliving it in your head.”

Severus scowled. “I don’t have a traumatic memory for everything.”

“Could have fooled me.” Pomona spoke up, inserting herself into their conversation. The others stopped and turned to look at him. “You’re so grumpy all the time, I just figured your whole life was simply continuous trauma.”

“I’ll revoke your christmas gift too, don’t test me.”

Pomona straightened up. “Oh, you got me a gift?”

“No.”

“Don’t lie!” Pomona grinned, pointing at him. “You got me a gift!”

“Don’t think you’re special.” Severus muttered. “It’s not just you.”

“Severus got us all gifts!” Filius realized. “Severus loves us!”

He made eye contact with the headmaster. “Consider this my official resignation.”

Albus nodded, his expression turning serious. “Of course, my boy, I understand.” His eyes twinkled. “It’s a shame my staff cannot be more professional when they venture out of the castle walls, but alas, there is a reason I do not let them wander far.”

“Truly awful.”

“Severus loves us!” Pomona repeated and the table burst into giggles, save for Severus who covered his face with his hands. And he was the youngest of this lot?

They paid soon after that - Severus discretely cancelling the silencing and repelling charms they had cast on their table to hurry them along - and made their way towards the nearby park where the lights festival had been set up. The others wandered off on their own, leaving Minerva and Severus to walk the paths alone.

Once the others had wandered far enough ahead that their conversation would no longer carry, Minerva learned slightly into her friend, nudging his shoulder. “Now will you tell me?”

“It’s not a traumatic childhood memory, if that’s what you mean.”

“But you did remember something.” Minerva pressed.

“Yes.”

The path they walked was illuminated by tiny orbs, leading towards a tunnel strung with hundreds of white and blue lights. As they walked through it, Severus fell silent and simply looked up, sneaking glances of the night sky beyond the wire cage that held up all the lights.

There was a giant christmas tree waiting for them when they exited the tunnel, made entirely of green and gold twinkles - strings of lights pulled taut from a metal pole and pinned onto the ground. Similar displays surrounded it, contraptions of metal and colored lights creating bow-tied gift boxes and ornaments, stars and snowflakes, all glowing in the dark.

All the natural trees were wrapped in lights as well, not a single twig or branch left uncovered. Giant, glowing candy canes dotted the path now and they followed it, taking in every sparkling display. Music was playing and though others wandered the path, no one stood too close.

“I remember my mum used to make this dessert when I was little, it was a blancmange made from dirigible plum and cardamom, I believe."

"Oh?"

"She used to tell my father they were persimmons." he smiled softly. "Said she learned the recipe from her grandmother. It was probably my favorite part of the holiday break. I helped her make it one year; funnily enough, that was also the last Christmas I had with her."

"You said it wasn't a traumatic memory." Minerva scolded.

"It's not." Severus defended himself. "It's one of my only good ones."

"There was blancmange on the menu." Minerva remembered, smiling sadly. She watched a pair of children run between the candy canes, their laughs echoing as they chased each other.

"Fig leaf and orange." Severus recited. "It made me realize I haven't seen anywhere serve that particular dessert, let alone one made from dirigible plums. I miss it."

"Perhaps we could make it."

"You think?"

"Why not?"

Minerva nodded towards a coffee stall and they ordered themselves the gingerbread hot chocolate. They cradled their red paper cups and took small sips as they wandered through the park, pointing out certain displays.

"Perhaps nostalgia is getting the best of me." Severus finally circled back to their conversation. "But I find myself wanting to try. I don't have much left to remind me of her, especially not without also thinking of my father, but that one? That one's all ours."

"Elphinstone and I used to make a yule log cake." Minerva offered. "Down to the mushroom meringues and everything."

"I've never had one."

"Well, perhaps a baking day is in order."

"Perhaps it is."

-----

a/n: this is starting to feel more like minerva and severus' adventures in eating out

hope you enjoyed the staff picking on my problem child a little

menu inspiration comes from bocca di lupo, london (sometimes i wonder if places ever search themselves to see what people are saying and find they're being featured in harry potter fanfics and the like)

stracchino - a soft, creamy cheese which the restuarant serves fried stracotto - italian pot roast, served with pasta here baccala - preserved, salted cod (fried) bicerin - a hot drink made from espresso, drinking chocolate, and milk blancmange - this one's special because i took a direct quote from the hogwarts mystery game, where sev reminisces about this dessert and gave it more backstory. its a sort of gelatin dessert, sweet and milky. bocca di lupo has a fig and orange panna cotta on their menu, which is basically the same thing (just different thickeners) so i traded it out for the sake of using the one tidbit i know about the game.

#snapemas 2020 #snolidays2020 #snapedom #pro snape #severus snape #snapemas #professor snape #snapecember #holiday writing challenge

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your-rose-highness · 4 years

Text

Tell me what is Love (ch- 10)

Pairing- Baekhyun x OC

Special Appearance- JB of GOT7

“So I was thinking, I could take you on a date soon?”, Jaebeom shyly confessed as the two took a walk by the Han river.

After the quick celebratory hug with jane, Jaebeom, and hye hee sneaked out of the apartment post-dinner. Hye hee felt young after so long. Being in that moment with him as he tried to cure the awkwardness voicing his random thoughts, seemed like a spring day. As they drove away to the Han river, she rolled down the windows and felt the crisp breeze embrace her face. Jaebeom stole glances at her. Something about her seemed so calming to him, yet she looked so drained all the time. He was sure it was more of an emotional turmoil than physical and thus the smiles rarely reached her eyes. At the present moment, she looked like a child. It made him feel warm.

“Yes, maybe tomorrow?”, she hinted.

“Surely! I’m more than glad you agreed. Any place you would prefer?”

She turned to him with playful eyes before saying, “surprise me.”

Jaebeom pressed his lips together taken aback by her sudden boldness. Not that he was complaining. This was a new her that he was seeing and it was beautiful.

The riverside was quiet, with barely anyone walking past them. It was one of those times when you feel so comfortable with another as you bare your soul out for them. Lying on the grass, they told stories of their childhood, both listening to each other attentively. They laughed at the hilarious anecdotes while spotting funny shapes within the stars. Hye hee forced her brain to stop wandering to Baekhyun. This was a moment she had craved for years and why was she feeling guilty? As she tried to peel away from his thoughts, she felt Jaebeom’s hand brush against hers softly. They turned to each other in surprise, both inching away. Jaebeom’s ears turned red in embarrassment and for hye hee it was an instinct she had developed over the years.

Just grab his fucking hand reasoned her brain yet something stopped her. She forced herself to place her hand beside his. Picking up courage, her fingers reached him subtly and the two shyly looked at each other once again. This time, Jaebeom fingers curled into hers. She couldn't explain the rush she felt. The warmth of his palm traveled through her body making her shiver.

“Are you cold?”, Jaebeom worriedly asked.

His voice full of concern made her smile, it was so akin to someone she knew, without realizing her heart was still in the old place, striving to find similarities, though unconsciously.

“A little bit.”, she replied in a small voice and Jaebeom immediately proceeded to take off his denim jacket.

He fretted around her, trying to help her put on the jacket without actually having to hold her. The two walked around once again, this time hands clasped tight. Sipping on their hot coffees, they watched the sunrise and the golden gleam strengthened their hopes. Hye hee watched him soak in the sun. it was almost as if his skin reflected off the golden rays making them his own. He was beautiful. Laying her head on his shoulder, she looked out towards the wonderful spectacle that unfolded before them.

“I’m sorry I kept you up all night.”, Jaebeom said as he played with hye hee’s fingers.

“Well. it was long due anyway. Let us skip work too!”, she responded filled with sudden excitement.

Jaebeom smiled widely in shock at her. “What? Hahaha. Do I need to submit the files you know? What do you want to do though? Maybe we can get out early to grab lunch and have fun later. What do you say?”

“I’d love that.”, she whispered, snuggling closer to him.

Jaebeom dropped hye hee soon later, hardly being able to part ways. She found the house cold as she stepped in. jane had left behind a note on the refrigerator.

‘Wanted to wait for all the details, but realized I have a test. You're booked for the evening.

PS- I WANT TO HEAR EVERYTHING!’

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“ARE YOU SERIOUS, BYUN BAEKHYUN?”, Lee Sooman roared at him as he stood in front of him, head hanging in shame. “The company suffered an immense loss of investors when this scandal unfolded and though the people have been most gracious and welcoming about you two, now, this!”

“I’m very sorry, sir.” Baekhyun gulped. He had decided to take this bullet by himself, leaving Taeyeon out. The backlash would be brutal on her and he didn't think she was to blame.

“What about Taeyeon?”, he asked, settling down on his chair, his eyes never leaving Baekhyun.

“We both want the same thing, sir.”

Mr. lee shook his head in disbelief at every word, pondering over how he can handle this incoming tsunami. Baekhyun peeked to look at him and continued, “Sarang will mostly be out of this. We will shield her from the public eye….”

“Sit.”, he suddenly whispered. Baekhyun cautiously trod over to the seat opposite to him.

“I’m sorry, but this isn't something that could be overlooked so easily. There are investors, partners that run this damn company. Marriage was one thing, but now divorce? It won't be simple. There might be a potential danger to both your careers and you better take care of that child.”

“I’m ready to take responsibility.”

Mr. Lee simply gave him a stare the whole time, before sighing deeply.

Baekhyun was walked through all the formalities before leaving the company that day. His freedom was going to cost him this time. As he drove home, his mind wandered over to hye hee. He hadn't heard from her for a while but refrained from involving her in the mess that was in front of him. He will be the center of attraction once again and peered from every crack like an animal. As he drove to his parents to break the news to them, he stopped a while at the tiny park of his old neighborhood. The place he had first kissed Hyehee and ironically also where he lost her. Sitting in his car by the empty park, he replayed the simpler times as his eyes closed for a minute.

-----------------------------------------------------

hye hee was furious. Her senior had called off her work for being half-assed in front of the whole office and Jaebeom had seen it all. She didn't like how pitifully he had looked at her. Rushing to the coffee room to fix herself and calm down, she found him enter minutes later, closing the door softly behind himself.

“Hey.”

“I’m fine.”

Jaebeom approached her slowly, holding her hand as she stood waiting for the coffee. Their eyes met briefly before she complained, “she never told me what kind of content she was looking for, you know. And now she just yells at me. It wasn’t my fault. Why today of all days? I’m so embarrassed.”

Despite her whining, Jaebeom was smiling ear to ear.

“What’s so funny?”, she shot at him, pissed.

He laughed at her annoyed pouty face and ruffled her hair, “ because you look adorable right now.”

“Waah. are you flirting with me right now?”

Raising her hand to his lips, he softly murmured against her palm, “if I haven’t even begun.”, proceeding to kiss it.

Hyehee’s legs swayed as his voice intoxicated her, forcing Jaebeom to hold her closer. The air thickened between them, their lips only inches apart. She scurried back on her feet, freeing herself from his embrace. Jaebeom's ears turned red and stuttered to find words.

"Yah, why were you…"

She retorted without letting him finish, "I wasn't falling, okay? There were people outside." Jaebeom turned around to see if anyone could see them, and the realisation hit her- the door is opaque. Mentally cursing her lack of ability to make believable excuses, she met his playful eyes this time. His lips pressed into a suppressed smile he mouthed 'dumbo' at her. Hye hee slapped his arm in desperation and left the room.

"Take the coffee, Hye hee!", He teased.

"I want tea."

He laughed loudly at her tiny voice.

The rest of the day, the two kept at it. Jaebeom's change of demeanor came as a surprise. He usually was very reposed and a man of very few words. He was opening up to her and didn't wish to hold himself back. Hyehee cheeks never went pale for the day. Even at his glance, she’d blush to the point where her co-worker asked if something was wrong. Nobody had yet guessed that they were dating each other.

“Cold noodles and fried chicken, please.”, hye hee placed her order at the restaurant during lunch, beaming at the waiter.

“Are you sure you can eat it all? The portion sizes in here are a little bigger than usual.”, Jaebeom wondered.

“Oh don't worry, I can eat a lot for lunch, but dinner, that’s the tricky one for me.”

Halfway through lunch, Jaebeom’s phone beeped, and whatever it was, it made his eyebrows scrunch.

“What?”, Hyehee asked with cheeks full of noodles.

He snorted at her and pushed his cellphone towards her.

“He wants the new parts done. I’ll have to stop by my place to get the rest of the clips. I was going to get the hard drive tomorrow, but looks like this particular project has the boss on edge for some reason.”

“Okay, I’ll finish fast and we can go.”

“Yah. eat slowly.”, he scolded, “you’re gonna get indigestion. Also, could you chew through the whole thing? There’s no hurry. I’ll quickly drop you at the office and drive back.”

hye hee wanted to answer, but she chewed her last mouthful carefully before drinking the soup, “Why do you have to drop me? I can come with you. There’s no reason for you to make such long trips for one file.”

Scrunching his face, puzzled, he stammered “Yo-you’re okay with coming over to my place?”

Hyehee nodded quickly, confused why Jaebeom would ask that. He always comes over to her place, it’s only fair.

“Okay”, his face went blank in surprise.

Throughout the drive, he didn't say a word and had avoided looking at hye hee.

What is he so worried about? Did he have his underwear sprawled throughout the apartment and was now thinking of how to clean up? Or, was he a dirty guy? Maybe his place stinks? What do men have to worry about so much?- were the thoughts running through her head.

She had only been to one man’s apartment all these years and it was Baekhyun. Of course, she didn't know if he kept his pass traits, but that guy was always a mess. When the two took apartments next to each other after they came to Seoul, she would organize his things whenever she came over. After complaining about how dirty his apartment was, he proposed to only meet up at her place. He did bother to clean up if she was coming over and it was cute. He’d whine about how hard vacuuming was and would curse scientists to not have made another invention to block dust entirely.

The memory made her smile. Strolling through her memory lane, she had forgotten where and with whom she was.

Jaebeom on the other hand had other things in mind.

The apartment was what modern decor would call, minimalist. There were a few plants by the window and only that added some color. Apart from that, he had a wall full of polaroids, mostly of random objects, animals, his friends, and family. Hyehhe carefully scanned them to find an old picture of Jaebeom, in his school uniform, and a cat. His facial features hadn't changed and the smile had remained. Jaebeom cleaned on his way to his study, diving into the cave of hard drives, finding the one he wanted only minutes later. On seeing her walking over to the window, he stood still, observing her. She booped her nose to the monstera plant that his friends had gifted him, touching it softly with her fingers. A feeling of delight washed over him seeing her there. He wanted to hold her close to him and take care of her.

hye hee then turned to look at him, beaming.

“This dingy apartment looks nicer with you in it.”, he exclaimed.

“Well I am quite a ray of sunshine.”, she cheekily responded.

Moving to close distance, she wrapped her hands around him, laying her head on his chest. Jaebeom pulled her close to himself, kissing her forehead, “I’m afraid I’m falling in love with you.”

Laced in each other’s embrace, she looked at him with the most alluring way, “sweep me off my feet.”

Jaebeom slowly approached her lips, brushing it against his, looking for signs of approval. As he hesitated, hye hee stands on her toes to kiss him this time, making Jaebeom hold her closer to him. Stopping suddenly, Jaebeom pulled away from the breathless hye hee.

“Are you sure, you want to do this, I mean…”

“Oh, shut up.”, hye hee cried out, cutting him midway as she kissed him again.

She could feel Jaebeom’s lips curve into a smile against hers. The hard drive lay forgotten as the time stood still for them in each other’s embrace.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“You brought a lawyer?”, Baekhyun whispered through his teeth.

“Well, you should too.”

“Why do we need a lawyer?”, he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Well, the assets, parenting rights…”, she made him count.

“What do you mean parenting rights? Sarang is my daughter too.”, he snarled.

“Just come out. We can't make Mr. Mae waiting. It’s rude.”, she said, slamming the door behind her.

Baekhyun closed his eyes in defeat and followed her, leaving a huge sigh. Mr.Mae was a well-known lawyer and had already seated himself on the table, and had laid a bunch of papers in front of him.

“Ah, yes. Please. Lets’s begin, I have another appointment with a client in the next 3 hours.”, Mr. Mae chided at Baekhyun.

“Then you can go ahead. We won't be needing you.”

“Baekhyun!”, Taeyeon whispered under her breath, while Mr. Mae only laughed soullessly.

Baekhyun sat with a sour expression the entire time as Mr. Mae listed everything that needed to be done. Celebrities couldn't just get a divorce as they wish and entailed a bunch of ways to be free from the public eye.

“....but Mr. Byun will be allowed to visit…”, he continued.

“Excuse me, allowed?”, Baekhyun roared, making Mr. Mae look up from his papers through the top of his glasses.

“Yes, Taeyeon asked for almost full parenting rights.”, he confessed.

“I just don't think you’ll be able to take care of our daughter with everything going on and also with you leaving home unannounced to meet girls.”, she retorted, her face devoid of expression.

“I’m sorry, Mr.Mae, but Taeyeon and I need to talk about this bit of the agreement before proceeding. I have never been irresponsible towards Sarang. You’re making this personal and I won't have it.”, he thundered before storming out of the house. As the cold breeze slapped his face, his face stung with warm tears that escaped. Letting out an ear wrenching scream of despair, he broke down in unstoppable tears, praying that the hurt would stop.

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pastelwitchling · 4 years

Text

TW: Mentions of abuse, and graphic violence.

PS: I AM NO LONGER TAKING PROMPTS.

***

Alex looked through the Wild Pony’s windows. He hated going in there.

He loved Maria, but he hated going in there. There were always drunk men who believed the too many rumors going around about Alex in town, who thought that if they stood close enough, if they grabbed him hard enough, he would do whatever they wanted. It always made Alex sick.

He fell against the wall and sighed, playing with the silver skull and crossbones ring on his finger. Maybe Michael wasn’t here. Maybe Alex was just worrying for nothing. Michael had told him, after all, that things were going to get better again, that there was no reason to be afraid anymore. Alex tapped his finger against his leg and tried not to think of how similar those words had been to his brothers’, assuring him, time and time again, every assurance a lie or empty gesture.

Alex thought then, not for the first time, of his family’s promise that once he enlisted, once he followed the Manes Men Legacy, it would all be easier. He could rise in his ranks like his brothers, he could lead his own unit, he could – as Gregory had so gently put it – stop losing for once in his life and actually win a battle.

Alex shook the thought from his head. Why was it coming to bother him now? He’d told his father he could stick that enlistment form up his ass, and had been beaten for it. He wasn’t going to back down now, was he? Not when he had Michael –

CRASH!

Alex whipped around, keeping a distance from the windows. His hands turned to fists at his sides. Okay, he thought. He would just have a quick look inside, and if he couldn’t spot Michael, he would turn and leave. He didn’t have to stay for longer than a minute.

“Come on, Alex,” he muttered. “Come on, move.”

With legs like lead, Alex forced himself forward. He opened the door to the bar, and stepped into the sound of country music playing from a jukebox in the background, and all of Roswell’s finest laughing and chatting with one another. In the corner, behind a billiards table, stood a man nearly three times as large as Alex, towering over the man in front of him.

Alex saw the man’s veins on his neck pulsing rapidly, his eyes bloodshot and angry, like there was nothing he would’ve liked more than to kill the person in front of him and be rid of him once and for all. Alex swallowed and took a step back.

Michael wasn’t here, there wasn’t a reason for Alex to –

“IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?!”

Alex froze. No. The beaten man in front of the large angry one, Alex too late realized, was his man. Through the blood streaming from his nose and coating his entire lower face, Michael grinned wickedly.

“Thought you’d be some kind of challenge.”

“No,” Alex breathed, but the large angry man didn’t seem to hear him as he screamed and threw another punch at Michael who managed to dodge it and take a swing at the guy’s gut. He bellowed out in pain and backhanded Michael, throwing him against the wall where he crumpled to the floor.

“NO!” Alex ran ahead, and stood between Michael and the large man.

He looked drunk, Alex could smell the whiskey on him, just as he could smell the tequila on Michael. The stranger barely seemed to notice Alex’s presence as he took another step towards Michael.

“S-stop!” Alex yelled, his body trembling. What was he doing? He hardly ever managed to stand up to his own father, let alone a stranger that looked like he could eat Alex if he wanted to. “Please, he’s drunk, he – he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He – he’s only seventeen!”

The man growled, but for a second, he blinked and seemed to realize that Alex was afraid and begging him not to hurt someone he cared about. He took one step back, and just as relief started to sink in Alex’s heart, he felt Michael grab hold of his shoulder and hoist himself up.

“Alex is right, I didn’t know what I was doing,” Michael said quietly and Alex, not knowing why, felt his chest fill with dread.

“Guerin –”

Michael huffed a chuckle. “I should’ve kicked you between your legs.”

The man’s eyes widened. “You little –” He reached out for Michael who was already aiming to throw a punch, and Alex turned and held onto his waist, pushing him back.

“Stop it, Guerin!”

“Don’t worry, Alex, it’ll be fine,” Michael grinned, his wild eyes on the stranger, the anger coursing through every inch of his expression too familiar, and Alex just barely refrained from running away. “I can take this guy.”

Alex pulled Michael aside as the stranger took a hit and ended up stumbling into the wall instead where his also very drunk friends laughed at him for having fallen. Alex turned to Michael, taking his face in his hands. He held back a sob. Michael was bleeding so much, he had bruises along his cheeks. Alex’s fingers shook against Michael’s jaw.

“Please, let’s just go, okay?” he whispered, trying to keep Michael’s attention on him. Could he even see Alex anymore? “Let’s just go, and – and I’ll clean you up. Guerin, Guerin,” he tried as Michael kept looking to the side like he was itching for another fight. “I’m scared,” he confessed and Michael’s eyes turned to him. “I’m scared here, okay? Please let’s go, please. Please.”

“Alex…” Michael croaked. “Alex, don’t… hey, it’s okay, don’t –”

Alex wanted cry. This was his Michael, wasn’t it? Maybe this time wasn’t like the others, maybe Michael wasn’t anything like Alex’s brothers or his father, maybe they would be okay –

“Freak,” the large man spat, his angry, unfocused eyes on Michael.

He stood, and Michael’s eyes turned wild and unfocused again. Alex turned to Michael, the words, “Please, don’t,” barely leaving his lips before Michael tried stepping out of his hold, swinging his fists, daring the man to “SAY THAT AGAIN!”

“Guerin, please, please, just stop –”

But Alex’s words were cut short as Michael’s right fist caught him in the mouth. In his surprise, Alex fell back. He was vaguely aware of what followed. Michael’s shocked eyes, Michael calling his name, Michael kneeling at his side, reaching for him, asking Alex to let him see how bad it was.

Alex felt the pain spread from his lip to his jaw. He reached up and numbly pulled his fingers back to see them coated in blood. Michael had hit him. Michael had hit him.

Too late, he saw Michael’s hands reaching for him. He flinched away. He couldn’t take the shock on Michael’s face, the fear, the panic setting in at what he’d done. Alex covered his mouth was his hand and stood. As Michael called for him, he ran out of the bar.

“Alex, Alex!” Michael grabbed his arm when they were outside, the cool air hitting Alex’s lips and making the bruise sting painfully. His eyes burned.

Michael released him when he seemed to realize Alex wouldn’t run off. “I,” he tried, his eyes glistening as he looked Alex over as if making sure he hadn’t done any more damage. But he didn’t understand. The damage was already done.

“I didn’t mean to –”

“I know,” Alex said quietly.

“I’m – I’m sorry, Alex, I’m so sorry –”

“It’s okay, really.”

“It’s not, I shouldn’t have, I – I was just mad, I –” he took Alex’s hand tightly in his as if terrified Alex would snatch it away. He kissed Alex’s fingers, his blood covering Alex’s skin. No more, Alex thought. Not Michael’s blood. I can’t take anymore of Michael’s blood.

“It’ll never happen again,” he promised.

Alex searched Michael’s face. Stop losing for once in your life, and actually win a battle! He felt so numb. This would be it, he decided. His last loss.

“It’ll never happen again,” Alex whispered. Michael nodded, holding Alex’s hand tighter. Michael was hurting him. Did his hold on Alex always hurt this much?

“Unless I get in the way again,” Alex finished, and Michael froze. He slowly looked up at Alex, his brows furrowed.

“W-what?”

“Unless I piss you off? Unless you feel like fighting? Unless I do something wrong? Say the wrong thing?”

“Alex –”

Alex stepped back. “I’m tired of hearing about all the ways people won’t hurt me. Fake promises, and I’ve heard them all, Guerin.”

Michael looked like Alex had slapped him. “I’m not… I’m not like that, you know I’m not!”

Alex huffed a sob. His jaw hurt so much, and it was freezing out. He didn’t know what he believed. He was just a kid, damn it, he didn’t know why everyone was deciding what he should and shouldn’t know for him. “I begged you to leave. Why didn’t you just listen to me?”

“Alex –”

“Let go,” he said. “Let me go, Michael.”

And just like that, without any fight or resistance or hesitation at all, Michael’s features cooled, and Alex’s hand slipped from his. Alex supposed he should’ve been surprised, and a small part of him was, but most of him couldn’t be. He was always worth the beating, he thought, but never worth the fight.

As he turned away, holding a hand over his mouth to keep the wind from nipping at it, he thought it was fine. He would become stronger, one way or another. No one would ever lay a finger on him again.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #malex one shot #malex fanfic #malex fic #malex fanfiction #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #malex angst #malex fluff #tyler blackburn #michael vlamis #tw mentions of abuse #tw graphic violence

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bigskydreaming · 4 years

Note

Small response ask to that anon who brought up Chris Priest and your response of DC should focus less on Bruce being abusive to his kids. Not sure if you noticed the up and down of the Batman comics but it seems the arc that have him being a caring dad has less asshole dad and abusive dad in them and yet the arc that have Bruce hitting the boys or kicking them out of the house has Bruce not acknowledging the boys as his sons and even the writers say Dick is more of a brother of partner than son.

Oh for sure, its absolutely true that a huge part of the problem with the Batman comics is the sheer inconsistency in writer visions of the characters - which is why IMO its up to DC’s editorial staff to maintain internal consistency for how the characters officially relate to each other at the very least.

Like I’ve said before, you can’t roll back the clock on them being his kids once you’ve established they’re his kids. People haven’t forgotten that Tim was adopted by Bruce in the old continuity just because they decided to have his parents alive in the New 52 - and ‘teenage kinda sorta ally’ is an inherently weaker emotional tether compared to ‘actual adopted son’ so when presented with two options, most people aren’t going to give a shit about their attempt to ‘unbond’ a character from their actual parent and will stick with viewing them as father and son, whether DC likes it or not.

So its just plain foolishness IMO for DC to attempt to apply any sort of ambiguity to Bruce and his kids. Along with his biological son Damian, Dick, Jason, Tim and Cass at least have all been officially adopted by Bruce (or in Cass’ case, they were stated to be starting adoption proceedings last we saw before the Reboot). Like....those are just hard facts, no matter how much people try and ‘undo’ that if they don’t personally like the idea of Bruce as a father of five....fans are not going to cooperate and its just sheer stubbornness to pretend otherwise. People before the current writers and editors made a creative choice to have Bruce adopt these kids. Readers liked it. Readers know what they like and once given the option of having Bruce the father of five, you can protest all you want as the ‘official’ overseers of Batman, but you can’t erase what was already written, and you can’t ask readers to forget they liked something better than how you’re currently trying to push it.

But that’s just me being like hey DC what if you weren’t a flock of fucking dumbasses, just to try something different for a change.

And related to your ask, there’s absolutely a direct correlation in my mind between the DC writers who intensely dislike the idea of Bruce as a father and writing him as being callous, insensitive, aloof and outright abusive with various of his kids. Because it all goes hand in hand with them - they dislike the idea of Bruce as a dad because they’re all about him being the brooding lone wolf whose entire life is just an endless pursuit of justice for the sake of others because he’s convinced himself that he can never be happy and shouldn’t try. YAWN. But this view of Bruce is outright threatened by the warm, caring father Bruce rendition, so they try and erode the latter as much as possible in pursuit of the former....

Only to later have writers revert to the latter and erode the former.

And around and around and around we go. And they all keep trying to reset things that fundamentally CAN NOT BE RESET because this is the problem when you staff a creative industry top to bottom with fanboys who can’t and won’t separate their personal desires from their professional shepherding of these IPs. And so each new crop of writers tries to write Batman and related characters the way they like them, most often the way they remembered reading them as kids through the lens filter of nostalgia, and thus Bruce’s kids’ status flip flops either officially or unofficially every five to ten years, Hal Jordan is replaced by Kyle Rayner is replaced by Hal Jordan and a wave of new diverse characters are created in the span of a couple years and ten years later no one’s heard of any of them except for Jaime Reyes.

And its the reason IMO that superhero comics have never grown beyond a niche industry despite the VAST appeal of superheroes that superhero movies have proven still exists....and its why superhero movies will end up in the exact same stagnated niche if they don’t learn from the former’s mistake and let their characters grow and age and be replaced by new ones rather than just rebooted versions of the old one, because there’s only so many times you can go round and round on the merry go round before people just flat out stop caring because you’re not doing or saying anything new.

Change is good, except for when people refuse to let it happen because they’ve settled for what they know as being the optimal plateau, never to truly be reached past because the unknown and untested is scary and might bite.

Anyway. All of that is to say yes, I agree, and as a PS I just have to froth at the mouth a little on a personal note because god do I hate the interpretation that Bruce and Dick are more like brothers than father and son, lololol, and can’t refrain from mentioning that any time its brought up even in passing.

(This is totally not directed at you btw, just the concept itself, lololol, sorry).

People can talk about the smaller age gap between them all they want, but the fact of the matter is, Dick isn’t Damian, and the relationship between Dick and Bruce has NEVER been nearly as ambiguous or as open to interpretation as the one between Dick and Damian.

Because the contrast between the two is Bruce had something that nobody who is just an older sibling has over a younger....absolute uncontested parental authority, total responsibility for his education, living arrangements, emotional development, etc....with no other comparable figure in the younger’s life occupying a same or even similar role. Dick occupied that role for Damian for about a year of his life, but Bruce has occupied that role for Dick every single year since his first parents died. It might have taken awhile for them to individually and together VIEW their dynamic as parent and child, but from the moment Dick stepped foot into Wayne Manor, Bruce started out day one as someone who stepped into the role of sole guardian and caretaker with no prior emotional attachment.....and that just is NOT a sibling. That’s a legal guardian or parent.

(And yes, Alfred was there of course, but despite being viewed as a father figure to Bruce himself, Alfred never ever ever once has been shown to occupy an equal position to Bruce in Dick’s life....he’s very firmly slotted into the grandfather role himself, and has never stepped forward to definitively intercede between the two of them or usurp or even truly challenge Bruce’s parental authority of Dick).

If people want to say that at times Dick and Bruce’s dynamic has been more relaxed and they’ve related to each other as more like siblings than parent and child due to the relatively small age gap between them (still well over a decade, like yeah Bruce would have had to have been fourteen or so to have Dick himself, but the point is he DIDN’T, and he was already completely done with education and globe-trotting and was firmly established in his life and life’s purpose by the time he became Dick’s guardian, so the small age gap is not quite as influential as I think some people try to make it out to be - the reality is the Bruce that Dick met as a child couldn’t be any more decisively in the ‘adult/equivalent of a parent’ category in Dick’s eyes if he were five years older....it wouldn’t have changed a single thing about their actual situation or the positioning of their dynamic.)

But anyway, my point just being that yeah, due to the relatively small age gap between them, I can see people making a case for them at times enjoying a more relaxed camaraderie more akin to brothers than father and son, but the part that’s a pet peeve is when people try and outright replace the idea of them having a father/son dynamic with one where they’re brothers and partners and equals because.....no. Bruce always had full authority and guardianship of Dick from the day he met him, and he’s never been anyone BUT the figure who occupies that role in Dick’s mind, no matter whether the name for that changed over time. And that’s not a sibling, because even siblings who end up raising their younger siblings after the death of their parents, say....except for extreme cases like Dick and Damian, they usually still already have prior connection and perceptions of each other....like the younger, if already Dick’s age when raised by someone Bruce’s age....like, if they were siblings and Bruce ended up raising Dick himself, Dick would still have an image in his mind of a time before their mutual parents died, before he shifted into that parent role....and thus there’d be some ambiguity.

But like I said, Bruce always (and without exception or alternative) from day one existed as the one responsible for Dick’s care, the one responsible for raising him, the one who got the ultimate say in every aspect of his life from education to what he ate to whether he could go hang out with his friends...and call that whatever you want, but that’s a parent. Not an older brother.

And more importantly, that dynamic between parent and child, rather than between older and younger sibling, is never going to fully shift into true equals. There’s a degree to which our parents will always be our parents and exist on a different footing than us in our mutual perspectives. There’s no getting around that. And Dick will never ever be positioned to be Bruce’s brother-figure rather than his son. Never someone who can challenge Bruce on ACTUAL equal footing rather than always with the vestiges of ‘this is the man who raised me’ and ‘I raised this man’ hanging over them.

Anyway, like I said, pet peeve, and I always get a little grrr about people suggesting they’re more brother and brother than father and son because its disingenuous in my mind....there’s never been any kind of reality to it. And more importantly, its one of those things that only really seems to serve one purpose - and that’s to lessen Bruce’s responsibility to Dick, because if they’re just brothers, then the times when Bruce has done less than stellar as his parent, let’s say - like, those aren’t as big a deal or big a failing or an injustice to Dick if Bruce is JUST his brother and not actually his father and thus not actually responsible for filling that role.

Its the exact flip side of why I argue that its shitty to heap the kind of expectations on Dick that fandom usually does....because he’s NOT Damian’s father or any of his siblings.....but the key point I always bring up there is that this is more than just a matter of labels, but rather due to the fact that someone with significantly more and undeniable parental authority than Dick exists for all of his siblings....Bruce himself.

And that’s why Dick will never truly be Bruce’s equal within the family rather than his son - he doesn’t carry equivalent power even if equivalent expectations or responsibilities are heaped on him. And that’s why Bruce will never truly be Dick’s equal rather than his parent - because from day one, he DID carry sole parental power and responsibility for Dick. And there’s no getting around that and no changing that.....unless you CLAIM that Bruce is ‘just’ Dick’s brother DESPITE all the evidence of him being the only parent Dick’s had since he was eight years old.

And the other thing that bugs about the Bruce is more Dick’s brother than parent thing....even if Alfred has never officially been designated Bruce’s father, there’s never been any doubt that they are far more a parent/child dynamic than an older brother/younger brother. And all of Dick’s siblings have unequivocally been interpreted as Bruce’s children.

So.....

According to the Bruce is more Dick’s brother than parent argument, Dick is the one and only member of the Batfamily who just....doesn’t get to have a parent figure after he loses his parents at age eight? He never needs or wants one after that point? Bruce is more kinda just his brother and partner and Dick wants it this way, because he loved his parents, and so the eight years he got with them was all the parental love and guidance he needed, he was all set, no need or desire for any more after that point, because that’s how it works, apparently, if you love your parents and they die while you’re still a kid, sorry but you can’t have new ones? You can have a guardian but not another parent, you already filled the ‘I had parents who loved me’ quota so whether you only got eight years with them or eighteen, that’s all folks, but its okay because its not like you’d even want parents again if you had even just eight years with ones already?

LOLOL.

Yeah.

DISLIKE.

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