#so I think some things were cut to make the story less confusing

[monitorkernelaccess]

me when I see a post I disagree with on tumblr dot com but I don’t wanna reblog it because it’s really just someone expressing their opinion and it’s years old anyway

[ID: A version of the man at a party “they don’t know” meme. It reads:

“They don’t know Spectre in the movie was already a merger between the place that had no name, a purgatory-like place just outside of Ashland, and the town of Specter, a cute town Edward buys just for the hell of it, and also that the story of the witch is a merger of the old lady with the glass eye and Jenny Hill, the girl who lives in a swamp and acts strange and crazy and mysterious after Edward leaves her with a broken heart, so that’s why they’re the same person in the movie. And also that John August wrote the book to the musical too and Daniel Wallace approved of his adaptations for both movie and musical.” End ID]

[angelwithdemonictendencies]

my palms ran red turning over jagged rocks, thought i'd find some kind of sign; you pressed your mouth to my wound, weren't your bloody lips sign enough?

qh43 x reader: you really have to stop meeting like this.

(warnings: mostly plot, but also blasphemous filth (yes, we're back on the smut train), unprotected penetrative sex (m on f), fingering, hair pulling (i haven't changed), choking (i really haven't changed), descriptions of self-doubt and shame and all my typical stuff. mostly tension building (10k words worth), general debauchery.  please be warned, don’t read if you’re not 100% sure.)

(a/n: hockey season will be here before we know it, my favorites. for now, have this very, very long and drawn out story about one qh43 character who is just a self-indulgent mish-mash of tropes i like (car mechanic, country club, tutoree, etc) and another who is just a lovely personification of anxiety and insecurity. but, what else is new? you all know i tend to make my female characters a bit sad, and my quinn characters a little sad, too. don't worry, though, this one has a happy ending. obviously there's a lot of plot i ask you to take for granted. if something doesn't make sense, don't tell anyone. no, nobody talks like this, but maybe they should, okay? regardless, i hope the world is being kind to you. i hope you are being kind to yourself. let's do a takeaway, today, for old time's sake: sometimes we take an axe to a good thing just to prove to ourselves that we were right - that we're prone to bad things, and look, here's proof! put your axes down, favorites. enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. know i think of you often and fondly. until i next get a bout of inspiration, go canucks. please tell me what you think, it makes me so, so happy. i did not proofread. gif is not mine. sending everything beautiful to you and your snakes. love always.)

like most all-consuming things, it started with something insignificant.

if your tail light had never gone out during the summer before your third year at university, perhaps none of it would have ever happened. part of you wanted to believe that some determined power would have guided the two of you together no matter what, but most of you thought the powers of the world to be nonchalant at best, hostile at worst.

regardless, your right tail light went out a few weeks before school started, and despite your intense unwillingness to spend money on your car, your mom insisted that you get it fixed.

"that family auto shop will do it quickly," she suggested, "the one a few streets down from school."

so here you were, standing uncomfortably in the lobby of the mechanic's, less than soothed by the harsh noises that echoed through the small garage.

you cleared your throat, attempting to get the attention of the teenage receptionist, probably the daughter or cousin of the owner, currently on her phone.

she looked up immediately, smiled wide, full of braces and friendliness. "sorry," she said, only a little guilty to be caught on her phone. "how can i help you?"

you smiled right back at her, immediately put at ease by her presence. "my mom called earlier," you said. you went to continue, but were enthusiastically cut off.

"miss tail light!" she exclaimed, to which you laughed and nodded. "have a seat," she urged, "quinn should be out in a minute, and that's a quick fix."

you nodded and sat down, then crossed your legs as you waited, bouncing one foot against your other calf. you looked at your hands, twisted one ring around your finger.

"you're the tail light?" a low voice called from the lobby entrance, forcing your gaze up from your hands to meet a pair of eyes that somehow swam with both steel and uncertainty.

this newcomer, quinn, supposedly, confirmed by the embroidered patch on his breast pocket, seemed to be immediately off-put by your matching gaze, as he shoved his wide hands in the pockets of his coveralls and blinked several times, a bit too fast.

his confusing mannerisms, combined with his curious combination of handsomeness and beauty, forced a small smile to your face as you stood up.

he really was pretty like you had never quite seen before, tall but not menacingly so, broad across the chest in a way that just looked warm, his coveralls hanging off of him, drawing attention to his frame, his thighs, his arms.

his hair was messy, curling only slightly at the tops of his ears, his cheekbones and jawline so, so sharp, but his nose and mouth softly curved.

you cleared your throat again when you realized you were probably staring.

"i suppose i am," you said, answering his question, approaching him and the door, by extension.

he gave a forced nod before turning to leave, urging a fluid reaction from the muscles in his neck and shoulders, which you pretended not to notice as you walked behind him.

in a choppy, sudden motion, he made to hold the door open for you, arm extended but gaze averted.

"thank you, quinn," you said, trying out his name, surprised to find how natural it felt on your tongue, something like a hymn a past-life you must have sang with unmatched conviction.

he seemed just as surprised as you, practically tripped over his own feet before quickly recovering. you bit your lip to stifle a laugh.

"should only take a second," he said as he crouched down next to your car, his voice a bit rougher than before, pulling a couple of tools and bulbs from his many pockets.

"take your time," you said, sitting down nearby as he got to work, and you meant it, feeling a somewhat shameful urge to just watch him. just look at him.

you fumbled to distract yourself, settling on looking interested in your phone. in reality, it took real effort to keep your eyes down, away from him, when you felt as if he emitted some kind of magnetic force suited only to you.

it felt like an eternity, but it took all of ten minutes, a couple swift motions, and he was done, rising again to his full height and turning to face you.

you allowed yourself to meet his eyes and it felt like a heaving exhale. "all done?" you asked, rising as well, willing brightness into your voice.

he nodded in affirmation, and you could have pouted. a man of few words, it seemed, and how you wished he would give you a few more.

he wiped his hands with a rag, and you refused to let your eyes follow the motion. "so i should pay..." you started.

he nodded towards the lobby. "you can pay with bean," he said, gruff.

you grinned right at him, and anyone else would have seen his gaze soften from stone to molten rock. "bean?" you asked.

the slightest smile took over his mouth. "my cousin," he said, slowly, "at reception."

you hummed, comforted by his sudden ease. "well then," you said, "i'll go check out with your cousin bean."

"i'll walk you," he blurted out, a blush coming to tint the tops of his ears in a positively dreamy sort of way.

so you walked the several steps back to the lobby together, the silence so comfortable you could have sighed, fallen asleep wrapped up in it.

already you felt some sense of loss creeping in, knowing you were probably never going to see him again, knowing this was all you were going to get. just a couple of glances and words and blushes, that's as far as this would go. and it made a lot of sense, but logical reason grew over your hazy, momentary crush like ivy on a brick building.

he held the door open for you again, and as you walked past him this time you looked up into his eyes. stone and steel and ivy.

you thanked him again.

"quinn?" came that delightfully girlish voice from behind the desk, this time intensely confused. "what are you doing?"

he stood in the door frame, his swallow almost cartoonish. "just making sure she checks out okay," he mumbled, not quite looking anyone in the face.

the girl smiled so wide, you could see she had chosen to make her braces purple last time she visited the orthodontist. "you've never done that before, is all," she observed with all the subtlety of a volcanic eruption.

was that pink tint creeping past his ears to his neck, now?

"do it plenty," he muttered, less than convincing and more to himself than anyone else.

the girl shot you a knowing look before turning to her cousin again. "if you say so," she relented. "miss tail light is in good hands with me, now, so you're all set, mr. random acts of kindness."

quinn muttered something under his breath before making to leave, embarrassment still flushing just under his collar.

the knowledge that this was it, this was all this would ever be, that's what made you reach a hand out to lightly grasp his forearm, stopping him where he stood.

you swore some kind of divine warmth rose to meet your hand.

he looked down at where your fingers met his arm before meeting your gaze. molten, yet again. he didn't move, didn't dare to scare off your touch.

"thank you again, quinn," you said, just to him.

a pause charged by meaning sparked between you both.

maybe some minuscule fraction of your heart feared he would push you away and roll his eyes, mumble something about personal space. or maybe that disgust would flood his lovely gaze, and he would say something much meaner.

you should never have touched him, you scolded yourself, stupid, desperate, foolish girl. you began to lift your hand away when his rough voice became a whisper, just for you.

"anything, doll," he said. and then he walked away, leaving his words to rattle around in your head like the whirring noises around the garage.

you paid, laughed playfully with the young receptionist as she insisted she had never seen her cousin so embarrassed, and especially not so bashful.

"i'm sure that's not true," you said, trying in vain to force your sky-rocketing hopes back to earth.

"oh, it is," she said as you made to leave, giving you a big smile and a wave as you bid her goodbye.

as you drove back home, those tendrils of reason crept back again, began to suffocate the dreamy romance that had settled like a glittery mist in your head.

you gave a single exhale, breathing out any unrealistic expectations. you'd probably never see him again, you admitted to yourself, and you tried to convince yourself that you were fine with it.

and so you let the image of steel and stone and ivy become a phantom in the back of your mind, along with the scorching solidity of his forearm underneath your delicate palm.

you'd never see him again, you believed.

in theory, you knew you could have had one of your friends find him on social media, it probably wouldn't have been too hard. a first name, an occupation, they'd tracked down fleeting flings and past crushes with much less information to go off of before.

but you didn't like the idea of interference, much preferred the way he looked in your memory to the fear that he would be someone very different online, that he would be someone different than the person that now existed exclusively in your head.

you were never supposed to see him again, and yet you did, and just as you had almost forgotten the way his shoulders moved when he walked, too.

three weeks later, just before you went back to school, you were eating dinner outside with your family at the country club they belonged to. you had been there maybe twice in the last couple of years, as your mom worked long hours and your dad only really used his membership for golf.

now, though, sitting outside, overlooking the course, in the pleasant air of the late summer, you were glad you were here, enjoying these last few moments with your family before you began your third year.

you were laughing at a joke your mom had made when you heard someone close by call out, "that's my marker, quinn!"

something distant fluttered in your stomach as you registered the name, tried so hard to not care if it was him or not. trying so, so hard to not care, but you cared so much it felt as if you might have willed him into existence yourself, wanted him enough that even the uninterested powers were forced to relent with a bored sigh.

so, in truth, you knew it was him even before you turned and focused on the hole just below the patio.

you knew it was him, and yet you were wholly unprepared for the way your head spun when you registered his familiar figure.

as if compelled by your gaze, or by something else worth worshipping, he turned, too, and there you were, staring at each other. did he recognize you the way you did him? the way you recognize your first lover's cologne? the way you recognize what's waiting behind a door with a scalding doorknob?

but then he took a hand off of his club and gave a timid wave, and you felt your body relax as you waved back. he paused for a moment as if in thought, then motioned towards him, silently asking you to come down.

"who is that?" your mother asked, not critical, only curious.

"my mechanic," you answered, "be right back, promise."

so, even though it was probably (definitely) against the rules, you made your way down to the impeccably cut grass, holding your shoes in one shaky hand.

you waved again as you approached him at the edge of the green, his friends gathered closer to the hole, talking animatedly amongst themselves.

he tilted his head and gave you a small smile, which gave you wings. a smile, and you hadn't even done anything!

"hi, quinn," you said, getting your first good look at him up close, and this time not in coveralls. this time in a polo that brought out his eyes and shorts that had you straining not to stare at his thighs.

"doll," he greeted, that ghost of a smile still on his full lips. "thought that was you."

heavy uncertainty suddenly settled between the both of you. what were you supposed to say? what was he supposed to say? what do you do with time that feels stolen?

"didn't think i'd see you again," you landed on, then physically cringed at yourself. "not that i was thinking about you, or anything," you added, then pursed your lips in a line.

awesome save.

he let out a laugh, though, and it shook his shoulders and lit up his face in a way that made it impossible to regret your rambling.

his laugh made him look human in a way he hadn't really, before, at the garage. it stripped back all the flowery expectations your imagination had buried him in and set him down here, in front of you, a real person.

a real person, who, in this summery light, was much more unabashed and generous with his smiles. his eyes had a softness to them that you hadn't noticed before.

"i wish you had, then," he said, in that deep, low, voice with a confidence that didn't quite suit him, like he was just trying it on.

it almost made you drop your shoes, regardless.

"yeah?" you asked, tilting your head and letting your satisfaction drench your face like sunset light.

he gave a little nod.

"c'mon, huggy!" one of his friends called. what do you do with time that feels stolen?

he looked back at them and his jaw clenched, for a second.

you knew you had to be the one to walk away, or it would haunt you like some ancestral debt.

"maybe i'll see you again, then, quinn," you said, your tone not conveying the desperate hope you felt.

he looked you up and down, amusement alight in his eyes. it seemed his nervous demeanor existed only in his coveralls. "you willing to take your chances on a 'maybe,' doll?"

were you?

you silently begged those distant forces to prove your hopes were not futile, but you didn't really believe that. you were headed to school in just two days, and who knows where he was headed, this mysterious mechanic who liked to golf and had eyes like a deity.

you knew you were on stolen time, and that this, again, was as far as this would ever go.

"we're going!" his friends called.

"i hope i see you again, quinn," you amended, already feeling a sense of loss again. but you had to be the one to walk away, so you began to.

his face was unreadable, some mixture of disappointment and interest and knowing.

"think about me some more this time, yeah? until you see me again?"

your smile glowed. "if 'm honest, quinn, that'll be hard," you said, thinking about how he had been a constant in your mind for the last couple of weeks. you leaned into your flirtatious side since you were both moving apart. it was always easiest when you were on the way out.

he ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. "try extra hard for me, would you, doll?"

and for a moment, time seemed to ooze like amber. a blink felt like eternity, like you were both suspended in an hourglass.

"promise," you said. it came out like a whisper, but it felt like you screamed it across an open expanse.

and so you parted ways a second time, practically daring the universe to stop you from meeting again.

do whatever you want, universe, you seemed to say, i don't care! i'm fine with the story ending here!

oh, sweetheart, the universe seemed to say, yawning, barely looking at you, then why do you clutch at the book until your fingers bleed?

you could have scowled.

and, just as he wanted, and just as you were afraid of, he was there, in the back of your mind, for several weeks into the school year.

everything started smoothly. you were happy to see your friends again, to be living with them. classes started well. you went out when you wanted to. you began your regular job, tutoring other students in classes you had already taken. it was nice to see the students you had helped out last year, to continue helping them.

teachers referred you to help students who were struggling in their classes all the time, so it wasn't anything significant when one set up a time for you to meet at the library with someone who wasn't quite getting intro to calculus.

it was significant, however, when you opened up the reserved study room door to see quinn sitting at the table, textbooks out in front of him.

so significant, actually, that it genuinely scared you. "jesus," you muttered, exhaling and placing a calming hand over your heart.

he looked up when he heard the door open, and you were frozen in place.

this is what you wanted, right? the universe probably asked, bored. now will you leave me alone?

"i was not expecting you," you admitted, willing your heart back to beating normally.

you couldn't read him, yet again. and yet again, you felt as if you had wanted him hard enough that even the fibers of the universe were annoyed enough to comply.

ugh, they probably said to each other, just give that desperate fool what she wants! i'm tired of hearing her pleas!

but you could have sighed at how beautiful he looked, this time different again - sweatpants and a t-shirt and messy hair. soft looking and sleepy after a day of class and whatever else.

"yeah?" he asked, although he hadn't expected you either. he wasn't shocked the way you were, though. only pleasantness played across his full features. "who were you expecting?"

not you, you wanted to say. things just don't work out like this for me. "i didn't know you went here," you said, simply.

"i didn't know you were a tutor," he replied, leaning back in his chair.

i didn't know your smile gets lopsided when you're tired, you thought to yourself. you could never forget that, now.

"safe to say we know very little about each other, doll," he added, as if he could hear your thoughts.

and he was right - you hadn't asked him anything about himself the last two times you saw him, and he didn't know anything about you. how easy would it have been at the course to say you were going to the local university in a couple of days. why had you not?

why had you relinquished control so easily?

it practically pained you to think about that, just as it was practically painful to look at his face head on, eyes weary with sleep yet bright with amusement, so you decided to solve both of those problems.

"well," you said, sliding into the seat next to him at the table, excruciatingly aware of your closeness, "what do you know about derivatives?"

he gave a huff of a laugh. "probably even less," he said.

you gave him a smile and started to go over your notes with him. the more you spoke, and the deeper you got into the topic, the easier it was to be close to him.

you were still hyperaware of his warmth, his presence, his beauty, his being, but you could do this. getting lost in your purpose here instead of getting lost in him.

after about an hour of you explaining derivatives, you looking at your notes, and him looking at you, you shut your textbook.

"i think that's good for a first session, hm?" you asked, turning to face him and hugging one knee to your chest.

he held your gaze as if studying your face. it felt like being center stage, under a white hot spotlight.

he spread his legs out and reached his arms up, stretching after sitting in the same position for a while. you had to look down at your hands.

"five more minutes?" he asked like a kid begging for an extended bedtime. only now he was asking for more time with you.

you scrunched up your nose, which made him smile, a bit. "can i ask you a question, quinn?" you asked. "since we don't know anything about each other."

"only if i get one, too," he answered.

you thought carefully, flexed your hand on your knee as your gaze met his sleepy one. "it's not that late," you started, "why are you so tired?"

he laughed again, making your chest sing. "busy day," he answered, "had two classes, practice, and a lift."

and as he elaborated you added to the carefully protected vault in your mind of information you knew about him. he played hockey for the team here, he was a defensemen, he was always busy.

"my turn," he said after he was done, low like a secret.

you nodded, forced away the flush his tone alone was able to pull from you.

"did you keep your promise?" he asked.

of everything he could have said, you were least expecting that. of course you knew what promise he was referring to immediately. of course it felt like something abominable to tell him the truth.

suddenly the space between the two of you felt much too little, much too dangerous. so small that you could see each of his eyelashes, he could see the way your eyes dropped to his mouth for a second.

there was something in his eyes that surprised you, though. there was a trace of those nerves you had seen in him that first day - that instability and uncertainty. he wanted you to say yes, you realized. he wanted it so, so much.

"of course i did, quinn," you soothed, leaning forward onto your knee just a bit. it was always easiest on the way out. "did you have any doubts?"

did he let out a breath? his silence spoke for him. still, you had to be the one to walk away. you couldn't afford any more ghosts.

"same time next week?" you asked, gathering your things.

"not gonna leave it to chance this time, doll?" he asked, getting his things together too, but in a lazy sort of way. his hands moved slowly, reluctantly.

you tried not to stare at them.

you gave him a last look before you left.

"do you want to leave it to chance?" you asked, genuinely.

ugh, chance seemed to say, can't you just do it yourself?

his molten gaze dripped over you like honey. "no," he decided, "no, i wouldn't say that's at the top of my wishlist."

you didn't ask what was.

so, each tuesday night, you tutored him in calculus. and each tuesday night, you learned more about him, and he learned more about you.

you learned about how he got into auto mechanics (he never grew out of his childhood truck phase), why he liked golf (really just an excuse to talk with his friends for a couple of hours), what was so special about hockey (it felt like he could see things that others just couldn't). his favorite candy (sour skittles), his favorite color gatorade (red), his favorite t-shirt (a worn in concert shirt from high school).

but you also learned that he got shy when you complimented him, that he ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek when he was about to say something that made you blush, that he got more confident as he got to know you.

his nerves only came out when he grew unsure, and you did your best to make him so, so sure.

and he did get to know you. how you got into your major (data analysis was the family business), why you applied yourself so vigorously in your classes (you didn't know any other way), all about your close friends and family. your favorite soda (cherry coke zero), your favorite frat (pike, only because a couple of your friends were dating brothers there, and they had the goofiest themes), your favorite snack (pretzel goldfish).

he was nothing if not observant, too, so he noticed that you had a special smile for when he got a question right, and that you only wore your hair up when you were extra tired, and that, towards the end of the session, when you were caught off guard, you would lean a little closer to him without realizing.

that was his favorite. when you would lean into his space, just a little more, as if you were pulled towards him by a magnetic force.

and each session, you made him a little more confident, and he made you blush a little bit more. until you both felt utterly comfortable with each other, like you had known each other for ages.

well, as comfortable as you could feel with a person who made you feel like every inch of your skin was on fire. as comfortable as you could feel with someone whose voice made your throat go dry, whose hands made you stutter, whose mannerisms made your stomach flutter.

one tuesday night, late into a session where he had told you he had passed his quiz with flying colors, he twisted his pen in his hand.

"you know, doll," he started, "you should come to a game sometime."

you looked up. "one of your games?" you asked, searching his steely eyes for meaning.

his lip quirked. "yes, one of my games."

here, he might as well have said, have a little more of me.

"unless you don't want to," he added to your silence. "which would also be fine. i don't want to force-"

you stopped him with a hand on his forearm, transporting you both back to that first day. did you imagine him relaxing into your touch, this time?

"i'd love to come," you said, looking him square in the face.

"good," he replied, content.

but nothing could have prepared you for what awaited you that friday night, standing with your friends in the student section of the rink you had never been to.

"how have we never been to a hockey game?" one of them asked, looking around at the crowd.

"basketball's just better," another said, although, to be fair, she was on the club basketball team. "what the hell is icing, anyways?"

"we never had a reason to, i guess," your best friend said in a teasing tone. you shot her a look, to which she raised her hands in surrender. "hey, no judgement," she said, and you laughed.

as soon as quinn was on the ice, though, he had your complete and undivided attention. he skated with a mesmerizing fluidity, hit with a concrete, undeniable kind of force. and he was right - he did see things no one else could see, made connections that you, nor anyone on the ice, could predict until they were already completed.

he was all over the ice, all over this space, he was everywhere. and you were transfixed.

walking back to the house with your friends, they noticed. of course they did.

"oh god, i know that look," one said.

"this is gonna be trouble," another added. was this trouble? was trouble when everything someone did felt like some great treasure you had discovered? was trouble this kind of fire, of comfort, of excitement, of rest?

you shook your head. "calm down, guys," you said. "it's not that serious."

"right," someone said. you didn't believe yourself, either.

"what did you think of the game?" he asked the following tuesday after you had covered enough material to be satisfied.

you were so close to him now, it probably would have been easier to just share a chair. so close you could feel the warmth radiating off of him, could all but feel his chest against your back.

"what did i think of the game?" you repeated lazily.

you could hear his smile in his voice. "yes, doll."

you hummed. how honest could you be, here? what could you get away with?

and maybe it was your closeness to him that made you bold. maybe it was the heat you saw in his eyes that had you leaning your head on his shoulder and looking up at him. you felt his breath rumble through him and into you.

the air sparked.

"thought you were incredible, quinn," you said honestly. "like nothing i've ever seen."

his exhale was shaky as he peered down at you. "yeah?" he asked.

"mhm," you hummed, your body buzzing with his contact, the most you had ever had. something unspoken settled between you like dust.

"you would come again, then?" he asked, hopeful but drowsy.

you couldn't help but smile, a bit, gaze up at him through your lashes. "think i'd have a hard time saying no to you, if 'm honest."

something like wonder misted across his heated gaze. "i like knowing you're there," he said. "like knowing you're thinking about me."

dangerous desire swirled around the two of you, melting your gaze and blurring the lines.

things don't work out like this for you, a voice said, bitter and mocking, drawing the lines up again, sturdy and menacing.

you cleared your throat, lifted your head from his shoulder. if you could look at him, you would have seen that uncertainty swimming in his eyes again, along with something like hurt.

but you couldn't look at him. at the drowsy slouch of his shoulders, the rugged line of his jaw, the glossy want that practically dripped down his face like starry tears.

i'm always thinking about you, you wanted to tell him. i'm sorry.

but you gathered your things, stood up. "i should go."

he was silent for a moment, looked you up and down, gave a small sigh. "okay, doll," he conceded. "on one condition."

you scrunched up your nose in confusion.

"you agree to come golfing with me tomorrow," he said in a completely satisfied tone. "then, you can go."

a million excuses flooded onto your tongue.

"i'm busy tomorrow," you tried, your voice coming out tight.

he waved that off lazily. "me too," he said, something like a smirk growing on his pink lips. "but we're both free at four, so let's plan on that. next?"

you sputtered.

"but i don't know how to golf," you tried.

he ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. trouble.

"don't worry, doll," he offered. "i'll go real slow for you."

you flushed, almost walked into the doorframe, quickly decided you needed to leave immediately, if you wanted to maintain any level of mystery or dignity.

"fine," you said, already on your way out. it felt like flames were nipping at your heels, biting at your nose. "i'll come."

his smirk deepened, a different look on him. "don't put up much of a fight, do you, doll?"

"i'm leaving," you choked as you walked out, turning to face him one final time. "what if i just didn't want to come?"

he seemed to ponder this for a moment. "i think," he started, "if you really didn't want to come, it wouldn't make you blush like this to say so."

he didn't ask you to think about him, but by the look on his face, you knew he could tell he didn't have to.

so, the following day, you found yourself on the course with quinn.

a terrible, terrible idea, really.

especially considering the want that filled his gaze when he first saw you, catching on your legs before returning up to your eyes.

"showed up for me, did you, doll?" he asked, a hope you recognized tinting his voice a shimmery pink.

you rolled your eyes, but smiled. "you knew i would."

"thank you anyways," he replied, and his genuineness, his honesty, his straightforwardness, it all made you melt. made you want to know what his smile felt like against your neck, what his hands felt like in your hair.

so, as you both made to tee off, you turned to him. "can you help me with my swing, please?"

his gaze softened. liquid steel. "sure, doll," he said, then lined up next to you and explained his way through it.

you bit your lip. "i'm a hands on learner," you said, which was a lie. "i think i need you closer." that part wasn't.

he didn't adopt a cocky smirk, like so many would have. he didn't lean into your act, didn't pounce on the opportunity to show his superiority. he only approached you from behind and reached his arms around you to grip your driver with you, his hands on top of yours, warm and rough.

you could feel each breath he took in your back, felt the solid plane of his chest on your shoulder blades.

"close enough?" he all but whispered into the space between your neck and your shoulder.

something sinful must have possessed you then. "for now," you breathed out.

he went through a swing with you, slow and fluid. you weren't paying attention, not really, but how could you, when he was just so, so close? was this dazed sensation, was that what he felt when you touched him, that first day? or later, in your study room?

but, of course, the swing was soon over, and he reluctantly retreated off to the side.

"your turn, doll," he said.

you took a breath to shake the phantom of his embrace away, then teed off - beautifully straight and hard, arcing through the air like a physics textbook problem.

you looked at him to find a knowing, teasing look on his face. he ran a hand through his hair, displacing the curling ends as he gave a quick laugh.

you smiled. "call me a natural," you offered, shrugging.

"oh yeah?" he said, tilting his head. "how about i call you a liar?"

you leaned forward onto the end of your driver, grin widening. "how about i call you gullible?"

he shook his head, let out a playful scoff. "like you'd ever have to trick me into touching you."

the rest of the round went by quickly, both of your guards down, lost in conversation and high on each other. too soon, it was over.

it was this realization that urged you to act uncharacteristically - in that, you acted according to what you truly felt.

"can i see you tomorrow?" you asked him as he loaded your clubs into the trunk of your car. you didn't cringe as much as you would have a few weeks ago.

he wiped his hands on his shorts, looked at you with something that looked like relief. "think i'd have a hard time saying no to you," he parroted. his ability to remember things about you warmed you from the inside out.

"meet me at the sig nu party tomorrow?" you asked hopefully. "maybe you can meet some of my friends?"

he looked truly touched. "some of the guys are going already since we don't have a morning lift on friday," he said, "so you could meet some of them, too, if you want."

you nodded, flushed with expectation. "see you then," you said, making to get in your car. "and yes, i'll think about you."

his smile as you shut your door was something of dreams.

sigma nu was not one of your favorite frats. their basement was especially dirty looking, their brothers were on the sketchier side, and the never seemed to have enough alcohol to make it through the night.

but one of your friends was talking to one of the brothers, who also played club basketball. so you and the rest of your group were going for moral support. and also because no one else was throwing. it was only a thursday.

you were nervous. you had only just begun to accept that you were really, really into quinn, and you had only just begun to accept that he might, possibly, probably, be just as into you.

it still didn't make much logical sense to you. when had it ever been so simple?

don't talk about logical sense around me, chance would say, that bitch knows what she did.

when you first saw quinn across the crowded room, chance and logical sense and all those divine powers, they all melted away.

it was just him. his hair was messy and his gaze was relaxed and the lights made it look like his face was glowing as he laughed with his friends.

but the crowd got the better of you, for a little while. you danced with your friends, politely escaped several "so, what's your major?" conversations, and actually spent a while talking to your friend's new talking stage.

as you laughed at something, you were internally surprised. this guy seemed perfect for your friend - they shared so many interests, and he was able to laugh at himself easily, which was something that was at the top of her priority list.

after a while of learning enough about him to approve of him graduating from the talking stage, you looked up. of course your gaze was immediately drawn to quinn, closer than you had seen him last.

closer, and yet farther than he had ever been, because he was leaning against the wall, talking to another girl.

you couldn't really see the girl, but it wouldn't have really mattered. it wasn't about her. she was just a girl talking to a guy at a party. a guy who was, in all technical senses, single and available.

it was more so about him, and how close he was to her, how he leaned down to hear her, meaning she could probably smell his all-but-worn-off cologne.

your grip tightened on your red cup as you swallowed.

before, quinn had only ever been yours, because even when you doubted that he could ever return your feelings, he had never given you concrete evidence that he was interested in anyone else. so even though he hadn't been yours, he had been almost yours, probably going to be yours, or something like that.

but here he was, giving you concrete proof that he existed to others, too, that other people could be interested in him and he could be interested back.

and of course that had always been the case. how could you have been so narcissistic? of course people would foster crushes on him, like you did, and of course he was bound to reciprocate eventually, to someone.

you had let yourself believe that you were the center of the world for a moment, of his world, and you hated that.

so, honestly, it was barely even about quinn. this struggle, this was about you.

but if you stripped back everything external, oh, how downright jealous you felt right then.

so jealous that you had to leave, that you couldn't watch anymore. when you got home, you shut the door and exhaled.

what did i tell you? that bitter voice said, things just don't work out that way for you.

you could have growled, now, at how lazy, how self-centered that sounded.

don't look at me, chance would have said, hands raised in surrender, this was all you.

he was just talking to another girl, logical reason would say, that doesn't mean he's not interested in you. you have what, a couple months of history?

and of course reason would be right. of course, you knew, deep down, you didn't have to let this consume you.

but now a tendril of doubt had woven its way into your heart. if you had been so misled by your own ego before, how could you tell if any of it was real? how could you trust yourself to know if this wasn't much more to you than it was to him?

time. you needed some time.

thankfully, that was doable. you went home for break on friday after class, and planned to stay there for the week.

so you stayed home, caught up with your parents, ignored his numerous texts.

it hurt to do so, but you told yourself you needed some distance.

which wasn't that hard, considering he was playing a series of games across the country. you still put on his games though, which your parents noticed.

"didn't even know we got this channel," you dad observed one night as you watched quinn stickhandle around a sloppy winger.

"when did you get into hockey?" you mom asked, never critical. "we could go see a game sometime, if you want."

you started to settle down a bit, really enjoyed the time at home. before you knew it, though, break was almost over.

"sweetheart," you mom called to you on your second to last day, "would you mind taking the car in?"

you were skeptical. "why?"

"they just called," she explained, "said we're due for an urgent oil change."

you thought it was weird that they would call for that, but quinn was supposedly still away, so you figured it wouldn't be that much of an issue.

"sure," you responded. "i'll bring it in now."

you knew it was a trap as soon as you opened your car door at the garage.

the young receptionist approached you quickly with a guilty smile.

"hi, miss bean," you said, trying to gauge what she was about to say.

"look," she rushed, "i didn't want to, and i'm thought the plan was stupid, and i'm sure you're ignoring him for good reason-"

you sighed, knowing what was coming. having walked right into it. "i'm not, really," you stopped her, then felt the need to clarify. "it's not really a good reason."

"what is it, then?" that low voice asked from your side, and everyone else disappeared.

just him, standing there, looking the same as you had last seen him, but so, so different.

the same, because he was just as lovely as you last recalled. was it insensitive to say that he wore his weariness beautifully?

so different, because he just looked so tired. his coveralls did little to hide the slight slouch in his shoulders. a subtle stubble now shadowed his face, making his jaw sharper. and his eyes. that steely stone that had occupied your mind all this time - it was cracking, desperate for something to hang on to.

"just needed some distance," you mustered. you were jarred by his appearance, by being close to him again, just the two of you.

"yeah?" he looked you up and down, that desperate disappointment now running down your figure. there was no malice in his tone. "why, doll? so you can say you were right?" you could have hissed. "so you can go on knowing everything went exactly as you told yourself it would?"

things like this don't work out for you. who had been telling you that, again?

you sucked on your teeth, had no idea what to say. what do you say to someone that sees right through you? the pause settled like sludge. "i thought you were away," you eventually whispered, ignoring his question.

he ran a hand through his hair, let all his grief flood into his eyes. "and i thought it would be a lot harder for you to forget me," he said, "so i guess we're both at a loss."

you took a step forward, then stopped yourself, almost dizzy. "you actually think i would forget you?" you breathed, practically choking on your words.

he scoffed. "what was i supposed to think?" he rubbed his palm against the back of his neck. "i think everything is going well when you ask me to come to this party, then you spend the whole time talking to some other guy-"

your brow furrowed before you understood. "my friend's new boyfriend," you interrupted. to his confusion, you clarified. "i was talking to my friend's boyfriend."

he blinked, registered this information, appeared a bit lighter. "regardless," he sighed, "you were supposed to be talking to me, doll."

"hold on," you said, the memory of jealousy seeping into your bloodstream, "you were talking to someone else, too, quinn." you crossed your arms, images flashing in your mind of him leaning down, his ear much too close to her lips. "and i don't think that was your friend's girlfriend, unless they're trying out an open relationship."

"i just-" he gave a frustrated gesture, looked down at his feet for a moment.

"you what?" you pressed.

he sighed, now flushed. "i just wanted you to look at me."

you both were silent for a beat as you processed his words. you exhaled, took a few steps until you were right in front of him. his eyes flickered down to your mouth, took the long way back up.

you took his face in your hands, his stubble rough under your palms. you knew you didn't imagine the way he softened into you touch.

"surely by now you know you're all i think about," you said, an offering. like some sacrifice at a long-abandoned altar, so terribly desperate, shamefully honest.

so terrible, the way he grabbed at your hip, pulled you forward, against him. so desperate, the way his other hand twisted into your hair.

so shameful, how he captured your lips with his, all brute emotion, sleepy resignation, a million pleas of "look at me" answered with "i never looked away."

so honest, how he just barely whimpered into your mouth when you tightened your grasp on his jaw, kissed him harder. he pulled so slightly on your hair, you slid a hand down to his chest, gathered the collar of his coveralls in your first, trying to get him impossibly closer.

here, you both were practically screaming, here, have some more of me.

someone whistled across the garage. you pulled away from each other with a jump, having gotten a little carried away. quinn flushed on the tips of his ears and shot the culprit a look, which made you let out a light laugh into his chest.

the little rumble made him look down at you, wrap his arms around your waist and clasp them on the small of your back.

you stayed like that for a moment, just looking at each other. stone, molten.

"i have this thing next week," he said eventually, barely anything more than a rasp. "a formal for the team."

you nodded, reached up, twisted a strand of his hair around your finger.

"come with me," he asked, soft. "please."

you didn't have to think about it. "yes."

and so, about a week later, you found yourself at the hockey formal, an event you hadn't known existed a couple of months ago.

the past week had been blissful, but frustrating - you both were so busy, you with schoolwork and tutoring, him with the team. so much so that you could barely see each other outside of your scheduled tutoring session.

needless to say, you were very much looking forward to a weekend away with him. a whole night, just for the two of you.

and the whole night was wonderful. you were introduced to his teammates, saw a new side of him, heard his laugh so many times it made your head spin.

it was all just so easy. even the mess ups, the uncertainty, the silences, those were easy too, because they were with him.

when he stuttered over telling you how beautiful you looked - easy.

when you didn't know how to introduce yourself to his friends, so you just said you were "quinn's..." and then faded out, unsure - that was easy, because you weren't even really lying. your laugh was instinctual, and everyone else's was, too.

when he asked you to dance, reaching his hand out to you, there had never been an easier yes.

you danced with all the beautiful awkwardness of two people who weren't quite sure what they were yet - weren't quite sure how far they could go. there was not a question of how you both felt, but how slow were you taking this?

how slow could you bear?

every touch felt electric, like a gentle flame ignited whereever his hands had been. you felt a shiver erupt when his hand grasped your waist as you both moved together to a simple rhythm.

so up close and personal, you could smell his worn cologne, feel the warmth from his chest.

he gave you a sly smile, something close to a smirk. "okay, doll?"

you bit your lip, peered up at him through your lashes. "you just look so lovely, quinn," you told him, squeezed his hand, gave him a flushed smile. "it's distracting."

he pulled you a little closer, so that your chests were almost touching as you moved across the floor. "yeah?" he asked, his smile lazy, almost shy. "love a suit, do you?"

you tilted your head, met his gaze entirely and absolutely. oh, how much, how deeply you wanted. hadn't your want seemed to fray the fibers of the universe before?

babe, they seemed to remind you, we never cared.

then who was i praying to? you could have asked.

and they would have only shared a look, laughed like two girls at a sleepover.

well, who answered? they would have responded.

what you did do is give a slight shake of your head. "not the suit," you said. "you're distracting."

you watched his eyes become hooded, felt the underlying heat ignite between you. his grip on your waist tightened. "careful, doll," he breathed out, a warning, a plea.

"don't wanna be," you replied. there was a moment of understanding, a pause of anticipation.

"how slow do you want to take this?" almost drowsy with desire, his voice was slow, rough, only for you. "you know i'd go so slow for you, right, doll?"

you nodded. "i know," you assured him, "but i don't want you to."

you thought you heard him mutter a fuck before he was pulling you from the floor, out of the elaborate event room, upstairs to your room at the hotel. everything was a blur as his hand clasped around yours. a desperate escape, fleeing from everything, everyone except him.

and then the door was shutting and he was pushing you up against it, a hand on your hip and the other on your jaw as his lips met yours in a heated kiss that was every bit as desperate, as longing, and terrible and horrible and shameful as the first one.

you were both too far gone to hold back any longer.

you tangled your hands in the hair at the nape of his neck, felt the curls between your fingers.

he tasted like mint and salt and something earthy.

kissing him felt like barbed wire made of gold, flowery rust, somehow the most violent act you had ever committed, yet also the most gentle.

like removing your heart with a cookie cutter, offering it to him on a painted porcelain plate.

you moaned into his mouth, he hissed just a bit as you pulled at his hair.

he pushed his hips up against yours, hiked your leg up around his thigh, making you gasp at the hardness you found across his front.

"more," you murmured against his lips, felt his sly smirk grow against yours.

he moved his hand from your hip to slide up your dress, glide his fingertips along your inner thigh, just barely skirt across your folds. "like this, doll? so wet for me already," he asked, his voice gravelly. "this must be enough then, yeah?"

you shook your head, moved your hips to try to get some friction.

"no?" he said, obviously teasing, "greedy girl, hm? wants even more?" he brought his other hand to your mouth, pressed his thumb against your bottom lip, smirked when you closed your lips around him without a second thought. "what do you say?"

"please," you whined around his hand, in a voice you barely recognized. "please, quinn."

he answered you by dragging his fingers through your folds once before pushing two into you, slow and deep, making you arch your back up off of the door.

"fuck, so tight," he rasped.

you whimpered against his thumb, closed your eyes as you felt his hand move from your mouth to your throat.

"open up, doll," he demanded. "look at me."

you obliged with effort, wrapped an arm around his neck for support, another one bracing the door as he increased his pace, pushing his fingers in and out of you, grazing your clit each time.

your nails dug into his neck as you lost yourself in the sensation, barely registering the way he groaned at the delicious shot of pain.

"this enough, doll?" he cooed, annoyingly smug at how audibly wet you were.

you vigorously shook your head, so desperate to get him to keep going. "no," you pleaded, "fuck, please, quinn, don't stop."

he tightened his hand around your throat just a little, only barely squeezing as he flattened his other palm against your clit, making you moan loudly. "must be ready for me then, yeah?"

you fisted his dress shirt in your hand, pushed yourself off of the door and pulled him onto the bed. "please, need more of you," you begged, nothing more than a prayer, "fuck, want you so bad."

something lovely flooded his gaze as he moved his clothes aside, pulled himself out as you further hiked up your dress.

he spat into his hand, pumped himself up and down in a way that made your mouth water.

you were practically pouting. "please, fuck me, quinn," you said, pathetic and just so fine with it, "'s all i've been thinking about."

and you knew you had said something magical when he groaned and tugged you towards him by the undersides of your thighs, his grip hot and rough, a working man's grip.

"shit," he hissed as he ran his cock up and down your folds once, twice, collecting your wetness there, "'d never say no to you."

you whined when he first pushed into you, so, so deep that you swore you could feel him in the palms of your hands, feel him rattling around in your teeth, behind your eyes.

he moaned like a sinner, clutched at the flesh of your hips so tightly you knew his fingerprints would be left behind later.

as he began to thrust in and out of you, his rhythm hard and even, both of you could barely form words, so lost in the feeling of each other, finally as physically close as you could be.

"fuck," he bit out eventually, his rhythm picking up speed, "so tight, doll. so wet for me, hm?"

you nodded, clenched around him, reached one of your hands forward to rub at your clit, increasing the pressure quickly building inside of you.

he choked out a grunt at the sight of you touching yourself, only making you squeeze him harder. "feels so good, quinn," you whined, "so deep inside me."

he moved one hand up to your calf, hoisted one of your legs up to change his angle, thrusted down into you in a way that hit a dizzying spot inside of you. he kept going, bringing you both closer every minute.

"shit, feel so perfect," he bit out at some point. "made for me, hm?" he asked as you rubbed your clit faster. "squeezing me so perfect, yeah?"

you hummed something like affirmation, your breathing becoming ragged as he hit that spot over and over, his chest rising and falling, his thrusts becoming broken and messy.

"fuck, quinn," you moaned, "fuck, 'm so close."

he groaned. "gonna cum for me, doll?" he asked, letting your calf rest on his shoulder as his hand travelled down to apply only the slightest pressure to your lower stomach.

the sensation, that unique pressure making you feel him impossibly deeper, sent you soaring right to the edge.

"feel you squeezing me," he breathed out, his own voice tight and rough, his chest and stomach flexing as he fought off his own orgasm. "cum for me, doll, yeah? wanna feel you cum on my cock." he squinted with effort. "be good for me, hm?"

and his words sent you spiraling, a wave of pleasure finally crashing, clenching and spasming around him in a way that triggered his own high.

he moaned as he came, his breathing labored as you both collapsed back onto the hotel bed.

effort and satisfaction glowed on your faces, realized desire settling along his cheekbones and on the cupid's bow of your mouth.

there were several moments of easy silence in the warm air, his hand throw lazily around your middle, one of yours resting on his chest.

"can i ask you for something?" you said eventually, looking up at him with tired eyes full of possibility.

"anything, doll," he said, and you remembered back to that first day, in the garage. how easy it was, now, to remember it fondly.

"can i have a kiss, please?" you asked, almost shy, more so gentle.

a smile already played across his mouth. "especially that," he said, eager to comply with your request.

he leaned down to press a fluttering, beautiful kiss to your lips.

well i definitely didn't see this coming, chance stage-whispered to logical reason behind her hand.

i don't really deal with this lovey-dovey kind of stuff, logical reason said, not my thing.

all the divine powers and the fibers of the universe and such, they were silent. perhaps they always had been. perhaps this was much too far out of their jurisdiction.

perhaps it was just none of their business.

fin.

[itsss4t4n]

How long is Forever? - Harry Hook x daughter of alice in wonderland

Headcanons but the longer version of this post:

a/n: this is based more on tim burtons aiw adaptation as it is the only one that i know, and i might have misremembered some of the story/ characters so i apologize if its inaccurate to wonderland or its characters in any way. I got way to invested in creating the character and story and almost forgot that that wasnt the point. At some point i think the character just completely changes and i low key hate it. Im really bad at writing headcannons instead of full fledged fics.

Trigger warnings: fighting, she /her pronouns used, slight angst toward the end but happy ending, not proofread

-being alices daughter you are considered kind of weird by the aks, (think luna lovegood), you are kind of dreamy and constantly in your own thoughts but you still have a very strong own opinion on everything. You say what you think even if others might not like that. 

-You also have a very different sense of style than most girls in auradon. You played alot with different colours and textures always looking slightly crazy (you took inspiration from your godfather, the mad hatter). Your blonde hair was cut to a short messy bob with short bangs, and always changing coloured streaks throughout.

-you dont have the same view of good and bad as most others , and you dont think the vks should be judged by what their parents did and immediately try to befriend them and continuesly defend them

-when mal runs away to the isle you insist on joining the other vks and ben, as you do well in new and different invironments and later because you are an incredible sword fighter, your mother having thought you all she knows, just in case you ever needed to fight a jabberwookie type beast yourself.

-Due to your personal style not being very auradon, you didnt really have to disguise as much as ben when going to the isle. 

-On the isle you felt surprisingly comfortable, as you liked the weird and almost liminal athmosphere that it had 

-the first time you met harry was right after bens kidnapping, when harry came to tell you all about it.

-Harry has this theatrical almost a little eccentric way of talking and moving, which intruiged you pretty quickly. Of course , You didnt like or trust him, he did just kidnap one of your best friends, but you were intruiged non the less.

"And who is this little lassy?"

You told him your name with a glint of interest and mischif in your eyes. "Daughter of Alice in Wonderland."

"How interesting."

"I was just thinking the same thing. Whats your Name?"

"Harry Hook." He introduced himself with adramatic bow, before making fun of jay and barking at carlos.

- The other three had watched the interaction in confusion and wonder. They knew you were a little odd but seeming this confortable with harry after knowing what he did to ben?

"What was that?!" 

"What?" 

"Dont be nice to hook! He just kidnapped your best friend!"

"yea.. But he is quite interesting." And as an afterthougt: "and kind of pretty dont you think?"

"NO! Concentrate please. He is the enemie alright?!"

"Yea whatever, lets go tell mal about this shit."

-You go with Mal and evie to see dizzy, and instantly get along.

-Later while Mal and Uma are talking (singing), you cant help your eyes from glancing over at harry every few seconds. He did look good, with his red coat, the old silver jook on his left hand, and the messy black eyeshadow around his striking blue eyes.

"He is really beutiful dont you think?" That question was mostly directed towards evie who just shot you a dissapproving look. "I'm just saying. purely aesthetically."

-You simply shrugged and watched the situation continue to unfold, swordhand on the hilt of your sword at your side. When the fight breaks out you stand against harry. For better of for forse.

"Hello Pretty boy." You raise you swordand get into a defensive position.

"Wonderland girl."

-You kept making little comments about his looks and his sword fighting which he of course returned in his own flirty way. You quite enjoyed going back and forth like that. Witty comments, smirks and flirty smiles, and fighting more for show at this point instead of actually trying to beat each other. Trying to make this surprisingly pleasant moment last as long as possible.

-until you heard an urgend shout of your name from Mal.

"Sorry in advance." In a quick movement you snatched harrys hook and threw it down into the water. Before a shoked Harry can jump after it you catch his arm and talk to him in a slightly hushed voice.

"I really hope this wasnt our last meeting pretty boy." Before running off with the others.

-You dont see each other again until Audrey turns evil, but you do still think about harry. Is it stupid considering you met like twice and he was you enemy? Yea. Did you care? not really. He was georgeous, funny, good with a sword. Your dream guy. Except for the fact that he was supposedly your enemy. but then again when had you ever cared about that kinda stuff.

-His black lined blue piercing eyes were burned into your brain.

-In the six months until you saw him again you had become mal and bens unofficial bodyguard, spening most of your time with them or with evie, your sword has taken permanent residence at your side, only taking it of to sleep or shower and even then it was always in grabbing distance. Mals paranoia about uma had actually started to get to you.

-You are at evies house when audrey shows up and spells mal. You join them in going back to the isle to retrieve hades ember.

-When your bikes get stolen you cant help but smile at the sight. Yea its shitty but he is still beautiful.

"Pretty boy!"

He drawls you name in his scottish accent and you mentally swoon.

"Thats my bike!"

"Oh yea? Come and get it back then." Before driving of.

-You run after them (except mal and celia ofc),and at one point you split upbecause the boys on the bikes did so. You follow harry and when the others are out of sight he slows to a stop. You catch up to him with a grin.

"Nice to see you again Hook. I was hoping we would meet again."

"I was too Lassie."

-The next 10-ish minutes are filled with flirty banter and tales of what happened in the last six months. It felt like you've known each other for years (as clichee as that sounds). 

-You almost forgot why you were there until you heard jay shouting your name.

"Where are you, Mal got the thing come on."

You quickly turn to Harry again.

"Go! Before they see you and make it a whole thing."

"What bout your bike?"

"Keep it pretty boy, i doubt the others got theirs back so it would be weird if i did."

With a last sly grin harry leans towards you "I will see you again very soon." 

Before you could question what 'very soon' meant, he had already driven of. 

Just in time because Jay and the others turned the corner behind you.

"There you are! What are you doing? come on!"

"Sorry. Was chasing after the bike." You Give them a small smile before walking past them. "You coming?"

-To say you were surprised when harry and gil jumped through the barries after them would be an understatement.

"Pretty boy?!"

"'ello Darling. we're just coming for a wee visit" 

-You tried , just like evie, to get the two groups to work together. Harry mostly walked next to you or Uma. At some point you hung back so he culd walk in between you and doesnt have to kep switching. He caught up with uma but still kept the constant flirts towards you up.

-Everyone was really confused on why you two seemed so good and almost comfortable around each other, not to mention the flirting. Evie was the only one who knew of your little crush so she send you a few knowing smirks.

-During the knight fight you and harry fought as a team. Incedibly well might i say. 

-You were somewhat enthusiastic about evies icebreaker idea, enjoying the idea that the two groups could finally work together.

"Harry great accent."

"Shes right. It is a good accent."

-The flirting just wouldnt stop, comments thrown at each other, bumping shoulders while walking, even brushing your hands against each others on occasion. You had joined the boys in looking for ben.

"To make sure jay and harry dont kill each other."

-Gil doing the icebreaker and bonding with jay. 

meanwhile you and harry in the background:

"We should do that icebreaker pretty boy."

"oh yea?"

"Yea. You've got really pretty eyes."

"And you are really good with a sword lass." His hook just slightly gracing your cheek before something in gil and jays conversation sparks his interest.

-When finding ben you had immediately pushed harry behind you and unsheathed your sword out of instinct. Jay has to pull both of you out of bens way because both of you got distrcated by how close you were standing to each other. After making sure ben was alright you made sure harry was too.

(instead of flirting with jane he flirts with you)

"Well well well, thank you for trying to protect me there darling." The hook was under you chin this time.

"No problem pretty boy." You smirk back.

Ben had his little freak out. Jay and carlos had one too for slightly different reasons.

"when did this happen? you and hook?"

You just shrugged and started walking off.

The boys just looked at eachother thouroghly confused.

-After everyone reuniting and you secretely updating evie on the harry situation you all made your way to fairy cottage. When you found chad you had to half hide in harrys shoulder to hide your laughter because god was it good to see chad taken down a few pecks like that.

-Then Mal dropped the bomb. Closing the barrier forever. You couldnt believe it. You were always a firm believer in the vk programm. And you had honestly hoped that even if harry etc were send back, they would get out someday, or you might go visit them. You considered them freinds at that point. But now that wasnt possible.  You tried to comfort harry and uma in some way but it was to no avail.

"Im so sorry you guys... I didnt know." You had tears in your eyes yourself.

"Dont worry about it Darling. Its nae your fault." Placing his hand, his actual hand, on your cheek for a second, to wipe away the tear that had fallen. Before he walked of with uma.

"Harry....."

Mal was shocked to see your tears at the fact that harry was leaving. she had absolutely no idea this was a thing. It wasnt really. you didnt have enough time for it to actually become a thing. You watched harry and uma leave before evie walked up to you to hug you. 

She talked to mal but you didnt want to listen.

suddenly there was a bright light before it went dark for a bit. When you came to again, Mal was gone. It didnt take you guys long to piece together what must have happened. so you went to find mal.

-You and harry were both incredibly relieved to see that the other was okay. *cue big hug and an almost kiss that turned into a kind of awkward cheek kiss before another hug * 

-Harry announcing that he is actually going back to the isle felt like another punch in the gut. Again that sounds dumb considereing how little you actually knew each other but you didnt care. 

-Harry and you talked before he left. He gave you one of his rings "so you wont forget me darling". So you give him one of yours "then dont you forget me either". *cue more crying and hugs, between all of you *

-Mal announcing that the barrier will be taken down during the engagement party was the best thing that couldve happened to you at that point.

"Looks like you get a chance with your pretty boy after all." Evie.

Uma to harry on the isle: "Now you can get your pretty girl, pretty boy." While bumbing his shoulder.

As soon as you could spot eachother on the bridge you ran into each others arms.

-Kith

-like a lot of em

-Your friends from both sides were incredibly happy for both of you.

[spoiled-milk]

honkai star rail characters’ reaction to your tattoos

a/n: it's been four weeks of uni and i have pulled too many all nighters and consumed way too many energy drinks. i am running on no juice at the moment and i wrote this is like two sittings and it is very much not proof read

content warning: mentions of tattoos (duh), very out of character characters probably, shitty writing, sfw

word count: ~780 words

dan heng

neutral to your body tattoos and just see it as another part of you

i personally hc that he has at least one on his body and it’s on right shoulder (source: me i saw it in person in his bed)

doesn’t mean that every time you wear a tank top and your back is somewhat visible he can’t help but stare at you

it’s just fascinating to him. he wants to know if it has meaning to you or if you got it on a whim, if you were meticulous in picking every element represented or it’s just a collage of your favorite things. if the artwork on your back shows your lifetime story that words can’t describe

sometimes at night when the you’re giving him information to fill in the data bank and you fall asleep he’ll unconsciously hover his hand where your tattoo is and rub circles where it is

welt

welt sees your tattoos in pretty much the same way dan heng does, but he admired how the artwork on your body highlights your beauty

when you fall asleep on the couch filling out paperwork for both himeko and for the data bank, your tattoo is visible

as you snore on the red couches in the lobby of the express, welt can’t help but bring you a blanket and shift you into a position that won’t hurt your back in the morning

welt sits next to you book in hand while he watches you snooze away. eventually he too succumbs to slumber and he is seen sleeping next to you on the couch (no one is sure how the two of you manage to fit on one couch)

blade

he’s the first one and probably the only one to notice that your tattoo covers a scar

he won’t ask you about it (it’s not any of his business) but he would point it out in private

“you’ve got a scar there” he’d point at your tattoo and you’d play dumb “pfft… what scar?” then he points at the exact spot on your tattoo where ink covers scar tissue

freaks you out tbh you thought it was not that noticeable and blade senses your panic and reassures you it can’t be spotted that easily

he’s a little confused on why you would want to cover it and you tell him honestly. you don’t like it when people point it out while in public and you just found out easier to cover it up permanently without needing to always apply foundation

he feels bad for you but he’s got bandages on his hands so who is he to talk about covering up wounds

he has a new sense of closeness to you and vice versa. You sometimes catch him eyeing your tattoo and you ask him if he wants to get one too

he politely declines but if you wanted to get matching tattoos with him in a discreet spot, he won’t reject probably

kafka

i’m surprised that in that one light cone of kafka from forgotten hall she’s got none but that’s okay she’s still hot nevertheless

mommy kafka thinks your tattoos are hot probably so she deliberately buys you clothing that don’t cover the tattoo (backless dresses, sleeves less shirts, low rise jeans, shoulder less blouses)

she will be upset if you don’t wear the things she buys you

she probably thinks back tattoos are the sexiest and if you let her she would totally kiss your back just to make you squirm

loves water color style type tattoos the most, but whatever you have on you is hot to her

gepard

in one of gepard’s voice lines he mentions that he’s into gardening (hot hot hot) so i think if you had a tattoo of flowers he’d melt probably

if it’s on your shoulder or back and you show him? he will scream. he’s gonna scream, throw his jacket at you, then go into another room. he’s just a little baby you gotta cut him some slack

will admire your tattoos from afar but cannot look you in your eyes because he will go red in the face

if you ask him for his input for some flowers for a new tattoo idea that you have, will be honored that you asked him of all people

he would suggests lilies, amaryllises, morning glories, or bellflowers. don’t ask him why though he will not be able to tell you without blushing

he thinks all these flowers are gorgeous and he finds you gorgeous and if you incorporated some of these in your new tattoo he will be putty in your hands

he rarely gets to give out advice that’s not related to silvermane guard rules, regulations, and formalities so he’s secretly ecstatic

[graceshouldwrite]

4 Ways to Get Back Into Your WIP

You know when you might have taken a long break, worked on other projects, talked to other people about it, and basically did EVERYTHING to get yourself back into it, but it’s not working?

Even though you still want to LIKE your WIP and work on it? 

These tips are based on my own experience dealing with that feeling. I went through something like that for around a year, but now, I’m getting past it and returning to my main WIP more excited than I’ve been for a long time! 

1. List out WHAT you don’t like and fix it

COMMON CORE ISSUES:

Plot + Subplots? 

They might seem too (among other things):

lackluster

complex

unnecessary

confusing

You might not know how to:

develop the plots

make them believable

add the scenes you want without giving the book 800+ pages

choose scenes to cut to fit the word count goal...

Characters?

A BIG ONE: some writers try to force themselves to like X character for whatever reason (e.g. based them on a specific aesthetic, felt forced to add specific rep, etc), but they just DON’T. 

Or, maybe:

you don’t know how to develop your characters

their group dynamic is too difficult to write/doesn’t make a lot of sense

your character voices, personalities, or appearances might not be distinct enough

Prose?

You might:

want to add more humour (prose is too depressing and atmospherically dark)

want to add more gravity (prose is too comedic and romantic)

want to shift from past to present tense, want to tell story from another POV, etc. 

Organization?

OFTEN, the book’s just TOO COMPLEX with all the characters, subplots, etc. and it’s too intimidating to try to sort out all the mess that’s your WIP 

SO…

The lists I gave you are most of the big, common issues. Once they’re sorted into SPECIFIC types of problems, don’t they get less intimidating to look at? 

I know you might think, gee, Grace, these problems will take [insert comically large time frame] to solve. 

Well, if you genuinely want to like your project again and work on it, DO IT.

Slowing down your WIP finish date is worth it if it helps you get back into it. If you never get back into the project, you’ll NEVER FINISH IT. Late > never.

Heck, you might not even be too late—you might find yourself back in the passionate fever you were when you started it, and be in the headspace to write furiously :) 

I think you know how to solve these broken-down problems. Some require more sheer line-editing, while others require big executive decisions (e.g. getting rid of a character or rewriting an entire subplot/the plot). But, it will be worth it when you start to love your project again.

2. Remember why you started it 

Before each project, write a STATEMENT OF PURPOSE at the beginning of your doc to remind you why you’re writing this story in the first place. If you didn’t do this, it’s not too late to start one now! 

It could be something as close to heart as “I want to express how unrequited love feels,” or something as grand as like “I want to write a tragic allegory of the political and economic state of the world that explores human nature” (I am projecting in both of these examples, but you get it). 

Something SPECIFIC is a lot better for this than things like: “I told X this story idea and they liked it,” or “I promised to write this for X,” or “I want to tell this story just cuz.” These latter examples probably won’t fill you with passion. 

3. Listen BEYOND your WIP playlists. Look at images BEYOND your WIP aesthetics 

Many people think revisiting your old playlists / boards help, but that often contributes to the staleness!!!! 

Instead, by purposefully expanding your scope of consumed media, you open yourself up to more inspiration and ideas of where you want to take your project.  New images and new songs will give you new ideas on atmosphere, mood, scenes, and so much more. 

4. Compare your WIP to a similar book you like

You know THAT BOOK that comes to mind whenever someone asks you which book is your favourite/impacted you deeply? Think of how your book will impact readers in the same way. All the emotional turmoil and mental enlightenment That Book gave you is what YOU will give to the readers who resonate with YOUR book one day!

The author of the book you’re thinking about went through drafts, edits, and maybe even wanted to give up at some point, (LIKE YOU!) but pushed through it. Now, their book is on the bestseller list/on a bookshelf/a classic (whatever appeals to you)!  Don’t stop before YOUR book is there, too. 

∘₊✧────── ☾☼☽ ──────✧₊∘

instagram: @ grace_should_write

A LOT of this comes from personal experience; I had this mental tussle with my main WIP a while back, so I hope this helps anyone else dealing with the same problem :)

Hope this was helpful, and let me know if you have any questions by commenting, re-blogging, or DMing me on IG. Any and all engagement is appreciated <3333

Happy writing, and have a great day!

- grace <3

[bad268]

All I Ever Wanted (Logan Sargeant X Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Formula 1

Requested: Nope, Happy Valentine's Day! (Question tho, would anyone be interested if I started writing for James Harvey Blair? I love him and I've been thinking about it...)

Warnings: Mentions cruise ships and Titanic (italics are story fillers)

Pronouns: Second POV (you/your)

W.C. 1759

Summary: Wanted by Hunter Hayes

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(^Pinterest)

“Logs, I think you’re forgetting something,” You laughed, holding up his phone just before he left. You were sitting on the couch in your shared apartment, spending some time together before he needed to head out for testing, and the day finally came when he needed to leave. He was running around the apartment like a chicken with his head cut off all because he asked for five more minutes. Well, five minutes turned into ten and before you knew it, he had an hour before his flight time. “You’d fall apart without me.”

“You’re right,” he laughed as he came back over to grab the phone and leaned over the back of the couch to give you a kiss before whispering, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, and I don’t know how you remember everything.”

“All in the job, I guess,” You joked as you pulled him back down, quickly giving him one last kiss before pushing him away. “Now go before James has my head for you not making your flight!”

~

This was a normal occurrence, but you would not change it for the world. Being able to help with even the most mundane things made you feel wanted, and that’s all Logan ever wanted. Having met in his karting days and got together during his F3 campaign, you were by his side through everything, and he needed you to know how much you mean to him.

~

”Can I get your help with this?” Logan asked as he walked into the Prema garage with his tablet. It was early on in your relationship, having gotten together only a few months prior, so this was technically your first race weekend as his significant other. Not that it really mattered, the crew treated you the same as always, but they did give you two more alone time than you remembered them giving. This allowed for Logan to have a little more freedom when it came to retreating into the backrooms at random times throughout the day. That came in handy for times like this as he showed you what he was struggling with on the tablet. “I can’t figure it out.

“It’s the track layout? What exactly do you need my help with?” You were genuinely confused. It was simply the layout of the track, nothing more nothing less. “I’d love to help, I just don’t understand the question.”

“Is this a right or left turn?” He asked in the same tone as he pointed at turn 3. You looked at the tablet and up at him a few times with wide eyes before answering him.

“Are you joking?” You asked in disbelief. If he was faking, you would not have known because even his eyes showed confusion toward the layout. You sighed, “It’s a long right-hander, Logs.”

“I know, but thanks for confirming,” he laughed, pulling you into his side as he kissed the crown of your head.

~

It became something the fans looked forward to. Especially during practice sessions because he was not always in the car and the cameras would always pan over to the two of you.

~

One day, in particular, it was raining. Typical Spa weather, but for once, the FIA made the right decision to delay the qualifying session due to the amount of rain. There were ever-growing puddles around the track, and it was not safe for them to go out and drive.

It was also cold, something you knew about Spa but clearly did not think the temperature would drop as drastically as it did when the rain started falling. That’s what the camera spotted when it panned over to the Williams garage. You and Logan were cuddled together under a tyre blanket as you two looked over the data from the practice session. 

“And here we have the crowd-favorite couple of Logan Sargeant and Y/n L/n,” Alex said over the live feed that was being broadcasted to all of the viewers. “Is that a tyre blanket around their shoulders?”

“I think it is,” Pietro Fittipaldi, who was guest starring in the commentary box, laughed. You looked away from the data momentarily, and you see the broadcast zooming in on you and Logan. You nudged his side and pointed at the screen, making him laugh and pull you closer to his side.  He gave you a small kiss on your lips, giving the viewers a show. You turned your head toward the camera afterward and smirked as you waved at it. Then, you turned your attention back to the screen just as it played on the screen and Pietro shouted, “We’ve been caught!”

~

Logan made it his mission to make you feel wanted. And he was willing to fight from the trenches against assholes online for you. He would do anything for you.

~

“What’s with that face?” Logan asked as he walked into the kitchen to grab a snack. It was during one of the brief breaks he had, so he decided to go back to your shared apartment. You were sitting at the counter, looking at your phone. Specifically, it was a recent post from the Williams Instagram that had a picture of you and Logan, and the comments on the post were not-so-nice at best. He leaned over your shoulder to see exactly what it was and immediately took your phone out of view. “What did I say about reading hate?”

“It’s hard not to when it’s everywhere,” you sighed, leaning back into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders as he leaned his head against your shoulder, looking at the side of your face.

“Well, you know who’s opinion matters? Not theirs. Who even are they?” Logan answered, trying to make you laugh. “Jealous, that’s what they are. You are pretty and get to travel the world. These guys are chronically online, so they have nothing on you.”

“You’re pretty too, y’know,” you chuckled halfheartedly, still trying to forget what was said in the comments. “But your pretty is deeper than the surface. Your personality is pretty.”

“Glad to know you find my personality pretty because yours is prettier,” Logan jokingly flirted as he placed a kiss on your exposed shoulder. “Those people have clearly never heard your collection of dad jokes.”

“Hey! They’re good and you know it!”

~

Eventually, he knew that he was ready for the next step. No-not adopting a dog. He was ready to propose. After long discussions with Oscar (because he is substantially more put together than Logan (jokes)), he knew the perfect ring and the perfect way to ask.

~

It was after the season, and you two were visiting his family in Miami. Despite living in a beach town with a lot of luxury ships, he and his family had never been on a cruise, so that was what you suggested when everyone was talking about plans for the holiday.

That’s where you found yourself during the break, on a huge cruise ship in the middle of the ocean with his family and a few of your closest friends. The itinerary included St. Kitts, St. Thomas, St. Martins, and, Logan’s favorite, the Bahamas. You both relaxed, you learned how to fish (and even got another infamous fish picture of Logan), and you all went snorkeling around a shipwreck together.

The entire trip, Logan tried his best to relax, but he always had the lingering thought of “hey, I have the ring in my pocket, and I need to propose at some point.” You could tell something was on his mind, but you chalked it up to him being nervous since it was his first cruise. It was not until the second to last night that he finally mustered up the courage.

You were standing at the back of the ship with Logan, watching the sunset. You were leaning against the railing as Logan stood behind you with his hands on your sides. 

“Wanna pretend we’re from the Titanic?” You joked, looking back at him as you put your arms out to the sides like Rose. 

“Can we not joke about being on a sinking ship while we are on a ship in the middle of the ocean?” He laughed nervously. 

“Ah, are you scared, Mr. I drive at over 200 kph for a living?” You teased, looking back out to the open ocean. Logan was about to make a comment, but someone moving to his side caught his attention. Kyle and Oscar were walking by them, ready to take pictures of the moment since Logan asked them to photograph the moment. “Woah, cat got your tongue for once? Usually, you have some sort of smartass remark.”

“Actually, I wanna tell you something,” He started off. You did not turn around, but you moved your arms from the railing to hold his hands as they wrapped around your torso. “All I ever wanted was to make you feel wanted.”

“You do an amazing job at that, Logs,” You chuckled, turning your head slightly to place a small kiss on his cheek. 

“You make me feel so loved, but I want to make you feel better. I want to be better than all of the fairy tales you grew up with and better than your best dreams. I want to call you mine, I want to hold your hand forever and never let you forget it. I want to spend the rest of my life proving to you how wanted you are because, to me, you’ll always be wanted,” He spilled, lovingly as he slowly turned you around throughout the speech. You were too busy gazing into his eyes (and keeping the tears from falling) to notice the other two secretly recording and taking pictures of the moment. Especially when Logan finished off the speech by getting down on one knee and holding out the ring for you. “All I ever wanted was to be married to you. Will you do me the honors?”

“I never imagined feeling so loved and wanted in a relationship, but you are better than any of my wildest dreams,” You cried before realizing you never answered him. You prompted him to put the ring on your finger before whispering, “I would love to marry you, Logs.”

“They said yes!” He jumped up, picking you up in the process and turning you toward the (now visible) men with their phones out.

“Put me down!” You scratched, “I know I made Titanic jokes earlier, but I’m not really planning on being thrown overboard tonight.”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[turtlesunshineheart]

Pairing:Adam x Eve

Warning:This is very apart from the story, I did it because I had the idea while I was writing the previous chapter and the one I will probably publish tomorrow and I'm not sure if this idea remains in history but it's still not certain so I hope you like it

______________________∆_______________________

Sunflowers

and

Carnations

Adam was walking through the Garden of Eden, it had been a long time since he had been there, although he was not alone, Lute was behind him ensuring their well-being which was ridiculous since they were the only ones thereAlthough his presence did not bother him, he would prefer to be alone.

So he had asked her "nicely" to follow him at a good distance and he would pretend she wasn't there.

Lute reluctantly accepted and followed him from a completely acceptable distance.

Adam looked wistfully at the garden as he walked. Although he had so many good memories, there were some bitter ones.

He arrived at the lake, it was incredible how nothing had changed since the last time he was there.

He sat there for a while before continuing walking until he reached that place that was still just like the day they left.

He entered the interior of what used to be his home and saw a lot of things.

The first guitar he had ever had and he had made himself,the knife he used to cut the fruit with

AND

Various things made with flowers.

Adam felt a lump in his throat and a chill running down his spine.

There were too many things, bracelets, intertwined flowers that formed chains and of course those stupid flower crowns.

And among all of them there was one in particular, that crown made of white carnations.He took it in his hands and looked at it for a moment. There was a special memory that, even if he wanted to, wouldn't leave his mind.

✹・‥…━━━━━━━☆⚘☆━━━━━━━…‥・✹✹・‥…━━━

It had been a while since Lilith had left him and he felt completely alone. Maybe he would be alone for his entire life or so he thought.

One morning when he woke up he saw in front of him a small figure sleeping with its back to him.

Lilith

It was the first thing he thought when he heard someone speak to him.

"Adam, she is not your first wife. I have decided to create a new wife for you this time made from one of your ribs so that things do not happen again So take care of her because I won't make another one."

Adam nodded. "I will, I appreciate it"

Adam observed very carefully the woman in front of him who caused him some discomfort when he noticed her resemblance to Lilith.

She moved slightly and opened her eyes trying to get used to the sunlight.She sat up and rubbed her eyes before her gaze fell on Adam.

There was a moment of silence until Adam spoke.

"Hello, I'm Adam and I'm your husband."His voice had a hint of nervousness.

She looked at him confused and blinked a few times in confusion.

"My husband, what is that?"Adam sighed.

"It's kind of like...uh you have to be with me so I can protect you"She nodded, seeming to understand.

"What's your name?" Adam asked her as she seemed to be thinking.

"My name?" Adam was beginning to get desperate but tried to calm down.

"So I guess you don't have one but don't worry I'll give you a name."

She nodded with a smile.

What could he call her, maybe any name would be fine.

NO

She deserved a great name after all she was his wife and she couldn't settle for anything less,she was supposed to bring life into the world and then an idea came to his mind and it was perfect.

"Eve, your name will be Eve, do you like it?"

Eve nodded with excitement and a smile."It is very beautiful"

"Of course, darling, I chose it."

Adam was proud of himself for the beautiful name he had given her and that she had loved.

It had been a while and he had become more and more comfortable with Eve, he had simply come to notice that she was a very kind and innocent person.

Every day their relationship grew stronger and Adam began to feel more and more attracted to her, although he deduced that it was only admiration and appreciation for her.

He was so wrong

It was on one of the few afternoons that they went to the lake and sat under a tree that provided good shade for them there they used to sit just to talk, look at the sky and lately Eve used to collect flowers and make things with what she picked.

"Hey Adam I made something for you."Adam looked at her and noticed a small crown made with some of the flowers she had picked.

Adam took it and looked at Eve confused.

"White carnations?"Adam raised an eyebrow and Eve nodded with a smile.

"And why did you choose these?"Adam asked, wanting to know why he had chosen those specific flowers.

"Well you already know what they mean, I thought I'd give them to you"

Eve's cheeks were red with embarrassment and Adam felt his heart beating rapidly.

"Well I love it"

✿————————》✿《—————————✿

Adam smiled for a moment before shaking his head and sighing.

He looked at the crown for a moment and decided to put it in one of the pockets of his clothes.

He left that place and continued walking, he could still feel Lute's presence behind him.

He was walking to a place in the garden, this specific place was the one that brought back the most bittersweet memories.It was perhaps the most beautiful place in the garden because it was near a cliff It also provided a beautiful view of almost the entire garden. It used to be her favorite place where she always escaped when he was an idiot.

He sat on the grass looking at the view while Lute sat under a tree away from the cliff but close enough to keep an eye on Adam.

Adam took off his mask to feel the breeze, it was so relaxing it made him want to stay there forever although it wouldn't be the same without her.

He sighed in frustration,he couldn't get her out of his thoughts after so much time had passed.

He looked to his side and a flower caught his attention, what was its name?,he thought for a moment but he didn't remember the flower was so familiar but he didn't remember its name, maybe Lute knew.

"Hey Lute come here quickly"At Adam Lute's call he quickly got up and approached him.

"You need something sir"

Adam pointed to the flower and Lute looked at him confused.

Adam sighed.

“I want to know what kind of flower it is.”

Lute looked at him strangely, perhaps he had called her to find out the name of a flower, he felt bad or he was sick.

"You either know it or you don't." His voice was dry despite being so curious.

"Ah yes sir, it's a Sunflower"

A Sunflower,now he understood why it seemed so familiar.

ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ⁀➷ ׂׂૢ ೃ

He had argued with Eve after she approached the tree in the center of the garden but she didn't understand that he only wanted to protect her.

He was looking for her for a while until he found her sitting near the cliff hugging her legs close to her.

He approached her and sat next to her, her cheeks and eyes were red she had clearly been crying.

They were silent until Adam saw a flower, smiled and decided to talk to her.

"Hey Eve, I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have yelled at you, but I had already told you to stay away from that tree."

Eve said nothing and Adam sighed.

"You know Sunflowers, Eve"

She looked at him and denied.

Adam smiled now that he had her attention.

"Well Eve, sunflowers have the ability to move to seek sunlight,They look for sunlight at all times, so they stop moving when they achieve it and that makes them so special."

Eve looked in amazement at Adam who was smiling having achieved his goal.

"That is why they are the symbol of the sun and also represent love and admiration,you know why I'm telling you this, Eve."

Eve denied and Adam smiled as he took her hand.

"I am a Sunflower Eve and you know why"

Adam gave Eve a small kiss on the lips, leaving her cheeks completely red.

"You are my sunshine Eve and I can't be far from your light"

Eve smiled and caressed his cheek.

"You're an idiot Adam but I love you."

"I love you too Eve"

★─☆｡oﾟ｡★─☆｡oﾟ｡★─☆｡oﾟ｡★─☆｡oﾟ｡★─☆★─☆

"Let's go, we have to go back to heaven to train"

Adam stood up and stepped on the sunflower, it was time to forget about her.

After having trained the exorcists for the next extermination, he went to his room and kept the crown of carnations in the back of his closet.

At least it was the only thing he would keep of her.

════════ ⋆★⋆ ════════

In hell there was a woman sitting outside the entrance to the Hazbin Hotel,she had a flower in her hand that she admired with a smile.

A distant memory came to mind

"Well look, carnations mean pure love, innocence and purity and that's what I feel for you so that's why I chose carnations."

She let out a small bitter laugh and crushed the carnation in her hands.

"How pathetic"

"Hey dear are you coming Charlie has something to tell us"

"I'll be there in a moment, Al"

It had been so long since she had stopped thinking about him and that was the best thing, he was in heaven and she was in hell.

Maybe she deserved it after all, she bit the apple first and because of her he did too.

"Maybe in another life Adam"

She threw the flower and went into the hotel.

[dreamingofep]

Sinned Awakening pt. 13 🩸🩸🩸

An AU Elvis fic

(Vampire!Elvis/Vampire Austin!Elvis × reader)

Character/Fandom: Elvis - Elvis (2022)

Request: No

Prompt: Getting promoted to be Elvis full time housekeeper, you realize the man holds secrets beyond belief and your undeniable attraction makes you fear the unknown. [Fem!Reader]

TW: Cussing, tension, angst, physical/ verbal abuse, smut, sub/dom play, mentions of blood/gore 🩸

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 9K

A/N: Hello everyone!

Welcome to part 13! Twists and turns are coming your way and hope you like this chapter. I loved writing this portion and hope you do too. I was so conflicted on how to end this part because I could have easily kept going! So prepare for the next chapter to answer some very important questions that have been weighing on reader's mind...

A reminder, this is Vampire!Elvis so there is going to be mentions of blood/gore from here on out. If that's not your thing, sorry but it's needed for the story.

If you'd like to start from the beginning, start here 🩸

I hope you enjoy and message and comment what you think!🖤

You manage to put on some pajamas and lay down for a bit, trying to subside the dizziness that’s in your head. You knew that none of this was going to be easy and you needed to show him patience. You were glad he opened up to you more, it showed he trusted you. The spinning head wasn’t going away and you stumble to the bar to get a bottle of water and drink as much as you can to help you get less inebriated. The need for sleep made you collapse back on the bed and close your eyes as soon as your head hit the pillow. With everything that’s been happening, you haven’t gotten the best sleep lately, and knew that wasn’t good for you. You had to take better care of yourself. You let yourself fall into a deep sleep and weren’t worried if you missed the after-party.

*

You can hear the suite getting filled with loud voices and you lazily stretch underneath the blankets. You’re slightly confused as to how you ended up underneath the blankets and all but you shouldn’t be surprised that it was probably Elvis who checked on you and did this. You wanted to get out there and mingle with the rest of the party. It was well after two a.m. and you got a really decent nap in. There wasn’t going to be anyone you knew at the party so that left you with having to be with Elvis most of the night. In all honesty, you liked it that way. At least you didn’t have to be on edge and just got to enjoy the night.

You put on another outfit that is very eye-catching with a lower cut halter neck dress that accentuates your body well and is a bit shorter than what you would normally wear. You liked how it made you feel though; powerful and sexy. You freshen up your makeup and put on some red lipstick. There was something about tonight that made you feel new and confident. Maybe it was because Elvis was actually trying and was listening to you for the first time since knowing him. You also make sure your hair falls on the left side of your neck, covering the bruise there. It wasn’t as noticeable today and thankfully it was disappearing but you still didn’t want any questioning eyes to see it. 

Putting on a pair of heels, you make your way out into the main area of the suite. Music fills the air and lively chat buzzes among the crowd. You feel dozens of eyes and you feel your cheeks redden. You make a beeline to the bar and get some more water. Trying to get through the bustling crowd, you find an easy path along the window and gaze out at the dazzling city beneath you.

The city was stunning, with thousands of lights shining in this otherwise dark lonesome desert. Every blinking light of a hotel’s marquee made your eyes grow in awe. You had never seen the city like this. You never had the luxury of staying in a hotel here in Vegas. You were only able to work in one and now things were different. Everything felt different. Your life because of Elvis was just like this view. Dazzling and star strikingly beautiful. Whatever it was, you felt like you may be able to handle this newfound world you have found yourself in and might be able to handle having Elvis in your life. It felt right to have him there with you and you wanted to keep it that way.

Your daydreaming gets interrupted when you feel a tap on your shoulder. It was Jerry again, cracking a smile at you before speaking. 

“He wants to see you,” he informs. 

“Mhmm, where is he?” 

“He’s by the front door, I’ll take you to him,” he says before turning to make his way through the crowd. 

You bump and push your way through the sea of people until you finally see him sitting in his normal chair looking breathtaking as usual. He looked like he just got out of the shower, his hair still slightly damp but brushed back to show his beautiful face. 

He once again wore black pants, a black button-up with white cherry blossoms running up it, and a silver belt with turquoise on it. He knew exactly how to dress to make himself look more attractive than humanly possible. You can’t take your eyes off of him, so in awe of his presence.

He stands up when he sees you, smiling at your new outfit. 

“Hi darlin’,” he coos. You blush at his words and look up into those soft eyes. You don’t think you’ll ever be able to not blush when he calls you a pet name. 

“Hi,” you say softly. 

“How do you look even better than the last time I saw you?” He says cheekily. He steps closer, going to hug you but restrains himself and puts his arms back by his side. 

You smile at the small gesture of control and grab his arms and wrap them around your waist. You too wrap your arms around his neck, feeling the soft tresses at the base of his neck, and twist them around your finger. 

“You can hug me, it’s okay,” you tell him, watching his mouth form into a soft smile. 

He pulls you in closer, running his hands along your back. 

“Mmm, thank you. I needed this,” he whispers, placing a kiss on the top of your head and smoothing the back of your hair with his hand. 

“How did your shows go?” You ask looking up at him, still holding him against your chest.  

“They went well. The crowds were really loud tonight it was amazing,” he gushes. 

“That’s great honey. Any panties get thrown at you tonight?” You tease. 

He laughs at your silly question and shakes his head. “Yes, quite a few but you know I don’t care for that. If it was you throwing them at me, that would be a different story,” he quips, biting his lip as he looks over you. 

You can’t help but smile at his cheeky comment and place your finger on his lips. 

“You’re being bad. You said you’d be good,” you quip. 

“Hmm, what a terrible thing to make me promise. I guarantee you like me when I’m on my worst behavior too,” he smirks. 

“Occasionally…” you jest, pushing him away from your body. You can tell he doesn’t like that you pushed him away but tries to not make a fuss about it. 

“Sit down honey, please,” he gestures to the seat behind him. You gladly take a seat but don’t sit all the way back in the chair, looking up at Elvis as you cross your legs. You watch as his eyes gravitate toward your exposed legs with the dress cinched up when you sat down. You attempt to pull down the dress to cover a bit of your thighs and he looks at you amused. 

“What are you looking at?” You ask mischievously. 

“Nothing,” he smiles. 

“What are you thinking about then?” You prompted. 

“Nothing good I assure you,” he teases. “ Just looking at those pretty legs of yours.”

“Mmhmm, figures,” you quip, hitting the side of his leg and shaking your head at him. 

Someone brings you a glass of champagne and you take a sip, you normally don’t like champagne but you decide to try it for the fun it. You take a sip and love the fizzy taste of it in your tongue. The more sips you take the more you like it. You realize you haven’t ever had good champagne before. You remember you tried some for your twenty-first birthday and it was the cheap kind at a restaurant down the street from here and it was awful. This was the complete opposite and you liked it. 

You suddenly hear Elvis chuckling to himself and shoot him a confused look. 

“What are you laughing at?”

“You. I’m going to have to carry you to bed after this hmm?” He taunts. 

“I’m not going to let it get that out of hand,” you tell him snickering. 

“Okay baby whatever you say,” he mumbles. “How was your nap?” He continues. 

“It was quite nice and drank plenty of water. Woke up feeling good as new,” you wink. “How are you feeling?” 

“Very good. I haven’t had any cravings… so I think that’s a good thing so far,” he cracks a smile telling you this. He carefully tucks your hair behind your ear, making sure to not make too much contact with your skin. 

“I’m glad you made it to the party. I thought you for sure would be out for the rest of the night,” he chuckled. “Did you do anything else while I was gone?” He says, his voice slightly accusatory. 

You knew he knew what was going on after that kiss. The alcohol got to your head and your body betrayed every last ounce of control that you had. It seemed you also needed to work on your control with him. You were going to blame it on the alcohol and the ungodly amount of sex appeal that was dripping off of him wearing that black velvet suit. How you wish you could have torn it off of him and have him do countless naughty things with you.

You look up at him with innocent eyes and a smile, “nothing much. Definitely not anything you wanted to see,” you quip. He blinks at you dumbfounded, a smile creaking out from those soft lips.

A rumble forms in his chest and and looks around the crowd then moves in front of you, blocking you from everyone else in the room. He uncrosses your legs and spreads them slightly, his hands burning on your skin the tighter he squeezes them and pushes you back in the chair. He props his bent knee in between your legs and takes your chin in his hand. 

“Do you have any idea how hard you make all of this on me? You ask me to have control around you but it’s literally impossible. Because you are the world's biggest tease. The way you look, the way you smell…it all beckons me to come and ruin you,” he growls, pushing the top of his thigh to your core. 

You suck in a sharp breath as you feel the added pressure there, looking down to see his hand carefully scrunching up the material of your dress, exposing your panties to him. He smugly looks down at you, placing both of his hands on the chair’s arms, and hunching over you. 

You know he’s doing everything to try and gain control but this is exactly what can’t happen. You can’t have him take a chance of him losing control with you. 

“A taste of your own medicine then…I know I’m making it difficult… but you can’t always get your way with me.” You protest. His eyes grow dark as he looks at you, looking over you with hunger. 

He puts more pressure on you making you groan, 

“Is that so… how unfortunate for you. Because I always get what I want,” he grumbles. 

You have to fight every urge to pull him into the bedroom with the way he’s looking at you.  

Your breathing begins to quicken and your eyes wander down his body. Your fingertips graze over his chest, down his torso, and stop when you reach his belt. He stares at you with caution and you proceed to graze his bulge, making him take a sharp breath. 

“Well then, tonight will be the first night you stay dissatisfied,” you say running your fingers back up his body. 

This only makes him more frustrated and he begins to rub the top of his thigh on your core more. You let a gasp escape your mouth, unable to hide how good the friction feels. 

“And you say I lie too much. Look at yourself, lying to me right now. Fighting every last drop of need you have for me,” he coos, his voice like smooth honey in your ear. Your hips involuntarily buck up on him and your legs squeeze around his, letting out a pleased groan when he watches you do this. Just his voice alone has you wet and aching for him.

“Mhmm, look at you, trying to ride my thigh, you naughty, naughty girl. Not keeping your promises now hmm,” he teases. 

“Elvis, please. I’m human, with human desires… this is just cruel what you’re doing. Not to mention, in a room with dozens of people,” you sigh, feeling his leg move again, making your eyes roll back. 

“I’m being good. I would love to have my fingers stuffed inside you but I don’t. Having the utmost control right now,” he grins, rubbing his thumb along your bottom lip. You groan at him, unable to fight the need you have for this man.

“Goddamn it… you just have to have everything your way don’t you?” You grumble, feeling the wetness in your panties begin to pool. You buck your hips again, grinding onto him and you bite your lip, holding back a deep groan. 

“It’s so much better when it’s done my way, honey,” he snickers, caressing your face and making you grow weaker by the second. Those blue eyes pierce into yours and you put your hand back on his belt, pulling his hips closer. 

“You’re not going to get to touch me. No matter how much you tease. You need to prove to me you have enough control over your thirst,” you sigh. 

You keep grinding your hips onto his leg and bite your lip looking at him. Your hand squeezes his bulge and he lets out a loud groan. You rub your hand along his length and he looks down at what you’re doing. 

“Fucking hell woman. You better stop,” he reprimands. 

You keep teasing, rubbing him more, liking to hear the moans escaping his lips as your hips move on him. You shake your head no at him and continue to taunt him. Your breathing quickens and your core begins to throb. You pull at his pants button and look up at him deviously. 

“Your pants are looking a little tight. How bad would it be if I unzipped them a little?” You tease. His hand tightens on the chair's arm and his chest heaves. 

“Very. Very bad. To the point where you’d leave me no choice but to pin you down with your face against the sheets and fuck you all night.” He says through his teeth. Your heart gallops at that salacious thought, knowing he would do such a thing to you. 

You stare up at him, your eyes unwavering and your fingers push the button on his pants, sliding the zipper ever so slowly. He looks down at your hand and groans softly. 

“Excuse me, Elvis, we have a problem,” one of his men announces a few feet away. 

His entire body stiffens when he hears the voice. He grumbles frustrated and throws daggers at you when he zips and buttons his pants again before turning around. You quickly straighten out your dress and proceed to look with curiosity at what is going on. 

“What could possibly be so important,” he growls, straightening out his stature and his chest heaving, making him look menacing. 

“He’s looking for her, sir. He’s causing a commotion downstairs.” He says matter of factly. 

Elvis turns around to look at you, anger blaring in his eyes. 

You stand up quickly, “Do you mean Daniel? He’s here looking for me?” You ask hesitantly. 

The man nods his head at you then looks back at Elvis, “What do you want us to do?” He asks him. 

“Let me take care of it. If I’m the one he wants to see, let me tell him to leave,” you say quickly before Elvis can answer. 

“Absolutely not, I’m not letting him anywhere near you,” he growls. 

“I guarantee you, he won’t go away, so let me just tell him to leave me alone for once and for all.” You say sternly. Elvis clenched his jaw and looks disapprovingly at you. 

“I’m going down there with you then. I’m not taking any chances,” he seethes. 

“Fine but stay out of sight. I don’t want him to make a bigger scene if he sees you with me,” you instruct. 

You know he doesn’t like it but he nods his head and agrees. You both make your way to the elevator and nerves make your stomach turn as it makes its way down to the lobby. You had no idea what you were walking into but knew Daniel was not going to be happy at all. You knew he had a bad temper. Regardless of whether he was drinking, he could light off like a bottle rocket. You’re sure he saw all your things gone and not to mention the cut telephone lines and was going to demand an explanation.

The ding of the elevator makes you jump out of your skin and Elvis steps in front of you before you’re able to step out. You look into his eyes, they look like they’re on fire and his intense energy makes you shiver.

“I’ll be right here, I can be there in a flash if you need,” he assures. You nod your head and he steps aside and you make your way through the busy lobby. You walk cautiously, scanning the crowd until you see the back of Daniel’s head by the front revolving doors of the hotel. A couple of Elvis’ men are behind him keeping an eye on him. 

“What are you doing here?” You bark, taking quick strides towards him. Seeing him here makes your blood boil and you want him away from you as quickly as possible. 

He turns around and is shocked at what you’re wearing. He scoffs at you and makes a few steps toward you. 

“I could ask you the same question. I come home to find your closet completely empty. I deserve an explanation!” He says, raising his voice louder at you. 

“I already told you. I’m done. You’ve cheated countless of times on me and I don’t love you anymore,” you seethe. 

He looks at you in shock, his face not hiding any emotion from you. 

“How could you say that?! After everything you’re just going to leave me?” He grumbles.

“Absolutely. And it’s one of the easiest things I’ve ever done,” you seethe.

“You’re unbelievable. Where would you even go? You couldn’t afford a place here by yourself,” he spats. Anger boils within you and you can’t hide any of your feelings anymore. 

“Here with Elvis. He’s letting me stay with him,” you throw in his face. 

His face suddenly turns gaunt and stares at you mortified. 

“You can’t stay with him. You have no idea what he’s capable of,” he whispers, taking a few steps toward you. You look at him confused and don’t say anything right away. 

Does he know? How the hell does he know what Elvis is?

“I know he’s capable of empathy, something you lack. At least he cares that I’m around,” you spat. 

He starts laughing, covering his mouth with his hands, and looks at you in shock. 

“Oh I see what’s going on here, he’s giving you attention and you think he’s going to keep you around? You have no idea what he’ll do to you once he gets tired of you,” He says menacingly. You’ve had enough of his crass behavior and ball your fists at your side, taking slow breaths from your nose before speaking again.

You regroup and give him a snide little smile, shaking your head at him, “oh honey, he gives me a lot more than just his attention,” you insinuate, watching his face turn mortified yet again, “I go to him begging for things you could never give me,” you say through your teeth. 

Daniel’s eyes light up and he looks at you in horror. 

“You’re not serious… You let that thing touch you,” he says disgustedly.

You smirk at him, “Yeah, and I can’t get enough,” you taunt. He looks at you mortified and puts his hand on his forehead, backing up from you.

You stare at him in disgust, waiting for him to say anything else crass. Before you know it, he quickly lunges toward you and raises his hand, slapping you clean across your face. 

The pain of the slap radiates across your cheek and part of your nose. You grunt when the pain spreads more and you cover your cheek with your own hand. You stumble a bit, knocked by the force of his hand. You are in utter shock, in absolute disbelief he laid his hands on you like this. You see in the corner of your eye Elvis’ men start to lunge at him as you continue to stagger away.

“You stupid fucking bitch! Do you have any idea what he is?! What he can do-,” he yells at you but suddenly gets cut off mid-sentence.

You go to look up at him and in a blink, Elvis is in front of you, his body separating you two, and his hand is gripped tightly around Daniel’s neck. He gasps for air and claws at Elvis’ forearm. 

“You’re a piece of shit you know that?! How dare you even think of touching her! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t snap your neck right here,” he seethes. You feel a hand pull you back from the two fuming men, turning to see it’s Jerry with concern in his eyes. You take a few steps back and tremble, not knowing what’s about to unfold before you. 

“You can’t … do this,” Daniel’s chokes out. 

Elvis cocks his head at him, “Do what? This?” He says as his hand tightens around his neck. Daniel grunts, gasping for breath. 

“You can’t compel… her to stay with you… you’re gonna kill her” he gasps. 

Elvis chuckles at him, “Oh you think I need to compel her to stay with me? You stupid fucking human,” he taunts. 

Daniel hits and pulls at his arm, needing to get air. He tries to twist his neck from Elvis’ grip but there’s no point. Elvis is too strong for him and it looks like he’s not even trying.

“Raphael isn’t going tolerate this. You… can’t keep her and draw more attention to yourself,” he rasps. 

“Go on and tell Raphael. Tell him how I have her all to myself and don’t plan on letting her go any time soon,” he snaps. 

“You’re gonna kill her if you do-,” he chokes out.

“I can take better care of her than you ever did, you pathetic excuse for a man.” 

You watch as Elvis puts his face inches away from Daniel’s, his eyes wide when he looks at Elvis. “I better not ever see you here again or I’ll make you bleed out slowly and painfully, wishing you had never seen my face,” Elvis snarls. 

He lets go of his throat and Daniel collapses into the floor, gasping and choking for air. 

“Y/n… y/n run… he can’t be trusted,” Daniel gaps out. 

“Get him out of here, NOW,” Elvis snarls at his men.

Elvis quickly turns to look at you and his eyes are bright red, anger radiating from his entire body. He quickly lunges for you and picks you up, moving too quickly for your brain to comprehend what is happening. 

You feel the rush of wind across your body and you hold onto his neck tightly, holding your breath not knowing what’s going on. 

He puts you back down on the floor and you open your eyes seeing that you’re back in the penthouse in his bedroom. You feel dizzy and have to get your bearings before you’re able to move.

He is beyond fuming, he looks like he’s going to go on a rampage. You see him with his back turned toward you and his shoulders rising and falling fast. 

“E-Elvis … what the hell is going on?” You ask scared. The entire penthouse is now quiet, you’re sure you could hear a pin drop and this gives you an eerie chill as you watch Elvis heave angrily. 

“He’s such a piece of shit. I should have ripped his head off you know that? Should have done it and rid one more awful soul on this earth. How dare he touch what’s mine!” he seethes. 

He grabs the lamp next to him and hurls it at the window making it shatter onto the floor. He quickly turns to his bedside and throws the books sitting on his nightstand, cussing and screaming in anger. You watch as his fists go flying up and hit the nightstand, making it crumble at his feet.

“Elvis stop that wouldn’t solve anything. You’re letting your anger get the best of you. You need to stop this right now!” you tell him.

“I don’t care, You’re mine! No one should touch you except me!” He growls possessively. He goes to the mirror and punches the middle of it, creating a circular shatter mark in it. You gasp when you hear the crunch of the glass shatter and are frozen with fear.

You look at him in the reflection of the mirror and he looks back at you with those gleaming red eyes and see his long fangs have extended. 

Shit. 

You back up, unsure of where to go but you know you need to give him space. 

“People like him don’t deserve a second chance. I should’ve shown him no mercy,” he hisses. 

“You need to calm down, please honey. Listen to me. It’s over now. I’m sure we won’t see him again,” you try to explain. 

“Oh no, he’ll be back. He’ll try to get Raphael to get rid of me,” he scowls taking long strides to get closer to you. 

“W-who’s that?” You ask shakily, backing up more to get away from Elvis’ fangs. 

“He’s the one that bit me. He’s the one I told you about that has a club here in town. He’s very powerful here,” he snarls. 

You don’t understand what is going on. All of this is happening so quickly and it makes your head spin, feeling sick to your stomach. 

“But how does Daniel know about him? Does he know what you are?” You ask. 

“He works for Raphael. Of course, he knows what we are. He wants to be turned, that’s the only reason he works for them. He thinks if he works for him long enough, he’ll turn him,” he vents. 

You gasp, utterly shocked by this information he’s given you. 

“What? Why?! Why would he ever want to be like one of you?” You ask. His face washes over with hurt and you wince once you realize what you just said. 

“Oh no, no I didn’t mean it like that!” You quickly reply but it’s too late. You’ve said what you said and you want to assure him with a touch of your hand but it probably isn’t the best idea. 

He puts up his hand to stop you from speaking and interrupts you. 

“Save it, I don’t want to hear it. But I’m sure he wants it for his own selfish reasons. The immortality, the ability to compel, the list goes on and on,” he snaps. 

You begin to tremble, scared over this whole situation, and stare at the towering vampire a few feet away from you. 

“What’s gonna happen?” You ask weakly. 

“I don’t know. We have rules. Not a lot, but a few important ones. If you turn a human, you become responsible for their actions. That’s why a lot of them band together and form little groups so the one that turns them can keep an eye on them. You brought them into this world in a sense and you are responsible for controlling them in a way.”

“But you haven’t done anything wrong…” you squeak out. He looks at you darkly, shaking his head.

“There’s things honey. Things I’ve done in the past that don’t make me a good man…” he trails off.

“What are you talking about?” You ask confused and a bit scared to find out the truth.

“I’ve told you, my thirst has always been an issue. When I got here in 1969, I overindulged, feeding on anyone that would come near me. I was making too much of an eyesore and people were beginning to question me… Afraid I was doing things that I shouldn’t be,” he explains. 

“That’s when I first found out Raphael was here and he had to warn me to get it under control. But I didn’t. I just became more inconspicuous about everything. I would feed too much on humans…where I almost bleed them dry. People were showing up to the hospitals with barely any blood left in them to function. Everyone got scared. People are scared of me y/n. People talk about me here with fear. As they should be,” he spits at you.

You take another step back as his red eyes stare at you intensely, looking at you like prey.

Your throat feels dry and you can’t make any words come out. That idea was terrifying, that he could let it get that out of hand if he wanted to. 

“That… that was years ago honey… You’ve changed. I know you have. I bled in front of you and you never went for my throat,” you say trying to calm him down.

“Those technicalities don’t matter. The point is I still have the same tendencies as before,” he growls, “humans aren’t even supposed to know about our existence. If he ever finds out I can’t compel you…that could be it for me. I’d be considered weak and a risk to all our kind…he could end me.” He pauses, his fangs have receded and he goes to you, his eyes still blood red. He reaches for his throat and rubs it uncomfortably, trying to swallow but it looks like it’s painful to do so.

End him? You’re too afraid to ask how something could end a vampire’s life but the thought petrified you. You couldn’t imagine Elvis getting hurt. The idea made you sick.

He turns to look at you and stands before you, reaching his hand out and you freeze, unknowing of what he’s going to do. He brushes back your hair on your neck exposing the faint bruise there. 

He makes a look of disgust and shakes his head, “Look at you, marked like some animal. I’m so sorry.” He grunts. 

His finger drags down across your chest and finds the seam of your dress where the v-cut ends. He doesn’t put much pressure on the dress for him to be able to tear it, exposing more of your breasts to him and showing the bruises he left with his mouth there. He grumbles when he sees the purple splotches, angry with himself for doing this. His fingertips lightly graze those bruises, sending a chill down your spine that tells every cell in your body to freeze.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for doing this to you. I hurt you so easily-,” he says sorrowfully but you stop him from going on. 

“No, stop it. You’re not keeping me hostage and this was something I was okay with. Everything I’ve done with you was something I wanted to do. We just have to convince him that I’m with you under my own free will,” you say firmly but you see he’s not listening to you. 

“God I wish I could make you forget these last few weeks. Forget how I ruined your entire life and have you move on,” he says sorrowfully, not listening to what you’re saying at all.  

“I don’t! I don’t want to forget these weeks with you. They’ve been the most insane weeks of my life but I don’t want to forget and lose you,” you say. 

He looks down at you in sorrow, “I just don’t know if I’ll ever be able to control the thirst I have for you. It's an unparalleled amount and I can’t forget how you tasted,” he sighs as he looks over you hungrily. Your heart thumps nervously in your chest, unable to hide the nerves of being around him with those piercing red eyes.

“Just go to bed before I hurt you again,” he growls.

You look at him disheartened, hating that he’s trying to push you away again just when things get hard. He stares you down, making your skin crawl at how hot and intense his gaze is. You turn on your heel and slam the door behind you, surely making him more upset. 

You’re frustrated with his whole outlook on this. You know he can change, you see that he wants to but every time he’s tried on his own, he fails. Then he picks up on his bad habits and spirals downward. This time you felt it could be different because you were around. If what he says is true, and his feelings are that strong for you, he could change and control himself.

You start to head to your room and see that light is coming through the curtains, showing signs of the morning about to break. It feels like another sleepless dawn with nerves and anxiety and the thought of where you two were going to go made you a wreck. He was stubborn and set in his ways, constantly brooding that he couldn’t see past his mistakes. 

You get in the shower and clean your face from tonight’s makeup. Once you get out of the shower, you look at your face in the mirror and see the slap mark run across your face. You wince at the sight and feel it’s tender and pink. 

You hope to God you never see Daniel’s face again. You’re pretty sure you’d let Elvis hurt him and feel no remorse for it. Not after all of this. How he strung you along for years and was working for a slum of vampires. Was he ever going to tell you or would he just suddenly leave you and get bit? The thought boils your blood and hate that was even a path for you. 

In so many ways you needed Elvis. He made it complicated yes, but in so many ways he saved you. He saved you from a loveless relationship and one that would eventually be turned into a vampire, further causing more issues down the line. Elvis had to see the light that you saw within him. Elvis showed you a tender and loving side no man had ever shown you before. Your feelings for him were unparalleled to anything you had ever experienced. It was like something out of a book. All these emotions you were feeling were too strong and yet they were all real. 

That’s why you grew so frustrated with him. His broodiness made you so fed up with the whole situation. You wanted to give yourself completely to him but he always pushed you away just when he begged for you to do so five seconds ago. He gave you a complete whiplash these last few weeks and you needed to make him see the good within it all. The rough patches would smooth out and this whole thing with Raphael will get sorted, it just might take some time. You were determined to make him see and make him want better starting with himself. The rest you two could handle later on. You weren’t going to take no for an answer. 

It was late but you didn’t care. Anger radiated through you and you weren’t going to sleep til this was sorted. If you had to scream and yell at him all morning long, then that’s what you’d do. 

You quickly put on a nightgown and rush to the other side of the penthouse. You don’t bother to knock on his bedroom door. You’ve seen it all at this point that nothing is going to phase you of whatever he was doing in there. 

You quickly open the door and see Elvis on the floor, blood vials sprawled out on the floor all empty. He looks in your direction flashing his dangerous red eyes at you. 

“What are you doing in here,” he growls, his fangs showing when he speaks. 

You slam the door again behind you and go barreling toward him, unafraid of the sight before you. 

“Get up,” you yell, pulling him by his arm. He looks at you shocked, not used to your abrasive tone. He grunts and shakes his arm free from your grasp. 

“You should have stayed in your room,” he hisses.

“You’re not telling me what to do! I’m sick and tired of your piss poor attitude. If you want me gone just say so! ‘Cause that’s what you’re doing to me! You’re pushing me away!” You yell. 

You watch as his shoulders rise and fall when he looks at you, “No, I don’t want you to leave.” He grumbles. 

“Then act like it! I’m tired of hearing you telling me to go away!”

You look at the vials on the floor then look back up at him, “and what the fuck is going on here?”

“I’m fucking starved! You make me crave more blood than I have in a long time!” He growls at you.

“You’re blaming all of this on me?! Like I made you drink my blood?!” You shoot back at him.

“No, no that’s not what I meant. It’s my doing, not yours,” he growls.

“Let’s figure something out to help you not want to drain me,” you stressed. "There has to be a way."

“Baby… I’m no good. I can’t control this vile beast within me,” he says defeated.

“Stop that right now! There has to be a way,” you say frustrated.

“Yes there is… and that’s for you to stay away from me…” he says angrily.

Anger fills your veins and you push hard against his chest, staring into those intense red eyes while doing so, and push him toward the bed to make him sit down. He looks at you in shock, not understanding what you’re doing. You stand in between his legs, grabbing a fist full of his shirt in your hands. He hisses at your touch and winces, closing his eyes.

“Listen to me and don’t say a word you understand?!” You yell at him, getting close to his face, waiting for his response. He nods his head in agreement even though his eyes say otherwise. 

“I’m not going anywhere! You are going to stop feeling sorry for yourself. You can control this I’m sure of it. You’re not the monster you think you are. I don’t see you the way you see yourself,” you explain.

He has his eyes closed, not wanting to look at you. You pull his chin up to look at you.

“If I leave, I know you will find me in a matter of minutes and come begging for me to forgive you! Leaving is not an option. You said it yourself, you can’t get away from me,” you pause to make sure he’s listening.

“Look at me, now,” you beg. He finally looks at you and flashes those red eyes.

You sigh, “I trust you. You’re not going to hurt me, You’ve had plenty of opportunities if you were to do so. But you won’t. I don’t think you’re capable of hurting me,” You explain.

“Honey, please. How can you say that? After all of this? I can’t… I can’t have you touch me.” He sighs, trying to get your hand off his face.

“Yes, you can. You’re not going to hurt me. Would it really be easier for you to never see me again? You’d only crave me more,” You tell him, almost certain it's the truth.

Your fingers run through his hair and you place a kiss on the top of his head. He groans, keeping his hands on the tops of his thighs as you continue to touch him. His breathing rises and your hands run down his back, pulling him in for an embrace. He grumbles into your chest, being tortured by your heart’s pitter-patter so close to his mouth.

You grab his wrists and pull them away from his thighs.

“I know I said no touching me… but you need to trust how much control you have. You’re not going to hurt me, I know you won’t,” you say. You place his hands on your hips and he looks up at you.

“Why are you so good to me? I don’t deserve you,” He quivers, bringing his hand up to your torso, up the sides of you then back down, squeezing lightly at your hips.

You take a sharp breath in through your nose, reveling in the feeling of him touching you.

“Because I know. I know you’re good inside. I know you care about me deeply and would never hurt me. What you’ve done in the past, stays there. That’s not you anymore.” You grab his wrists again, pulling his hands upward against your torso, up to the swell of your breasts.

“I know these hands, won’t do anything bad but show me love… Is that right?” You ask. He sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth, squeezing your breasts firmly. He nods his head and looks at you sorrowfully. You smile at him, liking the way he’s listening. You move one of his hands up, making him wrap it around your throat and he grunts when you do so. You sigh too when you feel his hand on your neck, liking the slight squeeze he gives you. You want his attention to be stuck on you and know you have to keep going, you don’t want a word of rebuttal from him of how he’s no good.

For the first time ever, you have to be the dominant one and not let him get his way. No amount of pleading will get you to submit to him right now. He was the one that was going to have to submit to you. 

You bring his fingers to your mouth, placing a kiss on each fingertip, then down to the palm of his hand. His eyes are locked on you, watching your every movement as you continue.

You look at his eyes, holding him there in your gaze, and give him a little smirk for what you’re about to do. You bring his middle and ring finger to your mouth and lick the two digits, swirling your tongue on his fingertips. He groans, watching how your mouth moves on him. 

“Fuck…” he breathes.

You push his fingers more in your mouth, running your tongue along their length and taking them out of your mouth with a pop. He looks at you with his eyebrows furrowed, silently pleading for you to continue.

“Mhmm, and these fingers give me nothing but pleasure too?,” you grunt, leading his fingers under your nightgown and having him rub your clit ever so lightly. The warmth of you radiating onto his hand. He cusses your name, liking that he can touch you more.

“Yes of course,” he whimpers. 

You place his hand back on your hip and rub his bottom lip with your thumb. He places a kiss on it, pleading to let him do more than just sit here. 

“And this mouth… this mouth can only show me pleasure too…isn’t that right?” You ask, watching how he bites his lip as you ask him these questions.

“Yes baby, only for good I promise you,” he moans, peppering kisses on your palm.

You could crumble right here, watching how undone you’ve made this man. Your fingertips start to graze down his chest, working the buttons off of his shirt slowly.

“Good. I love that mouth too much,” you tease as your hands touch his chest. Your eyes continue to wander and see the growing erection in his pants. Your hand slowly grazes his length and he squirms at your touch. You look back up at him to still him and he freezes when you do so. 

His eyes are slowly turning a dark shade of blue and the veins by his eyes have slowly dissipated. You smile to yourself, liking how you’ve got him to focus solely on you and nothing else. You go back to touching him firmly, making a small groan when you feel how hard his cock is.

“And this… is this mine?” You ask, moving your hand more on him causing him to grunt. 

He looks down at what you’re doing, his hips rutting with your movements. He makes the most delicious-sounding moans you’ve ever heard and you could easily fall apart at his feet. 

“Yes. God yes it is. I’m all yours. Whatever you want you can have, baby,” he professes breathlessly.

Your cheeks redden by his words, not believing you have him this way. His usual dominance is melted away because of you and you have him in the palm of your hand, having him grind into you as he waits for your next direction.

You had to get him to listen. Show him that he has control with you.

“Whatever I want?” You ask coyly.

He nods his head at you, his eyes pleading, “Whatever you want. Please tell me and I’ll give it to you.” He groans, desperate for you, his hands squeezing your hips tight.

You pull at his arm to stand up and you lay on the edge of the bed, wrapping your legs around his torso and keeping him pressed against you. His eyes grow wide and his hands grab the back of your thighs to keep your legs up.

“Tell me, tell me how bad you want to please me,” you sigh, feeling his cock rest against your core. He grunts and pulls you against him more firmly.

“That’s all I want. I want to make you happy, to make you feel good.” He says with a grind of his hips into you.

You close your eyes, loving how even his words can turn you on.

“I know you do. You always do,” you moan. “Keep moving, you feel good like this,” you gasp and he rolls his hips again, grinding his cock onto your covered pussy.

“Yes, baby. I can feel how wet you are for me,” he grunts, moving his hips more.

You watch as he takes his hands off of your hips and starts to unbutton his pants. You grab his wrist quickly to stop him.

“No baby, keep them on.” You instruct. He whimpers at your instruction, not liking that he’s not getting his way.

“Oh please, baby. Please, I wanna feel you,” he begs, grinding into you more.

“You can later. Show me how well you can listen,” you tease. He lets out a frustrated grunt and nods his head. He moves his hips like it's second nature, conjuring new feelings you’ve never had before and always making you need more. 

“Please keep moving. Tell me what you want right now,” you instruct, rolling your hips into him, loving how good he feels.

“Fuck baby…I-I-I wanna stuff that tight pussy with my cock and make you say my name when you’re about to come undone,” he groans breathlessly. His voice makes your core throb and you want him to do all of that to you. His fingers delicately play with the seam of your panties, lightly pulling at the lace fabric and you hear it begin to tear.

 You pull his hands back on your hips, getting him to hold you tight there.

“I’d love that. You know how much I love getting fucked by you,” you say breathlessly, knowing your words too are going to drive him to the edge.

“Mhmm, I know you do. Because you’re mine. All mine,” he says as his hips continue to grind away onto your core. He bites his lip as he looks down at you, hunger washing over him but so focused on the task at hand.

“Yes, I am,” you pant. “Tell me what else you need.”

He groans out frustratedly, looking down at your hips meeting one another, wishing he could feel your naked body on his. He picks up one of your legs and bends it upward, spreading you wider.

“I want to pin you down on this bed, make you beg for my cock all night long. I love hearing you beg for me,” he grunts into your ear making your core throb.

“Fuck, yes. I want that too,” you moan. 

You make him take his hands off of you and you push him onto the bed again, getting on top of him quickly, pinning his hands by his head. His eyes are full of shock and he doesn’t say anything.

You sit back down on his covered length and grind into him, making your eyes roll back.

“I’m gonna come, baby. Watch me come,” you tell him as you feel the coil in your belly tighten by the second. He writhes underneath you, wanting to gain back control so badly.

“Ah, no baby, please. Let me be inside you. I wanna feel you,” he pants, his eyes big and pleading.

You shake your head at him, grinding on him more and more. 

“Why would you ever want that,” you tease.

“Ahh y/n please,” he whimpers loudly, tossing his head to the side with frustration.

“Elvis tell me,” you moan.

He groans and shuts his eyes, so sexually frustrated with this game your playing and very successfully winning.

“Because I love feeling you squeeze around my cock. I can’t help it. You were made just for me,” he moans. His possessive words ring in your ear over and over and you feel your body about to give out with him talking like this.

You place your hands on his chest and work your way to your orgasm, your jaw falling slack when you feel that familiar feeling of your coil snapping and your walls fluttering around nothing. You moan his name as you ride out your high, your hips still grinding into his cock. He suddenly cries out too, squeezing his eyes shut and his hips stuttering, then bucking up into you. 

That’s when you feel the wetness spread in his pants and this surprised look on his face forms. He cusses under his breath and places his hands on your hips, rocking you into him harder. You can feel your arousal seep out of your panties and onto his pants, creating a slick mark along where his cock is. You can’t catch your breath as you watch this man become completely unglued and writhing underneath you.

He looks down at your mess and chuckles, putting his head back on the bed.

“Holy fuck woman…”

“What are you laughing about hmm?” You giggle at him. He sighs heavily and bites his lip.

“I’ve just never come in my pants like this,” he says embarrassed.

“Well it's a first for everything,” you quip cheekily. You touch his face and he looks at you intently.

“I’ve actually never umm… had a woman ever tell me what to do like that… It was so… attractive,” he smirks at you.

Your heart leaps and you stare at him stunned, having been the first woman that ever made Elvis Presley submit to every last wish and desire.

“Are you serious? Never?” You ask.

He hums amused, “Never. I can usually make someone listen to me remember?” He quips cheekily.

“Oh, I see,” you say covering your mouth with the smile that’s forming on it. “Did you like me telling you what to do?” You ask softly.

He nods his head and gazes into your eyes, “yes I did. I’ve never been so turned on,” he quips. Your cheeks redden and you flash a smile at him. “Good, I’m glad. I want to do it again,” you tease, brushing his hair back that’s fallen on his forehead and look at his eyes.

“Look at yourself…your eyes… they’re so blue.”

He kisses the back of your hand and smiles at you, “I’m sorry for raising my voice at you. My temper got the best of me…I guess I do have a bit more control than I thought,” he hums.

You lay beside him, his arm wrapped around your body tightly. You let a comfortable silence hang over you two, liking how everything feels like it's going to be sorted out.

“I want to be with you, through the good and the bad. I want you, Elvis. Let me help you,” you say, rubbing his chest lightly.

He sighs at the feeling of your touch, “I want you too. I know we can make this work. I promise you,. I'm not letting anyone get between us,” he says tenderly.

You wrap your leg on him and cuddle into the crook of his neck, the scent of him filling your nose. You sigh and feel his hand run through your hair, gently caressing you. You feel at peace with him for once. 

The blanket of sleep starts to wash over you and you feel him pull the blankets and cover your fragile body. You hold onto him tighter, hoping he doesn’t leave by the time you wake up. Your body felt so tired, so emotionally battered that you felt like you needed to sleep for an entire week. There was a lot of unknown and the fear of what Raphael could do to Elvis scared you. But in this moment, none of that mattered. You were here in his arms, hearing his strange heart beat away for you.

Tagging 🖤:

@powerofelvis @burninlovebutler @neptuneismysister @velvetelvis @ccab @presleyenterprise @elvispresleyxo @loving-elvis

@prompted-wordsmith @sillybookmarks @dkayfixates @rosepresley @ellie-24 @rktismylife-blog @myradiaz @tacozebra051 @thatbanditqueen

@18lkpeters @flwrs4aust @emma181873 @austinswhitewolf @eliseinmemphis @everythingelvispresley @chasingwildflowers @idontwanttoputanything @ohjustpeachy @elvisalltheway101 @austinsmutler @kingdomforapony @generoustreemystic @kendralavon7 @lettersfromvenus @claire-elvisgirl

@ashtag6887 @burnthheparaphilia @richardslady121 @jaqueline19997

@returntopresley @iloveelvis @rjmartin11 @that-hotdog @louisejoy86 @misspresley @cattcb @annapresley8 @arrolyn1114 @raginginkedslut @epthedream69

[meepispeepis]

The Storm Before the Calm

~Ok, I'm finally getting on that MK1 cringe! Got ALOT of inspiration from these lovely creators and their combined arts of "oops, Kung Lao's dead again" works. And the brainworm is demanding that I finally put this into writing so, here we are! Once again, huge shoutout to these lovely artists who gave me the inspiration and please do check them out!~

@helsensm // @novicedraws // @randyzorra // @d3rpydoods

~Before we continue just wanted to put some mild context to ensure this makes sense. This isn't part of some long-winded series, so you might as well think you've flipped open a book and started reading in the middle of the story. Fire God Liu Kang starts getting deja vu as certain coincidences and events start playing out that are too eerily similar to how things played out during the MK9 game (Raiden getting a message from his future self and trying to interpret in time what that message meant to save the future - long story short: nearly everyone died and no one came out alright :D). All roads were seemingly leading to Kung Lao dying in his timeline and Liu Kang struggled on how to cope and deal with this. On one hand, he did not want his friend-…His new teacher…To die, especially since he tried so hard to tailor make this timeline to ensure everyone got a happy ending.

Yet, at the same time, he refused to stoop down to Kronika's level and start altering the timeline until it was his "perfect" utopia. However, his fears and suspicion about the situation become even more realized when Raiden gets gravely injured and the only thing that prevented him from kneeling over was the thunder amulet infused with his person (and some other magical shit, idk). From this, Raiden gains his iconic white hair, and this gives Liu Kang a heart attack. To make a long story short, Kung Lao ends up dying at the hands of the villains (In this short story, it's assumed that Shang Tsung is wholly responsible or had a hand in his death), Raiden is going through the stages of grief, but he's going down the same dark path as the previous Raiden, now becoming Dark Raiden. And Liu Kang has to finally interfere.~

Still confused? Too late, now on to the story! Next Characters: Raiden, Kenshi, Johnny Cage, Liu Kang, Shang Tsung, Mentions Kung Lao, Raiden's Sister (named her Fuji :D)

Word Count - 6,094 Ships: Raiden/Kung Lao - Hints of Kenshi/Johnny Cage

Warnings: Canon Typical Violence (but with less blood), Character Death

It was over.

It was done.

They stopped Shang Tsung and his nefarious plot; it was over. This was the part where everyone patted each other on the back, did a whole hoopla about "the power of friendship saved the day," locked up the villain, and went home. But maybe that time was lost a long time ago. Ever since…

Ever since Kung Lao died.

Aside from Johnny, Kung Lao always knew how to lift everyone's spirits, that didn't involve excessive Hollywood references that most of them didn't get. His self-confidence and pride always seemed to ooze onto everyone else. If Lao says he can do it, then so can we! It hurt everyone when he was unceremoniously slain by General Shao and Shang Tsung, a clean cut to his neck with his own weapon. And you know, it wasn't until that day that Liu Kang was gravely reminded that these men never had to experience death in such a manner. Each of them knew how to fight, added to the additional training they got with the monks at the Wu Shi Academy. But Liu Kang never taught them how to kill, to maim, to perform the one act no ordinary person should ever have to do.

When Kung Lao died, it shocked everyone. The only one seemingly keeping themselves together was Kenshi. Coming from his Yakuza background, he has done plenty of dirty that he wasn't proud of. But Johnny? Liu Kang still remembers the reviving actor's disbelief, trying his damndest to do all he could for Kung Lao, even pleading with Liu Kang on what to do. But perhaps the one person who was hurt the most that day was Raiden. They were friends, childhood friends…lovers, even…Liu Kang can never scrub away the scene of Raiden being the first to notice his friend wasn't getting up (he was the closest to the body) and slowly descending to hold his boyfriend tightly. Raiden blocked out the world at that moment; the rest of the crew had to step in and finish the fight while Raiden grieved over his friend.

And things were never the same after that.

It was over.

It was done.

Kenshi and Johnny already shackled the unconscious Shang Tsung and started tending to their wounds. There was silence between them as they repaired themselves, barely making glances to the other. It wasn't until Kenshi spoke up, pointing out that Johnny was wrapping the bandage wrong and took the reigns in patching the star up. Johnny didn't put up a fuss. In a small way, he's kinda glad Kenshi said something. To break the silence and bring back that camaraderie they once had before. Feeling Kenshi touch him again, a wave of memories started flooding back to Johnny. The days when the 4 of them (Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Raiden) were always in each other's spaces. Arms thrown over each other's shoulders, whenever they were in a goofy mood; they were always leaning against the one nearest to them. That intimacy, he misses it.

"There," Kenshi softly says, completing the last patch on Johnny to ensure it wouldn't get infected.

Johnny couldn't help but return a sad smile and nod, "Thanks, Kenshi."

Then the silence began again as they both sat in silence, waiting for Raiden and Liu Kang to return once they were done with what Johnny called "the super laser beam like in that one Marvel™ movie." When they heard the sound of roiling thunder, that was their cue that the other pair had returned. Kenshi was the first to look up to see Raiden floating high above them, with black clouds shadowing him. It was a near-terrifying sight. His glowing eyes and hair, the crackles of lightning sparking off him, and the foreign look of godly contempt that was plastered on his face. Doesn't help too, that they each learned some time ago who Raiden was before Liu Kang altered the timeline. With this display of power, Raiden might as well be a god.

"Hey, Raiden, no need to worry! We had this one in the bag." Johnny gestures over to Shang Tsung, still enjoying his dirt nap. "He'll be going away for good once we figure out what our version of Arkham Asylum should be for the bastard."

Kenshi scoffs and shakes his head slightly, but it wasn't one out of annoyance. He knows what Johnny is trying to do, lightening the mood.

Raiden, however, does not reciprocate; remaining still as a statue in the air. Kenshi stares back at Raiden, anxious about what the thunder go-his friend, was thinking.

"…Hey, Raid-bro, we were told there was a chance of blue sunny skies when coming out here. Care to move the dark clouds out the way?" Johnny tries again with being jovial, but Kenshi can hear the hint of anxious tension in his tone.

After another long silence, Raiden finally descends, but where he was going was toward Shang Tsung. Johnny and Kenshi rise from their seated area as they closely watch Raiden slowly meeting the ground. By the time Raiden reached the surface, almost as if on cue, Shang Tsung started to stir awake, perhaps thanks to the constant thunder cracking in the area. Shang Tsung was already a beaten mess, with dried blood and dirt caked on his freckled face. His brown eyes meet with Raiden's glowing white eyes, and he has the gall to smirk at him. The prisoner readjusts himself, sitting straight up as he leaned against a tree.

"Love what you did with your hair, Raiden." Of fucking course, Shang had to go there.

Kenshi and Johnny both do their best to not flinch and cringe upon hearing that, knowing full well that it struck a nerve with Raiden, even if the farm boy wasn't showing it.

And as if Shang was further egg-ing Raiden on, he starts looking around, as if he's expecting someone to be here, but they happened to be missing. "Now, where is that pompous, hat-throwing circus act you often dragged along with you? Called in sick?"

"That's enough, Shang Tsung. Don't let us muffle you too." Johnny was the first to speak on everyone's behalf, his rising anger apparent as he growled.

Shang ignored Johnny, his eyes still trained on Raiden, meeting him eye-to-eye. "Oh~, don't beat yourself up for his departure, Raiden. You can rest easy that he died a prideful fool who didn't know when too much was enough."

"Hey, shut the fuck up!"

There was a one-sided back & forth, Shang Tsung constantly taunting the quiet Raiden while Johnny was trying to get Shang Tsung to stop talking. Eventually, Johnny starts grabbing the sorcerer by his ruffed-up shirt and tries intimidating him into keeping his mouth shut.

There are benefits to being half-blind and wearing a blindfold. Kenshi has been looking head, seemingly staring into nothing and nowhere, but the sight that Sento gave him allowed him to keep his peripherals on Raiden. Watching him closely to ensure that he doesn't do anything stupid. And Kenshi would be right to watch Raiden because the younger man started to approach the arguing pair.

Kenshi steps in front of Raiden, "Whatever you're thinking, don't."

"Get out of my way, Kenshi," Raiden's voice was like a coming storm, eager to wreak havoc on anyone and anything that stood in its way.

Kenshi had to choose his words wisely, one wrong move or phrase and he will erupt. They've seen it happen more than once. "Please, at least let us wait for Liu Kang before-"

"Ha! Still letting that proclaimed Fire God lead you around on a leash, Raiden?"

Kenshi now physically cringes before making a sharp turn toward Johnny, "Shut him up!" Kenshi can see sparks crackling of Raiden and he further obscures his view of Shang Tsung. "Raiden, he's trying to get into your head. Don't let him!"

"He knew, you know? Liu Kang? For someone who altered the timeline to fit his "perfect vision," a lot of strange coincidences have been happening as of late. I mean, I became a sorcerer when I was supposed to be a beggar. And you were a simple farm boy. But look at you now, a master of the storms and the skies," Shang Tsung side-eyes Raiden deviously, "He must've known that Kung Lao was going to die."

"Get out of my way!" the air starts to pick up, his hair and clothes ruffling in the wind, and more lightning static bounces off Raiden.

"Ok, time for your muzzle, dog," Johnny approaches with a mask-like device meant to silence individuals who wear it. As he tries to place the mask on Shang Tsung, the sorcerer hits him square in the dick (a technique he has learned to adopt later down the line thanks to the foolish actor), causing Johnny to have the wind knocked out of him as he backs away a couple steps. "N-not cool, man! Not cool!"

But this landed Shang Tsung a couple more minutes. "He could've prevented it, Raiden. Kung Lao may have died at the General's hands, but you know who truly caused his demise? Liu Kang could've stopped it all from happening. He went through all the effort to neuter you and me. Because of his biases over a timeline that no longer exists! He claims that he "doesn't interfere with affairs" because he wants us to become masters of our own fates, but we were never in control of it to begin with. Liu Kang decided for himself what we should be; all I did was defy his logic and plan."

"JOHNNY!" Kenshi shouts as he tries to hold Raiden back, the young man now struggling to get past the blind swordsman.

"I'm working on it!" Johnny replies as he hurries back to Shang Tsung with the mask.

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" Raiden screams.

He can feel it. He can feel the amulet infused into his body responding to his anger, his grief, and his drive for vengeance. The condensed storms locked away in that amulet desire to give Raiden that release. Kenshi grunts as he starts feeling shocks ripple through him while holding tight onto Raiden.

"RAIDEN DON'T LISTEN TO HIM; YOU'RE BETTER THAN THIS!"

"Liu Kang could've saved your friend, Raiden. You know this as much as I do. He has the power to do so; he simply didn't use it. All under the idea of restraint. That's what makes you and I so powerful. We're not afraid to take the power we're given and use it to its nigh limits. The one who you should be angry at is the man who calls himself a friend to you."

Finally, Johnny wraps the mask around Shang Tsung, silencing him until it's eventually removed. But the damage was done. It wasn't until now that Johnny noticed that Liu Kang still hadn't arrived.

"Where's Liu? Kenshi, where's Liu!" Johnny says as he anxiously watches the struggle between Raiden and Kenshi.

Kenshi doesn't get a moment to entertain an answer as Raiden yells at the top of his lungs, a bust of electrifying energy emitting from him, from the amulet, knocking both Earthrealm warriors back a considerable distance. The pair lang roughly on the soil in an audible groan as they jerk and hiss at the shocking ripples still assaulting their bodies. Kenshi was the first to slightly recover, but it must've been some time before he regained his senses because when Kenshi frantically looked for where Raiden had gone, he saw the thunder wielder punching Shang Tsung to a bloody pulp.

"Raiden, ugh! Raiden, stop!" It hurts for Kenshi to get up, but he ushers all the strength he still has and rushes over to Raiden.

Kenshi rips Raiden off of Shang Tsung and doesn't bother to look the sorcerer over (that's what he gets for running his mouth), keeping his attention wholly on his friend (and his hand on the hilt of Sento).

"Raiden, we've been over this. Please, don-"

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!!"

Kenshi isn't given a moment to calm the man down as bolts of lightning come arcing towards the swordsman. Kenshi dodges out of the way, unsheathing Sento in the process; the line of shocking energy completely decimates a nearby tree. The time for words was over; now it's time to, in Johnny's words, bring out the "Hulk Buster."

Raiden raises his hand to the grey skies above, capturing lightning in his hand before hurling various sparks at Kenshi. The swordsman goes on the defensive, dodging and ducking behind cover, trying to avoid actively harming Raiden. But the more he placed distance between him and Raiden, the more Kenshi was bobbing and weaving past his thunderous attacks. Kenshi would be mildly saved as Johnny surprises Raiden by grabbing him from behind and trying to restrain him.

"Raiden, pull it together, man! We don't want to hurt you!" Johnny struggles to say, the shocks of lightning constantly snapping at him.

Kenshi rushes out of hiding and builds up momentum, hoping to get one good, non-lethal, strike in to knock Raiden out.

"Where the hell are you, Liu Kang..." Kenshi muttered to himself, slightly out of breath as he was exerting all his power into running and reaching Raiden as soon as possible. "Johnny! Hold him down, just a bit longer!"

"I'm-ACK, FUCK!" Johnny shouts as he feels another shock of electricity course through him, "I'M FUCKING TRYING!"

Raiden was howling like an animal, trying to shock Johnny off him. Lightning bolts were falling out of the sky as it struck the grounds around them, destroying everything it touched. It was almost like the lightning strikes were even chasing Kenshi as every bolt of lightning was always some inches away from hitting the swordsman.

He was close, almost there, just a bit more.

Raiden finally throws Johnny off him, elbowing him sharply in his face. Conjuring every bit of power of the storm, Raiden fried Johnny. The pained screams from the actor nearly shake Kenshi to his core.

"JOHNNY!!" Kenshi screams.

Raiden notices the swordsman approaching and disrupts his abuse of his friend to focus on Kenshi, redirecting the powerful blast and hurling it at the blind swordsman. Guided by Sento, Kenshi locks himself in a blocked battle with Raiden's powerful lightning attack, locked in a Harry Potter wand duel as Sento protects Kenshi from the attack. The mystical powers of Sento was able to withstand the ever-present assault, but Raiden was unhinged, not withholding the full potential of the thunder amulet. Then the impossible happens.

Sento cracks.

Kenshi quickly rolls out of the way and tries to get to safety before Raiden completely breaks Sento. But Raiden saw this coming, using his other hand to conjure a whip-like lightning bolt at Kenshi, lassoing him and dragging him to the ground, before giving the swordsman a devastating shock.

"Raiden!"

For once, the farm boy actually stops his assault. Leaving Kenshi and Johnny unconscious after constantly being shocked to near death. Raiden looked behind him, and there he was.

Liu Kang.

The Fire God stares at the scene in utter shock, eyes darting between the sizzling Johnny and equally as cooked Kenshi. Raiden, eyes & hair slowly dimming in brightness, keeps his eyes trained on Liu Kang.

'He could've prevented it, Raiden - Liu Kang could've stopped it all from happening - Liu Kang could've saved your friend, Raiden. You know this as much as I do.'

Shang Tsung's words echo in Raiden's head.

"...Did you know he was going to die?" Raiden, for the first time, speaks coherently. Possessing the soft voice that he's known for.

"What? Raiden, what hap-"

"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!" In that same instance, Raiden's voice booms like thunder (even the skies above respond, crackling thunder in the distance with his anger), his white hair and eyes glowing brightly. "YOU KNEW KUNG LAO WAS GOING TO DIE, DIDN'T YOU!!" Raiden points his electrifying finger at Liu Kang accusingly.

Liu Kang's mouth opens and shuts before he finally answers Raiden. "...Certain circumstances and events that transpired hinted that Kung Lao could die. But not once did I know for certain that Kung Lao would meet his untimely death."

There's a long, silent pause between the two; only the roaring wind breaks the stillness. Liu Kang dares to break his eyes away from Raiden, looking for the one Kenshi and Johnny were supposed to contain, Shang Tsung. It looked like in the scuffle, he used that opportunity to get away, his hairpin lying on the ground dirtied with blood and dirt. Whatever Shang Tsung said to Raiden, it riled the former thunder god. Liu Kang kicks himself for being unconscious for so long. The device he and Raiden went to disable knocked the wind out of him and rendered Liu Kang out of commission for a moment. When he awakened on the vacant platform the device was on, Raiden was gone.

Liu Kang looks back at Raiden, the man's head now facing the ground, fists balled. The next thing that comes out of Raiden's mouth breaks the Fire Gods' heart.

"Why did you let him die," his voice cracks, and Liu can hear the tears Raiden shed.

"Raiden...I..."

"Even if you didn't know fully that Kung Lao would die, why didn't you tell us! Why didn't you save him? Or let us help you save him!" Raiden sobs, his knees feeling weak.

"...I did all I could, Raiden. I tried to protect him...But I couldn't shelter him. I had to trust that Kung Lao would make the choices necessary to follow his own path. I wasn't going to take that choice from him."

"How would he know what path to take if YOU NEVER TELL HIM WHERE IT WILL LEAD HIM!!!" Another sound of roiling thunder, lighting sparking off Raiden as he snaps his head toward Liu Kang. "You could've told him, us, what could've happened! You could've stopped this!"

"I did not want to burden you with the knowledge I knew and felt!" Liu Kang raises his voice, not to match his anger, but because the winds were picking up and the thunder was practically deafening him. "I didn't want you or him to spend every waking moment; questioning each move you took, each decision you made! I wanted both of you to become masters of your own fate!"

'He claims that he "doesn't interfere with affairs" because he wants us to become masters of our own fates, but we were never in control of it to begin with. Liu Kang decided for himself what we should be.'

"No...NO!!" Raiden shouts as he slings a lightning bolt at Liu Kang. A shot the Fire God effortlessly dodges.

"Raiden, please!"

"YOU CREATED THIS TIMELINE. THIS NEW UNIVERSE! YOU COULD'VE PREVENTED THIS! YOU HAVE THE POWER TO, I KNOW YOU DO!"

Another reckless throw of a lightning bolt, scorching a nearby tree as Liu Kang steps out of the line of fire. "Raiden, please, you have to understa-"

"I LOVED HIM, LIU KANG! WITH ALL MY HEART, I LOVED HIM!!! AND YOU TOOK HIM FROM ME! YOU DID THIS TO ME!!"

Raiden rips open his shirt, revealing the amulet fused with his person, a permanent reminder of the trauma everyone endured...That he endured...

"BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM BACK TO ME!" Raiden's feet crackle with electrifying power as he lunges towards him, performing a move Liu Kang knows far too well as Raiden flies at him like a speeding torpedo, locking Liu Kang as they both collide into various trees.

Liu Kang grunts as their movement is halted by a large rock, but he's not given a moment of reprieve as Raiden starts socking him in the face multiple times. Screaming phrases that Liu Kang could not focus enough to bear their meaning. He's then thrown about in a large circle, and when Raiden releases his grip, Liu Kang goes flying again.

Liu Kang crash lands into a nearby lake. It takes him some time to gather his strength to swim out of the waters. He coughs and spits out blood, Raiden isn't holding back, the powers of the amulet having provided him with strength and vigor. But he was still mortal. Liu Kang can take a beating, but one wrong move and a bit of force; and Liu could kill Raiden. Liu Kang assesses his surroundings, mainly looking for where Raiden has gone or where Raiden could potentially come from.

Fortunately, Raiden's rageful cries gave him away as he came crashing down like a speeding bullet from the sky toward Liu Kang. Hoping to catch him in a flying kick maneuver. Liu Kang was able to block the attack, the force of the kick skidding them both further from the lake that Kang emerged from. There is a back-and-forth between the skilled fighters as each attack is swiftly blocked by the other. Well, more like Liu Kang was the one being swift. Raiden was filled with hatred and rage, his attacks were more akin to a wild animal attacking and defending itself.

Liu Kang had to hold back. Unlike Kenshi, who somewhat matched his power level, one wrong flaming fist and Raiden could be K.O-ed to his grave.

"Raiden, I am not your enemy. Everything I did for Kung Lao, I've always had you in mind! Whatever Shang Tsung told you-"

"Oh yeah, go ahead!" Raiden opened his palms and bent his fingers, colliding his hands on each opposite side of Liu Kang's head, sending shocks of electricity to his head and disorienting the Fire God as his ears started to ring. "Blame it all on Shang Tsung! Blame every single problem and inconvenience on the fucking sorcerer! Because gods forbid you take any responsibility for yourself and own up to the fuck up THAT YOU MADE!"

Raiden grabs Liu Kang in a crushing hug and sends both of them flying in the sky, high enough for Raiden to send a highly concentrated bolt of lighting onto Liu Kang; Raiden being able to withstand such powerful energies. Liu Kang screams in anguish as he's tased ten times over, and then thrown back to the earth below. Liu Kang leaves a crater where he landed and for a moment, doesn't move from his spot.

It took every fiber of his being and willpower to slowly get himself back on his feet. Liu Kang didn't even have to look to know that Raiden was behind him. Between gasps, coughs, and hacking up blood, Liu Kang tries to plead with Raiden.

"...Raiden...I don't want to hurt you...I know you're...Grieving. He meant everything to you as you did to him...But Kung Lao wouldn't want us to fight. Not like this..."

There was a long pause, yet again.

"Don't you dare tell me what Kung Lao would've wanted. You don't get to speak for him or anyone, like you always do!"

"Raiden-"

"You think you know what Kung Lao would've wanted when you knew nothing about him. Not like I did. Do you want to know what Kung Lao would've wanted? You want to hear it from someone WHO ACTUALLY FUCKING KNOWS HIM!?! Let me tell you!"

Raiden forcefully turns Liu Kang to face him before clocking him in the face.

"Kung Lao would've wanted to know how he was going to die so that he could prevent it!"

Another crack.

"He would've thanked you for trusting him with this knowledge so that he could come back home with me in peace!"

Another crack, blood staining his knuckles.

"HE WOULD'VE WANTED TO LIVE WITH ME. SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE WITH ME! HIS FUCKING BOYFRIEND!"

Another crack after Liu Kang weakly tries to block his other fist attack.

"HE WOULD'VE WANTED TO DIE PEACEFULLY. WITH ME BY HIS SIDE! NOT IN A FUCKING REALM THAT HE DOESN'T BELONG TO, FACING DOWN A HORNED-FACED FUCKER AND THAT DAMNABLE SORCERER! TO ONLY DIE BECAUSE THEY USED HIS WEAPON AGAINST HIM! LEAVING HIM TO BLEED ON THE DIRT!"

Another crack, an uppercut that sends Liu Kang stumbling back some feet.

Liu Kang spits out another glob of blood mixed with saliva. "We all can't choose how we die, Raiden."

"Yet, you chose for him to die there."

Something within Liu Kang snaps, anger was boiling. "Kung Lao chose to not listen to me when I asked him to not interfere, Raiden!" Liu Kang tries to hold back the poison he truly wanted to emit.

One too many times has he heard this. How Liu Kang was the reason Tarkat exists. How it's his fault that Kitana and Mileena's mother was dead. How it was his fault that Shang Tsung and Quan Chi were in deplorable working and living conditions. How it's his fault that Reptile and Smoke lost their loved ones. How it's his fault that events and circumstances that did not go in their favor, even if it was out of everyone's hands, was HIS FAULT.

He was tired of it. Tired of explaining his reason for not keeping the position as the Keeper of Time. Tired of defending himself against the actions and motives that others have. Tired of expressing how while he may have remade this timeline and altered events, he never once had it planned to control the lives of mortals; leaving their motives and fates in their own hands and suffering the consequences of doing so.

Red and blue flames start to erupt from his arms where his draconic tattoos were printed, his eyes giving off a godly glow.

"I already told you why I withheld that information from him. I wanted him to have peace. Both of you, to have peace." Liu Kang tries his best to keep his calmly attitude as he picks himself up.

"And how do you know he wouldn't be at peace if he at least knew what was coming!?!" Raiden spits back at him

"And how would you?"

Even with his soothing voice, he definitely struck a cord with Raiden as he goes for a swing at Liu Kang. This time, Liu Kang grabs his fist and twists it, not enough to break the bone, but to cause painful strain.

Raiden shouted in mild pain as he tried to swing his other free hand at Liu Kang. Similarly, Liu blocks the attack, grabbing his wrist and unintentionally burning him slightly.

"Raiden, I'm not going to say this again. Stop this." Liu Kang looks Raiden dead in the eyes. Despite his calm face, there was a silent roaring flame behind his features. The kind of look that screams "I don't want to hurt you, but I will if you give me reason to."

Yet, Raiden did not listen. He headbutts Liu Kang successfully, forcing Liu Kang back with a bleeding nose. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. In a fit of rage, Liu Kang yells as he punches Raiden square in the face. He didn't use his full godly strength, but it sent Raiden flying through multiple trees before slamming against one tree trunk. Liu Kang huffs and puffs, the anger slowly dying down and the realization of what he did quickly coming to him.

"Raiden!" Liu cries as he rushes as fast as he can to the former thunder god.

When he found his body, Liu Kang feared the worst. It happened as the old Raiden said. They were always destined to fight, to kill each other, and Liu Kang couldn't avoid it in this timeline. But the moment he heard Raiden's labored breaths, Liu Kang felt an overwhelming relief wash over him.

"Raiden! Raiden, I'm so sorry! I didn't- I didn't mean to," Liu Kang was stumbling over his words as he held Raiden upright, unsure of how serious his wounds were.

Raiden was going through the shock of it, breathing not only labored but in quick succession. Liu Kang tried to help Raiden match his breathing, to calm him down from the pain and shock.

"Are you," Raiden swallows between shaking breaths and stuttering speech, "Are you going to l-let me die? Like you did Lao?"

Liu Kang meets Raiden eye to eye. Raiden was bleeding from his head, streams of red running down his face with twigs and sticks entangled in his white hair. He's never going to let this go. Whatever Shang Tsung told him, it infected him like a parasite. As long as Raiden lived and breathed, Kung Lao's death will always be Liu's fault.

...Unless...

Liu Kang huffs, he never thought he would have to do this again, not since Shujinko. Liu Kang positions Raiden as comfortably as possible as one would be leaning against a tree with multiple broken bones and aching muscles.

"No, I want to grant you peace. I know that you don't want to hear this...But Kung Lao would've wanted you to find peace with his departure."

Liu Kang starts building up flames that run up his arms, performing the many monastic dances he learned from the previous timeline and the current. As the flames roared, they soon floated to Raiden and encompassed him. They never burned him. Raiden tries to crawl away from the dancing flames, believing them to char him to a crisp.

"Kung Lao would've wanted you to look fondly on your friendship and love, and seek to replicate that love with others. He would've wanted you to live happily, even if he wasn't there to provide you with that happiness."

"L-Liu Kang, what are you-wait...No!" Raiden's eyes start to water as he can feel his memories slipping. Not just the ones with Kung Lao, but everything before Liu Kang found him. His previous adventures in Outworld, in the Netherealm, in Chaosrealm, his ventures with his closest friends...The first time Kung Lao told him the three words, "I love you." Everything. "Liu Kang, no! Don't, please don't!"

Liu Kang, almost coldly, ignores Raiden's pleas as he takes it all away. Reverting Raiden back to the simple farm boy from Fengjian who simply wanted to protect and guide his village.

"...You are right, Raiden," Liu Kang says between paused breaths, trying to hold back tears as he committed the deed. "It is my fault. I shouldn't have thought that I could groom you or Kung Lao to become protectors of Earthrealm like you were before. I shouldn't have taken you away from your family, your friends, and your home in hopes of raising you to become grand warriors. I have placed your loved ones and you in so much danger...All because I clung onto a life that no longer exists...I'm sorry."

With that said, Raiden passes out from his injuries as Liu Kang finished the last of the memory wipe. Liu Kang stares at Raiden's slumbering body, and he can't help but scream and cry.

Finally allowing himself to grieve ever since that fateful day.

-

Fuji finished up the last of the clothes just in time when dinner was ready. She was having a hot pot this night, filled with various greens, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, radishes, and various mushrooms. All placed into a chicken broth seasoned further with a tomato and pork bone soup base. Fuji sits at the table with a bowl full of the soup and she does her best to not look across the table...Where her brother Raiden would be...

Raiden told her a long time ago that he was placed in a very powerful position and hard at work with Mr. Kang. He brings back money and unique souvenirs with questionable origins. And he always makes sure to visit her occasionally when he's coming back to Fengjian.

But this was one of the many occasions where the house felt too big, even with their elderly mother and father sleeping in the other room. She missed having her older brother around, for the longest time, he was her only friend. Her closest friend. I mean, sure, they were siblings, and they had their "sibling moments," but with him gone, she never felt more alone. But her being alone wasn't the main problem for Fuji, it was Raiden's sudden silence.

Ever since Kung Lao's passing, Raiden hasn't been returning her calls, answering her letters, or even visiting the family. Doesn't help, too, that none of his friends live in Fengjian, and aside from Kung Lao and Johnny's number (she's never calling that man, btw), she can't even reach them to know what's up with her brother. It's gotten to the point where she has saved up some money to take a week's vacation to the U.S. where her brother is currently working (or so Raiden told her).

Before Fuji knew it, she was already done with her bowl (2 bowls actually) and she saved the leftovers for her parents when they awaken. As she was washing up the dishes, she hears a knock at the door. Hmm? Who could be visiting her at this hour?

…Could it be!

"Give me a moment!" Fuji says hurriedly as she dries her hands; making her way to the front door. A tiny bit of hope fills the young woman. Could this be Raiden? After so long!

She swings open the door, hope and glee plastered on her face, but it quickly turns to confusion and worry. "…Liu Kang…Raiden!?!"

Outside was Liu Kang carrying a bandaged and mostly healed Raiden. "I'm sorry to come at such a late hour, Fuji. May I come in."

"What happened to my brother!?! Did someone mug him? Was he attacked?" Fuji ushers Liu Kang to enter the home and shows him to Raiden's old room, still possessing his old belongings even before he left.

Despite her questions, Liu Kang did not answer her. She asks again and again about her brother's condition, who did this to him, and why, but she is met with silence. She watches Liu Kang gently place Raiden on his old bed, and just as he came unexpectedly, Liu proceeded to walk back outside.

"W-wait! Liu Kang, please, tell me what happened! Who hurt my brother! Why did this happen-" Fuji tries to stop Liu Kang by grabbing at his wrist, but she saw something that shocked him.

Liu Kang's eyes were red as if he was crying not too long ago.

"…What happened…"

There's a long pause between them. All that Liu Kang does is slightly tilt his head toward her, his white eyes meeting hers, before saying, "I'm sorry, Fuji. Your brother has been relieved from his service…And this will be the last time we will see each other."

And just like that, Liu Kang left. Fuji watched Liu Kang leave, fading away in the horizon, with more questions than answers.

"Ugh…My head."

Fuji nearly scares herself when she hears Raiden in the other room and moving about. She rushes back to him and helps support her brother when she sees that he is still unsteady.

"Raiden! Liu Kang, your boss from the States dropped you off, and you're bandaged, and unconscious, and Liu wouldn't tell me why you were like this and-"

"whoa, whoa, Fuji, slow down! Start over, who's Liu Kang again?"

Fuji pauses. "…Liu Kang…Your boss…"

"Fuji, I have no idea who that man is," Raiden hisses in pain as his muscles start to ache again. It's only now that he realizes that he was bandaged badly. "Did he do this?"

"I-I don't know. I thought…I thought you would tell me…"

"Well, I don't know who I angered to get this treatment, but if this Liu Kang fellow helped me back home, I'm surely appreciative. I'll have to lay back down. Can you get me a hot towel, please?"

Fuji helped her brother back to bed and gave him his requested towel, but she found herself staying in his room for the entire night as if she were a child again. She couldn't sleep as she was plagued with questions about what happened to Raiden. Better yet, the line of work that he was in that he got this terrible treatment. And unfortunately, she might never get those answers again. Raiden doesn't remember anything in the past couple of years, even seemingly forgotten about Kung Lao's death and funeral. His memories were missing and he couldn't give a reliable answer to what happened in his life past the day that he went into Madam Bo's restaurant after a bet with Kung Lao.

Even worse, she can't ask Liu Kang. Because just as he promised and foretold, they never saw Liu Kang again. - ~Holy shit this was longer than I anticipated. Also, I do not like Liu Kang's memories loss powers, but will I use it for the sake of angst? You fucking know I will bby! This is my pseudo-first fan work for an official fandom and I hope everyone liked it. Once again, a lot of this was inspired thanks to the lovely artists who contributed to the "oops, Kung Lao dies again" AU and I want to thank them for jumpstarting this silly little AU in this silly little game about beheading people with your bare hands. Sorry if there were some grammatical and spelling errors, was working on this throughout the evening and past midnight (quite literally 4:26 where I'm at lmao). I might make a sequel to this because I'm getting ideas of Kung Lao returning, but not as he used to be (Revenants in MK1, ayo?)~ UPDATE! I have now officially made a writer's blog so that this doesn't get lost in my clustered main blog! Any future installments about this and other writing pieces will go to this blog! @420thewritersroom

[shadowed-dancer]

I watched the Netflix atla and I have thoughts

I will break them down into positives, negatives, and assorted, but if you want the short version: it's better than the M Night Shyamalan film.

Positives

I like that Zuko's crew is the 41st division. It's a cute detail, and honestly I had always wondered how they chose soldiers to accompany an exiled prince

I actually liked Suki's characterization. Like yeah, I believe that girl has never had contact with outsiders. And I think her chemistry with Sokka is great! I can't wait for her to come back and see more of the world (her "thank you for bringing the world to me" line is cute when you consider he brought her an air, water, and fire bender... less cute that her village almost got destroyed but still)

Hot take: I don’t mind that they cut Sokka’s sexism arc. It was minimal in the original series to begin with, and with the pacing of the Netflix series it would have been pointless and rushed. I truthfully believe that if they hadn't mentioned the cut beforehand, 5 people at most would have noticed it was gone

Wow Koh the Face Stealer is SO MUCH WORSE in live action. So gross. His face BLINKS. 10/10 to whoever designed that, I hated it and recognize that it was perfect. I look forward to seeing it in my nightmares (also I don't mind the change of "don't show any expression". It still works)

Gyatso telling Aang that it wasn't his fault and that he wouldn't have been able to do anything was so sweet and important to me, especially with all the other adults in this series being turned into Grade-A assholes. It’s been a while since I watched the entire original series but were the adults THIS mean about it in the original? I know the occasional random townsperson would say "you abandoned us" but I don’t remember people like Bumi or THE OTHER AVATARS blaming him like that (I know this is the positive section but just to be clear, the positive is the Gyatso scene. Turning everyone else so mean will be touched upon in the negatives)

All of Gyatso's scenes were actually amazing. I cried. Also finding his body hit so much harder in live action.

Leaves from the Vine playing during Lu Ten's funeral and then again when Iroh chose to go with Zuko... I tearbended HARD at that one

I think they did a good job merging three story lines into Omashu. I know it may bother some fans, but for the time they had I thought combining all of those together within the city was clever. Plus, since we see the city get taken at the end of the season, we feel more invested since we spent more time there! (I'm also glad they didn't destroy the Northern Air Temple... that always bothered me)

The sets are lovely. They look so similar to the original show and it makes me happy to simply see these places come to life. I got so giddy seeing Omashu you don't even understand

I like the interpretation of Aang’s tattoo. That was actually the one thing I liked from the M Night Shyamalan film (intricate designs rather than a straight blue block) and I feel this is an even better interpretation (the designs are more subtle until he lights up)

The wink and nod to the great divide (and other episodes like the pirates) was cute. I do wish we got to see some adventures of the kids bonding, but boy am I glad they didn't feel the need to adapt the great divide

I liked that they sang secret tunnel a little early. The second the mechanist brought up the secret tunnels I burst into song on instinct, so it's only fair the characters do the same

I liked Zuko having a notebook on the avatars. Of course he would have made that. And I liked that Aang used it as a reference

I liked how they teased the "my cabbages!" line before giving us the real thing. Just a fun thing for fans of the original

Negatives

The first episode had so much exposition it actually felt exhausting. Also Zuko really came out of the gate swinging with his motivation, eh? No nuance or slowly unveiling why he wants to capture Aang? Ok...

Ozai confused me. After finishing the season I believe Ozai's motivation was "sacrifice the weak to become strong, use Zuko to fuel Azula to be better" but it felt so confusing to get there. There was a point where I thought he genuinely wanted to see Zuko grow and find the avatar, and while it's fine for Zuko to think that, it felt weird for us to be jerked around like that (especially the in-between point where it feels like he prefers his banished son to his spy-catching daughter).

I also don’t like the way he acts with Azula (again, I know it's an act, but it's a bothersome change). He calls her performance below average. What happened to "she’s a true prodigy, just like her grandfather for whom she was named"? When characters like Mai and Zhao have to tell us "he's just playing games" it feels like they are telling rather than showing. "She's a true prodigy" SHOWS US he has a very obvious favourite. "He's playing with you" TELLS US that he's lying, and we therefore need to just accept that Azula is actually his favourite even though nothing he has done supports that

I don’t like that Aang was heading North due to a premonition from Kyoshi. I always liked how "the avatar must travel the world and find their own teachers in order to care for the world". Why not let him look for teachers? It enforces the idea of the avatar needing to care for all nations in order to protect all nations. I feel like it was supposed to go for this new direction of “the avatar must do it alone” but unfortunately I don't like that message as much

I mentioned in the positive section, but so many of the characters are weirdly mean (specifically the adult characters). I feel like they are trying to go for a message like "childlike mentality isn’t bad and it’s this innocence that will succeed where adults failed" but it just comes across as every grownup but Gyatso being the worst. Why are Kyoshi and Kuruk yelling so much and blaming Aang for everything? I feel like the goal will ultimately be to prove them wrong, but I do not like this characterization

Zuko’s scar needed to be SO MUCH WORSE. Something I love about the original is that every time we look at Zuko, we get a horrific reminder of what kind of person the Fire Lord is. It didn't just make his skin a little red, his eye is stuck in a permanent squint. His ear is shrivelled. You can tell that it was BAD. Here? He could cover it with makeup if it bothers him that much. Where's the texture? Where's the ear and eye damage? Sometimes it looks more like a birthmark than a serious injury. At the very least, take away his eyebrow!

Sokka and Katara’s being trapped in the spirit world was lowkey a little dumb but I get what they were going for (it's more urgent than them needing to suck on frogs). It just makes it seem worse when Aang is sitting there chatting with Zuko about his brushes. Like I loved the conversation but the fact that Sokka and Katara's lives were in danger (along with the villagers) makes Aang seem weirdly dismissive in that moment

Also... I just realized while typing this, but did they give us an ending to Hei Bai being in pain? Did I completely forget the resolution to that or was it not shown?

I don't like that Zuko chose to fight in the Agni Kai. Seeing him on the ground begging forgiveness and THAT'S the kid Ozai scars and banishes is way more impactful than "he fought but didn't go all out"

This shit went off the rails in episode 7. Why is Yue a fox who just chills in the spirit world? What happened to Tui and La? Push and pull? Yin and Yang? I got confused somewhere along the way

Am I the only one who felt the Yue and Sokka kiss came out of nowhere? She literally said she called off her betrothal when she was 16 (before meeting Sokka) because that dude wasn't the right guy. But then the kiss immediately after implies Sokka is the right guy??? The guy you didn't know existed??? Or are we supposed to infer that she fell in love with him in the spirit world? Either one is so bad pleasssseee

I infinitely prefer Zuko trying to save Zhao and Zhao choosing to die out of sheer stubbornness, compared to Iroh killing Zhao to save Zuko. Like yeah, he'd do anything for Zuko, but I felt that crossed a line (and was less impactful)

Assorted Thoughts

They mentioned the mother of faces, are we gonna see Zuko’s mom get addressed at some point? Or was that just a wink and a nod for fans who know?

The kids are pretty good actors but Katara’s sometimes feels like she's… in a school play. For lack of a better description. She's not bad, it just doesn't always feel natural or as expressive as she could be

Yue's actress on the other hand... look I don't like insulting child actors but her performance was not my favourite

Meanwhile, I loved the casting for Zuko and Aang. I like this slightly-less-angry Zuko, and Aang's actor has such a sweet face that it hurt me to see him sad

I wish we got to see an Agni Kai between Zuko and Zhao. Simply because establishing it early helps introduce us to this idea. It makes it more impactful when Ozai declares Zuko must fight, since we now know what that entails

I feel like the series is at its best when it's doing it’s own thing (the Gyatso scenes, Suki's new characterization, Lu Ten's funeral) and is at its weakest when it's trying to copy the original

[blinkpen]

I hope I'm using the ask feature correctly because I've never used it before but!!! I've been racking my brain for the names of some characters of yours who were like... Little entertainer gremlins that fed off the negative energy of all the parents forced to slog through their shows?

You're thinking of The Snuggywuffles!

Here's them and a little bit about each of them under the cut, though there's not too much to them; they really only exist when I need something to drop in and Annoy people in a no-stakes B plot

Weadership the leader, obviously; their onstage and offstage behaviors are surprisingly consistent, being just as affable, serene and willing to offer guidance to their subordinates as they are to offer lessons and stories to the children they entertain. the one who is least likely to go out of their way to be annoying on purpose, and as such, is able to have sincere conversations with the parents of attendees, but is also the one most prone to lock their uncomfortably vacuous eyes with yours and say some cryptic ominous-ass shit to you for no damn reason.

Wadybug was planned to be "The Girl One(TM)!" before marketing suggested at least one more, to which Wollipop voluntered; to note, however, is that Wadybug is the only snuggywuffle who actively requests others maintain she/her pronouns after being introduced to them even in settings where they're all in their horrible True Forms again (the other snuggywuffles are entirely indifferent on theirs but respect her wishes); she basically went "what's that, mortal? oooh, a gender you say? sounds delightful, don't mind if i do! hmmm i like this 'girl' concept of which you speak" when the CLoA are in her line of sight, she leans into this and acts the most obnoxiously cutesy wutesy lovey dovey syrupy sweet to make them cringe

Wimburger very quiet when performing, almost never chimes in verbally; the 'silent bob' of the group during shows, acting as both drummer during music and the **provider of rimshots for Wimshot's comedy. offstage, Wimburger talks much more, and provides rimshots for his own jokes, but if there are no kids around, his dialogue is frequently so profane all that comes out is long streams of uninterrupted censor bleeps that the audience cannot parse for the life of them. is otherwise mellow, even offstage, never taking initiative to provoke the CLoA, but will swiftly Yes And the others' antics once they begin

**this dynamic is intentionally confusing and causes parents to have to buy more toys after misunderstanding their children about who they wanted

Wimshot the clown, the jokester, the prankster, the goofball, of course! does goofy voices and is not above potty humor; parents find him profoundly obnoxious, but what can you do, the kids love it! the G-rated 'jay' to Wimburger's 'silent bob' and a zany scheme of his is often the inciting incident to kick off a show or establish its theme. unsurprisingly, is often the first to start trying to grate the CLoA's patience. his quips become less kid comedy focused when off the clock, but unlike Wimburger, it's dry snark of topics kids simply wouldn't know to find funny, like boasting about one's tax evasion

Wollipop to parents, she is the biggest shill for merch, to kids, she's the spunky one who, with her power to be just ever so slightly rude and selfish, sometimes instigates the closest thing there ever is to interpersonal conflict in Snuggywuffle shows (when it's not one of Wimshot's pranks). she shines more when not performing, as this dial cranks up to being the most openly rude and antagonistic of the bunch. she will latch onto any pet peeve she finds, hoping situations will escalate to violence, motivated by a lack of satisfaction with the "diet suffering" of simply being annoying, and wants an excuse. sometimes, Weadership lets her have one. a little violence. as a treat.

[saturnxlust]

HEYYY :P ik its been awhile my bad😔

Injured!Proxys+ben x Doctor! Reader

Tim Wright/ Masky

So this man is closed off, all of the proxys are😞

But hes not a idiot, he knows when his body has had enough and when he needs help

The only way you’d be able to help him is if its a severe wound or if your close with him

Im talking at least 2+ years of either dating or being friends..

Lucky you if you’ve made it this long!

Now actually helping him is difficult

Hes stubborn and doesnt like to admit hes in pain so when you stitch his sorry ass up or disinfect it, he winces but swears hes fine

Hes not fine

He also complains the entire time about how he could do it himself

Knowing full well he couldnt he just likes to be a pain in the ass

Brian Thomas/hoodie

Hes more lenient, he’ll let you help him even though we all know this man could do it himself

It wouldnt be good but as long as he isnt bleeding out he doesnt really care

Although hes the more lenient one hes still closed off and it takes atleast a year or more to be able to help him

The first time you actually clean up a wound he falls deeper in love

Its not covered in dried blood or anything!

Hes amazed at how gentle you were and found it cute if you were concerned about him

It gets to the point where he would make small bruises or cuts just to have you put a little bandaid on his finger or put pain cream on his bruise

He would totally make you kiss the bandages after, no matter how big or small😭

He has dinosaur bandaids and unicorn bandaids.

Toby Rogers

Oh boy buckle up

So he cant feel pain

Good luck☺️

He doesnt know hes hurt and most likely you wont either

If you somehow get him to wash his fuckass sweatshirt and seem to see a wound, he too, would be confused and surprised

He would find how concerned you were funny and laugh as you clean him up

If you yelled at him while he laughed he’d tell you to relax and that hes fine

Hes not fine

Like brian he would make small cuts and or bruises to have you patch him up

Back tracking a little, it would take a few months but not because hes closed off

He trusts you completely to not hurt him physically

It was just getting to see him without his sweatshirt on that was difficult

He keeps that thing on all the time no way your getting a peak at his scrawny ass unless you rip that sweatshirt off him or if you get…spicy.. with him..

Eyeless Jack

HAH

Good luck

He went to medical school

This man knows what hes doing

But like the others finds it funny that you want to help him

He doesnt need it but honestly

Hes too smart to get too badly injured, if he does it’s because he went awhile wothout eating and became reckless

I think that if he were to go more then a fee weeks without eating he would get reckless with how he got the kidneys

He wouldnt leave the victims alive and leave them in their bed naked with incisions on their stomach

When that happens he usually comes home with a bruise or scratches from the victims fighting back,

If you’ve gotten to the point that you know about that and accept it, not only will you be helping clean him up

You’d help clean his clothes up

Hes a clean guy dont get me wrong but after eating i think he would just need to sleep

And if your like me theres no way that 7’ tall demon is getting in my bed soaked in blood and possible guts ☺️

Jeffery Hodek

God i wish you luck if your with this man

He will let his wounds get infected for fun and he will enjoy it when you get upset (COUGH COUGH MOUTH CUTS COUGH)

He honestly couldnt care less and again, finds it amusing when you yell at him

Lets be honest his story is written awful so im gonna tweak it a litte

He did not get bleached, there was a explosion and some of his hair burnt off, it has since grown back a little but the burn scars are still there

So if you want to help him clean his mouth he’ll complain and tease you and taunt you but he’ll let you do it

..if you even want to after all that.😒

Benjamin Lawman

So he can’t actually get hurt…i mean unless hes like a zombie but he isnt, this guys a ghost

So i mean, unless he has some power to be human magically theres really nothing that can hurt him

Even you..

But you should find a way to hurt him, whether it be physical or emotional causr hes a jackass

And will make fun of you just to see you cry😒

Either bring up something from his past(he might get a little angry at that🥰) or threaten to throw him into a lake

You can’t actually throw him but..he..doesnt need to know that😇

[alyona11]

Hi! So I am very new to Hadestown and I am watching the bootleg. I really love the dynamic between Hades and Persephone, but there is one thing that kind of rub me in not so good way, is Hey Little Song Bird implied that Hades and Eurydice slept together? I am seeing a lot of interpretation and it genuinely confused the hell out of me asdfghk

Hi! Well, tbf it's a tricky question, but the short answer is that Hadestown suggests that something might have happened behind closed doors. The rest is up to audience and actor's interpretation.

For example, Anaïs Mitchell often mentions in Working On a Song that in early workshops she often went with the idea that Hades cheats and pretty regularly even though these affairs mean nothing to him since the only person he loves is Persephone. It even had a cut song:

In her early drafts/productions of Hadestown you can often get the vibe that from her point of view it doesn't matter as much because they are eternal beings and love each other since the world began so does it even matter for them?

However, by NYTW this story line was cut apart from Persephone's line in How Long:

"I don't mind if you look at other girls, now and then"

"The girl means nothing to me"

"I know"

Plus the staging in NYTW Papers and Hades' protective peacock behavior with Eurydice around Orpheus in the scene also gives you a thought that they might have had an affair? Plus some bits like the fact that she has a line in Why We Build a Wall and her words "But don't you see? That's different with me!" - "Different than who? They thought they were different too!" Could also be interpreted as Hades suggesting some special conditions by granting her a role of a romantic interest. Whether the interest is real or not and did he use it or not is again up to your interpretation of NYTW Hades. He is more of a morally dubious guy (as all ht Hades are) so it's more up to you to either believe he would have cheated to put Persephone in her place or would just use showing off Eurydice as a brutal way to get Persephone's interest.

As for Broadway, I think it's still suggested and you can find profs in the lyrics but I think that they are what they are - suggestive and leave you to interprete it whichever way you feel comfortable. I think the biggest suggestion remains in Flowers with the line:

'I trembled when he laid me out

"You won’t feel a thing," he said, "when you go down"'

Which kinda can have a death meaning and sex meaning, tbf someone could have written a good article on how those topics are connected in Hadestown. So here, again chose one of the two or both.

But again, Broadway also changed the lyrics in How Long and the whole staging in Papers so it's less suggestive.

My personal opinion based on Broadway production is that it all depends on how the actor plays it and whether you believe this particular Hades is the type to sleep with Eurydice to get Persephone's attention and prove he is still attractive or he is more of a person who doesn't care about having the affair and his only goal is to get Persephone to react somehow by composing such a messed up hurtful plan. Personally, I prefer the second option maybe because I'm a pussy or maybe because I see Hades (whom I mostly base on Patrick Page ht Broadway previews) like a person who is desperate to get Persephone's attention in such a radical way like a cat pushing objects from your table to see your reaction. He wants to be stopped, he wants any reaction from Persephone. He even touches her by the shoulder before going into the office like "Look!! Look! I'm absolutely totally leaving! To cheat! See! Hey come on! I'll even take off my tie to show that I'm serious! Don't you wanna stop me???". Seems kinda way too extra to me. Like he could have just gotten to the office after parading a pretty girl in front of her and it would be understood that it's for an affair. But he takes so much time to make sure she understands that he can find himself someone when all he wants is for her to come back to him with open arms. I'm not sure he has the guts to actually damage his relationship to an irreversible degree (considering Broadway Hades is never stated as a cheater before the Eurydice sub-plot). Like it's one thing to take a mortal before her time and parade her in front of your wife (because what is a mortal life after all?) as a "replacement" and it's the other way to actually cheat on her and deal with the fact that she might never forgive him again if it is a deal-breaker for her considering they seem to be true to each other for all these years.

One interesting thing to note here as well is how Hades actors play the reaction to Persephone's line in How Long:

"He has the kind if love that you and I once had"

Because his instant reaction is "OH SHIT once had?? Does she think I don't love her still?? OH SHIT I BROUGHT THE GIRL THIS IS WHY SHE MIGHT THINK THAT", so he answers to that:

"The girl means nothing to me!"

Depending on the actor and she show the line sounds either scared, confused, angry, undignified etc. So it's once again up to you to interprete why he reacts this way: is he angry because she suggested he would actually cheated on her? Is he angry because she called him out on that affair? Is he confused and scared because she thinks he doesn't love her anymore because of his foolish decision to tease her in such a cruel way?

That's up to you.

P.S. I think one of the most interesting studies of the subject and Hades' character that I've read in a fic for that matter was the Songbird chapter of Winters Nigh and Summers O're. You can check it out, but I will warn you that it's probably one of the heaviest chapters of that fic in the emotional sense and it has explicit parts (don't worry, nothing bad happens to Eurydice. Well...apart from dying, I guess), so check out the warnings if you decide to read it.

[fahbev]

Babs, Bruce and Danny in my dpxdc merfolk au!!!

argh, plz excuse the poorly edited photo lmao- lost a lot of detail TvT

Babs has her info Here. But this is her design! I’m not actually entirely sure if any of these designs are final, i might tweak them, but here she is! I gave her necklaces.

Bruce is based on a leatherback sea turtle! The spots aren’t actually super accurate to a leatherback’s underside, but if you look at it a little harder... you may find a fun little easter egg. It’s subtle... or at least i tried to make it that way. (If people don’t get it i’ll explain in a rb lol) Did you know that leatherback sea turtles can be up to 880 pounds? Idk what that is in metric but that’s roughly 7 and a half Bahfevs. They’re also much more triangular/less round than other turtles, so I reflected that in his design. And ofc, Bruce and Damian are both sea turtles bc they’re related. But they’re different sea turtle species so it doesn’t make much sense. Who gives a flip. What’s Talia, you ask? To that I say: 🤷‍♀️

(Side note: apparently, I’ve conditioned myself so I can’t draw nuetral expressions. It’s gotta have some emotion or else it looks wrong, and it feels natural to always have something going on there. So... drawing Stoic McStoicface here was a pain in the penis. He kinda has an expression anyway lol)

Danny is based on a ghost knife fish! I’ll be honest, i didn’t even know these existed until I looked up “ghost fish” in the hopes of finding something thematic. But then... omg! They’re black with little white accents? Like Danny’s design? And they have cool, funky bodies? AND they produce electricity!?? That’s so FKING COOL! I’ll have to do more research, but so far i’m pretty sure they don’t produce enough electricity to hurt someone. They are related to electric eels though! I first learned that electric eels were knife fish and not true eels when I was researching the moray eel for Duke. Funny how that connects!

Danny’s story under the cut!

Heehoo!

Okay so basically: Danny went diving to gather pearls because he wanted to make his parents happy/proud. While he was diving, His foot got caught in a rock and he couldn’t get it out. He panicked and he begged— to who? God, maybe? The universe, or the ocean? Maybe just begging fate or any higher power that could be out there, he doesn’t know. His only prayer was “Don’t let me drown!”. Unbeknownst to him, one of the pearls he’d grabbed was a magic, wish granting pearl. They’re rare enough that humans don’t even have legends of them... but the merfolk do ;).

The pearl took his very non-specific wish and decided to give him a tail and gills. He swam back up in a panic, and saw his new tail. Of course, this is a very horrifying thing to happen. But in less than a minute... it was already starting to dry off. As it dried, it turned back into skin.

Now, Danny has to be extremely careful not to get his legs or hair wet when he’s near people, because he’ll turn back into a merboy.

i... probably should have given him a shirt? He’d be wearing it, right? But i also did need to see what I was doing with that fin thing lol. I mean, a shirt would get annoying with that fin- he’d probably take it off. Tbh he’d probably have it off when swimming in general? Idk.

So: funny thing that happened when I was drawing Danny:

A first grader came up to me while I had it open on my desk, and she was like:

“Oh my god, that’s so good! Like, how did you even draw that?”

so I was like: “Oh thank you! ❤️”

And I think she asked again “How did you even draw that?”

so I was a little confused on how to answer, so I said:

“Well, I used my pencil...” and held up my pencil—

and then she got distracted by a spinny chair.

She’s so precious omg 🥰

[lestatslestits]

i would love to hear about your 24 copies of the wind in the willows if you feel like talking about it

Anon, I don't think you understand how much I want to talk about this.

I'll start by saying, this order may or may not be a bit confusing, mostly because I'm attempting to group editions together in a way that makes some sort of sense.

Roughly, I'll group them as follows:

Annotated Editions

Vintage Editions

Mass Market Paperbacks

Other Paperbacks*

Small Hardcover Editions*

Other Hardcover Editions*

*Not including editions shown previously

Finally, this will not include abridged editions, retellings, or books that adapt small segments of the text

This is going to be a long post. There will be photos. I'm putting the rest under a cut!

Annotated Editions

I own three separate annotated editions

The Annotated Wind in the Willows, annotated by Annie Gauger

The Wind in the Willows: An Annotated Edition, annotated by Seth Lerer

The Annotated Wind in the Willows: For Adults and Sensible Children (Or Possibly, for Children and Sensible Adults), annotated by GMW Wemyss and Markham Shaw Pyle

These account for a total of six copies, because I have doubles of each of these editions so that I have a "clean" copy and one where I can write my own notes. Currently, I've only managed to add my notes to the Gauger edition. Here's an example of my personal notes (forgive my handwriting, I was having issues with my pen)

The Gauger edition uses illustrations from multiple illustrators, as well as historic photographs. Additionally, this edition has segments on Grahame's life, including copies of the Dearest Mouse letters (the letters that Grahame wrote to his son, Alastair, which eventually formed the basis for Wind in the Willows). The Lerer edition used Ernest Shepard's illustrations, and the GMW Wemyss/Markham Shaw Pyle edition is un-illustrated.

As an aside, I purchased the other two online, but the Gauger edition (well, one of them) was a gift from a dear friend.

Vintage Editions

These copies were all printed prior to the mid 1960s.

This is my most fragile copy. It was printed in 1926, by Metheun (the original British publishers of The Wind in the Willows). I got this edition online from someone who didn't quite seem to know what it was (the listing mentioned J.M. Barrie as the author). I know very little about this edition, but there is an inscription inside that reads "To Jacky, from Elspeth - 1926." This gets a little interesting because Elspeth was the name of Kenneth Grahame's wife, and she was very much alive in 1926. Will I ever know if this edition was given to someone by the Elspeth? Probably not. Examples of her handwriting that I've been able to track down have been very minimal. But it's certainly an interesting thing to daydream about!

I own two (non-annotated) copies with Ernest Shepard's illustrations. Both of these were published in the early 1960s. The first one you see is an ex-library copy that I bought at a Friends of the Library book sale. It was described as being from the first edition with color illustrations, which is hilarious because 1) the illustrations are not colored in this edition and 2) there were at least two other illustrators prior to Ernest Shepard whose illustrations were in color. I nearly ended up in an argument with an elderly lady over this, but I bought it anyways.

The other does have several colored illustrations, which are lovely (originally, Shepard's illustrations were black and white, but later some full color illustrations were added. In my experience, you see the full color illustrations much less regularly). I got this edition online because, at the time, I did not have a Shepard edition.

Ernest Shepard is better known as the illustrator for the Winnie the Pooh stories by A.A. Milne.

The copyright date on this Thrushwood edition is listed as the being from the 1910s, but the inscription is from 1948. I love to purchase copies with inscriptions (or even just the scribbles of kids) inside. This is another edition that I purchased online.

As a note, this edition is illustrated, but I did forget to take a picture of the illustrations. My apologies!

This is another edition from the 1960s. This is my newest (to me) edition, which I purchased online. It was illustrated by Arthur Rackham. This edition has by far the loveliest inscription I've seen (and is the primary reason I bought the book).

My dear Susie, If you like this story one half as much as I do, it will still be your favorite book. Merry Christmas kid. Love, Karen

Mass Market Paperbacks

These are some mass market editions I've acquired over the years. Most of these were purchased from used bookstores, although the Dell Yearling Classic edition was a gift from a friend. The Tor edition has by far one of my favorite blurbs ever.

They're just strange little guys!

Other Paperbacks

This is an edition that I bought online. This particular edition is illustrated by Patrick Benson, who also illustrated the series The Willows and Beyond by William Horwood. This edition has an introduction by Horwood as well, so they definitely feel like a set.

This is a fun one! It's an Illustrate Your Own edition. I bought this one new for obvious reasons. I have doodled in it a bit, but I'll spare you my own drawings.

I got this edition last year from the Strand Bookstore in New York City. This was my first trip to NYC and I looked for The Wind in the Willows in every book store I visited! This cover is one of my favorites: it appears embroidered on the front, and on the inside of the cover you get the messy "back side" of the embroidery. This is such a fun edition and one I had wanted for a while before I found it in a store!

Small Hardcover Editions

I got the top two editions from used bookstores, and they don't have any major illustrations in them. The edition on the bottom came from Barnes and Noble, and it features Nancy Bernhardt's illustrations. Bernhardt was an early illustrator (pre-Shepard!), and her illustrations were very unique (and often a little strange). I prefer her smaller black and white drawings throughout the book, but the full color illustrations are fascinating!

Other Hardcover Editions

And finally, here are some of my very favorites. These are all hardcover editions that I find particularly beautiful.

This edition was illustrated by Grahame Baker-Smith. I love the classic feeling of the cover. There are smaller sepia-toned illustrations, as well as some absolutely unique full color illustrations like the one pictured above. It's one of my favorite illustrations in the book, and one of my favorite illustrations of the chapter "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn." I would kill for a print of this particular illustration. I got this edition at a local bookstore that is no longer in business.

This edition was illustrated by Robert Ingpen, and it's the first edition I really fell in love with. I'm actually not always a fan of illustrators who draw Rat as very mouse-like (more on that below), but Ingpen's illustrations are so beautiful and feel so rich and warm. In particular, Ingpen probably has my favorite illustrations of Badger. I believe this was the first edition that I purchased! (I don't have an exciting story for how I purchased this one, it honestly came from Amazon because I had been given a gift card).

And finally, this edition is illustrated by Chris Dunn. I got this one through a Kickstarter that I funded. I had been dreaming of an English language edition with Dunn's illustrations for years, you have no idea how excited I was when this Kickstarter was launched. Dunn's illustrations are so unique because he is one of the only illustrators who very clearly and distinctly illustrates Rat as a water vole. Although Ratty is called The Water Rat throughout the text, he's actually a water vole, and that often gets lost in modern contexts. Dunn's illustrations are absolute favorites of mine, and this edition is so extremely special to me. It's massive and absolutely gorgeous.

And that's it! I own a LOT of books related to The Wind in the Willows (including a first edition of First Whisper of The Wind in the Willows, a book created by Elspeth Grahame after her husband's death). But going over ALL of my Wind in the Willows collection would make this post even more impossibly long than it already is.

Thanks so much for the ask! I hope you enjoyed this tour and that it's not completely overwhelming or boring.

[daisiesonafield-blog]

Your trusty Venice anon here! Just walked out of the first screening so there will be some spoilers ahead. Let me start by saying that applause was very tepid, and what I found odd is that it started several seconds after the title card, like someone remembered that we were supposed to applaud. Not a great sign.

Outside, what I mostly heard was confusion. People asking each other what the ending was and just going over some plot points that were confusing. I saw one girl vehemently go after Olivia and calling her a fake feminist, and one guy commented “the normies are going to love it” which I found very funny. Also lots of people commenting on Harry’s accent and him being British in the film, and mocking how that is explained in the story.

Now, my two cents on the film. It LOOKS great, starts out sleek and compelling, but then it folds onto itself and the last act is just very weak in my opinion. Lots of plot holes and things that aren’t really explained properly. Also Alice’s descent into madness is kind of repetitive and the pacing is off in the middle half. Poor Florence carries the whole damn thing and it pains me to say that one of the weakest things about the film is Harry. He is not bad per say but just somehow blank? I don’t know how to explain it but it’s like his alien charm doesn’t translate well? It’s like he’s out of focus (not literally of course) and his character is just sort of blank when it really should be the center of it all. Also, his look for the “real life” scenes is really something, the internet is going to go nuts. In general, i feel like his star power is much less than what anyone anticipated, and is completely wiped out by Florence’s. Just one last thing even though I might think of more stuff later on, those notorious sex scenes are among the least sexy I’ve seen. Not sure if it’s because that is clearly the first time that man has had his head or his hands between a woman’s legs or because their chemistry is a bit off, but they feel rushed and performative, like they were put there just to be able to say they are. Come to think of it, the whole film kind of feels like that.

Dear lovely Venice anon!

Thank you for coming back! Apologies for taking so long to post these, timezones and all.

Honestly, what Olivia has been trying to portray this movie as, and what this movie is actually like are entirely different things. I think she is so full of herself, and so obsessed with sex, making everything "sexy", and pushing that dated "edgy" 2000s over sexualization of women, that she is unable to actually go beyond it to explain her own movie. Her narrative for promotion is entirely disconnected from what she is actually promoting.

About the alleged sex scene she was denied to include in the trailer: I think she was lying. Again, to continue her disconnected sex campaign. Everyone who saw the test screenings of the movie said that the only 2 sex scenes are the ones that *are* in the trailer. There is no additional sex scene that didn't get to be in the trailer. She lied in order to push her sex campaign and be edgy. That was her whole point in that interview. Saying that society are puritans and don't want to see female pleasure or women enjoying sex. And she proved her point by bringing up this non-existent sex scene that's not even in the final cut of the movie. All of this, again, has nothing to do with the movie. It's just the only thing her brain thinks of at all times.

I'm sad that Harry may be getting the worst of it in reviews. I hope critics and the public can see the poor direction he got from Olivia, and how that translated into this "blank" performance next to Florence's.

Also, Olivia was there? I thought she would only be at the later screening? Who called her a fake feminist? A fan, a journalist or rando person?

Thank you so much for coming back and telling us your experience! If you have more details, please do let us know!