#that until like last year I didn’t understand shapes and forms

[cherrysnax]

actually one last thing. when I was like 16-20 I thought I was soooo cool for being able to draw faces without guidelines and it’s like. Bud. Buddy. Broski. the characters eyes are so far apart you couldn’t even tell they’re on the same face

[beenbaanbuun]

cock warming w/jongho

words - 🫣

genre - fluff, nsfw

warnings - cockwarming, dom!jongho, sub!reader, kind of non-sexual intimacy (cockwarming but not necessarily horny), a single spank, praise, guidance, it’s just very cute

you cant convince me that jongho doesn’t absolutely love cockwarming. like there’s just something about the intimacy of it that really gets him going. mix that with the casual dominance of it all - him pinning you down with a strong arm, spanking your thigh if you begin to grow restless, mumbling sweet nothings into your ear as you lay your chest against his in a dizzy haze - and he’s going practically insane.

it’s movie night, just you and him, and for some unknown reason he decided to use that feature of netflix that picks a random film for you

of course, after 4 or 5 tries, it lands on nothing good (because it never does) and the two of you decide to settle for whatever random film it decided on

it starts off with you two making fun of the poor editing and direction of the film, picking at all the plot holes until you were both giggling incessantly

that little game lasted a while, but it didn’t take long for it to become boring and the two of you were plunged into a comfortable silence once more

until, of course, a sex scene!

in the grand scheme of things, it had no relation to the film whatsoever and was quite frankly incredibly poorly made

like you don’t know who those moans were coming from, but they didn’t match up with the mouths of either of the actors

but just as you were about to make fun of it to jongho, you noticed a little something of his lap

well, more like a big something, and you couldn’t help but gasp

“this is making you hard?” you scrutinise, eyes narrowing as you pull them away from the tent in his pants to instead look at his face

you expected him to be embarrassed or ashamed, but he wore a stoic expression as he shushed you

again, you gasped and sat up from the position you were in, leant up against him

“first you get hard to the worst sex scene i’ve ever seen, then you shush me?” you scoffed, “just say you hate me, next time.”

you watched as he rolled his eyes, finally tearing his gaze away from the screen to look at you

“i’ve been hard for the last 20 minutes,” he grumbled, “you just didn’t notice so i didn’t say anything.”

oh… that’s weird

it’s not like you’d been doing anything to try and make him hard, and it’s not like the film had even been remotely sexy in any way shape or form

like you’d understand if you were lay there in lingerie, but you were in what you described as your ‘grannie nightie’, curled up against him like you would be on any other night

you frowned

“well, why are you hard?” you asked

“am i not allowed to be?” he replied

it was a fair response, but you still wanted answers

“well there has to be a reason…” you mumbled

“i’m sorry, why don’t you just call the erection police?” his voice was dripping in sarcasm, “hello? 911? yeah, i was being cute around my boyfriend and now he’s hard. come arrest him please!”

at this point the film was just background noise as the two of you went back and forth bickering about his penis of all things…

“wait, your erection is because of me?” you cock your head to the side in confusion

again, your pyjamas were hardly the sexiest thing in the world, unless you’re an 80 year old man and this is the most thigh you’ve seen in years

but jongho wasn’t 80, and he saw your thighs on a daily basis

fuck, he saw a lot more than thigh on most days

“well who else would’ve caused it?” he glanced between you and the screen, “you can’t seriously believe this shit show made me hard?”

“oh,” you mumbled

“yeah, oh…” he rolled his eyes

and you thought that was it for a moment before his hands were on you and you were being tugged onto his lap like you were nothing more than a rag doll

you squeaked in surprise as his strong arms pinned you to his lap, erection digging into your thigh

you squirmed, but the look he gave you quickly stopped you in your tracks

“you want to know why i’m hard?” he mumbled into your ear, a soft smile gracing his lips

he looked so innocent, and you would’ve believed it if it weren’t for the obvious

you nodded

“you’re just too cute, baby,” he chuckled deeply into your ear, the sound heading immediately south, slicking you up a little, “in your cute little nightie, making your cute little comments. sue me for being attracted to you…”

“but that’s not…” you trailed off, “i’m not being sexy, am i?”

“you don’t have to be, baby,” he cooed, “you don’t have to make yourself sexy for me to want you. i want you just as much now as i would any other day.”

“so you want to fuck me because i’m not sexy?”

he scoffed, “i want to be close to you, baby. it’s not the same.”

it sounded the same to you, but still you nodded as if you understood

“want me to take a seat?” you grounded down once and he groaned

his eyes rolled back into his head in pleasure, but just as you were about to do it again he stopped you

“not if you’re not going to be a good girl and sit still for me,” you barely registered the sound of the slap until the stinging sensation spread though your thigh a moment later, “i said i didn’t want to fuck you, and here you are grinding on my dick like you can’t understand basic instructions!”

you stilled at his comment, a frown forming on your face

now you really didn’t get it…

he seemed to notice your sudden change in demeanour and sighed

“i don’t want to fuck you, but that doesn’t mean i don’t want to be inside of you,” he explained slowly, desperate to make you understand, “i just want you to be around me, sweetheart. no expectations, i just want to be close to you.”

oh…

you supposed that made a little sense

with a slightly less confused look, you nodded

you didn’t move though

you misunderstood him before, now you wanted him to guide you through it so you didn’t get it wrong again

luckily for you, jongho took more than a little pride in telling you what to do

it boosted his ego, and he couldn’t deny how sweet you looked when you followed his every instruction

so he gave you a sweet smile before setting his hands on your waist

“straddle me, baby.”

his hands never left your sides as you followed his directions

“good girl,” he praised, making you puff your chest out a little with pride, “now i need you to pull my bottoms down, hm?”

and you did it, because jongho was right - you were his good girl!

you reached your hands down and shuffled back a little to give his dick enough room to spring free

and when it did spring free, you couldn’t help but sit in awe of how pretty it was

you’d seen it before, but you were still shocked at how perfect it was every time you saw it

a decent size lengthwise, but thicker than most

a pretty pink tip that leaked pearlescent precum in little droplets

jongho chuckled

“you done staring, or do you want to take a picture?” your eyes widened and your gaze shot up to his face again.

he wore a wide smirk as you mumbled an apology

“it’s okay, sweetheart,” his thumbs rubbed circles over your sides, “now, can you slip your panties to the side for me? i want you to sit on me…”

and again, you did as he asked because you were good and you wanted to behave for him

so your fingers slid south and pushed the thin cotton to the side (ignoring the way you had to peel them away from your gooey wetness) and you shuffled forwards until your core was hovering above his cock

you slid down slowly, the stretch almost painful but not quite

it took a moment for you to bottom out, his tip snug against your cervix and your thighs resting against his own

the temptation to start bouncing was certainly there, but at the risk of no longer being his good girl, you decided not to

not that you could anyway, not when he brought his arms around you, pinning you to his chest and holding you there like it was just any regular cuddle on any regular day

like his dick wasn’t resting heavily inside of you

like you weren’t so close to disobeying and seeking out your own pleasure

a big hand came up to the back of your head to hold it against his shoulder, fingers lacing themselves in your hair and giving it gentle, rhythmic tugs like he always did when you needed to chill a little

his fingernails scratched against your scalp in a way that was so soothing, it seemed to turn your whole body to jelly

and suddenly, the horny tension that laced itself up within you dissipated like it was never there

well, it wasn’t completely gone - you still had your boyfriends dick in you, after all - but it was duller, more manageable

you moaned as you relaxed into his warmth that surrounded you from every angle possible, and he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle

“do you get it now, honey?” he whispered into your ear, “do you understand what i mean when i say i want you close?”

you just nod

“oh, you’re so precious, baby,” he gave you a particularly tight squeeze with his thick arms, “so good for me, hm? letting me hold you close like this. i expected it to take you longer to settle down, but you’re such a good girl, right? shouldn’t have doubted you, baby…”

his words made your mind cloud over as you sank into the praise that he spoon fed to you

you just lay there with your head on his shoulder, staring up at him like he was your entire universe, eating up every single word he said to you

“love you, bear,” you mumble into his neck

he chuckled

“love you too, honey.”

[onlyhereforthestories]

All It Takes Is A Bet (Alexia Putellas x Reader)

A fic from me finally! Well a normal fic. Sometimes writing is an escape for me and that last fic was just that. This one is more what I normally write and i have enjoyed writing it. To the person that requested it thank you <3

You weren’t a hugger, but when you did hug someone you knew that you made an impact. You had been told this fact not long into your teen years, a friend of yours had been dumped by a boy and you had given her the only comfort you knew people liked to receive. A hug. Which was a major shock to your friends group at the time because you had not once hugged any of them in the year you’d been friends. The friend that you hugged didn’t let go for a solid 5 minutes and was asked why by the rest of the group. She simply stated that you gave her the best hug she had ever had, even better than her own mothers.

That’s the interaction that started the constant in your life that was people doing whatever possible to receive a hug off you. For the most part you found it funny to see the desperation of some people to get something you didn’t really understand as being that wonderful, but it frustrated you a lot too. There was a reason you didn’t give out hugs unless they were needed, you found them to be vulnerable. And being vulnerable was not something you did in front of people, not unless you loved them.

This fact was highlighted even more when you joined Barcelona woman’s team. The girls there were different to everyone else, they had a constant need to be touching one another in some shape or form. They all respected your space and kept the touching to light brushes or piggy back celebrations only until the day you hugged Alexia for the first time.

It was the dying minutes of a league game, Barca needed to win to stay at the top of the table but your opponents were making it very difficult. You were all getting frustrated but no one more than Alexia. She always had felt that overall responsibility to be the one who changes the game and right now she was struggling to make anything happen, a fact you could see written all over her face every time you caught sight of it.

You were a forward by nature but today you were put in behind Jenni and had a bit more of a playmaker role and that’s just what you did a minute before the final whistle was being blown. You dropped in deeper than you had all game and picked up the ball from Mapi, as you turned you spotted Alexia making a straight run through the middle of the oppositions centre backs so you played a ball over the top which landed pretty much on the woman’s front foot. All Alexia had to do was control it with that first touch and slot it past the on rushing keeper, something she did with ease.

As soon as the ball hit the back of the net she was running at you, you had assisted a few goals for the Spanish superstar already but this one felt different, it felt important. So when she got close to you and jumped you did the unexpected and caught her, squeezing her in a tight hug that she stayed in for as long as was deemed acceptable for the middle of a game. The rest of the girls dog piling on top of you in celebration for not only the goal but the first hug you had given a member of the group.

The win was celebrated all together but that wasn’t the main talk of the dressing room, no the main talk was you hugging someone. Alexia found herself at the forefront of the questioning, most of them along the lines of what she had done for you to get the extra treatment.

You saved your captain from the questioning by telling the girls they could all get one hug on their birthday. This seemed to pull the teams mind away from questioning the hug that happened to who was going to get the next hug off you.

That was the first of many hugs you would go on to share with the woman everyone called their captain, a fact that both annoyed and excited some of your friends on the team. Each and every hug you shared with Alexia in front of them was spoken about and questioned, the teasing going unnoticed by the two of you. You remember after one hug Alexia had told them that your hugs were the best and that’s why she kept going back for more which had ended up with you running away from a mob of women football players all threatening you with a drowning if they didn’t get to know what it was like to hug you.

“Come on y/n, when are you going to admit that you either love La Reina or give us all more than one hug a year on our birthdays?” The tone of Mapi’s voice was both teasing and whiny, giving away the fact that she was very much hating and loving the conversation she had started.

“I will be doing neither of these things. I don’t hug people unless its needed and I don’t do feelings.” You went back to the porridge you had in front of you whilst the other women around the table shared a silent conversation.

“Okay how about this then.” Leila had a smirk on her face so you knew that whatever came next was going to be interesting in some way or another, never the less you nodded for her to continue when you realised she was waiting for the go ahead. “If you can refrain from hugging Alexia for the next week we will believe you don’t have feelings for her and stop asking for hugs from you all the time.” This had you confused, surely this was to easy. It wasn’t like you were actually in love with the woman they were talking about. Were you.

“You have a deal.” In your head this was the easiest win of the week, you don’t do hugs so having to have even less of them can’t be a bad thing.

Your thoughts on the bet changed by the end of the day, after a pretty successful weight session where you felt like everything moved really well, you sat down for lunch. Sitting at a table full of empty seats was your first error. By the time your chicken had cooled down enough for you to take a bite, the rowdy crew had joined your once silent table.

Claudia was whispering to Patri and Mapi before she cleared her throat and directed her eyeline to your figure. “So, we have all been let in on your current bet, well all of us that care.” The woman glanced to the table full of the more mature players on the team, of which the closest to you, Sandra turned round and stuck her tongue out at Claudia in retaliation to the comment. “and we want you to know if you do hug the all mighty caitana of ours, what do we get?”

Your eyebrows rose up at this, you were not sure what they were getting at but you knew this would not end well for you. These woman who you cared a lot for, were all strong headed and would not let you get away with anything.

“I did not make this bet in the first place! I don’t not have to do anything with a loss here, which won’t happen because I don’t do feelings as I said.” The words fell on deaf ears, all the women around you just continued to look at you waiting for a better answer than that. Throwing your hands in the air slightly in a very off character show of silliness you spoke “Fine. If I fail, which I won’t I will add again, you can all get a hug each.”

The girls all shared a look with one another, communicating silently about the offer you have given them and whether they would get any better if they pushed. When Mapi turned to you with the smile you could only describe as mischievous, you knew they were happy with what you had offered.

Once the girls had all nodded and attempted to get you to shake on it, which you would not, they finally left you alone to eat your now cold food in peace. Well as much peace as you could get with the lot of them around you still making jokes and laughing about the silliest of things. Something that although you might complain about to them you would never take for granted, being part of this team and this group was always worth the slight inconvenience.

You were putting your plate away when you caught a glimpse of Alexia, the midfielder gave you a small smile before starting to walk towards you. You had started greeting each other with a small hug recently and that came to mind as she got closer. You could feel the eyes of some of the women on the table you just left on your back, you couldn’t hug all of them more. In a moment of sheer panic you turned on your heal and bolted out of the dining room before she could reach you, there was no way you could lose the bet but you also knew you would not be able to deny the beautiful woman her hug. Oh fuck you were in for a long week.

You made it to the stairs down to the pitch when Pina came running up to you with Patri hot on her heels, “That was real smooth and totally not a giveaway to the fact that you are so loosing this bet.” Before you could tap the back of the young players head, they were off back in the direction of the food hall.

You shook your head and started towards the field muttering under your breath about stupid bets with silly teammates and blue eyes so captivating they made your mind fog.

Alexia noticed a difference in you right away, you were not going near her and when you did you would link your fingers behind your back and avoid as much eye contact as you could. A complete change to the stage you had got to with the Spanish midfielder, and Alexia was pretty sure that the group of women giggling and whispering just over her shoulder had something to do with it. She made a mental note to get some information out of them after she spoke to you.

“Whatever is going on here we are talking about it Wednesday, we have dinner with Alba that you promised her you would be there. And as cute as you are all nervous, I do like seeing your eyes.” This got your attention and your head snapped to meet her face. You sheepishly smiled at her and nodded your agreement of what she had told you. You had promised the younger Putellas sister you would have dinner with them after Alba had hijacked a coffee morning of you and Alexia’s. When Alexia went to reach for your fiddling fingers your eyes widened and you hurried out a goodbye before running for the pitch to start training as a distraction.

You were so unsure about your feelings right now, you were so sure this would be easy but it wasn’t. You had never wanted to feel someone's touch before so desperately but you did now, All you wanted was to pull Alexia into you and not let go. God you were in deep.

The next few days at training were hard, between the constant teasing from the group of that you had now dubbed children and the avoiding as much contact or interactions as you could with Alexia in person, you were exhausted. What you didn’t know was that Alexia had managed to find out exactly why your mood towards her had changed, she had overheard Pina and Patri talking about the distance you had obviously put between you both and they were giggling like school girls about you losing the bet very soon.

She could see the toll it was having on you, the twitch in your fingers when she got close and the slight longing look in your eye when she caught it. Alexia decided it was time to step in and help if she could, she hated seeing you and not hugging you at the very least. She was going to talk to you alone and plan how to get through this, and maybe give you a hug to get you through if you didn’t think it was cheating. She was starting to understand that she felt stronger feelings than she had thought previously for you but she wasn’t going to put that on your plate just yet. It wasn’t the time and she didn’t want to lose what you had started to build. This plan of hers would require getting you alone without anyone knowing though which was not going to be an easy task. The girls were keeping both eyes on you at all times waiting for you to break.

Alexia’s only plan was to see you outside of football, that’s how she found herself outside your apartment door. She was nervous which was odd, she was here to help you out but it felt like more. It felt personal and private to be here alone, especially with how she has been feeling over the last month. Shaking that thought off she knocked softly and stepped back to give you some space when you opened the door.

You pulled the door open with a small confused frown on your face, you were just settling down to watch some old game footage for the evening and you weren’t expecting any visitors. Upon seeing the person behind the knock, your face changed into a small, shy smile and you didn’t even asked why she was there just opened the door wider and stepped to the side to allow her to come in.

Alexia whispered a small thank you as she walked past the doorway but what threw you off guard was the kiss she pressed ever so softly to your cheek as she passed you. It had you frozen with your door wide open and staring straight ahead of you. The sound of Alexia hanging her coat on the rack broke you out of your shock and you closed the door and lead her through to your small kitchen to get her a drink.

After getting two bottles of water from the fridge and handing one to the Spanish beauty, you lead her through to the front room to sit on the sofa. You wouldn’t lie to yourself, the itch to hug her was high. Since you laid eyes on her on the doorway to your apartment all you had wanted to do was hug her, be held by her, hold her. But you couldn’t, not if you wanted to keep to the less hugging you are used to, that you would like to continue just with the exception of her.

“Game footage?” Alexia’s smooth voice broke through the silence and caused you to look at her. Having her in your house was surreal, she looked even more beautiful sat in your environment. Your brain flashed to quiet mornings in, sipping coffee on your sofa with the woman cuddled with you speaking about anything and everything. Shaking your head to rid yourself of those unneeded thoughts, you tried to remember what Alexia had just asked.

“Oh yeah, it’s the final you guys won last year. The Copa de la Reina.” You had asked for the footage to see the style of play in which the women played in major tournament games, something you hadn’t seen yet in person. Jona had been more than happy to send it to you, seemingly excited about your thought process and enthusiasm.

“This was a good game, the girls played so well. We would have scored even more if you were there.” You could feel the flush creeping up your neck without your control. You were never one to take compliments well, you just didn’t know what to do or say when someone gave them to you, so you nodded and ducked your head so that the woman next to you couldn’t see what effect she had on you.

Alexia however could see the redness on your neck and it filled her with warmth and hope, hope that the conversation she is about to initiate with you will go the best way it can. It wasn’t a conversation she was planning on having with you today but she felt like it was the right time, that it was only fair to you that you know what she is feeling.

“You scored enough La Reina.” You had broken out of your shyness and gone down the teasing route. You even sent the woman next to you a small cheeky wink.

This took Alexia by surprise, you laughed at the shocked look on her face which snapped her out of it. Digging her fingers into your sides had you barking out a louder different laugh, the woman with you giggling along before taking mercy on you and stopping the movement of her fingers.

As you took a moment to calm your currently ragged breath, you looked up and noticed the position you and Alexia found yourself in. She had one hand behind your back on the sofa which meant she was leaning slightly over you, her hair falling over her face. A face that was only inches away from yours, a face that was smiling down at you and had a look in her eye you couldn’t quite place. Alexia reached up slightly and swept some of your hair behind your ear before doing the same with her own before she spoke.

“This wasn’t how I planned on telling you this but life sometimes works in weird and wonderful ways. I was going to talk to you about this today anyway but right now all I want to do is kiss you. Please can I kiss you?” Alexia held eye contact with you the whole time she spoke, it was only when she finished that her eyes dipped to your lips. You were at a loss for words no words could explain what you felt right now, but you knew you wanted to kiss her too so you nodded.

Not a second after your head had moved did you feel the soft press of the lips that the women you had been slowly falling for connect with yours. You both took a few minutes of soft sweet kisses to map out each other’s lips, both leaning back in whenever a break in the kiss happened neither wanting it to end. By the time Alexia pulled back, you found yourself laying under the older woman, her hands on either side of your head so you weren’t being crushed. You could feel your cheeks heating up once again when you thought about what you just did and what could come from this so you tugged her closer so you could hide in her neck.

Alexia shifted you both so you were laying sideways and she started running her hands through your hair. You had melted into her, snuggled under her chin and soaking up the calmness of the moment when your brain triggered. Pushing yourself backwards away from her you thumped to the ground, hard. “What are you doing y/n? Did you hurt yourself?” Alexia was leaning off the sofa looking over you. Your eyes were wide as you processed you lost the bet, you would now have to deal with the constant asks for hugs and they would know you liked Alexia. You were freaking out and Alexia could see it.

“Y/n carino?” She called you, she didn’t want to startle you but she needed to get through to you. “Miel?” The pet names were slipping out but she didn’t care she was just trying to get through to you. Deciding that her voice wasn’t going to help she got down and kneeled by you before cupping your face and brushing your cheek with her thumb. She saw the moment you come back to her, your eyes locked and yours welled up. “Hey it’s okay, can you tell me what’s got you upset? I’m sorry if I shocked you. I shouldn’t have forced you into that.”

That fully snapped you out of your current running thoughts, you never wanted her to think she did something wrong here. “No, no. You didn’t force me at all, I promise I wanted that just as much if not more than you did. It was more the cuddling after, I lost the bet.” You saw the relief wash over the brunette beauties face before you saw the smile take over and the laugh that bubbled up and out of her mouth. You were confused about what was funny about that but you weren’t complaining about hearing the woman’s sweet laughter.

Alexia composed herself before she explained, “Lo siento, it’s just that I kiss you and all you think about is losing a bet with the girls. You’re lucky I like you and know you because otherwise my pride would be incredibly hurt. And because I know you I know you are worrying about whatever they said you had to do if you lost the bet, but don’t worry about that because they don’t need to know you lost. You have 3 days left before you win and we both know I want you to win.” You blushed at the wink she sent your way as well as the words she spoke, she wanted you to win so maybe you hadn’t lost just yet.

Alexia held out her hand for you to take, which you did without hesitation, and when you grasped it she pulled you both back up onto the sofa and back into a similar position you were in before. This time your back was pressed into her front and she pressed a kiss to your hairline before pressing play on the footage and spending the evening talking the game through with you.

It was the final day of the bet and you, albeit through cheating, were finding not hugging Alexia easy. Yes that was only because you got to hug her outside of being with the team so not hugging her around them wasn’t really a concern to you anymore. The only problem is that the girls were getting suspicious, the longing looks and slight sadness that was you at the beginning of the week had disappeared and they had all noticed. Alexia pointed it out last night and had warned you that they would come at you today to try and win the bet they so really wanted to win.

The two of you had devised a plan that you were sure would catch the others off guard, not to mention prank them at the same time. Your only issue was you weren’t the best at putting things on like emotions so you just hoped the girls didn’t look too much into your facial expressions.

When you saw Leila backed by Patri and Pina on either side of her heading in your direction at training you almost bolted off the field, but they were there already and you bolting wouldn’t make you look any less suspicious anyway. You tried to look a little annoyed before they even started talking so they would get the hint you’d had enough with all this and you wouldn’t have to do the plan you put into place, but they didn’t and so it was time to put the plan into play.

“You’ve been too happy for a girl that has had no physical displays of affection with their major crush in almost a week. Well until today, you’ve got this miss grumpy pants expression on your face constantly.” You grunted at that, at least your slight annoyance about their presence was working in your favour.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” You decided the vague approach would be the best, you weren’t one for sharing your feelings normally anyway the girls usually had to prise it out of you and that was what they would have to do for this fake information too. But to put it on a bit more you dropped the sides of your mouth a little when you looked off and saw the Spanish beauty you hoped one day soon you would get to call yours. When you both were ready for that.

You saw Leila follow your eyeline and spot who had made your expression change, turning back to you she gave you a confused look before speaking again, “Why haven’t you spoken to her today, you are normally attached at the hip even though we’ve got this bet on. Has something happened?”

Now was your chance, you mustered up all the thoughts of sad kitten and puppies in the hope of bring at least a single tear to your eye. Blinking rapidly you felt a drop on your cheek and the shocked expression of your friends told you it had worked, and worked at the right time too because before they could ask what was happening or why you were sad training was resumed. Step 1 complete.

You avoided any and all interaction that wasn’t football based throughout all the training session and Alexia help her part of the plan by staying as far away from you as she could. You could tell that your plan was working because by the time you got changed and went to the food hall, all the girls who had a bet with you were huddled round a table whispering and glancing over their shoulders.

Step 2 was well into motion. You kept your head down and collected your food taking it to one of the tables as far into the corner as you could and made sure you had your back to the rest of the hall. When you heard the footfalls head your way you made sure to straighten your posture before grunting out a “What do you want?”

“I want you to come and sit with us like normal. I know you won't talk about what is wrong and I get that but don’t ignore us.” Leila had a point and you knew it. No matter the plan you didn’t want to upset your friends so you stood up and followed her knowing that this might mess up the plan.

When Alexia entered the food hall after her captains meeting, she was confused when she didn’t spot you at the table you said you'd be at. When she scanned the room and spotted you at your normal table she was slightly confused that makes the plan trickier. Deciding that this was obviously okay with you as you were there she went ahead with the plan with the slight change of location although she needed a few minutes to think of something to say now.

The original plan had been for you both to whisper random stuff in a heated way to make it look like you were arguing and then you to storm out but now Alexia actually had to think of words to say that weren’t going to hurt you.

You were listening quietly to a conversation Patri was having with Claudia when Alexia made her way over, you had seen her walk in a little while ago and thought maybe she was going to pull out of the prank plans you had because of your change of location but maybe not. When she reached you, you noticed the faraway look in her eye. You thought maybe she was detaching herself from what she was about to say.

“I need you to leave me alone y/n, I asked you yesterday for you to do this but you still tried to come near me at training. I’m your captain not your friend, I don’t want to be your friend.” You knew she didn’t mean it but you couldn’t help the pang of pain you felt from hearing her say this, at least getting up and leaving because you were upset wasn’t hard to fake. Because you didn’t.

“What the hell Ale?” “Jesus what’s wrong with you?” “She's done nothing to you.” Alexia was bombarded with angry teammates but she wanted nothing more than to run after you. She could have swarm she saw a tear leaving your eye as you got up which wasn’t part of the plan.

“She stopped whatever was happening between us, I liked her and she just stopped.” Alexia wanted to teach the girls a lesson still like planned so she said what you asked her to days ago when you made the plan. She looked around the group as their faces fell, each and every one of them at least had the decency to have guilty looks plastered across their faces.

“Oh god what have we done.” Leila was the first to speak and before Alexia could ask her what she meant, even if she already knew, Claudia was spilling the whole bet. Alexia listened to it all before she turned on her heels abruptly. “Idiotas” With that being said she left the hall in search of you.

Alexia found you in your safe spot, the pitch. You were laying in the centre circle staring up at the clouds that had just covered the sun, temporarily giving you a relief from the heat. She made her way over to you and laid next to you before snaking her fingers down your arm and slotting your hands together. She was incredibly relieved when you didn’t pull away, even let a small smile slip out when you squeezed her hand.

“You didn’t mean what you said right?” Your voice was small and insecure she could hear it. Alexia vowed to herself at that moment she would do all she could to make sure you never doubted how she felt for you from that moment on.

“Well maybe slightly…” Alexia was cut off when you attempted to sit up and pull your hand away, something she didn’t let you do. “No wait listen hermosa, I meant that I slightly meant it because I don’t just want to be your friend. I want to be your one, the one you feel safe with, the one that you call on bad days, the one that hopefully one day you come home to. I want you to be my girl.”

You could feel the tears slip down your cheeks as you pulled on the woman's hand to get her closer to you, just where you wanted her. “I was yours the moment you hugged me that first time.”

The smile you shared would be one you would remember for a long time, both of your building feelings shone in your eyes. You tugged a little harder on your joined hands and Alexia fell into you. You didn’t even give her a second to think before you connected your lips to hers. The two of you sat there on the training ground pitch sharing sweet kiss for a few minutes, soaking up the new development in your shared chapter.

When you pulled back to lay back down Alexia followed, she tucked her head into the crook of your neck and made herself comfortable against your side. She was just doing off in the comfort you made her feel when the scream came from the tunnel.

“Your hugging La Reina! We win. Y/n you better get rid of your girl because I want me promised hug.” Leila’s loud mouth really did project in the quiet of the almost empty field.

You bolted upright, grabbed your now girlfriends hand and shared a quick look before saying. “Run.”

[draeisgrayte]

Hot and Tasty| Kyojuro Rengoku

Synopsis: Your best friend introduces you to one of her friends since you’re introverted and don’t get out much. The two of you hit it off and come to find out, this new friend is a lot closer to your heart than you previously thought. 

Warning/contains: cam!boy rengoku, blowjob, mature content, mature language, oral sex, fem and male receiving, maybe a little crush, vibrator on male, slight angst

word count: 7.4K

a/n: i’m finally back, thank goodness. Finals week and then Tears of the Kingdom took over my life. This fic is a small idea I had thinking about Rengoku’s moobies. Like how nice would it be for him to stream with those? Fr, he’d be the type to not understand why he got all the hype. So I dedicate this fic to Kyojuro’s perfect pectorals. 

If there was one thing you knew about yourself, it was that you were a visual person. You learned better visually, vision was your favorite sense. You used it constantly in your line of work, watching how people interact with one another, shows, and how words could come together to form a story. You wrote and you were damn good at it. Though, books hadn’t been flying off the shelves as you had hoped. So you used your skills of being an introvert and lack of a care to create a streaming channel. Fans suddenly started flocking to you and your following grew and grew until it was apparent you could make some good money off of this. You could combine your passion with something you were good at and get paid for it. 

So yeah, visuals made you pretty happy. So happy that even when you touched yourself you couldn’t do so without watching someone else enjoy themselves. Though you couldn’t think about that right now because you were supposed to be meeting up with your close friend Kanroji. She had invited you out to lunch last night and who were you to decline the loveable best friend you’d had for many years now? She’d even offered to pay for your food since she knew times were a little tough for you at the moment. You couldn’t tell her that you’d had a drunk night and accidentally (on purpose) made a big donation to a streamer you watched often. She’d start to ask questions and those questions would lead down a harsh road of embarrassment for you. It’s then that you feel your phone buzz almost as if you’d summoned Kanroji.

Kan_deez_nutsfitinyourmouth 

Great news! A friend I haven’t seen in a while is going to meet us there. He told me he just got a huge bonus from work so he’ll treat us to lunch! I can’t wait for you both to meet each other! I hope this is okay. ~11:37am

You read over the text for a few moments before thinking about what Kanroji’s friend would look like. She had a multitude of friends and they came in all different shapes and sizes. Surprisingly she thought of you as her best friend, out of everyone she was friends with she chose you. It meant a lot to you and even though it was narcissistic, being favored by Kanroji Mitsuri made you feel better about yourself. What if she liked this other friend more? That was something you couldn’t let happen. You’d have to make sure Kanroji didn’t abandon you. This fear was probably irrational and you might need to see a therapist about it. You shrug it off and move off your plush bed. You needed to find something nice to wear because you couldn’t show up wearing the same outfit you’d been in for the last 3 days or so. This old friend had to know you meant business. You decide on a short green floral dress that has a stretchy bust to help contain the gravity sacks. The skirt of the dress fell nicely around your stomach and covered enough of your thighs that you didn’t feel super insecure about them. You once yourself over in the mirror leaning against your wall. You looked cute, cute enough to kill. Which you were willing to do if it meant keeping Kanroji to yourself. You slip into some comfortable off-brand white tennis shoes and glance at your phone for the time. It was nearly noon, you should probably start the short journey to the quaint restaurant. 

You arrive a little past noon and spot Kanroji seated near the window. Your eyes instantly track the man sitting across from her. He has long blonde hair with red tips. It falls past his shoulders in spiky waves. His shoulders are…incredibly broad, and muscular, and you find yourself staring at the lines of his muscles through his shirt for longer than you would like to admit. You move shyly toward the pair and before you can appear fully in front of them Kanroji notices you. Her face lights up with an excited smile as she waves you over.

“Y/n you made it!” She beams. The man slowly turns and then he abruptly stands up. You slightly jump at the sudden movement but watch as he bows his head and then extends his hand. You look between his massive hand and his bright red and yellow eyes. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you y/n, my name is Kyojuro.” His eyes seem to glow as he grins warmly at you. You take his hand in yours and shake it. A pull of electricity courses through you once your skin makes contact with his. He motions for you to sit next to him with a friendly smile. You accept only because he smelt like delicious food and maybe expensive cologne. He wore a fitted black tee paired with simple blue jeans. You don’t know how he did it, but somehow he looked incredibly good-looking. Maybe it was because he was just that good-looking. How the hell were you supposed to feel confident when you sat next to two beautiful people?

Rengoku was nervous. He’d never seen someone as effortlessly breathtaking as you. He’d never known love before, but he was starting to understand what the phrase love at first sight meant. You were meadows kissed by the sun. You were birds soaring in the sky. You were melodies played by a symphony. Kanroji should’ve warned him that you were more than his type, you were perfect. Rengoku sends a glare toward Kanroji, who smirks his look off and turns her attention to you. 

“So what have you been up to this fine morning y/n?” Kanroji inquires. You glance at the man next to you who doesn’t seem too interested in the conversation, so you decide to tell the truth. 

“Well, I woke up pretty late, but once I cooked myself a nice breakfast I was pretty pumped to get some work done.” You reply, fiddling with the skin on your thumb. Kyojuro peers at you with an inquisitive look. 

“What do you do for work?” He asks, his eyes searching your face like they’ll reveal the answer before your mouth does. You smile kindly and gesture to yourself. 

“I’m a self-published author who also likes to stream on Twitch for some extra cash.” His eyes light up like a fire. 

“I like to stream too.” He exclaims. You feel your heart soar. For a moment you thought Kyojuro would ask you the same line of questions everyone else seems to. When will you get a real job?

“Really? What platform do you stream on? Maybe I know it?” You quiz. Kyojuro quickly looks away from you. You furrow your brows and observe a red tinge to his ears. 

“It’s…pretty unheard of. I don’t think you’d know it…” He trails off. Why did the mood change so suddenly? Did you say something wrong? All you wanted to do was support Kyojuro since it felt like the two of you were becoming friends. Anxiety thrums in your chest. Maybe you weren’t as likeable as you had originally thought. Kanroji’s favor had gotten to your head. 

“Well, I have an idea.” Kanroji pipes up, breaking the silence you had inevitably created. You turn to look at her, who had been silent strangely for a while. “Why don’t you both exchange numbers and then Rengoku can send you some of his content when you get to know each other better.” She smiles slyly and Kyojuro shares a strange look with her. He presses his full lips together and lets out a short breath. She pulls out a pad of paper from her bag and passes it to you with a pink pen. “Write down your number. I’m sure Kyojuro will contact you as soon as possible.” She grins, but you can see the mischief in your friend’s green eyes. What was she planning? You scribble down your number and tear out the page it’s on. You hesitate for a moment before sliding it over to Rengoku. His eyes are trained on the piece of paper like it holds the world's secrets. 

“Thank you…” He mumbles softly. You nod your head and look away from him. 

“No problem.” You respond not sure what just happened. You hear Kanroji giggle and look up to find her covering her mouth in an attempt to stifle her laughter. “What is it now?” You ask, frustration dripping from your tone. This only fuels her laughter more. 

“You both are just so…” She shakes her head and gestures to you and Kyojuro. “So cute. We have to hang out more.” 

“We haven’t even ordered our food Mitsuri. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves” Rengoku glares at her. She gains a shit-eating grin on her face. You stare at the shoes you had slipped on, doubt that you should’ve even came today seeping into your thoughts. Did he not want to hang out with you again? He didn’t owe you anything, but did he have to make it so obvious that he wanted to never do this again?

“Well by all means let’s eat because I’m starving.” She grins and clasps her hands together. You peer up at Kanroji, observing her beautiful hair and sharp face. She was the type of girl that people stopped to stare at. You were always the glance, never the double-take. The small lunch ends with mainly Kyojuro and Kanroji catching up about what they’d been up to lately. You sat watching the two interact, mostly entranced with the way Rengoku’s smile seemingly brightened up the dim restaurant. You wished you could watch his mouth all day. The way he formed words was somehow sexy. His whole face expressing his emotions without a filter or care how others would react to him. Kyojuro was beautiful. A ray of warmth in your somewhat cold life. The time ticked by in an instant, and suddenly you were standing to leave. Kyojuro had left to pay for the food and you stood waiting for Kanroji to gather her things. “So, do you like him?” She suddenly blurts. Kanroji had a sixth sense of matching people together. It was like she was a matchmaker in her past life. She just had these feelings when two people would click together in the type of love you hear about in the fictional world. Your eyes widen at her blatant question. 

“I just met him.” You hiss, narrowing your eyes at the obvious answer. Kanroji on the other hand sighs loudly and rolls her eyes. You weren’t even sure if he liked meeting you. 

“Y/n, I’m not asking if you want to have his children, just a simple ‘Do you think he’s a cool person’? What are your opinions on him at this moment?” She restates. You flush and look away from her prying eyes. 

“I…I mean he’s really cool…” You mutter. You know Kanroji is smirking even without looking at her. You can’t seem to stop the confessions, even though you knew she’d tease you about it later. “I think his smile is the most attractive thing I’ve seen on someone, besides his obvious muscular body. He feels safe, which sounds weird because I’ve only just met him, but I think I’d grow to trust him.” You rant, embarrassed that your mouth won’t seem to close. Kanroji pats you on the shoulder and her sly smirk changes to a smile of compassion and understanding. 

“I’m really glad it seems you want to be friends with him. My little introvert is growing her social circle.” She wipes away a fake tear and you shove her slightly. Her mischievous glow comes back as she pushes you back. “So you do want to have his babies?” She teases. You’re about to object because even if you want to be friends with him that doesn’t mean he wants to be friends with you, but you feel a presence and you know exactly who it has to be.

“Who’s babies?” Kyojuro’s deep voice asks from behind you. Your whole body freezes and then goes warm. Kanroji on the other hand starts to laugh. At times like this, you really hated your best friend. 

“Doesn’t matter.” You grumble and push past the both of them. “I’m leaving.” You don’t wait for either of them, just walk out the door and start the short walk to your apartment. What were you thinking? You got too comfortable with something you didn’t even have. It’s not like Kyojuro would ever look at you like that. You were stupid and… and insecure. Stupidly insecure about your body. What Rengoku lacked in body fat you surely made up for. He probably wanted someone built like himself, able to keep up. You’d just end up slowing him down. You feel a cold coil of anxiety and sorrow wrap around your body. It’s then that someone runs up behind you. You turn around expecting it to be Mitsuri, but Rengoku stands there panting slightly. He was a sight to see. The dimming light of the evening made him glow like an ember. In a way he reminded you of the sunset; once he left you’d be all alone in the dark with only the light from your monitor illuminating your face. He searches your face for some sort of sign that you were displeased. He was worried he’d said something that offended you. He didn’t want to admit it, but he wanted to get to know you enough that you might consider becoming intimate with him. He’d never met someone like you and he was damned if he let you go now. 

“Did I say something wrong?” He finally asks. Might as well get to the point. There was no need to dance around what he wanted to ask you. You raise your brows and shake your head slowly. Why would he think that? Was he being serious? Never the less, it wasn’t him who had sent your emotions necessarily into a frenzy. It was the pushiness of your best friend. 

“No Kyojuro, Kanroji just takes her jokes too far sometimes. I shouldn’t have stormed out like that…” You sigh and press your lips together. Kyojuro’s face relaxes and you are blessed with another one of his smiles. 

“Yeah, I know what you mean. Can I say something weird?” He rubs the back of his neck and looks off to the side. You tilt your head and shrug, but you can’t help the nervous butterflies the creep up to your sternum. You want to shove them down and tell them there’s no place for them here, but you almost enjoy the way they make you feel.

“I don’t have a problem with whatever you want to say. Go ahead.” You reply. He clears his throat and your eyes meet. 

“I’m glad I got to meet you today. You seem really cool and I look forward to getting to know you better.” He mumbles shyly. You can’t help but swoon at the adorable tone of his voice. All your anxietys melt away and are replaced with a steadily beating heart and throbbing lower region. This man had such a hold on you after a few hours of being next to one another. Your face contorts into an idiotic grin.

“Me as well.” You pause and you notice your heart pounding in your chest. You can’t tell if you are nervous talking to someone you want to be friends with… or if it’s the easy attraction you have for him. You decide it’s probably a mixture of both. You also decide to be bold. “Make sure to text me, I want to see your content sometime soon.” You bow your head and go to leave, but before you turn around you catch Rengoku’s face flushing a bright red. Hmm… what an interesting reaction. Maybe…just maybe you should give love another shot. If with anyone, surely Kyojuro would be an excellent choice. 

Kyojuro’s heart was nearly pounding out of his chest as you walked out of his view. He watched you until he couldn’t anymore. He stumbles toward the wall and braces himself against it. He attempts to catch his breath and places a hand over his heart. How was he supposed to show such an innocent person the type of content he made…? He couldn’t possibly share his deepest darkest secret with you. You would surely leave him behind if you learned of it. Maybe it was time for him to branch out into the gaming genre so he’d have something to show you. 

You got home around 5:30. It didn’t seem like you’d stayed out that long, but here you were nearly 5 hours later finally getting home. You’d somehow made a new friend. This was huge. A momentous occasion. You should celebrate. You look down at your phone and then remember the pounding of your heart earlier. You knew an excellent way to relieve some stress.

It’s not long before you’re in your room propped up on your bed. You grab your laptop from your bedside table and place it on a pillow in front of you. You type in the URL of one of your favorite sites. A horny smile curls the corners of your lips upwards as you search for one of your favored content creators. Yoro was a hunky man, with huge pecs. You could only imagine what they must feel like. His content was very straightforward, but he specialized in role-play, pillow talk, and was famous for his incredible whimpering. It…did things to a person. He always had his hair tied back into a low ponytail, so it had to be long. You wonder how much he’d beg for you if you pulled his hair…Needless to say, this man had you wrapped around his finger. If you ever got the chance to meet him… goodness you don’t even know what you’d do. Probably drop your pants to let the flood free. Yoro also wore a black mask and sometimes a black cap that he pulled over his eyes. It was a little disappointing that you couldn’t see his face, but the rest of him more than made up for it. His body was a work of art and you’d never seen a cock prettier than his. It had to be around 5 to 6 inches long and was so girthy. You wonder if he’d be able to fit inside you. In fact, he was the biggest expense in your life. He was the reason you had spent a lot of money when you were drunk. You had to be his number-one fan. Had to be. 

You pull up one of his recent videos and lean up against your headboard. Yoro’s setup was very simple; a view of his bed, which had deep red sheets on it, his gray walls, and a small view of his desk where he sat for Q and As at times. He starts off the video sitting at his desk and explaining that he’ll be trying out a new toy a fan had sent him. It was a small vibrator that could be wrapped around the penis. He looked excited from what you could tell and that made you horny for some reason. You shimmy out of your underwear and toss them on your floor. You spread your legs like you’re showing Yoro your pussy. He’s already strapped the toy onto his cock and has it turned on a low setting. 

“Fuck, this feels weird.” He chuckles in a deep voice. You bite down on your bottom lip as your fingers duck into your folds. “I’m going to turn it up higher.” He explains and presses the button a couple of times. You can hear the buzzing from here and your heart pounds with lust. You wanted to be there teasing him with the vibrator. Making him whimper and whine for you give him sweet release. Your eyes close slightly as you gaze at Yoro on your screen. His hair was tucked into his hat this time and you never desperately wished to see someone’s face as they were being pleasured as you do with his. Yoro doubles over on the bed and his legs start to shake. “Ngh. Fuck. It feels so good.” He whines. His eyes dart to look at the camera as he struggles to stay standing. You flutter your eyes closed as you massage your clit with your fingers. God this was so hot. “I think- ahh- close. I’m going to,” His breath shakes as he tries to talk. His muscular arm contracts as he grips the sheets of his bed. “F-fuck, holy shit.” He sputters out as cum spurts from his tip. You bite back a moan and fall off your climax with a shiver running up your spine. 

“Wow.” You pant as the video ends. Your eyes shut. You were worn out from everything you did today. Socializing and now this? You’d clean up tomorrow. Right now you were going to fall asleep. 

You wake up with a notification from an unknown number. You rub your eyes and read over what the number had said. 

‘Did you get home safe?’ 

It then clicks that this must be Kyojuro. You smile to yourself and save his name as apricot since that’s what his name and hair reminded you of. 

Yn

Yes, I got home safe and sound. I Fell asleep right after I got in the door.

Apricot

hahaha, did you fall asleep in the entryway?

Yn

Lmao, no I at least made it to my bed.

Apricot

damn, so I can’t bully you about being one of those people who sleep on the floor?

Yn

I’m afraid not 🙁

Apricot

dw, I’ll find something else to bully you about

Yn

jeez I thought we were friends, but now I find out you’re actually a horrible person

Apricot

yup, I’m a monster 👾

Yn

wtf emoji is that

Apricot

he’s a cute lil monster wdym?

Yn

oooh sure, ‘cute’

Apricot

>:( so now you’re bullying an inanimate object? Who’s the monster now? 

Yn

caught red-handed, I actually eat children in the night

Apricot

:0 how scandalous 

You shake your head and toss your phone to the side of your bed. How could one person be so damn adorable? You remember last night as your face flushes. You should probably clean up and then start planning out your next few streams. After donating nearly 1k to Yoro, you needed to pump out some streams to earn more money. 

Apricot

What’s your favorite color?

You bite your lip and think for a beat before typing a response. 

Yn

I’m partial to greens and pinks, but I can’t lie and exclude reds and purples 🙂

Apricot

I like red too, it was my mother’s favortie color

Yn

Is she…?

Apricot

Yeah…it happened when I was young so I’m mostly over it

Yn

You don’t have to be over it Kyojuro, grief doesn’t have a deadline

Rengoku doesn’t respond quickly so you set your phone to the side of your desk. You’d put in a load of laundry and starting scheduling streams for next week while texting him. You’ve barely begun to move some items around in your plans when you hear your phone go off. 

Apricot

You’re right, my father was never the same after she died and I think he took it out on me. Maybe that’s why I’ve made some of the rash decisions because I wanted to live up to the disappointment he thought I was. It didn’t help that my little brother watched as our father beat me down with his words nearly every day. That’s why I’m working so hard, so I can provide a better life for my brother…and for my father.

You stare at the message, tears threatening to spill from the corners of your eyes. The thought of anyone thinking Kyojuro Rengoku was a disappointment was practically unthinkable to you, and you just met him yesterday. You feel angry, sad, and sadistically happy that he felt comfortable enough to tell you this. 

Yn

Firstly, I want to tell you thank you for sharing. That was incredibly brave of you. 

Then there’s what you said, Kyojuro I don’t think you could ever be a disappointment. You’re a product of what happened to you and the environment that was pushed upon you. You grew up damn well, you’re kind, funny, and intelligent. Grief effect people in the strangest ways, I’m just sorry your father got the short end, I can’t imagine how it must of been for all of you. Your father lost the love of his life and you lost a mother. I hope you and your father can make up. 

Apricot

I will fight my whole life if it means I can see him. That’s what love is. Thanks for listening to my rambling. Sorry if I overwhelmed you with the sad boy vibes. 

Yn

No no no, it’s nice to know you’re human. When I met you yesterday I was convinced you were some sort of God

Your face flushes as you boldly send the last text. You flip your phone over and ignore the buzzing. You had to get back to work anyway. 

Rengoku was curious what you meant, but for some reason you weren’t reading his messages. He sighs loudly and presses his lips together. You were too cute for your own good. The beast inside of his chest was throbbing. Then there was the aching in the confines of his pants. He was a gentleman, but you were making him think of ungodly things to do to you. How cute your face would look high on pleasure, cumming for the 100th time for him. You’d be such a good fucking girl for him. Opening up your sweet legs and exposing your cunt for him to taste. You’d be absolutely delicious. Thats when he notices a text back from you.

Yn

I never thought I’d see a sunrise and sunset simultaneously. That’s what it’s like being with you. Is that weird? You’re a very warm person lmao

I feel like that’s weird.

Ignore that.

Kyojuro, don’t get the wrong idea

Fuck

He can’t possibly contain his smile. Delicious. 

It’s been about 3 months since you initially met Kyojuro Rengoku. The two of you had been messaging back and forth nearly everyday, hanging out occasionally, and it was apparent how attracted you were to him. He was intoxicatingly charming over text and when you’d see him in person his smile would wrap your body in a warm coat of giddiness. No longer were you controlled by the cold hands of anxiety. Rengoku’s presence and persisting nature made you realize that you simply shouldn’t give a fuck. You’re you and that’s priceless. Kanroji was ecstatic when you first told her Rengoku asked you to hang out alone. She was convinced you were in love with him, which… probably wasn’t far from the truth. You knew so much about him, but the one thing you were still curious about was the content he made. One part of you felt like it was too late to bring up that topic, but the other part was dying to know if he played games or was more of a talking streamer. What type of things did he do to entertain his viewers? As if summoning him a text message buzzes from him on your phone screen.

Apricot

You wanna come over and chill tonight? I got that new movie you were asking about 😎

Yn

Ahh sick, yeah I can be there by 4

Is that good?

I could come earlier but I have some work to finish up before I can make it

Apricot

Yeah that should work

I do have some things I’ll need to finish up in my office though, so if you’re fine just chilling by yourself for like an hour or so until I’m finished then we should be all set

Yn

Hell yeah man, I’ll take a nap on your comfortable ass couch

Apricot

Just don’t drool on my poor pillows like last time 🙁

Yn

Yeah sure, or I could just not come over

Apricot

FINE, at least hide the massive puddle from me instead of showing me like some proud child who just drew on my walls 😭😭😭😭

Yn

Sorry you give off daddy energy 🤷‍♀️

Apricot

It’s my daddy issues rubbing off on me 🚩😭

Yn

🚩🚩🚩🚩 problem child alert 

Apricot

Hey! You have no idea how evil Senjuro can be. He may look cute, but he uses that against you

Yn

Sounds like a child is able to outsmart you 

Apricot

Just hurry up and get your ass over here 

Yn

Yes sir 🙄

You grin to yourself and those happy butterflies fill your chest yet again. Over the past few months you’d gotten used to the wishy washy way they made you feel. Kind of like you were sinking through a cloud, but a big hunky man would catch you when you fell through. It’d been a while since you masturbated to Yoro since you mostly thought about Kyojuro now. In a way you felt bad, but not too much. You hum happily to yourself and finish up the last minute touches to a cover you were working on. You shut down your computer and glance at what you were wearing in your mirror. Oversized gray sweats and a knit blue tank with a heather gray cardigan loosely covering your shoulders. You looked incredibly sexy. A large grin overtakes your face as you make your way to leave for Kyojuro’s, who happens to live a small jaunt north of you. 

Rengoku paces nervously waiting for you to arrive. Tonight was the night he wanted to tell you that from the beginning he thought you were the most attractive person he’d ever met. How he would say that without sounding creepy…? He didn’t know. He just hoped you’d take it as a compliment. His breath was short and for a moment he thought he might pass out. He feels his phone buzz in his pocket and instantly reaches for it. When he realizes it’s a call from his manager he furrows his brows. He hesitantly answers. 

“Yoro, listen, I need you to stream sometime tonight. Views of your colleagues are down to I need you to fill in the donation gaps.” Before he can argue the phone goes silent. His eyes darken and he throws his phone against the couch. He’d planned on editing some videos, but now he had to stream by contract. 

“Fucking hell.” He curses lowly and clenches his fist. 

You arrive within 10 minutes of leaving, the wonderful air making you in an even better mood. Your smile hadn’t left your lips since your conversation with Kyojuro. You take the elevator and knock on his door around 4:33pm. He opens it briskly, his blonde and red hair in a mess around his face. His chin is scruffy and he wears a loose fitted white shirt with black sweats. He looks amazingly sexy. 

“Hello Kyojuro,” You sing and step into his apartment. You wander over to his plush couch and flop down into the cushions. “Don’t mind me, I’ll be here watching some videos while you busy yourself with important secretive content things.” You tease. Little beknownst to you this stikes a nerve in Rengoku. He grits his teeth together and stalks past you. 

“Just stay quiet. I’m going to lock the door.” He quips sternly, barley looking at you. You furrow your brows and watch as he stomps into the office and closes the door. You listen for the click of the lock but it never comes. 

“Who peed in his cheerios?” You whisper to yourself and sigh loudly. His grumpy demenour had certainly put a damper on your mood, but you were too excited to take another nap on his couch to really care. You were sure when you woke up he’d be back to his bright and cheery self. Not long after you lay your head down you fall asleep. 

Rengoku is in your dream, but so is Yoro. They’re both looking at each other and then Rengoku is shirtless and you don’t really care about Yoro anymore. 

You awaken from what seemed like a short dream to a loud noise coming from Kyojuro’s office. You grunt in response, upset that the real Kyojuro probably won’t become shirtless. Your eyes slowly adjust to light and you stretch out your legs and arms while making a silent screeching noise. Not sure why stretches felt so good while making a noise, but it had to be scientifically proven. You should probably check on Kyojuro. You glance at your phone and realize you’d been asleep for nearly an hour. How long does it take to become shirtless? You roll your eyes and smack your dry lips. You stand and stretch one more time before wandering over to the office door. You grab hold of the knob and knock softly.

“Kyojuro?” You whisper hesitantly and twist the knob. The door slowly opens into the office, or what you thought was the office. Your eyes first land on the bed over to the left of the room covered in red sheets. Your eyes flick to the gray walls and then to Kyojuro, who’s eyes are widely looking into yours. It’s then you realize this Kyojuro is in fact shirtless. And pantless. Dick out. Mask on. Hair tucked into a hat. Yoro. The man you touched yourself to and would do anything to fuck. Shame for watching Kyojuro’s content without his consent rushed through you for a moment. It wasn’t like you had purposefully sought out what he posted, but happened upon it before you even knew each other. As long as you never told him you were a fan, things would work out. You wanted to keep this between the both of you for as long as you could. You notice the camera flashing and scoot back toward the door, eyes still trained on the magnificent body in front of you. A wash of overwhelming feelings crash into you, but for the sake of whatever the fuck was happening, you stayed calm. 

“Sorry guys, my cat almost knocked over a plant.” Kyojuro laughs and turns back to his audience. You notice the vibrator strapped to his dick again and the hunger you had tried to keep calm all this time nearly bubbles out. You’d definitely have to talk this out later, but right now you didn’t want to leave the room. You observe him glance at you a couple of times, but he’s trying so hard to keep his cool. He must think you’re in shock. Appalled. Grossed out. Nope. You’re just really fucking horny. It’s taking all your being to not jump him in front of his camera right now. Everything seemingly clicks into place. Why he got so weird at the restaurant. He didn’t want to tell you he was a cam boy. Why he never shared his content with you. Why he was always so secretive with his office and planning. He also happened to be the one streamer you would do anything for. Which meant in a way you were double horny for him? Maybe after he was done you could convince him to give you a private show? Or was that weird? Maybe that was weird. No harm in asking though. “Yes yoroslut the donations are hooked up to the vibrator. If you send a certain amount it correlates with a certain power setting on it.” He smiles as he replies to a comment. Your heart beats faster in your chest as you watch the live show. You could have some fun with this…

You pull out your phone and notice Kyojuro tense. You smirk and sit down on the ground, back against the wall. He furrows his brows as he watches you, obviously confused on what’s happening. You pull up his stream on your phone and lick your lips with anticipation. You click the donation button and the small gift option. After a couple seconds a low buzzing can be heard from Kyojuro. He tenses and his eyes widen as he realizes what you’re doing. His cock stiffens and you can feel your pussy throb hungrily. He’s trying to pay attention to the stream in front of him, but you were distracting. You donate a medium gift. Louder buzzing and Kyojuro lets out a breathy moan, eyes trained on you. He was searching your face, his muscles tensed because of you. His chest is heaving and you enjoy the way his cock twitches because of the donations you’re sending. Next was the large gift. Incredibly loud buzzing fills the room and Kyojuro doubles over gripping his desk. He whimpers and it cracks into a loud moan. You can hear his breathing from where you sit on his floor. The buzzing continues and Kyojuro starts to shake, his muscles flexing like crazy as he tries to contain himself. You read some of the comments flying by. 

Great show. This is so hot!

This is why Yoro is my favorite!

So glad you decided to stream tonight!

Rengoku is letting out soft moans and his eyes squeeze shut. You can’t handle the hunger building in your chest and pussy so you crawl over on all fours to his chair. He’s already scooted out pretty far from trying to contain himself, so crawling under the desk is a simple task. Once you’re there you peer up at him. His blazing eyes meet yours and from the way he’s breathing you can tell he’s close to climaxing. 

“I want you to be a good boy and cum in my mouth.” You whisper ever so lightly. His eyes widen slightly but then they flutter shut and he gives you the tiniest nod. You rip off the vibrator from his throbbing and twitching cock. You wrap your hand around him, but since he’s so girthy your hand barley covers any space. You work him as best you can nevertheless. Kyojuro grunts softly and he tries to look back at the comments. You like the way his dick feels in your hand, theres a slight curve at the tip that helps him not slip out of your handjob. 

“I-I like,” He groans and his eyes shut again. “I enjoy ramen.” He pants. He must be answering a comment. It’s time for the finishing move. You smirk to yourself, even though you’re a little nervous. You were having fun now, but what about later when everyone had their clothes on and it got serious? You push those thoughts to the back of your head and kiss Kyojuro’s tip and make eye contact with him. You smooch it again and his body visibly shudders. You then take him in your mouth, lips curling around his length. “F-fuck.” He curses and you hear him hit the desk above you. “Sorry guys, I-I-I,” His eyes roll back into his head and without finishing you hear the end of the steam noise. You still bob your head up and down his cock. You can feel him tensing in your mouth. He tears off his mask and hat, watching you suck his pretty cock. He runs a hand through his hair and leans back in his chair, letting out a low rumbling moan. You hum against his dick and his hand is suddenly in your hair, tangled with the soft locks. He pulls your mouth off him and stares at you, breathless. “What the fuck are you doing princess?” He growls. The angry look on his face tells you that you should be scared, but the fact he called you princess in that tone makes you squirm with excitement. 

“Reciting the declaration of independence.” You reply like a smartass. Kyojuro looks you up and down, spit dripping down your chin and a bit of his precum smeared under your lip. You glance down at his erection and then meet his gaze again. “Are you going to let me continue…or?” You trail off moving closer to him on your knees. Kyojuro’s last bit of humanity is thrown out the window as he can smell your delicious scent. 

“No.” He replies in a raspy voice. You tilt your head as he stands from his chair and flops down on the bed. “Come over here y/n” He commands. Your eyes widen and heat crawls all over your body. Rengoku lays on the bed, putting a pillow underneath his head. His eyes track you as you slowly rise to your feet. You sheepishly drop the cardigan and step out of your sweats. Your tank top is easy to slip off over your head and your sports bra comes off with it. You then slowly shimmy out of your underwear. Rengoku’s eyes flit over every inch of your body. He looks away before glancing back. Taking a double take. You feel your whole body warm. “Now get over here princess.” His usual fiery eyes are dark and hungry. With the way your needy cunt pulses, you don’t waste any time. You crawl up on the bed with him and slowly start to position yourself over his chest. His eyes practically eat you up as you scoot a little closer. “Come on my love, you need to be on top for me to use my mouth.” He coos. You nervously bite your lip and sit down on his face. His nose to your clit and he doesn’t miss this oppurtunity to be smothered by your thick thighs. The tip of his nose rubbing against your clit and a soft moan slipping from your mouth. Before you have any time to react his tongue slips between your folds. A surprised yelp comes from your mouth as he continues to explore you with his tongue. It swirls against your clit, prodding the sensative spot like it was something stuck in his teeth he was trying to get out with his tongue. You try to find friction against his nose, biting your lip to contain your moans. Your breath becomes heavy and labored as Rengoku fucks you with his long tongue. You bring your finger to your mouth and bite down. 

“Ah, Kyojuro, oh my god.” You murmured. Your words must motivate him to not let up on nudging your clit with his nose and lapping up your juices. “F-fuck, ungh, yes, right t-there.” You can feel the pressure of an orgasm building in the pit of your stomach. You feel like you’re seeing stars as he continues. Your hands are suddenly tangled in his hair holding him to your pussy. Your legs start to jerk as you ride out the shockwaves of your orgasm. You let out a howling moan, finally not holding back the sounds you wanted to make. You slide off his face and flop down on next to him. Kyojuro pants and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He licks the juices off his hand and maintains eye contact with you. 

“Fucking tasty. Best thing I've ever ate.” He pants, looking you up and down. “Don’t hold back those beautiful noises from me my love.” A boyish grin replaces the serious look on his face as he props himself up on his elbow. “So I guess you know what I do for a living now.” His cheeks are red and your heart pounds in your chest. Yeah and you were his top donator. “I hope you don’t mind, I mean it seems like you didn’t because…you know…we…” He glances away and bites his bottom lip. “What I’m trying to say is…what are you thinking right now?” His eyes meet yours again looking for an answer.

What were you supposed to say? You knew about him before so the shock of finding out that Yoro and Kyojuro were the same person hadn’t phased you. What was bothering you was Rengoku finding out that you were a fan of his. You feel like that would cause problems between the both of you and all you wanted was to be able to fuck him as you pleased. Hell, maybe you’d even start to date. You didn’t know, but him figuring out that you’d watched him before wouldn’t be good news. 

“I think we should continue where we left off.” 

Yeah, this was for the best. 

[neddea]

Some days ago I made this post with some concept art, so here’s a little bit more info about my No Man’s Land! (Disclaimer about the details below the cut: I’m just an artist and in no way, shape or form a scientist, even less so an astrophysicist, so the chances of some of this info being wrong or dubious are very high lol)

Just as a little bit of context, Kepler-47 is an actual “solar system” with two host stars. We’ve been able to find three planets so far, and the outermost (47c) lies in the habitable zone. All three of them are gas giants (or rather “puffy giants” since they’re surprisingly not very dense and temperate).

I’m not gonna give too many details about the real 47c, I’ll leave that for the long post I’m working on (if I ever get to actually publish it, let’s be honest), but the only thing to keep in mind is that Nomans would be a moon orbiting this planet. Also, I decided that people would shorten “No Man’s Land” to “Nomans” overtime, which is the name I’m gonna be using. The question is: how do we call the people living there? Nomanians?

So here are the main points of my design!

-I’ve given 47c several other moons because I wanted it to match the canon as much as I could, and I think it might even help the stability of the orbits if they’re in a specific resonance? Idk, maybe an actual astrophysicist could give me some advice on this (please do)

-The interesting bit about trying to make it match the canon is that I had to make Nomans tidally locked to 47c just to have an excuse for why we never see the big planet on the sky. The idea would be that most of the Seeds ships crashed into the outer face of the moon, and since the other side, the one that’s always looking at 47c, has more extreme conditions precisely because of the influence of the host planet on it, not many people have ventured too much into these lands. At least until now…

-Speaking of the other moons, which one would be the best candidate for the Fifth Moon incident? (Spoiler alert for Maximum and ‘98: Knives forces Vash to use his Angel Arm and he ends up firing at the fifth moon, which leaves its surface marked with a big crater) We have two options: It could be one of the outer moons (the ones whose orbit is beyond that of Nomans) since those are the ones more likely to be present in the visible sky; or it could be Moon II, whose regolith would be launched into space from the blast and form the rings…

-The surface gravity is almost identical to ours here on Earth, although slightly lighter (9.66 m/s^2 compared to 9.8 m/s^2).

-Nomans is somewhat bigger than Mars but smaller than Earth.

-One day lasts for almost 27 hours, and one year would take almost 270 Nomanian days (I swear this was a coincidence). Also, a fun fact on which I’m basing the calendar system (still working on that): it takes 6.6 days for the two stars to orbit around each other. People probably noticed this and were like “Sure, that’s the seven days of the week if you ask me”, probably so that they didn’t have to figure out everything from scratch (I’d do the same). It would be fun to see different cities and places to develop their own weird and wonderful systems (not me spending several hours yesterday to understand all the Maya calendars and wondering what they would come up with in this alien planet moon…).

-And speaking about time, here’s a visual explanation on how the times of day work on the side facing 47c! I realized the other day that at noon the light would probably be tinted slightly red (or some other color, depending on the elements found on 47c’s atmosphere), just like it happens on our Moon when there’s a lunar eclipse. Please make as if you didn’t know this and let’s move on. Also, as a Spaniard I have the right to declare noon time in this part of the world the Sacred Siesta Period.

(Also, shout out to @norageonlypancakes because my main inspiration for these BGs is Chesley Bonestell, he was The Space Artist™️ of the 20th century and inspired so many people to become space nerds or even scientists!) (Also x2, thank you everyone for the lovely comments and tags on the previous post <3)

[hapi-transformers-enthusiast]

A Soldier, Nothing More.

The first part of an Ultra Magnus x Human Reader fic I'm writing. I know it's short, but I felt like that last sentence was good to cut it on. I hope you all enjoy it!

WARNING: This is a work of fiction, and not affiliated with Hasbro in any way, shape, or form. This work contains no NSFW, but one mention of Lust as an emotion. Reader discretion is advised.

Ultra Magnus was, first and foremost, a soldier. That was the one thing he did best. Made as a heavy transport frame, and immediately shuffled into the military by the caste system on Cybertron, he was literally groomed to be a commander. Everything he had ever been taught, he learned in the Military. Was that a good thing? Absolutely not. Ultra Magnus knew that such an upbringing stunted his social skills; He knew that people disliked him because of his rigid, authoritative nature, burnt into him by millennia of military experience. He knew that he was an outlier; A man of order and procedure, surrounded by freedom-loving wildcards who longed for an open society. He too longed for that open society - after all, that was what he’d been fighting for, for almost 4 million years now - He just didn’t know how to operate in such a world. A world without need for a rigid outline, without any desire for one.

When you, a college-aged, short-lived human being were placed under his protection, he didn’t complain. Unlike the other bots, he didn’t think of it as babysiting: Because you were an adult. A grown person, fully capable of making your own decisions. You were here because you knew of their existence, and that alone put you in danger; That was all. Sure, every now and again you’d make a bad decision, and he’d chide you for that, but he was nowhere near as strict on you as he was with the Autobots, because you aren’t his soldier. You’re a civilian, and that’s how he thinks of you. A citizen in need of protection.

However, things started changing after only a few months of being with you. Somehow, with that sweet smile you’d always give him when he’d pick you up from work, and the way you encouraged him to keep trying to integrate himself in the family that Team Prime had become… you slid right through the metaphorical walls he’d built around his spark. He began looking forward to driving you to and from dierent places, or conversing with you about the many confusing things about human culture, and he didn’t even realize it until he caught himself talking about it with one of the other Autobots. He didn’t realize that he’d began to enjoy the simple feeling of your hands on the interior of his alt mode until you commented on how warm he got after you’d goen in one day. Things that he’d never even considered important before now were coming to the front of his processor, because they were things that you considered important. He just didn’t understand it.

At first, he contemplated visiting Ratchet and asking about such a feeling, wondering if it was something medical. Then he heard June talking about the way she felt when she met her rst husband – A raised temperature in his presence, a faster heartbeat, wanting to do things that he approved of, all of it – and he had a startling revelation. One for which he had to seek solitude in order to fully process.

Love.

It was something he’d never experienced before, and something he never thought he would experience. Not that he thought that he was somehow incapable of it, but rather that it was just one of the many things about civilian life that was on the boom of his priority list. He’d experienced comradery, friendships among his brothers and sisters in-arms that went deeper than simply ghting with one another… but never this sort of Love.

This particular feeling of trust and companionship, a desire to help and assist, and even Lust, all melded together into one, painfully intense feeling. He didn’t know what to make of it… so he didn’t.

For now, he believed that it’d be too dangerous to get involved with you. He was a soldier – someone who could die at any moment, or be called to battles that lasted for months at a time – and you deserved beer than that.

You deserved someone who was guaranteed to be able to stay.

And he wanted to give you what you deserved, and nothing less.

[secretsofblackthornhall]

Emma to Bruce

Dear Bruce,

Bruce, Bruce, Bruce. Will I keep writing to you when all these renovations are done? When things have returned to some form of normalcy? Or is normalcy over—is the crack in the Nephilim world one that can’t be healed but will only widen over time, with more and more changes, until finally there is too much change to bear? In which case I guess I will keep writing to you, Bruce, as a kind of silent witness to the strangeness of these times.

Sorry, sorry. I am feeling a little poetic tonight because Jem and Tessa and Kit and Mina arrived today and…well, that’s just kind of how Jem and Tessa talk. Being, you know. Way old. And because it feels like all this business with the cursed house is in its final chapters and I don’t have any idea how things are going to be after that.

In any event we didn’t do anything about the curse today, we just ended up visiting with the Carstairs-Herondales, who should definitely pick a shorter name we can use for them. Team Victorian Era? Team Time When Everything Was Very Romantic But It Took Forever To Get Anywhere? Hm. I guess I’ll ask them for ideas, since mine are, uh, bad.

There was some complication right when they arrived. We had picked out a couple of bedrooms for them to use and asked the brownies to make them up with sheets and towels and all that. And then we checked them before the guests arrived and I’m glad we did because the faeries had made up all the rooms for…birds? Like, for huge, person-sized birds. Big nests of sticks, six feet across, and branches to perch on. And big balls of birdseed hanging from the ceiling.  So we had to ask them to redo the rooms and the brownies looked so disappointed. (But we didn’t say the guests were birds! I have no idea why they thought that!) The worst part is they did a really nice job, like, if we were being visited by giant birds they would have been very comfortable. They still seemed puzzled when everyone did show up that Mina wasn’t a big egg. Faeries, man.

Speaking of Mina, who is not a big egg but rather a small toddler, she is extremely cute. She is walking now, or toddling, I guess, and she says “mama” and “dada” and also “kish” which apparently is what she calls Kit. And she has a little wooden toy stele that she is constantly trying to scribble on everyone with. Apparently Kit has been learning runes and Mina wants to learn them too.

We should have just gone straight into curse-breaking but to be honest we were just having a very nice time hanging out. Tessa and Jem are very easy to spend time with, which is nice given how high-strung most of our other friends are. I suppose once you’ve gone through all the stuff that has happened to them, it takes a lot to upset you. Just the way Jem talks about the curse makes me feel more reassured that we’ll be able to fix it, even though we don’t really know what we’re doing or what’s gone wrong so far.

They seem really impressed by the house, also, which makes Julian look all proud of himself in a highly adorable way. Tessa said the last time either of them were here was after Tatiana was arrested and sent to be an Iron Sister, and they were searching it for demon stuff. (Most of which, she admitted, they clearly didn’t find. It seems obvious from the way she talks that they didn’t understand how dangerous Tatiana really was until it was too late—I really want to ask her about that but it seemed a dark topic while we were all having a good time.) Jem said by that time it was already in pretty bad shape, but Tessa said she saw the house once “in its prime” at a ball, and then she blushed a little. Whatever happened during that ball must have been pretty impressive if she’s blushing about it 130 years later!

Of course there’s still that overall shroud of heavy memory that kind of hangs over the place, and no amount of new paint and replaced windows can help that. That’d be the curse, of course. Still, it felt cheerier this evening than it ever has before. For the first time I felt a little like it was our house and friends had come to visit and it was surprisingly nice and ordinary. As long as I don’t think about what’s going on with the Clave.

Also a concern: Kit. He was hanging out with us most of the day, but he was really quiet, for him, and a couple of times he excused himself to go take a walk in the garden. Julian said he thinks Kit broke up with his girlfriend and maybe he’s sad about that, but I don’t know. He was really jumpy whenever any of the builders were around, and kept a close eye on them anytime they were nearby. Round Tom introduced himself and Kit nodded, but he didn’t say his name or much of anything else. I mean, you can hardly blame him. His relationship to faeries, and Faerie itself, is complicated. According to Tessa, Cirenworth is very tightly warded against faerie incursions, and even the town and the roads nearby are protected. Magnus and Catarina made sure of it. So this would be one of the first times he’s been around faeries since the big battle outside Alicante; even though these faeries are safe, it must be weird for him.

But you know Kit. He has this aura about him like he doesn’t want to answer any questions about how he’s doing. Today he’s been out front, watching the faeries in the garden — it could be he’s worried about them, or maybe he wants to join them? I don’t know. Maybe Julian or I can get him to open up a little while he’s here. Or maybe I’ll get a moment to ask Jem or Tessa if they know what’s up.

Anyway, that’s all from me for now, Bruce. Tomorrow we break a curse! I hope!

Emma

[hemipenal-system]

based on a nightmare good dream i had last night, presented in an “x reader” form, here’s

Kaladus!

-the stereotypical “monster under the bed”

-bound to the owner of a stuffed animal that looks like a miniature, toonish version of him, transfers with ownership. said stuffed animal cannot be burned or destroyed with water, though can be torn apart.

-you got him as a kid and then got scared of the plush, so it’s just shoved in your closet. he was always very careful to not let you see him, he didn’t want to scare you any worse.

-he’s intimidating as hell: 8 feet tall/long, covered in soft, shiny black fur, 6 glowing golden eyes, long vaguely dinosaur-shaped head with folding teeth and a long, rough tongue, 6 foot spiked tail, six legs, each foot with three claws (front two have an extra thumb-claw). he smells like pine trees and smoke.

-he lives under your bed during the day unless he decides he has to keep you safe (very overprotective ��) and then he’ll follow you around. he can’t be that intimidating to most people though since only people who know him can perceive him without irrefutable evidence.

-you got used to coming home to a made bed and clean room for no explainable reason until you caught him doing it your senior year of high school and freaked out, understandably. you’d seen weirder, though, and it wasn’t that hard to accept.

-he comforts you through your insomnia, jumping up onto the bed and letting you cuddle his soft body. he likes curling his tail around you and nuzzling your neck (he can smell the blood in your veins, and it's comforting)

-he feeds on dreams, and he thinks your nightmares are absolutely delicious. it’s mutually beneficial, since you never remember them and wake up in his gentle claws.

-he’s very cuddly, and just enjoys being around you! when you’re doing homework in your dorm, he’ll curl up by your feet and put his head in your lap to scratch! he purrs when you do and you can feel it in your legs.

-you found out the "under your bed" thing is transferrable to whatever bed you're sleeping in: someone broke into your hotel room once, presumably with ill intent, and immediately got mauled and devoured for their efforts. You went to therapy for that one after seeing the blood caked around his mouth. He snuggled up to you after, distended belly pressing against you slightly.

-he enjoys running around your college campus at night. the sound his claws make against your brick building as he scales the wall to your fifth floor window haunts you.

-sometimes when you go to the store you can see little flashes of black in the corner of your eyes as you shop. he's very fast. it makes you smile because you know you're safe.

(thought the monsterfucker portion of tumblr would appreciate him)

[chickenoptyrx]

You do so right by z Broly, you understand his potential. Your au with him and Trunks is a delight

Glad we all appreciate my blatant misrepresentation of the character 😌 im partly joking but man fr, 12 year old me would hate that instead of him bein a badass edgy monster, I draw him as.. *checks notes* .. an immature loser with bad coping mechanisms uwu

Ok but in true ask tradition! :U im hijacking this ask to talk about a dumb theory thats been rolling around in my head for like 2 years now: android 16 and broly similarities:

Ok so. If you aren't aware. The android arc of dragon ball was originally going to focus on the androids 19 & 20 and trunks even names them specifically

But Toriyamas former editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, didn't like them as the main antagonists and so Toriyama changed it to focus on 17 & 18 as the bad guys and introduced 16 as a sort of mystery

Now. This gets almost completely dropped once that same former editor ALSO doesn't like these androids and cell becomes the main villian for the arc (yeah yeah, the bomb thing is technically *there*, but its so inconsequential most people forget its even a thing :T )

So. Idk exactly when movie 8 went into production, but we know Brolys LSSJ form was inspired by trunks SSJ grade3 form that appears several chapters after cell has been introduced and the androids have become power-up fodder, so im gonna argue its safe to say the decision to move away from their story had been made

(side tangent that I find absolutely hilarious btw- despite gokus commentary in the HTC, SSJ grade 3 was the strongest form of ssj we saw at this point, so its pretty appropriate to use it as the basis of the strongest scariest ssj form.... rrriiiiiiiiggght up until toriyama introduced SSJ2 on Feb 2, 1993- near exactly 1 month before the first Broly movie hit theaters. Completely undermined what, up til then, looked like a trend in stronger form = bigger and beefier right as the big beefy strongest guy ever movie came out 🤣 absolutely love it!)

So anyways. The movies overall also tend to have varying degrees of similarities with recent arcs in the show and Toriyama, while not overly involved, would give the studio designs and story notes. And. Idk. Yall can tell me im reaching if ya want, but: A guy who's made into a weapon by his father who's on a quest for revenge and has this conflicting view of his son as both someone he feels he failed to protect, someone he cares about, but also as a tool for that revenge, and someone who's destructive power hes become deeply afraid of.. now where have we seen somethin like that 🤔 may be an extra reach but I also think its neat that despite their different face shape, Toriyamas gave em the same expression

Lol they're also both just ridiculously tall bastards. Like for no gd reason. And yeah, to me atleast, it explains why hating goku specifically gets shoehorned into brolys backstory (listen I can absolutely do the mental gymnastics to make it make sense! I'm fine with it! Its fine! I actually like it! ... but it IS a dumb shoehorned plot point! Both things can be true D:< ) look just lookit these tall ass shits

Anyway. My last note is just this statement from Toriyama about 16 and Gero. The way gero is presented is really in line with how I see Paragus as this tragic failure of a father- honestly caring about his kid, but letting grief and revenge drive him into conflicting corners where he wants revenge FOR the life denied his son, but also actively shaping his son into such a terrifying weapon that ultimately hed rather his kid just never be conscious cause thats the 'only way to keep them safe'

“Dr. Gero’s son who died young a long time ago served as the visual model for Android 16. He was a high-ranking soldier for the Red Ribbon Army but was shot down by the enemy. Dr. Gero reserved special feelings for 16 as “his son,” and although he equipped 16 with immense power and a frightening destructive device, he didn’t want to see him be defeated on the battlefield and thus programmed him to have a gentle personality. 16 was consequently considered a failed creation.” The smaller caption below Toriyama’s quote reads: “Was the reason Dr. Gero didn’t want to activate 16 perhaps because of his parental love to not see him destroyed?”

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

Someone asked me lately about Elfhild, Théodred's mom, and I'm procrastinating from other things so I wrote a ficlet (600ish words) about her. The summary of my Elfhild HC is that she was a musician/maker of instruments who was chosen to marry Théoden. They did eventually fall in love, and she was thrilled to be pregnant. But toward the end of her pregnancy, she was given some foresight into her impending death in childbirth. So I wrote this about how things went for her after she had that premonition, which she didn’t share with anyone else. Anywho. Here it is, the impulsive product of procrastination from other things!

***************

Elfhild thought first to tell her son all the most important things he would need to know about his life. That duty would always have to come first, but he should take care to find a refuge from the burdens of that duty. That history and tradition were valuable, but he needn’t be afraid of trusting his own instincts. That he would face many challenges, but if he treated others with kindness, he would have many allies to help him. She rushed through her lessons, determined to give him all the wisdom she had about how to make his way in this world that he wasn’t yet part of.

As time grew short, she decided many of the most important lessons were ones he would need to learn on his own, and so she began to tell him instead about herself, sharing things he might not ever hear otherwise. The words to songs that she had written just for him. How gazing at the stars and picking out shapes and figures in the night sky brought her peace and calm after difficult days. That she was proud to have a skilled trade that could have supported her in comfort even if she hadn’t simply been passed from one noble family to another. That although she loved his father deeply and would choose Théoden now without hesitation, she still wished she had been given the choice back when it mattered most. 

The end came ever nearer, but she always had more yet to say. Even as she struggled with aching joints and sleepless nights and painfully stretched skin and a constant burning in her chest, she begged him to stay with her for just a little longer. To let her endure the discomfort so that she could finish telling him all the things she needed him to understand. That she was infinitely grateful for the months they had shared. That she loved him above all else. That she wouldn’t regret giving her life for his. That none of this was his fault. Even if he could never remember what she said, she hoped that he would somehow still know in his heart that she had said it. And so she kept talking, resting a hand gently where she guessed his head to be and praying that the sound of her voice would reach his little ears. She talked to him until she no longer had breath to form her words or fill her lungs or keep her life. 

It was nearly forty-two long years before she would be able to speak to him again, and still she regretted that it was so soon. She wanted more for him, and the news that he was expected shortly brought her joy and sadness in equal measure. 

She took up an anxious watch, uncertain how to recognize someone who had spent his entire existence beyond her view. Someone whose history and fate were yet a mystery to her. Someone who would now be a man, tall and strong and proud and so different from the glistening infant she had barely glimpsed through the haze of her final seconds of life. But when he came at last, she knew him in an instant by the easing of her heart. The feeling of wholeness again. And when she called his name and he turned in her direction, she saw the light of recognition in his eyes, too. I know your voice, he said. Somehow I’ve always known it. 

The sound of his own voice was deep and warm and so much like his father’s, and she wept to hear it for the very first time. And then she sat by his side, this beloved stranger who had once been a part of her, and she held his hand and smiled and listened while he told his mother all the most important things she would need to know about his life.

***************

So those are my Elfhild thoughts. If you've read my Théodred stories, you’ll see that huge parts of his character directly reflect the stuff Elfhild expresses to him here (in some cases, he literally echoes her almost word for word) because he really did hear her, even if he never could have articulated it as such.

[the-lady-amphitrite]

— DREAMS OF FOREVER | chapter 1

beneath that weeping willow

pairing: Avenger!Loki / f!Avenger!Reader word count: 2,980 summary: The “Can this be ours forever?” chapter in this chapter: fluff and softness, some stargazing, a smidge of anxiety/nervousness author notes: this was not a planned thing in any shape or form until like a week ago. i was hit with inspiration like lightning, and this story just kinda domino'd into my head. anyway this whole fic is also for @sarahscribbles's birthday celebration! since i only started this like a week ago, i haven't finished all of it, but i managed to incorporate all five fluff prompts into future chapters (still not sure how my brain managed that one). enjoy!

( read on ao3 | series masterlist )

In the waning early autumn heat, the breeze beneath the weeping willow is almost chilly in the encroaching night. You've been out here for probably much longer than you need to, but you need everything to be perfect before Loki arrives.

You take a breath, and then turn on the fairy lights that Tony helped you hang and weave into the weeping willow’s branches earlier. The lights bathe the area in a soft, enchanting gold, illuminating the space just as you imagined and hoped they would. You’ve laid out a rusty red blanket you’d rummaged out from Wanda’s closet beneath the canopy. On the blanket, you’ve spread out a simple but lovely picnic for tonight.

When you exhale, the tension that’s lived in your shoulders the entire week finally flees. Tonight’s date is the most important one you’ll ever have. If it wasn’t so important, you’d worry less about how everything looks.

But tonight is the night you plan to propose to your boyfriend.

It surprised you earlier to hear it’s something that many of the other Avengers have expected for a while. When Tony asked why he was helping you set this up instead of Loki, you’d barely choked out the request for his silence before you’d seen understanding dawn on his face. You’d breathed a sigh of relief when Tony quickly swore to you he wouldn’t tell Loki, one that only took off the edge of your nerves.

Then (in typical Tony fashion) he’d followed up his promise with a smirk as he said, “You know, we took bets after your anniversary last year about who would ask who, and how much longer it was gonna be before it happened.”

Tossing a new string of lights up to his armour so it could weave the lights around another branch, you’d been quiet for several moments. Your nerves rattled and fizzled around as the words tumbled around your mind. The fact your friends had a bet about when you and Loki would get engaged shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise to you as it was — you and Loki had been part of betting on Wanda and Vision’s future engagement a couple of years ago yourselves. It felt different this time though, knowing your friends all felt confident enough to take bets on your proposal.

Finally, you’d asked, “’When’? Not ‘if’?”

“If any of us had any questions on ‘if’ still, we lost them after your anniversary trip. I mean, the guy took you to meet that aunt of his while you were on Vanaheimr after all. Pretty serious stuff, introducing the two of you.”

You couldn’t really argue about that. Loki’s Aunt Fulla had been a gracious host for the hours you’d stopped by her home. It’d given you a glimpse at the Loki she had known as he grew up. The one who’d adored his mother, and learned to wield magic from her until it was as easy as breathing for him to use. Softer and shyer than the Loki you’ve known. It was a privilege to be allowed such a glimpse into the boy he’d been compared to the god he’s become. Thinking about that day still brings a smile to your face.

“Did anyone win?” you ask Tony, curious about who’d guessed correctly when they’d made their bets.

“Uh, a few people placed bets on you proposing first, yeah.”

When he didn’t elaborate, you started pestering him for names. It was futile though, which you should have known before you even started trying. When Tony wants to keep things to himself, he’s remarkably good at it.

You shake your head, dispelling the memory with a fond smile. Turning off the fairy lights, you let the darkness of the rapidly approaching twilight hour wash through your little haven once more. You blink, blinded by the sudden loss of illumination, but you move beneath the weeping willow with a familiarity born of hours that stretch into days spent beneath this tree.

All you can do now is wait for Loki to arrive. He’ll arrive soon; you'd asked Tony to send Loki out to you once he got back to the Compound, and you know Loki won’t leave you waiting for long. Knowing him, he’s itching to learn why you and Tony were gone for the last few hours.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

You hear his voice well before you hear his approach.

“Dove? Are you out here?” Loki’s voice calls out. You can already hear the smile he’s wearing, and the warmth that’s drenching every word he says to you. It's a familiar call, one he's made to you more times than you can count on your hands.

“I’m here,” you answer. You don’t turn on the fairy lights just yet, waiting for him to close the distance before you do.

You hold still as you wait for him to get closer, feeling the thundering of your heart and the shaking in your hands. After everything that the two of you have gone through to get to this moment, you have the brief thought that you shouldn’t be this nervous. The roots that nourish this love are strong now. When you can just begin to make him out in the moonless dark, you tap the button to turn on the fairy lights once more, letting the soft glow of lights reveal you as you stand just outside the branches.

You watch Loki come to a halt mid-step as he catches sight of you. Illuminated by the golden glow in your favourite long-sleeved dress, hands folded over the remote for the lights. He straightens quickly, hands tucked into the pockets of dark jeans. His dark green sweater is plain enough to make one assume it’s nothing fancy, but you know better. Loki’s taste for clothing runs towards finer, richer items because it’s what he knows and enjoy. His eyes sweep over you, taking in the sight of you in that affectionate, disbelieving way he so often does. Like you’re a constellation burning in the night sky that has captured his attention, and he’s studying it with the desire to memorise every shift in the way it glows before the universe collapses and it’s gone forever.

You let him approach at his own pace, watching how his eyes take in the sight of you. You can tell when he finally sees the picnic blanket you’d laid out with a beautiful arrangement of finger foods you both love. It’s in the way his eyes catch on something just to your left. Sandwiches, and fruits kabobs, and small charcuterie boards, and little juice boxes.

You watch the way he stops a few feet from you and swallows. He’s noticed that all the finger sandwiches on one platter are layered exactly how he prefers. How the fruit kabobs you made for him are full of cucumbers but sparse of strawberries. That the juice boxes are all fruity but lack anything with strawberries or grapes.

It’s in every curve of his face, how surprised you’ve made him feel tonight with this date that’s barely even begun. You’ve caught this god (who’s seen places, and things, and people you can barely imagine) off-guard with such small gestures of thoughtfulness for foods and drinks he truly enjoys. Like even after four years, he never expects you to pay enough attention to him to know these small preferences.

“Hi,” you say, breaking the silence.

Loki’s eyes come back to you, and he looks at you with a smile. He steps forward, closing the large gap between the two of you. Placing one hand on your hip, he says a soft, “Hello, darling,” before pressing a kiss to your cheek. You can’t help the smile that dances wide on you face at the gesture.

“I must say, this is quite the surprise,” Loki says, lips brushing the words against your skin.

“Do you like it?” you ask him, reaching out to wrap your arms around him. The hand on your hip moves, wrapping around to pull you close.

“It’s exquisite. Much as you are.” His face finds your neck, and he lets out a soft breath. Against your skin, he says, “I’ve missed you.”

“You saw me earlier,” you retort laying your head against him. You can feel the smile that dances on his lips, hear that amused little hum he loves to make.

“Yes. Plenty of time to miss the treasure of my heart,” he replies.

It elicits a soft laugh from you. One that promptly turns into a surprised squeal when he suddenly lifts you, his hands wrapped around the back of your thighs as he holds you aloft. You feel the flush that warms your cheeks as you look into Loki’s eyes. They twinkle with mischief and mirth as he carries you over to the picnic blanket, keeping you in his arms as he goes to sit.

His legs fold beneath with a careful elegance that you’re not sure anyone else could hope to replicate, setting the both of you down with barely a jostle. With a deft hand, he takes the remote for the fairy lights from you hand, tossing it into the open top of the picnic basket.

“What’s on my menu this evening?” Loki asks, settling his hands on your hips.

“Only the finest for my Crown Prince of Asgard,” you tell him. You gesture grandly with one hand to the various foods, then begin telling him all that you had gathered for tonight’s date. Your nerves start to settle some as you do, Loki’s attention focused on you and you alone in this moment.

When you’re done, he picks up one of the finger sandwiches that you’d made for yourself. He holds it up for you, and when you take a bite he smiles.

“Will there be dessert tonight, kærastan mín? Or will I need to wait until we return to the Compound?” he asks. The low, rumbling timber of his words give away their less-than-innocent meaning.

“Perhaps. You’ll just have to see, won’t you?” You grin at him, and then pluck the rest of the sandwich from between his fingers with your teeth.

The laugh he lets out at your words is cut off abruptly when your lips meet in a brief, searing kiss. For several long moments the world falls silent and still in your mind. Everything is this moment. Everything is him. And this is a moment that lasts and lasts, until soft lips part reluctantly. You could kiss him for eternity.

“I love you, kærastinn minn,” you tell him quietly. You’ve said those words so many times before, and you will happily say them a million times more if you can.

“As I love you,” he answers just as quietly, thumb sweeping slowly across your cheek. You’re content with this moment more than you can put into words.

In time you have to move from Loki’s lap, the position growing uncomfortable for you to remain in. You’re reluctant to leave your boyfriend’s hold though, and so you end up tucked against his side with your legs laid across his lap instead. Held close by the one you love so deeply as the two of you chatter and eat, your nerves about tonight ease more and more.

Tonight will be the night you ask him to be yours forever, you know that for certain. For now though, you just want to live in this blissfully comfortable moment. You’ll know when to ask him, somehow. You just know it.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

You’ve lost track of time tonight.

Too lost in the haze of love and laughter that settles over you beneath that weeping willow’s branches, you don't even really notice how quickly the time passes. On this moonless night, you've choose to enjoy your late night picnic with Loki rather than think about time. Food disappears in waves as the two of you speak, trading stories and thoughts until only crumbs are left.

You don’t recall how it happens, or who suggests it. All you remember is that at some point the fairy lights are turned off, and the picnic blanket is dragged from beneath the weeping willow so you could stargaze. Curled against Loki’s side, the god conjures a throw blanket to cover the both of you with. It encourages you to burrow against his side, sharing the warmth to help ward off the autumn nip. And in his hold, you listen to Loki tell you the stories of a few constellations once known to the Asgardians.

First, he regales you with the stories of the first Einherjar warrior, Vígi, and his many heroic deeds before his fall at the talons of a Múspellsheimr dragon. Then, he tells you about the vargablóm, a mythical flower with the power to lull even the most fiercesome of enemies to sleep. The final constellation he tells you of is that of two lovers, Egilmar and Odila. Two ancient rulers of Álfheimr who listened to the wise raven Sýn in order to win a great battle against invaders from beyond Yggdrasill.

His words weave the tale of each constellation’s story in a way that grapples your senses, eliciting gasps and questions that clearly delight him. You can hear the clash of elven blades against their enemies, and Sýn’s warnings to the elven leaders she served for so many decades. You can hear the great roar of the dragon as Vígi faces off against it to save Asgard as it tore across the realm, and you can smell the vargablóm as it lulls to sleep a merciless wolf that once stalked the fens of Asgard. It makes you feel as if you witnessed every moment he describes personally.

It’s only after his last tale that Loki falls silent once more. And it’s only then that you find the courage to speak.

“Do you ever think about it?” You ask him quietly.

“How beautiful you are?” he asks. You feel the soft press of lips against the crown of your head. “Often. Hourly, if I’m able to.”

You pinch his hip, feeling your boyfriend jump as you say, “Flirt.”

You can almost see the way Loki rolls his eyes and smiles at you. His arms tighten around you, like any space that’s appeared in the last five minutes cannot be tolerated. It makes your heart stumble and whirl, a soft heat blossoming and growing outward. Your nerves tremble, knowing how much this god not only adores you, but cherishes and worships you.

“Your flirt,” he says. You look up at him, finding exactly what you expected. Adoration and love are etched into every curve of his gentle expression. His eyes are trained on you, in a way that makes you wonder if he’s looked away from you since you curled up against his side. His hand tenderly cups your jaw, his thumb tracing softly against the curve of your cheek. “You know I am only yours, dear heart.”

Your tongue feels stuck and heavy in your mouth. You do know Loki is yours, and yours alone. He's shown you, again and again, his unwavering loyalty towards you.

Just as your heart belongs to him, Loki's heart belongs to you.

He presses a kiss to your forehead. It's achingly soft, full of every ounce of joy and love he feels in this moment. A reminder that, no matter how many dates the two of you have, he cherishes each one as if it is the best one yet. You close your eyes, soaking up this unexpectedly needed reassurance of how much he loves you.

"Beautiful," Loki murmurs. He presses another kiss against your temple — one that is swifter, but just as soft and full of affection as the last.

"Someone's feeling extra affectionate this evening." Your words carry a playful undertone, and you feel the rumble of his laugh vibrate through your torso and the arm laid against his chest in response.

"This is a date, is it not?" he asks. This time he presses a slow, lingering kiss to your cheek. "Am I not allowed to shower the one I love with extra affection on our dates?"

Your nerves sizzle and spark at his words. If you can keep your nerves from tying your tongue into knots, this will be so much more than just a date. It will be the night that you ask him to be your husband.

His nose bumps against yours. Warm, gentle breaths cascade over your lips. Without any thought behind it, you lean forward, pressing your lips to his. The kiss is as slow as molten rock. Unhurried, blisteringly warm, and so full of the devotion and deep love you have for one another.

Hands move slowly. Yours to his face, cradling it with tender desire. His slide around to your hips, pulling you atop him. One hand leaves your hip, pulling the blanket up to keep you covered and warm, then curls itself across the back of your neck. Callouses earned from a thousand years of wielding instruments of music and of death run gently over bare skin. The touch leaves a trail of goosebumps behind, one that send a shiver down your spine.

You draw back slightly, letting your nose brush against the side of Loki's.

"On dates, yes." Your voice comes out more breathless than you’d expected. “I did ask a question though, my love."

Loki is quiet for a few heartbeats, and then lets out a nervous chuckle. “I seem to have forgotten the question. Remind me?”

You’re not entirely certain if it’s his heartbeat or yours that you feel leaping through your hands then. It’s strong regardless, anchoring you just enough to ask the question again.

“Do you ever think about it? How we got to this moment?”

You wonder if he knows that for you, every second has been worth it to get to this night.

( next chapter )

@ladydracona @huntress-artemiss @sarahscribbles @mischief2sarawr

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[someonexsomeone]

Valentine

Title: Valentine

Author: SomeonexSomeone

Word Count: 2.5k

Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader

Summary: Life is difficult when you're living through a war, but no one told him how hard it would be to handle the after.

Authors Note: Day 4!! I almost missed this week with all the hecticness happening in my life right now, including a stress rash that has spread to my face. Also, because my roommate finally got me to download the FF.net app and all I want to do is read all day. Thank you for everyone who has been liking and leaving kind messages on these! You have no idea how much it makes my day :)

For a long time, the word ‘after’ didn’t exist for Draco Malfoy. A simple word, a word much too short to hold such meaning, such a tight grip on his life, but a word that made his skin bristle like he was hit with a skin-tingling hex. ‘After’ was for people who had the luxury of knowing they were safe in the present, for people who could plan ahead and have some sense of trust that they would make it to ‘after’. Those people were the ones who didn’t have their formative years shaped by a brewing war, the aftermath of being on a losing side (because let’s be honest, Drace always thought, was there ever a time when they could have won?), and then somehow being on the losing side again. His Father was smart to keep things from him, to keep the secrets of the Death Eater whispers just that until they were sure the Dark Lord would actually rise again, but sometimes he wondered if knowing longer would have given him a chance to change, to prepare, to forgo the memory that shot ice through his veins. After all, most people didn’t learn evil incarnate was being resurrected over family dinner.

No, Draco was not ‘most people’, and that made the word ‘after’ that much more terrifying.

During the war, there was hardly time to think about the present, let alone the aftermath. His days were spent hiding, using the one tool in his arsenal he could always trust to get out of participating in the worst of the killing, and using his ability to repress bad memories to cope with those times he couldn’t get out of them. Bullying his classmates, pretending to believe in the Dark Lord’s every desire, playing the role of the perfect heir, all those things he could do in the present. Fake it till you make it, as the muggles say. Those were easy, consequences or rewards come quickly when you have to stare something in the face and not think of the future.

And then one Harry Potter showed up at his house, the building that once made him feel safe and content turned into a dreary cave, face distorted in a near unrecognizable way and eyes that mirrored his own. All at once, the last six years of rivalry came crashing down on him, an ugly truth of near-perfect understanding that maybe, just maybe, the Boy-Who-Lived could actually understand him. Their eyes reflected the same fear, the same pressing desire for all of this to be over, to stop the fighting, the killing, the fear to think about what could come after. Because Harry Potter, the boy, the child, destined to kill the darkest Wizard in the last 100 years, also didn’t have the luxury of thinking of after. He, after all, had people to protect, just like Draco. 

So, in a moment that Draco would never be able to put a feeling towards, he looked at his aunt and lied, and felt the split second of desire to think about an after.

That was many years now, of course. Life continued on, even if it didn’t feel like you could hold on for a second longer. Boy-Wonder and his rowdy crew were able to save the day, Draco begrudgingly admitting to himself that there was always a part of him that hoped they would (though he would rather die than admit it out loud), and he walked hand in hand with his Mother to the apparition point, disappearing before the celebration began. He couldn’t think of an ‘after’ even then, hurrying to help his Mother hide their most prized Dark possessions, helping his Father reach out to anyone that would help their case on the Wizengamot, and burying the last bit of his fear so his hands wouldn’t shake when the Aurors arrived to collect them and any other known Death Eaters that survived the War. 

The last time he had seen Potter, at least in person, was during his trial. His Father, of course, was sent to Azkaban, his Mother placed on probation for her involvement, and him…let free. He couldn’t believe it. Even as half of the Wizengamot looked on with displeasure, Draco was let free, with minor charges, all based on the word of the same boy who he spent half his life abusing. Even Potter’s face flickered back and forth, like he couldn’t believe the decision he made, but his stance was resolute. Drace Malfoy would be let go as long as he paid a fine to rebuild part of the Wizarding World and a promise that if he ever committed another crime he would face the full force of the law. His Mother wept, his Father shocked. Draco, for lack of better understanding, refused to let himself feel anything but disgust. Disgust for being pitied, disgust for Potter’s good heart, disgust for the horrible ball of gratitude he felt swirling in his gut. He glared at Potter, who only met his eyes with a reflection of his own - now what?

He left London as soon as he could. There was, after all, a War to clean up. The decision was fast, too unknowing for even his Mother to comprehend, but there was something posted on the board outside the Wizengamot for a meeting to collect a group of eligible healers and potionmasters to travel the country, volunteering their time and effort to help in those worst off part of the country. He needed to get away, far away, so far that even his Mother’s compassionate eyes couldn’t reach. The effort was so in need of volunteers they only spared Draco a second glance, and a watchful eye for a while, before letting him join on.

What was supposed to be a few months turned into a few years, gaining more skills and knowledge than he would have ever been able to get working at St.Mungos. Not only did the open air allow his lung to fully breathe, something he once thought would be shallow for the rest of his life, but every day was a challenge in the best way, another victim coming forward with new turned lasting injuries, his healing abilities turned wandless, his potions more accurate than he ever thought possible. Pride, a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time, weld in his chest every time his supervisor-turned-mentor complimented him and his work.

“Excellent brewing today, Draco,” she would say, patting him gently on the back.

Draco would just roll his eyes, smirking to himself, before muttering, “Naturally, which always earned him a smack on the back of his head. His smirk, more often than not, would turn into a small smile. And, he hated to admit it, he was starting to love the feeling.

Then, the dreaded day came.

“Your Father has passed,” his Mother’s letter said, a statement that to anyone but him would read emotionless. “His body is being removed from Azkaban next week. I’ll write once again when we’ve set a date for his funeral.”

And, like he had been living for longer than he could remember, Draco said a simple goodbye, a thank you for everything his colleagues had shown him, and left without a backward glance.

There was no time for ‘after’ once he left. Mother needed him, whether she wanted to admit it or not, the funeral arrangements needed his input, and the countless letters of condolences needed him. 

His Mother was worried about him as soon as he arrived.

“It’s alright if you need a moment, Draco dear. I can do these things if you need a moment.” There was very little Draco had to work through, if he was being honest with himself. There wasn’t much affection, if any, remaining towards his Father since before the War. When he was younger, yes, Draco can remember fondly the days he trailed behind his Father, imitating his every move in hopes that one day he would be as great a man. But, when War comes knocking, and your Father is a coward, the magical image from a child's perspective can be easily ruined. Though he had his self-preservation skills all thanks to his Father’s example, their relationship had dwindled until nothing remained but that of a ward and their master. His Father was not the one who took care of him all those years, he realized one afternoon as his Mother fussed over him, and had done nothing but prepare him to be a prize offered to the Dark Lord as a bargaining chip to save his own life. 

At the end of the day, Draco knew that though the man was a stranger to him by the end, he was still his Father. His Mother at one point loved him, though he doubted he would ever learn if it was a true love or merely an infatuation of nearness, he would not allow her stress to become overwhleming while trying to grieve properly. 

It was a never-ending stream of work, but it allowed an all too familiar feeling of dread to be easily pushed down in favor of productivity. There was no time to, not when the house needed to be readied for guests, the garden needed to be arranged to allow a mourning space, and guests themselves needed to be invited. Granted, the list had dwindled significantly in the aftermath of the war, but his Father deserved more than just an open invitation in the Daily Prophet. After all, he would roll over in his grave if so much as one person from the winning side showed up to his wake.

The day was just as busy as the preparations. Of course, Draco should have expected this, but there was such a difference between the planning and the doing. 

For the tenth time in the last hour, Draco ran his fingers along the seam of his collar, giving some distance between it and the sensitive skin around his neck. There was just something about the immaculate black robes he wore that made it suffocating to breathe and made the day that much harder. Draco’s resolve hardened. Yes, that must be it.

People were trickling in before the service began, offering their condolences to both him and his Mother. Narcissa was as regal and strong as she had been the day of the War, holding her head high. There wasn’t a hint of the woman who wept openly in front of the Wizengamot, the broken woman who was afraid of losing her only child, and instead found compassion. Even so, Draco occasionally ran his hand down her arm, reminding her he was there. 

“Oh, Cissy!” A woman yelled, practically throwing herself at his Mother. “I can’t believe it actually happened! The Wizengamot should have taken him out of there as soon as his health worsened, what a cruel bunch!”

Draco couldn’t help but stare, watching as his Mother politely took the older woman's hand,  patting it gently as if she was the one who just became a widow. He couldn’t help the scoff that left him.

A giggle beside him startled him.

“Some people just can’t let an event be about someone else.” Your voice was different, older, a little rougher, but the twitch of your lip was exactly how he remembered it. “I’m sorry about this. My grandmother is always for the dramatics.”

When your eyes met, he couldn’t help the clench of his heart. The corners softened, just the smallest bit of pity within them that made his entire body seize. The last time you looked at him like that, he was apparating away from the very thing that plagued his nightmares…

“Yes, well. I would appreciate it if you could get her under control before we begin.” Your brow twitched in surprise.

“Not a demand? My, my, Mr.Malfoy. Who has been influencing you to be so kind?” He bristled.

“I don’t have the faintest idea what you’re saying-”

“Yes, yes,” you said, waving your hand dismissively. “I promise to keep your secret. No one can know you’re kinder now, image is everything, right?” Despite the friendly tone you tried to keep, he couldn’t help the pang in his heart at the familiar words. The words he said to you so long ago, maybe the last conversation you ever had. “Don’t worry, she’s a dramatic one, but she’s not that heartless.” Draco didn’t respond, merely narrowing his eyes in your direction. “What? Don’t trust me?”

“Those aren’t the words I would use, no.” You winced dramatically. At least he knew where you got it from now.

“Hurtful, Malfoy. But I suppose you have a point.”

The silence that stretched was painfully awkward.

“Thank you,” he said, suddenly remembering where he was, “for attending.”

“I don’t know if your Father would be too happy to see me, but I’m not really here for him.” Draco raised a brow, confusion evident on his face. You met his gaze head-on, smile turning a little fond. “I like this look on you.”

“Can you hear yourself?” He couldn’t stop the snap in his words.

“It’s not very often I can bring you to confusion,” you said, completely ignoring his words. Your hand raised gently, pausing when Draco flinched, before gently resting it against his cheek. Resting, he guessed, was generous. Your hand hovered cautiously near his face, close enough he could feel the heat from your palm, feel the electricity crackled between your skin strongly enough that it felt like you were actually touching him. For a desperate moment, he wanted to push his head into your open hand, take any comfort he could while he could. Who knew when he would get it again.

“What…what are you doing?” Your thumb was near undetectable, smoothing away the scrunch between his brows. Well, trying to at any rate.

“I’ll be staying far past the end.” Your voice was quiet now. “Whenever you’re ready to need me after, I’ll be here. ”

Draco felt his breath hitch. You smiled delicately, meeting his eyes once more, before pulling your hand away and ending whatever moment of peace was created from your nearness. He watched your hair sway as you turned, grabbing your grandmother's arm and gently leading her to a group of people nearby, relieving Narcissa of her duty with a soft condolence. He couldn’t help his eyes as they stayed on your figure, watching and memorizing every one of your moves, letting his mind wander.

“I’m not very fond of the grandmother, but…maybe I can learn to tolerate her.” Draco blinked, meeting his Mother’s eyes.

“Why would you ever need to get along with…her?” His Mother scoffed, the first unladylike behavior she had allowed herself to do in a long time. Draco’s eyes widened.

“Draco, my dear. I know your Father and I weren’t the best example, but I had hoped you learned a little something.” He continued to look at her quizzically. “Go after, okay? You deserve a quiet moment, and I have a feeling your meeting will be exactly what you need right now.”

After, Draco thought. For the first time in who knows how long, Draco let himself be excited for it.

______________________________________________________________

masterlist  l What is Laufeyfest? l Laufeyfest masterlist

[bookshelf-in-progress]

Shadowstruck: Chapter One

The room had too many shadows. They filled the corners of Mama’s sick room, where heavy velvet curtains blocked the noise of passing carriages. They stretched from her bedposts, from the doctor’s medicines and instruments sitting next to the kerosene lamp on her bedside table. Sometimes one looked alarmingly human-shaped, and Clara feared the worst, until she saw the faint flickering heartlight around Mama’s form.

Mama’s heartlight, usually a bright, cheerful yellow, had faded to the color of old paper, barely visible in that dim room. Clara’s heartlight, as always, matched it to a shade, which made her feel like she was dying, too.

In Clara’s twelve years of life, she could barely remember spending more than an hour away from her mother. Mama had been her playmate, her caretaker, her teacher, her greatest friend.

Clara held Mama’s hand between both of hers, trying to rub some warmth into the cold fingers. Suddenly, Mama’s heartlight flared like a camera bulb. Her eyes flew open and she clutched at Clara’s arms. “Jeff!” she cried, as if watching him drown. “Jeff!”

Dr. Chambers' nurse rushed from her shadowed corner to Mama’s bedside; her comforting lavender heartlight glowed faintly around Mama’s head as she tried to calm her. “Your husband is well, Mrs. Lynwood. You should rest.”

Mama pushed away the nurse’s hands. “Where’s Jeff? I must speak to him!”

Neither Clara nor the nurse could quiet her, so at last the nurse called for the shade.

The boy--who seemed to be a year or two younger than Clara--looked pale and harmless, but he gave Clara the shivers. Papa didn't keep any shades--had never let any in the house until the nurse insisted she needed the extra hands--so this one, casting a shadow instead of a heartlight, looked like an unnatural intruder in this civilized room.

The nurse ordered the shade to fetch Papa from the Senate. The moment he left the room, Mama fell back against the pillows, exhausted.

Clara shuddered as the boy's long, black shadow slithered down the hallway before him. “Papa won’t come with a shade,” she said.

“He’ll come for your mother,” the nurse replied.

And the nurse was right. Papa burst into the room minutes later, the black sash of his senatorial robe still waving behind him, his orange heartlight as strong and vibrant as he was.

Jefferson Lynwood looked nothing like a famed, formidable senator as he rushed to kneel beside his wife's bed.

“I’m here, Minna!” he said, taking her hand.

Mama’s heartlight was dimmer than Clara had ever seen it, but her eyes were wide open and her whisper was strong. “Promise me, Jeff. No matter what happens, promise me you will care for Clara.”

Papa cast a quizzical glance at Clara. Clara didn’t understand it any more than he did. She was much younger than her brothers, and Papa stayed busy with senatorial work, but he was still as fond a father as she could ask for.

“Of course I will, darling,” Papa soothed. “You’ve nothing to worry about.”

Mama gripped his shoulders and looked into his face. “No matter what happens,” she insisted. “Promise me you will care for her as your daughter.”

“I would never do anything less.”

“Swear it!”

“I swear it, Minna, on my own right hand.”

Mama fell back against her pillows, satisfied. She was asleep within moments.

Papa shared a look with Clara. “Do you understand it, Clara?” His mustache twitched. “Has she given you reason to think you’re not--”

“No. Never.”

Papa shook his head. “Probably raving. Chambers warned me that might happen, near the end.” Papa scowled back at the doorway. “Probably comes of being around shades. I told Chambers I didn’t want those creatures near her!”

Clara had heard all his lectures about the dangers of shades—how they were soulless, shadow-casting creatures who fed off the heartlights of humans. Shades looked human-shaped to Clara, and Mama urged her to treat them with respect, but she never argued with Papa. Right now, Clara wasn’t sure she wanted to. The doctor kept a few shades as house slaves like most people did; Clara hadn’t thought anything of it when he left one to assist the nurse, but what if they were what kept Mama from getting well? The doctor had said that he couldn’t understand why she was fading—she should easily have been able to easily overcome this cold.

For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, neither Clara nor Papa left Mama’s side. Mama never opened her eyes. Her breathing became harsher, but none of the nurse’s medicines helped. Sometimes she stopped breathing for almost a minute, but the continued glow of her heartlight assured Clara she yet lived.

Clara cried—she couldn’t help it. Sometimes Papa did, too. They both loved Mama. Without her, what would their little family become?

At last, Mama gasped, gave one last deep breath—then stopped. Her face went still and icy white. Her heartlight went out like a snuffed candle.

At the exact same moment, so did Clara’s. Her yellow heartlight—the comforting ever-present glow that was her—disappeared.

On the wall, black and menacing in the light of the kerosene lamp, stretched her shadow.

It looked exactly like a shade’s.

[secondtechnicianrimmer]

Space Corp. Directive #1215225

For some ungodly reason, you fancy the second technician, but you'd be damned if you ever admitted it.

Pairing: Arnold Rimmer x (F) Reader

Warnings: None! Apart from some arguing

Chapter Nine: Holoship

//

With a buzz of shimmering static, low and unsettling, a shape appeared in the mess. It wobbled and wavered for a few seconds before finally settling into a familiar form. Then, at last, Rimmer was back on Red Dwarf.

The ship he’d called home for the last few years of his life was so much darker than the Enlightenment; he had to blink and blink until his eyes adjusted to the grungy, spartan gloom.

You were in the next room when you heard the strange sound. Heart hammering, you hoped it meant what you thought it did. Then you heard Rimmer call out your name.

You dropped what you were doing immediately and ran into the mess, so excited you almost fell straight through him.

Too surprised to hide your sheer joy, you almost sobbed at the sight of him.

“You’re back!”

You were making dinner when it happened. The boys had all come rushing into the kitchen, shouting and hollering that this weird ship had appeared and kidnapped Rimmer. Though The Cat and Kryten didn’t seem all that bothered, Lister was half frantic as he explained what had happened.

You’d spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what on Io was going on, and how you could get Rimmer back. Your only shred of hope was that he was a hologram and therefore fairly difficult to harm, but all they had to do was damage his light bee or move out of range of Red Dwarf, and he’d be gone. It didn’t even bear thinking about.

But he was home. He was safe. He was here.

You reached out with both hands, forgetting in your excitement that it was impossible to wrap them around him. Instead, you settled for waving them up and down beside Rimmer’s arms, the closest you could get to holding him.

“Oh, thank God, you’re home. I was so worried about you, Arn. I was having kittens.”

“Now that I’ve gotta see,” said Cat as he and the others joined you in the mess.

They immediately swarmed him with questions. You tried to join in but you couldn’t take your eyes off Rimmer. Unable to feel him, squeeze him, pull him into you, it was the only thing you could do to make sure he was really here, that he was safe.

He was unusually quiet, but if you’d been abruptly teleported to a strange ship and subjected to Io knows what for hours, while your friends waited anxiously back on Red Dwarf, you knew you would be shaken up too.

“Are you alright? Did they hurt you?” you asked.

At last, Rimmer smiled.

“No! No, it- It was brilliant. They’re holograms, they’re all holograms.” He shook his head in amazement. “I could feel, I could eat, I could- I could have a purpose. And there’s this amazing woman. A Commander. She’s going to help me get a place there. On the ship!”

“They’re-” You closed your eyes, trying to process the sudden deluge of upsetting information. “Wait, what?”

Rimmer was grinning now, his eyes alight with excitement.

“I’m going to be an officer. Me! At last!”

As the news slowly sank in, your stomach twisted and wrenched into knots. Suddenly, you couldn’t pull in a full breath. Your throat was so tight, you couldn’t speak for fear of being sick.

You were faintly aware of the boys talking all around you, but all sound had wound down to a faint hum, then a whine, like someone had sharply boxed your ears. The muscles in your arms and shoulders tensed, and you couldn’t resist shivering as anxiety crept through you.

Finally, you managed to get out,

“You can’t do that.”

Rimmer looked down at you. He frowned, confused.

“Why not? They’re like me, Lefty. They understand me, they can touch me. With a bit of elbow grease and the right amount of obsequiousness, I could rise through the ranks in no time!”

There was a profound ‘clang’, a sickening dull ‘thunk’. The final nail.

“Touch you,” you whispered, suddenly voiceless.

Lister seemed to realise what that meant at the same time as you did.

“That woman,” He smiled, oddly proud. “You and her, you, er..?”

Rimmer smirked.

“A gentleman never tells, Listy.”

Stuck fast in denial, you almost managed to convince yourself that Rimmer was lying, a show of bravado in front of the boys, but then Lister wrapped his fingers around yours, and it all came crashing down. Even though he was standing behind you, you could guess the expression on his face. You couldn’t bear to look.

It was suddenly very quiet in the mess.

Rimmer was staring at you in that way of his, with his brows all furrowed and his mouth slightly open. It was a look you knew well. You saw it just last week, when you’d dared to flirt with him while you were loading up the cargo bay together and his arms had looked particularly good, and only yesterday, when you declared that you wanted to be on his team for the Red Dwarf Annual Crazy Golf Tournament. Rimmer always looked at you like that when he couldn’t for the life of him believe that you actually liked him.

You just stared back. It dawned on you that Rimmer didn’t understand why you weren’t more excited for him. And now there was this woman, this amazing, clever woman, and they’d…

Rimmer was still watching you, and you still hadn’t said anything. Could you speak? You weren’t sure. Your tongue felt heavy and useless, and your throat felt too tight to get any words out. At last, you managed a miserable and feeble,

“Oh.”

Rimmer didn’t get a chance to respond. The Cat snorted.

“What makes you think they’d take you, Cartwheel Nostrils?”

“Actually, I just have to pass the exam and I’m in!”

“Oh, yeah?” Lister scoffed. “And how are you going to do that?”

/

They barely noticed when you quietly slipped out. Or maybe they did and thought it best to let you have some time alone. You could only bear to listen to Rimmer banging on about how wonderful the Enlightenment was for a few minutes before it all became too much.

Flopping down on your bed, you stared at the underside of the top bunk and tried to make sense of it all.

That morning, you couldn’t have imagined anything more painful than learning that Rimmer had been stolen away by that strange ship. It put a fire in you. You swore to yourself that if he came back, if you ever saw him again, you would tell him how you felt. Now you knew what it felt like to lose him, silently loving him seemed so pointless.

But now there was something much worse, something so painful, you couldn’t put it into words. And no one would understand, no one would understand just how much you were hurting, and the one person you wanted to tell was an idiot who’d gone and slept with a wonderful woman, who was clever and brilliant and could apparently understand him better than you ever could.

You angrily brushed away a stray tear. How pathetic.

It’s why you hadn’t told him, it’s why you kept your feelings to yourself, why you still only dreamt of slipping into Rimmer’s lap while he was at Starbug’s helm and kissing him so deeply, he couldn’t help but moan into your mouth, why you still woke up gasping for breath in the middle of the night, his name on your lips. Not anymore though. It seemed you’d finally found the cure for your feelings.

/

You weren’t sure how long you stayed there. Time moved strangely aboard Red Dwarf. At one point, you thought you heard familiar footsteps approaching and tensed, preparing for an argument, but whoever it was didn’t knock. After a moment, they walked away again, and you let out a breath you didn’t know you’d been holding.

Not long after, Lister came to visit you. He knocked tentatively on the door before punching in the key code.

“He’s off,” he said.

You ignored him.

Lister didn’t move. He just stayed in the doorway and waited. You supposed that meant he thought you’d jump up and run to Rimmer’s side, maybe even confess your feelings and tell him he should stay. But you didn’t stir. You just pretended to be asleep and waited for Lister to go.

After a while, you heard him sigh.

“Alright, suit yourself. But he’s asking after you.”

Then he was gone.

You kept your eyes closed, waiting for the room to fall silent. The catch on the door hissed shut. Lister’s footsteps faded away. And you were alone again.

“Ask all you like,” you muttered into the darkness. “Enjoy your stupid holoship. See if I care.”

/

When you left home, books were seen as passé, ephemeral, past tense. Now, three million years in deep space, they were practically extinct, which made them a precious commodity, at least to you.

Red Dwarf’s second in command had been a keen collector before her untimely death. Her own personal library had been installed onboard before the ship left for the stars.

Your new crewmates weren’t exactly bibliophiles, so you often had the room to yourself. Though you’d read every book at least once, you still holed yourself up in the library whenever you needed some time to yourself.

It was peaceful here, with just the books for company. You thought you might find some comfort there but it was proving difficult. Settled comfortably in a squashy armchair, you propped your chin up on your balled-up fist and tried to focus on the book you’d pulled from the shelf. Try as you, you couldn’t stop thinking about Rimmer.

You were so angry at him. So angry at him for leaving his friends without a second thought. Angry at him for lying and cheating his way onto a ship with a better future than yours. Angry at him for meeting and sleeping with a woman, while you were back on Red Dwarf worried out of your mind. Angry at yourself for not telling him how you felt sooner, because maybe all this could have been avoided, and he would be home with you, reading something painfully boring about cars or Napoleon’s armies beside you.

He’d only been gone a day. It felt like forever. Would you be angry forever too?

A sharp buzz by your ear set your teeth on edge. With a huff, you swung your palm round and pressed it against the intercom with perhaps more force than necessary.

“What?”

“You can stop your sulking now,” Lister’s voice was cracked and distorted, so you almost couldn’t believe you’d heard him correctly when he said, “He’s back. And still asking for you.”

Back. He was back already. They must’ve seen through him. Maybe he’d failed the exam after all. Well, you thought, serves him right. Serves him right for lying and scheming to get what he wanted. You had no sympathy for him at all.

Except… He was back. Rimmer was back. He was home. And you were still so furious with him. So why did you want to cry?

“Er, Lefty? You okay?”

You stared at your own hand. You were still pressing the button on the intercom.

“Fine! I’m fine. I’m-”

You trailed off. Mind whirring, you tried to pinpoint exactly what you were feeling but there were too many emotions fighting for control at once.

“Well, he’s on his way up to you,” Lister’s voice crackled through the speaker.

“What? Why!”

“He wants to see ya!”

“Why did you tell him where I am!”

“Listen, he’s had a tough day, love. He needs someone soft to talk to.”

You sneered, as if Lister were able to see it. You resented being a comfort to the idiot, not now, not after everything he’d done. Rimmer didn’t deserve your kindness, and he certainly had some gall to come looking for it.

You jammed your thumb harder against the intercom.

“Lister, I don’t want to talk to him.”

“Oh, grow up. We’re the only three humans left in existence, we need to get on with each other.”

“But he-”

“I know what he did, man. But he adores you. Honest.”

You snorted.

“Funny way of showing it.”

“Look, get off the coms. I’m trying to watch telly. You and your boyfriend kiss and make up, and come down and join us when you’re done.”

The line went dead. You jabbed at the intercom, trying to get him back, but Lister ignored you.

It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. No sooner had Lister hung up than the library door swished open.

Rimmer hung in the doorway for a moment, as if waiting for permission, then carefully stepped into the room.

You lowered your gaze to your book as Rimmer slowly approached. You couldn’t see him, but his footsteps sounded tentative and uneasy, like he was afraid to talk to you.

You waited until the toe of his boot came into view over the edge of your page to speak.

“You’re back, then.”

There was a beat. You’d probably caught him off-guard.

Rimmer hesitated, then finally said,

“Yes.”

His reticence annoyed you. Looking up, you saw he was in a brand new uniform, plush and shiny. Even his H was different. Only his eyes were the same.

“Your scheme failed then, did it?” You closed your book with a snap. “They found you out?”

Your words had more venom than you intended but you didn’t care. He deserved it. The boys might’ve forgiven him, said live and let live, but you were hurt and you wouldn’t let him get away with that.

“Actually, no,” Rimmer cleared his throat awkwardly. “I passed.”

“Then why are you here?”

Rimmer looked away.

Despite yourself, the tightness in your chest gave way ever so slightly. You’d almost convinced yourself that he’d had a change of heart, that Rimmer was sorry, that he’d realised he’d been an idiot and come back to you, maybe even realised that he cared about you more than he did himself. But you should’ve known.

“That woman, my friend, Nirvanah Crane…”

Rimmer’s eyes fogged with memory. It made your stomach lurch.

“She was my challenger. If I’d stayed, I would've taken her place onboard. I… I couldn’t do that to her.”

Suddenly, you felt all your sickness and pain vanish, and in its place came a wave of resentment. You couldn’t recall ever being so angry in all your life.

“What,” you spat. “Cos you love her?”

“No, no, she was just…” Rimmer still hadn’t met your eyes properly. “Kind to me.”

Something in you snapped. It had been so easy to leave you but he couldn’t bear to hurt a woman he’d only known for a day. You’d spent years defending Rimmer from the others and it had all been a colossal waste of time. He really was a slimy, inconsiderate moron, just like they warned you.

“Well,” You stood up and threw your book onto the armchair. “More fool her.”

You wished you could have barged past him, but you had to settle for making sure your shoulder pushed through his as you moved to the door. A spiteful thought crossed your mind, you could try and knock out his light bee while you were at it, but it seemed too vindictive.

You had almost reached the door when Rimmer called out,

“I thought you’d be pleased to see me.”

You wheeled around, eyes and mouth wide.

“Pleased? You left us, Arnold.”

“For something better! I thought you’d be happy for me!”

“Something- Do you hear yourself?”

Rimmer shifted uncomfortably.

“I thought you of all people would understand.”

“Well, you were wrong. What you did was-”

You were shouting now, which you hated. It made you seem unreasonable, like you had no control. But you couldn’t seem to get a lid on your anger and Rimmer’s stupid flared nostrils were only aggravating you more.

“It was- You- God knows you’ve had your moments, Rimmer, but this is a new low. Leaving your crew?”

“Oh, come off it.” Rimmer rolled his eyes. “They were choosing my replacement the moment I decided to leave Red Dwarf!”

He looked furious too. His back was straighter, his chin held high, and he kept waving his hands about, pointing and pontificating like this was an argument he could win, and not you just trying to explain that he hurt you.

“You left us first! We’re your friends, Rimmer! We care about you!”

“Stop saying ‘we’, it’s just you!”

That felt like a slap to the face. You almost wished he had. It would’ve hurt less.

“Just me,” you repeated.

Rimmer frowned.

“That’s not what I meant.”

But it was too late.

“Well,” you sneered. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with us now. Sorry you’ve got ‘just me’ for company. Sorry I’m not as good as Nirvanah bloody Crane. Sorry I’m not as clever or as bloody stimulating and I can’t touch you.”

“I don’t care about that, I just-”

“What?”

“I just needed…”

“What?”

Rimmer looked suddenly shy.

“I would’ve taken you with me if I could,” he said quietly.

“What?” Taken aback, you shook your head. “Why would I want to do that?”

Rimmer seemed just as bewildered.

“That’s what this is, isn’t it? You’re jealous.”

“Jealous?”

You felt your resolve slip as your heart began to pound again. He knew. He’d finally figured it out. The idiot had actually managed to put two and two together, at last. Jealous wasn’t exactly the word you’d use. Sleeping with another woman when everyone was so fond of assuring you that he was practically in love with you, and abandoning his friends because he’d found something better, that would spark more than jealousy in anyone but-

“Jealous of me,” Rimmer said haughtily. “You’re a scientist, they should’ve chosen you. That’s it, isn’t it? That’s why you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder?”

You pressed your lips together, forcing yourself to pull in a lungful of air before you spoke. You knew if you didn’t give yourself time to recover, you’d only end up crying like an idiot, and you weren’t going to give him the satisfaction.

“You are such an idiot, Rimmer,” you murmured, then you turned and left the library.

/

Life went on as usual aboard Red Dwarf. You wasted time playing and losing at cards to Lister, ransacked the ship’s hundreds of empty rooms for treasures with Cat, and tried to learn a thing or two from Kryten in the labs. You were done with feeling like a spare part. The next time you found a derelict, you wanted to be more than a hanger-on.

Only your relationship with Rimmer had changed. Since the argument, you hadn’t spoken more than a few curt sentences to each other at a time. It wasn’t that you refused to interact with him, that would just be childish, and rather pointless on a ship with only five passengers. You’d simply stopped trying. You didn’t sit next to him at dinner, you didn’t ask how he was doing or if he wanted to play chess. You stopped inviting him to explore passing planets with you, and if Rimmer plucked up the courage to ask you, you either made up an excuse or made sure to invite one of the others along.

He’d shown you what your friendship meant to him. He’d shown you how little he cared or thought about anyone but himself. You weren’t angry, you weren’t upset, you’d just given up. You weren’t going to give Rimmer any more patience or kindness or love than he deserved. He’d scorned it for the last time.

Two weeks after Rimmer returned from the Enlightenment, you spotted an abandoned ship on the scanner, just a few clicks away. Emboldened by everything you’d learned from Kryten, it was you who proposed exploring the ship to see what you could salvage.

It felt good. It had been a long time since you’d felt helpful to anyone, and when the boys all happily agreed, you felt a swell of pride.

The derelict was falling apart. Rusted metal and peeling floors greeted you as you stepped off Starbug. Still, it was worth the risk. Holly had picked up readings that indicated there was enough fuel aboard the Delta Jet to power Red Dwarf for a five months.

Unfortunately, Cat and Lister went off together pretty quickly, leaving you and Rimmer alone together, with only Kryten as a buffer.

“Come on,” you muttered, slinging the bazookoid Lister had pressed into your hands over your shoulder. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t think this ship is all that stable.”

“Agreed, ma’am,” Kryten was scanning a read out on his forearm. “The ship should hold but we need to be on the lookout for any weakness in the structure. Keep your eyes peeled, sir, ma’am.”

“Oh, great.” Rimmer crossed his arms as your group began to pick its way into the heart of the old ship. “I didn’t realise this was that sort of a reconnaissance mission. I would’ve stayed on Starbug.”

You bit the inside of your cheek, annoyed but determined not to show it.

“There’s still time for you to go back,” You jabbed your bazookoid at the little ship. “No one’s forcing you to come, Rimmer.”

A muscle twitched in Rimmer’s jaw as he clenched his teeth.

“All I’m saying is, I think it would be a good idea if one of us stayed with Starbug. You know, just in case.”

“I’ve done a scan, Rimmer. It’s fine. We just have to be careful.”

“Oh, because you’re such an expert all of a sudden?”

You stopped and wheeled around.

“What did you say?”

Rimmer looked unbearably pompous as he swung his arms behind his back, his chest all puffed out and his nostrils flared.

“I just find it funny that we’re trusting you without question when you only learned how to read the scanners last week. Who knows what we could be walking into!”

“Sir, I’ve double checked the readings,” Kyten put in helpfully. “The Lieutenant’s interpretation is correct. The ship is structurally sound, we just need to enter cautiously.”

“What’s the problem, Rimmer?” Feeling encouraged by Kryten’s support, you sneered at him. “You don’t trust me? Is that it?”

“I trust you. I just don’t think you have nearly enough experience to be leading an expedition.”

“Oh? Is that right?

You were faintly aware of Kryten trying to get your attention but you brushed him away.

“Or is it just that you’re jealous?”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. Jealous of me,” You smiled coldly. “You're the highest ranking officer. Or you were. They should be listening to you. That’s it, isn’t it?”

Your raised voice echoed through the silent, empty cargo hold. You were sure even Cat and Lister must’ve been able to hear you.

It hadn’t been easy, giving Rimmer the cold shoulder. You didn’t, couldn’t, avoid him, so you’d simply treated him the same way you did the others. Still, it had taken him a long time to realise that something in you had changed. He finally seemed to get the message.

“It’s fine,” you went on, turning to move deeper into the ship. “Like Kyrtes said, we just have to be caref-”

Your foot fell through the floor. You didn’t even have time to react. The crumbling, rusted metal gave way beneath you, and you staggered back, your instincts kicking in. You tried to catch yourself but lost your balance as more and more of the floor caved in beneath you.

You were faintly aware of Rimmer shouting your name, then you saw him leap forward and try to grab your hand, but of course, you slipped right through his fingers.

You fell, arms windmilling, and heard yourself scream as the floor below grew closer and closer. Then suddenly, your whole body jolted so hard, you thought your eyeballs might pop out of your skull. All the air left your lungs and for some reason, your left leg was suddenly screaming in pain. But you weren't falling anymore.

You let out a shriek as you dangled in midair, your breaths coming short and fast as your arms flailed about in panic.

"It's alright, ma’am! I've got you!"

You twisted around so that you could look up and found Kryten hanging over the ledge, one hand gripping what remained of the floor, the other wrapped tight around your ankle.

You forgot about the fuel after that. Rimmer buzzed around you like an anxious hummingbird as Kryten pulled you up to solid ground.

You were faintly aware of Rimmer firing off a million questions: Are you okay? Are you hurt? What were you thinking? Don’t you look where you’re going? Don’t you know what it would do to me if you- How could you scare me like that? But they all wound around your head and up into the air as you focused on pulling in enough breath to settle your racing blood and the sound of your own screaming in your ears.

When you finally came back to reality, you were sitting on the examination table in Red Dwarf ’s lab. A cold white light flashed in front of your eyes and you hissed, batting the torch away.

“Kryten. I’m fine,” you sighed. “I just had a bit of a fright.”

“You can’t be too careful, ma’am,” Kryten said as he shone the light in your eyes again.

You huffed and pushed his hand away, though only gently. He had saved your life, after all. You almost laughed when he pulled out a blood pressure monitor.

“I just need a lie down, Krytes. This is silly, I don’t need all this.”

Kryten lowered the cuff, looking unsure.

“Mr. Rimmer was very firm, ma’am.”

“Rimmer? Why? What did he say?”

“Well, he threatened to connect jump leads to my nipple nuts and fry them if I didn’t conduct a thorough examination.”

You raised your eyebrows.

“Oh, he did, did he?”

Kryten nodded solemnly.

“He was very clear. I am to do a complete evaluation of your health and then I’m to escort you to your room, bring you your dinner, then make sure you rest.”

Rimmer had said all that? You couldn’t believe it. That wasn’t like him at all. It had been only too clear after the last few weeks that the stupid git couldn’t care less about you. And anyway, if he did care so much, why wasn’t he here now? Or maybe you just wanted him here. You’d never liked hospitals. It would be nice to have him close. You hadn’t felt the warmth from his light bee in so long.

“You know, ma’am, it’s not really my place to say but… I measured his heart rate.”

You blinked at Kryten. He looked almost bashful. Sometimes you wondered if the mechanoid understood more about humans than he let on.

“Holograms don’t have heartbeats, Kryten.”

“Forgive me, ma’am. I thought an equivalent metaphor would help to articulate my point more effectively.”

You sighed, then finally held out your arm.

“Go on,” you said, gesturing at the blood pressure monitor.

Kryten moved towards the table and carefully looped the cuff around your upper arm.

“The frequencies from his light bee were off the scale when he thought you were in danger, ma’am.”

He pulled the black material tight, fastened the velcro, then pressed a button on the side of the cuff. It began to tighten until it was almost claustrophobic. You tried not to squirm uncomfortably.

“So? Doesn’t mean anything.”

“Though simulated, he does breathe, he does feel. All his faculties were lost when you fell, ma’am.” Kryten did his version of a shrug. “I’m only a droid but I know the science. Mr. Rimmer cares about you.”

You narrowed your eyes.

“Mr. Rimmer only cares about himself. It’s about time I accepted that.”

“But ma’am-”

“When Camille was onboard, who did he see?”

Kryten hesitated.

Fed up, you tore off the cuff and handed it back to him.

“I know he told you Kryten. Who did he see? He wouldn’t tell me.”

It was unfair, you knew that, but the heart-to-heart routine was starting to irritate you. Kryten didn’t know what he was talking about and you weren’t in the mood for anyone to try and convince you that Rimmer was a good guy.

Kryten couldn’t meet your eyes.

“I don’t know what she looked like. I just know she was a hologram like Mr. Rimmer.”

“So not me.”

“No, ma’am. He’d never seen her before. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that he doesn’t feel anything for you. Camille could reflect absolute synthetic perfection but nothing realistic. Mr. Rimmer saw a woman he thought was perfect for him, that doesn’t reflect what he truly feels.”

You didn’t know why the thought made you feel so sick. Kryten was just confirming what you already knew to be true. The others had all excitedly told you about their dream lovers, but Rimmer had been suspiciously quiet. A small part of you had secretly hoped he was just too embarrassed to admit who he saw. Turns out you were right, but not in the way you hoped.

“But I saw him,” you said, and winced when your voice cracked.

Kryten lowered his head.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.”

Yeah, you thought, me too.

Ace had laid it all out very clearly. In his dimension, you hated him and he adored you. He’d theorised that there must be some version of your lives where you were lucky enough to be in love at the same time. It was only logical. Stupidly, you’d believed that this was it. Turns out your universe really was the opposite of Ace’s.

“Don’t be. Doesn’t matter.” You forced a smile as you slid of the exam table. “Thanks again, Kryten. You’re my hero.”

You kissed his odd, rubbery cheek, then left the lab. You kept your head down as you hurried through the seemingly endless corridors, just in case you bumped into one of your friends. Thankfully, you made it back to your quarters just in time.

You slammed your hand against the keypad, waited until the door had slid shut, then fell back against it and started to cry.

//

Next Chapter

Master List

[witchersmistress]

The Betrayal

Hello my darlings just a quick snippet chapter from the events after the bomb but before the next steps

My usual warning darlings dont steal my work

word count: 1.2K

my usual warnings, you do not have permission to copy my work in any shape way or form, if you do ill find you and haunt you for the rest of your days

Harpers POV

I fight to keep from stumbling back at the force of the blow. I’ve always known it was coming, and yet, somehow it stuns me more than the fucking car bomb under August’s hood. “What?” I manage, because yeah, I’m a masochist who needs to hear it again. “I’ll get your shit out of my car and bring it by tonight,” August says. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I ask. “We have one fight and you’re ending this?” “Yes.” “You’re unbelievable,” I say. “You were just waiting for this all along, weren’t you?” “Yes,” he says again, his voice emotionless. “Wow. So all along, you were just waiting for an excuse to dump me.

The first sign of a disagreement, and you go running.” “It wasn’t a disagreement,” he says. “You took their side. I knew you would. But that was always going to be the end.” I fight back an incredulous laugh. “What—is this another one of your tests? Did you actually bomb your own car to see if I’d choose you over them?” A flicker of annoyance shows in his face. “I wouldn’t damage my car for you.” I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re wrong,” I say. 

“I didn’t take their side. I chose you. I chose to fight what you’re doing because it hurts you, August, not them. I barely know them. But I know you. And I know this isn’t good for you. I know you’re better than this. That you can be better.” “You don’t know me,” he says flatly. “Or you’d know that’s a bullshit excuse for what you just did.” “You know what I think, August? I think you’re scared that you actually feel something for once in your life. That you’re scared that I understand you and that I still care about you even though you don’t think you deserve it. You’re a big strong man who likes to be in control, and it pisses you off that you can’t control any of this. You can’t handle that, and this lame excuse is the best you can come up with for bailing on the best thing that’s happened to you in years.”

The corner of his mouth tugs up in an indulgent smile, and he reaches out and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “You give yourself too much credit, Cherry Pie,” he says. “The only thing that happened to me is that I found another slut who spread her legs and let me fuck her in all three holes until I got bored of them all.” “You’re a bad liar, August.” It’s not true, though. His words cut deeper than I’ll ever let him know. “And you were a pretty plaything,” he says, his smile tender, almost apologetic. “But that’s all you are. It was fun seeing what I could get you to do, but once I knew you were desperate enough to stoop to any level for my pleasure, it was only a matter of time. You’re all used up and worn out now. And I don’t fuck loose girls, so I won’t be seeing you again.”

He turns and walks away, leaving me seething mad on step. I want to yell after him, but I won’t be quite that pathetic, so I turn and slam into the house instead. I hope he fucks three different girls, and they each give him a new disease.

August POV

Walking away from her, Harper, was one of the hardest things to date I've ever had to do. I didnt turn back as I heard her front door slam on me for the last time. My heart, that blasted thing, grew heavier with each step back to Duke’s Hummer. Getting back into the driver’s seat Duke was scrolling on his phone “So how did it go?” he asked “Fuck off Duke” Baron tsked from his position “Someone needs to get laid, but judging from her reaction, that isnt happen anytime soon” i rolled my eyes and rolling my shoulders and neck, the bones popping with tension. I met Baron’s gaze head on as I backed out of the driveway. “Sometimes Braon, i really wished mom had swallowed you both” a sharp glare was all i got from Baron, Duke letting out a sharp whistle “Damn dude that was harsh” 

“Does not make it true,” I pointed out. Swinging back into the work parking lot, I go to my rover and get my stuff and Harper's bag out of my car and throw them in the trunk of Dukes hummer before taking off again. Punching in the code for the gate i drive in and jump out of the vehicle making my way into the house away from the twins, they can go fuck themselves at the moment. I don't wish to deal with them. Stalking into my office i slam the door, what i didn't tell my brothers when i pulled out myself from the car, there was a note on my driver side door,

“Get rid of her or i will”

I don't know who wrote it, I wasn't going to find out. I wouldn't put her in harm's way. I don't know when or how this turned from a game to my genuine caring for the girl but it did. Undoing my tie and throwing it, raking a hand through my hair. I fumed on my decision.

Was it necessary to let her go? Yes it was. Did I want to? Absolutely not but it was safer for her that way. Those soft curves, the long hair that was absolutely perfect for tugging on while she sucked my cock.  Those brown eyes that looked so innocent but there was a succubus underneath those dark pools that begged to come out. And her tight wet heat was just.. Fucking my cock started to harden at the though of plunging in and out of her dripping wet cunt as she screamed my name and claw my arms as she spirals out of control…

Banging on the door drew me back to reality.. My ragging cock quickly deflated at the interruption. “What the fuck do you want” Baron openend the door and walked in. he is up to something that motherfucker always is. “Whoa busy were you? I can come back later?” taking the gun out of the back of my jeans and waving it at him before i tucked it into its spot in my safe “What do you want Baron?” I huffed, tired of this conversation already. “I'd like to rest before we go off on assignment in the morning.” He gave me a wicked smirk and tossed me Harper's phone. “It appears our little Cherry Pie isn't as sweet as she claims to be” he cocked a brow and then pulled out his  phone. 

I opened her phone and saw all the messages,I was blown away. She wasn't who she said she was… Son of a bitch, she was a spy for the Darlings i fucking knew something was off about her. Looking back up at Baron, the darkness of my soul seeped out with every word I spoke. “ She is going to pay, they all will.” “How?” Baron asked, i locked eyes with him this time not a single emotion in my voice “She is going to pay with her life”

[cookinguptales]

wwdits tarot: judgement

Just one card left after this one!

I set up a poll here for people to vote on which tarot deck I use for readings this weekend. I’ll be busy Friday night, but people can still get started sending me requests while I’m out.

This is a card that I’ve been waiting on for a long time now — XX. Judgement.

There’s only one last member of the main cast left, isn’t there? :')

Judgement is a card that, like I’ve said before, people often mistake for Justice. But if Justice is about getting what you deserve (good, bad, or indifferent) then Judgement is about your life finally coming full circle. It’s about your own internal judgement, deciding what you want your life to be, but it’s also in a sense a divine final judgment. It’s the time when all of your decisions can finally be seen as a complete whole, and when you will see your life for what it’s always been meant to be.

It’s that moment when everything finally lines up, you know? When you look inside and have a revelation and suddenly you know exactly who you are and who you’ve always been. It’s realizing who and what you’re meant to be.

Basically, Judgement is all about looking within, gathering up all of the puzzle pieces you’ve been painstakingly collecting throughout the years, and finally putting them together into a cohesive whole. It’s being able to see the picture that they create. It’s self-knowledge, but it’s also finally understanding what you need to do in order to grow.

It’s a card about making life-changing decisions, but ones that will finally let you realize your full potential.

I think it suits my favorite character in the whole show, to be honest. I think we’re seeing him on that journey now, and I’m so excited to see where he finally ends up.

It’s been a delight to watch Guillermo de la Cruz grow from a nebbish, ineffectual, pathetic little familiar into the slayer he is today. It’s like he’d convinced himself that he would only ever be on the outside looking in until someone more powerful than him deigned to invite him in. But then he realized that he had power all his own. He didn’t have to wait for anyone to give him permission to exist. No one had to give him anything.

He could just take it himself.

Whether it’s tearing through an entire theater of vampires, beating the shit out of his former master, or deciding to earn his fangs his own way, Guillermo has finally learned that while he wants to live in the shadows, that doesn’t mean that he has to be content living in somebody else’s.

I love the way he’s finally started to put together pieces of his own power and personality to understand the strength that’s always been his for the taking. I love that he’s starting to trip over these self-reflections and revelations, and every one of them brings him closer to being the creature that he's always had inside of him.

Will that be a vampire? A slayer? A combination of the two? Something wholly outside that binary?

I don’t know yet, and I don’t think Guillermo does either.

Either way, though, I think that this whole series, we’ve seen him approaching his final Judgement. I think he’s going to find in himself something awesome and terrible, cruel and beautifully kind. He’s finally going to find out what shape his power wants to take, and how he can use it best to serve his own needs. He’s going to figure out who he wants to be, and who that person will be to those he loves.

He’s going to figure out how to become a person that he loves.

He’s finding his final form, in other words, or at least the kind of form he might be frozen in for a little taste of eternity.

Everyone in this show grows and changes and learns about themselves to some degree, but no one has had a change more radical or welcome than Guillermo has. No one else has realized that they’ve been living a lie for their entire lives, and that they were just too afraid to leave the cocoon they’d been hiding in for all this time. No one else has seriously started on their road to full self-actualization.

There’s a kind of potential in Guillermo that all of them are just starting to get their minds around, and I’m not sure anyone’s been more surprised by it than him. But he’s starting to become more comfortable with his own power and potential and whatever Judgement he will reach, and he’s going to make sure the rest of them become comfortable with it, too.

One way or another.

Now. Onto the card itself.

The scene on the RSW version of Judgement is a largely Biblical one, and you know how I feel about that. We see here an angel trumpeting the Final Judgement and the dead rising from their graves to greet him.

Guillermo, too, is calling the undead to him — but they might be a little less happy to see him.

My immediate first thought is that imagery of him swinging down from the rafters in the Theatre, and everyone looking up to see who'd just swooped into their midst.

I love that for him — this idea that, in the end, no one had to invite him to this get-together. He made his own goddamn entrance, and he's here in this world to stay.

So maybe that's what I want here, too. Guillermo swooping down into the vampiric world, blood and ash on the ground, and the vampires (and other supernatural creatures) looking up to receive him. Some, like Nandor and the rest of their housemates, are welcoming him. Others are looking at him with fear and resentment. But none of them can turn him away.

Not anymore.

wwdits tarot masterpost