#there are so many things he could have chosen to pretend to do why did he pick the most ridiculously nonsensical thing ever

[kosmicdream]

oh now i want to know why you hate one piece (just so you know where im coming from, i used to hate the series and thought was the stupidest thing ever and there was no way it was good, and then i read it and it was amazing and i loved it and it moved me in profound ways, and yet i did not forget why i thought it was stupid and indeed i can still fully see why someone would think it is stupid because, lets be honest, it is kind of really stupid so) yeah, im curious

i once loved it as a late teen, i even had one piece ocs LOL. One Piece is not bad because its stupid, or has toony art style or w/e .. but it is bad because its betrayed all the characters and core principles of the story that it pretended to be so invested in. in so many ways its honestly impressive. While i don't agree w/ everything said - youtuber Drizzt has made a very long mutli-series video essays about the various issues and i have enjoyed watching them as it covers arcs that i could not force myself to read. I personally kept reading to the mermaid island arc, but emotionally i dont think it was good when they reached the grand line. (laboon stuff was cute, but after that.. trouble) i dont really like alabasta arc and i feel like every arc after that, is just trying to do that arc again but worse every time. (all complete w/ a new princess character to be tossed aside for the next round..) i hated robins backstory and her part in water 7 (she was my fav female character in the series & i loved her powers.) i wanted usopp to leave the crew or have some real consequences w/ him and the ship. i hate luffy being like such a chosen one in so many ways he has 0 agency in the story, there's some to be expected but now its like at the point where i dont even know what else you could add. he really is the nepo baby of the one piece world. no one dies EVER and i dont even count ace dying bc who gives a fuck abt ace, luffy sure doesnt cuz he got over it in like 1 chapter after he died w and now he has a new retcon brother (who also was dead at least once i think and had amnesia) to fill in the void. franky is ugly as shit now. i could go ON.

[horsemeatluvr23]

this is the face of a man who has never used a tool in his life... what is he doing

[surftrips]

SWEET NOTHING

pairing: luke castellan x reader

summary: y/n comforts luke after he sees percy claimed by poseidon.

word count: 600+

a/n: y'all i know. how many more morally grey characters can i write fics for? i couldn't help it, he's so bf in the first two episodes so this takes place in a world where he’s done nothing wrong <3

You watched as your boyfriend’s face changed after seeing the newest camp member, Percy Jackson, claimed by his father, Poseidon. 

Luke wasn’t one of the unclaimed kids, but he might as well have been. His relationship with his father Hermes was a strained one, but he pretended like it didn’t bother him. 

But now, it was hard not to notice the sadness and frustration that had clouded Luke’s face as he watched the trident appear above Percy’s head. Before you could go over to comfort him, he had already run away from the scene. 

You decided to give him some space, figuring that he had gone back to his cabin. As the other camp members slowly dispersed, you looked around for Annabeth. 

Upon laying your eyes on the dark-haired girl in the crowd of people, you beckoned her over. 

“Hey! Did you see that?” she asked you, excitedly.

“Yeah, that was crazy!” you admitted. “How’d you know he was Poseidon’s?”

“I’ve been watching him.”

“Of course,” you smiled. Luke had told you about Annabeth's desire to find “The Chosen One.” 

“Wait- where’s Luke?” she asked, as if on cue.

“I was gonna talk to you about that- I think he ran back to his cabin.”

“What- why?”

“I think he had some feelings about Percy being claimed, if you know what I mean.” 

“Oh,” Annabeth replied, putting the pieces together. 

“Yeah, I’m giving him some space right now, but do you have any advice on how to approach this? I don’t want to upset him any more.”

“Look, Y/N, you’re his girlfriend. Just do your best to comfort him and I’m sure he’ll start to feel better.”

“I know, but you’re his sister! You know him best, what if I say the wrong thing?” 

“You can’t say the wrong thing. He loves you, Y/N. He just needs to see that someone is there for him.” 

“Okay, thank you, Annabeth,” you gave her a hug before heading in the direction of the Hermes cabin. 

You were relieved to find that the other campers had not gotten back yet. You gently pushed open the door and found yourself facing your boyfriend’s back sitting on his bed. 

“Luke?” you called out.

He turned to face you, hastily swiping at the tears that had fallen onto his cheeks. 

“Oh, sweet boy, come here,” you ran over to take him in your arms. He let his tears fall again, and your heart broke seeing him like this. You knew that he acted brave all the time, but deep down, he was hurting.

“Hey, it’s okay. Just let it out,” you attempted to calm him down. 

“Why doesn’t he care about me?” he cried.

“Baby, it’s okay. He doesn’t matter, alright? It has nothing to do with you.” 

“Yes, it does. Percy killed a minotaur and broke Clarisse’s spear and his dad just came swooping in.” 

“Look at me,” you pulled away to lift his face up. “You are so, so special. Anyone that knows you can say that. Hell, you’re the best swordsman in this camp. But you know what else? You’re kind, and caring, and you have all this compassion in your heart, despite it all. If he can’t see your worth in that, then that’s a reflection of him, not you.” 

Luke didn’t say anything, instead he worked on catching his breath as you continued to rub his back and lay kisses on his forehead. 

“Thank you,” he said after a moment, still sniffling. 

“For what, baby?” 

“For seeing me. And staying.”

“To know you is to love you, Luke Castellan,” you gave him another kiss, this time on his lips.

[itsphoenix0724]

Falling Stars (Azriel x Reader)

Summary: Az feels like his throat is closing when he sees you in your Starfall dress, and he can't seem to get a word out to you. At least, until you're both more than a few drinks in.

Warnings: SMUT, semi-public sex, alcohol consumption

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: Hello everyone! This is not my best work so I apologize, but I tried to really focus on the dialogue in this one. I hope you enjoy it regardless! Also if anyone wanted to submit any ideas/suggestions of what they would like to see more of my ask box is always open. As always constructive criticism is welcome.

Azriel was going to die. 

You looked mesmerizing in your Starfall dress. The blue silk bodice hugged your figure just right, and delicate blue lace made up the bottom layered in tiers that matched the strips that fell off of your shoulders. Your leg peaked out of the high slit, and some of your hair was swept up behind you with combs encrusted with sapphire and diamond. You looked like a goddess of old, wrapped in starlight, and gracing unworthy mortals with your presence. 

He was convinced you were trying to kill him. 

Azriel had wanted to drop to his knees and worship you, or at the very least tell you he thought you looked beautiful. He actually thought beautiful was too simple of a word to describe you. However, when you made eye contact with him across the room his throat felt like it was closing in. The only thing he had been able to do was send you a tight smile and a nod before throwing back the rest of his liquor and refilling the glass. He didn’t know why he couldn’t talk to you tonight–the two of you could talk for hours. Watching your face fall at his piss-poor greeting felt like another stab to his already weak heart. You had moved to mingle around the party, and the number of male eyes on you only had him shooting back more liquor and sulking in the corner. 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

This was not going as you planned. 

Mor had sat with you for hours selecting a dress designed to bring Az to his knees. You had chosen this dress not only because it made you feel confident, but because you thought Az would love it. 

You picked his exact shade of blue after all. 

You had walked into the party with the grace of a queen, and the confidence that you could bring a kingdom to its knees. But the only thing Az did was send you a forced smile and then run off and hide. 

Mor had tried to reassure you–she said Az always got weird during parties. Something about there being too many people, but he seemed to be socializing just fine. 

For some reason, he was giving you the cold shoulder. 

You could feel the confidence dwindling and poured yourself shots of the strongest liquor you could find. Fine, you decided, two could play this game. If he was going to pretend you didn’t exist you could do the exact same thing. 

You made your way to Cassian and Nesta, looped arm in arm with Mor, determined to have a good time. Cassian let out a loud wolf-whistle and Nesta smacked him on the arm blocking him on his path to hug you first before wrapping you in her arms. Drinks were poured for the four of you and you celebrated the falling stars the best way you knew how. 

Getting rip-roaringly drunk and enjoying the time with your friends. 

Hours passed, and the buzzing feeling in your head was getting significantly stronger. Everything tingled from the tips of your fingers to the ends of your toes, and almost everything someone said to you seemed hilarious. You had danced practically the whole night and had kicked off your heels about half an hour ago. Still, no matter what you did you couldn’t shake the feeling of the Shadowsinger’s cold shoulder all night. You had caught his shadows swirling around your ankles multiple times before they slunk away like disciplined children crawling back to their master. The fact that he was standing in the corner watching you but still hadn’t said anything to you was infuriating. 

You wanted some kind of reaction from him tonight, and you’d be damned if you didn’t get one. 

You had decided enough was enough, and worked your way through the crowd before coming to a stop directly in front of Az himself. 

He truly was a gorgeous male. He wore a black silk shirt with the top couple of buttons undone and simple back trousers. His hair wasn’t as messy as usual like he had styled it a little, but it was still falling into his eyes. Two blue siphons were still strapped to the back of his hands.

“Well,” You started, plucking the glass of whiskey out of his hands before draining the rest of the contents. Molten gold eyes tracked the movement of your throat, and a small flush rose to the tips of his ears. You realized you had your opening as you moved to further crowd his space, “have you been enjoying Starfall by yourself in this corner.” 

Az seemed slightly stunned. You weren’t normally this bold and straightforward. You always spoke with a quiet calming voice, but now there was a bite behind your words. 

“I’ve been enjoying the party.” He murmured back to you, trying very hard to keep his eyes trained on your face so they wouldn’t dip to your chest. 

That endeavor failed very quickly. 

His eyes trailed down to your cleavage and all he could think about was licking away the sheen from the party that appeared on your skin. When he saw the smirk on your face he immediately knew he had been caught looking. 

“Why have you been ignoring me all night?” The buzz you were experiencing felt like straight courage running through your veins. You wanted answers out of the male standing in front of you.

You were going to get them too.

Azriel attempts to smother the guilty look on his face, but you catch it anyway as his eyes drift back down to the floor. “If I’ve done something to upset you, you should just tell me instead of ignoring me. You’re a grown male-act like it.” Az has it in him to at least look alarmed, eyes jumping straight back up to your face. This is not at all how he wanted this night to go. He shakes his head at you, before hearing the music dip to a low waltz. He musters up all the courage he wishes he had at the beginning of the night,

“You haven’t done anything. I’ve been an immature male all night, please, let me make it up to you.” The Spymaster extends his hand to you and you eye it for a moment intending to leave him hanging in suspense. After letting him squirm you accept his hand and he leads you onto the dance floor. The music isn’t much of a dance song, more designed to be a slow sway than an elaborate waltz. Azriel draws you close to him, one warm strong hand resting on the small of your back, and the other holding your hand leading you into the music. When you two fall into a comfortable rhythm he leans down to whisper in your ear. “You look exquisite by the way.” Az enjoys the bashful look that crosses your face and the light blush that dusts your cheeks. 

“Thank you,” you hum–the close proximity to him almost makes you feel drunker, “so..are you going to tell me why you’ve been brooding all night.” You offer him a small smile, you won’t pressure him to talk but you want to know. You find you have your answer when Azriel’s stare rakes hungrily over your figure. “Oh. I see.” You can’t help but send a sultry look up at the Shadowsinger. 

You’ve caught your prey, you think you’ve earned the right to toy with it a little.

“Perhaps I’m being selfish and imagining you wore this shade of blue just for me.” Azriel’s hand drops from yours, moving to join the other around your waist as yours loop around his neck. You look up at Azriel from under your eyelashes and his intestines feel like they’re tying themselves into knots. 

“I think your ego might need a bit of a check spymaster,”  you reach down, drawing one of his hands up the curve of your waist and over your breast before stopping to rest it over your fluttering heart. His eyes almost devour you as you move his hand, pupils going dark with desire. The blue siphon is in perfect alignment with the neckline of your dress, and Az can not stop staring. “Although I must say, they are a perfect match.” Your admission feels like an electric shock straight to Azriel’s bones.

Everything in his body locks like a lion waiting to pounce. 

You meet his eyes and something charged runs through the both of you. You both know what you want, and the heated gaze Azriel levels at you already has a wetness pooling between your legs. 

When Az’s eyes dart to the door leading out of the ballroom in question, you only nod in answer. 

His hand on your back as he guides you out feels like a hot brand against your skin. Azriel leads you into a small bathroom in the hallway, and the minute the door closes behind you both he has you pinned flush against the door. You feel like all the air has been sucked out of the room as you and Azriel stare at each other. You feel one of his hands train up your exposed leg before you hear the click of the lock for the bathroom door. He drops his head to press kisses against your thundering pulse, and you can feel his nose brushing against the curve of your jaw. 

“Do you know what you’ve been doing to me all night,” Az growls into your ear, one hand firmly planted on the curve of your ass. 

The hard thing pressing against your thigh tells you exactly what you’ve been doing to him all night. 

You don’t feel like waiting anymore and drag his lips down to meet yours in a heated kiss. He tastes like bourbon and night-kissed air. It’s addicting. Strong hands wrap around your waist and give a firm squeeze to your ass that makes you gasp out a moan. He uses this opportunity to slip his tongue into your mouth. Your whole body feels like it’s dissolving under his touch as you reach for his belt, the only thing on your mind was getting him out of his pants as quickly as possible. He runs one hand along the column of your throat, thumb stroking along your bottom lip. 

“Are you ready to be a good girl for me?” His dark voice rasps into your ear. You nod up at him and his golden eyes are almost completely black with desire. He growls as he flips you around and presses you against the sink, and you moan as your chest rubs against the cool marble. You feel his hands hoist up the back of your dress, and you look up to see his devilish smirk in the mirror. Your eyes trail over to his hands and see the scrap of blue lace running between his scarred fingers. “Did you wear these just for me?” That cocky smile makes your knees go weak, and you send a silent thanks to Mor for insisting that you wear the matching underwear tonight. “I like seeing you in my color sweetheart,” he sends you a wink as he tucks your underwear in his back pocket, “I think I’ll hang onto these.” 

That might be the hottest fucking thing you’ve seen. 

He teases you with his fingers and sighs before bringing them up to his mouth and licking them clean. You taste so fucking good, but he needs to get inside you soon before he explodes in his pants. He vows to spend hours between your legs another time as payment. He moans gospel around his fingertips, and while you’ve never been a religious female you might start praying to the mother tonight. 

“You’re so fucking wet and I’ve barely touched you yet.” His eyes shine with an arrogance that makes you want to wipe the smirk off his face. His voice drops to a softer tone and he stares straight into your soul through the mirror, “Are you ready for me, or do you want me to prep you first?” 

“I’m ready.” you’re writhing against the sink. You need him inside your right goddamn now or you might start crawling on him like a cat. You moan in relief when you hear him unbuckle his belt and remove himself from his trousers. From this angle you can’t see him fully, but you know he’s big if his wingspan has anything to say about it. He plants one hand on your lower back as he uses his other hand to guide himself into you. You feel the first inch slip in and then it stops, you look up at Az in confusion and his eyes meet yours in the mirror as one hand comes around to play with your nipples. 

He leans his body down to press kisses into the skin of your neck before murmuring into your ear, “Beg for the rest darling.” Flame rises to your cheeks and you pull your eyes away from the mirror, but Az pulls you back so that you’re looking at him. You try to move backwards just to draw a little more of him into you. Unfortunately his grip on your waist is like steel. You’re not going anywhere. You swallow what little pride you have left and meet his eyes in the mirror. 

“Please Az. God fuck me please.” That seems good enough for him and he slips himself the rest of the way inside of you. Az lets out a moan that makes your toes curl against the tile and your grip harden on the marble sink. 

He fucks like a beast. 

Hard and rough thrusts as one hand toys with your clit in a way that makes you feel like one of the stars you hope you’ll have enough time to see tonight.

Even if you miss it you can’t say you’d be that upset with the way the Illyrian is moving inside of you. An orgasm rips through you, tumbling through the night sky burning hot and bright before fizzling out and starting again. Az is relentless in your pleasure, pulling you to that edge again and again before he reaches his peak himself.

When you feel his thrusts start to get sloppy you know he’s close, so you start to fuck back against him. Az lets out a moan of appreciation at your efforts, and you earn a bite mark on your shoulder.

He finishes with a roar that shakes the mirror and you’ve never been gladder for the blaring music and waves of people to cover the two of you. He pulls out before gently wiping away the mess he’s made of your inner thighs before pulling your dress back down.

You gently stand with Az’s assistance and he rubs circles in your spine as apology for keeping you bent over for so long. That small act alone makes liquid gold run through your veins, and your whole body leans into the affection. Azriel opens and closes his mouth not quite knowing how to find the right words. 

After all, what do you say to the female you love after you fucked her in the bathroom? He considers a few options– We should do this again sometime, please don’t say you want nothing to do with me after this, and I’m not normally the kind of male who fucks females in bathrooms. But you’re looking at him with honeyed eyes, and you understand what he’s trying to convey to you. So you reach up and kiss him again, hands running through the silken strand of raven black hair. 

“We can talk about it later Az. We don’t have to figure everything out right now.” He nods greatufully and before you both exit the bathroom he pulls you into a bone crushing kiss he hopes conveys what his words cannot.

You leave the bathroom and rejoin your family to watch the stars together. No one can tell what happened in the bathroom at least until Cassian calls out to Azriel. 

“Hey Az! What the hell is sticking out of your back pocket?” Both of your cheeks heat and your guilty eyes immediately dart to Mor who gives you a knowing glance and tips her wine glass in salute. Cassian does nothing more but wink at his brother as Az shoves the scrap of lace further down into his pocket and yanks you closer to his side. 

Your friends will no doubt torture you for this later but wrapped in Azriel’s arms on the most beautiful night of the year you don’t seem to mind so much.

[cheapshrimpysheep]

First Date - Pomefiore

SUMMARY: What would your first date with him be like? I know first dates might not go so well, but let's pretend these are different. ;)

CHARACTERS: Vil Schoenheit; Epel Felmier & Rook Hunt

TAGS: Fluf; GN Reader; Flirting; Kissing

WARNING: Possible spoilers from The Harveston Sledathon

WORD COUNT: An average of 660 words per character.

Heartslabyul / Savanaclaw / Octavinelle / Scarabia / Pomefiore / Ignihyde / Diasomnia

COMMENTS: “So many possibilities” was what I thought, mostly writing the Vil’s and Rook’s parts. And it's when you have so many options that you block for not being able to decide which one to choose. But in the end, I think I chose well.

I hope you enjoy ;)

There were so many possibilities and at the same time so few. So many because he could take you anywhere. With Vil’s fame and influence, he can open many doors for you both. But so few because, with that same fame, you would have much less privacy in public places. Not just paparazzi, but those inconvenient fans interrupting you and a lot of eyes turned your way.

However, he does know of a few restaurants with private rooms for those willing to pay extra for some peace and quiet. Oh, darling, don't worry. He is very aware of your financial difficulties, that's why he will pay for everything. Of course with that, the least you have to do is your best in your presentation and manners.

What? You think you don't have good enough clothes for a date at that restaurant? Well, let's take a look at your wardrobe, shall we. Oh gosh, you're right! You definitely need new clothes! Come, you and Vil are going shopping urgently. Why? Because he already made a reservation at the restaurant for the following night. Waiting list? For Vil Schoenheit? Oh love, your innocence is so cute sometimes.

Money? “You don't feel it's fair that I pay for everything, do you?” He says when you come back to talking about you not having money for clothes from the stores he wants to take you to. “I'm glad, actually. That shows your character.” He smiles “But then again, I'm the one inviting you. I could have chosen an alternative, dinner in Pomefiore or something on campus, but that wouldn't have been worthy! Yes, worthy. That wouldn't have been worthy to be our first date. And again, don't worry about the money. A tenth of what I get for playing the villain in a single film is more than enough to pay for all this. But... on second thought...” He smirks at you “if this is an incentive for you to strive to look and behave your best, you can still feel like you owe me something.”

He’ll recommend clothes based on what will best show your personality, what fits your tastes, the colours that best match your skin tone, etc. The same applies to accessories and shoes. You're not going in trainers, are you? By the way, Vil can pay for things, but you're the one carrying the bags.

On the night of the dinner, he'll ask Rook to help you with your hair and make-up, even if you don't wear much. We both know he'll not shut-up about you and Vil. But on the bright side, his words are a boost in your confidence.

Did you think he would be one of those celebrities who hide in baggy clothes, a hoodie and sunglasses? On your first date? No, he's going to look his best for him and you. The same way you should look your best for yourself and him. He wants you to look your best so people can see why he's with you. Not just anyone can go on a date with Vil Schoenheit. And I'm not talking about appearances, but about showing your inside through the outside.

He found a way to enter the restaurant as quietly as possible and head to the private room. Despite everyone who was around look at the two of you indiscreetly and immediately wide-eyed. You were wearing the same perfume made by Vil himself. Which alerted the noses of anyone who wasn't already looking.

In the beautiful room you were alone, not counting the times when an employee came in to serve you. You notice that he is wearing the same lipstick as you. Why would it be? “For two main reasons, my sweet spudling. First, because it was the best choice for this outfit. And second...” He lifts your chin with his index finger, running his thumb lightly across your bottom lip. “for when we kiss, we don't ruin each other's lipstick.

Epel knows very well where he DOESN'T want to take you: Pomefiore. Nope! But luckily he also knows very well where he WANTS to take you: Harveston, his home town. But this time it's just the two of you. Away from Vil's judgemental look and comments. And every other student.

However, despite the fact that he knows perfectly well where to take you and what you can do together, he is extremely nervous. Not just because everyone knows him there and many can still remember you and tease you two a little. Especially his grandma if he tells her the real reason why you're there with him. But also because of his own insecurities. He knows everyone thinks he's cute, that you think he's cute, but he doesn't want you to see him like that, especially on a date. But at the same time, if you wanted to go on a date with him it's because you like him the way he is, right? He will often be conflicted between continuing to be who he is or trying to impress you.

You've been there in winter and he'd like to take you at another time of the year so you can see another side of the small town. Luckily, your date turned out to be during Spring. Perfect! And what better way to get around in spring than by bike? He'll get his bike and get you one. Perhaps his grandma offers you an old bike of hers that is still in excellent condition.

Both bikes have baskets so he asks you to carry a picnic blanket in your basket while he carries the picnic basket in his bike basket. He'd like to make it a surprise, but it's hard, so the surprise will have to be the place and the food.

It is an incredibly pleasant ride. There is plenty of space for you as practically no cars pass through these dirt roads, so you can ride freely. Green fields full of blossoming apple trees under a blue sky are your whole landscape. Some trees have completely snow-white flowers, others pink flowers, and still others in between those two colours.

As you have plenty of space for the two of you and long beautiful paths, he will try to pedal alongside you. Always slightly ahead of you to show the way. He might ask if you're enjoying the ride, but your smile says it all.

You will stop at one of the apple orchards and walk through the trees. If you ask Epel if you are not entering private property, he will say yes, but that he knows the owners and had already asked permission for the two of you to be there. He spreads out the blanket on the grass between two rows of blossoming apple trees. Some of the fallen flowers dot the ground.

He didn't do anything too elaborate. Some sandwiches, a little pie or two and, of course, apples. However, the holes in the pies were heart-shaped, as was the cut of the sandwiches. He handed them to you with a smile, but also a blush. And you two would chat while eating and he would carving some apples for you. He carved one like a pattern of hearts, another like a rose, another like a swan, and even one with Grim's head.

It's practically impossible not to find him cute after all that. But not in the way he thinks, it's a different kind of cute that you feel but don't know how to explain. And it's while you're thinking about it and looking at your hands, admiring one of the apples he carved for you, that you feel a gentle kiss on your cheek. When you look at him in surprise, you see a mixture of confidence and hesitation on his face, this second because he's worried that you didn't like what he just did. But when he sees your smile, the hesitation disappears and he moves even closer to you...

MERVEILLEUX! Oh! The day is coming. Your first date. But what to do? There are so many possibilities and all merveilleux! But Rook can only choose one, and he chose: a date at the theatre. To see what play? “The Princess and the Huntsman”, a beautiful story of a forbidden love. He says it's based on a story or rumor about the Fairest Queen's stepdaughter.

Nowadays, you don't need to wear a fancy suit or dress to watch a play. But this is still a date with Rook, so you strive to be at your best for that. “Absolument magnifique~” are the first words out of his mouth when he sees you. He went to picked you up. “You are stunning! I feel so lucky to have the privilege of being next to such beauty.” He will continue to remind you how beautiful you are until you reach the theatre. He loves to see you trying to hide your blush.

During the play you do not speak. Both are focused on stage, or at least most of your attention is there. The other small part of your attention is in the hands. That's because, especially in the more romantic parts, he slides his hand to caress yours.

After the play, if you allow it, you will leave the theatre hand in hand, and talk about what you thought of the play as he takes you to a restaurant for dinner. A beautiful one, with a lot of your favourite foods. You hesitate to discreetly ask him if this is an expensive restaurant. But when you do, he laughs “Ah, mon cher, there's no need for you to worry about that. I'll be more than happy to pay for everything to let you rest easy. Let it be my present for you.”

If you say that you don't have a present for him to thank for dinner, he will reply: “Oh, Trickster, your thoughtfulness and concern are undoubtedly beautiful! But there will be no need for that. Tonight with you was such a magnificent gift that even the price of the most expensive of dishes could not compare. Let me at least treat you that, Trickster.”

Whatever you order to eat, he will order exactly the same. He wants to taste what you taste, understand your tastes to understand and learn more about you. A person's culinary tastes can say a lot about themselves, and he wants to hear every syllable about it. He can't help but watch you as he eats too. Every movement, the way you hold the cutlery, the way you bring the food to your mouth, the way you react to each ingredient. And no matter how good you are at noticing that the person in front of you is looking at you, he is much better at hiding it.

Unless he purposely lets himself be caught looking at you. “I’m sorry mon cher, but you know how hard it is for me not to behold the beauty that I have before my eyes. Please, don't put me through the torture of hiding it.” He’s looking at you with the most enchanted eyes you have ever seen, not blushing is impossible. He loves doing this to you.

If you allow him, he will slide his hand across the table to hold and caress yours while you chat. And slide his foot under the table to touch yours. Sometimes art shouldn't be touched, but when you allow it and that's his way of showing appreciation for you, he'll keep going until you stop him.

It is when you are returning home, or to the dorms, that perhaps you can no longer bear to hear Rook's compliments without reciprocating with a kiss. The best kiss you can give him is one that shuts him up mid-sentence. It's the closest you can get to surprising him. And if it's a short kiss, he'll grab you by the waist, lay you in his arms and kiss you with the greatest passion he feels for you.

If you would like to read more from me, you can find it in my pinned post: INDEX

[galedekarios]

good day! thank you for beautiful visuals and metas of Gale, its great to find fans who care about him so! You got me thinking - for a character so romantic, so delighted to be in love Gale knew little about it with Mystra. He spoke about being her lover like it was a highest honor, losing her favor, being cut off described as fate worse than Netherese Orb itself. Gale agrees to die for her forgiveness no questions asked. All this while he realises deep down even through it was voiced later - he was her plaything, another mortal falling under her spell, no love requited ever could be there, gods don't feel it. It's very sweet and a little heartbreaking, how open and smitten he can be if romanced, how happy he becomes loving and being loved in return.

thank you for your wonderful and very sweet message, anon. 🖤 i really do appreciate it.

yes, that is everything that i find very touching about gale's romancce.

to me, gale is someone who hasn't truly known what love is yet. he has known worship and obedience, wonder and pleasure. i think, considering how young he was when mystra came into his life, it's perhaps no surprise at all that once their relationship changed, he may have thought it was love between them. it was most certainly for him. in fact, i do remember a particular line from early access that always stuck with me and truly showed the imbalance at work here:

Player: What did Mystra’s attention feel like? Gale: Love. 

and

Player: Teacher’s pet, was he? Gale: He fancied himself much more than that. He fancied himself favoured above all others. Perhaps it was not quite love, but you see, the wizard was but a very young man. It was most certainly love to him. Mystra showed him the secrets behind the veils. The gossamer veils first, draped across the Weave. The delicate veils next, draped across her body. ‘Chosen One’ she whispered, as she slipped them off completely.

and even now, in the full release version of the game, that sentiment still lingers. he wasn't just her chosen, he was her lover - and we learn throughout the game what love truly entails for gale: heart, mind, body and soul.

Gale: I'm many things to many people, but I'm never a man to throw the l-word around lightly. I said exactly what I meant: I love you. You should never, never doubt that. - Gale: We didn't just make love. We bonded, body and soul. I got lost in you.

with mystra casting him away, he not only lost his power, his status, but also one of his most central relationships with the goddess who was his teacher, mentor and love all at once, all at the same time.

but we also know that he had relationships before mystra and before the protag:

Gale: No, you are not the first. Though you are the first since my relationship with Mystra came to its ignominious end.

i think this quote is just so interesting, especially if you pair it with:

Gale: To know you love me for the man I am, and not the magic I command... None have loved me so purely before.

and:

Player: I love you. But for the man that you are. Not the god you'd pretend to be. Gale: But think what I offer. The vastness of eternity to explore, the Weave at our fingertips... You would really prefer me as I am? Node Context: Genuine, vulnerable - the player just told him they loved him in a way that no one else has

so whatever these relationships before were, it's clear that something was missing from them for gale. something that gale sorely needed.

all of these little puzzle pieces combine to a larger whole of why we find gale as he is when we meet him in the story: someone who very much is struggling to find any worth in the person that he is outside of what he can provide to be useful.

Gale: Let me make myself indispensable. - Gale: I'm indispensable, aren't I? - Gale: My best is yours. - Gale: Please - continue to believe in me. I want to show you the wizard I am capable of being, rather than the poor excuse for a man who's kept you company thus far.

there are so many more of these, following the same vein, even in act iii.

gale is only now learning how to be loved, how to allow himself to be loved, and under that continuous reaffirmation given by the protag, he opens up to it, strains towards it, like a flower to the sun.

Gale: You truly are a soul that steels my own. From all my new-rallied heart I thank you. I stand at a precipice, but if you do not give up hope, neither shall I. I'll fight, I'll resist - as long as I can. - Gale: You give me hope, and I've not had that in some time. - Player: How are you feeling? Gale: Worried, if I'm being honest. I have so much to live for - more than I thought I'd have again, after Mystra. - Gale: It's been so long since I used it. Gale Dekarios cuts a poor figure next to the wizarding prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep'. Player: Gale Dekarios. I think I like him more. Gale: You like so many things about me I'd have sooner discarded... Your generosity is quite wonderful. - Gale: You see me as I am, and do not find me wanting.

he still has a very long way to go, to heal, it's not a process that's completed by the time his quest is completed or the game ends - and depending on your protag, they too have things that still weigh heavy on them as well - but it's a beginning.

[imtrashraccoon]

Whew! It's over...don't mind me but I'll probably be taking a few days off writing again. Thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me! I learned so much and had so much fun! It's definitely given me so many ideas for future projects...

There will probably be an announcement post coming soon... (ﾟ⁠οﾟ⁠人⁠)⁠)

@owl-bones

First Day & Previous Day.

Bad Sansuary: Free Space - Snuggle

Word Count: 3,301

Feat. Everyone!

You were relaxing in your room with a book you'd borrowed from the library after dinner. This high fantasy series Nightmare recommended was seriously good and once you'd started, it was incredibly hard to put down. Well, unless someone interrupted you that is...

There was a playful knock at your door, pulling you out of the story and back to reality. You knew exactly who had chosen to bother you and a part of you wanted to just pretend you had gone to bed early so he'd leave you alone. But...that wouldn't be very nice and you could always read later on before you did actually go to sleep.

With a sigh, you slipped a book mark made from laminating the pressed flowers Axe had given you between the pages and hauled yourself off the comfortable couch to go answer the door. The knocking grew more insistent until you finally threw it open and fixed Killer with your most exaggerated grumpy face.

"What's so important that you would drag me from the realm of Middle Earth just to see you?" you grumbled.

Killer shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and smirked. "hm? oh i was just bored out of my mind, angel face~"

You sighed and ran your hand down your face. "So, you want me to help you?"

"nope."

"What? Then...why did you come see me?" Now you were really confused and you stared at him for a few seconds, waiting for him to break and claim he was just messing with you.

"i wanna have a movie night and almost everyone else has already agreed. so...?" He wiggled his bonebrows in a playful way until you finally relented.

"Alright, I guess that sounds like it could be fun."

No sooner had you agreed did Killer take your hand and nearly drag you into the common area. You protested from the suddenness, but he only laughed and barely slowed down at all. It seemed you'd have to revisit Middle Earth another time.

"she said yes!" he announced to the other three skeletons.

Axe and Dust seemed to have been trying to figure out which movie to watch, but by the looks of things, they hadn't been able to come to a decision. Nightmare was casually lounging on one of the couches watching the two of them. All three looked up at the news and Axe smiled at you.

"guess i could whip up some snacks. do ya wanna help, lil' chip?" he asked.

You shrugged and glanced over at the tv to see what they had narrowed the choices down to. "Sure, but what movie were we going to watch anyways?"

Dust, Axe, and Killer glanced at each other before saying different titles at the same time, none of which you'd ever heard of before. They then proceeded to start arguing over which was the better movie.

Nightmare sighed and shot you a look that seemed to say "See what I deal with?" You gave him a sympathetic smile before clapping your hands to get the other's attention.

"Why don't we watch all of them and just turn this into a movie marathon night?" you suggested.

Thankfully, your idea seemed acceptable and they nodded in agreement. Even Nightmare seemed suitably impressed which made you quite happy to have solved the argument.

"guess we should start on those snacks then," Axe hummed and started for the kitchen.

"dusty and i could go pick up some pizzas and pop if you're fine with that?" Killer suggested and glanced at the aforementioned individual, who merely shrugged.

"sure, do what ya want," Axe rumbled, not even bothering to stop and look at them.

The two disappeared to presumably go get the food and you went to follow Axe into the kitchen, although not before glancing back at Nightmare. He gave you a bit of a disinterested look before getting up and leaving the common area.

You frowned and started to go after him to figure out if something was wrong, when Axe called out for you.

"ya comin' lil' chip?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there." You hesitated for a moment before hurrying to the kitchen. It seemed you'd have to check in on him later.

You helped make some buttered popcorn, cut up some fresh fruit, and arrange some cookies that Axe had made earlier on a plate. By the time you were done, the other two skeletons had returned with a couple of still hot pizzas and two bottles of pop. You didn't question where they'd likely pilfered them from and neither did Axe, as the answer would likely be either unpleasant or exactly what you suspected they'd done instead of paying like proper monsters.

Just as you were helping to arrange the food where it would be easily accessible, Nightmare reappeared with his arms and tentacles full of various cushions and blankets. While you were a little surprised, you were also glad to see that he was interested in participating in the fun afterall.

It didn't take long to make the floor by the tv extra comfy and get situated. Axe was content to lean against the couch where his large frame wouldn't be blocking anyone. Dust claimed a beanbag chair, which practically swallowed him up, and you were pretty sure he wasn't planning on moving anytime soon. Killer, being the absolute gremlin that he was, went about stealing as many pillows as he could to make a makeshift pillow nest for himself. At first, Nightmare chose the couch, but when you all but insisted that he should join everyone else, he relented and eventually chose to copy Axe, leaning against the couch instead.

Two problems quickly became apparent though. Problem one was that no one could agree on whose movie choice to watch first. Problem two was that you could tell each of the boys wanted you to sit with them.

You really didn't want what was supposed to be a fun evening devolving into a jealous fight. So before anyone could actually get upset, you decided to try and take charge.

"How about this... To keep things fair, I'll just swap places for each movie so that I can sit with all of you in turn," you suggested. Unfortunately, your attempt at a solution wasn't nearly as effective as you'd hoped.

"sooo...who gets to have the cutie to themselves first?" Killer asked. He had a dangerous look on his skull as he spoke and while his tone sounded light, even like he was almost teasing, you knew him well enough by now to know that he wasn't playing around.

"definitely not you," Dust growled and sat up a bit, his gloved hands digging into the bean bag.

Even Axe seemed to stiffen up and his good eye socket narrowed into a harsh glare at his loud-mouthed colleague. His clawed phalanges twitched slightly, as if aching to wringe a certain someone's neck or curl around the handle of the weapon of his namesake.

While Nightmare remained silent, you could tell by the way his tentacles were twitching restlessly, that he was at the very least mildly annoyed by this situation. His cyan eyelight flicked to you and the intensity of his gaze was almost enough to make you want to shrink into yourself. His expression held something else though; a look that you couldn't quite place but one that seemed to suggest he was scheming about something.

You swallowed and managed to tear your eyes away from his piercing gaze. Raising your voice again, you cried out, "No fighting! I have another idea...you should all play rock, paper, scissors to determine the order."

They glanced at each other but no one protested. After playing a few rounds, an order was established, minus Nightmare, who claimed he didn't care when his turn was. Killer won each time making him first, Axe was second, and Dust was third, much to his frustration. Nightmare was content to go last, which of course nobody protested over.

Killer was all too happy to welcome you into his nest. His arms fit snugly around your waist, teasingly close to your pelvis, although he otherwise kept his hands to himself and just continued spooning you during the first movie.

Speaking of, the movie was one of those corny horror movies. It was full of gratuitous violence with plenty of obviously fake gore. Still, you couldn't help but cringe whenever the monster attacked the very doomed side characters. Killer was quick to soothe your nerves with soft whispers of encouragement and occasionally making fun of the many cliches present in the film. Overall, the experience left a sort of thrill coursing through your veins and you were admittedly a little disappointed when the movie was over, a sentiment Killer seemed to mirror, although he attempted to hide it.

Axe had picked a tamer movie, although that wasn't saying much as there were more jump scares than the previous one that never failed to startle you. Still, Axe was also very good at comforting you and multiple times throughout the movie, you felt his eyelight watching your reactions just to make sure you were okay.

You ended up snuggled up against his left side with his hand around your back and resting on your left hand which was on your thigh. You wrapped your right arm around his broad back and laid your head against his ribcage, which inadvertently meant you could listen to the soothing hum of his magic that emanated from his soul.

At some point during the second movie, you glanced over at Nightmare and were a little surprised to find that he seemed a bit bored. It was odd because you had assumed he'd actually get some sort of satisfaction from witnessing how terrified the protagonists of the film were.

He sensed your gaze and glanced over, tilting his skull in a silent question.

"Are you okay?" you mouthed.

His eyelight flicked back to the screen and he shrugged. "It's manufactured fear... I can't gain any benefits from attempting to absorb it," he murmured. When he glanced back at you though, a subtle smirk formed across his skull and he went to say something but stopped himself when Axe took notice of the conversation.

You were momentarily fascinated that there was that much of a difference. Would it be any different if it was a live broadcast and the actors didn't know what was going to happen? You'd have to ask him about it sometime.

You glanced at Nightmare a few more times throughout the movie and occasionally caught him looking a little amused. The boys weren't easily spooked but the rare times one of them was seemed to coincide with those little moments. You figured he was the one who hadn't exactly wanted to have a movie night, however he'd seemingly decided to go along with it anyways. Probably under the guise of this being a group bonding activity like any good boss would host. The thought was actually kind of funny to you now that you knew them all a lot better.

Dust's movie of choice was definitely a thriller, and while you didn't mind the change, it made you feel really anxious, which you hated. It was about an old cop trying to solve a series of murders apparently perpetrated by the one criminal he had failed to bring to justice years prior. The plot was certainly intriguing at points and you could see why he had picked it.

You'd been right on the money earlier when you'd assumed he wasn't planning on budging from the comfortable beanbag for a long while. That was fine of course since he didn't really need to move in order to actually cuddle with you. His idea was for you to sit in his lap so you'd be as close as possible, which you'd expanded on and chosen to sit side saddle. It meant you could both hold each other and he'd get to watch your face, so he didn't protest at all. You wrapped one of your arms around his shoulders and he sort of mimicked the gesture, except he supported your back, leaving your other hand free to hold his other one.

By the time of the fourth movie, which was a classic monster movie about a mad scientist and his creation, you noticed something strange. Save for yourself and Nightmare, everyone else seemed to doze off, almost at the same time too.

Turning to the only possible perpetrator, you narrowed your eyes suspiciously. "Did you...put them to sleep?" you hissed under your breath.

His grin seemed only to grow more smug and even without him saying anything, you knew your suspicions were correct.

"Indeed~" he purred. "It is said that good things come to those who wait. They had their fun, so now I get to have mine..."

Your heart skipped a beat at the deliciously dark tone of voice he'd used. It was at that moment that a flock of butterflies decided to assault your insides with their delicate wings. You'd managed to control yourself with the others but now that you were technically alone with him...well, you weren't sure if that was possible anymore.

He pressed his skull against your hair and growled low in his throat. "I had to watch them hold you so close all this time... Have some empathy, dear..."

A chill went down your spine from the possessive tone of his voice and your tongue felt heavy like it was made of lead. Even if you could complain, he probably wouldn't even listen to you.

Nightmare pulled you into his lap yet again, which seemed to be his preferred method of holding you for whatever reason. Maybe it was because he could cage you in with his arms and tentacles so you couldn't escape. Or maybe he just liked the feeling of having you so intimately close to him. You tried not to dwell on it, partially because you liked it too.

Neither of you said much of anything for a little while, being content to enjoy the closeness and intimacy of this rare moment in time.

He was the one to break the silence first. He seemed to grow restless the longer you went without saying anything and his tentacles twitched with pent up energy, leaving you wondering what was really on his mind today. Then his clawed phalanges hooked under your chin, gently turning it so he could make eye contact and ensure he had your full attention before he even attempted to say anything.

"My dear, I cannot see into what the future holds, but I believe with all my soul that you'll fit in here. You've won over each of my boys in your own way and they've come to care a great deal for you in return."

He paused to take a breath before continuing. "I'm not normally a very...romantic person... But, even I can admit that I care a lot for you. No matter what you think, you matter to us and you've made a difference in our lives...for the better. I hesitate to use the word 'love' as I don't, and maybe can't, exactly feel that...but you will always be safe under my care."

He drew closer to you, his touch growing more tender now, and his tendrils slowly undulating against your clothing. "I promise, dear..." he murmured, almost against your lips, before closing that final distance.

For a moment, you were frozen in place as your brain tried to process what all he'd said. You caught on quickly though and wrapped your arms around his cerebral vertebrae so he wouldn't pull away too soon. You felt him stiffen ever so slightly but he soon relaxed into your embrace and actually deepened the kiss further.

It was over much too soon. You had to separate to catch your breath, although he didn't seem winded in the slightest. There was a soft cyan glow colouring his otherwise dark cheekbones and you could also see a small spark of what you thought might be true happiness in his eyelight.

Neither of you said anything for the short remainder of the film and you snuggled up against him as close as you possibly could get. Your soul was practically leaping for joy in your chest at the implications of what he'd said. You'd been assured by the others, but now you had definitive proof that he really did like you afterall.

Whatever magic he'd used to put everyone else to sleep seemed to fade as the end credits began to roll. One by one, the boys stirred before waking up, although you could see they were still a bit drowsy from the effects of the spell.

"Nice of you all to join us," Nightmare remarked with a chuckle and lightly squeezed your body against himself one last time.

They could only seem to respond with a cacophony of various tired grumbles, which even you had to admit was a little amusing.

Dust was the first to move and his mismatched eyelights scanned the room before locking onto you. The intensity in his tired gaze was nearly breathtaking but you couldn't read what could possibly be going through his mind right now. He dragged himself to his feet and managed to shamble his way over to you like a dead man walking. He ended up collapsing half on top of you so that his skull was resting just above your knees.

As soon as Killer realized what he'd done, he dragged himself over to you as well, plopping himself down on your shins with his skull resting on one of his arms so he could still look up at you. Interestingly, the black ooze that always leaked from his eye sockets had slowed to a meer trickle now, possibly from sleeping?

You were slightly flustered by all this contact at once but there was still one skeleton missing. Glancing over at Axe, you saw that he seemed to be conflicted. His eyelight flicked from his two colleagues to you and back again, while his large hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.

You couldn't exactly reach for him but you motioned with your chin to try and reassure him that you didn't mind if he wanted to join in. That little push was all he needed to scoot over and wrap both you and Nightmare in a big hug.

The aforementioned god let out a low growl of annoyance at basically being smothered and his claws pressed into your waist in a vain attempt to keep you to himself. Yet, he didn't shove any of them away, even though he was plenty strong enough to, as demonstrated when he used his tentacles to move some of the boys and yourself into more comfortable positions.

You couldn't move even if you wanted to and definitely wouldn't be able to for a while. Your eyes were finally starting to grow heavy, but still, you resisted the tempting allure of sleep to enjoy what had turned into a snuggle pile.

It was obvious that all four of them felt strongly about you and if the events leading up to the movie marathon were anything to go by, this wouldn't be the last time you'd need to intervene. Each of them were equally stubborn and also quite dangerous when provoked, which could quickly lead to hurt feelings or injuries.

You would have to either get good at breaking up future arguments or simply pick one of them and stick with your decision. Unfortunately, you didn't want to pick one over the others as you liked each of them equally. You'd have to give this matter a lot of thought.

You were confident you'd make the right choice though...

[swann-song]

daydreaming - finale

summary: the reality of dating a farmer comes with certain expectations. meeting the chavanges makes you realise that maybe pierres family do not find you suitable.

your mother tried to pull you away from pierre. she said she expected better and you were enraged, you had many heated arguments, you threatened to stop talking to her so she changed her tactic. conveniently visiting the library with "appropriate" guys and sending you their phone numbers. "this one works in finance" she pushed her phone in your face. it was some guy in a suit. "you know as tempting as guys who do coke off your ass and fuck their secretaries are, no thank you" your mother gasped scandalised and held her chest. pierre opened the door whenever she visited your flat. pierre was introverted so it’s not like he had long conversations with her. he kept a distance and was respectful. gradually she saw him the way you did, he was kind, attentive and calm. when she dramatically declared that she approved, you rolled your eyes.

"her dream job was always being a librarian you know" pierre was listening to your mother. "i thought after university she’d do something adventurous but you know how she is" pierre nodded and offered her a plate of pastries. "pierre why don’t you go the the hairdressers, it’s getting a bit long no" pierre pushed his hair away, "your daughter prefers it this way, i can’t disobey" it’s true, you were very tyrannical about his hair. "mon dieu" your mother shook her head at you but you can’t pretend to feel bad.

"did you see what jean has done to his roof, made a complete mess of it" you watched pierre try to keep up and felt sentimental. he had a sun kiss tan from working all day. you could tell he was tired but trying, he gave you a tender smile. you’d forgotten what life was like without him, your memories were blurring and pierre was the only thing you saw in focus.

*

the chavanges' house is getting a spring clean like no other. pierre fixed flickering lightbulbs, had repainted the front door. he had deep cleaned every nook and cranny of the farmhouse. all the doors hinges were oiled, he stopped the drip of the kitchen tap. the garden weeded and blooming with newly planted flowers. pierre had even taken the time to bathe all his cows with his new farmboy, they were mirror clean. his parents were happy with the changes but his obsessive cleaning is overwhelming them. pierre doesn’t let them help, he nags at them to keep out of his way and even told them to keep their own room clean like they’re children. he needs the house to be spotless. you were seeing it for the first time tonight, he’s officially introducing you to his family and the farm. he wants this to be your home so it has to be perfect.

*

you watched pierre’s mother force a smile at your gift. you’d bought her a mug with a cow on it, it said "good moo-rning". your smile drops and you turn to pierre, he has a sympathetic smile on his face and squeezes your hand under the table. the dinner wasn’t going well. you tried to relax and be pleasant but it’s hard, pierres parents and his sister pascale have been tracking your every move. you rub the back of your neck and pick at your plate. you wanted to make a good impression but can’t seem up to find the pulse tonight. pierre was dressed sharp, he wore those tighter trousers he knew you liked and his cologne is the same you bought him for your six month anniversary, the smell reminds you of that night and you flush a the memory.

you had spent all day preparing, you even practiced conversation starters. you’d chosen an elegant and classy knee length dress, your hair pinned up sleek. the flowers, wines and now gift weren’t helping. you didn’t want to make pierre doubt your compatibility and no matter what your mother said, you want to get along with his family. not that he’d ever said it’s a requirement, in fact he’d said he’d prefer it if you hated them. pierres hand had rested on your thigh all night, his thumb strokes it to soothe you. you could tell he was trying hard tonight, leading the conversation and keeping the atmosphere light. it must be very hard for him, you know he struggles to be extroverted, especially when things are as awkward as this.

they interrogated you and you gave your most diplomatic answers but everything that came out of your mouth warranted a "huh" or "i see" from them. no you don’t garden, no you’d never been to a farm and you had only every worked at the library, a few cafes when you were younger. your ex boyfriends were bought up and compared to pierres ex girlfriends. apparently your ex's older brother was now married to pierres ex, the way that his mother said it, you’d think you set them up. you asked pierres father about current events since pierre had told you he enjoys the news. watching it maybe but he wasn’t open to discussing it with you. you were asked if you were squeamish about blood, when you made a joke that it made you faint, only pierre laughed along and you could tell it was just for your benefit. you were intimidated by pierres sister pascale, she was a few years older than you and too cool for you to talk to, well that’s how it felt. when ms. chavanges asked you how many children you wanted and if you’d taken a fertility test, pierre whispered "mother" sharp and low at her and you asked if the cows were hating this hot weather to distract, it made you sound stupid but you couldn’t think of anything else.

pierre gets up to take the dinner plates, you reach for some but pascale pushed you back down smiling, saying she’ll take it with him instead. that’s a good sign, at least his sister liked you. you complimented the home interior and the decorations, the house was cozy and welcoming, the smell of the garden flowers travelling in. after a pause, ms. chavanges starts, "you have very dainty hands" you um and look at your hands "do you have an active lifestyle". you laugh awkwardly. "actually, you know i carry around heavy piles of books up and down stairs all day... i hope that counts" you sip your wine and watch pierres mother. his father was very quite, he’d barely talked tonight. you fridget with your earrings. pierre comes back with plates of dessert, a very impressive chocolate soufflé, your eyes widen at him. he puts it before you with a flourish "voila!~"

dessert was going much better, pascale and pierre had taken over, they were reciting funny family stories to you. you really appreciated the limelight off you. you were an eager audience, pascale was more than willing to expose all of pierres embarrassing stories. pierre was waving his arms about to stop her and even covered your ears for some of them. pascale prided in telling you she used to cover his bed in hay and sneak a calf into his bedroom when he got drunk to freak him out. as the night went on, pierres parents retired with a polite goodnight. pascale left not long after, pierre offered her the spare room but she wanted to drive home. she gave you a warm hug. "i'm glad you like pierre, at least someone does now" pierre scoffed at her and you laughed bewildered. "let’s get lunch together some time, my practice is close to your library" you promised her you would and waved her off.

pierre closed the door and turned to you, he held your face. "you did well darling" and kissed your cheek. you sigh and raised your brows. "your being a little delusion but i appreciate it" you stopped faking a smile and pierre pulled you across the living room, through the hallway and into a room that looks like his office. the moonlight poured into the room from the windows and shone on pierres delicate face, his silver hair reflective and blue eyes crystal clear.

*

pierre watched you look at him with a finger on your bottom lip. he flicked on the lights, "what is it?". you ignore him and turned around the room, taking a beeline to his desk. your eyes dart around it, "how do you work like this, it’s like there’s been an explosion" you flick through some papers. "you know i could organise this, i’ve got a great system i could do for you, everything alphabetical or categorical, whichever you prefer really" pierre dragged you away and onto the coach. he can’t let you get distracted by stationary, that’s a battle he knew he can’t win. he was also feeling a little offended, he’d tidied for your visit, his desk was organised and neat by his standards.

pierre played with the the wispy strands of your hair that had come undone throughout the night, when his fingers brushed against the nape of your neck you took a breath. pierre liked how responsive you were to his every touch, he plants a kiss on the back of your neck. your eyes meet and he watches your lips, slightly open the way they are when you expected a kiss. he clears his throat. he needed to know if you approved. of the house, the dinner, his family. of him. he needed to know if you wanted a future here with him. he had watched your eyes dart around all night, you stared at the bookcase in the living room, no doubt judging their literary taste. you said you liked the wallpaper and that it reminded you of beatrix potter art. you told them you liked the fine china and the food was delicious. had craned your neck to look into the garden, his stomach flipped as he watched a soft smile grow on your lips. but he needed to know if you didn’t like any part of it, he could change it all to your liking, he only needed to be told. he was nervous you might dislike something he can’t change or not want any of it all together.

you held his hand and squeezes it, "i'm sorry i was awkward, i just need a little time" pierre looked at you puzzled and snorted a laugh, "i really don’t give a fuck about that baby" pierre grabbed a glass and poured you a wine he knew you liked, he had put some of your favourite snacks on the table earlier that day. "do you like the house" he asks casually. you roll your eyes at him, "do i like the adorable cottage with a farm and garden surrounded by gorgeous trees, yes pierre, yes i do" you sip your wine and sit back. you play with his fingers and ask, "how can you even ask?" he watched you and moved back a strand of hair on your faces, you wiggled closer to him and felt you press your tits against his arm, purposely he might add. "i want you to like it that’s all" he kisses your forehead and whisper against it "i want this to be… your home one day".

you grinned at him mischievously, "oh am i a contender for mrs chavanges, i don’t know pierre would i suit being a farmers wife" your kidding again, but pierres been too stressed and can’t seem to laugh along. you notice and stroke his hair, almost patting him. pierre starts, "i love you, i don’t want to pressure you but i need you to understand my lifestyle, you can’t run away from it further along and break my heart” your eyes narrow at him. "i mean of course you could, it’d just be really mean of you" he adds, you giggle and kiss him. pierre holds you closer, he was never gonna push away a kiss from you. the kiss goes on longer, pierre tastes you and runs his hands up your legs and to the ball of your back. you pull away and catch your breathe, pierre is mesmerised with your face. your lips were plum and wet, he’d been kissing you too long. you push his hair from his eyes and smile. "pierre i could never leave or hurt you, i love you too don’t forget" a wave of gratitude washes over him, he kisses the back of your hand. "i will warn you though i’m not gonna help in the barn, my nails are really expensive pierre" his laugh fills the room, he’d never wanted you to lift a finger and imagining you trying to herd and milk the cows was like a slapstick comedy in his head.

pierre felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. he told you openly the future he imagined with you, the farm was doing well, he’d already got a few new apprentices, training them to the standard he expected. his cows had won a few awards and that’s given him more power to negotiate for better contracts. he wanted you to know he has laid the foundation for a strong future. pierre had been taking more time off recently and promised you he’d be able to take even more. you nodded and your hand traced down his jaw to his chest. you lean close to his ear. "i like every version of a life with you pierre, you don’t need to convince me of anything, i’m not going anywhere". pierres eyes strung, of course you’d know exactly what he wanted. he pulls you onto his lap, his buries his face in your neck. he takes in the feeling of you close to him, your scent, the rise and fall of your body, wondering how he got so lucky.

"you know i used to have a crush on you when i was younger" pierres face snaps up confused. "i used to daydream of us having a picnic in the grass, on that hill up there" your voice was airy as you stared out the window and pierre loved you even more. more than he ever thought he was capable of loving someone.

the end.

thank you for reading!~ i really appreciate you taking the time, i loved swann in this movie and was inspired. thanks again xox

daydreaming masterlist

[mochinek0]

Chat Noir vs Adrien Agreste

"Adrien, Adrien, Adrien." Chat Noir whined, "All the girls are fighting over him. No one's fighting over me. Yet, I'm so much more sophistiCATed, funnier, and definetly better dressed than him." in front of the school.

Marinette giggled, "I'll fight for you, Chat Noir!"

Many students were shocked by her decleration. They knew that she liked Adrien Agreste, but here she was saying that she preffered Chat Noir over him! Chat Noir smiled and walked over to her. They all witnessed as hero hugged her and the blush that crossed her cheeks. The students couldn't help but wonder: 'Maybe Marinette has a thing for blondes?'

"This is why you are my Princess." Chat Noir whispered, low enough for only Marinette to hear.

Chat Noir pulled away and smiled. He gracefully swept himself into a bow and kissed her hand. With a wink, he quickly left. Marinette just stood here waving 'bye' to the empty air.

"Hey." Alya spoke, snapping Mari out of her stupor, "What did he say to you? I saw his lips move."

Marinette smiled, "He told me 'thank you'. I-I guess he really needed to hear it."

"So?" Alya goaded, her confused friend, "New feelings?"

"Ch-Chat?" Mari stuttered out, "You-You think I like Chat Noir?"

"You chose him over Adrien." her best friend pointed out.

"I like him over Ladybug." Marinette declared.

"Why him?" the blogger asked.

Mari smiled, "He makes akumas not seem so scary."

Adrien couldn't wait to see Marinette the next day at school. He had been so happy that she had chosen Chat Noir over his model self.

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien shouted, waving happily.

Marinette walked right passed him and towards the classroom.

'What?'

Adrien tried all day to talk to her. He'd wave to her. He would wait by her locker. He even saved her a seat at lunch, but she pretended like he wasn't there. Try as he might, he couldn't think of what he had done or said for her to ignore him. It was just like when they met and he hated it! Adrien quickly ran after her when the bell had rung to go home. He spotted her in the courtyard and stopped in front of her.

"Marinette!" Adrien shouted.

"Yes?" she jumped back, almost colliding with his chest.

"You're ignoring me!" he stated.

"FUR a good reason." she smiled.

'Wait! Did she just pun?'

Adrien quickly cleared his mind and pleaded, "What? What did I do? Why? Please, just tell me!"

"You didn't read the shirt?" Marinette questioned.

'Shirt?'

Adrien took a step back to get a look at her shirt. It was black and read: 'Team sophistiCATed' in green. He could feel his cheeks turning pink.

"Sorry, Adrien." Mari spoke, before walking around him, "It's nothing PURR-sonal."

Adrien quickly rushed to his car and smiled happily in his seat.

'Marinette puns! How did I not know this? It makes her ten times cuter!'

"Princess." Chat whispered, knocking on her skylight.

"Chat Noir." Marinette smiled, inviting him in, "I know it's not perfect, but-

"What's not PURRfect?" he questioned.

Mari rolled her eyes, "I made this shirt last night. I was sort of inspired by what you said."

Chat looked over the shirt a bit more. He could see it was a solid black shirt. The green lettering was a bit sparkly and the pun was in capital letters to get the point across.

"I love it." Chat smiled, "Is it alright if I take a picture with you?"

"Sure." Marinette answered.

"Say 'cupcake'." he smiled.

"Cupcake!" Marinette repeated.

Chat was quick to place a light kiss on her cheek, just as he took the picture. Marinette turned to him and blushed.

"Thank you." he spoke, "That shirt really made my day."

"You're welcome, Chat." she replied, "I might have ignored my friend, Adrien, today because of the shirt."

"Adrien Agreste; the model?" he asked.

Marinette nodded and blushed. Chat Noir began to laugh.

"Did you explain why you ignored him?" Chat questioned.

"Afterschool." she winced, "I thought he had seen my shirt, but he hadn't. He actually confronted me because I was ignoring him."

Chat just listened to her ramble.

"I feel really bad, but I wanted to make a point." she continued.

He pulled her into his arms and held her.

"I think he understands." he whispered, "You can always apologize tomorrow, if you feel like it. I know I'd be a little sad if you ignored me, Princess."

"Okay." Marinette answered, "I'll just warn him that if I wear the shirt, I'm not talking to him."

Chat Noir chuckled and squeezed another hug out of her.

"Now, let's see if I can get you some real cupcakes."

"Yes!" he cried out.

Marinette laughed and went downstairs for sweets. Chat Noir looked down at the picture he had taken. He had timed it perfectly. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling and his lips were barely pressed against her cheek. They looked happy.

'You really are special to me, Marinette. I'm glad someone sees beyond all the perfectness.'

"I found some cupcakes!" Marinette cried, announcing her arrival.

Chat Noir closed his baton and placed it in it's holder.

"Yay!" he cried out, happily.

"Adrien, I wanted to apologize about yesterday." Marinette began to ramble, "I wanted Chat Noir to know he was important, too. Not that I'm saying you're not important! You're my friend and I support you, but sometimes it seems like people only like Ladybug; not Chat Noir. Not that there's anything wrong with being a model!"

Adrien just stood there as Mari continued to compliment both sides of himself.

'She's so cute when she's trying to figure out what to say and not hurt anyone.'

Adrien quickly hugged her. He felt Marinette freeze in his arms.

"I understand, Marinette." Adrien reassured her, "It's okay."

He immediatley felt her relax into the hug. He smiled as he felt her small arms wrap around him.

"I was confused, but you explained it." he continued.

Adrien froze when he felt Marinette mumble something into his chest.

"What?" the model asked, pulling back a bit.

Marinette mumbled again.

"Sorry, Marinette. I still couldn't hear u." Adrien spoke.

Mari took a deep breath and shouted, "If I wear the shirt again, I'm ignoring you!"

Everyone froze.

'Was Marinette that big of a fan of Chat Noir?'

"I can live with that. Maybe we should start a Chat Noir fan club." Adrien laughed, "You think he would let me wear one of your shirts, if it's to promote him?"

Marinette giggled as Adrien led her to the class, talking about Chat Noir.

"I can't tell if Marinete has Chat Noir and Adrien fighting over her." declared Rose.

"I don't know, either." answered Alya.

Soon, there was a secret poll going around the school on who they thought Marinette should end up with. To no one's surprise, it was a tie. It looked like Marinette, Adrien, and Chat Noir were the deciding factor. Now, if only one of them would make a move!

TAG LIST: @animeweebgirl @a-star-with-a-human-name @meme991001 @vixen-uchiha @abrx2002 @alysrose-starchild @fandom-trapped-03 @dood-space @moonlightstar64 @saltymiraculer @marveldcedits20 @09shell-sea09 @icerosecrystal @animegirlweeb @insane-fangirl-of-everything @blueblossombliss @nickristus-dreamer @megawhitleycalderonpaganus @missmadwoman @meira-3919  @princessdaisysolosyourfaves @blep-23 @fangirlingfanatic @darkhinauniverse @ravenr22 @im-a-satanic-ritual @ravennm84  @bianca-hooks123 @a-slytherinish-gryffindor @starling218

[the-most-faithful]

The other day I published an edit what if Lily had chosen Snape without war, (you can find it here if you want to see it) which the two have a child. Now among the various comments the classic Marauder Stan who tries to throw mud at Snape has obviously popped up, let's analyze the points touched, because they could be interesting

Obviously we start from a classic, they try to pass off Snape as a homicidal madman who wanted all non-magic people to die, we know full well that it's not true. He joined the Death Eaters it's true but he didn't really want to kill all the non-wizards. Having established this, let's move on to the slur

If you've been following me for a while you know that I find it quite problematic to associate Death Eaters with Nazis, I understand the meaning but it's a delicate topic, so sorry if I'll use the term classists instead, but it seems more respectful to me.

Now the fact that Snape apologized for the only insult ever directed at Lily can't be denied, it's canon, so what do the Marauders Stan? Well they obviously gloss over "yes he apologized BUT THEN he joined the Death Eaters" and excuse the frankness, but thank fu*k, despite having apologized he was dumped by the only friend he had in the canon and the guys who should have represented the good have continued to bully him for years. It's not like Snape had many choices. Let's reiterate the obvious: Snape was wrong to join the Death Eaters, what he suffered is NOT an excuse, we are just repeating the reasons for his actions. Understanding is different from justifying.

Honestly I'm missing the logical leap here. How does the fact that I pointed out that the Marauders never apologized for their actions, unlike Snape, lead to the conclusion that James and Sirius' heavy bullying equals a classist group of Death Eaters? Really, it escapes me.

So I corrected, saying that bullying is always wrong, it doesn't matter if the victim is a bad person, it's still bullying. And I thought we had at least reached a meeting point, they are all wrong, James and Sirius are wrong like Snape. Well not really since Snape was the victim, but hey if it can't get any better I can accept it, let's pretend they're on the same level. But no, the Marauders Stan always try to make Snape look worse than he is, so he magically becomes worse because when he grows up (in the future) he will treat his students badly. Clear isn't it? Future faults are why the bullying was less severe, which really makes sense. (BIG Face Palm)

They were all bad people, can we accept this? Obviously not, because Marauders Stan always have to defend their pupils, even going so far as to invent things. It starts to get comical how they want to distort the canon. The Marauders have gone from arrogant bullies to, in their imagination, vigilantes who defend others and attack bad guys. It's a shame that the bad guys who attack the weakest are actually them. You also notice how inconsistent they are, they admit that they were bullies BUT they try to justify them. Snape joined the Death Eaters after school so the Marauders bullied him from first year. The sense? Do you see it? Is it under the carpet by any chance? But by the same "logic" of this person the fact that Snape will join the classist group in the future justifies the Marauders bullying Snape.

Of course, Snape was bad since he was a child because... well we don't know why, they never explaine this. So he was bad from an early age because they say so, then only when Lily was in danger did he do the right thing. Do you hear the bells too? He did the right thing. They admitted it, he did the right thing. "Yes, but only because Lily was in danger" Exactly, this is the exact definition of an antihero, he is not someone without blemish who saves people for no personal reason. Regardless, everyone in the saga has personal reasons. James, Sirius and Remus didn't join the war against Voldemort because they had nothing better to do. They couldn't stay out of it. Let's dispel this false idea. James was with Lily who was a target, could he have stayed out of the war? Obviously not. Remus was a werewolf, or he was with the Death Eaters who would have disgusted him or he was with Dumbledore who always protected him, did he really have a choice? I would say no. Sirius same thing, his family disowned him, he only had his friends and since they were in danger he joined the Order. So they all had a personal reason too, the fact that they did the right thing for this doesn't seem to create any problems to me, why does it for Snape? Usual double standard.

Here I meant future sins, but I think the meaning is understood.

In all of this, they managed to defend the Marauders by proving that they weren't bullies? Obviously not. They're just trying to attack Snape.

If there are any updates I will let you know

[lightofwintersun]

Can we talk about Viserys I Targaryen's role in plot and his REAL TRAGEDY?

In the HOTD fandom, it is customary to expose King Viserys Targaryen as the main culprit of the Dance of the Dragon. All the bumps are raining down on him: "Oh, he's a weak fool, he doesn't give a damn about Alicent, why did he marry her then? ". Or "Why the hell did he makes children for Alicent if he didn't love them, and only looked in Rhaenyra's ?" "Why didn't he reform the succession by birthright?"

We blame to Viserys that if he had been consistent and far-sighted, he would have done this and that. But Viserys' role in the plot is exactly that. Sitting like a meme dog on fire.

Otherwise, the plot would not have happened.

Plus, you can also think about psychology. Some people are like that. Like Viserys. It's easier for them to pretend for years that everything is fine than to face the truth. And there are many such people. Yes, such people should not go to rule, but Viserys was chosen by the king. And his rulership is spoken of in books as the pinnacle of the Targaryen dawn. He did not waste his grandfather's legacy in the early years of his reign, at least.

But Alicent, you say. He was terrible man who married on 15-years girl, you say.

And here TV-SHOW cruelly deceiving you.

Due to the change in Alicent's age and the change in the dynamics of her relationship with Viserys, some accents have shifted. And as a result, the whole point of the situation was missed.

For those who have not read it: NEXT, WE WILL TALK ABOUT VISERYS FROM THE BOOK, NOT THE SERIES.

Viserys in the book loved not only Rhaenyra to the detriment of the rest of the children, as in the series. He also loved Alicent. Rhaenyra herself admits this, in plain text. His conflict was not in blind love for his daughter out of guilt, but in the fact that Viserys loved and his eldest daughter and his second wife. And he let the situation go because he didn't seen a way out of the rivalry that his wife and daughter had unleashed. He showered them with gold and gifts, but it didn't work. Due to the skew of Viserys' love for Rhaenyra by the screenwriters, the very essence of the conflict is missed. Viserys understood that Alicent wanted her son on the throne. But he couldn't resist her. Not because he didn't consider her a person and saw only Aemma in his heart, as in the series, but because he loved Alicent too.

Yes, he could have made a birthright reform. And that would be the right thing to do. It was necessary to do this. But perhaps he was afraid that the lords would rebel. And Viserys hated strife. And his love of family and dislike of strife led Westeros into civil war for a couple of years.

His tragedy was not only that he turned a blind eye to the traditions of the Westerosi. And it wasn't that he started a family that he didn't care about. But the fact is that he was a peaceful man who cared too much about relationships with his wife and daughter. The fact that his love for his family turned out to be weaker than their thirst for power.

Also about book!Viserys in family.

Viserys wanted to go to Dragonstone with the whole court, so that Aemond would choose an egg for himself or an already hatched dragon, so he was not indifferent to his problem.

It may seem like I'm devaluing Paddy Considine's work. No, I'm not. He did an excellent job with the task assigned to him. But imagine if we saw Viserys, who loves both Rhaenyra and Alicent and tries to reconcile them? Viserys, what helps Aemond in his trouble and propose to go to Dragonstone so that the boy can choose a dragon and an egg for himself? Viserys whose cares about Alicent? Finally, how does Helaena brings Viserys's grandchildren to him and he tells them a bedtime story, and they listen with their mouths open? Imagine Paddy Considine in it.

I'm sorry that the viewers of the show do not know such a Viserys. And already they won't find out

[fireofjudgement]

Marking the territory

Requested here

Fandom: Alice in Borderland

Pairing: Niragi x gn!reader

Summary: Being a militant at the Beach might sound exciting to some, but to you it's mostly doing Hatter's dirty work, late night patrols and worst of all - boring meetings. This particular one started off just like the others but thanks to a new member it would quickly go downhill.

Word count: 1.2k

Warnings: swearing, established relationship between reader and Niragi, mentions of alcohol, nudity, teasing, public sex, exhibitionism, oral sex, jealousy, requested reader was feminine I think but i didn't mention any genitals or specific pronouns so I tagged it as gn reader - please let me know if I missed a part that would suggest otherwise

A/N: Yes, I turned a simple request into a rant about Niragi's exhibitionist kink, what are you gonna do about it. And yes, this is the first thing I'm posting after like six months, you're welcome 😌

--

"And why exactly did I just waste a fucking hour listening to some..newbie's life story?"

You relaxed your face, careful not to show your amusement at Niragi's words. You lived at the Beach long enough to understand that the militants and executives were basically Hatter's chosen family - their so-called duties weren't always taken too seriously. He did like to play pretend however and look professional, in front of newcomers at least. Something something elite organization, something something only the best players. Usually you'd all play along, but clearly someone had other plans today.

"Hmm..Let's see." Of course Hatter had to pretend to take Niragi's question seriously. You've yet to see him break character in front of a new member. "Considering the fact that it's only ten in the morning, on a Monday no less, and yet Aguni had to drag you, in his own words, out of the bar and threaten to take your beloved weapon away, just for you to put a shirt on- I simply assumed you didn't have anything better to do anyway. Please forgive me if I was wrong."

"You are indeed wrong, Hatter." It was almost impressive how the obvious irony in the older man's voice seemingly escaped Niragi's attention completely. You had a theory as to what was occupying his mind at the moment though, and his next words only confirmed it. "I could think of someone..I mean something I'd rather be doing right now. Preferably shirtless." He said the last part looking directly at you, a smirk on his handsome face. 

You were trying your best to control yourself, unwilling to entertain your boyfriend in front of a stranger, but it was getting hard with the way he was looking at you. You knew he'd take you right then and there if he could, on that very table you were sitting at. It wouldn't be the first time either. Suddenly your brain was flooded with images from the past, in-between or after meetings, when it was just the two of you. Niragi wasn't a patient man, that much you were able to figure out before you even talked to him for the first time. Seeing him lose his temper at even the slightest mistake of another member was a common occurrence. He liked to get straight to the point and his impulsiveness transferred into every aspect of his life. Sex was no exception to that rule.

Unless there was even the slightest possibility of having an audience. It wasn't until some random, probably drunk and/or high, person stumbled into your room while your boyfriend was going down on you, that you realized he might have a thing for being watched. It was as if a switch was flipped inside his mind that day. Ever since then the meeting room became his favorite place- he could spend hours exploring your body, his hands and lips marking every inch of it, bringing you as close to release as possible, only to withdraw completely over and over again.

You could only guess how many of your friends have seen you all fucked out, a shaking and drooling mess, all while he didn't lose a single piece of clothing. He'd never share you and you felt bad for all those poor idiots who attempted to flirt with you only to never be seen again, but he loved nothing more than to show you off, make everyone see that you're his and nobody else can have you. Damned be the person who figured out how to charge the phones given to players during each game.

"And what about you, Y/N?" The sound of your name snapped you out of your thoughts, the looks on the other executives' faces clearly suggesting they all knew what you were fantasizing about. At that moment you wished you paid enough attention to answer Hatter's question. You shot him a begging look, hoping he'd have mercy on you this time. "What do you want to say to our newest member?" He granted your wish, but not without a loud, exaggerated sigh. 

Oh, so that's what it was about. Thinking about it now, you had a lot to say to her. Starting with the fact that you noticed how she looked at your boyfriend ever since she entered the room. That everyone else noticed too. How ridiculous she looked trying to catch his attention and how annoying and unnatural her voice sounded the entire time. And most importantly, that it would be better if she stopped embarrassing herself - Niragi didn't look her way even once, you knew for sure he would forget there was a new member introduced that day as soon as everyone leaves the room. Your relationship was far from perfect but jealousy was not something you ever had to worry about. The thought of having him all to yourself later filled you with excitement but for now you had to stay focused. 

"Welcome to the family!" You exclaimed instead of voicing your thoughts, in a sickeningly sweet tone, with the fakest smile you could muster glued to your face. "It's always a pleasure to meet people with such a..positive attitude." Your last sentence caused some barely contained laughter among the other executives. Even Aguni looked a little less intimidating than usual. It was hard not to notice the newbie's poor attempts at flirting, the only oblivious one remaining was ironically enough the very target of these attempts. Or at least that's what you thought. 

Hesitantly, you got up from your seat to properly greet the girl, as you did with every new member. It was awkward to say the least, forcing yourself to be so friendly with someone who probably hated everything about you. Maybe except your significant other. Luckily, judging by the amount of cards she presented to Hatter upon joining, you didn't think she'd last long at the Beach. 

Finally, after the longest and most uncomfortable hug and hand shake of your life, you made your way back to your seat. A loud gasp escaped your lips when suddenly you felt someone's hands firmly grabbing your waist, pulling you into their lap. It was unexpected and it caught you off guard, but you soon recognized your boyfriend and calmed down a little. It was quite unusual for him to act that way. You started to think that maybe he wanted to tell you something without the others noticing, but no, he wasn't even facing you. You followed his gaze and..oh. You couldn't hold that smile in anymore, not when the new girl was staring at the two of you with such pure disgust written all over her face. It definitely didn't suit her, you had to admit. But it wasn't exactly your fault that you and Niragi made for one hot couple.

That's when it finally occurred to you however, that he did, in fact, notice her advances. He just waited for a perfect moment to shut them down, and since he couldn't just fuck you right then and there in front of everyone..he settled for the next best thing. It would be an understatement to say that him acting so possessive, though in such a subtle way, made you incredibly horny. Now that you were so close you could tell he was excited too. And judging by how fast the girl stormed out of the room after the meeting was done, she must have received the message, loud and clear. When all of the other members left the room, you knew Niragi would show you that he only wanted you. You also knew that Hatter and Aguni would not let this go for a very long time, but you'd deal with that later. Much, much later.

[abigailmoment]

Astarion frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Mn." Tav shook her head and the expression smoothed away as she looked up at him. "The wine may be off."

"No. It's trash, but it's fine," he told her. "Why are you upset?"

She paused in that way she sometimes did in conversations--like she was deliberating between options and deciding which one would best suit her goals. It was often the precursor for amusement when she did it to other people, but it was irritating when she did it with him.

"It's feelings," she said, as if she were warning him.

Astarion shrugged. "So? You only talk about feelings with druids? Pretend I'm Halsin. I could stand on top of a chair if it would help."

Full text below.

Full Text On AO3

"Naive am I?" Tav asked, her eyebrows raised so high up that they were in danger of crowding her horn-stubs.

"It's just that you have a...big heart," Astarion said tactfully. "You like doing what's right."

Which was just a different way of saying naive. The woman was physically incapable of walking past a sob story without interfering with it in some way. It was the most absurd way to live life. She'd be intolerable if all her other energies weren't devoted to the far more admirable dual purposes of making money and having fun.

Case in point, they'd just finished ransacking the Last Light Inn for every bottle of wine the imp-children weren't supervising. Now they were on the second floor, sitting at one of the less-cobwebbed tables. They were sharing a bottle of Plum Fizz, which was utter garbage. They'd chosen that one because the others were nice years that might be sold well, and also Tav hadn't believed him about what utter garbage the stuff was.

Astarion had stirred his latest donation into his cup, and it made the vintage borderline palatable. Though privately he thought Wyll would pair much more nicely with elderberry wine.

"So I was thinking," he continued. "What would be the right thing to do when we get to Moonrise towers? When we come face to face with whoever's controlling the parasites?"

"I'm guessing you have an opinion," Tav observed, leaning back in her chair.

"Well think about it," he prompted. "How many people have the mind flayers infected? Hundreds? Thousands?"

"Probably hundreds," Tav guessed. "It's an involved process."

"Hundreds then." Astarion conceded a little of his daydream to reality, but only a little. "And they're not just goblin trash. There are powerful people in the worm's thrall."

"Sure," said Tav.

"Whoever's waiting for us at Moonrise Towers controls it all. But what if we can take that control from them?"

"Mm," said Tav.

"I'm just saying," he pressed. "There's an opportunity here. Imagine the entire cult under our thumb. If we can control the tadpoles we can keep ourselves safe, liberate the world from this evil, and enjoy a little world domination on the side."

He laughed a bit at the idea. It was so delightful he couldn't help himself. "You can't tell me that doesn't sound fun?"

He looked at her for confirmation. She'd gone quiet. She sometimes did that when he talked up the tadpoles. He presumed that was the kind of reticence that came paired with morals, and that it might be worn down by time and temptation.

She was staring down into her cup of wine with a tight expression. Brows drawn, mouth turned down into almost a grimace. She looked ill.

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Mn." She shook her head and the expression smoothed away as she looked up at him. "The wine may be off."

"No. It's trash, but it's fine," he told her. "Why are you upset?"

She paused in that way she sometimes did in conversations--like she was deliberating between options and deciding which one would best suit her goals. It was often the precursor for amusement when she did it to other people, but it was irritating when she did it with him.

"It's feelings," she said, as if she were warning him.

Astarion shrugged. "So? You only talk about feelings with druids? Pretend I'm Halsin. I could stand on top of a chair if it would help."

He lost her to sniggering for a moment. When she'd finished laughing at his objectively hilarious joke, she spent another moment considering responses. Then she gave him a 'you asked' look and started talking.

"When I was in my early twenties I learned Charm Person." She was tracing the rim of her cup around and around with her fingertip. "And it was the only spell I cast for like, six months. It was like playing an easier version of life. It made everything manageable. Everyone tractable."

"There were a lot of long term consequences to that. The worst was I permanently fucked up my relationship with my sister." Tav tilted her cup almost to spilling. "She was a year younger than me and in her making bad decisions phase. And I could just stop her. Every time she wanted to do some idiot, dangerous thing."

"But.” Tav enunciated the conjunction so that it popped. “Enchantments that make false emotions can atrophy real emotions. By the time I figured out what I was doing it was too late. She didn't feel anything about me anymore, when she wasn't charmed."

Tav tipped her cup back upright. It looked a little like she'd wanted to let it spill. Probably to match her narrative or some dramatic thing like that. But that impulse had died under her need not to waste food.

"So I don't touch control spells." She continued. "No charms. No compulsions."

She hadn't looked at Astarion for the entire story. An attitude of shame, even though her voice was mild and steady.

"And then the mindflayer thing happened." She made vague gestures towards Astarion's head and then hers. "And now...I feel like a teetotaler with a bottle of wine hanging in front of me all the time."

She took another drink from her cup.

"Authority," she said in a tone that managed to be mocking and maudlin all at once.

She seemed to be finished. All right. He had listened. That was done. Now Astarion cast about in his mind for what you were supposed to do when someone told you a sad story and you cared about it.

...

It was depressing how shit he was at this.

She didn't seem to mind the long silence. She was staring into her cup again, swirling the cheap wine about, expression pensive and glum.

Astarion minded the long silence though. He finally landed on something to say that vaguely fit the shape of the conversation.

"Fine. Very well then, " he began. "Out of the kindness of my heart, to spare you this pain, I will be the one to take control of the Absolute cult."

She didn't spit up her drink, but that was only because it hadn't quite made it to her lips before she started laughing.

"Oh my Gods," she said breathlessly, a minute later. "No, you racist, squirrel kicking, sociopath. You'd better be actually joking because no one is letting you do that. I am in fucking love with you and I would never let you do that."

Astarion was gearing up to get catty, perhaps even angry, about the first part of that statement. Then the last sentence happened and it was like being struck by a very soft bolt of lightning. It jangled something in his head, and left him feeling numb and strange and a little warm.

That was wrong. That wasn't how things worked. Feelings weren't supposed to be warm like that. He wasn't a thing that produced warmth. What was this?

Tav was distracted, squinting at the bottle of plum fizz to gauge how much was left. Which was good because Astarion had even less of an idea than usual what his face looked like right now.

As he watched her, Tav smiled in that particular way that he was beginning to recognize as an expression that happened right before she said something intended to goad him.

Then she said: "We can put Wyll in charge."

"Absolutely not," said Astarion, snapping out of his confusing reverie by the need to object to that unconscionable idea.

"Ha!" said Tav, finally looking up at him. "Absolute-ly not."

"Don't start," Astarion said warningly. She could become absolutel--completely insufferable with puns if it wasn't cut off quickly. This wanted a distraction. He considered which of their companions he'd like best as an all-powerful cult leader if it couldn't be him or Tav.

"Lae'zel," he said. He was aware it wasn't the right choice, but it was the one he liked.

Tav snorted. "Sure. Never much liked Faerun being intact and at peace. Why not?"

"Gale," she suggested then, because apparently this was another game now. "He'll compel all of us to sit down and listen to him explain the distinction between radiance damage and fire damage."

"I distinctly prefer Lae'zel," Asterion said. Then inspiration struck. "No. Wait. We're both wrong. Karlach."

"Shit. You're right," Tav said immediately. "Karlach for cult leader. World domination. World dominatrix."

"She does look good in leather," Astarion admitted.

"Truth," said Tav. "Great. I'm glad we resolved that."

Astarion swirled the dregs of his spiked-wine about in his cup. He was putting off finishing it because that would be the last of his blood for the day.

"I am serious about the power," he told her. "It's not often the universe hands you something like this. I don't want us wasting it."

"We won't," Tav promised. "We're going to take them for all we safely can. And we're going to make a lot of powerful allies on the way. And if we do find the macguffin that lets us take control of the cult, I'm seriously now considering the pros and cons of Karlach being the one to use it. That might be the plum fizz doing the thinking, but I am currently letting it."

"Macguffin is a theater thing?" Astarion clarified dryly. Tav's incomprehensible nonsense words were usually theater things.

"Yes," she confirmed. "A magic object in a story that lets you do exactly the thing you want to do. They don't usually exist in the real world so don't hold your breath."

He gave her a significant look. She laughed.

"Or hold your breath if you want to, I guess, vampire privilege. You won't. Because it would also involve refraining from talking."

He tossed his head disdainfully and distinctly didn't respond. She laughed again.

The conversation hadn't gone precisely as he wanted, but he was fairly content with the results. Tav's assistance was, as always, intractably ethical and therefore conditional. But it still gave him better odds for getting something like what he wanted than just showing up and causing chaos.

It was rather nice having a friend who was a details person.

****

This is part of an ongoing story. It begins here.

Here's a list of other stories like this.

****

[sunstaar]

I can get a headcanon of how Itachi, Kakashi, Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke would react to learning that their partner is a witch (can talk to spirits, see the past, future and summon spirits).If they are too many then only the first 3 and that S/O is female, thank you very much ❤

hey, nonnie, thank you for the request! Playing around with the witch concept was a lot of fun, so I do hope you like the following headcanons :)

hc: Itachi, Kakashi, Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke learning that their s/o is a witch

Word Count: 2k

Itachi

let’s assume first that you, too, are a member of Akatsuki

while Itachi did respect you as a new member of the organization, at first, he didn’t know the reason why you joined

you and your abilities were so enigmatic, he didn’t know anything about either

at one point, the two of you began growing closer and eventually even started a romantic relationship

that is also when the two of you teamed up for a few missions for Akatsuki

Itachi first saw a hint of your abilities when it was time for the two of you to stop Team Kakashi & Chiyo from getting to Gaara

for a reason he couldn’t explain, you could foresee all of Kakashi’s movements and dodged them perfectly

he himself could do this quite well, but only due to his Sharingan, which you obviously didn’t have

the real kicker was when you summoned a spirit to act as a child from Naruto’s rasengan

Itachi’s clone was really confused, he had never seen an ability such as yours before

at the same time, it did finally make sense why the leader of Akatsuki had insisted upon him using a clone to trick the Konoha Shinobi, but also insisting that your real self would accompany said clone

upon arriving back in the Akatsuki hideout, there were a lot of questions running through his mind, alongside a lot of answers to them

the easiest thing was to confront you, really

when you told him everything, he listened intently and connected the dots

everything made sense to him now, despite his initial confusion

Itachi always knew that you could defend yourself, but now he doubted that even less

one question would always remain on his mind, however, could you see his death coming? did you know about his illness? would his little brother Sasuke be the one to kill him?

in the end, he would never get to ask that

Kakashi

you didn’t mean to reveal your identity as a witch to him like that, it just happened

you really couldn’t have chosen a worse moment, looking back on it

after a long time of dating, Kakashi finally opened up to you about his childhood and his past

while he sometimes had begun talking about it, he often cut himself off and then promised to tell you later

so you thought it was an important moment and milestone in your relationship, a show that he trusted you

so your mind was solely focused on his past, which you kind of already knew (not that you would mention that to him)

of course, you were well aware of the rumors and murmurs running through Konoha, about how he was supposedly a ‘friend-killer’ and a cold person

but you also knew things only Kakashi should know, such as things about his relationship with his father and how he dealt with the death of the man

you shouldn’t know such private things about him before he told you them, but you found them out with your abilities by accident

one of the times he cut himself off, his past got unraveled to you, unbeknownst to him and ever since that you’ve felt very guilty about that

so now that Kakashi was going to tell you himself, all you had to do was pretend to not know this already and act surprised, and then of course comfort him if needed

and everything goes right at first, you do your part as the doting partner and are there for him when necessary

that is until he tells you something, and you blurt out “I know”

Kakashi is just so confused by that point, poor him because what do you mean? You know?? huh

you are just panicking by now because you did not mean for that to slip out, and now you have to tell him everything

at first, he is upset about that invasion of privacy, understandably so

you then go ahead and explain to him how it had been an accident and you didn’t mean to, that you didn’t want to find that out about him like that, but rather through him when he decided to tell you

the two of you do manage to talk everything out, but it does take time to rebuild that trust

and you do need to give Kakashi that time to fully trust you again, because while he does know that it had been an accident, he sometimes still has his qualms you need to respect

after some time, however, your relationship is as strong as ever, as long as you respect his privacy with your witch abilities, that is

Neji

the first time you showed a hint of your power to Neji was when you told him to fight against what he considered to be his fate, that he shouldn’t allow it to be predetermined

somewhat, you reminded him of Naruto during the Chuunin exams

this time around, however, he was a bit more open to listen

you are his partner, after all, you only want the best for him, which meant that you bothered him time and time again, so he would just listen to you

just before the beginning of the Fourth Shinobi war, you know that he is going to die soon due to his predetermined fate

you wouldn’t let him, however

because why would you allow your significant other to die?

your last resort was telling him about your powers, about what you are able to do

you tell him everything, and I mean everything, all at once

it does overwhelm him, especially when you tell him he is going to die soon

Neji had been confronted with death often enough already, but his own death?

by this point you were begging him to listen to you and to hear you out

and he does, he does hear you out because if you didn’t mean it, you wouldn’t get hysterical like that

he ends up believing you after you describe his death to him in great detail

he’s also a bit miffed because you didn’t tell him about you being a witch sooner, you kept that a secret from him

Neji does come around again when the two of you are sent to fight in the war, and he makes sure that you both make it out alive

thanks to your premonition, you do

Shikamaru

Shikamaru finding out about your identity as a witch had been an accident

the two of you get assigned a mission together, something about a ghost haunting in an ancient home

you are very confident in completing the mission due to your ability to communicate with spirits, something Shikamaru immediately notices

he doesn’t say anything at first and just keeps an eye on you and your swift change in mood

aside from Naruto, Shikamaru has never seen anyone that delighted to go on a special type of mission, although he would doubt that even the energetic blond would be excited about ghost stories

anyway, so the two of you arrive there to investigate the mystery

and in the beginning, everything does go smoothly

until the two of you arrive at a dead end

while Shikamaru is able to roll off his growing frustration, you, on the other hand, are not and search for another way to get to more information

what you did not consider however had been that Shikamaru did not know that you could talk to spirits, so when you suddenly started talking with nothing, he was bewildered

(for a moment he did think you were going crazy from this mission, but for that he wouldn’t blame you)

and when he asked what you were doing you just froze, like, mid-conversation

as a doe in the Nara forest would stare at him, so did you

while he did think that you looked adorable, he was quite concerned about you not breathing

when you did finally breathe again, his first question was to ask what you were doing, because obviously, he still did not know about you being able to talk to spirits

Shikamaru could only nod along as you explained your powers and abilities to him, and how they worked

at first, he was unsure of what to say but did listen intently, making sure not to miss a detail

and then, as though nothing major happened, he asked what the spirit from before told you

as fireworks lit up the sky, so did your smile as you began to tell him all about what the spirit said

and the two of you completed the mission successfully, it couldn’t have gone better, really

of course neither of you go ahead and inform the Hokage of how you solved the mission, but you do write a promising mission report

let’s just say it is a secret that remains between the two of you and the two of you only

he keeps it with his life, just as he plans on keeping you in his life

Sasuke

for this, I imagine you being part of Team Taka, a rogue ninja from a village other than Konoha

you joined Sasuke’s team alongside Karin, since you also were one of the Ninja taking care of his hideouts

Sasuke thought, based on how highly Orochimaru sometimes spoke of you and how much the snake man wanted you to stay in a hideout, you must either be really important or strong

when it was time to escape, you went along with Sasuke, viewing him to be the better option in comparison to Orochimaru

as part of Team Taka, you never really did reveal your abilities as a witch

maybe it was the fear of being used just like Orochimaru used you, or it was something else holding you back

that was all at least until Sasuke decided to storm the Gokage meeting and go after the not-inaugurated Hokage, Danzo

for the self-appointed mission, both you and Karin had come along to help Sasuke enact revenge on the man

once you do arrive at the bridge in the Land of Grass, everything just seems to get out of hand and go wrong

you’re really surprised once this Konoha girl comes along and tries to kill Sasuke and then Sasuke almost kills Karin in return

what you should have expected, but didn’t, was that Danzo would also use you as a tool to get to Sasuke

your last solution to this had been to summon a spirit to protect you, acting as a shield for your safety

while that meant that you were now safe, it also meant that Sasuke just learned something new about you, a revelation

it had also been you who warned him about his old Team from Konoha appearing, his sensei and his old teammate, and Tobi from Akatsuki

even more surprised for him, you could say

so it had been no wonder that once you reached safety, Sasuke questioned you all about your abilities and your identity

and with questioned, I mean it was almost like an interrogation

you had no choice but to tell him, or otherwise, you would no longer be part of Team Taka

it was a no-brainer for you to tell him everything, down to the last detail

lying to him or hiding any details from him would be very stupid of you, so you knew

it isn’t until after the war that Sasuke realizes how he used your abilities for his own success

in his own way and pace, he comes along to apologize to you

in the end, how the reveal affects your relationship is up to you, and your reaction to his apology

Sasuke isn’t selfish, you knew that when you first met him, but during the times of Team Taka he was very revenge focused and oriented

but then again, your abilities as a witch may be powerful, but that does not mean that they are endless and don’t drain you, because they impact you as a person too

so, again, it is up to you how your relationship turns out

[cockdestroyer32]

some plans...

tangerine x fem!reader

word count: 2k

tags: SFW, bickering, violence, murder (they are assassins after all), tension, drinking, rivals to (not really) lovers

summary: after reluctantly teaming up in order to survive, you and tangerine disagree about what would be the best plan to use, leading to you having to save him.

authors note: I have a really specific taste in fics and couldn't find too many that fit those strict requirements so I just decided to write one and post it lol. english is not my first language so if some things aren't correct, I apologize. anyway I love this man so much I'm abt to repeat his name three times in the mirror at 3am to see if he shows up in my room cuz I need him

The bar area was washed by the neon green light descending from the ceiling. Due to the lack of people in the room, the compartment was mainly quiet, with only the sounds of distant passengers chatting and the speeding train to fulfill that tranquility. You stood in front of the bar countertop, one elbow leaning on it, supporting the weight of your body, impatient. When you got particularly bored, you took a sip of the champagne you gave yourself the liberty of pouring. You usually didn’t allow yourself to drink on the job, but due to recent circumstances, you decided alcohol was a much-needed aid. Tangerine was “recent circumstances” of course. 

You did not, in any way, plan on teaming up with each other, but when the briefcase ended up being stolen by a third party, you found your goals aligning and decided to join forces for better chances of survival. But you truly did not expect Tangerine to be this much of a pain in the ass. You had always chosen to work alone, having control over jobs and only worrying about yourself had always been important, which is why this was so hard. Plus the fact that Tangerine was just incredibly difficult. Mainly that. Now you waited for him to return so you could continue on your little mission, and hopefully get off this train in one piece. 

You finally saw the man walking in your direction, he approached you and leaned his elbow on the countertop, mirroring you.

“Six men. Two guarding the first door, two the middle, and two the last door.” He said, looking at the passing city in the window.

“And that’s not counting the guys in the surveillance compartment?”

“No, only two there.”

“Alright. I got the 6.” You take a sip of your champagne.

“Now hold on there, darlin’ I can get the 6 guys.”

“Okay, well, so can I.”

“Well no offense love, but I can get this done way fuckin’ quicker than you.” 

You sigh. Here we go.

“Then what is your plan exactly?”

“What’d ya mean a fuckin’ plan? What do I need a goddamn plan for? Just get in there and take them on.”

“Really? That’s your plan?”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” He took your glass of champagne, allowing himself to take a sip, much to your displeasure.

“No offense, Tangerine, but going into a fight guns blazing isn’t exactly a tactic that works with six people, no matter how skilled you think you are.”

“Well, what is your brilliant fuckin’ plan? Enlighten me.”

“When you’re dealing with six highly trained guards all at once, your best course of action is to play a little pretend game, be obnoxious and separate a few from the rest of the group, therefore improving your odds.” You explained like an increasingly frustrated teacher on their 5th attempt at schooling a young child.

He then set your glass of champagne back on the countertop and slid it over to your side, as if saying ‘Mine, now…yours.’ “Oh so you’re gonna do some bloody theatrics is that right?”

“Yes. And they’re much more likely to believe the desperate young woman rather than the ‘Oi, now that’s bloody brilliant innit’ dude.” You mocked his accent.

“I don’t fuckin’ sound like that.”

“Beg to differ.” You mutter into your glass of champagne.

“Listen, we can stay here all night discussing what’s the best tactic to use but we are on a time crunch, and unless you let me do my fuckin’ part neither one of us is leaving this goddamn train because our corpses will be too busy being shoved inside some fuckin’ suitcases by some braindead White Death lackey.” 

He’s not wrong, you could stay here arguing all night, but you know the fucker isn’t gonna back down and there is no time, so…this time he’s gonna be having it his way. You sigh, now leaning with both elbows on the bar countertop, facing away from Tangerine, giving him no reply. He notices this quiet surrender, which of course, amuses him thoroughly. “Don’t worry love,” He continued with a smile on display. You take yet another sip of your champagne, apparently smudging your red lipstick. “Some plans…” He brushes his thumb over the corner of your mouth, cleaning it. “…are just better than others.” Then gives you the biggest shit-eating grin you’ve ever seen in your life. This little shit.

-

You made your way to the surveillance compartment with determination and poise, holding the big champagne bottle you “borrowed” from the bar, which you grievously emptied in the sink. This was going to be over quickly, and hopefully so would Tangerine’s fight. You did not have time and the necessity for a dead Tangerine on this train, you could use all the help you could get, even if that help came in the form of an incredibly irritating man with a thick mustache and a somewhat funny British accent. You couldn’t fight the six men together in case one team decided to radio the other, if no one radioed back and they noticed something sketchy was going on, they could call for backup, the last thing you fucking needed. 

“Excuse me.” You calmly announced yourself to the soon-to-be-dead men in the compartment. The room wasn’t very big, with only a small desk and a few shelves to the back and left side of the room— understandable, given all they had to do was sit and watch the security camera footage of the different parts of the train, primarily the dividing compartment, the one Tangerine was soon to be in.

“Ma’am, you cannot be in this area.” The shorter one snapped. 

“Just give me one-second sir,” You requested, holding up your finger. You set the champagne bottle down on the floor to your left, and took off your low heels, setting them down neatly to your right. The men waited in confusion, most likely assuming you were just some drunk. You picked up the bottle with your right hand.

“Okay. Let’s go.” You launched the bottle on one of the man’s faces with as much force as you could muster, then ran to the second man, wrapping your legs around his head and leaning forward, dropping you both to the ground then punched the back of his head. You kick the ankle of the champagne-bottle-struck man who falls to his knees, then kick him again in his bleeding face, knocking him out. The man you were on top of pushes you off of him, leaving you lying face up, he gets a punch in, then proceeds to strangle you. You stick your fingers inside his eyeballs causing him to loosen his grip around your neck, you push him off of you, then roll your body on the ground positioning your legs so they’ll be next to his head, proceeding to strangle him with your thighs. You hold him in a tight grip until you hear his neck snap. 

You get up off the ground and analyze the two men. Champagne bottle man was knocked out, still very much alive, so you pick up one of the glass shards from the shattered drink and stab him in the heart. Good, you’re done. You brush off your pants, adjusting them, and the screen gets your attention. It’s Tangerine, and he’s getting his fucking ass kicked. Whenever he tried to get a punch in, someone else behind him managed to strike him first. You sigh. Bloody theatrics. Those bloody theatrics could have saved you from this trouble. The men then take him to a compartment right after theirs, forcing him to sit down. The men talked a bit amongst themselves, and left him, thankfully, alive. Two men stayed back in his compartment to watch him. That’s your cue to go save this damn stubborn man.

-

“Hello? Please, please help me!” You sobbed. I mean seriously, you were actually sobbing— tears were streaming down your face, your voice was cracking…you could win a fucking Emmy with just how good your goddamn performance was right now. This was about to be the best bloody theatrics Tangerine has ever seen in his life.

“Ma’am you can’t be in here!”

“Please, please help me I’m begging you! There’s an insane British man chasing me and I think he’s trying to kill me!” The, now four, men exchanged glances with each other, knowing exactly who you were talking about and wondering what the fuck they would do with you now. “Please! I think he’s coming and I really need help, please!” You wailed, getting louder, they’re going to have to help whether they want to or not.

“Okay! okay lady, we’re going to hide and protect you okay?” One of the men seethed.

“Thank you, thank you!” You cried some more. The man took you to a tiny bathroom next to the room you were in and shut the door.

“Alright ma’am, you’re gonna need to calm down a bit, then we’re going have to find another place you can hide in alright?” He stated, not even bothering to try and sound the least bit empathetic. Now expressionless, you turn to him, smudged black makeup under your eyes making you look even more deranged. His face drops and he doesn’t have time to react to the ceramic soap dispenser you strike him in the face with. It hits him with strength, so his head bounces back hitting the wall and he falls to the ground, causing a loud thud. You get his gun, which thankfully has a silencer.

“Hey! Is everything good in there?” Our number one out of three knocks on the door. You turn the handle slowly, then open the door as fast as possible, twirling Number One around and using him as a human shield. You shoot Number Two, then Number One who you throw in front of Three to block his view, when that’s done you also shoot him. You finish off the man in the bathroom before positioning your back against the wall, waiting for one of the men who were on Tangerine-watch to come out. When he does, you kick his knee, hit his head with the gun, then shoot him in the head. You hear Tangerine wrestle with the other man who was left with him. The fight quiets down, and you take a peek— Tangerine was, expectedly, the winner.

Now, you were the one with the shit-eating grin, not bothering to hide your smugness, and wearing your pride like a badge instead.

“Don’t fucking give me that look alright? If it wasn’t for the little shit hiding behind me every time I tried to make a move I would’ve won the fight.” He stated, seemingly trying to convince himself more than you. He was way more disheveled than the last time you saw him at the bar, his face sweaty and hair untidy, with wild curls falling in front of his face, much different than the slicked-back look he had beforehand.

“Mm, I don’t think so.”

“I’m a good fuckin’ fighter okay?”

“Oh I believe you, but like I said, it’s not about the fight, but the plan— my plan, which was better, and ended up saving your ass at the end of the day.” 

“Okay fine, yeah. Your plan was much better and we should have gone with it from fuckin’ the beginning, is that what you want me to say, love?”

“Thank you, and you’re welcome, now you know you should actually listen to me,” You slowly approached him. He stood with his hands on his hips, knowing he couldn’t give you any reply that would successfully defend him from this. “But hey, don’t worry about it, ‘cuz sometimes some plans…” You take another step towards him and tuck one of his loose curls behind his ear with your finger, tracing it down the side of his face, then letting it linger on his jawline. “…are just better than others.” You smile and give him two taps with the palm of your hand. Now you can both continue on your mission, and this time you’d do it with a smile on your face, knowing you proved Tangerine wrong. You are definitely not letting him forget about this. Ever.

[norcumii]

RexObiBingoSithAU

(re: this meme. Thank you for playing! And, er, sorry for the delay; it’s been a weird week)

*gleeful bounces* Ok, so! At one point I picked up a RexObi bingo card because that seemed like a neat challenge, started a whole lot of stories, and then Life got annoying and I haven’t finished any of them. Bethatasitmay, my chosen line for bingo had one stumper: Fake Relationship. It’s just not a thing that usually does anything for me, so I kept poking at it because while I could swap it out, I wanted the challenge.

Then I registered that I do very well with the tumbl meme where people send random combos of tropes and I have to mash them together. And here I had a whole bunch of random tropes! So I set my own personal challenge to use ALL the tropes in a row/column in one fic, because no one said I couldn’t and why not?

Which led me to smashing together: Fake Relationship, Undercover Missions, Alternate Universe, Body Swap, and Force Bonds. Obviously, Obi-Wan would have to body swap across universes into one where he was a Sith, and Sith!Obi-Wan was on some kind of undercover mission with Rex where they had to pretend to be in a relationship something something Force Bonds makes for better spies. Easy! :D

A sample, for your entertainment!

Obi-Wan did not expect to wake up. He lay in a bed for awhile, just absorbing the experience. The last thing he remembered was some high powered blaster shot – sniper rifle, most likely – knocking him off his eopie. It’d gotten him right under the arm, so if it hadn’t cauterized everything – those kinds of shots didn’t tend to – then it had to have severed the artery.

He’d had time to muse that it was a lovely kill shot, then he’d slid towards unconsciousness.

There had been the vague impression of voices, for an impossibly long moment. Rather reminded him of that hazy nightmare on Mortis, but at least two of those three people were dead.

As he should be, but instead he was waking up, not in pain. Quite comfortable, truth be told, and he felt energized for the first time in...years. Rather a lot of years.

He shoved that notion away as quick as he could, as reality settled in slowly, exaggerating the sensation of a lazy holiday morning. Even with his eyes closed, Obi-Wan could pinpoint a hotel room. Mid-range, given the slight hum of noise dampeners keeping the outside well away. The one sheet and one thicker blanket had that crisp, not-quite-floral smell of many trips through the sonics, and the abundance of pillows had a range of fluffiness no single being would ever bother to stock.

There was also someone in the bed with him, and that was the biggest shock so far. It had been a long time since he’d shared a bed with anyone, and he couldn’t recall the last time it wasn’t for a mission.

Whoever they were, they were also a very precise distance away, the way one did when sharing with someone one didn’t like.

Not as foreboding as the whole possibly dead thing, but it didn’t strike him as good news.

“Sir,” a terrifyingly familiar voice declared from that precise distance next to him, “you said you wanted an oh-seven-hundred wake up call.”

Obi-Wan bolted upright, shocked awake in the way only a sudden hit of adrenaline and old trauma could manage. The man next to him sat up as well, eyeing him warily. “Everything all right, sir?”

There were so many things wrong about the situation that Obi-Wan didn’t even know where to start. The room looked close enough to a hotel room as to not matter – still wasn’t the desert. The man next to him was indisputably a clone, and while his Force presence was shielded better than Obi-Wan had ever encountered, he was fairly certain this was Captain Rex. However, Captain Rex looked young, with less scarring than he’d expect – there was no evidence of the sniper shot that had almost taken him down on Saleucami.

And he was also staring at the Captain’s chest in a way that was perhaps neither reasonable nor civilized, but it was a nice expanse of chest.

That was another significant oddity: Obi-Wan felt young – no, he felt hale in ways he hadn’t for quite some time, like he hadn’t been ground down by years of injuries and war and all the horror following the extinction of the Jedi.

He certainly didn’t feel dead. Obi-Wan scrubbed his face, hoping for some clarity, but he only found more mysteries. He was clean-shaven – it had been literal years since that last happened – and his hair was long, back down to his shoulders again. Back to the brighter auburn it had been years ago as well, which also made no sense.

He had no idea what was going on.

~end bit