#they should be held accountable for not having a better handle on this after the last few months

[kyurilin]

"plan ahead for a healthy and happy holiday" YES THANK YOU CVS I TRIED TO PLAN AHEAD BUT YOU DROPPED THE BALL ON REFILLING MY ADHD MEDS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 2023 and frankly if they fuck me over again on today the 29th when they've told me since the 18th that it will be ready i will be punching a pharmacist for flat out lying :)

[reallyromealone]

Rindou Haitani A/B/O where reader is pregnant with Rindou's child?

Or

Bonten x reader A/B/O but I don't really have an idea for this one 😔

Title: Surprise! You're a dad!

Fandom: Tokyo revengers

Pairing: Rindō Haitani x reader

Warning: Omegaverse, mpreg, male reader, angstish, reader is done, fluff, ran is ready to be an UNCLE, Rindō is a bit of a dick

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

(name) sighed as he went to the grocery store, a deep craving for salad and apples, fatty foods making him absolutely nauseous. Six months pregnant and exhausted, (name) did his best to make sure that his pup had everything needed for his birth, working full time at his job at a convenience store at the night shift, the pay better than day shift plus a part time job with at home accounting, something he did at the convenience store as there weren't any customers that late, the occasional person buying cigarettes.

It wasn't easy, (name) stressed to raise a pup alone but sadly didn't realize he was pregnant till it was too late to decide and only at 19, the father was someone he didn't bother looking for as he was not someone (name) believed he could rely on to be a parent, the man was a criminal be met at a party after all.

(Name) Was completely lost in his thoughts, wandering the store as he collected the veggies he craved and a few crunchy treats, unaware of those around him.

"Whoa, watch out now~" a voice said cooly as (name) looked up to see a very tall alpha with lavender eyes and a coy smile who looked at the adorable Omega with the round belly "should be careful, dangerous to not watch yourself" the Alpha looked familiar but (name) couldn't name where he seen him before, dressed in fancy clothes that were definitely designer.

(Name) Nodded and continued his journey to eat his veggies, his back hurting slightly as his pup kicked excitedly "yes yes, I know" he whispered as he glanced down at his stomach, lightly shoulder checking someone "you lookin' to d--holy shit" (name) recognized the voicr as he glanced to see the reason why he thought the tall one looked familiar "beans" (name) whispered to himself as he looked at the one night stand he was currently carrying the child of. Ran showed up, poking his head from behind as he looked at the two, glancing at their faces before looking at (name)s mark on his neck and then Rindōs and then it clicked "I suppose I'm going to be an uncle" he chuckled as he offered his hand to (name) "Ran Haitani, I suppose I'm your brother in law!"

"But I suppose it would be better if we went somewhere private, yes?" Ran said to his stunned brother as (name) sighed and walked to checkout to pay for his veggies, going into his side bag to grab his debit card when a tap could be heard as Rindō paid for it with an annoyed expression and (name) looked at him miffed "I can pay for myself" he grumbled, he just wanted to go home and watch his shows, not deal with with this.

But there he was in a diner, sipping his (non caffeinated drink) as the brothers sat before him "so you want child support or some shit?" Rindō said bluntly and (name) glared "if I wanted that shit, do you think I wouldn't have gone looking for you sooner?" (Name) Barked back and Ran laughed at the two "so why'd ya keep it?" Ran asked simply, the two brothers weren't exactly struggling for money after all "...I didn't realize I was pregnant till it was too late" (name) said softly "it's harder to know if your pregnant as a male Omega, we don't have periods so if we don't show symptoms we won't know" his voice trembled as he held his stomach and felt the kicks.

"You don't have to worry, we are fine... I have things handled" (name) didn't need his hand outs or anything like that, he was a big boy after all. "You're parents supporting you or something?" Ran asked, the Omega was awful young, Rindō mentioning the person who claimed him was 19 or something "my... My family isn't in the picture anymore... I had to drop out of university because of this... So they kicked me out" that was still a sore subject for (name), thankfully his grandmother helped him get settled into an apartment, she was across the country but still helped none the less.

"But I have things handled! It's fine!" (Name) Said seriously, as if he was trying to convince himself that it was actually as he said but the brothers didn't seem convinced "I have a job, I have a place and I have a space set up for my pup" he said seriously and looked at Rindō "don't worry, you won't have to be inconvenienced with child support because I don't need it"

"Do you know the gender of my little niece of nephew?" Ran asked, disregarding his brother completely as he looked at the bump curiously, he was definitely excited to be in the pups life as Rindō glared at his brother "how do we know it's mine?" Rindō wasn't about to go thinking he's a father if the kid wasn't his after all "Rindō, before we had sex I was a virgin" (name) said simply as he looked at him "do you think I would want to willingly put a target on my kids back because it would be so great to get knocked up by a gangster?!" He whispered the last bit as he glared at Rindō "it doesn't even matter! You're clearly not interested in being in my daughter's life and frankly I don't need you! Now I'm going to go home, goodbye Rindō Haitani" (name) said coldly and took his groceries before promptly leaving.

It was a few seconds before Ran looked at his brother "you wanna follow him don't you?" He said smugly and Rindō grumbled "I gotta make sure he doesn't die or some shit"

Ran cackled as they left the diner to look for the angry waddling pregnant Omega, spotting him turn a corner and the two booked it to trail him, people getting out of their way as they followed him.

A tiny house in a forgotten spot of Roppongi, old houses going form incredibly cheap these days and with the supposed help of his grandmother it would make sense he would have this.

(Name) Sighed as he walked inside his house, a labor of love that he's been putting in and making it perfect for his pup, many things thrifted and found cheap and with the monthly cheques from his grandmother helping immensely with this, soon he won't need those cheques but for now he will take what he can get.

What he didn't know was two alphas were currently getting his address down on their phones, despite Rindō being an ass, he wasn't about to let the dam to his children be living in such a shit box in his eyes.

And ran was ordering baby gifts and Omega gifts, having the time of his life.

[balkanradfem]

I'm reading the 'Age of Surveillance Capitalism' book by Shoshana Zuboff, and it is haunting me, making me feel uncomfortable and making me want to move offline.

We've all been aware that google, facebook, and all other digital tech companies are taking our data and selling it to advertisers, but according to the book, that is not the end goal.

The book goes into the rise of google, and how it made itself better by constantly studying the searches people were inputting, and learning how to offer better information faster. Then, they were able to develop ways to target adverts, without even selling the data, but by making their own decisions of what adds should be targeted at what audience. But they kept collecting more and more data, and basically studying human behaviour the way scientists study animals, without their knowledge or consent. Then they bought youtube, precisely because youtube had such vast amounts of human behaviour that could be stored and studied.

But they're not only using that data to target adds at us. They've been collecting data in ways that feel unexpected and startling to me. And whenever they're challenged or confronted with it, they pretend it was a mistake, or unintentional, and it's scary how far they've been able to get away with it.

For example, during their street-view data collecting, the google car had been connecting to every wifi available and taking encrypted, personal data from households. When they got found out, they've explained it was not intentional, and a fault of a lone researcher who had gone rouge, and they evaded getting sued or being held accountable for it at all. Countries have created new laws and regulations and google kept evading it and in the end they claimed 'you know if you keep trying to regulate us, we'll just do things secretly'. Which is a wild thing to say and expect to get away with!

Another thing that struck me was that governments, which at first wanted to restrict data collection, later asked tech companies to monitor and prevent content connected to terrorism, and the companies didn't like the idea of being a tool of the government, so they claimed the terrorism data is being banned for 'being against their policy'. Which makes me believe they didn't want to remove that content at all, after all, they could have done it beforehand, they didn't feel any natural incentives to do so.

The entire story is filled with researchers who don't seem to experience the human population as other human beings. They don't believe we deserve privacy, or dignity, or any say in what is being collected or done to us. Hearing their quotes and how they describe the people they're researching shows clearly they consider us all stupid, and our desires for privacy, self-harming. They insist we'd be better off if we just accepted their authority and gave them any data they wanted without complaining or being upset it's being collected without our knowledge.

Even though companies claim at all times that the data is non-identifiable, the book explains just how data is handled and how easy it is to identify anyone whose private conversations are recorded; people say their names, their addresses, places they're going, friends they're meeting, they say names of their family members, their devices record their location and their habits, it is extremely easy to identify anyone whose information has been collected. It can be identified and sold to information agencies.

I believed when it was explained to me that most of the data collection was just for add targeting, and that it would be used only for advertisement purposes, but they're not only collecting data anymore, they're deciding what data is being fed to us, and recording our reactions, learning how they can affect and manipulate our behaviour. We know all algorithms feed us controversial, enraging and highly-emotional content in order to drive engagement, but it's more than that. They've discovered how they can influence more or less people to vote. The mere idea of that makes me go cold, but they talk about it like it's just another thing they can do, so why not? Companies who have experimented and learned so much about influencing human behaviour give themselves the right to influence it as they see fit, because why wouldn't they? Since they have the power to do it, and all lawsuits and regulations can't stop them, why wouldn't they make a game out of it?

I can't imagine how many experiments they did before feeling so confident and blase about this and casually influencing the elections, again, seemingly just for the sake of an experiment.

The book compares this type of behaviour manipulation to totalitarianism and surveillance state, and it shows how the population is slowly losing parts of their freedoms without realizing it is even happening. Human behaviour has changed due to online influence, and it keeps changing rapidly, with every new popular website that is influencing human behaviour. They've learned that humans are influenced mostly by behaviour of other humans, and they can decide what kind of content or influence to send our way to get desired results.

I love how the author of the book talks about humanity. She uses the term 'human future', as something we all have the right to, as opposed to future controlled by companies and influences. She describes how regular people were affected by the data collected against their will, and how they fought for their 'right to be forgotten', when google kept displaying their past struggles, damaging their dignity. She also explains the questions people should ask about how society is led: First question is, who knows? Second question, who decides? Third question, who decides who decides? She goes in detail about how the answers are held away from us, and what it does to us. She also touches very deeply on the idea of human freedom!

I recommend this book, even though it will make you feel far less secure and carefree to be online, and using anything google, facebook, twitter or any of their owned services. They are not free, and it's also incorrect to say that we're the product of them, but we are the source of the raw materials they collect in order to gain results.

[absurdthirst]

High Infidelity {Dave York x F!Reader}

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 11.1k

Warnings: Cheating, fraud, mentions of divorce, payback, forced cuckolding, restraints, oral sex (male and female receiving), vaginal sex, unprotected sex, cream pie, revenge sex

Comments: When you find out that your husband is banging the neighbor's wife, you and the neighbor decide to make them pay.

Co-written with @pedropascalsx

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|| MasterList || Dave York MasterList ||

Click Keep Reading only if you have read the Rating and Warnings and understand the warnings may not be complete to avoid listing spoilers. As AO3 says 'creator chooses not to use warnings'. You also agree that you're the right age to be consuming anything here.

The moment was bittersweet, finding out that your suspicions were correct and that he could no longer gaslight you was a temporary feeling of relief. Quickly replaced with hurt and devastation. He was your childhood sweetheart, your first and only love, and for the better part of a year he has been sleeping with the woman next door.

The same woman whose kids you babysat during the week to let her and her husband have a peaceful date night, the same woman who had sat in your kitchen a few nights earlier with a group a mutual friends and drank your wine, the same woman who had held your hand and reassured you the night that you found out your husband wasn’t able to have children.

Rewatching the footage of them kissing as they entered the bedroom you shared, him ripping off her dress as she unbuttoned his shirt made your heart lurch. Never would you have imagined it was with Carol York.

The signs he was cheating were there from day one; being overprotective of his phone, working late, charges on your joint account that just weren’t adding up and then the biggest cliche of all; lipstick on his collar. 

The urge to confront him was bubbling up in your stomach, and then you thought about Dave… Did he know? Did he suspect anything? Should you tell him? 

After going back and forth a few times you had settled on yes, he deserves to know. So you pick up your laptop, and slide in under your arm. Ready to go next door and tell him everything.

****

Rolling his eyes after the doorbell peels, Dave sighs and stands up from the kitchen table. His laptop open and report that was making his head throb was never fun but distractions just makes it harder to get back to work. Especially since the house is actually quiet with the girls at school and Carol at work. Moving towards the door, he opens it to find you, his next door neighbor waiting. He hums your name in surprise and wonders if something is wrong. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you reply with a weak smile, “I’m really sorry to interrupt whatever it is that you’re doing, but we need to talk.” 

“Everything alright?” Your face is filled with concern and he’s immediately on guard, eyes sliding behind you and not seeing anything that would have him reaching for the pistol kept in the entryway table.

“Honestly, no,” you admit with an uncomfortable laugh, “Can I come in? I don’t think it’s something I should tell you standing at your door.” 

Frowning, Dave stands back and lets you in the house. He normally doesn’t like having someone - especially female - at the house when Carol isn’t here. Busybodies talk and he hates that kind of shit. “What’s going on?” He asks as he closes the door. 

“Thank you,” you say as you walk into the kitchen and settle your laptop on the counter. “Look, I’m so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but you deserve to know, and I’ve bought this here as evidence. I don’t have to show you it but I thought bringing proof was the best way to handle it... Carol and Tommy are having an affair.” 

The first instinct he has is to deny it. To question why you are telling him something that he knows isn’t true, but he doesn’t. There’ve been times where something doesn’t sit right with Dave. Carol’s ease of assuring him that Tommy will handle something while he’s out of town. “What evidence?” He demands, knowing the best thing is to hear you out. If it’s flimsy, he can start watching his wife’s actions. If it’s concrete proof, he will know.

“It’s a video,” you say as you open your laptop, “I’ve been suspicious for a while, and then I found underwear that definitely doesn’t belong to me. So I bought a nanny cam. Are you sure you want to see this?”

“Shit.” Dave hisses but he nods. “Show me.” He demands, hating how his stomach is curling at the thought. It’s not like he hadn’t thought about other women, but he hadn’t touched one.

You nod a few times before moving the laptop to face him, pressing play on a scene that makes you feel violently sick. “I’m so sorry, Dave. Never in a million years did I expect it to be with your wife… my friend.” 

Dave’s brows pull together, jaw tightening in anger as he watches, listens to the scene in front of him. There’s zero doubt that is his wife, bouncing on another guy's dick. He doesn’t even realize his hands clenched in anger as he watches, furious at the betrayal.

Seeing the fury and the obvious hurt on his face, you decide to pause the video and close down the laptop. He doesn’t need to see anymore and neither do you. “As soon as he gets home today, I'm making him leave. He can go back to his mothers.” 

Dave huffs, nearly glaring at you. “Show me the rest of it.” He demands.

You push the laptop over at him, and shake your head, “Fine, but I don’t want to see anymore.”

Nodding, he watches as you log back in and he pushes play. Glancing at you when you winch, hearing the moans and the breathless conversation as they fuck on what he assumes is your bed. “Fucking assholes.”

“She’s faking it,” you scoff, as the moans get more animated. “The man couldn’t give a woman an orgasm if his life depended on it.”

He snorts and it’s on the tip of his tongue to ask why the fuck you stayed with him then. “Don’t kick him out.” Dave decides seriously.

“What?” You say with a raised eyebrow, before both of your attention is immediately drawn back to them. Laying in their ‘post coital glow.’

“God, I swear she gets dumber every day,” your husband says with a laugh, “All I’ve got to do is pay her five minutes of attention and the stupid bitch thinks everything is fine. Doesn’t even realize that my lawyer has pretty much voided the prenuptial agreement. I’ll hand her the form to sign and just like the dutiful wife she is, she’ll be signing half her money over to me without as much of a second glance.”

“Dave makes good money, but he’s so fucking boring. He wants to ‘save for a rainy day’.” Carol hums. “But he doesn’t ever spend time with just me. He always wants the girls around. I’m tired of being a perfect mother. I honestly didn’t want Molly. But Dave had to try for his boy.” She snorts. “Too much of a pussy to give me a boy, I guess.”

Dave growls, pissed at the way she is talking about their daughter. He doesn’t give a shit about what she says about him. “She’s the fucking one who decided to take out her fucking birth control.”

“It’s been about a year,” you say to Dave, “Well, that’s when I started having suspicions. Always working late on a Thursday night, and unexplained charges on our joint account. I’ve let him walk over me for a year.” Tears start to well up in your eyes, and embarrassment floods through you. “I’m so sorry.”

“You didn’t fucking cheat.” Dave scoffs. “Don’t be sorry.” He shakes his head, “don’t kick him out. Don’t show him that you know.” He advises, the gears in his mind already turning. “Get a lawyer, start moving your money around so he can’t take it.”

“Okay,” you say with a deep breath, “I have an account that he doesn’t have access to. Fuck. I’m so stupid. I knew he was cheating, I just let him gaslight me over and over.”

“You didn’t want to believe it.” Luckily you and the fucker don’t have kids, and he would just fucking kill them both, but the girls would miss their mother. He narrows his eyes at the screen. “Get a lock box, or safety deposit box for all your paperwork. will, social security cards, jewelry. Lock them up. Start removing him from shit. Access to the cell phone plan to make changes. Utilities, whatever you have jointly, unless it’s something he uses everyday.”

“I, uh, I should write this down,” you say, nodding your head, “Dave… Thursday nights… Was she here? There were nights where he came home the next morning after claiming he slept in the office.”

He shakes his head, huffing to himself. “She had ‘book club’.” He gives air quotes. “And since they supposedly always got so hammered, she would stay there.” He had thought it was stupid, but he had also felt like his wife deserved a night out, away from the kids.

“Fuck.” Shaking your head, “I’m going to go home. Start the things you’ve suggested. I’m really sorry again, Dave. I just felt you deserved to know.”

“Thank you for telling me.” His own situation is slightly more difficult, often the agency will put people on desk duty when finding out they are divorcing and he doesn’t want that. “Let me know if they make more videos. I’m going to install a camera here too.”

“Write down your email address and I'll send you that video. I guess we will have to work out a way to approach this together.”

Dave nods and reaches for the pad he keeps next to the home phone. Ripping off a sheet and writing his private email down, along with his phone number. “I’ll think of some way to make these fuckers sorry.” He promises, handing it to you. “I’m going to be finding out the toughest lawyer in the business. I’ll let you know their names.”

“Thank you, Dave,” you say as you feel your reserve slipping, the urge to cry coming back in full force. “Let’s make them pay.”

He nods, watching as you pick up your laptop. “Call me if you feel like you’re going to tell him you know.” He asks, knowing that he would tell Carol and then Dave would have to figure out a plan b.

“Will do.” The second you’re back inside, you start the tasks he gave you. Starting with gathering up all your important documents and putting them in a temporary safe space and then ordering a safe. You wonder how long Dave’s plan will take and hope it won’t be too long, the idea of sharing a bed with your husband makes your skin crawl.

****

Thursday’s have become sort of a check in day. You normally end up coming over and spending the evening with Dave and the girls. Sometimes having dinner and then staying once the girls had gone to bed. Tonight is another check in and Dave pours you a glass of wine. “How are you holding up?” He asks quietly.

“Better,” you admit with a smile, “Everything except the joint account is handled. Just ready to move on with my life and hopefully meet someone who actually cares about me. How about you?”

“Most everything was in my name anyway.” Dave admits with a small smirk. “She can’t touch the house since I bought it with my VA and I’m going for custody. I might have to pay her out, but whatever.”

“I guess him being infertile ended up working in my favor,” you say sadly, “I wasn’t allowed to tell anyone because he said that it was embarrassing, but I own the house. My Dad left me an inheritance and I was fortunate enough to buy it outright with it. I’m going to miss living here.”

“Why are you going to move?” Dave asks. “If you own the house and bought it with your inheritance, it’s yours.”

“I always imagined filling it with kids,” you say with a shrug, “I don’t want to be in a big house that’ll remind me just how alone I am.”

He frowns slightly, even as he voices his next thought. “You could always bring in another guy.” He reminds you. “Find love and fill it with kids.”

“I guess.” The sadness is evident in your voice, so you change the subject, “So are you any closer to coming up with a plan?”

Dave chuckles and glances up just as there is a loud thump upstairs. “After the girls are asleep.” He promises, knowing little ears don’t need to hear his plan.

“Sounds like you have something figured out,” you say before taking a sip of your wine.

“Do you want to humiliate them?” Dave asks with a small smirk. “And get revenge?”

“Yes,” you answer with a smile, “I want him to hurt the way he hurt me.”

“Then I’ll tell you about my plan in twenty minutes.” He promises and nods to your wine.

“So drink up, you’re gonna need it.”

Wordlessly you nod and take another large sip of your wine, desperate to hear his plan.

The two of you dance around the subject, talking about things in the news, events happening in town and Dave enjoys it. He’s come to enjoy talking to you and spending time in your company. Your husband is an idiot to throw over someone who is funny and nice, actually pays attention to the world around her - he doesn’t deserve you. When Dave’s self appointed time is up, he sets down his own wine glass and leans in close. “We should sleep together.” He announces.

“What?” You say with a giggle, convinced you’d misheard him. You had thought about it, fuck the last few times you’ve slept with your husband you’d found yourself imagining it was Dave, circling your clit with such intensity that you came harder than ever before. “I mean… Fuck, I want to. But wouldn’t that make us just as bad?”

“Not if we fuck in front of them.” Dave chuckles, smirking slightly because of your admission of want. “As a sort of goodbye gift to them.” 

“Oh,” you say, thinking about the look of Tommy’s face as Dave fucks you. Tommy paraded you around like a trophy, having no issues embarrassing you by announcing to anyone and everyone that you lost your virginity to him and he’d be the only man to have been inside of you. Like you were his possession. “I like it. But I have one condition…. and you might find it a little weird.”

“What’s that?” Dave tilts his head and looks at you curiously. It’s not unusual to have conditions and he would be surprised if you didn’t.

“I want you to cum inside of me.” You say after taking a deep breath, “I’ll buy Plan B in preparation and you can watch me take it. But I need for him to see that it’s really over, and despite what he thinks… he doesn’t own me.”

Dave frowns and then he remembers the first Christmas party after you had moved into the neighborhood. Tommy had been shit housed and bragging about how his was the only ever cum you’ve had. He had marked you good and proper. Dave hums, his lips curling up wickedly. “Done.”

“Thank you.” It feels oddly liberating to think about. “I don’t think we should do it in the houses though… Maybe book a hotel. Request adjoining rooms and keep everything a surprise. Blindfolds and gags. Only reveal to them what’s happening after they’re strapped to some shitty hotel chair unable to move.”

He raises a brow and smirks at how quickly you came up with something that is so feasible. “Noise canceling headphones.” Dave adds, nodding. “So they can’t hear us opening the door and whatever, not until we are ready.”

“Perfect. I want them to suffer. And I know that’s awful to say out loud but the way they spoke about us… fuck.” You shake your head and laugh, “You know that he doesn’t pay for a single bill in our house. Works part time and the entirety of his paychecks go on his stupid hobbies… Golfing or gaming. I put money into our joint account each month and he just… Fuck. He gets nothing.”

“You have a prenup, and a clause for cheating.” Dave smirks and chuckles. “Carol’s gonna get something, but it won’t be enough for her liking.”

“I can’t wait to see the look on his face as you fuck me.” You say with a chuckle, before finishing up your wine. “What’s your favorite color?”

Dave grins and imagines you in his favorite color. “Green.” He hums. “Dark green.”

“Dark green it is,” you say with a wink. “When do you wanna do this?”

“I say we wait and do it when the lawyers finish the divorce papers.” Dave suggests. “We pack their shit that day and load it into a storage unit, change our locks and codes, fuck in front of them, drop the keys and the papers and shoot them the bird on the way out the door.”

“That sounds perfect. I know this sounds weird to say, but I'm kind of grateful he cheated. I would have spent forever living in his shadow and the past few weeks I’ve really started to realize that he doesn’t deserve me.” You say, with your first genuine smile in weeks. “Also I get to fuck my sexy neighbour in revenge.”

“You think I’m sexy?” Dave’s brows wing up and he’s flattered by the compliment. It’s been a long time since someone’s said that. The marriage had hit rocky patches before but never like this and he sees now that she’s been disengaging for a while.

“I have eyes, Dave,” you say with a giggle, “Every woman on this block stops and stares when you walk past. Those shoulders… Fuck. Those lips.”

“You’re so full of shit.” Dave huffs, rolling his eyes even if he secretly likes the compliment.

“Oh please,” you say, “Like you haven’t noticed the staring. Honestly, I’ve thought of you whilst using my wand,” you admit with a shrug, “After seeing you mowing the lawn shirtless.”

He smirks and leans back. “Might do that on purpose.” He admits with a shrug. “Tanning and all.”

“Well thank you for the show,” you giggle. “God, I can’t believe she cheated on you with him. I know he’s my husband but I had the excuse of him being my high school sweetheart. We’ve been together for years and he’s never made me cum once.”

“Bullshit.” Dave snorts and shakes his head. “Not even once? By accident?” He asks, nearly amazed by how fucking horrible that is.

“Never. He doesn’t do foreplay, and he’s never found that spot inside of me,” you shrug, “Usually I let him do his thing so I can roll over and sleep, occasionally I’ll rub my clit just to distract myself.”

“He doesn’t eat your pussy?” Dave’s eyes widen in shock and disgust. He understands that not all women cum from sex, he had a girlfriend before Carol who could not cum from penetration but he damn sure made her cum on his tongue.

“Nope. Never. He’s never even tried it, says the idea of it makes him ‘queasy’.” Looking over at him and seeing the look of surprise on his face makes you chuckle, “Guess I didn’t pick a good one.”

“Jesus fucking Christ, what a moron.” He shakes his head and his opinion of Tommy drops even lower than before and he didn’t think that was possible. “What a ….fuck, a pussy.”

“Nah. A pussy is useful,” you correct him, “I should get back. I’m super tired and he hasn’t texted saying it’s a ‘late one’ tonight so I figure they’ll be home soon. I will be counting down the seconds until the lawyers are done with the paperwork.”

“I would offer to show you what a real man does with his mouth, but I’ll wait to give him a ‘lesson’.” Dave hums, standing up and offering you a hand to get up off the couch.

“Oh, yeah? You going to eat my little pussy in front of him?” You ask with a raised eyebrow. You take his hand and let him help you up.

“Fuck yes.” Dave smirks. “If he finds it repulsive, I also wanna remind Carol what she’s missing. She fucking loved when I would go down on her.”

You hum happily, “I can’t wait to feel those lips on me.” Leaning forward you place a small kiss on his cheek, “Thank you for tonight. I really enjoy spending time with you and your gorgeous girls. I’ll be waiting impatiently for the paperwork to be completed. Goodnight, Dave.”

“Good night, sweetheart.” Dave walks you to the door and opens it for you. “As soon as it’s in, we’ll make sure they regret cheating on us.”

“Yes we will,” you agree with a smile, before walking back over to your house. Creeping upstairs and getting into the shower. Letting yourself get lost in imagining the feeling of Dave’s hands all over you, his mouth on your cunt and his cock buried inside of you. Your fingertips work your bundle of nerves as quickly as they can and you cum with a soft moan of his name. Climbing out of the shower you get dried, fix your hair and get into your pajamas. Wanting to be asleep or at least pretending to be when Tommy finally crawls in beside you.

****

“I got my papers.” Dave risks a call, knowing Carol isn’t checking the phone bill and calling you as soon as he steps out from his lawyers office. They don’t approve of his idea, but he also wasn’t told he couldn't do it. Just that he shouldn’t and he doesn’t agree with that.

“Me too,” you say gleefully down the phone. “You want to do it this weekend?”

“I’m thinking so.” Dave grins at the glee in your voice. “How do we want to lure them to the hotel?”

“I’m thinking we both book a room - request they’re adjoining, and once they’re both blindfolded, gagged and wearing headphones, we unlock the door and I'll lead Tommy into your room?”

“That works.” Dave agrees. “I’ll tell Carol I want to put some spice back in our marriage.”

“I’ll tell Tommy I have a surprise planned. I’ll go ahead and call and book the hotel.. and then I have some shopping to do… Dark green right?”

“Dark green.” He hums. “I’m going to enjoy ripping it off of you.” He admits, voice dropping.

“Keep playing with my pussy to the thought of it,” you whisper into your phone. “Only a few days to go.”

“I’ll book the rooms together but put one under your name.” Dave tells you, knowing that he will be able to convince them of it.

“Perfect. Is there anything you need me to do?”

“Start making noises to your husband about getting away. Doing something romantic this weekend. I’m going to ‘surprise’ Carol.”

“Perfect. Can’t wait to see the look on both of their faces. I’ll text you tonight, once I've told him about the surprise.”

The rest of the day goes by smoothly, you pop into Victoria’s secret and spot the perfect set and make your way home. Large glass of wine poured, you sip it generously as you listen to his footsteps approaching the door. 

“Good day at work?” You call out from the kitchen with a roll of your eyes. 

“Long,” Tommy groans before reaching over and helping himself to your wine, “Tomorrow is going to be longer.” 

“Oh. I really hope they’re going to start paying you for those long Thursday nights. Sometimes you don’t even make it home. It’s not good for you sleeping on your office floor,” you say with the most sympathetic smile you can force. “Anyway, I have a plan for Saturday night that’ll make it all better. A surprise for you.” 

“A surprise?” He says with a raised eyebrow and a curl of his lips, “What kind of surprise?”

“All will be revealed,” you say as you turn to him with a small kiss on his cheek, “A surprise that involved me spending a huge amount of money in Victoria’s secret for someone.” You leave him standing in the kitchen with a grin plastered on his face as you begin to climb the stairs with the rest of the wine and a new glass, “Dinner is ordered, i’m going for a bath.”

Dinner passes with its normal antics from the kids and Dave watches Carol. Nothing about her demeanor says that she’s cheating but he’s found the credit card she’s using to pay for it. It’s a secret one that she opened in his name. Not only is she renting hotel rooms, but she’s doing it on his fucking credit. It’s malicious irony that Dave booked the rooms at the same hotel that her and Tommy frequent.

Avoiding him for the rest of the evening, you have a long hot soak in the bath and only retreat back downstairs to grab your dinner and a drink. Spending the rest of the evening in bed watching netflix whilst he watches TV downstairs. 

You decide to shoot Dave a quick text to let him know you’ve told Tommy about the surprise, and check you’re still on for to meet up and go over the plan the next evening. 

‘Hey. Told him that I’ve booked a special surprise, and he ate it up. He’s told me he’s “working late” tomorrow, so I can pop around and we can go over things?’

Dave hums as his phone buzzes, Carol engrossed in her show so he slides his phone out and grins. His own reply comes quickly. ‘Sure. Now I wonder if Carol will be told about your plans this weekend? Ever wonder if he tells her that you two still have sex?’ 

You huff and type back. ‘We’ve had sex twice in the past two months, so I’m pretty sure if he’s saying anything, it’s about my lack of interest in the cheating bastard. Only fucked him so he would stop questioning why I was being distant. I doubt he’ll say anything though. The last video of them cheating he spent most of it, reassuring her that he doesn’t love me and never did. Do you think she’ll tell him about your ‘plans’?’

Dave snorts. ‘Haven’t told her. Plan on doing it at the last minute and making it seem like a romantic gesture.’

‘Good idea. I can’t wait till he is out of my house. Out of my life.’

‘Won’t be long. Just don’t kill him over the next few days.’ Dave chuckles to himself and when Carol looks up, he points to the tv. “They are so stupid it’s funny.” He explains, putting his phone away.

‘I’ll try.’ You reply before settling down for the night, wanting to be fasting asleep before Tommy gets upstairs.

****

The next day Tommy is ‘working late’ and Carol has a suspiciously timed meeting that runs over. Making Dave shake his head at how stupidly brazen they are getting. Still, he looks out the window and sees you walking over about an hour after he gets home with the kids.

You knock the door, dessert in hand as Alice whips open the door and immediately informs you that she and Molly are going to eat pizza in her room and watch a movie as you chat to Daddy.

Dave chuckles as you walk in. “The girls are getting spoiled.” He hums. “And so am I.”

“You have no idea,” you say with a wink, “I hear it’s pizza tonight? Sounds perfect.”

“Yeah, Carol had a “meeting”.” He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Strange, right?”

“Who’d have thought?” You giggle, “Well-,” you say as you pick up the glass of wine he’d poured for you, “Here’s to the last time they lie to us.”

“Are you ready for it?” He asks quietly, picking up his own glass. “For the big reveal?”

“I am counting down the seconds.” You say with a smile. “God, I hope they realize we aren’t to be fucked with.”

“I think they will figure that out when they don’t walk away with the pot of gold like they were expecting.” Dave snorts.

“I just can’t wait to see his face when he realizes that I'm not his trophy anymore.” The doorbell rings and Dave goes to get the pizza as you pour the girls out their juice, ready to take it upstairs to them for their movie night.

“Girls!” The two girls thunder downstairs to grab their cheese pizza and disappear just as quickly, each one fighting over who was going to sing the first song. Dave shakes his head and looks at you with a faux harried expression. “They are going to be trouble later on.” He predicts with a groan.

“I’m sure you can handle it, they worship their Daddy.” You say before topping up your glasses, “I’m going to miss this.”

“Why are you going to miss it?” Dave asks, frowning slightly.

“It’s been nice. Coming around and eating with you and the girls, the highlight of my week. They’re both absolutely adorable.”

“You can still come over anytime.” He offers. “If you aren’t out on dates, you know.” He shrugs and shoots you a smirk.

“Me? Dating? Unlikely. But I’d still love to come over. I mean it when I say it’s the highlight of my week.” You take a small sip and try to ignore the way he makes you feel, the past few weeks you had grown closer to Dave and started to really appreciate how good of a man he is. 

“Shit.” Dave snorts. “You’ll be dating before the fucking ink is dry.” He predicts. “You’re beautiful, kind, funny and smart. And I bet you are killer in the sack. He’s an idiot.” He tells you, talking about your stupid soon-to-be-ex.

“You think I’m beautiful?” You ask quietly. “I can’t remember the last time someone complimented me. And the killer in the sack? Well I guess you don’t have long to find out.”

“I can’t wait to find out.” Dave admits quietly. “And you should be getting compliments all the time.”

“As should you. You’re remarkable. The best daddy ever, you work so hard and it’s appreciated, Dave.” You say before squeezing his hand, “And I’m excited to show you just how appreciated you are.”

“Is that what it’s going to be?” Dave asks, grinning slightly. “A show of appreciation?”

“If that’s what you want,” you tease, “Going to suck your cock. Just the thought of it makes me so wet.”

“Jesus.” His eyes widen, surprised you even said that out loud. He’s thought about it plenty, but apparently so have you. “Then we’ll have to do a sixty-nine. Because I’m gonna give your dumbass husband a lesson on how to make a woman squeal his name.”

“Fuck, that sounds perfect. But also to start I want to look into your eyes as I'm sucking your cock. Feel you fuck my mouth,” you whisper quietly.

“Have you ever done that before?” Dave asks, raising a brow and trying not to spring a boner at the thought of you letting him face fuck you.

“Nope,” you admit quietly. “Tommy had me blow him for a bit pretty much every time we had sex. But it was tame.”

“Bet he likes you to ‘look pretty’ while his dick is in your mouth.” Dave scoffs. “When your mascara should be running and the split is soaking your chin.”

“He just wants to get off. Fuck. I want that.” 

Dave has been careful not to touch you. Not willing to put himself in the same level as Carol. He still won’t fuck you but he does reach out, talking ahold if your chin and rubbing his thumb over your bottom lip. “Then we’re going to enjoy it. You’re going to enjoy it.”

You reach out and squeeze his hand again, before taking another sip of your wine and a bite of your pizza. This time in 48 hours it’ll be the beginning of the new end, and the start of something new and exciting.

****

The day of, Dave walks up to Carol at the kitchen sink and wraps his arms around her. Imagining choking her, he forced himself to kiss her neck. “I arranged for the girls to have a sleepover tonight.” He hums, pressing himself up against her and imagining fucking you so he gets hard. “Booked us a hotel room.”

“Oh?” Carol squeals with excitement, “Which one? What’s the plan?” Pushing herself against him a little harder. One thing about Carol York is that she’ll never say no to a surprise.

Dave names the hotel and pretends not to notice the split second of his wife freezing in his arms. He knows she panics and the moment she relaxes, making him hum. “Figured it’s been awhile since we had a night to ourselves.”

“That sounds lovely, darling,” she says, “But I don’t want you wasting your money on me. We can just have a quiet night in.”

“Travel points.” Dave lies easily, knowing that she doesn’t want to go back to the same hotel where she’s been visiting every week. “Already booked and waiting on us. Already checked in.”

“Sounds great,” she lies, hoping the weekend staff aren’t the same as the ones during the week.

****

“You excited for tonight, honey?” You ask Tommy, who’s wolfing down his breakfast. 

“Can't wait to see what you spent a fortune on in Victoria’s Secret, I think I’m due a sneak preview, just to get me through the day.” He says with a wink. 

“No previews. The someone I bought this for will absolutely love it. I assure you.” You say as you go upstairs to pack you ‘both’ an overnight bag.

Dave manages to talk Carol into packing a bag, hustling her out of the house and into the car without much fuss. The girls have already been deposited at their friends house and as soon as she and Dave leave, a team of professional movers will be coming and boxing up everything Dave discreetly tagged to move into the storage unit he had rented.

You stick to the plan and wait for the text from Dave telling you they’re about to check in before you leave. Not wanting any awkward run-ins at reception. “Hey honey, I forgot to fill up my car, mind if I drive yours?” You ask innocently. Knowing that Dave had arranged for the movers to come to yours after they’ve collected Carol's stuff, and taking his car meant he’d have no reason to come back to your house.

Huffing, Tommy rolls his eyes, desperately thinking if he had left any evidence of Carol being in the car. “You’re lucky I make sure that my car is filled up all the time.” He lectures. “You need to take care of those things.”

“I’m sorry, love,” you say with a fake pout, “Had a lot on my mind.” You take the car keys from him and load up the car, seconds after the go ahead text from Dave. He huffs again as he enters the passenger side and starts droning on about how ‘he needs to know’ where you’re both staying that night. 

“You’ll know soon enough, baby,” you placate with a squeeze of his knee, “Heard great things about this place.”

The plan was for Dave to unlock the adjoining door on his side when Carol was in the bathroom but leave it shut so she wouldn’t know, and you were to do the same when you got into the room.

“You won’t tell me where we are going and you won't let me see the lingerie.” He grumbles. “I thought you were spoiling me.”

“Like I said you’ll see soon enough,” you smile, “We’re not too far from where we are staying.”

Tommy shifts uneasily as he watches his normal hotel come into view. “Here honey?” He makes it sound like that’s a horrible idea. “I’ve heard this place is a dump.”

“Oh no,” you say with a shake of your head, “It’s a five star hotel, honey, cost me a fortune but tonight will be worth it.” You say with a wink, come on, let’s get checked in. “Maybe we can order room service.”

Tommy plasters on a fake smile and chuckles. Praying that no one recognizes him. It would ruin his plan.

You notice how antsy he is as you check in and it makes you grin and shake your head. He cowers behind you at the check in desk and stares at the floor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone and practically running towards the elevator once you’ve got your keycard. 

‘Here.’ You text Dave in the elevator, pretending to text your mom. “God this hotel is gorgeous, I can’t wait to see our room.”

“Maybe we can just stay in our room all night.” Tommy manages, reaching out and snagging your waist. “Lock the world away.”

“Oh, don’t worry, sweetheart,” you assure him, “The plans I have for tonight, don’t involve you going anywhere.”

He’s relieved, planning on hiding in the bathroom when you decide to order room service. He can’t let anyone let you know about his plans, he’s not ready yet. Still needing access to the deed for the house. He wants to add himself to it so he can take it from you. It’ll be nice rental income, moving in with Carol and renting out that house.

You open the door and take a look around the room, unlocking your side of the adjoining rooms as Tommy has a “first look”  around the bathroom. You open your bag and start to take out a few bits, quietly calling him back in the room so Carol can’t hear you shouting his name. “Are you excited for tonight?”

“Depends on if you're going to suck my dick or not.” Tommy grins, thinking that he’s being romantic. The one bad thing about Carol is that she’s not willing to give him head if he doesn’t go down on her. Claiming that you might have understood, but she wasn’t a doormat. He missed someone sucking his dick.

“I promise that there will be some dick in this pretty little mouth tonight,” you tease, before picking up the blindfold and gag you had hidden in your purse, “Are you going to be a good boy and do as I say?”

Tommy’s brows shoot up. “What’s this?” He demands, grinning. “You never want to play.”

“Just thought we’d spice things up a little,” you reply softly, “I can feel you slipping away from me. I read some tips… you don’t want to?”

“No, no.” Tommy’s greedy. You might be boring in bed but you are also the only woman who has only had him. “I want to. I’m just surprised you want to. Sure you don’t want me to blindfold you?”

“Maybe later, but right now I want to do this my way.” Walking over, you untie his tie and motion for him to give you his hands, using the tie to restrain him. Before gagging, blindfolding and putting on his noise canceling headphones. 

‘Ready when you are!’ You text Dave after sitting Tommy down on one of the two hotel chairs and lightly restraining him to it. 

Lifting off one side of his headphones you whisper into his ears, “Good things come to those who wait.”

Dave hums, deciding that he would lift his own noise canceling headphones off Carol’s ear. She’s already tied up, but not in a chair. “Come on baby, I’m going to guide you.” He coos in her ear. “Trust me.”

You open the adjoining door after hearing Dave open his, and flash him a little smile as he guides Carol to the chair next to Tommys. 

“You ready?” You ask him, as he steps back and places his hand on the small of your back.

“Are you ready, sweetheart?” Dave doesn’t fucking care about them, they made their bed. But if you don’t want to do this, he can pull the plug and just snatch the rug out from under them without ever laying a finger on you.

Rocking up on your tiptoes, you place a fleeting kiss to his lips before nodding. “I’m ready, ready to follow your lead.”

“Do you still want to suck my cock?” Dave asks, reaching up and cupping your cheek.

“Fuck, yes, i’ve been thinking about it all day.”

He hums and pats your cheek lightly, “then strip down. I want you naked on your knees so I can fuck you right away when we get done indulging.”

“You don’t wanna rip this off of me in front of them?” You ask as you unbutton your sundress and let it fall to the floor, revealing the dark green lacy lingerie set you had picked out just for Dave.

“Fuck.” He hisses, cock twitching at seeing his favorite color on your body. “Never mind. Keep it on. I’ll strip.”

“Yes sir,” you say with a giggle, excited to finally feel his hands on you.

Dave strips down quickly, watching Tommy and Carol start to shift restlessly in their chairs. Antsy. He smirks and arches a brow when he shucks his pants and reveals his hard cock. “Sure you want to do this?”

“Holy shit, it’s gorgeous,” you choke out at the sight of his cock, “Fuck yes. You ready to take their blindfolds off?”

“Blindfolds and headphones.” He hums. “Not the gags.”

“Let’s go.” You walk towards Tommy and Dave walks towards Carol. On his signal headphones are removed and then masks. The look on your now ex-husbands face is a sight to behold. Both of them stare at each other in utter bewilderment as you take a step back and take Dave’s hand. “Hello, honey, how are you liking your surprise? Must be nice to see the woman you’ve been fucking for the better part of a year here with us and her husband too.” 

Dave chuckles and shakes his head as his face drops into a scowl at the two of them. They are completely frozen and panicked. "It's funny that you think we wouldn't find out." He tells them flatly before he turns to you. "Why don't we show them what it's like to watch your spouse fuck the neighbor?"

“I think we should,” you say with a giggle, as you perch yourself on the end of the bed. “Hurt them, how they hurt us.”

“Maybe they won’t give a shit.” The muffled protests coming from the two seems to disprove that, but Dave just leans in to press his lips to yours softly. It’s the first kiss he’s ever given you. When he pulls back he tells them that before smirking. “I want you on your knees, pretty girl.”

You ignore the sounds coming from that side of the room, and immediately get up and sink down to your knees. Looking up at Dave with your sweetest smile before gently holding on to the base of him, and placing a light kiss on the tip of his cock. The tip bright red and begging for release, you lick the bead of precum that’s gathered at the top and slowly wrap your lips around him. Not used to having something so big in your mouth, you moan at the stretch, taking him in just a few inches and swirling your tongue around him. 

“Fuck.” Dave hisses, looking down at you and cupping your cheek. “Take more of it. I know you can. But don’t choke. I’m going to fuck that pretty throat of yours.”

You do as he instructs as take him further into your throat, breathing through your nose and swallowing around him. Slowly bobbing up and down before taking him further, loving the firm grip he has on your face. You can feel yourself getting wetter the deeper you take him, the sounds he makes spurring you on and making you crave more.

“Unlike you two, this is the first time for us.” Dave groans, sliding his hand around to cup the back of your head. “So you get to enjoy the first time I fuck your wife since you’ve been fucking mine.”

You hollow your cheeks and suck as hard as you can as your nose just brushes against the patch of hair at the base. Drowning out the groans of annoyance from Tommy and Carol by moaning happily around him. Tears stream from your eyes as he keeps your head from moving, keeping you still as he feeds you the last inch or so of his cock.

Once Dave feels the back of your throat constrict around him, he pulls his hips back. “Fuck, I’m gonna enjoy this.” He groans, holding your head tights as he snaps his hips forward roughly and buries his cock in your mouth again.

You almost squeal as he fucks into your mouth, groaning in pleasure as you suck around him. Praising you for taking him so well, and telling you how pretty you look with his cock in your needy little mouth.

Both Tommy and Carol are struggling against the ties that bind them in the chairs. Shouting against the gags, but Dave doesn’t even pay them any attention. Focusing on you. “That pretty little pussy is wet, isn’t it?” He huffs. “Can’t wait to taste it. To lick you until you squeal my name.”

Looking up at him through your tear stained eyelashes you nod dutifully, a smile stretching across your already stretched out mouth. Before you resume your focus on his cock, bobbing your head to meet the snap of his hips, chasing more of those groans he floods the room with.

“You should have licked her cunt, Tommy.” Dave growls mockingly. “Now I’m going to and she’s going to realize what she’s been missing being with a piece of shit like you.” He smirks, looking over at his wife as she cries. “Can’t believe you put up with that shit. Especially since you know how good my tongue is.”

You pull off him and stroke his length, you’ve drenched the lacy material from sucking his cock alone and feel yourself flood the fabric further as he talks about eating you out. “Dave,” you say with a breathy moan, as you lick the weeping tip of him, “I need you.”

Smirking, he grabs your hand and helps you up, sliding his hand down between your legs possessively. “Fuck, you’re soaked baby girl.” He growls. “Want to see how much wetter I can get you. Gotta undress you first.” The panties are ripped off, pulling a moan out of you and he chuckles when the expensive green top also rips apart in his hands. The chairs are positioned so that the bed is on full display and he pulls you down onto it with him.

“I wanna show him,” you mumble, “I wanna show him how fucking wet I get when I actually want to suck a cock, I want him to see how you could slide right in with no fucking lube.”

“Shit.” Dave slaps your ass and smirks at the two spouses. “Never really thought about fucking her until we found out you two were cheating.” He admits. “So thank you.”

“Can’t say I didn’t think about Dave,” you admit with a shrug as you shuffle towards Tommy, opening your legs and letting him see your glistening cunt.

"I thought about it." He amends, "but I never considered doing it until now. Because I was fucking married."

“Same,” you shrug, “Shame that the people we married didn’t feel the same.” You shift back up and take his face in your hands, “I want you to do whatever you need to me, baby.”

"Fuck, I want you to sit on my face." Dave coos, reaching down to slide a finger through your folds and grins when you shiver. "Show you how a real man eats pussy."

“Yes sir,” you whisper before kissing him, watching as he lays down on his back and as he motions for you to move up. You lower yourself down slowly, hovering a few inches from his face.

“Fuck.” Dave groans, his cock twitching at the sight and he tilts his head back to look at Tommy. “Don’t know how you didn’t dive into this cunt every chance you got.” He huffs before he grabs your hips and pulls you down onto his tongue.

“Dave,” you yelp, as he slowly drags his tongue through your folds. Teasing your clit over and over. One of the hands finds purpose in his hair, tangling in his slightly overgrown style as the other grips onto the headboard. Your hips start to rock of their own accord, chasing your high, as a brand new sensation overwhelms you.

He flicks and curls his tongue, showing off for the cheating bastards who are still squirming and huffing through their gags, but also for you. Wanting to make the first time you’ve ever been eaten out memorable for more reasons than just showing up your cheating ex.

You can’t stop panting his name, moaning it over and over as you soak his face. It doesn’t take long until you’re hanging over the edge, seconds from cumming because of another person for the first time in your life. “So close, baby, so close.” You choke out through ragged breaths.

Dave groans, squeezing your hips and encouraging you to cum for him. Eager to taste it and to show your bastard husband that you deserved it.

With a few more flicks of his tongue against your clit, you’re cumming hard, flooding his face with your arousal as he pulls you apart in the most incredible way.

Dave groans and keeps you pressed against him, wanting to have you soak up every bit of your pleasure until you are sobbing his name out loud.

It doesn’t take long until you’re meeting his silent demand, and the yells shimmer down to you whimpering his name. You want to taunt your husband, tell him that’s what it looks like when you cum, but you don’t. You focus on Dave, moving yourself down him slowly and straddling his waist, before leaning back down and whispering the softest ‘thank you’ into his ear.

Smirking slightly, Dave nods. He’s not thinking about Tommy or Carol right now, he’s tuned them out. But he is thinking about you and how fucking wet you are, grinding down on his cock. “Can I fuck you?” He asks, even though you are on top of him.

“Please,” you plead, with a smile. “How do you want me?”

“Do you want to ride me to start out with?” He asks, caressing your hip.

“Can we build up to that?” You say quietly, “You’re huge. It’s going to be a stretch, I’m not used to anything like this.”

“That’s good,” Dave nods, knowing he doesn’t want to hurt you. “Lay down on your side, facing your loving husband.” He smirks, imagining the look on the bastard's face when he slides into you.

“Okay,” you nod, biting back the endearment hanging off the tip of your tongue. You do as he says, looking at your furious husband, feeling a shiver run through. Fearing what he might do once he’s unrestrained.

Dave curls around you, hand sliding up to cup your breast and then down to your thigh. “Don’t worry. He’s not going to touch you.” He promises, whispering in your ear. “I won’t let him lay a finger on you.”

Within seconds of feeling his touch, the fear is replaced with excitement and lust and the need to feel him slip into you. “Fuck me, Dave,” you plead, letting your eyes flicker up to your husband one more time, before letting yourself forget he’s in the room.

He chuckles quietly and lifts your thigh, bringing it back over his hip and opening you up to their view. “I’m going to fuck you. Been thinkin’ about fucking you for weeks. Imagining how tight and hot you’d be.” He kisses along your jaw as he slides closer and shifts to take his cock in his hand.

You let him mold you into the position he wants you, loving the way his hands feel on you. “God, me too. Fuck. Played with my pussy every night dreaming about this.”

The head teases your slit, sliding around and he hums. “Good.” He glances at his crying wife and your angry husband and smirks. “Let me know how it feels, baby.” He orders as he starts to push inside you.

You whimper as he starts to inch into you, the stretch of him feeling delicious. “Feels so good, baby,” you choke out, before placing your hand on top of his and squeezing. “So fucking big.”

“That’s it.” Dave growls, slowly rocking his hips and sinking deeper. “You’re taking it so good, baby. Squeezing my dick like a vice.”

“Fuck,” you moan, as he hits something new inside of you. Something that makes you clamp down hard around him and chant his name like sacred prayer, over and over.

He doesn’t start fucking you like it’s his last day on earth. Not yet anyway. He takes his time. Measured thrusts meant to make you cry out and yet he’s not giving it his all. Changing the pace and force often to keep things stimulated for you and remind Carol what she’s given up.

It’s nothing you’ve ever experienced before, someone chasing their high whilst chasing yours just as hard. With every moan, and flutter he praises you for taking him so well, for soaking his cock and squeezing him so perfectly.

His hands start to wander. Knowing that women love to be worshiped while they are having sex, his hands squeeze and grope adoringly. Forgetting about your audience, he concentrates on the breathless moans and whimpers that come from your throat. Seemingly made more desperate everytime he praises you.

“I think I’m go—,” is all you’re able to get out, before you clamp down around him hard and cum on his cock. Focusing on his sweet praises as you convulse in pleasure, feeling your sheets dampen beneath you as he keeps the same delicious pace throughout your high.

"That's it, fuck that's it, baby girl." Dave moans as he feels you cum all over him. "Soak my cock. Show me how fucking wet your little pussy gets when you cum." He huffs. "You needed this, didn't you? It's been so fucking long since you've really cum, hasn't it?"

“Needed it so bad,” you pant, as you come back down. “Never cum like that before. You want me to ride you now, baby?” You ask, as you pull his hand up to your mouth and gently kiss it.

"Yes." Dave pulls out of you and rolls onto his back, eager to feel you on top of him again. "Ride me, baby girl."

“I love it when you call me baby,” you say, as you straddle his hips and sink down onto him. Taking him inch by inch, until you’re filled with him. Slowly you start to rock your hips, building up to a pace that has him groaning your name. The sound of muffled cries and shouting drowned out both of your pleasure. His thumb finds his clit and he rubs gentle circles into it as you ride him, wanting to feel his cock throb against your tights walls that are fluttering around him.

You don’t bounce on his cock, or slam yourself back. It’s a slow grind that he finds himself grunting every time you circle your hips. He just keeps his eyes on you. Enjoying the way your own close and your head tilts back as you moan.

With every rock of your hips, he notches against paradise. Soft moans slip from your slips, as you chase your high again. Wanting to cum one more time before he does. Needing to feel him as much as you can, for as long as you possibly can.

One hand on your hip, another on your clit, he urges you to cum. “Come on baby, I know you can cum around my cock, again.” He groans, thrusting up into you shallowly. “Want to see it, beautiful.”

You rock your hips a little faster, chasing more friction from this hand on your clit and with a one word command for you to ‘cum’, you’re clamping down around him once more. Pleasure coursing throughout your body as he keeps you from falling forward, and continues to fuck up into you. Praising you for taking him for so well and fitting around him like a glove.

Once you have collapsed into his chest, Dave rolls you over and pushes your legs wider. Grunting as he takes over and his next thrust is hard enough to have you yelling.

“Fuck,” you scream, as he begins a breath stealing pace. “F-fill me up,” you beg, as he pounds in and out of you.

There’s renewed struggling and muffled screaming. Tommy most likely when he hears the plea for Dave to fill you up, but he doesn’t give a shit. Focusing on you and his own mounting pleasure as he fucks you hard and fast.

The sounds that are coming from you are unrecognizable. Brand new. Noises of pure unfiltered pleasure drowning out everything else. “Please,” you choke out, the word pained as another orgasm threatens to devastate your exhausted body. “Please, Dave.”

“Gonna- gonna cum.” He growls, clenching his jaw to push another few thrusts out of his body that screams for release. He knows you’re close again. He can feel it. Needs to see you do it again for his own selfish pride.

With little to no warning, he pulls you back over that edge with him. His thrusts sloppy as you clamp down hard around him, practically screaming his name as you milk him dry of his cum. He grits out a little praise in your ear, before groaning your name and wrapping his arms around you as you sink deeper into the mattress. 

Dave groans at the first piercing sound of his name, giving in and pushing deep as he starts to cum. Tightening his hold on you as he groans your name. Rolling his hips as he fills you.

“You feel so good,” you whimper as he paints your walls. You don’t want it to end, you want him to stay buried inside your desperate cunt forever. You can’t pretend that the past few weeks you haven’t been falling for him, and now being wrapped in his arms, you’re well and truly screwed. Literally.

“So good, baby. Fuck, that’s a tight little cunt.” He coos. “Never would have gone anywhere else if I had you in my bed.” It’s a shot at your husband, but it’s also true. He pulls back and presses his lips to yours before looking back at the cheaters still tied to their chairs. “We’re divorcing you both.” He announces.

“And you’ve already signed the papers,” you say with a smile, before immediately looking back at Dave. “Tommy gave me the idea. You were going to hand me an amended version of the prenup right? And this “dumb dutiful wife” was going to sign it without even glancing it over.”

Dave smirks when he sees Tommy’s eyes widen and his face drops. Discovering that his plot has been discovered. “Oops.” He hums sarcastically.

You giggle, before gently turning Dave’s face back towards yours and kissing him as hard as you can, a kiss that speaks a thousand words without saying any. “Thank you,” you murmur against his lips, knowing it’s time to face the music.

“Of course.” Dave sees the uncertainty and anxiety cross your face. He can tell you are scared of what might happen now that this is done. Pulling out if you gently, he sits up and looks towards the cheaters. “All your shit had been moved out of our houses to a storage unit. We’ll leave the keys, but you, especially you, Tommy-“ he growls, pointing his finger at the man. “Are not to come back tonight. Carol, you can come by and see the girls tomorrow. But you two enjoy the rooms.” He stands. “After we are dressed, I’ll untie you, Carol and you can untie Tommy after we’ve left.”

“You have no reason to come back to my house,” you say to Tommy, with a new found courage. “That’s why we drove your car. Don’t come back. I’ll see you in court with the video evidence of your cheating and your plans to fraudulently amend our prenuptial agreement.”

Dave ignores them as the two of you clean up and redress. Not even sparing them a glance. It feels freeing, setting out the papers and dropping the keys into a table before he smirks at you.

“Still ok to get a ride home?” You ask quietly, before he goes to untie Carol.

“Of course it’s okay, baby.” Dave stops and nods, giving you an encouraging smile before he moves back towards Carol.

You collect both yours and Dave’s things as he unties Carol, staying back just in case she decides to lunge at you. “Enjoy sleeping here tonight,” you say to Tommy, “This room will be the last thing I ever spend my money on you on. Sorry about the soaked sheets.” You add with a smirk.

Dave pulls off the gag and Carol sucks in a lungful of air. “Dave- Dave please, it’s not- I’m so sorry.” She sobs, leaping up out of the chair. “It was- God, I shouldn’t have done this.”

You see her leap towards Dave, and take another step back. “But you did,” you say quietly, “Both of you did this! For almost a year and the shit you said about us both, was worse than the fact you were fucking. You don’t deserve him and Tommy doesn’t deserve me.”

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m so sorry.” She reaches for him but he pulls back. 

“Don’t.” He warns her. “The day I found out you were fucking him was the day I was done with you.”

“Same with you,” you say to Tommy. “I mean it when I say that you’re not welcome in my home again.” Turning to face Dave, you reach your hand out for him to take, “You ready?”

“I’m ready,” he assures you, taking your hand and looking back at the other two people with a look of utter disdain for them plastered on his face. “I hope you two are happy together.”

You lead him out of the room. Hand tightly gripping his as you make your way to the elevators, and pressing the button. Wordlessly you turn to face him and rock up on your tiptoes and press your lips to his.

He’s surprised by the kiss but he doesn’t push you away. Instead, he’s wrapping his arms around you and leaning into it. Enjoying the fact that you aren’t crying like he had expected.

“I’m going to feel you for days,” you say against his lips, before pulling him for another kiss. Stepping into the thankfully empty elevator still attached to him, wanting to extend the moment for as long as you can.

“Do you-“ he pulls away and frowns. “The girls are at a sleepover and I told Kayla’s mom that Carol isn’t to pick them up. Do you want me to crash on your sofa? Make sure Tommy doesn’t decide to show up tonight?”

“Honestly, I was hoping you’d sleep in my bed,” you admit quietly, “But you don’t have to… if you’d prefer to crash on the sofa, you can.” 

“I wasn’t going to assume anything.” Dave chuckles quietly, reaching up and rubbing your back. “If you want me to be in your bed, I’ll sleep there.”

“I want you in my bed,” you say with a smile, “How are you feeling?”

“Indifferent.” He admits. “I’m angry for the girls, but I’m completely over Carol. Just cut the infection out and move on.” Maybe not the healthiest way to deal with things, but he managed. “How are you feeling?”

“Kids are super resilient and we both know that they love their Daddy, they’ll be okay.” You say with a squeeze of his hand, “I’m really good, great actually.”

“A good fucking will do that.” He teases, smirking at you slightly. “What are your plans for tomorrow night?” He asks suddenly.

“Yeah, I-uh-I could get used to that,” you mumble, “I’m free. How about you?”

“Well, considering I’m free and you’re free…” Dave shrugs slightly. “Thought I might take you out on a date. If you wanted. If not, I get it.”

“Sounds perfect,” you say with the biggest smile you’ve managed for weeks, “Do I get to wear something pretty?”

“Where whatever you want. Figured we’d go somewhere fancy to celebrate being free of them and decide what we want to do.” Dave hums.

“I like that, nice and breezy.” You say as he slips an arm around you as you make your way towards his car.

“To new beginnings, baby.” Dave jostles you slightly with a grin. “It’ll be ironic if we get together and are happy while they are miserable and don’t last a year.” He pulls his arm from around you and opens the door on the passenger side for you. “We’ll see, won’t we?”

“We will. Now that you and that incredible cock have completely ruined other men for me, I'm excited to see where it goes.” You giggle before thanking him for opening the door, “Thank you. To new beginnings.” You say as you smash your lips up against his.

Dave grins. Yes, your ex and his might have hurt you, but you are going to end up winning. He’ll make sure of it.

****

[A year later]

Life comes at you quickly. Your first date with Dave quickly became a 3rd, 4th and so on. The girls adapted quickly with their new changes and before you knew it, you were practically living with them.

He asked you to put your house up for sale and move in with him two months after your first date and a year on, life is perfect.

The sight of Dave napping comfortably on the sofa with your newborn son sleeping on his chest fills your heart. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted and so much more. 

It turns out that your ex-husband having an affair would be the best thing that ever happened to you.

[i-am-traveling-the-multifandom]

Anti-Rhaenyra

So, this is just what I would like to say to Rhaenyra supporters.

Rhaenyra isn't told by her father that he is secretly seeing her best friend and plans to marry her. When Rhaenyra found out that her father was going to marry her best friend Alicent, she insults her. She lies to her best friend about something she knows Alicent cares about. She sleeps with her uncle Daemon, who has by the way just killed her wife. She sleeps with Cristin Cole, a kingsgaurd who by the way has sworn:

I swear to ward the Queen with all my strength and give my blood for hers. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children.

This makes him feel like a sinner and he attempts suicide (I won't justify his actions since he should of course be held accountable for his actions as well). Then proceeds to sleep with Harwin strong and have kids with him. And expects to have them crowned after her death? She goes off to Dragonstone while her father is sick instead of taking care of him. Leaves Kings landing to her stepmother and half-siblings. Knowing very well that her oldest half-sibling Aegon ii is a boy with a legitimate heir and men are seen better fit for ruling. Because she wants everyone else to take care of her problems and then just enter kings landing and be crowned queen. Then when she finds out that her stepmother has crowned her half-brother after 24 hours which just shows how disconnected she is from kings landing, has a dramatic mental breakdown. 🙄

Summary: Rhaenyra is a spoiled brat and a daddy's girl and can't handle her problems.

[relatablebookworm]

Nesta Archeron deserved better, and I will die on that hill. Was she a mean older sister? Yes. Does she deserve to be held accountable for that? Absolutely. But that is something that should have been handled between the Archeron sisters.

The truth is, they all had issues they should have resolved together. Elain also did nothing in the cabin, but because she’s sweet it’s okay that she also didn’t hunt. Feyre told the IC the bad things about her sisters, while leaving out the good parts. She also was the reason they ended up in the cauldron. Nesta shouldn’t have been so bitter and cold to her family, she should have shown her love better. Not one of them was perfect, but Nesta is everyone’s target because she’s not sweet and submissive.

They all have stuff to own up to, but they should have done that together. And the IC targeting Nesta, especially after Feyre tells them to stop is bullshit and my girl deserved better.

The poor girl didn’t even get an “I love you” in her book. Instead she got a man who seemed to hate her and want nothing to do with her, and when she’s broken suddenly he loves her because she’s not fighting him anymore.

Nesta went to the wall to rescue Feyre. She fought in a war. She killed a King. She was expected to heal in such little time when Elain was given months, and still isn’t completely healed. She was told not to drink and sleep around, when it is said in the books how the IC handled their first war/battles, and how they cope with their trauma. And again, it’s okay for them, but not Nesta. Only when Nesta gave up her powers was she ever welcomed in their Court.

So yes, I will die on the hill of “Nesta deserved better”. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

[raisedbythetv89]

I just started watching White Collar for the first time and a realization about most male written and directed media smacked me DIRECTLY in the face which is that SO MUCH media written by a for men is genuinely just male nerd self insert, non-canon compliant, AU fan fiction??????

Like them writing and creating stories is just “ok so these guys are soooo smooth and well dressed and women just flock to them at every turn and they can get away with anything and everyone believes and supports them when they do mess up and everyone thinks they’re sooooo brilliant”

This media isn’t just portraying women “for the male gaze” it’s EVERYTHING. Everything in these stories is supporting and uplifting mens’ delusions about who they are, how they’re perceived, and how they should expect to be treated. Which is incredibly ironic because anytime media portrays women or the world in the female gaze in a more “in my ideal world things would be like this” instead of portraying us as nothing but weak, broken, unloved, traumatized, victims OR one dimensional sex symbols with no needs or emotions they’re screaming, crying, throwing up about how stupid and unrealistic the story is….

This explains SO MUCH about how male characters are handled in shows like Veronica Mars and Buffy. Even though they’re shows staring women all the “good guys” get the delusional self insert, y/n, AU fan fic treatment (Buffy still wants Angel in season 3 and Riley in season 6 even after everything they did and Xander is CONSTANTLY forgiven for all the atrocious shit he says and does and is wanted by all women besides Buffy. Veronica forgiving Duncan and getting back together with him and even CONSIDERING Piz could truly only be born from men being delusional AS FUCK. Writing how they want men to be treated by women rather than being based in reality and the woman having even an ounce of self respect.)

Which is why the “bad boys”, Logan and Spike are such better characters. They’re so much more realistic, they get held accountable by the women in their lives, have better growth and are just way more appealing and attractive because they’re not the walking embodiment of what MEN want men to be treated and act like.

Oh god this feels like such cursed knowledge to have like it’s important to see this media for what it really is but now watching it feels that much yuckier like finding the porn of someone you DO NOT LIKE but like their emotional porn “this is what life would be like in my fantasies” and they’re the fantasies of the grossest men alive 😭😭😭😭😭

Also it shows their emotional maturity like all of these things are what 13 year old boys fantasize about not actual mature, grown men….

Also just realized this is why the Star Wars sequels were so hated. It wasn’t just Rey being powerful and loved by her found family and Kylo. It was that the movies showed the reality of men like Kylo. They destroyed the male fantasy Darth Vader created. They aren’t super cool, powerful badasses. They’re extremely sad, broken, temper tantrum throwing lost little boys who just want love and acceptance but have lost the ability to accept it because of the dark side (aka the patriarchy) which is the reality and that made me SOOOOO ANGRY lololololololol and this is why Joss Whedon THOUGHT making Spike into a sad pathetic mama’s boy of a poet would make the audience not like him because that DOES work on misogynistic men who enjoy the male gaze but does NOT work and only humanizes and makes Spike even more complex and lovable to the female gaze 💀💀💀💀 oh good lord

[ouchthathurts]

Hey, so I saw your comment on bloomingattorney's post. Might want to check out GBPatch's comments on reddit. She's doubling down on the biphobia.

See, now this is upsetting. What happened to Rose is understandably fucked up because being doxed and harassed like this is absolutely awful and never an okay or just thing to do.

It was disappointing hearing someone on the team had such amazing ideas such as the skin color chart but having a strict mindset on what it meant to be gay/pan and being trans. As someone who genderfluid, pan, and afro-latino, I was disappointed to see someone like me have such heinous views and be in a position be a hinder to the group.

My main problem comes from GPatch themselves and how they handled it, while being a face of a company and working with many others of the same community and having your audience also be a part of your community there's a responsibility you carry with such a position.

The people see how you're constantly pulling the "I trust them" card instead of listening to what people have to say and taking the time to look over Rose's actions under another lense such as trans people who share terri's experience, people who are bi/pan, people who happen to be male being into tam, and so on and so forth. rather than trying to understand the people and fix the problem which would be holding Rose accountable for what they said on the issue.

I read over the post that happened between blossoming and Rose and the way Rose handled it was not okay, even if it was before they were hired. If Rose has changed from that then that's great, that's amazing even, the problem comes from not doing a background check on someone who holds a view of a community that there in with such an awful mindset.

Rose can change for the better and be allowed another chance, the problem is that instead of holding Rose accountable, speaking about how this effected your fanbase and how Rose will be stepping down sounds a lot better than just releasing tons of statements and trying to paint with a pastel on black background.

GBPatch should've taken the time and waited for the situation, I've seen tons of people who release content immediately hurt themselves and their credibility by speaking on the subject too fast and ruining themselves in the eyes of the public.

Wait till the emotion dies down in you before responding and don't sit there and defend the person you know has done wrong with proof. I'm not talking about what Rose said about GBPatch, they hashed it out in dms and that's their business, my problem comes with what they had said how that reflects on a company's image if they're allowing someone with these views to speak on these issues for a community.

That's bad representation, and then defending them because you know them is a whole other can worms due to the fact you're not really listening to your audience. It's not about Rose as a person but about what was Rose said and how he's going to rectify it, there is no reason for him to be on a team where he represents a group, and he ruins the fun for everyone by policing and saying what should or should not be done to LGBTQ+ characters.

Rose doesn't have that experience to say that because of the mindset that shows he doesn't see it as a spectrum but instead a certain way people have to be once they've found what they are.

We understand Rose has changed and we understand that Rose is trying for the better, we understand. The problem is how you're addressing the people's concerns and instead of talking to them and hoping to get an expansion on how they feel from their favorite creator of their favorite game, you sit there and defend them just because you know them personally.

If Rose still held those views of pan/biphobia, eld those views that trans people have to dress a certain way after transition, and immaturely called everyone bigots who have a point in conversation.

Would you still be saying the same thing?

This isn't about Rose changing, or Rose being your friend, or whatever else.

This is about how Rose, as a BIPOC and member of the LGBTQ+ community, holds these disgusting views and how they should at least step down from the team until they've broadened their horizons with new people and different experiences before speaking out against something with a close mindset.

Talking about how Terri's clothes were sexual just because they hugged his body, and the many other things said in the tumblr post alongside the response was very something to behold and the response being more irritating because of how it makes communities look when trying to make a point because Rose's point was ignorant and their response only doubling down on such ignorance and using the idea of being a BIPOC and/or apart of LGBTQ+ to escape criticism is disgusting and a bad look on the community.

I get it if it was a joke but it clearly wasn't in this context.

With my final thoughts coming to mind

The main problem I had with final statement is that Rose left due to harassment, Rose should not have been harassed in the first place and doxed, what should've happened was Rose being fired or at least taking the time to learn more due to the negligence and ignorance of other people's, especially queer, situations.

The situation has definitely been thrown out of proportions, I understand people not wanting them to work on the team but doxing is never a good thing to do and harassment is never okay. My advice? Block them and report it to the creator about their worker's close minded views.

Alongside that, GBPatch in future controversies and dramas, taking a step back and reflecting on everting before making a statement instead of responding on emotion instantly. It makes it look like you're arguing with your fanbase, defending someone who is being held accountable for their actions and so on and so forth.

It's good you're calling out the awful people making the situation worse, those people should not be a part of the community to come and harm and put people's lives in danger. That's a good place to start following it with talking about what Rose did, I get the whole 'I know them' and 'They've changed' argument but save that until after you've discussed what happened.

You gotta understand that as a company, why you won't meet everyone's expectations of what they want, you have to try and salvage the part of your audience that really does want to stay and give them a reason to want to stay and that being letting Rose go and grow more as a person to come back with a wider horizon. There a people genuinely hurt and offended by what Rose said, they are are apart of the community and want to feel comfortable in this space made for all and with someone with a close mindset acting this way and publicly working alongside you it makes the game’s community not feel as good to be a part of

I get that Rose has done great things for the game, I’m more than thankful the skin color expansion, but Rose leaving the project for however long he decides was for the best, not under these disgusting circumstances of harassment and doxing, also the disgusting and childish behavior of a fan base to be jerks and bigots is not okay at all. There is a way to handle things and the situation should’ve been handled better by all sides.

That's all my thoughts, I'm open to discussions and other interpretations because everyone is different.

To qoute blossoming-attorney, "It's not about wanting them to feel bad about it. It's about how I feel this may affect the game. These close-minded (in my opinion) views on trans people's bodies are unacceptable. "

[magpod-confessions]

Honestly i wanna hear opinions on season 4, cus im gonna confess i could NOT finish it (didnt move on to season 5 either lol). Got to like ep 135 & i just couldnt tell any of the episodes apart it felt like such a drag; just a slog of misery with some offhand Important 5 Minutes once in a blue moon. I hate repetition & i got the sparknotes from fandom/wiki stuff so yeahhh i just stopped listening; i still love TMA & it’s story & characters, it’s just the execution that got to me RIP

Everything felt kinda forced to me ig? Like there was some shoe-horned “humans are more monstrous than the actual monster” that snuffed S1 Jon’s fun cockiness/jackassery just to make him ? The best one in the archive ??? & all of his wrongdoings are either off-screen or justified by him being tricked into becoming a literal monster against his will (who would STARVE w/o his ‘evil-doings’, which didnt even kill ppl). Also felt like everyone got needlessly dumbed down except for Martin (the Love Interest ofc, who got 180’d from his pre-established incompetency to be some mastermind in a playing field he should have REALLY been inept in) just so they’d be blind to Jon’s situation & be mean to him LMAO

They started trying to make Jon accountable for “choosing this” & i couldnt handle it, held no fucking water to me—the guy being explicitly puppetted & manipulated as the entire plot? That guy is expected to take responsibility here? Felt like some after-thought theme they threw on top of it all. Anyways uhh feel free comment either on what i said and/or your personal thoughts on the season, or nothing if ya got nothing lol

🗣️

Ehh disagree. S4 isnt my fav but I dont think its bad. S1 Jon to s4 jon feels like natural character progression to me. He starts as acting all high and mighty to try hide the fact he has no idea what hes doing and is terrified, and then experiences a lot of ppl dying that he feels is due to him and is his responsibility. At that point his thought pattern is 'I keep messing up and making mistakes and getting myself and everyone around me hurt, so other ppl surely know better'. Hes got a lot of black and white thinking around him, which has been consistent throughout his entire characterization

I dont think any characters were dumbed down either

Melanie was always angry, she only go worse bc she had smth making her think everything she did was justified and when that stopped she became avoidant and stopped lashing out. She was still angry, just managing it better

Basira has always been Daisys no1, the person to justify all of Daisys actions. She knows what daisy did and why its bad but she holds onto the idea that daisy is right in doing so. She blames jon for what he does bc logically she knows its wrong, hurting ppl who havent done anything is wrong, but still excuses daisy bc she needs to. Bc that was a fact of her life and it cannot be wrong. In the unknowning she focuses on facts to keep her grounded and to her 'Daisy is a good person' 'Hurting ppl is wrong' and 'If you hurt ppl you are a bad person' are all facts she needs in her life to stay grounded. How she justifies Daisys actions is by saying that the ppl who daisy hurt were worse and it ultimately helps more ppl to have them gone. Not only can she not do that with Jon, as she believes those he hurts are entirely innocent, she also doesnt care to. Shes not close with Jon and she doesnt have 'Jon is a good person' as a fact in her mind, so she doesnt need to work to excuse his actions. Its all or nothing with her, if you hurt and continue hurting ppl, no matter your reason, you need to stop and the only way you will stop is if you are gone. She also has a lot of black and white thinking, gotta love the autism podcast

Martin being a mastermind in s4 also makes sense bc him being stupid is an act. If ppl think your stupid theyll underestimate you and ultimately leave you alone. They wont scrutinize you, they wont attack every part of you, they will brush it off as just a typical normal thing. It will get you ignored and you cannot be hurt if nobody knows who you are or how to hurt you. Its a lonely miserable existence but its one martins used to. Martin rarely drops the mask of 'Sweet but stupid' bc he needs that to survive and tbh he probably learnt that from needing to survive his mom LOL. Martin just knows and picks the best method of getting ppl to like him, which for him is doing exactly what they want and keeping their expectations low so they wont hurt him as much when they mess up. Honestly in s5 I see him as hes finally got to a place where he doesnt care if everyone hates him, bc he has someone who does and thats all he needs. Hes survived the worst of it and he doesnt care anymore

Part of the reason everyone blames Jon is bc he is there and he is the one who is currently causing the most problems. Also they dont actually see the extent that Jon is manipulated. Elias talks and interacts with Jon differently to how he interacts with others. All of them met Jon when he was already at the institute, they meet him when it does actually look like he made his choice, entirely of his own free will. It doesnt help that daisy is there, someone who completed their transformation like Jon did and turned back on it, and she looks like shes managing well enough. She is surviving without feeding so why cant Jon do the same? Also basira does trust elias on some level. She trusts he knows more than she does and can be an asset if used correctly, which definitely doesnt help things. Also the idea of Elias is locked up, he cant affect Jon anymore so why is Jon still acting this way. Elias has very effectively vilified and isolated jon and jon doesnt fight back against it bc he believes it as well. Other ppl are normally right so why wouldnt everyone be right abt him?

Oh my god that was an essay and I absolutely missed sooo much stuff but idk take that - rosette

i literally have nothing to add . rosette sincerely you are insane and i love that . i honestly don't have a lot of s4 opinions that i could really put down , but i also disagree anon . s4 may not have been the best , but it certainly wasn't Bad or not enjoyable to listen to . coming from someone who has listened to the podcast twice now [ and who is planning on a third relisten ] , i really do enjoy s4 as a whole . martin's buildup and his manipulation of peter lukas is honestly one of my favourite parts , because it has been said that martin was originally going to be apart of the mother of puppets ! this shows that part of martin we didn't get to see but has been there . i got distracted and don't remember what else i was gonna type um . whoops - deceit

[moonlavenders]

I Hate Apple White

She’s awful. I don’t like Apple for a series of reasons. Her design is lovely and I like her voice but that’s all I really enjoy about her. By the way this is only about the show. I don’t know anything about the books but I heard they were good.

Apple’s Incredibly Selfish

Apple represents the privileged while Raven represents the underprivileged. I get that. It’s just, she doesn’t seem to change much, if at all. The whole story it just feels like she’s just being kind and sweet for her image. She seems to love her friends but not nearly as much as she loves herself. Apple was willing to have her supposed best friend live a horrible life just so she could live a life of perfection. Apple never felt like she got less selfish to me.

Apple was Never Appropriately Punished

Literally all Apple did was apologize and she was instantly forgiven. No one was apprehensive or upset after that. It’s one of my least favorite things when someone (fictional character or otherwise) does something awful says “I’m sorry” and is instantly forgiven. An example of where this was better handled was in Avatar: The Last Air Bender. Zuko apologized to the gaang and they didn’t forgive immediately. It took him proving that he was trustworthy and on their side for them to trust him. And even after that they still had individual episodes where they form a bond with him. And what Apple did was on a similar scale to what Zuko did. Apple freed the evil queen (basically a terrorist(which was an accident I’ll give her that)) and then aided her afterwards. The school didn’t punish her neither did the government.

The Fans Treat Her Like An Innocent Victim

They woobify her to hell and back. Yes her mom is bad. No that does not justify her actions. It’s like people believe that just because someone has trauma or family issues that they can’t be held accountable. They take away all of Apple’s agency and act like she was mind controlled into doing everything she did. Apple had free choice. While she was manipulated, she wasn’t forced. They’re just like “She’s just a sad misunderstood lesbian!” Or “Apple has a tough home life! She was just guided by what she was taught!” While the second argument is true. It doesn’t excuse her behavior in any way. An appropriate punishment would be suspension or even expulsion.

Miscellaneous Complaints and Opinions

Apple seems to have trouble seeing any perspective but her own. She doesn’t seem to understand Briar issue. Apple equates her destiny (to sleep for a few days before being woken up by her true love) to Briar’s (to sleep for a hundred years before being woken up by her true love)

Apple seems to care way more about her image and winning than her friends. She injured Darling playing the sport in Dragon Games. Apple likely got this from her mother.

I don’t think Apple should date anyone until she works on herself for a while (Two or three years)

[topguncortez]

Worth Fighting For | Maverick Mitchell

masterlist | One Year TG celebration

synopsis: Maverick can't help but fight for who he loves

word count: 2.5k

warnings: sexism, fighting, cursing, mentions of canon character death, oblivious friends to lovers

“Why should I have to respect her? She’s a-“

Maverick knew that it probably wasn’t a good idea to go to the O Club on a night after an exam.

He knew the whole place would be crawling with young pilots wanting to blow off steam from a stressful week of flights and studying for the exam. He also knew there would be a handful of spiteful pilots who were pissed about their exam grades. But there was no arguing a grade when every single question was multiple choice.

Maverick had a love-hate relationship with his position at top gun. He hated being chained to a classroom most days. He hated lecturing. He hated having to teach “by the book”. He hated having to answer to Ron Kerner of all people.

but he did love teaching young pilots and seeing them excel throughout the course. And he also loved getting to work with the love of his life day after day.

You and Maverick knew that there was no replacing your brother, Goose. You had been on the ground in the rec room hearing every single bit of the accident and had begged Viper to let you get on the rescue chopper. It was the worst day of your lives to go up to Carole’s door and tell her that her husband was dead. 

But before the accident, the two of you were never really close. You always saw Maverick as Goose’s annoying, hotshot best friend, and Maverick saw you as his RIO’s little sister. But after the accident, everything had changed. He had been driving your brother when he died, and you saved Maverick’s life in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Maverick had found the courage later that night to ask you out, but that dream was squashed when he saw Tom Kazansky leading you to his room. 

You didn’t know that Maverick had caught you that night, and he never did bring it up. The two of you both seemed to just brush off that night and continue on as best friends. Now, the two of you were both instructors at TopGun, alongside Ice and Slider. 

Even though you were one of the best pilots in the Navy, the Navy didn’t seem to treat you with that kind of respect. You were the same rank as your male counterparts and had higher ASVAB and GT scores. You also graduated top of your class at the Academy. You were almost as decorated, if not more decorated than Ice. . . but because you were a girl, everyone seemed to turn the other way. You tried your best to not let it bother you, rolling back your shoulders and keeping your head held high with confidence. But some days it got the better of you, and it would be clearly drawn across your face. 

“Ignore what that prick said to you. He’s just pissed ‘cause his boy failed the test,” Slider said to you, pushing a shot of tequila toward you. 

You sighed, “It’s not even the fact that Captain Holloway yelled at me, it’s the fact that he did it in front of Viper. And fucking Viper just stood there!” 

“Because he knows you can handle it,” Ice chimed, “He knows you can handle your own. You don’t need us for backup.” 

“Well, it would’ve been nice, assholes,” You chided and grabbed the shot in front of you. Maverick watched as you tilted your head back and downed it in one go. 

Everyone knew that having a legacy student in the class was going to cause some complications, but no one expected Captain Holloway to drive across base and demand to see the “half-wit instructor” who gave his son a failing grade on his exam. Iceman had originally stood up, preparing to take the fall for it, but you stood up instead, taking 100% accountability. Captain Holloway let you know how angry he was that his son had failed and was being kicked out of TopGun, his face growing red with anger and the vein in his forehead pulsing. But you just stood calmly, letting the old naval aviator get his frustration out. And when he was done yelling and insulting your intelligence, you handed him his son’s failed exam and the answer key, telling him to look through and see it for himself. 

“I think I’m gonna turn in,” You said, causing groans to arise from Slider and Iceman, “Yeah, yeah, cry me a damn river.” You slid out of the booth, and retrieved your wallet to toss a couple of bills on the table to cover your drinks, “It was nice gossiping with you ladies, but I am beat. I’ll see you Monday.” 

“Goodnight, Hawk,” Maverick said, as you turned to leave. You gave him a small smile before grabbing your cap and getting lost in the sea of naval officers. 

The booth was silent for just a moment, and Maverick looked down at the drink in front of him, until an ice cube hit him right in the forehead. He lifted his head up and furrowed his eyebrows at Slider, who had a guilty grin on his face. 

“What the fuck, Slider?” Maverick asked. 

“No, you what the fuck,” Slider said. 

“‘Goodnight, Hawk’?” Ice asked and Maverick looked at him confused, “She had an awful day and you say all of three words to her the whole night? What the hell is your deal?” 

Maverick rolled his eyes and sat back in the booth, “You said she had it handled, and she did. She didn’t need any additional sympathy.” 

“God, no wonder you couldn’t keep Charlie around,” Slider mumbled. 

Maverick scoffed, before downing his beer, “I’m getting another drink.” 

“Oh, me too?” Slider asked, holding up his rocks glass. 

“Suck my johnson, Kerner,” Maverick cursed as he left the two pilots in the booth. 

Maverick nodded to Tony as he bellied up at the bar, sliding his empty beer bottle across the dark wood. He knew that his feelings towards Hawk were very one-sided and that everyone could see it. Hell, even Charlie could see it for the short amount of time they were together. Maverick was always at your beck and call, always right by your side when you needed him. Charlie had confronted Maverick about it a couple of days before she left for DC. But there was nothing Maverick could do, you were Ice’s girl. . . well, as far as anyone knew, you were Ice’s girl. 

“Did you see Commander Bradshaw was here?” Maverick turned his head slightly, seeing two of his young pilots walking up to the bar, “Can’t believe she’d even come to a place like this.” 

The other pilot, a blonde one that Maverick couldn’t remember the name of, but didn’t like, smirked, “Of course, she’d be here. They gotta get her loosened up somehow.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Didn’t you see who she was with? Maverick, Slider, and Ice. . . It’s not rocket surgery to know how she got her job.” 

Maverick clenched his jaw as Tony set a fresh beer in front of him. He muttered thanks and slid some bills out of his wallet, still listening to the young pilots insult you. 

“Did you see the way she nearly cried today? God, I wish Viper would’ve fired her,” The Blonde pilot said, “She doesn’t know her shit. She’s slow in the air. She acts like a fucking twat anytime Maverick is-” 

Maverick slammed his beer bottle down, causing the two pilots to look at him. From across the bar, Slider and Ice turned their heads to see the showdown starting to happen. 

“Oh Jesus Christ,” Iceman muttered, seeing Maverick’s small frame try to square up to a taller pilot. 

“You two,” Maverick said, pointing between the two pilots, “Need to watch what you say about your commander.” 

The Blonde scoffed, “For what fucking reason? You clearly didn’t have a thing to say when Captain Holloway was ripping her a new one.” 

Maverick could feel the blood pulsing through his body as his hands started to shake with rage, “He’s her superior, you are not. You need to treat Commander Bradshaw with respect.”

“Why the fuck should I have to show her any respect? She’s a-” 

Nobody heard the last part of the blonde pilot’s sentence, because Maverick had punched him right in the jaw. Gasps were heard throughout the club as Maverick grabbed the pilot’s collar, and punched him again, a sickening crack filling the air. But the blonde didn’t stay down for long, reeling his head back and headbutting Maverick. Maverick groaned, lunging forward to throw another punch, but was held back by Ice. Slider grabbed the other pilot and pulled him away from the bar. 

“No more fucking scenes, Mitchell,” Ice muttered in his ear, dragging him towards the front door of the O Club. 

Maverick didn’t put up any protests as Ice put him in the car, and drove down the familiar streets to your house. Instead, Maverick looked down at his split knuckles and occasionally wiped away the blood falling from his nose. When the two of them arrived at your house, Ice told Maverick to stay in the car, as he jogged up to your front door. Maverick watched out the window as you came to the door, a smirk on your face, your body clad in a silk nightgown. Then he watched the smirk fall as Iceman pointed towards the passenger seat where Mav was at. He gave you a small wave, and you rolled your eyes, walking into your house. 

Ice jogged back to the car, and pulled open the passenger side door, “C’mon, she said she’ll fix you up.” Maverick just huffed and looked down at his hands, “Quit being a fucking toddler and get out of the car.” 

Maverick complied and got out of the car. He walked up the steps to your front door, finding it slightly ajar, and walked in. You were already laying out first aid supplies on the coffee table, and now you had a sheer robe covering your silk nightgown. Maverick felt bad as he shuffled his feet and sat down on your couch, already knowing this all too familiar drill. You sat down next to him, your knee gently brushing his khaki-clad thigh, as you grabbed his face and turned his head towards you. 

“What have I told you about getting into fights?” You asked. 

“It was for a good cause,” Maverick gave you that all too sweet signature smirk. But you saw right through it, just like your brother once had, “Some pilots were talking shit about you. I couldn’t just not do anything.” 

You nodded your head, reaching forward on the coffee table and getting a cotton ball. You doused it in hydrogen peroxide, then grabbed Maverick’s bloodied hand. He hissed as you touched the cleaning agent to the split skin. 

“You realize you can’t punch every aviator who says something bad about me,” You briefly glanced up from cleaning his hand, “It won’t end well for you.” 

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.” 

“Well I’m not going to let you,” You sighed, putting the sullied cotton ball on a paper towel. You grabbed a roll of gauze and wrapped it around his hand. Maverick could tell that there was something you wanted to say. You and Goose were the exact same; clenching your jaw and letting out small sighs when there was something right on the tip of your tongue that you wanted to say. 

“Just say it,” Maverick said. 

You looked up at him for a moment and then back down at his hand, “I put in my resignation letter to Viper.” 

“What?” Maverick pulled his hand away from you, “Well. . . go take it back.” 

“I can’t.” 

“Yes, you can!” Maverick shouted, standing up from your couch, “I quit TopGun and came back, you surely can go take your resignation letter-” 

“I’m not going to,” You said calmly. You let out a deep breath and patted the spot next to you for Maverick to sit. He kept his emerald eyes on you as he sat back down. You grabbed his good hand, and held it in both of yours, “I am not going to take my resignation letter back. I realized today when Captain Holloway was yelling at me, that this isn’t what I want to do. I only took the job because it was what Goose wanted. He wanted to get first so he could get the teaching job and have something more permanent for Bradley and Carole. But teaching, being chained to a classroom? It’s just not me.” 

Maverick totally understood where you were coming from. He thought so many times about writing his resignation letter, but the one thing that stopped him was you and the feelings he had. But now, he wasn’t so sure if his love for teaching was enough to keep him at TopGun. 

“And, normally, I would never ask this of anyone, let alone a fucking guy,” You said and Maverick snapped his head towards you, “But. . . uh. . . come with me?” 

“What?” Maverick asked, his jaw slightly open in awe. 

“Come with me,” You said, “You hate teaching as much as I do and I don’t think that I-” 

You were cut off by Maverick’s lips on yours. You were frozen for only a split second before you kissed him back, your hands going to rest on his cheeks. He pulled back first for air, looking into those eyes that he had known to love so much. But then, it all came crashing down and Maverick realized what he had done. 

“Oh my god, Hawk,” Maverick said, getting up from the couch. You tried to ignore the pang in your chest as he walked to the other side of the room, “I’m so sorry. I know that you are with Ice and that was so-” 

“Wait, what? What did you just say?” 

“That I’m sorry.” 

“No, after that.” 

“You are with Ice.” 

You couldn’t help but burst out laughing at Maverick’s words. You had heard some ridiculous rumors about yourself, but this was definitely a new one. Maverick’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched tears fall down your cheeks as you clutched your belly from laughing so hard. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had seen you laugh like this, but it had to have been before Goose died. 

“Oh God, Maverick, you are so funny,” You said, wiping a tear from your eye, “Me? With Tom?” You shook your head as more giggles fell from your mouth. 

“But after the Indian Ocean-” 

“He had one of my gloves in his room, I went to get it back,” You said. 

“And tonight? That smirk on your face when he was at the door?” 

“I thought he was coming over to watch The Shinning again,” You shrugged, “He obsessed with it and is wearing out my damn tape.” 

Maverick cocked his head to the side, “So nothing is going on with you and Ice?” 

“Other than his obsession with VHS player.” 

“Oh God, I’m an idiot,” Maverick said, shaking his head. 

“Yeah, you are,” You responded, “Now come over here and kiss me again.”

taglist: @shanimallina87 @desert-fern@mygyn @cherrycola27  @yanna-banana @topgun-imagines  @startrekfangirl2233 @xoxabs88xox@bradshawseresinbabe @bradswolfe@fandom-princess-forevermore@callsignharper @genius2050

another amazing request from @a-reader-and-a-writer

taglist form

[nach0]

MCYT Yuri Week; Day One - Dance/ Break

"Are you taking notes on our date?"

Wordcount: 1504

AO3 Link

It’s not often Pearl and Gem get the chance to relax and take some time away from things. It should have been nice, and by all accounts would’ve been, if only Gem could stop stressing for five minutes.

(Featuring art at the end!)

Gemini Tay, Grand Wizard of the Crystal Cliffs, was proud to say she was good at social interaction. It’d be disappointing if she wasn’t, after all the time she’d put into studying the cultures of each and every important person she’d ever have a chance of interacting with.

It was like a test. A constant, neverending test that she had to pass or else she’d start a war.

But she definitely wasn’t on edge at all! Large formal events totally didn’t make her nervous in any way! In fact, one on one interactions should probably be a breeze in comparison.

Courting wasn’t something she’d ever bothered to study. The Crystal Cliffs historically hadn’t held any close alliances for more than trade, the previous Grand Wizards emotionally detached by design. She’d thought herself the same, even after the Wither Rose Alliance was formed. It was the most involved the Cliffs had been in hundreds of years. Still, romance was something she hadn’t considered. It involved too much trust, too much vulnerability, for her to ever picture herself wanting.

That lack of foresight left her cramming every book on romance she could get her hands on five minutes before her very first real date with Pearl.

Apparently they’d been on ‘dates’ before, quiet moments stolen away in the midst of the chaos that was their lives. Pearl had mentioned a stargazing date fondly, leaving Gem thoroughly confused. It had been entirely spontaneous, she hadn’t even dressed up or planned anything, and it didn’t line up with anything she’d learned about how dating worked.

Not for the first time she wished there were more books on Helianthian culture. Maybe it would help her understand the distinction between ‘date’, ‘hanging out’, and just ‘chilling.’ She still wasn’t sure if they were all separate things yet. Maybe she could ask? But then it would reveal how little of her girlfriend’s kingdom she knew, then Pearl would get offended and break up with her, then leave the alliance, then the Cliffs, Mythland, and the Grimlands would all be without food and everyone would starve.

She was spiralling again. It was thoroughly unproductive.

None of her books were helping anyway. They were all about formal courtships, something Pearl had laughed about with her before-

“Now I get the intent,” she’d said, giggling slightly as she put the sunflowers into a vase. “But he would have had to buy these from my empire to gift them back to me.”

“Traditionally, it’s considered a sign of respect to give things of the courtee’s empire. It shows an interest in the culture they come from, and a willingness to compromise and combine their own culture in the process.”

Pearl rolled her eyes with a smile and Gem quickly closed her mouth, a long honed instinct from accidentally finding herself on the edges of people’s patience, but she got the odd impression that Pearl wasn’t annoyed at her.

“All this courting stuff has its place, but it’s not for me. If I find someone I want to go out with, it’d be nicer if it was natural. And if I don’t… no big deal. I’m happy with what I have. Besides, I know my type.”

Gem’s heart quickly found its place in her throat, thumping so loud she was surprised Pearl couldn’t hear it. “Can I ask what that type is?”

“I can say for sure it’s not-” Pearl squinted at the note, “-Brad from Mythland. Sorry buddy, better luck next time.”

They both laughed, and the matter was dropped.

-or wild, whirlwind romantic fantasies that moved so fast she had to put them down before uncomfortable bile rose in her throat. The thought of jumping into anything without preparation, but especially something as deep and personal as romance, made her nervous. She could handle spontaneity, liked it at times!  But there needed to be trust there first, a baseline to deviate from. Would Pearl try to move too fast for her? Would she say anything against it even if she did? There was no script for her to work from here, no guide to where normal boundaries lay. She was going in blind for the first time in a very long while.

Then a knock at the door signalled her preparation time was up.

“Gem?” Pearl called through the wood, amusement already creeping through her tone. “Did you lose track of time again?”

“No, I’m ready!”

She ran a hand down her shirt to clear all but a few methodical wrinkles, enough to seem casual without looking sloppy, and nodded once in satisfaction. The heavy wooden door opened for her with ease (and she definitely didn’t use magic to make herself seem more impressive.)

“Wow, you look… really nice.” Was Gem imagining the blush on Pearl’s cheeks? She had to be, especially as her voice quickly picked back up into fond teasing. “I didn’t know you even owned any casual outfits.”

The outfit could be considered casual. If one didn’t know the quite frankly overkill amount of thought Gem had put into it. Muted colours to give off a softer feel, an inversion of her regular layers as a symbol she wasn’t acting as a ruler but instead herself. Amethyst around her neck and hanging from her ears both for power in case of an emergency and a reminder of her empire’s resources. Her gloves were, admittedly, mostly just because she wanted an excuse to wear them. But to anyone that asked she could easily pass it off as a combination of the two of them, the stars and moons pattern conveniently fitting. She liked her regular gloves, the leather preventing any distracting textures, but it was nice to make a change every once in a while. 

“I’m full of surprises.” Gem smiled, looking Pearl up and down. She could analyse what it meant later, when they had a quiet moment, but for now they had places to be. “You look pretty as well.”

“Don’t I always?” She flipped her hair, tied up neatly in a braid that made Gem’s breath skip, turning her nose up for a moment before the act broke down into laughter. “Come on, I know you have a schedule for this. Lead the way.”

~

In Gem’s opinion, the date was going pretty well. She’d hit all her talking points and had genuine discussion, Pearl had laughed at her jokes, and she’d learned much more than she’d expected. They were taking a break while their horses drank from a nearby stream, Pearl leaning against a tree and Gem leaning on Pearl. 

It was nice. It was peaceful. It was very abruptly interrupted by the scratching of Gem’s pencil that was so much louder than she’d anticipated.

Pearl cracked an eye open and glanced down at her. “Gem?”

“Mhm?”

“Darling?”

“Yeah?”

“Person I adore more than anything in the world?”

“...Yes?”

“Are you taking notes on our date?”

Gem blushed, ears pressing against her head in embarrassment. She should have been more subtle, or just tried to remember everything she needed to know, even if it meant she’d have less energy to spend on concentrating on what was actually happening, she should-

Pearl pressed a kiss to her head, carefully avoiding her antlers.

“It’s cute, fawn.”

“I just want to get it right,” she muttered, picking at the fabric of her gloves. “I haven’t done this before, before or after becoming Grand Wizard. It’s all complicated and there’s no rules to fall back on if I get lost.”

Pearl hummed gently and unfurled a wing, wrapping it around Gem at her silent nod.

“We just came out of a war with a demon. No one expects you, or any of us, to readjust instantly. If you wanna put this on pause, catch your bearings a bit, I’ll get it. Just tell me, yeah? Don’t get trapped in that head of yours.”

She moved to tap her forehead but pulled back at the last second, humming gently instead. Her gaze didn’t hold any expectations, just a gentle patience and a warmth like the sun.

And oh, Gem remembered why she fell for Pearl in the first place.

“I don’t want to stop. It’s just… a lot. Sometimes. Not that it’s your fault!” She hurried to add. “Rules are just easier to work with, knowing the limits and expectations.”

There was no judgement. The world didn’t collapse, no one mocked her admission of weakness, and Pearl didn’t immediately rescind all of Helianthia’s resources.

It was… a little disorientating, if Gem was being honest.

“That’s ok. We can figure out what works together. I don’t mind if you write your notes or want to set guidelines, so long as it’s not hurting you. Don’t sacrifice what you want for me or anyone else.”

She pulled her ever slightly closer, and the wing around Gem’s shoulders was more comforting than any weighted blanket she owned.

“For today though, let’s just enjoy this break from the chaos. We’ve earned it.”

For once, Gem couldn’t agree more.

(if my laptop messes the colours of this up i'm going to explode btw ^^)

also i know i had a taglist but it's been like a year since i last used it so idk if anyone still wants to be tagged, i'm down for starting it up again though

@mcyt-yuri-week

[writingcold]

Hello!  Welcome to Chapter 6 of CD&FE.  

Pairing: Jake X Female Reader 

Summary: This is an AU that starts with the release of GVF’s first EP, Black Smoke Rising, and follows along life paths over the course of twenty plus years.  So…  It’s just messy.  Fortunately, it’s also kind of a shorty as far as length goes.     

Content warnings: Uncomfortable moments in adult relationships, but smut free.  

Word Count: approx. 4.4K 

I am so thankful for @edgingthedarkness and @takenbythemadness.  But you all better know that by now, but I’ve said it with every damn posting how brilliant they are. 

CD&FE, Part 6.1: Her POV 

      To say that I had gotten comfortable in my relationship with Frankie was an understatement.  I felt like we were flourishing.  I began to slowly migrate from my office into our home, working one and two days a week away from the office.  No one died.  No projects failed.  Fancy that.  I was able to distance myself and yet still get the job done.  Life was good.  I couldn’t lie about that.

      I had gotten a call from my friend Maurice Flanders from Chicago who owned several galleries.  I had been handling his accounts for years, but he reached out on this one in particular as it would be a rushed job.  He had a show fall through, but found an up and coming artist that had agreed to a limited run on short notice.  Of course, I’d never leave him in a bind and agreed to step in right away to handle the advertising for the event, and all of the main graphic needs for the opening night.  I didn’t think of the person until well after I had hung up and a few days had gone by.  The featured artist would be Clara.  His Clara.

       Echoes of times and interludes with Jake haunted me from time to time.  Stray thoughts lingered longer than they should have.  Bits and fragments of dreams would wash a tide across me when I felt weak.  Always at my fringe, I could feel Jake’s presence.  I could be dicing up vegetables for dinner, or have a song coming on across my feed, or hell, sitting and talking with friends, and all of the emotions of loss of him would come roaring back only to stop short and fizzle out.  I supposed that was because it ended how it did.  This lingering uncertainty of ‘maybe’.  I felt like a corner of me longed for him still.  

     We were two weeks from the event when Maurice called me personally to check in and to invite me down - after all, it had been ages since we had been together in person.  I knew there would be many current clients in attendance.  It would be smart for me to be there.  Frank was willing to take the weekend trip, so it was a go.  Although, part of me was hesitant.  Would Jake be there?  How was I going to handle seeing him - in person after all this time?

     We flew down a few days early to take in the museums and the jazz and blues scene of the city.  Frank kept his distance when I needed to work, but he was more than happy to entertain himself.  The opening was Saturday night and we were ready to go.  It wasn’t like we had to be glamorous, but to say my man looked hot as sin would not be lying.  He held me close as we approached the gallery.  My stomach did a little flop as I realized that I was looking right at Clara when we walked in before the actual opening.  Maurice was lovely, wrapping me up and welcoming us in.  

     I silently sloshed through emotions whilst keeping my professional appearance while weaving through the introduction to Clara.  She gushed over our work - impressed that it was all completed on such a short timeline but so beautifully.  She walked me and Frankie around showing us some of her more recent works.  All of my internal organs were twisting with fury as I caught glimpses of love and Jake and their time together.  I held tight to Frank’s hand, but all the while, my brain was conjuring venom towards the very unaware Clara.  

     My eyes were darting around when the doors officially opened.  He was nowhere to be found.  I picked out Jake’s parents right away.  They were fawning over Clara, but their son was completely absent.  I could see the glint of frustration in the woman’s eyes as they were talking.  I dug myself deeper into the gallery.  It wasn’t like any of that scene was my business.  

     I spent the better part of two hours connecting with clients and meeting potential new ones.  Frank was my stalwart spirit, smiling and looking incredibly handsome.  He seemed totally relaxed in his easy self that just seemed to draw people in instantly.  Our last forty minutes was spent with Maurice in a cozy corner going over new contacts that he wanted to share for our valiant effort and success together.  

     As we started to say our goodbyes, I took note that Jake still was not in attendance.  My heart squeezed a bit.  I’m unsure if it was because he was not in attendance, or if there was a personal issue that was lingering behind the pretty woman’s smile.  A small portrait towards the front caught my eyes and held it as we meandered towards the door.  It was Jake, but his face was down, the brim of a hat covering most of his features.  I felt removed.  I had no right feeling this way, but my whole focus seemed to be parked on a man that I had not physically seen in six years.  Six.  And he still commanded my thoughts like we had just parted the day before.

     The rest of summer rolled through quietly.  Frank had been gone a few weeks due to conferences, to which I took advantage to catch up with friends.  Patrick and Sidney took most of that time, but I so enjoyed our time together.  In October, I found myself in Paris, accompanying Frank for one of his academic conferences.  While he was buried in work, I was gracing the balcony of a beautiful little room, sipping coffee and soaking in the ancient city around me.  Our evenings were our own.  We walked everywhere until we couldn’t walk any more.  We laughed over food and cried over art.  I wanted more time.  Always more time, but life was calling us back.

     By December, I had somehow discovered that the bulk of my work week was spent in my pjs in my home office.  And I didn’t feel bad about it.  Christmas brought around news I didn’t expect.

     “You’re procreating?”  I asked, unable to hide the shrill note in my tone.

     Patrick and Sid were sitting with huge smiles before me.  “Aunt Y/n has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”  Pat said finally, letting me fully digest the moment.

     It was unreal to think that my oldest friend was going to be a father.  But they were happy.  Beyond it, actually.   The babies would arrive in the summer - fraternal twins no less.  I was secretly planning on buying every obnoxiously loud, bright, annoying toy possible to fill their lives with such joy.  Pat deserved a little more chaos in his life, right?

     Spring arrived with a definite bang.  We seemed to go from ice and wind and ten foot high drifts of snow to green overnight.  I had come home from a client dinner party to find the apartment quiet.  I went to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water, discovering that Frankie was out on the deck.  The faint glow of a cigarette rested between his fingers, while a glass was nestled into the palm of his other hand.  It was an odd sight.  Frank didn’t smoke unless his mind was troubled.

     I walked out onto the deck and wrapped my arms around his waist.  He was quick to crush the smoke, but I had seen it was not just the one he had imbibed in.  He had been outside for quite some time.

     “How was your meeting?”  he asked as he turned to welcome me proper.

     “Good.  I would say we landed another solid client.”  I allowed myself to be wrapped up in his dense frame and scent.  There was an air of removal that I did not understand.  “Something must have happened, huh?  Tough day?”

     He hummed as he let me go.  “Actually, something that I wasn’t expecting came up.”

     I frowned when he paused.  His whole aura seemed shifted.  He was holding back.  I frowned all the more as he lit another cigarette and leaned away from me.  My gut blazed with a stab of anxiety.  I was left wishing I would’ve poured something harder than the water.

     “I’ve been invited to teach in Paris,”  he said, his voice void of what made him sound like himself.  It was weird.  

     I could see that he was happy about it, but he wasn’t allowing himself to be.  I must’ve flashed an expression that he didn’t like.  He turned away from me, with his face turned to the sky.  “Are you not happy about this?”

     “I am actually really fucking happy about it,”  he muttered, his voice full of an edge.

     “But-”

     He let out a long stream of smoke after lighting up another cigarette.  “I’ve been out here for hours trying to guess how you would answer my question if I asked you to come with me.  However, I think I already have my answer.”

     “That’s not fair,”  I whispered.

     “Would you go?”

     It was like I was going a hundred miles an hour and someone just threw my ass into park without the benefit of hitting the breaks.  My insides felt like they were liquefying as he seemed to fight himself from looking at me.  I knew what he was asking.  I had heard this question in a different, unspoken form before.  And the answer was the same.

     “Frank,”  I hiccuped.  

     “It’s all right.  I get it,”  he said, voice hushed.  “I need some time out here.  Alone.  Please.”

     My jaw softened as I felt all those liquid guts swirl just under my skin.  I felt like I was going to throw up as I pushed my way back into the apartment.  My legs were declaring a mutiny as I tried to climb the stairs.  I found myself melting onto the fourth step.  I was in a ball while the man I had made a life with for the better part of six years was hurt outside.  

      I went to bed alone and I woke up alone.  Frank was not in the apartment when I padded down the stairs.  The knot that had strangled my innards the night before was limp from bleeding out.  I was too tired to search for a note.  I was sure eventually, we’d discuss the situation.  I wanted to say I’d go with him.  I wanted to say that I would be able to leave my work behind.  But in truth - I just couldn’t.  

      I sat curled on the couch, waiting for him to come home.  I saw a text from Pat, but I couldn’t find it in me to pay attention beyond who it was from.  The parallel was not lost on me as I looked around my home - our home.  It was true that I was slowly creating distance from my work, but by street blocks only.  To completely leave it behind?  Wasn’t that what he was silently asking of me?  

      It wasn’t until early evening that Frank returned.  He looked hollow as he set his keys down on the table.  I felt gutted as he sat down next to me.  I threaded my fingers into his, but made no move closer to him.  It was like a division was already between us.  It hurt to breathe the same air, let alone be in the same space.

      “I can’t say ‘no’ to this, Y/n,”  he said quietly.  “I refuse to be that guy to tell you to quit your job.  I just don’t know where that leaves us.”

      I tucked my chin to my chest.  All the love, all the life was slipping away like a threadbare scarf.  I hated this.  It wasn’t supposed to be this way.  And yet, I couldn’t force my mouth to wrap around the words that I needed to speak.

      “Distance doesn’t work for me,”  he whispered.  “I’m a jealous man, if I was being honest.”

      “And if I’m not ready-”  My words dried up in my throat, crackling like brittle paper.

      “I’m not ready, either,”  he replied, tightening his hold on my hand.  “Could you leave your company behind?  Honest.  As honest as you can be.”

      No matter how much I wanted to say ‘yes, I can leave’, I just knew it was wrong.  I looked at him as my eyes filled and spilled across my cheeks.  I shook my head ‘no’ as my throat refused to function through the emotions.

      “Didn’t think so,”  he whispered.

      I fell into him as I couldn’t hold back my tears.  He made no move to hide his own.  We mourned together.  We found comfort in each other’s touch.  It was like we knew it was the end.  

CD&FE, part 6.2: Jake’s POV

     “It’s been coming for a while, Jake,”  Clara said, after I finally got her to sit down at the dining room table.

      “Really?  I thought everything was just fine,”  I said, not trying to hide the bitterness from my tone.

      She puffed out her cheeks with a hard breath.  “Come on.  Surely you don’t think everything has been all right?”

      “Enlighten me.”

      I was mad.  I was mad more at myself.  She did not seem to really want to answer.  But that was Clara.  I wanted to know.  I wanted honesty.  She wanted to hide from conflict.  If she wanted out, I was not going to stop her, however I needed to know what the hell I did wrong.

     “Chicago wasn’t my only show you missed,”  she said quietly.  She shook her head.  “No.  I shouldn’t say it that way.  It was my choice to be on tour with you.  I loved traveling with you.”

      “But.”

      She squirmed in her seat.  I did not like making her feel uncomfortable, but I felt like I could at least understand.  “I turned down two galleries this past year because they conflicted with the tour.  I turned down working with others last year because they conflicted with the tour.  When Chicago came around, and I saw it fit between shows, I thought maybe you would see my passion was as strong as yours.  Perhaps it would be a way for you to see that I was as good-”

      “Fuck,”  I whispered against the anger that flooded my system.  “You can’t put that on me.  Just because you chose not to take an opportunity…?”

      Clara slapped the table and jumped from her chair.  I followed her as she fled to the bedroom.  This was her pattern.  Run.  Run from any kind of conflict and let it fester until it was a hundred more times hurtful as it became a torrent flooding out of her.

      “Talk to me!  How can you think I felt your work was ‘not good’?  I’m just as excited as you are that this is getting somewhere for you,”  I said, fighting to keep my tone from hitting a harsh line.  

      “Really?  Could’ve fooled me,”  she grumbled, coming to a stop.  “I have followed you around this planet with you for years, Jake.  On tour, you take no notice of how I struggle to keep up.  I need more time in these spaces.  I need more time to create.  But it’s like you have blinders on and it’s always only about the tour.  Only about your work and never about anyone else.”

      “It’s kind of what I do.  My job.  I can’t apologize for working to keep us to the level that we are.  Many people depend on me, on us, to live on.  It’s more than just about me.  If I don’t do a good job, if we aren’t out there, families are affected.”

      She rolled her eyes.  “And you don’t really think about the effects on your own family.”

      “We’re all working our asses off-”

      “I wasn’t talking about your brothers, Jake!  Me!  Your family that you won’t marry?”

      I stopped moving.  Clara threw her hands up out of frustration and proceeded to stomp back into the bedroom.  A tiny fraction of me did not want to pursue the argument.  It whispered to let it go.  Let her go.  

      “That can’t be it,”  I found myself saying out loud.  She scoffed as I walked into the bedroom after her.  

      “What - a commitment?  I’m fucking human, Jake.”

      I felt my brows pinch as I watched her wrestle her bags from the bed only to grab another empty suitcase and fling it open.  “I-”

      “I want it.  I have wanted all of this.  All of you.  Don’t you see that?”

      The corners of my mouth turned down.  She was throwing her clothes into the case without consideration.  It was then I realized that her ring was gone.  That little whisper was rising in volume, but still not sharp enough for me to listen.

      “What I see is someone who doesn’t trust me enough to let me go on tour without her,”  I said, unable to really recognize the flatness of my own voice.

      The laugh that slithered from her mouth made me cringe.  “Trust?  Fuck yeah, I don’t trust you.  I see how others are out there.  Leaving their wives at home so they can fuck anyone that comes across their plate!  Fuck that.”

       “That’s not me,”  I whispered.  “You’d know that if you gave me the chance.”

       She started to say something but stopped.  She dropped the clothes from her hands and took a step back.  “Still doesn’t change the fact that you do not want to marry me.”

       I nodded.  She was right.  I may have at one point thought that marriage in my profession was impossible, but that wasn’t totally it.  I believed if I made a commitment, I didn’t need anyone else’s approval, a little paper, or any other archaic belief to say that I am with someone.  That voice had gone from a whisper, to nearly a full voice, was now shouting at me.  

      “I’m sorry you thought you had to live around me,”  I said, retreating back to the doorway.  “That was never the case.”

      “It was always the case, whether you realized it or not.  I was given a schedule and felt like I had to live by it.  I put myself in that schedule where I could.”

      “That was your lack of faith in me, Clara.  That’s not something I can fix.”

      I walked away, allowing her to finish collecting her things.  So much of this house was her.  So much of the life within it was her.  Was I sad about it?  Yeah.  It hurt like a fucking punch to my chest.  But it was done.  

     I poured myself a whiskey and wandered out to the patio with my phone in hand.  I called Josh, only to be sent to voicemail.  Dick.  I called Mom, but then forgot the folks were on a flight home.  My brain was formulating plans.  I listened to the rambling playing of the neighbor kids and the distant practice of someone on a piano.  I must’ve been out there no more than an hour before I heard Clara behind me.

      “I called an Uber.  I’ll stay with my friends for a few weeks to figure this out.”  

      Her voice was void of warmth.  There was nothing to figure out.  It was just done.  

      “I leave on Monday,”  I replied, looking up at her.  “I’ll be gone for two weeks.  If you want, you can clear out while I’m gone.”

      “Wow,”  she sighed.  “I say done and you mean it.  Kinda cold, Jake.”

      I shook my head.  “I cannot be with someone who has no faith in me, and cannot trust me.  I will not be with someone who thinks so little of my commitment.  You shouldn’t want to be with me if I make you live by my schedule.  Or think that I am holding you from what you love.  Those are some pretty big stopping points.”

      She sighed.  “I suppose you are right.”

      I heard her leave, but did not watch.  I reached for my phone and began an attempt to text my twin, but he was strangely radio silent.  I realized in the silence, that I had not gone to actually see Clara’s showing postings.  For that I was a real prick.  I opened up the socials and got to her professional page.  She looked happy in the first picture - she stood in the middle of the small gallery with her works all around her.  I scrolled through the pictures slowly, taking in each shot of the paintings I knew well.  Each one seemed to look different under the lighting, but they were all here.  

      I stormed through the first dozen or so before I stopped.  At the edge of the frame was a familiar face.  Y/n was standing with a small group, all wrapped up in her professional armor and disarming smile.  I frowned for a moment.  I started scrolling down and looking at the actual description and noticed a small ‘thank you’ note that included the owner of the gallery, the management team and…  oh hell.  Y/n had personally taken care of all the advertising and graphics within the gallery.  I went back to the picture and stared.  It was like all the hurt, all the guilt was paused.

      I wondered if she knew who Clara was.  I wondered if she was aware of our connection.  Surely she had seen my post about Clara.  Oh… fuck.  Did Clara know?  Surely not.  A knot of anxiety twisted through my chest forcing me to stand up and fly into the house, phone clutched tightly in my palm.  I was spooked.  I was realizing that the last day was beginning to filter through.  The final moments especially - I hadn’t even said goodbye.  Who does that?  

      I decided to give her the space she asked for, going out on the next stretch before reaching back out to her.  When I returned home, it was an empty house.  She had taken all of her things, her artwork, the pieces that she had wanted to be in our shared space.  I texted her that I was back, knowing that the last part was to get the keys.  I made a nice dinner of all her favorites, along with her choice of wine.  I had flowers delivered that reminded me of our time in Rome a few years back.  It wasn’t meant to be romantic, but I’m sure that was what it looked like when I finished getting everything ready.

      She smiled when I invited her inside.  Her eyes latched onto the table and started to shake her head with excuses to leave.

      “Just come and talk with me.”

      I took her purse and set it to the side as she reluctantly walked past me.  “Jake, I’m not sure if this is a good idea.”

      “Just talk,”  I promised, waving her towards the table.  

      I poured a glass of wine while she sat down.  I took a drink of my beer before pulling serving dishes out of the warming oven.  I plated up and joined her.

     “I know I’m springing this on you, but,”  I started, setting down her food before her, “I just thought it would make this a little easier.”

      “Thank you,”  she said quietly.  “It looks delicious.”

      We picked at our food, and it was silent.  It was not what I was hoping for in the slightest, but it was a start.

      “Have you been staying with Grace and Tucker?”  I asked, hoping to break the ice.

      “I haven’t left Nashville, if that’s what you’re searching for, Jake,”  she answered.

      I ate the hard tone and tried to let it go.  Sitting back in my chair, I wiped the corners of my mouth.  “I’m not looking for a fight, Clara.”

      “Then what is all of this?  A grand send off?”

      I rolled my eyes.  “If that’s what you want to call it, fine.  I just want to part as friends.  We were such good friends towards each other - why leave it with all that hurt out there?”

      “Pretty one sided friends, if you ask me.”

      My eyes rolled closed.  I sucked in a long, slow breath.  “I saw the pictures from Chicago - on your socials.  Mom shared a few more as well.  No matter how you think of me, I am proud of you.  It was wrong of me to miss it.”

      She set her glass down and finally made eye contact.  “Why didn’t you want to be there?”

     “Who said I didn’t want to be there? I made every attempt to get there.  I won’t be an ass and blame the weather, but…  I really am sorry I missed it,”  I replied honestly.  “You know how I am when we’re out there.  If I don’t focus on what I’m supposed to be doing-”

      “You were supposed to buy that ticket and be with me.” 

      I frowned.  “And I am upset with myself over it, Clara.”

      “Sure you are.”

      “Of course I am.  It was my mistake, but it showed us that you are to move in this other direction,”  I said, tapping my fingers on the table softly.  “I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to follow me, Clara.  It was never my intent to keep you from your art.”

       She flashed a sad little smile.  “I didn’t mean to make it sound like I didn’t trust you.  I was scared.  I saw what happens out there.  It’s not pretty.”

       “It’s very easy to get caught up,”  I admitted, keeping my voice level.  “It hurt that you wouldn’t allow me to try, at least.  At least prove that I could be faithful to us.  There are more on the road that can be faithful than not.”

       She nodded.  “I’m not sorry for our time together, Jake.”

       “Neither am I,”  I whispered as she touched my hand.

       Closure.  It was not stomping away in anger.  It was not lighting my days on fire just to show her what kind of man I could be.  It was quiet and reverent of our time together.  I hugged her goodbye and it felt good to watch her walk away knowing that she was going to be just fine without me.  What more, I knew I was going to be just fine without her.

So, I’m unsure if I want to break our final part, part 7, into the three postings, with a fourth posting for the epilogue, or to post 7.1 with 7.2, and have 7.3 with the epilogue.  🤔  I’m leaning towards having two more posts after today’s, instead of four. 

I’ve had quite a few new people join the taglist.  However, if you are one of those who do not participate and post, it’s hard to tag you.  I’m sorry.  I’ve tried, but tagging in posts is shoddy as it is, so if you are not getting the notification that I’ve posted, but you’re on the taglist?  It’s just the world that our tumblr is.  I’m trying though - I’m trying to get these tags to work!  Promise

I do have a tag list here, or you can just let me know in a reply to add you. 

@lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter

[mirukokosana]

➪ 𝖠 𝗄𝗂𝖽?

✯ CONTEXT

You weren't sure how you were able to end up with a literal soldier. You were only told that you were with this soldier because you have the intel that he needed to finish his mission. Seriously, you didn't know what to expect from this but you were sure afraid of whatever was going to happen. You just wanted to enjoy your teenage life, but this might count. While you were told that you were going to be with this soldier, he was only told that you were a high-schooler.

✯ CHARACTERS

John Price, Kyle "Gaz" Garrick, John "Soap" Mactavish, Simon "Ghost" Riley, König, Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo Parra, Philip Graves

How are they going to handle you? A 16 years old kid?

✯ SFW ✯

✰ This is a remake for my post in @shiyosugi

If you haven't seen it yet, which I am certain you don't, this is the post »» ★★★

I feel like I should remake it because I wrote that one like a year ago and it isn't that good. I also wanted to write about other things except for anime stuff.

My main account shall serve as an anime account only hence this account might be Call Of Duty content only, not actually but we'll see. Oh, I take request, I guess-

John Price

— He wasn't against the idea of bringing you along, but he can tell you were the one against the idea and teased you about it. "You're scared kid?"

— He kept you near him or in front of him, making sure you weren't left behind or lost sight of him somehow.

— He knew you had never held a gun before so he necessarily told you to hold his gun for a moment which wasn't even for a moment as he just continued on with his mission without asking for his gun back. But you gave him his gun back anyway, you weren't going to hold that for anymore seconds.

— He was a little curious on how you were able to get your hand on the intel he needed so he decided to ask. You said that you just know your way around this place and you were sort of a nosy kid. He was amused, "Guess kid being nosy isn't always a bad thing."

— When surrounded by enemies, he wondered of how he was going to keep you unharmed but he knew that the least he can do is making sure you were out of this mess alive with maybe a few scratches. You ended up unharmed somehow.

— You were just kid and still have better future waiting for you so he wasn't going to let you went through anything traumatizing, but you were nervous already just by being in this situation.

— When needed, you were the one who was going to talk with any civilian around and you were surprisingly good with words. "Are all people around your age good at getting what you want?" "You can say."

— Don't worry, he didn't doubt your abilities.

— After the mission, he was amazed that you didn't pass out yet from anxiety. "You did great, kid. Think you can do this again?" "No."

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

— "Out of all people in the world... Why a kid?" He was obviously questioning about the situation you were in and he obviously didn't want to bring you along because you are just a kid. However, he knew that he needed you to finish his mission so he reluctantly agreed.

— First thing he asked you was how you even have all the information he needed, and when you said that you just knew your way around and being nosy, he was speechless. Teenagers nowadays.

— Since you were the one who needed protection, he made sure you were side by side to him so that he can easily move you around to hide you in case something bad happen.

— He was being extra careful with his weapons, he didn't want to accidentally hurt you.

— He would talked with you occasionally to make sure you weren't feeling nervous, he understood if you were feeling that way.

— Unlike Price, he wasn't even planning on giving you any weapons. You were going to stay on his side and you weren't getting yourself in danger.

— Even if you two were in danger, he made sure you weren't getting any single scratch on you. Man was being protective.

— When in a situation where talking to a civilian was needed, you didn't even let him do his move yet and you were already talking to them. You were the one who was good with words here anyway. He was obviously surprised that you started talking before he did but he just let you. "You famous around here or something?" "I told you, I know my around here."

— After the mission, he was obviously relieved that you didn't end up with any scratches somehow. Whatever, he was just glad that he was able to protect you.

John "Soap" Mactavish

— He was literally speechless. He had to bring you along?

— The first thing he asked you was your age, when you told him that you were 16, he started thinking of whether if it was fine for him to bring you along with that kind of age. Eventually, he had to let you tag along.

— He obviously have a lot of question for you which you answer one by one. The question was mostly about your school life. Nosy.

— When you told him how you were able to have the information he needed, he gave you an approving nod.

— He was a bit worried about the fact that you might get hurt. He needed to focus on potential enemies along with making sure you were close to him and protected.

— He genuinely enjoyed talking to you, someone who was still in their youth, comforts him somehow.

— Seeing you talking to a civilian and was able to get them do what he needed them to do sort of impressed him. Then again, you were a teenagers, they always knew what they were doing.

— After the mission, he told you that he would to talk with you again sometime, but in a more friendly situation.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

— You can feel his eyes judging you, he was wearing a mask and you were obviously focused on his eyes. You were even more nervous.

— He wasn't going to protest anything as he knew that he needed you, he reluctantly accepted the fact that he needed a kid to help him.

— He only asked about how you have the intel he needed, your answer didn't bring out any reaction for him.

— You were silent, he was silent, the mission was kind of awkward for you. He only talked when he needed to ask you something.

— If you were worried about getting hurt, no worries, he took care of all of the obstacles. He might didn't seem like he wanted to have anything to do with you, but you were still a kid and he was the one who can protect you. He was returning the favour.

— He was surprised that you suddenly started speaking to the civilians and told them to do something that he was just about to consider. He obviously needed to ask you how you were able to tell what he was thinking. You simply told him that you can read the situation. He appreciated that.

— Now he knew that he can count on you with dealing the civilians, he sort of loosened himself a bit around you. Guess you weren't that bad.

— After the mission had finished, he thanked you for your assistance and that was it. He might or might have not praised you, "You surprised me to be honest." "How?" "For a kid, you aren't that bad. I could use your help sometimes."

König

— (Out of all the guys here) He was really not expecting a high schooler to be helping him and it obviously made his jaw dropped, thank you for the mask he was wearing you weren't able to see it. "What?"

— Despite how surprised he was, he did not protest to have you helping him, though he was a bit concerned for you. He showed that he was taller than you in many ways so you felt a bit nervous standing beside him.

— He wanted you to feel comfortable around him so he made some small conversation with you, mostly asking and talking about how your school life so far.

— When you told him about how you were able to have all of the information he needed, he nodded at you. You weren't even aware that he was smiling underneath that mask of his.

— He wasn't expecting to enjoy your company and because of that, he was being very careful with his surrounding. He didn't want any injuries on your young body.

— When he saw you talking to the civilians for him, he was literally looking at you like you were his child or something. "You really know your way around here." "Yep!" He was like admiring you at this point.

— When it was time for you two to separate ways, he was a bit sad about it because he felt comfortable around you he somehow wished you were his siblings or something.

Alejandro Vargas + Rodolfo Parra

— Alejandro eyes were wide and Rodolfo was just looking at him. Rodolfo was the one who dragged you to Alejandro because he knew that he(Alejandro) will need your help.

— Alejandro couldn't believe that Rodolfo would just bring a high schooler to him, but when he decided to test you by asking one question about the mission he was working on, and you were able to give the answer and even proven it, he decided not to question Rodolfo's decision and then jist agreed to bring you along.

— You didn't really feel nervous around them because they made small conversations with you just to make you feel less tense with the situation you were in.

— With both Alejandro and Rodolfo keeping an eye on you, the risk of you getting hurt had lowered.

— You didn't mean to get in Alejandro way when you he was about to talk with the civilians. You casually walked over to them and started talking to them and asking them to do something that Alejandro was about to tell them to. "Seems like that kid is better with talking than you." Rodolfo teased.

— Now that the mission had done, Alejandro finally asked you about how you knew about all of the things he needed for the mission. You simply told him that you knew your way around and you was just nosy. Alejandro gave you an approving nod while Rodolfo couldn't help but chuckled at your answer.

— Alejandro would like to have you helping them again next time.

Philip Graves

— A member of shadows brought you to him and he was surely not expecting to have a kid being brought to him. When the soldier told him the reason of why you were brought to him, he wasn't really believing.

— He asked you some questions and you gave him a clear answer, he tried to hold back his smirk when you had proven yourself.

— You weren't really concerned about your safety because he made it clear that you were important to him. (Bro can have his men to guard you)

— He didn't know why but he asked you about some stuff about yourself, and you gave a less detailed answers. When you told him about how you were able to know about thing in his mission, you just told him that you knew your way around and nosy. He laughed at that "I guess teenagers nowadays can't be left alone with so much freedom."

— Even after his mission had done, he told you that he might kept your contact info with him for future use "Until then, keep yourself updated with a tons of information for me yeah?"

[the-mountain-flower]

The Exiled and The Outcast (Chapter One)

After being exiled from his home thanks to the discovery of his unique yet dangerous nature, Dainix searches for any way to learn more about himself, in the hopes of being able to control it. This leads him to search an old, abandoned castle, which is rumored to house a monster. Falst has been hiding out in the castle for a little while now, and finds himself unusually curious about the stranger who, for once, doesn't seem inclined to harm him.

Chapter One: Here's Where He Meets Prince Charming...

Truthfully, Falst didn't know why he was watching this stranger.

He stayed hidden, of course, like he did when anyone entered the castle. Still, he should have left for the darkest, most secluded corner of the building the second he saw them. Every instinct in his body screamed to run and hide, that this person was dangerous. They had several weapons on them, held a spear in their hands, and looked confident to use it if prompted. They probably wouldn't think twice before trying to kill Falst the minute they laid eyes on him.

Yet, something about them seemed… different. Against his better judgment, Falst found himself stalking the stranger, trying to figure out what their deal was, and why they were in this castle.

Dainix was starting to think he'd never find what he was looking for. In a building so large, it would be a miracle if he didn't get so lost that he’d have to climb out a window to escape.

Making things even more difficult, was trying to navigate and stay on the lookout for a monster he knew nothing about.

The accounts from the villagers had been… varied, to say the least. At least half of them were stories in the vein of “my cousin's friend once said they caught a glimpse of it”, and he had a hard time telling what was and wasn't exaggerated. Most of them said it was some kind of chimera, though that wasn't exactly specific.

Dainix clutched his spear tight. He had handled monsters before, many times, but not on so little information, and almost never alone.

This place… it was so big and empty. The dark stone, echoey halls, and extinguished braziers extenuated the vastness, and the air around him was eerily quiet aside from his own footsteps. He pressed forward anyway. He was holding on to such an unlikely hope of a chance he could find something helpful… because it was all he had.

On top of that, for the last half an hour, it felt like he was being watched.

Clang!

Dainix whirled around, spear at the ready.

Falst silently cursed when he knocked over the old, rusted brazier, scolding himself for getting distracted.

The stranger had immediately reacted to the noise, pointing their spear to the fallen object.

They scanned the area, and made eye contact with Falst.

Fuck! Falst tensed, ready to run.

To his surprise, the stranger lowered their spear. “Sorry, I didn't know anyone else was here.”

Falst froze. “What?”

“I was told this place was abandoned.”

Falst narrowed his eyes, analyzing the stranger. They didn’t seem like they were going to attack, at least not right now. “It is abandoned.” He said, in a tone that hopefully conveyed that he wasn’t interested in elaborating.

“Well, I was told there was a monster in-”

“Ha!”

“How is that funny?”

“It's not.” Falst scowled. They sent a monster hunter after me?! “There’s no monster here.” He started to walk away.

“Wait,” the stranger called from behind, “have you been here before?”

Falst wasn’t expecting that particular question. “Maybe. Why?”

“It's just that, I'm looking for something.��

“I already told you, there's no monster here.”

“That's not it. I- I came here because, I was told there was a library?”

Falst gave him a confused look.

“I was wondering if you would happen to know where I could find it-”

“West wing.” Falst dashed away before the stranger could ask any more questions.

“Wait,” they called to him as he left, “Thank you!”

Falst didn’t respond this time, just fled.

In the Rauan Desert, home to people who wielded fire magic, paper and wood weren’t exactly common materials. Anything written down was often melted onto glass, but most of their knowledge and stories were preserved orally. They built with glass and metal.

Because of this, Dainix had never seen this much paper in his life, much less all in one place. The ceiling reached several meters above Dainix’s head, rows of wooden shelves stretching floor-to-ceiling in neat, yet dusty, ordered rows. Similarly wooden ladders were connected to the top of each shelf, some of them so worn by time and neglect they looked like they would break from much less weight than they were meant to hold. It was probably a dream come true for anyone whose knowledge came from written works.

It made Dainix uncomfortable. If he had any better option, he especially wouldn’t be in here.

He exited that large room as quickly as he’d entered, closing both doors behind him and taking a moment away to collect himself. He could do this… he could hold himself together long enough to find what he was looking for.

He had to.

The scholar he’d met during his travels spoke highly of the library in the abandoned castle. Apparently, rumor had it one of the last residents was fascinated with “highly unusual” forms of magic, and owned a vast collection of information on elemental magic-like abilities that were, nonetheless, not elemental magic, which were supposedly stored somewhere in there.

It’s wasn’t much to go off of, but still more than he expected to find at all. No matter how vague, a lead was a lead, and this was all he had.

Dainix inhaled deeply, and exhaled. He had years of experience learning how to manage his emotions. This wasn’t much different, just with a different context and higher stakes. So long as he didn’t lose control, there was no reason to think he would accidentally set the entire library on fire and subsequently destroy this clearly important trove of knowledge.

Inhale, exhale. He could handle this.

Dainix turned around, and opened the doors again. He might as well get started now, he had a lot of searching to do.

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The hardest part of this was coming up with a fic title tbh. It was sitting in my files for the longest time as 'beauty and the beast au' and it took me the better part of a day after finishing everything else to decide on a title I was satisfied with (still might change it tho). Hopefully this'll finally get my friend who also loves Beauty and the Beast to read Aurora crossing fingers Remember to drink water, eat food, take your meds (if applicable), and get enough sleep. Love you all, and have a great [insert time here]! <3

[theerurishipper]

It's so sad that with the way the love square is characterized I couldn't say with a clear conscious that if Adrien was the one to have a panic attack or mental breakdown Marinette in anyway could handle taht in their relationship. She was never asked to give him this kind of support in return, she only received it while Adrien did all the work to make their relationship happen and conveniently as possible for her.

Or heaven have mercy if Chat Noir had a panic attack or mental breakdown. Chat in Revolution ended up indirectly confessing to Ladybug how unbelievably low his self-worth still is and he only fake it til you make it for her this season, and even if Marinette felt bad for him it was still clear as day in her eyes how badly she wanted him to stop voicing it bc in their dynamic she was never asked to learn to actually supporting him the way he does her.

All she did was saying a little sentence of "You were perfect, Kitty" which from her perspective was well intentioned but Adrien himself wouldn't be able to do anything more with that than categorizing it once again as "Ladybug wants to comfort me and is struggling" bc after season 4 her claiming only now that he was perfect at the end of season 5, when s5 Ladynoir barely asked anything of Ladybug Chat just accepted he has no right to make errors or need help anymore bc Ladybug is stressed™ and needs a care taker - then "you were perfect, Kitty" is the worst wording I can imagine.

For as sweet as taht sentence SHOULD have been, it's only from Marinette's perspective (and when you ignore that she once again says nothing more than a mere sentence as per usual, which is honestly such a painfully underwhelming bar at this point. 5 seasons of partnership and she never improved in giving support. That's honestly sad.)

That sentence makes me so upset and I'm at least glad she at least helps him find the strength to over power the miraculous transformation time limit, but her eyes when he admits to how non existing his self-worth still is just... disappointed me.

I tried reading it in good faith for so long but her eyes show that she doesn't want Chat Noir to voice these doubts in their dynamic because she can't handle it and Adrien then proceeded to take what little she gave him because she made clear that this sentence alone was already asking too much of her again. This is such an one sided partnership, Chat can't voice ANYTHING because Ladybug still can't give more than surface level help.

I couldn't even imagine what would happen if Chat Noir dared to have a panic attack and it didn't manifest in convenient obedient helplessness. He would have to somehow will himself out of the breakdown, deny that anything of importance happened and then make sure SHE doesn't continue feeling bad about herself not being good at helping him.

Sorry for ranting, but thinking about how the Love Square falls apart each and every time Adrien is the one to need help and nothing ever asks Marinette to actually improve in her weaknesses in their dynamics, the moment he isn't cuddling her into development while also serving as her punching bag to take her issues out on him (for which she is also never held accountable or asked to not do it. She can do with him whatever she wants and it's all 100% justified bc she had a bad emotion while simultaneously Adrien has to learn that any bad emotion he feels is literally female oppression)

Is just extremely frustrating.

If Adrien in season 6 feels bad that his father is dead or maybe even both of his parents, I can't imagine how that is supposed to work in their dynamic. It's not a problem Marinette can hit with force and then undo with magic and surface level "I'm sure it'll be fine" won't do it. But it's Marinette Dupain-Cheng. How realistic is it actually to expect more from her from here onwards?

Anon, you put it into words better than I ever could.

It really does bug me that Adrien is never allowed to ask for help from Marinette. Season 4 was literally all about him learning that he wasn't allowed to ask her for anything, and you can clearly see that. He literally shot down Plagg's suggestion to ask Ladybug for help in Conformation because he literally doesn't think he can ask anything of her. Season 4 was full of Ladybug paying lip service to him about how much she needs him and then pretty much never actually taking the time to validate his concerns and try to mend their partnership, even when he tried to voice his concerns. She always went on the defensive and it ended with him just accepting it and resigning himself to being her second fiddle.

And hell, look at Destruction in Season 5. Chat Noir is so distressed about Cataclysming Monarch, and Ladybug can't offer him comfort because she's having her own breakdown. And you just know that if Ladybug mortally wounded someone like that, then Chat Noir would be expected to put his feelings aside and comfort her. Season 5 was full of Chat Noir being the perfect partner for Ladybug on whom she can rely on emotionally and who has learnt the lesson that he must never ask a thing of her, even if he is in danger.

But anyway, you're completely right anon. With all this being said, I have no expectation that Season 6 will allow Adrien to feel sad about becoming an orphan, because that would necessitate that Marinette try to console him, and we can't have any of those feelings that inconvenience Marinette, now can we?

Thank you for your ask!