#this can obviously include pairs that have never interacted before

[lilbitofmac]

Besides the MCU boys, what other IronStrange pair-ups do people like? I’m getting an itch to draw some comic and tv show/animation variations. 👀

[777bae]

can i request one for the paddock princess series where y/n is like really like protective of yuki and will like defend him to the death (maybe even going as far as trying to learn Japanese so he has someone to talk to in his language) and at first people assume she has a crush on him but really its because he reminds her of an old friend of hers or like a family member she really misses. any length is fine but the longer the fic the better <3

MY LITTLE BRO

PAIRING… f1 x driver!reader | WC… 0.8k | Masterlist

You have a large range of different dynamics with the drivers on the grid, many consisting of father-daughter like relationships as well as sibling like love.

Many fans have constantly pointed out the fact that you treat Yuki as if he were your younger brother, despite him being older than you.

Unfortunately, other fans believe that you have feelings for the boy, stating that the way you act around him ‘shows’ that you love him. You obviously found this ridiculous and chose to ignore the rumours, already pointing out that you, in fact, have a boyfriend but still decide to not respond and make the whole situation worse.

He’s always talked about how you were the first driver to properly greet him during his first F1 race and how kind you were to him. You had initially found him adorable, especially due to the fact that he was pretty much your height and so this love consequently spiralled into you treating him as you treat your own little brother.

You obviously miss your own little bro, travelling around the world constantly meant you could only see your family a few times a year, mainly during your breaks. This would probably explain why you have such familial relationships with many of the drivers, to which they also love.

Lot’s of moments have been shared with the boy. Like when you finally got pole in quali, or when he opened up to you on how secluded he felt from the other drivers, mainly due to his heritage. That quickly lead you to try and learn Japanese to help him feel included.

Another moment would be when you invited him over to your house to finally meet your family and he was forever grateful for you letting him have another home he could always come back to.

Many found your actual brother and substitute brother’s interactions to be quite amusing, the constant arguments between the two, trying to prove that they were your favourite. Of course, your blood brother was your favourite, Yuki knew that, he just loved to rile up your brother to get a reaction.

With all that said, you were absolutely ecstatic for the boy when he finished the recent season with his highest finish yet. Of course it helped that you had become the World Champion for that season, managing to pull a hand on Red Bull and just finishing above Max, which he was not too happy about.

You were both so proud of each other, enclasping yourselves into a tight hug.

After the podium celebration, you brought to the interview section, the welcoming smile of the reporters already calming down your nerves.

“First off Y/n, congratulations on the win and newfound title!” The interviewer exclaimed, earning a large smile from you.

“Thank you.”

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Well, I’m ecstatic to say the least. This moment just feels so unreal, to be able to say that I’m a World Champion is something I always dreamed of but I never believed would actually come true.” You ramble, unable to continue from the excitement.

“Many have loved watching your celebrations with both your team, and fellow drivers. Could we just ask about the hug you shared with Tsunoda after the race?” You nod your head lightly.

“The hug we shared was our way of congratulating each other. He’s like my little brother and so I was so proud of him as he achieved his best finish this season. Of course there have been a lot of questions but he’s basically like family, just like how Seb, Lewis, and many of the other drivers are.” You conclude before bidding goodbye and moving on. Yuki was quick to fill in your place, ready to answer the questions.

“To start off, congratulations on the great finish.” He says.

“Thank you.” Yuki responds.

“There have been many celebrations today and so we’d like to know how you’ll spend the rest of the evening.”

“Well, I’ll probably party with other drivers.” The boy giggles. “I’ll also call my family.”

“We saw you congratulating the new World Champion after the race, how proud are you?” The interviewer asks.

“I’m so proud of her, I’ve watched her grow throughout the season and to see her finally achieve her dreams was nice.” Yuki answers, smiling.

“How would you describe your relationship with Y/n?”

“I’d describe it as special. She’s been there for me from my first race and she’s done so much for me. She even tried learning Japanese for me so I could feel more included. She’s basically like an older sister.” Yuki finishes, reminiscing the moments he’s shared with you thus far.

You all eventually finish up the interviews and decide to go out together, celebrating the many achievements from today’s race as well as the finishing up of the season.

You had made sure to give Yuki yet another massive hug as you had witnessed his interview, loving the fact that he also pictures you as an older sister.

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[expectodragons]

The Art of Receiving || 18+ Oneshot

✦ Summary: The stress of studying for your final exams is finally getting to you and you're in desperate need of some relief.

✦ Pairing: Aesop Sharp x Female Reader

✦ Word Count: 2,230

✦ Rating: Explicit, 18+ only - minors do not interact.

✦ Tags / Warnings: Age difference, oral sex (f!receiving), PWP, reader is of age, slight power dynamics, student/professor relationship, vaginal fingering.

It was not often you found yourself in use of the bath in the Prefect’s bathroom. The place was a privilege for but a select few students, yourself included. Being a Quidditch Captain did have its benefits, after all. But rarely did you find the time, or the need, to traverse the many steps up to the hidden room.

Today, however, had given you every single reason to seek out the vast warm waters of the pool-like tub.

Exam season was upon the castle and your nerves, in particular, were due to fry if you spent another moment huddled over a dusty tome in the library with your group of fellow seventh-years. Between a series of challenging classes and the overwhelming air of expectation that was placed upon you by your professors, you were a step short of collapsing.

You had felt your eyes blurring together the words of Malinda Haddock and her many essays on the intricacies of advanced Transfiguration in the fifteenth century. Your head had pounded against the table, much to the concern of Poppy who had been working alongside you.

It felt like your mind could consume no more information – a sponge already seeping out water – you were at your fill of knowledge. And nothing the famed witch could say about the difficulties of transfiguring avian creatures into knitting needles could breach your mental walls.

So, with a weary pace, you had found yourself taking the long journey up to the top of the South Wing’s tower. Flicking the spigot on every faucet until the bath filled with technicolor soap and kaleidoscope-colored bubbles floated into the air. Time had passed without your awareness, so lost in the delicious sensation of warm water rippling over your stressed shoulders.

But, when you at last extracted yourself from the lovely bath and had dried and dressed yourself once again, you finally took notice of the time. Curfew was due to start in but a few minutes and dinner was obviously out of the question.

As you descend the spiral staircase, eager to pick up your pace in an effort to make it to your common room before the clock strikes the hour, you find yourself face-to-face with a particular Potion Master.

“Ah,” Sharp says your name in that slow sardonic tone. He peers up at you from his lower position on the staircase.

“Professor Sharp,” you say in polite admonishment.

If he held you up any longer, you would never make it to your common room in time.

Sharp takes a step, and then another. And even though he’s three steps below your position on the landing, he’s fully eye-level with you.

“You were absent from dinner this evening.”

Your chin juts out, ever so slightly, “I was. And if you’ll excuse me, I wish to make it to my dorm before curfew begins, sir.”

The professor gives an amused hum of consideration. You feel your cheeks become aflame with heat with the look he bestows upon you.

Resting a hand on the banister, he leans into the rails, as though he has nowhere to be in a particular hurry.

“How are your study sessions coming along? I believe the entirety of your year has taken over Scribner’s domain this past week.”

With a huff of annoyance, an impatience sending your feet rocking back and forth, you respond with a simple, “Fine.”

“And your classes? You’re keeping up with the workload I imagine?”

“Yes, sir. If you excuse me, please. I really must get going.”

Before you can so much as brush past him on the other side of the staircase, Sharp moves another step forward and takes a gentle hold of your right arm – your skin still radiates the warmth from your long bath and you know he can feel it between his fingers as his thumb begins to rub a steady rhythm against your hammering pulse point.

The two of you rarely appeared together outside of the safety of his office. Where he could lock the doors and cast a simple Muffliato upon the room. Your meetings were cherished, but increasingly rare as the days leading up to the NEWTs kept you away. But here, in the Faculty Tower – on the top landing of the tower, at that – you feel a familiar rush of desire pooling in your stomach as Aesop takes a final step forward.

Towering over you now, you can feel his warm breath upon your face. Smell the comforting aroma of sandalwood and musk that lingers on his robes. You can even see the beginnings of that familiar small smile of his that sends your heart racing anytime he shares it with you.

“You must be exhausted, my dear.”

The firm press of his thumb on your wrist has your knees buckling, lost in the weight of his heavy stare.

“It… has been rather stressful.”

“Hmm,” he hums in return. His charcoal-colored eyes bore into you as if undressing you here in the corridor before he seemed to make a decision – a sudden flicker of interest across his face your only warning.

“Perhaps you are in need of some relief, as it were.”

You gulp, feeling a flood of want surging through your chest. Your neck flushes with warmth and your ears begin to burn as you carefully turn your wrist in his hold until your fingers wrap around his thumb.

“Perhaps, sir.”

With a thin smile, Aesop leads you the few short steps up to his personal chambers.

This was one place you had never adventured before.

There had been two, and only two, separate occasions in your time with the potions professor, where a secret rendezvous occurred outside of his office. Once, in a hidden nook in the Bell Tower when the majority of the school was out on a Hogsmeade trip. And one very heated exchange in the changing rooms after a quidditch match when the rest of your team was headed off to the common room to celebrate your victory.

But this?

You allow your gaze to wander around the red-toned room. Taking in the small things that took up your professor’s private space. It was hardly as neat as you would have assumed it to be. Stacks of papers, bottles, and potion tools littered every available space. A lone chair sat before a blazing fire. A curious glance towards an ajar doorway nearly has your attention before Aesop’s hand cups your face.

“Now…” he intones. “What to do with you?”

Creeping up on your tiptoes, you lean into his touch.

“I could think of a thing or two.”

He chuckles, curling a finger through the damp locks of your hair.

“I imagine you could. However…” his gaze goes distant, seemingly transfixed by the droplets of water that travel from your hair down to his finger.

Giving an experimental tug, he brings you closer – holding onto but a single strand of your hair. You allow yourself to be pulled, pressing up to meet his curved smile as a kiss, almost too sweet, is placed upon your lips.

“Poor, poor girl,” he murmurs against your lips, tilted back just enough to keep him from making contact with your eager mouth. “Drowning under the pressure of your studies. Has no one shown you proper care these past few weeks?”

His snide remarks only have you leaning up to try and join your lips together once again, but he remains stubbornly persistent in refusing you further. Much to his own delight, apparently, as a wolfish grin materializes on his face.

And then his hands are traveling down your sides. Fingers pressing into the curve of your waist, the small swell of your stomach, the dip of your hips. As you wrap your arms around his neck, his head lowered to almost rest upon your shoulder, you feel the cool air of the room caress your legs as you find your skirt being pushed up.

“If only someone was willing to spare you a thought, hmm?” he crones.

Calloused fingers meet your bare skin, following the gentle curve of your inner thighs as they trail higher and higher.

“What have we here?”

You can sense the pleased smile on his face as his fingers delve into the wet heat between your legs – your eyes closing and your head tilting back in delight at the first brush of his knuckle across your lips.

Warm breath tickles your ear as teeth gently tug at the lobe.

“Eager indeed.”

At last, you lean against him, moaning a gentle, “Aesop.”

He smirks, removing his hands – allowing your skirt to fall back into place – as he pulls you toward the door across the room. Walking backward, he presses the entry open and leads you into a smaller room. Your eyes flash across an array of furniture, covered portraits, stacks of cauldrons, and books, before falling upon the bed.

“My darling girl,” he smooths, turning you slowly in his embrace until you find your knees backed into the crimson sheets of his bed.

A gentle press on your shoulder has you sitting down like a good student, while the man before you drops to a single knee. Your hands grip the sheets like a vice as your skirt is rolled up onto the tops of your thighs and two large palms press your knees apart.

Sharp settles there, in the V of your legs, as a hand lazily drags through the warm slick of your desire. Perhaps another clever quip could be said then, but his dark gaze has zeroed in on his own fingers now, and with a muffled cry parting from your lips Aesop leans forward and licks a warm stripe up your quim.

Pulling your fist to your mouth, you bite down on the flesh of your fingers as he repeats the action.

Heated breath grazes your cunt and the pleasant sting of his stubble scrapes the smooth flesh of your thighs as a deep moan rumbles across your womanhood.

His hands wind under your knees as he spreads you further open, his nose brushes against your mound, as he dips his tongue into your quivering hole – scooping up every bit of sweet juice he finds dribbling out of you.

“Oh god,” you cry out.

Your hand falls from your mouth to latch into the silky strands of his dark tresses. Pulling him closer as he starts to work a steady rhythm with his mouth. Buried between your thighs like he was meant to always be there, Aesop moans another gravelly sound as he begins to suck your clit between his swollen lips.

Like a man starved, he finds his fill in the juncture of your legs. Licking up everything you have to give him, his hold upon your thighs leaves crescent-shaped bruises that send another delicious wave of pained pleasure toward your core.

“Yes, oh Merlin, yes!”

Urged on by your desperate cries, the potions professor barrels forward, sucking your button in earnest as you tug his hair into a tight grip. You can feel it, the sweet desperate coil in your core. Soon it will snap and your release will paint your lover’s face.

Rocking your hips to meet him, you find yourself grinding against his lips, though that only seems to encourage him as he flicks his tongue over your clit and stares up at you with that glazed-over heavy expression in his eyes.

Sweat clings to his brow and his hair curtains his face, but all you can focus on are those gorgeous eyes. So drunk on you, your taste, your cunt. You find your bundle curling tighter and tighter, your hips rocking in a frantic pattern, as Aesop sucks down your sweet pleasure.

A rumbling moan sends you over the edge as he dives into you with a fervor.

His tongue, almost too rough now, laps up your desire as your hold on his hair loosens and your legs seem to become leaden underneath you.

Slowly, he pulls back – his chin a wash of cum and spit – as he huffs out a few raggedy breaths. His lips grace your thigh with wet kisses before he finally drops your legs back to the ground and carefully eases himself back up.

Taking a place beside you on the bed – where you are now lounged back, breathing several shuddering gasps – Aesop drags his hand across your torso, fingers snagging on the buttons of your blouse. He walks up your sternum before his thumb finds the curve of your bottom lip and tugs down upon the silky flesh.

“Feeling relaxed, dear one?” he murmurs, watching you with a transfixed sort of expression that spoke of feelings more than just casual fleeting interest and obvious lust.

Huffing a lofty laugh, you shake your head – lulling your head to the side so you can meet his gaze.

“So relaxed, I fear I might not be able to move again.”

His hand trails to the curve of your jaw, where he cups your heated flesh – a lone finger rubbing over the delicate skin of your cheek.

“That would truly be a shame if that were the case.”

“Wouldn’t it just?” you smile brightly. Feeling the ticklish tingle of your legs and the overwhelming sensation of undiluted happiness coursing through you.

Sharp hums once again in agreement before he leans down to place a lingering kiss upon your honey-sweet lips.

[raineydays411]

My Father's Daughter

Part 6

Tony Stark x daughter! Reader

Hey guys! So I know it's been like nine thousand years since I updated, but I honestly didn't have the motivation till now. Im sorry if this kinda sucks but I'm still getting back into the groove of things.

From the moment you arrived at the Wayne Manor, you knew you were going to be miserable.

First of all, it was incredibly different from the technological paradise you called home. This was a gothic, old fashioned manor, you don't even know if your Bluetooth would work out here.

Secondly, this manor is full of people who you would rather not have any interactions with. Including , but not limited to : your mother, who abandoned you, her husband, who she abandoned you for, her son who she abandoned you for, and so on and so forth.

And finally, if you have to deal with these stuck up, stand offish, gloomy ass kids your mother adopted for a second longer you are going to--

"Y/n?"

A voice snaps you out of your thoughts and back into the giant living area, seeing multiple pair of eyes staring at you. Mixed with concern, annoyance, and amusement.

You turn your attention to Bruce, " I'm sorry can you repeat that?"

You hear a snicker coming from one of the three million kids, whos name you really cannot be bothered in learning.

Bruce sighs and repeats goes to repeat his words, " I said, I know that this must be a change for you. And although your mother and I are ecstatic that you're here, we understand that it will take you a while to be comfortable. So when you're ready....blah blah bla"

You start to tune him out again, retreating back into your brain. Really, these long winded speeches are really annoying, especially when it could be cut short.

That's when you hear a "Tsk".

"Honestly Father, I don't understand why you waste your breath. She obviously has a hard time comprehending even the simplest of concepts."

"Damian!"

oooh you're gonna end up killing that kid.

"Keep talking like that shrimp and you'll have to comprehend my foot up your--"

"Y/n!"

Bruce shouts with an exhausted look on his face, you and Damian have been exchanging sly remarks ever since you got here....about five hours ago. Christine decided to take the rest of the kids with her grocery shopping for a special dinner for you, leaving behind only Damian and Cassie.

They really were not fond of the idea that you were biologically their mothers.

"Damian, Y/n is part of our family and you shall treat her as such. This is no different than the other times we brought in someone new to our family."

"Well I can name a few differences" You mutter, looking down as Bruce shoots you another exhausted look.

You really do feel bad for the guy. Despite everything he has been rather nice to you, and you bet his whole world has been turned upside down, once again. He's really taking this extra marital child thing with stride. Although you guess being who he is he has to be ready for the inconceivable.

Before you can say anything else however, the front door opened revealing Christine and her hoard of children. And it's like a circus suddenly burst through the door. All of them yelling at, to, and over each other. It honestly was annoying to hear. You never really interacted with other people your age. Sure there was Peter but he actually was younger than you, and when you were in the Tower was quiet. You really were going from only child to a house full of children.

"Y/n!" Christine says rather loudly, " Oh I was hoping to make it back before you go here. I guess grocery shopping to a bit loner than I expected." She giggles.

"I've been here for about five hours." You deadpan.

You catch the glare Damian shoots you as the energy in the room dims down. The rest of the kids give each other awkward glances, not really daring to say anything.

That is until Dick decides to speak up wrapping an arm around Christine.

"Well, Y/n I hope you're hungry! Cause I know Mom has a special dinner prepared for you." He smiles, "She makes it every time someone knew joins our family."

You don't know why but his overly joyous tone really gets on your nerves.

"Is it roast beef with mash potato's and garlic bread?" You ask innocently watching almost everyone in the room react in shock.

"Um, how did you know that" Dick asks hesitantly.

"Yeah every time mother dearest over here came to visit me at the tower that was her "special meal"' you say " A special meal to show just how much she missed me."

Now the room was tense.

Christine's face dropped, realizing that if she wanted to get closer to you, she can't use the same tactics she used on her other kids. So instead of saying anything outright, she takes a deep breath to regain her composer. The she smiles again

"You have a good memory Petal. How about to come help me in the kitchen?"

The children gasp, as long as they lived in they mansion, they knew to never step foot into their mothers kitchen. It was her way of decompressing, if she was a captain, that was her ship and she sailed alone. The only one allowed to go into the kitchen while she was cooking was Alfred. And that's cause no one could say no to Alfred. And because everyone was scared of him.

Needless to say, this request struck jealousy their hearts.

Dick, Jason, and Tim all were able to somewhat put it aside, understanding the situation behind the request. But Damian... he refused to see anything other than him being replaced. That was his mother, his home, his family. He doesn't understand how one girl could come in and ruin it.

And even worse, you turned it down.

"Yeah, I'm no Betty Crocker. Sorry" You say, " Is there anyway I can get settled in my room?"

Everyone looks at each other, speaking with their eyes. But before anyone could speak Alfred came to your rescue.

"It seems Ms. Stark is rather tired from her trip, I shall show her to her room. I'm sure she'd like to freshen up before dinner."

You sigh in relief, glad he took the attention off you even if it was for just a second. You were getting frustrated with the way they were looking at you. It seems that this will be a common theme while you live here.

You quickly gather your things before anyone says anything, shrugging off Dick before he's able to help you with your luggage. Then balancing everything, you march forward with a,

"Lead the way Riff-Raff"

And ignoring the confused look from Alfred and glares from Damian as you pass by. You hold your head up high, despite the looks and judgement.

Once again feeling like an outsider in a place you are forced to call home.

[perpetualexistence]

Remember Total Drama Action: Best Game Ever?

In case you don't, it was a flash game that came around when Total Drama Action was airing live. You play as an intern who got to interact with the cast on TDA. You could make alliances with contestants by performing tasks for them, and certain alliances would damage your relationships with others. You'd also perform tasks for Chris. You also had constant enemies that you could beat with weapons that you could upgraded the more tasks you did for Chris. A fact I'd COMPLETELY forgotten about until now. When it was live, you'd get new tasks each week, and you could save your progress by making an account on Cartoon Network.

When I was watching TDA and way, WAY before I was in the fandom, and before I even knew what fandoms WERE, I remember playing it. My favorite character actually used to be Leshawna. I barely even remembered Noah existed, sweet little naive child I was. As a result, I of course immediately made an alliance with her, and thus got Heather as an almost instant enemy. It was great, and I've got very fond memories of it.

Why do I bring this up?

Well, thanks to @wheredidalltheusersgo, I managed to find a working link of the game: https://www.numuki.com/game/tda-best-game-ever/

You can only play as a guest since the original server is long since gone. But as I've found through trial and error, the site actually DOES save your progress even if you close it.

So obviously I had to play it again. I was having so much fun I started taking screenshots because of how wild certain things were. I thought you guys might enjoy them as much as I did, so I figured I might as well post them here.

I'd also completely forgotten you could customize your character. Got to make sure she looks Fresh for FreshTV.

Perfect. We're serving off-Izzy vibes and are rocking a fedora. Time to get through this tutorial shit so I can talk with the besties.

Cue me doing a bunch of fetch quests for Chris. Most of them require going into little studios based on each of the episodes. I'm pretty sure when it was live each studio was closed until the corresponding episode aired, and then would open up once the episode released. In this version though, they're all open.

There's also a lot of beating critters up with a stick. Like for the alien studio they're guys in alien costumes, for the beach it's a bunch of crabs and sharks, etc. You can avoid most of them by running around them, though you only get money for beating them. Which you of course need to get newer outfits to look Even Fresher. So death to all who oppose me I guess.

Through me trial and erroring if this game did save, I accidentally screwed myself out of getting into an alliance immediately after I was done with the tutorial. Once you get started on one of Chris's tasks, you have to do them to completion, and they usually come in groups of threes. No big deal though. Just have to do the last one for this second wee-

Jesus CHRIST Heather, you seriously take no survivors.

Either way, tasks are done, now time to choose an ally. The options include all of the TDA contestants, plus Geoff and Bridgette. None of the peanut gallery for that season sadly.

I could just do Leshawna for old time's sake. Or I could have this be the start of my villain arc and go with Heather. Hmm, decisions decisions...

Well, I already look like off-Izzy, might as well pair up with actual Izzy!

Wow your pixels are so crunchy, Izzy. Especially compared to my character's.

Still, I knew I made the right choice with you, Izzy. Out for blood from the get go. Never change. Time to go ruin Heather's day.

Heather's are even CRUNCHIER.

Also, is that genuine gratitude? From Heather? Receiving what she thinks is just a regular gift box?

Guys, I just might be the monster here.

And after killing some crabs for Izzy, my rampage of terror shall continue! Somebody's really got it out for her ex.

I didn't take screenshots of it, but after completing each of the antagonizing tasks, both Heather and Justin came up to us swearing that we would pay. Which means now the top right of my screen has this on it:

At least here the pixels are a lot less cronchy. Still, Justin's angry face is Sending Me. I can't explain exactly why. Maybe it's because it highlights just how much of his face is CHIN.

Still, I have done what is required for my new bestie, time to reap the rewards.

Yeah this feels about right.

And that's all I did before I decided it was time to take a break before I got in too deep! (I already am, but shhhh don't tell me-)

If you guys are interested in seeing more of my shenanigans, let me know. I'm probably going to keep playing and taking screenshots as more wild things happen.

But for now, I need to actually go eat dinner. I seriously need food, the allure of nostalgia was just too strong.

[mandos-mind-trick]

Comfortable

Summary: Midnight and Echo spend some time together after a miserable mission on a cold planet. 

Warnings: Crude language and topics, talk of sex, a little medical talk, kissing, a little PTSD.

Pairing: Echo x reader, implied poly Bad Batch x reader

A/N: Well, this took way too long to get out. It’s short but it’s something, I guess. I really wrestled with including smut in this part but it just felt too soon for Echo. Updates will be slow since I just started my seasonal job back up again and I’m trying to finish up school, so my time is limited to write. 

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Midnight sits around the table with her boys, enjoying the quiet for once. They were all exhausted still from a hard mission. Even Wrecker was less excitable than normal. They were all focused on eating, waiting for their arrival at the location of their next mission. They were back to back again, with the war continuing, things were getting more and more tense. She can tell things are beginning to shift. Were they coming on the end of the war? Were things shifting for the better or worse? None of the guys had hinted they felt the same, and none of them had mentioned how they thought it was going to end. 

With the little they interacted with other battalions and legions, she couldn’t get a good sense of the direction the war was going. It seemed when things were going bad, they were sent on more missions. When the Republic began gaining victories, their missions slowed. 

She knows something’s happening. She just can’t place what it is. 

“Do you ever compare us?” Tech breaks the silence, looking across the table at her. 

Midnight freezes, spoon halfway to her mouth. She glances around the table at Wrecker, Hunter, Crosshair, and finally Tech. Echo has also gone still beside her, staring at her too. The silence in the room suddenly seems louder, all of them obviously waiting on her. Had they thought about this before? She knew they occasionally talked to each other about her, especially early on. 

Midnight clears her throat, putting her spoon down. “That...that depends.” She swallows nervously. “On what you mean by compare.” 

“When we’re fucking you.” Crosshair deadpans. 

So they had obviously thought about this, if not discussed it with each other. 

“I mean...” Midnight debates whether she should be honest or not. And if she’s honest, how should she state it? Hunter would probably know if she lied. He’d pick up some change in her heart rate or some smell she secreted when she lied. Probably best to be honest. “Sort of. Not so much technique.” She quickly adds, looking around the table. “Or the actual act of fucking. It’s more...anatomically?” 

It didn’t sound any better than in her head. 

“I mean, besides Wrecker, you three,” she motions at Crosshair, Tech, and Hunter. “Are basically the same. Sure, you have small anatomical differences in looks but you’re still clones, your dicks are for sure the same. Then again, I’ve never been with a reg so I couldn’t say for sure if that’s true.” She scratches her scalp absentmindedly, a habit she had picked up as a kid from one of the guys in her communal living space that taught her to read. “I could go fuck a reg the next time we’re on Kamino and tell you.” 

Hunter squeezes his cup so hard Midnight is worried he might dent it. “No.” He growls, giving her a dark look. 

She puts her hands up, a small smile on her face. “I was kidding. Anyways, you’re all different, outside of anatomical aspects. You like different positions, different styles.” She shrugs. “I don’t really think of it as a comparison. I think of it more along the lines of keeping track of who likes what and where.”  

It’s quiet for a moment, the four of them mulling over her words. 

“They are the same.” 

Five heads at the table turn to look at Echo, who is staring down at his ration. 

“What?” Hunter asks, leaning forward a bit in his seat. 

“I used to be a reg.” Echo says, passing a glance over Hunter, Crosshair, and Tech. “And we’ve all seen each other naked at least once.” He shrugs, scooping up another spoonful of ration. “Your dicks are the same as regs.” 

There’s a tense moment of silence. Half of them are staring at Echo open mouthed, the others unsure of where to look. 

Midnight is the one who breaks the silence, breaking out into a fit of laughter. Wrecker quickly joins, laughing loudly. 

Midnight laughs until tears spill from her eyes, until she’s almost gasping for air. She wipes her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Thank you Echo, I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that.” Hunter says. 

Midnight glances at him, shrugging. “Well, it doesn’t happen often. And we are at war, you know. There’s not much to laugh about when we’re going mission to mission but sometimes things just hit the funny bone just right.”

“Technically humans don’t have a funny bone.” Tech pipes up, the other five at the table rolling their eyes. “It’s actually a nerve on the underside of our elbow. Really bad planning anatomically to have a nerve sitting in that spot.” 

Midnight rests her chin in her hands, smiling across the table as Tech continues to babble. The others have given up listening, working on finishing their rations before they land for their next mission. 

“Oh Tech.” Midnight says, reaching across the table. “You’re such a nerd.” She pinches Tech’s cheek, perhaps tugging just a bit too hard. “But you’re my nerd.” 

****

Midnight wants to turn and run as the ramp lowers. A frigid blast of air washes over her, almost freezing her even in her special gear. She had been lucky enough to get cold weather gear, though she felt a bit puffy with her armor stuffed under it. 

The others don’t seem to be phased by the shocking change in temperature, making their way down the ramp in their own cold weather gear. 

“I don’t like this.” Midnight says, shivering as she slowly descends the ramp. She pauses as the white ground crunches under her boots, looking down at the strange substance. She bends down, gathering some of it in her hand. It’s cold and strangely wet in her glove. “What is this?” 

“Snow.” Tech says slowly, looking up at her. 

“This is snow?” Midnight watches it melt from the heat of her hand. 

“Yes.” Tech says. “You’ve never seen snow before?” 

Midnight shakes her head. “I grew up on Coruscant, remember. The only time it snowed there was when debris would sometimes fall from the upper levels. I’ve seen it in holofilms a few times but never in person.” 

Tech immediately jumps into telling her about snow and all the planets that commonly had it. It was the first one they had ever been to with snow, and she was quickly learning she didn’t like it as another frigid gust of wind washes over her. 

“Come on, let’s get moving.” Hunter says. “Stick close in case a storm blows in. We can’t risk getting separated.” 

Midnight looks across the flat, white surface of the planet. “Separated? How could we possibly get separated out here?” 

Tech takes up his normal spot beside her, already starting to share his infinite wealth of knowledge. “That would be a blizzard, he’s referring to.” 

“Why do I get the feeling I don’t want to know what that is?” 

****

Midnight is miserable. She’s at least warm in her gear, but she’s still miserable. She wants to get out of the snow and back on the ship as soon as possible. This had not been a good mission for her. Snow seemed a worthy adversary for her, and she had spent half the mission trying not to slip and fall for the thousandth time. Thankfully this was an easy mission, and they had been in and out quickly. 

Still, she was a bit tired of slipping. 

As if fate wished to laugh at her one final time, she suddenly finds her feet are no longer under her. Her stomach drops as her body does, flopping backwards into the snow. She lays there for a moment, trying to breathe and calm her rage. 

“I kriffing hate snow!” She yells. “I hate it!” 

She blinks up at the figure over her, finding herself staring at Echo. He offers her a hand, which she gladly takes. “You alright?” 

She nods, letting him pull her up. “Yeah. My butt might not be after falling-Echo!” 

She can feel the frigidness of his skin through their gloves. She peels one of hers off, pressing it against his face. He had been wearing his helmet until now, but still his skin was almost the temperature of the snow. 

“You’re freezing!” She exclaims, taking his hand again. “Come on, we need to get you onto the ship.” She all but drags him up the ramp, not waiting for the others. She pulls him into her bunk, tapping his armor. “Off. All of it.” 

She peels off her own layers, changing into dry, warm clothes. She gathers the blankets on her bunk, guiding Echo to sit before she sits down next to him, wrapping the blankets around them both. She leans her head against his shoulder, taking his flesh hand in hers to try and warm it up. 

“You’re so cold!” She says, pressing herself as close to him as possible to try and warm him up. 

“I didn’t notice.” 

Echo always ran a bit colder than anyone else. Tech said it had to do with his synthetic body systems. Of course Tech had gone deep into an explanation as to why humans were warm and how human bodies generated heat. She had only been halfway listening, but at least they knew it was expected for his body temperature to be lower than normal. 

Midnight lets her eyes drift closed for a moment, the ship quietly rumbling to life as they get ready to take off. Echo is sitting stiffly beside her, rigid like he was afraid to relax. Or...

Midnight lifts her head from his shoulder, having a sudden horrifying realization. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” 

Echo turns to look down at her, his brown eyes wide in surprise. “No. It’s just...” He turns his head to stare at the wall across from them. “It’s been a long time since someone’s been this close.” 

Midnight frowns, letting her head rest back on his shoulder. “Echo,” She feels a bit sad. She always felt a bit sad when she remembered everything he went through. “You don’t have to keep us at a distance. I mean, the guys I can understand. But I’m here. If you want a cuddle, you can just ask.” 

“I’m always worried it’ll be too uncomfortable.” 

Midnight lifts her head, looking at the side of his face. “Do you know how many times I’ve woken up in Tech’s bunk laying on some random device he had been working on? I will tell you and I will keep telling you until it finally sinks in that I don’t care.” 

He slowly turns to look down at her, meeting her gaze. He stares at her silently for a few breaths, squeezing her hand in his. “If I had still been a reg, I wouldn’t have hesitated.” 

Midnight processes his words, a grin forming on her face. “Echo, were you a ladies man?” 

“Well, I certainly wasn’t shy. I was more of a troublemaker than anything. My vod Fives was more comfortable with women, but he certainly egged me on.” 

Midnight smiles, resting her head on Echo’s shoulder again. “What did you look like as a reg?” 

Echo pauses, looking down at her. “Well I was a reg, so like the rest of them.” 

Midnight rolls her eyes. “You know what I mean. Regs still keep distinctive styles and some of them have tattoos.” 

“I didn’t have any tattoos.” Echo starts. “I kept my hair in a regulation cut. Didn’t grow any facial hair either. I was part of the 501st so my armor was blue. I had a blue handprint on my chestplate.” 

Midnight listens to him as he recounts how he got the handprint, his time with the Domino Squad and the 501st. She had never heard his whole story. She’s not even sure how much the rest of the boys know. Regardless, she’s honored that he’s opening up to her, that he trusts her enough to do that. 

“Do you miss it?” She asks, tracing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb. 

“Sometimes.” He confesses. “But going back like this...when everyone thought I was dead, with so many of them gone...this felt like a better place for me.” 

Midnight smiles softly. “I know they’re happy to have you.” She tilts her head up, looking at him. “I know you were here before me, but I’m happy you’re here too.” 

Echo leans his forehead against hers, eyes closed as he breathes her in. “I can’t give you what they can.” 

Midnight giggles, staring at his face. “Echo, I have plenty of dick to go around in this arrangement. Sometimes it’s just nice to just do this. This is more than enough for me.” She lets go of the blankets, letting them fall around their shoulders. “Just because you love someone, doesn’t mean you have to have sex with them. Just like if you have sex with someone, you don’t have to love them. You can show you love someone in a lot of ways.” 

“Can I kiss you?” He asks quietly. 

Midnight smiles. “You know you don’t have to ask.” 

“I know.” He murmurs, getting closer. “I just like to be sure.” 

“You always have permission to kiss me.” She murmurs back, lips brushing his. 

He closes the distance, kissing her fully. His lips are soft, if a bit cold, but she doesn’t let that phase her. Echo kisses like he knows what he’s doing. Of course he did, if his stories were anything to go off of. The other members of the Batch had been entirely new to this, relying on holofilms to tell them what to do. It wasn’t strange to her to be the more experienced, and she had gone through a period of instruction with all of them. At least, all of them but Echo so far. 

But it seemed Echo was more than capable on his own. 

He shifts slightly, his flesh hand releasing hers, lifting to hold her chin. His grip is gentle, yet firm, holding her in place. It makes a shiver run down her spine, a total switch from the way he acted around the others. 

He eases her back, moving to kneel over her. The blankets fall off the end of her bed, but she doesn’t care, too caught up in the clone hovering over her. His flesh hand slides back to hold the back of her neck, his lips pulling away from hers just a centimeter. 

“Sometimes I wish I could give you what they can.” He murmurs, lips brushing hers as he speaks. 

“I’m sure Tech could come up with something.” She wraps her arms around his neck. “He’d probably be thrilled with the challenge.” 

He kisses her once again, careful to hold himself above her. She doesn’t push him any, keeping her hands on the side of his face. He leans himself on his scomp arm, his free hand resting against her neck. It’s warm from her holding it, the skin rough from years of wielding blasters. She tries not to get emotional as she thinks about it. 

Echo, perceptive as always, notices. He pulls away from her, brow furrowed just a bit as he stares down at her. “What is it?” 

Midnight shakes her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Nothing. Just thinking too much.”

He leans down closer to her, their breaths mingling. “I think I can help with that.” He kisses her again, successfully distracting her from her thoughts. 

She loses herself in Echo, kissing him for a long time. He never pushes further than that, and she’s okay with it. Eventually he pulls away, pressing his face into her neck. He lets out a deep breath as she wraps her arms around him, holding him close to her. 

“You’re so warm.” He murmurs, breath fanning across her skin. 

Midnight smiles. “You can cuddle me anytime you want.” 

Echo lets out a quiet hum, relaxing fully against her. She doesn’t care that she can feel where his flesh ends and his metal appendages begin. She doesn’t care that she’ll have an indent from his scomp arm on her side when they wake up. She’s just happy he’s finally relaxing. She’s happy he’s finally getting comfortable. 

Taglist: 

@lo0nylexi, @amyroswell

[spiderlingh]

obx s3 thoughts (obviously contains spoilers!)

this is just my opinion, please don’t come for me if u disagree :)

i was a bit disappointed with this season ngl, definitely my least favorite season of the series so far

action sequences were really good but i felt like a few episodes were just straight meaningless action scenes and that definitely felt unnecessary to me

cleo pope jj owners of the season <3

drew starkey can certainly pull off a buzzcut but man do i miss his sexy haircut from season 2 😭😭

WAY TOO MANY BIG JOHN SCENES oh my god look i get it, it’s a miracle the guy turned up alive and shit but i am not john b i do not give two shits about this rather mean looking man and i felt like he was on my screen more than the main cast

shoutout to his actor tho. he did a great job portraying him

i thought i would be a jiara shipper but i don’t like them together at all… i lowkey hate that the writers now literally paired kie with every guy of the pogues when that seems so out of character for her

saw a post about kie being lesbian and you know what? y e s. even though i think a love interest wouldn’t be necessary for her to begin with

i’m a jjpope girlie sorry their chemistry is just chef’s kiss but it’s never gonna happen bc according to the writers there’s not a single gay on that silly lil island

(it’s completely fine if you do ship them bc they did have chemistry in the previous seasons)

not the sarah x topper drama getting reused from last season… i love sarah but girl what the hell

speaking of topper i thought it was fun how they included him in the train heist

but the way sarah manipulated him and used him… i’m no fan of his at all but i did feel for him bc he pulled so much for her and she went straight back to john b 😭

my boy really said i’m gonna light this place up like a damn bonfire lmfao

anyway back to it

the main villains (ward and rafe) of the past two seasons became pretty much irrelevant this season?? huh???

rafe did a near complete 180 out of nowhere… which was strange

like this man’s whole trauma was solely fixed on getting love and respect from his father and the whole donating the cross situation really sucked if you look at it from rafe’s perspective but i do not believe that THAT was all it took to suddenly become so hostile towards ward. even if he still ended up saving him.

this guy was so stuck in the cycle of violence from the pilot up to the final episode of season 2 and his character development was so interesting to see (that scene in s2 when he says he’s not okay and needs help and ward tells him to man up still stuck with me) and it feels like they threw it out of the window and pretty much sidelined his character for no reason at all.

new boring villain is introduced and gets killed in the same season

worst parent award goes to mike and anna

I WANT TO SEE MORE OF JJ AND SARAH WORKING TOGETHER OR JUST INTERACTING PLEASE

they’re such a fun dynamic like give me that please i’ve been asking for this before s2 even came out

the pogues had pretty much 2 scenes together and that’s it… i had hoped to see more of them and their dynamics and just more of them on that deserted island??? wasted potential oh my god

is it just me or was the filming style a lil different this season…

wasn’t rafe’s love interest supposed to be a bigger thing? because the few scenes he shared with her were completely irrelevant and so was her entire character tbh 😭

rafe and kie teaming up… was awesome i loved it

jj and kie running into pope and cleo when they were just about to get off the bus and immediately had to run from people with big ass guns is peak obx energy and i thought it was hilarious

i audibly gasped at the time jump!! such a weird way to end the season, it almost seemed like a series finale but knowing that season 4 is already confirmed i’m genuinely wondering what direction they’re gonna take this. the root of it all was that they were looking for the treasures because some of them were connected to it in their own ways (john b and the royal merchant bc of his dad, pope and the cross/denmark tanny bc family) and rafe and ward were perfect villains up until this season.

if there’s something i want to see in the next season, it’s just more pogue scenes, strengthening their own characters and developments and their dynamics with the other pogues. we really do not need the same romance drama every season. it’s boring and frankly annoying. honestly in this show there’s so much going on that i don’t feel like each one of the pogues needs to end up with someone. i would love to have jarah and jjpope as endgame and have kie and cleo end up solo or maybe have other love interests (but not really).

just give me the pogues doing what they do best — bickering while they’re off chasing some mystery and putting their lives at risk and miraculously getting out of it alive and well.

because season 3 was just weird. really weird. idk this is all for now but i might add more later!

[tripthelightfandomtastic]

Whiplash- J.M.K

Author’s Note: This is the second installment of my new Royalty Series. I’m gonna be making one of these period pieces for each boy set in this era, none of them are connected but I just wanted to explore the genre. So keep an eye out for the next two, and go read my first story of this series, Shining Armor- D.R.W if you haven't already! This is also my first time ever making Josh a little rougher and kinda douche-y so that was a fun change, I always make him so soft and that’s just because I love soft!Josh but this was a delightful change of pace. Also, Shambala is not a real place obviously, it's the name of a fake place in a Three Dog Night song, so there’s a fun fact for ya. 

Synopsis: What happens when your family forces you into an arranged marriage to help save your enemies' kingdom? How will you even get along when all you two do is argue? Nothing a ball can’t solve.

Word Count: 9.2K (lots of angst to unpack)

Pairing: JerkPrince!Josh x Female Reader

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. Foul language, angst, alcohol mention, oral, Douchebag!Josh, light dom/sub (but they're both switches?), light degradation, raw sex (Wrap it before you tap your soon to be husband you hate)

Whiplash- J.M.K

“Why shouldn’t I let their kingdom fall into ruin? The way they’ve treated our family name with such disdain over the past few decades, why should we help them?!” You shout to your mother, her patience wearing thin as she adjusts the pins in your hair. “Darling, if we do not the entirety of the country could fall into economic despair. Our own kingdom’s people would suffer, so many lives could be lost, we could help so many people if-” “If I were to marry the Prince of Shambala.” You cut her off, meeting her gaze in the mirror of your vanity, a long and heavy silence hangs in the room. 

“Yes. I am sorry dearest-” “He is wicked, mother! He is hurtful and cruel! He doesn’t care for me!” You cry out, standing from your seat, as you fight back your tears. There is to be a grand ball tonight here at the palace, anyone who was anyone in the political stratosphere will be attending, including the Prince of Shambala, Joshua Kiszka. His family's kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy, increasing their peoples taxes to rates that could not be afforded, the fields of wheat were not producing what they had in the past, and having an unwed eldest son was just the perfect way out of such a problem. Your own kingdom however was thriving, vineyards that produced some of the sweetest wine were enjoying an abundant harvest and the economic wealth of the people was steadily increasing with the fine season the summer was providing for tourism, trade and farming. 

You had been in the same circles as Prince Joshua before where he insisted that you call him Josh. He has been at nearly every ball and party held across the country and every time you were taken by how arrogant and crass he was and how he seemed to look down on you in particular, and for why you could never understand. Making jabs at your expense right in front of you, engaging in gossip about your family, and even once insinuating that you had been flirting with a married Duke, which you were not. This evening, it will be announced that the two of you shall be wed and that there will be a merging of your two kingdoms, putting the fears of the citizens of Shambala at ease. You stare at the ceiling as you try to quell the tears stinging at your eyes, “I only wish I could ease you of this burden my darling, but I’m afraid there is no other way.” Your mother pleads as she makes her way slowly over to you, her hand holds yours, bringing you back to look at her. She obviously knows you’re in pain but for the good of the country, it must be done, “Come now, get dressed.” She says, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. 

You stand with a vice-like grip on your bedpost, holding tightly as your ladies maid pulls at the laces of your corset. All you can do is get through this evening in the hopes that you can keep yourself from killing the Prince the minute he makes some stupid remark. The soft silk of your gown pulls you away from your thoughts as you look into the mirror, He doesn’t deserve any of this, you think to yourself as you admire your reflection. Pinned up curls adorned with pearls, blush pink lips and a white and gold silk dress that would make any man fall to their knees just to kiss at your gloved hand. Josh Kiszka is a lucky man. 

Standing at the doors before the ballroom had you somewhat anxious, the muffled rumbling of chitter chatter behind the french doors made your stomach churn as you were waiting to be announced. The Kiszka family had already been introduced upon their arrival, surely grateful for the plans that were ready to be set in motion. You stand in the hallway alongside your parents, ready to make your entrance and find the nearest glass of champagne to calm your nerves. All eyes were going to be on you tonight and the thought of being betrothed to a man you so loathed absolutely made your hands tremble as the moments ticked on. 

Finally, the double doors open, you take a deep breath as your family is announced, “Ladies and Gentleman, your Royal Highnesses of Shangri-la.” You step out into the light of the chandeliers, watching from your descent of the stairs as all of the many fine guests smile and politely clap as their hosts for this nights ball have arrived. Glancing around the room with a kind smile, you search for familiar faces, someone you could confide in, any of your friends whomst you could tell of your situation, but you find none, it is a political affair after all. This crowd only really consists of members of parliament, Lords and Ladies from across the country and many others high in status, not exactly the crowd you were hoping for when you were to announce your plans to be married. 

You make your way down as the string band begins to play, your cool facade falters as you meet his eyes, those dark brown eyes that only ever feel so cold. You make your way down the stairs and to your utter dismay, he begins to walk towards you. 

Your heart slams in your chest as your heels hit the marble beneath you, you cannot move, you are perplexed as he comes forward and greets you, extending a hand for you to take as he is now on bended knee, head bowing to you. “Your highness,” he begins, his eyes flitting up to yours. 

You suddenly remember how to move again and gently place your gloved hand in his, he brings your hand to his lips, kissing your silkened knuckles tenderly. “You look ravishing tonight.” He smiles as he soothes your hand with his thumb, Oh he’s really playing the part, isn't he? You think to yourself as you mentally roll your eyes. 

If there was one thing you knew about Josh for certain, it was his ability to work a room. 

Knowing just the right way to tell a story, to entertain a crowd, how to truly put on a show. A talent to be sure, but you know better, it's simply an act because once you are alone he can be a royal prick. You withdraw your hand and curtsey to him out of sheer expectation more than sincerity, “Prince Joshua, you look well.” You say softly yet a bit curtly as you look him over, surely he was joking; he was also wearing a suit of white and gold, the same colors as your gown, was this planned? Why? To seem like a united front? 

He smirks at you, surely noting your irritation, he stands, still holding your hand in his, “May I have the pleasure of having the first dance?” He asks, you take in the crowd for a moment, all eyes trained on you and Josh, it's almost silent save for the music of the band. Your eyes return to his, “The pleasure would be all mine, Prince Joshua.” You say flatly, you follow him as you give his hand a subtle squeeze, one you hope he will interpret as irritation as the band begins to play a waltz, a dance you never were too good at. 

He leads you to the center of the dance floor, of course he would, and begins to dance with you. His hand rests gently on your waist as you begin to move in step with him, his hand in your own holds you gingerly as he moves with you across the floor. Other couples file in onto the dance floor, dancing along to the beautiful strings playing in the massive hall. You grit your teeth as you try to look anywhere else in the hall, moving in time with Josh. He gives your hand a gentle squeeze but you ignore it, “Oh come on,” He says softly, you lazily look towards him, a look of obvious irritation in your eyes. “Loosen up, have some fun.” he says with a grin. You roll your eyes as he twirls you, “This isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.” You mutter to him, “Really? Because I love dancing with people I can’t stand.” He smirks, you bite your tongue, the amount of things you would like to say right now but his hand on your waist is strangely very distracting to you. 

“You should be kissing the ground I walk on for deciding to help save your family from financial ruin.” “Like you decided anything.” Josh laughs, making your face heat with anger, “I make plenty of my own decisions.” “Did you even pick out the dress you’re wearing now?” He says simply, rendering you speechless. “Don’t get so down about it, we’re both just pawns in this whole scheme, playing a part. Might as well sit back and just enjoy the ride.” He reasons, his voice softer than before, you think over his words as you look around the room at the dancing couples, watching your parents talk to the Kiszka’s. “Even if you didn’t pick it out, it’s still a beautiful dress.” he adds kindly, pulling your attention back to him. You give him a reluctant smile as you try to focus on the dance. 

“Thank you.” You murmur. “Aw, so the kitty puts her claws away and decides to play nice.” He jests, you glare at him with that same look of disdain. “Oh, no, there she is. Ever the tiger.” He smiles as he twirls you again, giving you a chance to watch as everyone has their eyes on the two of you. 

“I just don’t enjoy-” 

“What? Being the center of attention?” He finishes for you. “Why not?” He asks curiously, 

“Because I don’t need everyone to love me.” You hiss, “And you think I do?” Josh asks back with a scoff. 

“I do.” You simply say, Josh pulls you in tighter to him by your waist, whispering against the shell of your ear. 

“Well get ready to practice saying those last two words sweetheart, because you’re going to have to at least pretend to love me.” His breath on your neck sends goosebumps all over your body. 

The feeling of his body against yours like this ignites some sort of fire in you, one you don’t quite understand. You look over Josh’s shoulder to see couples dancing around you stealing glances at the two of you. 

“Please Josh, people are staring.” You whisper harshly, a worried tone giving you away. “Just look at me.” He says gently, bringing you to look at him and those stupid golden brown eyes of his. His thumb runs over your hand once more as he attempts to calm you down. “It’s just you and me.” He smiles, prompting you to timidly smile back. “Relax, and let me lead.” He instructs, causing you to huff out a frustrated sigh, “I’m just so used to leading.” You insist, you know it isn’t like a lady to lead when dancing but you just can't help it, how are you supposed to give up control when everyone is watching. 

“Trust me.”

 “I don’t.”

“Then just pretend you trust me.” He says, silencing you, you give him one last stubborn eye roll as you relinquish all control and let him take the lead. He moves you quite easily around the floor, his hold on your waist is firmer now as you stop clutching his shoulder and let him move you rather than both of you trying to lead. You step gracefully in time together, the flow of him against you so closely like this has your heart fluttering and you feel so light in his arms. He gives you a smile of approval, sweet dimples appearing on his soft cheeks, you’d never even really noticed before, now that you thought about it, you’ve never been this close before. 

You look over his face, gentle eyes, a smile that reveals such perfect white teeth, carefully manicured facial hair and warm golden skin. Your eyes linger on his plump pink lips, such a soft looking shade, you pull your eyes reluctantly away to look back up at him, “What are you thinking about?” he asks slyly. 

Your heart jumps and your eyes widen, cheeks blushing as you open your mouth to speak, “Just thinking of how I could wish all of these people away.” You half truth, something about Josh’s new found demeanor tonight has you curious, but of what? Why now? Why this night of all the nights to be kind and gentle to you now? 

After this dance would it all fall away and he’d resort to his old ways? You almost never want to stop dancing if it means keeping him like this. “Why? You want to have me all to yourself?” Josh teases, “If it means we can talk uninterrupted, then yes.” You answer simply, “I’m sure that can be arranged, your grace.” He speaks without sarcasm, an interesting turn from his usual way of saying your titles, his promise makes you smile. 

“I think there’s something I must do first.” Josh hints, you’re almost confused when he gives you one final twirl, the music fading, the audience clapping as you curtsey to him, he bows similarly. He stands and takes both of your hands in his and gives them a small squeeze, “Just try and act surprised.” Josh instructs and your eyes widen as you realize what he means. “And, don’t forget to trust me.” He says finally before getting down on one knee. 

The last thing on your mind was thinking about acting, the look on your face was utter shock. The way he had hypnotized you with the way he held you while you danced, the softness in both his voice and his eyes had you almost completely washed away all of the anxieties you had thinking of this moment that was to happen tonight. The room was silent aside from a couple of surprised gasps from the onlookers, your mother and father standing beside the royal King and Queen Kiszka watch with bated breath as Josh begins to speak. 

“Your beauty outshines all others, you have captured my heart with your kindness and bewitched my senses with only your smile. I cannot bear the thought of spending one more day without you. Will you please, do me the utmost honor in being my wife?” Josh asks, of course projecting enough for the whole hall to hear. 

His words seem to have such little effect on you, he doesn’t mean any of it, you know that, but some part of you almost wants him to. You freeze as you look down upon him, your head swimming as the air in the room is thick as those around you await your answer. He gives your hand another gentle squeeze to prompt you to speak, you nearly jump at the sensation as you realize it's now your turn to reply. “Yes.” You almost whisper, your voice falters as you become overwhelmed with the promise you’ve just made, this is it. It's all happening now.

The crowd erupts with cheers and congratulations, the band kicks up in a happy tune as you see your father shaking the King’s hand. Josh stands up with a wide grin and pulls your frozen form into a tight embrace, one you move a second too late into, your arms encircling him as he whispers in your ear, “Do you think they bought it?” His sentence nearly makes your heart crack in two. “I think so.” You respond reluctantly with a fake smile on your face. 

Josh pulls away from you, his hands clasping your cheeks as he pulls you in for a kiss, the sound of cheers roar in the hall as his lips are pressed against your own. The feeling of it all is more of a surprise than his proposal, your heart feels as though it's broken from these faux gestures, why do you feel anything at all if you don’t even care for him? 

You don’t. 

Right?

Before you can really even move, Josh pulls away and holds you by his side, smiling at the audience around the two of you. He takes your hand and leads you over to your families, they overwhelm you both with hugs and words of best wishes and compliments of the whole scene. You feel numb to the whole situation, everything is so loud, the whole thing feels so meaningless, can no one see that? “I need a minute.” You mumble as you walk away from talk of searching for the perfect ring for your engagement. 

Your heels carry you through the doorway out and down the hall to the library. You open the heavy doors and slam them behind you, the darkness of the dimly lit room giving you some sort of peace and quiet, the only sound being the crackling of the fire in the fireplace beside you. The castle’s library was always the place you would escape to in search of somewhere to think, surrounded by walls of books, so high you’d have to use the rolling ladder attached to the shelves, furnished with a large mahogany table covered in stacks of books you were reading and scattered papers of your own poetry littering the tabletop. A comfortable leather couch big enough to lay out on and fall asleep from a late nights read, accompanied with smaller arm chairs resting on top of a grand, deep red persian rug, it was the ultimate hideaway. 

“Hello, my fiancee.” Josh jokes happily as he walks into the room, closing the doors behind him. “What is your problem?” You ask angrily, arms folded as you turn to face him. “How much time do you have?” he jokes again, sending a wave of anger throughout you. “You’re unbelievable.” You huff as you walk over to the stare into the fire, knowing that you have no patience for his games. 

This was the Josh you knew, that man who held you gently and guided you on the dance floor was a stranger. A ghost, never to be seen again. “Why are you so upset? It all worked out!” He asks in irritation as he takes another step towards you, you snap around to face him, “Yes Josh, I guess it has all worked out. For you.” You reply, your eyes threaten to well up with tears when you see him, but you push the feeling away as you collect your thoughts. 

“I don’t understand?” He says confused, “Of course you don’t! Your kingdom is saved! You’re the hero your people needed and it's all worked out for you! Congratulations!” You shout sarcastically, waving your arms at the ridiculousness of it all. Josh continues to look confused at your anger, 

“That was the plan you agreed to-”

“I never agreed to anything! Like you said, we’re all pawns!” You clap your hands down against your dress in defeat at your sides. 

“Don’t you understand?! I’m the one getting screwed!” 

“You’re no prize either, sweetheart.” Josh laughs, your jaw drops from his comment. 

“You know what, you almost had me fooled.” You chuckle in utter disbelief, your eyes begin to glisten again.

Taking a brave step forward towards him as you continue, his arms are folded, awaiting your tirade. He watches you in the firelight of the darkened library, a halo of flame lighting you as you march ahead. 

“You are nothing but a low life, arrogant and selfish man who only cares about himself and whatever it takes to get ahead.” You poke his chest with every insult you fling at him, the anger inside of you boiling over, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you and I are in the exact same spot. This is just how the royal world works! I’m not exactly thrilled to be engaged to such a hateful and controlling woman!” Josh says throwing his arms up, 

“Hateful?! You are such a whore for attention you were practically putting on a one man show out there!” You shout as you point towards the door, “At least I was trying! You were as stiff as a board and looked scared to death to even dance with me!” Josh shoots back.

“I really thought you were being genuine with me for once when we were dancing, I must really be an idiot because even I bought it.”

“You really are an idiot because I actually was trying to have a decent conversation with you!” He slams your words back at you, the idea of Josh being truthful with you with no airs about him one minute, then going back to being a prick the next is giving you emotional whiplash. 

“You’re such an ass for saying all of those flowery things, you and I both know we can’t stand each other.” 

“Well darling, I can’t wait to see what the rest of our lives look like together, we make a perfect pair.” 

His words hang amongst the bookshelves lining the walls, they bounce around both of your heads as you both are starting to comprehend just how your future’s really are sealed from now on. Josh paces the room in irritation, his hands on his hips with his head hanging low, you on the other hand feel absolutely frozen. Your jaw is clenched in anger as you stare at the intricate crown molding where the ceiling meets the wall, a spot you never really found all that interesting until now while you work to bite your tongue. Your arms are crossed, your gloved nails pressing firmly into your arms as you stew on everything that’s transpired tonight. Trying to focus on anything else, you peel your gloves down your arms, tossing them irritatedly down on the chair beside you.

Of course, Josh can’t leave it alone as he begins to chuckle to himself, reigniting the fury between the two of you. “And, at least I try to get people to love me, you are so prudish you would’ve thought I tried to undress you when I put my hand on your waist.” 

“You’re a terrible kisser anyway, I couldn’t even think of you undressing me!” 

“Ha, that was merely a peck, you would know if I had actually kissed you.” He scoffs as he flashes you a grin only making you more irritated.

“So what, now you’re the prude?” You laugh in amusement at the irony. “Oh, I’m anything but a prude, you could learn a few things from me doll.” He says as he steps towards you, closing in on the massive space that was between you earlier. "You disgust me." You hiss back as you roll your eyes, arms firmly crossed as you look away from him and to some other interesting corner of the room.

“I wasn't so disgusting back on the dance floor when you couldn't stop staring at my lips.” Josh says lowly, reveling in the way you snap back to look at the smirk you wish you could slap off. 

"That was before you opened your mouth and said all of those stupid things, you are exactly who I thought you were, I know plenty of men like you." You say, puffing your chest at him and poking him once more, Josh seizes your wrist and holds you still. "Oh Princess, you have never met a man like me." His words are full of a rasp that floats with his lowered tone.

"In fact, I think you almost liked it. Seeing me down on one knee, saying all of those pretty things to you, being the one in the spotlight for once. I think some place inside you loved being the center of attention." He taunts as you pull your wrist back in a flash, "You don't know a damn thing about me." You spit back in a hushed tone, Josh steps closer making you step back until you're practically leaning against the wall of books. 

"Then teach me. Because all I know right now is that even though you say you can't stand me, you're still here." He says with a devilish tone that makes you blush, you hesitate as you search for an answer. "This is my castle." Your voice is weaker than before, giving away that even you don’t believe what you’re saying. "You know that's not what I mean. You could have walked away from this conversation a long time ago and sulked in your bedroom and yet here you are, inches away." Josh insinuates, your eyes search his, not realizing just how close he is until now.

"Because, I do not take well to being disrespected." You answer with a pitiful excuse. 

"Oh, I bet you would love to be disrespected by me." Josh leans in closer with a smirk that makes you weak. 

Your eyes flit down to his lips again, so close to you now, you shouldn’t be thinking this way, but here you are, pressed up against a wall and you’re not even attempting to escape. 

His words dance in your head, almost like a dare, you bring your hand up to slap him but he’s quicker, catching your wrist and pressing you up against the bookshelf with such force some of the books fall from their places, the feeling of him pressing against you makes you gasp. “Feisty little thing aren’t you?” He whispers against the shell of your ear, the feeling of his breath on your neck makes your shudder and your knees grow weak beneath you, a whimper escapes your lips before you can stop it, further heating your cheeks. “Don’t think I didn't hear that, baby doll.” Josh says, almost threatening to bring you to your knees. 

You tentatively look into his eyes as he looks at you like a snake with its hypnotizing gaze while its grip tightens on its prey. “I know you love the attention.” Josh grins as he looks down at your lips, his thigh slotting up against your dress, pressing up against your core. You press against his thigh for more, unsure of what to even say without whimpering out for more of him, all of your thoughts are nearly incoherent, you bite your lip in frustration. 

“I think I know you better than you think, because I think you’re wondering how to get what you want without having to admit it, but darling, I’m gonna need you to use your words for me.” He taunts as though he’s read your mind. 

In defiance you move against his hold on both of your wrists that he has pressed against the shelf, “Tell me, Princess.” He says just ghosting over your lips now, you look back at them, so pink and plush looking, fuck it. 

“You said I would have known what it would feel like if you had really kissed me,” You tease, his entire attention on you as he is practically teetering on every word. “Then show me what I’m missing.” You whisper, and without a second's hesitation, he engulfs your lips in a kiss. 

It's full of emotion, the way his lips are slotted against yours has your heart slamming against your ribs. So much force from the two of you, desperate to feel the other. Josh runs his tongue over your bottom lip and you oblige him entry, sighing out at the beautiful feeling of his warm tongue running against yours as he deepens the kiss. His lips against yours feel invigorating, his hands on your wrists let go and move to hold your face and in your hair, his grip on you is firm and intoxicating, the way he held you so gently on the dance floor is almost like a different person from the man pressing up against you and kissing you so deeply. 

You let your now free hands take firm root in his hair as you lap your tongue against his, you want to feel more of him, to make you forget about everything going on outside of those doors. You take his bottom lip between your teeth and bite down, the low groan Josh lets out makes your heart flip and the arousal underneath all of these damn layers pool in your panties. You pull away from the kiss as the two of you are searching for breath, the look of Josh’s kiss swollen lips have you aching for him.

“Oh you’ve gone and done it now, Princess.” Josh says as he backs away, pulling his coat off to undo his shirt, you watch him in amazement as he undoes the last button, revealing such beautifully toned muscle beneath. You step off of the wall on wobbly knees, never leaving his eyes as you pull the string of your dress from behind your back, Josh moves towards you, so close to you, his breath washing over your lips as he pulls the laces undone, pulls the dress over you and tosses it to the side as he pulls you close to him, only in your corset and petticoat. 

He spins you around and pushes you up against the shelf, your face pressing against the books as he kisses at your exposed shoulder while his hands work at undoing your corset. “Now what was that you said about never thinking of me undressing you?” Josh says, mocking your words from earlier, “You’re so much more attractive with your mouth shut.” You jab with a smirk, he finally pulls the corset off, revealing your bare back to him, he spins you back around to face him, giving him a full view of your breasts. “Aw, you think I’m attractive?” Josh jests, making you roll your eyes. 

“I actually like the pretty sounds that come out of your mouth, Princess.” He says lowly and almost endearingly as his hands travel up your waist and to your breasts, massaging them so perfectly in his warm hands, watching as the veins on the tops of his hands move so elegantly while he pinches your nipples, making your back arch towards him, a moan rolling up your throat and into the warm air. “Just like that.” He smirks, “Give me some more, baby.” He says as he bends down to suckle at your nipples, your head falls back at the feeling of his tongue running over the hardened bud in his mouth. 

The feeling of him running his teeth lightly over the sensitive spot makes you groan and close your eyes. You pry them open to watch him massage your other breast, his thumb running back and forth on the hardened nipple while he sucks at the other. Your hand in his hair pulls firmly at his curls, earning a deliciously muffled moan from Josh, he moves to suck on your other breast, the cool saliva on your nipple working for him to twist it softly as he bites gently at your other breast. 

Gentle sighs and moans fall from your lips as Josh suckles at your tit, his eyes look up at you, he unlatches from your chest with a scandalous pop. He moves back to kiss you and you take control, holding his face in your hands as you walk him backwards, pressing him back until the large mahogany table stops him, letting you press yourself against his frame. His skin is so soft and warm against your torso, both of your arms are encircled in a tight embrace, you want him closer, much closer than this. 

Before you can think, Josh pulls away and slides his arm over the table top, knocking over all of the books and papers you had placed now on the floor, clearing the space. He moves you towards the desk, bending you over until your face and chest are flushed against the cold, hard wooden table top. “You said you liked me better with my mouth shut, well, I know a better use for my mouth anyway.” He smirks sarcastically as he pulls your skirts up and exposes your backside to him. 

The cold air makes you shiver, but it's Josh’s lips kissing the back of your thighs while his hands run up the front of them that makes your knees shake. His hand runs up your clothed pussy, “Oh Princess, you’ve soaked your panties, is this all for me?” He teases, his fingers grazing over your fabric covered clit, you hum out a response, “Mhmm.” You reply, “Say it baby, I know it kills you to, but I wanna hear you say it before I even think about giving you what you want.” He threatens, his hand still gently touching your aching pussy. 

“Yes, all for you.” You mumble, the words barely making it out, you may be bent over half naked on a table with a man between your legs, but you will not let him win without a fight. “I can’t hear you babe, you’re going to have to speak up.” He prods again, the smile in his voice clear as a bell. “It’s all because of you.” You say again, only a tad louder than before. Josh sighs as he stands and pulls you by your hair, craning your neck as he speaks into your ear, “I said, who made you this wet?” Josh says, his gravelly tone in his voice giving his own lust away. You manage to meet his eyes, even in this harsh position, “You did Josh, it's all for you.” You choke out, Josh gives you a satisfied smile, “Good girl.” He praises as he lets go of your hair, you assume the position you were in before, bracing yourself for whatever comes next.

Josh gets on his knees behind you, spreading your legs and slowly pulling down your panties, revealing your wet pussy, so desperate to feel some sort of relief. You sigh at the feeling of his hands on the back of your thighs, softly running up your flesh, his breath fanning over your core. He finally moves forward, his tongue connecting tenderly to your pussy, licking over you slowly, you let out a gasp at the incredible sensation, “So fucking sweet.” You hear him mutter behind you, almost to himself as he goes back and licks at you again, his curls tickling at your thighs as he laps at you from behind, tongue running gently over your clit making you whine and moan uncontrollably. His hands hold onto the fronts of your thighs, holding firmly while his tongue glides through your folds. He groans beautifully against your core, making you quiver from the vibration and the sound of his own pleasure. His tongue slides up and inside of you, his tongue darting in and out making you cry out, “Oh Josh, ahh.” You moan, your hands clutching at the edge of the table, your climax within reach that you're gripping the wood so hard just to keep you from absolutely falling apart. 

Suddenly he pulls his mouth away and stands up and presses himself against you, his fingers slipping inside of you while he leans over to kiss up your bare back. He begins pumping his fingers in and out of you at such a pace that you cannot stop the sounds that come from your mouth. "See how good it feels just to let go and enjoy, Princess? Always so conscious of everything," He says with a smirk, his fingers curling into you just so that he's hitting some perfect spot that makes you even closer to the edge than you were before. "Fuck, Josh, oh fuck." "Yeah, you like that pretty girl?" He whispers in your ear, "Mhmmm." Is all you can muster. "Too good to even speak? Oh honey, you need it bad, huh?" He says mockingly, you turn your head to see him in just the corner of your eye, your eyes doing all the pleading for you. 

His eyes meet yours, he watches you carefully as he brings another hand down to roll over your clit, your eyes practically roll into the back of your head it feels so good, it’s so much, "Oh, God, Josh, I'm-" "Come on sweet girl. Fall apart, I wanna watch you cum all over my hand like the whore you are." He rasps, the edge in his voice makes you sigh at his choice in words, fuck, you liked that. 

His fingers fucking into you with his bare chest pressed against you, feeling his hardened shaft pressing on the back of your leg, his foot pushing your heeled one to the side to keep your legs open, paired with his finger swirling on your clit has you crashing hard into your climax, one that hits so hard you can hardly make a sound until you breathe out and you cannot hold back the moans and cries of Josh's name, you reach behind you and pull at his hair, just to have him closer to you. He lays his head against your shoulder, his hands never stopping as he bites at the flesh of your shoulder muscle, softly biting, making you cum even harder on his fingers. He pulls away as your breaths come out in harsh pants, licking over the bite, soothing the tender skin, melting away any soreness that you couldn't help but welcome. 

His hands slow to a stop as your orgasm slinks away, leaving you feeling as though your body has turned to jelly. "Such a good little girl for me, I bet you've never been fucked over a table like that before. I think you liked it better than whatever soft and sweet romps you've had in the past." 

You cannot stop the whimper that comes from your lips at his words as he pulls out his fingers, leaving you feeling empty again. You need him, you need to feel all of him. 

Standing up on shaking legs, you turn around to face him once more, something about him simply smirking, his eyes casting over your face, waiting for you to say some smart remark makes the fire inside of you burn even hotter. He’s always so collected, always one step ahead, it's almost infuriating. 

You shove him harshly, the backs of his thighs now against the table, cornered to your will, he looks slightly confused. Bringing your hand to slide down the front of his pants, pressing against his hardened shaft making him gasp, your eyes never leaving his, “You’ve never bed a woman like me.” You snark back in return, a mischievous glint in your eye as you pull his pants down around his knees, you give into the spasming of your legs from your orgasm and sink to the floor, your full skirt rippling like a wave around you. Pulling his underwear down as well, you free his erection and he’s bigger than you envisioned when you felt him against you when he had you over the table. You can’t help but smile as Josh looks down at the sight before him, and what a sight it is, a Princess topless, half dressed in her skirts, flushed from the afterglow of an orgasm, loose curls falling in her face from their pinned place in her hair, a look of pure evil in her eyes and that's all it takes to get Josh, Prince of the Kingdom of Shambala, to hurriedly strip himself of his remaining clothes almost embarrassingly quickly and ungracefully just to be in her presence. 

Letting out a giggle and an eye roll as Josh throws the remainder of his clothes off, his garments hitting the rug covered floor with an anticlimactic thud. “So desperate and what for?” You smile smugly with a pause, reaching to take his hardened shaft in your hand, he shivers at your touch along with a groan he tried miserably to suppress. 

“All for me?'' You finish as you pump his cock slowly, your wrist rolling him into your hand, swiping the precum over the pillowy head, spreading it over him and minorly increasing the speed. Josh lets out a muffled moan as he lets his hands hold against the table behind him, “You have a Princess on her knees Joshua, do not hold back anything I give you or I will stop.” You say almost annoyed, your tone stern enough to straighten Josh’s posture, you grasp him just a bit harder as you pump faster, “Follow my lead, Josh. Come on. Trust me.” You whisper almost sinisterly, mocking his words earlier on the dance floor. 

“Yes, Princess.” he huffs out most deliciously, “Good boy.” you smile as you lean forward and kiss the tip of his cock, almost immediately earning a fully carried out groan from Josh. You reward his quick learning with kitten licks on the head, making Josh grasp the edge of the table, you hold his length up just to press kisses into the underside of his cock, marveling in its length and thickness, how perfect it feels in your hand, how it feels so soft against your lips, your curiosity to see how it feels on your tongue makes you open your mouth and take him in. 

Josh moans lowly at the sensation of your mouth, the way you begin to move up and down his length with such purpose, eyes fluttered closed as you relish in the feeling of him in your mouth. He feels so soft, so warm, it's unlike anything you had ever felt before, you had never gotten to have a man like this before and the moment your lips connected to his cock, you knew you’d want to do this again and again, but only to Josh, something about watching a man so prideful and smug all of the time, easily melt in your hands was something you would dream of for nights to come. 

The way his brows tilt upward into the most pleasure, his jaw goes slack as he struggles to keep his eyes from squeezing closed as he loses himself in the feeling, to hear those desperate moans, sighs and whimpers, well, it's enough to make you absolutely soaked all over again. 

You take him as far as you can and Josh’s hands fall to your hair, “Fuck,” he cries, his hands do not push you or guide you, they merely take hold in your once perfectly done hair, his nails scratching dully against your scalp makes you moan, the vibration from your throat makes Josh nearly double over, a whimper so angelic you can feel your core pounding in aching need. 

Josh quickly stands back up and pulls you by the hair from his cock, you let out a gasp for air as your watery eyes meet his, “You keep that up and I’ll leave your pretty little pussy to ache all night without me.” He says, finding that ever present attitude you’ve grown so familiar to. 

Fearing he'll do as he threatens, you move and stand before him. He moves toward you as you finally take in the beauty of his stark nakedness, he looks almost as though he was but a sculpture come to life just to have his way with you, to indulge in such sin with only you. 

He makes his way over to you, somehow the tension between the two of you is almost thicker than earlier, his hand drapes over your clothed hip as he undoes the long ribbon that holds your petticoat to you, the fabric loosened enough that it falls away, leaving you now completely naked before him as well. His hand comes to run over your belly, the softness of the back of his knuckles running over the gentle flesh beneath makes goosebumps rise over your skin. 

Finally, the two of you are stripped down to the person beneath all of the finery, down to what could be considered your truest selves. Both you and Josh allow your hands to roam over each other, touching and exploring the other in a silence only interrupted by the snapping of the logs in the fireplace. 

Your eyes meet his, and it's like a switch flipped and you cannot help but kiss him, he meets your lips with an equal amount of fervor and need, that the combined passion between you feels as though it's too much to bare. Josh leans down and picks you up, legs wrapping around his hips as he carries you, your lips never ceasing their kiss as he brings you to lay on the plush couch. He moves to be on top of you, his hand leading his cock through your folds, you break from the kiss as you release a moan from the blissful sensation. 

“Are you sure?” Josh asks so genuinely with a hint of nervousness you can’t help but blush, you never took Josh for the gentleman type of lover, but you’re learning all kinds of things tonight. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I am going to break off this engagement.” You snap, he chuckles in return as he goes to kiss your neck, his hand guiding him to your entrance, slowly slipping inside of you. He lets out a shaky sigh as he presses into you, your arms on his sides pulling him closer to you as you moan at the burn of him stretching you out, one that feels so delectable you can’t stop your nails from digging into the muscle of Josh’s back. 

He moves to be fully seated inside of you, the both of you sighing in pure bliss. Josh waits a moment, “That feel okay, Princess?” He asks, that candor of kindness laced in his words makes your heart soar, is this the real Josh? This gentle and protective man you can’t help but want more of, you can only nod, hoping not to scare this version of him away, “No, I need to hear you say it, tell me baby.” He asks again, you whimper at his words, so different from the way he asked you to speak earlier, it’s almost as though something has changed. 

“Yes. I need you, want to feel you, Josh.” You whine, your voice faltering on his name seems to only make the barrier around his false and cocky persona crack away more. “Then let me give it to you.” He says as he begins to slowly thrust into you, the both of you whimpering as he moves in and out of you, his pace picking up has you staring up at him and it's so intimate, like he can see right behind your eyes and into your thoughts, he brings you both back into a kiss, muffled moans from the both of you as he begins to set a pace that has you both crying out in pleasure. “Oh, Josh, oh fuck baby, yes right there-oh fuck.” You choke out as he slams into you. He looks so stunning above you, his curls bouncing in time with his movements, his eyes closing as his cock hits so deep inside of you, some place you’ve never even felt before. 

You can feel the coil in your lower abdomen begin to tighten and you know you’re close. You sit up and kiss him, moving him with you as you get him to lie down on the couch, wanting to ride him so you can watch more astutely the way he falls apart underneath you. His hands fall to your hips as he sits back and watches you sink down on his dick, the two of you groaning at the change in position, the way he fills you up so well has your head falling back and eyes closing as you begin to bounce. 

"Oh God, Princess." His moan empowering you to look down at him and bite your lip, glancing down at him with such confidence it makes you put your hands in your hair, you're the one putting on the show this time. 

Maybe Josh was right about you liking the attention? God don't let him figure that out or his ego is going to skyrocket, ah fuck it, you think as you swirl your hips and bounce up and down on his length, his eyes trained on the private show before him. 

Watching the way your hands run over your breasts, tweaking your nipples, how your head falls back, your loosened curls swaying with you as you roll your hips in such a deliciously sinful manner. Josh's hands grasp your ass, his dull nails digging into the soft flesh beneath, his eyes consuming you like you were an angel from the Sistine Chapel. "Ah, you keep bouncing like that and I'm-" "I am too." You say with a huff, Josh's fingers come down between your legs and runs his thumb over your clit. This action alone has you doubled over, your head buried into his neck, whining and crying out in pleasure, kissing and biting at the skin of his neck, your climax soon approaching. 

With a move that makes your head spin, he stands from the couch, hands gripping your ass, your legs wrapping around his legs as he moves you both to the rug covered floor in front of the blazing fire. Your back lying bare on the rug is so soft as he thrusts into you, his thumb continues rolling over your clit. You moan out, eyes rolling back in your head as your legs tighten around his hips, pulling him closer, sliding so deep inside you. 

The desperation between the two of you reaching a fever pitch for your own respective peaks, the way your eyes meet seem to hold something more than just need, it's almost a sort of fondness? More than lust, it's too gentle. Right when you think you've found the right emotion behind those big sweet brown eyes, your own orgasm starts to take hold, "Oh, ah, Josh-" "I know, pretty girl. Come on, I'm here." He pants, voice breaking in such a way that you can't help but pull him into a kiss. 

He sighs out a moan against your lips as your back arches off the floor, his hips moving in a sloppy rhythm that only proves how on the verge he is. "Ah, Josh, oh you're so fucking huge, oh fuuuck, please, cum with me Josh, need to feel it." You beg him as you weave your fingers in his curls, your eyes pleading him. 

He looks at you a moment, his eyes searching your face, mouth agape, "I'm- ah-" His response is cut off as his hips slam against you, his cock deep inside of you makes the both of you fall into bliss. You can't hold back the need to pull him flush against you, nails scratching down his back in such a way it makes Josh's voice tremble as he spills inside of you, his voice soft and desperate as he whines out your name in the sweetest way that you've ever heard it said before in all your life. The two of you can't help the way you're clawing at each other, looking to keep the other close, closer than even possible. 

Your legs loosen their hold on his hips, his face is buried in your neck and the both of you are searching for breath and quite possibly a way out of this situation that will continue the dance you two used to dance before you broke and ended up in this mess. But nothing snarky comes. 

The silence is deafening, it's the most comfortable silence you and Josh have ever shared, and it only took being completely naked on your library floor in the light of the fireplace with his dick still buried inside you. 

You almost pray you never have to move from this spot, but the moment can't last forever. Josh sits up and moves to hover above you on wobbly arms, the two of you only share a look. 

"So-"

 "Please don't ruin this." You interrupt making Josh smile.

"I was only going to say, if we end every argument like this, I think I might end up liking this arranged marriage thing." He grins at you before moving to pull out of you. "Ah," you whimper, the sound making its way out before you could stop it, "Especially if I get to hear those pretty sounds again, Princess." He smirks as he leans back over you, kissing you on the cheek before standing to grab both of your clothes. 

"I don't think we can show back up to our own party again tonight." You say as he hands you your undergarments and dress, "Why, you think everyone will be able to see how I fucked you into oblivion?" He chuckles as he pulls his underwear back on. "If they don't notice the hickies on your neck first." You smile as you pull on your own panties. Josh moves swiftly to a mirror against the wall, fingers sweeping against the rosy and purple marks. 

"You're going to pay for that." He replies with a smile as he turns back to you, "Besides, I don't know how well I can dance with my legs shaking like this." You say as you cautiously stand, your thighs twitching from your earlier activities. Josh comes back over to you, his lips inches from yours. 

He moves down to run a finger up your inner thigh, collecting the cum that had leaked down your leg. He brings the finger to your lips, you open your mouth expectantly, his finger laying on your tongue. You close your lips around his digit, sucking the delightful taste off of his finger. His eyes darken at both the sight and sensation, you release his finger and look up at him with the biggest doe eyes you can muster. He sighs as he pulls you closer by the waist, his hand cradling your chin, your chests pressing flushed against each other. He smirks as he speaks, voice just above a whisper.

"You are going to be the death of me." 

"Oh honey, I'll certainly try." 

Tag list:

(Thank you all so much for your continued support, I love you all 🧡)

@tripthelight-fanfic @emsgvf @ageofstardust @dakotadovato @screechesincoherently @gretavankleep37 @strangeh0rizons @capturethechaos @kiszkathecook @jakeslovehandles @depressingdarlin @gretavanfleas @maverick-rose @prophetofthedune @josiee-gvf @doodle417 @readthinkbeme @katie-gvf @lallisonl @toxbexannouncedx @kdarling1

@lilstanxd

[let-it-rip-bear]

The Topic of Chef's Kiss

Part 1: Context

I very rarely interact with fandom at all. I was a shy kid and still nervous, though I've found ways around it. I write, read, and comment on fanfiction works, and that's about the extent of it. Then The Bear came along. It's a small fandom, but it's very active considering season 2 is about to come out. I hyperfixated intensely on season 1, though I had to take a break for school. As a result, I scrolled through the tag with a thoroughness that I had never employed before. I was a bit disappointed to see so much shipping discourse.

Before anyone tries to say otherwise, I'm not against shipping. I promise this post will not stop anyone from having fun.

Anyway, I'm not big on shipping. That's not to say I avoid it entirely. It's just not a priority. I primarily engage with media by trying to understand my favorite characters and playing with found family dynamics. So, it's frustrating seeing so many posts focusing intently on Carmy and Sydney's potential relationship instead of their current dynamic. Many people take all of their interactions and put them through the lens of romance and only romance. This is exhausting to me.

And again, before anyone tries to assume anything—just because I find something frustrating does not mean I think it's objectively bad or morally wrong or what the fuck ever. It's an opinion, not a condemnation.

Another bit of context for this post: I'm a queer trans man. I don't mean to use that as leverage, by the way. Disagreeing with me is just a difference of opinions. I'd never claim it's on the grounds of trans/queerphobia. I'm including it as a piece of context for the following point.

Mainstream media romance has always been bland to me. Much of it is saturated with pairings that feel empty and soulless—straight couples getting together for no reason other than being a man and a woman, and that's apparently enough. Many pairings are virtually meaningless because the relationship doesn't change anything. Their arcs are unaffected. They aren't intertwined in any compelling way, they have no chemistry. The carelessness and heteronormativity are exhausting. That is where I am coming from and why I don't ship them all that much.

Part 2: Chef's Kiss

None of what I said in the previous paragraph applies to Chef's Kiss, though. Sydney and Carmy have great chemistry as the two leads. I, personally, don't see it as romantic. That's subjective, though, and I can see why someone would ship them! They're a cute pairing—in theory.

But considering canon, I don't want to see them together. At least, not where their respective characters are at the end of season one. In my opinion, it would be disrespectful to their characters to throw them together just for the sake of it being canon. There are a lot of reasons why they shouldn't have dated in the first season, beginning with the power imbalance, since Carmy is technically Sydney's boss. of course, by the end of the season (really, by the 3rd or 4th episode), Sydney has cemented her role as one of the very reasons that The Beef survived at all, so that's not really an issue (I think) going forward into the next season!

Another reason is that Sydney and Carmy both have these personal issues at their core that dictates their every move, respectively. Carmy, obviously, has his grief to deal with and his fear that Mikey never truly loved him the way he loved Mikey. Sydney feels so much pressure to prove herself, despite the fact that she already has and is an amazing chef and business partner. She has to process the failure of Sheridan Road...and I'm not entirely sure she's done that by the end of season 1? That's not exactly the point in all of this, though.

My point is that I don't think it works for them to be together currently (subject to change with season 2, of course) and that is why I don't really ship them, especially because I'm honestly more concerned with their current state in canon. That doesn't mean I don't find them cute and enjoy some SPECULATION on their relationship's potential, whether platonic or romantic. They might be great for each other in the future.

I'd also like to point out that shipping is traditionally centered around pairings that aren't canon. There aren't any requirements for a ship, so it's totally valid to ship two characters that aren't currently compatible in canon. Again, I'm just explaining why I personally don't ship it. I'm not at all saying that people shouldn't ship them.

Part 3: Shipping Discourse

Firstly, I want to acknowledge that fan spaces have been notoriously racist and specifically anti-black and continue to be, as well as misogynistic, and that the intersectionality of black women is relevant in all parts of life, including the consumption of media. Discussions of misogynoir are incredibly important. I'll always support fans who call out hateful shit in fandom, particularly because it can be a scary thing, considering the attitude many fans have and the tendency to dogpile an individual. It is not my intention to claim that fan spaces are untouched by real-life issues or that there can't be discussions of real-life issues within fan spaces. With that established, I'll continue.

It seems to me that the two primary reasons why some fans don't ship Chef's Kiss are 1) they would prefer The Bear to not focus on romance, and/or 2) they don't feel that Sydney and Carmy's chemistry is romantic/they value the platonic relationship between the two. My issue with the shipping discourse in this fandom is how much of it stems from people pushing the idea that the show itself has to be setting up their romance, or else. Not only do many posts that condemn Chef's Kiss nonshippers completely ignore the aforementioned arguments, but they also leave absolutely no room for nuance. You either ship it or you're a racist.

I've seen many posts in which a question is posed: "What are your thoughts on Sydney/Carmy?" with the response being "Fans that don't like it are racist lol". I don't believe that is a proportional response. There are also posts in which people in this fandom argue that anyone who is against Chef's Kiss is motivated by misogynoir and that, at the heart of it, fans who don't like the ship or support the lack of romance in The Bear believe that Sydney is not worthy of being with Carmy because she is a black woman. I am by no means saying that this is not possible. That is not the argument I am making.

It is my opinion that shipping discourse is not a platform meant to handle topics such as misogynoir—though that's not to say there are no meaningful arguments to be made there. In fact, there's at least one post in the tag that speaks about Chef's Kiss, and that I think did a good job of articulating the undercurrents of misogynoir found in fan spaces. There are also plenty of essays out there on fan culture and social/political issues within it. The thing is, those essays have the purpose of articulating the grievances of a marginalized community through the lens of their experience with fan culture. Whereas the situation that I'm describing is, instead, minimizing very complex ideas to argue in favor of the validity (and even canonical presence) of a fucking ship.

I guess what I want to say is this: fans with marginalized identities should always be supported in calling out shitty, hateful, and discriminatory behavior in fan spaces. Those discussions should be given the time and attention they need. Though the characters are not real, the people within the fandom are. With all of that said, I think that it is, at the very least, distasteful to use the discussion of racism in order to defend a ship. The way that discourse concerning Chef's Kiss employs, quite rampantly, the issue of misogynoir in order to argue that Chef's Kiss is, should be, or will be canon is inconsiderate and tactless. Furthermore, equivocating a person's stance on a ship to their moral standing is bizarre and scummy.

Now to end this post, which is even longer than I thought it would be, I implore anyone who may or may not feel obliged to respond to do so with civility. also, remember that this is a tumblr post in which I did my best to cover everything necessary and articulate my thoughts, not an academic essay. I am just a guy who hyperfixated on The Bear.

[deathsweetblossoms]

Brief Overview of Feyre's Bonus Chapter

Why, you ask? Because it's niggling at me and because I'm a nerd. Also because the bonus chapters are landmines of easter eggs, sleight of hand, and foreshadowing. For this, I was inspired by the imagery of Elain holding Nyx paralleled to Feyre's last line of her bonus chapter being "...silent thanks to the Mother for the beautiful future that bloomed before us". I MIGHT do this for every bonus chapter, including the Nessian one, for the sake of comparison, but that remains to be seen.

I approach these very analytically, so I view the bonus chapters very stripped down to the essence of their being. Take out all the fluff and look at the skeleton of what's there and you start to see a slightly different picture than what's being painted.

Breaking It Down

Main Characters Featured: Feyre & Rhys, the interaction happens only between them

Key Topics Discussed: Elain (seeing a different side to her, thorns from gardening), Rhys being overprotective and secretive, Names (Rhys's family name, Nyx)

Brief Overview: starts off discussing the sisters, specific focus on Elain and “seeing a different side emerge”, Feyre questions Rhys, flashback to the discovery of her pregnancy, Feysand smut, Rhys’s family name brought up jokingly, Nyx’s name being decided

Key Notes:

Nyx was named after an ancient night goddess “from around the time of the Trove”

As soon as he is named, his name spoken aloud, “a flutter of night-kissed power rose in answer”.

We end the chapter with Nyx's power and "a beautiful future BLOOMING before us".

Elain, Elain, Elain. "She's always been brave when needed but never confrontational", "Perhaps we'll see a different side of her emerge". Look, it's pretty obvious this is foreshadowing. The key Elain quote that stands out to me is "if everyone spent so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she'd disappoint you all".

Rhys’s ambiguous family name - a joke or is it intentional?

Theory & Analysis

"a beautiful future blooming before us" paired with the imagery of Nyx's power flaring to life, and Rhys and Feyre holding their hands over Feyre's pregnant belly -- listen, I just about lost my mind when I went back and reread this. My instinct wants to say this is another visual foreshadowing of Elain's story with LITERAL Mother imagery and the word "blooming" just hanging there, tantalizing me like a cheshire cat. The last image we see of Elain in ACOSF is of her holding Nyx. This cannot be coincidental.

ELAIIIIN. If nothing else, this: "if everyone spent so long assuming Elain is sweet and innocent that she felt she had to be that way or else she'd disappoint you all" tells me so much. Focus on how everyone projects "sweet innocence" onto her without bothering to look any deeper. Focus on how Elain's response to that projection is feeling that she needs to live up to it so as not to disappoint people. This gives us a huge clue to Elain's inner struggle -- will she continue being what people expect of her or let her claws show? This is pretty clearly telling us she's going to be more vocal and confrontational in her story, and that there are many layers to Elain that we haven't seen yet. Intuitively, I want to guess that she'll go against the grain and really start to kick up some dust with ... like, everyone and everything.

Naming. Nyx's power flaring to life right as he is named is not a coincidence. Also, his name being from a goddess that existed during the time of the Trove, when the Trove is such a huge focus in the continuing plot.... /ALARM BELLS/. What does it mean? I would have to do a way deeper dive to tell you, but I can tell you it's something. (Considering Ataraxia 'flared to life' when it's name was spoken - it's the same visual and I demand to know what's happening. SARA. WHY DO YOU TORTURE ME THIS WAY.) Additionally, Rhys's family name! Obviously the ambiguity is intentional, and I wonder if the comedy around it is a bit of a distraction. What if his name ties him to something? Does he not want to talk about his family name because of what it can invoke? Or is it just truly an embarrassing name??? I NEED TO KNOW.

See also: Analyzing the Necklace, The Mother, & Azriel's Bonus Chapter and Azriel's Bonus Chapter, Mating Bonds, and Mor(e)

[philcoulsonismyhero]

Hey! I'm really excited that there are two butch characters in Red Shift Blue Shift, what are their relationships to each other and to the larger lesbian communities around them? Also, are there any trans women or transfeminine nonbinary characters in the cast, or in your other projects? (I tried sending an ask to the comic blog, but I couldn't find the option.)

Hey! (Turns out we hadn't switched asks on for the comic blog, thanks for pointing that out, the option should be there now!)

Oh I'm so glad you're excited about there being multiple butch characters in RSBS, that was something that was really important to us to include when we were building our cast. I'm very fond of them both, they're a great time.

It's hard to say too much about their relationship to each other without getting into spoiler territory, but Kamari is something of a wildcard character. She's working for a cause of her own, something that's sometimes at cross-purposes to the main team, which Georgie is part of, so there's a bit of plot-relevant antagonism there, at least in a big picture sense. It takes a wee while before Kamari interacts directly with any of the main team, although she'll be hanging around the edges of their activities and playing a major role in the other main thread of the story. Georgie and Kamari will end up connected eventually, although how is spoilers, but I can say that they're one of the (many, many) pairs of narrative foils in the comic. The story is going to be split into two major threads, the blue thread following Dan and their team, and the red thread following our masked antagonist and their allies, and Georgie and Kamari are one pair of characters that in some ways mirror each other across that divide and end up having an impact on each other over time as the story unfolds.

Which kind of links in to the next part of your question - Kamari, at the point we find her in the story, is quite isolated from anything really in the way of broader community. She did have that, once, and she doesn't anymore, and the story there is a big part of her character, along with where she ends up going from there. Georgie, on the other hand, is probably the most social of the main team, barring maybe Max. When she's not out on missions, she's a regular in her local queer community, especially the lesbian bars, and she's got at least a few amicable exes in that community and amongst her law school cohort. She's a gregarious, friendly sort of person, and the sort that tends to adopt any young queer people in her vicinity, so aboard the team's ship she's definitely something of a Cool Queer Aunt.

Speaking of Max, I'm not sure transfem is the term ey'd personally use, but ey're definitely the cast member with the most fem elements to their particular flavour of nonbinary. Gender presentation is something fun to em, and ey're pulling from a bunch of different directions when it comes to eir personal style.

As for the rest of the cast, we're still building out from our main ten, but the intention is absolutely to include trans women and transfem folks, both human and robot. Now's probably the point to admit that our jokey working title for the comic is 'Butches In Space', because it is a bit of a self-indulgent exercise in including all the butch and transmasc and agender characters that we almost never get to see (and especially don't get to see interacting with each other). Ultimately you've got to do what appeals to you, personally, with a project, but that doesn't mean that we're not going to make sure that the rest of the world of RSBS is suitably full of all different kinds of folks. Obviously it's really important to include transfem folks in a story that's using a lot of transphobia metaphors, since they're unfortunately one of the groups that's targeted the most. There's a lot of significant secondary characters that we've still only got rough sketches of roles for, like assorted family members and other agents and various folks relevant to different cases, and I'm sure a bunch of them will and up being transfem once we get to know them better. We're planning on having a lot of fun with gender stuff amongst both the humans and the robots.

Also, one last fun note about Kamari and Georgie - there aren't going to be any active romance plots in the comic, it's going to be a very aro sort of story, but like I mentioned above re: Georgie's various exes that doesn't mean that the characters that aren't aro don't have relationships in their pasts. Without spoiling Kamari's deal, I will say that Pearl from SU was one of the characters that partly inspired her, so read into that what you will. And, in the course of the main story, Georgie and Kamari's dynamic when they do end up face to face might be the closest we get to writing flirting. We thought it would be fun to leave a little bit of room for shipping, if a hypothetical reader is that way inclined, even if the main story isn't going to feature any romance arcs and will be more focused on the platonic side of their dynamic. And it was something of a deliberate choice to have the only canon-compatible ship amongst the main cast be a lesbian one, since fandom is after all a bit notorious for ignoring them.

[basuralindo]

Hi hi Echo!!! for the character ask meme!!! How about Jade? :o

Heeeey thank you!! Sorry this took forever to answer! (I'm always happy to talk about Jade lmao)

What I love about them: He's so fucking weird. I already went off about the eel and monster mermaid thing in my last ask about Floyd, but that's definitely a thing for Jade too. I love how fascinated he is with the surface world and all the things he never saw before. And just the way he's so false and malicious and reserved, but seems to have a very genuine love of wonder, I like that he displays a more realistically multifaceted personality, instead of just being evil for the sake of evil or whatever. Like, his psychology is fun to observe, I guess? Again, I have a lot of thoughts about this, but they're hard to explain right now. I just appreciate that he's complex and interesting and obviously came from a traumatic background, but like his brother, he seems to have warped his feelings towards it in a way that leaves him uninterested in lamenting any of it, but not really able to connect with most of society. I also like that the result of it all is him being a quiet little chaos gremlin who makes problems on purpose. He's just, fun.

What I hate about them: I'm... not a huge fan of sadism. I generally dislike sadistic characters automatically, but Jade's fun and interesting enough to bypass that feeling somehow. It makes him a challenge to write, for sure, cause half of it is me projecting autism and seriously low empathy, but then I have to just fumble and guess for sadism and horniness.

Favorite Moment/Quote: This bitch really went and risked everyone's life including his own for the chance to poison a ghost. Out of curiosity. And then bragged about it in front of her and had the audacity to act shocked and betrayed when he got slapped. I don't even know if that's my favorite moment. He's always pulling something. I also love his sledathon moments of eagerly recommending sabotage with Idia. And just found his halloween vignette really interesting for lore.

What I would like to see more focus on: I actually enjoy the level of mystery they've left with Jade. I'm always curious to know everything about the tweels' background, but the way he teases alarming information really adds to his charge overall. I'd love to see him experience genuine emotions to an extent he couldn't hide though, just because I wanna turn him inside out and see what's going on in there. (I'd also love to see him interact with Jamil more, but that's for shipping reasons, not overall story experience)

What I would like to see less focus on: I'm sure something will pop into my head in the middle of the night while I'm about to fall asleep, but right now I can't think of anything that's bothered me yet.

Favorite pairing with: Azul, and Jamil. And Trey is growing on me a bit.

Favorite friendship: I want him to be friends with Lilia so badlyyyyy. Also after sledathon I'm really enjoying whatever the fuck is going on with him and Idia.

NOTP: I can't think of any I've seen around and hated? I'm sure there could be, but nothing immediately comes to mind. RIP to anyone who gets shipped with the guy tbh.

Favorite headcanon: I have a whole theory planned out for the fic about his backstory and the development of his UM, but I'm not gonna spoil that here. Barely off canon but I think he can cook, technically, but wants to experiment too much amd it comes out nightmarish. Partially because of the experimental factors, partially because he's only had access to a stove for two years of his life and doesn't have the experience to go off script without disaster. Same goes for drinks.

[purity-town]

Wasn’t feeling well yesterday so this is a bit late, but ask & submission responses are below the cut!

Hey now anon, that quote isn’t actually my doing, it’s in the game!

(Side note, I’ve significantly toned down the frequency in Purity Town from “multiple times a week” down to “it doesn’t happen too often, but it is frequent enough for the Nurse to notice the pattern.”)

Vaguely, yes! His tattoo includes the sun, a star, and the moon, notable as the celestial bodies and sources of magic. It has more personal meaning to him rather than just being a “Terraria-Cthulhu” tattoo, though.

Okay, so!

I don’t actually have an answer for how Andrew died the first time. He’s died a lot of times over the years, but I’m not sure if he stayed alive for long enough the first time to naturally realize something was up re: no longer aging or his mother/stepfather telling him what they knew from the Dryad, or if he figured it out later.

The revival was probably unexpected, but something that made sense in hindsight. Back when Andrew was born, Terraria was still weak; it was a very big deal that she had sealed away most of the spirits in Hell and created the first Guides. So revival wasn’t really a thing, even if there were still legends of a time when Dryads walked the Earth and Terraria revived heroes who had wrongly perished.

But Andrew wouldn’t be very effective if he were dead, so alive he shall be.

I think he could use a hug.

Still quite uncommon for people to be revived; Terraria’s will is a finnicky thing (outside of Andrew and the Dryad, who would always be revived). Terraria is not limitlessly powerful even in the modern day, with the threat of Moonlord looming and most magic locked away.

It definitely happens more than it did, at least, especially when it’s necessary to righting a wrong/restoring balance, and people can and do hope Terraria will intervene in a death that should not have occurred, but it’s not something to count on.

Chris is...kind of a special case, but it’s less about him necessarily and more that things are starting to reach their breaking point, it’s now or never, and if this hero dies there may not be another one to take his place.

Chris will never be jumping into lava to teleport home, though, haha.

We’ll actually be revisiting that scene later this chapter!

Who says Andrew will tell Chris?

.........He went to the doctor. He’s okay !!

In-comic, while their bond with each other will be very important to how they interact throughout the plot, there will never be an explicitly romantic scene between them, in the sense of dramatic confessions or anything of the likes. What matters more is how they care for each other and interact with external pressures, and that can totally be romantic or platonic!

That said, ultimately, this is a Terraria fancomic that I make for fun, so like...if you want to ship them, cool! Have fun with it! If you don’t like that sort of pairing, that’s cool too! There are plenty of fun Terraria ships I enjoy and some will be a little more direct in the comic while most are just me having fun and will have no bearing on the comic itself. Heck, I’ve mentioned before that I play Chris in a D&D campaign, and Andrew is literally “Chris’ weird religious partner” in his backstory of that game, which obviously should not be taken as any confirmation or denial of anything in the Purity Town comic proper. I do things for fun and you can too.

So...do as you please! They were always meant to have a close bond, and you can interpret that however you like, but I don’t plan for it to be direct whichever way in-comic.

Thanks!! I’m not always in a good position to add the little background details like that, but when I am, I have a good time with it. Andrew’s house especially is fun as it’s a weird mix of “things left by the previous owner” and “random housewarming gifts.” Andrew doesn’t have too many personal decorations!

👀!

The better question is “how much gear am I capable of drawing?”

In all seriousness, I definitely want him to get some fun new gear (I promise he won’t be in a normal shirt/pants/shoes and homemade cloak combo forever). I won’t be including everything, just stuff that makes sense for his build and will visually work well in the comic, but I’m excited for him to get some upgrades!

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

Last bit is a submission that made me smile! I wasn’t sure how to go about formatting/posting it, so I decided to add it in with the asks. Credit to @wingedcatgirl​ ! Thank you for the sticker :D

“found your comic yesterday through your... fanfics?? they're not really fanfics since you wrote purity town in the first place but they also are terraria fanfics... found your comic yesterday through the text you've posted on ao3, let's go with that

anyway this one panel was fucking hilarious so here have a discord sticker of it“

[willel]

I agree with you about Mike. But what kind of conflict they could have written for him that wouldn’t have felt forced? He grew up in a normal (doesn’t mean perfect) family, he’s white, straight, healthy, good grades, not ugly, found his girlfriend in the first season. There isn’t much to do with such a "normal" character, imo.

Like I said, I think something could've happened to his family at some point. Maybe not even a major tragedy like Holly and Karen dying, but SOMETHING.

Lucas grew up normal too, other than the racism. They still managed to find personal conflicts for him, racism included (even though they downplayed that part a bit, as I predicted they would)

Even Lucas's romantic issues seem so.... down to earth and real? Maybe because Lucas can speak more openly with Max about what he's feeling and thinking even if it's the wrong thing sometimes? Of course, not to compare the two pairings since they're very different.

Maybe instead of focusing so much on the "I couldn't say I love you"... I dunno... hm.... ah! I have an idea!

Everyone is pretty aware of Max and Mike's similarities yeah? They're kinda closed off snarky individuals. As they say, "same character different fonts."

MAYBE instead of the "I couldn't say I love you" dilemma.... Mike was just being distant like he does to pretty much everyone else (Will and Lucas in particular) Actually, Mike would be similar to Jonathan too because Jonathan is doing the same thing to Nancy.

Well shoot, seems like all my ideas are already being done for other characters. Lol

But hey, maybe that's not so bad! If he's being distant like Jonathan, well guess what? He's with Jonathan the whole season! Maybe Jonathan would give him advice.... as in, "I can give advice but not take my own advice" kind of thing. Or maybe Jonathan would see how distance has hurt El so obviously and he reflects more about Nancy and decides he'll come clean at some point?

That way we get development for two characters with one stone. If they played it out that way, maybe I wouldn't have minded so much. You'd be giving Mike interactions with a character outside of someone who is in love with him (El or Will), allowing his character to develop more naturally AND give Jonathan's character more stuff to do too. Jonathan was once the big brother of the group after all.

Let's see, what else. Well, if the Duffers weren't in such a rush to yeet Mike to California, they could've done more with the whole ditching Lucas for d&d stuff. That really hurt Lucas and Mike being confronted with that could've called for some growth. Then again, Lucas doesn't even bring it up to Dustin so that conflict just.... completely disappeared. :/

But in an imaginary world where they didn't drop half of Lucas's conflict, let's pretend he does see Mike one last time before he goes to California. They get into a tizzy, much like they used to. Mike arrives in California being even more of a sour puss because of his argument with Lucas.

AHA! This would be great! Then Mike and Will's discussions won't all have to be relationship and dating advice from the boy who's never been in a relationship and is gay in the 80's. It could also be about his fight with Lucas AND the fight between him and Will. It would bring up the conflict from season 3 all over again you know? And this time, they could actually work through it and Mike would tie it all together and reflect on his friends and his girlfriend! Yes!

When they get back to Hawkins and see Lucas in the hospital, it would hit so much more when Mike and Lucas hug too. Maybe even an apology. Oooo I like it a lot.

It'd be like Mike is juggling all these conflicts he accidentally and unintentionally started, but he'd come out on the other side with his bonds stronger than ever, ready to pull everyone together for the final season maybe.

Yes, I think that is what Mike's character is missing. More conflicts within the party that is resolved in a satisfying way. His conflict with Will was not resolved in a satisfying way in season 3. His conflict with Lucas was not resolved in a satisfying way in season 4. Bring things back to Dustin, I think he should get in this too. It's really too bad they don't wrote Lucas and Dustin together anymore.

So there it is. Some nice cool stuff for Mike to do that isn't just romantic drama that could've played well going into the final season if he's supposed to be the party leader again.

[queenimmadolla]

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐌𝐞 . . . Hi, I'm Vivi. You can call me Queenie if you want. I'm black/mixed. I'm in my early 20s, asexual and I hyper-fixate a lot. One thing you should know before interacting with me, personally, is you should not ever hold me to high standards, conduct wise; meaning, (if you're going to be rude/mean) that I will always never be the bigger person. I don't care to be. That entails me dishing back exactly what you're serving, probably worse. This is an 18+ account.

𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 . . . My reader is black (the entire reason I started publishing my writing is because I was tired of coming across reader-inserts in which the reader wasn't described to look like me or was biologically related to the whitest of characters, which obviously I could not imagine or relate to); however, I try to keep descriptions to a minimum so most of my works are consumable for all races. Additionally, you'll find that most of the characters mentioned in Stranger Things (all seasons) are depicted to live in Hawkins in my works. That includes Eden, Argyle, the Byers family (again) and so on. I also tend to use a lot of background characters and most deceased characters are alive.

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐈 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 . . . I write primarily for the older teens and young adults of Stranger Things (though I plan on branching out with fandoms eventually) including but not limited to Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers, Robin Buckley, and Nancy Wheeler. One thing that should be noted is I like to have all the characters interact and often "crossover" with my own writings, which means a reader paired up with Steve Harrington in one work may be mentioned in passing as an entirely different character (but still reader) from the reader in an Eddie Munson x Reader works. I usually try to have the character (Eddie, Steve, Robin, etc.) I'm writing for refer to the reader by nickname to avoid confusion between the two. But you may interact with yourself from another one of my works, lol.

Requests are currently CLOSED (I've got a lot of writing to catch up on, and once I do, I'll be able to fill all requests but until then, I can only fill whatever request I won't have to dedicate a whole lot of time too. I don't like to half-ass anything, which is why I have to implement this). PROMPTS; however, I am ACCEPTING. Should you submit a good little Headcanon or a thought, I just might have to write about it! Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you enjoy what I put out!