#very job still making me want to die but at least i can hear a nice story and have a good little conversation

[loverboybitch]

“take a deep breath there is hope in the air.”.//.

[maraxp]

                       ⚓  ♰     .     ࣪  🪨 ♡‌  ㅤ۪ㅤ    ⏖     ꒪       𓉼    

⟣ character : live action!roronoa zoro // fem!reader

⟣ synopsis : after witnessing the fight with zoro and dracule mihawk with the rest of the strawhats, you were by zoro’s side as he healed, comforting him and so on, not knowing that he was secretly listening to you.

⟣ word count : 672 words.

⟣ tags : not proofread (i’ll fix that later), strawhat!reader, female / afab reader, mentions of injury, praise, pet names “dear” and “jerk”, no use of “(y/n)”, fluff, swearing, mentions of alcohol, semi-soft! reader, comfort, eventual smut (not in this post / slow burn), will add more as the series progresses

⟣ note : yes, it is the live action zoro we all know and love. this is my first fanfiction here but it’s not my very first fic ever. english is not my first language so if i made any mistake, please let me know !

it scared you. the fight between roronoa and that mihawk guy scared you, and you didnt know why.

was it because of the fear eating your mind when you saw roronoa’s huge gash on his chest? was it remembering zoro asking to duel mihawk to “fight to the death” while you secretly doubted that he was going to lose? probably both.

when luffy rushed to search for help, you stared at zoro laid out on the ground. you weren’t disappointed, you weren’t disgusted either. you were afraid that he was going to die from how deep the wound was.

when he was brought in, your heart was racing. you didn’t know that zoro being severely injured would actually make you have a heart attack. then again, you saw that he was a skilled swordsman, you knew it was a rare chance for him to get cut up like that.

everyone took turns visiting zoro as he slept with his wounds treated, telling him stories and what not to keep him closer to life than death. when it was your turn, your heart raced. you didn’t know what to say, so you nervously walked in the room, playing with your fingers.

you sat by zoro’s side as he laid, staring at his features. what made your heart slow was the soft rise and fall of his chest, and the sound of his relaxed breathing. time flew by as you sat by his side, humming a soft tune to let zoro know that you were there with him. your hand rested on top of his, rubbing your thumb against the top of his hand.

what you didn’t know was that you were the best comforter for him. you didn’t even realize it until now and it made you smile. you sighed as you gave zoro a soft, reassuring squeeze to his hand. all it took was a small ‘i miss you’ for your thoughts to actually cooperate and think about a genuine thing to talk about.

“you didn’t even have time to think about your actions, you jerk.” you smirked, scoffing at the memory. “nami, usopp, and i worry for you, dear. why did you want to fight that mihawk guy all of a sudden? was it the drinks? were you drunk? i don’t mind about that but still, you scared me back there, roronoa. please don’t do that again, my dear.” you whispered, it truly did frighten you but at least you’re glad that he’s alive now.

you gave his hand another soft squeeze as you raised it to your lips, giving it a small peck. “but you did very well back there, i can give you that. great job, roronoa. i’d love to see more of you in action.” you mumbled, scooting a bit closer to zoro. “we miss you, roronoa. i hope you realize that, dear.” you continued as you brought your hand up to stroke his hair.

what spooked you was when you looked at zoro’s face, you could’ve sworn you saw a tiny smirk displayed on his lips. did he hear all of that? it made you shudder a little, now feeling embarrassed.

you stumbled over your words, clearing your throat while you felt the heat rush to your face. “i’ll– uhm.. i’ll– go get—” you cleared your throat again. “uh.. i’ll go get luffy.”

when you scooted away, you gave his warm hand one more soft squeeze before gently hopping off to leave the room. that sleeping swordsman in the center of the room took your breath away, you could admit that. but you didn’t admit the sudden burn in your chest whenever he would talk to you, especially when you sat next to him back at the baratie.

was it what you thought it was? or was it just a regular heartburn without any other reason behind it? it confused you, but you would be lying if you said it didn’t make you feel at home. he made you feel at home. and you liked him for that.

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© maraxp 2023. banner made by me. please do not copy, repost or translate any of my work without permission.

[alexanderwales]

The high-level prophecy interpreters all worked for the government or major corporations. They were the ones with the money, and the ones most likely to be the subject of a prophecy. Sometimes you'd have a multi-billionaire hire on a prophecy interpreter, but usually they just had one on retainer. The same went for celebrities who were famous enough to attract significant prophecies.

But at the lower level, there were prophecy interpreters who opened up their own firms, usually just one or two if they weren't in a major city. That was me: I had gotten in prophecy interpretation in college and ended up majoring in it after the Kepler Incident. I had my name on bus stops and billboards, and a single secretary in my employ who thankfully handled most of the phone calls.

In the field we sometimes divide the business up into three sectors based on timing. There's "prophecy impact", which is when we do a consultation right after the prophecy has been made, or at least sometime before it rears its head. Some prophecies are decades in the making, but people want to be told what to do about them. I hate that part of the job, personally, because there's not a whole lot to do, depending on the language. Plus the conversations are pretty repetitive: a guy hears a pretty clear-cut prophecy that he's going to die falling out of a plane, and he's begging for some way out, as though there's something I can do about it, as though I can tell him that prophecies are lairs sometimes. Prophecies are liars, but they're clever liars, hiding meanings inside words, only clear after they've passed. You can't escape prophecy, and at least half of "prophecy impact" clients explaining that fact to them.

The second sector is "prophetic immanence", when the client has a prophecy that they think is coming true. Sometimes this can be because there's a trigger phrase in the prophecy, a conditional that appears to have been met. One of the dirty secrets of the industry is that nine times out of the ten, people are mistaken: the nature of prophecy is such that you can't often pinpoint when the prophecy is nigh. In my opinion, you can judge a prophecy interpreter by how upfront they are about this. The weasels will milk their clients dry by pretending that every moment is a crisis moment.

It's the last sector that I find the most satisfaction from, which is why it's a disappointment that it's the least in demand. This is post facto prophecy interpretation. You're not trying to prevent anything, you're not formulating a reaction, you're just trying to figure out what happened and how it all fit together. These are clients that are in the aftermath of prophecy, or what they're pretty sure is the aftermath, and a lot of the time, they just want someone to talk to more than they want my specific expertise.

My client that day was an artist, a rising star who had a few very successful gallery showings. It had been prophesied that her older brother would accidentally kill her father, but it had been her instead. This wasn't a recent trauma, but the wound was clearly still there, so I tried to navigate it as carefully as I could.

"One of the things that makes prophecy tricky is ambiguity," I said gently. "There are some, outliers, that depend on pretty tortured readings. But in this case, I think it's just an alternate meaning. From what you gave me, the prophecy was specifically 'the child who first draws breath', and that's in reference to your career as an artist."

"That's stupid," she said. "He's two years older than me, would he really never have doodled a person drawing? Just a few lines indicating that something is coming out of their mouth?" Her hands were folded in her lap. They were curiously still, for someone who used her hands for a living, but maybe artists were like that, preserving the tools of their trade.

"It's stupid," I agreed. "But I do think it's entirely possible that his drawings didn't include anyone breathing, and that yours did."

"How can we know for sure?" she asked.

"We can't," I replied. "Though if we take for granted that the prophecy was fulfilled, and that you were the one to fulfill it, then we have to search for answers within the realm of what we know. And if you're not satisfied with that answer, then I need to spend some time searching for alternate meanings, to find some interpretation that lands better."

"I could understand it if I had some obsession with drawing breath," she said. "If I had done a series of paintings of visible breath escaping from a person's body, then that would make sense. But it's not that, it's the first to draw breath, and that's just ... I mean, doodles we did when we were children. It means nothing. We have no way to mark that. It wasn't pivotal."

I shrugged. "It is what it is." I use that phrase a lot. "There's a selection effect with prophecies. The ones we hear about are hugely ironic, they show the hand of fate, they warp and twist people. But many of them are just," I shrugged again. "Things that happened."

"My brother moved away," she said. "My father had kind of accepted it, probably from the moment we were born, or before that. He'd made peace with it, hadn't tried to fight it. But it was a hard thing to learn for my brother, and he'd just left to go to school a thousand miles away, and coming home was always stressful for him, because maybe this was when it was going to happen."

I nodded. "I can see where that would be difficult. How did he handle it?"

"Poorly," she sighed. "Dad was a good guy. My brother lost all that time, and it had always been a source of tension between them, not the death, but their perspective, you know? Dad preached acceptance, my brother wanted to avoid it, and so when my brother went out west, dad was disappointed. He said it was like losing his son, and that he'd have rather died than have that happen. So not only did my brother not have a close relationship with my dad because of the prophecy, it turns out that dad was right all along. It would have been better for everyone not to fight it."

"Maybe," I said. "In the business we don't counsel people not to fight prophecies. Sometimes it's the right thing to do."

"Well, sorry for wasting your time," she said. "Though I guess I'm paying by the hour, and I'm not going to apologize for something I paid for. So I'd like my apology back, please."

I smiled at her. "Certainly."

She stood up to go, and I marked the time so I could bill her later, but she paused for a moment. I put in the time all the same; so far as I was concerned, we were off the clock.

"Do you have any unresolved prophecies that you know of?" she asked.

"That's sort of a personal question," I said. "But I get it a lot, and if it might help you, I can share: I'm going to be eaten by an alligator."

"You're ... what?" she asked.

"An alligator?" I asked. "They live in swamps."

"And how are you going to be eaten by one?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know," I replied. "There's a chance I've dodged it already, or ... dodged it in the way that you can sometimes dodge an obvious reading." I held up my hand and showed her my pinky, or rather, my lack of pinky. "I went down to Florida, had my finger amputated, then fed it to three baby alligators under the supervision of a zoo keeper."

She stared at me. "And that works?" she finally asked.

"We'll see," I replied. "In general, yes, it's an approach with relatively good outcomes. A self-fulfilling prophecy. It's a peace of mind thing."

"But ... your finger?" she asked. She was looking at it. I sometimes thought that going with a toe would be better, or a chunk of flesh from somewhere else, but I had heard that losing a toe could interfere with balance. I had never regretted that it was a pinky finger.

"If I didn't avert the prophecy, I want to be the kind of guy who says 'oh, well that's funny'," I replied. "I think ... whatever helps you, you know? And now I don't need to stay up at night wondering how the hell it's going to happen. See, your father had it right, I think. You have to find a way to make peace with it. And this was what it took for me to make peace with mine. Though I have to admit that I'm not a fan of zoos, and I don't take vacations south of the Mason Dixon, so maybe I'm not as much at peace as I would like myself to believe."

"Huh," she said. She looked away from the missing finger and to my eyes. "Thank you for sharing that."

"It's okay if you think it's kooky," I replied.

"No," she said. "I was just ... thinking that if my brother had something like that, he might have had more time with dad before he passed."

I nodded. "You can share that story, if you think it will help. Sometimes it does."

When she left I went back to my computer, cruising the local news sites to see whether there had been any updates. I hadn't given her the best advice. My mind had been elsewhere.

A local guy had been busted for breeding reptiles without a license. I was sure it was nothing, but they hadn't said what specific reptiles it had been. It was probably nothing. I mean, a full-grown alligator escaping from custody, finding me, and managing to eat me was a little too much for me to believe.

But fate is a funny thing sometimes, and I was going to keep my eyes open.

[hanafubukki]

Summary: Malleus offers you a happy ending.

[Can be seen as Lilia’s route/sequel to this fic]

“Take my hand YN, and I’ll make your happiest dream come true.”

You were frozen. It was tempting, especially now after seeing the hell Lilia went through. Your heart yearned to reach out and take his hand, but your mind screamed otherwise.

But the look gentle look in Malleus’ eyes-

“I-”

A hand concealed your vision before you were pulled backwards into someone, the familiar scent had you relaxing.

“What’s this? You’re trying to steal My YN away? What a petulant boy I raised.”

“I merely offered what will bring them happiness.”

“That’s my job. Tsk tsk I can’t believe I have to worry about one of you trying to steal them away from me. It seems I have to teach you a lesson still.”

“HAHAHA, you think you can take me on?”

“Of course I can! Who do you take me for? Now get ready!…and RUN!”

A hand pulled you away from the group as a malicious laugh echoed.

The calm after dealing with Malleus’ OB was very much needed. Your body aches in places you didn’t think possible, especially given that you were asleep most of Malleus’ blot.

But that was done, and the family was still healing. At least everyone was on the same page now. Lilia understood how much he mattered and his sons were able to express themselves to him.

A few strings were pulled and Lilia was allowed to stay, you are pretty sure that Malleus threatened the Headmaster or the Queen.

Either way, he wasn’t going anywhere which you were grateful for.

“Hot chocolate?”

You looked at the cup Lilia offered you.

You gave him a look, “Who made it?”

Lilia gave you a deadpan look, “I can make hot chocolate.”

“I don’t want it.”

Lilia sighed dramatically, “Silver made it.”

“Then I’ll gladly take it.”

“My son makes it and it’s okay, but if I make it-”

“I’ll die.”

You smiled into your hot chocolate as Lilia grumbled to himself.

The talk did them all good. I’m glad to hear him call Silver his son. Good for both of them.

“Curious minds can’t help but wonder.”

“Well, curious minds should ask.”

“What would your dream have been? If you had taken Malleus’ hand?”

You leaned your head on his shoulder, “I wouldn’t have taken it.”

Lilia pulled you closer, “Why not?”

“Because reality brings me more happiness than any dream could. I have you and everyone else here. No dream can beat that.”

You took his hand in yours, “Besides, only reality can give me what I truly wish for.”

You tapped on a certain finger, smiling at the slight widening of his eyes.

I want to be with you for the rest of our lives.

The smile Lilia gave you then had you falling for him all over again.

Bonus:

“Boys! YN proposed to me! Oh~ I am so flustered~”

You don’t look flustered. In fact, you look like the cat who ate the canary…I wonder if it’s to late to ask Malleus to put me to sleep.

...I seem to keep writing proposals in my Lilia fics 😂🥰

💚🌺💞🌻 Hope you enjoyed.

[14buddy22]

Hey if you're looking for Hotch requests, what about Hotch dealing with a crush on a non-bau sunshine reader when he's still sad after the divorce/Foyet but he's so confused by his feelings because it's been so long that he doesn't know what's going on??

Like if it's case related, maybe he thinks reader is a suspect because why else would he be so on edge around her and it's just so painfully obvious to everyone else. Idk if that makes sense but I just think Hotch being so out of touch with his emotions despite being a profiler would be funny lol

Feel free to adapt and make it your own!! Thanks!!

Thanks for your request! I hope it lives up to your expectation!

You were the best damn bartender in Quantico, Virginia. At least, that's what you thought to yourself. You made work fun. You worked in a club environment so if you wore something scandalous, flirted with the customers a bit, you were sure to bring in a hefty tip at the end of the night.

But, you loved the hustle and bustle of it. You loved the interactions, loved singing along to the bands or the good music. You loved having conversations with the locals, loved celebrating parties for kids turning 21, people getting married, or hell, people getting divorced.

Then you met who you swore is your soulmate. Something in you stilled when you were bartending. You never froze up at your job. You were good at what you do. But seeing him walk through that door, looking all handsome in a suit, he took your breath away. You watched how he interracted with the bouncer.

You watched him show his badge to your best friend. FBI. An average Joe wouldn't just waltz into your bar, you knew he was a sophisticated man.

But when he locked eyes with you, you felt like the bar had heated up 100 degrees. Making his way over to you, you were trying to calm down. What had you feeling like this?

"Hi, I'm Agent Hotchner with the Behavioral Analysis Unit for the FBI. It's my understanding from the gentleman at the front that you are the lead bartender?"

You finished making your drink for one of the locals and asked your partner to manage the bar. Luckily it was early evening and the college kids had about another hour before they started flooding in so you knew you'd be okay leaving her by herself.

"Yes, I'm Y/n Y/L/N. It's nice to meet you. How can I help you?"

You shook his hand, and you swore you both held it for longer than you both intended.

All I could think was that she was beautiful. No, no, I can't think like that. My wife, ex-wife was brutally murdered a little over a year ago. Something's different talking to her, to-Y/n. Something I haven't felt in a while but I don't know what it is.

She's a bartender. I hear she's a damn good one. Maybe that's why she's about to be the suspect in a string of murders. Men have been killed shortly after they leave this bar. Traces of posion have come back on the tox screen. Bartenders have access to the drinks and alcohol before they serve, y/n's the perfect suspect.

But she's beautiful, and I haven't seen her stop smiling at all. She has a gorgeous smile. She'd be the sunshine on the rainiest days for the men that have been murdered. Before I know it, my thoughts and feelings consumed me, I'm still holding her hand. I could feel Dave's eyes burning a hole into me.

"Have you heard about the three men murdered around town?"

"Yeah, I have. It's very unfortunate. They were great men. At least to me. They tipped well and always had friendly conversations. They also stood up for me if some men coming in here for the first time were getting a little handsy with me."

Oh how I wished I could be the one to make sure no one got handsy with her. Wait, what am I saying? She's a suspect, she doesn't know it, but she is.

"How were they killed?"

Agent Hotchner's partner spoke up to answer your question.

"They were poisoned."

Ugh, these poor men. Had to die a slow pain, they didn't deserve it. They deserved justice now.

"We just wanted to come in to see if anything unusual has happened lately."

"I've seen a lot of crime shows with my ex-boyfriends before. You're really trying to see if I did it. Which I didn't. I don't think I have the heart to kill anyone. I broke up with my last ex because he hunted and I couldn't bare the thought of killing animals."

Of course you broke up with your ex because of that. But I have a job to do and I have to investigate further. Plenty of killers have lied straight to my face before.

"We'll be in touch Ms. Y/l/n, thank you for your time."

You smiled and shook their hands one last time before you went back to working your shift. Something about Aaron caught my eye. Maybe it's the way he was blushing like a school boy. You're not sure, but he was handsome.

Just when Aaron walked into the bar, you smiled at him, offering him a drink.

"Agent Hotchner, it's good to see you again."

Your smile never waivered. Maybe you would shoot your shot with him.

I can't believe I have to do this. Arrest someone this pretty. Arrest this girl who Rossi thinks I have feelings for. What? Feelings? That's an intense word, but I have to arrest her.

"Unfortunately I'm here to place you under arrest."

I watched all the color drain from her face. I watched her smile fall so fast. But it had to be her. Rossi and the team wasn't so sure, but I have a gut feeling it's her. Of course with it being my team, they weren't going to stop me. I took her sunshine away.

"Agent Hotchner, I, I didn't do anything."

Your manager saw what was going on, he was like your work dad. He took care of you like his daughter, despite him having sons, he treated you like his princess. You heard him say say, "Y/n, I'm getting you a lawyer, do not speak. I know you didn't do this. But I'll meet you where they're taking you."

You smiled back at him, tears filling your eyes. You wanted to make everyone happy, you never wanted to hurt anyone. How are you being arrested? You didn't do anything wrong.

Your ride back in Aaron's SUV was silent. How could you think he was your soulmate? Your soulmate would never arrest you. But you were still feeling something, you couldn't explain it.

I keep looking in the rearview mirror at her. I had to trust my gut. She poisioned those men. But why do I feel so guilty arresting her. From the time we had met her, been surveillencing her, up until I placed the handcuffs on her, she had smiled. Everyone spoke highly of her. I took away her sunshine. I did that.

As you walked into an interrogation room, Aaron sat you down in the seat, then took off your hand cuffs, handcuffing one hand to the table instead.

"We'll wait for your lawyer, do you need anything?"

"No."

You couldn't even look at him. How could her. You told him you didn't do it.

As I walked out, I was greeted with Penelope. "Sir, she has nothing on her record, not even a speeding ticket. I've looked through her social media posts and everyone spoke so highly of her. Friends were making special post to thank her for being a great friend. She took care of everyone. Sir, I-I know I'm not an agent, but I just can't believe it's her."

Penelope was cut off by my phone ringing, picking it up after viewing the caller I.D.

Morgan said, "Hotch, we got the wrong girl. It's Y/n's bartending partner. I just watcher her slip something into this guy's drink. I'm bringing her in, we can cut Y/n loose. You can be happy now. Y/n's not a killer. What that gut feeling is, is your feelings that you like her Hotch. You haven't felt that since Haley. I know it's been 20 years, but trust me man. Y/n is something special, according to the track record she has. She's the opposite of a killer. She's just the type of sunshine that you and Jack need in your life."

Aaron walked in and said, "I'm sorry, there has been a huge mistake. You are free to go. It was the other bartender you worked with.

"What? There's no way. She's amazing at what she does."

Aaron shook her head and said, "One of my agents was in the bar watching the entire time, he was undercover. He watched her slip something in another man's drink."

"Oh. Well, I'm glad you got the right killer. If, if you don't mind, can one of your agents give me a ride home? I don't have my car, obviously."

You didn't know how to feel. You knew you didn't do anything, but was Agent Hotchner always going to have a doubt in his mind that you were a killer?

You got in his car, this time sitting in the front seat. A storm was coming in, you enjoyed the rain and thunder, it calmed you. You two rode in silence, when he dropped you of at your apartment, he walked you up.

When you opened your door, you turned around to thank him, instead that didn't come out.

"I told you I didn't do it, ya know?"

"I know. I know. I'm sorry. I. There's something about you, y/n. I thought you were a suspect, but you should've never been one."

As your eyes were red and filled with tears, you looked at the man who you thought was your soulmate, instead, he had ruined you. Yes, you two didn't date, yes, you didn't hook up, but there was something there.

"Well then why the hell did you do this, Aaron? Why arrest me?"

"My ex-wife passed away a year ago. I haven't had feelings for anyone in nearly 20 years. My feelings for you confused me. I didn't know what I was feeling. I didn't know what these feelings were because I've been so out of touch with them. And it took me a minute to realize that these feelings are because I didn't think you were a killer, I thought you were beautiful. I think you're beautiful. But that gut feeling was that I think. I think I've found my soulmate."

As she stepped closer to me, I watched the sunshine fill her eyes again, her smile creeping up her face. God, was she beautiful and amazing, and from her friend's testimonies who I interviewed, she was a down right amazing person. Just the absolute sunshine to be around.

You were going to kiss Aaron. You were glad he figured out his feelings. This was going to be the start of something new. You didn't know what happened to his ex, you'd find out someday. You took the chance. You placed your hands on Aaron's hips and leaned in to kiss him. You were so happy that Aaron felt the same way. How did you know this? He placed his hands on your face and kissed you back like you were the only sunshine he'd ever see again.

[junicult]

First of all, love you work!!! Secondly, for the bachelors asking farmer if they can try something new in the bedroom and what do you think the new kink they want to try would be?

!! the bachelors & their kinks

contains ; smut! nsfw. fem!farmer. much suggestive content. kinkplay (obvi). light bondage. fem!masturbation. fingering. slight edging. orgasm control / denial. overstim. squirting. mirror sex. oral (f!receiving). very brief mention of an insecure!reader (elliot’s.)

note ; i got another ask like this about just their fav kinks, so i’m combining them both here.

harvey.

- now, to some of you, this man may scream vanilla.

- which, okay, isn’t untrue.

- he loves those nights when you’re just needy and desperate, you just need him to be with you, no extra stuff.

- missionary, holding hands, moaning into your mouth while whispering abt how much you love each other—yeah, that’s his favorite.

- but, are we just gonna sit here and pretend like he’s not literally an overthinker?????

- OFC THIS MAN IS KINKY!!!!!

- but he’d much rather live in ignorant bliss then know you’d be turned off by his kinks.

- so yes. he’s got some pretty closeted fantasies, things he’s always wanted to try but has been wayy too scared to even mention.

- even if you’re like, “oh c’mon, you’re telling me there’s nothing you want to try?” practically BEGGING for him to confess,

- he’s just gonna swallow and shake his head.

- the thing about harvey, tho, is that during sex (even though he enjoys it very much), his main goal is to make sure you’re feeling good.

- it’s all about you, and whatever you want to try.

- you’ve definitely told him your biggest kinks, and can i just say you’ve definitely tried them all.

- that’s just bc he wants to do that for you.

- he was excited to help you fulfill those fantasies, especially since it made you feel so good.

- and depending on what a few of them were, he definitely tries to incorporate them into every night sex.

- anyways—

- it (annoyingly) takes a while to finally get him to open up.

- but once he finally tells you, ohhh boyyy.

- firstly, he’s into bondage. i said it.

- light, but still enough that you’re restrained at least somehow.

- whether it’s using his tie to pull your hands back, or a full on rope tying your limbs to the bedposts—i swear.

- he’s super gentle, tho. tying each knot and asking a quiet, “is it too tight?” every time.

- but fucckkkkk

- he’s gonna be so criminally slow.

- i wanna say he’s a switch. a big fan of letting you take the lead somedays, and him some others.

- so being able to tie you up is like his own leverage this time.

- he gets to see you squirming underneath him, body scorching and you’re just so desperate for him to fuck you,

- but he won’t. not yet, cus you just look so so pretty and, well, if this is his biggest fantasy, then he’s gonna take his time.

- secondly…roleplay.

- 🫡

- now, this may not be an everyday fantasy, but it’s definitely something he’d want to try at least once.

- and if we’re being literal, the only roleplay i can see him really wanting to try is some sort of doctor play.

- this man would NEVER (ignoring the fact that ur technically one of his patients so really not never) visualize his patients in such a way. he takes serious pride in being a doctor, and his professionalism.

- but hear me out—he’d die to have you on his table, you’re just so fucking horny and he’s kinda stressed, so he just fucks u right there in his office.

- lab coat still on, stethoscope hanging around his neck still. he’s literally in his entire work uniform.

- that’s just his biggest fantasy, tho.

- realistically, he’d never do that.

- it’d be a serious violation of anyone found out, and he’d lose his job (and likely much worse.)

- not to mention, extremely unsanitary. as much as he’d love to, he’d literally never.

- so, approaching this kink wouldn’t be easy.

- you’d probably get him to tell you, and he’d finish it with, “i’d much rather keep my job then throw it away by doing something reckless,” and you understand that, but it’s super exciting to see his face get all red and his eyes avoid contact.

- that doesn’t stop the thought from invading your mind every time you pop into the clinic to say hi to him.

- dropping him off a warm cup of coffee, and if he isn’t busy, you may even lean across the counter to give him a chaste kiss.

- except you’re sliding your hand around the back of his neck, feathering your fingers through his short brown hair and pulling him in, sorta taking him by surprise cus that’s hardly a kiss for a greeting.

- and you’re smiling when you pull away, a little devilish twinkle in your eye when you say, “i’ll see you at home, doctor,” just before waltzing out the door.

- hah. yeah.

- it’s gonna be a looonngg shift.

sam.

- he’s an open book.

- it didn’t take any prying at all, but the topic probably didn’t come up for a while.

- not until you guys were just sitting together one day, just talking like you usually do.

- and out of curiosity he asks, “is there anything you’d ever wanna try in bed? sexually?”

- so you tell him, and then proceed to ask the same question.

- he pretends to think for a moment.

- but really, he already knows what he wants to say.

- and he probably has a whole story to follow it up LMFAO

- “like, a long time ago i was, y’know…watching porn or whatever, like you do,” he’s looking down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs, “and i saw this one thing once. thought it was pretty cool.”

- “…which was?”

- he clears his throat. “just like…a dominatrix…”

- yeah.

- this man wants to be dominated 🤷‍♀️

- he probably went as far as to make a vow to himself that he’d try it once.

- don’t get me wrong, he’s definitely a switch as well. he likes being in control, and even a healthy dose of letting you be in control,

- but i’m talking DOMINATED.

- like, talk down on him, be a little rough, use him like he’s a toy.

- he’ll go fucking crazy.

- he genuinely doesn’t care what you do, just as long as you’re getting so much out of this, just using him however you please.

- i think i’ve said this a million times,

- but once he gets going, this man won’t shut the fuck up. he’s just talking and talking, spewing nothing but porn from his lips,

- and the moment you stuff ur panties in his mouth to shush him…

- yeah, that’s it. he’s done. he’s fulfilled his biggest dream.

- and he’s so glad you did it for him.

- another kink i feel like he’d have is you using him somehow to get yourself off, without touching his dick or something.

- and he definitely didn’t know he had this kink until once when you were just making out, you were so desperate that you subconsciously started rubbing against his thigh,

- and he didn’t realize what you were doing until you just cut yourself off moaning, head hanging and eyes lidded.

- he just placed his hands on your hips, watching you, how your hips moved against his clothed thigh and how your eyebrows pinched,

- you weren’t actively touching him or anything. but he got so hard that he started to feel like you literally were.

- he lets you use him to ride out your high, hardly paying attention to the way you’re panting, “‘m sorry, jus’ couldn’t—i’m sorry—“

- he’s already cutting you off,

- “do that again, fuck, do that again please.”

shane.

- he’s so kinky lol.

- the real question is what isn’t one of his kinks?

- no cus honestly, i feel like he’d be down to try anything at least once. just to see if he liked it, and to see what he didn’t.

- for the most part, he kinda likes everything.

- within reason, of course.

- so i feel like getting him to open up about it wasn’t hard at all. especially if you’re already really close and connected with one another.

- as for his kinks, like the ones he prefers over everything else, well…i feel like they’re surprisingly underwhelming.

- his absolute favorite will forever be handcuffs.

- cuffing you to the bedpost, arms up high and out of reach so he can tease you all he wants.

- and he loves when you just get so flushed and embarrassed, but you can’t use your hands to cover your face.

- it’s so rare he’d ever be the one cuffed. he likes it much more when you are.

- plus, i feel like you tried once, and you got way too cocky that he just ripped through them and fucked you stupid.

- so yeah. cuffs are appreciated.

- another one of his kinks would be watching you masturbate.

- or even guiding you through masturbation.

- it’s just so hot when he has you laying in front of him, legs propped and spread apart, with your hand teasing your cunt however you like.

- kinda, sorta degrades u while praising you at the same time.

- “you’re not gonna cum yet, are you? i thought you were better then that.” “it’s up to you, baby. you wanna cum now, or let me give it to you later?”

- he’s gonna make you edge yourself.

- but really, it’s your call if you wanna cum without his permission or not.

- if u do, that’s fine. he’ll bask in the sight of you trembling and whining from your own doing.

- however, just so you know, he’s not gonna fuck you for the next few days.

- so why’re you all clingy now, desperate and whiny?

- after all, it seems like you don’t even need him.

sebastian.

- hmmm.

- he’s absolutely not an open book.

- it took him a while to even have sex with you first, anyways. obviously he’s not gonna bust out every position or activity he’s ever wanted to try right away.

- he’s probably not going to be able to talk about it unless he’s already horny, and his pride is out the window.

- now, this man has long, thin fingers.

- yeah, he’s always liked the idea of fingering u.

- that’s not necessarily a kink, so let me take it one step further.

- his fingers can reach really deep inside of you, and in some ways, his fingers feel a little better then his actual cock.

- after years of practice with you, he’s gotten very good at learning what you like, and what you don’t like. he’s super vigilant.

- he knows just where to curve his fingers inside of you, just how quickly to pump them in and out of you to the point where you’re nothing but stuttered gasps and choked out moans.

- and because he has such long fingers, he knows exactly where that small, rough spot is inside of you.

- and he knows what can happen if he focuses specifically on just that one spot.

- see where i’m going w this?

- every single time he fingers you, he always has one end goal.

- to make you squirt.

- whether you realize that’s what he’s trying to do or not, he’s obsessed with the possibility of feeling your arousal all over his hand, making a mess out of your sheets and even his clothes if he can try hard enough (gn.)

- it wasn’t until one day when he was finally able to do it—i swear he thought he was a dead man.

- he literally came in his pants just from the sight alone 😇

- your body shaking, mind so foggy you don’t even realize what you’ve done until your breaths finally even out minutes later.

- it’s even cuter when you finally do, and you grow all embarrassed.

- “holy shit, did i just…?”

- but when you look at his flushed face, and down at the growing stain in his pants,

- let’s just say ur no longer the one who’s embarrassed.

alex.

- when it comes to sex, he’s pretty vanilla.

- he likes fucking you until you both cum, he’s not really one to edge or overstimulate you.

- but as it turns out, his kinks are pretty specific.

- i feel the need to mention that immediately, as soon as i got this ask, i just knew i had to talk about this.

- don’t get me wrong, i love alex so much. he’s so adorable.

- and this probably doesn’t count as a kink, but please hear me out when i say,

- he’ll definitely give u his jersey to wear when he fucks u stupid one day.

- i’m sorry.

- some may say narcissistic, he says confident!

- just the way his jersey engulfs your frame, his last name written in large letters above his number makes him…nghh.

- like, he was unpacking to move into the farm, found his old jersey in one of his boxes and he excitedly showed it to you.

- he was so cute about it, reminiscing on that time in his life before you offhandedly asked him to try it on.

- and he was all, “oh, no way. it wouldn’t fit me anymore.” so instead, you tried it on.

- and it just clicked on his mind.

- like a literal switch that just immediately gave him a hard on.

- he couldn’t help but kiss all down your neck, and eventually have you bent over one of the cabinets, your hair wrapped in his loose fist so he could see the jersey properly while fucking you from behind.

- ur moaning so loud, panting and whining, and he can’t help but love the fact that you’re all his.

- he’s just obsessed. ur definitely doing that again.

- this next one kinda ties into his slight narcissism, too.

- and this one also isn’t really a kink, but with how badly he wants to try it, it may as well be.

- alex likes anything that proves how strong he is.

- fucking you against the wall, holding you up entirely, literally anything that shows off his strength.

- so it shouldn’t have been a surprise when he turned to you one evening, and was just like, “you should sit on my face.”

- when you agree to it, he knows you well enough to know you’re just gonna hover.

- and he’s not having that.

- “don’t be shy, actually sit on it. c’mon, you think you could hurt me?”

- “what if you stop breathing?”

- he almost wants to roll his eyes. “then it’d be a rightful way to die.”

- “alex!”

- “baby, just sit! i’m gonna be fine, i promise. please. for me.” he’ll use puppy dog eyes, even stick out his bottom lip of he has to.

- finally, when you do, he feels like he’s ascending to heaven.

- wraps his arms around your thighs to tug you down further, and he’s looking up at you moaning like crazy while he eats you out like he’s starving.

- there was no easing into it, he’s immediately diving in.

- cus once again, if there’s one honorable way to die, then it’s buried between your thighs.

elliot.

- it’s a given he’s extremely romantic.

- he’s the type to surprise you with candlelight dinners at home, or a fancy, all expenses paid (by him) evening in zuzu city.

- all of his romance, deep love and affection for you of course translates to sex.

- he’s written a lot of novels, he’s read a lot of romances.

- but, i feel like he likes to keep it simple in bed.

- much like harvey, he prefers when you’re just in the moment together, holding each other, finishing together.

- he probably wouldn’t be against trying many things just to try them out, or if you really enjoyed them,

- but when it comes to his own kinks? they’re super tame.

- for one, he absolutely loves when he gets to put you in front of a mirror, completely naked slotted between his thighs, with either your or his fingers rubbing against your cunt.

- you just roll your head back into his shoulder, panting while he whispers words of praise into your ear.

- it’s like, he’s showering you with endless levels of pleasure, all of which you’re too short-circuited to focus on any.

- he mostly loves this position after you offhandedly, or subtly mention something poor about how you look.

- so he uses that opportunity to let you see yourself the way he sees you.

- “my pretty baby, i don’t believe you could even think so poorly of yourself.” kissing your cheek in whispering in your ear.

- he won’t edge you. he couldn’t deprive himself of waiting to see you finish.

- so another one of his kinks that he’ll never fail to forget is overstimulation.

- he’s not done until you’re practically stupid, nearly drooling.

- when all you can speak are incoherent babbles, breath staggering in your chest.

- that’s when he knows he can finally finish, bc that’s another thing,

- he’s not cumming until you’re entirely fucked out.

[rubykgrant]

Idea for a Magnus Archives AU (that I don't have time to write all the way out, but it still intrigues me~)

At some point after Martin's father left, but when he was still very young, somebody offered to bring Mrs Blackwood some furniture. Used, but still in good condition. She refused, insulted by the idea that she needed "pity" or "charity", despite the fact that her health is already making things difficult... one day, while her son is at school, she hears a knock at the door. It takes her a while to get there. When she finally opens it, whoever knocked is gone, but they have left behind a table.

She assumes it was the same person as before, and is now irritated that they have "dumped" their old junk on her doorstep. A neighbor sees and offers to at least bring it inside. She decides it may as well be put to use, so she lets the neighbor move it in. Alone in the house, she looks the table over. It certainly isn't new, but isn't too beat-up or broken. It has a VERY unique pattern... almost like an optical illusion...

When Martin gets home from school, he's surprised to see that his mother is in the kitchen, getting ready to cook dinner; she hasn't done that in a year! He offers to help, or just make himself a sandwich and canned soup if she wants to rest, but she assures him that she's feeling MUCH better. This continues for several months, the doctors are amazed by what seems to be a miracle recovery! All the neighbors and old friends agree, she's also had a change in attitude lately, but it all seems for the better. Her son is especially happy... his mother seems so much more "gentle" than she used to be, and she doesn't even make him drink oolong tea with her anymore. She's decided that Earl Grey is better.

Nobody notices that her hair is a different length, a different color. Nobody notices the shape of her eyes and jawline has changed. Nobody notices that she's taller. Not any friends, neighbors, doctors, or family. Even all the photographs in the house have changed. A different woman is holding a tiny, newborn baby. A different woman is sitting next to a small Christmas tree, helping a child open a present. Nobody notices... except for one person.

When Mr Blackwood heard from an old friend that the wife he left had recovered, he suddenly had second thoughts. He really had thought she would die, and he must have had some sort of break-down. He couldn't handle it, so he ran away... but he's thinking clearly again. It has nothing to do with the fact that he also heard his wife recently got a new job, a very well-paying one with the kind of health plan that a spouse could share. It has nothing to do with the fact that he isn't feeling well himself lately, and he's noticed that he has nobody to take care of HIM. It has nothing to do with the fact that he hasn't been able to find work, and he also can't find a place to live. He just wants to go back because he misses his wife and son. That's all.

When Mr Blackwood returned, he brought flowers. To apologize. He knocked on the door, and heard a muffled voice call- "Come in!". He picked a time of day when he knew Martin would be at school, so he and his wife could reunite with some privacy. He expected his wife to be upset. He expected his wife to be angry, maybe cry, or try to throw something at him. He expected it would take time for his wife to let him explain, then forgive him. He expected HIS WIFE. The woman in this home was not his wife... she said she was, she smiled, used his name like she knew him, but she WASN'T. Her voice, face, EVERYTHING was different! This was wrong, why was this strange woman here?

He ran away, even though she called for him to stay. He tried to speak with their friends, her family... everybody acted like he was crazy. They acted like the woman claiming to be his wife was right. After months and months of trying to talk some sense into people, he finally remembers Martin; surely a child would know their own mother? Mr Blackwood has been watching the house, and he sees little Martin kiss the woman good-bye, then leave for school. As if everything was normal. He can't stand it anymore! He bursts through the door, shouting at the woman to tell the truth, but the noise alerts the neighbors, who call for help, and he leaves...

He stays away for more than a year, but he never went far. He kept watching. He tried to figure out WHY somebody would pretend to be his wife, and HOW she could fool everybody. It never makes any sense. He comes back again, in the middle of winter. Martin is sleeping over at a friend's house. Mr Blackwood has been sleeping in an old treehouse, long abandoned by the kids who built it. He can't stand the idea of that strange woman sleeping in the bed that SHOULD be his (that would have been his, if he hadn't left). He uses his key to open the back door. She hasn't changed the locks. He goes in, ready to be rough if necessary; he will get the truth if it kills him.

Around 2 in the morning, Mrs Blackwood calls for help. Her husband, the one who left her, the one who came back and threatened her, just tried to attack her! She fought back, and he ran off again. No trace of him is ever found. When Martin comes home, they have a discussion, and decide it isn't safe to life here anymore. So they move, not too far, Martin can still visit people he knew growing up. The new house is much nicer, in a safe neighborhood.

They take just about everything with them, except for a few large pieces of furniture they sell. Mrs Blackwood wants to keep the table with the unique pattern, though. She's grown rather fond of it. The movers she hired are... odd, but they get everything to the new home very quickly. When his mother speaks with the two of them beside their truck, Martin watches from a window, and he has the strangest feeling that... his mother might just step up into it, and ride away with them. Then she'll be gone, and he'll be alone. He can't explain why, but he almost expects it to happen.

She doesn't leave. She comes back inside, smiling, and hugs her child. Why wouldn't she? As the years go by, Martin wonders about his father; why the man left, why he came back, why he seemed so confused about who his own wife was. Martin also wonders what his father looked like, as none of the pictures they saved show his face. Mrs Blackwood tells her son- "I suppose there's a resemblance, but when I look at you, I just see YOU, not him. I love you too much to see your father in your features".

Martin grows up happy and safe with his mother. He's able to finish school, and eventually starts working at a bakery. Later, when he moves out to get his own place, he finds a job at a restaurant-confectionery in London. His mother didn't want him living so far away, but he really wants to sort of "get out in the world", have some experience on his own. Someday, he'd like to have his own tea shop and cafe. He works from the middle of the day to late shifts at the cafe, and he gets to know some of the regulars very well. One woman, Sasha, comes in often to get food and drinks for her coworkers. Martin likes chatting with her, and eventually meets Tim when they come to have lunch together. He considers them to be friends.

One day, they call and tell Martin they want to order the most extravagant cake possible for their boss; it is his birthday, and they are going to be obnoxious about it, but also trick him so he doesn't know they've planned something. Martin offers to bring it over himself, so they can pretend to not be up to anything. This is how he enters the Magnus Institute. This is how he meets Jonathan Sims. This is how he starts learning about the strange things they research here. This is how he sees a picture of a table with a very curious pattern. This is how he asks if he can listen to the statement about that table...

[goodwitchhour]

stephen nedoroscik boyfriend headcanons

requested: yes / no

summary: what the title says baby !!!!

cw: idk man it’s mainly just some fluff!

notes: quickly wanted to do this while writing all of your stephen requests!! promise they’ll be up soon but uni is taking up a lot of my time for the next two weeks would also like to add that I am not, in any way, trying to disrespect stephen OR his 8-year relationship (tess ur an icon and ily, pls share ur secrets for having such a good relationship bc ya girl is desperate), this is purely for funsies & obvs fictional!!! let me know if yall want another part & what your own hcs are! okay byeeeeee

stephen nedoroscik x reader ♡

he fell first. he knows straight away if he likes someone and if he does then thats that and it was no different with you. he didn't have eyes for anyone else, especially after he learnt that you liked him as well

my guy is a little spoon. sometimes he’ll be the big spoon but he also really just wants a cuddle

speaking of.. hugs! all! the! time! will hug you from behind if you’re busy doing something or when one of you have just come home he’ll scoop you up like it’s the easiest thing ever

honestly can’t imagine ever fighting with him likeeee if one of you is upset then he’ll make sure you talk it out! will sit down with you and would be SO patient but he also won’t force you to talk it out if you’re not ready to — either way yall won’t be getting into a screaming match bc frankly I think he’d rather die

on the other hand, if the relationship is more new & fresh he might be hesitant to bring up problems in fear of potentially ruining or making things awkward between you

but once you become more comfortable with each other and your relationship he finds it much easier to come to you, especially because the trust between you is much stronger

will send you videos when he’s at practice! or he’ll actually facetime you and just be on call until it’s basically time to go back home to you! and if you're not busy then you're coming with him to the gym!!

sends you memes all the time! like if you go a few days without checking your dms on instagram or tiktok, trust that he has flooded with them with cursed posts

he will also send you photos & videos of kyushu ALL THE TIME!!! and if he’s away, he’ll ask to facetime just so he can say hi to him lol

will teach you how to play chess and will teach you about his favourite rubiks cube algorithms

will also teach you how to play rocket league if you don’t already know, like will do the whole sit you on his lap and put his hands on yours as his teaches you the controls

speaking of lap sitting, one of his love languages is physical touch fr! if you’re at home he’s practically smothering you but if yall are in public he needs to at least still hold hands or have a hand on your leg/arm/shoulder. he isn’t big on pda really but he also needs to be on your space in some way so it’s something he has to try & balance lmfao

like the scorpio he is, he’s very intense in his love for you! like he’ll keep things private about specific relationship details but he’ll still talk about you all. the. time. without compromising said privacy!! he gets especially good at keeping this balance during the olympics when the press are all over him

if you’re a gymnast like him then he loves training with you!! will help you with routines and vice versa

if you’re just a regular lil person then he loves hearing about your job! always ready for you to come home and unload on him about your day

andddd if you’re famous in some capacity then trust he’s the MOST supportive of you and your career!! like he is your n.1 cheerleader!! (side note… stephen x famous!reader anyone??)

[dreorig]

Taiju Shiba — headcanons ;

[ nsfw | sub bottom taiju x top dom male reader | reader is said to be as strong as taiju | ive had this idea for a while now heheh i need to rail him so bad it's not even funny anymore ]

Taiju is a total brat.

In front of the others he acts like he doesn't give a shit about you or like he wants you dead (depends on his mood) but he's actually very jealous and possessive.

Humiliation kink. Call him the dirtiest names you can think of and he'll sob while dripping wet.

Taiju loves punishments, seriously. He'll do the exact opposite of what you told him to just so you'll spank him.

He talks back to you because he actually values his pride but a few minutes later he'll be whimpering and behaving nicely to get what he wants. 

Taiju blushes more during aftercare than when you're degrading him and that's because he's not used to being taken care of. He secretly longs for it every time you have sex.

It might sound weird, but submitting helps him to slowly change into a better person — who would ever think he would apologise for misbehaving?

Is he stressed? Dumbify him until he's nothing but an incoherent moaning mess.

If you put a collar on his neck and tug on the leash, he'll be on his knees to suck you within seconds.

At first he thought you were dumb for reassuring him and apologising for degrading him, but he began to appreciate it as he slowly realised that's how you showed you considered him more than a sex toy.

"Imagine what people would think if they saw you like this. How would they react to the fact that you're nothing but a dirty whore? Um? To think you act so high and mighty yet you cry because the way I fuck you is just too good. Tsk. Don't you feel ashamed?"

Taiju held back a moan. "Fuck you."

You grabbed his face and made him look at you. "Who do you think you're talking to?"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" he snarled back, grabbing a fistful of your hair.

For fuck's sake, you really loved him.

You slapped his face, leaving a big handprint on his pretty face, and immediately he let go of your hair. "Don’t you fucking dare to talk back to me, slut. The only things you should do with this mouth of yours are moaning and sucking my dick, because that's all you're good for."

You pounded him harder, making every word he could think of die on the tip of his tongue. Taiju, like the little shit he was, tried to keep any sounds from leaving his lips but he just couldn't do it anymore when you leaned down to suck and grab on his chest with your free hand, still hitting his prostate like your life depended on it. Taiju closed his eyes and threw his head back on the pillow, exposing his neck full of love bites, then proceeded to let out higher moans, which at this point you already knew meant his orgasm was getting closer and closer.

“Woah,” you chuckled. “To shut you up all it takes is a slap? I bet everyone’s gonna love it when I tell them.”

Of course you'd never tell anyone but was it even sex if you didn't tease him?

 “I’m— fuck — I'm gonna kill you, asshole.”

You immediately stopped everything and just looked down at him with a bored expression. Took Taiju only a few seconds to open his eyes and protest, “Why did you stop?”

"Why the hell would I keep pleasuring a cheap whore who can't even respect his Master?"

Taiju was totally outraged, "But I was almost there!”

“Too bad, I guess.”

“C’mon, stop bitching and finish the job.”

“Keep talking like that and I'll just leave you like this. I’ll be fine if I just jerk off to some pics I took of you, although I can't say the same about you. So what do you say now?"

“Asshole.”

You loved Taiju, truly. He was such a brat, there was no way you couldn't love him. To see all his stubbornness slowly reduced to nothing but pure obedience because he just wanted you to rail him was a holy, privileged experience.

“That's not what I want to hear.”

Taiju tried to push down his hips in an attempt to feel at least something, but you were quick to hold his hips in place. Although he was the Taiju Shiba, one of the strongest men you've ever met, you matched his strength and he was too needy to try anything. Taiju was completely helpless under your grip.

You clicked your tongue. “I don't have all night, Taiju. Better decide what you want before I just leave you on your own.”

Took nearly an extra minute before Taiju’s deadly glare turned into the soft expression you always longed for. Reluctantly, he wet his lips before speaking, "Please, forgive me, Master."

A smirk quickly appeared on your face as you cupped his face and pecked his lips. “Such a good slut for me.”

[strawberrynightmere]

Bad Cats!!! [Part 3]

Warning ⚠️: yandere tendencies, mention of (temporary?) re-homing, mention of financial struggling (idk how to exactly put it), an attempt at writing a professional sounding email.

A/n: Sorry, this took a while, I had things to do. This is a bit longer than what I expected.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

It finally happened. Your boss' incompetence has set back the whole company. You knew it would happen eventually, but you thought that by then, you'd be working somewhere else. There's still no reply from the places you applied to and the bills! What are you going to do now? The obvious thing is to cut your food supply short, but that's still not enough.

And how are you going to take care of Andrew and Ashley? You can't just toss them outside. That's inhumane! You've grown attached to those two and they have also grown attached to you. Besides, they've been living here with you for some time, and you're afraid they won't be able to adjust to the streets again.

All of this has been brought up in your conversation with Julia. Unlike Nina, Julia knew how to offer helping you.

"What if I take them in until you get back to your feet."

"You would do that? Even take in Ashley?"

"Yeah! You said they got tamer over the time, besides when introduced to new people. I can deal with that for the time being."

You wanted to cry in releaf. Like a boulder just fell off of your shoulders. You make the arrangement with Julia and end the call.

"Meow?"

Andrew was right at the doorway looking at you with what you can pinpoint was concern.

You crouch down to his level and pat his head. "Everything is alright."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

You were waiting for Julia in the park, where you said you two would meet. Andrew and Ashley were in their cat carriers wondering why they were here and what was happening.

You hear footsteps running in your direction. It was Julia!

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic." She said out of breath.

You take her to the bench you were sitting on to rest a bit. While she was resting, you, for some reason unknown to anyone, spoke to Andrew and Ashley.

"Listen, you two will be staying with Julia, temporarily, please be good to her. I'll come back for you as soon as possible." Then you turn to and tell her what she needed to know about the two.

Meanwhile, Andrew and Ashley were confused, to say the least.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

The time the cat siblings spent with your friend was unpleasant. Ashley hated everything about this situation. She hated the place they were living in. She hated Julia. She hated how she treated them as babies. She hated that Andrew was unresponsive the whole stay.

"Are you still going to stay quiet?"

At this point, she'll die of boredom and frustration.

Speaking of which.

Ashley slaps her brother with her little back paw.

"Are you gonna talk now?"

"She left us."

"Huh?"

"She. Left. Us." Andrew repeated, emphasizing each word.

"Well, watcha gonna do about it?"

"Something I should've done before."

That surprised her. It took only a moment for her to realise what he meant.

"Oh. Oh! My god, really? Are you actually gonna do it? You are gonna listen to me. This. This moment is so much bigger than me! I'd like to thank myself for holding up for so long. My parents... can continue to rot in Hell where they belong."

Andrew just rolled his eyes at his sister's dramatic speech, like she was gonna get some kind of reward.

"But anyways. This episode is titled 'Andy and Leyley and the-"

"You're not going."

"Huh?!"

"You'll stay here and distract the human. She still can't tell the difference between us."

Ashley sinks down to the floor.

"And Leyley is stuck with the crumiest job possible."

"Daww, don't worry, Leyley. We'll pick you up very soon." Andrew assured in a teasing tone.

"Ha ha ha! Fucking asshole."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

One rejection letter after another. You were losing hope. You're gonna end up homeless at this point.

Slumping your head on the table.

Ding!

An email from your current job. It's probably gonna beo something like half of the company being let go. Whatever. You click on the email.

---

Respected workers of [COMPANY],

It has come to us with a heavy heart to announce that [REDACTED] from [DEPARTMENT NAME] has been forced to let go.

As you are all aware of the current setback in this company. We are glad to announce that this is just a small hiccup, and in soon time, the company as a whole will soon be able to function like before, and you'll be able to receive your full payments.

For any questions you have, please email us.

With full regards

[RANDOM NAME]

P. S. As for the new manager of [DEPARTMENT NAME], the position will be vacant until further notice.

---

This has to be a dream. You rub your eyes to confirm. Yep. It's real. So many questions were forming. Was any of this possible? What was this feeling right now?

Who cares! You won't have to worry about this anymore. You won't have to worry about finding a home for Andrew and Ashley or the possibility to send them to a pound. You won't have to worry about starving or being homeless.

And the best part? That sucker of your boss finally got fired.

Wait. Andrew and Ashley. You'll have to see until next month if you'll be able to take them back. Right. It's late. You'll tell Julie about the good news in the morning.

"Meow."

What the...

Black fur, green eyes. Either you're hallucinating from the lack of sleep and the lack of nutrition, or that really was Andrew sitting at the doorway.

You carefully get close to the cat and stretch your hand out to him. And then you feel his little head rubbing against your palm.

"What are you doing here?" You ask in a voice that was right above a whisper. "I can't take you back just yet. I need to call Julie."

Picking up your phone from the table, you dile Julie and wait for her to pick up, but there is no answer.

"Gess, I'll return you back there tomorrow."

As you say that, two arms trap you at the table where you were sitting. Turning around, you see the same man from your dreams. Black hair and green eyes. It suddenly dawned on you.

"You're not taking me anywhere."

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

A/n: There were a lot of possible plots I was working on, and honestly, this one was the only one that was working out for me. Hope you enjoyed it.

[thesensteawitch]

🌟Message From Your Higher Self 🌟

Pick A Pile Reading

(Left to Right-- Pile 1, Pile 2, Pile 3)

Hey, Senstea Souls!

I hope you're all doing well. This reading sheds light upon the messages from your future self. As this is a collective reading take what resonates and leave what doesn't. Keep your current situation in mind while taking this reading. 🍁

Book A Personal Tarot Reading|Rate Card|Tip Jar

Feel free to message me in case of any booking related queries.

Pile 1

Cards- 2 of cups, 8 of cups, ace of pentacles, the hierophant, the world, ace of cups, 10 of wands

Hello, my dear pile 1. I hear, “Open your eyes and see the way our horizons meet.” Perhaps, currently, it seems difficult for you to keep believing that you will ever experience the good things. But somewhere deep down you know that good things happen and people go from rags to riches. Tables turn and the wheel of fortune takes a turn. But all of this is just an idea in your head. You may BELIEVE in these things but you don't have enough FAITH in yourself. Your stars are guiding you. They are the reason why you are even taking this reading. Your future self can see the roadmap for you so you need to trust that new beginnings are on the horizon. You need to open your eyes. You are very lucky pile 1. Your stars align so well. Every power in the universe is ready to start many new chapters in your life. It seems difficult for you to understand the spiritual world from the 3D perception. You guys seem too tired and burdened. Some of you may even have become pessimistic. You have been trying your best to make things right but one human can't make any kind of relationship better. Any relationship's survival depends on the people involved in the relationship. You alone can't make things right. You are not going to make it alone is what I hear because some things are meant to go two ways. I feel that the situation you have been in was one-sided. And you are not able to see what this situation is doing to you. For some of you, it seems regarding a relationship or your job. It's only you doing all the work. Your higher self is asking you to quit. Surrendering is the best thing we can do sometimes. Find the courage to break this pattern in your life. Your future self is here to tell you that new opportunities knocked on their door as soon as they let go of the one-sided responsibilities they were carrying. To let new things enter your life you need to make space for them. So throw out everything out of the window that does not serve you anymore. Your creativity is suffering with so much heaviness that is burdening your heart. Your future self wants you to focus on healing your wounds. Feel your emotions and share them with the person who truly listens to your concerns. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable. This situation is trying to teach a very important lesson. Be grateful for what you have, this way you will find your lost hope. I also see that some sort of fortune/success/good news is coming your way. Don't worry because even if you quit your efforts are not going to go to waste. You'll be rewarded but you need to let go of your attachment to the result of your actions. You are only putting pressure on yourself. And pile 1, I see that you know you need to detach but you are still not able to convince yourself. At least take this reading as a sign. The more grateful you are for the things you have the more things you attract to be grateful for.

Drop a message in my Tumblr inbox to book a reading with me!

Pile 2

Cards- 2 of pentacles, Justice, 3 of pentacles, page of wands, 9 of pentacles, 6 of swords, the sun, 8 of cups

Okay, so my dear pile 2 your future self wants you to know that they made it. They have been working on something for a very long time. They did not let challenges stop their growth. They are currently living their most vibrant life. And it only happened because they did not let their spark die. Remember that only fire can ignite a room filled with darkness. Currently, for you, I see that it's difficult for you to follow your fire and find your passion. For some of you, the purpose of your life seems blurred. Movement is round the corner for you pile 2. But without action, no manifestation can take place. So you are asked to not intellectualize things so much that they stop you from achieving your life's purpose. Walk away from old patterns. It's time that you do justice with your life. You (just like all of us) signed a soul contract to fulfill. But some of you seem a bit distracted currently. If you remain in this state for a long time then you are only going to distance yourself from achieving your purpose. Your future self is doing so well because they made the right decision. Because they chose to work with love. Your passion can free you and give you the strength to overcome the challenges that may come your way. So make a decision. Sometimes, it's now or never. This new journey may seem unknown and unfamiliar to you but it is going to bring you so much abundance and self-growth. Pile 2, it's your purpose calling you. Be patient with yourself but don't drown in the narratives you have framed in your mind. Just forget about the past because your life is bringing a refreshing start. Get your mind out of your way. Get your insecurities out of your way. It should be you and your goal. If some of you have been waiting for justice to be served then know that the scales are in your favor. You don't need to worry if you were wronged. Divine will take care of it. You need to take care of your career/purpose. Keep going. Life moves in cycles and a new cycle is beginning. Consider taking guidance from someone you know can help you with your life's purpose so that you can avoid potential challenges or at least know how to overcome them. You need to show more resilience in the face of adversity. Find your spark. I see that your overly emotional nature has diminished your spark. Turn around and see what you were and how something/someone took the light away from you.

Drop a message in my Tumblr inbox to book a reading with me!

Pile 3

Cards- 3 of pentacles, four of pentacles, ace of cups, three of cups, queen of swords, queen of wands, knight of cups, ten of cups

Okay so pile 3 your future self is asking you to have fun. Stop worrying too much about the future. You don't need to stay reserved and in hibernation mode. Meet people, talk to them. Give yourself a break. Your future self is so strong. They have strong boundaries but they aren't caged. Your future self wants you to know that you are going to find a new connection. For some of you, it's a romantic connection. It's going to be a dream come true. You both are going to be so in love. It's going to be an honest and healthy relationship. Currently, you have caged yourself and you are afraid to let go of the security and safety you have created for yourself. Your whole life will feel short to explore the wide world. Your future self wants you to make new friends and create ever-lasting bonds. You will meet all kinds of people. You have so much to share. You are just denying it. There's only so much you can keep in your heart. One day it overflows and you can't hide it. Don't be afraid of social interaction. I hear, “It's everything you wanted, it's everything you don't. One door swinging open, one door swinging close.” It may be difficult for you to interact after a long period of solitude. Go out and meet just one person, maybe an old friend. This new love is going to bring so much happiness in your life. Please let people in. You don't need to trust them blindly. Trust yourself that you can handle human interaction. You don't need to be alone. Spend some money on yourself, you deserve it. Start with solo dates if you must. You are about to meet some amazing people who are going to be catalysts of change in your personality. Your future self has finally let go of all the fears that are there in your head. They are free from the constant anxiety and bickering of the mind. Your cards are so positive, pile 3. Nothing is stopping you except for yourself. Believe me, you are going to say thank you to the universe for such amazing people your future self has met. You are going to wonder why you didn't meet them earlier. Don't expect the worst because you are the creator of your destiny. Your WILL still plays the most important role. So don't let your past govern your future. Don't let your mind deceive you. Just think of the best and you'll make it through. Many of you are soon going to meet the true love of your life. And if not love then the friendship of a lifetime. Face your fears pile 3. It's going to be amazing, believe me!

Drop a message in my Tumblr inbox to book a reading with me!

[poetrysmackdown]

some informal thoughts

hello! hope the holiday season has been kind to all of you. and i hope all my jewish followers had a lovely hanukkah! anyways, since i said a few months ago that i’d pick poetry smackdown back up sometime around this time of year, i thought i should make a post. the gist of it is that i’m still quite busy, i have a break that’s about three weeks shorter than I was planning on, and i don’t currently have the mental bandwidth required to read, contemplate, and sort through poem submissions in a way that does justice to them, even if i were to recruit some friends to help out. since running a tournament format requires at least five weeks of continued engagement once it’s underway, and since i’m not at capacity to offer that right now due to the change in my schedule, i’m gonna have to bow out for now. sad bc i was looking forward to it!

my hope is that i’ll have some more time over the summer to hunker down with it, in which case you’ll be hearing from me. it’ll frankly depend on the kind of job i land in for the summer, but i find that my unemployed spirit can typically keep me doing stupid shit regardless of workload...to a point. i don’t want to make any promises because i don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up just to let them down again LOL. i do admit the amount of exposure the first tournament got has made me feel like more of a perfectionist this time around, doubly because i don’t feel that i’m very suited to being a public online presence (even a relatively quite small one)—i’m bad enough at responding to emails for my own real life responsibilities, let alone tumblr asks for the silly responsibilities i invent for myself lol. that’s not to say i no longer want to do it, or i don’t enjoy it, or even that i don’t feel capable of making a really interesting bracket—just that if i am working to put something new together, and if people are taking the time to submit poems they care about, then i don’t want to half-ass it.

my second admission is something like this. I made the original bracket as a celebration of poetry and our relationships to it. yes it was silly and competitive, and the poems were very tumblr, but still, celebration was the intention—I wanted to have conversations about poetry. I stand by the bracket format as a fun and valuable way to foster conversations about poetry, but truthfully, the poems i’m wanting to have conversations about right now—the poems that we should be talking about right now—are ones that i'm not comfortable putting in a bracket. I reblogged The Baffler’s Poems from Palestine collection on here earlier, and Najwan Darwish’s “Who Remembers The Armenians?”, which I still often find repeating through my head when I'm traveling from one place to another, walking home or riding the bus. I came across this beautiful thread recently where people have been translating Dr. Refaat Alareer’s “If I Must Die” into their own languages (this just makes my translator's heart sing!!!!!!). @havingapoemwithyou has been posting some great poems from and for Palestine as well—check out their tag here.

There's always more to add, and I'll be posting more on here as I come across it, but that's what I feel anyone should be focusing on right now when it comes to poetry. i think poetry can be an escape but it should never be a distraction. does that make sense? i wouldn't be against doing a one-off poll here or there, but it feels weird to be making a tournament for poetry right now, or anytime soon. i feel like what free time i have right now is still best utilized helping my friends with organizing in the real world. and god, a bit off-topic but while I'm talking, fuck poetry foundation—I have so much respect for all the poets keeping up the boycott, because while i think it's a simple decision, it's not always an easy one (Aurielle Lucier discussed that here).

anyways, if you read all of this, thank you for your time!! I could go on and on, but really this was just meant to be a message telling y'all that there won't be another tournament for a while lol. even so i'll be trying to use this small silly platform as best i can until palestine is free because that's the absolute least i can do.

[mydarllinglover]

Stars Collided || Four

Previous

It was late, Lovisa was staring out of her balcony, dressed in an pale pink nightgown, wearing a matching sheer robe, with a fluffy hem and cuffs.

She missed her parents, she had regrets, and truthfully, she was scared.

Was there really someone out there who wanted to kill her? She didn't want to die, especially for politics.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Come in!" She called, from outside, she was surprised why Ahsoka would be knocking, normally, she just walked in as she pleases.

But who she wasn't expecting, was to see Anakin Skywalker walking in.

She turned around to face him, her elbows leant on the balcony as she stared, taking him in.

Seeing Anakin again, after all those years, it did something to her, something she didn't like.

He was incredibly good looking, which made things a lot more complicated, she knew for sure she was attracted to him, but he was a Jedi, and they follow a very strict code, it's why she didn't like him, she hated wanting things she couldn't have, and yet, it was always the things she desired the most.

He was also funny, and charming, and actually had an personality, unlike the other men she was forced to spend her time around.

"Hi, Princess." He greeted, walking towards her. "I wanted to check on you, make sure you weren't murdered, or at least still in your room."

"How did you know where my room is?" She asked him, her brows furrowing in curiosity.

"Padme showed me, my rooms just down the hall." He met her outside, and she turned back around, as he also lent on the railing.

"Oh..." She looked down, obviously his room would be near hers.

Silence surrounded them for a bit longer.

"Uh... I- I wanted to uhm, thank you.." She started, picking at her fingers, why did she feel nervous, Princess Lovisa Amidala was never nervous. "...For saving my life, a lot, today."

"Your highness, it is my duty to protect your life with my own, nothing will happen to you, as long as I can help it." He studied her face, as he licked his bottom lip.

"Oh, right." She looked away from him again.

"Princess, did I say something wrong?" He asked.

"No, you've done nothing wrong." She sighed.

"Then what is the matter?"

She weighed the question in her mind, but eventually, in normal Lovisa fashion, she dove in head first, not caring for consequences.

"Is my life only important to your job?" She asked, and she wanted to kick herself, as soon as the words left her mouth, but she looked back, keeping her eyes on his.

It took Anakin a few seconds to remember that he could speak, but he still could not find the words.

"Of course not." He said, shaking his head as he tried to think of what she said, and then what she meant. "I- Princess-"

"Don't" She held her hand up to him. "Talk to me without my title."

She wanted, no, needed him to care for her as a person, not as an Monarch, not the way as everyone else.

"Lovisa, I do value your life, regardless of who you are, and I do not wish to see harm brought to you, no matter how cruel or exhausting you have been to me, today." He said, truthfully.

She laughed, thinking of what she had really spent the day doing to him, how he had carried her through the village on his shoulder, how he had carried her so effortlessly.

"You have a beautiful smile." Anakin said, enjoying the sound of her laughter, it made him want to become the funniest person in the world, just to hear it.

"What?" She asked, even though she heard what he said, she just wanted to hear it again.

"You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen." He corrected himself.

"Please don't say things like that to me." She rolled her eyes, remembering herself.

"Why not?" He bent his head, as he looked at her.

"Because..... I don't like the way it makes me feel." She blushed.

"It makes you feel bad? Me calling you beautiful?" He was growing more confused.

"No." She whispered, as she looked up at him, her eyes darting to his lips, before back up to his eyes. "The opposite."

She saw how his own cheeks reddened, and so she turned her head from him, looking towards the horizon, at the waterfall, the large span of grass.

"How did you become a Jedi?" She asked, changing the conversation.

"I was discovered, in my home town." He answered. 

"By who?" 

"Master Qui-Gon."

"I met him before." Lovisa nodded. "Where are you from?"

"Tatooine. It's not well known."

"I've heard of it, my father told me about that place, it's very far from the Kingdom." She said, as if he wouldn't already know that.

"Yes, it's a very sandy place. I don't like sand. It’s coarse, it’s rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere." He said, with disgust.

"Well, I can imagine." She laughed, "But your family, they are here, yes?"

"No, princess." He shook his head. "My mother is still back home, and I never had a father, I haven't seen her since joining the force, ten years ago."

"Oh..." She looked at him, sympathy swimming in her eyes. She loved her mother dearly, she couldn't even think about being so far away from her, for so long. "I presume you miss her terribly."

"Everyday, but the Jedi way, is to have no attachments, no fears, it can cause weakness, but the Jedi code, it's very outdated."

"Yes, I think it is." She nodded.

"So are the rules of being royal, I'm beginning to see."

"Very outdated." She pouted, as she looked away, an annoyed look on her face. "I have no role in life, no job, except to make the King and Queen look good, to be a back up for the throne, in case anything were to happen to the heir, or to marry wisely."

"Marry wisely?" He asked.

"Unlike you, I'm not forbidden from love, but, slim pickings. I can either marry to further my wealth and power, or I can marry for alliance, and neither of them interest me, very much."

"How come?"

"I don't care much for politicians" She waved away. "It's all rather stupid, and so are they, mostly. I'd like to marry someone who I got to know, someone who see's me as someone they can love, not just a step closer to a throne they will never get to sit on. I want to be married to a husband who wakes up everyday and thanks the universe that he was placed on the same planet as Lovisa Amidala, not Princess Lovisa, of Naboo, and the idea that one day my father will ship me off to some foreign land to marry a king, for the sake of the kingdom, terrifies me."

Since he was a child, Anakin had been thanking the universe, everyday, that he was placed on the same planet as the girl who had came to the temple, and told him how bored she was, that her father was in meetings, who had beat him in a spar, and laughed at the fact that she was a few inches taller than him, who had told the other Padawans and younglings to leave them, as they were having lunch together.

Anakin placed a hand on her cheek, his thumb swiping at her soft skin, his blue eyes locked on her hazel ones.

She was staring at his lips again, and he involuntarily licked them.

Every warning in their heads were going off, loud, but they both shut it off, no one was here now, telling them that this was wrong.

Anakin bent his head, grazing his lips across Lovisa's.

She gasped at the touch, and she nodded her head, making it happen again.

“Anyone would be lucky to have your love and devotion, I know I would.” He whispered. “You’ve been on my mind every single day since I’ve met you, Lovisa.”

And then they did it again.

“I missed you, incredibly much, Anakin.” She whispered back to him.

Anakin finally kissed her sweet lips, it was a taste he wanted on his own lips, forever.

The hand on her cheek moved to intertwine in her hair, and the other moved to hold her waist, under the robe.

Lovisa pulled away, leaning her forehead against his.

"Ani..."

But he lifted her head, and she fell, again, closing the gap between them.

Once again, realisation had kicked in, and she hated herself more and more.

"Ani, we can't." She whispered. "You’re a Jedi, and I'm a princess, we have our codes."

"Who cares about that?" He told her, the hand in her hair slightly tightened, before he let go, running his fingers through the dark curls.

"Everyone does. It's- this is forbidden."

"You always break the rules."

That she did, which is why she let him kiss her in the first place, but it was too good to stop, and she didn't want to break her own heart by following her rebellious tendencies, loving something she could never truly have.

"We can't do this." She sighed, "We would both be in incredible amounts of trouble."

"No one has to know, it'll be our secret."

"I don't want to have to hide you, we could never go past just this, secret kisses in the dark, there's nothing else for us, but this."

"And it's not enough?"

"Not from what is expected from me."

“I won’t give up on us.” He promised, his jaw clenched, as his eyes held hers, “I won’t throw what we have away, for stupid rules made hundreds of years ago.”

“Ani, there is no point clinging on to wishes and desires, it won’t change the trajectory of what is real.”

“But this is real, you can feel it, Vis, you know something is there, and I can too, there’s a reason we were brought together again, after all this time.”

“Because someone wants me dead, Anakin, and you are a Jedi, I don’t see that as fate.” She snapped.

“But I do, this is my first solo mission, there are lots of Jedi to choose from, much that are far older and wiser than I, and yet, I was picked for this, that doesn’t feel like a coincidence.”

“The more we lean into this, the harder it will be to come back from it.” She huffed, fed up with his stubbornness.

“Then I will leave the order.” He said.

“Anakin! You cannot! Do not say such foolish things.” She waved him off.

“It is not foolish, Princess.”

“It is, you are the chosen one, you are meant to bring balance to the force, to exceed expectations, you can not be so selfish as to leave for me, besides, you hold no other title, and I doubt you have much wealth, my father would never accept you.” She was being blunt, she knew it was harsh, but he needed to hear it, to come out of his delusions.

“I suppose you are right, your highness” The muscles in his jaw tightened, and she could see how his eyes swam with anger, but he remained steady, presenting himself as calm. “But nevertheless, that does not change how I feel for you, which is deep.”

“You hardly know me.” She scoffed.

“I’ve known you since we were children, and from the moment you pointed me out, you have held my heart in your hands, my heart beats for you, and I didn’t even know your name. I woke up every morning, your face being the first thing I saw in my mind, I waited and hoped that I would be greeted with your presence, once more, and now that I have had the chance to be this close to you, that I have you back in my life, I will not throw away this chance. The universe has finally answered my prayers, and I will not waste the opportunity. I won’t give you up, Lovisa, and I beg that you don’t disregard what I know you feel for me. My very soul yearns for you, and I hope that the kiss we shared will not be the last, that it will not become a scar on my lips.”

Lovisa felt dizzy with his confession, no one had ever spoke to her like that, bared themselves so raw, like this, it was all so new, and so sudden, and she never expected the first boy to properly confess his love for her, to be Anakin Skywalker.

But he was right, she did harbour strong feelings for him, she had never felt this way, it made her nauseous, she quite frankly hated it.

She placed a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it, and his eyes fluttered shut, he was beautiful, how could anyone possibly compare to him, how was she ever going to move on from this boy, to someone who would never match to any of his qualities?

“I wish things were different, Ani, I wish that there was a life for us, out there, but we live in a reality where it is not, nothing we can do will change that, and it’s time you face it, I’m sorry.”

Then she walked back inside, to hide in her bathroom, for him to leave, as she willed for her own heart to stop racing.

Next

[neptune-scythe]

Do you ever think about how Kaz making sure Inej is reunited with her brother is so he doesn't have to deal with his own grief?

Hear me out

Obviously he cares about Inej and wants her to have her family back and that's his main focus, or at least his main focus consciously

But here's the thing

They're mirrors of each other. Two people who lost brothers, Kaz's is gone forever ... But inej's is still out there (probably). Now we all know Kaz has never dealt with his grief, and probably barely even acknowledges it, mostly because he doesn't know how. That's not something people just ... Know how to do, grief is a process and if you don't have a single other person to help you or even be the slightest bit supportive it's going to be nearly impossible to grieve in a healthy way. Let alone being in a constant state of survival mode having to watch your back all the time because you're a kid in a very dangerous place and pretty much ever single person is an enemy, or at least not someone trustworthy or helpful. But I hella digress my bad

My point is Kaz hasn't dealt with the loss of his brother (why have I not used his name once? Bitch idfk my bad Jordie you deserve better bestie), which was a meaningless death. And by that I mean Jordie didn't sacrifice himself for some cause, he wasn't a casualty of a greater issue ... He just died. Because that what people do.

And especially for a kid who's all alone with not a single soul left on the earth who gives a damn about him, that's a pretty tricky concept to grasp. That your whole world, the most imporant person in your life could just die ... Just be completely gone in a moment. Thus why Kaz immediately blames Pekka and devotes his life to revenge, even though Pekka was only indirectly involved in Jodie's death. But blaming Pekka gives his death a meaning, it means there's something he can do to make it mean something.

Once again super digressed from my main point whoopsieeee. Hope y'all are enjoying the wild ride of my thoughts rn (I'm literally just stream of consciousness writing this shit, and for shits and giggles imma leave it that way no edits this is a first draft post you're welcome)

N E WAY

Jodie's death WAIT A SECOND HOW MANY TIMES HAS IT AUTOCORRECTED TO JODIE 💀

I'll never know because I'm not rereading this shit

Anyway

JORDIE's death meant nothing, and Kaz's revenge on Pekka didn't give it meaning either ... Which he probably knew deep down that it wouldn't. But those are the kinds of thoughts we ✨silence✨ because we need the rage for vengeance to keep us alive and doing things.

Now back to Inej and Harij.

Reuniting them will for Kaz make his own situation mean something (in my opinion don't at me these my head canon thoughts). That even though he can't bring his own brother back, he can bring back hers. And knowing that they're together will make his own grief a little easier to bear. It balances it out, if you will.

Two brothers lost, one brother found. Good math

OK BUT ALSO HAVE YOU CONSIDERED

Harij is Inej's younger brother

So consider Kaz is doing it as much for him as for Inej. He's making sure another little boy (he's obviously not a little boy anymore but like ... He was 12 ((idk how old he'd be know)) and that's plenty young) doesn't have to lose his older sibling forever.

And also consider

Kaz knows he doesn't deserve Inej, he knows he most likely won't always have her ... And more importantly she won't always have him.

He won't always be able to protect her, to keep her safe. But her brother could. Her brother could be there for her and her support her and even do a far better job (probs idk what bros personality is like but I bet Kaz Brekker is assuming shit too) than Kaz could. So by reuniting her with her brother he's making sure she's taken care of, that even if he lets her down, she'll never be alone.

Because real talk her

Y'all are allowed to have your head canons and shit I am NOT gatekeeping

But canonically Kaz Brekker is not the jealous or possessive type. If Inej wanted to leave him for someone else he'd be upset yeah but he's knows full well Inej is a living Saint and worth far more than he could ever deserve in a billion lifetimes, and he's also far more concerned with her happiness and well-being than what she can provide for him.

So he'd be satisfied being away from her, not knowing a single thing about her life, as long as he knows her brother is there with her.

He doesn't need to take care of her, he just needs to know that she is taken care of.

I rest my case

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Thank you for coming to my TedTalk 🫡

(addition because I did actually reread it and damn I somehow forgot my entire point???

So yeah

About him using reuniting Harij and Inej as a way to avoid dealing with his grief.

It's like this

Brother dies

Kaz goes straight to revenge, never actually processes any of it, just jumps straight into making Pekka pay for it ... Which tbh is dealing with it in a sense but it's in a very passive way of going straight to doing without ever processing ... If that makes sense.

And that's repaying violence with violence, which leads to more violence. It's a cycle of destruction that Kaz is playing into, which is very hard to get out of once it starts.

But reuniting Harij and Inej is a break in that cycle. It's Kaz using his own pain as motivation and incentive to do something that will heal others. And making sure that neither Inej nor Harij get caught in the same cycle as Kaz did, it's using his own knowledge of that cycle to protect others from it. And more specifically, he doesn't know how to heal himself, he doesn't know how to move on or process and grieve, he doesn't know how to leave the cycle ... So he's helping Inej and Harij heal from their pain instead, and making sure they never enter the cycle.

Because he probably is well aware that revenge isn't the healthiest way to channel grief (but bro doesn't care because Pekka needs to be put in his place and we stan him for that), but channeling it into helping someone he loves is healthy.

And real talk here

Kaz probably believes he will never move on or heal from Jordie's death. Thus him being trapped in the ouroboros of suffering ... And go with me here.

If we view the ouroboros (snake eating its own tail if y'all don't know) as a literal scenario Kaz is trapped in, it's a mental prison basically, and one he has accepted that he will never leave. His fate is sealed, and he can't do anything to save himself from that.

BUT even if he can't ever break out of the ouroboros, he can keep others out, he can't save himself but he can save others from being trapped there as well.

And because of this he won't have to deal with the fact that he's trapped, he can focus all his energy on keeping others out ... And it gives it meaning. That even though he's trapped forever and can't do anything for himself, he can do something for other people because of it. Because the only way to avoid the ouroboros is if someone inside warns you.

That was a wild metaphor I hope that made sense lol

Also once again these are my head canons and I wrote it from Kaz's perspective so to speak, so when I say things like He cAn NEVer HeAl that's because that's what he thinks (imo) not what is objectively true. Healing is absolutely possible and bro can get it he just doesn't know it yet.)

[randomfoggytiger]

Collector's Edition: Unseasoned Agents-- Early Love and Miraculous Do-Overs

(Dedicated to @doctor-caparty~)

Season 1 Mulder and Scully meet, fall in love, partner, marry, or parent in a variety of different ways, be it close enough to fudge canon or far enough to redo it.

Season 1 Canon Divergence

@swinging-stars-from-satellites/bravest_person_in_Wonderland's

never learned to read your mind (Tumblr) and Part 2

She'd said he's the only one she trusts; he wants to trust her, but he can't make sense of her.

"I'm here for you, Mulder, not aliens or conspiracies," she says quietly, her voice steely. "I wouldn't put myself on the line for anyone but you."

He whips around and stares at her in shock. They aren't even partners, and she insists that's how it should be. But he sometimes wonders where they would be if she'd stuck around.

Scully leaves after the events of Deep Throat, drifting back after her father's death before eventually becoming Mulder's go-to pathologist and ride-or-die contact.

Sukie Tawdry's The Way Things Are (1) and The Way Things Are (2)

"You missed a spot," Mulder said, pointing to a smudge of tomato sauce on the back of a dish.

"Thanks." She dunked the dinner plate back into the soapy water. This was truly bizarre--washing up after dinner like an old married couple. If she didn't dwell on the details of an unwilling father, unwed pregnancy and unpleasant abduction, she and Mulder could be almost normal.

Post Miracle Man Scully and Mulder fall into bed together-- against her (and his) better judgment-- after a stressful case; and can't escape the consequences of one inebriated night: namely, an ensuing, accidental pregnancy, Mulder's enemies creating havoc and indecision, and an undeniable romance hurtling at full speed.

@agentwhalesong/sadandangstyagent’s (Ao3) In Vino Veritas

“You don’t fully trust me yet,” she lets out in a low voice.

He seems caught by surprise by her words because he immediately looks back at her.

“Of course I do.”

"Prove it, then," she dares, although smiling a little.

“Just tell me how.”

S1 Mulder and Scully celebrate her birthday after another monster case; and uncover a few things about each other during a light-hearted game of 'Two Truths'.

herewebloodygo's making this off(ish)icial

Mulder was excited.

         Too excited. It was starting to worry Scully, that expression of his: the slightly too-wide grin, teetering on the verge of goofy, tongue tucked in the corner of his cheek. She didn’t let her eyes trace that smile further. Not when it meant dealing with Fox Mulder’s dimples. That, she’d learned the hard way, was a post-ten o’clock job. In a pinch, post-caffeine at the very least.

S1 Mulder surprises Scully with an office nameplate; and she surprises him by acting on her feelings.

IStanYouStan5676's Hungry

“Anything I want?” He responds immediately with an adorable smile.

“Within reason,” she teases and she sees a hint of surprise and embarrassment flash across his face.

“Lasagna.”

She cocks her head slightly.

“That was fast.”

“It was my favorite comfort food when I was a kid.” He shrugs.

S1 Scully surprises Mulder with two facts: that she can cook, and that she is inviting him to prove it.

SailorStarDust1 's Hear The Rain Fall

After a moment passed, she spoke in a muffled daze, “I don't know why I did that.” He startled at her being awake, but she turned slightly so he could notice her smile. “But...I like you, too.”

Long car rides, late nights, and a tired post Beyond the Sea Scully lead to broken down barriers, late night confessions, and more.

Season 1 AUs

Jessica Zyvarek Taylor's Waitress

"Are you still open?" He looked as if he was having the worst day of his life. And he was cute. Even if he had a girlfriend.

Pre-S1 parttime waitress Scully briefly meets Mulder while he is still in the clutches of one Phoebe Green.

@frangipanidownunder/Frangipanidownunder's A Different Kind of Pilot

“Excuse me,” the woman snaps. Scully stops. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” she says and looks beyond the glare of the agent, one Diana Fowley, according to her name badge, to see Fox Mulder skulking away, jacket over his shoulder, head down.

Pre-S1 Scully is investigating a virus strain uncovered by the X-Files team, disliking Diana and connecting with a discouraged Mulder.

Donna/donnah’s (Gossamer, mulderscreek) Short Encounters (Ao3)

They had spotted him and as always gave him as much space as possible, which meant nearly crushing the little redhead. He saw that and reached for her, moving in her direction. Might as well use his pariah status to protect her. She realized what he had done, even if she didn't understand it, and thanked him with her eyes. He nodded slightly, and a little stiffly. The elevator was unnaturally quiet, but it often was when he took it.

Pre-S1 Mulder and pathologist Scully meet after her detailed work helped break a case.

@thatgirlxf/Thatgirlxf's A Rebound Date (Tumblr)

Scully was just thinking that maybe it’s time for them to have talk and reevaluate their relationship. She is hoping Jack will show up soon as she didn’t have much time left of her lunch hour for she was due back at Quantico for an autopsy at one.

Pre-S1 Scully meets Mulder properly sometime after accidentally spilling coffee on him.

Trixie's (whispersofx, alt. whispersofx) Quissi

Containing a chuckle at the image, Mulder pulled his lower lip between his teeth, debating how much to tell her. “I’m just doing a little investigating independent of the Bureau,” he hedged, going for a half-truth....

Are we soul mates, or two people who just happen to have an above-average working relationship?

“And of me?” she countered, and he could =see= the raised eyebrow.

“Scully, you wound me. It’s not like that at all. If I didn’t want you to know about it, would I be talking to you right now?”

“Yes,” she answered, without missing a beat.

S1? Mulder and Scully work through the trauma caused by her ex-husband Jack Willis (along with her infertility and the responsibility and adoption of Willis's affair child.)

CaptainLyssa's To FBI or Not To FBI

“You own this place,” Scully stated, safe in the sudden knowledge.

Turning his back on the blond behind the bar, he requested, “Shh, don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret,” before suddenly asking, “did you drive here, Dr Scully?”

“It’s just Scully, Fox,” she tested his Christian name. It sounded…wrong somehow. In her mind Dana couldn’t get passed calling him Mulder.

“It’s just Mulder, Scully,” he returned....

Pre-S1 Scully, too short to qualify for the FBI, became an overworked ER doctor... and meets Mulder while they're both commiserating over their jobs. From a first meet at his establishment, they fall into an incredibly fast relationship that gets caught up with Melissa's sixth sense, Mulder's hospitalization, Diana's suspicious return, and Scully's unexpected pregnancy (that may or may not have to do with Mulder's mytharc genes.)

Erin M. Blair's (Ao3)

Key to My Heart

The day arrived when Mulder and Scully came to a final truth. They decided to exchange keys to their respective apartments.

S1 Mulder and Scully swap apartment keys... and more.

Trilogy 01 - The Meeting, Trilogy 02 - The Engagement, Trilogy 03 - The Announcement, Where's Mommy?, How's Katherine?, Tell Me A Story, Positively Yours, and Discovery Of A New Hope

"My brother is visiting, and he wants to meet you," Samantha replied. "Tonight."

"Really?"

"Right now, he works in the FBI but it's been slow lately," Samantha replied.

"Where at?"

"My mother's," Samantha answered.

Although Pre-S1 Scully and Mulder meet through Samantha, she is still assigned. and they still spend the next six years or so juggling an impending marriage, a growing family, a Duane Barry abduction and return, a Fight the Future adventure, and more.

Newfound Love

Samantha looked at her brother and threw herself at him in a trembling hug. "I lost her, Fox. I lost Dana." She paused. "First, I've lost you for most of my life and now I lost her. They are trying to..."0

S2 Samantha and Scully work on the files find Mulder-- who'd been abducted as a boy-- right under their noses. Or, more accurately, Mulder found them.

@mulders-boyish-enthousiasm's (Ao3)

Fox Next Door and Pool time

‘Okay… Mulder. Call me Scully, then,’ she replied tit for tat. ‘What did you say you needed?’   

‘Oh! Right,’ he tousled his hair with his fingers and put his hands in his pockets. ‘Could I borrow some butter please?’ Mulder with a slight hesitation.

She blinked twice and let him in.

Pre-S1 Mulder is Scully's new neighbor, charming his way into her heart by borrowing her butter and scaring her late at night.

JenAndrews's Skyland Mountain (AU)

They lay there in silence for some time. Scully closed her eyes, waiting patiently for her baby to let her know he or she was alright. Mulder stared up at the sky, watching the leaves of the trees sway above him. There were more clouds now then there had been this morning, but the sky was still blue. The sunlight danced through the branches and across his face. The sound of Scully’s breathing, the wind and the birds allowed him to drift away from his body and his pain. The only anchor stopping him from flying away was Scully’s fingers wrapped around him.

S2 Mulder, adrift and hopeless, turns to drugs as a self-destructive coping mechanism...but accidentally runs a very pregnant Scully off the road during his suicide attempt.

@wexleresque/hellsteeth's lost time (Tumblr)

Her hair is redder, vividly so against the chalky pallor of her face, the angles of which are sharper than they had been just yesterday. There are lines where there hadn’t been. Not many, but enough to draw her attention. She looks older.

Turning to Mulder, she sees her own shock and confusion reflected in his expression. Whatever she was going to say dies on her lips as she looks at him more closely.

It’s definitely Mulder, there is no denying it. She’s known him for only a handful of days, but the glint in his eye is unquestionably him. But gone is the springy lock of hair that has been flopping against his forehead for two days and the lankiness she’s come to associate with him invading her space to intimidate her.

Requiem Mulder and Scully return from Bellefleur with amnesia, consequently losing memories of the last seven years. While relearning their professional history from Skinner and her mother-- and, most importantly, the files-- the truth of their personal relationship (and her pregnancy) begins to become undeniable.

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls's

AU where on a drunken night after a stressful case in season 1, M and S end up having sex and Scully gets pregnant.

He rubs a hand over his face, overwhelmed. "I just... I never expected this. I was always afraid that... if I ever had a kid... it'd just be something else they could use against me." Scully does stand now, so calm it almost scares her. She says, "You don't have to be involved, Mulder. I mean that genuinely. We don't work together anymore, this isn't your life..." She can't say she wouldn't miss him, ridiculously so, but she also can't say that she WOULD miss him out loud. "You can walk away," she adds. "I promise I won't hold it against you." He shakes his head so immediately it surprises her, if only because of the shocked, uncertain look on his face. "Or you can stay involved." She extends her hand, takes his and squeezes it. "Think about it, okay?" she offers. "Take some time."

Post Lazarus Mulder and Scully fall into an unspecified relationship... which Little Green Men Mulder and Scully have to confront when she finds out she's pregnant.

in another world - Chapter 22

it happens in vegas, of course, and it happens because of langly and melissa. mulder’s on a trip with the gunmen, following up on some tip they’d gotten, and melissa and dana are on a vacation together. it’s directly following mulder’s breakup with diana, and he’s been moping around the hotel room the entire time; dana is in the midst of stressing over a big test for medical school, and has refused to leave the hotel room so that she can study to the point of driving melissa crazy.

Mulder and Scully meet, marry, and annul in Vegas before they're partnered.

Half-Light Universe

2016

It’s not a question at this point of how many times this has happened, but a question of “is this the time that will do it”. Mulder could try and romanticize it, but there’s nothing there to romanticize. He holds Scully as she bleeds out. And then he’s shot in the back.

Revival Mulder and Scully are shot, snapped out of their hellish universe, being handed a second chance to get their lives right. The mytharc unfolds more reasonably, with the truth coming to light and Samantha making her way home-- hope, healing, and second chances for all.

Five Moments Mulder and Scully Shared (And One They Didn't) (Tumblr)

“Who needs a bed? I think the couch serves our needs perfectly fine.”

“Mulder, I'm not having this argument again. Two full grown adults cannot sleep on a couch every night.”

“Hmph.” He crosses his arms stubbornly. “I say we wait for a water bed to mysteriously appear again.”

“Mulder…”

half-light Mulder and Scully sharing moments in their new life.

miraculous (Tumblr)

When it's over, she knows. More sure than she was before. She hears the earsplitting cry, and she just knows. The doctor holds him up and it's him. Her son.

half-light Mulder and Scully are reunited with their son in a better life, a better world.

luminosity (Tumblr)

She tucks William in, reads two books and kisses him goodnight, leaves the door cracked just like always. She finds Mulder in the kitchen, strangling a Walgreens bag in his hand. “I got it,” he says abruptly, shoving it at Scully.

“Thank you.” She takes the bag and sets it on the counter. “It's okay, Mulder, really,” she says soothingly, putting a hand on his jaw.

“Are you sure?” He's apprehensive, practically bouncing.

“I'm not, but we'll know in a few minutes.” She motions to the bag on the counter. “And besides that, this feels different than when I was sick. It feels the same as it was with William.”

half-light Mulder and Scully are excited for another little miracle.

@defnotmeyo’s (Ao3) Unnamed

She can laugh at him but these punks? One more concentrated burst of laughter and hiding their faces behind their hands and she is going to put them over the bar.

Mulder and Scully overhear two people laughing over his theories... two people who turn out to be the married version of themselves.

HumphreyWrites/sure-fine-skullz/spookysadsophie/s-humphrey/sophie-writes-things/sophiewrites/SophieRobbins’s (Alt. Tumblr) Losing Nine Minutes

“We lost nine minutes, Scully!”

Scully?

She furrowed a brow in confusion and looked down at herself. She was no longer pregnant, in a strange car, and on a strange stretch of highway.

What on earth was happening?

The last thing she remembered was going to sleep with her husband and Emily sandwiched between them because she had a night terror. Fox looked confused, as she studied herself in the car mirror.

Mulder and Scully experience alternate universe versions of each other, briefly; then take their relationship to the next level when reunited (aided by the fact he got her pregnant.)

Neoxphile's (Ao3, mulderscreek) and FelineFemme's Family G-Man, The - Season 01

Instead of answering him right away, the woman reached into her coat and pulled out an envelope. Just an ordinary green one that Christmas cards came in. She thrust it into his hand.

"Here. If you really think you can help them by changing those things about their pasts, open this card when you get home, and read it. As soon as you do you'll get the chance to help them."

Mulder time travels to Season 1, working towards a happier life for Scully: a stable relationship, a family, and no abductions-- though, of course, not without new hiccups or dangers occurring along the way. (The rest of the series can be found located on both authors' pages.)

cgb's Unfamiliar (Jump to the Left Remix)

My name is Fox Mulder, I am thirty-six years old, my sister's name is Samantha, my mother's name is Teena and my father's name is Bill. I live at 2790 Vine Street, Chilmarc, Massattuchetts...

Something isn't right. There's something he's supposed to remember.

He starts again. Fox Mulder starts again:

My name is Fox Mulder, I am thirty-six years old, my sister's name is Samantha, my mother's name is Teena and my father's name is Bill...

His father's name is Bill. That was it. They told him his father wasn't his father.

Mulder is a hybrid on the run; and Scully is an innocent target the Consortium exploits for his destruction.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[marlynnofmany]

Invisibly Beautiful

The hot nighttime air blasting through the windows of the hovercar made conversation hard for all of us, but that didn't stop Paint. She pulled her lizardy face into the car long enough to ask "Can we make more deliveries to climates like this? It's great!" Not waiting for an answer, she stuck her snout back out into the gale.

"I'm just glad the air is moist," said Captain Sunlight from the driver's chair. She was as fond of extreme tropics as the next scaly little Heatseeker, but as least she was tactful about it. "If this was an arid climate, we'd dry out in no time."

Zhee snapped a pincher in irritation, adjusting the coldpack draped around his shoulders. He had another around his praying-mantis hips. "I," he declared, "am glad it is DARK. Sun this intense would fry us on the spot. This is not a temperature for any reasonable being." He cast a big bug eye in my direction, with what passed for subtlety.

I hadn't spoken up yet because I was busy guzzling water to replace all the sweat I was losing. "Agreed," I said when I came up for air. "There's a place this hot back home. We call it Death Valley."

Paint leaned back into her seat. "What? How could such a lovely heat mean death? It's so nice."

"For you," I said at the same time as Zhee. I would have high-fived him but didn't want to hurt myself on his pinchers. Instead I said, "I'd die of heatstroke in no time."

"But you have that temperature regulation!" Paint said, waving a hand in my direction. "I thought you were fine in hot and cold!”

"Just because I'm warm-blooded doesn't mean I'm comfortable in all temperatures," I said to my scaly crewmate. Holding up an arm, I asked, "You see this sweat? This is not fun." I was wearing the smallest amount of clothes I could stand: sports bra and shorts, and it was still too much. “At least the wind helps. I’ll want to get the unloading done as quickly as possible when we stop.”

“We’re almost there,” Captain Sunlight said, pointing at the navigation screen.

It was a good thing she had that screen, since the view outside was an endless nighttime seashore with sand dunes and rocks, but no memorable landmarks. You’d never know there was civilization here. We’d been instructed to land our ship far inland, so we didn’t risk blowing sand into a burrow when we took off again. Luckily the hovercar was acceptable. Thinking about dragging all those crates across the dunes by hand was enough to make me need another drink of water.

When we settled in to park, it was beside a boulder at the very edge of the water. Gentle waves lapped at a very flat shore. No civilization that I could see. The air gushing in the windows was oppressively hot and wet.

“The client should join us at any time,” Captain Sunlight said, getting out of the chair. “Let’s unload.”

“Aw,” Paint said.

Zhee led the way out the door while I focused on taking deep breaths. This was unpleasant.

Sunlight insisted on keeping all but the dimmest lights off, for the sake of the client’s nocturnal eyes. The many stars helped. Luckily there wasn’t much around to trip over. And the boxes were head-sized, not gigantic hassles. There were a lot of them though, and we weren’t quite finished stacking them on the wet sand when the client rose from the waves.

Captain Sunlight’s polite greeting prompted me to look up just in time to see what looked like a lobster the size of a horse come splashing toward us. I clamped down on a startled yelp. Professional calm, I reminded myself. This is entirely normal.

I did a pretty good job of pretending to be calm while I set down the box I was holding and went back for more. Sunlight kept up the small talk and handled payment, both thanks to technological aid: a translator and credit screen with some impressive waterproofing. The voice that came from the speakers was almost too deep to hear. It reminded me of my aunt’s favorite whale impression.

“Thank you for your use of time,” the client said. “Our previous delivery people arrived at high tide, leaving us with a long walk to the burrow.” A little crustacean leggie waved back at the water, where I assumed the doorway lurked. Now that I thought about it, I could almost make out a darker spot among the waves.

And that’s not so much a lobster as a huge shrimp, I decided, setting down another box. Looks like it would have some bright colors in the sun, too. The starlight didn’t illuminate much, but the faint glow from the ship’s cargo hold showed hints of red, blue, and green. And far too many legs, honestly. But you didn’t hear that from me.

“Last one,” Zhee announced, resting a box against the others. “Would the esteemed client like to confirm the count?”

The client did, waving two legs while counting. “Confirmed. I am pleased to do business with all of you.” Captain Sunlight started to say something else polite, but the client wasn’t done talking. “And it is pleasant to see such a lovely being of light.”

With the way all those legs moved, it took me a heartbeat to realize she meant me. “What?” I blurted.

The rest of the crew were confused too. “Being of light?” asked the captain tactfully.

“Yes, and with those charming stripes, too!”

It was all I could do not to ask “What?” again. I just looked at Sunlight, wondering if I was being pranked. If so, she didn’t look in on the joke.

“I, ah, can’t say I’d noticed,” she told the client.

“Your eyes are different, aren’t they?” asked that deep voice with even deeper sympathy.

“Um. Must be.”

“You’ll have to take my word for it, then. You two little ones blend in with the surroundings, while you, friend, look more like an artfully painted land-skimmer,” she said to Zhee, who looked like he had decided to take it as a compliment. “But you. You glow like a gentle moon, with all the curves of a crashing wave across your surface. My night has been enriched with the view.”

“Uh, thank you,” I managed. “My pleasure.”

“I will be sure to request such prompt and pleasurable couriers for my next delivery. I thank you.”

“And we thank you!” Captain Sunlight said. “We’ll be on our way. I trust you can get the boxes into your home without trouble?”

“Oh yes, this will be fine,” said the client with more leg waves. I wasn’t even sure which part of that complicated face to look at. “May you have safe travels!”

With more polite words from Sunlight, we re-entered the hovercar and took seats in even hotter air. The door shut, the engine started, and a very welcome breeze wafted in. Sunlight eased away from the beach at a tactful speed before gunning it toward the ship. No one spoke until the sea was out of view behind a dune.

“Glowing?” exclaimed Paint. “Stripes??”

“Did she mean heat vision?” Zhee wanted to know.

“Can’t be,” Sunlight said from where she drove madly. “She compared you to a nice paint job, remember?”

“As she should,” Zhee said. “But was that a different thing she was seeing when looking at me?”

“Hard to say,” Sunlight said. “Robin?”

“I have no idea!” I burst out. “This is the first I’ve heard of any of it! Is there a chance she’s joking?”

“I don’t think so,” said Captain Sunlight. “All the courier reviews of her behavior are top-notch. If she was the type to lie like that, then surely she would have done it before.”

“But stripes??” I asked, sticking a forearm into the aisle. “You’ve seen me! What stripes? I don’t even have that much body hair!”

“You don’t glow in the dark, either,” said Zhee, staring with the kind of intensity that only someone with truly gigantic bug eyes can. “You reflect a little starlight right now, what with all the grossness you’re exuding, but I doubt that’s what she meant.”

I laughed. “You know, people do sometimes describe sweating as glowing, but it’s really not meant to be taken literally.”

Paint leaned close, all curiosity. “Does something in your sweat fluoresce?”

“No!” I said. “Nothing about me does! This is absurd!”

“We can check the wiki as soon as we get back in range,” said Captain Sunlight. “The ship’s knowledge banks are pretty good, but let’s not kid ourselves.”

“I can’t wait,” Paint said. “My money is on the sweat.”

I shook my head and finished the water bottle. With the way Sunlight was driving, we made it to the ship quickly indeed. Paint was already out of the car and telling the rest of the crew about it while I had barely stood up. I exited to several other curious faces, immediately telling them no, I had no idea.

Normally after that kind of delivery I would have gone to wash up, but this time I just grabbed a towel to wipe off the sweat (and to wear as a shawl in the much cooler spaceship air). Captain Sunlight was calling for top speed.

And she got it. Good thing we’d be refueling soon, because I was pretty sure we’d used up a solid chunk of the reserves.

But we were back in range of easy broadcasts, in record time! Everyone who didn’t have to be somewhere else crowded into the meeting room with the big info screen.

And we all learned that humans freaking glow. Just too dim for anyone to see, unless they have extra-super-special eyes. The kind of eyes that can also pick up the seams from cell division that are usually just as invisible.

“What the heck,” I said, staring at the screen.

Sunlight had called up both topics side-by-side, and everyone was reading at different speeds. I’d skimmed enough to be unsure of what emotion to settle on.

“It’s not the sweat,” Zhee said.

“Well, it’s also not the heat vision!” Paint retorted.

“It may sometimes coincide with heat vision,” Captain Sunlight said, pointing as she read. “Tied in to metabolism, changing throughout the day. Human metabolism creates heat, right? So it could be both.”

“But it said it’s not.”

“I still win the bet,” Zhee insisted.

“Oh, you didn’t even make a bet!” Paint said.

Mur sat beside me, flipping a tentacle in amusement. “It’s a pity we don’t have anyone with those extreme eyes onboard,” he told me. “We could send the pair of you into dark areas, and she could see by your light.”

I shook my head. “This is just bizarre. I can’t believe nobody told me.”

The squiddy alien shrugged a pair of tentacles. “If you can’t see it and neither can most of the civilized galaxy, I’m not surprised that it isn’t common knowledge. What I want to know is—” he spoke louder “—Hey Zhee! Do you want to get glowing paint to decorate yourself with now, since somebody is outshining you?”

Zhee angled his antennae into a glare. “Maybe.”

“Ooh, me too!” said Paint, to no one’s surprise. “Can we do the walls too? It’ll be great if we ever lose power!”

I huffed a laugh. “Look what you started.”

“You’re welcome,” Mur said. “Care to see who can paint some nice new decorations in the highest and most creative places?”

“Absolutely. You know I can reach the top of the engineering crevices by putting a foot on each wall and shuffling upward, right?”

Mur cackled. “And you haven’t seen what a properly motivated Strongarm can do! Extra points for painting a likeness of Zhee somewhere he’ll never find.”

“You are on.” We shook on it, which is an absolutely disgusting experience when tentacles are involved, but I managed to pretend it wasn’t. Gotta be professional, you know.

~~~~~~~~~

Fact check! Humans do glow slightly, and we do have stripes called Blaschko’s Lines.

Yes I based the alien on a mantis shrimp; yes I know the shrimpvision thing has been debunked; did it anyway. They’re cool.

And if you enjoy these shenanigans, you may like the book that this is backstory for. More stories to come!

(Thanks to @theacegamingdemon for giving me the idea for this one months ago.)