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xmalereader · 3 months

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Moonknight x Shifter! Male Reader

☆— MASTERLIST — ☆

Requested: can i request a fic that's more of a headcannons post than a fic? i really love the way you write the moon knight boys and was wondering how'd they react to a protective shifter!reader who's usually quite calm and reserved(maybe a wolf just for the irony of wolves being sorta synonymous with the moon)? maybe in a world where shifters are starting to be accepted but some people are still jerks. kind of a "three times reader protected the boys and the time they returned the favor" sorta thing. if all three is too much though i totally understand, im okay with just one, your pick. whatever your schedule allows for ❤️ sorry if this is hard to understand it's a fever at 4am kinda night but i couldn't pass up the chance to make a request lul love your writing! hope you're doing well! i wish you good writing thoughts and dexterous typing times 🫡

CONTENT/WARNINGS: Fluff, slight angst, request, Steven is a sweetheart and Jake is scary while Marc is trying, short, headcannons, reader is a shifter, werewolves, society differences.

WC: 1.5k

TAGS: @luci-the-brat-boy

NOTES: I apologize for the long wait on making this request I’ve been busy on my end but I’ve finally got the time to get these completed! Thank you for enjoying my moonknight shots, writing these characters can be a bit tricky since they all have different personalities but I was able to make it work! I did make a few changes so hopefully it’s still good!

Shifters were still new to society and not many have grown used to them due to the fear of getting hurt one day if they were to shift in front of them and perhaps hurt them or kill them. Each shifter was different and due to their existence, laws were established in order to keep a balance between shifters and none shifters, but the laws didn’t really stop the hate that some people carried for them.

Steven Grant:

Steven didn’t think he’d end up dating a shifter, let alone one who shifts into a wolf the size of a car. He was shy at first since he was new to the whole shifting when it came towards his partner.

After a few dates Y/n grew comfortable in showing Steven his new form, taking things slow with the man since he was always so nervous around him until months of dating he’s grown used to him. Steven had also told Y/n about his DID and about Marc and Jake, giving him very little information about them expecting his partner to pry for more information only to reassure him that he doesn’t have to force himself.

After their confession they continued on with their dating life like normal. Until Y/n started to notice the way that Steven is treated at the museum, each time he paid him a visit he noticed how rude his manager was being to him, making him growl in anger by how to orders Steven around and makes him do the extra work while she sits back and does nothing.

Y/n knew how much Steven loved his job, but there were times that he couldn’t help but interfere with the situation.

It didn’t take long for him to track down Steven's mangers and corner them in an empty hallway, whispering them threats on treating their employees with respect and to not treat them as slaves, frightening the poor women.

“Treat them like slaves again and I’ll hunt you down on the next full moon.”

Lets just say that Steven stopped receiving bad treatment after that which only left him a bit confused and oblivious to the matter.

Y/n was always protective of Steven due to his innocence and oblivious state at times. Every time someone looked at him wrong or stopped his ancient Egypt mid rant he’d slowly turn to the person to give them the stink eyes as if saying, “how dare you stop him from talking about what he loves?!”

He had scary dog privileges…literally.

The first time that Steven actually lost it was when one of their neighbors caught Y/n coming back home from a full moon with Steven next to him. His wolf form looking a little smaller as he padded next to him quietly and tried to regain his thoughts after last nights events only for their snotty neighbor to step out into the hall and scold Steven for keeping a “mutt” around.

Y/n was close to turning around and snapping his jaws at the neighbor in order to scare them only for Steven to step in between them while glaring at the man angrily. Steven was already tired from chasing after his partner through the streets and making sure he wasn’t causing any trouble all night and his neighbors comment was his last straw.

The shifter had never seen Steven so upset, using every cuss word he knows to call the neighbor out, pointing a finger at him and jabbing them in the chest. It caught both shifter and neighbor by surprise until Steven finally cooled down and opens their door to allow them inside.

Once inside Steven slams the door behind him and leans his back against it with his face buried in his hands. Y/n had approached Steven slowly, still a small wolf and whining softly to get the man’s attention only for Steven to drop his hands and look at his partner in horror.

“Did I just do that? Oh god I’m gonna have a heart attack.”

Steven had never blown up like that before that even he was surprised by his outburst that night.

Marc Spector:

Marc wanted to scold Leon for picking a shifter as a boyfriend. Marc didn’t hate shifters he just didn’t know much about them to actually trust them yet, so when he finds out that Steven got himself a shifter of a boyfriend he couldn’t help but be a bit cautious around him.

Y/n didn’t spend much time around Marc since the man refused to be around him when it was his turn to take over the body. The shifter wanted to ignore him and let him do as he wanted, only to end up following Marc secretly whenever he went out.

The two didn’t get along quiet yet, but Y/n is still overprotective of the two of them. Yes, they share the same body but he can’t help but feel like he needs to be there to protect them both.

Only Marc doesn’t need protection he knows how to take care of himself and stick up for others, so the first few times he caught Marc being defensive or fighting back he couldn’t help but find the man quiet attractive.

Marc was perhaps the one who could actually make him blush whenever they spent time together back in Steven’s flat. Even when Marc returned back home stressed and upset, Y/n already knew how to help the man distress by shifting into his wolf form and lying on his back across Marc’s lap and letting the man scratch his belly or bury his face into his warm fur while groaning in frustration as if someone would do to a pillow. Y/n enjoyed cuddling with Marc during his full moons when he’s stuck in his wolf form for long hours of the night.

Y/n was in the cities office when he was first called out for being a shifter while renewing his passport due to Marc wanting to take them on a trip. A few strangers were waiting around for their turn and due to Y/n being a shifter he was first priority since he went through a longer process in getting a renewal which pissed off a lot of people.

Only for Marc to shout at them to shut up and reminding them the laws between humans and shifters and how not everything is fair between them, giving them a deadly glare that made them back off.

Y/n can’t help but crack a small smile when hearing Marc’s words as he focused on his passport renewal.

Jake Lockely:

It was harder for Y/n to get along with Jake since he acted like the silent but deadly brother between the three. He found Jake intimidating that he was perhaps the first person to actually make him tuck his tail between his legs.

Jake didn’t need protection and Y/n knew that since he’s seen the man beat another human to near death until he stopped him from going to far. Y/n didn’t know about Jake until one night when he noticed a change of smell in Steven and Marc’s scent, realizing that they weren’t the only ones.

Jake was suppose to be a secret, hiding in the shadows as he watched over Marc and Steven. Only the cab driver didn’t really need to protect them since they had a shifter by their side, but that didn’t mean Jake couldn’t keep an eye on him too.

Their first night together was awkward for them since Jake rarely spoke and Y/n was too afraid to ask him questions without getting the man angry. It didn’t take long for Jake to notice this that he finally decides to speak up, asking questions that’ll get him closer to the shifter.

They only spent time together during late nights when Steven and Marc are sleeping and Jake is able to take full control. Giving Y/n a chance to join him on his nightly trips and sitting next to him on the passenger seat while talking.

It didn’t take long for Jake to warm up to the shifter, not realizing that Jake had added him to his list of people to protect. Even though Y/n can shift into a large wolf, big enough to kill anyone on sight, Jake still decided to take the roll of taking care of the shifter too.

Y/n first witnessed Jake defending him when he was helping a man into the cab from a club, drunk off his ass while the shifter gets him inside the back seat. What he didn’t realize was the group of men lurking around the club, clearly drunk as they whistled at him, trying to get his attention which he ignored.

That was until one of them had the balls to slap his ass filling him with shock and ready to strike the man down, but when turning around Jake was already doing that for him.

Jake was filled with rage as he slams his fist into the man’s face over and over again. The others tried to pry Jake off, but he was faster than them, kicking their asses and forcing them on their knees and apologizing to the shifter.

Y/n could only stare at Jake with wide eyes as the men whimpered out their apologizes to him.

#male reader #moonknight x male reader #steven grant x male reader #Steven Grant #marc spector x male reader #Marc Spector #Jake lockely x male reader #jake lockley #moonknight #shifter male reader #shifter #au #headcanons

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mitsuki91 · 5 months

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Characters analysis about Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Gray Baird.

(This is copy-pasted from a chat so forgive me if it's kind of messy).

Premise: Lucy is well aware of where the weapons are and makes Coryo find them on purpose.

Analysis: In my opinion Lucy recognises that Coryo still wears a mask in front of the world. She frames it immediately because she, in her own way, does too. She loves him, because she has seriously fallen in love with him (trauma bonding lol), but she also knows deep down that Coryo will always want to go back to the capital and make a political career, because it's the only way he can feel in control (and in a way she even understands this). She is worried that he will force her to follow him and put her in a cage and she is torn anyway because she loves him and would like to be with him but does not want to become a canary in a gilded cage... So she is slowly trying to make him understand that there is an alternative, that Capitol City and politics are not everything, that there is a life beyond power and beyond hunger. Only it all comes crashing down in 0.2 seconds. Coryo shoots the mayor's daughter and Lucy thus has 1) confirmation that Coryo would do anything for her anyway 2) sees how his paranoia starts, especially when Sejanus is hanged. She knows, because she knows him, that he sold him out to try to save his own skin. But she also knows that he is terrified and see himself already dead. She would like to reassure him and tell him about the weapons etc. but she knows that it is only prolonging the agony, because if Coryo could feel 'free' and return to the capital he would, and she is not up for it. So she finds a way to make him find the weapons - she first has confirmation that, even at the moment when Coryo loses everything, he still chooses her, because he loves her - and she watches him to see what he intends to do, but as she suspects he is not yet ready. She sees, in his eyes, that for him that discovery means 'freedom', a freedom greater than the truly free life he could have had with her. So she decides to take the first step and stop him from really choosing.... Because Coryo might choose her in that moment, but in one, two, five years etc. it would blow up in her face (between recriminations and various things because, basically, they want two different things out of life). Their love is not enough, Lucy knows that. So she does not give him the power to torture himself into a slow descent and chooses for him, leaving him. And he goes mad because he loses control, possession, over what he considered to be his by right because of the love he feels (his view of love and life: he sees possession as the highest form of love, because he grew up in a world where he had nothing and now only values the things he possesses).

Basically Lucy Gray values her freedom above love and Coryo values power/wealth/control above love.

Love exists between them, it is true.... But they have two different visions of life.

They have both betrayed each other in the worst way for each other.

Trust and loyalty.

But it wasn't a selfish spite, at least not on Lucy Gray's part.

He was still in full paranoia about the trust issue so he wasn't clear-headed, but she wasn't loyal thinking she was doing him a favour in the end by leaving him 'free'.

In the end, they 'gave' each other the most important thing they consider to themself: Coryo was giving her himself - "I am yours, Lucy, and I will follow you to the ends of the word" - i.e. possession. She gave him freedom instead.

#coriolanus snow #lucy gray baird #coriolanus snow meta #lucy gray baird meta #lucy gray x coriolanus #coriolanus x lucy gray #snowbaird #characters analysis #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #the hunger games #thg #please remember I don't read the book yet so this ideas are from the movie and the little quote I see only about Coryo unhinged mind

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itzgruvia · 24 days

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Gruvia Week 2024

Day 6: Apathy.

type: Hurt/comfort, soft, happy ending.

characters: Gray Fullbuster/Juvia Lockser, Cana Alberona.

this fanfic is also available in AO3.

The Guild’s entrance doors were open with so much force that it almost came off from it’s hinges, the rowdy ambience was quiet down immediately once they saw the ice mage’s scowly face, not that he wasn’t grumpy all the time but he looked furious.

He looked at Cana who was drinking from her big barrel of wine, but stopped once she took the appearance of Gray who was marching to her.

“Hey, Gray” she said wearily, Cana never gets on Gray’s bad side but once she does, she prefers to avoid him as much as possible because he can be a bit hot headed.

“Is something wrong?”

“What did you and Juvia drink in your mission?” he said sharply, crossing his arms as he looked down at her.

“Um..” she began to think and tried to connect the events of their journey yestereday.

Cana dragged her blue haired friend on a mission to find a burglar in a village, they accomplished it with no sweat and the villagers were more than happy to offer them a meal and some wine which Cana really had her fill.

There was also a village woman who lived alone and offered to stay in her inn since no one really goes by their village, her hospitality was kind.

“I think wine?” she said hesitantly, her mind grew black after enjoying her party with the villagers.

“Be sure Cana! What did they give you in that village?!” Gray snapped, his tone was harsh and probably scared.

“I don’t remember! What’s wrong with you?” she replied, bothered by his sudden outburst; he breathed in, and pulled his black hair up with his hand.

“Gray, why don’t you tell us what’s happening first? Then we could try and solve the problem” Mirajane suggested gently, Cana nodded next to her, Gray can’t blame her for something she doesn’t know or wasn’t aware of.

Gray breathed in, and took a moment to answer.

“Juvia is not herself today” Cana’s heart dropped, did she miss something yesterday? But she was completely fine, they were talking and laughing with each other on their way to Magnolia.

“She seems emotionless, like nothing is making her happy or sad or mad” Gray continued as he sat down in the stool next to Cana, his fist tighten and his shoulders were tense.

“She doesn’t smile at all, it’s like when she was in Phantom Lord but worse”

The guildmates were circling him now, Gajeel was frowning with concern, his arms crossed.

“There must be something she drank Cana, you have to remember.. Please” Gray pleaded, his eyes were frightened, of course he will be, Juvia is very dear to him and to see her emotionless suddenly will make him panic.

In fact, she currently feels scared for her friend’s wellbeing. So she sat straighter, her mind was still woozy with her endless drinking but she is confident she can track the events of their previous encounter.

“Okay i do remember a woman who owned an inn, she didn’t look suspicious or anything but her place was empty, we thought maybe because the village didn’t have travellers to walk by, it was very windy and we didn’t want to face a storm in our way so we got in” she explained.

Everyone was murmuring amongst themselves, it is very clear that the village woman had something to do with it.

“Did she offer you something?” Lucy asked.

“Yeah, like two bowls of potato soup and wine, she gave me two of those big barrels but Juvia didn’t want to overdrink herself so she just gave her tea” Cana suddenly gasped, it finally made sense, the tea was the cause for her friend’s issue.

“ That bi-”

“Let me go find something about this tea, she could have fused it with something” Levy suggested while she went rushing to the library.

“I’m coming too” Lucy added, she squeezed Gray’s shoulder as a reassurance before she left.

“ and we will find this witch and break her spine” Gajeel said, cracking his knuckles, Lily already on top of his shoulder ready to fight.

Noticing his friend’s silence, Cana put her hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, are you okay?” she asked. Gray sighed and closed his eyes and shook his head.

“I can’t go with Gajeel, i have to stay with Juvia”

“I wasn’t even asking you” Gajeel opposed him with his usual gruffness, and left without a word.

Cana rolled her eyes at his attitude.

“I have to go back home” Gray said, getting up from his seat as he sighed, he was stressed, Cana can see it in his frown, he is stressed and worried about her.

“I am coming with you” she added, abandoning her sweet alluring drink aside, which Mira’s eyes widened with surprise.

“You don’t have to” replied her friend, his gaze was understanding and tired as he looked at her. It twisted Cana’s heart, she hates seeing Gray like that, it made her guilt eat her up.

She should have known better, an old woman in an abandoned inn, what worse could happen?

“ no i want to, it is kind of my fault anyways” she hooked her arm with his and dragged him to the doors, she didn’t want to waste her time arguing while Juvia is alone at home.

Gray smiled lightly, she can tell that he was grateful for her company, on their way out he received a couple of back pats and support, they know that Juvia will come back the way she was again.

“I’ll send you a message to your Lacirama once Levy and Lucy find something” Mira called out, and they waved back in response.

Once Cana stepped foot into their house, she felt a sense of coldness, it was an unusual feeling, Juvia and Gray’s house always had warmth even if it’s residence was an ice mage. It was unsettling.

“Juvia, I am home” Gray said their usual greetings, but it was met with silence. All Gray could do was sigh.

Once Cana was led to their living room she was shocked at the state of her friend, Juvia looked so broken, her face was blank, her mouth was hanging open slightly, and was her face paler than usual?

“ Is it just me or does her face look blue?” she asked, her eyes still locked on Juvia’s frozen posture on the coach.

“No, she does look more blue” Gray replied, her worry grew worse.

“Hey Juvia, do you remember Cana?” Gray approached her, and gently gripped her shoulder.

“She doesn’t remember us?!” she asked, and he nodded sadly, Cana was bewildered, how come a single witch affect her friend’s memory like that?

Juvia didn’t answer.

She slowly walked over to her and bent down to her knees, she rubbed them gently, and all Juvia could do was just glance at her, emotions were long gone from her blue eyes, now she looked soulless.

Cana felt disheartened, no wonder why Gray was desperate, she felt disgusted that her friend was deprived of her own emotions..

“Don’t worry Juv, you will be alright” Cana assured, giving her a smile. There is hope for her friend, she will come back and act like she used to.

She hopes so.

Gray wrapped his arms around her from behind the couch and put his head on top of her, caressing her arms. He didn’t care that Cana was there, nothing mattered to him anymore except for Juvia.

This all feels surreal to him, once he realised that she wasn’t moving this morning he began to panic, he thought some kind of bug crept into her head and messed with her system, she couldn’t even get up without him leading her.

Stripped from her own emotions, not even sorrow was visible in her eyes yet all Gray saw was grief.

Juvia was trapped inside a spell, and all Gray could do was wait, and he hated that he couldn’t do anything to bring his Juvia back, her enthusiasm, her smile, her love, her dramatic expressions.

It’s not fair, she worked so hard to get to where she is now, and they took that from her, they took it.

They took it.

Gray had to calm down, he could feel his anger creeping inside of him like hot boiled water, he wanted to break something, he wanted to hurt something, he wanted to kill.

Kill that witch.

But Juvia needs him the most, everything will be dealt with later, he swallowed down his feelings and breathed in the air to calm his nerves.

It took 3 hours for Lucy and Levy to dig out a clue, it turns out that the spell that made Juvia emotionless was called ‘Apathy’, once a person drinks it, he will feel like his senses are leaving him slowly.

It made Gray’s stomach churn with the idea that Juvia felt every emotion leave her mind and heart, it means that she was also scared, terrified that she could not feel anything.

It took a day to find a cure, but by the end of the day, Juvia finally had her senses back slowly, it started with fear. Juvia didn’t what’s happening to her or how it was happening, she was anxious, stressed and terrified.

It was very hard for Gray to try and comfort her every time, she always felt like something was trying to get her, his heart was broken in pieces but that didn’t stop him from being there for her.

And then sadness, and gradually she got her emotions settled and stable.

Gajeel came back after successfully ‘smashing her head with his iron fist’ which made the master question him if he really did that or if he was overreacting.

It turns out he didn’t kill her but he did knock her out.

Much to Gray’s disappointment.

“Juvia, you really don’t need to do this”

His partner has been cooking plates of food and dishes with extra desserts, and Gray is grateful for it, he won’t deny any of her meals if only she gives herself a break from cooking everyday.

“This is the least Juvia could do because of what she did!” she refused to budge from her spot as she stirred a pot of chicken soup.

“That was not your fault” Gray sighed when she didn’t reply, hyper fixated on the pot in front of her, her ears were deaf.

He can already feel a headache coming. But he could have her screaming and yelling her love for him than having her sitting in a chair staring in the void like she was dead.

The warm hand on his arm snapped him from his circling dark thoughts, Juvia’s gaze was worried.

“Gray-sama, are you alright?” she asked.

Gray smiled warmly and brought her to his arms, she immediately reciprocated , giving him a tight hold of her own.

“Yeah, I just want you here for a while” he responded, enjoying the gentle warmth of Juvia’s body against him and living in the moment of blessing.

#gruvia week 2024 #fairy tail gruvia #fairy tail #gray fullbuster #gruvia #juvia lockser #gray x juvia #fairy tail 100 years quest #fairy tail juvia #fairy tail gray #juvia loxar

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ghostatas · 7 months

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BENITO CHARACTER ANYLISIS THING BUT ITS NOT THAT GOOD JUST ALL MY THOUGHTS

FUCK SLEEPING I HAVE TOO MUCH ENERGY AMD THOUGHTS FOR THAT RN. ILL PROBABLY DO LUCIE NEXT IDK.

Can I just start this off by saying how good Quackity is at portraying a character and a storyline? We've seen it since dsmp, then qsmp now opq. He is just so good at it like, props to him.

Now into the juicy stuff. When we are first introduces to benito, he is kinda unlikeable. He is arrogant and cynical, thinks of himself as simply better than others. He says he will choose a soldier over a kid to save himself, and scolded the others for not being honest when they hadn't even answered yet (he was so wrong about himself). He held himself up to a standard and in very high regard.

He is constantly butting heads with Jeffrey, calling him pizza boy like he's demoting him in a way, comparing their statuses as he likes to point out he is a doctor all the time. He divides them. He is above them. Jeffrey is the lowest of the low, and he will never lower himself to that position. Yet at the end of the first episode, he doesn't want Jeffrey to die. He, despite what he says and how he justifies it and calls it research, wanted Amy (Emmi? I'll stick with Amy for now) to live. It was obvious the vials were a cure of some sort, and the papers described how it worked. He didn't need to experiment, but he wanted to save her regardless. He just didn't want to acknowledge it.

He starts to rely on the people around him. Its probably the first time he's done that. He most likely grew up in an unstable, dangerous position, which caused him to grow up into an ambitious, selfish person who didn't hesitate to step on others; or he would be the one stepped on. But now he is in a dangerous position again, however the people around him are actively trying to help eachother and supporting eachother. Benito is not used to this, and doesn't really know how to react, hence all the name calling and acting like his typical arrogant self. He will, however, eventually think about saving their group, not just himself. He still very much distrusts others (Mikhail, Carla, though those two DEFINATLEY fukin deserved it, I'm totally still not mad about them), but he trusts the people in their circle. His people.

Enter episode 2. Benito wants mikhail DEAD, he will not trust a liar twice. But he's their only source of info, so he goes along reluctantly. Lucie dies.

Lucie dies trying to save Amy. He DESPISES Carla for trying to sabotage Amy. Not only because she tried to kill a kid, but that in turn also gave Lucie a harder time escaping. Benito says he helps Amy after that out of spite. I think it might be a part of it- a few hours won't change his entire personality- but only a part. He cares about Amy. Maybe it's because she's being forced to grow up in a world that wants to kill her all of a sudden. Maybe because she looks pitiful calling our for her dad even though she knows he's dead. Maybe it's because she reminds him of himself, ina way; just a massive ball of spite and anger and determination, all muddled up together. Who knows? What's definite though is that Lucie gave her life to protect this dumb, idiotic child, and letting the kid die would tarnish her legacy. (And isn't that a funny word, one we know Quackity likes).

Amy is Benitos priority. Whenever they're in danger, he's the first to remember her and immediately says "I'm taking her with me". Lets be real, i think we all agree that Carla was an ass for trying to kill her (we got attached to Amy too quickly it happens ik) and Benito was having none of her shit. Benito was trying to save all of them, in his own way. Because he cared, in his own fucked up spiteful way. He wants them safe, because he knows in this unknown world that suddenly got a lot more dangerous and scary, he has people that will care for and protect him and eachother.

When they all escape, benito feels like he has a purpose now. He wants to help people, or at least his family (cuz that's what they are now). He wants to properly learn medicine so he can better help those he cares about (and he cares so, so much). Maybe if he knew how to treat people better, Lucies leg would've been more healed and she couldvr run faster. Maybe they had an easier time escaping. But it's all in the past now, there's no changing that. He can only look to the future, no thinking of what ifs.

For Lucie. For Amy. For himself. For his family. (He'll continue to deny it though, cuz he's an ass. We love him for it.)

If other people want to share stuff or deny shit I say I'm all for it I just need these thoughts OUT, no matter how incoherent they are. Might do some art later too if I can be bothered :D

#ordem paranormal quarentena #opq #benito #benito camelo

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lets-break-free-from-our-chains · 2 years

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Forever and Always My Truest- Prologue

A/N: I’m back! You guys, it’s been a hell of a ride these past couple of years. I just decided one day that I was finally ready to go to college and flash forward a few years and i’m so close to having my Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Pre-Law! Anyways, I know there’s a lot of back and forth about whether the newly released 2022 movie The Invitation is good or bad, but I honestly really like it. You can’t go just by me though, cause i’m a whore for 70′s, 80′s and 90′s slashers! Yeah honey, I born a y2k baby and grew up watching horror movies like that😂 anyways lets go!

Requested? No😭 I think this is actually the first reader insert imagine or general imagine/one-shot for this movie. Hopefully, I won’t be the only one posting for The Invitation cause I really want to read other writer’s work and takes on the fandom!

Word Count: 1,650k-ish

Summary: Lady (Y/N) de Ville has been Lord de Ville’s favored bride for more than four and a half centuries. She is Walter’s beloved and cherished wife in every way. Lady Viktoria and Lady Lucy holding title and image of being one of Dracula’s brides strictly for power and connections, so that Lord Walter can provide (Y/N) and himself an eternity fit for a king and his treasured Queen. The Alexander Bloodline threaten Dracula’s goals of obtaining and maintaining control and power for (Y/N) and himself. Until the Alexanders are finally able to produce a long-lost daughter of their waning bloodline, Evelyn Alexander. As much as (Y/N) wants it to work out as well and easy as it did with Lady Lucy’s transition into bride-hood, she understands and respects that Evie is an entirely different breed of woman. Can (Y/N) save her husband and sisters before it’s too late? She wasn’t his first bride, but she will be his last bride in the end. No matter if that is by the end of this wedding or by the end of eternity.

Warnings: dub-con, forced marriage, polygamy, light NSFW, possible Stockholm syndrome?, obsessive/possessive behavior, Yandere-ish Walter de Ville, slight exhibitionism, descriptions of exhibitionism, dom/sub relationship—warnings to be added. Let me know if I missed anything.

18+ MINORS DNI!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! I DON’T NEED TO GET IN TROUBLE BECAUSE YOU’RE A MINOR READING STUFF YOU KNOW VERY WELL YOU SHOULD NOT BE READING!!! THANX

Disclaimers: I do not own The Invitation or any of the characters within the movie. You know what is and isn’t mine.

Walter de Ville x Wife!Reader

Prologue

~453 years and 7 months before present day 2022~

~(Y/N) P.O.V~

The dark corridors were lit by torches lining the walls, leading straight to heavy ornate wooden doors. I stood before the doors with my father, shaking with nerves as I let out a breathless sigh, before gathering the courage to look towards the handsome matured lord.

“Papa…what if he decides that he doesn’t want me?” She softly inquired. The man quietly laughed, with pure amusement shading his golden eyes. Those ethereal golden eyes a signature trait of the Castellan bloodline descendants.

“My dearest (Y/N), how could he not desire you above all others?” He sweetly cooed, seemingly so certain of his words. Still I cast papa an uncertain look and he softly sighed before fixing me with a gentle stare.

“Little one…the Master has never selected a bride before. Yet, he himself specifically chose you to be his wife, did he not?”

The man gave out an inquiring hmm as he gazed softly at me. I let a slight smile crack through my composed face. ‘Never let them see what you truly feel or think’ I mused to myself; ‘I suppose I can let my papa see though.’

Papa smiled brightly in the softly lit walls.

“Such a stunning young lady.” My papa states proudly. He’s always been a proud man, especially when it comes to me, his only daughter.

I am not the only girl from my ancient noble bloodline, but I was the only one out of all the young eligible ladies of my family, that received the Master’s immediate undivided attention. He did not seem to care at all for his bride Lady Viktoria, even as she stuck close to him practically breathing down his neck. He seemed vexed and annoyed in fact. Constantly sending her away to do something else, so that he and I could have privacy.

The master was a intimidating presence to say the least. He was tall and deliciously handsome, but a dark and dangerous look always seemed to dominate his angelic face. However, not with me. ‘Never with me.’ I thought wistfully. When he’s with me he’s soft, loving, patience, kind, understanding, funny, playful, and the list goes on. Truly shocking sites to bear witness to at first, considering all the horrors that I’ve heard people to dare whisper through the halls of my family’s castle about the Master.

I was pulled from my mind wandering state by a delicate wanton message. It called to me, washing my entire body with heat and desire.

“I belong solely to you, my truest. Soon you shall belong to me”

‘My Lord Love.’ A relaxed smile blossoming across my shining lips as my eyes slipped shut to bask in his voice.

“It is time, my dearest (Y/N)” I hear my papa’s voice.

My eyes snapped open to zero in on my papa’s face and I take in his knowing look. He knows, as he’s seen first hand the deep affections the Master holds solely for me. Papa knows he won’t have to worry for me. He knows I’ll flourish by my Lord Love’s side. He knows. He knows. He knows.

I straighten my posture and face as the doors begin to open to the night church. There he stands, so regal and handsome. Dark brown hair styled to perfection and the bluest of blue eyes that exploded with light as he lays them upon my queenly figure. He large smile stretches across his face as he locks his sight and attention on me.

I begin the slow march down the darken aisle between the pews of important lords and ladies. I can see my family and members from the other three prominent families. I see Lady Viktoria in all her jealousy and envy. ‘Certainly, no one wears desperation and jealousy the way your do Viktoria.’ I snicker away in mind, with genuine amusement.

My internal laughter is joined by the master’s laughter not a moment to soon. My eyes cut back to his, only for me to bear witness to a large smirk and the loud mischief lurking in his beautiful irises. ‘Behave, my truest.’ He teased inside my head.

‘I would have thought my master would like my naughtiness?’ I quipped, immediately receiving a pleasure full growl back as I finally stand before him. He gazes at me for a long moment before his eyes harden towards my papa. He wants papa to hand me over quickly, and thankfully my papa takes the silent demand in stride.

My papa guides my body to up the 2 steps to my lord and I hastily stretch my hand out, and the master snaps his hand out to clasp mine softly, yet tightly in his hand. His pulls my body up against his side and nuzzles his nose into my right temple, his lips just barely caressing my hairline. I relax and lean into the intimate display of affection before he slowly pulls back. He lets out a pleased sigh as he looks to the priest and gives the man a commanding nod to commence with the vows.

“Do you, Lord Walter De Ville, take Lady (Y/N) Castellan to be your lady and wife; commencing from this day forth for all eternity?” The priest asked.

“I do, absolutely.” He longingly states, whilst gazing into my golden eyes with unadulterated rapture.

“And do you, Lady (Y/N) Castellan, take Lord Walter De Ville to be your lord and husband; commencing from this day forth for all eternity?”

“I do, with all my heart.” I saying without any trace of hesitation, my damp golden eyes never straying from Walter’s intense stare.

Walter smiles at me as he releases my hand from his, to quickly drag his left index claw down the inside of his right wrist. He sweetly caresses the right side of my hair, pushing it out of the way, with his fingers as he pushes his bleeding wrist up to my lips.

“Here, my truest. Drink to your heart’s content…” He whispers, somewhat desperately with anticipation. I gently grasp his wrist in both my hands, as I swiftly wrap my lips around the wound and begin drinking. It so warm and sickening sweet, and I can’t get enough of it. I start to suck hard as I feel the need and desire pull in my nether regions, and the pleasure threatens to slip over as I teeter on the edge of ecstasy.

The same ecstasy I felt that night after the starlight ball, when he pulled me through the gardens and pinned me to a statue in a secluded area. He kissed with such passion that it was all devouring and suffocating, and I never wanted to stop. Certainly not when he pushed my dress upwards and wrapped one of my legs around his waist to grind his hard length against my heat. Most definitely not when he shoved his fingers into my smalls to caress my drenched wetness. I wanted to cry out into his wrist now, the very same way I cried out and whimpered into his mouth that night in the garden.

His low moan pulled me from my memory as I cast a side glance to his face only to feel my mouth grow slack at the sight before me. His face contorted in pure pleasure as he tilted his head back and his mouth falls open in another sinful moan. His beautiful fangs peaking through causing me to feel a warm fuzziness in my bosom and a slickness to gather in my smalls. He pulls his head back down to look at me as I once more tighten my jaws around his wrist.

He lovingly cradled the back of my head as he nuzzled into my hair, sending shivers all the way from the top of my spine to the base of it, as I feel him pant a moan into my ear. “Very good, my truest. Our eternity is just within our reach.”

I can feel it beginning to spread throughout my entire body and finally release his bloody wrist from my lips. It feels like nothing and everything at the same time. I couldn’t decide if the pain was hellish or heavenly. It was chasing to keep up with the blood rushing through my veins while my heart began to fall behind. Then, the dull ache set into my teeth and nails, feeling both grow and elongate in length. Then everything and nothing froze in place. My heart gave one last weak and long thump. The feeling of my heart stilling with its cage of bones was irrelevant compared to the feeling I receive when my eyes startle open to rest on my newlywed husband.

His eyes gave me a inquisitive and tense once over before he laughed and dove down to capture my lips within his. Cheers and applause sounded throughout the dim-lighted church and it was then I remembered that it wasn’t just the two of us. That fact didn’t even matter then, especially when my lord love pressed his tongue pass my lips and fledgling fangs to deepen the kiss and taste his essence coat the inside my mouth.

We reluctantly pulled from one another to stand and face our subjects. They all bore smiles, some fake I’m sure, but for the most part seemed genuine. I could respect Lady Victoria for that at least. She didn’t hide her true feelings behind pretty words and false smiles about the Master and I’s marriage. Her face twisting even more in disdain and envy with the Master’s next words, that he never once uttered for her.

“Hail my wife and queen, Lady (Y/N) de Ville!” He roars, soaking in the cheers and applause of our subjects. He looks to me once more with a victorious smile, whilst cupping my jaw in his hand and places a domineering kiss on my lips. I cannot help but press myself into his side and keen in wanton delight as I savor the taste of his lips and blood.

He hovers his smiling lips over mine and playfully nips at them, “Forever and always my truest love. Let it be my unbreakable vow from my soul to yours.”

“Forever and always, my king.” I swore back in hushed tone.

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oogaboogasphincter · 6 months

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Deceits of the Devil (priest!marcus pike x f!reader) | chapter one: the high priestess

series summary: when you find love in a priest, a litany of spooky events begin to follow you that can only be described as a haunting. is it your own guilty conscience that disturbs you... or could it be something else?

chapter summary: you're visiting your best friend in her new town for the first time when you are begrudgingly thrust into her devout way of life. however, something - or someone - makes you rethink your plans of avoiding the church at all costs.

word count/series~chapter-specific warnings: 6.4k+ words // MATURE (18+ ONLY) MDNI!: reader uses she/her pronouns and is incredibly non-religious, SLOW BURN TABOO RELATIONSHIP BABYYY, lots of religious/spiritual talk, horror elements and general spookiness ~ lots of character introductions so pls bear with me, mention of the death of a loved one and some light grief, food and eating mentions, sudden illness, potentially cringe banter, take a shot for every time i wrote 'father pike' in this (trust me we learn his first name soon enough but for now it's all formalities between him and reader), is this whole thing blasphemous? probably

a/n: sooo this is something very different from what i normally write, but i'm so excited to be trying something new! :) i'm not too sure where i want to take this story yet, so i don't have a total number of chapters or an ending planned (i really don't even have much of the plot figured out LMAO) but i'd really really appreciate any and all feedback from my readers! ♥️ let me know what you liked and what you want to see more of in future chapters!

“So I won’t burst into flames when I walk through the doors?”

You ask your best friend, Lucy, sending her into a fit of laughter. She clutches your hand tighter in hers, squeezing it with pompous affection. Despite your best efforts to maintain your feelings of impartialness towards the church, your palm slips against hers with a sheen of clamminess as you travel closer to the hulking cathedral.

“No!” She laughs, that breathless laugh you’ve always found comfort in. “You’re holier than most of the people who go every Sunday.”

You scoff and give her some side-eye, something that just makes her shake her head even more. Whether or not this is how you wanted to spend your first day in Carmeltree visiting her, you are going to this harvest dinner.

She sighs contentiously, contrasting the playful smirk on her face, “Trust me, you’ll be fine. Now come on, we’re gonna be late!”

——

Lucy has been your best friend since kindergarten. The maple leaves that swirl around you both in the crisp autumn air as you run through the streets now invoke a fierce sense of nostalgia, one that’s almost painful. One of your first memories together is making leaf rubbings in class with the fallen leaves that blanketed the frosted school grounds. She liked warm colors and you liked cool colors; she liked maple leaves and you liked birch leaves. Two complete halves made an even brighter whole when you came together, and the rest is history.

Despite the big city you grew up in, somehow you always managed to be in the same classes, share the same hobbies. But your luck had to run out sometime; when you both graduated, you got accepted into universities on opposite sides of the country. You kept up your communication, talking to each other every day and spilling your guts about everything, from the monumental to the regrettable, the joyous to the devastating.

You thought something was amiss when she called you in the middle of the night a few months back. At first you brushed it off, thinking maybe she fell asleep with her phone in her hand and dialed you by accident, something you’ve both done plenty of times over the course of your friendship. When she called you back as soon as you didn’t answer, you knew there was something wrong. That’s when you learned her mom had passed away.

It wasn’t sudden, but that didn’t spare her any devastation. You were there for her all day, every day. Consoling her when she wept, relishing in the happy memories that brought a rare but vital smile to her voice, sympathizing with her grief. But without a physical shoulder to lean on, Lucy went looking for more support to help her.

Her mom was a devout Christian and, by proxy, so was Lucy. She isn’t as rigid in her faith as her mom was, but she always viewed it as a guiding light to betterment, a sturdy foundation to catch her when she crumbled. Luckily, the whirlwind of life events in the past six months that displaced her from her college friends to the small town of Carmeltree was gracious enough to gift her a tight-knit, painfully orthodox population.

On the contrary, you grew up in a household without any influence of organized religion. Your family celebrated Christmas and Easter, but it was mostly for all of the gifts and chocolate.

Religious differences never caused any turmoil between you and your best friend, because you love each other for who you are, regardless if you share spiritual beliefs. If praying and attending sermons helps Lucy to process her grief and gives her something that uplifts her soul, what kind of a friend would you be to forbid her from that?

——

That doesn’t make you any more enthused about being dragged to the dinner held at the church to celebrate the autumn harvest. Lucy dropped the plan on you the second she picked you up from the major airport, whose segregating miles seem to swell with every second that passes. Knowing you would come up with an alternative plan you’d both like better, she didn’t give you a chance to back out, and you didn’t fight. Committed to being a good friend, and with a curiosity pricking your heart, you run alongside her through residual puddles as the street clocks chime eight times.

And let’s get one thing straight - “church” was a dishonorable term for the structure you’re going to. For hundreds of years, since the first round of colonizing settlers that invaded this square patch of disparate land, the citizens have been addicted to worship. They would lend their last cent to their religion, egregiously ignoring their growling stomachs and dilapidated houses for the sake of a prosperous God. The result of this frenzied generosity is the biggest cathedral you’ve ever seen.

You’re still a few blocks away, but the spires reach over the trees and spear up at the moon; whose craters can be seen with miraculous clarity on this autumn night. As you move closer and closer, the details in this spectacular of gothic architecture reveal themselves. There are a litany of pinnacles that stand like soldiers guarding their fortress and clerestory windows that dance and swish with light coming from inside the maw of the beast. When your eyes drift to angular beams that aid the structure - flying buttresses, if you remember correctly - your marvel is suddenly absent.

“No gargoyles?” you ask.

Lucy matches your disappointment with a shake of her head, “They come too close to the pagan border.” It’s unmistakable the way she lowers her voice, though there’s only a handful of patrons a hundred feet away from you.

Against the cloudless, darkening sky and a comically-eerie full moon, anyone would be dosed with at least a few drops of intimidation by the staggering black outlines. You fail to find any ease once you come to one of three entrances. The carvings of ancient tales you don’t know loom over your head in the angular tympanum and greet you with uncertainty. Are they supposed to make you feel welcomed or warned?

The gigantic doors are swung and held open by their own weight, giving way to the narthex. There’s a singing choir hidden deeper within and their melodies echo all around you. A large chandelier emits a soft orange glow, which is peculiarly swallowed up instead of reflected by the intricate, gilded etchings that coat the walls. Maroon velvet beneath your feet turns into a dark abyss of shadows from the unprecedented amount of people in here. You cling to Lucy’s coat with both your hands, somewhat subconsciously, and she laughs before taking your hand in hers and parting though the sea.

You’ll admit it, you can be very shy when you’re overwhelmed. Though for some inexplicable reason, crowds usually didn’t give you a fuss. You actually found a sense of comfort in being lost in the blur, blending in as just another body amongst hundreds, sometimes thousands of others. But you didn’t like this crowd, didn’t know these people, and not in a stranger-danger kind of way; you’ve unknowingly crossed the line of some Christians in the past and have dealt with their fiery ravings. From knowing Lucy all these years, you seem to have an understanding of their way of life, but then you slip up - use His name in vain, talk about a crush you have no plans to marry a little too fondly. You’ll be chewing on your third forkful and look up at the table, meeting ghastly stares and wanting to smack yourself in the face for completely forgetting grace.

Lucy never scorned you about forgetting or misunderstanding the rules. She knew that you didn’t mean any malice, you just simply… thought it was all a little silly sometimes. Between lighthearted Lucys and tyrannical Karens, it felt like walking on a minefield. So, you guess, you do know these people; it’s their unpredictability that worries you.

The claustrophobia wanes as you enter the nave. The ceiling spreads out, breathes, and is lined with stained glass windows that bend the moonlight into faint rainbows. Some of the outermost pews have been moved to accommodate long tables, adorned in chestnut velour, copper filigree and serve as the throne for only the most impressive squashes of the harvest. A buffet joins the autumnal decor, sitting in sterling silver that you can imagine was forged at the beginning of the century and is used only for occasions such as these.

Ever atune to your mind and body, Lucy pulls you into the line of hungry patrons just as your stomach grumbles. You’re transfixed by the magnificent altar at the back of this illustrious cave, your eyes climbing up the grand steps of the sanctuary to the stone table where you know the priest stands when mass is held. You try to picture one giving a sermon and reciting from scriptures. Doesn’t he have a cup or something too?…

A plate is stuck in front of you, waving a little, and the priest laughs at you when he finally gets your attention. You take the plate with a little embarrassment, your smile a sheepish one. “Sorry,” you mumble with pity.

The tall, wispy-haired man smiles with his teeth and places his arthritic hands around one of yours as you hold the plate. “Oh, it’s alright, my child. I myself have gotten lost in the wonders of the cathedral many times.”

Lucy chimes in, reading your awkward gaze. “It’s her first time,” she whispers with a little too much excitement for your liking. The priest puts on a goofy surprised expression, his eyebrows going up and his mouth forming a small 'o'. He looks back to you with a softer smile, “What a beautiful thing to witness, then. I’m Father Gala, pleased to meet you.”

“There’s no one better to come here with for the first time than Miss Finkle. You’re in very good hands.” As you nod in agreement, you can’t help but wonder… what would this elder man, in his starched and pressed vestments, think if he knew you and Lucy had “practiced” kissing so you’d know what you were doing when the “real thing” happened?

You wave the thought away like a gnat, not wanting to feel like you’re keeping another clean secret that’s considered dirty by some. You’re already under the guise of being a practicing Christian; Lucy had said they were more readily accepted than anyone else, despite the church’s proclamation of aiming for cultural diversity.

The choir has ended their singing, replaced by applause then the soft, overlapping chatter of the religious folk, and their red robes merge seamlessly into the surrounding crowd. Three other priests emerge from doors on either side of the sanctuary, two from the door closer to you and one from the other. You don’t get a good look at the singular man, since the door is on the opposite side of the grand hall from you. The two others are deep in talk, gesturing with their hands and keeping their faces close to one another while they walk as to not let anyone eavesdrop. You move ahead in line and depart from the eldest priest, whom the two new faces greet and guide a few feet away from everyone.

You don’t mean to pry, but you can’t help your curiosity and look back at the men. You can’t hear them, only watching their mouths move, but Father Gala’s sweet smile grows somber, then bitter. With scowling brows to match, the other two priests keep up their gestures laden with well-maintained passion as they tell Father Gala a story.

In the first lull of this conversation, the eldest priest, with his arms crossed over his chest, flickers his eyes to yours without moving his head. Your heart springs from your chest to your throat. His glower lessens when he bites the inside of his cheek, but you feel a doubling, tripling of stress when the other two priests turn to look at you too. The taller one, with a jet black, scraggly bowl cut, mirrors Father Gala and crosses his arms. He looks down his long nose at you in dignified annoyance. The third, with stocky limbs and strawberry blonde hair, glares at you from his periphery. Your eyes widen, in an attempt to show them you’re not a threat, expose your remorseful guilt, or provide a silent apology, you don’t know.

Lucy snaps you back forward with a gentle push against your back to get you to move in the line. You’ve finally reached the buffet, but suddenly the smells that wandered up your nose in wispy, tempting little tendrils earlier instead worm their way down your esophagus and instill a powerful nausea. She can sense your discomfort, your disorientation from what just happened, and supplies your plate for you. With a protective gaze over your head at the men, and a loving hand on your bicep, she guides you to sit in the pew farthest away from them.

She has to stick a fork in your petrified fist for you to speak. “What the hell was that about?” You question, chancing a glance over your shoulder at the offending party and see that they’ve gone off to greet guests with friendly smiles again. “I wasn’t trying to listen in, they just looked worried and-“

Lucy pats your knee once, “Don’t worry. There must be some sort of drama happening behind the scenes, something that the town would inquire about. Since they’re priests, they think they have immunity from gossip.” She scoffs lightly and you think you catch your devout friend rolling her eyes at those most holy. “They’ve been acting weird for a while now, off and on. One week, Father Gala is like Mr. Rogers, and the next, he’s Dracula.”

That earns a snort from you, hiding your smile behind the back of your hand. She gives you a reassuring smile, filled with her signature warmth that’s comforted you all these years, “You’re doing great. Now eat.”

Thankfully, your nausea has quelled enough that you taste the delicious food as it’s meant to be tasted. Maybe you don’t have to worry about foraging during your stay in this town void of all fast food, only relying on two quaint grocery stores to feed itself. You’ll just have to become friends with whoever made this delectably gooey mac and cheese.

Lucy interrupts you, “Oh, by the way,” she covers her full mouth and then swallows, pointing daintily, “that’s Father Thorn,” at the tall one, “and that’s Father Angus,” at the blonde one. You nod once in understanding, taking a look at their faces to match their names with, before Lucy turns away with a laugh. She teases under her breath, “Maybe they’re all pissed they could never be as handsome as Father Pike.”

“Priests can be handsome?” you ask of the mysterious fourth priest, bemused. Priests, deacons, popes and the like all conjure up images of men with wrinkles as delicate and numerous as the pages in the ancient books they abide by. If they’re not a million years old, they’re unsightly at best and possess a visceral lack of sensuality, like Father Thorn and Father Angus. Lucy has got to be pulling your leg.

“Yes,” she breathes, a soft pink blooming in her cheeks, “and young, and warm, and have a voice that makes every sermon a lullaby, and big, tender hands…” she trails off in a dream.

You let out a laugh, amused by her dramatics. “Oh, so he’s really ugly, then,” you sneer, trying to expose her hyperbole.

She giggles at your tone, shaking her head. You reign down on her, spurring her giggles on with a barrage of sarcasm until they’re uncontrollable.

“Is that why this place doesn’t have gargoyles, because he can take its place? Does he have leathery skin,” you drag your hands down your face, pulling your cheeks down to expose your eyes, “rotted fangs,” hold your hands by your mouth and snarl your fingers, “hairy feet with long, twisting toenails that tear through his shoes?” You get up and drag your feet along the floor, growling and licking your lips rabidly.

Lucy doubles over, tears threatening to spill over her eyes every time her lungs have to suck in a breath, “Stop!” She’s wheezing and you drop the act, putting your hands on your hips.

“Well, you gotta tell me if I’m wrong or not!” Tapping your foot, you await her retaliation, until a voice warm with a smile cuts through the air.

“You forgot the giant rat’s tail that drags behind me.”

Your heart stops for a second, thumping wildly when it starts up again to catch the missed beats. Turning tentatively on your heel, you’re met with… exactly what Lucy described.

Before you is one of the most handsome men you’ve ever seen, if not the most handsome ever. Chocolate waves that crest over top one another in a cute, slightly overgrown style glisten like ganache on top of his head in the candlelight. He’s got a scruffy beard that’s cut close to his cheeks and jaw, avoiding looking unkempt, threaded with two or three streaks of gray. His aquiline nose is gorgeous, there’s a little dimple in his cheek that deepens as he’s smiling, and his eyes… oh, his eyes…

“I’m Father Pike,” he extends his hand in greeting, keeping his other tucked behind his back. He has to bend forward slightly to reach your height better, aiding your descent into enchanted madness as he gets closer. You take his hand and introduce yourself- GOD Lucy was right. His grasp is light, comforting. Where Father Gala made you feel stuck in his eternal cage, Father Pike sets you free. You fall into a stupor fantasizing about what his hugs must feel like.

He smells like cinnamon. It could be from the pie you suspect he ate, from the apple undertones you detect, but you wouldn’t be surprised if that’s just how he naturally smelled. A warm, cozy, inviting dream; he sure looked like one, at least.

His gaze lingers on your expression frozen with intrigue before he turns and welcomes Lucy. They begin a polite banter that allows you to stand back and try to quell your blood that throbs with nerve. If you had known someone like Father Pike was going to be here, you would’ve dressed in something nicer, possibly sexy - the modesty expected in a place of worship be damned. You curse yourself for choosing these well-worn jeans and roomy sweater over the opaque tights and a dress of an acceptable length you were going back and forth on in your mirror earlier. But, in an odd sort of way, you still felt exposed in front of Father Pike from underneath all your thick layers. You couldn’t hide yourself from him, no matter how many clothes you armored yourself with.

He turns back to you, and he doesn’t ogle your nervous body, or try desperately not to; he looks into your eyes with a soft smile that crinkles the skin around those big brown puddles. It makes your chest feel like it has a big, gaping cavity that you could look inside of and see your heart thumping hard, vulnerable blood spilling from all your edges and trickling down your legs. The flustered emotions of a blooming crush rapidly morph into something malicious and parasitic, causing you to put the back of your hand to your forehead that has broken out in clamminess. It’s hard to hear Father Pike over the rushing buzz in your head when he speaks to you.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, are you new?”

And just like that, your knees start trembling beneath you. Your heart misses a beat, causing your lungs to seize in anger and you suck in a harsh breath. In a flash, Father Pike’s friendliness snaps into genuine concern and he steps forward, taking your elbows and catching you on your way to the floor. You make a startled sound and his timbre slashes through your panic, “Let’s get you sat down somewhere, okay?”

You can barely muster a nod, tears threatening to spill over your eyes and join the rivulets of sweat on your cheeks. Father Pike more or less carries you by your middle as you pathetically cling to his arms, dragging your debilitated form a short distance to a secluded, abandoned pew by the door he entered from earlier in the evening. Father Pike sits you down and takes the place right beside you, putting his left arm around your shoulders and his right hand in yours. As soon as you’re grounded on the unforgiving wood, your vision stops spinning, even though you didn’t realize it had started. Breathing suddenly feels easy again, returning to its involuntary glory instead of being laborious. It’s like your body resumed its regularly scheduled programming with an invisible snap.

Away from the hub of the crowd, his voice seems louder, its velveteen quality more clear, “You alright?”

You take a precautionary, steadying breath before meeting his eyes, fearful that something in him will set off all your alarms again. But when you meet his eyes, everything is serene. “Y-yeah, I’m okay.”

A pause to verify your sincerity, and then he chuckles, trying to uplift the atmosphere with a lighthearted tone, “I didn’t mean to frighten you, I just…”

You laugh, as much as you can muster in your breathless state, “No, no, you didn’t!” He retracts his hand from yours slowly and you instinctively grasp his forearm with a reassuring touch. Once you notice what you’re doing, you let go of him with an embarrassment like he’s burning you. “I- I don’t really know what happened, all of the sudden I just felt… sick.” With your confession, a wave of nausea infiltrates your stomach and makes you feel a little queasy again. It’s climbing to its previous intensity quickly. The fossilized church feels like it could cave in on you at any moment.

Father Pike touches your shoulder softly, “I’m going to go get you some water, okay?” You nod and the waning gleam in your eye sends him swiftly disappearing into the crowd.

A decent number of paces away, an older woman looks at you with fear as Lucy speaks to her, no doubt explaining your abrupt qualm. Drawing any more attention than you already have will just worsen your panic, so you thwart the drama. You raise your hand at her with a thin-lipped smile to deter her worry and she places her hand over her heart with a happy sigh before walking away.

Father Pike reappears behind Lucy and drifts by her with your drink clutched tight in his hand. Lucy’s eyes flit from the priest’s chivalry to your shy, measly form and she raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth with a scoffing smile. You could read your best friend’s face better than written word: she thinks that you’re doing this on purpose to get the Father’s attention.

You wish you could say you were reeling him in with salacious spite, however, you were anything but. Your illness was true and unforgiving. You shake your head at her in defiance, but you can tell she doesn’t buy it. She turns away to busy herself with the rest of the party, but really she’s intending to give the two of you some privacy from the wink thrown over her shoulder. With a roll of your eyes, you think about how you’ll have to defend yourself with a foolproof case under her gavel later tonight.

Father Pike retakes his seat next to you, handing you the bottle of water, unopened, that your puny fingers struggle with. Kindly, he offers his hand and you pass over the bottle for him to open. He hands it back to you and sits hunched over his lap, hands clasped between his open legs, staring at you intently as you take a few slow sips. You feel a little awkward, looking down at the bottle in your hands and fidgeting with the wrapper on the outside, so you take a note from his book and try to lighten the mood, “I knew I wasn’t a big fan of parties, but I didn’t know I was this bad.” You chuckle dryly, risking a glance at him. It works: he’s laughing with you.

“I’m not a big party person, either,” he smiles, his dimple creasing within his beard. You raise an eyebrow at him, a little befuddled by his statement, given he inserts himself into the lives of others for a living. He takes your hint, “I enjoy talking to people, giving sermons and all of that… but even this feels a little overwhelming for me.” You nod, finding comfort in the fact that you’re on the same page. He keeps that endearing smile with a measuring eye as he continues watching you, looking from the crease of your brow to how your legs squirm uncomfortably.

There’s something about this man that makes you feel… transparent. Like how you felt exposed to him earlier, even underneath all your coarsely knitted layers. You feel like a fraud, sitting next to one of the holiest figures in the entire congregation. And for some reason, out of all of the people here, you feel that he deserves the truth. There’s nothing about him that has given you any indication that he won’t turn on you like the rest would if you confess to your disguise, but at the same time… he makes you feel safe. Of course, he just recovered you from some undisclosed blight, but you can write that off as convenience. You were sick, he was right there, certainly he would’ve tended to you. There must be some moral code within the priesthood to never let a sick person lie. But even before that, putting aside his obvious handsomeness, there was something in his eyes that held you. Let you know that it was all okay. You decide to ply him with honesty.

“Um… so, I’m not very religious. Like, at all.” Your voice is a little shaky, worried if his nice-guy facade will finally melt away to reveal a sneering orthodox. He doesn’t seem to have a reaction, so you keep going.

“So, if I’m not religious, and I’m drinking this, does that mean…” You trail off in question, and he doesn’t understand what you’re getting at.

“It’s holy, right?” You raise the water.

Father Pike looks like he can’t believe what you just asked. He shakes his head in amusement, void of condescension, leaning the slightest bit closer towards you. He lowers his voice slightly, protecting you from any invasive ears. He softly explains, “Just because it’s water in a church doesn’t mean it’s holy. A priest or some other figure has to bless it.” His smirk deepens at your visible relief, “You’re not sinning, or anything near it. You’re perfect.”

He said you’re… what? Your heart skips again but this time it’s not from sickness. Well... is it sick to be attracted to someone who is virtually untouchable? You get to thinking; you know enough about the church and its inner workings to know that priests usually take a vow of celibacy. Consequently, most never date or get married. Does that mean… are they barred from all things sensual? Are they allowed to tenderly brush their fingers against someone else’s, and not for the purpose of prayer? Can they share a glance that lingers a little too long for it to be considered chaste? Can they… can they even think about anything remotely sexual?

There’s no way that can be true. You can understand physical celibacy, sure, but it’s impossible for one not to have a thought that makes them quiver at least once in their life. In your own experience, sensuality sometimes has nothing to do with sex. You’ve felt the warmth of eroticism lying under the sun’s rays in the middle of spring, savoring a delicious meal, when you finish a book with a satisfying conclusion. If Father Pike starves himself of such pleasures, you can’t fight the pity that chokes you.

“What if they have priests at the packaging plant?” You joke, hoping to simultaneously break the silence that has swelled between you two and put a wedge in your brain’s cogs so they’ll stop churning.

Father Pike laughs, genuinely from his belly, and oh you could get used to that sound. His eyes crinkle at their corners with a grin, “Then the church would be thrilled at our outreach.”

You go to take another sip of your water, but his hand comes out to touch yours. The impossible delicacy almost makes you flinch. He puts gentle pressure on your skin, making you stop in your tracks. He shifts closer to you, his voice dropping an octave, warning you, “I’d be careful though; there is a possibility that you could grow rotted fangs and hairy feet, if I’m remembering correctly.”

Your fluttering nerves make your laugh squeak out of your tightened throat, louder than you intended, in a bark. Slightly mortified, you hide your smile behind the hand that isn’t suspended in the air by Father Pike. With mercy, he releases you.

“What about a rat’s tail?” You ask with a teasing glint in your eye.

He ponders for a moment, comically deep in thought. “That only affects the most sinful of us,” he reveals.

...What? That was flirty, right? It had to be flirty. There’s no way he didn’t mean it to be flirty. Your imagination can be very active at times, but there was no mistaking the twitch of his mustache to repress a smirk.

Trying to ignore the furious heat that has instantaneously kindled between your thighs based on that singular tone change, you latch the bottle to your mouth and avert your eyes elsewhere. Out of your periphery, you think you see Father Pike’s shoulders droop and his gaze lower to the ground with a silent huff. Shit, did he take your silence as a blow to his humor?

You can’t think too much now because the clocks outside in the streets resound ten chimes. Lucy appears and her beaming at the two of you seems to rejuvenate Father Pike a little. He straightens his back before he stands and they begin talking, shaking hands. Their mouths spew unintelligible babble to you as your entire nervous system is locked on one thing: Father Pike’s back. His gorgeous personality had swept you up and away into a cloud of bubbly giggles and blushing cheeks that you hadn’t noticed what he was wearing. Maybe if the robes had made a greater impression on you, they would’ve served as a reminder to restrain yourself from dreaming about the forbidden, but alas.

Father Pike is dressed identically to the other priests: black clerical shirt, cassock, pants, and shoes, and a white tab collar. But he wears everything so much better. The garments are majorly obscured by the enveloping cassock, but even the thick, flowing fabric can’t hide the broad width of his shoulders. When he gestures with his hands, you can see the muscles move dreamily in reaction by the flickering candlelight. He’s tall, and this fact is only emphasized as you continue to sit motionless on the pew watching him and Lucy.

When he turns with a hand outstretched to help you to your feet, you bite your lip with ravenous desire. Somehow you didn’t notice - probably because you were too enthralled with everything else about him - how his Adam’s apple sits on glorious display with the white tab collar as its pedestal. The tempting image makes you swallow hard. God, that shouldn’t be as hot as it is.

“Time to get going,” Lucy says, motioning from behind the Father’s back for you to take his hand. You do and stand, drifting to the front of the church on autopilot. It feels like the calm quiet of your time with Father Pike and the chummy, sociable atmosphere of the dinner has dissipated and a sense of urgency has taken root. The friendliness remains in the goodbyes and promises of meeting again you hear all around you, but you’re definitely being ushered out with the rest of the herd. You guess, remembering a tidbit about religious folk, that they have a curfew.

It feels like you’re being ripped away from Father Pike and you don’t like that. Although you’ve only known him for all but two hours - which sounds ridiculous when you put it like that - you’re desperate to know more. You’d find genuine, complete contentedness in simply watching him go about his daily activities. Recording what details he decides to give you privy to and admiring his boundaries when he reserves himself. He’s the first possibility of a new friend in this conservative township and you don’t want to let him go.

You’re grateful that he ghosts your back as Lucy leads you to the entrance, it gives you comfort and makes this dream last as long as it can. You don’t sense just how close he’s following behind you until you get to the heavy front doors and the toe of his shoe snags on the heel of yours. It makes you trip and fumble forward, but Father Pike reaches to catch you. His hands grip your waist, molding your oversized sweater to your body. Then, he gently steadies and pulls you back upright. The foreign sensation of your flattened heel tickles your foot and sends you stumbling back into his chest. He looks down at you, his hands still on you, “I-I apologize.”

Through the darkness you see the tips of his ears glow red. Before you can say anything in return, he renders you speechless by getting on his knees. Without a word spoken, moving in tandem with implicit choreography, you lift your foot up so he can fix the heel back into place. He doesn’t give you the choice of wobbling on your lonesome, placing one of your hands on his right shoulder to keep you balanced. And god, you wish he hadn’t done that.

Your lips part as your breaths gain some weight, but you snap your oblong mouth shut when you hear an ancient, warbly voice. “Oh, no, what have we here?” Father Gala teeters over just as Father Pike finishes retying your shoe. Imperceptibly, you squeeze his shoulder in reverence as he stands up and then you let your hand fall innocently to your side.

You shrug, giggling a little uncomfortably, “Father Pike stepped on the back of my shoe, it was an accident.”

“Young and clumsy,” Father Gala jokes, you think, with a grumbly tone. He claps a hand on Father Pike’s left shoulder with more effort than you thought the old man could muster. As Father Pike steadies the elder priest’s cane, you reason he more so fell into Father Pike than anything else. Your favored Father chuckles with accountability.

Father Gala passes off his cane for a moment to take your hand in his two, like he did when he gave you the dinner plate earlier this evening. Clearly the party has tired him out; his hands are quivering and his back is permanently bent at an angle. “Peace be with you,” he croaks with cheerfulness, despite his withered voice.

You freeze. You know you’re supposed to say something back to complete this exchange and from the innermost depths of your brain you think it should be a simple phrase, something that any ardent Christian would remember. Between your disinterest in the church and the Father Pike fog that has eclipsed your mind, you’re dumbfounded.

An angel appears in your midst and comes to your rescue: Father Pike, peering into your eyes over the shoulder of the crouched figure before you, mouths the words silently, “And also with you.”

“And also with you,” you recite amicably. Father Gala smiles, pats your hand twice in delight and turns to give Lucy the same departing sentiment. You release the air of worry you held inside and take a few steps to meet Father Pike, whispering close by his side so only he will hear, “Thank you.”

The handsome Father closes your height difference by leaning down and pretends to brush some invisible dust off of your shoulder, an excuse to be this close to you.

“Don’t mention it. Your secret’s safe with me,” he murmurs.

And you trust him to keep his promise. Sure, he could go behind your back and spill your lies to the other priests, the entire community, let them know that there’s a rat infiltrating their congregation.

The mischievous sparkle in his gaze as he looks at down you, biting your lip to suppress your giggle and keep your little inside secret just that, tells you he won’t let one word slip.

Father Gala has returned for his cane, so Father Pike clears his throat and stiffens himself. Clasping his hands together, he builds an appropriate distance between the two of you before anyone sees it was anything otherwise.

The night winds have picked up, biting at bits of exposed skin with a malevolent appetite. To shield the older priest, Father Pike guides him back into the cathedral. “I hope to see you two back soon,” the handsome Father interjects as you’re turning to leave.

“We’ll be here Sunday!” Lucy shouts over an unnatural gust that howls and warbles her voice. With one arm over each other’s shoulders, holding tight together, you begin the trek back to her house to take refuge for the night. Behind you, you hear the cathedral doors shut, sealing you off from a final parting glance to Father Pike. You aren’t too disheartened by that and the cold can’t gnaw at your heart, either; Sunday is only two days away and you can’t contain your excitement.

——

The whole night has felt like a whirlwind. To your complete and utter surprise, visiting the church is no longer seems like it’ll be a chore, but rather an opportunity. For what, you’re not exactly sure just yet. But you can feel the heat rising to your cheeks and skirting down your spine at the infinite possibilities. Maybe you should start praying for your salvation now.

series masterlist ♥️ main masterlist ♥️ join my taglist!

💘taglist (if you have a strike through it means i couldn't tag you): @pascalpanic @melody13522 @tenderwhat @maievdenoir @pedrostories @uncassettodiricordi @harriedandharassed

#pedro pascal characters #marcus pike x you #marcus pike x reader #marcus pike #marcus pike x f!reader #marcus pike x afab!reader #priest kink #priest!marcus pike

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sophiemariepl · 1 year

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Am I the only one who does not really get all those takes which read young Coriolanus Snow as an epitome of toxic masculinity and keep saying “OMFG, Lucy Gray, yes, girl, run away from him!1!!1”?

Like, I don’t mean that Coryo is not toxic. He, very obviously, is. That’s how he is meant to be.

But it seems to me that many people don’t get that the whole point of “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is to show how did it come to this, how Coryo became the way he is. Suzanne Collins literally makes a reference to tabula rasa - a concept in the Western Enlightenment philosophy, which, to quote the Free Dictionary, is:

This is the first. The point is to ask the reader: how much of a “clean slate” Coryo is as a person? How much does his experience and background shape him? How “free” is his will when he is continuously being shaped by everything around him?

Secondly, idk, did people realize that the characters of Coryo and Lucy Gray are constructed as personifications of the “civilization vs nature” conflict? A conflict which is, nomen omen, also common in Western philosophy in the Enlightenment era?

In short, Coryo is the personification of civilization - order, science, lack of spontaneity, etc. Meanwhile, Lucy Gray personifies nature - she is spontaneous, artistic, sensitive and trusting (even despite the fact that before being with Coryo she was in a toxic relationship). She believes in the inherent goodness in people, while Coryo clearly does not. And both of these two stances also derive from their upbringing.

Like, coming back to their background.

Lucy Gray, despite coming from an extremely underprivileged background and being in a toxic relationship prior to the plot of the book, seems to have had loving and trusting people around her. Most of the time, her background reinforced the story “you are good, worthy, and loved”. And this way she grew this attitude in her mind. She had developed a sense of self-worth, her own standing, her own “stone”, which saved her even when the odds were not on her side.

Meanwhile, Coryo came from a fallen high-class family embedded in Capitol’s politics - which in itself is not a good place for proper emotional development. In such an environment, you constantly have to prove your worth. You don’t matter on your own. If you don’t keep fighting, you are worthless. In a sense, you are what you do. And, to add fuel to the fire, Coryo had to hide the true economic standing of his family and almost constantly be on alert, because, in reality, everyone around him was a back-stabbing b*tch ready to hurt him. Wouldn’t you develop trust issues in this situation?

And yes, I know that many people here will mention Tigris, I know. But how much time does Coryo really spend with his cousin? How much time, ability, and opportunity does Tigris have on reversing the poison that is poured into her cousin’s head when he is outside of home, e.g. at school?

Idk, maybe it is just my experience (this is going to get private now lol), but when I read about Coryo, I found his person cruel, but weirdly relatable.

That mostly stems from the fact that I too have an experience of growing up in a very toxic environment that gave me trust issues. And it is not that I did not have a person like Tigris around me. I did, when I saw them for maximum 1-1.5 hour per day, because we both were overwhelmed with work and did not have time to talk and bond together and undo the toxicity that was constantly reinforced in my head when I had other stuff to do. Similarly to Coryo, I too had to stay in a constantly back-stabbing, non-empathetic environment, which constantly reinforced the fact that apart from very few people, I could not trust anybody. Because if I do - they will use that to hurt me in the end. So, I thought to myself that I have to be constantly on guard. When entering any friendships, a coping mechanism for me was to think of these people in the categories “what they can offer/do for me” instead of “who is this person for me as a person”. Because, you know, in case they stab me in the back, I still get something out of it.

This led to the fact that even when I supposedly could let my guard down - that is, I entered my first romantic relationship - letting this guard down felt unnatural, wrong. And it led to - tada! - wanting to possess the one I loved. Because no, I could not trust the fact them, that was not enough. I did not trust them enough to believe that they wanted to stay with me because they wanted to.

And damn, seeing that Coryo had similar issues was so… therapeutic. He just could not let go, give space and trust the woman of his life. And paradoxically, this is what largely contributes to her ultimately leaving him without a word.

The fact that Suzanne Collins understands this pattern (and most likely heavily researched it) makes me respect her so much more.

(Of course, I am in therapy. I don’t plan to repeat these behaviours anymore, I don’t want to end up like Coryo 😅 But I’m just saying that it’s still hard to unlearn these patterns years after leaving the original toxic environment because my brain got wired at some point to reinforce this “You should trust no one” story 24/7.)

And no, before you accuse me of “defending” Snow’s actions, I stop you here. I completely, fully acknowledge the fact that Coriolanus Snow, in the end, does evil things and is a truly evil person.

But what I am against is reading TBoSaS as just a story of a toxic romance between a guy embedded in toxic masculinity and a sensitive girl that he just wants to possess BeCAuSe hE Is ToXIc. This is just extremely shallow, and completely contradicts the point that, I believe, Suzanne Collins is trying to make here. And her point is still scary, if not more than just labelling Coryo as masculine in a toxic way.

The society also largely contributes to creating monsters. We create these monsters.

#suzanne collins #suzanne collins is one of the only mainstream authors these days who clearly writes for purpose rather than profit #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas #coriolanus snow #coryo snow #lucy gray #lucy gray baird #the hunger games #catching fire #the mockingjay #the hunger games trilogy #about me #am I doing a psychoanalysis of my favourite characters? maybe #I respect Suzanne Collins for her effort so much more

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the-smut-analyst · 5 months

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Fantasy Rom-Coms

The genre I never knew I needed. Until I found it.

Short 'n' sweet book rec post today (because I know I've been doing a lot of deep-dive analyses of late). I deserve a break. You deserve a break. So let's do it.

Here's my top three fantasy rom-com series at the moment!

Pick them up if you enjoy a bit of smutty fantasy and are in the mood to laugh.

1. Anything by Kimberly Lemming

I do not know if my tits were built for murder. I don't even think they were built with my back in mind.

Lemming is an auto-buy author for me. This woman is bloody hilarious. The humour is farcical and somewhat absurdist, which is my absolute favourite style. I grew up with the likes of Monty Python, The Mighty Boosh, and The Confessions of Georgia Nicholson - so Lemming's work is right up my alley.

Her character Alexis, the dirty-talking sword (yes, you read that correctly) is, in my mind, nothing short of comedic genius.

"Oh my god, chip my steal, you're so annoying," Alexis snapped. "Maybe if you fixed your attitude and took a bath once in a while, women would talk to you. You smell like old cheese and a mother's regret."

I know some reviewers have been thrown off my the modern vernacular in Lemming's work, due to its medieval-like fantasy setting. However, I think that is exactly what makes these books so good (and refreshing).

The love interests speak a bit more "ye oldy", while the female protagonists speak like we do. The result is something akin to what might happen if a modern romance reader were dropped into a smutty fantasy world. It's brilliant. For example:

"Every scratch," he whispered, his tone gentle and comforting. "Every bruise, I will pay back in fire and blood." I blinked. "Um... that is so sweet but so unnecessary."

I'd recommend reading Lemming's work in publication order, which is as follows (links included):

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

Mistlefoe (novella - available with KU)

That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf

Two Scoops of Hellfire (novella - standalone - available with KU)

A Bump in Boohail (novella - available with KU)

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

2. Alphas of Nasila series by V.K. Ludwig

“If you ever see me running in heels, then you better run, too,” she says with a scoff. “What am I supposed to run away from, anyway?” “Me!” “Why? You got a chase kink or something?”

The best way I can think to describe this series is that it is Omegaverse satire. The pairings are alien males and human females, and the smut / romance includes all your fairly standard A/B/O tropes - with the exception of non-con. The consent is refreshingly solid here.

Book one of this series, Heat for Hire, was actually my entry into the Omegaverse. If you're unfamiliar with the genre, then this is a good place to start because the protagonist, Elli, is unfamiliar with how alpha/omega pairings work. So all the... ahem... knotting, heat cycles, etc. are explained via her first experience of them.

My skin prickles at the memory of Rhen’s growl. But only until I remember that I rubbed myself to orgasm on a civil servant.

However, book two, Knot for Nest is by far the best of the series, in my opinion. The chemistry between the two protagonists, Lucy and Tjor, is brilliant - and it's just a genuinely hilarious read. Lucy is a snarky, independent omega who absolutely knows how to play the big, bad alphas to her advantage.

Book three, Purr for Purchase, is a lot higher angst (and less comedic) than its predecessors. It wasn't really my cup of tea, but that's just because I'm not a huge fan of pregnancy in romance.

If you've tried the Omegaverse before but not enjoyed it because of the power imbalances or dub/non-con, then I'd still recommend this series. The Omega / Alpha dynamic is very much reserved for the bedroom and does not reflect how the couple interacts outside of it. This is particularly true of Lucy and Tjor. She might enjoy being "dominated" during sex, but she genuinely holds all the power in the relationship.

“Big, bad alpha, all calm and well-behaved between my thighs.”

The characters in each Alphas of Nasila book are interconnected and the events chronological. However, you do not necessarily have to read these books in order. If you're sceptical of the Omegaverse in general, start with book two. All these novels are available with KU.

3. Claws & Cubicles Series by Kate Prior

Some people really haven’t adjusted to life under the Dark Reign of Terror yet. Some things are different, but honestly it’s all cosmetic. Things aren’t that different from when we had a normal, living CEO.

This series is like The Office, but with monsters (and smut). The dry, relatable humour of a boring corporate job - but with non-human co-workers like orcs, the undead, etc - is genius.

The comedy definitely leans into that classic British deadpan / understatement style. Think IT Crowd, Faulty Towers, and After Life. I think anyone who's ever worked in an office will definitely be smirking and chuckling their way through this series.

“You could have just called me in. I’ve got skin.” I wonder if that last remark is rude or something. After all, he doesn’t really have skin, to my knowledge. I hope I don’t have to take an undead sensitivity training class now.

Book one, Live Laugh Lich, gets pretty kinky (the MMC has three... er... yes). The smut here isn't going to be for everyone. But I liked the humour so much that I didn't really mind if the intimate scenes weren't my cup of tea.

However book two, The Orc From the Office, holds a much broader appeal, I think. I adored this installment. I'd recommend pushing through and reading this, even if you had mixed feelings on book one. The orc MMC is a socially awkward cinnamon roll and I love him.

I wonder distantly if my health insurance covers being eviscerated by Orc cock.

Book three, The Gargoyle from General Management, left me a bit wanting in terms of the character development. However, the setting of everyone being away together on a company retreat was comedy gold.

All of the Claws & Cubicles books are available on KU.

That's all! I hope you enjoy the smutty rom-com fantasy recs!

This post includes affiliate links to help me create content. No pressure to use them! But if you do, I'll be very grateful :)

#book recs #fantasy romance #romance #smut #book recommendations #sci fi romance #romantasy #omegaverse #kimberly lemming #vk ludwig #kate prior #alphas of nasila #mead mishaps #claws and cubicles #monster romance

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beardedmrbean · 3 months

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Ah thank you, sorry I just saw the statement going around on Twitter and wanted to know if you could back that statement up

Whaaat? Sesame Street was meant to show that everyone can be equal hence why multiple celebrities from different walks of life like Ice Cube to Lucy Liu made appearances on the show and Liu herself said thank you to Sesame Street as it help her learn English?

It not like it supposed to be in New York

A very diverse place

Seriously where the Flying FUCK is Sesame Street in NYC? Must I take a magical portal to go there?

But yeah, Sesame is supposed to be like that. Then race obsessed late Gen x and millennials came along and murder fuck anything

Seriously I grew up in the 00’s, you know when a fuckton of diversity was in kids media?

Now the majority of diversity comes from people who never left their metropolitan areas.

Words can’t not describe the downgrades black cartoon characters got.

Whaaat? Sesame Street was meant to show that everyone can be equal

Here's 2 of the people that had some of the biggest impact on how I am today.

Don't think I saw Carol Spiney's face till sometime in the last 10 years or less, he was just Big Bird.

Did someone say Diversity

Down below we have the 80-81 cast, there's Mr Hooper in front of Big Bird, I don't think there's a show on today that could touch this. Could have used someone from the MENA region and India and Asia but in the mid 70's and even today this is huge.

Look it's Gordon and Susan, and their 'adopted' son Miles.

The introduction of Miles allowed the show to tackle the topic of adoption. Roscoe Orman originally suggested that Gordon and Susan have a child when he first joined the show in 1974. At the time, the producers felt that it was too complicated to cast a baby to play the part.

Ten years later, when Orman's son Miles was a year old, he revisited the idea. Orman remembers, "Caroll Spinney offhandedly said one day, 'That son of yours is so cute -- he's such a great kid -- we should bring him on the show and let him be your son.' I said that I had suggested something like that years ago but it was shot down. And he said, 'Well, you know, you could even adopt him.' That really started my wheels turning and I mentioned it to [Executive Producer] Dulcy Singer." The producers were intrigued by the adoption angle, and cast Miles Orman in the role. "The idea is that he'll grow up on the show -- for as long as he wants to," Roscoe Orman said.

They were there day 1 and through my whole childhood and beyond. Occasionally shifting performers.

Anything you could want to teach a person about being a good, kind, and accepting person you could teach them by putting on a Sesame Street + Mr Rogers Neighborhood marathon.

I'm glad Mr Rogers is free to watch on PBS kids, sometimes I need to just have that perfectly measured voice there cutting through the din of the day telling me the day was better because he got to spend it with me.

Grateful he's still around even if he isn't.

But that's not Sesame Street.

Seriously where the Flying FUCK is Sesame Street in NYC? Must I take a magical portal to go there?

It's there, it's in your neighborhood too. You just have to find some people willing to help make it appear is all.

We're surrounded by legions of good, kind, and giving people. We just need to do some of the leg work it takes to bring them together is all.

#zoomer huey anon

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thevillanonyan · 1 year

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I just finished reading the lookwood and co books and wow I'm blown away by how emotionally impacful they are. The books have their faults for sure, like some of the comments about George and Holly (the latter of which get resolved at the start of creeping shadow) but overall these are very well written.

The dialogue is probably the most accurate example of young people talking I've ever seen, with the relentless teasing they force on one another which is what basically proves you are friends in the UK.

The descriptions of all the ghosts and environments are also very realistic to how you would perceive them. Stroud writes the books from Lucy's perspective and whenever she walks into a room or describes a person she constantly refers to other people or daily things when talking about their appearance. This is a very interesting way of showing how we (in general, but this is especially true for children) relate things to one another in order to understand them and I've haven't seen the use of first person writing done this well in a while.

I would've liked Holly and Lucy to get closer than they did. Even though it make me uncomfortable, (as it could have a bad impact on young readers) some of Lucy's comments and reactions to Holly (I can speak from experience) are disgustingly accurate to how young girls veiw one another. I think it was essential that they grew and made friends with one another after they argue in the hollow boy and I was glad to see this happen, but I maybe would've liked to have seen them become a even closer, it's more accurate that it takes time but again I worry about the impact it could have on the books' child audience.

I really like how the character of Quill Kipps was handled. He's the only young character in the books who doesn't have his talent and who we see lose his talent over the series. I think it added important world building to show how a young person navigated this sudden change. We are shown that before becoming more associated with lockwood and co, kipps is very lost in his life, he gets blacklisted from most other agencies and can barely make ends meat, the books even mention kipps dealing with new found loneliness becaue most of his friends fell out or lost contact with him as he was no longer working. These subtle details add so much to his character, even though we don't get many out right emotional moments with him as we do the others, we can still understand and empathise with him.

I was expecting there to be more locklyle in the books but I'm actually glad there wasn't. I think it's important in children's literature to show characters liking one another and developing that accordingly but I also think it is important for it to be accordingly. Relationships take a long time to form, especially when you are young and don't necessarily understand your feelings and I don't think its a bad thing for Lucy and Lockwood to take a long time to get together (considering their circumstances, their first priority also needs to be surviving). I think Stroud could've pushed it further and (im trying so hard not to spoil the final scene) had them say out loud that they love one another which they don't. I think if we get another season it would be nice to see more locklye than in the books but again, it's so unusual for books not to push the romance too far that I'm not even mad. I also like that, (this is a very low level spoiler) Kipps doesn't get together with anyone at the end on the books. He's the only main character who doesn't appear to be in a relationship and again, while I think its important to show characters liking one another in children's literature, I also think it's almost more important to show characters being happy on their own. Childrens media is so full of romance and it often has a bad impact on young consumers. I'm always so suprised and relieved when I see a character who is single and happy being that way, it is just as important to show kids that you can be mature and loved even though your not in a relationship. It fits well with kipps' character too! At Portland Row, he has found a place where he doesn't feel under pressure or like he has anything to hide, he also has friends who actually care for him so he is happy and contented for the first time in a long while.

Essay over, I love this show I love these books. Go. Read. Them.

(Also, flo's backstory was so heartbreaking and makes me love her character wayyyyyy more than I did. Very. Well. Written. It happening as a story lockwood tells to calm lucy down aswell *chef's kiss* no notes)

#lockwood and co #anthony lockwood #lockwood & co #l&co. netflix #lucy carlyle #l&co #quill kipps #holly munro #george cubbins #george karim #l&coaw2023 #florence bonnard #flo bones

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amchara · 1 year

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Chain of Thorns - First Impressions

I finished the book a couple hours ago and needed to take a bit of time to formulate my thoughts. I’m a fast reader and admittedly, this can mean I skim in some places / go over some details so doubtless I’ll pick up on more when I do my reread.

They got long so underneath the cut… but here are my first impressions of Chain of Thorns:

I liked it a lot. I didn’t love it. It suffered from many of the same issues that plagued Queen of Air and Darkness and maybe even a bit more in this book. Namely, too big of a cast, too much plot to explore decently but more importantly - lack of follow-through/consequences for characters’ actions or events in the book.

Some initial points:

SOMEONE ELSE SHOULD’VE DIED/BEEN EXILED/BEEN LOST IN ANOTHER REALM. I like the happy endings they got (I have much love for these characters). But it didn’t feel earned. :/

Also the pacing throughout much of the book was breakneck, bar a few quiet interludes. Some storylines - Lucie, Jesse and Malcolm’s visit to Cornwall and Matthew and Cordelia’s Paris interlude could’ve used a few more pages to really allow the characters to develop/explore why they were really there before pulling them back in service of the main plot.

Let’s start off with what I did love:

My love for Matthew, Cordelia and James’ characters was maintained and possibly even grew during this final book. I just - *BITES FIST* Honestly, I’m pretty damn happy where things ended up when it comes to the interpersonal relationships and dynamics between the three of them.

I loved that we got Fairstairs in Paris, though I will pout (and almost certainly finish that one fanfic for…) it was so little. Just- James could’ve arrived later on? Not been waiting in their room? *forever mourns the lost opportunity*

I especially appreciated the brokenness of the three of them as they returned to London. The time it took them to muddle through, process and re-discover their true feelings post-Gracelet revelation and how it shaped the course. But how they all still desperately cared about one another and it never wavered even when they were furious with each other.

Controversial opinion - though I know Bry will back me up on this - but James and Matthew’s parabatai relationship is the best one out of all the TSC parabatai - yes, even Will and Jem, who were idealised. Matthew and James’ relationship is that perfect mix of love, frustration, co-dependency that you need for a parabatai relationship.

It rose to new heights in Chain of Thorns, as James was finally able to break down Matthew’s walls and help him begin to heal, not only with his drinking but also his self-loathing. And Matthew finally gets his friend back who has been suppressed emotionally for three years (!!!) and you can just feel the intensity and pull of the relationship between the two of them, for good or bad, throughout the book. The scenes in Edom just killed me.

And Cordelia is - maybe not glue but it’s just - something separate but essential between the three of them. The mirror, perhaps? Reflecting their best selves upon her. And Matthew and James’ unconditional love heals the part of her that feels she has to be useful or heroic to be loved

Look romantic or platonic, you cannot convince me otherwise that they weren’t all meant to be together in some fashion, even if it’s not a classic OT3, but maybe more V-triad? <brb just thinking about a heronfairstairs fic set in the 1910s>

UGH. I AM EMOTIONAL JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. It’s a messier, truer to life version of the Jem-Tessa-Will situation (especially if Jem hadn’t become a Silent Brother) and you won’t be able to convince me otherwise.

Cordelia, she broke my heart with Matthew but I accept it. I knew she was going to end up with James. But I do think- much like Tessa was with Jem, Matthew and Cordelia’s love for each other is a quieter flame than the ones they have for their respective Herondales, and it’s a shame it wasn’t explored more.

I think the one sticking point for Cordelia and Matthew in terms of romance is Matthew’s drinking. Cordelia has trauma around her father’s drinking and to see it reflected in Matthew (even if he is successful in his sobriety) means there’s that extra hurdle if they were to enter a romantic relationship. Cordelia is pragmatic enough that she knows she does not want the same type of relationship her mother and father had.

James and Cordelia- I did enjoy their ups and downs. I do enjoy them together. I think I am always going to be slightly put out that it didn’t end more tragically. Herondales always win in love- and the way that James’ story and history has been framed and referenced in SO MANY OTHER Shadowhunter books made me think possibly there would be something different this time- that he’d lose one of his loves, either Cordelia or Matthew.

Quick points individually:

Cordelia - My girl remains the best- she is the best combo of heroine - kind but proud, reckless but also caring and straightforward in her dealings. She can’t abide to be cruel but she can be ruthless (her cutting Tatiana’s throat- dammmmmnnnnn)

James - *checks* Not feral enough, lol. Yes, we did get many moments… especially post-Paris and ummm, that scene where he and Cordelia consummated their marriage but could’ve used more. Will come back with more coherent thoughts later.

Matthew… oh my darling Matthew. I’m going to have to come back to him in a separate post, I think. Having just read his arc in this book- I get why Cassie didn’t kill him off or separate him from his friends. There was already so much hopelessness woven into his storyline and a lot of uncertainty if he’s even going to succeed in remaining sober, any tragic ending would’ve felt pointlessly cruel, I think.

Ultimately, his journey isn’t over but I appreciate the steps he took during this book. At the same time, it feels so strange we ended the book with Matthew’s future still a large question mark. Still time for him to get lost in Faerie!! I ultimately believe he has a promising yet tragic life to lead, and I want to know what it is…

Other things I loved:

The Merry Thieves relationship in Chain of Thorns >>>>>>

Especially the scenes where they all go to help Matthew get through his first couple days of non-drinking. And of Thomas and Christopher each going to respectively check on James and Matthew. I loved their dynamic during this book, which I think we saw in Chain of Gold but less so in CHain of Iron so was happy to see its return.

Thomas and Alastair - were perfection. No notes.

I have to admit I might’ve skimmed over a few of their scenes that were cute but were interludes during other tense moments, when I was dying to know what happened to other characters we had just cut away from… but I am going to savour their interactions on my reread.

Alastair and Cordelia’s sibling relationship also remains amazing. As admitted before, I am a Carstairs family fan and this book definitely helped cement that.

After a few Christopher POVs, I definitely got the sinking feeling he was a goner. And yep- I was correct- as were quite a few others in fandom. He wasn’t one of my favourites but his development in the first half of Chain of Thorns before his death- his expanded interactions with the other Merry Thieves and his growing relationship with Grace were a delight to read and I am sad he didn’t make it. Also, I am such a sucker for an Orpheus and Eurydice callback so I absolutely adored the moment in the laboratory.

I think I’ll need to reread before I can fully opine on Grace’s arc in Chain of Thorns but my first impressions were favourable. I like that she didn’t get the full redemption arc right away. I appreciated she told Cordelia what had happened with her and James but it was strange we didn’t get that scene but were told it? Hmm, this was something that bothered me a few times- there were some important conversations between characters which should’ve happened ‘on page’ but didn’t.

Things I was relatively meh about:

Anna and Ariadne - they were… fine? I absolutely get they are some people’s fav characters but I think out of all of the characters, many of their scenes would’ve been the easiest to cut, and it might’ve made a more cohesive, tightly-plotted story.

Jesse and Lucie - honestly, I think the plot with Belial overshadowed the consequences of Lucie bringing Jesse back to life. No, he wasn’t just half alive, he WAS DEAD. You did necromancy, Lucie- accept it! I hate that it all seemingly was swept under the rug. :/

And sadly, Jesse as a character in Chain of Thorns was… boring. I’m sad to say it but it’s true! I appreciated him so much more as a sarky ghost.

Lucie’s plotlines… I need to reread but I think it’s a combo of Lucie’s storylines not getting a proper chance to breathe, like- what she and Malcolm were going to do to raise Annabel in Cornwall, or being too tied to what she can do with her ghost powers to help against Belial. She felt more like a plot device in this book than the others, and I disliked that for her. Maybe that will change upon reread but ehh. Wasted potential overall on both Jesse and Lucie.

Overall plotline with Belial - less interesting this time around? Hmm. Need to pay more attention to it on reread but first views were less than favourable. That being said, I guess he and Tatiana were quite clever with the Watchers and the plotline with the Cornwall Institute.

I enjoyed all of the Lilith-Cordelia interactions though - super fun to watch them spar verbally, and loved that Lilith kept implying that if Cordelia fullfilled her oath as paladin, she could have BOTH Matthew and James. Lilith isn’t shocked by that sorta thing, lol.

Lastly, the inherent bigotry and cruelty of the Enclave was used more as a plot device to get the adults out of the way for the big showdown and I hated that immensely- especially as all the fuss about Tessa and Lucie and James’ bloodline was again, all resolved by the end of the book. Booo, no lasting consequences.

This is very long for first impressions but anyway… I’m glad I’ve written it all down. Happy to engage in comments/reblogs but let’s discuss civilly, and of course - tag all your spoilers!

#chain of thorns #chain of thorns spoilers #chot spoilers #chain of thorns spoiler #chot spoiler #reader of books #cot spoilers #cot spoiler #the last hours #matthew fairchild #james herondale #cordelia carstairs

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