#I can't seem to find any of my old stuff in any of their tags so whoever liked/reblogged them before may be the only ones to see them now

[see-arcane-scribbles]

Black Dogs in Whitby

"It be all fool-talk, lock, stock, and barrel;--

--that's what it be, an' nowt else. These bans an' wafts an' boh-ghosts--

-- an' barguests an' bogles an' all anent them is only fit to set bairns an' dizzy women a-belderin'. They be nowt but air-blebs. They, an' all grims an' signs an' warnin's, be all--

--invented...”

...But still enough to send a certain new arrival in Whitby on his way. There’s a good reason the Count only bothered killing one dog for a laugh while he was out wolfing around. For those who don’t know, the barguest--sometimes called the Barghest--is one of many types of supernatural black dog with folkloric ties to death. Their barking signals that someone’s about to die, often with other dogs joining in on the baying and howling. They lead funeral processions of dogs for the same reason, and, if someone dares cross the fearsome Fido in question, it’ll ensure yours is the next funeral in the queue. 

All of which may go a long way toward explaining why poor Lucy heard so many dogs barking and howling in her phantasmagoric nights with the Count. 

They knew.

#first of a few pieces I'm tentatively planning to re-post #I can't seem to find any of my old stuff in any of their tags so whoever liked/reblogged them before may be the only ones to see them now #fun #anyway #barghest #barguest #mr. swales #dracula #dracula daily

[ms-demeanor]

since twitter has become actively hostile to its users, so they came to tumblr, and reddit has become actively hostile to its users, so they came to tumblr, what do we do now that tumblr is becoming (more) actively hostile to its users? i’ve been here for over a decade so i know tumblr users are the type to cling on despite everything and revel in undoing every change, but i’m so tired of the way this website breaks the way it fundamentally works in order to appeal to new users. the twitterfication of the site seems so much worse than when people jumped ship after the porn ban, and even then, only small communities (and twitter) cropped up as solutions. you might not be the person to ask for a definitive answer, but i figured a tech blog might be interested in considering - what do we do when there’s nowhere left to go?

Okay so, I mean this very seriously: how has tumblr meaningfully become like twitter?

I don't personally find the sidebar view obnoxious and it seems to me like just another layout change that's pretty typical to tumblr. New users are getting signed up with a bit more emphasis on algorithmic feeds, but that is still very easy to change (MUCH easier than on any other social platform) and the algorithm has been there for everyone for quite a while, we just typically don't notice it because a lot of long-term tumblr users don't go into the "for you" feed.

I don't think that tumblr *has* fundamentally broken the way that it works to appeal to new users. My dash now is still very much like my dash in 2019, and still very much like my dash in 2018 (though much less pornographic). Reblogs are still reblogs, likes are still likes. Replies, for all that they seem like they've been around forever, are new and good and I think they work well. I'm irritated that the notes menu doesn't have a "view all" option but I think that's a worthwhile tradeoff for an easy way to see tags.

I *do not* understand why tumblr has broken linking back to previous reblogs but I don't think that's out of an effort to act like twitter; it is a bizarre choice that I dislike and don't understand but I also don't think that it has fundamentally changed the way the site works and i mean you've been around long enough that I'm sure you've had the same experience I have of going into the notes of a post and randomly clicking until you found a version that you wanted to reblog without a bunch of bullshit at the bottom. Tumblr has always kind of sucked, this change DOES suck but it doesn't suck in a way that is particularly novel or insurmountable. (For instance, I think this change sucks MUCH LESS than when they made posts with links invisible to the search, that is something that is genuinely bad that has been long lasting but doesn't get brought up much in lists of the ways that tumblr has gone wrong)

Tumblr *is* changing, but I think it is changing more incrementally and less terribly than other parts of the internet. I also hate the floating clown, the login walls, the dash-only view for blogs (you can't archive it and I HATE that), and - to an extent - the new lightbox on mobile. And I dislike that less than I thought I would but I don't think it's a fundamental change that necessarily impacts my interactions with the site - it *adds* a feature that I don't care for but it doesn't *break* anything that I require to have a good time on tumblr - in that way I think of it very much like Live. People hate Live so much and I find that perplexing because it is so easy to simply ignore it.

But that's not really your question; that's just some stuff I want people to think about because as much as tumblr has changed in the last two years it is nowhere near as fucked up as the recent things that twitter and reddit have pulled.

So, as to your question: where do we go?

Well. Not to be an extremely old person on the internet, but damned if I don't miss email lists. And forums. God I miss forums. Neither of those things has all the bonuses of platforms like twitter or reddit or tumblr or facebook, but they were great ways to hang out with people you liked on the internet.

The internet is changing. I can feel it, you can feel it, I'm pretty sure we're all like cattle in a field lifting our noses and hearing some distant rumbling and becoming slowly aware that it's almost time to run. There's a coming stampede and it isn't here yet but you know it's on its way. You're not imagining that, that's how things feel right now and there are a shitload of things contributing to it.

Things like SESTA/FOSTA and KOSA (which has not passed yet but is a big red flag waving on the horizon) have been eroding away the way that users on various platforms can function. Some platforms have consolidated in ways that harm users; some new platforms have popped up and shaken up the map of the internet; some platforms are being torn apart brick by brick by owners who don't care about the users. It kind of seems like people are actually looking up and realizing that advertising is A) bad and B) doesn't actually work and I think we're running straight toward another advertising-based crash like we saw in 2017. It feels like all the desperate things that tumblr is doing is just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic as the internet as a whole starts to sink into the ocean.

Honestly, I don't think it's that bad. I think it *feels* bad, but I think we're looking at a slow whimpering death of the platforms, not a bang. I think tumblr is going to hang on at least for a few years and I think it's going to end up like livejournal and myspace, which both still exist as websites that are recognizable as updated versions of the sites they were in 2004-2010. The thing that I think would really, honestly hurt tumblr in a fundamental way is if it moved to a more algorithmic and data-sales based model of advertising, and I think that's still pretty distant. I think Automattic is aware that killing the chronological feed would be the one unforgivable sin that would cause a mass exodus and a final crash, and I think when we see that, when we can't just scroll through the feed and see what our friends did that day in order of when they did it, that's when the party is over here.

But that's still not answering your question.

So, where do we go? What do we do? Well, for now, I'd say it's a good time to get contact info for your friends across various platforms. Get email addresses, get phone numbers.

Now is also the time for you to set up a personal website. NeoCities is currently the best place to do this, though it takes a lot more effort than just starting a blog on tumblr. I think that various oldschool blogging sites like Wordpress and Blogger/Blogspot/whatever the hell the google one is are a better place to have your emergency backup than a more platform-y platform if you aren't up to doing something with NeoCities.

If you've got the ability to do so and a group of people who are interested in the same core subject, set up a forum. There's a decent amount of off-the-shelf forum software out there and a text-and-small-images forum isn't prohibitively expensive, but it's never going to be huge and you're never going to have the kind of spread and virality and random connections that you would on a platform with millions or billions of users.

If you can't set up a forum, setting up or joining a discord server for your friends is a decent enough option at the moment, and may be a very good option for people who are looking to keep their interactions more private.

But yeah i think right now is a great time for people to start setting up their own personal websites, to start visiting actual webpages again, to start bookmarking their friends' websites, and to start collecting contact info that isn't tied to platforms.

[dduane]

BTW… re: Smut

... off my comment to this post the other day...

I'm an entertainer. Writing's a form of entertainment. (And not just for the readership: for me, too.) To be aroused by art one's experienced is (almost by definition) to be entertained, I'd say. If someone's jerking off to my erotica, then all I can do is lean back in the typing chair, smile a bit, and think, Good! I got the job done. :)

(...with the tags: #and no I'm not going to let on where the smut is#why would i deny anyone the delights of the search#and of being repeatedly mistaken#while possibly finding smut writers who're better at it than i am#:) ...)

...and then noting (with affectionate amusement) some responses:

Well, troops, better get busy filling in that bingo box. 😄

Also: I have to say (while stressing that I absolutely appreciate the humor behind "shocked, shocked, scandalized...") that the dissonance is, temporally speaking, a bit ill-founded. Because while I may be best known for the Young Wizards works these days... by no means did they come first. This did.

A soft chuckle in the darkness. “Lorn, remember that first time we shared at your place?” “That was a long time ago.” “It seems that way.” “—and my father yelled up the stairs, ‘What are you dooooooooing?’ “—and you yelled back, ‘We’re fuckinnnnnnnnnnng!’” “—and it was quiet for so long—” “—and then he started laughing—” “Yeah.”

Granted, from the here-and-now POV of readers with access to the hot-'n'-spicy shipfic or PWP on AO3, this sort of thing (and the numerous other lights-often-off or dialogue-only sexytiems passages in the traditionally published Middle Kingdoms works) would be seen as pretty small beer: soft, non-edgy stuff. Yet in 1979 apparently there were those who found the sex and sexualities on display in The Door Into Fire arresting enough that the book got me nominated for the Astounding Award (for best new author in the field) two years in a row.

There's no question that the broadly inclusive tone set by the Middle Kingdoms books went on to affect and underlie the YW universe in very basic ways. (There've been some scholarly works written by academics who've picked up on this, so [much to my relief] this perception hasn't been just me imagining it.) But I'll grant you that those who don't know the MK novels wouldn't be in a position to make the connection. (shrug) This is just one of those things that comes of having a lot of fragmented readerships who don't know about each other... a side effect of having done a lot of different things during a career. I can also understand how not knowing about the MK works could leave people who know me only, or primarily, as someone writing for a younger readership, a little bit disoriented (or maybe concerned) when the issue of me writing openly sexual material rears its head. But that wouldn’t be a change of direction. It’d be, to some extent, more a return to form.

Anyway: I consider erotica—and its more casually-dressed (or undressed...) cousin, smut—to be perfectly legit forms of literary expression; ones that can soar to unexpected heights if you're willing to put in the work. The sexy-stuff-writing muscle requires periodic exercise if it's to remain viable and/or useful. So I exercise it. And being a 70-year-old person who sometimes creaks audibly when she walks has done absolutely nothing to decrease my interest in the subject—the brain being, after all, the biggest sex organ, and the one least vulnerable to the depredations of time. If anything, nearly fifty years of experience (and three and a half decades of marriage to @petermorwood) have added... let's just say nuance. 😏

Now this whole concept will doubtless horrify some of the "Eww, You're Too Old To Be Writing This Kind Of Thing, Go Get A (Home) Life" types. To which all I can say is, "...Well, good!" By and large, such folks are not my readers anyway. And as for any of them who are, and can't deal…? They need to understand that (pointing off to one side) those people over there—the various kinda-straight and pansexual and bisexual humans, and the gender-fluid fire elemental, and the otherly-gendered Dragon, and the mostly-gay ones enthusiastically shouting "We're fuckinnnng!" down the stairs—are Nita's and Kit's godparents. Without the members of that extremely mixed marriage and their increasingly extended family, there might be no Young Wizards series... not least because it was the splash made by the first of the Middle Kingdoms books that got the Errantryverse crowd in through a major publisher's door. And the series’s continued (modest but still noticeable) success through the second and third volumes kept the writing of new YW books going for a good long while.

...So. For those who may have had questions: HTH. 😀

(And now back to the unending search for a more graceful synonym for “testicles”.)

#Young Wizards #Middle Kingdoms #writing young adult fiction #writing adult fiction #writing adults-ONLY fiction #all sisters under the skin

[shinelikethunder]

seriously though, it's incredible how much of my "maybe titties again?" goodwill tumblr torched in 30 seconds through obnoxious UX alone:

i am browsing around in the android app. i see a post about disabling some new content filter. this is the first I've heard of it, even though my version of the app does turn out to have it - they put it in place before adding any mechanism to let me know it's there. strike one.

i go to settings > dashboard, the place where all the settings about what you do and don't see are supposed to live. no sign of it.

i go back to the settings menu. squint at it. see an unremarkable entry near the bottom called "Content you see" that isn't highlighted or marked as new in any way (even though i can't even visit anyone's blog anymore without having to actively tap past an FYI tooltip that can't be turned off, every single time, shilling weeks-old gift features that I've already used)

...oh, that's where my custom tag and keyword filters went. no prior indication they'd even been moved!

i have a lot of filters set up. like. a LOT. i now have to scroll past every single one of them, tag AND keyword, uncollapsed and unabridged, just to see whether there's another setting hiding underneath. on mobile! even the desktop site is more polite than this, jesus

just to recap so far: the only reason i even know to look is that i saw a random post about new content settings, and i would never have bothered with all that scrolling if i weren't crusty and paranoid about sites that hide vital settings in the depths of Menu Hell. i mean, that'd be crazy, right? surely listing all those filters with no collapse is a signal there's nothing worthwhile underneath them.

oh no wait, there they are!

it's not just one toggle, it's FOUR new settings!

all of them are set to "hide everything and never even let me know it was there"

even though there is a "blur" option that would've let me know that stuff was being hidden from me without actually showing it

even though i have, in the past, gone into every iteration of the adult content settings that tumblr has ever rolled out and affirmatively ordered it to show me the titties

THEY ARE NOT TOGGLES. EACH ONE OPENS A SEPARATE MENU SCREEN. every single one of the FOUR new settings needs like 3+ taps in the android app just to put it back to normal.

does turning on the catchall "mature content" setting cause the three more specific ones to default to "show" and let me pick restrictions as needed like a goddamn adult? NOPE, i have to go into the stupid little menu for every single one

it's almost like you didn't want me to find them and, having found them, wanted to make me pay as high an annoyance tax as possible to opt out of being nannied

the dashboard banner that eventually shows up, btw, says nothing about having been voluntold for additional filtering, and also just dumps you out in the general settings menu and leaves you to fend for yourself, with no indication of where this shit is hidden or what "this shit" even is. and that's downright friendly next to the link in the announcement post that's apparently been kicking people out of the app and onto web.

this is not how you get a rightfully mistrustful userbase to be optimistic about putting scarlet letters on their own posts. this is not how you convince anyone that it's just a courtesy, not a scarlet letter, or that it won't be used to punish and stigmatize you the instant the wind shifts direction.

in the most practical here-and-now terms, this is also not how you get people to USE the new content warnings on their posts! artists, especially, are hardly gonna jump to flag anything as mature if it means every single one of their followers - regardless of age, previous adult content settings, or whether they're in Apple's walled garden or not - has just been silently opted out of ever knowing it was there. (this goes double if it requires more than one sentence to explain how to reverse it. which this new setting seems almost deliberately designed to do.)

look, i want the titties back, okay? i would be delighted if this turned out to be the first step towards bringing them back. i know Tumblr is under duress from Apple that affects how they can do whatever they're doing here. but the way it's being rolled out sucks needless ass, and if they wanted my hope and trust, well, those are easier to muster up when I'm not going in grouchy about the frustrating UX of an app that's just taken hostile action against my prior explicitly-affirmed preferences.

#hellsite (derogatory)

[stevelieber]

Thoughts on giving critiques to comics artists.

Seeing lots of discussion from students about sour experiences with an unhelpful art teacher, so here's a long, long post about giving critiques.

NB: I have no formal training as a teacher, but I was a student, and I've spent decades giving artists feedback on their work.

When someone brings me a portfolio, I like to establish my limitations & clarify my perspective. My work is firmly rooted in traditional US comics storytelling (i.e., not manga or art-comics.) I can give feedback on other approaches but they should know where I’m coming from.

“We've only got a little time for this, so I'm going to spend that time focusing on things to correct. That doesn't mean you're doing everything wrong, or that there’s nothing good here, but it’ll be more helpful if I identify some problems and show you how to fix them.”

Why? Because for many young artists their entire sense of self worth is wrapped up in being good at what they do. (It was for me!) In school they were probably the best artist in their peer group. But now if they're hoping to turn pro, they’re at the bottom.

Sometimes you know what’s up when you see page 1, but try to keep an open mind. Some build their portfolios by sticking new pages at the back & don’t weed out the old stuff up front, so the work gets better as you go. When it’s like that I ask: “Show me your best 8 pages.”

I ask questions: "What's the goal? Do you want to be hired to work on someone else's project, or to get the story you're showing me here published?"

If 1, I steer towards a portfolio that'll showcase hirable skills. If 2, I look for what tweaks will make that particular story more effective.

"Do you have teachers giving you regular feedback? What are they telling you?" Sometimes a student is getting bad advice. In cases like that, I'll do my best to be extra clear WHY I'm giving them advice that's 180 degrees from what they've been hearing.

“What artists are you looking at? Is there someone you admire or try to emulate?” This often helps me understand choices they're making, and I can sometimes incorporate things those artists do into my suggestions.

I ask myself questions about what I’m seeing. First: Is there a narrative? If not, I make it 100% clear I'm not speaking as any sort of expert. I'm good at critiquing storytelling, but don't have anywhere near as much to offer illustrators or designers.

Can I follow the story? Or am I confused about what's going on? Are the characters and settings drawn consistently? If not, is the artist at least making use of tags (distinctive clothing, hair etc.) to keep the characters recognizable?

Does the artist demonstrate a good command of basic academic drawing? If not, Do I think they need it? Do I focus on "how to draw" or on "what to do when you can't draw?" Is the artist putting the viewer’s eye where it needs to be to tell the story effectively?

(At this point I’m usually doing little doodles to go with my instructions. I scribble out ugly little 5 second diagrams that I hope will clarify what I’m talking about. Or they might make me seem demented. Hard to say!)

Is the artist making choices that are creating more work than necessary? Is there a particular weakness? I once spoke to an artist with a portfolio full of great work when he was drawing animals and monsters, but his humans were amateurish in comparison. I spent that critique talking about drawing people.

A crit can be a grab bag. In addition to big-picture advice, I'll point out tangencies, violations of the 180-degree rule, wonky anatomy, weird perspective, places where the artist neglected to do important research, odd choices in how they spotted black, whatever catches my eye.

I also try to make a point of defining the terms, so that jargon like “tangency,” “180-degree rule,” and “spotting black” don't go over their heads. Find simple, concrete ways to talk about these things, & clarify why it's a problem when they aren't done correctly. Draw diagrams!

Recognize that even a perfectly phrased explanation might not sink in. Some lessons can only be learned when a student is ready, and it might take a year or two of work before they can understand what you were saying. It's good to plant seeds.

Are there other artists who are particularly good at solving the problems the student is trying to solve? I steer them towards that artist's work. And I always recommend life drawing & the use of reference to give work variety and authority.

Despite what I said earlier about focusing on what's wrong, I try at the end to find something encouraging to say. And if I’ve really piled on the criticism, I emphasize that I only spent the time and energy to do so because I take their efforts seriously.

If I've done my job right, they'll leave my table with tools to make their work better. And maybe in a few years they'll be looking at some younger artist's work, surprised to discover just how much you can learn when you're asked to teach.

#comics #protips #my work #comic book art #essays #teaching

[rascal-xo]

Hi ! I hope you’re doing well, I wanted to request the 141 & perhaps Los Vaqueros (I am a sucker for Ale) with y/n (preferably for her to also be in the military with these fine men) whose ex boyfriend ends up recently joining either the military or tags along a mission (I would love if their rank was below the 141/los vaqueros just to see how they would react, not intimated by the ex but more like cocky because they know they are better than them). Also maybe add a bit of NSFW… (pls & thank you). I’m sorry if it seems too specific or detailed but this plot has been nagging at my brain and I love the way you write so I was like okay, I know who can write this perfectly ! I appreciate you taking the time to read my request ! Have a good one !

Loose Ends | Alejandro x Female Reader |

Chapter Summary: You find self face to face with a toxic part of your past…

Warnings: Angst, violence, language, fluff, some minor smut |READERS CALLSIGN IS “RED”|

Word Count:

Tags: @satorisgirl

A/N: Ahh sorry it took so long but it’s finally here! I hoped you enjoyed the fic :))

——> Some stuff is not canonically accurate to MW2 or CoD in general

“Alright, gather around!” Price calls out to the team, There’s maps and documents sprawled over the top of the table where you and the rest of the team stand around it. “We’ve got one hour until we’re back out in the field, thanks to our lovely General Shepard, we’ve got our work cut out for us.” He says, with a hint sarcasm on his tongue.

You exchange a knowing glance with Soap, both of you aware of the tension between the Task Force and Shepard.

“We’re joining forces with Los Vaqueros for this one,” Price continues. “As you know, we’ve been tracking Hassan in the city for weeks now, and we’ve been tasked with assisting them in finally taking him down.”

The 141 and Alejandro’s men were hand in hand the past few weeks hunting down Hassan and the rouge missiles.

In the few times you had the pleasure of working with Colonel Vargas and his men, you always enjoyed it a little more than you liked to admit. You look over at Colonel Vargas, and he meets your gaze, nodding a smile.

But then, Price's voice interrupts your thoughts. "Another one of our company contacts will be joining us on this mission. They’ll be leading behind the operation alongside Colonel Vargas."

You feel your stomach drop as Price gestures towards the door. The man walks in question walks in, and you immediately recognize him as Phillip Graves, your old commander and ex boyfriend.

You had worked with the Commander side by side for 3 years, when you were recruited for the Shadow Company by Shepard.

The last time you saw him was when you announced your decision to leave. You had a huge fight, and things ended on a more than sour note. Hitting closer than personal between you and Phillip. You never expected to see him again so soon, especially not on a mission like this.

“Commander Graves, good to have you and the Shadows here.” Price greets him. The rest of the team seems oblivious to the history between you and Dom, but you can't help but feel awkward and uncomfortable.

You try to make a quick exit as soon as the briefing comes to an end, but Graves catches up to you, “Hey, Red, it’s been a while.”

You turn to face him, trying to keep a calm demeanor, “Not long enough, unfortunately.” You say before you have time to really think it through.

The commander smirks, “Don’t worry, Y/N, I’m just here to do my job.” He pauses, looking you up and down. “Hopefully you won’t be too distracted.”

You internally roll your eyes and walk away, not wanting to engage in any more conversation than you have to with him.

As you gear up and head to the chopper, you can feel the weight of the mission and the added tension of the Shadows presence weighing on you.

“What’s got you quiet, Roja?” Alejandro says, leaning closer to you.

“Just thinking.” You answer, “Don’t have much time to do that in peace lately.” You chuckle.

“Say I’ll buy you a drink once we make it out of this shitstorm alive, huh?” He raises an eyebrow.

“I’d like that.” You smile.

Once you're on the ground, you and the rest of the team move quickly, working alongside Los Vaqueros to track down Hassan's whereabouts.

The mission is intense, with gunfire ringing out and explosions rocking the city. Despite the chaos around you, you stay focused, your training and instincts kicking in as you move with precision and purpose.

It's only when you and Graves are alone, working together to take down a group of insurgents, that things begin to take a turn.

You look over at him, out of breath from taking a hard blow to the ribs, taking in his features. He looks older, more weathered than you last saw him. But he’s still annoyingly good at his job.

“Not like you to take hits.” Graves suddenly says, breaking the silence between you two, once the coast is clear. You two are alone in one of the emptied buildings, awaiting clearance to evac.

Like you’re perfect.” You reply, trying to keep your annoyance at ease.

Graves smirks, “I never said I was perfect, just better than most.”

You roll your eyes, “Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?”

He chuckles, “No, that’s what you used to tell me.”

You feel a pang of memories hit you, remembering the times when you and Phillip were together, laughing and messing around during your downtime. But the memory is quickly replaced by the bitterness of the person he’s become, or was all along.

“So, this is what you left our unit for, coverts?” He says, leaning against a broken door. His demeanor suddenly shifts, and you feel the hostility radiating off of him.

“That’s one less person you can have at your disposal for good old Shepard.” You scoff, meeting his dark expression.

“You know, Y/N, you always did have a problem with authority. It's no surprise you didn't last long with the Shadows.” You feel your blood boiling.

"The fuck is that supposed to mean?" you snap. Graves takes a step towards you, his voice lowering dangerously, “Watch it. Don’t wanna start anything you can’t finish, Soldier.”

Before things can escalate any further, Alejandro suddenly appears comes through the doorway, pausing in his steps when he takes in the tense atmosphere between you and Graves.

Without hesitating, Alejandro strides forward, stepping between you and Graves.

"Graves," Alejandro says, his voice low and controlled. "You need to back off of the Sergeant. Now."

Graves sneers, "What, you gonna protect your little girlfriend?"

Alejandro's fists clench, but he remains composed. "I'm not playing games, Cabrón. Back off."

Graves takes a step forward, his face contorting with anger. "You don't know what you're getting into, Vargas. This has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with me when you're threatening a member of my team," Alejandro says, his voice sharp. "If you can't handle working with Y/N, then you can leave."

Graves looks like he's about to say something else, but the sound of the C-130’s engines outside interrupts him. "Don’t butt in where you don’t belong, Vargas." Graves says through gritted teeth, before turning and stalking out of the room.

You take this as an opportunity to brush past Phillip as you move towards Alejandro.

You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding as he turns to you, concern etched on his face. "You okay, Roja?"

“Yes i’m okay. We just have a long past.” You exhale, fixing your red bandana that seems to have slipped a little from your forehead.

“Let’s get out of here.” You say, relieved to finally have an excuse to get away from Graves.

Alejandro nods, and the two of you head out of the building together. Once you're outside, the weight of the mission and Graves' presence finally lifts off your shoulders.

“I need a drink.” You say, trying to lighten the mood as you head towards the evac.

Alejandro chuckles, “I remember promising you one earlier.”

You smile, “Lead the way, Colonel.”

As you make your way back to base, the two of you decide to leave the the post-mission bar celebration earlier than the rest of the team, and you decide to go back to your quarters, which Alejandro happily obliges to.

As you walk through the quiet halls, you can feel the heat and electricity between you and Alejandro, and you know that you're not the only one who's been thinking about it.

Finally, when you reach your door, he turns to face you, his eyes meeting yours in a way that makes your heart race. Granted you too are reaching tipsy at this point.

“Y/N…” He says, his voice low and husky.

Before he can finish, you reach up and pull him down to meet your lips in a heated kiss. The passion between you is electric, and you can feel the heat building as you explore each other's mouths.

As the kiss deepens, you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as he presses you against the wall. The world around you fades away as you lose yourself in the heat of the moment

Eventually, you pull away, both of you gasping for breath. You look up at Alejandro, seeing the desire and intensity in his eyes.

The moment you enter the room, he presses you against the wall once again, his mouth claiming yours as his hands roam over your body.

You feel the heat building between you, the need for each other growing with each passing second. Without breaking the kiss, Alejandro begins to tug at your clothes, revealing more and more of your skin.

Soon you're standing there in nothing but your underwear, your body flushed with desire. Alejandro steps back to admire the sight before him.

You reach down to palm him through his pants, eliciting a low groan from his lips. He breaks the kiss to look at you, his eyes dark with desire.

His hands slide down to your panties, tugging them down your legs and throwing them aside.

With one swift movement, he lifts you up and carries you to the bed, laying you down gently before climbing on top of you.

Your bodies are a tangle of limbs and heat, desire and passion taking over.

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare #simon ghost riley #call of duty smut #ghost x reader #fanfic #simon riley imagine #ghost x female reader #simon riley x you #ghost x you #los vaqueros #alejandro vargas #alejandro x you #los vaqueros x reader #phillip graves #graves x you

[chronurgy]

i loveeeeeeeee your hc about gortash in all your tags!!! can you share your favorite hc about durge/gortash shenanigans in the city?

Yeah absolutely! Shenanigans hmmm....

Some of these will be a little more specific to my durge (Vesper, half-drow wizard) than others

During the Hall of Wonders heist, gortash specifically left some guards out of his reconnaissance to test how Durge handled themselves under pressure. He wanted to know if this was someone he would work with or someone too crazy to manage.

Gortash and Durge did a heist in the House of Hope as a trial run for their heist of the Crown - this is when they stole Raphael's shoes (the helldusk armor boots that Gortash keeps in the chest at the foot of his bed). Gortash didn't tell them about his history there or with Raphael before they went in. I think after seeing him there Durge did put at least pieces of it together and really left lots of burn marks and blood and guts spread around in their wake to get back at Raphael. They also broke at least one priceless and irreplaceable vase on "accident" while they were there. Their ire towards Raphael from this realization actually manages to carry over even when they can't remember why and it's partly why they're so determined to kill Raphael and so insistent that they won't work with him.

Gortash takes Durge to fancy parties, for a number of reasons - as a bodyguard, to bring them close to a murder target, to introduce them to the kind of high society stuff they'll be involved with as his co-ruler. But also because he loves to show them off, his darling assassin, loves the vicious little comments they make about the other attendees. He starts finding excuses to bring them to any party he can because he only ever enjoys these parties when they're with him, when he has someone just as brilliant as he is at his side. Durge usually has to attend in disguise but sometimes just dressing up fancy enough not to look like a sewer rat is enough to fool people.

Gortash is the kinda guy who will work himself to exhaustion and then fall asleep at his desk. The first time Durge found him like that, completely dead to the world on top of his diagrams and sketches, they thought about killing him. They imagined every detail, knew exactly how it would go. It would have been so easy, because he's so defenseless like this. They see his eyes moving under their lids, see his hands flex, and little expressions pass over his face - they know he's dreaming. They wonder what he's dreaming about (is it them?). And they don't kill him. They just watch him sleep, fascinated by the differences between the waking man they know and this unguarded sleeping one. They leave before he wakes up. I think they do this a couple of times before he finally catches them (maybe because they try to stroke his hair or something in a fit of softness). At first he's like, "oh my apologies, please don't hesitate to wake me should this happen again" before he puts together the look on Durge's face and realizes they've been watching him sleep and tried to like, touch his hair. He considers this a success because they could've killed him a whole bunch of times and didn't and they seem to be developing some sort of feelings towards him. He resolutely does not acknowledge the existence of any things he could possibly be feeling about this. Not at all.

Gortash keeps a large fancy estate in the city, Durge has a guest room there - it starts out as just an extra room but as they spend more time there Gortash starts to customize it more to their liking. He also moves their room to be next to his once he realizes that they're staying over more often, blaming a maid for knocking over a candle and causing fire damage in their old room when they ask why it was moved.

I think one night they have to have at least one really stupid caper they pulled off while extremely drunk that neither of them will talk about - as an example, they got super drunk, decided that since they were so good at heists they should do more of them, broke into some patriars estate, and stole a ton of fancy liquor. They also stole the bust of some guy from the entryway and staggered up the stairs to escape out the window of the daughter of the house's dressing room. Anyway, they woke up the next morning on the floor of Gortash's bedroom, extremely hungover and both of them (and the bust they stole) were wearing fancy little fascinator hats they can't remember but must have stolen out of the dressing room. They try to laugh at each other but gortash just ends up violently throwing up in a trash bin while durge lies on the floor with their eyes squeezed shut because the room won't stop spinning. They refuse to speak of this and will adamantly deny it ever happened if asked. Durge absolutely killed sceleritas while trying to force him into a stupid hat. The exact series of events might need some workshopping, but the core idea is some extremely stupid adventure the two of them had together that neither would ever admit to but is also a cherished memory for both of them.

Gortash's gauntlets (before he had the netherstone) used a series of capacitors and a setup akin to a self winding watch to generate an electric charge that he could attack people with. He designed them himself.

Vesper finds these gauntlets fascinating. When they first meet in person, he shows them off and discusses their construction and it's the first thing about him that they find impressive and intriguing.

As a gift, Gortash gave Vesper a set of sharpened rings designed after his gauntlets.

Vesper actually helped Gortash with some of the designs for the steel watch, looking at the plans and making suggestions - they were especially helpful when it came to the magical portions of the construct.

I think the closest the Urge ever comes to forcing Vesper to kill Gortash isn't when they first meet or during sex. It's one day when they're waiting for some spy's report, so they're sitting around in his room. He's tinkering with something at his workbench, and they're sitting at a desk working on a spell. They realize they need certain special inks for the transcription and look up to see them in the desk's little shelving unit and then they look closer and realize the desk is stocked with all the things a wizard needs - inks, chalks, paper, magical components. And this is the desk they always sit at when they're here and need to do some work. And Gortash has stocked it as a wizard's desk. He's made it their desk. And he's working at his workbench and they're working at their desk together in companionable silence. It's domestic, almost. And that's when the urge hits, with just absolutely crushing intensity, and they turn on gortash. Jokes on them, he's into that shit. After some back and forth between them (the level of explicitness is up to you! Or me, if I can get my act together and write this!), Vesper more or less jumps out the window and spends the next couple of days cutting a bloody swathe through baldur’s gate. When they finally return to him, gortash just asks them if they enjoyed their little vacation. After that, even when recreating much the same scene, the urge never comes on as strongly again (they don't know it at the time but this is the first time they've managed to throw off Bhaal's yoke when he really wanted them to kill someone. He never pushed that hard again with gortash because he's afraid of the consequences, though he still does push them to kill him a little bit).

Gortash gave durge a number of gifts over their acquaintance, both practical and fantastic: jewelry, enchanted items, clothes, shoes, books, any and everything you can imagine. He loves seeing them using his gifts, carrying or wearing something he gave them, because it helps mark them as his. He spends absolutely lavishly on them, buying them beautiful and fancy clothes for them to wear when they're in his house or out with him in public. He also buys them more practical gifts, well-fitting boots, weapons, armor, all of it enchanted and worth a small fortune.

On some of his gifts to Durge, he encodes messages for them in their cypher. They say things like "For my dearest assassin" and "To the sorrow of all" on a weapon and "pari pasu" (Latin for with equal step) and "I've always liked to play with fire", plus any number of other things.

Gortash has a thing for Durge wearing his clothes. One cold morning durge throws on his black coat when they get out of bed to check something and seeing them wearing nothing but his coat is such a thing for him that he ditches all their plans for the day to spend the day in bed with them.

Gortash has a number of affairs, to help his star rise in the upper city. He may use them to make durge jealous, but they are ultimately people to be used and discarded. He doesn't care what they do, because they're tools. Durge is his. His partner. And that's why he doesn't share.

#Hmmm sorry some of these are more just personal headcanons about that time period than truly shenanigans #Well I hope you enjoy them anyway! #dark urge #enver gortash #durgetash #dark urge x gortash #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #Vesper

[whore-for-chris-evans]

I lack the wisdom required to write this fic, but I hope someone skilled enough takes the initiative to.

Have any of you ever thought about Steve Rogers waking up from the ice and not going back to fighting?

He wakes up, Fury tells him he needs him, and Steve makes a choice for himself and says no, at least for now. Fury respects that choice, Steve gets a therapist (a good one, not Dr. Christina Passive-Aggressive Raynor) and uses his second chance in life to do the things he actually wanted to. Art. History. Maybe he goes to college again.

On top of all this, he figures out the internet (come on, he's a smart man. He's not gonna be clueless forever) and you know golden boy Steve would jump at the chance of using social media for a good cause.

And I also think Steve would be great at debates. The fucker (affectionate) has a way with words. He's also a nerd. He's well informed and has quick thinking skills. He gets into online fights a lot. Tweets and retweets a hell lot.

Gets Tumblr. (Steve would love tumblr don't lie to me) Reblogs things like it's his last day on earth. (But somehow makes sure to utilise the tag feature perfectly so everything is organised).

Some dudebro makes a misogynistic comment and he's there to verbally drop kick Dudebro into the next week.

Somebody makes an offhand comment regarding something historical and Steve gets his trusty motorcycle and drives his star spangled fine ass to the library and the next day there's a video circulating the internet of him citing sources (down the page number, paragraph number and line number) to prove why the offhand comment was grossly incorrect.

Someone angrily reposts his tweet saying "THAT IS NOT THE AMERICA OF MY DREAMS TALKING" and Steve proceeds to respond with "I'm a person. I can't be a country. What I can try to be is a good human being." and then absolutely demolishes the other person. (Yes to Steve reclaiming himself as Steve Rogers and not Captain America)

He also posts art. Like, everyday. But it gets slightly overshadowed by everything else he does and says.

He has a separate Instagram. For more personal stuff. Pictures of himself? Rarely. Pictures of birds and animals and trees and sunrises and sunsets? Absolutely. Pictures of the cat and the dog he rescued and now is a proud dad to? Everyday. (He's definitely a both person.) Maybe someday he'll step out of his comfort zone and start going live. Everyone loves him. Everyone rational, that is.

He stays away from tiktok.

2014. Fury shows up at his apartment and gets shot. Something stirs in Steve's brain as the masked assassin catches his shield. Those eyes seem familiar. Despite his reservations, he jumps back into the fray. The whole CATWS thing happens.

He finds Bucky. Brings him home. Fights tooth and nail for the charges against him to be dropped. He's got 70 years of military back-pay, he's got no problem getting the best lawyers (Matt Murdock is definitely among them) for the love of his life.

Anyways Bucky is set free. Moves in with Steve. People start gushing over him too. He stays out of Steve's internet life at first, but then the old Bucky comes back little by little. Maybe he'll join the livestreams. Maybe he'll make an Instagram of his own to post more of Steve.

People, being people, start shipping them. The two of them have a good laugh over it.

One day, out of nowhere, Steve shows up on one of his livestreams wearing a wedding ring. Comments go crazy. Bucky joins him on the couch, throws an arm around his shoulder, flashing his own matching band, smirking lazily.

The rest is mayhem. But they don't care. For Steve, life is perfect.

[I'd love to see Steve Rogers vs internet troll he'd eat that up]

I hope the good Steve Rogers authors see this. This has potential I think.

#steve rogers #steve and bucky #bucky barnes #stucky #steve rogers and bucky barnes #captain america #marvel #avengers #chris evans #sebastian stan

[the-final-sif]

Honestly, rules about what I can interact with as a minor are kind of strange to me. I've been allowed to have sex for years (and not from Romeo and Juliet laws) but I can't read a fanfiction where two consenting adults do it??? This isn't about specific authors being uncomfortable with it btw, moreso the culture and rules about it.

I mean, so reading fanfiction is whatever as far as I'm concerned. Go nuts, read the tags, you're gonna make your own choices about it. Law is gonna say one thing but that's largely a matter of old people clutching pearls over kids seeing boobs or whatever.

The difference for me on a cultural level and what I will push back on is interaction. When it comes to stuff like 18+ spaces, nsfw commissions, sexual roleplays, and commenting on 18+ fic, it's about the consent of the other person involved. And I do think maintaining rules/general culture of those spaces being 18+ is important.

Like, you can go have sex in real life, sure, but that real life person is going to visually see you and have a sense of your age. You might be able to lie to them about it, but it's gonna be a lot harder. Ideally, any partner you have would be fully aware of your age and both of you would be comfortable with your age and their age.

Online, that becomes much harder. People are putting out content and sometimes interacting with strangers. The general assumption adults are making is that in an 18+ space, they are only interacting with other adults. Everyone has passed a baseline threshold. When they find out someone is 16 or 13 or a 12 year old in an 18+ space, that feels super creepy, gross, violating and can stick with a person for life. They didn't consent to that interaction, they didn't want it, they didn't have any say in it. They never wanted to be interacting with someone at that age in that way.

The difference is in knowledge and consent. In real life, you going and fucking an 18 year old when you're 16 is between the two of you and as long as both of you know what's up, have fun and remember safe sex practices.

On the internet, if you at 16 and and 18 year old want to sext (but seriously do not send photos if you're underage, it's still very illegal even if that seems dumb), maybe doing a nsfw roleplay or whatever, cool. Again, remember safe sex practices and have fun. Not my business.

But going into an 18+ space which is clearly marked 18+ where everyone there is under the assumption that they are interacting with other adults isn't cool. They didn't consent to that, they aren't aware you're 16, and you have no idea how old they are or if they're cool with interacting with a 16 year old in that manner. It's a violation of consent, and that isn't okay.

#sif answers #Anonymous #sif speaks #consent

[runnning-outof-time]

Right Person, Wrong Time | Tommy Shelby x Reader

Request: yes by @lovelydivs (sorry it took so long!!)

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x reader

Summary: Three times where Tommy and (Y/N) tried to express their feelings for each other only to find out that it was the wrong time, and the one time, the right time, that they did.

Warnings: drinking, smoking, mention of war

Word Count: 3846

A/N: this one was a long time in the making…it’s loosely based off of the song Cleopatra by The Lumineers - I hope you catch the slight references to the song. It’s also the first time I’m writing one of those 3 + 1 typed stories, so hopefully it makes sense. Thanks so much for waiting so paitently. I hope you enjoy! :)

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future stories similar to this one!

———

-1914-

"Oh my goodness, (Y/N)! I can't believe you like him!" Ada Shelby squealed as she leaned forward in her seat, the biggest grin spread across her face.

"Aren't you a little young to be gossiping about stuff like this, Ada?" (Y/N) raised an eyebrow at the younger woman.

"I'm old enough," Ada stood her ground, puffing out her chest as she tilted her chin upwards, "besides...you've not denied it," she pointed out then.

Just as (Y/N) was about to open her mouth, a third voice entered the conversation, "denied what?" Both women looked over to the main door of the home to see Tommy standing by it.

"(Y/N)'s got a crush on Andrew...remember him? From school?" Ada blurted right out, not paying any mind to what the person she was spreading gossip about thought about this 'rumor' being spread.

"Oh," Tommy pursed his lips and nodded, unsure of what else to say about the information he'd just been told.

"And I've been telling her that she needs to go and confess her feelings to him, but she's too chicken to do it," the youngest of the three continued, making (Y/N) look at her with her mouth agape.

"You've not told me to do that, Ada!" she accused the other girl of lying, disbelief present on her features.

"I was about to," Ada stood her ground. "What do you think she should do, Tommy, hmm?" she looked at her brother then. (Y/N) held her breath and fixed her eyes on Tommy as well, her heart rate quickening by the second.

Tommy thought about what his sister had said. He couldn't deny the fact that his heart had dropped at the mention of (Y/N) being interested in someone else. He'd always fancied her, but never had the guts to step up and ask her to be his...he was too worried that she only saw him as a friend, and he didn't want to ruin what existed between them. Now she had her eyes on someone else. So he decided that he would concede to that; as her mind was already made up. "I think that you should go and tell him how you feel," he told her, well aware of the fact that he should be taking his own advice and coming clean to her.

(Y/N) took a few moments before she responded, letting the Shelby siblings' advice sink in. Then she slowly nodded her head. "Ok. If you both think that me telling him how I feel would be a good idea, I will do that," she agreed with them, putting on a smile although her stomach was actually doing flips.

No one else knew that (Y/N) actually had similar feelings for Tommy. She was also afraid to speak on them, not only because of the fact that they were friends, but also because there was talk around Small Heath of Tommy having connections with Greta Jurossi. She felt that it was best for her to keep them closed off, and it seemed like she was doing a pretty good job of that.

"Anything else I'm needed for?" Tommy's question brought (Y/N) back from her thoughts.

"Nope," Ada shook her head, popping the 'p' in the word.

"You've only just arrived," (Y/N) pointed out, wondering where he was going off to.

"I know. It seems as though you ladies are already invested in something that my opinion is not needed in," he answered her, making the older of the two women nod in understanding. "I'll see you around," he said, his statement directed towards (Y/N), who only nodded again before hoping that the slight frown she was wearing changed into a smile. It must have, because Tommy exited the house soon after seeing her nod.

"So Andrew..." Ada started off again, continuing on with their chat like nothing had just happened. Well to her nothing had happened. (Y/N) was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she'd basically just told Tommy that she wasn't interested in him.

——

-1919-

Tommy didn't think he'd ever be happy to be back on Watery Lane. But here he was, fresh off of the train from France, wanting nothing more than to walk down the house-lined road to get to the place he called home. The fighting had finally finished, and he, much like many other soldiers who had fought for the majority of the war, was ready to see something familiar again.

He was met with welcoming hugs from Polly, Ada, and Finn just about the second after he walked through his home's front door. As he took in the excited ramblings from his younger siblings, he couldn't help but notice that one person was missing.

"(Y/N) come over at all lately, Pol?" Tommy asked his aunt once the other two had finished what they wanted to share. He could tell instantly that something had changed over the time that he'd been gone just by the shift in his aunt's expression. "Pol?" he asked again after she hadn't said anything.

"She's not been around. There may still be time though," was all she said, her words leaving Tommy more confused now than he was before he asked the question.

"Time? For what?" he asked almost immediately after she'd finished speaking.

"I can't be the one who tells you. Go to her and hear it for yourself," she told him, pressing her lips together in a thin line after she finished speaking. Tommy looked at her for a moment longer before he slowly nodded his head and moved to walk past her towards the door.

It only took him a few minutes before he was standing on the doorstep of (Y/N)'s family's home. He took a moment to compose himself and regain his breathing before he knocked on the door. Thankfully, the very person he was looking for opened the door.

"You're back, Tommy," (Y/N) said with a slight notion of surprise in her voice. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she looked him over. It had been a few months since she'd last seen him, and she almost couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her.

"I am. The war's over," he answered her, taking in her presence as well. It had been some time since he was able to properly see her, but she was still as stunning as the day he left her. "I expected you to be at my house when I came home," he said then, not realizing how pretentious his words may have been until he spoke them. (Y/N) hung her head slightly at the mention of her absence. "Pol told me that I had to come here and hear it from you..." he trailed off, taking a breath as he got ready for the bandaid to be ripped off, "what do I have to hear from you, (Y/N)?"

(Y/N) didn't answer right away, and that made Tommy feel like he was going to implode. "I'm leaving Small Heath, Tommy," after what felt like hours, she finally spoke again, "I'm going to London; for schooling. It's what I want to do...what I feel is next for me in my career, but it'll take me away from here for several months," she explained the reason behind her impending departure to him.

Tommy looked away as he digested the news that he was just given. He couldn't ignore the fact that his heart rate had instantly quickened and that he was now getting that itching sensation just underneath the collar of his shirt. His mind was screaming at him; screaming that he should tell her that this wasn't a good move; screaming that he should admit his feelings to her. But yet he just stood and stared at the brick face of her home.

"I'm sure that this wasn't the news that you wanted to receive the same day you returned..." (Y/N) started, sensing his shift, "and I thought that I'd planned it so that we didn't need to come to grips with saying goodbye, but I guess I..."

"You don't need to explain yourself, (Y/N), I understand," he stopped her when he realized that she was beginning to have trouble articulating her thoughts.

"I need to do this, Tommy," she told him, even though in her mind she was screaming at herself for how she was acting.

"I know you do, and I shouldn't be the one to stop you," Tommy responded, somberness now in his voice. Yes, you should be! his mind was screaming at him, but he didn't have the power left in him to fight. He'd been spent; fighting what felt like non stop for these past few years. He didn't expect that the biggest battle of all would occur after he set foot back in Small Heath.

"I'm happy that you understand," (Y/N) said, a sad smile forming on her face. It was hurting her to do this, but she'd already made up her mind. Going to school was a dream of hers, and she didn't want to push it back now that Tommy had returned home. If it was meant to be, it would be, but now wasn't the time.

——

-1924-

Upon arriving back in Small Heath, (Y/N) decided that she'd go to the one place she knew would welcome her back. It only took her a few minutes to walk to the Garrison, and what was awaiting her made her eyes widen slightly. Things had certainly changed since she'd been there last.

"Things have changed around here,” (Y/N) voiced her thoughts as she walked through the pub's doors, “have you switched around the business hours too?" she then questioned the only man in the room.

Tommy quickly spun around at the sound of her voice. At first he thought that it was just a figment of his imagination, but lo and behold, (Y/N) (Y/L/N) was there, standing several feet away from him. "No," he answered once his initial shock had faded, "they've been switched around for an occasion."

"An occasion?" (Y/N) was intrigued, her eyebrows raised slightly as she moved over to the bar's counter.

"My marriage," he came right out and said it, dropping the news like he was ripping off a bandaid.

(Y/N)'s expression didn't change upon hearing this news. If anything, it got more pronounced. "You're married?" she asked him, her surprise also evident in her tone.

"I am," he kept the response brief, clearing his throat as he focused himself on pouring a glass of, what he hoped still was, her usual. He then set it on the bar, pushing it closer to where she was standing.

"Congratulations," she told him, swallowing her pride as she tried not to make her disappointment obvious, "she's a very lucky woman," she added, a tight-lipped smile on her face.

Instead of furthering that conversation, he started a new one. "You've decided to come back," he stated the obvious.

"I have," now it was her turn to her brief.

"London treated you well?"

"It has," she answered with a nod, watching as he went about lighting a cigarette. She waited until he took the first drag from it to continue, "I was offered a position at the school I went to shortly after I graduated from the program. They wanted me to teach the classes that I'd just finished taking because they said they saw potential in me," she then gave him some insight into her time spent in the big city.

Tommy raised his eyebrows as he nodded along with what she was saying, impressed by what success she'd had in the years since he'd seen her last. "I tried looking for you, you know..." he trailed off then, tapping the excess ash into the tray on the counter then, "I've expanded my business to London, and I thought I might come across you while I was there."

"I spent most of my time at the college," (Y/N) answered him, not ignoring the pang that she felt in her heart upon hearing what he had to share with her.

Tommy took a long drag and exhaled the smoke slowly. "I'm happy you're back, (Y/N)," he told her, his emotions behind the words unclear.

"I'm happy too," she agreed with him even though she couldn't fully get behind that statement.

She didn't know what she was thinking. Tommy wasn't required to save himself for her; especially after she was the one who decided that she was going to move away from the place they both grew up in. But yet she couldn't quell the nagging feeling inside of her. The feeling telling her that she'd messed up and now wouldn't be able to find happiness, because her happiness had already put a ring on another woman's finger.

——

-1926-

Tommy didn't know what to do now. After months of spending his days walking on eggshells and always looking over his shoulder, the vendetta he and his family had been locked in was finished. He was back at Arrow House now; alone, save for Charlie. His family had suggested that he take some time off of business. Polly spearheaded the idea, so Tommy really couldn't argue it. He'd been so tightly wound up for these past few months that he didn't know if he had it in him to fight her on it. So now he was sequestered; left to his own intentions. And they weren't good.

After a few weeks of wallowing in self-pity and drinking bottle upon bottle of liquor, he finally sat himself down at his desk with the intention of doing something other than opening the door wider for his demons to enter. But as he sat and looked at the few papers that were scattered about his desk, he found that he didn't have the desire to actually do any of it. The mental capacity just wasn't there. And so he stared. He stared straight ahead at the door of the room for who knows how long. His trance was only broken when his head maid entered the room.

"What is it, Frances?" he asked, finally snapping out of the daze he'd been locked in.

"It's nearing dinner. Should I set a plate out?" she asked him a question of her own.

"Sure," he answered dismissively, hoping that that was all she wanted from him. To his luck, Frances nodded her head and turned to exit the room once she received her answer. That left him alone again, and instead of staring off once more, he decided to busy himself with lighting a cigarette.

As he took the first drag, he let himself sink back into the chair and exhale a long, slow breath. Smoking always seemed to have the power to center and ground him, and he learned rather quickly that he could count on the nicotine to save him when nothing else could. That's why he always had them on him. He closed his eyes as he began to fiddle with the lighter that was still in his hands.

Amidst the silence, one person came to mind: (Y/N). It'd been two years since he'd last saw her but now she was in the forefront of his mind. He took another drag from the cigarette between his fingers before setting it in the ashtray and grabbing the phone from the corner of the desk.

After getting connected to her line with the help of the woman at the exchange, Tommy listened to the dial tone as it rang out. The call picked up after the third, pain-stakingly long ring.

"Hello?" Her voice just about took Tommy's breath away. He opened his mouth and shut it, deciding that what he was originally going to start off with wasn't acceptable. "Hello?" she asked again, wondering if the other side of the line was dead.

"(Y/N)..." he trailed off after saying her name, still unsure of what to say. Why was he even calling her?

"Tommy?" she responded in a similar manner, only her utterance of his name was spoken as a question. "Has something happened?" she asked him, wondering what the reason behind his call was.

"No, nothing's happened," he answered.

"Then why the call?" she outright asked him.

"I...I wanted to see you," he was finally able to find the words, "could you come to Arrow House?"

(Y/N) couldn't help but laugh slightly at his request. "I don't know where that is, Tommy," she told him, her decision on whether to meet him or not left unclear.

"I'll send someone to your home. They'll bring you here," he gave a solution to the roadblock.

There was a pause on the other side of the line, and it made Tommy hold his breath. He was so close, so close to seeing her again. All she had to do was say 'yes'. After what felt like minutes, but in reality was only a few seconds, (Y/N) gave her answer: "when will they pick me up?"

"You'll come?" he asked, his mood now perked up as he sat straight in the chair.

"Yes, I'll come," she answered, her decision more definitive now.

"I'll have someone come to your home for you shortly," he told her, unable to stop the smile from forming on his face. He was just a short time away from finally seeing (Y/N) in person again.

"Ok. I'll see you shortly," there was a smile present in (Y/N)'s voice too, which made Tommy all the more excited to see her.

The call ended there, and it left Tommy with time to prepare for her arrival. He just couldn't believe that he was going to see her again.

—

(Y/N) marveled at the expansive estate as she rode up its driveway. She never could have imagined Tommy living in such a dwelling, but she was immensely proud of what he'd become. The car stopped at the front doors, and her door was opened before she could even think about reaching for the handle. She then walked up the steps and through the large, wooden door that had been opened by an older woman.

"Mr. Shelby's in the front room," the woman informed (Y/N), who nodded before looking around. A few moments passed before the woman spoke again, "it's that way, ma'am," she pointed out, motioning to the archway on the left wall. (Y/N) nodded again, this time with a grateful smile as she then made her way through the archway into the front room.

It was grand, and she looked around before her eyes fell onto the man who was standing in front of the window with his back facing her. "Tommy," she called out to him, her voice softer than she would have liked.

But it did the job and got him to turn around and look at her, "(Y/N)," he started off, stepping away from the window and closer to her, "it's good to see you again."

"You as well," she said with a small smile, the pace of her heartbeat quickening with each step he took to come closer to her.

Tommy stopped when he was only a couple steps away from her, and he took a moment to admire her before he spoke again, "I didn't think you'd actually come," he admitted, unable to stop the smile from forming on his face.

"No?" (Y/N)'s eyebrows raised in surprise as she heard what he had to say.

"No," he affirmed with a shake of his head, "I thought it'd be too good to be true…you being willing to see me after all of this time."

"I'd always be willing to see you, Tommy," she told him, her words filled with a sincerity that made Tommy's smile widen. "What's got you smiling like this?" she couldn't help but question him on his facial expression. A smile from Tommy Shelby was a rare sight, (Y/N) knew that better than anyone.

"Do you have someone, (Y/N)?" he didn't answer her question, but instead asked one of his own.

She furrowed her eyebrows at the sudden ask, wondering where it came from. "I don't," she answered him, her confusion shining through in her words now, "why do you ask?"

"I wanted to know before I said anything else."

Now (Y/N) was really confused. "What are you getting at here, Tommy?"

"It's always been the wrong time between us to do something like this, but now that this time seems different, I'm not going to wait any longer," he paused for a beat, clearing his throat before he continued, "you've always been the right person for me, (Y/N), ever since we were kids; before the war. You were the person for me, but it was never the time for us...not until now," he ended his admission with a slight nod as he stepped even closer to her. (Y/N) didn't shy away from his proximity, and in fact, the slightest smile formed on her face as she welcomed it. "I was late for those times and late to figure out what was going on; late for the love of my life, but I won't let this be another wrong time between us. I want to be on time now, (Y/N), and I want you to be mine," he spoke from the heart, his eyes not straying from hers.

"Tommy..." (Y/N) started after she'd gathered her thoughts, "Tommy, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for something like this to happen," she admitted as her smile grew wider. "I will be yours," she told him then, watching as all of the tension fled his features at the moment she gave her decision.

Without saying another word, Tommy stepped forward and took her into his arms. (Y/N) responded by setting her hands on his chest, her fingers wrapping around the lapels of his jacket. "Can I kiss you, (Y/N)?" he asked, his lips brushing against hers due to their closeness.

"I thought you'd never ask," she responded with a breathless laugh. She kept her eyes open just long enough to see Tommy crack a grin at her words before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, hooking her into a passionate kiss.

It instantly felt like she'd been swept away and taken to some unheard of land where she knew everything would be ok. And when Tommy pulled away to rest his forehead against hers, she opened her eyes to see that that 'unheard of land' was actually her real life, and that all she needed to do to go there was to feel Tommy's lips on hers. So she did the only thing she could think of and let him kiss her again.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica @raincoffeeandfandoms @itscheybaby @gypsy-girl-08 @lora21 @insanitybyanothername @depxiety

MASTERLIST

Listen to the song Cleopatra by The Lumineers…

HERE.

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby one shot #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders one shot #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic

[combines]

hello again!! as someone who comes from the 2020 fandom resurgence I am. SO SORRY. that happened a lot unfortunately. yeah we did NOT know how to act early on (ToT). I had the vibe it was a lot of people's first online fandoms.

the ship with two guys in it being dubbed butter pecan because of something something 'a lot of nuts' is again, so, so funny. Thank you for enlightening me on this, I know it's probably wild to be asked about this stuff like a decade after. This is like honestly a bit of a mystery in the fandom so it's insane finding out the source!! A real miracle the person who coined it so long ago is still active on tumblr

And speaking, it is and was INSANELY hard to dig for any 'fandom history' or even just any sort of Old post on here and I hate it.

another little question if that's okay- I'd assume that seeing the change in reception to freemance and freehoun kinda swapping around must've been bizarre as an older fan considering this was a fandom for a fps game in the early 2000's-early 2010's, in my head the vibes were kinda reversed where freemance was the big ship and freehoun was less well received by most

hiii again!!! i'm so sorry it took me a few days to answer this sdkfsmdk

i think it's super funny because both half-life: alyx and hlvrai came out within weeks of each other so you had this sort of resurgence on here of old fans returning/posting and getting excited for alyx and then a huge wave of people getting into hl in general because of the audience that hlvrai introduced. personally, i still haven't watched hlvrai because it doesn't really seem like my thing, but i'm still glad that there were so many people who enjoyed it to the point where they actually ended up playing and loving the games too!!

freemance definitely was the big ship on tumblr back in the day so yes it was very interesting to see that reversal!!!! honestly i don't think i was on tumblr too much during that time where hlvrai/freehoun really took off, and so the drama surrounding ship wars or whatever was mentioned to me secondhand. 2020 was just like the worst year of my life for personal reasons, as i'm sure for a lot of people, and i can't remember really any of it tbh LOL but you've got nothing to apologize for! i think you're definitely right, it seemed like a first fandom for many people, and that generally skewed younger. i think (hope) it's a better now at least!

tumblr's tagging/tracking/search is HORRIBLE i completly understand. i still think tumblr is the best place for fandom centralized stuff (pictures, art, gifs, etc) and until there's a new platform that does it better, i'll probably still be here, if super sporadically!

if you are interested in uncovering past hl fandom posts or just looking to follow some great people, i've tagged just some that were active in the hl fandom back in the day!!! :') i'm sure they wouldn't mind if you combed their archive looking for hl stuff/shitposts <3

@mbelyakova @littlewitchbee @temunade2 @loplins @angels-heap @anndromedea @skellagirl @bioticbear @cortnan @duamuteffe @protokol @cerviceps @axiolotl @clodiuspulcher @caramujotan @drgertiefremontphd @jauffre @owligator @saikkunen @utopianoverlord @failssafe @brogineer

#half life #i'll feel so horrible if i ended up excluding someone...which i probably did accidentally as i'm horrible at remembering url changes 😭😭 #and i'm sure many moved blogs as well and i'm just unaware #if i forgot to tag you please pleaaaseee like this post so i can add you!!!!

[she-posts-nerdy-stuff]

Daughter of the Rain and Snow

Concept: Around ten years after the events of Crooked Kingdom, 25-year-old Captain Inej Ghafa frees Maya Olsen from a pleasure house in Ketterdam. Maya is looking for revenge against the man who put her in her position, a man who she knows nothing about except his name: Kaz Brekker.

Tags: @wraith--2 @lunarthecorvus @just2bubbly @real-fragments7 @cartoon-clifford @origami-butterfly @lady-a-stuff @thelibraryofalexandriastillburns @inej-ghafa-deserves-the-world @thatdelusionalnerd

If anyone wants to be added let me know :)

Content Warnings: in more general terms I want to remind people to be aware of the nature of Kaz and Inej's experiences and relationship since even if I'm not directly addressing these things they tend to be implicit in any writing about them, but specifically to this chapter there's ptsd references, anxiety, violence references, blood, wounds, and fear of losing loved ones

Note: Oh my goodness we only have the epilogue left to go... this is insane I can't believe we've reached the end

AO3 link: Daughter of the Rain and Snow - Chapter 145 - She_posts_nerdy_stuff - Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo [Archive of Our Own]

Chapter 144 - Kaz

At least the Crow Club was back in working order. Beyond that things weren’t looking at their best. Kaz knew from Anika and Pim’s reports that the damage was mostly repaired and they’d reopened the closed wing a few months ago, but he also knew from the income reports Yara had been sending him  that they’d taken a hit. Her projections looked sunnier for next month, but Kaz wasn’t feeling particularly confident. There was a nervous energy about the Slat when he walked in, still as rowdy as it usually was in these early hours of the morning but with a slightly frantic edge. Kaz had known his extended absence would take a toll, but he’d tried to keep in control of what he could. 

“I assume there are rumours going round about -”

“Your mysterious disappearance? Yeah,” said Anika, “We’re treading water trynna cover up for you being missing,”

“Anyone get wise?”

“To the fact you weren’t here or to what you were actually up to?”

Kaz shot her an unamused glare. Clearly he needed to stop telling Anika up to 50% of the truth, because she was getting too good at picking up what the rest of it was. 

“I don’t think so,” she said, “Not with any proof you weren’t around. Few people here and there are convinced you’re dead,”

That didn’t particularly surprise him.

“Any attempts at territory grabs since you last wrote?”

“Liddies are still riled up, but nothing new except a pretty hollow looking threat from Black Tips,”

Kaz sighed. They weren’t staying in Ketterdam for long, he’d have to get through work quickly and make a few choice appearances if he could spare the time.

As far as Kaz and Inej knew, the plan was for them to drop in on Jesper and Wylan for the afternoon, then go to the house overnight whilst Nina stayed on the Geldstradt. They didn’t have the space to have her at the house by the harbour - especially when Alyssa was staying with them too - and anyway she would only be kept up all night by Sadja. But apparently Jesper and Wylan had other plans, as soon as they were through the door it was all but a demand they at least stay there the first night. They’d even set up a room for Alyssa upstairs, so she was close if Inej or Sadja needed her.

“How are you feeling?” Kaz had asked, watching Inej’s hand find the railing on the porch of the Hendriks house.

“I’m fine,”

Kaz shook his head, looking down at Sadja.

“Once you can talk I’m going to teach you to shout at your Mama every time she says that,” he told her, gently readjusting the sling in hopes of helping her settle.

Nina laughed.

Sadja had done well on the boat, Kaz thought, for a stubborn two month old who had never travelled further than the Grand Palace until a couple of weeks ago, but she hadn’t slept well last night and still didn’t seem to be interested in sleeping now.

“Kaz, really,” said Inej, shaking her head, “I’m okay. I’m just tired,”

Kaz nodded, but he and Nina had shared a brief glance. Inej rang the doorbell and Sadja immediately jutted out her bottom lip in indignation; for a moment Kaz thought she was going to cry but she settled again, still looking a little grumpy. He readjusted his cane so that he could remain balanced whilst he offered her his finger, and once she’d acknowledged it he gently rubbed his hand up and down her tiny tummy.

“Do you not like doorbells, Sadja?”

“I think it’s quite normal for babies not to like loud noises, Kaz,” said Nina, peering over the sling, “You’re okay, aren’t you Sadja? You’re a brave little muffin,”

“Brave little muffin?” asked Kaz.

“Hey, that is just about the highest compliment I’ve ever given anyone,”

“Well, you are brave aren’t you Sadja? You’re just like your Mama,”

She wriggled a little in the sling, as though she was trying to look up at him properly, and smiled. Kaz glowed. 

The door had barely been opened when they were met by the practically shouted words:

“Where’s my niece?”

“Well, hello to you too, Jesper,” said Inej, sharing his soft laugh.

She leaned into the arm he offered and he kissed her on the cheek, ushering her over the doorstep. Kaz followed, nodding at Jesper.

“Saints, I’ve missed you,” said Jesper, hugging Inej again.

“Oh, I’ve missed you too,”

Nina cleared her throat, glaring teasingly at Jesper. He threw an arm around her shoulders.

“I’ve missed you too, darling, obviously. And I guess I missed you Kaz,”

“Always with the compliments,”

Where’s Wylan?” asked Inej.

“Couldn’t get out of a meeting,” Jesper replied, shaking his head, “He won’t be long. Now, where’s this little Sadja you’ve been withholding from me?”

“Withholding-? She’s only been alive two months - and you were in Novyi Zem for one and a half of them,”

“Withholding,” Jesper repeated

Inej laughed. Kaz gently scooped Sadja out of her sling and into his arms, rocking her for a moment before he passed her to Inej so Jesper could lean over and greet her. He looked like he was about to burst with glee.

“Oh my goodness, you two she’s so beautiful. Aren’t you? Yes you are, yes you are,”

Jesper looked up at Kaz and Inej, grinning.

“She’s wonderful,”

“She most certainly is,” Kaz smiled, pushing the door to behind him before they walked together towards the living room, “It’s good to see you, Jes,”

“You too. And honestly you with a baby is quite possibly both the funniest and cutest thing I have ever seen, so thank you for that,”

Nina snorted. Kaz glared at them both. 

“And how are you?” Jesper had asked Inej, as they sat on the sofa together.

It was about twenty minutes later and Wylan had just got back, all apologies for being late and overjoyed to see them all again. He was now sitting in between Inej and Kiada with Sadja in his arms, smiling.

“Well, I haven’t slept in about two months,” Inej smiled, leaning her head onto Jesper’s shoulder, “But other than that I’m doing pretty well. How are you? - How was Novyi Zem?”

“I’m good, we’re all pretty good at the minute, actually. And Novyi Zem was lovely, good to see my Da, and everyone did a very good job,” he squeezed Aimee’s hand lightly, from where she was perching on the arm of the sofa next to him, “There were a few moments where we thought we’d have to come home early - that was always in the plan as an option, if anyone needed it - but we ended up staying the whole time,”

“How’s Colm?” asked Nina, leaning forwards to pick her coffee up from the table.

The conversation floated on, and Kaz had drifted in and out of paying attention to it as he kept his eyes on Sadja. She started wriggling uncomfortably and Wylan passed her back to Inej, then a moment passed before she started crying. 

“Is she alright?” asked Kaz.

“She’s just hungry,” said Inej, looking at Kaz in a way that meant calm down, she’s a baby, she’s going to cry, you do not need to worry as she stood up and gently rocked Sadja against her chest, whispering to her in Suli, “I’ll take her upstairs,”

At some point, Kaz wasn’t exactly sure how long it had been, it was only him, Nina, and Jesper still sitting in the living room. Focus had switched freely: the trip to Novyi Zem - two weeks with Colm followed by a month and a half through in Weddle and Shriftport, then another two weeks with Colm - Kiada had struggled with the boat, Aimee had struggled on the farm, Kiada has struggled in Weddle; news on the Ravkans and their new little prince and princess, twins about three months older than Sadja; Clemmie Boscht had started renting an apartment in the city and came to the house to share roast dinner with the family once a month; updates on something Kaz had forgotten to pay attention to as he was wondering how long Inej and Sadja had been gone and if he should go upstairs to find them. Now Nina was asking about wedding plans - the original date should have been last month, but it hadn’t been set in stone when Kaz and Inej first went to Ravka so Jesper and Wylan had decided to postpone and visit Jesper’s father instead of him coming out to them. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Jesper was saying, “Nothing will ever make up for the fact that Kaz Brekker got married before I did,”

Nina flopped against the back cushions of the sofa.

“Yeah, it’s a real blow to the ego isn’t it?”

“Aren’t you two just the height of comedy?” said Kaz drily.

“To be fair, Jes,” Nina added, “I think we were all surprised you weren’t the first to get married. I mean how long had you two known each other before you moved in, two months?”

“No, well I really only joke,” said Jesper, glancing briefly at the door and lowering his voice, “Wylan told me ages ago he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get married, after everything with his parents he just kinda… lost faith in it,”

Jesper had told Kaz about it at the time. It was years ago, around the time of the Van Eck trial, and Wylan was having an unsurprisingly bad time of it. He said he’d burst into tears and told Jesper that it had been evil of him to trap him in a relationship that would never go anywhere, and that he could leave if he wanted to and Wylan would understand. Apparently Jesper had stared at him for almost a full minute, and then said:

“Wy, you’re seventeen,”

“Well, clearly,” Kaz had said, “You handled that well,”

“I helped him afterwards!” Jepser had cried defensively, “That was just my first thought,”

Now Kaz sat behind his desk at the Slat, flicking through the endless pile of papers laying in wait and watching the hands move on his timepiece. Almost five bells. He wanted to be back by six.

Sadja had woken up not long before three bells, screaming loud enough to bring the entire house down. Kaz fumbled in the dark, searching for his cane, before Inej turned on the gas lights and handed it to him, smiling and shaking her head. They sat next to each other on the side of the mattress as Sadja nursed, and for about half an hour afterwards Kaz was still rocking her slowly whilst Inej lowered the lights and lay back down. Sadja seemed on the verge of settling back to sleep and Kaz stood to return her to the cradle next to the bed, only for her to immediately start wailing again.

“Well I hope you’re not still hungry,” he said softly in Suli, giving her a gente bounce “I think Mama’s asleep,”

She flailed one of her tiny fists into the air and it whacked lightly against Kaz’s chest.

“Not bad form,” he told her, “But you need more strength behind it if you want to do real damage. We’ll work on that when you’re older. What can we do to help you sleep now though, hm?”

Sadja wriggled in his arm and Kaz moved to sit on one of the armchairs so he could set down his cane and support her more comfortably. 

“I don’t have anything new to read to you,” he said, “But I could tell you a story if you’d like,”

There was a pause broken only by Sadja’s impatient cries, before Inej’s soft voice came from the darkness on the other side of the room:

“You know the whole idea of us using one language each with her whilst she's still learning kind of depends on you speaking to her in Kerch, right?”

Kaz looked up.

“Inej? I thought you were asleep,”

“Kaz, if you think anyone could fall asleep through this then I have serious concerns about your hearing. And, again, you’re supposed to speak in Kerch,”

“I’m still not convinced that’s going to work,” he replied, “Isn’t she just going to hear us using both with each other anyway?”

Inej groaned.

“It’s three in the morning, Kaz, can we talk about this later?”

He laughed softly, nodding though he wasn’t sure if she’d see in the dark. He’d known that he needed to go to the Slat - the last word from Anika and Pim had been concerningly vague -  but he could stay here a little while yet, couldn’t he? What harm would it do, just to stay here for a little longer? He sighed.

“You need to go, don’t you?”

He didn’t know how she did that.

“It can wait until tomorrow,”

“You can’t,” said Inej, quietly, “Go on. I’ll get her settled, just don’t be long, okay?”

“Never,”

He really needed to stop watching the clock, or he wouldn’t get anything done and have to bully himself into staying longer. It was a good while past five bells when he left, ignoring the shouts for attention that followed him from the crowd. The Hendriks house was mostly still sleeping, though Wylan was unsurprisingly up and in the kitchen making coffee by the time Kaz arrived at six bells. Inej was awake but she was still upstairs, not long dressed and part way through brushing her hair when Kaz knocked softly on the door. She opened it slowly, pressing a finger to her lips as he slipped inside.

“Sadja’s asleep,”

Kaz stood over the cradle for a moment, watching her. She really was perfect. Inej appeared next to him, her arm slipping around his waist once he’d nodded confirmation. She leaned her head against his shoulder.

“She already looks like you,” she whispered.

Kaz shook his head.

“She’s beautiful. That’s all you,”

Inej shook her head then, her hand finding his and slipping beneath the rim so her fingers brushed his wrist. Kaz’s heart leapt, thinking of holding her on the floor almost a year ago, a knife in her gut and her blood soaking over both of them. He swallowed and she felt him tense, starting to pull away to give him space. His fingers tightened over hers, holding her to him. 

“We’ve not…” she hesitated, “We’ve not talked about a plan for where to live. For what to do next,”

Kaz had been avoiding the conversation, because he didn’t actually know what he was going to say. But it was a year ago when he couldn’t tell her everything he’d thought he should be able to say by now - 

Their happiness, together. In Kerch, in Ravka, they could move to the permafrost in Fjerda for all he cared. He would carve a life for her in the face of a mountain, if that was what she wanted.

- and so much had changed since then. He should be able to tell her that now. And he did.

Inej turned and leaned her face up towards his, glowing in the soft dancing light of dawn leaking through the window, her dark eyes shimmering. She lifted a hand up to cup his cheek, and slowly they leaned into each other. Their foreheads pressed against each other, Kaz’s hand slipped down Inej’s back, and their lips met in the warmth of spring and joy and a family that for so long Kaz had convinced himself he didn’t want, because he never thought he’d be able to find it. 

The entire world was golden.

#Should I post the epilogue tonight too or leave y'all with one last bit of suspense??? #(it's already written btw) #maya olsen oc #no beta read #six of crows #grishaverse #crooked kingdom #leigh bardugo #kaz brekker #inej ghafa #jesper fahey #wylan van eck #nina zenik #kanej #kanej fanfiction #kanej fic #kanej supremacy #kaz x inej #kanej kiss #kanej fluff #kanej baby #grishaverse oc #grishaverse fanfic #grishaverse fandom #soc f #soc fanfiction #soc fandom #soc fic #six of crows fanfic #six of crows fandom

[navstuffs]

Ghost of You

Pairing: Leon Kennedy x GhostGN!Reader

Summary: Leon Kennedy is being haunted and couldn't be happier about it.

Warnings tags: shortfic, horror elements, hurt/some comfort, mention of death, alcoholism and suicide

Author's Notes: hello september!! though i always told myself i would never write for ghosts due to personal reasons, here i am lol just a heads up: my requests have been put to a halt because SPOOKY SEASON! all my attention will be on my halloween event until the end of october (this shortfic is part of it unofficially). and lastly, my inspiration came from wuthering heights, where catherine haunts(?) heathcliff. enjoy!

taglist - @roseglazedlens

"Ghosts. What happens after we die? Do we stay stuck in the place where we died, where we lived, or do we get to pass to another dimension? Reincarnation? Heaven? Hell? All those questions bring another even bigger one: Does God even exist?"

Leon yawns, tired, as the narrator continues discussing what exactly ghosts are. You munch your popcorn with interest, your eyes focused on the TV ahead of you. Leon's arms surround your body, bringing you close to him, your stare focused on the TV. Leon then tries one last time with a dramatically loud yawn that finally catches your attention.

"What is it?"

"Should you be watching this late at night? You know you won't be able to sleep later."

You chuckle, rolling your eyes. Leon is right. Though you loved anything spooky and scary, you always had nightmares later at night. You would have to hold tightly to your boyfriend's body like a teddy bear. Not that Leon complained about that part, just primarily worried about your sleep quality.

"No, I shouldn't. But you know I can't stop."

"Do you watch any of that stuff while I am gone?"

"Not really. You know I need you to face my fears." You chuckle, hitting Leon lightly on the arm.

After the show ends, you turn off the TV and finally cuddle properly with Leon. It is so good to be back with you and feel your warm presence near him. It always gave him peace. Leon could feel himself falling asleep when he heard your voice asking something.

"W-what?"

"Do you believe in ghosts, Leon?"

Leon pauses briefly, thinking about the best way to answer. Even if for him, knowing the next location of Big Foot didn't matter, that the Lochness monster could not be a pre-historic dinosaur, or entering supposedly haunted mansions to find ghosts for the 18th century weren't important, they sure mattered to you.

"You know what my feelings are about those, hun," Leon answers, his voice tired, and you nod.

"Yeap. All baloney."

"It might be nonsense to me, but it is not for you. And I take that very, very seriously. You know, I will always be your partner, no matter how spooky it can get. You are having fun, and that is what matters." You smile happily as Leon holds your cheek, rubbing it with his index finger.

"What if it was my ghost, Leon?"

"Your what?"

"My ghost. If, for some reason, I died, and you saw my ghost? Would you believe it then?"

"Honey, I seriously don't think..." Leon can see how serious this is for you, so he sighs before he answers, "Yes. I would believe. I wouldn't be afraid. I would welcome you with open arms."

You seem finally satisfied with his answer and let go of the topic, to Leon's relief. He knows how morbid you can get, but talking about your death is a whole other level.

Because it would feel wrong and unfair.

And no matter the circumstances, Leon would be mostly enraged. He probably wouldn't end up saying nice things to your ghost anyway.

-x-

Six months later

The TV's sound in the background talks about a recent sight of a Mothman as Leon is lying on the sofa. His house has all the lights on, and Leon got used to it by now. There are a few bottles on the floor, some old, some new, but much less than six months ago.

Six months ago, he found your body lifeless in the middle of your bedroom. Leon tried CPR as he called emergency, thanking the years of training for not breaking down under pressure, his mind focused on getting any heartbeat. Any sign of life.

But it was too late. A heart attack that causes sudden death is uncommon at your age, explained the emergency doctor. There was nothing they could do or what Leon could have done. You were probably dead for a while until he found you.

Time passed. Leon doesn't have any particular memory, going in and out of long periods of melancholy, thinking what the hell he has done to deserve all that shit.

But he gets better eventually (everyone always said he would anyway), or in other words, Leon learns how to function without you. It isn't easy in the first weeks, and Leon got close to joining you. But he remained strong. He knew that whenever you were, you would hate him if he joined you earlier than he should.

Recently, Leon adapted to a routine if he isn't on missions: wake up, go on a run (your favorite playlist is his choice of music, though not appropriate for a run), get home, shower, and then try to occupy his mind with anything that was about you. And most of the time, that involved your horror shows. Those shows could bring just a little of that warm feeling only you brought to his chest (Leon wouldn't admit it, but he also tried an Ouija board to contact you. It didn't work, and he felt like an idiot).

It doesn't take long for Leon to hear strange noises in the house. The noises of footsteps he knows so well behind him disappear when he looks back. Or when there is a shadow on a wall. He would recognize that silhouette anywhere in the world, but before he can follow, it disappears in the next ray of light. The scratching sounds coming from the glass windows must be your way of saying hello, I am still here. I am never leaving you.

Late at night, when he is trying to sleep, Leon thinks he can feel your presence as soon as he closes his eyes. Your voice whispering his name. As soon as he opens them, you are gone.

He isn't scared. On the contrary, Leon Kennedy wants to see you.

He makes sure you feel at home: he leaves all lights on and the TV on with your shows. He wants, no matter where you are, to feel comfortable. And if he is lucky enough, he might be able to actually see again someday.

Until then, he is happy enough being haunted by you.

#leon kennedy x reader #leon kennedy #leon kennedy x you #leon s kennedy #leon kennedy horror #leon kennedy fanfic #leon kennedy fanfics #im proud to say SPOOKY SEASON IS OPEN #though this is more sad than spooky lol

[ancientsweek]

Ancients Week 2024 (!!!)

Welcome to Ancients Week 2024! This is a KOTLC fan-week dedicated to Ancient elves — because the concept of elves old enough to remember the very distant past is deeply fascinating, and because I love the Ancients. This event will be running from July 7th to July 14th 2024 (so a week and an extra day, but we'll call it a week for simplicity's sake). This is the first time I'm running this event (and, for that matter, any fandom event), so please be kind if I mess up somewhere. I'll try not to :)

Rules

DO NOT USE AI. NONE WHATSOEVER. I'm being serious. (although I'm pretty sure anyone won't, it doesn't hurt to state it outright)

No negativity on others' posts! We're all here to have fun.

And on that note, have fun!!!

PROMPTS!!

Questions I Anticipate Getting

What can I make?

Anything! Fanfic, fanart, headcanons, meta, memes, incorrect quotes, dashboard simulators (those fake dashboard things), whatever — nothing is out of bounds!

Whom/what can I make something about?

Ancients! You can make any kind of fan piece about any and all Ancients, including implied/textual-ghost Ancients (like Bronte's mother, or Fintan's dead friends, who would have been Ancient had they survived into the modern day), characters you headcanon as Ancient, Ancient OCs, and even younger characters written as Ancients, so long as your piece involves an Ancient or is Ancients-centric somehow. So basically, go wild and have fun!

When will prompts be up?

If I stay on schedule, prompts should be up on (or in the week of, depending on what's going on) May 1st 2024. In the meantime, I'd love it if you could send prompt suggestions to this blog! I can only put seven prompts up but, I'd love to hear your ideas!

Do I have to complete every prompt or post every day?

No, you do not have to complete every prompt, or post every day! Feel free to post late, skip days, ignore the prompts, combine the prompts and so forth — do only as much as you want to. Remember, Ancients Week is a fun little thing and also a state of mind not bound by petty things like dates. (And I'd genuinely be delighted if I saw new ideas I hadn't considered and new posts in the tag even months later.)

How do I tag my works?

I will be tracking the #ancients week 2024 tag, so please tag your fanworks with that! You can also tag @ancientsweek in your post. All the posts I find will be reblogged to this blog.

Can I post my works elsewhere?

(Not sure if people think about it but I always wonder about it if I'm participating in an event so, here you go.)

Yes! If you would like to cross-post your fanworks onto another site (like AO3, for example), go for it — after all, it's your work, and I can't (and don't want to) dictate where and how you publish it.

Where can I find announcements/reminders/important stuff?

Announcements, reminders, prompt lists, and all other things in the vein of housekeeping will be tagged #proclamations and asides (like this post). You can search for this tag on this blog.

Tag list under cut (I'm extremely sorry if I've forgotten someone)

@drama-llamaaa @fintan-pyren @swans-chirping-in-the-distance @chronically-ill-psionipath @kale-of-the-forbidden-cities @oroshka @ch3shireacat @crescentpaws @autistic-daydreamer @periwinkle-the-11th @lezabeththetheodoraimposter @i-died-dead @heliophilia63194 @mango-cheese67 @chaotic-starlight24 @jkriordanverse @mmeemy @myfairkatiecat @strange-cat (can't seem to be able to properly tag you sorry)

#proclamations and asides #kotlc ancients #ancients week 2024 #kotlc #keeper of the lost cities #keepblr #it begins...sort of. but it counts!!!

[standardfriends]

boy (I need you) 🦋

Word Count: 5.3k|| Kanemoto Yoshinori x Fem. Reader || Tags: Fluff, Slight Angst, Smut, Dilf!Yoshi, Son!Jeongwoo, Best Friend!Doyoung, Slight Age Gap (4 years), Petnames, Abandonment, Vanilla, Plot Heavy

"Damn, this house is really nice." Whose house, you may ask? Hopefully, your future employer's. You recently started college and have been looking for a pretty lenient job, and that's how you got here. A man, not much older than you, named Yoshinori needed a house-sitter. So here you were, about to enter for an interview. "You got this, y/n. You'll be fine." You press the doorbell. "One second! Sorry~" A sweet melodic voice tweets from behind the door. "Hello, come on in!" Appearing is one of the most gorgeous faces you've ever seen in your life. Long brown hair, shiny soft eyes, high strong nose bridge, a bright smile, and a pretty mole underneath his mouth to pair with it.

"Can I get you anything to drink?" "Just water is fine, thank you." He leads you to sit down on the couch in his living room, which is quite cozy, with a light brown sectional, a wooden and glass coffee table positioned in front of a flat-screen TV and front window. He comes back quickly with a glass of ice water with a cute curly straw. "Sorry, how rude of me. I haven't introduced myself. My name is Kanemoto Yoshinori, and you?" "Y/n, nice to meet you, Mr. Kanemoto." "Oh, please just call me Yoshi…" He chuckles nervously and rubs his neck. "Alright, nice to meet you, Yoshi."

You soon find out that he's looking for a house-sitter because he frequently works long hours throughout the week. "I just need you to do basic tasks like making sure all the plants are watered, the fish are fed enough, and that dust doesn't collect." Simple enough, it pays really well, considering those are your only major tasks. "Also, you would get weekends off. That's when I'm at home. My son Jeongwoo comes to visit me, he lives with his grandparents during the week." SON!? You had to refrain from letting your jaw drop, but you can't help but be shocked, as Yoshi only looked at most 4 years older than you. "Oh ok, well if that's all, I'd be happy to house sit for you, Yoshi!" "REALLY? Oh, I mean—ahem—really? Thank you so much!" You can't believe this man has a child; he acts so innocently. You swear you saw stars in his eyes when you accepted his offer. "Let's discuss more in-depth about payment and schedule, hmm?" "Sounds perfect to me."

You ended up spending two hours with him, chatting not only about your new job but each other's personal lives as well. You learned he's a music producer for a very big entertainment company, he has to be there for long hours due to the number of songs he has to make for many different artists. You learned he went to the same university you're currently attending and he graduated just last year. He gave you pointers on all the best spots to make friends and eat. You told him about how you plan to major in Linguistics and he was ecstatic, being a polyglot himself.

The most notable thing is that of his son, a 3-year-old named Jeongwoo, he says he's very timid but well-mannered and caring. Although there was no mention of Jeongwoo's mother and it seemed like he was purposefully so, you decided not to pry. "What an intriguing man…" It was Saturday, you had two days before you start this job. "Why do I already want to start now?" Laying down, looking at your ceiling, you can't help but let your mind wander. Checking the time, you realize if you want to get everything together by Sunday night, you have to head to bed now. "Goodnight, Yoshi. Please take care of me in the future."

"Daddy, how come I have to eat my salad if you haven't touched any of yours?" "Huh—" Yoshi looks down to realize he's barely eaten. "Oh, you're right, bud. It's not fair. Sorry, daddy will finish all his salad." He stuffs a bite into his mouth. "See, mmm yummy, now you have to as well, ok?" "Ok, daddy!" "Good boy." He couldn't stop thinking about earlier today. A pretty young girl like you wanted to get paid to do boring tasks around his house and just make sure nobody breaks in. You didn't even question too much about him and his son and seemed to be open-minded about it. This was something he surely wasn't used to. He couldn't place what, but it felt like you had bewitched him, all his thoughts were filled with you. It's a little weird because he just met you and you're just some 19-year-old looking to make some easy money. "I really should've gotten out more in college, not like I had much of a choice…" Creak "Daddy, you look sleepy, can we sleep together tonight?" As much as he feels he's missed out, he loves his kid so much. "Sure, buddy, let's clean up dinner first." "Ok!" He watches the little boy scurry with all the plates into the kitchen excitedly. "Be careful, slow down!"

"How come I never get to visit mommy?" Jeongwoo asks his father. Yoshi is a little taken aback. How could he tell his little boy that his mommy left them? "Well, you see, mommy lives very far, and it's not easy for you to visit her." "How far? Does she live all the way across the ocean?" "Yes, all the way across the ocean." "Can't we just take a plane?" "Planes are expensive, bud." "Can we do it once, when I have a holiday?" He adores his son so much, his persistence and curiosity is one of his favorite parts of being a parent. He can't believe that anyone could just leave such an amazing kid behind. "I'll see what we can do, buddy, but I don't know if mommy is going to be willing."

"Why?" His heart pains, he asks himself the same thing, why? He thought they were perfect together and that everything was going to be perfect just the three of them, but she left. "Mommy needs time. She's been through a lot." "Ok…" He can tell his son is no longer as bright as before, and it hurts just as much as he thought. "Hey, don't frown, daddy doesn't like when you frown. How about I sing you a lullaby tonight, hm?" The little boy eagerly nods his head in agreement. Before Yoshi can even finish the song, the little one is off to sleep, and he rests a peck on his forehead.

Your first day of house-sitting was a breath of fresh air after a hard day at school. You had a project in your semantics class. You were partnered up with a boy in your class named Doyoung. He's cool and all, but he talks a LOT, and consequently, not a lot of work got done. The house, thankfully for you, seemed to be in good shape. You went about your duties with care, watering the plants, feeding the fish, and dusting the surfaces. "Well, that was easy. Maybe I should look around the house, and maybe find a bathroom while I'm at it." While exploring, you came across a child's bedroom. There was a tiny kid's doctor's kit, music sheets along with a kid's recorder, and a drawing of the house, a man who you assumed was Yoshi, and a tiny kid you could only assume was Jeongwoo. It brought a little bit of warmth to your heart. You thought it would be nice to tidy up the room a bit, so you put everything in its designated spot and close the door. You could tell Jeongwoo was just as nice as Yoshi had described, and you could tell he cares for his son a lot.

There's another bedroom directly opposite the one you recently exited. It was most definitely Yoshi's. You could smell the subtle scent of a nice clean cologne emanating from the room. You decided it would be best not to enter there without permission. You eventually found the bathroom as well, but afterward, your stomach made an incomprehensible rumble. You ventured into Yoshi's kitchen, finding some basic ingredients for an omelet and toast. After a bit of whisking, chopping, frying, and toasting, you had a simple, wholesome meal ready. You took a bite and started to get out your computer when you suddenly hear the front door unlock.

"Ahhhh, where is it? I swear I left it right here. Oh—" You are confronted with a very disheveled Yoshi. Even then, he still looked as gorgeous as before. His eyes were like the ocean. "Hi, Y/N. Sorry to startle you." "It's fine. It is your house, after all." He has a look of surprise on his face mirrored by your own. "I had forgotten some lyrics I was working on last night." He chuckles, and the vibrations send a tingling feeling throughout your body.

"You didn't happen to see them lying around, did you?" "Uhhh, I don't think so. I'm sorry." "No, no, it's totally okay. I'll find them." A little less frazzled, he finally smells the food you made. "Oh, I made an omelet and toast from some food you had in the fridge. I hope that's okay." "Yeah, that's fine. I'm sorry for interrupting you. You can go back to eating if you want." You can tell he may need some help, but you appreciate him trying to be considerate. "Let me help you out. I finished pretty much all the tasks you gave me, so I can put off eating for a little longer. What did you say those lyrics looked like?" "It’s just a filing folder with lined pieces of paper. They should still be somewhere here in the living room," Yoshi explains, gratefully accepting your offer.

Together, you start searching by the coffee table, flipping through various magazines and yesterday's mail, to no avail. Yoshi checks the nearby shelves and cabinets, his brows furrowing in concentration. You can't help but steal glances at him, the way his hair frames his face, the smell of his perfume hitting your senses every time he slightly passes by. The moment is intimate but not uncomfortable. You both continue to work diligently to find his paper, and for some reason, you have a sense of responsibility for making sure the papers return to their rightful owner.

After about 30 mins of non-stop scouring, Yoshi lets out a small sigh of frustration, running a hand through his hair. "I could've sworn I left them here." You glance around the living room one last time when your eyes land on a small stack of papers slid underneath the couch. You reach for them, pulling them out. "Are these the ones you're looking for?" Yoshi turns to look at you, a sparkle flickers in his sweet eyes. He quickly moves over, taking the papers from your hands and flips through them, "Yes, these are it! Thank you, Y/N." “I'm glad I could help, Yoshi." You felt almost like you were more relieved than he was. But it didn’t matter all that mattered has the smile radiating from his face. He chuckles, shaking his head. "No, seriously. If you weren’t here who knows how long it would’ve took. My boss isn’t the most patient to say the least." “Oh trust me I know how that feels.” At that, you both laugh, the tension from before completely dissipated. It's a nice moment, one that makes you look forward to continuing to house sit for Yoshi.

Yoshi, having found the missing lyrics, quickly gathered his things, thanking you once again before hurrying out the door. Left alone in the quiet house, you turned back to your half-eaten omelet, the cool air making it lukewarm. It wasn’t too bad thought so you finished your meal, finding comfort in the cozy home. After cleaning up your mess you pulled out your laptop and opened up the project you had been working on with Doyoung. Working through the project was a challenge, primarily due to the fact you had to work through what pieces of information he told you were actually relevant. You check through the little notes you guys actually got down and come up with an actually solid thesis.

After a few texts back and forth you and Doyoung managed to make significant progress, feeling a sense of accomplishment as she you finally closed your laptop. In that moment the sun was starting to set, you did one last look around the house, making sure that everything looked just as intended. As you locked the front door behind you, you found yourself looking back on the day of house-sitting. Anticipating what the week would look like. The walk back was refreshing albeit a little lonesome, you didn’t know why, but you suspect it was because of him.

The first week of the job was full of getting accustomed to the new environment. The house, despite its larger size, had a warm feeling that made you easily unwind. You found yourself settling into a comfortable routine, taking care of the house and its inhabitants (fish included) with vigor. Yoshi, despite being absorbed with his work, made sure to check in with you throughout the week. He’d call or text asking if you needed anything and if you were feeling comfortable.

One day, when you mentioned that you had forgotten to bring lunch, he knew the fridge was empty so he surprised you by dropping of some food from the grocery store right quick. “Oh Yoshi you didn’t have too, I could’ve gotten something delivered right quick.” “It’s ok I was on my lunch break as well anyways.” It was a small act, but it spoke volumes about his thoughtful nature. There were other little gestures throughout the week as well. But the most memorable was when you came in on Friday with a note left on the fridge, 'Thank you for everything Y/N, have a nice weekend ;)' written in Yoshi's neat handwriting. The small gestures also made your heart flutter, you found that you had to remind yourself that he is probably this nice to everyone. That didn’t stop your mind from being filled with constant thought of him.

“I mean you never know until you shoot your shot.”, Doyoung brazenly comments. "You play too much Dobby. He's just being nice, plus he's my boss," you get really defensive, however you’re not able to hide the blush creeping up to your cheeks. "And besides, he has a kid! I don’t know if he’s looking for that all, especially not from me." "Hey, all I'm saying is that the option is clearly available. And you can’t assume his feelings, positive or negative.” He smirks before taking another sip of his boba and continuing to work on your shared project. "Whatever Doyoung..." You roll your eyes at him, your voice trailing off.

Despite what you said, you can't help but acknowledge some truth in his words. Could there be a chance that your feelings for Yoshi weren't unrequited? You haven’t known him long but your thoughts were consumed by the image of him, even when you weren't at his house. His smile, his voice, his scent - they were all you hand on your mind these past few days. You shake your head, trying to clear those thoughts for now. "Doyoung, let's just focus on our project." He raises his brow at the comment but nods, turning his attention back to the work at hand. You try to do the same, but your mind keeps wandering back to Yoshi and the strange, yet warm, feelings that have started to bloom in your heart.

Every corner of Yoshi's house seems to leave an imprint of him. His music sheets scattered scross the coffee table, the doodles of him and Jeongwoo with little captions left on the fridge, the sandwiches left in the fridge for you in case you got hungry. You've gotten adjusted to his routine as well. You know when he gets off for lunch, what days he gets off early, his favorite snacks, and even his favorite songs and TV shows. He's your employer, but he treats you more as a friend, throughout the past few weeks you’ve been working for him you can’t help but feel like you’re relationship is a little more special than that of employer and employee. You can't help but wonder if this is how it always is for him, or if there's something more behind it. “Hey Y/N I have a favor to ask.” “Yeah sure Yoshi what is it?” It’s been about a month now you’ve started to eat dinner with Yoshi when he gets off early, tonight you decided on some chicken katsu, Yoshi was feeling a little homesick. “I was wondering if you’d like to meet Jeongwoo and if that goes well baby sit him this weekend? You’d get paid extra of course…”

Your eyes light up, “Really? I’d love to meet Jeongwoo!” He laughs, that laugh you have come to adore, “Yeah, my parents wanted to go on a day trip but I’m still going to have work that day so I’d need you to watch him till I get home.” “Sounds great to me!” You guys decided on which day this weekend you were going to plan to have you and Jeongwoo meet as well as what would be expected when you watch him the day Yoshi’s gone of course. You couldn’t believe it that Yoshi felt like he could trust you with something as important as this. Jeongwoo was his everything you could tell just from the way he spoke about his little one.

“Dude if you don’t ask him out already,” Doyoung wastes no time. After that project at the beginning of the semester the two of you quickly became best friends. “Oh my god bruh, shut up. Although…” “See I told you, you need to just start openly flirting and see how he reacts at this point because I don’t know anyone else who regularly eats dinner with their boss who also now wants them to meet his kid.” Doyoung has gotten more persistent in telling you to ask Yoshi out. “I just don’t know Dobby what if he doesn’t see me that way. Ugh, I don’t think I could handle that right now.” You were never this bad with rejection in the past but with Yoshi it’s different he’s perfect, he’s your shooting star. “If you wanna keep suffering from one-sided love that’s on you, I’ve already told you what I think. Now can we please finish looking over this textbook section I’m not tryna bomb this test tomorrow.” You sigh and agree, even when your friend ends up falling asleep on call you circle back on his advice. He’s right you’ll never know unless you try, and you decide you’re goal is after baby sitting Jeongwoo to ask him out.

You were back to the beginning standing on Yoshi’s doorstep prepping yourself to push the doorbell, this time you heart raced with more anticipation than before. Having spent the past month and a half house-sitting for Yoshi was nothing when you consider that you were meeti g your boss’, you have a crush on, kid. “Hi Y/n, Jeongwoo is in the living room right now playing come on in!”As you walk into the familiar room you find Jeongwoo playing with his toys just as Yoshi said he was, he had a big toothy grin on his face and innocence in his eyes. “Hey buddy I got someone I want you to meet.” His gaze drawn to his fathers voice. He gets up hiding behind his dads leg as he studies your expression. “Jeongwoo this is Y/N she’s daddy’s friend. Introduce yourself.” He’s reluctant, “Hello Y/n I’m Jeongwoo.” you chuckled softly, he was so cute and resembled his father a lot. "Nice to meet you Jeongwoo. Is it ok if I play with you?” Jeongwoo looks to his dad for approval, once Yoshi gives an affirming nod, his smile slowly started to return, “Ok!” And you follow the little boy to sit down and play with the doctors kit you had put away many times before.

As Yoshi observed your interactions with Jeongwoo, he felt a storm of emotions. Watching you playing with his precious little one, seeing the genuine care and warmth in you had for him, Yoshi felt his heart twist and turn. Yoshi found himself lost in thought, reflecting on thesmall time you had spent together but noting just how comfortable and natural it felt. "Dad, look at this!" Jeongwoo's excited voice brought Yoshi back to the present, to show him a drawing you had help him make. “This is lovely bud, I’m gonna hang up right here ok?” “Ok, and Y/n helped so you should thank her too.” The look in his eyes being filled with sincerity, ”Thank you Y/N””Anytime Yoshi.” In that moment it became abundantly clear to Yoshi that his feelings for you were stronger than friendship or gratitude. He was in love with you.

Your first meeting with Jeongwoo was successful and you were set to babysit him this Thursday. And with Yoshi’s realization he was growing even more anxious. The last time he let someone into his life, the last time he loved someone, they left. Without a traces Jeongwoo’s mom left him, with only a note saying, “I’m sorry Yoshi. This is goodbye, take care of Jeongwoo for me. -XXX” What if you did the same, Jeongwoo wasn’t old enough to be affected when his mom lleft but if you left now… He hoped you wouldn’t, you were the best thing that’s happened to him a long a time. And Jeongwoo already loves you just as much as he did. “Please don’t leave me…” Is the last thing he mumbles softly, before drifting off to sleep.

Today is the long awaited day, arriving at Yoshi’s house around your usual time you enter. Before the boys get home you decided to clean up a bit, not neglecting the duties you were originally hired for, and as you finish up you hear a tiny footsteps from the front door. “Jeongwoo take of your shoes please before you—” “Y/N!” Before you have time to react the tiny boy has already jumped into your arms. “Jeongwoo~, ahh you’ve gotten so big since I last saw you.” “REALLY?” You try to respond right away but he sounded exactly like his dad on that first day you teo met and it instantly melted your heart. “Yes bubba! Now lets go take off your shoes and get ready to say bye-bye to your dad ok?” While directing him back to the front door you and Yoshi exchange a glance.

It was a glance of passion, of admiration, of love? You didn’t have to much time to think about it before Yoshi had to get going, ‘I should be back by around 7, have fun you two.” “Ok we will, Jeongwoo say bye.” “Bye Daddy~” They exchanged a embrace with kiss on the cheek and before you knew it he was gone. You and Jeongwoo started off with homework (which in pre k is addition, abc’s, and maybe some coloring sheets) which you knocked out quickly. After that you guys play for a while, you pretended to be his patient, “Oh no Dr. Jeongwoo will I be ok?” “Yes, it’s just a broken leg you’ll feel better soon. Your medicine is a cast and a nice big hug!” “Thank you so much Doctor.” Before you knew it it was dinnertime, hanging out with Jeongwoo has been so much fun that you didn’t even realize it was almost 7:30.

“Hey bubba I don’t know why your dad is late but I think it’s time to get ready for bed.” “Awww…” He gives you the cutest little pout just like Yoshi when you tell him you have to go. “I know but we can play more tomorrow if you really want to ok?” He nods. You then get him ready for bed and he goes to sleep without issues, but not it’s almost 8 and you’re really worried about Yoshi. Why is he late, did he get stuck in traffic, is he safe, did something happen at work? Until the front door opens in coming a very tired Yoshi. “Sorry I’m late there was a really bad accident on the freeway. How did everything go.” You didn’t care if it seemed inappropriate in that moment you were overcome with relief.

You hugged him a tight one at that, “I was so worried.” He doesn’t know how to react, you were worried about him? He accepts the hug, “I’m Sorry, next time I’ll tell you when something like that happens, I promise.” You step back allowing yourself to get a good view of his face and him of yours. Something is different tonight you can feel it. “Hey, do you wanna drink a beer with me? I’m assuming you put Jeongwoo to bed and are a little tired?” You chuckle at his suggestion as his cheeks turn slightly rosy. After cracking open the case of beers you guys sit and talk, Yoshi brings up that Jeongwoo likes you. “He couldn’t stop talking about you—” “Oh really?” “Yeah… and neither could I.” This time when your eyes meet you both see each other feelings very clearly now. “I can’t stop thinking about you, I need you, I wan’t you, shit I think…I love you.”

In seconds your lips are crashed together, his hands navigating towards your waist as you both sink into the couch, “I need you so badly.” “Me too,” you gasp during the fight between your tongues. Your lips swollen mouth going numb from the intensity, “Are you sure you want this?” Yoshi asks breaking the two of you apart, “I’ve never wanted anything more than I want you right now Yoshi.” A low groan echoed from his lips, he quickly removes his shirt and helps you rid of yours. After, immediately reconnecting your wet lips together, teeth and lips and tongues clashing against one another as the space between you continued to decrease. He starts to trail down your neck, leaving small kisses scattered across your plush skin. “You’re so gorgeous,” he murmured against your chest, nipping lightly at your skin and leaving fluttering kisses across your torso. “So, beautiful baby.”

You are startled when his skillful hands undo the clasp of your bra, hastily tossing it to the side. His touch on your skin felt like burning bruises. You were melting at his touch and his scent overwhelmed your senses. “Yoshi,” you whimpered, clinging to him like he was going to ruin away, “I need you…now.” “Yeah?” He started to unbutton your pants, sliding them down your legs and throwing them with the rest of your clothes. His followed soon after. He teased you pulling at the hem of your underwear. “Love, do you really want this?”, he asks a final time before continuing. You nod, “As cute as your facial expressions are, I need words babe.” It’s a little late to be embarrassed now isn’t it, “Yes. Yoshinori please make love to me.” He smirked at you, that’s all he needed to hear. He quickly dealt with your underwear and proceeded to settle in between your legs. Letting them fall naturally over his shoulders. “I think that’s something I can definitely do.”

He kissed up your thighs, biting gently and leaving faint marks over the bare skin. You shuddered with every pressed kiss. The one on your clit giving you an instant of pleasure and relief where you needed him most. “You ready baby?” That melodic voice and glowing eyes you fell in love with looking for your approval once again yet this this time filled with lust. You were tired of holding back. You nod giving him the go ahead and he waste no time burying his face between your legs, licking a slow stripe over your entrance, “You smell and taste so good baby. You’re so perfect love.”

You could only hum in response, the way his tongue and his lips felt against your body had your mind running laps. Threading your fingers through his hair and pushed his face harder against you, he couldn’t help but letting his groans reverberate off you. Your orgasm was climbing up faster than you anticipated. You hadn’t had sex in a while so you knew it was gonna feel good but not this good. “Wait, Yo-Yoshi,” you managed to moan out, pushing his face away from you. He looked up at you, your arousal dripping from his chin. Did he do something wrong? Did you change your mind? “I need you inside…I wanna cum with you…”

He chuckles with a grin forming on his face once again leaning in to give you another passionate sloppy kiss. “Let me see…” He goes over checking in the TV stand for some condoms to no avail. “Shit…Love i’m sorry I—” You grab his arm and face him towards you, shutting him up with a kiss before speaking again, “Im clean and on the pill. I wanted you raw anyways baby.” Hearing how badly you wanted him as much as he wanted you put him at ease. He finally releases his dick from his boxers painfully hard and covered in pre cum. “Are you ready?” He asked softly lining up with your entrance, caressing your hair out of your faces gently. That look of care as if you were going to break with his touch. “I’m so ready.”

You squeezed his shoulders and gasped softly, trying not to make too much noise as he slowly bottomed out. It’s unlikely you’ll wake Jeongwoo considering he’s all the way upstairs but it’s better to be safe than sorry. He lets out a disheveled moan into your ears, hands gripping your hips hard enough to leave bruises in the morning. “Fuck, you’re so tight.” Yoshi groaned quietly, his breathing heavy as he let’s you adjust to his size. “Move. Please…” you finally whimper, “Please… I need you.” His pace was slow to start, thrusting fully in and out of you making sure to feel every inch of you. Your lips locked together as to hide the lewd noises that threatened to escape at any moment. God you were so beautiful all he could do was whisper sweet nothings to you.

“I really love you, Y/N,” he moaned, “I don’t know the last time I loved someone as much as you.” “I love you too. So much,” you whined out, coming closer to your climax your vision became less and less focused, “Yoshi—Baby—I’m so close right there—mmm” Watching how good you felt and feeling how well you were milking him all he could do was agree. “Me too, baby, cum with me.” You nodded quickly, whines escape your lips from the overwhelming passion in your core. His pace started to stagger, “Fuck, I’m coming, baby.” Circling your clit the two of you came together. He held you closer to him as he released into you. You’re both out of breath, “Y/n…” suddenly his eyes are back to the Yoshi you know. “Yeah baby?”, looking at him you can’t help but fall in love all over again. “Please don’t leave me…I don’t know what I would do, what Jeongwoo would do if you left us now. Just stay with me ok, not just tonight but every night please?” “Oh Yoshi, how could I ever leave you.” You give him a quick peck on his sweaty forehead before reassuring him that you love him.

You end up laying there for a while before you both get up to do aftercare and cuddle in bed. You weren’t sure how things turned out this way exactly, or how you would explain it in the future but that didn’t matter to you right now. All you needed in that moment was each other and that was enough.

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#kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop bg #kpop smut #kpop imagines #kpop rpf #kpop scenarios #kpop fluff #kpop rps #treasure smut #treasure fanfic #treasure imagines #treasure scenarios #yoshi smut #yoshi fanfic #kanemoto yoshinori #jeongwoo #doyoung #yoshi x reader #yoshi imagines #yoshi fluff

[ot3]

Could you pls elaborate on why you think 5 and 6 is bad? 🥺 I've been waiting a long time to get to them and was really excited to play them when they drop on the Switch 😭

im in like a constant loop of talking about how much i hate aa5 and 6 but then not tagging those posts because i don't want to be hater in the tags and then people ask me why they're bad so i just have to talk about why they're bad again because i dont know how to find any of my old posts about it

anyway the long in short of it is just. the writing is bad. in all of the ways that writing in an ace attorney game can be bad it's bad. for dual destinies the game has an M rating but despite the fact that a high rating might give them the chance to do a little bit more deeper or complex writing they hard pivot the other way and you get a very surface level conflict with characters and a villain it is almost impossible to get invested in. aa6 suffers from similar stuff. they don't seem to understand what to do with their characters besides inflict more potent drama on them because they believe higher stakes means more interesting situations, which is not true.

phoenix in particular gets absolutely shafted in terms of character writing. the game inability to pick who their actual protagonist is means nobody gets enough screentime and most of the screentime anyone does get in any of these games feels wasted having to trudge through a cast of forgettable gimmicky side characters.

but the worst part of all of it is that the games are terribly, terribly unfunny. i could pretty much forgive anything else if the games had manage to be entertaining but these games just feel so fucking sterile despite how hard theyre trying to be both off the wall and dramatic.

the only way to make these games even somewhat compelling is to imagine what they could have been like if they had actually been good. it really seems like even people who enjoy these games can't enjoy them on their own merit and each person has their own pet interpretation of the canon that makes the games bearable. but i really don't think there are any characters or plot points introduced in 5 or 6 that add literally anything beneficial to the franchise