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mothhball · 2 months

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five-finger discount

Pairing | Neil Lewis x Reader

Warnings | 18+ SMUT, DUB-CON, fingering, p in v sex, unprotected sex, blackmail, sex on camera, brief edging, creampie, cheating, cursing, Moth pretends to know anything about movies

Summary | You’ve been trying to make easy money, but you’re not as subtle as you thought. Some lessons need to be learned the hard way.

Words | 4.4k

Notes | FINALLY DONE. and vaguely inspired by 70s porn haha

MINORS DNI

INT. GUMSHOE VIDEO – THRILLER AISLE – DAY

“No, it's not. That's not what she said. Someone is in trouble. Something bad is happening!” squawks a woman from the running TV in the background while your fingers trace over the backs of the VHS as you walk past the shelves.

1 PM on a Wednesday certainly is no rush hour at Gumshoe Video. Even the most annoying film bros don't come here at this time of day to flaunt their knowledge of the craft and subsequent absence of social skills. You're in the clear, pretending to deeply think about your choice in entertainment for the end of the day, even though that couldn't be further from the truth. Throwing a glance over your shoulder, you spot the business owner, entranced by the film that he put on to pass the time, and you can see his plush lips silently mouthing along to the dialog. Cute. And easy to trick.

It's not your first time here. No, you made sure to become familiar with the place over the course of months now, learning where each genre and title has been sorted into its rightful place.

Certain old VHS-tapes can sell for a small fortune online, and for every tape you rent, you take one for free with the plan of selling it to the highest bidder. Currently, you have a stack at home, waiting for you to finally stop procrastinating and open up that damn eBay account.

Your pinky catches on a specific tape. 'A History of Violence', currently estimated to lure an additional 199 bucks into your greedy bank account. Quietly, you pull out the film, leaving a gaping hole in the neatly sorted row as you slip it into your purse.

With nimble hands, you try to rearrange the tapes to make the missing VHS a little less obvious, but in your haste, a few of them escape your clammy grasp and clutter to the ground. A head of silky brunette hair whips around, and you're met with pretty blue eyes as the store owner turns to face you.

You let out a giggle, trying to sound as vapid and innocuous as possible. You’re in character now. The persona you chose? An unassuming, ditzy little thing that’s hot enough to distract him, but stupid enough as to not get suspected of any wrong-doings. You’d say you’re a good actress. A fantastic one, even.

"Sorry," you purr, batting your eyelashes at him. "I'm a little clumsy today." You're already bending over to pick up the tapes when he makes his way over to lend a helping hand, and you make sure to show off your cleavage in an intentionally accidental way. You know he’s into you. You’ve been seeing the heat in his gaze for weeks now, along with the occasional crack in his voice and an almost endearing desire to impress you. It’s his biggest weakness and the reason your plan has been working flawlessly until now.

"Hey, hey, no worries. Uh, gravity wins sometimes. Don't sweat it," he grins at you, brushing his fingers against yours as the two of you work together to put everything back into place.

"What exactly were you looking for anyway?" he suddenly asks, breaking your focus for a second.

"Uh, Moonstruck," you mutter, completely on autopilot. The store owner nods, pursing his lips as he mulls over your answer. You’re aware of your blunder before he even answers.

"Moonstruck? Then you're in the wrong section. You know, with how often you come here, I thought you got the hang of our layout by now." Fuck, he’s got you. Play dumb. Play dumb!

Your poker face almost cracks, but you keep your composure. Or at least you try to. "Huh? Oh - I... right. God, I'm just all over the place today." You giggle again, relieved by the way his grin seems to soften. Hook, line and sinker. He may think he’s detective Sam Spade from ‘The Maltese Falcon’, but you’re Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Or he’s Batman and you’re Catwoman. Or – well, it doesn’t matter. Baseline is, you’re snatching tapes right from underneath his nose while he’s too busy fantasizing about what’s underneath your clothes.

The store owner speaks up again, lazily rubbing the back of his neck as he leans against the shelf, and his free hand wanders and gestures around a bit as if he’s trying to figure out which pose would look the coolest and most effortless.

“Right. Actually, that wasn’t really fair of me.” You tilt your head at him, eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly which prompts him to elaborate. “Some of our tapes went missing. Y’know, some of the oldies and goldies? That’s why I didn’t stock Moonstruck this week.”

Your lips part in surprise, but all you can reply with is a soft ‘oh’. The store owner shrugs, leaning in towards you. There’s something conspiratory about his expression which makes your stomach churn a little. “Yeah. But I do still have it. It’s just in my office.”

There’s a beat of silence as you mull over the unspoken offer. Your plan is built on the one tape you always rent for cheap. No one would think you’re stealing if you’re actually paying for something, right? Despite this, you wonder if you should call it a day and head home with the stolen film hidden in your purse. Alibi be damned.

“I… That’s great. Uh, actually, I was just about to –“ he cuts you off with a casual wave of his hand, and the grin on his face widens once more.

“Don’t worry. I’ll even give you a discount. Just follow me.”

INT. GUMSHOE VIDEO – NEIL LEWIS’ PRIVATE OFFICE – DAY

The private office of Neil Lewis, cinephile and pop culture enthusiast, is decorated with a distinct Film Noir charm, lovingly empathized by leather chairs and a checkered floor. Not to mention the letters on the door. He calls himself a private investigator. A joking title that makes you palms sweat ever so slightly. You notice that he set up a small camera on his desk, but he brushes it off as a regular procedure.

"So... Moonstruck,” he starts, gesturing for you to take a seat. Which you do. “Great pick. Just curious - Why did you go for that one?" The question makes you pause for a second.

"The... the cover spoke to me,” you casually lie, trying to sound somewhat cute, but it doesn’t land. Neil’s expression quickly betrays his skepticism, and his lips part while his narrowed gaze wanders around the room for a minute. "Hm. And what about the other one?"

"What do you mean?" Play dumb, play dumb, play – but he’s not letting you off the hook so easily.

"The other tape."

Silence fills the office, and you swear the VHS in your purse is starting to burn a hole right where it’s settled in your lap.

"Which... other tape? I just picked out this one."

"Ohhh, right. Sorry. My bad. Just… Moonstruck." The way he’s saying this makes it seem like he enjoys the taste of the letters on his tongue. You nod, a little too eager to get this conversation over and done with.

"So you won’t mind me looking through your purse?" Neil leans forward in his seat, folding his hands on top of his desk. Your eyes briefly fall onto the little desk name plate that’s undoubtedly just made out of shiny, golden plastic. But it does the job. It intimidates you. At least to a certain degree.

“No,” you lie through your teeth, trying to shrug off the tension. “I… it’s certainly no problem, Mr. Lewis. None at all.”

Neil lets out an apathetic sigh as he rises from his seat, causing the leather to squeak. His steps seem a little too confident for a video rental owner as he moves around the desk to first walk over to the door and lock it. “Neil is fine. I’m not a big fan of… formalities,” he starts, coming up behind you to set his hands on your shoulders. His hands are gentle but firm, causing your body to warm right down to the deepest layers. To make his control over the situation even more apparent, he splays his hands, tracing your collarbone with his middle finger. It’s subtle enough that he could pass it off as a figment of your imagination if you should choose to speak up. But you don’t. You stay quiet, even as he leans down and you can hear the murmur of his voice right next to your ear.

“Open your purse.”

You bite your tongue, slowly opening your purse to find Cher’s face grinning back at you. It’s Moonstruck. In all of its romantic glory, and it makes both you and Neil freeze for a moment. You lick your dry lips, saying the first thing that comes to mind.

"That's mine."

"Yours?" You wouldn’t know, but his eyebrow twitches upward at your ridiculous claim.

"Yeah. A... personal copy." Great, now you’re doubling down.

"With my name on it?" Silence, yet again. You could basically hear the dramatic music that the producers of any reality TV shows use in the background of any tense scene. But this isn’t scripted. No, all of this is improvised.

"... what are the odds?" you croak, feeling how your throat goes dry in real time. Neil scoffs in reply, shaking his head, and his grip on your shoulders tightens a tad before he lets go entirely. His expression is stern as he steps in front of you, leaning against the desk and crossing his shapely arms over his chest. For a moment, he’s silent, letting his eyes wander all over your form in a slow, appreciative way that makes your palms get sweaty. “You do know I have to call the police, don’t you?”

“What?” Your breath hitches in your lungs, and you blink a few times, almost in an attempt to shake yourself out of this very strange dream. “This… this is just one tape. Isn’t this kind of excessive?”

“Yeah, maybe it’s one tape today. But you’ve been coming here for weeks.” Your jaw drops, but you can’t seem to come up with an appropriate response. You’ve been had. For the past months, you were convinced that he only saw you as a little piece of eye candy wandering through the store, but he’s been seeing right through you all along. Now you definitely don’t feel like Catwoman anymore. When he notices that you’re not going to say anything, Neil continues.

“Did you really think we don’t have security cameras all over the place? Well, I’ve been watching you the entire time, playing along when you pretended to be all ditzy and cute. It’s not just one instance. It’s a whole case, baby. And you’ll go to jail.” That makes you break out of your stupor, and you can feel your pulse speeding up.

“No- wait, no, no, no. Please, can’t we just talk about this for one second?”

“I don’t bargain with thieves.” He’s smug. Too smug for your liking, considering that he’s threatening you with the loss of your precious, precious freedom.

“Please, I’ll do anything,” you plead, fixing him with the biggest puppy dog eyes you can muster in an attempt to appeal to the soft, awkward side of him. And he cracks. At least the tiniest bit.

“Maybe… maybe we can work something out. But I’ll need to search you first. Who knows what else you’re hiding.” He gestures for you to stand, and you get up from your seat, causing the leather cushioning to faintly squeak once again. “Spread your arms. To the side.”

Your expression settles into a pout, but you do as you’re told, much to Neil’s satisfaction. He returns to his previous position behind you and starts by touching your shoulders, slowly trailing his hands down your arms. His fingers leave tingles behind on your skin, and you’re even more aware of how close he’s gotten when you feel his breath on the back of your neck. His cheeky hands continue to wander, making their way down your sides, softly squeezing around your waist before he moves on to your hips. You try to think about it as a TSA search, but it’s a little hard to do when his hands linger for much longer than necessary on your thighs and your calves as he crouches down. Once he’s satisfied, he straightens back up, and you almost think he’s done before he leans in to rasp into your ear.

“You’re gonna have to take your clothes off… so I can search you more thoroughly.”

Your heart skips a beat, and you’re about to protest, but he’s already pulling your top off, tossing it aside before he moves on to your shorts. A sigh escapes him as he pulls them down along with your panties, and he doesn’t give you even a second to recover before he’s gripping and caressing the curves of your body. Leaning his chin on your shoulder, he runs his fingers over your hips, feeling how your skin warms beneath his touch. “Take your bra off.”

“What? There’s no way I could be hiding a tape in there –“ In response, Neil lightly pinches your thigh, causing you to jump a little and let out a soft whine. Seems like there’s no way around it. With shaky hands, you reach behind yourself to unclasp your bra, and Neil leans back ever so slightly to give you the space to move. That is, until your tits are exposed, and his body is glued against yours once more. The feeling of his hardening cock pressing up against your ass sends heat into your core, and you instinctively clench your thighs together. Of course, this catches his attention.

“Ah, so you are hiding something.”

He wraps his arms around you, steering the two of you over to the mirror he hung on the wall next to his ridiculous little costume rack. You watch your own flushed expression as his hand slips between your legs to let his fingers trace over your already wet folds. With a groan, you try to avert your eyes before he corrects you with a rough grope of your breast.

“No. Eyes on yourself. I want you to see the guilt on your face while I search you.”

Reluctantly, your eyes return to the mirror, just in time for him to plunge a finger into your velvety pussy. Your lips part, and as much as you’d like to keep quiet, your resolve crumbles immediately when he finds that sweet spot inside of you. Within minutes, the office fills up with the sounds of your pleasure and the obscene squelching of his fingers in your wet cunt. And he’s thorough in his search, quickly working you up from one finger to three, making your toes curl against the checkered floor. For a moment, he drives you up to that delightful edge, only to pull his fingers out of you at the last second.

You don’t have the capacity to complain when he lifts his hand towards the light, showing off his glistening digits. Both of you are entranced by the sight, and Neil lets out a soft wheeze before he licks his fingers clean.

“Yeah, I made up my mind. Get over to the desk and bend over.”

“I have a boyfriend,” you whine, turning your head to give him your biggest puppy dog eyes.

“Well, you should’ve thought about it before you stole from me. Losing those rare tapes was a financial disaster for me. I’m risking this store. And I’m not gonna do it without something in return.” He finishes his sentence with a light smack to your ass which only manages to get you even more riled up. It’s hard to disagree with him when he knows just how to get you going.

Neil drags you back over to the desk, angling the camera in just the right way before he hurriedly tears his clothes off completely. The sight of his urgency makes your chest fill with butterflies, but you still need to protest. You have to!

“I don’t usually do this… what if my boyfriend finds out?”

“That’s one more reason to behave. You wouldn’t want him to see this little clip, right?” he asks, although the question is entirely rhetorical. You’d love to feel guilty, but you can’t bring yourself to it.

His hands run from your shoulders down to your hips, kneading your flesh with the attentiveness of a potter crafting a masterpiece, and he leans over you to place open-mouthed kisses down your spine. You shiver, drawing your bottom lip between your teeth to stifle the noises that are threatening to escape your mouth. With a quick movement, Neil reaches under your knee to guide your leg on top of the desk, and you let out a soft sigh when you can feel your arousal rolling down the inside of your thigh as he spreads you open with two fingers.

“You know… nice girls wouldn’t get this wet in situations like these. Then again, you’re a filthy thief, so you’re the furthest thing from a good girl.”

Neil wraps one arm around your waist, pulling you back against his chest so he can latch back onto the side of your neck, sucking and biting while he uses his other hand to guide the tip of his cock against your drooling entrance. His naked skin against yours fills your head with need, and you press up against him a little more to feel him more closely as he slowly pushes inside your velvety cunt. Both of you let out a hiss, and Neil follows it up with a needy whimper as he stills for a moment.

“Fuck… oh fuck,” he breathes, causing your lips to twitch up in subtle amusement. Neil’s hand shakes as he adjusts the camera, making sure to get everything in frame, and in this moment, you clench around him on purpose, causing him to moan right into your ear. “Jesus Christ, don’t do that –”

The slap to your ass is meant to punish you, but it’s doing the exact opposite, and you let him know this by moaning his name. His lips return to your pulse as he pushes his cock deeper into you, stretching you so perfectly that it sends goosebumps over your skin. Or maybe it’s because of his warm breath on your ear. Or his hands diligently kneading your tits. The cocktail of heated touches and sensations is literally making you feel drunk.

“Your cock feels so good,” you whine, causing him to suck in a sharp breath at the praise.

“Yeah?” he chuckles, bottoming out inside of you before he starts to set a slow, sensual rhythm. “You’re such a depraved little slut… getting off on your punishment. If only your boyfriend knew.”

Neil rolls his hips against yours, drawing a moan from both of you that would fit perfectly on the set of a porno. Maybe you’re hamming it up a little to feed his ego. But that isn’t very hard to do when he fills you up so deliciously, making you wetter with every thrust.

You’re already starting to feel breathless when he slowly speeds up, drilling into your dripping pussy with even more fervor. Words are starting to become a little difficult, but you try your best anyway. “You’re better than him. SO much better –“

Your reward is a second smack – aimed at your chest this time.

“You’re damn right I am,” he groans, sucking another hickey into your skin and adding to the little necklace of bruises he’s been placing around your neck. “Suck these for me, will you?”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion, but it doesn’t last long when he brings his fingers up to your mouth, and you eagerly latch onto his digits, still faintly tasting yourself from earlier. You suck them down to the knuckle, running your tongue in between them in a way that makes him groan and pound your cunt even harder. Once his fingers are sufficiently coated in your saliva, he pulls them free from your lips and reaches between your legs to rub your clit.

The one leg you’ve been standing on threatens to give out immediately, but he holds you up with his other arm, and gently guides your hands into place to better support yourself on the desk. Neil nuzzles his face into your hair, breathing heavily against the shell of your ear.

“If you promise not to steal ever again, I might let you cum on my cock.”

His words are intercepted by quiet grunts and whimpers, and you find yourself agreeing pretty quickly, blabbering out promise after promise.

“I’ll never – never steal again! I swear, I swear, I swear, please! Please, please let me cum –!”

You’re almost not recognizing your own voice due to the desperately needy tone that’s laced through your pleading, but Neil doesn’t mind. Quite the opposite, really, because you can feel his thrusts picking up in intensity. He rewards your obedience by rubbing your clit a little faster, and you have to bite your knuckle as to not cry out his name. Fuck, it’s only noon and you’re approaching your release at breakneck speed.

“Fuck… I – I’m close,” you breathe, turning your head to look at him from over your shoulder. His teeth are back in your neck as he kisses and bites at your skin, and his voice sounds strained as he answers you.

“Go ahead… let go for me. If only your boyfriend knew, hm?”

That’s it. Your orgasm rips through you, and you let out a whine as you claw at the surface beneath you. Neil is generous enough to let you ride out your climax, but you can tell how impatient he is when he suddenly pulls out, swallowing heavily.

“On your back.” He doesn’t have to tell you twice. It’s a little awkward, but you manage to scramble and reposition yourself, lying back against the desk and looking up at him with flushed cheeks and tousled hair. Neil is in the same state, licking his lips and swallowing dryly as he guides his cock back into your cunt, aided by his thumb on the base of his length.

“Fuck… how can you still be this tight? Shit, FUCK…” He’s cursing and muttering under his breath, having half a brain to readjust the still rolling camera as to not miss a single second. His hands guide your legs around his waist, and he leans over you, staring at you through blown out pupils that clash against the vibrant intensity of his ocean gaze. His pretty face is red, and sweat beads on his forehead, causing his hair to stick to his skin. Without thinking, you reach up to push it back, causing both of you to still for a second before Neil finds his tone again.

“M’gonna fill you up… and send you back home to your boyfriend with a creampie in that pretty cunt. Alright? Alright.”

You can only nod in response, hearing your own racing heartbeat in your ears along with his continued grunts and moans. His hands on you are gentle, but his thrusts definitely aren’t as he pounds you against the desk. Neil’s hips smack against yours, causing every novelty item around the two of you to tremble along to your feverish rhythm. You tilt your head back but he goes after you, finally capturing your lips in a hungry kiss that he’s been trying to hold back from the entire time. But now that he’s rapidly approaching his own climax, the self-restraint is completely out of the window.

Your tongues clash, and you moan into his mouth when his hands find yours, linking your fingers together. Neil’s lips faintly taste of iced coffee as he licks against your tongue, and your grip on his hands tightens when his movements start to become erratic.

Your lips stay locked the entire time, even as he lets out a guttural groan when he finishes inside of you, thrusting into you a few more times to push it in as deep as possible. Finally, he stills and pulls away from you, unable to resist stealing one last peck from your swollen lips. You’re still breathing heavily as his hands roam over your body once more, relishing the feeling of your skin beneath his fingertips. Now that he has material on you and you promised not to steal again, he’s gentle. Almost too gentle, and you have to clear your throat to snap him out of it.

Neil catches himself, blinking down at you with soft eyes while he wipes some sweat off his brow. There’s a subtle twitch in his lips that tells you that he’d love to keep touching you, but he’s aware of the setting you’re in. Almost reluctantly, he pulls out of you to let you retrieve your clothes. While you’re getting dressed, he checks the camera and stops the recording before he speaks up.

“You’re free to go, then. You know what happens if I catch you stealing again, right?”

The question prompts you to nod in response, and you mumble out a “yes” as you pull your top back over your head. Once Neil confiscates the VHS from your purse, you’re free to exit the store on trembling legs, cringing a little at the feeling of your combined fluids leaking into your underwear. But God, this heist was worth it.

INT. YOUR PLACE – LIVING ROOM – DAY

As expected, the house is quiet when you get home, and you let out a deep, satisfied sigh as you throw yourself onto the couch to decompress for a moment.

Not even 20 minutes pass until the front door opens, and you hear familiar footsteps. A lazy smile spreads over your face, and you sit up, watching you boyfriend as he kicks off his shoes and throws his jacket over the coat rack on the wall. He makes his way over, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to your lips, and your vision is filled by ocean eyes and faint freckles. Neil chuckles softly, placing the camera onto the coffee table before he sinks down on the couch next to you and pulls you close. “I’m glad Lucien agreed to take over the rest of the day.” You hum in agreement, closing your eyes when he brushes his fingers through your hair to massage your scalp.

“I think that was our best one yet.”

FIN.

tags: @ellebelleshelby @cilliansprincess @mcumorningstar @x0xomady @mandies24 @detroitbecomevenom @pretty-bluebird @ink5ouls (couldn't tag) @flwrs4aust @vampmary1411 @ashdrinksoatmilk @luvizuku @nnattu @ptolemaniac @kiss-me-cill-me @celebrities-imagines

#neil lewis x reader #neil lewis x you #neil lewis smut #cillian murphy x reader #cillian murphy smut #watching the detectives #.moth writes

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mikaela-the-slut-expert · 2 months

Note

I got this idea (completely platonic reader btw, sometimes I just need nice friendships rather than romance 😭) :

what if heavenly official gn!reader who is pretty chill & terribly practical it seems like they completely ignore their own emotions.

They become a friend of Xie Lian when he first ascended decided help him out during his banishment & keep him company without the knowledge of other officials.

Over time they become really close friends & XL discovered a habit of the reader- they would randomly make little sketches & crafts like origami & give it to the people they trust the most.

In the beginning XL is one of the very few people who received these, but a few days after Hua Cheng exposed the truth about Yong An massacre in QR's cave, reader gives one of these to HC as a symbol that they trust him to protect XL.

(maybe it's a little E-ming sketch/origami? )

I'm sorry if it's confusing & if there are some gaps in it. Please dont push yourself too much & feel free to ignore this ask if it causes stress

Origami

HuaLian x gn!reader platonically

You and Xie Lian have been best friends for a long time.

You began a friendship with him once you ascended

He didn't have many friends and you offered to help him through his banishment even though you technically weren't allowed to.

It went from there

Through the years, the many, many, many years you've gained Xie Lian's trust and he's also gained your trust

Your love language is giving people things.

And you have a knack for origami.

Xie Lian knows that being friends with you means having lots of paper designs given to him

You're really good at it too

Making swans, butterflies, flowers.

You're amazing and the origami always comes out pretty

His shrine is covered in origami trinkets.

It's how you spread your love and show Xie Lian that you trust him and your guy's friendship

So when Xie Lian and Hua Cheng become a thing he's very surprised when you so quickly warm up to Hua Cheng.

After you all got out of Qi Rong's lair you tell Hua Cheng to hold out his hands.

Then you drop some origami in his palms.

On closer inspection Hua Cheng and Xie Lian look at the e-ming origami even his little red eye! You made some silver butterflies too.

Xie Lian is very excited to tell his lover what that means.

Hua Cheng is very honored to receive your gifts.

You're one of the only gods he likes so now that you trust him so much, he feels very happy.

Hua Cheng will protect them with his life

He proudly sets them on shelves or frames them.

Xie Lian is happy that his lover and best friend get along.

#tgcf #tgcf headcanon #hualian #hualian x reader #hua cheng x reader #tgcf x male reader #tgcf hua cheng #tgcf hualian #tgcf xie lian #xie lian x reader

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weasleyreidstyles · 4 months

Text

Serendipity

chapter nine

summary: it was only meant to be a purely transactional relationship. he would help her strengthen her abilities in return for her getting his friends out of his father's nasty path. he didn't mean to fall for her, but loving her was the easiest thing in his dark world.

no use of y/n, but your general nickname is Meadow. all characters are aged up to be over 18.

pairings: mattheo riddle x fem!ravenclaw reader; platonic!slytherins x fem!reader; platonic!golden trio x fem!reader

warning(s): mentions of drugging (love potion) and brief mentions of poisoning (like right at the end)

series masterlist; previous part; next part

The library is your sanctuary. A place you can go to ease your mind and satiate your need for more knowledge. Usually you're not disturbed while your here, but Mattheo seemed to find a new joy in persistently annoying you.

You had been completing an essay for Defence that Snape wanted to be completely for two days time, when the calm air around you changed with the announcement of his chaotic presence.

"I thought you had Quidditch practice." you say, not taking your eyes off of your parchment as he takes the empty seat beside you, thigh brushing your's.

"Finished ten minutes ago. I got bored." he says noncommittally. His hand has found it's way to your thigh, tracing barely-there patterns with the tips of his fingers. You tense on instinct before relaxing almost instantaneously.

"Don't you have friends for that?" you snark as you spare him a single glance before you continue working.

"I'm offended that you think we aren't friends, sweetheart." he says with feigned outrage.

"Friends don't do what we do, Matt." you whisper. If it weren't for his already close proximity, he probably would not have heard you. His hand begins tracing firmer patterns, tracing longing lines of comfort.

"No, I suppose they don't." he muses with the ghost of a smile. He's tracing your figure with inquisitive eyes, now a honeyed brown in the sunlight reflecting in the windows.

"Do you want something?" you ask, turning your head to face him, your breath hitching in your throat at just how close he was to you – his lips a fraction of movement away from your's. "We're in public," you say, with a breatheless stammer.

"I'm starting to find that I don't care where we are, anymore." he says just as quietly, eyes flickering between your mouth and fluttering eyes. "What have you done to me?"

"I haven't done anything." you snicker, your nose brushing imperceptibly against his, gaze landing intently on his plush lips.

"We're lucky your favoured spot is so closed off between the shelves, Meadow." he mumbles, his voice dropping to that low rasp you've come to appreciate over the months. "Because that means I can do this, with little consequence."

He kisses you then. Hard and passionate and with entirely too much feeling for something that wasn't supposed to be anymore than a transactional friendship to help out a mutual friend.

~∞~

Much to your delight, Mattheo stayed with you a little longer before the feeling of his quidditch gear, still dirtied from practice, became too much to comfortably bare. He left with a lingering peck to your cheek, something entirely too affectionate for you to properly process.

Not ten minutes later, your solitude was once again interrupted.

"What the hell is going on between you and Riddle?" Ginny's hissing whisper filled the quiet atmosphere, who landed in Mattheo's previously occupied seat with venomous grace.

"Nothing." you say with furrowed brows, lowing the book you were scouring for Siphon lore, to your lap. As far as you knew, Ginny was only aware of your tutor sessions with Mattheo.

But all these weeks of lies and deceit was bound to blow up in your face sooner or later, you just weren't planning on the most ferocious of your friends to figure it out first.

"Don't bullshit me." she snapped, keeping her voice low. "The tutoring sessions? The continued trips to the Room of Requirement? It's so bloody obvious, Meadow."

"I swear. Nothing is going on between me and Riddle." His name felt foreign on your tongue – he hadn't been 'Riddle' to you in months. Ginny only gave you a look that screamed her disbelief in you.

"Right and it wasn't him I saw leaving this little nook about ten minutes ago?"

"How's Dean?" you ask, swiftly averting the subject off of you. She sighs tiredly at your denial and relaxes into the cosy sofa, a contemplative look on her freckled face.

"I think we're over. The relationship is done and dead. We weren't compatible at all." she sounds resolute, but you could tell that she felt the pain of heartbreak. She leans her head on your shoulder and accepts the hug that you wrap her in. "I just wanted to feel something. I've pined for Harry for practically six years but-"

"I know. I know." you comfort her, quietly soothing her as she leans further into your embrace. Ron's younger sister had been a stellar part of your life for as long as you could remember. Her infatuation with your best friend was what prompted a friendship – at first she had been jealous of the attention Harry gave to you but when you confessed that you had a crush on a fellow Ravenclaw, she admitted to liking Harry and you sought to help her in any way you could. Of course the one thing you couldn't remedy was Harry's blatent obliviousness to his surroundings.

"I wouldn't be angry if there was something going on between you and Riddle, by the way." you hear her mumble into your neck. Your eyes involuntarily close with guilt.

You needed to tell someone you could trust in your circle of friends. It had been knawing away at you all this time.

The guilt.

"If you trust Nott and Parkinson as much as you do, and you're willing to be in Riddle's presence, then I trust your judgement." she says, sitting up with red rimmed eyes to look at you. She squeezes the hand that isn't still wrapped around her and that's all it takes for your resolve to crumble.

"Promise you won't freak out." you mumble and she looks at you weirdly before she agrees. With a deep breath, you do what Mattheo had been teaching you, and wordlessly you enter Ginny's mind. You can see the moment she realises what you're doing, but she doesn't flinch away like you expect; she watches you in awe instead.

He's been teaching me to better control my Legillimens abilities. You tell her cautiously. You can feel her disbelief and her curiosity at your words so you continue speaking to her wordlessly.

I've been teaching myself since the end of fourth year when He returned. Theo found out during one of our first patrols last year and that's really how I became better friends with him and Pansy too. Now that- Now that you-know-who is back they- Theo told me that he was going to have Mattheo teach me to do it defensively and keep my mind locked from enemies. In return, I'm going to help them all.

"How are you going to do that?" she says, her whisper so quiet you could barely hear her.

"I don't know, Ginny." you sigh. "With Harry so suspicious of Malfoy, I don't know how I'll convince him that they're on our side."

"Fuck what he thinks." she says, squeezing your hand again. "What your doing could help not only the Order, but it could save them, too. Have you thought about going to Dumbledore?"

"I have but-" you pause, hesitant to share the most vital piece of information you know.

"But what? Is there something else?" she asks, her curious tone edging to something else.

"There is. But you must promise not to tell a soul. Only me and Matt– only me and Riddle know about it. But I think Dumbledore knows– and Remus was acting strange when I asked him for help about it over Christmas."

She motions you to carry on and you know she'll keep her promise because she practically screams it at you mentally.

"I'm a siphon." you say and when Ginny goes to speak you swiftly interrupt her. "I know it sounds bizarre but it's true. Remember when Katie was cursed? I somehow absorbed some of that dark magic and fainted as a result. Mattheo figured it out first and we've been using the tutor sessions as a rouse to research about it."

"Siphons are rare. I don't think I've heard anything other than bedtime stories my mum used to read us when we were little. They're folklore." she says, awed. You sigh and throw your head back against the top of the sofa and groan in frustration.

"We keep getting the same information over and over again. It's incredibly annoying." you admit and you snap your head up when Ginny begins snickering. "What?"

"And how do you alleviate that frustration, Meadow?" she smirks, "A tumble in the Come and Go Room? How scandalous!"

You gape at her, but that only makes her laugh harder; the distant sound of Madame Pince shushing the two of you doesnt help either. "For Rowena's sake Ginny! Stop laughing!" you say but her laughter is infectious and you can't help but join.

"Hey I don't blame you, he's far too attractive for his own good."

Tell me about it. You say with a grumble and she lets out a loud snort that promptly ends with the two of you being kicked out of the sanctuary of the library.

"Your secret is safe with me, Meadow. I promise."

Somehow, admitting your greatest secret to someone lifted a giant weight from your shoulders. Perhaps having someone like Ginny in your corner was a good thing.

~∞~

The Ravenclaw Tower holds an abundance of the best rooms in the whole castle; from the tall ceilings of the common room with constellations painted like glittering sparkles, to a miniature astronomy tower that over looked the Black Lake and the mountainous highlands that surround the castle grounds.

Or maybe you're just biased.

Your dorm room is another place of solace for you. It's a little different to the library, however. Your dorm is place where you find peace and serenity away from the troubles of schoolwork and the stress of keeping up with your friends' woes. Hardly ever are you disrupted once the door to your room is closed off to the outside world, only the occasional murmur of conversation from girls passes by to get to their dorms interrupts the quiet atmosphere.

You needed a break from everything. Harry had somehow managed to go from Professor Slughorn's favourite student to his most failured prodigy after asking him about Horcruxes as per Dumbledore's instruction; Hermione believed that the library had actually failed her when she (and you) had no such luck finding any information about them and Ron appeared to be so wrapped up in his relationship that you rarely saw him outside of lessons and meal times.

It was at times like this that you yearned for Mattheo's presence which scared you half to death. He had been attentive with you as of lately, no longer was he grueling and rough with his Legillimens lessons and he made an effort to help you search for books in the library to aid in your research for your siphon abilities. You hadn't told him about Ginny, but you had a feeling that he just knew somehow that she was now aware of the arrangement.

He had a knack for always knowing everything.

You did feel a little bad, since it was Ron's birthday and you always spent it (and each of your respective birthdays) with the Golden Trio. This year your friendships with them seemed distant and awkward, like the thread holding you altogether was strained and fraying. But when you got a frantic knock on your door to find Harry supporting the intoxicated redhead you call your best friend, you let them in with no hesitation.

"What the hell is wrong with him? Did he have too much to drink? It's not even gone lunchtime." you say frantically as you and Harry turn to watch Ron stare into space with starry eyes.

"The cauldron cakes," Harry muttered tiredly, scraping a hand through his unruly hair, "the ones from Romilda-"

"Romilda? Did you say Romilda, Harry? Where is she?" Ron turned his gaze to you, his eyes wide and unseeing. "Meadow! You're a girl. You must know her, can you introduce me? I love her."

"Merlin's beard." you say incredulously, mouth agape. "He ate the spiked chocolates, didn't he?"

Harry only nodded. "He ate them like ten minutes ago. I don't know what to do."

"Well you're the Potions master, Potter." you say with a grimaced smile and he only glares at you in response. You shake your head. "You'll have to take him to see Professor Slughorn or Madame Pomfrey for an antidote. Better to have someone who knows Potions inside-out to help."

"Okay. Okay yeah– good." Harry stutters as he drags Ron towards your door. "Are you coming?"

"Oh– no I'm doing some research. Or trying to, at least. Still not one mention of Horcruxes in anything I've read." you say as you stand at the threshold of your door. "But tell him I'm never letting him live this down once he's all cured."

An hour later, you eat your words as Ginny bursts into your room with tears streaking down her face. Because someone had poisoned her brother; if not for Harry's quick thinking, he would be dead.

~∞~

a little bit of a short chapter, mostly because its only a filler before shit kicks off 😃😃

more soft matty for you all xxx

taglist:

@camille-1019 @lovelyygirl8 @xluansstuff @babeylover @thejadeazalea @undercover-smutlover @adhxmoony @dreamingofonceuponatime @thepassionatereader @urmomsgayforme5 @aphroditeisamilf @devotedlycrookeddonut @purplegirls-posts @nofacenonamelikekira @foxboyapologist @lafrone @lovely-maryj @nromanovaswife @leeknows-wife @dracygf @wildlyobserving @ravenclawprincess33 @melllinaa @vellicora @lantsovheiress @emiliahoward @stunkbiggu @vcosette @prongsprincessworld @mattiesgirl @rachmmb @x-kermit-x @sun-fiower-seed @cas-planet @certaindreampost @weirdowithnobeardo @mikalovesicecream @sunasbbie @rainy-darling @faeriepigeons @lovely-blackinnon @topguncultleader @gimalo135 @elsafromcabinsix @moonlightreader649 @blueshome @nopedefe @spencerreidsthings @navs-bhat @agent-tempest @magimtz23 @y0urm0m12 @sbrn0905 @leona-hawthorne

#harry potter #ron weasley #mattheo riddle x you #mattheo riddle x reader #mattheo x you #mattheo x y/n #mattheo riddle #harry potter x reader #ginny weasley #ginny weasley x reader #serendipity series

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mothandpidgeon · 11 months

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Aunt Flo's First Visit [pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader]

MASTERLIST - follow @mothandpidgeon-updates and turn on notifications to stay updated with my fics!

Pairing: pre-outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

Summary: After Sarah gets her first period, Joel is determined to be a supportive parent despite the fact that he doesn't know the first thing about menstruation. But when he goes to the pharmacy to shop for supplies, he finds himself in way over his head.

Words: 2k

Rating: G

Warnings: period stuff and everything that comes with it

a/n: This is really fluffy and a little silly. I saw a tik tok by a menstrual product company about a customer trying to find the right thing for his daughter and it just gave me such Joel energy this happened. I haven't finished any fic in MONTHS because I'm working on my book and that's not finished either so it feels really good to complete something. (If you want to keep up with my publishing journey, I'm mainly documenting it here.) Please enjoy.

Also, I challenged myself to write in present tense bc I never do and I really was struggling so pretend the grammar is all correct. Thank you.

Joel knows how to do a lot of things. He can manage a crew, change a flat tire, and build just about anything. He never considered himself smart by the classical definition but he knows how to make a car battery from scratch despite the fact that he got a C in chemistry.

If somebody had told him a decade ago that he’d one day be paralyzed with fear in the feminine hygiene aisle, he would’ve laughed. But right now, Joel would give all his knowledge along with his left arm if he could just figure out what the hell he ought to buy for his daughter.

He knew this day would come eventually. It’s his own damn fault he never prepared himself. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he must’ve expected Sarah to just know how to handle it. Being a single dad wasn’t a walk in the park but he couldn’t imagine how much harder it would be if Sarah wasn’t so damn self sufficient. Even at 13, she can get herself fed and dressed and off to school without help. Of course she could figure this out on her own.

But Joel was reminded that Sarah’s still just a kid when she finally told him that she’d gotten her period for the very first time. She was so embarrassed to admit it, Joel practically had to drag it out of her.

He was angry with himself. He should’ve been ready, wished that he knew the right words to say. Joel promised himself he would put things right so she wouldn’t feel like she ever had to hide anything from him.

That was a lot easier said than done, he realizes now.

Joel stands in the aisle overwhelmed and confused. Boxes and soft packages in friendly, pastel colors stare at him from the shelves. He’s never spent much time with the feminine hygiene products, not unless he was scooting by them to pick up a little carton from the family planning section. He hasn’t bothered to learn about that stuff. Women’s stuff. He’s not disgusted by menstruation, isn’t afraid of it. It’s just one of those things he never had to deal with.

Without Sarah’s mom, though, he’s had to figure out plenty of girl things. He can remember the lesson on managing Sarah’s curls from the kind woman at the hair salon. Names of Shampoos and oils that felt foreign were now routine and he’s mastered using the combs and clips that looked more intimidating than some of his power tools. But he struggled for a good long while before that kind stylist took pity on him.

And here he is again, flying blind into the female whirlwind.

There’s so many options on the shelf. Words like HEAVY and gentle and sport. And the prices. Christ! He thought the hair stuff was expensive.

Joel’s head is spinning but he has to get it together. He’d vowed long ago that he would be Dad and Mom too. That’s what his daughter deserves.

Just a year ago, he hovered outside of the dressing room at the mall as Sarah tried on training bras.

“Did you find one? You were in there for a while,” he said when she emerged.

“Dad,” she replied in that tone she was using more and more often, the one that told him to shut up.

It isn’t the changes to her body that scare him, all of the subtle ways she’s becoming less familiar. His little girl is growing up and he mourns her childhood. It won’t be long before she’s driving, going off to college. Maybe she’ll have a daughter of her own but Joel hopes she’ll wait longer than he did, have a chance to make a life for herself.

Speaking of which, he realizes he’s going to have to sit her down for a real talk about boys next. He better get ready for that one. Explaining where babies come from hadn’t been too difficult. Condoms and venereal diseases are a whole different ball game. Teenage boys are gremlins– he’d know– and Sarah’s so smart and pretty, she’s going to have to be careful.

Joel doesn’t know how long he’s been staring at the shelves when a woman appears in the aisle, another shopper. She’s got her keys looped around a finger, headed straight for the tampons, her flip flops smacking against the bottoms of her feet. Joel has a box in his hands. He doesn’t even know what he’s picked up, it’s just got the least intimidating packaging and the price is reasonable. He can’t help but catch the woman’s eye and the look she gives him is a little wary. It must be obvious that he’s out of his depths. But she gives a polite, tight lipped smile and proceeds to ignore him as she approaches the pantheon of period products.

He watches as her eyes dart around the shelves and quickly she makes a selection, plucking up a box clad with pink and purple silhouettes. So easy. Well, it must be easy for her. He wonders how many times she’s visited this part of the pharmacy, if her mother brought her to the store when she was Sarah’s age and showed her all the options.

His free hand fidgets at his side and he swallows dryly. He feels like an idiot but he reminds himself that he’s got to do this. For Sarah. The woman is already half way back to the end of the aisle by the time he’s found his voice.

---

“Excuse me, miss. Could I trouble you for a second?” you hear from the man behind you.

You turn around, confused, but there’s nobody else that he could be talking to. Here you thought you could get in and out quickly. You’re cranky and tired and all day you’ve had toe curling cramps. It hits you like a ton of bricks every month. All you want to do is get home to your couch to watch some crappy reality tv.

But this lumberjack of a man– broad shoulders wrapped in a flannel shirt– is giving you puppy dog eyes. You’ve never been hit on while holding a box of Tampax Pearl but there’s a first time for everything.

“I apologize. This is real awkward,” he says, rubbing at the back of his neck with a big hand. “I’m trying to get something for my daughter but I’m a little lost.”

His voice is warm and sweet and he’s handsome as hell but you keep your distance.

“Didn’t she tell you what to get?” you ask.

His expression grows even more bashful and his voice lowers.

“I’m afraid it’s, uh…well, it’s new territory for both of us,” he admits.

You can’t help the sympathetic smile that forms on your lips. Some poor preteen girl just got welcomed into the cruel arms of womanhood. It will be all downhill from here. Wild mood swings, angry breakouts, blood leaking through her favorite pair of pants. At least, it seems, she’s got her dad on her side. It takes a lot of balls for a guy to pick up a box of tampons let alone stop a stranger and ask for help.

You’d like to tell him that you’re too busy to help– you can hear your Haagen Dazs calling you all the way from the freezer– but you at least owe it to this kid to help him out.

“What’ve you got?” you ask, nodding towards the powder blue box in his grasp. It looks so little in his big hand. You walk back towards him and take a look. “Oh. Nice try but I wouldn’t go with that.”

He regards his choice again. It’s kind of adorable, the way the corners of his mouth frown as he squints at the words on the front. “What’s wrong with these?” His words aren’t defensive, he’s genuinely curious.

“Tampons can be pretty tricky when you’re that age. And those don’t even come with an applicator,” you explain. You remember trying to use a tampon that first time. You’d never put anything up there before and it stung like hell.

“Applicator?” His brows furrow and you can see fear in his brown eyes.

“So you can put it…in,” you tell him and motion with your finger, jabbing your pointer upwards.

His cheeks go pink. Ears too. You try to suppress a giggle as his brain short circuits for a second. His throat works as he swallows and places the box back on the shelf— gingerly, like it might explode.

“Which are the ones that don’t…go inside?” he asks.

It’s impossible to keep from grinning.

“Pads,” you say.

He nods.

You choose a package and place it in his hands. It’s a multipack, everything from light to heavy, and no wings so she doesn’t feel like she’s wearing a diaper.

“Try this,” you say. “She might not like them. It takes some trial and error.”

He reads over the circle in the corner that claims it’s 100% Leak Free! You can see he’s still overwhelmed but he’s far less nervous. He really is good looking and you have to wonder how he doesn’t have a woman in his life to help him out.

“This many?” he asks.

“She might need more.” You shrug. “Just stay away from the scented ones. And you have Tylenol at home?”

“I think so.”

“How about a heating pad?”

He shakes his head.

“Go get one,” you advise.

He blows out air and then steels himself with a nod, ready to face the red menace.

“I’m awfully grateful for your help,” he says and you can tell by the look on his face, he means that.

You feel your own cheeks heat.

---

Joel ends up behind her in the checkout line after securing an electric heating pad and grabbing an extra bottle of Motrin.

“What do you think?” he asks, showing her what he picked.

“Good job,” she tells him. Her smile is tinged with amusement but his chest still swells with pride. Maybe he’s not such a failure of a father after all.

Now that he’s less bewildered, Joel can’t help but notice how pretty this woman is. She’s dressed for comfort without any make up as far as he can tell but that smile and the kindness in her eyes is what does it for him. If they met under different circumstances, maybe he’d try to flirt. Not that he’s had the opportunity to practice recently. It’s for the best, though. There’s absolutely no way the combination of bumbling idiot, single parent, and menstruation makes for a romantic connection. Besides he’s here on an errand for his daughter.

Joel tries to keep his eyes from wandering over her as the teenager behind the register rings her up, the pink box and two bags of M&Ms. She gives Joel one last smile before leaving the store.

He thought he might feel embarrassed buying nothing but period supplies but he’s too busy thinking about how helpful she was. Sarah would just about die from mortification if he told her a complete stranger gave him a crash course in maxi pads. He chuckles to himself.

“Hey!” someone calls as Joel approaches his truck.

It’s her, the woman from the pharmacy, crossing the parking lot. Joel smooths his hair.

“These are for her,” she says, handing him one of her bags of candy. “Chocolate helps.”

Joel gives a soft laugh as he weighs the M&Ms in his hand. “That I knew,” he says.

“And, uh, here,” she tells him, holding out the long receipt.

Joel takes the paper. On the back she’s scribbled her name and phone number.

“You know, I don’t know. I just thought– if she has any questions. Or maybe if you do,” she says, shrugging. She’s much less confident now than she was in front of that endless selection of menstrual products. It’s cute and makes Joel feel a little less like an idiot for the way he was fumbling a few minutes ago.

“I owe you one,” he says.

She shakes her head. “Just be patient,” she warns. “She’s gonna be a bitch but don’t take it personally.”

Joel grins.

“You’re a good dad,” she tells him and he doesn’t know how to respond to that.

She’s already backing away towards her car and waves again.

Joel looks at her number, once again finding something he doesn’t know. He’d give his left arm to figure out how soon is too soon to call.

---

MASTERLIST - follow @mothandpidgeon-updates and turn on notifications to stay updated with my fics!

#joel miller x reader #joel miller x f!reader #pre outbreak!joel #joel miller fic #tlou fic #joel miller fluff #fluff

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clubdionysus · 15 days

Text

[DRABBLE] Last Christmas

warnings: alcohol aisle but no consumption lol

wc: 1.2k

bd total wc: 540k (on-going)

minors dni | AO3 | series masterlist

4 MONTHS EARLIER

"No," you say with a stern look in your eye as you clock Danbi's latest suggestion. At the opposite end of the supermarket aisle you've been down for the past ten minutes, she holds up a dark bottle of overpriced port.

"Oh, c'mon-"

"Absolutely not," you laugh as she walks towards you, shaking your head with playful disapproval. "We both know what happened last Christmas. We're not repeating it again this year."

While Danbi knows you're right, she still pouts. Doesn't even like port that much, just knew it would get a laugh from you, which is why she suggested it.

Late December, you're in need of drinks for the festive little gathering that you're hosting that evening. It'll be a small crowd, just a few friends and other halves, but you're looking forward to it.

You hadn't even been planning on drinking that much, but your boyfriend cancelled earlier in the week, so now you're thinking of just getting wasted. Bars are always open, and Danbi's been whining about a mistletoe kiss all week, so you might even hit the town.

Nothing is set in stone, except for Danbi's need to keep a smile on your face, 'cause Lord knows your 'good-for-nothing, sack-of-shit boyfriend' (her words, not yours) doesn't seem to care about it.

"I'm thinking vodka," you muse, looking at the shelves ahead of you. It's a small section compared to the rows upon rows of wine, but you're not after anything classy.

The aisle you're in is crowded; people stocking up last minute for supplies that will last them for the rest of the festive period. You really should have known better than to leave shopping until the last minute, but had also spent the past two days at home together, with the last of your wine supply and the entire Christmas movie collection on Netflix to see you through.

Christmas is the time to indulge in unhealthy habits, and indulge you have, but you think it's okay if it helps to heal your heart a little bit. So does Danbi. In fact, she's the enabler, here.

"I'm thinking you wanna get shitfaced," Danbi assesses as she meets you, and joins your contemplative gaze towards the clear bottles of alcohol.

The labels are all fairly similar - red, primarily. Shiny. Inherently festive, you think.

There's one bottle that's really grabbing your attention, though. Top shelf. Limited Edition Christmas bottle. Covered in glitter. Comes with a complimentary pot of shimmer dust to pair with the liquor. Is practically calling your name.

"And you don't?" You tease, glancing across to her, pleased to see that she's clocked it too. "What do you reckon? Worth the price tag?"

Nearly three times the price of your regular vodka, you only ever go for top-shelf on very special occasions - important birthdays, your graduation. Christmas doesn't qualify.

"I reckon with the money we'd save by getting the usual bottle, we could get edible glitter from the baking section and just make the bottle glittery at home," she reasons, but is also a sucker for a gimmick. "It is a nice bottle, though. And the vodka is better..."

Her thoughts linger in the air and have you contemplating just saying 'fuck it,' and going for the overpriced chaos of the glittery bottle - until you hear the clearing of a throat beside you.

"Word to the wise," the guy perusing the shelves next to you says, leaning slightly closer so you know that it's you he's talking to, then passes you a bottle from the middle of the self.

Though you can see him in your peripherals, you haven't really bothered to look in his direction - was too focused on the alcohol. The movement of his body spreads the silage of his aftershave, and you're reminded of why you like men so much.

He's dressed in all black, that much is certain, and the hand that passed you the bottle was covered in tattoos. Part of you fears looking in his direction, for the knowledge that you probably won't be able to stop.

"It's made in the same distillery as the top-shelf one," He continues. You don't look at him, still, too busy reading over the label. It's not one you've ever tried before, but it's in the same price bracket as your usual one. "It's just filtered one less time, and doesn't have the marketing budget. You can barely taste the difference. Most of the bars downtown swap the bottles, and no one ever notices. I never told you that, though. And Dionysus definitely doesn't do that. Merry Christmas."

Studying the bottle, you take a second before glancing up across to the man beside you - but he's already walking away.

"Nice to meet you, too," Danbi whistles under her breath as you both watch him head towards the next aisle. Didn't really get a good look at him, either. Didn't realise he was talking to you until the last second. "God. He was like a sauve, sexy Santa, delivering presents and dipping like that. Delightful."

"What does that make us then?" You laugh, still holding the bottle. "His little elves?"

"If that's what he wants us to be, sure," she playfully jokes.

"Well then- ho, ho, ho," you hum in agreement, looking to the now-empty end of the aisle. Broad, tall, and dressed for a funeral, you've no idea what your mystery vodka man actually looks like, but it doesn't really matter. You know he's hot. It was laced in the way he walked away. The way he spoke. The way he'd definitely been eavesdropping and waiting for the perfect time to bestow a little wisdom to you.

If there's one thing you like in a man, it's competence. It's why you're with Seokjin. He has it in abundance. And so did this mystery man, it would seem - or at least, he knows far more about obscure vodka brands than you. Maybe he's a bartender, you hypothesise. Or maybe he's just hot. Maybe both.

"Our very own Christmas miracle," you say with a smile, then turn to Danbi. "Baking aisle? We need edible glitter."

"Baking aisle," she nods, grinning just as brightly as you are. "Shame there wasn't any mistletoe there."

"I have a boyfriend," you remind her, shoulders knocking together as you walk.

Danbi holds her tongue. Could say all sorts of things about Seokjin and his less-than-saintly behaviours. It's Christmas after all. No time for discussions of such unpleasantries. One day, his horrible qualities will just be a memory of the past - as will the presence of your mystery supermarket Santa, and the club he mentioned. You'll think nothing of it as the word Dionysus rings in your head when Hoseok and Danbi insist on going to bars in a few months time to nurse your impending breakup.

You're none-the-wiser now, though. Ignorance is bliss.

Danbi just shrugs. Wraps an arm around you and squeezes you tightly. Giggles. "Bah humbug."

AO3 | MASTERLIST | NEXT

#by holly #jungkook fanfic #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook angst #jungkook smut #jungkook ff #jk #jungkook x reader #jeongguk fanfic #bangtan #jungkook fluff #bartender!jungkook #non idol au #bts fanfic #jeongguk fic #bad decisions #dappleddaisies

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hugmeimtouchdeprived · 2 months

Text

Ghost!Johnny "Soap" MacTavish x fem!reader - Chapter 1

Here's the first chapter to my ghost!Johnny fic (still trying to come up with a proper title...)

Again, English isn't my first language and this is my first fic, but I'm learning :)

Original drabble | Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Your life isn’t what you’d consider spectacular. You have your routine that you follow, every day almost exactly the same and blending into each other.

At least you got a new job recently, at a small local bookstore. Your commute to work just about tripled, but the work itself is more enjoyable than your last job. And taking the train isn’t too bad, even when it’s full to the brim in the evenings when everyone is rushing to get home.

The bookstore itself is lovely. You frequented it before you even started working there, so when you noticed they were looking for new employees you didn’t hesitate to apply. And since the staff at least somewhat knew you already, you were welcomed on board just as quickly. Elphaba, the senior cat that lives in the store, didn’t seem to care one way or another. She doesn’t seem to care about much, other than the armchair in the corner she claimed as hers and the daily treats she gets from staff and customers.

The work is monotonous. And to your surprise, you kind of like that. Of course, you knew what to expect before starting there, working at a bookstore isn’t known to be the most thrilling job. It has that certain structure that you like oh so much. Stock the shelves and keep them organized, order new stock and unload it, keep up with paperwork. With customer service, majority of the time it’s like a script you follow in your head. Easy peasy. No surprises.

The commute to work is fine, although not your favourite. The underground train makes things a lot easier, and at least you can keep your current apartment instead of having to find one closer to the store. Dealing with the hassle that is moving almost across the city is definitely not something you’d want to deal with right now.

Your free time is taking it easy, most of the time. Doing chores, reading, maybe painting on occasion, going for coffee, and gossiping with friends, going on small trips across the country when you can to see old friends from school. Just keeping yourself busy with something, even the little things.

But it’s all so mundane. You like mundane, you tell yourself. There are no sudden, unpleasant surprises, nothing to throw off your entire day. You always have a plan, always prepared for anything.

Until it’s not. Dull and mundane, that is.

It’s just a shadow in the corner of your eye at first, just a trick of the light. That’s what you tell yourself, even when it occasionally moves closer. It disappears right when the train arrives. Sometimes you get a chance to glance at it before that, and it vanishes all the same. It still makes you anxious, paranoid even. As much as you stubbornly refuse to believe it could be anything more than that, it’s still there, every goddamn day. And only in the mornings. Or maybe you just don’t notice it after work; you don’t tend to hang around the station on your way home.

Then it grows darker, bigger, more intimidating. The thing, shadow, whatever, looks almost human, in both shape and size. Maybe you should be scared? But you’re not. Absolutely not. Because it’s not real. No matter how real in feels, and how you know you’re being watched every time you step foot on that platform, there’s still nobody there when you turn to look. Nor does there seem to be any place someone could slip in and hide, either. You can still feel uneasy about things you don’t believe in, right?

No one else seems to notice it, either. Or maybe it’s some common knowledge – that you just happen to not be aware of – that this station is haunted. (No, not haunted. You don’t believe in that stuff. Nope.) A friend of yours, coming to visit you and whom you go greet at the station, doesn’t see it either. You even ask her about it, point at the shadow and ask if she saw it too. She didn’t, of course not. Why would she? It’s not real. She asks if you’re okay, if you’re overworking yourself again. You swear to yourself you won’t bring it up after that, to anyone.

You’re just paranoid, or maybe you’ve watched Ghosts on CBS too many times. Or you’re just straight up losing your mind. That’s always an option.

And it doesn't stop at the station, oh no. Soon enough, you see the same shadow on the train. You assume it’s the same one, at least. Feel it following you around, eventually ending up watching you at work. You’re not sure how to react when Elphaba freaks out at the sight of your new shadow. You really, really don’t want any confirmation that it’s real, no thank you. But Elphaba is an old cat, her black and white fur greying before she even found herself at the bookstore. An old stray looking for shelter from the rain, the staff explained to you once.

Stubborn as she is, she refused to leave after realizing how warm the store is, with customers and staff alike bringing her treats. The owners, a middle-aged couple, decided to let her stay eventually. Named her, bought toys and scratching posts and food bowls and a few beds. She prefers the armchair in the corner of the shop, though.

Brings in customers, too. New customers are surprised to find a friendly feline greeting them with odd chirps, regulars heading straight to her chair to find her and sneak her treats. She’s gained quite a bit of weight after moving into the store, but nobody bats an eye. She’s old, at least over 12 years old for sure even if her exact age isn’t known, who would have the heart to deny her of her treats?

She’s always so calm and friendly to everyone. Doesn’t even mind kids all that much but has definitely learned to find a place to hide if some loud toddler tries to touch her with their grubby little hands. She can usually be found in the backroom then, her tail peeking out from under the couch or beneath the curtains. But still, much of her time is spent in that armchair. She likes the attention she gets there. If anyone else dares to sit in it, or God forbid some audacious customer shoos her away from it, she’ll go scream at the closest staff member until the injustice has been corrected.

With how calm and lazy Elphaba usually is, it’s quite shocking to see her freaking out when you arrive at work with an extra shadow in tow. She hisses at the dark corner it stands in before running away, hiding in your lap. Rinse and repeat every time she gains the confidence to approach the shadowy being, seemingly trying to intimidate it and failing miserably.

You try to calm her, tell her it’s okay, that there’s nothing there, but it’s hard when you’re not sure if you believe it yourself. Your coworkers laugh and say she must be seeing ghosts. You don’t find it funny, not with your current predicament, but laugh politely anyway. Elphaba ends up getting used to the shadow as the days pass, staring at it in silence from a distance before running off again. Or she’ll be lounging somewhere and suddenly bolt for seemingly no reason. Everyone else laughs, saying she must have been spooked by something. You see the shadow standing where she just laid.

And the thing is, after a few more weeks, it doesn’t disappear the moment you try to lay your eyes on it. It remains, at least for a few seconds, enough for you know you really did see it. The thing is getting bolder by the day, always surprising you with new things. It goes from creeping around to eventually throwing things around. Not aggressively, you don’t think. Tossing your pen under your desk, dropping books from the shelves. Some of Elphaba’s toys even get thrown in front of her face, as it this thing wants to play with her. She either runs off or ignores it.

The books feel like they have some significance, you just struggle to figure it out. It never seems to be just random books flying across the room; they’re all related to either the military or ghost stories. At first you judge the thing’s – you don’t know what else to call it besides a shadow or a thing – book preferences, until your brain starts to connect the dots.

It started with the few copies of Casper the Friendly ghost comics in the kids’ section. Then some more books about friendly ghosts, and some military history books. You try not to think too deeply about it. You’re not being haunted, after all, so why concern yourself with trying to solve a non-existent mystery like this? Someone just didn’t put the books properly back on their shelves, some military or ghost enthusiast. And poor little Elphaba hasn’t been herself recently anyway, she could be knocking them down too. Although it is odd how these things seem to happen only when you’re on shift.

You feel it’s presence stronger, too. It’s gaining strength, or maybe just becoming bolder around you. There’s barely a moment anymore where you don’t feel watched, where you don’t see it looking at you.

It’s looking more human, too. Shaped like a person, tall and strong, instead of just a dark shape in the corner of your eye.

You try asking it things. What or who it is, where it came from, why is it following you around. If it could leave you alone, please and thank you. (All this, and you still try to convince yourself it’s not real. Denial is bliss.) It never responds, and you can’t figure out if it’s because it can’t, or just doesn’t want to.

It’s getting to a point where even when you know the shadow is not there, while out running some errands or while out seeing friends, you almost miss it. And you know for certain that it isn’t following you, you don’t feel its heavy, overwhelming presence behind you, around you, right next to you. It’s weird getting accustomed to it as the weeks and months go by.

Your home isn’t safe anymore, either. It takes longer for the thing to follow you home than it did to follow you to work. You’d like to think it’s because it wanted to respect your privacy or whatever, but that, too, came to an end eventually. Or maybe you failed to notice it at first, maybe this isn’t the first time it’s inside your home.

Your already small apartment feels even more claustrophobic with it lurking around. It’s like having a roommate that has no respect for personal space, always feeling like someone is watching over your shoulder as you cook, or staring at you through the mirror when getting ready for the day or for bed.

It's almost like you can feel the weight of someone next to you on the couch while watching tv, and catch a glimpse of your shady roommate next to your once the screen turns black, arm behind your shoulder on the back of the couch for a brief moment before vanishing.

Not a damn moment of peace, even in your own home.

Thank you for reading! Likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated!🌷

#ghost!soap #cod mw x reader #johnny soap mactavish #johnny mactavish x reader #cod x reader #john soap mactavish x reader #john soap mactavish x you #johnny mactavish x you #johnny soap mactavish x reader #soap x reader #soap x you

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inactivewattpadauthor · 20 days

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Shang Tsung x Witch Reader: I've Changed

Context: After finally escaping the void, Shang slips from supervision briefly to meet and request the help of an old friend. (Shaky ass friendship ngl) ~~~~~~~~~~~~ The old wooden clock on the wall ticks, filling the only sound in the empty shop. The short hand lines with the tenth hour, making you relieved to flip your sign close. Another easy day done at your little potion store. Despite the little shack being a bit older and you get few customers each day, you were always proud of your progress.

You were proud to say you changed, once a typical barbaric witch, anew to a positive person. You stopped damning people with cruel spells and toxic potions, now you sold mostly healing/soothing ones, along giving spare lessons to those who wish to learn witchcraft. Sometimes, it's the other way around. There's always new things to learn.

Sweeping the dust off the creaking floorboards, you were startled as you were about to trip over a black ball of fur. "Oh- Raven! Jeez, I didn't see you." A meow was in response, your kitten peeking up at you, the only eye he has shining.

Gently you shooed him away so you could finish sweeping. "I'll give you a snack once I'm done, go on now." You tapped his bottom and chuckle when he runs off.

The welcome chimes of your door ring, abruptly distracting you. "Store's closed!" You groan out. Ugh, can't they see the sign? You kept your thoughts to yourself.

Slow footsteps sounded closer to you. "My, just look at you." That voice! You peer up to see an old face, literally and figuratively. Your hand released the ratchet broom, letting it hit the floor. You felt some sort of nostalgia, yet confusion. "Shang Tsung? All these years... where have you been?" You step closer to him.

The old man explains. His disappearance was caused by the Titaness Kronika after having no use for him any longer, casted outside the realms in some prison. All those years in his absence, you missed him prior to your change, but now he's here. The sorcerer grabs your hand, kissing it gently. One of his ways on showing affection to you when you both were still a duo of despair. "You've aged well." He comments.

Now, he focuses on the old shop. "So while I was missing, you put your devotion into this worn down hut?" The sorcerer asks. You can hear the hidden mockery in his voice. He looks at the potions on the shelves, and you knew he would find them comical. None of them were labelled poison or dangerous, all such themed beneficial items. Part of him was worried you would go soft.

"Yeah, business is well." You state, defending your dignity. "The store's closed, and I still have errands tonight, so I can't quite catch up with you at the mome-"

"I came here for your help, Y/n." Shang Tsung interrupts. Picking up a pinkish elixir, he glances at you with tease. "Love potions?"

"That's for serotonin releases." You remove the bottle from his distrustful hands. You knew he's joking, but it's distasteful. "Love potions are vile. It's no better than going to a bar and spiking someone's drink." You explain in disgust, yet Shang still carries his smirk.

He hasn't changed, of course. I miss him, but I need him to leave. "What do you need?"

"I need your spells, your power, Y/n. The ones that always brought great suffering to those. But great amusement to us." He rubs his gray beard as he requests apathetically. "I plan to keep working with Raiden and Fujin up to Kronika's Keep. If everything goes as my plan, I can rule over many worlds. We can rule over many worlds."

"No." You shake your head immediately. "I'm past all of that. I use my powers and knowledge for good now and I hope that is something you respect. Feel free to do whatever you like, but count me out."

The man is unsurprise, but presses on with you. "Changed for the better? What happened to you?"

"I found faith in the Elder Gods." You shrug. "Along with that, I feel disgusted with my former self. Not that you'd get it, but all those people we hurt..." You cringed and turn away from him in utter shame.

"I assume you're disgusted with me too?" Shang asks.

"Well, yeah, but it's not like you'd stop. And I can't stop you neither."

He agrees with you. Harming others was like his number one hobby other than evil schemes. But if you really have a change in heart, he wouldn't force you. "It saddens me to see that wicked heart turn gold. Oh well. When I get Kronika's throne to myself, I'll have your place beside me - if you want." He offers, circling you with his charming glance. You gave him an annoyed look like he didn't actually heed you.

"You don't have to hurt anyone." He raises his hands. "But you could end up the best enchantress across universes, or better yet, a titaness beside me."

"No, sorcerer." You sigh and deny him again. "I'm happy here. You're my friend, but I don't think I'd be comfortable on the side of a villain. It's fine enough if I just focus on my own thing."

"Very well." He steps back and bows. "I shall be going now before someone notices my disappearance. After my goals, I will return to you just for friendly measures. We didn't speak for a long period after all."

"Okay." A huge part of you wasn't rooting for it, but you were fine with chatting with a friend time to time. "And if you don't and end up fading out of existence, it was always nice having you - minus the malicious activities."

"Likewise, my friend. You were always a fantastic woman." ~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N for both Wattpad/Tumblr. Mostly just a vent but:

1. I feel the writer's block coming :') future writings are expected to have less quality as I'm running out of ideas and motivation. I literally had to go back to posting every 6 days instead of 3 so I don't end up running out of posts.

2. A friendly reminder - I'M NOT TAKING REQUESTS.

Not trying to pick at anyone but there's 2 places on both Wattpad + Tumblr that says I'm not doing request, yet people will still request a fic. I admit, I will leave those on read until they message me more times which makes me more annoyed.

I'm down for fun questions/ discussions when I have the time, like if someone wants to talk about our lord and savior, Fujin. But I repeat one last time, I'm not making fics for anyone. You have better authors that will be happy to write for you.

#mortal kombat 11 #mortal kombat #mortal kombat x reader #mk imagine #mortal kombat imagines #mk headcanons #mortal kombat headcanons #shang tsung #shang tsung x reader #shang tsung x you #goddesswritings

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eaingels · 1 month

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Until I found you Part 1

Summary: Eloise, a human with Fae ancestry, moves to the Night Court in hopes of finding out where her family came from and why they left. Trough-out her search for answers, she meets the witty, brave and handsome Cassian. Even though, she thinks that she isn't worthy of affection, she can't help but crave his.

Authors note: hello everyone this is my first ever post here, so I hope you like it. English is not my first language so bare with me please. This will discuss topics like being self body shaming and having low self-esteem. If you are not comfortable reading about it, please don't read it. Please leave a comment so I can improve my writing.

Hope you enjoy it!!

"ppfpft" I tried getting the hair out of my mouth while crossing the bridge over the Sidra. There was so much wind today, I regretted my decision of not grabbing a hair tie with me. People around me gave me weird looks as I tried to get a hold of my hair before I gagged on it. I kept walking over the stone bridge hoping that once I was surrounded by buildings the wind would die down. My wishes were granted, I was past the bridge and my hair was done choking me for now. My mind turned to my impending visit to the library and my request to visit the library in the House of Wind. I was so close to finding my ancestors, I could feel it. Almost three thousand years ago some Fae moved from the Night Court to my hometown. And it wasn't until my grandfather and I started digging into our past that we were able to find a connection with the Fae and our family tree. A shred of grief that had found it's home in my stomach rose up of the memory of my grandfather. He had been my best-friend and had never judged me for wanting to have more knowledge. So when he passed away, I made a promise to myself that I would get to the bottom of it.

The big oak doors leading into the entrance hall of the library stood open, inviting everyone to come a take a look. The library itself wasn't too busy, but busy enough for there to be a line at the help desk. I looked around while waiting for my turn when I suddenly heard a loud laugh coming from inside the library. Two men and a woman were walking out the library. Both men had huge black wings at theirs backs and some kind of leather fighting gear on. The woman on the other hand, had glossy blond hair and the finest clothes I had ever seen. She was slim and absolutely gorgeous. Just looking at her made me wrap my coat around my torso to hide myself. Like anyone would notice me. It's like my mother always said, I blend in with the background. Nothing special to look at. I looked at the two men again. One was taller than the other with longer hair and the other had shadows flying around him. It was the taller one that I heard laughing. He was absolutely gorgeous. The kind of man you would read about in the books, the handsome, strong and kind man sweeping the herion of her feet. A spark starting burning in my chest. I had always dreamed of finding my handsome, strong and king man that would sweep me of my feet, but than again I wasn't anything remarkable. The spark in my chest died.

"Can I help you miss?" a soft female voice asked me. I turned forward again. In the time that I had been staring the line in front of me had gone.

"Sorry, yes, uhm... I'm looking for registration records dating back at least three thousand years ago" I said to her. Her eyes widened a little bit.

"I'm not sure if the records we keep here date that far back, but you could try in section four." Not feeling very hopeful I thanked the woman and made my way to section four. Section four was all the way at the back of the library in a dark corner. Clearly no one visited this part. The dusk caking the shelves was evidence of that. I took my coat off, throwing it on a dust covered chair along with my bag and got to work.

Time flies when you are having fun, or so they say. I looked back at the clock every once in a while to mark my progress. It had been three hours since I started looking through the books and so far I had found one name to add to the family tree. It was an exciting discovery, because it proved my ancestors did come from these lands. I was standing on the third bottom shelf trying to get a book trom the the top when my foot slipped and I lost my balance. I was prepared to let myself fall like a whale as there was nothing I could hold on to to save myself, when I felt two warm hands catching me. I looked up to find the handsome winged man from earlier starring down at me.

"It's been a while since a female threw herself at my feet" he said with a large grin on his face. My face must be red like a tomato, because he grinned even wider as he helped me stand.

"I didn't throw myself at your feet" I replied. I hoped he didn't think I did that on purpose. The man was almost two heads taller than me so I had to crane my neck to look at his face. What I saw took my breath away. Tanned skin, deep brown eyes and a couple of faint scars marking his face and neck.

"Did you hurt yourself?" he asked. I shook my head, not trusting my voice. I looked at his wings. Huge black membranes that were folded neatly on his back so they wouldn't bump into things.

"You are human" he suddenly said. The man looked surprised almost like he'd never seen a human before.

"Yes I am. But I listen to the name Eloise."

"Nice to meet you Eloise. My name is Cassian." We shook hands. His so much bigger than mine. "Do you need help with something?" Cassian looked up at the shelve I was, trying, to reach for.

"I was just trying to get that volume down" I pointed to the last book that might hold some information. With a smile Cassian grabbed the book from the shelve and gave it to me.

"Thank you Cassian" I said and walked back to my table. I was so engrossed in the book that I hadn't noticed Cassian sitting in the chair across from me. He himself held a book in his hands one leg crossed over the knee. I smiled at the picture.

"Good book?"

Cassian looked up.

"Very good"

"Quite an impressive skill reading upside down". Cassian grinned and placed the book he was holding upside down on the table. "Can I help you with something Cassian?"

"I'm just waiting to see if you need help with shelving the book". I looked at the open book in front of me. It was a stretch that something would be in here anyway.

"This is not going to tell me something. So might as well put it back" I closed the book and gave it back to Cassian, who took it back to it's place. Meanwhile I got my jacket back on and put my bag across my shoulder. Somehow I dreaded having to leave this place and him.

"Thank you for your help" I told Cassian when he returned to the table. The red stones on the backs of his hands shone in the warm light making them look like rubies as he rubbed his hands together.

"Anytime". His brown eyes held this softness I had never seen before. I made me relax a bit, a very strange feeling so I shook my head a bit. I needed to stay focused.

"Good day Eloise" he said and walked away. Something in the back of my head told me I was going to see him again very soon.

Like for part 2!!

#a court of thorns and roses #fluff #cassian x oc #fanfic #acotar #cassian

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lord-westley · 6 months

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Howdy Bestie @tolkien-fantasy! I hope you enjoy this matchup, I haven't written for BG3 before and it's been SO long since i've written in general so hopefully it's somewhat good! (i even included canon lines he says to Tav)

I match you up with Gale of Waterdeep!

I'm going to go off script of the whole Tav storyline

You guy's met one day in Baldur's Gate many years ago at Sorcerous Sundries, a huge and magical Library

He noticed you were struggling to reach a book on the top shelf, so he helped you out

Gale stood behind you, and grabbed the book before looking down and offering it to you with a grin

"Ah, A Primer on Mythical Beasts. An excellent choice!"

And with that single comment, the two of you clicked, forming an unbreakable bond over your mutual love of books and knowledge.

At the time, Gale lived in Waterdeep, further up north- a City much, much larger than your home in Baldur's Gate

The day you met, you spoke so proudly of his home. How beautiful and magnificent it is- and the libraries. Oh the Libraries in his city are large full of rare books and tomes.

Gale invited you to come to Waterdeep some day, so that he may show you said libraries

but alas, with the journey being long, it would not bode well with your ailments. So you declined

The day Gale had to leave Baldur's Gate was a sad one, although neither of you lost hope to keep in contact

You two sent letters each and every day, talking about anything and everything.

Gale would send you tomes regarding your current obsessions, and would always look forward to your next letter in response

One day though, the letters stopped. You kept sending letters to him in hope of a reply

Maybe he's just busy? Yeah that's right, he is Mystra's Chosen, so he's probably busy with his duties to her

But a letter never came

Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. But you didn't lose hope and continued to send letters

Then one day he just... appeared

Gale stood right in front of you at your little house on the edge of Baldur's Gate

He stood right in front of you, disheveled, bruised, and exhausted. And yet- there was a huge happy grin on his face despite the anxiety shaking in his hands

Gale explained everything to you, not leaving out a single detail, being as honest as he can

Okay so now timeskip and finally get to the romance part lmao

If there is one thing I know for sure, is he ABSOLUTELY adores all the mortal aspects of you

from the way your hair puffs up like a Owlbears feathers

to the mud staining your clothes during outdoor adventures

Gale thinks you're drop dead gorgeous

you're so different from most people in Faerun, and he's met a lot of people and he absolutely adores it

He supports you in everything you do, constantly purchasing new tomes for your interests

new journals, pens, and materials for your artistic hobbies

good luck charms and rare crystals

And dont worry about having too much stuff, like books and material. His tower has shelves upon shelves of books and storage.

He might even use some little wizard magic to expand on his tower just for you

"Whatever you need, you have only to ask"

Gale helps you as much as he can with your pain and ailments

He's constantly researching new spells and medicines with the help of Shadowheart

And if you're up for it, he'll create potions for you to try and experiment to see if it helps

and if it does! he happily teaches you how to make it so if there is any point where he is gone and you've run out, you'd be able to make it!

On any particular day where the pain is especially bad, he's at your beck and call. To the point of having Tara stay by your side when he is unable to

"Are you alright? If you have need of me, just say the word."

I feel the need to touch on your height for a moment

In comparison to him, you're so small but not once does he mention it. He understands that it can be an insecurity

But secretly? he absolutely adores your height

The way he can comfortably hold you in his lap as he reads makes him so so happy and warm

One particular moment that really stands out, is how he dropped something in a hole, unable to reach it

But you were there! and happily grabbed it for him... atleast not without a silly comment from him before you did

"That's not a Gale-sized hole."

Or how despite your size, you're SO strong, and it never fails to make his heart flutter seeing you lift heavy items. (his str is 8.. mans is WEAK)

He constantly asks if you could carry something for him just to see you flex your muscles

One specific time, there was "danger" that appeared out of nowhere

It startled him and you came to his rescue. Taking care of it with absolute ease

"I um, once read a book that explained in some detail the effect a brush with danger has on one's desire for... other forms of stimulation.."

I wouldn't particularly say Gale is a morning person, so good luck waking up in the mornings trying to escape his grasp

He'd try holding onto you for as long as he can before you get annoyed that you need to get up

Only then, will he finally let go

Sometimes he gets up with you, but some mornings, he's too exhausted from his night owl activities that he falls right to sleep (with some struggle since you're no longer there)

Please bring him coffee or even tea to bed, waking him up with it. He would melt and get so flustered

He'd grab onto you, holding you tight and press a kiss to your cheeks

"Ah, to hold the world in the palm of one's hand"

Gale LOVES to hold long philosophical conversations with you. He uses such fancy big words and loves to hear your point of view on things that most would ignore

The two of you could stay up late for hours, simply debating on topics

Some nights it get's so intense he'd break out a paper and quill to write down each others thoughts, comparing them and create charts

Now for you chaotic gremlin habits, at first he was a big worrywart. Unsure if it would be safe to do something

but overtime, he learned to accept it, and simply join you on the fun

After everything he's been through, He fully heartedly believes to just throw oneself into something, to not worry too much about rejection or what may happen. As long as you try.

"Sounds like a recipe for disaster. But you know what? I'm learning to enjoy the taste of chaos. Count me in."

All in all, he is a very loving partner, who loves to dote on you

who loves to indulge in everything you ever do and say

he'll be with you until the end of time, refusing to leave your side

"You taste of untold delights. How about we continue our tasting?"

#bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #Gale #Matchup for bestie

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sommerregenjuniluft · 3 months

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@hpsaffics feb 3 - time loop - 1117words

aka fem bartylus in their bonnie and damon from season 5 of vampire diaries arc (i made myself cry with this but also i'm on my period so who knows ksfjf)

“Hey, look,” Barty says, her head popping up over one of the grocery store shelves, “The small, pickled corn cobs you like so much are on Sale.”

Regulus doesn’t have to look up to see the shit eating grin stretching her lips as she holds up the jars of pickled corn with the impossible to miss, red SALE stickers that have been there for every single day of the past 3 months. She simply rolls her eyes and turns to grab an OJ out of the cooler, like she does every Saturday morning. Regulus believes in keeping a weekly and daily schedule in favor of not going insane, thanks a lot.

There’s a noise across the empty store that sounds like Barty put two of the jars into the shopping cart.

Regulus sniffs, ignoring the flutter in her stomach as well as the sting deep inside her ribcage.

She goes about filling her own cart methodically, absentmindedly listening to Barty mucking about wherever she is. Humming under her breath, bags crinkling, the sounds of the cart clinking against stuff. Barty has great spatial awareness in any situation except for the grocery store.

Regulus still feels last weekend in the tender bruises along her Achillies heel. If bruises stayed that long she’d have enough evidence from a year ago to build a real case. They do not, however, so Regulus is just left with the knowledge of it and that hollow feeling in her chest like someone had a big scoop and Regulus’ heart was a tub of Ben & Jerries.

She continues down the aisle in a bit of a daze. Eggs, oatmilk, protein bars, Earl Grey, Spaghetti and Fusilli because Barty is a fussy shithead that won’t eat other forms of pasta.

They meet again in the snack aisle, Regulus rounding the corner and finding Barty curled over her cart, studying the back of a honey puffs packet.

She’s gnawing on her bottom lips, rosy mouth pursed to the side and the line between her eyebrows deep and pulled low beneath her fringe and Regulus watches some of the longer brown hair slip over her shoulder and to the front. The round muscle is bare, freckled, and so are her arms because last week Barty made it her mission to go through Evan’s closet and cut off the sleeves of his every one of his t-shirts.

Regulus had been furious.

She misses him desperately. Pandora and Sirius, too. The very first night she’d slept in her best friend’s bed, clad in one of Sirius’ softest shirts. Regulus doesn’t remember a time she’d wept herself to sleep so harshly.

Barty had come and gotten her after 32 hours of refusing to leave the room and dragged her into a shower before plopping her down on one of the kitchen bar stools and making pancakes for her. Whipped cream and blueberries on the side. And then she’d left to go wherever it is she goes every single morning after breakfast until she’s returning for lunch.

She slips the strand of silky straight hair behind her ear now and then glances up when Regulus advances farther into the aisle.

Their eyes meet for a moment, mint and blue gray, clashing, getting caught in each other. Hooks sinking in, ripping at the entangled spots, and when Regulus finds it in herself to break away she feels raw. Chafed. A hotly throbbing ache. Burning.

Regulus looks around in the shelves but she isn’t really seeing any of the things. It takes a moment and then she’s taken aback when she genuinely can’t find the Ritter Sports party mix. It should be right in front of her, nestled between the Kinder stuff and the no name rows of chocolate bars. There’s an empty space on the shelf where they should sit and Regulus blinks at that spot in confusion.

Before she can do more about it the cold metal of a shopping cart grazes Regulus’ naked calf, jolting her and making her look up at Barty where she’s come closer, still lazily draped over the handle of her cart, now sporting an amused expression.

Her smirk is horribly smug and sitting a little lopsided on her unfairly beautiful face, “Lookin’ for something, Black?”

Regulus opens her mouth to respond but then Barty props her chin in one of her palms and cocks her head at an exaggerated angle, pointedly letting her gaze wander over the shelf Regulus is standing in front of numbly. And then up.

Regulus blinks again and then follows her line of sight automatically. She sweeps her gaze back around and up and then spots the chocolates where they’re perched on the very top of the shelf. Neatly set up over the row of Reezes there.

All the way up there and impossible for Regulus to reach.

Her favorite chocolates.

Barty had taken the time to put every last of Regulus’ favorite chocolates on the top of that shelf with such care for order she’s never once applied to their pantry in the months they’d lived together back when they were a couple.

Regulus feels her browns knit, eyes burning with anger and when she looks over she watches the smile on Barty’s face turn wider. That’s about all Regulus is able to take.

Her chin starts crinkling and she feels her lips start to wobble despite the way she’s biting down on the inside of her lower one hard enough to draw blood. There’s nothing Regulus can do against the tears shooting into her eyes and the way her throat starts to clog up before, pathetically, a single sob escapes her.

And then she’s crying. Full on, shoulders shaking with it and Barty’s smile falls.

She looks properly panicked and the cart gets shoved to the side, colliding loudly with the opposite shelf, and then she’s there to pull Regulus into a hug.

Her head hangs uselessly as she weeps into the crook of Barty’s arm and chest, deep heaving sobs as Barty cradles her head and holds her tight by the shoulders.

“Hey, hey,” Barty mumbles, voice strained, “I’m sorry, Reg, I’m sorry. I’ll get them back down.”

Regulus uselessly ruts her face into the naked skin, tasting salty shame in the corners of her lips.

“Every single one of them, I’ll get them all down, baby. I’m sorry,” she whispers, breath hot on the crown of Regulus curls.

Regulus finds her hands fisted into the material of Barty’s shirt, clutching at it numbly while she tries to swallow the sobs, “I hate you.”

Barty nods above her, “I know, baby,” and if Regulus didn’t know any better she'd think she hears shame and regret mixed into the words. “I know.”

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maybege · 1 year

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You and alpha!Paz get stuck in a closet after a bad influence (boba looking out for his friend) convinced your class that they should prank you two by locking you in there

The class told you they think there's a monster in the closet and they want Paz to kill it.

Paz comes in with heroic amusement and tells the kids he'll scope out the area, but the kids tell him he can't go alone. He needs you to go with him as backup!

So when you and Paz go into the closet, you're facing the shelves filled with crayons and colorful paper and there's an eruption of giggles. Suddenly, they slam the door and you're encased in darkness, then they turning of a key, locking you in.

With Paz.

Alone.

You and Paz knock on the door telling them to let you out, but the kids laugh more and the kids tell you that they can't. Boba took the key from them.

Paz sighs, figuring out his trusted ally put him in the situation. He looks over at you, you're nervous. You've tucked yourself into a corner and crossed your arms. He knows he's a big man, but he hoped you wouldn't be scared of him.

Truthfully, you're just trying to keep your emotions in check. He almost too big for the tiny closet that you can feel the heat radiating off him, you've been close to him before. But not like this...

He apologizes, not wanting to appear intimidating. He'll get you out soon, don't worry.

The logical, professional you just wants to get out for the kids, you don't like them being alone out there. They're good kids, but evidently mischievous.

But the...omega in you, wants nothing more than for Paz to pick you up and take you right against these shelves.

Unfortunately, that side of you is the one Paz is beginning to...smell.

Now he knows why you've tried distancing yourself from him. His demeanor changes and he closes the little distance between you, his hands land on the shelves behind you, caging you in.

He leans in close to your ear, speaking quietly so no one else will hear.

"You like this, 'mega?"

He chuckles a little, "How much closer do you want me to be?"

He runs his knuckles along your jaw, trailing down your neck, until he reaches the collar of your top.

"You have no idea what you do to me"

He hears Boba outside the door and children laughing, bringing you both back to reality.

"Not here, 'mega. Soon, but not here."

He leans back just as he hears the door being unlocked.

❤❤ hi sorry for the novel, I'm the truck driver!paz anon from yesterday. I'm just a simp for him anyway love you!! ❤❤

ANON I AM NOT OKAY 👁️👁️

Him leaning into you? The knowledge that you also want him making him all cocky? Being so close and yet so far because you both know, you can’t do it, not here anyway?? THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IT WILL HAPPEN THOUGH?? Just imagine the soft smiles and the lingering looks and touches and how Paz glares at a very amused Boba because “You’re expecting me to wait now that I know what she smells like??”

#may answers #alpha!paz vibes #paz vizsla x reader

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obsessedlovers · 1 month

Text

seeking for stars

(a tale of stars and sorrow part 1)

Qui-Gon Jinn x female oc

- smut / +18

- bondage

- age gap

// "Feel, dont think.", I gasp, not able to do anything more than melt under him, his motions, his presence. //

"Master", i say, greeting the tall, calm man entering the archive. It's a quiet afternoon, my shift gets finally close to its end. The jedi slowly passes the endless rows of shelves, holding every memory of the universe.

His deep measured voice draws me in his direction. "I want to speak to your master Jocasta Nu." Just for a second, i blink, feeling overwhelmed by his capturing aura. "The master is on a mission, may i offer my help instead?"

The Jedi Temple Library is one of the most important places of research and knowledge in Coruscant and the whloe core worlds, often sought out by members of the Jedi Council. But only the masters work on these requests. I am part of the educational jedi service corps. But i was a jedi initiate, a poor one for sure.

Qui-Gon looks down on me, not unfriendy, rather inquiring. He is tall, way taller than me. His blue eyes fix me with a piercing gaze. "What's your name, apprentice?" "Riaye Chas, master."

"Riaye, show me where the holograms of the great hyperspace war are located." I nod, leading the older man through the library aisles. The archive rooms are vast and extensive, although i am learning for years now to be an archivist in the corps, i still get lost.

I feel a bit uncomfortable as the jedi master follows me, as if i could feel his glimpses burning on me. He is so close, his robe lightly touches me. As we finally come to the right corridor, i sense his intense feelings and determance.

Just as I'm about to show him the holograms, Qui-Gon steps towards me. I am pushed against the shelves. "Master-", I start off suprised. His long hair falls against my neck, even through his thick robe I can feel his muscles keeping me in place.

But its more than this. I can feel him slightly using the force, using it to stop me from moving, building a protective, sound-insulating field around us and the corridor.

My breathing speeds up. I look up into his eyes. "You're not good at hiding your feelings." He's so close that his beard softly brushes me. My heart races. "Do you want me to touch you?" I nod, too fast. He chuckles, already running his fingers under my robe, untying the laces.

Qui-Gon steps back, looking at my naked body. Than he lifts his hand, and suddenly the laces of my robe start lifting up from the ground, winding and tying one of my arms to my thigh, one behind my back.

Standing on one leg, feeling the tense grip of the strings slowly wraping around my breasts, exposing them to him. I feel my pussy clenching, waiting for him to fill her. Qui-Gon comes closer, glazing at his work, running his fingers over my tied up body.

He bends down, his lips kissing my skin, the strings cutting in it.

My legs started trembling. He forces himself into me, pushing into my throbbing parts. I cannot help but moan. My voice encourages him, he starts moving in me, slowly first but than harder. "You're so big master."

I am hardly standing, he holds me in position while pushing into me. His robe falls loosely from his shoulders, but he has barely taken off his clothes. I feel even more exposed.

Qui-Gon loosens the ties, the strings fall on the ground within one motion. My body trembles from the tension. The jedi master turns me, his hands on my hips. He takes me from behind, fucking me relentlessly.

I cannot hold on myself, his moans are so dark yet so soft. I tremble into one orgasm after another. I feel Qui-Gon using the force, pushing my buttons, pressing softly against the most sensitive spots as he thrusts into me.

I look into the corridors, fearing someone could stumble into this scene, into me, being fucked by a member of the Jedi Council. He seems to notice my fears as he utters his direction, aiming directly for my weak spot.

"Feel, dont think.", I gasp, not able to do anything more than melt under him, his motions, his presence.

I practicaly sink down, allowing him to pound even deeper into me. I can feel that he's close now, his aura flickers around him, stretching out until it nearly burns me. I am force sensitive, but I never really got to use it. Now, as Qui-Gon is so close, i feel the force soaking me, infusing me. I feel powerless and more powerfull than ever at the same time.

Qui-Gon increases his pace, his moans get restless, nearly desperate. I merely manage to take it, feeling overwhelmed by coming over and over again. The force reacts to him, it reaches out to me, my body, nearly burns me.

I clench around him, I feel his cock pulsating as his cum fills my pussy. My legs shake as its warmth runs down my legs. I look at him, unsure what to do.

#star wars #qui gon jinn #qui-gon jinn #qui gon x reader #smut #fanfic #star wars prequels #sw prequels #liam neeson

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bellybounce · 7 months

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Feedist Kinktober Day 2 - Royalty

Merthur weight gain for Day 2 of the Feedist Kinktober by @fatguarddog

*this isn't too kink based, and is more of a discovery of weight gain more than anything as I'm considering beefing it out into a multi-chapter fic in the future, so for now you just get soft bellies and loving boyfriends

Siren Song/Royalty

Despite Uther’s all consuming belief that magic was evil, it was actually the one thing that brought peace to Camelot. Once Athur had been crowned King Arthur of Camelot and openly declared his courtship to his consort, Merlin, the ban magic had been lifted, a domino effect began. With it now safe for magic users to enter the walls, Camelot found itself allying with a new set of Kingdoms it had previously shunned, and magic users would travel from far and wide to train under Merlin as the newly appointed Court Sorcerer. This, in turn, led to peace and protection for the Kingdom, as there were less magical enemies out for revenge, and also the knowledge that their powerful magical army would thwart any storming attacks.

As King, he was expected to spend his days with the council, reviewing treaties and finances, rather than dedicating hours a day to his training. Still the figurehead for the Knights, a King simply leads the most fearful of battles, and leaves most other physical tasks to his knights. This expectation, on top of the fact that the peace had left the knights with a lack of battles or danger approaching Camelot's walls, meant Arthur rarely exercised.

As King of a peaceful and welcoming land, with an ever growing number of allies, Arthur instead spent a lot of his time feasting on banquets held in someone or anothers honour, or snacking as he reviewed council papers, stuffing his face to keep the boredom at bay.

Somewhere along the line, this also had an effect on King Arthur’s waistline.

Arthur sat down on the edge of the bed with a huff, the bed bouncing under his weight, almost mockingly. He ran a hand through his hair before leaning himself back on his hands, body stretched out before him. He ran a hand over his chest, feeling the softness of his once toned pecs that were now shelved by the curvage of his stomach that had begun to round outwards.

“Merlin,” Arthur called to the man pottering about the other side of the bedchamber, “have I gotten fat?”

Merlin’s head whipped around to look at him, mouth slightly gaped. “Um, why do you ask, my love?”

“My tailor- he had to take out my tunic for next month's gala during today's fitting - by quite a lot.” As he spoke he stroked his stomach.

Merlin knew he had gained weight, had watched him this past year filling out as he gorged on pork pies and roasted lamb and rich buttery pastry. He could see the layer of fat pillowing his lover’s cheeks, giving him a soft double chin if he looked downwards. He had catalogued how his back seemed to widen over time, running his fingers over the small rolls that had begun to form as they made love. He felt the changes to his stomach when they hugged, going from toned muscle pressing against him to a small swollen gut that jutted out over his waistband.

His hesitating silence answered Arthur’s question, as he let out a whiny “Merlin!” before throwing himself backwards onto the bed. This was a mistake as it allowed his stomach to mountain upwards and, now that he was addressing the problem, Arthur couldn’t ignore that half his line of sight was now obscured by his ball of a belly.

“Okay, so maybe you’ve gained a bit of-” Arthur squeaked in protest -”okay a lot of weight, but you’re still handsome to me.” Merlin rounded the bed, leaning against one of the bedposts. From here he could see the full expanse of his stomach, could see how it mounded out a good 7 or 8 inches high into the air.

“How have I not noticed? That tunic was only a year old but I could barely pull it down over this thing!” Arthur gave his stomach a pat, sending it rippling and Merlin had to bite his lip as a shiver washed over him. “All my other clothes fit!”

“I may or may not have used my magic to let them out a few times,” Merlin admitted. Arthur’s head shot up, resulting in an appearance of the collecting double chin. “I didn’t want you to worry! I used to watch you, Arthur. You’d obsess over your training, leave your dinner half finished and go to bed hungry to keep your “princely figure”. I wanted you to be carefree.”

“Merlin, look at my stomach - no, gut! I can actually call it a gut! I could be halfway through a pregnancy if I didn’t know any better!” He pinched at the roll of fat on his side, and Merlin felt his cheeks flaming.

Merlin mounted the bed and straddled Arhur, perching himself on his thighs. He ran his hands under Arthur’s shirt, stroking the fleshy skin underneath, his fingers tracing stretch marks. “You’re a King now Arthur, you need to show everyone how big” - Merlin pushed the shirt up and peppered a kiss onto his belly - “and strong” - another kiss - “and wealthy” - another kiss - “their King is.” He rested his hands on top of Arthur’s gut, petting at it as if it was a kitten.

“I have been sleeping better, going to bed with a full stomach,” Arthur admitted, his hands ghosting over Merlin’s. “Father always told me to slow down - said a Knight had to be lean and quick.”

“But you’re not a Knight anymore - you’re a King.” Merlin lay tugged at Arthur’s arms, pulling him upwards so that he was upright, his arms wrapping around Merlin’s slender waist. “A King who has worked hard to unite the Kingdoms and desires to be free.”

Merlin leant forward, grazing Arthur’s lips with his own. “Plus,” he added, “it’s very attractive, this new addition of yours.” Those words were accompanied by a loving stroke of the belly between them.

“Oh, you like that do you,” Arthur grinned, pulling Merlin flush against him, squishing his stomach as Merlin let out an excited yelp.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Merlin whispered.

“Well, I suppose if a bit of weight here and there is the price I have to pay for delicious feasts and an adoring consort, then you better let out these clothes more often.” Arthur pulled Merlin in for a kiss, biting at his lip, “Now, how about I ring down to the kitchen and we can have a proper royal feast.”

Also avaliable on Ao3 if you could all go give it some love over there!

#feedist kinktober #feedist kinktober 2023 #merthur #merlin #belly kink #weight gain #weight gain fiction #tight clothing #ball belly #belly expansion #fat belly

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pixies-and-poets · 8 months

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In hindsight the Rabbids didn’t actually “steal” the Rayman series. As a kid I thought that but the actual answer is pretty mundane.

Every main Rayman game from Rayman 1 all the way to Rayman Legends has always been developed by Ubisoft Montpellier and Michel Ancel. Ubisoft Montpellier only developed 2 of the Rabbids games. Rayman Raving Rabbids and Rabbids Go Home. That’s only 2 entries in the Rabbids series which is nothing really. Keep in mind Rayman RR was originally Rayman 4 before they scrapped it.

Every other Rabbids game was made by Ubisoft Paris or other divisions of Ubisoft mainly by the studios who made the Just Dance series. Which makes sense cause most Rabbids games were mini game collection that were simple to create.

So what held Rayman up? From what I’ve seen nothing really tho the closest answer is likely that both Michel Ancel and Ubisoft Montpellier we’re busy on Beyond Good and Evil it was announced in 2008 and likely the entire team were focused on that. However if you know development trouble happened which held the studio up for quite some time. It was temporarily shelved which gave Ancel time to make Origins and Legends then he went back to BG&E 2 after Legends in 2017 where it was reintroduced but is now in development hell to this day.

Yep. I was young in an era when a major entry in my favorite game franchises could come out every year, or every other year. As I've gotten older, game dev has gotten more and more complex and lengthy due to a variety of factors. My awareness of that fact lagged behind the reality of it happening, but I am quite aware of it now, largely due to watching a lot of videos, reading a lot of articles and even having some friends at major studios.

I'm a Donkey Kong fan. Why has there been no new DK game in a decade? Has Nintendo totally given up on one of their major franchises? No, the rumors are that they leased it out to a third party studio, changed their minds, and started over in-house as they have a new vision for the DK series that they want to oversee. What's going on with Metroid Prime 4? Who knows. The game industry is such a mess I'm amazed we get any truly great passion projects out of major studios at all.

It's not as simple as "People want thing, make more of thing!" If fans want something, there are devs out there who want to make it too. Maybe even people for whom that series inspired them to get into the industry. But that doesn't mean it's going to end up happening. Still, it's why I think Rayman in the Phantom Show is so great, because the devs (at least a lot of the creative team) really did want to make it.

I feel like the idea that the Rabbids stole Rayman's franchise, and that Rayman died so the Rabbids could live, exists in that knowledge gap before understanding how complex everything is. Maybe it made sense for a time, but it really doesn't hold up to scrutiny now. Things aren't really a zero sum game like that, and so much has happened in the intervening years to contradict this idea.

It is funny, in my stream we were talking about how people don't really harp on this narrative so much anymore, with good reason... Only to have the most stereotypical "RABBIDS SUCK AND RAYMAN DESERVES BETTER" gamer show up like thirty minutes later, lol. Well, people will cling to the stories that help them make sense of the world, I suppose... Even if it makes them unhappy.

#mario plus rabbids #mario + rabbids #alter answers #rayman in the phantom show

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lionessinarms · 15 days

Text

The Month In Between chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Two weeks has past and Firetown's repairs are moving quickly. Wade and Ember have been working really hard at their jobs but haven't been seeing each other as much as they would like. They try to at least grab lunch or dinner together when then can but Ember's new welding job leaves her very exhausted. Bernie has even caught her falling asleep rebuilding some shelves at the Shop. There's been no time for dates.

Wade has been going above and beyond on his inspector job. He is only responsible for pointing out the violations that need to be fixed. He instead takes time in his reporting. Giving the knowledge he's been learning from his mom, he writes individualize action plans to get the building up to code, and on budget. It's extra long hours on his laptop at night but to him it's well worth it. Wade hates giving building owners the bad news and not being able to offer a solution. Which is why he takes in the extra work to help better the community he feels connected to. Gale takes notice of this and has him in her office.

"So Ripple what did you want to meet with me about?" Gale asks.

"Well, I wanted to request a transfer for next quarter to the city Ember's internship is at. That is if I'm doing a good enough job." Wade says without confidence.

Gale then tells Wade, "Kid, I'll be real with you for a second. I only hired you as a favor to your mother and you were this close to be fired. Finding that leak was your last chance."

Wade looks nervous and gulps.

Gale continues, "But then all of a sudden it's like you found your spark. I never seen any inspector be so thorough and have these amazing actions plans for the city repairs. You're on fire kid! You really got a passion for this."

Wade questioning himself says, "Well it's easy when you connect with the people you are trying to help? I just want to help them through it other wise I feel like all I do is give bad news all day."

Gale says, "Well it's working. Your the reason the repairs are going fast in Firetown. Keep up that attention to detail. In the mean time I'll look for your replacement and you are going to train them to be exactly as you are now. I'd hate to loose ya but I get that that Fireball of yours is cute." Gale does a wink.

Wade with a smile gets up and shakes Gale hand. "Thank you Ms. Cumulus. I won't let you down!"

Wade gets back to work in Firetown but then heads to an outdoor mall on his lunch break. He had to white lie to Ember about having the work through lunch but this secret isn't harmful. Wade stands outside a jewelry store. He takes a confident deep breath as he steps in. Wade looks over at a Water couple around his age being helped by a salesman. They are picking out matching wedding rings and they look very happy together. A Water salesman steps up to help Wade.

Salesman, "Hello sir is there anything I can help you find?"

Wade gets excited and rambles, "Yeah hi, I'm shopping around for an engagement ring but my relationship is still new but amazing. I really just need a better idea for what to budget for the next few months before we move in together."

Salesman, "Great. You came to the right place. Let me show you some styles and do you happen to know her ring size?"

"Actually no." Wade holds his hand to look at it.

"No problem I got a chart you could look at." The Salesman holds up sizing chart.

Wade points over the a very small size but then again Embers digits are very thin. "She's around this size."

"Oh, that's pretty small for Water." Says the Salesman.

Wade was taken back by surprise. He never really thought about how strangers view his relationship with an Element not of his own because frankly he doesn't care. Now it's time to test if he is in the right place.

Wade then goes, "Oh yeah I forgot to mention she's Firish can you should me your selection of fireproof rings please?" Then Wade gives the salesman a look of I dare you to say something Elementalist.

The Salesman looks surprised for a second then gets back to his job, "Of course they are right over here, My mistake I should of ask you first."

Wade is relieved and laughs it off, "Haha, not a problem."

After some time, Wade steps out of the jewelry store. He looks up and does a dreamy sigh but then a young woman's voice breaks his good mood.

"Wade Ripple? Is that you?" Asks a very attractive Water girl his age.

Wade has a look of horror on his face but quickly changes it to not be suspicious. He then fake smiles and says, "River. Hi, crazy seeing you again." Wade doesn't have a mean bone in his body as awkward as this, is he's a nice guy.

River runs up and hugs Wade. Wade clearly not wanting to hug back gives her a small pat on the back.

"Wow it's been what almost a decade? You've really grown up." River then notices his name tag and flirtatiously goes, "And a city inspector now?"

Wade takes a few steps back as soon as River lets go of him. Wade looks like he's partially melting, his hair slopped down, he's sweating, and runs his hand on the back of his neck. "Yeah.."

Lucky for Wade. The Salesman interrupts, holding a piece of paper. "Sir you forgot to grab the estimate for your engagement ring."

Wade turns to the Salesman completely forgetting River is there. "Oh thank you." Wade looks down at the paper and smiles. It's like his watery waves on his head have come back to life and he stands proud.

River is staring at him in shock then goes coyly, "Wow Wade sounds serious. Does she know about me?"

Wade doesn't make eye contact with her as he folds up the paper and puts it in his bag. "Actually yeah she knows and it's very serious." He makes eye contact with River when he says serious.

River chuckles at Wade, "Well it's good to see you again Wade. Tell your mom I said hi." And with that she structs away.

Wade immediately turns the opposite direction and says to himself, "Pfft, yeah my Mom never liked you." When he is far enough away he pulls out the estimate. Wade takes a breathe in, does a dreamy sigh out feeling confident. "I got a lot of saving up to do."

Nearing the end of day at the job site, a worker in a suit passes out paychecks in envelops and hands Ember hers. Ember almost forgets she is getting pay for this work, "Oh thank you." She opens it and is shocked by the amount.

Next scene is Vinny with the check in his face and just laughs at Ember's surprise. "Ha, yep that is what an apprentice welder makes plus you've been making killer OT on the weekends."

Ember pulls the check down and stares at it for a second, "Dang!" She then paces and rambles, "This? This is so much! I mean my glass internship coming up is paid too but this welding job isn't just taking care of my travel costs." Then is dawns on her. "It will cover all my living expenses while I'm there."

Vinny goes with his arms held up, "Well what an amazing opportunity you have and the experience you're gaining from welding is going to help you prefect your glass making. Especially if it tempered."

Ember gets a bit honest with her boss, "Well it's exhausting work though not gonna lie."

Vinny isn't insulted by it and puts his hands down. "I know that waterfall hasn't been easy. I'm lucky I've been tolerating it as well as I have. I have a team working on converting some fire proof suits to water proof. Water guy actually came up with the idea."

"That's great and about time." Ember then takes a moment and ask Vinny, "Hey can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure kid." Vinny genuinely not fazed and is actually expected what she is about to ask him.

Ember is a bit nervous and she holds her arms to her sides close. Worried her question might be insulting but she goes for it anyway. Rambles a bit too. "Well it's about your parents, I'm in a mixed Element relationship and me and my parents had no idea that that was even possible." Ember nervously flared up a bit with her hands up, "Not that we're prejudice towards other Elements being together we just simply didn't know. Wade and I just kind of happened." Ember smiles at thinking of Wade.

Vinny give a warm smile and laughs, "Yeah you and Wade remind me a lot of my folks. My mother is Firish and dad is rock hard stubborn. I guess that's why the fell hard for each other."

Ember laughs but let's Vinny continue.

Vinny gets a little serious, "I learned very quickly we were not like most families but we all stuck together. Me and my five other siblings."

"Five wow." Ember thinking that's a lot of kids.

Vinny laughs then continues, "Ha ha yeah but we all love and support each other. That has been the biggest lesson growing up as a mixed Element is how to love yourself and each other. Love is alway worth it."

Ember smiles and goes, "Yeah I know. Thank you for telling me."

Back at the shop now. Ember is helping her father finish stocking shelves for the reopening tomorrow. Flarrietta, Flarry, Cinder, and Clod are working too. As they are working Ember has just told Bernie about her first pay check.

"Whoa! That's a lot of money! Maybe I should of become a welder?"

Flarrietta chimes in, "Are you kidding Bernie? You were made to create this shop."

Flarry says, "It's the gem to our Firetown."

Ember agrees, "Yeah Àshfá."

Cinder goes up to her husband, "You really got a strong heart for this and I wouldn't of had it any other way. Besides doing any repair work always brought out your temper. You hate it and you know it."

Bernie puts his arm around his wife, "Ahh you're right. Serving the community did bring me such happiness. Speaking of happy how are things with you and Wade Ember?"

Ember leans back on a self and has a dreamy look on her face. "Oh Àshfá, he's wonderful stopping by the job site when he can for us to have lunch together. But we haven't gone on a real date in a while because we are both so busy with work."

Flarrietta chimes in again, in support of Ember. "I keep hearing stories about how he has been going door to door in Firetown teaching everyone how to keep water out. Even helping create plains for the repairs of each building. He's the nicest Water guy ever, very polite, and respectful too."

Clod adds, "He gives me water when I'm thirsty since the pipes here don't have water in them anymore."

Ember smiles warmly as her father goes, "Okay okay, I'm warming up to the water guy."

Ember sincerely tells her father, "Thank you Àshfá. You have no idea what that means to me."

Bernie's expression gets a little serious as they walk over to the back, "Hmm, I just wish you guys happiness but I know there will be judgements from others. I wish I knew more on how to protect you from that."

Ember tells her father, "Well, I started talking to Vinny about that, he's one of six kids."

Bernie surprise, "Six?"

Ember laughs then looks at the clock. "Oh, I better get going to Element City."

"Oh?"

Ember forgot to tell her parents, "Yeah Wade invited me over to watch a big Windbreakers game."

Bernie confused, "Wind what? Game?"

"Glad the Wetro is up and running again but the motorbike would of been a shorter commute." Ember turns and gives her dad a hug. "I'll be back home later on tonight."

Author's Note: WADE IS GETTING A RING!!!! XD

#pixar elemental #elemental #ember lumen #wade ripple #pixar #wade x ember

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