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kaladinkholins · 4 months

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Thinking about the crazy love triangle situation in Blue Eye Samurai and debating heavily with myself on how I'd like to see it conclude. And yeah this discussion can be thought of purely as shipping, headcanons, and fandom fun. But when analysing the show and engaging with it in a more in-depth, almost-literary level, it's impossible to dismiss who Mizu's potential love interests are and how different endgame romances would affect her character arc and the overall story and themes.

So in this post I'd like to look at the love triangle a bit more closely, and speculate on where the story will take this.

DISCLAIMER: It is my personal interpretation of the text that Mizu is non-binary—I use this as an umbrella term denoting any gender that does not adhere to the binary restrictions, norms, and expectations of what it means to be either a man or woman in a particular society; it's not just an androgynous "third gender" that exclusively uses they/them pronouns. Thus, while I personally believe Mizu is not strictly a cis woman, she does still identify with womanhood, despite definitely feeling a level of detachment from it due to living as a man for so long. With that being said, I will be using she/her pronouns for Mizu in this post, but please note that this is purely personal preference. Everyone is free to interpret the text the way they like. That's the fun of fiction. Now, without further ado, let's proceed.

Okay so, thinking about the pairings on a purely surface level, and even before i got into the show, I was pinning my hopes on some lesbianism going on between Mizu and Akemi, and the show does hint at this; in Ep1, during their first encounter in Kyoto, there is the famous slow-mo shot of their eyes meeting, Mizu's lips slightly parted as she is unable to tear her gaze away from Akemi, while sweet string music plays in the background. This is clear romantic framing, and a marker of attraction. If Mizu was a cishet man, there would be no question that this is a potential love interest.

But then, in the same episode, we meet Taigen, who is introduced to us firstly from hearing Akemi's father describe him as "a fierce and undefeated young samurai", the "best swordsman in the best school" and "a fisherman's son from Kohama [...] whose rise reminds [him] of [his] own."

In the next scene, we meet him in person as Akemi's fiance, and he seems sweet enough. He even gives her sweets! In exchange, Akemi gives him gold, and he feels a bit ashamed that he doesn't have anything better to offer her. But Akemi accepts him and his gift wholeheartedly and flirts with him a little, which makes him smile kinda shyly.

When Akemi confirms their engagement, Taigen is in disbelief because he has no status or noble background, but Akemi reassures him.

So from these first few scenes, we're introduced to Taigen as an honourable and strong samurai, but also as a man who is sweet and gentle with the woman he is about to marry, as well as aware of his own inferiority when compared to Akemi's high station.

Our view of him then changes as his true self is revealed: he is an arrogant and smug bastard among his peers, but more importantly, he is the terrible bully from Mizu's childhood.

And it is this side of Taigen--pompous jerk and unrepentant xenophobic bully--that we continue to see as the show goes on, and it's safe to say that this is his real self, sans any pretense of humility and modesty. Around anyone who isn't an outright superior in terms of class and power (ie. Akemi's father, the shogun), Taigen never hesitates to assert his own authority and "greatness."

But as the show goes on, he gets caught by Heiji Shindo's men, and then tortured. And that's when we see, okay, turns out he's not that bad. He's honourable; "honour" is not just meaningless and superficial pedantry for him, but an internalised, guiding principle.

He was a cruel asshat throughout Mizu's childhood, but in a prejudiced and xenophobic society, he was just playing by the rules. As a child, he knew he was at the bottom of society, but when met with someone even lower ranked than him (Mizu), he can project all those prejudices and insecurities onto someone else. This way of thinking--"if you can't beat 'em, join em"--is what allowed him to climb up the ranks despite being some dirt poor kid from an abusive household*.

*Well, that combined with his cismale privilege of course, because this would not be an option for a woman in similar circumstances.

Thus, his upholding of honour also exemplifies how Taigen embodies the ideals and rules of his society. His insistence on duelling Mizu is another more blatant example of this. He doesn't want revenge like Mizu does. He wants to be accepted by society, within the bounds that society has placed, and that means that his only two options following his defeat at the Shindo dojo were to either chase Mizu down and get his damn duel, or kill himself for his humiliating defeat.

Now! Moving on from Taigen, let's go back to the other end of this little love triangle: Akemi.

Mizu and Akemi only properly meet in Ep4. During their first meeting, when Akemi tries to poison Mizu in Madame Kaji's brothel, she compliments Mizu's eyes, calling them "beautiful."

This seems to genuinely take mizu off-guard for a second before she coolly plays along. We know that Mizu recognises Akemi from the get-go, and thus sees through Akemi's ploy from a mile away. It's also safe to assume she'd expected false flattery, because Mizu understands full well that this tactic is how women get what they want: by using their 'feminine wiles' and playing up their naivety and innocence. But even so, it's interesting that Mizu actually seems surprised by Akemi's compliment.

Then, after Mizu subtly taunts Akemi by lying about Taigen's death, she and Akemi have a bit of a scuffle, and then we get to Mizu saying this:

"Women in our world don't have a single good option. Except you, like some magical forest creature. You could have anything you want, but then you beg to eat trash."

(no screenshot because it's quite a long line but you get it)

Here we see Mizu's opinions on the marginalisation of (mostly poor and under-privileged) women stated outright, and underlying her words is also resentment. Because even though she and Akemi have shared experiences of female oppression, Mizu, unlike Akemi, was also poor, from a rural village, and is a racial minority. Mizu is triply oppressed, while Akemi only faces one primary form of oppression, and to someone as embittered by the world as Mizu is, to see Akemi "beg to eat trash" is a slap in the face, practically tone-deaf to the other injustices around her--injustices which Akemi has not shown much, or any, acknowledgement for at this point.

Then, after this scene, Mizu kills Kinuyo, and this unsettles her to a degree we've never seen from her before. She is visibly distraught, and the entire sequence hammers the theme of this episode (and arguably, a large portion of the show) into our heads: women in this world suffer. And even though Mizu is well aware of this fact, to commit this act is so visceral that is shakes her to her core, and it's what ultimately leads to the ambush of the Thousand Fangs.

But before the ambush, Mizu and Akemi talk a little again, and during this time Akemi taunts Mizu some more.

Right now, Mizu is exhausted to the point where (I believe) she even downs some sake, despite not usually drinking. Thus, worn down, she cuts Akemi's ropes and tells her, "Just go." Akemi recovers from her initial fear of Mizu's blade and taunts her some more, accurately seeing through Mizu's facade of coldness, recognising the raw anger there, and says this:

"I thought you had to be something special. Your face isn't even so scary. You're just... angry."

At this, Mizu is amused and compares Akemi to Taigen ("I see why he likes you. You're just like Taigen when we were children. A fucking brat.")

The reveal that Mizu and Taigen knew each other in childhood surprises Akemi, but before either of them can say more, everything goes to shit.

That's when we get to Ep5. This episode focuses primarily on Mizu, the central piece of this love triangle, and does the most out of all the episodes to shed some light on her character and goals, fleshing her out to be more than just the vengeful, highly proficient samurai we've seen thus far (symbolised by The Ronin), but also a person who is capable of love, domesticity and gentleness (symbolised by The Bride). But in the end, Mizu rejects both these ideals, instead becoming an Onryo, who is neither guided by pride/honour, nor love.

By 'reincarnating' into an Onryo, Mizu is able to win the day and save the women in the brothel. However, as she has now fully embraced her status as an Onryo, and is exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, she lets the Tokunobu clansmen take Akemi away while Akemi's screams echo in her ear.

Mizu says this choice is for Akemi's own good, that Akemi's better off; because Mizu is jaded and weary, and cannot afford the luxury of idealism, and thus must always be strictly practical and realistic. So of course that's why, in her view, yes, Akemi should not be wasting her time in a brothel where women are exploited and abused, nor should Akemi be so naive to think that her marriage with Taigen is even still possible. However, regardless of Mizu's views, it is not for her to decide, because though Akemi is privileged in some sense, she is still trapped and voiceless, and deserves the right to choose her own destiny.

But as it happens, in the end, though Akemi did not choose who she gets to marry, she DOES get to choose her next move when Edo burns down.

"I want to be great."

This one line is the key to her entire arc, which is only just beginning. We see she quickly has acquired the affection and good graces of the shogun's son after their wedding night and consummation, and with Madame Kaji and the girls now serving her, Akemi will only grow to become a prominent political player.

NOW, only after analysing the characters as they are within this season, only can we speculate how their arcs will continue as the show progresses.

First and foremost, I will reassert the popular opinion that Mizu and Akemi are foils. The climax (pun intended) of Ep7 illustrates this as it parallels the turning points in both Mizu's and Akemi's arcs:

Mizu melts the steel of all her loves and shames, the people she's collected: the broken blade wielded by both Chiaki and Taigen, Akemi's knife, Ringo's bell, Master Eiji's tongs - this symbolises her beginning to accept herself, and in doing so, also accepting the help of others;

Akemi consummates her marriage with Takayoshi Itoh, gains his affection, and cements her position as a woman in the shogun's palace - this symbolises her taking charge of her situation, no longer playing the damsel, but using her position to her advantage, empowering both herself and the underprivileged women around her.

These are thus two directly contrasting, diverging journeys:

Mizu's arc moves inward (yin). It is an internal path of self-love and self-discovery, focused on finding peace and tranquility inside herself, and this involves allowing herself to let others into her life, opening herself up to friendship and empathy once more.

Akemi's arc moves outward (yang), it is an external path of growth, transforming from a naive, caged princess to a powerful woman and a force to be reckoned with.

Akemi is always dressed in red, even her eyes are a bit of a reddish-brown rather than brown-black like most other characters, and in her penultimate scene she stands against a backdrop of flames. She is fire: quick-tempered, passionate, full of energy. Red is powerful, authoritative, and in eastern cultures, it is associated with prosperity.

Mizu is blue: her eyes, her sword, her clothes. She is also named after water; it's where she goes to recover, reflect and meditate. Water is fluid like a brook weaving around a stone in its path, always changing and adapting, it is graceful, it is beautiful and ruthless, tranquil yet swift.

Thus, in the future, I expect we will see plenty of political manoeuvring and intrigue in Akemi's plotline, where she fully embraces control of her life, and begins to take action to help others as well, realising that her own oppression is just one piece in a much larger picture. Her main conflict is with society.

In direct contrast, Mizu's main conflict is with herself. She must realise that her desire for vengeance is a projection of her own deep-rooted self-hatred. Her arc must move towards unpacking her feelings and trauma so she can be at peace with herself and allow space for love in her heart. Because as we saw in Ep5, Mizu had come extremely close to achieving peace and joy, as she had not only loved Mikio, but also had briefly believed that Mikio had loved her (and accepted her for who she is) as well.

Thus, assuming the story is not planned as a tragedy, Mizu will likely end up getting her vengeance, but it will not satisfy her, because it is not what she needs. What she needs is to let go of the Onryo within her and to reconcile both The Ronin and The Bride within herself, as she is both a fighter and a lover, but not a monster.

(Edit: I recommend checking out this post by @stylographic-blue-rhapsody for a much clearer analysis about Mizu'a symbolism as Ronin, Bride and Onryo!)

And now that we've mostly covered each of the characters individually, we can finally get to the main point of this post: the love triangle.

Let's talk about Option A: Akemi.

As I covered extensively earlier, Mizu and Akemi are foils, a yin-yang pair. But while they play off each other very well in a thematic sense, I personally believe that a serious romance between them will be more complicated if they become endgame. This is because Akemi's natural resolution is to embrace a position of power and influence, where she has both freedom and control over herself and to make much-needed changes in a prejudiced society. Meanwhile, Mizu's natural resolution is the opposite; her happy ending would to find a peaceful life where she is safe and free from prying eyes, and able to be her true self.

Thus, it would make very little sense for Akemi to forfeit power and run away with Mizu and start a humble life together. Akemi wants to be great, and that is absolutely what she deserves. On the other end of the spectrum, it would also make little sense for Mizu to dedicate her life in service of Akemi, such as acting as a bodyguard or something similar, because a life in a palace full of court intrigue and conspiracies is far from what Mizu needs to be happy.

With that being said, if Mizu/Akemi is endgame, and assuming their overarching character arcs do not shift directions, their love story would likely be either tragic, doomed, or bittersweet. I do absolutely love this type of story because personally I'm a sucker for catharsis, so it would be very interesting if the writers do decide to take this route.

Also, as a note, please do not take this as me dunking on this pairing. This is just my personal opinion and analysis and I completely understand if you disagree!

Then, of course, we have Option B: Taigen.

Between Akemi and Mizu, Taigen is a bit of a free-floater here, because Season 1 leaves off at a point where his arc is very ambiguous as to where it's headed. While Akemi climbs for greatness and Mizu goes on a journey across the ocean to (presumably) discover more about her heritage, we have little clues about where Taigen is headed. And if I'm being honest, I'm sure he has no idea either! He still hasn't reclaimed his honour, so he would be unable to rejoin the Shindo Dojo; he's been rejected by Akemi; and while he showed loyalty to the shogun, the shogun is now dead, and all the shogun's men who had witnessed his "humiliating" death were left to die by Lady Itoh, who is now pulling the strings within the palace.

Therefore, Taigen has very few options here.

And when considering his role in the story is as Mizu's begrudging ally, his arc will undoubtedly be focused on unlearning his xenophobia and misogyny, the latter of which we have not seen yet, but is surely present. Now, whether he will do this in Mizu's presence or absence will be unknown until we see Season 2. Following the Season 1 finale, he might return to Kohama and wait for Mizu there as he learns humility and remorse over his past cruelty; or maybe he will follow Mizu to London, and the two of them will continue to butt heads until he finally admits to himself that he cares for Mizu more than he would like to admit. There is no room for doubt that his growing feelings for Mizu are more-than-platonic, because we all saw him get turned on by sparring with her in Ep7 lol. Thus, regardless of the exact choice he makes, I am sure that his overall arc will be focused on redeeming his character.

Now, when it comes go redeeming him, I know there are many who simply don't want him redeemed because he was such a jerk to Mizu, and while yes I agree he was awful, I do believe there is also nuance to his character.

Previously I've discussed in great detail the colour and elemental symbolism with Mizu and Akemi, but have yet to touch on how they relate to Taigen. So, let's talk about that for a second.

While Akemi is red and Mizu is blue, Taigen is green.

Green is a complementary colour to Akemi's red. Complementary colours are directly opposite each other in the colour wheel; when mixed, they neutralise each other, but when put side-by-side, they form a pleasing and impactful contrast that boosts the brightness and prominence of both colours. This mirrors Taigen and Akemi's relationship. They are an "ideal" pair because they complement each other very well, and bring out each other's most prominent traits. Mizu's comment about their similar "brattiness" comes to mind here.

Green is also an analogous colour with Mizu's blue. These colours are sitting right next to each other on the colour wheel; their natural similarity makes it easy for them to form a cohesive overall appearance, but using both in equal amounts will make a design overwhelming and too busy. Thus, the best way to use analogous colours is to make one the dominant colour, while the other will serve as an accent. I feel this also speaks to the dynamic in Taigen and Mizu's relationship. They came from the space place, both from nothing; they're both strong fighters who love the sport, and work well together when fighting side-by-side; however, they butt heads too easily, mirroring how analogous colours can be too overwhelming when used in equal amounts. Thus, to work together in harmony, one has to be the dominant colour, while the other serves as the accent. In this case, the dominant force would be Mizu, as she is the protagonist of the story, while the accent would be Taigen.

By fulfilling this role as an "accent" to Mizu, Taigen's character would easily be slotted in as a the love interest. This is in contrast with a Mizu/Akemi relationship, whereby Akemi is Mizu's foil before she is Mizu's love interest. This is because, by being a love interest, a character usually takes a backseat in the story, serving the plot and the themes by playing a purely supportive role, and this is not possible in Akemi's case because her character exists to parallel and contrast Mizu (red and blue), and not to support her.

It is possible to serve as a supporting love interest in Taigen's case however. And this is because he, unlike the other characters, does not currently have a definitive place within the story. He initially served the plot as an antagonistic force, but now as he is slowly unlearning his prejudices and becoming a better person, he can no longer serve the story by acting purely as a rival.

Instead, he will serve the story by literally supporting Mizu. And this relates to Taigen being earth, which is steady, firm and reliable, unwavering in loyalty and principles, hardworking and rooted in stability, which is seen in Taigen's staunch and inflexible obedience to the traditions and rules of society. These traits are what make him a perfect samurai, but not a good man. However, unlike most people in their world, Taigen is still capable of change and redemption, which is why Mizu says that he has the potential to be great. Not great by way of power or glory, but great in character. Already, he is honourable to a fault, and does not betray Mizu even after she technically robbed him of everything he was striving towards. And when he was shot by an arrow in the chasm, he did not hesitate a second to tell Mizu to use him as a human shield and save herself.

The trigger for his redemption is Mizu. If she had never beat him in that duel, Taigen would live on to become a man like Akemi's father. Cruel, power-hungry, controlling, conservative. But through Mizu, Taigen's sharp edges are ground down, much like water that wears down the stones in a river.

Where Mizu and Akemi's possible love story would be a clash of wills, full of passion and even heartbreak, a possible love story between Mizu and Taigen would be the wearing down of souls. Mizu would make Taigen a better person, and in turn Taigen would dedicate his full respect and support to Mizu as his equal, thus getting her to slowly open up and love herself. Already, Taigen has grown enough to admit (begrudgingly, and in his own Taigen way) that Mizu is better than him; though, clearly, he still has a long way to go, as he still calls Mizu a demon shortly after that.

But basically, Taigen is a very simple man (his main goal now is "to be happy"), and Mizu has great depths that he cannot yet fathom. For this love story to work, it has to begin with Taigen changing for the better. If he succeeds in that, and is able to accept Mizu for all her complexities, I believe that they will make a formidable pair. And though he'd likely still throw a jab or snarky remark at Mizu every now and then, I think he'd come tl wholeheartedly admire Mizu as a brilliant swordsman and a kind soul. Thus, should things work out and this be endgame, Taigen would be able to provide Mizu with what Mikio could not: an idyllic life that is not built on a lie, but mutual trust, respect, admiration, and equality.

Or hey, maybe they could both make their own dojo together! I don't know.

(Edit: This post by @rinandsketches does a great job at delving into Taigen's character and a potential Mizu/Taigen relationship if you'd like to read more about this angle!)

Now, as I move on from Taigen, there are a couple more options on how to resolve this love triangle and that includes Option C: Ringo.

In this option, Mizu does not have an endgame romance with either Akemi or Taigen. In this route, she finds peace and love through friendship, solidarity, and a found family between herself, Ringo and Master Eiji—a bunch of outcasts in society who make a strong trifecta of sword-makers.

Also, as an aside while I'm talking about Ringo, I'd like to point out that I believe his element is air and his colour is a neutral grey; he is talkative, easy-going, wise, curious, light on his feet (stealthy) and free-spirited, which are all traits linked to air, and traits that complement Mizu nicely, as he is capable of getting Mizu to open up and trust others again, while Mizu helps him reach his true potential for greatness.

And finally, there's Option D: Polyamory.

This is basically an "all of the above" option, in which everyone wins and it's a super duper happy ending. It would also be awesome to get some polyamorous representation, and seeing the dynamic between Akemi/Mizu/Taigen play out would be very entertaining and refreshing. So, you never know, this just might be the true endgame!

AAAAND with that, I close my extremely long analysis of what is essentially Mizu's love life. Whatever the final outcome of this love triangle though, I just hope it will be well-written and satisfying to all the characters' respective arcs. (Also I just want Mizu to be HAPPY goddamn it because she deserves the world and her coochie eaten out)

Now, I highly doubt anyone will read any of this (especially not until the end!) but that's fine. I just have so many thoughts and feelings about this show and I just needed to get this out of my system lol! But if by some miracle you did read this far, I wholeheartedly welcome any sharing of thoughts and ideas because man am I obsessed with this show! But of course, if we have an opposing opinions, please be respectful when letting me know; I am very open to friendly discussions.

#blue eye samurai #mizu x taigen #mizu x akemi #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu x akemi x taigen #blue eye samurai meta #also if you ask me PERSONALLY. based on my own analysis which you can read above. personally i'm placing my bets on option b (mizutaigen)#and this is simply bcs i think mizu deserves nice things and that includes getting dicked down and pampered and worshipped #whoops who said that #also mizu deserves to live a life where she can hand taigen's ass to him on a daily basis. ykwim.#BUT i am def open to a change of opinion regarding the mizuakemi rship as the story progresses #i just dont want the writers to reduce akemi into nothing but a love interest for mizu #the only way i can see a happy mizuakemi endgame scenario is if blue eye samurai becomes purely an angsty romance story #in which case then yes i fully endorse the akemi ending <3 #but that would probs require a whole genre overhaul? bcs currently the show is firstly an action-epic where the romance is just a subplot #but even tho i dont reeeeally want a mizuakemi endgame i still DEF want mizu & akemi to be romantically and/or sexually involved plsss <3 #like they cant have that slow-mo shot between the two of them as their first encounter and NOT DO ANYTHING W IT!!!#also i want mizu to be at LEAST a little sapphic plsplspls #shut up haydar #meta dissertations.pdf #haydar's fandom posts #i wrote this whole thing while delirious and covid positive

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libraryofgage · 8 months

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SpiderPool Steddie Part One

So, this is definitely gonna have multiple parts lmao

It's been bouncing around my brain for a while like the Addams Family Steddie AU lol

Anyway, lemme know if you'd like to be tagged for future parts ^_^

----

Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls is, at best, a dive bar. At worst, it's a cesspit in which the scummiest people in the city gather to bask in each other's scumminess. To Steve, however, it's the perfect place to collapse after a long patrol, splayed out like a starfish on the roof as the music playing inside vibrates the building itself.

Steve takes a deep breath, setting his bat down next to him before pushing his mask to the bridge of his nose. He then lies down on the roof, wishing not for the first time that the city's light pollution wasn't so bad. Seeing the stars and hunting for constellations would really help him ignore the cracked ribs screaming inside his chest and threatening to break if he even breathes wrong.

All things considered, though, it could be worse. Steve doesn't have any morning classes, Vecna didn't beat him up nearly as bad as he usually does during their fight earlier, and his accelerated healing means Steve will be able to breathe normally by morning. Robin would tell him he has a very low bar when it comes to judging how shitty his life currently is, but she isn't here, so her opinion doesn't matter. Dustin would tell him he should try not getting his ass whooped in the future. Thankfully, he also isn't here, making his opinion as meaningful as Robin's.

Steve closes his eyes, letting his shoulders relax and trying not to think about anything. It sort of works until his entire body suddenly tenses, every nerve on edge and goosebumps shooting across his arms. He shoots up, ignoring the harsh twinge in his ribs as he turns in a crouch and grabs his bat. Steve clenches his jaw, breathing harshly through his nose to keep from groaning in pain, and feels relieved he didn't completely remove his mask completely.

Over by the door leading to a staircase is a guy with ripped jeans, a worn-out shirt with "HELLFIRE CLUB" across the chest, a jean vest covered in patches and pins, and hair pulled back out of his face with a few wavy strands stubbornly escaping his hair tie. He's breathing a little heavily, his face flushed like he's just climbed a few flights of stairs. Actually, he probably has.

"Woah," the guy says, his voice soft enough that Steve would have missed it if not for the enhanced hearing. The guy clears his throat and holds up both hands, showing off a bottle of Jack Daniels in one and a bag with a grease-stained bottom in the other. "Uh, I come in peace. I didn't realize the rooftop was taken."

Steve has no clue what possesses him, but he forces himself to relax and set the bat down. "No, it's okay. I can head out," he says, staying seated despite his words. He's really hoping the guy will insist he doesn't need to; his ribs are still aching like a bitch.

Thankfully, the guy flashes a grin and slowly lowers his hands. "Nah, you're all good. Not every day I get to eat next to a hero. Want some fries?" he asks, walking over and sitting a good two feet away so there's plenty of room between them.

He tears open the bag to create an impromptu plate and puts it between them, the smell of greasy and undoubtedly delicious fries tempting enough that Steve picks up a smaller one and pops it into his mouth. "Thanks. Where are these from?" Steve asks, glancing over as the guy twists the cap of his bottle and takes a swig.

"A burger joint two streets down and one street over. On the corner."

Steve nods, making a mental note of the directions so he can get a burger before swinging home. He's got just enough in his pocket to afford one. "So, got a name?" Steve asks, figuring he's already eating the guy's fries and they're about to spend some time together on this roof. He should know the guy's name.

The guy's grin returns, and he sets the bottle down between them as well. It's tempting, but Steve doesn't trust his alcohol tolerance to hold up while his body is busy fixing his ribs. "Eddie. Do I get to know your name, too?"

Steve snorts and leans away slightly, putting a bit more distance between Eddie and his entirely too-grabbable mask. "Nice try," he says.

"Worth a shot," Eddie says, shrugging as he picks up a few fries. "So, Spider-Man, what brings you to Sister Margaret's? You enjoy the gay metal scene?"

"What's the difference between gay and regular metal?"

"Our hair is better," Eddie explains, dramatically flipping the few strands of hair escaping his tie.

Steve has to hold back a second snort, taking another fry and chewing on it before saying, "I like resting here after patrol. The whole building shakes with the music."

Eddie lights up, his eyes brightening and his back straightening some. "So, you're a fan of Corroded Coffin," he says, taking another swig of the Jack Daniels. It's only now that Steve realizes it's already a quarter of the way gone, and he wonders if Eddie's liver can handle that much alcohol all at once.

"Is that the name of the band?"

"Yep. They play here almost every night."

"I'm guessing you like them, too, then?"

Eddie hums, amusement dancing across his expression now, giving Steve the distinct feeling that there's some secret he simply isn't in on. "They're the best band I've ever heard. Their music is incredible. They really push the boundaries of the genre. And their lyrics? Amazingly layered with at least three meanings per line. I highly recommend actually coming in for a listen one of these days," Eddie says, leaning a little closer to Steve.

A beat of silence passes in which Steve holds Eddie's gaze. Or, he holds the gaze on his end; he's sure Eddie can't actually tell with the mask covering his eyes. "You're in the band," Steve says.

"Lead guitarist and singer, yes. I also write the songs."

"You're incredibly critical of yourself, really grounded in reality."

Eddie barks out a laugh. "I just happen to know my worth incredibly well."

"You have all the confidence of a mediocre white man on a job hunt."

Eddie gasps, placing a hand on his chest as he looks at Steve. "How dare you call me mediocre. I am revolutionary at worst and the second coming at best."

"You know the second coming involves, like, an apocalypse or something, right?"

"I'm Jewish, why would I bother with the fine details?" Well, Steve will give him that. "By the way," Eddie says, gesturing to Steve's bat as he continues, "do those nails actually see any use? Or are they just there to act as a threat?"

Steve looks down at his bat, considering it for a moment before carefully holding the middle and offering the handle to Eddie. Now that he's giving them a few moments of attention, he's realizing the nails embedded in the end are a little rusty and definitely need cleaning. "I try not to be deadly with it, but Vecna's got these lab-grown demon dogs and bats that always manage to break through my webs," Steve explains.

He watches as Eddie takes the bat, weighing it in his hands before shoving his palm into the nails. Steve jerks, a wordless shout escaping his throat as he launches himself over the fries and in front of Eddie. "Are you okay?!" he asks, grabbing Eddie's hand and shakily inspecting the nails sticking through it. Fuck, those are going to be a bitch to get out, and he'll probably have to swing Eddie to the hospital for a tetanus shot.

Being angry doesn't even register in his brain as Eddie laughs. "Don't worry about it, Spidey," he says, pulling his hand off the nails with a slight wince. He wiggles his fingers, letting Steve have a front-row seat to the injuries closing. "See, good as new."

And he's right. The injuries are good as new. In fact, there isn't even any scarring, and Steve almost rips his mask off to take a closer look but stops himself at the last minute. Instead, he grabs Eddie's hand and yanks it closer, turning it over to check his palm, too. "What the fuck?" he asks, looking up at Eddie, still gripping his hand tight.

"Super healing," Eddie explains. "Like, super duper. If I ever get decapitated, just hold my head to my neck, and I'll be right as rain."

"I'd rather not put that claim to the test," Steve says, frowning slightly as he runs his fingers over Eddie's palms, just to make sure the injuries aren't somehow hidden from sight.

"You know, I kissed the last guy who touched my palm like that," Eddie says, leaning in again with that grin.

Suddenly all Steve can think about is how Eddie's lips do look soft. And it has been a while since Steve actually kissed anyone. And he does think Eddie is funny. And he does find himself wondering if his smile will taste like the Jack Daniels and fries. And...and...

And Steve needs to go before he does anything he shouldn't be doing as Spider-Man.

He jerks back, dropping Eddie's hand like it burns, and ignores the ache in his ribs as he grabs his bat and stands. "I, uh, I need to get going. Thanks for the fries, Eddie," he says, hurrying over to the edge of the roof.

"Woah, just gonna eat and run on me, big boy?" Eddie asks, scrambling to his feet and over to where Steve is climbing onto the edge of the roof. "That's not very hero-like of you. You haven't even left me your name or number. How are you gonna pay me back $2.50 for the fries?"

"I had five," Steve says, turning to look at Eddie as he webs his bat to his back and pulls his mask down over his chin.

"The economy sucks, man."

Okay, he's got Steve there. Again. "Nice try, Eddie."

"Can you blame a guy? Your ass looks great in that spandex."

Steve is suddenly relieved his mask is back down, covering the furious blush spreading across his cheeks. He'd think it was just a joke, but the sincere and somewhat goofy smile tugging at Eddie's lips tells him it's more genuine than anything else. "Thanks," Steve says, giving Eddie a two-finger salute before taking a step back off the roof.

He shoots a web at the edge of the building, using the momentum to swing around the corner. His ribs are killing him with the movement, but he still manages to throw a, "See you later, Eds!" over his shoulder before he's completely out of earshot.

Later, Steve will wonder how Eddie got his super healing, if he's that flirtatious with every guy he meets on the roof of Sister Margaret's, and if he'll be there the next time Steve swings by. But that's for later. For now, he's just enjoying the breeze rushing over him and thinking about Eddie's eyes and his smile and his long fingers.

#Steddie #Spiderpool Steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #spiderman steve harrington #deadpool eddie munson #it'll make sense i promise #also Eddie goes back into the bar and immediately starts bragging about flirting with spider-man #everyone immediately knows he's about to become Annoying (TM)#and resign themselves to their fate #Robin does the exact same when Steve gets home and tells her about Eddie #RIP everyone who has to live with these two gushing about each other

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taitavva · 11 months

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the golden combination

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arson-09 · 17 days

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i think people who want elriel to happen are just people who are obsessed with the bat boys and just want to read more bat boy romance and don’t actually care about elain as a character 🧍🏻

#anti elriel #acotar #pro elain #shes not a warrior like sjm made feyre and nesta. thats not who she is a character as established #however i can see sjm taking her character apart like she did with nesta and tamlin #for elriel to happen elain would just become feyre v3 because i truly cannot see azriel and her working #Azriel is not a gentleman lmao hes just quieter in his bullshit than the other two #elain needs to get out of the night court. thats not a good place for her !!#let her travel like she wants too and have time to herself with her own agency #Her and lucien make so much more sense #lucien is actually a gentleman #also azriel has stated he wants a mate and elain is NOT HIS MATE #pro elucien #pro lucien vanserra

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worstloki · 6 months

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AU where Loki doesn’t interfere with Thor’s banishment at all and it takes Thor years to prove himself worthy and when he returns to Asgard everything is just. The same. Nothing seems to have changed at all and everyone greets him like his absence was a minor obstacle that didn’t fundamentally change Thor and the worst part is Loki stepped down from the place as regent without any delay and Thor can’t help but feel there’s something underlaying the way his brother looks at him now and won’t let him touch him and Thor doesn’t know what he could have missed because he doesn’t think he would have found anything wrong with the things around him and how everyone behaves if he hadn’t spent time on Earth reflecting.

#the warriors 4 not being interested in anything Thor ‘learnt’ at all #and making it clear that Thor was punished unfairly and the AllFather’s decision had been harsh #Loki saying he’s happy for Thor and Thor sees the way the smiles are forced and he sees the way Loki avoids any touch #Thor hating the way Frigga talks about Loki’s short regency and Thor’s absence like it wasn’t two whole decades or something #like she’s so grateful to have her other son back without ever addressing why he was gone #Thor just. growing during his time on earth and being much more aware of the behaviour around him #he learns to be critical and assess why people around him may act a certain way #once he realises that it’s possible for him or anyone else to be fallible and make mistakes it’s over for Asgard for him I think #Thor returns and Loki gives him the throne and everyone expects him to obviously have the throne #and Odin is sleeping and Thor isn’t comfortable with the way everyone accepts him as king regent after the banishment #Loki who either never lashed out against Jotunheim or did and it was brushed away and no one thinks about it as anything #but Loki is still deeply affected and acts the way he always would have but Thor can feel it’s not the same #he knows something is wrong and Loki won’t say anything about it and Thor doesn’t know how to bring it up #Thor sees Loki metaphorically receding into the shadows to become a nonpresence so loud Thor hears it even after returning from decades away #Thor goes to Earth and gets his priorities in order gets a new worldview learns not to take what he has for granted #and finds out he actually despised Asgard #he’s been back a week and he can’t stand it

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bucketsofmonsters · 2 years

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Proper Etiquette - Part 1

cw: arranged marriage, oral sex, non-human genetalia, loss of virginity, reader is very repressed

male demon x fem reader

word count: 8k

part 1 part 2

You’d spent the whole week non stop planning your wedding. Stuff you’d dreamed about for ages. You had found your dress and helped pick flowers and colors, finally given the opportunity to decide things, to plan something for yourself. Everything would be perfect. But the planning couldn’t go on forever, eventually the actual day did arrive.

And now you sat in the throne room, waiting to meet your future husband. It was odd, in all the years of thought you’d put into this wedding you hadn’t given much thought into who you'd be marrying. It wasn’t like it would matter anyways. You’d known it would be out of your control, that them letting you plan the wedding was nothing but an attempt to pacify you. A facade of control to distract you from the rest of your life that you had no part in making the decisions about.

Sitting here, waiting for him to arrive, you could no longer indulge in that. You couldn’t throw yourself into planning, try and distract yourself from everything else. You sat there, chin up and face as unreadable as you could make it, and you had nothing to do but think. You had to stay present, it was important to consciously make yourself look regal in front of everyone, but that just made the time pass even slower, your incessant worry becoming overwhelming.

Of course you’d known you wouldn’t get to choose who you married, that was how being a princess worked. That was why you’d put it out of your mind so intentionally, no use worrying about things you couldn’t change. However, in all your years of not thinking about it, you’d never imagined that this was how you’d end up. You assumed you’d marry some haughty rich boy, probably a prince or a king. You’d met enough of them to know that most of them were the same. You knew what awaited you, or at least you’d thought you had. Somehow, you had been blindsided.

You wouldn’t react emotionally. They’d explained everything to you beforehand so you had time to cry, to get frustrated, to argue, to adjust. You were numb to it now. You’d do your duty and you would do it with grace.

Part of you had thought that the descriptions of your husband-to-be and the others of his creed must have been exaggerated, that the people who had encountered them had been making the demons sound more imposing for the sake of their little tales. It wasn’t a foreign idea, returning soldiers would say plenty of things to make their victory sound a little more heroic or to make their defeat sound more justified. As he entered the room, you instantly realized that you had been wrong. The first thing you noticed was his size. He was easily seven feet tall, towering above everyone else in the room. His skin was a reddish-purple, far from anything human, with large, dark horns coming out of his head.

He arrived alone. That had been one of the conditions of his arrival. Your father was convinced that if he’d brought more people, surely they’d attempt an invasion. Coming alone would prove his dedication to the peace you were forming with this marriage. You would return to his home with him when this was all over anyways.

You had thought the rule foolish when you’d first heard it but now you were grateful. One towering man was more than enough to make you nervous, at least this way you had somewhere to focus your attention.

You father spoke beside you, nodding his head in greeting. “Prince Rygel.”

The prince commanded the room's attention. You could feel everyone holding their breath, waiting nervously for him to speak.

He spoke with a huff, clearly just as unhappy with this situation as you were. “Let’s get this over with.”

And with those words it was official. It was your wedding day.

You didn’t think you’d get a chance to speak to one another before the ceremony and were confused when you were hustled into a side room, far from where you thought you’d be getting ready. When you turned to see the figure in the room you froze before remembering yourself.

You curtsied deeply, showing respect as best you could. “Prince Rygel.”

He nodded, not bowing in return. “Princess.”

For a moment frustration washed over you before you thought better of it. You knew nothing of his customs, of what a sign of respect was where he was from. Perhaps you were afraid of him, but you would not assume. Doing so would only make things worse, deepen the divide that already stood between the two of you.

“I did not think we’d get to speak.” You attempted a smile as you spoke, doing your best to bridge that divide as much as could.

“I insisted on it. It seems barbaric to marry someone I’d never even spoken to.” He seemed distracted, barely even looking at you.

You shrugged. “Such is politics.” That’s what you’d been telling yourself nonstop ever since you’d heard of the news, it wasn’t difficult to vocalize it.

“Perhaps.” He fell silent, contemplating something that he didn’t seem interested in cluing you in on.

As you sat in silence, feeling ignored and afraid and entirely out of your depth, you decided to speak up. At this point the wedding was happening no matter what, you might as well get some words in beforehand. “They all say you’re all monsters.” Even your voice felt small around him, feeling like it was barely leaving your throat.

You weren't sure what response you wanted from him. Maybe reassurance that they were wrong or confusion at where the idea had come from. Perhaps, even, confirmation it was true. At least then you’d know what you were getting yourself into. The uncertainty was what was getting to you, just seeking some amount of knowledge about what the future would hold.

He just chuckled to himself at some joke you were unaware you’d made. “You’d hate to hear what we say about you.”

That hadn’t occurred to you. Although humans weren’t as physically intimidating, surely his people had horror stories just like yours did. Your nations had been at odds for a very long time, you were sure both sides had plenty of tales of the other. And you would be living there, amongst people who probably hated you. You focused on your breathing, needing to keep yourself presentable at least until this ordeal was over.

He clearly noticed the state you were working yourself into. “Listen, I’m not happy about this either. You think I want to marry a human?”

Great. As well as being terrified of being tied forever to this monstrous man, you weren’t even wanted.

“This isn’t about what we want,” you responded, making sure to keep your chin up as you spoke, set on showing strength as much as you could.

“No, it’s not. We’re prolonging this, you should go.”

You turned to leave, in a rush to get out before thinking better of it. You had to start forming goodwill between you at some point if this was going to be bearable, you might as well start now. “I’ll see you later,” you said, sparing him a small smile.

He wasn’t even paying attention, lost in his own thoughts. As you left, you wondered if they were racing as much as yours were.

The preparation for the wedding was all a blur. You barely even registered it had begun before you were at the altar. You kept finding yourself glancing around as the wedding commenced around you, as if perhaps, if you didn’t look at Rygel and didn’t listen to the officiant drone on between you, maybe this wouldn’t be real.

Someone bumped you and you jolted back to reality, realizing they were waiting for you to speak. You uttered, “I do” and then it was done. You were married. All that preparation and you barely felt conscious for most of it.

And then, per tradition, you kissed. He had to lean down to do so, you standing on the tips of your toes to reach him. It lasted barely a second, both of you clearly eager for it to be over. As soon as it was done you were out again, tuning out the world.

You barely even realized you were being beckoned away. You turned, wide-eyed, to see someone who decidedly was not your husband trying to gently push you down a hallway. As you looked where he was trying to send you, you saw your husband walking off, leaving you behind. You charitably decided to believe he’d told you to come along and you just hadn’t heard him in your state, as opposed to him just choosing to leave you. You quickly thanked the man who had gotten your attention and trailed after Rygel, trying to keep up with his long gait.

By the time you arrived, he was already settling into your bedroom, the one you would be sharing until you headed off to your new home. It was fairly nondescript, barely anything in the room but a few tables and a bed. You still felt distant, almost as if you were dreaming, unable to ground yourself in this foreign room.

You realized that while you were in your daze with your back turned, taking in your surroundings, the prince had changed into more comfortable clothes, some meant for sleeping. That snapped you out of your trance. Suddenly, you were all too present, the reality of the situation setting in.

As you took him in once more, you also realized he was staring at you, wondering how long he’d been doing that while you’d been in your little trance. Honestly, he was probably wondering why instead of changing you’d started breathing heavily and refused to look him in the eyes for more than a moment. Your panic was obviously clear to him because his face softened and he turned, giving you a modicum of privacy. You breathed in deeply, trying to keep your emotions in check, and then scrambled to get dressed, practically tripping over yourself as you rushed.

He spoke from behind you, voice less stilted than it had been earlier. “You don’t need to be scared of me, you know.”

“I just got married, I think I would be scared regardless.” You smoothed out the lines in your nightgown as you sat on the bed, indicating to him that he could turn around.

When he did, he seemed confused. “Were you always scared of marriage? I’d assumed it was because of me.”

“I just… I kind of know what comes next. I’ve heard whisperings…”

He chuckled. “Whisperings you say.”

“I just don’t really understand it and people have been saying all sorts of things to me about you and about tonight and I kind of know the basics, I just…” Now you were really getting yourself worked up, spiraling as you were honest with yourself about how you felt for the first time since this had all begun. “It’s just intimidating and I don’t know anything about you or your kind or where you come from or about this.” You gestured vaguely around you, not even sure what you were referring to at this point.

“You’ll learn about me, there’ll be time for that. And we don’t have to do anything.”

“But…”

He cut off what was inevitably going to be another panicked ramble. “None of that, no buts. In fact, I think it’s been a long day for both of us and we need some rest.”

This wasn’t at all what you'd imagined. You knew the broad strokes of what should be happening tonight, you should be trying for a child. Although, you didn't even know if the two of you could have a child, you very much doubted it. But regardless, you knew what didn't happen was the pair going quietly off to bed. You'd heard the whispers and the snickering, about tonight and your new husband. Part of you was relieved, no longer having to face down this unknown, but still, you remained uncertain, both of what should be happening and of what was actually occurring.

You took a shot in the dark, “And if I never let you touch me?”

He shrugged. “Then I'll never touch you. I am not in the business of terrorizing young women, whatever stories they've told you about my kind. I came here to bring peace, we have done that, what happens beyond that is up to you, not anyone you’ve happened to hear whispers from.”

You knew this wasn’t how things were done, that you were breaking some unspoken protocol but frankly, you were too tired to care. His words calmed you enough to stop your heart from racing, the exhaustion really setting in. Right now you just wanted to sleep.

It hadn’t really set in until just now that the two of you would be sharing a living space from now on. You got carefully under the covers on the opposite side of the bed from where he was sitting.

As he went to lay down next to you, you both quickly realized that his form did not fit on the bed at all, legs hanging off no matter how hard he tried. However, despite the lack of space, he kept a fair distance from you, making sure you didn’t touch.

He grumbled to himself as he made himself as comfortable as he could given the situation. “Did you not have a bigger bed? You're all so tiny.”

You couldn’t help but giggle at the sight which earned you a surprised look from the man. “I’m sorry, you just look so out of place.”

“When we return home, you’ll be drowning in bed space. None of these puny little beds.”

The smile fell from your face at the reminder. “When is that, when are we going?”

“We’ll wait a few days, so you can say your goodbyes.”

“Thank you.” You hoped the sense of genuine relief that washed over you had seeped into your voice, that he understood that you were grateful you’d have some time to adjust, even if he clearly didn’t want to be here.

With your nerves mostly settled for the night you drifted off, doing your best to ignore the man laying next to you and pretend you were still in your own bed.

You awoke to the feeling of being smacked in the face with a stray horn. You yelped out, more in surprise than pain, and Rygel jerked awake beside you. He quickly realized what had occurred as you rubbed your cheek and you spent your first morning as a married woman being apologized to profusely.

Even long after you’d forgiven him, he still seemed mortified by the incident. “I’m really not used to such tight quarters, are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine, you just surprised me,” you reassured him for what felt like the hundredth time.

He seemed eager to leave your company, embarrassment written across his face. “I should be leaving, me and your father have some details we need to finalize about the treaty.” You gave him a quiet nod as he rushed off.

You, on the other hand, were not involved in the peace negotiations. You barely knew what was going on. It wasn’t like you hadn’t tried, you’d fought to get any knowledge of what your marriage actually meant for your kingdom but every time you’d been told it wasn’t your place.

So, with nothing better to do, you set about giving yourself tasks. Right now, your mission was to try and make this room feel more like a home, even if you’d only be here a few days. You managed to squirrel away some of the flowers from your wedding that were already being thrown out. It was quite a waste, they were still beautiful and already they were being discarded, you were sure they wouldn’t mind you sneaking some off.

You displayed them throughout the room, realizing too late you might have grabbed too many but unwilling to get rid of any of them. They brightened your mood and that was enough to justify having so many scattered about.

As Rygel returned, he did not seem so enthused by the new addition to your room, more confused than anything. “What are these?”

You felt yourself spring up in excitement. “They’re flowers! They’re the ones from the wedding, I picked them out myself. Most of them were grown in our garden, it’s lovely out there this time of year.”

“Are they? We don’t really have gardens where I’m from.”

Your shoulders fell, the excitement draining from your body. You didn’t know much about your new home, besides the stories you’d been told about it which you were beginning to suspect may not have been entirely accurate. Now the only concrete information you really had was that there would be no flowers. “Oh, right. Well, you should at least see ours while we’re still here.”

“Would you like to show me?”

You nodded eagerly, always excited to give someone a tour of the gardens. You loved the flowers and the atmosphere and would talk about them to anyone who would listen to you, which historically hadn’t been very many people.

As you rushed him outside to begin your tour, you realized that Rygel seemed to be able to stomach more of your rambling than most, following you deep into the palace’s quite extensive gardens, showing him your favorite plants and spots to hide out.

You finally ended up in your favorite place, a little spot looking over a pond, mostly hidden away from the winding path by a willow tree. You’d spent many days here, hiding away from the world, trying to find a moment of quiet. You weren’t even sure you’d meant to walk here, your feet just taking you here on instinct.

Rygel looked around, a ghost of a smile on his face. When he looked like this, you didn’t find him quite so threatening. He almost looked friendly.

“You care a lot about this place.” It sounded almost like an accusation, like he’d caught you doing something.

You nodded in agreement. “I grew up here, of course I do.”

“We don’t put as much emphasis on places. People, ideas, those are the things worth caring about. I thought your kind’s obsession with objects and places was all greed and pride but the way you care about this place… maybe I was quick to judge.”

You shrugged. “Maybe we both were.” Being here calmed you down, made everything feel like it made more sense. “You know, I used to sit under this tree and hide from my tutors so I wouldn’t have to go to class,” you said with a giggle.

“You don’t like learning?”

“Oh, no, I love learning! I just didn’t much like my tutor.”

He gasped in faux shock. “Princess. I didn’t know you had it in you to speak ill of someone.”

You fought the urge to roll your eyes as you cracked a smile, trying to maintain some semblance of decorum. “I just didn’t like how he made me learn. Never really explained anything, it was all rules and refusing to answer my questions. I much preferred my time out here, I’d spend hours looking at the flowers and reading whatever I could get my hands on.”

“Seems like you probably learned more that way anyways. Did you ever swim in this pond? That’s what I would’ve been up to out here, probably less intellectual than the reading but more fun”

“Of course I did! What self respecting child wouldn’t ruin their nice dresses by jumping in a pond. When I was very young, before my etiquette classes became truly serious, I would go frog hunting in here, I’d find them and show them to everyone. I was quite the little menace.”

“You sound delightful. Curse the etiquette classes for taking that from the world, we could always use more frog hunters.”

“Yes, well, those sorts of things are for children. I’m a proper lady now.”

A sense of disdain passed over his face and you worried you’d ruined the moment. “I swear, it’s like they beat the fun out of you humans,” he grumbled, not seeming upset at you but seeming upset nonetheless.

“It’s just not proper.”

“So? When we return you’ll learn to have fun again, I’m sure of it. We’ll find you a frog pond somewhere, let you enjoy yourself for once.”

Your first response was to be taken aback by the prospect. You felt like you probably didn’t look dissimilar to all the ladies of the court you’d tried to show frogs to in your youth, sneaking them in inside of your long sleeves and displaying them proudly to the horror of the people around you.

There were lots of things you’d stopped doing. You wondered how many of them were normal where Rygel came from, how many deep seeded habits you’d have to unlearn.

“Perhaps it’s best to leave the fun to the children.” You tried to look away from him, feeling some negative emotion brewing in the pit of your stomach that you didn’t want to deal with, when he grabbed your chin and pulled your attention back to him.

He inspected your face as he held it in his hand and you left it there, too shocked and confused to turn away again. “You’re scared,” he muttered. “Scared of what? Of not having to force yourself into these stuffy rules? Of anything new, perhaps?”

“I’m not scared.”

“Prove it.”

And then he leaned down and kissed you, his hand drifting to your cheek. His hands were so big they almost engulfed your face but the lightness of his touch offset how intimidating that was, his touch so soft that you could easily pull away if you wanted to. You didn't.

You’d seen people kiss before, couples in the court showing quick affection towards one another. You had only been kissed once in your life, up on that altar in front of everyone. That kiss had been what you’d expected, exactly what you’d seen before, quick and quietly affectionate. This was nothing like that. This was something new.

This was passionate and overwhelming in a way you didn’t know a kiss could be. You tried to match his movements, unsure of yourself and trying to get out of your own head. As his lips moved against yours, you sunk into the kiss, shutting off your brain and just letting yourself feel.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, trying to keep yourself on the tips of your toes so you could reach him properly. That wasn’t a concern for long as his other hand wrapped around your waist, pulling you up towards him.

You let out a surprised little noise as his tongue entered your mouth, the feeling foreign but not unwelcome. It felt like he was exploring you in ways you’d never imagined before. You were happy the two of you were in your little hiding place because the idea of anyone seeing you like this was unthinkable.

When he finally pulled away, you felt dizzy, almost like you were drunk on something, although on what you weren’t sure

You were at a loss for words, opening and closing your mouth, feeling like a fish out of water.

Finally you settled on, “Was that normal?”

His head cocked to the side. “Does it matter?”

You realized you were almost panting, your breathing heavy after the kiss, trying desperately to calm it down.

He tilted your head up again and you let him, your cheeks burning beneath his gentle hand. “This flustered after a kiss, I can’t even imagine how disheveled I could make you.”

If it was anything like that, you’d welcome it. You weren’t sure you could manage words right now so you just stayed still, looking up at him quietly.

His thumb ran across your cheek, a naked affection present in his eyes. “You know, I like you much more than I thought it would. They just pushed you down so far under those layers of etiquette that I couldn’t see it.”

A soft smile graced your face and you nuzzled into his hand, craving a closeness with him that you didn’t quite understand.

With the tour finished and a peak of the afternoon reached, Rygel led you gently back towards the palance, seemingly unbothered by your silence. You were busy with other things, your mind mainly occupied with attempting to unravel the events of the afternoon and the cacophony of emotions and thoughts flowing through you.

When you reached your room you were still trying to unravel the web of emotions you’d been stuck with, studying the flowers you’d squirreled away as you thought. Although you were unable to understand your own thoughts, something else did occur to you and you grabbed some flowers from the bouquet, pressing some sprigs of lavender under the couple of books in the room.

Rygel watched you work, quietly observing as you picked out your favorite flowers and placed them within the pages of the books before stacking them up. “What are you doing?”

“I’m pressing some flowers. It’s not much but it means they’ll be preserved and I can bring them with me when we leave.”

“That’s a clever idea.”

“Thank you!” You were beaming at the praise, his interest in and approval of your actions meaning more to you than you thought they would.

“You know, I’ve been thinking…” you said, as you turned from your books back to your husband after having collected your thoughts.

“Oh, have you.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be… you know…”

“You don’t need to talk in riddles. What are you asking me?”

You couldn’t. You physically did not have the capacity to speak plainly on this matter, feeling overwhelmed already. “Forget it, I was being silly,” you said, trying to brush it off.

He shook his head. “I’m not letting you run that easily, princess.”

“I just want us to do what we should be doing.” You tried to play it off, like this was no big deal and you just wanted to follow how things should be.

“You weren’t so eager last night. Last night it was ‘what if I never let you touch me.’ What’s changed? Maybe you want more than what you’re letting on.”

You reeled back, feeling as if you’d been accused of something. “No. That’s not true.”

“Maybe not. Do you want to try something? It won’t be what you heard whisperings of, not yet at least, I get the feeling that would be too much. Right now, let’s just focus on reminding you how to enjoy yourself, how does that sound?” He was drawing closer as he spoke and you could feel your heart hammering in your chest.

He got so close to you that with one stray breath you’d be touching and then he stopped, waiting for your response. Things were in your hands now, you had to choose it, he wouldn’t let you just stumble into this.

You managed a quiet, “Okay,” and let out a sigh of relief when he didn’t press you for more.

Instead, he gave you a gentle smile, one that you couldn’t help but return.

“Stop me if it’s too much, alright? And keep talking, I want to hear that pretty little voice.”

Before those last words could leave you floundering, he crashed your mouths together once again and you let yourself get wrapped up in the kiss, everything else fading away.

He picked you up effortlessly, mouth still pressed to yours, and you didn’t care where he took you as long as you got to keep doing this. You felt yourself being set on the bed, your arms wrapped around his neck, keeping him there with you as he pressed you into the sheets.

Eventually, despite your efforts to keep him there, he pulled away, drawing a small whine from you. Immediately you slapped your hand over your mouth, horrified at the noise you’d just made.

He immediately grabbed your wrist, pulling your hand from your mouth and pressing it into the bed. “I said I want to hear you.”

You nodded immediately, your eagerness to please overwhelming your embarrassment.

After you agreed, you expected to be kissed again, but instead, to your mild disappointment, he just drifted downwards. He pulled up the hems of your skirts, flipping them up towards you so he could get under them and you fought every urge to cover yourself back up. His hand began to pull down your tights as he studied your face.

“How are you feeling?”

You did an internal check in. How were you feeling? Different, that was for sure. It felt like something was brewing under your skin, your whole body flushing and your breaths getting heavy once more. “Hot. My heart is beating really fast.”

“All good things”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Yes, really.”

He pulled down your tights the rest of the way, leaving you fully exposed. You could barely even see him, the skirts he’d hiked up around your waist getting in the way. You pushed the skirts in, compressing them so you could see his face, desperate to read him, to understand what he was feeling.

He looked enthralled, staring between your thighs like they held all the answers in the universe. His massive fingers glided through your newly exposed folds. “Look at you, all nice and wet for me. I can’t believe I was able to get the innocent little princess so riled up.”

Before you had a chance to respond, he leaned forward and licked a hot, wet stripe through your folds, the sudden sensation making your legs clamp together, prevented by his head and horns between your thighs, keeping you spread open.

He stopped immediately, looking up at your wide-eyed face. “I said talk to me, how are you doing?”

Your mind was still reeling, barely able to think properly, let alone verbalize how you were feeling.

He prompted you further, searching your face for clues as to how you felt as he let his head rest on your lower stomach. “Come on, sweet girl.”

Your face flushed even more at the pet name, something you didn’t even know was possible. You weren’t sure your face had ever been this hot before in your life.

“Can you do it again?” you ask, your voice soft and unsure. You felt as if you were doing something wrong but the overwhelming urge to experience it again overrode that.

A mischievous smile crossed his face and he immediately dropped back down, pressing kisses into your upper thigh before his thick tongue returned to your folds, a whimper escaping your throat as he did.

And then he sucked and your hips almost unwillingly bucked upwards. You could feel him repressing a grin, opting instead to nip at your upper thigh and you let out another whine, absolutely desperate for more.

“Did that feel good? Are you enjoying yourself?”

His tone felt like he was teasing you but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care, frantically nodding your head and babbling out words in the affirmative, hoping he’d do it again.

He seemed to enjoy teasing you, doing something that would make you gasp and then pulling away again, demanding responses or pressing kisses into your thighs for a while before returning.

After a while, you realized he was waiting for you to tell him what to do, that he wouldn’t stop this teasing until you asked, perfectly content to sit down there and bring you right to the edge for as long as you let this go on.

The next time he was where you wanted him, lapping at the spot right above your folds, you spoke unprompted for the first time since this had begun. “Please, stay there, I need more.”

The second you asked him he doubled down, his mouth now glued to you, a feeling in your lower stomach drawing tighter and tighter. The sensations were starting to get overwhelming, your head thrown back and your back arching into him.

You grabbed at the fabric of your skirts, desperate for something more solid to hold onto. Finally, your hands reached down and grabbed his horns, wrapping as far around them as you could. This only seemed to spur him on, his arms lifting you up, holding your lower half slightly aloft and pulling you even further into his face, as if you weighed nothing.

You were as close as you could be, your hands pushing his horns down, pressing his face further into you and his hands pulling you up into him, one of them drifting down to grab your ass while the other stayed firmly positioned at your hip.

You were glad his new resolve to eat you out unendingly left him unable to speak because if he’d prompted a response from you right now, you were sure you wouldn’t be able to manage one.

And then the world exploded. Your vision whited out. Distantly, you could feel yourself pushing up into his face, but everything else felt so far away compared to what you were feeling, the pure bliss ripping through you.

It began to fade and you pushed Rygel off of you as the sensations started to become too much. He allowed you to push him away and sit up as he looked at you expectantly. He was panting too, as if this had affected him just as much as it had affected you.

It felt like you were able to think for the first time since this had started, your normally ordered thoughts had completely left you behind. As you came down from your high, they returned and your head raced. What had just happened?

As your ability to think coherently returned, a thick cloud of guilt settled over you. “This was wrong.”

His words were soft and low, like he was talking to a wounded animal. “You're crashing. This can happen after you come, a low after a high, it’s totally normal.”

You weren’t listening to him, you couldn’t listen to him. “This is evil.”

“You need affection right now, princess. Come here, let me take care of you.”

“I need to be away from you.” You stumbled to your feet, knees shaky and head reeling. Your skirts fell back to their rightful place as you stood. “This is wrong, I’m not supposed to… You’re trying to seduce me to evil.”

“I’m trying to seduce you to something. You need to calm down, just breathe.”

“No, this is… this can’t be right. We’re supposed to be producing children not… I have to go.”

You didn’t let him say another word to you, certain he could’ve convinced you to stay if you’d let him.

Did human husbands do what he’d done to you? You’d never heard such things but then again, you were starting to think there were many things you hadn’t heard of.

You went to the library as if it held any answers for you, pouring through books, not even sure what you were looking for at this point. The most you ever got out of them was “do what your husband says” and you were sure that they didn’t have your particular husband in mind when they wrote that.

Besides, he hadn’t actually told you to do anything. Quite the opposite, he would’t really do anything without you asking. It probably would have been easier if he’d told you what to do, easier to rationalize it that way. But now, the weight felt like it was on your shoulders. You had asked for this, if it wasn’t right that was on you.

After spiraling for hours, you realized night had long since set. No matter how out of sorts you felt, you should get back to your room. You winced at the prospect of having to face Rygel. You never seemed to be able to think around him, knowing that the confusion you were feeling now would only get worse in his presence. Why was he so overwhelming?

You thought there was a chance he’d be asleep when you returned, that you’d be able to slip into bed and you wouldn’t have to face him. That hope was squashed when you entered your room, finding him waiting patiently for you.

“It’s a bit late for aftercare but something tells me you still need to be taken care of.” He opened his arms, beckoning you towards him.

You weren’t even sure what you were doing, you just knew you wanted to be near him. A few days ago, you would’ve pushed the instinct aside, pushed down what you wanted, ignored it. But he’d broken down your walls too much and you wanted it too badly.

As soon as you got within arms reach, he pulled you into his chest and you were absolutely engulfed by his embrace.

You could practically feel the tension leave you, melting into him as he held you. You couldn’t help but feel safe with him, a quiet sense of reassurance present in his touch.

“Where did you go?”

You tried to shrug but you couldn’t, his embrace limiting the movement of your arms. “Just went to read.”

You felt a chuckle rumble through his chest. “Just so you know, I’m not bringing any of those damn etiquette books with us. They’ve ruined your life enough already. You know, I did something with my afternoon too.”

You somehow already felt sleepy. You kept missing just how tired you were right up until your worry left you. You were being held up only by his arms, if he stopped supporting you you’d collapse on the floor. Instead, he pulled the both of you back onto the bed, keeping you firmly tucked against him.

You nuzzled into his chest as you spoke, the word coming out a little slurred as exhaustion overtook you. “What did you do?”

“I’ve found some flowers that I think will work with our soil back home, it won’t be what you have here but it’ll be something.”

Suddenly, you felt wide awake, pulling away so you could look at him. “You did what?”

“They seem important to you, I want you to feel at home.”

You felt yourself tearing up and he immediately pulled you into his chest.

This couldn’t be bad. This man who seemed intent on making you feel safe and welcome, who was never endingly obsessed with what you wanted, couldn’t be bad.

You pulled back again, although he seemed reluctant to let you go. You immediately used the opportunity to crash your lips into his, desperate to show him how grateful you were. He seemed surprised at first but quickly and happily sunk into it.

“You’re getting bolder,” he said as he pulled away, his forehead leaned against yours.

You were. Never would you have considered doing anything like that before today, something that you just did because you wanted to. Maybe having to unlearn all this, to live in his society, not fueled by what was proper wouldn’t be so bad. If it was like today, you couldn’t say you’d mind it at all.

“I think I’m in love with you.” You said the words as soon as you realized they were true, your carefully constructed filter slipping away entirely.

“I think I’m in love with you too. Funny how that works out.”

You let him pull you into him again, this time without any protest, happily falling asleep against his side.

You woke up warm and happy, still tucked under his arm, your back pressed tightly to his front and your head tucked under his, a far cry from the deliberate distance between you you’d slept with before.

As you wiggled a little to get comfortable, you heard him groan behind you, waking up. As you shifted, you felt something hard pressed into you before he pulled away, mumbling a quiet apology.

As he did your rose with him and he immediately detected the confusion written across your face. His face fell into that familiar scowl and he muttered to himself, “Did they teach you anything?”

Not really. You’d assumed you’d sort of instinctively know everything. That’s how everyone had made it sound, like after you got married you’d just know what to do. Unfortunately, married you was just as clueless as unmarried you had been.

You didn’t like feeling like you were in the dark, like everyone, including your husband, knew so much more than you. You’d been told you’d know what to do, you’d know what was right, you’d know so many things and yet they hadn’t given you the tools to figure those things out. It wasn’t fair. You options seemed to be to stay in the dark forever or potentially make the wrong choice because your supposed instincts just never kicked in.

You wondered if this was a normal problem, if everyone was left in a confused panic after they got married. Sure, their situations probably weren’t as extreme as yours, but you couldn’t imagine that you’d feel more certain with a human spouse.

Or maybe it was just you. Maybe everyone else in the world had these perfect instincts and here you were, trying not to spiral in front of your husband.

He seemed to immediately pick up on your headspace, eyes softening as he watched you take shaky breaths.

You sank to the floor, your head reeling, unsure of what to do with yourself but knowing you needed to sit down.

He followed you down, sitting beside you.

You buried your head in your hands so you didn’t have to face his concerned gaze. “I just wish I knew anything.” You were frustrated and confused and felt like you were at a disadvantage that you shouldn’t have had to deal with.

“Do you want to learn? I can show you.”

That got your attention. Your head swung up to look at him. “What?”

“Well, you’re not going to learn by pouting on the floor. Or maybe… do you want to see?”

You nodded eagerly, watching him rise to his feet and sit on the edge of the bed, looking down at you. You rose to your knees, your stomach fluttering as he started to undo his pants.

Your eyes widened as they came undone and his cock sprang out, massive and hard. There was no way that would ever fit inside you. Maybe without the size difference, but not between the two of you.

“Is this supposed to go…”

“Don’t worry about that, you’re just learning right now.”

You tentatively wrapped your hand around it, your fingers just barely unable to meet, needing both hands to encompass the whole thing.

“It’s bigger than what most humans have,” he said, responding to the shocked look plastered across your face.

You certainly hoped so, you imagined this would look wildly disproportionate on a human man.

You remembered what he’d done to you yesterday and tentatively licked the head of it, getting a taste of the liquid seeping from the tip. As you did, he groaned. Your eyes flew up to look at his face, contorted in pleasure as he looked down at you. He’d liked that. You made him feel good, like what he’d done to you.

You started again with new determination, wanting to make him feel good again. This was no longer just exploration, you had a goal now. You licked the head of it again, watching his reaction closely.

He let out another low noise, eyes still on you. “Turns out I’m not the only tease in this marriage.”

You weren’t intentionally teasing him, you both knew that, but the idea that you could be filled you with a sense of power. Maybe you weren’t as experienced, but you could make him feel good and make him desperate for more, maybe you weren’t as far out of your depths as you thought.

You attempted to fit more of it in your mouth, no longer content with your tentative licks. You could barely fit anything past the head, the rest far too big, opting instead to wrap your hands around it. You sucked in and watched triumphantly as your actions were rewarded by him throwing his head back, another desperate noise leaving him.

His eyes kept pulling back towards you, entranced by your actions as you explored and attempted to bring him closer to the bliss you’d experienced the day before. You licked and sucked, taking careful note of what got a reaction from him, trying to elicit more and more of them, loving every noise you managed to draw from the man.

“Come on you… shit, I’m close, fuck me.” Through his expletives you kept on sucking, wanting to watch him come unraveled even more. He hissed out a few more curse words and pulled you off of him. You couldn’t help but let out a small whine as he did, wanting to earn more of those noises from him.

He looked down at you, eyes wide, a frenzied look on his face. “You want more? I don’t want to accidentally choke you, just… fuck, look at you, so deperate for me. You have no idea how fucking gorgeous you look right now.” You stayed kneeled on the floor, waiting for further instruction. His hand wrapped all the way around his cock easily, not needing the two hands that you’d found necessary, his hips bucking desperately into his hand.

“Can you keep your mouth open for me?” he asked between pants as he pumped his shaft.

You nodded eagerly, wanting to please him.

Just as your mouth fell open, he grunted one last time, sounding almost animalistic, and then he erupted, thick ropes of cum falling onto your face and into your mouth.

It tasted like the stuff from before, just much more of it this time. You swallowed as much as you could but there was still plenty left to paint your face. Finally, the seemingly never ending ropes ceased and he began to soften.

You couldn’t have looked attractive, your eyes were watering and there was spit and cum everywhere but he was looking at you like you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

“You did so well.” His hand cupped your cheek and you leaned into him happily. “Come on, I need to get you cleaned up.”

He guided you to your feet, pulling you into his side as he moved you towards the washroom and you let him pull you along, ready to let him take care of you.

#terato #terato writing #teratophillia #monster x reader #demon x reader #monster x human #demon x human #monster boyfriend #monster bf #my writing #this got a little more into the weeds than I initially intended but I love a good repression storyline #he isn’t a real demon who makes deals and stuff but I have a bunch of stuff coming up with real demons who make deals #so if that’s your cup of tea just be patient lol #I also keep meaning to double down on getting my two series out but I have become preoccupied with cowboys and bunny girls so we will see #I think I talk too much in the tags

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