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#but maybe i should see it for myself in order to understand better what i like and what i dont in movies
mysteryshoptls · 7 months
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SSR Jamil Viper - Platinum Jacket Vignette
"Happy 100th Anniversary"
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
Jamil: As a supporter of the Land of Dawning National Museum of Art's 100th Anniversary Celebration, I've made sure to look into every single exhibit.
Jamil: If I recall, the next exhibit over should have a painting of the Sorcerer of the Sands on display…
???: That's a good look he's got there. Makes sense, though, this captures the moment he got his hands on that Very Rare mat he'd been searching a long time for, so.
Jamil: Idia-senpai, is that you over there…?
Idia: EEK! O-O-Oh, it's Jamil-shi. Don't just suddenly start talking to me like that…
Jamil: My apologies. I didn't expect you to be this startled just by calling out to you.
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Jamil: At any rate, this painting is spectacular… It's overwhelming to see the real thing in person like this.
Jamil: He overcame countless ordeals and finally obtained the magic lamp that he had been continuously seeking for many years…
Jamil: This painting perfectly depicts the legendary tale of the Sorcerer of the Sands.
Idia: …He continuously searched for just one thing for countless years, huh. I think I can sympathize with him.
Jamil: Sympathize?
Idia: Ah, no, uh… I just meant that there was something that I wanted to have, no matter how hard I'd have to struggle to get it, is all…
Jamil: Something you wanted to have, no matter how hard you'd have to struggle for it, hm…
Idia: Th-The way you reacted there… W-Was there something that you wanted, Jamil-shi?
Jamil: Yes, I suppose I want…
Jamil: THE POWER TO COMMAND THE UNIVERSE.
Idia: HUH!?!
Idia: N-Never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth, sounds like something a middle schooler would say…
Jamil: I was just trying to mimic a quote that comes from the legends of the Sorcerer of the Sands, but… Looks like you didn't catch the reference.
Idia: Ah, so it was a joke… For a second there I thought we were similar, soz…
Jamil: No, there's no need for you to apologize… We were talking about things we want, right?
Jamil: There are many things I want, but… I suppose my current priority is networking.
Idia: Siiigh, so that's what you went with.
Idia: Still feel like I could relate better with you when you said you wanted "the power to command the universe"…
Jamil: In order to fulfill my deepest desires, I need useful…
Jamil: …I mean, helpful people with whom I can solidify and further my relationships with.
Jamil: After all, they say that the Sorcerer of the Sands also received assistance from many people in order to obtain that magic lamp.
Jamil: That is why I want to network and make human connections, so that I will never miss out on my deepest desires.
Idia: Yeah, I can get wanting to get your hands on a rare item as much as the next guy, but…
Idia: Leaving it to other people means they could end up betraying you. And it'd already be impossible to set up those human relations from the get-go.
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Idia: But hey, since the Sorcerer of the Sands held the spirit of deliberation…
Idia: Maybe he was able to work with others the same way you think through things, Jamil-shi. IDK.
Jamil: If there were any similarities in the way the Sorcerer of the Sands and I thought, then I would consider that a high honor.
Jamil: In most legends, he is described as a man who was prepared for any possible circumstance that could arise.
Jamil: That is, in both the country's affairs, and his personal affairs.
Jamil: In order to become someone as great as he was, I will continue to improve myself with care.
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
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Jamil: This is a painting of a bird. It seems what's depicted here is the hornbill that served the royal King of Beasts family for generations…
Idia: U-Uh-huh… Looks like it's spouting something of all smug-like.
Jamil: Perhaps he's advising the royal family on something… Or no, maybe he's just lecturing.
Jamil: From what I understand, in addition to being the king's chamberlain, he was also the prince's chaperone as well.
Idia: For him to lecture someone he serves like that, he's either got guts or is unafraid of anything…
Jamil: Well, if the prince was the type to do his own thing, or act without thinking, dragging other people around him into his messes…
Jamil: I think I also would have a few frank words to say to him.
Idia: Jamil-shi, doesn't it seem like you're bringing your own feelings into this?
Jamil: …You must be imagining it.
Jamil: Now that I think of it… I heard that this hornbill was once asked by the King of Beasts to sing lullabies.
Idia: H-He asked his stern chamberlain for lullabies… Sounds like the King of Beasts' courage knew no bounds.
Jamil: Perhaps he got along well with the King of Beasts, let alone the prince.
Idia: My vote is that he'd have him sing lullabies in retaliation for nagging him day in and day out.
Jamil: Haha, that's possible too.
Jamil: But even so… Lullabies, huh. I remember my sister used to pester me for them all the time way back when, too.
Idia: U-Uh-huh… What another lovely memory for you.
Jamil: I don't know what you may be imagining, Idia-senpai… But it absolutely isn't a lovely memory at all.
Idia: Eh, r-really?
Jamil: Yes. Even though I tried my utmost to sing her a lullaby to help her sleep…
Idia: She wouldn't sleep at all?
Jamil: That'd still be a cuter outcome than what would happen.
Jamil: She'd furrow her brow at me and say YOU'RE TERRIBLE AT THIS!
Idia: Gaha! Out of the mouths of babes, as they say!!
Idia: Oh, but you were part of the NRC Tribe, right?
Idia: So that should mean that your singing was good enough to be chosen by that Vil Schoenheit, right?
Jamil: Well, sure… Ever since my sister first made fun of me, I've practiced a lot. I thought I improved enough that I could sing in front of people without embarrassing myself.
Jamil: My sister was also watching the live broadcast of the VDC, so I said to her, "Guess you can't make fun of me for being terrible at singing anymore"…
Jamil: And she responded with, "What are you even talking about?"
Idia: So she didn't even remember she said all that!? H-Heehee… Jamil-shi, that sucks!
Jamil: Right, I felt like an idiot for overthinking it for years.
Jamil: Well, I guess all's end that ends well, since all that practice means that my grades in music class don't suffer.
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
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Idia: Ooh, the painting we can see over there is of the Thorn Fairy. It looks like she's in a bit of a pinch surrounded by a ton of soldiers.
Jamil: Yes but look at her expression. Although there are so many weapons pointed at her, she fears nothing.
Idia: More like the soldiers are the ones who're scared of her. But, how did this situation happen, in the first place?
Jamil: They say that the Thorn Fairy held magical power so great that everyone prostrated themselves before her. That is why she is legendary.
Jamil: However, humans often fear those who have unfathomable power…
Jamil: So I'm sure there were some humans who would attempt to point their weapons at her in this fashion. Foolish, is all I can call them.
Idia: Uh-huuuh, I see. If it were a video game, I can understand getting all excited trying to figure out a way out of throng of people, but…
Idia: If I ever got surrounded by so many people IRL, I'd faint immediately.
Jamil: I'm sure you're just overexaggerating about the faint…
Idia: Overexaggerating!? J-Jamil-shi, are you saying that you could go up against a large group of people like that and stay composed?
Jamil: Hm, I would… I would come back another day and request to speak one-on-one with the king who commands those soldiers.
Jamil: Well, that's assuming that they are a king who is willing to have a rational discussion.
Idia: Oh, so you wouldn't be able to handle them like the Thorn Fairy would…
Jamil: Well, isn't she considered one of the Great Seven because she can accomplish things that ordinary people cannot?
Jamil: Not only does she harness great power, but she is also very big-hearted. If it were me, I would probably have retaliated against them.
Idia: Oh, yeah? What kind of revenge would you come up with? Make 'em stub their toe on a desk corner or something?
Jamil: Heh, perhaps.
Idia: Oh, that look in his eyes means he's definitely plotting something…
Idia: I-I just remembered something urgent I need to do, so I'll leave you to it!
[Idia runs away]
Jamil: Something urgent? What else could he possibly have to do here? As supporters we're just here to enjoy the art museum.
Jamil: Well, no matter. I was just thinking I'd like to look at the exhibits quietly without anyone else bothering me.
Jamil: "What kind of revenge would I come up with?"… Hm.
Jamil: Well, if it were me…
Jamil: I would make them feel abject humiliation in every possible way so they could never walk the earth with dignity ever again.
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Requested by @bibi-cha.
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directdogman · 1 month
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Hey there's someone trying to say you said you were pro Israel on discord? They're anonymous and say you blocked them before they could get screenshots so I don't really believe them, but still :[
Mhm. Nice bit of news to wake up to, this.
Yeah, so this person's a troll and they're more than likely lying on purpose in order to try to me look bad because I blocked them on Twitter for being unpleasant, something I rarely even do and they're still seething about it. The block had nothing to do with Gaza, the person was just being annoying and I thought it'd be healthier to block and move on. I'd really prefer not to have to give this person energy, but if there's a rumor going around, I'd like to nip it in the bud, since it's very easy to disprove in this case.
To explain what this person's blathering about: Earlier this week, on a Phonegingi plush advert, this random user that doesn't follow me (and actually instructs fans of mine not to interact with them in their bio) made a dramatic QRT decrying me for posting a DT advert during a strike week, which I honestly had no clue it was, especially since my own timeline was (and still is) full of accounts posting normally.
Given that the person seemingly encountered one of my posts in the wild and ended up seething because of it + likely didn't want anything to do with me on their timeline (as their bio indicated), after thinking it over briefly, I did the healthy thing and just blocked the person + moved on. Makes sense, right? I'll admit: Even if the way the person approached me was regrettable, if I'd known it was a strike week, I'd have participated (as I'd participated in the last one), so I stopped posting teasers for the week anyway, only resuming again yesterday.
I'll also say: I checked my own timeline btw and looked at the accounts posting, and nobody else had anyone acting like this in their replies, even the much larger accounts. Nor did anyone else contact/reply to me in any way stating any disapproval.
Given that I've only blocked one account recently that isn't a replybot (and ofc, given the subject matter of that tweet), I'd have to assume that this is the anonymous person spreading stuff.
I'd understand where this person was coming from if maybe I'd stayed completely silent about Gaza, (which a lot of accounts I follow have) but I haven't. I had a Palestinian aid post pinned on my Twitter for weeks, I've talked about Gaza's child population and my support for South Africa's Hague suit in my discord server, I've engaged in the boycotts, wound down posting during strikes, donated a pretty substantial amount of Dialtown revenue towards sending money/esims... I have 4 bucks in my bank account right now and when my next DT check comes in, you'd better believe I'll be giving more. That's my right as a private citizen and one I'll continue to exercise.
I feel pretty uncomfortable having to put this stuff in front of me to 'prove' myself, even if some of it is public anyway. Charity should be something you do because you CARE and if it wasn't for this person, I'd have been far happier keeping a lower profile and not explicitly calling attention to my own aid, but given this ask, I feel it'd be stupid not to nip this in the bud. The majority of this information could be easily found with the tiniest amount of digging, btw, so it's not like the user couldn't have known any of this. This is the part of having a fandom that creators seldom talk about. You block one person for being a lil annoying, next thing you know, there's rumors that you support genocides! Fun.
So yeah, I'd like you to tell this person to just move on like a normal person (send them this post if you have to) and to stop spreading incorrect rumors about me out of spite. If they insist, I'm happy to pull up receipts to prove everything I've said. If they actually thought I was pro-Israel, they wouldn't be spreading it anonymously, they'd be writing another public post about the subject matter. Also if you see anyone repeating the rumor, please correct them. Thanks.
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cosmerelists · 22 days
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Hey Radiants, if you had to join a new order, which one would you choose & why?
1. Kaladin: Skybreaker
Kaladin: I mean...I can't give up the sky, so I suppose I would have to become a Skybreaker. Kaladin: Even though I feel like I spent so long unlearning their ideas about justice, that it feels kind of...wrong. Syl: That's because it IS wrong! Kaladin: But Syl...the sky...
2. Sigzil: Skybreaker
Sigzil: Seems obvious. I'm sure no one is curious as to what my reasons might be. Sigzil: Hey, do you think my name could be cooler?
3. Eshonai: Bondsmith
Eshonai: An instant way to learn new languages and connect with people? Hell yeah. Eshonai: If able to choose, I would bond the Stormfather. Eshonai: He and I had a moment, once.
4. Shallan: Willshaper
Shallan: I've never been much of a sculptor, but at least there is SOME artistic aspect to this one.
5. Szeth: Edgedancer
Szeth: I am a graceful man. Szeth: But I could be more graceful, if I could ice skate around.
6. Dalinar: Stoneward
Dalinar: I have taken great satisfaction from those moments when I have had the chance to work with my hands, to help people by building or rebuilding. Dalinar: I think I would make an excellent Stoneward.
7. Lift: Bondsmith
Lift: I betcha the Nightwatcher is feelin' left out of the whole Bondsmith business. Lift: I think she and I would make quite the pair!
8. Renarin: Windrunner
Renarin: It is honestly a bit hard to imagine myself not with Glys, but... Renarin: ... Renarin: Could be fun to be a Windrunner, like a lot of my friends. Renarin: Just, like, charging into battle from the sky. Renarin: It would be like the time Zahel kept making me jump off the wall, only I wouldn't fall directly into the ground!
9. Jasnah: Lightweaver
Jasnah: To be honest, I would be loath to give up my soulcasting abilities. Jasnah: And I can certainly understand the utility of being able to mask or change one's appearance to suit new conditions. Jasnah: ...Even if every lightweaver I know is just a tad...irritating sometimes.
10. Navani: Dustbringer
Navani: I can definitely understand the desire to take things apart to see how they work. Navani: That's just basic science.
11. Rlain: Elsecaller
Rlain: I understand that had things played out differently, I might have bonded the Sibling as a Bondsmith. Rlain: But I do like the notion of an order that cares chiefly about self-improvement, about finding your true potential no matter where you started.
12. Hoid: Truthwatcher
Hoid: Speaking truth to power? Hoid: I do that already! And with style.
13. Venli: Bondsmith
Venli: The humans should not have EVERY Bondsmith. Venli: I'll take the Sibling. Venli: They understand that humans suck.
14. Lopen: Edgedancer
Lopen: Healing would be great 'n' all! Lopen: But mostly I think I'm great at remembering the forgotten. Lopen: Nobody remembers us Herdazians, you know!
15. Nale: Stoneward
Nale: I know that humans are fallible. That is why I follow the Law. Nale: But of all of us...Talenel was the one who didn't break. Nale: He was the one who kept the oath. Nale: Maybe he was simply better than any us. Nale: So if I had to change...maybe I should, for once, try to be more like him.
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poohsources · 7 months
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🐝  *  ―  𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑳𝑬𝑮𝑬𝑵𝑫 𝑶𝑭 𝑲𝑶𝑹𝑹𝑨 𝑺𝑬𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑺.
❛  so, i sort of started a civil war ...  ❜ ❛  i am so sorry for turning my back on you as my mentor.  ❜ ❛  i needed to understand what real suffering was, so i could become more compassionate to others.  ❜ ❛  what's the big idea with making me train this early in the morning? the morning is evil.  ❜ ❛  oh, i'm sorry. did i put you in a difficult position by fighting the giant force of pure evil that was going to destroy the whole world? maybe your administration could have handled that.  ❜ ❛  fighting is something the old me would do. that always made things worse.  ❜ ❛  let's go on a vacation, just the two of us. anywhere you want.  ❜ ❛  it's all right. people usually assume that i'm daddy's helpless little girl, but i can handle myself.  ❜ ❛  the world is in trouble ... i have to go help.  ❜ ❛  i'm impressed. no one has ever gotten the better of me like that.  ❜ ❛  i assure you, i have a plan. and i'm saving you for last; then you'll get your duel, and i will destroy you.  ❜ ❛  when we hit our lowest point, we are open to the greatest change.  ❜ ❛  i did what i had to do to survive and protect my little brother.  ❜ ❛  and ... what am i going to find if ... i get through this?  ❜ ❛  we should always learn from those who came before us, but we must also forge our own path.  ❜ ❛  why don't you come and find out?  ❜ ❛  if you look for the light, you can often find it. but if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see.  ❜ ❛  you need to make decisions based on what you want. don't make the same mistakes i did.  ❜ ❛  i don't know what i'm supposed to be doing half the time.  ❜ ❛  right, friends. no, no, i didn't mean to imply.  ❜ ❛  i do like the idea of putting you on a train and sending you far, far away.  ❜ ❛  you need me, but i don't need you.  ❜ ❛  you swore your loyalty to me and i gave you a chance at greatness. this is how you repay me?  ❜ ❛  i told you dating a teammate would be a bad idea.  ❜ ❛  stick around five minutes and you'll find out who's bluffing.  ❜ ❛  wait! we can't fight them all. we need to be smart about this.  ❜ ❛  you know, it's okay to be scared. the important thing is to talk about our fears, because if we don't, they throw us out of balance. i'm always here for you, if you want to talk.  ❜ ❛  what i'm trying to say is, as much as you drive me crazy ... i also think you're pretty amazing.  ❜ ❛  see, that's what i admire about you, [ name ]: your willingness to go to extremes in order to get what you want. it is a quality we both share.  ❜ ❛  ending a relationship is kind of like pulling off a bloodsucking leech. you just gotta rip it off and get it over with. you'll feel a lot better afterwards. trust me.  ❜ ❛  don't tell me you are still mad about everything that happened?! i did some good things, too!  ❜ ❛  all right, hold on. will you quit ignoring me and tell me what's going on?  ❜ ❛  how about, for now, i just promise not to show up at your house and attack you again?  ❜ ❛  what would you do, if you were in charge? help me be more like you.  ❜ ❛  i wish you were putting up more of a fight, but it was still fun.  ❜ ❛  please, just let me say one thing, then i'll never contact you again.  ❜ ❛  i'm not sure i'll ever be able to forgive you. but that doesn't mean i shouldn't try.  ❜ ❛  i came here to look you in the eye and tell you that you have no power over me. i will no longer be scared of you.  ❜ ❛  but if you had any other options, you wouldn't be here now, would you? we may have been enemies once, but for now, our interests align.  ❜ ❛  you don't have to apologize for anything. i'm just so happy you're here now.  ❜
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jewishvitya · 4 months
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Hi, I stumbled upon your political posts (and then Yuri, you might get me to watch it now) and I find your perspective fascinating. Maybe it's because I grew up with rather a lot of exposure to Palestinians and various peace movements, but your experience is alien to me, and I am really thankful to be able to read it.
I would like to ask, what do you define as Zionism? As the last month taught me that no two people define this term the same. For me it is the ability for the Jewish people to control our own life in a land that we are bound to, and that has no contradiction with the Palestinian doing the same on this land, that they are bound to it as well. No pressure to answer, just pure curiosity.
And if I may offer some hope for our future? On the fourth day of the war, someone who helps in one of the donation centres for the displaced Israelis ask in the group chat if there is a way to pass the extra clothing and equipment to the people of Gaza. In the past two month I got invites for over a dozes or meeting between Israelis and Palestinians, meetings were both sides shared their sorrows and hopes. When an acquaintance was raising money to help a Bedouin family whose house was hit by a rocket, he has to tell people to stop donating. People in my surrounding have been talking about the day after, building plans so they could help build a better place for both people. A long-fought battle in the courts was won, and a group of settlers were ordered to evacuate Palestinian land. Activists have been going to assist in the olive harvests in the West Bank, despite it all.
There is hope for us here.
Hi! Thank you! If you do watch YOI I hope you enjoy it lol.
I know my experience is not very common. Even other Israelis get shocked by the depth of the hatred and the indoctrination sometimes. I try to emphasize that it comes from the most extremist community we have, because I have no idea what the schooling looks like in other areas.
And sure, I'll try to explain, and maybe also why I choose to label myself as anti-zionist.
I don't know that I can give you a dictionary definition, because I define zionism mainly by what it did in practice - the colonizing of Palestine. And when I say colonizing, I'm not making claims about indigeniety or lack of it. I'm defining it through our tactics and our actions. Especially because early in the movement they openly used colonialist frameworks.
Some of the softer definitions of zionism, things like our right to self determination, our right to seek safety - these aren't things I'm against. And I understand that within zionism there were other proposed ideas that weren't necessarily meant to end up with an ethnostate, resulting in ethnic cleansing. So I know zionism is more complicated than what we see in Israel. But what we see now is the reality people are living as the outcome.
If we came here and said "we've been longing to go back here for such a long time, we suffered so much abuse, we want to live alongside you in our shared homeland, can we find a way to ensure our safety and yours" - this would have been a different conversation. Still complicated, because mass immigration is complicated, but different.
In reality, we destroyed communities to manufacture an ethnic majority. Tore a whole society apart and shattered it, spread it all over the world. We killed and expelled and traumatized. I called it the cycle of abuse on the scale of nations - taking horrors we suffered and inflicting them on others. So given the practical results of the zionist movement, I can't treat those softer definitions as the "true" definitions that people should go by.
I keep thinking about Jewish refugees being given the homes of Palestinians with meals still on the table. Because of course we have a right to food and shelter, but not at their expense. And I know you agree with me on this.
When I say I oppose zionism, that's generally because I'm talking about the reality, the impact the movement had on human lives, not an idealized version we might imagine or a philosophy someone wrote about that never came to be.
For me, if I want to talk about our safety in our ancestral homeland and detach it from the horrors committed by Israel, zionism isn't the right framework. And after all the destruction we caused the land to conquer and colonize it, if I want to talk about our connection to it, I think zionism shouldn't be the word I'm using.
There's also an aspect of, by insisting on defining zionism through a nicer idea rather than harm done to real people, I see it as taking away a language that oppressed people are using to talk about their oppression.
I hope that makes sense.
I really want us to find a different way to work towards safety, without it being at the expense of another group of people.
And thank you for that last paragraph. I definitely have hope. It's hard, seeing videos of our soldiers being so gleeful about the destruction. I lost a friend of over ten years because of the callous and cruel things he said over the past couple of months, and I can't bring myself to repeat them. But I know that better things are possible, and I'm glad we're building towards them. I'm terrified that our government won't let us move in that direction, but we're going to push there anyway.
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apomaro-mellow · 1 year
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okay yall convinced me to continue this
Eddie looked around and all he saw was black. Was this what death was like? He expected more people. But maybe death was just solitude. Then all of a sudden he wasn't alone.
He jumped back when he came face to face with, himself.
"What the fuck?"
His mirror image looked back and smirked. Then looked down at his hands.
"Finally."
"What the hell is going on here? Where am I? W-we?"
"Vecna is putting us back together. We can see everyone again soon."
"You mean...I'm not dead?"
"Oh we're very much alive. In fact, I'd say we're better than before."
As his mirror said that, Eddie felt a new energy thrumming in his veins.
"Why? Why would Vecna do this, I was tryina kill that bastard!"
"He wants something in return. To use us against them."
"Like hell that's gonna happen. I-"
"Didn't let myself get chomped on just so I could be used by an actual murderer."
"How did you-"
"Is it not obvious? I'm still you. But I'm the parts he wants to use. The part that's afraid of Vecna. Afraid of the world for seeing us for what we are. And angry at our lot in life. And ashamed for how we feel."
Eddie didn't respond. It was all a lot to take in. When his other self mentioned shame for feeling something, a certain face popped into his head.
"We're going to see him again. And this time, I'm going to take what I want."
"You put a hand on him and-" Eddie stopped himself. Not only did he feel pretty powerless here, he was never that good at restraining his own actions. "You touch him and he'll kick your ass."
---------------------
After his little stunt, Eddie/Kas found themselves tied up again, this time in Steve's garage. And this time with chains (duct tape boys? really?). Nancy also made sure his legs were chained to the chair and had a shotgun trained on him the whole time they talked.
"We're all sure he's real?", she asked, nudging his cheek with her barrel. She was the only one here to actually experience Vecna's illusions besides Max. She knew how convincing they could be.
"He's real", Jonathan said, a lighter ready just in case. "Steve and the others said so."
Nancy rifled through all the information she got when she received the code red. Something that looked like Eddie had returned. But it was very obviously NOT Eddie. Stronger, faster, more durable. And apparently was receiving orders directly from Vecna. He also apparently had a craving for flesh, having busted into the meat locker of a deli before being found.
"What's your game this time? Use our friend's face to trick us?", she questioned.
"Heh, it really warms our heart that you call us 'friend'. Guess quality time over quantity, huh?" He was smiling, like none of this was a threat to him. Knowing creatures of the Upside Down, it would take more than one bullet, but Nancy had plenty.
"I believe I laid down my terms with the others pretty clearly. I'll follow your rules, so long as Steve is the one to watch me."
"Why Steve?", Jonathan asked.
Kas grinned at him. "Steve's my favorite."
"Oh my god, shut up, shut up, shut up", Eddie lamented from their shared mental space.
While Nancy and Jonathan were handling that situation in the garage, Steve was trying to get a grip on what was happening in his house. They were practically running up the walls.
"Steve you don't understand!", Dustin exclaimed. "This is huge!"
"I don't see how a monster posing as Eddie is huge?"
"But they're not just posing. It IS Eddie", Mike said.
"We don't know that. Not until Nancy confirms it."
Will rolled his eyes. "Oh like she'd know. She talked to Eddie for what? A day?"
"Cut the sass. And if you can talk, you can move your hands." Steve handed Will the knife and pushed some peppers his way.
"The point is WE, you know the people who actually hung out with Eddie would know him better. We should be the ones interrogating him", Lucas said, actually doing his duty of buttering a casserole dish.
"The other point is we don't NEED to question him because we already know that it's actually Eddie", Dustin said. "Vecna wouldn't know who Kas is. Eddie's in there. And he's telling us that he's on our side."
"You remember what Max told us, right? Vecna gets in your head. He sees what you see, knows what you know." Steve took the dish from Lucas and poured some rice into it. "If he got to Eddie, then he knows what Eddie knows." When Will finished dicing, Steve took the knife and was about to wash it under running water when he heard someone approach.
"Is Mama Steve making dinner?"
Steve reacted first and thought second and the knife flew threw the air. Kas caught it easily and twirled the knife in his hand.
"Nice aim. Lemme guess, little league?"
Nancy and Jonathan were right behind him. Steve wanted to respond. Maybe ask 'what the hell? why isn't he tied up? Nancy where's your gun?' But the kids got to it first.
"Tell us everything!" Mike demanded.
Dustin started rallying off questions. "Are you actually Eddie? Just enhanced? Or like a split personality? Is it one that came naturally or one Vecna implanted? Is Eddie like inside of you? Can he come out?"
"All in due time", Kas said, walking by them all to get to Steve, who once again looked like a deer with a car coming straight on.
"We struck a deal, princess. Looks like we're roomies."
There was still at least a foot separating them yet Steve felt boxed in. It was the same sensation he got whenever Eddie talked to him and only him, but intensified.
"Umm, hope you like chicken and rice?"
Internally, Eddie was falling to his knees. Steve's cooking, Steve in the process of cooking, with his little chickadees orbiting him. It was a domestic scene too much for his pining heart and he was actually glad right now that he wasn't holding the reins. Falling to his knees for chicken and rice wasn't the best look for a metalhead.
"Eddie would love some", Kas said cooly.
--------------------------
Dinner was an odd affair. All of them trying to figure out Kas in their own way. Dustin and Mike with their blatant questions, Lucas telling them to cool it, Nancy with her more subtle line of questioning, Will trying to see if he could feel anything, and Jonathan trying to see if Will was effected.
Steve was the only one pointedly trying to ignore the man which was very difficult given that he was doing everything in his power to get his attention. His favorite move seemed to be nudging Steve's foot with his own, causing Steve to bump his knee against the table at least three times.
Eddie wanted to roll into a hole and die. He especially wanted to do so when Kas started eyeing Steve's leg, because he knew what was coming.
"No, absolutely not. He let you get away with this much. But he will rip of your hand for this", Eddie said.
"I think he'd let us get away with much more." So Kas went ahead and put his hand on Steve's thigh, making him jolt up from his chair.
So yeah, quite the interesting dinner.
After eating, they figured out a rotation schedule for watching him. Technically Steve was only on the schedule for six hours a day. But considering Kas would be at his house the entire time, they'd be spending a lot more time together.
The rest of them were getting ready to leave so that they could check in with the others, but Nancy hung back to talk to Steve semi-privately.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
Steve glanced at the mysterious figure that was masquerading as Eddie, who was openly leering at him while ignoring the children.
"I'll be..uh, I can hang in there Nance, don't worry."
Then everyone else left, leaving the two of them alone. Steve felt a little like caged prey. But he also felt like this version of Eddie wouldn't hurt him. Not physically at least. But that left other things to do to him and Steve was afraid to go down that rabbit hole of possibilities.
"It's just you and me, Steve."
Part 3A More plotty, fluffy, bit of angst
Part 3B Less plotty, more smutty
Tag team:
@jestyzesty
@mightbeasleep
@findafight
@spooky-mulders
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jae-bummer · 1 year
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The Epitome of Okay
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Request: can i get a christopher bang and #12. thank yooou!
Prompt:
12) Your bias needs a fake partner for a family event. Are you up for the task?
Prompt list can be found HERE.
Pairing: Stray Kids Chan x Reader
Genre: Fluff
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"Your sister hates me," you muttered, trying to adjust yourself in Chan's bed.
"My sister doesn't haaate you," he hummed from his pallet on the floor beside you. "She just takes awhile to warm up to people."
"She knows, Chris," you grumbled, flopping over moodily so you could face where he was laying. "I don't know how, but she does."
Your stomach felt hollow as you replayed the afternoon's events and how exactly the two of you had landed in this situation. It was nearly a month ago now that Chan had casually asked you over coffee if you wanted to visit home with him for his brother's graduation. After you had kindly declined, he went on to list the reasons why this was such an important thing.
Namely, that he had told his parents that he had a partner in order for them to get off his case about it.
"They feel like I work too much," he grumbled.
"You do," you had agreed knowingly.
Chan shot you a dirty look. "And getting into a relationship would help me take a step back and enjoy myself, but I enjoy myself just fine!"
"Oh yeah, sleeping three hours a night and being in chronic pain is a blast," you muttered, stirring your coffee with a straw.
"So you agree with them," he had smiled. "And therefore, you volunteer?"
And you had. During the ten hour flight, you tried not to think too hard about what you were actually doing, but Chan had made it difficult. Sitting beside you, he rattled off facts and memories of his family that he thought may come up in conversation that you should know. Granted, you were friends, so you had always had at least a surface level understanding of how his family dynamic worked, but now you'd really be put to the test.
It seemed as if as soon as you had set foot on Australian soil, the nightmare had began. Of course his parents were overzealous with excitement that they got to meet you, but his siblings? Not so much. His brother stayed pretty detached, while his sister could only look at you warily. You weren't sure where you went wrong. You had sucked it up and allowed Chan to hold your hand, let him put his hand on your lower back, and even kissed him on the cheek once. All things considered, you should've gotten an Oscar for your performance. It didn't matter if the simple skin to skin contact had repeatedly sent shivers across your body and caused your face to warm. You wouldn't examine that part too closely.
"Maybe we're not laying it on thick enough," you whispered more to yourself than to Chan.
"And how do you suggest we do that?" he chuckled. He rolled over to look up at you from his floor-bed. "More skinship is only going to make her make fun of us, Y/N."
"I'm not talking about skinship..." you said slowly, trying to gather your thoughts. "I'm talking about familiarity."
From the dim lighting of the mood lamps behind the bed, you could see Chan's face contort with confusion. "We are familiar with each other."
Taking a deep breath, you leaned over the edge of the bed to look at him more directly. "Physical familiarity, Chris."
"Why do those two words together make me blush?" he laughed nervously.
You rolled your eyes. "I mean, we don't act fluidly together. We're not used to cuddling, or holding each other's hands, or knowing how to act completely comfortable around one another."
"I get what you're saying," he nodded. "We don't know how to interact when we're sharing the same space."
"Exactly," you said, relieved he had caught up. "What did you think I meant?"
"It would be better if I didn't say it out loud."
You laughed, trying to maintain your courage. "Would you be okay with sharing the bed with me?"
"When you say it like thaaaat," he sang. "I'm not too sure if my first thought was entirely off base."
"I'm not trying to corrupt you!" you gasped. "Not like you need any help in that."
"I am the picture of innocence and purity, thank you very much." You didn't have to look at him to know he was grinning.
"Did those words burn as they were leaving your mouth?"
"Okay, first, rude," he said, finally sitting up. "And two, why am I getting into bed with you then?"
"I, uh," you said quietly. "Want to try something."
"Sounds not suspicious at all," he sighed. Throwing off his covers, he got to his feet, and moved slowly around the bed. Crawling under the blankets, he lay flat on his back, eying you skeptically. "Now what?"
"Umm..." you hummed, totally winging it as you went. "Roll onto your side?"
"Rolling," he confirmed as he faced you. Your bodies were so close at this point, it made the next action easier. Scooting forward, you nestled your body into his.
"Is this okay?" you whispered, refusing to look up. Your eyes remained level with his collarbones and you were going to keep it that way until you could tell your heart to calm down.
"Yep," he said a bit too loud. "Totally fine. Why wouldn't it be?"
You attempted to keep your breathing even, but it was difficult when he was breathing erratically himself.
"I...uh...I don't know what to do with my hands." His voice was a bit more rough than it had been previously.
"Do we cuddle? I assume you've cuddled before?"
"Of course I have!" he said quickly. "And I've had no complaints!"
"Then maybe, you know, we should try doing it?" you winced. You could practically hear Chan's gears spinning as he tried to sort things out.
Swallowing loud enough for you to hear, Chan wrapped his arm around your lower back and pulled you close, eliminating what little space there had been between your bodies.
Your face was now tucked into the crook of his shoulder, and god, did he smell good. Something musky with an undertone of vanilla mingled so well on his skin that you couldn't stop sniffing.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked quietly.
You were more than comfortable. You didn't know if you had ever felt this safe in your entire life. Chan had always been a protective friend who you admired greatly for his work ethic and morality. You had always kept any romantic thoughts at bay because of that. He was your friend, Chan. Not this wildly hot and respectful gentleman, Chris. You could never even fantasize about that side of him because it would never happen like that between the two of you...right?
"Very," you finally answered.
"I can see your point," he continued, his voice barely above a breath.
"My point?" you asked. Your head was swimming with every inappropriate thought you could imagine, not how the two of you had gotten there.
"How realistic can we be if we've never actually been this close? How can I act like I know how your skin feels on mine without actually holding you?"
"Right," you croaked. "This. Totally great idea by me. You're welcome."
You could feel the laugh rumble through Chan's chest. "Are you sure you're okay? If you're uncomfortable, we can-"
"Chris," you whispered. "I am irrationally comfortable right now."
"Oh," he said quietly. His fingers had began to move in small circles on the section of your lower back where your shirt had ridden up. "I was thinking..."
"I didn't see the smoke coming out of your ears," you chuckled.
"You'd have to look at me first," he said, a bit more seriously than you had expected.
Blinking up at him in surprise, you tilted your head back so you could actually hold eye contact.
"Much better," he managed. His voice was more gravelly than you had ever heard it before. "I was thinking maybe I could try something? But I need to make sure you're okay with it first."
"I told you-"
"No," he said finitely. "This is different."
The words you were going to say evaporated from your throat immediately. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"Okay," you confirmed.
"Okay," he repeated.
Tilting his head slowly down, the realization hit you. He was going to kiss you, and you were far more excited than you should be.
Moving your face forward as well, your eyes fluttered closed, waiting for the inevitable contact...until you felt the smallest kiss...
On the tip of your nose.
Letting out a surprise laugh, you opened your eyes again to find him grinning at you.
"I just wanted to see if you were really okay," he laughed.
"You absolute tease!" you groaned, embarrassment flooding you at his small trick.
"Can I try again?" he asked, biting his lip. You could see the amusement and hope bright in his eyes.
"If you must," you nodded.
This time, Chan moved much less slowly as his lips finally met yours. Catching your mouth and tilting your face upward just by the pressure of the kiss, you were surprised to hear a small groan slip from the back of your throat. Seeming to give him the boost of approval that he needed, Chan's hand moved from your waist to your neck. His fingers were a whisper against your skin as he chose that time to deepen the kiss. Pulling your bottom lip between his teeth, it was his turn to groan as he roughly let go and caught your mouth again. You had never been kissed like this. It wasn't casual and it wasn't fevered, but something more certain. Chan wanted you to know what this meant. He wanted to you to realize that if you were going to do this, you really would be. No more pretending. He was staking his claim here and now.
Trading kisses for what could have easily been ten minutes or an hour, you couldn't be sure, Chan finally kissed the corner of your mouth before withdrawing his face from yours.
"So maybe," he hummed, his voice the embodiment of positivity. "We don't have to fake it anymore."
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kiwi-channn · 2 months
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Feel your love 
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Older ghost × young fem reader
It is about Seeing Ghost in the old small pub for a lot of months , but the reader is younger than Ghost.. Maybe Ghost is in his late thirties and reader in her early twenties. 
(Reader is referred to as “she”) (and also as“I” but just while the reader is thinking)
Part 2 - part3 here
(I really am interested in that type of men..ha!... I saw him in the bar... He wears a weird mask.. or maybe a balaclava...with the shape of a skull.... And he always sits there on the barstool... Sometimes alone and sometimes with other men... He orders Bourbon most of the time... How do I know that?... Maybe I stalked him a bit.. just a little bit... I really wanna talk to him and see who is behind that mask...he looks so mysterious and intimidating… I wonder why he wears that weird mask?.... Is he ugly?.. Is his face deformed or something?  …. One thing I noticed is that he doesn't …he doesnt talk much… when he is with those men… he is the least one to say anything… ) 
(And today... Here I am talking to him .. wow... I can't believe it... I am really happy... We have been talking for a few days (i just catch him whenever i see him here)...and to be honest i started it… I just couldn't help myself… and since we started talking(or i started talking to him), i found out that he is so kind unlike his looks with all that black.. )
“So... You said that you work in the military.. right?... Wow... That's so cool... I never knew someone from the military before…” she says softly as she tries to not seem so excited....
Ghost: “yeah.. in special forces... What about you, luv?...”
“Oh... I am a student in college... But I will graduate next year... I study accounting…”
Ghost: “good... So.. Do you come here often?...I saw you for the last few days...”
“kinda... I just come whenever iam free .... But I didn't see you here in the past month…”.
...(wait, don't say that!.. He will know you have been watching him.. Idiot!... I am screwed … how should I take it back?... I really wanted to know where he disappeared to… I asked without thinking…oh god~)
<Ghost just hums quietly and he doesn't answer her... He can't talk so much about his deployments and missions.. but he doesn't mind her company at all... She talks a lot but she looks cute .. like a cute puppy.. happy and wagging her tail…>
<she thanks god that he let this question pass.. It is better to not be answered instead of being embarrassed more ..>
<She thinks a bit and she blushes softly... Averting his eyes .. as she hesitates to ask him something again.. but she really wanna know this question .. not like the other one she said without thinking…>
*He smiles calmly under his balaclava...*
Ghost: “what is it?.. go on..”
“Umm... So... I really wanna know... You don't have to answer though... So.. um…” she hesitates.. she is really awkward ...
Ghost: “ just ask..” says firmly as he takes a sip of his drink...he assures her that it's okay.,.
“Okay.. do you have a girlfriend?.. I mean are you single?...”.. She says that part so quietly, she wonders if he even heard her…
<Ghost feels surprised... He didn't expect such a little cute thing to ask him that type of question... And his eyes go wide for a few seconds.. as he looks at her… he looks at her face, her soft hair, her cute dress… And she feels so embarrassed and looks away from him... Her eyes looked everywhere except at him…>
<he chuckles a bit with his raspy voice…>
“oh.. I didn't expect that , sweets... Hmm.. what do you think?.. Do you think I am single?...”
<She gulps and feels so nervous…>
“Well... I think.... Maybe.. you are single... Right?...”
Ghost: “yes.. clever girl... So why do you ask anyway?...”
<She blushes more and sighs tiredly…>
“Just.. you know.. just curious... That's all…”
<Ghost huffs quietly as he chuckles quietly>
Ghost: <yeah?... You better stay that way... Just curious...”
<She feels confused and looks at him... She doesn't understand him sometimes... And she frowns a bit>
“Why?... Why are you saying that?...”
Ghost: “don't you understand, luv?... Look... I don't wanna be rude ... But it won't work... And you should know that... I Am not good for a small girl like you…”
<She feels surprised at his words... And she looks ahead at her drink on the counter... Her heart sinking.. and her face flushing more…>
“I.. I don't know what you're talking about... I never thought about anything like this .... I.. I was just curious... That's all…” She lies and feels so bitter.. her throat is becoming dry... Her voice is not sure at all... She feels so awkward and embarrassed... She just wanna get out of this awkward situation.. She was just curios right?...
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kiiwiigii · 7 months
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The Red-Eyed Boy pt. i
Pt. Two | Three | Outtake
Alec x Swan!Fem!Reader
Summary: When Edward goes to the Volturi seeking death he accidentally exposes Bella's sister. Not taking any chances Alec is sent to finish you.
Warnings:
I haven't written ff in forever soooo...
Also I have trouble with the whole Y/N thing.
Language
Kinda, sorta NSFW I guess? Lot's of kissing.
Word Count: 1,938
A/N: Alec is aged up.
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Aro let his mouth twist into a cruel smirk. Apparently, the Swan girl was dead, a sad waste of possible talent he lamented silently, but what was done was done. Edward had had no intention of turning her anyway, so what did it matter?
However, there had been another problem that Edward hadn't meant to expose.
Her sister.
"NO!" Edward shouted. "No! No, she's not aware. She doesn't know-"
"Now, now Edward. We cannot take chances, you know this. The girl already has her suspicions."
Edward's face crumpled into a half snarl. Going to the Volturi for your own death was one thing, but not only had he been denied this sweet relief, he had sentenced another to death. Surely he could get them to understand that Y/N was completely in the dark. Sure she had suspicions but that was just it. Suspicions. And aside from a few shopping trips with Alice (in which Alice had to practically drag Y/N out of the house in an attempt to get to know her better) she had stayed relatively far away. What Bella should have done, he thought with a cringe.
"Alec." Aro called over his shoulder.
Alec was at his master's side in less than a second, staring blankly ahead and awaiting orders.
"You are to head the Swan household in Forks. Take care of Bella's sister."
"Of course Master."
Alec gave a bow before sharing a look with his own sister and heading out of the throne room; Edward's renewed attempt at talking Aro into sparing the other Swan girl's life fading away ever so slightly. He couldn't help but smirk. Fresh blood that didn't have to be delivered. A chance to hunt. Maybe he would play with his food before he finished her off. Make her run. Make her beg. Or perhaps... a different kind of begging. A begging brought on with kisses and meaningless words whispered in her ear. His smirk twisted into a smile. There were always different ways to play, right?
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Dad,
I'm with Alice. Edward's in trouble. You can ground me when I get back. I know it's a bad time. So sorry. Love you so much.
Bella
"You gotta be fucking kidding me."
With a groan I let the letter slip from my fingers and back to its original place on the kitchen counter. I knew Bella was still healing, but never in my wildest dreams did I picture her dropping everything and just taking off for the boy who dumped her.
I paused, leaning against the counter with my head in my hands, wondering if I should just go ahead and call dad or wait to break the news to him when he got home. On the one hand if I called him now, it would distract him from his job... however if I didn't tell him now and he finds out I knew before he got home, I could possibly land myself in hot water and get grounded myself. And oh boy was Bella going to get grounded. Probably for the rest of the year if not her life.
She probably figured I'd find the letter first and would butter dad up anyways. Soften the blow that his eldest daughter went missing with a barely half-assed explanation. Well, she would be wrong about the latter at least. She'd be dealing with dad by herself on that one. As much as I loved her, I didn't want to be mixed up in her shenanigans.
Mind made up, I picked up my cell to make the dreaded call, and as expected dad picked up on the first ring.
"Uh, hey dad..."
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I'm dreaming of him again. The boy with the red eyes.
He was standing in front of a familiar house, just watching. Waiting. I could see it in his eyes as they flicked back and forth. He was contemplating something, his head tilting just slightly as he took in the sloping roof and the off-white siding that was in severe need of cleaning. A truck and police car rested in its driveway, silent and empty.
My heart leapt. Why was he in front of my house? I'd dreamt of this boy plenty of times before, but never had he been in my own yard. Or anywhere I was even familiar with.
Instead, he was usually shrouded by a fine black mist. Sometimes, if I was lucky enough, he would simply be doing something rather mundane, like reading a book or walking in a garden. Other times my dreams would be rather violent, and I could hear the screaming of his victims as he ripped them to shreds. Then there was the girl that usually stood by his side. If the boy was violent, she was easily a hundred times worse. It was like watching a horror movie come to life and I couldn't close my eyes. I found that I didn't want to close my eyes. He was fascinating to me.
Or maybe it's because I'm a weird and sick individual.
He circled around to the back of the house now, his eyes trailing upwards until they landed on the second-floor window, a smirk beginning to curl on his lips.
My window.
I woke up with a gasp, clutching at my sheets.
What the fuck?
My imagination was finally getting away from me.
I couldn't help but look towards my window, still tightly shut and locked, only the soft glow of fairy lights winking back at me. Untangling myself from my sheets, I slipped from my bed and plodded over to the window. Nothing's out there, I thought. It's a stupid dream. They've all been stupid dreams. The red-eyed boy doesn't exist, Y/N. I unlocked the window and pushed it upwards before sticking my head out and looking around. Of course, I couldn't see worth shit but I squinted my eyes anyway, you know, just in case it would help me see better.
The yard was dark and empty. No handsome, red-eyed boys anywhere to be found.
I almost breathed a sigh of relief before a loud jingle broke through the silence, causing me to jump and slam my head into the window.
"Fuck." I hissed, cradling the spot that I could now feel a nice bruise forming.
It took me a moment to realize that the jingle was coming from my phone. Scrambling towards my dresser I managed to trip on the sheets I'd thrown off just minutes ago and go crashing to the floor. Tonight was just not my night. Despite my new entanglement, I reached up and managed to grab my phone, flipping it open without looking at the caller ID.
"Y/N? Y/N?" The voice on the other end was frantic.
Bella. I finally let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, the tension easing from my shoulders for the first time in days.
"Who else would it be?"
Despite my irritation and anger from her stunt I couldn't help but crack a grin as relief flooded through me. She was safe. I could already feel the hysterical laughter bubbling up. But that was quickly quashed as a new voice spoke from behind me.
"You're just as clumsy as your dear sister."
I whirled around and promptly dropped the phone as my eyes took in the dark figure standing at my feet. He was beautiful. Sinfully so. Dressed in all black, his pale skin stood out all the more. Agonizingly perfect and flawless, with dark hair sweeping across his forehead. And his eyes. Oh those eyes. My dreams didn't do them justice. Didn't do any piece of him justice.
"You." I breathed; eyes wide.
He suddenly tensed as our eyes met.
"You." He repeated.
Before I could blink, he was right before me, a gloved hand cradling my face. My mind was going haywire, trying to comprehend just what was happening. What was this pull I was feeling? What is this warmth? Did he feel it too?
"Your eyes." I whispered.
He arched a brow in amusement. "What of them?"
"They're beautiful. Like- like rubies." I stuttered quietly, feeling myself flush. "Am- am I dreaming again?"
Now both brows shot up. He probably thought I was crazy. And at this point he would be right. The boy that I had literally been dreaming about since I was a child was right in front of me.
"Y/N!"
The faraway crackle of my phone pulled me back to reality and I slowly picked it up, watching the boy in front of me. He made no move to stop me, only brushing a cool thumb across my cheek.
Wait, when had he lost the glove?
"I- I'm here."
"Did you hear anything I said?"
It was Alice Cullen
"Er- no."
"Listen," Alice began hurriedly. "I know this a lot to take in, but Alec isn't going to hurt you. It's- mates are a complicated thing in the vampire world."
"I'm sorry, what now?" I blinked rapidly as I tried to process what she was saying.
There was a low growl before I felt the phone being taken from my hands gently. I would be lying if that growl hadn't sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach.
"Cullen. Given your talent I think you would know that Y/N is perfectly safe with me." He leaned in as he tilted my head back, his nose running along my neck. "She is my mate after all."
My breath hitched at not only his words but the little nips and licks he began to trail along my neck, cool against my flushed skin. Oh gods, this could not be legal.
"Please inform Aro that Bella's sister will be coming to stay with us soon."
With a click he snapped the phone shut and molded his lips mine. I was pretty sure that my heart was about to beat out of my chest. Finally, he let me come back up for air with a small nibble on my bottom lip and burying his face back into my neck, his hands running down my sides in a slow caress.
"So- so you're Alec?"
He let out an actual purr at the sound of his name. "Say it again."
"You know people usually introduce themselves before making out right?"
There was a growl in response, and I almost let out a moan. Oh fuck, please stop doing that. It was doing weird things to my body.
"Alec."
He lifted himself up to look at me again, eyes no longer that beautiful ruby red but nearly pitch black. He kissed me again and again, swiping his tongue along my lower lip before delving into my mouth with a hunger that shot heat straight between my legs. This time I moaned. He chuckled as he pulled away, placing light kisses along my jaw until he reached my ear and nibbling yet again. Lord did this boy like to nibble.
"I will be back, mio cara."
Suddenly he disappeared just as my door opened and my dad stood there looking rather alarmed. I just blinked at him in a daze.
"I heard voices." He grumbled, looking for all the world like he had just rolled out of bed... which he had.
I felt my face heat back up, trying to figure out exactly what he had heard and trying to come up with an excuse.
"Uhm. I heard from Bella!"
For once my sister saved the day.
NEXT
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angelltheninth · 1 year
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Meeting of Fates
Pairing: Vax'ildan x Reader
Tags: fluff, meet cute, flirting, teasing, lots of innuendos
Word count: 0.8k
A/N: I can't handle Vax being sad so this is how I will make myself feel better.
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The tavern was always crowded and loud at this time of night, yet there was something about this one that felt more energetic then the rest. You observed quietly from behind the bar, taking in all the current patrons sitting, drinking, talking and laughing around their tables.
The atmosphere was the same as any other night. A little rowdy, loud, and very cheerful from the sound of constant tunes played by the bards. So what was this feeling crawling down your spine that had you in an invisible hold since your shift started?
You haven't pissed anyone off lately. You think. Hope.
"What's a man gotta do to get a drink around here?" Your focus was shifted from the glass in your hand to the tall, dark half-elf before you. He was leaning against the bar on one elbow, the other hand propped up on his hip and a cocky, and quite charming smile on his face.
He looked familiar but you couldn't quite place him. He was definitely here before though. You don't forget a face like that.
"Pay. Like everyone else." You answered unamused and set the empty, clean glass in front of him, "So what'll it be."
"Something befitting of a someone with my roughish charm if you please." He winked at you and tapped his fingers lightly on the counter.
"Tall, dark and sexy?" You threw his flirt right back at him, pretty experienced in flirting like this, "I may have something but it's pricey. Can you handle that?"
His eyes lit up in recognition of a challenge, a game, "I can handle anything you have."
You raised a brow, looking him over. He didn't look like he was hurting for money that's sure but he didn't look like he was swimming in gold coins either. You handed out your hand, "10 gold."
All the light seemed to drain from his eyes at the amount, "10? Gold?" You nodded. He slowly reached into his pocket and put down 20 silver coins, "I've got this and whole lot of enthusiasm. I'm sure we can settle on a smaller price."
"I never settle for anything small." You ran your finger suggestively over the length of the glass in front of you.
"Then you should avoid Scanlan." He added, his good spirits coming back. He looked down at your hand and repeated your gesture over the glass, "Come now, I'm sure we can figure things out. Just lower it a little for me. I guarantee I can pay you back, make it worth your while."
You sighed, "Look handsome, I'm sure you're amazing but if I gave every pretty person who walked in here low prices I'd have two things: a broke business and whole lot of notches in my bed. So far business if going good and I'm not desperate enough for the second one." You picked the glass back up and pointed it at him, "You're a regular so I'll let this one slide, you either order or you go back to... what ever table you sat at."
"How do you know I'm at one of your regulars?"
"Because you have a face that's too hot to forget." You answered honestly and reached for a cheaper bottle.
He winked at you again, his confidence now back in full force, "I could say the same to you. Why do you think I walked over here? Just to get a drink. Nah, I wanted to chat you up a little. Go ahead, no more tricks from me, just make me something tasty." His tongue rolled around the last word, eye brows wiggling as he slid the payment across the counter to you.
"I'm glad you understand. You're sexy but I have a business to run." You prepared his drink quickly and waited for him to reach for the glass, "But after I could give you a run." You whispered. His ears twitched at your words, and maybe another body part you couldn't see. You liked to think that it did.
He hummed, keeping eyes locked with you as he sipped his drink, "If you're as sweet as this drink then I'm looking forward to closing hours. By the way, the name's Vax."
Vax. A quick and easy name to remember. "Then I'll see you in a few hours Vax."
"I can hardly wait. Oh, and, what's this drink called?" Vax looked at the dark liquid swirling in his glass, tasting of chocolate and cherries.
"A Little Death." You answered with a big smirk.
"Tasty. I hope to have it again later." He raised the glass at you before giving you a little bow and turning to go back to his table. They seemed like a rather lively bunch over there.
Who knew your night would be going so damn well? Must be fate.
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csuitebitches · 11 months
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Book Review: Book 1: Stop People Pleasing (a 9-part series by Patrick King, “Be Confident and Fearless.”)
I’m reading a 9-part series by Patrick King, “Be Confident and Fearless.” His books talk about becoming assertive, saying no, not people pleasing anymore and being confident. Generally, such books are quite generic but I found his take on the subject interesting. His techniques to handle certain situations seem to be quite doable too. His techniques have been highlighted in bold.
Book One: “Stop People Pleasing”
A people-pleaser is worried about rejection. They have a need, as we all do, to be accepted and treasured—to be loved. But in people-pleasers, this need is amplified to the extent that they will bend over backward just to not lose that love or acceptance. This is more invalidating than giving an honest opinion.
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In reality, people-pleasers continued promises and inaction just tick their friends off, as it becomes apparent that they are willing to be dishonest and only say what people want to hear.
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They’re not really doing what they do to improve someone else’s life—they just want to feel more positive about themselves.
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Living under the limitations of our own viewpoint, we tend to think everyone in our circle is looking at and judging how we look and behave. At most, maybe a couple of people are paying attention to most of your moves, and they’re likely people you’re already close to who are supposed to know you better than anyone else.
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When you’re so consumed with the perceived needs of others, you’re not paying yourself any attention. You could be overlooking or ignoring things you need to do to take care of yourself.
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Avoiding confrontation for fear that it might only make things worse ironically results in the very outcomes it’s meant to deflect. The absence of confrontations doesn’t mean your relationship is all healthy, and the presence of confrontations doesn’t mean your relationship has gone to the dogs.
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The BLUE model is a specific CBT strategy developed by PracticeWise to help counter negative thinking. BLUE is an acronym that stands for the kind of extremely negative thoughts you should recognize in yourself when they do pop into your head. “B” stands for blaming myself, “L” is looking for bad news, “U” means unhappy guessing, and “E” represents exaggeratedly negative thoughts.
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What many people-pleasers fail to see is that sacrificing so much of themselves in pursuit of serving everyone else around them is sabotaging their very capacity to continue being there for others when it truly matters.
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Rejecting an invite is not the same as rejecting your friend and that prioritizing your own peace of mind by just settling into a restful weekend is totally okay.
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Ask yourself, “What are the things I do to be happy?” or “What are the core beliefs I have about my worth as a person?”
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Exposure therapy is the process of deliberately placing yourself in situations that cause you fear and anxiety. You’ll need to immerse yourself in your feared situations in a gradual and progressive manner, starting from situations that cause the least anxiety and later advancing to those that cause the most intense feelings of fear.
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Creating your fear hierarchy. The fear hierarchy is an ordered list of situations that elicit your fears and anxieties.
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The first habit we must develop is the habit of self-awareness. We don’t understand why we people-please, and we’re not aware when we’re doing it.
This begins with questioning the motives for your actions: “Why exactly am I going out of my way for this person?” “Do I genuinely care for them, or am I just afraid of what might happen without them?” “Would I be doing this out of free will, or am I doing it for someone else?”
Take note of the moment you’re starting to feel internal resistance. When that happens, stop everything and question why you’re doing it.
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The second habit to cultivate is the habit of personal autonomy. An autonomous person knows what they truly believe and why they believe it. But the differences that you’ve valued your own opinion over that of others. Or you’ve at least valued it equally and not by habit put your own opinion as inferior to that of others.
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That’s why it’s important to get into the habit of expressing yourself honestly. The more you communicate where you stand, the more people will know where you’re coming from (and what your limits are). After all, people can’t read minds, and to expect others to know what you want is an impossible task.
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Remain strong under pressure. When you stop people-pleasing, you will face some angry reactions. It’s not necessarily their fault because you have conditioned their expectations. But this is where you must not fold under pressure, like you previously would have. It only takes five seconds of extreme willpower, and it gets easier every time thereafter.
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How to set boundaries:
1. Determine your core values
2. Change yourself and only yourself. You dont control other people
3. Set consequences of someone else breaking your boundaries. Write down the boundaries you have, the actions others might take that trespass those boundaries, and exactly what you will do when they’ve violated your boundaries.
4. Communicate your boundaries to others in very exact terms. Make sure everybody’s very, very clear on what your limits are.
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If you tell yourself “I can’t,” you’re simply reminding yourself of the limitations you’ve set for yourself. You’re creating a feedback loop in your brain that tells you that you can’t do something that you would normally want to do.
When you tell yourself “I don’t,” you’re creating a feedback loop that reminds you of your power and control of the situation. You’ve given yourself a line in the sand that takes the situation out of your hands. Your choice was premade to say no and thus you can stick to it more easily.
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mysteryshoptls · 1 month
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SSR Idia Shroud - Platinum Jacket Vignette
"Happy 100th Anniversary"
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
Idia: Look at all these dynamic brushstrokes that can only truly be appreciated because they're from a real painting… Fheehee! This is the real thrill of seeing one live!
Idia: ―Ah! Th-Th-Th-This is…! A PAINTING OF THE LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD ON HIS CHARIOT!!!
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Idia: It hits so hard~ In order to rescue a captured comrade, the king himself rushes to the front lines… Oooowee~ Doesn't that just get your heart pumpin'?
???: Indeed… However, is it appropriate for a dutiful commander to leave his base and head to the front lines?
Idia: Eeek!!! Silver-shi!? D-Don't just cut in when I'm talking to myself like that. This is why I can't deal with extroverts…
Silver: My apologies for startling you. I found your comment to be interesting, so I could not help but chime in.
Idia: E-Even if you think it's interesting, don't you think your impression of him was pretty shallow just from this one anecdote...?
Silver: Meaning?
Idia: I-If he was just a minister or something, he coulda just split after setting up the strategy, leaving it to his subordinates to execute everything.
Idia: But he still went to such a dangerous place to stir up morale, because that mission would be the linchpin of the whole battle. So, basically…
Idia: That means his responsibility meter is through the roof!! Wheeew, he's a totally different breed than any naïve and useless politician who just hoists their title around.
Silver: So you're saying that he himself went out there because it was a crucial situation. I would say that he does have an overwhelming sense of responsibility, indeed.
Silver: Hearing your opinion on the matter has allowed me to delve deeper into understanding this painting and its story. You are quite wise.
Idia: S-Sure, yeah~! You should follow my example and study up on things a little better, Silver-shi!
Silver: I will do just that. …However, it feels as though what you said about how other leaders may act had some weight behind it.
Silver: I had heard that you took up the title of Housewarden after being recommended by the previous Housewarden...
Silver: Was that because you had had previous experience as a leader, and were thus therefore chosen for the position?
Idia: Huh!? N-No, nuh-uh, wut are you even talking about? No way, no way… 'Sides, I'm more of a solo player even in my online games, y'know?
Idia: I mean, sometimes I've taken the lead of a party when I absolutely had to for a raid, or something…
Silver: As I expected, you do have experience in leadership.
Idia: It's not that big a deal… I mean, I got a reliable battle buddy who tanks and usually takes the lead.
Idia: Generally, I go for healing or DPS roles. Or more like, I just stack as many buffs as I can to increase firepower.
Idia: But it's not like our schedules always line up, so whenever he's not around, I take the lead… Because I have to!
Idia: It's usually the high-level players with great skills that take on the leader role. And in that case, I've basically maxed out all my stats in every position, so…
Idia: And I can grasp what the scenarios call for, see? And I can also play the tank roles to take charge on the front lines, right???
Idia: "Thanks to you, I was able to clear this high-level quest! I'm so thankful to have joined this party!"
Idia: …THEY SAY, ELECTING ME MVP OVER AND OVER AGAIN!
Idia: And I was just taking on the leader role because I had to. I'm just way too good…
Silver: So, those who fought alongside you showered you with gratitude. That just proves even further your leadership capabilities.
Idia: I-I wouldn't go that far― …Or maybe, just a little bit further? H-Hee Fheeheeheehee!
Idia: But also, I don't want to deal with failing a quest because some loser was placed in charge, so.
Idia: So I guess next time I have to put together a party, if my friend isn't available, I'll just have to lead them all again!
Idia: Wheeew, it's hard being so awesome~!
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
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Silver: This is a painting of a lion, warthog, and a meerkat, I see. The three of them are singing a song and seem to get along well.
Idia: Ain't they waaay too upbeat, to be able to sing while walking like that? Like, this painting shows the lion crown prince that was forced to leave his own country…
Idia: It's showing him singing along with some friends he ended up making, while he tries to ignore that pain, right?
Idia: Lucky him, that they chose to glorify his hiatus from his royal duties like this. Tch!
Silver: I've heard that singing can raise one's spirits. Perhaps they all wanted to brighten their own moods.
Idia: Speaking of singing to take your mind off stuff, there was this one time when I was a kid when my little brother was too scared to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night…
Idia: So we would go there while singing the theme song of our favorite anime together.
Idia: Eh, anyway, whatever their reason for singing, having that moon in the background composition like that's super moving. Kinda like what you'd see in an MV.
Silver: Em-vee…?
Idia: Eh… Y-You don't know what a music video is? It's a video recording that goes along with music and lyrics…
Silver: Ah, so you call those MVs. I understand.
Idia: I-If you feel like checking out some MVs sometime, I'd recommend the idol group "Precipice Moirai."
Idia: Premo's MVs are so awesome that you could watch them 100 times and never tire of them…!
Silver: 100 times… That's quite a lot. Is that generally something you'd watch so often?
Idia: A true fan would absolutely! More like, it's way too insolent to think that you could truly appreciate their MV with only one watch!
Idia: The first watch is all about enjoying the song and video in its entirety. The next three times the focus is shifted to checking out each of the three members' dance moves and expressions one by one.
Idia: Next, there's the actual composition of the MV, and digging deep into the actual message of the video… At a minimum, it should be watched ten times.
Idia: On top of all that, Premo's super casual MVs can put even a film director to shame!
Idia: There's no way to fully comprehend their art with only a couple viewings. That's why it needs to be viewed hundreds of times.
Silver: I had no idea their work was that deep… It may prove useful in training me better in emotional expressions, and perhaps could even be incorporated into the academy's music courses.
Idia: N-No, I mean, you don't gotta go that far… But it's great that you know just how awesome they are.
Idia: Even between us Premo fans, there's always those who still don't understand their art at all…
Idia: Every time a new MV comes out, there's always people saying stuff like, "She got the most screen time," or "She's definitely the manager's favorite," and the like…
Idia: But does that have anything to do with the quality of their work? It doesn't, right? They don't care about understanding the heart or essence of the songs.
Silver: I see… I feel as though I have learned a lot from you, Idia-senpai.
Silver: When we return to campus, I will look into, hm… Premo? Yes, Premo's music videos.
Idia: Eh, no way!? S-S-Seriously!? They have all their latest MVs on their official Magicam account!
Idia: P-PLEASE WATCH THEM! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
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[Land of Dawning – National Museum of Art]
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Idia: Ooh, here's the Sea Witch floating in the darkness… She's got a nice, bewitching smile going, too.
Silver: This is a painting depicting the scene of when the Sea Witch drew up a contract.
Silver: If I recall, it was said that the contract was so unbreakable that even a powerful spear couldn't rip through it.
Idia: I mean, you'd think that just having a contract that doesn't tear apart or bleed ink in water is strong enough...
Silver: Perhaps the contents of the contract was dire enough she did not wish it broken.
Idia: Who cares about the contents, the material of the contract is way more interesting. How high of a defense stat did it even have to not get ripped up by a spear?
Idia: But I totally get it, everyone wants to make invincible things every so often.
Silver: I cannot say I understand, but… What sort of thing would you make, Idia-senpai?
Idia: Like a "game console power cord that can never be taken away," or something like that… A-Actually, I tried to make something like that when I was a kid.
Idia: Whenever I'd play video games all day and into night, my mother would end up hiding all my cords.
Idia: If all she did was hide them, I could just make myself a new one, but she'd hide the cord materials as well. Totally overboard!
Idia: So I had a thought. I had to do something so she couldn't hide it!
Silver: I can only imagine your mother was concerned for your health… Did you never consider quitting your games?
Idia: Why would I? Ahh, but I really did burn the midnight oil like a little worker bee back then.
Idia: Like, I'd put a motion sensor on it, so that the cord could automatically run away from whoever was holding it...
Idia: Or I'd make the cord transparent so it couldn’t be found, or attach a homing function to it so it'd come back on its own…
Idia: And finally, after many failed attempts… I finally did it…!
Idia: I MADE A TRANSPARENT POWER CORD THAT ONLY RECOGNIZES THE AUTHORIZED USER!!
Silver: I do not really comprehend what that is, but… It is amazing that you invented something with your own two hands.
Idia: Nope, not at all.
Idia: My family also has a real stubborn genius, and every time I came up with some tech, it'd quickly get shot down by some kind of countermeasure...
Idia: And it took me a few months of that game of cat and mouse before I realized I should just convert my game console to wireless.
Idia: Hmph… But the peace and quiet that came from switching to wireless didn't last long at all...
Idia: Soon after, the Final Boss appeared: a device capable of disabling all wireless tech within a 10-meter radius!
Idia: Well, all the experience I got developing the motion sensing and automatic functions helped when I was putting Ortho together…
Idia: So I guess all that trial and error wasn't for nothing.
Silver: Even if you can picture your ideal outcome, it is rather difficult to actually put into action.
Silver: However, you have made real many of your thoughts. I can respect that.
Idia: Wai― What're you trying to say all a sudden? Getting complimented to my face randomly like that is a little scary… W-Wait, is this all a plot to beguile me!?
Silver: A plot? ...Hm, I see it has gotten late. I have kept you for some time. My apologies.
Silver: I am grateful to have heard such wonderful stories from you. Well then, I shall be on my way.
Idia: Whew… I'm exhausted having to actually talk to people for the first time in a while… Ah, this is…
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Idia: It's the hero from that one myth. Look at his sparkling expression… He looks like he totally believes the future ahead of his is bright.
Idia: Life doesn't always go as swimmingly as you hope, though… Hope he doesn't get too excited that he gets carried away by the river of the underworld!
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Requested by Anonymous.
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tears0fsatan · 1 year
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Hey there. ^^ May I ask for some angst oneshots?
"Look at me, you're safe. And you're not alone, and I'll never let you be alone again, you understand?"- Beelzebub
"I made you cry, and I hate myself for that. I swore I wouldn't be one of the people who left you hurting." - Lucifer
"I can't take the very though of you getting hurt. " - Satan
"Please, tell me why you're upset. Tell me who did this?" - Asmodeus
Ty if you do. ^^
-🥀
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✦ ⊹ ˚˖ warnings... gn!reader (no pronouns used), relationship between the charas aren't specified, angst / comfort, mention of violence (asmo), small mention of blood (asmo), slightly suggestive (asmo), possessive language (asmo), reader has a panic attack (beel)
in loving memory of 🥀 anon.
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LUCIFER !
it was an accident, truly. his patient mask had slipped and cracked, along with it came a flurry of insults he hurled at the nearest living soul in the heat of the moment.
he was harshly pulled out of his aggravated stupor upon seeing who his unfortunate victim was. now, lucifer was emotionally constipated by all means, however he was not a fool nor was he heartless. he realised what he said was hurtful, the kind of harshness one couldn't take back.
you spared him a final glance before turning on your heels and sauntering out the room, leaving the demon to wallow in his regret.
the lucifer prior to your arrival in devildom would've laughed at the emotional vulnerability, thinking that showing such dramatics would get you nowhere. he believed that he was a being above emotional outbursts.
fortunately, he knew better now. he was aware that his mindset was skewed and he worked hard to change for the better.
for once, the demon felt... lost and scatterbrained. he wanted to chase after you and apologise, confound what the others would think about his desperation. he would happily bring down the moon and the stars if you simply asked him to, even if it meant putting aside his pride.
yet, he wasn't sure if you wanted him to do that. he knew it was right to give you time and space, but was that something you wanted?
lords, this was bringing back his anxiety from his younger days.
he knew that he needed to apologise, one way or another. the only problem was, he didn't know how. should he go grand? bring you a bouquet of your favourite flowers and order all your favourite desserts from déjà vu or was that too much? should he prepare what he would say or would that seem insincere?
"fuck, what an utter fool." lucifer growled out to himself, two fingers rubbing circles on his forehead. "thousands of years alive and yet this is what causes you grievance?"
he figured that his best option was to apologise now, the sooner he did, the quicker he could work on fixing what he screwed up. so, he did his best to think of what he could say that wouldn't come off as tone deaf on his way to your room.
however, when faced with your swollen, red rimmed eyes and the tear tracks that trailed down your cheeks, all the words he had prepared disappeared from his mind. his mouth remained tightly shut as he took in your dishevelled appearance, regret piling up in his mind.
"i made you cry, and i hate myself for that. i swore i wouldn't be one of the people who left you hurt, and i apologise for not up holding my word." the words flowed out of him before his mind registered what was happening.
in the midst of his apology, he had wound up squeezing his eyes shut, his embarrassment and remorse getting the better of him. he heard you take in a deep breath, probably processing the uncharacteristic apology that spilled past his lips.
the silence shared between the two of you was deafening, shit, maybe this was too abrupt? maybe he should've given you more time...
before he could spiral further into his thoughts, your quiet voice reached his ears, "thank you, um, maybe we could, uh, talk it out in the morning?"
SATAN !
things between you and satan had been rocky recently. the two of you had an argument over something small and in the end, both of your tempers had blown it out of proportion. what started out as a silly, offhand comment turned into a hiccup in your relationship.
it had been days since the two of you last spoke to each other, it went to the extent that neither of you glanced at the other when paths crossed at school and at home.
obviously, it wasn't hard for the other brothers to pick up the weird tension between the two of you, mammon even going as far as to pull satan aside to ask him what the deal was with the tense atmosphere surrounding the two of you.
though, after learning about what caused the rift in your relationship, the brothers decided to stay out of it, which admittedly did disappoint satan, just a tiny bit. they told him that this was his problem to deal with, and while he did agree, he was hoping mammon or leviathan could've talked to you.
days slowly turned into a week and there was still no sign of an apology from either one of you. little by little, old habits were making their way back into satan's life.
he found himself spending most of his time holed up in his room, novel in hand and surrounded by the comfort of his books. despite how nonchalant he looked, in reality, he hadn't been reading the novel at all, mind lost in ways he could make up things with you.
a loud crash echoed throughout the near empty house, causing the unfocused demon to look up in shock. he knew that all of his brothers weren't home and that you were the only other living soul in the house at the time.
that made him spring up to his feet immediately, discarding his book somewhere beside him and rushing out the door to find you.
he was quick to find you, on the floor of the kitchen surrounded by numerous pots and pans. thankfully, it didn't seem as though you sustained a serious injury.
regardless, he rushed towards you with a new found urgency. "are you okay?" satan hurriedly asked, quickly looking over your appearance to see if you had injured yourself.
an uneasy silence took over, neither of you wanting to relent and start the conversation.
"i can't take the very thought of you getting hurt." satan muttered quietly, deciding to take the initiative and break the stillness that had washed over the two of you.
you finally made eye contact with the demon and the hesitance in your action made his eyebrows twitch in sadness? guilt? regret? maybe it would've been more accurate to say it was a cocktail of all those emotions combined.
"well, i'm not hurt so... you don't have to look at me like that." your voice held no malice, instead it was filled with awkwardness, much like your voice back when you first came to devildom. it felt like a punch to the gut, honestly.
nevertheless, satan felt relieved, in a way. at least the hard part was over and now all that was needed was a good long chat.
ASMODEUS !
a wolf whistle echoed from behind you when you twirled around in front of asmodeus' mirror, checking yourself out in the outfit he picked out for you. from where asmodeus sat on his bed behind you, he was openly eyeing you like you were his prey.
he skipped his way towards you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing a trail of kisses down your jaw and neck. "you look so pretty, hon! i could eat you up right here, right now!"
your giggle drew him out from where he had buried his face in the juncture of your neck and shoulder. "asmo, we're gonna be late." you sweetly reminded him, which resulted in a whine from the demon.
however, with a few grumbles under his breath, asmodeus relented. he wanted more than anything to have your sole attention on him and play with him all night long, but he couldn't lie to himself, an entire crowd of peoples attention on him was just a tad bit more tempting.
"you have to promise to play with me allllll night long tomorrow, okay?" the demon drawled out, holding both of your hands in his and looking at you with the biggest, wettest puppy eyes he could muster.
your loud laugh and bashful expression did make him hesitate, but luckily, you were already tugging him out the door.
hours later, asmodeus found himself in a buzz, surrounded by succubi and incubi alike, pressing themselves against him. he relished in the attention they were giving him, all of their lust and desire only fuelling on his drunken haze.
he had lost sight of you not long after arriving at the location of the party, got swept away by his adoring fans. he figured you were fine, you could handle a party, right?
that was until a commotion brought him back to his senses. he attempted to ignore it at first, it was probably another dumb brutish brawl between the succubi and incubi, nothing to be worried about. it was only when he heard something oddly similar to the sound of your crying did he take an interest in what transpired.
he rushed past the crowd of demons, no longer in a state of intoxication.
"asmo.. i'm sorry." the demon watched the tears fall down your face, his heart cracking at sight of you so distressed and drenched in demonous.
asmodeus shook his head with a new found urgency and closed the distance between the two of you. his vanity cried out at the feeling of the sticky alcohol against his clothes and skin, ruining his usual perfect image.
"honey please, tell me why you're upset. tell me, who did this?" yet, his sin, his bloodlust, flared at the gall of whichever lowly being did this to his precious human.
he tried his best at holding back his rage, his demon form ready to make its appearance. he would murder them, tear them apart limb from limb. he wanted to see them bleed, he wanted to see them beg for mercy. he would make sure they paid for what they had done to you, to what was his.
"the outfit- it's ruined... i'm sorry." your voice shook despite asmo's attempts to calm you down. it broke his heart to hear you so hung up over the fact that the outfit he handpicked for you was ruined, rather than the state you were in.
"darling, that's not what i'm worried about..." asmodeus looked at the demons surrounding him and you, making sure to look each of them in the eye. "let's get you all cleaned up, hm? there's a new face mask that i got and wanted to try with you!"
BEELZEBUB !
a human food bazaar was opening in devildom's plaza and no one was more determined to run the stalls dry of their stock than beelzebub. he had heard from a few reliable sources (definitely not barbatos and solomon) that there would be a variety of traditional foods from countries all across the human realm and who would be better at tasting all assortment of foods than the avatar of gluttony himself?
of course, he wouldn't go alone, he would need a companion to accompany him on this journey and there was only one candidate in mind, you. you weren't one to deny him either, not when his eyes were practically sparkling and drool had begun to pool in the corners of his mouth.
with that, the two of you had set off for your trip into the plaza. the crowd had been larger than beelzebub expected, so even though he wanted nothing more than to go on a rampage and absolutely annihilate the stall's stock, he came here to enjoy a day off with you.
he tightly gripped your hand, worried you would get lost within the sea of demons. he felt you squeeze his hand and when he turned back to look at you, you were already looking at him with a smile gracing your face.
"beel, honey, there's no rush. there'll be enough for you when we make our rounds." the demon felt himself calm down at the gentle reminder, the unnoticed tension in his shoulder slowly easing. he offered you a smile of his own before pulling you towards a stall that caught his eye.
this continued on for over an hour and you were at your limit. you had told beelzebub that you would find a place to sit and rest nearby, despite the puppy eyes he flashed you. he had waited to see where you sat down before running off the more stalls, this time with the thought to bring snacks the two of you could eat together.
when he returned with the snacks in hand, you were nowhere to be found. a panic immediately set in and a million thoughts raced through his head, where did you go? did you go willingly? were you okay? had someone hurt you?
he didn't know what to do, where to go from here. in his frenzied state, he put all his focus into his hearing, in hopes he could identify the sound of your voice amongst the sea of demons.
after a few minutes of adjusting to all the noise, he zeroed in on the sound of your sniffle not too far where he was located. he relied on the sound of your laboured breathing to track down where you had curled into yourself behind a wall, away from the main crowd.
the demon didn't waste time and rushed towards you. the way your breathing seemed frantic and your heartbeat was worryingly fast had him checking all over you, to make sure you weren't hurt physically.
"look at me, you're safe. you're not alone, and i'll never let you be alone again, okay?" beelzebub tried his best to say what he thought would help calm you down, his own anxiety beginning to build up. his first thought was to get his brothers, maybe lucifer or satan would know how to help, but the second you felt him pull away, your hands tightly clung onto his sleeve.
with your eyes screwed shut, you shook your head rapidly, "no, don't- don't leave, please."
no amount of hunger could prepare beelzebub for the pain of hearing you beg for him to stay. he could only watch and rub circles on your back as you tightly screwed your eyes shut in an attempt to control your breathing.
he held you in his arms until you calmed down, the only remains of your panic attack being your cheeks sticky with tears. you chuckled and wiped your eyes before glancing at the long forgotten snacks on the ground, "i'm sorry for ruining today, i got overwhelmed from the amount of people here."
beelzebub shook his head vigorously, "you didn't ruin anything. i had fun spending the day with you, even if we didn't eat everything."
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© 2023 TEARS0FSATAN. please don’t translate, modify, repost or plagiarise my works anywhere.
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hopefulromances · 9 months
Text
Long Time Coming I Chapter Eight I Foolish One
Summary: Being hired as the first female assistant coach in the league was a challenge of it itself. Being a football protigy and University Football Legend was easy enough. Coaching Jamie Tartt was a challenge all on its own.
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Word Count: 2.9k
Warning: Angst babes, just angst
A/N: Didn't want to make yall wait too long. AHHAHA
Prologue One Two Three Four Five Six Seven
If I thought that I had been avoiding Jamie before, I was altogether ignoring him now. I tried not to let me emotions get in the way of things between us being friends, but I really couldn’t stand to be near him right now. I avoided him for the rest of the funeral, didn’t even say goodbye. Luckily for me we were given an extra day off where I was able to get some distance from him.  
I stopped going to the pitch in the morning, opting instead to stay after training in order to avoid Jamie. I avoided the locker room, hanging out with Keely or Rebecca for as long as I could before sneaking into my corner of the coach’s office as quietly as possible. Luckily, most of the attention was on Doctor Sharon leaving, and the upcoming game at Brantford.
That and Edwin Akufo’s sudden appearance at the club that really shook things up. I hated not being around Jamie. He made me feel better about myself, just being around him lifted my spirits. But now, just thinking about him made my heart hurt like the ache I felt when his dad showed up in Man City. I was heading to meet Rebecca for lunch when he finally caught me in the hallway.
            “(Y/N),” He called after me. “Wait up a second, would ya?”
I froze in my place, knowing that I couldn’t very well just avoid him. I let him jog up next to me and turned to face him.
            “Hi, Jamie,” I greeted smally. He stared for a second, waiting for anything from me but I was not giving it.
            “Yeah, well, I just missed ya this morning,” he told me, his hands going into his pockets. “And I just feel like I haven’t heard from you much recently.”
I looked down, not able to meet his gaze. “Yeah…”
Again, I didn’t elaborate. Jamie furrowed his brows, a frown etching its way onto his face.  We stood, facing each other in a more-so-uncomfortable silence.
            “Anyways, I should go, Rebecca is waiting for me.” I started to walk off.
            “Uh, okay? See you around?” He called after me.
I didn’t respond as I walked up the stairs to Rebecca’s office. When he was finally out of earshot, I let out a large breath. That was probably the worst conversation I have ever had in my life. I knocked on Rebecca’s door waiting for her reply before walking in. She was sat on the couch, munching on Ted’s cookies as she always did come lunch.
            “Welcome, welcome!” She greeted, patting on the set next to her. “Come sit” I gave her a grateful look and slumped down on the couch. “Woah, that was a heated plop. C’mon out with it. What’s going on?”
            “How do you know anything’s going on? Maybe, I’m just in a ploppy mood!” I defended myself. Rebecca stared at me. “Okay, fine.” I sat up and scooched, so I was sitting on the edge of the couch. “So, at the funeral I was going to tell Jamie how I felt. I know!” I held up a hand, silencing her. “Bad setting but I was overly emotional. Anyways, I was on my way to tell him when I overheard him telling Keely that he still loved her.” A sympathetic gaze overtook Rebecca’s expression. “Yeah. And now I can’t be around him without being… sad… so I’m trying to give us space. But I just miss him so much!”
            “I understand how you feel,” Rebecca admitted. “I told Sam that I wanted to take a break at the funeral.” I gasped in surprise. “But now, with this whole Edwin Akufo situation, I feel so… BLAGH!”
I leaned over to rest my head on her shoulder. “Well, aren’t we a couple of heartbroken idiots.”
She hummed in agreement before looking down at me. “The worst part about it is that I don’t want to tell Keely because-“
            “Because she has her vanity fair thing! Exactly!” I shot up, excited to have someone who understood the predicament.  
            “Exactly,” Rebecca punctuated. She reached over and picked up her box of cookies and held the box out for me. “Here, you deserve one as much as I do.”
I looked at her like she was offering me the cure to cancer. These cookies were legendary, and she was just offering one up to me like it was nothing? I took one out of the box gingerly.
            “Thank you, Rebecca,” I praised, bowing my head slightly. “I shall treasure this always.”
We giggled to ourselves for a moment whilst I chowed down on my cookie. Rebecca kept glancing over at me though, like she was thinking something but didn’t want to say anything.
            “What?” I pressed, popping the last bit of the cookie in my mouth. “You have that look.”
            “What look?”
            “That ‘I have advice’ look! So, out with it!”
Rebecca scoffed and adjusted herself. “I just… I just think you should still tell Jamie how you feel.”
            “Are you joking?” I asked, incredulous. “I think that is the worst possible thing I could do right now.”
            “Well! I’m just saying. Are you planning on ignoring him for the rest of your life?” She pointed out. I shrugged, slumping back down again. “Well… then I think the only option is to talk to him!”
She was right. I knew she was right. But that didn’t make it any easier to do. To tell Jamie how I felt would be excruciating, especially when I knew he didn’t like me back. But I didn’t want to go forever without seeing him again and the best way back would be to tell him what was going on.
That’s how I found myself standing on the pitch the next morning. I wondered if Jamie would show up today or if he was done trying to find me. I kicked the ball lamely in around, thinking over exactly the speech I had thought of to tell him. Nothing heartfelt, nothing to get my emotions running high. Just ‘I liked you, you don’t like me, let’s move on’.
But then, there he was, walking towards me. He was smiling, like he was excited to see me. And everything that I had planned was flying out my ear. My brain was empty. No thoughts, just Jamie.
            “(Y/N)!” He exclaimed as he got closer to me. “I was afraid you’d gotten scared off. Too impressed by my raw skills.” He laughed but I found myself unable to move. “Is everything alright?” Again, I found myself unable to speak. I opened my mouth and realized how hard I was breathing. “What’s going-“
            “Do you know how much I wanted to hate you?” I blurted out finally. He looked taken aback by my comment. “Like I really wanted to hate you. You were so talented, and young. Just like me. Except you got everything you wanted while I was sidelined. The second I finished university no one cared about me anymore.” Jamie’s faces scrunched up as he tried to understand what I was saying. “And at first, you made it really easy to hate you. You were such a dick.” I chuckled and Jamie let himself laugh a bit as well but then my laughter died. “But then you went and… became a good person.” The laugh left Jamie’s eyes. “You became thoughtful, and considerate and just as bloody talented as well.”
            “What are you going on about?”
            “Let me finish!” I snapped, harsher than I meant to. I cringed at my voice and brought a hand up to rub my forehead “Sorry, just… just let me finish. You became a good person, Jamie. Someone I liked being around. And Jamie I… I like you.” I swallowed hard, trying to gage his reaction. At first, he looked confused, then his confusion turned to realization, then to confusion again. “I really really like you. You made me feel comfortable and special. And I thought, after the bus and the club that maybe you liked me too?” It wasn’t a question, even though I posed it as such. “But then I overheard you talking to Keely, at the funeral, and I know you don’t which is okay. You don’t have to.” I felt myself starting to ramble, trying to ward off the tears springing into my eyes. I rubbed my eyes, trying to ward off the redness. “But Jamie, I just… I just need some time. Okay?”
I stared at him, wanting him to say something, anything, but also dreading the words that might come out of his mouth. His eyes were darting around as he tried to understand what I was saying and figure out a response. But the longer it took, the worse I felt. I was ruining it, all of it. Any relationship we might have had is completely gone now.
            “(Y/N)… I-“
            “No, it’s okay! It really is!” I cut him off, deciding that I did not want to hear his sympathies. “I’ll just go. I’m gonna go.”
With that, I turned around, leaving the football on the field with Jamie and headed inside. Behind me I heard Jamie let out a loud curse and the sound of the ball going flying.
Jamie was confused. Somehow, in the past few weeks, he had managed to chase off all the people he considered himself closest to. Keely, Roy, and now, (Y/N). He didn’t know exactly how to react to her confession. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t attracted to her. She was fit and incredibly talented. And over the past few months they had gotten incredibly close.
Then there was Man City. His dad had gotten in her face and his blood was boiling. From the look on her face, this wasn’t the first rambunctious drunk she’d dealt with and that made him even more made. But after all that, she’d still been there for him. She sat with him the whole bus ride home, even falling asleep on his shoulder.  While she slept, he couldn’t help but look over her delicate features. It was so rare that he saw her so relaxed, and he was glad that he could provide a space for her to feel that comfortable.
The dance club was a mistake. His mistake. She’d been telling him about these uneventful dates she’d been going on. Dates where the guys were such idiots. He hadn’t meant to show up to the club that night, but he wanted to make sure she had a good time on her date. Then the guy had straight up ghosted her? He had to make sure she was alright. Any friend would. But then she was getting tipsy and dancing closer to him. And she just looked so good. If Colin hadn’t pulled her away, he probably would have kissed her then and there.
He was happy, so, truly happy again, at Richmond. The last time he was that happy was when he would go home to Keely at the end of the day. Then (Y/N) had hated him, and he was a big part of her unhappiness. But that feeling he had with Keely was back, even though he wasn’t spending as much time with her. He knew he was becoming the person she knew he was so maybe, some part of him, was changing for her.
That’s why he confessed his feelings for her at the funeral. After watching Rebecca’s moving eulogy, he didn’t want to wait anymore to hide his feelings away. But even after he had told Keely his feelings, things still didn’t feel right. And after that, Keely wasn’t talking to him anymore. Then (Y/N) stopped coming to our morning practices, and she wasn’t answering his texts. The only thing that had stayed the same was bloody Roy Kent and his arsehole nature. But he couldn’t even count on that to stay the same. Once he found out that he had told Keely that he loved her, Roy would kill him.
All of these thoughts rushed through Jamie’s head as he watched (Y/N) walk away. She was holding back tears, he could tell and it broke his heart to know he had caused that pain.
            “Fucking HELL” He grunted, kicking the ball back down the field. He fell onto the ground throwing his legs out and covering his face with his hands.
Just then, he felt a shadow come over him and he opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the light.
            “Good morning, Jamie!” Sam’s cheerful voice broke through. “Are you enjoying your nap?
Despite his mood, Jamie couldn’t help but feel a little better in Sam’s presence. “I was, until you came along.” He smacked Sam’s leg as he sat up, bringing his knees up towards his chest. Sam could tell there was something wrong with his friend and he sat down next to him leaning back on his arms to prop himself up. He watched as Jamie picked at his fingers, clearly deep in thought.
            “Talk to me, Jamie,” he opened, nudging him.
            “It’s all fucked, Sam,” Jamie replied, exasperated. “I’ve fucked it all up.”
Sam chuckled. “I can tell. Everyone’s been talking about it.”
            “Wait, really?” Jamie frowned, looking seriously at Sam.
Sam smiled, shaking his head. “No, not really.”
            “Oh.”
When Jamie didn’t laugh, Sam knew there was something wrong. He knew Jamie had a hard time opening up sometimes, so he deiced to get the ball rolling.
            “Last night,d Edwin Akufo took me out to dinner,” He started, gaining Jamie’s attention.
            “Did he really?”
Sam nodded, looking down at the grass. “He bought a whole restaurant, just so I could have a taste of home.” 
 “He’s really wineing and dining you, eh?” Jamie comment, giving him an encouraging nudge.
“Yeah, he is.” Sam wished he could be more enthusiastic, but he was too conflicted. “And there are a lot of positives to joining him.”
“But…” Jamie knew there was a but. Otherwise, Sam wouldn’t be looking so damn depressed right now.
Sam’s slight smile, faded. “But… something is telling me that I need to stay here.”
Jamie nodded, trying to understand. Sam situation was unique and wasn’t something Jamie could relate to. He always played close enough to home that he could return whenever he wanted to. In any case, he appreciated Sam’s honesty and compassion.
            “I told Keely that I loved her, and I think I fucked everything up.”
Sam cocked his head. “You told Keely that you loved her?”
            “Yah?” Jamie frowned. “Why?”
            “Well, me and some of the guys had a bet on when you and (Y/N) were finally going to get together?” Sam admitted with a smile. “But I don’t think any of us thought you and Keely would get back together.”
            “Me and (Y/N)?” Jamie echoed. Why was this suddenly at the top of everyone’s minds?
            “Yeah! You two have been spending so much time together, we just thought that you were getting close!” Sam shrugged. “But aren’t you afraid of how Roy will react when he finds out.”
            “I was sorta hoping he wouldn’t?” Jamie admitted, cringing at how it sounded.
Sam laughed. “I would maybe not plan on that. Roy and Keely are very honest with each other.”
Jamie groaned, knowing Sam was right. “I just don’t know what’s going on in me brain. It’s like you said. Something is telling me I’m wrong.”
The two boys sat in silence, reveling in the similarity of their situations. While there was an obvious answer to their problems, there was something holding them back from those decision. In this moment, Jamie wished that (Y/N) was there. He found himself wishing for her a lot recently, especially since she’d been avoiding him. He tried to think about how she would react in this situation.
First, she’d probably laugh at him. Telling him how ridiculous he was for getting himself into this situation. Then she would tell him to breath, that everything was going to be okay. Then she’d probably laugh at him some more before telling him he needed to be accountable for what he did. He was out of line for talking to Keely and telling her he loved her. He needed to come clean to Roy and apologize to Keely. Then she’d probably make him run laps just for her own amusement. But she’d end up running them with him, so he didn’t have to suffer alone.
He smiled at the thought. At her laughing at him for whatever stupid situation he’d manage to get himself into. Her laugh was like a drug to him. The first time he’d made her laugh was that day where he’d shown her the Imperial ticket. He’d made some comment about how he was looking to dye his hair ‘walnut mist’ and she’d told him that was a made-up color. But when he’d pulled up samples he’d found, she started to laugh.  The sound was so beautiful he decided he wanted to make her laugh as much as possible.
Then it hit him. It was that feeling. That feeling he used to get when he was with Keely. That feeling that turned his cocky nature into a blushing mess. But he was feeling it about (Y/N) God was he really so stupid?
            “I think,” He spoke, again, addressing Sam. “That you should following your feelings.” With that, he hopped up and held out a hand for Sam to take. Sam took his hand and stood up. Jamie placed his hand on Sam’s back. “But just know, mate, whatever you choose, the team is with you.”
Sam grinned at him and patted Jamie’s back in an appreciative gesture. Together the two of them walked back inside.
Jamie’s heart was racing because for the first time in a long time, he knew exactly what he needed to do.
Taglist: @heletsmelovehim @higherthanheroes @ajax-petropolus-wife @oxxolovemelikeyoudooxxo @optimisticsandwichgladiator @kno-way-home @sleepy-time @wigglegiggle @skewedcherries @respondingtoshowerthoughts-blog
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deadpool15 · 5 days
Text
Let me
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Beautiful. The only word fit to describe the Targaryen’s as a whole. They are viewed if nothing above society. Closer to the gods than men, as many would like to say. Though there is something quite different when it comes to Aemond Targaryen. The man is gorgeous, the most beautiful specimen you’ll ever encounter. There are times where I realize I don’t compare to such beauty or the royal life in general. You see, I have indeed grown from the silence and embarrassment I faced upon arrival. “You are to be wedded, a fine gentleman if I do say so myself. A match meant to bring forth unity for both houses. Securing us many things across Westeros.”
The words that had changed my life, in which I didn’t know at the time would mean for the better or worse. The life of status is quite new to me, from a certain age the idea of being a proper lady had been instilled in my brain. Then, a match as my grandfather believed the gods before us made themselves came along, the prince of House Targaryen wanted a wife. Aemond was the silent type, one couldn’t exactly understand what was going on with him. He was a tough one to figure out, and I was anything but patient except when it came to him. My dragon.
Watching as Aemond stepped into our chambers putting down his sword. He spent majority of his time training, I never blamed him for it, especially since he has started training me secretly. It took a while before I fully convinced him into the idea but with a few tricks up my sleeve if you know what I mean, he was on board. He starts to remove his tunic, leaving him in nothing but a pair of trousers. “It almost feels as if I’ve been waiting for hours, maybe centuries, dear husband.” He looks up so exhausted, it seems his usual high perception was gone. Not taking notice of me sitting up in our bed. He breaks out into a small smile.
That smile, it gives me peace. Anxiety and pain are forgotten, replaced with nothing but thoughts of Aemond. “It seems, you’ve decided to retire quite early to the bed chamber, haven’t you, gevī?” He moves toward the bed, caging me beneath his arms. “Yes, it seems that way. Yet, once I got here there was an absence of one’s presence. A person meant to ensure safety and warmth, but they aren’t in this very bed with me right now. If you would like a little help husband, there is currently no one blonde laying in this bed with me for our usual activities. Know any blondes?” Looking at him with a coy smirk he laughs at my statement.
A laugh only I can pull from him. Gives me a sense of grace, that only I have that power over him. “I would hope the only blonde you need is currently in the room with you. He says grabbing my chin firmly. Pushing him on the bed to sit beside me and whisper, “I would think we have the same person in mind, my dragon”. I grab a hold of his face, “in order to make this easier I would enjoy if you are the most comfortable, so let’s just remove this.” As I reach for his eyepatch, he takes a hold of my hand firmly. The other gripping my waist. “It’s just me husband, no one is here to judge or ridicule you. Even if they were they would have to go through me if they wished to talk about such lies.” I tell him while looking directly at his eyes. “They wouldn’t be lies.” He said quickly.
Grabbing both his hands firmly I place kisses on the inside of each palm. I wish for nothing but him to be his true self with me. To know I love him deeply. “You are the most beautiful man I’ve ever witnessed. Any woman should be lucky I even allow them to glance in your direction.” He laughs again, though this time it’s a full belly laugh. Coming straight from the depths of his throat. “You allow them, is that it little wife.” I start to place kisses all over his eye and then I remove the patch, this time he doesn’t stop me. Simply sits there basking in the glory. I grab my special tools. Whisking a brush hidden behind my back, slowly but surely start to smooth out the tangles and knots in his hair.
He finally takes notice of my appearance, a think silk nightgown. Leaving almost nothing to the imagination. For the right person, of course. He smiled holding me closely and placed a kiss on my shoulder blade. “I love you both.” I stop moving the brush, running my hands through his hair. Feels of silk. Glancing down to look at my growing belly and then back at him. Realizing this is paradise. Pulling him even closer, “I love you both as well, my love.”
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scarasimping · 10 months
Text
love-avoidant princess
pirate!scaramouche x princess!reader
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synopsis: scaramouche’s crew had been planning this heist for years prior, and finally, they dock ship at the most heavily guarded kingdom on this side of the world with only one goal in mind: infiltrate the castle and steal the crown used for the coronation ceremony. The only setback? The princess had already stolen it, so now he has to go through her. 
tags: fem!reader, allusions to medieval sexism, you know how that is, mentions of blood like once, alcohol also mentioned a couple times, i believe that’s it for this part!
author’s note: ITS DONE omg, this took way longer than i thought but I guess that’s what happens when i try to throw myself in to writing actual pieces for the first time in three years instead of taking it slow. and it only ended up being 3k words TT but this is not the end, i have way more in mind for these two, this is honestly more like...a prologue of sorts!! hope you all enjoy !! so glad we actually have a plot now instead of me posting random hcs hshshshs also yes, his crew is most of the anemo characters because I said so
word count: 3.63k
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One can only see the same garden of flowers so many times before becoming bored of the sight. You have walked through here on so many occasions that you're sure that you could list each plant by its scientific name in the order they appear, from the front of the garden to the back.
So, really, it shouldn't come as a surprise to your retainer when they watch you leave a meeting with a potential suitor halfway through your millionth walk through the garden.
The suitor was confused, calling out to you and running to keep up with your fast-paced steps.
"Princess! Did I do something wrong?" He shouted, but you shook your head, an unimpressed and uncaring look painting your features.
"I apologize for saying this after you made the long journey here, but this simply will not work between us."
And thus, another man was rejected by the unromantic princess.
Known for turning down every suitor imaginable, you had gained the reputation of being entirely against romance. Even though you were clearly not interested, this only made people want you more, and your father, who was eager to get you married off, agreed to let everyone interested in you meet you, as long as they were of high enough standing. This included royalty from other kingdoms, wealthy businessmen, and other government officials or their sons who were your age. 
None of them even came close to winning your heart.
It’s not that there was anything wrong with them. To be honest, even you weren’t sure why you were so bored with every man or woman you met. It seemed to be more the life you would lead with them than the suitor themselves that made you gag. No first-born heir of a royal family wants to be married off; they want to have the throne! And if your parents weren’t going to give it to you, then you wouldn’t make it easy for them to send you away.
As you gracefully left the heartbroken businessman behind, the retainer assigned to watch over you hurriedly followed, barely keeping up with your pace.
"Princess, this is the seventh suitor you've met. Please tell me, what is wrong with this one?" he pleaded. In truth, he was scared to report more bad news to the king and queen, but frankly, that was not your problem.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I just do not see myself having a life with him," you replied, staring straight ahead and hoping he would stop following you. After forcing yourself to be nice to these suitors, all you wanted was to lay in bed and nap, or maybe practice your sparring skills with your sword.
"We'll have to tell your father about this," he gave you one last warning, but your mind was already made up.
"I understand, but I'm not altering my decision."
Just as you and your retainer thought, your father was not pleased, going on one of his long-winded rants about how you should get married quickly because it’s “better for the kingdom” and “what a princess should do.” All the while, your mother sat and watched, not saying a word because she knew that she did the same thing when she was your age. It was how your parents met in the first place, after all.
"At this rate, your little brother will have inherited the throne before you're satisfied with a man." The king ends his rant with this statement, huffing angrily as he furrows his thick eyebrows in your direction. There it was, the constant reminder that you, the eldest heir, were not to inherit the throne, which should rightfully be yours, all because your parents favored your younger brother.
However, who would dare question the king? When he makes an order, it is carried out, and what he demands is brought to fruition. So if he says your sibling shall inherit the throne, he will, and when he finally gets fed up with your high standards and simply makes you marry someone of his choosing, you will have to obey. Such is the life of a princess.
With a heavy heart, you bow to your father, asking to be excused. He sighs and waves his hand, allowing you to leave, to which you immediately turn on your heel and pace quickly toward your chambers.
When Scaramouche's crew docked at the pier, they knew the welcome they would be given wasn't going to be a warm one. It never was, wherever they stopped. It was no secret that wherever this ship docked, well-known valuables would soon go missing and trouble would follow, yet no one could prove it was them.
Still, seeing every guard on patrol look at them with a noticeable glare and watch their every move was more than unnerving. All Scaramouche was doing was going for a stroll, after all.
But, so were his crewmates, Kazuha and Heizou, in separate parts of the city. And it's not their fault if they happen to notice which areas are more guarded than others, when the guards switch shifts, or which buildings have the least amount of foot traffic coming in and out of them. It's all coincidental, of course, not on purpose at all.
It's definitely not intentional when Heizou reports that the only guards that step into the tavern are always there to get so drunk after their shift that they won't remember what they say.
And who's to shame Scaramouche if he wants to step in and have a drink or two, and happens to run into a guard who's slurring his words and would have fallen over if he ever tried to stand up in this state?
"And that princess…god! She's so stuck up.." the guard ranted, taking another swig from his pint. Scaramouche listened with faux sympathy to the drunken man in front of him, but he wasn't sure how much more he could take from this man. He too often leaned too close as if whispering a secret, the stench of sweat, metal, and cheap booze radiating off of him. 
"That princess! She keeps rejecting every suitor who's interested in her! Do you know who has to deal with the king's fury after she does this? Us!"
He leans in once more, and Scaramouche gets a whiff of his rancid breath  "I hear….the king wants her married off to someone wealthy because he's in debt…but she just wants the throne instead! Can you believe it? Too stuck up to let her brother be the heir to the kingdom…."
It seemed all this guard was going to reveal was pointless rants about the king’s only daughter, and today he was not going to get any information that would be helpful to him. After all, if this princess was to be married off, it’s unlikely she would be able to get hold of the crown that was to be used in the coronation ceremony when the prince came of age.
Like an answer from the heavens, his doubts were quickly proven incorrect when the guard’s voice drops to a whisper, and he leans across the table to speak in Scaramouche’s ear.
“I hear…that she got so jealous, she stole the crown. The king says it just got lost, however, we guards know the truth. But what grounds could we present that would warrant a search through the princess’s private quarters? It’s useless…”
And just like that, Scaramouche knew whom he should target. 
The captain stands from their booth in the corner, excusing himself. He buys the guard another drink as thanks for the “lovely conversation” and to ensure he really wouldn’t remember the information he spilled.
The next few nights, Scaramouche and other members of his crew alternate between taverns to gather as much information as possible. Each night, a different person hit a different establishment to not raise suspicion. This heist was going to be big, and after it was pulled off they wouldn’t be able to dock for months to avoid being caught and interrogated.
Stealing the crown from the most heavily guarded kingdom on this side of the world was no easy task, but it had been Scaramouche’s dream ever since he started his life of piracy. Something like this would earn them respect like no other on the seven seas but also put a huge target on their back. His crew was prepared, of course, they wouldn’t have docked here if they weren’t. It’s not like they couldn’t fight, either. They were notorious for many reasons: their crimes that left no evidence behind, the sheer intimidation their crew gave off, and the fact that no crew member lost any duel they were challenged to.
After a couple weeks of solely gathering information, Scaramouche’s crew was ready to take things to the next level. They learned that the princess was unable to leave the castle without supervision, which only occurred on rare occasions. She lived a secluded life and many of the kingdom’s citizens didn’t even know her face. His first mate, Kazuha, who was always good with his words, even managed to get one of the guards to reveal which terrace on the castle belonged to the princess’s room and that the staff had recently increased security in the city and outside the castle because of a suspicious ship that had docked at the pier, which lessened the amount of military inside the building.
Kazuha was always better with people than any other crew member, and Scaramouche was forever thankful he was a part of his crew, even if he didn’t show it.
However, it seemed no one was able to learn that the princess provided enough security for herself, not even needing guards.
Scaramouche quickly learned that when he was finally ready to attempt to get inside the castle, scaling the walls during a shift change and approaching the terrace he was informed about prior.
A candle on your bedside and the illumination from the moon were the only sources of light in your quarters at this time of night. Every other member of the royal family was asleep, but not you. Far too frequently would you stay up reading a novel you “borrowed” from the castle’s library, even though books weren’t supposed to leave the area. 
All was silent except for the wind blowing outside and the rare footsteps in the hall, metal clashing with each step from the guards’ armor.
Though silent, and easy to miss, a sound from outside your window caught your attention. 
Breathing, silent steps getting closer, the scraping of someone climbing the walls and terrace.
You turned, blowing out your candle so that whoever was coming wouldn’t know you were awake. With the time it took for them to reach the glass door that separates your room from the balcony, your eyes had already adjusted to the darkness and you had your sword out from underneath your bed, drawn and ready to be used.
The door cracked open, slowly, and it was obvious that whoever was there was trying to use the element of surprise. They must not know you, considering they thought you wouldn’t discover them. One hand pushes the door open all the way, then pulls the person inside. It was a man with indigo hair and eyes. Everything he wore was black - his boots, high-waisted pants, and tricorn hat, - besides his shirt, which was a white poet shirt with purple and black accents tucked into his pants. Adorned on his hat were feathers that spewed from the back and gems which were sewn on, each one catching the light from the moon. He was obviously a pirate, and based on the whispers from the staff in the castle, he was probably from the ship that docked recently and made everyone nervous. The captain of the guards had even told you to report anything suspicious you happened to see, which told you they were no joke, Normally, if there was a threat, you wouldn’t even be informed. 'No one wanted to worry the princess, of course' is what they would say, but you know they just think you can't handle it.
Before he even has time to process you're there, you point your sword at his throat, the tip pressing against his flesh, but not hard enough to draw blood. Just enough so that he knows he made a mistake.
The pirate stares down at the sword at his neck, his gaze following the blade to its holder; the very princess he intended to come in here and threaten. It's a funny thing how easily the tables can be turned. He eyes the princess warily, one eyebrow raised and an awkward smile on his face, knowing he's been caught so easily.
"Well, isn't this a surprise?" He chuckles to himself, raising his hands up beside his head in a phony sign of surrender, but your sword never wavers.
"What do you think you are doing here?"  You demanded, sword to the pirate's throat. The captain remained silent, weighing his options. He could try to talk his way out of this or use his cunning tactics to somehow overpower the princess and make a break for it. Whatever decision he made, it could mean the difference between life and death.
"Sure, as soon as you put that sword down. I'd rather have a conversation than an encounter between your blade and my jugular if you don't mind," he reasons, staring right back into your eyes with a look that screams mischief. Still, you sigh, and lower your sword, taking a step back and never loosening your grip on its handle. 
"Speak." 
He chuckles, lowering his hands and letting a cocky smile spread across his face.
"You see, princess, there's a rumor going around that you've stolen and hidden the coronation crown. I'm here to simply…take it off your hands," he explains. Everything about him seems sly, and even though it seems he's at a disadvantage, he's acting like he has the upper hand. There's not an ounce of fear on his face.
Your hold on your sword is steady, ready for combat at any moment, and it seems he's thinking the same thing.
"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do so. I can, however, offer you a deal. Leave now and I won't report your attempt to rob the royal castle and have you thrown in prison."
The pirate shrugs and sighs, his hand reaching for the sword that hung from his belt. 
"Oh well, looks like there's no other way."
And with that, he draws his sword from its scabbard, a sleek, steel sword with a curved blade,  and lunges forward, dealing the first strike. Blades clash and the sound of metal on metal echoes throughout the room as you parry his sword, pushing him back further. He doesn't let up, dealing strike after strike, yet landing no hits nonetheless. 
While the pirate’s blows are strong and aggressive, his attacks powerful and relentless, yours are both quick and agile with fast and precise strikes.
He expected the princess to be less of a hassle, yet here you were, not only putting up a good fight but winning too. Similar to him, there wasn't even a hint of sweat dripping from your brow, no signs of exhaustion as you dueled him in just your nightgown and slippers.
Your sword comes down once more towards his chest, and he raises his own to block it when suddenly you change your direction and aim to land a hit on his arm instead.
Ever quick on his feet, the pirate steps out of the way, dodging an almost fatal attack, but not before your blade can tear through his shirt and leave the faintest wound on the flesh of his shoulder.
He hisses as he feels the sting of his skin splitting, looking down as red stains the sleeve of his shirt.
"Not bad," he mumbles, his eyes sharp as he glares at the princess, a cocky smirk adorning his face. "Haven't struggled this much with an opponent in a while."
"Likewise," you muse, tightening your grip on your handle as you raise your eyebrows, almost taunting him.
"Tell me, pirate, what is your name? I want to know what to call my attacker before I slice your throat." 
He chuckles, rolling his wounded shoulder back and getting into a better position to keep fighting.
"Oh, I don't believe you really could. Wouldn't want to get your pretty hands dirty after all." He, once again, swings his sword, but to no avail. You continue trading blows with him, barely giving each other a chance to breathe. No matter what he tries, he can't seem to get the upper hand. Mentally, he wants to blame it on the fact that he was caught off guard, or that the way the silk of her nightgown hugs her body when she twists and turns to use her sword is distracting, but really he knows he's just finally met a well-matched opponent. 
"But the name's Scaramouche, consider this knowledge a gift before I beat you at the game of swords.”
It was then that the sound of armored footsteps approaching rapidly caught both Scaramouche and the princess’s attention. You bite back a laugh, glancing at the door and then back to the pirate in front of you.
“Looks like that will have to wait, Scaramouche.”
His name spilled from your lips easier than you’d like to admit, sounding almost natural when it came from you. Scaramouche noticed this too, stiffening as you say it and running his tongue along his cheek. It was annoying whenever he found himself having to make an enemy of an attractive woman. He takes one last look at the princess, before stepping away towards the glass door he came in through. He keeps his sword pointed at you as he backs away, not taking any chances.
“This was lovely, princess. I’ll be seeing you again very soon, but for now, I bid you adieu,” He takes his hat off, bending his arm at his waist and bowing overdramatically before opening the door and launching himself over the fence of the terrace, disappearing into the night.
As the footsteps get closer, you kick your sword under the bed, praying it wasn’t damaged, and toss yourself onto your mattress, throwing the covers over your body just in time for the door to swing open. A few guards peer inside, seeing nothing but you sleeping soundly in, your back turned to them as your body rises and falls to the rhythm of your breathing. There was no sign a fight had even occurred, despite the noises that multiple knights had heard coming from here.
As they close the door, the sound of their footsteps moving away from your room, a giddy smile creeps onto your face. After all, if no fight happened in their eyes, there would be no reason to increase security and you could see that intriguing pirate again.
After Scaramouche escapes down the castle walls, he books it for the treeline that separated the castle from the ocean. It was just past there that his ship resided, where his crew was eagerly awaiting his return with good news. A sinking feeling resides over him whilst he runs through the trees, kicking up dirt and leaves with every step. There is no reasoning he could possibly give that would excuse his failure. Not when he knows it’s caused by his own faults as a man. He, just like all of her numerous suitors and admirers, simply got distracted by her appearance. At some point, he had to stop as his head became too muddled by his thoughts, leaning against a tree, taking a deep breath, and trying to calm his thoughts.
Before, when hearing about rumors of the princess and all of the men interested in marrying her, he assumed the stories all came with a tinge of exaggeration.
Yet, after seeing her and fighting with her, he knows each metaphor and story told of her had to have been nothing but the truth. Tales of her beauty were honestly an understatement. It’s not often he finds himself this distracted by a woman, especially a princess, and he can’t help but feel ashamed in a way. He just failed to execute the plan his crew had been working on for years prior to docking it this kingdom, but all he can think about is her smile when she taunted him, her confidence because she knew she could fight, or the way her nightgown revealed the shape of her body, expensive silk clinging to every curve of her flesh. She was a princess rarely even seen by the public, but he got to see her in such a private setting, and god was it worth it.
He starts running again, her face in mind doubts infecting his every thought. His heart pounds heavily in his chest, and his lungs burn with each breath, but he doesn’t stop running. He would much rather face his crew than the entire royal army. He was sure the princess had reported what had happened by now, and he didn’t want to stick around so they could remember his face.
As he runs, he starts to feel the ocean breeze brushing along his face, and it reminds him that he’s almost home. His crew is smart; they’ll be able to come up with a new plan together. Maybe next time they’ll send a different member of the crew. 
As soon as the thought of someone else seeing her like that enters his mind, he quickly shoos it away. 
Just for now, he’d like to keep the image of her to himself.
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