Tumgik
#chapter 1 stranger in a strange land
roxxie-wolf · 1 month
Text
𝒩𝑒𝓌 𝒪𝓇𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓃𝓈 𝐿𝑜𝓋𝑒
Tumblr media
Chapter 1 🌸 Chapter 2 🌸 Chapter 3 🌸 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 🌸 Chapter 6 🌸 Chapter 7
Pairing: Human!Alastor x Fem!Reader
Summary: Your parents want you to marry someone of their choice, but you already have eyes on someone else. Will you follow what your parents think is best for you or will you go with what your heart desires.
Word Count: 790
Warnings: human!alastor x fem!reader, slow burn, this story may contain mature sexual content. Your in your late 20’s, Alastor is in his early 30’s, you still live with your parents idk.
Note: I’m not sure about this chapter.
Tumblr media
𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟤
As you walked through the busy streets of New Orleans, the scent of beignets and coffee filled the air, tempting your senses. The sound of jazz music played in the background, adding to the lively atmosphere of the city. You couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and wonder as you took in the sights and sounds around you.
Standing outside a quaint cafe, you observed the hustle and bustle, watching as people hurriedly passed by. Your gaze swept over the diverse crowd, until your eyes landed on a handsome man who stood out from the rest. He had an air of mystery about him, and you couldn't help but be drawn to him.
A smile spread across his face as he locked eyes with you. You looked away, a blush creeping onto your cheeks, before retreating back into the cafe you had been standing in front of.
After a few minutes you reappeared, walking out of the cafe and heading in the direction of your home, not noticing someone was following you. When out of nowhere a man suddenly stepped in front of you, blocking your path.
"Hello, darling," his voice smooth and charming as he extended his hand towards you. You looked up at the man, your eyes widened with surprise as you took in his handsome features and piercing honey brown eyes. He towered over you, his muscular yet slim frame exuding strength. This was the same man that smiled at you not to long ago. You hesitated for a moment before tentatively placing your hand in his.
The man raised your hand to his lips and gently kissed your knuckles, sending a shiver down your spine. "Hello," your voice barely above a whisper as you met his gaze, feeling a strange connection with him.
As the man leaned down to your eye level, still holding your hand in his, you looked into his eyes. Your own filled with a mixture of desire and uncertainty. You felt a pull towards him, as if he held the key to unlocking a part of yourself that had long been dormant.
“If I may know, what is your name dear?”
“Y/N”
You replied almost instinctively, the name slipping from your lips before you could catch it. Your hand flew to your mouth, a barrier against further unguarded moments. You chastised yourself silently; you had to be cautious, yet here you were, disarmed by a stranger's gaze.
He let out a chuckle seeing how quickly you covered your mouth. Introducing himself as Alastor, you felt a strange sense of familiarity wash over you. His voice was soothing, and his gaze seemed to pierce through your very soul. You couldn't quite place it, but there was something about him that drew you in.
"Alastor.”
You whispered under your breath, the name rolling off your tongue with an ease that surprised you. The sense of familiarity persisted, a nagging feeling at the back of your mind that you had heard his name before.
"What brings you out here darling?" Alastors voice brought you back from your own thoughts. You look at this handsome stranger standing before you, his piercing gaze making your heart skip a beat. "I was actually heading home, that is until you stopped me of course," you smiled feeling a flutter of excitement in your chest. "Oh, my apologies dear," he stepped aside with a polite smile.
"May I walk you home?"
You hesitated for a moment, but the thought of having his company and protection was too tempting to resist. "Yes, I would appreciate that," a shy smile playing on your lips.
He put his arm out for you to take, and you did. Alastor walked beside you as you continued down the crowded streets of New Orleans. His presence was magnetic, and you found yourself completely enthralled by him.
You couldn't help but feel a sense of safety and comfort with him by your side, his presence calming your nerves and easing your fears. You didn’t understand why you felt the way you did considering you just met him, but there was something about him.
As you reached your doorstep, you turned to bid Alastor farewell. But before you could say anything, he reached out and gently brushed a lock of hair away from your face. His touch sent a shiver down your spine, and you couldn't help but lean into his hand.
"Thank you for walking me home.”
"It was my pleasure, until we meet again, my dear.”
You watched him walk back the path you two came from, his figure slowly fading into the distance until he disappeared from your view. Leaving you with a sense of longing and a heart full of curiosity.
Tumblr media
Im not so sure about how this chapter turn out, but I still hope you guys like it. <3
Also I sometimes tend to make minor changes to the chapters.
Let me know if you want to be added to the tag list so you be updated every time.^^
Thank you! For reading I hope you enjoyed it.💖
TAGLIST: @magictoebean
126 notes · View notes
Text
gevivys (beauty) │ Chapter 5: Resolve
terms of endearment ‘verse: see my Masterlist for the correct series order!
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Chapter 1 │Chapter 2 │Chapter 3 │Chapter 4 │Chapter 5 │Chapter 6 │Chapter 7 │Chapter 8 │Chapter 9 │Chapter 10 (COMPLETE!)
Tumblr media
Synopsis: Daemon returns to King's Landing after ten years in exile, intent on rekindling his affair with Rhaenyra. He wasn't expecting you - the revelation changes everything.
Hello, all! I know, it’s so soon! But this one is a cobbled-together piece of stuff you’ve already seen, just padded out a bit more. I figured I might as well push it on out now, so here ya go! Featuring Jason Lannister for the very first time, to finally bring all this shit together a bit more cohesively. As always, thank you to my boobear @ewanmitchellcrumbs​ for reading though this and reassuring me it isn’t total shite!
TRIGGERS: incest, purity culture, age gap, general Daemon grottiness, allusions to non-consensual sexual situations.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
According to most, Daemon Targaryen is a man in possession of little capacity for feeling beyond what is required to partake in lechery and barbarism. He knows himself; his disparagers are not entirely wrong. Except for one important, essential truth—he would die for his family. He loves his family.
Love, as he understands it, is what he has always felt when looking upon his brother, upon Rhaenyra. No matter the strife that has torn him from his kin time and time again, he can freely acknowledge that such sentiments will remain everlasting.
A kicked hound is one most loyal, he thinks with no small degree of bitterness. Or perhaps the meanest hound is more loyal. Either way, I am the hound—and my master, the King.
Love is what has wrenched harsh and twisting in his heart whenever he laid eyes on you, a toddling girl-child eternally eager for the cossetting attentions of your uncle, your kepa—and he had always been kepa, never Viserys, no, your father had never received an honour beyond being called ‘papa’ like any common pauper—now a stranger in so many ways.
The garden and the morning repast had served to ignite the wellspring of all his wildest desires, delivering to him seemingly all he had ever wanted in a prospective bride; young and beautiful, obedient and good-tempered, Valyrian of colouring and of status. But you had seemed smaller than your younger self—trapped in a prison of your own making, hidden beneath layers and layers of chaste courtesy and painstaking banality. And then, accompanying you to the Dragonpit had given him a curious glimpse into the power you kept hidden, the ancient strength of your lineage slipping through the cracks in your genteel veneer.
Regal. Arcane. These are the words that had come to mind watching you interact with your mount, none other than the famed Cannibal himself; something of the majesty of the Conqueror lay within you, waiting for the necessary spark to kindle the flame. Your exchange with Athfiezar—your silent fearlessness, your devotion to your savage beast, your unassuming poise—reminds him that, for all your equally meek and mild-mannered nature, you are still Targaryen. You are still his sweetling.
It is this that elicits a consuming curiosity to know more.
You are an interesting puzzle, a strange contradiction, one whose buttermilk skin and pert teats and spit-shine lips should herald as a welcome to sample the delights hidden by the fabric of your darling little gowns. Yet, you act not as a silly young thing learning of her sway over men—teasing with fluttering lashes and bit lip and lilting tone as Rhaenyra had—but as a docile girl disinclined to press the limits of propriety as all maidens do. You ride the most savage dragon in the known world, and yet there is no such quality in you that echoes your mount’s disposition; instead, a loveliness that is near to cloying, pure and unadulterated and surely too good to be true. You are a fucking princess, and yet you are perfectly content to fade into the periphery, drawing little notice to yourself and seeking none from those around you, not even your own blood. A scholar, quick-witted and erudite, but somehow still so sweetly unknowing of the depravities that rule the minds of men who lay eyes on you.
You fascinate him. And his newfound realisation does not lessen his temptation to fuck you—to ply you with praise and charm and no small hint of avuncular affection (the reminder of your shared blood thrills him to the bone as always) so that, over time, you might be swayed to give your maidenhead to him—but, rather, that it results in a metamorphosis, a muddling, his longing mingling the base needs of the flesh with a rekindling of his fondness for you.
Which is why he cannot stand the presence of Jason Lannister.
“Why are you entertaining this farce?” Daemon asks, fists clenched at his sides. “A pompous fuck like him has no business anywhere near her.”
“Whatever is the problem, brother?” Viserys says distractedly, hunching over his miniature of Old Valyria and studying the replica of the Targaryen manse on the outskirts with intent. “Jason Lannister is Lord Paramount of the Westerlands. By any standard, I would think he is the best contender for her hand.”
That fucking model of his. Daemon resists the urge to smash the King’s stone city into rubble, though doing so might grant him the attentiveness he is sorely lacking from the man. “Are you not hearing me? He’s an arrogant cunt. He’d bore her in a sennight, let alone whatever hellish span of time an entire marriage would last.”
Viserys hums noncommittally. “She will make do”—he waves Daemon off—“as all noblewomen must when their fathers command them to marry. That is her lot in life. Besides, Lord Jason is one of the wealthiest men in the Realm, and I am told he is rather pleasing to a lady’s eye. She could do worse than he.”
His brother’s remark is a fair one—of the trio, Jason is the preferable choice. And what a fucking miserable choice it would be.
He rolls his eyes. This is going nowhere. “And Tyrell? Your idiot son? Are they the ‘worse’ you speak of?”
Between that foppish peacock, his spiteful little twit of a nephew and the prancing Lion, the latter just barely scrapes by as the best of the bunch.
“Enough, Daemon.” The King sighs, finally deigning to look up from his pile of rock. “These are the suitors she herself has chosen. I care not for the particulars; only that the girl should be wed before her eighteenth name day. Each of them possesses some quality I am sure she finds worthwhile…”
At that, he pauses, brow furrowing. He squints up at Daemon. “What is your interest in the matter, anyway? It has naught to do with you.”
Shit. Daemon makes an evasive comment—something about sullying the purity of their noble lineage—and departs as quickly as he can, eager to escape the risk of Viserys’s suspicion falling on him. It would not do for the man to suspect his intentions toward yet another of his daughters.
He does not intend to seek you and the Lord out, truly; but it nonetheless does not surprise him to realise that, upon freeing himself from the wrathful spiral of his own musings, his feet have taken him to the very same garden where he had first laid eyes upon you again after so many years, where you are now enduring the attentions of the insufferable Lannister patriarch. On this occasion, Cole is nowhere to be seen, and the entry is instead guarded by one of the Cargyll twins.
Daemon spies you on the path just inside, a careful distance placed between you and Jason. Though he cannot make out your expression from his vantage point, he observes well enough the flourishing bow the lord proffers in your direction, the polite curtsey you extend in return, his smug prancing step as he leaves your company. He sees the manner in which your shoulders droop, your head bowing as you turn to wander past the great tree and out of sight. My poor girl.
And then his view is blocked by a garish wash of red and gold.
“Prince Daemon,” Jason says with a haughty simper. With a curt nod, Daemon wordlessly returns the salutation. His lack of warmth is noticed; the Lannister lord hesitates for a moment before returning to his condescending civilities, forcing a relaxed stance. “I was most glad to hear of your return.”
He doubts that. There is little love lost between him and the lord. Jerking his chin toward the garden, he asks, “Leaving so soon, are we? I had thought the entire afternoon was devoted to this little outing.”
Jason chuckles awkwardly. “Well.” He scratches his beard. “The Princess has another engagement to attend to. Something about a tutor.”
Thank the gods for that Lysan fellow. They had never met, but Daemon is certain he’d like the man well enough.
“Doesn’t concern you?” he asks, scarcely bothering to conceal the scepticism from his tone. At the confusion on Lannister’s face, he clarifies. “That she’d rather spend time with her tutor than with you?”
“Why would it, my Prince?” is the answer, self-assured as ever. “He is old, and frail. Best for her to spend as much time with him as she can before she leaves for Lannisport.”
That genuinely irritates him, and not simply the notion of you being shipped off to the lurid monstrosity that is Casterly Rock. Even he knows that your meetings with your tutor are less obligations and more gatherings of friendship—your spirit would surely crumble if you were denied your dearest companion after being coerced to marry.
Daemon suppresses a sneer. “Your confidence is… admirable.” If misplaced, he wants to add.
“There is little competition to be found,” Jason says with a toss of the head. His tawny hair rustles in the gentle breeze, giving him the appearance of the sigil his House has claimed. Fucking ridiculous. Then, the man has the audacity to clap a palm against his arm. “Never fear—I shall take utmost care of her. She’ll want for nothing as my lady wife.”
He shrugs off the over-familiarity, stepping out of reach. “For a time, perhaps. And in a decade? Two? A Princess of the Realm has no business playing nursemaid to her husband in his dotage.”
He is older than I, he thinks. And if she is truly considering him above the others, then…
“I might be the eldest of her suitors, yes,” the man says, a tense smile disguising his offense poorly. “But I have a rather substantial inheritance, unlike the Prince Aegon; and my constitution is more… pleasing than the Lord Tyrell, I’m sure.” His mouth curves into a knowing smirk at that, leaving Daemon with no uncertainty as to what he really means. That little—“I would not dismiss Jason Lannister from the competition just yet. She will choose me; I suggest you accustom yourself to reality, Prince Daemon.”
He grunts dismissively, incensed. There is no reply he can give in this moment that won’t incite the Lannisters to break faith with House Targaryen; and so, he chooses to remove himself from the odious man’s presence entirely, stalking past with nary a word of farewell.
You sit where your younger half-sister had a scarce moon’s turn ago, eyes fixed toward your lap, turning an ornament about with your small fingers. As he nears, the lion salient glimmers in the sun, gold against gold in dazzling vulgarity. Of course, he’d gifted her something with his own fucking sigil on it. What a worthless bequest.
When he calls your name, you hardly react. Your gaze flickers up to him for a mere moment before falling once more, resuming your surveyance of the item in your grasp. There is a pensive expression lingering in your frown, the crease in your brow. It tells him all he needs to know of your true feelings for the Lannister lord, regardless of the man’s own delusions.
“Why—you look positively miserable, sweetling,” he says, settling himself beside you. You glance up at him again, sullen pout puffing out your lower lip. Though your disposition is so downtrodden, it is tempting to press his thumb to that lip, to push inside and feel the wet warmth of your tongue pulse against his flesh in a coquettish tease. “Not enjoying being courted? The gifts, the attention, the romance…”
You take the bait beautifully. Starting at his reference to the pendant in your hold, your nostrils flare exasperatedly. “No. No. I—I just—” You stop, shaking your head. “Never mind.”
“Go on,” he cajoles gently, lowly. “Tell Uncle Daemon.”
It is all the encouragement you need. “There is little romance to be found in this—this charade.” You sigh, eyes fixed on some minute detail past his head. He’s struck by the melancholy in your voice. “These men—Lord Jason, Lord Denys, Aegon—they do not want me. They want an idea of me; a Targaryen bride with pale hair and Valyrian blood. One who will give them children they shall make little effort to raise, a silent doll to clasp onto and show off at feasts and balls… as though possessing me is somehow meaningful. They do not—they do not see me.”
It’s here your voice cuts off strangely. He wishes it hadn’t, for he finds himself enthralled by the mournful monologue that paints a picture of the loneliest girl in King’s Landing. There is something yearning and haunted in that saccharine stare of hers, he thinks. A babe with her arms held out, wailing at the world as it leaves her abandoned in the crib. It’s an eerie echo of a conversation that took place a decade prior, though the lead role lacks the infantile petulance of the previous star.
He finds himself retracing those steps almost without realising.
“Idīnnon dēmalio syt verdilla mērī issa. Dīnakson toliot, gaoso gaomagon kostas.” He is testing, prodding, waiting for what might result from his efforts. Marriage is only a political arrangement. Once you are wed, you can do as you like.
The words make your cheeks flush fetchingly and your brow wrinkle once more, glancing back at him apprehensively. Pretty pink girl with a pretty pink blush; how far down does it spread? You swallow; pause; look away, wrestling with a thought. You peep back up at him.
“Se skorverdon jessivo aōt kesrȳsi jiōrtas?” you ask with surprising cynicism. You exhale loudly, staring at some fixed point in the distance. “Ābrazȳri buttā, riñar daor, mērpāves… Tolī jaelan.”
And how much joy did this bring you? you say. A wife you hated, no children, loneliness… I want more. The quiet longing in your voice is palpable.
He grimaces at the mention of his bronze bitch—he’d rather not know how widespread the knowledge of the circumstances around her… accident… had been in the wake of his departure.
“What is it you want, then?” he asks, switching back to the Common Tongue, the corner of his mouth already contorting in anticipation of the naïve response. True love, a happily ever after… We don’t get to have happy endings, he thinks to himself.
“I want someone who loves me,” you say, pressing on crossly at the huff of laughter that escapes him. “I never said I would love him!”
The pessimistic elucidation takes him aback. Again, it is not exactly what he had been expecting. Full of surprises today. He tips his head consideringly at you, inviting you to continue.
You hesitate for a moment.
“I… They say my father loved my mother. I believe it, but—” You swallow, the corners of your mouth turning down as you mull over your words. “They say he had a choice when baby Baelon was born. That he could cut her open to get the babe out, but that it would mean her certain death.”
Gods above. Where in the Seven hells had you learned that piece of information? Viserys had kept the circumstances of Aemma’s death under tight wraps, never even deigning to mention it to his own brother. It was pure happenstance that one of the maids he enjoyed fucking at the time had been present on the unfortunate day.
Your eyes glisten as you speak, limpid pools of lilac glowing like fire in the light. “I do not think I could ever choose my own life over my child’s—but they say he did not even ask her, that he just… held her down while they—How could I ever trust a man to raise the babe I bore him if he would be willing to butcher his own wife in her childbed?”
He watches as you clench your eyes tight, set your jaw and exhale a few shuddery breaths. When they blink open, they are no longer so tear-bright. Daemon suddenly admires you for it, for the way you so ruthlessly suppress weakness. He wonders how often you’ve been made to force back your own pain for the good of your family.
“What happened to your mother was a terrible tragedy, sweetling.” He reaches forward to finally grip your small, pale hand in his. It is cold and dwarfed entirely in his own. “But you cannot live in fear forever.”
You make to pull your hand away. He closes his grip tighter upon it, coercing you to look up at him properly.
“When hope is gone, what choice left is there but fear?” It is a whisper, carried on the breeze, and the thinly veiled misery pains him in the chest.
I thought that beating thing was black and dead by now, he thinks to himself.
You shake your head, smile. The picture of the melancholy maiden fades from view as you affect an appearance of energy once more, gentle and muted as it is. “I know my father loved my mother, and so love is no guarantee of loyalty; but it would be helpful, I think.”
“You see love and loyalty as intertwined, then?” he cannot help but to ask. He is intrigued by this rare showing of spirit, of vitality, a resurrection of his baby niece from long ago. It is you, finally; his little girl, only now you possess the curves of a gold-gilded whore and the thousand-year gaze of an ancient, arcane being.
“Do you not?” Your head is tilted like an inquisitive bird’s, artlessly assessing. “You cannot have one without the other. Loyalty without love makes for an easy traitor, and love without loyalty makes for an unhappy marriage.”
He laughs again at the latter part of your pronouncement. A sweet, trusting little filly waiting to be broken in.
“There are many ways to love someone, Princess.” He ogles you shamelessly, savouring the affectation of outraged bewilderment painting your countenance. “I imagine you’ll find few of them in the marriage bed.”
He waits for you to question him—to ask him what he means, to ask him to explain, to teach you, show you—but instead, you pull back, taking all the warmth from his palm with you.
“I dislike your implication, Uncle,” you say stiffly, returning your hand to your lap and nestling it between your thighs to retain the heat.
Fuck.
He backtracks raising his hands in a jesting show of defeat. “I meant nothing by it, gevivys.”
Beauty. It is an apt title. an underwhelming one, even. Surely there is little else more beautiful than the sight you make here, now, a rich blush spreading along the unblemished expanse of your chest—regrettably enclosed by pale damask just above the protrusion of your tits—the planes of your throat, not quite travelling up to decorate your cheeks.
You sigh. “You never do.”
Daemon lets the conversation lull, deciding to instead look upon the little revelation before him. You are an interesting puzzle, one whose decorum in the face of his gentle compulsion—that same persuasion he had so often utilised to get fetching girls to strip bare for him and show off their equally-as-fetching cunts—had instead left him lacking. The body of a slut and the mind of a scholar, all wrapped up in wide eyes and honey-sweet words and wild hair the shade of Old Valyria. Of home.
A wild thought seizes him. If he leans forward, he could do it. He could grip you by the back of the neck and pull you to him, press his lips to yours and coax you past your panic and fear and into a hot, sweeping rhythm, a push and pull of tongue and teeth that would set you both alight. And from there, how simple would it be to murmur pretty praise as he lowers you down, raises your skirts up, cleaves you open until your blood wets his cock with the proof of his claim, incontestable, not even by the King himself? The deed would be messy, perhaps distressing and no doubt painful, but it would solve several issues at once. He would be free to do as he likes with his lascivious desires after you are made to wed him, and you would be free from your pitiful suitors and given a husband worthy of you. In time, the hurt and shock and fright would fade, he knows it.
He could. He could. He—
The spell is broken. Your attention is diverted by the squeals of a dark-haired boy as he bowls his way to you, throwing himself across your lap with a cry of your name. Daemon tries not to glare at young Lucerys as he tries to roughhouse with you. Having somewhat learned the schedules of his family, it baffles him somewhat that the child is not at his daily lessons. Should Laenor not have him now?
The thought must conjure the man himself, the Velaryon scion appearing seemingly out of nowhere. Laenor’s expression is forbidding as he strides over to you and his son, silver locs swinging with the velocity of each step. With his glare affixed to his face, he reaches a hand down to you in silent command, staring daggers at Daemon all the while.
What the hells is his problem?
You take hold of your goodbrother, bewildered, and allow him to tug you gently from the bench beside Daemon. Lucerys slides from beside you with a rustle, easily revolving around to dart toward the grass. You are already grabbing at the boy’s hand to stop him running off.
Daemon watches Laenor attempt to rearrange his countenance into something less violent. “Would you take Luke off to the training yards, sister?”
A look of vague incomprehension cross your face at the question.
At least she senses the oddity, too, he acknowledges.
Laenor’s head turns down to where he sits, and it is then that it dawns on him that his nephew-by-marriage had very possibly been watching him stare at his baby niece’s tits for longer than he could claim plausible deniability of.
Ah, shit. The darting, mistrustful gaze suddenly makes sense.
“Of course, Laenor,” you say sweetly, biddably.
Daemon cannot help but wonder what else you might comply with if gently persuaded. He glances up at you from where he sits, smirking playfully as you turn to him.
“It seems we must part for now, sweetling,” he tells you. He ignores Laenor’s grimace from behind you.
“It does.” You shift lightly. It is clear to see that there is something about your shared conversation that has unnerved you. The notion sends a trail of perverse excitement through him. He wonders what other reactions he might prompt out of you with gentle teasing. “I—thank you, Uncle. For listening.”
The words are honest, free of artifice. It is surprisingly warming to hear. When you make to depart, he calls you back.
“What—no goodbye kiss for your beloved uncle this time?” he asks, hoping he’ll bait you into action. He determinedly disregards Laenor’s huff, eyes trained on you as you swallow with trepidation before quickly making the short few steps back to him.
Your knee settles on the seat beside him, clearly meant to be no more than a brief resting place so that you may carry out his implicit request and leave—if not for the way in which your skirts gather around your leg in a manner assured to result in your toppling over should you attempt to rise without fixing them. Daemon turns his head to yours as you free yourself from the tangle. Up close, closer than he would ever dare get usually, he can see each lash that frames your eyes, the hairs that sprout from your brows, the slick cherry bloom of your mouth—a whisper-sweet gather of plump, plush fruit he wants, needs, to take a bite from.
Would you let me, little girl? he wonders.
You gasp, a short little breath of surprise, and lurch away lightly at the closeness. A brave little thing, you return to him, pressing those precious petal-soft lips to the skin of his cheek. Your covered breasts press involuntarily against his arm.
Fucking hells.
“Sȳz bantis, kepus.” Good evening, Uncle, you say in that light little accent of yours, an unintended provocation of his basest yearnings.
With that, you bundle the boy up in your capable little hands and make for your destination, the Cargyll knight falling into formation behind you.
“Care to explain—well, all of that?” Laenor asks.
Oh—yes. Daemon pushes himself from his seat, deliberately stalling while he thinks of a response that isn’t what the fuck how the fuck when the fuck and why.
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean,” he says idly, slyly, glancing over at him.
“No!” His goodnephew leans forward into his space. He is taken aback by the vehemence in his tone, uncharacteristic of the bumbling, affable man. “You don’t get to do this to her; not this one, not this time.”
“Whatever do you think I plan to do to her?” Daemon laughs, wondering at the answer himself.
Whatever would she let me do to her?
Laenor sighs, steps back. “Look.” He lightly nudges him to walk alongside him as they make for the garden’s entry. “She’s not one of your whores, Daemon. She’s just a girl. She’s not the type to play your twisted little games, so leave her be—please.”
He is warmed by the defence of your goodbrother, an admission of familiarity and care that is sure to have flourished since the man’s entrance into the family some years ago.
“What makes you think I have any intention of—how did you put it—playing games with her?” If he were a little less honest with himself, he would be affronted by the manner in which Laenor had jumped straight to an accusation. But Lord Flea Bottom’s reputation is inescapable, even after so many years. “Perhaps my objective is pure and wholesome.”
“Right.” Laenor snorts, shaking his head as he folds his hands behind his back. “You’re far more likely to fall in with her horde of suitors than to believably claim familial interest.”
True. And yet… why not? He’s conceived all manner of plots to satiate his wants, from drunken fumbles in the dark to his half-baked impulse from but a moment ago. Unlike his previous conquests, though, he doubts the need will dissipate after a single fuck. You are too important to him—his precious girl turned darkest desire, the only woman he could ever deign to carry on his line with.
Viserys has been pressuring him to seek out a bride. He mightn’t be happy with the prospect of his brother asking for his daughter’s hand, exactly, but there is surely no debate that he is the best contender. Not Jason. Not Denys. Not fucking Aegon. Daemon. And, well, if the asking should go poorly—how simple would it be to whisk you away to Dragonstone, to speak the vows and seal the deed before it can be undone? There is no risk this time, no Iron Throne to lose, no treaty or agreement that cannot be broken…
He can see it now. Your sweet little face peering up at him, marked with his blood, lip dripping red with the pledge of entangling your souls together in savage Valyrian custom. Your pretty little eyes wide with maidenly shock as he breaches your untried cunt, tight and pulsing and hotwetwarm, binding you to him irrevocably. The slow waddling of your gait as you round with child, his child, his sweetest babe bringing forth life of her own, belly ripe with seed and leaking his spend—
“Laenor,” he says slowly, eyes glinting as his lips upturn in a wide grin, “I do believe you have the best ideas.”
Tumblr media
Read the story on AO3 here:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/42100623/chapters/120880855
Tumblr media
Taglist (😭 thank you!):
Now in the comments!
To be on the taglist:
Click here to apply for the general taglist! Click here to apply for the terms of endearment taglist!
427 notes · View notes
mrs-fatu · 9 days
Text
Blossom in Summer
Tumblr media
Chapter 1: Why me?
Paring: jey uso x Jasmine (fem!reader)
Warnings: Language, anger, confusion
WC: 2,824
Summary: Jasmine wakes up in an unfamiliar bedroom with no memory of last night. Who is this man? And why did he pick her?
Tumblr media
As I slowly opened my eyes, the morning sun cast a warm glow across the lavish bedroom, bathing me in a soft, golden light. The silk curtains, adorned with intricate patterns, seemed to dance in the gentle breeze, and the sweet scent of dior Sauvage wafted through the air, filling my senses. But as I sat up, my head began to pound, and I was hit with a wave of confusion. Where was I? This wasn't my bedroom. The silk sheets tangled around my bare legs felt luxurious, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was a stranger in this unfamiliar surrounding.
I forced my eyes open again, taking in the room around me with a sense of disorientation. The walls were a deep, rich blue, accentuated by traditional lavalavas hanging in beautifully crafted frames. To my left stood an antique black armoire, its intricate carvings telling a story of elegance and sophistication. The plush blue rug beneath the massive four-poster bed seemed to have been imported from a far-off land, and I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud.
As I sat up, holding my throbbing head in my hands, memories of the previous night began to trickle back. The fancy cocktail bar with my friends, doing shot after shot of tequila until the night blurred into a haze. Stumbling into a swanky hotel suite afterward, though I couldn't remember exactly how I'd gotten there. Who did this room belong to? And where had they gone? The questions swirled in my mind like a whirlpool, pulling me under.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood up on shaky feet, clutching the bedpost for support. My head felt like it was going to split open, and I needed to figure out what happened and get out of here. As I looked down at myself, I saw that I was still wearing the silky black dress from last night, now wrinkled and creased. It was then that I noticed something heavy on my left wrist - a tennis bracelet so bright it almost blinded me. What was it doing there?
Just as I was trying to make sense of the strange circumstances, the door on the side of the room swung open, and a tall figure emerged. He stood at 6'2", his chiseled physique on full display as he walked towards me. His ebony shorts clung to his toned thighs and waist, accentuating his inked legs and tribal tattoos that glistened against his damp skin.
His hair was styled in a seductive mullet, and his lips sported a perfect shade of color, revealing his dazzling grillz as he parted them. It was like he had stepped out of a steamy romance novel, and I felt like I was staring at a character come to life.
"Morning," he spoke, his deep voice low and husky.
I stood there in shock, unable to form words. He walked around me, opening a drawer from his dresser to pull out his clothes. My eyes followed him, mesmerized by the way his muscles flexed as he moved.
"I'm sorry, who...?" I stuttered before I could finish.
But before I could even get the words out, my stomach began to churn and I felt like I was going to vomit. I stumbled backward, but it was too late. The morning sickness washed over me, and I threw up right on the floor.
He darted towards me, concern etched on his face. "Shit, you good?" he asked as he brushed away a dangling curl from my face.
"I'm sorry...I'm..." I spoke, feeling tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
But before I could finish speaking, he ushered me towards his bed and sat me down on the edge. "Sit down," he said softly.
As he left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts and emotions, I felt like my world was spinning out of control.
I just wanted to go home, to crawl back into my own bed and forget the reckless night I had just endured. But instead, I found myself in a luxurious bedroom, surrounded by the opulent trappings of a life that was not my own. A diamond tennis bracelet glinted on my wrist, a constant reminder of my foolishness. How could I have been so irresponsible, drinking so much that I ended up in this strange and unfamiliar place?
As I sat on the bed, trying to gather my thoughts, my phone began to ring. I picked it up from the nightstand, hoping for some semblance of normalcy in this chaotic situation. "Hello?" I spoke, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Girl, where the hell are you?" asked my best friend Natasha, her voice laced with concern.
"I...I don't even know," I replied, trying to gather my thoughts. "I'm with a man, and...and I threw up on his carpet, so..."
Natasha's laughter came through the phone, followed by a gasp. "Wait, is he sexy?" she asked, her tone playful.
"Um, well...he looks like he's from some kind of Pacific Island or something," I replied. "He has all these tribal tattoos and lavalavas on his wall."
Natasha's squeal of excitement was music to my ears. "Don't stop there, bitch! Tell me more! How does he look?"
I took a deep breath before launching into a detailed description of the mans handsome features. "Well, he has a short-cut mullet, and he's kinda muscular. His thighs are thick...and he has bottom grillz...and his voice is low and smooth."
Natasha's reaction was immediate. "Oh my god, Jas! You're in trouble!"
I glanced up to see him standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable. "Shit, I gotta go," I said hastily. "he's back."
"Okay, girl, let me know if you need me to pick you up," Natasha said, her voice dripping with concern. "I love you, be safe Jaz."
The line went dead as Natasha hung up, leaving me alone with him once more. I felt a sense of trepidation wash over me as he walked towards me, his eyes fixed on mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.
-
As I stood up from the bed, I felt a sense of unease wash over me. He had just finished cleaning up the spot where I had vomited, and now his eyes were locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. I felt a flush rise to my cheeks as I met his gaze, my mind still foggy from the previous night's excesses.
"I'm really sorry...I need to leave," I said, trying to sound apologetic as I began to step into my shoes.
His eyes darted as he stood up, his expression unreadable. "You just gonna forget about last night?" he asked, his tone laced with accusation.
I hesitated, searching for the right words to say. The truth was, I didn't remember what happened last night. It was all a blur of music, laughter, and tequila shots. But I knew that I couldn't keep it up forever, not when I had no idea what had happened or who this man was.
"I don't..." I paused, feeling a sense of embarrassment wash over me.
The man let out a huff, his expression turning annoyed. "Damn, you don't even remember," he said, his voice dripping with disappointment.
"I am very sorry," I said, trying to apologize once again. "And...the bracelet. You can have it back, I'm sorry."
I started to unhook the bracelet, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I handed it back to him. But instead of taking it from me, he spoke up again.
"Just keep the bracelet, Jaz. I don't want it back. If you want to leave then go, the door is over there," he said, his tone hostile.
I was taken aback by his words. "I'm sure you spent hella on it," I said, trying to reason with him. "I don't want to..."
But he cut me off again. "Bruh, keep it, Jaz. I gave it to you for a reason."
His words were laced with aggression, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as I realized that he was genuinely upset with me. But why? What had happened last night?
As I stood there, feeling a sense of unease wash over me once again, he spoke up again.
"And I bet you don't even remember my name huh?" he asked, his tone dripping with disdain.
I lightly shook my head, feeling a sense of shame wash over me. How could I have forgotten someone's name?
He sucked his teeth in disgust before speaking up again. "It's Joshua, Jey Uso," he said agitatedly. The name sounded slightly familiar but not quite.
With that, I grabbed my purse and made my way towards the door. As I left the room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. I had no idea what had happened last night or who Jey was or why he was so upset with me. All I knew was that I needed to get out of there before things got any worse.
-
I stood on the sidewalk of the penthouse, my head still throbbing with a dull ache. The morning sunlight was harsh, and I winced as I squinted up at the towering skyscrapers. I pulled out my phone and dialed the familiar number, hoping that my friend Tiffany would be able to come and rescue me from this situation.
As I waited for her to answer, I took a deep breath and tried to clear the fog from my mind. What had happened last night? Who was Jey Uso, and why did he seem so angry with me? And why, for that matter, had he let me keep the diamond tennis bracelet? It didn't make any sense.
The phone rang again, and Tiffany's cheerful voice answered. "Hey, what's up?"
I took a deep breath before speaking. "Hey, can you come get me? I'll send you the address."
Tiffany's voice turned serious. "Yeah, I'll see you soon. Be careful."
The line went dead, and I was left standing alone on the sidewalk, feeling like I was in a fog. Who was Jey Uso, and why had I ended up in his penthouse apartment? What had happened last night, and why did I have such a pounding headache?
-
As I stood there, trying to make sense of it all, my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car approaching approaching. It was Tiffany, looking stylish and put-together as always in her benz.
"Hey, girl, get in" she said, concern etched on her face. i stepped into her car and took a deep breath, "What happened?"
I shook my head, feeling a sense of relief wash over me as I handed her the keys. "I don't know," I said. "I don't remember anything from last night."
Tiffany's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?"
I shrugged. "I don't know who Jey Uso is or what happened. But I need some coffee and some crackers. Like, right now."
i rubbed my temples in an attempt to alleviate the throbbing headache, my friend Tiffany's eyes lit up like a bright light bulb. "JEY USO?" she yelled in question, her voice piercing the morning air.
I winced, feeling a wave of pain wash over me. "Goddamn girl, my head," I groaned, trying to hold onto my sanity.
Tiffany's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm sorry, but you said his name is Jey Uso, right?" she asked, her voice filled with curiosity.
I nodded my head, feeling a sense of resignation wash over me. "Yeah, why? Then he let me keep this bracelet," I said, holding up my wrist to show her the diamond tennis bracelet.
Tiffany's reaction was immediate. She squealed like a little child, her eyes wide with excitement. "YOU STAYED WITH JEY USO AND HE GAVE YOU A TENNIS BRACELET?" she repeated, her voice rising to a near-shriek.
I palmed my face, feeling a sense of embarrassment wash over me. "My head. Please stop screaming," I begged.
Tiffany's laughter died down, and she looked at me with a mixture of amusement and concern. "Oh, girl, I'm sorry. Jey Uso is the WWE wrestler, and he's fine as hell!" she exclaimed.
I gave her a skeptical look, feeling a sense of unease. "What? Come on, you can't tell me he's not sexy. He's main event Jey Uso. And God, the way he flicks his tongue... We have to go to the supershow tonight, you gotta see him in the ring," she said.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of trepidation. "I mean, he's okay, but he was kinda rude. If going to the show will make you happy then sure. But I really need some fucking coffee," I said.
Tiffany rolled her eyes. "Fine, we'll get you coffee and then get ready for the show," she said before driving off into the morning traffic.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of confusion. Who was Jey Uso, and why did he seem so angry with me? And what had happened last night? The questions swirled in my mind like a whirlpool, refusing to be silenced.
But for now, all I could think about was getting home and getting some coffee into my system. Maybe then things would start to make sense again.
I knew that having a hangover wasn't the best, but coffee always seemed to come in handy.
I reached for my trusty brush and gel, and began to work my hair into a sleek, curly ponytail. The hard bristles of the brush glided effortlessly through my locks, leaving them smooth and tamed. I then moved on to my eyebrows, using a precision brow pencil to reshape them into a thin, arching shape that I preferred. The gentle strokes of the pencil seemed to calm my frazzled nerves, and I felt a sense of clarity wash over me.
With my brows in order, I turned my attention to my makeup. I carefully applied a light foundation to even out my complexion, followed by a subtle blush to give my cheeks a healthy glow. A swipe of mascara added depth and drama to my lashes, and a swipe of lip balm left my lips feeling soft and hydrated.
As I finished up my makeup routine, I stood up and surveyed my reflection. I was pleased with the results - my hair looked luscious and bouncy, and my makeup was understated yet effective. I then gathered my clothes, selecting a nice outfit that would see me through the day.
As I dressed, I couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the simple pleasures in life - a hot shower, a good cup of coffee, and a fresh start. The night moonlight streaming through the window seemed to hold promise, and I felt a sense of renewed energy coursing through my veins.
I took one last look at myself in the mirror, smoothing out any wrinkles or creases in my outfit. Satisfied with the result, I headed out into the night, ready to face whatever happens.
-
As I emerged from the hotel, I was greeted by the warm night and the sound of Tiffany's horn blaring in the distance. I rushed towards the car, my mind still foggy from the lingering effects of the night before. As I slipped into the passenger seat, Tiffany flashed me a bright smile. "You look good, girl!" she exclaimed.
I smiled back, feeling a sense of gratitude for her kind words. "Thanks, you look good too," I replied, taking in her stylish outfit.
As we hit the road, Tiffany began to drive, her eyes fixed on the windshield. "Okay, so remember, we're going to see Jey tonight. I got us front row tickets, so at least cheer when he comes out, because I definitely will," she said, her voice filled with excitement.
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a sense of confusion wash over me. What was up with this man? Why did women like Tiffany drool over him so much? I mean, I got it - he was hot as hell - but I didn't understand all the hype. The traffic lights seemed to be flashing in sync with the diamond bracelet on my wrist, and all I could think about was why me? What had happened? Would it all come back to me?
As we navigated through the crowded streets of Las Vegas, my mind began to wander back to the night before. The anger in Jey's eyes as I told him I didn't remember anything was still etched in my memory. It was enough to keep me away from him, to make me realize that I didn't need another angry man in my life. Not again.
After dealing with Aaron, I had promised myself that I wouldn't dare let another angry man into my life again. And now, as I sat in the car with Tiffany, I knew that I had to keep my distance from Jey Uso. Maybe after the show, I could find him and give him the bracelet back - never look back. It would be for my own good.
As we pulled up to the venue, I took a deep breath and let my thoughts settle. I had five days left in Vegas, and I was determined to make the most of it. No more worrying about waking up in a random man's bed. No more drama or stress. Just me, myself, and a fresh start.
60 notes · View notes
dual-cetacean · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
"The Shatterverse is saved, the prism shards are back where they belong, and Green Hill Zone is restored. However, Nine cannot let go. Afraid the Roses and Shadow won’t be fast enough to save Sonic, they chase after them — accidentally flying into the gateway, too. Now locked out of their universe, and more importantly, the Grim, what is a lonely number 9 supposed to do?"
*Edit*
Chapter log
Season 1
Situation 1: So much (for) Prism dust (↑) Situation 2: I’m your best friend, I’m your family. Situation 3: Tea and Toast. Situation 4: Lonely Heart's Club (unavailable) Situation 5: Stranger in a Strange Land (unavailable) Situation 6: I hope, pray you bite your tongue (unavailable). Situation 7: Capital T, but Trouble looks for me (unavailable). Situation 8: Star-Crossed Brothers. (unavailable)
Heyo! I know that this series ended months ago, but this cartoon has me in a head grip. This has been cooking since February, and I'm finally ready to post it after two full months of working on it. I enjoyed season 3 and the rest of the series but was unsatisfied with the ending. So, for everyone like me who wants more out of the story, I hope you enjoy this, especially for the ones whose favourite character is Nine, like me. Plenty of other characters will also appear in it, but for now, it Nine centric.
I am incredibly proud of the cover art I made and put a lot of effort into it. Making all those renders for the characters was a serious undertaking, but it looks great, and I had a lot of fun figuring out how to paint foam and water.
I also made a playlist for this fic so if you're looking for fitting music, here it is! (Current and future chapter titles are also inspired by these songs)
The cover ver without the other characters in the water is under keep reading
Tumblr media
105 notes · View notes
amica-aenigmata-naboo · 3 months
Text
Tumblr media
Aeterna Amantes
Astarion x Y/N - Chapter 1 - 1.4K WC
chapter 1 (you are here!)
chapter 2
chapter 3
chapter 4 NSFW 18+
chapter 5
Masterlist
Warnings: mention of nudity (not sexualized), innocent reader, frankenstein like plot, arcane tower, Bernard, Soft Astarion and Karlach, Gale featured!, fluffffffffffff
---------------------------
The lock finally clicked in place, Astarion ripped it away from the door, irritated it took him three tries to get it to cooperate. He ventured into the basement of the Arcane Tower. He was cautious as he picked up random things he considered worth taking. The others were slowly following behind him, still conversing with Bernard. A coffin surrounded by beams of electricity sat in the middle of the basement. Odd, he thought. He pulled the lever on the far wall, deciding he wanted to see what would happen. The beams intensified before they flickered and died out along with the rest of the electricity in the whole tower. The coffin door creaked, sounding as if something was trapped inside. The others finally made their way into the basement, everyone's eyes instantly flicked to him with his hand on the lever before they flicked to the coffin with little bumps sounding from within. 
Karlach rolled her eyes before walking over to the coffin, prying the heavy lid open. Your eyes shot open. You sat up slowly, taking in your surroundings. Your golden irises were captivating and striking against the dim lighting of the room, almost as if they were glowing. You slowly climbed out of the coffin on wobbly legs. Gale averted his eyes due to your very naked form. Bernard made his way to you, shielding your body in a simple robe. Astarion’s eyes took you in, he noticed how you were covered in scars. At every junction - wrists, elbows, neck, knees, etc. scars existed. All of them showing how you had been stitched together. 
“What are they?” he asked as he made his way over to the group.
“A prototype.” Bernard said mechanically. 
“Fascinating!” Gale said once he knew you were covered completely. “But a prototype for what?” 
“A living companion for Lenore.” he stated as he finished furnishing you with appropriate clothing. 
You had the complexion of a drow but your skin tone differed depending on what part of you he was looking at. All shades of cool blues. Your eyes looked at everyone, you walked up to Gale.
“Uhhh, hello?” he said as you touched his clothes and hair, smiling to yourself when you flicked his ear ring.
Karlach laughed until you turned your attention to her, you walked to her softly. You reached up to her horns tugging on them slightly. She giggled at your child like curiosity, bending down slightly for you to inspect them. 
Astarion watched with an annoyed face, this was a waste of time. 
When your eyes saw Karlach’s broken horn your face fell into a sad frown. You stood on your tiptoes and kissed her broken horn. You smiled at her gently, her face was shocked but turned into a smile. Nobody had ever been so gentle with her, it made heat envelop her. 
Finally your eyes landed on Astarion, you walked to him toggling your head back and forth as you inspected him. 
“They have not met anyone besides Lenore.” Bernard spoke, explaining your somewhat strange actions. 
You raised a hand to touch Astarion’s chest, he grabbed your wrist harshly. “No.” 
You pulled your hand to your chest, rubbing your wrist. Your lip quivered as you backed away from him. Astarion felt a small pang in his chest, he didn’t mean to scare you but he was not willing to be touched by a stranger. You moved to hide behind Karlach, glancing at him every once and a while with a wary gaze. 
“Will they be safe without Lenore?” Karlach asked. 
Bernard did not answer, he just stared at you, analyzing you. 
You slipped your hand into Karlach’s, your eyes flicking back and forth between her and the exit. She squeezed your hand and began walking with you to the main floor. Everyone followed. As Karlach began walking out the gates with you Bernard gripped your arm.
“They cannot leave,” he said.
You whined, reaching for Karlach. The desperation in your eyes was something Astarion knew all too well. 
“They aren’t leaving, simply walking to the garden. Are you sure you aren’t malfunctioning?” Karlach said deceptively. 
Bernard released his grip on you, “Analyzing. I will return once I have been recalibrated.” 
You clung to Karlach, following her out of the tower for good. Your eyes explored the marvelous world of the Underdark. You had never left that basement, all of this was fascinating and overwhelming. With a flick of his hand Gale opened a portal. You were hesitant to cross the threshold but with a small beckon from Karlach you followed. No turning back now.
--------------------------------
You gazed at the fire, inching closer to it. The dancing orange flames entranced you, your hand reached out to touch it until a soft hand stopped you. 
“Careful soldier, don’t want you to get burned. Try this.” Karlach said as she put both her palms towards the fire but held them a safe distance away, just enough to warm them. You copied her actions, giggling slightly when you felt the warmth spread from your hands to your arms. 
Astarion watched you with a small smirk. You were the most innocent thing he had ever seen, it was endearing. He noticed the thin layer of dirt and sweat covering you. “I think they need a wash?” he said to Karlach. 
“Do you think you could manage that while I get supper on?” she asked as she sorted through her ingredients. 
Astarion gazed at you before looking at the hot springs in the cave not far off from camp. “I suppose.” he said with a shrug, trying to appear indifferent.
He walked over to you, holding his hand out to you. You followed him without hesitation. Once at the springs Astarion looked at you expectantly, “Well? Go on, take your clothes off and get in.” he said motioning to the pool of steaming water. 
You took your clothes off like he requested before sitting on the very edge of the pool. You tapped the water with your hand, sucking in a sharp breath as you watched the ripples. Astarion’s eyes widened at you, had you never seen or felt water before? He dipped his hand into the water, cupping some before he brought it to your hand. He held it flat, he smiled at you before letting the water from his hand trickle over yours. You gasped before giving him a beaming smile. You slowly made your way into the shallow pool, sighing with relief as you submerged yourself. Your hair clung to you. You watched the dirt slip off you as you scrubbed your arms and legs. 
Astarion sat on the edge of the pool, keeping an eye on you. “Can you talk?” he asked quietly.
You quirked your head at him, unsure of what he was asking. “Do you at least have a name?” he said.
Your face remained confused before he took your hand and placed it against his chest, “Astarion.” he said before moving your hand to your chest. 
You looked between the two of you repeatedly, trying to figure out a response. “Y/N” you mumbled. 
Astarion’s face lit up when he realized you could speak and understand him. Your voice was like honey to him. Soft and sweet. “Y/N” he repeated, liking the way your name felt on his tongue. 
“Astarion.” you said as you placed your hand back on his chest. 
He smiled down at you, “Yes, very good.” he gently pulled your hand away before turning you around in the hot spring and washing your hair. You sighed every now and then, liking the way he touched you. You had never had human contact, it felt strange but good. 
“Would you like to learn how to read? To talk?” he asked as he finished scrubbing the last of the muck off your body. 
You sat and soaked, enjoying the warmth. You nodded at him with a kind smile. 
“We can start tomorrow,” he said.
You let out a long yawn, your eyes drooping. 
“Let's get you some food and then off to bed with you.” he said as he helped you out of the spring before wrapping you in a towel. 
You leaned against him unexpectedly, nuzzling his chest softly. “Astarion.” you said sleepily. 
His heart was melting, it was an unfamiliar sensation. It terrified him but he also felt safe somehow. He smiled, trying to shake the feeling while fighting the urge to relish in it.
-------------------------------
Naboo's Note:
AHHHHHHH!!! So excited to start a new series! I've been coming up with this idea for a hot minute so I really hope everyone enjoys it! I will be trying to post this one regularly while also posting drabbles so please be patient and a little gracious with production as I also work so everything is a bit hectic. Thank you all for your love and support!!! It means the world!!!!!! XOXOXXOOXXOOXOXOXOOXOXOXOOX
97 notes · View notes
moeitsu · 1 month
Text
♡The Tie Which Linked My Soul To Thee♡
(Arthur Morgan x OC) Masterlist
Tumblr media
Hey cowboys!
Below is where you'll find all the chapters to my Red Dead Redemption fanfic, I will keep it updated as I continue to post more chapters. But in the meantime, I wanted to make things a little more organized and easier for you to navigate.
Whether you just started reading, or if you've been keeping up with the story since the beginning. I want to thank you! This started as a little side project to keep me busy during my down time at work, but it's turned into something I'm really passionate and proud of! So thank you for all the support <3
!!Please be aware this fic is explicit. As it contains blood/violence, as well as other adult themes!!
━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━
->-> Ao3 
->-> Wattpad
Summary: Kate McCanon, a young widow from the north, meets outlaw Arthur Morgan. When the two cross paths she discovers a complex man wrestling with his own sense of right and wrong. As their unlikely bond deepens, Kate becomes determined to guide Arthur towards a brighter path, even as tensions rise within his gang led by the enigmatic Dutch van der Linde. With danger lurking at every turn, Kate must navigate treacherous territory to protect those she holds dear, all while finding love in the most unexpected of places.
Story Tags: Widowed, Original Character(s), High-Honor!Arthur Morgan, Arthur Morgan Does Not Have Tuberculosis, Arthur Morgan Deserves Happiness, Chubby!Arthur Morgan, Canon Divergence, Mutual Pining, Slow Build, Eventual Smut, Eventual Sex, Eventual Romance, Emotional Sex, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Touch-Starved, Sexual Tension, Friends to Lovers, Child Loss, Infant Death, Trauma, Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Torture, Blood and Violence, Survivor Guilt, Aftermath of Torture, Caretaking, Injury Recovery, Period-Typical Racism, Anxiety, Self-Hatred, Night Terrors, Emotional Constipation, Self-Doubt, Men Crying, Bathing/Washing, Sweet/Hot, Romantic Angst, Romantic Fluff
━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━
Ch 1 - The Years Creep Slowly By Kate becomes entangled in a heist with two strangers, Hosea and Arthur, forging an unexpected bond amidst their criminal endeavor. Ch 2 - The Snow Is On The Grass Again A fisher of men and A strange encounter. Ch 3 - The Suns Low Down The Sky Welcome to Horseshoe Overlook Ch 4 - The Frost Gleams Where The Flowers Have Been It's time to collect a debt. Ch 5 - My Heart Beats On As Warmly Now A well deserved hunt with Charles, met with an unexpected surprise back at camp... Ch 6 - As When The Summer Days Were Nigh The battle begins, and the past is revealed. Ch 7 - The Sun Can Never Dip So Low Kate is not immune to the dangers of the land. No matter how much she loved it, the land will never love her back. Ch 8 - Or Down Affections Cloudless Sky A blissful sunny day after a long hard night. Ch 9 - A Hundred Months Have Passed Kate and Arthur share a tender moment in the quiet of the night. Ch 10 - Since Last I Held That Hand In Mine The Course of True Love and other Revelations Ch 11 - And Felt The Pulse Beat Fast Arthur and Hosea share meaningful conversation after a night of advertising some moonshine. Meanwhile Kate finds herself involved in a dubious mission with John and the boys. She patches up Arthur as the day ends with an air of unspoken desire. Ch 12 - Though Mine Beat Faster Far Than Thine - Part 1 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God in a world that is ugly with violence and hate. Ch 13 - Though Mine Beat Faster Far Than Thine - Part 2 Arthur’s life is ebbing out like the tide. Kate must work quickly and diligently to reverse the cruel hands of fate. She is aided by the help of an unexpected ally. Ch 14 - A Hundred Months ‘Twas Flowery May As Kate navigates Arthur’s recovery, she discovers that true strength lies within her trusted companions, finding relief in their unwavering support during the trials of his healing journey.
━━━━━༻❁༺━━━━━ If you're interested in reading about my OC, I linked the Kate McCanon Lore here :) As well as her Face and Voice Claim here <3 About me!
64 notes · View notes
thescholarlystrumpet · 2 months
Text
Slow burn Human AU Priest Aziraphale x Crowley (set in WW2). Complete and posting 1-2x weekly.
Tumblr media
For Loving One- Rated Explicit
Father Fell has been living a quiet life in a small parish. Despite the looming fear of war, he thought he was content with his small pleasures. Until a mysterious stranger comes to town, turning that life on its head and awakening desires the Father thought he buried long, long ago...
Chapter one
It was quite late and Father Fell was sweeping in the chapel when there was a thudding sound. He looked up in alarm only to find a long, thin man standing in front of the entrance. 
Standing was a relative term in this case. The strange man was leaning to one side, seeming to favor his left leg. He wore dusty clothes of nondescript color, ragged looking, and a cap pulled low over a short, unkempt reddish beard. 
“May I be of assistance, my good Sir?” Father Fell asked gently, holding tight to the broom just in case it was needed for safety. It was not common to encounter anyone out of doors this late, especially not since the War started. 
The man limped toward him and made a hoarse sound, either a cough or a clearing of the throat. He shook his head and even that slight movement set him even more off balance. As the stranger careened toward the nearest pew, Father Fell dropped his broom and ran toward him. 
The priest was just barely in time to catch the stranger from what might have been a nasty bash to the head. Instead, Father Fell pulled him sideways and they both landed on the carpeted floor with a forced exhale. 
Keep reading on AO3
**** *** **
Anyone who knows me has probably heard me talk about this fic. It has been a labor of love and occasional tears. I’m overjoyed to finally be sharing it with all of you!!
@goodomensafterdark @fuckyeahgoodomens
69 notes · View notes
credince--writes · 10 months
Text
Deep In Those Woods 6
Keegan P. Russ x Fem!Reader
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6
AO3
Masterlist
You find a strange man in the woods, no doubt running from the federation. He seems, well, in simple terms beat to shit. May your act of kindness not go unpunished.
A/N:
DID SOMEONE SAY WORLDBUILDING AND SEXUALLLLL TENSION?
I did :)
Sorry I've been gone so long my appendix fucking exploded
Taglist:
@dindjarinsmeshla @tessxq @ladyvlolypop @tiny-kasper
@biggiecheeselover @konigsleftkidney @mykneeshurt @katsufairies @noname0756
Tumblr media
Keegan stared, mouth opening and trying to speak but nothing coming out- his mind rushing a million miles a minute.
"Because you owe me?" You teased.
He releases a breath. "Yea, Princess. Because I owe you."
You were angry, rightfully so-
You felt you were further past this, but at the same time, you really didn't know each other at all did you?
You knew he muttered in his sleep, softly, and only when he felt warm. He never mumbled when he was cold, he'd curl in on himself
You knew his eyes reminded you of the clear, blue waters of the creeks and rivers that passed over the rocks here.
You knew that even though he'd never say anything, he liked having extra carmelized onions in his food.
Or that he still wouldn't complain, but was always hesitant to eat scrambled eggs for some reason.
"You need to sit down." You all but hissed out, shooing him out of the kitchen and back down onto the couch across the room.
"And you..." Keegan sat down, leaning back into the cushion of the couch and letting out a sigh of relief, the stabbing pain in his side subsiding as he leaned back and relaxed. Trailing off, the glanced out the window, dutifully ignoring the light red tinge of embarrassment that dusted onto his face understanding that yes, you were right about his exertion.
He needed to dial it back if he ever wanted to get better.
He'd been hurt worse before, he argued, he shouldn't be complacent in a stranger's home just because it was warm.
Just because there were rare occasions where your hand would grace across his skin, his eyes would flutter closed and he could almost forget about how horrible of a man he really was.
He was destined to be buried face down in the Earth, pointed back home in some strange, cold, and hostile land. Not being doted on, and soaking it up like a greedy sponge.
What the fuck is he doing?
He has been MIA for who knows how long- he couldn't keep track of the days in his concussed stupor, but he knows it was more than two weeks minimum of time he'd lost total.
Keegan was angry with himself for letting the time get away from him- but from the dark splotching on his skin he knew that if he had just tried to push it he would've died under the ferns and moss.
That was, if he ever would've managed to get himself out of that creek.
A horrible little part of him knew he wouldn't have.
He needed to get his radio working- he needed to get intel back to base- the fact that there was four unmarked settlements they didn't even know about was concerning. How old was the information they'd sent him out here for based off of?
What he needed was-
“Soup.” You said, almost sheepishly as you sat down next to him, readying yourself to raise the spoon to his lips. His cold blue eyes narrowed on the bowl, forcing him to sit up and reach his hands out to pull it from your grip.
Your cheeks burned, turning your head away and sucked in a deep breath trying not to immediately turn back and react, glance down at his waistband, and argue. Biting your tongue and waiting just a millisecond you gather your thoughts you turned your head back to look at him, the amusement clear in his pale blue eyes.
You quickly stood, excusing yourself and walking outside to take a breath.
The feeling of your warm hands brushing against his chest when you thought he was asleep, selfishly keeping his breathing even to lure your little hands into touching him.
No.
He had pieces of why he'd been sent, he knew the mission. He just lost bits of time to the adrenaline and blood loss as he staggered through the woods and eventually toppled into the creek.
He'd left from Santa Monica nearly two months ago, he knew that. The plane ride, the rinky dinky bush plane if it could even be considered a plane.
It had two wings in flew, he mused to himself, of course, it was a fucking plane.
The heavily wooded areas of the northern segment of the state, while not ravished by the attacks of ODIN had fallen victim to the infestation of Federation soldiers. It was a guerilla war, in the street, woods, the rivers. The cities fell first, but the remote areas were controlled by farmers withheld.
Infrastructure was destroyed, bridges were blown, and entire counties were islanded in a matter of days.
And since they held no real value in the war, they were left alone.
Until five months ago.
The intel was solid, they'd moved in from the coast suddenly, surging into the few remaining skeletons of cities and overwhelming what little military a civilian presence was left.
The question was why.
Nuclear Power.
A small, barely on-the-map city and it's nearly forgotten nuclear power plant was guarded with the minimal military presence that remained in the area. And clearly, the presence wasn't enough.
The rods in the plant could be deconstructed and turned into dirty bombs that could, and more than likely would, wreak havoc on the few remaining 'unscathed' cities of the country.
Keegan called it one of the worst oversights possible-
all they had to do was remove the fucking nuclear components/
But alas, the bridges had been blown up.
Was the justification.
He lived in the woods, deep behind the cover, and stalked, much like the wildlife rampantly taking back over the land. Lurking in the shadows and observing trying to confirm if the plant was being used to convert for weapons of mass destruction.
Or, even more plausibly, to turn the city into one of their most efficiently functioning bases on American soil.
He volunteered himself for the mission, needed some way to escape after the last absolute shit show of a mission that ended with both Hesh and Logan getting hurt. He knew he couldn't have prevented it- it's just something that happens on the job now, but it still melted into his flesh like acid.
He needed time to be alone, time to rethink the events that had happened. What better way to have plenty of time to think than to volunteer to sit in a glorified damp hole for God knows how long and simply wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
It started to become clear that at least for now, the power plant was to stay to its intended use- holding the old employees at gunpoint to ensure that the plant stayed maintained.
He waited some more.
Until the crackling of his radio, quiet in his ear but so loud compared to the silence he'd become accustomed to over the last few days. New intel on a location nestled deep in the woods, five miles from his current vantage point staring down onto the plant.
Well, that's where it went to shit.
The hike wasn't the bad part, neither was the rain, or the mosquitoes, or the run-in with the bear. He could manage all of those things, but he wasn't prepared to see the base. The dingy little thing if it could even be called a base.
He could argue with himself and say he'd stayed in worse, but that was beside the point.
It was the people.
Of course, there would be the locals, they wouldn't be able to sustain the base without their (forced) help of them. He knew that, that was usually how those bases went. Either the locals would be killed on sight, or be forced into laboring for their invaders.
He just never got used to how skinny and hollow they always looked.
So when it was one of the Prisoners who saw past the camouflage and alerted the soldiers, barrels turning and pointing dangerously close to not twigs and leaves- Keegan decided he needed to move.
And he was moving, running- fleeing, for three days.
The delirium of exhaustion caused hallucinations of sounds that weren't really there- soldiers that weren't really there. Getting the drop on him in ways they shouldn't have been able to.
He'll blame it on the exhaustion.
But it seems like some of these soldiers knew the land better than a non-local soldier.
They'd started to convert.
And he ran, until the blade of his knife was dull and blood splattered on the ferns and leaves beneath him. Until his legs gave out from under him.
Until he tumbled into the sweet, cold fresh water of your creek.
Until he felt the first brush of your warm flesh against his.
Maybe he was still delirious.
196 notes · View notes
swsource · 1 year
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 1: Stranger in a Strange Land
637 notes · View notes
thechaoticdruid · 3 months
Text
Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts (1)
Pairing: Astarion x F!Tav
Plot: Tav and Astarion have been settling in to life in the Underdark, trying their damnedest to find a good lead on the Ring of the Sun Walker when suddenly a distress message from an old friend lands them in a place they certainly did not see coming. An extravagant soiree hosted by a very eccentric stranger!
Content/Warnings: First chapter focuses on Tav and Astarion's life so far. Chubby Tav, Tav uses She/her pronouns, Violence and slight gore, brief nudity, suggestive content, mentions of Astarion's trauma, descriptions of a panic attack, Tav based on my own (human druid) Tav. Possible smut in future chapters. Grammar/spelling mistakes are possible. Ooc moments are possible, slight angst, comfort, fluff.
Tumblr media
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
The dark cold caverns of the Underdark were definitely not anyone's first vacation destination. They were perilous, full of several bloodthirsty beasts just waiting to tear even the most skilled of adventurers apart.  
“HEY ASSHAT! OVER HERE DUMBASS! LOOK AT MEEEE!” A young human woman shouted, waving her arms around like a complete fool.
She stuck her tongue and blew a raspberry up at a massive figure. A towering green humanoid with multiple limbs and multiple heads, only wearing a loin cloth and what appeared to be a belt made of human skulls. 
The human was short, chubby, dressed in a red cloak embroidered with little wolves on it and druidic armor tucked underneath.  She continued to mock the beast pointing two middle fingers at it. The beast growled and began to charge towards the much smaller human female.
“That's it, dumb fuck! Come to Tav!” The druid smirked, getting into a fighting stance and she looked up above.  A flaming arrow came down fast, hitting the beast in one of its foreheads.
It let out a loud low growl of pain, almost immediately shouting something in its strange native tongue. Tav couldn't for the life of her figure out what it was saying, but she was pretty sure it was far from intelligent.  Tav glanced back towards the origin of the arrow with a smile seeing her ivory haired elven lover perched up upon a high cliff. 
“Excellent aim as always, my Star!” Tav cheered. 
“Hells Teeth Tav! Get out of the way!” Her lover exclaimed. The monster lunged over for Tav, seeming to recover from its wound rather quickly before going in to grab the human female in one of its huge hands, attempting to crush her. 
Tav simply smirked before suddenly changing her shape, taking the form of a large owlbear and sinking her claws into the beast's arm before leaping away, using her wings to glide a good distance between her and the monstrosity.
The elf huffed as he reached back, grabbing for another fire arrow only to realize he had used the last one. Looks like he'd have to improvise.
“Ignis.” He recited the incantation before shooting a firebolt right at the creature’s main face, setting it ablaze and allowing Tav to get in some slashes across its lower body. The beast flailed and screamed, kicking Tav in the face and knocking her down into the ground with powerful force before charging towards the elf's advantage point.
“Shit.” The silver haired male cursed before beginning to make a run for it, only to have the ground crumble beneath him.
“Astarion!” Tav screamed, now returned to her human form, pure horror in her eyes as she saw the giant beast slam its body into the ledge her beloved had been standing on. He let out a shout as he began to fall, so close to hitting the ground before a black blur flew over and took hold of the back of his doublet.  Tav growled in anger before conjuring a thorn covered vine using her magic before lassoing it around the monster’s throat. 
Astarion blinked noticing he hadn't hit the ground, the sound of flapping wings and huffing could be heard above him.
“Ugh ... .Star, you're so heavy!” A little voice said before suddenly Astarion was gently placed on his feet. He looked back to see a black fluffy tressym huffing before slowly landing on the ground, very winded from having to hold up the elf with her tiny body.   
“Darling, where in the hells have you been?” Astarion stared down at the little black tressym as she caught her breath. 
“I tried to go catch that half-elf trader before he got too far! I think he conned us on that sun walker map!” The tressym exclaimed.
“You think?” Astarion rolled his eyes before gesturing to gigantic green humanoid.
“FUCK MEEEEEE!!!!!” Tav screamed as she was yanked up from the ground by the enormous creature as it yanked its neck hard, pulling both Tav and her vine lasso and slinging them around. 
“Tav!” Astarion quickly dashed over as Tav went flying through the air. He swiftly leaped up and caught her before tumbling down with her on top of him. “My darling, are you alright?” He asked, voice full of concern. Tav immediately got up off the elven male seemingly ignoring him. 
“I'm gonna kick some green prick’s ass!” She shouted before running back towards the beast.
Astarion huffed in annoyance, his love could be so difficult at times. It excited him back when they had first met. Her eagerness to rush into danger and slaughter her foes without a second thought truly got him going, but now that he had come to care for her so deeply things were different. He was terrified of anything happening to her. Astarion let out a sigh before drawing his bow and notching an arrow, aiming at the head he had previously been able to set ablaze.  His arrow was able to tear right through the beast, leaving blood to pour from its skull. Its other heads roared in pain as the creature flailed its arms around frantically.
Tav then suddenly remembered something she had hidden in her pack and given the creature’s distraction, now was the perfect opportunity to use it. She quickly pulled out a scroll of fireball before reciting the incantation and firing right at the monster, setting its entire body aflame. The beast twitched and spasmed, crying out in pure agony before eventually falling flat on its back, body burnt to a crisp as the life depleted from its eyes. Tav took a deep breath before running up and kicking what was left of the charred corpse.
“Take that you big green bitch!” She huffed. Astarion wiped some sweat from his brow before letting out a sigh of relief as he watched his lover take out her frustration on the carcass. 
“Goods gods. A dire-troll…” The winged cat exclaimed as she scurried over towards the couple. 
“Oh…So that's what this thing was? I had no idea those were in the Underdark.” Tav blinked before looking over at their feline companion. “Did you have luck spying on that merchant, Maddie?” 
“I believe he was making his way back to the Myconid colony. Considering we were almost killed following this map he gave us I think it's safe to assume we got scammed.” Maddie stated.
“You're right. Nothing out here but a dead end and a dead troll.” Tav sighed, stretching her arms behind her head. 
“I told you I thought he was a rogue. Why didn't you tell me you suspected he was scamming us?” Astarion asked.
“I didn't want to crush your hopes of finding the ring of the sunwalker.” Tav sighed.
“Darling, we were both almost literally crushed today.” Astarion crossed his arms. “Perhaps we should forget about feelings if there's a chance we're walking into certain death, hm?” 
“Sorry….” Tav looked down, hanging her head in shame before feeling Astarion's cool hands cup her face and make her look at him. 
“I'm not angry at you, I just don't want you getting hurt on my behalf, love.” He said before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We will find this magic sun ring in time, but you must be by my side when we do.”  He looked down at her fondly, eyes round and full of love. Tav couldn't help but give in to the smile that was creeping its way across her face as she glanced back up at her love. Maddie then suddenly cleared her throat as she looked up at her humanoid companions.
“I do hate to interrupt this beautiful moment my friends, but there is the matter of the man who conned us out of 1000 gold pieces for that map.” The tressym exclaimed, tapping a paw against the ground.
“Right. That bastard owes us money.” Tav said as she pulled away from her partner. “Hmm…You know Astarion, we could always invite him out for bite ...if you have the appetite, my Star.” 
“Oh my love, you know I simply adore it when you treat me to dinner.” Astarion flicked his tongue over his fangs, a sadistic grin making its way onto his face. “I'm salivating just thinking about it.~” 
“I always make sure to take good care of my man.” Tav boasted with a smug grin, giving her vampiric love a wink. “Come on Maddie, let's go pay this con man a visit.
“Yes, of course Tav.” Maddie said before hopping up onto Tav's shoulder and hitching a ride on her. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once they tracked down the merchant who scammed them, took back their gold and allowed Astarion to have a nice little treat, the trio returned to their current abode to rest up after a tiring day of adventuring in the Underdark.  Tav and Astarion had taken up residence in the old abandoned Arcane Tower after getting assistance repairing it from the Kuo-Toa. Conveniently the fish folk had still believed Tav to be some god of murder and were easily convinced to build her a palace for her and her murderous bride (which was what they referred to Astarion as).
It was less building a palace and more so just doing renovations on the tower to make it more homey as Astarion put it. Once they returned home, Tav went down to the basement with Maddie trailing after her. Since her and her former companions had cured themselves of their tadpoles and defeated a threat to all of Faerûn she'd began to take up some wizard skills, studying the weave and expanding her abilities.
She'd honestly always wanted to be a wizard, but when you grow up in a family full of druids, in a village full of druids you don't exactly have that many options. Tav opened up one of her journals, sketching a little doodle of the dire-troll she fought today before looking through one of the magical tomes Gale had sent to her from Waterdeep. She studied the pages, taking in the different techniques and incantations for fire spells. These definitely would have been hells of a lot more help earlier today. Maddie leapt up on the desk Tav sat at in the basement, stretching out her wings before letting out a yawn and taking a seat next to Tav. 
“Star was asking for you Tav.” The little feline spoke up in her sweet high sounding voice. “He said he patched up the tear in your cloak.” 
“Tell him I said thanks, but I'm busy right now.” Tav muttered, trying to concentrate on reading the current page she was on. 
“He also said something about gagging you and tying you up if you keep ruining the clothes he makes you?” The tressym tilted her head innocently, a bit confused by Astarion's threat.
“Oh well, that's nice.” Tav said, barely paying any attention.  She was too invested in the tome to even hear the noise of the elevator coming down, followed light footsteps moving across the stairs.
“Darling, just what exactly are you doing down here?” Astarion suddenly took a step behind her, causing Tav to jump.
“AH! Hells Astarion!” She said, turning back to see him, crossing his arms. 
“I thought I told that cat to fetch you…” Astarion huffed and glanced over at Maddie with a raised brow.
“I'm a tressym!” Maddie pouted, ears shooting straight back. Astarion ignored her offended demeanor and focused solely on Tav.
“I'm trying to study…You know wizard stuff…” Tav sighed before looking up at her needy vampire boyfriend.  
“And you can't just read this upstairs? With me?” Astarion stepped over to Tav before suddenly planting himself on her lap and snaking his arms around her shoulders. If it wasn't for Tav’s well filled out form he probably would have squished her. The position honestly looked a little funny given he was taller than her.  
“Not when you do stuff like this.” Tav pouted, a blush spreading across her face as he sat on her lap, muscular ass pressed down on her thigh. “I know you don't have much to do when we're here but I need to study. This could be so useful for when we're out there searching for that ring!” Tav gave him a small smile. 
“You already know enough magic as it is, you're a druid for gods sake. I don't see the point in forcing yourself to do this unnecessary work.” Astarion huffed. 
“Please Star this is important to me. Just give me a little longer. Then we can do whatever you want.” Tav hummed, looking back at him with puppy dog eyes. 
“Oh alright. You have twenty minutes. Then you and I are getting a bath.” He smirked before planting a kiss on her cheek and getting up. Tav continued on with her studies before eventually getting up and joining her lover in a hot bath he'd prepared for the two of them. Tav stripped down her armor and undergarments before exposing her thick curvaceous form and getting into the tub beside him. All the stretch marks, creases, lumps and imperfections were completely on show for the vampire to see.
It had honestly taken a long time before she had become confident enough to expose herself in front of him so casually, but she'd come so far.  Not too long ago she'd thought of herself unworthy of having a lover.  Funny how things could change so drastically.  Astarion at times practically worshipped this body she loathed so greatly.
Tav still didn't understand it.
“You know you could probably try finding a hobby, Star. Something besides killing, and me…” Tav hummed a bit as her elven lover washed her messy locks. “You're very good at sewing. Why not try that? The cloak you made for me is gorgeous.” 
“And yet you ripped it.” Astarion rolled his eyes as Tav sat between his legs.
“Technically the troll ripped it.” Tav sassed, before wincing at a slight tug on her hair. 
“Yes well who's fault is that now is it?” Astarion smirked. 
“You fixed it though, didn't you?” Tav grinned, turning back to look at him,“see this is a perfect hobby.”
“You just want me to be your personal seamstress don't you?” Astarion booped Tav's nose playfully.
“Would that be so terrible?” Tav tilted her head.
“Maybe not…I will admit I do rather like dressing you up…. Almost as much as I like undressing you.” He growled in her ear before planting a kiss on her neck. Tav couldn't help but giggle, feeling him wrap his arms around her ribs, pulling her back against his chest before resting his chin on top of her head with a sigh. “This is nice…” He hummed, resting his eyes. Tav let out a peaceful sigh before relaxing against him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peace never truly lasts. Eventually there's always something that comes along to throw one’s world back into chaos.  
Tav and Astarion had gone to bed, all snuggled up in their elegant silky sheets Tav had been able to purchase. She used funds she'd made while writing her popular book series ‘Blood-Mage’ (a ridiculously smutty novel featuring a handsome young sorcerer named Garrett Delarous who ends up forced to team up with Vampire Lord Arian Arcane to save the world or something…).
Tav laid there, bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling while Astarion tranced beside her, arms wrapped around her plush waist as his head rested against her chest.  Usually Astarion’s embrace was enough to keep her anxiety fueled insomnia away but tonight her mind would not still. Too many thoughts ran a muck in her head, never calming down. It was almost maddening. 
Eventually she shut her eyes, trying her damndest to relax and drift away. She did a little exercise where she'd picture herself sleeping in her mind, thinking of the cool feeling of the sheets, the softness of her mattress and the comfort of her lover's arms.  Tav was so, so very close to drifting away, but then the worse happened.
“No! G-Get away!” A voice whimpered out beside her, sending Tav on high alert. Astarion had jerked away from her. “Master please! No more!” 
“Astarion.” Tav sat up and looked over at her panicked love.  She moved quickly to shake him awake, fearful he may hurt himself in his unconscious state with his thrashing.
“GET THE HELLS AWAY FROM ME!” He hissed, fangs barred as he dug his nails into the bed. Astarion was wide awake now, breathing quickly, frantically. His eyes were filled with terror as tears formed in the corners. 
“My love…. It's me….Tav…” Tav said calmly getting off the bed to give him space. “No one is going to hurt you. You're safe.”
“I….I saw him again….” The elf shakily choked out. “He was reciting poetry…as he carved it into my flesh...” Astarion took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure but he still shook like a leaf. “I'll never get rid of that fucking bastard!” 
“Cazador is dead, Astarion. He will never hurt you again.” Tav said calmly. “I will never let anyone hurt you again…” 
“You can't promise that Tav.” Astarion huffed, “he still lives in my head.”  The druid slowly moved towards him, heart aching as she noticed a tear running down his cheek.  
“You're so strong my love. I know you can overcome these demons, but I'm also here when you need me.” Tav said, slowly taking a seat back on the bed. She moved her hand towards him slightly, but not too close, just close enough for him to grab if need be. It took a few more moments before Astarion glanced back over at Tav, slowly intertwining his hand with hers and giving it a squeeze. “If you want to talk about it I will listen.” Tav said. 
“I don't…” Astarion said simply. 
“Well then I won't pry…” Tav gave him a sad smile. Astarion turned towards her before pulling her close and burying his face into her neck, arms slipping around her waist. She shushed him, rubbing circles on his back in a soothing manor. 
Astarion's old master was dead and gone, but he was certainly not forgotten. Tav knew better than most that the scars of the mind were far worse than the scars of the body.  All she could really do now was stay by her lover's side and whisper sweet nothings into his pointed ears.  
Eventually the two gave up on sleep for a bit. Tav had Astarion sit in one of their armchairs adorned in his eccentric silky red night robe as she scampered over to their cooking pot in only a tank and boxers. She grabbed one of the blood bank jars they kept stored away before pouring some into a mug and heating it over the fire just enough so it would appear fresh. She took the mug back over to Astarion once it was ready and gave it to him.  
“Thank you darling. I.. I'm sorry I must have woken you.” He muttered before sipping from his cup. 
“No. I actually haven't been able to sleep myself. My mind just won't settle down I suppose.” Tav hummed. 
“Were you thinking about the drow again?” Astarion asked. 
“Oh no…I..for once it wasn't him…Just a lot on my mind…Nothing important really.” 
“Tav! Astarion!” Suddenly Maddie's small voice called out as she came up the elevator and into their room.  “There is something very important you guys need to see in the basement!!!” The little black tressym flapped her wings in a panic before galloping over to them. The vampire and druid looked at each other before following their furry and feathered friend downstairs before eventually being met with a familiar face. 
Gale Dekarios of Waterdeep…or his projection self anyway. 
“Good evening, I come with an urgent message from Professor Gale of Waterdeep. He is in grave danger and is in dire need of your help.” The projection said.
“What? Can't the wizard take care of himself for one evening!” Astarion let out a frustrated sigh before crossing his arms.
“What happened!? Where's Gale?” Tav asked.
“The details of his predicament have been left enclosed in an envelope on your desk.” 
Tav hummed in confusion before walking over to her desk and tearing the envelope open. She expected a letter or maybe some cryptic message entailing that Gale was being held hostage in some dungeon somewhere, but no, all that stood out was an invitation to a formal extravagant soiree being thrown by some noble in Waterdeep. 
~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~
Note From TheChaoticDruid: THIS IS THE SURPRISE I'D BEEN TEASING A WHILE BACK! I honestly wanted to do a fic like this ever since I'd seen people asking for a fancy party type of quest in BG3 and I was like yeah.....I want that too! Imma have to do some research for the next bit so don't expect super fast updates, but it will be continued.
Hope you enjoyed! And to all the people who recognize Maddie, you get this cookie 🫴🍪. Y'all are the real ones. 😎
~Druid
59 notes · View notes
themandaloriandaily · 2 years
Photo
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
FENNEC SHAND  The Book of Boba Fett, Chapter 1 | Stranger in a Strange Land
908 notes · View notes
verai-marcel · 8 months
Text
Your Hearth Is My Home (BG3 Fanfic, Astarion x Female Reader, Part 1 of 27)
Summary: Not every adventurer wields a weapon. You, a hearth witch living near the banks of River Chionthar, are witness to a craft falling from the sky, and wondering if anyone needed assistance, ran down to find survivors. That was your first mistake. Going along with the survivors on their crazy adventure? That was your second mistake. Will you survive your next mistake of letting a hungry vampire bite you?
Author’s Notes: Full disclosure: at this point, I’ve only played through act 2 without romancing Astarion. So why the fuck am I writing some wholesome Astarion x F!Reader? Because I’m dumb and got spoiled on Youtube, and now I can’t stop thinking about the poor guy. Also this is heavily influenced by a couple of wholesome manga (“Life in Another World as a Housekeeping Mage” and “The Forsaken Saintess and her Foodie Roadtrip in Another World”), but I won’t be writing an isekai. You (reader) are from Faerun like everyone else. I’m just here to have some wholesome feels and hurt/comfort. Let’s go go go.
Tags: wholesome, cozy camp time, Astarion x F!Reader, slow burn, good alignment, BG3 Spoilers
Chapter Word Count: 1,843
Ao3 Link here, Darling.
--------------------
Act I, Chapter 1 - The Beginning
You are a hearth witch, living on the banks of the River Chionthar, making potions and herbal remedies for the small villages nearby. For the past three years, you’d been happier than you’d ever been in your life. You loved helping people, but you made sure not to reveal your real name, nor why you always wore long sleeves and gloves, even in the middle of summer.
But the nearby villages had been emptying as of late. News of the goblin camp that recently appeared nearby had first scared off the traveling merchants, and then the locals. You realized that you too should leave, otherwise you’d either have no more customers or goblins on your doorstep. You only had a dagger and a few spells that did little in ways of actual damage, so defending yourself against a horde of enemies was out of the question. So you began to pack up, figuring out what you could bring with you, and what needed to be repurchased once you reached your new home, wherever that might be. 
On a warm sunny day, you decided that this would be your last day here. Your pack was filled, your cottage cleaned out. Tomorrow morning, you would take off to the east, following the river to the next closest town. For now, you decided to grab a few more ingredients for the road, and so, you were out by the river bank, gathering fresh herbs and mushrooms. 
A booming sound followed a strong gust of wind that whipped around you, twigs and grass flying everywhere. Then you saw a ship crash nearby, the land and water being torn asunder, debris flung in all directions. After the chaos died down a bit, you went to go check for survivors. You couldn’t, in good conscience, walk away if someone might need help.
That was a poor decision on your part.
The first survivor you found was a young, dark-haired woman, passed out on the shore. She seemed standoffish, but after helping her up and giving her a drink from your waterskin, you convinced her that the best thing to do was to get out of the area and rest at your cottage while she regained her bearings. 
A little while later, the two of you came upon the strange sight of a single arm, sticking out of a glowing purple rune. You and the young woman, Shadowheart, pulled the poor man out. He introduced himself as Gale, and also joined your party.
As the three of you continued back to your cottage, you came across another stranger. Skin as pale as marble and hair to match. Had some scars on his neck. Perhaps he got them on the ship? He seemed harmless enough. Another escapee of the craft that fell from the sky.
That is, until he tricked you into looking for something in the bushes.
If only he hadn’t touched your exposed neck with his bare hand. Then you wouldn’t have felt the fear, underlined by a desperation you knew all too well. 
The leash is cut.
It made you empathize. And that was one rule that had been burned into your mind at a young age. 
Do not empathize with the enemy.
Fortunately, Gale and Shadowheart talked him down from stabbing you. The man even apologized to you, though it seemed more for show than for sincerity. 
Astarion was his name. He introduced himself with aplomb and decorum, and your hackles raised at the sight. A noble.
After a bit more conversation, they agreed that their shared affliction was enough of a reason to travel together and find a cure.
Swallowing down your general prejudice against nobles, you ignored him and made small talk with the others as you led them back to your cottage. 
***
Your cottage had only one room, enough space for your bed, some storage for herbs and tools, and a work table for your alchemy. Most of your things were packed, but you pulled out enough to take care of your guests. 
The yard to the side of the building was set up as a small campground for travelers to rest. You had figured out a couple years ago that for a small fee, traveling merchants would gladly rest on your land where it was safe, while you made them fresh, nourishing meals and cast spells on their bedrolls to make them feel warm and comfortable. You even managed to get a small tub built in the back to provide a warm bath for an extra fee.
It had been a lucrative idea, one that made you enough money to be quite comfortable out here in the sticks.
You may only know a few cantrips, but you had manipulated them beyond what most people did. Your mending cantrip could fix whole swaths of cloth, your prestidigitation cantrip could keep bedrolls warm all night, or baths hot for hours. It was why you had several repeat customers, traveling merchants who would alter their routes to come to your place to rest. 
You told them of the surrounding area and cooked a meal for them, a simple stew with seasonal vegetables and herbs.
The noble said he wasn’t hungry. You supposed your poor peasant food wasn’t to his taste.
He can suit himself.
While the others were eating, you set up the campground. While you were quietly casting the comfort cantrip on each bedroll, you sensed someone watching you.
“Yes?” you asked, biting the inside of your mouth to keep from being snippy.
Astarion stepped closer to you. He remained standing, looking down on your kneeling form. “What an interesting way to use prestidigitation.”
You shrugged. You had nothing to say to a noble. You finished your spell and started to shuffle over to the next bedroll, but he remained standing in your way.
“Do you mind?”
“Not at all, darling.” He didn’t budge.
You let out a short huff and crawled around him. One bedroll left. Ignoring the man, you began the cantrip.
By the time you finished, you looked up to see all three of them watching you.
“What?” you asked, a little disturbed by the attention.
“I hadn’t thought to use that cantrip like this before,” Gale said as he knelt down to touch the bedroll. “How long does it last?”
“All night,” you responded, feeling a little proud of yourself.
Shadowheart was already crawling into the bedroll. “This feels amazing.” She buried herself into the cloth. “It feels like I’m sleeping on a warm cloud.”
Gale shrugged and followed suit. “Gods, you’re right.” He sat up and looked at you. “I don’t know how you manipulated that spell, but it’s absolutely brilliant.”
You felt a zing of joy. Your little custom cantrip impressed a wizard!
The noble watched you for a few more moments before he too, crawled into a bedroll. His eyes widened slightly. “Oh. My, this is rather comfortable.”
You jutted out your chin, but refrained from being too catty about it. Instead, you switched to being polite. 
“Sweet dreams,” you said to everyone, and went about cleaning up around camp. By the time you were done, the three of them were fast asleep.
***
The motley crew thanked you and took off in the morning to explore the area, seemingly never to return.
You looked around at your unpacked things, and decided that it wouldn’t hurt to start off tomorrow morning instead.
Your plans were sidetracked once more, however, when the group returned that evening with a fourth member, grouchy and prickly as a threatened porcupine. After a couple of bowls of your herbal soup, she became a little bit less prickly. Lae'zel was her name, and she punctuated her Common speech with her Githyanki tongue. You found it a bit endearing, the way one finds a stray animal that always hisses at you endearing. 
You cast a warming spell on their bed rolls once more, burned incense to keep the insects away, and made sure they were all comfortable in your little camp area outside of your cottage before going to bed.
The next morning, you got up early to make breakfast for them before they left to explore the ruins that they had found the day before. As you checked your rabbit traps, you noticed one of them was tripped, but the rabbit within was a mere husk, as if it had been dehydrated. 
Curious. 
You reset your trap and returned to camp.
“What’s that?” Shadowheart asked when she saw the husk of a corpse in your hand.
“A dried up rabbit.”
“That doesn’t sound appetizing,” Lae’zel remarked. 
You shrugged. “I can at least sell the pelt later. Sorry, you’ll have to make do with another vegetable stew tonight.” You furrowed your eyebrows. “That is, if you’re coming back here.”
The four adventurers looked at each other.
“I think we’ve taken advantage of your hospitality long enough,” Gale said. We’ll start heading west from here.”
*** 
The group had finally left, and you had finished packing. You had been delayed by their arrival, but no longer. They truly seemed gone now, with the sun setting and no sign of their return. Tomorrow for sure. Tomorrow, early in the morning, you would set off—
You heard your name being called. Off in the distance, you could see Gale, waving sheepishly at you, followed by the others. 
You sighed. Biting back your annoyance, you smiled and waved back. A customer was a customer. At least this group was entertaining, and quite generous with their gold. And this time, they brought you back some boar meat.
There was one new face, a man with a stone eye. He introduced himself as the Blade of the Frontiers, Wyll. He seemed nice, charismatic even. Someone who had the manners of a noble but the heart of a commoner.
They set up camp once more in your yard, and you unpacked just enough of your supplies to make them a meal. 
"You look like you're ready to go on a journey," Gale commented as you all sat around the campfire, eating a boar roast with herbed potatoes.
"I'm moving. Many people have moved away because of the increase in goblins in the area, and a lot of my business has dried up. And having goblins this close doesn't make me feel all too safe."
“Any plans on where?”
You shrugged. “Not really. I was just going to travel until I found a place to settle.”
"Well, why don't you come with us?" 
Everyone looked at Gale in shock, but then they all looked at you. 
"You do make camp much more comfortable," Shadowheart finally said. 
“And one of us would be standing guard at camp as well, so you would be safe,” Wyll added.
You saw no reason to decline. You liked most of them, save for one snotty noble. A constant flow of income would be nice, for once. You negotiated a decent wage and agreed to head out with them at first light.
That, dear hearth witch, was your second poor decision.
--------
Chapter End Notes:
Yeah, I basically made up a “hearth witch” class as a combo of druid, wizard, and cleric, but hey, welcome to Dungeons & Dragons, where homebrew classes happen all the time. Hope you enjoyed the fic! I'm actively working on the next chapter!
Update 4/4/24: All chapters are here!
Act I - Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
Act II - Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | 
Act III - Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 (18+) | Part 28 (END)
92 notes · View notes
Text
Tumblr media
Master post
John Price x Fem!OC (Rory Sinclair)
Summary: Sgt. Rory Sinclair with the Special Reconnaissance Regiment of the British army has been called on to assist with a joint US/UK operation. Quickly discovering that her Commanding Officer for the mission is a man she's met before...
This series is set in 2017 before the events of the first MW game
Minors DNI 18+ - Slow burn, eventual smut, canon typical violence, suggestive dialogue, swearing, smoking, human trafficking, terrorism, morally grey characters
Chapter 1 - Out of the Frying Pan
Chapter 2 - Stranger in a Strange Land
Chapter 3 - Paint it, Black
Chapter 4 - Witness
Chapter 5 - Hell Broke Loose
Chapter 6 - Wait and Bleed
Chapter 7 - Will and Worry
Chapter 8 - Crave You
Chapter 9 - In For the Kill
Chapter 10 - Even if it Hurts
Chapter 11 - Future Starts Slow
Chapter 12 - Free Animal
Chapter 13 - Rock the Casbah
Chapter 14 - Question of Time
Chapter 15 - Warm Shadow
Chapter 16 - Only Human (smut)
Chapter 17 - Out of the Black
Chapter 18 - Some Unholy War
Tumblr media
Playlist
[AO3]
28 notes · View notes
forestkniight · 4 days
Text
I'll Be Seeing You
Tumblr media
✯ Chapter 1 ✯ Chapter 2 ✯
Thank you guys so much for your patience! With college and rehearsals in the way, I don't have much free time, but I hope you all enjoy it!
Pairing: Fizzarolli x Reader
Warning: Cursing, Violence, Attempted Kidnapping
Word Count: 3.7K
Tumblr media
I’ve heard of affairs
That are strictly platonic
But diamonds are a girl’s best friend
You walk around the stage, entirely in the music, in this character you’re portraying. The audience hangs onto every word you sing, which surprised you when you first started working here. You hadn’t expected so many sinners to want to listen to something that wasn’t about sex or violence. Considering the number of people who often listen to the radio, you should have known. 
And I think affairs
That you must keep liaisonic
Are better bets
If little pets get big baguettes
You look at the audience and notice a few familiar faces and some new ones. You wink at an older regular who only came to hear you sing because it reminds him of when he was alive on Earth. You continue to look out in the audience as you start heading down the stairs towards everyone. Your eyes land on someone who the character you're playing would chase. He looks rich enough. 
You slowly strut over as you continue singing. You see his eyes, all four of them widen when he notices you coming directly towards him—poor thing. You look at his table and notice the empty seat across from him. Strange. 
You finally reach him, slide a finger under his face, and lift it to look at you. You feel him swallow before you quickly drop your hand and spin to your left, moving to stand behind his chair. You grab the chair with your right hand while the left is outstretched. 
I don’t mean rhinestone
But diamonds are a girl’s best
You spin to your left against the chair, so you end up falling in the gentleman’s lap, sitting sideways. 
Best friend
While you sing the last two words, you quickly tap two fingers against your lips before lightly tapping your fingers once on the stranger’s cheeks. You notice a slight blush on his face as you stand and return to the stage. You would typically kiss your target’s cheek, but this man looks red-faced enough with your attention on him. 
“So good to see all of you lovely folks here tonight,” you say breathlessly in the microphone. 
The crowd cheers, and you smirk. Being up on stage was healing. You weren’t that little child stuck in the rafters anymore. You commanded attention now. 
“While I would love to stay out here performing for you all night,” you hear sounds of disapproval before you can even finish. 
“Now, now, you can come down and see me any time, but tonight, we have a set of talented musicians ready to get you out of your seat and onto the dance floor instead. But I can’t leave you all without one more song,” you giggle as your back faces the audience. 
You slowly turn around with your eyes closed. The warmth of the spotlight touches your skin, and you smile brightly as you bring the microphone to your lips. 
Prim and proper, the girl who’s never been kissed
You open your eyes and turn so your side profile faces the audience, putting on a show. You hear a couple of whistles as you sing. 
Well, I’m tired of being pure and not chased
You turn back to face the audience and drag your hand from your thigh to your stomach, between your chest, and up your neck until your hand flourishes. You knew it was slightly suggestive, but you would be lying to yourself if you didn’t accept part of the reason you were hired. Even if you didn’t believe it some days, you were easy on the eyes, making audiences especially susceptible to your performances. 
You continue singing the song, mainly focusing on everyone sitting closest to the stage. By winking at them, you give special attention to those placing money on the stage. Some respond shyly, while others, your least favorite, get this nasty look in their eyes as they smirk at you. A similar feeling to one you’ve felt before. A feeling that makes you feel small. You shake your head as you head down the stairs of the stage once more. 
I wanna sing songs like the guy who cries
I wanna be horrid, I wanna drink booze
As you sing that line, you notice one of the bouncers on break in the audience and smirk. You take a drink from the beer in front of them before giving them a wink, to which they laugh and shake their head. 
You turn away to continue giving everything into your final song for the night. You turn around and notice the stranger from earlier, and you decide he will be the last person you tease for the night. 
And whatever I’ve got, I am eager to lose-
You didn’t even reach his table before you felt your heart drop. Across from him was a face you hadn’t seen in years. Blitzo. Blitz. His confused eyes stare up at you. He doesn’t recognize you. You quickly turn back to the stranger to try to make the sudden stop in singing make sense. 
“Sorry, pretty boy. I didn’t know you were a taken man,” you force a giggle as you quickly make your way back up the stage. 
You turn to the pianist.
“Sorry, sweets. Let’s take it where I left off,” you smile sweetly, and the pianist returns the smile and nods. 
I wanna be evil, little evil me
Just as mean and evil as I can be
The room erupts in a cacophony of cheers as you take your bow. You gesture over at your pianist, who also bows to the room. You turn back, and you smile as you take another bow. You look out to the audience as they beam up at you. You dare another glance at Blitz, except he isn’t looking up at you directly. He’s looking at something lower. You raise your eyebrows before looking down, and you see it. Your locket must have slipped out like it typically did during performances, except you never really had to worry about it…until now. 
He looks back at you with an undistinguishable expression, and you try to look away while keeping a smile on your face. You cannot freak out now. You just have to get off the stage, and then you can go home. 
“Thank you, thank you! Now, please help me welcome our next performer,” you yell out as you take a final bow before calmly walking towards the opening curtains. You smile at the next performer before the curtain closes, leaving you again in darkness. 
There is absolutely no way. You begin walking back towards your dressing room and think about what you saw. He looks different. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, that’s for sure. Neither were you. You noticed that he had burn marks on his face, but it was still his face. It’s hard to forget the face of one of your best friends, even if it does look slightly different. 
You sigh as you change out of your outfit and into comfier clothing as you take off your makeup. If you are lucky, he didn’t even recognize you. The look he gave you was probably because his date told him that you chose him as your target of some very minimal flirting. While looking directly at the locket around your neck. But also, the spotlight is extremely bright, so maybe you imagined it all. Yeah, that was it. There was no need to panic. Everything would be okay. You smile at yourself in the mirror to convince yourself of that. You’re interrupted by a knock on the door. 
“Um, hello,” you call out as you turn to face the door. 
You were never typically bothered after a performance. 
“Are you decent? Can I come in?” 
Stage manager.
“Uhh, are you by yourself,” you ask hesitantly. 
“Yes?” 
You roll your eyes at your behavior. You’re being so paranoid.
“Sure, come in,” you say as you turn back to face your mirror. 
The stage manager walks into your room before closing the door. 
“Good job out there tonight.”
You shoot her a smile through the mirror’s reflection.
“Thanks, kid.”
“So…weird that you asked if I was alone. Were you expecting guests in the audience tonight,” the stage manager asks while looking down at the clipboard in her hands.
You feel your heart drop. You are hoping this conversation wasn’t leading where you thought it was. 
“No.”
The stage manager looks surprised.
“Oh! That guy you sat on was asking to see you. His name is,” the stage manager looks down at her clipboard again. “Stolas.”
You drop your makeup wipe.
“As in the prince?”
What in the hell is Blitz doing with a prince? How could you not recognize him? To be entirely fair to yourself, it could be pretty dark towards the back of the club…is what you’re telling yourself. 
“I guess? He was insistent that he needed to see you,” the stage manager says while leaning towards the door, listening to the music outside.
“Was he with anyone?” 
“No, ma’am,” she shifts as she gets antsy to return to her post, “plus, if he is a prince, as you said, and he’s interested, you’ll get your wish of getting with someone rich.”
You raise your eyebrows.
“You know I just sing ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,’ right? I don’t apply it to my real life. I don’t value wealth over meaningful relationships,” you explain.
You see the stage manager’s cheeks turn red. 
“I’m sorry,” she starts, but you wave her off. 
“Send him in,” you sigh as you work on fixing your appearance again.
So much for being comfy; maybe the finger kiss was too much. You hear the stage manager sigh and make eye contact with her through the mirror, raising your eyebrows. 
“Look, between you and me, there was someone else with him, but he told Stolas to say it was just him because you wouldn’t agree to see them if you knew he was there,” she exclaims. 
You feel like you’re going to be sick. You didn’t think you could do this tonight, especially since today seemed to have more blasts from the past than usual. 
“Oh, fuck,” you mutter.
You become hyper-aware of your breathing and raise your hand to your chest. You can not do this tonight. You quickly turn towards the stage manager, who looks concerned.
“Look, kid, Emmie? That’s your name, right,” you ask as you turn to face her. 
She seems shocked that you know her name, and she nods. 
 “I need your help, Emmie. I need you to cause a distraction and lead them away so I can slip out of the back doors. Please, I just feel a little under the weather, and I don’t feel like I’m in a good place to talk to people tonight,” you beg as you feel tears start to pool. 
You are trying so hard not to cry in front of this poor girl, but you will if it means she feels bad for you. Luckily for you, that wouldn’t be necessary. 
“Of course, ma’am. I have the phone number you gave us for emergencies, and the moment I manage to lead them away, I’ll text you. Do you have any recommendations for getting them out of the backstage area?” she asks.
You think. You must be clever because Blitz has already experienced your disappearing act once. 
“Tell them I typically go out to watch the show by the bar, and they should wait for me there. Tell them that drinks are on me,” you whisper, unsure of yourself. 
She nods, and she smiles sympathetically. 
“Good luck,” she says as she walks out. 
Now, all you had to do was wait. Would they buy it? More importantly, would Blitz buy it? You wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly knocked on your dressing room door. 
What would you even say? Sorry for running? You weren’t. If you would have stayed, you would have been stuck there for the rest of your life. But on the other hand, you would have had your friends. You look down at your locket and open it to look at your young friends before closing it again. You look at yourself in the mirror. No. You wouldn’t have had them. They would have moved on without you. 
You notice that you must have still had some mascara on since there was a barely visible trail going down your cheeks from the few tears that escaped. You go to grab tissues to wipe them off when you get a text from Emmie.
Maybe: Emmie
EMERGENCY! YOU NEED TO LEAVE NOW!
ONLY HAVE MINUTE!
EMMIE BTW!
You stare at your phone in horror, decide not to question her, grab your bag, and immediately take off. You exit your dressing room and beeline to the backdoor exit. You see Emmie standing by, holding the door open. What a saint. You speed walk, and she looks slightly panicked as you reach her.
“No time to explain, just go,” she rushes out.
You didn’t have to be told twice. You nod, and you exit the club. You hear her close the door behind you and take in your surroundings. You are currently in an alleyway, which is slightly terrifying. You turn your head to the right and see one of the bouncers smoking. He watches you, giving you a nod, which you return. You begin walking to your left to get to the front of the building. The line to get in has gone down, but some people are outside. Some of them had too much to drink. 
You begin walking back to your apartment. You should have brought your car tonight. The streets are lit up, but you feel you're being followed. You glance across the street to the reflection in the windows and see someone a couple of feet behind you. Not the prince or Blitz. You feel chills run down your entire body. This couldn’t happen again.
“How did this even happen,” Fizz whispers as he hugs you, trying to calm you down while Blitzo tries his hardest to clean your wounds.
It was late at night, and none of you should have been up. You would get a good yelling at if you were caught being up. 
“I- I- They were following me for a while, and they pushed me when I was in their way,” you cry as you try to stop the body-wracking sobs.  
“Why would you go out by yourself in the first place,” Fizz hugs you tighter as you cringe away from Blitzo’s hands.
“You guys left without me. You said we would go get pizza together after the show.”
You look up at Fizz and Blitzo, who share a look. 
“Papa said you were feeling sick,” Blitzo whispers. 
They both look down at you as you start crying harder—such big emotions for your tiny body. Blitzo moves to put bandages on your cuts. It wasn’t even the fact that you were left behind. It was the day as well. 
“I finally,” you hiccup. “I finally reached ten years like you two, and it’s no fun,” you whisper as you feel yourself calming down again. 
Fizz and Blitzo look at each other again.
“Next time, you won’t be alone, okay,” Blitzo assures you as he takes your hand. 
“We’re sorry,” Fizz says, moving his hands over your eyes. “We still got you something.”
Your hear movement, and your tail moves excitedly, causing Fizz to giggle. You feel someone’s presence before you, and Fizz moves his hands from your eyes. 
“Happy Birthday,” Fizz and Blitzo silently yell. 
In front of you is a pizza in the rough shape of a heart. The pepperonis spell out ‘Happy Brithda.’ You giggle as you notice the misspelling. 
“Blitzo was in charge of the words. I chose the shape,” FIzz explains with a slight blush on his face. 
You take the pizza box from Blitzo before closing it and setting it to the side. Blitzo’s smile drops, and Fizz looks sad. 
“Didn’t you like it,” Blitzo mumbles. 
“Of course, silly. I just needed to put the box down to do this,” you say as you throw yourself at both boys, wrapping your arms around them. You all giggle as you nearly make them fall backward. 
“Alright, alright, what’s your birthday wish,” Blitzo asks excitedly while pushing you back. 
“I can’t say it out loud, or it won’t come true. I heard a sinner say that,” you exclaim as you mime a zipper over your mouth.
“It’s not the same rule for us,” Blitzo argues.  
“How do you know that Blitzo?” Fizz asks.
“Because I know things.”
You and Fizz share a look before looking back at Blitzo, who was waiting expectantly.
“Fine, Blitzo. I wish we’d be friends forever,” you said while pointing your tongue at him. 
“Boring. I would wish for my own tent so I don’t have to share anymore.”
“Blitzo, that’s mean. I think your wish is good,” Fizz beams at you. 
“I think so too,” you whisper as you all continue talking the night away.
Maybe the sinner was right. It was bad luck to say your wishes out loud. You start walking a bit faster when you hear the steps getting closer. You are so close to your apartment, but you know you can’t exactly run towards it for safety reasons. Maybe you are being paranoid, and this stranger is just walking in the same direction that you are. You remember that a coffee shop is open 24/7 across the street from your apartment, and you decide that maybe waiting there would be the wiser option. 
You cross the street since the coffee shop is on the other side and hear the same steps follow. So much for walking in the same direction. You had to guarantee your safety one way or another. You decide to fake a phone call with someone meeting you. 
“Oh,” you exclaim loudly as you continue walking as if you got a call you weren’t expecting. 
“Hey! I’m almost at the coffee shop. Are you there already?” you beam into your phone.
You realize how fucked you would be if you got a real call. 
“Perfect! I’ll be there in a few, love,” you say as you pretend to hang up. 
You strain your ears to hear the footsteps, and you nearly take off in a sprint when you hear them closer than before. Okay, a phone call was a bad idea. You prepare yourself to run when you feel someone roughly grab your hand, jerking you backward into a chest.
“I think you’re going to be late for your little date,” the stranger growls into your ear.
You feel fear creeping up and paralyzing you to the spot. This was definitely a lot worse than getting pushed to the floor by a couple of assholes. 
“Aww, cat got your tongue? It didn’t seem that way back in the club,” he hisses at you.
You raise your eyebrow as you look back at him, and you immediately recognize him as the guy who tipped you and looked at you like a piece of meat when you winked at him. Well, crap. 
“Look, man, I don’t want any trouble,” you plead as he chuckles.
“Oh, that’s perfect.”
You need to find a way to escape. You try to think, but your brain goes empty. This day has been a fucking nightmare. You suddenly feel his filthy hand over your mouth, and he starts dragging you towards a darkened alley. Tears begin to prick your eyes, and you try to yell. 
“Shut the fuck up, you bitch. No one is going to save you,” he growls as he digs his nails into your skin. 
Your muffled sound of pain is not loud enough for anyone to hear. No one is going to save you. You have to save yourself. With all the strength you can muster, you elbow him in the guts, which causes him to loosen his grip on you. You immediately push out of his arms and run across the street. You debate calling out for help, but this is Hell. You are risking putting yourself in more danger if you scream for help. At this point, the club might be the safest place for you. 
You continue running, and you pass your apartment building. You desperately want to run in but know it won’t end well. You are halfway to the club when the stranger tosses himself at you, causing you to fall forward.
“What the fuck,” you yell as you feel your knees scrape roughly on the sidewalk. 
This was familiar. The stranger lands next to you, so you roll away from him before trying to stand. However, he is quick on his feet this time and slams your body into the wall next to you. Your head hits the wall, and your vision blurs. You feel a searing pain in your side as you realize he must have had a knife on him. 
“Mother fucker,” you cry out as you try to stand, but you’re so disoriented. 
You slip down the wall as your tears start falling. You want to run. You want to go home. You feel yourself growing weaker. You almost don’t notice the lack of action coming from your attacker. Maybe he was trying to catch his breath. You should use this moment to run. You try to stand weakly from your spot on the floor when you feel a soft hand on your shoulder. 
“Hold on, darling. You’re badly hurt. It’s okay, you’re safe, but I wouldn’t recommend standing,” you hear from your side. You turn to look at who is beside you, only to be met with Prince Stolas. You watch him look away at something behind you, and his eyes hold anger. You see his mouth moving, but everything is spinning. 
“Prince Stolas,” you weakly beg. “I just want to go home. I’m so tired.”
He looks down at you, and his gaze softens. He brings you closer as he strokes your hair. 
“It’s alright, just stay awake for me,” he whispers. 
“I can’t,” you cry as your eyes get heavier. 
You start seeing black spots in the corner of your eyesight. You’re definitely going to pass out. The last thing you feel before your vision becomes dark is someone grabbing your hand tightly.
Tumblr media
Songs mentioned: Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend, sung by Marilyn Monroe, and I Want To Be Evil, sung by Eartha Kitt.
See you all in the next chapter (which may or may not already be written)!
21 notes · View notes
certifiednatelover · 30 days
Text
CHANGE PT1 M.STRUNIOLO
Tumblr media
Summary: Matt meets Ray Hester, A bitchy, nicotine loving girl on his first day of school. She's the total opposite of him. Matt likes studying, reading and overall being a quiet person, but what happens when he changes JUST for her?
warnings: Drug use, Corruption kink. smut. nerd!matt. virgin!matt bitchy!OC (applys for all parts)
Tumblr media
Chapter 1: The Encounter
Matt Sturniolo adjusted his backpack strap as he approached the entrance of his new school, Ridgeview High. The crisp autumn air carried a sense of anticipation, mingled with a hint of nervousness. Moving to a new town meant leaving behind familiar faces and routines, but Matt was determined to make the best of it.
His first class was English Literature, and as he entered the classroom, he scanned the room for an empty seat. Spotting a desk near the back, he made his way towards it, hoping to blend in unnoticed. But fate had other plans.
"Hey, you!" A voice called out, breaking through the chatter of the room. Matt turned to see a girl with fiery red hair gesturing towards the empty seat beside her. She had a mischievous glint in her eyes that made Matt pause for a moment.
Reluctantly, Matt walked over to the girl, taking in her appearance. She wore a leather jacket adorned with patches, and her dark eyeliner gave her a rebellious edge. As he sat down, he couldn't help but notice the faint smell of cigarette smoke clinging to her.
"I'm Ray," she said, flashing a smirk. "And you must be the new kid."
Matt nodded, offering a shy smile in return. "Yeah, I'm Matt."
"Nice to meet you, Matt." Ray's tone was laced with sarcasm, but there was a hint of curiosity beneath it all. "So, what brings you to our lovely little town?"
Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat, unsure of how much to reveal to this stranger. "My dad got a job transfer, so we had to move."
Ray nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "Well, lucky for you, you've landed in the most exciting place on earth," she quipped, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Despite himself, Matt couldn't help but chuckle. There was something about Ray's brash demeanor that was strangely captivating.
As the class began, Matt found himself drawn into the discussion, his initial nerves fading away as he lost himself in the world of literature. Ray, on the other hand, seemed more interested in doodling on her notebook and sneaking glances at her phone.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the class, Matt gathered his books, preparing to make a quick exit. But before he could leave, Ray grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"Hey, Matt," she said, her voice surprisingly soft. "You seem like a decent guy. Want to hang out after school?"
Matt hesitated, unsure of what to make of this girl who was so unlike anyone he had ever met before. But there was something about her that intrigued him, a spark of rebellion that he couldn't help but be drawn to.
"Sure," he said finally, offering her a tentative smile. "I'd like that."
AN:LEAVING YALL ON A CLIFF HANGER HEHEHEHEHE
Yours truly, R.A.Y.Č.E.K☆🍓𖦹🍒𖦹☆
COMMENT IF U WANNA BE ON THE TAGLIST!!
taglist: @tillies33ssss@christhopersturniolo
24 notes · View notes
melis-writes · 11 months
Text
Blood Money (Tony Montana x Reader Multichapter, 18+ Smut) Chapter 2 – The Strings of Fate.
Chapter 1 / Read on AO3 / Chapter Masterlist.
18+, explicit smut read.
“The American dream, huh? You’ll see. It all goes up from here, man." / "The one who did the killing was Tony, Tony Montana. His friend’s name was Manny Ribera. Do those names ring a bell?"
Your return back home to to Miami is marked with bitter disappointment but an insatiable curiosity about this Tony Montana you met, whose world continuously moves to collide with yours. Migrating to Miami with Manny, Tony has leverage "knowing you" that he intends to take advantage of. Your heart simply aches and remembers too much to let go of the incident back in Havana and you find yourself almost wanting to see Tony again, but the thought of what you'd say and do next to a stranger holds you back. Tony on the other hand is bound to make his fate intertwine with yours no matter what it takes.
[WARNINGS]: Mentions of blood & violence.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE]: Another update/chapter just as promised for the Tony Montana girlies!! 🤗🤩 Long overdue but it's here at last and I couldn't be more happier with it. 🥴 Blood Money is definitely one of those fics I want to take my time with piecing and weaving the story together. It's building up just as the film would, so there's a looooot of excitement coming together and a gradual, authentic feel and touch of intimacy to Tony and Celeste's upcoming relationship! 🤭
Tumblr media
With a taste for success and dollar bills, Tony Montana’s drug empire grew in vast wealth, power and influence by your side as the kingpin’s lover. From sharing an intimate history in Cuba, you and Manny Ribera were the only ones to believe and support Tony from rags to riches. Embroiled in the same lifestyle and sharing enemies, you and Tony come to build your empire and world together with the threat of it collapsing from the inside. As partnership turns to betrayal and thrill to danger, you find yourself in-between ultimatums and sacrifices for the man you love.
[ Havana, Cuba ]
‘Oh my God,’ you blink, almost staggering back into the hotel lobby—unable to stand remaining outside for a moment longer in Havana. 
Taking a deep breath, you place your hand over the small splatter of dried blood that landed over your jeans; a strange relief washing over you to know it’s not your blood, but still a reminder of what your trip to Havana has gotten you into it. 
Keeping your head down to avoid drawing suspicion or attention of any kind to yourself, you move past the front desk and quietly enter the elevator. 
The elevator doors slide open with a ding only a few seconds later as you slip inside, hitting the fourth-floor button. 
You lean your back against the elevator wall, tilting your head up to stare at the lights on the ceiling, taking another deep breath. 
The initial rush of adrenaline and surprise you felt just fifteen minutes ago has worn off but sinks realization back into you. 
The only thing you can focus on is getting back into your hotel room without doing anything else—attempting to process everything that just happened and what it means to you. 
You’re out of the elevator and speed walking to your suite from the moment the elevator doors slide back open, wasting no time. 
Unlocking the door, you step inside and shut it immediately behind you—giving your head a shake. You move your hand off of your jeans, checking your palm to see if any dried blood smeared over it only to see nothing. 
Raising your head, you look around your hotel room before slowly stepping forward; taking everything in bit by bit. 
It’s as if absolutely nothing’s happened; just as calm and normal as you left it this morning but you’ve returned back to your hotel room with someone else’s blood over your clothes and the vision of brains splattering over the ground for your memory. 
The blood of the man on your clothes is the same one who attempted to mug you almost an hour ago, then got shot in front of your face at close range by two men you’ve never seen before—conveniently there at the wrong place but the right time. 
‘It wouldn’t be the first time, would it?’ You frown, moving towards your hotel bed. 
There’s too much to think about; how you ended up in that situation, to begin with, leaving empty-handed, then coming across two men named Tony and Manny when you least expected it. 
‘Still…’ You slip off your shoes and sit over the edge of your bed, clasping your hands together in your lap as you let your mind continue to think. 
At the very least, your business is concluded in Havana. You have nothing else to do or look forward to here, and now without much of a choice you realize the danger you can find yourself in going forward here. 
You don’t know what you expected. You flew down to Havana to find proof of your mother’s claims of a family estate, which was transferred to your name after her divorce with your father was finalized only to find crumbling rubble and a mugging lurking around the corner. 
You’ve come from Miami with something to return with nothing and no reason to call home or your father right now as you’d prefer to let him know in person. 
Not to mention the political tensions rising in Cuba only insists your best options now are to get back to Miami and never look back. 
You move off your bed, approaching your half-opened luggage propped up next to the television, and stuff back the loose pieces of clothing sticking out as your mind continues to wander. 
Truthfully, you’re not shaken by the mugging since it isn’t the first time you’ve been followed or provoked, but you’re not desensitized to crude, spontaneous violence either. 
Had nobody else been around, you still could have dealt with the situation yourself and defended yourself just fine; you can handle a knife swiftly and well and you know how to use a gun. 
Almost everything you’ve come to learn in terms of defending yourself one way or another has been because of the nature of your father’s business. 
Even with bodyguards, you refuse to have someone else fight your battles, especially if it means business rivals gone rogue or inconspicuous assassins sent your father’s way. 
Where Manny didn’t notice your relaxed state and lack of hesitation in your defensive prowess, Tony did. In just the sight of seeing you quickly calculate your moves with your flight or fight instinct, Tony easily discerned you from any other woman he’s met before in Cuba. 
In fact, Tony liked nothing more than seeing how you held your ground before he made his presence clear, but your first impression of Tony is far from anything similar to what he thought of you. 
It’s not that you think this Tony figure is some sort of show off whose trigger happy or a slum lord, but much closer to a truly born killer whose made peace with his own violence. Tony did what he did back there for you, after all. 
You’d rather just forget the whole thing and move on, but your mind continues to linger on Tony with unease. 
‘Those two…’ You stare down at your suitcase. ‘If all of that wasn’t bullshit, they’ll be on their way to Miami too.’ 
At the very least, your father will want to know everything that’s happened and hasn’t happened since you landed in Havana and you don’t plan on holding back any details either. Maybe the names ‘Tony Montana’ and ‘Manny Ribera’ will mean something to him. 
When your eyes land back on the little splatters of dried blood upon your jeans it only reminds you that you’ll be telling your father everything. 
You’ve come to remember Tony’s comment about him not being a name or face to forget, but you know you can’t say more or think more on the matter until you return back home at least. 
Still, Tony’s come off as bold, confident—cocky even to you and you barely know who he is. You’re completely unaware that if you don’t see or find him in Miami, he’ll certainly come to find you again. 
You almost find yourself blushing a little remembering the sight of him; although both men before you are very attractive in their own ways, there’s just something else about Tony that’s rubbed off on you differently. 
Putting your hair up in a loose bun, you check the time on the alarm clock by your bed before leaning down and beginning to zip up your suitcase. 
Regardless of finding anything for your family heritage or not, you’re finally ready to go home. 
If you’re meant to see Tony again after all of this, you will. Either way, it’ll give you something to think about for the rest of your life. 
~
[ Next Day, 5:02 AM]
Up at the “ass crack of dawn” or as Tony puts it, Tony and Manny are but two in a crowd of hundreds of Cubans preparing to board on boat to finally immigrate to the United States first thing in the morning.
Having barely slept the night before due to excitement, Manny can hardly keep his eyes open and finds himself consistently rubbing over his eyelids or scratching at his arm just to stay focused and awake.
Tony on the other hand slept like a baby, snored throughout the night, and knew what he’d come to expect at the “ass crack of dawn”; lineups, paperwork, and being kept under a watchful eye by guards for order.
“Think they want us gone more than we want to be gone,” Manny grumbles, rubbing his eyes again.
Just across from Tony and Manny are dozens of boats designed to carry hundreds of passengers, already beginning to pack on crowds of sweaty men bumping into each other—hollering to get a decent place to sit.
Regardless of the chatter and noise, the guards patrolling and policing the nearby area and the docks maintain order and peace well; shoving those around who lash out or are deemed disobedient to ensure security is kept in line this morning.
“We all going to one place this early in the morning,” Tony looks around his environment, appearing annoyed by Manny’s sleepy state. “That’s why I told your ass to sleep early last night, but no—you didn’t listen to me.”
“I tried man, I tried,” Manny whines back, slowly moving up in line with Tonny. “But I got too excited. Look, we’re finally leaving this place, man. Don’t blame me.”
“Yeah, finally,” Tony mutters to himself as he looks up at the boat closest to his and Manny’s lineup. “That could be the one.”
“Maybe,” Manny’s eyes light up.
“Your ass gonna be packed on there with me like a sardine anyway. Then you can sleep,” Tony comments.
“Shut up, man,” Manny chuckles, playfully smacking Tony’s arm.
“NEXT!” The officer sitting at the makeshift desk at the very front of the lineup calls, leaving Tony and Manny next in line.
Tony steps up first, staring back at the officer as he hands over his passport and crumped up documents upon the table.
“State your name,” the officer takes Tony’s passport without breaking his cautious gaze over Tony’s face.
“Antonio Montana,” Tony replies.
“You go by ‘Tony’?” The officer asks, staring at Tony’s passport pic and squinting his eyes.
“Yeah, sometimes,” Tony shrugs his shoulders.
Tony appears nonchalant in his passport photo, but the officer’s trained eye knows it’s no fake or forgery; this is the very man in front of him now only appearing handsomely crude.
The officer stamps Tony’s passport and hands it back to him only a moment later, gesturing to the very boat behind him. “That one will take you to go. Go to the next line ahead.”
Tony glances over his shoulder to give Manny a smug smirk before taking back his passport and papers and being nudged toward the next line by another officer.
Manny’s passport check is no longer than Tony’s and bound for the same boat, now standing in the same and last line to sail off from Havana.
“This is what I need, man,” Manny grins as the two walks aboard the boat at last, squeezing through a small crowd. “We gonna be in Miami before you know it, man. America! Sweet Miami!”
“The American dream, huh?” Tony crosses his arms, looking out towards the docks with an amused expression on his face. “You’ll see. It all goes up from here, man. That’s what I’m talking about, now—” Tony taps Manny’s arm, pulling him back from near the edge of the boat. “Stay close, man. You gonna barely have room to breathe in here and I’m not looking for your excited ass if you fall into the water.”
“Okay, man, okay,” Manny bursts out into laughter, moving aside. “Let’s go, let’s go. I wanna get out of here already. Miami, here we come, man!”
Unlike Manny, Tony doesn’t even bother to look back once at the life he was leaving behind, whether it was to say goodbye to Cuba one last time, reminisce about his childhood or think about where he came from.
Tony’s mentality and future are already settled in America; embroiled in the American dream without even being entirely aware of it. Tony can’t see anything else or past it.
All Tony knows now is he’ll no longer have to toil under a regime while being under a watchful eye in case any of his words or actions are warranted as “counter-revolutionary”.
Tony will no longer have to think his life has no meaning in Cuba but build his future elsewhere; one that doesn’t involve slaving away working at the docks and catching octopus ten hours a day only to be fucked by the government on the daily.
Tony always knew that if he couldn’t feel like he’s come to accomplish anything in Havana, he wouldn’t give up and decide this is how he has to live.
Even now, Tony keeps his eyes affixed on the waters ahead of the boat as security on the docks gives the all-clear to keep sailing onward while Manny watches the distance growing between him and Havana.
What Manny sees in Havana and what he’ll always remember is his home; the city he grew up in and had no intention of leaving until the Castro regime.
Manny grew up with Tony on the streets of Havana; it’s where he attended education all the way through high school, got his first job, had his first kiss, learned how to drive—just about everything.
Nothing else happened in Tony or Manny’s life outside of Cuba before it all went to shit; neither Tony nor Manny felt welcome in their own home anymore.
Still, optimistic and excited enough for the future, Manny welcomes the new chapter in his life. It’s just like the way it’s always been, of course, still side by side with Tony doing anything and everything they can just to make a living.
Before Manny can turn to tell Tony, “we’re really going, man”, he sees Tony already moving in line to get into the living quarters without a care for anything he’s leaving behind.
Tony’s already had one too many times to gaze out towards the sea and wonder how he’d get away from Havana and actually start living his life; he has no reason to do it to himself again.
~
“Aww, man,” Manny mumbles under his breath, cringing as he tenses his muscles and squirms through the packed crowd with Manny just to get inside the living quarters of the boat.
“What I say?” Tony pipes up, having reminded Manny well one too many times over as to just how crowded the trip to Miami will truly be.
“Yeah, yeah,” Manny and Tony get ushered towards one room by a guard, noticing six more men inside the crammed living space before the doors shut behind them.
Four of the sweaty men are already on their bunkbeds, reading newspapers and making quiet conversation with one another while the other two sit at a small, worn-out end table with flimsy, plastic chairs playing a game of cards.
With nothing but a rag as a makeshift rug in the middle of the room separating the bunkbeds from one another, Tony and Manny notice the bunk beds themselves are made of cheap stiff metal consisting of thin, very worn, old, and yellow-stained mattresses.
The crushed-looking pillow on each bed is in the same stained and sorry state as the mattress with a pilled-up, wrinkled wool blanket in the middle of the bed.
Manny cringes at the filthy sight of discomfort before him he has no choice but to spend hours with whereas Tony raises his brows for a moment, but accepts it.
“You go up,” Tony points up at the bunk bed before moving towards the lower bed. “I’m staying down here.”
Nodding, Manny begins to carefully climb up to the top bunk; wary of every step he takes up the shaky metal ladder with complete distrust and caution.
“Jesus,” Tony mutters under his breath, picking up the scent of body odor reeking from the other men in the room mixing in with the humidity and clear lack of proper ventilation.
Grunting quietly, Tony lays flat on his back—feeling no different from laying down over concrete or anything else stiff and guaranteed to cause back pain only to see a few of the men in the living quarters beginning to peek over at Tony and Manny, even letting their conversations fade out to do so.
“What?” Tony furrows his brows, immediately agitated by the staring as he smacks his pillow—attempting to fluff it.
The men immediately look back away to mind their own business from Tony’s gruff response.
“Tsk, tsk,” Tony shakes his head, resting his head back down on the reeking pillow.
“Hey, man,” Manny’s eyes peer down on Tony, catching his eye.
“Enjoying the kingdom up there?” Tony asks sarcastically.
“Please,” Manny whines quietly, “my ass hurts, man. This feels like a brick.”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” Tony rolls his eyes, looking up at Manny. “But it gonna be over before we know it.”
“Right,” Manny rakes a hand through his hair with a strained sigh, “like a whole day of travel.”
“Nobody else complainin’ here but you, man,” Tony points out. “What did you expect?”
“I dunno, man,” Manny plops back down on his bed. “Just thought your new friend would help.”
“What are you talking about, man?” Tony yawns, closing his eyes. “What friend?”
“Oh, sorry,” Manny lets out a soft laugh, “I mean your new girlfriend.”
The other men in the room begin to curiously look back over at Manny and Tony again, listening to their conversation.
“Or did you realize you can’t talk to a woman like that?” A playful grin crosses over Manny’s lips.
“Like what?” Tony’s eyes snap open as agitation begins to grow in his tone of voice. “Because I was good. I always am.”
“Yeah, you a real ladies' man, alright,” Manny scoffs, “if I didn’t know better man, I think you knew that American girl for a thousand years.”
Tony almost feels immediately possessive at the very mention of you; his muscles tensing up in response.
“Got tired of digging through old rocks, now you chasing women, huh? What I tell you, huh?! This is 
my neighborhood, so if you fuck with it, you fuck with me!”
There isn’t a single detail of how Tony encountered you with Manny that Tony can’t remember; your face and voice are still etched in his mind with no intention of Tony wanting to forget just how he met you in the first place.
From how quickly everything happened and how Tony took the heat knowing your life was very much at risk right then and there out on the street, Tony can’t let go of meeting you. It’s like in a way, you were already his. What kind of coincidence could that be?
“I bet your girlfriend on a nice, fancy plane right now flying to Miami,” Manny continues, chuckling to himself. “She waiting for us or something, man? ‘Cause you said she gonna remember your face and all that shit for some reason.”
“Hey, shut up, man!” Tony snaps, leaning up on his elbows. “Shut up!”
Manny holds back his laughter by clasping a hand over his mouth as the other men in the room once again begin to stare at the two from the sudden yelling.
“What?!” Tony scowls towards the other men in the room; his voice sharpening. “What you all looking at, huh?! Nobody minds their own business in here, huh? Stop fuckin’ staring at me!”
This time, all heads are turned away sharply, pretending as if nothing ever happened.
“God,” Tony grits his teeth, rubbing his temples gingerly. “I’m in a goddamn mental asylum here…”
“I just asked a question, man,” Manny’s voice pipes up again.
“Yeah, I answer,” Tony snaps back, “we gonna see her again. I got a name, you forgot? What you think? I’m gonna mention her name when we get to Miami; when we talk to customs.”
“Wait, seriously?” Manny’s eyes begin to widen.
“Yeah,” Tony nods, “I do her a favor, she do one for me. Maybe she don’t know it’s coming but I know she not like that. If she really the big shot in Mami and not lying, then we see her again. She owes me.”
“She don’t have to help us, man,” Manny points out, “what if she don’t want to do nothing for us?”
“Then she gonna have to explain to the customs why she know our name,” Tony mentions with complete confidence in himself. “I told you, easy way out. I gonna thank Celeste for all she done, don’t worry, man. She need me, I need her. She’ll see.”
~
On your return flight back to Miami two hours later in first class, you remain indifferent and rather nonchalant about the trip home; doing well in getting your mind off of it.
Enjoying the comforts of first class and having a much-needed drink, you’re easily able to distract yourself and indulge in a book—curled up on your seat with a faux fur throw over you.
When you land back in the United States, your father’s private chauffeur as expected and scheduled picks you up to drive you back to his estate.
You’re grateful for the rest and relaxation you were able to get on your trip back, feeling the lasting effects of travel exhaustion only minorly over you.
In any case, the news of your trip to Havana and just what happened may surprise your father a bit, but it won’t cause him to become upset to any degree.
Only when your step outside of your chauffeur’s vehicle and make your way towards the guarded, front gates of your father’s estate do you feel a numbing ache inside of you desperate to be back at home.
You don’t plan on delaying the news of everything to your father a moment longer.
“Celeste!” Your father’s eyes light up at the sight of you entering the grandiose living room from the foyer. “Welcome back, sweetheart,” your father rises to his feet with a smile.
Standing in the first of many living spaces in your father’s estate with the floors polished in marble, a flair of Roman and Spanish architecture decorated with silver and gold finishings but also inspired by modern American interior design greets you once again.
“Father,” you can’t help but find yourself smiling back at him.
Your father extends out his arms, holding a glass of bourbon in one hand as he begins to approach you. “How was your flight, honey? You’re back almost just as scheduled—impressive.”
“As well as it could be,” you hug your father as he sets down his drink, embracing you back. “I’m just so tired,” you groan out over his shoulder, “every single time, and it always hits me at home.”
“It’s only ever so comfortable,” your father chuckles, patting your shoulders before pulling away. “Well?” His eyes fill with amusement, “I won’t have to guess too much as to how it went. I can see the disappointment in your eyes.”
“That obvious, huh?” You sigh softly.
“Mhmm,” your father nods, “it makes me even more curious. Let me just assume that…” Your father purses his lips, leading you towards the velvet couches to sit down together. “There was just nothing there?”
“Yeah,” you answer back.
“Figures,” your father moves towards the bar table across the room as you take a seat first. “But it’s also no surprise. Here…” Your father pops open a cask of whiskey, pouring some over ice in a glass and mixing half of it with a bottle of coke. “You could use the relaxation. I’m sure you’ve got more than enough to explain.”
“Thanks, Dad,” you lean up to take the drink from him before both of you sit side by side. “But you know I didn’t expect to come back empty-handed myself.”
“Sure, I know what you mean,” your father shrugs. “We can’t say it was entirely for nothing but it was no vacation either, huh?”
“Please,” you shake your head. “Havana is beautiful and lively but some parts... Well—that can be said for just about anywhere, including Miami.”
“Absolutely,” your father reaches for the drink he set aside.
“There was something, though,” you mumble, staring down at your drink. “Mom didn’t entirely lie to us.” You slouch down on the couch, taking a glum sip of your drink. “I don’t know how long it’s been or what happened to it, but there was something.”
“Your mother’s estate was there as she said?” Your father raises his brows. “It actually exists?”
“It did at some point,” you nod, “it’s demolished now, along with every other decent-looking villa I could have found there. Gone. It’s destroyed, just rubble.”
“I see,” your father frowns. “Grim news then.”
“I don’t know what happened to it, and it’s not like I could ask anyone,” you swallow down another sip of your drink. “The villa was right around the outskirts of something like a ghost town.”
“The rebels must have done some work to it,” your father rolls his eyes. “I’m not surprised. The villa must have been standing there for many years prior.”
“If Mom never told you about it, maybe it was only up and around when you two first married,” you suggest.
“A lie is a lie, isn’t it?” Your father raises his drink to his lips. “Your mother kept many things from me since we began dating; her family estates being one,” your father emphasizes the plural of an estate. “Although, I suppose it would be hard to legally prove it was destroyed when and how she owed us this much from the divorce.”
“I don’t know why she did this to us,” you swallow hard, continuing to drink. “First the lies, then the divorce—all of this. She just… She tore our family apart.”
“Yes,” your father agrees, “but it’s her fault and hers alone. She chose to do that to us, so we have no choice but to let it be. The same goes for her so-called villa—estate, whatever you wanna call it. I never wanted any of it for myself, but she owed you.”
“If it’s just a piece of history rotting there now, so be it,” you point out, “I don’t care, Dad. It’s not important to me. I just don’t want you to be upset by it because it’s…” You bite your lip, sighing again. “It was just another lie. Ugh, I can’t take this anymore.”
“And you don’t have to,” your father finishes his drink, exhaling quietly. “Neither of us do. We can leave it at that.”
“Only we can’t,” you lower your glass down to your lap—remembering just how you came across Tony and Manny back in Havana.
“My first American friend and she wanna help me. All Americans like you must be so nice.”
“I met someone,” you say, “two people, actually…”
“You think they may have known something about your mother’s estate?” Your father raises a curious brow.
“Well, they definitely knew more about where I was than me,” you shrug your shoulders. “They were two Cuban men. I assume they probably grew up around or in that same neighborhood from how they spoke of the street and knew it so well. “
“Hmm, interesting,” your father muses, listening to you explain. “And they helped you find the estate or at least what was left of it?”
“More like they saved my life,” you shake your head. “There was some other street rat lurking around, preying on me. I don’t know how long he was stalking me when I was there, but he snuck up on me good.”
“Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?” Your father’s eyes begin to grow with worry. “That man didn’t hurt you or anything?”
“Honestly, Dad, no. I’m fine, really. It was more of a question of what I was going to do to defend myself.”
“I know that sweetheart,” your father chuckles to himself. “No doubt you could, but it doesn’t make you any less concerned.”
“I know,” you purse your lips, “then those two men showed up like nothing. They must have been around. One of them… He…”
“The least you two could tell me are your names.”
“Tony. Antonio Montana.”
“He shows up, then he shoots my stalker right in front of me. Killed that guy like nothing; mocked him first and got him fearing for his life first. It was…something. His friend next to him just stood there like he’s seen this sort of thing every day.”
“He may have,” your father suggests. “What were their names?”
“The one who did the killing was Tony, Tony Montana. His friend’s name was Manny Ribera. Do those names ring a bell?”
“Hmm, no,” your father smoothens out his dress shirt, “I can’t say that they do. Should I?”
“I honestly don’t know,” you laugh a little to yourself, “they just seemed awfully convinced they’d see me again as if they already knew me.”
“And you’ve never seen or met these men at all before?”
“Never,” you reply.
“I’d just assume these men may be well known in Cuba,” your father rests his back against the couch.
“Or they could just be two guys in the right place at the right time,” you sip your drink again. “Either way, I do owe them. They didn’t have to do anything for me back there.”
“No shame or harm in that. I’ll keep their names in mind,” your father rakes a hand through his hair, “but how can they be so convinced that they’ll be seeing you again? You’re back in Miami now.”
“They’re migrants,” you point out, “and from everything going on in Cuba, I’m not surprised that they’re leaving like everyone else.”
“Now there’s something,” your father’s eyes light with curiosity. “So they’re coming to Miami.”
“Mhmm,” you swirl around the ice at the bottom of your drink. “They’ll be here eventually. Whatever part I seem to play in that doesn’t make sense to me.”
“You know you don’t owe either of these men anything, Celeste,” your father tells you. “You’re not obligated to do anything, although I can understand your appreciation towards them for what they’ve done for you.”
“I know,” you shrug, setting your drink down, “I’m just as much of a stranger to them as they are to me. Their words mean nothing to me anymore. We’ve forgotten each other already, it’s just… When I think of Havana, I’ll remember them again. I can’t forget that. It’s like I have to remember.”
“Celeste, honey…” Your father frowns, looking down at his hands for a moment as he ponders how to phrase his next words. “I do believe you’re getting a little too desensitized to all of this, sweetheart. All of the blood and carnage… This isn’t good for you whatsoever.”
“It’s not like that, Dad,” you murmur, denying it. “I was still shaken too and it’s not new, is it?” Your eyes meet with his. “We see it all too often ourselves.”
“Mm, that much is true,” your father notes. “I’m intrigued about these men because of what they did for you so I’ll keep their names in mind, but that is as much as I’ll do. Like you said,” your father begins to rise up from his seat, “you’re as much of a stranger to them as they are to you.”
“It’s all over now, Dad,” you scoff, slouching on the couch. “I’m never going back to Havana again. There’s nothing now.”
“I’m sure they’ve come to understand that too.”
~
[ Miami, Florida: Cuban Migrant Camp ]
“Okay, Tony,” The immigration officer sighs in annoyance, wishing to get done and over with this mandatory questioning held with high suspicion and an even higher rate of being refused a green card and full entry into Miami.
“So,” The immigration officer lets the file folder holding Tony’s documents plop down onto his desk with a smack, eyeing Tony carefully. “What’s your full name? What do you go by?”
“Antonio Montana,” Tony’s reply is as smug and confident as always; more like he’s at a job interview he knows he’ll get through anyway instead of being questioned about every aspect of his life in Cuba by US officials. “But everybody call me Tony.”
Tumblr media
“Tony,” the other cop repeats, “and whose ‘everybody’?”
“Everyone,” Tony shrugs his shoulders. “Everyone who know me; my friends, you know. And you? What you call yourself?” The playful grin on Tony’s lips begins to grow.
The immigration officer rolls his eyes, avoiding the small talk invitation. “Okay Tony, where’d you learn to speak English like that?”
“In school,” Tony’s tone of voice begins to grow more serious. “Then my father taught me. He was from The United States. Just like you guys, you know, but he was a Yankee. He used to take me a lot to the movies, so you know, I learn a lot of English from there. I always knew one thing,” Tony points back at his chest, “coming to the United States. That’s what I wanted to do.”
“And where’s your old man now?” The police officer asks, picking up his clipboard.
“He dead,” Tony replies plainly. “He died somewhere, sometime. We not close after I began growing up. He left the family.”
“And your mother?” The immigration officer raises a curious brow.
“She dead too,” Tony answers, convincing enough.
“Tell us what kind of work you did back in Cuba, Tony,” the cop moves on to his next question.
“I worked in construction business,” Tony begins, “trades stuff. I work a lot with my hands. I build things. I was in the army too.”
“Hmm…” The immigration officer muses, opening up Tony’s file before exchanging an unamused glance with the police officer. “Interesting enough but far too convenient. What do you think?”
“I think he’s full of shit,” the cop answers, looking Tony dead in the eye. “You really don’t have any family in the United States at all? No cousins? Not even a brother-in-law or something?”
“No,” Tony remains unphased by their comments. “Nobody. Like I said, man, they all dead.”
“You ever been to jail, Tony?” The immigration officer sits on the edge of the desk directly in front of Tony.
“Me?” Tony blinks, almost appearing offended by the very question. “Jail? No. No way, no.”
“Been in a mental hospital?”
“Oh yeah,” Tony lies jokingly, “on the way coming here.”
Holding back his own laughter, neither the immigration officer, the cop or the guards in the corner of the room seem the slightest bit amused or entertains Tony’s jokes.
“What about homosexuality, Tony?” The immigration officer begins to slowly pace around Tony’s seat. “You like men, huh? You like to dress up like a woman?”
‘The fuck?’ Tony thinks to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. “The fuck is wrong with this guy, man? Are you kidding me or what?”
“Just answer the question, Tony,” The cop sighs out of impatience, shifting in his seat.
“Okay, no. Fuck no.” Tony answers. “No, okay?”
“Have you ever been arrested for anything? Marijuana? Heroin? Drugs of any kind?”
“No, no. No way, no,” Tony denies.
“Cocaine?” The cop narrows his eyes, growing increasingly suspicious.
“No, man.”
“Uh huh,” unconvinced, the immigration officer suddenly grabs Tony’s face, pointing at the glaringly obvious scar over Tony’s left eye. “Where’d you get that beauty scar, tough guy? Eating pussy?”
Tumblr media
Tony is all the more wildly entertained by all of this. “Eating pussy?” Tony points up at his scar, “how am I gonna get a scar like that eating pussy, man? It happened to me when I was a kid. Mhmm, yeah, you should see the other kid, you know.”
“Then explain this,” the immigration officer lets go of Tony’s face, snatching up his hand again to show a small poorly tattooed, stick and poke heart pierced by an arrow. “The hell is this?”
“Ah, that’s for my sweetheart—” Tony begins, but neither of the officials are buying it.
“Sweetheart, my ass,” the immigration officer rolls his eyes, “we’ve been seeing a whole lot more of these lately. It’s some kind of code you and your friends used back in the can, huh? This is what? A pitchfork of some kind? Means an assassination happened, huh?”
“You wanna tell us about it Montana or should we take you on a little trip to the detention center?” The cop crosses his arms.
Tony pauses for a moment, remaining calm. “Okay, okay. You got me. I was in the can one time. One time, okay?” He holds his free hand up in surrender. “Nothing crazy though. I was buying dollars. Fake dollars.”
“Funny,” the cop begins to rise to his feet, alerting the attention of the guards in the corner of the room.
“No, it’s true,” Tony continues his story, “I got it from a Canadian tourist. Didn’t know it was fake.”
“Let me guess, you mugged him first?” The immigration officer appears all the more frustrated, thinking now’s his chance to brush Tony aside with the dozen others he’s interrogated already today. “Get him out of here!”
“So I fucked up, what’s to it?!” Tony protests, nudging back the immigration officers that begin to attempt to restrain him. “Wait—wait! Wait, man, hold on. Just hold on. Let me talk to this guy, okay!” Tony holds both of his hands up in surrender once the officers pull away. “Let me ask you something, man,” Tony points at the immigration officer, wetting his lips. “Are you a communist? Huh?” He asks completely calmly.
The immigration officer crosses his arms, staring back at Tony with a mix of disgust and disappointment in his expression.
“How’d you like it?” Tony scowls. “They tell you all the time what to do, what to think, what to feel. Do you wanna be a sheep like all those other people, huh? BAAA, BAA!” Tony bleats, beginning to loudly imitate a sheep.
“I don’t have to listen to this bullshit!” The cop fumes, rising up from his seat abruptly.
“You wanna work eight hours a day; you owe everything, you got nothing?” Tony redirects his attention to the cop, pointing at him as he speaks. “You want someone standing on the corner of every street watching everything you do and say, man? You wanna live and work like that? That’s what I did, okay? That’s what I did,” Tony gestures to his chest, “I made nothing. They make me clean octopus eight hours a day, every day! I got fucking octopus coming out of my ears, man!” Tony gestures to his ear. “I got holes in my shoes and they work me like that every fucking day. How’d you like that? What did you want me to do, stay there and do nothing? Huh?” Tony’s voice sharpens as he continues, “What could I do, man? What would you do?”
Nobody answers, but Tony’s words are well-heard and understood. As petty and difficult as the immigration officers and officials are, let alone completely unsympathetic to the sob story of any Cuban migrant, Tony’s explanation can’t be argued against.
“It make anyone go fucking crazy,” Tony’s voice begins to calm, growing serious. “I’m no thief, no criminal, okay? I’m Tony Montana, a political prisoner from Cuba, and I want my fucking human rights!” Tony slams the palm of his hand down on the table. “Right now!”
“I don’t believe a word of this shit,” the cop speaks up, surprising the others. “All of you sound the same. You know that son of a bitch Castro is shitting all over us. Send this bastard to Freedom Town where they’ll take good care of him.”
Tony scoffs, bursting out laughing as he doesn’t resist being restrained. “You know something? You can send me anywhere. This, there, here—it don’t matter.”
The officers begin to haul Tony towards the door of the interrogation room by force.
“There is nothing you can do to me that Castro has not already done,” Tony attempts to halt in his tracks, pushing his back against the cops. “I have someone who can vouch for me, you know that?”
Immediately, the cops trying to restrain and shove Tony out let go and take a step back, staring at the immigration officer in shock as if Tony’s words have rendered them completely helpless.
“What?” The cop furrows his brows. “What the hell did you just say?”
“That’s right,” a wry smirk returns over Tony’s lips. “I know somebody. She’s an American, and she live here in Miami. She know me, I know her. You don’t believe me? Fine, but you gonna believe her.”
“You said you had no family here, Tony,” the immigration officer presses.
“It’s true,” Tony confirms, shrugging his shoulders. “That no lie. She not my family, but she know me. I can prove that to you.”
“Who is she?” The immigration officer rolls his eyes, taking a seat back down at his desk. “Go on, tell us about this supposed woman you know. I call bullshit. You’ll say anything to save your own ass now. Just so you know I’m fucking serious, I’ll call her over here to see if you’re telling the truth.” He leans over the desk, lowering his voice. “And she better look me dead in the eye and say you’re her fucking best friend.”
Tony leans back in, resting his palms over the immigration officer's desk with a mocking, sweet smile on his lips. “Trust me, she will. Go ahead. She know my friend Manny too, so what are you doing? Call her already. Go on, ask her. Ask.”
“Ask who?” The cop interrupts. “Give us your American girlfriend’s name.”
“Celeste Navarro,” Tony answers. “That her name.”
The room immediately falls with silence and expressions grow extremely concerned.
One police officer standing by the door chuckles to himself, but with one death glare from the cop, he too falls quiet.
The immigration officer clears his throat, “Celeste Navarro?”
“Yeah, I bet you know her, don’t you?” Tony crosses his arms, cockiness growing in his demeanor.
“And I bet you don’t,” the cop spits back. “Do you have any idea what you’re fucking saying? How much weight the Navarro family name carries?”
“Sure,” Tony grins devilishly, “that’s why I just said it.”
“You better not be fucking with me, Montana,” the immigration officer slams his documents down on the table. “I’ll look into it—”
“You have to,” Tony pressures. “So just do it now, man. Quit wasting time. I miss her and I wanna see her again.”
Tumblr media
“If you’re lying, Montana, you’ll be in a whole separate pile of deep shit from that alone,” the cop threatens.
“Then I’m in no shit at all,” Tony brushes them off, sitting back down comfortably in his seat and slouching before gesturing to the telephone upon the center of the cop’s desk. “Go ahead, call Celeste, man. Tell her Tony’s here and he misses her.”
105 notes · View notes