#did you know if you listen to a book about humanity's need to establish a myriad of myths in order to cooperate and proliferate together

[louisdelac]

what you all need to understand is that abo is interesting as a thought exercise because trying to figure out how different human-esque species would sanctify/demonize (which in both cases elevates) a natural and yet overpowering biological drive in order to subscribe greater meaning to animalistic impulse is the most fun a man can possibly have with his clothes on. and then when aforementioned man takes his clothes off he's having wild self-lubricating sex with gallons of cum. it's literally win-win.

#did you know if you listen to a book about humanity's need to establish a myriad of myths in order to cooperate and proliferate together #and then take that deconstruction of foundational human principles and project it onto funky fanfiction tropes #you can truly have a lot of fun

[starrgaziinggg]

all I need is you

Hyunjin x reader, established relationship, fluff

-> 1.4k words

You almost don't notice the space beside you being filled. It had been hours, just staring at the city below you as the wind forced goosebumps to rise on your arms. Being alone had never bothered you much until today. Watching groups of friends gossiping around campus on your first day back only fuelled your desire to have a friend group of your own.

Girls you could talk about anything with. Guys that teased you lovingly. A firm body of people around you. It wasn't as though you'd never had friends, it was more so you couldn't find the place you naturally fit in. You were never any good at long term friendships, finding the forced nature of them disconcerting.

Hyunjin drops a hoodie on your lap before nestling in beside you, the make shift outdoor sofa you'd created one bored night being the only source of comfort on your rooftop. Until Hyunjin, of course. His warm aura brings you comfort even on your darkest days.

"Figured you'd be freezing to death up here," he chuckles, grabbing both of your hands in his to warm them. His freshly dyed black hair (a shame to you, since you'd loved the red, but his boss did not) blows into his face as he turns to give you a lopsided grin.

It's almost comical how at ease you feel now he's by your side, your feelings of loneliness evaporating almost instantly. He was a stroke of luck, Hyunjin, seemingly finding you when you needed him most. An art student, working long shifts in a local cafe to get by, who'd become a recluse voluntarily.

The bookstore you'd first met in was always desolate. You'd no idea how the small gem managed to stay afloat, since you were almost always the only person that bothered to give it time. It was one of your favourite places, the sole owner knowing you by name.

Six chapters into rereading your favourite book and there he was, nudging your foot with his as he flopped onto the beanbag beside you.

"Heaven, by Mieko Kawakami," he read aloud, tilting his head at you inquisitively. "Any good?"

A couple seconds after the shock of a gorgeous man interrupting your evening routine, you nod slowly.

"It's my favourite," you had replied in a small voice, confused as to why this god crafted human being was in a run down bookshop behind your apartment block, and why he was giving you the time of day.

"Tell me about it," he's said, shrugging his shoulders and leaning back, patiently waiting.

So you delved into a ramble about the basis of the book and why it meant so much to you, the premise of morality and why people do the things they do. And the whole time Hyunjin, as you'd come to discover his name, sat listening intently, nodding along without interrupting once.

When you'd concluded, realising you had been speaking much longer than you probably should have been, he raised his eyebrows.

"You know, I was never any good at English in school. I slept through every book analysis my dull ass English teacher ever attempted. And, I actually only came in here because it's one of the only stores in the area that has this art book I need, but I could probably listen to you talk about how to tie my own shoelaces and still be entranced."

The shellshock of Hyunjin's immediate interest in you took weeks to dissipate. You'd talked until the owner of the bookstore told you (lovingly) to beat it, and then some. The next day, you'd completed your summer university coursework in the cafe he worked at until his shift finished and then walked aimlessly around the area, never running out of topics to discuss.

And that was that. Within months you knew everything about each other. He took you to his favourite museum one day, explaining the intricacies behind every painting, and all you could do was watch him in awe. He walked you home, told you you were his favourite person in the universe, and kissed you because he meant it.

You'd never thought of yourself as a lucky person, but in that moment it was as though all your good karma had willed itself into existence.

"What's going on inside that head, pretty?" He says now, tilting your head up with his finger to meet his gaze.

"Nothing majorly substantial," you reply lazily, kissing his nose lightly and making him laugh. You tug on the jumper he'd brought you, a thick hoodie he'd bought recently, as he pulls an arm around your shoulders.

"Every thought you have is substantial," he says matter-of-factly, turning back to look at the view. The city noises dulled as he spoke, car horns and music white noise in the distance. "Even the ones about cats and why they're better than dogs."

"They are," you glare at him, which he just rolls his eyes at. You sit in silence for a couple minutes, enjoying his company as he traces circles on your bare legs absentmindedly. "How was your shift today?"

"Same old," he replies, pulling a hand through his disheveled hair. "You should come in after your classes tomorrow, sit with me behind the counter."

"You're lucky your boss likes you," you chuckle, bumping his shoulder lightly with yours. "I'm there every other day."

"Chan doesn't care," Hyunjin assures with a smile. "He likes you. He actually invited you along to our work night out next weekend."

"He did?" You ask, your attention piquing.

Hyunjin hums in response. "Yeah, but it will be a whole lot of Riki terrorising everyone and risking getting himself fired," he laughs. "That kid is a menace."

"Do you want me to come?" You ask sincerely, doe eyes blinking up at the man you were wholeheartedly in love with. He looks back at you with such adoration your heart physically swells in your chest.

"Of course," he answers instantly, his brows furrowed. "Everyone I work with probably likes you more than they like me. In fact, they've stated it more than once. Plus, I'd get to show off my pretty girlfriend, and I need you for morale support against Riki."

The grin appears of your face quicker than lightening as you nestle your head into Hyunjin's shoulder.

"Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have you in my life, you know," you mumble. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you."

You feel Hyunjin shake his head above you, before reaching for your face with both hands and making you stare at him.

"You're perfect, love," he smiles, rubbing his thumb against your cold cheek. "You can be a stubborn thing, but I love you for it. If you could see yourself through my eyes you'd understand why I'm so infatuated with you."

You can't help but to roll your eyes, a natural instinct to any compliment you receive. He shakes you gently as you laugh, as if attempting to rid you of all your negative thoughts.

"Now, get your ass inside your apartment. It's fucking freezing out here, and I'm shattered," he groans, standing up and pulling you along with him.

"You're staying over?" You ask excitedly, knowing he was going to classes early in the morning.

"Duh," he says sassily, leading you through the fire escape after intertwining your hand with his own. "I missed you like crazy at work today. Chan's new no phone rule is kicking my ass and I need a cuddle."

You laugh, following him down the stairs in your apartment building like a puppy. "You're cute today."

"I'm cute everyday," he counters, turning to tilt his head at you. You stop for a second, just staring down at him.

"I love you, you know?" You say, as if he's not already aware of how deep your feelings run for him. He just grins back at you, tugging you down the stairs and into his embrace.

“I love you too, angel,” he replies whilst wrapping his arms tightly around you.

Maybe you would never have the amount of friends you’d always desired. Maybe those deep rooted feelings of loneliness would never fully dissipate. But with Hyunjin by your side, you felt as though you didn’t need anything more.

I wrote this last night and wasn’t going to post it but I think it’s cute so here you go :) sorry for the inactivity, I am swamped rn but I’m trying my best!

#hyunjin x reader #stray kids #hwang hyunjin #hyunjin imagines #hyunjin #hwang hyunjin fluff #stray kids hyunjin #hyunjin scenarios #hyunjin fluff #hwang hyunjin x reader #hwang hyunjin imagine #hyunjin comfort #stray kids imagines

[bluexiao]

#this is it. let’s breakup.

—breakup prank gone wrong // a request by anon

CHARACTERS. Albedo, Alhaitham, Ayato, Cyno, Scaramouche, Xiao; gn! Reader

THEMES. Established relationships; angst turn to fluff; hurt to comfort? some might be viewed as suggestive i think. calling scara “kuni”

NOTES. i don’t condone breakup pranks but since someone requested this and i have not written about this yet, why not? (p.s. i don’t think i held back in this one that’s why i’m a bit late) @ineshapanda thought I should mention you in this one

“From now on, you and I don’t exist.”

There is something about ALBEDO’s experiments that made you grow into the habit of making one yourself.

But you’re not really a famous alchemist like him–you weren’t even one as your experiments were in the form of a prank instead. This he grew accustomed to as he had been a victim to most of them. And so, it would not be much of a surprise if this one too is a prank… or if he chooses to believe in it…

“May I ask why?” he tries to lengthen the conversation, mind tinkering and pondering over what had happened the past few minutes, hours, days, and weeks. Did something go wrong? “I don’t think… I could follow, love,” he adds on, making sure that you could hear his sweet musings, hear the soft plea that was laced in his voice despite not telling it outrightly.

He listens to every word you said–the “explanation”. He tries. But why was it difficult to focus? His mind was racing, and he did not know what to say, what to do just to solve this–to salvage what could be instead of just throwing it away.

But… is it right for him to be so selfish? To want things that seem to be impossible at this point in time.

Or did he miscalculate something? Was there a missing piece that he missed or left forgotten? How could he know? He wasn’t human.

And maybe that was what you needed.

“I see,” he looks away, on the ground where he could only see your feet, avoiding the look on your face when all he had ever done was admire them before (always), but now, he could not bare to see the distant look from them. Because if this was a prank, how could it feel so… real?

“But I refuse, I’m sorry,” he looks at you with determination, even more so when you face him with a surprised look, “I refuse to forget what you and I have. As much as I can’t force you to feel the same… you can’t force me otherwise. But…” he trails off, then stepping forward ever so slowly, making sure he wasn’t intruding your space enough for you to move away.

He smiles softly, “I still love you. I will still love you. That is why I can’t forget about you. So please, don’t ask me to do so.”

┌───────── · · · · ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

“I’m tired, ‘haitham. Let’s end this now.”

Like AL-HAITHAM, you liked planning—at least, that was what you had realized you had grown into liking after being in a relationship with the guy. On the other hand, your unpredictability is something he still is left astonished with—challenged is one word for it as well.

The moment he looks up at you from his book and stares at you intensely, you knew the battle had begun. Your will to accomplish this plan or his own—does he even have a will? Well, unconsciously, you just wanted to do this prank on him to check it, to verify the questions in your mind that were left unanswered—does he really love you? Still? Enough to fight for you? You were too curious, you’d say. But honestly, you were pretty anxious.

He discards his book and stands from his seat, gaze glued onto you as he watched your every move, just as much as you did his. “Is that what you truly wanted?”

At that moment, your heart thumped. Because he seemed like he knew, and even if he didn’t, he had every right to know.

“No,” you frown, looking away, “of course, I didn’t want to. Why would I want to do this?” Now, it wasn’t even the prank that was speaking. They were your truth.

In the end, he was still the one who was better at these things–planning. But it didn’t matter, not when it had reached this point of no return.

“But I feel like I had to,” you let out, jaw tensed and voice hesitant, “or else I would eventually burst… and I don’t know what I would do by then.”

You feel his arms around you, a hand letting you press your head on his chest, and there, you heard it, felt it—his heartbeat, thumping so loudly and quickly that you could match it with your own.

“I’m sorry that it reached this point,” he says, one hand caressing your back while the other still holds the back of your head, “I want to talk about this further… should you allow it.”

The soft “Okay” made him let out a sigh of relief, his embrace tightening.

┌───────── · · · · ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

“Ayato… I don’t think we’re meant for each other.”

AYATO, for one, is not something you could easily fool. Most especially you.

Secondly, he knows you–very well, at that. And so, this will prove to be much of a challenge to you, you knew it right from the start.

You just did not expect the air to grow so… tensed.

“You almost had me there,” he forces a smile, stepping your way as he attempts to divert your attention to the way he touched the side of your face, the way he leaned in (and let you have a whiff of his favorite perfume) and the way he placed a gentle kiss on your forehead, “I had missed you too, darling.”

“I’m serious, Ayato,” you furrow your brows, trying your best not to fall for his antics, but also feeling the uncomfortable pressure in the atmosphere. What is this? Was your plan… working after all? Or were you just imagining things when he was right here smiling with his usual smile on his handsome face, “I don’t want to force this anymo-”

“Shh,” he leans into you once again, right next to your ear, “shall we talk about this more, love?” He hurries, a gentle kiss on your cheek, “Please?” His soft plea made your heart thump, and before you knew it, you were nodding and he was sprinkling soft kisses on your neck, as if a silent gratitude to your answer.

┌───────── · · · · ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

“You’re joking” were CYNO’s first words, right after you told him the words “My feelings for you changed… Cyno.”

You must have been infected by the way he would joke a few times (most of the time); with a stoic face and voice, eyes ever so piercing that one could not tell if they were to laugh, shiver, or run away.

This time, it was you. At least, that was what Cyno thought (hoped, prayed, decided).

“Y/n,” he calls for you, “this is a joke. Right?”

You looking away from him prompted a sudden distress in the pit of his stomach. (But in reality, you were just too intimidated by that look in his eyes) “I want an explanation. Your feelings could not have changed all of a sudden without something to cause it. So what is it?”

Your silence made him grow weary.

He deflates, “Love? Tell me the truth,” he softly whispers, a hand reaching the side of your face and effectively making you look at him, “are you certain? Did your feelings for me truly change?”

You bit your lip and crunched your eyes, shaking your head no. His shoulders immediately ease up and a sigh leaves his lips.

“So… you were joking.”

“I… Cyno-”

He presses a kiss on your lips, looking at you pointedly, “Promise me you won’t do that again, or I might just inflict punishment upon you.”

┌───────── · · · · ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

The WANDERER may look and act so tough on the outside, but the turmoil that is in his mind is not something that he would like for anyone to see.

Especially you.

It is dark, hollow, filled with past betrayals that he sometimes forgets… but will always follow him in his dreams. Only when he listened to your words, your voice, and your feelings did he truly relish in the feeling of peace and the light that you show him. And so, that was why he decides that he should never let you show his vulnerability (despite you already knowing what they were), he was determined to hide the things that would make him look… weak. Worthless.

He could not afford to have another betrayal. Losing you… would destroy him.

So when he heard the words “I’m sorry, Kuni. I can’t keep my promise to be with you forever anymore.”

“You’re lying. Or you lied to me,” he answers so suddenly that you can barely think, sending you a pointed look, “it can only be one thing.”

“I… I’m not lying, Kuni-”

“Shut it,” he looks away now. No. It couldn’t be… right? Did he make a mistake? Did he unconsciously show you a side of him he promised to never show? Are you perhaps on the brink of death? Or did you just… grow tired of him?

He couldn’t even notice you stepping towards him and looking at him with troubled eyes, then reaching out until his eyes snapped to yours when he felt the warmth of your palms on his cheeks, finally letting his attention fall onto you—your light, your brightness that he craved… and had.

At this point, he wanted to hold on tightly to you, to beg you to never let him go, to ask for a second chance.

His eyes water, and despite his persistence to not show you this side of him, his lips quiver, and his whole body aches.

“Anything but you.”

Your eyes widened as you suddenly felt his arms around you, face slotting into your neck, opting you to let go of his cheeks and hesitantly snake onto his own waist. “Please. Anything but you,” he begs, pouring his heart out as he clings onto you as if his life depended on it—because maybe it did. Maybe it will break him—destroy him. Maybe he couldn’t be who he is anymore if he loses someone like you.

“Shh, baby,” you hush him, letting your palm rub his back, “I’m sorry, I will never say that again… I’m so sorry, Kuni.”

“You…” he could hear his voice shake (and normally, he hates it. But his mind was foggy, and his whole body was refusing the idea of being away from you), “you won’t?”

“I won’t. I promise.”

His hold on you tightens. “Good.” His huff made you want to chuckle, but you held it in as you silently told yourself to never do a prank anymore… at least not something as big as this.

┌───────── · · · · ꒰⚘݄꒱₊

XIAO knew that you grew yourself to pull off a couple of antics here and there–a trait of a human, he supposes, as a couple of humans he knows had such a personality (there are just some who did not know how to do it in moderation). And apparently, he thought you knew the limits of such an act. He thought he could believe you most of the time, as you were one of the few he had grown to trust despite his resolution not to in the first place.

Just like now.

“I don’t think I can handle this anymore, Xiao. I think… we should part ways. I’m sorry.”

Xiao couldn’t think. The room… suddenly felt too small, too suffocating, too much. Just. Too much.

“I’m gonna go-”

“Wait, Xiao!” he stops from his tracks with one foot across the other, frozen, hands trembling, body shaking, mind scrambling on to places—dark, dark places that leave his body with a cloud of dark flames.

“Xiao, no-wait! I didn’t mean to-”

“Then what does it mean?” he refuses to face you. He couldn’t, “If you want me to go, I will go. I will… respect your wishes and you will never see me agai-”

He cuts himself off his words as soon as he feels your arms on his waist, effectively stopping him from teleporting away from you, from disappearing from your sight forever, until his death catches up to him.

“No, that’s not what I mean… please, Xiao, stay.”

He grits his teeth as silence slowly rises. He melts when he hears your broken sobs, slowly facing you without having you remove your arms around him. And by the time he could see your face, his determination crumbled into a million pieces beneath your feet. “Tell it to me one more time,” he raises your chin so you could remove your eyes from the ground into his, “tell me to stay, and I shall stay.”

“Stay, please?”

He scans your eyes with his golden orbs, all before pulling you into one long kiss that prompts the both of you to relax in each other’s touch, the world disappearing around you and the earlier scene fading into the air.

You both pulled away in a gasp, and he was catching your lips once again, eyes gazing into yours, “Do you still love me?”

You wordlessly nod and he pecks you again.

“Tell me you still love me.”

You lean onto his palm that now holds the side of your face, “I love you.”

He kisses your neck. “I love you too.” He whispers, then, the racing heart inside his chest and the embers of his karma finally calming down.

reblog and comments are appreciated <333 mwah!

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#genshin x reader #xiao x reader #scaramouche x reader #wanderer x reader #albedo x reader #alhaitham x reader #ayato x reader #cyno x reader #al-haitham x reader #scara x reader #genshin angst

[muddyorbsblr]

would've could've should've pt2

See my full list of works here!

Part of the 500 Follower Celebration Requested by: Anonymous

Summary: You and Loki attend an alumni event at your college, hiding in plain sight while on a mission to retrieve information about HYDRA experiments within campus; you cross paths with someone from your past.

Word Count: 6.5k [pace yourself; keep water on standby]

Warnings (spoilers ahead but also you need these): 18+ | heavy themes (retraumatizing; emotional trauma from past relationship; past relationship with severe power imbalance; past relationship involving severely predatory behavior; implied dubcon mentioned in memories); mentions of human experimentation involving drug-induced mental and emotional subjugation; angst; Tony's a-hole tendencies; language [let me know if I missed anything and I'll change it immediately]

Things to be aware of: established relationship; keep the song this is titled after in mind especially "I damn sure never would've danced with the devil at 19"

There'd been a tension between you and Loki ever since that movie night gone wrong where his brother let slip that he was frustrated in his current relationship. At least where physical contact was concerned, or lack thereof. Thor even went so far as to insinuate that Loki doubted his girlfriend even loved him if she wasn't even willing to share her body with him.

The unease was driving the god to the brink of madness, every part of him shaking with the urge to pull you into a room and beg you to tell him what he could do to make things better. He would do just about anything for you, and it pained him to realize that you didn't actually know that.

Perhaps with this new mission that you two were being sent off to, you two could have some much needed time together away from all the noise. And especially away from his brother that thought he knew what was best for him. Thor didn't know a damned thing.

You were best for him. He just needed to be leagues better in showing you that so you could know it as well as he did.

And even though the destination wasn't all that romantic, the god still had a good few tricks up his sleeve that could help him make do with what he had.

"Y/N, quick question about lodging arrangements for your mission with Laufeyson." Loki immediately tuned out all of the other noise around him to listen in on your conversation with the worker from Operations & Logistics. One of the perks he'd found from his Jotun heritage: the enhanced senses that allowed him to eavesdrop even from across the rather spacious room.

"I don't care about the view, Kristy, just stick us wherever," you spoke around the cookie you were munching on.

"Oh, no it's not about the view. You two are booked for a suite, so you'll have a fantastic view of the Hills regardless. Maybe even the Hollywood sign!" She bounded in her spot slightly, clearly excited as she imagined what you'd be seeing from the suite's balcony.

Meanwhile the raven-haired god was already losing himself in the image of sharing some champagne with you, your features illuminated by the city lights. Perhaps stealing multiple kisses through the night.

"I was wondering about the uhh…bedroom arrangements? You want one bedroom or two?"

He was about to speak up, nearly shouting that you only needed a single room with a single bed before you answered, not a single part of you betraying your image of calm consideration. "Two." A pit formed in his stomach as your eyes didn't even dart to steal a glance at him.

"You sure about that, jellybean?" Stark butted in, looking up from his seat at a nearby table with his daughter. "You're supposed to be masquerading as a couple all happy in love and shit."

"Uh huh, sure. In public."

"Alright then. Scenario." He leaned forward on his seat, pointing his writing instrument at you. "Say someone sees you while you're out on the streets, takes an interest in getting photographs of you. You're in Los Angeles, paparazzi's a dime a dozen and some of them know how much pictures of Avengers sell, especially if they look like they're dating. Say our hypothetical pap friend has a telephoto lens that can see into your suite and sees you going into separate rooms. What then?"

You didn't even take a moment to think it over. Instead shrugging and answering him in a perfectly laid back tone, "Couples fight. Paint a smile for the cameras and sleep in separate beds. That's Hollywood, baby."

Loki's pulse thundered in his ears, almost dulling out the way that Stark turned back to his daughter and told her, "You do not ever go to your Auntie Y/N for relationship advice, are we clear?" The little girl only answered her father with a little salute.

Was that what was happening? The tension that ran thick between you two whenever you were so much as in the same breathing space together? Were you fighting?

"Two rooms it is then," the Logistics worker spoke again, tapping away at her tablet before giving both you and Stark a thumbs up, confirming that the reservation had been made.

"Hey, Reindeer Games, jellybean, word of advice? You know, from a friend or colleague or whatever you wanna call me?"

"You're my friend, Stark, I'm Morgan's godmother for fuck's sake," you shot back at the same time that Loki said, "Well an annoyance would be the term I'd use, but go ahead."

"Try to have fun? You're going to your college reunion, Y/N. I'm sure you have some familiar faces you wanna say hi to, reminisce about your random acts of debauchery and dance with like you're 19 again at the club with your fake IDs trying to score some alcohol from the bartender that pretends those cards are legit?" He then turned his focus to Loki. "And you. Try to get some. Unless of course you're still miserably attached to Little Miss Prim and Prissy with a fifty foot pole because she doesn't wanna do the naked tango with you."

"What's a tango?" the smaller Stark queried, looking up from her workbook.

"It's a dance, baby," you answered her, smirking into your drink before you took a sip.

"Naked dancing, Auntie Y/N? I'm confused." The Logistics worker decided to take her leave at this moment, scurrying out of the room with a little nod toward everyone present.

"I know you are, baby." You walked over to her, ruffling her hair before placing a kiss on the top of the little girl's head. "Ask your parents about naked tangos. I'm not gonna be the one to talk to you about the birds and the bees."

"Birds and bees can dance with each other? But isn't a bee too small for a bird?"

"All excellent questions, sweetie." You gave Stark a mischievous look that would have done the god proud had it not been for the knots still sitting heavy in his stomach. "Good luck, Tony. And for the record? I wasn't a party girl in college. Some of us actually had to bury our noses in books and study our way to our degree. We can't all be genius billionaire playboy philanthropists."

"Ah, come on, jellybean, there had to be something you did for fun in college." The way you froze for a fraction of a second didn't go unnoticed by the god, but it seemed to slip past Stark and his daughter all too easily. "Just remember that this shouldn't just be a mission for you, you're gonna be among your old friends. Take a second to...I don't know, mingle. Catch up."

"Stark? The only reason I even agreed to go to the reunion is because of the mission. Our intel found evidence suggesting that HYDRA took over and repurposed a building in my old college and they might be housing volatile maybe even catastrophic kinds of compounds in there, and we're just going for a recon mission. In and out. The only purpose I'd have for mingling is wanting to see who in campus might be involved in the shady shit."

"Fine, whatever floats your boat, Y/L/N. At least go say hi to your old professors, though. Might make their entire year being able to brag to their incoming classes that they once mentored an Avenger back in the day."

For some reason those words from Stark had you freezing up even more, trying to mask it by nodding a little too vigorously before taking a swift leave to the kitchen area, setting your mug down. Loki took that as his opportunity to perhaps have a moment with you before you went off to your apartment for the night. He made his way to you, speaking just barely above a whisper. "Darling, I'm so sorry you had to hear that barb from Stark." His arms ached to simply reach over and pull you into an embrace, the only thing stopping him being the reminder that you both had agreed to keep your current entanglement with one another more private.

But he wanted more than anything to ignore that reminder completely. Especially after looking upon your features and seeing a blank stare of what he horrifyingly recognized as defeat in your eyes.

"It's fine, Mischief," you answered him, your voice monotonous and almost completely devoid of emotion. "He doesn't know he was talking about me. Serves me right anyway. Prim and prissy might as well be tattooed on my forehead."

The god's skin bristled with irritation hearing you repeat the billionaire's words as if you were already accepting of the new unwelcome moniker. "I should have a word with him. Tell him his remarks have the most undesired effect on you. He'll stop, I'm sure of it. Once he knows that it's you. Even be remorseful."

"You tell him and everyone will know," you deadpanned, your face remaining stoic as ever. "He'll tell everyone before the night's over and suddenly what's private isn't so private anymore. Is that what you want?"

He stood silent, staring at you with your blank expression that you'd given him since that disastrous night where Thor made the idiotic remarks that so efficiently drove a wedge between you two. A wedge he somehow didn't know how to dislodge. "I…I simply want for us to be okay."

His heart splintered seeing you give him something between a grimace and a small smile, shrugging before answering in the same flat tone, "Then we're okay."

Then why does it feel as if you're pushing me farther and farther away with every passing day? he wanted to ask you, the words weighing heavy on his tongue as he watched you walk away, back to your apartment. Why does it feel like I've lost you?

The level of guardedness you displayed ever since you stepped foot on your old campus put Loki on high alert. You always exhibited a calculated caution in missions, but this seemed beyond that. There was nothing in your stance that implied your readiness to fight and defend yourself, but rather there was a fear.

A readiness to run. To disappear.

Your shivering in his hold did nothing to convince him of any other explanation. Being here elicited a fear in you that he couldn't comprehend. As if there were ghosts from your past lurking in the shadowy corners of the dimly lit gymnasium.

"Oh my gosh, is that…Y/N?" a high-pitched voice shrieked over the thumping stereo, coming from a rather bubbly looking woman that was bounding toward you, arms outstretched with a wide beaming grin on her face. "I haven't seen you since graduation! Our old profs just can't stop talking about you and how proud they are that they taught an Avenger, they're hoping they get to see you tonight. Get a picture or two." She then turned her attention to Loki, jaw on the floor when he saw his arm gently wrapped around you. "Are you two--?!"

"Ohh! Uhm…no." You worked your way out of Loki's hold to give the woman a friendly embrace before turning back to face him. "Loki, this is Bianca, we shared a good number of classes together. Bianca, this is Loki, my uhh--" Your voice caught in your throat trying to find a word to describe the god.

I'm yours, little mortal. Plain and simple, he wanted to tell you, regardless of present company.

"We work together," you told her, the words worsening the sinking feeling that he had in his stomach. "Work's been a little slow lately so Stark assigned me to show him around and expose him to what a former college girl's life is like."

"College girl? You?" The woman burst into a fit of giggles. "Y/N you were many things when we roamed these halls, but you were more a mini professor than anything. I never once even saw you step foot at a frat party or a club…you were always just hanging out with--"

"You know what, you're absolutely right," you cut her off, your voice louder than normal even with the thumping music surrounding you all. "Loki, maybe you'd be better suited to learn from my old friends. Go off with Bianca, she and the other girls can't possibly steer you wrong."

The god's blood ran cold as your words hit him. He felt as if you were steering him away from you for more than just this moment. As if your sentiment held a poorly veiled secondary sentiment, pushing him away from you so that he could pursue someone else with your blessing.

He did his best to put on a casual smile, to politely decline your offering of your old campus friend. "I accompanied you to learn from you, little mortal," he spoke over the music, reaching for your hand and lacing his fingers between yours. "I wish to stay with you. You cannot rid yourself of me that easily."

"I'm not ridding myself of you, Mischief," you shot back, your friend's eyes darting rapidly between the two of you before slowly stepping away. "It's more of the other way around. We both know that I'm holding you back, so here's your exit--"

"I don't want an exit, Y/N, I want you," he insisted through gritted teeth, fighting every urge to lead you both into a more secluded corner so you could talk this out without having to shout just so you could hear each other. "I wish to be with you, regardless of--"

"Well as I live and breathe, that's a face I didn't think I'd see again." Your eyes widened hearing the voice of the man that approached you next, your pulse beating so furiously that Loki could see it pumping against your neck.

This was definitely not one of your former classmates. The man was middle-aged, his hair obviously colored to mask the silver that was peeking through at the roots as well as his eyebrows. He did what he could to dress himself in line with what was considered stylish but so clearly missed the mark. And emphasizing his age further was the clearly decades younger woman he had as his companion, looking as if she belonged in his classroom rather than in his bedroom.

"Prof--Professor Richardson," you stammered, the breathy almost fearful tone in your voice immediately putting the god on high alert. "Bianca m-mentioned you and the other guys were here tonight."

"Oh, come on Y/N it's been years since you had yourself folded into those awkward armchairs, there's no need to be so formal with me. Please, call me Simon. In fact, I should probably be a touch more formal with you, considering that one of my favorite students is now my favorite Avenger." His eyes quickly darted to the god's. "No offense, dude. You're pretty great, too. There's just something about those spandex suits, you know?"

You gripped Loki's hand tighter for a fraction of a second as the man's eyes roamed your form unabashedly, the spiteful jealousy from his companion written all over her face.

He didn't wait for you to introduce him again as someone you simply 'worked with', choosing to speak up to hopefully soothe your very obvious unease. "I must agree with you there, Y/N quite a remarkable agent." He extended his hand out toward your professor. "I'm Loki. Y/N's boyfriend."

Your breath caught in your throat in a strangled sound at the word, looking up at the god with wide eyes before trying to compose yourself again. Before you could speak, however, Simon did.

"Well if she's as remarkable a girlfriend as she was a student, then you have yourself a real catch right here. You're quite the lucky man--god, I mean." The woman next to him cleared her throat conspicuously loudly, the tail end of it sounding more like a muffled shriek, calling Simon's attention to her. He eyed her with a bit of irritation before turning back to you. "Oh where are my manners? This is Deena. I'm her thesis advisor for her graduating year."

"Oh…that's…" You were quite clearly struggling to form words. You addressed the student instead, your eyes quickly darting to the way she gripped her professor's arm so tightly before looking back at her. "Wow. You're quite the lucky young lady. Professor Richardson mentioned back then that he rarely took on the role of advisor. I'm sure your proposal was nothing short of remarkable."

The student offered you a tight smile in response, opening her mouth to speak before your former professor perked up again. "In all these years, nobody still quite measures up to you, though, Miss Y/L/N. Oh, sorry. Agent Y/L/N." He shifted his gaze to address the god once more. "It was a bleak day when I had to give her her final grade for her final course with me."

He reached his hand out toward you which you took with a slight tremor in your fingers. Loki way too easily heard the gasp that slipped out of you when Simon took your hand in both of his, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of your fingers.

"I hope to see you around some more while you're in town, Y/N." The way he rolled the syllables of your name, like he was savoring a taste on his tongue, didn't sight right with the Asgardian. He was the only one that could speak your name like that. At least…he hoped he still could.

"Yeah…s-sure," you mumbled, jerking your hand out of the professor's hand, subtly wiping the back of it on your skirt when you smoothed your hands over your dress. "En--Enjoy the rest of your night, Simon. Deena." You nodded your head at both of them before walking away abruptly, inadvertently towing Loki behind you.

As you put more distance between you and your former professor, the god heard a muffled sentiment from Simon to his companion. "Of course not, sweet thing, you know you're the only one for me."

There weren't many things that could catch the god off guard, but hearing those words from your former professor sent a slight chill down his spine, the confirmation of his initial suspicions written in black and white. Making him wonder now what your true history with the man that put both of you at a state of unease was.

"Darling, are you alright?" He held you closer to him as the crowd became denser, too many people surrounding you and pushing against you as you moved. "You're cold."

"I'm fine." He could barely hear you over the speakers. "I just need some air, I can barely hear myself think in here."

He didn't need to be told twice; this type of environment wasn't agreeable with him, either. Once you'd both stepped through the doors of the gymnasium and the air no longer tasted of alcohol and sweat, he pulled you into his arms, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

"What was that for?" you breathed out, the dazed tone of your voice making him hold you just a touch tighter.

He hadn't the full picture of what had your fight or flight kicking in to an extent he'd never seen on you before, but he held faith that when you were ready, you would tell him. For now, he would do what he could to at least ease your discomfort.

"Can I not simply wish to hold you, my love?"

You briefly wrapped your arms around him, returning his embrace before you took a step away from him, smoothing your hands over your dress once more. "Come on. I wanna find the lab and be done with this mission. Get back to New York sooner rather than later and all that."

His heart splintered even worse in his chest, his suspicion that your stepping away from him was more than simply physical now. That the last fortnight that he'd spent sleeping in his own apartment devoid of the simplest pleasure of having you in his arms as he slept through the night would be how he'd be spending the rest of his nights moving forward. He was at a loss for what he could do to somehow amend your relationship moving forward short of locking you both in a room and offering an ultimatum.

Tell him how he could fix the rift that was caused by Thor's callous words, or tell him that what he feared had finally found its way into your reality. Tell him that there was nothing he could do to mend the damage and that things were truly over between you.

"As you wish, little mortal."

You led him through a search that was guised as an inebriated tour through your alma mater, going through each building with information that you'd either gathered there from firsthand experience from your college years, or from information you amassed looking through testimonials of various alumni.

"Ooh! Come on, I wanna show you something that might just make you proud." You made an entire performance of stumbling toward the god and reaching for his hand, guiding him with carefully choreographed steps backwards with a few planned near slip-ups where you seemed to trip on air and almost fall bum first onto the floor before catching yourself at the last second.

"Don't you know well enough by now, darling, that you constantly impress me?" he shot back at you with a chuckle, fighting every urge to lose himself in the ruse you were both putting on. He wanted more than anything to have this be akin to those films that your fellow teammates were so fond of watching, where the couple would find an empty classroom and proceed to kiss and paw at each other like animals in heat.

He'd found those scenarios so trite before, but he found himself admitting that he was more than open to the idea if the opportunity presented itself with you. He would be willing to do just about anything with you at his side.

"Come on, Mischief," you sing-songed, giggling your way to the heart of one of the buildings dedicated for the science-centric curriculum. "I'm taking to to the lab where we used to brew our own beer. Mix our own booze. You're gonna love it, it's like we were witches brewing potions in here--"

You play-acted your way to stumbling through the double doors of the laboratory, only to be met with resistance and the visual of a thick chain wrapped around the door handles. Immediately you righted your stance, the god signaling to you that he'd taken care of the security cameras. He'd chosen to feed them footage of the two of you indulging in one of those slightly risqué scenarios in the corridor.

With a wave of his hand, the chains materialized on the floor by Loki's feet, and you pushed the doors open to reveal exactly what you'd been looking for. The tables were littered with documents and notes that were watermarked with HYDRA's sigil, each designated work station housing its own compound that when put in the wrong hands, could be utilized in the most sadistic manners.

You went on to look into the filing cabinets that held more research reports while he rounded the table that held the compound surrounded by the most amount of notes scribbled on to the logo-branded papers. He felt the bile rising steadily up his throat at the findings.

Subjects that are exposed to this compound even in its aerated form will feel an intense emotional attachment to the closest set of pheromones within their vicinity, enslaving them to the holder for an indeterminate amount of time. Potency strengthens if the compound is ingested. Theoretically catastrophic potency if somehow introduced directly into subject's bloodstream. Effects inconclusive if holder severs the emotional attachment before the compound has had a chance to be flushed from subject's system, but theoretically, the more potent the remaining dosage that is yet to be metabolized, the more catastrophic the aftermath.

"Darling, they might be experimenting on these students," Loki said grimly, rushing over to you the moment he spotted how much paler your knuckles became from how hard you were gripping the countertop. "What's wrong?"

"There are reports dating back to before you even got to Earth," you told him, the shakiness of your tone at its worst as you tried to speak through the tears bubbling up inside you. "Back to when I was still here."

He thumbed through the report that you were perusing and had to fight every urge to set fire to the entire operation and lay waste to the names that he'd found on the user tests. The most frequent one being the man that he had the displeasure of meeting earlier, Simon Richardson. "These other names, were they your other professors?" You only nodded. He didn't know whether to be relieved or even more horrified realizing that the subject names were kept confidential, hidden under monikers such as "Subject 12-29-A", "Subject 12-29-B" and so forth.

"I think the first number's the year. 12 is 2012. And the second number might be a batch number." You took a few deep breaths before straightening your stance and looking for the nearest computer, fiddling with the comms bracelet that Shuri had equipped you with before you left New York. "Shuri, are you there?"

"I am here, I am here. How is the college party? I have never actually been to one since--"

"Since you're so smart you should probably be teaching these classes, I know I know." A bit of your liveliness came back speaking with the young genius. Loki could even hear a slight smile in your voice. "Could you pull off a remote duplication? I wanna get these experimentation reports to you guys so that we can already start on next moves before Laufeyson and I even get back to New York."

"Does the sun rise in the East, my friend?" The Wakandan princess began to laugh from her end of the call, the sound filling the room. "Put your bracelet near the device and let me do my magic." You did as she instructed, holding your wrist near the computer's power source and a few short moments later, she spoke again. "All done. We will see you when you get back."

"Thanks, Shuri. We'll wrap it up here. I'll see you guys in the morning."

As you shut off your comms and both of you proceeded to place things back exactly where you found them, ensuring that you lessened your chances of HYDRA suspecting anyone had rifled through their research, there was yet another thought that led to a pit forming in Loki's stomach.

What if one of the test subjects in those reports was you?

Loki laid awake, restless, in bed since you both got back to your suite, doing his best to somehow induce slumber upon himself so that he wouldn't have to fight against his mind wandering back to those reports, wondering if one of the subjects that was detailed within those pages could be referring to you. As well as fighting against the parts of him that feared you were pushing him away, forcing his hand into letting you go even if that was the last thing he would ever wish to do.

He had to make a note to give that oaf Thor a swift stab for so thoroughly jeopardizing what could have possibly been the best thing to happen to him. He was more than content with you, he was happy. He could picture what a future with you would be like.

And yes, it would be nice if your relationship would have a physical aspect to it, but that was no dealbreaker for the god. He didn't need it right this second, and for you, he would wait until you reached that level of comfort with him. At your own pace.

He would wait. Even if it meant he waited forever.

Yet here you both were now, sleeping in separate beds in separate rooms all because you believed that he would be better off with someone who had no compunctions on disrobing with him at a moment's notice. He could already feel you slipping away despite how desperately he tried to hold on to you.

The sound of your unrest had him sitting up on his bed, a series of whimpers and cries being heard from your bedroom. What got him darting out and bursting through your door, however, was your scream of "Please no I've been good to you! Why would you do this to me?!"

In a heartbeat he was by your side, cradling you against his chest and trying to wake you from your nightmare. "Shh shh, little mortal, you're safe, please wake up."

"I never told a soul I don't even look at you when there's other people please don't leave me," you kept whimpering, your words hitting the god like bullets straight to his heart. Were you having a nightmare about him?

"I'm here, my love, please. I'm not going anywhere just please wake up," he pleaded desperately, rubbing his hand up and down your back as he pressed multiple kisses to your templed. "I'm here I'll never leave you. Please darling, I love you."

You finally began to breathe a bit slower in his arms, moving so that you were looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "Loki?"

Had he been on his feet, the sight of you so distraught would have brought the god to his knees. "Oh my sweet mortal." He cupped your face, wiping your tears away before he pressed a kiss between your brows. He wordlessly maneuvered you into his arms so that he could carry you out of bed and into the kitchen area, fetching you a glass of water.

"I can't--" You sounded as if you were trying to speak through a lump in your throat, more tears falling from your eyes. "I can't talk about--"

"No, darling, it's alright." He placed his hands on your shoulders, trying to guide you into evening out your breaths. "You don't need to tell me anything you're not ready to."

"I want to," you insisted, keeping your eyes glued to the floor, refusing to meet his gaze. "I just--I can't bring myself to say the words, but I need you to know…why. Why I can't--" You cut off with a squeak, gripping the sides of your stool so tightly he feared the metal would start hurting you, so he took them into his hands instead. "Why I can't be with you…physically."

"Darling, please I've told you I don't need--"

"No, you should know. I…I need you to know. I just can't…articulate the words." You started breathing the same way that you would when you would run with the rest of the team, as if your body was compensating for lack of oxygen the best it could. Or as if you were preparing yourself for something particularly uncomfortable. "But I can show you."

"Y/N what are you--"

"I want you to look into my memories. I want you to see. And understand what I can't tell you with words."

He framed your face with his hands, urging you to look at him before he followed through with your request. "Are you absolutely certain, my love?" You just stared at him with your red-rimmed tear-stricken eyes, the surrender and pain in them breaking his heart more than your stoic monotonous attitude from the past weeks ever could. He pressed another kiss to your forehead. "Alright."

He pulled up a seat close to yours, bracing himself for what he would find once he entered your memories. He was terrifyingly right to have done so, because the moment he was hit with the torrents of memories, he would have been brought to his knees had he been upright.

You're such a bright young lady. Such a shame that your peers refuse to see that. How about we grab a cup of coffee? Enjoy it in the faculty area? It'll be way more comfortable than sitting on the floor for the next three hours.

I was supposed to have dinner with some of the other professors but the weather in their area has them stuck at home. Would you like to join me instead? It'd be a shame for the reservation to go to waste.

Loki had to fight back the urge to retch as the visual of Simon Richardson leaning in to kiss you hit him next. And the distant attitude that he extended to you the following day on campus as you crossed paths in the hallway.

It won't be wise for us to be seen together or else people are going to start suspecting something going on. I'll get into trouble, just because we love each other. Of course I love you, silly sweet thing, you're the only one I've ever felt this way for.

He saw multiple occurrences of the professor dropping your hand the second someone even unfamiliar to either of you rounded the corner, a guilt eating away at him as he realized he'd done the same thing with you. He simply didn't want you to have to be exposed to the judgment from the team for being involved with him.

Nobody can know. It has to be our little secret. You understand, don't you? How about we go away somewhere for the weekend? Just you and me? Somewhere where we can actually be a couple. Do couple things. We could walk around and hold hands without being scared of getting caught. I could kiss you whenever and wherever. We could just be…us.

Loki wanted more than anything to look away from the memories of your first night with Richardson. From the way that he was so careless with your body, so ignorant of your pleasure and yet he mumbled empty sentiments of love all throughout the night, insisting that he loved you despite his eyes staying empty. Calculating.

And just a few short weeks after that, and a few more nights spent at his place, you went to campus one morning. And he'd begun to go out for coffee with another student. Someone from the batch of freshmen that had just come in. Your messages went unanswered, your calls were met with the generic voice message prompt.

He discarded you once he had what he desired from you, and foolishly concluded that he could do better.

As if there was anyone better.

When he opened his eyes, his vision was blurred from his own tears, the guilt steadily wearing him down as your explanation hit him as if they were bricks being catapulted his way. Was this the reason you were so hesitant to share his bed? You were afraid that once he claimed your body, he would replace you with another?

Your words from two weeks ago haunted him. If you want to be with someone else, just promise me you'll tell me and leave me first.

"My love," he choked, pulling you into a tight embrace. "I could never do something so vile. Not to you. Never to you. I'm so sorry."

"It's fine," you answered weakly, your sniffles breaking him even more. "You didn't know." You made a motion to move out of his arms, the fear seeping into him again that you were going to completely pull away again, making him hold on to your hands tightly. Desperately. "Come on, we have to get some sleep. We're going back to New York in the morning."

"Do you wish to be alone?" He could barely form the words, desperately pleading silently for you to allow him to stay with you tonight.

"No," you confessed, shifting nervously where you stood. "But I don't want you to feel obligated because of what you saw--"

"I won't leave you." The words came out of him in a rush, his lips quivering as he pressed a kiss to your forehead again, trying to calm himself. Trying his best not to march his way back to campus and personally see to it that that wretched excuse of a man not only paid for what he'd done to you, but ensure that he would never do this to another innocent unsuspecting woman ever again.

Trying to remind himself that his need to ensure that you were alright at this moment was greater than his desire to have Simon Richardson's head on a spike.

"You say that now, but we know that one day you're going to be tired of waiting. You have needs--"

"I need you more. I want you more," he insisted, burying his nose in your hair, your presence keeping him grounded. "I promised you I would spend my days proving my devotion to you. I more than intend to keep this promise. I am yours, precious little mortal." He kissed a path to your ear. "All I want at this moment is to stay with you tonight. Let me hold you. Let me try to fight your night terrors away."

It was as if a weight was lifted off his chest when you wordlessly nodded, wrapping your arms around his neck and letting him carry you back to your bedroom.

Loki held you through the night, relieved that you didn't stir in his arms or show any sign that you might have fallen into another nightmare. However, the god was now haunted by a memory of his own. One from the first few days of your relationship.

Darling, I think it best that perhaps…we don't tell the others quite yet that we've become involved. Grant ourselves the privacy that they won't.

His own words echoed in his mind, taunting him of the monumental mistake he'd made asking you to agree to such selfish terms. How he enforced that agreement by committing actions that eerily echoed the very memories that haunted you now.

He remembered the look in your eyes when he uttered those words, asking you to aid him in hiding your relationship away from the rest of the team. When he closed his eyes he could see the crestfallen expression on your face so vividly, making him despise himself for ever causing you to mar your features with that pain you tried to hide from him.

And finally…the realization that gutted him. You never agreed to those terms. All you said in response was "That makes sense".

You simply surrendered.

"I'm so sorry, my darling mortal," he spoke into the darkness, holding you just a fraction tighter, fearing that if he let go even in the slightest, you might slip away from him. "I'll make things better. I will do right by you, I swear it."

A/N: Lemme just…slide a dagger Loki's way real quick. 😤😤

And lemme offer this as my apology for this chapter…

I can promise u that Simon will get what's coming to him in the final part of this story. And I can promise that Loki will in fact make things right with his bb 🥺🥺

'everything' taglist: @simplyholl @loopsisloops @imalovernotahater @coldnique @loz-3 @huntress-artemiss @salempoe @vickie5446 @athalialaufeyson @lokiprompts @kats72 @kikster606 @asgards-princess-of-mischief @lokixryss @thomase1 @mischief2sarawr @lovingchoices14 @lunarnights95 @goblingirlsarah @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @creationsbyme @maple-seed @mjsthrillernp @ladyofthestayingpower @mygfloki @sititran @glitterylokislut @ozymdias @fictive-sl0th  @lokidbadguy @mochie85 @silverfire475 @joyful-enchantress @elizabethmidnight2017 @holdmytesseract @smolvenger @gigglingtiggerv2 @lokidokieokie @superficialdomina @kmc1989 @november-rayne @goddessofwonderland @buttercupcookies-blog @peaky-marvel @lokiified @tom-hlover @dryyoursaltyoceantears @cabingrlandrandomcrap

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[sadtonight]

"Away, away my thoughts go"

Summary: getting lost in thoughts is nothing out of the ordinary for you: your mind slipping away from reality that is surrounding you while doing mundane things. It's best if he keeps you grounded, else you might fly away into the skies;

Characters: Riddle, Vil, Epel, Idia, Lilia;

Warnings: implications of unspecified mental illness, reader is gender neutral, established romantic relationships;

Side notes: another self indulgent one, I underestimated my capabilities a bit so the work came two days late ha ha. I've edited the notes for the third time and I don't know what to put here! Enjoy? Get better? It's not as bad as it might seem, try to fixate on the positive moments that are happening now instead the ones that occur in your head, my own advice.

Riddle

— honestly, Riddle did give you benefit of the doubt when you seemed a bit lost by assuming that you are just busy or still yet to get accustomed to Night Raven College. However he undeniably finds it mildly infuriating. Why are you not listening to him anymore? Just so you know, it's mannerless to lose focus in the middle of conversation! Your boyfriend can always come back to what he was talking about, but not all people are willing to do so. Riddle worries about your absentminded attitude, so he directly confronts you;

— at first he didn't sound all that receptive: Riddle, in his usual way, started from matter-of-fact speech only to drop it upon seeing your visibly getting distant, as if you were told off. The red haired boy signed and broke an eye contact he was maintaining so you wouldn't feel so tense and asked if anything was distracting you or if you needed his help. Despite not looking at your boyfriend's face anymore, you could tell that the last phrases sounded a bit stained. Riddle did care about your mental well-being, so instead off brushing it off you shared what you were comfortable with;

— Riddle could relate to your dissociation, but it gave him more anxiety than reassurance: he remembers his times back at home, locked in a room with complicated books pilling up from the floor to the ceiling, dreaming of eating sweets and playing outside with Chenya and Trey again, only to come back to reality and try to get rid of the pesky thoughts that got in the way of his studies. His heart aches when he thinks about negative experience that you could've gone through;

— the very next day, red haired has went straight to the library to get his hands on as much as textbooks as he could handle. Articles that described how to keep grounded were real life savers. Riddle used to do homework with you now and then, but this time it's a permanent activity, especially everything related to memorization and math. Your boyfriend knows he can be scary when he gets carried away with studies, meaning that you get special treatment from Riddle, him being more lax and also showing how proudly smiling and praising you when you succeed;

— something Riddle also took a great liking to is trying new different tea blands and sweets in the secluded area of the Heartslabyul maze garden. Red haired boy tells you to describe the taste, smell, texture and colours of the food. Riddle became generally more attentive of you, thinking about new positive memories he wanted to make with you so that you would spend more time with him instead of somewhere far away, in the back of your mind.

Vil

— the celebrity always had to keep himself together despite whatever challenges and whims life throws at him. And naturally, the beautiful male had not-so-beautiful things to share like any other human being and you were amongst the few people he could feel relaxed enough to tell you his worries. Although, recently your boyfriend had started to suspect that his dear lacks a healthy amount of concentration, and not only in regards him but the world around;

— so being a proper partner he has made up his mind to see what was the case: Vil summoned you to his room under the guise of trying out new beauty product that appeared on the market. The tall male sat you on the chair before the vanity while standing behind you, pretending to be busy, and begun talking about the product, gradually shifting to saying outright nonsense to see how would you react. And unfortunately you didn't show confusion or surprise: you only slightly nodded and hummed, signing that you were in fact hearing Vil, however not listening to what he was saying;

— all of the sudden you were snapped back to reality by your face being turned to the side to meet magnificent, amethyst eyes that had disappointment reflected from their owner. Vil expectantly made a remark that sounded more like a plea: did something bother you or did he need to work on your focusing;

— after being cornered like that, you had no choice but to confirm your boyfriend's suspicions. Now healthy amount of self introspection is always welcome but your introspection are borderline hurtful, that's what Vil believed anyways. Beautiful male would attempt to find the root of the problem as to why do you slip away, but if you wish to withhold that information he won't pry, although he hopes you can tell him one day;

— Vil decides to help you with concentration the very same day. One of the ways that helps him to keep himself grounded is by doing exercises or practising dance movements, meaning that you will start participate alongside. Not only will it better your blood circulation but also will help you train your muscle memory and attention to details. Additionally, it's a great way to organically include you into his busy lifestyle and equally great excuse to get to touch you a bit more than Vil usually is able to.

Epel

— the boy notices how forgetful you tend to be before getting into the relationship with him. But as time passed, Epel realised you also space out a lot whenever you two are hanging out. His first reaction was to find fault in himself: Epel didn't consider himself to be a capable man for you, but he was selfish enough to crave your love and affection. Could it be that, just maybe, you grew bored of petite boy or found someone better...?

— lavender haired sulks throughout the week, until one day during the lunch break worried Jack tells him to spill the beans. Following brief explanation, beastman suggested that instead of Epel being the problem you could have a lot on the plate, but not wanting to burden your boyfriend and deal on your own. This revelation sprung Epel into action, with him hastily excusing himself and getting from his seat rushing out of dinning hall, typing you to meet him;

— your boyfriend awkwardly stood before you, hands tangling behind his back, head hanging low: he was clearly debating on how to approach the issue, finally meeting your eyes with newfound confidence. Not without stumbling through the words, Epel questioned all sorts of things that could be the case for your dissociation. Since your boyfriend had caught on, you decided to let him on about your "habits";

—it's... hard for Epel to relate, however he tries his very best to do so. Even if his initial guesses turned out to be false, lavender haired boy still set his mind on working to better himself in the relationship department. It's okay, because you can rely on him: Epel will always remind you of everything you need to be reminded of! To eat drink or have a small snack (if you don't mind apples you are never out of apple based foods), to change clothes that correspond to current weather outside, to do your college assignments which he could hypothetically help you with or at least do them together, to take care of your appearance by supplying you with different beauty products from Vil etc;

— to keep you grounded, Epel often tells you about types and sorts of apples and gives you them to see, smell, touch and taste. After that, he asks you if you remember the names, the colours and tastes of each separate type. Your boyfriend lights up when you get the correct answers, not getting frustrated if you don't remember everything — the boy is very proud of you for making progress all the same.

Idia

— you both are not the chaty-est couple out there, which made it harder to spot if something was amiss with you. Idia actually became aware of the fact when you were playing video games together by observing how sometimes you would just stand in one place or stall in the inventory menu for a while;

— your boyfriend began wondering if you didn't like the games or found them unengaging, but soon he saw the same thing happening when you were watching movies or anime. Blue flamed male debated whether to do something or just leave you be, maybe that's just how you were. It didn't let Idia focus on his projects or hobbies and Ortho made it worse by listing problems you could potentially suffer from, trying to encourage his older brother to take action;

— ugh, it's really humiliating for Idia to confront you like that, what questions he should ask anyway? By pure miracle you somehow put together what Idia was trying to convey, so you let your boyfriend on what was the situation. After listening to you, he closed his eyes for a moment. Look, Idia gets you very well, maybe too well for his own liking. However, you have so much stuff awaiting you out there, unlike him who is stuck being the Shroud. To drag you down with him to the bottom of the underworld was never an option: you mustn't suffer like him nor you mustn't lock into your own mind;

— your boyfriend wants to support you as much as he can, though only as far as his comfort zone goes. Idia didn't need to go further than his own dorm thankfully, because one of the activities that helped ground himself were engineering. Cold metal tools, weird texture of materials, the smell of plastic etc. You don't necessarily need to be a pro or something —genius male won't make you do complicated stuff, it's not like there is some existing challenge. Due to aforementioned quality, your boyfriend can bite with words painfully at times so Ortho is there to defuse the situation;

— lanky male tries to be a bit more physical with you, like touching your shoulder when he sees you staring into nothingness or awkwardly sets his slander hand on your thigh when the two of you play video games. Idia is not all too pleased but if it helps you keep your mind here somehow....

Lilia

— hellooo, Twisted Wonderland to his distracted mortal beloved. Lilia can be extremely perspective when he wishes to be, and so prior to you getting together, while the bat had been courting you, he noticed how your mind could wander somewhere else. He understands: you also must have a long history just like Lilia. Sometimes he snapped you back to reality, sometimes he started to reminisce about his own past, saying sotto voce, vague remarks that you usually didn't catch on;

— but what worried your boyfriend was the fact that you were so young yet dwelled on whatever occupied your mind. You would occasionally skip meals and forget to bring textbooks, notes and stationary supplies to classes. Lilia had experienced the same, many times, but he has lived for decades and his memory gets blurry over time. You have to be pulled out of your daydreams or else the fae will lose you — like a candle, you will melt before his very eyes. Experiencing real life sensations what makes one feel alive, Lilia knows that personally, though he doubts you would appreciate real battles for life that he has been forced to go through frequently during his war general days;

— no matter the reason for your condition, Lilia won't pry into your personal life unless you tell him. That's why he never really had a talk with you, opting for leading you straight to the point. Playful old bat flicked his fingers before your face or scared you when slipped from the conversation, popped out of nowhere and dropped his oversized jacket onto your shoulders when it got colder and you forgot to bring something warm, pulled out your college utensils from thin air when you swore you lost them somewhere in your room-

— at any rate, Lilia became very clingy all of the sudden: now short male holds your hand or hangs on your arm all the time. You don't have a chance to get used to the weight pulling your arm because he specifically drags your limb differently every day. Another weird habit that Lilia took up was to constantly make stupid jokes. He doesn't stop at the unfunny ones, no, he continues until you smile or better yet — laugh. Your boyfriend wants you to come back to him, to where he could reach you and where he could bring you as much joy as he possibly could so you wouldn't escape to dreamlands again.

#twisted wonderland headcanons #twst headcanons #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #riddle rosehearts x reader #vil shoenheit x reader #epel felmier x reader #idia shroud x reader #lilia vanrouge x reader

[croziers-compass]

Summary Notes of Terror Camp 2023 (9.12.23)

(A small summary of notes and references I took during Terror Camp Day One)

Erasure of Sailors of Colour in Arctic Exploration!!! Needs to be explored much more. JEAMS Fitz-James Fitzjames - w'ont put his apostrophes in the back of words. Capitalising Letters where you would Not usually capitalise them is like Italics. it is Emphasis in speech when written.

These jokes are getting Auld. (If you know you know)

Most things were phonetically written.

WOAHOO!!! - James Thompson

Relic? Or Artefact?

Semiophore - Objects regarded in a given community as carries of meaning.

Walpole is a little fucked in opinion. (imo)

Dundy was awful at spelling. Worse than Goodsir.

Capitalists should really look into Thomas Holloway

Everyone knows and loves Snarfin' On Them Ribs Saturday Man Proposes, God Disposes

Lady Jane was offended.

Hudson Bay Speedrun - Let Curiosity be your Compass

James Knight does not girlboss but he thinks he does.

A Ship Called The Whalebone Roald was both an asshole but good at what he did.

The Raft of the Medusa - We knew where that was going.

Johnathan Miles is a Horse Girl

Foreshadowing of the Cannibalism and Mutiny

HOOSH

History is a Panopticon They were just people... (Also a Note. I am worried that a lot of the fandom thinks that the concept of a Panopticon originates from TMA and that it was a TMA reference. It was not. I am wondering now if the TMA listeners know who Jeremy Bentham is.)

Cultural Understandings

IceBound Not Down - I did not take a lot of notes on Professor Hester Blum's panel. I was far too invested to write and when it was over I realised I had not made any notes. She was incredible. I loved her narratives very much. I would love to get her book. It is on my list! You would have had to have been there. It was wonderful. Not News: Dan Simmons is a wee fuckboy. We have established this a lot. He also establishes this for us. (?) Umlaqtalik - There is a boat there.

Imperialism is a disease.

How to read Ethically!

Some of my Notes from the Panel with Paul Ready and Nive Nielsen:

"You can hear a smile in a recording" - Nive Nielsen

Paul "I am not an expert on Anything" Ready

He is so very attached to Goodsir. Goodsir is very much a part of him. Hearing him talk about how integrated Goodsir is to himself was wonderful.

"I think we need more Goodsirs in the world."

Nive and her impressive education on the importance of indigenous representation and how that impacted her. How her voice as not only an actor but an Indigenous Actor was taken with such respect and was given the space to allow for respectful and creative extrapolation on the Set.

A small Note in my book that says: Oh goodness me he is hideously beautiful. I cannot stand how beautiful he really is. Oh my goodness.

"Nothing is good or bad. Just the potential to be." - Nive Nielsen - Terror Camp 2023

Nive: All Humans are good at picking up sincerity.

Goodsir would have hated Hickey.

"Ah. Would you look at that. Dead with my ass carved up." - Paul Ready

Nive: You cannot kill people or let people die because everything is connected and you do not know how that will effect your future. You have to depend on each other. So when there was conflict you had to solve it with as little violence as possible.

A very Important Book Nive Nielsen had spoken about!

You can get a copy on Thriftbooks of "Give Me My Father's Body" by Kenn Harper Here

I had an incredible amount of fun during this event. I am so excited for tomorrow. What notes you are seeing here are just references to part of the panels and some side comments I had made between all of my other more detailed notes. There was so much to be had and so much that we saw and heard. The speakers were incredible and each individual was incredibly dedicated to their impressive Art and Passion. It truly showed. As Nive said: You can hear a smile in a recording". I feel as if this applies to every one of the speakers and all of the panels we had the pleasure to enjoy today.

I have more detailed notes in my journal which, of course, you can see I scrawled a lot in. I had amassed about seven whole pages worth in that time. So to type them all would be just simple a task I cannot do. But I am open to discussions regarding how everything was if you did not get to attend it! Also Terror Camp has a wonderful setup available for you to explore the other avenues that they have presented on their website. So please do go check that you if you are interested! I cannot wait to do this tomorrow with my fellow Shipmates. Thank you so much for everyone that put together @terrorcamp. I am quite excited for tomorrow!

With much love and saltwater kisses,

Second Leftenant in heart and spirit,

-Wilbur E. F. C.

#nive nielsen #paul ready #the terror amc #the terror #harry goodsir #silna #lady silence #terror camp #terror camp 2023 #Thank you so much for this experience!

[caenith]

But Idril Celebrindal was wise and far-seeing, and her heart misgave her, and foreboding crept upon her spirit as a cloud. Therefore in that time she let prepare a secret way, that should lead down from the city and passing out beneath the surface of the plain issue far beyond the walls, northward of Amon Gwareth;

Do you know why I absolutely love Tuor? It might not be clear from this short passage from The Silmarillion, but let me quote The Book of Lost Tales real quick:

But Idril said: “This is my rede thereto: gather thou in deep secret those delvers and quarrymen who by careful trial are found to hold least love for Meglin by reason of the pride and arrogance of his dealings among them. From these thou must choose trusty men to keep watch upon Meglin whenso he fares to the outer hills, yet I counsel thee to set the greater part of those in whose secrecy thou canst confide at a hidden delving, and to devise with their aid — howsoever cautious and slow that labour be - a secret way from thy house here beneath the rocks of this hill unto the vale below. (...) Then Tuor said that he might not see all its purport, “but ‘better is any plan than a lack of counsel’, and I will do even as thou sayest”.

He actually listens to his wife.

At this point of the story 'so high did Tuor stand in the favour of the King that when he had dwelt there for seven years Turgon did not refuse him even the hand of his daughter'. He managed to establish and become a leader of one of the twelve houses of Gondolin. He was an important figure and probably a trusted advisor to the king. But when his wife says that something is not right, he doesn't need a lot of persuasion to follow her suggestion.

And what happens? HE SURVIVES. Together with his family and a group of exiles. We don't even get any information about his possible death later on, and I firmly believe that the tales are true - Idril managed to sneak him into Valinor and the Valar decided that "humans are not allowed here, but we will make an exception because he looks very polite".

Be like Tuor.

the silm but all the guys listen to their wives AU

#tolkien #silmarillion #silmarillion daily #the book of lost tales #tuor #WHAT A GUY

[gt-daboss]

Mild Horror, Fantasy mixed with Modern elements, (Happy ending eventually)

Behind the Books (Part 2)

(Part 1)

For a moment she almost found herself sympathizing with the man in her grip.

Like hell

Squeezing her hand harder, she felt the struggling human go limp with a squeak, smiling slightly as she finally felt him shut up for a change. Turning around, she calmly strutted towards her table and placed the dazed man on its flat top. Hearing him gasp as her grip released, in the back of her mind she hoped that she didn’t bruise him. Still…

He was beginning to stir again, and if she didn’t want a repeat of the previous fiasco, she would have to establish some rules.

“Human,” she spoke to the still-panting human. My hand did that to him… “Alex Victoa, you will look at me when I’m talking to you.”

The mention of his name, his full name immediately got his attention. She smiled at finally getting the regard she deserved from him.

“Tape, or no tape?” she questioned, holding out a roll of scotch between two fingers. The human looked confused and terrified, but his aching body wouldn’t allow for his fight or flight to work.

“Jeez, I knew you people were stupid, but I didn’t think I would have to explain everything to you…” spinning the tape roll like a hula-hoop around her finger absentmindedly, she hummed as she began to see the realization dawn on his face. “If you can control yourself, I won’t have to do it for you… but if you want to kick, scream, and thrash like a animal I am not going to go chase after you again.” 

She waited a moment, eyeing down the human who looked just as confused as before, unable to open his mouth. Enough of this, ripping a tear off of the rough roll of scotch, Shevana brought it closer to the human. “Fine, tape it is.” 

“NO! No tape! No tape, please! Please no tape! I’ll be good! Obedient! Please don’t tape my face I won’t talk I-I’ll be good I’ll do anything you say!” the human begged, finally finding his voice after so long. 

Shevana found herself just as surprised as the human at his words, hovering her tape-filled hands in front of him in shock, she quickly pulled them back, eyes wide as she looked down at the cowering human. He had curled himself into a ball with his hands and arms protecting his face. shaking evident even through his clothes. He was muttering to himself, and even though his size made her unable to detect his words, the meaning was not lost on her. For the first time since he had appeared, she felt herself be truly guilty over her actions. Eyeing her hands and then the trembling human in front of her, she felt her stomach turn and her hands go cold.

Unable to force her eyes away from looking at the ball of human in front of her, his protective position stretched his shirt to reveal that she indeed did leave a multitude of growing purple and blue marks all over his body from her –to her– little squeeze earlier. Bile rose in her throat as she began to imagine her own body being littered with sores, their painful marks making it hurt to move. 

Damn– dammit… “uh- uhm…” can’t even do one thing without going on a fucking power trip, maybe she was right about you. “Sorry, I’m not going to t-tape you, I promise, If- Ah-As long as you listen to me and do as I say, we can both leave happy. Understand?”

She tried to speak with authority, but her voice wavered slightly and definitely did not hold the same weight as before, still, to one as small as Alex, she didn’t worry too much about it. Waiting to calm her own beating heart and also since the human was too busy shaking to respond, she tapped her hand lightly against her thigh, fidgeting slightly. She was willing to wait, but she needed him to know who was in control here.

“Hey, are you even listening, human, I said do you understand?” she asked, tapping her finger against the hard oak table to get his attention. Her glare returned, and she was about to poke him lightly to get his attention. Yes, just a light poke to-

“Y-Yes, yes I understand, Miss. I just want to go home, I just… want to go home.” the human sighed, rubbing his swollen eyes as he continued to sit slightly curled, but now able to actually look up at her without running away in fear. Finally

“Great, I don’t want you here either, now stay here while I go get the ingredients to send you back,

“How do you know my name?” He called out, but either his voice didn’t reach her, or she just ignored it, as she continued walking towards her cabinets. Finally with a little time to breathe, Alex felt the rush of adrenaline finally wear off. Conflicting feelings of wanting to run as far and fast as he could, not in any place in particular, just to leave, to escape, get away from this witch, a base, animalistic instinct that he was not safe. It made him feel cold, but his muscles wouldnt stop burning from the earlier experience, as he glanced at the witch musing through her supplies, he realized he was truly helpless. With a sigh, Alex put his head back between his legs and waited as calmly as he could.

Suddenly he was thrown out of his stupor by the sound of 3 resounding BOOMS right beside him, what the hell was-

Oh

Looking back at the source, it was only her hand, no, her finger, tapping lightly on the hard coffee table. Looking back at its owner, Alex saw her give him a confused and annoyed look. 

“Am I going to have to repeat myself again?” She asked, great, the human was looking back up at her with that stupid, idiotic face of his again. She left for not even a minute and he had already gone back to non-communication. “Move out of the way so we can get this over with.”

Not wanting to get it wrong again, Alex deftly moved away from the center of the table, avoiding eye contact as he approached the edge. Don’t look down. Immediately once he left she began drawing shapes and unidentifiable symbols on the oak platform using her fingers. Just as quickly she began placing unknown ingredients all throughout her drawing, Alex couldn’t keep up, he didn’t want to, he just wanted to go home.

With a sigh, the witch sat back down in her couch, seemingly satisfied with her work. Waiting just a moment before she eyed him like he should known something he doesnt. Her gaze soon turned into a scowl as she got angry once again, fearing punishment once again he-

“Well?” She asked, as if it were obvious. “Step onto the Octogram already? Or do you want to stay here even longer?”

Eyeing her creation beside him, Its blood red dusted outline and ominous, unknown symbols making him weary. She hadn’t given him much reason to trust her, in fact, she had almost exclusively given him reasons to NOT trust her. And now she just wanted him to step onto her bewitching circle that would do god knows what?

“How- how do you know my name?” He asked, not budging from his position away, from the red circle. She eyed him with an incredulous look, as if annoyed at the very thought of him talking back to her.

“Please, you think your important huh? You think that I would waste those expensive supplies to shrink and transport a human to my own home? You? You’re a mistake,” she said, her annoyance growing as she began to loom further and further over his 4 inch form. “You just so happen to share the same name as my ex- my girlfriend, and when I tried to look up her last name in the phone book your name appeared right next to it as well. Pure fucking coincidence, I took a coin flip and apparently bet wrong because now I am stuck with a human who thinks its a good idea to talk back to me at the size of a finger. Step onto the octogram.”

Nodding frivolously, he scampered as fast as he could into the center of the blood-red ring. Surrounded by bits and bobs he couldn’t even begin to understand the use for, he began to rethink his decision. A look from her eye sharper than knives shot that idea down immediately, he had the distinct feeling if he angered her again, she wouldn’t just use her words.

Without any more fanfare, Shevana brought her hands together and began muttering. Almost immediately the ground beneath him turned darker, the ingredients and drawings placed around him blackened, consumed in whatever hellish process Shevana was concocting. Fear began to build up once again, he tried to move, only to find his own legs were surrounded by the same black substance as the other ingredients. No-no you promised you would let me go, Please why!? Fighting it was futile, as it spread more and more with every chant the witch spoke. 

Just as he was about to scream, the black tendrils reached his head and fully covered his body, and he lost consciousness.

Okay thats all for now! I promise this story has a happy ending! I'm pretty proud of how this chapter turned out, but let me know. I'm also answering questions now about the lore and characters since i left a LOT of mysteries open so far and I don't know If i will even answer them all in the coming chapters so please ask away!

FAQ:

Q: Are there wizards? No, this universe Witch does not mean 'female wizard'. Both male and female magic users are known as Witches, in

Q: What are witches? Witches are actually a different species than humans, IE. Non-witches can not do witchcraft, as it entails channelling the magic inside the witch through hexes and potions and such, which can not be learned. This has led to many Witch (including somewhat Shevana herself) to have a 'superiority complex' against humans, to put it lightly.

Annnd that's all for now, maybe I'll make this a thing where I drop little lore bombs at the end of my chapters that probably wouldn't make it in otherwise, thanks for reading, drink water and have a nice day!

#giant/tiny #gt community #g/t #gt art #giant tiny #g/t writing #size difference #gt #gt fluff #sfw gt #my writing #gentle gaint #gentle giantess #gianttiny #g/t fearplay #g/t community #sfw g/t #g/t art #g/t fluff #my art #Behind the books #sizetumblr #shrinking #shrunk

[patrophthia]

Congrats on 1k!!! ♡

I'm literally craving for Regulus × hufflepuff!reader so badlyyy, maybe like the reader is rlly hard on herself and she gets a bad exam mark or smt and then she like cries and reggie's just there comforting her? (Lol the reader is ME)

Orrr

Can you do like where the reader is a popular singer (kinda like Taylor swift) and they have an argument together (reggie and reader) before a big concert the reader has to attend to and she's like really sad on stage cause Regulus doesnt attend it and maybe midway through the concert he joins and then the reader just feels better and after the concert they make up!!

Lol you can choose whichever prompt you prefer<3

~♡~

i went the former (mostly cuz i didn’t know how to write the latter and) because same, i get you!!

a(cceptable) | regulus black

pairing: regulus black x reader

genre: established relationship, comfort, im no good at angst so this is me trying

part of my 1k celebration event !

Regulus can read you as easily as he can read a book. It’s in the slight pull of your brow, and soft pout that gives away your mood. 

You’re upset, about something he hasn’t figured out yet, but from the look on your face he’s able to make a wild guess that it has something to do with your test. The one you took last week and would be handed back to you by —approximately today. 

“What’s wrong, amor?” He asks you. In truth, Regulus knew full well what was wrong, but he wanted to give you the freedom to rant to him. To have someone be there for you, to listen and to reassure. “Did something happen?” 

You’re fully frowning when you look at him. “I got a failing grade,” you tell him, handing over your test paper. 

A glance at the paper tells Regulus what exactly he needed to know, you’re being to harsh on yourself. An A(cceptable) was not a failing grade, sure it was a huge different to your test marks but you’re only human and you’re bound to skip up once in a while. 

He could only hope you know that. 

He doesn’t tell you that this wasn’t a failing grade. You both knew that your grades were passable at best, it just wasn’t up to your standards; so he listens to you instead. 

“I’m so mad at myself,” you murmur, “why do I even try when this is the best I could do?” 

“You did your best right?” A nod from you has him continuing. “That’s all that matters, love. You made a mistake this once and that’s fine, everyone makes mistakes it’s a part of living. And for what it’s worth, this grade doesn’t change a thing, you’re still the smartest girl I know.” 

“Even if I got an A in muggle studies?” You ask him timidly. 

Regulus nods, smiling softly at you. “Even if you got an A in muggle studies,” he repeats, and —just for extra measures, he makes sure to tell you about how he’s only ever gotten a D(readful) on the subject. 

#regulus black x you #regulus black x reader #regulus black x yn #regulus black fluff #regulus black fanfiction #regulus black imagines #🧳: my writing #🍰: 1k with patro!

[gnashingwailing]

Kept notes on a reread I was doing of The Art of Love and War because I am so obsessed with the gay little borrower darkfic... sharing with u @fireflywritesgt

it falls apart at ch12 because that is where i consistently turn into a puddle under my covers kicking my legs and making sounds only audible to shrimps.

I HOPE THIS IS A SMALL TOKEN OF APPRECIATION FOR HOW GUD THIS FIC IS, SINCERELY... LIKE I SAID PUTTING THIS IN SOMEBODY'S INBOX IS PROBABLY A WAR CRIME. SO.

There is soooo muuuuch I want to saaaay. I did a reread and excuse my being verbose but.

Ch10 where Harry reads about how tinies don’t ask for things and prefer to do favors for them — how extra insulting that makes his message in Ch1!! “Just ask” no wonder Joe was so pissed!!

ALSO him feeling “dirty, somehow” about accepting chocolate that didn’t kill him… was he having a little bit of feelings for “the kind man” and it got transmuted into self-loathing… 😭 oh internalized homophobia tag we’re really in it now…

Re: ch2 I would kill for Joe’s pov of this… I’m also so fascinated to pick up the detail that Joe apparently talked to himself regularly, for Harry to hear him through the radiator pipes… one assumes Joe doesn’t have guests. Poor guy! He’s really smart! He likes talking! The assistant job is perfect for himmmm.

Re: ch3, i wonder how much Captain Calloway’s “if you die it’s your own damn fault” has influenced Joe’s life ethos of fucking around and finding out (btw… Harry would be sooo horrified to know Joe had been poisoned 3 times and still tried that chocolate 😭 yet another fun! anecdote of his) … im also kinda curious about Gutters. What’s that guy’s deal. And OF. COURSE. How Captain got all his injuries. It’s also so very sad he feels this tension with the guys, what they’d do to him if they knew more about who he really was. I love this as a metaphor for homophobia…

Ch5 I’m still fixated on the giants who are guarding the place. Hundreds of tinies going there every day… you’d think there’d be snatchers all over the place 👀 and the other great worldbuilding… lab tinies… “they were corralling everyone everywhere and the women and kids went one way…” GOD. also them building tiny capitalism plus tiny race science is just 😭😭😭 noooo… the way Harry reinforces their shared dignity and humanity by showing genuine interest in Joe’s art.. ouuuugh it hits every time.

ALSO I WAS SO SUSPICIOUS OF HILL WHEN I FIRST READ CH6 BUT NOW THST I KNOW HE IS A BONA FIDE WIFEGUY ALL IS REDEEMED. I AM so curious as to why he keeps tiny town schematics in his office if he dislikes it…

Ch7 profoundly funny to me how Hill is like “miniature is the academic term” and Joe is like what. Tinies.

I really appreciate how Harry started off having some uh. Idk. Colonizer savior complex stuff + noble savage ideas about Joe? Like “oh it’s in mother nature’s hands whether he survives then… I see…” as if the tinies social constructs about Pets are some immutable fact of nature instead of. A social construct !! It’s really well-done, how you show him gradually understanding that he needs to listen to Joe, not assume he knows what’s best for him just because he read a 50yr old anthropology book!! It makes me love Harry all the more that he managed to grow through it out of fondness for Joe 🥺

AND OF COURSE. THE G/T GOODNESS. My god. I loooooove that Joe is so creeped out by giants that he has to keep his eyes closed to stomach it… just feels. Hmm. Realistic?? It would be so overwhelming. I love that his trust gets rewarded with the doctor not hurting him…

The rapport they establish being based on talking to one another… it’s just suuuuch a perfect central theme for this story… Joe being able to tame Harry’s anger by reminding him of Joe’s own humanity. “Please don’t do that, doc. This is mean. You’re being mean.” And “you’re treating me like I’m not even… not even…” UGH. RENT FREE IN MY HEAD, WARREN. “Maybe he could do it; maybe he could sit in the same room as a giant for five minutes. He would only have to do it once, and then he would never have to do it again, he reasoned.” Bitch u thought… get loved and cared for idiot…

Joe asking him “why not”, echoing Harry’s words that stuck with him…

And then him being sooo pissed at the phone it’s just absolutely amazing stuff. Wagging his finger at it/Dr Hill lmaooo. I was hootin and hollerin when I realized this foreshadows him being the assistant!!! He can talk on the phone just fine!!!!

His legs threatening to give way from the prospect of Harry seeing him at ground level after he escapes using the phone receiver… ouuugh. It’s SO GOOD. He’s come such a long way…

“Touching every wooden beam he passed for good luck” is INCREDIBLY cute mental imagery.., he’s happy… poor guy has awful luck tho so Harry is just pissed 😭 HIM NEARLY DESTROYING THE PLATES BECSUSE HARRY SCARED HIM SO BAD HAD ME FEELING.. SOME KIND OF WAY…

Ch8 also has the first mention of Joe’s books… I’m sooo curious where he got these.. did he perhaps make them…? 👀 YEAH HARRY SHOULD FEEL LIKE A MONSTER THO. YOU TERRORIZED A LIL MOVIE STAR!!! HE ONLY BROKE A FEW THINGS… Making him hide under his covers like he saw a monster… 😭

I love their first god awful handshake lmao. Incredible subversion of the usual g/t first meetings… Joe’s just like OK 👋 NOW GET THAT THANG OUTTA HERE

And then Joe going “I know about that!” Joe protested, his voice growing stronger. “It’s up to me, doc. If it happens, it happens and it’ll be my own damn fault.” … something tells me when Harry finally comes to understand Joe’s recklessness with his own life and what feelings about its worth may be underpinning that, he will be so sad 😔

Joe losing his toes to frostbite… realizing that could very likely be from when he was kidnapped and enslaved with O’Grady… uuuugh he’s so brave to want to connect with anybody at all let alone with Harry!!

Ch9 professor wifeguy moments… yesss… I love that he wants to hang out with another tiny too 😭 Joe is making friends!! I can’t wait to find out about Lorraine and what “other place” she knows about!!! Lmfao I can tell she’s going to be incredible just from the little bit Joe hears of her. I wonder too if she’s been marked… aahhh I’m so excited to learn more about these two. How interesting of a parallel, too, that Harry noted Dr Hill might also be a former soldier… something-something folks unable to fully integrate into society finding and building community with each other…

Also PROFOUNDLY interested to note on a reread that the tiny town on his wall says “a SAFE place to be” and the one in Riverdale said “a CIVILIZED place to be” 😬 a damn prison indeed… I also really wonder just HOW the tinies are paying their rent(?) to stay there, if they’re all as disdainful of “borrowing” as a career as O’Grady seems to be…

MAY I JUST NOTE that Joe stimming around is sooo charming to me. He’s kickin’ his legs. He’s pacing back and forth. He’s doing something like that in the walls when Harry was first listening to him. I LOVE HIM.. aND I love how this chapter we see him going from “that tall bastard (derogatory)” to “that tall bastard (amused)”

AND POOR JOE ON THE MOST CURSED FIELD TRIP IMAGINABLE. There is much to love here but I absolutely adore this imagery: “Joe buried himself in the curtain as the doctor, dressed to the nines in his work clothes and vaguely resembling a horse in a brown suit, sidled over to him and towered there and seethed.” HE’S TERRIFIED 😭 and Joe learns that other people value his wellbeing more than he does… wow Joe no need to ponder that any further until Ch15!!!

There’s SO much incredible prose in this chapter… the haaaaands oh my god the hands. The tinies are on the order of 2-3 inches tall, right? You really get a vivid sense of how big and dangerous everything is to them… absolutely A+ stuff.

This part also slays me everytime I think about it: “Joe was hidden inside [the pocket], and the thought of how unhinged his dear neighbour must look to his fellow giants as he walked and talked gave him no small amount of delight.” HE WOUUUULD.

The mystery of just what Joe created as a boy… what he can’t find it in himself to articulate… why he can hardly fathom talking about himself and his inner world to anyone …

PART 10… the difference in the way Joe confronts Harry here vs with the assistant in part 16 is somehow heartbreaking to me. I think the anger must just be displacement for how he’s really feeling (worried, uncomfortable…) and he’s more able to show his feelings to Harry with the assistants than he is now… but Joeeeee. I don’t ever want him to feel hopeless with Harry, like he just has to accept whatever he wants 😭 I love him in this chapter… Arms crossed, eyes narrowed… red faced… clawing at the air as he ranted Jdhdhdj GOD HE’S SO ICONIC: ““Nope. Not gonna happen! Veto!” Joe leapt up from the box, strode all the way to the edge of the table, and jabbed a finger at him. “I don’t know what kind of sick, twisted doctor things you intend to do to people but whatever it is, it’s not happening in my house!”” I guess I want him to still be comfortable with yelling veto at Harry lmao!!

And then Joe being like WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT YOU SAVING ME THE OTHER DAY. THAT MEANS NOTHING TO ME, A WILD AND INDEPENDENT TINY WHO HAD IT ALL UNDER CONTROL, AT ALL.

ALSO: the way he words this, I have a strong suspicion he does not know the word “patients”?! “”Let’s make a deal in exchange for patients. Give me something in exchange for patients.” Joe stammered. “You do that and I won’t make any trouble.””

Harry thinking of Joe as “the little bastard” in counterpoint to Joe’s “the tall bastard” really makes me smile too, hahahah.

AND THE FURTHER G/T TROPE INVERSION… just because he was willing to get in the giant’s hands one time doesn’t mean he’s suddenly fine with it!! I love how pissed they are at each other over this misunderstanding lmfao. He’s 👏 a 👏 wild 👏 tiny 👏 ‼️

And it’s so meaningful to me that the two of them bond more over sharing art with one another… Harry wants to introduce Joe to an amazing piano player… and Joe is so happy!!! The idea for a Charlie Chaplin bit with a rich miniature woman is SO inspired btw, I was as delighted as Joe was 😭 Harry being like “oh shit wait is this offensive” and then Joe just being like “THIS FUCKS SO HARD LMAO IT REALLY DO BE LIKE THAT”

And then the tragic aftermath… Harry NOTICING that he didn’t even know that he was doing anything wrong by bringing Joe there, it just FELT so dreadfully taboo (enough that Hill, who is MARRIED TO A TINY, also seems like he’s been caught doing something wrong when Harry first meets him)…. and then of course society reinforces that fear in a terrible way. Only a shared humanity regarding love of art saves poor Joe.. how lucky he’s gotten enough exposure to be able to speak in the presence of giants. You have to ponder how many tinies just as wonderfully complex as him have died for not having that skill. It’s so very sad!!! THE IMAGERY OF HIM ON THE LAMP LIKE IT’S A STREETCORNER JUST TWISTED THE KNIFE. Your writing really is so excellent, the way you can carry us through so many different emotions… Joe my belovedddd. I’m simply obsessed with the implications of him NAMING HARRY. WHAT IS /THAT/?? And the way that the narration in the story from this point on swaps to using Harry as his name… it speaks VOLUMES without you needing to elaborate on it at all. Joe has changed him! He’s becoming someone he likes better than Herman! A day we had good luck… Harry is good luck… Luck as a concept very different from what giants think of… I am absolutely enamored with how clearly he has a whole other world, another culture, that Harry can only guess at and be grateful to be included in.

JOE GETTING A NICE BATH AND A COMFORTABLE BED IN THIS CHAPTER IS JUST SO WHOLESOME (even if it will torment his Calvinist sensibilities later…) I am also so charmed to imagine how Joe must have woken up and been like “what the FUCK did I do last night. Where the HELL am I 🤨”

And then in Ch11 he’s like I WILL PROCEED NOT TO THINK OF THAT AT ALL. <- clueless

Ch11 is one of my favorites I think… we really get a good glimpse into how much heavy-duty rationalizing Joe is doing LMAO. “Taking food is fine, because I’m just using this tall bastard.” “It’s fine if I have leisure time.” “It’s fine if I like Harry and his company and I miss him when he’s gone and I want to give him a name.” “AS LONG AS I DON’T GET COMFORTABLE ALL OF THIS IS FINE.” This line is such a banger lol: “Joe Piccoli was many things as he went to sleep that night, but he was not a pet, and he was not comfortable.” And then the mouse!!! That Joe decides to draw rather than kill!!! Look at his needs being met!!!!!

IT ALSO ABSOLUTELY FUCKIN KILLED ME WHEN I REALIZED IN THIS CHAPTER THAT THE BOYS HAVE JUST. FULLY LEFT THAT FLOORBOARD OFF LMFAO??? THAT’S HIS SKYLIGHT NOW…

And then. Good god. The arm scene… it’s just. Soooo. 👌👌👌👌 I’m so … 😵‍💫💖❤️‍🔥…

“I’m a wild tiny!” “You’re going to be a dead tiny if that gets infected.” Their dynamic is so fucking funny. AND THE TENDERNESS OF HARRY TOUCHING JOE… Joe being so overwhelmed not exactly with fear but HMMM I WONDER WHAT EMOTION AND WHY HE MIGHT FEEL SO OVERWHELMED HE STILL NEEDS TO CLOSE HIS EYES AND PRETEND HE’S HIDDEN UNDER THE FLOOR AGAIN… 🤔🤔🤔 whyever would the touch of this kind giant make his hair stand on end and make him contemplate the reverence he’s being touched with and leave his cheeks burning… it is a mystery

And then Joe being so afraid the mouse would be hurt because in contrast to the kindness he’s been shown, he still has this long history of awful experiences with giants.. this part in particular made my heart hurt:

“Don’t kill the mouse, Harry, please don’t kill it. It’s just like me. It hasn’t done anything to you.” Joe begged.

Followed by him remembering that this is /Harry, his friend, who he knows/:

“The words hit Joe like the breaking of a spell, and he stood in the kitchen windowsill feeling downright foolish. Of course Harry wouldn’t kill the mouse, Joe realized - of course he wouldn’t do that.”

OUGH. This story is SO delicious I’m beyond obsessed…

The two of them having a much less Charged encounter after Joe has resolved some of his internal conflicts, at least for the moment… chatting away like they’re two normal friends while Harry touches him… 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 I LOVE THESE TWO SO MUCH‼️

Their motorcycle shenanigans… Harry showing Joe his precious Contraption and Joe absolutely hating it omg it was so peak 😭 PLAYING “WHO’S-MORE-BORING CHICKEN”… the way Joe is like “I would rather Die than have to listen to this guy talk about how he’s more exciting than me. Absolutely not.”

I also very much appreciate the foreshadowing of the street car on this re-read…

AND may I say I really love that they went on a little nature trip together!!! I have thought often of the potential of a g/t story set outdoors, where the normal sized person and the tiny are both made small by how all-encompassing the wilderness is. Something to do with camping or backpacking! Maybe something I want to write one day! This gave me a delightful taste of that.

AND ANYWAY THE ACCEPTING OF COMFORT EVEN AS IT FLIES IN THE FACE OF EVERYTHING HE’S BEEN TAUGHT TO ROMANTICIZE AND VALUE… ouuuughhh GET LOVED IDIOT!! GET SEEN AND KNOWN AND TAKEN CARE OF!!!

And then ch12… Harry’s realization that Joe won’t ever bring up anything if it’s just for his own benefit. Which by the way, on a re-read I can appreciate how cleverly you’ve set this up, if I didn’t write that clearly enough before! There’s something cultural there but also, I think, something uniquely Joe that Harry maybe can’t fully see yet. Harry’s watch from his parents breaking down at the same moment he’s trying to change his relationship with Joe, the new most important person in his life (at least I presume! He doesn’t seem to have other close friends/family) … very very good. This sentence is so evocative. Simultaneously funny and sad: “With the way Joe’s eyes shifted from side to side one would think the doctor had suggested they go rob a bank.” It’s very good angst realizing how much Harry is asking of Joe without him even knowing it…

BTW this part is so delightful. They’re so interested in each other!!! “When his footsteps announced his arrival, he could see the tiny’s movements through the missing floorboards as his neighbour crossed the floor and climbed back up to the windowsill above the counter.” <- guy who absolutely has NOT been gotten

“Joe smiling. A rare sight indeed.” JUST…. My heaaaart ‼️‼️

Also hilarious how Joe and now Harry have both had “mmm I do NOT like the way this guy is smiling right now” moments 🤣

GOD tho, Joe’s opening up about getting snatched… much like Harry, it made me feel absolutely beside myself.

^^^ AS YOU CAN SEE. I'VE FULLY FALLEN APART.

[justanothergeek77]

So I have thoughts on how the gods are portrayed in the PJO show so far.

I saw a post arguing that the show should've put more effort into displaying the gods' power, the way they did in the book, but I actually disagree. I really like the way that the show portrays the gods as so obviously human: as real, flawed beings, who don't feel above the world at all. Sure, they are still gods, and we know that and know to respect them, but the thing is that the reality of who the gods are is very different from how everyone thinks of them, and that disconnect ties directly into the main themes of the show.

Every time Percy hears something about the gods from an outside source, being another Demigod, Chiron, Grover, etc., the gods are placed on a pedestal. You have to burn offerings to get their attention, you have to fight for glory to earn their respect; the gods are viewed as fundamentally separate from humans and demigods, and that separation makes it seem like their behavior is okay, because they're gods. All the ways that they hurt their kids are excused by that one little fact: of course not every kid gets claimed, their parents are busy with Godly Things. Of course you have to burn offerings and fight for glory. Of course your parent won't talk to you unless you earn it, they're a God.

Then we actually meet some gods, and realize they aren't all that different from humans after all.

Mr. D is just some guy who's perpetually hungover and likes to gamble. Sure, he's a god, but he's also an asshole who refuses to remember Percy's name and pretends to be his dad just to convince Percy to get him a drink. He's a dick, as the name implies, and no less of one for the fact that he's a god. and he's protected from scrutiny by that fact; Chiron mitigates the damage Mr. D does by misleading Percy, but doesn't dare to reprimand him for it, despite clearly having more practical power over the camp than he does. Percy, on the other hand, is impertinent: he sees Mr. D for who he is, beyond godhood.

Hermes, for all that we barely see any of him, is just doing the job of a postal worker, and dealing with the mundane things that come his way because of it. He can take a joke, even if his family clearly can't; hopefully we'll see more of him soon. Like Mr. D, he hardly feels like a god at all.

Then there's Ares. He's exactly what he appears to be, for once: an asshole biker dude who starts fights on twitter for fun and makes children do his dirty work. He tries to manipulate them, but isn't very good at it, given that Grover outsmarts him. He may be the god of war, but Annabeth still mouths off to him, entirely unafraid after everything else they've faced; she's rapidly losing the respect for the gods that she once had.

Hephaestus, we don't see much of, but he seems rather ordinary too. Unlike the other gods, he's capable of reason, listening to Annabeth's pleas and agreeing with her point that it isn't supposed to be this way.

And that's the crux of the matter, really. if the gods were really Gods, if they were powerful and elevated and separate from humanity, there would be no changing them. But if they aren't these perfect beings that people have built up in their heads, then there is no excuse for the way they've acted. If they're just people, albeit powerful people, then they need to take responsibility for their actions: for their kids, for the harm they do on Earth, for this system of glory and injustice that they've perpetuated for millennia.

The PJO show isn't straying from the book, or changing the gods' portrayals just for the sake of it. It's leaning into themes that don't appear solidly until later in the series right from the start, and allowing them more time to be deeply established for a better payoff later.

I also wanted to mention two more things, but they didn't really fit anywhere earlier: Poseidon and Athena. Both of them haven't appeared onscreen yet, only influencing the plot through remote actions. Athena's actions have reinforced the distant, elevated version of her that we think of first, as she turns on her own daughter the moment she's slightly embarrassed. We haven't met Athena yet, and so her character is able to maintain that air of distance and mystery, that idea of power that could come crumbling down the moment you look too close. It's also worth noting that Athena's actions here are more of a lack of action: by allowing Echidna and the Chimera to enter her temple, a passive non-action, rather than stopping them to protect Annabeth.

Poseidon, on the other hand, does everything in his power to help Percy short of showing up in person. We may not have met him yet, but his actions speak volumes towards his character: saving Percy from falling to his death, curing the poison, and sending a messenger to reassure him all point to someone who desperately wants to be there for his son, regardless if Percy wants him or not; that's without even considering his actual words, through the messenger, which confirm this notion. It's clear after this encounter that Poseidon does have power, and one cannot forget that he is a god, but he has also dropped all pretense of pretending to be above anyone else. He's a father who loves his son, and he doesn't care about pretending otherwise anymore.

#pjo tv show #percy jackson #geek speaks #fan essay #thoughts #I wrote this all straight into the tumblr post but I might polish it up into an actual essay later #cause I definitely have more thoughts on this topic

[myrddinmirror]

The Divine Plan Theory

I'd like to talk about MOTIVES. My first investigation started with a question I asked myself: "Why does Gabriel need a big box?" This theory begins with the question: "Why does the Metatron need Aziraphale?" No one has so far convincingly answered it. The only logical version that was voiced: he was afraid of the miracle of 25 lazarus and decided to separate the couple. There are several questions about the idea:

What could stop Crowley from coming to Heaven AGAIN?

Why shouldn't Crowley change his mind after a little alone time?

How can the Metatron interfere if Crowley shows up in Heaven and says: "Yes, I want to become an angel, you promised"?

Who will prevent the Supreme Archangel from visiting Earth as often as he wishes?

Why give one of the strong enemies even more power? After all, the position of Archangel implies an increase in available power, right?

Having kidnapped Aziraphale, the Metatron leaves the enraged enemy on Earth. With the power of the Throne or more, who moreover belongs to the Other Side.

Why would the Metatron start a complicated conversation, manipulate, etc., if he could just let Michael run the Extreme Sanctions?

Suppose the Book of Life is unavailable. The Metatron can still request the subordinate angel to report to Heaven at any time and erase his memory there immediately.

He can just let Michael launch Armageddon 2.0 again, confirming that she is now the Supreme Archangel. What can Aziracrow do on Earth? They won’t even know about the End of Days until it’s too late.

Please give me a convincing answer to at least one of these questions, and I will drop my theory.

Well, if you’re willing to listen to me, let’s move on.

Two Plans

In the Good Omens universe there are two Plans of development: the Great, which is known to all parties, including Humanity (Armageddon, the Second Coming) and the Ineffable, the secret game of the Almighty, the rules of which no one knows. Heaven and Hell are guided by the Great Plan, but nothing is known about the Ineffable, except that it exists. And it definitely exists, the Almighty Themselves tell us about this at the beginning of the first episode of the first season.

The Archangels and the Dukes of Hell prefer not to think about this mysterious game because it doesn't fit into the established status quo and introduces too many unknown variables into the usual existence (too much of a headache for the authorities). So, speculations about the Ineffable Plan remain a verbal game for marginals, such as a boring bibliophile angel lost somewhere in a corner of the Earth.

Probably, there was only one Plan in the Beginning. God were young, cruel and quick to slaughter. We haven't seen the Fall yet. Perhaps this event has cooled off the Almighty's ardor. Did They understand what violence leads to and have grown up a little? Then the Flood - and a bit of growing up again? The Great Plan remained as it was, but God changed. Of course, They were not going to appear in front of Their children and, blushing with embarrassment, explain: "You know, I went through a period of youthful maximalism, I was probably wrong about something…". This is how two Plans appeared.

The Almighty

The Almighty is a full-fledged actor. They make decisions, manipulate events. At the beginning of History They did it more roughly and openly (the Flood - Job), then more and more subtly. But They are still playing - we see it. They gave all Their creatures Free Will: mortals, angels, and demons (1) but in some miraculous way everyone does what They want. Imagine that you are walking around the city, come to a street intersection and you can turn right or left, and suddenly a big dirty rat runs by on the right. You turn left, although no one forced you to do so, right? Their work is even more subtle.

How do we understand whether Their Plan leads to Good or Evil? Do you think They want to destroy the Earth? It does not look like. They tried the Flood, and They didn’t like it (2). Sodom and Gomorrah? Thank you, no more. Look from the beginning of History: of course, They wanted mortals to bite an apple (3), They obviously know that a certain angel gave people his sword. Well, They don't mind. They know that Job won because of Aziracrow's cheating. There is no punishment. Is it possible for subordinate creatures to go unpunished if the Almighty God is angry with them? Why would They replace babies, if not to make Armageddon less likely? A warning from Agnes Nutter that flew out of the book, and so timely and successfully fell right into the hands of Aziraphale? Was it just a gust of wind? Did the Almighty want Their children to be executed?

You can never be sure that you understand God, but it seems to me that They want the Earth and all Their children to continue to exist, because "God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good" (4)

In both seasons we are periodically shown a view from above. Obviously, this is the look of God (5).

They hear words directed to Them, but don't respond with speech. Gabriel’s words in the voice of the Almighty (6): "I remember when the morning stars sang together, and the all Angels of God shouted for joy" are hints to the angel and the demon. God doesn't command or ask, because for an angel, even a request from God would mean an ORDER, and thus means a refusal of Free Will. They TEST Their children. God is still quite cruel in Their trials. In the first season, the world was minutes away from the End, and Aziraphale had to deal with the destruction of his bookstore and Crowley suffered the loss of his angel. Do you think the fire was an accident? Just a windflaw? Then look at this frame, who set it up?

At the same time, the Book of Prophecies also "quite by accident" turns out to be lying on the floor right in front of Crowley. Why this fire, why so much pain? Well, perhaps They were unhappy that Aziraсrow were moving too slowly. "Don't dawdle." Azi thinks a lot after the minisode with Job. Test again? Cause to worry. Aziraphale is worried and calls for Crowley, but Crowley is GONE. Likewise, the demon will leave in the finale.

However, beyond glances and wind gusts, it would be nice for God to have agents on Earth to directly influence events when necessary.

Field Agent the Metatron

The most obvious helper, you’d be surprised, the Metatron. Well, he’s the Voice of God. Walks the Earth, unrecognized by anyone, ingested things (7), doesn't arouse suspicion among mortals - apparently, he has been in the field for a long time.

Really, why did everyone assume he was the main antagonist? Because of the serious expression on his face or the stare at Crowley? Manipulator - Yes. Crude methods, intimidation - YES. But an unfriendly appearance doesn't mean that a person is on the side of evil.

I know where it came from - the scene in the first season. (And yes, also from the book. But the book canon and the series canon are different canons for me.) Let’s analyze that dialogue in detail, because it's important (8).

-You are speaking to the Metatron, Aziraphale. To speak to me is to speak to God. I'm the Voice of the Almighty. What is said to me is said to the Almighty -The important thing is the Antichrist. I know who he is, I know where he is. -Good work, well done. -So there doesn't need to be any of that nonsense about a third of the seas turning to blood or anything. There needn't be a war. We can save everyone. -The point is not to avoid the war. The point is to win it. -What sort of initiating event will precipitate the war? -We thought a multi-nation nuclear exchange would be a nice start. -Very imaginative. -The battle commences, Aziraphale. Join us. -In a jiffy. Two shakes of a lamb's tail. Just a couple of things left to tie up. -We will leave the gateway open for you, then. Do not dawdle.

The dialogue begins with the Metatron’s assertion that talking to him equals talking to God. Many are wary because they don't believe that God desires evil. They're right. But I suggest you believe that the Metatron is telling the truth, because he ALSO means no harm. Praising Aziraphale for finding the Antichrist. It’s not a mockery, it’s sincere: "You’re doing great, you’re doing everything right".

"The point is not to avoid the war. The point is to win it": "Saving the Earth is YOUR mission. Do you want an easy way for the Almighty to do everything for you? It’s not gonna happen".

Nuclear war. It wasn’t the Metatron’s idea, it wasn’t his plan. Did he say "We want it"? No. It’s a prediction of what the Horsemen will do, a clue to the angel. And the Metatron has no gift of omniscience, it’s an attribute of God.

"The battle commences, Aziraphale. Join us." - "Join our team, the battle for Earth begins now".

"Do not dawdle". We already know that the Metatron knows how to be harsh, knows how to order (9). If he was playing for Armageddon, he could say, "You can’t stay here doing anything, because this place is about to turn to dust. Troops built, get in line now!" Instead, he said, "If you want, you can come to Heaven, but if you have work to do (if you want to save the Earth), then hurry up, there’s almost no time left".

You know, the Metatron may not know the Ineffable Plan, he’s really just a Will of God translator. He may not understand the Plan or sympathize with Aziraphale (much less Crowley). He simply does his duty as he is told. Think about the fact that the Metatron actually has NO reason why he should go AGAINST God's Will.

If Michael is stubborn in her determination to complete the Great Plan, it doesn't mean that ALL angels are. The Metatron DOES NOT obey the Archangels. Moreover, it seems that Michael annoys him with his excessive fanaticism.

In the Last Fifteen, Azi starts a conversation with Crowley with "The Metatron, you know, I don't think he's as bad a fellow. Well, I think I might've misjudged him". (thought after that scene in the first season). He may have begun to understand the motives of the Voice of God, but he failed to convey his insight to Crowley. You will object, why then doesn’t he tell the demon directly: "I think the Metatron needs us to prevent the End of the World from happening"? Firstly, because this is only an assumption and in fact Aziraphale is scared by the Metatron's words, which sound like a threat. And secondly, because Crowley obviously won't believe or agree. The demon RENOUNCED from Heaven, from God, he hates them and will never go to work FOR THEM in his life (10). Therefore, Aziraphale asks: "Work with ME! I NEED YOU!" He probably thinks that by bringing Crowley to Heaven he can protect him (from Hell at least). The angel knows that Crowley loves him immeasurably more than God. But even this doesn't help. I don’t judge Crowley, he has his reasons. But the fact remains - Crowley LEAVES.

In the Last Fifteen, Aziraphale is actually threatened by the Metatron. In any case, the words about his partnership with Crowley sound like a threat:

-I've been looking back over a number of your previous exploits, and I see that in quite a few of them you formed a de facto partnership with the demon Crowley. Now, if you wanted to work with him again, that… might be considered irregular, but…

That's his way of doing things. As you noticed, he's not very friendly in general. So, he is given the task of returning Aziraphale to Heaven (I remember about MOTIVES, we will return to them). Let’s review his manipulation technique a little more.

First a gift: "Well, I brought you a coffee from the shop". A gesture that should appease the interlocutor. It’s like the first "yes" in a negotiation: if you agree with your opponent once, then it’s harder to refuse.

Step two is to have a one-to-one conversation.

Step three is flattery. A set of obvious lies (11), because we have all seen how Aziraphale knows how to lie, how he tries to be a good subordinate and not contradict his superiors unnecessarily (12).

Step four - offer. Aziraphale refuses, well, the Metatron has an ace up his sleeve: "You can make Crowley an angel again. You will take him with you to Heaven. We don't mind." A very strong move. But Aziraphale is not so simple, so we move on.

Step five is an alternative that cannot be accepted. The illusion of choice, where in reality there is no choice. "You can refuse the proposed position, I’m not forcing you. But. I know about your fraternization with the demon. And that’s not what Heaven approves of, if you know what I mean…"

The methods are shitty, but the task is completed.

Saraqael and Muriel

The Metatron is undoubtedly the main conductor of the God's Will. But he also needs help. As we already found out in the previous theory, Saraqael is very familiar with the Metatron, she immediately recognized him in human form. Why? Obviously, because she saw him on Earth more than once. All operational information flows to Saraqael; she is the first to know about everything that happens in Heaven and Earth (13). It is Saraqael who sends Muriel to spy on Aziraphale. Moreover, she has the power to erase angels' memories and turn mortals into salt pillars (why doesn’t Michael do this?).

There’s an interesting detail. Remember how Saraqael spotted Crowley looking through Gabriel’s file and didn’t turn on the alarm? (14) Do you remember how a little later Crowley and the Archangels descended to Earth?

Who do you think told Michael and Uriel to come and WHO told them not to hurt Crowley? Saraqael is not technically an Archangel, but is actually the second person in Heaven after the Metatron. She makes her own decisions and DOESN'T LOOK like she's working for the Great Plan.

Muriel, who was "recruited" by Saraqael and apparently must report directly to her, easily falls under the Metatron's command. It is clear that she could not object to the Voice of God, but he also hires her quite calmly (are there any more angels in Heaven?), without worrying that the information she receives may leak into the "wrong" hands. He is not afraid precisely because he and Saraqael play on the same team.

Undercover Agent Maggie

We come to a dubious point. I think Maggie is an angel in the Metatron's service. Moreover - the Ascended demon. We are being hinted that Maggie is not so easy in the first note she writes to Aziraphale (15). Spelling problems are the demons feature in the Good Omens universe. Maggie doesn’t look like a demon. But there’s definitely something wrong with her.

I'm sure her quirks have been covered many times before, but let's quickly recap:

a) she cries very unnaturally (but she seems to be genuinely interested in Nina). b) she owns a record store c) she thanks Aziraphale for his kindness with the words "You are an angel." d) she is not affected by some miracles. e) she has no fear of demons. f) her words ("You wanna come in here and say that to my face?" ) work for demons as a permission to come in. g) she doesn't leave the store during the assault, doesn't ask questions like "what's going on here" (unlike Nina) and helps Aziraphale fight off the demons. h) she decides that it's very urgent to talk to Crowley, tearing Nina away from her work right in front of the line of customers. i) Nina calls her "angel". j) she doesn't drink alcohol (16)

Why all these weird things actually matter:

a) with her "financial difficulties" she attracts Aziraphale’s attention, and with her tears forces him to ask what happened, and thereby draws him into close communication just at the moment when Gabriel disappears from Heaven. Coincidence! b) you can come up with any plausible legend, no one will check anyway, but it is incredibly convenient to be the owner of a rare record store for an antique record player, and how lucky that the only one who needs them lives right across the street. c) there are many words of thanks, but she chooses this one. It’s like trying to give a sign: "I know who you are". d) some miracles don’t work on her at all, on Nina - not much. Is it because Nina is under her "wing"? e) it’s not a very natural reaction for an ordinary person to stand face-to-face with a crowd of angry otherworldly creatures who just "devoured" your neighbor and tell them that you grew up with brothers, and therefore you are not afraid (hey, even Crowley and Aziraphale are very nervous). f) if an invitation from any mortal worked, it would be too easy for any demon to get where he wants: give a coin to a beggar and he would happily hold the door for you. g) why does she need all this? There are much safer ways to impress a girl, especially since you are actually putting her in serious danger by getting into a fight that’s none of your business. h) is it really so urgent? It’s like she’s deliberately pushing the demon to lose control of himself at the worst possible moment. Nina warns her: "It won’t do any good". But she replies as if she had received an order: "It doesn’t matter. We have to tell them". i) yes, it’s just a term of affection, but there are a lot of other affectionate words out there, why that? a clue? j) in itself this would not be strange if not for all the other points. In addition, we remember how in the time of Job Aziraphale reacted to the offer of a drink (17)

Why do I think Maggie is not just an angel, but a former demon? Because it fits into the scenario logic: so many characters, events, or even items in the series have mirrors. So, if the plot mentioned the possibility of Ascending, then it's very likely that it will be played with respect to another character. Anyway it’s not really the most important part of the current theory.

What conclusions can I draw based on the above? Maggie was a demon, and then somehow she earned forgiveness. Few in Heaven may have the ability to Ascend: the Almighty, the Metatron, and (possibly) the Supreme Archangel. But no one ever mentioned that someone has been Ascended. Officially, this never happened. So when it happened one day, it remained a secret (no one wants it to come out and shake the status quo, just like Gabriel’s Fall). And then this angel goes to Earth: to work secretly among people or among angels - earthly representatives of Heaven (or maybe demons), wherever special finesse and insignificance are required.

The Metatron had probably been keeping an eye on Aziraphale (or all the angels on Earth) for a long time, his dossier on him must be quite extensive, and he could not help but realize that Aziraphale is the special one. And at some point Maggie goes to be nearby (eyes and ears that not only ducks have). Gabriel's escape is an extraordinary enough event to command the agent to activate. This is where season two began.

A little more about Motives

So, the Almighty doesn't want Armageddon and the End of the World. Through cunning manipulation of babies, and a dedication of one angel and one demon, Armageddon 1.0 fails. But the Heaven-Hell bureaucracy still needs it (it's the Great Plan!). Somehow so imperceptibly it turns out that the Supreme Archangel and Duke of Hell, responsible for the beginning of Armageddon 2.0, withdraw. Free will, a little luck, a couple of minor passes of the divine hands in the dark, and now the End of Days has not happened again, and seats at the top of the two hierarchies are vacant.

Our divine conspirators need to put someone on the throne who will help successfully fail the Second Coming. The candidacy is obvious, and it’s definitely not Michael (18). So I believe that although the Metatron’s methods are brutal and his flattery is false, in the main he told Aziraphale the truth:

-There are huge plans afoot, enormous projects, and I will need you to run them. You are just the angel for the job. … Well, I can't think of a better angel to wrap things up, and to set into motion the next step in the Great Plan. It's something we need an angel of your talents to direct. An angel who is familiar with how they do things on Earth.

The Voice of God did it. Yeah, Aziraphale and Crowley had a fight and now they’re not talking. God knows if it’s what the Metatron wanted. Maybe yes, maybe no. I'm inclined to think he wanted both of them. This is a much more logical option (see questions at the very top). But the Ineffable Plan is still ineffable, and everything that happens must lead to the best.

I wonder if Crowley will understand the Almighty's hint about the Second Coming? (19) Place bets.

By the way, have you noticed? The Metatron often says WE. Who are "we"? Heaven is only a habitat. And each Archangel plays his own game. So "we" isn’t "all of us, angels," it’s a specific "we": "God, me and our team". Besides, "we," are probably Jesus and Adam. I don’t think Jesus wants the End of the World, wants to cast people into Hell (even bad ones), or destroy demons. But he needs allies in Heaven - those who will not run joyfully to blow the trumpet of the Last Judgment and send misfortune to Earth. And Michael, Sandalphon and Uriel are among those who will (20).

(1) Neil's answers about free will: here and here (2) S1 Ep.3 02:08 "The Almighty's going to put up a new thing, called a "rain bow", as a promise not to drown everyone again". (3) S1 Ep.1 04:15 "Fruit tree in the middle of a garden with a "Don't Touch" sign. I mean, why not put it on the top of a high mountain?" (4) Genesis 1:31 (5) During the assault: is this not the gaze of God, but of the Metatron? (6) 21:34 Ep.2 (7) 35:54 Ep.6 "I've ingested things in my time, you know". (8) 50:26 S1 Ep.4 (9) 33:56 Ep.6 "Right, you, you, you, back to Heaven, spit, spot, not another word. … Well, go on, off you go, the lot of you!" (10) 42:58 Ep.6 -He said I could appoint you to be an angel. You could come back to Heaven and… -And you told him just where he could stick it, then? (11) 41:54 Ep.6 "You're a leader, you're honest, you don't just tell people what they want to hear". (12) 13:14 S1 Ep.1, 01:15 S1 Ep.2, 38:54 S1 Ep.3, 04:49 S1 Ep.4 ("I'm soft!"), 13:50 Ep.2, 39:10 Ep.2 (13) Muriel first takes the matchbox to Saraqael, and she is the first at the globe with a miracle of 25 lazarus. (14) 10:56 Ep.6 (15) 08:24 Ep.1 "ugrency" (16) a) 10:22 Ep.2 b) 38:01 Ep.1 c) 24:30 Ep.1 "Oh, Mr. Fell, about the rent. I just want to say, you're an angel". d) 37:03 Ep.5 e) 02:17 Ep.6 "You lot are ridiculous" f) 03:37 Ep.6 g) 37:20 Ep.5 "I'm not leaving him to face them on his own". h) 37:33 Ep.6 i) 38:52 Ep.6 j) 36:49 Ep.1 -I don't drink. I just never wanted to. I don't like the taste. -Well, I need a drink. -No judgement. (17) 30:15 Ep.2 (18) Oh, Aziraphale knows how to be willful! That’s why he is needed, because for thoughtless order execution there are other Archangels. (19) 38:53 Ep.3 "There will come a tempest, and darkness, and great storms. And the dead will leave their graves and walk the earth once more. And there will be great lamentations. Every day it's getting closer". (20) Michael is the main antagonist of the third season, I am SURE. Sandalphon loved to destroy people of Sodom and Gomorrah. And Uriel already had her first question.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #good omens theory #the Metatron #crowley #aziraphale #aziracrow #ineffable fandom #goodomens #gomens #gomens 2

[baxndaid]

#BEDEVIL

characters ; XIAO, VENTI

prompt ; yandere/possessive mfs ;frown;

notes/warnings ; toxic, no established relationship, suggestive?? ish idk LMFAO also xiao ty for coming home u can stay with mommy raiden and babe venti

i . xiao

xiao is already protective as it is, so this mf would kinda just,, liek,, creep around you for a while!! just for ur safety like tf u judging him for⁉⁉ he still wonders abt his karma and the dangers of being around him, which is the main reason why he stays away from you. but his karmic debt doesnt stop him from watching you

xiao saw you regularly with zhongli by your side. all you did was talk and nod your head as the old god recited his usual stories and life-lessons. he found it amusing, your tired and sleepy face as you lean on the palm of your hand and pretend to understand what the archon was saying half of the time, but he would never linger on it too long. the adeptus would ask about you sometimes, he did wonder why a normal, human, mortal like you, hung around with a retired deity. but, he did know that zhongli wished to live a mortal life, so it didnt surprise him when he told him that he simply enjoyed your lovely presence. he scoffed after leaving, wondering what was so incredible about your oh, so called "lovely presence." he didnt resent you, you havent done anything to him after all and he was a fair man. so, he simply observed you from the side lines. studying your antics, silently listening to your late-night rants, huffing at your small mistakes and stutters, looking around your booked hotel room at the inn, taking articles of your clothing, learning your daily routine, he truly became your shadow, following you everywhere you went. he convinced himself, hes doing this for you. its a dangerous world out there and he needs to be the one to keep you safe. who else would do it? he experienced his fair share of fights and was trained well in terms of combat, he was the perfect candidate to protect you. and that is exactly what he did.

you were walking back from completing a few extra commissions with lumine and paimon, arms looped together. it wasn't that you two were in a relationship or anything, but you both enjoyed to hold hands/arms while walking together for comfort. a kind, sweet gesture of friendship. sometimes he wished that he could just show up and magically be close to you like lumine was, so you would walk with him, hold hands with him, love him. but for now, he could live with just daydreaming. perhaps, he'd have to pay a little visit to lumine? just for pointers, of course :)

ii . venti

you mfs should know by now that i go feral when i write for venti bro idk just something awakens and i go nuts, like theres something SO ironic and cool abt a literal god of freedom going against his own beliefs and purpose,, in other words its hot ex dee LMFAOO SHOULD I MAKE A ACTUAL (CHAPER) STORY with a nun!reader (comment yes pls i want to so bafd)

venti always kept his eyes on you, as a nun, you were his loyal worshipper, and therefore, you should dedicate your life to him. in other words, you belong to him. this is what he said to himself, of course. to justify it, if you will. to justify his constant staring, the accidental bumps and touches and strokes on the streets of mondstat, harsh winds blowing your uniform upwards when hes around, and the convenient disappearances of those you talk to on a regular basis. but its all just a bit of fun! hes just messing around! its your fault you take it so seriously! he always laughs and giggles whenever you swat away his grubby hands from your body, he loves the annoyed look on your face whenever he pesters you and makes flirtatious remarks while you are on duty. you always hated it, but you didnt want to be rude and kick the poor man while he was down. to you, he was just the local bard, with a limited amount of mora and an alcohol addiction that he struggles with. to venti, he was a wolf in disguise, the superior, and it excited him. it excited him whenever you would pray to him daily with sweet and innocent intentions, and then soon later that day, scold him for making a perverted joke with disgust clearly imprinted onto your face while doing so. he laughs at your attempts to flee too, didnt you know that the wind will always follow?

NAVIGATION ♡

#( ✦ yae’s cards — ) . #genshin impact venti #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin headcanons #genshin impact #genshin xiao #genshin impact xiao #adeptus xiao #alatus #xiao genshin impact #xiao x reader #venti x reader #venti #yandere genshin x reader #yandere genshin imagines #yandere genshin impact #yandere genshin au #yandere venti #yandere xiao

[sassykattery]

Lover's Feast

Listen, sometimes, I don't write the stories, my inner horny demon does. And for some reason, that demon decided we needed vampire smut, so here you go. Drink up.

CW: features afab/fem oc! Altaira who uses she/her pronouns. Smut: fingering, unprotected sex, piv with creampie. Blood play and blood drinking. Explicit descriptions of sex. Yandere behavior.

Pairing: Diavolo x oc! Altaira [established relationship]

Third person POV, Vampire AU

Other characters: Barbatos

Synopsis: Haven't we all been told not to do something and we do it anyway? Well, sometimes that leads to... unexpected circumstances.

A/N: This story is not canon to Altaira's original fic, however, there is quite a bit in this story that reveals some elements of her fic. So, in effect, this is a Vampire AU that is related to the original story.

"I hope this room is comfortable for you, Altaira," Barbatos said with a bow. She looked around at the darkened room, a lone, rather large bed against the opposite wall, some couches laid about, a couple of bookcases. Diavolo had invited her over for the first time since they started dating, and as late as it got, he invited her to stay the night.

"It's lovely, tell Diavolo thank you for me," she replied with a slight smile, turning back to the butler.

"Very well. My lord and I ask that you remain here for the night, and should you need something, simply message us. We would hate for you to get lost," he added.

"I will," she agreed.

With that, Barbatos shut the door and left the human to her own devices. She began to explore her quarters, perusing the books along the shelves. Many she didn't recognize, clearly written by Devildom-native authors. Finding one that seemed interesting, called "A Tale of Twin Flames," she took it with her and lounged upon the chaise to read it.

The story was that of two lovers, they who had been separated by circumstance upon the creation of their shared nature by the probability of the universe. One flame found themself in the throes of commonality and mundane living. This flame traversed their life completely unaware of the other, finding each stepping stone upon their life's mortal circuit as an act of surviving. The other flame fell upon the immortal circuit, tossed like an angry sea between duty and heartfelt desire for who, this flame didn't know. This flame was completely aware of a missing piece, and upon every other fire it encountered, there was no spark, no ignition.

It was on one fateful day that the flames met, the immortal fire unknowingly finding the familiarity it had been searching for since childhood, an attachment unlike a moth to its flame, no, not a detrimental one. This association of flames was like taking two pieces of a grand puzzle, both fitting perfectly together in the middle, completing a wider picture than either could conceive. This sort of thing could only be described as a perfect union.

Altaira found herself waking up suddenly, laid back against the chaise. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep, and when she looked at her book, she realized she had finished it. Setting it aside, she stretched and came to her feet. She quickly realized she needed a bathroom.

Thinking she knew where it was and hating to bother anyone else just to go, she changed into her pajamas quickly and made her trek out of the guest room. It took some time, but she did eventually find one. She could've sworn the one she had been in before looked different, but she was happy to find it nonetheless.

When she was done, she left and looked around, realizing she had no idea what wing of the castle she was in as dim as it was. She wasn't entirely sure how she even found her way over here. Uncertain but unsure where anyone was to even ask for help, she began walking around. A chill ran over her as she walked the halls, and she rubbed her hands over her upper arms, trying to warm up. The paintings lining the halls kept her company as she watched them pass by as she continued her trek.

"Altaira," an airy but low tenor voice called out to her, making her jump and turn around.

"Diavolo! You spooked me," she replied, looking at the darkened silhouette of the prince. He stepped forward and she could see him slightly better, still in his RAD uniform.

"I apologize. You are up rather late," he replied softly, his lids lowered as he looked at her with a neutral expression.

"I fell asleep by accident," she replied, studying him.

"I see. Since you are awake, would you accompany me to my room? I wouldn't mind your presence, and I'll take you back to your room when you wish to retire again," he offered smoothly, taking a step closer and gesturing toward the rest of the hallway. She looked and guessed his room was that way.

"Sure."

Very lightly, his hand came to her back and guided her to follow him. She did so, walking beside him as he led her to his room, which was only two doors down from the bathroom she found.

Once inside his room, he closed the door quietly and locked it without her noticing. He walked over to a sofa and gestured for her to sit. Sitting a respectful distance away, he turned toward her and crossed a leg, reclining back.

"Thank you for letting me stay here. I've had a good time," she said, filling the silence.

"Of course, I'm always excited to have you here. Is your room comfortable?" He asked, leaning forward and pouring a glass of Demonus from the decanter on the coffee table next to the sofa. He handed the first glass to her and then poured one for himself.

"Thank you, and yes, it's perfect. I even enjoyed one of the books I found," she replied with a small smile, then taking a sip. This Demonus was a cherry red color, different from the champagne or blue colors she was used to seeing. It had a darker taste to it compared to others she had tasted.

"What book?" He asked, sitting back, looking relaxed but keeping his gaze wholly focused on her.

"A Tale of Twin Flames."

A charming smile laced his lips as he brought the glass up to his mouth. "Yes, that is a favorite of mine as well." He finished the glass quickly and poured another while she swirled hers.

"I wouldn't mind reading more by that author," she added, looking up at the prince through her lashes. He finished his second glass of Demonus and set it down, leaning in closer to her.

"I'm sure I could acquire them for you. What was your favorite part of that story?" He asked, nearly in a purr now as he took in her form.

"I enjoyed it the most when they met for the first time," she admitted, looking away and smiling as she remembered what she read. "The way the author described their first interaction like puzzle pieces who never realized they could fit with someone else so perfectly."

His gaze softened further as he continued to watch her, his head tilting.

"And the way the author just beautifully portrayed their..." she stopped herself, realizing she was getting carried away and locking up.

"Go on," he commanded in a deeper pitch, causing her to look up at him again. She felt the heat radiating off of him with how close he was, and with the way he was watching her so intently, her cheeks began to burn.

"Um... Sorry, I lost my train of thought," she lied, feeling shy now.

"I see. And, what did you think of the ending?" He continued to ask.

"Oh! Yes, I quite liked it. I wasn't sure they were going to stay together, but I'm glad they did," she answered. "I would love a sequel some day."

"The author is a good friend of mine. She took the inspiration of the story from me," he admitted.

"Really? So, is there going to be a sequel?" She asked excitedly, inching closer to the prince now.

"That all depends," he murmured.

"On?" She tilted her head.

He was silent for a couple beats, looking at her closely again. Suddenly, she looked down at her hand when she felt his lay upon hers. When she looked up again, his face was maybe an inch from her face. Her gaze flitted between his and his lips, as they were so close to hers. The warmth coming from him was so inviting.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she let her body come forward to collide with his. Their lips met, starting fires deep within themselves. Her scent had already filled his senses the moment she walked into his space, enveloping his every thought in a smokescreen of her. But the second her lips were on his, that increased beyond a tenfold as her body came alight. He could feel her heart rate pick up, something else he noted when he got closer to her. It was thunderous now, and he could almost feel it thrumming against her chest even with the limited space between them.

She pulled away first, breaths labored. He had forgotten she likely needed to breathe. But now he was too far into it, finding his appetite for her ever-growing in her presence, especially when her body was signaling every response that she wanted him, too.

"I, um..." she barely whispered, studying his gaze. She felt his fist curl beside hers, and his brows furrowed with his lips forming a thin line. "Are you okay?"

"I think it's time for you to retire," he responded firmly, bordering on anger.

"Oh-oh... Okay," she quickly got up from the sofa, her touch leaving his behind.

Without looking back, after unlocking the door, she left, walking quickly around the halls until after at least fifteen minutes that she finally found her room. She slammed the door and threw herself into her bed, wondering what she did wrong. Looking at the time, she realized it was still the very early hours of the morning. Determined to forget about what happened, she turned off the lights and tucked herself into bed.

Dark dreams plagued her. A feeling of uneasiness kept her from a restful sleep. In her dreams, she was followed by a presence, unsure if it meant to do her harm or not. She was constantly looking behind her, feeling its ominous energy latched onto her like an appendage, unable to leave her be without its own undoing.

A gasp escaped her lips just as her eyes finally opened, released from her dreams. But what she found to hover above her proved to be just as alarming. She could feel hands on either side digging into the mattress, forcing it to dip around her. It was pitch dark in the room, but she could feel the body trapping her in place.

"Apologies," a familiar yet gravely tenor stated.

"What are you doing, Diavolo?" She asked timidly.

"I was watching you sleep. It seemed you were having fitful dreams," he confessed.

"Why? Why were you watching me sleep?" She asked, a bit more panicked-sounding.

"I couldn't find my own rest after the touch of your lips. You left an impression," he replied.

"But you seemed angry," she added.

"Because I was trying to control myself. You were... tantalizing," he answered. "But I found myself coming to find you for more, and I ended up here, watching you."

"Tantalizing?"

"Surely you've figured it out," he purred, still a voice in the dark, surrounding her completely. "Tell me, Altaira, what was special about that book you read earlier? About the male lead?"

"He was... immortal," she replied, piecing together what he meant. "But you're a demon, not a v–"

"The two words do not have to necessarily be exclusive to one another. Demons and vampires, and their colloquialisms across many languages, have been interchangeable descriptions of the immortals who feed off the souls and life forces of others for millennia," he informed her, a slight smile to his voice now.

The instant the information sunk into her, she froze, her heart rate hiking up even higher.

"I promised myself I wouldn't touch you in any such way, for your sake and mine, unless you asked for it. I wouldn't even indulge in a kiss unless you initiated, my darling," he added.

She shifted around then, and though she couldn't see him, his view of her was perfectly clear, his eyes adapted to complete darkness.

"Can– can we have some light?" She asked nervously.

Instantly, a candle on the dresser in a far corner went alight, and dimly, she could finally see the Demon Lord holding himself above her, now in a black silk pajamas set.

"So... You're not angry at me?" She asked quietly, searching his face. He looked the same, and though his gaze was largely no different, she was starting to understand the hungry looks he gave her.

"No, darling. Never," he answered, taking one of his hands and leaning onto the other to caress her cheek.

"Then... can we kiss again?"

His smile came back, an ease influencing his gaze. "Of course."

Lowering himself to her, his lips encaptured hers, and again, her body was lit again, as if every time they touched, he was setting her ablaze.

"Hold me," she mumbled against his lips, kicking the blankets down.

Once he had access, he slid his arms beneath her and pulled her into his embrace, kissing her all the while. Holding her was like holding a flame; he was almost afraid he'd smother her. But her warmth and movement made her all the more enticing, the way she molded perfectly against him. She kept her hands on his shoulders, squeezing them lightly to get his attention.

"Mm?" He mumbled, breaking their kiss.

"I need air," she chuckled. He chuckled too and sighed contentedly. Without thinking, one of her hands came to rest on the back of his head, and while craning her head to fit into the junction of his neck, his did the same into her neck.

He gave a short grunt and squeezed her tightly, feeling her pulse point right against his cheek.

"My love," he growled. She pulled away to look at him, his eyes now fully dilated and cheeks flushed.

"Oh," she muttered.

"You're incredibly hard to resist," he mused in a deadpan.

She chewed her lip for a moment and decided to be brave. "I'm sorry, I suppose I'm curious... Are you... Well, do you want to... drink from me?"

"I suppose one could put it that way, yes. Although, I would say I would like to be intimate with you in such a way that it feels good to the both of us," he suggested.

"It can feel good?"

"Indeed," he replied with a slight smirk.

"I wouldn't mind trying," she replied quietly, wide-eyed.

"Please do not feel obligated. Don't do this to appease me," he murmured, tucking some of her hair back and looking at her fondly.

"No, this is something I want. I desire you in the same way," she answered. He smiled and kissed her again, thus more passionately to demonstrate such desire to her, too.

Breaking away, he looked more serious now. "You may back out at any time. Please, speak up if you need to," he informed her quietly.

She nodded, and he began unbuttoning his silk sleep shirt, watching her. Her hands flew up to his to stop him, allowing her to take over. She brought his hands down to her to reciprocate, to touch. Her arms raised up to allow him to pull her top off. The rest of their garments were discarded. The two admired one another wordlessly, breathing in the intoxicating beauty of the other.

"Is it messy?" She asked earnestly.

"It can be, but no, it won't be here," he answered, backing off and taking her arms to guide her upward to sit on her knees.

"I don't like seeing my own... blood," she admitted, nearly whispering the last word. He then sat back on his rear and guided her to straddle his lap.

"Then you won't," he assured her. His arms encircled her form, keeping her close against him.

"And will this... do anything to me?"

He chuckled again, caressing her back and curling his fingers through her long blonde locks.

"No, sweet girl," he answered. The prince's demon form fleshed out into existence, his wings fully unfurled, horns just inches from her own head.

"Beautiful," she murmured, stroking his face with the back of her hand.

"There are none as lovely as you, though they wish they were," he replied in a deeper pitch. "I can scarcely believe I have you like this." He then tilted his head forward to whisper against the shell of her ear. "And I have no intention of letting you go. You are in your entirety all mine."

A shiver ran down her spine, making her skin prickle. When he pulled back to look at her again, she merely ran her fingertips down his neck and chest. "All yours," she repeated back. A smile adorned his handsome face again, his gleaming golden gaze entrancing to her.

"But..." he started to say with his hand sliding beneath them, his other hand shifting her slightly in his lap, his fingers coming to brush her mound. "From this moment forward, this is definitely only for me to consume, to taste, to experience, make love to," he said before leaning in to whisper again, "And to fuck."

On that final word, his lithe fingers had rubbed against the slit of her lower lips, causing her to gasp softly, her hips rolling forward into his touch and force more of his palm against her heat. He chuckled darkly and began rubbing his fingers in circles over her lips, eventually sinking into her folds as warm slick began to pool on her heat.

"So good for me," he murmured. She simply moaned in reply, holding onto him again as he began working her clit, earning more moans from her. In a smooth tone, he added, "Just focus on this, how good I make you feel. Not a single person can do what I can for you."

If her moans weren't indicative of her pleasure, then her hips rolling incessantly certainly was. His free hand gently pressed her forward into him so he could nibble on her ear lobe, diverging her focus as he whispered,

"When you are in the height of your ecstasy, I will truly taste you, consume you. It will be sharp for merely a moment, and then it will be numb for another..." He then nipped at her while his free hand caressed her back. "Then you shall feel my bliss entangling with your own."

His words made her whimper and buck her hips, trying to gain a foothold of stimulation from his fingers.

"Please," she whined pitifully.

Obeying her, one of his fingers sank lower to find her softened entrance, ready for whatever he wanted to give her. Sliding in was easy, so warm and wet. He groaned in her ear to feel it, ready for that same feeling to be on his cock. Finally ready to take control, her hands found purchase on his shoulders as she began to rock her hips, finding relief with a smile on her face as she chased her pleasure.

"So amazing," he whispered, watching her please herself on his hand. "That's it, little darling, take what you want from me, it's yours."

Her eyes barely cracked open to look at him, and he loved that lust ladden gaze she held for him, hazy and somewhat coherent. He adjusted his hand, pulling back slightly to offer her another digit, and she gladly rolled herself onto them. Another wanton moan escaped while he tilted his head forward to kiss her, swallowing her sounds for only his consumption. He felt her walls begin to tighten, contracting down around his fingers.

"Fuck, I want your cock," she moaned out as her head rolled back.

"Mm," he half-chuckled, half-groaned. "I've been waiting for this."

He pulled his hand away when she stopped moving, leaving her empty for just a moment as he took hold of her rear in both of his hands. Once she was properly adjusted on his lap, he guided her up, the tip of his leaking cock nudging her lower lips. More whimpers and cries escaped her lips as they worked together to guide his cock to slip through her folds, making her slick run all over it. It was merely a tease for her but already so intense for him to feel her heat against his.

With her raised like this, he barely tilted his head up to look at her with an almost pleading gaze. "Tell me you want this, that you want me."

Her lustful gaze softened, still hazy, though. "I want you, so, so bad. I want this with you. I want you to taste me," she reassured him.

Letting gravity aide him, he slowly sank her down on his cock while he grunted out his pleasure, just as she whined hers out. Though he could never enter heaven, surely this was far better than anything any "god" could offer him. It was perfect. Divine. Other worldly. He was filled with more liquid hot desire as she lurched forward to kiss him again, so hungry for more and more of him. Devious little darling, he thought.

Seemingly an eternity later, she was fully impaled on his cock, throbbing and aching inside her, just as she ached for him, too.

"You feel..." he murmured, his eyes nearly rolling back as she squeezed him with her hot, wet, soft cunt. "Fuck, you're perfect."

"So full... I love it," she mumbled blissfully.

"Mm," he hummed with a smile. Taking hold of her hips, he started a slow pace of grinding her in his lap, forcing out more moans from both of them. It was intense for both of them, and she was squeezing him that much tighter.

"Dia," she whimpered. "Close."

"Already? My poor little darling, were you aching for this? For me? Was this all you could think about?" He teased her softly. She nodded and whimpered, looking slightly up at him with teary eyes.

"You just feel so good," she replied quietly.

Carefully and slowly, he planted kisses trailing from her lips to her jaw and down her neck. He ran his tongue up her neck to nibble at her ear, tugging on the lobe playfully. He did this all the way around, getting her accustomed to his ministrations. It worked as she gradually rolled her head back and exposed more of her delicate flesh to him. He continued to guide her hips into a rhythm they both enjoyed.

"Beautiful and delicious," he mumbled against her neck, just below her ear. Her scent was completely taking over his senses, filling his mind with only thoughts of her, her body, her sounds, her taste.

"Please," she cried out to him, moving her hips of her own accord, grinding down harder. His hands moved to grab the round lobes of her ass, squeezing them.

"Just a little more, sweet dove. I want to savor this," he answered her cry. "I promise I'll take you there, just a bit more."

Hot fiery bliss ran through her nerves as it was, making her shine with a slight sweat, her hands curling into the locks on the nape of his neck. Her breathing became deep and ragged. He read her body like a novel, each sign of her nearing orgasm a page to turn as he watched her start to build to it.

Leaning toward her once more, he whispered, "So good for me. Every bit of you is exquisite, the only one deserving of such bliss. I want to give it all to you, princess."

"Please, please, please give it to me," she whimpered. "I need it. I need you, all of you, give me all of you."

"Ohhh..." he moaned out, suddenly feeling his own pleasure surging.

Feeling his cock begin to pulse, she quit fighting the release that wanted to so badly break through her body. In a swift movement, her hands on the back of his head pulled him toward her, his face buried in the side of her neck.

"Take me there, please, Diavolo."

Unable to fight himself either, he dropped the restraints he was holding in his mind, letting them fall into the chasm of euphoria he was about to jump head-first into. He started thrusting up into her viciously, no longer proliferating his own inhibition.

"Ahh! Oh! Yes! Right there!" She screamed out to him. "I'm gonna cum!"

And just as he felt her walls clamp down on his cock, he felt the ache in his throat, a tightening he only experienced when he was on the verge of tearing something apart. It was dry and urgent, needing to be drenched in her. Following the instinct, he pressed an open mouth kiss just above the anterior jugular vein. His hold on her tightened to keep her still for a mere moment before sinking his fangs in.

Altaira gasped and jolted only slightly, feeling hundreds of icy pinpricks into her flesh, but it quickly faded as warmth and a numbing feeling glazed over the area. In the very next instant, she experienced her own undoing, coming apart with a low moan, limply pulling at his hair. Her walls pulsed and milked his cock for everything he had.

Diavolo grunted as he consumed her life's essence. Indeed, she was as sweet as the forbidden fruit, just like he knew she would be. A soul like hers could only be inhabited in a body just as delectable, and he was her insatiable devotee. It took a few moments for him to focus again, realizing she was cumming all over his cock, and that combined sensation of her orgasm and her confectionery of crimson in his mouth was his own undoing.

Her peak was just starting to plateau when she felt his release deep inside her cunt, and he was right: she felt his bliss intermingle with hers, the doubly designed connection intertwining into one feeling, one singular sensation. From where he was consuming her, divine warm ecstasy flowed out to the rest of her body, sending more orgasmic pulses up her spine and down her legs. Every nerve was alight, and there wasn't an inch of her body left unaffected by the fire she felt within.

He drank her in as slowly as he could allow himself, wanting to savor this moment and sear it into his memory for eternity. His hands left her rear in favor of wrapping around her back, pulling her in as close as physically possible and no longer thrusting up into her. Her pleasure became his, too, only heightening both to infinity.

They stayed like that for a while, the image of unholy and immortal lovemaking. The vampire, a demon, devouring the essence of his first human, the only creature ever brave enough to offer herself in such a way. Though she had every reason to be scared and run, she stayed.

Feeling protective, his wings came around to encircle them, blocking the outside world from intruding on their nearly-ceremonious act of love and adoration.

All too soon, Altaira felt the euphoric warmth dissipating and her heart rate starting to slow, as if she was drifting off to blissful sleep. When Diavolo felt her body start to feel slack and limp, he broke the connection, receeding his fangs and licking over the puncture wounds to lace the area with magic and close them up.

"Altaira," he murmured, holding her head up with one hand and caressing her face with the other.

"Mm?" She barely responded.

"Are you still with me?" He asked, coaxing her awake.

"Yeah..." she mumbled again. It was hard to focus, but she could feel the effects slowly fade, letting her become more and more coherent. "I'm here," she added softly. A dreamy smile took over her lips, and finally, she cracked her eyes open to look at the darling prince.

"There you are," he cooed, admiring her state and enjoying how happy she looked. "How was that?"

"Wonderful," she murmured.

He gave a small chuckle and helped her to move around, removing himself from her and laying her back against the mattress. Reverting to his regular form, he reached over to the tissues and proceeded to clean her up first. Once he was done, he started to grab his pajamas but heard her whimper.

"Don't leave."

Wide-eyed, he turned and saw her barely sitting up on her elbows, looking confused. A smile laced his lips again as he dropped his pajamas and slid back into her bed.

"You want me to stay?" He asked in a husky tone.

"Always."

He felt a twinge in his heart at that, gathering her up in his arms as they laid on their sides. She immediately melted into his grasp, her head tucked into his chest and neck. He felt her start to drift again, sleep taking root.

"Forever more, I will stay with you," he replied, stroking her hair.

"And you shall stay with me. Here. Forever, lover."

---

Thanks for reading!

Post made by sassykattery. Do not repost. Reblogs and comments appreciated.

Tags: @bite-sized-devil @delphi-dreamin

#obey me #obey me shall we date #sassywrites #sassystories #obey me fanfic #obey me diavolo #obey me smut #Diavolo smut #diavolo x oc #diavolo x altaira #sassy's 500 follower event 👑 #sassy's celebration week #diavolo x femoc

[terrible-romance-reviews]

I would also like to go off about how terrible the book Touch Of Darkness was like holy shit (spoilers ahead if you care dont read further)

So like we got, our hades x persephone romance right? Now make it modern day. Now make Hades a night club owner?? But also he is still doing, underworld duties the gods are still all gods. Now add, consistent reoccuring flower themes, BUT, nothing is done with them.

Ok we on the same page now? No we arent it gets worse. Persephone? A cunt for no reason. Also licherally being? Gaslit by Demeter? The entire time thats the fucking twist. All the characters are completely 2 dimensional, you are not getting past they like sex and secondary characteristic that is brought up.

Random human best friend, does fucking nothing, enables Persephone being a massive cunt for no reason.

The entire book is held up by how banger the sex scenes are, I am talking IMMACULATE the shit is so steamy like hot DAMN.

Plot sucks Persephone hates Hades for no reason meanwhile Hades is actively out here being Just A Guy and not even?? Being that fucking terrible? He isnt bad honestly, like, at all really. Not only is he not really that bad he ACTIVELY FUCKING LISTENS TO THIS BITCH AND?? BECOMES A BETTER PERSON?? he deserves so much better. I hate persephone in this book and she is the main character and i just found her so unbelievably annoying. Like. Half the 2 dimensional, not at all fleshed out remotely characters were more enjoyable for me to read. I loved Hermes but he also read as flat and likes sex and games and thats it really. I visualized him as a silly little twink though and that probably helped.

This book was just so attrocious it sets up plot that just doesnt even need to be a plot line and conflates it so out of proportion and then NOTHING AND NOTHING THEY DONT DO ANYTHING WITH IT!

10/10 if you are looking for a trashy novel i think it took my slow ass 3 days to finish reading and then i did nothing but complain to everyone that would listen and THEN i bought the rest in whAT IS A FUCKING TRILOGY?? AND THERE ARE BOOKS IN HADES PERSPECTIVE????

Oh oh oh would also like to establish, it didnt occur to me that this was an aggressively smutty romance book when I first bought it, I didnt notice the lack of publication house, I just thought it would be a cute Hades x Persephone book with some tragic conflict. I felt no romantic build up or sexual tension while reading and the first sex scene hit me like a fucking truck I was astonished.

Also the Hades book reads better but I also just?? Liked Hades as a character significantly more and I havent finished it yet but already it felt, like it had better plot construction, and real conflict, instead of this fake ass shit that Persephone was making a huge massive deal out of.

It also deals with some rape-y shit so if that triggers you definitely don't read, that is one of the conflict points but I hated it and felt it was addressed as a way to move plot rather than bring actual light to the issue of it. It let Hades swoop in after his girl got drugged and had like no other repercussions or trauma tied to the experience or anything really.

I have to go back and read it again to get all of my major bullet point issues, I would also like to highlight every time they bring up flowers and then never use it for forshadowing or meaningful symbolism because it happens a lot throughout the book to the point of me, a notoriously dense individual, actually noticing and getting annoyed by it.

All of the annoyance of the book just adds to the charm, but really, only read it if you don't know what an actual good romance book looks like and couldn't get a better suggestion, OR, if you are just a bad book aficionado like myself.

#terrible romance reviews #a touch of darkness #this book is bad and I have so many complaints #i will actually genuinely take my copy and annotate this shit with sticky notes and why i fucking hate it #it is so bad its good #like watching a massive 5 car accident in real time #you just cant stop watching #i have so many issues with this book #books and reading #trashy romance #adult romance

[saintgoths]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛᴇᴇɴ

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - BELLADONNA.

WORD COUNT - 2,411.

RATING - 18+ [mentions of rape, abuse; death, canon typical violence].

SUMMARY - lilith [isabella] finally confronts alexander for the ways he had treated her and leaves the relationship bittersweetly while in the present venus consoles to joel about her worries for her mother.

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20th of SEPTEMBER 2013

Both exhausted by the colossal amount of food they’ve chewed down, the 20th of September was the last night the two stayed in the abandoned home, it was declared that Alexander’s friend was on their way to pick them up, so, insightful that their trip, to the safe area their friend was going to escort them to was going to take quite a while. Meaning that it would be more difficult to catch food and even catch sleep.

“I’m so happy that we’re going to get out of here,” Alexander tiredly whispered, his body angled and inclined opposed to the couch he sat on. His body furtherly limp than it usually was, slowly, Lilith sneakily peered at the plate of food she served to him not too long ago, in broad thought, as she returned her gaze to Alexander, who rested the back of his head at the top of the couch, his body spread in enervation.

Lilith sadly pressed her cheek against the furniture, her eyes burly and doe, attentive and benign of the approaching outcome. “I hate you for all the things you’ve done to me.”

Confused, Alexander mumbled in response, too feeble to say a word. “What you did to me was wrong, everything, was wrong, I shouldn’t have come to America with you.”

With a random deluge and wave of strength, Alexander pulled himself closer to Lilith for her to only avoid his graze, she hastily hopped to her feet, her presence off the sofa and away from him. Jazzed and ready that there’ll be a ferocious and dangerous moment between the two.

“Lilith, come to me,” Alexander angrily urged.

“No,” Lilith refused as she shook her head. “I’ve listened to you for years, it’s enough. I’ve had enough with everything you have done to me! You’ve groomed me! Raped me! Allowed your friends to rape me, you’ve abused me and done every imaginable thing a sick bastard like you could think of!”

“Lilith, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

She squinted her eyes at him in incredulity, in disbelief that this was the man she thought loved her. “No, I do know what I’m saying, I just naively allowed you to control my chain of thoughts, my behaviour, what I wear, what I do, what I say, and I won’t allow that no more, no.”

His skin dry as his breathing commenced to be faster and heavier, perplexed of the scenario and what was happening to him, Alexander established it difficult to keep up with the young girl, who stood a handful of steps away from him. His visions blurred and his heartbeat fast.

“Luckily for me, you didn’t control my interest for plants and flowers,” her chuckle arid and dry, keen on the dirty glare Alexander shot towards her, “one of the pages from the book I once bought, thank you for the money by the way, had a section about belladonna plants.”

“Why should I care about the belladonna plants?” Alexander rudely seethed, imprudently not aware with what Lilith hinted at.

“You should care because Belladonna is the most poisonous plant, Alexander,” Lilith comically replied, slightly entertained by his foolish persona. Benignant by his own naïve nature, Lilith clasped her hands, faux concerned.  “Others know it as Belladonna, others know it as deadly nightshade, the devil’s cherry or even dwale. It is so poisonous that even a simple touch can negatively impact a human. That’s why I had to carry it off safely, you know, so I don’t have an ending such as yours.”

“And I, put enough in your food to make you unable to walk without help, do you feel that? Your heart beat increasing, your breathing sprouting and your vision blurring? Soon enough you will feel the need to vomit, and you will do so then you will die in your own eject and lie in it like the futile, moronic man you are.”

As well as she said that, Alexander collapsed in a kooky and daft position, his body rattled and convulsed whilst he attempted to reject the vomit that attempted to sprout through his throat. Compensated with her goal, Lilith at once walked towards him, bent down and softly stroked the moist strands of his hair. “Like I promised, I will be your last girlfriend,” she uncivilly whispered, her hand tightened around his strands during the moment she slammed his head against the ground, aimed to make his punishment abominable. Alexander choked a bit of his heave Lilith successfully dodged in the act of watching his death.

Heretofore, she accomplished her task and was definite that the man was gone, Lilith deliriously removed and took all the weapons, drinks and food she would need for her journey to wherever life wanted to escort her.

Joel sat on his single chair that was placed on the deck outside of his home, comfortably rested with his left leg on top of his right thigh. Composedly played his acoustic guitar while Venus shared his company and rested flat on her stomach on his deck, focused on her homework with the comfortable tunes the older man played that abetted Venus to complete her piano lessons homework.

All she had to do was remember the names of the key and where they belonged, she didn’t find it hard but the circumstances of yesterday made it difficult for Venus to peruse.

Ever since Venus was saved by Joel and had her bite revealed to him, the two seemed to grow closer. Joel didn’t expect to be allayed by the presence of Venus, but when he came to know of her sarcastic, grumpy and intelligent charisma, he found himself comforted by her. She was a curious girl, questioned everything around her but seemed to learn quick.

“I wonder if mum will come back home,” Venus lowly wondered.

“Don’t worry, kid, your mother will come back,” Joel kindly encouraged.

“If my mum doesn’t come back, it won’t be the first time I lose a parent.”

Joel stopped playing his guitar, rested the instrument aside, eyes attentive to the young girl who had a small pout on her face, unsure of her mother’s safety. “You lost your father quite young, didn’t you?”

Venus beckoned her head, all of her siblings lost Kai when they were very young, but Venus lost him at an age where she would’ve for sure forgotten about him. “He died when I was three, so I don’t remember the moments we had with one another, plus, mum doesn’t really speak about him to me. The only thing I remembered hearing is that he died of poison within one of the societies we once lived in, the society poisoned most of their believers.”

Joel alarmed and dazed with the anecdote Venus who grew quiet had just told him. She resumed her homework, alert of her emotional nature that led her to speak about her deceased father. Joel in thought of Isabella had pondered if she were okay, noted that the strength she had seized throughout the years of her living; losing someone was vital, and Joel comprehended that the loss of a lover and the father of her children must’ve been extremely dismal and sombre for her. So, he had silently wished for her to come back, in effort to display that there would be someone who she could lean on.

Finding the strength to move their lips away from each other, Ivy rested her head against Ellie’s bust, both reassured in each other’s embrace, with the way her face was angled, Ivy wasn’t able to notice Ellie’s face that pondered. Ellie looked down on Ivy’s cranium, gently nudged the other woman to gain her attention. “Ivy,” Ellie smoothly called.

“Hm?” Ivy lightly responded, angled her sight upwards to match with her admirer.

“What happened yesterday night?”

Ivy wasn’t alarmed that there would’ve been questions about what happened that period of darkness. In fact, Ivy was actually glad someone wanted to speak about what occurred. “It was weird, we all had weird nightmares, and Venus sleepwalked outside.”

“I heard that she kept on repeating something.”

Ivy lightly pulled her head, not in the stance to convey what Venus repeated. “Yeah, she was stuck in some trance, luckily, Joel came and saved the day before she fell into the wrong hands.” Ivy was alleviated when Joel was the one who woke Venus from her trance, due to the fact that if it was anyone else who caught her and saw the bitemark, Venus would have become top-news in the town and people might’ve even debated about if it was safe to keep her younger sister in Jackson.

“Joel’s always here to save the day,” Ellie dryly joked, considerably nostalgic of her time with the older man. “He always protects.”

Ivy considerably remained reticent, curious about Ellie’s days with Joel Miller. “It sometimes got annoying but I knew he had good motives whenever he did something that irked me.” Ellie contemplated that she had missed Joel, on the other hand, the definite action he has done has caused Ellie to backtrack into her space whenever it crept back into her mind.

Uncomfortable about speaking of her lost bond with Joel, she reminded herself of the object she had found for Ivy. “I found this for you.” A Comma Butterfly badge, under the gaze of the two women, who both gingerly smiled at the piece.

“Thank you, Ellie,” Ivy tenderly appreciated ere she thinly pressed her lips against Ellie’s freckled cheeks who called her lame for the nimbly gesture. The two girls prepared themselves to leave Ellie’s cabin, they thought it was suitable to go eat at the Diner Ivy’s mother worked at. The Diner was called Three Sisters and Isabella’s addition has caused the business to flourish exceptionally.

Hand in hand, Ellie and Ivy strolled down the community of Jackson and kindly greeted citizens they passed by. It might’ve been a coincidence and fortuity to bump into Rowan who had the permanent smirk on his face, or the expression always activated whenever he saw either Ellie or Ivy.

“Rowan,” Ivy calmly welcomed, her grip strong around Ellie’s.

“Ivy,” Rowan nodded at her then looked at Ellie, “Ellie,” he greeted but received no response from the girl. “How’s everything going for the both of you?”

“Everything’s going well,” Ivy genially replied.

Rowan uncontrollably snickered, “I’m surprised, Ivy, I thought you were smarter than to join that friendship groups love quarrel---”

“Fuck off Rowan!” Ellie rudely spat, untimely annoyed with the man’s presence, unmistakably not wanting to hear another word from Rowan, Ellie drastically pulled Ivy away from Rowan and continued their hike towards Three Sisters.

Without uttering another word, Ivy looked back to check on Rowan, yet his figure disappeared within the crowds that surfed the area. “I honestly don’t know how you can tolerate that guy,” she distressingly mumbled under her breath, slowly tugged Ivy closer to her so they could enter the Diner in sync.

“Trust me, I’ve met way worse than Rowan,” the dark-haired girl lightly joked, jointly entered the building with her romantic partner. The warm air welcomed them as the respectful staff greeted the two young girls for their orders.

With their masks that capped their faces, both Robin and Joel released their ammos into the infected within the abandoned hotel Joel tasked the two to clear out. The spores in the building were able and substantial, fortunately, before the two entered the place they had the gut feeling to put the covers on.

For the amount of bacterium that floated around the atmosphere, Robin speculated that there must’ve been an infected, vast and colossal that stalked the area, the young boy was not wrong, when a large figure loudly shrieked through the architecture, its horrifying and abominable merged body stomped through an opening, both Joel and Robin taken aback, took a couple of steps away from the being.

“A fucking Rat King!” Robin gasped, taken by surprised, but educated of the monster. Its body was fused with multiple stalkers, clickers and a bloater, its skin bloody and figure internal and impious, Joel stepped in front of Robin out of protection and pulled out his shot gun and governed Robin to do the same.

The duo, crazily shot their large bullets into the Rat King’s body, ambitious to take it down. The mass of destruction the boys discharged into the infected inferred a stalker to rip its bondage with the Rat King’s body, freed its interpolated figure from the large being. Robin took the duty to blast the head of the Stalker’s body off its neck as he liberated at least five Shot Gun bullets into its cranium as Joel released a Molotov cocktail into the Rat King who attempted to aim mycotoxins towards them which they successfully avoided.

With all their ammos, fire and explosive weapons, Joel and Robin attacked the Rat King with all their might, Robin, angrily darted his bullets into the infected that slowly began to fall apart. His acrimony and antagonism aided the duo in their victory as the Rat King finally razed down and withered.

“It seemed like you had a personal agenda against the Rat King,” Joel jokingly pointed out while he pulled his weapon down.

“Somewhat like it,” Robin densely shrugged his shoulders keen to leave the area until he observed a Clicker that paced towards them two, finally, released its awful yelp ere it attempted to attack the older man, but Robin was swift, he hastily balled his ammo into the infected mercilessly.

Thankful of Robin’s abrupt and fiery actions, he patted the top of the younger boy’s curls. “Thank you,” he responsively thanked, Robin welcomed him, ready to leave the place though a packet of Yellow Rose seeds caught Robin’s attention.

“Why did you pick that up?” Joel curiously inquired.

“My mum likes gardening, and knows a lot about Flower Language,” Robin sincerely answered, the thought of his mother fashioned the irked thoughts of the Rat King go away.

“What do Yellow Flowers mean?”

Robin blithely looked at him. “Friendship.”

Joel raised the both of his eyebrows, attentive and touched by the information. The two carried on to leave the hotel, Joel fascinated by the idea of Isabella gardening had desired to see the outcome of Isabella’s green thumb nature.

Now cordial and earnest, the two returned to Jackson and patiently waited for Isabella’s return.

thank you @wisespytrashjudge , @galactic-galabee , @cheezbot , @mrknightt , @thatswsck , @naileareadz , @ladamari68 , @br4ttybatz for all the support!

liking, commenting, reblogging or following would be heavily appreciated!

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