#finally wrote for moon man! thanks mads

[lunena]

𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞

The sun is setting, there’s music playing, coffee is brewing, and your love is coming home. | fluff | 1k words | for @neonun-au ラビリンス - mondo grosso, hikari mitsushima

  There’s music playing down the block. Must be a party. Your guess is a backyard barbecue, likely in a tiny courtyard of one of the many apartment buildings; something small but full of life and thrill. Games, friends, and good times. You can picture it all.

  The bass of the music pounds through the row of buildings, the melodies being carried into your apartment on a wave of eager anticipation and excitement, tinged with the sound of impatient drivers. He’ll be here any moment, back home, back in your company, and you can’t keep from fidgeting with your hands. From fixing the pillows on the couch to realigning the books on the shelf, to putting dishes and clothes away. Lighting candles, doing your best to create a comforting ambiance. Should you make him coffee before he gets here?

  Yeah. Make him coffee. He’s probably tired from his flight, tired of the regular faces. If that were you, you’d need a pick-me-up. He probably already got some at the airport, though. Maybe he’s all coffee’d out. But you make it anyway, because if he’s not in the mood, at least he’ll have the option.

  The sun has just fallen behind the lowest building. It’s almost eight o’clock, which means his plane landed thirty minutes ago. Any minute now, he should walk through the door, and your home will feel right again. You won’t feel a need to find minor flaws to fix or something to keep you busy. He’ll be here, and all will be okay.

  The hinges of the front door sound, then the click of the door closing, and the thump of a bag hitting the floor. He’s home.

  Taeil’s head peaks around the wall to where you’re standing in wait, and your excitement melts, settles in your belly, warming the rest of your body like a fireplace warms a living room on a cold winter night. He steps toward you, the calmest smile adorning his face. “Hey, you.”

  “Hi, stranger,” you hum.

  His arms wrap around you, engulfing you against his tired body, secure within his lazy hold. Even after his flight, even after waiting for however long in the airport, he still smells fresh. Even after being away for so long, he still smells like home. “Missed you,” he mumbles next to your ear.

  “Well, I’d hope so.” He pulls back, amused at your teasing, loving your casualness. 

  “What’s that music?” he asks.

  “I’m guessing someone is having a party. It’s good music, though. Kept the window cracked, been listening to it while I waited for you.”

  “It is good,” he says, pulling away, dragging his hands along your arms until they latch with yours. “I like this one they’re playing.”

  Taeil twirls you to face away from him, pulls you back into his front, and holds you against him, resting his chin atop your shoulder.

  It’s a wonderful sensation, his arms so tight around your frame. It’s a mysterious concept, how you can feel so disoriented, so unorganized when he isn’t around. How you always feel there is something that needs to be done, how you feel unaccomplished with your days, but then suddenly, Taeil is here, and you’re still.

  Even amidst the excitement that has been brewing in your belly, he steps into your presence, places his hands on you, and you’re calm. Tranquility spans the room, and his kisses along your neck, your shoulder, are tender words of satiated longing.

  “How was your flight?” you ask.

  “Felt like it’d never end, but here I am.”

  “Here you are.”

  You turn in his hold, unraveling your hands and wrapping your arms around his neck. His hands fall to your waist, playfully, mindlessly squeezing and rubbing. You scan his face, studying the features you already know so well, and he giggles. “What’s funny?”

  “Nothing. You’re making me shy.”

  You roll your eyes, and he giggles again, this time pulling you snugly into him. “No need to feel shy. I haven’t seen you in a while, I need a good look.” You bring your face close to his, his lips a breath away. “Beautiful boy. I’m so happy you’re home.”

  Judging by the way his body slugs in contentment at your words, you’re sure he caught the nuance. If not, you know he’s already aware. Yes, he’s back home. But to you, in your one-track mind, he is home, and you’ve learned over your time together that there could not and will never be anyone else capable of obtaining such comfort, such familiarity. You’re happy he’s home.

  “Me too,” he assures before closing the space between you, fulfilling your last desire. 

  The music from outside fills the room, bounces off the walls, and it’s almost like it’s your own music playing. Like you’re in a movie and the song plays at just the right volume, just the right amount to where it aids the situation. It aids your feelings, supports your emotions, and helps you to settle into this thrilling moment.

  And you know this will not be the last time you’re forced to spend time away from him. You know the life he leads will take him away again, and it may be longer next time, or it may be shorter. Maybe you’ll be able to go with him. But along with that fact, you know he’ll come right back to you in your little home together, and you’ll embrace each other, recharge, and enjoy the time until his next trip brings him far away.

  “Oh, I almost forgot. I made coffee, I figured you’d be tired.”

  He sighs into a smile. “This is why I love you,” he says.

  You let go, placing your hands on your hips in a teasing manner. “Oh, really? This is why?”

  “Among other things,” he smirks, reaching his hands out to your forearms and running them down until he reaches your hands, pulling them from your hips. “Coffee sounds great. Thank you for doing that.”

  You smile. “Of course.” Before pulling him off to the kitchen to fill your mugs and talk about your lives since he left, you pucker your lips and stick them out in anticipation of a kiss before you take a single step.

  Taeil lets go of your hands, brings them up to the sides of your face, and plants a dramatic kiss with an audible mwah as the cherry on top. 

  Let’s close our eyes and kiss.   A melody that sweetly melts away.

#lunena.oneyear #finally wrote for moon man! thanks mads #nct-writers #nct #nct 127 #moon taeil #taeil scenarios #taeil fluff #nct fluff #taeil imagines #taeil fanfic #taeil x reader #nct scenarios

[justporo]

Swashbuckling (Shipless)

Staeve and Astarion are captains of hostile pirate crews - one infamous and well feared, the other... rather chaotic but not any less passionate. When Staeve and his crew are in dire need of a new ship, he takes it upon himself to steal one and comes face to face with his nemesis Astarion once more. And no one can know that they not only have a history with crossing their swords - but also something more...

MASTERLIST | AO3

Author's Note: I... listen... I hadn't planned to write a pirate AU this week, but here we are. I brought an idea up on @velnnas server and then dear Tange pushed me to go ahead and actually write it - so I sat down and wrote this in like eight hours. Some others from this wonderful community threw in some more points and inspo (e.g. the ship name Absolute). So, @velnna, this is once more for you, thank you for being such an inspiration with your wonderful character (and letting me drag him out to sea)! And thanks also to the wonderful community on discord!

Pairing: Astarion/Staeve (You, male reader) Warnings: some violence, some mutual pining, bit of past traume (if you squint) Wordcount: 5,5k

Song: Jack Sparrow - Klaus Badelt

~~~

Your crew really had need for a new ship. Not only had the old one gotten way too small for your thankfully ever growing group - but it also stank, was just generally old - oh, and it had sunk recently.

Luckily, you had been very close to the biggest port on the coast when that had happened. And somehow all of you had made it the dinghy - even the crew’s loyal dog, Scratch.

Now you had nothing but the clothes on your back - which also kinda stank and were just generally really old: the floppy but comfy leather boots (albeit very wet), leather pants accessorised with multiple belts and the strip of red cloth tied firmly around your hips. And then of course your trusty sabre and dagger carelessly sheathed on some of those belts and your - as usual - wide open and very dirty linen shirt that always worked wonders whenever you were in trouble or just desperately bartering with someone. And it had at least guaranteed you a few nights in one of the taverns after you’d sufficiently charmed the barmaid - which, looking like a bunch of wet dogs, had really been a feat to be proud of.

Oh, and not to forget: you at least still had your ancient tricorne with you - how would anyone know you were a pirate without the proper headgear?

But that, unfortunately, was all you still had to your name. At least that hadn’t sunk with the ship too. It still pained you though that you couldn’t even rightfully call yourself a captain anymore.

But at least if you were shipless and in desperate need of a new vessel, being in a big port was the best thing to happen to you, right? You had a free pick out of everything anchored here.

Of course you had no money, but you were pirates after all. You wouldn’t have intended to pay for it even on a better day. Piracy must be good for something after all.

The last couple of days you and your crew had somehow pulled through while you had taken the time to reorganise and garner some information about the current ships anchoring here. Or to put it plainly: find a time, a place and a target to steal a ship and be on your merry way again.

And now finally, the time had come to set your plan in motion.

It was deep in the night, security at the port was rather light around this time - fools - and the moon was your only real witness as you snuck inconspicuously around the docks towards your target: the Absolute.

A smaller but fine ship. Of course nowhere comparable to the big, flamboyant navy or even other pirate’s ships. Not as excessively decorated with gold covered carvings or intricately crafted lanterns upon it and no dozens of canons to be manned.

But from what you had figured out your pick was to be quick, reliant and most of all: intact. And that already had made you more excited than you would have cared to admit.

You were alone now as you made your way along the final dock towards your target, your crew waiting somewhere outside the city already. And that might have sounded like a really bad idea - and maybe it was. But it was much easier to get away with stealing a ship if you were alone.

And that was yet another advantage of the Absolute: at that size it was fairly manageable alone, at least for a while. Of course your crew had protested, but you had been the reason they’d ended up sinking in the first place. So you felt it was your responsibility to get yourself and everyone else out of this and back on the open sea again. And of course your plan was reckless and stupid and there was a fair chance you’d be caught and thrown into a cell. But what else was new?

You found your target and immediately went to undo all the ropes holding it ashore. When only the anchor held the ship in place you found the spot closest to the net hanging down the side of the ship. You took a few steps back, as far as the dock would allow. You closed your eyes for a moment and lifted your head towards the sky.

This was probably going to end badly. But now you were deep into it anyway.

“Alright, Staeve, time to make a captain out of you again”, you muttered to yourself and then took a running leap to jump and grab hold of the net.

You crashed so hard against the side of the boat that you almost knocked yourself out, but at least you managed to grab hold of some rope. Strands of your long hair were suddenly falling into your face as your trusty tricorn almost fell off but you managed to grab it in time and push it down your head again.

You quickly climbed up and jumped over the railing as silently as possible. Light security didn’t mean there wasn’t any security at all. But it seemed you were in the clear, so you looked around what was supposed to be your new home for you and your crew.

Taking in everything on the deck you quickly found where you could hoist the anchor.

After having dealt with that the ship was already swaying much more on the light waves. You only had to set some sails and start steering it out of the port. This was a walk in the park!

Immediately a voice inside you screamed at you that that usually meant you were moments away from absolute disaster. But for now there was no disaster in sight, right?

With a lot more confidence now you swaggered over to the steering wheel, wanting to prepare your course before the opened sails would immediately drag the ship into another anchored vessel and make it crash. You had barely recovered from one sunken ship, you would not risk another.

You grabbed hold of the steering wheel from the back as it came into your reach, dragged and… nothing happened. You tried again - still nothing.

With a frown you walked around the big wooden wheel. Nothing looked wrong with it, so you grabbed two opposite ends once more and desperately tried to turn. The wheel wouldn’t budge an inch.

Just a tiny bit of panic started to rise within you. Your inner voice snapped at your sarcastically for dismissing it. Your plan couldn’t fail just because you were too weak to turn a godsdamned steering wheel, could it? Furrowing your brows you looked around the damned thing. And after a few long moments of staring at it in confusion and helplessness finally found a small brass contraption beneath it with a small keyhole that seemed to hold everything in place.

“You gotta be kidding me, they’re putting locks on these things now?”, you scream-whispered to yourself and dragged your hat over your face for a moment. “Piracy will die out if that is how things are developing.”

You really needed a good drink if you’d actually manage to pull this off. A big one too. Maybe several even. Hopefully they had stored some liquor somewhere on this thing.

But first you had to find the key

Taking a wild guess, you figured the captain’s cabin would be your best bet. So trying to regain some of your former confidence you turned around and took the few steps over to the dark wooden door that would lead you there.

You laid your hand on the door handle and just for a tiny moment hesitated. All in all, this was all still very easy; too easy almost for your liking. Your inner critic confirmed once more that things were probably about to go sideways.

But then you just shrugged and threw open the door. Expecting complete darkness inside, you were thrown off by the warm, golden light that greeted you. Candles and lanterns were lit throughout the room. Your brows immediately furrowed.

And much more than by the lights you were completely shocked by the man sitting there in the captain’s spot in front of the navigator’s desk in a tall chair turned towards the door. Legs clad in shiny black boots were lazily draped over one of the armrests. He was finely dressed in a red and gold satin doublet with intricate stitching and black leather pants. Of course a rapier was also dangling from his hip and the tip nearly touched the ground.

But he had not gone for a hat. In fact, he never had. It would only have ruined his perfect, luscious white curls as he had always insisted. And he didn’t need one in the first place to have anyone know that he was the most infamous, feared and most dangerous pirate captain on this part of the coast.

Instead as his final accessory he was wearing that smirk you knew and still remembered so damn well, one side of his mouth curled up arrogantly while his red eyes perpetually seemed to tease you. It was that smirk you kept dreaming about when you were honest with yourself. But it was also what you were loathing with a burning passion.

It had made you do things before. Things you were either not proud of or just outright tried to forget. And you couldn’t use that right now.

“Hello Staeve, my darling!”, the man said in a tone dripping with sinful promise and playful threat.

You had been expected.

“Astarion”, you simply managed while your hand immediately wandered towards your sheathed sabre.

Several big rings on Astarion’s long, elegant fingers clinked against the metal chalice as he drank from it. Probably red wine from what you knew about him.

He took his sweet time to respond to you, slowly and languidly letting one of his legs swing back and forth. Obviously, one of you was not in a big rush.

Meanwhile all you could do was stand there and let uneasiness rise up in you. Why was he here, obviously expecting you? And why did he have to sit like this? Bastard!

“Look what the cat dragged out of the sea”, Astarion drawled afterwards while he kept tapping his index against the goblet, causing a very annoying continuous clicking sound.

”By the gods, you look even worse than the last time I threw you to the sharks and left you to die”, Astarion continued with a smug grin on his perfect pale face and shifted around in his seat so he could lean his elbow on the armrest and put his face in his free hand.

You felt your temper rising. Your hand itched to just grab your dagger, throw it at him and wipe his arrogant grin off his face. Especially for making you remember all the times you had come across each other since you had parted ways.

Stuff like this had happened way too often since you had sworn yourself to never return to the bastard. But your paths had crossed again and again and it tended to always lead to intense encounters - one way or another.

And somehow you were always the one left with nothing but an aching heart, yearning for the past while the infamous captain left seemingly unscathed and unbothered.

But you also had other things to think about right now. You were still trying to steal a ship after all! And you had to figure out where this godsdamned key was.

So as you looked around the room searching, you opted to distract Astarion with some idle chatter. You knew that would always work. The flamboyant captain just loved to hear his own voice way too much (you loved it too but of course you would never admit that).

“And what are you doing here? I didn’t see the Crimson anchored anywhere here”, you asked him while your gaze jumped between different corners of the room and your nemesis. At least Astarion was way too focused on mocking you to notice that you were trying to find a way to get the needed key and then get rid of the unwanted passenger.

“Of course, the Crimson isn’t anchored here. We’re not all fools as big as you, Staeve!”, the pale captain spat back at you, obviously offended that you would even think him capable of such a thing.

You shrugged - he kinda had a point. But it still didn’t mean that there wouldn’t be a moment when he would be the bigger fool after all.

“And don’t you have anything better to do than bug me, Astarion?”, you asked to keep him talking when a small golden glint drew your eye to a shelf behind the enormous desk. That must be it. Now you would only need to figure out the perfect moment to make a run for it.

Your eyes focused on Astarion again who was still very comfortably lounging on the big chair. He was currently lazily twisting around one of his ankles to draw circles into the air with one of his booted feet while he was gazing upon the nails of his free hand.

“Why, of course not, my love”, he replied and drew up one of his eyebrows as he looked back at you. “I was just in the area, when some of my crew picked up noise about a ragged bunch who seemed to be pirates trying to collect information about this neat little ship. And the descriptions they gave could really only fit one dirty pirate scum I know”, Astarion explained and lifted his legs from the armrest. The gaze of his unusual red eyes (obviously going perfectly with his doublet) was burning into yours as he got up slowly and sauntered towards you.

“So I bought this ship and simply waited with the laid out trap”, he said playfully and shrugged one of his shoulders, rolling it around, still slowly walking towards you with the feline grace you remembered well. He held the chalice with wine casually by its rim, dangling it next to his leg.

And as you took him in now in all his glory, you couldn’t help but be awestruck. He looked regal and dangerous - simply beautiful. But more than that you were smitten with memories of the past. Not only the last encounters you’ve had that had always been intense, but also from before that. When none of you had even dreamt of putting a captain before your name. Your throat closed up as you kept thinking about that; that and what you had once been for each other.

You desperately forced your thoughts back to the task at hand while the pale captain was sill stalking towards you. Although it was becoming very hard to concentrate the closer Astarion came.

“And you did all this to impress your ex-lover, yes?”, you spat when the other man had come so close that you were almost nose to nose. Gods be damned, he was even more beautiful and breathtaking up close than you remembered.

Several different urges were rising within you fighting for dominance. Your hand balled into a fist so hard, the knuckles were turning white as you tried to suppress all of them at once.

“Some people like big gestures”, Astarion muttered and let his head wander slightly from side to side while his gaze wandered from yours to your lips and back up again.

“Well, I’m not here for a date. I’m here to steal a ship”, you mustered sharply, still desperately trying to push down your conflicting emotions.

Astarion’s red eyes sparked, almost making your heart stutter right then and there.

“But unfortunately I am now in your way”, the captain replied teasingly, one white eyebrow flicking upwards. “What are you going to do about it, Staeve my love? Stab me with your sabre, eh?”, the pale elf teased while licking over his lips and cocking his head. A smug grin was playing on his lips then. His crimson gaze was boring into you, making you gulp.

You mirrored the sardonic smile: “Oh, you mean, like the last time?” You raised an eyebrow, mirroring him, and then quickly with one of your hands made sure that your shirt was still as widely opened as usual.

Astarion’s gaze jumped to your bare chest and you saw a muscle tick in his jaw. Good to know you weren’t the only one affected by this game.

But that was your moment. You pushed your elbow against the captain’s chest hard and made him stumble back with a yelp and then a hiss. The remaining wine spilled from the goblet Astarion had dropped. Some splashed onto you but it didn’t even matter anymore.

With a leap you jumped past the chair and onto the desk and started running across it, almost slipping on the maps and papers strewn across it and face-planting on the dark wood. Jumping off the desk again you were almost at the shelf and had already spotted the small brass key.

You were so desperate to get to the tiny golden thing in time that you nearly didn’t notice the glint of silver rushing towards you. Only in the last moment did you dodge under Astarion’s rapier. The captain had obviously regained his balance quickly and rushed around the side of the navigator’s desk to come after you. A quick glance towards him confirmed that he wasn’t pleased by you so rudely interrupting your flirt.

Meanwhile, dodging the weapon had forced you to drop to your knees and make the rest of the way in a painful slide over the wooden floor boards. You crashed into the shelf, making the key drop directly into your lap. Immediately you grabbed it and jumped up again while you quickly checked that your hat was still in place. And only then did you notice that the piece of furniture had started to tip, caused by you crashing into it.

Astarion was closing in on you again. So you picked the odds that seemed to be already in your favour and grabbed the leaning shelf to throw it down completely between you and your former lover.

And then you ran, drawing your sabre, just in case, while sprinting towards the still open door of the captain’s cabin. Rushing through you slammed the door shut behind you, hoping to gain a few more moments from it.

With the key clutched in your one hand and your weapon in the other you made it to the steering wheel and fumbled the tiny key into the seemingly even tinier keyhole. “You got to be kidding me”, you whisper-screamed once more. “Big ship, tiny key - who the fuck thought of this?”

But you managed to get in the key and heard a satisfying metallic clicking noise when you turned it around. But what you also heard was the door behind you opening and crashing against the wall forcefully when Astarion kicked it open.

You quickly got up, holding firmly onto your sabre while you grabbed one end of the steering wheel and with all your force - you spun it. Finally it worked! A short relieved sigh and a thanks to no god in particular left your lips.

You turned around - and were greeted by the finely dressed captain slashing at you with his rapier again. Your sabre was not lifted a moment too early when Astarion crashed into you and threw you back against the giant wooden wheel that at least had stopped turning. The crash had drained all air from your lungs and the wood was now painfully pressing into your back. You had lost your balance and were unfavourably forced to lean backwards while your boots were trying to find stable footing again.

Astarion’s rapier and your sabre were crossed above your head causing the metal to screech awfully while you were powering against each other. Astarion had thrown his other hand to your throat and was choking you while you tried to stop him from doing that with your own free hand. He was completely feral - probably as mad about you not playing along with his plans for the night as you throwing furniture onto him.

Not really the ideal reunion for former acquaintances, you had to agree. But the two of you had a history to perpetuate when it came to hurting each other in any kind of way possible. Today would be no different.

Somewhere in the back of your mind, your inner voice reminded you that it had indeed been right about the upcoming disaster. But you brushed it off, at least things stayed interesting this way. You were kind of in a rough spot at the moment.

Normally you’d easily be stronger than Astarion but he had taken you by surprise once more - bloody bastard. So the only thing you could do right now was trying to not get your head cut off or choked to death. And you were doing kind of miserably with both, but giving up wasn’t in your nature.

“If you wanted a romantic dinner you would have only needed to ask”, you croaked at Astarion whose face was contorted into a furious grimace. “Well that and at least an apology”, you continued, “maybe then I would have considered.”

Astarion’s red eyes widened shortly and then narrowed at you again. He squeezed your throat harder. The rings on his fingers added to your discomfort.

“You are an idiot, Staeve. You could have stayed with me, become my lover and my partner in crime. At least then you wouldn’t have to steal ships and run around in rags”, the captain hissed at you. His brows were furrowed firmly, causing a deep crease between them as he stared at you from under them. Astarion’s whole face was a snarl.

“What, and only be choked by you casually? Where’s the pleasure in that?”, you mustered despite the pale fingers still closing harder around your throat. The edges of your vision were starting to blacken and your head was beginning to feel woozy. You were quickly running out of options.

“I’ll never be your lap dog, Astarion”, you managed and felt a wave of anger rise up in you as you spat out the words.

The captain kept staring at you but for a split second you saw doubt flit through his crimson eyes and his chokehold on you let up for a moment.

Immediately, you made use of that in combination with anger giving you new strength. You pushed Astarion off you with a furious scream, making him tumble back and even fall with how forceful you had pushed him in his short moment of weakness.

You stepped away from the steering wheel quickly and with sabre in hand looked around, taking in your situation. You were still in the port? Why wasn’t this damned thing moving?

Then you remembered: the sails hadn’t been lowered yet.

Cursing so viciously even a bard would have been impressed by your colourful language, you turned around on the heel of your boot and ran for the nearest rope holding up the mainsail. Without letting go of your weapon but merely flipping it around so you could use your fingers and your other hand, you unwound the rope as quickly as possible. Letting go of it when you had managed you hoped to be rewarded with the big sail coming down and getting you moving. But when you looked up you saw that the damn thing had barely moved at all. Another rope was still holding it in place.

You groaned in desperation - well, you had obviously jinxed it by calling this whole endeavour easy at the beginning. This wasn’t easy at all anymore. In fact, it was a desperate pain in the ass.

Behind you you heard steps fast approaching. And when you turned around, you saw Astarion charging at you again, rapier at the ready, face nothing but an angry mask. But this time you had more time to react. You were ready to meet him now.

Nonchalantly, you threw your sabre up into the air to flip it around. You effortlessly caught it again and steadied yourself for the oncoming blow.

And then it came: the fine, thin blade thrust directly towards your neck. But you dodged the strike easily and struck the rapier away from your body, making it scrape along the edge of your sabre. The force with which Astarion had struck against you and that of your counter strike almost made the captain lose balance immediately.

But what he lacked in strength he made up with speed and dexterity. He withdrew the rapier from where it was drawn towards the ground by you and immediately started another assault, this time aiming for your torso. You dropped your blade to parry his, but his move had only been a feint

Astarion placed another lightning-quick strike towards your hip and you could only drop your weapon to counter in the very last second by letting the rapier crash against your hilt. The force of the strike immediately let pain shoot up your whole arm and into your shoulder. But this unfortunate counter had not only hurt you. You heard Astarion’s pained moan but when you looked into his eyes he was still just as furious, if not even more.

The pale captain then elegantly spun around trying to slash you across the face. You dodged by bowing low and then finally placed your first attack by striking upwards, aiming for Astarion’s shoulder. But your opponent quickly stepped out of your reach and hissed at you, your blade missing him by a fair amount.

And finally with some distance between you, you took your chances and ran off towards the other rope still holding up the sail. Immediately, you knew you were being followed by the angry scream ringing out behind you and the rushing footsteps. When you had reached the spot you turned around again and were immediately hit in the face with the hilt of the rapier.

You groaned as you saw stars and fell back against the railing. He’d hit you squarely on the nose. And the wet feeling you noticed immediately afterwards could only mean that he had drawn blood.  But you didn’t let go of your sabre and still managed to parry Astarion’s next blows. A fine pirate you’d be if you were to give up after one hearty punch in the face. This was merely a warmup.

But Astarion’s attacks seemed almost a bit cautious now. Was he letting up? It almost seemed that he hadn’t planned to hurt you that much with the unfair blow of the wrong end of his weapon. His fault though, for taking it easy on you.

“You know you’re supposed to stab me with the pointy end, not the blunt one, right?”, you spat breathlessly between trading blows with your former lover. That again made Astarion rage with fury. Heedlessly he swung his blade at you and you once more dodged by bowing below it, only being missed by a hair now.

And then you suddenly heard rustling above you. You quickly looked up and saw the end of the rope flutter while the mainsail was finally unfolding. Apparently, the rapier strike had just cut through the last string attached holding you captive in this port - good!

Astarion too had been distracted by the sudden happenings. “Shit”, he cursed under his breath. Both your weapons were lowered now as you watched the sail filling up with wind. And then with a sudden yank the ship started moving and with that threw you both against the wooden railing - hard. Your hat fell off and you could only helplessly yelp as you saw it drop into the water out of the corner of your eye.

“You’re never going to get away with this”, Astarion hissed at you as you were both grabbing to hold on and gain balance again.

“But I am already getting away with it”, you grinned back while you felt more blood run from your nose into your mouth. A quick glance confirmed that you had at least steered well enough and the ship was moving away from the docks.

“Even if you are, you are never going to beat me”, the pale captain hissed again while he was pushing away from the railing and raising his weapon again. He was stumbling a bit but he wouldn’t give up, same as you.

“I don’t have to”, you replied and gritted your teeth as you too took up a fighting stance again. You were fairly sure you couldn’t keep going much longer but you still had to rid yourself of this unwanted guest.

Astarion looked in confusion at you while he made no move to attack you while you were still arranging yourself - gentleman’s agreement.

“I just need to be a pain in your ass so you’ll never forget what you’ve done to me”, you finished and licked over your lips, tasting copper and baring your teeth at him for just a moment.

For a quick second Astarion’s shoulders dropped and you saw hurt and guilt flash over his face. But it was quickly gone and replaced with anger once more as he rushed towards you in a final effort.

You stood your ground and watched him come with determination on your face. With a mighty blow of your own you met Astarion’s blade. And then it was a measure of strength again as your blades were pressing against each other. Astarion’s face was a grimace of pain and anger while he immediately went to support the blade with both his hands. You easily held yourself against him now. You’d always been the stronger one.

“We really have to stop meeting like this, love”, you said with a grin although your whole body was hurting now and in your mind and in your chest conflicting emotions were also still battling each other. You wanted to push him away for good as much as you wanted to pull him closer. Astarion just scoffed in response with his face twisted in pain. Both of your arms were shivering from the effort.

You were still torn between pushing and pulling - so you opted for something in between.

With a swift movement you withdrew yourself and your blade, causing Astarion to stumble forward caused by the sudden loss of resistance.

And that was your opening. With your free hand you grabbed the front of his doublet forcefully and pulled him even closer towards you while Astarion’s eyes widened in shock. But you hadn’t planned to hurt him - or not as he probably expected.

You dragged him over to you and crushed your mouth to Astarion’s lips that were already opened in surprise. The captain gasped when your mouths met but you didn’t leave him time to readjust. You let your tongue slip into his mouth and kissed him: passionately, forcefully but still meaning more to please than to hurt. And Astarion took you up on it, welcoming your kiss and giving in, even slowly moving closer. It was another show of strength but this time you won easily.

When you had almost forgotten what you had actually planned to do, you curtly stepped away sideways, letting go of Astarion. But not without noticing the glazed over look in the pale captain’s red eyes. His blade was lowered now, as were his defences in this instant. You saw the wishful yearning on your former lover’s eyes and knew that it was mirrored on your face, probably with a huge blush too.

But you had come here to steal a ship - and a ship you would steal.

“Thanks for buying me this gift”, you whispered and then with a quick and forceful movement pushed Astarion - whose face only managed to change to confusion - over the railing and off the ship.

You heard him yelp and then a big splash of water. iImmediately, you leaned over the railing to check if he was okay. After all, you had only meant to get him off your newly acquired property. To your relief you quickly spotted Astarion coming up from his plunge. His wet curls were hanging around his face now as you saw the hate and the fury on his face.

“You can have my hat if you can find it”, you screamed as the vessel was quickly moving away from where you saw a flash of Astarion’s curls in the dark water.

“STAEVE!”, he screamed. “YOU WON’T GET AWAY WITH THIS!” The anger in his voice was blood curdling. Good thing you were quickly moving away from him. You were pretty sure he’d find a painful way to kill you in this instant, given the opportunity.

“WE WILL MEET AGAIN AND I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!”, was the last thing you heard before you turned away from the railing. “Bet”, you replied only to yourself and walked over to the steering wheel. You looked up at the stars and checked if you were on your planned course to pick up your crew.

Then you went below deck of the Absolute to go find some desperately needed liquor.

By the time you’d reach the rest of your crew you’d be blackout drunk. Not only because you wanted to celebrate being captain of a new ship now, but mainly to forget the captain of another.

Tag list: @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess

#astarion #astarion x tav #baldurs gate #baldurs gate 3 #baldur's gate 3 #baldur's gate iii #astarion x reader #astarion x mc #baldurs gate astarion #astarion x oc #astarion x you #fanfic #fanfiction #astarion ancunin #bg3 spoilers #bg3 #bg3 companions #staeve #astarion x staeve

[valeriianz]

it's been a while, but the brainworms would not stop festering until i wrote this little prequal to my original Vampire Hunter!Hob ficclet. dedicated to @mathomhouse-e, the biggest instigator for this au lol. thanks @quillingwords for some mad crazy beta skills <3 i appreciate you!

“Don’t look now, but that guy in the back has been staring at you since we sat down.”

Hob hummed as he took a long sip from his tankard for his mate’s benefit. Hob didn’t have to turn to confirm this; he’d felt the stranger’s eyes on him as soon as he’d entered the crowded pub, though he hadn’t spotted him yet. 

The revelation fascinated Hob now, after weeks and weeks of scattered moments where he had felt that itch of being watched, Hob could recognize the feeling and pinpoint it to one, singular person.

Their eyes had met a handful of times, Hob turning away politely at first, sometimes lengthening the stare with a curious look, or more recently, staring back with challenge in his gaze. Intentionally holding the man’s icy blue– visible even in the murky, darkened room– stare until Hob was forced to look away first, a chill running up his spine.

The feel of the stranger’s eyes on him had become frustratingly familiar. It was a bit hair-raising, to be sure. But it was also… alluring. Inviting. Titillating. 

Hob had begun dreaming of this mysterious man, drafting up introductions in his mind, anticipating a confrontation eventually. Whether their meeting would be easy or difficult was warring within Hob’s chest until he’d finally made a decision to confront the pale man with striking blue eyes. It seemed like divine intervention that, the day after making this decision, the stranger would appear in his usual spot, at Hob’s usual haunt, precisely as he sat down to join his friends.

“Want me to tell him to fuck off for ya?”

“Nah,” Hob downed the remainder of his pint before slipping off the barstool, tossing some coins on the counter. “I got it.”

Hob made his way to the man’s table, tucked away in a corner, where he sat alone. Where he always sat alone. The mud brown of the pub's interior seemed amplified by the yellow glow of the electric sconces on the walls. It made the White Horse’s patrons seem dull and muted, even those who wore many colors or laughed raucously. Hob’s stranger in the corner, however, seemed to push through the soft and warm glow like a supernova.

And strangely enough, he was dressed in all black. Darker than shadows and just as intangible, like the starless night sky when the moon was hiding. The lights hit his cloak and revealed a matte, velvet texture that looked rich and soft and clean. Too clean, too pressed. Like the man had walked straight out of a tailor’s and came right in here. The man stuck out like a sore thumb amongst everyone else, and yet no one seemed to be paying him any mind.

Hob kept eye contact as he drew near, his posture lax, unimposing, though he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. And he wondered, briefly, if his stranger could feel it too. The way his eyes seemed to brighten as Hob approached, the way the corner of his mouth began to curl, making Hob’s stomach twist with a mixture of unease and delight.

“Hello,” Hob greeted as he finally stepped up to the empty chair opposite the man. “May I sit?”

The man lifted one elegant dark brow in response and Hob took that as an affirmative, pulling out the rickety chair and dropping himself into it.

Hob had to remind himself how to breathe, looking upon the man who’d been unashamedly watching him for the past few weeks. The dark clad man was already a vision from across the room, his eyes alone making a statement. But up close he was devastating. His coal dark hair was thick and messy, long tendrils that framed his ghost-white skin and severe cheekbones like a painting. A vision of lust, secrecy, and– Hob realizes belatedly with a stab into his gut– danger.

And he hadn’t even spoken yet.

“Are you aware of how obviously you behave?” Hob managed to find his voice again, dredged up from where it had fled moments prior. “Maybe instead of staring at me all night, you can buy me a drink.”

The man across from him tilted his head a fraction, imperceptible. Hob forced his usual smirk, roguish and sly. The one he used countless times to woo women to his bed, as he waved down a barmaid.

“And what is obvious… about my behavior?” 

Hob looked twice at the man, unable to parse the words at first, convinced he had just heard a rumble of thunder outside. But as he stared, the stranger’s face became more and more curious, waiting for an answer. 

Hob swallowed. The question– spoken in a low murmur, deep and decadent– fluttered around his chest before finally settling somewhere low in his gut. Hob felt his bravado promptly leak out his ears.

“Ah. It’s not exactly what I’m used to,” Hob hid his hands under the table to hide how he began to fidget. “Typically a ‘hello’ or ‘how do you do’ is more acceptable than silently watching.”

The barmaid finally arrived and it gave Hob the excuse to pull his eyes away from the indigo sea swirling before him, almost hypnotic. He took a shuddering breath and blinked, staring up at the woman who was waiting for an order.

Hob ordered two cask ales, forgetting about the bold way he’d suggested the man buy his drink and operating now on autopilot. As the woman left, Hob brought his attention back to the enigmatic man before him, his skin prickling with gooseflesh at the realization he hadn’t moved an inch, piercing gaze still on Hob, posture straight and solid as a wooden stake.

“I was watching,” the man spoke again, his voice soporific. “Because I’m interested.”

Hob’s heart, which had finally calmed down a bit, flipped over in his chest. “In me?”

The man hummed, his chin tilting down, considering, while something akin to a smile tugged on his lips.

“In a way…” he replied cryptically. He spoke slowly, as if mulling each word over, making them deliberate. He closed his eyes for a moment and Hob belatedly realized the man hadn’t blinked once thus far.

“You are an apprentice.”

Hob couldn’t help it, he grinned, pulling one hand back on the table’s wooden surface to drum his fingers.

“How can you tell?”

The man tilted his chin up, taking a moment to study him and Hob felt his smile grow with the attention. Though there was something in the back of his head, tickling his base instincts of self-preservation. It was odd, Hob didn’t feel as though he was in any danger, but there was a certain… air about this gentleman. Hob couldn’t be sure yet, but there was definitely something off about him. Perhaps he was a lord– he certainly dressed the part. With his thick cloak, parted just enough to see an expensive looking waistcoat made from damask, the design threaded in gold that glinted with each microscopic movement.

The way he carried himself too, was with arrogance and power, and without a trace of sympathy. It was cold and hard. It was also breathtaking and Hob delighted in the man’s sharp gaze, his scrutiny, focused solely on him. 

Not just now, Hob had to remind himself with his own smug grin. But for the past few weeks.

“You dress the part,” he nodded down at Hob’s clothes. “But you are still young. I assume you’re in training.”

Hob looked down at himself, hardly dressed for style, but comfort. For easy movement during his training but also leather clad to protect against blunt force and brutal encounters. His coat, which he’d draped over the chair, had deep pockets for concealing weapons and the thick utility  belt around his waist had many compartments to hold his tools… though he had very few at the moment.

And like his stranger, Hob wore all black, to blend in with the night. He wouldn’t say what he was, even if the handsome man asked… it was frightening enough that he’d managed to even guess at his occupation thus far. 

“Good observation,” Hob said, offering nothing else.

The barmaid returned, setting their drinks on the table and leaving again with a smile.

Hob brought his own up for a long drink, for thirst and also to distract his hands, which desperately needed something to take hold of.

A beat passed before the stranger spoke again. “A priest?”

It’s the tone of the question that made Hob set his drink down slowly, swallowing deeply and eyeing his stranger again, his own brow arching. His tone was polite. As if he did know what Hob was and only asked to prompt him to reveal his true work. Like the man was playing dumb.

Hob looked down suddenly at the wooden cross hanging low on his chest, which is what might’ve provoked the inane suggestion. He laughed and he could hear in his own ears the edge to it.

“Far from it,” Hob tucked the cheap jewelry into his shirt. “Just superstitious, is all.”

The man hummed and seemed to relax, imperceptibly, in his chair. Hob took note of it with a curious expression

“And what about you?” Hob leaned back, fiddling with the handle of his pint. “What is your business?”

“Hardly worth mentioning.” The man responded quickly, his words premeditated. “I am curious though, young apprentice. Do I entice you?”

Again, Hob’s heart lurched at the forwardness. His blood racing through his veins and nearly making him dizzy. 

Unexpectedly, the stranger took a slow, deep breath through his nose, his chest rising with it and Hob unconsciously felt himself leaning forward. It is as though the man intended to pull Hob in, like he’d tied a rope around his chest and tugged. Hob caught himself on the table’s edge, forcing his eyes down at the man’s untouched drink and took a shaky breath, stolen from him, back into his lungs.

Hob laughed, shaking his head, pulling himself back up and hoping he hadn’t made too much of a fool of himself. His chest and neck were burning.

“What kind of question is that?”

For the first time all night, the man took his hands from where they’d been hidden under the table and clasped them on the surface. Hob sees no rings but couldn’t help but to fixate on his long pale fingers, his knuckles smooth as silver bullets. Hob wondered if they’d be just as hard and cold, too.

“You approached me. You sat at my table.” His hands turned palm up, fingers spreading wide. “What kind of question do you think it is?”

Hob laughed again, nerves getting the best of him. His young, traitorous heart was like a racehorse galloping along his ribcage.

“I’m afraid to answer that question,” but Hob smirked anyway, taking his drink up again to distract himself.

A small, barely there smile crept through his stranger’s carefully composed visage. A proper smile filled with pure amusement and– Hob blinked dumbly as realization settles in– desire. His eyes seemed to glint with excitement, hunger.

Ah, that was it. Like looking upon something you craved, pupils dilating with it and lips unconsciously parting, which Hob’s stranger did now. It was an intoxicating sight, and Hob could only stare, caught like a mouse in a trap.

Then he rose, so fluidly and gracefully that it took Hob a moment to even register that he was staring up at the man.

“What’s your name?” Hob asked, his voice gone quiet, awestruck.

The man hummed again, eyelids low, considering.

“Next time.”

He set a gold coin on the table, right next to his untouched ale, and left.

#dreamling #dream x hob #vampire au #i can and will blame Eliza for this little thing lol #i hope you like it <3 #this is for sure something that could be a full length fic... #but for now im just gonna add on to it on tumblr #in lil snippets like this #whenever i feel like it haha #my writing

[the-magicians-blue]

How about micah and reader where reader dies and micah just waiting for then to get online again,, i just really live for angst 🙏🙏

Ah I see you’ve caught me at a good time. Angst it is!

10:07pm

MicahYujin: You there?

MicahYujin: Angel?

MicahYujin: Y/N

MicahYujin: ….

MicahYujin: Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry.

MicahYujin: Please talk to me.

Micah was concerned. He hadn’t heard from you for almost 3 weeks now. He sent messages everyday without fail. You didn’t even touch your computer anymore (he knew because he hacked your computer to see if there was any activity). Maybe you were out of town and forgot to tell him? But you’ve never forgotten to tell him when you’d be away from your computer for long and you usually would text him. Something was wrong, really wrong but he couldn’t figure out what. At this point there was only one thing he could think to do: go to your house and see for himself.

The plane ride was stressful. All he could do was hope for the plane to go faster so he could see you again. The car ride was stressful. He was stuck in traffic and the driver took two wrong turns. But he thought it’d be worth it to see you. He thought it would.

When had finally got to your house he was surprised to see multiple cars and a moving truck in the driveway. He soon saw a slightly familiar face: your mother. He had never met her but you had shown him photos. She had tears in her eyes as she was carrying a box full of your things out of your home. Your mom saw Micah and recognized him from the screen shots you secretly took of him when you talked.

“Oh, you must be the boy Y/N talked to so much.”

A bitter smile grew on her face.

“They really liked you. Its not often Y/N bring up someone they’re talking to we when we talk… thank you for treating my child with so much love and kindness.”

She began to tear up again as Micah stood there confused.

“What… what happened?”

“They were on their way to the airport. Something about a surprise visit? It was a super early flight but… but apparently there was a drunk driver who was out late and speeding and… and the car hit the taxi and flipped over the car…. And… and-“

Your mother began to sob as Micah stood there in shock. No, no you can’t be gone, not just like that. You were just talking to him a few weeks ago, smiling and laughing and clowning him. You can’t be gone. You just can’t. And a surprise visit? You couldn’t have been going to see him were you? Did you die because of him?

A young man came up behind your mother to console her, sitting her down before going back to Micah. He introduced himself as your cousin. He only confirmed what Micah didn’t want to be true.

“Y/N had been in a coma for two weeks. At first it seemed like they’d wake up after a few days but… they’re condition worsened and by the end of the week the doctors said they were brain dead and weren’t gonna wake up. It took 2 more weeks for Y/N’s mom to finally decide to pull the plug. I’m sorry you had to find out like this… Oh! Wait I recognize you! You were that guy Y/N has a photo of on their dresser! Micah right?”

Your cousin ran off and returned with a battered box, parts of it singed.

“Y/N was apparently holding onto it when the paramedics found them. Apparently they kept saying something about making sure it got to you? They asked us if we knew a Micah but Y/N never gave us your name.”

Micah could do nothing but stare at the box in his arms. Taking a deep breath he opened the box to see a handmade plushie of skrunkly, a sailor moon figurine and a note.

Dear Micah,

As you know I’m not someone thats good at saying my true feelings face to face, so I wrote them down here. You are one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time. I’m always busy so having someone to talk to consistently wasn’t something I had the luxury of. You make me laugh, you make me calm, you make me feel safe. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so close to someone in such a short time before. I hope you like the gifts, I made the plushie myself! I know I can never capture the full beauty of skrunkly but I hope you appreciate my efforts. That sailor moon figure was actually hard to find too so you better be happy. I guess it’s just to pay you back for how much you’ve changed my life (and for the cute dinosaur plushie). Thank you for everything.

Love(ew),

Y/N

P.S if you ask about any of the mushy stuff I wrote to my face I can and will deny any of it. I am not past gaslighting.

As he read the note Micah began to laugh before breaking down into tears. He couldn’t help but feel like this was all his fault. If you hadn’t tried to surprise him you would still be here. Maybe he should’ve paid more attention when you asked him what his favorite sailor moon character was. He should’ve noticed when he saw you searching up how to crochet. He should’ve done something, anything. Maybe, he should’ve never started talking to you in the first place. He should’ve just like that little revenge hack be all that it was. You would still be alive if he did. Would he have met such an amazing person? No, but that would have been better than knowing he’s the reason they’re gone now.

Micah helped clean your house out. Your family like him keep the photo of the two of you on his first visit to your house as well as the dinosaur plushie he gave you. They invited him to the funeral but he just couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t be able to handle seeing you laying there, completely lifeless. He just went home promised himself that he’d never get close to anyone like that again. He wouldn’t be able to take losing someone else.

#error143 #micah yujin #please play error143! #micah yujin x reader #micah x reader #micah yujin angst

[maeleelee]

Chapter Eleven

Cotton Candy Landing

What goes up must come down. And as everyone from Orbit lands, more secrets are unveiled and will lead them to run. But will this path lead them to happily ever after or should they turn around?

Welcome back to the family of stoners. They’re all grown up and settling down. Everyone’s got full time jobs and some went and got married. Life is finally looking good for most. (Y/n has been turned into Bun Bun because this story follows a different lead.)

⚠️minors DO NOT interact⚠️

Warnings: “cheating”, humiliation, calling out, cussing, fighting, slaps, ruin wedding, threatening, cursing(snows doing)

-

Jess was starting at the mirror at Mae’s house, looking at the dress. “Baby. Stop. You look great.” Mae told her as she stood in front of her. “I wish I was giving you this speech for your actual wedding. You look amazing. You’re gonna do great. We’re kicking him to the curb and coming back here to party with San. Okay?”

Jess nodded at Mae and smiled. “I’m okay. It’s just shell shocking that this is actually going to happen. I’m leaving the man I thought I was in love with.” Jess sat down on the bed. “I’m letting him go because I was only in love with him because I wanted to believe he loved me. When the man who actually did, stood on the side.”

“That man standing on the other side of the door, would wait a million moons for you baby. He loves everything about you.” Mae smiled brightly. “Here.” Mae pulled out a letter. “I wrote this last night. San told me about the brave face you’ve been putting on. Read this when you want too. I’ll be back, I’m going to make sure everything is ready.” Jess nodded and watched Mae walk out the door.

Mae had a nice backyard and told them they could use it. They didn’t go all out like Jess wanted but she was happy with what was done. Mae put so much work into this and she’s sad she’s letting it go to waste. Jess looked at the note and opened it up.

-

‘Dear my soupmate.

I’ve watched you grow into the most beautiful, amazing, loving, caring women I’ve ever met. You make me smile when you’re not even trying. Life was quiet (at some points. Wooyoung and San can’t be quiet to save their lives) until you came into it. You’re the star that shines in the sky even when clouds try to cover it. You’re the pink sprinkles on rainbow cakes. You’re the gold to my fish and the rice to my cakes. We fit together like a puzzle and you healed my heart when it was completely broken. All of you have been a blessing to know. You all contributed to me becoming whole again and I’ve never be able to thank you enough. San will treat you better than anyone in the world. (Expect me. You’re MY princess.)

I’m so damn lucky to have a soulmate like you.

I love you so much princess.

From your soupmate, Mae Baby.’

-

Jess had to wipe the tears running down her face. Mae always knew how to make her feel better. “San? Are you still out there?” Jess called.

“Yes princess.” San called back.

“Can you come in?” She asked, trying to make sure her make up looked alright.

San opened the door and stepped in. His eyes hit her dress and then up to her face. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He was star struck. “Jess.” He whispered. He walked over to her and wipe her tears. “Jess baby. Are you okay?” She nodded, as she smiled.

“Yes. I’m okay. Mae wrote me a cute note and I’m just sobbing because of it.” Jess giggled as she looked at him. He smiled down at her and sighed.

“Would you be mad if I kissed you?” San whispered.

“I’d be mad if you didn’t kiss me.” Jess whispered back. San smiled and pressed his lips against hers. He left one hand on her cheek and put the other on her hip to pull her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss. Call it cliché but she could feel the sparks. San pulled away and placed his forehead against hers.

“I want to continue, but fuck baby. If I do, you aren’t walking down that isle at all.” San mumbled. She pouted and nodded.

“Jess baby.” She heard Mae’s voice through the door.

“Yeah?”

“I need you to hid San in my bathroom. Jisung is on the way to the room. He wants to “hold” your hand before the wedding.” Mae said through the door. Jess looked at San and he smirked.

“I could just claim you in front of him instead.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and pushed him towards the door.

“Get in the bathroom.” She hissed at him.

“Okay. Okay. I’m going.” He chuckled.

~

“Is everything ready?” Mae asked Snow. Snow nodded and looked at her Apple Watch. Jeongin was standing next to them, watching Snow. He had meet her a few days before the wedding and was very smitten with the witch. He wanted to know more.

She was gorgeous and the black dress and witches hat she wore made him drool. He knew after all this was over, he’d have to ask her out. He always loved chaos and she had it written all over her.

The dog she held onto also showed how protective she was. Jeongin loved that. He wanted her to be his and man was he gonna try hard to do so.

“Okay. Chan and Caden are greeting everyone. Minho is getting Jisung ready with the help of Mingi and Seonghwa. Wooyo is with Yeo Yeo at the moment. The girls are getting lined up and the PowerPoint slides are ready.” Snow smiled at her sister. “You need to go get in the line up.” Snow hissed at her sister. “Go!”

Mae sighed and ran to the back. The rest of the girls were giggling at a joke Wooyoung had said. Jess waved at Mae and held out her hand. “Thank you again for the note. I love you.” Jess kisses Mae’s cheek and leaned her head on Mae’s shoulder. Mae kisses Jess’ head and took a deep breath. “You okay baby?”

“Yeah. Just not liking the idea of walking down with Minho. I’ll be okay though.” Mae smiled but it didn’t go to her eyes.

“I can get someone to swap.” Jess said.

“I’ll swap. Walk with baby boy here and I’ll walk with shithead.” Cassi said.

“Are you sure?” Mae asked. Cassi just nodded.

“I’m sure. It’s okay.”

Wooyoung stepped towards Mae’s side and kissed her temple. “He’s not gonna do anything. He’s been on edge all day. I think he’s been trying to figure out if we know.”

“Well, Jisung’s in for a rude awakening.” Kayla mumbled.

“Oh, can we tell them? Maybe make the day a little better?” Mae asked Kayla. Kayla smiled and nodded.

“Jess, would you like to tell them?” Jess smiled. She had found out the night of the movie night they had. The popcorn made her sick, which never happens.

“Mommy here, is going to be an actual mommy in about five or six months.” Jess smiled.

“NO WAY.” The squeals started and so did the congratulations.

“That’s why you’ve been so adamant on being DD.” Bun bun said.

“Yes. That is why. I needed to make sure we were far enough along. I haven’t told the boys yet. I wanna plan a big thing for it.” Kayla smiled.

“Can we help?” Ani asked.

“Of course!” Kayla smiled.

“Alright. Come on. We have to get in line.” Yeosang said as he pushed everyone towards the front. He kissed Mae’s cheek and then Wooyoungs and smiled. “You both look stunning.”

“You look stunning yourself baby.” Mae smiled at Yeosang.

They had all got in line. The boys with each girl. Minho sighing as he stood next to Cassi. Yeosang had taken a step back since he wasn’t in the wedding and walked to Jess. “Everything’s ready in the room. Just get her in there after San and I runaway.” He nodded and smiled at her when the music started.

“Kick his ass babygirl.” Yeosang told Jess.

“Fuck yeah I will.”

-

“Would you like the say your vows?” The officiant asked. The two nodded.

“I can go first.” Jisung said. “Jess baby. You’ve brought so much joy into my life this last few years. I wouldn’t change it to save the world. You mean so much to me and I’m so happy to call you mine. Thank you for choosing me.”

“Jess. Your turn.” The officiant said.

Jess smiled brightly. “I can’t believe today is actually happening. I’m standing here surrounded by family and friends. People who have watched me grow and become a better person. Jisung.” She took a step away from him and grabbed the remote to the tv. “I made a slide show, showing you how much I love you.”

Jess hit the button and smiled as the first screen appeared. ‘I love you to the moon and back’ click ‘It’s always been you.’ click. ‘I thank you for everything you’ve done for me.’ click. ‘Waking up to you everyday will be the best feeling and view.’ click. ‘I love you so fucking much… Choi San.’

“San?” Jisung asked.

“I figured I’d tell the truth since you wanna lie to everyone. I’ve been in love with the thought of love. You don’t want to settle. You probably will never want to settle. Don’t drag me into the shit.”

“Jess what are you talking about?” Jisung asked.

“Play it.” Mae yelled to Chan, who proceeded to play the recording of Jisung telling Minho he fucked a girl.

“Is that not you?” Jess asked.

“Baby.”

“Wait. There’s two more slides. Oh look,” *click* “that’s you banging the bitch the night of the party.” *click* “that’s you bringing her home the night I stayed at Mae’s. Hey bumbling shit muffin. The ring door bell works at the house. Anyways, good luck. You’re gonna go far and you’ll stay there because you suck. Fuck you jisung in every worse way possible.”

“He’ll realize how needy and insecure and selfish you are. Don’t come running back when he does.” Jisung undid his tie.

“Talk to her like that again and I’ll drop you like the ball you are.” San growled. “She’s a fucking princess. Learn to respect it. Because I will be treating her as such. She’ll be so spoiled, you’ll never be on her mind. Now, if you don’t mind, imma take my girl and we’re gonna go.” San swoop Jess up bridal style and headed to house.

Kayla walks up to jisung and glared. “I’d spit on you but you aren’t worthy of my spit. I’d hit you but I wouldn’t wanna contaminate myself with the rotten trash that you are, that should have been taken out a long time ago.” Before anyone else could get a word in, Caden punched Jisung in the face, knocking him backwards into Minho.

“Man. You really are stupid.” Wooyoung mumbled as he walked by and started dragging Mae away, who flipped Jisung off.

“I hope you go far and stay there.” Mae yelled.

-

“What are we doing?” Cassi asked Caden.

“Just trust me. Jess asked me to see if all of you would stay.” Caden stated and smiled at Wooyoung and Yeosang. They stood on both sides of the alter. “You two look great.” He smiled.

“Oh my gosh.” Cassi said, making Caden laugh.

“Surprise.” Wooyoung smiled. “All Jess’ idea.”

-

“Jess what is this?” Mae asked her as Jess held out a wedding gown.

“You’ve done way to much work for a wedding to not happen and I know we think alike so you love half of the stuff out there. Please put this on and let’s go have a wedding. Your two boys are standing up there, waiting on you.”

“Jess. How’d you?” Mae questioned.

“Baby. I can plan stuff without you knowing as well. I mean, obviously a last minute thing but your mom said you’ve had this dress picked out way before Minho happened and that you wanted it for your perfect match. You got two of them. Standing at the end of the isle. Put it on and let’s go.” Jess giggled and Mae signed.

Mae put the dress on and smiled when it fit perfectly. “Oh my gosh.” Jess said. “You look stunning.”

“Damn Mae baby. You look great.” San said from the door. “Come on. I’ll give you away.” He held out his arm.

“Wait!” Jess said. Mae turned and looked at her. She handed her the flowers and put the veil in her hair. “There we go. Perfect.”

-

Everyone was standing up and the music started. Mae took a deep breath and looked at San. “You got this baby girl.” She nodded and they walked out together. She looked up and smiled. Everyone she loved was standing up there for her.

Wooyoung blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing correctly. Mae looked like a Goddess walking down to him in the dress. Yeosang, on the other hand, had tears running down his cheeks. He couldn’t believe he was actually about to be married to his two best friends and fuck did Mae look stunning.

-

“I do.” Mae smiled.

“I do.” Wooyoung said.

“And I do.” Yeosang stated.

“Well how ever you want to do it, kiss your bride men.” The officiant smiled.

Both boys smiled at each other and place a huge kiss on her cheeks, making her giggle. She kissed both of them quickly and they all walked down the isle.

“To the cake.” Mae giggled.

~

“This turned out great by the way.” Jess smiled at Yeosang. Wooyoung and Mae were dancing together on the floor.

“Hell yeah it did.” Jess giggled.

“Sorry to break this cute moment up, but can I dance with my girl now?” San chuckled. Yeosang nodded.

“I’m gonna go dance with my two.” He put down his wine glass and walked to them.

The night went on with everyone giggling, dancing, and having a great time. Mae was married. Jess was with San finally. Life was finally looking up.

Masterlist

Back || Next

Taglist: @bunnyiix @cadenonlinelive @weird-bookworm @imagine-a-life-like-this @mxnsxngie @choisoorin @piratequeen-queenofgames @littleleatabixx @stvrfir3 @okkkcausewhet @acrylishly @berryberrytan @lixielovesme @turtledove824

#i like shiny things but i’d marry you with paper rings #cotton candy orbit sequel #ateez #hongjoong #wooyoung #seonghwa #choi san #jongho #mingi #yeosang #yunho #ateez imagines #ateez au #ateez scenarios #ateez smau #stray kids imagines #Chan #Minho #lee know #Changbin #Hyunjin #jisung #Han jisung #Felix #lee Felix #Seungmin #Jeongin #stray kids smau

[theflagscene]

Shipper Tag Game!

I was tagged by @negrowhat 🥰 Thanks for the tag!

1 - What ship were you completely obsessed with when you were a teenager, but now you don’t care about anymore?

Hmm, I’m trying to think. I don’t have the best memory of my life as a teen, it was pretty hectic and I didn’t get my first personal computer with internet access until I was 18 years old. So I wasn’t really into the fandom spaces yet, I guess I’ll go with Buffy and Spike? I loved them as a couple so much and now I’m just like; meh, whatever.

2 - Which ship would you consider your first one?

Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, I was just kid but I was very very invested in them finally kissing lol. Me and my older sister used to watch the English version that they aired in the West in the 90’s, so it wasn’t even a dubbed Anime it was legit changed for American audiences.

Note: I am not American, but you get my point.

3 - Your first fanfic belonged to which couple?

The first fic I ever wrote I think might have belonged to Willow and Tara 🤔 I’m trying to remember, I’m pretty sure it was Willow and Tara.

4 - Do you remember the first couple you saw fanart of?

Not really, I was never on the fanart side of fandom spaces because of my total and absolute lack of talent lol. So I’m not really sure what fanart I came across for the very first time, knowing my luck it was something cursed on Google that I accidentally stumbled upon and thus blocked from my memory.

5 - Did you ever get into ship discourse?

Not really, I once stopped interacting with an entire fandom when I started getting attacked because I happened to like a bisexual character with a character of the opposite sex better than with a character of the same sex. Basically I was being called homophobic and other terrible things because I was reblogging het gif sets and pics instead of lesbian gif sets and pics. The fandom for this series was extremely toxic and I actually stopped watching the series because of how much the fandom tainted it for me, all because I thought the het couple had better chemistry then the sapphic couple, that’s all. The character was canonically bisexual and had dated both of the other characters at one point or another on the show, I just thought she happened to work better with the male character. Sigh, people are weird.

6 - Did you used to have a NOTP or have any currently?

Yes, back in the day when I was very active in the Whovian fandom, I was very much against shipping Gwen and Jack from Torchwood. They were my NOTP, not gonna lie, they’re lowkey still my NOTP lol.

7 - Who were the couple in the last fanfic you read?

AlanJeff, I’m still very much stuck in my ‘Alan and Jeff live happily ever after’ phase of mourning Pit Babe’s ending lol.

8 - Currently do you have any OTPs?

Oh man *cracks knuckles* let me just hop onto my AO3 history, my current obsessions OTPs are;

SeanWhite, ToddBlack, AkkAyan, AlanJeff, PhayaTharn, KaranAchi, PheeJin, Tae Myungha x Cha Yeowoon, Sangwoo x Jaeyoung and Lan Wangji x Wei Wuxian.

Those are the ones that I can confidently say I consider OTPs atm.

9 - Is there any couple that to this day you are extremely mad about them not getting together?

I mean, does it even have to be said?

10 - Is there any ship that you used to dislike but now you think are kind of interesting?

Hmm, I don’t think so. Chances are if I disliked the ship before, I’d probably still dislike it now.

11 - Do you have a ship that in the past was considered ‘normal’ but now you would be cancelled over?

Ginger and Bridgette from Ginger Snaps, it’s an incest ship because they’re sisters but to be fair to teenage me, the writer and director both talked about how they purposely played up the fact that the pair were borderline incestual. Especially as Ginger became more and more feral (it’s a werewolf horror trilogy), she sexualized her relationship with her sister because that’s what her animal instincts were telling her to do. As she crawled over her talking about masturbation before whispering in her ear; it’s like we’re not even related anymore. I’m pretty sure teenage me has a glitch as my brain tried to figure out why that was so hot.

They continued to play up that whole ‘animals fuck their own family in the wild’ angle in both the sequel and the prequel, the story purposely was saying that there was no one for them but each other.

So yeah, I fell for it. I was a horny and sexually confused 15 year old who had a crush on the main actress of the trilogy lol, of course I shipped them.

12 - What’s your favourite crack ship?

Crack ship? I don’t really know, I mean what even is a crack ship anymore, ya know? In this day and age, most fandom spaces allow you to ship whoever the fuck you want, rule 34 was long ago blown past by shippers and now it feels like crack ships are a thing of the past.

13 - Who is the couple you’ve read the most fanfics of?

Probably Sterek, Destiel is a close second but I’m going to say Sterek with like 88% certainty that I’m correct lol.

14 - What do most of your ships usually have in common?

15 - What do you absolutely hate in a ship?

Miscommunication! I absolutely loathe it when a ship is on the rocks or breaks up because no one would just fucking talk to each other! It drives me insane, because like just speak to one another, why is that so impossible!? I’m in a poly relationship IRL, I have been for over 16 years. When you’re dating more than one person, the idea of not communicating is just baffling! Communication is key! Like, what? Is this just a monogamous thing!? Why can’t the characters just talk to one another, open and honest dialogue. Arg!… so yeah, miscommunication gets me a little heated lmao.

Tagging! I’m not sure who to tagged so I’m going to go and pick the last five mutuals in my notifs and hope you don’t mind me tagging you lol. @oh-goodness-loki @crapyouknowme @jdotsodomite @jeonghanurl @italianpersonwithashippersheart

#tag game #shipping tag #tw incest #this was fun! #thanks for including me

[astarionfreak]

writing patterns tag game!

tagged by @scaryanneee (thank you!)

Rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 posted fics and see if there's a pattern!

1. Palisade afternoon | Astarion x Fem!reader

The dress you’re meant to wear to the party is hanging near the bed. It’s beautiful. You hate it.

2. Exile (Or: How you learned to stay) | Astarion x Fem!Reader & Shadowheart x Fem!Reader

It’s pouring rain. You’re running. Your bare feet carry you over cobblestones, through alleyways — always in shadow. Never in the light.

3. You'll hate me (make love) | Ascended Astarion x Fem!Reader

This is the last place you should be. He’s not the man you fell in love with. Not anymore. The Rite of Profane Ascension corrupted him — of course it did.

4. Carve it in red | Ascended Astarion x Serin (Fem!Durge)

Astarion stood in the garden, a solitary figure, silhouetted by a low-hanging blood moon. He often found himself here when he needed a moment of quiet reflection.

5. At least you purr for me | Astarion x Fem!Reader

“Alright, soldier. Your turn. Top three orgasms, let’s fucking go,” Karlach says.

You feel the heat rise in your face, you’re blushing. You glance up at Astarion, who is looking at you with an almost smug expression from across the campfire. Does he really expect you to say his name?

6. The blood on your hands is mine | Astarion x Wren (Fem!Durge)

The blighted village was only intended to be a pit stop on their way to locate the druid. But in her haste, Wren led them right into a trap. The goblins had the high ground and they managed to dole out some damage before they finally fell to arrows and spells.

7. Beg like you need it | Astarion x Tessa (Fem!Tav) x Gale

Gale glanced around the room as if expecting another guard to arrive at any moment. “I don’t believe resorting to violence was necessary in this particular instance.”

Astarion stared longingly at the blood on his dagger, almost as if considering licking it. He wiped it off on the guard’s sleeve instead. “Don’t be so wet behind the ears.”

8. Now that his heart beats | Ascended Astarion x Fem!Reader

A warm breeze dances across the garden. You lay in Astarion’s arms, on the lawn, near the roses. You are so still that you can count each blade of grass that bends and sways, brushing against your bare arms and legs.

9. The lick of poison | Astarion x Naenia (Fem!Tav)

“Remind me why we had to return to this vile place?” Astarion gestured to the halls of the Arcane Tower with a flourish.

“Timmask Spores and Tongue of Madness. For Omeluum,” Naenia said. “I’m certain I saw some here. We won’t be long.”

10. You're mine, remember? | Ascended Astarion x Cassowary (Fem!Spawn)

Gale pulled Cassowary into a warm embrace, the likes of which she had not experienced since her transformation. She breathed him in — allowed the beat of his heart, the rush of blood in his veins, and his scent to overwhelm her senses. Gods. His scent — he smelled of old books bound in leather, and the subtle smokey aroma of amber.

---

Patterns? Umm. I'm sure there's something there that I haven't noticed. I usually try to give the reader some sense of where the character is physically as early as possible (even if in the last one that location is just Gale's arms lol). My favorite intro is the one I wrote for Exile (second favorite is probably the one for At least you purr for me). I know that wasn't the question, but I'm rambling now. Okay, byeee.

---

Tagging @charmandabear

#af.op #tag games

[eclipsewxtch]

outtakes from Blue Moon:

“Some shitty magic camera that Benny pawned off to Hannah.” Ethan scoffs, still mouth-breathing — unable to smell anybody approaching. “She probably thinks that lame ass camera is a good idea… I’m not sure she even knows that you’re supposed to develop the film of a camera like that.” He scoffs, completely missing Rory’s look of panic…

“Uh, Ethan—”

“No—You’re right, Rory… I can’t be mad at her or make fun of her for something she seemed genuinely passionate about.” He admits, because Rory has never been a fan of making fun of girls with weird interests. “But it’s not fair! You can’t take pictures. Literally! And neither can Sarah or Erica and it’s stupid to neither of you guys to be able to. Even if I bet she doesn’t know how to take a goddamn picture and develop it, and doesn’t understand that doing that for the entire student body is not only a waste of fucking time but it’s a completely stupid idea…”

“Ethan!”

“You’re right. I need to work through this aggression. She doesn’t deserve most of it. She’s President of Yearbook. She can do what she wants.” Ethan eventually settles on, “Who am I to tell the President of Yearbook what to do? … Man, thanks for the talk Ror.”

Rory blinks. “Did you just… Did you just talk yourself through your rampant aggression and inherent sexism?”

Ethan shrugs. “Whatever you wanna call that. Sure. I’m still pretty pissed, but I’ve taken a step back and recognized it’s not cool to completely be a dickhead to a girl who doesn’t understand what’s going on with you three. I’ll figure something out for you guys, even if I have to convince the AP Studio Drawers to draw you guys themselves.”

this didn’t make it into the final cut for Chapter Seven, only because in the OG episode ethan went on kinda a rant — sexist one at that that — about how hannah probably doesn’t even know how to work a camera that needs developer and unable to comprehend that it’s an old-school camera that doesn’t have a screen… as if she wasn’t the one who suggested using it and bought it herself… the reason i’m not keeping this scene i wrote is because: ethan had a bit of a Sexist Moment (which trans men aren’t excluded from doing on occasion. sexism and misogyny r everywhere, n lots of people r susceptible to it. ethan is clearly not an exception.) i want to use his OG rant as a (say it w me kids) ✨learning experience✨ for what is n is not an appropriate reaction for unjust feelings n anger. in this scene ethan manages to talk himself out of his sexist rant all by himself, but i would much rather have hannah verbally smack the shit out of him like she should’ve in canon tbh. also this is a fix-it/canon divergence fic but it doesn’t ignore that the characters have genuine character flaws that need fixing💀 anyway enough of my rant bye yall

#mbav fanfic #ethan morgan #my babysitter's a vampire #eclipse gets a hold of tumblr and doesn’t know when to shut the fuck up

[theyreonlynoodlesmike]

idk if you’re taking mad thomas requests but if you are can i request i’ve where he likes reader because she’s the only one who doesn’t treat him like a outcast and isn’t repulsed by him like the other townsfolk

This ask was so sweet here you go :)

Kind Gestures (Mad Thomas x Fem!Reader)

Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, developing relationship, confessions, mentions of drinking, partying and taking the berries, outcast!Thomas,

Word Count: 1.6k

"Good day, Thomas. Rough night?" You asked, looking down at where he laid on the hay covered ground.

Thomas, or Mad Thomas as the townspeople called him, was a man who was drunk more often than not. And, when he wasn't, it was usually because he had just woken up.

You were in your father's chicken coup, ready to finish your morning chores, but a familiar man was sleeping in it. He blinked up at you, and reached to rub his eyes. Silently, you were relieved. When you'd walked in and a chicken had been pecking at him, you'd almost thought him dead. From the way he shielded his eyes, you guessed the streams of sunlight were probably too much for the headache he had, and you watched as he smacked his lips. You asked,

"Thirsty?" And he squinted his eyes up at you and said a simple,

"Aye." You gave him a smile, and reached for your pouch. He sat up, groaning as he did, before he took it from you. You watched as he took a swig, and silently you wondered when the last time he drank any water was. You didn't say a word as he finished the pouch, and you took it back as you said,

"I don't mind you sleeping here, but I'm sure my father would." You started, walking away to begin checking each of the baskets to see if they had anything for you this morning. "There's some breakfast left if you're hungry." You offered, hoping that would stir him enough to get up.

You smiled to yourself when you heard the rustle of clothes, and you glanced over to watch him as he stood. Finally, he said,

"I don't need your charity." And your smile only grew. After all the years of you offering things to him, it was almost a tradition now. A routine. You placed the eggs in your basket, and looked over at him as you said,

"Think of it as a kind gesture." And you watched the corner of his lips turn up.

***

Your head turned when you heard someone clear their throat, and your eyes glanced down first to the wildflower someone was holding out for you. Quickly, your eyes flicked up, and, to your surprise, it was Thomas that was offering it to you.

"Yes, Thomas?" You asked him, a flicker of confusion went through your face, before you placed your bucket on the well. You took the flower, and watched as his shoulders relaxed. It was a strange sight, a sight that made you wonder.

"Just- For you." He said, waving at the thing. You smiled, quickly guessing that it was a repayment for this morning. You gave him a nod in thanks, and he turned away. You watched him stumble, and, immediately, you wrote it off. It made you smile to yourself a bit at the gesture, and you placed it in the strap of your apron as you went back to drawing water from the well.

You weren't alone for long. Couldn't be, in a town as small as Union. Lizzie was quick to come up to you, to grab your arm and whisper,

"What was that?" And you gave her a look. She was the towns gossip, and one of your friends. You knew she'd seen Thomas give you the flower, but, as you reached down to touch it, you couldn't find a thing wrong with the gesture.

"He was just giving me a gift, Lizzie. Nothing more." You told her, but you watched the way disgust clouded her face. You frowned, watching as she glanced over at the man. You loved her, dearly, but you wished the people of Union weren't so plagued with distaste for him.

"Looks as if he was trying to court you." She commented, and the idea- Well, it struck you. You glanced down at the flower, then at Thomas. He had been strange, hadn't he? You thought to yourself, but quickly discarded the idea. He wouldn't. The idea was preposterous. "Next, you'll be inviting him to the full moon." She said, and you lifted a brow at her, at the idea. It wasn't a bad one. And, maybe it was what everyone needed to finally understand him. You looked over at her, giving her a small smile. You watched how her face fell, watched the small shake she gave you. "No." But you continued to stare. "No!" She shout-whispered, but all you did was tilt your head and look away. "Tell me you won't!" She demanded, her voice hushed. You could feel her stare, even as you made the plans to invite him before nightfall. You didn't say a word as you untied your bucket.

***

All of the children were celebrating on the full moon. Or, well, the ones caught between youth and adulthood. And, well, only the ones that were invited.

You all went to a clearing in the woods, where you could drink, eat, and have fun without the watchful eyes of your parents, or those that would tell your parents.

You liked to think that that was the only reason Thomas had never been invited.

"Don't you know they won't want me there, girl?" Thomas asked as he followed you through the forest. It'd been easy to find him, but surprisingly hard to convince him. He trailed behind you as if he had other things he'd rather attend. You couldn't imagine he'd get much conversation from your chickens. The pair of you were already late just from having him trail behind, and you walked through the dark forest with only your lantern to guide you.

"That's not true, Thomas." You said, glancing behind you. You watched as he walked, as slow as a snake through the grass. He climbed past one of the trees, his hand on it as he stepped closer. He gave you a look, and you could already guess the words that were going to come out of his mouth.

"Liar." He said, pointing at you. His tone made you smile. You paused, giving him a look back as you waited for him to catch up. You stared at him as he did, watching him as he said, "Lying's a sin, you know." He said, and you scoffed a laugh. You hadn't realized how close he'd come until you felt his hand on your chin, and you were quick to look back to him. He was close, barely a step away, and, even in the dark, you could see his clear blue eyes staring straight at you. Practically as if they could look straight into your soul. "What is the truth then, girl?" He asked, and you stared up at him. You gulped, pushing away the flutter of nervousness the touch brought. The flutter in your stomach with him being so close. You looked away from him again, and took a step towards the trail. You didn't look at him as you said,

"I'd like you to be there." You said, and the words felt too honest on your tongue. Especially when you could see the gathering in this distance. Quickly, you added, "You can protect me from Caleb." To soften your admittance. You smiled when you heard him laugh, and you glanced behind you to see it on his face.

"If you wish to be protected, then why go? Why not stay home?" He said, and you felt his hand, large and warm, reach to hold your wrist. It was a bold gesture, and the pair of you paused. You could hear the sounds of music, see the firelight in the distance. You were only a little bit away from the party, and yet you felt as though there was a whole world between you when you looked back to him. His eyes were on you again, and you practically shrunk under their weight. Finally, you asked,

"Why follow me if you don't you want to go, Thomas?" It was a fair question, one you hadn't asked yet that night. Thomas didn't say anything for a moment, and you sucked in a small breath when he reached to brush your hair from your face. His hand was slow and gentle, his fingers brushing against your cheek as they did.

"You asked me." He said, and, for a moment, you didn't get his meaning. Then, you did. You thought maybe it was the drink, but you'd seen him drunk. You knew he was barely tipsy, sober enough to get through the forest. You opened your mouth to say something, but words escaped you. The only thing you could think of were Lizzie's words from earlier. Looks as if he was trying to court you. Finally, you asked,

"Why did you give me that flower?" It was the top of a list of things you'd never truly thought about. Why did he always find his sleep on your property? In places you'd find him? Why did he have breakfast with you more mornings than not? Why, whenever you looked for him, was he always there? And, with an amount of honesty you could never possess, he said,

"I like you." And your mouth fell for just a moment, just the tiniest bit. He continued, "You're kind to me. No one else is." And you were silenced by his confession. You stared at him, feelings roaring in your chest but your voice was missing. Thomas didn't seem to mind. He laughed a bit at your stunned face, before he glanced at the fire-light. Thomas let your wrist slip from his hand. "Come." He said, nodding towards the light. "They've already seen the lantern." He gestured for you to follow him towards the full moon celebration. And, for the first time, you truly didn't understand him.

#fear street #fear street 1666 #mad thomas x reader #mad thomas fear street #mad thomas #fear street mad thomas

[arcadejohn127-9]

Hello,, may i request headcanons of the brothers who got a love letter from mc but it turned out to be a prank from some lesser demons,,thank you :))

This was meant to be posted on yesterday for April fools but ended up getting caught up with things irl and didn't get to finish it in time - aaaaaaaand I fell asleep before midnight and now it's 3 am, fell asleep mid way through writing, well done me 😭😂

Rip the lesser demons for always having the balls to cause mischief but always end up getting hurt, when will they learn - what happens at the end is up to you

The lesser demon snickered towards his friend, shushing their friend as they slipped the pink letter into the higher demons locker. Another demon was with them, more timid than the other two.

"what if we get in trouble?! They'll find out it wasn't actually the human and we'll end up dog food-!"

"we planned this whole thing, it'll be fun - we just gotta stay at a distance!"

It was long before footsteps grew closer, the timid demon squeaking in fear. The other lesser demons took it as a sign to start running, grabbing each other and bolted away from the scene of the crime.

The owner of the locker arrived, just noticing the lesser demons run off in the distance. He opened his locker and almost stumbled back when a letter fluttered out. The demon grew curious he noticed there was a heart seal on the back. He opened it to read it to himself.

To my dearest friend,

I think it's about time I come clean about my feelings, I've been holding these in for a very long time and I refuse to keep them a secret anymore!

I'm in love with you! I can't explain it but you've won my heart, everytime you smile at me I just can't help but feel my heart skip. Is it wrong to feel this way? I'm only a human and you are a demon...we're so different and I don't know how long we'll be able to have this time we have together. All I know is that I want to be with you for as long as I can!

Will you accept my feelings? I'm not sure if I can face just yet so meet me at the end of day! I'll be waiting for you at the back of the school - I really hope you come. Even if it's decline my feelings....I just want to be able to face you and how you make me feel.

Love, (Y/N)

Lucifer:

Oh his ego is SO stroked

He could just imagine the human blushing as they wrote and nervously putting it in his locker

He did see you later that day and decided to tease you a little but while you were flustered, you also seemed confused

That was his first suspicion

When the time finally came he was patient but you weren't early

His second suspicious

You both knew each other very well, he liked things being in a timely Matter and you tried your best to not be late

He stiffened when he heard a snicker from a few trees away, he looked over there to see three demons all hiding

"I know you're hiding, it's best you come out now."

One by one they all showed themselves, growing nervous

"Come here, don't be shy, I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for this, after all you seemed to be desperate to have me out here."

"you- you knew it wasn't the human?!"

his pride wouldn't let him tell the truth, he refused to show his disappointment

"of course, you clearly don't understand the human as much as you think you do - now, who's the leader? I think we should have a nice talk."

Mammon:

YOU GAVE HIM A LOVE LETTER??!!!

He's internally screaming, his face was bright red

Watch this boy struggle against his locker as he tries to hide his excitement

Though, when his high died down he did find it strange you were being shy

You could have your shy moments but to confess through a letter was odd

He wasn't the brightest guy around but he can sense when he's getting scammed - even if he ignores that instinct when it comes to money

He's always around you so it wasn't strange for him to see you after class and he was surprised how... relaxed you were

Something was up but in the end, he went to the back of the school

When he texted you, asking you where you were and you said going home - that was the final straw

HE WAS TRICKED!

"Oi! Are you out there?! I know you tricked me!"

The lesser demons started to panic, not thinking mammon would catch on

But when mammon started marching around looking for them they decided it was best to reveal themselves

"There ya are, now let's get to talking - what made you three wanna do something like this? You think it's funny to pretend to be the human?"

The leader snickered, agreeing that it was funny to pretend but their friends understood right now - their doom was coming

Mammon cracked his knuckles, stalking closest to them

"I like a good joke, let me show you my favourite one."

Levithan:

Love Letter in his locker??? Heart seal!!!??HE WAS THE LOVE INTEREST??!!

He's torn between dying inside and excitement, he's absolutely losing it

He had to fan himself with the letter due to how hot his face was getting

He wasn't sure how he was going to face you! Let alone you having to face him

But- there was no way you were interested in him! You wouldn't do this

He didn't believe it, it HAD to be a prank

When levi saw you for the rest of the day it only strengthen his suspicions

He did go to the back of the school and when he saw you were no where to he seen

He was absolutely embarassed and ashamed by even hoping it was real

"YOU CAN COME OUT NOW! just- just stop hiding, it isn't funny."

the demons came out, disappointed with the lack of dramatics

"so you three did it, you really think it's funny to do something like this?! To mess with someone's feelings and pretend to be the human is just - IT'S PATHETIC-!"

The demons started to feel uncomfortable, the higher demon had tears in his eyes and obviously worked up

Even the one who wanted to see this kind of reaction was uncomfortable

His demon form started to shift outwards and raised his hand, the ground beneath them rumbling

"it seems you just think I'm some sort of pushover! But I'm not!"

Satan:

Hm, how interesting

It isn't too odd that you're using a letter to confess, you know he appreciate writing

But you were more verbal or atleast text - this was new

But to say he wasn't absolutely ecstatic was an understatement, he was beyond the moon

When he saw you later he tried to not bring up the letter as his brothers were around

Though, he was thrown off when you got confused when he teased about seeing you after school

He decided he'll investigate things, going up to demons who have lockers near his and ask if he saw the human put anything in it

After awhile of searching he finally found out it was three demons who did it - he didn't want to spoil their fun and so he still went

He leaned against the nearest tree, waiting for the demons to arrive

"Ah you're here, I'm so glad you finally came."

the demons were surprised when he moved towards them, they left their hiding spot with nervous smiles

"You write well, you got their energy almost perfectly into the letter - I'm impressed."

They didn't expect that....not one bit

"you're not....mad???"

Satan chuckled, flexing his clenched fists

His smile grew more strained and dangerous as he leaned over them

"oh no, no I'm not mad - im LIVID."

Asmodeus:

He was surprised to get a love letter, he gets piles worth everyday

He didn't expect it to be from YOU though

You were so open with him and you two were already overly affectionate to each other he was sure you were already low-key dating

So to get confirmation his feelings were returned - he was overjoyed!

As soon as he saw you he's hugging you, telling you how he loved your letter and that he'll still meet you after school if you need to

You were utterly confused and unsure what he was talking about

When you told him you didn't give him that letter he felt his heart break

You didn't love him?? That wasn't your letter??

To think someone would play a prank on him like that! It was rude!

When it was time, he went to the back of the school and pretended as if he didn't sense the other demons

That was until he grew impatient

"are you shy, dear? It's okay - I know it wasn't the human~"

The lesser demons came out, confused

One of them blushed just being near him

"I'm sorry for my friend! They wanted to play the prank but- but I love you asmo!"

He gave them a pity smile

"aww~ of course you love me! But you really hurt my feelings making me believe the human did, I almost cried!"

The demons immediately all felt bad

The idea of their gorgeous asmo crying made them guilty

"I know exactly what will make me feel better, making sure you three can never write again~! Can't have you keep tricking me, can I?"

Beezlebub:

A Love letter from you?! He's a happy boy

But now that he actually thinks about it - it's odd you're not being upfront

You two usually sit alone together when you wanna get something off your chest, holding hands and you don't even have to face each other

Why the sudden change? Perhaps you just wanted to be like one of Levi's anime characters

Regardless, he was happy and wanted you to be happy

Hes was going to make you happy!

Beel was quick to find you and act like he didn't find your letter, you said you'll face him after school and he respected that

Whilst you couldn't exactly avoid each other before then, he did try to give you space

As soon as school ended he Went to the back, waiting for you to arrive

Each second went by and he grew more hungry

He smelt something close by and found three demons hiding, it was odd but he didn't want to be hungry whilst you confessed - he wanted to give you his full focus

"ah-! How did you know we were here?!"

"I smelt the sandwich in your bag, I want it."

It didn't take much convincing to hand it over

He's a scary demon afterall

"it's best you leave, my friend is coming."

One of the demons started laughing, questioning if he actually believed it was you who gave him the letter

Beel got confused before it all clicked together, he frowned, glaring at the demons

He wasn't happy

"I'm still hungry, three demons will do just fine."

Belphegor:

Happy cow man, demon tail go SWISH

On the inside hes like an excited dog, outside he's just standing there

Meanwhile he wants to be like his twin, respectful that you want to do later

He isn't that patient and wants to make it official with you NOW

so as soon as he sees you, he's draping himself on you and telling you how impatient he is

You're confused on why and he shows you the love letter

You tell him that it isn't from you and that's not even your hand writing - it's a good mimic but not yours

He is SHOCKED then he's mad

He still goes to the back of the school but it's to fight whoever pranked him

He wasn't going to wait around

"Get out now or I'll search this entire space for you - it won't be pretty if I find out."

It didn't take the demons twice to show themselves

Belphegor was feared amongst others due to his brutality when push comes to shove

Just because he's always sleeping doesn't mean he isn't scary

"Good~ so which one of you wrote the letter? If you wanted to confess you should of just done it."

The demons looked at each other, unsure on what to do

But after a few moments the youngest brother got impatient, moving towards them with a clenched hand

The leader of the lesser demons finally admitted to doing the prank

"see? It wasn't so hard, let's have a long chat about this~"

#obey me #obey me shall we date #gamingclubpresident #aracadejohn217 9 #obey me mammon #obey me mc #obey me asmodeus #obey me satan #obey me belphegor #obey me beezlebub #obey me leviathan #obey me luficer #obey me imagine #obey me headcanon #obey me headcanons #obey me x mc #obey me x you #obey me x reader

[honouredsatoru]

JJK Characters x You on a date

notes : I tried including Gojo's love for Digimon since I also grew up watching Digimon and loving the anime with all of my heart, also because Gojo's seiyuu, both Japanese and English versions, voiced for characters in Digimon, so I wanna pay homage to the both of them. other than that, I also included my love for arts and history, something I tried to incorporate into my writing, just to make it like.. lilith's style, ya know?

extra notes : also I wrote megumi for Elli, just because haha.

warnings : slight cussing. not proofread lol. other than that, none. 100% fluff!

characters : gojo satoru, fushiguro megumi, kugisaki nobara, nanami kento, itadori yuji.

Gojo Satoru - Arcades, vintage shops, especially collectors, especially Digimon, comic book/manga stores.

[Your name]! [Your name!]! Look, look! It's the Digimon Adventure V-Tamer 01 series! All 9 of them! Let's get in!"

"Ahh hold on. Towu! We're supposed to visit the cat cafe, you promised that you would go with me and take pictures with the cat hairband on! And I'm starving!"

You jokingly scowled at him, tapping your Doc Martens feet on the ground, arms folding.

"Fucking adorable. Let me see if I can tease her more, hah." A smirk soon appeared on this blue-eyed darling of yours.

"Let me get the manga and I promise, I'll go to this cat cafe with you, baby. Hm?"

"Oh alright."

"I love you, sweetheart. I know how much you wanted to go there but the manga. I- ahaaaa"

He started pouting as he kept pointing in the direction of the Digimon manga by the window. You quickly opened your camera, taking pictures of him sulking, emitting a soft giggle that actually made his heart squeezed with joy.

He presses his lips against your forehead, thumb circling your cheek, gently squishing them before opening the door, yanking you into the comic book store with him. You vowed to hide the comic books once he goes on a mission. After all, he made you wait a month before the two of you finally get to go to this cafe you always wanted to visit.

"Baby, I can read what you're thinking. Your face shows it too. Hehe. Watch me hide your panties."

Taking in a few gulps of air to deepen your breath, you opened your eyes, to meet the love of your life's own eyes, snickering at you, his large hands on the crown of your head before ruffling your already messy hair. There is no way you can stay mad at this man, as childish as he is, you know he loves you and deep down? He knows you love him too.

Itadori Yuji - Thrift stores, internet cafes to play online games with you, cinemas.

"Candy! [Your name] love! Don't! Make! Me! Ahhh cover up for me! I am gonna lose! I am gonna-"

He turns around to face you with soft eyes, his eyebrows slightly droopy before looking back at the computer, taking in the seconds in his head to register the fact that he lost in his mission with you in Inferno.

"Awww sorry babe. I mean.. you just started playing CSGO, so tell me, why- again- damn it- you wanna- AH. Damn it! Throw the fucking grenade! I mean why you wanna play this game, you need more practice- FUCK YOU."

Gentle chuckles were heard, emitted from his throat, his soft, peach toned lips landed on your cheek repeatedly as he rubbed soothing circles around your back.

"Breathe, bunny baby. You're so feisty whenever you start having online matches. Breathe. I love you, and I don't want you to get your blood pressure rising because of these dumbos, hm?"

Your lips curl into a faint and appreciative smile, nodding while your eyes are glued to the screen, ignoring the fading laughs and snickers from the people acknowledging your mini rage.

"I love you too. If I win, I'm getting us boba and chicken nuggets. So let me fight them, okie?"

"Yes ma'am!"

Megumi - Museums, art galleries, photo exhibitions, aesthetic cafes.

"Oh Gumi bear, look at that! That is the Raft of Medusa, it was done by Thèodore Géricault, he himself interviewed two survivors from the shipwreck."

He looks over your eyes that shine with excitement and pure happiness.

"Art"

Was what he thought every time he laid his sight onto you. God knows that he falls in love with you every single time he is blessed with your presence. Resting his arm around your waist, pulling you closer, inhaling the scent of mixed berries and wild roses, he swore he heard his heartbeat increasing every two seconds in a span of one minute.

"Oh really? What do you think this painting is all about?"

Glancing at him before returning to the painting, you puffed your cheeks, pressing your lips together with your index finger curled on your chin and your thumb under it.

"Lord, she is so cute whenever she does that. Can I kiss her? Should I? No wait, she's trying to tell me her own interpretation of this painting. To me. Oh wow. I'm gonna kiss her... later. I can't interrupt her." That is all he could think of. You. He is deeply, madly, beautifully in love with you.

"In my opinion, it tells me the ways of how men, or human beings, seek out in order to survive. When we are at the brink of desperation, insanity, happiness, greed, lust, desire, wrath, grief, don't we all do things unimaginable to help us go through the day? They even resolved to cannibalism. I think even I would commit to that if I was in an extremely dire situation."

You looked at him, a wide smile on your face, emitting a soft giggle that entered his right ear and stayed within the chambers of his mind. He closed the spaces between the both of you, sealing his lips onto yours, with the intention of making this very moment last a little longer heavy within his heart.

"Art."

Was what you thought of him.

Nanami Kento - Theatres, historical museums, fine dining restaurants.

You squealed, lightly clapping your hands as you ran to a block of marble, your foot tapping against the floor. He chuckles, hands in his pocket, taking fast strides towards you.

"Namnam! Look look! That's the Parthenon Sculptures! It was founded in hm... Athens, yes! If I am not mistaken, around 438 to 432 BC. These sculptures decorated the insides of the Parthenon, it is a temple located at the fortress of the Athenian Acropolis. It is said that this temple was built to appreciate and worship the Goddess Athena, she was the deity worship in Athens. Also, ah ah! Did you know that the word parthénos means "maiden", "girl" or ‘virgin"? And I-"

You look at him, your magnificent lover wearing a dark brown trench coat, with ecru brown trousers and a black turtleneck tucked in, his neck layered with white gold necklaces. Your hand unconsciously scratches your sideburns, giggling at the side of his stoic expression, eyes piercing yours beneath that yellow-green glasses he constantly has on his chiseled face.

"Oh... I am sorry... I didn't mean to bore you. I was just so excited because you know me! I love anything that is related to ancient greek history and mythology. I can't seem to get enough of it and it is absolut-

"I'm not bored, [your name]. I was just paying attention to every single word that pretty lips of yours uttered. It's magnificent that you knew all of this. It shows just how smart, curious, bright your mind and soul is. And darling?"

"Huh?"

"I am lucky to be blessed with someone like you. With Gojo constantly following me, there is no way I can read the books I bought for myself. However, having you around, breaking the ice with your random history tib bits, I feel like I am reading the pages, savouring each word, alphabet, sentence, thus expanding my quest and love for knowledge."

You looked down. Normally, you're not the type to tear up this easily but seeing how this man, this angel of a man, appreciates the little things you loved and adored, you can't help but let the waterworks out. You lifted your head up to meet his gaze, the tip of your nose slightly stuffy. You grabbed his arms, clinging onto him, the difference of height and size makes it sweet to the eyes of strangers surrounding you both.

"Oh Namnam. Thank you so much. This means the world to me. Shall we... go and see the best of Ramesses the Great? I've loads to tell you!"

Nobara - Shopping malls, ferry rides, beach dates, parks with cherry blossoms.

"Baby... tell me, have you ever seen anything as joyous as the ocean?"

You two stood by the seashore, fingers intertwined, your head resting on her shoulders, the sound of the seas splashing against the rocks and the warmth around your foot, it tingled but it feels good at the same time.

"I don't want this moment to end, [your name]."

"Why is that, pretty one?"

A faint sigh leaves her lips, you feeling her body loosen up.

"I just.. school is sort of stressful so my time spent with you liberates me from the pressure, fatigue, and image of curses embedded in my brain. Walking with you... through this airy womb of skies and clouds, don't you know it makes me happy?"

You leaned closer, pressing a soft peck on her cheeks, earning yourself a pair of scarlet cheeks with a gorgeous smile from the one next to you. You turned yourself to face her, hands on her shoulders, bringing her body closer to yours.

"Whenever and wherever you need me, I will be there. I might not be perfect, but I am gonna do my best to be the one you can always count on."

You pressed a kiss on her left cheek.

"I love you."

A kiss on her right cheek.

"I love you."

A kiss to the lips of the woman whom you shared your entire universe with.

"To the moon and back, I love you, Kugisaki Nobara."

The end.

tags : @tojisveryown @sookyshima @megumifushi @sixeyesgojo @sirthisisa-wendys @sasso-oda @fushigurocockslut @nkogneatho @kotarousgf @noritoshiikamo

#jujutsu sorcerer #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #yuji itadori #megumi fushiguro #nobara kugisaki #kento nanami #gojo x reader #gojo fluff #nanami x you #nanami fluff #yuji x y/n #nobara x y/n #megumi x y/n #jujutsu kaisen headcanons #jjk x you #gojo headcanons #jujutsu kaisen x you #nanami headcanons #yuji headcanons #megumi headcanons #nobara headcanons

[leviiattacks]

heyyy there, saw your requests are open. and i'm wondering maybe you could do a timeskip where everything is done and levi finally opened his tea shop. then there he met reader, and he treats them differently from other customers. thank you, hope you're having a good day.

author note :: this was kinda rushed as is most of what i post. the reader is a writer just bc i thought it would be cute and also ISTG. i wrote this entire thing thinking leviolas was such a cool name for a tea shop then googled it and saw it’s also the name of a spider so... ++ btw i have not yet double checked or proofread this because i wrote it at 2am but yeah it’s definitely not great :-) word count :: 2.4k??? somehow???

you’re sweet like honey when you first order from leviolas. you’re the same when you ask the owner for extra napkins and you remain exactly the same when you return with the intention to stick around for a writing session with a black tea by your side

something about you is attractive. that’s what levi thinks of you when you first walk into leviolas

you’re just incredibly wholesome poking your head around looking at all of the handmade pastries and confectioneries in admiration

you think the homely decor is cute and reminiscent of cottages in the countryside, the view outside the windows is beautiful and the scent of coffee alongside tea is heavenly

the pastries are beautiful and you find yourself eyeing the macrons pretty frequently. just EVERYTHING about leviolas is cute :-(

but one particular thing is especially adorable to you

and that would be the owner

when you hear his name for the first time you’re a little shocked

levi ackerman to be specific captain levi ackerman, the high ranking official who aided in paradis’ independence and freed the nation from the grip of titans

you read about him a year back in a paper or two and vividly recall the valiant title he held as humanity’s strongest soldier

he still holds the title that’s for sure but now he happens to own a tea shop

it’s slightly unusual it’s not every day you see a soldier retire and live such a plain life but you suppose the simplicity makes levi happy

honestly, if you had been through hell and back like him you too would wish to spend the rest of your days in the company of tea leaves and sweet cakes

today is a day like any other you’re sat by one of the windows and contemplating sitting in the outside seating area

the sun is shining and lands uncomfortably on your face at this angle and you may as well make your way outside

but before you can a shadow looms over you and a broad chest leans over to cover the window with dainty curtains

“you looked bothered by the light.”

oh god.

it’s him.

he’s standing there looking at you with an unreadable expression and all you can do is open and close your mouth not knowing what to say

humanity’s strongest soldier

levi ackerman

also known as the really really really attractive cafe owner you’ve been crushing on for the last few months now

seeing him up close is much more different to looking at him from the comfort of your seat or whilst you order

he’s normally got his back turned whilst collecting orders or another worker collects them as he prepares the beverages

that’s why the unexpected interaction has you nervous

you can always tell when he’s made your drink because he honestly has a way with tea leaves and you kinda want to gush about how much you enjoy it

but, no, no, no.

you’re panicking just looking at him

soft black strands of hair stick to his forehead, his undercut is oddly satisfying to stare at and he smells of pine trees which again is refreshing

“ah hahaha thank you for blocking the sun out!!”

why the fuck did you ha ha????

this is so awkward.

putting on your best front you beam up at him hoping your toothy smile doesn’t look stupid

then again it probably does because who the hell has a good toothy smile

nobody.......

levi’s gaze lingers on you but if he has anything else he wants to say he doesn’t make it known

instead he firmly nods and turns away

you’ve messed up,,

only!!! you manage to mess up even more....?

without thinking your hand latches onto the back of his blue button up and your face burns up realizing what it is you’ve done when he stiffens to a stop

as quick as your hand has grabbed onto his shirt it lets go and you awkwardly laugh again

hahahahaha

“i’m sorry i didn’t mean to hold onto you so hard i was just...wondering if you could let me in on your secret.”

the random sentence is one you’ve made off the top of your head because you don’t have any real reason for holding onto him

but thankfully for you the saccharine of your voice is enough to sway levi

when he turns to see you with the same smile eagerly awaiting his answer something sparks in him

his chest feels a little funny but he ignores it

“secret?” he questions

“yeah!! your tea!! you’re really good at making it and aaaahhhh” you sigh contently thinking back on it.

“i remember when i ordered rose tea one time. you made it beautifully and the taste was infused so delicately it was incredibly soothing.”

hearing you ramble passionately about what he loves to do makes his chest feel funny again

he doesn’t know what the hell is going on exactly

but the only way he can explain it is his heart somersaulting and flipping despite him not wanting it to

despite that, it’s quite enjoyable

it’s probably got something to do with your kindhearted demeanor or the way you always manage to give him a smile when you waltz in

but levi finds himself fighting to touch you more and more as the days pass

your collar is always haphazardly done and he wants to lean in and fix it

sometimes you’ll have an eyelash on your face and he wants to lean in to swipe it away with his thumb

occasionally he stares at your hair and wants to sort it out. half the time it’s all over the place from the wind

he wants to lean in and smooth it out.

all he wants to do is LEAN IN but he sees no valid reason to

he’s lucky he’s always able to catch himself before his thumb reaches your cheek (you’re very oblivious and never notice how close he really gets)

ever since your first encounter at leviolas a few months back he’s been dragged into your world of books and lively stories

it doesn’t take you long to break out of your shell and you’re always telling levi something new

he doesn’t speak as much as you but when you coax out a story or two out of him he’s always earnest

you’ve learnt a lot through the conversations

you’ve learnt about his lost comrades, the horrible things he had to see on the battlefield, how he hopes he’ll live happy with what he has left

there are certain conversation topics he skips entirely and you respect his boundaries

you and levi are sat by a window and a comfortable silence floats between you two

it’s been four months

four months since you asked what his secret was

come to think of it he never told you what it was

he’s intently staring at you as you drink the lemon tea he’s just made you and his stare is a little too intense

feeling nervous you pick up your cup hoping for something to occupy yourself

recently the butterflies in your stomach have been increasing in number but you know it’s wrong to fancy levi

you don’t know why you think that but it’s the fact that you’re sure you’re not his type

he probably likes organised people, dependable people, funny people

not you.

you’re just an irksome author who spends your days writing in his shop

honestly he finds you annoying he has to. you’re always hanging around here

however, you do remember the one day you did choose to write in the park he thought you had died or something. that made you feel a little sad because he can’t really help but automatically worry if his routine is broken and you happen to have accidentally become part of his schedule

no, like levi’s literally said he has your name in his planner and whenever he thinks of a new thing to make you he’ll write it down with your name next to it

but still,, you’re convinced he has to find you annoying

there’s no reason for thinking it but you DEFINITELY think it’s correct

absentmindedly you haven’t even noticed levi still staring at you

“y/n?”

looking up at levi he’s clearly worried about something

humming in response telling him to continue he does

“i like someone.”

oh.

“...i’m not sure they’d return my feelings, that’s why i mentioned it.”

you smile at him warmly and you feel your heart sink, obviously he has to like someone. it’s probably someone in the corps, someone strong, someone capable. you’re not any of those things.

“well, you need not worry. if a man as good as you fancied me i’d be over the moon. i’m sure they would too!”

keep optimistic, don’t let him see you upset.

levi’s cheeks grow bright red and he bashfully tries to hide his embarrassment by covering his face with his hands

you laugh when he doesn’t budge and stays in the same position 

“c’mon levi, confess they’ll accept you have nothing to fear.” you coo persuasively

finally letting up after a few seconds he lets his arms drop to his sides.

“would you date me?”

the question takes you aback and you stare at him startled

soon realizing the idiocy laced in the inquiry he quickly retracts his statement

“nevermind, that was stupid.”

ignoring him you still want to answer

“uh well, i would. i have thought about it on occasion.”

he’s blinking rapidly trying to process what you’ve just admitted.

“you’ve thought about...?”

“dating you. yes i have.”

“and why the hell would you do that?” you can’t tell if he’s mad at you

“you’re capable, respectful. you’re considerate and quiet. i mean it you’re an amazing man really. also your tea!! imagine getting to drink it every day.”

you really have to add in the part about his tea because you know he loves it when you compliment it :-)

“ok, you drink my tea every day already.”

his short uninterested response stings and the dam of regret bursts open 

you shouldn’t have said all of that.

you and levi sit in an awkward silence for what feels like an eternity. you don’t dare look at him and your course of action is too drink your tea as quick as possible before dismissing yourself.

but before you can set your plan in motion levi breaks the ice.

“let’s date.”

you freeze and your eyes grow to the size of saucers

what did he just say???

he has to be losing his mind

“but levi what about the person you like?”

his eyebrow cocks upwards and an amused expression stretches across his face.

“i was talking about you.” he confesses boldly

this is a fever dream, nope, nope nope. you can not comprehend that this is your reality.

pinching your arm you hiss a little when you feel the pain

okay so, you’re definitely not dreaming...

“i, you, me. you...you like me?” the sentence is a jumble of words but you manage to sputter out something that makes sense

“yes. i like you.”

he’s being so blunt you can’t tell if he’s being serious but when you remind yourself that this is levi you relax, a blunt straightforward confession is meaningful coming from him 

BUT THAT’S BESIDES THE POINT

HELLO???? HE LIKES YOU BACK?%^%^”*

you get all blushy and flustered and you let out another one of your awkward hahahahaha’s but it’s a good hahahahaha

cautiously testing the waters he grabs your hand from across the table intertwining his fingers with yours

the gesture is adorable. the buzzing sensation that travels through your laced fingers makes you giggle to yourself giddily

“leviolas suddenly a matchmaking agency now? ;-)” your joke is dry and unfunny and levi rolls his eyes at it 

“you’re not funny.”

“but you still like me.” you tease

“yes. i still like you.” he admits

a few days have passed since then

you and levi have been the talk of the town 

humanity’s strongest soldier finally found his flame???

the chatter and rumors spread like wildfire, both you and levi aren’t fans of being in the spotlight but nothing negative has been said so there’s no complaints so far

levi places a cup of tea in front of you, it’s a herbal kind because you’ve been complaining about a headache

today you’re explaining why you dislike the plot of beauty and the beast and how there’s so much wrong with it. from the weirdly toxic relationship to the power imbalance. levi stands listening attentively whilst waiting for you to take a sip of the tea

just as you’ve paused to take a large breathe and prepare yourself to continue explaining how unbearable that book is levi uses it as his chance to say what he’s been wanting to 

“drink up before it’s ice cold.”

following his instructions you interrupt yourself and take a gulp of the herbal tea

your eyes glimmer in approval. it tastes of strawberries and you’re delighted already feeling your mood slightly raise in response

“it’s GREAT?? what did you put in it?? it doesn’t even taste medicinal.” once again, you’re fawning over his tea

“so levi ackerman, what really is the secret to all these perfect cups of tea?”

and without a seconds hesitation he responds.

“i was making the tea for you. that’s the secret.”

it takes a while for the gravity of his words to sink it but when the meaning does you cup his face in your palms and peck him everywhere. he whines a little but you can tell he enjoys the attention

you find that you’re more than happy you’ve found a home in levi and his shop

and levi’s more than happy he’s found a home in you and your books

:-)

#leviiattacks #aot #attack on titan #levi x reader #levi x y/n #snk #aot fanfiction #attack on titan levi #levi ackerman #levi #shingeki no kyoujin #shingeki no kyoujin levi #levi drabbles #attack on titan x reader #levi fanfiction #levi headcanons #tea shop levi #levi scenario #levi fluff

[mojjisxng]

Hiii! Do you remember the amazing scenario you wrote where enhypen uses your insecurity in an argument and how they will make it up to you? If requests aren't closed can I get the reverse: you use enhypens insecurity in an argument and how you would make it up for them? Thank you very much ❤️

thanks for requesting anon, i hope you like it❤️

a/n- this descended into madness by the end, i got too carried away. i don’t even think this can be considered to have any angst in it at this point, especially niki’s. i do still like this reaction a lot though haha

heeseung

- any amusement that he had towards the argument instantly vanishes

- his face goes completely blank

- there’s just an awkward silence as you both stare at each other for a few moments (which honestly feels like five hours)

- you understand that you’ve taken it too far

- so you walk over to him and throw your arms around his waist

- you murmur constant apologies into his hoodie, close to tears yourself

- he just pulls you back, looks into your eyes and explains why you should never do that to anyone EVER

- and that you should make him four cups of ramen and buy him chicken, to make it up to him

- after that, heeseung is rejuvenated with mischief

- and he starts to plot ways that he can get you back for a being a little bitch, so good luck :D

jay

- not to bring astrology into this...

- ...but jay is an aries-taurus cusp like me

- so mans has some built up anger and he’s quite stubborn

- this means that he’ll hurl some pretty mean insults right back at you

- so the both of you are now MAD mad, and totally not willing to apologise first even though you know you should definitely be the first one of you to apologise at some point

- this is where the problem lies, because the two of you go to storm out of the house at the same time

- so you’re stuck between jay and the doorframe, trying to squeeze out first

- that’s a RAS moment for you both there

- this leads you and jay being reduced to a laughing mess on the floor, hoping your neighbours didn’t catch the embarrassing scene

- which they did on their security cameras

- you also seriously apologise to jay, because your dignity has already been flushed down the toilet, so you felt that being stubborn would do nothing for your ego at this point

jake

- jake processes the snide comment you made on his insecurity, and just says in the tiniest voice...

- “i’m not gonna lie, that’s kind of stung. but i know you don’t mean it, so it’s fine i guess :/”

- he also has this tiny, emotionless smile on his face, as looks down at the floor

- your heart sinks at how defeated he looks and you just break

- you know you fucked up badly

- how could you be so heartless towards sweet angel jake?

- so you sprint over to him

- stare at him for a second

- and burst into tears

- and then you hug him so tightly he might burst, while chanting apologies to him and telling him that you did not mean it and you don’t even know why you even thought to say that

- you just cuddle for the rest of the day, you insisting that you’re the big spoon because you want to protect your sweet baby jake from the world that was a bit dramatic but oh well

sunghoon

- you say some stupid bs about something he’s insecure about, while you’re arguing about who knows what

- there’s a pause

- a blink

- and a breath

- and then sunghoon bolts out of the room as quickly as possible

- so you’re just left there in the middle of the living room, with guilt crawling into every cell of your body

- meanwhile, sunghoon is in the furthest room away from you, because he doesn’t want you to hear him s o b b i n g

- i feel like sunghoon wouldn’t usually show you when he’s even a little bit sad, so he would be humiliated if you saw him upset because of something you said to him

- but unfortunately for him, you heard him crying, while you were looking for him

- you already felt horrible, but now you just felt like you had committed the worst crime possible, because your emotionally strong boyfriend was now curled into the foetal position on the bed, crying

- you basically jump on him, so that he can’t escape and you engulf him in your arms, even if you’re tiny

- and you’re rambling a huge apology and telling him that you will do anything for him

- you also kiss his tears away awwww not me being soft for once

- after he’s calmed down, he will go back to his usual cocky self, and start teasing you by asking for lots of things

- but the thing is, you actually do everything that he asked because you feel so terrible

sunoo

- so after you’re done talking your shit on sunoo’s insecurity...

- ...he just glares at you for a whole minute, in silence

- then turns on his heel and struts out of the room with his head held high

- he will not show you that he is hurt by your words

- he won’t let you win

- you’ll find him in the kitchen, seething

- and aggressively making a sandwich

- you tip-toe closer to him, back-hugging him, while giving your apologies

- but he just shakes you off and stalks into the living room

- this continues for two days

- and you can’t stand his silent treatment

- so you keep bugging him with saying “sorryyy” and “i love youuu”

- until he finally gives in

- you’re like “i’m so incredibly sorry; i would despise it if you talked to me like that. i should never have acted in such a way, even if i was angry. there’s no excuse. i love you to the moon and back and beyond, i hope you know that.”

- and then sunoo replies “i do know how much you love me, and i know you didn’t mean it. i was just very hurt and very angry. i love you too, so so much...even though you’re not all that...”

- it was time for him to run 🚪🏃‍♀️

jungwon

- jungwon would fucking stare at you

- you’d be so intimidated by him

- you already knew how much you’d messed up

- but he would make sure you knew even more

- this child would firmly take your hand and drag you to sit down on the sofa

- and then he’d GO IN

- jungwon would lecture you for like two hours on why that was a horrid thing to do, why that would upset someone and why you should absolutely not do that to anyone again

- this would be his punishment to you, by treating you like a little kid, really patronising you to convey his disappointment

- you can tell he’s the leader of enhypen, because he would transform into a fifty year old mother

- he honestly might even make you cry by accident of course

- you would then proceed to do a very solemn and formal apology, like a berated child

- and then he would pull you into a hug

- i feel like it would all turn quite comical from an outside view

niki

- speaking of a serious situation that descends into something ridiculous, it’s niki’s turn!!

- you shoot the insult in his direction

- and then there’s a beat of silence

- you know you’ve fucked up

- so you start yelling out apologies before he can even open his mouth to say a single word, like “I’M SO SO SO SO SORRY! I DID NOT MEAN IT AT ALL! WHY DID I EVEN SAY THAT?!?! OH MY GOD DON’T HATE ME PLEASE!!!”

- and tbh niki finds this VERY funny

- but he plays up to it

- “no...no...i can’t believe you would say something as preposterous as that. you’re the definition of EVIL!” and then probably dramatically falls back onto the sofa with his hand over his face mainly to hide his laughter

- and you’re just stood frozen, on the edge of a mental breakdown

- until he goes “but you could make it up to me by making a musical about how sorry you are :DDD”

- you let out the biggest sigh of relief, that you didn’t even know you were holding

- but then you process what you’re going to be doing, so you’re just staring at into space like 😟

- long story short, you end up giving up all the pride you had left, to entertain niki with your horrendous singing and dancing one man show about how apologetic you were

- you and niki were on the floor crying with laughter by the end of your finale, which was a less than perfect rendition of ‘purple rain’ by prince

#enhypen #enhypen scenarios #enhypen imagines #enhypen reactions #enhypen headcanon #enhypen fluff #enhypen angst #enhypen drabbles #enhypen au #enhypen heeseung #lee heeseung #heeseung scenarios #enhypen jay #park jongseong #enhypen jay scenarios #enhypen jake #jake sim #enhypen jake scenarios #enhypen sunghoon #park sunghoon #sunghoon scenarios #enhypen sunoo #kim sunoo #sunoo scenarios #enhypen jungwon #yang jungwon #jungwon scenarios #enhypen niki #nishimura riki #enhypen ni ki scenarios

[bruhlsbees]

jackpot || dark!daniel x fem!reader

summary: after saving your life from a client, daniel takes you back to his trailer to treat your wounds

pairing: dark!daniel x fem!reader

word count: 5,417

warnings: violence (reader gets beat up and daniel beats up someone), gang violence (daniel sells guns and shit), s*x work (reader is a s*x worker), fluff smut (reader and daniel), 18+, minors dni, nsfw

a/n: hey everyone!! here's a short little thing i wrote up! as i said before, i'll be moving into my first apartment on may 20 so writings will be a bit scarce! if you're looking for chapter two of garden of eden, i'm hoping to have that up before i leave tomorrow morning!! :)

It was ironic for many who lived under The Highway - stuck in the same place while those above came and went so freely...that was the thing though, those above were free. Nobody came to The Highway willingly - and if they did, they were fucking morons. You either were born into the business or you somehow lost a bet and were working your losses back to be able to leave.

Even though it sounded bad, it wasn’t entirely bad. For many, The Highway became their home and those who worked there became family. Business could be bad at times - angry customers coming back heated and threatening to put workers in the ground, the occasional sweep from the cops, the winters when the wind iced your skin away - but you couldn’t expect perfection.

The Highway was the best some could get. The younger teenagers and kids painted murals on the walls and pillars to brighten the place up, those who sold the cars often times would save some speakers for there to be music played during the day and evening, and the older ladies who cooked would always make sure everyone went to bed with a full belly of food.

So, in a way, The Highway wasn’t any different from life above.

Security for The Highway sometimes fell through. There was no ‘leader’ of The Highway, but for Daniel, the people seemed to agree that he was fit for the role. So Daniel made sure that everything ran smoothly down under The Highway. He had men stationed on either side and some on top near the hills that would lead down to where they camped. It had been a bitch and a half to put together, but after three years, things finally were looking up.

He had just finished dealing with a client who failed to make payments. Daniel never liked dealing with people who couldn’t make payments on time, because it often meant ‘teaching them a lesson’ or ‘giving them a friendly reminder’...that lesson or reminder often meant Daniel returning to The Highway with bloody knuckles and a cut lip - because someone always tried to fight back.

This time was no different. He was pissed beyond pissed to be out almost two grand and the guy who owed money’s wife came out of nowhere with a knife and sliced him good across the cheek.

As he walked up to the washbasin that was at the end of the row of tents that belonged to some of the girls who worked at night, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he grabbed a rag that was hanging up on the clothesline, dipping it in the water before pressing the cool rag to his cheek, hissing in pain.

Daniel must have been muttering something under his breath because the girls that were around the fire out in front of their tents turned and smirked, whistling at him while he cleaned himself up.

“Ooh, someone got it good today.” One of the girls teased, giggling with the others. Shaking his head, Daniel smiled and walked around the basin, over to the girls before hovering over them.

“Dumb bitch got me good...came out of nowhere. I’m lucky I didn’t lose a fucking eye.” The girls were good at making men feel good, that’s what their job was after all, but he knew that the teasing and praises that were directed towards him weren’t fake, perhaps the most sincere the girls would ever act towards anyone.

“I would have been sad to see your pretty eye not there when you came back, Danny.” Another girl confessed, pouting as she looked up at him. He smiled and reached down, pinching her cheek before standing back up.

“Don’t worry about me doll, ain’t nobody taking my eyes.”

As he looked around the fire at the usual crowd, he noticed that you weren’t there in your usual spot. Frowning, he glanced around the camp to see if maybe you were somewhere else, his own thoughts drowning out the sound of the girls continuing to tease him.

“She’s off with a client. Been gone for a bit now. Looks like she had a bag, not sure what that all means, but I don’t think she will be coming back tonight.”

Turning around, Daniel looked at one of the older ladies who was seated in an old rocking chair near the washbasin, filling out a half-used crossword puzzle book, her glasses slipped down to the tip of her nose. Looking up, she took off her glasses and held them in her lap, continuing to rock slow in the chair while Daniel approached her.

“You said she had a bag? Who’d she go with? Is he a regular?” Daniel tried his best to not sound too worried, but it was you. He knew it was stupid to fall in love with one of the girls at camp, given how he had his own role in camp and you had your’s - but out of everyone in the camp, as cliche as it was, you were different. There was a twinkle about you that just brought life wherever you went. He’d be lying to himself if he said that you weren’t the reason he still stayed under The Highway.

So when the old lady shook her head, shrugging her shoulders, Daniel could only feel his worst fears coming true. “Like I said, hun, she had a bag and she’s been gone for a while now. I didn’t recognize him, but he was driving a green mustang. Ugliest thing I’ve ever seen. That much I could tell you.”

And that would be enough. Leaning down, Daniel kissed her cheek and smiled, “Thank you.” He turned around to head to his trailer to get some things before being stopped by the sound of the old lady.

“You’re probably the only one who can get through to her...you kids got a lot more to your lives that rottin’ away down here. You find her and you two run...run away from all this and don’t look back,” Her words were always honest and always made you think hard on your own choices. She was like the eyes of The Highway, always knowing what was going on and when it happened and with who. If she told you to do something out of the better interest for you, you’d best believe that it was the choice you needed to make.

“And for God’s sake, son, just tell her how you feel. Quit moping around like a beaten puppy everytime she goes off with someone.”

All Daniel could do was smile, even with his cheeks pink from being called out about his own feelings for you, he couldn’t be mad. Turning back towards his path, he quickly made strides to his trailer that was down the trail a ways near the creek.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

You knew something was off the moment you got in his car. It was like a switch - the charming and sweet man who approached you at the camp suddenly was gone, in his place was something darker, more sinister. He had sped so quickly out of camp that you swore your stomach went to your throat. You clutched the strap of your duffle bag tightly, looking out the window with tears in your eyes as the creek’s current headed in the opposite way. The opposite way from where he was taking you - away from The Highway, away from your home, away from Daniel.

You closed your eyes tightly, letting the tears drip down your cheeks, your teeth clamped on your tongue to stifle your cries. You knew they didn’t like it when you cried, it only made you less pretty...made them feel uncomfortable because now they saw that you had more feelings than just flirty.

He must have heard you sniffle, or realized by your body language that something was off with you. He didn’t care though, he just rolled his eyes and scoffed, “You gonna make me pay you more to deal with your whiny ass? Come on, why don’t you give me a pretty smile, yeah? Like the one you gave me earlier? God, you girls are so pathetic aren’t you? Not a single thought runs through that head, does it?”

He hit the breaks suddenly, sending you forward until you stopped yourself with your hand pressed against the dashboard. Your chest heaved, panic settling in as he turned, wrapping one arm around you with his other hand still clenched around the wheel. “You ain’t gonna make this no fun for me tonight are ya? You’ve seen the way your friends come back if they don’t do what we pay you to do. Do you want that to happen to you?”

Shaking your head, you mumbled out a ‘no’, watching as his hand went from the steering wheel and to your face, carefully wiping away your tears. “No, you’re right. You don’t. So come on, put on a little smile and let’s have some fun, yeah?”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

They never went far with clients. That was always the rule. They could go as far as when the creek splits, but nothing past that. Too many have they lost from guys taking advantage of them and driving off with them, only to find them days - sometimes weeks - later face down off in the woods. It was a sight that would never leave Daniel, and now it seemed the only face he saw on those bodies were of you.

With his gun in his left hand and a flashlight in the other, Daniel stormed throughout the woods, marching through the thicket to find the stupid green mustang that you’d be in. He already went down the trail and didn’t find the car near the creek, so if he couldn’t find it in the woods, well...he could only hope he did.

It was pitch black out by now, the moon was high up in the sky that gave enough light when not covered by the trees. Daniel had dealt with these types of guys plenty of times - the assholes who think that just because he paid for a service, meant he could do whatever he wanted. No, no that’s not how it worked.

By the time he reached the edge of the treeline, spotting the twinkling waves from the water, he felt his heart sink. This was it. He had searched the bare trail and in the woods and still you weren’t anywhere to be found. He’d lost you, he had let you down. Feeling the tears prick at his eyes, Daniel blinked them away, nostrils flared as he became angry now, pacing in his spot, gun clenched tight in his hand as his heart began to race.

“Fuck!”

He knew that he wasn’t thinking at this point, his boot stomping into the ground until he grew tired, the rage consuming him. Daniel didn’t want to give up, he couldn’t, but where else would he have gone? He didn’t have a damn clue. But then, by some stroke of God, he saw it - the fucking car.

Across the creek hidden in the bushes was the green mustang. From his spot on the other side he couldn’t see you in the car, but he knew you couldn’t have been far. Without giving it another thought, he took off down the path, cutting across the slanted hill that split the creek in two and crept towards the other side of the creek, landing in the tall grass before making his way closer to the car.

When he reached the edge of the tall grass, he knelt and looked into the car, eyes squinting to try and get a better look, but still, he couldn’t see you in there. Standing up, Daniel carefully made his way to the car, popping his head up to look through the window in the backseat. While he didn’t want to see someone balls deep inside of you, right now he almost wishes he did - at least then he’d know you were okay.

Rounding the back of the car, looking around to see if maybe you were outside, his steps came to a stop when he finally saw you, in a small clearing in the thick of the bushes, on your back with your hands above your face. Your shirt looked as though it had been torn off, in two pieces surrounding you.

“Please! Please, don’t! Stop! Stop, I promise I’ll-”

Daniel couldn’t watch when you got a kick to the side, flinching away at the sound of your cries as the client above you, shirt off, continued to humiliate you. “Shut up! You hear me! Shut up! God, I can’t stand it when you cry!”

Your hands dropped to your side, curling up in a ball to conceal yourself from him, a whimper escaping your throat as you closed your eyes tightly, not wanting to watch if he decided that you hadn’t had enough.

But Daniel did. And it would end there.

Not bothering to stay quiet, Daniel stood up from his spot in the bushes, the leaves rustling as he stormed out and towards the two of you - not giving the man a second to speak before Daniel connected the flashlight to his head, sending him down onto ass before climbing on top of him, grabbing him by his throat and squeezing his hand around him.

Daniel didn’t have to say anything - the look in his eyes saying enough. His eyes, even darker than normal, stared wide at the man, whose face was turning a plum color from how quickly he was losing oxygen. He was struggling to get out of Daniel’s grasp, and feeling him struggle only made Daniel tighten his grip.

You were trying not to watch, too in shock at how violent the scene unfolded in front of you. Your hands were now covering your face, although you were still peeking between your fingers. The only time you closed your eyes was when Daniel finally raised his gun, your body flinching at the sound of it going off and the ‘thud’ of the body hitting the dirt.

Even though you knew he was dead, you still couldn’t bear to look at what was in front of you, too scared to see if maybe you were wrong and it wasn’t the client who was dead, but by some twisted joke, Daniel. You were shaking in your spot in the dirt, hands squished over your face tightly, a yelp escaping you when you felt a hand on your shoulder.

“Shh, shh, it’s just me. It’s Daniel, hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now.”

Pulling your hands away slowly, you opened your eyes and looked up to see Daniel, crouched in front of you with a hand on your shoulder, a weak smile on his face. Your face contorted and a sob escaped you, your body falling into his as you hugged him tightly, face buried into his chest. Taken back by how scared you were, Daniel carefully wrapped his arms around you, holding you close until your sobs died down to a dull whimpering.

“Come on, let’s get you back home, okay?”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

He carried you back to camp, his own jacket wrapped around you to conceal you with the lack of a shirt. When the two of you made it back, Daniel stopped at some of the men that were on patrol that night, explaining the situation down on the other side of the creek and for them to ‘take care of it’. You knew what it meant - dispose of the vehicle and any evidence that would point the blame back towards you all. You never liked to think about what they did, but this time, this time you did want to know.

Daniel carried you all the way to his trailer, inside until you reached his bathroom. He set you down and helped you walk in, letting you sit on the toilet while he sat across from you on the edge of the bathtub.

“Fuck, what were you even doin out there?”

You felt so naked in front of him - having him see you in such a broken state. You don’t know why, but you wanted to cry. No, you did know why, you were so pathetically humiliated and the wash of guilt was flooding over you.

“I- this hasn’t happened before,” You quipped back, a whimper escaping your throat, “He promised to take me away from it all, I thought I could trust hi-“

“Gimme a break, you ain’t no amateur. You’ve been out there longer than me and even I know not to trust anyone who makes promises,” He sat back on the edge of the tub, looking at you from your spot on the toilet, “You gotta be more careful. You hear me? I don’t need to be going out there and finding you face down on the side of the road.”

You dropped your head down, looking at your bloody knuckles. You could hear it in his voice how disappointed he was, how worried he was. yet you still went back, still went out on the street to meet with strangers at night.

But little did you know that he still looked at you in a way that beamed you as an angel. To him you were perfect - despite your job, your upbringing into The Highway, your own personal demons - he still saw you as something so pure and delicate it made his heart hurt every fucking time he saw you out there under The Highway…smoking a cigarette waiting for another customer.

“You can say it. I’m a fucking idiot.” You suddenly said, breaking the silence. Looking up and at Daniel, you frowned, cracked lips twitching as the heat from your black eye began to radiate. You knew it would be a long time before that healed.

You should’ve been dead with this last one. God did he get you good. You were lucky that Daniel found you when he did and pulled the guy off of you, otherwise, well - you wouldn’t be sitting here if he hadn’t.

Daniel smiled sadly your way and you didn’t notice it, but his own eyes began to glisten with tears. Shaking your head, you turned and looked away from him. “I’m sorry…” you choked out, your body soon breaking down as your hand came up to your face, shielding your tears from him, your other hand still on your knee.

You jumped slightly when you felt his warm hand on you, holding your hand that was on your knee. Hesitantly, you peeked through your fingers towards him, seeing him gently stroking your delicate hand with his fingers.

“The thought of losing you…it fucking kills me. You know that? I don’t…I don’t judge you for what you do, okay? Never, never. But you’re too nice, too naive. If I hadn’t got there when I did you would be-“

He was cut off by his own sobs, and you were surprised to say the least when you saw him break down, his gruff demeanor shattering. Your mouth fell open, unsure as to what to say. What could you say?

Moving carefully, you stood up and shakily took a step towards him, sitting on his leg while you took his face in your hands, tilting it up to look at you.

You didn’t have to say anything, your eyes saying enough. You smiled weakly at him and gently ran your fingers down his face, wiping away his tears. He closed his eyes and leaned into your touch, soon lulling his head forward to rest on your chest.

Your fingers moved from his face and to his hair, running through his long locks, your face nestled at the crown of his head, taking in his scent. You felt him wrap his arms around you, holding you close to him, tracing patterns in your back.

The two of you sat like that for several moments, neither of you rushing the moment. Eventually, though, you felt him pull back, his head moving up to look into your eyes. While his right hand still kept holding onto your waist, his left made its way up the side of your face, cupping your cheek and letting your head fall into his palm. For the first time in a long time, you felt safe.

When you opened your eyes, staring back at him, you couldn’t help but blush when he smiled back, feeling his right hand squeeze your waist - almost in a teasing manner. He only wanted to see you smile, cheer you up in any way that he could.

“Why do you stay around?” He asked suddenly, his voice quiet as he continued to hold you to him, stroking the side of your face and the side of your waist. Daniel noticed your smile fall as if you were preparing to admit something not good. His heart sank, worry washing over him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling your thumbs caress his face, looking at him endearing, “Why do you stay around?” You pressed, wondering if maybe - just maybe - he thought the same as you. But you beat him to it, leaning forward slightly before your head jerked back slightly, catching yourself from getting too close. “Why would I leave you?”

And there it was - the confession that he had been praying for. Hearing you confirm that you felt the same way made the weight on his shoulders slip away. The laugh that escaped his mouth was more in shock than humorous. When you tilted your head, eyebrows furrowed, you suddenly became embarrassed - did he not think the same?

But then he kissed you, so deeply and sweet, a kiss you had never experienced before. You moaned from the suddenness of the kiss, melting into him as your hands slipped behind his head and around his neck, pulling yourself even closer onto his lap as the two of you continued to kiss.

Wrapping your legs around his waist, Daniel held you to him as he stood up, making his way out of the bathroom and down the hall into his bedroom, laying you carefully on the bed before pulling away. You couldn’t help but blush as he took you in, his eyes wandering over you.

“You’re so beautiful, you know that?” He whispered, his eyes finding yours again. He leaned forward to kiss you but felt your fingers on his lips, stopping him suddenly. Daniel felt his heart sink, was he being too pushy?

“Are you- are you sure you want to do this with me? I mean...since I, well…”

He knew where you were going with your comment and he could only frown, laying next to you on his side, propping himself up with his left elbow that sat next to your head, his right hand holding your face.

“Oh...no, no, why would you think that? Of course I want to do this with you,” He noticed you beginning to tear up and his expression fell, “Hey, hey...don’t cry, you’re okay.”

Pulling you close, he cradled your head under his chin, kissing your head as he let you cry it out. Stroking your temple with his thumb, he felt your body shake in his hold, your cries muffled by his shirt. He didn’t know what he could say to make you feel better, it was so fuckin heartbreaking to hear you talk the way you did about yourself.

“I can’t think of anyone else I would want to lay in bed with. I said I don’t judge you for what you do, and I meant that.”

Pushing away from him gently, you looked up at him, closing your eyes for a moment when he wiped away your tears. Unlike your client from earlier, Daniel was gentle, comforting you unlike the client who was torturing you. Perhaps you were scared to admit that you wanted to be intimate with Daniel, because deep down you only knew how sex worked when it came to your job - never for pure love.

“Do you want this? With me? You can tell me no and I won’t be mad, I promise you that. If you just want to lay here even, I’m okay with that. I just don’t ever want you out of my arms ever again. I want to know that you’re safe in my arms every night from this day on.”

At his confession, you could only smile, not sure what to say. Your brain was spinning so violently you were surprised that you were even able to stay focused on what he was saying. You went to scoot up but he stopped you, rolling over so you were slightly under him.

“Let me take care of you tonight for once, if you’d let me.” You smiled and finally nodded, a smile spreading across both of your faces before carefully the two of you leaned forward, lips meeting once again.

Slowly his fingers ran up and down the side of your body, moving closer to your breasts that were covered by your bra. Giving them a gentle squeeze, you moaned in his mouth and arched your back, pressing them into his hands more. Daniel smiled against your lips and reached around, unhooking your bra before pulling it off.

You watched as he slowly peppered kisses across your face, moving down your face and to your jawline, down your neck, across your chest, before finally reaching your breasts. He took one in his mouth, suckling until he heard you moaning before pulling away, moving to the other while his hands hooked onto the waistband of your skirt, pulling it down along with your panties.

Daniel pulled away from your breast and sat up, drinking in your naked form before taking your hands into his, squeezing them as he brought them to his lips, kissing over your bruised knuckles and teasingly nibbled on your fingers until he heard you laugh.

“So beautiful…” He murmured against your fingers, letting your hands drop down his chest before you hooked onto his shirt, pushing it up and with his help, pulling it off and onto the floor to join your clothes. With him still sitting up, your hands reached for his belt and swiftly pulled it off, undoing the button of his jeans before pushing them down with his jeans.

Before you could do anything else, Daniel coaxed you back into the bed, hovering over you with your legs spread apart, his hands rubbing up your inner thighs and squeezing them, his dick - now hard - rubbing against your entrance earning a sweet whine from you.

“You gonna take my whole cock baby? Do I finally get to make you mine after all these years?” He whispered, leaning forward and pressing his forehead to your own. Feeling you nod your head, you moaned and let your eyes roll back at the feeling of him teasingly pushing in you slowly before pulling out. “Yes...please, Daniel, please.”

He knew any other time he would press on with what you wanted, letting you beg longer before he finally gave you what you wanted and fucked you good. But this time, this night, he was going to make sure you were treated right.

“I got you, baby, just look at me, okay? I wanna see your pretty face when I fuck you.”

You nodded and looked into his eyes, smiling weakly when his mouth fell open, a faint ‘ahh’ escaping his lips, “There she is, my pretty girl.”

His endearing words sent you over the edge that night. Even with a black eye, cracked lips, and overall just a complete mess than what you normally looked like, he still made you feel like the prettiest girl in the room.

When he finally pushed into you, slowly bottoming out inside of you, the two of you moaned against one another’s lips, the vibration buzzing off each other. Daniel didn’t want this to be too much of a quickie - he would be honest and say he wouldn’t last as long as he would have liked - but he still wanted to take his time.

And that he did.

The pace he went was good for you, intoxicating even. With your legs and arms wrapped around him, you shifted up and down in the bed as he slowly fucked you, typically going in and out of you soft, but occasionally surprising you with a harder thrust. He enjoyed hearing your moans, especially the louder ones of surprise when he suddenly slapped his hips against yours.

His lips felt lonely and he leaned forward, capturing your lips into his with a deep kiss, his own teeth pulling at your lips gently before running his tongue along the bottom of your lip, pushing it in your mouth to mesh with your own.

You moaned against his mouth, your hands holding his face and you kissed him back, the scene almost sickening at how passionate the two of you were. It didn’t take long for you to pull away, your own climax beginning to rise. Letting out a whine, you pressed your forehead against the side of his face.

“Daniel, I- I don’t know how much longer I can last.”

The burning sensation that began to heat up in your core made your legs begin to shake. Gripping onto your thighs, Daniel picked up his pace a bit, his own climax rising too. “It’s okay, I got you. You’re doing so good.”

Daniel’s praises towards you did not help the sensation slow down, but you weren’t upset. Getting off to him- with him, made up for the entire evening. The sex wasn’t even bad, but given the circumstances of the night and how quick it went, you only could wish it lasted longer.

When the fireworks in your head finally went off, your body going slack, you tried to catch your breath as Daniel still continued to rut inside of you, grunting at the feeling of you tightening around him. His pace became even quicker, almost animalistic before he finally snapped his hips in you one more time, cumming deep inside of you.

Collapsing down on top of you, Daniel desperately tried to catch his breath, his head rested against your breasts, legs tangled in with yours. You both had your eyes closed, mouths open as you panted. You felt the softness of his beard against your chest and you smiled, the safe feeling coming back. Your fingers gently ran through his hair, pushing it back as you grew tired.

Before you could fall asleep, Daniel had gotten up and left for the bathroom, coming back with a rag to clean the two of you off before he tossed the rag with his dirty clothes, crawling into bed beside you and pulling you close, kissing the top of your head. It didn’t take long before the two of you finally fell asleep.

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

The warmth of the sun cast down on your face as you leaned your head out the window, resting against your arms as you smiled. The sky was still pink from the sunrise and the world around you was quiet - peaceful. The soft music that played from Daniel’s radio was the only voice you heard.

Glancing over to his right, Daniel smiled at the sight of how calm you were, enjoying the moment while he drove the two of you down the highway in his truck. With his left hand on the steering wheel, his right hand found your hand, bringing your hand up for a kiss before resting it back down beside you. He shifted to get comfortable and make you comfortable when he felt you shift and curl up into him, your head resting against his chest.

After you had fallen asleep, that same night Daniel decided that it was finally time for you two to get away - to start the life the two of you deserved. He packed up his trailer and shoved both of your belongings into the back of his truck, the trailer hitched to the back of his truck. It wasn’t a perfect home by any means, but it was your home and that’s what mattered most.

It didn’t matter where you went, so long as you had each other. And the first time in a long time, the two of you were finally free.

#daniel bruehl #daniel bruhl #daniel brühl #dark!daniel #daniel bruhl imagine #daniel bruhl smut #daniel bruhl x reader #daniel bruhl x you #18+ #minors dni #blurbs

[writerofthecourt]

ushijima, sakusa, iwaizumi, and shirabu being protective of their mute!girlfriend

warning: some bullying and harassment, very slight time skip spoilers, slight mention of injury and blood

a/n: for you, anon! i hope you guys enjoy

EDIT: this is a reupload because tumblr kept deleting me from the tags

ushijima wakatoshi

honestly, you guys were a weird couple

ushijima’s a man of few words, while you’re a person of no words

tendou was 100% convinced that you guys had some weird couples’ telepathy going on

(no one tell him that it’s just text messages and a pen and paper)

for the most part, everybody at shiratorizawa was cool with your relationship

everyone except for ushijima’s fangirls

“i don’t know what he sees in her. she’s not even that pretty”

“maybe he likes charity cases”

you ignored the two girls as they followed after you, your indifferent attitude only further fuelling their anger

“oi, [l/n]. don’t ignore us. you really think you’re too good for us just because you’re dating ushijima-kun?”

“he’s probably just taking pity on you since no one else would want your mute self”

their insults didn’t stop, not even as you approached the gym

“why does ushijima-kun even bother with you?”

“yeah, he would be so much better off without you”

it was at this time that ushijima had just returned from refilling his water bottle and happened to overhear the conversation

“i’d have to disagree with you,” your boyfriend proclaimed

“u-ushijima-kun, where did you come from?” one of the girls stuttered

“[y/n] is a wonderful person, and i’m lucky to have her,” ushijima continued unwaveringly. “i don’t agree with your comments. apologize to [y/n] at once”

at this point, the two girls knew that there was no winning in this situation

they exchanged a nervous glance with one another before hastily throwing out an apology. “s-sorry, [l/n]”

you tried not to smirk as the two girls quickly walked away, embarrassed that their idol had seen them in such a bad light

you sent your boyfriend an appreciative smile before he happily took a hold of your hand and led you towards the gym

in conclusion: no words were needed when the two of you were together

sakusa kiyoomi

when news broke out that you and sakusa were dating, sakusa was livid

not only was it an invasion of privacy, but the fact that it was atsumu’s fault made sakusa even more mad

the idiot forgot to crop you and sakusa out of the background of his stupid selfie

#sakusaandmysterywoman started trending online before sakusa had to eventually tell everyone the truth

“[y/n]’s my girlfriend. leave us alone,” was all sakusa tweeted before social media caught on fire and exploded

like with any celebrity dating scandal, there was some backlash from the fans, especially from the crazy ones who accused you of stealing away their precious omi-kun

eventually, everything settled down, and the fans became a lot more supportive of you and sakusa’s relationship

this led sakusa to being more comfortable about sharing pieces of his relationship with you online

although he was clearly happy, this didn’t stop his overzealous fans from constantly insulting you

“why does [y/n] never say anything when omi-omi gives her a compliment?”

“ngl [y/n] seems kind of rude. i feel like sakusa deserves better”

“omi-kun should be with someone who’s actually worthy of him. [y/n] ain’t it chief”

the only reason why sakusa didn’t respond to any of these people was because you told him not to, and he wanted to respect your wishes

it wasn’t until an especially concerning tweet about a fan “paying you a visit” that sakusa finally had to put a stop to all of this nonsense

“to anyone insulting or even going as far as to threaten my girlfriend, just stop. if you can’t support my decision, then i don’t need you. you are not a ‘true’ fan. i love [y/n], and i’m happy with her. to all of you who have been supportive of my relationship with [y/n], thank you. i don’t say this enough, but i truly appreciate you guys”

after sakusa’s tweet, #omi[y/n] started trending in support of you and sakusa’s relationship, which finally put a stop to all of the online hate

in conclusion: blame atsumu

iwaizumi hajime

when iwaizumi asked if you wanted to go see a movie with him on the weekend, you were over the moon

you knew just how busy your boyfriend was with volleyball practice, so you weren’t too pushy when it came to dates

you made sure to put a little extra effort into your outfit and appearance that day because you wanted to look cute for you boyfriend

unfortunately, this also caught the eyes of guys other than iwaizumi

“hey, cutie. you by yourself?” a flirtatious male close to your age asked. “i wouldn’t mind keeping you company”

you tried not to blanch as you took a step back and shook your head, indicating that you weren’t interested

this did nothing to dissuade the flirtatious guy, as he offered you a charming smile. “you can pick the movie if you want to. come on, it’ll be fun”

you were about to walk away when an all too familiar arm securely placed itself around your shoulder in a protective hold

“leave her alone. she’s not interested,” your boyfriend scowled

“says who?”

“says me. got a problem?”

“w-whatever, man. you can have her”

as the flirtatious guy began to walk away, the harsh glare on iwaizumi’s face soon transformed into worry as he turned to look at you. “sorry i’m late. are you okay? you’re not hurt, right?”

you nodded your head in reassurance while offering iwaizumi a gracious smile

your boyfriend smiled back before placing a gentle kiss just below your eye

“i’ll always be there to protect you, okay?” iwaizumi reminded you

you nodded your head once again, never doubting him for a moment

in conclusion: don’t mess with the seijoh arm wrestling champion

shirabu kenjirou

for the most part, you liked being the manager of the boys’ volleyball team

the shiratorizawa players were always chaotic and funny, and you were proud to call yourself a part of the team

although, if there was one thing to complain about, it would definitely have to be some of their fans

you were in the middle of bandaging shirabu’s injured finger when a chorus of high-pitched cheers rang out from near the gym doors

“[l/n], go deal with that,” coach washijo grumbled in annoyance

you sent your boyfriend an apologetic smile before signing to him to continue applying pressure in order to stop the bleeding

grabbing your pen and notebook, you wrote down a quick message before walking over to where the three girls were standing

please keep your voices down, your note read

“we’re just cheering on the players," one of the girls said

"yeah, what’s wrong with that?” another girl remarked

you’re distracting the players from practice

“well, must be easy for you since you can’t even seem to speak at all,” the last girl replied mockingly, followed by the laughter of her two friends

shirabu, who had been listening to the conversation, immediately got up from the bench to go stand next to you

“you three have been nothing but nuisances this whole time, and everyone agrees with me,” shirabu snapped furiously. “if you can’t be quiet, then leave!”

after shirabu’s angry outburst, the three girls promptly quieted down

you’re too nice, your boyfriend signed after the two of you returned to the bench

well, you know what they say. opposites attract and all that

oh, shut up

you only smiled in response as you finished bandaging shirabu’s finger before pressing a light kiss to the back of his hand

“stop mocking me with your cute couple-y-ness!” tendou screeched from across the court, having just witnessed your adorable exchange

“tendou! five laps around the school!”

in conclusion: stop yelling in the gym!

#ushijima x reader #ushijima wakatoshi x reader #sakusa x reader #sakusa kiyoomi x reader #iwaizumi x reader #iwaizumi hajime x reader #shirabu x reader #shirabu kenjirou x reader #ushijima wakatoshi #sakusa kiyoomi #iwaizumi hajime #shirabu kenjirou #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu reader insert

[blackswaneuroparedux]

Anonymous asked: As a beginner in Classics I love your Classicist themed posts. I find your caption perfect posts a lot to think upon. I suppose it’s been more than a few years since you read Classics at Cambridge but my question is do you still bother to read any Classic texts and if so what are you currently reading?

I don’t know whether to be flattered or get depressed by your (sincere) remarks. Thank you so much for reminding me how old I must come across as my youngish Millennial bones are already starting to creak from all my sins of past sport injuries and physical exertions. I’m reminded of what J.R.R Tolkien wrote, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” I know the feeling (sigh).

But pay heed, dear follower, to what Menander said of old age, Τίμα το γήρας, ου γαρ έρχεται μόνον (respect old age, for it does not come alone). Presumably he means we all carry baggage. One hopes that will be wisdom which is often in the form of experience, suffering, and regret. So I’m not ready to trade in my high heels and hiking boots for a walking stick and granny glasses just yet.

To answer your question, yes, I still to read Classical literature and poetry in their original text alongside trustworthy translations. Every day in fact. 

I learned Latin when I was around 8 or 9 years old and Greek came later - my father and grandfather are Classicists - and so it would be hard to shake it off even if I tried.

So why ‘bother’ to read Classics? There are several reasons. First, the Classics are the Swiss Army knife to unpick my understanding other European languages that I grew up with learning. Second, it increases my cultural literacy out of which you can form informed aesthetic judgements about any art form from art, music, and literature. Third, Classical history is our shared history which is so important to fathom one’s roots and traditions. Fourth, spending time with the Classics - poetry, myth, literature, history - inspires moral insight and virtue. Fifth, grappling with classical literature informs the mind by developing intellectual discipline, reason, and logic.

And finally, and perhaps one I find especially important, is that engaging with Classical literature, poetry, or history, is incredibly humbling; for the classical world first codified the great virtues of prudence, temperance, justice, loyalty, sacrifice, and courage. These are qualities that we all painfully fall short of in our every day lives and yet we still aspire to such heights.

I’m quite eclectic in my reading. I don’t really have a method other than what my mood happens to be. I have my trusty battered note book and pen and I sit my arse down to translate passages wherever I can carve out a place to think. It’s my answer to staving off premature dementia when I really get old because quite frankly I’m useless at Soduku. We spend so much time staring at screens and passively texting that we don’t allow ourselves to slow down and think that physically writing gives you that luxury of slow motion time and space. In writing things out you are taking the time to reflect on thoughts behind the written word.

I do make a point of reading Homer’s The Odyssey every year because it’s just one of my favourite stories of all time. Herodotus and Thucydides were authors I used to read almost every day when I was in the military and especially when I went out to war in Afghanistan. Not so much these days. Of the Greek poets, I still read Euripides for weighty stuff and Aristophanes for toilet humour. Aeschylus, Archilochus and Alcman, Sappho, Hesiod, and Mimnermus, Anacreon, Simonides, and others I read sporadically.

I read more Latin than Greek if I am honest. From Seneca, Caesar, Cicero, Sallust, Tacitus, Livy, Apuleius, Virgil, Ovid, the younger Pliny to Augustine (yes, that Saint Augustine of Hippo). Again, there is no method. I pull out a copy from my book shelves and put it in my tote bag when I know I’m going on a plane trip for work reasons.

At the moment I am spending time with Horace. More precisely, his famous odes.

Of all the Greek and Latin poets, I feel spiritually comfortable with Horace. He praises a simple life of moderation in a much gentler tone than other Roman writers. Although Horace’s odes were written in imitation of Greek writers like Sappho, I like his take on friendship, love, alcohol, Roman politics and poetry itself. With the arguable exception of Virgil, there is no more celebrated Roman poet than Horace. His Odes set a fashion among English speakers that come to bear on poets to this day. His Ars Poetica, a rumination on the art of poetry in the form of a letter, is one of the seminal works of literary criticism. Ben Jonson, Pope, Auden, and Frost are but a few of the major poets of the English language who owe a debt to the Roman.

We owe to Horace the phrases, “carpe diem” or “seize the day” and the “golden mean” for his beloved moderation. Victorian poet Alfred Lord Tennyson, of Ancient Mariner fame, praised the odes in verse and Wilfred Owen’s great World War I poem, Dulce et Decorum est, is a response to Horace’s oft-quoted belief that it is “sweet and fitting” to die for one’s country.

Unlike many poets, Horace lived a full life. And not always a happy one. Horace was born in Venusia, a small town in southern Italy, to a formerly enslaved mother. He was fortunate to have been the recipient of intense parental direction. His father spent a comparable fortune on his education, sending him to Rome to study. He later studied in Athens amidst the Stoics and Epicurean philosophers, immersing himself in Greek poetry. While led a life of scholarly idyll in Athens, a revolution came to Rome. Julius Caesar was murdered, and Horace fatefully lined up behind Brutus in the conflicts that would ensue. His learning enabled him to become a commander during the Battle of Philippi, but Horace saw his forces routed by those of Octavian and Mark Antony, another stop on the former’s road to becoming Emperor Augustus.

When he returned to Italy, Horace found that his family’s estate had been expropriated by Rome, and Horace was, according to his writings, left destitute. In 39 B.C., after Augustus granted amnesty, Horace became a secretary in the Roman treasury by buying the position of questor's scribe. In 38, Horace met and became the client of the artists' patron Maecenas, a close lieutenant to Augustus, who provided Horace with a villa in the Sabine Hills. From there he began to write his satires. Horace became the major lyric Latin poet of the era of the Augustus age. He is famed for his Odes as well as his caustic satires, and his book on writing, the Ars Poetica. His life and career were owed to Augustus, who was close to his patron, Maecenas. From this lofty, if tenuous, position, Horace became the voice of the new Roman Empire. When Horace died at age 59, he left his estate to Augustus and was buried near the tomb of his patron Maecenas.

Horace’s simple diction and exquisite arrangement give the odes an inevitable quality; the expression makes familiar thoughts new. While the language of the odes may be simple, their structure is complex. The odes can be seen as rhetorical arguments with a kind of logic that leads the reader to sometimes unexpected places. His odes speak of a love of the countryside that dedicates a farmer to his ancestral lands; exposes the ambition that drives one man to Olympic glory, another to political acclaim, and a third to wealth; the greed that compels the merchant to brave dangerous seas again and again rather than live modestly but safely; and even the tensions between the sexes that are at the root of the odes about relationships with women.

What I like then about Horace is his sense of moderation and he shows the gap between what we think we want and what we actually need. Horace has a preference for the small and simple over the grandiose. He’s all for independence and self-reliance.

If there is one thing I would nit pick Horace upon is his flippancy to the value of the religious and spiritual. The gods are often on his lips, but, in defiance of much contemporary feeling, he absolutely denied an afterlife - which as a Christian I would disagree with. So inevitably “gather ye rosebuds while ye may” is an ever recurrent theme, though Horace insists on a Golden Mean of moderation - deploring excess and always refusing, deprecating, dissuading.

All in all he champions the quiet life, a prayer I think many men and women pray to the gods to grant them when they are caught in the open Aegean, and a dark cloud has blotted out the moon, and the sailors no longer have the bright stars to guide them. A quiet life is the prayer of Thrace when madness leads to war. A quiet life is the prayer of the Medes when fighting with painted quivers: a commodity, Grosphus, that cannot be bought by jewels or purple or gold? For no riches, no consul’s lictor, can move on the disorders of an unhappy mind and the anxieties that flutter around coffered ceilings.

Caelum non animum mutant qui trans mare currunt (they change their sky, not their soul, who rush across the sea.)

Part of Horace’s persona - lack of political ambition, satisfaction with his life, gratitude for his land, and pride in his craft and the recognition it wins him - is an expression of an intricate web of awareness of place. Reading Horace will centre you and get you to focus on what is most important in life. In Horace’s discussion of what people in his society value, and where they place their energy and time, we can find something familiar. Horace brings his reader to the question - what do we value?  

Much like many of our own societies, Rome was bustling with trade and commerce, ambition, and an area of vast, diverse civilisation. People there faced similar decisions as we do today, in what we pursue and why. As many of us debate our place and purpose in our world, our poet reassures us all. We have been coursing through Mondays for thousands of years. Horace beckons us: take a brief moment from the day’s busy hours. Stretch a little, close your eyes while facing the warm sun, and hear the birds and the quiet stream. The mind that is happy for the present should refuse to worry about what is further ahead; it should dilute bitter things with a mild smile.

I would encourage anyone to read these treasures in translations. For you though, as a budding Classicist, read the texts in Latin and Greek if you can. Wrestle with the word. The struggle is its own reward. Whether one reads from the original or from a worthy translation, the moral virtue (one hopes) is wisdom and enlightenment.

Pulvis et umbra sumus

(We are but dust and shadow.)

Thanks for your question.

#question #ask #classical #greek #latin #horace #poetry #literature #arts #cambridge #classics #personal #study #habits #reading #books #culture #personal growth