#i do not think i am very optimistic as a rule

[tanadrin]

I liked this video from Jamelle Bouie a lot, and I liked it even more because he delivered it as a floating eyes and mouth over an apple.

I'm going to respond to this comment as an apple because I kind of like doing it. It's fun. And I'm gonna respond to this comment by way of a story.

So, all Americans know about the anti-slavery movement, the abolitionist movement. And the way we're taught about the abolitionist movement or the anti-slavery movement, whatever you want to call it, is kind of that this was inevitable--that obviously slavery is terrible and obviously there are people against it and it was gonna end. We teach it as a thing that was bound to happen. So the Civil War comes and slavery is ended, and it's sort of a very neat story.

But I'm gonna ask you to put yourself in the perspective of an abolitionist or an anti-slavery politician in, say, 1840 or 1848; and if you are one of these people, you have a deep-seated opposition to slavery. If you're an abolitionist, you may have spent the previous 10 or 20 years traveling the country, giving speeches, rallying people, doing everything you can to stir up moral outrage at slavery. If you're a politician, you have been working, doing a grind of politics--somewhat dangerous, because people may not like slavery, but they're not super thrilled about black people either--but you are in legislatures, you are filing petitions, you are building coalitions, you are trying to make whatever headway you can to, if not challenge slavery, then at least challenge some of the racist and anti-black laws that are on the books. Both--whether you're an anti-slavery politician or ablitionist--you do not think in 1848 that slavery is gonna be over in your lifetime. You hope that it might be; but you have no particular expectation that it will be. You are not optimistic about the end of slavery. You may not even be optimistic about the world as it exists, because you look around and you see human bondage and horrible brutality that's been there for hundreds of years, and for all you know will be there when you're long dead.

So the question to ask is, why do these things? Why did these people bother? Why did they continue struggling against slavery, despite not really having any optimism about the end of the institution? And the answer--beyond a deep-seated sense of moral commitment--is that these people didn't need to be optimistic in the ultimate outcome, they just needed to be optimistic in the ability of humans, of people to make change; they needed to be hopeful about human agency. That's what they needed, and that's what they had. And so they did not know how far they would be able to take the baton, but they worked and hoped that when the end of their lives came, they'd be able to hand it off to people who could take it even further than they could.

The abolitionists and the anti-slavery politicians were essentially living out what Antonio Gramsci called the pessimism of the intellect and the optimism of the will. I think the exact quote is, "I'm a pessimist because of my intelligence, but I am an optimist because of my will." What this is is recognizing the reality of the world around you, not looking at the world as if it's any better--or any worse--but any better than it is; but not pinning your hopes for a better world on some sort of linear change, linear move towards something better; but pinning your hopes on one of the true constants of human society, which is the ability of human beings to work their will on the world, and the ability of humans to push and persevere.

So, this is all to say that I am not asking anyone to be optimistic about the world. That's very silly; the world's a very terrible place right now--not the worst it could be, but pretty bad--and I do not contest that. But I do think that people should have a bit of this optimism of the will, and this optimism about human agency, and our ability to build a better world. And this is sort of where my very strong distaste for doomerism comes from, because the sense that it is the worst, and nothing can be better, is just fundamentally incompatible with any kind of optimism of the will, any kind of belief in human agency and belief in our ability to change the world around us. And it's also why you will find me on this account often pushing back against the most negative renderings of what is happening in our society, for example. Not because I think everything is great--I do not--but because I do think that the path towards change requires one to have clear eyes about the situation in which you find yourself; and clear eyes both means recognizing the bad, but it also means recognizing those areas where you can make gains, and where you can find success; and where you can win minor victories.

And you may say, well, what's the point of a minor victory? But I think what the anti-slavery struggle demonstrates, what the civil rights struggle demonstrates, what the labor struggle demonstrates in this country, is that minor victories become fuel for modest victories, become fuel for major victories, and major victories can be the things that fundamentally change the entire field of play. So. Pessimism of the intellect, my friend, optimism of the will.

#i do not think i am very optimistic as a rule #but i'm still much more optimistic than bouie #nonetheless #i share his distaste for doomerism and for similar reasons #you cannot be clear-eyed about the world if you are consumed with pessimism

[kopivie]

trick-or-treat.

# — pairing: spidey!kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, spider-man!kazuha

# — warnings: a little suggestive.

# — tags: fluff, kisses (bc who am i if not a madman for kisses), mild hurt/comfort, BANTER YIPPEE!!, this is zuzu's way of making up for the fact that he all but forgot kazuha's birthday, apology fic

# — notes: (PLEASE READ!!) this is... not at all what i intended to do. it's 1:30 am and i just came down from a much needed high. as my head cleared, i noticed that this fic was like, riddled with flaws, but i feel too good about this to second guess it and feel bad. anyways, this is heavily inspired by this fic that 🎻 anon sent in my asks, as well as a follow-up to this fic i wrote on @awlumii last year on kazuha's birthday. i hope you enjoy and please do let me know what you think! i could really use some feedback.

✦ — 🎃 — ✦

There's a knock on your door. You stare at the entry to your apartment and think: "How mean would it be if I ignored them right now?"

In your defense, you've been giving out candy all day. All. Day. You figured that there would at least have been a lull in the early afternoon since children had school to attend, but no — you've been giving out candy to all ages from as early as 10:30 this morning. It's a good thing you stocked up on candy late last month, otherwise you would've had to ruin the days of some very enthusiastic trick-or-treaters. So after setting aside a bucket full of your favorites and giving out the leftovers until about 10 at night, you finally thought yourself ready to curl up on your bed with your softest blanket. You were halfway to dreamland when some monster started pounding on your door.

(So maybe you're exaggerating a little. But who could blame you? You're tired and you want to sleep.)

And so, here you sit, your legs half-tangled in your weighted fleece blanket as you glare at your door and hope that your unwanted visitor is telepathic and gets the message that you want them to leave. Scram! you think. You raise your voice in your head. Get out of here. Shoo! Begone!

…They knock again. (Kind of a dick move if they can read minds.)

The groan you let out is obnoxiously loud and is most definitely heard by whoever is on the other side of the door. You hoist yourself to your feet and trudge to the door, but you don't open it quite yet. Judging by the fact that this person has yet to say anything, you figure that they're old enough to know when their presence is not welcome and left.

Wrong. You're too optimistic. They knock again.

You sigh and once again, hope that the sound carries through the door. "Who is it?" You try to make yourself sound as unfriendly as possible. Considering how cranky you are, you don't have to try very hard.

"Trick-or-treat..?" The voice on the other side is muffled by the door, but also by something else. Fabric, probably. All you know is that their voice is deep enough to be an adult's.

You click your tongue. "Trick." You almost snicker. It's a little refreshing not doling out treats for once. "Go home."

"Can I at least give you a treat?" The person asks.

You blink. They didn't leave? "Pretty sure that's not how it works," you reply. "I give you treats and you… I dunno, TP my house or something."

"Yeah, well," the person at the door chuckles, "I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to say 'trick', either. Since you're breaking the rules, it's only fair that it's my turn, right?"

Well… Shit. They have a point.

Impressed by the stranger's reasoning, you hum. "Fine. Let me find my costume." You turn to gather your costume and notice that you can't find the full thing. You were so eager to get to bed that you didn't hesitate to drop the thing in the wash. Not wanting to make the stranger wait too long, you improvise. You blindly grab the mask and the blue throw blanket you have folded up on your couch and tie it around your shoulder like a cape. It's a shitty excuse for a costume, but you reason that your exhaustion is a good excuse. You swing open the door and cross your arms over your chest. "Alright, what do you got for-- Oh."

Standing on the other side of your door is none other than Spider-Man himself. The two of you stand in silence as you take in each other's appearances. Then, after what feels like forever, he speaks. "So… a cape, huh?"

You don't hesitate — you grab your door and swing the thing shut as fast as you can, but Spider-Man is faster, catching the door in his gloved hand. You turn your back to him. The mask is obscuring his face, but you already know what expression he has underneath. "Don't say a word." You warn him.

Spider-Man pays you no mind. You can feel him lifting your 'cape' as he inspects it. "Hmm… capes are kinda aerodynamic, but considering how dirty my enemies fight, I don't think that's a very good design choice." You can hear the shit-eating grin in his voice. "I'll give it a five out of ten."

"I said shut it!" You snatch your blanket out of his hands and march further into your apartment with Spider-Man's laughter following at your back. He walks inside and the door shuts behind the two of you. "Get the fuck out, webhead," you seethe. Your voice trembles with shame. "I didn't invite you in."

Spider-Man just walks around you to look you in the eye. "Come now, lovebug," he tilts your chin up with a finger, "you look cute wearing my mask."

You grumble and push his hand away as you struggle for words. You want to say something like, "this isn't what it looks like!" to try and save face, but there's no point in trying. This is exactly what it looks like.

Because the mask you'd been wearing for Halloween -- and the mask you haphazardly thrown on moments ago -- was none other than Spider-Man's mask.

To be fair, these things were a dime a dozen. The people of this city adore the vigilante. It was only natural that kids and adults alike would want to pretend to be him for a day, even if they had no powers like him. You're not exactly one of those people — you've seen firsthand just how brutal Spider-Man's job can be. You wouldn't trade your life for his even if you were offered money. But as you stared at the costume while shopping, you couldn't help yourself. There were obviously cooler, much more interesting costumes to choose from but this one just… called to you.

Hindsight is 20/20, after all. You should've ignored that calling.

Spider-Man takes your chin in his fingers and shakes your head side to side. "I never knew you liked me so much, lovebug. I'm touched."

You scoff. "Don't be."

"Y'know, if you wanted to wear my mask so badly, you could've just asked." Spider-Man leans in and presses a clothed kiss to your cheek. You consider yourself lucky; he can't possibly feel the burn of your cheeks through all that fabric.

You stammer. "Ha-ha. Very funny."

"What? I'm sure I have a back up somewhere." He eyes you for a moment. "You'd look good in it."

Against your will, you wonder if he's saying that he wants you to wear his clothes. Would he ever actually loan you clothes that he's worn? The thought makes your face burn hotter. "Why are you here?" You ask. Anything to change the topic.

Spider-Man chuckles, but plays along. "I haven't swung by in a few days," he says, "so I figured I'd try and surprise you as a trick-or-treater." He shrugs. "I wanted to do some reverse psychology thing where I could trick you into thinking I was just some guy in a costume so you would give me candy."

You process his words for a second. "Okay, first of all, you already are a guy in a costume."

He visibly deflates and places a hand over his chest. "Ouch, lovebug. What if you hurt my feelings?"

"Second of all," you continue, "do you have any idea how many Spider-Men I've seen today?"

"...Is that a serious question?"

"Don't be a smart ass."

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess twelve."

You pause. You actually aren't even sure if that's the right number or not. You lost count after three hours of giving out candy to cute kids.

"Am I right?" He asks.

"Who knows?"

Spider-Man huffs. "If there's that many of us around, then what am I even here for?" You giggle at his petulant behavior, and he makes another breathy sound, reminiscent of a stifled laugh. "Did you treat them the same way you treat me?"

"What?" His question takes you off-guard for a moment. You chortle. "Oh, definitely."

"You gave them band-aids and kicked them out, too?"

"Mhm." You cross your arms. "Just slapped a few on some pretend wounds and told them to get the fuck off my property."

The two of you laugh together for a moment. Once the laughter dies down, Spider-Man tugs at your cheek for a brief second. You let him get away with it for now. "You're so cute." He sighs and you can hear something somber enter his tone. "I was worried about you. It's been a week since I've seen you."

It has been a week, hasn't it? You may have been swamped with work at the hospital, but there was never a night that you didn't find yourself waiting on your balcony like an idiot in this chilly weather. You had faith that he was okay — the Daily Bugle printed something new about the "masked menace" every day this past week — but that didn't stop you from longing for his presence. Stories can't compare to the real thing, after all. You're far more taken with the masked vigilante than you'd care to admit to yourself.

You hum. "About time someone else did the worrying for once," you mumble jokingly. "It gets tiring worrying all by myself."

Spider-Man stays quiet. "I've been okay. A little worse for the wear for the past two days, but okay otherwise."

You reach for him instinctively. "Lingering pain isn't like you," you say, already in doctor-mode, "did something happen?"

"No, not like that. I've just been… sad. I guess." His confession is soft as he takes your outstretched hands in his own. He's been more vulnerable around you lately and you're not sure if that's good or bad. "It's been a rough couple of days, that's all."

You rack your brain. What could possibly be paining him that you don't know of? He's already told you that he tells you everything (within reason), so maybe it's something that you already know of? You furrow your brows as you dive deeper into your memory. Deeper, deeper… until you happen across a memory from just about a year ago.

The kiss you shared on your balcony close to midnight.

"Oh my God." You voice your incredulity aloud. "Oh my God! I missed your birthday!"

Spider-Man straightens his posture as he inhales sharply.

How could you have forgotten? He confessed to you on his birthday last year that you were the only person he had left in his life since he hated his birthday so much. October 29th was such a painful day for him — to think that you didn't stop for a second to wonder if he was okay that day. It's not like you would've been able to contact him of course, but what if he swung by after you'd fallen asleep? You should've at least left him a note or something.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, lovebug." The confidence is starting to bleed out of him, you notice. Spider-Man walks over to your couch and sits on the floor in front of it. "I'll be okay. It's not like I was going to celebrate or anything."

You move to the couch and adjust yourself so that the vigilante is between your legs. You two often assume this position when you're finished patching him up and too tired to goof around until he leaves. You would place your hands on his head and press your fingers into the fabric of his mask. Spider-Man told you once that the action was soothing, but you have yet to admit to him that it's your way of trying to conjure up an image of what his hair must look like underneath.

Like always, he gets himself into position, draping his arms across your legs. This time, however, he's looking up at you. You're not sure what expression he might be wearing.

"I wasn't saying that we should've celebrated," you say softly. "I'm just upset that you had to be alone. Are you sure you're okay?" You ask as you massage your fingers across the crown of his head.

He hums. "I am now. I promise."

"If you're ever feeling down, you know you can come and see me." Your words surprise the both of you, but you don't regret them at all. He always seems to be around when you need his company the most, so why shouldn't you do the same for him? Who else would? your mind unhelpfully supplies. "I may not be the best company in the world, but at least you won't be alone, right?"

Spider-Man moves so that he's on his knees facing you. He's so close to your face like this; you inch backwards to preserve your sanity. "You're the only company I need." He says it with so much conviction that you shiver. "But does this mean I'm getting special treatment?"

"What--? You mean from the other Spider-Men?" When he nods, you snort. "Yeah, I guess you do get V.I.P privileges. You get extra treats unlike everyone else."

"Extra?" He tilts his head. "But you haven't given me any candy at all."

You raise a brow. "All that's left is the candy I'm hoarding for myself. And before you ask, no, I'm not sharing any. Why don't you try actually trick-or-treating? People would probably give the city hero the best of the best."

He sinks a little lower, seeming defeated. "...Would you believe me if I said I tried that already?"

"Did it work?"

He's silent.

"...It didn't work, did it?"

"...No. They thought I was just some superfan."

Peals of laughter burst out of you at his admission. "So this is how they repay you, huh?" You say between giggles. "No faith and no candy? That's rough, buddy." You get the distinct impression that he's glaring at you, but that only makes you laugh harder.

Fed up with your insistence on laughing at his misfortune, Spider-Man taps your leg. "Since I get special treatment from you, can I ask for a few wishes?"

You wipe a stray tear from your eye. "I'm dressed as a superhero, not a magic genie."

"Please?"

"Fine, fine." You finally catch your breath. "You get two wishes.

"Not three?"

"I'm not a genie. Don't push it."

Spider-Man puts his hands up in defense. "Alright, two it is. The first is… let me stay with you for the rest of the night."

You shrug. Wouldn't be the first time. He's usually gone by the time you wake up, anyhow. "Granted. Next one's your last — make it count, bug boy."

Spider-Man doesn't react to your nickname. Instead, he just stares at you. A familiar sensation tickles up your spine. He's watching you; you know that stare all too well. "I think you know what I'm going to ask for next." His voice is deeper, smoother than it was mere moments ago.

You nod and he eases himself closer to you. You feel your heart pick up an unsteady rhythm and rather than kiss him normally, you lean in close and press your masked lips to his. He makes a surprised noise before he laughs and melts into the "kiss" all the same. When you pull away, he's still laughing. A very welcome change from the bitter smile you're sure he was wearing when talking about his birthday. "Consider that a freebie," you mutter.

"You're too kind," he chuckles.

Soon, your fingers come to the base of his mask to raise it just above his lips when he suddenly stops you. He reaches for your face and you feel something tug at the base of your neck. Somehow, you completely forgot you were wearing that stupid mask. "It's kinda funny," he half-laughs, "having to unmask you for once."

"You... You can't tell anyone about my identity, okay?" You tease.

Spider-Man rolls your mask up just enough to expose your lips and you do the same to him. Neither of you are sure who leaned in first, but you meet in the middle in a kiss that has fireworks bursting behind your lids. The two of you are greedy, pouring a week's worth of longing into the kiss. The mutual yearning is palpable, so much so that you can hear his breath hitch when you sigh. He rises to the couch slowly and without breaking the kiss, doing his best not to part from you for even a second.

You missed him. Oh, how you missed him — you missed how he would wrap a strong arm around your waist and pull you closer like it was nothing; how he would whisper his adoration for you between breaths; how he would chase after your lips whenever you would tease him with barely-there kisses. You missed the exhilaration, the thrill of knowing that you were the only one Spider-Man would ever treat this way. That you were his and he was yours.

He moves from your lips to your jaw, trailing kisses up to your ear and down to your neck. His pace is unhurried, though he seems eager to pull a reaction out of you. You give him what he wants whether you intend to or not. You press yourself closer to him in a silent request for more and he indulges you; his kisses become little nips, and the nips turn to bites as he starts to leave marks on your neck. He eases you back so that you're laying on your couch and he's hovering over you. The two of you stare at each other for a moment.

"Can I use my next wish?" His voice is rough. When you nod, he leans in once more. His uncovered lips brush against your ear as he whispers. "Let me give you a treat."

Something foreign yet familiar makes you shudder as you nod.

Spider-Man attacks your neck once again. Clearly he was holding himself back earlier, because every mark he leaves stings. He makes them dark and obvious, completely disregarding any warnings you may have given him on other days. You normally would tell him to ease up, to hide the marks that he so desperately wanted to leave on you. But now you let him do as he pleases. You gave him an inch and as expected, he took the mile. He soothes each one with a kiss and muffles your whimpers with his lips.

It takes a while before he's satisfied with his handiwork. Kazuha raises himself up with a shaky breath. Your wrists are in his hands and pinned against the couch. Looking down at you now, all flushed absolutely covered in his marks, he feels something uncontrollable stir within him. He has half a mind to tell you to close your eyes so he can take his mask off, but he refrains.

That's all he ever does when it comes to you. You, the greatest test of his endurance that he will ever encounter in his lifetime. No supervillain with any amount of underground connections or otherworldly technology will ever test his patience and restraint quite like you. For years, Kazuha has weighed the pros and cons of telling you who he is. He always wonders if you would still allow this, if you would still treat him like a lover if you knew who he was — if you knew that he's been lying to you. Though your reaction may not be guaranteed, it's a risk he's more than willing to take.

But he doesn't. Not tonight. Maybe another day when the time is right.

For now, Kazuha releases your wrists and sits himself up. He fixes his mask while you take yours off. You sit up and he watches as you ghost your fingers over each of your fresh hickies. You wince a little when you brush the one on the left side of your collarbone, above your heart. The silence that hangs in the air is evident, but not uncomfortable.

Then, you mutter. "I was supposed to give you a treat."

Kazuha reaches out and touches a hickey left on your pulse point. A sensitive spot for you – you shudder in response. He admires the lingering haze in your eyss. "You did. Thank you, lovebug."

✧ my goodness. @perpetualcynicism look at what you've done. you've reawakened a monster in me.

✧ edit: btw, the dividers belong to @cafekitsune!! thanks so much for making such beautiful dividers!

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #kaedehara kazuha #kaedehara kazuha x reader #kazuha x reader #spidey!kazuha #spidey!kazuha x reader #WHEW. #tagging is a fucking nightmare i cant believe i did this all the time #but uh.. ta-da... #i feel so much better though #i had a horrible day at work so i got super high and then i read thing in my asks and then i cried and wanted to write about kazuha #i literally checked off every box #get high? ✅️ cry? ✅️ write about kazuha? ✅️✅️✅️ #I FEEL SO FREE

[elle555]

observations on each venus sign coming from a taurus venus🫧🫀.

aries venus: for me I feel like they’d be too much too keep up with honestly lol but I would love having someone who isn’t afraid to speak their mind and say something when they need to. I also would love how adventurous and fun they are because even tho I am an earth venus I cannot stand being in a boring/dry relationship (that’s my 9h venus speaking also)

taurus venus: I feel like we’d really vibe or get along of some sort but also many hiccups considering the fact we’re both earth signs and want things our own way but besides that I feel like the loyalty would be matched depending on the house and aspects they tbh but definitely the person I would love too go shopping with and restaurants to just have fun

gemini venus: ok Ik this placement is very controversial too some but I think they would be the best partners/people too have in my circle realistically I would love someone who is constantly down to do anything, flirty , funny asf and very communicative about Ik and any topic. I would definitely not get bored being around them I just love gemini venus in my life because Ik we would never be bored/dry and me being easily bored and always wanting stuff to do/talk about gemini is my first choice<33OH AND PLUS VERY VERY OBSERVANT AND THOUGHTFUL.

cancer venus: they’d be the type too get easily jealous but passive aggressive, I feel like we would kind of get along but I’m 100% we would at the same time especially with cancer being ruled by the moon and a water sign my scorpio moon would love someone like that like just the deep conversations and understanding of eachother would be immaculate. But also someone who reciprocates the energy for me like I do for them yess plsss gimme them!!!! I don’t know many cancer Venuses personally but this is just my general observation.

leo venus: I’ve seen and been around a very few leo Venuses and they are loyal to the core , I think we would get along great but have some hiccups because with leo being all about them and what they need or what I could never settle down with them but I feel like the love and affection would be matched for the most part.

virgo venus: don’t know abt virgo Venuses that much either but from observation I feel like they’d be pratical and helpful in any situation especially when I need advice about people or something I just know they’d provide me with all their observations and information about the person in question. As for a dating type I feel like idk we’d get along but have some hiccups especially since they would be all about routine and perfection but my aquarius 6th just wouldn’t vibe with that , like I said I would have to observe the person first tho.

libra venus: I would say we’d be good friends all about aesthetics , communication and quality time is just my love language as well. But the indecision I mean I’m indecisive asf my self so I can’t say too much because that would talking about myself loll I’ve observed libra venus and they seem like very passive aggressive people when in love unless they really bond/vibe with you.

scorpio venus: my sister sign lmaoo I would say no not really because of the possessiveness and obsession I could not stand someone asking a ton of unnecessary questions and being a weird person when I want to talk or hangout with someone else. But I love the loyalty they would bring to the table and just turn bring thoughtful , deep and meaningful conversations/gestures they would do simply because they are genuine and care.

sagittarius venus: ok I same thing for I said for gemini venus just having someone to go on adventures with and explore it just sounds like 😀🤌. Plus I love when people are positive and optimistic so definitely the people I would love to have reminding me too never give up and too keep going , I feel like the reason why I think we’d be a good match is because I’m a 9H venus myself so that could be very biased but at the same time awesome. Along with us learning foreign languages and talking about our beliefs/opinions without being judged means a lot to me yea we’d have our disagreements but other than that the love and passion would be mutual.

capricorn venus: pragmatic and mature people>> I would love to have someone who is mature in love and knows how to love , or know what it means to be in committed relationship!! Along with knowing their boundaries and where they stand is a huge green flag for me. Along with being ambitious and goal-oriented I AM ALL ABOUT HAVING GOALS AND AMBITIONS so people who know what to do in the future and has a plan they have all my love and support and Ik they’d support my goals and ambitions as well.

aquarius venus: hmm very interesting and intelligent people are the best I would definitely love for them too tell me random shit they know or some shit that they know especially if it’s something that only they know about. I feel like they could tell me anything weird/awkward and I would listen for HOURSS but also people who are concerned for other people’s wellbeing and how to help the community is something that would grab my attention so fast along with them being very futuristic , eccentric I think my weirdness wouldn’t be judged at all.

pisces venus: the type of people that I could go to a art or music festival with and someone who is just really and deeply in-tune with their emotions. I really love people who are passionate and are willing to share/express their emotions without shame or feeling like they’d be judged.

(This is just based off of opinions and observations so don’t take anything personal)

#astrology #astrology community #astrology observations #air signs #earth signs #venus signs #air venus

[sapionic]

The 5th House: Romance and Kids

The Astrology Break Down of the 5th house in Astrology.

Take into account that degrees matter due to the decans and the rulership of those as well, but we are not going into that part in this post. Personally, I am still piecing together the degrees in general. I know what each degree is ruled by, but the variations and more have to be studied.

I am actually going to be posting regarding the Planets and NOT the signs. We already know what the signs represent, but the planets really show you what's up.

Mars in the 5th house makes a person impulsive in their intimate/romantic endeavors. Things happen quickly. They don't care to wait or anything. They want it now, quick, and fast. Kids could even come about early for a person with this planet in their 5th house. This causes a person to be quite bold and assertive with their love and lovers. This planet brings about speed to a person's sex life and romance is probably always happening. They can break up with one and end up getting action from others. They initiate with their desires. Kids could also come about due to being in the moment.

Saturn in the 5th house is actually good because this makes someone very disciplined in matters of becoming a parent. We know that Saturn talks about longevity or time so this is someone likely to have kids with someone they have known for a while unless it just ends up being an older person. It's probably not going to be an older person all the time, but you can bet time was put into their connection with the person before a kid came about. This can make someone quite stern in how they scan a person's worthiness of their intimacy as well. This is someone that zones in on everything about a person. They will remember their sexual experiences with detail and the same with their sexual encounters. Love could have even started early for them and something transpired that caused them to slow down in their future dealings. Usually this supports them anyway even though they may not feel like it does when they are focused on what they want.

Sun in the 5th house likely will have kids with someone who actually makes them happy. They are likely going to make sure their relationship is solid and fulfilling before they even think about having a kid with someone. Happiness is important for them in general, especially with love matters. These can be people that have partners that come off positive or jolly.

Pluto in the 5th house gets down and dirty. Likely has a romantic/intimate life where change is inevitable whether internal or external. Deep romance is a priority and it may be approached with depth and taken serious. They could even choose to use sex for a life enhancement. They want to explore the depths of sex and romance that isn't common. They don't mind. Children can cause major changes for these individuals most likely. Likely to have kids with someone who changed their life in a big way.

Do we really need to do Moon? We know how the Moon operates already....

Moon in the 5th house: All you gotta do is make them feel safe, loved, and comfortable. They'll likely have kids with someone they love and/or who loves them. Likely to have a romantic connection that's big on the emotional bond. Kids can even come about through emotional sex. Of course that wont always be the case, but it can be "A" case.

Venus in the 5th house give me vibes of people who may be big on wanting to be married. Kids can come after marriage, definitely, but not only. Likely to have a stable, solid, loyal lover/lovers. Kids can come when there is some decent or more than decent stability in this person's life. Wining and dining is no stranger to this person. They probably get the red carpet rolled out for them by their partner. Likely to respect their partner and vice versa.

Jupiter in the 5th house makes a person a fun, open, optimistic person. They themselves can be opportunists in love or they attract these experiences. Likely to have a fun or informational lover. Likely to have kids with someone that has brought experience, wisdom and knowledge into their life. They may even in some cases have literal circumstances where the lover is philosophical if not an actual teacher. Their love life can be expansive. Likely to also have a partner that is simply smart or travels a lot. This can also be the nature of the relationship where them and their partner teaches each other.

Uranus in the 5th house can make a person have lovers or a lover who is sexy, famous, funny, but still have something unusual about them or in their life. A person with this placement has an unusual love life whether they switch partners often or they simply don't go about love like people would expect. They may like someone who is different and not of commonality. Likely to have unexpected pregnancies. Babies can come about when not planned or expected. Likely to want ultimate stimulation from their lovers. Fun, limitless desires for their romantic life. Likely to have kids with someone who does something extraordinary for their lifestyle.

Neptune in the 5th definitely give me phantom pregnancy vibes. This has likely occurred in some way with these people. Either that or they are pregnant when they don't know. Could find out late or even have a situation where they are giving birth after living life regularly. Could have a relationship based on spirituality, escapism, fun, or a true blissful romance that makes them feel safe and special. Lover can be sensitive, a substance user, smoker only, spiritual, intuitive, or private. Likely to have weird relationships or relationships where they barely see their partner that much for various reasons. Could even have gaps in their love life.

#astro community #astrology #astro notes #astro placements #astro rambles #natal chart #capricorn #planets #aquarius #venus scorpio #virgo venus #venus signs #scorpio venus #venus in the 8th house #5th house #natal astrology #astrology signs #astro #libra zodiac #zodiac shelf #natal aspects #jupiter signs #jupiter astrology #jupiter in houses #capricorn mercury #capricorn facts #capricorn neptune #capricorn moon #capricorn mars #aquarius mercury

[dokoni-mo]

Crave: Part Six || William Afton x GN! Reader

summary: the eye of the storm

mild NSFW

word count: 4404

warnings: age-gap relationship (reader is 20 william is pushing 40), allusions to mental illness, willy is obsessive, possessive too, and a little creepy, and a hypocrite, and narcissistic lol, and a little bit of a yandere, mentions of divorce, dysfunctional parent-child relationships, secret relationships, swearing, gaslighting, manipulation tactics, dom/sub undertones if you squint, willy is VERY egotistical, allusions to corruption kink, sir kink, smoking, sensual touching, dirty fantasies, praise, lying, erections, indirect mentions of stalking, dirty fantasies, kissing

minors dni // please read warnings!!

part one // two // three // four // five

a/n: helloooo everyone!! I am back again with another part!! I've gotten a lot of messages asking where this was and here it is!! It's my spring break now, so i have time to feed all of you guys again!! thank you to everyone who was patient with me in the meantime, it means a lot <3 hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for the wait!! enjoy!!

~~~

Even though it was very much out of the way, Mr. Afton's office was still far too noisy for his liking.

When first establishing the diner, he was well aware that the target audience was children first, and then their parents second. And, having had children of his own, William knew that children were noisy. Very noisy. But surely their parents could control them in public spaces, yes? Other kids want to enjoy the animatronics and the music too. And that's hard to do when brat one and brat two are screaming their heads off. So surely the parents would teach them some manners, right?

No. Of course not. He was being too optimistic.

And, over the years, William found that smoking was the only cure to his headaches. They were frequent while at work, and he took frequent long breaks to cure them. The nicotine was the only remedy.

Aside from his bunny, of course. Though you were far more addicting than the nicotine.

William hadn't heard a word from you ever since the incident with Michael on Monday. It was Wednesday now, and he still missed you just as much as he had prior. You remembered your rules, didn't you? Phone him once a week? Don't tell him you forgot already. Each minute that ticked by he could feel the pull of anticipation coming from whatever phone was nearby. Hell, he had barely slept the last few nights because he wanted to be sure he'd get your call. But the lack of sleep was getting to him. He could feel it in the sting of his eyes every time he blinked.

Damn it, bunny. You need to be more attentive with these things.

Running his hand through his brown-grey hair, he breathed out a heavy sigh as he tamped out his third cigarette of the day. His elbows were situated heavy on his expensive, messy desk, leaned forward in his chair. He needed to get a hold of himself. It had only been a few days. You were a good bunny, and of course you were gonna follow the rules. William shouldn't chastise you too much. You had things to do, most likely. Or just wanted to wait to play it safe. He just missed you a lot more than he expected. Especially after all that with Michael.

The brit felt his jaw clench, reaching in his desk drawer for a fresh pack of cigarettes.

Who the fuck did that boy even think he was? He had no right to disturb William's peace like that, sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Your relationship with the older man was none of his damned business. And who was he to even question it to begin with? Question him? Question you? Poor bunny. You were probably so frightened, weren't you? William hoped you weren't scared off too much, enough to where you didn't want to call. Did you think it was best not to anymore? God damn it. Mr. Afton wished he could communicate with you better.

The brit bent his neck down as he pulled open one of his drawers, searching for his lighter.

Fucking Michael. Always ruining shit. William was getting fucking sick and tired of his bullshit, having to be the ring-leader in the fuckery circus. Michael was a damn brat.

He'd fucking pay for this.

After successfully lighting the cigarette, William heard a knock as he put the lighter away. A brief twinge of hope rushed through him as he looked up at his office door. Could it be you, little bunny? Did you not call because you were planning to visit him this whole time? Sweet little one. Always so considerate.

But, then again...

William's excitement vanished as soon as it came up. He gave you the key to his office, and instructed you to let yourself in. This couldn't be you, no.

Damn. Fucking, damn.

Fuck whoever this was. He could go fuck himself.

Clearing his throat, William put on his rehearsed friendly voice as he called out to the mystery person.

"Come in!"

The door clicking open and shut, William was greeted with a pleasant surprise, but not the one he was hoping for.

Henry.

William felt a little bad for thinking Henry should go fuck himself.

Henry was William's best friend. Hell, in a lot of ways, William's only friend. At least the only person that he considered to be a real friend. Aside from his bunny, Henry was the only person William allowed to be at least somewhat of himself around. Of course, the brit was never fully himself, no. He knew if Henry saw the real him, his American friend would want nothing to do with the brit. No, his true self was only reserved for you, little one. Because he just loved you that much. And you loved him just the same. But still, Henry was a close friend to William. They had known each other since William had first stepped foot in the states, all those years ago. William knew everything about Henry, and Henry knew all he needed to know. It was a nice friendship.

Stepping through the door, William noticed right away that Henry was slightly out of breath, sweaty too. Being a heavier-set man, Henry was prone to sweating every now and again, but the slickness in his fiery reddish-blond hair told William that he'd probably just stepped out of the Fredbear costume. Henry's glasses were fogged, but he seemed more preoccupied with catching his breath to care right now.

"Hey, Bill! Sorry to barge in." Henry chuckled to his friend, leaning against the cool surface of the wooden door, "I just had to get away from those kids out there."

William gave the man the most sympathetic smile he could, taking a puff of his cigarette, "Tough crowd, hm?"

Henry chuckled again, shaking his head, "Nah, just really excited to see Fredbear. They missed ol' Bonnie though, you know."

The brit breathed out a hum, "Well Bonnie had to file his restaurant's taxes this afternoon. And someone has to keep this place afloat, no?"

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks for taking care of that, by the way. I know how much you hate crunching the numbers."

"It's no big deal." William sat back in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk, "I'd argue you got the tougher job today out of anyone."

Henry laughed again, one of his signature belly-laughs, "Yeah, yeah, that's fair. How's it going, Bill? How're you?"

William knew that Henry was going to be keen on talking, so that meant not much time for smoking. The brit took one last puff of nicotine before tamping it out.

"Quite well, actually. You?"

"Oh, you know me! Same old, same old. How're the kids doing? I hear Mikey's getting along well in college these days! That's good for him, though. I remember how much he used to struggle. I told him though, he just needed to find his people, find what he's passionate about, yknow?"

William felt his jaw clench. The only thing his son was passionate about was making a mess of things.

"He's doing fine, yeah." William said, "Though he's hardly ever home long enough for me to ask these days. But, I haven't gotten a letter of expulsion. So I assume all is well, yeah?"

Henry laughed, "Definitely! And how 'bout lil' Evan and Liz? Jee, it's been forever since I've seen them two. They grow like weeds at this age, at least Charlie did. Bet they're huge now!"

William let his smile fall a little, "Actually, I haven't seen them much either."

"Oh? Really?"

"Really." William took his feet off his desk and sat forward in his seat, "Clara seems not quite as willing to let them come over these days, it seems. Something about Evan's nightmares popping up again. The robots seemed to frighten him more than I had realized."

Henry crossed his arms, "Ah, jee, Bill. I'm so sorry. I know you gotta miss 'em."

"I do. I know Clara has her reasons, but... Let's just say the house is a lot more quiet with just me and Mike in there, yeah?"

Henry seemed to finally catch his breath and stop sweating now, taking off his fogged glasses. Glancing between the brit and the lenses, the red-head used the end of his t-shirt to wipe the glass.

"Yknow, Bill," Henry began, "It's been about 8 years since you and Clara split. Maybe it's time to, yknow... get back out there. It's not too late, even for old guys like us. I'm sure the kids would understand, too. At least eventually they would."

William felt another smile threaten to creep up on his face. Oh, Henry. You poor soul. The brit appreciated the sentiment, but there wasn't any need to worry about him. At least, not now. Not anymore. William had his precious, adorable little bunny now. And they were everything the older man needed and more. All he'd ever need ever again.

Fuck.

He missed you. He missed you so fucking much.

Henry seemed genuinely worried for William, too. Not that Henry wasn't ever genuine. Aside from his bunny, Henry was the most genuine person William had ever met. Never had a bad word to say to anyone about anything. It allowed William to put some of his trust in Henry, and make him a friend.

The extent of that trust?

Enough to tell Henry about you. Or, at least, tell him a little bit about you. Henry didn't need to know the whole truth.

Just enough for William to stop missing you so much.

"Actually," William began, his smile finally spilling over onto his handsome features, "I have... met someone, you could say."

Henry looked to the brit with shock and amusement, his smile widening as he put his glasses back on, "No way, really?! Bill, that's great! I mean... wow! I didn't even realize you were looking!"

"Thank you. We only started... seeing each other this past weekend. But, I already like them quite a bit. They are... unlike anyone I've ever met before. We click, yeah?"

The American let out an amused chuckle, "Wow, I mean, that's amazing, man! What's their name? Where're the from?"

William knew that he couldn't give Henry your real name. This town was too small. If Henry didn't already know you, he'd find out who you were one way or another. And he wasn't ready for that yet.

"Their name is... Bunny. From... Vegas."

"Vegas, huh? Interesting! What're they like?"

William let out a hum from the back of his throat, picturing your little face in his head, "Everything I could ever want. Or need."

Henry laughed again, "Wow, sounds like you really like 'em!"

"I do. Though they're a busy person. It's... difficult for us to be together all the time. I miss them terribly."

"I can understand that. It was like that with me and the Mrs. for a while there. Especially when setting up this joint." Henry responded as he patted the doorframe for emphasis, "But! Yknow what really helped us back then?"

"Hm?"

"When the dust settled enough, we took a week away! Just her and I, and left Charlie with the grandparents. It really helped us, like, reassure each other that we were our biggest priorities. It's like we fell in love all over again! We still talk about it to this day!"

William felt his lips part as he listened to his friend. A week away, hm? Now that did sound intriguing. The idea of getting away from this shithole town and whisking you away somewhere private did sound nice. Somewhere nice and secluded, so it could just be you and him. No worries looming over your shoulders of being caught, or leaving some sort of trail behind. Somewhere where you didn't have to look over your shoulder, and fully be in the moment. Together.

The brit shifted his grey eyes over to the calendar at the front of his desk. Your fall break was coming up soon. Next week, to be precise. Would that be enough time to plan all of it out? Money wasn't an issue to William, not at all. But he just wondered if him and you could be away for a whole weekend without raising any eyebrows.

But, then again. College students rarely stayed around town that week. Hell, Michael would probably be even spending it a this mother's. That makes things more convenient. William could just say he needs to travel for business. And he could just get you to say that you were spending it away at distant relative's houses.

Yes, that could work.

But where would he take you? There's that national park upstate not too far away. Tucked away in the few woods that Utah had. William remembered taking his family up there once a long time ago, when Michael was still in high school. The only people there were a few other families, as well as the managers of the hotel site. And they wouldn't give a damn about anything that the two of you could possibly get up to, so long as things stay quiet and the checks cleared.

Though, if William gets you all to himself like that... it might be a bit hard to keep you quiet.

He wanted to hear just how loud his little bunny could get.

But, that could sort itself out later.

Henry was a smart man.

When William got back after next week, he'd have to thank him for the wonderful idea.

~~~

"A trip? Together? Will, don't you think that's a bit... risky?"

It wasn't until the sun had started to creep down the horizon the next day that you called. Although his talk with Henry had helped, William still missed you deeply during the time in between. His fantasies of you and the jacket that he stole could only keep him company for so long. He was just grateful that he had been home when you called, and that Michael wasn't there to ruin any more shit.

William didn't expect you to be so apprehensive about his little idea. He assumed that if he was the one that brought up something like that, you'd know that it was safe to do so. William is smart, little one. He's already thought every little detail through. Don't you trust him not to put you in any kind of danger?

He told you that you two would leave on Sunday, it being Thursday now. This would give you time to wrap up anything for school that you had outstanding, if any, and give him enough time to sort things out. The hotel reservation. Lying to everyone that he'd be on a business trip. Making sure that idiot Michael was tucked away at his mother's for the week. Plus, enough time for him to think of what the two of you would do up there, tucked away in the little corner of the woods.

Alone.

Without any prying eyes.

Oh bunny. If only you knew what he was capable of. When things were perfect like that. When things were how they should be.

"It's not risky at all, love." He responded to you, holding the phone up with his shoulder as he circled the number of the Hotel on the newspaper, "We'd be far enough away from town to where no one would recognize us. It's just a tourist destination anyway, bit run down, yeah? There'd be no one we'd know, just perhaps a few other passer-bys."

William could hear how you turned over in your bed from the other end of the phone, perhaps to prop yourself up on your elbows, "But what if someone is there? Like, how're we supposed to explain that?"

"Love, there's not going to be anyone there we know."

"Yeah, but... what if there is?"

William chuckled as he set the newspaper down, re-grabbing the phone from off his shoulder, "You worry far too much, bunny."

"Well I don't think you're worried enough, Will. This could be really dangerous for us..."

"But it won't be, (Y/N). I wouldn't have suggested it if I thought it'd be too dangerous. You know that."

You sighed, "I do, it's just..."

The brit shifted the phone to his other ear as he leaned his back against the wall, "What, love? You can tell me."

"It's just I don't wanna be, like... found out this early on. Like, what if someone really is there? And we can't see each other again because of it? And we'd have to go back home and pretend to be strangers again and it all gets, like, ruined and..."

You trailed off towards the end, but William understood what you were trying to say. Oh, sweet bunny. It's so cute you were so worried. But it wasn't anything to worry about in the first place, and perhaps you knew that deep down. You like to worry yourself silly, don't you, little one? Turns out you were far more paranoid than even William himself. Didn't that wear you out?

You need to calm down, bunny. William would never let anything stand between you and him. He loved you, and he'd fight for you until the bitter end.

"Bunny, listen to me, yeah?" The brit hummed, "Nothing is going to happen out there. I'll make sure nothing could possibly go wrong. And even if something did, it won't be anything for you to fret over, love. I'll take care of everything. I promise."

You fell silent for a few moments, but eventually let out a tiny sigh, the ruffling of your bed covers coming from the background again.

"Finneeeee." You breathed out, "But only if you're sure it'll be okay."

William felt his grin stretch across his handsome face, "I'm certain, little one. Just leave it all the me, yeah?"

"Where even is this place again? I've never heard of it before."

"It's only a few hours north of here. Kind of out in the middle of nowhere, but that just means no one will bother us with our... quality time."

The older man heard how you giggled over the phone, imagining the blush that came up on your cheeks, "Where'd you even hear of this place to begin with? You don't seem like the outdoors-y type. No offense."

"Ah, no, love, I'm not, but I used to take my kids up there every now and again. Back when we all still lived together."

"I see... Will, yknow, if you'd rather spend this week with them, I won't be offen-"

William chuckled again, "No, love, it's quite alright. Michael's too old for that sort of thing now, and the ex-wife is already taking the other two up to her mum's. Besides, I'd much rather be with you, anyway. I miss you, bunny."

"I miss you too, Will."

He let out a pleased hum, "Are you excited, love?"

"I am! I'm gonna start packing in the morning after my midterm."

"If you need any help, bunny, just give me a ring, alright?"

"I will, I will. Oh, and after we get back, just tell me how much everything was and I'll give you back half-"

William laughed again, amused by how cute you were, "Darling, please. There'll be none of that. I've got it all covered, sweet thing."

He heard you sit up in your bed, "Oh my god, no! Will, please, I can't ask you to do all that for m-"

"It's not an issue, bunny. Trust me."

"Still! That's a lot of money, and I can't just-"

The brit chuckled, "You can, love. I've got it all taken care of. Having you with me is payback enough, I promise. This isn't putting me out or anything. Just in this phone call I've made enough money to cover it two times over. Just be a good bunny for me, yeah? Let me spoil my sweet rabbit a bit. Think of this as just a little... honeymoon, of sorts. Alright?"

He could practically hear your blush from the other end, "O-Okay... Thank you, Will. Thank you very much, I... no one's ever been this kind to me before. So thank you."

"It's not a problem, little one. There's no need to thank me. This is just what you get when you're good for me, yeah? Do you understand?"

"I do."

"Good bunny. Though, if you really do want to say thank you, how about a nice kiss when I see you on Sunday, hm? Could you do that for me?"

You breathed out a smile, "Yeah, I can. Yes sir."

William let out another pleased hum, his smirk stretching even further, "Good bunny. It's getting late, little one. You should get some rest. We've got a long week ahead of us."

You ruffled around to where you were lying down again, "Yeah, you're right. Just... thank you again, Will. For everything."

"Of course, love. Anytime. Good luck on your exam tomorrow, yeah? I know you'll do fine. I'll see you Sunday, alright?"

"See ya Sunday, Will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, bunny."

~~~

"Okay, Mike. Next one. The principle of conservation of momentum is a direct consequence of Newton's third law of motion. True or False?"

"Umm... false?"

"Mike! Come on, we learned this in high school!"

Michael groaned at his own cluelessness as you laughed at him for the umpteenth time today. It was Friday morning, much too early and much too cold to be cramming for a physics midterm. Yet, here Michael was.

With you.

The moment he locked eyes with you on campus, Michael had drug you away to your usual shared study-spot. Behind the old welcome center, which gradually had turned into a dumping site for any supplies or equipment the college didn't need anymore, but didn't bother to throw out. The cinder-block building made it much colder than it already was, but it was secluded. It always let the two of you be outside but without anyone threatening the join. You and Michael were a bit awkward. Not much of talkers to outsiders.

You were in your usual spot up on the ledge of the building. It was structured in a way in which part of the corner was cut out from the main walls. Originally intended for some sort of statue or monument, the corner was left empty once people lost interest in any sort of project being placed there. But, it made a nice little human-sized cubby to sit in. Your back was against the cold brick wall, with Michael sitting opposite you with his back on the stone as well. A flurry of old assignments and your books were strewn about in the narrow space between you and him, your legs tangled together in a bit of a mess.

Though you weren't in his physics class, you knew how much Michael struggled with it. Admittedly, he was never much of a math guy. Or any kind of school guy, really. But, you were. Michael knew you were a nerd. Even though you'd never admit it, you were. He'd joke about it to you every now and again, but deep down, admired that about you. You never needed to study much for anything. Or at least, not nearly to the magnitude he needed to.

That's why he didn't feel bad making you help him last-minute cram that morning. He knew you would be fine without studying for your test. Well, it was two birds with one stone, in a way. He both desperately needed the help, and desperately needed to know what was up with you.

He hadn't spoken to you since Monday of that same week, after his father had forced him to call you. Michael felt bad about potentially worrying you then, or even just calling you at such an ungodly hour, but he had decided it was ultimately for the best. He knew his father did some shit to you.

And he had to know what that shit was.

He knew that old man would rather finally croak than spill the beans, so he had to rely on you to give him answers. Seeing as you had most likely lied to him over the phone (not that he blamed you too much, he knew how manipulative the old geezer could be), he'd have to rely on his intuition as best he could. From the cues you gave.

But, that was the problem.

Although you hadn't lied to him before, nor really hid anything from him, turns you were damn good at it.

On Monday, he hadn't been able to pick up anything from you at all. You had greeted him and hung out with him like nothing was wrong. And hell, even now, you still were. You were your same old self. Just perhaps slightly... happier? More energetic?

That should be a good thing. Michael wanted to be happy for you.

But he knew something was up. It wasn't just a coincidence. And he needed to get to the bottom of it.

For you.

"This is all bullshit, anyway!" Michael exclaimed, running his hands though his long, feathered hair, "I didn't care back then about this shit, and I still don't now!"

You dropped the stack of flash-cards down to look at your friend square in his freckled face, "Mike, if you wanna be an engineer, you're gonna have to know Newton's Laws. It's, like, the main thing."

Michael scoffed, but not annoyedly, "Look, all I'm saying is, if they were really that important, I'd already know them."

The young man heard you laugh again, "Maybe if you already knew them you'd not be failing."

"I am not failing! I actually have a C this semester, thank you very much."

"Thaaaaat's nearly failing, Mike."

"Well thank god I've got the best tutor ever then, right?"

Michael felt himself smile to match your own, watching you roll your eyes playfully as you shuffled the flash cards in your hands, "It's just one more test then we're outta here. Then you can diss Newton all you want. But for now, we need to study."

Michael's grey eyes fell to the cards, silence falling over him. Right, fall break. He had forgotten all about it. He was gonna head up to his mom's house, with Liz and Evan.

But, his father...

"Hey," he said, "I never asked you. What're you doing for break?"

You glanced up at your friend at his question, only for your eyes to fall down to your hands again, "Actually, I'm gonna go outta town."

Michael shifted in his seat, "Out of town?"

"Yeah," you responded, "My grandma invited me to her place up state. I'm gonna spend the week with her."

"Where does she live?"

"I don't remember off the top of my head. But somewhere up in the woods."

The woods...

"What're you gonna do?" You asked him, catching the young man a bit off guard.

"Oh," he said, "I'm gonna go spend time with my mum and brother and sister. Probably the whole week."

Michael watched as you smiled at him, searching for any sort of hint behind your eyes, "That sounds fun. Hope you have a good time."

"Yeah... too bad my dad won't be coming."

Michael saw you glance up again at him.

"He won't?"

"Nah. Something about a business trip."

"That's understandable, though. Gotta do what you gotta do. I'm just surprised you'd miss him. It's not like you were ever his biggest fan."

Michael scoffed again, "Yeah. Maybe it's for the best."

"Yeah... maybe."

Silence fell over the two of you again, only broken by the shuffling of paper in your hands and the cool Utah air flooding through the trees in the distance.

Shit. Had Michael fucked it up? Was he being too direct? He never really talked to you too much about his relationship with his dad. At least, not in-depth, and nothing besides the occasional venting session. He'd have to explain every little nuance to you for you to get the whole picture. Of why he felt how he felt abut his old man. And he never wanted to unpack all that onto you. It wasn't fair. It wasn't your job to take care of him.

But, still.

He needed to get to the bottom of this.

"You think so too?" He asked, tearing your gaze away from the flashcards to focus on him.

"I mean," you said, "Things turn out how they do for a reason. Maybe it's just not time for a family reunion yet."

"Yeah, you're right... It's just, I kinda miss how things were before, yknow? When my mum and dad were still together."

"I can understand that. But, ultimately, it happened for a reason. And they probably did it because it just would've been best for you and your siblings. Better than just letting it... sit and brew, right?"

"I guess... So, does your grandma, like, live in a cabin or something? Is she a witch?"

You laughed, "No, no. Not a witch. At least from what I remember. And yeah I think it's a cabin. Or at least kinda like one. She rents it out occasionally, too."

A rentable cabin...

In the woods...

"For, like, tourists?"

"Or just any passers-by."

Michael felt his lips part at your words, a small pit forming in the bottom of his stomach.

The woods. The cabin. Your trip. His dad's trip.

Oh god.

Oh fucking god.

"Umm, Mike?" the young man heard you ask, briefly snapping out of his train of thought, "Are you good?"

Michael looked to you again and threw on his best smile, running a hand through his hair, "Shit, I'm so sorry, (Y/N)! I just remembered I agreed to study with Steven this morning. Sorry, but I gotta run!"

The young man stood up and threw all his things into his backpack quicker than he ever had before. He didn't even care how all his papers were being crumpled, and the bookmarks were flying out of the pages.

You watched him with a somewhat confused expression, "Uhhh, okay? I can come with if you-"

"No, no, it's alright!" Michael exclaimed, almost too quickly, "You've already helped me more than enough, thanks. I just really gotta run."

Once all his stuff was in, Michael threw his bag over his shoulder, not even bothering to zip it up, "I'll see you after break, alright? Have a good week, (Y/N). Enjoy your grandma's."

Michael heard you call out something back to him, but he was already trudged off in the opposite direction. He didn't look back, not even once, his grey eyes fixated to the ground.

They stayed there for a good long while.

Until his legs carried him to the pay phone, his arms searched through his pockets, his fingers put in the quarter, and dialed his mother's number.

~~~

When Sunday rolled around, William had spent a fuck ton of time getting ready that morning. A lot longer than he normally did.

The brit had hardly slept the night before. He was just way too excited about what was to come after the sun had risen. An entire week away. With his precious bunny at his side. Away from this fuckhole town. Away from all the idiots that lived here. Away from his business. Away from his lonely home. Away from Michael. Away from any prying eyes that might threaten to take you away from him.

No. Come that morning, he'd be able to get away from it all. And have you close to him. Where you should always be.

He had laid out his best outfit before settling into bed the previous night. The purple sweater-vest he loved so much, with his black tie, slacks, and dress shoes. all tied together with his light-purple dress shirt underneath, accented with his silver watch and class ring from his university. Staring at himself in the mirror for what felt like hours, he had finally gotten his brown-and-grey hair to fall as perfectly as he wanted. As he would expect for himself when seeing you. You were already perfect for him. The least he could do was be the same for you.

Before William marched out the door to his car, he made sure to give himself an extra spritz of his cologne. Just to be sure that you'd be able to memorize his scent over this week. He planned by the end to either give you a piece of the clothes he had packed for you to keep, or spray his own cologne on your clothes. To give you some sort of unconscious reminder of him. For when the week was over. He was leaning towards the latter, however. Easier to slip in, and more long-lasting.

He'd think about it. He had plenty of time to decide.

The older man had already packed everything he needed long before the weekend ever came. He wanted to make sure that he didn't forget anything. This week needed to go by as perfectly as possible. He knew he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he fucked it up somehow. Sure, yes, you were his good bunny. You'd reassure him with your adorable smile that everything was okay. But it wouldn't be, bunny.

There was no room for fuck-ups this week.

None.

Even though, William was pretty sure he was about to fuck-up at any second right then.

You and him had agreed that he would be he one to drive the two of you to the hotel. More like William decided, but you didn't seem to protest too much. At least not that he could pick up on. But, with that, William knew that he'd have to help you carry your luggage. Over the phone, you didn't say as much. Not in any way that might embarrass yourself.

"It might be a little tough for me to haul my shit down the stairs." You told him over the phone, "So just be patient with me, alright?"

William smiled to himself as he recalled your little voice. Oh, bunny. His silly little bunny. There's no shame in asking William to help you, sweet thing. Wouldn't you like to see a display of his strength? See just how much he can lift without any trouble at all? Why'd you want to see that, bunny? To see how well he could throw you around during you and his playtime?

Naughty bunny. Naughty naughty bunny. Who knew your mind was so filthy?

The brit was waiting outside of your door for you to answer, the sound of the wind breaking between the trees and the gentle rumble of his car's engine filling his rosy ears. He had knocked a few minutes ago, and was trying to be as patient as possible for you to answer. William knew you were awake. If he was careful about it, he could hear you scurrying around your house in a mad dash. It was cute. And he was a patient man.

Normally speaking.

William found it hard to resist the urge to just kick down the door and scoop you up into his arms. He had missed you so fucking much in the days leading up to today. His heart ached for you. His body ached for you. Just like before, he could already feel himself starting to harden inside his trousers. Just in the excitement and anticipation of seeing you again. The heat on his cheeks was creeping down his neck, making him shudder in the cold morning air.

Fucking hell. He was glad he picked out black to wear again today. Any other color, and you would've noticed his hard-on. As much as he loved playing with his bunny, he wanted to just be sweet and loving with you today. Hold you close. Kiss those adorable cheeks. Fuck. He just wanted you near him; needed you near him. Your warmth against his was so addicting. He had gone far too long without it. The jacket he stole from you was fine, but it wasn't the same. It couldn't replicate the feeling of your chest against his. The feeling of your plush thighs overtop his own. The way your little fingers ran through his hair, and down his scars... Fuck, bunny. Fucking hell. How we wanted you to touch him again. How we wanted to touch you again. Your skin was so smooth and soft. The way his long, calloused fingers could just slide across your belly and thighs like it was nothing. The dip of your waist own to your hips, and how his hands fit so perfectly there. God fucking damn. And your cute little butt; god above how he loved it. How he could just-

Before William could fantasize any more, the door keeping him from you finally clicked open, ripping his gaze away from the trees in the distance. The older man felt his lips gently part, finally being able to drink in the sight of you again. After so long.

Even though you were awake, it looked like you hadn't been for too long. For one, you were still in your pajamas. And you hadn't even seemed to comb your hair yet. Or, if you had, whatever you were doing made it unkept again. you were smiling at him, but your adorable little eyes were still tired. He could see the faint dark circles that lingered under them, coupled with the sheen of redness from within.

He was really happy he wore black trousers that day.

"Morning, Will!" you said, your sleepiness still in your voice, "Sorry to keep you waiting, just gimme-"

Before you could finish your sentiment, William pushed himself through the door and slammed it shut behind him. You had taken a few steps back from his sudden barging-in, but he was quick to close the distance between the two of you, the surprise of it all lighting up your sleepy eyes. Snaking one of his arms around your middle, his other hand landing on your cheek, William closed the rest of the distance between you and him, capturing your sweet, soft lips into a kiss. You had let out a tiny hum of protest from his sudden movements, but quickly stopped as you eased in, reciprocating the older man's affections. As the kiss deepened, William gently was able to turn the two of you around, backing you up against the door with your shoulder blades flush against the wood.

Your hands eventually found their home on his shoulders, allowing himself to press further against you. He wasn't too sure if you could feel the hardness in his pants against your thigh or not, but he didn't fucking care. All that mattered was that you were here. You were in his arms again, after so fucking long. You hadn't gotten much better at kissing since the last time he saw you, but he didn't fucking care about that either. All that mattered was that they were your kisses. And it was him that got to kiss you.

Did you understand that, bunny?

Only he was allowed to kiss you.

Him.

And only him.

Because you were his sweet, adorable, sexy baby bunny.

You eventually had to pull away for air, but that didn't stop William's barrage of affection onto you. With no more access to your lips, the brit turned his attention to your neck, tilting his head down towards the soft flesh. He could feel how you gripped onto him tighter as he gave you quick, demanding little bites against the side of your windpipe, sucking on the skin every now and again. It wasn't until his hands started to wander under your shirt that you said anything.

"Will!" You exclaimed, a slight giggle in your voice, "Please! I missed you too, but calm down!"

The brit let out a hum against your neck, moving his hand back to your waist as he gave your collarbones a few more kisses, "I'm sorry, bunny. I just missed you... I missed you a lot."

You giggled again at him, "It's okay, I missed you too. I'm just really tired. I didn't sleep too well last night."

Tilting his head back up, William gave you a kiss to your blushy cheek before locking eyes with you again, brushing the hair away from your face.

"No?" He asked, admiring his precious bunny's adorable features. You were even cuter than the last time he saw you.

"Yeah, I was too excited. And I kept feeling like... I dunno. Like I was gonna forget something."

"I understand, love. I was in the same boat myself." He leaned down to you, pressing a quick peck against your lips, "You can sleep on the car ride if you want to, bunny. I won't mind."

"It's alright. I'm used to staying up anyway, but... thanks again, Will. For all of this. I just... No one's ever done something like this for me before. It's a little hard to believe this is, like, real."

The older man chuckled, giving you another quick kiss, "There's really no need to thank me, darling. I've already gotten all the thanks I need."

Breathing out another smile, you stood on your tip-toes to press one last kiss against his lips.

"I hate to ask you this, but..." you said, "I can't lift my suitcase enough to get it downstairs. Can you help me? Please?"

William smiled. You were just too cute.

"Of course, bunny."

"Thank you. Come on, it's upstairs in my room."

Even though he was reluctant to do so, William let you go out of his grasp, immediately feeling a lot colder without you close to him. Following behind you, he could already see how the fresh hickies he had given you were starting to form. Three bright red spots now lined the right side of your neck, marking you as his.

William couldn't help but smirk to himself.

Your house was smaller than William's was, and much more empty too. You had told him before that it was largely only you that lived there now. Your parents lived there too, but only when they were around. Which was next to never, their line of work having them over-seas a majority of the time. Even still, the house was a bit of a mess for only having one person living in it. Granted, it's not like you had to clean up if you didn't want to. You weren't trying to keep a tidy home for everyone else. While William was definitely more of a tidy person, he understood the mess. And, admittedly, found it a little comforting.

It was your mess, after all.

This feeling of comfort only magnified itself the closer you lead him to your room. The mess gradually got messier as he neared the door, and the items strewn about became progressively more personal to you. Papers turned to books. Books turned to albums. Albums turned to clothes. Clothes turned into your more... personal clothes.

Fucking Christ.

William wanted to steal some of those too.

But eventually, all of the different items eventually amalgamated into your room. Both you and him had to step over a few piles of things to get past the door, but he was the first to stop. He was positioned just a foot or so past your bedroom door, while you scurried off more towards the back of it all.

"Sorry about all the mess," you said over your shoulder, "I meant to clean up before you came, but... I slept through my alarm."

William looked down to his feet at your words, kicking over a pile of your clothes gently to investigate its contents, "It's alright, love. I've seen much worse."

"Just wait there for a sec. I need to pack a few more things first."

William took this as a cue to further his investigation into your room. Honestly, it wasn't quite what he expected. Although, he had never really given any thought into how it might've looked. But regardless, he found himself quite fond of it.

Because it was just so... you.

It had all your favorite things in it. The posters on the wall of your favorite bands. The pictures of you and your family. A few art pieces that seemed just a bit aged. All the little trinkets and knick-knacks that lined shelves full of books you liked. The clothes you liked strewn about the ground. Album covers. Old movie ticket stubs. Your schoolwork. Your sheets. Your stuffed animals. Your scent.

It was like William had stepped inside of your mind.

And he fucking loved it.

Why didn't he think of this sooner? Coming into your room? He would've been able to learn so much more about you so much quicker than he had. Instead of pestering his dumbass son, he could've just come here all along. Oh god. Oh fucking god. This was all too much. He was surrounded by you. Everywhere he looked was something to remind him of you, because everything was you. Fucking hell. It smelled just like you too. And your bed. Your fucking bed. Just inches away from him, the place where you slept at night whilst away from him. The very thing that housed all your dreams, your phone calls, your tears, your study sessions, your pleasure. Did you think of him in there, bunny? How many times has his name echoed off of those walls? How many times have you imagined him there with you? Did you picture him slipping on top of you in that bed? Did you fantasize about his hands roaming up and down your body there? Did you? Was it his lips you imagined on your flesh? His voice you wanted to whisper in your ear?

Oh it was bunny. He knew it was. Just like he had done for you, in his own bed.

William was grateful to hear your voice again from the other side of the room. He was worried he might have another accident if he hadn't been stopped.

"Like what you see?" You asked him, shoving a few last-minute things into your suitcase.

The brit cleared his throat before responding to you, "I do actually, yes."

He hard you scoff playfully, "You don't have to humor me, Will. I know you're a neat-freak."

"No, no, I do like it, bunny." He reassured you, "It's very... you."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A good thing, of course."

You chuckled, "Well I guess it makes sense. I've had the same room since the day I was born."

William felt one of his brows raise, "You've never moved?"

"Nah. This house has been in the family since, like, the 20s or something. I've never been outside of Hurricane, actually."

The older man felt his bewilderment grow, "Never?"

"Never ever. Other than a Disney trip when I was a baby, but I don't remember anything from it so it doesn't count. This trip will be my first time out of the city."

"Is that so... Well, I'm honored to be your first, bunny."

You chuckled again, "You're a lot of my firsts, Will."

William smiled to himself. Indeed he was, little bunny. Just like how it should be. You'd never need another man in your life, anyway. Not anymore, not after being his now. Isn't that all you'd ever want?

This trip was going to be good for you. He knew it would.

"Well I'm honored to be all of them."

~~~

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me."

"Oh, hey, sugar. What's up?"

"I have an update. On what's going on."

"Already? That's good, I just didn't expect somethin' so soon. Especially with him."

"Yeah, me neither, but... I think it might be worse than we thought."

"Worse how, baby?"

"Do you remember that old hotel place up state? We used to vacation to, like, before?"

"Oh God, don't tell me..."

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure they're heading there this weekend."

"I understand. I can get there before them if I leave tonight. Will you be here by then? To watch the kiddos?"

"Yeah, I will. What do you want me to tell them?"

"Just say I'm visiting their Auntie for a day or two and you're gonna watch them. I'll leave some money out on the counter for pizza, and there'll be some leftovers in the fridge. Just keep an extra eye on your brother, pumpkin. Poor thing's been having bad dreams again."

"Does he know?"

"No, I haven't told either of them. Probably won't, if I'm bein' honest."

"That's probably for the best. Just wait until they're older. I can't imagine trying to explain it to them now."

"They still love him, baby. It's better not to break their little hearts all over again."

"I know, I know, just... I wish they could know the truth. I feel like I'm lying to them."

"You're not, sugar. You're just protectin' them. They're just kids, pumpkin pie. Let 'em believe their daddy is a good man just a little bit longer."

"But he isn't. That's the thing. He's already fucked us up, now he's fucking my best friend up."

"I know, sweetie, I know. But we'll get it all fixed up, I promise you. Save 'em before it's too late 'n all."

"Yeah... yeah, you're right, I just... I'm sorry. I'm just worried."

"I know you are, I am too. But worryin' isn't gonna solve anythin'. Not right now. I'll be up there before sunrise tomorrow. I'll take care of it, sugar. Just try and enjoy your break in the meantime."

"Are you going to need any help? I can bring Liz and Ev up to Grandma's for a little."

"I don't think so. The restrainin' order should scare him off enough, but I'm gonna wait until I can get your little friend alone just to be sure."

"Okay... only if you're sure."

"Positive, baby. Don't you be worryin' about me, now. This ain't my first rodeo with him."

"Heh, yeah... You're right. As usual."

"Should I mention you when the time comes?"

"If you want. (Y/N)'s gonna figure it out quickly, anyway, so..."

"Okay."

"Thank you again. For all of this, I... I don't know what I'd do without you. I can't win against him."

"It's no trouble at all, sugar. Anything to keep it from happenin' again."

"Yeah..."

"Good luck on your test, baby. I gotta go start packin' now, okay? I love you, Mikey. Everything's gonna be fine."

"I love you too, mum. Thanks."

~~~

tags: @guinea-pig16 @the-official-memester @randomwriteralan @mrsrogerwaters @lalyaaftonshit @cherry-slushee @insert-memical-username @mrssafton @horrorking2000 @artist-anon08 @tuttifuckinfruttifriday @jamiethenerdymonster @kimyona-san @purplewolfcoffee @violetlmfaoo @reapersimps @wawuwe @lovinglenore @zoey5252

apologies to any blogs tumblr wont let me tag!! also if i forgot to add you please let me know!!

#william afton x you #william afton smut #william afton x reader #william afton #dave miller x reader #fnaf x y/n #fnaf x you #fnaf x reader #fnaf smut

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hello again! First I just want to say a big thank you to you and @virginiaisforvampires and @cbrownjc for answering my really long DM ask awhile ago! <3

I’m again going to presume that during the first four episodes Daniel will keep having flashbacks causing him to realise that there is more to the fallout of the 70’s interview than he might at first suspect. He will probably remember Armand’s ‘Gentleman Death’ speech, which might cause him to fear Armand. Resulting in the new character telling him he should fear ‘the other one’ (presumably Louis) instead.

I’m really curious about the, “You fear Armand. You should fear the other one”, does this character know of Armand’s concern and/or history with Daniel? Might one assume that the character knows about Louis attacking Daniel, and possibly is more acutely aware (than Daniel) of the destructive nature Louis actually carries fairly close to the surface (Paris fallout comes to mind). So the words could simply be a warning to Daniel, who possibly at this point is quite relaxed with Louis but nervous of Armand. If this new character is basically a ‘body-snatcher’ looking to gain access to an immortal vampiric body - are they playing the long-con by befriending Daniel to gain access? Could I be on to something here? I agree and remember that Louis and Daniel will team up during this season, so I’m assuming Louis won’t attack him again - but is there anything that Daniel should fear during this season? Is there a threat?

I saw the interview, talking about next season but I’m not as optimistic as some that the relationship/romance referred to was meant to be DM/Daniel’s and Armand’s. In context of the whole interview it sounds more like it’s talking about Louis’ and Armand’s relationship. If DM stuff is revealed or takes place in Dubai I’m pretty sure it’s a secret that they wouldn’t talk about in interviews. I mean - it’s a pretty great twist, and it makes so much sense to me that a lot of the writers apparently are stage writers. Love it! I really want to see DM take place and the memory-erased dynamic play out that the TV series has set up, but I am worried that I’m getting carried away and what we get might be much more minimal - and that fans will hype and then get disappointed.

The idea of Armand and Daniel bickering/fighting during the interviews for the season to then end up revealing to Daniel that *surprise* this guy who has been annoying you, has revealed himself to sure be romantic but also scary controlling and is someone you’ve rightly started to fear is the love of your life - is pretty darkly comic in the best of ways! I would freaking love it. What do you think? I’m pretty much all in for f*cked up relationship dynamics, since the characters are all fun and interesting. I’m very invested in Louis’ and Armand’s romance too, looking forward to it playing out and I like hearing that the show decided to be more romantic with it! Freaking love all the actors - and I’m so happy to watch a TV series which is actually creative and compelling!

Is there anything related to DM you would wish to see play out this season? Sorry for long ask again! Less questions this time at least haha (sorry!). Again, love visiting your blog and reading all the speculation! Thank you!

:) Hey!

Yes, the "you should fear the other one" IS incredible interesting.

I mean, there is this canon passivity to Louis, a passivity that is almost a chosen trait, because when he snaps... he snaps. (I still hope we will get the "passivity speech" in s2, I think it is such an important one, and Jacob would just rule).

But... trailers are meant to entice, to hint, but also to misdirect. Sam said in the q&a video that there would be other vampires in s2 as well. I... I am not 100% convinced that comment in the restaurant was wrt Louis.

That does not mean that Louis is not to be feared!! I just... this could be a red herring. Who knows, maybe it has to do with the twist.

(What if (speculating!!) Daniel then turns to whoever Justin Kirk is there and goes: "what other?" Why is that "other" vampire not named? Why does the Justin Kirk character know Armand at all? Why does he know about the vampires in that apartment??? (And yes, he could be already be so interested in it all because the idea for the body theft is forming!) Why does he know Daniel might be in danger from that other vampire? You know?^^)

So. It could be Louis' carefully hidden destructive tendencies. Maybe. (Which, btw, Armand used skillfully in Paris, I mean, he literally orchestrated it all for Louis to destroy the coven, a win-win situation for him, lol.)

But I'm not convinced that is what Daniel should fear. Would fear. If modern day Daniel fears anything, then I think that has to do with something he remembers. The cage comes to mind, for example. The hunt.

Rolin's latest comment re Dubai does come to mind... as much as I think that Louis and Armand do actively love each other (including physically and I really hope they enjoy(ed) themselves!), but... I cannot see Louis go and have "fun" in interview-time-Dubai. I mean, the interview is happening over a few days real-time. Can you see Louis, the Louis growing more and more upset, depressed and crying and wanting to remember feel like having sex? For example? I think we might see Loumand sex scenes in the past, but in Dubai??? I'm... not sure.

And so... that leaves us with Devil's Minion. I'm not sure how much of the past of it will be revealed, but... I think there's a higher chance for sexy times in Dubai for them than for Loumand. For setup reasons 🤷🏽‍♀️

I also think that the relationship dynamics will be as messed up as they can possibly make them. While I expect Loumand to be extremely tender (I believe Assad called it that), I do think that Jacob's comment that Louis's time at the "murder mansion" was "one of the happy times" for Louis and that statement of "same shit, different vampire" needs to be factored in as well. We're talking about Armand after all :) Given the show likes to put its fingers into wounds I believe that will be a creeping realization... a slow, uncomfortable feeling (in contrast to the more open problematic things Loustat displayed). There is a "controlled" aspect to Loumand, because it was orchestrated (in Paris).

Devil's Minion... DM is about obsession, and almost helpless love. There will be tenderness as well, but also very high, messy emotions. It's not planned, it's not exactly healthy either, it's not (yet) with a happy ending.

As per what I would like to see in it...

I'm not sure. I want them to go full-in, in whatever aspects they choose to give us this season. The cage I would love to see, also as an echo to Lestat being tortured, maybe.

This season is about painful, uncomfortable realizations and repercussions of previous actions.

That goes for them all - and so what I hope for is what we'll get I bet :)) (At least nothing of the trailers, interviews or BTS pix has given me reason to believe otherwise^^)

Hannah Moscovitch said this season would destroy us, and I believe her... and I want that, badly :)))

#Anonymous #asks #ask nalyra #amc iwtv #iwtv #amc interview with the vampire #interview with the vampire amc #iwtv amc #iwtv 2022 #interview with the vampire #louis de pointe du lac #armand #loumand #the devil's minion #daniel molloy #devil's minion

[eddiemunsons80sbaby]

Today was a Fairytale

Pairing: PrinceJosephQuinnxReader

Summary: The King and Queen have a ball to find a bride for their son. Prince Joseph is not amused because he is beyond bored of all the royal ladies and their ridiculous natures. He has been refusing marriage for far too long. So, they agree to open it up to any eligible maiden in the kingdom. You receive an invitation and have no desire to go but the punishment for not going is far too harsh and you like your neck too much. Little do you know, but going to the ball will be the best decision you ever made.

18+ ONLY Minors Go Away

Word Count: 7.1K

“Joseph, this is not an option,” his mother chastised, striding across the room, her face set, letting him know she was not amused by him. Of course, she rarely was amused by him. “You are the Prince. One day you will rule this kingdom and it will be expected for you to have a bride, a queen, so that you may produce heirs. This ball is not a choice. It is your responsibility as our son.”

Joseph slunk down into his seat, arms folded over his chest, full lips in his famous pout. It was a running joke in the castle that his face was simply stuck that way as he was often unhappy. This castle, this life, everything about it, annoyed the hell out of him. 

“But mum,” he whined, a man far too old to do so, “balls are so ridiculous. I don’t want to get dressed up. And I don’t want to get married. The royal girls are so boring. All they want to do is sit, look pretty, and talk about nonsense. It’s bloody awful and I’ve already met them all. Remember Princess Elena that visited last month? I wanted to rip my bloody ears off just to get her to stop talking about her damn poodles.”

His mom’s long manicured nail came to her mouth as she thought about his words. Joseph straightened optimistically, thinking perhaps he’d gotten through. Perhaps his mother had actually listened to him for once. Perhaps she wouldn’t force him to marry some boorish girl that would make him miserable for the rest of his days. 

“Well, if you’ve already met the royal girls, then perhaps it’s time we opened up the pool a bit.”

“Excuse me?”

“Perhaps we don’t just invite royal girls. Perhaps we invite the entire kingdom. Every eligible young lady can attend the ball. Maybe then my stubborn son would be able to find a bride that is up to his ridiculously high standards.”

Joseph snorted, “As if father would ever approve of me marrying a commoner.”

“You let me deal with your father. I have my ways of persuading him.”

She smirked and Joseph felt his stomach turn over. He made an obnoxiously loud gagging noise, leaning forward in his seat. 

“Jesus, mother. Was that really necessary?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake. How do you suppose you came to be? Don’t be such a prude Joseph. How will you ever provide heirs if you’re going to be so sensitive to the very subject of sexual intercourse?”

“My god, mother! Please stop!” He leapt to his feet, covering his ears. “I am not sensitive to the subject. I know about it quite well, actually. I am just sensitive to the idea of my parents and that subject.”

His mother rolled her eyes, “We are humans, you know, and not so old as to not be…”

“Enough!” he pleaded. “I am begging you.”

“Fine,” she laughed, shaking her head. “I will go speak to your father. You are going to find a suitable wife at this ball if it’s the last thing I do. You are getting far too old to be a bachelor anymore. People are talking, you know? You think I don’t know about your trysts with the maid or the lovely young girl who sells goat cheese in town or my handmaiden?”

Joseph’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment. He’d thought he’d been discreet but clearly not discreet enough if word of his sexual relationships was reaching his mother’s ears. It’s not that he wanted to have casual flings but he’d yet to find anyone who interested him beyond what they provided carnally. Most girls simply wanted him because of his status. They wanted a shot at being the queen one day. None of them actually cared to get to know him in the slightest. 

“Mother, I…”

“Joseph,” she warned, holding up a hand to him. “I am aware you are a young, virile male. I know all about urges but this kind of nonsense must stop. We cannot have the prince become a laughing stock of the town. The people will lose all faith in your ability to rule. The simple answer is to see you properly married. It will show that you have grown up, matured, that you are responsible and ready to take on the demands of running a kingdom.”

“I don’t see how being a husband has anything to do with running a kingdom. I do not require a wife to do my duties as King.”

“You do require a wife to produce an heir, which is one of the most pressing demands of a ruler. It leaves the kingdom open to hostility, war, and treachery when there is no clear lineage. Every kingdom within one hundred miles will be ready to lay siege to us. That is enough to leave the people nervous and understandably so. So, we will have a ball and you will find a wife and you will do your duty as next in line for the throne.”

“But…”

“Joseph Anthony Francis Quinn,” she hissed, letting him know with those four words, his full name, that this conversation was closed.

“Yes mother,” he muttered, shoulder slumping forward in defeat. 

____________________________________________________________

A soft breeze lifted your hair as you knelt in the dirt, working to pull a particularly stubborn weed that was fighting back with all it had. Beads of sweat dripped down your face, a salty tang coating your tongue as they slipped off your nose, down your cupid’s bow, and along your lips. Pulling with as much force as you could muster, you fell back, the weed coming with you. 

A small oof fell from your lips as the drop but you smiled, victorious. Finally, the last weed was pulled. Your chores were finished for the day. You were looking forward to washing the dirt and grime from your body, curling up with a good book and a nice, cold glass of lemonade. Anything to ward against this heatwave, summer not wanting to let go of its hold, refusing to allow fall to take over. 

“Hello there!” called a voice from behind you and you turned to see a courier strolling up the stone path toward your small, run-down cottage. 

“Hello,” you replied, placing your hands on the ground, pushing yourself up to stand. The back of your hand swiped across your forehead, removing the sweat but leaving behind streaks of dirt. 

The courier gave a cringey smile as he held out a piece of parchment, rolled up and tied with a bright blue ribbon. You wiped your hands down the front of your dress in an attempt to remove as much dirt as possible before accepting it. 

“What is this?” you inquired as you never received mail, let alone official papers delivered by a royal courier. 

“It is an invitation, madam,” he replied. “All eligible ladies are being summoned to attend the Royal Ball in two days' time. Prince Joseph is searching for his future queen.”

Little frown lines created divots in the skin between your eyebrows. You untied the silky ribbon, rolling the paper out. Sure enough, in lovely flowing writing it said:

The Court of King and Queen Quinn

Summon you to attend a Royal Ball

In honor of the son, Prince Joseph

The 18th day of October at 7 in the evening

Your eyes tracked the words before returning suspiciously to the well-dressed man standing in front of you. Why would you be invited to a ball at the palace? Why would ever be considered to be queen? You were nobody, the sad orphan who no one had wanted, the town exile, living in the woods in a dilapidated cottage you’d found and made your shelter, away from the bustle of the village. 

“Pardon me, sir, but this must be some mistake. I am not royalty. I am not fit to be on the arm of a prince, surely.”

“No mistake, madam. The King and Queen have decided to invite all ladies of the right age who are not married. It appears our prince can be rather fickle and has yet to find a lady of royal status suitable. They are quite keen for him to find a wife so it seems they have…lowered their standards a bit.”

He sneered down at you, his nose wrinkling as if he smelled something offensive. Which, he probably did, as you had spent much of the day in the heat of the sun, working hard. Something this man probably didn’t understand as his only job was to ferry paperwork from the palace. You stood tell, refusing to quaver under his stare, quite used to being looked down upon by others. 

When you started your life being discarded at an orphanage, you were looked at as garbage. The villagers smirked and sniggered behind your back but you could hear all the vile things they said. That your mother must have been a whore. That you were worthless, bad, evil. Because if your own mother didn’t want you then something must be wrong with you. 

After years of putting up with abuse at the orphanage: starved, beaten, berated, you’d had enough. The moment you’d come of age, you ran and never looked back. Finding this little cottage had been a godsend. Maybe it was a mess. Maybe it needed a lot of work but it kept you away, never having to be looked at that way again. 

You raised chickens and planted fruits and vegetables. You learned how to can your produce to make it last you through the winter. You never had any reason to step into that horrible place where everyone thought you were dirt on the bottom of their shoe and you had no intention of starting now, summoned or not. 

“While I appreciate the invitation, I shall be declining,” you stated, making to hand the parchment back but the courier held up his hand, stepping back.

“I am afraid that is not an option,” he stated, shaking his head. “The King and Queen were very clear. Every maiden is required to attend. If you do not, you will be arrested for treason.”

“Treason!?” you exclaimed angrily. “For not attending a fancy dance?”

“You would be betraying your King and Queen, your prince, and your kingdom by not attending.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Be that as it may, I would strongly suggest that you reconsider. Unless you desire to end your life on the hangman’s noose.”

Your stomach turned over. You’d seen enough hangings in your life to know that was not how you wanted to go out. The poor people whose necks didn’t break upon impact were the worst, legs flailing as their eyes bulged out of their heads, slowly choking to death. It appeared you had no choice. Dance or die.

____________________________________________________________

Sitting on his ornate throne, one knee crooked, foot propped in front of him, Joseph watched the bevy of dancers as they twirled around the ballroom. He was bored stiff. This was precisely the kind of thing that he despised about his position. What good was it to be royalty if he had to do things he hated? Shouldn’t he be allowed to say no to anything he wanted? Shouldn’t he be allowed to spend his days however he wished.

Sometimes he envied the commoners with their simple lives. They could come and go as they pleased, no official guard following them around, ensuring they weren’t doing anything that could ruin their reputation. 

A satisfied smile crossed his lips as he remembered the amount of times he’d managed to evade their watchful eyes. Yeah, the young girl who sold goat cheese, with her flaxen hair and ocean blue eyes, had been quite fun. At least for a short time until she got needy and clingy, chasing after his carriage every time it rolled through the village, convinced that he was in love with her.

Joseph had never loved anyone. He had fun, as most young men do. He’d enjoyed the women he’d been with. He may even have cared about a few but he’d never loved any of them. They were either dull as dishwater or they were only vying for one thing. The throne. His position made it quite difficult to find someone who actually wanted him, wanted to know the man that was underneath that golden wreath that circled his head. 

“Darling, there is no point in this ball if you are not going to ask at least one of these maidens to dance,” his mother grumbled from his left. 

Joseph whined, his head thumping against the back of the ridiculously high throne. “I didn’t want to have this ball to begin with so why do I have to participate?”

“Because it is your duty as future ruler,” his father seethed, managing to convey all the disgust he had in his son and his immature behavior while keeping a smile on his face. Must keep up appearances for the people. “You will go socialize, ask ladies to dance, smile…and you will finish this night choosing a queen.”

Joseph sighed, eyes roaming over his options. Every lady here had been presented to him. They’d given him their best smile, curtsied, batted their eyelashes. Anything to try to show him that they were the one he was looking for but none of them were. 

He rose from his seat, rolling his eyes when all eyes turned hopefully towards him. A sea of women all desperate to be the one he would approach. Which one of them would be the least vile? He’d just settled on a lovely brunette in a blue dress when the massive double doors opened and every other thought floated out of his head.

___________________________________________________________

You entered the ballroom, overwhelmed by the sheer opulence of your surroundings. It was a space of pure elegance and grandeur, a setting fit for the royalty that sat at the front, looking down on the commoners from their high thrones. It was not a space that you belonged in, standing in your dress you’d managed to piece together from some emerald velvet curtains that you’d found in a closet. 

It was a scene of beauty and money, your stomach knotting uncomfortably as you thought of the hundreds of people who went hungry, working themselves to the bone, just to survive while this existed. The walls were lined with tapestries and rich fabrics, the chandeliers above filling the space with a magical glow. The marble floor shone bright white. Everything was just as you’d imagined when you read those fairy tales as a child, wishing for an escape from the misery that was your life. 

Couples twirled around the floor in dresses and suits that were masterpieces. Jewels adorned throats and wrists, a dazzling display, twinkling like stars every time the light hit them just so. The food laid out on a table as long as the room was a banquet worthy of royalty, only serving to remind you how so many went hungry while those in the palace gorged themselves and wasted precious resources as if they were nothing. 

It was a place that existed outside of space and time, everything perfect and timeless. It was an absolute dream, a glimpse into a paradise that you would never know. You would enjoy the evening, fill up on delicious food, perhaps even partake in a dance or two if a gentleman asked. But then you would retire, back to your dilapidated cottage, your rags, and your solitude.

“Pardon me.”

Blinking in surprise at being addressed, you turned your head to find the most delicious chocolate brown eyes gazing into yours. Your eyes trailed over him, from the soft curls that adorned his head, the full lips that were curved into the slightest smile, the hand that was turned up in invitation. Standing in front of you was the most beautiful man you had ever laid eyes on. Not that it was saying much as you hadn’t laid eyes on many people at all in the last five years. Not since you fled the orphanage and hid among the trees. 

“I was wondering if I might have this dance?” he inquired, his voice like a gentle sigh, a calming presence in a stormy world, a warm cup of tea on a winter’s night. 

You spotted the circlet of gold that rested atop those luscious locks and paused. This had to be Prince Joseph, the guest of honor, the man who was looking for a wife tonight. Your eyes moved around the ballroom, taking in the bevy of ladies, their eyes turned to you, hatred and seething jealousy pouring from them. Why was he asking you? There were so many beautiful girls to choose from. Surely, you couldn’t be the one he would choose to share a dance with?

“Me?” you asked, hand flitting to your chest. 

Full lips pursed into a deliciously sinful little smirk, “You are the one I am asking, are you not?”

“But why?”

“I am the prince. Do I need a reason?” he questioned, head tilting just slightly, eyes lighting up like the sky at sunrise. 

“No, I suppose you do not. Forgive me, your majesty,” you stammered softly, eyes dropping to your feet. He was the prince. Of course he didn’t need a reason and denying him could also mean the noose for you. 

Two fingers pressed under your chin, lifting your eyes to his, “No need for apologies. Just a dance.”

You swallowed down the anxiety that clogged your throat as one of his hands wrapped around yours, the other curling around your waist. With a slight tug, your bodies were nestled together, so close that you could feel his heartbeat pounding rhythmically against your own breast. 

The musicians began playing a waltz, filled with grace, a melody of joy and pleasure. You stiffened in Joseph’s arms because you had never danced before and the others around you made it look so easy, flowing along with the strains of music. He noticed. Those eyes, the depths of which were pulling you under, crinkled in the corners in amusement.

“Is something wrong?”

“I…you see, I…” you stammered, nervous to admit to the prince that you had no idea how to dance. “I have never danced before.”

“Is that all? No worries, love. Just follow my lead. I’ve got you.”

And he did, your feet barely touching the floor, feeling as if you were floating on a cloud, the two of you appearing in perfect harmony. It couldn’t be further from the truth as you hadn’t the foggiest idea what you were doing, simply holding onto his hand and allowing him to guide you. His hand on your waist moved you easily and it felt as if the whole world stood still, a scene from a storybook. 

You knew you should take in this moment, the elegance of the palace, the beauty of the movement of the dancers, the melodies and rhythm of the music. But you couldn’t. The only thing you were taking in was the man in front of you. His face was a poem that you wished to memorize and hold close to your heart every day as you resided alone in your cottage. His hands warming your skin, like the touch of sunlight on a cold winter’s day. His voice, a soothing lullaby you wished to hear every night as you slipped into slumber. 

You danced, song after song playing, but you couldn’t have said how many there were, so lost in this moment, this beautiful man. You couldn’t even hear the notes as you brain was flooded with only him. He never released you, never moved to dance with anyone else, keeping a hold on you as if you were the most precious thing in his world. 

You knew it wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. You were nobody, an outcast, a blight, the shame of your mother who had looked upon your face and found it impossible to love you. He was a prince, the future king, royalty. Why would he ever settle for you when he could have a princess? A maiden who wore beautiful clothes and perfect skin because they never had to toil a day in the sunlight. You could not understand why he was choosing to spend his time with you but you knew it was temporary, fleeting, a moment to savor because it would never come again. 

The last notes of the song played and Joseph stepped back from you. You inhaled sharply, assuming this was the end of your time with him. You should be grateful you had any at all but instead were left with a feeling of melancholy that this was all you had. A few songs, a few dances, a few stolen moments of his time. 

“Come with me,” he urged, pulling on your hand. 

“Where?” you asked in surprise.

“Does it matter?” Joseph’s eyes twinkled mischievously. 

No. It did not. You would follow him into the very fires of hell if it meant even one more minute of his time. Nodding your assent, you allowed him to lead you through the throngs of dancers, not missing the harsh glares you received from the females. They were clearly angry that you were monopolizing his time, reducing their chances of being chosen to be the next queen. And perhaps it was selfish because it would never be you.

The two of you raced down hallways, your eyes barely able to take in the magnificence that surrounded you as he hurried you away from the festivities. The marble, bronze, and glass blurred past you until he stopped before two massive doors with large, golden handles. Releasing your hand, he grabbed onto both, shoving them open. 

You gasped, booths hand clutching your chest, as you took in the sanctuary of knowledge. The walls were lined with shelves of books. Moonlight filtered through the windows, illuminating the books that adorned them, spilling across the rich woodwork. The fragrance of leather and old paper filled your nostrils and with it, filling your soul with a sense of peace. You had stepped into a world of beauty and history. To have access to this many books would be an absolute dream.

Books were your magical escape from reality, the only one you had. When you could get your hands on a book, and it wasn’t often, your only means was the one friend you had in the village, the librarian who would deliver you two at a time, you would dive in. You would escape into the pages of another world, the dismal and dreary landscape of your life fading into the background for as long as there were pages left. 

“This is…”

“Isn’t it?” Joseph asked, whirling around, arms spread as wide as the smile on his face. “This is the one space in the castle where I can find solitude, where I can pretend, for just a little while, that I am not the prince. I am not responsible to anyone. No one’s opinions of me matter. I don’t need to put on airs or pretend to be something I’m not. I can find something real, something tangible, in these pages.”

Your head tilted as you took in his words. How ludicrous that the two of you, who could not be more different, who came from entirely different worlds, used the pages of a book for the same thing. You both looked for a distraction from your lives but for very different reasons. You tired of the loneliness while he tired of being surrounded by people. You were exhausted from your uneventful life while he was exhausted from the endless events he must attend. But both of you were trying to escape other’s opinions, their views on who you were and who you should be simply because of who you were born to.

And wasn’t that what it all came down to? The only reason you lived in the woods, in poverty, in a cottage that was barely standing and he resides in a great palace was because of who your parents were. He’d done nothing to deserve any of this magnificence and you’d done nothing to deserve the humble life you led. It simply was because that was how society deemed it to be.

Anger trickled up your spine as you really thought about the situation. Here was this man who had everything. He’d never gone hungry. He’s probably used the word starving multiple times over the course of his life without having any understanding of what that word meant. He’d never wrapped himself in whatever threadbare linens he could find to fight back the bitter cold of winter. He’d never been beaten or spit on or called vile names because of something he’d had absolutely no control over. Yet, here he was complaining about his life.

Your fingers trailed over the spines of the books as you strolled along, observing him, “I cannot imagine your life to be so awful that you need to escape. Look at everything you have.”

“Ahh, yes. I am sure I sound like some pompous, spoiled, little brat complaining about my glorious life,” he sighed with a dramatic flourish of his hands. “But this? This is a prison, my darling. A prison intricately disguised as a palace. Do you know what I would give to have the freedoms that you have?”

“Freedom?” you snorted with derision, shaking your head. “If by freedom you mean living in squalor with no running water or electricity. Growing my own food in the hopes to have enough to make it through the winter. Freezing because I happened to find shelter in an abandoned cottage with no heat where the wind comes right through the windows in their rotting frames. Yes, freedom to hide out and never show my face in the village because I can’t bear to see the dirty looks and hear the vile remarks one more time.”

Joseph moved toward you, three long strides and he was right in front of you. So close that you could see the way the light glimmered in those chocolate eyes. Two full lips pursed with interest at your statement and you could have kicked yourself for allowing him to cause you to reveal more than you wished. This could have been one beautiful night where you were some mystery girl but instead you’d allowed your emotions to get the better of you and ruined it. 

His hand, skin so soft because the man had never known a day of hard work in his life cradled the side of your face. His thumb brushed over your lower lip, tracing it slowly, and a shiver raced along your spine at the simple contact. Your eyes fluttered closed, an incessant pulsing between your thighs, your body wanting more. 

“Tell me, what vile things could anyone have to say about such a beautiful creature?” he whispered, warm breath caressing the shell of your ear. 

“I…I…I was left on the doorstep of the orphanage as a child,” you rasped, struggling against the pull of him. So close you could reach out, pull him to you, and find out exactly what those luscious lips tasted like. “I was…mistreated, which is putting it nicely, my entire life until I turned eighteen and I could escape. The villagers say I am a bastard, unwanted, unloved. They say something must be wrong with me if my own mother couldn’t stand the sight of me. I was never going to be anything but trash in their eyes so I fled.”

“Fled where?” Joseph’s words fanned over your lips, the scent of mint and champagne invading your head. His hand slid down, resting against the side of your neck, warm and comforting as he stepped forward, pressing you back against the bookshelves.

You were horrified when a small whimper passed your own lips, “The woods. I found…I found a cottage, abandoned, in the woods. That’s where I live.”

“A cottage in the woods?” mused Joseph, tilting his head, the tip of his nose bumping against yours. “That sounds secluded, private, and absolutely wonderful.”

“If you don’t mind freezing and having to bathe in the lake, then sure.”

“Mmm…are you often nude in the lake?” he asked, eyes moving along the length of your body.

“When I need to wash, yes,” you replied with a small laugh. “It is out of necessity and let me tell you, you wouldn’t want to smell me when the lake freezes over.”

Joseph inhaled, nose moving through your hair, “I rather think you smell divine.”

“It’s summer and one has to be presentable when attending an event at the palace,” you stammered, hands pressing into the leather spines of the books behind you. 

“My darling, you smell more than presentable.” His words a rumble through his chest that you could feel against your own, his body pressed against you, pinning you between him and the books. “You smell delicious enough to eat.”

“I…this…pardon, my prince, but this is inappropriate, is it not? You are meant to be married and I…”

But you were what? You were not a virtuous woman and certainly no virgin. Your loneliness and desperation to matter to someone, anyone, had led you to make more mistakes than you cared to admit. Clandestine encounters with men who wanted the thrill of having the outcast, the unwanted, but didn’t want anyone to know. Dashing out after, leaving you feeling empty and alone, disgusted with yourself for being so desperate for an ounce of affection that you allowed yourself to be used.

“If you are going to be my betrothed, what would be inappropriate about it?” Joseph challenged, the backs of his fingers running over your cheek, lips featherlight over your jaw. 

“Betrothed? You can’t mean…”

“Oh, I very much do.” Those fingers followed the column of your throat, over your collarbone, stopping just above the neckline of your dress. “I have met more ladies than I care to count and you are, by far, the most interesting one.”

“But I…I’m just…I’m nobody. I’m not fit for a palace. I am no princess. I am just…”

“Just fascinating? Just courageous? Just fearless? Just resourceful? Just captivating? Just the absolutely most beautiful woman I have ever seen?”

“My prince…”

“Joseph, love. Just Joseph, please.” His thumb settled on her bottom lip, pulling it down gently. “I need to hear my name coming from this pretty mouth.”

“Joseph…” you breathed, relishing in the feel of those two syllables on your tongue, in the way his lips curved into a smile, his forehead pressing against yours. 

“My name is a song when you say it.” Fingers on the straps of your dress, grasping the thin material, slowly dragging it down off your shoulders. “I want to make you say it again and again.”

You knew you should stop him. His words were pretty but you’d heard pretty words before. Words were easy. Men threw them around as if they meant nothing, as if they didn’t burrow deep into your soul, leaving you with hope that this moment actually meant something only to be burned when it didn’t. 

But when his lips pressed against your shoulder, taking their time to savor each and every inch of skin while his fingers pulled on the thick fabric, slowly exposing more. Your fingers curled, finding nothing to hold onto, lost in the feel of that mouth on your flesh. When his lips latched around your nipple, you keened, back arching, hand grabbing onto the back of his head. 

Those curls were just as soft as they looked. Your fingers slid through them, holding him against you as heat pooled in your center. Maybe they were just pretty words but he was writing sonnets on your flesh with his lips and suddenly it didn’t matter if he meant a single word or not. You were desperate for more, for there to be no barrier between the two of you.

You grabbed onto the lapel of his burgundy velvet jacket, pulling it down off his arms. He rose up, large hands grabbing onto your face and finally his lips collided with yours. They were just as delectable as you’d imagine. 

Your fingers deftly unbuttoned his white collared shirt, pushing it over his shoulders and onto the floor. And then your hands were on him, exploring every inch of his chest and stomach, moaning softly when your fingers brushed over the soft trail of hair that led into his black slacks. 

Joseph’s hands were on your thighs, lifting, dragging you up his body until your legs were wrapped around his waist, your arms locked around his neck. Fingers pressed into your skin as they moved around to grip your ass. 

Dragging your lips from his, you kissed along his jaw, enjoying the way the soft scruff there tickled your chin. When you flattened your tongue, pulling it up the side of his throat, your center ached with need at the groan it drew out of him. Confidence filling you, you latched onto the tender skin there, sucking gently. 

“Bloody hell, love,” he rasped. 

Then you were slipping down his body and he was yanking the rest of your dress off impatiently. Suddenly needing nothing to keep you from feeling him, every part of him, completely, you hurriedly undid his pants. You pushed them down as he shook one leg and then the other before stepping out of them. 

And then time stopped, the rush over, as you both stood there, taking in the sight of each other’s bodies. You sucked in a breath, your eyes roaming over every inch. He was the most beautiful man you had ever seen. 

“My god, you are goddamn exquisite,” Joseph growled, stepping into you, fingers tangling in your hair as he walked backward until he hit a chaise lounge. 

He sat down, lifting both hands, beckoning you forward with his fingers. But when you went to move he shook his head, twirling his finger to indicate that you should turn around. You obeyed, his fingers digging into your hips as he guided you backward. You spread your legs, hovering over him before slowly lowering yourself. 

Joseph held his cock and you covered him, sucking in air as each inch of him filled you until he was nestled within you, his balls pressing against your ass. You heard him hiss from behind you as you both stilled, relishing the feel of your warmth surrounding him, him stretching you completely.

“You feel like bloody heaven,” he murmured, lips pressing against your shoulder, hands cupping your breasts, thumbs dragging over your nipples. 

“Joseph,” you whimpered, hips rocking forward and backward. 

“Yes darling, say my name,” he urged, one hand moving between your breasts, along your stomach, and down between your legs. 

“Joseph,” you groaned, collapsing back against him. 

“Yes. Again.”

“Joseph…Joseph…oh my god, Joseph…”

His fingers worked your clit, tremors of pleasure shaking your body. Your hands wrapped around his arms as you rolled your hips over him, each forward movement sending him deeper within you. Gasps fell from your mouth as the pleasure built up within you, a pressure cooker ready to burst. 

“Come for me, love. Come for me and scream my name.”

“Scream…but…people…I…”

“Let them hear,” Joseph growled against your ear, his tongue darting out to trace the shell. “Then everyone will know that I have chosen. Consider it our royal announcement of our engagement. I have claimed you. You’re mine.”

He kept saying that but would he feel the same once the fog of passion had dissipated? Once he’d gotten a taste, would he want it again or would he desire to try another flavor? If you screamed and everyone heard, you could only imagine the things they would say. You would forever cement your place as the village trash.

But damn if he didn’t feel good. Those fingers played you like the cellist played the waltz earlier, expertly, without missing a beat. Your hips circled him and you cried out, back arching as he hit a space within you that you didn’t even know existed, a space that sent not just shockwaves but full on earthquakes knocking down any sense of reserve that you had. 

“Joseph…oh…shit…oh my god…Joseph!” you screamed, losing all control as an orgasm with the power of the big bang itself shook you to your very core. Your entire body shook, sounds releasing from within you that didn’t seem human.

“Yes darling. That’s it. Come all over my cock. Fuck,” he groaned, taking over, hands gripping your hips as he thrust up into you. “Jesus Christ, you feel so perfect. You are so…fuck!”

His release painted your walls as he held you tightly against him, his cock pulsing within you. Your nails dig into his thighs as your own trembled, slowly coming down. Your body melted into his, oozing like spilled ice cream into the cracks of a sidewalk on a hot summer day. 

“Mmm…” he murmured against your ear, planting kisses to your cheek and jaw as his hands trailed lazily up your stomach, over your breasts, one moving to grip your chin and tilt your face back toward his. His lips captured yours in a sweet, gentle kiss, so opposite from the passion fueled one from earlier but still just as delicious. 

You smiled lazily, “So, does that engagement talk usually get girls to agree to go to bed with you?”

“What do you mean talk?”

“You know,” you laughed, trying to act as if it didn’t matter, as if in the short time since you’d met he hadn’t invaded your body and nestled within you, leaving you wanting more. “You’re the prince. I’m sure you don’t have any trouble getting ladies but I mean, a promise to be the future queen is going to guarantee a sure thing.”

“Love, I was not just talking about anything. I am serious. You are the most intriguing, delightful, breath of fresh air. You are the first woman that makes me want to come back for more. More of this.” His hand slid through your slick, brushing over your throbbing core. A rumbling laugh rattled his chest at your squeak. “But also more of this.” His lips pressed against yours once again. “And definitely more of this.” His finger gently tapped the side of your head. “Intelligent, interesting conversation is in short supply these days. I want someone who will challenge me, who will push me, who will make me think beyond the walls of this palace. And that’s you. I knew it from the moment you walked in. Every other girl who walked in here looked straight at the throne, searching for their prize, me. And not because they are interested in me but because they are interested in what being with me gets them. You didn’t. You walked in and looked around and your face, yes you were in awe, but you also looked a bit put off by the whole thing. You never even searched for me. You didn’t look like you’d come here tonight for me. You looked like you only came because you were forced to and would rather be anywhere else.”

“You’re right. I didn’t want to come,” you admitted. “The royal courier told me I would be hanged for treason if I didn’t. And since I do value my life and my neck, it seemed the smart decision to come. I did not search for you because I never even entertained the thought that I would be your future bride. I figured I would come, eat, perhaps enjoy a few dances, and then disappear back into the woods.”

“But what if you didn’t have to disappear? What if you could stand proudly in front of every single one of those awful people who dared to judge you for who your parents were, for the hand that life dealt you? The girl they cast out chosen to lead them?”

“I…but this isn’t me. I don’t even know how to be like you. Joseph, I spend my days working. I don’t know how to do my hair. It’s always just pulled back and out of my face. And I never do make-up. I have no need when no one ever sees me. I dig in the dirt and I fetch water and I chop wood for my fire. I am dirty and wearing rags most of the time. I feel I would embarrass you.”

“No, my darling. You would shine. You would be everything this village needs. You know what our people need. You could guide me, be my right hand…woman. And as far as your hair or make-up, we have people to help with that.”

Your lips pressed together, worrying back and forth as you considered his offer. This man wanted you. He wanted to stay. He wasn’t rushing to dress and dashing out like the others. He didn’t just want you. He wanted you to be his wife, to lead beside him. Could you give up your life of solitude? Could you wear fine clothes and learn to be prim and proper like all those other ladies?

“I don’t know if I could learn to be royalty. What if I sit wrong? Or what if I say something wrong? What if you realize you made a massive mistake choosing me? Or what if…”

Joseph fingers grabbed your lips, pinching them closed, “What if this is everything we ever wanted? What if you stopped worrying about what could go wrong and just focused on what’s right?”

“What’s right?”

“Us.”

“How can you know that? We just met.”

Joseph smiled, tipping you back onto chaise, his hands coming down to hold himself up as he hovered over top of you. Those lips were on the move again, igniting a fire within you all over again. 

“Because I felt more for you in the moment I saw your face than I have for any other woman. Because sex has always been one and done for me. I experienced it and it was fun but then I was ready to move on but with you, I want more. I want to explore everything with you, find out what you like…” Teeth pulled at your nipple and you bit down on your lip. “Find out what drives you crazy, what makes your toes curl, and then do that over and over again.”

“I think you’ve already done that…” you whimpered, his tongue tracing lazy circles now.

“Mmm…but darling, I haven’t even started. If you only knew the sinful thoughts that are monopolizing my brain right now. I want to make you happy, to give you everything you deserve.” He pushed himself up, brown eyes gazing into yours. “Marry me.”

You cradled the face of this beautiful man, your prince charming, and said the only word you could, “Yes.”

#joseph quinn smut #joseph quinn fanfiction #joseph quinn stranger things #joseph quinn x reader #joseph quinn #cinderella #joe quinn x fem!reader smut #joe quinn fanfic #joe quinn fluff #joe quinn smut #smut and fluff #smut #fluff #joseph quinn x you #royalty #fairytale #fairytale romance #female reader #joseph quinn x fem!reader #fem reader

[hardly-an-escape]

skin | surprise | "You want me and you know it." • 794 words • Smurch fill list

tags: human AU, coffeeshop AU, storage room blowjobs, right in front of the scones, the pining is mutual they're just idiots

“A crop top, Hob? Really?”

“It’s called fashion, sweetie. Look it up.”

Morpheus dumped a bag of beans into the industrial grinder and hit the button, wincing at the noise. He hated opening. He was emphatically not a morning person.

His coworker Hob, on the other hand, was both a morning person and a seemingly incurable optimist. He loved his job, loved their customers, loved trying new things. Including, apparently, very fashion-forward clothing choices for six o’clock in the morning on a cloudy Tuesday.

Morpheus did not like customers, or small talk, or new things, or much of anything about his job aside from dialing in the espresso machine and baking scones. Coffee and baking were predictable. Reliable. There were rules, and if you followed the rules, good things resulted. He appreciated that.

And he appreciated Hob. He appreciated his coworker quite a lot, in fact; perhaps more than was reasonable for a professional setting. He especially appreciated the extra skin on display as Hob stood on tiptoe, his colorful cropped T-shirt riding up as he stretched high to write the special of the day on the chalkboard.

“I am merely pointing out,” Morpheus said, shutting off the grinder, “that it may not be the most appropriate choice for work.”

“Uh huh. And I am merely pointing out,” said Hob over his shoulder, “that you want me and you know it.”

“I think you – what?” Morpheus’s mouth snapped shut as Hob’s actual words registered.

“You want to fuck me so bad it makes you look stupid.”

He turned to face Morpheus and leaned against the counter. The space they were inhabiting, between the espresso machine and the cash register, suddenly felt very small.

Morpheus opened his mouth to protest. Nothing came out. He closed it again.

“And… if I said…” he licked his lips nervously and Hob’s eyes darted down to catch the movement. “If I said you… weren’t wrong?”

Hob pushed himself off the counter and took a step toward him.

“Then I’d probably say…” His voice was low and teasing and sent a thrill down Morpheus’s back. “I’d say there’s a big, mostly empty storage room downstairs. And I’d say that the front door is still locked and we don’t actually open for another twenty five minutes.” He took another step, until they were standing practically toe to toe. “And then I’d ask if I could kiss you.”

Morpheus answered by leaning forward, grabbing a handful of the shirt that had apparently started all this, and pressing his mouth to Hob’s. The kiss was fierce and messy and weeks of longing and not-so-thoroughly tamped-down arousal bubbled under his skin like hot coffee.

Five minutes later they were in the downstairs storage room, and Morpheus’s cock was so deep down Hob’s throat that he thought he might die.

“Why – didn’t you say something – sooner?” he gasped, then immediately regretted the question when Hob pulled off him to answer. His eyes were a little glassy and a thin strand of drool connected his bottom lip to the tip of Morpheus’s prick, which a distant semi-functional part of Morpheus’s brain filed away as the hottest thing he’d ever seen.

“Why didn’t you?” asked Hob hoarsely. “I know you’ve been staring at my arse since Easter at least. I thought I was being pretty damn flirty.”

“I…” Morpheus didn’t know what to say. I’m shy and awkward and everything makes me uncomfortable while you seem to swim through life with the grace of an otter was probably too much. I didn’t think you were flirting with me because you kind of flirt with everybody, likewise. How am I supposed to have a conversation or open the shop in eighteen minutes when all I can think about is the sight of your lips around my cock and all I want to do is come in your mouth and drag you down with me and smell of you for days was a serious contender. “I don’t know.”

His hips twitched forward of their own accord and Hob smiled with those glossy, spit-wet lips.

“Well,” he said, and leaned back in, dragging a deliberate tongue slowly along the hard, needy length of Morpheus’s prick, a wide swipe from root to tip that drew a surprised and whimpering fuck from his mouth. “Why don’t you think about that for a minute while I’m down here?”

Then he sucked him all the way back down and Morpheus couldn’t think about anything for quite a long while.

There was an angry comment on the shop’s Facebook page later that day, all about how they’d been half an hour late to open that morning, with no note left on the door or anything. But neither Morpheus nor Hob could bring themselves to care.

#*arrives a day late with starbucks and one last smurch fill* #don't fuck at work kids it's unhygienic and generally a bad idea #my writing #smurch #dreamling #I fell asleep on the couch last night without actually posting this and then was busy all day today but here ya go!!! #probably not gonna do smapril because I just have too much on my plate already #but I said that about smurch too and ended up with five ficlets and a dreamling bingo fill and two more wips #so who the fuck knows! I'm an unpredictable little scamp!

[wistfulpoltergeist]

Dean O'Gorman

Bold the facts!

I was tagged by @ethelgodehel and @honeybeenrw to do this bold facts about my characters, aww, thank you! This one is for @honeybeenrw!

The rules are simple! Tag people and name a character you want to know more about! If you want to let the person you tagged decide who to showcase, then don’t name a character and they can pick somebody. Easy! The person who is tagged will then bold the remarks below which apply to their character &, if they want to, include a picture with their reply!

[ PERSONAL ]

$ Financial: wealthy / moderate (I work hard for it) / poor / in poverty ✚ Medical: fit / moderate (work hard for it too but never am as fit as my boyfriend)/ sickly/ disabled / disadvantaged / non applicable ✪ Class or Caste: upper / middle / working / unsure / other ✔ Education: qualified (lawyer but never practiced, dropped my education and went down to working class. Also qualified car mechanic and cook)/ unqualified / studying / other ✖ Criminal Record: yes, for major crimes / yes, for minor crimes / no (a witness to crimes count?) / has committed crimes, but not caught yet / yes, but charges were dismissed

[ FAMILY ]

◒ Children: had a child or children / has no children / wants children (or at least a cat) ◑ Relationship with Family: close with sibling(s) / not close with sibling(s) (my brother bullied me) / has no siblings / sibling(s) is deceased ◔ Affiliation: orphaned / adopted / disowned / raised by birth parent (but mostly by their neighbours)/ not applicable

[ TRAITS + TENDENCIES ]

♦ extroverted / introverted / in between ♦ disorganized / organized (when needed) / in between ♦ close minded / open-minded / in between ♦ calm/ anxious (who's calm nowadays?) / in between ♦ disagreeable / agreeable (I suppose it means "nice")/ in between ♦ cautious / reckless / in between ♦ patient (with everyone but myself) / impatient / in between ♦ outspoken (I never shut up) / reserved / in between ♦ leader / follower (unless I have a dog) / in between ♦ empathetic / vicious bastard /in between ♦ optimistic / pessimistic / in between ♦ traditional / modern / in between ♦ hard-working / lazy / in between ♦ cultured / uncultured/ in between / unknown ♦ loyal / disloyal / unknown ♦ faithful / unfaithful / unknown

[ BELIEFS ]

★ Faith: monotheist / polytheist (people tried to show me one god but I never saw it) / atheist / agnostic / spiritual ☆ Belief in Ghosts or Spirits: yes (I think one is sitting in the room with me now)/ no / don’t know / don’t care ✮ Belief in an Afterlife: yes (I'll be a siren in the afterlife)/ no / don’t know / don’t care ✯ Belief in Reincarnation: yes (but I don't wanna go back, only forward)/ no / don’t know / don’t care ❃ Belief in Aliens: yes (why does anyone think there is nobody else in entire cosmos?)/ no / don’t know / don’t care ✧ Religious: orthodox / liberal / in between /not religious / pagan ❀ Philosophical: yes (but not very clever) / no

[ SEXUALITY & ROMANTIC INCLINATION ]

❤ Sexuality: heterosexual (but in love with a man which makes me gay. I guess)/ homosexual / bisexual / asexual / pansexual ❥ Sex: sex repulsed / sex neutral (I don't mind intimacy with a beloved person)/ sex favorable / naive and clueless ♥ Romance: romance repulsed / romance neutral / romance favorable (desperately romantic)/ naive and clueless / romance suspicious ❣ Sexually: adventurous / experienced / naive / inexperienced / curious ⚧ Potential Sexual Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all (my boyfriend. What do you mean male / female / all… Do you think I could sex someone without even dating them?) ⚧ Potential Romantic Partners: male / female / agender / other / none / all (my boyfriend)

[ ABILITIES ]

☠ Combat Skills: excellent / good / moderate / poor (I am fury, I am death only when I'm drunk) / none ≡ Literacy Skills: excellent/ good / moderate / poor (I have zero intellect but big wisdom) / none ✍ Artistic Skills: excellent (I'm a poet) /good / moderate / poor / none ✂ Technical Skills: excellent (I like dealing with material objects more than ideas in my head) / good / moderate / poor / none

[ HABITS ]

☕ Drinking Alcohol: never / special occasions (only when friends drink, I'm actually allergic to alcohol)/ sometimes / frequently / Alcoholic ☁ Smoking: tried it / trying to quit / quit / never / rarely / sometimes (when I'm depressed or anxious) / frequently / Chain-smoker ✿ Recreational Drugs: never (friends say I did that but I can't remember) / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / addict ✌ Medicinal Drugs: never / no longer needs medication / some medication needed / frequently / to excess ☻ Unhealthy Food: never (I'm a cook, eating rubbish offends me) / special occasions / sometimes / frequently / binge eater $ Splurge Spending: never / rarely / sometimes (when Roland pays for it) / frequently / shopaholic ♣ Gambling: never (I don't get these games) / rarely / sometimes / frequently / compulsive gambler

I tag: @qrqr19, @latteaki, @susen70, @simandy, @pralinesims

#WistfulR&D #my sims #sims 4 tag #my sims 4 character #simblr #ts4 simblr #sims 4 #sims 4 tag game #bold the facts #the sims 4

[catmarlowastrology]

🌟 Charisma in the birth chart: Keke Palmer

Venus in Cancer in the 1st house means that Keke is very in tune with people's feelings. She's the kind of person others feel comfortable around quickly, almost like she can read their emotions. People just naturally like her and feel like she "gets them." Since this Venus placement is in her 1st house, these qualities are very noticeable right when you meet her. She doesn't hide them. She has a warm and inviting presence that draws people in. This makes her easy to approach and easy to connect with emotionally. When you're around her, you'd probably feel understood and cared for, which is a big part of her charm.

With Mars and Jupiter in Libra, she is naturally good at handling social situations. Mars provides her with the energy to be active and involved in social settings, while Jupiter brings a positive, optimistic vibe. These planets make her both lively and pleasant to be around. She is the person at a gathering who knows how to keep the conversation going, but also how to keep things peaceful and harmonious. She'd likely be skilled at resolving disagreements or smoothing over awkward moments, thanks to Libra's focus on diplomacy. This combination makes her not only likeable but also someone people might turn to for advice or mediation in conflicts. Her charm isn't just superficial; it's backed by an ability to make others feel understood and valued, making her a naturally magnetic person in social scenarios.

The Moon in Sagittarius makes Keke naturally open-minded, curious, and full of enthusiasm. In terms of charisma, this placement means she's likely to be someone who's not just pleasant to be around but also inspiring. Her curiosity and zest for life would make conversations with her engaging and possibly eye-opening, as she would enjoy discussing a wide range of topics from philosophy to travel to the meaning of life. She'd be interested in various cultures and ideologies, always seeking to expand her horizons and encouraging others to do the same. This openness can be infectious, making those around her feel more optimistic and willing to explore new perspectives or experiences.

With Mercury in Virgo, she would be a good communicator who pays attention to details. This placement means she's likely to be logical, organized, and practical in the way she thinks and talks. When you're having a conversation with her, you'd probably notice that she gets straight to the point and offers well-thought-out ideas or solutions. This adds to her overall charm by making her not just likable but also someone who can offer valuable insights or advice.

With Saturn in retrograde in Aquarius, she has her own unique way of thinking and might not always follow society's rules or expectations. She's a bit of a rebel at heart but in a thoughtful way. Being retrograde, Saturn could mean she questions authority and societal norms more inside her head than out loud. She might struggle internally with rules or traditions that she doesn't agree with. This gives her an interesting and edgy appeal. People might find her intriguing because she makes them think deeper or see things from a different angle. Her charisma wouldn't just be about being likeable; it would also draw people in because she's intellectually stimulating and a bit unpredictable.

Having Lilith in Aries means Keke would have a bold and direct side that's hard to ignore. This placement gives her a certain raw energy that makes her stand out. She might be the kind of person who isn't afraid to speak her mind or challenge the status quo. She would have a "take me as I am" attitude that some people find extremely attractive and authentic, while others might find it a bit too intense or confrontational. This adds an exciting, unpredictable element to her personality, making her interesting and even a bit mysterious. It's the kind of energy that could make people either really want to get to know her better or be slightly cautious around her, but either way, it makes her memorable.

Keke Palmer has a special way of connecting with people that makes her really memorable. She makes you feel understood and cared for, like a close friend who really "gets" you. At the same time, she's the type of person who makes you think about things in a new way, keeping conversations interesting and stimulating. She's also really good in social situations, able to keep things harmonious and balanced, making people feel comfortable around her. But what makes her especially captivating is that she has a daring, somewhat rebellious side that keeps people guessing and interested.

If you found this article enlightening and wish to delve deeper into the unique aspects of your own astrological makeup, you can purchase a Natal Report. With enlightening sections that address every aspect of your personality, this report is ideal if you want to learn more about yourself and discover the hidden potential of your chart.

#keke palmer #moon in sagittarius #venus in cancer #venus in the 1st house #lilith in aries #jupiter in libra #mars in libra #saturn in aquarius #saturn retrograde #charisma in the birth chart #astrology #astro observations #astro notes #astrology observations #astro community #astrology notes #predictive astrology #astro content #birth chart reading #birth chart

[protoindoeuropean]

ok so the slovenian government announced today it will participate in the ICJ proceedings against israeli occupation of gaza and the west bank, which is based on a december 2022 UN resolution and is thus separate from the SA genocide case {wiki page}

there have been calls for slovenia to intervene in the genocide case too, to which the minister of foreign affairs has said that "Slovenia supports the proceedings regarding the violations of the Genocide Convention both in the case of Ukraine and Palestine ...", but that it is not yet possible to intervene as the court has to first decide whether it has jurisdiction over the case or not (her statement of support is also not an official position of the country afaict) {x}. she said that the decision will be made at the governnent level {x} (i.e. she evaded the question, but the fact the she hasn't dismissed it is positive, and both the pm and the president as a rule follow her lead, not the other way around; not to mention that the left party, a coalition member, has been very vocal about how slovenia is not doing enough, how we should recognize the state of palestine, apply the bds measures etc., so that's a force pushing in that direction as well). the ambassador to the UN security council said that slovenia regards the case "with great interest" {x}

considering the fairly consistent discourse of slovenian foreign policy on the israel-palestine conflict and especially the expressed need for principled and consistent political positioning during the slovenian mandate in the UN security council, i am moderatly optimistic that it might actually intervene in the case

fajon can be quite frustrating, because you really have to comb through what she's saying to find anything of substance, but i have been surprised at times by her discourse in the past few months, for example when she said that if not the EU as a whole, then a smaller group of like-minded countries within the EU could jointly recognize the state of palestine "when the time is right" (– slovenian politicians have been waiting for the right time to recognize palestine for literally a decade, but in this context specifically fajon has said that the condition for that to happen is permanent ceasefire) {x}, or when she explitictly designated the attacks on schools and hospitals and critical infrastructure as severe violations of international humanitarian law – apparently she appeared on CNN a few days ago where she said that Israel was "definitely" in the breach of international humanitarian law {fb link to the video} {x}, which reportedly made israel angry, but she'd already said the same thing in the UN security council chambers a month ago {x}, so that wasn't new for them and she'd been saying that since november at least {x}. i was also really positively surprised when in the context of the exchange of hostages she designated the palestinian prisoners as political prisoners {x} (only in a podcast, but still)

ofc this is still far from ideal, much more decisive measures would be needed (cf. what the left party wants above) and they'd be more effective too, imho, but this is honestly more than i expected from a politician who, idk – i suspect! – wants to present our country as a potential mediator in the conflict and thus doesn't want to step on israel's toes too much, or at least wants to keep the image of a "reliable partner" with regards to the us, still, while going as far as possible in (what she thinks might be) toeing the line

#incidentally the suggestion of a smaller group of countries recognizing palestine was smth i included in my letter to the minister just a #month before‚ so obv that must be my influence lol #also im sorry for including a fb link but i couldn't find the whole interview elsewhere #she talked both about ukraine and gaza but the only clips i could find elsewhere where only with the part on ukraine #anyway #i am optimistic but we'll see #j #p #slovenia #slovenian politics

[tonyglowheart]

in the great tradition of making up an argument in my head and writing about and publishing it a la the great philosophers of old except also this does come from posts I've seen around too lmao, I am back here today with a very correct opinion on Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao.

So. a couple of types of opinions I've seen in old meta posts give this impression that people are treating the "Yan Wushi believes humans are inherently evil"/"Shen Qiao believes humans are inherently good" as, like... fixed worldview/viewpoints that these respective characters have.

I simply do not think this is so. And I think it not only does a huge disservice to the characters and MengXiShi's writing, but imo it also affects the way you interpret the characters if you think that they respectively hold such fixed rules about the world as their viewpoint.

Like just on a general level, to ascribe so black-and-white, simplified, fixed worldview to these characters doesn't sit right with me because these kinds of rigid worldviews are very immature type of worldviews. To reference to Kohlberg's stages of moral development, to have such fixed "good"/"bad" views is a very conventional-stage way of thinking, and textual interpretations aside I think it'd be very foolish to have such a rigid, unnuanced worldview.

But beyond that, I just don't think the interpretation that either of them holds such rigid unnuanced worldview uncritically bears out in the text.

The biggest/easiest chunk of text to reference here is Chap 46, where SQ flashes back on something his Master Qi Fengge taught him:

“Because ‘tip of sword pointing upward’ is just a vague description. There’s no established rule defining whether one should point it up by an inch or two. Ah-qiao, rigidly adhering to the rules will only limit your own thoughts and visions, and this is true for learning martial arts as well as for conducting yourself.”

“There are many people in this world —— some of them are good, and some of them are bad. But there are even more who can’t be simply classified as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. They may not think in the same way you think, or walk the same path you walk. Just like the case with Yu Ai and Yuan Ying —— even the same set of sword arts looks slightly different in different people’s hands. Don’t deny others just because they are different from you. Like how the ocean is capable of holding water from thousands of rivers, a person should be forgiving and tolerant to diversity, and it is the same for practicing martial arts. People who are narrow-minded can only achieve so much. Even if they do reach the summit, they cannot stay there for long.”

(QQ ch46, snowycodex tl, emphasis added)

I like this chapter since I think this helps sum up a lot of transferable concepts that imo we see bear out in SQ's conduct and worldview.

So I think, rather than saying "he believes that humans are inherently good," a more accurate way to describe it is "he believes in the inherent goodness (the possibility of inherent goodness) in all people." Which isn't to say that there aren't "bad" people in the world - he killed Huo Xijing for example, and doesn't express any regret about it. But that he believes in the ability of people to do good/be good, even if that doesn't bear out all of the time. It's a very optimistic sort of view on the potential of humanity.

Yan Wushi on the other hand, yes he has declared "you're too naive SQ, humans are evil by nature," etc but this happens by way of him making certain points to SQ, not as part of a philosophical discourse where we might see the full nuances of each's philosophy argued out, so I think to see it as a fixed "rule" he has for the world is shortsighted (and also ascribes a shortsightedness to him that I just don't think he has. He sees SQ as a curiosity sure but not like an aberration against a fixed worldview. He's amused when SQ chooses kindness, not perplexed).

So I think a more useful interpretation of YWS's worldview is more along the lines of, like, averages. In that instead of seeing YWS as "he believes all people are Evil by nature," it's more like, statistically speaking he believes that humans can/will be led astray by a variety of factors, and that even the most "good" person can have "evil" actions teased out of them if they are pushed enough - the exact experiment he is running with SQ. To me, this idea that like, in his experience humans are more statistically likely to act out of selfish/self-preserving/"evil" intentions than altruistic ones in the longterm, works a lot better for interpreting his character and making him a good foil for SQ. He's the pessimism on "human nature" to SQ's optimism - the "even if you have a close relationship, if you get in the way of self-preservation then people can be pushed to the point of valuing the self over you."

But yeah, the tl;dr of it all is, I don't think Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao are the "humans are inherently evil/good" characters, it's more, Shen Qiao is the "humans are capable of doing good/being kind and I choose to believe in that," and Yan Wushi is the "if you push someone enough they will abandon altruism, everyone has a bottom line including you" (though I think he underestimates how much hope SQ can find in the little kindnesses in the world lol, cuz like in Chap46 we see him close to some sort of abyss of despair but is QUICKLY brought back up by encountering Shiwu. But I think per the rule of statistical averages, SQ is very much a Kindness Georg so that's why I don't think he rocks YWS's worldview - he still has a place in the bell curve he's just way far out on the narrow end lmao).

But anyway, this complexity is what makes them (1) interesting characters, and (2) good foils for each other. Thanks for coming to my TED talk lmao

#qian qiu #thousand autumns #qian qiu meta #yan wushi #shen qiao

[lost-technology]

So, lads, lassies and laird's, I've been watching the Fallout TV series. I'm about halfway through it. The Fallout series are video games that I like a lot - I haven't played them all, but I'm enough of a fan that I've legit made FOOD from The Official Vault-Dweller's Cookbook gifted to me by my late nephew (I was drinking homemade Nuka-Cola yesterday). The super-fans are going to wank and whine about the lore-details, but I take it as its own entry and am enjoying it so far (even though I miss the NCR). I'm actually SURPRISED that a live-action show based on video games is as good as it is. (They usually suck, this is pretty good...) Anyway, just what does this have to do with Trigun (other than both things taking place in post-apocalyptic desert settings)? Well, there is the 200+ year old guy (ghoul) with the long shot up duster which I addressed on this blog before as "Perfect wardrobe - if anyone makes a live action Trigun, pay attention to this). Cooper isn't quite the "Vash" here, though... his morals are more... Wolfwood? Left of Wolfwood? He's actually an excellent study in broken morals as he used to be a very decent guy in his pre-war life... No... it's how main character Lucy is giving me some inspiration. Lucy is the Vault-Dweller. She comes from a sealed underground Vault that her ancestors fled into to escape the bombs. The Vaults, however, were never meant to save anyone. Lucy's Vault currently has a population-problem (everyone's getting incesty), it's connected to two other Vaults and there's a trade-thing going on, including for breeding, but there's definitely something weirder going on that the series is unfolding... And everyone in her Vault is super-idealistic. They're all peaceful people who live by peaceful ways and they have an agriculture-area (NOT AT ALL unlike the Geoplant-room / recreation room of a SEEDS ship!) that is set up to simulate Nebraska. So when Lucy goes out into the outside world in her quest to find her kidnapped father (is stuff that happens in episode 1 really a spoiler???) she's just very... trying to do things peacefully and with good morals in this... wrecked and horrible world. She cites The Golden Rule a lot. But then... she gets quickly and progressively "grittified." She has to do some awful things to survive and carry out her quest, although she actually sticks to her moral code. (So far, I've only seen her directly kill once, in self-defence, and it is arguable that the subject was in the realm of not-human-anymore and death-was-a-mercy) and she was shocked by it. And immediately after, she did a kindness to someone who betrayed her simply because she decided that she was not going to let the world change her. "I will never become you." Reminded me of Vash a bit - Born in a sealed metal spaceship with artificial environs, not unlike a Vault (save that SEEDS was actually meant to save Humanity, not experiment on it, not that...um...experiments didn't happen *tugs collar*). The SEEDS folk that we meet (Rem, Luida, Brad) seem to come from an optimistic, idealistic perspective in contrast to the survival-world of the desert planet. Instead of a world to colonise / recolonise according to a peaceful plan sold to their ancestors, it's a dog-eat-dog nasty world where murder is common. And yet, Vash sticks to his guns and keeps to ideals and doesn't let him change him for the worse by his own hard-won decision, in spite of absolutely everything. This, of course, also has me thinking of my WIP fanfic in which Rem survives and what I was doing in direction in that with her and continued survival having to face a post-Fall world and no longer being a pedestal-figure for Vash, but having to be a real person and surprising him and gaining grit (in a strictly in-character way). So, of course the story of this TV series, being what it is, is jogging my brain.

#trigun #trigun maximum #trigun stampede #fallout #fallout tv series #trigun fanfiction #fanfiction inspiration #one man and a crate of puppets

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Unladylike Rules of Attraction by Amita Murray

4/5. Releases 5/14/24.

Vibes: "must marry or else", vaaaaague guardian/ward sorta kinda?, two people living on the edge of English society, light mystery

Heat Index: 6/10

Court sitar player Anya doesn't expect to inherit much, if anything, when her client dies. But the Dowager Countess Budleigh has left Anya half her fortune--with one condition. She must marry by her twenty-fifth birthday... which is four months away. Otherwise? The money will go to Lord Damian Ashton, the family outsider and now trustee. (Oh--and they think he killed his way to the title.) As Anya begins looking for a husband, Damian is there, initially to irritate and then, when she's accused of murder by the Budleighs, to help. The question is--if they make it out of this, can he bear to see her with someone else?

The second in Amita Murray's Marleigh Sisters series, I found Unladylike Rules of Attraction faster-paced and more exciting than the first installment, which is always lovely. The chemistry between Anya and Damian had me immediately--and though the relationship unfurled a bit more rapidly than I expected, their back and forth remained a treat. As did the very true reality of them both living on the edges of English society, seen as oddities or fetishized due to their races (Anya had a white father and an Indian mother, and Damian's grandmother was a Jamaican Black woman).

So while I do have nitpicks here and there, I have to say that this was an engaging romp with serious insights.

Quick Takes:

--If you enjoy romantic leads that snark, you'll be into this. Damian and Anya are kind of at each other's throats from the jump, but in, like, a fun way. They both find each other annoying, mostly because they want to bone, and I support that. I also really love the marriage plot setup: she's supposed to marry, or he gets everything, so maybe the best thing would be for them to marry each other...? But NO, God NO, that would be AWFUL.

Damian also has a lovely younger brother who enters the scene as a supporting character. He initially thinks that his brother is making a play for Anya, and the "I am quietly seething from across a ballroom" content was great.

--But, as I mentioned earlier, there's a lot of quiet understanding these two have for each other. Anya is seen as an exotic marvel at Queen Charlotte's court... to an extent. There isn't much actual real respect there, because women hate her (and let's be real, are often jealous of her) for who she is and men want to fuck her without offering any legitimacy or respect.

Although Damian didn't have an identical experience to Anya, he's also very much an outsider. I mean, people just assume this guy murdered someone to get a title... basically, let's be real, because he's of Jamaican descent. The novel is covering, basically, a lot of nasty, racist shit. However, it maintains an optimistic, if realistic attitude, and understanding reality doesn't mean that Murray is going to keep her leads from falling in love. It's a tough balancing act, and I think she executed it well.

--That said, these two do move pretty fast. And I'm not someone who loves a slow burn, right? I enjoy reading sex on the page early. It's not that the sex happens so EARLY in this book. It's more that I don't think there was quite enough build up between Damian and Anya. The chemistry was there, but when it began I was pretty surprised.

It's not a huge issue, but if I had to give a critique, that would be my main one.

--One thing I really appreciated was the way Murray dealt with Anya's trauma surrounding her separation from her sisters. She knows where they are, she loves them--but she can't really bring herself to be close to them because of this chasm of years apart. She wants to be! She feels guilty! But that doesn't make her reluctance built on years of separation go away.

--The mystery and murder stuff here is pretty light; there's nothing that's too much to bear here. But I found it entertaining, and I can be a hard sell with mystery, so that's a good sign.

The Sex:

This is an open door romance. It's not super explicit, it's not over the top. There are a few scenes, nothing super wild, and I do think Murray could go into a bit more detail with it. But as it is: if you enjoy a Lorraine Heath level of heat (and I do too, I could always appreciate more though), you'll enjoy these.

Moving along at a clip, Unladylike Rules of Attraction is both romantic and astute. I see it being compared to Bridgerton, and while I get that on paper... First off, this is a lot smarter in general than that show. Second, it's certainly more attentive to the issues of race. If you want something fun and different and very much its own thing, check this out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#romance novel blogging #arc reviews #netgalley #book reviews #book recs #books #romance novels

[imkillerbae]

Enemies to Lovers Part 5 (Valorant Yoru x GN!Reader

Part 4 here.

Been a while since I updated this oneshot that accidentally gained a plot. But I think this will be 7 parts in total? I've written part 6 already but I dont feel like posting it immediately after this. Hope you enjoy!!! And feel free to request something!

tagging: @swiftyangx12

It’s been two months and a half since your first meet up with Yoru in the shooting range. And somehow, it became routine.

It was an unspoken rule that you and him would be there after noon.

Sometimes he was first there, sometimes you were. When one of you were on a mission, the other would still show up.

Somehow the day wasn’t complete for the both of you if you didn’t meet up.

The day would feel empty. Even Yoru felt the itch to at least peek by the windows to make sure you were there, practicing your aim.

He would never admit it to you or himself, but he felt very proud of your improvement (mainly because he was the one who taught you). It was an ego boost that he was teaching someone something that came so naturally to him.

Whenever he wasn’t there, you somehow found yourself easily distracted looking around the place.

While this went on, some people caught a pattern. Cypher, of course. And so did Jett, Neon and Phoenix.

Cypher was intrigued by the rendezvous you both had often, and as a married man, he saw something that even his cameras could not detect: chemistry.

You and Yoru complemented each other.

He was arrogant and spiteful, you were calm and optimistic. Together, you balanced each other out. You helped him to be more empathetic (after your little outburst before), and he taught you not to take shit lying down anymore.

He taught you how to aim, defense and attacking tactics, as well as game sense, and you helped him realize that there was more that he can do with his skills even away from the battlefield: he could teach.

Lastly but definitely not the least, at this moment in his life, Yoru sees you as his anchor. Something routine, something that is constant. In his life where nothing and no one seems to stay, you always showed up. In that little hideout, he felt like you were someone he could always…go back to.

In that room he always felt like he was needed, wanted, and maybe even…

And as for you, from despising him, Yoru became someone you looked up to. He was skilled, and much more knowledgeable than he let on. He was cutthroat but his method made results. People don’t give him enough credit for it. He was proud, sure, but now you know that there is bite behind that bark of his.

Cypher laughs from his room, smirking under the mask. “How about I play cupid for a little bit, eh?”

He waited for a day where Yoru would be late or absent from your regular meet ups. He then slithered his way in the shooting range.

When he entered, you thought it was Yoru so you might’ve said something embarrassing.

“Wow, you’re late. I was starting to miss you,” You joked as you reloaded.

“Ah, I’m sorry to disappoint. I am not the one you are missing.” Cypher giggled, walking with his hands behind his back.

“Oh shoot. Sorry, I thought you were…”

“Ryo? Ah, I’m afraid he is somewhere else. Although I hope you don’t mind my company?”

“Oh, of course, not! It’s been a while anyways, I don’t see you as often anymore,” you smiled. You liked Cypher. He was a mellow guy.

While both of you talked, somehow the conversation went to Chamber.

“I’ve seen the guns he makes. They are beautiful, too bad they’re such a pain to calibrate. Yoru’s been coming back here non-stop, fine tuning that damn thing.”

Cypher’s brow raises as you continue. “You’d think Chamber would be quick, but it is him so maybe he likes things perfect, even if it takes a while.”

“You are mistaken dear. The gun made for Yoru was finished a month ago. He has a different client now.” He interjects.

You gave a questioning look. “Are you sure? Yoru’s still fiddling with that thing and talking about how it’s taking a while with Chamber. He just said that he’d bring it back to him yesterday.”

“My darling, I see everything. Plus, I am his new client. He does not multitask between projects.” Cypher shrugs, tracing his gloved fingers over the golden markings of the gun he is using. “It takes Vincent a week to make a gun perfect for the user. Amazing, no?”

His comment falls on deaf ears as you processed what was happening.

Yoru was lying about the gun he was using. He wasn’t finetuning it. All this time, you thought he was coming back to the range just because of that damn thing.

You’ve connected the dots: He was going here on his own volition, on his own accord, willingly spending his time here teaching you his tricks. All those reasons he gave you were lies.

He wanted to be here with you.

Cypher wondered. How about the other three that noticed something? Were they also playing cupid?

#valorant yoru #yoru x reader #valorant yoru x reader #valorant imagines #valorant #valorant headcanons #valorant yoru imagines #valorant yoru oneshot #valorant oneshots #valorant oneshot #yoru #fanfiction #valorant fanfiction #messages #requests

[eli0004]

Levi's violent, belligerent actions do not mean that he is a "pessimist". Whenever Levi is violent, it is mostly to save his own life and the lives of others. It is true that his actions would be considered evil, but wouldn't you also choose violence if you were faced with a threat to harm you and your loved ones? Let us not forget that he did it out of necessity and in self-defense, not out of pleasure. His roughness is due to his difficult upbringing. I'm sure even he wouldn't want to be like that. I don't need to talk about his mentality, I don't think he would ever think anything pessimistic or cruel. I won't even say I don't think, he wouldn't think.

So on the contrary, he would be very disturbed if his partner had something evil in him, like if he was cruel, ruthless, deceitful, arrogant, selfishly pessimistic, not caring about other people's feelings, other people's lives, and so on.

So I don't understand why you people insist that he will not be with someone who is very optimistic. I believe he has a weakness for selfless, thoughtful people, people who have a purity of goodness in them and he will be drawn to them. Just like himself. I think he would admire people who have these qualities intact in this cruel world.

It's not for nothing that we say he is the most emotional person in the series and the heart of Sc he has a big indiscriminate heart.

And I want to say that this discourse of yours disturbs the people who ship Levi with their optimistic, innocent, weak characters/themselves, and their trust is shaken. It's not just you, there are so many such discourses, those who were upset because they believed that Levi would not like them, and they even say that they avoid reading fanfic, Hc, so as not to see discourses that would make them uncomfortable. Whereas hcs and fanfics are supposed to be about comfort and fun.

If I have to express my own opinion, he First of all, I think that the romance will progress depending on the plot and dynamics, regardless of the character of the partner. Levi is too complex a character to be reduced to criteria and rules. He would be with both an average, optimistic civilian and a soldier with a compassionate character with a pure heart who would not spoil his goodness in this cruel world. And more like that. But I don't think that a character like him, who is selfless, compassionate, values life, every life, cares about the dreams and feelings of others, can be with a cruel, arrogant, selfish character who harbors pessimism, who does not care about life and human life.

Anon, do you know what pessimism means?

A pessimist is a person who is inclined to expect poor outcomes. Someone who tends to see things from a glass half empty perspective, if you will. I am a pessimist, i have OCD and severe anxiety, I’ve always been very focused on all the ways that life could go wrong for me, and i worry about those outcomes a lot. Pessimism is not synonymous with Evil or violence, lots of people with depression or people who have been through or seen hard things are inclined to pessimism. The fact that you put pessimistic and cruel in the same sentence is actually wild.

Additionally, i wrote that he is a deeply emotional character who is very much “in his head” meaning he thinks a lot. I even talked about how he has a very high level of emotional maturity.

And, dear anon, that fifth paragraph💀

Did you know that tumblr has over 547 million users? I’m sure that somewhere in there, there are people who write Levi the way you, and apparently everyone you’re speaking on behalf of, want them to write him. I would encourage you to leave my blog and go find those people. Because you’re absolutely right, tumblr, especially the fanfiction community here, is a place for comfort and fun, so doesn’t this mean that those of us who write him like i do deserve to feel those things? It’s not mandatory that you read my content, and to say that my viewpoints make people uncomfortable to the point of not wanting to read fanfiction???? That’s crazy anon, wild, and honestly it’s terribly manipulative. Also i don’t care.

There are cruel and inhumane things happening everywhere, the world has a lot wrong with it at the moment, i am very involved in humanitarianism and activism. I find your passion for writing essays in fanfiction writer’s inboxes to defend a fictional character to be pretty impressive, but you should direct all that fire towards something that actually makes a difference.

“If i have to express my own opinion”

You don’t, actually, it was unwarranted, but regardless:

Sure, that’s definitely some great stuff you have there, and I’m sure people would love it if you wrote your own content surrounding those ideas. And finally, that last sentence…WHAT????

Anon please explain how you read “He likes someone who is genuine, trustworthy and dependable. Someone who has a strong sense of justice and empathy, who defends and advocates for others when they are unable to defend themselves.” And took from that “cruel, arrogant, and selfish character who harbors pessimism.”

Here’s a short story about something that happened to me last year:

My cat, whom I’ve had for almost nine years, became sick. I took him to the vet and they told me that since triage would take a while due to the amount of people who were there, I could go home and come pick him up when they called me. At the time i was 6 months pregnant and very tired so i went home and cried for several hours, as i was very upset that my cat wasn’t home with me, very upset that he was sick, and I was scared because, as a pessimist, i usually expect the worst outcome. My partner, however is an optimist, and his way of trying to help me was to tell me that everything would go well and that my cat would be fine. But that only served to irritate me, because it was so directly oppositional to my own way of thinking, that it felt like I was being lied to, or given false hope. I would’ve found more comfort in having him sit with me and think over my fears rationally: ex. sure he might be terminally ill, but he also might have just eaten something he shouldn’t have eaten. It turned out that his new wet food wasn’t agreeing with his stomach, so sure, he was fine, but sometimes my worries get in the way of my ability to see that.

A realist is a person who recognizes what is real or possible in a particular situation, and who accepts and deals with things as they really are.

Anyway…do with that what you will, i guess. I normally wouldn’t respond to messages like this but, wow, this was insane and i felt obligated to correct you.

#the level of delusion #absolutely wild #at 4 AM too #attack on titan #aot #aot x reader #aot headcanons #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader