#i have given so much for myself you don’t think i would let you introduce risk without at least saying something

[ponderingmoonlight]

Chapter 2: Negotiating Fate - Reluctant Alliance in a New Realm

Pairing: Gojo x fem!reader

Warnings: reader's death, language

Genre: Isekai, Romance, Fantasy

Synopsis: Your life takes a tragic turn as you perish in a car crash, only to awaken in a whimsical world of fantasy with none other than Jujustu Kaisen characters as its main protagonists. But as if that wasn't enough, you're about to marry the prince version of Gojo Satoru. How will you navigate through this world of history and fantasy? Does your life take the same sudden twist of fate as that of your favorite characters?

<- Previous Chapter l Next Chapter ->

“Tell me about the part where she left you standing in the rain again.”

„Are you out of your mind? Get back into the salon right now, (y/n)!”

“My decision stands. I won’t marry a man like Gojo Satoru.”

Your brother spun you around with ease, his hand wrapped around your wrist so tightly that your bones cracked underneath his rough touch while Gojo stayed back inside the salon, visibly surprised by your rejection.

“He is the prince. Don’t you know how lucky you are that he even considers taking you as his wife?”, your brother hissed through gritted teeth, venom spitting from his threatening orbs.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want him, doesn’t it?”

“She looked at me with a determination in her eyes I never saw in a woman before, told me she won’t marry me and stormed away without another word”, Satoru repeats while his finger glides up and down his chin thoughtfully.

What an unusual experience. Not only for his status as prince, but the given fact that he has a gorgeous face and a well-toned body, all women were head over heels for him since he was young. But you…you looked at him with such disinterest that he can’t stop thinking about you. You, a member of the Zenin family. Even though you already live a carefree life in one of the wealthiest and most influential families of this country, a marriage with a prince would have been your coup, the greatest honor you could bring to your family.

He chuckles.

And you rejected him.

He can’t be mad at his best friend for laughing out loud while shaking his head.

“I never thought I would witness a woman rejecting you. And that as a daughter of the Zenin family, a truly brave Lady”, Suguru finally comments in sheer amusement.

“I wonder why she left so suddenly. She didn’t even give me the chance to explain myself, let alone introduce me properly. You know what she called me?”

“You are nothing but a philanderer, a pompous prince who thinks he rules the world just by the power of his bright blue eyes. Excuse my harsh words, but I am not the one for you, prince.”

“A pompous?”, Satoru repeated, a smile creeping up his face.

“Yes, a pompous. Now excuse me, I was actually busy when you arrived. Have a pleasant travel back home, Prince Satoru.”

“Your reputation seems to precede you, my friend”, Suguru replies before breaking out in laughter again.

Satoru slides forward in his chair, eyes narrowed in a desperate attempt to hold onto the memories of your flawless face. What a remarkable woman you are, truly outstanding in contrast to the usual monotone Ladies he has to endure. It’s not a secret to anyone that he enjoys female company, always surrounded by multiple women at once. But a pompous? It was never more than a friendly talk or two, he never invited one of those boring girls into his sheets.

“We’ll see how this goes, Suguru. Maybe she will come back to her senses, after all.”

“Are you out of your mind, (y/n)?”, none other than your father shouts at you.

You can’t help but swallow hard. His sheer presence alone sends shivers down your spine, well-aware of the fact how threatening the man standing only inches away from you can be.

“Just what I expected. I always knew you are useless, sister. Your only job is to marry the prince and you are even unable to do that”, your brother spits at you.

“Are you even aware of how much time it cost me to arrange the prince of this country visiting you? Are you even aware how much money I spent on your education, your clothes, your maids? Listen to my words: You will marry the prince, (y/n). Or else I will show the world who you really are. Out of all people, you should know best what this world does with people who inherit special powers. You will burn at the stake like your mother.”

You swallow hard, all air drained from your lungs. The way his eyes gleam at you tell you all too urgently that he is serious about his words. Your mother…She was never mentioned in the manga or anime. Is Naobito Zenin cruel enough to kill the mother of his own children? And most importantly, what are those special powers he was talking about? Is this…jujutsu? Are you…a jujutsu sorcerer in this world?

“I am your daughter”, you press out, the hurts almost not leaving your tongue.

“Would you really kill me over a broken engagement?”

“Dear (y/n). I don’t care about who you are. The only reason you are alive until this day is my plan to marry you into royalty. Apart from that, I have no use for you.”

He grabs your arm so roughly that you can’t escape, the stinging smell of alcohol coming from his hot breath almost causing you to choke. In this situation with no way out, the painful truth draws to you.

It doesn’t matter if you really hold special powers you are unaware of in this world or that you are his daughter. If you don’t play along, you will die all over again. Just like you did in your first life…

The glowing headlights of the car crash into you over and over in your mind. The feeling of your bones cracking, your blood discolouring the street crimson, how your heart stopped beating, the violent screams of your friends.

You shake your head vehemently, glossy eyes widen in sheer horror. You don’t want to die all over again, not when you were given this unique second chance. There has to be a way out of this misery. Maybe…Maybe…

“Then allow me to visit the prince myself and fix this situation.”

You still refuse to live a life on Gojo Satoru’s side when there are men like Geto or Nanami. But you will find a solution. After all, this is still somehow the Jujutsu Kaisen universe you know so well, right? You just have to. You won’t throw away your newfound life so easily.

“Now look at that”, he purrs to himself while holding up the piece of paper than informs him about your visit.

You didn’t even wait for his reply. As his valet said, your carriage is already on its way. What made you change your mind?

How ridiculous to even ask this question. Your family is known for being strict, especially when it comes to their female members. Your brother and father probably forced you to rethink your situation and showed you your place. As a woman, you have no worth apart from marrying into a wealthy family. Since the day you were born, your father always tried to find a way for you and therefore himself into royalty. Your whole education was built around the thought that you might become queen someday.

And you rejected his wish by rejecting Gojo Satoru himself.

“Let’s see what you have to tell me, (y/n)”, he mutters to himself.

“Your Majesty, Lady-“

“Good day, Your Majesty. I am deeply grateful for this renewed meeting”, you speak out while you bow politely in the door.

Your heart almost beats out of your chest. It takes all your strength to stop your palms from getting sweaty, to not ruin your makeup out of excitement. Oh, you truly don’t want to be here right now. It is all too clear that you are capable of living a happy life without a man by your side. You’ve been alone your entire life, didn’t care about a male ever before.

And Gojo Satoru is no exception, even in the form of an influential prince.

You bite your lip, fingernails digging into your gloved hands. But still, you depend on his help and understanding at this very moment. If he doesn’t agree on helping you on his own…

You will have to find a way to force him into it.

“I am delighted to see you again, Lady (y/n). Even though this is the only option after you gave me no choice”, he replies with a slight grin.

That bastard. The gleam in his eyes makes it all too clear that he is very aware of why you decided to pay him a visit. With the movement of his hand, he orders you to sit down on an expensive-looking…what is this called? A canapé? He sits down opposite of you, eyes fixated on yours.

“It was truly surprising hearing from you after you rejected me so boldly earlier this morning.”

His words sting like knives, force your eyes to narrow. Well, maybe because you were literally forced here to fix the engagement you don’t want.

You take a deep breath. Catch yourself. If you want someone like Gojo Satoru to give you another chance, you have to stay strong.

“I rethought my decision the second you left. I would love to accept your engagement, Prince Satoru. But only under one condition.”

He tilts his head to the side in surprise. You, having conditions for an engagement with the Prince? How unusual. But the gleam in your lavender eyes tell him that you mean what you say.

“Please enlighten me, Lady (y/n).”

All of the sudden, your fingertips start shaking. You dig your nails into your thighs, take a few deep breaths in and out. Please, just say yes. Please don’t ask any further questions.

“As we will be considered engaged on the outside for the sake of both of our peace, I will follow the duties as the Prince’s fiancé at any official occasion. But I will never have any romantical interest in you, I do not wish to share more time than needed with you by my side. I still don’t want to marry you as well as you aren’t interested in being tied to a single woman. This agreement would benefit both of us and will be dissolved as soon as it no longer has any use.”

Thick silence hangs in the room, tension within reach. He slides forwards, amusement glimmering in his bright blue orbs.

“I respectfully decline your offer, Lady (y/n). Have a pleasant travel back home”, he replies before getting up and making his way out of the room.

For a moment, the world stops spinning, you are too stunned to speak. Did he just…refuse your offer? But why? You always thought he would be the last person who wants to marry a single woman. And if your father pressures you into a marriage, a prince like him is definitely forced to marry soon as well. It is clear that this benefits both of you…So why? Out of instinct, you jump up, hands clenched into fists.

“If you don’t accept…”

Gojo Satoru stops right in his tracks, head moving to the side ever so slightly.

“I will uncover that you are in possession of special powers. I will destroy your reputation and therefore your chances for the throne. So, do we have a deal? ”

Do they have a deal? Find out in next chapter! Let me thank y'all for your amazing support for chapter 1 and this whole idea. I'm beyond excited to share this fic with you and let me tell you the plot will go INSANE with this one - stay tuned! Tags: @m0k0k0 @lees-chaotic-brain @sanicsmut @risuola @fire-loving-siren @sunshine7queen @gatitam @kentocalls @hellkaiserinphoenix @skylarlyn823 @livmarauder @nothisispatrick300 @haileycannotcometothephonern @xstom

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu gojo #gojo satoru #jjk gojo #jujutsu kaisen #gojo saturo #gojo x reader #gojou satoru x reader #jjk fantasy au! #jjk fanfic #jjk story #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x you #satoru gojo #geto suguru #satoru #gojo #jujutsu fanfic #jujutsu sorcerer #romance fantasy fanfic #fantasy #romance fantasy #fantasy romance #isekai fanfic #isekai reader #isekai #jjk isekai #isekai au

[melzula]

ooooo! may i request a hc where waterbender beifong meets her dad?!

a/n: this has been in my drafts forever i am so sorry anon but hopefully you enjoy!

~based on these hc’s~

After countless arguments and packed bags and trips to Air Temple Island, you and your mother came to the agreement that you could seek out your father, if that was what you wanted, once you became an adult

When your eighteenth birthday comes and goes Lin assumes you’ve given up on your dream to meet your father and accepted the fact that the chances of finding the man were slim to none

Yet when she comes into your room one day to ask if you’d like to join her for lunch she finds your bags packed and your father’s portrait resting on your desk much to her dismay

“What the flameo is going on here?” She muses, doing her best to keep her annoyance at bay.

“You said when I was eighteen I could try to find my dad, so that’s what I’m doing,” you state matter of factly. “Kya’s going to be here soon to take me back to the south.”

“Kya?” Lin retorts. “Why Kya?”

“Well I figured I’d start my search in the South considering dad is from the water tribe, and if I don’t find anything there I’ll go to the north.”

“I think you should take Mako. I’d feel better if you did.”

“I’d rather not introduce my boyfriend to my dad on the same day I introduce myself to my dad,” you note with a slight laugh. “I’ll be okay, mom.”

“Alright,” Lin finally sighs. “You’re not a little girl anymore, I can’t tell you what to do. But be careful out there, I have no idea what your father has been up to all these years and I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

She lets you go with an affectionate ruffle of your hair and a firm side hug— and by sneaking sweet buns into your bag when you aren’t looking— and a request of greetings for Kya before sending you off on your way

You’re anxious the entire time it takes you to reach the South, but with Kya’s comforting presence and helpful meditation sessions you’re able to stand the journey

You have nothing to go off of for your search other than the old outdated portrait your mother had kept of him, but you’re able to work with what you have

Kya doesn’t recognize the man, but she suggests asking the locals for information

You spend hours speaking to countless water tribe members asking if they know the man from the picture, but every time you come up empty handed

It’s frustrating and emotionally grueling work, and a part of you starts to wonder if all this effort is really worth it for a man you’ve never met

Would he even want to see you? You’d been alive for eighteen years and he never once thought to look for you. Did he even know you existed? Did he want to?

You’re so engrossed in your thoughts that you don’t notice the little girl that runs your way

She collides harshly into your legs, almost causing you to topple over into the snow, and though you immediately open your mouth with the intent to yell at her you bite your tongue at the sight of the child who can’t be any older than six

Her eyes are a beautiful blue and her hair is long and thick, but she shares your nose and your lips. It almost looks as if she could be related to you, and the realization fills you with dread and nausea

“Watch where you’re going,” you mutter harshly before quickly stomping off. Your original patience for her wears thin once you put the pieces together, and you feel sick to your stomach

She didn’t do anything wrong, you know that, but you can’t help the anger and the hurt and the resentment that begin to course through you

If your suspicions are correct, then it seems your father already has a daughter of his own

It was a mistake coming here, and as much as it killed you to admit it, Lin was right

You’re about to head back and search for Kya when a hand lands on your shoulder to stop you

Immediately you’re on the defensive, grabbing the person’s wrist and using all of your strength to yank them over your shoulder and throw them onto their back into the snow in front of you

“What do you want?!” You scowl only to immediately freeze at the sight of the man in front of you

Though he looks older than the picture with graying hair and wrinkes, there’s no denying the resemblance

“You’re a strong one aren’t you,” he says with a laugh to mask the groan that leaves him as he picks himself up off the ground

“I am so sorry, sir,” you splutter apologetically, “it was instinct and I-“

“Is this yours?” He interrupts you, holding out the photograph. Your stomach drops as your reach into your pocket and find that the picture is missing. You must have dropped it earlier when the little girl ran into you

You stand there, mouth agape and struggling to find the right words. Here is the man you’ve been wondering about all your life, but now that he’s right in front of you you have no idea what to do

“I… I’m holding it for a friend,” you lie, internally screaming at yourself for doing so

“I see. May I ask who that friend is?”

“…Lin Beifong. Do you know her?”

His eyes widen with recognition and a second emotion you can’t quite decipher, but it’s starting to make you regret ever speaking to him

“I do, though I haven’t heard that name in years.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not missing out on much,” you mumble quietly

“You know, you remind me of her,” he says much to your dismay. The last thing you want to be told is that you’re like your mother. Does he know that it’s because you are her daughter?

“I get that a lot.”

“You don’t look like you’re from around here. Do you have family here?”

“…No. I don’t.”

“Well, would you like to join my family and I for dinner? A friend of Lin’s is a friend of mine,” he offers warmly which surprises you. You were sure he hated your mother and wanted nothing to do with her. After all, according to her they didn’t exactly end on the best terms

You consider the offer, your eyes analyzing his kind features and friendly smile. But then your gaze drifts, and your sight lands on the little girl just a few feet away staring straight at you. She has your nose and your mouth. She has your father.

“Thank you, but I need to get going,” is all you say

And you don’t give him a chance to reply as you head back towards Kya’s home

This was a waste of time

#you guys might hate me for the ending #but i think it makes sense #lin beifong #lin beifong x reader #lin beifong x daughter!reader #waterbender!beifong #the legend of korra #tlok #tlok x reader #tlok imagine #headcanons

[plussizefantasia]

Cozy Corner

Flufftober Day 5: Book Shop

Loki Laufeyson x f!reader

Word Count: 1.0k

AN: I loved writing this one. I love Austen and you can absolutely tell haha. I feel like I probably should have said this before but I don't have a beta reader, any mistakes are my own. (if you want to be a beta reader for me let me know) Please reblog if you enjoyed it!

divider credit: @royallaesthetics

Your favorite part of living in New York was the fact that you could find pretty much any kind of store you could ever think of, and it would only be a short walk and a subway ride away. Take your favorite bookstore, Cozy Corner. The owner was an older woman who had introduced herself as Martha to you within the first few minutes of your first visit. Martha had been a librarian at an elementary school in Brooklyn for 45 years before she decided that she wanted to open her store.

You had stumbled upon this place by accident. You had been looking for a new store to buy books from when you had decided that the huge Barnes and Noble in the city was way too hard for you to navigate. So you went for a walk and decided to see if you could find a small one on your path.

You had, and it turned out to be one of the best things to happen to you since you moved into the city. You could spend hours of your day here, lounging in the plush chairs that sit by Martha’s front window, reading whatever new books she had gotten. She keeps bringing you mugs of coffee, and you're not exactly sure where they come from given that she doesn't sell coffee but you’re grateful for it anyway. 

Your favorite way to spend your day had become reading at the store, and the other regular that you have seen come in increasing frequency is just a bonus. At least that is what you tell Martha when she asks you what you think of the handsome man who keeps smiling at you without ever saying anything.

He is nice to look at, you won’t deny that. He’s tall and lithe and has an aura of confidence and power that you can’t seem to forget. Martha tells you he’s a fan of the classics, that he’s bought a copy of every Hemingway that she has in stock and she’s sure that the two of you would get along. You don’t know if she just wants to matchmake or if she genuinely thinks the two of you would get along but you don’t have the heart to tell her that you don’t think it’ll work out. 

He’s gorgeous and intimidating and everything you’d want in a man but is too afraid to go for. Luckily you don’t have to muster up the confidence to speak to him, he speaks to you first.

“Is this seat taken?” He asks gesturing to the only other plush chair in the store. It doesn’t exactly match the one that you’re sat in but it doesn’t take away from the ambiance in the room at all. 

You’re taken aback by his request but still manage to nod your assent. He’s never stayed this long before. Usually, he just comes in and presses the stacks for an hour or so before making a purchase and smiling at you as he leaves. Today he seems inclined to sit and start his newest purchase right away.

“Loki,” he says and reaches his hand out for you to shake. You do and give him your name in response. You don’t try to continue the conversation beyond that, afraid to interrupt Loki’s reading. He however doesn’t seem to have any qualms with conversation.

“Haven’t you read that before?” He references the semi-battered copy of Pride and Prejudice in your hands. You’re stunned by his observational skills and you admit to yourself, also a little flattered.

“It’s my favorite Austen novel. I read it at least three times a year.” You admit, pulling the book closer to your chest. You move it closer to your heart.

“I’m partial to Persuasion myself but I enjoy all of Austen’s work,” he replies and fully closes and puts down his book. It’s a leatherbound copy of Crime and Punishment, you remember reading it for a college literature class and are excited to be able to talk to him about something else.

You don’t even realize how long the two of you are talking until Martha rounds the corner with a sheepish expression on her face.

“I hate to interrupt you two but it’s time to close.” You take a glance at the clock and are surprised at how late it’s gotten. But what catches your eye is the fact that technically the shop should’ve closed two hours ago.

‘Martha!” you exclaimed “Why on earth did you let us stay for so long?” You quickly stand and go to collect your things grabbing the book on the table in front of you without really looking. Loki moves to the same. Martha tuts at you, “I was going to, but I saw how wonderfully you two were getting along and I didn’t want to stop you.” 

Your chest swells with affection for the older woman and you fondly shake your head at her. “Well next time feel free to interrupt, you don't have to stay open just for us.”

‘Next time?” Loki asks and you turn to him.

“Yeah, unless you don’t want to continue our riveting conversation on philosophy in fiction?” You ask teasingly but with an undercurrent of seriousness. You thought the conversation was going well but now you worry that maybe he didn’t think the same.

“I’d be delighted to.” He tells you “But I also believe that it is much past our dear Martha’s bedtime and we should postpone our discussion for at least a few hours.” He smirks and looks towards the woman. She takes the cue and goes to collect the rest of her belongings so that the three of you can leave and she can lock up the store behind you.

With your jacket on, ready to face the slight fall chill that permeates the late-night New York air you step out of the comfort of the store. You turn to Loki and wish him a good night before making your way down the street and towards your apartment. 

It isn’t until you get back to your palace and unpack your bag that you realize you’ve grabbed the wrong book. You smile without meaning to, it seems you have another reason to see Loki again soon.

#plus size reader #plus size!reader #fanfic #fluff #x reader #loki x reader #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki #loki imagine #loki x plus size reader

[depressedhouseplant]

🔞 Just Fucking Write - Day 51 🔞

Prompt: Boy Next Door (Wooyoung x Fem!Reader)

Tags: Narrator is female, oral (f receiving), unprotected sex (don’t do it), multiple orgasms

A/N: Let’s see how thirsty Wommys are

I was just finishing getting ready when I heard a timid knock on the door. My date for the event wasn’t supposed to be here for another ten minutes. A quick peek through the peephole revealed it was my next door neighbor.

“Problem?” I asked. It was the only reason Jung Wooyoung ever showed up at my door. He wasn’t the least bit subtle about checking me out.

“I need help with my sink again, but I guess you’re busy,” he said.

“Yes, I am,” I replied. My phone buzzed on the coffee table.

Hottie from Coffee Place: Something came up. Sorry for the last minute cancel. Will make it up to you.

“You’re joking,” I grumbled at the message.

“What happened?” Wooyoung asked, still standing in the doorway.

“My date canceled on me 10 minutes before we needed to leave,” I waved him in.

“Where were you going?” he asked.

“This thing my parents are hosting. Some kind of charity event for an animal shelter. The oldest daughter has to always be there of course,” my bitterness bled through in spite of myself.

“I can come with you. If you need a date,” he offered.

“Thanks, but I think I might just stay in and claim I got sick,” I sighed.

“How formal? I think my tux is still pressed,” he replied.

“Very funny,” I rolled my eyes.

“No, I actually own a tux. Though given how short your dress is, I’m guessing a nice shirt and pants would suffice,” he took that as another shameless excuse to check me out. I didn’t mind as much the second time.

“How do you know you don’t wear a short dress to a black tie event?” I asked.

“I’m a second son. Of those Jungs,” he chewed his lip a little. “I know all about formal parties and impressing investors and birth order.”

“So that’s why you’re completely incompetent yet refuse to call maintenance when you break something in your apartment?” I smiled a little.

“And I might have a crush on the girl next door who can fix minor plumbing or electrical issues. I promise I’ve never broken anything on purpose,” he smiled back. I considered what he’d said. Neither of my parents would have their phones and if I messaged their assistants it wouldn’t get there in time. I wasn’t in the mood to get bitched out in the morning for not showing.

“Go get changed and I’ll meet you downstairs,”

My parents were shocked when I introduced Wooyoung as my date. Not much impressed them, but apparently the handsome son of the Jung Enterprises empire was one of them - even if he was the second son. Of course, he found out who I was in the process, but given he lived in the same middle class apartment I did he clearly shared my feelings on getting out from under your parents’ weight.

“Do you want to come in?” I asked after we got back.

“I’d love to,” he grinned.

“Thank you for coming. I appreciate it,” I told him.

“I had a good time. Though I think it was mostly the company,” he replied.

“So tell me more about this crush,” I pulled him down on the couch next to me.

“Well, she’s really hot, but she’s also nice. The first week I moved in I broke my sink and couldn’t find the number for maintenance so I went to ask her and she was able to fix it herself. She always smiles and says hi when we see each other in the hall. I’ve really wanted to ask her out, but she’s so pretty and nice she’s got to have a boyfriend already, but I just found out she doesn’t,” he said.

“So does that mean you’re gonna ask her out?” I asked.

“I think I’ll see if she’d like to go out to dinner tomorrow,” he replied.

“I think she can clear her schedule,” I grinned.

“Can I ask you something else?” he inched a little closer.

“Sure,” I replied.

“Can I kiss you?” he met my eyes.

“I thought you’d never ask,” I pulled him into me and joined our lips. Before I knew it, I was straddling his lap, holding his face in my hands, and letting his tongue do things in my mouth I never knew were possible.

“Do you want to take this to the bedroom?” he asked when we finally came up for air.

“Depends, what did you have in mind?” I traced patterns over his collarbone.

“I’d like to fuck you, if you’re up for it,” he looked up at me.

“I was hoping to get laid tonight,” I kissed his cheek.

“Great!” he immediately slapped his hand over his mouth. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re cute,” I giggled as I walked him to the bedroom. “I even tidied up in anticipation.”

“Wow, you were into this guy,” Wooyoung observed.

“I’m over him now. Turns out my hot next door neighbor is into me,” I said. I pulled off my dress and lied down on the bed, my panties steadily soaking through as I looked up at him.

“Yes, yes he is,” he grinned and stripped completely. “Though if you don’t mind I’m going to tease your pussy first.”

“Don’t mind at all,” I opened my legs so he could get my panties off and get his face between my legs. If his tongue did magical things to my mouth, it was doing otherworldly things to my pussy. Under most circumstances, I would’ve been embarrassed by the noises coming out of my mouth. This time, I let myself groan and whine until Wooyoung literally held down my hips to make me come.

“Oh fuck,” I planted and pushed my hair out of my face after I finished.

“Now time for number two. You don’t mind no condom?” he said.

“No, I’m good if you are,” I replied, still trying to catch my breath.

“Perfect,” he gave me a peck on the lips then slid into me. “Hard? Slow? Don’t care?”

“You pick,” I told him.

“Then I think I’m gonna take you slow. At least let you catch your breath before I make you come again,” he grinned, lying on top of me and kissing me again. Our bodies slid against each other, sweat slicked and needy, as his hips moved against mine. Our kisses were slow and deep. This was different for me, very different, but I liked it.

“Time for you to come again,” he breathed against my ear. He pushed himself up over me and fucked into me harder. I could barely keep a grip on his arms, but managed to as he made me come a second time that night. My back bowed off the bed as I dug my nails into his biceps. I felt him start to empty into me a few seconds later.

“Fuck,” he breathed when we both finished. He rolled us over so I was on top.

“Amazing,” I kissed him. “Thank you.”

“For which part?” he asked.

“The whole night,” I replied.

“You’re welcome. Still want to go to dinner tomorrow?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” I grinned. “Assuming I decide to let you out of bed.”

“I knew I was good, but I didn’t think I was that good,” he laughed.

“Well, now you know,” I rested my head on his shoulder and traced circles on his chest, blissed out more than I’d been in a long time.

#just fucking write 2k24 #minors dni #ateez fanfic #wooyoung x y/n #wooyoung x reader #ateez smut #ateez hard thoughts

[koiibiito]

Simón probably gets turned on by your moans alone 🥵🤌

Simón Hempe x f!reader

Summary: When he got dared to call a sex hotline, Simón didn’t think it would be your voice answering the call.

TW — NSFW, f!reader, phone sex, guided masturbation, voice kink, praise, mutual pining, masturbation, handjobs, fingering, ejaculation

Tags: sex worker!reader, Matías introduced you to the rest of the cast and Simón has been crushing on you ever since. takes place while LSDLN was still in production, let’s pretend all the cast lived in the same place while filming.

Length: 2.2k

a/n. sooooo, i have no idea how i got quite a few asks to write about Simón when I’ve never written about him before the fic that i posted yesterday. but im here to try my best. and ngl i find myself more interested in him now after this one ♡

The evening starts with what Simón is convinced to be the most ridiculous dare that he has ever been subjected to. It’s not the worst dare in the history of the few rounds of Truth or Dare that the cast has played; there was that time when Jeronimo had to strip naked and streak around the neighborhood park (he was lucky it was after midnight, nobody except for a drunken man who fell asleep on the bench saw him).

At first, he’d thought that he’d misheard Matías’s request—“Call this number and release some of your built-up tension. But do it in the next room.”—because he’s adamant that he’d almost been deafened by the obnoxiously loud music that had blared from Jeronimo’s speakers, only to be then stricken by disbelief once he’d realised that he hadn’t misheard, because what the fuck? he does not need to release any built up tension, or whatever dumb excuse Matías had guffawed when he’d noticed the enraged scowl that had immediately marred Simón’s features upon receiving his dare.

But now, half an hour later, he sits on the edge of his bed—his room is coincidentally just next door, thank you very much—, thumb hesitating over the green circular icon that has nerves gnawing at the lining of his stomach. It was Matías who’d given him the number, and as he stares at the digits, he questions why he’d agreed to take part in such a childish game in the first place.

The answer to his question appears in the form of the memory of the smile that had stretched literally everyone’s lips from cheek to cheek, so unanimous that he can’t think of another instance when the boys are together in the same room and be that quiet.

Irritation has him scoffing under his breath, because, despite the fact that none of his friends would ever know if he decided to forfeit the dare, an annoyingly large part of him is now curious.

It’s just past midnight, his own bedroom enshrouded by darkness, and the blinding light that gleams from the screen of his phone has him squinting, brows pinching together. Unceremoniously, he slaps his thumb over the dial button, and after being connected to an automated system that has him reading his card details aloud, his options are recited via a robotic voice that makes him feel a tad anxious about the prospect of being scammed. Still, he tries—and fails—to place his dwindling faith upon the anonymous reviews that he’d read online, and after choosing a random option from the menu, he listens as the phone rings.

and rings.

and rings.

He’s glaring once more, huffing a string of curses under his breath, when suddenly, the call connects, and he’s greeted by a sultry murmur that has his spine stiffening.

“Hello there.”

and instantly, the blood in his veins freezes to ice.

It’s you.

Your absence has been noticeable, not just tonight but the past few weeks. Matías usually brought you with him on the weekends where they don’t have a tight filming schedule, and you hadn’t been around lately. When you’d passed on your apologies through Matías, who had recited your excuse about being caught up at work, this isn’t at all what Simón had had in mind.

It’s hardly a secret, the admiration that he’s harbored toward you for a little over half a year now, and yet, somehow, you are the only one who is oblivious to his infatuation. Though he would never admit it so, it is the fear of rejection that has aided him with maintaining the strictly platonic relationship that he has been nurturing with you over the past few months, but he’d also have to label himself a liar if he denied the fact that he’s spent many a night imagining what your voice sounds like when in the throes of passion.

But today, it seems, he’ll finally receive the answer to that question.

For a long moment, he’s so stunned, eyes widened as he stares down at the timer that continues to tick with each second spent without a word passed between the two of you. His mind whirls, debating on whether he should end the call and pretend that his entire face isn’t aflame with mortification, or if he should give into the temptation that is spurred on by his curiosity.

Eventually, it is you who breaks the silence.

“Hello? Is anyone there?”

And then because he doesn’t know what else to say, and not because he panics, he loudly blurts your name, the air rushes from his lungs.

You recognize the rough drawl that belongs to him, and now it is you who is shocked into silence. Frowning, he listens to the gentle sound of your breath, before it hitches, his name whispered from your end of the line. An awkward giggle follows next, strained with a tone that Simón chooses not to dwell on, solely for the sake of preserving his own sanity.

You pause, hesitating before you ask, “How did you get this number?”

He huffs, because of all the things to ask him, that is what you choose to dwell on?

Grunting, he answers your question with one of his own, “Is that what you say to all your clients?”

His attempt to ease the tension works, and you actually manage to choke out a genuine laugh, and with it, relief floods from his lips in the shape of a sigh.

“Well, I’ve never had any complaints before,” you joke, and he has to swallow down the ugly churning of envy that bubbles at the center of his chest.

You’re not his, he has to remind himself. again.

And even if you were, a job is a job, even if it kills him to know that he’s only just finding out that potentially hundreds of others have heard the way that you sound when aroused.

But now, it’s his turn. He doesn’t know if he should curse or thank any Gods that might have helped land him in this precious situation.

“Really, though… why did you call?”

He could’ve—should’ve—thought of literally any excuse in the world, but instead, he settles upon the truth; “Matías dared me.”

“Oh.”

Your answer is blunt, and even to him, it sounds forced.

“Well, I.. uh… I’m still on shift, so I’ll disconnect the call and have them send you a refund—”

The words are rushed; you’re opting for an escape, he recognises. The slur of your words is interrupted, however, when his tone lowers to a grunt as he asks, “What if I don’t want a refund?”

There’s a pause, and then a, “Don’t be stupid. You don’t have to actually do the dare, you know—”

White knuckled, he clutches at his phone, raising the microphone a tad closer to his mouth. “What if I want what I’m paying for?”

Eagerly, he listens to the soft exhale that flutters through the speaker.

Something shifts, the atmosphere suddenly charged with a tension that Simón can’t quite put his finger on. Anticipation has his blood thrumming, perspiration forming at every ridge of his palms, and he swallows thickly.

“You… you what—?’

You pause, voice catching on the unspoken question. Still, he’d be deaf to not recognise the lilting of your tone, your interest evident in the way that your breath quickens.

“Is there a problem?”

“No!” Your raised voice startles him, almost deafens him with the speaker raised so close to his ear. “I mean, uh—no. Sorry. That’s… that’s not a problem. That’s not a problem at all.”

Your coy tone is endearing, and he huffs a teasing chuckle down the speaker. When you’re all shy like this, he can relax, because he knows you well and he knows when the ball is in his court. The noise has you spluttering, and he wishes that he could see your face. There’s a brief moment of silence, but when next you speak, your voice has dipped, taking upon the sultry tone that you’d greeted him with.

“I’ve thought about this before, you know?”

Surprise has his brows raising. So much for knowing you well.

“Yeah?” he’s shifting, moving along the mattress in order to lean against the wall. legs stretched, his feet dangling over the edge of the bed. An exhale is breathed from between his nostrils, “What have you been thinking?”

The giggle that he has come to adore trickles through the speaker, and he finds that the corners of his mouth stretch without his meaning to.

“That I’ve wanted to hear you cum for such a long time.”

Simón can’t help the choked moan that heaves from his chest. “F-fuck—you have?” He’s already palming at the bulge that is quickly expanding in size beneath the cotton fabric of his sweatpants, the familiar ache of arousal coiling tight within his abdomen.

So much for having the ball in his court, eh?

The sound of fabric rustling follows the quiet moan that comes from your end of the line. “Simón,” you breathe his name, “come on, take off your clothes for me.”

He’s never followed an order so quickly.

The soft gray sweats are shimmied down the muscle length of his legs, and then kicked from his ankles, the fabric flying to the carpet, rapidly joined by the t-shirt that is ripped from over the top of his head. The decision to forgo any form of underwear is one that aids the temptation to touch himself—one that he gives into. However, his fingertips are just ghosting over his reddened tip, when your next instruction has his fist clenching into the bedsheets, a strained groan escaping him.

“Not yet.”

“C’mon,” the back of his head thumps against the wall, and he forces a strained laugh. “Don’t—”

“Don’t…?” you interrupt, and he can hear your damned smile. “I thought you wanted this.”

Fuck him, because he does want this—how could you not know how desperate he is for you?

And fuck you, because he’s known for a long time that you’re going to be the death of him.

His cock agrees, wetly twitching against the crook of which his hip meets his thigh. His head is dizzy with the fire-like arousal that scorches his veins, and he can’t even find it in him to be embarrassed by the way that his slit is leaking a mess all over. His balls are heavy and full where they hang between his legs, and each time that his length throbs, they tighten with the need to spill his seed into a hole that waits for him on the other end of the line.

Your wanton moan has him echoing the sound back to you, brows knitted tightly together as his hips buck, a smattering of sweat beginning to form at his temples.

“Simón, I—”he strains to hear the muted schlick, schlick, schlick of your pretty fingers drilling into the very cunt that has haunted his thoughts and manipulated his dreams since the day he met you. It’s insane, how much it turns him on to know that you’re like this because of him, rendered speechless as you pleasure yourself. The sound of your arousal has the ache worsening, and with it, grows the craving to reach for the length that hums with the need to climax.

“Y/N” your name is roughly gasped into the microphone, and your answer is one that has his shoulders sagging with relief.

“Gonna need you to touch yourself, for me—ah!—just… just the tip, though, ‘kay?”

His fingers follow your instruction eagerly, gently grazing over the bulbous tip that glistens, stained with the evidence of his arousal. The pad of his thumb strokes over his frenulum, and the twang of electric heat has him groaning, slack jawed as he spreads the translucent stickiness over the bundle of nerves that sing their approval. His toes curl, hips canting upward, and his fingers form a fist, curled tight around the scarlet coloured tip that is yet to stop leaking.

His fist twists, and it’s a mistake, as his thighs shake with the effort to prevent the inevitable release that begs to be freed. Ever so sweetly, you finally grant him permission to drag his palm down the width of his girth, and he swears under his breath, eyelids scrunched shut as his muscles flex, pelvis rolling to repeatedly fill the curl of his fingers.

You’re giggling something unintelligible, having given up on the pretense of instructing the uneven glide of his fist, moaning along with him as he grunts and gasps and groans his approval in the shape of your name. Suddenly, the song you sing crests in pitch, and he holds his breath, greedily listening to the way that you wail his name, a broken sob quickly following the spray of your sap that clings to your inner thighs in a sticky mess.

He promptly decides that this is his new favorite sound.

Your orgasm has his own breaching with just a hurried tug of his fist, and he comes undone with a sharp yell. Pearl-coloured lava oozes from his slit in a rapid succession of spurts that dribble down the ridges of his abdominal muscles like treacle, the pulse of his blood deafening as it thunders down the shells of his ears. erratically, his lungs expand and contract, desperately attempting to settle the uneven hitching of his breath. You recover far quicker than he does, and the sound of your breathless titter has a grin of his own slanting the corners of his mouth, his cheeks aflame.

“So… what are you gonna tell the guys about your dare?”

#lsdln x reader #lsdln smut #simon hempe smut #simon hempe x reader

[munsons-hellfire]

My Love Will Never Die: Prologue

SUMMARY: Circe Archeron is faced with the tragedy of losing her cousin when a faerie arrives at their home demanding to know who had killed the wolf.

PAIRINGS: Azriel x Circe Archeron x Eris Vanserra

CONTENT WARNING: None really, at least I don't think.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello and welcome to the prologue of My Love Will Never Die. I have had this idea for a while. There will be two other characters that will be introduced in this series. The first chapter will take place in A Court of Mist and Fury. I hope you enjoy this! Also I decided to write this in first person pov instead of 3rd person. If you'd like to be added to a taglist for this series let me know in the comments.

WORD COUNT: 3.7K

My Love Will Never Die Masterlist

Snow and ice crusted the earth below. But it didn’t matter to me, I stood tall in the snow covered trees. My dirty-blonde hair was pulled back and braided so it would be out of my way. I jumped from tree to tree, Feyre was always jealous of the fact that I had an easy time hiding in the trees. I had always felt this heavy weight on my back, and because of it I had learned to balance myself especially in trees.

They became my friends. Odd, I know, but totally worth it when we’d go out hunting. That’s what my cousin and I had been doing, hunting for food in this brisk winter. I could feel the cold running along my skin. I had been living with the Archeron sisters since shortly before they had to leave the luxurious home behind and move into a smaller home. I didn’t understand why my parents had dropped me off with my cousins, all I know is they’re hiding something from me. One day I’ll figure it out. But today I’m hunting in the woods.

Feyre and I had separated from each other hours ago. We’d hoped that by doing so we’d gain more distance to find something to eat. But so far I had no such luck, I was secretly hoping that Feyre had gained the luck today. Feyre and I had started to go out into the woods to hunt for food when we were fourteen. Her reasoning was a promise she��d made to her mother, mine was mostly because I didn’t like to be alone with Nesta and Elain when Feyre wasn’t there.

Our relationship was strained. Nesta hated me, I don’t know why. I guess she blames me for moving in, because soon after they could no longer afford anything. I’m not sure honestly, she doesn’t ever give me an answer whenever I question her, whenever I ask her the same question. She just lets it fuss out like it's nothing important and honestly I’ve given up trying to figure out why she hates me. Feyre and I are now nineteen, it’s crazy, I know but what more can I do in this life.

Most of the things I know how to do I managed to teach myself, reading is one of those things. I’m not as skilled in reading but I can get by somewhat. It’s not important right now anyway. I’ve tried to help Feyre but I don’t really know what I’m doing. Feyre has become my best friend, she’s more of a sister than a cousin. And I so badly wished to have had that sibling connection with her that Nesta and Elain have with her but seem to not care much about.

I shake my head, easily getting lost in my thoughts these days when I’m alone in the woods. I gripped the bark tightly, small scratches littered my palms. I tend to get my hands cut a lot when I’d climb up into the trees. Feyre always had something to say about it and I know she’ll most likely say something about it when she sees my hands. Sometimes I like to feel pain, and the only healthy way is to climb trees. I adjust myself trying to ignore the heavy weight on my back.

I knew at this point without having any luck it was time to call quits and head home. I was hoping that Feyre had already made it back to the small house. I lunge off the branch I was hanging out on, I grip onto the next branch holding it tightly as I swing back and forth. The slight pain in my hands is evident. Finally I’m able to let go of the branch and land on the icy ground. The ice crunches beneath my boot covered feet.

I pull my dagger from my holster, it’s not much but it’s kept me safe over the years since I’ve started hunting. I lower myself into a crouching position and release a breath. My breath mixes with the cold air causing it to turn into a mist. Just to be safe I always stay low to the ground to make sure I’m not caught as I walk back home to the house where Nesta, Elain and my Uncle are. All of whom probably aren’t doing anything.

An hour later I had given up on the crouching, but I’d made it home. The dagger is back in the sheath. I don’t need Nesta and Elain to know I have it. One day I’d found it near the border that separates us from the Faeries, it was calling to me. Odd. It was so odd that a dagger was calling my name. But I found it and since then it has been with me. Finally reaching the door I pushed it open and walked inside.

A soft grunt leaves my throat as I enter the house. The house had a small amount of warmth, I could feel it but it was barely there. Not that I mind, I preferred the cold anyway. At least that’s what I tell myself. My ocean blue eyes land on my Uncle and cousins all of whom are close to each other.

“Where’s Feyre?” Nesta questioned, not bothering to give me another glance.

“Like you care.” I mumbled the words as I removed my cloak from my body. It didn’t do much to keep me warm during the winter but it was better than nothing. “She’s probably still hunting, I didn;t have any luck but I’m hoping that Feyre found something.” I said that loud enough that all three could hear me. Nesta didn’t budge, nor did Elain. I walked past them making my way into our small shared room. Sometimes I wish I could sleep on the floor in the winter. I hate sharing a room with my cousins. Feyre not so much because she didn’t hate me.

I closed the door behind me once I was in the room. I needed to change into warmer, dry clothes. I tracked towards the dresser and kneeled down to stare at the painting Feyre had drawn on my drawer. I had the same recording dream, it was always blurry so I couldn’t make out much. But I got enough from the dream. I had asked Feyre one day to paint hazel and amber eyes, mixed with bat wings, shadows and flames. I could never really understand why I had seen those images so constantly in my dreams but I wanted to be able to see them no matter the time of day.

Feyre had even questioned me about it when she was painting it, but I just didn’t know how to answer it other than the fact that I had seen everything when I was asleep. I didn’t know who the eyes belonged to but I knew one day that I’d figure it out eventually. I knew whomever the eyes belonged to they would most likely be important to me. After pulling on a warm set of clothes I heard the front door open, followed by Feyre’s voice and shortly after Nesta’s voice.

“Where did you get that?” Nesta had asked, as I rejoined them. I glanced over at Feyre as she looked at me. Over the years Feyre and I had developed a secret sort of communication and were able to talk with each other via expressions. Feyre was asking for my help without actually saying something. I moved from my spot walking over to her.

“Where do you think I got it?” Feyre questioned back, her voice hoarse.

I looked over at Nesta and my Uncle, they were by the hearth warming their hands. I had noticed Elain but gave her no mind just like she did to me. I watched closely as Feyre removed a wolf pelt from the doe she had collected. Then she turned and took her boots off placing them by the door. Feyre turned back towards Elain and myself, she glanced at her second oldest sister before her eyes fell onto me.

“Will it take you long to clean it?” Elain had asked simply.

I took note of the question, it was directed towards me and Feyre. We were the only ones who truly knew how to clean an animal. It wasn’t a hard task to learn, all things considered. I released a huff and glided towards the doe. I paid no mind to the conversation going on currently. At some point Feyre had joined me and we began working together.

“Are you going to come with us to the market tomorrow?” I lifted my eyes at the question Feyre had asked. Then briefly I looked over at Nesta and Elain.

“I think I’ll stay here if that’s all right.” For some reason my voice was soft as I answered Feyre’s question. Feyre only gave a nod and the conversation dropped there. Eventually night fell and we were stuffed in the bed. I was exhausted from today’s adventure and ready for bed.

☾

I had spent most of the day with my Uncle though he hadn’t made much of an effort to talk to me. So I ended up in the trees. When I didn’t want to talk to anyone this is where I’d come. I’d pick a tree, climb it and sit on the branch. Sometimes I’d stay resting on the tree well past sunset to watch the stars shine brightly in the sky. This was my safe heaven and I didn’t know what I’d do without this. Feyre stood down below staring up at me.

“Come on, food’s ready.” She said my cousin was never happy that I could climb the trees. She also didn’t understand why I did it. In a sense I guess I needed to be closer to the stars or the sun or maybe the clouds. I never really knew, it was always a guessing game with my feelings. “When will you stop climbing into trees?”

I shrugged my shoulders, attempting to move the weight on my back. It always felt like something was dragging against the ground. I didn’t understand it, I had hoped to one day reunite with my parents and ask them why it felt that way on my back. I hadn’t seen them since they dropped me off at my cousins, so I guess I would never really get my answers. I looked back at Feyre realizing that she was still waiting for me to answer her question, the one I hadn’t answered yet.

“Never. It’s my safe haven away from Nesta, Elain and Uncle.” I finally answered the question as Feyre and I started walking back towards the home.

“Just don’t hurt yourself. I can’t lose my best friend.” Feyre looked at me. Her blue-green eyes blazing brightly. We entered the house, finally we were all sitting down and eating the deer. I wasn’t in the mood to listen to whatever conversation they were having. I would take small bites of my food to savor it, and in between I’d play with it until I decided to take another bite. A roar so loud I had to cover my ears brought me out of my thoughts.

Hesitantly I reached for my dagger, but didn’t make a move to pull it out of its sheath. Nesta and Elain were screaming, snow burst into the room we were in as the door opened and a growling figure appeared in our line of sight. I was so confused as to what was going on but finally I pulled the dagger out of my hands and moved in front of Nesta and Elain. The dagger was in front of me as I looked up at the beast. My heartbeat was beating so fast, I couldn’t seem to calm it down.

“MURDERERS!” Its voice was rough as it looked around the room. My breath caught in my throat as I glanced over at Feyre. We both knew what this was. Faerie. I couldn’t believe there was a Fae in our home. Who was it and what did they want? Those were the only questions that seemed to be running through my mind. “MURDERERS!” It roared again.

“P-please,” I could hear my Uncle’s voice from somewhere in the room. I couldn’t look away from the beast to figure out where his voice was coming from. “Whatever we have done, we did so unknowingly, and—”

“W-w-we didn’t kill anyone.” Nesta added, choking on the sobs that left her lips. I briefly pulled my eyes away from the beast and saw her holding the iron bracket over her head. I guess she hoped it would protect her from the monster at our front door.

“Get out,” Feyre snapped at the beast, she held a dinner knife in front of her. I shifted slightly and caught the eyes of the beast. It looked at me, then it seemed to halt its movements. It sensed something on me, I could tell. “Get out, and begone.” Feyre added. His roar was so loud it shook the entire cottage along with everything in it. Before I had a chance to speak I watched Feyre hurl her hunting knife at the beast. But he was able to block it before it made contact with his skin.

Feyre stumbled backwards almost knocking into her father. I stepped forward slightly, the faerie had almost killed my cousin. I had almost lost her. The eyes of the monster landed on me, he looked at me differently then he had looked at Feyre. I straightened my back slightly, moving my shoulders to adjust the weight on my back. It was almost like he could sense that something was different about me. That I was different from my cousins. But as far as I was aware whatever was different about me he couldn’t see it. At least that’s what I hoped.

“WHO KILLED HIM?” He roared out, pulling his eyes away from me to look around at the rest of my family. He stalked towards us, he set his paw on the table, his claws scratched into the table one by one. I shuddered at the thought of what those claws could do.

“Killed who?” Feyre was quick to ask the question.

He growled out, his voice was low, “the wolf.” I looked to my cousin as her eyes fell to mine. I hadn’t been with her but she had in fact killed that wolf. At this moment I wish I had been with her. Maybe I should tell the creature that I was the one who had killed the wolf, but I knew Feyre wouldn’t let me do that.

“A wolf?” Elain released a shriek, I had to stop myself from covering my ears when I heard it.

“A large wolf with a gray coat,” he snarled at us.

“If it was mistakenly killed,” Feyre said to the beast, her voice calm. “What payment could we offer in exchange?” I closed my eyes dreading what this creature might want in return.

“The payment you must offer is the one demanded by the Treaty between our realms.”

“For a wolf?” I asked, tilting my head. This was so confusing.

“Who killed the wolf?” His eyes whirled around the room staring at each of us. I moved my shoulders, stepping forward however Feyre beat me to it.

“I did.” She said.

“Surely you lie to save them, to save her.” He said pointing at me with his clawed finger. I gulped, I feared that he might try and take me instead of Feyre. This wasn’t happening, this had to be a dream. I need to wake up now, I go to pinch myself only it hurts. This is real.

“We didn’t kill anything!” Elain cried. “Please… please, spare us!” Nesta hushed Elain, though she did it through her own crying. I couldn’t bring myself to cry like they were. I guess because I had been hunting for a while with Feyre. Suddenly my Uncle was standing from where he’d been sitting, grunting in pain.

“I killed it!” Feyre said, I watched as the beast pulled his eyes away from Nesta and Elain to look at her. “I sold its hide at the market today. If I had known it was a faerie, I wouldn’t have touched it.” I knew that was a lie.

“Liar.” So did he, apparently. “You knew. You would have been more tempted to slaughter it had you known it was one of my kind.”

“Can you blame me?”

“Did it attack you? Were you provoked?”

I looked over at my cousin waiting for her to say yes, to say something other than the word that was uttered from her mouth, “No,” she said, with a snarl of her own. “But considering all that your kind has done to us, considering what your kind still likes to do to us, even if I had known beyond a doubt, it was deserved.”

He released a growl to Feyre’s answer. I could feel the rage coming from the creature. I think we all could. I didn’t like where this was heading and I knew where this was heading. I didn’t want it to be the case. I can’t lose Feyre, she’s all I have. Sure the others are here but they don’t really care for me, I’m just an extra mouth that my parents forced them to take care of because they couldn’t handle whatever was wrong with me.

“What is the payment the Treaty requires?”

He continued to stare at Feyre as he talked to her, “A life for a life. Any unprovoked attacks on faerie-kind by humans are to be paid only by a human life in exchange.” Nesta and Elain stopped crying at the admission.

“I didn’t know.” Feyre said. “Didn’t know about that part of the Treaty.”

I couldn’t think of a way out of this, of a way to keep Feyre here with us. “Most of you mortals have chosen to forget that part of the Treaty,” he said, “which makes punishing you far more enjoyable.”

The panic inside me was flickering, I couldn’t lose her. He was going to take her away. I would never see the only person who understood me ever again.

“Do it outside,” Feyre whispered, her voice trembling. I wanted to cry for the first time in what felt like forever. But I still couldn’t bring myself to not yet anyway. “Not… here.”

“Willing to accept your fate so easily?” He asked. “For having the nerve to request where I slaughter you, I’ll let you in on a secret, human: Prythian must claim your life in some way, for the life you took from it. So as a representative of the immortal realm, I can either gut you like swine, or… you can cross the wal and live our the remainder of your days in Prythian.”

“What?” Feyre asked.

“Please.” I begged, no matter how hard I was trying to hold back my tears they had started to fall down my face. “Please don’t take her away from me. I can’t lose her.” I broke, as the words exited my mouth. My knees trembled and I quickly dropped to the ground staring at the beast.

“You can either die tonight or offer your life to Prythian by living in it forever, forsaking the human realm.”

I was shaking my head looking at my cousin. “Do it, Feyre,” my Uncle whispered from behind Feyre. “Go.”

“No. Please.” I cried out again.

“Live where? Every inch of Prythian is lethal to us.” She does have a point. “Why bother?”

“You murdered my friend,” he snarled at her. “Murdered him, skinned his corpse, sold it at the market, and then said he deserved it, and yet you have the nerve to question my generosity?”

Feyre stepped forward. “You didn’t need to mention the loophole.”

He released another snarl. “Foolish of me to forget that humans have such low opinions of us. Do you humans no longer understand mercy?” He’s so close to Feyre now. “Let me make this clear for you, girl: you can either come live at my home in Prythian—offer your life for the wolf’s in that way—or you can walk outside right now and be shredded to ribbons. Your choice.”

“Please, good sire—Feyre is my youngest. I beseech you to spare her. She is all… she is all…” His words seemed to die in his throat as he talked. “Please—”

“Silence.”

“I can get gold—” He tried to come up with a compromise, and I hoped that the beast would allow it over taking Feyre away.

“How much is your daughter’s life worth to you? Do you think it equates to a sum?” He questioned. Nothing came out to answer the question, the silence was deafening as Feyre stepped forward. She looked back at me, like she was sending her apology to me. I knew what it meant, she was leaving to protect all of us. And to honor the Treaty he was talking about.

“When do we go?” Feyre asked, I started shaking my head. I couldn’t breath, this was happening too fast for my liking.

“Now.”

I couldn’t hear anything after that. It was all silent. I wanted this to be a dream more than anything right now. I wish it were. I really do wish I could just wake up from this. I felt myself begging the creature over and over, asking to go with them. But Feyre turned it down before I even had a chance. I felt her arms around me as she said goodbye. But I still couldn’t process anything. Before I knew it she was gone, taken just like that.

I wouldn’t have my best friend with me anymore. I’d live a life without her and that broke me. I crumpled to the floor and cried out silently. I received no comfort from any of them the rest of the night. I just stayed on the floor until I eventually cried myself to sleep, hoping for a better future. Maybe I’d get a better future now. I just had to remain strong and not let my thoughts consume me. But that was a difficult challenge.

#azriel x original character #eris vanserra x original character #azriel x eris #a court of thorns and roses #feyre archeron #original characters #nesta archeron #papa archeron #elain archeron #azriel #eris vanserra

[stillsolo]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN. respond to the prompts out of character !

what made you pick up the current muse(s) you have? oh, where do i even begin?  well, i suppose i should start with how long sw has been in my life.  ANH was the first movie my mother ever saw when she visited the USA; she saw it with my grandmother ( and subsequently developed a massive crush on harrison, so indiana jones became a huge part of my childhood too lol ).  for this reason, my mother introduced my brother and I to sw when we were actual babies.  then, when the prequels came out, it’s all me and my brother consumed.  from the movies themselves to the original clone wars cartoon to the PS2 games to the novels/book series.  we watched it on a tiny portable player for every trip, and every time my relatives needed us to go away to let the adults talk lol.  it also helped our comprehension of english so much. i can’t recall a time in which sw hasn’t been present in my life! before i joined the tumblr swrpc, i kept to myself in the prequels community, wrote fanfic, and rped anakin on skype.  he’s always been a character that hit a little too close to home in one too many ways.  the main parallel i have with him (that doesn’t relate to his mental issues haha) is his love/devotion/attachment to his mother.  it’s difficult for me to explain without getting into the aspects of my culture (孝順 / filial piety), but in short, i am cantonese; if my mother asked me for my thumb tomorrow, i would give her my arm today.  anakin’s love for his mother, his determination to free her from slavery at an early age, was very touching.  EPII has been memed to oblivion, yes, but the pain i feel when anakin doesn’t get to hear his mother tell him she loves him one last time before she dies, and knowing that it haunts him for the rest of his life (eu), makes me want to throw myself out a window lmao  i have an extremely close relationship with my parents; this sort of pain is absolutely gutting for someone like me. anyway, when i joined the tumblr swrpc, writing han solo was never the plan.  i originally wanted to write luke but ended up changing my mind at the last second.  I’d written well over a dozen fics with han at that point, but was nowhere near confident, so i thought of it as more of an experiment. guess that doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, because if you really think about it, since the day i started writing him in fics, he hasn’t stopped butting into my brain.  in fact, he’s been harassing me ever since—to the point that i even switched from writing luke to him… lol given my upbringing and my mother’s love for him, han has always been my childhood hero, as well as my brother’s.  our dad was our han solo.  the nostalgic and familial associations run so deep, it’s difficult to articulate.  we share many traits, right down to his universally agreed-upon zodiac sign (sagittarius); i know han solo like the back of my hand—and it’s probably because i wanted to be just like him when i grew up.

is there anything you don’t like to write? character death.  if i have to say another, it’s when people conflate harrison with the character he plays and then decides to address that in a thread.  harrison was a ladies man back in the 80s, and that’s fine, but that doesn’t mean the same for han.  i hate seeing the conflation between the two.  not sure if this happens as often anymore, but there was a time when fics/threads/even han rpers would lean into it, by default, thus totally destroying his character in my eyes.  i mean, write it as a storyline, that’s cool and fine, but infidelity has never been inherently part of his character.  i will die on this fucking hill.

is there anything you really enjoy writing? most unpopular opinion ever: action sequences.  critical situations, fast paced action, thriller scenes featuring immediate, life-threatening circumstances.  i love writing that which exhibits a sense of urgency and tension, with sprinklings of emotional depth and contemplative introspective moments.  scenes with internal conflict combined with aforementioned external events.  even evading enemy forces, sustaining minor/major injuries, dressing wounds.  dunno why those are always the most fun to me.  aside from that?  romance/romantic angst.  i’ve had many writing partners over the years, and each one thought they could outdo me in writing romantic angst.  sometimes, the psychosomatic pain of heartbreak isn’t far from feeling like you’ve lost a limb in battle.

how do you come up with headcanons? by being the most annoying, meticulous person ever.  i’m extremely detail oriented; when i see incongruities in my own work, i perish.  so, when i come up with headcanons, i have to consider all factors that may affect the outcome of whatever question i’ve posed in my mind and feel the need to justify my choices, for whatever reason, by tying it back to XYZ.  my headcanons must align with my muse’s personality, their environment from childhood to adulthood, their current circumstances, and if it’s an AU, how it mirrors canon events.  canon/eu is everything imo, because they are their own choices; it’s what shaped them into the character we know them as.  ofc, this is my process and opinion, so make of that what you will.

do you write in silence or do you play music? no music, no tv.  sometimes people talking is too much for me.  i have adhd and my medication only helps so much.  i will absolutely start writing down the conversation or lyrics playing in the background lol

do you plan your replies or wing them? plotting vs planning replies is different to me.  plotting gives me a foundation, but it can’t be too confining.  to plan a reply is to block out each moment.  if you trap me, i will always deviate; so i wing everything, even when i have a foundation.

do you enjoy shipping? yes, absolutely!  i’m not sure why people tend to assume otherwise, but i’m more open to it than people think.  i’ve never cared about who you write, if they’re in the sw franchise, or even what era of sw etc etc  never given a shit about what people think; if our muses click, they click.  honestly, some of the best ships i’ve had with han, as in the most enjoyable and enlightening of his character, have been ‘crack ships’.

what’s your alias/name? vin, vince, vincent.  vincent van hoe.  trash bin vin.

age? 27!

birthday? dec 2!

favorite color? silver.  if that’s not a color to you, then blue.

favorite song? you can’t expect me to… well, ‘in your eyes’ by the weeknd has been up there for a long time.

last movie you watched? star wars: the clone wars (2008)

last show you watched? … the clone wars lol

last song you listened to? billie jean - MJ.

favorite food? my mother’s 番茄炒蛋 ( egg and tomato stir fry ), unagi, freshly baked breads, fresh fruit …

favorite season? i get mostly tropical weather, but i love a cold winter.

do you have a tumblr best friend? unfortunately, so many people have left the site over the years, but i'm grateful to call these people some of the closest friends i have in the rpc: @techniiciian @desiccation @vibraea @rcvanchist @sgterso @voxcrystallis

tagged : @debelltio thank you for thinking of me!! tagging : if you're still reading this, i tag you!

#( . i hope i didn't bore anyone to death haha i already cut out so much skdfjksdf #( . im a bit of a Yapper y'see‚ and i can ramble about sw stuff like nobody's business #( . anyway just know that i always come back to han‚ no matter what. he's so annoying lmao #˒・*。◞ ( dash game ) *･ﾟ✧ ⎸ ғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴇ ғᴀᴠᴏʀs ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏʟᴅ‚ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ’ᴍ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ʟᴜᴄᴋʏ. #˒・*。◞ ( ooc ) *･ﾟ✧ ⎸ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ᴄᴀʀʙᴏɴɪᴛᴇ. #long post ts

[ctitan98official]

RE8 women get pregnant by Y/N: Daniela

Cute Dani, I love her so much! The crazy redhead but even more out of her mind because of pregnancy hormones? Holy shit, this one’s chaotic. Let’s get into it!

Dani and Y/N were pretty much in love the moment they first spotted each other.

Dani sometimes had trouble interacting with others because she literally had no filter. Y/N found this endearing, though.

Y/N sometimes had difficulty existing because of how stupid they were. Dani found this endearing, though.

It’s like the two were destined to be together.

One of Dani and Y/N’s favorite things to do together was watch movies and then reenact their favorite scenes. They were insufferable after Y/N introduced her to The Incredibles.

“You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!” Y/N dramatically shouts. “Greater good?! I am your wife! I’m the greatest GOOD you are EVER gonna get!” Dani yells. The two end up in stitches every time. Everybody else in the castle just rolls their eyes.

Because of Dani lacking a general filter before she says things, sometimes she blurts stuff out before she has a chance to refine her choice of words. Like what Dani says to Y/N right before they fall asleep one night.

“Y/N,” She says as she gently scratches them on the head. “When are you finally going to put a baby in me?”

Y/N, who only seconds ago was just about asleep, sat up in embarrassment, cheeks flaming. “Dani! Don’t say stuff like that!” They cringed. “And since when did you want a baby?”

Dani blushed. “I thought you were asleep, Y/N!” She says, mortified that Y/N heard her.

Y/N raises an eyebrow. “Answer the question, Dani.”

“Fine!” Dani says, getting flustered. “Well, I’ve always kind of wanted one, but… I wasn’t sure if you did. It would be so cute though, Y/N! Just think about it: You, me, and a precious little baby! What do you think?”

Y/N was quiet for a moment, but eventually laughed. “What if you thought you wanted one, but you really just wanted a dog or something? I know how you are!”

Dani furrowed a brow at Y/N. “Believe it or not, Y/N, but I’ve been around a lot longer and have experienced much more than you. Just because I like to joke around, doesn’t mean I haven’t given this a lot of thought.”

Y/N was kind of stunned at how serious Dani was. They felt bad for dismissing Dani’s feelings. They hugged her and kissed the side of her head. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m sure you have been thinking about this for a while. You just caught me off guard, that’s all. I mean, I don’t hate the idea of a baby… It could be fun.” Y/N said.

The two just stare at each other for a moment.

Dani breaks the silence. “Well, it’s not like I can do this by myself. Wanna help me out, lover?” She purrs and pulls Y/N in for a kiss.

Y/N pretty much gives in the moment Dani starts kissing them.

The two lovebirds go several rounds before Y/N and Dani are both exhausted.

“That was fucking awesome, babe!” Y/N exclaims. Dani giggles at Y/N’s enthusiasm. “I was just about to say the same thing.” She says and gives them one more kiss.

Y/N lays their head down on Dani’s chest and finally falls asleep.

——————————————————————————

Dani and Y/N have made baby-making their number one priority over the last couple of weeks. They try to have sex at least twice a day to maximize their potential.

Dani has made daily trips to see Miranda so she can give her pregnancy tests. Miranda told Dani that it would be fine to wait for a couple of weeks in between tests, but Dani insisted that she had to know as soon as possible. Miranda wasn’t going to argue with the excitable redhead.

One day, about 3 weeks into the process of trying for a baby, Dani finally got the news she wanted. She was pregnant. Miranda congratulated her as soon as she got the results back. Dani wept very loudly and damn near tackled Miranda in a hug. She couldn’t believe one of her biggest dreams was finally coming true.

Dani told Miranda goodbye and made her way back to the castle to tell Y/N.

Y/N cheered and picked up Dani before kissing her when she told them the news. Then they panicked that they grabbed her too tightly and gently set her down. “Sorry! Are you okay?” they asked.

“I’m fine, Y/N. I’m not made of glass.” Dani giggled. “Can you believe there’s a baby right here?!” She grabbed Y/N’s hand and placed it on her stomach.

“Well, I put a lot of work into this. I’m glad to see some return on my investment!” Y/N joked.

Telling Dani’s overprotective big sisters and mother about the pregnancy was… Interesting.

“My youngest daughter! You’ve gone and gotten my baby pregnant, you disrespectful welp! You will pay for this.” Alcina said as she picked up Y/N and shook them roughly by the collar.

“Wait, mother! We planned this. I was the one who wanted the baby in the first place!” Dani defended Y/N.

Alcina gritted her teeth and dropped Y/N on the ground. She should have known to keep a closer eye on Y/N and Dani. “Well, this is both of your responsibilities. I’m not going to stay up all night with a crying baby just because you two want to get some rest!”

Later on, Dani told Y/N that Alcina was totally bluffing in front of them. After her mother’s blow-up, Dani went to talk with Alcina privately. She said that the lady of the castle hugged her and bawled her eyes out over the news. “Mother said that if we need anything, she would be happy to help us out.” Dani said with a grin.

Y/N was speechless. They felt like they got let off the hook big time.

Then they had to tell Bela and Cass…

While Bela was shocked, and kind of mad at Y/N, she soon got over it and told Dani and Y/N that she was happy for them.

Cass on the other hand, was downright murderous. “You idiot!” She said to Y/N, brandishing her sickle and holding it against their throat. “Nobody does this to the Dimitrescu family and lives to talk about it!”

Y/N might have peed themself a bit.

Dani rolls her eyes and tells Cass to knock it off. “Don’t be dramatic, Cassie. We are very happy about the baby.”

Cass looks between Y/N and Dani for a moment before growling and lowering her weapon. Even she knows not to mess with Dani too much.

——————————————————————————

A few months into the pregnancy, Dani now has a cute little baby bump that she is very proud of. Dani makes it a rule that whenever Y/N gives her a kiss they also have to kiss her tummy. Y/N doesn’t really mind, though.

Y/N thinks she looks very adorable like this.

Dani’s mood swings on the other hand… Not quite as cute.

“Y/N! Bring me some ice cream, NOW!” She shouts angrily at Y/N who is literally sitting right next to her. They almost suffer hearing damage from the volume of her voice.

“Oww, Dani! You’re hurting my ears!” Y/N says and claps their hands on either side of their head.

Dani promptly bursts into tears. “You hate me! And you hate our baby! How could you deny ice cream to the mother of your child!” She weeps.

Y/N has never seen Dani this unhinged before. They’re kind of scared of her when she’s like this.

However, other times, she is very sweet and loving.

“Y/N, I love you so much! You make everything better!” She gushes as she reads a mushy romance novel while Y/N gives her sore neck and shoulders a massage. She’s currently propped up against Y/N’s front as they lay on her bed. “Heh, I try my best!” They wrap their arms around Dani and kiss her cheek which makes Dani giggle. Y/N enjoys snuggling into Dani when she’s like this. She gives the best cuddles.

Right when Y/N finishes rubbing Dani’s neck, she grabs their hands and places them on her bump.

“Let’s play a game!” She turns to Y/N with a smile.

Y/N is confused, but shrugs. “Uh, okay!” They agree.

“Whoever can get the baby to kick first wins!” Dani challenges.

Y/N smirks. “That’s easy! I’ll tell a joke!” They clear their throat. “Why does Santa Claus have such a big sack? Because he only comes once a year!” Y/N busts out laughing at their stupid joke.

Dani groans and smacks Y/N on the leg. “Y/N, you’re going to ruin Christmas for them, you idiot!” She says.

But, there is absolutely no movement from the baby.

Y/N tries to make an excuse. “They must be sleeping, that’s all!”

Dani smirks. “Let me try.” She says and looks down at her belly. “Hi baby. Can you say hello to mommy?” She asks gently.

The baby kicks rapidly at Dani’s voice. Dani turns to Y/N and laughs. “I win!”

“Damn it! No fair! You two have ganged up against me or something!” Y/N pouts.

“Aww, don’t be sad, Y/N. They just like me better, that’s all!” Dani gloats.

The next hour is spent with Y/N trying, and failing, to get the baby to kick. This time, Y/N is the one who bursts into tears and Dani has to console them. Y/N will forever be a sore loser.

Masterlist

#re8 #re8 village #resident evil village #re8 shitpost #y/n is stupid #re8 incorrect quotes #daniela dimitrescu #daniela dimitrescu x reader #daniela dimitrescu x y/n #resident evil 8 #resident evil imagines #resident evil

[elisysd]

You are in love – Taylor Swift

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

And for once you let go Of your fears and your ghosts One step, not much But it said enough

Seeing Charlotte at his birthday party made Charles feel conflicted. On the one hand, he was happy to see her; their relationship may have ended, but they had spent some wonderful times together and Charles would always be grateful to Charlotte for having been part of his life. But on the other, he hoped that Lyanna would not interpret this in the wrong way and would take this opportunity to distance herself from him. The last few days had been complicated and things were only beginning to improve, so now was not the time to take a step backwards.

“So, what are you doing here? Who invited you?” asked her Charles while guiding her towards his friends.

“Joris told me. And I know we are not together anymore but I was not seeing myself not whishing you a happy birthday and ignoring it. We were friends before our relationship, I hope we can still be ones even after.”

“I don’t see why it could be a problem. We both adults and we both moved on.”

“Speaking of moving on… Lyanna Michel, hum? Aiming for Hollywood, Leclerc?” she teased him.

“You know her?”

“She is pretty famous.”

“How come everyone knows her but me?”

“Because you don’t care about anything that is not racing related. If she were in a movie about racing or whatever you would have known about her.”

He shrugged as they moved towards the tables where the guests were seated.

“Charlotte? What a surprise, I did not expect to see you there.” Pascale greeted her while kissing both of her cheeks and inviting the young woman to sit at the table.

“It’s good to see you Pascale.”

“So what have you been up to?”

“Travelling here and there. Enjoying life mostly.”

The two women started to talk and Charles took this opportunity to search for Lyanna in the crowd. He wanted to introduce her to Charlotte as quick as possible before she learnt by someone else that is ex-girlfriend was there and imagined things.

“Mom, did you see Lya somewhere? I can’t seem to find her.”

“No I haven’t. Do you want me to search for her with you?”

“I think it’s her right there by the scene, no?” pointed out Charlotte.

“So you know her to the extent that you can find her in the crowd but not me?” said Charles while looking at Charlotte with disbelief.

“I mean, I kind of follow her on social media and watched some of her movies. So yeah… told you Charles she was a big deal, you should not be surprised to learn that people know about her.”

Charles was about to get up and leave to go to his girlfriend when he saw her going up on the stage and sitting at the piano. His eyes were fixed on her, trying to understand what she was doing. He could see, even from several metres away, how distressed she was.

“Hi everyone. Oh my God, it’s so weird. I’m not going to take much of your time I just wanted to wish a happy birthday to the man of the day. I sometimes have a hard time finding the right words to say to express what you mean to me and every day a part of me admire you for putting up with me. I don’t know how you do to be this patient. I would have given up on me a long time ago if I were you but you’re somehow still here. So this song is for you. Happy Birthday Charles.”

Charles felt a sudden surge of emotion when he heard Lyanna sing. He was proud to see her bare her soul in front of so many people, most of whom she didn't even know. Embarrassment, because he knew that everyone was watching for his reaction. Hope, because he realised that Lyanna was finally ready to give 100% of herself to him and that they would finally be able to move forward together in the same direction. And above all, a ball of heat in his chest that threatened to explode at any moment.

Too busy looking at Lyanna, he didn't notice Charlotte's chair coming closer to him and whispering a few words in his ear.

“Well, she must really love you to do that.”

“She is amazing.”

“I can see that yes. Charles, can I tell you something? It won’t be long but I feel like you need to hear it.”

Charles turned briefly to Charlotte.

“In the years we spent as a couple, I’ve never seen you look at me like you are looking at her. Or even talk about me like you talk about her. You love her. If I know you as well as I think, you might not be ready to admit it, but it’s love. True and pure love. I’m happy you found that with someone and I’m glad she is able to give you what I could not. You deserve to be happy Charles. You deserve to find your special someone and if what I can witness is any clue about that, I think you found her. Hold on to that feeling. Hold on to her. And be happy.”

Charles was overwhelmed with emotion. It was one thing to hear his friends and family tell him he was in love, it was quite another to hear it from his ex. Without really thinking, he took Charlotte in his arms and held her close.

“I hope you’ll find that as well. You are a good person, Charlotte. Really.”

“Come on, you are going to make me cry. Go get your girl I think she is about to faint.”

A glance at Lyanna told him that the young woman was indeed about to cry, vomit or faint, or all three at once. He leapt to his feet and rushed towards her.

Lyanna stared shakily at the piano keys and Charles crouched down beside her to block her from the crowd. His arms found their natural place around her body and he drew her to him as he felt her tears wet his shirt. He had the reflex to move the microphone away and pressed his cheek against hers.

“You’re my most beautiful birthday gift.” He said to her.

It was true. Nothing could beat the way he felt about her at that moment. It was as if he'd been waiting for her all his life. She was a gift from heaven sent by his guardian angels. She was exactly what he needed at this moment in his life and he knew that whatever happened to him, if he had her by his side, everything would be all right.  His eyes met hers and a soft smile played across her lips.

“I hope I managed to convey everything that you make me feel with this song. And I hope you liked it.”

“You did, yes. And so much more. You made me cry, Lya.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s happy tears. You are fantastic.”

He kissed her lips that tasted like salt and he was almost sure that she could say the same about his. They rose to their feet to the applause of the guests and Charles took Lyanna by the hand to lead her to the table where his family was seated. Charlotte was still there, her eyes a little teary. Pascale moved over to give Lyanna room to sit down and poured her a glass of water, which she drank in one gulp. Charles also sat down beside her, making sure to keep her hand in his at all times. He could still feel her shaking.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lyanna watched Charlotte. She was very pretty and seemed kind. And if she was present at Charles's birthday party, that meant they were still close. She didn't know how she felt about that. It would be so much easier for her if Charlotte came across as a heartless bitch and not the complete opposite.

Feeling the actress's gaze on her, Charlotte took the initiative of introducing herself.

“You were amazing out there. It was a really beautiful song.”

“Thanks.” Whispered Lyanna, her gaze fixed on the table.

“I love your dress by the way, red looks gorgeous on you. Don’t you agree Charles?” she insisted while sending a look to Charles that more or less was saying: please help me I want to get to know your girlfriend.

“Yeah, red is definitely my favourtie colour on her. For obvious reason. Well, Lyanna this is Charlotte, my…hum…” he hesitated. He couldn't see introducing Charlotte as a friend, but he couldn't see introducing her as his ex either.

“Ex-girlfriend?” blurted Lyanna while looking at Charles. “I was talking to George’s girlfriend when I saw you both together.”

“Charles did not know I was coming, maybe I should have given a heads up. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable.” Justified Charlotte.

Lyanna absent-mindedly nodded. She could not help but to feel a little jealous even if a part of her knew that she didn't have to fear anything. But still, it was not a nice feeling to to be stuck in a room with your boyfriend’s ex. She did not know how to act. She sighed before drinking another glass of water and excused herself. She needed to be a little alone, just to sort her thoughts out and breathe a little. She felt like all eyes were on her and she should have expected it after the stunt she pulled but it did not make things easier for her. She locked herself in the bathroom and put some water on her face. She stayed still for a few minutes trying to regain her composure and a steady breathing. When she came out of the room and she found herself face to face with Charlotte who had followed her.

“Hey… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you.” Apologized Charlotte seeing Lyanna jerking away. “Do you have a minute?”

Lyanna nodded and they wandered off to find a secluded room away from prying ears.

“I know how you must feel, seeing me here. I guess it’s not a nice feeling…” began Charlotte.

“It’s weird, yeah. I have nothing against you I don’t know you, it’s just that I was not expecting to see you here. Charles never talked to me about his ex-girlfriends so meeting you on his birthday is kind of making me uncomfortable.”

“I can understand. If I knew that you would have been here, I would not have come. I don’t want to make things weird between you and Charles. I just want you to know that I did not come here with a hidden agenda. I only came to wish him a happy birthday, that’s it. You have nothing to be afraid of from my side. But I care about Charles, I’ll always will. I can’t act like he has not been an important part of my life. But I don’t love him anymore. I moved on. I wanted you to feel reassured toward that.”

“You did not have to tell me that. You don’t owe me anything but I appreciate, thank you.”

“You guys make a beautiful couple. And he is happy and in the end that is what I want the most for him.”

“You are really sweet; you make it hard for me to not like you.” Confessed Lyanna eliciting a slight laugh from Charlotte.

“Well thank you, I guess. Here’s my phone number, if you find yourself being bored of Charles and want to hang out, text me. I would really like to be your friend.”

Lyanna saved Charlotte's contact details in her phone and smiled at her. The brunette gave her a slight nod before walking away. When Lyanna returned to the room, Charlotte had disappeared and Charles was in the middle of the dance floor surrounded by his friends. She recognised Joris and Pierre in the distance but didn't dare intrude. Instead, she decided to join Pascale, who was alone at her table watching the room.

“How are you feeling, darling?” asked Pascale. “What you did out there for Charles was very brave.”

“I feel better now that is done. But I needed to tell him how I felt. I just did not know how.”

“Well I’d say that Charles will have a hard time to find something that will beat what you did for your birthday.”

“Well, he can always ask her to marry him, I’d say that would do the job perfectly fine.” Added Arthur that was passing by.

Lyanna blushed to the suggestion. It was definitely not in her plans for the near future. Even if imagining her future with Charles and imagining them getting married at some point made her feel fuzzy things.

It was late when Lyanna and Charles came back to the flat. Charles was slightly drunk and could not stop giggling. He was also extremely handsy with her. He could not stop touching her and following her around, trying to kiss her whenever he could. Lyanna found that annoyingly cute and she had a really hard time trying to put him into bed. And even in the darkness of the room and the comfort of the bed, Charles continued to tease her, playing with her hair and trying to pin her against him.

“Charles… sleep.” Tried to argue Lyanna.

“I don’t want to. Did I tell you how beautiful you looked today?”

“Multiple times, yes.” She answered laughing slightly. “You are going to have such a headache tomorrow.”

“I don’t care. As long as you are here, it doesn’t matter. You are perfect. My Lyanna. My beautiful and perfect Lyanna. All mine and mine alone.”

“You are so drunk…”

“Drunk on love then.” he added.

“Yeah sure, babe. Goodnight Charles.” She said and kissed his cheek.

“Lyanna?”

“Yes, Charles?” she sighed.

She waited but nothing came out of his mouth. He was asleep.

======

author's note: Since some of you were worried about Charlotte appearance in last chapter, I thought I was going to put an end to your fears right away. As usual I'm curious about your thoughts so feel free to express them whether it's through the comments, the ask box if your too shy or the DMs if you want to talk about the story a bit more. Take care and see you really soon for another update.

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#charles leclerc #charles leclerc imagine #charles leclerc x reader #fiction #writing #charles leclerc imagines #charles leclerc x female reader #cl16 #cl16 x reader #charles leclerc blurb #f1 x oc #f1 fic #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #f1 fanfic

[we-were-beautiful]

The Fox and The Hounds pt. 3

A/N: I did switch up the writing style just a little bit and I am sorry if that throws people off. It is much easier for me to write in this style than the other but hopefully y’all will still like it. Also this fic takes place before the first war so there are some references to keeping humans as slaves which we know most of the high fae did  so heads up on that. Also I realize I worked myself into a corner and now have to come up with names for 17 doggos so please leave any suggestions  for names as I am drawing a blank on this. I will also accept people who want to beta read this for me to help me find silly mistakes that I know I miss

Summary: Its autumn court tradition to give your mate a fox kit before your ceremony. after years of knowing the Vanserra’s a mating bond snaps between the Autumn Heir and a well known smoke hound breeder

Warning: Brief mention of slavery 

 WC: 2.3k 

A month had passed since the mating bond had snapped between Eris and myself, and  since that fateful morning so much has happened since. Paprika has grown quite a bit and is an adventurous little creature. The hounds tolerate this new fox in the household but tend to ignore the small creature that nips at them. I had spent much of my time at the forest house with the Vanserras and Eris. This time has given Eris and I a chance to get to know one another on a more personal level rather than just the surface level friendship that we had previously had. However the last month had also been a never ending calendar of events that the two of us had been forced to attend. Balls, parties, and dinners; if there was an event with the nobility  Eris and I were to be in attendance. 

As it stands I am currently directing my fathers human slaves as they packed my clothing for a weekend away. Apparently Eris had arranged a weekend away for just the two of us with my father and his. To get to know each other away from prying eyes and without chaperones. It was a bit nerve racking; we had never really been on our own, either one of our parents or siblings are always with us or we are surrounded by the nobles of the court. The gentle bump on my hand pulls my attention away from my thought Paprika had hopped into my lap and decided that I needed to pay attention to her. A small smile gently forms on my face as I run my hand across the foxes soft fur “Y/N” my eyes glance to the door as my mother waltzes into the room. The humans give her a bow before returning to their task 

“Mom” I addressed her as she sat down next to me.

“How are you feeling, Darling.” she runs her hand through my hair 

“I’m not sure. We’ve never really been alone together.” I sigh and pick up Paprika to snuggle her to my chest. “And now we are going to be alone for a whole weekend. I don’t even know where to go from there.” 

“Well this is how you get to know each other Darling, if your father didn’t think it was a good idea he and Beron would not have agreed to Eris’ plans.” Mom gently takes one of my hands in hers “You two are mates, the mother deemed you to be his perfect match. Worse comes to worse you can always fall back on your hounds”

True enough Eris had requested that I bring my hounds along. So it will be us and 18 dogs in whatever little cabin that Eris had planned for us to stay in. We had introduced the dogs last week at our home so that they could get to know each other. Thankfully the meeting had gone relatively well. Ramiel was her typical self but didn’t start any fights with Eris’ hounds so we counted that as a small victory. A few servants from the Forest House had come earlier to collect the hounds and bring them to the location. 

The clock on the wall ticks reminding me that the hour grows closer to the time when Eris is going to come and get me. I am hoping that he will be amiable to take a minute out of our trip. Bella’s puppies are now at the stage where we start letting the new families pick out which pup they want. Beron had come by earlier this week to pick out which pup would be his. I figured Eris would like to have an opinion on what pup we should keep as we are going to be sealing the mating bond in a little more than two weeks. A puppy would be a gentle start to see how well we can make decisions together as a pair. 

The gentle brush against my mental shields jolts me out of my thoughts 

“Where did you go Dear?” Mom’s voice breaks the silence. Her soothing tone is as comforting as it has been throughout my whole life. 

“I was wondering if Eris would mind postponing our trip for a little bit so that we can pick out which pup to keep.”  I explain to her 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea darling. I’m sure Eris will not be opposed. Quite frankly I’m surprised he got you a fox and not a puppy.” I had heard about that little bet that my parents had made. She thought for sure that Eris was going to find a smoke hound pup, whereas Father bet that he would go the traditional route with a fox kit. Turns out Father who was born and raised in the Autumn Court and who was Eris Godfather was right about my mate sticking to tradition.

“While I wouldn't have been sad with a puppy I had always dreamed about a fox.” As if knowing that we are talking about her, Paprika lets out a little yip wiggling in my arms to her back wanting her stomach scratched. I gently scritch her soft underbelly. A knock sounds through the door 

“Enter” Mothers voice rings out. One of the butlers head pokes into the room

“Lord Eris is here for Lady Y/N.”  He addresses the two of us. Mom quickly stands offering me one of her hands. I take it and allow her to pull me up off the bed. 

“Thank you.” She dismisses him and he nods and walks away 

“Come my love, your betrothed is waiting for you.” She places a quick kiss to my forehead 

The walk from my room to the foyer seems to take forever. The soft clicks of Ginger and Paprika’s claws on the wooden floor break the unnerving silence. Even though I had gotten to know Eris on a surface level this was a weekend without others to buffer. Sure there would be a servant who would come and prepare our meals, but other than that it would just be the two of us. The thought both filled me with excitement and fear. As we approached the door Cinnamon eyes met mine. There he stood in all his glory. Eris Vanserra always immaculately dressed, somehow managing to seem out of place in our home. A soft smile formed on his face as he turned fully to face us. 

“Lady L/N.” He bows towards my mother, walking over to the two of us. He takes my hand and places a kiss on the back of it. A habit he had started once the engagement was formalized “ My Mate.” 

“Lord Eris.” I curtsy, the hem of my riding dress pooling on the floor before rising. He had told me multiple times that I did not need to bow before him or address him as lord; I was his mate, his equal but life in the court had taught me protocol on how to interact with the highlord's family. Eris releases my hand placing his on my chin gently tilting my head to look at him. 

“How many times must I tell you Mate that you are allowed to call me just by my name.” 

His tone could be read as cocky, his grin doing nothing to dispute that. Something in his eyes however seemed almost sad at the formality 

“At least once every time we meet.” and more if the Highlord was around. I was always cautious around Beron, even though he was my fathers best friend he was notorious for his anger and cruelty. Which I had no desire to experience, hence the formality with my soon to be in-laws. 

“This will change after the wedding “ He cups my chin tilting my head to look at him “you are my mate and equal, I won’t have us going through life with you addressing me formally” 

We stare each other down for a moment seemingly lost in each other. Something that I had noticed in the time we spent together. We tended to get lost in a little bubble of just the two of us even in a room full of people. A small cough from my mother pulls us out of it, making me jump backwards slightly away from the fiery haired male.

“Y/N, the servants have finished packing your things for the weekend.” She laughs at the situation and how easily we got lost in each other forgetting that we had an audience “Didn’t you mention wanting to show Eris something before you left.” 

“Oh, Yes” the puppy I had nearly forgotten. “If it's not too much I would like to gather your opinion on something before we depart for the weekend.” 

“Of course my mate, whatever you need it is never a problem .” He gently holds out his arm for me to take. I thread my arm through his getting ready to lead him towards the kennels Paprika danced between the two of us bumping into our legs to get our attention, the little kit was eager to set out on an adventure and given that her leash had already been attached she was more than ready to get out of the manor. 

“I will leave you two alone then.” Mother walks over and gives me a kiss on the forehead “enjoy your weekend my love.” 

She turns to face Eris and a saccharine smile grows on her face “I trust you will take care of my daughter Eris.” while not a threat the intention was clear as day, hurt my daughter and I will make you wish for a merciful end. 

“Of course lady Charis. It's just a weekend so that we can get to know each other outside of the court. I will make sure she is taken care of and protected.’ He bowed his head towards her not truly understanding that it was more than just a mothers threat to keep her child safe. She had kept her powers hidden from everyone here in Autumn and when I showed similar powers I was taken  to the night court to train and hone these gifts alongside my cousin. 

“Goodbye Mother, I will see you when I return.”  I smile at her before gently pulling Eris towards the door. 

“Goodbye my dear, I love you.” She always told us that when we left it didn’t matter how long we would be gone she always made sure to tell us she loved us. 

“I love you too.” I smile at her over my shoulder as I lead my mate out the door and towards the kennel. 

We walk in silence for a few moments before Eris speaks up. 

“What did you want my opinion on Y/N” straight and to the point as he typically was but not in a cruel way but rather inquisitive. As if curious to what his bride might want. 

“Well I plan on keeping one of Bellatrix’s pups, and since our ceremony is in two weeks I figured you might like a say in which puppy we keep.” I open the door to the kennel letting him walk inside. “The Highlord already selected his pup, as promised he did have first pick; I have a few families coming next week to select their pups. By the time of our ceremony the pups will be just about ready for their new homes.”  I led him back towards Bella’s large cage, swiping one of the dog tags embossed with the L/N crest, a simple way of knowing who the hounds belong to. “So we still have 5 pups to choose from.” 

‘I trust your judgment on quality hounds Y/N seeing as you are the most talented breeder in the court, but thank you for wanting my opinion” his voice seemed softer now that the two of us were away from prying eyes. 

Stepping into the cage Bella stands and walks to the two of us nudging my hands with her large head. It is a sight to see Eris drop to his knees to pet the pups, but the smile that he wore showed that he wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I moved to kneel beside him gently petting the pups who were excited to see us. The runt of the litter worms his way into my lap circling around a few times before laying down. I had always been rather fond of this little guy. Even though he is smaller than his siblings he seemed to have inherited Khalid's personality, and if he's anything like Bella he will grow into a formidable hound. Eris reaches over to pet the pup's head playing with his velvety floppy ears. 

“You’re fond of this one.” it's not a question rather a statement. 

“I am, he reminds me so much of Bella when she was a pup. I ran a hand along his soft fur looking over to Bellatrix who had laid down beside me.  

“Does he have a name?” Eris looks to me and then to the pup. 

“No, I don't generally give the pups names, I let the families decide.”  It was a method that kept me from getting attached to the pups and wanting to keep all of them. 

“We can take some time this weekend to pick out a name.” Eris smiles at the pup, “I think he will be a great addition.” 

A smile grew on my face, this pup had weaseled his way into my heart, and I knew I would have chosen him on my own, but to have my mate agree to the runt of the litter made my heart happy. In times like this I can almost forget the whole situation that we are in. Right now we are just a couple picking out a puppy; no courtiers, no parents, just Eris and Y/N.  I clipped the tag onto the collar, the metal cool against my fingers. Eris reaches over and grasps my hand still holding the tag. 

“We will need to get you some different tags for your hounds when we return.” His voice is smooth and calm.

Reality hits me again. We were going to be mated in two weeks and I wouldn’t just be Y/N the daughter to Beron’s most trusted advisor and member of the court. I would be Y/N Vanserra wife and mate to the heir of Autumn. 

Taglist: 

@imma-too-many-fandoms @judig92 @fall-myriad​ @j-brielmalfoy @highlady-ofillyria @percyjacksonspeen @nyctophiliiiiaaa​ @b0xerdancer

#eris x reader #eris vanserra x reader #eris vanserra #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acosaf #acotar x reader #autumn court #the fox and the hounds

[yelenasdiary]

hey i was wondering if you could do a alice chambers x reader where they had like a 6 month relationship in the real world and obviously they don’t remember each other in victory so when r and her husband move into victory alice is the first person to introduce herself to reader and there’s like an instant connection between the two of them. so after awhile of reader being there and getting to know each other alice tells r about her suspicions her victory and starts to ramble abit to much so the reader kisses alice to shut her up but then gets scared she’s messed up their friendship but then alice kisses her back and the they have some sort of make out sessions, after that reader tells alice that she also has suspicions about victory and also confesses her feelings towards alice, alice says she feels that same way and then just a whole bunch of fluff and you can decide how it ends. hope that makes sense

Secret Kisses || Flufftober

Pairing: Alice Chambers x Reader 

Summary: Kissing her was forbidden but neither of you cared

Fluff | Angst | 1.1K | Cheating | Smut Intended | 

AC: First Alice fic!!! Enjoy!!!

Flufftober Masterlist

"Bye honey! Have a wonderful day" you waved off your husband with a fake smile and tone. Once his car left the street your eyes drifted over the blonde in nothing but a button up white shirt, she waved and smiled at you before she walked back inside her home. Alice. Alice Chambers, the woman you would rather be with, the woman you'd rather cook for and make sure was happy. She seemed so in love with her husband, Jack, until the two of you had one too many martinis and made out on her sofa before Jack returned from work. 

It's been 6 months since the affair started. Once the husbands went off to work you would sneak out your back door and wander over to Alice's, slipping in through the back door as she cleaned up the mess from breakfast. 

"You've gotta stop dressing like that, acting like it doesn't bother me" you smiled as you wrapped your arms around her from behind, "I'm sorry baby, did I tease you?" Alice chuckled as she turned her head to kiss your cheek. "You know you do darling" you whispered as you placed a kiss on her neck while she continued to clean up. 

Neither of you could understand it, given that you both had only met a few months ago but kissing her felt natural, being with her felt like home, something your husband never gave you. He never gave you the sense of warmth and love that Alice gave you, many times she would say "I feel like I met you in a past life or something of the sort" which somehow you understood completely what she meant. Being with her sometimes felt like Déjà vu, like the two of you have done this dance before but neither of you got tired of it. 

"Let's just close all the curtains and spend the day in bed" you whispered while still leaving small kisses on the back of her neck. "I can't today babe, I'm meeting Bunny and the girls for some shopping, you should come!" She twirls in your arms to face you. "You know I can't" you chuckled, "oh come on! It'll be fun" she pouts. "How am I supposed to be in public with you and keep my hands to myself? Plus, I don't want to listen to Bunny ramble on about her kids" you explained before placing a kiss on her forehead. 

"Bunny isn't that bad; you just need time to get to know her" 

"I probably shouldn't. The house needs a deep clean, I think Alex is getting suspicious" you sighed. Alice kept her eyes on you as her jaw clenched, "How so?" She asked. 

"He's asking questions about what I do during the day if I'm not cleaning the house or why dinner isn't ready on the table for when he gets homes"

"Do you not love him anymore?"

You pulled Alice slightly closer to you as you looked in her eyes, "I feel like I'm supposed to, but I don't. I don't look at him the way I look at you, I don't kiss him or let him hold me the way you do. D-do you love Jack?" You asked her already knowing that she did love him.

"You know my feelings…what we are…what we are doing is very wrong and I don't want you to get hurt at all…but things aren't what we seem…this place, it's" she paused as her eyes dropped to her feet. 

"It's what?" You asked. Alice shook her head, "It's doesn't matter" she squirmed out of your arms and put the milk away. "Alice, it matters to me" you assured her as you watched her put the things from breakfast away. "Alice, please" you gently grabbed her arm to stop her motions, she looked up at you with worry before swallowing the lump in her throat, "this place isn't what we think. You know how I keep telling you that I feel like I've met you in a past life?" she asked, nodding with a concerned look. 

"W-what if we have met before?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I went out there….and I saw something. Just look around you, look at everything! Everything comes from Frank, from Victory and everything we do just feels too perfect! Look what happened to Margert, she didn't slip!" Her eyes fill with tears as she explains. 

"Hey, hey, look at me" you gently cupped her face and wiped her tears, "I saw her slit her throat! And nobody believes me! Not Bunny, not Jack, not even you!" 

You press your lips on hers to shut her up just for a moment so you can clam her and say, "I believe you, Alice. But I don't know what is happening or how to get out of it but we have to be careful we can't end up like Margert" 

"They're lying to us…you and I…we can find a way out; we get leave this place and go be happy just us. Please, I need to know that you'll come with me, I can't leave you here with him"

You could see how serious she was and the scared look in her eyes made you want to protect her from all the harm that this might bring. "Wherever you go Alice, I'll be there" you assured her, "I'm with you, but we have to be careful and we need more time to work out how to escape this town but I promise you, I won't let them take you from me like they did took Margaret, I…" you paused to take a moment while looking into her eyes, "I love you, Alice" 

She crashed her lips onto yours, kissing you deeply and full of love, "I love you; I love you so much" she whispered against your lips before kissing you again, leading you towards the sofa as she crawled on top of you, "let's stay home" she whispered once more. 

----

You woke up after a short nap in Alice's arms, her skin against yours with a blanket covering the both of you as her fingers twirled with the locks of your hair while humming the song she just seemed to never forget. "H-how long was I asleep?" You asked, Alice smiled before pressing a kiss on your forehead, "not long, darling" she spoke softly as you rubbed the sleep from your eyes. "You were sleep talking" she added with a light chuckle, "Oh no!" You hid your face with your hands, "I hope I wasn't too embarrassing!" You continued. "It was sweet, I was barely able to make out what you were saying" 

"Well, I think I'll take that as a good thing" you gently grabbed her hand and brought it to your lips, kissing her hand softly, "are you sure about this? I mean, us and leaving here somehow" 

"Stop stressing darling, we will find a way out and we can live a happy life together without having to hide and sneak around" she kissed your forehead once more, "are you with me?" She asked. You sat up slowly and looked at her nodding, "forever" you smiled before kissing her deeply.

Taglist: @red1culous | @bentleywolf29 | @natasha-belova | @jeyramarie | @kiwiana145 | @lissaaaa145 | @high--power | @parkerdaramitzzzz | @wackymcstupid | @mmmmokdok | @xsophiesx | @shin-conan-kun | @nattyolw | @ripofflizzie | @goofy-goonie | @makegoodchoices | @apollo2907 | @wandaroman0ff | @dumb-fawkin-bitch | @lovelyy-moonlight | @santana1437 | @fluffyblanketgecko | @inluvwithfictionalwomen | @jaymieflorissssssss | @tita001 | @youralphawolf72 | 

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#Alice chambers #Alice chambers x reader #dont worry darling #fanfiction #flufftober

[the-cult-of-russo]

Such a Softer Sin (Part 7)

Pairing: Billy Russo x Reader

Warnings: I’m not specifically tagging this one, if you’ve seen the show, nothing will shock you. Smut will happen eventually so minors DNI, thanks.

A/N: I know I’ve not been replying to the replies on my chapters, but trust me I’m reading them and you guys are making me so happy. I love seeing what you all think and getting so invested in the story. My energy levels have been below zero lately, my fibromyalgia is kicking my ass to the moon and back. What little energy I’ve had, I’ve been writing songs when I told myself I’d continue to get at least one of my other Billy WIPS done while I have the time so you’ll have something to read after this one. I’ll get there eventually lmao

Also, happy birthday to @promnightbinbaby (if it's still your birthday, time zones and all that loooool)

—--------

It was the next day and you were sitting on the porch steps of the pack house with Kos. You’d both been watching as your people mingled with the King’s, introducing themselves and getting settled in here, it was nice to see. You’d been worried most of all about Viron with how skittish he could be, worried he might hide away in the house. His brother hadn’t let him though, taking him around as they met people and you could already see him relax as he actually spoke to people not from his own pack. It made you smile, you knew this would be good for him. Kos was just telling you the training schedule you’d start in a week that the King had given him when Atti rushed over, face slightly pale and your back straightened. 

“What happened?” you asked quickly, ready to fight already if you needed to. Hell, you’d take on the King himself if he’d done something to hurt Atti. He glanced from you to Kos, shifting on his feet as his mouth floundered for a moment.

“Spit it out, Atti,” Kos growled, but you could hear the worry in his voice as you both looked up at him.

“I found my mate,” he blurted. Shock hit you in the face and both you and Kos just stared at him for a moment. A smile split your face as you felt happy for him but it faded when he just stood there with a worried look on his face.

“Is that a bad thing?” Kos asked slowly, raising a brow.

“I don’t know, I guess not,” he muttered in reply and your eyes narrowed a little.

“What’s her name then?” you asked, wondering why he was being so weird about it. 

“I don’t know, I didn’t speak to her. I… ran off,” he admitted and you and Kos looked at each other before you both burst out laughing.

“It’s not funny, guys!” he whined, almost pouting as you tried to catch your breath.

“I’m sorry, but you ran away? She’s your mate, you idiot! Why didn’t you just speak to her?” you asked incredulously.

“You do realize you're supposed to run towards your mate, not the other way?” Kos asked teasingly and Atti squinted at him.

“I’m well aware, thank you very much. I just… panicked. I don’t know. She’s one of the Warriors here. I saw her and I just…” he shook his head looking like a spooked horse and you and Kos shared another look before you both stood.

“Right, come on. Let’s meet her then,” Kos grinned. Atti’s protests died on his tongue as Kos grabbed him by his collar and started dragging him along with you both. 

As you got closer to the castle, you noticed the King and Frank.

“What's he done this time?” Frank asked ruefully and Atti whined.

“This idiot just found his mate and ran away from her, didn’t even ask her name,” Kos snorted and both the King and Frank looked surprised before they smiled.

“Why the hell would you run away?” Frank asked with a chuckle.

“Because he’s a coward,” you teased, earning a dirty look from Atti. 

“I’m not a coward!” he defended weakly and Kos released his hold on him. He smoothed his jacket out, pouting at you both.

“You met your mate and ran away. You didn't speak to her, didn’t even get her name. You didn’t tell her you felt it too. You're either a coward or far more stupid than I thought you were, take your pick,” you smirked at him and he shot you a dirty look.

“What's her role here?” Frank asked curiously and Atti sighed, looking off wistfully to the training area.

“One of the Warriors. She’s over there,” he pointed to a woman with jet black hair who was sparring with someone. You noticed she kept glancing over and you smirked to yourself.

“Come on, I’ll introduce you,” the King grinned and Atti paled. Kos shoved him over to the King who’s smile turned more into an amused grin at the state of him. You watched on as Atti obediently followed the King over to the girl and you all watched, unable to hear with the distance as the King seemed to introduce them. The girl seemed happy and before long, she and Atti were chatting up a storm. The King strolled back over then, looking pleased with himself.

“What’s her name?” you asked curiously as he got back to you, Kos and Frank.

“Aurora,” he supplied, glancing over his shoulder at them as they sat on one of the benches while they spoke. You hummed with a nod, smiling to yourself.

“As much as I’d love to stay and chat, we’ve got some stuff to take care of. I’ll see you at dinner,” he smiled down at you. You gave him a smile back before Kos also left to do the rounds and check everyone was doing okay. You sat on the stone castle steps for a while, watching Atti and his mate get to know each other. The happiness you were feeling started to rapidly dim though as the reality set in about what this meant. 

Atti was your best friend, out of everyone, you were closest to him. You’d been raised together, best friends since birth practically and even after your pack was wiped out, it had been just you two until you stumbled across Kos. It had always been you and Atti against the world but now he found his mate. You were no longer the most important person in his life and you knew it was incredibly selfish but you started to feel panicked over it. You were happy he’d found his mate, both of you wondering if you never would, but things would change now. He’d no longer be sharing a room with you as it was hardly appropriate, he wouldn't spend so much time with you all because he’d be with his mate. Especially at first, when the honeymoon period was there. New mates often hid away and spent time with each other away from everyone else for a while. A part of you felt like you’d lost him and you knew it was selfish. It made you feel guilty and you didn’t like it. Unable to watch any longer, you went off to the pack house to feel sorry for yourself. You hoped the feelings would ease, telling yourself it was just the shock of it. It had come out of nowhere and you’d hardly been prepared for it. But the feelings didn't ease. As you lay on the bed with his scent, you couldn't shake the deep grief that was taking hold of you even though he hadn't died. You told yourself you were being ridiculous but you felt like you were lost out at sea. He wouldn't have time for you anymore, wouldn't have time to make you smile or laugh, to bicker with you. Wouldn't be there when you had a nightmare or when memories he also shared would plague you. He had his mate now, found the person he was supposed to spend his life with and they’d end up having kids and moving along with their life without you. You felt sick.

As the hours wore on, you worked yourself into a frenzy with your depressing thoughts and you felt the deep need for space and air clawing at you. You grabbed your furs, knowing it would be dark soon and you’d probably miss dinner but you didn’t care. You left the house, making a beeline for the gates where a guard was stationed. He gave you a smile and a nod as he let you out and you took a deep inhale, hoping it would ease your tension but it didn’t. You thought of the lake the King had mentioned and you wondered where it was. You sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the water and let your feet carry you there. It didn’t take too long to find it. It was beautiful as the sun started to go down, the sunset glimmering over the water that was surrounded by trees. You moved over to near the edge, moving to sit down heavily. Then you burst into tears. You felt stupid for crying over something like this when you should be happy for him but you knew you needed to let it out now or it would eat you alive. Things had never been normal with your pack, never normal between you, Atti and Kos. You’d never really thought too much about them finding their mates and what that would do to your friendship as you’d all figured the chances of finding them were slim to none. You chided yourself for being so selfish as you cried, angrily wiping your eyes. 

Suddenly you were tackled to the ground, startling you out of your misery. Hovering above you with a dagger was what you scented to be a vampire. You growled as he tried to swipe at you and you knocked it right out of his hands. He caught your mouth with a punch and you shoved him off you, tasting the copper on your tongue as you let your sadness turn to anger, pouncing on him before punching him over and over. 

“Why are you here?” you snarled, face of fury and blood coating your lips as you glared at him. He was bloodied himself, jostling as you shook him with the hold you had on his jacket and he laughed.

“Why are you? Your allegiance to the King will get you killed,” he smirked, his sharp teeth glinting in the dimming light. 

“The only one getting killed will be your kind, vermin,” you hissed at him as you let him go. You towered over him, eyes burning as you watched him carefully. You knew you shouldn't kill him, he was here for a reason and it was best you deliver him to the guards to deal with. He lay there for a moment and you sensed it before it happened. He went to tackle you again but you moved, grabbing him and spinning him by his arm. Your leg came down hard on his knee and he screamed as it cracked, bending at an angle it shouldn't be. You knew he’d heal, quicker than a human would. It didn't mean he couldn't feel pain. You were angry now. Angry this piece of shit was here and what he was doing and angry he’d managed to get a jump on you because you were upset. 

“You shouldn't have come here, vampire. Now the King’s going to have to deal with you,” you smirked down cruelly at him as he wailed in his agony. His eyes widened, trying to crawl away as he knew what awaited him but you grabbed him by his other foot, dragging him through the mud as he clawed at the ground, trying to stop you. He yelled the whole time, telling you that you were all dead, that the war was coming, the vampires would win. You tuned it all out, feeling like you were on the razor's edge of snapping and outright killing him with how you were feeling. The gates swung open as you arrived, the guards seemingly hearing the vampire's protests. You let him go as he whined and cried over his pain, the guards rushing over with wide eyes. It didn't take long for the King and Frank to rush over too. The King looked from the beaten and broken vampire to you, a deep frown gracing his face as he took in your bloodied lip and furious gaze.

“Take him to the cells,” he demanded, not looking at the guards he was talking to as his eyes were glued on you. The guards did as they were told as they started to drag the vampire away and the King took a few quick strides to you, eyes darting to your busted lip and then your eyes.

“What the hell are you doin’ going out there like that? We’re on the cusp of a war here,” he growled and you were taken aback by his harsh tone, but in your anger you felt defiance swell inside of you. Almost like you’d forgotten just who it was you were facing.

“I’m not a prisoner here, I didn’t sign up for that! I’m free to go as I please!” you yelled angrily, feeling all the eyes on you as you shouted at the King. He blinked at you for a moment, eyes flaring before he rolled his shoulder and sighed, lowering his head.

“I know that, I just don’t want you to get hurt, alright?” he frowned, his voice soft now and you felt yourself deflate. You wondered if part of you was hoping for a fight to make you feel better. You stood there as the adrenaline left you and you felt your lower lip wobble, making you clamp down on it as you swayed a little on your feet.

“I just… I just needed to get out of here for a bit, I went to the lake,” you murmured shakily, your eyes burning as you forced the tears away. The King watched you, his frown deepening for a moment.

“Come on,” he said, putting a hand on your lower back and guiding you back to the gate before you could argue.

“Where are we going?” you asked.

“The lake,” he supplied vaguely. You wanted to ask why but all the fight had left you so you just followed him silently as the pair of you made your way back. 

He moved to sit in almost the same spot you had been earlier and you sat next to him, looking over at the water.

“Talk to me, Y/N,” he said quietly, drawing your eyes to him. He was looking at you with concern and you looked away quickly. You didn’t want to tell him, didn’t want to admit what a horrible and selfish friend you were. You felt him scoot a little closer to you, your arms basically touching and you looked back at him.

“You can tell my anythin’,” he added sincerely and it made you chest ache. 

“I just…” your lower lip trembled and you frowned, looking down at your hands in your lap.

“I’m a terrible friend. I should be happy that Atticus found his mate, that he’s found his other half. But instead all I can think about is how that means I’ve lost him. That things won't ever be the same and I can’t shake it. He’s been a constant in my life for all of it and now he won’t be. He’s going to be too busy with his mate, I’m going to be an afterthought and I know that's how it should be, but it still hurts,” you admitted shamefully, unable to look at him. He was quiet for a moment but you were too scared to look at him to try and figure out what was going on in his head. You’d only just become friends with him, you didn’t want him to think so poorly of you.

“I get that. Karen’s Frankie’s second mate and none of us thought it would happen. After Maria… Me and Frank have always been close but it was different back then. He had a mate, kids… a family. And when he lost all that, it brought us closer together. It made it a little more bearable that we were both alone and then Karen turns up one day and that's it,” he started and you chanced a glance at him. He wasn’t looking at you, instead staring off at the lake, his turn to brood with a frown on his face. 

“And I know I shoulda felt happy for him and I was, but it was… I felt like you do, felt like he was bein’ taken away from me, felt like I’d lost him and I was back to bein’ alone. And it went like that for a bit, you know how new mates can be. But it doesn't last forever. Once they get to know each other, once they settle down, things’ll be different. You’re not a bad friend for feelin’ that way, it's natural, especially with how close you guys are. It’s an adjustment and you’ll get through it like you got through everythin’ else life’s thrown at you,” he insisted, his dark eyes now turning to you. You were shocked by his admission but you felt relieved almost, like you connected with him over this. He didn't judge you, he’d dealt with the same feelings. And you’d seen how close he was to Frank and to Karen too. You wondered maybe if there was hope. If you’d let Atti and Aurora get to know each other, if he’d come back to you and you’d get to know her, let her in the family. It wouldn't be completely the same and you knew that but you also knew that was just how it went. 

“Thank you,” you murmured, giving him a smile. The haunted look he was wearing seemed to evaporate right off his face at your smile and his whole body seemed to relax, a smile of his own on his face. 

“Don’t gotta thank me, it’s what I’m here for,” he answered easily and you gave him a wry grin.

“Bein’ a therapist to your people?” you snorted and he chuckled, shaking his head as his eyes bore into you. He just watched you for a moment and it made you feel a little weird, your heart stuttering in your chest as his almost black eyes seemed glued to you. You were about to say something, anything to stop the weird staring contest that seemed to happen because it made you feel like you were tumbling off a cliff when his lips suddenly descended on yours. Your whole body tensed up, shock rushing through your system like a confusing mixture of fire and ice. But then your brain caught up with you and you pushed him away, eyes wide. He looked shocked himself, eyes wider than yours as his mouth floundered for a moment. You really couldn't believe he’d tried to kiss you, especially not after what you’d told him in the garden. 

“I… I should get back,” you muttered tensely, still in shock as you jumped to your feet, your fingers over your lips.  

“Y/N, wait!” he called out quickly. You barely made it a few steps before he’d seized your wrist and turned you around. He dropped your arm quickly and you stepped back from him, your head spinning.

“I’m-I’m sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I know that was inappropriate. I shouldn’ta done that,” he frowned, a desperate look on his face. You really couldn't believe after what you’d said to him, after him telling you he just wanted to get to know you as a friend that he’d do this. It left you feeling confused and upside down, especially when at first, a part of you felt like you wanted it.

“You might not care about saving yourself for your mate, but I do,” you bit out and his face fell, pain flashing over it and it made guilt swallow you whole. You hadn't meant for it to come out so harsh or judgemental because honestly, you didn't judge him. But it didn't mean you were about to go down whatever this road was. Atti had found his mate, maybe you would too one day. Your head was going around and around and you felt like you couldn't breathe.

“Goodnight, Your Majesty,” you whispered, turning on your heel and rushing off before he could stop you again. 

You made a beeline for the house when you got back, rushing up the stairs and into your room where Kos was sitting on the bed reading. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked with a frown. You leaned back against the door, everything overwhelming you and as you opened your mouth to tell him, you burst into pitiful sobs. He jumped up and hurried over, scooping you into his arms as he guided you to sit on the bed. 

“What’s happened, Y/N?” he asked more firmly, stroking your hair as he rocked you back and forth. And you told him. You told him everything. You told him how you felt about Atti finding his mate and how guilty you felt, you told him about being jumped by a vampire because you were too upset to even think clearly and you told him about Billy. The conversation you’d had and that he’d kissed you. He’d comforted you about Atti, saying much the same as Billy had. That he would come around when he got to know his mate and they just had to wait. He’d been angry at the vampire thing but placated that the King had dealt with him. But when you told him about the King, he’d gone silent and you wiped your eyes, peering up at him.

“He shouldn’t have kissed you like that, but I don’t think he had bad intentions. I think he’s lonely and you don’t have a mate either. Maybe he felt like you connected over that or maybe he just got caught up in the moment,” he suggested softly. You nodded as you sat up straighter, taking in his words. You knew if Kos thought Billy had bad intentions, just wanting to bed you and then toss you away like a piece of used tissue, then he’d probably have a real big issue with it. King or no King, you knew it wouldn't matter. 

“I just don’t know what to do. We have connected but this whole thing is dangerous. You know what it’s like when people get involved with someone who isn’t their mate. It gets messy and complicated if the mate turns up and this is the King. It would be easy to get attached to him in that way, he's an incredible man, but it’s not a good idea,” you confessed with a frown. If you really thought about it, there was a pull to him and you weren’t sure what it was. You were unsure if it was the allure only a Lycan Demigod could have or if it was about you both bonding over no mates and losing family. There was just a level of understanding between you both that seemed to blossom from nowhere and while you still didn’t feel 100% comfortable with him due to the fact he was the King, you thought you could call him a friend and maybe that awkwardness would go away in time when you got used to having someone so important and regal as a friend. But now he'd kissed you and things were weird for a different reason. 

“You just need to think about what it is you want. You’re right, things can get messy if mates turn up but it’s also not a crime to be lonely and seek company from others feeling the same. I know you crave that type of companionship sometimes,” he started, making flames lick your cheeks that he’d picked up on it at some point.

“And I bet he craves it too, especially with him going so long without his mate. Whatever you choose to do, you know I’ll be by your side with no judgment,” he affirmed and it made you smile, warmth curling in your chest. 

“I think… I think I just want to be friends with him. As tempting as he might be, nothing good will come from starting a dalliance with the King. Not just because one of our mates could turn up and it would be uncomfortable but… I value his friendship. What’s the point in starting something that will have an expiration date? Even if my mate never turns up because he’s dead or halfway across the world or he has to wait another hundred years for his, the flame won’t last forever because we’re not mates. Those relationships don’t last. I don’t want to develop feelings for him just to be hurt in the long run,” you sighed and Kos took your hand in his.

“Then stay friends and I’ll back you up,” he smiled warmly as you and you grinned before it faded and you let out a groan.

“I don’t know how to be friends with him now he kissed me. It’s just awkward and I don’t know how to handle it. Do I speak to him about it or just pretend it didn’t happen? Either option isn’t great and it’s still weird,” you muttered with a huff. 

“Maybe just give yourself some space, think it over. He obviously finds you attractive but you're a beautiful woman, Y/N, he’d be stupid not to. Maybe he got caught up in the moment or maybe he misread the situation, but you said he was apologetic for making you uncomfortable, that he said he shouldn't have done it. He probably feels just as awkward as you do right now so maybe some space will help you both and you'll laugh about it together in a few days,” Kos advised and you nodded. You hoped so. He did seem mortified by what he’d done when you really thought about it so you didn't believe your initial thoughts that maybe this was his plan all along. The idea of the King being attracted to you though still made your head spin and you flushed at Kos’ compliment.

“Yeah, maybe a little space would be good. I need to get my head on right. I didn’t even know I wanted him to kiss me until he did it and now I feel all… blegh,” you sighed, making Kos smile ruefully at you. 

“I just need to accept the fact it was a bad idea and move on from it, hopefully things won’t be so awkward,” you added softly. You still felt a little confused but you knew you needed to snap out of it. Thinking of the King in that way wouldn't do you any favors and if he hadn't kissed you, you’d have stayed blissfully unaware that you wanted that from him. Who wouldn't though? He was magnetic, full of charm and beauty. You’d fallen into the trap that many other women seemed to have fallen into before you and you knew you needed it to stop. You’d take some space and calm yourself, remind yourself of your place. It wasn’t by the King’s side and you weren’t interested in some casual fling with him that would eventually end and your friendship would be ruined. You’d rather have him as a friend than that. You found yourself wishing to speak to Atti about it too. While you appreciated Kos’ wise words of encouragement and support more than anything, you knew Atti would be a little more blunt and maybe you needed that harsh slap around the face of reality. For all his talk of you and the King, you knew he was just teasing and he didn’t really think it was a good idea. You knew what he’d say about all this. You knew he’d give you a little tough brotherly love about it and maybe that was what you needed so you could stop clinging to a wisp of a notion that anything could happen between you and His Highness. It was a bad idea, it was that simple. You weren't willing to get your heart broken by anyone, much less the King.

Taglist: (if you’ve been asked to be tagged and aren’t here, it wouldn’t let me tag some people.)

@firexfate

@blanchedelioncourt

@on-ya

@sunshinedaisies-anddeath

@snowkestrel

@music-indie-tv

@idaofinfinity

@sweetserendipity65

@ramadiiiisme

@k-marzolf

@celestialams

@woowwwee

@noortsshift

@rainbowgoblinfan

@mysweetlittledesire

@promnightbinbaby

@intothesoul

#billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic #billy russo x reader #billy russo

[its-miichan]

Tension in TGCF (or lack thereof)

TGCF has a problem with establishing tension. Of course people are going to disagree with this statement, but TGCF sucks ass when it comes to tension and how it is shown (at least in my opinion). Now, TGCF is a high fantasy epic adventure including thousand year old gods and demons that can destroy cities and countries for funsies, so the entirety of the novel is very high-stakes from a technical standpoint. 

But it definitely didn’t feel that way while reading. The majority of book 3 I found myself struggling to get through because there really was no reason to care about what was happening in the story. And I thought about this for a while, and finally came up with reasons to why I think this is the case:

1) the story REFUSES to leave Xie Lian, an overpowered 800 year old god who cannot die and is so used to suffering and terrible things happening that whatever terrible things happen don’t matter to him

2) The vast majority of characters we are supposed to be attached to are nigh immortal beings who are extremely hard to kill (and are basically never killed) 

3) the main characters are so insanely overpowered and devoted to each other that any internal or external tension is immediately murdered in its crib 

For the first point, I suppose it’s quite self explanatory. When writing a high fantasy epic while having your singular POV character be Xie Lian introduces some problems. Xie Lian is so detached from most things happening around him and so chill with dying, watching people die, getting grievously injured, and pretty much every bad thing under the sun that his reaction to anything that could potentially introduce stakes and tension is brushed over by Xie Lian with a ‘meh.’ This can be used to great effect in goofy comedy scenes or slice of life chapters, but when the story tries to become super ‘intense’ and make you ‘sit on the edge of your seat’, it just really… falls off. 

And you could say that Xie Lian cares about those close to him and potential danger to those close to him can offer tension to the story, but that just… doesn’t happen.

As much as I love Xianle trio or the Xie Lian-Shi Qingxuan besties dynamic, it would be lying to say that any of those dynamics are particularly close in the present timeline, and Xie Lian is so incredibly zen and immune to forming attachments (because omg look my baby hes so traumatized he doesnt make friends) that those shallow friendships really don’t affect him, and those friends getting hurt is also just a “oh that sucks” moment for him.

And the one ‘genuine’ relationship he does have, the one with Hua Cheng offers no tension to the story because Hua Cheng is so overpowered Xie Lian doesn’t even need to worry about him getting hurt (but more on that in a minute).

Basically, what I’m saying in this point is that if Xie Lian, the main character who we are reading the thoughts of doesn’t give a fuck about what’s happening around him, why should we? 

Point two is also quite self explanatory (actually now that I think about it all of the points are) but I will elaborate anyways.

The main characters in TGCF are gods and ghosts. Gods cannot die from old age and can only be killed through fatal injuries. But given how ridiculously overpowered they are, any external force trying to kill said gods feels like less of a threat and more like a “wow so annoying” kind of thing. The same applies to ghosts.

First of all, in order for MXTX to write the super mega romantic ashes ring scene, she had to completely break the worldbuilding of ghosts. They are incredibly hard to deal with (even weaker ones like Cuo Cuo) and the only way to truly get rid of them is to a) let their resentment dissipate which is hilariously hard to do for stronger ghosts or b) to scatter their ashes. They can’t really even be killed in the same way gods can through fatal injuries, and because MXTX wanted to make it soooooo romantic that Hua Cheng gave Xie Lian his ashes, those ashes are the only weakness ghosts have.

But that was a bit of a tangent and the main point is that ghosts, just like gods, are also ridiculously hard to kill. My point is that with the main cast of characters we care about being very overpowered, very immortal gods and ghosts, it’s extremely difficult for the story to provide any tension about the characters we care about getting hurt, ESPECIALLY with Xie Lian and Hua Cheng who basically physically are incapable of dying.

In fact, the only major character who dies (permanently) on screen is Shi Wudu. And I’m not going to go around and be super salty and say ‘oh but even then that death sucked!!!!!’ because it really didn’t. It was good! I liked it! In fact, I loved the whole black water arc in general! It really upped the stakes in that moment and it’s like “oh shit! This guy is ruthless! I really need to see what happens next and if our main characters will be okay!” 

But that arc was an exception to the rule. I spent the next couple of chapters in suspense and waiting for information on Shi Qingxuan’s aftermath because I was invested. Because there was tension. But nope! MXTX dropped the ball and gave us more Hualian flirting and onto the next adventure! 

No character deaths or–hell– even character ‘serious injuries’ happen following that point. 

And for the rest of book 3, nothing that hits the same way as the black water arc came up again. Some moments managed to shake me out of my boredom-induced coma (the mysterious crown prince of Wuyong murals were interesting. BWX chasing down Hualian in the cave of ten-thousand gods was mildly alright), but for the most part, the slowly dawning knowledge that the black water arcs treatment of its characters is an exception to the rule and that the book is too afraid of killing off any other characters made it really, really boring to read.

Now am I saying that you need to have character deaths to make a story interesting? Not exactly. You can have stories where the main conflict and source of tension is something like workplace drama or high school crushes. But I am saying that with a setting such as TGCF with conflicts that are presented in the same way TGCF’s are (big bad monster/villain! Oh no!) having a nigh invulnerable cast is incredibly uninteresting.

The third and last point is probably the most damning of them all. 

Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are ridiculously overpowered. And not overpowered in the same way that other MXTX main pairs are overpowered. Unlike someone like WWX who is indeed absurdly strong but can be defeated by other characters, Xie Lian and Hua Cheng are given such a wide array of powers, abilities, and strengths, that they feel like they are on an entirely different level compared to the side characters and minor villains. 

The first few arcs (before Hua Cheng was revealed) were actually quite enjoyable for this reason not being present. We weren’t shown the full array of Xie Lian’s powers and Hua Cheng was pretty much a non-factor so the arcs felt tense. Dangerous, even. It felt that maybe Xie Lian could fail, or someone could get hurt and die, or maybe even Xie Lian could die. It was cool seeing how Xie Lian would use his limited amount of spiritual powers to complete tasks that normally required spiritual energy.

But once Hua Cheng is introduced and the bulk of the rest of the story is underway, that coolness gets thrown out the window. First of all, it’s revealed that Xie Lian is a mega martial arts geek who is basically adept in all sorts of fighting and incredibly physically strong and resilient which… makes sense, but makes some struggles quite boring. However, his lack of spiritual powers still gave him a substantial disadvantage in many situations, which made me willing to see where this went.

Hua Cheng, on the other hand… what a headache.

Let’s start off with the obvious. He is undoubtedly among the top three strongest characters in the book and for the vast majority of the plot is the singular strongest character present (Xie Lian is shackled and thus weakened by a long shot and Jun Wu is basically nonexistent for the bulk of the book). And as he is the singular strongest character present, a whole lot of the issues that come up feel… trivial, at best.

There’s this whole arc about Xie Lian dealing with Cuo Cuo but by that point I was languidly scrolling through the chapters and wondering when Hua Cheng would show up and deal with the whole situation. And no surprise, a few chapters in there’s a dubcon kiss and then Hua Cheng seals Cuo Cuo in a jar and all is resolved within a few minutes! 

So exciting!

It’s a similar case with the entire Tong’lu arc. At the beginning, Hua Cheng is out of commission, giving the side characters a chance to breathe and shine. But the second any semblance of tension appears in the story, MXTX decides that that’s enough and brings Hua Cheng back to basically full power so his vast array of powers pulled from his ass (a flying umbrella that can protect against giant boulders! Butterfly listening devices! Red string of fate that serves no reason in the story other than to be romantic!) can save the day once more. Xie Lian is in danger? Hua Cheng swoops in and princess carries him away. 

And we don’t have to worry about the side characters because 1) who the fuck cares about them? Our leads certainly don’t. And 2) they can’t die anyways guys it’s gonna be fine. 

So in essence, Hua Cheng’s mere existence causes huge structural issues for the plot and tension because he is so monstrously powerful and given new powers because MXTX wants to and is completely devoted to Xie Lian so even if the adventures start out potentially interesting, the second anything that could add some tension to the story is introduced, Hua Cheng swoops in and rescues Xie Lian. 

Does it make sense from a technical point of view that Hua Cheng is incredibly powerful because his entire personality is protecting Xie Lian? …Yes.

Does that make it fun to read? No!

And about internal tension, since Hualian are so insanely devoted and caring and perfect and kind and disliking them is SUCH a character flaw, there is a complete lack of internal tension. 

Would Xie Lian ever call out Hua Cheng for being a dick and treating Xie Lian’s so-called friends like shit? No! Because Xie Lian is so zen that he doesn’t care about what happens to anyone! Will Hua Cheng and Xie Lian ever fight? No! Because Hua Cheng is so incredibly devoted to Xie Lian that anything that could potentially cause a disagreement between them will be whisked away by Hua Cheng changing half his personality to appease Xie Lian. 

The only thing that could potentially add tension to this romance outside of the constant will they won't they blue balling is Xie Lian’s self doubt which Hua Cheng constantly reassures him that he’s perfect and great and oh so beautiful so even that is quickly erased from the story, only coming up again when MXTX decides it’s time to remind you of how much of a woobie Xie Lian is. (Also, I find it necessary to note that Xie Lian’s healing arc really isn’t shown. He’s starting to heal in the main plot and then we jump to the extras and he’s fine and he’s just suddenly come to terms with his trauma).

I find it necessary to say that books 2 and 4 obviously don’t apply to this post because Xie Lian is allowed to face the consequences of his actions there, and we are less tethered to a group of immortal beings as our central characters. 

Book 5 also doesn’t really apply for the most part, but it’s still not tense due to the hilariously shoddy buildup and payoff of the entire battle.

Anyways, that concludes my rant for today, if you want to scream at me for being a terrible person due to disliking this piece of fictional media, go ahead, and if you read this entire 2k word essay/rant mad props to you. 

#tian guan ci fu #tgcf #tgcf hua cheng #mxtx #heaven official's blessing #mxtx critical #mdzs #xie lian #hua chang #hualian #tgcf manhua #tgcf headcanon #tgcf critics

[justsome-di]

Nobody Ends Up Dead in a Bathtub, Everyone Keeps Their Organs: Chapter 25

Summary: Alex is an ordinary, highly-introverted office worker. He clocks in and out and goes home to his little apartment he shares with his younger sister. He hasn’t dated in years by the time his co-workers set him up on a blind date.

The only issue is he and his date are not on the same page. At all.

While Alex thinks it’s a normal date, Damián is under the impression Alex is a client who paid to be there. No-so-quickly, they realize something is up. It’s all a prank. Damián is a sex worker Alex’s co-workers hired as a sick joke.

After reassuring that they’re both okay, Alex decides he wants revenge for both him and Damián. The plan is to use the stigma of sex work and start a 6-week, scandalous fake dating scheme with a big finale at the office Halloween party. Alex’s co-workers will be too horrified to try to prank him again. At least, that’s the plan.

You can also read this on AO3. If you don’t want to wait for new chapters, the complete story is on Patreon for only $4 with bonus stories! If you’re enjoying the story and want to support me in other ways, consider dropping me a message in my inbox or reblogging this post!

Damián and Alex met Martin before he had the chance to leave the office. He looked at them like he was being held up against his will. Which he was, technically.

“This is us apologizing,” Alex said. “We’re sorry.”

“We’re really sorry,” Damián said. “If it makes anything better, I’d like to re-introduce myself. Properly.”

Martin’s brow was furrowed, but it looked forced. Like he wanted to be more upset than he really was.

“Okay,” he said.

“I’m Damián. I’m Alex’s friend. We have a plan at the end of the month to trick your co-workers into thinking we’re dating as payback for a nasty prank some of them pulled.”

Martin nodded. “I’m Martin. I’m one of those co-workers who pulled that nasty prank.”

“I’m Alex, we’ve known each other for a while.”

It got a little laugh out of Martin.

“We’re sorry we didn’t tell you about any of this,” Damián said. “It went further than we thought it would. I think eventually we would have let you in on it before the party.”

“It’s fine.” Martin looked a bit sheepish. “I’m sorry Alex told me your real name.”

Alex didn’t know why Martin was apologizing for that.

“That’s fine if you know,” Damián said. “I just really need you to keep it between us.”

“I will!” Martin’s eyes were wide all of a sudden with Damián’s safety back on the table. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Alex didn’t remind Martin of his involvement in the prank. Martin had turned over a new leaf. If anything, it made the revenge that much better. Alex was getting a somewhat-partner and a new friend out of it.

“Can we still invite you guys over if we’re hosting friends?” Martin asked.

Damián looked to Alex, who nodded.

“Yeah,” Damián said. “I don’t see any harm in it. Can we just keep the whole revenge thing on the down-low in front of everyone?”

“’Course,” Martin said. “And if the plan ever becomes more than a plan, and if you’re ever anything real, then we can just all pretend like it was real to begin with. It’ll be between us three.”

Martin smiled at them, and then the bastard walked away. Alex wanted to jump out of the window.

“Did you tell him anything?” Damián asked. “About this weekend? It’s fine if you did, but—”

“No. He’s just being a brat. I’ll fill you in on something else later.”

They let it go. Alex believed it was gentle teasing. He didn’t want to have to talk about the weekend just yet. It made him nervous to think about how Damián must have felt after some time had passed.

That entire Monday morning, he had started to wonder if Damián could have regretted it or found the whole thing disappointing. There was no real reason to. Damián had never given him any hints that he hadn’t enjoyed himself. But it didn’t stop Alex from making up scenarios in his head, only tamed when Damián turned to him with a smile.  

“We eat out a lot,” Damián said like they had married for years and were in desperate need of better habits. “Why don’t I cook for us?”

It had been ages since someone had cooked for Alex. And the last person to do so was his mother.

“Okay. What are you making?”

“Arroz con pollo? Chicken and rice. It’s cozy. I’ll make enough for Eve and Leo, too, if they want to join us.”

It sounded almost perfect. Like they were actually a little family with just one minor issue.

“I don’t think Leo likes me very much,” Alex said.

“What? You’ve barely met.” Alex could tell Damián was lying. He rolled his eyes. “Leo was just in a bad mood that one day. I’ll threaten him so he’s on his best behavior.”

Alex considered it. Worst case scenario, Leo would never like him and dinner would be painful. Best case scenario, Leo would tolerate him like a cat and they would sit in silence while Alex would never be on good terms with his boyfriend’s brother. God, were they boyfriends? Alex wasn’t ready for that word. He played it over in his head until he decided against it.

He would never be on good terms with his current romantic interest’s brother. Yeah. That sounded better.

They stopped for groceries and while Damián made him hold rice and an onion, Alex worried that Leo would still be cold towards him over dinner. Maybe Leo thought he was a pervert and maybe Leo didn’t know that there was something genuine happening between him and Damián.

By the time Damián was almost finished with dinner, Eve and Leo had arrived and Alex was worked up like a chihuahua. Leo walked right past Alex and to the stove.

“What did you make?” he asked.

“Arroz con pollo.”

“Hell yeah,” Leo said. “Is it done?”

“It’ll be done by the time you set the table for our guests.”

And that was all it took to get Leo to pull plates from the cupboard and start laying them out.

Eve sat down next to Alex, stiff and awkward herself. They were clearly siblings when you looked at them. Noses that bumped out at the bridge. Hair that couldn’t decide if it wanted to curl or lay flat. Warm, brown eyes that had a tendency to look like they belonged to homeless, orphan puppies. And their complete lack of social skills when they were caught off guard by a spontaneous dinner invitation.

“How was studying?” Alex asked.

“Fine.”

“Getting anywhere?”

“She’s doing really well,” Leo said. “I think she’ll pass her exam.”

Eve shrugged. Alex squeezed her shoulder. “You’ll do fine.”

“You’ll do fine!” Damián cheered. He set the pan of arroz con pollo in the middle of the table. “And even if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world.”

“Right,” Alex agreed.

Leo set glasses of water in front of everyone. “She’ll do fine. I’m tutoring her.”

“Of course,” Damián said.

He reached over to pinch Leo’s cheek, grabbing as much of his face as he could. But Leo recoiled and shrugged him off. Alex could see Damián looked hurt despite his smile widening. It was a sort of a tell, Alex decided. Damián could smile so much, but Alex had started to understand that it was often forced.

Alex tried lifting the mood as best as he could, though it was clear that it was not his strong suit at all. He complimented Damián on the meal—which was the best chicken and rice he had ever had in his life. He assumed it was because he had never had chicken seasoned so well before, but he was too embarrassed to confess to that out loud. Especially after Leo had asked Damián if he remembered the time his white ex-boyfriend had raved about arroz con pollo. Damián laughed and said white people were so funny about chicken and rice.

Alex tried asking Leo about grad school, but Leo barely talked. He answered Alex in short, usually one-word sentences. Had he been accepted anywhere yet? Yes. Had he made a decision about where he was going? No. Did he want to stay in the area?

To that, Leo had rolled his eyes. Damián answered for him.

“He’s applied to schools all over, but he’s being very secretive about it on top of acting like a moody teenager.”

“Isn’t my business where I’m going?”

Damián shot Leo a warning look, and Leo immediately tucked his head down into his plate. Alex imagined having any power like that over Eve. Eve did whatever she wanted whenever she wanted. Their parents couldn’t even get a handle on her. Everyone was lucky that her interests were contained to coding and thrift shopping for grunge looks and shaving her head rather than arson or grand theft auto.

Eve took up the conversation from there, talking about the classes she was actually passing. And when she finished recapping her week so far, she asked Damián what kind of appointments he had lately. She was curious, and so was Alex.

“I did have an interesting client last week,” Damián said.

“Interesting in a good way?” Alex asked.

“Interesting in an ‘I thought I might die for a few minutes, but it was all fine.’” Damián folded his fingers together and laid his chin on top of them. “I was trying to leave this guy’s house, and he was being a little weird. And I just thought, okay, this was this guy’s first time with a sex worker. It’s fine. People can get awkward. But I really need to get out of there, and he’s asking me if this is something we can do again. I tell him of course, he’d just have to make an appointment like he just did for this one.

“But he starts getting a little manic. And I was kinda starting to think, fuck, I hope this guy is okay. He’s talking a lot, and I’m just trying to pick my clothes up off the floor. I’m thinking that maybe I shouldn’t meet up with him again. And I’m standing there, almost naked, holding my clothes, and I hear someone in the house.”

“Fuck,” Eve gasped.

“I ask him if he lives with anyone, and his face is totally pale. And then this woman walks in. And she looks at me, and she looks at my client, and I realized, fuck, this is his wife. We’re all just standing there staring at each other. I’m fucking naked. My client is fucking naked. His wife is standing there staring at us.

“And this woman—this poor, poor woman—is trying to ask what’s going on, but she just’s kinda gasping. And I have definitely hooked up with people before who have spouses, but this is my first time meeting the spouse. Also, this might be how this wife is realizing her husband is gay—which, fuck.

“So I just kinda. Shuffle out of the room. And I get dressed in their fucking kitchen, and I call an Uber. And it was chilly outside, so I waited in their kitchen until I could dive into this car and make my getaway. And they start yelling as I’m waiting, and it sounds insane. Why wouldn’t it be? But I hear it escalating, and I’m watching Hernando take a wrong turn to get to me, and I was like, Hernando, you have one job. Get here right now, or I’ll give you one star.”

“Oh my god,” Alex said. “That’s awful.”

“I wasn’t serious. I gave him five stars and a nice tip.”

“No, not Hernando. This woman.”

“Oh. Yeah. I hope she’s getting out of that marriage.”

Eve laughed. She pressed her hands to her cheeks and over her mouth as if she was embarrassed. “That sucks for her. That had to be the worst day of her life.”

“Why are you laughing at her then?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not laughing because it’s funny.”

Leo turned to Alex and looked at him critically like he had the first time they met. Damián kept his eye on Leo. Eve was trying to calm herself.

“So, was it worse than finding out you were hired as a prank?” Leo directed the question to Damián, but he was staring at Alex.

“Yes,” Damián said, firmly.

“I want to know how awkward Alex was.”

“Leo, stop.”

Alex was red and pushing a grain of rice around on his plate. Eve had gone quiet. She looked at Alex and then at Leo and then at Damián.

“I don’t want to hear about my brother being with a sex worker,” she said. “No offense. It’s not the sex worker thing. It’s the sex thing. I don’t like thinking about my brother having sex.”

“I don’t think any of us should be talking about it. It’s between me and Alex,” Damián said. “Leo, help me clean up.”

Leo managed to stand with an attitude. He pushed his chair back and took plates.

“I think the four of us could be good friends,” Eve said. “Like a polycule but for friends.”

“That’s just called having friends,” Alex said.

Friends. He let his mind settle on that. Friends.

#nobody ends up dead #writeblr #writblr #original writing #writing community #neud #queer fiction #writing #original work

[colettevbellerose07]

🎀Is S an Odd Number🎀

🎀Warnings: self-hate, suicidal thoughts, mental health issues

🎀Clark Kent x Mentally ill! Reader

🎀Prompts:“I’m not suicidal, I just want to see if anyone would actually care if I was gone.”

🎀A/N: The way he blinks sends me. I’m literally so freaking 🥰 in love. This is not my best work but I love him so much.

I know I’m not the best partner ever, but to be fair I did warn Clark. I tried to explain to him my bad habits, but he said he would help me get better with that stupid heroic smile of his. I’m not ready to heal, I don’t deserve it. I don’t know why but he keeps trying, it’s like he has “I Can Fix Her Syndrome”. Anyways we’ve been dating for a couple of weeks now. I still don’t know how to act when if he gives me physical affection. I’m not uncomfortable with it I love it. I just can’t believe he actually does it and to my knowledge enjoys it. I genuinely don’t know what he sees in me. No guy has ever treated me like this before it’s so strange, having someone just as devoted to you as you are to them. I truly do love him with every ounce of my soul, but you know what they say, “You can’t love someone unless you love yourself too.” My stupid therapist said that which Clark introduced me to and inevitably encourage forced me to visit him weekly.

“Good Morning, Y/N,” Clark says. “Good morning, Clark.” I looked up at him. Gosh, he’s so beautiful, I have no idea how I bagged such a hottie. But I think this is a universal feeling when you’re boyfriend looks like a buff nerd. “Since we both have an off day I was wondering if you’d like to go to that diner downtown. I heard it’s super good.” Clark knows I won’t eat if I’m not around people. I feel this pressure to eat when in a restaurant. Like if I don’t eat everything on my plate everyone in the room will hate me and think I’m a spoiled brat. Of course, I haven’t confessed this to Clark I think he’s just happy I’m eating. Unlike before our relationship, I either ate too much and went days without eating or I went days without eating and binged my brains out the second I saw food unattended. “Hello, earth to y/n.” Clark waved a hand across my face. “Yes, I would love that.” I beamed, what have I gotten myself into?

Time skip ⏭

The drive was quiet but not the bad kind. While on the drive I tried talking to my therapist, I don’t know why I was bored. “Okay Miss L/N I’ll have your pill doubled since you aren’t feeling any changes. May I ask why you say your suicidal thoughts haven’t gotten better?” He asked, even though the phone I could tell he was genuinely curious. This man has made it his mission to crack down on what is wrong with me. “For the third and last time, sir. I’m not suicidal, I just want to see if anyone would actually care if I was gone.” I denied but who knows maybe I would die if given the chance.

The car abruptly stopped, we must be here. “What!” Clark yelled with pure anger and sadness. “What’s wrong?” I quietly asked. “I would care if you were gone!” There’s no way he could have heard me, I didn’t say that out loud. Unless maybe I did? “Y/N is that why you never told me about any of your conversations with the therapist?” Clark cried, his face looking distraught. I wasn’t expecting this kind of reaction. My previous boyfriends wouldn’t do this, if anything they would laugh and say I should just do it. I don’t know how to handle this, “I’m sorry.” I whispered, tears trailing down my face. Clark grabbed me, pulling me into him sobbing into my neck.

I wrap my arms around his back gently caressing him. “Talk to me,” Clark demanded. I feel like I have no control over myself everything I want to say is pushed away when “No.” “Why won’t you just let me in!” Clark yelled “Because I’m afraid, there I said it! I’m afraid!” “Afraid of what?” Clark whimpered his nose slightly scrunched. “I’m afraid of loving you, Clark! I’m afraid that when you find someone better you’ll leave me all alone! I’m so used to everyone I love leaving me, I don’t know why you even like me! I’m a mess of a human.”

Clark sighed deeply as I sobbed. “You aren’t a mess of a human-” “Then what’s sooo interesting about me?” I interrupted, I had hit a new ATL and now nothing means anything even my tone. “I like when you dress up because it makes you all flustered when I compliment you, I like how intelligent you are. Not in a way most people are it’s like your brain is a storage unit for little bits of knowledge. I love your cheesy punny jokes about Superman that you always find an opportunity to tell. I love every aspect that makes you so unique. Your little squeaks of joy when I come home. You, y/n, I love you.” Clark gazed at me. He genuinely loves and cares about me. “I haven’t been a very good girlfriend Clark, I’m sorry. Can we start over?” I looked at him. “I would love to start over. How about we start with a first date.” He said looking at the diner. “Okay, but the last one there pays the bill!” I said rushing out of the car. “Oh no, you don’t y/n!” Clark said hurrying after me.

#coquette writer #clark kent x reader #clark kent #Clark Kent/reader #superman x reader #superman #Clark Kent x depresso reader

[crimsonedquill]

hello darling! im the person who sent in the request for you green thumbs imagine! i love it to death and I even printed it out so I can read it whenever I don't have my phone on me hehehe

i was wondering if you could do an imagine for seb with a trans mc? (ftm) I came out to my mom as trans today and it did not go well at all, I'm very emotionally distraught it and some hurt/comfort from my favourite slytherin would really help me feel better <333

Phoenix Feather (Sebastian Sallow x trans!MC)

Tags: Short (1.6k), Hurt/Comfort, Coming Out to friends

I admit reading your ask had me sitting speechless for a hot minute. I'm incredibly flattered that you like my writing and even more that you would trust me with such a personal request (especially as someone who, full disclosure, doesn't have any practical experience writing trans characters or who doesn't even usually write Sebby content, for that matter) so that had me setting the bar just a little higher for myself than I usually do!

So after dropping all of my other stuff to do a lot of research, writing, research, rewriting, banging my head against a wall and rewriting again, I hope I produced something that does you justice. Again, this is all new territory for me, so any misconceptions are mine and mine alone.

On a more personal note, please know that you're loved and that you have a right to live your life authentically. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it. 🖤

The platform slowly slides into view behind the window of the carriage. Sebastian turns to look at Arden, his gaze soft and comforting as he asks: “Are you ready?”

Arden nods, even though part of him feels he will never be ready. He’s nervous, about the questions, about what his friends will say. He knows he will be all right in the end, especially with Sebastian at his side, but he hasn’t been able to shake off the feelings of doubt, clinging to him like a shadow ever since he made the decision to go back to Hogwarts.

He feels the gentle touch of Sebastian’s fingers on his hand, grounding him. “There is nothing to fear. I will be with you all the way, do you understand?”

“Yes,” Arden says hoarsely. He skips a beat before asking, “What do you suppose they’ll say?”

“I don’t know,” Sebastian admits. It’s one of the things Arden appreciates most about the Slytherin; he never shies away from telling him the truth, uncomfortable as it may be. “I‘ll wager most of them won’t think of you any differently. They’ll have questions, as I did, but eventually they will see that you’re the same friend they said their goodbyes to a few months ago. And if they don’t… well, then they’re not deserving of your friendship anyway.”

At last, the carriage comes to a halt, sending a small shock through them. Arden hears the excited chatter coming from the platform, students meeting each other again after the long summer break. It’s like nothing has changed and everything has changed, all at the same time.

He looks up when Sebastian offers his hand to him. “Let’s go introduce ourselves again, shall we?”

— — —

The first person he reintroduces himself to is Ominis. He feels uneasy when he approaches the Gaunt boy; despite his blindness, he’s always felt like Ominis is able to see right through him, and now he has that feeling more than ever. Still, there’s nothing but kindness in his voice when he politely shakes his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Arden. Allow me to… offer you my best wishes in this new chapter of your life.”

“Thank you, Ominis,” Arden says, feeling a weight fall off his shoulders. He struggles for a moment as he thinks of what to say next. Then, he says, “I would very much like to continue to be your friend.”

Ominis inclines his head. “And I would be honoured to continue to be yours.”

They speak for a little while longer before saying their goodbyes. Sebastian turns to him when they leave. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It wasn’t,” Arden admits. “You told him about me, didn’t you?”

“I might have mentioned some details during our correspondence over the summer. Not on purpose, though – he simply wanted to know how you were faring.”

“I should have suspected as much.” Arden chuckles. “He’s a good friend.”

“That he is.” Sebastian nods.

As they proceed to meet more people, however, they find once again that rumours travel fast at Hogwarts. Natty gives him a bracelet adorned with a spectrum of beads – a gift her mother had given her after she completed her animagus training. Each bead symbolises both continuity and change, courage and inner strength, she says, and Arden is at a loss for words when she hugs him. Meanwhile, Poppy timidly presents him with a Phoenix feather, a gesture that doesn’t require an explanation. Arden accepts the gift with tears in his eyes and vows to treasure it forever.

Not everyone is as understanding, or at least not at first. Garreth’s ignorant comment about Polyjuice Potion earns him a snarky retort from Sebastian – is there even anything underneath all that hair, Weasley? But when he realises his mistake, the Gryffindor’s face goes as red as his hair and he quickly apologises. Amit, on the other hand, has a lot of questions but is genuinely curious, and Arden does his best to answer them all. Even the people he feared telling the most react with nonchalance at worst. Imelda simply shrugs when he introduces himself again. She’s pleased that he finally feels comfortable in his own skin, but he should know that she will still beat him on a broom any day.

As the day draws to an end, Arden feels a mix of relief and doubt. He can’t deny reintroducing himself to his friends wasn’t as difficult as he expected it to be, yet his sense of unease lingers, and he can’t help but notice it has something to do with Sebastian – feeling it whenever he catches his gaze, the Slytherin flashing him that once-irresistible boyish grin. He finds himself in need of a place to think, a lot. When he gets the chance to slip away from Sebastian’s watchful eye, he quietly disappears into the shadows. The darkness embraces him like an old friend as he wanders, his mind consumed with thoughts. He tries to piece together his jumbled emotions, trying to understand why he feels so conflicted. Is it guilt? Shame? Regret? Fear?

He doesn’t know. He wishes he knows. Eventually, he finds the familiar door on the seventh-floor corridor of the Astronomy Tower, taking a deep breath as he steps inside.

— — —

It doesn’t take long for Sebastian to notice that Arden has slipped away. He quickly starts looking everywhere, from the Undercroft to the Quidditch pitch, but it doesn’t occur to him to check the Room of Requirement until the very last moment. He spots Arden immediately as he enters; he’s sitting on one of the sofas in front of the grass vivarium, staring at the red feather in his hands. He looks up as Sebastian comes running towards him and quickly wipes out his misty eyes. “Oh, hello, Sebastian.”

“Arden, what’s wrong?” he asks with concern. “Was it something someone said? Just give me their names and I –”

“No, no, it’s not that,” Arden said. He sighs, turning the feather in his palms. He struggles to put his feelings into words, his thoughts eluding them like they’re not his own. “Today went better than I could have ever hoped for. In retrospect, I’m not even sure what I was so afraid of. Everyone’s been so kind, and understanding…”

“Well, of course.” Sebastian sits down next to him. “They know you. Why would they think of you as any different from what they did before?”

Arden looks up at him now, fresh tears welling in his eyes. “I don't know,” he says. “But I’m afraid, Sebastian. The truth is that I still don’t know what this means, for me, and you. Spending time with you and having you beside me… is one of the few things that’s ever really made sense in my life. And even if you’ve been nothing but supportive so far, I can’t help but ask myself these questions… what if you change your mind about me? What if you feel I’m no longer the person you fell in love with?”

A silence falls between them. Sebastian is thinking, his face caught in a frown. After what feels like an eternity, he takes a deep breath. “I don’t know what I can say to put your mind at ease,” he confesses. “But I can tell you what matters to me. Do you remember what you told me that night you ran away from home and came knocking on our door in Feldcroft?”

Arden thinks for a moment. “I… I’m not certain –”

“I am. You told me you’d felt trapped all of your life, and that was the night you had finally decided to set yourself free. And the truth was that I did see a different person in that moment. I saw someone who, for the first time in their life, was in complete peace with their mind and body, like a mask had fallen away from their face. I’ll admit it did feel as if I was meeting a new person – as if I was only getting to know the true you then.”

He takes one of Arden’s hands and lovingly cups his cheek, stroking it with his thumb. “I’m glad you found your happiness. And if you really think that I care for you so little that any of this would ever make any difference to me, you’re only fooling yourself. I want to be there for you –” he closes Arden’s palm around the Phoenix feather “– in this new life, right next to you.”

Arden doesn’t respond immediately. He just sits there, trying to keep himself from crying. And failing miserably at it, as he starts choking up and leans forward in the Slytherin’s warm embrace. Sebastian says nothing as he holds him, gently rubbing his back until he’s composed himself enough to be able to speak again.

“Sebastian…” he says, his voice finally breaking from the emotion and fatigue, “thank you.”

“Just close your eyes,” he answered. “I will still be here when you open them again.”

Arden did as he said, wrapping himself into Sebastian’s arms. Clutching the Phoenix feather in his hand, he drifts off into a dreamless slumber. And for the first time in what feels like ages, he finally feels whole, as though he were precisely where he was meant to be.

#hogwarts legacy #harry potter hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #hurt/comfort #trans!mc #ominis gaunt #natsai onai #poppy sweeting #imelda reyes #amit thakkar #garreth weasley