#if the new person also gives her attention >:) master plan

[roseghoul26]

Part 1

Javier Escuella x femVirgin!Reader

Synopsis: You and Javier are to attend a party in Saint Denis, hoping to rob the owner of the establishment. Your role is to distract the man while Javier sneaks up to his room, stealing bonds rumored to be worth a good bit. The only problem is, the two of you are pretending to be husband and wife, which would be fine if you weren’t completely in love with the man. Will you be able to muster up the courage to finally confess to him, or will your personal anxieties hold you back from getting what you want?

Tags: fluff, smut, friends to lovers, fem!Reader, reader is described to have longer hair but that’s about it, reader is afraid of intimacy, but like still wants it, unwanted touch (not from javier), unwanted sexual advances (not from javier), non consensual touching (not from javier), basically any noncon stuff is not done by javier, degrading language towards women, first kiss, love confessions, virgin reader, not beta read, angst, unsafe sex

Author’s Note: i know english and german, not spanish. sorry. also i totally wasn’t projecting while writing this ahaha :D

also this was supposed to not have multiple parts but i broke it down into two just for reader digestibility

part 1 ❉ part 2

You were certain that Miss Grimshaw was trying to kill you.

If she pulled any harder at the corset currently strangling you, you’re sure your lungs would collapse. A startled cry left your lips when she tugged again, causing you to nearly topple into her. Miss Grimshaw rescinded with a disapproving nose, roughly adjusting you back upright. 

The two of you were in someone's tent, Miss Grimshaw practically pulling you in a few minutes ago with a garment in her hands. You had been on guard duty, and you had seen Charles give you an almost apologetic look as she took over for you. 

“You’re actin’ like this is your first time wearin’ a corset,” She reprimanded, pulling yet again at the strings.

You were no stranger to corsets, that was true, but you’ve never had to wear one this tight. Usually they were tight enough to accentuate your figure, but it still was breathable enough that you could move with ease, which was necessary in this lifestyle. This time it was pressed so snug against your body that you feared a sudden movement would pop a rib.

“Not like this!” You snapped, your discomfort causing your fuse to become short. 

“Don’t take it out on me, girl. You can thank Dutch for this.”

You scoffed. “Of course. How does he expect me to move like this?”

“That’s the point. You’re not supposed to.” She emphasized her point with another tug, restricting your airflow even further.

“What?” 

“He wants you to be the distraction, and the only way you’re doin’ that is if we get this corset on.”

You rolled your eyes. “You know that ain’t true. You know damn well I can distract someone without having to kill my lungs.”

“Not this time. You’re goin’ to a party, accompanying one of the men as their newlywed wife. Your story is that you used to be a working girl, but you’ve now settled down with your rich ‘husband’. You’re gonna distract the man of the house with your assets, and by implying that your new husband ain’t takin’ good care of you, if you know what I mean. Rumor has it that he’s a frequent customer of the local brothels, so it’ll be easy to get his attention.” Miss Grimshaw chuckled lightly. “While he’s taken in by you, your ‘husband’ is gonna sneak up to his rooms, looking for bonds or somethin’. You’re gonna have to ask Dutch or someone for the details. He just told me to make you look… irresistible, which is what I’m tryin’ to do, but you keep complainin’!”

“Sorry…” you grumbled. You weren’t too fond of the plan that was just presented to you. As a master conwoman, you were no stranger to using your body as a tool, using your assets to get what you wanted. But if this corset was telling you anything, it was that you were going to be quite out on display, your breasts barely contained in the garment. You knew you would probably be safe with whoever your “husband” was, but you didn’t trust the other men at the party. You were already mentally preparing yourself for the words you were going to be hearing tonight, and for the possible gropes and touches of disgusting men. 

And because you had such little movement, you wouldn’t be able to protect yourself as well as you could. The thought of being so defenseless had you shuddering, which didn’t go unnoticed by Miss Grimshaw. “You’re gonna be alright. Besides, Arthur’ll be taggin’ along with the two of you as extra muscle. Lord knows he’d never let anythin’ happen to you.”

“Arthur ain’t my ‘husband’?” You were expecting the cowboy to be your other half for the night, as the two of you had played that role several times as Mr. and Mrs. Callahan. The two of you worked well together, a natural comradery making it a very convincing act. So much so that some of the gang members had even questioned yours and Arthur’s friendship, but the two of you quickly shut those thoughts down. The two of you were practically siblings, and besides, you had your eyes on someone else in camp. 

“Not tonight. He said he’ll probably be recognized and wouldn’t be able to be someone else, so he asked for someone else to play the role tonight.”

“Please don’t be Micah,” you groaned.

“Dutch ain’t a fool. He knows the two of you would never be a convincing couple.” You could tell she was imagining you and Micah pretending to be sweet on each other, and she laughed boisterously. “The two of you’d kill each other before you even got to the party! That would be a sight to see, though.”

“So who’s gonna be playing my ‘husband’, then?”

Because your back was turned, you missed the mischievous look that flicked across her face. “That will be Mr. Escuella.”

“Javier?!” The remaining air in your lungs came out in a wheeze, and you started coughing. Trying to suck in as much air back in proved to be a difficult task, and you found yourself growing lightheaded for more reasons than one.

“That’s who I said, right? I recommended him myself; I know it won’t be hard for you to pretend that you’re married.”

“What do you-”

“I’ve seen the way you look at him, girl. I know you’re sweet on him.”

“Sure, say it louder so the whole goddamn camp knows!” You huffed, and you prayed that it wasn’t evident that you were blushing. Were you really that obvious?

“I apologize,” she laughed, not sounding sorry at all. “I think the ‘whole goddamn camp’ already knows, girl. Everyone but Javier, that is.” You felt her tug one final time, before tying the strings into a tight knot. Sucking in a deep breath, you tried to calm your racing heart. You were never nervous like this before jobs, but with the new knowledge of who your “husband” was, along with some more personal worries, it was hard to stay calm. Of course you got paired up with the man you’d had your eye on since the moment you joined the gang.

But it wasn’t just being paired up as Javier’s wife that worried you. You had people you could confide in for that, with or without damage to your pride. No, your other anxiety was something that you wouldn’t admit to another soul. The whole backstory that you were going to have, being a working girl, was something that was going to be hard to fabricate because you didn’t have a lot of knowledge in that area. You knew what you had to say and what to do; you were inexperienced, not innocent. You were just concerned that you weren’t going to be able to pull a convincing act, putting you and Javier into danger. 

And you were partially afraid that you would have to do some things that you’d never done before, but instead of it being with someone you trusted, it would be with random gross men at a random gross party. You’d never touched someone in an intimate manner before, and the thought of doing it tonight worried you deeply. You knew that Dutch wouldn’t make you use your body in that way, but things happen, and you were always determined to get what you wanted.

You just hoped that it wouldn’t go that far.

You felt Miss Grimshaw pause a moment, smoothing down the back of your dress with her hands. “You know, he’s sweet on you too.”

Temporarily forgetting your personal worries, you stiffened under her touch. “Alright, now you’re just tryin’ to make me feel better. And you’re startin’ to sound like Mary-Beth.”

“I’m serious! You don’t see the way he stares after you, or hear the way he’s constantly askin’ me about you. Trust me when I say he’s sweet on you too.”

“Uh-huh,” you nodded.

She muttered something under her breath before she was turning you around, forcing you to face her. “I’m just sayin’, tonight would be a good night to test the waters.”

How were you supposed to tell her that you were scared to get close to him?

“Now you’re really startin’ to sound like Mary-Beth.” You felt her fiddle with the neckline of your dress, pulling it down even lower. You let out an indignant squawk, slapping her hands away. “Any further down and I’m gonna get arrested!”

Holding her hands up, she scoffed and rolled her eyes, but there was no real bite behind it. “Now, you sit right here and put these on,” she gestured to the stool behind you, and handed you a delicate pair of deep red heels. “I’ll be back in a moment.”

Complying, you tried your best to sit down, but found it quite hard to do so. The corset dug even further into your skin, so you ended up having to do a weird crouch on the stool. It was uncomfortable, but it worked, and you were able to slip off your old boots to put on the new shoes. The leather was stiff, practically brand new, and you knew that your feet would be blistering by the end of the night. 

True to her word, she was back momentarily, her arms full of products that she dumped on to the nearby bed. You realized now that you were Arthur’s tent, the canvas pulled down to give you space to change. You’d have to thank him later. 

Miss Grimshaw got to work, dusting your cheeks with pink blush and painting your lips with a deep red rouge, which matched the color of your dress. A thin line of black kohl was applied to your upper eye, and you tried your best to not blink as she worked. When she was satisfied with your makeup, she got to work on your hair, pinning it up into a fashionable yet simple updo. Without having your hair to hide behind, your chest felt even more exposed. 

The whole process took about thirty minutes, the evening sun beginning to set when you stood. Your mind was racing the entire time, and you were grateful that Miss Grimshaw didn’t try to distract you with small talk. You needed time to prepare yourself, and she gave it to you. 

She presented you with a small handheld mirror, and you were finally able to see yourself since the ordeal first began. You had to admit that Miss Grimshaw did a fantastic job at getting you dolled up, a newfound confidence calming your racing heart. The blush was placed in just the right way to emphasize your face shape, and the rouge made your lips look full and plush. Even the updo worked well with your features, drawing attention instead of hiding them. 

Taking a step back until you were able to see more of your body in the mirror, and you had to stifle a gasp. Everything about you screamed lust, from the way the corset hugged your hips, to the way it pushed up your breasts, causing them to nearly spill over. The deep red of the dress, like you saw, matched perfectly with your lips, the velvety material pleasant to the touch. Thin black lace lined the sweetheart neckline, the material surprisingly soft against your skin. The black lace pattern continued down the bodice, continuing in places down the skirt, which halted right at your ankles. There weren’t any sleeves on the dress, and you felt Miss Grimshaw place something into your hands: two elbow length gloves the same color of the dress.

Quickly sliding them on, you felt her clip some ruby earring to your ears. She stepped back, a pleased smile on her face that mirrored your own. “I told Javier that it would fit!” She exclaimed, and you gave her a confused look.

“He picked it out. Although, I don't believe he thought it would be this… revealing.”

“He… He bought this for me?” Your cheeks were as dark as the dress.

“He picked out every part of that dress, had it handcrafted just for you.” 

You pushed down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm you. All of this had to cost so much! Instead of facing your heart, however, you put on an air of annoyance, placing your hands on your hips. “So he knew ‘bout this job, but I didn’t?”

She didn’t respond, but the smirk on her lips told you everything you needed to know. “You found out in time, didn’t you? Now,” he clapped her hands together, and grabbed the final item off the bed. It was a small black clutch, and you watched her place the rouge in there before handing it to you. Inside, alongside the rouge you saw a small tooth comb, one you recognized to be a knife in disguise, along with a small handkerchief.

You gratefully took it, tucking it under your arm. You went to try and leave the tent, but you felt her stop you with a hand on your wrist. Before you could register what she was doing, she had sprayed a few spurts of perfume on you, the floral scent ticking your nose, nearly causing you to sneeze. She let go of you then, practically shoving you out of Arthur’s tent, your new shoes catching on the mud. 

Blinking away the setting sunlight that blinded you, you were startled when a loud wolf-whistle cut through the camp, causing you to nearly drop your clutch. Sean stood a few feet away, unabashedly staring at you as you walked out of the tent. “Nice fuckin’ tits, lass!” He said it so loud, and if people hadn’t turned their heads at the whistle, they sure were looking now. 

You flipped him off, a scowl crossing your features as you marched away. He didn’t get the hint, and you knew that he was trailing after you. “Hey, don’t be like that now!” He was very clearly drunk, stumbling over his steps, nearly falling face first a few times.

Standing at the center of camp, you crossed your arms, trying your best to cover your chest. “Fuck off, Sean.” You glanced around, and you found a few pairs of eyes on you. Some of the looks were kind, like from Arthur and Hosea, who regarded you without any lecherous intent behind their eyes. You heard Hosea comment on how you cleaned up nice, and Arthur, who sat next to him, nodded in agreement. Smiling warmly at them in response, you felt a tad bit less exposed. 

“Well that ain’t no talk for a lady. Where's your manners?”

Fighting the urge to shove him away from you, you smiled with malice. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” you put on your best posh voice, resting your hand over your heart. “Please fuck off, Sean.” Not giving him time to respond, you stalked over to the other side of camp, where you saw Tilly, Karen, Mary-Beth, and Abigail gathered around one of the fires. Clemens Points had its advantages, the multiple fireplaces away from the men in the center of camp being one of them. You did a quick detour, stopping by your belongings and grabbing a silver ring, tucking it into the clutch, before heading over to the girls.

Wolf-whistles and cheers left the girls' lips, and you put on a little show as you made our way over. Instead of feeling degraded like you did with Sean, you felt confident. You halted in front of them, doing a little spin with an almost proud smile on your face. 

“Goddamn, girl! Where’ve you been hidin’ all that?” Karen teased, and you waved her away. “You look incredible!”

“I feel incredible,” you beamed. 

“Where did you get that dress? It looks so expensive!” Tilly commented, and you moved close enough so they could feel the material, letting out unanimous content noises when they felt how soft it was. 

“Well…” you almost didn’t want to tell them, knowing their reactions were going to be extreme. They knew you had feelings for Javier, and this was just going to add fuel to their conspiracy that he felt the same. “Javier got it for me.”

Stunned silence was all there was, until they all erupted at the same time, questions and comments spilling from them so quickly that you couldn’t even hope to process them. Rolling your eyes, you pulled away from them, your skirts falling back around you.

”Javier bought it?” Mary-Beth was eating this whole situation up. “Does that mean… are you two…?”

“No. He was just being nice.”

The girls gave each other knowing looks, and you watched as Karen rolled her eyes, and Mary-Beth gave you a disbelieving look. “Now, I know you ain’t dumb, but you’re makin’ it really hard to say that,” Karen muttered, and you scoffed. 

“I’m serious! He was just being nice, nothin’ else!”

“Sure,” Tilly laughed. “Keep tellin’ yourself that.”

You glanced over at Abigail, the one person who had yet to say anything yet. “Abi, please, tell them.”

She sighed, setting the embroidery that she was working on in her lap. “Well, it’s not a simple friendly gesture to buy someone a dress like that…”

You groaned. “You were supposed to be on my side.” 

Abigail just shrugged, barely able to hide a laugh. “Did he just buy the dress, or…” she gestured to your earrings. 

Whatever expression that was on your face was a sufficient enough answer for the girls, who in turn began to laugh. “So, not only did he buy you a beautiful dress, but he also bought you earrings? He’s in love.” Mary-Beth said in almost a sing-song manner. 

“He is. Don’t you dare try to argue otherwise,” Karen threatened. 

“I…” you trailed off, defeated. “Even if he is, nothin’ is gonna come from it! Don’t get those ideas in my head!”

“We are doing nothin’ of the sort. We’re just stating the facts.” Tilly’s eyes flicked to something behind you, and you watched her playfully smile. “But if you don’t believe us, why don’t you go ask him?” She pointed behind you, and you turned your head. Javier was indeed there, but luckily his back was turned to your group, in the middle of a conversation with Dutch and Hosea. 

Even from the glimpse you got, you knew he was dressed up well, a black blazer fitting tightly to his form, accentuating his shoulders and tapering down nicely to his waist. His pants matched color wise, and were just as tight as the jacket, doing little to hide the thick swell of his thighs, and his ass-

Someone clearing their throat had you turning your head back around, finding a group of amused girls waiting for you. Karen produced a handkerchief, practically throwing it at you. “For your drool,” she smirked, and you felt your ears burn. You hadn’t meant to be that obvious with your ogling. 

“Shuddup,” you threw the cloth back at her, and she laughed uproariously, the other girls joining in as well. 

“Why don’t you tell him?” Abigail asked, a sincere curiosity in her question. “You’re obviously both taken with each other, and even if he wasn’t, it wouldn’t hurt to ask. Rather you get your heart broken and know then spend the rest of your life wonderin’.”

“I-I’m not quite sure. I’ve never had a relationship before, and I guess I’m just scared of them, I guess. I don’t wanna do somethin’ wrong. And besides, he’s a ladies man, suave, a charmer. And I’m just… me. I’m rather boring compared to him, and I don’t wanna make him feel, I dunno, trapped with me.” You weren’t quite sure how to explain to the girls that you feared he might find your lack of experience unappealing, how he would want someone that could keep up with him. Additionally, you felt ashamed to admit your fear of intimacy after hearing your entire life that it was something you should want. And you do want it, but you couldn’t. Not yet, anyway.

“Just do somethin’ before you can’t, alright?”

You watched again as Tilly looked behind you, nudging Mary-Beth who sat beside her, and the two of them shared a look. “What?”

“Oh, nothin’,” they smiled, yet they kept their eyes locked behind you. 

“Please don’t tell me he’s comin’ over here.” Their responding giggles told you that, yes, Javier was indeed making his way toward your group.

“Do not say anythin’. Especially you,” you pointed at Karen, and she held up her hands in defense. 

“Hey, I’m just sick of seein’ the two of you dance around each other.”

“We are not-” you pinched the bridge of your nose, annoyed. “Why does everything keep thinkin’ that?”

“Because we’re not blind. Now,” Karen did a spinning motion with her finger, “go greet your ‘husband’.” 

Looking over your shoulder, you saw that he was only a few feet away, a warm smile gracing his features when you made eye contact. You reciprocated, trying your best to not look as nervous as you felt. 

As you did a quick scan over his body, you felt your heart rate pick up. He looked good, which he always did, but even more so now. Wearing a simple white button up under the black jacket, you saw ruby cufflinks peek out, and you noticed some more details now that he was closer. The inside of the jacket was a deep red, similar to your dress, and was made of a very fine looking silk, and his usual red necktie was around his neck. A gold pocket watch hung from his vest, and you were shocked when you noticed that it looked exactly like the bodice of your own dress. Upon closer examination, you realized that it was indeed made out of the same fabric of your dress.

By this point he had reached your side, standing close enough next to you that could feel his heat, the scent of his cologne filling your senses. You were glad for the dimming light, as it made it harder to see the darkening of your cheeks. If this is what your reaction was to him simply standing next to you, then you had no idea how you were going to react when he was pretending you were his wife.

“Hello, Javier.” Was your voice shaking? You’re certain it was.

“Hello, ‘wife’,” he winked, laughing when you scoffed. Thankfully he didn’t seem to catch the way you blushed even deeper. “Good evening, ladies,” he nodded to the other girls by the campfire. They responded in unison, but you noticed that Javier didn’t pay them much mind, his eyes only on you. “You ready to go?” 

When you nodded, he held a palm up for you, which you grasped gently in your gloved hand. And because of course he had to, you watched as he bowed slightly, kissing the back of your hand with soft reverence. He kept his eyes on yours the entire time, making the act feel more intimate than it was. He’s just playing the part, calm yourself. Forcing down the panic, you watched the edges of his eyes crinkle when you giggled lightly, a smile on his lips when he stood upright. You felt him keep his grip on your hand, tugging you away from the girls, who called on you to have a good night between giggles.

As Javier led you away, your hands interlocked, you felt him lean close to you. “Do you like the dress?”

You secured the clutch under your arm. “I love the dress! Thank you, Javier. For everything,”

He shrugged with an uncharacteristically bashful smile, but it was quickly replaced with his usual confident one as he leaned closer to you again. “You look beautiful, mi amor.”

You’d heard him use that last phrase with you before, its frequency increasing over the last couple of months. You had no idea what it meant, and every time you asked he would change the subject. Even when you asked the others around camp, they refused to tell you, a look on their faces that you couldn’t quite recognize. 

“So do you. I mean, you always do…”

“Do I, now?” You could hear the smugness dripping from his voice.

“Oh, hush,” you shoved him with your shoulder, finding yourself barely able to move the man as you slowly walked, still getting used to your new shoes. You hadn’t meant to say that much.

“No, no, tell me more,” he laughed, and you shook your head, laughing as well. 

“I ain’t inflatin’ your ego any more, Mr. Escuella. I’m sure someone else will do that for you.”

“Sure. But I want to hear it from you.”

“Nope.” You emphasized the p sound with a pop of your lips. “My lips are sealed.”

With his free hand, you watched as he placed it over his heart, feigning hurt. “You wound me. I thought you loved me.”

His comment had you panicking, but you hid it behind a laugh. Did he know? Did someone tell him? Oh God, please don’t let him know. 

He continued, unaware of your current inner turmoil. “My ‘wife’, refusing to compliment me. It’s outrageous!” 

Right. He was just playing into the role again. With an inaudible sigh of relief, you were able to calm your thoughts. “Well, if our backstory is to be believed, then there ain’t much to compliment you on.”

Javier barked out a laugh. “Yeah, that’s the story we’re running with, aren’t we. Rich husband and dissatisfied wife.” The mirth in his eyes dissolved into something more serious, something more… amorous. “It’ll be a hard role for me to play, because I could never leave you unsatisfied.”

“What do… oh.” You were at a loss for words, and the intensity of his gaze had you melting. It wasn’t the first time that Javier had flirted with you, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last, but it was the first time he’d ever teased the idea of the two of you being intimate. It’s not that you were fully opposed to the idea, but it scared you. Actually, it terrified you. Throat suddenly dry, you cleared it, no doubt looking quite taken aback. “Well, I-”

“Oh, so he gets treated kindly, but I get told to ‘fuck off’’,” Seans loud complaining had you snapping your head to the side, the moment between the two of you shattered. You hadn’t even realized you were back in the main camp, too engrossed in your conversation with Javier. 

Glaring at the red haired man, you flipped him off again, and you heard the man beside you chuckle. “And I’ll say it again. Fuck. Off.”

“Y’know what, lass, I’ve tried bein’ nice-” “Complimentin’ a woman’s tits ain’t nice, Sean.”

Anger flashed across his features, and he started making his way toward the two of you, still as drunk as he was moments ago. Stiffening your shoulders, you braced yourself for confrontation, balling your free hand into a fist. Sean’s attention was momentarily taken off you, his eyes going behind you. Whatever he saw must’ve frightened him, his normally pale face going even paler. “I- Well… have a good night then.” He quickly scurried away, leaving you very confused. Glancing back at Javier, you failed to notice him tucking his knife away, hidden under the layers of clothing.

“What was that all about?” You asked him, falling back into a casual stance. He shrugged, and you grinned. “Guess I’m just that scary, then.” 

“Oh, yes. You’re terrifying,” he jested, sarcasm evident in his voice. 

“Hey!” You slapped him on the shoulder, and he snickered. “I’m plenty scary. Have you seen me with a knife?”

“Honestly, I’m more scared of seeing what you’ll do to yourself than anyone else.”

You scoffed, but you were still smiling. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to teach me.” You definitely weren’t coming up with an excuse to be with him more, and you definitely weren’t coming up with an excuse to watch his dexterous fingers work their magic with a blade. 

Javier had a soft look on his face. “I guess I will, then.”

The rest of your short walk to the edge of camp near the entrance was done in easy silence, and you were about to ask how exactly you were getting to the party, but it was answered when you saw a two-horse carriage pull into the camp, with a very discontent looking Bill atop it. He stopped a few feet from the two of you, annoyance evident in his body language.

“What kind of party are we goin’ to that we need a carriage? And how the hell did we get one?”

“An expensive one. And you’re asking a group of thieves how they got their hands on a carriage?”

“Fair point,” you laughed, laughing even harder when you saw how absolutely ridiculous Bill looked. He was dressed in a suit as well, but it was very clearly a size too small, the pants riding up far enough to expose what felt like half of his lower leg. A large top hat sat on his head, with a single, meager looking feather sticking out of it, bent in all the wrong directions. A scowl crossed his face when he saw you laughing, and you tried to hide it behind your hand. 

“Whatcha laughin’ at?”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” you gestured to his whole getup.

“Ain’t my fault the old driver was short. And don’t go laughin’ just yet, I’m the one gettin’ you to the damn party.”

“You’re right. My apologies,” you sighed. “How ‘bout this. To make it up to you, I’ll see if I can’t steal some whiskey. The expensive stuff.”

You saw that he pretty much immediately made up his mind, but he still took the time to think, just for the sake of it. “Fine. But I don’t wanna hear another laugh from you.”

You nodded as Javier brought you to the side of the carriage, opening the door for you. Helping you into the carriage with the hand that held yours, you quickly sat down, adjusting the skirt to rest comfortably around you. There wasn’t much you could do for the bodice, the frame of it digging into your skin, but you refrained from grimacing. You expected Javier to follow in after you, but he didn’t, simply stepping back and slowly closing the door. 

“You ain’t gettin’ in?”

He shook his head. “Not just yet. I gotta go talk to Arthur before we set off.”

In all honesty, you had completely forgotten that your friend was accompanying the two of you. “Is he riding in here with us or…?” The carriage was big enough for two, and you’re sure you could squeeze a third person in if you tried hard enough. 

He shook his head again. “He’ll be riding behind us on horseback. He’s security, after all.”

Nodding, you settled back into your seat, at least as best you could. “All right. Well,” you shooed him, “I won’t hold you up any longer.”

Smiling gently, he closed the door, lacking shut with a soft click. It was eerily silent within the carriage, and you were sure that you could scream, and no one outside the carriage would be able to hear you. All the sounds from outside, from the chirping of crickets to the water lapping at the shore were silenced, leaving only your labored breathing and your thudding heart. 

Glancing out the window, you were able to see the receding figure of Javier, most of his form indistinguishable in the dimming light. Like every other time you interacted with Javier, you were going back over the conversation in your head, overanalyzing everything that you said and did, pinpointing moments where you should’ve said something different, or just kept your mouth shut all together. 

But now you found yourself thinking over what he said. You were replaying the moment where he called you beautiful, following it up with that one phrase that, whenever he said it, had a look in his eye that almost seemed like… longing? You weren’t quite sure. 

The sincerity behind his words had you temporarily questioning everything that you knew about your relationship with the man, but you quickly pushed those thoughts away. You were scared, to be honest, to imagine the two of you as anything more than friends. Because what if you were better off as friends, a romantic relationship ruining whatever connection you had. What if he found you boring, or he grew to disdain you? 

Why couldn’t things be simple? Why were you so scared of getting close to him, so scared of him touching you? Why couldn’t you be more confident and straightforward with your advances? Why couldn’t you just tell him how you felt and hope it all works out? 

Groaning, your head rolled back, hitting the wall of the vehicle. You still watched him, a black silhouette that had his back turned to you, deep in conversation with Arthur, who was standing next to his horse. 

The click of the door had you snapping out of your thoughts, straightening up immediately. Javier greeted you with a small smile as he climbed in, stopping mid-way when he heard Arthur shout something at him, which you weren’t able to make out. Javier rolled his eyes, and you thought he was blushing for a moment, but you played it off as a trick of the light. 

“What did Arthur say?” You laughed as Javier settled into his seat across from you. The carriage was large enough to fit two people, sure, but you still felt his knees brush against yours. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through you, nearly causing you to jump. 

“He was just being a fool. It doesn't matter.” He clearly didn’t want to continue talking about it, so you let it drop, ignoring the curiosity nagging at you. “Are you ready?”

As I’ll ever be. “Yes.”

In response, you heard him knock loudly on the window, signaling for Bill to start moving. The carriage suddenly moving caught you off guard, causing you to fall forward. You caught yourself, your hands on his knees. You didn’t hear the light gasp that came from Javier, smiling sheepishly as you righted yourself, placing your hands back on your lap, securing your clutch there. “Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it.” His voice was breathless, and you figured that he was nervous as well. 

“So, tell me about this party.”

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

It was about a twenty minute ride to Saint Denis, where the party was being held. It was one similar to the one Arthur, Dutch, and some of the others went to a few weeks prior, happening in one of the extravagant houses that lay on the edge of the town. The owner of the house, one Lee Edward Reginald III, was known to have bonds that he constantly bragged about to anyone who asked, apparently worth a fortune. 

The two of you formulated your story during the drive. Your names were William and Anna Howard, and the two of you had been married for two years. Hailing from a small town east of New Austin called Fairington, the two of you had stuck it rich when you found a vast supply of oil under your homestead. The two of you had traveled all this way to hopefully establish business partners in the west, and to begin creating a name for yourselves in the more “civilized” Saint Denis. 

You saw a wooden sign that marked you were close to Saint Denis, and you felt your anxiety begin to return. Trying to calm yourself, you repeated in your head that this was no different than any other con job you’ve done, and you weren’t nervous before those. This should be no exception.

“So, how did we meet?” Javier’s question halted your spiraling.

“Hm?” 

“How did we meet? Someone’s bound to ask.”

“I think the story Miss Grimshaw told me is that I used to be a working girl, and we met at the bar when I tried to offer my services.”

“Not too different from how we actually met, no?”

You laughed. “The only similarities between our stories is that we met at a bar. From what I remember, you tried to rob me as I drank alone.”

“I thought you were an easy target. I was mistaken,” he rubbed the side of his face where you had punched him all that time ago. “And I didn’t realize you had robbed me until way after.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever returned that ring back to you. How many months ago was that? Seven? Eight?”

“Something like that,” he smiled, reminiscing over your less than pleasant meeting. You’d joined the gang not long after, Javier having recommended you to Dutch himself. If anyone could rob a member of the Van Der Linde gang and get away with it, they deserved a place with them. 

“That reminds me…” you reached for your clasp, pulling out the ring you grabbed earlier. You almost wanted to slide the ring on his finger yourself, but instead you held it out to him in your palm. “A married man’s gotta have a ring, right?”

Gingerly taking it from your hand, you watched him examine it in the low light, shock causing him to laugh lightly. “You still had it? I would’ve thought you sold it already.”

You shrugged. “I just kept forgettin’ to sell it.” The truth was that you couldn’t bring yourself to sell it, always tucking it away whenever you’d bring your haul to the fence. Eventually, you just kept it with your small pile of belongings in the small lean-to tent you shared with some of the girls, a small token to remember him by. You’re not sure why it meant so much to you, but it brought a smile to your lips every time you saw it. “You can keep it, after we’re done.”

“No, you earned it. I’ll make sure you get it back.”

You held back a sigh of relief, having grown surprisingly sentimental toward the piece of jewelry. “So, how long did it take you to notice it was gone?”

“An embarrassingly long time,” he rescinded. You weren’t satisfied with that answer, and you raised a challenging brow at him. He sighed. “About ten minutes after you left.”

A loud bark of laughter left you. “I took it from you right as we started talking! And we talked for, what, half an hour? It took you that long?”

“In my defense, I was distracted.”

“How? If I remember, you weren’t even drunk.”

“All my attention was on the gorgeous woman in front of me. Someone could’ve held up the place, and I wouldn’t have even noticed.”

“Sure, I looked real pretty,” you rolled your eyes, fighting back a smile. “With the mud in my hair, and the scraps I was wearin’, I’m sure I was the prize woman of the town.”

“You didn’t have mud in your hair,” he laughed. “It was on your face.”

“Oh, that's much better, then.” 

He laughed, his mustache following the movement of his lips as he smiled. “Even if you were covered in dirt, or if you were dolled up like you are, I’d still think you were the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.” It was now that you wished he was sitting next to you, rather than in front of you, just so you didn’t have to feel his eyes on you.

“Really?” It sounded less confident than you’d like, sounding more like disbelief than anything. You knew you were pretty, but to hear it from him made you believe it with full certainty.

“Would I lie to you?” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. When you shook your head, you felt him gently grab your hand, holding it palm-up in his own. Instinctively, you pulled it away, and you immediately regretted it, even more so when you saw the hurt and confused look on his face.

“I…” you swallowed, shame burning your face. “I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” he laughed, but there was no humor behind it. “You confuse me. I can’t tell if you want me too, or if you’re disgusted by me. I honestly cannot tell.”

So he did feel the same. Swallowing, you mustered enough courage to set your hand back in his. “I do want you, Javier. I really do. It’s just… I’m scared.” Your voice was barely louder than a whisper, yet it sounded like you were shouting to your ears.

“What are you scared of?” His question wasn’t judgemental, simply wanting to know.

“It’s real stupid,” you sighed, no longer being able to look him in the eye. 

“Mi amor, look at me. Please.” When you did, he smiled reassuringly at you. “Tell me. I want to help you.”

God, why was he so sweet? And how was he able to crash down the walls you build up in your mind, to never tell another soul about your fears? You turned your hand so that you could grasp his fingers lightly. “I’m scared of this,” you shook his hand. “I’m scared of your touch. And I’m scared of changin’ what we have.” When he started pulling his hand away, you gripped his hand tighter, keeping him there. “But I want it so badly. And I want you, so, so badly. ”

He certainly looked confused now. “I’m trying to understand, I really am, but…” he trailed off, his brow furrowing.

“It’s like, whenever I feel your hands on me, my heart is elated, but my brain freaks out, and not in a good way. And I guess I’m afraid that you ain’t gonna like what you see when you get close to me.” Both physically and personality wise. When you were met with silence, you were mentally berating yourself for practically dumping your issues on the poor man. “Look, if this just changed the way you feel, I understand.”

“I never said that. It doesn’t change anything.” His words were short, but he wasn’t angry. “But I guess I’m just curious as to why?”

“Because I-”

A loud rapping on the glass cut you off, and you jumped slightly. Bill stood on the other side of the window, looking pissed off. It finally occurred to you that you had reached your destination, the carriage long since halted. With a sigh, Javier leaned back, pulling his hand away, giving you a look that says we’ll finish this conversation later.

As he got out, your mind was reeling. He felt the same way towards you, but you didn’t know if you should feel elated or terrified. You didn’t know what was worse, having feelings for someone and them not knowing, or having feelings that were reciprocated and being too afraid to do anything about it.

Sighing, you barely noticed him holding out a hand expectantly to you. You hadn’t budged from the carriage, pretty much forgetting about the party. Sucking in a breath, you took his hand, letting him help you out. 

The heels of your shoes clicked pleasantly against the cobbled street as your feet made contact with the ground. Looking around, you saw that Bill had parked the two of you a block away, giving you plenty of time to prepare yourselves.You could hear the music from the party already, a lively jig mixed with laughter and cheers. Waving goodbye to Bill, he left the two of you alone. Quickly, you took out the rouge, applying it to your lips with practiced movement, not even needing to look in a mirror. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched Javier watch you, looking away when you focused your attention on him. 

Tucking the clutch in your hand, you took in a deep breath. “Arthur’s already there. Ready?” You heard the man beside you ask, and you nodded. He began to move, resting a hand on the small of your back to lead you, before almost immediately retracting it.

“Are… Is that alright?”

“It doesn’t matter right now. We’ve got a job to do.” Javier opened his mouth, ready to protest, but you cut him off. “I appreciate it, I really do, but right now we just gotta pretend that the conversation we just had didn’t happen.”

Nodding, you felt his touch return, but not where it was. Instead, you felt him link his arm through yours, and he continued to lead you toward the party. “You’re almost worse than Arthur, refusin’ to touch me anywhere else than my arm.” You joked, attempting to diffuse the tension.

“Does he know?”

You shook your head, and the two of you fell into a semi-uneasy silence. You could tell that Javier was overthinking things. “Don’t worry too much, Javier. I knew what was going to happen tonight. Do what you need to do in order to pull a convincing act.” When he didn’t respond, you glanced over at him. He smiled back at you, but it didn’t reach his eyes. You leaned in to him. “You do remember I said I did want your hands on me, right?”

He relaxed a bit. “I do.”

The two of you were growing closer to your destination, the music growing louder and louder. “I think the only reason why I’m scared is because it’s… unknown to me. You know when you’ve never done something, and it seems terrifying, and then you do it and it turns out it ain’t all that bad? That’s what it is.” You took a moment to breathe. “So, basically what I’m tryin’ to say is I’m alright with you touchin’ me tonight. Please.”

“Yeah?”

You nodded. “I trust you, Javier.”

Deep brown eyes peered into your eyes, looking for any uncertainty. When he found none, he relaxed even further, and you watched as the smile now reached his eyes. “Only tonight?”

There he was. There was the confident, flirtatious man you’d fallen for. 

You laughed. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Mr. Escuella.”

He tsked, shaking his head. “I don’t know a Mr. Escuella. Are you cheating on me, my dear wife?”

You dramatically gasped in horror. “I would never, Mr. Howard! You insult me by merely suggesting the idea!”

The two of you fell into laughter, and you felt the hand around yours move back to your back, rubbing soothingly there. For the first time, you felt yourself not immediately wanting to jump away, and you instead settled against him. 

As the two of you walked into the party, you ignored the eyes that immediately jumped to you, eyes racking over your body in a less than kind way, from both men and women. All that you could see right now was the soft way Javier regarded you, causing butterflies to erupt in your stomach. Pressing yourself against him so that he was holding you in a side hug, you felt him brush his lips atop your head, so lightly that you would barely call it a kiss. But the gesture had you melting, nearly turning into a puddle on the floor.

You saw Arthur out of the corner of your eye, in the middle of a conversation with some rich looking folk, and you regarded him with a small smile, and it barely even noticed by the other man. The hand on your back tugged slightly, pulling you alongside Javier as he led you toward the group with Arthur in it. Javier introduced himself, and you shook hands as well, introducing yourself with the names you’d come up with. 

As Javier talked, you found yourself zoning out, too distracted by the hand on your back to join in fully on the conversation. You failed to notice the way that the other men, besides Arthur, ogled you unabashedly, and you felt his hand curl around your waist, fingers wrapping around your waist and pulling you tighter to him.

Despite what you thought, you found that you were at ease, not even a hint of feeling uncomfortable. A warm feeling settled in your chest, something that you always felt when you thought of Javier. But it was turning into an inferno, threatening to consume you, taking over every thought and feeling in your body. 

You were so in love with him.

Before you could even register what you were doing, you rested your hand on his back. Javier was clearly not expecting this, based on the way he stiffened, but you felt him relax instantly. You could hear the way his tone changed as he talked, barely able to fight a smile. 

But what shocked you the most is that you found yourself wanting more. And you wanted it now. Every nerve in your body craved his touch, and you were finding it harder and harder to detach yourself from him. And you were supposed to pretend that you didn’t want him?

It was going to be a long party.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #javier escuella #javier escuella x reader #javier escuella rdr2 #javier escuella x you #javier escuella smut

[withacapitalp]

How to Rehabilitate a Jock Part 6

Part 1 Part 5. Ao3 Link Part 7

It was already the second week of December by the time the Hellfire club finally, finally, defeated the Demon Lord Graz’zt. Normally, Eddie loved when a campaign stretched and stretched. It was a devious kind of joy to get to see his friends get stumped and backtrack and do everything they could to defeat whatever he had put in front of them. 

This time, he just wanted them to stab his stupid demon in the chest, light him on fire, and be done with it. 

A thousand times he had thought about just letting them win, and just letting them get through the end of the campaign. But his integrity as a dungeon master and a storyteller stopped him from doing it every single time. 

That, and Eddie was pretty sure they would be able to tell if he was skimping out on an ending just to get to the next campaign. Especially since they all knew why he would be so anxious to get to the next campaign. 

But, last week they had done it. Right at the last second Graz’zt had exploded in a shower of red sparks, the party had gained treasure and XP galore, and Eddie had stayed up every night this week finishing a one shot just for the occasion. 

Usually there was a rest week in between campaigns, or one of the others would rotate in as DM and Eddie would get to play for a while, but he wanted to be the one to run Steve’s first game. He didn’t trust any of the others not to sabotage, or try and kill him off early. 

Besides, he had the perfect beginner game planned. 

Well, he would have the perfect beginner game if their beginner ever decided to show up. 

“Seems like being late is a character trait,” Frank said as the rest of Hellfire sat around the table, clearly bored. Jeff was doodling in his book, and Rocky looked like he was asleep on the far side, face smushed up against the wood. School had ended almost a half hour ago, but there was still no sign of Steve. 

“This does give us time for a JRP update?” Janet suggested, sliding her chair back and walking over to the board. 

“Well, the update is…wow! Nothing has changed,” Gareth said, faking a look of utter shock before sliding back into his usual grumpy scowl, turning to Eddie, “Do you really want to wait three more months just to have to admit that I am right about him?” 

“How could anything have changed so far, Gareth?” Eddie shot back, sick and tired of his best friend’s issues. 

He held up a hand and began to count on his fingers right in front of Gareth’s face. Eddie knew that the other boy hated when he did things like that, but he also knew that he really couldn’t give a flying fuck at this point. Steve was trying, really honestly trying, and Gareth was being a jerk for literally no reason. 

“We just finished our new campaign, Steve isn’t even aware of the band yet because I’m not allowed to invite him to a show, and your third ridiculous checkpoint still has no defining parameters!” Eddie finished with a flourish. 

“Well, technically you can invite Steve to a show,” Kaiden said, grabbing everyone’s attention. He shrugged, pointing to the board, “It doesn’t say that Eddie can never invite him. It just won’t count towards the JRP until Steve goes without an invitation,” 

“Kaiden, what the hell?” Gareth said, spinning around and shooting his glare over to him instead of Eddie. 

“I don’t mind Steve, Gar.” Kaiden said with a shrug, unphased by his mood. By now they were all getting used to working around Gareth’s griping, “He’s pretty chill, he can be kinda funny, and I can’t think of anything he personally did that was that bad. Maybe he really is trying to be someone different now,”

The rest of the club didn’t speak, which Eddie decided to consider an extremely minute amount of progress. Sure, they weren’t sticking up for Steve, but they weren’t actively fighting against him anymore. 

Well, all except for one

“Traitor,” Gareth muttered under his breath. 

“Hey,” Eddie immediately snapped. Gareth could be pissy with him all he wanted, but he couldn’t go after another one of Eddie’s sheep just because he was mad. 

“I agree with Kaiden, I don’t see why Eddie would be forbidden from ever inviting Steve to a show,” Janet said, tapping her chin. 

Either she was unaware of how close the boys were to actually fighting, or she was actively ignoring it in favor of staying logical. Eddie would bet all of his money on the latter. Janet really was too smart for her own good. 

“As for setting parameters for the third point, I’m not sure how we go about that,” She continued, tapping her chalk against the board as she wracked her brain for potential ideas. 

“We don’t. We’ll know it when we see it,” Gareth stubbornly repeated, crossing his arms, “Though I doubt we will. This is just a waste of time.” 

Okay. Enough was enough. 

“What is your problem with him?!” Eddie shouted, starting the rest of the group. Rocky’s head popped off the table with a gasp, and Jeff immediately stiffened up. They were used to Eddie shouting, used to him raising his voice or getting angry, but that was all play, a show. This was actual anger, and that was scary. 

“Where did your problem with him go?” Gareth said, giving as good as he got, “You used to be the first to say that they aren’t us! They’re the enemy! He is literally the face of that enemy! What happened to the Munson Doctrine?!” 

Eddie opened his mouth to tell Gareth exactly where he could stick his Munson Doctrine, but before he could, Jeff stood up. 

His shoulders were up by his ears, and he looked completely uncomfortable, but Jeff was standing up anyway. A silent look from their bassist took the wind out of both boys’ sails, and they sat back down, tense and on edge. 

“Sorry Jeff,” Eddie sighed, pushing down any potential self hatred that wanted to rise up. The two of them knew Jeff’s story, knew why he wasn’t comfortable with angry yelling close to him, and they had done it anyway. Eddie forced himself to take a deep breath, watching as Gareth did the same. 

“Yeah, sorry,” Gareth echoed, looking genuinely remorseful. 

“This isn’t productive,” Frank pointed out, rolling his chair backwards until it collided with the chalkboard next to where Janet was standing, “I think that we should settle for a compromise.  All of the club members agree that Steve can stay. That would at least be enough to be considered a renouncement of some sort, right?,”

“That’s not the same,” Gareth protested. 

“Well, seeing as you don’t have a good argument for your checkpoint,” Frank replied, trailing off and waiting to hear if he had anything else to say. When Gareth remained grumpy and silent the rest nodded. 

“Okay so, I’ll just write our initials here, and when we decide we’re okay with Steve-”

“If” Gareth interrupted. 

“Fine. If we decide that we’re okay with Steve staying, we can cross out our names,” Janet said, miffed at being talked over, but choosing to move past it in favor of keeping the peace. 

She quickly began to jot down everyone’s initials, adding Steve’s right at the top just to keep up appearances. Eddie wasn’t exactly sure how they would explain that one, but hopefully Steve wouldn’t ask. He usually didn’t question things around the room unless they were particularly outlandish. 

“I’m fine with Steve,” Eddie said the second she wrote his initials. 

“We got that one, Eds,” Jeff replied with a good natured eye roll. Now that things were calming down again, he seemed way more relaxed. Janet clicked her tongue anyway, putting a thick white line through the E.M. she had just written. 

“I don’t mind him,” Kaiden tacked on. Janet shot him a quick nod, crossing out Kaiden’s initials, and then, surprisingly, her own.

“Janet?” Frank questioned. She shrugged, pausing for a second to ruffle his hair as she continued to write. She was the only one that didn’t see the way Frank’s face went beet red the moment she touched him. 

“He’s interesting,” She said, as if that was the only explanation she needed, “I’m a scientist. I like to experiment,” 

She finished with Gareth’s ‘G.L-W.’ turning to face the group. 

“Anyone else?” 

The rest of the club shook their heads, but Eddie couldn’t care less. He was already a third of the way there! And, there was no doubt in his mind that at least a few of them were going to be impressed with Steve’s gameplay today. 

After all Steve had been taught by the best. 

“Okay so, slightly modified parameters, but-” 

“Sorry I’m late!” Steve said as he burst into the room, cutting Janet off. 

If she was annoyed at being interrupted a second time, she didn’t let it slip. Instantly, she and Frank were back in their seats, her chalk abandoned, broken in two on the ground. The entire club did their best to look perfectly innocent, a truly terrible job that left them all seeming extremely, extremely, guilty. 

The only reason they got away with it was that Steve was way too caught up in rambling and trying to explain himself. 

“I’m so sorry, I was trying to get the kids set up in the library, because they want to come to my house after school for a sleepover. Winter break, right? But then they kept asking me question after question, and wanting to come watch me shoot hoops. They never want to watch me shoot hoops! Why now?! I swear this is what I get for letting them use my house to take pictures for the Snow Ball.” Steve groaned, getting stuck in his scarf as he tried to unwind it from around his head. 

Eddie laughed softly, getting up and coming around the table, slowly helping Steve get free of his yarn filled prison. 

“Are you going to chaperone this Sunday?” Eddie asked. Instantly his mind was filled with the image of Steve in a handsome black suit, a dark red rose sitting in his lapel and perfectly complimenting his ruby lips. 

Okay. File that under ‘Things Eddie was never allowed to think about again except when alone in his bedroom’. 

“Definitely not. I’m a babysitter, not a chaperone,” Steve said with a smirk, “I’ll let them get ready at my place and have a little after party there, and that should stop them from being arrogant whiny brats for a little while. Hope I didn’t miss anything though,” 

Just the rest of the club talking about using him as a human lab rat. 

“Nope,” Eddie lied smoothly, pulling Steve’s chair out for him and making a huge grand gesture for him to come sit. 

“Welcome to this side of the table,” Kaiden said from his seat across from Steve. Normally Gareth sat on Eddie’s right side, but since the first meeting that Steve had joined, his best friend had regulated himself to the corner as far from Eddie as he could get. 

Whatever. That was better anyway. Eddie didn’t care. 

(He cared so much more than he wanted to admit.) 

“Glad to be here?” Steve said, pulling out the folder Eddie had given him for all of his character sheets and looking around the group nervously. 

He didn’t have anything to worry about. Eddie had helped him to build a totally awesome persona. 

“It’s hell,” Frank sighed solemnly, patting Steve’s shoulder. 

“Hellfire,” Eddie corrected, the rest of the group groaning at his bad pun. He waved off their lack of appreciation for his fantastic word play, perching on his throne and raising a hand. 

“I would like to take a moment to recognize that this is a special occasion. We are here to celebrate the birth of Steve’s very first Dungeons and Dragons character,” Eddie said, pausing so the rest could react appropriately. 

Sure enough there was a round of foot stomping and table slapping. Steve startled at the noise, but quickly recovered, blushing, but still staring directly at Eddie with those big beautiful browns. 

God damn this brave, lovely, completely adorable boy. 

“May I introduce the former Prince of the realm, Level One Human Ranger Stefan of Herringtown. Stefan, Welcome to Hellfire,” Eddie said, pausing to give Steve a secretive wink and loving the way that the blush on the other boy’s cheeks traveled to his ears when he did. 

Stefan was, arguably, a pretty cool first time character. Steve lingered just on the edge of being a paladin, but he had enough chaotic energy that Ranger seemed to fit him better. He was a loyal to a fault kind of guy who had a habit for picking up strays, a smooth quick talking charm that tended to get him in and out of trouble, and a chip on his shoulder from being exiled from his kingdom. 

In short, he was Steve, but dungeons and dragonsified. Perfect for the first play through. 

With that settled, Eddie rolled his shoulders, settling himself into his dungeon master character and taking a long breath in. 

“Your party is starting off trekking across the frozen tundra,” He began, feeling the mood shift to excitement as the rest prepared themselves for his opener, “Your feet are freezing, and your fingers have gone numb, but you continue on anyway. You have heard tale of an abandoned factory at the highest point of the world- a place littered with treasures and everything a being could ever ask for. You want to see the place for yourselves, and maybe even loot some of the booty.” 

Rocky gave a vicious grin at this, chuckling softly to himself. His tiefling rogue was always looking to horde more treasure, and Rocky loved to get into character as quickly as he could. It was fun, it added something to the game. 

“You see a building and hurry closer, eager to get out of the biting frost. It is a dark unnatural place with high smoke stacks and mounds of coal sitting all around the entrance. You enter as one without thinking or stopping to check your surroundings, collapsing on the other side and panting to catch your breath. What is your first move, Goren the Great?” Eddie asked, starting on the far side of the table. 

Even if he and Gareth weren’t on the best of terms right now, Eddie still wouldn’t want to start a campaign with any other player. It just wouldn't feel right. 

“I do a perception check,” Gareth decided. Eddie nodded towards his d8, and Gareth grabbed it, throwing down a seven. 

“As a dwarf, you have spent many years hunting through mines for precious gems, so your ability to see in the dark is unparalleled. You can see strange boot shaped bags all around the room, and boxes that are wrapped with twine bows,” He said, watching as their brains began to spin with possibilities.

This was the best part. Watching his players try to figure out exactly what was going on around them was just so fun. 

“Well, I have a feeling we may have stumbled upon the right place. I can see treasure from corner to corner,” Gareth remarked, throwing his voice into a growling rumble, perfect for his hardened grizzled character. 

“I can’t see anything,” Jeff complained, getting into it. 

"That's because you are a stupid elf, and your stupid elf eyesight only works in the day,” Gareth replied, both of them holding back laughter. 

“How dare you?! You, you…tiny little man!” 

And then they were off, back and forth insults that were cheesy, yet sometimes creative. The club watched in amusement. Even Steve was snickering, and he normally tried to pretend he didn’t exist when it had anything to do with Gareth. Usually Eddie would try and focus the group back in, but he was happy to let them banter for a little while. 

This was the kind of fighting they should be doing. This was the Gareth Eddie knew, and getting to see that that guy was still somewhere in this new person was very comforting. 

“I am through with your impertinent conclusions,” Jeff huffed in mock exasperation, keeping his voice high and flighty as he did, “I am ready to take my turn, master of the game.” 

“Very well,” Eddie said, inclining his head and waiting to hear. 

“I open my bag and get out a torch, but I want to hit Goren with my bag as I do it,” Jeff said, the rest of the group immediately bursting into laughter.

“Roll 2 d8. One for hitting him, and one for how much light the torch is going to give you,” Eddie instructed, biting his lip to hide his smile. Jeff let the dice fly, getting an eight and a two respectively. 

“As you pull out your torch, you smack Goren right in the face with your bag. Goren loses one hit point,” Eddie said, making a note on his paper. 

“Ow!” 

“Oh, I am sooo sorry that was completely unintentional.” Jeff gasped sarcastically, holding a hand against his heart and raising his eyes to the sky. 

“Goren does not believe you, but he will hold his anger for later,” Eddie said, sliding in smoothly before another ‘argument’ could take place, “You light your torch, but the draft coming in through the broken windows makes the flame flicker and shrink. You can just see the edge of an image drawn on the wall,” 

“I want to examine the drawing,” Kaiden jumped in. 

“June Iper it is not your turn,” Eddie replied, referring to Kaiden by his character’s name. If they were doing things their normal way, then it would be Kaiden’s turn, but as it was, it was time for Rocky to go. 

Kaiden grumbled to himself, then sat up straight. He and Rocky made eye contact for a brief second before quickly scrambling to switch seats. 

“Now it is my turn,” Kaiden said, his head held high in victory. Eddie rolled his eyes but allowed it to slide, just happy that the two freshman boys were having a good time. He let Kaiden roll and then continued on, eager to get to the entrance of the main enemy. 

“You snatch the torch out of Boz’s hand, scampering up to the wall and holding it as high as you can, which isn’t very high at all,” Eddie pointed out. Kaiden’s character was a gnome, and Eddie never missed a chance to make a short joke at their expense, “The rest of the party can only see what looks like a chariot being dragged by cloven hoofed beasts.” 

“Wait a second,” Janet said, her face lighting up in realization. She turned to Eddie with her eyes narrowed, and he schooled himself into a completely innocent expression. 

“Yes Miss Ngyet?” He asked innocently, having a feeling she had already guessed where this one shot was going. 

“I take the torch from June so we can see better,” 

“Is there normally this much torch stealing?” Steve asked softly as Janet rolled, quirking his head to the side as he gave Eddie a raised brow. Before Eddie could respond, Frank interrupted. 

“Hey, you’re on our side now,” Frank said, nudging their arms together, “Ask us your questions,”

“Oh, sorry,” Steve apologized, turning towards Frank. 

Behind Steve’s back, Eddie gave Frank a grateful little smile. Sure, he was probably only being nice to Steve right now because Janet had said she was okay with him, but Eddie would take any kind of progress. Frank gave Eddie a short nod, and they settled back into their roles, continuing the game. 

“With Miss Ngyet’s extra height you can all see the full mosaic. Gasping in horror you finally recognize the picture you’re looking at. A man dressed in robes that are bathed in blood, a stampede of reindeer pulling his sledge. All at once the lights turn on in the factory, blinding you. There’s an ominous laughter from behind. Ho. Ho. HO.” Eddie roared. 

More light bulbs around the room as Jeff and Frank both caught on. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Jeff sighed, putting his face in his hands to muffle his laughter. Eddie grabbed the mini figure sitting in front of him, standing up and beginning the monologue he had practiced in front of the mirror all week. Wayne had nearly forced him to go outside to do it after the first few days of never ending repetition. 

“Your foe! A man turned God who knows the name of every child in the world, and watches endlessly. This God, who was once a benevolent overlord, loved to shower gifts upon those he deemed good, giving gentle reminders to those he saw being bad. Now he feasts upon the ‘Naughty’ alongside his favorite meal of milk and cookies,” Eddie ominously lowered his voice, coming to stand between Steve and Frank. 

Steve leaned backwards and turned his head. Frank did the same. 

“Is this what I think it is?” Steve whispered behind Eddie. 

“Yes,” Frank whispered back. 

“The demonous, the dastardly, the fat…” 

Eddie thrust the minifigure down onto the table, standing back as he hollered at the top of his lungs. 

“KRIS KRINGLE!” 

Eddie had been absolutely, completely, 100%, right. 

This was an epic one shot. 

After their initial reactions to finding out they were doing battle against Santa of all people, the rest of the club dove into the campaign with glee. Eddie had taken care to create an awesome story filled to the brim with little easter eggs, and they were eating up every bit of it. 

There were hypnotically enslaved elves, blood thirsty reindeer, exploding candy canes, even a section where the party had to sing Christmas songs to escape from a platoon of killer carolers.

Yeah he was biased, but Steve’s giggly rendition of WHAM’s new hit song was the best thing Eddie had ever heard in his life. 

Speaking of, the biggest shock of the game had to be how well Steve was doing. Eddie had honestly expected to have to subtly take it a little easy on him, but the jock was turning out to be one of the trickiest players he had ever gone up against. 

Sure, the math and the writing portion was a bit of a hiccup, but Steve’s strategic thinking was unexpectedly excellent, and he seemed to have a knack for survival. He had quickly made himself an invaluable player, and the rest had accepted him into the fold, if only for now. 

And the best part of it all was how much fun Steve was having. The smile on his face was bright, utterly joyful in a way Eddie had only seen once years ago. He had seen Steve smile plenty since then, but it was always quiet, kind of hidden away, like he was scared to show how much he was enjoying himself. 

But this was just…happy. Pure, clear, happy, with nothing standing in its way, and Eddie was drinking in the sight like a man in a desert who had found an oasis. 

After a grueling four hours, Hellfire had finally managed to kill off the final reindeer (Vixen had gone down in a blaze of glory) and release all of the elves from their mind manacles. 

There was just one foe left. 

“As the not-so-jolly man with a bag gently lays his last beast on the ground, he looks up at you all with complete rage in his eyes,” Eddie said in a hushed tone, letting things get as quiet as possible before exploding into sound.

“Naughty! You are All on my naughty list!” Eddie declared, slapping his hand on the table before standing and reaching over his binder to point, “You! And You! And You! And-” 

“Steve?”

Eddie paused mid monologue, his finger still hovering in the air directed at Janet. All of them turned around as one, facing their new intruder. 

Little Red was in the doorway, staring back at them with big eyes. A mischievous grin quickly overtook her face and she opened the door wide, crossing her arms and smugly jutting her chin out at her babysitter.

“Shooting hoops, huh?” 

“Max? Why are you here? Where are the boys?” Steve asked, quickly getting up from the table and coming to her side. The anxiety coloring his tone was unexpected, and Eddie felt himself wilt a little as all of Steve’s walls seemed to have pulled back up in a snap. 

“Down the hall. We’re fine,” Max said, quickly reassuring him and dropping her act. Steve relaxed for a second, but then stiffened once more as she peeked her head around his side. She waved, and the rest of the group waved back. 

“Shooting hoops,” She repeated, raising a brow, “You know, Steve, I’ve never played basketball, but it looks a lot more like Dungeons and Dragons than I expected it too,”

“How long have you known?” Steve sighed.

“That you were lying?” Max asked for clarification, “The whole time. You’re a bad liar, and Billy just couldn’t shut up about how you were benched from playing, and he was going to be the one leading the team now. I wasn’t expecting you to be doing this though. I thought you were meeting up with a girl.” 

“I’ll pay you real money to not tell the others,” Steve said, completely serious. 

Max tapped on her chin, a move that was so reminiscent of Janet that Eddie had to stifle a laugh. He didn’t want to call any attention to himself right now, too invested in seeing how this would all play out. 

“How much?” She asked, giving him a shrewd eye. 

“Five bucks?” Steve offered, sounding slightly desperate. 

Max hummed, making faces as she pretended to consider it. 

“Not enough,” She finally decided with a cute little shrug, sticking her head into the hallway and shouting for the boys to come. 

A stampede of footsteps and hollering began in the distance and Steve groaned, shooting Max a look of utter betrayal before turning to pout at Eddie. 

“Lord, help me,” Steve sighed. 

“Nay, I shan't. Lord Kringle has deemed you naughty, Stefan, there is no hope for you now,” Eddie replied, shaking his head. Steve did not seem at all amused by this, but the rest of the club was chuckling, exchanging wry little grins. 

“Oh, are we about to meet Harrington’s famous children?” Kaiden wondered aloud, already knowing the answer. 

“Don’t,” Steve warned with zero heat in his voice, seemingly already resigned to what was about to happen. He was rubbing at his temple, his eyes shut with a look of pure exhaustion on his face. 

Max patted him twice on the arm before coming over to look at the board, looking over Steve’s character sheets with glee. 

“Hey Little Red,” Eddie said. 

“Hi, Steve’s friend,” She replied with a smirk, “You guys are gonna have fun watching this,” 

Before anyone could ask what she meant, a veritable horde of boys burst into the room. They were once again all talking over each other, but this seemed to just be the way the boys communicated. Dustin, Lucas, and Mike all stayed crowded around Steve yelling at him, while Will began to look around. 

Max quietly whistled, jerking her head and catching Will’s attention. He obediently trotted over, and she showed him what she had found, both of them exchanging quiet whispers that even Eddie couldn't make out over the other kids shouting. 

“Why are you not in the library?” Steve griped, managing to raise his voice above theirs. 

“We finished our campaign and got bored. You’re taking forever, we’re hungry, and we want to see El,” Mike whined, crossing his arms and glaring at his babysitter. 

“What are you doing anyway?” Dustin asked, trying to look around Steve.

“Nothing,” Steve said quickly, pushing Dustin’s head back in front of him, “Get out. I’ll come get you guys in like an hour, or you can walk back to your own houses,”

“Who are they?” Lucas wondered, ignoring Steve’s minor threat. Everyone in the room already knew how hollow it was, “This is definitely not the gym,” 

Eddie was sure Steve had some sort of excuse, something he had cooked up to explain why he was here, but he was not eager to hear it. Sure, Eddie understood why Steve might have wanted to have something that was ‘just his’ (or, at least, he respected it), but the rest of the club wouldn’t. They would definitely think Steve was trying to hide the fact that he knew them, and that would reinforce everything Gareth was saying. 

No matter what, this was not going to go down well, and would probably erase any progress that had been made. 

Luckily for both of them, Will Byers decided that this was the moment to speak up. 

“Steve?” Will said, catching everyone’s attention, “Are you…playing DnD?”

Tension thick as a thousand page novel blanketed them all. Dustin gasped in an extremely melodramatic fashion, and Mike blew past Steve, storming over and slamming his hands down on the table, making all of the figures tremble. Steve seemed lost for words, turning back to give Eddie a ‘help me’ look of terror. 

So, Eddie did what he did best. 

He caused a little chaos. 

“Why yes, young small one, he is playing Dungeons and Dragons,” Eddie said with a tricky grin, loving the explosion of mayhem that came right after, 

Tag List: @paopaupaus @zerokrox-blog @surferboyzaza @whatever-is-a-good-name @minjintea @addelyin @5ammi90 @hagbaby420 @shinekocreator @bornonthesavage @starxlark @electrick-marionnett @resident-gay-bitch @ash-a-confused-enby @classicdinosaurdeathpose @valon-whomsttf @rotten-lil-goblin @thereindeerlady @love-ya-kash @kerlypride @sparkle-fiend @thefreakandthehair @flowercrowngods @milf-harrington @sadcanadianwinter @gothbat99 @hotcocoaharrington @henderdads @lightwoodbanethings @colorful565 @h0n3y-dw @craterbbox @sourw0lfs @lesliiieeeee @bidisastersworld @tinynebula @ravnlinn @bonescaro @mexmatch @cottagecoredreams @joruni @hellykelly @maegan1116 @farewell-wanderlvst @desertfern @due-to-the-fact-that-im-a-slut @anythingforourmoonyedits @eerielake @fandemonium-takes-its-toll @sidekick-hero

#Steve joins hellfire au #Steve harrington #Eddie munson #steddie #steddie au #steddie ficlet #st #stranger things #stranger things 2 #stranger things au #post stancy breakup #post s2 #Steve and eddie #st au #stranger things 2 au #ptsd Steve harrington #Steve Harrington has ptsd #steve harrington #eddie munson #Steve and the party #max mayfield #babysitter Steve harrington #mom Steve harrington #Liam speaks up #Writing(withacapitalW)

[dyns33]

A chaste meeting

I had no idea for a title but I wanted a Murderdock x ex chaste reader

(I really hate the new posting version, I'm not sure how to edit and I don't know if the post is too long)

Y/N knew as soon as she saw Matthew Murdock.

Well, no, not right away.

She knew there was something about him, something familiar, in his posture, in his tense shoulders, his calm demeanor, his hands gripping his cane tightly like a weapon.

But it wasn't until their first date that she noticed the ninjas watching them.

At first, she didn't make the connection.

Being a former disciple of Stone, following the precepts of the Chastes and having promised to fight against the Hand, she thought they were there for her. But that seemed unlikely, since Y/N was fifteen when Stone died, and hadn't continued the fight, accepting defeat and seeking a normal life.

Her meeting with Matthew Murdock was neither planned nor necessary.

She didn't need a lawyer, she didn't know anyone who needed a lawyer, she stayed away from trouble, and so there was no reason for their paths to cross, or for him to care about her.

Very quickly Y/N would learn that the Devil didn't pay attention to people who weren't useful to him. So their meeting, then their relationship, was strange.

It happened at Murdock's favorite cafe. Another strange thing, that Matt Murdock had a favorite cafe, when he had been raised more or less like a heartless killing machine.

"They make the best coffee in town, darling. Organic, with brown sugar, and great quality coffee. No chemical tastes. Perfection."

Well, he may not have had a soul or a heart anymore, but Matt still had his personal tastes, in addition to having an extreme sensitivity, whether it was his easily changing mood, but also his still functional four senses.

Y/N was ashamed to admit it, but it was because he was blind that she wasn't really suspicious right away. She had noticed the little things, but considering that he might have been a fighter before he lost his sight, and that he was now the mob's lawyer, using his knowledge as weapons, but nothing more.

Then she remembered Stick.

She had never met Stick. Stone had told her about him, saying he was a stupid asshole, far too soft on his apprentices. The old owl was blind, but that didn't stop him from being fearsome. There were another ways to see.

Stick had died years before Stone, killed by the Hand. Rumors said his best apprentice was with him when it happened, but his body was never found.

Her former master did not give her a name. He did not tell her that the disciple was blind too. No, he resumed training, nearly breaking her legs and an arm.

She didn't miss that time. And she absolutely didn't want to go through that again with the Hand.

But it seemed impossible to escape Matt Murdock when he decided you were his.

Foggy Nelson whispered it to her when the Devil introduced them.

"I'm not really his best friend. We're not really friends. We're doing each other favors. It's complicated."

"Why are you telling me this ?"

"Because you seem nice. I don't want him to hurt you. Don't try to run away and don't trust him."

In a corner, Matt was watching them, waiting for Y/N's response. She said nothing, finishing her drink, not indicating whether she was taking the advice seriously and remaining perfectly calm.

It wasn't the first time she had heard such things. From the first day, there had been more or less hidden threats in Murdock's sentences, when their hands had touched in the coffee trying to take the sugar.

"After you." he purred with a big smile. "Unless you finish the sugar, I'll be terribly upset."

"There's enough sugar for both of us."

"I take a lot of sugar."

"Not me, I like my coffee almost as black as my boss's heart."

It made him laugh, though Y/N couldn't tell if it was a straight laugh. It was always impossible to know when Matt was playing a role and when he was serious. Maybe he was never totally serious and his personality was partly a role he had played for too long to remember what was inside.

She guessed it by seeing the ninjas. She was sure of it when she met Otomo-san.

He reminded her a little of Stone. Impassive and dangerous, watching them discreetly. He called Matt 'Master Murdock', but she wasn't stupid. Neither was Matt. Even though the Hand had given him a title and responsibilities, he remained their property, he had no freedom, and he was in control of nothing, especially not his life.

His relationship with Y/N was not really acceptable, nor accepted.

Maybe that was one of the reasons he stayed with her. Because it annoyed his superiors, and Matt loved annoying people.

He was also maybe a bit lonely. Sometimes, when they were alone in his room and he took off his glasses, Y/N seemed to see something in his big empty eyes. Not sadness, but a form of weariness.

Without saying anything, she caressed his cheek, which made him groan. Matt hated pity. But he let her, not moving as she took him in her arms, kissing his forehead and caressing his skin.

He had a lot of scars. Y/N knew their meaning. She knew the purpose of each one, and which ones shouldn't be touched. She had some too, which she tried to hide from him, without much success.

Maybe that was what intrigued Matt. After several months of relationship, his behavior changed. He stayed silently beside her, his head bowed, listening. Studying her movements. Watching her reactions.

Y/N knew how to look normal. Stone had taught her. But there was always a difference between being normal and looking normal. That was how she had known there was something with Murdock.

It was probably how he also ended up knowing that there was something with her, even if he had always had doubts.

"I'll ask the question once." he said quietly as they dined at his house. "And of course I expect an honest answer. Who sent you? "

"No one." Y/N replied just as calmly, continuing to eat.

"You're not with them. They don't like you, and they're not good enough actors to pretend they don't like you. You know how to fight, you're ready to defend yourself if attacked, but you don't strike the first blow. Is it a ruse ? An attempt to enter the hive ? I immediately felt that there was something, you were too calm. You are always very calm."

"No. Can you pass me the salt please ?"

As a test, Matt stood still, his hands crossed in front of him. Y/N finished her bite, considering her options. Do not take salt. Take the salt. Asked him again. Jump out the window. Kill him with his knife.

She reached out for the salt.

He moved quickly, trying to catch her. Just as quickly, she jumped up from her chair, pushing the table towards him to get him as far away as possible. It didn't have much effect, as he easily avoided her, lunging at her.

It wasn't really a fight. More like a dance or a game. If one of them really wanted to, the other would be dead in the first second. But no, they punched and chased after each other for several minutes, before Matt managed to pin her between him and the ground.

"Darling. The dish is quite salty."

"To each their own taste, sweet tooth."

"Who do you work for ?"

"No one." she repeated calmly, and the hand that was on her neck moved down to her chest, settling on her heart. "It's just me."

"Who were you working for ?" he asked then.

"… Stone always said that Stick was too nice. I guess they're not all from him. I'm glad he's gone. Otomo-san looks like him."

Matt's vacant eyes were fixed on her, peering into her soul. She didn't add anything, it wasn't necessary, as there was no need for him to tell her about his past. She already knew everything, and above all, she understood.

"I knew you were different." he whispered, keeping his hand on her heart, kissing her.

It was almost sweet. Matt wasn't really sweet, rather rough and bestial, but she didn't blame him. He had learned nothing else. If Stone hadn't been killed, she would have become the same. Y/N had been lucky.

As he took her on the cold floor, she might have thought it was a shame she couldn't be free for longer.

But in fact, she had never been free before this moment. Having to hide, having to lie, having to accept that no one could understand.

She understood Matt, and in turn he understood her. He totally accepted her. And despite his enforced loyalty to the Hand, he wasn't going to tell anyone about what he had just discovered.

It would be their secret.

"Hmm. You taste so sweet."

"And you are as bitter as my coffee."

"Perfection." he purred, licking his lips. before devouring her again.

#daredevil #matt murdock #matt murdock x reader #matt murdock imagine #matt murderdock

[yanpotatowriter]

Hi! Is it okay if you do Yandere Tyler x Reader X Wednesday? Since both of these characters are dark I think being yandere suits them.

Of course!! I agree actually both of them could be yanderes in the show with how they are written!! Join the discord server: https://href.li/?https://discord.gg/gvqt2E9sDy ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Tyler is very jealous, and he hates whenever someone is talking to his obsession but when Wednesday entered his and his obsession's life, he realized that he was alright with her being in their lives but when she tried to take his obsession away from her, he lost it.  He turned into the Hyde and tried to kill her that night but Wednesday being Wednesday survived and quickly realized that he was the Hyde, but she also noticed that whenever her obsession got close near the Hyde, the Hyde was protecting her obsession and with that she knew that Tyler had big enough feelings for her obsession that the Hyde is refusing to hurt them. So Wednesday came up with a compromise, she would not tell a soul that he was the Hyde, and he would share his obsession with her.  It was a win-win situation for both of them as Tyler could do whatever he was as the Hyde knowing his identity was protected by the very same girl who vowed to other people to find out who the Hyde is.

When Wednesday got Xavier arrested Tyler made sure that Wednesday’s order was ready for when she walked into the Weathervane along with their obsession waiting with their own order in a booth. The two yanderes also fell for each other and in turn also got jealous and possessive of the other, Tyler confessed to Wednesday who his master was, and they killed Thornhill before she could continue with her plan, so Weems did not die and Wednesday became his new master. When they both work together they can get a lot done behind the scenes as people pay more attention to Wednesday, so Tyler will be able to blend into the crowd and get done what needs to be done. They both heavily stalk their obsession however Wednesday is the only one who will fess up when asked about it, and even then she doesn’t say that Tyler does it too as he specifically asked her not to. They both hate lying to their obsession, but Tyler is more willing as to have their obsession see him in a positive light rather than be disgusted by the thoughts that plague his head and the actions he has done. Whenever someone tries to flirt with their obsession they both quickly intercept and Wednesday will give Tyler later the command to kill them, both not caring about committing murder, but they now make sure that the bodies do not get discovered as then the cops will be tipped off over the fact that they have the wrong person in custody. They do sometimes want to spend alone time with their obsession and get annoyed whenever the other interrupts that alone time, but they will talk it out, well rather Tyler will do the talking while Wednesday makes blunt remarks with no remorse. 

#yandere wednesday addams x reader #yandere wednesday #yandere tyler galpin x reader #yandere tyler galpin #wednesday addams #wednesday #wednesday x reader #tyler x reader #tyler galpin x reader #yandere wednesday characters #yandere wednesday addams #yandere wednesday tv show #yandere wednesday characthers x reader #yandere #yandere x reader

[panoralis]

⋆⠀⠀RAISE OUR GLASSES.⠀⠀ ┉ ⠀⠀ DECEMBER 2021

“⠀⠀ AND IN THE END, even saints can admit her fault was staring through the wrong shade of lenses. ⠀⠀”

STARRING.   hwang haein .. bang chan .. mention of kalaya cherinsuk and hwang gyuri

CW(S).   arguments, possible toxic mindset (particularly when it comes to work and personal relationships), initial refusal to accept accountability, swearing, emotional injuries

MONA SAYS.   welcome to the mini trilogy i unofficially title ‘the happiest girls’ !! i’ve had this planned for a while now then ended up writing this at like.. google docs said 1:08 a.m. slides that out of the way let’s just go with early. also yes, the formats are inspired inspired by fiixion’s ocs and moirtre ♡

UNKNOWN, 10:03 P.M: can you meet me here? UNKNOWN, 10:03 P.M: haein, i don’t want us to dissolve so easily UNKNOWN, 10:03 P.M: please give me this chance

haein swears she blocked his number. but in this universe, she doesn’t have the power to enforce the same command on his manager. it’s not a surprise anymore—he’s clearly mastered the art of finding loopholes.

without the bustling students weaving between the machineries of the arcade, or kids accidentally knocking people’s legs during their endeavor to get on the little rides, it doesn’t take long for haein to find him. he’s so predictable; silently leaning against the wall beside the photo booth. 

..seven, eight, nine.

it takes the anxious man seven flashes of his lockscreen, eight deep breaths, and nine flicks across the space before his gaze finally catches her. knowing him too well, haein can see the specks of relief that shimmer upon his cocoa-tinted irises. was he truly so worried that she wouldn’t show up like he desperately expected?

funny.

“you came..” the words barely squeeze past bang chan’s lips. his impulsive thoughts kick in; strongly tempting him to hug her. “you’re here-”

“-to officially put an end to this.”

haein can’t remember the last time she let her professional persona bleed into her personal life. clearly, neither does the male idol, for the hope in his face is ruthlessly erased. he can strain his muscles as much as he wants—the corners of his lips won’t reach his dimples. 

just this once, she’ll let him grasp her arm and lead her to the vacant space between the photo booth and row of motorcycle racer stimulators. while she wants to nip the bud and return home already, the last thing anyone needs is a scandal.

“no, haein- please..” he begins to plead again. “i know you understand me when i say that i was trying to protect everyone.”

hitting back with a scoff, the noirette retorts, “you call concealing the truth from inka—someone who looked up to you, trusted you—protecting her? spare me the bullshit, chan. you had so many chances to be honest with her. and yet, even when you got caught, you still spun the narrative on her; ‘made her feel like she was too young to face it.”

and there his hand goes—fixing the edges of his beanie despite it not being a distraction in the first place. haein has experienced enough fights with him to spot the tell-tale signs: a shadow covers the warm gleam in his eyes, his attention is abruptly averted to things surrounding him, and he bites his tongue to refrain from saying something he will regret-

“why are you even on her side? i’m your boyfriend, aren’t i? you should be assuring me that i did what was best for the group.”

(oh? oh, sounds like the eve of new year is already trickling into.. certain people’s personas.)

“no chan, you’re a hypocrite.” haein states without hesitation. “look at us, we began dating even though you still have that dating ban in place. what makes us different from inka’s situation, huh?”

stunned, the once candid male doesn’t have any words to spill. but his girlfriend still has plenty.

“i may not know inka as well as gyuri does, but what i do know is that you didn’t have the right to meddle with her personal affairs. you kept acting like she’s this fragile doll that in the end, you were the one who shattered her into fine fragments.” 

her sharp words cut so deep, the strings of frustration that tried to move bang chan are cut seamlessly. no longer is his common sense eclipsed by undeserved self-assurances, yet everyone knows the importance of timing. 

so haein forces him to reap the consequences by watching her walk away—from him, his recklessness, and their previously sturdy relationship. 

sure, she’ll listen to him call her name, sprinkle some ‘don't go’ too. she’ll feel the hurt he blends with desperation while trying to get her back. and she’ll look back once to notice the tremors in his hands as he tries to reach out for her.

but the young woman had just finished dressing the cuts littered across her skin. they’re not very pretty.. then again, witnessing the man you love shatter the foundation of your story so easily isn’t either. still, if he ever gathers the audacity to ask her again, she’d let him know her preference.

she wants to draw stars around her scars, not layer them some more.

FANBASE  :  @stealanity @lost-leopard-beanie @fairiepoems & send an ask or dm if you'd like to be added !

#ficnetfairy #، prose Ꮺ and then peter lost wendy … said the liar #fictional idol community #fictional oc community #fictional idol group #idolverse #fake kpop gg #idol oc #fake kpop idol #fake kpop oc #kpop idol oc #stray kids scenarios #stray kids imagines #skz scenarios #skz imagines #stray kids x oc #skz x oc

[rhine-gold-archive]

oh my god, I loved your Diluc fic! Sub!Ayato pretty please for the requests? People only seem to write him as a top :(

Sub! Ayato x Dom! gn reader

Warnings: not safe for work or minors, edging, bondage, overstimulation, slight degradation, power play, anal sex, spanking. I’m gonna mostly say “cock” for the reader, but it stands for both cock and strap, it’s just unwieldy to specify every time and I usually call strap “cock” irl anyway.

Words: 4k

A\n: wait for the filth, it’s under the cut, after the character study. And again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, it’s just my personal interpretation of a character.

Ayato is the biggest pillow princess out there. The entitlement on this one.

A connoisseur, seeks the thrill of new combinations of exciting experiences, both physical and mental, but is also a brat. Not in a usual sense of being deliberately antagonistic and difficult, it’s just that if you don’t keep him in check, he will steamroll you with sheer demanding presence, all with a pleasant little smile.

He wants to be surprised and lose control, but also has a compulsive need to plan and manipulate everything from the backstage. So he’s a handful for sure. If you’re into his kind of mind games, he can be exquisite like no one else, but he’s so high-maintenance, just energy and attention-wise, constantly testing your willpower.

“A luxury few can afford” meme, but it's on a diamond-encrusted choker.

You know how his story quest just stops dead to have a Boba Tea Interlude, where he orders tea with the weirdest ingredients and everyone around is openly disgusted? And they could’ve stopped the joke here, but no.

Ayato goes on to have a whole discussion about the nature of pleasure with Paimon, who is btw entirely out of her depth and can only master “Ugh?? Food should taste good?” 

And this mf proceeds to argue that actually, things that just straightforwardly feel good are boring. And it’s better to experiment and seek out new interesting experiences that push your limits, even if they end up not feeling good.  And those things that don’t feel good, but in interesting and exciting ways, are better than straightforward good-feeling.

Like, just say you’re into kink and stop confusing poor Paimon. You don’t have to give a whole ass philosophical speech about wanting exciting things that feel bad to be inflicted upon you. 

And he likes obedience, sure. A nice service top who just does everything he wants entirely according to a pre-approved script is probably his comfort zone.

But you know what’s a fun thing to do with a bossy brat like him? Tease him. Throw him off his script. Wipe that mild, confident, slightly bored smile off his face and see genuine emotions. See him come undone.

Also, you know he’s so used to being indulged. The experience of being challenged, loss of control, the inability to predict what’s gonna happen next is going to feel much more exciting than a bad-tasting boba tea.

Like, his only friend outside of the circle of people actively dependent on him, like Ayaka and Thoma, is Itto, the most irreverent delinquent in the city. And sure, Ayato tries to minimize the connection in his voice line (bc he’s a fake bitch), but from Itto’s line it’s clear that they are in continuous contact. They are actively hanging out, all the while Ayato doesn’t disclose his station. 

Ayato found one dude in the entire city who doesn’t know who he is and is not gonna bow down to him. In fact, he’s gonna treat him in a way that would be considered scandalously rude for a head of the commission. But they are playing Magic the Gathering at a local McDonalds while Yashiro ninjas keep the cashier at a knifepoint so he doesn’t accidentally expose who Ayato really is to Itto.

He obviously wants to be seen for something else than the social image he created when he had to become the leader of his clan. He had to be so tightly wound up and in control all the time, impeccable and untouchable, or not only him, but his closest people would pay the price. Of course he wants to be able to let go, to feel human and imperfect, but accepted with the imperfections nonetheless. He just doesn’t know how, since he’s been living in nothing but a PR performance since he was a young teen.

Unless he’s literally forced to. 

Ayato is never gonna admit that he wants to be put in his place, but he will certainly enjoy it.

Specifics-wise, I'm getting strong bondage vibes. Especially rope bondage, shibari knots. Popular choice for the pillow princesses in general, and rope instead of handcuffs gives both interesting texture and flexibility, you can change it up in many ways from session to session to keep it fresh. 

But honestly, that’s details. What’s important is the mind games. The power play. The exciting stakes, even if inside of play. The rollercoaster of ups and downs. The push and pull of an invisible leash will matter much more than the physical one.

He’s so casual and calm when you start tying him up, even though he’s already naked. Sometimes you tie him in his clothes ruffled, halfway undone, but today you want his bare skin. You start with his chest and shoulders, and the purple rope looks amazing against his pale flesh.

Nudity doesn’t make him vulnerable though. He stands there languid, loose and long-limbed, follows your instructions to move his hands back so you can tie them with poise and elegance, like he’s getting an expensive suit tailored. Sometimes, you’d want to break his posture, throw him on the floor and fuck him until he’s a screaming mess, and only then finish the bondage. 

There are always so many options to consider with Ayato.

But today you want to play the longer prelude. You know that the slow, almost ritualistic adjusting of the ropes over his body winds him up even if he doesn’t show it. 

You work on tying his hands behind his back, then move to his torso. The ropes over ribs and stomach don’t actually hold much, but by god, they look pretty, the rhombs in the center and the violet lines going across his taut muscles.

You move deliberately slowly, handling him with long practiced firmness and effectiveness, except for the fleeting moments when your fingers linger, lightly trace the lines of his body, but leave before he can even react. A stroke from his sharp collarbones to the shoulders, a flick on the pink nipples, a caress across the sculpted abs.

This is a game where you almost pretend to be professional, and he almost keeps up the indifference. It’s a shaky pyramid of glass, barely balancing on the edge, the anticipation of waiting for exactly when it’ll fall down and shatter into tiny pieces.

The fun part about this is watching his cock hardening with your every move, how it slowly grows from soft to aroused, pointing up on his stomach. He can pretend to be indifferent all he wants, you have the evidence of how much he needs this right there.

He watches you intensely, even if it’s only in half-glances, his upper body is already covered in an intricate, beautiful harness.  

“Lean against the table and lift your leg, please”, you direct him to the high table beside the bed and he obeys with the same casual confidence. You tie his ankle to his thigh, moving the rope across the tender, sensitive skin of the inner thigh, and watch his cock twitch and redden. You then continue to fix his bent leg with ropes so that it’s pushed sideways and keeps his thigh open, working slow, methodical. He’s almost fully hard by the time you’re done.

“Violet really is your color,” you say casually, and slide the rope between his legs, under his balls and between his asscheeks. “Really brings out your eyes.”

His hips flinch, his cock fully erect now, but his voice is even and mild when he answers, “So nice of you to approve.”

It’s a stalemate of sorts, who is going to expose themselves first, but you have the advantage of not being naked, tied, and unable to close your legs. The chances are in your favor even against the calculating Yashiro commissioner. 

You smile and lay your hand on his hipbone. He expects you to move to his dick and when you don’t, glances down and back up at your face in a politely hidden frustration.

“I’d prefer to continue this on the proper bed,” he says, still calmly, but with an insistent undercurrent in his tone, like a VIP client demanding a luxury section of the restaurant.

The fucking entitlement. Exactly what you were waiting for.

“Oh,” you smile, deceptively soft and lift your hand to stroke his sharp cheekbones. “You’d prefer the bed?”

He senses the shift in your tone, his muscles tightening, but he doesn’t flinch away. Not just entitled, but so self-assured too.

“Yes,” he answers, holding up your gaze. “I think it’d be beneficial to the both of us.”

You smile wider, from soft to mocking, “I wasn’t aware of your priorities,” your voice is calm, but when you swipe your thumb across his lips, it’s harsh, applying enough pressure to force his mouth open.

Your other hand finally grabs his cock, roughly, sending a jolt through his entire body. You stroke him and slide your fingers down between his legs, cup his balls and then move farther, to his tight hole, to show that everything he has is open to you. 

“I was under the impression that you want to be fucked,” you say, looking into his eyes and he breathes out through the mouth you’re still keeping open.

You smile again and remove your hand from between his legs. “But apparently you just want the bed. Perhaps I should just leave you there alone like this.”

His eyes are stormy violet, but his body leans so receptively against you, shudders with obvious need. The tip of his cock is leaking pearly precum.

“I never said that,” he answers with strained tightness in his voice.

You sigh and lean into him, pressed close enough to feel him struggling not to arch into you, and tenderly kiss his lower lip, then the tiny mole under it.

“Then stop making demands or I’ll shut your pretty mouth.”

He looks so scandalized, it’d be funny if it wasn’t so hot. His mouth *is* really pretty, especially half-open and breathing heavily like this. It’s a challenge, almost a dare. ‘Oh, you think this is bad? Just wait for what I do next’.

You don’t tell him that, though. Why ruin a nice surprise. 

You step back a little, grab him, turn him around and throw him roughly over the table, enjoying his shocked gasp. The elegant porcelain vase that was standing on the edge falls down and breaks, delicate petals of white camellias that were kept there scattering on the floor. You press your hand between Ayato’s shoulderblades, keeping him in place when he struggles to move, and hoist his tied leg up on the table, forcing him to balance on his free leg, his ass entirely exposed. He glares angrily at you over the shoulder, his cheek pressed to the table, but you just smile and arch your eyebrow expectantly, looking over him splayed like that in front of you.

It sends shivers to his core, the rough handling, demeaning exposure of being bent over the desk like a common whore, the anticipation of being used, but not knowing how exactly… But he will try to keep up the appearances even like that.

“This was an expensive vase”, he says flatly. 

You lean down, still smiling, and close your hand over his dick, squeeze painfully so that he arches, his thighs shudder. “More expensive than this cock?”

“...No,” he finally lets out, strained.

“Then I can afford it,” you tell him with a smirk and watch with satisfaction an angry blush appearing on his cheeks. It’s only the beginning, though. Time to escalate.

You move away and and soon come back, catching his jaw and forcing a gag into his mouth. His indignant protests are muffled, but still loud enough.

“What’s wrong, your Highness?” you ask pleasantly, looking into his stormy eyes and stroking the exposed curve of his asscheek while he writhes in front of you. “I told you I’ll shut your mouth if you make demands, so you thought you can keep talking back at me if you don’t technically demand anything, because you’re so clever?”

You can see in his affronted glare that it’s exactly what he thought. You grin at him and slap the skin you were just caressing. He yelps, a sound choked by the gag, tries to move, but you press your hand against the back of his neck, pinning him to the table, as you keep laying blows across his ass and thighs. His flesh is so pale and tender, a true aristocrat, it turns a bright red immediately, in gorgeous contrast with the dark ropes. 

When he shuts his eyes, long lashes squeezed tightly, and his grunts turn from protesting to shaky, you start alternating pain with caresses. You stroke the skin that is still stinging from a hit a second ago, slide your fingers between his legs to cup his balls, grab his painfully hard, leaking dick. The noises he makes, tiny muffled half-gasps, half-moans, are delicious. He bucks his hips as you twist the sensitive head of his cock with one hand and strike his ass with the other. This time his moan is loud, needy.

“So nice of you to approve,” you say teasingly and reach for the lube. You pour it on your fingers and press them against his hole. He tenses in anticipation, you see the muscles of his tied arms strain against the ropes. You start massaging his entrance and run your free hand over the sharp knobs on his spine. 

“Relax,” you tell him softly and slide your fingers inside. Shudder runs through his body, his back arching, forehead pressed to the table and hair falling to cover his face. You lean down to kiss a small mole on the back of his shoulder, your fingers working inside of him, opening him up, hitting the sweet spot until he whimpers, his hips twitching under you. You lightly bite his shoulder and with your free hand you grab the criss-crossed ropes on his back and pull them slowly, making them taut, pressed harshly against his skin, so that he moans hoarsely, clenches around your fingers. You fuck him faster and faster, watch how the trembling turns into writhing and moans grow louder. 

“Are you already close, your Highness?” you hook your fingers inside him, and he arches deliriously, exquisitely, thrusting into your hand. You can tell that he’s on the edge and you slap his ass harshly.

“Come on, cum for me then,” you tell him and drag your nails over his sensitive, stinging flesh. He comes with a long, shaky scream barely muffled by the gag, and goes limp under your hands.

You take your fingers out of his ass and gag out of his mouth, and smile, looking at his trembling form sprawled on the table.

“I’m sorry, did you say something? I didn’t quite get it.”

He coughs a little, his throat dry from screaming, breathing heavily through his mouth to regain his composure, then swallows harshly and licks his lips.

“My title is not “Highness”,” he finally says, meeting your eyes, his voice a little hoarse, but still haughty. You can’ help but smile. He couldn’t very well say he screamed because he loved how you fucked him, but there’s no one else who could be bent over the table and fucked like that, turned into a screaming, writhing mess, and then still glare at you with this dignified primness, all the while with his ass still exposed and arched up.

“Why not?” you turn him over and pull him up by the rope harness on his chest, so that he’s standing up face to face with you.

“I’m not a prince, obviously,” he says calmly, rolling his eyes just so, and you chuckle, catch his chin and trail kisses down his jawline teasingly, your body pressed flat against him.

“You are to me,” you tell him, grinning, and this earns a fond, surprised chuckle from him. You kiss his smiling mouth, and he answers eagerly back, his tongue sliding against yours, his body arching in your hands.

Ayato doesn’t really have a praise kink, but he loves to be complimented and feel special for the reasons other than his heritage or political status, especially from the people who otherwise treat him as equal. The pointed irreverence is what makes the endearment count.

“I’ll even get you to the bed, isn’t it a royalty treatment that you wanted?” you tell him, breaking the kiss, turn him and push him down, so that he falls on the bed next to the table. He lands on the mass of pillows, and grins with a smug satisfaction, a cat that’s gotten what he wanted.

It’s worth getting him to the bed for the view alone, though. He’s insanely gorgeous, sprawled on the dark silk like that, pale sculpted body against the sleek black of the sheets, managing to look both elegant and ravished, the red marks from your touch decadently obscene on his tender skin, light hair looking even better when disheveled. The temptation to just fuck him right there, wreck him immediately, roughly, is immense. 

But that’s obviously what he wants. He knows how exquisite he is, the honed, cherished masterpiece, the way he looks at you from under half lowered eyelids, languorous, confident, not even as much demanding, as sure you won’t be able to resist him. 

Is he worth the trouble? Gods yes. But it doesn’t mean you’ll play along to his tune.

You kneel over him, kiss his soft, expectant lips, run your hands over him greedily. You move your mouth down, to claim what’s eagerly offered to you, the arch of his neck, the slopes of his delicate collarbones, the broad chest, heavily rising as he breathes feverishly, pink nipples, hardened under your caress, sculpted abs and carved hipbones. 

He’s throbbing hard when you get down there, but you don’t touch his dick. You reach for the rope and start tying his free leg in the same position, ankle to the thigh. 

He groans in frustration, rolls his head back on the silken pillows, he’s breathing heavily, impatient. You kiss the line from his exposed inner thigh to the tender juncture where his leg meets the torso, and finish up the knots. He trembles under your touch, arches as much as he can, fixated as he is. 

You raise from the bed and step back, admiring your handiwork. He’s splayed on the bed, thighs forced open, shoulders slightly drawn back and chest arched due to his hands being tied behind his back, his gorgeous long cock is throbbing hard, violet ropes drawn over his body like the edges on the luminous stained glass, he’s breathing feverishly from his parted, swollen mouth, silver-blue hair falling around his face like a tangled halo, his eyes a wild, delirious lavender. 

You sit back in a chair and watch over him with a smile, as he struggles and finally lets out, huskily. “What are you waiting for?”

“I remember we had an agreement. I get you to the bed and leave you there by yourself,” you say, smirking, and meet his angry glare.

“You wouldn’t,” he grits out.

“Why not?”

“You wouldn’t…” he stops himself, takes a deep breath, licking his lips, realizing that saying ‘You wouldn’t dare’ could only spur you on. “What would you gain from it?”

He really thinks that fucking him is the limit of human aspirations. You smile teasingly.

“Oh, for a start, I’d enjoy immensely watching you writhe and beg desperately like a common slut, my princeling. Maybe I’ll roll you onto a pillow and tease you until you start humping it like a dog.”

His eyes widen, horrified, breath catching in his throat at the imagined humiliation. Oh, this is too good. You should absolutely do it to him. But not today. Let him stew in this thought, be both aroused when he thinks about it afterwards and appalled at his own desire, let him wait with a baited breath if you do it to him for the next few sessions, be both relieved and - secretly - a little disappointed that you don’t. Then you can spring it on him when he least expects this.

It always pays off to play the long game with Ayato.

You don’t show your decision though, sitting impassively yet, watching him squirm.

“Don’t do it,” he breezes out, looking you in the eyes, biting his lip, almost anxiously for someone always so confident as him. 

“Convince me then,” you tell him with a smirk, move to sit on the edge of the bed, looming over him, but not touching.

“Please,” he manages, strained. “I’m so close. Let me finish.”

You scoff, lean down and run your thumb over his cheekbones teasingly. He trembles nonetheless, too overstimmed and wound up, raw and sensitive to every touch, his eyes hazy from desire, his breath laborious.

“Is that the best you can do? Is this your famed eloquence? If so, it’s not giving me much motivation.”

He closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, licks his dry lips. When he meets your eyes again, he doesn’t look necessarily calm or collected, but focused, determined, his raw hunger sharpened into a thin cutting edge.

“Please, I want you to fuck me,” he says, his voice deep, low, shameless, almost purring. “Take me, fuck me hard, wreck me, I beg of you. I am yours to use.”

You can barely restrain yourself to let him finish the sentence before you claim his mouth. You move to position yourself between his legs and slide your strap\cock into him, slowly, but forcefully, in one long thrust. He arches under you and you drink a sweet, shuddering moan from his lips. You fuck him hard, quickening the pace, gripping the ropes that are digging into his hips, and his moans turn into erratic, desperate screams, his head lolling back helplessly

You lean down to him, slide your hand into his hair and tug, forcing him to expose his throat, close your other hand over his leaking cock, feel him choke on his breath and tremble feverishly, his open, tied legs shaking. 

“That’s right, come for me, baby,” you tell into his ear, his soft hair tickling your face as he leans into you. You roll your hips, cock buried deep inside him, and squeeze his dick. “Let me see you fall apart.”

He comes, crying out against your skin, trying desperately to thrust into your hand. You stroke him through it until pleasure becomes blinding as the pain and he starts trashing under you, whimpering incoherent pleas, completely unraveled. 

He goes limp when you slide out of him and get to untying the ropes. You get to the knots on his upper back when he turns to you over the shoulder, catches your mouth in a softly tired, lazy kiss. 

“How are you?” you ask, undoing the last knots. “Limbs didn’t fall asleep?”

“No, I’m fine,” he says mildly, but his fingers close on your forearm, asking you to stay close a little longer. You circle your arm around his shoulders in reassurance and he leans into you. You kiss his temple softly, and he smells of expensive perfume, sweat and an incoming summer rain, that didn’t yet catch you, but already echoes in the wind. 

You glance down at him, because he is too quiet, and sure enough, he’s thinking. And not just thinking, his lips are pressed, eyelids half-closed, but tight around the corners, brows furrowed just so. Oh no. This is the Strategizing face.

“Ayato, don’t do your fucking deluge thing or I swear to fucking gods! No, it’s not a suitable substitute for a shower, you absolute…”

“I wasn’t going to!” he laughs with an exaggeratedly affronted look, breaking the concentration. “You made your opinion perfectly clear last time, no need to yell at me again.”

“Then what are you scheming about?”

He doesn’t try to deny that he’s scheming. 

“I want you to choke me next time,” he says matter of factly.

“We’ve discussed this before. Your skin is too tender, marks are going to be too obvious.”

“I’m going to get a high-collared outfit.”

“Do they even make collars that go right under the chin?”’

“Of course they don’t,” he scoffs. “I will get one custom-ordered.”

You laugh. “Of course you will, your Highness. Is there going to be a new fashion trend in Inazuma city because the Yashiro commissioner really wants to have his pretty throat choked?”

“It’s a good look anyway, so I don’t see the problem. As a fallback option, there are some suitable paints I can get from our festival supplies. And of course, if all else fails I can always blame it on the assassination attempt.”

“I wish you were more careful about the assassins than the custom-made collars.”

“I don’t even get that many assassins these days,” he shrugs dismissively with one shoulder, the other pressed against you. “Just a few Fatui strugglers, grasping at the straws. They are bound to run out soon.” 

“I still don’t know if you’ve planned this thoroughly enough,” you tease him. “What if you cause an international diplomatic incident by accusing the Fatui of trying to kill you by choking and spanking your ass?”

You catch a sharp elbow under your ribs, but it’s worth it.

#kamisato ayato #genshin impact #sub genshin #ayato #kamisato ayato x reader #ayato x reader #rhine writes filth #there was going to be a facefucking part but thing already got too long #i'm trying to keep these under 4k #genshin impact smut #genshin smut

[geekedoutbunny]

Mayuri x Sagittarius fem reader

How shocked is everyone that the 2 were married but never said anything ?

Fluff plz

Husband! Mayuri x Spouse! Reader Imagine - A shocking revelation

Oooo!! A reaction fic, these are always fun to write!! THANK YOU!! For the request, I'll try and give this fic justice, hopefully, it's to your liking!!

MASTER LIST | NSFW CONTENT

You and Mayuri have been married for a few years now, your marriage was random and wacky and it was at times spicy yet romantic. Mayuri was a bit of a hot head and he was always quick to move forward with a plan while you liked to wait and plan, but sometimes it was the opposite.

Mayuri was a planner, and he was a mover. When he was ready for a new project, he'd jump on it, abandoning his old one. When you were ready for an adventure you'd jump up and explore, and this usually had you two bumping heads and having an argument or having a silly mishappening.

One day, while you and Mayuri were moving around your squadron's quarters, you were asked a question. "(Y/l/n) - san, are you married?" One of the lower-level soul reapers asked you, you looked at them and smiled, nodding your head. "Yes, I am!! I've been married for 5 years now." You said happily as you looked down at your gleaming wedding ring.

A small crowd gathers around you, their wide and innocent eyes looking at your ring in wonder as they bombarded you with questions. But one caught your attention. "Who are you married to (Y/l/n) - san?" Asked a young girl, you were about to answer her, but a shadow loomed over you, stopping you from answering. You all looked up at the looming figure and you all saw Mayuri's frighteningly wide eyes.

"Why to me of course." He said as his hands were placed gently on your hips, you smiled and looked at the little group. "Yup!!" You agreed. All was quiet for a moment as they all stared at you with wide eyes. "WHA!?" They all yelled.

"YOU'RE MARRIED TO THE CAPTIAN!?"

"DO WE CALL YOU CAPTAIN (Y/L/N) NOW!?"

"WHY DID YOU GET MARRIED TO HIM!?"

"WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN!?"

They all screamed at once, wanting answers, you tried to calm everyone down, trying to get them all to relax but everyone was too loud, but Mayuri shot off a Kidou, making everyone quiet down from the loud pop. They all looked at him as he looked at them with an observatory glare.

"To answer your questions, Yes, Yes, because I'm amazing and, 10 years ago. Now scram."

He said, giving short brisk answers, everyone stood stock still for a moment, and he pointed his finger at them, forming a Kidou. "Scram, before I add more test subjects to my collection. I never have too many. And I can have as many as I want, only if they die of an "accident" like a stray Kidou blast piercing one of you in the heart." He said with a menacing glare. Every jolted in panic before they all scurried off.

You rolled your eyes at his extraness, and you turned to face him. "Now what did ya do that for? They were only curious." You said as you placed your hands on your hips. He scoffed as he turned away. "So what, they don't need any answers, just them knowing that we're married is a good enough answer." He said as he stalked off. You pouted at him, not denying his answer but also not liking it.

"You could at least be nicer about it." You said as you walked behind him. "And let them know our business, as if. I'd rather hang them up to dry than have them prying into my personal life." He said. You simply shook your head and continued following him. You placed your hand in his, keeping up with his wide steps.

"Even so, at least try to play nice." You said as you leaned your head against his arm. He scoffed but he didn't argue, he just silently accepted your request as you both walked back to the labs.

MASTER LIST | NSFW CONTENT

#bleach #bleach tybw #bleach fanfiction #bleach tybw fanfiction #bleach x reader #bleach tybw x reader #bleach x (y/n) #bleach tybw x (y/n) #bleach mayuri #mayuri kurotsuchi #mayuri x reader #kurotsuchi mayuri #mayuri fluff #mayuri x (y/n) #mayuri #bleach tybw mayuri #fluff #sfw

[five-crows-in-a-trenchcoat]

Can u tell more about Tangelo's, Pardalote's, Miu's, and Suvi's personalities and their relationship (like how they know each other (if they do), and what's the dynamic between them like)? ^_^

Sure can!

I made a little bit of a non-spoilery relationship chart for the basics of what they all think of each other

In terms of personality, here’s a summary for tangelo and suvi under the cut bc it’s kinda long.

Tangelo:

She’s a very chaotic and messy person and a master procrastinator, but generally very cheery and positive. She remembers every small thing anyone has ever done for her and cherishes everything. She grew a pot full of just plain regular grass because she’d never seen it before and thought it was amazing. She’s a very hands-on person and likes trying lots of different things, as she gets bored doing the same thing over and over and struggles paying attention. As long as she’s having fun, she doesn’t care if she isn’t very good at whatever she’s doing.

She hates anything ‘perfect’ or organised, and if she gets something brand new she usually dents it or sun-bleaches it to give it character because she finds things ‘heartless’ if they’re left untouched. She prefers hand-me-down clothing rather than new stuff because it has the air of something that’s been loved. She loves whimsical things, music, and bright colours.

Suvi was the first person to ever really give a shit about her so she’s very attached to him; not only because he cares about her, but because he’s very willing to encourage her endeavours rather than just say it’s a stupid idea. She does most things on a whim and doesn’t ever really plan things, but she’s willing to follow the plans of someone she likes spending time with.

Because of where she came from originally, she doesn’t know what laws are, so has no concept of things like trespassing because she’s used to just going wherever. The only ‘law’ Tangelo follows is the justice she philosophies in herself (and what Suvi thinks as well). She’s got a lot of old scars along her arms from fighting because of it. She wields a stop sign with ‘never’ spray painted on it so it reads ‘never stop’ which she thought was very clever, and it’s pretty much the only thing she carried over from her original world.

In the words of Outside by Bill Wurtz; ‘I can’t go back to where I come from, cuz im not *welcome*, and it’s not *fun* there.’ (She probably relates a lot to that song)

Suvi:

Saying too much abt his past would be pretty spoiler-y (same with Miu and Pardalote) but like Tangelo he’s been lonely and starved for affection for a long time. Regardless to say, he’s happy to have a new little sister. He’s also quite a tactile person, but due to the fact that he’s blind that’s pretty to-be-expected. He’s got some chickens that tangelo doesn’t like, and grows a bunch of fruits n grains n vegetables. He’s got a beautiful plum tree so he makes a lot of jams and plum pie which tangelo is a MASSIVE FAN OF. He likes carving into things too, and he can sell those at markets too, and teaches tangelo how to make stuff as well.

After being blinded, Suvi no longer cares about his own safety, so he only wears what’s comfortable, even when operating machinery he really shouldn’t. He’s a talented cook though, and despite his short and wiry stature from malnutrition growing up, he’s surprisingly strong from climbing and manual work in the gardens.

He has a bad history with dogs, so instead of a guide dog he has a temperamental albino lynx named May (short for Mayonnaise). She certainly makes sure nobody takes advantage of him.

Suvi likes to sit outside in the rain a lot, but he gets quite sick when the air gets dry in the middle of winter or the middle of summer. He usually makes lots of soup in advance.

I don’t wanna bother too many people with a post that goes on forever so I’ll post some stuff abt Pardalote and Miu tomorrow :> however I do love all these asks, it makes me very happy to see someone take interest!

#tangelo and the thousand disasters of kerukioi #tangelo and the thousand disasters #tattdok #tangelo tattdok #suvi tattdok #miu hommeruku #miu tattdok #pardalote hommeruku #pardalote remirr #pardalote tattdok

[jazzycurls]

I want to know what love is -

pt.2

Summary: After years of being stuck in an abusive marriage you are hoping to start a new life with your son. Meeting an old acquaintance awakens feelings in you that you thought were long gone. Will your broken heart allow you to love again?

Pairing: Eddie Munson x fem!Reader

Warnings/Tags: No use of y/n, angst, PTSD, domestic violence, injuries, brief arguing/raised voices, curse words, hurt/comfort, fluff, future smut, (let me know if I missed something)

Word Count: 5,050

An: Hi you guys! This is my first attempt at writing of any kind.  I'm also new to Tumblr and don't know how to create links to a master list. All feedback is welcome, be gentle please haha. Please do not steal or copy my work. Don’t repost without credit. This is my written work, everything besides the characters and plot points by the original writers, belongs to me.

~

You impatiently tapped your foot as you stood in the checkout line of Bradley's Big Buy supermarket. The lines were extremely long today due to only one cashier manning the register. There was also some sort of party going on this weekend, you had seen numerous buggies of party foods and cheap beer being bought.

Your buggy contained a six-pack along with popcorn and some essentials for the house. You were preparing for the movie night you had planned with Eddie tonight. The both of you had agreed that he would get the movies and candy leaving you to get popcorn. The beer was something you'd thought of at the last minute while at the store.

Your son was spending the weekend with your mom and dad giving you a much-needed break. You loved your son dearly but you were looking forward to some peace and quiet.

You huffed as you shifted your weight from one foot to the other, trying to ease the slight ache in your feet. The wine of a baby caught your attention, looking ahead you noticed a young woman in front of you holding her baby, patting and bouncing him on her hip trying to keep him quiet.

She looked to be in her early twenties, still a baby herself. Seeing her reminded you of yourself and how much you struggled as a young parent. You didn't have much guidance and had to rely on the advice of the older women in the park. Although you had forgiven your parents a small part of you could never forget how they had essentially abandoned you and their grandson when you needed them most.

The line shifted and you moved forward looking at your watch noting it to be a quarter past three. At this point it would be nighttime before you got out of here, you thought shaking your head.

Thirty minutes later you had checked out and were walking to your truck. You unlocked the door and began to unload your items into the passenger side.

"Hey muffin," a raspy voice said behind you.

You gasped as your body lurched forward, shaking with fear. Taking a deep breath you willed yourself to turn around, facing your husband. He stood a few feet away from you, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" your voice was edged with fear.

"I got the papers," he stated ignoring your question. He walked closer to you, slowly as if he was a predator trying to avoid spooking his prey.

You remained silent too shocked to respond. Your eyes darted left and right, seeking desperately for help or a way out.

Noticing your expression he tensed, taking his hands out and balling them by his sides. "Stop overreacting, I'm just trying to have a conversation with you." he bit out.

You opened your mouth and closed it again, your words failing you. Waiting a moment you were able to respond "Please l-let me g-go, I'm scared!" you pleaded, frantic with fear.

He sprung forward, closer towards you, invading your personal space. His arms slammed into the truck on each side of you effectively caging you in.

A bolt of panic hit you causing you to shout in fear. He slapped a hand over your mouth to shut you up and glanced around the parking lot, making sure no one had seen anything. Tears streamed down your face running over his hands.

He leaned in close his stale breath fanning across your face "I'm not signing those fucking papers, so you can just forget about that." he sneered. Suddenly he leaned back and smiled "It was nice talking with you," he said loudly. He turned and walked briskly in the other direction getting into a red car you hadn't noticed before.

You didn't dare move, making sure he got into the car and watching him drive away. As the car passed you noticed a woman looking at you, none other than Cindy Johnson. Looking closer you noticed that her features were twisted in concern and something else you couldn't interpret.

~

You had finally gotten home, having gone back into the store and called your father to come to pick you up. You were shaken up and were in no position to drive home. Your mother stayed at their home with your son not wanting to alert him that something was wrong.

The police were called as well and you filed a report of the incident with your father by your side for support. Lucky for you the store had just installed surveillance cameras in the parking and store due to the upsurge in disappearances lately.

You had left your truck after taking out your purchases and loading them into your dad's car. He assured you that he would find a way to get your truck home to you and not to worry about it. The drive home was silent, you were too shocked and numb to hold a conversation.

After you had arrived home, your father made sure to check the windows and called a locksmith to replace the locks on the doors. Once he was satisfied that you were okay he hugged you goodbye promising to call you later.

You were now alone, alone with your thoughts, alone with your anger, alone with the shame of the cowardice you felt, and most of all alone with the fear of what was yet to come. The clock ticked loudly making your breath suddenly catch, all air in the room seemed to dissipate, leaving you gasping for breath.

Blood pounded in your ears and you stood up in a panic trying to regain control of your senses. Your chest heaved up and down frantically as you clutched your chest in alarm, unable to catch your breath.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door catching your attention. Still gripping your chest, you stumbled to the door throwing it open. The panic you felt outweighed the thought of who could be on the other side, hoping that whoever it was could help you.

Eddie stood smiling cheesily on the other side arms full of tapes and goodies. His face quickly fell at the state you were in. Dropping everything on the porch he rushed to your side kicking the door closed.

"Hey, hey it's okay," he said softly, as he walked towards you slowly. "C-can I touch you? "I just want to help," he said sincerely holding his arms out to you.

You nodded frantically, giving your consent.

He quickly wrapped you up in his arms rubbing your back soothingly. "Take deep breaths, in and out kay"? "On three," he urged you calmly. "One....two....three.....One....two....three...." he repeatedly counted.

Your head laid upon his chest, fingers twisted in the fabric of his shirt as you desperately inhaled and exhaled on his count. Tears streamed down your face at the exertion on your body.

Slowly he lowered you both, sitting on the floor. He turned you around so your back was pressed to his chest. He continued to count and began to breathe in and out himself, allowing you to follow the rhythm of his breathing.

Leaning back you close your eyes, focusing on his words and breathing. You increase your inhale in and exhale out as you struggle to regain control of your breathing. He rubs your arms soothingly, keeping you grounded and centered.

Moments pass and your nerves finally settle allowing your body to function normally. You feel sore, your chest aching from your battle to breathe. Sitting up slowly, you move forward to get up, stumbling back to your knees.

"Whoa, whoa— take it easy,” he urges catching you before you fall. He helps you up, walking you over to the couch and setting you down gently. He sits beside you grasping your palms and begins to massage comforting circles into the back of your hands.

You avoid his eyes as a wave of shame washes over you, embarrassed that he had to witness you having a panic attack and also grateful that he showed up when he did.

"I'm sorry— I didn't..." you choke on a sob, your eyes welling with hot tears. You wipe them away angrily, ashamed all over again for having poured all of this onto him.

He pulls you into a hug wrapping his arms around you, "Don't you dare apologize, you have nothing to be sorry for." he assures you.

Fresh tears fall anew, in that moment you felt safe. Safe to let your guard down and release all of your pain. Settling your arms around his neck you lay your head on his chest, allowing yourself to cry as he held you, rubbing your back gently.

You're not sure how long the moment lasts, it feels as if it's seconds and hours at the same time. Once your tears subside, you're lulled into a calm state. Still tucked safely into Eddie's arms, not willing to break away and disturb the peace you feel. He had leaned back into the couch to get more comfortable, still keeping you in his embrace.

"My mom had really bad anxiety" Eddie mumbles above you.

You make a noise of acknowledgment, listening to him intently.

Clearing his throat he continues "My father— he wasn't a good person," "Terrorizing her every chance he could, eventually, he broke her." he stated emptily.

"I was young, too young to protect her, I had to learn how to help her whenever she had an attack," he explained.

You lower your arms to your sides and lean back from him to look into his eyes. They look cold and distant as if he's been transported to another time and place.

"I'm sorry about your mom and that you had to experience that," you say sincerely. "No child should have to take care of their parent."

He nods his head in acknowledgment. "I just don't want you to feel sorry for what just happened," he says smiling softly.

You smile in response, feeling ready to share your story as well. "My husband—" you start, stopping to take a deep breath.

Eddie takes your hand in his, squeezing gently, encouraging you silently to continue.

"My husband abuses me," you continue. "Emotionally and physically," you confide holding up your arm wrapped in the cast. "He did this to me during our last fight, if you could call it that," you state humorlessly.

"He left that night and I made the choice to leave him for good, not only for me but for my son too." "He deserves better than to be raised in a broken home, I'd rather be a single parent than to continue to allow that to happen," you say frankly.

"I served him divorce papers and I guess he finally got them." "I'm not sure how he knew where I was but he cornered me today. I had just gotten done shopping when he threatened me," you said shaking your head in disbelief.

You glance at him before continuing "I guess I just broke down and released all of my pent-up emotions,"  "sorry you had to witness that" you apologize again.

"I thought I told you not to apologize," he chides gently, tapping you playfully on your shoulder.

"I know, but I can't help but feel awful." "We barely know each other, you shouldn't have to be my therapist," you confess jokingly.

"Sweetheart, I think we've passed the point of not knowing each other," he chuckles.

Your breath catches at the pet name. "Well, that was a lot to unpack," you laugh. Although you still felt like shit and your body was sore beyond belief, you honestly felt like a weight had been lifted.

"Right, I've never talked to anyone about my mom and pops before." He thinks for a moment "besides my Uncle Wayne," he admits glancing at you.

"I'm honored that you were comfortable enough to share that with me" you respond flashing him a warm smile.

"Thank you for allowing me to help you," he replies sitting up a bit. "But seriously though, you're stronger than you think," he says. "Just make sure that you keep moving forward and never look back, kay? he pleads.

You nod in agreement and fall into a comfortable silence as you attempt to process all that has happened. You yawn suddenly feeling yourself beginning to crash.

You cover your mouth in apology glancing at Eddie. "Sorry," you say sheepishly.

Eddie looks at you and chuckles. "I guess that's my cue," he says slowly getting up to leave.

You grab the sleeve of his jean jacket impulsively. Not sure what possessed you to do so.

He stops in place and turns to look at you questioningly. "Everything okay," he asks.

"Yeah, I just— Could you please stay? Just in case if...." you trail off unable to finish your sentence. You drop your hand into your lap and lower your eyes to the floor thoroughly embarrassed now.

Eddie laughs lightly causing you to look up at him through your lashes. You notice that a blush has spread across his features.

He rubs a hand through his hair "Of course, as long as you don't mind my snoring," he quips. "I think I could be used as some sorta bear repellent," he says jokingly.

"Well that's good then, you will stop anyone from coming in here," you smirk.

He laughs along with you, his brown eyes crinkling cheerfully. "Where do you want me to sleep," he gestures around the room.

"The couch is a pullout, it's more comfortable than it looks," you tell him. You get up from the couch and head towards the linen closet. "Are you okay with that," you ask as you pull out a spare pillow and blanket.

"Of course, I think I can manage," he smirks. "It's not like my bed is made out of the finest silk," he laughs jokingly. He stops laughing, walking hastily to the door.

You watch him curiously as he opens your door, picking up the bags he dropped earlier. He closes the door behind him "Almost forgot about these" he explains motioning to the bags as he places the items on the table.

"This was so not how I intended our movie night to go," you say feeling slightly annoyed. At this point, it seemed like it would never get to happen.

He thinks for a moment "I'm not mad about it, it just gives me a reason to hang out with you again," he says smoothly. He goes over to the couch and begins removing the cushions to pull out the frame.

You stand there for a moment, shocked into silence. He can't mean that, right? I mean, technically you're still young but the responsibility of being a parent is what sets you apart from others your age.

"You sure you want to waste your free time with an old lady" you kid as you walk over to him to help.

As you finish setting up, he turns towards you his eyes flicker with mischief "well you sure don't look like one," he replies simply. He sits down on the pullout and takes off his shoes and jacket.

Heat spreads throughout your body at his words. Was he flirting with you or was he just being polite? You hand him the pillow and blanket "well, I guess I'll see you in the morning," you say changing the subject.

"See you in the morning," he says with a warm smile.

"Goodnight," you reply softly, backing up towards your room.

"G'night," he replies.

Smiling you turn around and enter your bedroom closing the door. Quickly dressing for bed, you hop in and turn off your light. You lay there staring up at the ceiling completely awake now.

Your mind races a mile a minute, jumping from one thing to the next. After a while, you hear snoring coming from the next room. You laugh softly as a yawn bubbles up from your chest. Turning over you finally fall asleep.

~

When you awake in the morning Eddie is still sleeping, snoring peacefully. Tiptoeing by him, you go to take a shower. Once you're done you get started cooking breakfast. As you're scrambling the eggs in the skillet, Eddie comes into the kitchen yawning.

"G'morning," he says blearily.

"Good morning," you reply cheerily.

He clears his throat while leaning on the counter. "Need any help," he offers.

"Yeah, could you set the plates on the table, they're in that top cabinet behind you," you say as you turn the eye off on the stove. The toast pops up from the toaster announcing that they are done and you move to take them out.

"I hope you're hungry," you say as you follow behind Eddie with the food. You spoon the food from the skillets onto both plates. You go back into the kitchen to pour some orange juice nearly dropping the cups when you see Eddie close behind you.

"Let me," he says gently, taking the cups from you and walking them over to the table.

"But you're my guest," you protest pouting.

"Yeah, but you've done enough making all of this delicious food," he says spreading his arms out. "Now, it's time for you to relax and enjoy the meal you've prepared," he tells you as he pulls out your chair.

"Thank you," you beam flashing him a smile. "Such a gentleman," you say before taking a bite out of your food.

"That's a first," he laughs as he begins to eat.

You fall into a comfortable silence as you eat your food making small talk in between bites.

Eddie is the first to finish letting out an exaggerated sigh and patting his stomach. "Wow, that was the best meal I've ever had," he exclaims. "Wait that may be the only meal I've ever had," he jokes.

You roll your eyes and grin as you get up to clear the table. Eddie beats you to it saying "please, I insist."

"Only if you let me help, non-negotiable," you reply crossing your arms with a smirk.

"Deal," he says.

~

After cleaning the kitchen, you both moved to the living room to clean that area as well. You folded the comforter and put it, along with the pillow back into the closet, while Eddie folded the couch back into position.

You worked in silence, once everything was finished you sat on the couch and sighed. Eddie took a seat beside you, close but not enough to invade your space.

"What do you have planned today," he asked you suddenly.

"Nothing really, I was going to go down to the mechanic later and get my brakes changed," you replied.

He perked at that and turned to you suddenly his dark eyes widening "I can totally do that for you," he exclaims.

You laugh at his sudden outburst, he was so expressive, often reacting without a second thought. You wished that you could be as carefree as he seemed.

"Are you sure?" "I don't want to ask something of you that you're not comfortable doing," you reply carefully. You don't want to offend him by questioning if he is capable to do the job.

"Of course, I work on my van and my uncle's car all the time," he says proudly. He points a finger to his chest and continues "I might not look it but I'm pretty handy with repairs.

"Well, in that case, I would be much obliged if you did fix them," you implore batting your lashes theatrically.

"Anything for you sweetness," he responds. "Do you have the parts," he asks.

No, I don't even know what type of part to get," you admit. "I was hoping that the mechanic would already have what I needed."

"That's okay, I can help with that too," he grins. "So, when do you want to go to pick up the part?"

"Anytime you're ready, also could we use your van to pick it up?" "My dad is supposed to be dropping off my car sometime later today," you say, rambling a bit.

"Well, I guess I'll go and get ready now," he says standing up.

You stand up as well and start walking with him towards the door. You step out onto the porch and bask in the sunlight for a moment tilting your head towards the sun, smiling. Just as quickly, you turn back to Eddie to find him facing you with a brow raised.

"Just recharging my batteries," you quip.

"Okay, so you're going through photosynthesis then, got it." "How often should I water you?" he deadpans.

Ewe! Eddie that's so gross," you titter giving him a light shove.

"Hey, I meant water," he argues laughing. He stops suddenly and wiggles his brows at you "what did you think I meant?" he questions.

You gasp, lowering your head to let your hair cover your flushed smiling face. "N-nothing, I d-don't know what I meant," you stammer. Pushing him off the porch you squeak out "Okay, bye! See ya later!"

He hops down your steps grinning mischievously. "See ya later neighbor," he sings skipping down the trail to his house.

You groan as you go into your home shutting your door. I wonder how many times can one embarrass themselves in one day you think as you go to get dressed.

~

You wait about an hour, giving Eddie time to get ready before leaving your home to meet him. As you're locking up the trailer you hear someone clearing their throat loudly.

Turning to your side you see Mrs. Brenda sitting in her rocking chair. "Hi hon, how are you today?" she asks.

You walk towards the steps of her porch and lean against the railing. "I'm doing fine, I had a rough day yesterday but I'm doing much better," you say.

"Oh no, I'm glad that you're feeling better," Is everything going to be okay?" she says worriedly.

You start to recount everything that happened yesterday, feeling comfortable doing so since she pretty much knows the history between you and your husband. With her being right next door, she's heard a lot of the fights and arguments between the two of you.

She listens patiently waiting for you to finish. "I'm sorry, that happened to you honey," she says taking your hand in hers.

"That man, and I use that word loosely, needs to be put down like the rabid dog that he is," she says venomously.

Your eyes widen, you've never heard her speak ill towards anyone before. "Mrs. Brenda!" you say amazed.

"It's true, and if I catch him around here, ill pop a cap in his ass," she says matter of factly.

You laugh deeply, holding your sides. "I thank you but I can't let you do that," you pause trying to contain the giggles. "We'll just leave it to the authorities okay?"

"Um hmm," she says as she starts rocking her chair again.

You sigh exasperatedly, "Mrs. Brenda, I'm serious I—," you're cut off abruptly by the sound of tires rolling over gravel.

Eddie pulls up in his van, rolling down his window. "Hey gorgeous," he yells out while leaning out the window and waving.

Your eyes furrow in confusion, and you lift your hand waving back shyly.

Before you can respond Mrs. Brenda speaks "Hello, hot shot," she says swooning like a teenage girl.

He looks at you with a smug smile, "Hey, you ready to go?"

You mumble goodbye to your neighbor and sulk over to the van. Eddie leans over and opens the door before you can reach it. Hauling yourself into the van, you settled down in your seat and fastened your seatbelt.

Eddie looks at you with an arrogant grin "Hey gorgeous."

"Shut up and drive," you say staring pointedly at the road with a heated flush across your face.

~

After you and Eddie return from your trip to the auto store. You find that your father had returned your car while you were gone. Your heart warms at how he handled everything for you, so you didn't have to. You make a mental note to thank him as soon as possible.

Eddie drops you off in front of your house and drives off to go park. You look in the flower pot by your steps and find your car keys. You had told your dad where he could leave the keys just in case you were gone.

Eddie comes around the corner with his toolbox and a jack stand. He has his hair up in a bun with tendrils of hair hanging freely. "Wow, you really are a handyman huh," you exclaim, peering at all the tools peeking out of the box.

His face and the tips of his ears turn red at your acknowledgment. He smiles in response and quickly gets to work. It's still early out and the sun is high in the sky. You sit on the porch watching for a while before heading inside your trailer.

You go to the kitchen to make sandwiches and fix some lemonade. You're done in no time and go back out with the food and drinks. As you sit everything down on the small table outside, you notice Eddie sitting on the ground with his back to you.

He's close by the wheel which is suspended in the air by the jack. Due to the humid weather, he has forgone his shirt for comfort.

Your mouth goes dry as you openly stare at his back, feeling safe to do so since his attention is focused elsewhere. His skin is pale and smooth with beauty marks dotted here and there. He's lean but still has a naturally toned build.

You watch as the muscles in his back swell and rise, straining as he exerts pressure on the task at hand. Finally, he gets the worrisome part on. You quickly avert your gaze to pick up the food and drink.

"Lunch break?" you ask with a smile.

"He turns to you smiling fondly "sure," he says setting down his tool. Dusting off his hands on his faded ripped jeans, he picks up his shirt and wipes the sweat from his brow.

You hand him the plate of sandwiches and the cup of lemonade as he sits beside you on the steps. You're silent, lost in your thoughts, as Eddie devours the food you prepared.

"Thank you," he says getting up and setting the plate down in his place.

"Is there a lot left to do?" you wonder as he goes back to his task at hand.

"Not really, I took off the old brake pad and caliper. I'm almost done putting on the new one," he says.

"Oh," you say, not really understanding.

He laughs a little as he puts another one of the parts you bought from the store. "I'll be done in about thirty minutes."

You hum in response, getting up and picking up the plates along the way. After washing the dishes you call your mom to check up on your son. He tells you about all of the fun he's having and you listen with a smile on your face. After a while, you say your goodbyes, telling him you love him before hanging up the phone.

As you walk back outside you see that your truck has been lowered and Eddie is putting his tools back in his box. He looks at you over his shoulder and hands you the keys.

"Alright, time to test those bad boys out," he says.

After you drive around the park at 10 miles per hour, tapping on the brakes. You can finally drive your car safely without Fred Flinstoning the brake pedal.

Once you've parked your truck, you are once again in front of your steps with Eddie beside you. You turn to him with a grateful smile on your face.

"Eddie, I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me," you choke on your words a bit, as you start to feel a little emotional.

He stands there smiling, patiently waiting for you to finish.

Tears well up in your eyes as you look up at him, smiling softly. "Even though we haven't been for long, you are a great friend and I'm thankful for you."

He stiffens slightly at your admission but you are too busy wrapping your arms around him to notice. He hugs you tightly to him and you lay your head on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.  He lays his head on top of yours, rubbing his hands along your back for comfort.

You stay there a moment basking in his embrace. His scent is strong but not overbearing, the smell of his cologne, cigarettes, and off-brand laundry detergent creates a perfect blend of fragrances.

You're the first to pull away with a smile. "Thanks again Eddie, for everything," you whisper.

"Anytime sweetheart, what are friends for?" he smiles back at you warmly.

Your stomach turns at his response but you choose to ignore it. You tell him goodbye and promise to make plans for the movie night soon.

His words echo in your head over and over 'what are friends for?' Sleep doesn't come easy for you that night.

Next Chapter

#eddie stranger things #eddie munson #eddie x reader #stranger things smut #stranger things #eddie my beloved #eddie munson angst #eddie munson hurt/comfort #eddie munson smut #hurt/comfort #eddie angst #angst #eddie smut #smut #fanfiction #eddie the freak munson #eddie x fem!reader #fanfic #eddie munson x reader smut #yandere x reader #eddie munson x reader

[etsuven]

Kunikuzushi, the eldest child of the matriarchal kingdom ran by his mother, has come of age to be married off. Feeling trapped by the stuffiness of the castle and the strict routine he had known since birth, he decides to use this opportunity to finally gain the freedom he so longingly dreamt of through the confines of his room. Everything was planned out, even down to the little details. What wasn't part of his plan, however; was falling in love. - Newfound Freedom: Chapter 1/Prologue <next chapter> word count: ~800+ - note: not the best start to a new series, and this prologue probably isn't the most captivating thing, but i hope it seems interesting so far! i've had something like this in mind for a while, (aka i've been planning it for at least a few weeks or so) and since i've been obsessed with scaramouche as of late, i decided to place him in the story! please stick around for the next chapter where things are sure to get more interesting! (this chapter was written on 12/15/22. it took me a while to post because i had a severe writers block + i wanted to write 3 chapters just to give you guys SOMETHING)

Kunikuzushi.

The first son of the Empress of Inazuma, Ei.

A boy forever destined to be in the shadow of his younger sister.

It was an awful fate, really. As the first child of the Empress, he was never worshiped and prioritized as much as the women who constantly surrounded him. The kingdom was typically ran by women, so it was only fitting that the right to the throne would skip him—instead moving to the person who was born after him.

He didn't really have a problem with it when he was younger. Why should he? Little him felt it was too much responsibility, so he was more than happy to pass everything onto the youngest in the family. But as he got older, he began to feel... Jealous. Seeing his younger sister get doted on constantly while he only got crumbs.

Yes, he sounded like a brat, but who wouldn't feel this way?

Like any normal person when faced with the fact that they aren't favored by those around him, he was angry. Why should he be pushed aside for the sake of his sister? Wasn't he good enough? He was often reprimanded for asking those questions.

'You should know why already.' He was told. 'Inazuman royalty is matriarchal in nature. It is tradition for the women to be throned before men.' Kunikuzushi knew deep in his mind that that was the case, but he still couldn't push away the borderline hatred he held towards his younger sister, Rai.

His relationship with the girl wasn't the best, to say the least. He despised her almost robotic nature, how she seemed so prim and proper- it was aggravating. The girl was heavily favored by the Inazuman citizens, each one praising her actions, no matter how miniscule they were.

Rai often trained with their mother, studying her fighting style and practicing it to perfection. The two of them took advantage of the electric magic of their kingdom, something Kunikuzushi had yet to master due to only being self taught.

His mother's consultant, Yae Miko, also possessed the same electro magic as his family and the many other women in the nations around them (save for a few men.) He wasn't the closest to Miko, only seeing her as someone who wanted to impress the person he called his mother. Although he had to admit, she was quite good at her job, often times managing things when his mother wasn't around to do so herself.

Now, back to his mother...

Children naturally want to be close to their parents, but Kunikuzushi didn't get the attention he so longed for from his mother. Anything he did was never acknowledged by the Empress. Academic achievements, training accomplishments, simple milestones. Things that were typically praised were never even noticed by her. Either that, or she simply just didn't care.

The boy craved his mother's words of praise, but over time he learned to not expect it. He would train and study like he was constantly told to, of course, but he told himself that he would no longer dare seek validation from the woman.

Years passed since this revelation, and Kunikuzushi grew into a stunning young man. Paired with his physique from training and gorgeous features, he became the object of affection of many citizens in Inazuma, and even the other members of royalty from nearby countries.

Though they could never truly pursue him, as he was already engaged. From the moment he became a teenager, he was set to be married off to someone from a nearby country. A strange thing to be for someone so young, but it was normal for those of royal blood.

It was a weird feeling—knowing that you were set to be engaged to and eventually wed someone you didn't even know. Since the both of you were so busy with your own problems, you never actually got the chance to really meet and get to know each other. Not that he wanted to get to know you. Based on your reputation, he was sure that you were the stuck up type.

Although an arranged marriage wasn't the most ideal thing in Kunikuzushi's mind, he still found a way to use it to his advantage. It wasn't a secret to anyone who could read body language that he was longing for something more- something new. The repetitiveness of his daily life was finally getting to him.

The young prince quickly realized that his arranged marriage to you could be his way out of Inazuma. The tradition of his kingdom called for him to travel to your kingdom once the two of you were wed, and he realized one night that he could use that opportunity to slowly distance himself from you and run away.

While he did feel a bit bad for planning to do something like that to you, the temptation of freedom after so many years of silently asking for it was too much to handle. But it was too late to go back on everything now—The 'perfect' plan was already made, and it was only a matter of time before it would finally come to fruition.

#genshin #genshin impact #scaramouche x reader #genshin fluff #genshin fanfic #genshin impact scaramouche #scaramouche #genshin scaramouche #genshin headcannons #genshin scenarios #genshin scaramouche fluff #genshin scaramouche x reader #etsuven #scaramouche fluff #scaramouche genshin impact #kunikuzushi #newfound_freedom

[yuikomorii]

hello admin I hope this is not a repeated question and I would be grateful if you could give your opinion on this matter. Who do you think is the smartest boy in DL? Of course, not with regard to academic success, because I don't consider it as a criterion for being smart. Rather, according to the behaviors that these boys have shown so far, in your opinion, which of the 13 boys is the most intelligent?

// L to the A to the I to the T to the O !

And nobody can change my mind because this man is literally scaringly smart and will forever be the most intelligent DL character in my eyes. I will talk about him soon, I just want to get some things straight here.

Grades don’t equal intelligence, therefore I would never judge it solely on someone’s academic success. It’s not that hard getting a good score if you pay attention during class or simply study, so it’s more about effort. I’m speaking from my own experience because I’m one of my university’s top students yet there are classmates who are undoubtedly smarter than me or than the teachers themselves.

To be honest, in my opinion, the "big brain" DL boys aren't nearly as intelligent as they’re described. Sure, they're knowledgeable, but I wouldn't call them geniuses. Writers will make a character appear intelligent by having everyone else act stupid or oblivious. For example, in LE and CL, it took them 1000 years to realize that Kino, the new, mysterious guy they know nothing about, was the one causing them problems, and they were surprised despite the fact that it was obvious. I should also point out that their plans and strategies aren't particularly good; it's just that the writers will make them appear to be successful. If they gave the same plan to a seemingly stupid Diaboy, they would make him fail and face consequences.

Furthermore, it irritates me that they are constantly attempting to humiliate Yui with things they are proficient in. They test her with cubes, puzzles, musical instruments, and books in foreign languages she doesn't speak, such as Latin and German. They are aware Yui isn't the brightest, and they can clearly see she lacks knowledge and any talents, so I'm not sure how you, a "genius," would find satisfaction in seeing a seemingly stupid character fail at things stereotypically smart people excel at. Why not, for example, challenge someone of your league? Or are you afraid of failing that way, and you only get that spark from someone weaker than you?

Okay, enough of that, let's get back to Laito. Laito's brain power outperforms everyone else's and he’s not just book smart but he's also extremely street smart.

He's very perceptive and has the best ability to read others. While the big brain boys rely on simple and sometimes obvious deductions, Laito memorizes information about you and will later know how to use it against you to cause you pain. He's a master of gaslighting and convincing; he manipulated Yui into saying and doing things she would never have done otherwise, and he's impossible to trick. Every time Yui tried to be bold in front of him, saying things like "perhaps you’re the one who likes the pain" or "you’re the masochist”, Laito twisted her words so as to make her feel like a bad person, which she believed.

I understand that being manipulative does not always imply being clever, because any human being can manipulate, but Laito is not your average manipulator. To manipulate someone, you must be able to hold a large amount of information in your mind at the same time. A larger brain capacity is required to be a skilled manipulator because you are creating several different scenarios and outcomes prior to and during a conversation with the person you are attempting to manipulate. Laito has a high level of metacognition, which most people do not have, and his brain is quick, creative, adaptable, and can unquestionably be called intelligent.

You can also notice that he says some really meaningful things that Yui and his two brothers can’t understand. His poetic way of speaking isn’t a reason to mislead others or make them feel stupid, but rather he’s merely expressing his thoughts that way. I love those moments when he’s unpredictable and pulls a spontaneous psychological mind game, because I know this man would be able to twist everyone around his little finger if he wanted to, even the big brain boys (no wonder even Carla acknowledged him as intelligent).

However, one of Laito’s flaws is that he got poor emotional control and his trauma makes him perceive some things differently. He’s still dangerously intelligent and the fact his intelligence is so underrated feels unbelievable.

#laito sakamaki #yui komori #diabolik lovers #dialovers #sakamaki laito #komori yui #admin

[legend-of-binkus]

The Master Sword of the Downfall Timeline

As promised in my last post, here it is! My little deep dive into Legends sword and how I think it will affect the story going forward.

(Also, I loved reading everyones thoughts on that post. Thank you so much for sharing!)

(art is from Nintendo Player's Guide (SNES) for A Link to the Past, pg 17. AND Jojo's LU comic, Divine Dark Reflections pt7)

Sorry this took a little longer then planned, but I came across some new interesting details while researching this and it took me a bit longer to compile my thoughts.

Let’s quickly start off by discussing some points that were brought up by others on my last post.

Is it possible for two Master Swords to coexist in the LU?

YES. In fact it's happened in canon before!

“At the end of Skyward Sword, because of the time travel involved, the Goddess Sword and Master Sword exist simultaneously. The Master Sword is within the Sealed Temple while the Goddess Sword is up in Skyloft.” —https://zelda.fandom.com/wiki/Master_Sword

Is the Spirit of the sword still in Legends sword?

Again, I would say yes. Not only is this supported by the Tempered Sword glowing in response to the Master Sword after Legend regains his human form, but also if BotW is the ending point for all the timelines then that means the spirit of the sword lives on, as it's HEAVILY implied that Fi is the one who tells Zelda that Wild can be saved.

— 

Ok, now let's jump into the predictions and theory!

First, gotta start off with some context.

This actually all began when I came across this old quote from Jojo while making my The Chains Secrets post (and my thoughts just kind of spiraled from there...)

“they know a Hero before failed, it’s nothing personal to them, it’s simply the world as they know it. But it gives weight to their responsibility seeing as the Hero of Hyrule’s home is still suffering the consequences. but this did give me some good ideas so Thanks for this Q!”

This quote is regarding Hyrule and Legend’s knowledge of the death of a previous hero. They haven’t mentioned it yet to the others (and I highly doubt they realize that the Hero who died was an alternate version of Time), but it’s not like it’s never crossed their minds… for instance, I bet you anything that when Twi was discussing the Master Sword with Legend that the thought of the previous hero’s fate crossed Legend's mind.

It’s a small but important detail. Legend is aware of the fate that met the hero before him, but hasn’t said anything about it yet. I’m not entirely sure why, but I can see how this knowledge would weigh heavy on him.

So how does this relate to Legend's version of the Master Sword?

Strap in, we're diving into a lot of lore!

As I delved further into research for this theory I noticed something very peculiar about the Master Sword in ALttP that I have never noticed before.

The Master Sword changes forms when pulled from the pedestal.

Now you might be thinking, Binkus, come on... the developers had to simplify the sword cuz originally it was like the size of the player. And yeah... true. BUT while looking into official art for the game I noticed that the sword is also depicted in two different ways from when it's resting in its pedestal VS Link wielding it. Take a look.

See how the sword is depicted in the pedestal in comparison to outside of it? Even the box art and the games title screen feature the two different versions of the sword.

To my knowledge, there's no in-game explanation for this. It just happens.

(quick side note... I am once again floored by Jojo's attention to detail here! She took elements from various depictions of the Master Sword when designing her version of the sword that Legend finds. There's the shape and coloring of the modern depiction of the sword, the lack of a spike on the on the cross-guard and the different rain-guard on the ALttP version of the sword in the pedestal, plus the cloth/leather wrapping from the golden hilt version. Just amazing.)

Now, it's not unheard of for the Master Sword to take on different forms. It has slight variations in all the games it appears in, with the largest changes to its design happening in Skyward Sword, Wind Waker, and (of course) A Link to the Past.

Ok... but why? Why change forms upon being pulled out of the pedestal? And specifically why change to look so beat up? Is this the swords true form? The sword in the art with the golden/orange hilt isn't looking it's best. Just look at the sword on the box art for the game, it's all dinged-up.

(This is probably why Legend tempers the Master Sword in the first place)

But you know, Legends Master Sword reminds me of another— the Master Sword from BotW. Specifically it's depiction in the final memory.

During that last battle, Wild is dying and the state of the sword reflects that. He wasn’t suddenly struck down with a surprise killing blow. He was struggling to even stand and was running only on adrenaline and determination to protect Zelda. The moment she accesses her powers and saves them he just collapses.

Zelda's dialogue in the game also implies there's a connection between sword and master.

“We pray for your protection, and we hope that… that the two of you will grow stronger together, as one.” — Zelda (Breath of the Wild)

So it seems that if the sword's master dies, there's a negative impact on the Master Sword itself.

Even though Wild was brought back through the Shrine of Resurrection, the Master Sword is definitely not in the best of shape and constantly breaks (and the BotW 2 trailers further support this with the sorry state of the sword in those previews)

Now, remember what happened to the swords previous master before Legend?

He died...

And the Master Sword's true state after being pulled from the pedestal in ALttP reflects this.

Legend inherited the burden of a suffering kingdom and a dilapidated sword mourning for its lost master.

"Thank you, Master Link. May we meet again in another life…" — Fi (Skyward Sword)

Time was only the swords second wielder— Fi finally got to meet her master again, however this time he was only a child. The spirit of the sword probably did what it thought was best by putting a young Time into a seven year sleep, but unfortunately we know that decision didn't turn out too well in any timeline...

One he's essentially erased from and Ganondorf returns, another he regains his lost time but dies full of regrets, and the last (which Legend is a part of) he dies fighting Ganon.

Maybe it would have actually been worse if the sword had never put him to sleep, but we'll never truly know...

Ok, so where can this take the story in regards to LU?

Well... there's two character's in particular that I've already mentioned that I believe could be impacted by both Legend and his version of the Master Sword; Wild and Time.

And perhaps part of the reason Legend has yet to mention the nature of his sword is just for story telling purposes. You know...for the ✨DRAMA✨

I've touched on Wild's complicated feelings towards the sword in a previous theory, and we know that he's currently struggling under crushing guilt at the moment.

Legend is probably not someone's first choice when seeking out comfort, but I believe Legend's unique experiences could help him understand what Wild is going through. Legend knows that Wild is not the only Hero to die. He knows what it's like to not be able to save everyone you care about. He knows what it's like to wield a battered sword. He knows what it's like trying to save a barren land. He knows that none of what happened was Wild's fault, and that the blame falls solely on Ganon.

I'd love to see these two have an interaction where they open up about their experiences.

With Time, I ponder the possibility of his views on the Master Sword changing slightly. Or maybe just healing the spirit of Legend's sword. He would never willingly use the sword that Sky currently carries, but imagine a circumstance where he unknowingly takes up Legend's blade, and he wields the sword that has been mourning his death for centuries. This could be an interesting way for everyone to find out more about their weird timeline split. (plus Time finding out he died in one of them is delicious drama/angst)

Having said that however... Seeing how the Hero before Twi (AKA Time) left the sword in perfect condition in the woods where he grew up PLUS the fact that the Hero's Shade carries the Master Sword's scabbard when teaching the 5th Hidden Skill leads me to believe that Time's feelings towards the sword may soften up a bit.

I'm leaning more towards the Legend & Wild interaction theory more so then the Time & Legend's Sword theory, BUT let me know your thoughts! I always love to hear them.

Also, if you like my long rambling then feel free to check out my other LU Theories!

Thanks again to everyone who read up to this point! You're the real Heroes! <3

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu legend #lu theory #thanks for letting me ramble! #i stayed up way too late writing this... #probably ton of typos #meh #i'll fix it later

[prismatica-the-strange]

Uh oh, new S/I intro already...

Meet: Freida Baltwin Priestess of Jein'ta

(Meiker)

Ship Tag: #death by anyone's hand but his would never taste as sweet

*Disclaimer* while I have been watching and rewatching the prequels I have never seen Clone Wars. So this ship will evolve as I do that... whenever I do that.

Star Wars Lore is not my strong suit.

Also, I don't want this to be actually doomed so I might have to rework some plot points. And I'm totally not stealing part of the story from Phantom Menace, nope... You can't prove anything.

Jein'ta is a planet in the farthest reaches the outer rim. It's lush with alien life and nearly untouched by the rest of civilization.

It's where Freida was born, and had it not been so far from everything she would have been brought to the Jedi temple as a baby. She's extremely force-sensitive and without the Jedi's teachings, she's found her own way to comnune with and interact with it.

It amplifies and displays her emotions in a way, as it affects the world around her.

Because of this deep connection to the force she is regarded as somewhat of a spiritual guide on her homeworld, a priestess.

It isn't until dark forces hiding within the galaxy learn of her does she also come to the attention of the Jedi.

These dark forces attempt to kidnap her and her father contacts the Jedi council to protect her and teach her to control and conceal her abilities better.

That's when she's trusted to the care of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan Anakin Skywalker.

She's normally quite a free and bright spirit but with having to leave all she's known with two strangers, she becomes timid and quiet

The trip back to Coruscant did not go according to plan when their ship was intercepted and forced to make an emergency landing.

While Obi-Wan is out bartering for parts, Anakin is left to do what repairs he can and keep her safe.

Of course, the people who all but shot them out of the sky find them and there's a scuffle. He tries to keep her behind him, but one of the kidnappers grabs her and presses a blaster into her back.

As Anakin tries to come up with a plan the man's eyes go wide before he falls down dead. She gave him a major aneurysm with her control of the force, but she didn't enjoy it.

Just as the others are about to move in the whole group is attacked by a creature that isn't native to this planet and looks as though it's been tortured.

It turns on her and Anakin, teeth bared, once it's ripped through their assailants, but before Anakin can even activate his lightsaber she's pushing in front of him, her hand out like a HTTYD character.

She's always been good at connecting with animals, and this one is no different, but the tone shifts when it steps closer and Anakin takes a defensive position. His aggressive energy throws off the balance she's created, making it look like the animal is going to attack, giving him no choice but to kill it.

She's immediately in tears over it. She'd connected with it, felt its pain, and tried to soothe it. Even then, having felt its life force be torn from her, she lets him take her in his arms and lead her inside where he holds her while letting her cry it out.

Let's just say, he had a lot of explaining to do to Obi-Wan when he came back to find various corpses outside the ship and Freida sat on his padawan's lap, sleeping peacefully against his chest.

She became instantly flustered when she woke up there though, and her face was bright red the rest of the trip back to the Jedi Temple.

From there, he's basically her personal bodyguard and they spend a lot of time together, so their relationship blossoms from there.

And I'm sad to say there are only two ways this will go. Either they live happily ever after like they deserve or... to put it bluntly?

He kills her.

Ship Playlist:

#anakin skywalker #prisma self ships #self ship intro #Anakin Skywalker x oc #self insert intro #s/i introduction #self shipping #Spotify #death by anyone's hand but his would never taste as sweet

[esparia]

The Saison Margeurite Puzzle

I have a lot of thoughts about MPGIS (most popular girls in school) but Saison is one that after S5 I have crafted a theory for. Or at least an explanation to the best of my vague ability. ( @ifrickupmywords I tried to condense it but...)

The Main Questions I'm trying to answer:

Pretends she’s French when she’s Canadian. Why?

A.) Could be master manipulator, points are showing this.

B.) Could be trolling, evidence doesn’t fully back this but it could have started as such.

C.) Could be a power trip. She obviously likes fucking with people but this point could go to either A or B.

Why France?

A.) Greater popularity points to be an exchange student than a “new student”.

B.) Being French would be easier to fake if she already knew French bc she’s from Montreal and grew up in Quebec which has a close tie to French as a language.

Why not Canadian?

A.) Doesn’t score cool points. Not an exchange if she just moved. Lacks “cool” accent and experiences.

B.) Could be past related. Past unknown.

Thus, Popularity Aim Theory.

If she’s aiming to be popular why the route she’s taking? It seems convoluted and uncertain.

What she has done so far is make her position un-topple-able by not staking her popularity on what she is but herself. So here's the timeline of events.

Starting point. “French Student”, grabs everyone’s attention immediately. Gets interest from the social hubs and is thus introduced to many of their connections bc she needs to be “shown around”. Is thus labeled a non threat to their hierarchy and they will only help her instead of try to pull her down from her “fumbling climb up the social ladder”.

Taking French as a class. Perhaps she “misunderstood” what French was, just like how English is, as a class. It would give her an easy passing grade and raise her GPA. Some classes give the opportunity to have a France trip (when that opportunity falls through she joins the French club which gets her that trip)

Her introduction. A “Good but Confused Student”. Goes to the “wrong” class but is earnest and obviously just turned around and is directed back by a teacher and likely got a tardy pass so she could make it to her other class and get her book and still make it in time. Endears her to the staff. They are likelier to be softer on her bc of it. (added bonus, she gains Blaine)

Blaine is a football player. Perfect for a least a romp which would earn her points with him an gain his ear. A connection to the male side of the popularity royalty would gain elevate her but he proves beyond perfect.

-Blain is naive and bc of that easily lied to. Anything odd she can pass of as her being “French” and not understanding. He’d believe her. He’d also tell her what he hears readily enough if she is his girlfriend and prom date.

Prom is easy to get into bc of Blaine and she is sure to be featured in at least the yearbook’s prom section bc of Blaine’s football status. Everyone will see her with him there and those not at prom will see her as the gf of a football player. Status instantly on par with the cheerleaders.

Baby Brittany. Saison is not stupid and would use protection if she wanted to avoid a baby. However I believe Lunch Lady Belinda got her thinking with her comment “the babies you two make tonight are going to be so stupid”. What gets the whole school talking about you, class and status regardless? A pregnant girl. Add in that she is the exchange student, the gf of Blaine, and kind but dumb? Everyone will want to support her. Again, she is zero threat.

Flashing forward she names Brittany after the one person who is most vocal against her. Making her a god parent. Tying the cheer squad to her and neutralizing or at least making peace with an actual threat. BUT only announces it after the stage is set.

She, whether planned or not, takes her pregnancy and uses it to it’s full potential. She’s amazing at grabbing opportunities when she gets them. Sure fire way to get the school to know she’s pregnant? Leaving the tests behind instead of hiding them. We know theres more than one bc Desmond (the janitor) says “and people be leaving these (positive pregnancy test) all over the gd floor” implying more than one all over the place. Someone and likely more than one will find them the rumor mill will start and speculation will rise. Thus building it up to a bigger reveal. Mackenzie was going to spread it around and ridicule whoever it was when she found out. (the confrontation between the squad and her is very interesting if you think about it)

But that’s not enough for the long haul. She needs a support system that can’t be rocked. She needs to cement her position thus “Babes having Babies”, it falls through but it connects her to Brittany for a while and its shown she already has a connection with Shay “practically royalty”. The whole school is basically beneath her now that she has a reality show and wants the influence she has. Even Brittany. It falls through yes but it’s what she wants. If the nation sees it it’s likelier for her parents to see or someone to recognize her and fake claim her. It cancelling is perfect bc it served her purpose and she can move on.

She has grown her connections and anything added is a cake walk. Her school image of being really tolerant of Brittany’s hostility also cemented the illusion of a “friendly and forgiving” nature. Again lowering her threat level and being welcomed by just about everyone.

Being added then removed from the cheer squad was pretty solid strategy wise. She got in for Cheer Nationals, a place she doesn’t have to act just dance and be on TV. It doesn’t have the risk of getting her fake claimed like BhB. But it guaranteed that she wouldn’t fall into obscurity. She kept part of the status boost her own reality show would have given her. She got kicked off after but that worked in her favor as it left the opening and she was known to be an ok cheer leader.

She left before it tanked on the social ladder and made connections with the outcasts (public image aiding this no doubt) and was eventually accepted back on the squad bc she used that easy opening to get onto what she knew would end up victorious. Fads come and go and she used it to build that network but she guaranteed a future when the fad died.

She does manage to keep her oblivious status or ditzy look when her water breaks in the lunch room. Either it happened really fast and she was caught unaware or she has balls of steel and timed it to deliver in the lunch room or at least start labor there. Deandra being a midwife could have thrown plans to go to the hospital out the window but she rolled with it. Either way, she rolled with it and is now legendary amongst the students.

All in all, junior year has her in a nice gray neutral zone escaping most of the drama that could tear her down. Keeping her good natured persona lets her keep all her connections and general popularity without risk now it's about maintenance. Which she does perfectly in s4. The exception is getting in the gun fight which couldn't have been foreseen at all. It does however prove the level of danger Brittany is and the importance to get her to fully believe Saison's act. Which I personally started fully suspecting because of Baby Brittany's weird ability to understand what Saison is saying. Dumb + Naive could make Genius but if Saison is brilliant enough to manipulate her surroundings to come out on top why not be able to pass it on?

Either way s5 shows how desperate she is to get Brittany off her back and neutralize that threat she poses.

That trip finally comes up and it'll either be a way to familiarize herself with France but Paris in particular to gain credit for the backstory she's fabricated and/or learn the french accent/dialect and drop the Canadian french. This is why she could have originally planed to go. (However if her parents were already in France at that time, the opportunity to show Rachel and Judith was there which would get back to Brittany eventually.)

She could also use it to “visit” her parents. Not inviting Blaine along with the excuse that it was a club activity. Speculation about how deep her knowledge and strings go it could be a complete spider web of strings she's pulling or she could simply be reacting to circumstances and taking advantage of it.

I fully believe she knew that Rachel and Judith followed her around and likely was testing that exactly bc she knew Brittany's tendency to... go to extremes. She just got confirmation at the drunken party about the Brittany bit. This is when I think she for sure made plans to show off her parents. That laugh and confidence just scream security.

The reveal doesn't exactly add much to it but it does show how she flips between to states relatively easily. In the end Brittany “came around” and with her in her corner there's little to no way her position will be shakable.

#saison marguerite #mpgis #most popular girls in school #mpgis saison

[witchthewriter]

𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝐶𝘩𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐹𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛

Personalised story for @leniabranch Pairing: Otto Hightower x Lenia Branch Word Count: 2k Warnings: Things get a lil heated towards the end (sexually speaking)

You stood there shocked, well for a better word, dumbfounded.

The Hand of the King, arguably the most important man in Westeros, was down on one knee for you.

You could see the tinge of his skin; sailing did not become him. But he still looked handsome with his windswept hair and unkept beard (he had tried to make himself look as presentable as possible, but he could barely stand in front of the mirror on the rocking boat).

A crowd was already gathering, murmurs that the Hand of the King was proposing on the docks ran quickly throughout the dockyards. It wasn't until Alicent coughed that you were pulled back into reality. Tears sprung to your eyes you didn't know how they got there but you knew they came from a place of joy. Throwing yourself down at him your hands found their way to his cheeks, and you planted a firm kiss on Otto’s lips.

   “You have yet to answer, Lady Lenia,” Otto murmured with a small smile.

Your answer came out in a jumbled mess of yesses.

He kissed you back with just as much fervour, pulling away from your lips for only a second to say, “I wished to propose underneath the apple tree, but I couldn’t wait any longer.” And then his lips found yours once again.

The next few days went by in a blur. You first went to your parent’s to tell them the good news. However, your father had already known as Otto asked for his permission. During the Hand’s journey, he was waiting just as anxiously as you. Your mother on the other hand, did not know, and was over the moon with joy. Though she did slap your father’s arm for not telling her.

  “It was a surprise!” was his response.

Otto had never been this proud, not since the birth of his children. So, he gladly welcomed the congratulatory remarks and compliments. Although as he recounted the story, he did like to leave out the part where he was still sea-sick during the proposal.

Alicent too was happy. Not just happy for her father and future stepmother but also because the attention was no longer on her. King Viserys was more than jovial. Keeping this secret was difficult for him. Happy secrets were his downfall. He was so happy in fact, that he said, “there shall be no expense spared for this wedding,” and then the Master of Coin nearly choked on his wine.

Elrie was over the moon to be involved in another wedding. Darrick too, was ecstatic for you, the only person who was not was little Lucieth, who was sick of weddings.

And when you asked why, he blurted “because I HATE dressing up!”

Weeks had passed and the wedding plans were in full motion. Your mother was busy fussing over your dress with Sanah, who wanted to make it by hand. While your mother wanted you to wear her own wedding gown. And then you had family traditions to consider; every Branch woman wore some sort of homage to the House. May it be a leaf, a stem, a … branch, stitched in the gown, a piece of jewellery or make up. It was your choice to make.

The invitations soon went out as well.

Otto was quite particular with how he wanted them written, but you had the creative control. Both your House sigils were drawn, appearing on the corners of the parchment. A representation of your Houses bond.

Soon Branches from all over Westeros would soon be swarming the Capitol, giving a new feeling to King’s Landing. Your mother's side of the family were invited as well and although not as openly as creative as House Branch, they were well known for their musical abilities.

It had only been a month since your proposal and Sanah was becoming insufferable. In the best way. Once she heard the news, she apologised for her future actions, “I am going to be intolerable at times, but I just want this to be perfect for you.”

This was one of the most stressful times in your life, but … in such a positive way. Used to the spotlight, you didn’t mind the attention, especially the talk of the future with Otto.

    “And you’ll give him even more children, hopefully more sons!” Said a lady at court, whose name you didn’t care to remember. The last part stung, and you frowned (for the first time in a month).

“Any child is a blessing,” you replied, trying to keep the bite out of your voice. “Girls have just as much to offer as boys do.”

It was a curt response, and it made you up and leave the room.

You could feel your teeth grinding and you had to remind yourself to stop. Now being the Hand’s future wife, you worried that every word you spoke could hurt his position somehow. But a topic such as this; you knew where you stood on the matter.

The castle’s hallways had become well-known to you. The smoothed edges of the stone walls, cold to the touch, with it’s sudden openings of light and sunshine. On days like this, it filtered through the open gaps, some paned, some completely open. One had to be careful with the latter, there were rumours that many had … fallen from those openings.

Resting your back against the cool of the wall, you sighed and massaged your temple. It was safe to say that in this period of your life, you felt frazzled. It didn’t help that you were on your periods and the cramps were quite terrible. Hopefully, you wouldn’t have them during your wedding. Maybe that was another question for Sanah…

Lost in thought, you didn’t register the form that had stopped to stand next to you.

   “Having second thoughts?” Ormund’s deep voice made you jump, and in turn brought on a wave of embarrassment with a tinge of anger.

      “Don’t sneak up on people like that! It’s … it’s rude.” You said breathlessly.

Ormund chuckled and rested a hand on the hilt of his sword. “Well, I give my deepest apologies,” he said mockingly, bowing low. “I mustn’t upset the Hand’s wife.”

  “Future, wife,” you corrected.

“Yes,” he said with faint sincerity, “future wife.”

                                                       -✶-

The interaction with Ormund left you somewhat confused, what was he trying to say? And why was there an establishment between wife and future wife? These words danced in your head until you came to your chamber doors and gleefully opened them.

Rising from the bed, Otto gave you a slight bow as you entered the room.

  “Please excuse my boldness, but I needed to talk to you. Alone.”

His tone caused an eruption of butterflies in your stomach. A reddening of your cheeks as well.

“It’s, fine. I think we’re past the rules of formality.” And your mind instantly went to the nights spent with each other, naked, with body parts wrapped around one another. The thought made your blush deepen.

  “Well, you’re right about that,” Otto’s tall frame seemed to tower over your own. You noted his neatly trimmed beard and brushed hair. But some part of you missed the adventure-met Otto.

He guided you over to your sitting area, hot tea waiting for you. The sun had begun to set, emitting rays of orange, pink and purple across the sky. A beautiful sight, but one that you gladly ignored. Your focus was utterly on Otto.

   “I just wanted to have some time by ourselves,” he started, moving to take his hand in yours. “And to give you an opportunity to refuse the proposal.” His voice hardened at the end of the sentence, but when you looked into his eyes, all you saw was love.

 “Why would I refuse?” You said aghast. “Have I shown any reason I wouldn’t want to marry?”

There was a long pause.

And questions flooded your head, swarming your stomach, making your body tingle with anxiety.

  “No, you have not.”

His words gave you such relief that you let out a sigh. The breath that you had unknowingly held in was released and Otto actually saw the worries escape you.

 “Then why? Why ask this?”

How could Otto explain this deep-rooted insecurity of not being enough. Being too old, too unliked, having a job that requires questionable morals. Having to lie to those he loves in favour of the King, or to keep important information from coming to light. To push for things that other people do not want nor agree with.

For Otto, it just goes deeper and deeper. More intricate that one could ever explain perfectly.

So, the only thing that he could come out with was, “I-I’m not enough. For you. You deserve better. Someone younger, at least.”

Your grip on his hand tightened, and you stared straight into his eyes, “I want to marry you Otto Hightower. I see the good, I see the bad; I see all of you. And I still want to marry you.”  

The intensity in which you spoke felt foreign, as was the power that seemed to radiate from you. But in this moment it felt right. Unbeknownst to you, it wasn’t as if Otto didn’t see your devotion. He did. And he admired it greatly. It’s one of the reasons why he loves you so dearly. His late wife had the same devout nature.

Any doubts he had for this marriage were based on himself; his own self-reservations. Truly, they had nothing to do with you. Not even your status, which had been brought up by the small council, didn’t make him think any less of you. He had stopped the slanderous talk immediately. Everyone knew not to talk ill of Lenia Branch in the presence of Otto Hightower. And it helped greatly that the King thought your family was brilliant. Your position at court was favoured, as were you. Your future, no matter what, was bright.

 “I truly cannot explain how I feel inside. Only know this: there is nothing that can make me stop loving you.”

 You seemed to move without realising it, because in an instant you were in his lap, one hand tangled in his hair and the other moving down his chest. Your lips were connected in such deep passion that you knew they would be bruised in a few hours.

Otto’s hands wrapped around your body, pulling you closer to him. His mouth reciprocated the movements, biting your bottom lip, nipping at your tongue. Then he moved you, so your legs were either side of him. The position making it easier to rub your most sensitive parts against one another. Otto moaned, pushing you harder against himself, kissing down the nape of your neck and moving to your chest. He was about to unlace your bodice when a knock sounded at the door.

   “J-just a moment!” You breathed out, doing your best to get off of Otto and fix yourself up. Standing there awkward for a moment, Otto motioned for you to sit down on your chair and take a sip of your now cold, tea.

   “Enter,” you said after gulping. You realised Otto had brought over your favourite herbal blend.

“Oh, apologies,” said Darrick, whose eyes darted between you and Otto. You could see your brother conclude that you were alone with another man, but only having tea.

   “How are you, Darrick?” Otto asked, in a completely neutral tone.

“Fine, thank you for asking,” Darrick bowed politely and then handed you a piece of rolled up parchment.

Departing quickly, you could see the tinge of red on his cheeks and you frowned. Although you realised that it wasn’t because of any indecency, but because of what he had brought you.

It was the finished wedding invitations, with your design and Otto’s words. Together in black ink with gold and silver accents made it look absolutely beautiful. You slid the paper over to Otto and he nodded his head in approval.

#lenia x otto #underneath the apple tree #otto hightower #otto hightower smut #otto hightower x reader #otto hightower x lenia #lenia branch #lenia #house branch #game of thrones #house of the dragon #house of the dragon fanfic #house of the dragon headcanons #house of the dragon moodboard #house of the dragon aesthetic #house of the dragon smut #house hightower #sanah branch #ormund hightower #darrick branch #rhaenyra targaryen #alicent hightower #house targaryen #kormiel branch #lucieth branch #witch the writer #hotd #hotd fanfic #paid story #story commission

[kalena-henden]

The last two episodes really highlighted how much both Jang Uk and Mudeok have grown throughout the series. They have gotten closer to each other and made new friends and allies. Initially, they both were extremely focused on achieving their goals to gain their powers. It was them against the world and little else mattered. But they’ve started to care more about the world around them, not wanting people to get hurt in this battle against the Danju. 

For Mudeok, trusting others had been unthinkable. Now she has Uk, Yul, Danggu, the Crown Prince, Master Lee, Ju Wol, and she just put her life in Maidservant Kim and Choyeon’s hands to clear her of murder. She has a community around her now. For Uk, he’s been an outcast for so long and though he may be more socially accepted, he’s not forgotten what it is to be on the outside looking in. It started with caring about what Mudeok wanted, but now he’s paying attention to what many people need. He acknowledged and respected the real fear of the people against this present danger. He good-naturedly teased Danggu if choosing love is the right course of action when he knows he would do the same. He’s worried about Yul making himself sick over trying to keep Mudeok shapeshifter status a secret. He’s actively searching for answers and working with the Crown Prince in a way that suggests he’s doing this for the good of the kingdom as much as for his love of Mudeok. He’s clearly on the hero’s journey but so is Mudeok. She was never the villain she was portrayed to be. She was a soldier who was lied to and used ill by the enemy. Now that she learned the truth, she’s out to take down the people she used to serve. She takes her duties both as maid and mage master very seriously. Working herself to exhaustion and often putting her life in danger while earning the love and respect of those close to her. Through Uk and her new friends, she’s started to allow herself to care for others again. But she still has a big decision to make: will it be her against the world again or will she allow the people who care about her to fight by her side?

The crux of Uk and Mudeok’s relationship dilemma isn’t about whether or not they care about each other but what to do about it because of their complicated lives. Danggu and Choyeon showed us what happens when a love that the adults don’t want is exposed. Their objections are nothing to the ones that would be leveled against Uk and Mudeok once they learn she’s soul shifting former assassin and he’s the next King’s Star-level mage. But even their maid/young master and mage master/pupil thing is complicated enough for them on their own. When she gets her powers back, those relationships will end but a new one can begin. Uk has insisted they are ride or die and Mudeok has proven she feels the same. When he gives her back her sword, he’s asks for one final promise: after she gets her powers back either kill him first before going on her vengeance tour or let him promise his love to her in a meaningful way. These are not the impulsive characters we met at the beginning of this story. These are two people thoughtfully considering their feelings and the journey they want to take together, as lovers and as mages who want to fight the rising evil. 

Also, how cute were Uk and Mudeok having secret meetings in a corner of their own home about the runaway lovebirds and their plans to figure out the Shaman’s identity. They are a team and they will not be separated. As for Master Lee’s warning about death coming for the person who uses Naksu’s sword, he seems to want to prove what Uk wants to prove: that she will choose protecting others over her personal vendetta but either way she will have to risk being in danger of death from someone if she chooses to use it. 

#alchemy of souls #alchemy of souls meta #kdrama #kalenapost #kalenameta