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#led parasol
elegancelamps · 1 year
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FESTIVAL SEASON IS HERE! If you want to stay cool by day and look hot by night, check out the LED parasols handmade by Crystal Hayes at Elegance Lamps! So many colors and designs! See them all at www.elegancelamps.com.
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another-little-hippie · 2 months
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the umbrella/parasol id give you based off your fav lz member:
(hmu w suggestions for my next post)
Jonsey
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Robert
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Jimmy
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Bonzo
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if ya’ll like these posts, i’ll see about making one a day for a little while until i get bored. for now i am having so much fun. but I NEED SUGGESTIONS! It can literally be anything, doesn’t matter how stupid it is.
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adorablediscoveries · 6 months
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Glowing LED Parasol by IlluminatedCouture on Etsy
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dom-i-ogrod · 1 year
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Meble ogrodowe AGIATO – trwałość i wytrzymałość w klasycznym stylu.
Zestaw mebli ogrodowych marki AGIATO to doskonała propozycja dla wszystkich, którzy cenią klasyczny, tradycyjny styl. Meble wykonano z przyjemnego technorattanu, który cechuje się trwałością, wytrzymałością oraz odpornością na działanie warunków atmosferycznych. Zestaw składa się z modułu środkowego, dwóch modułów narożnych oraz pufy, których konstrukcja wykonana jest z aluminium. Wszystkie elementy zostały wykończone w kolorze ciemnego brązu, a wygodę zapewnią w zestawie znajdujące się poduszki na siedziska i oparcia. Poszewki na poduchy mają praktyczny suwak i kolor ecru, sprawiający, że meble prezentują się bardzo elegancko. Firma AGIATO od wielu lat specjalizuje się w produkcji mebli do ogrodów i tarasów. W ich ofercie znajdziemy zarówno meble ogrodowe, jak i oświetlenie LED, które można dopasować do charakteru naszego miejsca. Produkty AGIATO cechuje wysoka jakość wykonania, dzięki czemu możemy cieszyć się nimi przez wiele lat. Firma oferuje szeroki wybór mebli ogrodowych, wśród których można znaleźć modele bez poduch, z regulowanymi oparciami, z szufladami, czy z blatem itp. AGIATO oferuje również szeroki wybór oświetlenia LED, które z pewnością ożywi nasz ogród i nada mu niepowtarzalnego charakteru. Wszystkie produkty AGIATO są wykonywane z najwyższej jakości materiałów, a wszystkie oferowane modele są objęte gwarancją producenta. Firma oferuje również szeroką gamę akcesoriów do mebli, takich jak pokrowce, parasole, schowki na poduszki itp. Dzięki temu możemy dodatkowo wyposażyć nasz taras lub ogród w produkty AGIATO i mieć pewność, że będzie to produkt wykonany z najwyższą dbałością o szczegóły.
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the-fiction-witch · 5 months
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I'm Gonna Kill Him
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Media The Artful Dodger
Character Jack Dawkins
Couple Jack X Reader
Rating Angsty Smut!
Requested:
Hello! Before I start, I just wanted to say that I love your book so much! Could you create an imagine or a smut scene from your Jack Dawkins' book where they've broken up, and Y/N visits Jack's place that led them to having a angry/makeup sex? Then, a week later, Y/N discovers she's pregnant with his baby, which ultimately brings them back together.
Warnings : angst / angry sex, cheating, slapping, spanking, choking, biting,
I didn't want to go back, I felt like I was never going to hear the end of it. 
But I want my damn book back. 
So I got myself dressed into my black and emerald dress doing my utmost to look beautiful and glamorous, If I have to see him then god damn it he's gonna have to look at me like I'm a princess. 
I finished up and headed out into town making sure I was seen, making a point to be seen by men until I reached the hospital. I headed in proudly seeing the usual bustle of nurses and patience.
"Ohh Miss Y/n, Dr Dawkins is in his room" Hetty smiled as she saw me
"Thank you Hetty" I smiled 
"He has said he didn't want you in there miss y/n" 
"I'm well aware of what he wants." I rolled my eyes as I headed up to his room not even bothering to knock simply opened the door and saw Jack lying on his bed fiddling with a coin between his fingers, he looked up and looked annoyed 
"Ohh. What do you want?"
"You know exactly what I want. Where is it?"
"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about" 
"Where is my book, Jack?"
"How should I know?"
"I left it here, I missed it when I was packing, I know you have it, where is it?"
"Why would I want your mouldy old book? I don't have it." He snapped getting up from his bed
"I know you do, you're just keeping it to be hurtful"
"Hurtful! I'm not the one who went bloody psycho !"
"PSYCHO!"
"You heard me!"
"I wasn't the one who violated the sanctity of a union"
"Ohh here we go again! I didn't violate anything!"
"You liar!"
"At least she didn't kick me out of bloody bed in the morning!"
"So you admit it!"
"Yeah fine, I admit it! does that soothe your ego princess!" 
Immediately I slapped him across the face and he didn't even flinch 
".... I will never hit a woman. But your making it really fucking tempting!"
"Ohh go on then you scrawny little shit I'd like to see you try!"
"I was a naval officer you think I can't take a little lady in a fight!"
"Officer! Like hell, you only were because you sat on the right laps!" 
"How dare you!" He yelled, "You repugnant little witch!"
I went to slap him again but he grabbed my wrist before I could throwing my arm back
"Ohh you gonna hit me with your parasol too?" He glared 
"You are an unbelievable bastard! I can't believe I-"
"You what?"
"I can't believe I even considered us for a moment!"
"Yeah well same here! I dodged a bloody bullet. I'd have spent my life stuck married to you!"
"Ohh I'd have made your life a living hell every second of it just for the thrill of it!"
"You would wouldn't you! you'd have turned me into some little pitiful house husband just to spide me wouldn't you!" 
"I would I'd have torn you down so low you'd be looking up to kiss my feet!" I yelled "And I'd have taken pleasure in it you evil man! treacherous! fuckwit!"
He grabbed my waist and pulled me into a kiss, I was so very angry with him, I wanted to slap him off me but I didn't want to kiss him back I wanted to win! I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of my submission, So I kissed him with force, trying to take control, but he would not allow that so easily forcing his tongue down my throat but I argued with him even at this moment battling with him in a war of our tongues, I grabbed his shirt desperate for control but he grabbed my waist and unlaced my dress, making quick work of it given his quick nibble surgeons fingers, I didn't want him to win so I began unbuttoning his trousers, once undone he grabbed my waist and forced me down onto the bed But I grabbed his hips and forced him down flat on the mattress 
"Don't you even think about it!" He groaned flipping us over so I was under him 
"I refuse to be under such a bastard." I gritted my teeth 
"You can ride me if you wish." 
"Not on your life." 
"Open your legs, Or I'll bend you over it's up to you." 
"Maybe I'll bend you over."
"You would you little succubus!"
"Well, how else was I meant to keep up with you!"
"You always did you were a little Fucking whore for me" He growled forcing off my dress "God damn it you are an evil, conniving, little witch but god had to give you that fucking body didn't he!" 
"He didn't have to make you such an unreasonable, arrogant, illiterate, Imbosile but here we are" I smirked clawing as his shirt 
"And we both know what he gave me to make up for that" He growled pulling his suspenders off his shoulders and forcing off his shirt as he pulled me into another aggressive kiss I clawed down his chest almost drawing blood as he forced me on my knees, 
"Don't even think about it, Jack!" I glared but he forced my hips up to his and dug his nails into my ass
"I'll do much more than think about it" he smirked pushing off his trousers and forcing himself inside me, 
as much as I hated it, my anger bubbling in my bones, but... I moaned as I had missed the feeling of him inside me, he didn't waste a single moment starting his fast and angsty thrusts, pounding into me like his life utterly depended on it, I moved my hips back trying to take control but I think it was a little late for that even so I made sure to force him into the pace I wanted which only frustrated him more, the bed creaking and squeaking, his violent grunts and groans much the sounds one would make in a fight tumbling from behind me until he began to slow his breaths getting looser 
"That all you got little boy?" I smirked moving myself 
"I. Am. Not. A boy!" He groaned grabbing my hair and pulling on it to bring my ear to his lips "Don't make have to teach my succubus a lesson!" He growled bitting on my shoulder 
"Ughhhhhh! Uhhhhh!" I squealed given his pace didn't stop his angle hitting where I needed "You whore so bad you missed me this much?!" 
"Missed you? You know what I did I missed your pussy princess I've got it just how I love it. But we wanna talk about who missed who, who came here showing off like she was the fucking queen all for her little fucking book back"
"and you caved this quickly? I thought you had more resilience than that Jack?"
"Not around you I don't" He smirked moving a hand to rub my clit 
"Uhhhhhh!" I gasped and he forced me back down onto the pillow "See I knew you missed me" I gasped 
"You can't blame me for missing a pussy I've fucked for the last two years. took a long time to get you this good." 
"Like I didn't train you" I smirked "Jack please-"
"Yeah? you need me that bad you had to come see me?" he cooed "Cause you know I'm the only person in port victoria who can make you cum"
"I can do it myself then I don't have to deal with your bloody ego!"
"fine, then I'll stop-" He smirked going to sloe
"Don't you fucking dare Jack!" I groaned forcing him to move quicker until I almost ripped his sheets as I screamed reaching my high 
"fuck you sound good like that" He groaned "I could almost put up with your shit for that noise" 
"I bet you could" I smirked forcing us over so he was down on his back 
"I knew you couldn't resist" He smirked
"You dare I will slap that smirking face of yours" I warn moving to ride him as aggressively as possible 
"UGhhhhhhhh fucking- you evil little thing"
"shut up Jack," I warn bouncing and moving mercilessly on him 
"Come on then princess make me cum" He smirked 
"I said shut up!" I yelled wrapping my hands around his neck to slightly choke him 
"UUughhhhhhhhhh!" he groans "Fuck-" He gasped his hips bucking like crazy as he buried himself inside of me so I pulled my hands back and caught my breath "Fine. I admit it. I've missed you" he gasped 
"Fine. I missed you too." I sighed climbing off him and going to get my dress but he grabbed me and pulled me back into the bed so he could cuddle me my head on his chest 
"Now you have... all of that out of your system, and have had time to pout. am I allowed to actually explain myself?"
"What's there to explain, you fucked her Jack. Plain and simple, what do you have to explain?"
"Will you listen anyway?" He asked stroking my hair 
"Fine. If you want to waste your breath."
"She has a problem"
"ohh I bet she did-"
"No. Listen. shut your mouth a while and listen to what I'm saying." he snapped "She has a problem, a medical problem, inoperable, incurable, she'll be dead within the month if not sooner" he explained quietly as he gently pets my hair "She was an innocent"
"was she? I bet she told you that." I said back almost in a whisper 
"Y/n. I swear to you, she told me, in confidence that she was an innocent, given the state of her condition she accepted her death and had began to make arrangements for the future,"
"And where do you come into all this?"
"I'm her doctor. I've been treating her. She asked me to... she said of all the things in this world that she will miss, she wanted to feel the touch of a man just once in her life." He whispered "So I did, Yes I fucked her. Should I have done it... I don't know. But do I regret it? No. would I do it again, I frankly don't know. I'm not sure I would If I'd have known I'd lose you because of it."
"Why you? She could have asked many, barely a man in Port Victoria that wouldn't want to fuck a virgin."
"Because I'm her doctor, and I was engaged. She trusted me. She didn't want to be used like some old whore she wanted to feel loved, and she knew she could trust me because I'm her doctor, and she wouldn't leave a man utterly in love with her behind, because she knew I loved you."
"Is that true?"
"Why would I lie to you now? you've already left me."
"why didn't you just tell me that?"
"Because I fucked another woman plain and simple... you didn't want to listen and it would only dig myself deeper if I did" 
"...it wasn't what you did Jack."
"No?"
"No. I just wish you'd have told me first."
"What?" he asked sitting up  a little 
"If you had come to me, and told me about her, about her illness, about what she had asked of you. I'd have allowed it." 
"No, you wouldn't-"
"I would. Because it is a kind thing to do Jack, if I was dying I'd have asked you too. I wish you had come and asked me, I'd have allowed it, but instead, I had to find out afterwards, from Sneed of all people not even you, that you broke my trust."
"I know, I was just worried you'd be angry if I told you." 
"I was more angry you didn't"
"That's fair." He nods "I fucked up, and I know that. it doesn't matter now... She's dead anyway."
"What?"
"Passed away this morning." 
"I'm sorry Jack-"
"It's fine. she doesn't have to suffer anymore. I'm happy, I could make her final days somewhat enjoyable"
"You're kind, and sweet when you want to be" 
"I am sorry. Believe me."
"Well... it doesn't matter now does it."
"I guess not." he sighed "She didn't even call me Jack."
"No?"
"No. Just Doctor Dawkins" He chuckled 
"Did you use her name?"
"I did. I wanted to make her feel loved... But I thought of you." He whispered kissing my forehead 
"You did?"
"I did. I imagined her body as yours, her voice as yours," He said "You know you're the only girl who can satisfy me. so I thought of you"
"... I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse." I sighed 
"Y/n..."
"Yes, Jack?"
"Is there, any possibility, no matter how slim? That, you and I may... rekindle even a portion of what we had before?" 
"I doubt it, Jack." I said moving to see his face "I will always love you, but I can't forgive you." 
"Could I do anything for you to forgive me?"
"No. Once trust is broken... like a delicate vase chattered, the pieces may be placed back, but you will always see the crack." I explained "Who's to say... another girl, in a similar state, asks the same of you, I cannot trust that you wouldn't do it again"
"... I understand." he nods "And I am sorry. I will always love you, you know that. No matter what you do, or say, my heart will always be yours." 
"And Mine yours." I smiled giving him a sweet kiss "I should go." I said climbing out the bed and starting to get dressed again 
"I don't know what I'm gonna do without you," he said as he watched me dress 
"I'm sure you shall find ladies to spend of the evening." 
"It's not the evening that worries me, it's the mornings, and the middays, and the afternoons, and the middle of the nights, a fuck is a fuck, but when you cum it's over, with you... every moment and all of it felt like heaven" 
"Well, such are the consequences of your actions." I sighed "Now? my book."
He rolled his eyes sitting up slipping his trousers on and pulling my book from under his mattress 
"Thank you" I snapped taking it back "A reason you kept it?"
"...reminds me of you." 
"You always complained you couldn't read it. my stupid spider scrawl handwriting"
"I can't. but I know what it says... when I read it, chasing the words around the page I- I heard your voice reading it to me" 
for a moment I felt teary "Keep it." I said handing back the book 
"No." he said pushing it back into my hand and kissing my lips in a soft and gentle way "Please don't labour me with memories of you." 
"Alright," I nodded "Goodbye Jack."
"Goodbye Y/n" He nods fighting back his tears 
I took my book and I left heading home. 
I sat in bed fresh as the morning sun, unable to bring myself to rise just yet, I turned and saw my book on my bedside table and I thought of him, for a moment all our nights of enthroned passion returned, I thought of our last night together over a month ago now of angst and anger, I thought of how he held me that night, how he kissed me still with all the love that he had always done so, 
I thought of the most wonderful moments, Of how his head would settle in my lap after the day's work, I would twist and knot my fingers in his golden locks, he would press a kiss to my thighs, and I would read to him, all that I had written, and he would offer me suggestions of words that suited better, listing synonyms for me to replace the overused words. 
I forced such thoughts away and sat myself up checking the day on my calendar I knew what to expect today pulling back my covers but- they were as white as sheep. This couldn't be? I was late already. I tried not to allow panic to set in given my typical irregularities.
"Miss I have brought your you porridge with honey" The maid smiled as she came through with my breakfast but the simple smell was enough
"Out." I demanded throwing my head off my bed to upturn my stomach into the bucket I had left there, and she scurried away. "No... No this can't be possible." I forced myself up and over to my mirror pulling back my nightie to expose my stomach it didn't look any different or maybe it did... I don't know. and the memory of that night flooded into my mind, of him finishing burying himself inside me as I rode him, "No... no no no.... I'm gonna kill him..." I whined grabbing my dress and hurrying as fast as my feet could to the hospital rushing up to his room without a word. But I froze up as I saw his door- 
to think of all that had happened, How I stormed out, I'd returned once and clearly that was an awful mistake I- didn't exactly feel thrilled I was returning yet again. but I knocked and soon enough he pulled it open.
"Oh, its you. What can I do for you?" He asked fixing his waistcoat
"I need you." I told him rushing into his room
"Uhh okay" He nods shutting his door with a wicked smile "So... Shall I repeat our last night my darling?"
"No." I snapped "I need your... medical, Intervention"
"my medical intervention?"
"Yes."
"You realize patients have to wait in the waiting room you know, you can't just come up to a doctor's bedroom to get seen faster, even if it is you."
"Jack. Please." I told him fear in my voice tears in my eyes and he melted his own panic set in 
"What is it?"
"I am... so very scared Jack."
"Alright just sit down, tell me what's wrong," he said helping me to sit on his bed 
"My monthly time is late."
"Alright, well such thing can happen you have been stressed these few weeks" He explained nervously pacing around his room as I spoke 
"Over a month."
"Perhaps simple change in your cycle" 
"I have been vomiting." 
"A bad fish may have simply turned your stomach," he said his fear growing as he too was coming to the conclusion I had already suspected but he didn't want it to be true, he didn't want to believe me, 
"My waist grows... Inch by inch. Almost weekly. gaining speed steadily"
"Bloating. could simply-"
"Jack. I might be pregnant." 
"You might." He nods "It could be a million other-"
"I. Might be pregnant." I told him getting to my feet "By the grace of god I need to know." 
"I'd need to track your cycle completely, and I don't have that information."
"You had it as up to date as I did until I left and I haven't bleed since so-"
"Well, how do I know what you've been doing?" He glared So I slapped him and he adjusted his jaw a little "How am I to know who the father is?"
"You." I said and the colour drained from his skin "I have never been touched by another man as long as I have lived. If I am pregnant... It is yours. or it is gods." 
"It can't be mine. I always-"
"Not always, Our last evening together..."
"Fuck-" He gasped "I have thought of that night a hundred times, your right. I didn't"
"So, Doctor. What do we do?" 
"I need a rabbit." He sighed 
I had to return to the hospital, to Jack twice daily once in the morning, once at night and each day, for three days, and I had to drink a whole jug of water and well... expel it. and this was the final time. 
"There, Now will we know?" I asked 
"Yes. we should do" He said as he took it in a firm needle "shhh shhh there's a good girl" He cooed to the little rabbit on the table, I had since after all these days named her hoppy, and he injected her "Five minutes" he said 
"I do not understand how these things work" I sighed 
"You want me to explain?"
"Not really."
"Fair enough." He said turning to his tools a moment and grabbing a large knife 
"Jack- What are you doing!"
"Finding out" He began moving quickly to-
"No!" I yelped stopping him "Jack! that's barbaric." 
"I have been injecting her with your urine for the last three days, if her ovaries are enlarged and she has gone into heat then you are pregnant, if she hasn't you are not."
"Is there no way to check without killing her?"
"No. now do you want to know or not?" 
"There must be a simpler way."
"Yes, there is. we wait nine months and see if a baby pops out of you."
"You know we can't do that. but that doesn't mean I allow you to butcher an innocent animal"
We both stopped a moment as hoppy moved a little and began humping the blanket she sat on aggressively 
"I'd say she's in heat"
"I need to check. for sure."
"Fine" I sighed 
"I'll be quick, painless" he said making quick work of killing the poor thing before then cutting it open to examine her 
"And?"
".... her ovaries are Enlarged. Extremely so. She is in heat." He said dropping his knife on the table 
"So..."
"You're pregnant." 
"... I see." I nodded my hands settling on my stomach in absolute fear but Jack took my face in his hand and sweetly kissed me sending blood across my skin, till he pulled back stroking his nose on mine as he always used to
"This is the happiest news you could have given me."
"Happy? Jack, I am pregnant out of wedlock. My father will banish me, society will crucify me, and our child will suffer as a bastard all of its life." I explained, "What am I to do?" 
"I know exactly what you are to do. Take back my ring."
"What?"
"Take back my ring, return our lives to how they were, before my mistake, marry me by the end of the week and we, can raise our child together. As husband and wife," 
"We cannot-"
"Why not?"
"I already told my father of our cancelled engagement"
"Then tell him it was nothing but a lovers tiff. and that all is as it was." He said "I still love you, I still want us to be together, I still want to marry you. and I want us to raise our child together. Please. You cannot expect me to let you go again, I made that mistake once letting you walk away from me, I am not foolish enough to allow it again, especially not while my child grows in your womb" 
"You can not simply expect me to trust you again Jack."
"I'm not. I'm asking you to let me earn it back." He said, "Please Y/n." 
"Yes" I gasped
"You-"
"Yes Jack."
"Y/n... my darling" He cooed pulling me back to his lips. 
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scenteddelusion5 · 2 months
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hiii
Can you do Velvette x insecure reader? (any gender(s))
I Don't Deserve You
Velvette x insecure reader
Note: A short but wholesome one!!!
Word count: 647
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Velvette had met Y/n around three years ago. The sinner hadn't been in hell for long when she stumbled upon them. They weren't the prettiest nor the strongest demon, actually they were pretty weak but something pulled Velvette to them. One thing led to another and they started dating.
To say her colleagues hated their new-found love was an understatement, Vox and Val hated her new partner. Velvette would dote on them, buy them new clothes and show them of on all her socials. According to Vox letting the public know about her relationship with a weak sinner would be bad for their image. One time he had even tried to hypnotise them to break up but his plan fell through.
Val on the other hand didn't like their looks and though that Velvette could do WAY better and he took every opportunity to let her know. Once he even brought in one of his contracts that was the same type of sinner, they, however, were smoking hot. Velvette actually dared to slap the Vee in the face for that one.
She always reassured her partner that they were perfect. Still, Y/n couldn’t shake the feeling that they didn’t belong by her side.
On one hellish afternoon, Y/n laid on their shared bed and scrolled through their girlfriend's sinstagram. It showed a picture of the two of them in matching beachwear. Velvette stood by the parasol on the right while Y/n stood hunched over, looking through the cool box. The caption read: 'Two bitches at the beach, look out suckers! This ass is mine!'
They laughed looking back at their fun date. Scrolling down through the comments, they saw the usual replies:
Valentino_PIMP: We use the same swimwear line in the NEW angel dust porno, sluts!!
VoxTech_OFFICIAL: Line available on our online shop! Buy today, delivered tomorrow!!
Tiffany-PORNS: HOT!!! Ordering RIGHT NOW!!!❤️❤️❤️~
All of famous denizens, friends and colleagues. The usual but when they scrolled down, they came across these;
DoomBoom-482: Velvette hot as ever. Dont undorstand why shes whith that ugly.
Angel_FUCKER69: EEWWW!!! I didn’t want to see that 🤢
BAZUKAbAbY: we should just kill that bastard, they dont deserve our queen
Comment after comment, hating them. Tears filled their eyes as they read more and more.
Velvette walked into her apartment already angry, she couldn’t wait to complain to her partner about her shitty ass day. Valentino had ripped apart one of her best models on this busy fucking day.
She saw Y/n laying on the bed as she spoke, "you'll never guess what Valentino did today. Like I could just KILL him for thi-" She quickly cut herself off as she saw their puffy eyes stare at her. "What happened?"
"I-uhm..."
She jumped on the bed and laid down next to them. "What are you looking at? Show me." Velvette looked at the post, reading through all the comments. "You don't actually believe their bs?"
"Y-yes," they sniffed, "I don't deserve you... You are amazing, beautiful, smart, witty and I'm... Me."
"And you are THE BEST THING that EVER happened to me! There is no demon in hell that could make me laugh like you do! No one that can lift me up pike you do! No one who can make pancakes like you do!" She hugged them. "Everyone else are just shitstains!!! Without you, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy hell as much as I do now."
"Really?"
"Really, besides do you really think those basement dwelling, internet trolls would understand someone as fabulous as you and me?" Velvette kissed the top of their head.
"No."
"Then there is nothing to worry about. I love you and you love me. That's all that matters." She picked up her phone and looked through her liked pics. "Now I saw this really cute trend where couples choose each other's fits, wanna try?"
"Let's do it!!!"
Masterlist/request guidelines
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staytinyville · 7 months
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OUTLAW (31)
ATEEZ poly!ot8 x Reader
Cowboy AU / Wild West
Series Masterlist
Warning: none (There will be no masterlist in the next chapter. Read bottom note for more info)
A/N BETA READ (@mariana-mmtz).
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You felt odd watching yourself in the mirror. You could remember putting on your mother’s wedding dress as a child and giggling to yourself about your dream husband. You had always thought you would find someone perfect to spend the rest of your life with. However, getting into your teens, you found yourself disliking the boys around you more than not. 
You had watched your classmates get married and start their own families, while you stayed to work in the hotel. You didn’t regret that part of your life. The regret was for not allowing yourself to find more things outside your own family. But now you have the boys in front of you, holding their hands out for you to take and lead you towards where you deserve to be. 
“I never thought I would see the day you would get to wear this dress.” You turned around, facing your mother who was smiling brightly, eyes glassy. 
“Did you have no hope for me to get married?” You laughed, feeling your breath get caught in your throat. 
You knew where this entire thing was heading, but that still didn’t make it any less emotional. You were going to leave your childhood home and follow your path–alone. 
“I thought (S/N) would get married before you.” She laughed. “But that's not the case here.” She pressed her lips together, looking down to the floor. “(Y/N), are you sure this is what you want? I know you're only doing this because of us sending you away, but we won't do that anymore-” She told you.
“Mom, I want to do this.” You stopped her. “More than anything. If this is where I have to go, then I'm more than happy to take it.” 
She might have not known what it was you were feeling over the whole ordeal, but she could tell this was where you had your mind set to. And when you had your thoughts in order and knew what you were going to, you were going to see it through. She had been the one who gave birth to you and held you in her womb. She was going to make sure you had everything you wanted.
“Let's get going then.” She took your hands, pulling you along to walk out the house. 
(S/N) was beaming at the door, holding onto a parasol. Her shoulders raised as she tried her hardest not to cry. You could feel your eyes start to sting, but you tried not to let it get to you. You took the parasol, picking up your skirts to walk out the front door. 
Your brother was helping your littlest one fix his shoes while your father watched over them. When they heard you all step out, they quickly turned. Your dad sucked in a breath, as you came out into the sunlight. 
“Dad.” You bowed your head at him. 
“(Y/N), you look just as beautiful as your mother had when we got married.” You watched as tears welled up in his eyes. 
“Thank you.” You whispered out. 
“I'm sorry.” He cried, sobbing as he pulled you into a hug. “I'm-I'm so sorry I said those things to you. Please forgive me. I can't allow you to leave thinking I meant those horrible things.” His grip tightened as his tears began to stain the dress. 
You patted him on the back, hugging him as well.” I know.” You spoke, pushing him back lightly. “Even if I am leaving, you're still my dad and I will always love you. You gave me everything I could've asked for.”
With everyone drying off their tears, you were all led to the wagon. Your family made their way towards the city hall, where you would sign the marriage certificate in front of the judge. Your hands become sweaty inside your lace gloves, fingers clenching and unclenching in fists. 
Your throat suddenly became dry the moment you saw a group of people waiting outside the city hall. They were laughing loudly, shoving at Yeosang who stood in the middle of them all. A smile quickly found itself on your face, tears building up in your eyes once more, when you took in how handsome they all looked in their nice suits. 
Your father helped you down from the wagon, holding onto your hand. As you dropped onto the ground the boys all stopped to stare at you. You turned around to find why they had all gone quiet, blushing when you realized they had their attention on you. 
With a deep breath, you walked up to them. They, too, began to blush, which prompted them to tease one another. Their laughs brought joy to your very being, which made you giddy. You looked over at Yeosang who gave you a soft smile. 
“You look stunning.” He told you. You giggled to hide your blush. 
“I've only known you for a few months, but I know you're a nice boy.” Your father came up behind you, patting Yeosang on the back. “Please take care of my, (Y/N).”
“With my life.” Yeosang answered, keeping his eyes on you. 
You took a glance at the others, catching sight of the same smile they all shared. You knew they were all thinking the same thing. It was obvious how much this meant to all of them, even if you were technically only marrying Yeosang. 
You noticed how your parents looked at the seven other boys oddly, but didn’t question it as they noticed how Yeosang was speaking with them. It was clear that they had known each other. Your parents walked in first, followed by your siblings. 
“You look absolutely gorgeous.” Wooyoung grinned, as he passed you. 
“Wish it was me.” Seonghwa teased, giving your chin a flick.
“Good luck.” Yunho laughed, patting your head. 
“Yeosang isn’t the worst of us.” Jongho rolled his eyes, following behind Yunho.
“I’ve never been this close to other people in a long while.” Mingi fidgeted with the clothes you had given both him and Hongjoong to blend in. 
“You look dashing.” San patted Mingi, pushing him into the building. 
“This is going to be the rest of your life. It’s not too late to walk out.” Hongjoong had his hands inside his pockets. “We won’t make you.”
You turned as Yeosang walked up next to you, taking your hand in his. The others were watching from the door, waiting for the rest of you. Your lips slowly grew as you looked over all of them. 
“I think I’m good with that.” You gave Yeosang a squeeze of his hand. 
The ceremony itself wasn’t anything overly extravagant. The town Judge, Thomas Quiad, reverend and handed you two a feathered pen to sign the certificate. Your hand was shaking, but you managed to get a legible signature down. Yeosang was no better than you. 
As he pulled up from the table, he turned back to you. You wanted to laugh at the smile he had. It was official.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Quaid gave you a smile. “You may kiss the bride.”
Your eyes went wide, which prompted Yeosang to laugh out loud. But he softly leaned down, giving you a simple kiss. Things were much different this time around. You had an audience, which made you shy. Even if you had already kissed half of them, you were still getting used to it all. 
As Yeosang pulled back, the others began to cheer loudly. You blushed deeply again, laughing. Yeosang chuckled, holding up your intertwined hands. The both of you began to walk towards everyone, the group making their way outside to allow room for others. 
“How about you all come to dinner with us?” Your mother smiled, looking at all the boys. “We'd love to meet all of Yeosang's-”
“Brothers.” You told her. “They are brothers.”
She looked at you with raised eyebrows but nodded anyway. “Of course.” Your mother bowed her head. 
The boys looked at one another bashfully, shaking their head at the idea of a meal cooked by someone else that wasn’t them. So that was where you found them all sitting around your family table. They had to bring in other chairs seeing as there was only 6 at the table and 8 of them, but they made it work. 
They were so polite, complimenting your parents on what they had done. Your mother blushed with how they kept telling her she had made amazing food. Wooyoung and Seonghwa even asked for the recipe. Your father laughed along with them as well as they expressed their thoughts on something around the house. 
Things felt so right with how everything was going. 
“I didn’t know you were friends with the officers.” Your father spoke to Yeosang.
“Yes, Seonghwa and I became good friends with them while working in the hotel.” He answered. 
“So, how did you all meet? If you don’t mind me asking.” Your father asked, turning to the other boys. 
“Not at all.” Hongjoong answered.  
You turned to him as well, listening in to what he had to say. You had already known some of their backstory, but it wasn’t enough to say you knew them. It might seem stupid to get involved with them when you didn’t know everything, but that’s how you made friends. Someone doesn’t start with knowing everything. 
“We met when we were teens. We all have had our troubles, but we came together because we all shared a love for music.” Hongjoong explained. 
“Music?” Your mother spoke up. “I would have never guessed.”
“We don’t exactly look like we would have studied it. Do we?” Yunho got a laugh from your family. 
“No offense.” Your father added. 
“None taken.” Hongjoong waved him off. “It's just something we all look towards for inspiration and motivation to keep going.”
“Do you all live together?” Your mother looked between all of them. 
“Yes, we have a home in Aurora, but we are traveling in the meantime.” Wooyoung grinned, bouncing your brother in his lap. “We met (Y/N) and decided to stay for a bit longer.”
“Yeosang met (Y/N).” San quickly spoke up. 
“He forced us to stay.” Seonghwa laughed. 
“Oh, so you will be leaving again?” You looked over to your parents, seeing their worried expression on you. 
You hadn’t thought about that aspect. At least not to where they were going to take you to their actual home in Aurora. You thought you were just going to be exploring or the likes. Even causing some trouble here and there. But to actually live with them in the place they have shared since they were teens?
“Ah, that’s up to Yeosang.” Hongjoong gave the man a look. 
“I have all my family in Aurora.” Yeosang spoke up. “I don’t want to take your daughter from you, but I would like for her to meet them one day.”
“Of course!” Your mother nodded her head. “I’m sure any parent would like to meet the person their child is marrying.”
You silently thought to yourself about meeting Yeosang’s parents. It seemed as though he had left his family on bad terms from what he told you a while back. You didn’t want to assume you would be meeting them at one point–maybe he had told your family that for them to not worry about where they would be taking you.
Looking over at the rest of the boys, you began to wonder what their family was like. None of them spoke about their parents or even siblings, so sometimes you wondered if they even had them. You figured they did with how well-mannered they were. Someone had to teach them. 
But you figured with how much they spent together, their family was each other. There was no need to be born from the same person, all they needed was the love they had for one another. You began to smile as you thought about the rest of your life with them. You wanted to have what they did.  And hopefully you can now. 
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Series Masterlist
UPDATE. Due to the nature of the next chapter there will be no taglist. Scheduled Update will be November 2 at 6:00 PM (CST)
@thefrog3223 , @iarayara , @0rangemilk , @explorewithd , @detectivedoodle , @bangtanxberm , @a1i33a , @loveforred , @drunken-deitence , @0325tiny , @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest , @atinyreads , @atinytinaa , @lexiigom , @smilingtokki , @mismatchfluffysocks , @brain-empty-only-draken , @sousydive , @alex-tinyyy , @h3arteyes4mingi , @onedumbho3 , @popcatx0 , @blue1amory , @mommahwa1117 , @sunnyhokyu , @cloudieclair , @araknoid , @starjoongi1117 , @chel-awingcherry , @puppyminnnie ,
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nee-biter · 7 months
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Pink | Virgin!Miguel O'Hara x F!Reader
✨THIS IS PART TWO ✨ Tags: MINORS DNI!! SMUT!! comfort sex, p in v, oral sex, this smut is kinda fluffy tbh 😳, references to sexual abuse that happened in previous chapter, alcohol, cursing part one can be read HERE
By the time he arrived at your building, the time on his watch read ‘11:38 PM.’ Miguel set you down as you led him to your one bedroom unit. The smell of paint wafted through the living room; Miguel thought that the walls were newly painted, until he saw a large canvas resting by a wall. When you turned on the lights to reveal your unit, his eyes were on the canvas that covered the wall. You had been painting a scenery. A few home-bound boats on their way to a bustling dock. A walking lady with a parasol was the center of the painting, awaiting the boats. The manner in which you’ve painted it made it seem like it was a romantic celebration.
“This is beautiful,” He said, admiring your work. “You should’ve been a fine arts student, (Y/N).” Miguel looked over to you; you were already trying to kick off your shoes.
“Too bad we’re already seniors. Enough of that, let’s go to my room.” You could speak full, coherent sentences, which Miguel celebrated. 
Your hand grasped his, pulling him to your room. 
The light from the living room illuminated your bedroom. Miguel could see some of the objects littered around—a purple jewelry box mounted on your desk, a light blue comforter splayed across the floor possibly left in a hurry this morning, a succulent in a white pot near your windowsill, and a picture of you and your family on your drawer. Miguel knew you, but he didn’t know the full you. Secrets about you were all around your bedroom, but he was about to learn the most intimate one of all—your body. 
You sat on the edge of your bed, beckoning him to occupy the space next to yours. Your fingers removed his glasses, placing them softly on your drawer before sighing. “So,” you said.
“So,” Miguel echoed. He looked deep into your eyes with purpose, to see if you had any doubts about this and to see if you were still drunk. It didn’t seem like you were intoxicated in anything else but the air between the two of you. Miguel could smell the alcohol on your breath, but even more piercing was the tempting scent of your pheromones. It drove him crazy, but he wanted you to lead. Whatever you desire, he wanted.
“Why don’t you kiss me?” You asked, leaning closer and eyeing his lips.
‘Of course, anything for you,’ he thought. Miguel closed the gap between the two of you. His lips felt rough, but he himself was tender with you. You placed his hand on your thigh and your hand traveled to his face, cupping his rugged jaw. You moaned into the kiss; your need for him couldn’t be satiated even as he pressed his body close to yours. His chest pressed against yours and you could feel how solid he was. You were so curious to see his body, but he kept focusing on your soft lips.
All of your previous partners would jump at the opportunity to squeeze your breasts or to shove their hand in your panties, but Miguel was taking his time. Or, he could be super shy. You laughed in between kisses since nothing was happening beyond making out. “What are you doing?” You broke the kiss to ask. His hand neither traveled farther up your thigh or unto your breasts.
“Kissing you. Do you- Do you not like kissing?” He asked, a mix of his saliva and yours slathered on his lower lip. 
“I do, Miguel, but I need you.” You nodded at him, trusting that he knew what you were implying. Your heart was all over the place and Miguel’s doubtful gaze made it even worse. “Do you… not want to have sex?”
“I do,” He confirmed quickly. “But, I have something to confess.” 
“What is it?”
Miguel took your hand in his, drawing little circles on the back of your hand with his thumb. “I haven’t done it.” He watched as your eyes widened. “With anyone. At all.”
“At all, as in you haven’t…?” You stuttered, as he shook his head. “You haven’t gotten down..? Or received? Or…?” You were shocked with every shake of his head. Then, you started giggling. The situation was cute. All this time, you thought Miguel was secretly a player. Someone who was a nerd outside, but a total woman-killer in bed. But now, you were suddenly put in a position where you would have to take care of him. The idea gets you excited. “Why are you a virgin? Oh wait, that’s a bad question…”
“Long story. Strict parents, busy schedules, never the right girl, you know it.” Miguel turned his face away from you. 
You paused. “Well, am I the right girl?”
“You’re more than that.”
You scoffed. “Of course you’ll say that. Aren’t I an easy target?” Tonight, you were at your most vulnerable. Not two hours ago, you were violated by a man you thought you could trust. Now, you’re suddenly swept away again. It’s just like you to not know what to do with your heart. “I’m basically throwing myself at you. The first girl you’ll ever fuck.”
Miguel’s response came to him too fast. “Hopefully, the last one, too.” And he meant it.
“What?” You laughed, not believing how he could say that with such determination. “Isn’t that going too fast?”
Miguel put his hands on either side of your face, letting you gaze in his eyes as he assured you. “If you throw yourself at me, I’ll catch you each time.” He kissed you again. “Plus, you’re the one who wants to get a move on.”
You smiled at the way he teased you, yet was sincere with you. You felt like you could trust him the most, but that just might be the leftover alcohol in your system. He ran his fingers through your hair as your tongues brush against each other. 
Miguel squeezed your thighs with his one hand, while the other one hovered above your breast. “May I?” He asked and you nodded, in need. He obliged, connecting his warm palm on your tit; His kiss became more passionate, after noticing you had no bra on. This whole time. He squeezed your tit some more, as he gently pushed you down on the bed. He broke the kiss. “Can I—Um, can I taste you?”
“My pussy?” You teased, liking the way your words made his ears red.
“Yes.”
You swung your legs over to the bed. His hands grasped your knees, as you laid down. 
Miguel admired the way your hot pink dress hugged your curves; the hem of your dress was hiked up to the top of your thighs and he could faintly see a wet spot on your white panties. As if seeing your underwear wasn’t enough to spur him on. You spread your legs completely open; The back of your calf brushes his clothed cock as you did this. If his cock was hard a while ago, now it’s threatening to ruin his pants. 
“Take my panties off, baby,” You spoke, seductive and demanding. 
Miguel’s eyes stayed on your pussy, as he hooked his fingers on your underwear, pulling them off slowly. “Fuck,” was all he could say when he fully uncovered your glistening pussy. Two of his fingers crept up to your folds and spread it apart.
“Like it? You wanna taste me?” 
Adjusting his position, Miguel leaned closer to where you needed him the most. He licked a tentative stripe up your folds, hearing you gasp at the contact. 
“More baby, more. Don’t be shy.” Your hand grasped your tit as Miguel continued to give experimental licks, watching which ones make your face contort into pleasure, which ones make you squeeze your tit, and which ones make your legs twitch. At one point, Miguel would circle your clit with his tongue, earning cute moans from you. Then, he tried pushing two fingers in your entrance while he sucked earnestly on the underside of your clit, and that made you hook your leg behind his neck. 
“You’re so delicious, princesa.” His cock was leaking for sure. Miguel watched as you would moan and your eyebrows would knit as his fingers curled to brush your sensitive spot. His movements were slow, until you begged him to hurry up. His free hand was clasped underneath your ass as he brought your pussy closer to him, allowing him to taste you even further—he interchanged his motions. His fingers now rubbed your clit as fast as possible, as his tongue drove itself deep in you, repeatedly fucking your hole.
“Miguel, fuck! Fuck!” Your legs were high up, as you felt your stomach tighten. Your eyes were on Miguel tongue-fucking you and then the next, they were closed as you felt your orgasm crash into you. His tongue made you ride it out, giving you sloppy in-and-out motions before he set you back down on the mattress.
Miguel couldn’t detach himself from your pussy. Even as you came down from your high, Miguel was giving tiny kisses on your clit, watching it flush pink. You had to pry him away from you, already overstimulated. Miguel had a smirk on his face, pussy drunk. “I would like to say for the record that that’s my first time doing that.”
“Really?” You were breathless. Never had any man eaten you out like that. You were so used to guys who would stay down there for like a minute or two, before requesting for head. “N-Not bad.” You looked at Miguel, who couldn’t stop admiring you. 
“You’re beautiful when you cum.” He couldn’t stop replaying the memory of you reaching your climax. “I’d love to see it again.” Leaning into your face, he gave you soft kisses on your cheek. 
As he leaned closer to you, that’s when you noticed the bulge on his pants. You became aware he was still fully clothed. Determined to change that, you sat up and felt your insides flutter a bit as you did. You pulled the hem of his shirt up, exposing his naked torso. “Huh, nice abs.” You couldn’t help but run your fingers on his body. He had a six pack, toned arms, and a happy trail. These and the fact that he’s a fast learner made him the complete package. 
You moved on to his pants and his briefs, stripping them off and setting free his cock in haste. “Mmm,” You moaned as you came face to face with his tan cock. His tip was pink and had precum slathered at the slit. One angry vein ran along the underside of his tip. You wrapped your hand at his base and realized you would not be able to fit his length if you wrapped both hands around him. Greedy, you stroked his balls too and he shuddered at the touch. 
“Like it? You want to taste me this time?” He teased, repeating what you said just a few moments ago. 
Smirking, you conceded and spat on his tip. Your hands stroked his cock faster, then gave wet kisses around his tip. Miguel moaned with every spit that dripped from your lips and when you slid his cock in your mouth, he could barely keep himself quiet. You tried your hardest to resist, but you put your hands on his chest and pushed him down on the mattress. “I want you inside me please.”
“Need me already?” Miguel felt his cock twitching as you crawled on top of him. He sat up momentarily to tug your dress off of your form—an action you followed through with. The two of you were now nude. Miguel looked at your breasts, already wanting to paint them with his own cum. 
“Yes, Miguel. Now, stop teasing.” Not caring that he didn’t have a pillow under his head, you pinned him down—you wanted to get fucked by him now. You aligned your entrance with his tip, before sliding down.
"Oh, fuck!!" Miguel screamed, as his cock was welcomed into your velvet walls. You mewled as your pussy accommodated his length. You were fucking tight; it’s because his cock was the biggest you’ve ever tried to fit in you. It was strange; he was the virgin here, but you felt as if this was your first time again. Oh, he was gonna ruin you, no other man can have you now.
“(Y/N), (Y/N)” He cried out when his whole length was buried deep in you. A hand dug through your thigh; you swore you could feel a hint of claws. Feeling you on top of him and squeezed impossibly around him is the best; he’s glad—thankful—that you’re his first.  “Move when you’re ready, Y/N.”
You took his hands in yours and leaned back, granting him access to see your whole nude form. Riding him slowly, up and down, you moaned every time his tip made contact with the sensitive spots that he had just fingered minutes ago. Miguel let go of one of your hands, just to squeeze your tit again. He loved your breasts, you can tell. “Miguel, baby,” You would moan, as you were rolling your hips to please his cock. You were getting faster, using his grunts as motivation. 
Miguel placed his hands on your waist as he started thrusting upwards, his own pace was rough and erratic. His grip on your waist tightened as he pulled you towards him, letting your bodies smush together. Your breasts on his chest. Your stomach getting tickled by his happy trail. He was in control now, as he pounded you and left you limp in his arms. Miguel grabbed your hair and pushed it back; he wanted to see your face as you cum again. 
But as your pussy was getting fucked by Miguel’s cock and as you started moaning his name, you froze. You suddenly remembered the video Harry took of you and how your moans in the video were similar to how you were moaning now. You stopped your actions altogether. Miguel noticed your pause and stopped himself. 
“(Y/N), what’s wrong?” Miguel panicked, then slid out of you and sat you down beside him. It was no fun if you weren’t enjoying it. “Hey, look at me, did I do something wrong?”
“No, it’s okay.” Your hands tried finding your blanket, covering yourself. “I just… accidentally thought of what happened with Harry again.” It’s hard to trust someone again after that situation.
“I’m sorry,” Miguel said. He thought back to what happened, too, and he hoped that Harry’s jaw was broken from Miguel’s punch a while ago. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No! I- I need you here.”
Miguel nodded. He covered his bare cock with a pillow first. “Do you want to do something else first?” He looked at your features; Your stare was blank, completely fixated on one spot on the wall. Realizing that he should distract you from the anxieties you were having, he started thinking about his favorite memories with you. He chose one that could make you laugh. “You remember that one time our professor slipped on the floor?”
You chuckled softly. “Yeah, ‘cuz someone didn’t clean up the soap on the lab floor.” 
“And he had to be carried bridal-style to the clinic?” Miguel nudged you, remembering how you and Miguel volunteered to take the poor professor to the clinic. 
“And we couldn’t stop laughing when we dropped him off.” The memory of that day filled your head. That was the day you started having feelings for Miguel, who you didn’t know could smile so brightly. He was always doing his best to make you smile, even if he was more reserved than you are. Even now, he could make you laugh. “I’m so sorry for bringing you here, Miguel.” 
“You should never apologize, (Y/N).” Miguel caressed your cheek; all of his adoration for you could be felt in his fingertips. “You’re the coolest person I’ve ever met. He should be sorry, not you. All you’ve ever done is love your hardest. You deserve someone who’ll do his best to love you back.”
“You mean you?” You laughed, leaning into his. touch.  
Miguel brushed the hair out of your face. He looked at you earnestly, his eyes a deep, brown red. “I know I would love you better than anyone can, if you gave me the chance.” 
You were seduced by the idea of him loving you. “What does that mean?”
“It means, (Y/N), I want to go on a real date with you.”
You closed the distance between the two of you again; his lips locked on yours as if he was parched for more. 
“Let me make love to you. I promise I’ll be better than him.” Miguel laid you down on your back, adorning your skin with the softest kisses. “Don’t think of anything or anyone else. I’ll be your comfort for tonight, princesa” He moved on top of you, his eyes scanned your face if you had any doubts. But you didn’t. You were willing to try again, because it’s Miguel and his care for you is evident in every touch, every gaze, and every kiss. 
“Please fuck me,” you said and wrapped your arms around his neck to pull him in. 
Miguel pushes his cock inside of you slowly, as your moans scattered around the room. His length curled into your walls, nudging the bundle of sensitive nerves. A tender snap of his hips and you felt like you were on fire. He sped up gradually; your head limped into the pillow, but he grabbed your chin with his hand, “Look at me, (Y/N).” His voice soft as he pounded you. “Cum for me.” 
His quick movements. The thickness of his tip. His hot breath on your mouth. The sound of skin slapping skin. How vulnerable you were, being filled like this. How hot he was. How his hand was on your cheek. Him whispering praises in your ear. The biting of his lip, as his eyebrows knitted in concentration, trying not to cum inside you right then and there—all of it sent you over the edge. 
Your walls tightened as your second orgasm arrived. With a cry, you sunk your nails into his shoulders. Though your eyes were snapped shut, you felt Miguel drinking in your expressions as you came. His thrusts became erratic—an effect from your lewd display. Finally, he pounded you a deeper time, before pulling out with a grunt, shooting ropes of his warm seed on your tits.
“Fuck!” Miguel cried out as the last ounces of his cum shot to your mouth. He couldn’t believe how perfect you look, marked by him. He spent a few seconds admiring you and you spent a few seconds catching your breath, before he eventually said, “Would you like me to wipe it off?”
You replied by licking your lips and tasting his seed. “You just want to rub my tits again~”
Miguel chuckled, “Maybe. But I still want to clean you up.”
You offered him a box of tissues that were conveniently under your bed. He wiped his cum off, as you enjoyed being taken care of by him. Your previous orgasms still made your vision a little hazy; you wondered how he was.
Despite being the inexperienced one, Miguel was still determined to do aftercare. He massaged your thighs and wiped your sweat off, too. “Was I any good?” He put on his glasses. 
You laughed, “I came, didn’t I? Twice~” You grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the mattress. “No other guy could do that.” 
He leaned into your embrace, facing you and caressing your hair. “Really? Actually, wait, I don’t want to hear about your past boyfriends.” 
“Don’t worry, I don’t care about them. All I want is you.” You played with his hair, too, as you both basked in the afterglow of your recent hook-up. Your warm bodies interlaced with one another. “About that date~” He perked up. “Miguel O’Hara, would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?” 
Miguel kissed your nose, liking the cute face you made as you nuzzled him back. “Where would you like it?”
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city-of-ladies · 1 month
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Edith Garrud - The suffragette that knew martial arts
The first British female teacher of jujutsu, Edith Garrud (1872-1971) taught the suffragettes to protect themselves.
A passion for martial arts 
Edith Margaret Williams was born in Bath in 1872 and started her career as a physical instructor for girls. She shared this passion for physical culture with her husband, William Garrud, a wrestling and boxing instructor.
They came in contact with Edward Barton-Wright who had spent three years in Japan, and studied judo and jujutsu. He elaborated his self-defense techniques known as “bartitsu” and opened his club in London in 1899.
The Bartitsu Club was notably opened to women. Edith was thus able to train alongside her husband. By 1908, Edith and William became jujutsu instructors themselves with William in charge of the men’s class and Edith teaching the women and children. 
Jujutsu specializes in speed, precision and the use of soft, flowing movements to deal with aggression rather than using just brute strength. The couple showcased their skills through demonstrations. In one of them, Edith defeated a male aggressor played by her husband. The sight of this 4ft-11inch (150cm) woman effortlessly throwing a much taller man greatly impressed the audience. 
In 1907, Edith starred in a short film Jujutsu down the footpads in which an innocent lady overpowers two ruffians. 
Vote for women
Edith took an interest in the cause of women’s suffrage. In 1909, she was invited by the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) to give a demonstration in the presence of Emeline Pankhurst and other leading figures of the movement. As William was ill, Edith demonstrated alone and invited members of the audience to test her skills. This included subjecting a skeptical police officer to a powerful shoulder throw. 
In 1910, Edith also wrote a series of essays, advocating for the growing community of female martial artists and how self-defense could free women by giving them the means to protect themselves:
“You constantly read in the papers reports of dastardly attacks on helpless women by thieves and ruffians. A woman who knows jujutsu, even though she may not be physically strong, even though she may not have even an umbrella or parasol, is not helpless. I know many women personally who have tried the tricks I shall explain to you and come out on top. They have brought great burly cowards nearly twice their size to their feet and made them howl for mercy.”
The bodyguards
The suffragettes faced dangerous and violent situations. This was especially the case on Friday 18th November 1910. 300 WSPU members marched on the House of Parliament and faced police officers armed with batons. Women were subjected to six hours of beatings and arrests and there were widespread reports of sexual abuses.
Emeline Pankhurst thus asked Edith to train a group of women that would be known within the WSPU as the Bodyguard. Led by Gertrude Harding, they acted as agitators, disruptors and decoys. 
Edith trained them in hand-to-hand combat and the use of homemade concealed weapons such as wooden India clubs and the fashioning of cardboard body armor. The suffragettes took advantage of their opponent's surprise and exploited their weaknesses.
They for instance struck directly at a police officer’s helmet to knock it from his head. Policemen were held accountable for the loss of uniform items and had to pay for their replacement. They cut the suspenders so that the policeman had to hold back his pants, blinded the police with a charge of umbrellas etc.
When told by a policeman that she was making an “obstruction” during a demonstration near the House of Commons, Edith pretended to drop her handkerchief, threw the policeman over her shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. 
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In prison, suffragettes went on hunger strikes and were subjected to force-feeding. The “Cat and Mouse Act” of 1913 allowed hunger-striking prisoners to be released and then re-incarcerated as soon as they had recovered their health. The Bodyguard thus protected and hid those women.
Edith for instance hid militant suffragettes in her dojo, telling the police not to disturb her lessons and leave her property. 
A quiet retirement
Edith’s contributions to the suffragist movement ended with the beginning of the First World War. Little is known of her life afterward. 
She and her husband would run the Golden Square dojo until their retirement in 1925 and retired to a quieter life. William passed away in 1960. In an interview in 1965, Edith said that her recipe for a long, happy and healthy life was: 
“Self-discipline. Of course, I had to be extremely disciplined to succeed at jujutsu and hold my own with men […] but it is the mind which really has control, not only of your muscles and your limbs and how you use them, but also your thoughts, your whole attitude to life and other people.”
She died in 1971. A plaque on the building that had been her home can be seen today: “Edith Garrud 1872–1971. The suffragette who knew jiu-jitsu lived here”.
Further reading
Dorlin Elsa, Se défendre : une philosophie de la violence  
Godfrey Emelyne, Femininity, Crime and Self-Defence in Victorian Literature and Society: From Dagger-Fans to Suffragettes
Kelly Simon, "Edith Garrud: The jujutsuffragette". In McMurray, Robert; Pullen, Allison (eds.), Power, Politics and Exclusion in Organization and Management
Ruz Camila, Parkinson Justin, ““'Suffrajitsu': How the suffragettes fought back using martial arts”
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A Second Chance, A Father's Curse - Part 3 (Ryomen Sukuna x Reader)
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I'm trying so hard not to burn myself out on writing because I've written and posted so much the past few weeks. which is a really short amount of time for me, also I'm going away for about a week which means I won't be able to write, so hopefully by the time I come back I'll be refreshed and ready to write more! In the meantime enjoy part 3 :)
Part 2 here
Warnings: sukuna is a volatile lil shit, possibly incorrect descriptions of disabilities? i did do a bit of research but also it's a lot of heavy headcanoning
Word count: 3.6k
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“Have you seen the news?” “Prince Ryomen L/n…” “Why do you think he changed his last name?” “He’s part of Iqoria now, whether he meant it or not,” “Surely there’s an explanation for it,” “There must be, but he’s here now and he’ll be a great asset if he knows what he’s doing,” “That is true, I suppose we should just trust the King, if he trusts him with Princess L/n then we should too,”
There have been no shortage of murmurings in the streets about the sudden and unexpected marriage and arrival of the newlywed Ryomen L/n. It’s only been a couple of days, the people will adjust. You’re making sure that you take the time to walk him around the castle and actually get to know him before you take up the traditional clan tattoos that will bind the pair of you to Iqoria, of which he holds a curious fascination.
“What are the origins of your clan tattoos?” He asks on the second morning. A lovely warm day, you’ve chosen a light dress and a parasol to accompany you on your walk through the gardens. You look over to him beside you, the pair of you hidden amongst the bushes as you sit together on a shaded bench, “There are a few different opinions and accounts, but I believe the most popular stems back to an ancient era of the kingdom where curses were much more abundant than they are currently."
"One of my female ancestors centuries ago used ink to disguise herself and played pretend as a fierce and strong curse, almost acting as a god, and she led great numbers of them to their destruction to protect her village. Adenfast is said to be named after that village, but the original location is unknown,” You explain.
“Have they changed much over the years?” He has taken your hand and is tracing his thumb over the lines on your wrist, “Not as far as I know, I know a few lines here and there that came from specific people from my family tree because of things they achieved, but it’s mostly stayed the same,” You point to your wrists, the two thick black bands there prominent, “These were added by my great great grandmother, as protection for the young children in the family, two lines done at age ten and then renewed after marriage,”
He smirks, but it’s softer than it has been, “Interesting…” He murmurs. “How will you be incorporating your clans tattoos into mine?” You ask quietly, because ultimately it’s his decision, and you’re already fearing his answer. He just shrugs, “Not sure,” He looks away, still holding your hand, “It all doesn’t feel real,” He murmurs. “Freedom?” You squeeze his hand gently.
He nods, his gaze traveling around the quiet gardens as you take in the moment. He’s been skittish, he flinched when your father raised his voice at dinner the night before and you’d made sure to scold your father afterwards. You can always sense the storm within him, he can’t easily suppress his energy and you’ve had to deal with one other outburst than the one on the journey here.
He’d been here only a day, his sleep was restless and this you knew because you spent that night in the same bed together in lieu of the wasted night spent in a carriage. Nothing happened between the two of you, but he jolted the both of you awake in the early hours of the morning after a nightmare. The sun hadn’t risen, his face was barely visible in the dim starlight creeping through the window, but you could feel his sadness. He wouldn’t tell you what it was, he didn’t say a word, just allowed you to pull him against you and hide his face in your chest. His outburst later that day was aimed at Geto, who’d foolishly commented on his younger brothers.
“Does your father not see your younger brothers the way he sees his precious eldest heirs?” He’d said during one of your tutelage sessions with Gojo in which Ryomen was watching from the sidelines, and you knew he was deliberately stepping over a line. You thought Geto was better than that, but after this happened you weren’t sure you could trust him in the same way you always had.
You felt Ryomen coming up behind you and stepped to put yourself between them with a glare in your eyes before Ryomen could even think about throwing a punch, “Suguru Geto, you know better than that, do I have to tell my father about this?!” You had shouted. His eyes had widened and he’d dropped to a knee, immediately apologising. He clearly hadn’t expected you to support your husband. You suppose he held a grudge against the man for his actions towards you on the journey to Iqoria and thought you would share these reservations, but you refused to stand for it. “You fucking bastard, never speak of my brothers again, do you hear me?!” Ryomen spat over your shoulder, “My brothers are better men than you will ever be, I can fucking smell the hatred that you exude,”
You also didn’t appreciate the accusation that came from Ryomen but you let it slide, you’d seen his last interaction with his brothers and knew it still rubbed him raw to even think about them. “We’re done here, Geto I will speak with you at a later time,” You turned and herded Ryomen out of the room. His eyes held that familiar tint of red at the edges of his irises and his energy had flared to such a level that you’d taken him out to the rear of the castle, where the guards trained, and he had destroyed a wooden dummy halfway across the courtyard beyond recognition within mere seconds of arrival.
He was breathing heavily when he finally looked back at you, and you refused to look away or show you were afraid. He was in pain, and you needed to let him work through it and seek help only where he wanted it. “Let’s not tell anyone about that,” You nodded vaguely in the direction of where the dummy used to be as he returned to your side, his breath ragged and sweat dripping down his face and neck.
He nodded in response, swallowing thickly, “I’m sorry,” He mutters, “You shouldn’t have to see me like this,” “Is that your technique?” You asked, gaze flitting to the pieces of the dummy. He looked away and you didn’t question him further, you just took his hand and lead him into the castle to force him into a bath.
Back in the present as you’re reminded of the fear in his eyes, you look back to him, “Are you… afraid of yourself?” You murmur. He looks like a kicked puppy when he turns to you and your eyes widen, “Sorry! Sorry, I take it back, you don’t have to answer that,” He clutches your hand just a little tighter, his knuckles going white and his lips set in a thin line, “Yes,” He states, his voice shaky, “I am afraid of myself,”
“I’m afraid of what I might do to you if I’m left unchecked,” He continues, “I’m afraid of hurting you and lashing out at the people around me because I still feel like a caged wolf even though the reality of my situation has changed,” “I hope you can one day see me as home,” You say, putting your parasol down to reach your hand up to his cheek, “I know it will be hard, and I promise I will know you down to your core one day, but there is no rush,” He nudges his nose against your palm for a moment, “I am first and foremost your new friend, and I want only to be your strongest ally,”
He nods, “Thank you,” He whispers softly. “Princess Y/n!” The shout of your name shatters the small bubble of peace around the two of you. You drop your hand from his face but keep your fingers intertwined as you stand. A young maid around your age that you grew up with, Belinda, comes racing around a dense rosebush and comes to a skidding halt when she spots you. She bows for a moment, “Your father has requested your presence for the application of the L/n clan tattoos,” She informs you and you hand your parasol to her, “Thank you for letting me know, take this to my closet and we will make our way to the throne room,”
She darts off with the parasol in hand and you link arms with Ryomen as he stands again, leading you back into the castle. Once in the throne room, you’re greeted by the pair of artists responsible for both your and your brother’s tattoos, “Ah Princess Y/n, and Prince Ryomen, an honour it is,” The couple bow as your father stands and opens his arms, “My children, it is time,” He smiles widely, “See to this duty with dignity,” You curtsey to the tattoo artists before they lead the two of you to a room dimly lit with candles.
“As you aren’t the Crown Prince and Princess, this isn’t considered an extravagantly formal affair,” The woman assures you, “You may speak freely with one another while we work, there are a few rituals we will conduct during and after the inking process, but nothing remarkable,” The tattoo artists are specially chosen for their artistic abilities and their knowledge of cursed energy, as a reverse cursed technique is needed for royal family tattoos which are expected to appear to the public within the first twenty four hours of application.
“If you please,” The other artist, the man who gave you your wristbands when you were ten, gestures to the outline of a person on a poster you didn’t even notice at first on the wall. It’s not quite life size, just smaller than you, but it shows you the complete map of tattoos that you will be getting for the L/n clan including a back view just beside it.
Bands on your upper arms and around your shoulders as well as a large spot on your shoulders, two sharp parallel streaks down your abdomen with matching lines reflected on the small of your back, two broken lines that wrap over your shoulders like overall straps and veer up and then down again just below your collarbone on your breasts. You’d always known about the facial tattoos, the lines that follow the jaw bone, the emblem in the centre of the forehead that was said to represent wisdom, and the line over the nose, but you’d always seem then as quite delicate and symbolic of the fragility of life.
The tattoos hidden beneath the clothing were thick and strong, reminiscent of the ones on your wrists that were there for protection. These were the tattoos of fierce and noble protectors. Those who would risk their lives to keep the weak safe. Your family was strong, a fact perhaps forgotten in times of peace, and this reminder gives you a boost of confidence as you begin stripping down to just your bottom half undergarments. There are no tattoos below the waist save for a pair of thick ankle bands and the symbol on your forehead copied on both hips.
“How would you like to incorporate the Itadori clan tattoos?” The man asks Ryomen behind you. You hear the shuffle of clothing and then his hand on your bare upper back. Having to get really comfortable really fast with one another, you rip the bandage off and turn to him with your arms crossed over your chest, hugging yourself, “I don’t think I will,” He grins as he looks you up and down, his gaze flicking between you and the poster on the wall a couple of times. The artists exchange glances but you just nod, “Make it so,” “Your majesties, this isn’t a wise decision diplomatically speaking,” The woman speaks softly, her head bowed.
 “This marriage wasn’t for the sake of diplomacy so why the fuck should I care what my father thinks?” Ryomen snaps. You grab his hand, still keeping one arm tight over your bare chest, “Ryomen,” You say softly, “Ryomen, it’s okay, they’re allowed to be worried for their kingdom, this has never happened before, are you sure you don’t want to add anything? Even if it isn’t from your clan?” He looks into your eyes for a fleeting moment and then looks to the map again, frowning as he breathes deeply. “Can you tattoo a pair of fake closed eyelids just above the edge of where the lines will end on my cheeks?” He gestures on his face just below his real eyes.
You look confused for a moment but he clarifies, “My second eyes, Yuji always used to tell me I had an extra pair of eyes reserved for my brothers,” The artists seem to relax only slightly and the woman asks you if you’ll be getting that modification to which you reply, after confirmation from Ryomen that he is comfortable, that yes you will. The entire process is long and tedious, difficult, you spend more time squeezing Ryomen’s hand than actually talking because the pain gets to you after a while. He’s antsy the whole time, he reaches up and fidgets with your fingers and plays with your hair after his arms and shoulders are done while you’re sat up getting your back done.
“Tell me about your brothers,” You ask softly once the man starts work on his back, the woman in between the two of you tattooing atop your breasts and collarbones. “My brothers? What would you like to know?” You shrug, “Anything you want to tell me,” He looks up for a moment, “Well, Yuji and I were always the closest, since Choso is the Crown Prince he spent a lot of time in studies and learning how to be king. Eso and Kechizu are five and eight years younger than me, fifteen and twelve, both born with disabilities that prevent them from leading normal lives,”
There is an intense sadness in his eyes and you squeeze his hand gently, “Eso significantly lacks in his movement and coordination ability, the doctors would never tell us exactly what it was but we knew he couldn’t play the same way we used to as children, so we never played rough. Kechizu is hard to explain, because he was born with significant tunnel vision and a high sensitivity to light, and so hasn’t bothered opening his eyes most of his life, but also has problems with his blood. He bleeds heavily if he gets hurt, he bruises extremely easily, so then we learned we had to be gentle with both boys,” You’re sure your sadness is palpable at this point, but he seems to be perking up slightly just talking about them with someone.
“Despite the limitations in their abilities, they were always so lively and never wanted to be left behind if we went out to train, Eso spent his time describing in exaggerated detail the three of us as we trained to Kechizu, and I just remember them being so happy when my father wasn’t around-“ He cuts himself off, his lips returning to a thin line as his eyes sparkle slightly in the candlelight. You know he doesn’t want to cry in front of the artists, so you instead begin to tell him stories of your childhood, your brother and Geto, the young maids who grew up alongside you and now serve you, the kindness of the Iqorian people and the events and festivals you’ve attended all your life.
“That all sounds lovely,” He murmurs as he cups your cheek, tracing a thumb over the new tattoo just below your eyes and letting his energy flow through you to heal the raw skin left there. The gesture warms your heart, healing his addition to your clan tattoos, and you uncover your chest shyly to place your own hands over the newly healed tattoos on his collarbone, tracing the edges of the thick lines gently. “You know, now that it’s happening, I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else,” He says, his voice thick with emotion.
You blush softly, “You really do have a way with words sometimes, I think you could have been a poet in another life,” He steps into your space, half attempting to hide your exposed skin from the artists, “I think I’d very much like to be reborn as a songbird,” He whispers, his large hands still gently holding your cheeks as the artists begin their final rituals, leaning his forehead down and resting it against yours. “Then I could sing you songs of every kind of love every morning when you wake,” A soft glow surrounds the pair of you as you look into his eyes, the tattoos emitting the glow as the artists murmur softly.
You’re unsure of what exactly they’re doing but you know this is a moment you won’t ever forget, stood in the center of a dark room with the man you saved within mere hours of meeting him. Your new husband, perhaps the most dangerous man alive if Satoru Gojo’s Six Eyes are to be believed. But he’s here, he’s right in front of you holding you like a butterfly, bearing your last name and the marks of your clan because of the ignorance of his father.
The artists have left the room by the time you come back to one another, the glow slowly dimming with every second, but his hands never leave your body. He traces his hands over everything he can see, and everything he can’t, in an effort to familiarise himself with you and seek comfort in your warmth. It doesn’t occur to you that this is a little scandalous, you simply allow him to softly caress your skin, nothing but a hint of innocent desperation in the air. He needs this. He needs you to step into the role Yuji had tried his best to fill, his main protector and advocate, and if Ryomen needs to know you inside and out to allow himself to trust you then you’ll do whatever it takes.
“We have a people to address,” You murmur, still looking up into his half-lidded eyes. He nods gently, sitting back down on the table and breaking the trance, allowing you to search for the robes and bring them back to him. Simple white clothing, symbolising purity, adorned with green stitching, symbolising new beginnings. Both outfits are sleeveless, the straps thin and the neckline plunging deep on both your front and back to expose the main shoulder to collar tattoos to the air. Nothing can be done about the tattoos on your stomach and lower back, but the sleeveless nature allows for the arm and shoulders to be fully exposed.
“Allow me,” He murmurs, reaching for the simple dress and then helping you step into it, clasping it at your hips and just below the middle of your back to secure it. It’s oddly comfortable, it had looked itchy and uncomfortable on your sister-in-law but you suppose she just didn’t like the stares of the people. When you turn back to him he’s already pulled the loose pants on and you watch his muscles flex and relax as he slips into the shirt.
“You look good,” You murmur softly, clasping your hands at your stomach, “Are you alright?” He looks up, fixing his hair slightly. His soft smile sends a shot of warmth through your body as he reaches for you, pulling you closer and pressing a kiss to your forehead, “I can say with full confidence,” He starts, holding you to his chest and hiding you against him as the door opens again, revealing your parents, “That I’ve never been better than I am right now,” He whispers for only your ears, and you feel tears welling up in your eyes as you nuzzle against him.
“It is time,” Your father announces, “For you to address the people as husband and wife,” You steel yourself as you pull away, noticing a hint of red in Ryomen’s eyes as he looked down at you, but feeling nothing but strength from his aura as opposed to rage. You look to your father and nod, “We’re ready,” Time had seemed to stand still while the two of you were in that room, but the moment you stepped out you saw the day had ticked over and it was now the morning again. The rituals performed by the artists had prevented you from becoming weary or hungry, you felt refreshed if anything, and the two of you walk hand in hand with your parents in tow to the main castle entrance.
Geto is there at the open doorway, and past him you can see the courtyard and the steps up to the entrance are flooded with the Iqorian people. This is it, the first step into the public eye, with your husband by your side. News travels fast, you’re sure the Itadori clan will hear of his tattoos before the sun has set, but a small part of you holds no remorse. “Are you prepared for the consequences?” Ryomen murmurs into your ear, “There’s no backing down now,”
You squeeze his hand and then tug him out into the growing sunlight, walking forwards until you’re at the edge of the steps. The reactions you can see are mixed, but there is an overwhelming amount of positive energy flowing up at you. Your emotions get the best of you, tears slip down your cheeks, you tuck yourself closer to Ryomen as he lifts an arm to wave. “Live in the feeling,” He whispers, seemingly to himself, “Savour the moment,”
You decide to do just that. Peace washes over you, and you find yourself once again thinking to the future, the countless possibilities and unknowns. Whatever comes next, you’ll face it with Ryomen L/n unapologetically by your side.
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Might start putting a 'fanart of the day' at the end where i link a fanart of the character in question (in this case sukuna) for you all to enjoy if you haven't seen it already lol
Part 4 here
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arteastica · 2 months
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Early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (25)
erwin x fem!reader
chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (26) | (27)
summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)
notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?
content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)
wc: 6.6k
Lord Koch started to prove you wrong the moment you walked through the ivy-covered gates of his suburban estate, early-blooming wisterias cascading down the fence and conspiring with the honeysuckles to conceal the impassable iron wall, making it look more like the secret back door to some fairytale garden than the main entrance to a wealthy family’s homestead. You had expected dozens of solicitous footmen, perhaps some even hired for the occasion only, busily striding around the gardens, flocking towards the guests with fizzy drinks on their trays and welcoming smiles on their faces, politely offering to help with their frock coats and dainty parasols. Just as it was expected at any other Sunday gathering in Mitras. Or Saturday, in this case.
Instead, the only ones greeting the guests at their arrival were the imposing cedars flanking the sunlit path that led to the placid, flawlessly circular pond in the middle of the main garden. After that, guests were on their own, left to figure out, or finger guess depending on each individual’s personal approach, which one of the sprawling paths before them could possibly take them to the place where distant violins, faint laughters and the soft clinking of glasses could be heard coming from.
It was clear that whoever got invited to the celebration should’ve been there previously, perhaps numerous times, and therefore, well-acquainted with the Kochs. Acquainted enough to know their way around the property and the complex system of azalea shrubs spreading in all sorts of confusing directions, flowering under the sun as their glossy leaves danced in the wind, something more like a maze than a garden. And you couldn’t help but feel that a map should’ve been provided with the invitation, or at the entrance at the very least, because there was no way a stranger like you could find the courtyard mentioned in the invitation all by themselves. And for a moment, a silly idea crossed your mind, maybe this was some sort of task Lord Koch had designed so the guests could prove themselves worthy of attending his party. It seemed like he wanted only his true friends there on that special day. But luckily for you, your father was there to lead the way.
Amidst the excitement leading up to that special day, you had forgotten about your father, your head completely monopolized by the thought of your first date with the Commander, because… yes, that’s right, in your head, this was about you and him, and not about Lord Koch and his birthday. He already had forty nine of those for heaven’s sake, but this…this was a first for you and the Commander; the charity ball clearly not counting because, one, you hadn’t been together in that sense back then, and two, you had attended as his assistant and not his ‘princess’. So it was no wonder that, between choosing your dress, the right underwear, and daydreaming about dancing head-on-his-chest all afternoon, you had been unable to reach the obvious conclusion that your parents would most likely be attending the reception too. And it was not until you arrived home the previous night, completely unannounced and looking to surprise them, that you ended up surprised instead when your mother excitedly broke out the news during dinner.
And your father was particularly thrilled about finally getting to meet the Commander of the Survey Corps, ‘the man who saved my daughter’s life’ in his own words. He was arguably more thrilled about it than about the apple toddies, and that was a huge claim to make considering how many of those he was known to chug down on a single evening. And you would be lying if you said you weren’t excited yourself, not about the toddies, which by the way you weren’t sure they would be serving when it was barely ten in the morning, but about everything else. Sleep had evaded you for the most part of the previous night, your stomach swarmed with colorful butterflies that resembled the ones now fluttering above the Koch’s blooming azaleas, and your heart gleefully springing inside your chest at the thought of him meeting your parents.
You knew it was not like he would be asking for your hand in marriage right there in the middle of Lord Koch’s courtyard. They would probably shake hands, maybe share a drink or two while your father expressed his gratitude, and then walk separate ways without asking your parents for their blessing. But, it’s just that… you couldn’t help it…it all felt so official all of a sudden.
Yes, admittedly, no one else in this world, besides Hitch, knew about the things the two of you would do behind the closed doors of his office, but…What did he think people would say once they saw you together at the party? This was not work-related, this was not some formal event he was required to attend as the Commander of the Survey Corps. It was just his friend’s birthday lunch, an occasion that didn’t call for the presence of his assistant. And, once your favorite ballad came on and you found yourselves slow dancing under some wisteria pergola, your hand resting in his, and your head, on his shoulder…did he think people would just shrug their shoulders and look the other way thinking ‘yep, that’s his assistant’?
Before asking you to come, had he considered the possibility that once they saw him pull your chair out, helping you in like the gentleman he is, possessive hand resting on the small of your back and your lips smiling lovingly at the gesture…people would undoubtedly start asking questions about the nature of your relationship?
Like you knew your parents were.
You didn’t know what they were thinking, but you knew they were thinking something. Your mother was too well-versed and frighteningly skilled at concealing her thoughts, she was too proficient in the occult arts of vanishing any trace of emotion from her face within seconds, before anybody noticed anything, no matter how shocking or scandalous the news were. However, you saw the look of surprise in her eyes when you told her who you’d be attending the reception with. It was brief and you had almost missed it, but it was there nonetheless. She hadn’t said anything, but there were signs. She hadn’t asked questions, but you knew she wondered. You knew she did, just like many at the party would.
So, all things considered, how could you blame yourself for feeling this was official? How could you get mad at yourself for believing this was some sort of announcement? Yes, subtle and silent, but an announcement regardless. And you were loving every second of it. As evidenced by the beaming smile you wore as you stepped into Lord Koch’s courtyard, the pistachio-colored tulle of your dress joyfully dancing in the balmy spring breeze.
You had chosen open shoulders for the occasion, a symmetrical hemline falling all the way down to your ankles, and dainty flower embroidery to harmoniously blend in with all the pansies and forget-me-nots of the garden. Oh, and no open slits this time because your mother was also coming.
The top was narrow and fitted, gradually widening out from the waist into a relaxed skirt, and you had skipped the puffy petticoat because you didn’t want Lord Koch to think you were trying to steal attention from him.
Your favorite part of the dress was undoubtedly the long puffy sleeves that fell all the way down to your wrists, made of semitransparent tulle and adorned with small, pretty butterflies that perfectly matched the blue ones on the pin your mother had kindly placed on your hair before leaving the house.
Considering the carriage he had driven to the base last winter, you could be forgiven for expecting nothing less than an equally opulent and effusive display of wealth on Lord Koch’s end, and make no mistake, the courtyard of his manor was a display of wealth in every sense of the word, just not the extravagant type. Somehow, it managed to be well-mannered and even unassuming at times.
His house was more like a castle than anything else, yet there was a comforting sincerity in the clear crystal windows and the way they would reflect the gentle morning sun; a graceful spontaneity in the wildflowers and the way they would grow in the most unexpected of places, whether it was a crack on the wall or inside the stone fountain at the entrance of the garden.
The wise willow, towering over the pond at the far end of the meadow, brought effortless elegance into an already gracious scene, and the glasshouse keeping it company looked like the type of place you’d love to spend a whole summer in, with a cold lemonade and a good book in hand, even if you didn’t enjoy reading that much.
It was there in the courtyard where you understood why there was no staff positioned at the estate’s entrance. Turns out they were all here, in the inner garden, one hand tucked behind their back and the other skillfully balancing silver plates, as they gracefully dodged the puffy skirts of the ladies and the walking canes that the gentlemen loved to sway around when gesticulating.
And you had to give it to the waiters, the feat they were pulling was almost acrobatic, considering how packed the garden was. The number of guests before your eyes, throwing their heads back laughing while joyfully toasting to each other’s prosperity, convincingly attested to Lord Koch’s remarkable popularity. He surely had a lot of people he could call friends, and you knew it was going to be pretty challenging to locate the one specific friend you were looking for.
You glanced around on your tiptoes and off into the multitude, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was going to take some time to find him, so you figured you’d better start now. You turned around to let your parents know, only to realize the crowd had swallowed them too. Figuring you’d run into them sooner or later when lunch was served, you took a deep breath and ventured into the sea of people, trying to stay out of the waiters’ way and making it past smiling faces you’d seen at multiple other parties throughout the years, albeit now they looked slightly different, and older, than they did back then.
As you politely nodded back to a friendly-looking lady whose eyes seemed unable to leave your dress, it hit you that you hadn’t mingled like this in a while. After spending what some would call ‘the better years of your life’ in training camp, and right after that, moving to the middle of the forest for the Survey Corps, you hadn’t attended a birthday party in like forever.
Not much had changed though, at least not when it came to the way you felt about events like this one, and certainly not when it came to the way they made you feel. The anxious drumming in your chest was still ever-present, and the uncontrollable need to fiddle with your hair whenever you felt a stranger’s eyes on you was very much still a reflex action. You didn’t know if it was because of the same reasons as you, but you felt like you understood Captain Levi and why he disliked such gatherings. You weren’t close with him at all, but maybe someday you could bond over this and your appreciation for good tea, who knows?
You grabbed a tantalizingly golden tartlet from a nearby waiter as he walked past you. As expected, only the food made these kind of experiences worth it. The food and, in this particular occasion, him, of course.
You nodded in delight as the caramelized pear melted in your mouth, simultaneously satisfying both your sweet tooth and all the butterflies in your stomach in a single bite. Buttery, flaky and unexpectedly rich. Once you moved to the cabin in the woods, you would prepare pear tartlets like this one for him too. The comforting smell of home-baked love escaping through the open kitchen window, riding on the gentle spring breeze as it caressed your cheeks just the way it was right now in the middle of the courtyard garden.
Our little cabin. You smiled, looking around to find the man you dreamed to share it with.
And you saw Leon, standing under the shade of the breezeway not too far from you, back resting against a pillar and a rose-colored liquid in his glass as he conversed with a tall, auburn-haired lady.
You waved at him from afar when his eyes accidentally met yours, and, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, limited your interaction to a smile. However, being the welcoming soul you’d known him to be, he invited you to join him and his companion by mouthing a silent ‘Do you have time?’
As you made your way to him, you exchanged smiles with the lady he was with. She was young, very young, as suggested by her round face and the plump, dewy cheeks that came with it, which you were certain would bounce like jelly under your finger. She appeared to be in her twenties too, although her small, button-like nose and other angelic features made you suspect she was a little younger than you.
Her fitted, velvet dress hugged her body in ways only custom-made dresses could, and the hunter green skirt, flawlessly accentuating the reddish-browns of her hair, reminded you of the winged cloak you would wear every day back at the base. The dark color, as well as the narrow, tight maturity of the dress contrasted the innocence present in her soft features. Features that were just as warm as Leon’s, especially when coupled with the welcoming smile she was gifting you with.
“My lady.” Leon’s soft lips greeted the back of your hand as it was quickly becoming tradition whenever you met. “I fail to identify the nature of the spell you cast on us, and forgive me if talks of witchcraft and sorcery come off as wicked or impudent in any way, but supernatural powers are the only acceptable explanation as to why your beauty seems to intensify with every passing season.”
You were only able to giggle, his convoluted compliment reaching your ears and pleasantly tickling your confidence.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Leon, and you happen to own the kind of eyes that only see the good in everyone and everything. But thank you, I’m flattered.” You admitted as he let go of your hand. “And I believe we agreed to use each other’s given names?”
“He completely refused to use my given name until, I believe… the seventh year into our relationship was it?” The angelic-looking lady turned to Leon, her head adorably tilting to the side in thought, and you couldn’t help but find it satisfying: The way her honey voice was just as melodious as you’d imagined the sounds made by those beautiful lips would be.
“My lady, this is my good friend Angelika.” Leon said, gracefully signaling to his left. “Perhaps you are already acquainted with each other, since you both live in the same ward.”
Angelika. You couldn’t help but smile at the gratifyingly fitting name. The leaf-shaped brooch on her hair looked a lot like a family crest, and the diamonds embedded all around it, as well as the ‘double-u’ engraved in the center, told you that she descended from a noble lineage, as you suspected at least half of the partygoers did. But what really called your attention was the prismatic moonstone decorating her delicate beauty bones, perfectly shaped like a raindrop, and making you wonder if the occult was among her interests.
“Oh please, Leon, the northern ward is just as big as my father’s ego.” She joked, taking your hand into hers, dainty and covered in satin all the way down to her elbows. “Truly a pleasure, my lady.”
“The pleasure is mine, Lady Angelika.” You returned the gorgeous smile she was offering.
Lady Angelika was endearing in a dignified, elegant way; and you couldn’t help but notice that her expressive hazel eyes went well together with the enchanted forest Leon had in his, much like the honey pistachio loaf your mother would bake every year in the fall.
And it was not only their eyes that complemented each other, but the atmosphere surrounding them as well. Much like the sparkling stream running down the meadow behind them, and the horses leisurely grazing along its waters, there was a natural authenticity to them. One you would have undoubtedly remembered had you been around it before, especially considering Lady Angelika’s remarkable grace.
“My lady, you ought to stop looking at me like that or I might start questioning my personal preferences.” She joked, a smile on her lips and your hand still on hers. “And I’m afraid ten in the morning on a Saturday is too early to have that type of conversation.”
“Oh, please forgive me.” You chuckled lightly, letting go of her hand. “I was just wondering if you were aware of the power that moonstone holds.”
She reached for the gemstone hanging around her neck “Oh this? Of course, Leon gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday.” She explained as her fingers caressed it fondly. “He bought it from a witch down south. Apparently she found it right in the center of the footprint left by that gigantic titan who destroyed Wall Maria.” You felt your whole body tensing up at her words. “You know, the first time it appeared. She believes it used this moonstone to make itself invisible, that’s the only logical explanation as to how a creature of such colossal measures managed to appear and disappear into thin air without anyone seeing it coming.”
Your throat felt impossibly tighter all of a sudden, all incoming air failing to reach your lungs. You didn’t necessarily believe moonstones granted anyone the power of invisibility, neither the ability to wander around only in spirit, and you had meant the question as a lighthearted joke, never considering it could backfire, and definitely not expecting Lady Angelika’s answer to make you reminisce about Bertolt’s genuine smile and Reiner’s sweet disposition.
“Are you, perhaps, also interested in gemstones and their magical properties, my lady?” Leon suddenly asked, prompting you to blink away the bittersweet melancholy and the confusion that usually followed any train of thought that led to your ex-classmates.
“I- my father- It’s one of his favorite topics to discuss at the dinner table.” You explained, chuckling nervously in an attempt to compose yourself. “Did you perhaps attend Orvud Academy, Lady Angelika?”
“Oh my, are you a diviner?!” She jumped excitedly. “Yes, I did! Until the eighth grade, before Father decided to move me and my sisters to another institute in Ehrmich.”
“Then maybe we coincided in the corridors a few times.” You suggested, feeling your chest lightening up the farther away you walked from the uncomfortable topics discussed a few sentences ago. “I also went to Orvud.”
“Maybe we did! Oh my, Leon, this world is so small!” She turned to her friend, the delight present in her voice, and the gleeful way in which she started tugging at his hand, made you think of a little kid trying to lead their favorite parent to the candy store. “Although I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t remember me.” She suddenly turned her head towards you. “I looked very different back then. I was so…outlandish.” She concluded, sporting the face of someone who’d just smelled the food that had caused them indigestion.
“Sometimes, in moments of dejection or self-doubt, I find reassurance in knowing that I no longer look, nor act, like I did back in eighth grade.” You said, her smile instantly evolving into a soft, silvery laugh that was as delicate and angelic as you expected hers to be.
“Next time I’m feeling down, I’ll give it a try.” She promised.
“Is there a reason why you changed schools, my lady?” You asked, feeling comfortable enough to let your curiosity wonder and wander.
“Father believed the institutes at Ehrmich taught better chess. I wanted to stay in Orvud because all my friends were there. Not to mention Ehrmich is in the literal opposite side of town, and even to this day, I still grieve the precious minutes that the long ride home took away from my youth.” She complained dramatically. “But I can’t complain. And neither can Leon.” Lady Angelika smiled mischievously at her friend. “That’s where he first laid eyes on me, and also where I became the inspiration for his first book.”
Leon smiled back, and it was the type of smile that told you this was a conversation he already had way too many times, yet somehow, still wasn’t tired of.
“Your beauty is indeed of remarkable proportions, my dearest Angelika.” He said, lightly raising his glass as if making a toast to his friend’s comeliness. “However, as we have discussed several times in the past, the source of inspiration for my first published work, or muse, if the casual scribbling I do from time to time were to be considered a form of art, was the cloudless sky I had the providential fortune to exist under during the summer I spent in Karanes.”
“Leon fell in love with a married woman, and she had the bluest eyes he’d ever seen. Quite scandalous. Isn’t it?”
Lady Angelika’s opportune translation painted a smirk on your face as you raised a probing eyebrow at Leon. And you expected his ears, as well as his cheeks maybe, to turn red the moment his friend’s words reached them, but you should’ve known better than to expect that from someone of such poised, elegant bearing. Instead, he allowed a relaxed, graceful laugh to escape his lips before a reply could.
“She was indeed married, but I didn’t fall in love with her.” He explained calmly, the easiness in his demeanor evidencing that he was already used to be teased by his friend. “Her loving husband and sweetheart of many years stands in this very courtyard as we speak, so I would sincerely appreciate it if we could keep away from distasteful misunderstandings.” He took another sip of his drink as his eyes scanned the room. “Ending the day with a black eye is certainly not one of the goals I set for myself this morning when I sat down with my diary and my favorite breakfast tea.”
“Oh, is she around then?” Lady Angelika asked excitedly, giggles decorating her voice as she tried her best to find an unknown face in the crowd.
“She is not. If you’d studied the poems with the careful perusal they demanded, maybe you’d know that such elusive beauty tends to evade congested occasions like today’s.” He teased, and his friend dramatically placed a hand over her chest in response, pretending to take offense.
“May I ask what the book's title is?” You smiled mischievously, curiosity tickling your mind. “I’ll admit I’m not the avid reader myself, but I’m willing to give poetry my undivided attention if it promises to uncover the mysterious identity of Leon’s first love.”
“Walking artwork. Talking poetry.” He replied, shaking his head in amused disapproval. “That’s the name of the book.” Your eyes widened in realization, suddenly remembering the blue book with faded golden letters that the Commander kept in his office, surely one of his favorite reads, and after today, one you’d definitely be borrowing sometime soon. “And as I said, my lady, she wasn’t a love of mine, but even if she was, I can assure you that by the time serendipitous fate brought our paths together, the title of ‘first’ had already been long claimed.”
Lady Angelika gave Leon a complicit smile that told you she knew exactly who that title belonged to. “Leon’s lust and uncontrollable desire for this married woman really comes to life in vivid colors thanks to all those forbidden words he so artistically painted her with.” She said giggling, looking at Leon as if trying to elicit a reaction from him, but all he had for her was an uninterested eye roll. “I would have given anything, even this very moonstone on my neck, only to see Aunt Freya’s flustered face once she reached chapter nineteen.” And the sultry way in which she sank her teeth on her bottom lip made you desperately want to know what exactly went down in chapter nineteen.
“I would consider it a miracle if Mother ever so much as touches one of my books.” He joked before bringing the glass to his lips, and you couldn’t help but wonder if he was using the pink sparkly liquid to hide something that wasn’t as rosy.
“Of course she reads your books!” Lady Angelika exclaimed confidently, and you wondered if she too had noticed the same shift you had. “If I had a son as talented as you, I would never shut up about him.” She said proudly before turning to you. “Father used to get so annoyed at Uncle Hansel because he would never stop talking about Leon’s books whenever they played chess together.” Lady Angelika giggled, her eyes traveling briefly to the sky as if it was there where she kept all her memories. “Father felt that Uncle Hansel would just brag about ‘that gifted little nephew of his’ all evening and never focus on the game, which… even if we were to say that was the case… how come Father never managed to win a single one?” She chuckled before turning to Leon to clarify. “Nothing personal, you know how Father is. But I always understood Uncle Hansel and why he couldn’t stop gushing about his nephew. I was just as captivated by him.” She said fondly, and there was a hint of nostalgia in the sweet smile she was offering her friend. “And his work, of course!” She added rather abruptly.
“You praise me too much, my dearest Angelika. But my writing isn’t the slightest bit as impressive as your abilities in chess are.”
“Nonsense.” She said before turning to you, dismissing the compliment with a flick of her hand, a gesture that told you that her skills were probably every bit as impressive as Leon had implied. “My lady, I know you said reading is not among your interests but, by any chance, do you happen to enjoy ghost stories? In my humble, and probably very biased yet still fairly accurate opinion, there’s nothing like sitting by the fire on a blustery night, Leon’s horror anthology in one hand and something warm in the other, the wind ominously knocking at your window while his writing transports you to macabre dimensions.” She said, shuddering as a result of the goosebumps she had so willfully self-induced.
You chuckled, the lightness in you heart making you realize how rare days like these were. Since you had joined the Training Corps, and especially after becoming a Scout, it was as if the stakes were always high, in everything you did. It felt as if there was no normalcy in your life, or at least not like you once knew it. And, although you wouldn’t trade your life at the base for anything, you couldn’t deny that it was nice to enjoy ordinary moments like this every now and then. “That sounds frightfully enticing indeed, a perfect night made possible only by the comfort of knowing that, in the end, it’s all folktales and fiction.”
“Oh, but they are not fictional.” She was quick to clarify, shaking her hand promptly as if to make you understand how important it was for you to know this before proceeding any further. “Most of Leon’s stories are based off real life experiences, and that makes them all the more exciting! ‘Distant Cries from a Childless Town’ is based on the sinister events of that summer Leon spent traveling around Wall Rose.” She explained enthusiastically. “The second story, which is also my sister’s favorite, is about a priest who kept a human-sized titan locked in his basement. I won’t tell you how it ends, or how the titan got there in the first place, but from the title of the book you can pretty much guess, can’t you? What I will tell you, however, is that you’ll fall for the main character just as everyone does!” She made the face your father always did when daydreaming about your mother’s green tomato pie. “He’s loosely based off one of Leon’s closest friends, a super cute boy from the Trost countryside.” She tugged at Leon’s sleeve as if trying to get him to gush together with her. “His name was Jean. I met him one summer when he came to stay with Leon. Come to think of it, Leon is always friends with the dreamiest, most fascinating people.”
The way her eyes sparkled as she gazed into the sunlit fields, lips curved into a soft smile and fingers absentmindedly playing with the moonstone around her neck, told you that she was probably reminiscing about the happiest summer of her adolescent years. And you couldn’t help but chuckle, wondering if the Jean of Leon’s story was the same one you knew. He was from Trost too and, from your understanding, also childhood friends with Leon. And if it was him, you would have no option but to laugh at how comedic it all was. To think he had a secret admirer in Mitras, and not only that, but the fact that she was a member of the nobility… Heaven forbid he ever found out, because the one you knew, your Jean, his ego definitely did not need another boost.
Although, in all fairness, you kind of understood where Lady Angelika was coming from. Him and Reiner had always been the most popular among the ladies back at Training Camp. In fact, when you first met Jean, you had also thought he was really cool. It was the very first day of ODM practice, and although everyone else was struggling, he seemed to be a natural at it. However, you also remembered how quickly all form of curiosity and wonder had vanished, that same night at dinner to be more specific, when you saw him engage in one of those embarrassing fights him and Eren loved to have.
“He was so well-mannered and smelled so good all the time.” Lady Angelika continued her recollection of the events of that summer, just as your mind started to get flooded by memories of a very different summer, one where Eren and Jean never stopped throwing scrambled eggs and baked tomatoes at each other. “His hair was so soft and he was so manly we both fell in love with him.”
It was so sudden and unexpected, that you couldn’t stop your eyes from opening as wide and as inappropriately as your eyelids allowed them to.
“Leon and I didn’t talk to one another for weeks after that, until we finally waved our little white flags and agreed neither of us would pursue him. After that, we hugged and decided to go for chocolate pastries. We were so silly back then. Do you remember, Leon?”
“I would argue we still are.” He responded amusedly, bringing the glass to his lips and swirling the contents lightly before taking a sip.
Lady Angelika chuckled as she leaned over the handrail, her hair playing with the wind as she gazed at the pasturing horses, and you wondered if the longing smile present on her lips meant that she was still reminiscing about Jean. Leon, on the other hand, was looking at no one and nothing in particular, taking occasional sips from his glass until it was completely empty. And something, probably the wistful smile he was wearing, told you that he we was most likely thinking about those days too.
And about Jean, perhaps.
“I absolutely enjoy horror stories.” You blurted unprovoked after some uncomfortable seconds of silence, fearing it might escalate into something even more awkward. You weren’t sure if Leon was comfortable with you knowing such personal details about him, especially when you were acquainted with Jean yourself. “And I greatly appreciate the personalized recommendation, Lady Angelika. However, I think I’ll start with Walking Artwork and leave the sinister stories for bolder times, you know… for the sake of chronological order. I’m also curious to see how Leon’s writing evolved over the years.”
Leon let his head fall to the side both in suspicion and disbelief, squinting his eyes as if asking you to get it over with.
“And of course, because I’m interested in uncovering the married lady’s mysterious identity as well as what became of her.” You finally confessed, a giggle escaping your lips when you saw him roll his eyes and shake his head in disapproval. You had to admit that there was a very particular type of pleasure to be derived from teasing Leon, and you were beginning to understand why Lady Angelika seemed to enjoy it so much. “The Commander has that book in his personal collection. I might just borrow it on Monday and begin my research as soon as we go back to the office.”
“Even if you succeed in uncovering her identity, little does it matter, my lady; given the fact that my interest in her was purely artistic and never romantic.” He replied, shrugging his shoulders as if he was sorry to disappoint you. “As of what became of her, I’m happy to report that I’m still very much welcomed with warm geniality by both her and her darling daughters whenever I find myself in Karanes.” He signaled with a shake of his glass. “With that said, I’m truly honored and delighted, if I may allow myself such pleasures, to know that someone with Commander Smith’s intellect and literary knowledge found something of value in my dull first work. I have never been able to bring myself to read it again.”
“Huh? You work with Commander Smith?” Lady Angelika asked, the newfound piece of information lighting some sort of spark in her eyes, and you weren’t sure you could call it simple curiosity.
Nodding proudly, you looked around the garden, eyes surveying the room and a comfortable type of excitement bubbling inside you at the thought of finding his blue eyes in the crowd any time now.
“I had the pleasure of starting my rounds conversing with him by the central pavilion. Maybe he’s still there.” Leon looked in the direction of the marble-columned structure, as if trying to find him too. And you caught yourself trying to guess what the nature of their exchange was, something that admittedly troubled you more than a little, given the misunderstanding from a few weeks prior. “He must be looking for you too.”
You turned to Leon and were surprised to discover a smile full of understanding shining your way. And you sincerely hoped the nervous laugh that escaped your lips as a response could act as some sort of distraction so your burning cheeks and tomato ears could go unnoticed.
But you knew that he had been there that night, at the castle, in the dining hall, just a few rooms away from your office and all the wonderful things the Commander had been making you feel on top of his desk. And you also knew that, if he’d happened to hear something then, no amount of damage control you did now would be enough to erase it from his memory.
And like so, before you started acting more like a tomato and less like a person, you decided it was the perfect moment to start exchanging closing nods and parting smiles with Leon and Lady Angelika, which you did before heading in the direction he had pointed you to. Lady Angelika looked like she wanted to say something, and had it been any other moment, you would’ve waited. But, right now, all you wanted was to take your flustered face away and hide it in the Commander’s welcoming chest while you danced to a slow song or two.
“My Lady.” Leon’s sudden call of your name made you turn around abruptly. “Just one more thing.” He said as he approached you, putting some distance between Lady Angelika and him, and lowering his voice as if to ensure nobody else could hear what he was going to say. “I had a conversation with my dear uncle the other day, and I explained to him about the nature of our budding relationship.” He smiled mid-sentence as if to let you know it was okay, and you had to admit that any form of reassurance was very much welcome at the moment, especially when you had no clue where all this was heading. “I was very specific in my request, and by ‘very specific’ I mean I carefully treaded through all the poetical trap my tongue usually falls into, and sincerely asked him to stop hindering the growth of our blossoming friendship with the shadows his well-intended efforts are casting.”
His eyes lingered in the central pavilion’s direction for a while, seemingly taking his time organizing the words inside his head before saying them out loud. “Although very little use it has, I apologize if his remarks resulted in any kind of misunderstanding or inconvenience for you.”
You stared at his apologetic smile in silence, trying to make sense of the words that had just left his mouth. And maybe it was the tinge of remorse in his eyes or the way their attention would shift between you and the central pavilion, but something told you that he probably held the answer to the question you had been trying to get the Commander to respond.
No. Not probably.
He definitely did.
Did Lord Koch talk about you and Leon in a way that made the Commander think you were involved romantically? You didn’t know for sure, yet you knew two other things: One, if he had indeed said something, Leon would absolutely know what it was; and two, he would totally tell you if you asked.
But before you could do so much as open your mouth, Lady Angelika’s melodious voice called his name and he smiled apologetically before turning to her, leaving you there, stranded in the middle of the crowd, with nothing but questions to hold on to.
And you would have remained there for longer, had a flurried waiter not bumped into you, knocking the butterfly pin off your hair and making it bounce on the glossy marble tiles.
You looked down just in time to see it slide under a crystal table, and bent down to reach it, only to find that a gentle hand had gotten there first.
“Thank you, but it’s fine. I got it.” You said as your hand brushed past warm, manly fingers.
“I know you do, but let me.” Replied a rich, velvety voice you had only heard on your happiest moments.
You rose up as fast as your faltering legs allowed, your heartbeat like the frenzied flapping of hummingbird wings, and the reason for that, standing right in front of you, holding the blue butterfly in his welcoming hand, the sun sparkling on the metal pin in the same mesmerizing way it did on the sapphires he had on his face.
-
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elegancelamps · 2 years
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perseephoneee · 3 months
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𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓘𝓘
In which, you, a lady of the ton, are forced to participate in courting season. Except that courting season comes with one particularly silver tongued Prince who is making it his mission to drive you absolutely insane.
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a/n: this is such a filler chapter, and it's also terrible, and i hate it.
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While you knew the Odinsons, you didn’t know the full extent of their history. That is until you made it home from the dance, and your sister demanded you tell her about your rendevous with Thor. You were so exhausted you could barely get the answers she yearned for.
Lady Frigga, the mother of Thor and Loki, was originally a lady of the ton but married Odin, a Prince of Norway at the time. After Frigga’s passing, Odin moved the family back to London in honor of her spirit. You found it surprisingly romantic. 
You awoke late the following day, finding the night before's events tiring. Social situations constantly exhaust you. Going through your closet, you put on a green gown, ignoring any help that could be given to you. You resented having someone else dress you. You were so in your own head as you bounded down the stairs to your sitting room that you barely noticed the man taking up space on the couch. 
“Your Highness,” you bowed, eyes wide as Thor sat up to greet you with a bright smile. Your Grandmother was perched on one of the other setees, an excited sparkle in her eyes. Oh, how you wished to squash that gleam. 
“Lady Chilton, how do you fare this morning?” Thor asked, hands clasped behind his back. He was ridiculously tall, and you had to tilt your head to take him in. 
“Well, I wasn’t taken in my sleep, so I would hazard that I’m doing well,” I said, taking slight glee at the glare my Grandmother shot me. Thor let out a hearty laugh, though. 
“I’m glad you are still in our presence,” Thor answered earnestly. “I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the races today?”
“Races?” You dared a glance toward your grandmother before looking back at Thor’s icy blue eyes. You clasped your hands before answering. “Absolutely. That sounds wonderful.” Thor perked up at your answer, as did your grandmother. 
“Splendid, do you need a second before we leave?” he asked. You shook your head no, letting yourself be ushered out with his hand on the small of your back. You didn’t bother looking back at your grandmother; you knew she would be ecstatic. 
Of course, the carriage that Thor showed up in was immaculate, and he helped you into one of the seats. You settled yourself, adjusting your skirt as Thor joined you in the carriage and closed the door. Your hands sat in your lap, anxiously twiddling your thumbs. 
“Have you been to the races before?” Thor inquired. 
“Heavens, no,” you chuckled, catching yourself. Your insubordination was going to get you in trouble someday. Thor seemed to find it charming, though, so he just laughed. “I prefer a good book.”
“So does my brother,” Thor sighed, glancing out the window. The sounds of the ton and nature were fast approaching, and the mention of Loki changed your mood. He was an enigma to you, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. “We’ve arrived.”
You glance out the window, taking in the scenery. The races were held near the lake, with green pastures surrounding its perimeter. Many members of society were there, and the available men were already courting some eligible ladies. Pastel colors and parasols obscured much of the natural sites you would’ve loved to see. Still, maybe you’d have time later. 
A light conversation occurred between you and Thor as he led the way to the stadium. He was attentive to your words, asking probing questions that let you know he was listening. Unfortunately, you didn’t have much in common. Still, he was kind. He respected that you weren’t a ‘typical’ lady of the ton. If you had to marry, it wouldn’t be a wrong choice. 
The truth was, you had yet to learn how races worked. You had the general idea, but you had never attended one. Thor seemed excited, so you tried your best to adopt his enthusiasm. Unfortunately, your seat had to be next to his brother's. 
“What brings the fair lady out to join us today?” Loki coos, a teasing tone evident. You rolled your eyes as you and Thor approached. Thor left to place his bet, giving you a second alone with the raven-haired prince.
“Your brother invited me,” you smile, tilting your head. 
“Looks like you found someone who enjoys your wit,” Loki says, looking out over the fields slightly teasingly. You bristle, eyes narrowing. 
“If only you could find someone who enjoys yours,” you mumble. Loki looks at you through narrowed eyes, biting his tongue as Thor returns. 
“Apologies for the delay, m’lady,” Thor says, leaning down to your height. “Hope you were able to stay entertained.”
“Conversation could be better, but otherwise, I’m fine,” you glanced at Loki, raising your eyebrows in amusement. He crossed his arms, indifferent. Thor chuckled, leading you to your seats. 
The race was about to start, and all the horses and their riders lined up. At this point, the event was beginning to feel like a Venetian breakfast– way too long. Like all the other sensible ladies, you wished you had brought a fan to stave off the heat. That would mean conforming, though, something you never excelled at. You found yourself much more interested in the race than you thought. When the horses took off, you were on the edge of your seat. One would pull in front of the other, then fall behind. You found yourself rooting for the grey-dappled horse; something quiet about its demeanor drew you in. It would’ve won; you believed that if it wasn’t for the Palmano next to it that distracted your chosen horse enough that it ended up only placing second. 
“Oh, come on!” you exclaim, standing up in a huff as the stadium erupts in cheers or disappointment.  “That was–”
“Perposterous,” Loki finished your sentence, indignation in his tone. You made eye contact, resenting the way his green eyes made your heart skip a beat. 
“What’s wrong?” Thor asked, concerned but still joyful. 
“That wasn’t very sportsmanlike,” you mumble to him, brows furrowed. 
“Life isn’t always fair,” Thor says. “Sometimes what we think is right isn’t always.”
“Sounds like something that a man who just won a race would say,” Loki sighs, sprawling out in his seat. You hide a hint of a smile, refusing to acknowledge either brother's words. 
“You two are too similar,” Thor huffs, causing you to chuckle. Too similar or too obstinate, you couldn’t tell. You did know, though…you didn’t want to spend more time with Loki.
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taglist: @eleniblue @iwrite-things @youneedanap @huntress-artemiss @linaax @pisces-celeste @marygoddessofmischief
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spooky-bunnys · 9 months
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Hear me out peh yah meets gothic reader and at first peh assumes that the reader is a vampire and peh just does everything in his way to protect his “vampire” crush. I mean him always holding an umbrella for the reader, make sure there is no garlic near him (can just imagine pah offering the reader garlic bread only for peh to slap it out of pah hand), crosses and stakes are thrown far away from the reader and whenever the reader says “I’m kinda hungry” peh immediately shows his neck and replies with “make it quick”
If that’s alright with you
So sorry for the late reply. A lots been going on and as excited as I was to write this I had no idea how to go by it to be honest. But here you go! Also I hope you guys like my new theme!
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When Peh-yan met (Name) he was surprised. Very surprised. He had never seen anyone like him. He looked....different.
He had extremely pale skin. He had a pitch black parasol covering him from the sun. Clothes as dark as his umbrella. But it was the Rosari stood out the most.
So he immediately knew this guy was a Vampire. Cause what human would be like that?! (Literally me if I could man) But he was confused on why he was so nice to him.
Vampires in books and Manga were said to be beauitful but rude and uncaring. (Name) was different though, while yes he was beautiful. He was kind and caring.
Peh-yan watched carefully from behind the corner, as (Name) was playing with a small black cat. The soft smile on the male's face made Peh-yan's heart skip a beat.
He looked so sweet and gentle. Peh-yan had leaned a bit too far and fell. Startling not only the cat but the "undead" male.
(Name) looked at the fallen male then turned to where the cat was. He was a bit sad he couldn't play with the animal for longer but he needed to get home anyways. He turned and slowly made his way home. Completely forgetting about the fallen male he left behind.
Peh-yan looked around noticing the dark male disappeared. So it was true! He even had the speed of a Vampire! (No hun you were just stuck in a gay day dream) No matter though he will keep the male's real identity a secret! He will protect (Name) with his life!
~
It's been about a month since (Name) met Peh. The taller male had been acting extremely weird in his opinion. Like how on their walk home Peh steered him away from the church. While also scared away the kids that were playing outside of it. Yelling about keep him safe from being hurt.
(Name) didn't know how a church or a group of kids with sticks can hurt him. He sighed petting another cat as the tall male held his parasol. Keeping him protected from the sun.
That was another thing. Whenever they see each other, Peh immediately takes his parasol away and always covers him. While (Name) found this sweet, he just didn't know why the male was so keen on keeping him "safe". He knows Peh doesn't mean any harm its just.....he's acting weird wen "protecting" him.
Like how at school earlier, Peh literally slapped a piece of garlic bread out of his best friends hand! Going on and on about how garlic can harm him. (Name) had tried explaining to Peh that while he didn't like garlic, it doesn't harm him. But he wasn't able to since he had scared off a few girls. Who had been praying for their food.
(Name) picked up the cat. Smiling softly. He loved animals. Cat were his biggest weakness. After giving the cat some more scratches, (Name) let the cat go before looking over at his "protector". "Hey Peh I'm getting kind of hungry."
Now what (Name) expected was for the male to led them to a restaurant. Not for him to pull (Name) into an alley and tell (Name) to be quick.
"Huh?"
(Name) was stooped. Peh leaned close and showed his neck. His face serious and ears red. (Name) had never been so confused in his whole life. What was he doing?
"Peh?"
"Go ahead (Name). Just please be gentle. This is my first time."
Okay what the hell is going on?
"First time for what?!"
Peh stuck his neck out more, pulling his shirt slightly down. "Go ahead. I made sure to wash my neck in case this happens."
"Peh why would you need to wash your neck?" (Name) tilted his head confused. He didn't understand what was going on here anymore.
Peh pulled away and shyly looked to the side. "S-So if you needed blood I could give you some of mine." (Name) choked on air. Even more confused. What is going on?
"Why would I need blood?" Peh looked confused. "Do you not need blood to live?" "Doesn't everyone?" "Well not everyone is a Vampire though!"
Vampire? Who the hell was a vampire?Vampire?! "I'm not a Vampire though." Peh stared at him. "You're not?" (Name) shook his head. Quietly laughing. "No Peh. Is that what this has been about?"
The taller male wouldn't meet his eyes. (Name) gave a soft laugh. Peh looked confused at the (hair color) male's reaction. (Name) smiled brightly and wiped away the tears that had came to his eyes.
"Peh, I'm not a vampire. What made you think that?" The taller male the began explaining how (Name) acted like a vampire. Which (Name) expained how he wasn't one.
"You always use an umbrella to stay out of the sun!" -Peh
"I get sunburned easil." -(Name)
"Your extremely pale!" -Peh
"I got my pale skin color from my grandmother." -(Name)
"You're always wearing dark clothes!" -Peh
"The color black is my happy color. I'm also goth Peh." -(Name)
"Then what about that cross thing you're always wearing?!" -Peh
"It's a family heirloom. Its also a Rosari." -(Name)
Peh looked stooped. He had to admit. Those were good reasons...or maybe (Name) really WAS a vampire but he had to keep it a secret. But he wouldn't take his blood though....maybe he didn't like people blood?
Peh nodded looking determined. "Don't worry (Name)! Your secret is safe with me!"
(Name) groaned and face-palmed.
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Today, on 11th February, 1975 - Queen Story!
Toledo, OH, USA, Student Union Auditorium
'Sheer Heart Hattack Tour'
Extract:
"Freddie chuckled at the memory as he sipped tea from a ceremonial bowl. He was clad in a dazzling kimono, and sat crossed legged on the floor of his abode, decorated with Samurai swords and hand-made parasols, just down the road from Shepherd's Bush.
Rather like the Victorian explorers, he had brought home the lifestyle and artifacts of a foreign culture, and seemed anxious not to lose the magic of a country that had obviously made a considerable impression.
"I loved it there, the life style, the art...I'd go back tomorrow if I could," insisted Freddie shooing his cats Tom and Gerry off a Led Zeppelin album that had been carelessly left exposed.
How has it been these last few months? Freddie seemed just slightly enervated, not quite the garrulous showman I first met on a dark night in Liverpool, on their British tour last Autumn.
"It's been...fun. When we finished the English tour we went to Europe. We came back at Christmas and then went to America, which was quite a bash Two months.
"That's when I came a cropper.
I had voice trouble, these horrible nodules began to form on my vocal cords.
"I went to see specialists in England and America, and they were talking about an operation, but fortunately they seem to have gone down now and it won't be necessary.
Thank God.
In America they were talking about giving me laser beam treatment. They just singe them off, but they still don't know about the after effects, which could be dangerous.
"I had experienced trouble before, and always thought it was just a sore throat.But in America it really started hurting, especially after we did six shows in four nights."
..........
"How long had this been going on in Japan?
"Well, 'Queen II' was the LP of the year, and since then it just built up. We were given so many beautiful presents, dolls, lanterns, and they're so into rock music."
...........
"Freddie in jest, to avoid questions about their next album, which was not yet in the works: "Did I ever tell you about the time a girl pushed a dog into my arms while I was singing on stage in Toledo?"...
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lord-morpheus-ravens · 11 months
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32. markets - for the soft prompts 💖
Hello! Thank you for being my first ever prompt in this fandom, ahah! Let's set this somewhere after the end of the first season...
The market was quiet when they finally reached it; subdued, in the way of half-asleep things, bright orange and deep blue, already wrapped up in the shadows of the twilight. Few were the people still perusing the stalls, and many a seller had already begun to pack up. It was in times like this, at the threshold between day and night, that the Waking most resembled the Dreaming -its contours were gentled, its sharpness held at bay by the last rays of the setting sun, its roaring crowds reduced to a handful of stragglers, hurrying home for dinner.
Dream watched the dwindling human activity for a few moments as Hob Gadling led him around the little hidden square, seemingly searching for something. Their shoulders brushed, just barely, with every odd step, and each touch (likely unvoluntary on Hob's part) pressed a breath of warmth on Dream's perpetually cold corporeal manifestation. It was... not unwelcome.
"Have I kept you from your chores?" Dream questioned, turning just so to try and meet Hob's eyes, fixed as they were on the closing stalls. "Perhaps you would have preferred coming here earlier."
Earlier, Dream had manifested into Hob's pleasantly cluttered living room, because he had found himself wanting for company and with no pressing duties to attend to; and his friend had gotten over the fright surprisingly quickly, and, accomodating as ever, had put on the kettle for tea, and offered him sweet biscuits and idle chatter and all of his space, his time, his things.
It occurred to Dream now that it was not considered polite in human society to show up unannounced to someone else's place. "I will endeavour to send word beforehand, the next time I visit."
Hob gave him an absent-minded hum and shook his head. "It's fine, dove, I didn't mind, feel free to pop in whenever," he said, and circled Dream's arm around his own so they could be of one pace, hurrying to the other end of the emptied out space. His hair, awash in the blueish light of the growing evening, looked especially soft, and Dream had to blink himself out fixing on the heavy strands, so rich and inviting. "Besides, I know you're not very fond of crowds, so..."
It was unnerving, to be so effortlessly known. But then, when it came to this particular man, to be known was to be cared for. Strange and new, Hob's stubborn crusade to make a person out of him, the way he was constantly asking after Dream's opinions, after his needs, working off the unprecedented assumption that one such as an Endless even had needs... The tension that had snapped his spine straight melted at the first hint of a smile from Hob, and as Dream allowed himself the luxory of slouching just so (just so their bodies slid a little bit closer) he contemplated the wealth of affection given freely and without reserve, and wondered.
They strolled through the quiet marketplace, all the way to the very last stand, which was, in truth, not a stand at all, but an upturned crate, a parasol and a single young woman sitting on a folding chair, who waved at Hob rather cheerfully. "Professor! I wasn't sure you'd make it in time!"
"Told you I would, my dear," Hob replied with an easy grin. Without relinquishing his hold on Dream, he leaned in to inspect the little basket on the crate. "This is Morpheus, a very old friend. Morpheus, meet Nira, one of my first graduates."
They exchanged a polite nod.
Hob huffed, giving Dream's arm a gentle squeeze. "So... Are there any left?" he asked, and then he pulled Dream in, until he was forced to bend over. "Come on, have a look."
Inside the basket were two kittens, fluffed up and fuzzy, curled one around the other as they slept swaddled in an old blanket. One bright orange, the other dappled black, they could not be older than a couple of months; as he did all dreaming beings, he knew them, that they were warm and sleepy but had been frightened earlier. That they missed their mother, and the little sisters that had been adopted earlier in the afternoon.
"My landlord is evicting them," said Nira, perhaps picking up on his consternation. "Old man was fine with one cat, not five."
Hob smiled at Dream and tapped his free hand on the basket, carefully, so the kittens didn't even stir. "I was thinking of getting a cat," he explained. "Do you want to pick one?"
Dream pursed his lips; he glanced at the two siblings, then back at his friend, his open expression, his arm that was still wrapped around Dream's own. "They would be happier together," he said, because it was true, and because surely, surely, Hob would refuse him.
Hob's smile widened, sweet in the way it brought out the lines at the corners of his eyes, and he shrugged. "Alright then, what's one more?" he mused, and turned back toward his former student. "We'll take them both. And the basket, I suppose."
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