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alexawynters · 3 months

Text

Scarlet Whispers pt. 8

Gif not mine, as always

Trigger Warnings: Smuttttttt. Horribly written smut.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female!Reader

Rating: M. Minors DNI

Masterlist with parts 1-7 here

Chapter Eight

Translations: котёнок - Kitten; malyshka - baby; lyubov - love; dorogoya - darling; I probably missed some… I should have probably been doing this the entire time, no? Eh… My b.

A/N: Its uhhh.. My first time writing smut for the public so uh… be gentle pls? Lol. Lemme know how it went. Writing dialog and smut makes me cringe haha. This was also written while I was in the hospital. Is it bad that the 5 day stay was almost a vacation compared to life? Haha, living the dreeeaammm. Someone pls hit me with their car or something so I can go back and have 0 responsibilities for another week. Promise I won’t sue 😛

Once again, edited while floaty. Apparently that’s the only time I can get the motivation to open my laptop. In my defense, I’m currently in the middle of a move and starting a new job so pls forgive my laziness. I’m a tad overwhelmed. It’s finnnne.

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During your time at the aquarium with Wanda, you hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. Logically, you knew it was around dinner time because you both had just eaten, but you didn't realize until you both entered the dimly lit cottage that it was so dark outside. Despite the long day you’d had, you weren't ready to go to bed just yet. Body thrumming with an unfamiliar energy, and you could tell it stemmed from Wanda's hand still holding onto your waist. Now that you were home, it would be socially acceptable for her to let you go, but instead, she chose to linger.

Never one to enjoy having others in your personal space, regardless of if you were touch starved, you were thrilled to discover that you didn't mind the witch being so close to you. In fact, the mere thought of being separated from her made your stomach roil with anxiety. Looking at the redhead next to you as you traversed the hallway towards your room for the evening, a new kind of craving overcame you. This one was different from the hunger you had experienced just before dinner, and you realized that you couldn't get enough of the witch’s touch and presence.

Reaching your shared room Wanda finally moves to separate from you, and as she heads opposite from you, her hand falling away, you make a split-second decision. Well. Decision was being generous. More accurately you allowed your impulses to take over, unable to think logically - you couldn’t let Wanda get too far. Not that there was anywhere for her to go in a bedroom you both shared, but your brain wasn’t exactly running on all cylinders at this time.

“Wait!”

You don’t know what, or even if you were thinking, knowing only that in the scant few feet the witch was away from you, your whole world felt like it was collapsing. A lightly calloused hand shot out as you turned to grab her hand again, and in your exuberance, you accidentally ended up yanking the woman towards you. In an unexpected feat of grace surprising both of you, you managed to catch Wanda. Despite her velocity, you were able to use her momentum, spinning both of you. A small jolt of pain wracked through your bones as your back landed harshly against the smooth wall, with Wanda safely in your arms. Chests heaved for air, both of you having fully expected to collide, ending up in a heap on the floor.

After the initial surprise wore off, both women giggled, though neither made a move to separate. “What is it, Y/N?” the older woman asked. Amusement colored her gaze, mixed with something else you couldn’t quite decipher. You were still learning new facial expressions to this day.

“I-” You started then stopped, trying to assemble your thoughts and determine just how vulnerable you were willing to be. “Thank you, Wanda. For today. For… everything. This was..” you trailed off, unable to find the words. “Everything.”

You hoped Wanda would understand what you meant by that even if you yourself weren’t quite sure just yet. What you were sure of is that you wanted to return to Wanda at least a fraction of the care and devotion she had shown you in all this time. You knew you didn’t want her to walk away, heart aching at the concept. What you didn’t know was what you wanted to do next, you hadn’t exactly gotten that far, but you couldn’t stomach the thought of being apart from her.

The redhead’s gaze softened at your words. “You don’t need to thank me, lyubov. You deserve so much, and I just want you to be happy.”

The words “with me” went unspoken, though she was dying to let them out. Instead, well-manicured hands lifted the tips of her fingers to gently push some fallen strands of your hair from your face, as she studied you curiously. A feeling you both were on the precipice of something settled firmly within the witch’s chest. Wanda was fairly confident she knew exactly what that something was, but she wouldn’t plunge you into anything you weren’t yet ready to fall into.

Though certain in her assumptions, Wanda was unable to clearly read your surface thoughts. A jumbled mass of emotions, each thought no more than fleeting before another took its place, your mind was a whirlwind. The next steps had to be taken by you, and if you weren’t up for that yet, the redhead was content with where you both were at this moment.

A palpable tension filled the air, conveying an unspoken awareness that something transformative was about to occur. Anticipation lingered in the atmosphere, creating a delicate blend of nervousness and excitement. There was an understated, magnetic attraction that drew you closer to Wanda. Completely unaware as you were, enthralled by the alluring softness of her lips which stoked a longing within you to know if they felt as velvety as they appeared, you were unconsciously learning forward.

It was a moment of breathless expectation, where time seemed to stretch. The world had fallen away, leaving only the two of you suspended in the beauty of the impending inevitability. Eyes finally connecting with Wanda’s, a silent, mutual understanding was shared, and in that moment, you made a decision.

”May I…?” your voice a husky tremor, thick with emotion.

Never had Wanda found you more endearing than in that moment. Your innocent consideration that you would need to ask her permission after everything. As if she hadn't been waiting for this very moment for so long. As if this wasn’t what she had been waiting for since first discovering the Darkhold, and all the possibilities of a multiverse.

“Please, Y/N.” The witch’s reply was all but a breathy whisper.

As your lips and hers finally connected in a gentle, exploratory kiss, an electric current seemed to pass through their bodies, igniting a fire within your souls. It was a moment of pure magic, a culmination of all the emotions and desires that had been building between you both. Breaths mingled, blending together in a perfect harmony of passion and longing.

The softness of the kiss spoke volumes, revealing a depth of connection that you were certain words could never fully capture. A tender exchange, filled with a delicate balance of vulnerability and trust. Each touch, each movement of Wanda’s lips against yours, was deliberate, as if she was savoring every precious moment of this newfound intimacy with you.

With every passing second, the world around faded away, leaving only the two of you enveloped in a bubble of pure bliss. Time seemed to stand still as you explored this uncharted territory together. A feeling as if something inside, you hadn’t known had been missing, was now perfectly slotted into place. Home.

When it came to kissing you, Wanda marveled at the stark contrasts between your Avenger variant, and you. While your other variant was self-assured, often taking command of a kiss with practiced skill, you, on the other hand, were gentle and tentative. It was evident that you were willing to let Wanda take the lead, which she found incredibly empowering, almost addictive. She knew she should probably take this first kiss slowly for you, however, your submissiveness was simply too delicious for her to pass up such an opportunity.

Long, slender fingers came to rest just under your jaw, firmly holding you close, Wanda using her body to press you harder against the wall, as if trying to merge your two bodies into one. A gasp escaped you at the length of the witch’s body pressed so intimately against you. Wanda, ever opportunistic, took advantage of your open mouth to deepen the kiss, her lithe tongue swiping softly at the seam of your lips in askance.

You couldn’t even fathom a moment where you would ever deny Wanda this request, opening your mouth to grant her the access she desired. Her skillful tongue sensually slid against yours, eliciting a barely suppressed whimper from you. With a little coaxing Wanda was able to entice your tongues to engage in a seductive dance, leaving you breathless and heady.

Eventually, the kiss broke, leaving both of you craving more. It had opened the door to a world of possibilities, and in that moment, everything changed. The bond between the pair of you had deepened more than you could know, and more than Wanda had hoped for. Despite initial reservations, your heart knew then you would follow Wanda anywhere, irrevocably tied to the witch forever. There was no one you wanted or trusted more.

While trying to catch your breath, no words were spoken. Taking this moment, your intrusive thoughts began creeping in because of course they were. Desperately you hoped the woman wouldn’t view the kiss as a mistake, praying that you measured up to your superhero counterpart. That you were truly what she had been looking for all this time, even if you weren’t anything special.

You would do anything to have her lips on yours again, and briefly a thought occurred to you that this woman could murder you, and you would probably thank her for the privilege. Therapy, maybe you should ask Wanda if she could get you in to see a therapist, because that wasn’t concerning at all.

It wasn't in you to feel ashamed just then though, not when the very thought resonated in your soul. Gods, was this what you had been missing your entire life? And it had been right under your nose, for ages you had been unknowingly depriving yourself, hellbent on self-sabotage.

As you finally caught your breath, the witch gazed at you hungrily, causing a shiver to race down your spine.

"What do you want, detka?" Wanda asked, voice sultry. She tilted her head as if curious, but in reality, she was relishing in your disheveled appearance, eyes raking over your blown pupils, and kiss-swollen lips. So responsive for her, and this was only a kiss. Your first kiss with her, to be specific. Wanting to completely ruin you, it took every ounce of self-restraint for Wanda to wait for your answer instead.

Chest heaving, your brain struggled to pull together enough brain cells in order to provide her with an answer. When you finally spoke, your voice had a throaty quality you had never heard before.

”You. I want you.”

Green eyes, the color of jade, sparkled in such delight they could have practically illuminated the room with their vibrant glow. As you stared into her mesmerizing gaze, you got lost in her presence. Your mind was a myriad of thoughts, unable to focus on anything else. Every word she spoke, every movement she made, had a profound impact on you. As if the witch had cast a spell over you, weaving her magic effortlessly, and you willingly succumbed to her enchantment, eager to be under her captivating influence.

A mischievous smile played upon her lips, adding an air of mystery to her already enchanting demeanor. The grin hinted at the hidden depths within her, the playful intentions that lied just beneath the surface. So, as Wanda’s mischievous smile lingered, you couldn't help but be drawn further into her web of enchantment, willingly surrendering yourself to the metaphorical spell she had cast.

"Oh, lyubov, will you let me ruin you?" she asked teasingly, her voice filled with impishness and a hint of excitement.

Swallowing nervously, you felt desire building deep within you. Your experiences in this matter were limited, but you trusted the former avenger all the same. Still, you had a sneaking suspicion that whatever Wanda had in store for you would likely test your limits, even if you had no idea what those were yet. Eagerly, you nodded, ready to throw yourself headlong into this unknown, trusting the witch implicitly.

The moment her silky lips met yours once again, a hunger ignited within her, surprising both of you with its intensity and passion. Wanda pulled you close, her fingers curled in your hair, keeping you in place as she plundered your mouth. You could do little but let her lead the way, trying not to embarrass yourself with how much she was turning you on. Her sharp teeth tugged on your lower lip before biting down hard enough to draw blood. A pitiful whine was barely restrained by you as Wanda lapped at the new wound she had caused.

Deciding to test your boundaries during the kiss, the redhead gently wrapped her other hand around your throat. Not tight enough to cut off your oxygen supply, but the pressure did restrict some of the blood flow to your brain, leaving you in a deliciously foggy haze. A breathy moan escaped you, which Wanda eagerly swallowed as you gladly ceded control of the kiss to her. Pride out the window, you were no longer capable of trying to withhold any sounds she could draw from you. Wanda found it delightful that so far you were proving to be the perfect little котёнок for her. The redhead eagerly anticipated discovering what other surprises you had in store for her.

The other hand not on your neck moved from your hair down to the first button of your shirt and hesitated. “Is this okay, Y/N?” She asked, voice surprisingly soft for someone who currently had one of their hands wrapped around your neck.

Sluggish thoughts hazy with lust, you nodded with what would have probably counted as an embarrassing amount of enthusiasm. Having someone as gorgeous as Wanda in front of you, asking for your consent, you found you couldn’t be bothered by your eagerness. You were a simp, and you were fine with that. Anything to get more of Wanda touching you.

The former Avenger grinned, finding you utterly adorable. She was charmed by how needy you were for her. Unable to help but revel in the power dynamics between you, relishing the opportunity to challenge your blissed-out mind and watch as you struggled to comply with her demands. It was a delightful game for Wanda, and she was going to have fun training you.

Before she could continue though, the witch wanted you to be absolutely sure. Regardless of how long she had waited for you, if you weren’t truly ready, Wanda didn’t want to push you. She wanted all of you, everything you had to give, but if you still weren’t ready, weren’t sure, she could wait. Wanda would wait forever if she had to.

“Lyubov moya, if you want me to stop at any point, just say the word, and I’ll stop immediately, okay? Full stop, I promise, and I won’t be upset with you.” she insisted, voice thick with longing as her nose grazed gently across yours in a reassuring manner.

Even now, Wanda was always putting your safety and happiness as her top priority, endearing her evermore to you. How could you have ever doubted that this woman had anything but your best interests at heart? The purest of intentions?

Knowing it was a bit over dramatic, while you appreciated her reassurances, if the witch didn’t do something in the next few seconds, you felt like you might combust. Releasing a needy whine, you hoped to convey your desperation to Wanda who only chuckled at your behavior.

“Relax, malyshka, I’ll take good care of you, I promise. But first, I need you to use your words, darling.” The hand on your throat easing its grip a little, allowing more blood to your brain, giving you back some of your intellectual capacity.

With Wanda’s body covering yours, you petulantly ground against her in the hopes of achieving any sort of friction, causing her lips to quirk upwards in an amused smirk. You weren’t going to get out of this until she had confirmation of your understanding, and if she happened to tease you into a petulant, writing mess in the process, well, that was just the cherry on top.

Giving in, you let out a keening whimper. “I understand Wands, please. Just touch me. Please!”

A wolfish grin overtook Wanda’s face at your begging. Green eyes locked with yours, and she could see the desire and longing in your eyes, mirroring her own. The way you looked at her, with a mixture of vulnerability and trust, made her heart flutter with a sense of joy and fulfillment. You were willing to surrender yourself to her guidance, to allow her to take the lead and shape you into the person she knew you could become. That kind of implicit trust and faith you had in her shot her arousal through the roof.

With each passing moment, Wanda's excitement grew, knowing that she had the opportunity to train and mold you into her perfect little котёнок. She relished the thought of all the fun games that lay ahead, confident in her ability to guide you towards your full potential. Your willingness to submit to her desires fueled her passion, making her all the more determined to own you completely. This power was the ultimate high, and she didn’t think she could ever get enough of it.

Her hand moved from your throat to wrap around your waist with a firm yet gentle grasp, pulling you closer to her in an undeniable display of ownership. The touch of her hand on your hip sent a surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins, igniting a fire within you that you had never experienced before. It was a possessiveness that transcended the boundaries of mere desire, a possessiveness that spoke volumes about the depth of her emotions for you.

Far from being suffocating, her dominance was a testament to the strength of your bond. A tangible manifestation of the passion that burned between the two of you, it was a flame that only grew stronger with each passing moment. Her assertive touch was a declaration, a proclamation of her utter devotion and fierce protectiveness towards you.

In that instant, you couldn't help but be overwhelmed by the intensity of her feelings. A sensation that both thrilled and comforted you, it was a magnetic pull that drew you closer to her with each passing second. Feeling as if you were the center of her universe, the focus of her unfaltering attention, and you visibly preened under her attentiveness. Your hands which were clenching the bottom of her shirt held fast, unwilling to let her move more than a few inches away.

Now that she had your consent and had subtly established your place with her, Wanda's svelte hands returned to the task of unbuttoning your shirt. Unable to resist the allure of your lips for long, she passionately kissed you once again. As your lips moved against each other with a sensual rhythm, Wanda swiftly unbuttoned your shirt. Before you knew it, your shirt was completely undone, revealing your torso to her exploring hands. A shiver ran through your body as her slightly cool palm pressed against your abdomen for the very first time, the gravity of her body pressing you further into the wall. While you had felt her touch on your skin before, it had never been this intimate, this exhilarating.

As her hand glided over your bare skin, heat coursed through your body, the sensation sending shivers down your spine. The flames within you steadily stoked by every caress. Your breath hitched as her touch lingered, tracing delicate patterns along your abdomen.

Growing desperate you deepened the kiss. Your hands instinctively reach for her, moving from the hem of her shirt to tangle in her hair as you pull her closer. The magnitude of the moment was almost too much, feeling the desire consuming you from within.

Wanda's lips slid against yours with a fervent hunger. Her roving hands continued their journey, tracing every curve and contour of your torso with an almost reverent touch, sending pleasure coursing through your body. As your lips moved in perfect synchrony, heightening your senses, it left you yearning for more. The room was filled with a heady mix of desire and anticipation, as you both gave in to the draw of the moment..

Lost in the haze of passion, you couldn't help but give yourself completely to Wanda's touch. The way she explored every inch of your body with a delicate yet possessive hand left you breathless, craving more of her commanding aura. It was a dance of pleasure and surrender, a symphony of sensations that left you craving her touch like a drug. You had never needed anyone or anything as much as you needed Wanda to continue doing whatever she wanted to you.

As the kiss broke, both of you gasped for air. Wanda, still breathing heavily, leaned back to take in the sight of your newly revealed skin, her eyes darkening with want. Though never having been confident in your own body, often choosing to cover up, to hide in your self-consciousness, the way Wanda was looking at you now though left no doubt she liked what she saw. Yet still your insecurities plagued you, especially now that you were no longer covered up and there was nothing for you to hide behind.

The witch didn’t need to read your mind to know where your thoughts were going. The expression on your face, the way you tried to curl in on yourself made it plain. Voice thick with desire, Wanda needed to reassure you. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Y/N. Don’t ever let yourself believe otherwise.”

Though you didn’t truly believe her words, her tone and the way she held you like she couldn’t get enough was almost capable of convincing you in and of itself. You decided then that throwing yourself into this was the fastest way to get out of your head. Throwing caution to the wind, you slammed your lips against Wanda’s again, desperate for more of her.

Impatient, you couldn't resist the urge to guide Wanda's hands lower, craving for her to touch you more. Deft fingers brushed against a particularly sensitive spot, sending a surge of pleasure shooting through you, and tearing a quiet gasp from your mouth. Your body responded eagerly to her every caress, arching into her hands, silently begging for more. Emboldened by your response, Wanda's touch grew daring, her kisses to your neck pressing harder leaving red welts that would purple over by tomorrow. Her marks on you would tell all who you belonged to. Her fingers began exploring your body with a newfound confidence. The touch was both gentle and possessive, leaving you with the utter clarity that she wanted to mark every inch of you as her own, even the parts of you no one else would ever see.

The room was filled with the sound of your shared breaths, heavy with desire. Feeling the urgency building within you, your body pressed closer to Wanda's, seeking to ease some of the pressure within. Her touch was all at once overwhelming yet not enough.

Determined to elicit every delicious sound she could from you, one of Wanda's hands finally moved to your breast. Gently she cupped it while her thumb teased you by gliding around your areola, avoiding your hardened bud. She took great enjoyment in your whimpers and gasps as she teased you. If she had it her way, she would keep you like this, never giving you quite what you wanted. Wanda would ease you into that eventually though. For now, this was enough.

Eventually she had mercy on you, letting her thumb lightly graze across your nipple. A deep, throaty groan emanated from within you, your hips bucking against hers, unbidden. Taking the opportunity you had presented her with, Wanda slotted her knee between your thighs, applying firm pressure just where you needed it most. You whispered an exhaled curse as your head slumped forward onto the older woman’s shoulder. Your grip on her tightened, the urge to just rut against Wanda’s leg nearly overpowering what little was left of your rational mind.

Wanda could feel the subtle grinding of your hips against her leg, and she encouraged it, pressing harder each time you arched towards her. The witch grasped your hips firmly, helping to set your rhythm as you desperately sought more friction between the apex of your thighs.

For someone who hadn't even taken off their pants yet, you were surprisingly worked up, but you were far too focused on chasing your high to be overly concerned about it. Sensing how close you were, Wanda pulled away from you, calling forth a keening whine from you. The older woman chuckled softly at your desperation. Her raspy voice next to your ear made you shudder.

"Patience, dorogoya, I don't want you to come just yet unless it's in my mouth or on my fingers."

Wholly unprepared for her words as you were, they almost single-handedly threatened to ruin the witch’s plans as you nearly came on the spot. Wanda was aware that you had likely never edged before, and while she should have shown some mercy, she found no enjoyment in that prospect. Her intention was to have you so drunk for her to the point where you would become a helpless, trembling wreck, willing to do anything she desired just to reach that peak. Then, she planned to repeatedly push you off that ledge so many times that you would be a boneless, quivering mess for her by the time she was done with you.

As her words hung in the air, you felt a mixture of anticipation and hesitation. This was a new territory for you, one that you weren't entirely sure of what you were getting into. But as you looked into Wanda's eyes, filled with desire and a touch of mischief, you couldn't deny your feelings. You wanted to experience everything she was willing to show you, to give yourself fully and trust in her to guide you through this journey of pleasure.

With a deep breath, you nodded, your voice barely above a whisper, "I trust you, Wanda."

A smug smile played on Wanda's lips as she gently held your cheek. "Good," she purred, her voice laced with satisfaction. "I promise you won't regret it. Now, let’s take this to the bed.” She didn’t want your first time together to be rutting up against a wall.

Wanda grasped your hand, leading you the remainder of the distance to your shared bed. Once there the witch assisted you in removing the remnants of your clothes, gently pushing you backwards onto the bed. Before joining you, she took a moment to admire your naked body, as you looked up at her with a combination of desire and excitement. You were uncertain of her intentions, but the fact that you were willing to trust her filled Wanda's heart with joy.

With a gaze that could only be described as ravenous, she studied you and quietly uttered a curse. "Fucking exquisite" she husked, hoping to drive home her words from earlier.

Squirming under her intense gaze, you blushed deeply at her compliment. No one had ever called you that before, not in your entire life. The longer you laid there, alone under her scrutiny, the greater your need for Wanda grew. Before you could ask her to rejoin you, she was already removing her own clothes with purpose. You waited with bated breath, as Wanda revealed her body which you swore could have been sculpted by Michelangelo himself. Honestly, you thought it was a little unfair for someone to look so perfect. You felt absolutely privileged to be in this moment with her, that she had chosen you of all people to witness her glory. No one you had ever seen, in person or even on tv could compare. Wanda was a goddess, and you wanted to worship at her altar.

The redhead knew she was an attractive woman, but your loud thoughts were giving her quite the ego boost. She had you right where she wanted you, but Wanda would be damned if she allowed your self-deprecation to continue. There was not a single doubt in her mind that you were equally deserving to be here with her.

“Your thoughts are loud, malyshka.” She almost giggled at how red your face turned when she called you out, reminding you of her powers, and your gaze dropped.

“While I’m flattered, darling, you need to know.” Wanda said with certainty as she began crawling up the bed towards you. Once she had crawled up the length of your body, the witch trailed her fingertips along your thigh, and up your torso to your face. Curling a graceful finger under your chin, she tilted your face upwards until you made eye contact.

“You are stunning, lyubov moya. There is no one else I would want to be here with right now. Not in the entire multiverse, believe me, I’ve looked. No one but you. Can you trust me on that, Y/N?”

Green eyes searched Y/E/C for any sign of lingering insecurity. With the witch looking at you so earnestly, your doubts faded into the background. They would likely never be completely silent, but in this moment, those thoughts were just white noise. Speaking was currently too difficult for you so instead you simply nodded at her words.

No longer able to hear your uncertainty as loudly, Wanda felt you were ready to continue. “Good, but just to make sure, I’m going to show you.”

Before you could ask what she meant, Wanda kissed you again. Her hand, which was previously under your chin, caressed down your chest and cupped your breast. She gave it a gentle squeeze, causing a soft sound to escape your throat.

As Wanda's touch re-ignited the flicker of pleasure within you, her lips and tongue traced a path of heated kisses down your neck, leaving a hot trail of saliva behind. Her skilled hand continued to explore your body, evoking an oeuvre of gasps and moans. Eventually, her lips settled on one of the places you desired the most, enveloping your nipple.

Once Wanda's lips closed around your hardened bud, a jolt of pleasure shot through your body, causing you to arch your back in response. Her tongue teased and circled the sensitive bud, sending ecstasy pulsating through your veins. While Wanda continued to lavish attention on your aching nipple, her other hand trailed down your body, caressing and exploring every inch of your skin. The combination of her skilled touch and the intense pleasure coursing through your body made it difficult to think or focus on anything else.

Her hand continued its exploration, gliding over your skin with a feather-light touch. Every brush of her fingertips, each flick of her tongue against you sent your arousal to new heights. Your senses were completely consumed by her, the world around you fading once again into a distant blur.

Completely at Wanda's mercy, you found yourself basking in her every touch and caress. The pleasure she was bestowing upon you was the best high you had ever felt, addictive and irresistible. Your mind was filled with a primal need, a craving for more of the pleasure that only she could provide.

Wanda switched breasts, moving to lavish attention on the other one ensuring it didn't feel neglected. Her hand continued to tease your flesh, raising goosebumps to form on your skin.

Unable to sit still, your own hands came up to tangle themselves in the redhead’s hair. Head held firmly in place by you, Wanda's hand slid lower, exploring the wetness that had pooled between your thighs. Svelte fingers teased your entrance, and you gasped as the anticipation nearly undid you. Back arched, begging for more, you whispered a “please!”

Helpless to deny your plea, Wanda's fingers dipped inside you, your slick allowing them to slide in with ease. You moaned lowly as she began to move her fingers in a slow, deliberate rhythm, curling and stroking against your most sensitive spots. The pleasure built within you, radiating through your body like an electric current.

Your hands tightened in her hair, pulling her closer to you as your hips instinctively rocked against her hand, seeking deeper pleasure. Wanda matched your movements, her pace increasing, driving you closer to the edge. Her lips found yours once again, swallowing your moans as the pleasure consumed you.

The room was filled with the sound of your shared breaths, the wet, almost obscene sound of her fingers moving inside you, and the symphony of your pleasure. Each stroke of her fingers sent you spiraling further into this rapturous euphoria, your body trembling with desire.

Lost in the carnality of the moment, you could feel the heat building within you, the pressure mounting until you were teetering on the edge. Sensing your imminent release, Wanda's fingers quickened their pace, driving you towards oblivion. Moans growing louder, they mingled with the sound of your ragged breaths.

“Are you gonna come for me baby?” She asked, voice dripping sweetly with lust, not letting up the pace even a little. The woman knew what she was doing to you, and couldn’t resist drawing it out just a bit.

Beneath her, you squirmed and bucked in place, desperation eeking off you in waves. You hadn’t exactly had many partners to begin with, and you had certainly never been especially vocal with any of them. Wanda couldn't have you being all shy on her now though. She wanted to hear each and every sound she could possibly draw out of you as proof of how good she was making you feel, her fingers hitting that special spot deep inside of you that had always been just out of your own reach.

“Now dorogaya, use your words. Are you going to be a good girl and come for me? If you can’t answer me then I guess I should stop.” Wanda slowed her pace and you all but wailed your frustration.

“Yes, yes I’m going to come. I’m so close, Wands, please don’t stop!”

Truthfully that should have been enough for her but sadistically she wanted to push your boundaries further still. She smirked at your pleas.

“I won’t stop, Y/N, but you can’t come until I give you permission.”

You didn’t think you had ever been on such a precipice of euphoria before. It was right there if only Wanda would let you. Part of you wanted to ignore what she said and let yourself go, but the part of you that yearned to be good for her won out in the end.

You begged pitifully. “Please Wanda, please let me come! I’ll be your good girl, please, just let me come!” You would say anything the woman wanted as long as she would let you finally finish.

It was positively sinful how your submission made Wanda feel. She wanted to experience you like this every day for the rest of your lives. The tremor of your voice as you begged, how quickly and completely you accepted her commands, it was positively sublime.

“Well when you beg so prettily for me, how can I resist? Be a good girl, Y/N - come for me.” Her fingers curled deliciously, mercilessly hitting your new favorite spot.

With Wanda’s permission, the world shattered around you as your orgasm crashed over. Your body convulsed with exquisite hedonism, every nerve ending alive with sensation. Wanda's name were the only words from your mouth as you rode the high, your orgasm careening over you in a tidal wave of pleasure.

For Wanda, feeling your wet heat tighten around her fingers, practically refusing to allow her to pull back to even help you through your peak, was so perfect. You didn’t know it, but it was enough to make Wanda topple over the edge alongside you, her head dropping to the crook of your neck while she whispered sweet nothings in your ear, struggling to bring you gently down from your high.

As the aftershocks of your release subsided, Wanda gently withdrew her fingers, her touch lingering for a moment before she pressed a soft kiss to your lips. She held you close, her presence a comforting anchor as you came down from the heights of pleasure. You whimpered at the feeling of emptiness after being so joyously full.

Breathless and sated, you nestled into her embrace, feeling a profound sense of contentment and connection. And as you lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, you felt that this was just the beginning of something beautiful between you both. You had made the decision to trust Wanda with your body, heart, and soul, and in this moment, everything felt so right.

Wanting to return the favor, and make Wanda feel as good as you did, but as you tried to shift in her embrace, the former avenger simply held you tighter. Feeling rejected, you wilted in her arms. Perhaps you had already failed to live up to her expectations, so much so that she didn’t even want you to touch her. How heartbreaking to have failed so soon, to never get the chance to prove yourself.

Voice soft, Wanda alleviates your fears. “Not tonight, darling. Tonight was all about you. Rest with me for a little while, detka, I just want to hold you. May I do that, Y/N?”

Murmuring a quiet assent, you settled into the comfort Wanda provided. You both laid there, basking in the intimacy you both had just shared, feeling content and happy. It wasn’t long until your eyes began to droop, signifying you were about to nod off.

Sensing how close you were to sleep, the witch gently roused you. She giggled at your grumblings for the disruption but insisted you both needed to clean up. Shaking your head, you whined as you tried to hold her in place with you, unwilling to let her go for any reason. Wanda had to actively restrain herself from cooing at your adorable stubbornness.

“Come on now, it’ll be just a few minutes and then we can go back to sleep, okay darling?”

Petulantly you shook your head, and Wanda full on belly laughed, holding you tightly to her while she did so. Her laughter was infectious, and you couldn’t help but chuckle as well, knowing you were being a bit ridiculous.

Eventually, both of you calmed down, and Wanda pulled away from your embrace, mentioning that she would be right back. You let her go, but you pouted the entire time she was in the bathroom. After a few moments, you could hear the sink running, and then the witch returned to you with a warm, damp washcloth in her hand. With an unprecedented level of care, Wanda cleaned between your legs, removing any trace of the night's activities, while being mindful not to overstimulate you.

“There we go, detka. All clean. Let me just throw this in the sink, and we can go to sleep.”

Doing exactly as she had said, Wanda quickly returned, swiftly maneuvering her way into the cozy bed beside you. With a few gentle movements, she skillfully arranged the soft sheets to envelop both of you, creating a warm and comfortable cocoon.

Once she was finished setting up the sheets, you wasted no time in crawling back into her arms, burying your face into the divot where her neck and shoulder met. You felt like you had been through the wringer, but in the best way. When she had gotten up to clean you both, with her no longer being in your arms, your emotions had run all over the place. Now all you wanted was to be as physically close to the redhead as possible, to reassure yourself that she wasn’t abandoning you after such a vulnerable act.

Wanda was not at all opposed. Quite thrilled in fact, and as she held you, one hand came to gingerly trace random shapes along the side of your face, whispering nonsensical words of love and solace. Pillowy lips placed a soft kiss to your forehead.

As you drifted off to sleep, feeling safer and happier than in your entire life, you heard Wanda whisper in her native tongue. You were curious, but too far gone to ask her what she meant.

“я так люблю тебя, дорогая. (I love you so much, darling.) I promise I will always keep you safe, and I will never let you go.”

A/N 2: ... Why do I have a higher word count for a chapter with smut than any other chapter? .... Reasons. We're going with "reasons". So uhhh... yay? nay? Yeet myself off a cliff? Also if anyone wants to be added to the taglist just lemme know in the comments.

Taglist: @dorabledewdroop

#Wanda maximoff x reader #dark!wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x fem!reader #wanda maximoff x f!reader #wanda maximoff x female reader #dark!wanda maximoff #dark!wanda maximoff x reader #wanda x reader #dark wanda x reader #yandere!Wanda #yandere wanda maximoff #wanda x y/n #wanda x you #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader

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strawbxrryhwa · 1 year

Text

"I like you." - park seonghwa.

pairing - park seonghwa x fembodied!reader

genre/warnings - smut! mdni. toxic!seonghwa, dom!seonghwa, sub!reader, fingering, unprotected sex (pls don’t), slight choking (he literally only loosely wraps his hand around readers throat), let me know if i missed anything!

word count - 4.5k

authors note - hii everyone! this is officially my first post on here, so i’m most definitely super nervous.. but i hope you enjoy!!

A knock could be heard echoing through Seonghwas house; bouncing across the walls. Outside of the door you stood, anxiously waiting, nerves running through your body. You fiddled with the strap on your bag, trying to distract your mind and keep your thoughts collected.

Seonghwa had invited you to another one of those horrible parties he kept attending; or more accurately threatend you to go. Parties weren’t really your thing. It wasn’t like you didn’t like them, you enjoyed parties. You just didn’t enjoy seeing Seonghwa make out with every other girl there. You would have rather stayed at home; reading books in the comfort of your bed. Not getting your heart broken while you're out to have a good time.

Seonghwa was known to be a bit of a fuckboy. Sleeping around with whoever he could seduce; and sadly, you had fallen for his charm. You had been friends with him for as long as you could remember. Both his and your mom had been childhood friends, so it just kind of happened that you both ended up as friends. Your crush on him had developed pretty early on. But you were scared to ruin the friendship you had; so you just kept quiet.

Your thoughts were interrupted by the door flying open in front of you. You looked up to see Seonghwa greeting you with a smile, stepping to the side and motioning for you to come inside. You smiled stepping inside, letting your bag slip down to the floor. Seonghwa closed the door behind you as you bent down to untie your shoes; not noticing the way Seonghwa lingered by the door, eyes stuck on you.

You put your shoes away on the shoe rack to not anger the clean freak; grabbing your bag and standing back up, turning to him with a smile. “I thought you’d be late,” Seonghwa taunted with a cheeky grin, moving away from the door to walk towards his bedroom. You rolled your eyes at him, even though he had his back turned to you.

“I’m not always late,” You said, annoyance dripping in your words. Sure, you had a small habit of being late sometimes. But it definitely wasn’t as bad as Seonghwa made it out to be. “Yeah, sure.” He scoffed.

Walking into his room was just the same as always. His bed perfectly made, not a speck of dust in sight and the pleasant mild scent of lavender filling your nose. You inhaled deeply, enjoying the familiar scent. A small smile spread over your lips.

You shot a glance at his bed, smile dropping, before looking over at his desk, already knowing where you’d choose to sit. You sat down, your bag once again hitting the floor. You let out an overdramatic annoyed sigh while slumping back in the chair, glancing over at Seonghwa to see his reaction. He looked over at you, eyebrows raised with a confused expression on his face.

“What’s up?” He asked, turning back around to his closet; going back to his search for an outfit. “Do we really have to go?” You groaned while throwing your head back. Seonghwa felt himself twitch. He turned back to look at you, thousands of sinful images running through his head seeing you in the position you were in.

“Come on, don’t be such a bore,” He walked over to you, his head hovering over yours. You looked up at him rolling your eyes, moving back up so you were sitting normally. Seonghwa spun the chair in his direction; his hands resting on the armrests. He leaned over you slightly, eyes staring into yours. “You’d just stay at home reading one of those boring books of yours.” He said, a small smirk spread across his lips. You felt your cheeks go hot. You crossed your arms and quickly turned away from him.

“I would’ve preferred that actually.”

Seonghwa chuckled before pushing himself off the chair. Your head snapped back to him, watching him walk back to his wardrobe; your eyes scanning his body.

You broke your eyes away from him, looking around his room; eyes shooting towards his bed. Your head began swarming. Seonghwa had told you about the multiple times he’s had girls over. It was painful to listen to; but you were so close, so it wasn’t weird. Right? He was your best friend, telling you those things in details couldnt be weird, right? “You know what,” You began as you stood up, grabbing your bag and throwing it over your shoulder. “I’ll sleep in the guestroom tonight.”

“Why? We always share a bed,” Seonghwa answered, currently buttoning up the shirt he had decided to wear. “There is no way you’re sleeping in the guestroom.” He continued, head turning to look at you as you moved closer to the door of his bedroom. You shrugged. “I’d rather get settled in there right away, rather than being kicked out when you bring a girl home.” You joked, hand grabbing the handle of the door.

He raised an eyebrow, tucking the front of his shirt into his pants before walking towards you. “I won’t bring home a girl if you’re here, stupid,” He reached for your bag and took it from you, his other hand reaching for yours. He dragged you towards his bed, letting your bag fall to the floor before sitting you down. “You’re sleeping in here with me, that’s final.”

Your heart skipped a beat, air trapped in your lungs as you looked up towards Seonghwa towering over you. You swallowed before gathering enough courage to speak. “Yeah, whatever.” Was all you managed to mumble out, face turning away from him.

“Good girl.”

He smiled, petting your head before turning away from you; getting back to finish getting ready.

The cab ride there felt like torture. Your heart felt like it was about to jump out your throat. Your nerves almost completely taking over. You were fiddling with your hands in your lap, staring out the window; when you felt a hand on your bare thigh. You looked down and followed the hand up to see Seonghwa looking back at you.

“You good?” He asked, voice dripping in concern. You smiled and nodded, doing your best to cover it up. He slowly nodded, keeping his eyes on you. You turned back to look out the window; praying the car ride would be over soon. Hyper-aware of his hand on your thigh. You shifted in your seat, nerves growing the longer his hand was kept on your thigh. Seonghwa smirked seeing you shift under his touch: his pointer finger slowly started moving in a circular motion, smirk growing bigger as he saw you shiver.

He had always enjoyed teasing you. Knowing full well the control he had over you. It was like he knew you liked him, but wouldn’t dare do anything about it.

You kept your gaze glued to the window, head foggy as you felt his hand move the slightest bit further up your leg. But before he could do anything else the cab driver announced your arrival.

You let out a sigh of relief as you felt Seonghwas hand leave your thigh. You both got out of the car and Seonghwa walked up to you throwing his arm over your shoulders.

“Let’s go!”

Hearing the loud music booming out of the house made you cringe. Regret flowing through you like crazy; and stepping inside the house only made it worse. The music already making your head ache. You both wandered further into the house; finding your way to the livingroom to find the rest of your friends. You noticed Mingi fairly quickly, nudging Seonghwa to point in their direction.

When getting closer to the rest of the guys you shrugged off Seonghwas arm from your shoulders; wrapping your arms around Mingi in a hug, greeting him. You broke free from him and turned to greet the rest of the boys; your nerves slowly disappearing.

Time seemed like it just flew by as you all sat together. All your worries had completely weared off; and for once you were actually having a lot of fun at a party like this. You were currently laughing like crazy over a horrible joke Mingi had thrown out, your hand found its way to his arm; playfully slapping it. Seonghwa took notice and couldn’t help but glare at the interaction; before his eyes scanned the room.

His eyes landed upon a girl dancing in the middle of the room, a small smirk spreading across his face. He stood up, excusing himself from the group before making his way over with two things in mind; sex and revenge. Seeing what direction he was going in made it click, you knew exactly what he was about to do. I won’t bring home a girl if you’re here, stupid. Yeah, right. Your mood immediately switched, feeling like you just shrunk in size; wishing you could just vanish into the couch you were sitting on.

Mingi quickly noticed the shift in your body language, eyes following the direction you were looking only to see Seonghwa make out with some girl in the middle of the room. Mingi felt his jaw clench; if only looks could kill. Mingi knew about your crush, being the only person you had opened up to about it. He had kind of picked up on it by himself and eventually asked you about it, his suspicions getting confirmed. He had been there for you whenever it got too overwhelming, being the second closest person to you after Seonghwa.

Mingi teared his eyes away from his friend, looking back at you; face softening. “You wanna go outside for a bit?” He yelled over the music, nudging you. Your eyes shot up to him, answering with a nod. You both got up and Mingi grabbed hold of your hand, leading you outside. Seonghwa noticed, lips breaking away from the girl in front of him to watch you leave.

You took a deep breath as soon as you stepped outside the door; the cool air hitting your skin. You both headed over to a nearby bench and sat down. You sighed, head dropping down as you let out a laugh. Mingis head turned to look at you, eyebrows raised in confusion and shock at the sudden action.

“It’s ridiculous,” You began, throwing your head back and looking up at the star-filled sky. “It’s been years at this point.” You trailed off; not being too sure where you wanted to go with what you were saying. Mingi kept quiet and wrapped you into a hug, resting your head on his chest. You both sat like that for a while; you couldn’t even cry. How could you even? It had been going on for years; but still you just couldn’t seem to get rid of the feelings you had; and it was not like Seonghwa made it any easier for you.

Mingi gently patted your head with his hand, the other one gently rubbing up and down your back. You sighed, eyes tightly closing before breaking free from his grasp. You opened your eyes again and gave him a small smile.

“I think I’ll just go home early.” You sighed, looking back towards the house. “Could you tell the others I just got too tired or something?” You asked, looking back at him.

“You sure?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at you. Mingi knew you too well, he didn’t want to let you go; knowing you’d overthink and that you shouldn’t be left alone. But he couldn’t really stop you either.

“I’m sure,” You started. You stood back up, looking down at the man in front of you. “I want to get back home before him, so I can sneak into the guestroom.” You tried to joke, a dry laugh leaving your throat. Mingi didn’t really find your horrible joke funny, but still chuckled as he stood up.

“I’ll call you a cab.” He said, fishing his phone out of his pocket. Shooting a smile your way.

A pleasant sigh escaped your lips as you snuggled down into the bed in the guestroom. You had managed to remove your makeup and change into your pajamas, which ironically happened to be one of Seonghwas shirts.

I won’t bring home a girl if you’re here, stupid.

His words kept repeating in your head, almost taunting you. Why did you agree? You had always declined Seonghwas invitation to parties, no matter how much he tried or begged you always declined; so why didn't you do it this time? Why? What was so different?

More questions swarmed your head as you felt tears well up in your eyes, allowing them to fall. All you wanted was to turn back time, to go back and decline his invitation. Maybe even travel back further in time to slap yourself for allowing this crush to appear in the first place.

Your thoughts got interrupted by the sound of the front door opening; making you freeze, holding your breath as you heard the house fill up with laughter.

Seonghwa and the same girl he met from the party stumbled into the house. Seonghwas hands explored the girl's body, lips kissing down her neck. Moanes escaped the girls throat, her hands finding their way into Seonghwas hair, slightly pulling on it. He groaned from the feeling, leading her further into the house as they kept their hands on each other.

You could hear it all, as well as their footsteps going further into the house. You turned your back towards the door, tightly closing your eyes praying for sleep to just take over so you could escape the sounds. You heard them pass Seonghwas room, confusion filling you. Their footsteps were getting closer to your door; and suddenly it swung open. All the noise abruptly stopped.

The silence was killing you, it felt like they stood there for an eternity before you could hear them move away from the door. You let out a quiet sigh of relief, letting your body relax. But it didn’t last for long; you could already hear the moans coming from his room. His groans making your face heat up. But tears yet again spilling from your eyes as you realized what he was actually doing. It didn’t take too long for you to fall asleep though, the party, tears and just everything had you completely exhausted.

Waking up was the last thing you wanted to do, you didn’t even bother opening your eyes before trying to fall back into sleep. Feeling heavy you let out a groan as you tried to shift in bed, only to realize you had a pair of arms wrapped around you.

You froze from the realization, opening your eyes only to be met by Seonghwas bare chest. Your breath got caught in your throat from the shock, mind going blank as you laid there. You tried to carefully turn your body to the other side to get out of his grip and leave; but you only made it to your back before you felt yourself getting pulled closer to Seonghwa.

“Good morning.” He mumbled, his voice raspy from just waking up making your stomach flip. All you managed to let out was a quiet ‘hm’ as a response, once again moving to get out of his grip. He groaned from your action, once again pulling you closer; if that was even possible. Your head was pushed up against his chest again and you held in a breath.

“What are you doing?” He started, slightly lifting his head to look down at your face that laid pressed against him. “Just go back to sleep.” He finished, head falling back into his pillow, slightly squeezing you. You sighed. There was no way you were going back to sleep now, being wide awake. What is he doing in here? You moved your head to look around the room, only for the realization to hit that you were in fact not in the guestroom.

You pushed away from him, finally escaping his hold on you. You rolled over to get out of bed but felt his hands sneak around your waist yet again. He pulled you back up against him, his head snuggling into your neck.

“Let go, Seonghwa.” He felt his body freeze, knowing you were mad at him. You never addressed him by his full name, just only whenever you were genuinely pissed at him. A small smirk spread across his lips as he let himself relax, pushing his head closer into your neck, giving it a small peck just to tease you. His smirk only grew bigger as he felt your body go stiff.

“I changed the sheets already.”

His statement caught you off guard. So what? As if that was enough to actually make you want to stay in bed with him.

You both laid there quietly for a while. Thoughts running through your mind; but they quickly got interrupted as you felt Seonghwas lips press against your neck once again. One of his hands slowly caressing the side of your body. Shivers ran through your body from his touch, you felt your body heat up; thighs pressing together.

He shifted behind you, his hand slowly moving closer to your boobs. He nibbled on your ear as you felt his hand pinch your nipple through your shirt. You squirmed in his arms, back slightly arching and your ass pressed up against him; feeling the bulge growing in his pants. You let out a whimper as you felt him kiss down the side of your neck, slightly nibbling and sucking on the skin.

“I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” He mumbled into your skin, groaning as he felt you brush up against him. Suddenly he was hovering over you, eyes staring into yours. You held in a moan as you felt him press himself against you, your back arching from the contact. “I want to hear you, baby.” He groaned, grinding against you. His lips found their way back to the side of your neck, harshly sucking and biting on the skin; painting it with hickeys. His hands traveled over your body as whimpers kept escaping your lips; low groans leaving him, vibrating against your skin.

One of his hands traveled down your body, pressing against your core. You gasped loudly, eyes shooting open to be met by Seonghwas. “You’re so wet for me, baby” His fingers slowly drawing circles on your clit over your panties. “Such a good girl” He cooed, his other hand caressing your cheek. His words made your mind go blank. Was this actually happening right now?

His lips smashed against yours, desperate to taste you. You kissed him back, your hands sneaking into his hair; slightly pulling on it. He groaned into your mouth from the action, feeling like he was about to snap any second. He nibbled on your bottom lip, tongue immediately going in to explore your mouth once you opened it for him.

He broke away from the kiss as his hand left your dripping pussy. You whined, bucking your hips; missing his touch already. He chuckled, looking down at your face filled with desperation to be touched. His hand moved up to your face, holding his fingers out to you.

“Open up, baby,” He said, a small smile on his face. You hesitated, staring up into his eyes. “Come on, be a good girl for me.” You slowly opened your mouth, allowing him to stick his fingers inside. Your mouth closed around his fingers, your tongue dancing around them. You moaned against them as you tasted yourself.

He groaned from the sight, feeling himself grow harder by the second. “There we go, baby.” He pulled his fingers out of your mouth before moving to sit up. His hands traveling up and down your thighs.

Seonghwa felt like he was on fire, seeing you like this on his bed had him feeling like he was going insane. He had waited for so long, sleeping with a bunch of girls wishing it would’ve just always been you. But now you laid in front of him, desperate to feel his touch.

“Hwa…” You managed to whimper out his name. Waiting for him to do anything, rather than just stare at you. Something in him snapped, hearing you whimper out his name had his head spinning. Without a second thought he ripped your panties off, throwing them to the side. His lips found their way back to yours, his fingers going back to pussy. You gasped from the sudden action, your back arching from the feeling.

“I’ll make you feel so good baby,” He said, lips moving down your throat. His lips left your body for a split second as he threw your shirt off, throwing it in the same direction as your panties.

His mouth found its way to your boobs, putting one of them in your mouth, sucking and biting on your nipple as his hand gave attention to your other one; pinching and squeezing on it. His other hand found its way back to your pussy, pushing two of his fingers inside without warning. You were a moaning mess underneath him, your hands once again tangling into his hair; tugging and pulling.

You couldn’t think straight, your back arched and your body kept squirming. The feeling was overwhelming, you felt his fingers stretch you out; curling inside of you. The way he was touching you, as if he knew exactly what to do to make you go dumb. It was as if he knew your body like the back of his hand.

He pushed a third finger inside, tears welling up in your eyes. You let out a sob as the pleasure became almost overwhelming. The tears fell from your eyes; and you felt your legs begin to shake as his fingers kept pumping in and out of you.

Seonghwa lifted his head away from your chest, but his fingers never dared to stop. “Are you feeling good, baby?” He asked, his other hand moving to caress your cheek. You nodded your head yes; unable to form a proper sentence. He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Use your words, baby.” He stopped completely, his fingers slipping out of you.

“Y-yes…” You managed to breathe out, wanting for him to touch you again. “There you go,” His fingers slowly pushing into you again. “You’re such a good girl for me,” He continued, his free hand running through your hair. His lips moving to the side of your neck again, planting soft kisses over the hickeys he left.

“Let me hear you baby,” He said in between kisses while making sure he was stretching you out enough. “Say my name.”

“Seonghwa.” You whined; and that was enough to make him lose it. The groan he let out was enough to almost push you over the edge. His fingers slid out of you, moving to push down his pants enough to let his cock out. Without a second thought he pushed into you, shocking you enough for a scream to escape your throat.

He stopped moving as soon as he was fully inside of you, his head falling into the crook of your neck. Tears streamed down your face from the sudden shock and the amount of pleasure you were feeling; small sobs continuing to escape your throat. Seonghwa whispered sweet nothings into your ear, doing his best to stop himself from just fucking you dumb there and then. Your arms wrapped around his neck, slowly getting used to him inside you.

“You good, baby?” You managed to let out a small ‘yes’, making sure you actually used your words this time. You felt him nod in your neck. He planted sweet kisses over your shoulder as he slowly started moving.

It didn’t take long for him to slowly speed up his pace, lips trailing back up to the side of your neck; once again sucking and biting on the already sensitive skin. One of his hands moved to loosely wrap around your throat.

The pleasure had you feeling like you were about to slip away, you were a whining mess under him; your eyes rolling back. The sounds escaping Seonghwas mouth had your head spinning, turning you on even more.

Seonghwa was loosing it completely. The feeling of you clenching around him almost made him go insane; the pretty sounds leaving you only adding to it. His lips left your neck to meet yours, knowing he wouldn’t last much longer.

You could feel yourself getting close, legs shaking as broken moans left you. Seonghwa wrapped your legs around his waist, pushing even deeper and faster into you.

“Seonghwa… I’m…” Was all you managed to get out between kisses. “It’s alright, baby.” He reassured, knowing he was reaching his high as well.

You let out a loud moan as your orgasm washed through you, Seonghwas thrusts getting sloppier; loosing its rhythm. He kept thrusting into you, helping you ride out your high before pulling out; spilling his seed out onto your stomach. He planted one last sweet kiss onto your lips before getting off you.

He got off the bed, pulling his pants back up before leaving the room. You stayed still on the bed, your legs still slightly shaking; mind blank. What just happened?

Before you knew it Seonghwa was back, gently wiping you clean with a warm wet towel. Once he finished he picked you up without a word, moving you into the bathroom; gently helping you into his bathtub. You melted in the hot water, body relaxing. Your eyes closed, a pleasant sigh leaving your lips.

“Are you alright, y/n?” Your eyes opened back up, looking over at Seonghwa. His face was soft, a small smile spread across his lips as he stared down at you from the side of the tub. You nodded, one of your hands reaching for him. “Join me.” You let out, slightly embarrassed; even after everything you just did.

Without another word he got undressed. You moved so he could sit down behind you, leaning back against him. You both sat there quietly for a while, just enjoying the warmth of the water. Seonghwa had his arms wrapped around your waist, with a smile stuck on his face.

Seonghwa helped you wash up before helping you back into bed; making sure to change his sheets before doing so. You were both laying in each other's arms, still quiet. You were too scared to speak; afraid to ruin the moment. You could feel your heartbeat speed up, the realization of what had just actually happened almost pushing you into a panicked state.

“I like you.” The words escaped your mouth before you could even react. Slapping one of your hands over your mouth, cursing at yourself. You heard Seonghwa chuckle, one of his hands running up and down your back in a comforting manner.

“I like you too.”

#park seonghwa smut #seonghwa smut #park seonghwa #seonghwa hard hours #park seonghwa hard thoughts #seonghwa hard thoughts #ateez smut #ateez hard hours #ateez hard thoughts #seonghwa x reader #seonghwa ateez

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deepdisireslonging · 2 months

Text

Ready for Tomorrow

The Reader finds out who brought her home after her binge. She regrets getting drunk at all, but things work out for the better. Much much better.

Pairing: Jason Todd x Reader

Warnings/Promises: alcohol discussion, angst, fluff, smut (trifecta!)

Word Count: 3540

Note: Here is part 2 of the commission I received. I tried to squeeze in as much heartfelt emotion into this part as I could. Let me know how I did, and happy reading!

Part 1: Replacing the Regrets

Quietly, you reached into your nightstand for your throwing knives. Your blood ran cold.

They weren’t there.

As footsteps approached your door, the worst options of who could be on the other side of the wood swirled in your head. You didn’t feel drugged. But you had plenty of enemies whose real faces you didn’t know by sight. None of them should know where you lived. Henchmen and mob bosses could have found out. Unless you told them while drunk.

You kind of hoped it was Dick about to walk in. You had been careless.

As the doorknob turned, you slid to the side of the bed, ready to jump and defend yourself.

“Mornin’, sunshine. How’s your head?”

“Jason?”

His hair, ruffled from sleeping in who knows what tangled position on your couch, barely covered up how his eyebrows shot up. “Yeah? Who did you think brought you home, Sweetheart?” His focus shifted to not spilling anything on the tray in his hands. So, he had made you breakfast. And when your answer wasn’t forthcoming, he eyed you again before placing it in your lap. “You don’t remember? Anything?” He chuckled, unsurprised. “Wow. You were ‘out’ out. Don’t know why I’m surprised, considering how you acted last night.”

You swallowed thickly. “How- how did I act last night?”

“Clingy. Crying. To your credit, you only threw up once. And it was in the bushes before we made it to the bike.”

“You brought me home on your bike!”

He shrugged. “Didn’t want to leave it there. And I’m not positive a cab would have come even if I called one.” Handing you a fork, he eyed you again. “That was… an interesting part of town you were in. What made you go there?”

Instead of answering, you let your thoughts congeal while taking a bite of your breakfast. He had remembered your favorite fare. “I- The only good thing about that side is that people don’t usually ask questions when a girl wants to drink alone.” You took a sip of coffee, nearly choking on how strong it was. “Clingy and crying. That’s not too bad.”

“Nah. And I’m used to it.”

The guilt turned your bones to magma, making you wish you could melt through the floor. All of those conversations about his mother and having to clean up after her hit you hard. The weight of him crying into your shoulder when she was gone. Missing her even after everything she had put him through. Knowing that you had made him relive any of that, even to a small degree, made your heart ache. When you tried to fumble through an apology, he waved it away. Still, you pressed on. Even when he took your fork and started feeding you between sentences.

“Really, it’s fine.”

“But- you shouldn’t have to be used to it. Not from me.”

“Let it go.”

Biting back further attempts, you drank your coffee. “Did- did you find my failed date?”

Jason smiled, making his dimples shine. “Yeah. Dick got to him just as the muggers arrived. Your description of that creep was accurate.” He looked at your nightstand. “You got a funny way of going straight-edge. Or are you just anti-meds now?”

“No. I didn’t know how I got home, or with whom. Wasn’t going to take anything suspicious.” You crossed your arms with a pout. “You could have left a note.”

He frowned. “I did. It’s-” Where he pointed was only bare wood. With a little searching, he found the note behind the stand. “Ah. That explains your confusion. And your knives are in the kitchen. I didn’t want to get stabbed if I brought breakfast before you woke up.” He nodded at the little round assistants. “You can take the pills now.”

“So, they’re not contraband raided from one of your side hustles?”

“No. They’re from the pharmacy around the corner. Since I couldn’t find your personal stache.”

“It was behind the bathroom mirror,” you said, swallowing them down.

With a bluster, he whined, “I thought I looked there!” Grumbling, he sat on the edge of your bed. “How long have you been awake?”

“A few minutes before you dropped something. And what was the loud noise before that? Sounded like a gunshot.”

“I – uh. I had a little trouble with your gas stove.”

You paused. “Jason. Did you blow up my kitchen?”

“No!”

You failed to hide a smile behind your coffee cup at his rushed answer.

“No. Nothing’s singed. Everything is fine.”

“Uh-huh.” You finished your breakfast in silence while Jason felt your forehead. “Jay? I’m- I am really sorry about calling you. Not- not calling you because I was in- in trouble but calling you… calling you while I was- while I was like that. I shouldn’t have gotten so drunk.” You sighed. “I shouldn’t have gotten drunk at all. Or at least had a plan of who to call instead of all of you.” With a wince, you ran a hand over your face. “How did Cass react?”

A warm smile passed across his face. “She was in the middle of beating up some loons by the docks when you called. Let you go to voicemail, then checked in with Dick to make sure you were okay. While he rescued the guy, I came to get you. But Cass texted me a few hours ago that she’s saved your message for posterity.”

“Shit.”

After putting the tray on the floor, he slid into bed next to you. “Wanna know something funny?”

“What?”

“Tim didn’t get your call either. Alfred grounded him. And the kiddo was actually asleep when you phoned.”

You laughed, high and free. “No way. How many hours?”

“Last I heard, he’s still asleep.”

“Geeze.” Giggling, you relaxed into Jason’s side. His arm stretched behind your neck, giving him the perfect reach to trail his fingers over your shoulder. You breathed in silence, relishing having Jason’s weight beside you. “I’ve missed this.”

He pressed his face to yours, poking his indefinitely cold nose into your temple. “Me too.” For a second, he squeezed you closer. “You could always come back, ya’ know. The Bat has been telling us about what you’ve been doing in the office. But it sounds mind-numbingly boring. You don’t even have to join the Bat crew again. You could just work with me.”

It was a friendly offer. But how could you tell him that the last thing you wanted was to dodge bullets again? You couldn’t tell him that even the thought of it made your lungs stutter. Being the Oracle equivalent for Jason sounded like a good way to hear and watch every possible bad thing happen to him. Knowing what was going on in Gotham’s underworld was one thing. You’d seen enough. But you wouldn’t be able to help him, not like he would truly need. That realization burned your stomach. Instead, you deflected. In the worse way possible. “Why’d you bring me back here? Why aren’t we at your place?”

With a groan, he left your side.

You caught his hand. “It’s because it’s not safe, isn’t it? What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” He picked up the tray. “Get some rest.”

“No, Jay. We need to talk about this.” You gingerly slid out of bed to follow him into the kitchen. You hated to ask, but you offered anyway. “If you need help, maybe there’s something I can do from-“

He let the tray clatter onto your countertop. “This isn’t something you can fix from the office. What I’m doing, what I’ve always done… it’s hands on, eyes open in the dark. No hiding behind paperwork or feigning legitimacy in the daytime.” With a groan, he steadied himself. He did his best to keep his voice level at you while still being angry at Bruce’s way of things. “It’s okay that you left the field. You’re doing good work right where you are. But I can’t operate that way.”

“You think I’m hiding?”

Jason frantically shook his head. “No. Not at all. It’s just-“

“Well maybe I am.” A sniffle shuddered out before you could stop it. “I am bored in that office. There’s not a single person I can connect with. The paperwork is mind-numbing. Do you think that’s all I want? I loved being in the field. I loved working with my team. But- it became too much. Always watching my back. Always on high alert any time I was in public, in gear or in civilian clothes. There were times I didn’t know who I was anymore. Every thought I had, and sometimes I still have, sounded, and felt like Batgirl. All the time. Every call or text needed an immediate action response. I wanted- I needed a break. I wanted to be able to breathe without the pain of some fight or another. But now that I’ve got it… I feel so lost. I never knew if you guys were whole or bleeding. Every second of the news is something terrible. One country falling or another. Murders, climate change, bureaucratic corruption. It got so heavy, Jason.” You covered your face with your hands, your voice small. “It’s still so heavy. I thought it would be out of sight, out of mind this way, but it’s not. But I can’t- I can’t go back. Everything we did felt like three steps back.”

The tears were flowing hot down your cheeks. Maybe if you cried enough, you could float away on them like Alice to Wonderland. Your breath stuttered as Jason embraced you. You shook in his arms. The weight of what you said, what you had done to him and to the team didn’t leave. But the way he held you tight felt like he was helping you hold it up, making the load a little lighter. You leaned into his chest further, but tilting up your face so you could breathe.

Then he kissed your forehead, making you freeze. Gasping, you struggled not to sound breathy, and failed. “What was that for?” You waited countless seconds for his answer.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

When he tried to step back, you clung to his shirt. You pulled him closer. “But – it felt good. It made- it made everything… quiet.”

Above you, he swallowed. “Would- would you like me to do it again?”

You nodded. “Yes, please.”

His lips pressed gently to the same spot as before. While you inhaled, breathing in the relaxation it brought, Jason took hold of your hands. He held them to his chest, willing you to feel his thundering heartbeat under your fingertips. With his thumbs over your wrists, he could feel your pulse racing.

Panting, he whispered, “do you just want to be held? I can do that. We – we don’t have to—”

“If I say I want this…” you ran your nose under his jawline, “can we – can we do this?”

He nodded fervently. “Yeah. Do you want this?”

“Yes. I – I need this.” You kissed behind his ear. “Do you want this?”

“Yes. I have since – I want to make you feel… needed. Just for being you. Not for your mission seasoned body. Not for your case-solving brain. You. Because you are enough.”

Tears pricked behind your eyes. “Thank you.”

He grinned against your forehead. “I haven’t started yet.”

Cheeky bastard.

Still, you smiled into his neck as he lifted you. Wrapping your legs around his waist, he carried you back into your bedroom. He laid you down gently. Inhaling softly, he ran his nose along the side of your face. “How’s your head?”

“No complaints yet.”

Jason exhaled a laugh. “Good to know. For later, maybe. But for now,” he trailed off as his hands ghosted up your sides, under your shirt. The fabric remained mostly in place; a promise to go as slow as you wanted.

You placed your hands over his, guiding the fabric of your shirt further up until Jason helped you remove your top. A few more movements and you were bare to him. He did his best not to stare, but his lingering gaze made your skin warm all the same. His hands fumbled to remove his clothes and remaining pieces of gear. Surprisingly steady, your hands did most of the work. He sucked in a breath as your fingers trailed over his skin, as your nails dragged over his muscles. And as your fingerprints brushed over his scars. He caught your exploring hand in his. Jason caught your gaze with his as he raised your hand to his lips, kissing over your knuckles.

“Do you still want to do this-“

“Yes. Please, Jason.” You leaned back into the sheets, arching your chest forward. Hiding a smile, you let your eyes close… just so you could suavely open them. When you did, you watched as his mouth parted for a silent gasp. His tongue darted out to wet his lips before he dove to kiss you. It wasn’t a kiss like you had become accustomed to: one to pin you down and claim you before some guy you didn’t care about took you. This kiss was warm, making your heart swell with what Jason said with each passing second of having his lips on yours.

For a perceived eternity, that was all he did: kiss you. Your mouth. The tops of your cheeks. Your breath stuttered when he tilted his head to kiss under your jaw and then down your neck. His hands smoothed across your arms and waist. It smoothed out the trepidation of the life you had chosen. All that mattered in this moment was that you had chosen him. And he had chosen you. Damn what the morning might bring. He was yours. Right now. Holding you and kissing you like the world could end any second and you would be the last wonderful thing on his mind. It made you drip for him when his hands finally wandered lower. The way his open mouth stuttered against your skin, and how his grip tightened on your waist, told you he wanted to ravage you. Still, he held back.

“Don’t- don’t wait. Please,” you begged. “I need you.”

Gently, you guided him to slot his body between your spread thighs.

“But- prep?”

“I need you.”

With a growl into your hair, he took his time sinking into you. Even then, when fully sheathed, he waited for you to catch your breath. As if you could when he was looking at you like he wanted to remember you this way forever. How you were spread out for him. Full of him. And begging and keening for more. How your body quaked and writhed, your voice already hoarse while pleading for him to move.

Jason kissed your forehead, keeping his lips pressed against your fevered skin. He dragged out, making his own mouth drop open to feel your walls unwilling to let him go. His name fell from your lips like an answered prayer as he found a rhythm. You gripped at him wherever you could.

Was this what it felt like? To be really wanted? Not just a fling, not just a one-night stand or means to an end. But wholly, truly desired?

It took your breath away.

“Where’d you go?”

You looked up and your view filled with Jason’s concerned face. “Nowhere. Just –” How could you put it into words? With the way life had been going lately… a tightness in the back of your throat stole your words.

Jason smoothed his thumb down your cheek and down your nose. “Hey. I know that face. I need you to know something.” His thumb continued its ministrations, while the hand on your hip squeezed you reassuringly. “You are an amazing friend. And an amazing woman. I know you feel unseen. Like you’re moving through life as a ghost until someone needs or wants something from you. You see more than people give you credit for. And you carry too much in that big heart of yours.” His voice softened. “You don’t have to carry it alone.”

“But your night life-“

“What about it?” He kissed your forehead. “Let the rest of the Bat-crew worry about that for the next forty-eight. Right now… all I’m thinking about is you.” As he leaned closer to breathe warm air over your pulse point, he speared you deeper. It made you gasp. As did the tender kiss he placed on your shoulder.

“More, please.” Even though tears pricked at your eyes. Even though you could barely breathe. You dug your nails into his back to hold him close enough that he couldn’t see your face. “Keep- keep talking. Please, Jason-”

With a groan and fighting off the desire to fill you right then, he continued. “I want to be the only reason why your pulse rushes. Why your breath hitches like that. And now that I’ve got you,” he nuzzled his nose under your ear with a growl you could feel to your toes, “I’m never letting you go.”

You hiccupped a sob. It made him stop. You tried to tell him to keep going, but Jason held back from every cell of his being wanting to plow you into the bed.

“If you want, we can stop. We don’t have to do this tonight. We can just hold each other if that’s what you need.” He began to move away, but you scrambled to hold him close. Jason melted into your touch. He hummed, “what do you need? Hmm? Tell me, baby girl. What do you want?”

You shuddered all over. “I don’t want to think. Please.”

He speared you again. And again. Until all you could fathom was the sensation of him inside you and clinging to you. His lips murmured soothing, wonderful things against your skin. Making your hips stutter in their pace frantic to match him. Jason’s breath hissed out between his teeth, and his hands gripped your hips tight, dragging you towards him. He was desperate. Desperate to feel your body sucking him in. Desperate to hear your broken cries and how you whimpered his name. He was desperate to feel you cum.

“What do you need, Sweetheart? I’m here. Cum for me, come on. Let go.”

Within a few more thrusts of his hips, it was all you could do. You cried out his name, your vision blurring. Digging your heels into his lower back, you did your best to keep him as deep as possible. Your desperation, and your release, dragged Jason down with you. His mouth fell open on your shoulder, barely managing to moan your name before his body seized. His pace stuttered; overwhelmed but seeking out those last few bursts of pleasure. When neither of you could stand another spark, he fell beside you.

You shivered as he curled you into his chest.

That would have been enough. You would have happily fallen asleep, despite the mid-morning light wanning into afternoon.

“You know I meant it all, right?”

“Hmm?” Struggling, you managed to reopen your eyes.

“I meant every word.” Jason ran his thumb down the curve of your nose. “You are amazing. And you don’t have to do this alone. You don’t just have me. You’ve got the whole crew if you need us. Don’t let yourself stress yourself into another binge. Call me. Or any of us. Okay?” When you sighed positively, he smiled against your forehead. “Catch some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. And we’ll figure this crazy life out. Together. One day at a time. Alright?”

“Alright,” you hummed, finally drifting off.

That nap was the best sleep you’d had in months. When you woke up, you felt weightless. The earlier mid-morning light from your first wake-up had softened to a mid-afternoon glow. You didn’t care one ounce that your sleep schedule was probably screwed. Screwed, heh. With a smile, you inhaled deeply and stretched, pleasantly sore in all the right places. The blankets were warm as you snuggled back under them.

Jason’s arm wrapping around your hip nearly startled you out of your skin.

“What?” he rasped. His post-nap voice was exquisite. “Did you think I’d really leave my girl before she woke up?”

You bit your lip. “Your girl?” Under his surprised gaze, you shrunk further into the bed.

“Mhmm. Every day from here on out. Like I said. We’re going to figure out this crazy life together. But first,” he dragged you close to kiss the curve of your neck. “I’m starved.”

“Oh?”

Jason had absolutely meant something else. But when your eyes glittered, his smile turned ravenous. You ran your fingers through his hair, splitting his white streak into several strands.

Then your stomach growled.

He laughed deeply, his whole body shaking. “Alright, come on. Now I get to cook you some dinner.”

You let him tug you out of bed. His warm wrists dragged you through your own apartment. The upcoming week and its issues weren’t a blip in your mind. No matter what the Gotham life threw next, you had everything you’d ever need to conquer it.

***

Masterlist

DC Masterlist

Commissions Open! Guidelines Here

#reader insert #dc comics #jason todd x reader #jason todd smut #jason todd angst #jason todd fluff #batfam smut #batfam fluff #batfam angst #answered commission

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morallyinept · 2 months

Text

A full transcribe of JOEL MILLER'S dialogue/lines from the TV show THE LAST OF US.

EPISODE 3 - FOR A LONG, LONG TIME

Includes full dialogue, and dialogue from any deleted/additional scenes available.

I've created this as a point of reference when writing for Pedro's characters, and I hope you find it useful. Even if you just want to read the dialogue. 🖤

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO CHARACTERS DIALOGUE

☝🏻Dialogue has been fully transcribed by myself using reference to original scripts (if available), audio subtitles and using my own two ears. Therefore, mistakes can be made, however I have tried to be as fully accurate as I can. If you spot an obvious mistake, please kindly let me know. Where audio is not clear, I have marked with *inaudible* Scenes are separated for ease of reference.

FULL SCRIPT DIALOGUE:

I don’t want your sorrys-

Five hour hike.

__________________

Not often, no.

People.

Frank is.

I didn’t fall down any stairs.

Someone shot at me and missed.

Yeah.

No, I missed too. It happens more often than you think.

In general.

No.

Hang back a minute. I gotta grab some stuff I stashed.

You ask a lot of Goddamn questions.

__________________

We hide supplies on routes in case we find ourselves short on gear, which I currently am 'cause-

No. I’m just zeroing in on it. It’s been a couple of years.

Trust me, it’s all been picked over already.

Just you.

Fuck.

__________________

Ellie? Ellie!

Ellie?

There’s not much ammo out there for this thing. Makes it mostly useless.

No.

__________________

A few times, sure.

Didn’t feel like it at the time. Get shoved into a middle seat, pay 12 bucks for a sandwich.

Yeah, well. So did they.

Pretty much.

It wasn’t a monkey. I thought you went to school.

No-one knows for sure, but… best guess… Cordyceps mutated. And some of it got into the food supply. Probably a basic ingredient like flour or sugar. There were certain brands of food that were sold everywhere, all across the country, across the world. Bread, cereal… pancake mix. You eat enough of it, it’ll get ya infected. So the tainted food all hits the store shelves around the same time Thursday. People brought it, ate some Thursday night, or Friday mornin'. Day goes on… they started to get sick. Afternoon, evening, they got worse. Then they started bitin’. Friday night, September 26, 2003. And by Monday, everything was gone.

Sure.

We’ll cut across the woods here.

Yeah, it’s just… There’s stuff up there you shouldn’t see.

I don’t want you to.

I’m serious. Ellie.

No.

About a week after Outbreak Day, soldiers… went through the countryside, evacuated the small towns. Told you you were going to a QZ, and you were… if there was room. If there wasn’t…

No, probably not.

Dead people can’t be infected.

__________________

I’m the same way.

I understand. If my, uh… if mine… brought strangers into our situation, I wouldn’t be happy either. But of all the people he could’ve found on the radio, we’re actually decent people just tryin’ to get by.

There’s stuff we have in the QZ that you don’t have here. Book, medicine, machine parts. We can help each other and get that gun outta my face.

So, what, you were a… prepper or somethin’?

That fence has got a year on it, tops. Galvanised wire already started to corrode. I can get you ten spools of high-tensile aluminium. Last you the rest of your life. Lives.

FEDRA’s never gonna come up here. And you’re well protected against stray infected. But sooner or later, they’ll be raiders. And they’ll beat that fence and your trip wires. They’ll come at night, quiet and armed.

__________________

You stay there.

Bill? Frank?

You stay there. You hear anything, you see anything… yell.

__________________

Ellie?

So they’re dead?

Go ahead. You do it.

Stay here.

__________________

Show me your arm.

I just finished making a truck battery, it's charging right now.

And I have a brother out in Wyoming. He’s in some kind of trouble and I’m heading out there to find him. He used to be a Firefly. My guess is he knows where some of them are out there. Maybe they can get you to wherever this lab is.

If I’m takin’ you with me, there’s some rules you gotta follow. Rule one, you don’t bring up Tess. Ever. Matter of fact, we can just keep our histories to ourselves. Rule two, you don’t tell anyone about your… condition. They see that bite mark, they won’t think it through. They’ll just shoot you. Rule three, you do what I say when I say it. We clear?

Repeat it.

Okay.

We grab what we can.

__________________

If he didn’t reset the countdown every few weeks, this playlist would run over the radio.

Grab some cans from over there. Nothin’ dented or swollen.

No.

Needs another hour.

__________________

Shut up.

__________________

It’s your first time in a car?

No, it’s a piece-of-shit Chevy S-10, but it’ll get us there. I think. Seatbelt. Seatbelt.

Would you leave it? Put it back. Ellie...

Oh, no, wait. No, leave it. Leave it. Ohm this is good. This is Linda Ronstadt. Do you know who Linda Ronstadt is?

Oh, man.

__________________

FULL MASTERLIST OF PEDRO CHARACTERS DIALOGUE

#joel miller #pedro pascal #joel miller the last of us #pedro pascal characters #joel miller tlou #pedro pascal character dialogue #joel miller dialogue #PPCU

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talltalesandbedtimestories · 1 month

Text

Save A Tree, Eat A Beaver - Priestly x Rowena

“Save a Tree, Eat a Beaver” - Priestly x Rowena

Part 1 of Pets4Punks

Rating Teen (Part 1)

Priestly x Rowena

Tags: Mild Angst, Fluff and Flirting, Owls Go Bad, Zoo Shenanigans, Homage to Betty White, Spell Casting, A Comedy of Errors

Word Count: 3800

Priestly’s nursing a broken heart. Rowena’s exacting some magical revenge. What will unfold when these two meet at a Beastly Ball?

I'm participating in @jacklesversebingo and this part will fill my "Flirtation-Whiskey-A Mistake At A Zoo" square.

Image created in Canva (credit for photos used: “Ten Inch Hero”; movietvtechgeeks.com)

“Would that be an invitation, there, then?”

Priestly dabbed his brow with a kitchen towel slung over his shoulder. It was hot in the food tent. Even if Beach City Grill was serving up pre-made hero sandwiches, bookending vendors grilled and fried their fare with furious abandon. Other heat factors included portable spotlights and generators. The warm night breeze created a tiny suffocating vortex under the tent for Priestly to inhabit.

Priestly panted. Hot didn’t seem like an accurate description.

No. When you added in the thousand or so bodies at The LA Zoo’s 37th Beastly Ball, the temperature downright sizzled.

Priestly attempted to blink away his discomfort. A cacophony dialed his irritation up to ten. People chattered. A DJ spun another record through an obnoxious sound system with speakers the size of refrigerators. Even if the funds being raised tonight benefitted the zoo, he couldn’t imagine a bear or lion being okay with any of this. If there weren’t barriers in the way, he was pretty sure this entire crowd would be mauled to death by some very irate mammals. He only had so much patience for the human race of which he was unfortunately a part.

At least he’d get to see Betty White in person tonight. She was the Beastly Ball Chairman. That woman was a national treasure. And probably the only one that would be spared if the animals rose up.

He sliced up another of the more popular menu items being gobbled up by donors. The Mane Attraction hero had been a hit with the carnivores as suspected. Despite the surging heat, he’d kept his nose down and worked in the background the entire evening. Piper and Jen were the all-smiles servers, front and center, greeting the deep-pockets milling about the food tent.

“‘Scuse me, lad?”

It was the addition of ‘lad’ to the second question from a very Scottish sounding woman that had him look up.

Turned out, he didn’t need to look up very high. An elegant, petite wisp of a porcelain lady stared up at him. One of her copper-tinted brows arched. Lush, fiery red ringlets cascaded from the top of her head to her pointy elbows. A dusty peach wrap made of silk hung and clung to a body made for ballet. The chunky black vinyl belt with a sequin studded buckle cinched the dress in at the waist.

She was magically delicious.

Priestly smiled and wiped the roast beef gravy from his hands. He then pointed to Jen manning the front table. “One of our lovely servers will be able to plate up anything you’d like to try, Miss.”

“Including you?” Her coral stained lips curled up into a grin.

Priestly froze. He had to have heard her wrong in the middle of all the noise. “I-I’m sorry, what?”

One of the woman’s expertly manicured fingers pointed at his chest. “Are you being canny with that shirt? Or, would that be an actual invitation, there, then?”

Priestly gulped. “Um…”

The woman offered a playful frown. “Well, when you get your voice back, you let me know the answer, aye?”

Rowena didn’t have time to wait for the pretty punk boy to remember how to form sentences. So, she’d sampled the vegetarian sandwich the mousy haired twenty-something called The Panda Munch and then it was off toward the animal habitats.

She had work to do and little patience.

The rowdy bunch of guests, chatting and being all kinds of obnoxious for over ten minutes, had taken root by a particular set of sanctuaries that held her interest.

She stood by the guard rail on the opposite side of the walkway, sipping from a champagne flute. Her fingernails tapped the top of the fence. She gazed over at a nearby pond. The current inner debate in her head was whether she should ignite the shoes aflame of the loudest person in the group or temporarily immobilize his tongue.

The ticket to attend this pathetic attempt at a soiree had been overpriced. Good cause her arse. A good cause was exacting any bit of covert revenge she could toward the Grand Coven. An even better cause was finding a way to unshackle her powers.

And what she currently required –to fund the greatest cause, which was herself– could be pilfered more easily under the veil of night. Amid distracted security, overworked zoo staff, and intoxicated guests, what could go wrong?

Rowena sighed and eavesdropped on the eejit in the lavender polo shirt drone on about the Lakers. She watched him pretend to dribble out of the corner of her eye.

A majority of the upper echelon of Angelenos could be trite and vapid. All surface, no substance. But that also made them easy to grift. If she stayed under the radar for another year or two, her little shop might be a very lucrative business.

An announcement interrupted the awful excuse for music emanating from the stage some ways off where most of the guests congregated. Betty White would be giving a speech in about ten minutes.

That got the group moving.

“Finally,” Rowena murmured. She abandoned the glass atop the guard rail and sashayed toward her target. Her gaze landed on a security camera high atop a lamp post. She whispered, “Confractus.” A satisfied smile emerged at the subsequent sizzle and crack from the surveillance equipment.

“Go, take a break.” Jen shooed Priestly with her hands. “Betty’ll be on soon. I don’t want to hear you complain later about missing that.”

“Are you sure?” Priestly untied the black waist apron.

Jen nodded. “Anything that makes you smile should not be denied.”

Priestly knew Jen really wanted to say, “We’re sick and tired of seeing you all mopey since Tish moved to New York.”

“Maybe you can get her to autograph your shirt,” Piper added with a giggle.

“Betty appreciates a dirty joke.” Priestly nodded with certainty.

Jen cleared her throat. “You’re definitely making a statement with it.”

“Oh! Don’t forget that dude at the Whiskey distillery stand said to stop by and get us some samples in exchange for these.” Piper shoved three wrapped sandwiches in Priestly’s hands.

“Right, I’ll go do that before Betty. Back faster than The Flash.”

Rowena had gotten turned around more than twice on the Employees Only path. Nestled amid the Night Wing area terrain, the dirt walk lacked signage for the untrained. A paltry number of floodlights scattered warm amber streaks here and there to guide the way.

Why didn’t the coordinators of this benefit include a flashlight in their extra large swag bag? “Buncha beetroots,” Rowena mumbled, hefting the cumbersome tote over her shoulder. At least she could have both hands free when needed later, what with her tiny clutch now in the bag’s bottom.

To add to the indecency of the two other cameras she had to decommission along the path, a staff member had chanced upon her stumbling through foliage in black vinyl thigh high boots. Steel nerves she’d forged over a few centuries rattled only for a second. The young male, whose time on this planet tallied up to nothing more than a couple decades, had been quite amicable. He’d politely offered to escort her to the main path.

Rowena thanked him and followed his lead for a few yards while he made small talk. She fished out her clutch, found a hex bag, slipped it into his jacket pocket, and then glamoured him. He rotated slow and turned to face her.

With syrupy sweetness, Rowena asked to be directed to the owl habitat entrance and unlock it. He stammered, with dilated pupils and enamored smile, that it was only his third day on the job and he didn’t know which gate that was.

“Well, there shan’t be any harm in you opening up a gate or two for lil ole me, would there?” She batted her long lashes even though there was no need. Rowena did enjoy leaning into theatrics.

The junior zookeeper bobbed his head, turned, and floated back the way he came. “Follow me.”

The abrupt temperature change required Priestly to slip on his tartan plaid vest over his t-shirt. Away from the benefit crowd, the night air cooled slick spots of sweaty skin.

Listening to Betty White wax poetic about her love of animals had made all the hard work worthwhile. She’d even given him a cheeky little wink from the stage. Seriously, Priestly thought he might have a major crush on the woman. She was even funnier and more radiant in person than he’d expected. She could be his Golden Girl any damn day of the week.

After he, Jen, and Piper toasted with Whiskey samples to a job well done, he’d been released from cleanup duty. Excitement filled the segment of his brain in which the still six-year-old part of him resided. Okay, so it wasn’t like he was sneaking through the zoo. Staff members stationed at various checkpoints and exhibits nodded in greeting as he passed. But the grounds, typically experienced in the light and warmth of sunshine, now crackled with a forbidden energy.

It was nice to feel some excitement. His emotional state of late had been devastated. He hadn’t been able to shake himself out of the volley between self-pity and feeling responsible for Tish’s move. Maybe if he’d been more (more what, though), she would have stayed and they could have worked things out.

The three shots of whiskey had not helped the spiral of self-doubt. He hadn’t been enough. Pure and simple. Had it been juvenile to think his “normal” makeover would have been the key to winning over the girl of his dreams? Of course. Did that make it hurt any less that it hadn’t worked out? Of course not.

He recalled the flirty, testy banter with Tish over the years. She could slap him onto a sizzling griddle or submerge him in a bucket of ice with that sharp tongue and flippant hair toss. That drew him to her even more. He admitted to himself early on that he really liked how she took charge of a situation and gave zero fucks. That was what she presented to everyone on the surface, anyway. She’d been hurt. Sensitive. Cautious to risk any more of her heart. The armor had thickened. Just like him.

In the end, they’d been pretty compatible. But, in hindsight, most of that had been due to his ability to bend and compromise. She didn’t tell him much about what she wanted. He had to guess. Trial and error. And that attitude had transferred to what happened in the bedroom.

Priestly wasn’t a fucking mind reader. He didn’t have a clue. He figured she liked confidence and showmanship between the sheets. The kind that could run a porn marathon without breaking a sweat.

But that wasn’t him. And he could only keep that up (heh, child) for so long.

The same went for the preppie exterior he tried on to win her over. A few weeks after their first kiss, he snuck back on one of his piercings. Then another. And another. And another. Then the hair got dyed (fuschia). Then spiked up with gel. Next, he sported some eyeliner. He pulled out a signature statement t-shirt here and there. Dusting off the kilt might have been the last straw for Tish.

But he wanted to like the reflection in the mirror. All that skin-shedding pleased Tish. Not him.

So, the relationship met its inevitable conclusion and broke his heart. They’d agreed to revert to friendship status. He hadn’t expected Tish to up and leave a couple of months after that, though.

Jen had said it best one day. Tish probably couldn’t piece herself back together again here, around him. Fresh start and all. Finding your fucking self and all that bullshit.

That was all fine and good for everybody else. How was he supposed to figure that out for himself? Would he ever find someone that was willing to learn that along with him?

The zoo minion had been quite helpful for Rowena. Three gates unlocked in total. He’d made suggestions on the best direction to begin the owl search after her explanation on where they liked to hide. She’d thanked him kindly, pilfered his tiny flashlight, and then wafted a Forget Me spell over the man. “You won’t remember me or any of this. In fact, why don’t you take the rest of the night off? You deserve it for being soooo helpful.”

He toddled off repeating, “Sooo helpful.”

Times like this, an assistant in the dark arts would be a boon. This kind of menial labor, well, it was beneath her to be honest. Having to scour grasslands for a hole in the ground? She might as well be a pig, snout covered in dirt, snuffling for truffles.

Though truffles were delicious, she was in search of a Burrowing Owl. She’d done her research of course. No self-respecting witch starts something without the proper information. Sourcing all the ingredients for this divination spell –one of her own crafting– was a daunting task. But, what was the saying these Americans liked to bandy about? Go big or go home?

And one didn’t diddle with the Grand Coven without a well thought out plan. One required impregnable magic that a dozen of the most powerful witches on the planet would attempt to untangle.

Rowena held more power in her pinky finger than any of them before the Coven had punished her egotism and shackled her abilities. She needed to get that power back and back at them in the process. But in order to find what would cut right to the core, divide and conquer, would require eavesdropping. The divination spell would uncover the cloaked locations for those she needed to sentence for their condemnation.

Rowena’s eyes had adjusted to the dark. Silhouettes danced around the beam of white cast by the flashlight. Flying insects sparkled in the halo of light like falling snow. Her toe boots dug into the dirt here and there.

What would she do if this didn’t work as she hoped? She’d paid a high price for what she’d been told were the feathers of a Burrowing Owl on the black market. When the spell fell flat the only thing that could have been incorrect were the bloody feathers. But who would she complain to or demand a refund? Boris, or whatever his name was, wasn’t registered with the Better Business Bureau. She already had enough enemies.

So, it appeared serendipitous when an invitation for the Beastly Ball landed in her mailbox. She’d made a call to the LA Zoo’s information center and chatted with a lovely woman. The tale of having a daughter obsessed with owls spilled with ease and believability. This made-up child had been going on and on about an owl that squatted in another animal’s home in the dirt. They were in luck. It just so happened the zoo had a burrowing owl in their exhibit. The woman on the other end did warn Rowena her daughter might be disappointed, though. The chances of seeing one during the day were quite rare.

Oh well, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d disappointed an offspring.

More importantly, the universe sent her a clear message.

Take matters into your own hands.

Several minutes passed. A strong breeze rustled swaths of grass. Lots of ginger steps and toe boot shovels later, she came across a promising hole. Her heart raced. She bent down to inspect with a ruffle of fingers along the grass. A sharp quill pricked her thumb. Her hand cascaded over the soft frills of a feather. Then another. And another.

Hopefully, the feathers belonged to an owl that had fit itself into the burrow of another animal (or a facsimile of one made by a staff person). It had to be a Burrower!

Three feathers snatched off the ground were stuffed into her swag bag. Rowena surmised they would have fit into her little clutch as well. However, the bag proved an auspicious benefit souvenir.

She rose and dusted off her hands. Eyes closed, she inhaled deep, then exhaled. When she opened her eyes, she oriented her direction as best she could. She could reverse-track the way she came. A sigh released from her throat, satisfied. One step closer. She began the journey.

She passed once again through the forested area of the exhibit, which, in her opinion, better-suited owls. The sharp smell of pine filled her nose.

Her steps halted at the alien chuckling right above her head. Rowena stared up and squinted. She debated for a moment before shining the flashlight upon the sound source.

A set of bright yellow eyes peered back at her. It chuckled again. The tiniest owl Rowena had ever seen wasn’t spooked by the light. It couldn’t have been any bigger in stature than her hand.

“Aren’t you a curious little thing?”

It tilted its head as if answering in the affirmative. Rowena could make out expertly lined white eyebrows created by its feathers.

Rowena had always wanted an owl.

Was this another message from the universe?

Rowena pursed her lips.

There was only one way to find out.

Priestly stood under the spotlight by the Night Wing exhibit map. He’d learned a few new interesting facts about bats and owls as he continued to read.

A commotion within the fenced area pulled his attention from the signage. A figure bursted from the tree line a couple of yards away. He jumped back in surprise. “What the…”

He squinted. Crouched on the ground, the person gasped, almost hyperventilating.

He blinked in recognition. It was the red-headed woman earlier from the food tent who’d made quite an impression. “Are you alright?” he stammered out the question.

Her head shot up. Wide eyes stared back framed in a wild mess of curls. He gulped at the skin on display under the lamp post light. Tiny red marks crosshatched along her arms and bare back. She clutched a tote over her chest. The top half of her dress hung in tatters over her belt.

Priestly raised his hands and approached slow. “What happened?” He knelt beside her.

“I-I-” She waved a hand, arms tight to her sides so the flimsy bag’s material could preserve some modesty. “I went down that path” –she pointed back from where she appeared– “and, a bunch of the exhibit gates were opened.” Her voice cracked. “Before I knew it, there were owls and bats, everywhere, and I-I got caught in this awful melee.”

Priestly wanted to pat her in comfort. But, considering she was half-naked, he thought better of it. “The gates were opened?” he asked, incredulous. He scanned the path as far as he could in both directions. “Where the hell’s an employee when you need one? Is this Best Buy? They were everywhere a little while ago.” He muttered to himself before gazing at the woman. “You’re hurt. I’m gonna go get some help.”

He rose, only to be snatched up into a fierce embrace. She fisted his vest with both hands. The tote’s canvas material, which held some stiff objects, smushed tight between their bodies. “No,” she begged. “Please, don’t get anyone. I’m in such a state. I’ll be mortified.”

Priestly lifted his hands up and away so there was no chance of an accidental brush or touch. He felt like the one in trouble at the moment. “Um,” he thought out loud. An idea formed. “Listen, you need to get looked at by someone. But let’s work on getting you out of here first. Okay?”

She nodded into his chest. He inhaled. Her scent was rather pleasant. Spicy and sharp.

“Why don’t you go behind that sign there? I’ll give you my shirt to put on.”

“Alright.”

He breathed in relief when she released him. A fast blur scurried around the area map. Without wasting time, he peeled off his vest, dropped it to the ground, and then tugged the T-shirt over his head by the collar. He turned around and stepped backward until his side hit the hardwood of the sign. “Here.” Eager fingers snatched the material from his hand.

“Thank you.”

The lilt in her voice fluttered Priestly’s heartbeat. Goosebumps formed on the back of his neck. He wanted to blame it on the cool air skirting along his bare chest. “No problem,” he said. He tried again. “Are you sure I can’t go and look for some help? I think I saw a medical tent near the stage.”

“No!” She expelled the word with force from her throat that time.

“Sure. Sure.” He mumbled as his gaze scoured the ground. He picked up the discarded vest and plunged his arms through the openings. The benefit coordinators probably wouldn’t appreciate a punk Tarzan impersonation.

“I’m very grateful for this. Truly.” The woman called out. “What can I call you, besides my knight in shining armor?”

He chuckled. “Um, Priestly.”

“Presley?”

“No, Priestly.” He emphasized the “t”.

“Oh. Priestly,” she repeated. “I’m Rowena.” Her voice was closer now, no barrier between them.

Cautious, Priestly looked up. He couldn’t help but smile at the vision before him. She stuffed the remnants of her dress in the big bag. The forest green shirt, slightly roomy on him, swallowed up her slight frame. She’d wrapped the big black belt around it. The bottom hem fell just above the top of her thigh high boots. Her fingers threaded through the mane of hair to wrangle it in place. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances, Rowena.”

She sighed and grinned at him. “Aye. But, we might not have met again if not for this.”

He recalled her flirtation from earlier. He stared at the design and text on the shirt he had custom made for the Beastly Ball. A cartoon panda munched away on some bamboo. A text bubble above the panda’s head declared in big, bold font: Raw Dog Me, I’m a Bottom.

She strolled over and rested a hand on his vest. “How can I ever repay such chivalry?” She whispered something else after the question… something he couldn’t make out.

Before he could ask her to repeat what she’d said, his thoughts clouded. Nothing seemed very important at the moment. A sense of relaxation washed over him.

“I would very much appreciate a walk back to my car, Priestly. And, I promise I’ll make sure I get myself straight to a hospital.”

He nodded. His head bobbed and swayed. “Good idea. I mean, yeah, bats and owls. You probably need a rabies shot.”

“Probably so.” She nodded in agreement. Her grin reached her ears. She held up a business card and tucked it in another one of his vest pockets. “But, you. You’re going to stop by my shop soon to pick up this shirt, aye?”

He smiled, then nodded. “Aye.”

~~To Be Continued~~

Story Notes: Google pics of a Burrowing Owl and the absolutely adorable Elf Owl. I have plans for this story to fill four bingo squares over as many parts. Things are gonna go off the rails (and probably quite smutty). Will see how my first foray into writing for Priestly goes. Also, so many thanks to @sam-is-my-safe-word for brainstorming all the chaos and kink with me.

#jacklesversebingo23 #boaz priestly #rowena macleod #fanfic #light angst #fluff #humor #flirting

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souglias · 11 months

Text

TWILIGHT - [Kaveh]

Both you and Kaveh work on your respective creative projects into the night. However, things don't go as smoothly as both of you wish.

Kaveh x gn!reader. Fluff.

Word count: 2.9k

c/w: alcohol consumption (on Kaveh's part), may be slightly self-indulgent

note: inspired by with my hand in yours (Kaveh's part) by @monocaelia , please go support her!!! Also, thank you sm to @dinoshimaaa for the beta mwah mwah

Dusk, Dawn, Twilight Masterlist

TWILIGHT in the wee hours speaks of a magical liminality that many miss. You are awake even before then, but you do not get to enjoy the serenity that such a quiet hour is supposed to bring. Instead, you are hunched over your easel with your final art assignment. It’s three in the morning, and the assignment is due at noon. You’ve barely slept the night before. Your third cup of coffee for the night is placed on the table beside you. An incomplete painting sits haphazardly on an easel by the table. Various paintbrushes sprawl all over the table.

On the other side of the table, Kaveh pores over his architecture project, due for discussion with the client at the same hour as yours. His writing materials and tools are dumped atop one another on his side of the table. Instead of a cup of coffee on the table, he has a small cup of alcohol on the empty stool beside him.

You tell him that it is counterproductive to drink alcohol for all-nighters because it makes him sleepy, especially since he’s a lightweight. But he protests that a small cup helps keep him loose. You don’t try to refute that, knowing that some classmates of yours do that.

Upbeat music plays in the background. Absent-mindedly, you tap your foot according to its beat. You wish you could turn the volume up higher. The higher the volume, the more sane it’ll keep you. However, that would lead to angry neighbours and you have no time to deal with such trouble.

As for Kaveh, he pays no mind to the music. His eyes are kept trained on his workspace, not even minding the beetle that crawls past his wine cup. His hands move as if they have minds of their own, moving his feathered pen gracefully.

You’re kind of envious of him.

Kaveh knows what he’s doing. He knows what he wants. All the steps are already laid out in his head and they only need to be materialised on paper. You think he’s just a little careless, failing to set aside sufficient time to work on his project at a comfortable pace.

With his eyebrows furrowed, he reaches out to his wine cup and takes a gulp. You’re pretty sure his cup isn’t gonna last the night and he’s going to head to the kitchen for a refill. It’s going to become multiple ‘small cups’. But seeing how focused he is, you don’t wish to break his concentration with any brief teasing.

The world around Kaveh is blurred out, his focus only zeroes in on the project in front of him. He stays this way for a long time until you let out an exasperated shout. Thank the Archons that both of you decided against working in Al Haitham’s home.

His home would have been ideal with its proximity to the Akademiya. However, Al Haitham would go ballistic with the music. The last straw would probably be one of your (or possibly even Kaveh’s) eventual exasperated yells.

Your head abruptly turns and you find Kaveh looking at you. “Oh shit, I’m sorry for disturbing you.”

Kaveh shakes his head and smiles instead. “Hit a roadblock? You can talk to me about it.”

“You sure?”

Kaveh nods. “I’d listen to you any day.”

Your eyes dart around your workspace, unsure where to start, as you turn your body towards him. After mulling over the question for a while, you start, “First off, my references don’t seem to be working very well? I took photographs for my references, but I only realised not long ago that the angles are all off. So I don’t know if this-” you pause to gesture at your painting, “is accurate.”

“Then, we have the issue of the paint. I can’t seem to get the colour I want! I spend so much time mixing the paint. If I could figure out the portion of colours I need to mix right off the bat, I could have saved so much time. Archons, I don’t know if I can finish.”

After throwing a glance at your painting, you start swearing. “Archons, what the fuck is this? What the fuck am I doing?”

Kaveh scrutinises your painting. Some parts of the canvas have been covered with paint while the parts unpainted only have draft lines. However, he still manages to discern two people near a window. One in the house with their back facing the viewer, the other on the other side of the window. Outside the window, the subject situated there has his body facing the one inside. However, Kaveh notices that his body is slightly turned away as if the subject is going away eventually. He guesses that a beautiful sea of stars expands out behind them, but there is still a large focus on the two people looking at each other.

“Want to share what your assignment is about? Talking about it might help.”

You start fiddling with your paintbrush.

“Our assignment was to create a painting and use it to convey a message to someone. It could be any message to anyone. Some wanted to make paintings to tell the upper echelons of the Akademiya about how insane the workload was. A few others wanted to advocate to just about everyone about our ever-warming climate…”

Your voice trails off and your eyes dart away from Kaveh. He raises an eyebrow at you and asks. “So, what’s the message you want to send and who are you sending it to?”

“It’s about the distance between… someone and I.”

Kaveh slightly leans towards you without realising. “Who might that be…?”

When you make eye contact with him again, you catch the intensity in his gaze and try not to flinch in your stool. The air becomes slightly charged and you hurriedly scoff to dissipate the tension, “Well, that’s not for you to know.”

You stick your tongue out at him and you turn away from him to face your canvas again.

The urge to ask you who in the world this person consumes Kaveh. Who is it that has troubled you so much, that you have to make a painting for them to express yourself?

He plays with the thought of this person being him. It feels slightly dangerous as if he’s walking a tightrope. Even this mere thought feels forbidden.

However, Kaveh cannot seem to disregard the little things that occurred between the two of you. The times both of you shared a drink with the same cup. The moments of accidental grazes of his skin on yours that cause him to flinch. The way you always listened to him talk about his designs, even if there were things you were not too familiar with. Kaveh cannot forget how his heart soars whenever you praise his design.

On top of that, you always pick him up from the Tavern whenever he is too drunk to go home by himself. Without fail or complaint, you always come if Lambad sends someone looking for you.

Though, Kaveh would say that the two of you have been long-time good friends. There are some things that no longer matter when the two of you have been such good friends.

Watching your back, he suppresses his desire to know. Kaveh isn’t ready to hear the name of the person you’ve been looking at. If he does, he thinks he’ll lose all the rights to relish the moments solely between the two of you. And what if he ruins the friendship between the two of you?

Kaveh takes a deep breath. He reaches out for his cup to take a sip of wine, but he realises that he’s empty. After making a quick refill, he dives back into his project.

He’s not sure how much time has passed before he hears a sudden thud from your side. You’re standing up in front of your canvas with your stool toppled over behind you. Without turning to him, you say, “I’m going out.”

Kaveh’s grip on his pen loosens. He glances at your unfinished painting. In that one glance, he sees that you’ve added details, but he can tell it’s not done yet. Then, he checks the time. A little over 5.30 am. You’re already halfway out of the door. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll just be outside. I… need a breather.”

Kaveh watches you close the door without waiting for his reply. It is pretty normal for designers and artists like both of you to get overwhelmed. Space is a common need for creative minds. Perhaps that is all that you need, so he should let you be. However, Kaveh doesn’t feel at ease leaving you alone. It takes a few moments for Kaveh to navigate through his dilemma for him to decide to follow you.

When Kaveh finds you sitting on the porch, he heaves a silent sigh of relief. You’re gazing up at the navy blue sky. His eyes follow your gaze and he makes out a few blinking stars.

Kaveh sits down beside you, not uttering a word. There’s only the sound of animals in the distant forest in the space between both of you until you break the silence.

“You know, I’ve never understood why people cry when they see art they admire so much. Maybe everyone has their reasons, but I think I finally found mine. Some of my classmates were sharing their mostly completed artworks. One of theirs made me want to cry.”

Kaveh keeps his eyes on you, noticing your lip quivering. You turn away from him when you continue speaking.

“It was so beautiful. So beautiful and I found myself fighting against tears. That artwork encapsulated everything I wanted to make. How? How does he make it so mesmerising? And why… Why can’t I do that? Why do I always have to come to despise my own work?”

Such feelings were not foreign to Kaveh. As a fellow creative, he knew you would feel this inevitable pain. Yet it makes his heart throb when he sees you doubt yourself.

“[name], look at me.”

You don’t move, keeping your body turned away from him. Oh, how you vex him.

Kaveh cups your cheeks with both his hands and he gently turns your head towards him. He watches a few tears roll down your cheeks and this sight claws at his chest.

“[name], I haven’t seen any of your friends’ works and I know you won’t believe me if I say your work is good. But from the bottom of my heart, the idea of making your painting a message for your… certain someone is wonderfully romantic.”

His voice becomes louder. His hands have started squishing your cheeks, yet his touch remains tender. “In the end, even if you feel like your painting hasn’t gone the way you wanted it to, I know your feelings will reach them. Sometimes my designs don’t turn out the ideal way I want them, but that’s okay. We’ll always nitpick on our work because we care about our craft. Your ideas are already amazing, so even if you hate the final product, take this as a step towards making better art.”

He inhales, not registering what he’s about to say. “And I like you! I don’t just like anyone out there, they should be artistic and creative! They should be brave to try new things too. So, you’re creative and artistic! And yes, you are brave to try new things too. You’ve never seriously dabbled in the arts before, and this is the first time the Akademiya is running classes for art. Enrolling into the Akademiya again for art is a huge leap of faith you’re taking!”

At this point, Kaveh’s ruby eyes are shining against the now violet sky. You see the stars you were looking at earlier in his eyes. “You’re not just anyone. You’re [name], the person I like! Do you understand?”

Kaveh watches as your face slowly turns red. You recall the countless moments he’s helped you to tide through your art assignments. The times the both of you spent together as a result of these art assignments and his client work. Of course, you caught feelings for him at some point, but you always thought you’d have to give him up someday and learn to cope on your own. The thought of having to go on without him haunts you like a ghost for countless days. Its presence looms heavily behind you on the long nights you have to finish your work alone.

But with his slender and soft hands that hold your face, it’s as if he’s protectively encapsulating your weary soul within those two hands. The grasp of this presence on you loosens. Leaning into his touch, you mumble, “Kaveh, what will I do without you?”

When he notices you tear up again, the first thing he thinks is that he might have said something wrong. He tries to recall what he said, navigating through his hazy mind. When he realises that he’s confessed to you, all the lethargy leaves his body and more heat rushes into his face. He also becomes hyper-aware of the distance between your faces and his hands on your cheeks.

Apologies come tumbling off his lips as he pulls himself back, “Oh no Archons, [name]. I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to say that while you’re in a stressful-”

Kaveh notices the ink smudges he left on your cheek and more apologies come your way. “The smudges on your cheek! Oh shit, I’m sorry-”

“No, it’s alright,” a tender smile plays on your lips and a giggle escapes your lips, despite a tear that falls from your eyes. Your heart flutters thinking about your next words for the flustered architect. You take a deep breath to calm your hammering heart.

You confess, “The painting is meant as a message for you. I’m sorry I couldn’t give it to you properly after it was completed.”

Kaveh’s jaw drops, your words replaying in his mind.

“Me…?”

A chuckle, music to his ears, escapes from your lips, “Yes, you. Renowned architect, Light of the Kshahrewar, Kaveh.”

“Holy Archons, I-”

Kaveh clasps his hand over his mouth and abruptly turns away from you. He recalls your painting in its most recent state earlier. There was one minute detail that didn’t escape him. The person in the house had been reaching onto the windowsill.

You have been trying to reach him all along, and you didn’t know if he’d leave for a faraway glorious place.

Kaveh feels a lump in his throat, but he suppresses it and he faces you again. “It’s- I’m honoured to be the recipient of your message. I hope that you’ll be happy with me- No, I will make you happy, [name]. I won’t leave you.”

You reach out and brush a stray tear on his cheek away. The dried acrylic paint on your fingers does not stain his cheek, but you selfishly wished it did. It would have been your mark on him. Just like how he has left his mark on you.

An idea hits you, and you rub your finger against the spots where Kaveh’s fingertips touched your cheek earlier. You find some ink on your fingertips and you smear them on his cheek.

Smiling at your work, you say, “And I will make you happy too, my muse.”

A soft smile appears on Kaveh’s lips and you wish you could capture him in this moment with the coming sunrise behind him. However, realising what time it may be, you straighten the feather in his hair and suggest, “Okay… I think we should finish our work and we will talk more after.”

Heading back into the house, both of you press on to finish up your respective tasks till this twilight passes and after. It’s not until after you’ve submitted your work that you feel fatigue kick in.

You meet Kaveh near the location where he’s meeting his client. The meeting goes smoothly and quickly, it’s not long before you find his hands intertwined with yours. The sunlight feels unbearably harsh after the restless nights, so the two of you can’t wait to head into your cool homes to rest.

However, an immeasurable pull between the two of you makes the thought of going home without each other unbearable.

“Say, could I crash at your place instead, since it’s nearer…? Would Al Haitham mind?”

Kaveh could care less about Al Haitham. Plus, he thinks the both of you will awaken before Al Haitham returns. Hooking his arm around yours, he proclaims, “Of course! Who cares about Al Haitham?”

Both of you head to his house and settle on the sofa. With a heart filled with love, you drift off to sleep and you dream. You have not dreamt for a long time, but now, you dream of a confession that both morning and night have witnessed.

(When Al Haitham returns, he finds the both of you asleep on the sofa. Your head rests on Kaveh’s shoulder and his head leans on yours. His hands rest protectively atop yours. Al Haitham lets out an inaudible chuckle, finding relief in no longer needing to listen to Kaveh complain about his hopeless situation with you.)

Please like and reblog if you enjoyed this! All likes, reblogs and comments are appreciated <3

#kaveh x reader #kaveh x you #kaveh x y/n #genshin impact #genshin kaveh #kaveh #kaveh imagines #genshin imagines #genshin writing #souglia.s

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ghostofskywalker · 1 year

Note

Your blog theme is delicious, oh my gosh perfect red wintery aesthetic!

For blurb prompt could you do Carol Danvers and something cute and funny/silly I don't really have any other prompt idea, I dunno if that's enough for you to go off of?

thank you so much!! i love the winter aesthetic so much :)

and i hope this is kind of in the vein of what you wanted! i had fun writing it, and it's just pure fluff!

words: 884

summary: after you get a call to come pick up your too-drunk girlfriend, there's a slightly humorous misunderstanding at the bar.

carol danvers masterlist

Too Drunk To Function

You were just getting ready to turn the lights off and get to sleep when your phone started ringing, and a picture of your girlfriend showed up with the caller ID. You were slightly puzzled as you accepted the call, and you expected to hear just the sound of thumping music in the background because she accidentally butt-dialed you from the bar.

“Hello?”

“Y/N, thank god!” Natasha’s voice was the one on the other end of the line, which only added to your growing confusion. Why would she be calling from Carol’s phone? “I know you said you didn’t want to come out with us tonight, but can you come get Carol? We had a mixup with the designated driver but she’s too drunk to just wait it out and needs to get home ASAP.”

You could hear shouting in the background of the call, and had to stifle back a laugh. You knew that Carol could get loud when she was drunk, and it sounded like tonight was no exception to that. “Yeah, I can come pick her up,” you said. “Do you want me to take you guys back to the compound too?”

“No, don’t worry about us!” Natasha said, raising her voice so that you could hear over the voices behind her. “I think Wanda wants to hit another bar anyway.”

“Alright,” you said. “I’ll leave right away, it shouldn’t take too long.” Once you had the address of the bar your friends had gone to, you headed out to the car.

As you walked through the door of the club and looked for your girlfriend, you couldn’t help but wonder what state you would find everyone in. You weren’t really someone who went out and partied too often, which is why you had originally planned to sit tonight out with a movie and maybe do a face mask back at the compound. But Carol really wanted to go out, so she tagged along with Natasha, Wanda, and Maria for a night of bar-hopping, something you were too tired for tonight anyway.

Even if you weren’t looking too hard, it was impossible to miss Carol. She was standing against the wall and downing what you could only assume was one more drink than she needed this evening, but also taking the time to shout some of the lyrics to the song playing over the bar’s speakers (not very accurately, but she was trying). Natasha waved you over, and you immediately slipped your hand into your girlfriend’s slightly sweatier one. “Come on honey, I’m here to take you home.”

“Nooooooo,” Carol said, the slur in her words yet another piece of undeniable evidence about her inebriated state. “I can’t go home with you.”

You playfully rolled your eyes. “And why is that?”

You fully expected her to say something about needing another drink, but what actually came out of her mouth took you by surprise. “I have a girlfriend, I can’t go home with some random person I don’t even know.”

Natasha laughed at that, and you couldn’t help but see the humor in it too. “Babe, it’s me,” you said gently, reaching towards her face to try and gently turn her head in your direction.

“No!” she said, pulling away from your grasp. “I love my girlfriend very much and she’s at home right now, you need to get away from me!”

“Carol, it’s Y/N,” Natasha said playfully, gently tapping her on the shoulder and still trying to hide her laughter. “Stop being so difficult, she came all this way to get you.”

“Yeah, you know Y/N! I love her very much and I would be a bad girlfriend if I let some random person take me home right now even if nothing happened and they were being a good citizen,” Carol slurred.

“Babe!” you said, squeezing her hand tightly and finally getting her to look at you. “It’s me. I’m the one here to take you home.”

Realization flashed in your girlfriend’s eyes, and she immediately wrapped you in a crushing hug. “Babyyyyyy! I love you sooooooooooo much it’s not even funny, and some random person was trying to take me home but I told them to get lost because I love you so much and-”

“I love you too,” you managed to wheeze out, cutting off her very spirited (and long-winded) explanation. “But I think I should really get you home right now, or you’re going to feel even worse tomorrow.”

Carol muttered something you couldn’t hear, but you assumed it was some kind of rebuttal. However, she allowed you to gently herd her out of the bar and towards where you had parked, so whatever she said couldn’t have been that bad. You would definitely have some fun with her tomorrow when she inevitably asked you what had happened the previous night.

She placed a slightly slobbery kiss on your cheek as you stepped outside into the chilly night air, and you just smiled at her. And you had almost made it to the car with Carol in tow when she pulled away from you and promptly threw up in the nearest trash can.

Well, maybe you would leave some details of the night out tomorrow morning. She probably wouldn’t want to remember that experience.

- the end -

#carol danvers #carol danvers x reader #carol danvers imagine #carol danvers x y/n #carol danvers x you #carol danvers fanfiction #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel fanfiction

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sturnioloblogs · 2 months

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Vaping

Y/n x sturniolos

Summary: y/n’s anxiety has always been really bad. one day she starts vaping to cope with it. Her brothers find out, what will happen?

Extras: you are 15 and your brothers are 20. Ava is your bsf. Also, sorry if the vape part isn’t accurate, I don’t vape so I don’t know how to do it LMAO😭😭

Warnings: vaping. Anxiety. And language. Ava is lowkey toxic and mean lol. Guys please don’t get into vaping it’s really addicting and it’s not worth it. Lmk if I missed anything.

A/n: hiiii I hope you enjoy and give requests! I am also working on part2 of tipsy, I just don’t know if you guys want me to add anything in particular. When I was writing this, the song that I put in reminded me so much of the story I don’t know why😭

𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹

Ever since I was 10 I’ve had horrible anxiety. And I’ve gone through so many different medication‘s, ways to cope with it, and I just feel like nothing is helped.

I have always been very open about my anxiety to Matt, because he also has anxiety and I feel like I can relate to him the most.

When I was 14 the triplets moved to LA. It was the hardest thing in the world for me. I need them. I needed Matt.

My parents knew that Matt was a huge part of my life and that he could always help with my anxiety whenever I needed.

But one day everything became too much.

So I convinced my mom to let me move in with my brothers at 15. I knew my mom was scared and worried for me to go to LA with my 20 year old brothers, but she knew what was best for me so she let me move in when them.

Time skip 5 months

I had just walked into school on a cold Tuesday morning. I started school in LA only a couple months ago and luckily I have already made a couple friends!

But my favourite was Ava. She was so kind to me the first day I came and she was stunning. One thing that was surprising to me, is that she vapes. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing I’m just saying it’s unexpected..

My brothers hated her. They thought she was a bad influence on me. I think they just didn’t want me to vape like her.

Ever since I met Ava I have always told her about my anxiety, and how nothing helps.

Lately Ava had been getting on my nerves, and by that I mean she wants me just to trying vaping. She says it will “calm my anxiety”and that might be true, but I just wanted to stay sober. And if my brothers found out.. only god knows what will happen.

As I arrived at my locker Ava was already waiting for me, with her books in one hand and a black bag in the other.

“Oh hey Ava!” I say as I open my locker. “Y/n I wanna show you something, come with me.” She says not showing any emotion.

I don’t say thing and grab my books Before closing my locker and following her to the bathroom.

When we walked in, she placed her books on the counter and opened the black bag and pulled out a vape.

“Your anxiety is really pissing me off lately. And All you do is fucking complain about it.” Says harshly, shoving the vape in my face. “What the hell a-“ I was cut off by her saying “take a fucking hit! Trust me it will help y/n” I slowly started to back up into the wall behind me just wanting to get it out of my face. But she only walks closer.

“A-Ava please stop” I say tears threatening to fall “oh my fucking god stop being such a baby” she answered.

I just wanted it to be over and the only way it would be over if I took just one puff.

I stuck my shaky hands out and grabbed the vape. I put it against my lips and breathed in the flavoured air. I immediately tasted a pink lemonade flavour on my taste buds. I pulled the vape away and blew the foggy air out of my mouth.

“See wasn’t that fucking bad” Ava said laughing. I tried to give it back to her but all she said was “no keep it, your anxiety might go away, so you don’t have to complain to me” she said picking up she books and walking out the bathroom.

What was her problem? She never acted like this. Was she actually annoyed about my anxiety?

I went through the rest of my day like normal except Ava just wasn’t there. She probably went home. I thought to myself.

Time skip to 7:30pm

I still had the vape in my pocket and I haven’t dared to take it out. I almost felt scared of it?

But I eventually did, and I looked at it for a while debating if it’s really worth it. I decided I was gonna take another hit just to see if it would actually help me. And so I did. I sat in my bed and took about 2 more hits before my body got all tingly and funny. It felt nice…

And with that I couldn’t keep my hands off of it. I would bring it everywhere. I noticed how my anxiety definitely was not as bad as it was before the vape, no more random breakdowns, overwhelming thoughts, and and when I would feel like that, I would just take a puff and I’d feel better. I just had one problem.

My brothers.

It was easy at first but the more and more is used it the more and more I wanted it. Every time I was in my room I would lock my door so no one could abruptly come in and see what I was doing. Till one day.

I had just been done eating supper, so I walked up the stairs not paying attention and just scrolling on my phone, I went in my room and closed my door. But my stupid self didn’t lock the damn thing.

I pulled out the vape from my pocket and took breathed in, just as I was exhaling the smoke I could hear muffled voices, and then my door swung open, revealing all my three brothers. “Y/n we are goi-” Matt immediately stopped talking when he saw the smoke come from my mouth.

I froze in fear.

I couldn’t speak.

“What the fuck?” Chris said in shock “g-guys I-i can explain” I say, my voice scratchy and quiet “start fucking speaking then” Matt said looking me dead in the eyes.

“I-I’m sorry! Ava made me try it a-and then I couldn’t stop I’m sorry! My anxiety has been so bad and this is the only thing that helps, nothings w-working not even the m-medication” I say sobbing into my hands, at this point I had no control over my tears.

On my left and right I felt a dip in the bed, and then in front of my someone was sitting on the floor rubbing my knee.

I had to calm myself down quickly or else this would lead to a panic attack. This has happened before, but not in a while.

Matts arms came around waist and he pulled my head into his chest, whispering reassuring words into my ear.

“Shhhh y/n shhh” he said running his fingers thru my hair.

After a couple minutes or so, I finally calm down. I was still sniffling, but not as bad as I was a couple minutes ago.

Nick broke the silence by saying “y/n we absolutely love you so much, and care about you, and your health. We know your anxiety has been so bad lately, but vaping isn’t one way to go with it.”

“Maybe we need to find a new medication or a new therapist. Whatever you want.” Matt said smiling softly at me.

“O-okay yeah maybe that would be good” I whisper looking at all three of them. “I love you guys”

𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹𖦹

A/n: IM SO BAD AT ENDINGS HELPPPP…. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this!

Also, if you guys are struggling with any mental health problems and need to talk, my Dms are always open💝

For some reason, I find my stories cringe, sometimes 😭😭

#sturniolo triplets #christopher owen sturniolo #chris x reader #christopher sturniolo #chris sturniolo #nick x reader #nick sturniolo #nicolas antonio sturniolo #matthew bernard sturniolo #matt x reader #matthew sturniolo #matt sturniolo #fanfic #please request #i love you

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h-worksrambles · 2 years

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One thing I’m always pleasantly surprised by with Sam & Max is how consistently good the voice acting is, especially for the two leads. Even if I can pick a favourite voice for both Sam & Max, it’s a very close thing, and there’s not one performance I can call bad.

Take Max for instance. Nick Jameson voices him in Hit the Road, and his take is a fair bit quieter than later performances. Aside from the sheer perfection of his Brooklyn twang, I enjoy how his Max is a little subtler. He’s upbeat sure, but he’s not a loudmouth either, often saying cryptic or sinister comments in a very relaxed tone. “We’re the Freelance Police and we’re in a race against time”. (calmy) “And we’re barefoot.” I feel like this more subdued Max is actually the most comic accurate one to date. Max’s voices tend to be rather loudmouthed and hyper-expressive later on but Comic!Max...not so much.

In the comics, Max tends to maintain his huge grin as a neutral expression, in such a way that you never know what’s going on behind that smile. And not knowing what he’s thinking is kind of the key to Max’s character if you ask me. And Jameson keys into that excellently. He’s upbeat, but he’s not especially loud. Cheerful, deadpan and subtly threatening. Jameson takes my award for the most comic accurate Max. The only time where he really loses his temper is when he gets sick of Doug the moleman’s long-winded story. Otherwise, he’s very dry or inscrutable. Not even Sam can entirely puzzle him out sometimes. “I wish I knew what Max was thinking... ...Well THAT was a waste of money.”

Rob Tinkler’s take in the cartoon is quite different in some ways. He’s much louder, much more hyperactive, much less quiet, and perhaps less subtle in some ways. And yet, this is probably my favourite Max voice, despite how different it is. What I think makes Tinkler’s performance work so well, is that despite being larger than life and more...well...cartoonish, he still captures that inscrutable quality of Max, but in a very different way. Tinkler’s Max, above all, is an impressionist. He’s constantly putting on different voices, mimicking different personas. This is naturally a great way for Rob Tinkler to flex his range as a voice actor, but it means that you still have that hard-to-read quality. Except this time, it’s because Max’s showmanship is constantly hiding what he’s actually thinking and feeling.

Hyperactive characters typically wear their hearts on their sleeves in a way that means they let all their emotions hang out. But Max...doesn’t. He’s actually extremely cagey with his emotions, deceptively smart, and no one can ever tell what’s going on behind that disconcertingly large smile. Tinkler and Jameson both capture that in very different ways, one through a quiter deadpan, one through extroverted showmanship. And I’d certainly say Tinkler’s charisma makes him my favourite to watch. His energy is absolutely unmatched and it’s an achievement to pull off a performance this cartoonishly over-the-top without getting annoying. A character who switches moods this much this fast only works if the actor has the range to switch on a dime, and I’d say Tinkler does.

“We return VICTORIOUS! Crowned with the scars of BATTLE!” (then with a childlike giggle) It looks like I’m wearin’ polka dot jammies!” I think that impressionistic showman vibe helps, as he can pull back the energy with a more muted voice for a comedic contrast to avoid overplaying the shouty parts. It’s a great performance all round. Still miss the Broooklyn accent, though...

William Kasten’s take on the Telltale games is also very interesting, and probably my second favourite behind Rob Tinkler. Much like Tinkler, his Max is much louder, more extroverted you might say, compared to Hit the Road or the comics. However, he’s not so much of a showman, and is generally a little more upfront with his emotions. He’s more prone to be visibly angry, shocked, frustrated or scared. That’s not to say Cartoon!Max never lost his cool, (Glitch in Time, anyone?) but its definitely more frequent here, though that may simply be down to Telltale having three whole games, so this gets to happen more often. “Ho ho ho-oohhh MY GOD I’M ON FIRE!!!!”

More than any other though, I think Kasten is the voice actor who makes Max genuinely cute. He’s high pitched without being grating, and he gives Max a lot of traits that are unironically adorable, especially his little giggles, or his ‘wheeeee!’s when he’s launched into the air. He’s also able to switch that energy on a dime from endearing to completely cutting and malevolent. That cutesy excitement quickly switches into malicious glee. And I don’t think his moments of cruelty or violence would be nearly as funny if he wasnt also so legitimately cute. He’s a little monster who’s so adorable that you can’t stay mad at him, and it works really well. It’s another case of strong comedic contrast. Plus, I just think his comedic timing is just generally on point. “And the pope says, ‘thanks! Last time that happened McKinley wanted to [CENSORED] ...no waitwaitwait, I think I told it wrong.” (I would like to talk more about Andrew Chaikin as I do like his take, but there just wasn’t enough time to form any meaningful analysis based solely on Culture Shock. So just know I like him and wish we got to hear him a liitle longer).

Then you have Dave Boat in Poker Night and This Time It’s Virtual, and I’d say his Max is probably the most sarcastic. His register is quite close to Kasten’s but he trades out the cutesy facade for raw snark. Most of his lines in Poker Night 2 are giving a sassy comeback to whatever straight line Sam just unwittingly fed him. “...And that’s why I don’t wear shoes.” “And also because shoes make him look like a big brown clown!” This happens even more so in TTIV, plus he spends most of the game taking spiteful potshots at the player, since he resents their presence to begin with. This is easily the most cantankerous Max has ever been, and when you remember the writers of TTIV once remarked that, because they were coming back to this series with an older perspective, then that tone of ‘I’m gettin’ too old for this’ trickles down into the characters too. “...Why don’t you throw me like that anymore, Sam?”

Though much like Max in Glitch in Time, or Max’s more genuine moments in Telltale, he also gets a chance to show that oft-hidden vulnerable side when Sam goes missing, and he sells it very well. For as much as these voices differ, they all manage to hit a lot of the core beats of the character. Even from someone like me who is kinda...eh...on This Time it’s Virtual compared to the rest of the series, I have no complaints with either of the leads’ performance. Boat frankly nails it. I think it says a lot about the consistent quality of the series’ casting that I have so much positive to say about all these different voice actors. And even if they all bring their own qualities and quirks to the role...they all still sound like Max. They all capture the core essentials well enough that every version of Max, from the comics, to the games, to the show, all feel like the same character. And when I think of other fandoms I’m in where different voices and performances can lead to hugely base breaking divides over character interpretations (cough, Sonic the Hedgehog, cough), it makes Sam & Max’s ability to avoid this all the more impressive. Especially for a series otherwise so unconcerned with canon.

Edit: My brainworms are clearly worse than I thought because I did in fact make that Sam voice comparison and you can read it here.

#tldr sam & max has really good voice acting #i may do another post like this comparing sam's voices maybe if people are interested?#sam and max #sam and max hit the road #sam and max save the world #sam and max beyond time and space #sam and max the devil's playhouse #poker night 2 #sam and max this time it's virtual #voice acting

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tavyliasin · 4 months

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Part 1 of Haarlep's Festive Party is now out!

The rest will follow in the next day or so, it's a fight to finish it because it grew so long, but I do hope you enjoy the appetiser~

Mind the tags, I have my usual beloved tropes of Haarlep's aphrodisiac shenanigans, bondage, power play, a little pain play, some devilishly delightful toys and new outfits, oh and this time? Gale is joining the party!

Smut below the cut with some samples, the full work for now is only on AO3 but I shall see about posting it here in chapters when it is completed too~ Happy holidays darlings, in whatever ways you do or do not celebrate~

-------- -------- The Fiend's Feast -------- --------

“Are you nearly ready to go?” Tav’s voice called through the thin fabric of Gale’s tent as he fussed over his outfit. “I still need a few minutes… Look, you all go on ahead without me, I can soon catch up.” He looked in the mirror again and shook his head. He felt ridiculous, and not at all prepared, but he was not going to miss another party. “I will be there, I promise you that.” Outside the tent, Tav shrugged, looking to her companions. “I feel ridiculous.” Astarion complained, lifting the hems of his revealing outfit. “I don’t know how I let the pair of you talk me into this, again. ”

Beside him, Halsin merely grinned, a firm slap to the rear causing the pale elf to leap from the floor in shock with a loud jingling of bells. “I think you look perfect, my heart. I fear it is my dignity taking the hit now.” “Hold still.” Tav stood on her tiptoes to reach up to Halsin as he bent just slightly for her, letting her adjust the large antlers fixed to his head before kissing his red-painted nose. “There. Much better.” The druid smiled, unable to hide his feelings whenever Tav lavished gentle affection towards him, even as Astarion huffed with exaggerated jealousy. “It would be much easier were I to be permitted use of my wild shape.” “That would be cheating.” Karlach gave him a gentle elbow in the ribs, her horn decorated with extra branches and shiny baubles. “We’re going to be late if we stand around talking here all night.” Wyll appeared beside her, linking arms, similar festive items adorning his own curved horns, ribbons sewn carefully through his hair. “Shall we?”

Lae’zel and Shadowheart were already walking on ahead, having some kind of heated argument that Tav and the others couldn’t hear. Karlach watched them with concern. “Maybe we should keep a closer eye on them, before someone gets hurt.” “Oh I think that is their plan, but I wouldn’t worry about anything permanent .” Astarion smirked, as he watched the realisation dawn on the tiefling’s face.

“Well, let’s not keep the host waiting any longer. I’m curious what all this is about, anyway.” Tav smiled, entwining her fingers with those of her lovers either side of her. The memory of Haarlep’s last party was still fresh in her mind, and her body, and she couldn’t wait to find out what the rest of the night might have in store for them all. ----

“I hate you. You know that?” Raphael sneered, even as he allowed Haarlep to continue as they pleased, covering his wings with white feathers. Well, allowed was perhaps not the most accurate word as he was once more bound - quite literally - by their latest scheme. “Yes, yes, hellfire, brimstone, flay the flesh from my bones. I was hoping you might play the part a little better, Archdu- ” They paused halfway through his title, a far more wicked grin crossing their features. “ Archangel .” They finished on the last row of feathers, checking how firm the golden ropes and vicious daggers pinning his wings spread and open against the metal support were, ensuring he wouldn’t bother struggling. They floated back on a current of magic to properly admire their work, checking the book they summoned to their hand to ensure that everything was just right. Raphael was in his cambion form already, horns painted with gold with a large ornate ring suspended on fine thread between them as a glittering halo. He was dressed in a pure white robe that stopped midway down his thigh. Half of his chest was equally exposed, and his hands were bound with a thin but impressively strong golden rope in a mockery of prayer. A liberal application of golden glitter made his entire form appear to sparkle amidst the twinkling lights as he was held aloft at the top of an unreasonably large evergreen tree. Decorated soul coins hung from ribbons in the higher branches, out of reach of where most of the guests would be in the expansive hall below. The rest of the tree bore a variety of garish baubles, patterns of magical fire and dancing light cantrips being constantly cast by debtors hidden beneath the base, barely able to see from the ribbon-tied boxes they were secured inside, under strict orders not to let the decorations flicker or fade for even a moment. “Now, all you need do is sing .” Haarlep made a swift motion with their hand, their lovely little item buried deep inside Raphael suddenly coming to life and drawing out a prolonged whine from his lips. “Hmmm…you can do better.” Another motion sent the short mild shock of lightning through the pins piercing specific points up the cambion’s back, including several in the most sensitive points just above his tail and at the point his wings joined near his shoulders. This time, the noise from him hit a higher pitch. “Much better.” Haarlep smirked with satisfaction at the disappointed sigh as they left him without any stimulation again, only the feeling of what was there, the pained anticipation of never knowing when they’d next activate their little toys. “Now, you be nice up there, and you might just get your present later~” Their wings stretched in a lazy mimicry of flying as the magic carried them back to the floor. They noted the perfect view, if a guest were to stand in just the right spot beneath the tree, they would see everything . “Here. Hang that silly plant right here.” He motioned to one of the debtors who was helping decorate the hall, stringing the mistletoe on a fine thread they conjured from the high ceiling above. ---

--- Some time later

--- --- “Oh, right, mine’s last then.” She nervously teased the bow open, the paper falling away to reveal two items. The first was a dark flask, the glass itself looking like warm flames were moving within it, a thicker liquid swirling inside. “Do be careful with that now, Little Rat, do not get greedy . Just a drop or two in a drink should be more than potent enough, when you aren’t able to take it from the source.” At those words, they leaned in close tilting her chin up with a single claw and kissing her deeply, a sweeter passion to it, she might have been forgiven for thinking there was just a touch of genuine emotion. “Now, why don’t you look at the other half of your gift.” Their hand drifted down her arm, lifting her wrist as she still held the silk bag by the drawstrings. She passed the bottle of what was now rather obviously distilled aphrodisiac from the incubus themselves over to Halsin to hold for a moment as she began to pull the object from within the fabric. “This is…well, I assume it’s similar to other items you have?” “Not precisely.” They ran their own finger up the length of the decidedly phallic object, coloured deep red with familiar ridges along it. “Right now, it bears Raphael’s likeness , as you can tell. However, you can have it take the form of others, should you wish. All you need do is make a little deal with them - similar to my own, but far simpler. Just use it and kiss them while it is inside you, speaking their name whilst holding it will then transform it into their form.” “What’s the catch?” She eyed them suspiciously as they continued to caress the toy, squeezing at the tip for good measure. “When it’s in their shape, saying their name again while holding it will allow them to feel everything you do with it, much like you feel it if I take your form.” They grinned and dug a sharp nail just below the tip, and Tav once again heard that sound from above. “That…” She began, holding the toy in her hand as she had an idea form. “Haarlep.” She said once, watching the fiend’s eyes widen for a moment as they toy changed in size and shape, the hue changing to a dark tan. “So you did attune it to yourself when you made it, you cheeky devil~” Astarion winked at the incubus, watching the subtle changes in their face. “Haarlep.” Tav repeated, looking them in the eye as she took the item in her hand and began to run her own fingers up and down the length. “It is you…but not the one we know.” The incubus touched the toy quickly. “Raphael.” They uttered, in a hushed tone. “Do not think on that too much, Little Thief, some things even you should not steal.” They put the toy back in the silk bag for her, tying the string. “Something for later , you will have little need of it tonight.” ---

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alexandermanes · 8 months

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hi. hello, if you haven’t seen good omens’ last season (and you want to) you can sit this one out (or come back to it later i don’t know)

are they gone? good. so

*lights up a metaphorical cigarette* how are we feeling about that finale, huh?

well, i certainly do have thoughts about it.

let’s start with the elephant in the room shall we? was it in character for them to act like they did in the last 10 minutes? yes

let’s start with crowley. upon hearing the earth-shattering news that he and aziraphale might have not been communicating properly in the last six thousand years, what does he do? he thinks about it and flips out a little, cue to the rash little confession that was rudely (not really!) interrupted. and evidently, it’s par for the course that it was interrupted by the worst possible news he could have ever received. (well…)

because really, who could have thought that aziraphale would refuse to run away with him again? who would've thought aziraphale would choose heaven again? actually, at any other opportunity aziraphale might've not (i’m pretty sure) refused his proposal. but crowley's timing couldn’t have been worse. anyways, it hits the nail on the head of their issues.

because faced with an opportunity he couldn’t miss, of course, aziraphale chose what he believed was the right thing, though, as usual, his overall well-being came in second. and to even ask crowley to go to heaven with him, to restore heaven and be restored as angel is such naivety. such naivety of aziraphale to think crowley would accept that, regardless of his feelings towards aziraphale himself. which is pretty much in character. crowley doesn’t believe it to be possible: to restore heaven, to make it better. and what’s more is that he feels as though he was wronged (he was) and isn't willing to forgive and forget (he shouldn’t be, not in this case). where aziraphale is all about being good and doing good, crowley is all about self preservation.

where aziraphale is all about seing the best in everyone, crowley would doubt his own shadow if possible. so, that means that he can't ask crowley to put (blind or otherwise) faith in the place that cast him down for asking questions (!!!). but if aziraphale was even to have considered crowley could put his personal feelings towards heaven aside in the name of doing the right thing, crowley wouldn't. he didn't.

because crowley doesn't owe heaven a thing. more than that, he doesn't trust the angels in charge. he doesn't need them, neither does aziraphale. he'd said it as much.

but to aziraphale this is isn't about needing heaven necessarily, it's about what heaven should stand for. the metatron puts all sorts of ideas in his head about making a difference and, fundamentally, i refuse to believe that this is him striving for power, since never in six thousand years has he shown any interest in leading or climbing up the celestial business ladder.

so improving heaven it is. besides kindess and positivity, aziraphale cares about his comfort. he really does care about humans and the earth (he wouldn't have bothered with stopping the armageddon otherwise) but, he also likes the comfort and simple pleasures that the planet provides. he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy that would overthrow gabriel, or the metatron, for that matter, just so that he can rule over heaven and earth (and possibly hell). he wants to help, even if does inconvenience him a bit. which comes back to the issue: crowley doesn't see things the same way he does. crowley cares about the earth and the humans that inhabit it, that much is obvious, but he does care a lot more about himself. more accurately, he cares about keeping himself alive and preferably out of harm's way. the whole issue with gabriel shows us that much. it's also fair to point out that maybe he was more than a little insistent about keeping gabriel away from them since it was gabriel that showed up on aziraphale's doorway naked and devoid of any memories, and not any other angel who hadn't told aziraphale!crowley to shut-up-and-die-already.

he is also self-aware enough that he knows his feelings towards aziraphale aren't purely platonic. so, faced with the possibility that he had wasted time in not telling aziraphale how he really feels, he also wants to be away from anything that might, at best, be nuisance and, at worst, put them in danger. “we're a team, a group. a group of the two of us, and we've spent our existence pretending we aren't"

to me it also indicates that, not only is he conscious about his feelings towards aziraphale, he believes aziraphale might reciprocate them (which he does, though, based on solid evidence, i.e his living experience, crowley isn't 100% confident about it). and, even though, he is heaving and terrified of being vulnerable (and rejected!), crowley, in a very i-better-say-my-piece-now-or-i'll-forever-be-silent way makes his little speech. bravely so.

"just be an us. you and me. what do you say?"

this is mostly stream of conscioussness, so i forgot to mention that despite being all about self-preservation, crowley makes a very generous exception for aziraphale. he will do the impossible as long as he can keep aziraphale safe. it goes without saying that he won't do or let anything jeopardize the precious, peaceful, fragile existence he had carved out for himself, unless he has to.

"come with me. to heaven, i'll run it, you'll be my second in command", says aziraphale it makes me insane that this rift that is spreading now in their relationship isn't due to any emotional confusion (not in any way that matters); this is about them operating in a different framework and not being able to translate it to the other one. crowley wants to be safe and run away with aziraphale, aziraphale wants to do good and have crowley by his side. neither of them is willing to give that up. and even if i think crowley is in the right, that heaven can't be fixed and it's not up to aziraphale to fix it, if they talked, if they communicated this wouldn't be such a huge issue.

"you can't leave this bookshop", you can't leave me

"oh, crowley. nothing lasts forever", it's time for a change, will you come with me?

"no. no, i suppose it doesn't", so much for being honest about my feelings and what i want

(crowley putting his sunglasses back on, hiding his eyes that are beacon of emotion was such a powerful move btw) where aziraphale had hope, crowley's withered and died.

"crowley, come back! come to heaven, work with me. we can be together."

now, this part kills me because aziraphale says it with such hope, it's hard for me to even think of it as being a temptation (even if it sounds like one). it's clear that aziraphale isn't rejecting crowley as a romantic prospect, but he is rejecting his proposal. and, as stated before, crowley isn't interested in his either.

"angels. doing good."

the first time i watched this scene it felt like a punch to the gut. it felt like that probably because i'd heard it the same way crowley did: i want you, but only if you're something other than what you are. because you see, even if crowley was restored as an angel, he would still be fundamentally crowley, but he wouldn't be a demon. nevertheless, being a demon is also a fundamental part of who he is. i-don't-know-how-many-thousands-of-years since the fall and six thousand years living as a demon, of course it's part of who he is. plus, crowley sees himself as irredeemable, and theoretically, in the eyes of god and the angels, he is. there's no saving him, and even if there was, he wouldn't be interested in it.

but in saying that, aziraphale hadn't meant he would only want crowley if he wasn't a demon. he meant that being an angel would make crowley happy. if we are to believe that they had met when both were still angels, having witnessed crowley's delight in helping create the universe, he thought being an angel made him happy. he already knows with bone-deep certainty that crowley is good, he has witnessed it for thousands of years. therefore, 1 + 1 = 2: crowley being an angel in heaven with aziraphale would make him happy again. heaven could be a good place again with the both of them restoring it side by side.

"i need you!"

there's so much to unpack there, i don't think i have the ability to make it justice.

crowley's hesitance also is so interesting. for all intents and purposes he has already rejected aziraphale's proposal, so why does he linger? if you ask me, it's almost like he is either waiting for aziraphale to convince him into acquiescence, or he hopes aziraphale will change his mind. how, you ask me? i don't know.

"i don't think you understand what i'm offering you", i'm offering you my love, a chance at doing the right thing, i'm offering you happiness again

"i understand. and i understand a whole lot better than you do." you can't fix something that can't be fixed.

"then, there's nothing more to say"

and the irony is: there were so many things left unsaid that needed to be said. and yet...

"you idiot, we could've been us."

and that's the thing, isn't it? crowley doesn't need themto be in any way other than what they are. well, with the added tones of romance and wine-and-dining, of course. but, he just wants them to be, together. outside of the restraints of heaven and hell.

god, and the kiss. the awful, dreaded kiss that i saw from a mile away. it was so revolting and visceral in its suplication. it was beautiful, it was horrible. i think it's a work of art, i hate it so much. crowley grappling aziraphale by his lapels, aziraphale not knowing whether to bring him closer or push him away, the sheer duration of the kiss, the devastation in their eyes afterwards... jesus christ.

the kiss was done out of sheer desperation on crowley's part, and i don't really know what was going through his head tbh. i don't know if he thought the kiss was supposed to mend the rift they essentially created between themselves or if it was his well-if-it's-my-last-chance-to-do-it moment. i'm leaning towards the first option though; crowley thought the kiss might've convinced aziraphale to change his mind, but instead...

"i forgive you", a final temptation you have applied on me.

"don't bother", i gues we don't want the same things after all.

i don't think holy water or hellfire could've burned them this much.

and then: aziraphale hesitates and for a singular moment there i was convinced he was going after crowley and apologize, confess. but then, of course, he didn't.

it's funny, i didn't think a man could have made so many facial expressions in the span of ten seconds (devastation, hurt, anger, sorrow, sobriety) and yet, michael sheen is a master at his craft. well, after all was said and done (literally), crowley still waited, aziraphale still hesitated. our very own orpheus and eurydice.

what a tragedy. in conclusion, i'm unwell.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #aziraphale #crowley #ineffable husbands #shut up izzy

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beautyofattolia · 1 year

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Jake and Lo’ak (Avatar: The Way of Water)

Warning: this post contains spoilers for Avatar: The Way of Water! Do not read if you haven’t seen the movie yet, are planning on watching it, and you want to go into it blind. I will be discussing a LOT of things that go on in it.

This post is going to be a discussion/exploration of both Jake and Lo’ak as characters with a deep dive into their relationship. I loved a lot of the character development that went on in this movie and wanted to pick apart Jake’s arc in particular. I also thought the relationship between him and Lo’ak was one of the most interesting and well-developed ones in the movie and wanted to not only examine it closer but also make some predictions about where it’s going to end up in future movies.

Just to warn you now, this is going to be a LONG post (I have SO MANY THOUGHTS Y’ALL), so I’m including a “read more” tab. I don’t want to see this entire monster on my dash every time I look through my tags and I especially don’t want people who have no interest in this topic to have to deal with my ramblings while casually scrolling.

For those of you who want to come explore with me though…let’s dive in.

(I am so sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

Introduction

I do want to start by saying that I have seen the movie twice. This analysis/exploration came to mind after the first time I saw it, but I wanted to watch it again with this idea in mind to double-check myself. I wanted to make sure I accurately remembered all the scenes I’m going to be discussing in this post. I’m not perfect and I’m sure there are things I have still managed to misremember or misquote, so please feel free to let me know if I’ve made any mistakes!

Honestly, I would love to see the movie two more times, AT LEAST, but I have no idea when that is going to happen and I wanted to get this done sooner rather than later.

There are also a few things I want to make very clear before I start. First, I absolutely adore both Jake and Lo’ak, so if you don’t and you’re looking to read something that completely bashes either one or both of them…this is not the post for you. Second, this post’s goal is not to convince you that you SHOULD love them or that how you feel about them or their relationship is wrong if you don’t agree with me. It’s not! Your feelings and opinions are completely valid, whether you like them as characters and their relationship with each other or not.

This post is simply a deeper exploration into why I think these characters behave the way they do in this movie and why I believe their relationship is the way that it is. I have seen people claim things like “Jake doesn’t love his kids” or “Jake doesn’t love his sons” or “Jake doesn’t love Lo’ak” and I, personally, think all of these statements are false based on what the movie presents to us as viewers and this post is an explanation of why I believe that.

All that to say, if none of this is up your alley, please stop reading now. I’m not here to hate on anyone’s feelings or thoughts or opinions. I’m only here to share my own, explain why I think the way that I do, and break down and explore two characters I love and the relationship they share (which I also love), in a movie that I adore. I deeply enjoy engaging with and analyzing media that I love. I can’t make fanart and fanfiction is very hit or miss for me (when I’m writing, I love reading it), so this is kind of the only way I have of showcasing my love for a fandom and series that has held my heart captive since I was fourteen.

“Jake Doesn’t Love His Kids”

I think this claim kind of goes hand in hand with the “Jake is a military dad” claim. While I do think Jake does have military dad moments in the Way of Water, I would hesitate to consider him 100% a military dad. Mostly because there is clearly a huge difference between him as a dad before the humans return and him as a dad after the humans return. I will be the first to admit that we don’t have a lot of footage from those first fourteen years, but from what we do see, it is clear there is a difference between pre-humans Jake and post-humans Jake.

Now, I consider pre-humans Jake to be who Jake really is as a dad. He’s much softer, much warmer, and overflows with love for his family. Every single moment of that sequence shows that. The look of awe when Kiri grabs his finger, how patient he is while teaching Neteyam how to fish, the way he holds Lo’ak against him when he and Neytiri tell the story of how they met, how he measures his kids’ heights on a pole in their home, even the way he breaks up the fight between Lo’ak and Kiri. It’s all consistent behavior that shows this is who Jake is as a dad naturally, without the world falling apart around him: soft, warm, loving, gentle, patient.

Then the humans come back.

Sometimes, when reading what people say about Jake as a dad, it feels like they don’t understand why there’s a change between pre-humans and post-humans. Why after a year of war, there’s a difference in how Jake parents his children, and how he behaves as a dad. Why he has become harder, someone who falls into moments of the military dad mentality.

And I don’t think the movie could be any clearer about why this happens.

They are now in the middle of a war and Jake is scared out of his mind.

Fear changes you as a person. You are not your best when you are scared, instead, you often become a version of yourself that you do not recognize and do not like. And the truth is that Jake is terrified out of his mind after the humans return. In order to cope with the fear he is now feeling, he falls back on the marine mindset because he thinks that is what is going to protect the people he loves.

Remember, that’s his whole thing. “A father protects his family. That’s his one job.” That statement is literally Jake’s core belief about what it means to be a parent and what his responsibilities are to his kids.

Now, I’ve seen this statement criticized for being sexist. Like, “oh fathers protect, but what do mothers do? Stay home and twiddle their thumbs?” and I think this misses the point entirely. Jake is not saying that at all. He does not think Neytiri is weak or somehow lacking in her ability to protect their kids because she is their mother. I mean he literally goes to her at the end and is like “I need you. I cannot rescue our children alone.” He needs her because they are mates and partners and these children are THEIR children and she is the most badass badass to ever be badass on Pandora and probably in the universe. And Jake knows that! He loves that! The man looks at his mate slaughtering people and is like “oh my God babe YES!” His statement is not that fathers are the only ones who protect. He states that it’s the parents’ job to protect their children, but he is making it personal for himself. His role in this family is the father. He refers to himself because he is making himself focus on his failings as a parent. He’s basically saying to himself “your one job as their father is to protect them and you are failing it.” He is judging himself, saying he himself has fallen short and failed, not saying that mothers can’t or shouldn’t be focused on their children’s protection.

This mentality, that a parent’s one job is to protect their kids, is why he is terrified when the humans return. Or at least one of the reasons. I think Jake is a really complex character with a lot of baggage and while not all of it is explored in the Way of Water, I think most of it is and the rest is at least hinted at. The movie focuses on his fear of the humans hurting his family, but there are other reasons why Jake is scared too.

When you think about it, Neytiri and the kids are the only family Jake has left. They are all Jake has. He has no one else. Tom is dead and while we don’t know much about their parents, we know they aren’t in the picture for one reason or another because Jake doesn’t consider them at all when he leaves. The life he has built with the Na’vi is the only life that he has. They are his whole world: his family, his friends, and his people. And the humans have the power to take that away, to hurt the people he cares about more than anything else in the world. I can’t help but think back to the first movie, in the extended version (the BEST version), where Jake says “all I’ve ever wanted was a cause worth fighting for.” And guess what? His family and the Na’vi people are now his cause!

So we have his fear of losing his family driving him, but I think we also have his fear of letting down the Omatikaya people as well. I think Jake deals a lot with guilt and I think part of his desire to fight the humans comes from feeling like he still has to make up for what he did in the first movie. Like he 100% loves them, but I do think he is still trying to prove that he belongs, that he is sorry for what he did, and that he is on their side. Jake is afraid of losing his place with the Na’vi, of not only losing the people he loves, but the life he loves too. The community he loves. The world he loves.

He is full of fear and the humans returning brings all of that fear right to the forefront of his mind. And as a result, he lets that fear take over and whenever you let fear take over, you become a lesser version of yourself. And Jake’s lesser version of himself, the one ruled by fear, is harder, colder, and not the kind of dad his kids needs or that he wants to be.

I want to make it very clear that the movie does not present this behavior as healthy or right. In fact, the movie makes it clear that Jake is making mistakes in how he handles his children, specifically Lo’ak (we’ll talk about that specifically in a bit). Neytiri herself is the voice of reason for Jake when she tells him “you are too hard on them” and “this is not a squad, it is a family.” I think this again provides a little more evidence that this is not how Jake was as a dad before. If Neytiri is troubled by his behavior now, there is no way she would have let Jake parent their children like this for fourteen years. Neytiri is not afraid of speaking her mind, especially not with Jake. She would never sit back and let something she disagrees with happen, especially not for YEARS. I do think in this instance, she understands why Jake is acting the way he is (they are bonded after all), which is why she reminds him throughout the movie of how he should be behaving gently and not flying off the handle at him.

Back to the “family, not a squad” scene though, Jake answers he was afraid they had lost Neteyam and Lo’ak, and again that shows how scared he is of losing the children he loves. It highlights Jake’s fear. The movie is saying “Jake is making a mistake but this is why he is making the mistake.” That’s Jake’s whole arc throughout this movie! Him making mistakes with his kids and then realizing he was wrong the whole time. The movie makes that very clear! So I do get a bit frustrated when people criticize the movie for having Jake be a military dad when the movie very clearly shows that lots of Jake’s parenting choices are wrong.

But just because he makes mistakes doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his children. In fact, the reason why he makes those mistakes is because he loves his kids so freaking much that he is consumed with the fear of losing them and that fear turns him into a person who is so bent on protecting them that he pulls away from them emotionally and becomes someone harder and colder than he was before.

I also want to take a second and mention how much I appreciate that Jake is never physically hard on his kids. I think one of the stereotypes of the military dad persona is corporal punishment and that is honestly never a thing for Jake, which is a huge relief to me. Obviously, he is much more physically affectionate in the pre-humans era, but even in the post-humans era, he is still physically gentle and warm with his kids. He holds Tuk when she asks for it, he is physically supportive of Kiri when she tells him how she feels, he hugs Neteyam and Lo’ak when he saves the two from Quaritch at the beginning, he cups Lo’ak’s cheek at the end, he hugs both Lo’ak and Spider after the battle. Even when he is angry with Lo’ak and grabs him to pull him away from Tonowari and Ronal, he is still gentle. His touch is never shown to be aggressive or painful or a punishment. His kids never flinch away from him. Even when Jake is upset with them and leaning into the scared military dad persona or the angry commanding officer persona, his kids do not fear his touch. And I think that is so important because it shows how much he loves them, how much they love him, and how Jake really is a warm, gentle dad who is just scared out of his mind and desperately trying to protect his kids. The movie shows him making a lot of mistakes in this movie, but the way he is physically there for his kids is not one of them.

I think the movie does an incredible job at comparing and contrasting the dad Jake really is (pre-humans) and wants to be with the dad Jake becomes when he lets fear consume his life (post-humans). He isn’t a military dad because he doesn’t love his children, he loves his children so much that he thinks becoming a military dad is the only way to save them. And the movie straight up says “no Jake, that’s wrong and here’s why.” Parents are people who make mistakes and who have to grow and change to be better people and better parents. Loving your children doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes, but it does mean that you need to constantly be aware of how your choices are affecting your children and make changes when needed. And I think Jake’s entire arc throughout this movie is him realizing he is wrong and then making that change at the end of the movie to be better.

“Jake Doesn’t Love His Sons”

A lot of people have been commenting on the fact that there is a difference between how Jake treats his daughters, Kiri and Tuk, and how he treats his sons, Neteyam and Lo’ak. Specifically, they claim that Jake loves his daughters more than he loves his sons. Again, I do think this is proven wrong by the movie. Now, I will say, there is definitely a difference in the post-human treatment of the girls vs. the boys, but I don’t think it has anything to do with how much Jake loves them. I don’t even think it has anything to do with their gender!

I think it’s the direct result of Jake being Olo'eyktan and the one leading the Omatikaya into battle since Neteyam and Lo’ak are both young warriors. After all, Jake has no pattern of treating women differently than men throughout the movies. He doesn’t look down on Neytiri in the first movie because she is a woman. In fact, he is totally okay with her being his teacher and while they do fall in love (something that probably wouldn’t have happened if it had been like Tsu’tey teaching him instead), there is no point in which he views Neytiri less of a warrior because she is a woman. Jake also doesn’t respect Grace any less as a scientist than Norm or Max and he doesn’t think Trudy is any less of a marine than Quaritch or the other male marines. Jake even shows the same level of respect to Ronal as he does to Tonowari, similar to how he shows the same level of respect to Mo’at as he does to Eytukan in the first movie. Jake is not sexist. He has never had a problem with women in positions of power or authority. He does not treat women any differently than he treats men in any situation.

So no, I don’t think the reason why he treats his sons differently than his daughters has anything to do with sexism or even toxic masculinity, another thing I see people mentioning and which Jake has no history of ever displaying. I think the reason why he treats them differently is because his sons have roles that require him to approach them not as their dad, but as their commanding officer. The girls do not. THAT is where the difference lies.

Being a warrior/hunter is an important part of being part of the Omatikaya clan and Neteyam and Lo’ak are the only two children who fall into that category. Kiri does not, even though she is old enough. Much like Mo’at, who also doesn’t seem to be a warrior/hunter and instead seems to be more focused on healing (although being a Tsahìk doesn’t seem to mean you aren’t a warrior since both Ronal and Neytiri are, but throughout both movies we never see Mo’at assume a warrior role), Kiri seems to be more of a healer. A spiritual leader. There is never a moment where she appears to have any interest in being a warrior/hunter the way Neteyam and Lo’ak do. I do not believe she has gone through that process the way the boys have. She doesn’t even have a weapon at any point during the movie even though the boys have both bows and knives and even Tuk has a knife at the end. Tuk obviously isn’t a warrior/hunter either as she is still too young. That may be in her future, but at the moment it is not.

But Neteyam and Lo’ak are. Or at least becoming? Someone can correct me if I am wrong, but it looks like maybe they both have completed their Iknimaya since they both appear to have their own ikran. I’m a bit iffy on that since there is no real confirmation either way, but the evidence does seem to lean toward the fact that at the VERY LEAST, they are warriors/hunters in training close to becoming full-fledged warriors/hunters. Regardless of official status, it is clear that they both are given some responsibilities when it comes to fighting alongside the older warriors. And as Olo'eyktan, Jake is their commander. He is the one who leads the warriors into battle and I think this is what causes him to treat the boys differently.

He is no longer just their father, he is also their commanding officer, and I think he struggles to find the line between the two. He tends to lean more into the commanding officer side, ESPECIALLY when it comes to chastising them for disobeying his requests as their father and his orders as their commanding officer. And again, I think the movie shows that this is a mistake on Jake’s part. He should be more focused on being their father than their commanding officer. I think in his desire to protect them from the horrors of war that they are very much involved in as members of the clan, he is falling back into treating them how he was treated as a marine to try and prepare them. Train them. Give them, in his mind, their best chance of survival. Again, I think it’s important to remember Jake’s background and that the only knowledge he has of how to be a commanding officer is the ones he had as a marine. That’s his entire fighting background! That’s what he knows and understands and can pass on to his sons. So that’s what he gives them.

I still don’t think he ever goes all the way there. I think about how he ALWAYS checks with Neteyam and Lo’ak to make sure they’re okay before anything else every time something happens to them. That’s the dad part of him coming out, making itself known and fighting against the commanding officer side that comes out when he is upset with the boys when they make mistakes. This is also where I think the “sir” comes from. You never hear the kids refer to Jake as “sir” in the pre-humans era and you don’t hear the girls use it at all. But the boys do. And the boys only do it when Jake is in commanding officer mode, giving them orders or chastising them for disobeying. For the majority of the movie, they refer to him as “dad.” It is only in those specific situations that “sir” comes out. I think the movie again leans into this being a mistake on Jake’s part, a way that he has failed the boys in the post-human era by disciplining them not as a father, but as a commanding officer.

One interesting note about the “sir” thing though, Ao’nung and the boys also use it in reference to Tonowari as well. This makes me wonder if it is the English translation of a word in Na’vi that is being used to show deference to the Olo'eyktan. I don’t know enough about the language to say for sure either way and I think my point above still stands either way as it is still Jake being more of a leader to his sons than a father, but I think it’s an interesting detail. One I would love to have some other thoughts on!

The main point is that Jake loves his boys as much as he loves his girls, but because his boys are warriors/hunters there is definitely this line he has trouble treading between being their father and being their commanding officer in a way he doesn’t have to worry about with the girls. He doesn’t have to balance two roles with them, they are simply his children while Neteyam and Lo’ak are older and have more responsibilities. They are warriors/hunters fighting alongside the other clan members whether Jake likes it or not because that is their right and duty as members of the Omaticaya. And so Jake struggles, losing sight of who he needs to be with them because he has to take on this extra role to keep both them and the other fights under his command safe. Because this is the only way he knows how to fight and he is scared that if he doesn’t prepare them, they are not going to survive. It is not an easy line to tread and while it does not excuse Jake, I think it makes it easy to understand why he is the way he is with Neteyam and Lo’ak vs. Kiri and Tuk.

“Jake Doesn’t Love Lo’ak”

And now we get into the main part of this post, which is insane considering how long it took to get here. I’m sorry. Except, you know, I’m really not. I had fun discussing the rest of it! And I am freaking excited to discuss this part too. This is the relationship that made me want to write this post, the relationship that I personally think is one of the most important ones in the entire movie.

The relationship between Jake and Lo’ak.

Now, I do want to first mention that how well you get along with someone is not always an indicator of how much you love them. Or more like, you can love a group of people equally but get along with each of them differently. For example, I have two sisters and I love them both equally, but I get along with my youngest sister better than my middle sister. My middle sister and I have personalities that clash more often so we fight more than I do with my youngest sister. But I would still die for either of them. And that’s the thing, you can love someone and still not always get along with them. That’s just part of being a person.

And I think that applies to parents and children as well. Parents can love all of their children equally, but that doesn’t mean they are going to get along with them all equally. There are going to be some that they clash with more often than others simply because every personality is going to be different and relate to each other in different ways.

And that’s the reason why Jake gets along differently with Neteyam than he does with Lo’ak. It has nothing to do with how much he loves them, it simply has to do with the fact that Jake and Lo’ak’s personalities are way too similar and they clash way more frequently as a result of that. That’s the heart of why Jake and Lo’ak have the kind of relationship they do: Lo’ak reminds Jake of himself in a way that none of the other kids do. And to a man who is already scared out of his mind for and about his children, seeing himself in Lo’ak scares him even more.

They do such a great job throughout the movie showing the similarities between Jake and Lo’ak. There are so many scenes that draw a direct parallel between them, emphasizing their similarities. From the scenes played back-to-back in this movie showing Jake and Lo’ak trying (and failing) to ride the water creatures in the same determined (and cocky) way, to Lo’ak being attacked in the water in a way that parallels Jake being attacked by the thanator in the first movie. Then there are the little bits like Lo’ak flipping off Quaritch and the little speech he gives before decking Ao'nung that are so very much things Jake would have done himself. Even the parallels between Lo’ak bonding with Payakan as an outsider and Jake bonding with Turok also as an outsider to the way Lo’ak falls for his teacher, Tsireya, in a similar way Jake fell for Neytiri. The movie is purposefully and repeatedly showing us how similar Lo’ak is to his father.

They are both impulsive, headstrong, and quick to anger. And Jake sees all that, sees all the negative traits because at this point in his life, with all of his guilt and fear swirling around inside of him, that’s all he can see in himself as well. He has trouble seeing the good in himself, the strength of character, the desire to protect those he loves, and a heart open and willing to fully give for those he loves. All of which Lo’ak has as well, but because Jake fails to see the positive traits he himself has, he has trouble seeing the positive traits Lo’ak has, and therefore Lo’ak struggles to see the good in himself as well.

And I don’t say this as some kind of “Lo’ak is exactly like Jake” or something, because he’s not, but the movie does a lot to show how they are similar and how those similarities are the driving force behind why their relationship is the way it is.

I say all of this to explain why there is more tension between Jake and Lo’ak than between Jake and Neteyam. Lo’ak scares Jake more than any of his other kids because he sees in Lo’ak the same things he has in himself, things that led to him hurting others and, ultimately, himself. And I think Jake is terrified that Lo’ak is going to make the same mistakes he did and so he is harder and stricter with Lo’ak as a result. Again, I don’t think it has anything to do with how much he loves him. If anything, Jake loves Lo’ak so much that he’s determined to protect Lo’ak from his own faults and to prevent his son from following in his footsteps, and doesn’t see how that is hurting Lo’ak.

It’s so interesting to me that Jake tries to use the same tactics on Lo’ak that were used on him in the first movie which directly led to him rebelling against them even harder. And I know some people are going to be like “isn’t that stupid? Shouldn’t Jake KNOW those things won’t work on Lo’ak because they didn’t work on him?” And that’s what makes it so fascinating because it emphasizes the thing I think to be very true of all people: we are never more blind than when it comes to ourselves. Jake doesn’t know how to deal with Lo’ak in the way Lo’ak needs because he has no idea how to deal with himself. Because all he can see are his mistakes, his failures, and the way he has hurt people, and as he looks at his son whom he loves, all he can see are those things being repeated, and that terrifies him. And that fear once again, as is the continuing arc for Jake in this movie, overwhelms him and blinds him to what he needs to do.

Jake gets along better with Neteyam not because he loves Neteyam more, but because Neteyam’s personality is much calmer and steadier and because of that, Jake trusts him in a way that he can’t trust Lo’ak because he cannot trust himself. He’s still scared for Neteyam, but not because he’s scared Neteyam is going to do something stupid. He trusts Neteyam to think things through and be logical in a way he doesn’t trust Lo’ak to be because he himself isn’t logical. And I know that’s not fair, it’s not supposed to be fair. But here’s the thing: relationships aren’t always fair. We are constantly bringing our baggage and insecurities and personal failings into our relationships and even though it is so important to try to be fair and not let those things affect us, the truth is we are all people and we are all going to make mistakes. And this is one of Jake’s. One that the movie very clearly points out. It is not necessarily fair that Jake trusts Neteyam more than he trusts Lo’ak, but he does. And I think that lack of trust is what drives Lo’ak to act out and then results in Jake trusting him even less. It’s a cycle built on them seeing themselves in each other and failing to realize how to deal with it.

Now, bear with me for just a moment because I’m going to go a bit off-script and discuss a headcanon of mine. None of this is canon and while I think there is evidence for it, there is no proof or confirmation. My argument works perfectly fine without it, but I do think it is interesting to bring up simply for conversation and thought.

I think that Neteyam reminds Jake of Tom. And I know we have no real evidence of what Tom was like or what his relationship with Jake was like, but I’m sure James Cameron does and while he may not explicitly say it in a movie that is already super filled with information, I wouldn’t be surprised if he sprinkles in hints here and there. And I personally think Tom and Jake had a relationship very similar to the one Neteyam and Lo’ak have. Again, there is no proof of this, but it would make sense thematically from a movie standpoint for this to be the case. Since there is such a heavy emphasis placed on how similar Jake and Lo’ak are, it makes sense to me that Tom would be like Neteyam, the one who attempted to keep a younger Jake under control. Since Jake is twenty-two in the first movie and had been discharged from the Marines for a least a while, he would have had to have enlisted pretty young. My guess is right at eighteen. I also think Tom probably tried to talk him out of it and Jake, being Jake, refused to listen. This would be a direct parallel to how Neteyam tries to keep Lo’ak out of trouble and Lo’ak refuses to listen. This would be another reason why Jake encourages Neteyam to watch out for Lo’ak and tells Lo’ak to listen to his older brother. Another way he tries to keep his younger son from making the same mistakes he did. Again, none of this is canon, but it is a very interesting idea that I personally really like and I think fits really well with the story being told about these characters.

Another reason Lo’ak believes his parents, and especially his father, love Neteyam more than him is because he thinks they see Neteyam as the perfect child. While I don’t think they think of him as the perfect child, I do think they see Neteyam through rose-colored glasses because he is their firstborn child. Canonically, Neteyam was what gave Neytiri hope again after her home was destroyed and her father was killed. I want to dive deeper into Neteyam in a separate post (he deserves his own), but it’s definitely something I want to mention here because it does play into why Lo’ak sees himself as a failure and Neteyam as perfect. He’s not and I don’t think Jake or Neytiri think he is (or love him more) I simply think he is a symbol for both of them of redemption and hope and proof that after something terrible happens, good things can still happen too. Definitely not an easy thing to live with for either Neteyam or Lo’ak, but something that I think is relevant and needs to be discussed when dissecting these relationships.

Again, this is not fair. But again, relationships aren’t fair. Parents are people too. They are not perfect. They are flawed, they make mistakes, and they stumble. The movie does not glorify this behavior, it simply explains why it is happening and then shows its negative effects.

I think it’s ironic that Lo’ak talks about feeling like an outsider and tells Tsireya that his dad wouldn’t understand when I believe Jake is the only one who would ever understand. Mostly because I believe Jake still feels like an outsider, still feels like he has to earn his place among the people and that’s another reason why he is so filled with fear and even guilt. From what I’ve seen from the movie, even in the pre-human era, I don’t think Jake talked to his kids much about what it was like to be human. I think Jake is so determined to prove that he has left all that behind that he doesn’t help his kids understand that part of their heritage. And while I personally think that comes from a place of love and a desire to protect them (he doesn’t want them to feel different or like outsiders the way he does), it only serves to confuse Lo’ak who has the most human qualities. He doesn’t understand why he’s different and Jake hasn’t taken the time to teach him how to deal with and embrace those human qualities. Again, I don’t think it’s done purposefully, in fact, I very much believe that Jake thinks he is helping Lo’ak, but this is another way that the movie shows us that while Jake’s heart is 100% in the right place, he still makes a mistake. He still cannot understand how to give Lo’ak what he needs.

Jake struggles with guilt and is constantly trying to prove himself to the people. An example of this is when Neytiri argues with Ronal about how Jake was Toruk Makto and lead the people to war. Jake is clearly embarrassed by this and noticeably winces. He doesn’t like being referred to like that and I believe it’s because he still feels guilty. It would be like someone praising you for building them a new house when you were the one who burned down the original. You didn’t rebuild the house out of the kindness of your heart, you did it to fix the mistake you made. It is penance. And I think Jake views his time as Toruk Makto not as some great thing he did, but as him simply trying to fix his own mistake. Penance. Redemption. Correction. And I think it is so ironic that both Neteyam and Lo’ak are trying to live up to his ideal of the perfect warrior, the great Toruk Makto, that they see in their father and yet it is something that Jake is ashamed of. He doesn’t want his sons to follow in his footsteps, he wants them to be safe. But there is this critical lack of understanding between him as a parent trying to protect his sons and his sons as children trying to be like their father, not realizing that is the last thing he wants for them. It is a standard they can never meet because they are striving for the opposite of what Jake wants for them and it causes friction, especially between Jake and Lo’ak. It is another reason why Lo’ak constantly feels like a failure and Jake is so hard on him. They cannot See each other properly.

Their entire relationship and its push and pull comes to a head when Neteyam dies.

I know there are a lot of people talking about Jake blaming Lo’ak for what happens to Neteyam, especially since Jake tells Lo’ak “you’ve done enough” when telling him to stay behind. I want to make it very clear that I do not think it is ever okay to say that kind of thing to your child. And I 100% believe the movie makes a point of showing how that was totally not okay of Jake to say. But here’s the thing: I don’t think Jake ever for even a moment actually blames Lo’ak. Jake blames himself. He failed to protect his children, his whole family really, and Neteyam dies as a result. To add insult to injury, the only reason Neteyam was on the ship was to save his siblings because they were being held in order to capture Jake. That I think this is driven home when Quaritch literally tells Jake it’s his fault Neteyam is dead AS HE STANDS OVER HIS SON’S BODY! I also can’t help but think about Neteyam saying “I want to go home” right before he dies and how horrible Jake must feel about being the reason why his son was taken away from his home. And what is Neteyam’s last word? “Dad.” I believe Jake wonders about that last word and if it was a plea or an accusation, both of which would be heartbreaking for a father to consider.

Jake blames himself, in so many different ways, for Neteyam. For failing Neteyam. For not protecting Neteyam. For not being the father Neteyam needed. And that blame that he heaps on himself oozes out onto the person he sees himself in: Lo’ak. Again, this does not make this behavior okay. It simply explains why this behavior is happening.

All of this leads us to one of my favorite scenes in the entirety of the movie: the scene where Lo’ak rescues Jake. I absolutely adore it because I think it’s the climax of everything that these two have been through together and individually.

Before I get into it, I do want to make a note about the beginning of the scene when Jake calls out Neteyam’s name. I’ve seen some people use this as evidence that Jake loves Neteyam more, but I disagree. I think this is the direct result of Jake thinking he is dead and waking up in Ewya with Neteyam. Once Lo’ak tells him who it is, you can see Jake snap back to reality and realize he is still alive and stuck in a sinking ship. And I want to talk about this next bit very carefully. Lo’ak apologizes for Neteyam’s death and even says something along the lines of “I’m so sorry, Dad” and then corrects it to “I’m so sorry, sir.” I believe the “sir” makes an appearance here because he is, in this moment, appealing not to his father, but to his commanding officer who he feels like he failed. You can see his shift from talking to Jake like a son to talking to Jake like a soldier and yes, this scene is heartbreaking and it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to hurt you. It’s supposed to make you recoil a bit. It’s showing you how exactly Lo’ak is feeling and how exactly Jake has failed him as a father in the last year. Lo’ak is not reaching out to Jake as a son who has just lost a brother, but as a soldier who has just lost his fellow soldier. I’ve seen some people say that because Jake doesn’t tell him “it’s not your fault” he still blames Lo’ak. I disagree with this. Jake tells Lo’ak to “focus” and to “not think about the past” not because he still blames him, but because he is going into protective dad mode and is realizing that he is in danger of losing the only son he has left. And Jake is not going to let that happen. His next words are asking if Lo’ak knows the way out, showing that he is thinking about his son’s safety and his life. He doesn’t want Lo’ak to focus on something he cannot fix or change, he wants Lo’ak to focus on getting out and surviving. At this point, Jake isn’t planning on surviving as well, but he has to make sure that his son will. He is refusing to let another one of his children die. You can almost see the thought running through his head that he may have failed to save Neteyam, but he is not going to fail to save Lo’ak.

The next bit where Jake basically tells Lo’ak to leave without him and let him drown is also absolutely heartbreaking. I think Jake has given up at this moment because he thinks he has killed Quaritch and is sacrificing himself to pay for his sins. Again, Jake blames himself for everything that has happened and I think he believes that he deserves to die. For failing Neteyam, for failing his family, for failing the people. For not being enough. I’ve always viewed his taming of Toruk in the first movie as Jake being willing to die to make up for his mistake. The taming of Toruk was dangerous and could have easily gotten him killed but he knew it was the only way to prove to the people that he was on their side 100%. And once again, after putting his life on the line to save his kids, to kill the one hunting them down, he is ready to die to pay for his mistakes. This whole movie has been, on Jake’s side, an exploration of how he has tried and failed to keep everyone safe to the detriment of his relationships with his children, Lo’ak specifically, up to this point.

And then here comes the moment that made me well up and cry (again) in the theater. Lo’ak tells Jake he cannot lose him too. I think this is a purposeful word choice on Lo’ak’s part. He doesn’t say “the family can’t lose you too” or “the people can’t lose you too.” He says “I cannot lose you too.” What a powerful, beautiful moment where Lo’ak is vulnerable with Jake and admits that he, personally, needs his father, especially after losing his older brother. And you can see at that moment Jake SEEING Lo’ak and realizing that while he may have failed Neteyam, he can be and do better for Lo’ak. That is what makes him fight. That is what gets him going again. He decides at that moment to be there and be a better father for Lo’ak.

I know some people are going to be like “but he didn’t say that!” And to that I reply, it’s freaking subtext bro. Not everything has to be spelled out to be true. It’s in the way the characters act, the decisions they make, and the things they say. It’s the way that Jake chooses to fight after Lo’ak says that. The way he listens to Lo’ak as his son teaches him how to breathe. The way he puts his life in his son’s hands and finally does what Lo’ak has been wanting him to do this whole entire movie: trust him. Honestly, it is such a powerful moment of non-verbal storytelling, of Cameron showing us how their relationship is starting to change and evolve and become better. It’s that moment of trust between these two that allows Lo’ak to save Jake and then when Payakun shows up and saves both of them, Jake gets to see his trust in his son pay off. It is confirmation that Payakun is on their side, that he taking care of Lo’ak and the people, and that Lo’ak was right about him the whole time.

And I’m sorry, but if you didn’t start to cry when Jake cups Lo’ak cheek and tells him “I See you, son” then you may not have a heart. Like, damn, that one really hit me. What an incredible, beautiful parallel to the scene in the first movie when Neytiri saves Jake and they tell each other “I See you.” Absolutely gut-wrenching in the best way. I know some people are going to say “that’s just a catch-all phrase!” And I mean, yeah, it kind of is, but it’s been set up to be that way. It was always used to express heavy emotions that were hard to put into words in the first movie and it is being used in the same way here. It is a moment of apology, of acknowledgment, and of acceptance from Jake to Lo’ak. A moment where Jake finally Sees his son for who he is, that he is more than the parts of himself Jake sees in him. That he is his own person, strong and capable and worthy of trust. Yes, Lo’ak pulls some stupid stuff, but it has always been because he is trying to prove himself to his dad and now Jake Sees him and accepts him and loves him.

I’m getting kind of emotional just thinking about it, holy hell.

I think this moment is Jake apologizing for how he has treated Lo’ak, acknowledging that Lo’ak has grown and matured and become his own person, and accepting the person Lo’ak has become. Jake is giving his son his love and his trust and his pride. He is so proud of his boy, y’all! You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that there isn’t a stupid amount of pride in Jake for everything Lo’ak manages to do. He was proud of him for beating up Ao’nung, even though he didn’t want Lo’ak to know, and he is proud of him here at this moment. I think this moment is also about Jake realizing that he needs to do better. He needs to be better, for Lo’ak and the other kids. That he may have lost Neteyam, but he still has children left that he needs to be there for. Be better for. That he can no longer let his fear consume him because by letting fear rule his life, he lost one of his children. Not that it’s Jake’s fault really, that 100% rests with Quaritch and the other humans who are trying to slaughter people and take over an entire world, but I definitely think this is what he feels. And gosh that family hug at the end, with Jake holding on to Lo’ak, and then later when he pulls both Spider and Lo’ak close for a hug once again shows how much he loves his kids. All of his kids.

To kind of wrap up this section, I do want to mention the really interesting parallel that’s set up between Spider and Quaritch and Lo’ak and Jake. Spider and Quaritch start the movie on shaky ground and then grow closer throughout the movie. Then the village burning, the Tulkan hunting, and the final confrontation happen and their relationship is put to the test. Spider still chooses to save his dad, but he leaves him afterward, choosing to sever their relationship, at least for the time being. In comparison, Lo’ak and Jake start the post-human era of their relationship off to a shaky start and throughout the movie, it is strained more and more. Then Neteyam dies and their relationship is put to the test. And like Spider, Lo’ak chooses to save his father. But instead of their relationship being severed, Jake chooses to embrace Lo’ak and there is a beautiful moment of healing and acknowledgment that things need to become better. A direct contrast to how Spider and Quaritch’s relationship ends in this movie.

All this leads to what I think is going to be coming up next, specifically for Jake and Lo’ak.

The Future Movies

Considering we left with Jake realizing that letting fear rule his life has hurt his family and he can no longer live that way, I think we’re going to see a return to a more pre-human dad Jake. I believe he is going to go back to being softer, warmer, and much less of a military dad. I mean don’t get me wrong, Jake is still going to be fighting the humans and kicking ass, but his entire arc was him realizing how he failed Neteyam as a father and now he will be striving to be better for all his kids. Especially Lo’ak.

I definitely think we’re going to see them become closer in the next movie. Since the Way of Water focused on the strife in the relationship, I think we’re going to see the next movie focus on the healing in their relationship. The way they complement each other in comparison to the way they clashed in this. Jake has accepted Lo’ak as his own person and while their similarities are still going to cause some tension (because they are people who make mistakes) I definitely think we’re going to see them grow stronger and Jake really take Lo’ak under his wing. I would also love to see Jake help Lo’ak come to terms with his human heritage and what it means to feel different from everyone else. I think it’s possible since this movie focused on how Lo’ak feels like an alien and focusing next on how he isn’t alone in that feeling would be an incredible way to complete his journey to understanding himself. I also really think these two are going to bond over their grief about Neteyam and I would LOVE to see them discussing the guilt each of them carries and work through it together. I know that’s a lot I want to happen and I don’t know how long the next movie is going to be and how much it’s going to have to cover. I am confident about them getting closer and their relationship being a cornerstone of the next movie, but as for how much we see of Jake and Lo’ak discussing being “other” or their guilt is harder to say. I think it would be great though and would fit so well with the story Cameron is telling about these two characters.

I also think we’re going to see more comparisons between Spider and Quaritch and Jake and Lo’ak. I think Jake and Lo’ak are going to be the positive father/son example, not because they’re perfect but simply because they have come to an understanding in the Way of Water and are learning to be better together. I’m not sure if Quaritch is going to get a redemption arc or not (I kind of don’t want him to since the things he has done are pretty unforgivable) but with Spider added to the equation it does give him a reason to try to be better. If he does, then I imagine their relationship will parallel Jake and Lo’ak’s. If not, then I think there will be a really interesting contrast between the two. Especially with how much Quaritch mimics Jake during the Way of Water, which is setting them up as foils to each other for the rest of the series.

But those are just a few thoughts about what I think will happen in regard to these characters in particular. I’m considering doing a theory post that contains all my theories about the future movies, but that would be a separate thing if I end up doing it. I’m just really curious to see where we go from here. I think they are setting up a lot in this movie in regard to these characters and I’m honestly so excited to see it pay off. This is kind of where I think it’s going to go after everything this movie set up, but I am well aware I could end up being dead wrong. Either way though, I am so excited to see what Cameron has in store! Especially since it’s almost all but confirmed that the Way of Water made enough money to greenlight movies four and five.

Woohoo!

Conclusion

I love these characters. Like, seriously, Jake and Lo’ak are two of my favorites in this whole series. And I adored their relationship. Not because it was perfect or even good most of the time, but because it was complex and interesting and real. I’m always going to be a sucker for a good romance (Jake and Neytiri literally have my whole entire heart and I’m a big fan of Lo’ak and Tsireya), but I enjoy familial relationships the most. Their complexity fascinates me. The way family members, whether blood or not, choose each other and would die for each other but also sometimes tear each other apart. The way they showcase the idea of legacy and inheritance and how we are shaped by those closest to us. The way they exemplify the idea that we can love people with our whole entire hearts and still hurt them more than anyone else. People always bring their own baggage into their relationships with others, but I think that baggage affects our family members more than anyone else. And I believe that to be especially true between parents and children since our baggage often is what makes us who we are and who we are affects who our children become, for better or worse. The way our parents shape us and the way we shape our parents. The burning, ripping, tearing way we love each other. How there is nothing a parent wouldn’t do for their child and how often children are blind to that. The way that love can also be so healing, so warm, so soft, so gentle. The duality of it. I just…ugh. I wish there were more complicated, real, powerful parent/child relationships in media like this. Ones that aren’t completely negative or completely positive. Ones that are a combination of both because that is so often how actual relationships between parents and children are.

I am so glad this movie had it.

But listen, I’m not here to tell you that you have to like these characters. I’m not here to tell you that you have to think Jake is a good dad. That is a loaded opinion and everyone is going to have different ideas and beliefs regarding what it means to be a good parent. I personally think a good parent is someone who protects their children at all costs and puts their children’s needs above their own. And I think Jake does that. But the movie clearly shows us that there are problems with how he does it. He makes mistakes. He is flawed. And that ends up hurting all the kids, especially Lo’ak. And Jake’s big character arc is learning that and realizing he has to do better. And choosing to try. To change.

I know some people are going to be frustrated with the fact that Jake never verbally says the words “I am sorry” or “I will be better.” But I truly do believe that “I See you, son” included an apology. And the decision to be better is subtext from watching him at the end of the movie. Watching him choose to trust Lo’ak. Watching him embrace his son. Watching him grieve and mourn Neteyam. And hearing him talk about how he can’t live in fear anymore. And since that fear was what was pushing him to be harder on his kids, harder on Lo’ak, then deciding to no longer give in to that fear shows him making that first step to being a better father to his kids. I believe Jake thinks he failed Neteyam and he is determined not to fail his kids anymore. The first step of fixing a problem, after all, is admitting you have one that needs to be fixed. Jake will be striving to be better next movie and I firmly believe Lo’ak will be right beside him the entire time. This is a duo I think is going to play an important role in all the movies to come.

So yeah guys. This is my post exploring my thoughts on these characters and dissecting how they grow and change throughout the movie. Looking at how the movie presents them and how it explains the decisions they make. I’m just here to interact with a film I adore and characters I would die for. And yes, I am here to hit back a bit against the “Jake doesn’t love all his kids equally” rhetoric. Because I do believe it to be false. And this is my insanely long-winded explanation as to why I think that.

I have a few more posts in mind. The one I mentioned about Neteyam and his role in the movie as well as the one I mentioned about all my theories about what is going to happen in the next movie. I also would like to do one about Spider and maybe even one about Kiri. I also think one just going over the parts of the movie I loved would be a lot of fun. But I haven’t settled on anything yet! I’ve been working on this monster since I saw the movie for the first time on December 15th so who knows when I’ll be ready to do another one, ha! We’ll see what ends up happening.

Anyway. After an INSANE 10,000 words (a total that is more than any essay I have ever written), we are finally at the end. That’s how much I love this movie, these characters, and their relationship. So much so that I wrote this monster for absolutely no reason than my own enjoyment. I regret nothing. My English major self really came through strong here. For anyone who managed to get to the end of this…holy hell, my friend. You’re the real one! I hope you enjoyed reading my ramblings and exploration as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Till next time.

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