#maybe one day ill find it by accident lmao

[givemea-dam-break]

hello my love <3 can i request fluff with lockwood where y/n is sick and she also has injury on her hand (something like lucy's maybe?) and when lockwood wants to clean it she's not happyy about that 'cause she only wants to sleep and he's like "i'm your fully qualified doctor, remember? you have to listen to me, love", btw i absolutely adore your stories, keep writing cause you're amazingg, mwah <3

a/n: of course!!! domestic lockwood is the best in my humble opinion. and im so glad you like my stuff so much, love you my dear <3 also taking this as an opportunity to apologise for the terrible titles for most of my fics i spend ages thinking but can never think of something good lmao

warnings: minor injury detail gn reader

Perfect - Anthony Lockwood

The library is the warmest room in the house, and by far your favourite, so it's no surprise when Lockwood finds you there, curled up on your designated armchair close to dozing. He smiles at you as he steps in, carrying a tray of something or other that he places down on the little coffee table before sitting in his armchair.

There's something about him today that makes you want to laugh. Maybe it's the way he's been mothering you all day because you're ill. Maybe it's the lack of Anthony Lockwood professionalism he has today, what with his crinkled hoodie and pink fluffy socks - aren't those the ones George has been looking for? He's so unlike his usual self today, but also inadvertently just like himself. A walking anomaly.

"How are you feeling now?" he asks quietly, as if your ears may explode if he speaks too loud. "Any better?"

"No better than I did seven minutes ago," you say with a laugh. "Lockwood, you don't have to keep a constant eye on me. You've got things to do."

"One of which being to take care of you," he says. "Which reminds me, are you finally going to let me take a look at that cut on your arm? It needs cleaning."

"I trust you with my life, but I do not trust you with the first aid kit. You'll shove half a tube of Germaline on it. Besides, I want to go to sleep, and here is cosier than my room."

He gives you a look, but it's halfhearted. "You can sleep once I've cleaned it. I've brought you some of your favourite biscuits and a brew in return."

You lift your head from where it had laid on your arms. "Doesn't sound like a very fair trade for you."

"Ah, I'll cope."

"Well, it doesn't hurt anymore. I'm sure it's healed amazingly and then I'll be back to my wonderful self in no time."

"I'm not leaving until I've at least taken a look at it. Then after that, you can have your tea and go to sleep." His grin is dazzling then. It's the kind he always uses when he's trying to get his way. "I'm your fully qualified doctor, remember? You've got to listen to me."

If you could be bothered, you could push for him to leave you in peace, but your head feels like it's full of water and you want to go to sleep. So, begrudgingly, you shift so that your arm hangs over the armrest of your chair.

The gentleness of Lockwood's hands as he takes your arm and slowly, carefully peels off the plaster you haphazardly placed on shocks you. His fingers are soft, holding your arm as if it's a delicate thing that could break at any moment.

He takes a minute to just look at the gash on your forearm. It's no longer than your index finger, cutting diagonally across halfway up, and it's still oozing some blood. The plaster is covered in it, and he deftly throws it into the bin before taking his little first aid kit from the tray he brought in. Its original purpose was for you to use it on him whenever he got banged up on cases, which was more often than not, but there's something strangely special about him using it on you now. It makes you feel a little giddy.

"You got this from a glass door, right?"

You're acutely aware of his touch as he shifts his grip so as to clean the cut. "Yeah. George knocked me into it by accident. I'm surprised this is all I got out of it."

His reply comes in the form of a quiet hum. As he cautiously cleans the wound, you watch as his brows furrow a little with concentration, creasing a little line between them, and his top lip twitches a little bit. A little quirk, you've noticed, when he's particularly invested in something. Usually, it's the latest gossip rag, in which he always loses sight of the real world, but now it's you. A small flutter arises in your chest.

He wipes over a small part of the gash, and you suck in a sharp breath. The sound makes him falter, the wipe hovering an inch above your skin as he looks up at you.

For a moment, then, you forget about the pain. Through his thick lashes, his eyes are brimmed with worry and apologies, but after insistence that you're fine, he continues to clean the fresh blood away.

"Let me put the cream on the plaster," you murmur. "You'll put way too much on."

He smiles. "Who's the qualified doctor here?"

"In all honesty, Skull is probably better at this kind of thing than you are."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

"Do."

But, even still, he passes you the tube of Germaline and a long plaster. A moment later, you pass it back, and with delicate hands, he places it over the gash. It stings a little, and you hiss at the sudden cold, but the feelings are gone before the minute is even over.

"Perfect," he says with a soft, private smile. "All sorted."

His hand lingers, still holding your arm, and you suddenly feel more awake than ever. It's as if the tiredness has just melted away into the cushions of the armchair and down into the floor with only his touch, and you yearn for him to not let go. To stay exactly where he is.

And, as if having read your mind, he does.

If someone were to walk in, the scene would be strange. You, curled up in your seat with your arm hanging over the armrest, head resting on your own shoulder, and Lockwood, holding your arm as if it's some valuable thing, and simply looking at you with those expressive eyes of his.

"How do you feel?" he asks. His voice is a little breathy.

You're trying not to focus on the feeling of his fingers slipping down your arm until they almost - almost - slot in between yours. You shift slightly so that your head is in a position that isn't causing a crick in your neck, and it only grants a better view of him. His dark hair glowing bronze in the firelight, the ever so faint freckles on his nose, the dip in the left corner of his lip that insinuates another smile.

"A little better." The words almost catch in your throat when his fingers curl around yours just so. They don't hold yours, but they're so, so close. You can feel his pulse - or is that yours beating wildly out of control? "Do you have any paracetamol?"

He takes a second to realise what you've just said, and his hand leaves yours as he rakes about in the first aid kit for the painkillers. Out of pure mothering ability, he pops two out of the packet and hands them to you along with your mug of tea. Not the nicest thing to swallow them down with, but it'll do.

"You need to be more careful on cases," Lockwood says.

"Tell that to George. He's the one who bumped into me." Then, you shrug. "I suppose I shouldn't have gone when I've got the worst head cold I've had in yonks."

A breathy laugh escapes his lips, and you notice how he's looking down at your hand.

It's a bold move, completely unlike you, but you reach for his hand, looping your fingers through his. His hand is warm and, yes, that's definitely your erratic pulse.

It takes a lot to catch Lockwood off guard, but that does the trick. For a moment, it's like he can't decide whether or not to look at your linked hands or at you, and you laugh at the sight of it.

"This is wholly inappropriate," he jokes. "Doctors and patients shouldn't do anything remotely like this."

You must be out of your mind entirely because you lean over and press a kiss to his knuckles. "What about that?"

The expression on his face reminds you of when the TV signal has gotten busted, and the four-person-army of Lockwood and Co, plus a glowing and crude Skull, are sitting around it angrily waiting for it to stop buffering. When the picture freezes, glitches a little bit, and buffers for even longer. You can almost see the buttons and wires in his mind, struggling to compute what you just did.

That's not to say you aren't the complete same. Truthfully, you shocked yourself with the kiss, and you sit here now, staring at the spot where your lips touched his skin.

You're ill, you remind yourself. Maybe he'll pass it off as delusion.

"Would you mind if I weren't your doctor for a little?"

Frowning a little, confused, you say, "No...?"

You've never seen a person move as fast as Lockwood does then. Before you know it, he's leaning over your entwined hands and his lips are brushing yours so softly, giving you room to move if it's something you don't want. But you do. You want it more than anything.

Everything seems to melt away at the moment you press your lips firmly onto his. The library, the fireplace filled with dancing orange flames, your horrible cold, the sting of anti-septic cream on your fresh cut. You're aware only of his lips on yours, his fingers twisted in yours, the warmth of his hand. Every nerve in your body feels as though it's about to combust. Your heart is practically beating through your chest. God, your hands are awfully sweaty.

Only a moment later, he pulls away, but his face stays so close to yours that you can feel his breath on your cheek.

You want to say something romantic, maybe something smart or snarky like you usually would, but all you can think of is, "You're going to get a cold now."

"It's just as well we have Skull, then, huh?" His laugh is soft and airy, and you could catch it between your lips if you so wished. "I'm sure I'll be fine."

His gaze flickers between your eyes and lips, and you're positive that if he weren't holding your hand right now, you'd implode in a burst of sparks and fireworks.

"Well, if you're so sure -"

Knowing where the sentence is going, he presses his lips to yours once more, and it's perfect.

#anthony lockwood x reader #lockwood x reader #lockwood and co x reader #lockwood and co fanfiction #lockwood and co #lockwood and co netflix #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #x reader #fanfiction #givemea-dam-break

[mangoguy]

Displacement (2/2)

John "Soap" MacTavish('09) x Reader x John "Soap" MacTavish('22)

Warnings: Mentions of character death (Ghost and Roach), no y/n used, no pronouns other than they/them used a few of times.

You can't help but find it difficult to get used to your new surroundings.

_

It's finally here!!! I meant for this to be out a week after the first part, but school got busy lmao

Read the first part here

There are a few things you have noticed after being thrown in here.

One, the year is 2023.

Two, You are married to John (or Johnny as he likes being called) in this timeline.

And three, you don’t work in the military, you are no longer with Task Force 141.

That third one hit particularly hard. Your task force was a huge part of your life along with John.

You faked memory loss, thinking it was a smart move for now. You doubted they would even believe you if you started spouting that you were not from here. Even to you, that sounded crazy.

‘Because it is…’ you thought bitterly.

This universe wasn't in World War III, you weren't complaining though, that was the mission after all. You still had a hard time adjusting, especially with him around, Johnny. The man who wears your husband's face. Well, you guessed you're even… since technically you were wearing his wife's face? That's how you saw it anyway.

He was worried about you, often asking if you were okay. You could never really answer him, just stare and nod. You felt so foreign here, out of place, and you missed John so much it made you ill. You wondered what happened to him? Was he okay? Something told you he wasn’t. With where your mind was going this was going to be a long hospital stay…

It's been two months since you've woken up. Your mind convinced you it was some weird coma dream.

‘People have those, don't they?’ You thought, staring out the living room window. You felt silly mourning the loss of some older version of yourself and Johnny. It was morbid of your brain to think of how Ghost would die, or mourn the loss of two others you ‘barely knew.’ You found it funny how Price looked in your dream, older, a little unhinged. Gaz was what scared you the most in terms of dream Gaz, you didn't want to think about it.

You met them briefly, Task Force 141, Johnny's teammates, and friends. They all seemed very concerned about you, maybe even a little guilty like they caused the accident. You assured them you were fine and mentioned that the doctors said you were healing quite nicely.

“Aye, but they… have memory loss, can't remember a damn thing… the doctor said it looks severe,” Johnny spoke in a hushed whisper when you went off to fetch something.

“They can't remember anything?” Kyle spoke.

“Yeah, and I'm talkin’ like their whole life, it's like they're a new person… Can't even remember our weddin’ day, our first meetin’, or… anythin’” Johnny could feel his heartbreak just speaking it out loud. A painful reminder of what happened, he thought maybe someone was punishing him. Probably was, for the things he's done. He gave a deep sigh, as Kyle gave him a reassuring pat on the back. Price and Simon both frowned, giving the Scot a sympathetic look, that's when you decided to enter the room again.

“Bonnie yer… are ye okay? Ye've been starin’ out the window for a while…” you heard Johnny speak softly. You turned to look at him, nodding your head softly.

“Yeah sorry, just… I guess I'm reminiscing on some weird dream I had while in that coma,” you admitted.

“Hm? Dream ye say? Do ye want tae talk about it?” John sat near you on the couch and pulled you into his arms. It was comforting being in his embrace.

“Hm, not much to say other than… I guess I just dreamt of a whole other life for us? You were there, though you were a bit older… definitely more handsome in my dream,” you gave him a cheeky grin.

“Looks like I've got some competition,” he paused to chuckle softly. “But older you say? Were ye dreaming of tae future or somethin’?” Johnny asked.

“Hm, you could say that… though there are differences in dream John and you in real life.”

“Aye… and what's that?”

“Well for one he was a bit taller than you,” you snickered.

“Aye!”

“And well he didn't have an arm tattoo, like you do he had one on his neck, a revolver,” you paused to think, your mind was getting a little muddy on details.

“Oh! And your scars are different, that's all I seem to remember at the moment...” you finished. Johnny was silent for a moment, absorbing this new information. It was nice hearing you talk again, even if it was about this mysterious other version of himself.

“Damn, sounds like one handsome bastard…”

“Johnny…”

“What I'm bein’ serious,” he muses.

Something weird was going on, you couldn't place your finger on it. It all started with a pair of jeans. What scared you was that you vaguely recalled wearing them somewhere. You placed them down on the floor and stared at them.

‘Of course, I wore them somewhere they're pants…’ You thought, thinking it was silly you were worried about jeans. You shook your head, grabbing them off the floor but that's when something slipped out from the pocket. One fell with a hard thunk and the other fluttered to the ground. You pick them both up. One was a simple wedding band on it was an engraving, two sets of dates

xx-xx-‘07

xx-xx-‘09

The other item made your heart drop in your stomach. Time seemed to stop as familiar sets of eyes were on you. John Price, Ghost, John “Soap” MacTavish, you. In the corner of the photo were the words ‘OP Kingfish.’

This was it.

The evidence that your ‘coma dream’ wasn't a dream after all. How could you think it was a dream? How dare this world make you think your John was a dream, your world. You assumed it was the universe trying to make you ‘fit in,’ but that begs the question, how did your stuff get here? You shoved the ring and photo in your pocket as you heard Johnny walking over to where you were.

“Hey Bonnie, are you almost done gettin’ ready? Simon texted saying he was at the bar already,” Johnny watched you as you put the jeans back in the closet.

“Yeah I'm ready, can't keep the man waiting,” you smiled though it didn't reach your eyes.

While watching Ghost and Johnny converse you felt the ring and photo through your pocket for the tenth time. You worried they would disappear and yet they never did. You stood up from your seat, getting the attention of the two men at the table.

“Just heading to the bathroom,” you spoke, walking towards the small hallway that housed the restrooms. You entered, taking a quick breather, your emotions were everywhere tonight. It was starting to annoy you, if you were being honest all you wanted was to just relax and enjoy the evening…

Even it felt fake.

Doing your business and leaving the bathroom, you noticed Johnny had a conflicting look. But when you approached he smiled at you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you sat down.

“Everything okay?” You asked and he nodded, though you noticed it was stiff.

You ended up drinking, not a lot but enough to get a bit tipsy. You barely remember the car ride home, though here you are, in bed and snuggled into the blankets. You were reaching out towards Johnny’s spot but found he was not on his side of the bed. It’s cold, meaning he was gone for a while. You slowly sat up, groaning from a slight headache. You called out for him but didn’t hear an answer. You got out of bed and walked towards the living room, spotting him sitting on the couch with the table lamp on. He was staring at something, upon closer look it was the photo, your photo with your team. Your John.

You blinked once, then twice.

When did he get that?

Shit.

“What are you doing with that?” You asked, slightly on the defence.

“What am I doin’ with it? What are ye doing with this? What am I even lookin’ at?” He asked, looking over at you his expression inconceivable.

“It's… complicated Johnny, you probably wouldn't understand.”

He went quiet after that, rubbing his face in frustration, he then stared at the photo again. You needed to figure out where to go from here. You bit the inside of your cheek in thought.

“So, are ye from the future or somethin? Because that's what it looks like… we all look older in this photo… Plus why the hell are you in this photo anyway?” Johnny spoke up finally after a long silence.

“No… it's complicated…”

“Then enlighten me!” You could hear him getting frustrated.

“Fine… I'm… not from here, I don't know how to explain it! One moment I was someplace else then the next thing I know I'm here, in Scotland… In a hospital with someone who looks like my husband but isn't!” you didn't mean to sound so harsh, but all your feelings were bursting out.

“But I am yer husband, didn't you tell me ye were dreamin’ while in that coma?” Johnny tried reasoning.

“I lied, at first I thought maybe it was all a dream but how do you explain the photo and this? I know for a fact I wasn't dreaming I had a completely different life,” You pulled out the ring, showing him the engraved dates.

He stared at the ring, at the dates that were engraved then at the photo. He seemed a bit distant, thinking, processing.

“Is that why whenever I look at ye… It feels like I've lost someone… lost my Bonnie,” Johnny lamented. You were caught off guard by that. But you couldn't deny that you also felt a huge loss whenever you thought of John. The two of you stayed silent, grieving but didn't want to think about why. You refused to think your John didn't survive that explosion.

“I… guess you could say I'm from an alternate universe, god… that's even more confusing but makes the most sense” you decided to change the subject. Johnny finally looked up at you, his eyebrows furrowed in thought.

“Aye… that sounds crazy… maybe-” he didn't finish his sentence but you knew he was probably still trying to find a reasonable answer. You couldn't blame him and this is exactly the reason you didn't bring it up. You decided to take a different approach.

“That photo was taken on a joint mission with Task Force 141 and Delta force, we were going after this guy named Vladimir Makarov, Intel claimed he was in this facility in Ukraine but he wasn't and it ended up being a trap… That's when John or my Soap, I guess I should say, got injured and Price was captured,” you explained. You were starting to sweat a bit, speaking that mission out loud sounded insane. It sure did catch Johnny's attention though. A dark look crossed his face at the mention of Vladimir Makarov but it quickly faded.

“Huh…” was all Johnny managed to get out, it was a hell of a story. You could tell he needed more convincing.

“Well, one person in that photograph isn't alive… Ghost, along with another member Roach were shot by a man named Shepherd…” Your eyebrows furrowed and you frowned deeply.

“Betrayed by him and his shadow company…” you seethed. That seemed to make Johnny perk up. From the looks of it, that story of yours seemed to hit a little too close to home. He gave you a thoughtful look albeit a concerned look.

“Well, shite… that just all but confirms your theory… But the question remains why are ye here? And how come yer body in yer time stayed there?”

“I don't know… it's not like I have the answers. I was literally on a mission to assassinate Makarov but then an explosion went off behind us and I ended up in that hospital.” You explained.

“Ye know… that sounds similar to what happened to my spouse, well they didn't work in the military but there was an accident that involved both me and them, they ended up taking most of the damage which is why they put you in a coma… but you already knew that,” he mumbled that last part.

“I wonder if that's related… but that still doesn't explain why I'm here…” You crossed your arms, sitting opposite from him on the couch. You stared at your reflection on the TV for a moment, observing your new skin, you often didn't look at yourself for too long. You found it troublesome and dare you say uncanny.

This whole situation was confusing, but you found some comfort now that Johnny knew and seemed to believe you. You did grow fond of him over the couple of months you've been here. It was slow, sure, unfairly comparing him to your John but you quickly came to realize that although they might share the same name and hair- they were different. That also made you realize something else though, something unpleasant.

"Johnny… I understand if you want me to leave, I am technically wearing your spouse's face..." you suddenly spoke. Johnny turned to look at you with a bewildered look on his face, silently asking if you were for real.

“That's a way to put it…” he mumbled with a long pause before speaking again, "...But I don't want you to leave."

"...Why?" It was your turn to be bewildered now.

"Well, is it bad I still want to be with ye? I know you aren't the version of my Bonnie I married but... you're still you whether you're fighting in the big fight or here making the house a home... I loved you in both timelines,” he suddenly proclaimed, bringing a hand over to caress your cheek. There was hope that maybe this could work.

That couldn't be a bad idea.

The universe brought the two of you together for a reason.

Words: 2,337

#call of duty #cod mw2 #modern warfare 2 #john soap mctavish x reader #johnsoapmactavish #john soap mactavish #soap x reader #soap cod #soap mw2 #soap mactavish #cod x you #cod x reader #john soap mctavish x you #john soap x reader #Guy.Writes #x reader

[oogaboogasphincter]

Deceits of the Devil (priest!marcus pike x f!reader) | chapter one: the high priestess

series summary: when you find love in a priest, a litany of spooky events begin to follow you that can only be described as a haunting. is it your own guilty conscience that disturbs you... or could it be something else?

chapter summary: you're visiting your best friend in her new town for the first time when you are begrudgingly thrust into her devout way of life. however, something - or someone - makes you rethink your plans of avoiding the church at all costs.

word count/series~chapter-specific warnings: 6.4k+ words // MATURE (18+ ONLY) MDNI!: reader uses she/her pronouns and is incredibly non-religious, SLOW BURN TABOO RELATIONSHIP BABYYY, lots of religious/spiritual talk, horror elements and general spookiness ~ lots of character introductions so pls bear with me, mention of the death of a loved one and some light grief, food and eating mentions, sudden illness, potentially cringe banter, take a shot for every time i wrote 'father pike' in this (trust me we learn his first name soon enough but for now it's all formalities between him and reader), is this whole thing blasphemous? probably

a/n: sooo this is something very different from what i normally write, but i'm so excited to be trying something new! :) i'm not too sure where i want to take this story yet, so i don't have a total number of chapters or an ending planned (i really don't even have much of the plot figured out LMAO) but i'd really really appreciate any and all feedback from my readers! ♥️ let me know what you liked and what you want to see more of in future chapters!

“So I won’t burst into flames when I walk through the doors?” 

You ask your best friend, Lucy, sending her into a fit of laughter. She clutches your hand tighter in hers, squeezing it with pompous affection. Despite your best efforts to maintain your feelings of impartialness towards the church, your palm slips against hers with a sheen of clamminess as you travel closer to the hulking cathedral. 

“No!” She laughs, that breathless laugh you’ve always found comfort in. “You’re holier than most of the people who go every Sunday.” 

You scoff and give her some side-eye, something that just makes her shake her head even more. Whether or not this is how you wanted to spend your first day in Carmeltree visiting her, you are going to this harvest dinner. 

She sighs contentiously, contrasting the playful smirk on her face, “Trust me, you’ll be fine. Now come on, we’re gonna be late!” 

——

Lucy has been your best friend since kindergarten. The maple leaves that swirl around you both in the crisp autumn air as you run through the streets now invoke a fierce sense of nostalgia, one that’s almost painful. One of your first memories together is making leaf rubbings in class with the fallen leaves that blanketed the frosted school grounds. She liked warm colors and you liked cool colors; she liked maple leaves and you liked birch leaves. Two complete halves made an even brighter whole when you came together, and the rest is history. 

Despite the big city you grew up in, somehow you always managed to be in the same classes, share the same hobbies. But your luck had to run out sometime; when you both graduated, you got accepted into universities on opposite sides of the country. You kept up your communication, talking to each other every day and spilling your guts about everything, from the monumental to the regrettable, the joyous to the devastating. 

You thought something was amiss when she called you in the middle of the night a few months back. At first you brushed it off, thinking maybe she fell asleep with her phone in her hand and dialed you by accident, something you’ve both done plenty of times over the course of your friendship. When she called you back as soon as you didn’t answer, you knew there was something wrong. That’s when you learned her mom had passed away. 

It wasn’t sudden, but that didn’t spare her any devastation. You were there for her all day, every day. Consoling her when she wept, relishing in the happy memories that brought a rare but vital smile to her voice, sympathizing with her grief. But without a physical shoulder to lean on, Lucy went looking for more support to help her. 

Her mom was a devout Christian and, by proxy, so was Lucy. She isn’t as rigid in her faith as her mom was, but she always viewed it as a guiding light to betterment, a sturdy foundation to catch her when she crumbled. Luckily, the whirlwind of life events in the past six months that displaced her from her college friends to the small town of Carmeltree was gracious enough to gift her a tight-knit, painfully orthodox population. 

On the contrary, you grew up in a household without any influence of organized religion. Your family celebrated Christmas and Easter, but it was mostly for all of the gifts and chocolate. 

Religious differences never caused any turmoil between you and your best friend, because you love each other for who you are, regardless if you share spiritual beliefs. If praying and attending sermons helps Lucy to process her grief and gives her something that uplifts her soul, what kind of a friend would you be to forbid her from that? 

—— 

That doesn’t make you any more enthused about being dragged to the dinner held at the church to celebrate the autumn harvest. Lucy dropped the plan on you the second she picked you up from the major airport, whose segregating miles seem to swell with every second that passes. Knowing you would come up with an alternative plan you’d both like better, she didn’t give you a chance to back out, and you didn’t fight. Committed to being a good friend, and with a curiosity pricking your heart, you run alongside her through residual puddles as the street clocks chime eight times. 

And let’s get one thing straight - “church” was a dishonorable term for the structure you’re going to. For hundreds of years, since the first round of colonizing settlers that invaded this square patch of disparate land, the citizens have been addicted to worship. They would lend their last cent to their religion, egregiously ignoring their growling stomachs and dilapidated houses for the sake of a prosperous God. The result of this frenzied generosity is the biggest cathedral you’ve ever seen. 

You’re still a few blocks away, but the spires reach over the trees and spear up at the moon; whose craters can be seen with miraculous clarity on this autumn night. As you move closer and closer, the details in this spectacular of gothic architecture reveal themselves. There are a litany of pinnacles that stand like soldiers guarding their fortress and clerestory windows that dance and swish with light coming from inside the maw of the beast. When your eyes drift to angular beams that aid the structure - flying buttresses, if you remember correctly - your marvel is suddenly absent.

“No gargoyles?” you ask. 

Lucy matches your disappointment with a shake of her head, “They come too close to the pagan border.” It’s unmistakable the way she lowers her voice, though there’s only a handful of patrons a hundred feet away from you. 

Against the cloudless, darkening sky and a comically-eerie full moon, anyone would be dosed with at least a few drops of intimidation by the staggering black outlines. You fail to find any ease once you come to one of three entrances. The carvings of ancient tales you don’t know loom over your head in the angular tympanum and greet you with uncertainty. Are they supposed to make you feel welcomed or warned? 

The gigantic doors are swung and held open by their own weight, giving way to the narthex. There’s a singing choir hidden deeper within and their melodies echo all around you. A large chandelier emits a soft orange glow, which is peculiarly swallowed up instead of reflected by the intricate, gilded etchings that coat the walls. Maroon velvet beneath your feet turns into a dark abyss of shadows from the unprecedented amount of people in here. You cling to Lucy’s coat with both your hands, somewhat subconsciously, and she laughs before taking your hand in hers and parting though the sea. 

You’ll admit it, you can be very shy when you’re overwhelmed. Though for some inexplicable reason, crowds usually didn’t give you a fuss. You actually found a sense of comfort in being lost in the blur, blending in as just another body amongst hundreds, sometimes thousands of others. But you didn’t like this crowd, didn’t know these people, and not in a stranger-danger kind of way; you’ve unknowingly crossed the line of some Christians in the past and have dealt with their fiery ravings. From knowing Lucy all these years, you seem to have an understanding of their way of life, but then you slip up - use His name in vain, talk about a crush you have no plans to marry a little too fondly. You’ll be chewing on your third forkful and look up at the table, meeting ghastly stares and wanting to smack yourself in the face for completely forgetting grace. 

Lucy never scorned you about forgetting or misunderstanding the rules. She knew that you didn’t mean any malice, you just simply… thought it was all a little silly sometimes. Between lighthearted Lucys and tyrannical Karens, it felt like walking on a minefield. So, you guess, you do know these people; it’s their unpredictability that worries you. 

The claustrophobia wanes as you enter the nave. The ceiling spreads out, breathes, and is lined with stained glass windows that bend the moonlight into faint rainbows. Some of the outermost pews have been moved to accommodate long tables, adorned in chestnut velour, copper filigree and serve as the throne for only the most impressive squashes of the harvest. A buffet joins the autumnal decor, sitting in sterling silver that you can imagine was forged at the beginning of the century and is used only for occasions such as these. 

Ever atune to your mind and body, Lucy pulls you into the line of hungry patrons just as your stomach grumbles. You’re transfixed by the magnificent altar at the back of this illustrious cave, your eyes climbing up the grand steps of the sanctuary to the stone table where you know the priest stands when mass is held. You try to picture one giving a sermon and reciting from scriptures. Doesn’t he have a cup or something too?…

A plate is stuck in front of you, waving a little, and the priest laughs at you when he finally gets your attention. You take the plate with a little embarrassment, your smile a sheepish one. “Sorry,” you mumble with pity. 

The tall, wispy-haired man smiles with his teeth and places his arthritic hands around one of yours as you hold the plate. “Oh, it’s alright, my child. I myself have gotten lost in the wonders of the cathedral many times.”

Lucy chimes in, reading your awkward gaze. “It’s her first time,” she whispers with a little too much excitement for your liking. The priest puts on a goofy surprised expression, his eyebrows going up and his mouth forming a small 'o'. He looks back to you with a softer smile, “What a beautiful thing to witness, then. I’m Father Gala, pleased to meet you.” 

“There’s no one better to come here with for the first time than Miss Finkle. You’re in very good hands.” As you nod in agreement, you can’t help but wonder… what would this elder man, in his starched and pressed vestments, think if he knew you and Lucy had “practiced” kissing so you’d know what you were doing when the “real thing” happened? 

You wave the thought away like a gnat, not wanting to feel like you’re keeping another clean secret that’s considered dirty by some. You’re already under the guise of being a practicing Christian; Lucy had said they were more readily accepted than anyone else, despite the church’s proclamation of aiming for cultural diversity. 

The choir has ended their singing, replaced by applause then the soft, overlapping chatter of the religious folk, and their red robes merge seamlessly into the surrounding crowd. Three other priests emerge from doors on either side of the sanctuary, two from the door closer to you and one from the other. You don’t get a good look at the singular man, since the door is on the opposite side of the grand hall from you. The two others are deep in talk, gesturing with their hands and keeping their faces close to one another while they walk as to not let anyone eavesdrop. You move ahead in line and depart from the eldest priest, whom the two new faces greet and guide a few feet away from everyone. 

You don’t mean to pry, but you can’t help your curiosity and look back at the men. You can’t hear them, only watching their mouths move, but Father Gala’s sweet smile grows somber, then bitter. With scowling brows to match, the other two priests keep up their gestures laden with well-maintained passion as they tell Father Gala a story. 

In the first lull of this conversation, the eldest priest, with his arms crossed over his chest, flickers his eyes to yours without moving his head. Your heart springs from your chest to your throat. His glower lessens when he bites the inside of his cheek, but you feel a doubling, tripling of stress when the other two priests turn to look at you too. The taller one, with a jet black, scraggly bowl cut, mirrors Father Gala and crosses his arms. He looks down his long nose at you in dignified annoyance. The third, with stocky limbs and strawberry blonde hair, glares at you from his periphery. Your eyes widen, in an attempt to show them you’re not a threat, expose your remorseful guilt, or provide a silent apology, you don’t know.

Lucy snaps you back forward with a gentle push against your back to get you to move in the line. You’ve finally reached the buffet, but suddenly the smells that wandered up your nose in wispy, tempting little tendrils earlier instead worm their way down your esophagus and instill a powerful nausea. She can sense your discomfort, your disorientation from what just happened, and supplies your plate for you. With a protective gaze over your head at the men, and a loving hand on your bicep, she guides you to sit in the pew farthest away from them. 

She has to stick a fork in your petrified fist for you to speak. “What the hell was that about?” You question, chancing a glance over your shoulder at the offending party and see that they’ve gone off to greet guests with friendly smiles again. “I wasn’t trying to listen in, they just looked worried and-“

Lucy pats your knee once, “Don’t worry. There must be some sort of drama happening behind the scenes, something that the town would inquire about. Since they’re priests, they think they have immunity from gossip.” She scoffs lightly and you think you catch your devout friend rolling her eyes at those most holy. “They’ve been acting weird for a while now, off and on. One week, Father Gala is like Mr. Rogers, and the next, he’s Dracula.” 

That earns a snort from you, hiding your smile behind the back of your hand. She gives you a reassuring smile, filled with her signature warmth that’s comforted you all these years, “You’re doing great. Now eat.” 

Thankfully, your nausea has quelled enough that you taste the delicious food as it’s meant to be tasted. Maybe you don’t have to worry about foraging during your stay in this town void of all fast food, only relying on two quaint grocery stores to feed itself. You’ll just have to become friends with whoever made this delectably gooey mac and cheese. 

Lucy interrupts you, “Oh, by the way,” she covers her full mouth and then swallows, pointing daintily, “that’s Father Thorn,” at the tall one, “and that’s Father Angus,” at the blonde one. You nod once in understanding, taking a look at their faces to match their names with, before Lucy turns away with a laugh. She teases under her breath, “Maybe they’re all pissed they could never be as handsome as Father Pike.” 

“Priests can be handsome?” you ask of the mysterious fourth priest, bemused. Priests, deacons, popes and the like all conjure up images of men with wrinkles as delicate and numerous as the pages in the ancient books they abide by. If they’re not a million years old, they’re unsightly at best and possess a visceral lack of sensuality, like Father Thorn and Father Angus. Lucy has got to be pulling your leg. 

“Yes,” she breathes, a soft pink blooming in her cheeks, “and young, and warm, and have a voice that makes every sermon a lullaby, and big, tender hands…” she trails off in a dream.

You let out a laugh, amused by her dramatics. “Oh, so he’s really ugly, then,” you sneer, trying to expose her hyperbole. 

She giggles at your tone, shaking her head. You reign down on her, spurring her giggles on with a barrage of sarcasm until they’re uncontrollable.

“Is that why this place doesn’t have gargoyles, because he can take its place? Does he have leathery skin,” you drag your hands down your face, pulling your cheeks down to expose your eyes, “rotted fangs,” hold your hands by your mouth and snarl your fingers, “hairy feet with long, twisting toenails that tear through his shoes?” You get up and drag your feet along the floor, growling and licking your lips rabidly. 

Lucy doubles over, tears threatening to spill over her eyes every time her lungs have to suck in a breath, “Stop!” She’s wheezing and you drop the act, putting your hands on your hips. 

“Well, you gotta tell me if I’m wrong or not!” Tapping your foot, you await her retaliation, until a voice warm with a smile cuts through the air.

“You forgot the giant rat’s tail that drags behind me.” 

Your heart stops for a second, thumping wildly when it starts up again to catch the missed beats. Turning tentatively on your heel, you’re met with… exactly what Lucy described. 

Before you is one of the most handsome men you’ve ever seen, if not the most handsome ever. Chocolate waves that crest over top one another in a cute, slightly overgrown style glisten like ganache on top of his head in the candlelight. He’s got a scruffy beard that’s cut close to his cheeks and jaw, avoiding looking unkempt, threaded with two or three streaks of gray. His aquiline nose is gorgeous, there’s a little dimple in his cheek that deepens as he’s smiling, and his eyes… oh, his eyes…

“I’m Father Pike,” he extends his hand in greeting, keeping his other tucked behind his back. He has to bend forward slightly to reach your height better, aiding your descent into enchanted madness as he gets closer. You take his hand and introduce yourself- GOD Lucy was right. His grasp is light, comforting. Where Father Gala made you feel stuck in his eternal cage, Father Pike sets you free. You fall into a stupor fantasizing about what his hugs must feel like.

He smells like cinnamon. It could be from the pie you suspect he ate, from the apple undertones you detect, but you wouldn’t be surprised if that’s just how he naturally smelled. A warm, cozy, inviting dream; he sure looked like one, at least. 

His gaze lingers on your expression frozen with intrigue before he turns and welcomes Lucy. They begin a polite banter that allows you to stand back and try to quell your blood that throbs with nerve. If you had known someone like Father Pike was going to be here, you would’ve dressed in something nicer, possibly sexy - the modesty expected in a place of worship be damned. You curse yourself for choosing these well-worn jeans and roomy sweater over the opaque tights and a dress of an acceptable length you were going back and forth on in your mirror earlier. But, in an odd sort of way, you still felt exposed in front of Father Pike from underneath all your thick layers. You couldn’t hide yourself from him, no matter how many clothes you armored yourself with. 

He turns back to you, and he doesn’t ogle your nervous body, or try desperately not to; he looks into your eyes with a soft smile that crinkles the skin around those big brown puddles. It makes your chest feel like it has a big, gaping cavity that you could look inside of and see your heart thumping hard, vulnerable blood spilling from all your edges and trickling down your legs. The flustered emotions of a blooming crush rapidly morph into something malicious and parasitic, causing you to put the back of your hand to your forehead that has broken out in clamminess. It’s hard to hear Father Pike over the rushing buzz in your head when he speaks to you.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before, are you new?” 

And just like that, your knees start trembling beneath you. Your heart misses a beat, causing your lungs to seize in anger and you suck in a harsh breath. In a flash, Father Pike’s friendliness snaps into genuine concern and he steps forward, taking your elbows and catching you on your way to the floor. You make a startled sound and his timbre slashes through your panic, “Let’s get you sat down somewhere, okay?” 

You can barely muster a nod, tears threatening to spill over your eyes and join the rivulets of sweat on your cheeks. Father Pike more or less carries you by your middle as you pathetically cling to his arms, dragging your debilitated form a short distance to a secluded, abandoned pew by the door he entered from earlier in the evening. Father Pike sits you down and takes the place right beside you, putting his left arm around your shoulders and his right hand in yours. As soon as you’re grounded on the unforgiving wood, your vision stops spinning, even though you didn’t realize it had started. Breathing suddenly feels easy again, returning to its involuntary glory instead of being laborious. It’s like your body resumed its regularly scheduled programming with an invisible snap. 

Away from the hub of the crowd, his voice seems louder, its velveteen quality more clear, “You alright?” 

You take a precautionary, steadying breath before meeting his eyes, fearful that something in him will set off all your alarms again. But when you meet his eyes, everything is serene. “Y-yeah, I’m okay.”

A pause to verify your sincerity, and then he chuckles, trying to uplift the atmosphere with a lighthearted tone, “I didn’t mean to frighten you, I just…”

You laugh, as much as you can muster in your breathless state, “No, no, you didn’t!” He retracts his hand from yours slowly and you instinctively grasp his forearm with a reassuring touch. Once you notice what you’re doing, you let go of him with an embarrassment like he’s burning you. “I- I don’t really know what happened, all of the sudden I just felt… sick.” With your confession, a wave of nausea infiltrates your stomach and makes you feel a little queasy again. It’s climbing to its previous intensity quickly. The fossilized church feels like it could cave in on you at any moment. 

Father Pike touches your shoulder softly, “I’m going to go get you some water, okay?” You nod and the waning gleam in your eye sends him swiftly disappearing into the crowd. 

A decent number of paces away, an older woman looks at you with fear as Lucy speaks to her, no doubt explaining your abrupt qualm. Drawing any more attention than you already have will just worsen your panic, so you thwart the drama. You raise your hand at her with a thin-lipped smile to deter her worry and she places her hand over her heart with a happy sigh before walking away.

Father Pike reappears behind Lucy and drifts by her with your drink clutched tight in his hand. Lucy’s eyes flit from the priest’s chivalry to your shy, measly form and she raises her eyebrows and opens her mouth with a scoffing smile. You could read your best friend’s face better than written word: she thinks that you’re doing this on purpose to get the Father’s attention. 

You wish you could say you were reeling him in with salacious spite, however, you were anything but. Your illness was true and unforgiving. You shake your head at her in defiance, but you can tell she doesn’t buy it. She turns away to busy herself with the rest of the party, but really she’s intending to give the two of you some privacy from the wink thrown over her shoulder. With a roll of your eyes, you think about how you’ll have to defend yourself with a foolproof case under her gavel later tonight. 

Father Pike retakes his seat next to you, handing you the bottle of water, unopened, that your puny fingers struggle with. Kindly, he offers his hand and you pass over the bottle for him to open. He hands it back to you and sits hunched over his lap, hands clasped between his open legs, staring at you intently as you take a few slow sips. You feel a little awkward, looking down at the bottle in your hands and fidgeting with the wrapper on the outside, so you take a note from his book and try to lighten the mood, “I knew I wasn’t a big fan of parties, but I didn’t know I was this bad.” You chuckle dryly, risking a glance at him. It works: he’s laughing with you. 

“I’m not a big party person, either,” he smiles, his dimple creasing within his beard. You raise an eyebrow at him, a little befuddled by his statement, given he inserts himself into the lives of others for a living. He takes your hint, “I enjoy talking to people, giving sermons and all of that… but even this feels a little overwhelming for me.” You nod, finding comfort in the fact that you’re on the same page. He keeps that endearing smile with a measuring eye as he continues watching you, looking from the crease of your brow to how your legs squirm uncomfortably. 

There’s something about this man that makes you feel… transparent. Like how you felt exposed to him earlier, even underneath all your coarsely knitted layers. You feel like a fraud, sitting next to one of the holiest figures in the entire congregation. And for some reason, out of all of the people here, you feel that he deserves the truth. There’s nothing about him that has given you any indication that he won’t turn on you like the rest would if you confess to your disguise, but at the same time… he makes you feel safe. Of course, he just recovered you from some undisclosed blight, but you can write that off as convenience. You were sick, he was right there, certainly he would’ve tended to you. There must be some moral code within the priesthood to never let a sick person lie. But even before that, putting aside his obvious handsomeness, there was something in his eyes that held you. Let you know that it was all okay. You decide to ply him with honesty. 

“Um… so, I’m not very religious. Like, at all.” Your voice is a little shaky, worried if his nice-guy facade will finally melt away to reveal a sneering orthodox. He doesn’t seem to have a reaction, so you keep going. 

“So, if I’m not religious, and I’m drinking this, does that mean…” You trail off in question, and he doesn’t understand what you’re getting at. 

“It’s holy, right?” You raise the water. 

Father Pike looks like he can’t believe what you just asked. He shakes his head in amusement, void of condescension, leaning the slightest bit closer towards you. He lowers his voice slightly, protecting you from any invasive ears. He softly explains, “Just because it’s water in a church doesn’t mean it’s holy. A priest or some other figure has to bless it.” His smirk deepens at your visible relief, “You’re not sinning, or anything near it. You’re perfect.” 

He said you’re… what? Your heart skips again but this time it’s not from sickness. Well... is it sick to be attracted to someone who is virtually untouchable? You get to thinking; you know enough about the church and its inner workings to know that priests usually take a vow of celibacy. Consequently, most never date or get married. Does that mean… are they barred from all things sensual? Are they allowed to tenderly brush their fingers against someone else’s, and not for the purpose of prayer? Can they share a glance that lingers a little too long for it to be considered chaste? Can they… can they even think about anything remotely sexual? 

There’s no way that can be true. You can understand physical celibacy, sure, but it’s impossible for one not to have a thought that makes them quiver at least once in their life. In your own experience, sensuality sometimes has nothing to do with sex. You’ve felt the warmth of eroticism lying under the sun’s rays in the middle of spring, savoring a delicious meal, when you finish a book with a satisfying conclusion. If Father Pike starves himself of such pleasures, you can’t fight the pity that chokes you. 

“What if they have priests at the packaging plant?” You joke, hoping to simultaneously break the silence that has swelled between you two and put a wedge in your brain’s cogs so they’ll stop churning. 

Father Pike laughs, genuinely from his belly, and oh you could get used to that sound. His eyes crinkle at their corners with a grin, “Then the church would be thrilled at our outreach.” 

You go to take another sip of your water, but his hand comes out to touch yours. The impossible delicacy almost makes you flinch. He puts gentle pressure on your skin, making you stop in your tracks. He shifts closer to you, his voice dropping an octave, warning you, “I’d be careful though; there is a possibility that you could grow rotted fangs and hairy feet, if I’m remembering correctly.”

Your fluttering nerves make your laugh squeak out of your tightened throat, louder than you intended, in a bark. Slightly mortified, you hide your smile behind the hand that isn’t suspended in the air by Father Pike. With mercy, he releases you. 

“What about a rat’s tail?” You ask with a teasing glint in your eye. 

He ponders for a moment, comically deep in thought. “That only affects the most sinful of us,” he reveals. 

...What? That was flirty, right? It had to be flirty. There’s no way he didn’t mean it to be flirty. Your imagination can be very active at times, but there was no mistaking the twitch of his mustache to repress a smirk. 

Trying to ignore the furious heat that has instantaneously kindled between your thighs based on that singular tone change, you latch the bottle to your mouth and avert your eyes elsewhere. Out of your periphery, you think you see Father Pike’s shoulders droop and his gaze lower to the ground with a silent huff. Shit, did he take your silence as a blow to his humor? 

You can’t think too much now because the clocks outside in the streets resound ten chimes. Lucy appears and her beaming at the two of you seems to rejuvenate Father Pike a little. He straightens his back before he stands and they begin talking, shaking hands. Their mouths spew unintelligible babble to you as your entire nervous system is locked on one thing: Father Pike’s back. His gorgeous personality had swept you up and away into a cloud of bubbly giggles and blushing cheeks that you hadn’t noticed what he was wearing. Maybe if the robes had made a greater impression on you, they would’ve served as a reminder to restrain yourself from dreaming about the forbidden, but alas. 

Father Pike is dressed identically to the other priests: black clerical shirt, cassock, pants, and shoes, and a white tab collar. But he wears everything so much better. The garments are majorly obscured by the enveloping cassock, but even the thick, flowing fabric can’t hide the broad width of his shoulders. When he gestures with his hands, you can see the muscles move dreamily in reaction by the flickering candlelight. He’s tall, and this fact is only emphasized as you continue to sit motionless on the pew watching him and Lucy. 

When he turns with a hand outstretched to help you to your feet, you bite your lip with ravenous desire. Somehow you didn’t notice - probably because you were too enthralled with everything else about him - how his Adam’s apple sits on glorious display with the white tab collar as its pedestal. The tempting image makes you swallow hard. God, that shouldn’t be as hot as it is. 

“Time to get going,” Lucy says, motioning from behind the Father’s back for you to take his hand. You do and stand, drifting to the front of the church on autopilot. It feels like the calm quiet of your time with Father Pike and the chummy, sociable atmosphere of the dinner has dissipated and a sense of urgency has taken root. The friendliness remains in the goodbyes and promises of meeting again you hear all around you, but you’re definitely being ushered out with the rest of the herd. You guess, remembering a tidbit about religious folk, that they have a curfew. 

It feels like you’re being ripped away from Father Pike and you don’t like that. Although you’ve only known him for all but two hours - which sounds ridiculous when you put it like that - you’re desperate to know more. You’d find genuine, complete contentedness in simply watching him go about his daily activities. Recording what details he decides to give you privy to and admiring his boundaries when he reserves himself. He’s the first possibility of a new friend in this conservative township and you don’t want to let him go. 

You’re grateful that he ghosts your back as Lucy leads you to the entrance, it gives you comfort and makes this dream last as long as it can. You don’t sense just how close he’s following behind you until you get to the heavy front doors and the toe of his shoe snags on the heel of yours. It makes you trip and fumble forward, but Father Pike reaches to catch you. His hands grip your waist, molding your oversized sweater to your body. Then, he gently steadies and pulls you back upright. The foreign sensation of your flattened heel tickles your foot and sends you stumbling back into his chest. He looks down at you, his hands still on you, “I-I apologize.”

Through the darkness you see the tips of his ears glow red. Before you can say anything in return, he renders you speechless by getting on his knees. Without a word spoken, moving in tandem with implicit choreography, you lift your foot up so he can fix the heel back into place. He doesn’t give you the choice of wobbling on your lonesome, placing one of your hands on his right shoulder to keep you balanced. And god, you wish he hadn’t done that. 

Your lips part as your breaths gain some weight, but you snap your oblong mouth shut when you hear an ancient, warbly voice. “Oh, no, what have we here?” Father Gala teeters over just as Father Pike finishes retying your shoe. Imperceptibly, you squeeze his shoulder in reverence as he stands up and then you let your hand fall innocently to your side. 

You shrug, giggling a little uncomfortably, “Father Pike stepped on the back of my shoe, it was an accident.” 

“Young and clumsy,” Father Gala jokes, you think, with a grumbly tone. He claps a hand on Father Pike’s left shoulder with more effort than you thought the old man could muster. As Father Pike steadies the elder priest’s cane, you reason he more so fell into Father Pike than anything else. Your favored Father chuckles with accountability. 

Father Gala passes off his cane for a moment to take your hand in his two, like he did when he gave you the dinner plate earlier this evening. Clearly the party has tired him out; his hands are quivering and his back is permanently bent at an angle. “Peace be with you,” he croaks with cheerfulness, despite his withered voice. 

You freeze. You know you’re supposed to say something back to complete this exchange and from the innermost depths of your brain you think it should be a simple phrase, something that any ardent Christian would remember. Between your disinterest in the church and the Father Pike fog that has eclipsed your mind, you’re dumbfounded.

An angel appears in your midst and comes to your rescue: Father Pike, peering into your eyes over the shoulder of the crouched figure before you, mouths the words silently, “And also with you.” 

“And also with you,” you recite amicably. Father Gala smiles, pats your hand twice in delight and turns to give Lucy the same departing sentiment. You release the air of worry you held inside and take a few steps to meet Father Pike, whispering close by his side so only he will hear, “Thank you.” 

The handsome Father closes your height difference by leaning down and pretends to brush some invisible dust off of your shoulder, an excuse to be this close to you. 

“Don’t mention it. Your secret’s safe with me,” he murmurs. 

And you trust him to keep his promise. Sure, he could go behind your back and spill your lies to the other priests, the entire community, let them know that there’s a rat infiltrating their congregation. 

The mischievous sparkle in his gaze as he looks at down you, biting your lip to suppress your giggle and keep your little inside secret just that, tells you he won’t let one word slip. 

Father Gala has returned for his cane, so Father Pike clears his throat and stiffens himself. Clasping his hands together, he builds an appropriate distance between the two of you before anyone sees it was anything otherwise. 

The night winds have picked up, biting at bits of exposed skin with a malevolent appetite. To shield the older priest, Father Pike guides him back into the cathedral. “I hope to see you two back soon,” the handsome Father interjects as you’re turning to leave. 

“We’ll be here Sunday!” Lucy shouts over an unnatural gust that howls and warbles her voice. With one arm over each other’s shoulders, holding tight together, you begin the trek back to her house to take refuge for the night. Behind you, you hear the cathedral doors shut, sealing you off from a final parting glance to Father Pike. You aren’t too disheartened by that and the cold can’t gnaw at your heart, either; Sunday is only two days away and you can’t contain your excitement. 

—— 

The whole night has felt like a whirlwind. To your complete and utter surprise, visiting the church is no longer seems like it’ll be a chore, but rather an opportunity. For what, you’re not exactly sure just yet. But you can feel the heat rising to your cheeks and skirting down your spine at the infinite possibilities. Maybe you should start praying for your salvation now.

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[thedeafprophet]

4 for the trio 👀

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Okay. So. A lot of this is witnessing death lmao.

oh boy

Content warnings for discussion of: death, fire, past child abuse, period typical illness, and period typical child death

Josephine

I mean. Nemesis character, i think this one is probably a given 😅 She did not directly witness Gabriels death, but it was the finding him that was enough of the witnessing. To this day, Gabriel's murder is an event Josephine can't understand; a level of cruelty so uneeded and so severe.

It affected Josephine, who was only 10 years old at the time, significantly. She was never really able to move past it, not even now. To a certain extent, Josephine was stuck in that moment, pushed forward only by her need to find answers, her want, desperatly, to find out why. This same motive would push her through much of her life

Josephine's inabaility to move on from her brothers death very much inspired the reason she made the choice she did. Even now, with other things, it haunts her choice. Josie will never back down, never stop in her goals. Even if there are times that maybe she should.

Alex

Alex's start was rocky from the beginning. After his mother passed away following his birth, the family fractured under the weight of her loss. Witnessing all of this was the beginning of his problems, his older sister having to take over a parental role despite only being 5 years older, his father turn to alchol and anger in the face of the loss of wife. Alex and his sister often dealt with the inability of their father to process his emotions.

The main incident that Alex witnessed was the night his father died. No one really knows what caused the house fire, all they knew is that one moment the building was in flames. Alex and Adelaide made it out. Their father didnt.

It is a question that remains, where the pyromania started and when this event occured, which involved the other.

It was an accident after all....wasn't it?

Jamie

As many people know, the start of Jamie's life was as a foundling at an orphanage. There general issues there, and their experiences later, with bullying and neglect obviously lead to who they are today.

Jamie didnt have many friends even when they were little, but when they were rather young, about the 6 or 7 age, they were friends with one other little girl, named Molly. Matched with Jamie in energy, and more michievous then they were back then, the two of them were very close.

At one point, an illness spread among the residents of the orphange, causing many people to become ill, including Molly. One night, Molly asked Jamie if they could help her go out to see the nearby forest they played in one last time. They didnt make it there, but made it close, and Jamie held Molly's hand for the last time.

To this day, Jamie struggles signficantly having witnessed the loss at such a young age, and a signficant amount of survivors guilt. They dont understand why they survived when she didnt.

It wasn't fair.

Ask game from here

#welcome to my ocs traumadump ajdkfkfgkgkhj #a wip fic i have with jam will feature on this specific incident of sorts #ohhhhhh boy uh made myself emotional writing this up #i am normal about death this is evident in my writing 👍 #ask game #oc: josephine #oc: alex #oc: jamie

[forest-hashira]

fallon !! congrats on 100 <3 i adore you're writing and you are criminally underrated

i have a couple questions for you set in your noble blood universe :3 i have been inactive in n out for a hot second so feel free to ignore them if you have already answered them/simply don't want to

how do most people "bond" with their dragons?

what happens if a dragon and their rider have clashing personalities?

what are the strengths and weaknesses of kenji and niji comparative to each other? (ex. who is faster, is one of them bulkier while the other is more serpent-like?)

what traits about reader stands out to satoru, since it's clear he adores her more than the rest?

how common/rare is owning a dragon?

does the size of a dragon correlate to how powerful they are? (im imagining a small dragon the size of a chihuahua absolutely rocking someone's shit lmao)

ok that was all but i hope you are having a wonderful day/night!

haerin!!! tysm my love you are so so so sweet 💜 & all the spots for drabbles are still open if you want some more little writings

i think maybe i've touched on one or two of these before but i'm always happy to revisit/elaborate!!! edit: this got kinda long so i'm answering the questions under the cut haha

bonds between riders & dragons happen instantaneously the first time a dragon and writer meet, when the rider is about 10 and the dragon is just a hatchling. the bond is instant and permanent, but trust and respect still have to be built between the dragon and rider over time (like satoru told reader, the most crucial time is the first week after the bond, and riders generally don't spend any time apart from their dragon during that first week).

clashing personalities between dragons and riders are very rare, and generally only happen when the bond is formed but not supported or nurtured in any way (like, if a rider were to do less than the bare minimum to care for their dragon, or were to treat them too harshly and expect total submission without any respect in return). though most dragons & rider pairs have similar/matching personalities because of growing up together and being shaped by each other, there are a few exceptions in Noble Blood (we just haven't gotten to them yet)!

kenji & niji have essentially the same body shape/type, but between them, kenji is faster, but niji is stronger and has more stamina. much like their riders, kenji is a bit more mischievous and impulsive, while niji is a bit more stoic and calculating (though he can get a bit smug when he beats kenji in a play fight and puts him in his place). in most other aspects they are pretty equally matched.

he loves how kind reader is, and how smart. not to say that any of his other friends are stupid, because they're not, but reader has a higher emotional intelligence than the others, which he finds appealing. that, paired with reader's willingness to go along with his antics more often than not, are the biggest reasons satoru has a crush on our dear reader. unsurprisingly, these are traits that suguru has, as well.

owning a dragon is definitely the norm, and there are very few recorded instances of people who never bond with a dragon in their lives. sometimes lose their dragons to accidents or illness when they're still kids, but the vast majority of people grow up and grow old with their dragons. the only character that will show up in Noble Blood in an capacity that may not have a dragon is toji, though i haven't decided one way or the other yet.

size does have some correlation with a dragon's physical abilities, yeah, kinda like dog breeds! bigger dragons are generally stronger but not as fast, smaller dragons are generally faster but not as strong. obviously there are exceptions, and whatever power a dragon does or does not have, and whether or not they can fly also plays a huge role in what a dragon of any size is capable of. so honestly your mental image of a chihuahua-sized dragon laying the smackdown on someone is not impossible! lmao

thank you again for your ask!!! i hope life is treating you well, too 💜

#asks answered #dragon rider au

[mcythottakes]

I know its been a bit iv been into other fandoms lmao but iv noticed somthing every time I make or relog a post explaining that, no, in fact the CC’s are NOT their c!characters/personas (SHOCKING! I know) and they dont get to dictate how we write these characters in fandom spaces as long as not actually about the CC’S, which yes includes shipping.

And every time without fail people go “Ah yes I agree! Unless the CC has said its against their boundaries/unless its romantic ofc”

LIKE WAY TO THE MISS THE POINT!!!

The CC’s are NOT the ones being written about!! They never get to dictate fandom spaces. I still cant believe that I could write a gore filled, horror hurt no comfort story about the ocs, or hell even the cc’s, being savagely murdered and tortured without ANYONE EVEN BLINKING, and yet people “Draw the Line” at me going ”Oh these two characters have alot of chemistry in the roleplay. I want them to kiss.” and declare me an awful or gross human being??

If you can accept that “Hey in this story this character is a god, this one is a Mob hybrid player, and oh also magic is real and these three are siblings” and know that oh obviously this is about the character the cc’s portray, then you can just leave us alone about shipping.

“But OP!" I hear you say, “The CC’s said they dont wanna be shipped!”

Let me ask you, in most questions about shipping, did people every clarify they wanted to know if they should specially ship their character and not them, or did most shipping questions go “Hi can we ask your boundaries on shipping” or “Hi is it okay if we ship you lol” or something along the lines? Becuase I can guarantee that if I was asked that question Id assume you were talkin about me and Id also say no.

Obviously though, if the fandom work/ship is actually about CC then no you shouldn't ship if they say they are uncomfy with it. There’s a difference between a character portrayed who doesn't have actual feelings vs an actual person who doesn't want to be shipped. Then obviously respect their boundaries and dont ship!! And if you come across people who do ship CCs? Still just block and move on, I can promise they will not change their minds 95% of the time. 

And for the few cc’s that did actually get asked to clarify they were talkin about their characters? Iv said it before and Ill say it again, CC’s do not get to dictate fandom spaces whatsoever, they never have, just like other fandoms dont let source material dictate these spaces either. Yes sometimes something they say can be taken into account but at the end of the day, people who do fandom works get to do what we want. CC’s are honestly more authors/actors of the characters they portray, specially in roleplay circumstances like DSMP.

Becuase if your gonna try and get permission for stuff like that, we might as well ask them permission if hey can we torture your character, hey can we make your character die to motivate another character, hey can we do this or that or this please?.... Do you realize how stupid that sounds? Would you sit and go ask the cc if this is okay before making any fandom works? No? Then neither should we about shipping.

Honestly dont try to bug CC’s about shipping characters and try and look for permission, you dont need it and most of the time CC’s just want to be left out of it or just not know as long as its not shoved in their faces.

If your worried about a CC coming across said shipping, then let me tell you something; Fandom spaces have ALWAYS been for the fans. If they come into fandom spaces and areas, and they see something they dont wanna? That's on them. Specially if its been fully labeled and tagged properly, they fucked around and found out. 

“What if they stumble across it on accident before they knew or didn't understand or, the horror, someone forgot to label something properly?”

GUESS WHAT! CC’s arnt your UwU babies who will break into little pieces when they find out their characters are being shipped. Maybe they wont like it but they’re big boys and girls and others, they can handle it themselves. I promise you they dont need you trying to speak for them, and I can also promise they’d be hella more disappointed in you harassing folks, specially if you send death threats over something harmless as shipping fictional people.

And honestly, if you dont like the idea of shipping even though its pretty established by now we arnt talking about the cc’s? THEN THATS FINE! You have every right to, hell I'm not even a huge shipper myself! I just think its cute sometimes and ill reblog it or read something with it if its intriguing enough.

And even more so, you have the ability to block! Block shipping tags and people who ship and move the fuck on, its not that hard. At this point people are pretty good at making sure shipping stays out of the main tag and has its own tags for it, so if your seeing it enough to bitch about it, it means you either followed someone who ships and that's on you, or you went searching to bitch about which is honestly a bit pathetic.

Leave people alone, make use of the block blog and block tag options, and thank you for coming to my ted talk.

And remember at the end of the day all fandom works are fiction and should not be intended, nor expected to be reflected irl.  

#mine #shipping discourse #mcytshipping #hermitshipping #dsmpshipping #trafficshipping #empiresshipping #and these are just my fandoms #this applies to most if #not all myct shipping stuff #minecraft personas #mcyt fandom #MCYT #I used to main tag this stuff #becuase it was about the topic of #not the actual shipping #and I wanted more people to be aware of it #but these days im unsure #so for now #ill leave it just in the shipping tags #iv grown a bit and while #my earlier points on this blog #wernt wrong #i didnt word them the best lol #and they're a tiny bit cringey #its been like two years #hopefully this is better XD #also i dont mind #discussions #or debates

[brella-boi]

Day 2 on the boots! Instead of flipping between tasks I decided to just stay and finish at least one part completely. This is where were starting today. The goal is to make flipped tops to really add to the proper leather look.

Painstakingly measured out with some paper for a pattern and then got to cutting the same leather that I used for the pouch earlier. Its thick and is pretty close colour wise to the boots.

Once again I immediately ran into the problem of 'oh god leather is so hard to sew threw why do I continue to torture myself. After 2.5 hours of sewing I got both of boots done.

I thought the bare end was a little empty. Originally I was going to add the same tan thong I had left over from the bag, but there was only enough for one boot. So for now its just thicker thread. Maybe ill find a thong locally or edit it another time.

But still the leather is off colourwise. You can see how the boot is lighter everywhere but the stitches so time to put that into action and paint this bad boy.

The results?

Three layers of generous paint and I think we got ourselves a winner!! VERY happy how these came out after all the glove failures.

I also started painting the eyes on buckram(?) that I found on complete accident and thought I was doomed (thankfully i was lucky this one time!)

The eye frame was previously white which I spray painted to keep to the dark pallete.

I previously tried to make the eye mesh from a curtain mesh material with copics and uhhhh. Yeah dont do that lmao

#making headway!! #kenkuproject #boots #clothesmaking

[munchlax-musings]

What have i done today

i was deeply distracted for hours playing video games, listening to music, etc.

but i managed to get a little itty bitty bit done

voila, my trello board for my steno textbook:

[image description: a trello board. board color is a reddish-pink. title of the list is Lesson 29. 1st card is a dark blue titled Lesson Overview. 2nd card is a pink titled Preparation. 3rd card is half pink and white. On the white half is the text Trello Card Set-up. there is a green checked box below it with 1/1 next to it. the 4th card is all white and titled Evernote Set-up. the checked box below it is not in green and has the text 0/1 next to it. the 5th card is a pastel green with the title Practice. the 6th card is half a pastel green, half white. on the white half are the words Exercise 2901. below that, an icon of 4 lines and a checked box with 0/8 next to it. Below the cards, on the list, is a plus button called Add a card. to the far right, an icon for creating a card from a template.]

i accidentally CTRL+Zed this part of the post like 2 times so far. must be tired lmao the second time it happened, it was like i got jumpscared

anyway, so i literally had to fight my brain to get it to produce this trello board, and 3 others after that. it was hard work, but i am satisfied with what i created

the 3 other boards are for coding, stenography (in general) and Japanese. the coding and Japanese ones are pretty barebones rn but ill have something figured out for them soon. i saw that Trello has a Github integration i could use, which seems helpful

and then after that, i decided that i absolutely need to start practicing to books other than my textbook again.

i found a bunch of books that i thought were interesting. sadly, i couldn't find most of them on Libby for checking out, but i will one day practice to them, maybe!

The Book I Will Write To

i checked out the audiobook for it yay

i even added it to my trello board:

[image description: trello board. list is titled Audiobook Progress. below it, an attached image of the cover for the book The Perishing by Natashia Deón, Author of Grace. the cover is a photo of a Black woman, transparent against a blue-to-green vertical gradient background. her features are outlined by thick, rainbow brush strokes, echoed twice over, a few inches above their starting points. below that, on the list, the words image.png. further below, an icon of a paper clip with the number 1 next to it.]

The Books I Have Placed Holds On

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

Son by Lois Lowry

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus

i can technically do 10 holds, but i dont wanna end up overwhelming myself by accident lol

i plan on adding these to my stenography trello board as well. i think i will thoroughly enjoy all of them!

#stenography #trello #organizing #studyblr #storygraph #libby app #audiobook #books #munchlax's musings

[seelestia]

my day was great!! it’s the weekendddddd~ hru lia?? have you eaten and drank your water??

to stand by the pillar of fortitude himself you must persevere and remain steadfast through the trials, little one- lmao it's ok we'll nurse them back to health!!! ( ayato fully knows he can heal himself with magic but since you're panicking and fussing over him he decides to not tell you ;) )

ikr prefect!ayato is such a good concept slkdjflskdjf

LMAO I TOTALLY AGREE HE WOULD BLACKMAIL ME THE MOMENT HE SAW ME SWOONING OVER ZHONGLI

o h ? hehehe i feel like ayato would totally go :0 when he sees your protective instinct flaring up. kinda backfires for you tho, cause he probably finds if even more endearing and he just falls for you even more <3

ye!!! he has the potential and background to become a villain but he’s not!! i think that’s even more impressive ✨ pff imagine him and professor yae’s “banter” in class…. all the chilling smiles and the tension in the air as they throw veiled passive-aggressive comments back and forth… all the students are like “o archons please get me out of here-“

i-it is…. gosh…. he’s so….. hhhhhhhh i love love love his jp voice. so much. ohhh i like that take!! slytherin al haitham <3

awee that’s a very cute imagination - us just picking up these smol little chibi characters by the scruff of their night and plopping them down to the appropriate miniature hogwarts houses' common rooms hehehe

giant rock frog bahahahhah omg- if you want a full shield bot i think you can probably have more? otherwise that should be enough?? if you want a 50:50 my brother said 30-40k should be good, and for the rest just focus on geo dmg + crits… but dps zhongli on the other hand... lemme see if i can get his build-

(jesus christ that crit dmg lmao)

GLADLY i mean you would be invited to the wedding either way so ikr??? he would look so good aldkjaksjdlajsdkakljd i’m frot hignlkjd

ohoho. hmmm. for fluff, definitely “childhood sweethearts”, “soulmates”, and “reincarnation au” <3 for angst, whatever trope my request was (is that even a trope lmao), and i totally agree - “right person, wrong time” is so </3 “terminal illness” probably? or stuff like “amnesia” or “accident/surgery/being in a coma” is also very very nice….. ooooooh this is giving me request ideas ✨✨✨✨

WAIT REALLY??? awh that’s too bad… ok have this then - if you ever try to see the chasm from sumeru, it looks like the great wall of china or something, it's amazing:

(ignore the charred grass klee was having a little too much fun there lmao)

^ additionally, zhongli, babysitting klee. run, hilichurl, run for your life-

oh, poor poor gimel. i created a teleport waypoint just for farming zhongli’s pillars. literally went there every day just to beat them up 🤕

awh dw about it!! you were on vacation and all!! <3 and i see you hehehe

rin jieeee, i'm super sorry for the late reply but i am here !! >:) NAURRRR, has your hubby's ancient fossil soul possessed your body??? snap out of it 🤨 (/j) seeing the word, persevere reminds me of the ayato angst drabble i wrote and now, i'm writing another angst fic about him for your collab <//3 aaaaa, i really wanna ramble about my vaporize wip to you but that might ruin the surprise, so maybe i should keep it hush-hush??? fjejkskdwk

IKR??? ayato is a character whose personality would flourish as a villain like if he weren't the son of a noble clan in inazuma, imagine his potential... as a fatui harbinger. albeit, i think both him and pantalone share those rich, classy vibes so they gotta fight for that spot in the ranks (/j) BUT AYATO AS A FATUI HARBINGER?? GOODBYE 🏃🏃🏃

i swear, he'd no longer need a bodyguard if he has me <//3 if i hear anyone say anything less than likable about him in the streets, it's on sight (/j) as a samoyed puppy in human form, i shall protect him !! tho, i can't help but think about what animal would suit him... i wanna say fox, but that'd somewhat make ayato a blue version of miko AND I LAUGH AT THAT 😭

your love for alhaitham really did grow immensely, it seems... has he dethroned kazuha??? *gasp* 👀 (/j) rip, @/meizuha, it is now time for @/meitham to shine <3 speaking of, have you finished the sumeru archon quest??? i just got around to finishing it a few days ago but it sure was memorable when alhaitham appeared fkekwdk ty for the tips~ my zhongli has about 46k HP now, and he's a shielder who gives occasional burst DMG (around 30k) since he has the catch r1 with accidentally 250% energy recharge 🫣 your crit DMG is smth else, you are spoiling him, helpppp. (/lh) i can understand because that shall be me when ayato rerun arrives <//3

awww, i can see the link between your fav fluff tropes here 👀 like the sense of being connected thru time and just an intuition of knowing that you're simply meant to be together :( this suddenly makes me think of a reincarnation au with zhongli, oml. there is something about you. something familiar but he can't place his hands on it like searching for a way out amidst a hazy fog. he has never met you before, or has he? your name is lost at the tip of his tongue — but as he looks into your eyes — memories surge forward and the disbelief in his voice echoes, "y/n?" weird, you've never told him your name.

AND THE ANGST TROPES, SO TRUE. smth about external obstacles that hold back a character just hurts because it feels like they can't do anything about whatever that fate has thrown at them, aaaaa. <//3 amnesia trope, in particular, has sm potential imo because the sheer devastation when you realize that all those memories of you loving that person are now lost? just like that? and when your own beloved stares at you so blankly as if you're a mere stranger, your heart can't help but shatter.

oooo, it does look like the great wall of china from that angle! hoyoverse really said irl inspiration, huh 🤧 BUT THE WAY THE HILICHURL GAVE UP??? it saw babysitter zhongli and fled. (/j) and as someone who also has klee, the charred grass is a familiar sight~ at least, she's not fish blasting this time but idk if sumerians care that much about their grass... klee gets banned from sumeru city era??? 😭 also, i don't remember if i've asked this before but what five stars do you have in your acc rn, rin jie??? i know that you have zhongli, itto, kazuha, xiao, and jean — is there anyone else i'm missing??? 👀

#when you said it felt like a month last time you heard from me I LAUGHED BECAUSE I SWEAR IT'S ONLY BEEN LIKE A WEEK OR TWO 😭 #or did you miss me that much 🫣 (/lh) #ngl i keep wanting to drink strawberry tea lately because of your tea adventures 😭 maybe i should go buy some online??? fruit tea <3 #ask box! 📬 #visitor: dearest rin! 💠

[flockofdoves]

my day was like . awful stuff sandwiching a really nice time with friends

this was also after the frustration with medical care and trying to be able to hear normally again this morning

got in a car accident. id never done anything beyond bumping a car while parking before so that was really scary and i think will be shaking up me while im driving for a while. both me and the other person are totally fine and so does their car and mine just had my license plate have a bolt fall off so its crooked and bent a bit

but i just feel really awful and was so shakey earlier. my car has a bad transmission so sometimes if it gets stuck in a low gear when im merging onto a road or getting to speed after being stopped i have to really push on the gas for a second so i can make sure that cars behind me wont be at risk of hitting me

so i did that while turning right from my apartments driveway onto the one lane highway its right off of. but like 500 ft ahead of that there was a car and by the time i realized it was stopped and really pressed down on the breaks i still ended up hitting it (i also dont think my ABS started? which is a bit concerning i should look into that. but maybe my memory is being weird) and after getting out of the car i was like ‘oh my god im so sorry this is all my fault’ and also admitted fault when the cop came and gave the person my info but they didnt give me theirs.

and like. it definitely was the vast majority my fault i should have paid better attention and reacted quicker

but also the more i think about it like. this person said to the cop ‘i had my warning lights on to pick up food from the restaurant across the street’. in the moment hearing that i was like. oh my god how did i not see their warning lights and just think they were a moving car im so stupid’ but now i wonder like. maybe they didnt even have them on? literally no way to know and regardless i shouldve been more aware of my surroundings. but also like. regardless of if warning lights were on and that im responsible for the accident after the fact thinking about it im like. why the hell would you stop with your warning lights on in a one lane each direction road with a high speed limit just to pick up food when the restaurant to the left literally has a parking lot. wild choice to make.

also freaked out for a bit bc i didnt have my up to date insurance policy but ig its still the same i just had a print out from before it was renewed a couple months ago but nonetheless panicked in the moment

and then the cop said to go online to find the accident report so i did that right when i got home but it said it required a nonrefundable $20 fee to just search for a report with whatever info you filled out and no opportunity to give multiple options for what to search. and then after i promptly did that assuming hopefully since he told me to do it right after i got home its 90 day meant that it would update me over the next few months. but no lmao i got this email right after. feeling like the joker

ig time to either continually pay $20 to do this promptly or call the police departments office which is closed til tuesday and i bet has hours similar to when ill be in work

oh also after id eased a bit at driving by being with friends in the car on me and my gfs way back from dropping off a friend at night then a cop in a nearby town pulled me over on an empty road like ‘your plate is crooked also your license plate light on the back is burnt out’ and the second part is likw. literally im from out of state as you can see on my license plates can you even enforce that here i didnt think that was a thing in every state and no ones ever pulled me over for it before

i was planning on going to drive 2.5 hours to rhide island tonight and then 2.5 back tomorrow to go see family since i have a long weekend at work and my brother and mom just got back to rhode island but obvs not doing that tonight now. i wanted to sleep on it to feel less shaken up about everything. but now after i got pulled over im not even sure about tomorrow. i guess that was my warning so i might get a ticket or whatever if i dont find out how to fix all that stuff asap :(

#cpost #car crashes -

[angelplummie]

NO ONE

BULLY IWA X F!READER

masterlist

dark content (proceed with caution), fluff???????? Idk man

a/n: hi guys i’m very ill rn so if this is shit don’t hate me i’m like delirious with something idk what but i am not feeling great LMAO but yeah keep in mind that (instead of doing homework) i wrote this in my ill person haze 😍 also it’s actually terrible how toxic this relationship is in correlation to how much i want it. where’s my mentally ill girlies !? we too can have a relationship as abusive as this hold on my angels 👼🏻/j anyways reblogs appreciated as usual 💞💞

warnings: INCREDIBLY toxic relationship, male that doesn’t know how to deal with emotions (same old same old), very suggestive stuff, dubcon (she’s into it but it isn’t crystal clear just wanted to disclose that), threats, misogynistic language, bullying obvi, mentions of violence, feelings of isolation, not valuing yourself enough girl,

more bully iwa

Iwaizumi is a menace, a bully that scrimps off oikawas school wide fame to pick on you undetected.

Try to tell people what he does? who are people gonna believe? you? or golden boys right hand man?

He’ll pour coffee over you, make you eat food off the ground when he knocks it out of your hand, steal your most important school books from your bag that he’ll only give back if you humiliate yourself and start telling people that you two are dating, only for him to deny it and convince everyone that you’re just some delusional girl that’s obsessed with him. He’ll hit you at will, large palm leaving a sting on your cheek. You don’t ever have to do anything, just finds it funny when you gasp and your eyes go all buggy and wide. There’s been times where he really did a number on you, but those were rare, so you could tell your mum that it was just an accident. He was strategic like that.

Slowly, the things he wanted you to do escalated, becoming more and more extreme.

He doesn’t just dump your lunch trays anymore, but makes you strip to your underwear in the boys toilet and sit there for the whole of lunch, the boys that walk in scoffing in shock and disgust, “Is she really that desperate?”

He doesn’t just pull your hair anymore, but asks the teachers to sit with you because you’d been ‘helping him study’ only to shove his fingers inside you and whisper in your ear how disgusting and filthy and worthless you are, all while class continues, “you like it don’t you? Stop squirming, you don’t have to pretend. I already know how nasty you are.”

He doesn’t just threaten to give you a swirlie anymore, but makes you hump his school shoes until you cum by the dumpsters behind the school. “You’re disgusting, I didn’t think you would actually cum, i was only gonna make you do it for a while until you started complaining. Maybe the rumours are true, maybe you do have crush on me.”

No matter how much you denied it, you knew it was true, he knew it was true. Despite the things he put you through, you could never seem to shake the butterflies that came every time he stalked over to you, evil grin on his handsome face. Because, even with everything he’d done, he still chose you to torment, he didn’t even look at any other girls. Just at you.

That was only part of what made you like him. What it really was was sometimes, after making you fulfil his demands, he would do something incredibly out of pocket, like cup your face gently with his big hands, or kiss you on the forehead. You didn’t understand it one bit, but that didn’t mean your heart didn’t race and didn’t think about it for the rest of the week.

If this was how he wanted to give you attention, then so be it. You could do the nasty stuff if it meant he was sweet to you sometimes, you knew he cared about you really.

Until you didn’t.

Oikawa was one of the only other people that knew about the weird relationship you two had, and one day, while walking behind them after school, you learned something you’d rather not have.

“What’s going on between you and that weird girl, Iwa-chan? Do you like her or something? You never seem to leave her alone.”

Your stomach jolted, they were talking about you. You were important enough that Oikawa felt the need to bring you up! Iwaizumi thought of you when you weren’t there!

Your pulse quickened and you tried to get as close as possible to hear what Iwaizumi had to say.

“What?” he barked back, gruff voice making you jump slightly, “You’re more delusional than she is, she’s just fun to play with. She’s so pathetic , she does anything I tell her, I don’t even have to threaten her anymore. She’s so in love with me it’s kinda repulsive, but I just do it ‘cause it’s funny. She means nothing to me.”

Oikawa said something too, but you weren’t really listening. You slowed down a bit, letting them get further ahead of you.

She means nothing to me.

Your face was red hot, and you stared at your feet the whole way home. Your eyes were glossy when you said hi to your mum and took off your shoes. You made your way up to your bed room, hardly holding in your sobs. As soon as you shut your bedroom door, you sank to the ground, ugly crying and curling in on yourself.

How could you be so stupid?

Of course he was just playing with you, of course he just found it funny.

It was funny, he could do anything to you and you’d still try to please him. You think of all the times he’s beat you up, of all the times he’s made you embarrass yourself, of every time he did something sweet to you.

That was all part of it.

Of course he didn’t really like you, why would he? He could get whoever he wanted, there’s no way he would pick someone like you, a pathetic loser kid that’s stupid enough to think she has anyone.

You didn’t have anyone. There was no one that liked you, that loved you, that wanted to be your friend. You were entirely alone.

You chest heaved as your crying became more hysterical, struggling to catch your breath.

You could hardly bear this, but you would. You had to regain any shred of dignity you could. The only reason you had done that to your reputation and put aside your pride was because you thought Iwaizumi would like you better for it. But now you knew the truth, you could start behaving like a human being again, and not his dog.

Iwaizumi was pissed. First, Oikawa takes the last of his leftover ongiri that he had been looking forward to all morning, and now, you were ignoring him.

Whenever you see him in the halls, you’d normally freeze and wait for him to walk over to you, but this time, you just closed your locker and went to your lesson.

Instead of how you’d normally let him copy your work in lessons, you put your pencil case beside your book and hunched over the paper, blocking his view.

And then, when he tried to reach under your skirt, you crossed you legs and turned them away from him.

And this carried on. For the rest of the week.

He didn’t know what your problem was, he hadn’t been any meaner than usual lately, he couldn’t think of anything he’d done that was ‘too much’, whatever that was anymore. He kinda thought he’d tested you enough, if you were willing to put up with what he’d already done, then nothing would push you away. He guesses he was wrong, but he couldn’t think of anything particularly atrocious, and he was stewing for days on end.

And, while he hated to admit it, he was a tiny, so small it’s hardly even there bit worried about you. He didn’t want you to stop wanting him, ever. Because, truth be told, he did like you. He had liked you since middle school, but he didn’t know what to do with that, so he dealt with it in the only way he knew. Of course, he did like the power rush he got when you did what he told you, and it was also a perk that he could make you act out all his fantasies, the kinda stuff he would stroke himself to later. You seemed happy with the arrangement too, so what had changed?

It wasn’t until final bell went on Friday that he decided he was sick of the silent treatment. He cornered you in an empty hallway after all the other kids had cleared out.

“What’s your problem?” he said, voice gruff as ever as he glared at your dead expression. Weren’t you supposed to be cowering like normal? He had his hands on either side of your head, you should be scared. You know he likes it when you’re scared, so what’s with this cool exterior?

“What?” you said, hardly even opening your mouth to reply to him.

He huffed, you were really trying him.

“You know exactly what. Why are you ignoring me?”

“I’m not ignoring you,” You mutter.

He brings his hands up to your face and squishes your cheeks together, bringing your face closer to his.

“Don’t lie to me. What is it? Was I too mean? Did i hurt your feewings?” he made a pouty face and held your face tighter.

“What is it? Tell me or else everyone will find out about how you ran up to me after last period and begged to suck my cock, ok?”

He couldn’t believe he had to use a threat to get you to do something again, but desperate times call for desperate measures. He was trying his best to not appear angry, at least not more than usual, he didn’t want you to know that you were getting to him. But you were. He hated you acting different, he wanted the eager-to-please little puppy he had before. You were pathetic, but you were pathetically his, and he didn’t like this disobedient side of you.

“What do you care anyway?” you mumbled under your breath, gaze cast downwards. You wish he would just leave you alone now that you knew, it didn’t feel special anymore. You were just an easy target, that’s all.

His frown intensified and his head tilted to the side.

“What was that bitch?”

You huffed, and for the first time in your life, you raised your voice at him.

“I said why do you care anyway? I thought I meant nothing to you! If I mean so little to you then why don’t you just leave me alone?”

He blinked, confusion spread across his face.

What the hell were you talking about?

“What the hell are you talking about?”

You faltered, surprised by your own outburst. You were lucky he was too busy trying to figure out what you meant to realise that you had talked back to him.

“Last week, when you were leaving school, talking to Oikawa... I was behind you and, I couldn’t help but hear what you said...” Your voice got progressively quieter, resolve deflating.

Why are you telling him this?

He doesn’t care if he upset you, he doesn’t care.

He doesn’t care.

While you wanted to sink into to the floor and never be seen again, the cogs in Iwaizumi head were working double time to figure what the fuck your talking about.

Last week? What could you have heard that would make you avoid him? I mean, they had touched on you, but.... Oh.

“Oh that?” He said curtly, pulling away from you and straightening up. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked to the side.

“You’re really stupid enough to believe that?”

Your head jerked up. What?

“What do you mean?” your voice was very soft, but not as upset as before.

“You thought I was telling the truth? Well, you would, wouldn’t you? You’re denser than fuckin’ lead.”

“Iwaizumi, I-I don’t understand.”

You peered at him with wide eyes, subconsciously falling back into your old ways, resolve to ignore him cracking in the wake of hope. Hope that you aren’t completely and utterly alone, that someone, in anyway, wants you.

He revelled in the way you looked up at him, he had been starved of it all week. He hated how much he needed you, but there was nothing to be done about it.

“I didn’t... You know that I... I just...”

He growled in frustration.

“You’re really gonna make me say it?” He yelled, but you weren’t scared.

“You don’t mean nothing to me ok?”

The only sounds to be heard was the distance chatter of students and the whistle of the breeze. Your eyes were fixed on each other.

He was staring at you with wild eyes, waiting for a response, embarrassed and frustrated beyond belief. Did he actually just tell you he cared about you? He was a fucking weirdo and he knew it.

You were staring at him, the corners of you mouth twitched. Did he actually just tell you he cared about you? You must have died and gone to heaven.

“Well?” he tried to sound commanding, but his voice cracked, “Will you stop acting like a baby and pay- just stop avoiding me ok?”

You nodded frantically.

“pfft.”

He turned around to walk away, sure Oikawa was flooding his phone with messages asking him were he was. He couldn’t seem to care, holding himself a little taller. His heart was racing in his chest. He loved that look on your face, even if it made him sick. To see you so desperate for him again, it made him lightheaded. But before he could get far, he felt a featherlight touch on his shoulder, and he turned around, met with your doe eyes, he nearly melted.

“Iwaizumi, can I ask something of you?”

He rolled his eyes but didn’t object, so you proceeded.

“Can you, uh... Would you give me a hug?”

He furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at you, distaste evident in the quirk of his lips and the way he clenched his jaw. Uh oh, maybe you were asking too much.

“I-I promise I won’t tell anyone, you know I wouldn’t! You-you know what, forget it, I shouldn’t have-“

But you were cut off when he roughly took your arm and pulled you into him, big arms wrapping tight around you. Your arms folded, pushed up against his chest, and you cling to the material of his blazer. You could smell his cologne, he smelt heavenly. You shamelessly nuzzled further into his chest, you would get what you could now that he had told you that he cared about you.

The glare never left Iwaizumi’s face, scowling into the empty hall as he hugged you tighter. You were so soft, and you melted into him so nicely. He wanted to punch something.

“You’re so needy. Stop asking me to do shit, you slut,” he breathed, and he rested his chin on you me head, smelled your hair. It smelt like apple shampoo. He would have to remember that.

You stayed like that for what seemed like forever, until he abruptly pushed you off him.

“If you tell anyone-“

“I won’t!” you beamed at him, picking up your bag and walking away.

He wanted to scream watching you leave. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he like a normal girl? Why did he have to like a weirdo like you?

Grunting, he picked up his bag and stomped away, glad you didn’t notice his raging hard on.

He would think about this later.

hola amigos, let me know if u want more bully content, they make me froth at the mouth bc i’m not ok 😁 as always, like and subscribe, reblogs appreciated, and god bless america

#haikyu x reader #haikyu x y/n #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu!! #hq x y/n #hq x reader #haikyu angst #haikyuu angst #hq angst #angst #iwaizumi x reader #bully x reader #iwaizumi hajime #tw dubcon #tw toxic relationship #iwaizumi angst #seijoh x reader #iwaizumi smut #haikyuu smut #hq smut #haikyuu dark content

[rayofsunas]

s/o who dies.

A/n: listennnn, I wasn't going to write something dark, but then I unregretfully decided to listen to edgy/dark audios and I was suddenly in the mood to write this so yeah lmao. also, guess what? I'm planning on making a discord server right after posting this! so, be on the lookout for that when I get it all sorted out. also, note for Scaramouche's that the reader inserts tend to lean more femininely versed (I hope that's okay), the only reasons why I do that is because one I simp and I'm female AND two since I am doing a mini-series for Scara, I've kind of based his imagines/fics around that universe (baby daddy universe). I haven't started his yet, but consider these part of that series' universe. anyways as always thank you for requesting anon and enjoy! <333

Summary: you die + how the boys cope afterward.

Parings: Albedo/Gn! Reader, Xiao/Gn! Reader, Scaramouche/Fem! Reader

Warnings: swearing, angst, death, poison, illness/cancer, murder, arson, obsessive behavior

Word count: 2.1k

Albedo

"You need to keep this on your head." Your lover said for the one-hundredth time, placing the cold cloth on your forehead once again after taking it off only seconds earlier.

"This is pointless," You said, no longer wanting to ignore nor hide behind the invisible thick curtains of the obvious death sentence approaching. "My body rejected the medicine the first twice doses, what's a third time going to do?" You asked, knowing Albedo wouldn't answer; your hope was to knock some sense into his thick skull. but he was too worried trying to ignore the obvious as you had previously been doing, not anymore though.

This was saddening to watch, both Albedo's unfolding and the girl who accidentally poisoned you, whimpering into Sucrose's shoulder. She was only a young girl, barely seventeen when she was chosen to work under Sucrose and your boyfriend. She was very good at Alchemy and luckily had a desire to practice the craft. But unfortunately, she hadn't paid much attention when it came to Surcrose's educational poison lesson and had unknowingly mixed up poisonous liquids and materials.

After tipping over some clutter in Albedo's office and knocking over a test tube laying unsealed on the counter, you had realized the contents spilled on your skin, bleaching into your pores. You had been tasked with bringing the famed alchemist and his assistant some vials and materials for the collection of a rare butterfly they had found. It was both telling and obvious that something was wrong when you never showed up with the required materials requested and it was already too late hours later when the chief Alchemist, his assistant, and Alchemist in training came bounding down the stairs of Albedo's home laboratory.

It didn't take long for the trio to realize something was wrong. Sucrose had found the vile on the floor, most of its contents spilled and in a little puddle, plus your state on a nearby lounge chair was obvious; slumped awkwardly, forehead visibly sweating, eyes closed, breathing raspily.

You accepted the first doses of the supposed nullifying medicine without hesitation, just wanting the numbing feeling to go away. But when it never kicked in you decided it would be best to save the medicine, because it wasn't working. Your time was coming.

"Since the medicine is taking immediate effect, you should try to get the contents out of your system," He said, reaching out for you. Badly you wanted to argue that the medicine wasn't working at all, but he wasn't listening and already has his lean arms wrapped around your middle, helping gently lift and guide you over to the sink.

You hear materials being shoved to the side and soon enough you had your head dangling over the sink, shaking hands gripping the metalled edge tightly. Soon enough, Albedo's hand was on your back rubbing up and down, hoping to comfort you, it wasn't working though. You could only think about your death, what the other side would look like. Could there even be heaven or hell, maybe a place in between, maybe nowhere...?

As soon as you felt the urge to vomit, you did, and despite it being utterly disgusting Albedo seemed to welcome it happily. He took this as something good, but it only worried you when you saw the reddish hues in the bile.

"I think they should leave." You muttered acknowledging Sucrose and Elizabeth, the taste of gooey, metal only becoming more apparent. The blonde agreed, nodding and muttering "Okay."

As Sucrose lead Elizabeth towards the stairs, the pair heard you say. "Goodbye Sucrose, Elizabeth." Which only seemed to make the young girl wail louder.

You sighed sadly once the silence was back. Just your thoughts of death, and Albedo's slowly crushing heart.

"You should probably leave soon as well. I don't want you to be here when I go." Albedo frowned at your statement, head shaking.

"Don't say things like that."

Of course, he'd say that. Why did he feel the need to ignore this when it would only come back to hurt him even more later on when you were gone?

"You're the smartest man I know and we both know where this is heading," You said, head feeling much heavier than before. It was getting closer to your time. "I'm going to die, and you can't do anything about it."

"I'm not leaving your side. We promised to stick together through everything, you can't ask me to leave."

"I guess... But promise me this."

"When I go, stop blaming Elizabeth. It was an accident..." You said sincerely. Albedo wanted to make a fuss about it, tell you he'd never been able to forgive her. But for you, he would try. If it was your list desire, your last wish, he'd make it come true. Though it would be difficult. Accidental or not, she was the reason you were leaving him here, alone.

"Okay, I'll try..." He said honestly.

"Thank you," You said, letting out a shaking breath you had been holding for a very long time. Now you felt much more peaceful. "And since I know you stubbornly won't leave," You started, finally turning away from the sink to look into his cerulean eyes. "At least hold my hand."

"Of course, love."

even a year after your death, no matter how hard he tried, there was still this nagging feeling every time he looked at Elizabeth

he wanted too badly forgive her, but he couldn't

she had, although accidental, taken the one person that meant so much to him and he'd never forgive

Albedo is gonna be distant towards everyone he knows and it's completely purposeful

he doesn't like the pitiful gazes that people send his way and he hates that all the captains stared at him at your funeral

obviously, some questioned if he was able to stay in the field

he hadn't taken any time off, even when Jean advised he was welcome and that it would be best

tbh, albedo's going to have a hard time for a while

Xiao

Why did it have to be you? Why not him? He'd feel much better knowing you could live another day, after all, he'd been living a very long time.

But no, the fallen Archons, Gods, Yaksha had chosen you to join them. He wished that weren't the case

Humans and their pathetic vessels... So weak, he thought. Allowing something like cancer to beat them.

No matter how harsh it sounded, he didn't despise you, no. It wasn't your fault. You didn't ask for this. He just knew that if you were a godly being this wouldn't have happened like this or at least not so soon; Xiao had known Gods that had terminal illnesses to live years. Why couldn't you be like them?

He hated watching you lie there in that bed, immobile, sickly, and tired, and all you could say was that everything was going to be alright, that he'd be alright.

But it wasn't. He wouldn't be okay without you. He would struggle daily, fall deeper into a hole. You were the light of his life, the only light in his life. And you were gone, just like that. Turning external scars into internal ones tattered all over his dying heart.

Xiao for the longest time has been by himself, so the people of Liyue know it'll be harder for him to overcome this, no matter what he says or does to prove otherwise

Zhongli in particular knows how hard this will be for his friend

his first and probably last love, dead, gone in the blink of an eye

he'll continue fighting all the monsters he crosses, becoming even more violent when he does so, trying his best to get rid of this stupid sickly feeling of heartbreak

but it won't go away, no matter what he does, no matter how absurd

he just wants the feeling to go away, he despises that feeling so much

if you have a secret place somewhere, like in the mountains, Zhongli often finds him there, wallowing in invisible self-pity

"You know they wouldn't want you to be like this." Zhongli would say, only trying to help

but it doesn't

it only enrages Xiao, even more, fuels him to push everyone out of his life again instead of letting them in like he'd done in your presence

Scaramouche

How dare you. How dare you leave him like this. Alone, nonetheless with a toddler to raise who kept crying for her mommy. He couldn't do this without you, he didn't know how to raise a child, speak to her with the gentle care that you did. That was your expertise but now he'd be doing it solo.

And never again would he entrust someone who he cares about, into ignorant, incompetent arms. Never again will he ever allow any member of the Fatui to watch after his daughter; no matter their rank or position. They had one job while he was away doing business in Liyue. Guard your home twenty-four seven, accompany you into Inazuma's port town should you need anything, watch after his daughter while she plays happily in the luscious Inazuma fields. And they couldn't do that. All he gave them was one simple task, watch and keep you and your daughter safe. Instead, they slacked off, probably drunk in some bar while you were being brutally attacked by murderous mercenaries, left to fend for you and your daughter, only to die protecting her and leave your home to be severely burned.

He knew those idiotic Fatui soldiers were incompetent the moment he stepped foot into the harbor and found that everyone seemed to quiet down. Especially the eerily silent soldiers flanked on each side to welcome him home; he was the highest-ranking soldier in the land of Inazuma after all. Not a single one bothered to step forward and tell him what was wrong, what they all criminally allowed happen. Scaramouche only realized what had happened when he was mere minutes away from arriving home, his daughter had come running from his widowed mother's arms, the sight of smoke rising in the air, from the direction of his home. You were nowhere to be seen.

It all happened so fast, in the blink of an eye. His daughter was clinging to his shirt and his mother only stared with tears of pity.

It didn't take long for the puzzle pieces to be put together and before he knew it, Scaramouche was standing in front of his home, part of it burnt to a crisp and black.

He didn't need to ask what happened, he didn't need to know where you were, because he already knew. What he didn't know was who exactly had done this. But he was going to find out, now.

Incompetent, selfish, bastards. They would all pay for this. The lazy piggish Fatui soldiers who he should've never trusted with such a simple task and the thieves who had murdered you. They all had it rightfully coming.

Scaramouche hates the world after he lost you

he hates it so much and can't understand how this had happened

he's not a good person, so he blames it on karma and those stupid idiots who couldn't protect you

ngl, he's not gonna be around much after your death... his mother would argue that he should be here to raise your daughter, because she's also in pain and doesn't understand that this isn't some game of hide and seek this time

instead, he's focused and driven by revenge

he doesn't listen to a word anybody says, he's much more dangerous than before, and he only trusts his judgment

anyone trying to get him to stop his mission, is someone who doesn't want to see him happy he thinks (though that's not true at all. they hate that he is obsessive over this) but he will personally put a stop to that

and he'll only return home to his daughter and mother when he finds who did this and they along with their bloodline is exterminated

while he's gone, the remainder of his family is relocated somewhere he knows they'll be safe, for example, even though he despises childe, he knows his mom and daughter will be safe with his family

sorry, but Scaramouche will hold this deep-rooted hatred and love for you after you die

yes, he still loves and misses you dearly, but he hates you for leaving him alone, hates that although it wasn't intentional and out of your control, that you were gone

no matter how hard you tried to fight, it was selfish of you to leave him like this

he's not going to stop until he believes whoever was behind this is dead

and in his case, he'll stop believing when he chooses, even if they are innocent/guilty, he'll keep going

3.19.21, rayofsunas

#rayofsunas #genshin impact #genshin impact imagines #genhsin impact scenarios #albedo #albedo x reader #xiao #xiao x reader #scaramouche #scaramouche x reader

[clouds-rambles]

Yellow~ may i have a request in which in one of reader's adventures they find themselves in a situation where they ingest what's supposed to be an aphrodisiac (but they dont know that only we do) instead they get the opposite symptoms. Such as the idea of sex becomes repulsive to them, physical contact with anyone immediately puts her in a very bad mood, sfw stuff like that. Now their lover has to deal with social distancing and absent hugs and kisses for more than a few days.

Thank you

Anon your brain is very big this is a very cool idea

Hope you don’t mind me choosing Venti for this scenario lmao

Pairings; Venti x reader

Warning(s); 

Keep reading under the cut!

“Man I feel horrible” you say as you settle down beside Venti after your week long excursion into the Mondstat wilds. Venti had things to do so you went on your adventure by yourself

“Did you get hit or something?” the bard asks gesturing you to shuffle to your side so he can give you a shoulder rub

“Not more than normal no” you respond, you flinch back when Venti’s hands finally reach your back “That was weird, like uncomfortable” you comment. The bard holds his hands up in mostly mock hurt

“Did I hurt you?” he asks, you shake your head

“No, it just felt really uncomfortable you know...” you trail off into thought “Oh now that I think on it, I did eat some Valberries” Venti blinks at you a few times

“And you’re feeling averse to touch?” he asks furrowing his brows “Why’d you eat them anyway? They’re aphrodisiacs” he adds trying to work out what’s happening

“What? Really?” you question earning a nod from your boyfriend, you shuffle back around so your back is on the seat “I see Lisa eat those things all the time so I thought they were safe.” you add before realising your words “Why is Lisa eating them in that case?” you question

“I don’t think we want to know” Venti offers trying his best not to think about the question, “If you’re feeling averse does that mean no touching until it wears off?” Venti asks with a pout, you nod

“I suppose so”

The three days are pain for Venti, he has to stop himself from giving you unexpected hugs, he can’t kiss you, you don’t even sleep in the same bed as him because he’s so prone to hugging you when you sleep. But, as much as you’ve tried to do these things you feel a little sick, and sometimes a little in pain. Archons forbid that Venti even brings up the idea of sex amongst all this, you’ve tried to keep your mind off the still unanswered question but it creeps in whenever Venti gives you desperate glances from across the couch.

Venti finds himself accidently touching you, be it on your back as you’re cooking, nudges with his knee as you sit close to each other, or even brushing his hand with yours to hold before he remembers he can’t. It makes you think about how the two of you are constantly touching in some way, you can’t think of a day where at some point you haven’t just lead yourself down on him.

And in all seriousness you miss the touch. As much as Venti showers you in affection you somehow find yourself even more touch starved than usual, despite the fact it makes you feel ill. You feel a little lonely as you sleep because you’re not reassured by the presence of your boyfriend. You hope this wears off before you actually become too touch averse.

“Checkmate, I win” Venti grins as he knocks down your queen, you pout at him.

“New game” you huff “I am determined to beat you” you chuckle as you both set up the chess board once more

“I feel like my ten win advantage means you’d have to beat me a lot” Venti teases with a wink, you stick your tongue out playfully

“I am going to become the best chess player before this aphrodisiac wears off” you jest with a laugh, Venti laughs alongside you before the two of you start playing your game.

“Checkmate!” you exclaim knocking down Venti’s queen. You grin at him “I told you I would win” you add, Venti smiles at you

Maybe if he can’t kiss you to make you feel better, he’ll sway the game just a little bit to give you a little advantage

“Damn” he jests “Just when I was about to win” he fake weeps causing the both of you to laugh once more

“What? No” you jest “I swept the board with you” you add with a chuckle.

The two of you banter over the next few games continues before the two of you notice Lisa and Jean doing their evening rounds.

“The two of you are usually on top of each other. Something happen?” Lisa asks as she directs herself and Jean to walk towards the two of you. You smile and hum

“I’m feeling a little ill and my stubborn boyfriend insists that he stays near” you lie with a smile

“Oh you poor thing” Lisa sympathises putting a hand on your shoulder, you try your best not to flinch at the contact “I hope it passes over soon” she comforts before the two walk off again

“I’m surprised you didn’t ask her about the valberries” Venti comments with a slight chuckle

“In front of Jean?” you ask with a quirk of your brow, the bard nods and you try not to laugh at the absurdity “I feel like if Jean found out other people know about what she and Lisa do in the bedroom would be a little embarrassing for her” you explain

“Oh so you have an idea of what she does with the valberries?” Venti half teases, you roll your eyes but nod after a few moments. Venti giggles at you

“I just want these ones to wear off though” you sigh, Venti smiles at you

“It’s okay sweet” he comforts “I bet in a month we’ll laugh at this like a good joke” he adds, you nod and sigh again

“I hope so” you pout 

That evening was supposed to be date night, and the two of you decided to go through with the idea, a nice picnic at starsnatch cliff. The two of you sit opposite eachother and eat your food, there’s a light, happy conversation between the two of you. 

About the time it gets a little chilly is usually the time you huddle up together with Venti to watch the sunset, but as much as you natural instinct is to curl up with him you have to stop yourself. 

He does pass you his cape though which you suppose is the best that you can do right now. And it does smell like him so you guess it’s almost like a hug.

“The stars are bright tonight” you comment looking up, you hear Venti hum in agreement

“Not as beautiful as you~” he teases and the both of you laugh. The two of you often mock the cliché lines that lovers often mutter under the stars. And while the two of you often mock it there lies a certain truth behind the words.

As immortal as Venti is, and mortal you are. The fact he chose you amongst the crowd is like choosing a star amongst the sky. 

“I love you Venti” you comment looking over to the bard who’s smiling at you

“And I to, my love” he nods keeping his smile

The valberries only last about half a day longer. And in all honesty, the first thing you do after they wear off is just hug the bard for a good while.

While you may have been with him this whole time, you truly did miss his comfort

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #venti x reader #genshin impact venti #genshin venti venti

[whatifxwereyou]

Ashes Chapter 15: Same Old Story

Fandom: Mortal Kombat 2021

Pairing: Liu Kang x Reader

Summary: Some history for Y/N and some brotherly love from Cole.

A/N: when you so busy writing smut that you forget to update the story so you can get to the smut lmao. enjoy, fellow nerds.

First Chapter << Previous Chapter Next Chapter >> Chapter Index

You were uncomfortable talking about personal things, particularly your history, but Cole deserved answers and he was a patient listener. Being a father, you weren’t really surprised by that. “When I was a kid, like… nine I want to say? Honestly my childhood is pretty blurry. Feels like another life.” You cleared your throat. “Anyway, yeah, around then I fell ill. I had these… fits, for lack of a better word. I didn’t understand what they meant at the time because I was well, nine. No one else understood them either. As an adult I know that I was experiencing prophetic visions. Honestly, they weren’t really prophetic then, I guess. That’s a word Raiden uses a lot for them. Back then they were rarely of future events. It was more like gaining deep insight into the lives of others. I could touch someone or something that someone else had touched and I would disappear. I’d see a glimpse of their history or their present. I was too young to interpret it.”

“Like touch telepathy? I’ve seen television shows about that concept. This stuff is hard for me to wrap my mind around. Too much like fiction.”

“I suppose that’s a good thing to call it. When I saw things, I would also black out. And have a fit. Like a seizure, I suppose. And when that was happening, I would often say things about what I was seeing or hurt myself. It frightened people. My parents took me out of town and I stayed with my grandmother. I was homeschooled after that. My parents saw it as an embarrassment if I recall.” You laughed at the idea of that now. That life was so far behind you that it didn’t matter how stressful it had been. Back then it had felt like the end of the world but as an adult, it was a distant memory. Those experiences had made you different and strange but they had also made you unique and special. You had embraced the things that had separated you from normality since then.

“Well, that’s awful.”

“Oh, no, no pity. It’s fine, really. That was world’s ago.” You waved off his disapproval of a parent being embarrassed by their child for things they couldn’t control. Cole really was a good guy. “I stopped having the visions at around twelve and while I was weak from being so sick, I fought to be normal afterward. My dad ran a dojo and so I grew strong again. I focused on martial arts. It was something that helped me find strength and determination back then.” You smiled at the memory. You’d always had a fondness for it in your heart. That was one of the first things you and Kung Lao had bonded over. Your father had taught Wing Chun and that was what Kung Lao specialized in. “With time my father could no longer teach at the dojo so he moved in with my older sister. I took over the dojo and then opened a shop in the old storage space to make extra money. I had every intention of moving away. I would never be more than a weirdo or a witch there. It was too small a town.”

“Did you ever get to?”

“I mean, I’m here now. That’s a long story though. I’m trying to keep this brief.” You chuckled. “We can talk about that stuff another day.” That was a more casual and personal conversation. This was personal but definitely not casual. If you didn’t have to share these parts of your life then you never would have. Much of it was still too raw. But Cole Young was curious about your past and you were curious about his. It was nice having another friend who wasn’t Liu Kang. You really did get along with him and his family.

“Fair enough.”

“About five years ago I was still doing the same. There had been a robbery across the street and the thugs came into my shop afterward. And, well, I’m not the type to roll over and be robbed.”

“I’d say not.”

“It escalated. There was a man who came in to pick up herbs I had imported for him every month who came in after. He ended up helping me out. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, I killed one of those would-be robbers. He’d been trying to kill me so… I have come to terms with that. That’s how I got the dragon mark.” You pointed to your back. Yours was on your lower back on your left side. “The man who helped me was Liu Kang. I knew him then and he was kind enough to help me deal with the fallout at the time. It took ages for him to convince me to that there was any truth to any of this… Mortal Kombat and arcana nonsense. It’s kind of embarrassing looking back at it.” And the story was far more complicated too. You’d been attracted to Liu Kang from very early on. “I guess that’s why I’m so patient with Johnny. It’s easy for us to know what’s the truth but when you spend your whole life believing that fairytales are made with computers and science? It’s difficult to believe anything else.”

“Yeah, I get that. Not everyone had Sub Zero rushing them into the truth.” He joked. That was true enough. But Johnny Cage had had his come-to-jesus moment that afternoon you were pretty sure. You hadn’t had a moment like that in the beginning. Just Liu Kang’s word and his arcana.

“Liu showed me his arcana but I thought it was a trick. He was very persistent at the time. Tried to talk me into leaving everything I had ever known for what I thought was a trick. I was scared, I’m not too proud to admit that. The part of me that wanted to leave home and never look back had grown smaller over the years. I’d become complacent. I’d grown comfortable being known as a witch and honestly, the next generation of people in town hadn’t treated me so terribly. The kids even thought it was funny that everyone thought I was a witch. But then… I found my arcana.”

“The ink?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty and under control now but in the beginning, it was a nightmare. The first time I used it had been on accident. I nearly destroyed my store. Then I fell and had a fit and I was suddenly seeing things again. Those things I saw didn’t make any sense. None of it. I saw flashes of people and places I didn’t recognize. The best way that I can describe it is… nonsense. It didn’t mean anything.” You sighed heavily. Those moments had been terrifying. “The second time had been even worse. If Liu hadn’t been basically stalking me then someone would have gotten seriously hurt. I’d hurt him but he’d been tough enough to handle it. I felt terrible about it. By then I’d more than grown fond of him.” You didn’t want to get into the details but it hadn’t exactly been difficult to fall into Liu Kang’s arms and it hadn’t taken very long either.

“There’s a lot of history there, huh?”

“Yes. Focus.” You wanted to get this story over as quickly as you could. “After that I decided to go with him. It wasn’t worth the risk of hurting people in town with something I didn’t understand. I didn’t want to leave but I was glad that I did afterward. Raiden’s Temple was where I had needed to be for what came next. It was awful at first. The ink and the visions made me sick. I had little to no control over any of it. Raiden helped me. He could unravel what I saw even if it was just spaghetti to me. My visions helped him. At least he said that they did. Liu helped me get control over my arcana. There I met Kung Lao and I was happy. About a year later the visions stopped altogether and I was stronger than I’d ever been.”

“And now you’re having them again? Out of nowhere?” Cole didn’t sound terribly concerned. He had handled all of this very well. It was nice not to be taken too seriously or looked at like you were about to fracture. You didn’t think the visions were out of nowhere. In fact, you thought that the visions were likely triggered by Kung Lao’s death. Trauma did funny things to people. The things that happened to you were a little funnier than most.

“I confess that I didn’t realize I was having them at first.” You shrugged. It was difficult to explain but it seemed as though, at some point, Cole had abandoned his disbelief and had embraced chaos. “They were more like nightmares. It was difficult to decipher what was guilt and grief and what wasn’t. It wasn’t until the other night on the roof that I even considered they were visions. Well, that and I feel terrible. I haven’t felt this terrible since the last time I had them.” You were a little embarrassed to admit that. If you’d been honest about what you were feeling from the beginning then maybe you could have done things differently. You just hated being weak. It was a hot button for you.

“And that was when you saw what happened this afternoon?”

“Kind of? I saw the beach and a wave of corpses coming for us. Does that count?” You tried to joke. Cole tilted his head as if to consider if it counted or not.

“It does at least explain why you were extra creepy this morning.”

“Implying that I’m always a little creepy.”

“The ink is a little creepy, I decided.”

“I guess that’s fair.”

“But you’re okay? This morning was wild.”

Did you not seem okay? You supposed that you were feeling out of it after seeing Kung Lao’s death. You definitely weren’t feeling yourself but you thought that you’d hidden it pretty well. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You sound a little morose.” Cole looked to the door like he had somewhere else to be. He probably did. He had a family and all that. “I can’t say we know each other very well but whatever happened back there must have hit hard… and I mean… you were so different at the end of it.”

“I’m fine, Cole.” You reassured him with a forced smile. You were a little morose. That was a good word for what you were feeling. You wanted to sleep for the rest of the week until you had to go back to China.

“Ally, Emily, and I are going to go grab dinner. You’re welcome to join us. You could probably use some food.”

“No, no. Thank you but I think that I have encroached upon your family time enough this week.”

“We really don’t mind. You’re good company. Allison asked if you were joining us, even.”

“Really, Cole. I appreciate the offer but I’m not up to it. My social battery is completely drained.” You offered a weary smile. It was nice to be wanted. “I’m going to rest.”

“You’re just… so off. I feel bad leaving you alone.” Cole pulled his phone from his coat pocket. “I’m considering asking if Ally wants to grab food and then bring Emily here to watch a movie with you.”

“It’s okay, Cole. I need the time alone, I think. Besides, I’m allowed to be a little under the weather after that.” You smiled even so. You didn’t want him to pity you. You didn’t need that. You really would be okay. That morning had been difficult but you weren’t prepared to say the real reasons why. You were a mixture of angry and hurt but you’d trudge through it.

“Yeah…”

“Hey, look, you don’t need to feel responsible for me just because of what happened with Kung Lao.” You would happily absolve him of any guilt he felt in that regards. He was guilty of nothing but being a good man.

“What?” Cole was genuinely surprised and you internally winced at how you’d miscalculated. You’d read the whole situation wrong and instantly regretted your words.

“I thought you might be feeling some misplaced guilt about it. I don’t want that for you.”

“Oh. Maybe that was why I approached you on the street that day but I think we’re past that. We’re friends now. Am I wrong about that?”

“Not at all. It’s been lovely getting to know you and your family. I really mean that, I’m not just saying it. You’ve managed to get me a little out of my head which is nice. And you like my jokes which I appreciate. I’m sorry about the way that came off. I wasn’t trying to diminish our friendship. I just didn’t want you to carry around that guilt, either.”

“That goes for you too.”

“It’s been a hard day. I’m not coming across the way that I mean to. Let’s say lost in translation.”

“It’s okay, Y/N. Your English is pretty good so I’m not sure that excuse works, but I’ll let it slide.”

“I know, I know… I’m being cold without meaning to. Like you said, I’m a little morose right now. I do this thing when my feelings are difficult to process where I kind of shut off and… I can come off as cruel without meaning to. Honestly, even in Chinese it doesn’t sound much better.” You couldn’t help but laugh at yourself. “I’m sorry.”

“No need. Today was a reality check. It scared me too. And you’re clearly going through something. I wanted to help, is all. Sometimes when I get too far into my head things snowball and become an avalanche.”

“I appreciate that.” You kicked your shoes off next to the bed and laughed. You had no plans of going anywhere else for the rest of the day. “I used to have Kung Lao to keep that from happening. I appreciate you trying to help but you can go get food with your family and enjoy your afternoon. I’m exhausted. I’ll probably nap or meditate on what happened today.” What you really meant was that you would do whatever it took to get it out of your head. You were going to try and forget the awful things you’d seen today. You weren’t sure you could forget it. His death was burned into your mind’s eye. It would haunt you for the rest of your life.

“I will but before I go, I wanted to talk to you quickly about Liu.”

“I would very much prefer if you didn’t.” You scrunched up your face in distaste.

“I know that I’ve been teasing you about it.” He laughed and you rolled your eyes. “But is everything okay with that? I know, I know… it’s not my business, you’ve said it a dozen times now. It’s clearly complicated. You don’t owe me any details but if you need help with it then say the word. I’m happy to help.” Was Cole Young offering to be your wingman? Or was he offering to beat up Liu Kang? Either scenario was kind of hilarious.

“I’m obviously defensive about it. I’m sure that it’s hilarious from the outside looking in but Liu and I have more history than I care to explain. I’m not ready to get into it with anyone. Not you and definitely not with Liu, either.”

“But that’s okay?”

“Yeah, it will be. I’m a pretty tough lady.”

“On a scale of one to ten just how supportive do you need me to be?”

“No scale. Just be yourself, Cole. You’re doing fine.”

“Even teasing you?”

“I’ve had worse teasing, trust me. I dated Kung Lao for years. Besides, it kind of lessens the frustration of it. Sometimes I get too serious and scary in my head. The joking grounds me a little.”

“Good to know.” Cole patted you on the back. It was nice having a friend to talk to. A friend that wasn’t Liu Kang. Not that you didn’t enjoy Liu Kang, things were just too complex between you right now. There was so much hurt and grief that you weren’t sure how things would pan out or if they would ever be fixable. And Cole was a good man. You enjoyed talking to Allison too and Emily had taken a shine to you. You hadn’t had the opportunity to be around kids in years and you were good with them at most ages. That was part of why you’d enjoyed running the dojo.

There was a knock at your door. You made to get up to answer it.

“I’ll get it. I’m on my way out anyway.” Cole stood and so you sat back down. You wouldn’t argue with him. Cole opened the door and there was Liu Kang, which was no surprise to you. You’d been expecting him to show up at some point. Who else would it have been, anyway? You were pretty sure that you’d rubbed Sonya and Jax the wrong way with all your talk of kidnapping. Cole stared Liu Kang down instead of greeting him and you tried not to laugh.

“Hello Cole.” Liu bowed his head politely in greeting. “I was hoping that I could speak with Y/N for a few minutes. Is she here? Did I come to the wrong room?” Liu peered around him and made eye contact with you. You offered him a curt wave.

“That’s up to her.”

You tried very hard not to laugh at the look of confusion on Liu’s face. He was bewildered.

“Of course it is.”

“You can come in, Liu.” You stopped that conversation before it got any weirder. Cole meant well, but wow.

“I was just leaving.” Cole clasped Liu on the shoulder as if to wish him good luck and then left, closing the door behind him after Liu had stepped past him. Liu watched the door close and then turned back to you. His expression was priceless. You’d have to thank Cole for that later.

Next Chapter >>

#liu kang x reader #self insert #reader insert #liu kang #mk liu kang #slow burn #mortal kombat movie #mortal kombat 2021 #ludi lin #liu kang/reader #liu kang x you #liu kang/you #fanfic #fanfiction #angst #romance #death #tension #grief #beauty through ash #arcana #female reader #mortal kombat fanfiction #mk fanfiction #mortal kombat fanfic #mk kung lao #max huang #johnny cage #cole young #sonya blade

[normal-thoughts-official]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IDEA. But may I also propose: Magnus cursed from a young age (probably bc of Asmodeus) that anyone who touches him is hurt by a blast of magic he can't control. (This may result in his mother's death). He locks himself away of his own will. Alec teaches then that it's fear that makes him lash out. Featuring: touch starved Magnus.

this idea is GENIUS actually and i love it. tbh me and my friend have a similar idea that we talk to each other about (lol) but it isn't a B&B thing, its more of an adventure AU. anyway, lets go!

so in this universe i guess magnus banished asmodeus like in the original sh verse but asmodeus cursed him with the "everyone you touch will be in indescribable pain" thing. maybe just as revenge, maybe to try and use it as bargaining chip because okay magnus, is it freedom that u want? u want to be able to have ur own friends and ur own life? fine. get me back, and ill leave u alone, and ull be free to have friends again. if not, ull be still isolated just like before. so is it gonna be win-win, or lose-lose?

but magnus doesn't budge because he knows that if he lets asmodeus free things will only get worse not only for him, but for the whole world. he is too dangerous to be out there. so, magnus resigns to his fate

and i guess in this version he wouldnt have a lot of close friends because he had been with asmodeus his whole life before he was cursed, so he was just. alone in his self-imposed isolation with no one to talk to. maybe he enchants the furniture so they gain sentience but they can't really feel pain, so at least he has someone to talk to. god im so fucking sad already

so is the furniture his friends in canon? im not entirely sure how i feel about that but also the idea of ragnor as that clock from the original movie is great. thats my most important thought on the subject ngl

btw its 4 degrees Celsius in here so im typing with gloves on so ull have to excuse my typos i am a mere brazilian and i want death

anyway okay so i guess his friends are like pieces of furniture that he spelled into sentience and they aren't his servants or anything cuz that's gross but they just like, hang out. wow im actually managing to type pretty well all things considered

so at least magnus has people to talk to but he's still touch starved because you know... a clock can't hug you and that'd just be weird. maybe them becoming sentient was an accident? lmao like magnus just wanted to automate some functions like having the clock talk to tell him the time or something and it turned out that they became sentient. possibly his magic is a little fucky because of the curse so that's why that happened? or maybe he just is way more powerful than he realizes and we all know he invented the spells he used to try and automate the things anyway. but if he gets people to talk to, well, he's not complaining

im focusing too much on this. anyway. id also like to note that im making rapha the cook/stove thing because i mean, come on. it's right there

and ok i guess alec comes into this because he uhhhhhh no u know i might go with that izzy thing. so izzy ran away from home because of maryse's bullshit and alec was sent to bring her back. so he was going after her but in the middle of the path there was the whole wolf attack thing that scared off his horse and LUCKILY magnus' house/tower/whatever was right next!!! so of course they take alec and his horse in but also WHOOPS there's a huge snowstorm that lasts for days (par the course for where magnus lives, actually. he DID want somewhere people would avoid. but also i think maybe his magic being fucky has something to do with it) so i guess alec is stuck at magnus' for the foreseeable future

which is HELL for magnus because he is terrified out of his mind that they will accidentally touch and alec will be hurt. and like.... his Constant Crave For Touch is already bad on a regular day, but having someone who could actually hug him in theory just makes it worse, you know? he hasn't interacted with other human beings in so long, just having one there is enough to make his need for touch almost unbearable and just... completely constant. it's hell

so magnus is scared, which means that he keeps to himself. so he tells alec not to go into his room, he tries not to eat at the same time, and other stuff like that, bUT his friends keep sabotaging his plans because they want him to have another friend, jesus christ!! (rapha being like "come on now magnus, you don't want my soup to get cold, do you? i'll be deeply offended. i guess you have no choice but to eat with alec". so magnus goes but the first thing he does is magic his regular table into a gigantic rectangular table with 41908410 seats and seat on on the side opposite to alec. alec just sighs

so like he's constantly coming across as rude because he is trying to avoid alec, alec just doesn't know why

but alec is also a stubborn bitch who goes stir crazy and refuses to just sit around isolated doing nothing while they wait for the stupid storm to finally be over so he can go get his sister. and magnus saved his life, so it's the least he can do to repay him in some way. besides, this is what, the first time that he's been completely away from his mom? for such a long time too? and he's finding that he feels... weirdly free and just relieved and he doesn't want to waste that opportunity with standing idly around alone all day. he had enough of that at home, thank you very much

besides yeah magnus is being rude but alec is used to straight up assholes and abusers (jace. i'm talking about jace. also maryse ofc but mostly jace) and magnus is not that. in fact he makes very polite conversation and is actually pretty fun during dinner, all things considered. he's just.... super private, i guess

AND magnus' friends are all being a nightmare with the making them interact so you know. they end up interacting. and alec makes it a point to help him take care of his house because it is a certified Depression Lair™. magnus can take care of it magically but it's like... so dark and almost suffocating at times and there is stuff like bad painting and piping problems that he never bothered to fix because it isn't affecting the functionality too much but it DOES makes life harder and alec "everything must be at 100% always" lightwood is not here for it so for a few days they are working on fixing the house and... magnus actually feels a lot better when the place has actual sunlight and looks inviting and like a home, he has to admit. when he says that to alec it might be the first time he's given him a real smile and man, is alec smitten

sidenote i guess this means that magnus doesn't exactly... dress well in this au lmaoo i mean it makes sense too because canonically magnus uses dressing up as a way to convey an image of power and untouchability and he doesn't really need that in this AU since he is completely isolated. so i guess he is a bit more like twi magnus - bare-faced and wearing comfortable clothes and the like. this isn't a twi au i'm just saying that it makes more sense for him to dress like that in that context

anyway. after the whole house fixing thing, they officially become friends. it turns out that alec also knows a bit about what it's like to feel isolated and touch-starved (altho he's always had izzy to help in that department, but still) and also what crappy parents are like. magnus shows alec his little mirror that he's enchanted to be able to show him anything he wants and how he uses it to be able to see all the places in the world he'd like to visit - he loves people, he loves culture, and sometimes it's all he can do to watch what's going on in Mumbai and it makes him feel a little better, so, he does that. he also admits that sometimes he catches on some drama happening and uses the mirror to see the people involved and make sure they are okay. kinda like a soap opera of his own but he has the means to interfere and help because of magic, so he will have someone who's struggling with money suddenly find hidden cash or have an "unknown dead relative" give them a lot of money in their will, or something like that. and if he also watches some of their personal drama that unfolds, well. he is lonely and it's not hurting anyone

but magnus doesn't tell him about the curse, and he still makes sure to keep his distance. it stings a little to alec, but it hurts magnus the most because fuck, maybe he just desperately needs someone who will give him the time of day, but he likes this guy and that only makes it harder to keep his distance. he makes it a point to always be at at least two arms length from alec, which alec thankfully respects and doesn't try to get him to breach, but. shit. it's still so hard to not want to just rest his head on his shoulder or get a hug or even fucking touch pinkies like stupid children and he can't. alec even once jokingly suggests that they have a ball since magnus doesn't know how to dance and magnus is actually excited for a second before he remembers that he can't, it would have to mean that alec touches him, and he can't

someone - maybe ragnor - even suggests that maybe he could try gloves and heavy clothing so alec isn't really touching him but magnus refuses to try because he doesn't want to risk it not working and alec getting hurt, because he'd never forgive himself. besides, getting a taste would only make it hurt more. he can't. he can't

but it's alright because at least he has some human company - he loves his friends, he does, fiercely, but it's different when they kind of have no choice but to be with him and also are enchanted creatures. he doesn't even know if they aren't nice to him just because he enchanted them into life, even tho to be fair if he had a choice ragnor wouldn't be that grouchy - and alec makes him laugh and gets him and helped make his place feel more like home, a little bit. and he can pretend that he feels the warmth from alec's body when they are sitting by the fire and feed these crumbs to his desperate need for touch and company

and then the snowstorm ends and it's time for alec to go

honestly, alec himself is kind of heartbroken, but- he loves his sister, and he can't just leave her alone in god knows where, even if he dreads the thought of coming back home now that he's been away from his family for so long. but magnus doesn't want to keep him, and doesn't want alec to feel pity for him, so he's all but pushing alec out of the door (not literally, of course. he can't do that, it would mean touching him) all "go, go, you never know when another storm might start. go see your sister. take my mirror, you can find her more easy". and alec's all "but it's been the only thing-" and magnus waves him off, of course, all "i can always make myself another one. besides, you'll have something to remember me by. now go"

so.... alec goes

and hooo boy magnus is heartbroken and a mess because even tho he knew how much having someone else there helped he had almost forgotten what it was like to be the only human in the house. he just feels extra lonely and even kind of bad about it because hey, his friends are there - not that they begrudge him for it, of course. it's not like they don't also hope for the chance to get out of the house and do other things, but well. they can't. so they understand him. and they know how awful he's feeling right then, but what can they do?

meanwhile alec finds izzy pretty quickly - she's living with this one insufferable villager named clary that alec absolutely can't stand, but- she's happy. and she doesn't want to come back, which alec expected, but he finds that he can't actually insist for her to come back. how could he, when he himself doesn't want to go?

and izzy insists that he stays with her - there's no reason for him to come back. they can stay in the village, and work, and build a life for themselves. alec is the only thing she's been missing ever since she left, and in here the both of them can actually be happy. and do it together, like they're meant to

and when he first gets into the village is the first time since izzy ran away that he was hugged and fuck, it's hard to say no to her

but also... he misses magnus already

and he doesn't know if he can just stay and leave him behind

and of course izzy is like "who is magnus?" so alec tells her the story, how he was attacked by wolves and rescued by this house that miraculously was in the middle of the single most inhospitable placealec had ever seen in his life. and the kind but wary stranger who always keeps his distance but seems so eager for connection, who made alec feel welcome and laugh and feel like he built a life for himself there

and clary tells him that she's heard of the story, but she never knew it was more than a legend - no one really remembers what happened. some say that magnus made a sacrifice to rid the village of a demon, and it turned him into a beast, forever locked in his castle. some say that he himself is the demon, and it's the tower that's containing him and keeping the village safe. some even say that he died battling the demon, and it's his ghost that keeps watch on the tower

she wants alec to explain which one is true, but it's all alec can say that none of these are right and he knows nothing because magnus never told him. all alec knows is that he doesn't want to leave magnus behind

and clary is like... well, if he's not a demon or a ghost, maybe we could bring him to the village too. he has magic, right? he could bring the tower closer. and maybe the other villagers could, you know, visit him and hang out. and he wouldn't be as lonely, and then alec and izzy could both stay

driven by this failproof plan, they decide to go back to magnus and tell him their great idea

except they are IDIOTS and forget about. you know. the damn wolves

and like holy shit is this pack big or what? like no seriously why are there infinite wolves in that one singular pack in beauty and the beast. like holy shit dude there's more wolves near the beast's house than in the whole yellowstone park

anyway there are Many Wolves and while alec is a good archer, izzy is a fantastic fighter, and clary is Fucking Crazy if you give her something stabby, there's only so many wolves they can take on at the same time

good thing magnus is a pining idiot who did in fact make himself another magic mirror and was watching alec with it. so he knows that the dumbass is in trouble and for the first time in years, he uses the portal (his own invention, and he had never gotten to use it before!) to get to them and fight off the wolves

so magnus saves all their lives, at the cost of getting severely injured and passing the fuck out. izzy, who's the one closest, runs to get to him and help put him on one of their horses... and is immediately hit by a blast of magic that almost makes HER pass tf out too

which is when they finally learn that, oh. that is the curse

izzy is fine, of course - the pain ended as soon as she was away from magnus

but it does pose the problem of How The Fuck Are They Getting Him Back To Safety, because they can't exactly wait for magnus to wake up (it's freezing, for starters) but with this amount of pain it won't be physically possible for them to hoist him up and get him on the horse. shit, will the curse work on the horse?

they bring alec's horse (by far the strongest of them because alec is huge buff mcgee) and try to get him to touch magnus and the spell does NOT work on the horse because in order to be dramatic asmodeus was like "you shall never feel human touch again" when he cast the spell, which accidentally gave a LOOPHOLE for non-human animals. so magnus could have had cats the whole time, which he had always dreamed of, but he didnt want to risk testing. besides, his house would be a poor environment for a cat and [self torture noises]

anyway thats one less problem to deal with, 99 to go, so they use some ropes to hoist magnus on top of the horse and bring him back to the tower (it's closer than the village) so they can tend to his wounds. thankfully, as the assigned Big Brother of a very irresponsible izzy, alec has experience with first aid, altho he never really dealt with anything quite this bad. and magnus' friends help, too, as much as they can. inevitably this means that alec ends up touching him even if by accident sometimes, but he knows what to expect so he Powers Through It because he won't let magnus die, damn. and as horrible as that is alec has experience with powering through pain, so. he's gonna bandage him up god damn it

izzy can't stand to see him dealing with that himself tho, so she helps, and clary ends up helping as well because they figure sharing the pain makes it easier and alec doesn't have to be too hurt. minimal touching accidents for alec! good

*narrator voice* And Then Magnus Wakes Up And Alec Hugs Him

full on launches on top of him and brings him into his arms and Magnus screams like NONONO OH MY GOD WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALEC NO GET OFF ME YOU'LL BE HURT and his shock and distress at the whole thing sends another whole blast of magic that explodes that whole mf before it can touch alec and alec feels no pain and magnus is like.............. did i just COUNTER the spell? and everyone's like well! it looks like u did!

which earns him ANOTHER hug (oh my god alec stop he's so stressed out by this) (who knew alec was so touchy?) and this time he's paying attention to that gut reaction and because magnus is a Certified Magic Genius he realizes what it is that he's doing to counter the spell and immediately starts working on a way to turn this into unhexxing himself for good

which he DOES after some time idk how long but alec stays with him meanwhile and maybe izzy and clary do too, because magnus needs all the company he can get and besides, izzy has always wanted adventure and clary has never left the village before, so this is interesting to them at least. and magnus gets to meet new ppl which is nice

eventually the Begone Spell spell is performed and it works and turns out that when it does that it also unfucks magnus' magic and perfects his sentience spell turning all of his friends into humans WOW WHOD HAVE THOUGHT. so all of them are free to leave the tower as ppl at the same time and GROUP HUG!! and magnus cries like a baby in the group hug because holy shit hes been needing something like this so bad for so long and he never expected to have that with his friends but here he is :)

and then yeah they all move to the village to live a simple but fulfilling life and Magnus and Alec start living together in a little cottage and become husbands the end <3 this is so long too rip me

#sh #shadowhunters #malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #izzy lightwood #lightwood siblings #clizzy if u squint #beauty and the beast au #part 2 i guess lmao #ask #shum-baby #long post #abuse mention

[ddarker-dreams]

what they love about you / scarlet ribbons.

[Scarlet Ribbons description]

Bruno Bucciarati;

Bruno loves your optimism.

It isn’t an exaggeration to say that the world he’s lived in hardened his heart. He wants to do the right thing, but sometimes it simply isn’t an option. Parts of him have become jaded without him wanting that. He still has compassion, but he’s more realistic about it. Gone is a child with starry eyes and idealism, replaced by a man forced to grow up.

It hurts when you get a taste of the real world for the first time. He’s mature about giving you advice on how to cope with the business you’re involved in, having experienced it himself. When you processed your emotions and still had that glimmer of hope in your eyes, he was enamored.

Bruno starts wanting to protect that more positive side of you. He’s seen too many people with that quality — including himself to some degree — lose that zest for life. This leads him to humor you more than he would anyone else. Bruno has a big ol soft spot for you and it’s pretty obvious 🥺...

Giorno Giovanna;

Giorno loves your enthusiasm.

He’s already a person with a strong drive, so seeing your level of motivation to get stuff done felt refreshing. Giorno wasn’t entirely sure what to think of you at first. He figures that if Bucciarati trusted you, you must be a reliable person, even if not looking like it initially.

When in casual situations, he gets to learn your interests. Watching you passionately explain different topics is endearing. Giorno hasn’t had a lot of time to explore hobbies himself, but listening to you go over how your work and what makes them unique feels nice. Almost like a part of his life that he has missed out on in pursuit of his dream.

There are rare instances where Giorno can feel burnt out. The burdens of life are many, but you help relieve him of them. He’ll seek you out when he’s feeling this way, asking you questions that’ll get you talking the most. Anything to get that reinvigorating feeling that comes with speaking to you. The topic itself doesn’t matter, as long as the two of you are engaged in conversation over it.

Guido Mista; 

Mista loves your wit.

This guy needs to have intriguing conversation. It just pops up naturally, no matter who he is talking to, though it depends on whether or not they indulge him. You follow his sometimes crazy narratives and return them with a similar energy, making for lots of fun memories. Anytime Mista has a new concept on his mind that he wants to explore, he’s making a beeline to you.

Mista knows that he can text you the dumbest shit and loves it. Even when it’s an unholy hour in the morning, you’ll send one another garbage you find funny. He has a lot of inside jokes with you. Mista will randomly bring them up to you just to see you laugh. It feels like a godsend every time you smile!!

When it’s necessary, he’s down to discuss more serious things. While he might not look it, Mista has wisdom of his own, and can offer valuable insight. It’s normally on accident however. He’ll give a random idea to solve a problem you’re having, and be surprised if it actually helps lmao. He’s just !!! Wow I did it!

Pannacotta Fugo;

Fugo loves your contagious joy.

Logic is the works that Fugo is most familiar with. So when you bounce in with a whirlwind of emotional sentiments, he was taken aback. It started to grow on him. You were capable of toning it down when necessary, seperating work and play, which he could appreciate.

It’s more difficult for him to blow up with anger when you’re around. When you’re just being yourself, it’s enough to diffuse the situation without getting violent. Even more so when you intentionally try to rope Fugo into actions/conversations that’ll take his mind off what’s upsetting him at the time. He doesn’t say it a lot, but he appreciates this about you.

You make him smile more than anyone else can! He’s more inclined to go along with shenanigans if he knows you’re involved with them somehow. The last thing Fugo wants is for you to think he’s a stick in the mud, he’s capable of toning down when the setting is right for it. You bring out the best in him and he’s addicted to it.

Narancia Ghirga;

Narancia loves your energy.

Finally!! Someone that doesn’t sigh when he’s excited, or belittles him for his interests. Narancia feels like you get him. The two of you mesh together well, like two peas in a pod. Whenever he sees something cool, he makes a mental note to talk to you about it! It makes him all giddy to think about talking to you again.

Whenever there’s a shared day off between you two, it’s normal for Narancia to pop up. He wants to show you the latest music that caught his eye. Don’t worry, he’ll also listen to the genres you like as well!! He’d 100% make a playlist of songs that remind him of you, but might be a little too embarrassed to show it. Maybe eventually...

It’s a rule that the two of you shouldn’t be left together unchecked for too long. He’ll end up convincing you to use your Stand for random purposes, for both of yours entertainment. Which isn’t bad by itself, but the ideas he has often come at the expense of the other members, namely Fugo.

Leone Abbacchio; 

Abbacchio loves your persistence.

As soon as he joined Bucciarati’s team, he made of point of being distant. To you and everyone else. Not out of any ill will, but he had a lot of emotions and trauma to work through. When you spoke to him he was polite enough to honor you with a brief response, but that was about it. So when you started speaking to him on a casual basis he didn’t know what to make of it.

Even when he tried to get you to leave him alone, it didn’t work. When you truly felt he needed the space — you’d give it — otherwise you’d be a thorn in his side. Asking about his day, if he got enough sleep, what he was planning to do this weekend. None of this pertained to Passione business, so he didn’t see the point.

Reflecting back on this time period had him realizing how much he’d look forward to seeing you everyday. Your bright smile put him at ease, and you coming over to talk to him became less of a hassle. This grace only extends to you, he still prefers to keep others at an arms length. But you... you managed to worm your way into his supposed bitter heart.

Trish Una;

Trish loves your empathy.

She latched onto you from the start. It was subtle at first, just her paying more attention when you spoke, and sitting closer to you when travelling. Trish had a lot on her mind at the time — and she tried to act indifferent towards everyone.

When you started speaking to her like a long time friend, the walls around her began to crumble. It wear clear to everyone else in the team who she favored speaking to the most. If there were no threats at the time, the two of you would sit close to one another and talk for hours. There was even one instance where she fell asleep on your shoulder inside the turtle. :’)

The casual interactions have meant a lot to her. It gave a sense of normalcy during a turbulent time in her life, she was able to escape her situation when talking to you, even if it was just for a bit. She likes talking about fashion with you the most. When the other members are hogging your attention for too long, she gets a sour look on her face.

#Bruno Bucciarati #bruno bucciarati x reader #bruno x reader #giorno #Giorno Giovanna #giovanna giorno #giorno x reader #mista guido #guido mista #mista guido x reader #pannacotta fugo #fugo panacotta #fugo x reader #fugo panacotta x reader #narancia x reader #Narancia #narancia ghirga x reader #leone abbacchio #leone abbachio x reader #trish x reader #trish una #trish una x reader #scarlet ribbons #my stuff