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duhnova · 9 months

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Dancing Queen | Choi Seungcheol

Pairing: disco club owner!choi seungcheol x performer!reader (fem)

Genre: smut, fluff, tiny bit of angst if you squint but its almost nonexistent

Synopsis: the stage is where you felt the most comfortable, letting go and singing for everyone that would sit and listen. but it was hard making a living in America, every corner you turned there was trouble waiting for you because you were too comfortable with your sexuality for the public’s liking. so when you stepped off the ship that took you to your new life in Paris, you were surprised to collide with a disco club owner who was in a similar boat as you.

Warning(s): smut under the cut (mdni!!!), mentions of food and alcohol, joke about marriage, ambiguous sexuality, talks on sexuality and swinging any which way, cat calling, talks of sexism and a little power imbalance, mentions of religion and leaving the church, mentions of immigration, implications of a future threesome, cheol has a sir & daddy kink (big surprise), spanking, bruises (cheol has a bit of a heavy hand and thrust), office sex, a bit of praising (both ways), lowkey breeding kink (are we surprised?), i feel like the sex was a bit tame in this but please let me know if i forgot anything else! - don't mind grammatical errors and typos, i tried!

A/N: biggest shout out to @onlyseokmins & @the-boy-meets-evil for proof reading for me and offering feedback/opinions, and for also putting up with my late night bullshit these last few nights of constantly putting off finishing this - jess really saw my turmoil with this one and BLESS her heart for not telling me to go fuck myself after id message her late saying i either finished a section or i didn't end up writing like i wanted too (and then id send her an idea right after for her to read in the morning). anyways i spent the last few months struggling with this fic and i hope ya'll like it and if you don't... keep it to yourself <3

70s;teen collab masterlist | my svt masterlist

Paris was beautiful, the long voyage was more and more worth it the longer you spent in the city that bustled and thrived. America was nothing compared to France, the countrysides and the cities alike felt like they were straight out of a book.

Life was starting to finally look up for you, even if you weren't fully able to escape the turmoils you faced in America, you were given more opportunities in the so-called city of love. Cars driven by men still honked at you and women with their children glared and covered their kin's eyes as you walked down the street, your cleavage and shoulders on display and your skirt far above the knees.

Despite the business of the city during the day, there were plenty of shops downtown that didn’t open up until nightfall. One in particular, Club Kidult, was said to be the best nightclub in all of the country. It’s owned by a man from Korea who is a wildcard, with a knack for “adopting” foreigners - or so you’ve been told.

“Can’t you read? We’re closed right now.” A man glares at you after knocking on the front door of Club Kidult.

“Is the owner here?” You brushed the strange man’s hostility off. His glare turned to curiosity as he finally eyed you up and down in a manner that wasn’t unfamiliar.

“Why? Does he owe you money, doll?” The man moves to fully stand in the doorframe, letting you get a nice view of the inside of the shop behind his tall stature.

“No…” You huff quietly at the insinuation before giving him your sweetest smile, knowing exactly how to play with a man. “I wanted to see if I could perform here tonight.”

“You a dancer?”

“I can be if you want.” You couldn’t help the flirty tone, the man was attractive and so far he hasn’t treated you like an object. “But I mainly sing.”

“A singer?” He hums quietly, his grin showing off his sharp teeth. “We don’t get many of those around here, most women want to dance on our stage.”

“I could imagine,” You cross your arms, pushing your boobs up slightly. “So… Is he in?” The man hums quietly.

“Ah, no.” He was very blunt with his answer before he looked back over his shoulder to look at the empty building. “But…”

“But?”

“He might kill me for this but,” he looks back at you. “I’ll let you wait for him. He likes to stop by and make sure everything is ready for the night before he goes to get dolled up.”

“Well I don’t want to get you in trouble now.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll get me in a lot of trouble, doll,” He gives you a wink before he’s moving out of the way to welcome you into the club. “Too bad I’m not scared of Cheol.”

“Cheol?” You question as you hesitantly walk into the establishment. Despite it being closed still, there was music playing and you could hear a lot of voices coming from somewhere in the back - easing your nerves of possibly being alone with this stranger.

“Choi Seungcheol is the name of the owner, but don't call him that or he might bite your head off.”

“So what do I call him then?”

“I’m sure he’ll tell you, but you can address him as sir, I guess.” The man shrugs. “I’m Mingyu by the way, head of security at this joint.”

“So head of security, do you just let all the people that come knocking on the door looking for your boss in?”

“Only the pretty ones.” He smirks as he walks around the bar. “Our bartenders don’t show up for another hour but I can whip you up somethin' simple if you like.” He leans against the counter as he watches you take a seat at one of the bar stools.

“Whiskey please.”

“Just whiskey?” He looks at you with raised eyebrows as you nod your head. You never felt comfortable in bars back home, the majority of them filled with only men and so the list of mixed drinks intimidated you. The only thing you were comfortable with was bourbon and whiskey as your father always had them in stock in his cabinet. “I like you.” Mingyu grins as he pulls the most expensive bottle of whiskey off the shelfs to pour over ice for you.

“I’m wonderin'…” You mumble as you pull the glass towards you after Mingyu set it down on a napkin for you.

“About?” The tall male leans against the counter top.

“Is it true?” You take a sip of your whiskey and before you can reiterate what you mean, Mingyu beats you to it.

“If the rumors are true?” He shrugs at your scoff. “Most of us workin' aren’t from here… Couple of the girls are from across the pond like yourself.”

“They're American?”

“Well… A little more south. Brazil I think.”

“Are they dancers?” You take another sip of your drink. “I’m assuming that’s what Mr. Choi likes.”

“A few are but one of them is our head chef.” Mingyu hums quietly. “And dancers aren’t Cheols favorite, they're mine.” You laugh quietly at his wolfish grin.

“Well what does Mr. Choi like?”

“Well he doesn’t like to be called Mr. Choi, that’s for sure.” He pushes off the counter just as the door to the club opens. “And he likes singers!” He’s quick to rush out as he speed walks around the bar to stand in front of you a little.

“Wha-” You stop midway through your word as you spin in your chair to see a man dead staring in your direction.

“Cheol!”

“Mingyu…” His voice was low and dangerous as he tried to scope you out from behind the tall wall of a man.

“Hiya boss… Look.”

“What have I told you about bringin' strays in while I’m not here.”

“C’mon man look at her, she’s smokin'!” He whips around to quickly apologize before he’s turning back towards the man you presumed was Choi Seungcheol. “She wants to sing here.” He doesn’t give anyone a chance to breathe as he steps to the side to give Seungcheol the full view of you. He falters for just a millisecond as his eyes scan you from head to toe before he’s turning to Mingyu.

“Next time ya bring someone in here without me knowin', I’m cuttin' your pay.”

“Noted.” Mingyu nods quickly.

“Come with me upstairs.” He doesn’t give you a second glance before he’s walking towards a set of stairs that are blocked off that lead up to the upper level where his office sits.

“So, ya wanna work here?’ Seungcheol wasted no time as he offered the seat in front of his desk for you to sit in. His accent a little different from his friend downstairs and you figured it had to do with the duration of time each had spent in the country.

“Yes,” you take the seat with a small nod of thanks. “I wanna sing on your stage.” The look Seungcheol gave you as he sat back in his office chair, the slight glare of his eyes as they raked your body, caused shivers to run up your spine.

“A singer?” He mumbles behind the hand that rested over his mouth as he propped his elbow on the arm of his chair.

“Yes. I used to sing in New York an-”

“New York? You're American?”

“I... yes,” you mumble. “Is that a problem?”

“No... Not one bit.” He sat up straighter, fixing his coat as he eyed you up again. “My whole staff is foreign, as are my performers.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“My reputation carries, I see.” He smirks.

“So... Will you let me sing here?” You lean forward a little, letting your chest pop out a little, hopefully his eyes will linger long enough for him to fold.

“I’ll need to hear you first before I let you on my stage.” His eyes don’t waver from your face, he knew the game you were trying to play - it’s one he’s played plenty of times to get where he was.

“Oh...” You huff quietly before sitting back in your chair.

“Don’t sound so disappointed darlin’, I didn’t say no.” He has to bite his tongue to keep from grinning at the way your demeanor changed in seconds. “We’re closed on Sundays, come back then and show me what you got and I’ll decide if I have room for you or not.”

“Sunday?”

“What? Don’t tell me you’ve got plans already.” He watched the way you messed with a beat up rosary sticking out of your pocket.

“I didn’t take you for someone that got on their knees for men that were higher than them.”

“Only the rich ones.” You smile back. “But no, I don’t go to church anymore. I just have a date with the eiffel tower.”

“I see, sorry I assumed because I saw the rosary. I’ve only known church goers to carry them.”

“I abandoned the church a long time ago, it just used to be my grandma's, it’s kind of like my good luck charm now.”

“I abandoned the church a long time ago too.”

“Yeah?” Your eyes lit up in curiosity.

“Times are changing, life’s too short to not love who and what you wanna love.”

“So you swing one way… two ways?...” Your voice trailed off as you tried to guess his preference.

“I swing anyway you want me to, darlin’.” He leans over his desk and rests his chin on the back of his interlocked hands so he can give you a cheeky grin. “We can even invite the idiot downstairs that let you in if that floats your boat…” Your legs squeeze closed at the idea and his eyes can’t help but wander this time. “And I’m sure it does.”

“So Sunday?” You whisper, your voice getting lost in your throat at the way Seungcheol's eyes looked back up at you through his lashes.

“Sunday, nine in the morning. Can you do that?” You nod quickly.

“Yes!” You clear your throat as your voice cracked from the change in volume. “Yes, I can do that.” He laughs a little at your contained excitement as he sits back in his chair again.

“Good, don’t be late. I expect you to be here the second the clock hits nine and if you’re not… My doors won’t open.”

“Got it... Sir.” You smile sweetly at him, his adam’s apple bobbing a little as he scoffs quietly.

“Good… Girl. Now go, suns goin down and we open soon.”

“Right. Well, I’ll see you on Sunday.” You stand up and straighten your shorts before you give him a curt nod and scurry to the door. Just as you open it you turn your head back and give him the cutest smile you could muster. “Thank you, Sir.”

Before you could get any kind of response from him you close his office door quickly and rush down the stairs, cheering quietly to yourself. You were going to spend the rest of the week anticipating this little “audition.”

“I take it he’s lettin' you in?” Mingyu was leaning against the bar top, a shaggy brown haired male working behind him, cleaning glasses.

“Well, not exactly.”

“What?” The unknown male stopped what he was doing to look at you wide eyed. “You’re the finest girl to walk through those doors and ask to work here and he just turned you down?”

“Chan…” Mingyu's voice was laced with warning.

“Sorry…” He mumbles to you before he goes back to cleaning his cups.

“It’s alright, I’m used to it.” You shrug with a smile. “But he didn’t turn me down, he just said I have to show him what I got first before I can sing on his stage.”

“First, ya shouldn’t be used to men treatin' you like that, this world is disgusting.” Mingyu pushes off the counter so he can walk you to the door. “And second, Cheol has never allowed just any singers to sing here. You have - ”

“I have to be good, I know.” You smile up at him and pat his arm that was firm under your touch and it took everything in you to not do it again just to feel the muscles that laid under his shirt.

“Piece of advice...” He mumbles to you as he opens the club’s doors for you. “He likes upbeat songs, things that are funky and out there.”

“Has he heard of Abba?”

“Honey... I don’t know who that is.”

“So I know what to play then.” You both mirrored the same grin as you stepped out into the dimming light.

“Will you be okay walkin' home?” You nod your head as you turn to walk backwards to watch Mingyu watch you walk while he leans against the doorframe.

“I live close enough to see your neon lights shine!” You call out over the loud roaring of a car passing by. “I’ll be fine!”

“You better be! I wanna see you perform!” He yells back, waving at you as you wave and turn to start to run down the sidewalk in joy. You laugh to yourself, twirling and jumping over the curbs - your dream was one step closer to coming true.

Sunday couldn’t come any quicker as you spent everyday exploring Paris just to sit at your window and watch the crowd in front of Club Kidult every night. To think that that many people could be lining up next week to hear you sing - if all goes well - when you meet Seungcheol again.

When you woke up to the sun barely peeking over the horizon, you groaned in frustration. Your little alarm was set to go off in forty more minutes but the excitement of what was going to happen in a couple hours had you jumping up to take a long hot shower.

You let your hair air dry for a little bit before you set it up in curlers so you could finish off drying them with the fancy new hair dryer you splurged on when you moved here. You could never afford these types of luxuries back home, the prices being drastic.

You hummed the tune of the song you were going to be performing quietly as you danced around your room getting clothes out so you could change while your hairs cooled off in the curlers - hopefully making your curls last longer.

“I can’t believe today is the day,” you mumble as you buttoned up your high waisted pants that flared a little at the bottom. Tucking your shirt in a little, you make your way to your front door where all your shoes sat waiting for you to choose from.

You go back to humming your song as you slip your shoes on, fixing the straps on them before standing up straight to check your makeup in the mirror by your door. You yelp quietly at the sight of your curlers still in before you are carefully rushing to take them down.

“Can’t believe I almost walked out the house lookin' like a clown.” You laugh quietly at yourself as you go back to your bathroom to hairspray your hair, mumbling that you’ll clean your apartment floors later tonight as you trudged your outdoor shoes through your living room.

Once you were out the door, you all but skipped down the hall, taking the steps two at a time as you happily jumped down them so you could make it to the club on time - early even, which you hoped made a good first impression on the owner.

“You’re early.” Mingyu chirps from behind you as you make your way up to the front doors of the club.

“Jesus!” You yelp in surprise.

“Sorry darlin’, didn’t mean to scare ya.” He walks past you to unlock one of the doors. “Cheol ain’t here yet, it’s barely eight.”

“Guess I’m earlier than I thought.” You laugh nervously.

“He’ll like that. Most of us barely run on time.”

“You’re here early too, though.”

“Actually, between me and you I’ve been here since seven.” He laughs quietly as he hangs his coat over one of the bar chairs. “We have a delivery comin soon and I was supposed to be here waitin' and cleanin'.”

“Well your secret is safe with me.” You smile at him as you watch the way he messes with the clock on some machine on the wall before he’s putting a card through it. “Don’t forget to set that clock back.”

You watch Mingyu almost break his back as he jerks back around to make sure the punch machine clock reads the same time as the clock on the wall before he’s putting the glass cover back on it.

“Thank you, darlin'’” He gives you a grin full of teeth.

“No problem, handsome.” You giggle at the way he puffs his chest out a little at the comment. “If you need any help I obviously have some free time.”

“Just sit there and look cute while I restock the bar to make room for new inventory in the back.” He winks at you. “Wouldn’t want you gettin' hurt before you're supposed to perform for me and the big boss.”

“Lookin' pretty is no fun.” You huff as you sit at the bar just as the club door swings open to let in a bunch of natural light.

“You must never have fun then.” Seungcheol doesn’t waste a beat as he locks the club door before shrugging his coat off and making his way to the staircase.

“I have plenty of fun, thank you very much.” You cross your arms and watch the way his pants accentuate his ass.

“Do you now?” He stops in front of his office door to look back at you. “Hard to believe for a pretty face like yours.”

“You think I’m pretty?”

“Doll… I’d be dumb to not think it.” You can’t help the little happy wiggle you do as Seungcheol turns back around to walk into his office.

The bar doesn’t stay quiet for long as Mingyu hauls a bunch of boxes from the backrooms that are filled with supplies.

“We had a busy week.” He drops the last box on the counter in front of you. “Had to call in this month’s shipment early.”

Your eyebrows rose in curiosity as you peek into the box to view its contents. Packs of little drink umbrellas filled half the box, and with even more curiosity, you pull one of them out.

“You mind pullin' those all out for me?” Mingyu sets an almost empty container on the counter next to the box that had a couple little umbrellas left. “Just put 'em in there and Chan will unwrap them later.”

A nice silence fell between the two of you as he replaced missing alcohol bottles on the shelves and put more cups under the counter. Mingyu even gave you a box full of straws and told you to wash your hands so you could fill all the straw dispensers with what was left in the box.

“Are you makin' her work before she’s even hired, Gyu?” Seungcheol walks down the stairs to smile at the sight of you stocking straws and Mingyu stacking more receipt books under the register.

“Hey, she wanted to help.” Mingyu shrugs as he goes about his business unbothered.

“It’s fun stocking things.” You shrug in a similar manner as Mingyu without even looking up from the dispenser you're trying to symmetrically stuff straws into.

“You two are strange.” He shakes his head before sitting at the bar to admire the way you floated behind the counter, moving around Mingyu's clumsy figure like he didn’t even exist.

“Strange how?” Mingyu scoffs as he finishes his task before turning to stuff the last straw dispenser despite your whining that you were just about to do that one. “There was time to kill before her performance.”

“There was only time to kill cause someone here is an early bird.” He smiles at the way you cross your arms. “Which is nice… It’s refreshing to see someone here before me.”

“Hey, I was here before you.” Mingyu butts in.

“It’s a miracle.” Seungcheol raises his eyebrow at the tall male in a manner that challenged him to keep arguing.

“Fuck face.” Mingyu mumbles under his breath in a playful manner before he starts gathering all the empty boxes to break down and toss out.

“So.” Once Mingyu took all the trash to the backrooms Seungcheol put all his attention back on you. “Any reason why your early?”

“Gonna complain already?” You lean against the counter so you were closer to his vicinity. Mimicking you, Seungcheol leans forward too – you're so close your breath mingles together.

“Who said I was complainin'?”

“Well you don’t seem too happy I’m here.”

“Oh darlin’, I’m over the moon.” He smirks at the way you bite your lip, your red lipstick unwavering.

“Maybe I just wanted some alone time with your little guard back there without any distractions, like you.” You hum playfully.

“Ouch, you’re hurtin' me doll.” He runs his tongue over his teeth.

“Aw.” You fake pout before you're grinning. “You could hurt me.”

“The only thing I’d hurt on you, doll, are your hips.”

“Is that a promise?” You lean over the counter, a little more in excitement. Flirting came naturally to you, it was a great way to get what you wanted but you’ve never felt more genuinely attracted to someone like you are to Seungcheol. Before he could respond, Mingyu comes sauntering through the backdoors with his arms full of cleaning supplies.

‘Great timing, Gyu” Seungcheol pulled away at the same time as you jumped back from leaning on the counter.

“Sorry,” He looked at you, then his boss before he was dropping the supplies on the counter. “Did I interrupt somethin'?” Neither of you answered, which was enough of an answer for Mingyu as he starts to clean the bar, mumbling another apology to you as you scurried from behind the counter to stand a little awkwardly off to the side of where Seungcheol was sitting.

“It’s almost time for you to sing for us, need me to set anything up for you?” You shake your head no, you were more than familiar with the systems that were used in clubs like this. “Everything you’ll need is either behind the stage or off to the side, yell if you need me.”

While you were turning the system and speakers on, you realized you forgot your vinyl record that had the song on it at home. Cursing quietly under your breath you pray that they somehow have the record as you start to flip through the hundreds of vinyl records they had in the back.

“How the hell are you not gonna have Abba in here?” You whine quietly as you made your way through the last couple of vinyls. “Mr. Choi!” You yell loud enough for him to hear you from behind the stage. You could hear what sounded like the chair hitting the counter (or floor) and Mingyu cursing as Seungcheol’s quick footsteps approach from behind you.

“Are you okay?” His voice was filled with worry.

“I forgot my record at home and you don’t have it here for me to use in the background.” You huff quietly, a small pout on your lips.

“Aw darlin'; you gave me a heart attack, I thought you hurt yourself.” Seungcheol sighs in relief. “Just sing without it, wow us even more without the sound.”

“I haven’t performed for people without the music before.” You mumble, a little self conscious of your raw voice.

“It’ll just be me and Gyu, you got nothin' to worry about.” He reassures you with a smile. “I’m gonna sit down, come out when you’re ready.”

When Seungncheol went back out to the front room, you started to pace back and forth. You focused on the melody of the song in your head – you’ve sang this song a million times, both with and without the track, so it shouldn’t be too hard.

After a couple minutes pass by, you finally take a deep breath and push your nerves down. Without much of a second thought, you walked out onto the stage and up to the mic that was already setup. Seungcheol was sitting at the bar with a glass of what looked like orange juice while Mingyu leaned against the counter to watch you intensely.

“This song is supposed to be upbea.t so it might not sound as good without the music but,” you took a deep breath. “I’ll be singing Dancing Queen by Abba for you.”

“You’ve got this!” Mingyu cheered quietly as he smiled encouragingly, while Seungcheol offered a soft smile that calmed you down instantly.

You did a count in your head before you closed your eyes so you could feel the song deeper before you started to sing. Even without the music playing, you managed to stay on beat almost perfectly and as far as either male knew, the way you were singing the song was exactly how the song was supposed to sound.

“That was…” Mingyu broke the silence right after you had finished singing before he started to clap and cheer loudly for you. “You’re amazing!” He flicks Seungcheol’s ear to snap him out of whatever trance he was in to give you his thoughts.

“I told you you didn’t need the music playing.”

“Wow you start off with ‘I told you so,’.” Mingyu mocks him playfully which earned him a rather harsh smack and a giggle from you.

“Well I’m glad you both liked it since I was up here shakin' like a leaf in the wind.”

“Couldn’t even tell.” Mingyu calls after you as you go to shut the system off before joining the two in the front room again.

“I don’t know what I was expectin' when you said you were a singer.” Seungcheol watches you take a seat.

“Yeah he’s picky with his women, I mean singers.” Mingyu quickly excuses himself when Seungcheol glares at him hard.

“Don’t listen to that idiot.” He sighs quietly.

“It’s ok, I’m picky with my men.” You shrug and smile playfully at Seungcheol as you hop up onto the bar stool that was one away from where he was sitting.

“Do you wanna sing here Friday nights?”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s just to start off with, if the people like you I’ll book you for more nights.” He takes a sip of his juice to hide his smile as he watches you practically jump in your seat out of excitement.

“I’d love to!” You bite your tongue to keep from squealing too loud. “I’ll remember my record this time.”

“You’ll have to show it to me so I can buy it for here.” You nod your head quickly.

“I can’t believe it,” You smile brightly again, your excitement hard to contain. “Thank you so so much.”

“Of course, don’t disappoint me now, okay?” His voice was playful.

“Never.” You sounded one hundred percent serious.

“Good girl.” He mumbles under his breath before he’s taking another sip of his juice.

“I should get going now, I still have that date with the eiffel tower and a cafe to get breakfast.”

“Right.” He stands up from his chair so he can walk you out. “The view from the tower is beautiful.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“You hear a lot of things don’t you, doll?”

“Only good things I fear.” You give him a cheeky smile as you sigh quietly at the feeling of the warm sun hitting your face as you step outside.

“Well, have fun. I’ll see you Friday?”

“Maybe sooner if you’re lucky.” You can’t will yourself to step away yet.

“Well I hope I’m lucky then.” He leans against the doorframe, unable to move himself.

“We’ll see if you are.” A car horn in the distance finally broke you from whatever was keeping you glued there as you stepped backwards down the sidewalk like you did when saying bye to Mingyu the first day you were at the club. “Bye Mr. Choi, See you soon!”

“I hope.” He mumbles to himself as he waves back at you, yelling to be careful as you almost run into a lamp post.

“Bye Darlin’!” Mingyu pushes Seungcheol out the way so he can yell down the road before you were too far out of earshot.

“Bye Mingyu!” You turn back around to yell. “By the way, my name is Y/N!” Your laugh could be heard even from that distance as you make your way towards the Eiffel tower, flipping off a man who cat-called you from his car.

For some reason you found it hard to sleep, the birds were extra loud outside your window and the sun had barely breeched the horizon. Groaning for the umpteenth time that morning, you sit up abruptly, your hair a wild mess from all the tossing and turning you’ve been doing.

“This is stupid.” You mumble before tossing your blankets off your body so you could go to the bathroom to take a shower, hoping it’ll wake you up more.

The market down the street was going to open soon and you were in desperate need of more milk and coffee for your apartment. So when you got out of your shower you didn’t waste too much time in doing your hair, choosing to put it up in a messy ponytail with a red ribbon you recycled from an old christmas present. You didn’t bother with makeup before walking out of the house in a skirt that you cut to sit in the middle of your thighs along with a tank top.

Strolling down the street slowly, you reminisced a little with what’s happened the last couple of weeks, from you leaving New York and being stuck on a ship for weeks only to land in France where your dreams came true quicker then they ever would in America, the so called place where dreams come true. In the middle of your thoughts, an obnoxious whistle broke you from your trance and an even more obnoxious voice followed.

“Hi there, sweets.” The thick French -ccented English was slurred by alcohol and you weren’t surprised as you gave him the fakest and sweetest smile you could muster.

“Don’t fall on your way home.” You wiggled your fingers as you waved him goodbye. Sometimes it was better to hold your tongue and be nice, especially in a foreign setting that you weren’t too familiar with.

Luckily that was the only thing you had to deal with before making it to your destination. The market was just barely opened, the cashiers and a couple other customers joined you in the rather spacious store for it being so close to downtown.

“Well hey there, darlin'.’” The grin in the voice made you know instantly who it was.

“Hi Mingyu.” You put a jar of strawberry preserves into your little wicker basket that you brought with you as a bag.

“How’dja know it was me?” You looked up at the six-foot-something male with a raised eyebrow.

“Kiddin' me? I could hear the shameless grin in your voice from a mile away.”

“Touched you can recognize me without even lookin', I must be that good lookin'.”

“Hardly.” You grin playfully as you move on to look at the selection of bread they had on display today.

“Ouch, you hurt me darlin’.” He whines and it reminds you of Seungcheol, and a chill ran up your spine at the mere thought of said male.

“What brings you to the store so early? Thought you weren’t a mornin' person.” You put a loaf of sourdough bread in your basket and look back to see Mingyu's brown mop of hair peeking over the top of the shelf as he moved to the aisle over. Either he’s tall as fuck or the shelves are short, both could be true.

“Cheol’s been cooped up in his office all mornin stressin', an' being his right hand, it’s my job to stress with him I guess.” He sighs quietly but you still heard it as you moved further away from him to grab some bagels.

“Stressed?”

“Yeah, immigration is on his ass 'bout papers for all the workers, himself included, so he’s tryin to get his shit straight before someone gets in trouble.” Mingyu pops up next to you to grab himself some bagels. “So bring your papers with you on Friday, darlin’.”

“I will.” You hum quietly before looking down at the weird assortment of things in his store basket. “Whatcha makin’?”

“Whatever Cheol is in the mood for later, I love cookin' and it helps him get the stick out his ass.” He shrugs as he moves towards the refrigerated section.

“You cook?”

“And clean so if yer lookin’ for a husband I’m takin' applications.” He looks at you over his shoulder. “But only for you, darlin’.”

“In your dreams lover boy.”

“I could always dream ‘bout you.” He laughs quietly when you scoff. “Guessin' I’m not your type?” All you can do is shrug.

“Don’t gotta type.”

“Oh?”

“All they gotta be able to do is make me orgasm I guess.”

“Scandalous.” He checks through a couple packs of eggs before finding one he’s content with. “You and Cheol are similar in that way - as long as they’re kind he doesn’t care much who or what they are.”

“Do you care?”

“All I care is that they like my cookin’.” You knew you had found your people as you continue to shop with Mingyu trailing behind, picking up items he wasn’t even planning on until he saw you shopping in the section.

“Are you going back to the club now?” You walk out the store after you argued with Mingyu over him paying for your groceries, him arguing that it was a “welcome to the neighborhood” gift.

“Only to drop this stuff off.” He holds up his bag of groceries. “Then I gotta go pick up Cheol’s suit from the tailor and pick up some more food that I can’t get at a regular market.”’

“Imports?”

“Fresh fish straight from the ports of Japan and I’m picking up an order I had put in a while back for fresh Gochugaru.”

“Chili flakes?” You looked at him curiously.

“Yeah... You know Korean?”

“A little, my neighbor was a little old Korean lady and her kids moved across country and didn’t visit anymore, so I’d hang out with her often and she’d teach me Korean.”

“Cute,” Mingyu smiles gently, a huge contrast from the grin he always had. “Me and Cheol were forced to learn English when we had moved here because it was either that or French and one was significantly easier than the other for us.”

“You speak really well.”

“Thank you, I try.” You couldn’t help but giggle at the way he puffed his chest out.

A comforting silence fell over the two of you as you continued to walk down the street in the general direction of where you lived. Reaching a certain intersection you two stop - one way led you the rest of the way to your apartment and the other way led in the direction of the club.

“Need me to walk you the rest of the way home?”

“I got it from here Gyu.” You start to walk again in the direction of home, leaving Mingyu to stand there on his own.

“Gyu...” He smiled happily at you using his nickname. “Be safe! And I’ll be out of the club for at least an hour if you wanted to go visit the stress ball in his office, he could use the distraction!”

“I’ll consider gracing him!” You call back over your shoulder before waving goodbye to the golden retriever of a man who all but scurried across the street, narrowly missing a car who he quickly cursed at loud enough for you to hear him from down the road.

It didn’t take you long to get all your groceries put away, the thought of going to see Seungcheol had you moving on auto pilot. Taking a second to freshen up your appearance, you make sure your hair isn’t frizzy before you make your way out of your apartment to walk to the club.

The streets were unnaturally quiet as you walked in the direction that has become all too familiar to you in the short amount of time you’ve been here. Finally seeing the doors come into view, you realize that Mingyu said he was going to be out, so you had no idea on how you were going to get in.

“Oh!” Mingyu jumps a little as he opens the door to leave to see you standing there with a look of contemplation on your face. “You came darlin’. ”

“I hope I will be later,” The look of confused curiosity Mingyu gave you made you shake your head with a fond smile, opting to not explain your innuendo. “You said I’d be a good distraction for Mr. Choi so of course I came.”

“Well he’s up in his office, like he has been for hours.” Mingyu sighs quietly as he looks up at Seungcheol’s office in worry before he’s turning to give you a smile. “Like I said, I’ll be out for a couple hours so whole place is to yourselves.”

“Thank you.” You wave him goodbye, wishing him to be safe.

“Mr. Choi?” You mumble quietly as you knock on his door. It takes a long few seconds for you to get any acknowledgement that he heard you. “I’m comin’ in.” You didn’t give him the option to let you in or not as you open the door slowly to see tired eyes framed by fluffy and tousled hair looking at you.

“Whatcha doin’ here, honey?” The new nickname sent butterflies a flight in your tummy as you close the door behind you and make your way to stand in front of his desk.

“Gyu said you were stressin’,” you mumble as you look at all the paperwork spread across his desk. “Maybe you need a break from all this.”

“I can’t just ignore this all…” He sighs quietly as he runs his hand through his hair for what looks like the millionth time that morning.

“I’m not saying to forget ‘bout it, just saying you need to relax.” You start to gently and carefully stack the papers into a neat pile before setting it on the corner of his desk. Seungcheol just watches your hands move, even as you slowly move around his desk to stand behind him. “Let me help you, Mr. Choi.”

You hum quietly as you rest your hands on his shoulders and gently pull him to sit back in his chair. Sighing again, Seungcheol lets you do whatever you want as you start to massage at his shoulders - something you picked up from the men that you’d visit that worked on Wall Street.

“That feels nice.” He mumbles, his eyes fluttering closed as he relaxes into the back of his chair more.

“Yeah?” You mumble with a smile, a little sultry tone to your voice as you knead a little harder, the knot under your fingertips melting away. Seungcheol groans, satisfied at the tension leaving his body as he curses quietly in Korean causing you to giggle quietly. The words were familiar, your old neighbor having said them a time or two but in an angrier tone.

“What’s so funny doll?” He opens his mouth, his eyebrow raised in curiosity as he looked up at you.

“Nothin’ Mr. Choi.” You move your thumbs to rub as the back of his neck, gentler than you treated his shoulders.

“Y’know, if you keep callin' me Mr. Choi, I might just have to marry you.” He grins a little at the way you squeak in shock.

“You haven’t even taken me out to dinner yet and yer already proposin’?” You watch as Seungcheol sits up straight and rolls his head and shoulders, sighing in content at the relief he feels.

“My mother calls my father Mr. Choi, they’ve been married forty years now.” You couldn’t tell if he was joking anymore about the marriage thing as he spun around in his office chair to look up at you.

“What?” You look down at your outfit to see if there was anything he was staring at as a minute of silence passed by with him just looking at you.

“You should be on the cover of Vogue instead of in some place like this.” His fingers twitch on his lap as he finally lets his eyes wander farther than your face, but not for long as he’s looking back up into your eyes. Something about the way he held eye contact had your knees feeling weak. He didn’t look at you like you were a piece of meat but rather that you were the finest chocolates from À la Mère de Famille.

“I’m not a model sir.” You shrug as you begin to feel shy, something you haven’t felt around a man in a long time. “Besides, I like it here. The workers are hot and the atmosphere is calmin’.”

“The workers?” He raises his eyebrow in a pouting manner. “What ‘bout the owner?”

“Oh, he’s more than hot but you didn’t hear that from me.” You wink, giggling quietly at the way his pout turns to a smirk.

“Is that so? 'Nother rumor, I suppose.”

“Starting to think it’s not a rumor.” You hum quietly, rocking on your heels a little.

“Are there any other rumors you wanna prove to be true, darlin’?” He leans back in his chair and manspreads as he props his chin on his hand that’s resting on the armrest.

“Mm, not rumors per say.” You take an experimental step forward. “More of personal speculation.”

“Speculation?” He watches you like a hawk, his eyes darkening the closer you get.

“Can I touch you?” You whisper when you finally stand between his open knees.

“Fuck…” He groans quietly at the idea. “Thought you’d never ask, darlin’.” He nods his head, giving you approval to touch him.

Seungcheols adam’s apple bobs a little as he swallows, your fingers lighting a fire under his skin everywhere they ghost. You trailed your fingers up his knees and over his thighs before your palms begin to lay flat against his stomach. When you dig your fingers into the fabric of his dress shirt, Seungcheol flexed, the feeling of you tugging on it gently causes his resolve to crumble.

“Can I touch you?” It’s his turn to ask as his hands moved to grip at his armrests tightly.

“‘Course sir,” you whisper as you lean in closer, the scent of your soap filling his senses as his hands move to grab the back of your thighs so he can yank you to sit in his lap in one solid movement.

“Tell me to stop.” He mumbles as his hands travel up your back so he can pull you closer to his body.

“Don’t want you to stop.” You mumble as you lean closer to him, your hands leaving his stomach so you can drape your arms over his shoulders.

“Tell me when then.” He lets you lean in first to kiss and once your lips are on his, he’s spinning his chair around so he can press you against the edge of his desk. Smiling into the kiss you begin to rock and roll your hips in a way that has him hissing and groaning as he pulls away from the kiss.

“You got the hips of a dancer.” He groans at how expertly you moved your lower body against his as he kisses down your cheek and to your neck, something no one has really done before. The time he took kissing and mapping out every inch of your neck until he found your sweet spot had you whining.

“Told Gyu I was one,” You moan for the first time and it takes everything in Seungcheol to not slam you down on his desk to hear more of your pretty sounds. “Could show you what I got.”

“'Nother day.” He groans as he nips at the sensitive skin behind your ear before pulling away to look you in the eyes. Again the eye contact had your stomach flipping as you swallow the moan in your throat. “God…” He groans, his eyes closing as his hands on your back grip your shirt tightly.

“Am I a god now baby?”

“I’ll fuckin' worship you like one.” He growls when you push your hips down harder, the desire growing in every inch of your body as you bite your lip and watch him through hooded eyes.

“Mmm~” You lean your head back and close your eyes in pleasure when Seungcheol finally grips your hips and grinds up into you. “Fuck daddy.” The name slips off your tongue like the old habit it was, men in America would fall to their knees when the word left your plush lips.

In the blink of an eye, Seungcheol hoists you up to lay you flat on top of his desk so he can stand between your legs. His pupils were completely blown now, but you were sure yours were too as your thighs squeeze around his hips and he loosens the tie he had on and unbuttons the top buttons of his dress shirt.

“I’m gonna fuck you till you can’t walk outta here, darlin’.”

“You did say you could bruise my hips daddy, hope you weren’t lyin’.” He haphazardly rolls his sleeves up past his elbows before he’s diving down to kiss you again, this time a lot harsher than the first.

Moaning into his mouth, you tangle your fingers in his dark hair and tug it when he nips your tongue. All he does is smirk into the kiss and without letting up for much air ,he makes work on undoing his pants in the little room that’s between your bodies.

You tug his hair hard enough for him to pull away, his eyes half open as he groans at the delicious sting on his scalp. When you let go of his dark locks he stands up straight again so he can push his dress pants down his thighs and make work on tugging your panties off from under the skirt you had on.

“Tell me where you want me to finish.” He mumbles as he lets his hands travel up your thighs to slowly push your skirt up until it was resting on your stomach. His eyes stared you down like you were an art piece in the Louvre as his hands continued up your body till they were squeezing your boobs through the tanktop you were wearing.

“Inside.” You could see his cock twitch behind his boxer briefs as his eyes snap up to look at you.

“You sure darlin’? What ‘bout a kid?” He didn’t seem too nervous about having a kid with you but he was nervous that you might regret it.

“I’m on the pill.”

“The pill?”

“Yeah, it’s what some of the girls back home would call their birth control.” Your hands reach out to grab the ends of Sungcheol’s dress shirt to try and tug him towards you again, the cold air hitting your exposed pussy making the desire grow even more in you. “Not too sure ‘bout it yet though, haven't had unprotected sex since startin' it but I guess we’ll see if ya knock me up tonight.”

Seungcheol just smirks at your words and he opens his mouth to make some cheeky little comment but you sit up enough to grab his hair and yank him down to kiss him - shutting him up effectively and kickstarting his gears again as he pushes his hips against yours. The heat of your bare cunt makes his cock twitch more as he groans into the kiss that’s turned a little sloppy but that's just the way you like it as you grind your hips up against his, urging him to finally fuck you.

“You’re so warm.” He almost whines when he pulls away from the kiss to breathe as he pushes his boxers down enough for his cock to smack up against his stomach. Your mouth waters at the sight and your core pulses at the thought of being filled up more than you’ve ever been.

“'Nd your big.” You breathe out as he runs the tip of his cock through your folds, letting it nudge against your clit a couple times as he gets all nice and coated in your juices before he’s slipping further down where your entrance greedily sucks him in without much work from him.

“Fuck.” His hands grip the edge of the desk by your head as his eyes roll a little at how you squeeze around him. It was a familiar feeling but one he hasn’t felt in a long time and he can say with ease that it’s never felt this good before and he’s barely bottomed out.

“Move please.” You beg, the feeling of being split open made your brain go fuzzy and your mouth fill with drool as you choke on a moan when he slowly slides out till just the tip sits in your entrance. Just when you went to complain about him leaving you empty, he’s slamming back into you, jostling his desk and knocking the papers down that you had stacked up. “Fuck!” Your voice was high pitched and whiny as he definitely set a bruising pace early on.

“That’s it, take it doll,” He groans into your ear as he kisses and nips at your cheek and ear. “So good.” He moves one of his hands to trail down your side where it rests on your hip.

Your voice got lost in your throat as all you could do was moan and whimper a pathetic “Yes daddy,” every few seconds and every time you said it Seungcheol would find a new angle to make you say it louder and he’d accompany it with a smack to the side of your ass cheek - and when he felt like that side had enough attention hed switch to the other side.

“You’re getting tighter baby.” He moans instead of groans this time which causes you to squeeze around his cock tighter, the sound sending shockwaves through your body.

“So good~” You moan as you claw at his shoulders and scalp which draws more moans from him as he feels his orgasm approaching like a freight train.

“Oh fuck.” His hips stutter a little as he digs his nails into your hip to keep a grip on you as he quite literally fucks you into his desk.

“Right there daddy, fuck.” You gasp and lean your head back and bite your lip, your orgasm right there. “Daddy!” You squeal when he angles his hips up a little and hits your g-spot with precision, which finally draws you over the edge.

The force of your orgasm pulls Seungcheol over the edge with you as he groans your name lowly into your ear followed by gentle kisses to the side of your head as he continues to fuck his cum into you until both of your orgasms have been ridden out. Slowly he manages to pull himself from your grasp as he hisses at the loss of your warmth wrapping around him.

Pride swelled in Seungcheol’s chest as he looked down at your worn out state, your hair was a mess and little love bites adorn your neck like a necklace. The cherry on top of everything though was the way his cum seeped out of your weeping cunt and it has his cock twitching again.

“Still think I belong on Vogue?” You mumble a little shyly as you looked at the way he was just staring at you as you slowly sit up. When you hissed quietly he was quick to jump forward and help you.

“I’ll always think that,” He smiles as he picks your panties up from where he dropped them and helped you slip them on while you were still sitting on his desk. “You’re gorgeous, doll.”

“Well I feel like I belong on Playboy,” You roll your eyes playfully at your own little joke towards yourself before you're smiling up at Seungcheol as you reach forward to fix his shirt as he tucks himself back into his boxers and pants. “And thank you, you're not too bad yourself sir.” He makes a little noise at the title.

“What’s Playboy?” He mumbles as he rubs soothingly at your hips while slowly helping you off his desk where you stand on wobbly legs.

“I’ll explain it later.” You giggle quietly before your stomach interrupts by rumbling. “I’m hungry now.”

“Sure it’s not a baby in there?” You laugh at him while smacking his side.

“Don’t jinx it or I’ll never get to have that threesome you promised me.” You joked playfully.

“Oh we’ll still have that threesome, darlin’.” He grabs his coat to drape it over your shoulders as he helps you walk to the door of his office. “But I don’t take too kind to sharin’ what’s mine.”

“Does that mean I’m yours?” He shrugs as he looks down at you.

“Are ya?” You try to hide your smile by biting your lip as you walk ahead of him down the stairs.

“Maybe I am.” You finally hum as you turn to look at him once you made it to the bottom of the stairs. “Does that mean you’re mine?”

“Maybe it does.” He smiles at you as he stops directly in front of you and grabs your hips to pull you against his body. “Never felt like this for someone so quick, like hell I’d let you go.” He mumbles before he’s kissing you gently, one of his hands moving up to cup the side of your face as your hands cup the sides of his neck gently.

“Well,” Mingyu’s voice was laced in a pout as he opened the door of the club, his arms full of bags. “Havin’ fun without me? I’m hurt.”

“Great timing, Gyu.” Seungcheol mumbles against your lips with a huff. You giggle quietly and pull away from Seungcheol completely to go and try and help Mingyu with what he was carrying. If it wasn’t for the look Seungcheol gave him he would’ve fought you harder to do it all himself.

“Did you get all your ingredients for lunch?” You hum as you follow the tall male into the kitchen, where he directs where to put the stuff you were holding.

“Yeah, the market wasn’t that packed yet thankfully, but it also meant I wasn’t as gone as long as I thought.” He turns his head to look at you over his shoulder with a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, we had plenty of time.” You snort at the way he almost fell when he whipped around to face you fully. “I’m hungry though so I’ll tell you the details later.”

“Deal, guess I gotta make a heavier lunch to make up for all the energy you two burnt.” He goes back to putting the groceries away, leaving you to wander back into the main room of the club where you expected Seungcheol to be but it was empty. Huffing quietly you sit at the bar and squeak a little at the feeling of your thighs becoming wet from the mess Seunghceol left in your panties.

“Sorry, I had to go grab somethin' from my office.” Seungcheol joins you in sitting down not even a minute after you had sat down.

“What is it?” You question curiously as he sets a small box in front of you.

“A welcome gift, was gonna give it to you Friday, but guess you were right about seein' you sooner.” He smiles as you happily open the box only to close the lid quickly and slid it back towards him.

“No.”

“No?” He tried to not sound hurt.

“That looks too expensive.” He seemed to be a little relieved at this answer.

“Don’t worry 'bout my money doll, besides you’re worth it.” He opens the box himself and pulls the little bottle of Chanel N°5 perfume. He opens the cap and gently grabs your wrist so he can spray a little bit onto it.

“I’ve never heard of Chanel.” You mumble as you bring your wrist up to smell the perfume and you almost sigh at how good it smells.

“Everyone is gonna know Chanel after they meet you.” He mumbles as he carefully puts the cap back on and puts it back in the box for you.

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Cheol.” You look at him with raised eyebrows.

“You can call me Cheol when it’s just us and Gyu, and maybe Chan but he might tease me for it so try to refrain if you can.” He sighs quietly at the younger male’s antics.

“Ok Cheol.” You smile, loving the taste of his nickname on your tongue and Seungcheol seemed to like it just as much as his adam’s apple bobs.

“Ok love birds, try to not fuck on the bar please, don’t have time to disinfect it all.” Mingyu barges through the back door just as Seungcheol had leaned in to kiss you.

“It’s my bar, Gyu.” Seungcheol glares at him as he sits up straight.

“Not while I’m here, friend.” He laughs as he grabs three glasses so he could pour you all drinks.

“Was thinking of making gochujang garlic noodles with some bulgogi and kimchi on the side.” Mingyu hands you your glass.

“That sounds amazing, I haven’t had kimchi and bulgogi since the night before I left.” You take a small sip of your whiskey, the warmth filling your body.

“You’ve had those things before?” Seunghceol looks at you curiously while he takes a sip of his alcohol.

“Yeah, my neighbor was Korean and she’d cook all the time for me.” You give him a smile as you take another sip.

“She even knows a little Korean!” Mingyu chirps up as he goes back to the kitchen with his glass of plain cranberry juice.

“You do!?” He looks ecstatic as he jumps in to quizzing you on all the words you know while also teaching you a couple of his own favorite words while you two wait for Mingyu to finish cooking you lunch.

feedback + reblogs greatly appreciated, especially if you enjoyed the fic!

#svthub #svthub.collab #scoups #seungcheol #seugncheol smut #seungcheol fluff #seungcheol angst #seventeen smut #seventeen fluff #seventeen angst #seunghceol imagine #seventeen imagine #scoups fluff #scoups smut #scoups angst #scoups imagine

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mydearlybeloathed · 6 months

Text

𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐌𝐀𝐒

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: you decided to create a real life frosty the snowman for estelle blofis, a regular camp visitor. it goes... unexpectedly.

𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: jason grace x fem!boreas!reader

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 6k (wow)

𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: child of boreas reader, female reader, snowmen, ethically ambiguous magic, more plot than fluff im sorry, tooth rotting fluff towards the end, daddy issues i think maybe, serious angst ngl, i will never be normal about jason grace, canon who?

𝐚/𝐧: this had no reason to be so emotionally taxing but here we are

Being the boyfriend of a Boreas kid meant two things happened every night: one, sneaking you in from your lonely cabin to his lonely cabin, and two, sleeping with nearly a hundred different blankets.

Normally, he fell asleep easy despite the chill, but there was a lot of work waiting for him back New Rome. Jason knew this holiday at Camp Halfblood was only making that work pile up, but he tired, so he didn't care just yet. He could let the anxiety catch him after Christmas. Plus, the longer he was away from work the longer he was with you.

Jason had been away doing Roman things for at least two months, and Iris Messages and the occasional phone call weren’t cutting in anymore; despite your cold shouldered father, you were as clingy as all get out. Not that Jason minded (he was clingy too).

The next fall of New Rome University couldn't seem to get there any slower. You were both going to be there, thank the gods.

Jason started to grin at just the thought, his eyes skimming all over your peaceful face as you breathed in and out slowly. The two of you were practically buried under all the blankets, and he would have been miserably hot if it weren’t for his amazing cooler system of a girlfriend.

“You’re staring,” you suddenly sang out softly, a mischievous smirk taking your face.

Jason’s heart sped up. “I thought you were asleep.”

“Creep,” you mumbled.

He reached over to caress your cheek, tucking some stray hairs behind your ear. You leaned into his touch and twisted in the blankets, wrapping your arms around his middle and nuzzling into his chest.

He pressed a light kiss to your hairline and rested his arm on your waist. “What’s up?”

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

You blinked blearily up at him. “Christmas. I’ve been working on something.”

“Care to share?” Jason had known you long enough to know you were serious about Christmas surprises. This time of year your powers were strongest, and you always took advantage of that.

You lightly patted his chest and snuggled deeper into bed. “Mhmm. When it’s ready. Can’t let anything get out or else Mr. D will so shut it down.”

Jason was officially intrigued. “What exactly… never mind. I'd rather sleep easy.”

You leaned up to kiss his jaw. “Good choice.”

He caught your lips before you could get back to sleep, cupping you cheek in his hand and drawing you close for an everlasting moment. The thundering mosaic on the ceiling was as annoying as ever, and he swore he could feel the statue of his dad staring holes into him.

So Jason pulled the pile of covers up to hide the two of you away, thriving off your little giggle as he pulled you in once more.

જ⁀➴

A week till Christmas, and you finally felt ready to cast the enchantment. Giddiness ran through your whole body all morning, along with some nerves, of course.

It all began when you heard Chiron reading a story to some of the littler campers. They were year rounders and were feeling homesick, whining and crying so much their counselors couldn't get anything done. So, he read to them, taking some Christmas storybook from Athena Cabin and frantically narrating the tale of Frosty the Snowman.

You’d been coming by to drop off some paperwork from your well-enough paying job in the Big House, lamenting being unable to find a suitable gift for Percy's little sister Estelle. She'd be coming to camp for the Christmas Day bonfires with her mother and father, and you had yet to find something she would like.

As you dropped off your papers you heard the older of the littles cry out that she wished it would snow in camp. Another then exclaimed he wished they had their own magic snowman.

Mr. D was in the next room over, promptly laughing and popping the kids dream bubble. You weren’t having that, not one bit. And suddenly, you had your perfect gift.

The only reasonable solution was to learn how to create a magic snowman.

(Jason would later call you crazy, which is basically a declaration of love, you think.)

You sat alone in the dim lighting of your cabin, which you shared with no one but the dust bunnies. Boreas didn’t really hoe around much, which you supposed was nice, aside from the fact that it left you no roommates. Nights used to get lonely before you and Jason started saying fuck to the rules.

Little snowflakes danced around your palms before they went spiraling into the air and exploded into dozens of flurries. Slowly, bit by bit, the snow started to pile up all around you, creating a blanket of white across the floor. You had the snow down, now, you just had to trust you had your sorcery skills down.

A knock on the cabin’s skylight startled you.

You smiled, calling up, “What’s the password?”

“Jason has the coolest girlfriend ever.”

“Not quite.”

There was a sigh. “Shiver me timbers.”

“Access granted,” you sang in reply, an all too satisfied smirk planted on your face.

The skylight creaked open, letting in the moonlight as well as your boyfriend. He shivered instantly. No matter how high you set the thermostat, the Boreas cabin was always freezing. Not that it ever bothered you, anyway.

A snow flurry landed on his nose, sending Jason into a sneezing fit. “Still working?”

“Mhmm.” He watched as you tried and failed to hide a yawn.

A little smile sprouted on his face as he rolled his eyes. “All right. Bed time.”

You shot him a glare. “Don’t baby me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, but I’m afraid I can’t sleep without you,” he said softly, holding out a hand with such a pretty look in his eyes. If he kept on looking at you like that, you might as well fall in love with him already.

“Fine,” you sighed, plopping your hand into his and letting him haul you to your feet. “Only because you can’t function without me.”

You wrung your arms around his neck and flushed yourself against him, his arms tight around you and a cute blush in his cheeks.

A light breeze kissed your cheek as he rose off the floor, keeping one arm around your waist while the other pushed open the skylight.

“Air Jason, taking off,” you said, doing your best to mimic a pilot’s microphone and failing miserably. Jason loved it though, an airy laugh bubbling from his lips as the night air met the pair of you with no regret.

“You’re such a dork,” he muttered into your ear, eliciting a poke to the ribs from you. Jason dropped a few feet in the air and nearly sent you into cardiac arrest, a scream leaving you as your legs clambered to wrap around his waist.

Jason was laughing for gods’ sake, shushing you as he picked up speed to reach Cabin One before the harpies caught you. “Sorry, sorry.”

In through the open window and down to the floor, the wind carried you all the way, a soft caress on your skin as if the air meant to comfort the two of you. You were going to ask him if he felt it too when a wave of exhaustion found you, and you started to lean into Jason, not letting him go even when your feet touched the ground.

He rubbed gently circles into your back, his chin coming to rest on your head, eyes closing. You were cold to touch, as always, but Jason would gladly get frostbite just to hold you forever.

Eyes soft, you caught corners of glittery lights in your peripheral, turning to find a Christmas tree that had definitely not been there a few hours ago. A smile split onto your face as you rushed up to it, admiring the rainbow lights and mismatched ornaments.

Jason must’ve gone through the Big House attic to find all these. You picked off an ornament of Olympus, a selfie of a smiling Apollo and a less than pleased Dionysus staring out from the little city of the gods.

“It’s perfect,” you said, spinning back around to find Jason there.

He had that look in his eyes. You know, the one that takes all the air out of you and leaves you craving nothing more than his very presence. “One more thing.”

You followed his gaze to the ceiling, lip slipping between your teeth to contain your smile. “Mistletoe?”

His hand came to cup your cheek, eyes dipping low. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.”

How could you argue with that? Without warning you lurched forward and sent Jason stumbling back, lips meeting his in a feverish moment.

જ⁀➴

Dawn was encroaching on the camp.

There was barely a noise all across the Long Island Sound, aside from the sea meeting land, the ruffling of the harpies’ feathers, and the contented snores coming from each cabin. In the stables the pegasi huffed and dealt with the faux antlers stuck to their heads. Mr. D sat snoring in a rocking chair on the Big House deck.

The tall and proud Christmas tree at the center of camp stood looming over Hestia’s fire. Her warm face could be spied through the flickering flames, if one looked close enough. Beneath the tree’s branches were boxed gifts, some from attentive godly parents, but most placed there by Chiron (he never bothered correcting the campers when they assumed Santa Claus came in the night).

Garlands and wreaths hung from every doorway. Mistletoe was easy to find from the awnings of the Aphrodite Cabin. Poinsettias bloomed over the rooftop of Demeter’s Cabin. The smell of cookies and candy canes wafted out from the camp kitchens, the dryads tossing bits of flour and sugar at each other as they prepared something special.

It was a Camp Halfblood Christmas if you’d ever seen one.

The only thing missing was snow.

You stood on the hilltop overlooking the center of camp, embracing the December chill. The magical borders prevented outside weather from affecting the camp, but they did nothing to stop weather coming from the inside.

Flexing your palms and shaking them out, you let out a breath that crystallized in the frigid air. The water in the air bended to your will, the clouds gathered at you command. You didn’t pretend to understand weather and the science of it all, you just knew that when the water in the clouds got cold enough…

Your concentration was unrelenting even as the first few snowflakes drifted down from above, following the current of air down the valley of camp. You would need a lot more than that. Glancing at the sun peeking up over the horizon, you pushed past your growing fatigue.

There would be snow that Christmas Day if you had anything to do about it.

જ⁀➴

Jason noticed right away that the familiar warmth of your freezing body was missing from his side. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes he rolled over and noticed that your shoes weren’t at the foot of the bed.

The whole cabin was freezing, but without you, it was just getting on his nerves. He was ready to get up, throw on a coat, and maybe just start yelling your name to find you wherever you’d run off to.

That was when he looked out the window. Jason’s jaw slacked, his eyes pleasantly wide and bright as a laugh tore out of him. He jumped up and didn’t bother with shoes as he flung open the cabin’s door and ran into the snow.

Everywhere a white layer of snow sat heavy on benches, picnic tables, the cabins—nothing was safe from this Christmas Day miracle.

He laughed again and raked his hands through his hair. So this is what you’d been working so secretively on. Jason really should have guessed sooner.

The sound of boots in the snow caught his attention and he glanced over to see Piper hurling a snowball at Leo’s head. Leo sputtered when the snow hit his face, a sly grin all over his face.

Piper laughed behind her hand and noticed Jason struggling to pull on sneakers in his doorway. She dodged a melty snowball from Leo’s warm hands and jogged toward him. Her voice was tangled with a smile. “Did you know she was planning this?”

“Nope,” he said, popping the p. All around camp kids were racing outside, slipping on the icy snow and tossing on any warm clothes they could find. You were still nowhere to be seen. “Have you seen her?”

Piper shook her head and made to say something when a handful of snow was dumped down the back of her shirt. She gasped and whirled around, shivering despite the hot anger in her eyes, and took off after a cackling Leo without another word.

Snickering, Jason took another look around, sighing when he couldn’t see you in the midst of excited campers.

He turned around to go grab a jacket when a soft noise caught his attention. Some kind of grunting, followed by a startled yelp. Jason started to smile. He’d know that sound anywhere. He followed the noise around the side of his cabin, tilting his head at the sight.

You were red in the face, using all your might to roll a giant ball of snow, struggling to say the least. Estelle was standing by with rapt attention, excitement written all over her face.

Jason went to stand beside Estelle, kneeling to be at her height. He leaned in to stage-whisper, “Do you think she needs some help?”

You looked up, stopping in the process of pushing your back against the snow, huffing and puffing through your glare. Estelle giggled. “Probably.”

He saw it in your face; you wanted to flip him off, only refraining given the current company. Estelle’s eyes gleamed up at him along with a bucktooth smile. “We’re building a snowman!”

“We?” you huffed, tucking your hair out of your face and behind your ears. “I didn’t know we were pronouncing my name as we now.”

Estelle rolled her eyes. “I’m supervising.”

“Honestly, I think ‘Stelle’s doing the heavy lifting,” Jason teased.

You sighed and turned to face your work. “That’s one layer. Jason, you do the middle.”

Still grinning, he was going to protest before doing exactly as you said, when a voice echoed across the lawn. One of the Stolls (Jason knew they were a few years apart but he still could never remember which was which) was approaching, a snowball in hand.

“Yo, Y/N!” he called. “It’s getting a little soggy over here!”

You smiled like this wasn’t the first time someone had had this complaint, wasting no time in cracking your neck and splaying out your hands. A cold rush of wind enveloped you, a firm crease in your brows, before the another wave of snow rained down from the clouds.

The Stoll brother shouted his thanks, and you meant to offer a smile when suddenly the world got tipsy, everything going black for a split second as you teetered off balance. Jason’s heart dropped and he rushed to your side, steadying you against him.

“Hey, hey, you with me?”

You blinked blankly, though you nodded despite the greenish tint in your cheeks that was quickly fading. Still, Jason wanted nothing more than to sit you down and cast lighting upon anyone who tried to use you like a snow machine again.

“I’m fine,” you assured him, gaining your color back. “Just a bit tired keeping all of this up.”

Estelle was attempting to finish the snowman on her own, promptly falling face first into the snow and sputtering to her feet. You giggled at her expense, not realizing you were still leaning mostly on Jason.

He wasn’t done questioning. “How long did it take to cover the whole camp?”

“Oh, uhm.” Your brows drew together, lips pursed. “A few hours. No big deal.”

You broke away from Jason and went to help Estelle roll along another giant snowball, casting Jason a reassuring smile. He let out a sigh and tried to let it go, going to help with the snowman construction.

The three of you finished the three layers of the snowman’s body, and Estelle ran off to collect the decorations and came back with a box, her brother, and her brother’s girlfriend.

Percy held Estelle on his shoulders, the box of supplies in Annabeth’s arms. You wiped your brow and smiled so brightly upon spying them, that Jason nearly forgot you’d been focusing on continuing the snowfall all along, slowly draining yourself.

Before he could call you out you sprang to your feet and went to pick the carrot out of the box. Annabeth chuckled and said, “I had to fight Blackjack for that.”

“Aww,” you hummed through a giggle. “Poor guy.”

Percy scoffed. “Please, he gets enough carrots. He could spare us at least five.”

Before you even had the chance to reply Estelle had jumped up to swipe the carrot from your hand. A response was barely on you lips when she nearly toppled the whole snowman over trying to stick the nose on its blank face.

You sighed and went to help her, scooping your hands under her arms and lifting her so she could reach its face.

The morning went by as Piper and Leo approached the finished snowman with hot cocoa in hand. Piper sported a grin as she looked at you and said, “Mr. D is furious.”

“I hoped so,” you said.

As Piper knelt to talk to Estelle you once again chose to ignore the weightiness in your shoulders, swallowing thickly to deal with your drying throat, and walked to the near empty box. Inside was a top hat you’d been saving for last. This was what the practice was leading up to.

“Hey, Stelle,” you called. Jason came to your shoulder, brows drawn, and you shot him a smirk. “Have Percy help you put the hat on top.”

She needed no more asking, taking her brother’s hand and dragging him to the snowman. Percy lifted her just as you had, and as Estelle rested the silk top hat on the snowman’s head, you held out a hand, worked some Boreas kid magic, and sent up a prayer to your dear old dad. A flurry of snowflakes shot out from your palm and right to the heart of the snowman.

You waited on bated breath as Estelle’s boot crunched back to the snowy ground, your gaze locked on the unmoving creature of snow. One second, then two, then three, until a minute passed. Estelle ran back to Annabeth and started ranting about something, Percy right behind her as he slung an arm around Annabeth’s shoulders. Piper and Leo engaged in another snowball fight, hot cocoa discarded on the ground.

And the snowman stood still. Your lips pursed with confusion and frustration. Jason appeared beside you again, looking from you to the snowman. “What’re we glaring at Frosty for?”

“Nothing,” you dismissed with a forced grin. You let out a sigh and intertwined your fingers with his, pressing a swift kiss to the back of his hand. “Wanna head inside? You’re shivering.”

He shook his head and slipped an arm around your waist. He was warm and soft and despite how much you loved the cold, you’d never get tired of it. But you couldn’t focus on that right now; you were too disappointed.

That was until he tried to lead Jason back to his cabin anyway, and your boyfriend had a full stop, his eyes slightly horrified while also mystified. Brows pinched, you were on the verge of asking what was wrong when his hand gripped your chin. You flushed deep red at the action, another rush of warmth hitting you, but then Jason was turning your head to follow his line of sight.

A bright laugh escaped you. There, made of snow, two button eyes, and a carrot nose, was Estelle’s snowman. But now, he was living and breathing, the little twig eyebrows on him drawn taut as he examined himself, looking at himself tree branch arms.

The lot around you stood in shock, looking from you to your creation. You laughed again quite like a mad scientist, and dropped Jason’s hand to slowly approach the snowman.

“Hello,” you said, and he considered you with a blank button stare, the line of chocolate chips making his mouth curved down into a frown.

“What am I?” he asked you, dropping his arms to his sides. He looked very contemplative for a snowman.

“A snowman,” you answered brightly.

The snowman hummed. His voice was soft, reminding you of the sound of crackling fire. Ironic. “I don’t think I’m meant to be alive. I feel… odd.”

Your smile started to fade, and you glanced back at your friends for help. Estelle stood awestruck, slowly stomping through the snow to stand at your side. She took your hand and looked up at the snowman with shining eyes.

The snowman looked back at her, going quiet. “Hello.”

Estelle started to smile. “Hi. My name’s Estelle, and this is Y/N. Those are our friends.” She jabbed a thumb back at the others. “Oh, do you have a name?”

He seemed to turn thoughtful, nodding. “I believe it was Perseus.”

Estelle let out a tiny gasp. “That’s what I called you! In my head!” She turned to you in complete and utter amazement. “How did he know that?”

You could only shake you head with a smile, squeezing her hand. “I dunno. Magic?” You couldn’t help but laugh once more, casting a glance up at the sky. The wind brushed through your hair, feeling oddly like a father’s hand ruffling a daughter’s hair.

You’d never met your father, but you doubted he was a cold as the weather.

Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and Piper came to admire the snowman, introducing themselves as he assessed them one by one. Jason hooked an arm around your waist, pulling you side against his, and you practically melted onto him. Your legs felt a tad bit weak.

He pressed a lingering kiss to your temple, whispering in your ear. “You astonish me.”

A smile split onto your face as you turned to kiss his cheek. Percy started to laugh as he looked upon the snowman. “Perseus the Snowman, huh?”

Perseus was holding Estelle’s hand as she rattled on about camp and how cool her big brother was and all about the Greek gods. Perseus listened with unabashed attention, the crease in his twig brows alluding to his curiosity.

Annabeth sidled up to you, unsure how to phrase her question. “Do you… Well, was this smart?”

You gave her an odd look. “What do you mean?”

The wise daughter of Athena settled you with her seriousness. “He’s snow… you can’t keep him that way forever.”

Her words rattled you to your core, and for once, you felt the chill of December.

Morning passed to evening, and you stayed stuck to Jason’s side more by exhaustion than by choice. Not that you minded, but the jelly feeling in your legs was less than pleasant. It took some work to ward off the curious campers from bombarding Perseus, who proved to be a rather anxious snowman.

Christmas Day passed by answering the endless questions of a snowman, explaining everything he could ever want to know.

Piper and Leo had gone off to lead ornament making with their respective cabins, being head counselors and all, and Percy and Annabeth went to make an obligatory holiday call to the latter’s father. Leaving only you, Jason, Estelle, and Perseus.

The four of you were at a picnic table close to the woods, the demigods sat atop the table and the snowman rolled up to the side.

Your energy was slowly but surely coming back to you. With the sun crossing the sky and starting to descend, the need for snow was waning. You hadn’t had a demand for a few hours, and to be honest, you were grateful. Your eyes felt droopy and your shoulders ached. You wanted to sleep, but you had one more thing to keep focused on: Perseus the Snowman.

Jason drew gentle shapes on your hand, letting you lay your head on his lap as Estelle told the harrowing tale of how Percy defeated Clarisse La Rue in his very first game of capture the flag.

You were having trouble looking at your snowman. From what he said when Estelle let out a yawn, he knew exactly why.

“Look at that,” he said, drawing everyone’s attention. His button eyes swept across the lawn of camp, where the snow was melting into the grass under the heat of the setting sun. His eyes turned to you, then. “You’re letting it all melt.”

You sat up and crossed your legs, resting your hands in your lap. You blinked at him, a tug on your heart. “Yes.”

He could only stare back at you. “You’re keeping me, though.”

Perseus was very perceptive for a snowman. You smiled at him. “We’re not done talking to you.”

He smiled back. “That’s true. And when we’re done talking?”

Estelle was looking between all of you, a confused purse in her lips. Jason cleared his throat and asked her to get him earmuffs from his cabin. She nodded and ran off, nearly tripping over herself. You sent him a look. “You don’t own earmuffs.”

“Oops,” he murmured through a grin. Perseus was watching the pair of you almost fondly.

You turned back to him and searched for the words to say, but it was all lost on you. Jason continued to rub soothing circles into your skin. All the words you knew suddenly boiled over. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think what would happen when… You know.”

Perseus shifted around, a gentle chocolate chip smile on his face as he took in the scenery. “Don’t be sorry. I’m happy to have lived.”

“But… you’re going to die,” you couldn’t help but say, as if he needed reminding.

He didn’t. That much was clear by his smile. “Don’t be sorry,” he echoed. “I’ll be happy to die. Snowmen aren’t meant for longevity.”

Your throat constricted. “It’s all my fault. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You were thinking of Estelle,” he said. “I’ve made her happy. I’m perfectly fine with melting.”

You cupped a hand over your mouth and averted your eyes just as Estelle came sprinting back, chest heaving as she lamented being unable to find any earmuffs.

“It’s cool, Stelle,” Jason said, forcing a smile.

She plopped back down and huffed, looking to Perseus, then the sunset. Perseus glittered in the light, and it took you far too long to realize it wasn’t glitter, but dew.

Estelle, angel she is, noticed it too. “Perseus, are you melting?” Before he could even think to answer she was turning on you, a fire in her gaze. “Make him better.”

You would—gods, all of Olympus knew you would, if only you weren’t exhausted. You gaped like a fish, squeezing Jason’s hand. Perseus the Snowman shook his head. “No, there’s no need.”

He reached out a wooden arm and she gently wrapped her little fingers around the splintered edges of his crooked hand. “I don’t fear death.”

Estelle’s jaw hung slack for an everlasting moment. “Well, I do! Y/N, do it.”

Jason tensed and snapped, “Stelle, that’s not fair.”

She didn’t seem to care in the slightest.

“Estelle,” Perseus drew her attention back to him. “You’ll make more snowmen.”

She shook her head hopelessly, eyes going glassy. “No, I won’t. I won’t ever make another snowman.”

“How sad,” said Perseus. “Never?”

Estelle wiped her nose on her sleeve and looked at the ground. “Maybe, not never.”

The snowman started to smile again. His button eyes roamed over them all, stopping on the sky, and he sighed. “What a wonderful day to be alive.”

You turned your face so no one would see you crying. Jason's hold on your hand was the only thing sobering you up enough to remain on the picnic table, watching the sunset with your snowman.

The god Astraeus painted the sky with vibrant yellows, pinks, and oranges in a sunset to rival all others. It was too beautiful. Perseus kept his blank gaze settled on it alone, his hand still in Estelle’s. You and Jason sat rigid behind them as time ticked away.

The moon rose expectantly to take its place as the sun started to hide under the horizon. The yellows and pinks made way for the dark blue of night creeping in. Only then did Perseus shift his gaze back to Estelle. “I’m ready now.”

A crease grew in your brow when Estelle nodded, understanding what you did not, and she stood up on the table to reach over Perseus’ head. With shaky hands she reached for his hat, glancing down at him, worrying her lip between her teeth.

All Perseus did was smile. “Merry Christmas.”

The little girl took in a wavering breath. “Merry Christmas.” And she removed the hat, lifting it off his head, and in an instant all hints of emotion left the snowman. Nothing changed at all, but each of you could see it; those buttons held life behind them no longer.

You bit down hard on your lip. “How did you know that would work?”

She shrugged, setting the hat down on the snow. “I didn’t.”

The sound of footfalls on the snow had you turning around. Chiron approached, a sorry look in his eyes, and he stopped a few feet off. “Everyone has gathered around the tree.”

You took Estelle’s hand in yours, steeling yourself and offered her a smile that she slowly returned. Jason moved to walk at your side as you followed Chiron to the center of camp. The tree lit up most of camp, stretching high and out.

Campers were singing off key here and there. A pair of girls was caught under the mistletoe, one laughing awkwardly before the moon eyed one swooped in for a gentle peck on her lips. Gifts were being exchanged. Snow balls were thrown. A snowman was being built by some younger Hermes kids too.

“Hey!” Percy called out, cheeks flushed as he sipped on his apple cider. One arm was slung around his girlfriend who was talking in low voices with Thalia. The lot of your friends were gathered around one of the many little fires scattered around the lawn.

He offered you and Jason each a blue gingerbread man, grinning ear to ear. “Mom made ‘em.”

You looked around for Mrs. Blofis and found her at a nearby table, handing out marshmallows for roasting with Mr. Blofis at her side. Mr. Blofis wasn’t doing much handing out, instead in what seemed to be a deep conversation with Mr. D. The god of wine was gesturing wildly as he regaled some kind of story.

All was well. All was calm. You found it in yourself to actually smile.

Guilt wasn’t very far, wondering truly what you had been thinking bringing a snowman to life, when a particularly harsh bout of wind blew all your hair into your face. You sputtered through a giggle and swiped your hair to the side, your voice faltering when you caught sight of a man standing on the outskirts of the bonfires and chatter.

It couldn’t be. You stepped away from Jason and the rest, approaching the stranger. He stood tall, with a suit that glittered like snow. Two purple wings arched from his shoulder blades. What could your father want with you on Christmas?

“Hi,” you said, not sure where to start.

He stirred like he was uncomfortable. “Yes, hello, daughter.”

You had the heart to grin. “Merry Christmas.”

Boreas nearly scoffed before he corrected himself with a nod. “You as well.”

The silence to follow was tense. You motioned with your hand vaguely. “Is there a reason you’re here?”

You weren’t sure how to feel about meeting your father. You’d imagined this moment countless times, but it all led up to this anticlimactic reveal that was more amusing than aweing.

“There is,” he huffed. “I thought I would let you know your little magic act didn’t harm anything.”

“What do you mean?” you asked, heart dropping.

“I mean that the snowman is not dead,” Boreas informed you. “The snowman itself was never alive, I suppose. I’m impressed, I should say. You managed to catch a snow spirit and wrangle it into that snowman. Normally, snow spirits don’t get lives… You did a good thing, I suppose, giving that spirit one. He remembers it all. Perseus, as you called him, is living free and wild, as a snow spirit should be.”

You hadn’t realized your eyes were watering, relief coursing through you. “Oh, thanks gods. I’m not murderer.”

Boreas chuckled softly. “You’re not.” He averted his eyes, raising a hand and pausing, unsure, before he settled it on your shoulder and met your eyes. “I’m… proud of you. I don’t have many children. You’re certainly one I don’t regret.”

You blinked up at him, reaching to awkwardly pat his forearm. “Thanks, Dad.”

He nodded stiffly, backed away, and with a last Merry Christmas, he vanished in a flurry of snowflakes. One landed on your nose and gave you an ever rare shiver.

Jason’s arm wrapped around you, his warmth enveloping you like a nice blanket. “You good?”

Nodding, you leaned your head on his shoulder. “Very.”

Curfew was extended that night, much to the herpes disappointment. Treats and drinks were devoured by greedy children and finally, at the end of the night, Chiron gave the word and a stampede of kids ran to tear open the gifts they’d been eyeing for weeks.

After the younger kids had grabbed theirs and the crowd died down, your group moved in to find the gifts with your names on them. Your dad gifted you a snowglobe of camp. You shook it up with a smile, not noticing your sweating boyfriend approach you from behind.

“Y/N?” You turned, smile widening. Jason only got more nervous. “Uhm… I…”

You set the snowglobe back in its box on the ground and stepped closer to him, taking his hands in your freezing ones. “Yeah?”

“I love you,” he blurted. “So much.”

Your grin grew painful with how big it was. “And I love you.”

Jason blushed and took a deep breath. “You’ve been with me through… everything. When I wasn’t sure who I was, when Hera manipulated me and Piper, through the war.” He was out of breath, only one thought on his mind: no words would ever be enough. “I’m so in love with you. I can’t explain how much. Just when I think about it I can’t breathe.”

Your face had fallen into admiration. Jason’s thumb rubbed anxious lines on your knuckles. “I never want to spend a day without you. You deserve everything, I want to give it to you.”

“Jason…” Your voice was shaky, tapering off.

“Don’t worry,” he nearly whispered, moving to cup your cheek. “I’m not asking you to marry me. Not yet.” You giggled and he swore it was better than ambrosia. “I will though. I promise I will.”

You were too busy reaching to take his face in your hands to notice when he pulled something out of his pocket. You leaned forward to kiss the very life out of him, and he would very much have let you, but he drew you back with his hold on your jaw, chuckling when you frowned.

He held up a little velvet box between your bodies. Suddenly you weren’t so interested in kissing him, swiping the box from him with greedy hands and gleaming eyes. You popped the box open, admiring the pretty silver chain laid within. “Oh, it’s beautiful.”

“Here.” Jason turned you around and offered to clip it around your neck. He didn’t waste the opportunity, peppering kisses from the skin behind your ear down to your shoulder, relishing in the little quiver you gave in response. “Merry Christmas.”

Whirling back around, you jumped him, arms flinging around his neck as you crushed your lips to his. You pulled back for barely a second to mumble, “Merry Christmas” before your tongue pushed past his lips, your teeth catching his bottom lip.

“Woah! Woah! No PDA in my camp!” You groaned and ripped away from Jason, rolling your eyes as you cast Mr. D a glare over your shoulder.

Jason wasn’t so cocky anymore, red from neck to nose. “Sorry!”

“I don’t get paid enough…”

You and your boyfriend locked eyes, breaking down into a round of laughter as the grumpy god stomped away.

“Hey!” Piper jumped out of nowhere, Leo hot on her tail. Both were totally buzzed, and all you could do was laugh and wonder how on earth they’d snuck in alcohol. “Come sing carols, lovebirds!”

The pair of you followed the pair of them back to the little bonfire your friends had claimed. Fiddling with your necklace, you eyes scanned across them all to land on Jason, and a rush of adoration hit you like a freight train. You pecked his cheek and watched him stumble over a chuckle, returning a kiss to your hairline.

Then, as you leaned your head on his shoulder, a snowflake crossed your eye.

One by one, the sky became littered with flurries. Annabeth held up a hand as if to catch some. “Y/N, you’ve got to be tired by now. Take a rest.”

You shook you head slowly, confused. “This isn’t me.”

The winter wind kissed your cheek, and you were left at a loss. But Estelle—sweet Estelle, who sat between her brother and Annabeth—she knew. A little grin appeared on her face. “Goodbye, Perseus.”

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fictional-orphan-smackdown · 6 days

Text

ROUND 4, MATCH 1!

All propaganda and what each competitor is from under the cut

The Baudelaire Orphans (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

The epitome of orphans, they’re the best

“I’m having a very terrible childhood right now”-Klaus

The story deadass begins with them being told that their parents died in a fire and that they're orphans now. They then bounce from guardian to guardian who tend to always meet a gruesome fate at the hands of Count Olaf. Not only have they been orphaned once, but have been orphaned multiple times and are called "The Baudelaire Orphans" by not only characters in the book but by the narrator himself. They're called "The Baudelaire Orphans" so many times that it might as well be a defining character trait of theirs, and honestly it sort've is. The series doesn't even end with them finding a home or guardians of any kind, it ends with the Baudelaires fate being completely ambiguous with them literally sailing away from the island they were stranded on in the final book (yeah this series is quite the journey, I highly suggest it). These poor three kids are probably the most orphaned kids of all time since their orphaned in a new way almost every book and they deserve at least one win in their unfortunate tale.

These guys are like the poster-child of orphaning, we open the series with them finding out that they're orphans and also have no access to their money so now they hop around from place to place from weirdo caretaker to another weird/crazy/murderous caretaker and it's all fun and games and murder and decieving and surviving and thriving and---my point is, these three are a wonderful trio of siblings who love and rely on one another through all their trials and tribulations.

Literally every single one of their problems come from being orphans. They’re continually referred to as orphans and the plot of the first half of the series is them being shuffled around to guardians.

These kids are so orphaned they never even get a found family outside themselves. At least most stories featuring orphaned kids see them fulfill some sorta epic destiny or have them find a new home or set of loved ones of sorts. The Baudelaires? They're thrown from one fucking failure of a home into the next, ignored, hunted, etc.. It's been years but like, even in the end, they still have to set sail alone. As individual characters, they aren't bad either. Violet's the dependable big sister who's knack for inventions comes in handy, Klaus is a well-read chap and Sunny is a lovely gremlin. They make a good trio.

Every single guardian they try to obtain throughout the series turns out to be someone who wants the large inheritance left for them and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

They basically fend for themselves the whole series when no adult will listern to them. The whole series is them being resourceful and clever the whole series despite the misfortune. Violet is a brilliant inventor, Klaus reads and collects knowledge, and Sunny learns to be a good cook over the series

their parents die tragically in a fire and then everything awful proceeds to happen to them

I haven't read these books in years but if any orphans deserve to win a smackdown it's these fools, they are constantly in the trenches in those books goddamn. Also that baby is like a shredder they have that on their side, I think that beast literally solo'd a snake?

(This one was specifically for Klaus, but I'll put it here still) He and his sisters being orphans is kinda the point. As in many books, it's the trigger for them to change lives and navigating hardships. The thing is, their hardships just grow worse and "unfortunate" (read "dreadful") events keep happening to them as they stick together instead of the story getting better. Klaus and Violet become Sunny's subtitute parents and get through their more and more miserable lives together keeping hope things would eventually get better

Arguably more famously orphaned than Bruce Wayne, if not for how their story happens while they’re orphaned children versus an orphaned adult. Definitely have the most famously tragic post-orphaning story. All three are incredibly brilliant in their own way, including the literal baby. Pursued relentlessly by the leader of a maniacal theater troupe and letdown by a slew of adults, so it’s all the more impressive how amazing they each turned out to be. Book series was so good it got turned into a pretty great movie and then a successful TV show years later. Also can’t forget how these three are orphaned repeatedly as the distant relatives who take them in get killed off in increasingly inventive manners. Let’s be honest, ain’t no characters out here orphaning like the Baudelaire orphans.

this series taught me so many cool words and phrases and I love each of the 3 main characters so much

Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are peddled from caretaker to caretaker over the course of 13 books, always being chased by the evil Count Olaf who wants to steal the Baudelaire fortune that the children are meant to inherit once they reach a certain age.

Spoilers ahead, the Baudelaires siblings story starts with them going from being the Baudelaire kids to the Baudelaire orphans, after their parents pass away in a mysterious fire. But they arent the only paternal figures that they lost, they go from tutor to tutor, almost all the good ones dying in front of them, and even the ones that survive at first their future is uncertain since the last time the kids see them they are blindfolded in a burnind building, and we never found out who make it out alive and who didnt. Even the main villian, Count Olaf their first tutor, and the only constant adult in their life after their parents death ends up dying in front of them. These three are orphans ten times over.

They are THE orphans. They have lost not only their parents but multiple guardians that they went to live with as well.

They're THE Orphans. The childhood book orphans we all read, Orphans Prime if you will. They lose their parents, every caregiver who's ever kind to them, then say fuck it and live on a deserted island on their own to raise themselves abd fully embrace their orphan status. On the island, they learn their parents survived the shipwreck then died again - double orphaning even.

OH MY SWEET LITTLE CHILDREN THAT FUELED MY LOVE FOR READING AND THE MACABRE Violet- Won her first of many invention competitions when she was five with an automatic rolling pin (comprised of a window shade and six pairs of roller skates). Extremely innovative and genius, foiled by her kindness to others. And she knows how to make a Molotov cocktail. Klaus- Absolute monster of a bibliophile, conducts research for fun, and has a photographic memory. He is known to want nothing more than "a good book, a comfy chair, and the warm glow of a reading lamp". He also is a Herman Melville fan, which is points for him in my book. Sunny- Most people know her only for her penchant for biting, but Sunny is a distinctly distinguished character. She has sharp wit (as long as you can read it through her babbles), her poker skills are phenomenal for a baby, and she has quite the knack for cooking! Also yeah, the teeth. She climbed an elevator shaft with them once.

They are constantly going through it, give these kids a break for real

Mina Murray/Harker (Dracula)

IIIIIIII Loveeeeeeee Herrrrrr, she's learning shorthand, she's the group scribe, she writes in her diary about her and lucy seeing cows on a walk, AND she's a train fiend. She's everything to me fr

#poll #a series of unfortunate events #violet baudelaire #klaus baudelaire #sunny baudelaire #dracula #re: dracula #dracula daily #mina harker #mina murray

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the-eeveekins · 11 months

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Why The Witch From Mercury is Important to Me

This will be a long, somewhat rambling and mostly personal thread. It's not about the show's quality or any issues I had about it (and YES, the show is flawed and has issues), but about why G-Witch's characters and themes were important to me and I think many others. Most of this I've already shared to a degree, but I wanted to expand my original thoughts, and put them all into one post.

I've been a Gundam fan for over 20 years, I got into the series with Wing on Toonami and have watched the vast majority of the animated series. As a woman, I longed for the day Gundam would have a female main character in the spotlight of a major show, but honestly at some point I'd given up on it. I just thought that if they hadn't done it by now, they never would.

Then, last March, they released this short 30 second trailer revealing The Witch From Mercury, and showing off Suletta and Aerial, and I was ecstatic! Finally, a female MC in a Gundam series, I was so excited for a new Gundam series for the first time since 00! I watched that short clip countless times over the months in anticipation of the series airing, I even grew addicted to the little song that plays during it.

youtube

Over time, the characters and key art were revealed and I saw some people float the idea that maybe Suletta and Miorine would be love interests. I didn't pay it any mind at the time. I was sure they'd milk their relationship for bait along the way, but there was no way they'd commit to Gundam's first female MC being gay. Even after the first episode aired I was still skeptical: There was the bait I was expecting, they're not seriously going to go through with it though.

And here we are, almost 10 months after G-Witch started airing, and Suletta & Miorine are married. It not only wasn't bait, but they committed to it in a way I never would have imagined coming from a franchise I loved like Gundam. It was done with care and respect for the characters, it didn't feel like it was exploitative or added just for fanservice, but was a very real relationship.

I'll admit, I was initially among those disappointed we didn't see a kiss or the wedding at the end, but my greatest fear was the ending would be as ambiguous as possible, or even worse, walk back what we'd seen, so as not to offend people. Instead we got the sister-in-law line, the matching wedding rings, how close they were and they way they looked at each other with love and talking about going home together. We didn't see them kiss or see the wedding, but we got to see them married, and I think that's incredible.

As a gay woman, and a Gundam fan of over 20 years, Suletta is an immensely important character to me. Suletta and Miorine's relationship, and it being a central focus of the story, is immensely important to me. They're things I dreamed of having in Gundam, but never really thought would ever happen. I've been so happy about them for a long time now, but these last two days I've been so unbelievably happy that I was given their story. I love them so much and I'm never going to forget these two.

And this ties into why I think G-Witch has been important to so many people, regardless of how they feel about it's quality, because of it's representation and themes. Suletta, the main character of the show, is a queer, neurodivergent, disabled woman of color. She was well written, and she got to have a happy ending married to the woman she loves, where she's thriving and happy despite her mobility. She's not treated with pity or remorse, and she's still pursuing her dreams of making a school.

And not just Suletta, there were so many characters belonging to different minority groups that got strong representation and happy, satisfying endings. If you're a woman, if you're queer, if you're a POC, if you're any sort of ND, if you're disabled, The Witch From Mercury not only gave you good representation, but also said you're deserving of love, empathy and happiness.

With regard to it's themes, I absolutely love how G-Witch stressed love, empathy, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness over hate, vengeance, punishment and karma. Suletta and Miorine made many mistakes during their journey that they could never take back, but they accepted each other, including their mistakes, and resolved to move on together and makes amends for them if possible. Suletta never got mad at Miorine, Prospera or Eri for the things they did to her and she never blamed them, all she did was understand and accept why they did the things they did, and move forward with her love for them. She accepts the people she loves, mistakes and all, because of her unrelenting love and compassion for them.

Even Prospera, the main antagonist, ultimately rejected revenge for the sake of saving her daughter. She was a less than stellar parent to Suletta, and her actions lead to a heavy death toll, but ultimately Suletta accepted her and her actions to save Eri. And rather than go for an easy karmic death, she was allowed to have a happy ending: Eri was saved, and she's living a peaceful life with her family. A life that was robbed from her 24 years prior.

And ultimately, those themes are why we had an ending where literally no one died, and nearly every character got to have a happy ending. Gundam has always said that violence is bad, but The Witch From Mercury was the first to say "Alright, then we'll solve the problem without violence." We got a big magic spell that was a Gundam Pride Parade in space, and combined with Miorine's actions, events were resolved peacefully.

That's why G-Witch is important to me. It gave me and many others representation in ways you almost never get from a major franchise like Gundam, and without feeling like it was doing it to just check boxes off on some executive's diversity list. It stressed themes of love, empathy and acceptance and rejected hate, revenge, karma and even death. And I think that's incredibly important in this day and age. Representation Matters. Love Matters.

I've been very emotional over this show the last two days because I've been loving it for a while now, and while I'm sad to see it end, I'm so grateful that it happened, flaws and all. I've been crying on and off since the last episode ended and I've had trouble sleeping, but I've been so unbelievably happy over what this one show did and how much it's meant to me. The characters may not be real, but the happiness Suletta & Miorine have brought me is very much real.

For me; Suletta, Miorine, and The Witch From Mercury were truly a blessing.

#gundam the witch from mercury #g witch #the witch from mercury #sulemio #suletta mercury #miorine rembran #Youtube

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olives-and-sunshine · 7 months

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"Would you still love me if I was a worm?"

Eddie Munson x GN!Reader

Word Count: 725

Summary: While high, you ask Eddie if he would still love you if you were a worm.

Warnings and Content: Tooth-rotting fluff and silliness, mentions of both Eddie and the reader being high, GN!Reader, relationship is fairly ambiguous and could be read as anything (platonic, queerplatonic, romantic)

A/N: This was written in the middle of the night and originally was about my OC and Eddie, who are in a queerplatonic relationship (which I also posted, if you wanna read it click here ). Hope that explains this.

You were lying on Eddie’s bed, staring at the ceiling. The room vibrated with the noise of Judas Priest playing through the speakers of his cassette player. Eddie was laying his head on your stomach, his eyes closed as he hummed along. You played with his hair as you closed your eyes. Judas Priest was interesting music to listen to when high, and you were fairly high. You both were, although Eddie was higher than you were. “Would you still love me if I was a worm?” You asked, breaking the silence.

Eddie stayed silent for a minute before bursting out laughing. “What?”

You tried to not laugh, but you eventually caved, joining him. “You heard me. Would you still love me if I was a worm?” You asked between giggles.

He got up off your stomach and turned so he could look at you, leaning over you. His eyes scanned your face. “Who says I love you?”

You gently shoved him with her foot in the stomach. “Dick.”

He dramatically fell back, sprawling over the bed. He laid there for a second before he broke out in giggles again. He got back up, leaning over you again. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t mean it,” he whined, tucking a piece of hair behind your ear. You jokingly pouted and looked away. In response, he leaned down and kissed your forehead. “You’re high as shit,” he started giggling again. When you looked back over and your eyes met, so did you.

Midst their fit of giggles, breathlessly he said, “But of course, I’d still love you if you were a worm. What kind of fucking question is that?” You laughed harder, but he continued. “That being said, we all know you’d be something more metal like a cicada, or a mean beetle. Or ooo, something that bites.”

“Hey, I don’t bite!”

“The bite marks that currently litter my body beg to differ.”

“...Okay that’s fair, but worms are hella metal! Some are both male and female and can impregnate themselves. And they decompose things! Nothing is more metal than composure and death.”

“You have a good point. But still. So you would be a decomposer, you’d still be a beetle or something. My point is…” he trailed off for a second, poking you in the cheek. You grabbed his finger and interlocked your hands, letting them settle on your stomach. “I’d love you no matter what creepy crawly bug or creature you were. I’d go to the library, research what you’d need to thrive, and then put you in a little enclosure I made for you. I’d feed you whatever you’d want, even if that means catching other tinier bugs for you. And I’d take you out occasionally so you could get sunshine. And if you were really unhappy, I’d let you be free to live out your little bug life, so you can go fuck another bug, have kids, and go decompose things, and continue the cycle of life. If not, you could just live here with me, in your little bug enclosure.”

Eddie was staring out the window as he said all this, but you just stared up at him, in awe at the way he turned a silly joke into the sweetest monologue ever. You sat up and tackled him into a hug, knocking you both over on the bed, till you were on top of him. He laughed, wrapping his arms around you and kissing your head, “What?”

You pulled away to look at him. “That was the sweetest, cheesiest, monologue I’ve ever heard about me or bugs. You’re the best.”

“Of course, sweetheart. And, if we were both bugs, no matter the type of bug we were, even if we were different bugs, we’d live together in bug harmony. We’d find a way.”

“Dawwww, how sweet. We could live out our little bug lives together and decompose stuff. How adorable of us.”

“Of course. We’re the most adorable duo ever,” he pulled you close to him, your head resting on his chest. He kissed the crown of your head again, and you both closed your eyes, just resting and enjoying each other’s presence. “We should probably move at some point, though. We are lying on my bed diagonally.”

You nuzzled your face into his chest, sighing contently. “Shhhh later. I’m comfy.”

#eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x gn!reader #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson ficlet #eddie munson x reader ficlet #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfic #stranger things #stranger things ficlet #stranger things fanfic #stranger things fluff

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seventfics · 1 year

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in a world where no Sun Summoner is ever discovered, Genya would be the Darkling's foil. of all the characters that LB develops across books, I stand by Genya being the most like him, and not Zoya

this is not to say that Zoya isn't a foil for aspects of the Darkling, because she is. so are Alina and Nikolai, dominantly! But Genya?

-she acts principally by her self-imposed duty to Grisha

-she is aware of the critical roles she has to play. as agent and servant. as a uniquely gifted Grisha, isolated by the rest. as someone staring up at the glass-ceiling made by the Grand Palace court

-she is willing to sacrifice her personhood and individuality (and similarly to the "price of Merzost," her body) for Grisha to break that glass-ceiling, so that they may rise as a cast from social oppression

Genya is who the Darkling once was: younger, less experienced, morally gray and aware, and still seeking connection with others

what distinguishes them from each other (in the S&B trilogy in particular) is that while the Darkling is at a point where he craves power by any means gained, Genya doesn't: she wants friends. she wants belonging. what she wants of power is to protect herself

he's far outgrown that feeling from an eternity of never having enough power to change what matters. and yet, what do we see happen in S&S and R&R? the Darkling's close relationships slowly fall apart to ruin as Genya instead builds new ones. David, Alina, the surviving Grisha. she thrives, while he dies

I just really wish we had seen more of Genya being one of the only people who understood the Darkling’s mind. her point of view into his decision-making. she should have made an incredible Second Army General, or a hidden-morally-ambiguous-left hand of King Nikolai

(I'm trying to convince myself not to start side-project-writing again by talking about it here) ((or maybe I'll fail miserably after a week and cave in with another writing wip))

#tt #sab meta #idk i just lose my mind when i think about genya too long #and then thing about the darkling juxtaposed #the darkling #genya safin

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moonbeam-writing · 2 years

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If you dont mind could you do karma akabane with an S/O who is kind of like the classes mom? Like you know how you have that motherly friend in a friend group or what ever? That’s what I mean lol. If not that’s okay thank you ❤️

— Class Mom

๑ Requested by a lovely anon! ♡

๑ Characters: Karma Akabane (Assassination Classroom)

๑ Contains: Snark and teasing from the boy himself; Karma's internal monologue; ambiguous/neutral pronouns for the reader; Headcanons in second, drabble in third

๑ Quick Note: Sorry for the wait, and sorry about this not being quite what you asked for! I sincerely hope you enjoy this, though! :)

That's totally on me, I was just feeling the Mom Friend Burnout ™ when this was sent in, haha.

—

⊹ฺ The fact that you care about others so much is honestly one of his favorite things about you.

⊹ฺ Occasionally starts shit just to watch you try to mediate and take care of those affected. Never anything traumatic, he just amps up the fact that he's a little shit.

⊹ฺ He does worry about you, though. Sometimes you take your job "too seriously" and he can see the strain it puts on you.

⊹ฺ Always takes care of you in return.

–

Karma Akabane was a smart person. His brain power and ability to read people was something he prided himself on to the point where Karma would gladly consider himself a genius. With that in mind, however, there were the occasional exceptions to that mind frame. The biggest, aside from not knowing how to kill his teacher, was (Y/N) (L/N); his partner in everything except serious crimes.

As the case usually is, (Y/N), for the most part, was Karma's total opposite. While Karma thrived in the chaos around him (often by his own creation), (Y/N) did everything in their power to distract from it for those who couldn't function on that level. Oftentimes, (Y/N) would roll their eyes at the boy's devious antics, but there were also others where (Y/N) fought back, diverting from their usual calm front.

Karma watched as his partner sat with Nagisa, going over notes. He couldn't help but wonder what was going through (Y/N)'s head, because he knew for a fact that their attention wasn't entirely on Nagisa. Their eyes would wander, resting on him for mere seconds before turning back to Nagisa. Maybe they were worrying about him. Karma could only hope.

With that said, as much as Karma would want (Y/N)'s attention, to be on the receiving end of their doting care, he would much rather have that attention be focused elsewhere. Namely on (Y/N) themselves. (Y/N) spent so much time taking care of others that they barely paid attention to themselves in order to do the same.

“(N/N), come here for a sec!" Karma called out, before even registering that his mouth opened to speak. He watched (Y/N) excuse themselves from Nagisa and walked over to him.

"What's up, Karma?" He could see and hear just how tired they were.

"Are you free tonight?" (Y/N) nodded wordlessly. "Come over tonight, then."

(Y/N) smiled at him, knowing exactly what Karma was up to. "Is it that obvious?"

"That you're burnt out? Yes." (Y/N) pouted, instantly earning a laugh from Karma. "We can just hang out tonight, watch a movie or something."

"Okay." (Y/N) smiled. "Can I go back now?"

Karma almost gave in to the sound of her laugh, but pretended to think on it instead. "Maybe." He smirked. "Depends on what you guys are talking about."

In a perfectly contradictory way, (Y/N) smirked back. "Your demise."

Karma quirked an amused eyebrow as (Y/N) burst into giggles. "Oh, yeah?" Pride swelled in his chest, looking at his partner laughing so carelessly.

For the entirety of their friendship, and likely long before that, (Y/N) took care of those around them, while Karma created at least half of the chaos (Y/N) would fix by the end of the day. However, nothing filled Karma with more joy than being able to take care of the person they loved more than anything.

#anon request! ♡#assassination classroom request #assassination classroom x reader #assassination classroom #assassination classroom drabble #assassination classroom x reader drabble #karma akabane #karma akabane x reader #karma akabane drabble #karma akabane x reader drabble #karma akabane x gn!reader scenario #karma akabane x gn!reader fluff #karma akabane x reader headcanons #karma akabane x reader scenario

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zadrkinkmeme23 · 4 months

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Full 2023 ZADR Kinkmeme Fill Masterlist

We received 22 fills in total for the 2023 Kinkmeme, which are all listed beneath the cut. If you haven't read them already, we'd greatly appreciate if you'd leave kudos or perhaps even a comment on these wonderful fics! Doing so greatly helps our event to thrive.

Please remember that all characters in these NSFW fics are depicted as 18+.

'You, And Me, and Keef.' - After finding out that Zim has asked Keef of all people out on a date, Dib decides to tail them in order to figure out just what Zim's diabolical scheme is.

AKA - Dib's jealous, and has a wank about it.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Keef/Zim, Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, Masturbation, Obliviousness, Jealousy, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Awkward Dates, Car Sex, Stalking]

'Post Blue' - "Dib wanted to tell Zim how nothing had felt right since he left, but he couldn't. The words withered in the back of his throat before they could even fully bloom. But he had to do something to let Zim know, something to convey the depths of the maelstrom that threatened to consume him. Swallowing down all of his common sense, he surged forwards, and pressed his lips to his ex-husband’s."

[Tags: Ex Sex, Closet Sex, Drunk Sex, Post Divorce, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Unresolved Emotional Tension]

An Extended Cut of this fic can also be found here

'Only Because I Love You' - by Wipmoy

"Oh no! Zim and Dib have been abducted by alien pornographers, who really want some footage of them fucking. And they can’t leave, or else they explode.

Well, that’d probably suck way worse, if they weren’t already secretly into each other. Zim’s pride cannot be vanquished so easily."

[Tags: Dib/Zim, No Archive Warnings Apply, Dubious Consent, Mildly Dubious Consent, Fuck or Die, Aliens Made Them Do It, Exhibitionism, Praise Kink, Humiliation, Tentacle Dick, Zim Has A Penis And Vagina, Oral Sex, Kissing, Rough Kissing, Unsafe Sex, Swearing]

'Slightly Less Boring' - by Wipmoy

"Turns out, intergalactic space travel isn't that exciting. Dib thinks he can fix that, though."

[Tags: Dib/Zim, No Archive Warnings Apply, Oral Sex, Blowjobs In Car, Blow Jobs, In SPACE!, Road Head, Established Relationship, Choking, Coughing, Flirting, Oral Fixation, Tentacle Dick]

'Trip My Wire' - After getting stood up on one of their scheduled fights, Zim discovers that Dib blew off their plans to go and hang out with some other hideous human instead.

This won't do. This won't do at all.

[Tags - Dib/Zim, No Archive Warnings Apply, Interns & Internships, College AU, Zim is Bad at Feelings, Dib is Bad at Feelings, Frenemies Dib & Zim, Dib is So Done, Jealousy, Stalking, Masturbation, Sexual Awakening, Sloppy Makeouts, Grinding, Coming In Pants, Flirtatious Bullying, Mutual Pining, Enemies to Lovers]

'Let Him Bite Your Fingers' - A tiny alien flew into Dib’s room and now he’s keeping him.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Micro/Macro, Captivity, Eventual Smut, Eye Trauma, Praise Kink, Dubious Consent, Torture, Blood Loss, Forced Orgasm, Stabbing, Object Insertion, Dib Being Creepy, Come Eating, Mild Gore, Intoxication]

'Closer' - A fight between Dib and Zim takes a decidedly more lustful turn, forcing Zim to get creative in order to fully conquer his nemesis.

AKA - Zim uses his own slick as lubricant to fuck Dib.

[Tags: Top Zim, Bottom Dib, Alien Biology, Zim Has a Penis & Vagina, Intersex Zim, Slick As Lube, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Teasing, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Edging, Biting, Light Breathplay, Power Play, ZADE]

'Balderdash!' by SlimySlugJuice - Dib and Zim attend a Victorian costume party. Also, they're idiots.

[Tags: Dib/Zim General Audiences, No Archive Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Victorian, Costume Parties & Masquerades, Bad Flirting, Aged-Up Characters, No Sexual Content]

'Twisted Transistor' - Frustrated by his inability to catch and expose Zim, Dib makes a poppet doll of his life-long rival. Now, all he has to do it test it.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Rape/Non-Con, Explicit, Non-Consensual Voyeurism, Non-Consensual Touching, Forced Orgasm, Wet & Messy, Vibrators, Dib makes a spirit doll of Zim uses it for sexual purposes, Masturbation, Starts off non-con but ends consensual, Aged-Up Characters, Dib Being Creepy, Multiple Orgasms, Coming Untouched, Coming In Pants, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Public Humiliation, Public Masturbation, Non-Consensual Oral Sex, Bathing/Washing, Light Bondage, Sensory Deprivation, Cock Rings, Begging, Light Dom/sub]

'Dwarf Star' - by bachmanroad - Dib wasn't cut out for this.

[Tags - Dib/Zim, Teen Audiences & Up, No Archive Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Unplanned Pregnancy, Complicated Relationships, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, (That tag is for Dib btw not their unplanned smeet), Aged Up Characters]

'Putting My Foot Down' - SlimySlugJuice

'Zim is forced to dip his toes into uncharted waters.'

[Tags - Dib/Zim Explicit, Rape/Non-Con, Aged-Up Characters, Foot Fetish, Foot Jobs, Mind Control, Power Play, Dib Being Creepy, Spit As Lube, Verbal Humiliation, Come Shot, Come Eating (Implied), Starts off as non-con but Zim gets into it]

'Strict Machine' - Fed up with his lab drone's bratty attitude, Taller Dib sends Zim in for "treatment".

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Dubious Consent, Fantastical Hysteria, Alien Cultural Differences, Fucking Machines, Vibrators, Irkens Are Terrible, Medical Kink, Public Humiliation, Light Bondage, Forced Orgasm, Forced Ejaculation, Masturbation, Power Play, Irken Dib, Voyeurism, Exhibitionism]

'Fairground Freak' - Dib is a university student who came to London from the Americas with a not-so-hidden interest in the supernatural and bizarre. He then learns of a new and fascinating creature of unknown origin, and simply must know more.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Teen Audiences & Up, Dib/Zim, Alternative Universe - Victorian, Carnival, Nonbinary Zim, Victorian Attitudes, PAKless Zim, Drug Addiction, Strip Tease, Dib Being Creepy]

'Diet Stripe' - “You will finish this comically large beverage - yes, all of it - and we will wait. Even once you have reached capacity, you are not allowed to void liquid waste until Zim is touching your sossidgemeet.”

“Can you quit calling my dick that?”

[Tags: Dib/Zim, No Archive Warnings Apply, Mature, Urination, Omorashi, No Sex, Desperation Play, Don't Like Don't Read, Submissive Dib, Aged Up Characters]

'Dib's Game' - After Dib falls asleep in a compromising position, Zim is left trapped in something of a predicament.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Fight Sex, Hate Sex, Light Bondage, Handcuffs, Cock Warming, Vaginal Sex, Zim Has A Penis & Vagina, Somnophilia, Technically Consensual Somnophilia but Dib falls asleep by accident, Praise Kink, Affectionate Insults, Subspace, Sleep Sex, Ambiguous Relationship, Whether this is ZADR or ZADE with benefits it up to the reader, Predicament Bondage, Aged-Up Characters, ZADRKinkmeme23fill]

'Straight To Video' - Back on Earth, Dib wouldn’t ever have imagined himself falling into this line of work, but out here, with the opportunity to become anyone and anything he desired, he found it oddly fitting that now he was the one being filmed and spoken of like one of the cryptids he’d spent his whole life chasing back home.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Porn Star AU, Sex Work, Aged-Up Characters, Vaginal Sex, Size Difference, Desk Sex, Plugs, Alien Biology, Zim Has A Penis & Vagina, Older Dib, Xenophiliac Dib, Sexual Roleplay, Porn Video, Porn Tropes, Literally Porn With Plot, In SPACE!, Wet & Messy, Squirting, Now with Dib's traumatic backstory, Oral Sex, Riding, Topping from the Bottom, Come Swallowing]

'What is love?' - “Aliens can't orgasm can they? I can't do anything for you?” Dib asked as Zim crawled onto the couch. He awkwardly shoved his softening cock back into his pants, too tired and lazy to properly clean up. “Considering Irkens have no genitalia, no.” Zim laid his head in Dib’s lap. “Will I ever be able to see whatever 'nothing’ you have down there?” “Maybe one day I’ll deem your puny human eyes worthy.” Dib sighed.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Archive Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Awkward First Times, Alien Cultural Differences, Queer Themes, Aged Up Characters]

'Horny Dib, What Will He Do?' - Dib is drunk on some mysterious off-planet sex pollen, what will he do?

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dib/Zim, Creampie, Sex Pollen, Multiple Orgasms, Multiple Sex Positions, Vaginal Sex, Zim Has A Penis And A Vagina, Mildly Dubious Consent, Smut, Aged-Up Dib]

'Howl' - Irritated by Dib’s recent strange and cagey behaviour, Zim decides to follow him to a strange house in the woods.

Unbeknownst to him, Dib is a werewolf. And unfortunately for them both, it’s rutting season.

[Tags - Dib/Zim, Explicit, Rape/Non-Con, Dib/Zim, Werewolf Dib, Dubious Consent, Werewolf Sex, Accidental Knotting, Knotting, Rutting, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Master/Pet, Bottom Zim, Top Dib, No smut in ch1, Eventual Smut]

'The Exchange' - Zim finds a rare supernatural item that Dib is willing to do *anything* to get his hands on.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Dom/Sub, Dom Drop, Top Drop, Unintentional Dom/Sub Dynamic, Top Zim, Bottom Dib, Boot Worship, Spanking, Bondage, Vivisection, Exhibitionism, Masturbation, Anal Sex, Throat Fucking, Zim Is Bad At Feelings, Bless These Idiots, Denial of Feelings, Pre-Relationship, Adult Dib, Adult Zim]

'Makes me wanna take Charles Atlas by the hand' by SlimySlugJuice

'A rather large Zim winds up in Dib's timeline. Naturally, Dib has some questions regarding the anatomy of his musclebound nemesis.'

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Aged Up Characters, Alternate Timelines, Non-Canon Compliant, Post-Zimvoid Arc, Size Difference, Muscles, Large Cock, Hand Jobs, Come Shot, Come Eating, Grinding, Praise Kink, Coming In Pants, Post-Coital Cuddling, Some canon-typical grossness]

'Proper Discipline' - All his life, Dib had dreamt of being the one down on his knees. Thanks to The Club, he can finally act out his wildest, naughtiest fantasy.

[Tags: Dib/Zim, Explicit, No Warnings Apply, Irken Dib, Irken Empire, Irkens Are Terrible, Sex Work, Sex Club, Dom/sub, Fantastical Kink, Role Reversal, Power Imbalance, Power Play, Implied Non-con Sex Work, Zim Used To Be A Breeding Drone, Oral Sex, Vaginal Sex, Top Zim, Bottom Dib]

#zadr #zadrkmeme #18+ only #kink meme #prompt meme #fill #masterlist

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cosmicwishingwell · 21 days

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What makes king magnifico a villain is how mean, rude and how he lacks empathy, there was no good reason to force asha on the stage and be force to watch her loved one be disappointed and broken hearted that is his wish did not come true, while asha sits there knowing that sabino will never get to live out his wish all because magnifico is living in the past OR he is just power hungry, and none that gives magnifico a "OK!" to manipulate and lie to people about their wishes, and sure the people of roses know that you forget your wish when you give it to magnifico, they also know that magnifico grants one wish once a month but that is not a clear indication that your wish will never come true, the song 'welcome to roses!' They actually say your wish will come true someday while it is safe and magnifico backs that claim up, "someday your wish will come true" is a guaranteed that it will, but we all know that was not true.

Absolutely! You've hit the nail on the head with your points about Magnifico's villainy. Here's how we can expand on them and further explore how Magnifico's actions paint him as a villain in contrast to Asha's character:

Magnifico's Moral Bankruptcy: Cruelty Disguised as Protection

Magnifico's villainy extends far beyond just his hoarding of wishes. It's the way he manipulates the system and exploits its vulnerabilities to solidify his own power:

Cruelty Cloaked in Control: Forcing Asha on stage wasn't just about entertainment; it was a power play. He shattered Sabino's dream in front of everyone, demonstrating his absolute control over their fates. It was a way to keep everyone intimidated and dependent on him, a tactic far removed from genuine leadership. Asha, on the other hand, embodies empathy and compassion. She understands the emotional weight of wishes and wouldn't dream of publicly humiliating someone for the sake of spectacle.

Lies and Deception: The Erosion of Trust

There's a difference between forgetting your wish and being misled about its fate. Magnifico's system thrives on ambiguity and half-truths. The song "Welcome to Rosas!" promises wishes granted "someday," leaving the timeline conveniently vague. This creates false hope and allows Magnifico to manipulate the system. Asha, however, is a champion of transparency. She advocates for a system where people are fully aware of the process and understand the implications of their choices.

Power-Hungry Puppet Master: Magnifico's ultimate concern isn't the "safety" of the kingdom; it's his own grip on power. The wishing system allows him to control people's dreams, aspirations, and their very destinies. He thrives on their dependence and constantly reinforces the idea that he's the sole arbiter of their happiness. Asha, on the other hand, stands for individual empowerment. She believes people have the right to pursue their own dreams and actively shape their lives, fostering a vision of a king who leads with the well-being of his people at heart.

The Glimmer of Hope: Asha's Fight for a Fair Wishing System

Asha's actions highlight the true cost of Magnifico's "benevolence." She fights for a system built on transparency, empathy, and individual agency. Here's why Asha's courage shines through:

A Voice for the Voiceless: Asha speaks out against the injustice of Magnifico's system. Her act of rebellion inspires others to question the status quo and fight for the freedom to pursue their dreams. She's the catalyst for positive change, a reminder that individuals have the power to challenge oppressive systems.

Compassion over Control: Asha's empathy sets her apart. She understands the emotional weight of wishes and the devastation of having them shattered. She embodies a leadership that prioritizes the well-being of her people, not just their obedience.

Empowering Dreams, Not Stifling Them: Asha champions a system where wishes become the sparks that ignite individual growth and societal progress. She envisions a future where everyone has the freedom to pursue their dreams, contributing their unique talents to the betterment of the kingdom.

In conclusion, Magnifico's villainy isn't about brute force; it's about manipulation, deception, and the erosion of trust. He's a power-hungry ruler who thrives on the fear of his people. Asha, the true hero, stands in stark contrast. She represents hope, courage, and the belief that everyone has the potential to achieve their dreams. She embodies the spirit of a leader who empowers others and fosters a society built on empathy, transparency, and individual agency.

What do you think? Does this response further highlight why Magnifico's actions are those of a villain and why Asha is the true hero of "Wish"?

#disney wish #wish 2023 #wish movie #anti king magnifico #asha deserves better #asha wish #cosmicvibes #team asha

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foxxydevil · 2 years

Text

Ch 1 - Alone with Him

Master List

MW2 fanfic GhostxReader

Well- I haven't touched Tumblr in a few years but when I heard the fanfic was thriving I couldn't just ignore it.

Here's a little self insert, AFAB no pronouns-

In the mission "Alone" Ghost and Soap get separated after being betrayed by Graves. What if you also survived? Hauled up in the churches towers looking over Las Almas you and Ghost do your best to stay distracted while helping Soap to survive.

Word count: 9077

Self contained but I may add more parts

⚠️Warning: smutty mature content, rough, ambiguous consent, angst, ptsd, violence, blood, guns, trauma, mental health

___________________________________

You could feel your feet burning with the hours of walking you had to do that day. Despite the lack of a heavy bag, your armor and rifle alone had to weigh an easy 50 lbs. Still, like a good soldier you didn't complain as you walked behind your Lt, one foot in front of the other, slightly crouched, with the barrel of your gun swinging from left to right making its own practiced rhythm from years of training.

It was an unfamiliar place, this hell hole known as Las Almas, with its drug cartels and paid off police that were almost worse than the "bad guys". Not that it was easy to call yourselves the good guys anymore. At some point justifiable killing makes you into a butcher. And the man in front of you was a perfect example of that. The Lt killed ruthlessly, and his appearance matched his nickname. Ghost, who never showed his face and always wore that damned mask.

Not that you had time to ruminate on the killer who was currently your team leader. You had barely made it out of the confrontation with Graves with the skin on your neck and now Soap was out there on his own, hopefully still alive. Lucky for you, well you hadn't quite decided if you were really lucky, you had run into Ghost. In your mind Soap would have been the better ally to get through the city as everything about Ghost screamed lone wolf.

So far you had held your own and kept up. As the two of you turn around a street you hear your radio crackle "This is Bravo 7-1, in the blind- How copy?", Soaps voice. Ghost immediately grabs a Shadow that had been standing around the corner while you pull your knife, having to ignore Soap's call for now. You slice the inside of a second Shadows thigh for him to cry out as he crumbles only to be quickly cut off by your hand going over his mouth so you could slit his throat ensuring his silence.

"Ghost, this is 7-1, do you Copy?" you hear Soap again, more desperate. Before you can answer for him Ghost grabs you by your bullet proof vest pulling you to him, so your face is mere inches from his. He must have dealt with his Shadow then. "You are compromising our position, Corporal" he hisses "If you're going to do a sloppy job, you're on your own" he warns before pushing you away and reaching for his radio.

"Soap, this is Ghost. How copy?" he asked, frustration still clear in his voice. He waited half a heartbeat for Soap's response before clicking the radio again. "Johnny?" he asked, the frustration replaced with worry. "Johnny, how copy?"

"Solid" Soap responded curtly through the radio, and you let out a breath you hadn't even realized you had been holding.

"Thought we lost you" Ghost responded immediately. It was clear he had taken a shine to someone at least, so much for lone wolf.

Ghost nodded to you, his head tilted to the church that was your goal point and started in the direction with that silent order to follow. You fell back into step behind him resuming the scanning walk. Soap had fallen silent, so Ghost had his attention back on you.

"Our objective is to be silent; I know it's a challenge for you but gag them before you stab them" Ghost continued his lecture while falling back to walk next to you.

"Noted, Sir" you answered curtly, not bothering to hide the annoyance in your voice. He narrowed his black grease painted eyes at you before reaching for his radio again.

"Are you injured?" he asked, directing his question to Soap.

"Where are you?" the radio responded in your ear. Clearly that was an affirmative seeing as Soap completely ignored the question.

"There's a church. We're headed to it. Let's RV there" Ghost allowed Soap to slip past his question taking the lead with an objective. "You'll need to improvise to survive" He warned the soldier over the radio.

They had already had a hell of a time surviving this city using every possible resource they came by to skirt by without being noticed from half burnt candles to stray pieces of wire. It's not like they could kill every man they encountered.

"Graves and his Shadow's are on a killing spree," Soap said.

"Looking for Hassan" Ghost responded.

"Hassan and us" Soap confirmed the two men keeping their words clear and snappy.

This time when the two of you came up to a Shadow you stepped forward throwing your knife to hit the man right in the back of the throat. He made a low gurgling sound choking on his blood as he collapsed down to the rain slick pavers. You looked to your right seeking Ghost's approval, but he just continued on, it seems that little show was the bare minimum he expected of you. As you walked by the dying man you pulled the blood-soaked knife and whipped it off on your pants.

"Advise you move interior if you're not already, it's good cover." Ghost spoke into the radio taking his own advice as he led you into one of the many broken down homes. It was gut wrenching to see this house, the signs of a family now destroyed.

"Keep your light off" he barked an order to you over his shoulder as your eyes adjusted to a complete lack of light.

"I'm not fucking stupid" you retorted with a flash of teeth. The Lt turned to respond when Soap came over the radio again.

"Door's locked" he said.

"Look for supplies- things you can make tools with" Ghost advised him, clearly not put off by holding Soaps hand. You were surprised at how much that annoyed you, not that you needed your hand held.

"Welcome to guerrilla warfare" Ghost said over the radio but he seemed to be saying it to both of you before turning around and pushing on. Guess the radio interruption saved you from another lecture.

"Creepin' Jesus" Soap groaned through the radio.

"What are you seein'?" Ghost asked.

"A bloodbath" Soap responded before adding "Found a rope."

"That's a start" Ghost gave him before jumping out a window crouching low. "Keep looking."

You followed vaulting through before pausing outside to do a quick 180 scan with your rifle.

The two of you came up on a large tunnel with waist deep water running through it, at least it was waist deep for you, you found out the hard way jumping in after Ghost who without hesitation started moving through waters that contained god know what. You didn't even want to think about it.

"Broke off a fan blade." Soap said. Clearly, he was nervous, and you couldn't blame him. With the exception of maybe Ghost, you were trained from bootcamp to work as a team and Soap was alone.

"Tie off the blade with the rope and pry open the door." Ghost guided Soap making sure he was not completely alone, in spirit at the very least. Even though it annoyed you that you didn't get the "Ghost special nice treatment" you had to admire the Lt for keeping Soaps head on straight.

"Sounds like you've done this before" Soap kept up the conversation.

"Years of practice" Ghost responded, and the current calm in the tunnel let you wonder just how many years and what Ghost had been practicing. "We're coming up on the church, stay alert" Ghost said and without the echo of his voice over the radio it was clear he had remembered you existed and of course he noticed your momentary lack of awareness.

"Busted the fan blade-" Soap interrupted your smart-ass response to Ghost.

"Get you through the door?" Ghost asked as he leapt out of the water with a hand on the paved bank bordering it.

"Affirmative" Soap responded, and Ghost reached a gloved hand to you, so you decided not to be a brat and grabbed the offered hand, still surprised when he lifted your weight out with ease.

"Good. Stay on the hunt- there'll be more where that came from." Ghost said into the radio as he reached for two empty bottles from his bag. They slowly walked to the end of the tunnel peering out to find a small gathering of Shadows.

When they stopped, Ghost looked back at you. "Get ready" he warned you, his voice low and breathy before turning back to look out. He threw the two bottles, both of them going through a busted window with quick succession to make a loud crash on the other side of the plaza.

"What was that?" one of the Shadows exclaimed before waving the group to follow him to investigate the sound.

Ghost slipped out from the tunnel moving with a quick silent crouch to skirt along the plazas perimeter towards the looming church with you on his heels, shadowing his movements.

Without much fanfare you both slipped through the cracked heavy wooden doors of the sanctuary and although you weren't religious you could feel a wave of relief wash over you as you finally found a safe bubble in this hellish night.

"Keep your wits about you, Corporal" Ghost hissed, seeming all too aware of your relaxed movement.

"The Shadows are out there" you hissed back, matching his tone.

"And they will be back" he shot back his fuse seeming far too short with you.

"Then let's hit the tower, keep an eye on them" you answered to appease the ever-wary Lt.

Ghost paused, considering your suggestion. Without agreeing or, preferably, thanking you for your wonderful idea, he headed down to the altar of the church behind which should be a stairwell.

"Thank you, Corporal" you grumbled under your breath saying what he should have said if he had even an ounce of manners.

"Want me to praise you on my knees?" he asked, adopting the same mocking tone.

"Now there's an idea" you gave back "But now's not the time for flirting Lt" you chided him, a grin pulling at your lip as you walked backwards to keep an eye on the churches entrance taking Ghost's warning of the return seriously despite the banter.

"Found a headlight" Soaps voice cut between you "Not too far from its- previous owner" it was a grim reminder that one of your own was still out there.

"Good. Be careful with it. Can light your way but attracts attention" Ghost checked in. At least you weren't the only one getting a basic lecture on how lights work. "What's the latest?"

"Mercs are killing everything in their path" Soap reported painting a picture of the same streets you two just made it through.

"War crimes" Ghost grumbled as he opened a small wooden door that revealed the stairs you had been hoping for. You followed behind, closing the door behind you and wedging a piece of wood in the door to make it a little harder for anyone to follow. "Good job, happy your majesty?" Ghost praised mockingly.

"Need more suggestions on how to make me happy?" you said back with a dangerous glint.

"Makes me want to commit a few war crimes of my own-" Soap said through the radio to Ghost's previous observation.

"That makes two of us" you agreed but without pushing your radios button, that sentiment was just for the sarcastic Brit in front of her.

"Tyranny. It won't stand" Ghost responded, keeping the two of you in check.

"Think we'll get the green light to go after these guys?" Soap asked ever worried about the rules of engagement.

"No more green lights, Johnny. We're on our own" Ghost reminded him that all three of you were officially rouge, clearly outside of orders you could not agree to.

"What about Alejandro?" Soap asked, a question you had yourself.

"Alejandro you can trust. But he's in Graves custody. If he's even alive-" Ghost decided, and approval from him definitely meant something.

"Alejandro as neustro hermano. If he's alive, he's on our side" Soap agreed the broken Spanish you have been learning, it sounded awkward from the Scotsman.

"Be careful who you trust, Sergeant. People you trust can hurt you the most" Ghost responded as the two of you made it to the top of the stone stairs. You didn't miss him glancing back at you and you narrowed your eyes wondering what exactly that look was supposed to mean.

Was he warning you or telling you he was worried about you hurting him? Since when did Ghost trust you?

"Good advice, Lt" Soap said, beating you to the punch though you would have said it with far more sarcasm. "I want to be like you when I grow up" the other man added, and you couldn't help the short snort of a laugh that you covered your mouth to dampen.

"You want to be better than me, Johnny" Ghost said back with a strange look, no amusement in his voice.

"I will be" Soap's voice crackled through the radio matching the serious tone.

"Good man" Ghost responded, still looking at you with that strange look.

"Think I'll live that long?" Soap brought back the usual banter they shared.

"Probably not" Ghost said and though it was meant to be with dark humor you could see the worry that showed through his eyes, even with the mask.

"Simon-" you tried stepping forward.

"Since when are we on friendly terms" the Lt shot back icily cutting your words short.

"MacTavish is going to be fine" you persisted dropping the nicknames to reassure the stubborn man. "Despite your low expectations of the rest of us mortals we were built for this"

"Low expectations?" Ghost asked his accent seeming to thicken with his annoyance as he stepped forward, clearly to intimidate you, to force you to back down and get back in line. He may as well have written the book on intimidation. Not only was he one of the taller men on the 141, and massive to boot, but his eyes seemed to be that of a reaper. So tired that you wondered when the last time he got a decent night's sleep.

Clearly his tactics to intimidate weren't working if you were focused on his eyes.

"You don't think shit of us, have you actually heard yourself? You can't decide if you want to run off and save the world on your own or be a nanny." You continued to antagonize him to the point that he took another three steps forward, grabbed you by your armored vest's shoulder strap, and slammed you up against the stone wall.

You winced.

"Did you see the caged dog?" Soap broke through their argument without even realizing it.

"Big geezer, if he barks, shoot him and repo quickly- Don't get compromised-" Ghost growled through the radio but for some reason it sounded to you like he was talking about himself.

Either way, from the sound of it, Soap still had a while to go before he would finally get to the church.

"A dog, huh?" you asked, seeing right through Ghost's mask though only the figurative one of course. Your feet were still trying to find purchase on the rough wall.

Ghost narrowed his eyes and let go of your vest so you slipped back onto your feet.

"Gimme a sit-rep" Ghost ordered Soap clearly trying to stay busy with the other man to not address your insights.

"Outside- Gated alley" Soap reported.

"Stick to the edges and stay low," Ghost said, turning away from you and marking your confrontation as finished.

"Copy" the radio sounded as Ghost made his way to one of the open arches of the tower, lowering himself without much grace and betraying just how tired he was. You almost felt bad for the infuriating bastard.

"You may get a brag rag for this" Ghost said into the radio making an attempt at cheering on the soldier who was left to fend for himself.

"A medal?" Soap responded with good humor.

"Chest candy" Ghost confirmed as you plopped yourself down near him, still giving him some breathing room. As much fun as it was to antagonize him, you did still value your head.

"Dead Shadows are my medals" Soap returned in the true 'not interested in military bureaucratic bullshit' fashion most soldiers adopted after no more than two deployments.

"You said you wanted to win. Congratulations, you're a winner" Ghost mocked him, though, you all knew it was impossible to feel like a winner when trying to drag yourself through hell.

"Away n'bile yer heid" Soap grumbled, slipping into his native tongue. You laughed again, gaining back Ghost's attention. You had heard Soap grumbled it a few times and gathered the meaning by now.

"English, MacTavish" the Lt ordered, growing annoyed with the both of you.

"Sorry, sir, let me translate, 'Go fuck yourself'" Soap offered some insight.

"Much better" Ghost said, his gloomy eyes still on you.

The radio fell silent letting the tension between you two grow as you refused to break eye contact. It was somewhat jarring, how Soap was not there but at the same time he was.

"What is your problem?" you decided to ask, breaking that silence. You weren't even accusing him of anything, just genuinely curious.

"Excuse me, Corporal?" Ghost warned not actually asking for clarification but instead, once again, warning you to back down.

"You can't seem to decide if you hate me" you observed lightly keeping your voice steady. He was intimidating but you didn't have to confirm that for him. He had enough of an ego as it was.

"Oh, let me make it crystal clear then, darling" he said, his voice lowering as he got back up on his feet closing the distance between the two of you.

Even if you had wanted to back up you didn't have much of a choice. Rough rock backed you and unfinished or broken building pieces were littered around you. Even then, standing off with Ghost was like standing off with a rabid dog, you absolutely did not want to run and give him chase.

And so with you cornered and sitting he went down on one knee supported by one of the rough stones and grabbed your hair roughly to establish his control over you.

"Church is on the other side of the city" Ghost said to Soap over the radio while holding you down making it clear to you, he wanted to give himself a little time to deal with you before checking in with your other team mate again.

Lightning flashed through the open arches illuminating everything like it was mid-day just for a half a second. Ghost gave you time to back down, to cower away from him. Clearly, he knew nothing about you.

"So, you are a rabid dog then" you observe before spitting in his face. May he do his worst.

"Is that what you want from me, the usual rabid dog act?" he asked, and you could hear it. You could hear a self-destructive smile in his voice as he filed you away in his mind as just like everyone else who had already made their judgments of him.

"No, I want you to stop being a little bitch and be yourself" you challenge him, your chin tipping up proudly even though he had you pinned. He was being sloppy anyways; both your hands were free and both of you were well aware you were armed to the teeth and knew how to make use of it. "Show me what's under that mask, Simon."

You were getting under his skin, and it was driving him mad, you could see it in his eyes. It was almost fun to rile him up, especially when he was so predictable.

"Be myself, is that what you really want?" he asked, his voice getting dangerously low. He was wound up like a spring. He was a bomb about to blow.

"You wouldn't make me beg, would you?" you asked, keeping your voice sweet though his fingers laced through your hair tightened painfully causing you to suck air sharply between your teeth.

You expected him to smack you or slam you on the ground. Hell, you would have expected him to stab you and write you off as an unfortunate casualty before you expected what he actually did next.

Before you expected him to flip up the fabric of his mask just a couple inches and pull you into him before you could even wipe the stupid grin off your face so he could kiss you, hard.

Your eyes went wide but you still couldn't quite register his face so close to yours, not when the taste of him was so distracting and the bit to your lower lip made you open your mouth in surprise. He tasted like salt and dirt. There was even a little blood. Those tastes should have been a turn off but for some reason your twisted mind wanted more.

"Graves is rounding up the cops" Soap's voice sounded echoing between your two radios, bringing you back to reality. And breaking your lips apart.

What the fuck was actually happening?

"He's judge, jury, and executioner now" Ghost said into his radio his voice is rough as he struggled to reign himself in.

The radios stayed silent for a few breaths as you both tried to steady yourselves, his fingers still locked in your hair, his body looming close over you.

"Bottle" Soap stated though he seemed to be asking for suggestions.

"Good for distraction" the Lt offered though once again his words seemed to have a double meaning as his dark eyes stayed locked on yours.

The two of you stayed frozen until finally you noticed it. He was silently asking for permission, or at least, waiting for some sign that he should continue.

So, this really was him showing you himself, he wasn't just attacking you. There was something raw and broken in him. Maybe he was a rabid dog. It was impossible to know yet. But you wanted to know what broke him.

It felt near impossible to refuse the sliver of himself he was offering. His mask was still up revealing the most you've ever seen of him. You looked down at his lips while biting your own lower lip. Then you looked back up into his eyes and that seemed to be enough of an answer for him.

It looked like he knew enough about analyzing every silent communication in your face to understand your silent yes and he dipped back down. This time he moved somewhat slower. He was still rough, you could cut yourself on his edges, and demanding as his lips crushed against yours until you slipped your tongue between your lips to lick his lower lip.

Another yes from you and he demanded more, his free right hand that wasn't supporting your head by gripping your hair sliding up to find your waist. Your gear was a more fitted version of his own and with unconscious memory he unbuckled the side of your vest so he could slip his hand under your shirt with ease.

"Chucked the bottle, worked like a charm" Soap's voice intruded on you again forcing you to stay focused and not lose yourself.

Ghost broke away from the kiss but only moved so far that his lips barely brushed yours as he spoke moving his shoulder so he could press the radio with his chin. "Told ya- pay attention and you just might learn something." His words rang with more than one meaning as per usual.

This time, as Soap had the decency to shut up, the Lt didn't meet your lips again but instead he seemed keen on exploring. While having complete control, he pulled your head back, running his teeth along your jaw until he found the spot just under your ear where it met your neck. He was the furthest thing from loving. You could still feel the power struggle between you and his attempt to intimidate you.

You had to admit, he was good at it. The only issue was that as while he may be scaring the shit out of you, some fucked up part of you was enjoying this all too much. You decided to play his little game, your hands were both still free after all so one went to his waist, sliding under his shirt to trace the skin along his pants waistline, while your right hand went further down the front of his pants to find his cock swollen against the tight woven fabric.

"Poor thing" you breathed in his ear. Challenging him to put you back in line.

"Commandeered some wax Lt" Soap reported causing Ghost to groan, while the radio was off of course. He still had to support his man even if he had his work cut out for him here with you.

"Could prove useful" he said to the radio, clearly not in a creative mood, at least not for Soap.

Which only sparked some creativity in you.

You squeezed his cock with your right hand and ran a nail against his skin with your left at the same time and so the Lt was barely able to hold back another groan before he had a chance to release the radio's transmission button. This was going to be fun.

"Found some chemicals" Soap continued his updates clearly looking for more enlightening ideas from the man above you.

"Tie them up with some wax you got a smoke bomb" Ghost relented an idea even though he was slightly breathless as he delivered it. "A toxic distraction" he finished with an accusatory look in your direction, his hand having strayed further up your shirt than you remembered as he released your hair to repurpose his hand to cover your mouth and squeezed one of your nipples cruelly. Your cry was muffled by his hand.

This fucking bastard-

"Sick, I like it" Soap responded over the radio, his commentary matching perfectly to the predicament you found yourself in.

"Guarantee you they won't" Ghost said looking all too pleased with himself.

In an attempt to fix that fresh grin on his face, one you finally got to see at least in part, you pulled at his belt letting it loose and using both hands to make quick work of his button and zipper.

"In a hurry, darling" Ghost asked, finally actually speaking to you and this time his hand grabbed the whole of your breast, his rough fingerless gloves feeling good on your delicate skin. He did move his hand off your mouth and trailed his fingers over your jaw and down your neck to give you a chance to respond.

"Soap isn't going to give us all night" you say back to him pulling at his pants before he suddenly changes his grip to take hold of you and spin you around on your knees. It was hard to even keep track of his fast precise movements.

"True" he murmured against your shoulder turning his head towards the sensitive base of your neck. Seems like the Lt wasn't quite ready to come at this face to face.

"Control freak" you accuse with your cheek against the cool rough stone of the church. Scared of intimacy was more accurate.

"Feeling weak are ya?" Ghost asked into your skin his right hand coming under you to help support your weight as his left traveled down to your own belt. You nearly responded before Soap did for you, Ghost was playing with you.

"A bit shaky, sir, yeah" Soap said. The feeling was mutual.

"Graves tried to kill us" Ghost started "seems to reason if you were a little off."

Was the Lt giving himself excuses now? And the bastard didn't even have the balls to admit it about himself. Instead, he was projecting on Soap.

"Find a stim- it'll give you a little boost" Ghost then suggested to Soap and again you couldn't help but feel a little annoyed, jealous even, that his attention didn't belong only to you.

But clearly the Lt was a master of multitasking because while you were distracted by his voice, he had undone your pants and pushed them down to your knees while finishing your job and freeing his cock so it rested hot against the bare skin of your ass.

"Going to keep chatting it up with your bud?" you asked the jealousy creeping into your voice.

"Of course," Ghost responded, licking the sensitive part of your neck. "I've got a job to do."

"Bastard" was the only insult that sprang to mind even as you tipped your head to give him more access to your bare skin. Instead of indulging you he reached up to spit in his hand, using it to wet his cock with a couple of pumps.

"What a romantic" you teased to cover the nerves you felt at the pit of your stomach. Not that you got a good look at him but he seemed to have a cock to match his tall stature.

Ghost reached up to pull his mask back down over his face and you couldn't help the slightly puckered lower lip even as you thought, 'pussy'.

The Lt didn't give you long to anticipate though he did run the smooth head of his cock over your wet lips to add your own excitement to his gruff spit.

Surprisingly he took it slow, seeming to enjoy every inch he buried inside you. In reward he gave you a low guttural moan, one to match your own before leaning forward to cover your mouth, pinching your nose lightly to cut off your air supply without hurting you.

The two of you didn't get long before Soaps voice was back in your ear.

"I found some tape," the soldier whispered through the radio.

"Very useful" Ghost clipped needing some effort to not sound distracted.

"If I have to wrap a gift?" Soap asked even as Ghost seemed to grow impatient with waiting for radio silence to continue. He started to move again as Soap spoke and tightened his hand on your face to keep you quiet.

"So to speak- Hold on to it" he ordered, keeping his thrusts shallow and slow as you stretched to accommodate him, the feeling still raw and verging on painful.

As the conversation lulled it gave Ghost a chance to speed up. Your back arched as your eyes rolled skywards, the lack of oxygen heightening the deep pleasure that he thrust into you accompanied by throaty moans, it seemed like he had been pent up for a while.

"Ghost, you missing a knife-?" Soap asked.

"Several" Ghost grunted. You wondered if Soap noticed how much shorter the Lt's responses were getting.

"I think I found one" Soap responded, confirming that he hadn't the slightest clue that Ghost was keeping himself busy with you.

"Some of the dead Shadows are my handiwork-" Ghost related gripping both your thighs to thrust harder into you having to release your mouth.

"Don't take all the credit" you said between breaths. That remark earned you a sharp slap on the ass and you had to bite back a cry.

"You came through here?" Soap asked between your mixed moans accented by heavy thrusts.

"On our way to the church" Ghost responded, straightening himself up and tipping back his head.

"And you left me?" Soap asked with a huff.

"I'm used to working alone." Ghost shot back finding his rhythm exchanging banter with the other soldier and rearranging your guts.

"So much for no man left behind." Soap said.

"Just get yourself to the church" Ghost answered, having to bite back his own groans while your pussy clenched around his length buried inside you. "Tryin' to keep you alive and get you here in one piece, one of us needs to survive to tell the tail."

"Taking a shine to me, then?" Soap asked.

"Not in the slightest, still got a lot of ground to cover" Ghost denied seeming intent on taking advantage of that fact. He pulled completely out of you, evening out his breath.

Just as you were about to start whining at interruption he reached down to grab your wrist and waist flipping you back on your back, a man with a plan. He didn't waste time tucking his still erect cock back into his open pants but instead hooked his arms under your legs and lifted you up against the wall, hooking his thumb under his mask to lift it up over his mouth again. Any complaint you had quickly left your mind as his mouth found your clit.

A sharp shooter.

Your hands gripped his head keeping his mouth on you as he wrecked you licking and sucking with practiced precision.

"Seek and ye shall find-"

She had to let go of the Lt, not only so he could respond but also so he could breathe.

"Whatchya got?" he asked his voice returning to a more normal candor despite the lack of breathing she had been allowing him. He flicked his tongue over her clit as they waited for Soap's response.

"Black powder-"

"Nice. This could get interesting" the man between your thighs said before finding your core again and torturing while you struggled to stay quiet. Thank god for breaks between responses.

"Lt, about to play rough with the Shadows-" Soap kept going despite how you cursed him.

"I like the sound of that" Ghost murmured against you and you looked down to meet his eyes. It was all too tempting to take advantage of the moment and pull his mask off. You wanted to and his sleepy eyes seemed to dare you to but there was some sort of thread of trust building between the two as you both tugged at either end and didn't let go.

"Fashioned a trip mine" Soap reported.

"A man after my own heart" Ghost breathed. Your breath caught with the potential there.

Did the bastard have to keep leading you on with these damn double meanings?

"Thought you'd like that" Soap cut in breaking up the tension.

This time Ghost didn't respond right away looking like he wanted to focus on you for a change. He moved you away from the wall sliding his arms up your body as he gently lowered you onto the ground with your back against the cool stone ground.

How about that, the Lt could be gentle for you.

He settled himself over you and you noticed he kept his weight off of you moving slower now. Not that he had been hurting you before but something had shifted in him and you couldn't quite put your finger on what. His free left hand moved down your side and brought your legs up to hook around your waist as his hot breath tickled your ear. He was a lot closer and it felt more than physical. Suddenly you couldn't blame him for keeping his careful distance before.

"Killed a Shadow" Soap's voice sounded,

"Nice" Ghost grunted using his free hand to run his cock back over your swollen pussy lips.

"Took his gun" Soap continued clearly wanting more of an answer from the Lt.

"Good work" Ghost gave in his words laced with a bit of a moan as he pushed his cock back into you needing to feel your tight hole again. "Moving up in the world, Johnny"

The words made you want to hear your name on his lips.

"Choose your shots and targets wisely, Johnny. Guns make noise" he continued to lecture as he sank all the way into you, his words feeling hot on your neck.

"My Kingdom for a suppressor-" Soap complained.

You started to open your mouth to make demands. You needed more of the Lt. You were starting to feel desperate.

"Be smart about what you've got. That's the trick" Ghost said, cutting off the other man's complaints.

Finally the two shut up again and Ghost found his rhythm again. This time he took it slow but every thrust was achingly deep. Your hands gripped his loosened pants so you could do your best to get him moving faster.

One thing you know about Ghost is he is stubborn to a fault.

"Take it easy, darling" he groaned in your ear as he continued to fuck you mercilessly slow.

"No" you whined back. While the Lt was chatty for once you couldn't seem to find your words. "More" was all you could muster.

"Beg" he demanded as your names scraped over what little bare skin of his she could find.

"Ghost", only one word responses from you at this point.

"Say my name" he damned this time. He wanted more too, you could hear it.

"Simon" you moaned, pulling yourself into him.

"That's it" he praised his words drawing out and he gripped your shoulders to keep you in place as his pace picked up.

"Simon" you moaned again, a fitting place for worship.

Your voice seemed to snap another part of him loose and he started to fuck you harder. He wasn't as cold and rough or calculated as he was in the beginning. Now he felt desperate.

You couldn't help but mirror that feeling.

"Fuck" he groaned into your neck as he pumped into with abandon. You could feel the tension drawing tight inside you. Every muscle in your body felt like a bow string about to snap loose.

"Again" he demanded your attention as he lifted himself just high enough to meet your eyes. He wouldn't let you lose yourself without him.

Your thoughts barely lept past the realization that his irises were not completely black. There was a ring of mahogany in them that you held on to as you broke under him. His hand found your mouth just in time before the whole damn city heard your cry and your pulsing release dragged him out with you. His bit back moan joined your muffled plea as his hot cum shot inside you, no thoughts to ask questions.

Pulses of pleasure continued to run up and down your shaking body as his hand slipped from your mouth so he could hear your soft whimpers. He didn't move and his eyes never left your as he fought to catch his breath.

Gibberish sounded through your radios. By some miracle Soap hadn't interrupted you through the last few minutes but that wouldn't last forever.

"Speak English" Ghost demanded for the second time that night his gruff voice sounding especially annoyed that he was in the middle of enjoying the light high that came after pumping out a load.

"It's rainin' fuckin' hard!" Soap snapped back, matching the Lt's shit attitude.

"Then say so" Ghost huffed and coming back down to earth from your own high you chuckled quietly. Now that you weren't trying to get a release that felt more necessary than air it was funny to hear the two exchange blows.

"I did!" Soap protested.

Ghost rolled his eyes running a thumb over your lower lip, cleaning off just a bit of spit. You snapped your mouth shut cheeks heating but being embarrassed about a little drool flitted right out of your mind when he slowly drew back his hips to pull his cock out of you.

"Rain's good" Ghost said to Soap, unable to entirely keep the groan out of his voice "It'll cover your tracks."

"Covers theirs too-" Soap said back his spirits low.

"Let's worry about you, Johnny" Ghost re-centered the conversation.

"So you do like me" Soap teased Ghost's words clearly working on him. The Lt rolled his eyes keeping his feelings on that comment between the two of you. He tucked his shoulder to roll on his back next to you, seeming to forget that his mask was still partially up.

"I like you alive" was all the Lt gave Soap.

The soldier seemed satisfied with that answer and layed off the radio a few more moments. It gave Ghost at least a few moments to tuck his now half limp cock back in his pants without Soap's voice in his ear.

You started to follow his lead, lifting your hips to scoot your pants up. Without warning you felt Ghosts rough fingers, surprisingly gentle, as they mimicked your move from before and traced the line from hip to hip just above where your waistline was. You tipped your head to look up at him lowering your hips back down to the cool stone as you buttoned up your pants.

You couldn't quite decipher that look he had in his dark eyes.

He didn't want another round but he looked like he was trying to puzzle you out almost as much as you were trying to figure him out.

"Moving inside" Soap had the decency to check back in.

"Check. Take what you need to keep them off you." Ghost instructed though his mind wasn't on the man still trying to get to them.

"Aye"

"Penny for your thoughts" you interrupted. He waited for a heartbeat, probably hoping Soap would give him an excuse not to respond. Then he opened his mouth.

"Ghost" Soap broke in.

"Soap" The Lt responded but he looked like he almost felt bad.

"Found a tripwire rigged to a shotgun. Disarmed it. Took the gun" that damn soldier was like a puppy just looking for praise. Not that you had been doing the same thing only a half hour earlier.

"Open hearts and minds with it, Johnny," Ghost said, seeming to feel Soap's anxiety hike as he got closer to the church.

No response from Soap and the question pulled back between you.

"It's been a while" Ghost responded and he seemed pained at the answer, as vague as it was.

"Since you fucked?" you asked bluntly, that had been obvious enough but he seemed unhappy with your answer.

"More than that," he said, it was like pulling teeth.

You didn't give him the out of asking for clarification, instead you stared him down. Stubbornly he refused to give in.

"Johnny, Graves is burning the midnight oil to find us, why?" he asked the radio knowing it would annoy you to no end.

"Graves and Shepherd are both involved" Soap answered stating the obvious. "No matter what- this is an unprecedented amount of fuckery. We need to get to the bottom of it."

"Accurate and deadly fire tends to resolve these things," Ghost gave the butcher's answer as always. "Right now, we're not safe here."

"Not safe in Las Almas, or not safe with me?" you challenged the Lt forcing this conversation back on you.

"Right now- we're not safe anywhere Lt" Soap answered Ghost to. It somehow seemed to answer your question as well.

The dog bites because he can't feel safe anywhere.

The silence felt loud as Soap got busy on the other side of the radio and the two of you were left on your own. Ghost didn't know how to fill the silence between you, still refusing to answer your question.

"It didn't mean anything" the man finally spoke immediately going the defensive route.

"Then why have you still not fixed your mask?" you asked seeing right through that statement. Sex didn't have to mean anything. He wasn't the first man you fucked just because it's what you wanted in the moment. Normally it's what you wanted at least. This had felt like a need. As much as you dissected the Lt's motive you weren't quite to the point of questioning your own.

Your question had hit its mark since Ghost didn't even have the composure to wait a few minutes to pull down his mask so there would at least be some ambiguity to him actually only remembering when you brought it up.

With no answer from him you decided to stand up and stretch your legs.

"Sure" you said brushing off your legs being nonchalant only because you could tell it could annoy him. "It didn't mean anything, Simon"

"Stop saying my name," he warned.

"Why?" you asked, guessing he wouldn't come up with an answer. "You seemed to really like it a few minutes ago when you blew your load in me"

"Are you so fucking causual now-" he growled back getting up as well before Soap cut him off over the radio again.

"I'm in the coffee shop" So, only a click away then.

"Get us a tea" Ghost snapped, the joke seeming more like an order as he bit it out.

"Fucking Brits" Soap complained and you mouthed and agreement.

"You think your cunt is so great" Ghost confronted you back to his intimidation tactics.

"You're going to owe me for this," Soap was back on line and very helpful in pissing Ghost off with you.

"Why" the Lt barked.

"We're solving each other's problems," Soap stated and you crossed your arms, a smile playing over your lips as you waited to see where this was going.

"What's my problem? '' Ghost asked, affronted.

"The mask, take it off" Soap challenged.

"Show my face?"

"Yes, sir" you raised a brow putting more pressure on Soap's demand.

"Negative"

"Are you ugly?" you snorted at that.

"Quite the opposite" with that response from Ghost you stepped closer, challenging his space for once. You half expected him to back up.

"I doubt that," Soap answered.

You reached a hand up. You didn't go fast, you weren't trying to catch him off guard. You just touched his face, you brushed your palm over his jaw line and watching carefully you saw him lean into your touch.

It was so tempting to run your fingers down the edge of the mask and pull it up. Part of you felt like he wanted you to. He wanted you to take that act from him so he wouldn't have to choose himself.

You didn't give him the easy path because you could tell that most things were taken from him without his choice.

It was hard to keep your eyes off him. He was so volatile. Bursting at the seams with anger in one moment and falling apart in his own world of despair the next. All the things he had been through he just felt so much.

"Ghost" Soap was back.

"Soap"

"Guess what I found?"

"More stopping power?" Ghost asked and you let him out from under the pressure breaking the tension but crossing your arms as you sat back on one of the mostly flat building blocks littered around the towner.

"Check"

"Your life expectancy just went way up," Ghost said, seeming to relax a bit.

You didn't push on but simply waited so Ghost opted to focus back on getting Soap out alive.

"Johnny- town's full o' tunnels" he advised, referring to the one they had to go through to get to the church.

"Stand by" Soap whispered, barely audible over the radio. He was dealing with some trouble.

When Soap's silence drew out the Lt tipped his head back and groaned in frustration before walking over and seating himself beside you. He scratched the top of his head and you simply waited.

"People die around me," Ghost said, like a confession.

"Oldest story in the book" you answered not letting him off the hook.

"I mean it" he snapped at you. You just waited, unimpressed with his bark.

"My mum" he started again but didn't elaborate. "my brother- and his family" he couldn't quite string together a whole sentence but the meaning was clear enough.

"Shepard turned his back on us-" he struggled to bring meaning in his words but you weren't going to let him flounder like a fish out of water all day, especially when he was trying.

"But you feel like your family betrayed you more by dying on you," you stated clearly. It was a feeling every soldier, every survivor, had at some point.

He just looked at you and you knew you hit the nail on the head even if the broken man in front of you wasn't ready to pull himself apart at the carefully crafted stitches he sewed to make himself some facade of whole over the years.

Somehow you knew you would be there to help him put the pieces back together when it did happen, no one could do it alone, not even Simon "Ghost" Riley.

"Found some oil" Soap reported giving Ghost the break he desperately needed, always on time.

"Oil, bottle and some rope for a wick. Time for a cocktail," Ghost instructed.

There was a few seconds of pause.

"Ghost" Soap wasn't holding up at this point.

"Talk to me Johnny" the Lt ordered.

"I found the tunnel."

"The church plaza is on the other end of the tunnel" Ghost laid out. It had been a quiet stretch for the two of you but Graves was getting desperate. "Push through, you're nearly here."

"Ghost, I got Shadows wearing body armor," so definitely more trouble than they had.

"You'll have to get in close and find the gaps"

"You make it sound like a walk in the park," you huff at the Lt's casual tone.

"He just needs to keep his shit together," Ghost dismisses as the line falls silent again. "You got eyes on the church?"

"Aye"

"Good. You're on the right track. Keep comin'," Ghost reaffirms. You were starting to feel like he was trying to keep his own anxiety in check. The Lt wasn't used to having to give out orders while he sat in relative safety.

"Ghost, areas blocked off."

"Try and cut through the shops."

"Think I found a way through, Lt" Soap said as the two of you stood up to peer out the window in anticipation of seeing Soaps approach. On his way over Ghost grabbed his sniper rifle.

"I'll hold 'em off until we RV in front of the church and secure a vehicle for exfil." Ghost said to both of you as he set up in the open arch facing in the direction you both had come from.

"Roger that"

"Give 'em hell, Johnny- We're almost there."

Only seconds later Ghost squeezed the trigger letting a shot ring through the tower. You grabbed your rifle from where it was propped knowing the sound would draw Shadows up the tower.

"Ghost, was that you?" the radio asked.

"Who else? Now go-" Ghost ordered the soldier. Their wait had finally ended.

You moved to the window but just as you glimpsed Soap moving through the plaza you heard a crash coming through the stairwell and shouts joined in.

You raised your rifle moving closer to the door so Ghost could continue to have Soap's back.

"Ghost, how copy?" Soap called just as you saw the first Shadow's head and started firing in precise three shot bursts.

"Johnny, got company in the church, and they're not here for forgiveness!"

"Drop the jokes" you snap at Ghost as you continue to drop Shadow after Shadow.

"Get to the steps, we'll be there" Ghost barked at Soap as he drew his pistol. The poor fuck was on his own.

"Copy, Lt"

The two of them pushed forward having the advantage as the Shadows pushed through the narrow stairway. There had to be an end to them.

Finally you made it to the bottom of the stair and found the rest of the church empty.

"Go," Ghost shouted. And the two of you ran. A figure appeared in the door but you hesitated to squeeze off the trigger, it could be Soap. Before he came out of the shadows a shot rang up and you felt a bolt of white hot pain go through your side as you dropped.

"No!" Ghost shouted behind you firing his pistol until the Shadow who shot you dropped.

You didn't have time to even look at the found. Ghost grabbed you by the back of your vest hauling you up until he could get his shoulder under your torso. It hurt like hell but before you knew it he was running out of the building with you.

"Ghost!"

"Soap!" You finally heard the Sergeants actual voice as fresh air hit you and you knew you had made it out of the building. The Lt moved you and suddenly you were falling before arms caught you again.

You looked up. "Soap?" you asked.

The Ghost landed next to you. There had been a tall fence between you and escape. Ghost hoisted you over his shoulder again relieving Soap of you.

"We need a vehicle, on me!" Ghost shouted leading the way and Soap provided cover. You could feel the deep cold that meant you were losing blood fast. "Stay sharp, they know we're here and they know it's us. They'll send more."

Your head felt limp but you could still hear even if your vision was blurry and upside down.

"Contact- dead ahead!" you heard Soap as shots were fired.

"I see them, watch the alley!" Ghost added firing his pistol with one hand using the other to keep you balanced. "Johnny, stay close."

"Heads up for a vehicle we can take," Ghost ordered and you did your best to grip the back of his vest to held stay up. "Soap, pickup truck ahead. Light up"

"That's our exfil. Get to it!" Ghost ordered again as Soap fell behind.

You heard a car door open and your whole world pivoted as you were tossed in the back and closed inside, followed by two shakes as the men left on your team got on either side of the truck.

It was hard to hold on to consciousness as the engine fired up and part of your mind decided you were safe.

"Alright Johnny, you made it." Ghost said.

"We made it, Lt" Johnny responded only for gunshot to shatter what remained of the trucks windows.

"Hold fast!" Ghost ordered and the truck shifted into gear before you felt a hand reaching back to keep you on the seat. It felt almost impossible to hold on to consciousness now that you were in relative safety.

The last thing you remembered was the car jolting as it ran over several obstacles that screamed.

Chapter 2

#fanfic #codmw2022 #ghost mw2 #ghost fanfiction #self insert #hurt/comfort #smut #ghost smut #mw2 smut #simon ghost riley #ghost x reader

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ashenbun · 1 year

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-= House Madaras; 21+ XIV RP Group is recruiting! =-

A reclusive and selective estate, House Madaras has made a name for itself over the last century with its incredible leniency when it comes to illicit research. Vast on-site archives, bountiful resources and plenty of 'willing' subjects to play with means that not much is truly out of bounds within the House. It is a haven of willful ignorance where the morally ambiguous may thrive. A place of learning where few things are taboo and fewer still are deemed off-limits....

~Inspired by the world of Bloodborne and the Antivan Crows of Dragon Age~

House Madaras and its underbelly, the Serpent's Warren, is set up as a place for characters of more dubious alignments and persuasions to play; assassins, murderers, manipulative socialites, eccentric mages and so on! A place where very few things are off limits, and the darker things encouraged. We welcome people to play deviously, to use each others characters like pieces on a board and utilize the setting to its fullest.

As a heavy, 21+ RP group our intent is to give writers a well-crafted setting to explore the darker & maturer themes of FFXIV RP. We keep our setting grounded; we don't deal in over-powered characters here. But we do deal in consequences. We are a small and selective group with a zero policy for drama. Given the nature of our themes, we are quite strict and place great importance on communication and consent.

At a Glance-

What We Got:Lore Abiding/Bending Stories ● Dark / Mature Themes ● Horror ● Plot Driven Characters ● Combat & Civilian Friendly Space ● Gritty & Grounded Setting ● Player-First Combat System

What We Don't Do:Slavery ● Over-powered Characters ● Voidsent / Voidsent Hosts ● Warrior's of Light ● Lore-Breaking OC's ● IC / OOC Mixing ● Drama ● Make RP a Job

If any of that intrigues you, more info can be found on our Carrd below! Feel free to reach out to me here on Tumblr, or Discord via "Anamsgith" if you have any questions!

We are located on Balmung, Crystal, but are a Crossworld friendly space! You do not need to join the FC to RP with us. It serves as the RP-hub only.

Visibility Tags: @mooglemeet @xiv-lfrp @balmungrp

#ffxiv rp #rp group #eldritch horror #assassination #lfrp crystal #lfrp ffxiv #balmung lfrp #ffxiv roleplay #balmung #viera #ffxiv fc

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fictional-orphan-smackdown · 15 days

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ROUND 3, MATCH 1!

All propaganda and what each competitor is from under the cut

The Baudelaire Orphans (A Series of Unfortunate Events)

The epitome of orphans, they’re the best

“I’m having a very terrible childhood right now”-Klaus

Every single guardian they try to obtain throughout the series turns out to be someone who wants the large inheritance left for them and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

their parents die tragically in a fire and then everything awful proceeds to happen to them

this series taught me so many cool words and phrases and I love each of the 3 main characters so much

They are THE orphans. They have lost not only their parents but multiple guardians that they went to live with as well.

They are constantly going through it, give these kids a break for real

Jin Ling (Mo Dao Zu Shi)

He's brought up to blame this one guy for his parents' deaths and then discovers as a teen that it's a lot more complicated than that which he struggles with a lot (he does stab the guy) but after some processing he comes out dealing with it better than a lot of the adults surrounding him. He's got a lot of issues (bring brought up by 2 uncles one of whom is a scheming villain and the other physically abusive) but by the end of the story you get the impression that he's not a lost cause 💛

Imagine being less than a year year-old, and both of your parents dying and you thinking it is the fault of your adopted uncle. Who it wasn’t. It was a non-adopted uncle. Who will then try and kill you later. And you have to spend like half the year with that Uncle and the other half year with an emotionally stunted Grape. Who never learned words correctly. Which means that you never learned how to use your words, because smiling murderous Uncle was essentially a compulsive liar, who flattered people scowling slightly murderous Uncle speaks in glares??? A’ling you were damned from the start

#poll #a series of unfortunate events #violet baudelaire #klaus baudelaire #sunny baudelaire #mdzs #mo dao zu shi #jin ling

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acceptccnow · 6 months

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Strategies for Seamless CBD Merchant Processing

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | Accept-Credit-Cards-Now.com

In the continuously expanding realm of e-commerce, the CBD market stands out for its remarkable growth and potential. However, businesses in this domain often face a significant hurdle when it comes to payment processing. The high-risk nature of CBD sales can make it challenging to find reliable solutions. But fear not, because, in this article, we'll explore the world of CBD Merchant Processing and reveal strategies that will enable you to accept credit cards for your CBD business seamlessly.

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Understanding the Challenge

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mindful-of-ideas · 10 months

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Headcanon: Umbrella Academy

-The Umbrella Academy as Greek Gods (Klaus and Five)

Part 1

Klaus as Dionysus (Διώνυσος)

I know you’re going to say that this one is obvious and easy but hopefully, I will blow your mind because you are not ready for the depth of my analysis for this one. So we will start by getting the obvious out of the way. Dionysus is mainly known for being the god of wine and madness. This, of course, fits perfectly well with our drug-addicted-hissing-at-a-ghost Klaus. We will talk more about madness a bit later, so let’s focus on wine for a minute. Dionysus is associated with wine as a drink but as well as everything around it such as viticulture and the consumption of wine. In Ancient Greece there were two main events, where wine was important, that were considered dionysiac: symposium and komos. Symposiums take place after dinner and are reserved for men. It’s a moment to drink wine and talk about poetry, politics and love. It is reserved for an elite group of people that are part of the aristocracy and is held in private. This is very reminiscent of Klaus’ time in 1960. While he turned away from drugs and alcohol, he did end up being the leader of a cult, a very rich and elite cult. He was honoured in a way that is similar to Dionysus during symposiums. As for the komos, it is a celebration held after symposiums. After everyone is properly drunk, the party takes to the streets and people go around knocking on doors and inviting themselves into other parties. There’s an amazing example in Plato’s Symposium if you want to check it out! And this, this is exactly like Klaus in season 1. From the moment we meet him, we understand that, at this point in his life, he is someone who thrives when he is high. He will transgress any social norms without any second thought. He wants to be partying all the time. I also want to mention that Dionysus is associated with music and dance, but a kind of music and dancing that is liberating and not so much intellectual. You see, Dionysus plays a kind of flute named the aulos. Since it is a flute, it is impossible for him to play and talk at the same time, he cannot teach through his music. This combined with madness gives a more liberating aspect to his music. Now, we’ve seen Klaus dance, more than once. While all the Hargreeves seem to have fun dancing, Klaus is out there having the best time. The Footloose scene, he’s giggling like a little girl. The one when Hazel and Cha-cha end up kidnapping him, it is pure chaos. He truly doesn’t care about how he looks and clearly just wants to have fun. Dionysus is all about that kind of freedom and liberation, there’s a whole cult dedicated to Dionysus Eleutherios, literally meaning Dionysus the Liberator.

Before moving on to madness and mania, it’s worth mentioning some of Dionysus’s characteristics. Dionysus is all about ambiguity. He is man and woman, Greek and foreigner, God and mortal. And so is Klaus! Klaus is man and woman. In season 3 he basically comes out as non-binary but even before that, we get to see him embrace his more feminine side. I do think however that there is a difference here. Dionysus’s ambiguity regarding his gender is often questioned. It is part of the plot of many Ancient Greek plays. However, Klaus’s gender identity never seems to be questioned, not by his siblings or anyone else for that matter. So even if he, just like Dionysus, doesn’t care about the way he presents himself, others’ reactions do differ. Dionysus is also Greek and foreigner. He is a Greek god for sure, but in most stories, he is described as coming from another country, often Lydia or Phyrgia, and coming back to Greece to impose his cult on some cities like Thebes. Klaus also presents this characteristic. There is no denying that he is part of the Umbrella Academy. However, he is often forgotten by his siblings and seems like he doesn’t truly belong among their ranks. In season 1, he literally gets kidnapped by Hazel and Cha-Cha and no one notices it. In season 3, he goes on his own little adventure with dear old Reginald to learn about his immortality and once again, his siblings don’t really seem to notice his absence. So isn’t he like a foreigner in his own family? But at the same time, he is always there for them. He will pretend to be Five’s dad, he will make sure Allison and Viktor are having fun (and getting drunk), he cares about Ben a lot and they all do care about him in return. Diego will make sure he feels okay, Luther will protect him, Five will go see his mother with him and so on. At the same time, Klaus is part of and alienated from his family. Finally, Dionysus is, yes, a god, but often he is mistaken for a mortal. His mother, Semele, was a mortal woman, while his father is Zeus. So the fact that he could become a god is very unique. Many also thought that Semele had a child with a mortal and not a god. Similarly, Klaus is immortal. We know it for sure now, but there was a time when even he himself did not believe it. It is my opinion that when we meet him, in the ambulance, that is actually the first time we see his immortality at work. I’m convinced Klaus overdosed many many times but always thought paramedics were able to revive him instead of believing it could be his powers. But just like for Dionysus, there is an ambiguity. Did he always have these powers or did he just get lucky a lot? Ambiguity is at the heart of Klaus’s personality.

Now it’s time to talk about madness, or should I say mania. It is the right word to use when talking about Dionysus. The word ‘mania’ comes from the verb mainomai (μαινομαι) in Ancient Greek meaning to become crazy or furious. There are two types of mania as well, one is good, white mania, and deliberate, while the other, dark mania, is bad and imposed on someone. Usually, in myths and stories, dark mania is the one in cause. Both mania are the same in every other aspect. There’s no way really to differentiate them except for the willingness of the participants. Those afflicted by white mania are Dionysus’s followers, while he will inflict dark mania upon others. Right, so now we have enough info to move on to Klaus. Because, just like Dionysus, Klaus does gain a large following of people. Obviously, in season 2, he has a whole cult following him almost blindly and you can see how they are similar to Dionysus followers. They willingly decided to follow Klaus, just like people afflicted with white mania willingly follow Dionysus. They are very loyal to him and will do basically anything he asks even if it is dangerous. But, he doesn’t really abuse his power to make them suffer, as he does not feel the need to. Similarly, Dionysus won’t mess with those afflicted by white mania, since they already follow him willingly. However, more importantly, Klaus has one really unwilling follower, Ben! He does not want to be around Klaus yet is stuck with him. Or at least that is what we think is happening for most of the show. We are made to believe that Klaus’s need for Ben was what made him come back as a ghost. That Klaus was the one to make him stay around because of his emotions and powers. This is very similar to dark mania. Dionysus’s want for trouble and respect is what pushes him to use his power and inflict dark mania. Even in the end, once we learn the real reason why Ben stayed, we could argue that Ben did it because of Klaus. Not because Klaus was forcing him to stay, but because he was allowing him to do so. Klaus was allowing him to take his time and ‘cross to the light’ when he is ready. His mania ended once its purpose was fulfilled, which is very alike dark mania in myths. Dark mania doesn’t last forever. Once Dionysus is content, it goes away and people are faced with the horrors they did while afflicted by mania (like dismembering their own son). So, Klaus’s relationship with Ben can be seen as similar to one of dark mania but with a much nicer ending.

Lastly, Dionysus is also the god of theatre, and boy oh boy is Klaus a drama queen! For this aspect of Dionysus, I would like to talk about one play in particular, The Frogs (βάτρ��χοι) by Aristophanes. Why this play? Because it’s my favourite! But seriously, because I really do think that Dionysus in this comedy is a lot like Klaus. Fun fact, comedy in Ancient Greek might have came from ritual chants that took place during komos, which I talked about earlier. We don’t know as much about comedy as we do about tragedy, but this is still one of the possible origins. Moving on to the play, it is roughly divided into two parts. In the beginning, we meet Dionysus, who wants to go to the underworld to bring back Euripides, a real-life tragedian who died the year prior. He comes up on stage disguised as Herakles, as he is one of the few who came back from the underworld. These first scenes really are a mix of slapstick humour and misunderstandings. It is very crude humour but there are still some very witty comebacks. This is a lot like Klaus when we first meet him. He is this very absurd and comedic character who once waxed his butt with chocolate pudding and hisses at a ghost. Though we still have to acknowledge that there is a kind of cleverness to him. He did manage to steal from his father for a long time without getting caught. Even in the extreme, he still keeps a certain control over the chaos. Like when he pretended to be Five’s father in season 1. He played a role, a character, which is in itself related to Dionysus. But more than that, he created a really chaotic and unbelievable story but still managed to come up on top… kind of… The whole scene uses the very same kind of humour as the beginning of The Frogs. The play goes on and Dionysus reaches the underworld. Once he’s there, he realizes that Euripides is having a fight with Eschyles, another real-life tragedian that died. Suddenly, the whole play takes a turn and Dionysus improvises himself as judge of their conflict. The two playwrights go on to have a very intellectual fight where they try to prove how their own tragedies were better for the Athenians. This is a complete shift in the type of humour. Suddenly, it is required to have a good understanding of not only theatre but also plays, authors and tragedy to be able to understand The Frogs on all levels. We can see a similar shift in Klaus. Once he loses Dave, he changes. He’s not this always-happy-and-nothing-is-ever-bothering-me kind of person anymore. But he still is, in a way, the comedic relief. He still is one of the characters you look to when you need to laugh, but it’s much more subtle now. As the show goes on, Klaus does achieve a kind of balance between this more absurd and physically comical character and a more intellectual and sarcastic one. Similarly, this play, which is about Dionysus and his characterization by Aristophanes, does require some balance to work and make any Athenian citizen laugh and have a good time.

Five as Prometheus (Προμηθεύς)

For this one, I have to start by explaining the name itself. Prometheus or Προμηθεύς in Ancient Greek comes from the prefix pros (προς) meaning ‘before’ and the word metis (μῆτις) which is a more complicated word. You see metis generally means ‘skill’ or ‘intelligence’, it is the name of the goddess associated with wisdom, skill and craft. However, this word is specific to a more cunning intelligence, one where you trick people. You can think here of Odysseus. He is the perfect example of someone who uses his metis, especially when tricking the Cyclops (and I could talk about this for days!!). So, Prometheus’ name literally means ‘the one who uses his intelligence before’, ‘the one who thinks before’. He has forethought. And this is exactly like Five! How many times have we seen him make plans and calculations to figure out what will happen next? Yes, he’s been to the future and in some situations knows what will happen next, but it doesn’t stop him from thinking about every possible outcome and being ready for every single one of them. He is a lot like Prometheus and it will be even more flagrant when retracing what Prometheus did in the myths.

The first mythological episode I want to talk about is actually one that is very important, the trick at Mekone. Why is it important? Because it basically explains why sacrifices in Ancient Greece were the way they were. It’s what we call an etiological myth, stemming from the word aitia (αιτια) meaning cause in Ancient Greek. But let’s get on with it! The story starts with the gods having a meeting with the mortals at Mekone where the division of a sacrifice between them is to be decided. The ox, killed, is divided into two piles, one with the meat and one with the bones. Prometheus, to trick Zeus into choosing the bad pile, puts nice fat on top of the bones and the ox’s stomach on top of the meat. Zeus goes on to choose the bad pile, while the humans get the one with the meat. Did Zeus know he was choosing the bad pile? According to Hesiod, yes. But that doesn’t really matter to us. What matters is that Prometheus just decided to help the humans and just showed that he doesn’t like Zeus very much. Well, this sounds a lot like Five. On one hand, Five is just constantly helping humanity. He is willing to try and stop the apocalypse over and over again if it means saving the world. On the other hand, he also is, in a certain way, in competition with Reginald, the Zeus of the Umbrella Academy. The thing with Prometheus though is that his competition with Zeus is solely based on intelligence and ruse. He will try to outsmart Zeus in any way he can. And this, this is exactly like Five. Right off the bat, he tried to prove to Reginald he knew better than him when he decided to try time travel. He had to prove him wrong by being more clever. This goes on throughout the whole show. Five constantly need to prove to everyone that he is more clever than them but especially Reginald. He didn’t have to go around and quote the beginning of the Odyssey in the original Greek but he did it anyway!

The second mythological episode is the one where Prometheus steals the fire from the gods to give it to the humans. After the trick at Mekone, Zeus, still mad at Prometheus, decided to hide the fire from the mortals. Prometheus then stole it and gave it back to the mortals while also teaching them the arts of Hephaistos and Athena. Zeus admits that Prometheus outsmarted him before taking his revenge by sending Pandora to the mortals and sentencing Prometheus. If this isn’t exactly Five then I don’t know what it is. Five disobeyed Reginald, keeps finding a way to get what he wants from him, goes behind his back, seeks out his enemies and old friends with only one thing in mind, saving the world from the apocalypse. But there’s more to it. When Five learns valuable information from either Reginald, Pogo or his own older self, he doesn’t just keep it to himself. He tells his siblings so they can use it to better themselves or change their view of the situation. He’s not always good at it and can be really harsh but you can tell he truly wants what’s best for them Similarly, Prometheus did not only give the fire back to humans, he taught them how to use it to make their lives easier.

Finally, for all his crimes against the gods, Prometheus was sentenced to eternal torture. An eagle is to eat his ever-regenerating liver for the rest of time. However, generations and generations after first being sentenced, Prometheus will be set free by Herakles (that is Hercules’ name in Ancient Greek). Similarly, Five is in a way sentenced to save the world from the apocalypse over and over again. Ok, it might have only happened three times, but saving the world is a whole lot to do. Especially more than once! Eternal torture is also extremely lonely and Five did experience a similar kind of loneliness and pain when he got stuck in the future. I’d also add that Herakles is a son of Zeus. So far, we’ve talked about how Reginald is similar to Zeus. Logically then, one of Reginald’s children would be the one to save Five from his eternal torture which is what happens in the show in my opinion. Five’s siblings, Reginald’s children, decide to help him save the world from the apocalypse, to stop him from having to endure this torture alone. In a way, they save him just like Herakles did.

#mindful-of-ideas #umbrella academy #umbrella academy headcanon #klaus hargreeves headcanon #five hargreeves headcanon #klaus hargreeves #five hargreeves #number five #greek gods #greek mythology

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