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#But just making it more of a priority to capture little things I’ll look back on when I’m older
stuckinapril · 1 month
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Growing up w no Instagram does SOMETHING to a bitch like I really get taken aback by how second nature it is for people to whip out their phones and take pictures of the most mundane things. Not because I judge them for it but bc apart from selfies, pictures w friends, and obligatory pictures on trips I literally forget to take pictures of my life period
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sixx-sixx-sixx · 11 days
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THE TRADER’S DAUGHTER — cooper “the ghoul” howard x female!oc
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EDIT; FOLLOW @bonafideyapper FOR FUTURE PARTS
warnings(?): dbf!cooper, female!oc, oc is described as brown eyed (but feel free to picture whatever you want), proofread to the best of my ability (correcting capitalization is not my priority on my phone, this is hard enough to format as is), this series will have smut at some point but let me work up to writing that (meaning, let me smoke this joint and see where the wind takes me), there’s allusion to smut in this towards the end but it’s nothing wild
(this is part one of some) - part 2
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Daisy hadn’t seen Cooper for a very, very long time. She’d never forgotten the charismatic cowboy that told her stories of the old world and of his encounters with creatures in the wasteland. The ghoul that would bring her little trinkets from his travels, gifting her a pearl necklace for her 10th birthday. A single pearl on a dainty silver chain that she would wear every day until it wore out. She was 13 when that happened, and was utterly devastated. Thankfully, she had charmed a local boy for a new chain, sneaking behind her dad’s back to go on a few dates with the kid. She’s continue to flirt with men and make empty promises to them to replace the chain each time it broke.
Cooper had gotten himself into some thick shit, spending a good time locked up by some raiders and other bullshit that got him sidetracked. On the other side of the goddamn wasteland, on the fucking east coast. How did he even get to the fucking east coast? By the time he made it back to the trading post, over a decade had passed, and it showed in the size of the once-familiar settlement. More gambling, more fighting in the streets, whole lotta bad shit that he didn’t have time to get involved with. He made his way through the town, his gaze trained on the old trading post at the center of town. He took careful notice of how men sneered at him as he passed by them, mumbling some racist bullshit about his ghoulishness.
Fuck them, he thought as he stepped up to the door of the trading post. He opened the door to hear the old bell jingle to alert his presence, watching as a young woman walked out from the back room with a routine “Welcome to Jo’s Shack, what can I get you?” leaving her pretty pink lips.
Daisy was almost in shock, seeing the ghoul standing in her doorway. She had assumed the worst over the years, as his visits had become less and less until they were not at all. She figured he was dead, shriveled up and baking in the sun. Or worse, she worried he had gone feral, which was always going to be inevitable in his case. Either way, she would keep extra chems stocked for the day he returned.
Cooper strolled towards the counter and looked at the girl, recognizing those big brown eyes from a mile away. “Hey, little flower. Your daddy around?” He asked her, his eyes flickering down to look at the pearl around her neck. Huh, he didn’t know she’d have kept it all those years. Pretty things were hard to keep around these parts.
Daisy’s face broke out into a grin and she gave him a little nod, leaning forward to get a good look at him. “Sure is, I’ll go get him for you. he’s not gonna believe this.” She had to fight to maintain her composure and keep her excitement at bay, going through the back room and up the stairs to the second floor of the shack to where her father was sleeping. In the ghoul’s absence, Daisy had grown to be a respectable trader, taking over the face of her father’s shop after growing up learning from the best. Although the population was tougher, she was just as tough, and nobody dared to fuck with Jo’s Shack or the woman running the place.
She stepped back out to the main room and leaned against the newly-reinforced counter, a bright smile on her face as she gazed up at him. He was just as handsome as she remembered, though she was never truly able to capture how his eyes lit up at the sight of her.
“Flower, you are just as pretty as a peach.” Cooper flashed her a wide grin, unashamedly flirting with the girl who he had essentially watched grow up. And whew, did she grow up good. He couldn’t help himself as he let his sunken eyes roam over the smooth, exposed skin of her chest, the tank top she wore under her unzipped jacket left little to the imagination.
Daisy thought his southern drawl was absolutely intoxicating as she slid a little box of chem vials across the counter to him, “Thank you, Coop. Don’t tell dad I gave these to you.” She winked and leaned back as her dad came out to greet his old friend, letting the two men greet each other like they hadn’t spent any time apart.
“Cooper Howard, you son of a bitch! I hope you brought me that Brahmin you still owe me.” Josiah grinned as he pulled the ghoul in for a hug, giving him shit over some long-forgotten wager on a card game. Coop patted him on the back with a shit-eating grin, “Yessir, why, yo’ momma’s waitin’ outside!”
Daisy watched Cooper closely as she stood beside her dad, taking in the way his skin had started to redden in places she didn’t remember being scarred over before. She had spent her whole adolescence infatuated with him, playing it off as a silly little girl crush on a big strong man (who had killed for her, but that’s a story for another day.) Her pulse quickened as she overhead her father invite the ghoul inside for a drink and to rest, watching him come around the counter to push through the curtains leading to the back.
It was fucked up, Cooper knew that. He knew it was fucked up to already be thinking about the woman behind him. Thinking about how sweet she sounded when she said his name, thinking about that little pearl necklace dangling in his face as she skillfully sat atop his—
He really needed that drink, and maybe a puff of his inhaler before he went feral at the thought of something as soft and pretty as his Daisy having anything to do with something as scarred and distorted as him.
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a/n: okay yall what do we think about part one? I got to the app to post it and immediately rewrote the ending because I hated the original, so I hope this was good!
taglist: @savanahc @one-of-thewalkingdead @silverose365 @neverendingdumptser
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anti-dazai-blog · 2 years
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4- Even Higuchi’s not safe from Dazai (and other complaints)
I thought the analysis of chapter 4 would be shorter than the average analysis, since Dazai only shows up in the last panels. But Dazai does this cool thing where he somehow manages to condense a lot of Asshole-ry into a short amount of time. It would be impressive if he wasn’t such a horrible person. 
As mentioned in part 3.2, all injuries that occurred during the fight against Higuchi and Akutagawa are Dazai’s fault. He was well aware that Higuchi’s a mafia member, yet allowed Atsushi, Tanizaki, and Naomi to walk right into her trap, without giving them any sort of warning. 
I’ll recap all injuries during that fight, just so you have a clear rundown of the amount of damage Dazai doesn’t mind causing to his so-called friends and coworkers:
Naomi gets shot by Higuchi and almost dies (would have actually died if not for Yosano, so that goes to show how serious her injuries were)
Tanizaki gets stabbed by Rashoman (also a serious injury, and most likely would have died if not for Yosano)
Atsushi loses a leg (and Dazai had no way of knowing it would grow back, since the Weretiger ability has not shown its regenerative capabilities prior to this)
Atsushi, Tanizaki, and Naomi all will definitely have some amount of trauma from this (mental health is very important and I will definitely acknowledge their trauma the same way I’d acknowledge their physical injuries 
Tanizaki was forced into a situation where he had to reveal his ability to the mafia, which is something that can (and probably will) put him in more danger in the future (It’s clear from Higuchi and Akutagawa’s reactions to Tanizaki’s ability that they didn’t know all the details of it. They only knew it was non-combative. And it makes sense that they wouldn’t have known— Tanizaki is/was a high school student before joining the agency, and since he’s 18 he probably joined very recently. He’s not someone the mafia would have a bunch of intel on. But now he lost any element of surprise that he could have had in the future.)
Not only was all of that caused directly by Dazai conveinitenly neglecting to warn anyone that they were walking right into a trap, but he was listening in on his friends and comrades getting slaughtered without doing anything. And furthermore— his timing when he finally did show up was a little too perfect. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was waiting just around the corner for the perfect moment to make his dramatic entrance. 
Now, did he do this for the theatrics of it? Did he wait until this moment to reveal himself because of his need to show everyone that this entire situation is nothing more than a game to him? Or could his possible motive be to make sure Atsushi and Akutagawa’s rivalry progresses the way that he wants? He was listening in on every word said. It’s likely enough that he waited until now to finally save his coworkers (two of which are bleeding out on the ground in front of him) just for the sake of having this artificial rivalry of his own making go the way he wants it to go.
As a side proof for this, we can take a good look at his facial expression when he shows up and nullifies Atsushi and Akutagawa’s abilities. That’s a pretty big (and ominous) smile for someone who’s supposed to be there to save his coworkers from certain death.
When reading this chapter, I was very surprised to find another victim of Dazai’s antics that I didn’t remember from beforehand and definitely didn’t expect: Higuchi. 
Let’s take a moment to rehash something that happened earlier in this very chapter; Akutagawa slaps Higuchi across the face for jeopardizing their mission by shooting at the weretiger when they need him captured alive. With that in mind, let’s look at what happens when Dazai shows up:
Dazai arrives and nullifies the abilities. Higuchi questions why he’s here and how he knew to show up. Dazai, who, up until now, has made his top priority “being mysterious” and never revealed anything to anyone, decides that he would absolutely love to reveal exactly how he knew what was going on. He pulled out his headphones and his end of the listening device from his pocket, and reveals that he planted the other end on Higuchi. 
Dazai, a former mafia executive, who’s surely aware of whatever sort of hellish mafia punishment awaits those who are careless enough to allow listening devices to be planted on them, decides to reveal this information here and now. Not to Kunikida, who asked him repeatedly what exactly he’s doing. Not to Atsushi, Tanizaki, and Naomi, who he watched walk right into a trap with no warning of what sort of fight they were about to face. He chooses to completely neglect the people on the same side as him, and reveal this useful and necessary information in the one and only way that would actively harm someone.
And it would be bad enough if she was just some random mafia member, but she works with Akutagawa. She works with someone who would slap her for nearly no reason. She’s not getting away from this unharmed. And Dazai knows that.
I’ll end this off with some minor complaints. Dazai tells Atsushi to stand up right after his leg was cut off, because he doesn’t want to have to carry three people back—although his leg had regenerated, there’s no way of knowing if he would be able to walk on it right away. Imagine watching someone’s leg get amputated and replaced by an artificial leg, and telling that person to get up and walk on their way out of the hospital. That’s just cruel. But whatever, it’s Dazai.
Here’s another relatively minor complaint, this time regarding Akutagawa, to even things out a bit. When Akutagawa sees Dazai, he immediately starts telling him about the bounty on “the weretiger”. From the way he speaks, it seems like he’s talking to him the way a subordinate would talk to his boss. I wouldn’t be surprised if he subconsciously still sees Dazai in that way. And yet when Dazai hears Akutagawa talking to him in this way, and hears about the bounty, his response is along the lines of “Oh? That’s so cool!” In around 8 chapters, he finally gets around to looking into who exactly placed the bounty on Atsushi, but I’m positive that if he would have asked Akutagawa directly, right here and now, Akutagawa would have told him. Which, of course, just makes his unnecessary trip to the Mafia’s dungeon.. well, a little more unnecessary. 
Join me next week when I tell you all about how Dazai ditches work more often than he actually shows up to work, and if BSD took place in a realistic world he would have been fired by now. 
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tittafinda · 2 years
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Camera plus pro app ios 11
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Camera plus pro app ios 11 manual#
The F/E (focus/exposure) lock lets you separately control focus (via a blue rectangle) and exposure (through a yellow circle), which you can drag around to points in the preview. ProCamera offers everything and the kitchen sink, but you can selectively enable options you need. These exposure and speed options appear at the top of the preview, and you can tap any of them to select, and then use a slider at the preview’s bottom to adjust the setting.
Camera plus pro app ios 11 manual#
The ISO & Shutter feature toggles through three states, all of which are controlled through the top of the camera preview: automatic (white, unselected button in the menu), which shows the exposure value Manual Mode (green, shows M), which offers separately set shutter speed and ISO selection and Shutter & ISO Priority Mode (green, shows SI), which lets you dial in either shutter speed or ISO, and ProCamera picks the appropriate corresponding value for the other setting. For the purposes of this look, I’ll look at F/E Lock, ISO & Shutter (which has two modes), white balance, histogram, and format. Tap the hamburger button, and a panoply of options appear. You can opt which controls show up and in what combination they appear from the menu at lower right, below the camera preview. The developer should consider offering a combined format as an option. Manual’s settings let you save a RAW and JPEG image with each capture, but they can only be saved as separate files. You can also pick K and slide to a specific color temperature. The White Balance (WB) appears at the top, and tapping it lets you choose between automatic and various scenes. Manual has an interface issue with some selections. I find this approach most useful, though Halide’s “red outline” focus is a great alternative. Manual uses a DSLR-like zoomed-in area as you change focus, letting you more clearly see how dialed in you are. It requires a tap and hold to drag, and you can’t necessarily move your way through all the possible settings without releasing and tapping and holding again.įocus is just below the camera preview, and you can drag left or right on the focus slider to lock it in. The manual ISO and shutter-speed controls are a little awkward to move more than a few steps through. Tap an upward pointing triangle at the top of the screen, and it changes to an M and reveals ISO and AWB buttons that, when tapped, let you set virtual film speed through a slide that appears at the bottom of the preview for ISO and white balance scenes from a set of icons at the top. It’s unique and incredibly handy, especially in bright light.īut there’s more beneath the hood. Here, Halide essentially reveals what the algorithm has figured out is the plane of focus in the field of view. Algorithms determine whether something is in focus by finding adjacent pixels with somewhat different tonal values and adjusting focus back and forth until the highest contrast gets reached. Halide doesn’t offer a zoomed-in view to ensure focus, but if you’re using manual focus and tap the circle at left, which has a discontinuous circle inside it, the app uses a remarkable and vivid focus hint: everything in focus is traced in bright red. Either tap it or drag from the left, and you engage manual focus. An AF (for autofocus) is lit up in yellow and just below the preview. In its default setup at launch, the only thing you control is exposure by sliding a finger up or down anywhere on the camera preview. Nonetheless, it’s a lot of power available through a few sliders and taps. It doesn’t entirely succeed, and a four page “manual” isn’t enough to reveal everything. Halide has a unique focus highlight helper.Īpp Store) tries to put all features on the main screen, making them fully discoverable and intuitive. The app lets you save a RAW file for every shot with a single lens either as a combination JPEG or TIFF and RAW file or as separate files. Tapping a lock icon in the camera for either focus or exposure locks in the current settings and overrides automatic changes, and also drops a lock icon into the center of the affected controls at the view’s bottom. However, the lack of a visual indicator-as in Manual and Halide below-to help know when an object or scene is in focus makes it hard in my experience to use manual focus in bright light. You can adjust focus manually by tapping its icon at the view’s bottom, and then dragging back and forth. In advanced settings, you can swap between shutter priority and “full manual.” You can also use settings to switch between color presets, like daylight, and a color temperature slider. Changing the shutter speed switches to shutter priority, favoring that above the other parameters. Tap either the shutter or WB icons at the bottom of the camera view and dragging either. Exposure combines shutter speed and white balance, but you can break them out.
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bakumu-archive · 3 years
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you already have me
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bakugou x reader
wc: 1.8k
summary: you expect to spend the night relaxing while bakugou spends time with his friends, until game night gets cut short and you become the center of his attention
cw: porn with little plot, daddy kink, praise kink, creampie, unprotected sex, a lil cum eating (idk if it counts but just to be safe), he carries the reader (he’s strong, he could carry you), a lil fluff as a treat, aged up characters, established relationship
a/n: posting for third time hoping to show up in the tags ✌
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“DIE, YOU NERDS!”
Chuckling to yourself as you hear Katsuki scream obscenities from the game room, you continue your work in the kitchen making dinner. Standing by the stove and waiting for the water to boil you can’t help but miss his presence, even if he’s only a room away.
Your thoughts drift through various ideas: what are you going to do for the rest of the night, if your favorite fanfic has had an update come out, what Katsuki’s schedule looks like next week… Your thoughts always drift back to him, the love of your life and you can’t help but be jealous of his keyboard right now.
Gaming night with the boys was—as much as he would never admit it—one of Katsuki’s favorite things. He missed seeing his friends every day like back in their UA days, but since becoming a pro hero, getting engaged, and buying a house he has had to shuffle his priorities around. Usually, you spend the whole evening trying to relax as his shouting soothes your eardrums from the other room, but tonight is different as his footsteps suddenly sneak up behind you.
Grabbing your hips, he pulls you back into him. “Hey princess, I’ve missed you.”
His voice is huskier than normal, sending vibrations right to your core. His hands grip your hips tighter and you push your ass back into him.
“Katsu! I thought you were playing games tonight?” Your question sounds whinier than you intended but right now you couldn’t care less.
He hums behind you, grinding his growing erection into you some more before muttering, “Denki had to stop, early patrol tomorrow.”
He turns you around and picks you up so you are sitting on the countertop, hands skimming down your sides until he is gripping at your hips again. Stepping between your thighs to get closer to you, his eyes rake up your body taking you in. Your breathing is heavy, making him chuckle.
“You’re so worked up already, have I been neglecting my pretty girl?”
If you weren’t so turned on, you would have rolled your eyes at him, but all you do is whimper. You pout as he smirks at you, moving his hands under your shirt to rub your soft skin with his thumbs.
How he is able to turn you into a whimpering mess with just a few actions is always a surprise to you, but it has been a few days since he’s given you this much of his undivided attention.
His mouth is just a breath away from yours as he stares at your lips. “Guess I’ll have to make it up to you.”
Ghosting his lips over yours, toying with you, trying to drive you crazy. Surging forward, you try to capture his lips, but he pulls away just out of reach. As you beg him with your eyes to kiss you already, he licks his lips and lets out a deep groan before crashing his lips onto yours.
Tongue and teeth clashing into each other, he reaches one hand around your back, pulling you closer to him, while the other traces up your body to your neck. Angling your head, he kisses you deeper. A moan you didn’t even know you were trying to keep down emerges, breaking the kiss.
Feeling entirely too hot, you grab the bottom of your shirt and pull it over your head, quickly following it with your bra. Sucking in a breath as you expose your chest to him, he follows your lead, throwing his shirt across the room. Your eyes watch your fingers as they ghost across his abs before they move slowly up his body, bringing out a shudder from Katsuki. He’s holding his breath, waiting for you to make the next move. When your hands make their way up to his neck, you meet his gaze. His eyes are hungry, consuming your soul. It feels suffocating, but you can’t look away.
He moves his lips back to yours needily. He peppers kisses down your face before starting his assault on your neck. He starts out lightly kissing your skin at your pulse point, but as you moan more, he can’t hold himself back. He sucks and bites at your weak spots, intending on leaving his mark. His lips start to ghost down your chest as he moves his palms from your waist to your breasts, kneading them before attaching his mouth to one of your nipples.
Moans escape from your mouth as your hips move on their own against his cock. You can feel how hard he is through his jeans and your mind goes numb at the thought of him. Your hand reaches down to rub him through the fabric and you feel him pulse under your palm.
“F-fuck. Keep doing that, princess, and I’m gonna cream my pants,” he whispers breathlessly. He must be as frustrated as you if he’s already this close.
Looking down at him, you bat your eyelashes and whisper, “I’d rather you cum in me, daddy.”
A guttural moan leaves his throat. He suddenly turns to the stove - shutting off the burner that you had completely forgotten about with a slam before moving his hands back to your body, gripping under your thighs. You wrap your arms around his neck as he effortlessly picks you up off the counter. Wrapping your fingers into his hair, he resumes his assault on your neck as he makes his way to the bedroom.
He places you down on the edge of the bed and you stare up at him. His body looks like it’s glowing. A thin sheen of sweat on his skin, fiery eyes roaming all over your body, and with some of his hair sticking to his forehead, you think he looks like a god. He slowly starts to take off his jeans, dragging them down his hips slowly. He’s teasing you, knowing that you are getting wetter from watching him.
His cock springs free and you gasp, realizing that he wasn’t wearing any underwear. The sight of it makes your core clench. You desperately wish for it to be in your hands, your mouth, your cunt, honestly anywhere on you at this point.
“If you see something you want, you know you just have to ask for it,” he says as he closes in on you. His body encompasses yours. Looking down from above you, surrounding you in all of his heat, he places his hands on either side of your hips, waiting.
“Please, Katsu. I just want you.”
He lets out a small “tch” before reaching down to pull off your pants and underwear.
“You already have me, dumbass,” he says affectionately.
Your eyes meet and bask in the tender moment before his lips are on you again. Scooting you back on the bed, he climbs on top of you. Your lips meet in a frenzy, swallowing each other’s moans before they can escape. Both of you lose yourself to the kiss, tongues meeting in unison. He pulls away from you and you groan at the loss of contact.
His hand runs down your body, before dipping between your folds. A groan leaves him. “Fuck, baby. You’re already so wet for me.”
He gathers up your slick on his fingers before he brings them up to his mouth. Keeping his gaze locked with yours, he places his fingers in his mouth and moans. His eyes flutter as he sucks them clean. “You always taste so good. Mmm. If I didn’t need to fuck you so bad I’d eat your cunt out for hours.”
You can’t help but feel your empty hole flutter at the thought, but you agree. You are way too needy right now.
“Please, Katsu. Fuck me already. I need you, daddy.”
You can feel his body shudder when you drawl out those last words. He’s losing his composure and it’s exactly what you need right now.
He slowly spreads your legs out wider for him. He slides the tip of his cock against your clit and through your folds, drawing out moan after moan from you. And from the looks of it, Katsuki looks like he isn’t faring any better. He’s concentrating on not cuming already and he’s not even inside you yet. He places his elbows on the bed next to your head as the tip of him slides inside of your wet cunt, stretching you so deliciously. You missed his cock so much, even if it’s only been a few days. He pushes in you slowly and when he finally bottoms out, you both release a small, “fuck.”
His lips move against yours as he slowly pulls out before slamming himself back in, hitting that perfect spot inside of you. You break the kiss, arching your back, not being able to concentrate on anything except how he feels inside of you, as he keeps a steady pace fucking you expertly.
Your walls already fluttering around him and he moves his hand down to thumb at your clit. “Gonna cum for me already? That’s my good girl.”
At his praise, you feel your whole body tense. Your orgasm races through you, causing you to cry out his name like it’s the only word you know, vision turning black as you see stars, and your head swims in your high. His hips stutter as he lets out a string of curses before he pushes his cock deeper into your dripping cunt, spilling his cum into you.
He stays inside of you as he relaxes his body, putting some of his weight on you. Both of you are trying to catch your breath, as he looks down at you and smiles.
“I love you so much, you know that?”
You grin back at him, looking into his eyes that are so full of love and tenderness. “Yeah, I know, Katsuki,” you reply.
You kiss his nose, causing him to blush and you laugh. “Really, you just fucked the life out of me, but one kiss on your nose has you blushing? You’re so cute.”
He pulls out of you, rolling his eyes, and retorting, “Shut up, dumbass.” He climbs off the bed as you laugh. You roll to your side, watching him and following his ass with your eyes as he picks the discarded clothing off the floor. He reaches out a hand to you to pull you off the bed. “Lets get cleaned up and figure out dinner.”
You accept his help, using his hand to anchor yourself while your legs return to their non-jelly form. He kisses your forehead once you’re stable and as you make your way to the bathroom, he slaps your ass.
“Keep doing that, Katsu, and we’re gonna have to go for round two,” you tease.
He pulls you back into his warm embrace and wraps his arms around you. “Oh yeah? If we order takeout, I bet I could get two more rounds in before the food gets here.”
You laugh while he goes to find his phone to order from your favorite restaurant. You can hear him yell from across the house. “They’ll be here in 40 minutes, get back on the bed!”
God, you were in for a long night, but with Katsuki you wouldn’t have it any other way.
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reilliane · 2 years
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Enchanted ★ Aether
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— ★ Scry: Solar Umbra + Aether + Modern AU — ★ Genre: Romance + Fluff — ★ Concept: That strange man... just who was he to you? Your mind speaks of a stranger, but your heart says differently. — ★ Words: 2.5k A/N: In the beginning, this was a normal kind of modern au, but listening to Taylor's song of the same name suddenly gave me a spark of something—then I incorporated a little theme that you dears will identify later, and boom! :'DD
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If you knew you’d be wasting your night this way, you wouldn’t have come.
But then again—how could you not? It’s the second homecoming hosted by your university and you were sick during the first one, so you weren’t able to make it.
A lot of your friends have been insistently telling you to join this time around, so why not?
Dolled up in a pretty dress rarely taken out of your wardrobe and hair stylized nicely whilst not being over the top, you left home with a pep on each of your steps.
It had been going nicely.
The splendor of the venue lived up to everyone’s grand expectation, and those present did little in holding themselves back from capturing a sliver of how the night passed back when you were all struggling college students. Entertainment-wise, of course.
The event genuinely categorizes itself as one of the best moments in life, but that was rather fleeting—as all good things are.
For not even three hours into the party, half of your friends have to leave, their reasons being work-related or a sudden emergency that required their attention.
And now, the time isn’t even nine and yet—the last one of your friends is leaving, having to look after her sick sister.
“I’m really sorry, [Name],” Barbara bows her head one too many times as she stands up in a fuss, squeaking when her given silverware clatters to the navy carpet.
“I wish I can stay and accompany you for some more, but I really have to go. I’m so—”
“Ah-ah, don’t continue, just go.” You don't mean to sound so dry in urging her to hurry because you know how much she cares for her family, but you also can’t help the tone.
The disappointment is just too discernible that if you try sounding jolly, it’d flunk.
Catching the dismay on both your features and voice, Barbara lets this flustered sound that has you bobbing your throat in guilt. So, you ease your expression and send her a smile.
“It’s okay, really. We can just catch up some other time, no?”
“[Name]…”
You beam at her, doubling the size of your smile as if forcing yourself to display an emotion so counterfeit and believable that no one would even think it to be false.
Unfortunately, Barbara has been a longtime friend, so it’s easy to say that she knows that you are simply trying to be optimistic.
She sniffles and, in a speed of light, she picks up the silverware, places them on the table—and leans forward to clasp your hands in hers. “That’s a promise! I’ll make it up to you!”
Oh, this sweet person. How can you stay dispirited after such a moving oath?
It’s a little silly, given you’ve passed the age where childish promises exist—but this is a night to reminisce, no?
“Alright, alright, now go, Jean’s waiting.”
It takes her a couple of moments—her hesitance clearly taking part—but when she does, her smile is trembling. You don’t quite blame her, this is the first time you’ve seen each other in years and she’s leaving so soon.
But with a nod and a little shove, she gets moving and her mind clicks onto her current priority.
Waving you goodbye, the blonde scurries off, heading in the crowd with only her glimmering white frock telling you of her form getting farther and farther away.
Once you’re certain that she’s gone, you drop the heavy smile and sigh, looking down at your plate. Dinner and dessert have lost their spark.
Appetite waning, you simply tap the slice of [flavor] cake with your fork, no longer able to find the capability to take a bite even with the delicious-looking icing and décor.
There’s room for dessert—but you’re simply not up for it.
All of a sudden it seems like the already chilly venue has gotten even colder.
The music blasting in the speakers fades in the back of your head, the lights that flicker into a different hue with each passing minute becomes a messy blur, and you feel yourself shrinking.
You’ve always been the kind of person who keeps to your own circle of friends, withdrawing far from unneeded attention.
So everyone in the venue, regardless of being your batchmates, are merely familiar faces. Not people you’re close to.
Perhaps this is the universe’s way of mocking you for being too hopeful for a wonderful time? It sounds plausible.
Life has its way of bringing someone down right when they’re at the summit, after all, and you’re a victim like many others—but you suppose you can’t have a break from it.
You do not know how long you’ve stayed seated, but with the minuscule observation of how everyone has gotten rowdier and chaotic, the drinks are kicking in. It must’ve been hours.
In that span of time, you’ve miraculously emptied your dessert plate but stuck to sitting. Maybe it’s finally time to leave.
You sigh loudly—not like anyone is sober enough to notice your dismay—picking up your purse and leaving the table, all prior contentment gone.
The click-clack of your heels vanish in the musical cacophony played by the DJ. Getting to the only exit of the venue means you’ll have to go through the sea of chaos, and if you’re going to be honest, it sounds far from being pleasing.
But oh well—at least better times await you back home.
Tightening your grip on your purse lest you drop it on the dance floor, you exhale and trudge on. As expected, it’s a nightmare trying to walk your way through.
In fact, it’s a miracle that you haven’t fallen from the many times someone has bumped into you in the midst of their dancing.
“I’m here, wait, just trying to get throu—!”
You spoke too early.
Someone collides with your front, far too swiftly for you to maneuver out of and suddenly you are falling on your back.
The flashing lights do an incredible job of rendering your sight useless so you’re left flailing—attempting to latch onto something.
A hand seizes your arm before you can hit the floor, pulling a little too roughly and thus making you topple forward.
Nothing but the gasp that moves out of your lips can be heard—and only the electrifying zap is felt as you’re hurled onto your savior’s chest. The grip on your arm squeezes and—and there’s this jolt that adds up to the previous sensation.
All of a sudden your vision is milking with white and replaced with images of a grand room with masked, dancing people. The music vanishes, in its stead, whispers that feel awfully close to your ear.
“A lovely night to you,”
There is a picture of a smiling blond man kissing the back of your hand somewhere a little far from the waltzing group of nobles. In a golden ballroom with navy curtains.
“Your surname does not matter at this moment. Rivals our houses may be, tonight, we can speak merrily. As we wished.”
Although you are well aware that this—this imagery is a complete hoax and you are in a different place and time, it feels too surreal to pass it off as a hallucination.
It all melts away into another scene, one in which it plays in your entire perspective; hands clasped with the same man, laughing as you run through a labyrinth of green with the moon as your witness.
“The party was a little stifling, wasn’t it, lady [Name]?” his chuckle resonates in the center of the maze, where a grandiose gazebo stands and he invites you with a gentle tug.
“Don’t worry, here there are no prying eyes. Don’t be burdened, my lady.”
He turns—slowly, as if the sands of time decided to delay itself. Then there is burning in your chest, a stabbing kind of burn—then a sharp cry.
“[Name]—!”
A multitude of colors swarms all at once for the nth time, making a splatter of the image and messing with what’s supposed to be a picture of the man’s face.
You think you hear whispers and exclamations, but you’re being reeled back—into the present.
“Aether! There you are! You stopped speaking in the call so suddenly!”
With a single tick of the minute hand, the hand latching onto your arm disappears, and along with it, the scenes in your head. It’s as if the man’s pull has strung away all that you’ve been seeing and hearing.
Taking a gasp—as if you’ve breathed back into life—you look up and-
The man before you holds the same surprise as you do, unmoving as he is pulled away. He has his phone hovering over his ear, lips parted to gape.
His hair is the same shade as the one in your vision and his eyes—heavens, his eyes sparkle with a depth of gold, bearing wonder and the desire to know more.
That alone leads you to believe that he’s seen the same things as you did.
“My lady, to be subjected to this penalty…”
Your breath hitches and so does his.
“If you’re to bear the woe of this fate, then fear no longer,”
There is someone pulling him away from you and the crowd—someone… perhaps his sister? Still, your eyes do not leave his, and his does not leave yours.
“I will join you, my lady—in hopes that in our next life, fate will be merciful.”
The whispers stop and time resumes its normal pace. The dancefloor is once again booming, everyone is dancing to their hearts’ content—and you’re moving forward to- you don’t know, to reach for a stranger.
He seems to understand your intention and attempts to do the same, the bewildered eagerness in his eyes mirroring yours.
But in the chaos, you’re knocked away and so is he—until his outreached fingers can no longer be seen.
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That was a night exactly four months ago and up until the present, it’s yet to leave the crevices of your mind.
It came and it went so abruptly that you’re left hanging, confused and flustered with a heart that paced in a way you didn’t know it was capable of until that meeting.
It’s almost a shame to say that a stranger—who infiltrated your headspace—has such a bizarre to make your heart race to the point that you stayed longer in the venue than necessary.
Looking for a man who couldn’t be found even when it was time to leave.
Slapping your cheeks, you begin walking across the crosswalk, not quite as concentrated as you’d prefer. Well, you’re focusing on something—or to be specific, someone—rather unhealthily.
Seriously, I should stop. You convince yourself after a dry swallow, fingers twitching in the pockets of your jacket. What use is thinking over someone I don’t know?
You think this, and yet—there is bitterness on your tongue. As if something deep within does not wish to let go under any circumstances.
You think this, and yet, your feet are leading you to the same place you’ve been frequenting in your free time—hoping to catch a glimpse of the same person who’s been plaguing your head twenty-four-seven.
It’s almost laughable.
Feet stopping in front of the venue—now hosting a wedding feast, you realize—you peer through the glass, captivated by the theme of the ceremony.
The same gold and navy accents appear identical to what you’ve seen in that dreamy haze sometime ago.
Everyone inside is having the time of their lives.
Pursing your lips with minute aversion, you resume walking, eyes downcast.
This is yet another day of futile hope.
But then, the approaching feet at your left, walking their own way to cross with yours, stops—and you feel compelled to pause. So you do.
And when you lift your stare, your heart picks up the pace as it did.
Four months ago.
Ah… was he also going here to visit? You think, feeling oddly warm.
He speaks first.
“Do I… know you from somewhere?”
Funny, it’s the same thing you wanted to ask him in the first place.
You look at him from head to toe, examining his sunlit hair and golden eyes, studying his entire appearance and endeavoring to liken it to those you’ve met and befriended. To no avail.
There is only one ‘place’ where you ‘met’ him.
“.. No, I don’t think so.” Is your response.
“I see. I thought as much.”
But that place is nothing more but a figment of your imagination, right?
He nods—his form of bidding adieu, maybe—and you return the gesture paired with a small wave, then you’re both crossing each other’s paths. Away to your own destinations.
You have gotten your answers and you know it to be true; you do not know one another, you’re simply strangers.
Strangers, and yet—why is it that with each step taken away, your feet get heavier?
Strangers, and yet—why is it that when you turn at a block, it feels like you’re turning your back on a once in a lifetime chance that won’t ever present itself again?
You don’t understand.
You don’t understand the pitter-patter of the urge to go back, nor the way your chest hollows at the prospect of leaving, and the manner in which your heart laments for a man you can’t even name.
But you’re spinning on your heel and sprinting down the road, anyway, making sure to yelp a quick apology to those you’ve bumped into.
And you keep running—and running and running until you’re back at the street you met him at and-
He’s there, right in front of you, drawing heavy breaths as if he’s done the same thing.
You both take a moment to catch your breaths, the eye contact feeling right and meant to be. You ask him first this time around.
“What’s your name… ?”
“Well hello, good sir, may I ask for your name?”
He stands up to his height, still strained from running, but eased enough to respond.
“Aether… it’s Aether. You?”
“And you, fair maiden?”
There are butterflies fluttering in your stomach the more he keeps his stare on your profile and you don’t know why, but it’s flustering. You cannot help but shy your gaze away at the intensity.
“[Name]..”
“What an enchanting day this is to have met you,”
“Listen-“
You both break into flushes of pink upon speaking at the same time, encouraging the other to continue with what they planned to say, but no one is giving in.
Breathing in and out, you start—
“If you’d like-“
—But your words clash with his again, and this time the two of you are erupting into goofy smiles. What little trace of awkwardness has then vanished.
You nod for him to continue, bringing your fingers across your lips to gesture that you’re sealing your mouth shut to avoid confusion. His expression softens—and your chest floods with warmth.
“This is sudden, but, if you want to…” the pinks on his cheeks turns red, “Would you like to go out with me sometime?”
“You flatter me, sir,”
You find yourself smiling as you reply, “Of course.”
“But I do agree, it’s quite enchanting to have met you, as well.”
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a/n: yes, there was a tiny smudge of Romeo and Juliet. yes. yESSSS- AHH I hope you like this, requester anon!! There is also an Aether req that's a little similar in the reincarnation aspect but it'll be completely different in narrative! ;> @cherryflushz @scarlet-halos
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭'𝐬 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬
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Text
Goldrush (Taylor Sloane/ Reader)
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Hello everyone!
Venturing out from Wanda/ Leigh to provide you all with, drum roll please... fluff! Taylor Sloane fluff to be specific! Loosely inspired by Taylor Swift's "Goldrush".
Summary: Social media influencer were shallow. You couldn't stand them... So why were you letting this one get close to you?
It took all you had to bite back the groan of annoyance when you stepped foot on the beach. Your little hideaway had been discovered and you weren’t sure if you’d be able to find peace there ever again if it was going to be full of all these shallow ‘influencers’.
“Nothing is sacred anymore.” You mumbled to yourself as you carefully pulled out your vintage Olympus OM-1. Your most prized possession.
As you began to prepare the film a commotion caught your attention. You turned your head to see someone approach a small group of obnoxiously loud people. It looked like the person was asking to take a picture with a blonde in the group. The sight immediately lost your interest as you turned your attention back to your film.
You were scouting to see if you would be using this location for your future photoshoots. That was your priority. Not the obnoxious people who wanted attention.
Carefully brushing away the sand, you wandered over to a manmade trail of rocks that lead out into the serene ocean. The sun gleamed brightly on the water and tinged it with an ethereal glow. A beautiful sight if you slowed down long enough to take it in. You kneeled so you were at eye level with the rocks, aligning the camera so it was could capture the sight, the cold water gently lapping against the soles of your worn-out converse.
Just as you had set up the shot a sharp cough made you jump, almost making you drop your camera into the water. The interruption alone made you clench your jaw in annoyance as you turned to find the source of the sound. Your eyes meeting with the blonde from earlier, a fake smile on her face. It was clear she was one of those ‘influencers’.
Beautiful but empty. An illusion of beauty.
“Can I help you?” You mumbled.
The plastic smile never wavered. “You’re a photographer.” You stared at her blankly, waiting for the question. “Can you take a picture for me and my friends? We’d ask someone else, but you’d probably be a little better.”
“Sure.” You eventually replied flatly, taking the phone she held out. The group arranged themselves against the light, so they’d all be washed out, but you didn’t say anything. That wasn’t your problem.
As soon as you lifted the phone they all stopped bickering and began laughing as if they had just heard the funniest joke . Several peace signs showing up among the group.
Fake, you thought to yourself as you took the photo. You then handed the phone back to the blonde, fiddling with the strap of your camera that was slung across your chest.
The woman immediately handed the phone back to you, making you furrow your brows in confusion. “We’re washed out. Do you mind taking it again, but like… better? Maybe try getting lower.” You bristled at the comment. The charming smile she flashed you was something you were certain got her whatever she wanted.
You almost denied the request just for the satisfaction. “Sure.” You mumbled again, crouching ever so slightly to take the picture again.
“Do you mind getting lower?” She questioned.
Before you could stop yourself, you made a face. “What? Like in the sand?”
“Yeah, that’d be perfect! Thanks.” You bit the inside of your cheek to stop the sarcastic comment that was threatening to fall from your lips. As you kneeled down in the sand you heard her whisper to her friends. “It’s cute, an amateur photographer being able to take pictures for me. She’s probably just nervous.”
The comment made your blood boil. That was the issue with all these influencers. They thought they were god’s gift to the world. That’s why you refused to work with them.
Without paying any attention, you took the picture and marched over to the woman. “Just so you know, I have no idea who you are. Have a nice day.” You said in an overly cheery voice, shoving the phone back into her hands.
The woman sputtered slightly in surprise, but before she could say anything you hurried away, clutching the strap of your camera tightly. You needed to find new places to shoot at.
_________________
As much as you tried to avoid all the places that the social media influencers went, you couldn’t help but go to this small café that they had infiltrated. It was on the edge of the coast, close enough that the ocean breeze swept through your hair as you read by the open window.
You had become such a fixture in the shop that the owners had come to expect you at least twice a week. Today was no different as you absently picked at the chocolate croissant that the owners granddaughter had eagerly given you.
Even the little girl had become familiar with your presence (mainly because you let her play with your older cameras when you were around).
Just as you were about to turn the page, the stillness of the café was interrupted by the sounds of exaggerated laughter. You refused to look up, you knew the type. They’d be gone as soon as they got their pictures anyway.
“Excuse me?”
You looked up to see two women standing before you, one the blonde from the beach. You were surprised to see she actually looked a bit uncomfortable when she saw it was you. “Yes?” You replied, placing a finger in your book so you wouldn’t lose your place.
“Do you mind switching places with us? This spot would make a better picture.” The other woman batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.
You couldn’t help but smile in disbelief. “You know what? Sure.”
The squeal that came from the other woman’s lips made you wince. “Perf! Let’s go get our stuff, Tay.” The other woman walked off as you turned to gather your things, it was time to leave. You had a photoshoot early the next morning anyway.
“What are you reading?”
Not looking up, you began packing your things into your backpack. “Middlemarch by George Elliot.” You replied. As much as you were sure this woman was vapid, you didn’t want to be rude. Even if the aftermath of her comment still prickled under your skin.
“What’s it about?”
Curiosity got the better of you as you finally turned to face her, eyeing her skeptically. “It’s about marriage, idealism, self-interest, hypocrisy, political reform… It’s a masterpiece in my humble opinion.”
The woman’s eyebrows raised interestedly. “You sound passionate about it.” You shrugged. It was your favorite book, but she didn’t need to know that. “My names Taylor.” The same charming smile she wore on the beach made a reappearance and you tilted your head in response, not impressed.
“Y/n.” You supplied.
There was a brief moment of silence in the air, Taylor’s smile wavered slightly. “About the beach, I think I came off as kind of a bi-”
“Tay! Let’s take a pic of our coffee. The beach in the background will be adorbs.” The other woman interrupted. “Do you mind?” She asked you, gesturing to the space you were standing in front of.
You pressed your lips together, shaking your head. “Not at all. It’s all yours.”
As you passed Taylor you made eye contact, she looked like she wanted to say something, but you had already walked away. Playfully you ruffled the hair of the owner’s granddaughter on the way out. You were so occupied by the way the young girl eagerly showed you the pictures she took that you didn’t notice the eyes that were watching you with interest.
_____________________
The movement around you faded as you focused on the controlled chaos that surrounded you, the people all living their own lives. Your fingers itched to capture these unsuspecting moments of beauty. Of the elderly couple holding hands on a walk, of the two friends laughing over a picture they had just taken, of the children playing catch with their dog. Of- your peace was interrupted when someone stepped into your line of vision.
You fought the urge to groan. “Are you following me?”
Taylor raised the bag in her hand, smiling slightly. “No. I was actually on my way home from the farmers market.” You squinted at her slightly, unsure of what that had to do with you. “I think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday.”
“What makes you say that?” Your paused slightly. “Do you think it’s because I’m an amateur photographer that’s nervous to be around you?” You asked with a mocking pout.
Her face flushed. “I didn’t mean to sound so…”
“Stuck up?” You offered flatly.
Taylor nodded slowly. “I swear I’m not… that type of person.”
You chuckled as you began packing your things. “Yeah, for some reason I don’t buy that.” When you stood you noticed how close she was to you. Your breath faltered slightly because you were certain you’d never seen eyes more beautiful in your life. “Why do you care? You don’t even know me.” You grumbled stepping around her.
Her footsteps followed you as she fell into step beside you. “I don’t know, you seem different than anyone I know.” You huffed in amusement. That was probably certain. “Let me show you I’m not as bad as you think I am.”
“You see, as intrigued as I am by that offer I think I’ll pass. I’ve seen your type.” You quipped, glancing at her out of the corner of your eyes. “I have an amateur shoot that I need to get to anyway.”
She groaned. “You’re not going to let that go, are you?” You shook your head. There was a brief pause. “Can I have your number?”
A short chuckle fell from your lips. “Seriously?”
Taylor nodded and held out her phone. “Get coffee with me this weekend and I’ll prove you wrong.”
You had to admit, the persistence was admirable, you’d even say cute. “Fine.” You took the phone and put in your number. “I really have to go.”
“See you this weekend. Same café on the coast.” Taylor said as you turned to leave.
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When you arrived at the café you were greeted with warm smiles as the owner offered you a tea, and raised eyebrows when you requested two. You rolled your eyes at the suggestive waggle of eyebrows you received as you walked the teas over to a table in the corner.
Glancing down at your watch, you couldn’t help but frown. 12:05. It was five minutes passed the agreed upon meeting time.
A sigh fell from your lips when another fifteen minutes passed. You mentally berated yourself for allowing yourself to hope she wouldn’t be what you thought she was. Not even a moment later you heard the chime of the bell, indicating someone had entered.
Like a whirlwind, Taylor came rushing in just as you stood to leave. “Y/n.” She hurried over to the table. “There was an accident and they stopped the freeway. Like… completely stopped it. We literally just sat there for twenty minutes. I was supposed to be here at 11:50.”
Despite yourself you couldn’t help but be amused. “Taylor.” Her eyes were still a bit wide when she met your gaze. You enjoyed the authentic emotion she was showing. “It’s fine.”
“I’m not making a good impression, am I?”
You shrugged playfully as you took a seat again, Taylor taking the seat opposite of you. “You could be doing worse.”
Taylor pushed a hand through her hair. “That’s not very reassuring.”
Again, you shrugged. “I never said I was trying to reassure you.”
For a moment she just stared at you then burst out laughing. You couldn’t help but duck your head at the sound. “I’m glad you aren’t. It’s refreshing.” She admitted when her laughter faded away.
“What? Honesty?” You chuckled as she nodded. “I hate to break it to you, but if authenticity is refreshing, you should probably reevaluate the people you surround yourself with.”
Her hands fiddled with the tea cup that you slid over to her. “Yeah, well, we can’t all be contrarians.” She retorted back.
Her words peaked your interest, you raised an eyebrow. “Did you just call me out?”
The smirk on her lips made you fidget in your seat. “How’s it feel to be on the other end?”
You nodded approvingly. “Touché, Taylor... Touché.”
“I read that book you told me about. The Middlemarch?” Your eyebrows raised in surprise. “I liked it.”
For some reason you couldn’t help but feel skeptical. “Did you really like it?”
Taylor nodded. “Yes, I did!”
“Okay.” You accepted her words as you took a sip of your tea. “Why?”
The woman sitting across from you faltered slightly. “Why?” She repeated back to you.
Your brows furrowed. “Yeah... Why did you like it?”
For a moment you watched in amusement as Taylor looked around the café as if it would hold the answers she was searching for. “I liked the characters?”
The response came out in the form of a question and you couldn’t help but feel entertained. “You know, you don’t have to pretend around me.”
Taylor’s cheeks flushed, seemingly bothered by you not believing her. “Okay. I hated it.”
You couldn’t help the boisterous laugh that fell from your lips. “That’s better!” You exclaimed. “Tell me why.”
“It’s just so pretentious and dull. I thought my eyes would fall from their sockets if I had to read another page.” She admitted flatly, her eyes shimmering with confusion when you smiled back at her.
“That’s what I like to hear!” You said encouragingly.
Taylor let out a disbelieving laugh. “What? I just insulted your favorite book.”
You nodded enthusiastically. “I know. It’s amazing.”
“You can’t be serious.” She mumbled suspiciously.
You leaned across the table slightly. “I am, and you know why? Because you’re finally being authentic.” Silence. “Look, Taylor, you don’t have to like this book because it’s my favorite or because it would make your followers think you're intriguing if you did. Ignore what everyone else is telling you to think because none of it matters. The way I see it is, you can lie and pretend to like what everyone says you should like and be miserable OR…”
Taylor leaned forward a bit as well. “Or?”
You smiled. “Or you can be honest and say when you hate something and talk about what you love instead… and be happy.”
Taylor’s breath hitched slightly and for a moment she just stared back at you. “Show me.”
“Show you what?” you questioned curiously.
“Show me how you see the world.”
For a moment you considered her words, your heart racing in your chest. “Well let’s start with this small little coastal town.” The invitation was wordless as you stood and offered her your hand.
Her hand twitched for a moment as if she was silently debating with herself. The smile she gave you when she finally took your hand took your breath away. You rolled your eyes at the way the owners watch you walk out of the shop hand-in-hand.
________________
“Babe.” Taylor whined quietly.
You raised an eyebrow in surprise. Smirking when you finally processed the word. After dating for a few weeks the term of endearment was new. “Babe you say?” You teased lightly.
Her cheeks flushed red. “When I asked you to take a picture of me, I meant with my phone not on film.” She mumbled, ignoring your question.
You decided you wouldn’t comment on it.
Just like you wouldn’t comment on the way she’d develop the film herself just like you taught her. You wouldn’t comment on the way she'd smile when they developed just right. You wouldn't comment when she would say how much better the picture looked on film… And you definitely wouldn’t comment on how endearing you found every single thing she did either.
“Taylor, everything looks-”
“Better on film.” She finished with a playful eyeroll. “I know. You probably tell me that mmm… at least once a day.”
Laughing quietly, you held the camera up to your eye, so you could focus the shot. “Only once a day? I’m going to need to step it up.”
Taylor shook her head lightly, her eyes twinkling from your antics and her lips forming into the beginnings of a genuine smile. You took the shot.
That was an authentic Taylor. No peace signs and fake smiles. The real Taylor was all twinkling eyes and crooked smiles. You had never seen a more beautiful sight.
And when she wandered over to press her lips tenderly against yours, you were sure you’d never felt anything more beautiful either.
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Taylor surprised you. And you fell for her. Fast.
Four months with her and you were certain you were ruined for anyone else.
She was something your heart had never expected.
“Babe?’ you hummed distractedly. “Babe!”
You blinked rapidly, refocusing on the world around you. “Yes?”
Taylor’s laugh drifted into your ears and you smiled at the sound. “I was asking if you’ve seen my Eagles shirt?”
“It was hanging on the door.” You mumbled. “Wait. Don’t you mean my Eagles shirt?”
She pecked your lips to avoid answering. “Thanks, babe!” Taylor winked and ran over to the door, pulling the shirt over her head. “Anything on the agenda for the day?”
You began getting dressed. “I have a photoshoot where they’re giving me complete creative freedom. Then I’m meeting with my manager since I have a few more offers to shoot a couple different things.”
A soft noise of excitement fell from her lips. “Everybody wants you.” She padded across the room, her arms draping around your shoulders. “And I have you.”
The smile on both your faces made it almost impossible to kiss, but you didn’t let that stop you.
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The movement around you faded out as you looked over your camera, feeding the film into the machine serenely. You had no idea who you were shooting today, but the company who booked you was very eager to work with you and let you have complete creative freedom. Complete creative freedom meant film for you. Not digital. The thought alone excited you. “She’s here. Are you ready?”
You looked up at your assistant after you were sure your camera was ready. “Did they water the rose bush?”
“Yes. I still don’t understand why you wanted a rose bush. We’re in the middle of a desert.” Your assistant mumbled.
“Double vision in a rose bush. An illusion… Because of the dessert. The beauty is an illusion?” You explained, rolling your eyes when you saw your assistant bite back a smile. “Shut up. Where’s this person?”
A small tap on your shoulder answered your question. “Looking for me?”
When you turned around you were met with the sight of a playful smirk on familiar lips. You squinted at her teasingly, hiding the surprise of seeing your girlfriend here. “Are you following me?”
“You’re the infamous photographer that this company was telling me about?” Taylor questioned back at you, feigning confusion.
You sent her a sarcastic smile. “No. I’m just an amateur that’s here to take pictures of you. I’m so nervous to be working with you!” You said mockingly.
Taylor groaned, the act falling away almost immediately. “That was a year ago. Before we even started dating! Are you ever going to let me live that down?”
“Hmm…” You pretended to think, your finger on your chin. “Nope.” You quipped back, popping your lips on the word.
You began walking away, smiling slightly when you saw Taylor fall into step beside you. “Maybe I’m nervous to work with you.” She said softly, taking your hand in her own and pressing a light kiss to the back of it. “After all, everybody wants you.”
“What a coincidence because I will only ever want you.” Before you reached the set-up, you turned to face her, pressing your forehead lightly against hers. “Tell me about something that makes you happy.”
Her soft breath fanned over your lips and the smile she sent you made your cheeks flush. “Well... She hates the sand but loves the beach. She practically lives on the coast she’s there so often. I sometimes need to call her out on her contrarian shit, but… I’ll never find a love as pure as her.” Her words were quiet, but sincere. Authentic. “Tell me about something you love.”
“She loves to sing to songs on the radio even if she doesn’t know the words, she dances like a goof when she’ s drunk, but she claims she doesn’t when she’s sober. Hmm… She steals my clothes.” Taylor giggled, and you couldn’t help but smile. “And more importantly, she’s also stolen my heart.” You mumbled, her lips connecting with yours almost as soon as the word left your mouth.
After a moment you pulled away, noticing your assistant walk up to you both. You turned to face her. “Never mind about what I said earlier. This beauty isn’t an illusion... and she never will be.”
That's all folks! And you all thought I couldn't write happy endings. Well, anyway, I hope you all enjoyed since this is fairly different from what I usually write.
Please let me know what you think because as always, thoughts and comments are always welcome!
P.s. Should I make a general tag list?
(P.p.s. if the Gerri stealers are reading this... rude.)
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husbandohunter · 3 years
Note
May I request a Childe X Reader fanfic where the reader has been pushing herself too hard lately and so Childe has to forcefully get her to rest? ty
By my side [Childe x Reader]//Genshin Impact
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Synopsis: You were an artist and he was an adventurer. Two people from vast backgrounds and Childe just wants to spend some time of his busy life with you. However, things didn't really go his way...at first.
(Childe x F!reader. Its all fluff)
(A/n): Perfect request anon. I too, would like to have a Childe in my life. Been getting 5-6 hours of sleep on average 😃😁. Yeah kind tossed some extra ideas with artist s/o, its a perfect reason for anyone to be busy.
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Once recieving the permission to take a week off from his diplomatic duties, the first thing Childe thought of was none other than his lovely significant other.
The harbinger knew quite well what lays ahead of his ventures to Liyue. During his quest for the archon's gnosis, he encountered many interesting events, such as meeting the rumoured traveller hailing from afar and a broke yet courteous man who turned out to be the ultimate ruler of this very country he walks upon then there was the battle against a dead god until he revived it using the sigil of permission. All of them were great additions to his story as Ajax the hero, something he always wanted to pursue since childhood. In which, also gave him something nice to write about when preparing letters for his siblings living back home. But little did the harbinger know that he'll one day bump into the heroine. A little too soon. Through your little art shop, he met you, a sweet and audacious woman with plenty of humour. That was how it all began.
While he strides down the streets between Liyue's exquisite buildings, Childe suddenly stops in his tracks and looks up to the sky. There, was painted a scenery of an evening dusk, sun rays relfected across until red and orange hues cast a river stream that led to the ends of the world. He watched the birds follow that streak like it was a path made for them to fly towards. A new adventure. You would have loved to captured this in your pictures.
And then he wonders, what might you be painting right now?
"Hey babe, I'm home~"
In a sing-song voice he calls out to you by your nick-name. You knew that Childe was an active member of the Fatui and that his time was limited, hence he made sure to write to you as well. Of course long distant relationships only makes the waiting more anticipated. When he does pay a visit, you'd run straight into his open arms, leaping off your feet to engulf him in one enourmous embrace. Then his hands will hold against your waist as he spins your round and around in the air, stealing the laughter out of your lungs before planting you back on the floor. Sometimes Childe would consider that being far away wasn't be such a bad idea as long as he was able to experience this, the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory. However...
"That's great."
He was met by a response similar to the wintry grace of Snezhnaya.
Huh?
All the fantasies he had from earlier shatters in the background as he stands there frozen. You didn't even spare a glance to the entrance, eyes still glued to the large canvas displayed at your front, too busy to even care. Childe clicks his tongue between the awkward silence with an uncertain expression. When there was no signs of initiation on your part, he shuffled his way to where you were and observes from behind.
"Well you're particularly quiet today," he muses to himself, placing a hand over his hip, "I guess that painting of yours must be really important then."
It was obvious that he was trying to nudge you into his favour. Something that you've found endearing was how quickly your boyfriend can be when he's in a needy state. So you quickly twisted over to peck him on the cheek before going back to work.
"That's better," Childe satisfiedly grins, "So who is this project for?"
"It's a commission requested by a wealthy family serving the Qixing. They're really influential in terms of the market and can really give me a competitive edge. I have to get it done in five days."
His tone flactuates as he squints his eyes, "Five days you say," he disliked the news of your schedule taking over his own, Childe only managed to take a week off and after that, he'll be away for quite some time, "Why don't you take a break? From the looks of your progress, it seems to me that you've been working on it for hours. I've got plenty of interesting stories to tell and you know, nothing can compare to sharing a warm meal within your company," he leans down to your ear level, "How does that sound?"
Several seconds went by as he waits for some sort of reaction, "Oh. Right," you blurted out and the harbinger only smiles, "I made some food earlier this morning. You can go help yourself if you're hungry."
Today was not his day.
Childe pulls out the wooden chair and slumps into the seat, a defeated huff escaping his mouth as he stared at the crystal shrimp placed on the table. It was hastily wrapped by plastic, most likely cold for a while, just like the romantic evening he had planned in his head. Normally you'll be sitting on the otherside while listening to the many tales he went through along the way. Although painting was your passion, it was undeniable that you also enjoyed his kind of lifestyle if you ever had the choice. He was rather surprised on how someone ambitious like him would end up with such a simplistic person but quickly accepted it as life was meant to be unpredictable, just the way he likes it. As Childe entertains you with his stories, he'll listen to your giggles amidst eating the homecooked meals that you both prepared together.
"I wonder if she ate already," he mumbled to his lone self. You most likely did but Childe knows you well. Artists are obsessed and they can go as far as to neglecting their own health for the sake of their masterpieces. Hence, he made sure to remind you to eat properly through the letters he wrote to you.
The harbinger takes a quick glance around the kitchen. It was a mess. The cupboards were slightly opened, metal pots were still displayed on the stone stove and the stench coming from the sink....
Childe pushes himsel up to see what was the cause.
Not even the dishes were washed.
Running his fingers through his bangs, he sighs wearily, "Old habits die hard huh?" And above all else, when artists are obsessed they also forget how disorganized they can become. Childe begins to roll up his sleeves before taking off his gloves. At times like this he'll have to pitch in and take care of it for you, "Looks like I'll be here for a while."
Throughout three sunsets and three moonrises, Childe had no option but to observe you from afar, minus the few attempts he made to regain your attention again. How you would go to bed much later than him, waking up before he opens his eyes and the effort he put into making your food only left with too many leftovers. It wasn't that you were unappreciative, instead, your mind had become too focused that your body was considered a second priority. Like anyone else, Childe genuinely thought you possessed great talent and supports you wholeheartedly. He loved it when you painted pictures just for him as if they were scenes coming out of his hero story, reminded by his adventures, capturing every detail. However he also needed to learn how to deal with this stubborn side of yours.
"Hey babe, I just finished preparing our dinner. Don't you smell that? Such a rich aroma, you should go eat."
"I'm busy."
Your diet were just small bites, the rest being substituted by coffee. Childe could clearly tell that you weren't getting enough sleep either as there were dark circles forming underneath your eyes and slowly, he was starting to become a little irritated.
Three hours passed midnight but you were still awake in the same place doing the same thing. Childe leans against the doorframe with arms folded, already changed into his sleeping clothes. He clears his throat to break the silence, "Ahem."
Your wrist hangs in mid air by the sound of a strange visitor, it was your boyfriend. Gaze in a daze, you lazily turned your head, "What time is it?"
"Way passed the sleeping hours as you can see," he points with his thumb at the table clock in a half-hearted manner, "You should already be in bed by now and don't think you can coax yourself out of the situation this time," his eyes parted in slits as he added with a smile, "Otherwise I might just have to force you myself."
You shook your head, "Give me one more hour? There's some finishing touches I really want to add so," clasping your hands together, you beamed sweetly, "Pretty please? I'll finish up soon."
"Oh really?" Childe challenges, head tossed back like he was interrogating you instead, "I believe that was also what you told me yesterday. And the day before? Adding up all of those days that would be.....four in total?" He deliberately counts upon his fingers before facing you again, this time his expression was slightly more serious, "As much as I find your determination remarkable, there are moments when you need to consider a sufficient amount of rest and this just isn't going to cut it."
"Four days already?!" You exclaimed, "Jeez, I don't even know if I'm halfway done."
Pressing his lips together, Childe glares in an acutely deadpanned countenance, it was also his time too, "Can't you ask this commissioner to extend your due date to next week? In your case, mora shouldn't be the issue since, well...you're dating me anyways."
It's true. Childe was the main reason why you didn't have to live as a starving artist. He had all your expenses fully covered from the marketing aspect to your residence, you simply chose to work out of pure will.
"I don't want to always rely on you so much," you confessed, "This commissioner could turn my whole career around. If I'm able to gain his favour, maybe I'll get promoted to a court painter for the Qixing! Who knows when there will ever be a chance like this again," pumping your fists, you spoke purposefully, "I'll pull an all nighters if I have to!"
Childe brings his hand to his forehead, you looked as if you were nearly about to collapse and yet still considering the option of an all-nighters? The harbinger should've detained you days prior before.
"Hm? Childe, what's wrong?" He suddenly falls deadly quiet and you watched him walk closer towards you, "What are--"
Hooking an arm behind your knees and the other at your back, your boyfriend lifts you up in one full swoop as he tossed you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Guess we'll have to do things the hard way," he remarks cheerfully.
"W-Wait," you flailed your arms and kicked your legs but to no avail. Childe was an experienced combatant indeed, "Put me down! I have work to do."
Your protests fall upon deaf ears as the harbinger carries you to your room. You were oddly lighter than the last time he carried you, the strength less vigor than before, it was obvious that your body was in need of relaxation. He suddenly thinks there was a possibility that you would maintain this habit while he was absent.
I should probably visit more often.
Using his free leg to nudge the door open, he places you upon the shared bed in a gentle manner. You winced at the impact of the soft sheets, surprised by how much it affect you.
"There we go. All done. Man, you really are a stubborn one, aren't you. Makes me a little worried since I can't spoil you all the time."
He quickly invited himself to the empty space on your bedside and wrapped his arms around your figure, pulling you close and feeling you whole. Childe made sure there was no escape once putting his chin above your hairline so that you could feel his warmth as much as possible.
"This is--" you stuttered. His tactic was enough to make your limbs soften and you could almost hear him smirk into the distance, "This is cheating..."
"You think so?" He comments as if pledging innocence, "I don't know babe. Where I come from those who take the initiative are the ones who end up claiming the prize," pulling back, Childe takes the opportunity to observe your pouty face, "I don't make the rules. It's just how it goes."
You wanted to argue back but he suddenly took the bedsheets and covered both of your bodies with, completely trapping you with his presence. He snuggles into you further as if you were a bear made of linen and you felt the drowsiness taking over your mind. The way he gently pats down the back of your head was enough to instantly lull you into a deep sleep.
"Cheater," you mumbled.
He laughs softly, the rumbles emitting through his chest, "I love you too babe."
Even after you've let go of your resistance, Childe continues his actions until he was sure that you were resting. He had been longing to touch you like this since living a chaotic life only made peaceful moments much sweeter, "You're such a hard-worker you know that? I'm proud of you but you have to know when to call it a day," he whispers, "If not, how can I go on trips while knowing that you're still refusing to eat properly?"
You closed your eyes and said nothing in return. All your senses were too cloudy to come up with a reassuring response. Childe listens to the way your breath evens as you intake his scent during the process. It smelled like the soap you used in the showers, lotus leaves mixed with his own unique musk. You could only focus on him. His comforting embrace. His slightly accelerating heartbeat because you were together with him.
Letting out one final yawn, you succumbed to his spell and allowed your energy to drift away.
The corners of his lips tug upwards, "Sleep well princess."
Childe reaches over to your desk drawer and shuts off the alarm clock before turning over to face you again. He couldn't fall asleep immediately, not when he had to consider taking care of the commissioner who gave you an impossible deadline. But that will be saved for another day, for now, he observes in silent serenity.
If he were to quit his job for a year, what would his life be like?
Peaceful. Something opposite of what he was living right now. Something similar to the life he had back home. As you arrange the many paintings in your little home, he'll offer to help you among the places you couldn't reach. Without a doubt, Childe was far taller in comparison. Taking strolls into the streets and trying the new dishes the merchants came up with. Then in the evenings, you'll both go to dinner dates while listening to the storyteller revealing the rumours of the legendary Tianquan Qixing. Although Childe loved the adventurous life he led, he had to admit that your domesticity and family-bringing atmosphere was a tempting idea.
Maybe one day.
He lightly takes a strand that had fallen over your nose and tucked it smoothly behind your ear. The soft snores coming out of your parted lips caused his gaze to melt. And so he steals them with his own, placing a chaste goodnight kiss.
One day I'll be sure to bring my family here with us.
Closing his eyes, he joins you in your slumber, hoping to see all that he envisioned in his dreams.
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dreamwritesimagines · 3 years
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Burn The Witch 7 - After Midnight [Bucky Barnes x Reader]
A.N: Thank you so much for your wonderful support and feedback my loves ! ❤ Here’s an extra chapter, I hope you like it as well and please let me know what you think! ❤ Thank you! ❤❤❤
Warnings: Enemies to lovers, fake dating, mentions of blood, sex, violence, death, manipulation, language, guns, knives.
Summary: Missions require stealth.
Series Masterlist
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For a spy, working at unusual hours was nothing new. During your training at the academy they would wake you up at ungodly hours to drag you to exercise just so that you would get used to being ready to fight anytime.
So technically you weren’t supposed to be this tired, but you hadn’t gotten any sleep last night. To your surprise, at around 5 in the morning you were assigned to a new mission to capture and bring another member of HYDRA in. It was unexpected because your superiors had told you earlier that earning Bucky’s trust and getting information from him was the priority, and they hadn’t sent you after any target for days up until this morning. You weren’t exactly complaining anyway, other missions weren’t your priority.
Even if you kept telling yourself what you were doing was just business, somehow talking to him didn’t feel like it.
“God damn it,” you muttered to yourself when the sight of your reflection in the elevator mirror caught your eye, making you heave a sigh and push the button to your apartment. Your shirt was stained with so much blood that you could hardly see the white and you licked your thumb before trying to scrub off the dried blood on your cheekbone. The elevator made a small noise before the door opened and you stepped outside, dragging your weary self to your door.
“What’s up neighbor?”
You jumped out of your skin and turned to Keith who was watching you with a grin on his face, holding a cup of coffee.
“What the fuck?”
“Likewise. Why are you covered in blood, you normal civilian you?”
You opened your door and stepped inside with him following you suit.
“Mission.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, “Young lady, look me in the eye and tell me you didn’t kill the Winter Soldier.”
“What? No!” you made a face, “I could never- it was another kind of a mission.”
“You already have a mission, didn’t you tell them you’re supposed to focus on that one?”
“The target was heavily protected and it needed my expertise.”
“Nobody likes a brag.”
You rolled your eyes, “Keith, General literally told me that before sending me there.”
“You’re not supposed to get close to targets anymore,” he reminded you and you shifted your weight from one foot to other, biting inside your cheek.
“It got out of control,” you murmured, making him sigh.
“Y/N.”
“It’s not like I wanted to!” you defended yourself, “It was just necessary, that’s all.”
“If you get in close combat with a target you might end up with visible injuries, and that would compromise your cover as a civilian and tip Barnes off.”
“I know, I know…” you murmured as you walked to the sink to wash your hands, then switched the coffee maker on.  
“Do you?” he insisted, “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re looking for trouble.”
You grabbed a cup from the shelf and turned to him.
“I just wanted to get it over with,” you said, “Okay? I have other things in mind.”
He pulled his brows together, “Like what?”
“Like…” you waved your hands, trying to find the words, “Like other stuff. Like my main mission— by the way I couldn’t ask the other night, why did they locate you here?”
“General said your relationship with Barnes is progressing well. It’s better to have another agent close by, just in case he decides to make a late night visit.”
The innuendo wasn’t lost on you and you raised your brows, “I feel like I’m working in a dark alternate version of a matchmaking system where they hook you up with a date you can’t trust.”
“So every dating app out there?” he asked, making you laugh as you sipped your coffee.
“Speaking of dates,” you started, but was cut off your phone beeped and you checked the time, then cursed under your breath.
“What?”
“I can’t believe I’m working at a stupid milkshake shop,” you grumbled, “I need to take a shower and get to work, see yourself out.”
“You know, you could bring some milkshake home,” he said as you walked to the bathroom, “That’s what a good neighbor would do.”
“Goodbye Keith!” you called out and closed the bathroom door.
                                    ***
You really, really needed something to snap you out of this sleeplessness. Preferably coffee, preferably in an I.V. or something because you had a feeling drinking it wouldn’t be enough at this point.
“Thank you and bon appetite!” you smiled brightly at the customer after serving them their milkshake, then dropped the smile and pulled the small apron off your uniform.
“I’m going to take a break and get some coffee,” you told your coworker “You want anything?”
“No thank you,” she said and you fixed your hair before walking outside to make your way to the coffee shop.
Keith had a point. It was stupid to get in close combat with a target, especially now. General had sent you there with clear orders of you keeping your distance and using your sniper rifle, not your dagger and in the heat of the moment, you had decided to go after him when you couldn’t get a clear shot.
“Hi, can I get a hot red eye please?” you asked the barista, “Actually no- make it a black eye, largest cup you have.”
She smiled slightly, “Long night?”
“You have no idea.”
She swiped your card before giving it to you and you walked to the waiting counter to lean against it, nibbling on your lip.
You really, really wanted to believe that your sour mood was a result of you not getting enough sleep, but deep down you knew it wasn’t like you to take unnecessary risks.
It was the fact that you had been too distracted to take the shot at the right time because you were looking down at your phone when the target had walked out of his building.
But after all, it was your main mission, wasn’t it? You had to make sure to get Bucky’s attention to get closer to him. Maybe two missions at the same time had these kind of disadvantages, but it wasn’t as if you could walk there and tell them not to give you side missions.
If you wanted to be a handler, you had to prove yourself.
You took the lid off the cup, the scent of hot liquid filling your nostrils and you grabbed the sugar packets before tearing the top off to pour sugar into it. You dipped the thin stir stick into the beverage to stir it, then put the stick between your lips but as soon as you turned around and saw who had just gotten his coffee, you held your breath.
“Hi!” you said breathlessly, pulling the thin stick off your mouth, “Um- Captain—Captain America sir.”
“Oh God no, please call me Sam.” He offered you his hand and you shook it.
“Hi Sam.”
“It’s Y/N, right?”
“Yes!” you said, “Yes, it’s wonderful to see you again. Under much better conditions where I haven’t been shot at.”  
“Bucky just went to that uh….” He paused, “Milkshake shop right? He just went there to see you.”
You scrunched up your nose, “Oh no, I literally just went on my break.”
“That’s alright,” he said, “He’ll be back here. Would you like to sit down?”
Nope.
Nope, you did not want to sit down.
You had planned a whole strategy to pull the wool over Bucky’s eyes, but Sam’s file told you that he was an excellent judge of character, much better at reading people than Bucky. Everything that you had told Bucky to manipulate him had worked so far but persuading Sam wouldn’t be that easy.
Seeing that any small sign could tip him off, you had to put even more of an effort into the illusion.  
“I’d love to!” you said and followed him to the nearest table. You sat down and pushed your hair behind you ear, smiling up at him.
“I never got to say thank you,” you said, “For saving me back there.”
“Don’t mention it, really,” he said, “How’s your arm?”
“It got better,” you said, “I thought I was dying but as it turns out, it was just a graze. Only thing that’s hurting right now is my ego.”
“Oh it happens.”
“Even you have to admit, that was a bad first impression.”
He grinned, “For what exactly?”
“For—um… for a first—first impression. In general,” you stammered and sipped your coffee while he sat back.
“So how do you find New York?” he asked, “Bucky mentioned you just moved here.”
“It’s been a month, yes,” you said, clearing your throat, “I like it so far. I mean, aside from getting mugged, I enjoy it. It’s very different than where I grew up in but like— it’s very new.”
“Yeah, especially if you’re from a small town…” he mused, “Where did you say you moved from by the way?”
“Cannon Beach, Oregon.”
“I love small towns,” he said, “Very peaceful.”
“They are!” you said, “I mean sometimes a little too peaceful with nothing to do but…”
“You know, visiting Oregon has been in my list for a while now,” he said, “Any advice on where to go if I end up visiting there?”
Oh he is good.
If you weren’t a trained spy, you wouldn’t have even noticed that he was trying to see whether you could be trusted or not. Bucky, being secretive himself hadn’t even asked anything about your so called hometown but Sam knew exactly what to ask to see if you were hiding something.
You thanked Chloe for making you read everything about your file the other day in your mind before you pursed your lips, deep in thought.
“Well my hometown doesn’t have much to offer but— do you like hiking?”
“Sure, why not?”
“We have a state park,” you said, “I think you’d enjoy it. Natural view, all green and peaceful. Back in high school, every semester break my friends dragged me there and the there was this one time we were all there, I got stung by this huge wasp and it was just before the school dance and I ended up not getting asked out by my crush—anyway, it’s a long way of saying I don’t hike anymore.”
That made him chuckle and he seemed to be convinced that you were sincere, thankfully.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said as his eyes went over your shoulder, making you look up and gasp.
Jesus, as it turned out you weren’t the only one with a mission who required you to get in close combat.
“Oh my God.” You covered your mouth with your hands, staring up at his bruised face half hidden by his hat. Sam pushed his chair back, clearing his throat.
“I should probably step outside,” he said as he stood up, “Gotta make a call, I’ll see you later.”
“Thanks man.”
“What happened?” you asked as Sam walked out of the coffee shop and Bucky sat down across from you to the seat Sam had just left. He tried to offer you a small smile.
“It’s nothing.”
“Bucky it doesn’t look like nothing…” you mumbled, your brows pulled together “Does it hurt?”
What?
“Does it hurt?”
You weren’t supposed to ask that, you were supposed to gather info on where he went and what he was doing on missions of his own.
“Not at all,” he assured you and you took a shaky breath.
“What happened?”
“There’s this thing me and Sam are working on,” he said, “Don’t worry about it. I went to the milkshake shop to see you but…”
You wanted to ask for more details but something told you it could create a problem to insist this early so you decided against it.
“Just tell me you’re safe?”
A soft light crossed his eyes, “I am,” he said, “I promise.”
You paused for a moment before you pushed your hair behind your ear. “I gather you’re kind of used to getting hurt then?”
“A little,” he admitted, “That’s why I couldn’t call you or anything. I got caught up in something.”  
Ah. He wasn’t giving you any details even if he thought you were a civilian.
He could like you, but he still couldn’t trust you. Maybe it was a precaution, maybe he wanted to keep you away from his mess, but either way, it was very clear that he had trust issues.
You took a mental note to put it on your report for General and shook your head.
“Of course,” you said, “You don’t need to explain anything, I’m just glad that you’re well and safe. Bruises aside.”
“Looks that bad huh?”
“No!” you said quickly, “No I wouldn’t say bad. Not by a long shot, you’re still pret—uh…dashing. Cute as a bug’s ear I’d say. Looking—looking aces. Dynamite even!”
He pulled his brows together, keeping his eyes on you.
“I may or may not have checked some early to mid 20th century slang just in case,” you admitted, making him tilt his head in confusion.
“Just in case of what?”
“Just in case you said something and I didn’t understand on the second date,” you said, “And let me tell you something, you guys spoke a completely different language back then.”
“You’re joking,” he said with a small smile and you crossed your arms.
“You don’t believe me?”
“Say one more term and I will.”
You thought for a moment, “Fine. Are you ready for this?”
“Absolutely, bring it on.”
“I will….” You trailed off, searching your mind for the right words you had checked online the other night, “I will snap my cap if you spook me showing up looking like you were about the buy the farm last night.”
A clear laugh escaped from his lips as it lit up his whole face and that was when you realized how rare it was to hear him laugh out loud. A warmth filled your stomach and you raised your brows, your nose in the air.
“See? Told you,” you pointed out and stole a look at him, “Was it—was it good?”
“It was great,” he said when he could pull himself together, “Absolutely perfect.”
“Why thank you,” you sipped your coffee as he cleared his throat.
“Speaking of the second date…” he said, making you bite down a smile, “Any chance you’re free tonight?”
“I am,” you said, “But you’re not.”
He pulled his brows together, “Hm?”
“Have you seen yourself?” you insisted, “You look like you—you almost died or something!”
“It wasn’t a big deal, really.”
“Well, those bruises say otherwise,” you said, “You need some rest. How much sleep did you get last night?”
He averted his eyes and waved a hand, “Some. Enough.”
“Bucky,” you said, leaning in slightly, “How much?”
Everything the government and your division had gathered on Bucky suggested the same thing; The Winter Soldier was basically created for war. He was the perfect soldier, and there was no way anyone could get any information from him. There was a reason why they had sent you into this mission, trying to get intel from him by force was absolutely impossible.
Even the government knew that.
But the same unstoppable soldier who would probably die before saying anything to the enemy caved in when you batted your lashes.
“Two hours.”
Your jaw dropped and you shook your head, “Nuh uh.”
“It’s enough, it’s more than—“
“Nope,” you cut him off, “You’re going to rest at home and—eat soup and watch garbage TV, mister. No dates for you on two hours of sleep.”
A soft smile pulled at his lips, “I can function with two hours of sleep darling.”
Your heart did not skip a beat at that, it was just you being very focused on your own cover and that was it.
“Well I don’t want you to just function,” you mumbled, “You need to take care of yourself too.”
Judging by his expression you could see that he wasn’t used to hearing that and you put your coffee on the table, then reached out to gently put your hand over his vibranium one. His hand twitched like a gun recoiling in your hand, even if you knew it was involuntary and a look of disbelief crossed his features, as if he hadn’t expected you –or anyone to touch that, as if he was afraid that you would be scared.
But of course, that was the spy in you speaking. Your cover wasn’t supposed to notice anything of the sort.
“How about…” you trailed off, “We have a date tomorrow? You go and get some rest tonight, and I’ll pick what I’m gonna wear for tomorrow and spam my friends with outfit ideas.”
“You sure?”
“Of course,” you said, “We have all the time in the world for dates. And I happen to live here, you know? It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”
He smiled and turned his hand to entwine his fingers with yours, rubbing his thumb over your knuckles.
“Good,” he rasped out, “I like the sound of that.”
                                         ***
You should’ve known your superiors wouldn’t make it easy for you. This time, you were allowed to take your team with you because as it turned out, the right hand of the target you had brought in last night had gotten away, so now you had to take him down for your superiors to cut a deal with the target.
The first part of the mission had gone splendidly. He was alone and in hiding, so setting your gear up on the rooftop and pulling the trigger hadn’t been difficult whatsoever. You watched as a couple of agents burst through his door so that they could retrieve his body and fixed your ski mask before starting to dissemble your rifle to carry it easier.
“Anyone wants to grab some dinner?” Keith’s voice reached your earpiece and you yawned.
“Nah,” you said, “I’m going to go home and sleep for a year or something.”
“Deleting the security cam footage of the building right now,” Chloe let you know, “And I want dinner, I’ve been running on multiple cups of coffee.”
“You got it.”
“Are you buying?” one of the agents in your team asked, “If you are, we’re coming too.”
“Yeah man, I’m buying. Tacos?”
“Sounds good, just let me check—“ Chloe started but then gasped, “Shrike, get out of there right now!”
It was almost instinctual. You grabbed the small pistol out of your boots and turned around to point it at the person behind you but as soon as you recognized who he was, your heart started pacing.
Bucky had decided not to rest at home after all.
“Hi soldier,” you managed to say, “We have to stop meeting like this.”
Chapter 8
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httpsaiki · 3 years
Note
Hellooo! May I get headcanons on how the Obey Me bros would react to their S/O asking for a cuddle sesh while seemingly like they were crying for awhile? Please and thank you ✨
This is so cute, my goodness. Obey Me bros comfort is the best. I hope I captured this well, I didn’t want them to be too repetitive but I fear that’s the case. Either way I hope you enjoy! Thank you for your request!
----
Reader is gender neutral!
WC: 1391
How the Obey Me brothers would comfort their S/O who seemed to be crying and asks to cuddle.
—————————————————–
Lucifer
He sensed something was off with you the second you entered the private study.
There was no happy or excited greeting, just his lovely S/O walking up to him and quietly asking for a hug.
He noticed how red your eyes were, and the sullen expression on your face.
So without saying much, he pulled you up into his lap. The only words he spoke were, “Is there anything I can do to help, dear?”
You knew he knew you had been crying. Lucifer was rather perceptive when it came to you.
He also knew that if you wanted to talk about what had upset you, you would. He didn’t feel the need to try and pry it out of you. Besides, he could show he cared in other ways.
“Can we just cuddle?”
“Of course.”
So you stayed in his lap, neither of you knew how long you were like that. It slowly got later into the night, neither of you talked, but Lucifer rubbed small circles over your back.
He ended up putting his work aside to ensure you felt better. You were his top priority, after all. He needed to make sure you would be alright.
Things were always simple with Lucifer - well at least when it came to things like this. He wants you to be happy.
Mammon
Not gonna lie he doesn’t exactly notice right away.
You hid your face when you asked him to cuddle, he didn’t see it properly.
When he notices you’ve been more quiet than usual and finally gets a proper look at your face, he realizes you must’ve been crying.
He internally panics. What does he do? Are you alright? His worry takes over until he manages to ask you what happened.
“Y/N,” he asks, in the quietest voice he can muster, “were you crying?”
“Only a little..” you reply. Mammon doesn’t believe you for a second. You don’t look like you cried just a little.
“It’s okay to tell me.” He says, in his attempt to comfort you the best he can, “The Great Mammon will listen to any of your problems! Even if ya feel like they’re small or nothing. And if ya don’t wanna talk about it, I’ll support’cha any way I can.”
You started to tear up again, but not the same kind of tears as before.
“I gotcha, you’re safe, Y/N.”
“Thank you, Mammon.”
He doesn’t let go until the morning, and even then he doesn’t want to.
Leviathan
It was rather late in the night when you knocked on his bedroom door.
And by late, I mean early morning… Oh well, that’s nothing out of the ordinary for either of you.
Levi lets you in as soon as he opens the door.
You ask him if he would mind cuddling for a bit.
He can see something’s wrong, of course. So Levi decides to do for you what he’d do for himself.
He gently asks if you’d like to play video games while cuddling until you feel better. If you don’t, he’s still more than happy to hold you and let you talk about what’s bothering you.
But if you do, Levi already knows your favourite game and sets the two of you up to play.
No matter what it is, even if he just has to watch, he wants you to enjoy yourself and feel at peace with him.
He is 100% putting you in his lap while you play. The contact may make him a little nervous, but he knows it’ll help you feel better.
If you don’t like games or want to stop, he’ll offer to read with you or watch an anime together. Really, whatever you want to do with him.
A part of him is hoping he can soothe you enough you’ll fall asleep like that with him.
Satan
You knock on Satan’s bedroom door, hoping his warm hugs would make you feel better. Only, he never opens it.
You peak in his room, not wanting to invade his privacy, but worrying that something bad happened.
He’s not there.
So you hurry downstairs, towards the living room.
Thankfully, you found him there, reading in front of the fireplace. He was probably there because he knew nobody would disrupt his peace.
He caught your eye when you walked into the room, noticing the tear stains right away.
You quietly stutter out, “Satan? Can we cuddle?”
He silently closes his book, smiling softly and opening his arms to allow you to cuddle in next to him.
You sit down, laying your head on his chest.
“Y/N? Would you like me to read to you?” he offers.
“Please...” you whisper into his chest.
He opens his book again, reading it to you until you eventually doze off in his arms.
Asmodeus
When you arrived at his door, Asmo was in the midst of his long nighttime routine.
He took one look at your face and you didn’t even have to ask to cuddle. He knows.
Asmo pulls you into his arms and softly says, “Y/N, my love, I just need to finish up this small bit and then I’ll join you in bed. Go get comfy, okay?”
Of course, you listen to him. You make yourself as comfortable in Asmo’s bed. Which isn’t very hard to do, Asmo has great taste in bedding.
It isn’t long until he joins you, pushing himself right next to you and smothering you in his hugs.
He holds you as close as he can, petting your hair while quietly asking you what’s wrong.
Whether you want to talk about it or not, Asmo will do everything in his power to help you feel better and take your mind off the crying.
If you’d like, he’s more than happy to run a warm bath.
Or even give you a nice skincare session. Lotions, face masks, the whole nine yards.
Whatever you’d like, he’ll do. Even if you don’t take him up on any of his offers and just want to relax.
Beelzebub
You find him in the kitchen - which isn’t abnormal at all. It was late, eating is what Beel does.
He’s turned away, face shoved into the fridge as he searched for what looked appealing.
You gently tap his shoulder. He jumps and turns around, but his face and body immediately relax at the sight of you.
“Wait - Y/N? Are you okay?” He looks concerned at the state of your face, it was clear to him you’d been crying.
“Can we cuddle, Beel?”
He grins at you, “Of course!”
He picks you up and hurries over to his shared room with Belphie (who luckily was spending some time in the attic tonight).
He envelops you in a hug like the giant teddy bear he is.
It isn’t long until he gets hungry again, but he tries his best to suppress it so he can keep holding you.
“Beel?” You ask tiredly, “Piggy-back me to the kitchen? We’ll get a snack.”
He’s happy to carry you. In no time you’re in his lap on the kitchen floor, both stuffing your faces with whatever junk food you can find and laughing with each other.
Belphegor
You stumble into the planetarium. Similarly to Belphie, you like stars and the view from the planetarium happens to be gorgeous.
You wanted his comfort, but you hadn’t been able to find him. Sitting under the stars was the next best thing.
To your surprise, Belphie was sitting there.
“Belphie?” You called out, your voice clearly telling him you’d been crying.
“You were crying?” He asked, not bothering to greet you back as his worry for you took over.
“...Yeah.” You weren’t sure why, but you were nervous to admit that out loud to him.
He stares at you, silent. He clearly isn’t sure what to do.
“Will you cuddle me, Belphie?” His eyes widen when you ask, but soon after his expression tells you that you didn’t even need to ask.
Before you know it, you’re laying in his arms, staring up at the stars.
The sky is mesmerizing, and the demon softly rubbing your arm is only helping.
It was very relaxing and helped you calm down immensely.
Belphie was always willing to cuddle.
If we’re being honest, you both totally fell asleep like that.
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letarasstuff · 3 years
Text
The Aftermath of being kidnapped
(A/N): This was requested by an anon and is based on this and this post
Summary: Spencer’s daughter was kidnapped. What does the aftermath look like?
Warnings: Angst, but it’s also real fluffy
Wourdcount: 1.4k
✨Masterlist✨ ___________________________________ Spencer doesn’t let anyone in his life easily. His circle of close people is carefully chosen and picked. It’s for his own safety. After all, the young agent doesn’t want to get hurt by anyone again.
But ever since he held his daughter for the first time, the tiny little human being that from now on depends on him for the rest of his life, he is willing to get hurt by her, if that means she is happy. In this moment he decided that her happiness means everything to him. It’s going to be his first priority to keep her content.
He still tries to keep that promise to himself, even after over three years (to be exact 3 years, 4 months and 8 hours). That’s one reason why the last 8 hours were the worst of his life and believe me when I say that Spencer has sadly a great pool of bad times he can choose from.
Since (Y/N) went missing, all he can do is stare into the air, thinking about all the good memories he has with her. Her first word (“dada” of course), her first steps, reading every night to her either in person or over the phone.
But right now his little baby isn’t here and he isn’t able to help her. His brain is no use and the young father isn’t able to get out of the loop inside his mind.
Spencer is scared. Scared to never be able to hold (Y/N), his lifeline. Scared that the last word she heard from him is a promise he couldn’t keep, “Daddy is going to tuck you in tonight, I promise Sweetheart” instead of “I love you, Sweetheart”. Scared that she is scared at the moment. Scared that she is in pain.
There are so many things Reid is afraid of, one thing worse than the other. Having the dreading 24 hour clock above his head and all the child abduction statistics on his mind don’t help either.
Since he is captured by his own thoughts, Spencer doesn’t notice the team gearing up. Even the sudden quiet doesn’t alarm him. He is too lost in his mind to be able to register anything from his environment. Not until a small scream he is more than familiar with reaches his ears.
“DADDY!”
(Y/N) wiggles out of Hotch’s grip, leaving Spencer nearly with a heart attack as she is close to falling down. When she wrestles herself out of the Unit Chief’s grasp, she runs to her father as fast as her little legs can without tripping. The father crouches down and they clash together.
“I missed you, Daddy. I was so scwared. I- the woman was so mean and creepy. Please, never leave me again”, she cries into his chest, sobs racking her body. Spencer draws soothing circles on his daughter’s back while shifting so he sits with his legs crossed down on the floor and (Y/N) on his lap.
“I will never leave you again, Sweetheart. I love you. God I love you so so much. And it’s all over. The bad woman won’t hurt you anymore. I’m here now”, he whispers into her ear. Together they rock forth and back. As she calms down, Spencer looks up at his team. They all watch the scene go down, the strings of their hearts pulling at the painful sight.
“She still needs to get checked out. (Y/N) refused to on scene, wanting to go to you as fast as possible. She nearly bit the paramedic.” Hotch looks at his agent, who clings to his daughter. “You got a feisty one there, Reid”, Morgan adds. Spencer nods and glances at his colleagues.
“Thank you guys for saving her. I-I don’t know what I w-would do-” “And you don’t have to. Take the next two weeks off, you are more needed at home than in the office.” Hotch cut him off, smiling a little to reassure the young man.
Spencer nods in thanks. “Sweetheart, are you ready to go to the doctor’s to see if you are hurt? Are you in pain?” (Y/N) shakes her head, but he isn’t sure to what it is the answer. “Ok, come on.” He gets up and hoists her up on his hip. The little girl whimpers and hides her face into her father’s neck.
“Um, I guess I wish you a goo-” “Spence go, she needs you.” “Ok, yes. Thank you JJ.” With that Spencer takes (Y/N) to the next metro stop, never letting go of her.
Luckily they don’t have to wait long in the emergency room at the hospital. Soon Spencer’s name is called and he finds himself with his child on his lap explaining to the pediatrician the situation.
“From what I see I conclude (Y/N) only has superficial wounds and bruises. Just make sure she takes it easy the next few days”, he explains. “A-are you sure? Don’t you want to look over her for a second time? Just to be safe I mean?” Spencer looks down at his daughter, who slowly drifts off.
“With all due respect, Doctor Reid, I’m sure. Your daughter is fine.” “No, you don’t understand. She was kidnapped for crying out loud, you need to check her out a second time, to be sure.” Shockingly to him, the agent can’t think of statistics to feed his statement. He just argues out of his feelings.
“Allright. I’ll look over her again.” The doctor sighs and does his job, knowing Reid will have his way anyway. Nevertheless he doesn’t find anything new, in addition to having a now grumpy toddler, who doesn’t want to be prodded at anymore.
Later that evening after a quick dinner and a bath for (Y/N), Spencer puts her in his bed. “I’ll have to go to the bathroom and then we get to cuddle, ok?” This is anything but ok for her. As soon as the father presents his idea she begins to cry. “I-I don’t want you to leave, D-daddy”, the girl hiccups. “Daddy has to use the toilet. I’ll be quick, I promise Sweetheart.” It takes him a while to calm her down, eventually he is allowed to go to the bathroom on his own.
He is quick to get back to (Y/N). As soon as he climbs into his bed, she crawls on his chest and snakes her hands around her father’s neck. “Pwease wead two me”, she demands drowsily. Before Spencer is even able to get past one page, the toddler is fast asleep. But Spencer still continues, just savoring the feeling of his daughter close to him.
It’s safe to say that the next two weeks consist of lots of cuddles, reading together and talking. Well as much as you can talk with a three year old about what happened.
Taglist: 
Spencer Reid:
@calm-and-doctor 
x child!reader:
@ilovetaquitosmmmm
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milkyway-writes · 3 years
Text
i’m not ready for that s.r.
Tumblr media
pairing: Steve Rogers x black!Reader (anyone could read though)
summary: Even though Steve has been living in modern times for a couple of years now, he still finds himself not used to the present, especially when it comes to women. But when he meets you, an outspoken girl who completely embodies the kind of woman “he’s not ready for,” Steve is forced to reevaluate what he wants.
warnings: 18+, explicit language, dry humping, unprotected sex, sex in a hotel room, a small age gap (but not mentioned much), probably some typos and/or bad grammar, disregard for card games and 60′s music
word count: 2,828
author’s note: This is my first time writing a fic! So, tell me what you think and if you’d like more stuff from me. 
After waking up in a world filled with people dressed in unfamiliar clothing, using confusing language, and carrying around these tiny devices they called “phones,” Steve experienced the expected amount of disassociation. He said things which earned him weird looks, struggled to understand modern references, and sometimes secretly wished he could just go back to his own time. 
But if anything, Steve Rogers was determined. 
He kept a notepad to track the new things he learned and reviewed them in his spare time. He made an effort to listen to the radio and watch popular TV shows. Steve even managed to tailor his wardrobe to a certain degree. Except for the khakis. The khakis were essential. 
Despite his acclimation and newfound understanding of the 21st century, Steve still struggled with women. And in all honesty, he doesn’t even feel that open to dating. He’s completely content with simply working and living his life, romance not much of a priority of his. 
But Natasha keeps pushing it. 
“What about that girl from accounting?” she says, “Laura, Lisa…”
"Lillian,” Steve answers, “lip piercing, right?" 
"Yeah, she's cute."
"Yeah, I'm not ready for that.”
•••••
So, when you show up with a total disregard for authority, a smile that could fool the devil, and a snarky attitude all complete with a cute little nose piercing, Steve doesn’t quite know what to do with you. 
Your words are much bolder than any woman he knew from the 40’s. You behave with a certain level of confidence and self-assuredness that it’s impossible to believe that you’re only in your twenties. And you don’t shy away from showing men up, never one to hold your tongue. Steve notices that you don’t mind interrupting people. You seem to get a glint in your eye each time he clenches his jaw after you’ve cut him off. 
Everything about you is overwhelming to Steve. 
Any time he tries to correct you, you scoff, blowing air through your plump lips. Always rolling those brown eyes in annoyance. (It makes Steve want to scream.)
Nothing is ever easy with you. There is always a rebuttal, or some type of teasing remark, or simply a look that tells him “you can’t tell me what to do.” It enrages him. Steve doesn’t think he has ever met a person who could find a way to fight him on every single thing.
Now, as he looks at you standing with your hands on your hips, freshly-manicured nails on display, Steve wonders how he’ll ever manage to get through to you.
•••••
You hadn’t known much about Captain America before you’d agreed to work with him and Natasha when S.H.I.E.L.D. started falling apart. 
You had been working for the agency for a while now, assisting in the capture of criminal individuals as a sort of immunity for your own crimes. Your skills were too valuable to waste, and honestly, they knew you’d escape any prison they put you in anyway. Despite this, you weren’t the most reliable. 
You often took risks, and your youth raised a sort of concern amongst other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. No one trusted a girl whose main motivation to be an agent was to avoid prison. And because of this, Nick Fury did not bring you on for the Avengers Initiative right away. You needed time to grow, time to figure out your priorities. 
For two years, you focused on your development, learning how to control your abilities and use them most effectively, and in the meantime, you only took on small missions. You were happy with this, so happy that when Fury began reaching out to you with the intent to bring you back on for more advanced missions, you promptly avoided them.
One quiet afternoon, you were feeling the soil of your succulent, trying to figure out if the plant needed watering when you got the call that Nick Fury was pronounced dead. 
Immediately, your stomach dropped. 
Your mind was racing as you rushed to the hospital, hoping that this was all some sick joke. A test. Something Fury had comprised to teach you a lesson. 
Natasha noticed as you stood frozen at the door of the hospital room. Your heart ached seeing him lie there lifeless. 
While you pretended that you didn’t care about him, Fury had always been important to you. He had given you a second chance when you didn’t even think you deserved it. He saw potential in you when others saw you as a delinquent. This grief, coupled with the knowledge that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been compromised, led you to agree to work with Natasha and her new friend, Steve Rogers. 
•••••
Since the beginning, your presence had been an immediate concern to Steve. Along with your untamed attitude, he didn’t like the way you would make hasty decisions that left him wondering if you were still alive. He had to bite his tongue at your stubbornness. And each roll of your eyes pushed Steve further and further to the edge. After a while, he had had enough and pulled you to the side to express his disapproval. 
You stare at him expectantly with your hands still on your hips, waiting to hear why he’s singled you out.
He lets out a breath, “these antics of yours have got to stop.” 
You instantly laugh. Because he has to be kidding. 
It takes everything in him to remain calm when you flash him a smile and saunter away, throwing a “oh loosen up, Captain,” over your shoulder. 
He has to stop himself from watching your hips sway. He catches your wrist. “No. Not ‘loosen up.’ You need to be more responsible.”
“Well you need to understand that I’m not a soldier,” you yank your arm back. “I’ll follow your plan,” you offer, “but sometimes things don’t go as planned and we have to make adjustments,” you say, speaking slowly as if Steve’s a child. 
He steps closer, now towering over your small frame. “Your ‘adjustments’ almost always result in dangerous situations.”
“Really?” You cock your head to the side, “Is that right?”
He narrows his eyes at you.
“So, this is coming from the man who jumped out of an elevator?” Your perfectly arched eyebrow raises tauntingly. “Right?” 
You chuckle as he rolls his eyes. You don’t miss the hint of a smile in them. 
•••••
You do eventually try to be more of a team player, sticking to the plan when you can. You figured you’d be working with them more often, so it was in your best interest to make yourself easy to work with. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Steve is grateful that you don’t pull any surprises when the Winter Soldier makes his attack. The revelation that it was his best friend already enough to throw him off. 
Surprisingly, when Steve decides to go after Bucky, you offer to join him and Sam. Your excuse being that you don’t trust two men to get the job done. 
Honestly, you just didn’t want to go back to your life before. Working with Steve was exciting. He was exciting. The way he’d catch your eyes after you’d say something snarky made your stomach flip because there was a hint of a threat in them.
You enjoyed the way he wasn’t afraid to touch you. He liked to grab your arm and pull you to him when you didn’t listen. He’d once backed you up against a wall when he thought you weren’t telling him the full story pertaining to the mission. And while he was angry, you couldn’t help wondering what it’d be like to have him take you right then and there.
You had come to terms with the fact that you wanted Steve Rogers. You just didn’t know if he’d want someone like you. You were aware that he probably hadn’t encountered many women like you in his past life. 
•••••
While your eye rolls and sassy comments do remain, Steve finds himself enjoying your presence despite himself. The struggle between the two of you slowly morphing into playful teasing, teetering the line between that and sexual tension.
“How’d you end up here anyway?” Steve asks as he lays down an ace of spades. 
You grimace and tuck your king of hearts back into your hand in embarrassment. “We’re on a mission, silly.” You giggle, the diamond in your nose catching the light.
“Mhm very funny,” he says. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
You don’t say anything. The only sound coming from your breathing and the Solomon Burke song that’s playing through your phone speaker.
You hum along as you pretend to search your hand for a card to play. 
Steve nudges your knee. You’re not sure if it’s because you haven’t answered him or because you still haven’t put down a card. 
“You mean how’d I end up doing this? Working for S.H.I.E.L.D.?”
He nods.
“It’s a long story,” you manage to let out.
“We’ve got time.”
You sigh and place your cards down on the mattress knowing you were gonna lose anyway. 
“A while back, I lost someone…someone very important to me,” you say, “and all I wanted was to hurt the people who took them from me.” You glance up to meet Steve’s eyes, “one thing led to another, and I sort of lost myself. I hurt people in ways I never intended to, caused the kind of pain that,” you search for the words, “that I had always been so afraid to feel.”
“I was so blinded by rage,” you shake your head, “I just completely forgot my morals.”
You feel the bed shift, and Steve reaches out for your hand. 
“Long story short, Fury offered me a job. Said I could use my skills for good. And next thing you know I’m going on these crazy missions and catching ‘bad guys,’” you say using finger quotes. 
You sigh, “you must think the absolute worst of me now, huh?” 
Steve chuckles, “no, not at all.” He pauses and his eyebrows crease. “It actually makes me respect you more.”
You let out a laugh, “well then, sir, you are most definitely twisted.”
He shrugs, “maybe I am.”
You notice that he never let go of your hand, and for a second you swear you feel a flutter in your abdomen. Lightly, you slide your fingers up his arm, tracing the veins. He doesn’t move or protest. Instead, he brings his other hand to rest on your knee. You look up at him as his hand moves from your knee up your thigh, gripping you firmly where your shorts end.
Steve looks at you for approval, and when you nod, he pulls you in by your hips and leans in, letting his lips ghost over yours.
You haven’t felt like this in awhile, and it takes a lot of strength to hold back a whine. Steve continues to tease you, only letting his lips lightly touch yours while rubbing circles into your hips under your shirt. Impatiently, you link your hands together behind his head, and when you grasp the hair at the nape of his neck, Steve finally leans in, letting his lips press against yours. 
Almost instantly, you climb onto his lap, straddling him. The playing cards from earlier are hastily pushed aside as Steve scoots back, bringing you with him. 
His hands find your hips again as he sucks on your bottom lip. You softly grind into him, causing Steve to groan into your mouth. He works to control himself. He hadn’t expected it to feel this way with you. So desperate, so needing.
You can feel his hardness through the material of his sweatpants, making your arousal even more apparent.
Steve leans down to kiss your neck. The feeling of his tongue makes you buck your hips, searching for some type of friction. His hand travels up your side and comes to cup one of your breasts. He runs his thumb over your nipple, feeling it harden. 
This must give him an idea as he moves to pull your shirt over your head. He grabs you again and takes your nipple in his mouth. You moan, continuing to grind onto him as his hands cup your ass. At this point, you’re sure that your arousal is leaking through your shorts.
Steve feels completely lost in you, your body setting him on fire and awaking something within him he doesn’t think he’s ever felt before. 
He continues his assault on your breasts as you fight to control your arousal. You feel his cock twitch under you. “Please, Steve,” you say breathlessly.
“Please what?” He mumbles around your breasts.
“I need you.” 
Those seem to be the words he needed as Steve promptly flips you over, roughly yanking your shorts down. He tosses his shirt off as you grab onto the waistband of his pants, urging him to take them off. He pushes you back on the bed, leaning over you. You feel his knee press into your cunt and let out a moan. 
Steve grabs your face, kissing you sloppily, and trails his hand down your body. You nearly grind onto his hand as he places his thumb over your clit and rubs slow circles over it. 
“You like that, honey?” He teases as he rubs you over your panties. 
You nod, biting your lip. 
He grabs your chin, “I said do you like it? Answer me.”
You cry out, “yes, Steve yes,” You whimper, “please I need more.” 
He scoffs, “who would’ve thought to get you to act right, I’d just have to play with this pretty pussy?”
You let out a pitiful whine. 
“Now you wanna be a good girl huh?”
You’re afraid you’re going to cum just from his words when he stops and drags your panties down so slowly that you want to scream. The smug look on Steve’s face makes your face burn. He’s enjoying this too much. 
Once they’re off, Steve settles between your thighs, making you look him in the eyes before reaching his hand down and dragging the head of his cock from your folds to your clit. You moan as he gently taps it against your clit a few times and makes a comment about how wet you are. There’s a hint of a smirk on his face as he lines himself up at your entrance. Steve groans as he eases into you. You wrap your legs around his waist, encouraging him to go deeper.
He bottoms out, and you both moan. Steve begins to thrust, and you’re already so worked up that you know you won’t last long. He brings his hand down to rub your clit causing you to cry out. 
His thrusts become more forceful. Your eyes close tightly, your sharp nails digging into his shoulders. He leans his forehead against yours, “I know you want it, sweetheart. I know you wanna cum.” 
His words shock you but send a wave of pleasure straight to your core. 
“Come on, honey, cum for me.” Steve says as he thrusts into you. Your walls spasm around his cock, causing him to groan into your neck. He never lets up on his thrusts though, continuing to slam into you as your first orgasm ripples through your body.
“You feel so good around my cock, baby,” he brings a hand up to lightly wrap around your neck.
You groan in response feeling your abdomen tighten once again.
You can tell Steve is close now, his thrusts becoming frantic and rushed. You clutch onto him as the sounds of slapping skin fill the room. Your name falling off of his lips repeatedly in your ear.
“Cum inside me, Steve,” you plead, “I wanna feel you.” He groans at your words, and you feel his hand tighten around your throat. You look at him, and his eyes are dark with lust, you feel yourself clench around his length. The look he’s giving you fills you with a primal need. You plead one more time, pushing Steve over the edge. His thrusts begin to slow, the feeling of him filling you up is enough to bring about another orgasm.
You find it difficult to keep your eyes open. Sleep begins to take you, and you drift off with Steve guiding you to lay your head on his chest. 
With one hand caressing the side of your head, Steve stares up at the ceiling of the hotel room, Nina Simone’s voice floating out of your phone. 
“It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me,”
“And I’m feeling good.”
•••••
Initially, seeing a girl like you would have made Steve doubt himself.
But now, he knows he’s ready for you as he sits next to you holding your hand as you prepare to get your first tattoo.
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Text
Azie killed it!!!
me praising a supergirl episode? i know, shocking. but 6x12 just came for me where i live! i knew it was going to be great but it surpassed my expectations. sister are really doing it for themselves! so many things to point out that were phenomenal but here’s what comes to mind rn:
- the camera work while kelly’s all distressed at the hospital, lil joey struggling to breathe, orlando looking so helpless > i was already stressed within 5 mins
- rankin literally saying “i’ll do everything i can to help these people” while rolling away to her private hospital room with access to trial medication when the residents of the heights probably don’t even have insurance or money to pay the bills. also rankin literally sucking the life out of this disadvantaged community, building wealth and pushing her political agenda on the backs of black people is the most realistic portrayal of true villainy that this show has ever given us
- kelly’s phone call to james in the stairwell, talking about how exhausting it is was so personal to me. i work in these types of communities all the time and it’s a hard fight. i get emotionally tired too. it does feel like screaming into the void, like one step forward and ten steps back. and i felt this for kelly.
- alex’s solution is to send respirators and nothing else? just makes me realize that while the super friends were protecting mxy and trying to capture nxyly, they were pretty much neglecting the heights. people who were literally dying and it’s horrifying to think of where their priorities lie. especially considering the fact that they could have handled the nxyly issue without alex so she can support her gf
- writer 1: how do we make the audience hate rankin some more?
  writer 2: have her kill a guy for a sandwich on white bread. it’ll make her look like even more of an asshole
but seriously, what kind of psychopathic shit was that?
- andrea has always been portrayed a shameless capitalist who only cares about grabbing eyeballs but it has never been highlighted as negatively as it was in this episode in that phone call with kelly 
- i think kelly reaching out to lena who isn’t even in national city really speaks to her desperation to have someone see her. someone hear her. someone fucking help and i’m glad she had at least diggle’s support
- that slim stack of bills is all it took for that woman to sell her soul to rankin? bruh...
- the super friends showing up to the heights, only concerned with tracking nxyly, not giving any amount of fucks about what kelly is trying to say enraged me. i know that was the point of the episode but STILL
- kara telling kelly that mxy can fix all this once they get him out of the crystal. what are you five? give me a goddamn break with this foolishness kara! so lil joey’s lungs are just supposed to hang on til whenever the fuck y’all save mxy? lena, please come and collect your wife
- kelly looking directly at kara when she mentions the word hope while dragging the super friends for their nonchalant behaviour > oof, a slap to the face
- i see nia had the one brain cell this week. she’s the only one who attempted to help kelly in whatever way she could. 
- brainy really said racism is still a problem in the 31st century and it did not surprise me. 
- seems like having tunnel vision is a danvers sisters trait. i get alex not being able to relate to kelly’s struggle but come on she’s your girlfriend. can’t you tell when she’s upset?
- i’m glad that they addressed j’onn choosing the appearance of a black man and how even though he may have been a target because of it, he still can’t relate fully to the experiences like kelly, james and diggle can. it’s optional for him. they don’t have that luxury to check out whenever it suits them
- kara talking about the anti-alien hate with the col and i would like to remind kara that she genuinely thought things were improving and that the division didn’t exist despite j’onn and brainy repeatedly telling her otherwise. because, once again, her physical appearance affords her privilege that no black person or visible alien will ever receive
- every kelly scene was so emotional i was bawling wtf. her talking about pushing her pain and anger down and trying to be positive and all smiles > 100% accurate 
- i can’t believe i’m saying this but i did not need the lena scenes. they should’ve just kept those out. on the other note, magical amazon package delivery
- guardian’s suit is so fucking badass!!! i’m glad little black girls will feel SEEN and INSPIRED in this episode. thank you azie
- kara was really out there getting her ass kicked by a human who just got powers for a few hours? stop nerfing her abilities!
- the way we got an actual scene of kelly carefully wrapping her hair, the say her name t shirt, the books on the coffee table > well done azie
- alex and kelly in the final scene was a good portrayal of an interracial relationship where one partner wants to but just will never understand the issue fully. alex just needs to be there for kelly and i’m glad that they didn’t make it a moment to educate her white gf about racial discrimination. they kept the focus where it needed to be. i’m also  glad that unlike the other soical justice topics we’ve had,  they didn’t try to make it seem like something that is so engrained into the fabric of society can be wrapped up with a neat little bow and be done with. there’s more fighting to do but at least it seems like kelly will have the support going forward
- the promo after such a powerful episode gave me whiplash. back to our regularly scheduled nonsense i guess
This episode holy shit. man it was amazing. azie is a talented writer and it’s easy to tell that she was drawing inspiration from real and personal experiences. it was very easy for me to relate to these scenes, especially the hospital ones. also makes me annoyed because they’ve been wasting all this potential and this episode is proof that the show and it’s storylines can be nuanced and still include superhero aspects. too bad this episode will likely become one of few in this show’s entire run that actually accomplishes that.
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maleyanderecafe · 3 years
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Hey there was a mobile game I wanted to recommend you check out! It’s called MazM: The Phantom of the Opera. Obviously the phantom himself is a well-known character and prime example of a yandere, and this version’s Raoul also takes on that trait a little (although it’s mostly because Christine is in a life or death situation and this he’s protective over her), he’s very sweet and doesn’t wait a moment to shower her with praise. Anyway it’s a pretty faithful retelling of the original book and was extra fun for me as a yandere-lover as you play as Christine caught in between the yandere and the actual boyfriend. I think it’s coming to the switch soon as well if you want to wait for that.
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...Are you sure that Raoul just takes on this trait a bit...?
Joking aside, sorry it took me so long to answer this ask. I was originally going to watch a walkthrough on youtube, but then I realized that you said it would be on switch and since I just got my switch emulator, I ended up playing with a friend. I will say that there is a lot for me to say about this game, so this will be a long read.
First things first, I'll admit that I've never actually read or watched the Phantom of the Opera before, so I genuinely have no idea what happens in the story. This is where my friend who I was streaming for comes in because she has read the story so she helped fill me in on what happens (she's also making a yandere vn in the future which I will be spamming the heck out of because yandere vn). I think from what she told me, most of the story is relatively accurate, though some parts are changed for one reason or another (for instance, The Persian has a name in this game, but in the original, he doesn't), which has some pros and cons for some characters. Overall though, the story was pretty good for a first timer like me since it really let me experience what the Phantom of the Opera is truly about. I think the creator Mazm did a good job for historical detail, which makes sense considering their platform is about creating games that reinterpret famous stories (they've also done one for Wizard of Oz and Jekyll and Hyde which I sort of want to play), and there are a lot of different notes the player can collect in the game that give more historical insight into what is going on.
The story for the most part is pretty linear. There are some choices you can choose, but except for two, they don't really affect the story. For the most part, the game plays as a visual novel, though you do have to walk around to talk or interact with things to proceed the story. There are cats and notes that lie around the game too, with the notes giving more historical insight and the cats being used as hints in case you don't know where to go. The story is about a detective trying to find out the truth of the Phantom of the Opera at a request of a client whos husband was a victim of him, but most of the story is played through a flashback.
There are also small minigames as well that aren't too difficult, though I honestly felt like some of the minigames got to be tedious at times, specifically the one minigame where you have to press the order of the mirror combo which I found really annoying because besides the fact that I'm bad at those games, you had to do it every time you wanted to enter under the Opera house, which was just... ugh. The game itself seems much more optimized for mobile than it was for switch considering how slow the characters move (and its really slow walking to different places sometimes) as well as the fact that it takes forever to load between different scenes and there's no touch screen option for switch (that I know of). Plus the buttons for moving and pressing hints were annoying to deal with (though this could just be because I'm using an emulator). I also kept getting confused when I was playing, since sometimes I would walk around the entire opera house trying to figure out what to do next, only to learn that I was suppose to talk to someone that was literally five steps from where I spawned. The last thing I found annoying was the fact that there's no option to skip dialogue which is really annoying when I wanted to replay a specific part of the story to take some screenshots. If you play this game, it's probably better to play it on mobile than on switch.
In terms of artwork, Mazm's Phantom of the Opera is really gorgeous, from the overworld sprites to the dialogue sprites to the background and CGs. I love how cute the overworld sprites are (I think Jammes and Raoul's are my favorite, they're both so cute) and every background is really nice to walk through and gives a good atmosphere of what it's trying to show. The character sprites for each characters are nice and varied. I can always appreciate characters that have recognizable faces and shapes, since a lot of times I have face blindness when it comes to characters that look way too similar. The CGs of course are super well done and I love all of them. Overall, the artstyle of this game is very solid and I love the way it looks.
The main character of the story was Christine, who looks really good ( I really love her hair), was for the most part alright initially. While I found her to be a bit naive (because she believed that there was an actual Angel of Music when it was just... the Phantom), she was for the most part alright, and even ended up saving another character from the phantom. However, I found her actions annoying after she met the phantom, specifically the part where she agreed to stay underground with the phantom for two days and would be released as long as she didn't touch his mask, and guess what. Right as she was literally about to leave, SHE TAKES OFF HIS MASK, AND FOR WHAT? YOU WERE JUST ABOUT TO LEAVE?? The other thing that bothered me was the after being trapped with the Phantom for about a month, she is given free reign to go back above ground, under the conditions that she only goes to the opera house and at home. During this time, she's expected to break it off with Raoul, so she fakes a honeymoon with him before he leaves for the artic. However, during this time, she doesn't tell anyone, not even Raoul about what the Phantom is up to. She has an entire month, an ENTIRE MONTH to tell someone that the Phantom is likely to hurt people (as previously he had dropped a chandelier on top of the audience) and she just... didn't. Understandably, she might have been afraid that the Phantom might have heard her, but still, what is he going to do to the possible 100 people that Christine could have told about him. She could have saved people from death if something like that were to happen. Near the end, she does get proper character development and learns to choose things for her sake and not others, which was pretty nice and does stand up to the Phantom after all the trauma (and doesn't get stockholm sydrome, thank goodness), but I still think that a lot of her actions could have probably been written better to make her less naive (since apparently in the original she was about 16ish while in this remake she's about 20 so it's less awkward between her and the phantom).
Raoul is the next character I'll be talking about, because even though he is very adorable, he also has one braincell and talks about Christine way too much. My friend and I actually decided to make a counter on how many times Erik and Raoul say "Christine." Erik says Christines name 128 times and Raoul... says it 340 times. This isn't even counting his introduction and only starts up to when Erik is introduced as a formal character and also doesn't count any time he says it in the overworld. 340! My friend kept on joking around that because Raoul says Christine so much, his brother Phillipe became an alcoholic because he's so tired of Raoul talking about Christine. Raoul only really has like three things going for him: the fact that he was in the military, the fact that he's part of the Chagny household and Christine, and that's it. Throughout the story, his goals are pretty much always related to Christine, whether it be to give gifts to Christine, being worried about her or trying to protect Christine from the Phantom. When the chandelier drops on half the crowd during one of the performances, instead of being worried for them or trying to get out of the Opera House, he instead looks for Christine, who is on stage and quite literally in the safest location within the theater. I would consider him a redeemed/protective yandere though, considering his priority is always Christine (he even gives up his own family name to be with her) and he's always trying to protect her. There's a part of the story where Raoul becomes really unhinged when it comes to protecting Christine, lashing out her her friends and other members of the Opera house. He does some really dumb stuff because of the Phantom, specifically throwing away Christine's ring that she got from the Phantom (that she also literally told him before that as long as she's wearing the ring she wouldn't be harmed by the phantom and he just...?? okay??). When he's tortured in the mirror room, he hallucinates Christine blaming him for her capture, and he even cries while hallucinating that Christine friendzones him (which I though was actually really funny, even if it was a tad bit stupid). His redemption comes near the end of the story where he apologizes for being so emotional and realizing that he was a bit of an obsessive beast, and in one ending he lets Christine go to travel the world. To be honest, I don't know if Raoul would continue to be as protective and obsessed with her even after the Phantom's death, but I guess there's not really any way to know.
The Phantom, or Erik (which I know is his cannon name but it makes me laugh because he really doesn't look like an Erik) is the main villain of the story. Unfortunately, in this version, I don't think I can call him a yandere, for one simple character: Melek. Melek, as far as I know isn't in the original story, is a prisoner that Erik has after she refused to marry her. As a character, I do actually like Melek since she's the one of the more sensible characters in the story and she's the more rational one between her and Christine, but her role in the story basically deconfirms Erik as a yandere, at least in this version. For one, Melek is a blind maid of Erik that he did fall in love with and trap, similar to how Christine was, which kind of comes off as Erik being the kind of person who would trap any girl that he likes. Even if this is the case, I don't understand why Erik would keep her alive even after she fell for Christine. Supposedly the reason is that Erik wanted to make Christine feel despair and he did attempt to kill her, but Melek survives and he just... doesn't do anything with her. Honestly, if Melek were straight up not in the story, I would have put him as a yandere because pretty much all of his other actions point to a more possessive/worship type of yandere, but because of Melek it's just not possible in my eyes. Besides that Erik sort of reminds me of a chunni in this version (he's like this absolute darkness is my curse! Like people with 7th grade syndrom seem to have), it was kind of hard for me to take him seriously in certain times. He is very intimidating when he threatens Christine, but his overdramatic nature (which I know is something he's always known for, just this version is uh...) really makes him seem like a child. Erik is for sure suppose to be more antagonistic in this version, considering the addition of Melek and his general actions of possession towards Christine and his disdain for Raoul, but near the end we do see more of his story and we see just how devastating his life is from the moment of birth. I did feel really bad for him when Hatim/The Persian keeps on mentioning the prince he used to work with because its really obvious that he still has trauma from it (and he keeps begging him to not talk about his past and the Persian just... keeps traumatizing him I guess) and the fact that he was treated so badly because of his appearance, but this doesn't excuse his actions in the story. Christine does try to sympathize with him using her own tragic backstory, which Erik kind of pushes away (like bro, we're not trying to see whose parents are worse, she's just trying to sympathize with you, dang) as not being tragic. I think that Mazm did present him pretty well in this story, not showing just his antagonistic side but also his more tragic side. Sadly, like I said, I can't consider him a yandere because of the addition of Melek, at least not in this version.
In terms of other characters, I really like the trio of Meg Giry, Sorelli and Jammes- the friends of Christine. From what I can tell, they're all a bit more aged up in this version, with Sorelli being the oldest and Jammes being the youngest and I feel like they gave more character to them than in the original version. Sorelli is the head of the dancers and the dating partner of Phillip de Chagny, Raoul's older brother and she's the mature and strong willed one of the group, wielding a blade that she uses to protect her friends. I like the fact that they made her a bit more protective and in one of the overworld sprites its mentioned via rumor that Phillip fell in love with her after he saw Sorelli swing her dagger, which I thought was pretty cute. At the end though, after Phillips death, she realizes that she was struggling too hard to climb up the social ladder and decides to forge her own path. In the beginning she attempts to protect her and her friends from the Phantom, declaring that she'll stab him if she sees him. Next is Meg Giry, and from what my friend told me, she was very young in the original books and kind of scardy cat. In this version, she's a bit older but maintains the scardy cat position, and is very terrified of the Phantom. She does gain more character development during the story, standing up to her mother and the managers and overall being a more assertive and confident person, which I thought was a nice touch. Last but certainly not least is my best girl Jammes. In the original story, she barely makes an appearance, but in Mazm they made her quite literally the best character. For one, the canonical reason why there are so many cats hanging out in the opera house is that Jammes keeps on feeding them and letting them in and she has named all of them after the Opera House staff. Jammes loves to spin and has a cute animation and while she can be loud and a bit strange sometimes, she can be smart and assertive when she needs to. Jammes always pushes the other three into being better and protects them when needed (for instance, when Phillip lashes out at Sorelli, she steps in and demands that he apologize for his actions) and can be really smart at times (she's the only character that attempts to at least cover her mouth when the Phantom's fragrance, a hallucinogenic gas, starts to fill up the box seat, despite others who have been in there not even trying) and is the one who stands up for Christine's abuse as well as for the dancers at the opera house being treated unfairly by the manager as she organizes a strike against them. She also becomes part of the women's suffrage after the events of the story. I could go on and on about Jammes, but instead I'll leave a cute picture of her at the end of this entire analysis. Besides those three, I did like Carlotta, the original singing lead of the opera house. Originally, she became an antagonist towards Christine after she became the lead singer, however, she did apologize to her afterwards and befriended her once more before traveling the world. I love her interactions with Raoul because she basically said that Raoul only has Christine and military training and when he gets angry and lashes out, Carlotta glares and him, causing him to cower (this actually does happen multiple times), and I just found that really, really funny. Mifoid, though useless in the story is actually pretty cute as well, I love his bouncing animation. The last character I'll talk about is Phillip because he became meme material for me and my friend considering he probably is so tired of Raoul talking about Christine (we joked that the reason he was sent to military was so that he didn't have to hear her name again) and while he is mostly a decent but strict character in the story, his last appearance really makes him out as a jerk. I did think it was kind of weird that Phillip was so willing to let Raoul go to the Artic mission considering nobody that has gone there has ever returned, and he was rather elitest towards him, not letting him marry Christine because she's of lower
class but during his last chapter before he dies, he goes on a frenzy after he and Raoul have a fight, revealing to Sorelli that he only dated her for fun and not to actually settle down with her, which is just horrible. It's a bit sad though that Raoul only saw him as someone who tried to get rid of him considering that Phillip did raise Raoul and that his last actions were an attempt to save Phillip from the phantom, and yet Raoul barely has a reaction after seeing his body and doesn't even go to his funeral. It's really sad that Raoul didn't even really cry after seeing Phillip's body, considering that he was basically his father figure.
Overall, it's a good game to play and a good retelling of the Phantom of the Opera. I wouldn't consider the Phantom to be a yandere in this game, but I do think that Raoul is one. Thank you for this recommendation!
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nataliedanovelist · 3 years
Text
GF - Stars Aren’t the Only Things That Glitter
A Drifting Stars AU short, collaborating with @clownwry.
2nd, 3rd, 4th.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Grunkle Ford, look out!”
“Mabel, stay back!”
BANG!
“Mabel… MABEL! HOLD ON! I’M COMING! MABEL!”
~~~~~~~~~~
Mabel looked at the blazing fire, trying to pretend to ignore her great-uncles muttering so she might pick up a swear word, be it alien or English was perfectly fine by her. Mabel didn’t pick up any swears, but she did hear the words “reckless” and “irresponsible” and “inconceivable”. The Listening Game did a fair job of distracting her from the pain on her arm and shoulder. Except when Grunkle Ford’s bandages were a little too tight and she would wince at the friction on her burn.
Still muttering through his teeth, his eye glued to the injury through his single-cracked glasses, he did it again, pulling on the bandage a little too hard, this time making Mabel accidentally let am “ouch!” slip past her lips. Ford looked up at her and his expression grew softer and more nurturing. “I’m sorry, my dear, but really, you shouldn’t have done that.”
“They were gonna shoot you…”
“I don’t care.” Ford said firmly. “If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. If I tell you to save yourself and leave me behind, you do so.”
“No.”
The nomadic scientist blinked, slightly surprised by her stubbornness. Only slightly surprised, because she is a Pines, after all. But she is a good kid and in the month they had been traveling the Multiverse, she had never outright defied him like this. “Excuse me?” He wasn’t even stern or angry; he was too surprised (and maybe even a little proud) to properly scold her anymore.
“No. That’s stupid.” Mabel answered, her little cheeks puffed up in determination, her eyes sparkling with the reflection of the fire, a flame of her own in the windows to her soul. “I’ll never leave you behind. We’re a family, we gotta stick together if we’re gonna survive and get home. We need each other. Besides, if the tables were turned, would you leave me behind?”
“That’s an entirely different matter.” Ford said with a small smile on his ruffed-up face; he resumed his work on the burn more gently now and finished wrapping it up, securing the bandage. “I’m old, I’ve lived my life. You take priority.”
“I don’t care.” Mabel said, copying Ford’s exact tone and voice from earlier. The grown man snorted with amusement.
Ford decided to put this little argument on hold, seeing how there was no changing Mabel’s mind right now. And he didn’t want to spend the entire evening rebuking her. “You did do a very good job disarming those hunters. I’m very proud of you.”
Mabel sat up a little straighter and smiled up at Ford. “Thank you.”
Ford smiled at her and stood, moving to his large backpack to fish out the things for tea and dinner, though it would probably only be dried meat and oats. “I’m just glad you’re okay, pumpkin.”
Mabel’s eyes widened as her world was put on pause. She felt like she was being sucked into a time vortex, transported into a memory.
Grunkle Stan was dusting some zombie parts off of his armchair when Mabel was walking by, leaving the kitchen after giving Soos his cure for zombification. Stan noticed that Mabel looked very tired. He smiled at her from her seat, and Mabel ran up to him and climbed into his lap for a big hug.
“Hey, you alright?” Stan asked.
“Yeah, I’m okay. Are you?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m just glad you’re okay, pumpkin.” And he gave her a secure squeeze and Mabel happily hugged him back.
Mabel was shoved back into reality, accompanied by a sinking feeling of loss. She missed Grunkle Stan. She missed Dipper. She missed Waddles, and Soos, and Wendy, and the Shack, and Oregon, and California, and Mom and Dad…
Ford turned back to the fire with a kettle and wire-spider in hand, ready to ask Mabel to fetch some water (she always enjoyed being of assistance), but he stopped when he saw her crying with her eyes shut and wiping her cheeks dry with her wrists. Ford was immediately halted and his priorities shifted drastically. Nothing mattered at this moment but making her feel better.
He was swift. Ford scooped up some water from the clean stream into the kettle, then used the wire-spider to hold the kettle over the fire. Giving the water plenty of time to heat up and steam, Ford gently picked Mabel up from her seat on the log, only to hold her close and let her wrap her arms around his neck. He didn’t say a word, being a social-cripple and having no idea what he could say that would make her feel better, so he stayed silent and was simply there for her.
And really, that was all Mabel needed.
~~~~~~~~~~
The next morning the two humans were lucky to come across a small rustic town in the woods, reminding Ford of the small Tennessee-town Fiddleford grew up in. Except of course there were no humans, but blue-skinned elves with pointy years and the occasional centaur.
Ford had stolen a bit of money from a hunter yesterday, which meant they got to restock on supplies and even buy a cheap breakfast at an outside cafe. Sitting at a table under an umbrella, Ford was going over his plan with Mabel while she munched on her sweetly-cooked purple apples tossed in spices and sugar.
“... so once we reach this cavern here, we’ll reach a very interesting town called Flush Valley. I’ve heard it specializes in building mechanical limbs and prosthetics, but it’s surrounded by rich minerals perfect for building, so we can find what we need easily here. There may even be a day-by-day job I can get to earn a bit of money for food and shelter.”
“I can work, too! Daddy always said I was like a French horse!” Mabel added in excitedly.
Ford chuckled. “We’ll see. I would feel more comfortable if you were working so I could keep an eye on you. Moving on,” The old scientist sipped his strange alien coffee, but it contained caffeine and somewhat resembled his home dimension’s coffee taste, so he drank it. “The way there could be crawling with scavengers. A lot of people come to Flush Valley just barely hanging on by a thread, easy targets for hunting and stealing food and supplies. So we need to keep our guard up for the next two days.”
“Okay.” Mabel said, as nonchalantly as if Ford told her to remember to add milk to a grocery list.
Ford gave her a firmer look and added, “So, if we think we’re being followed, what do we do?”
“We pretend we don’t know and we keep walking calmly.” Mabel replied. “We keep our eyes open for a way to lose them, and where the sneaky-peaky spies are.”
“Very good.” Ford smiled at her. “If we decide to try to lose them, what do we do?”
“Run as fast as we can. If I can’t catch up I get on your shoulders and focus on making them go away, while you get us away.”
“Yes, excellent. What do we do if we decide to confront them?”
“I grab by sling-shot and exploding rocks and hit as many guys as I can. I aim for the knees or feet so they fall and can’t shoot us. Oh, and we stand with our backs to each other so we see everything, together.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself. Now, if we are surrounded and I find a way to escape, what do you do?”
“Make sure you go in so you can lead the way!” Mabel answered with a grin.
“N-No, honey.” Ford said gently with a smile, as if informing a kindergartner that 1+1=2, not 11. “If I find a way to escape, you go first…”
“No,” Mabel said, still smiling as she shook her head. “You go first so I can make sure you’re coming.”
Ford sighed and took another sip of his drink. “Okay, if I tell you to run, you…”
“I grab your hand and run with you, making sure no one gets lost.”
“Mabel, no.”
“Mabel YES!” The girl grinned with determination. “You’re stuck with me, old man! You can’t get rid of me!”
Ford was getting annoyed at this point. He pinched the bridge of his nose, lifting his glasses up slightly, and growled, “I’m not trying to get rid of you, I’m trying to save you!”
Mabel gave him a very serious look and questioned, “By leaving me alone out here?”
“No! I-...” But Ford stopped and bit his lip. His niece did have an excellent point. As much as Ford was willing to do anything to keep her safe, as much as Ford was willing to sacrifice his own life for her’s, that really wasn’t a good idea.
There was a good chance Mabel could survive without him, at least until she found a nice family to take her in (or, somehow, miraculously, Stanley opened the portal and brought her home, but Ford didn’t dare to hope for that). But she was so young and inexperienced in the Multiverse. At least when Ford was first thrown into the chaos he was an adult and was accustomed to weirdness thanks to his six years of researching Gravity Falls. Mabel was extremely resourceful, imaginative, intelligent, and clever. She was also stronger and faster than many would assume. But she was too trusting. Too innocent. So, not to belittle Mabel or underestimate her, but she was right; she needed Ford, and as noble as it would be to exchange his life for her’s if it came down to it, that would also be incredibly stupid and only buy Mabel a little more time until she was captured or enslaved or killed or even worse.
And of course, only someone as people-smart and clever as Mabel could make Ford see that.
He sighed tiredly. “O-... Okay.” Mabel smiled proudly at him. “Okay, I’ll… I’ll try to be more careful.” Ford promised. “I… I just need you to be safe.”
“Don’t worry, I think we do a pretty good job of keeping each other safe.” Mabel complimented, holding out a bite of her fruit on a fork for Ford.
The old man held up a polite hand and declined, but his stomach turned against him and growled, and Mabel frowned at him, giving Ford a deja vu feeling of his mother forcing him and his brothers to eat their vegetables. So Ford smiled and accepted the sweetly cooked fruit. “Yes, I think so, too.”
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