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levmada · 2 years

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there'd be so much intimacy and care in levi helping you to fix your sleep schedule. not in a sexual way, but just the tenderness of how he'd make it his life's mission to help you sleep at a decent time, particularly having had enough of seeing your heavy, tired eyes and seeing how frustrated you get when you feel you haven't accomplished much in the day due to sleeping in late (due to going to bed so, so late). he'd lie awake next to you, on his side, even if he was nowhere near sleep ready.

//nightmares (disturbing descriptions+sleep paralysis), insomnia, PTSD symptoms

After a particularly horrific mission, you begin to get restless, awake long into the night and drowsy in the morning. Your eyes develop a tired weight to them; kissing you awake like he routinely does (because Levi is always up first) isn't effective; he has to drag you out of bed in the mornings; and he notices the way you carry yourself during the day is listless and sluggish. You try to hide your yawns, but it's impossible to hide anything from Levi.

Even when you do sleep, he notices due to his chronic lack of it himself how what should be a calm, peaceful expression is again and again replaced by a stressed pinch in your brow, and how you toss and turn. He's there to witness as you anxiously bustle around in what becomes early afternoon because you're late in getting done what you want to. Levi prefers to let you sleep in if you have the option, but he hates seeing you like this.

At first, although you don’t say it, he can tell by the way you get busier long past sunset that you’re staving sleep off. Not for any logical reason he can see.

It’s normal for sleep to be unreachable after weeks of adrenaline and blood, but this mission went worse than the average, because at the brink of dawn, there was apparently enough light for at least two Titans to “wake up”. The temporary camp under the trees was attacked, and the death toll was devastating. No one except Levi was totally prepared for something like that to happen.

You're distressed, and he of course can't let that go on.

So it becomes his mission to get you to sleep sooner rather than later, and fix your sleeping schedule.

Since Levi has trouble all the time being able to sleep, over time he's been given many tips and tricks (mostly against his will) by those who notice and for once can't help but notice how bad he sleeps because it's written all over his face.

And so he does these things for you in hopes it helps, shocked that he found a use for them. It's such a minor issue to you, you feel guilty even though he's taking it upon himself to help. But he doesn't compromise: "None of this shit works on me, anyway. Get back in bed, or I'm tying you to it."

And well you doubt he'd really do that, but it's the determined passion in his eyes that gets you to obey. He brews you chamomile tea with a drop of honey, allows you absolutely no sweets at least 3 hours before you lay down, and even teaches you a breathing method that should relax you. On one of your regular errands into town, he even stops by a place that sells incense. There are literally no lengths Levi won't go to.

And, it works eventually. First a few more nights pass as you each ease into the routine. For once, Levi is consistently wearing something besides his uniform to bed and laying down at a reasonable time as a side effect of his efforts. You insist that he doesn’t have to, but he can sense the tension leaving your frame as he lowers the flame in the lantern and takes you into his arms from behind.

“As long as you’ll have me,” he murmurs, “I will.”

When he’s snuggled up behind you, your hands not so much holding but lightly clasped in front of you, he traces random patterns over your knuckles and breathes slowly and deeply. Without you realizing, he can get you to do the same.

You whisper, “Thank you. I just… don’t know how long this’ll go on. I think that last expedition just messed me up. I don’t know.”

“It’s understandable that it did, sweetheart.” He squeezes your hand. “How long it lasts doesn’t make a difference to me.”

You squeeze his hand. Slowly, you recover, still not sleeping much. And lightly—too light to get any real rest. You both figure out that it comforts you to hold him, more. Levi’s small form cradled back against your front, your legs tangled and nosing the back of his head. It comforts you more to protect him—even though he doesn’t need protecting in reality—than to protect yourself. You sleep easier.

But when you’re eased into properly sleeping again is when the nightmares start. Before, you could at least wake up from a shallow dream with the distant feeling of horror and panic and none of the real terror, but it all comes back to you now. Not all of them are necessarily about that morning, but fear, any fear—losing your life, losing Levi, reaching for your blades to fight a nearing monster but you can never seem to grab them, or just black dreams of your comrades’ screams; dreams where the Titans are the size of insects that burrow under your skin. It’s just unimaginable.

Levi has perfect instincts. Everyone knows that. He finds himself blinking awake for no reason, only for a moment later to feel you jerk awake in his arms, gasping. You touch your face to make sure you’re awake as he closes in from behind, practicing what you always do when you catch him having a nightmare—softly hushing, reassuring that you’re awake now, whatever happened wasn’t real, or at least it’s over now.

You turn over and weep in his arms. He holds you tight, as if he could be a physical barrier between you and those dreams, as if he could hope to protect you from what simply isn’t there. Petting your hair, and smearing tears from your cheeks with his thumbs. “I’m here… I’m here now. Shh, sweetheart…”

But it isn’t just that one night. Suddenly he isn’t the one with rampant nightmares—you are. At the worst you wake up with a cry and sit straight up, clutching your chest half-believing you’re still dreaming; at best he touches your cheek when you start to whimper and you can doze off again not too long after.

However, there’s one thing even worse than any of that, which is the sleep paralysis. During these spells, you're fully conscious, but can do absolutely nothing to grab Levi’s attention, even if he’s awake, as what seems like a hallucination but is just a vivid dream puts you through a little more hell. That’s the worst.

Since there’s absolutely nothing Levi can do about that while it's happening, you don’t talk about it. Talking about the nightmares, at least, absolves the fear better than keeping them to yourself. Levi doesn’t dismiss you or even tell you that there’s no reason to be afraid—he validates you, because of course they're scary. He brings you tea when you can’t go back to sleep, and often you’ll go with him, so at the kitchen table he listens intently while you try to explain the nightmare. By the time you’re finished, he’s always holding your hand. He doesn’t know how to be comforting, or at least he wishes he was better at it, but he relates to the way you feel, even if he can get too logical at times when dreams are the exact opposite. He tries his best, which to him never feels like enough, but it means everything to you.

Every soldier in the Survey Corps has demons, nightmares, traumatic memories. It’s not possible to sleep soundly even most of the time, but it doesn’t stay bad forever, and even at its worst, you and him both have each other when you wake up. With time, though it's not linear, your sleep schedule goes back to normal, so you’re less groggy and up earlier. Levi can kiss your eyelids and watch them flutter when you wake up, and stroke your hair to lull you to sleep at night. He’s always there for you <3

| levi masterlist | main masterlist |

#im projecting again #levi ackerman #levi x mc #levi x you #levi x reader #levi x gender neutral reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman fluff #levi ackerman fic #levi ackerman fanfiction #aot fanfiction #levi.thoughts

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hwaksimpokemon · 9 months

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give us your honest opinions on all of rainbow rocket, then. if you have time

Ooh, boy. Okay. Someone's going to show up at my house-

I do want to preface this by saying I don't agree with any of their actions relating to legendary pokémon. I'm talking about the person I interact with out of necessity at the meetings.

Maxie: Maxie's a bit... sharp around the edges. But he's not bad at all, really, once he trusts you a little bit. We've had our disagreements, sure. He really did not like me when we first met. We can talk, now. And it's nice.

Archie: Archie and I get along well! We have a similar outlook on a lot of things, especially on Giovanni's trapping methods. And he realizes now that his plans with Kyogre were a little... well, his intentions were good. Same as Maxie. The methods weren't. Archie is one of the few people at those meetings that does look out for me where he can, and I appreciate that.

Giovanni: Oh, Giovanni... I punched his lights out pretty recently. And it felt amazing. And I hated it. I hate being angry, I hate being violent when I don't need to be, but he just would not. Stop. Talking. And I needed him to shut up. I am so sick of the way he makes me feel, the way he makes me look to people around us- I hate that he makes me look stupid, makes me look weak. I despise the hold he has over me, and I hate that he won't tell me what he keeps me around more. ... I hate him.

Chairman Rose: Rose and I don't speak often. I barely even know what he does- he's not been at the meetings since I started attending, dealing with some 'personal issues' back in Galar. I really don't have a strong opinion either way on him.

Piers: I admire how he looks after N. I also admire his honesty. We don't talk much, but I think he's a good kid.

Ghetsis: I despise him. The way he treats both people and pokémon makes me sick. I healed his Hydreigon once after a battle, and it showed up at my house that night, that's how shit he is to it. He's a vile human being, and I don't know how Colress deals with him. He was almost nice to me once, when he made me a cup of tea, before promptly criticizing my husband for marrying a man. He also tried to kill my brother, and nearly killed me. Giovanni had to stop him.

N: Honestly, I don't really know what N is doing in our meetings. He's uncomfortable around Ghetsis, which is completely fair, and I don't think he even really wants to be there. I sit next to him. We have nice conversations. I gave him a fidget cube once when he was anxious, and he returned the favor at the next meeting. He's a good kid.

Colress: Colress is lovely. Redirecting his efforts to something beneficial now that he's not fully tied to Ghetsis is amazing, and he's genuinely just a lovely person. We've battled on occasion, and I've normally lost, but it's always a fun time. We play Scrabble together, and have a rule where you can spell words however you want. We are both dyslexic.

Lysandre: I have... mixed feelings on Lysandre. For reasons I can't really delve into. It would be unprofessional of me. I do want to say, though, that he never did anything to me directly. Of Rainbow Rocket, he is nowhere near the worst.

Lusamine: She was awful to her children, and I resent her for that. I'm also from Alola, and was visiting when she opened up the wormholes. She put my family in danger, and I resent that too. I know of nothing good she's ever done.

Cyrus: Cyrus is... complicated. One the one hand, he's friends with Kamiya (who I will get to, don't you fucking worry), but on the other, he's... decently pleasant when he visits. He comes over to my house every now and then, and we talk. I worry about him wandering the island so often. I hope he's alright.

Kamiya Sakoda: Where to fucking start with you, Kamiya? He helped me through my second divorce. Namely, he helped me realize the way my husband was treating me and my son. Let me stay at his house while I was figuring things out, and was generally helpful to me. Even set me up with my new husband. Then he got upset that my attention wasn't fully on him anymore. And he started being a dick. I had been hiding from my father, at the time- meeting with him and my brother occasionally, but not letting them know where I was staying. For my own safety. But they found out eventually, and dragged me out of my home to beat me. Twelve hours in, they called our family doctor (who just so happens to be Kamiya's fucking wife) so of course, he showed up. Carried me back to his house, insisted I stay for my own safety. Generally 'caring', when he wasn't hitting my injuries. Turns out, he was the one that told my father where I was. I was furious when I found out. Angry at him for doing such a thing, angry at myself for not seeing it coming- it was horrible. I'll never forgive him. For any of it.

Haruka: My ex-husband. The one Kamiya helped me get away from. I don't want to think about him.

Zero: Zero freaks me the fuck out. I'm sure that's probably his whole thing, but it works, and I don't like it. He's horrifying to look at, boring to talk to, and overall just not my cup of tea.

Lucio: Lucio is just plain unpleasant. He thinks he's better than he is, and it shows pathetically. His business is shady at best, and at worst, plain predatory. He also has an annoying habit of hurting people that work for me.

#jung hwaksim #pkmn irl #hwaksim pokemon #pokemon #pokemon rp #rotomblr #pokemon irl #pkmn rp #ask hwaksim #pokemon oc #this took so fucking long you have no idea.

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takuyakistall · 3 years

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to yuu.

Note: I wanted to write short HCs for each character as they wrote the letter when I finished reading everyone's thank you messages (◕ᴗ◕✿) ! All of them are very cute and I couldn't help but get some midnight rot so I had to write it down. Here's the link to the post where every message is listed down. Before you start reading, just a heads up, most of these are written in a romantic light. I also recommend reading the letters themselves first before heading here.

Characters: All students + Grim (Excluding Ortho)

Riddle Rosehearts

"Dear friend," Riddle thought that it was the most appropriate way to address you—or at least, that's what his brain is trying to make him think. Ever since overblotting and you helping him snap out of his frenzy, he had difficulty in labeling what exactly you were to him.

Before everything, you were supposed to be just a mere acquaintance to him and yet here you were sending him gifts out of the blue. The general "rule" towards receiving gifts was to give the giver your thanks. Albeit the better option was to thank you personally, he thought that maybe a letter would be better so that he can sort out his thoughts.

Friend. He nodded, proceeding to write down the rest of his message until he realized that this was an opportunity to invite you to tea with him under the pretense of paying you back for the gift. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he continued writing.

Surely, you would accept his invitation, right?

Trey Clover

"Hey you," was that too casual? Too rude sounding? Trey shook his head as he stared at the two words. He hadn't been expecting a gift from you and frankly, he was more than a bit surprised. Though perhaps he hadn't read the "gift" part when he suddenly started writing down questions about what you liked.

He immediately started thinking of how he should pay you back—gifts? He doesn't know your taste that well. Favours? Hmm, he's not too sure about that one. That's why he decided to ask, if there was something you wanted—he'll do his best to find it for you. A tempting offer, right?

It seems like you have to tell him that this wasn't a trade.

Cater Diamond

"Helloooooo," he started off. The extra amount of Os he used was proof that he's trying to take this occurrence casually. Though in the inside he was absolutely beaming. Gifts never fail to put a smile on his face, especially if it came from someone you didn't expect to give you a gift or someone special to him.

In this case, it was probably the latter. He took a small break as he stared at your gift, wondering what he should write. A small smile took over his face as he picked up his phone and snapped a few selfies of him with your gift with a caption before hitting the post button.

"Received a gift from a dear friend, isn't it amazing? ♪"

Deuce Spade

"Friend," Deuce rarely got to experience receiving gifts from friends to one another judging how his past years were spent as a delinquent. To say that he was happy to receive one from you was an understatement, he was over the moon.

He felt the need to mention it to you with a huge grin on his face. He thought of various ways to give you something back as he let out a small hum, he felt like he was having a field day. He signed the message and told himself that today was going to be a great day.

Ace Trappola

"Hey you," Ace was terribly suspicious of the fact that you sent him a gift out of the blue. Were you trying to buy him silence over something you did? Were you trying to convince him to do your homework for you? A lot of questions springed up inside his mind but not once did he think that it was just a genuine, sweet gift with no ulterior motives hidden beneath.

He knew that you would get mad at him if he continued to suspect you so he said that he was kidding in all caps with three dots after that—which didn't help his situation at all.

He felt awkward trying to convey his feelings like this and he ruffled his own hair as he told you that he just needed to tell you something later, when you're face-to-face. That would make it easier for him to speak.

Leona Kingscholar

"Good day," Leona uncharacteristically typed. He felt like he was being held at gunpoint by his past etiquette teachers as he tried to think of an appropriate response. If it were up to him, he would've just slapped a "thank you" on a piece of paper and asked Ruggie to give it to you.

Though he thought that perhaps it was better for him to actually put in effort for once. Even if it seemed like his so called effort seemed like something he just stole from the internet—that was more than enough, right? He'll just put his signature at the bottom and ask Ruggie to give it to you.

Ruggie Bucchi

"Hey you," a big grin took over his face as he wrote down his first few words. He wasn't as experienced as other people when it came to writing down messages of gratitude, he once tried consulting Leona about it—asking how to make it sound decent only to be met with an answer that went like: "Just put whatever."

And that's what he did! Truly, he's thankful for receiving a gift. For a split second, he wondered if he should share it with the people back in his homeland. Though he pushed that thought to the back of his head as he signed the bottom of the paper with his signature. He'll figure that out once he gives the letter to you.

Jack Howl

"Friend," he doesn't know what to say it's embarassing. Even in letters, he still manages to retain that straightforward yet somewhat roundabout personality of his. A tinge of embarrassment seeping through the letter.

He wished he could've just talked to you in person instead but alas, he was stuck here trying to rack his brain for words. In the end, he felt like it was best to keep it simple—the slightly demanding tone at the end was the result of him getting flustered at the thought that it's possible that it could be a date between the two of you.

Azul Ashengrotto

"My dear friend," Azul couldn't count the number of times he had crumpled a piece of paper and threw it into the trashcan only to get a new one—rinse and repeat. Jade and Floyd had to stifle their laughter when they saw how distressed he was over a single message. Though, perhaps that was the fruit of his unconventional feelings towards the giver.

He didn't want to sound too stiff and professional to the point that he sounded like a robot but also, he didn't want to sound too casual to the point that you might find it weird. He had to let out a small sigh as he ruffled his hair, another piece of paper thrown into the trash can before deciding that he should just play it safe and give you a free drink.

Jade Leech

"To my dearest," oh no. His hand slipped and accidentally made his greeting more intimate than it should be, he could go back and change it but—fufu, where's the fun in all of that? His lips tugged up into a smirk as he continued writing, knowing full well that what he was implying would evoke an interesting reaction out of you. But, if that wasn't enough to stir you up a bit then why not put a little more something? He was a prick this way.

He spotted an empty space on one of his shelves in the corner of his eye, glancing at it for a few seconds before an idea popped into his head. A smile that barely showed off his sharp canines, hidden beneath his gloved hand.

"Truly. Would I lie to you?"

Floyd Leech

"Little shrimpy," he grinned. Floyd was in an especially good mood today after receiving such a thoughtful gift from you. He played with his pen in hand, spinning it around as a distant look took over his face when he tried thinking about the reason why you gave him a gift out of nowhere.

Knowing that Floyd pays a little more attention to you than others, he was bound to be curious and he was more than eager to find out—there's always a reason behind someone's actions, after all. He tried expressing his intent to get the answer out of you which came out a little threatening but if you saw the look on his face there's no mistaking that it was an even bigger threat than you initially thought.

Kalim Al-Asim

"Hey love," Kalim was as straightforward as ever. Not a single filter as he wrote down his raw feelings. There was no reason for him to hesitate especially now that he was practically about to shake from pure joy—he was incredibly close to signing the letter and hopping into his magic carpet to give it to you personally but Jamil was there beside him to stop him if he ever does that.

Though that didn't mean that it was gonna stop him from wanting to ask you out on a magic carpet date with him, he'll just have to explain to Jamil when you accept his invitation. That is assuming you'll accept, right?

Jamil Viper

"Dear friend," Kalim practically forced him to write a letter back to you. Jamil wasn't an ingrate, he knew when to show gratitude when it was appropriate but he preferred thanking you in person. He had to settle for this in the meantime, he thought that maybe he'll just invite you to Scarabia to talk about what he could give in return.

He hadn't really expected a gift from you, especially with all the trouble he might've caused you due to his overblot. Though he didn't think it was all that bad. In fact, he felt a little relieved that you didn't hold any grudge against him.

Vil Schoenheit

"My dear," Vil had an unmistakable smirk placed upon his lips. The choice of words he wrote managed to give out a slightly smug vibe as he stared at your gift on his desk. Impressed by your ability for finding him a suitable gift, he decided to give you a little bit in return.

His smirk slowly turned into a gentle smile as he imagined your face probably tearing up at the thought of him giving you a signed card, he couldn't help but put an offhanded comment near the end. But it was quickly followed up with a single bit of rare praise from him.

Rook Hunt

"Hey love," Rook was always one to act dramatically whenever he had the chance and even in letters, he managed to sound dramatic. As soon as he realized that you had sent him a gift he started gushing about how wonderful it was and how inspiration was raining down on him like tiny droplets.

What's a better way to let his raw emotions out than poetry? That's right, this man wrote you a poem expressing how he feels because of your gift. He almost forgot to say his gratitude because he got carried away but thankfully, Epel pointed it out to him before he could give it to you.

Epel Felmier

"Dear friend," he rarely got any gifts from anyone outside his relatives so when he saw you give him a gift, he was excited to say the least. There's always a certain joy you can evoke in a person when you give them a gift it was almost euphoric for some. He thought that it was sweet of you to give him a gift and decided to give one back with a small message.

Friend. For some reason, it felt a bit off addressing you as that but he quickly shook his head and shot down that thought. As for his gift, he prepared a little something he made himself. Hehe, he's quite proud of it too!

Idia Shroud

"@YOU" it was interesting how Idia didn't bother changing to formal speech when he decided to give you a thank you message for your gift. He's typing the same way he would to his friend, namely "Crimson Muscle", but perhaps that was because he didn't know of any other way to talk to you without sounding unnatural or weird.

People would normally not even think about giving him something and yet you gave him one. He couldn't help but smile a bit when he said how you were a bit of an oddball—he came up with various nicknames for you inside his head. Most of them being different words for the term "weirdo". Yet they always had a hint of affection whenever he would think of it.

Malleus Draconia

"Dearest," Malleus started off. It was rare that he received gifts from people outside his family or nobles back in the Valley since a lot of people found him intimidating—terrifying for some, even. He was glad that you felt comfortable enough around him to show simple gestures such as these. Upon receiving your gift, Lilia noticed how it came from you and urged Malleus to write his thank you message differently from how he usually writes it.

Did you perhaps know of the legends surrounding the Thorn Witch...? If so, then maybe he could sneak in a little joke. The gift of beauty and the gift of song—ah, nevermind. He pursed his lips slightly, he'll just handpick a gift for you himself. A small gargoyle statue, maybe. Or he could ask the other members of Diasomnia to help him.

Lilia Vanrouge

"My dear," his lips formed a small smirk. Lilia appreciated all surprises, big or small. Though, in particular, something about your surprise gift made him more excited about it than usual. Was that just his old age getting to him or was it something else? He couldn't be bothered to think about it that much.

As a form of gratitude, he weighed his options. It was either giving you a gift back or letting you ask a favour of him. He thought the latter would be more acceptable until an idea popped into his head as his eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. He knew you didn't know what it exactly meant but he gave you his signature nonetheless—he'll leave you to figure out.

Silver

"Hey you," Lilia taught Silver that it was common courtesy to show gratitude when someone gives him a gift. He tried thinking of countless ways to say thank you with his old man bugging him to ask you out on a date instead in the background. In the end, he paid Lilia no attention and instead went with the standard short message and giving a gift back.

He urged himself not to fall asleep as he typed out his message even though he already let out a yawn without him noticing. He glanced at the screen blankly, wondering if he forgot to add anything until he slowly felt himself snoozing off. Head resting on the keyboard and typing out whatnot. When Lilia arrived at the scene, he didn't bother waking him up and just sent the message as it is.

Silver was so embarassed the next day and refused to talk to Lilia temporarily.

Sebek Zigvolt

"Human," he didn't even try addressing you as anything else other than that even in letters. When he found a gift lying by his room, he was a tad suspicious but loosened up when he read the tag attached to it. As stated, it came from you and the gift was meant for Malleus—wait, what. Sebek scrunched up his face as his eyes scanned the words printed on it.

"To Sebek Zigvolt" This was a mistake, right? Sebek was a bit flushed but quickly shook it off by saying how it was probably a subterfuge or whatever that was. There was no way it was for actually for him, right? Surely, you must've sent this in hopes of hearing more about the great Malleus Draconia. Right?

That is... Wonderful!

Grim

"Dear underling," it was cute how he made an effort to write you a letter despite being in the same dorm wherein he could just talk to you directly. But perhaps he was so touched to the extent that he wanted to do this—did you give him tuna? He struggled thanking you properly and ended up boasting about how he was going to be the greatest sorcerer.

Even though he called you underling at first, he couldn't help but soften up a bit. That didn't sit right with him somehow, he didn't know why. He let out a groan as he racked his head for a more appropriate word until-!

Partner... Sounds about right.

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lily-drake · 3 years

Text

Photograph

Based on

Thank you @johannaiii for letting me write this!!!! It was so much fun and it was a really good prompt!

Talia didn’t like the process of giving birth, in fact she loathed it. She swore she would never, and she meant never do it again. But when she was giving birth, and she found out that she was having twins, and she got to hold her children that she sacrificed and suffered for, she loved them. When she learned that one of them was a girl, she knew that her father would be furious and demand her death. So she immediately summoned one of the monks from the Tibetan temple that her father was allying with and gave them the girl. She demanded that they train her and protect, and that she would never, ever be mentioned to Ra’s. She even killed the nurses who helped her give birth to make sure that there was no one left who would know. It wouldn’t be hard to find replacements for them anyways, it’s not like their lives were significant. They had served out their use, now there was no need for them. When it was time she presented her son, Damian, to her father claiming him to be the only child and heir to the Demon’s Head. Ra’s was very pleased with her and she felt pride at being able to carry out her task properly that her father was very much pleased with her and her child.

Even though Marinette, as she had named the child before she had given her up, was no longer in the league, she made sure she was still in her daughter’s life. Once every year she left for “training” purposes with Damian and went to the ancient temple in Tibet to visit her daughter and make sure that the two siblings got to spend time with each other. Marinette was growing up so fast and the monks would report to her of her daughter’s progress. They told her that Marinette was destined for greatness and to be a powerful leader, and that pleased Talia greatly. The man in charge of her daughter's training, Master Wang Fu, would show her photos of her daughter and her accomplishments; she wished that she would be allowed to do the same for Damian. But the League and the Temple of Order, while partners, were two separate entities when it came to how they were trained and taught. She smiled as she saw her children sparing on the temple’s grounds, each assessing how strong the other had become since their last meeting a year ago.

They were both 6-years-old now, and Marinette had lost one of her top baby teeth. She wore the traditional light blue training robes the monks wore while Damian wore his traditional black and red armor with his katana sheathed on his back. She watched her children and a small smile graced her lips as she watched the two. They were opposites in almost everything, yet they were still so similar. Damian’s fighting was aggressive and forceful while Marinette’s focussed on out maneuvering and tiring out the opponent from a distance before striking where it hurt the most. Their personalities were like fire and ice with Damian being aggressive and mighty while Marinette was soft and humble. Damian was assertive and forceful in the way he spoke, while Marinette was gentle and descriptive. Though, like she said before they had many similarities that helped to cement their relationship. They both were very artistic, in battle they both would get up and personal with their challenger if given the opportunity, both were very intelligent and soaked everything up like a sponge, and both were highly competitive. The sound of metal being hit together sounded from the training grounds as Damian and Marinette fought with their respective weapons; Damian with his katana and Marinette with her two daggers.

“You’ve definitely improved since the last visit, 'ukht, but so have I.”

Damian announced as he went in to sweep his sister’s legs all while bringing his blade down towards her. Marinette used her daggers to lift Damian’s blade and flipped backwards as Damian tried to perform his strike. She was very flexible and graceful when she was in the air. It sometimes looked as if she were flying when she performed some of her stunts.

“Maybe you have, Xiōngdì, but I seem to still have the upper hand.”

Marinette replied with smugness dripping from her voice as her brother glared at her. Marinette carefully crafted her words to manipulate while Damian spoke his mind and used his to order and command. They were opposites, but they completed each other in a way few will ever know.

The day Damian and Talia were to begin their trek back down the mountain Fu ran up to Damian and placed a piece of paper in his hands. He bowed respectfully to the old man and looked at the picture. It was a picture the old man had taken a few days ago. Marinette was smiling brightly and had her arm around his shoulder while he had his arms crossed in front of him and leaned into his sister’s touch with a small smirk. They were both in their training clothes and stood in front of the mountains that hid and protected the Temple of Order. He smiled at it and glanced at his sister who was waving goodbye with a big sad smile. He simply nodded and left not knowing that this would be the last time he would for many years that he would lay eyes on her once again.

~~~~~~~~~~

The Order, it was gone, destroyed! Marinette felt tears rush down her face as she watched her friends and mentors perish in the flames of miraculous magic gone astray. She could feel the cold wind passing by her as Master Fu dragged her away, but she couldn’t remove her gaze from her home that was falling into pieces. What would Damian think, she had to leave something for him to let him know she was okay! But she was never given the chance because she couldn’t pull away from her master. They were the last ones left, and Marinette couldn’t wrap her mind around it at all.

~~~~~~~~~~

Damian and Talia hiked the trial many months later, and as they neared the top they could sense something was definitely off. The top of the temple would usually be in view by now. When they finally reached the top they froze as they saw the ruins of the burned and destroyed temple in front of them. Talia was the first to break from her daze and ran to the ruins searching through them to find any remains of her daughter. Damian soon joined his mother, but it was no use. Damian and Talia believed the worst had happened to her, and with silent tears flowing down his face he stabbed his sword into the ground in front of the burnt remains and fell onto his knees in front of it. The sword would serve as a gravestone for the fallen warriors here, but it specifically would serve as Marinette’s grave marker. She was a brave warrior, one of the best, and she was gone now. Talia stood by her son’s side and soon kneeled in front of it as well with her hand placed on her son’s shoulder. As they traveled down the mountain Damian swore that he would never be vulnerable again, he would never care about anyone ever again, because the pain he felt was too intense and never wanted to feel it ever again.

So both He and Talia took on more missions, Talia was rarely at the base, always gone doing whatever her father needed. The training in Tibet never happened again, and Damian grew closer to his grandfather. He trained harder, attacked ruthlessly, and channeled all his pain and rage into his strikes. He held onto the photo that Fu had given him of the two of them so many years ago. He had it tucked away in a secret place in his room where no one would ever find it, because he wanted to keep her with him in some way. Never again, he wouldn’t be hurt like before ever again.

~~~~~~~~~~

Marinette lived with Master Fu in a tea parlor under the guise of Marin Fu. She helped him run his parlor and distribute his charms to the people through the teas she brewed while he placed charms on people through the massage therapy he did. Fu let her be home schooled as she already knew way more than any normal school could teach her. She would just be repeating things when she could be learning more new material. She was also taught how to better practice her magic and use the miraculous. She was going to be the new guardian one day, she was going to be the last guardian one day, and that thought scared her and brought back all of the nightmares. She locked that night and anything before the fire back up in her mind only remembering what she needed to when she needed to.

Fu wanted her to interact with people though, so with the money he made he sent her to a gymnastics class where she could still retain her skills and get better at them. She honestly loved the classes and she felt so free when she did them. Nobody could beat her, in fact she advanced to level 10 quickly and was well on her way to the elite by the time she was 13. And that’s when Hawkmoth struck Paris.

Lady Rouge and her partner Chat Noir made a decent team, but he was nowhere near her skill level which often annoyed her. He wasn’t a true black cat, her brother was. He was her balanced counterpart, and this cat was just a stand in. And as time went on the imbalance continued the boy became corrupted by the destructive energy of the ring. She had continually told Master Fu about it, but he would not listen. And then it was time for him to pass, and she became the grand guardian, the last grand guardian. Tears fell down the young 15-year-olds face as she watched her mentor's spirit leave him in his peaceful slumber. He was so old, and it was just his time for him to go, but now she had nowhere to go, but she knew what she had to do.

“Hello, M’lady.”

Chat Noir said in a flirty tone as he spun his staff as if the speed he was doing it at would impress her.

“Hello, Chat.”

She replied terse with her arms crossed in front of her as she leaned on the railing of the Eiffel Tower and gazed at the sky that held little stars due to all of the lights of the city below them.

“Are you not excited to see your soulmate? Come on M’lady,”

He said grabbing one of her hands with a large smile and deep voice,

“let me take you out somewhere, just the two of us.”

It took everything in Marinette not to break his wrist in that moment, but she had to play along.

“Okay.”

Chat’s eyes widened and his leather tail began to move side to side in an excited manner.

“W-wait, really?!”

“You know what, ya. This week has been really tough and I could use it.”

Chat’s smile turned into a smirk and a dark twinkle lit up his eyes. He took a step back and held his hand, his ringed hand, out for her to take. SHe smiled at him gently and innocently and took his hand, and as he was about to pull her forward she took hold of the rings and ripped her hand off, taking the ring with her. There was a blonde boy with green eyes staring at her with shock and hurt written all over his face, then eventually anger.

“I am revoking you from being able to wield the Black Cat Miraculous. You are not compatible to wield this power as you are not my balanced counterpart. The ring has been corrupting and harming you after all of your exposure to it when you are not the right one to wear it while I hold the earrings. Thank you for the help you have given me in the past, but I’m afraid that I can not risk hurting you any longer.”

The boy stared at her with wide shocked eyes and nodded. She could see that he too had now noticed the change as with the ring it didn’t feel like he changed at all. She helped him get to his house and left after shaking his hand and thanking him one last time for his help. And as she was about to leave the property she heard the sound of something above her opening and through the now open window she saw an akuma flying out of it.

She quickly caught the akuma and crashed through the glass window into the dark room. Before Hawkmoth could even realize what had happened she had tied him up in her yo-yo and he was pinned in place with the tight cord. If she pulled it any tighter it would cut into his skin and draw blood. She grabbed the broach from the middle of the suit --which was as hideous as his akuma designs, if not worse-- and watched the man detransform making sure the camera on her yo-yo recorded the whole thing.

“You will be subject to the curse of whatever your abused kwami sees fit for you, and then the people of Paris will have you.”

Was all she said as she brought the man onto his knees so he could properly respect the kwami and the God’s they are. Nooroo appeared and stared down at the man in front of him with an angered fiery glare.

“Gabriel Agreste, you have abused me and my miraculous for too long! I bring upon a curse upon you, that no one will ever believe a word you say, and that your craft of manipulation will only work against you!”

And with that, pain courses through Gabriel and the wings of a butterfly were branded on the left side of his chest just above his heart. She left soon after that and sent the footage for the police. She watched from a distance as the police took him in, and told one of the officers that Adrien was innocent and had no connection to his father’s scheme. Once she was sure Gabriel would not be able to escape his justice she pulled the horse miraculous from her yo-yo and summoned a portal to wherever she needed to be next.

~~~~~~~~~~

Damian was in the cave training when Todd burst in and began to run towards him with a stupid smug grin on his face. Damian rolled his eyes and watched Todd stop in front of him holding something small and flimsy in his hand.

“Demon Spawn,”

He breathed out, his smug smile growing wider,

“Did you have a girlfriend in the league?”

Damian was….confused. He had no such thing, but as Todd showed him the thing in his hand his blood froze. It was the photo of him and Marinette. How did he find it?! Why did he even have it?!

“Give it back, Todd.”

Damian growled lowly hands gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.

“She is! Guys, Damian had a-“

He tackled Jason after that and wrestled the photo out of his grip and held it close to him. He glared daggers at Todd and made absolutely sure that the old photo was still intact. Once he was sure. Todd was back on his feet and Damian had the urge to run him through with his sword for daring to rummage through his belongings and to dare touch his picture. He opened his mouth to spit out fiery words of anger, when a portal opened right in front of Damian. A girl walked out of it and the portal immediately closed. It was absolutely silent in the cave as the other occupants who were also there stared at the person. The girl was rigid as she stared Damian directly in the eyes, and he felt a familiar pull to her.

“Kaalki, Tikki separate. Tikki spots off.”

She spoke quickly, and her voice, and those words, and he knew who she was. But that was impossible, because she had died, hadn’t she?! Arms wrapped around him and he could hear sniffles and he felt his arms wrap robotically around the small frame of his sister.

“Xiōngdì, I missed you so much! I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you sooner! Th-the Order was destroyed and Fu woul-wouldn’t let me leave a message, and-and someone was misusing the Butterfly in France (sniff). And-and…..”

She took a long shaky breath in and sighed,

“I missed you so much.”

It took a while to realize that silent tears were falling down his face, and he hugged her even tighter against his chest. Because his sister, his twin sister was alive, and she hadn’t died in the fire and destruction of the temple.

“It’s okay, 'ukht. I’ve got you.”

They stayed like that for a few precious moments before Todd yelled,

“What the f*!”

———————

Permanent Taglist:

@aespades @adrestar

#maribat #sibling au #sibling daminette #marinette al ghul wayne #marinette fu #damian al ghul wayne #monk marinette #talia sugar #bio!dad bruce wayne #twins au #The Order #mlb x batman #dc x mlb #angst #fluff

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ibijau · 3 years

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Futures Past pt18 / on AO3

Nie Huaisang returns to the Cloud Recesses, and meets the people he's meant to befriend

Much to his surprise, Nie Huaisang realised upon returning to the Cloud Recesses that he had missed the place. Or rather, he had missed the friends who lived there.

All winter, Su She and him had exchanged letters, mostly to complain about every single thing that bothered them. When they finally met again in person, they were quite happy to do more of the same. They also discussed all the things they might do for fun that year.

Su She, at long last, had risen in rank and been given more freedom than he used to have. He would have less classes to attend since he was now trusted to take charge of his own training to some degree, he would join more Night Hunts, he had been given a new jade token that allowed him to leave the Cloud Recesses at any time of the day as long as curfew was respected, and he would even be included among those juniors who patrolled to enforce the respect of the rules.

All this made Nie Huaisang so happy for his friend, that he did not realise at first all the implications this had regarding the amount of time they would get to spend together. Su She would be very busy in the future, but he promised he would do everything possible to still make time for his best friend, and Nie Huaisang easily believed him.

The other joy to be found in returning to the Cloud Recesses was not immediate. By the time Nie Huaisang had arrived there, Lan Xichen had not yet returned from a Night Hunt he’d gone on with Nie Mingjue. That was hardly a surprise. These two were usually far too serious in all things, but when they went Night Hunting together, they always stayed a little longer than really necessary. Nie Huaisang usually found that greatly amusing, and never missed a chance to tease his brother about skirting his duties. They seemed to have taken a particularly long time on this occasion, but since Nie Mingjue had complained a few times that he hadn't seen his friend in such a long while, it was not so odd. Nie Huaisang would have mocked his brother so much if he'd seen him before leaving home.

Since he didn’t have a chance to do it that time, he instead teased Lan Xichen when he finally came home, on the same day most of the guest disciples were set to arrive, on the eve of the lectures' start. Of course if Nie Huaisang had been a good and dutiful person, he would have gone to the main gate to see those other guest disciples, and maybe try to strike a friendship with them as early as possible. But between trying to catch a glimpse of the boring friends his future self wanted him to make, and dropping by Lan Xichen’s house to see the friend he actually liked, the choice had been easily made.

Lan Xichen offered him tea and smiled when accused of dodging his responsibilities, but less warmly than Nie Huaisang had expected. In fact, he found that the older boy looked rather more tired than he should have been, and more nervous as well. He tried to ask about that, but Lan Xichen refused to dwell on the subject.

“There is just a lot to do, and you are right that I was gone longer than I should have,” Lan Xichen said. “Especially since Wangji is in seclusion… he was supposed to come out of it today, but I saw him earlier and convinced him to continue meditating alone for at least another month. There will be many energetic people among our guests this year, and I doubt he will enjoy their company too much.”

Nie Huaisang, who had found the Cloud Recesses even more fun without the constant threat of Lan Wangji being around to enforce the rule, could only nod. He didn't mind waiting a month to set in movement his older self's orders.

“And this had nothing at all with you wishing to have a little peace without your brother constantly enforcing the rules, does it?” he teased.

“I am nowhere near as rebellious as you seem to have decided,” Lan Xichen replied with an indulgent smile. “Though I suppose Lan Wangji does take a stricter approach to them than I do. I’m sure in time, he’ll learn that they are meant to be a guidance, not a restriction.”

“And that he should let his brother eat candies sometimes.”

Lan Xichen smiled, trying to hide a chuckle. That was enough to comfort Nie Huaisang. As long as he still enjoyed his jokes, Lan Xichen could not be doing badly. And after that the conversation soon moved on to music, giving Nie Huaisang a great chance to show off how hard he had worked all winter. By the time Nie Huaisang had to leave, Lan Xichen appeared in good spirits again, for which he congratulated himself.

When morning came, Nie Huaisang got up as early as he could manage after falling back on his old habits during winter, and headed toward the lecture hall with the other Nie disciples. There were a number of other boys assembled at the door, all waiting for the teacher to arrive.

Among those, the ones dressed in purple attracted Nie Huaisang’s attention the most. He recognised Jiang Cheng of course, with Meng Yao next to him whose attitude seemed more that of a babysitter than a fellow disciple, perhaps because of that other boy standing near them who had a mischievous smile on his lips. Then, behind them, there were two other boys dressed in Jiang purple, plain and quite forgettable. Perhaps Wei Wuxian wasn’t there after all, or perhaps he had already entered the class to study on his own, as befitted someone who was destined to fall for Lan Wangji.

Even if that person was absent, Nie Huaisang decided he should go greet Jiang Cheng and Meng Yao at least, since he already knew them. But before he had taken even one step in their direction, he heard someone call out for him.

“You are Nie gongzi, right?” a haughty boy asked.

He was dressed in that shade of yellow that only the Jins ever thought pleasant, and his face bore a passing resemblance with Jin Zixun’s, except with much nicer features, and a far colder expression. All of this made it rather easy to guess his identity, even if they had never met.

“And you must be Jin gongzi,” Nie Huaisang replied with a polite nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Jin Zixuan said, returning the nod. “Since you are my cousin’s friend, I hope we can become better acquainted.”

Nie Huaisang gaped at the other boy.

“I’m what?”

“He’s too proud to use the word, but I know Zixun. He wrote about you several times last year, and he told me you helped him pass his exams.”

That this would be anywhere near enough to be considered a friend said a lot about Jin Zixun’s overall popularity. Nie Huaisang himself, who wasn’t exactly rich in friends, wouldn’t have used the word to talk about Jin Zixun, but he still felt flattered. In fact, he wondered if the acquaintance might be worth sustaining. Surely Nie Huaisang could try to write to Jin Zixun perhaps? He’d promised he would write to Xue Yang already, to give him a chance to practice reading and writing without the pressure of a classroom. If he was writing anyway, one more letter could be easy to fit into his very full schedule. Jin Zixun was a prick, but on occasions he'd been almost tolerable, so he wouldn't be the worst friend Nie Huaisang could make.

“He also said you became friends because he broke your nose,” Jin Zixuan added, his tone dripping judgement at the idea that anyone could ever put up with something like that.

Nie Huaisang self-consciously raised a hand to touch his nose, before quickly dropping it to his side, embarrassed by this habit he’d picked up.

“It’s a little more complicated than that,” he grumbled. “But I guess I did help him pass. And, well… if you want to be friends, I have no issues with that.”

“We’ll see about it,” Jin Zixuan retorted, before turning around and returning to his own group, as if it might dirty him to spend too much time with people who weren’t Jins.

Jin Zixuan was lucky to have such a pretty face and to be so rich, because it certainly wasn’t his personality which would make him friends, Nie Huaisang thought. He was at least as annoying as Jin Zixun, even though it was in a different manner.

He must not have been the only one to have that impression. When he turned his attention back toward the Jiang disciples, all of them save for Meng Yao were glaring in the direction of Jin Zixuan. Worse still, when their eyes wandered toward Nie Huaisang, it was clear that mere association with Jin Zixuan had instantly branded him as unpleasant to them. That was odd, though. Everyone knew that there was an engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli, so surely there should have existed, if not friendship, then at least some degree of cordiality between disciples of their two sects.

Nie Huaisang feared what starting with a disadvantage might do to the mission forced upon him, when already he wasn’t the best at making friends. But his eyes then met Meng Yao’s who, after whispering something to Jiang Cheng, walked toward Nie Huaisang and even bowed to him with far more deference than anyone had ever bothered to show before.

“Nie-gongzi, I am glad we meet again,” Meng Yao said. “I never had a chance to thank you before for your help that day.”

“I hardly did anything at all!” Nie Huaisang protested, waving his hands in embarrassment. “In fact, you were even hurt by my fault that time!”

“And yet I must insist in expressing my gratitude. If not for you and Lan gongzi standing up for me, I would not have been given a chance to become a cultivator, which has been my greatest dream since childhood. For this, I am in your debt.”

Nie Huaisang blushed a little. “Really, it was nothing. Any decent person would have done the same! And with a potential like yours, it was only natural that someone would take you as a student someday! How’s Yunmeng treating you? Are they nice to you? You can tell me if they’re not, and I’ll tell my da-ge, and he’ll tell them to be nice. But it’s Yunmeng, of course they’re probably nice, right?”

His rambling surprised Meng Yao, who appeared a little unsure how to answer. Probably he’d expected the young master of a great sect to be a little more eloquent than that, the way Lan Xichen was, or even Jiang Cheng. But it was difficult to keep cool in front of the boy who would have become the man who had killed Nie Mingjue.

How could that have even happened? Even after months in Lotus Piers, Meng Yao remained shorter than Nie Huaisang, and barely any heavier. How could someone like that…

“I think we’re treating him fine,” Jiang Cheng said in a dry voice as he joined them. “Though your concern commends you, Nie gongzi.”

Nie Huaisang jumped in surprise, and quickly bowed to him.

“Of course I didn’t mean to imply… and, well, he’s here to study, so clearly he is well treated, and your father must be quite impressed with him,” Nie Huaisang said, fidgeting with his sleeve. “I’m quite glad that things worked out so well!”

That other Jiang boy, the tall and handsome one, also joined them and threw an arm around Meng Yao’s shoulders to pull him close.

“It’s not Jiang-shushu who’s impressed with Meng Yao, it’s Yu-furen,” the boy said with a bright grin. “She’s the one who said he should come, because we’re less stupid when he’s with us.”

“She said you’re less stupid,” Jiang Cheng scoffed. “Don’t drag me down with you.”

“Yu-furen also thinks that having Meng Yao with us means that stupid peacock will keep his distances,” the other boy continued, unbothered by that interruption. “She’s really so scared that we’ll start an argument with him.”

“You would!”

“Only if he insults Shijie! Which he would, because he’s nothing but a self-important…”

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng hissed. “Can you not shut up just for a moment?”

The boy just laughed, while Nie Huaisang stared.

Surely there had to have been a mistake. That couldn’t be Wei Wuxian. There was simply no way that Lan Wangji would ever become even a little attracted to a person such as this, who was bold enough to insult Jin Zixuan within earshot, who was so careless regarding Meng Yao’s obvious discomfort at having the connection mentioned. Sure Wei Wuxian wasn’t half bad looking, but with a personality like that, Lan Wangji would only try to murder him, not kiss him.

“You know, if the teacher isn’t here yet, we can probably leave,” Wei Wuxian said. “That’s what we’d do at home. Let’s ditch the lesson and go have fun!”

Oh, Lan Wangji was so going to murder him when they met. Surely Nie Huaisang’s future self had to be mistaken about those two.

“Hey, Wei-xiong, you shouldn’t say things like that,” Nie Huaisang advised. “There’s some people that might punish you if they heard you talk like this!”

“Sure, but the point is that the teacher isn’t here, so I have nothing to fear. Come on, Nie-xiong, it’s your second year here, right? Surely you’d rather run off to have fun with us than sit through some boring lectures again!”

As a matter of fact, Nie Huaisang very much wanted that. Considering how badly his studies went the year before, he had no reasons to think he would do any better that year either, so having fun would be a great use of his time. But that would upset Nie Mingjue, who didn't need that. And it might also disappoint Lan Xichen, which would be the worst thing ever. Having discovered that he enjoyed being praised, and how willing to do just that Lan Xichen was, Nie Huaisang didn't want to risk upsetting his friend.

"When I say there's people you shouldn't make angry, I don't mean just Lan Qiren," Nie Huaisang warned. "He's mostly manageable, if you just avoid talking back and cry a little when he gets angry. But his nephew Lan Wangji is a real terror, and they've put him in charge of overseeing punishment for the juniors. You're lucky he's in seclusion at the moment, because just for speaking of skipping classes, he'd have your skin. He takes rules very seriously!"

"The teacher's nephew, uh," Wei Wuxian said with an odd smile.

"You're thinking something unwise," Meng Yao accused.

"Please don't go bother that guy as soon as he leaves his seclusion," Jiang Cheng warned. "Mother will murder you if you disgrace our sect!"

Wei Wuxian's grin only grew wider, to the great anxiety of the other three.

"That nephew, he wouldn't happen to be a very handsome boy?" Wei Wuxian asked. "About my size, very handsome…"

"His brother looks much better," Nie Huaisang interjected without thinking. "Lan Wangji always looks so crossed… but he has a fine enough face, yes."

"And a silver sword that gives off a cold impression?"

"Did you already meet him?" Nie Huaisang asked.

"Yes, last night."

"Last night?" Jiang Cheng repeated. "How… there's a curfew in place here! Are you already breaking rules?"

Without a shred of regret or shame, Wei Wuxian started telling the story of his escape to buy wine, his attempt to return in secret, and his fight with Lan Wangji. Upon hearing that tale Jiang Cheng was furious, Meng Yao was worried, and Nie Huaisang so delighted he had to cover his mouth with both hands not to laugh.

Lan Wangji losing his temper! Lan Wangji getting in a fight, and not even winning it! Lan Wangji failing to punish a criminal! It was the funniest Nie Huaisang had ever heard, and he couldn't wait to share all of it with Su She who would surely be just as entertained.

This Wei Wuxian was a much more interesting person than anticipated, and Nie Huaisang could see himself becoming quite fond of him, even though he'd been determined to dislike him before. But that had been when he thought that his future self and Lan Wangji approved of him, two people whose opinion he didn't value much.

"Wei-xiong, you are so dead," Nie Huaisang cheerfully announced when the other had finished his story. "It's going to be a matter of pride now, he's going to have his eye on you for the entire time you'll be here!"

And for more than that, if Nie Huaisang’s future self was to be believed. That old prick didn't seem the sort to prank others, but it was also difficult to imagine Lan Wangji falling in love with someone like Wei Wuxian. People said that opposite attracted, but there were limits. Then again, it would be immensely funny if these two did become a couple. If it happened, Nie Huaisang might laugh to death.

"That Lan Zhan is probably too busy to bother with me," Wei Wuxian claimed. "And it's not like he comes to the lectures, right? So I'm not worried in the least. Besides, I'm more than his match in a fight!"

The arrival of Lan Qiren, who seemed in as bad a humour as Nie Huaisang had ever seen him, cut short that conversation, though Wei Wuxian still looked quite sure of himself as they all entered the classroom. He only deflated a little when they all noticed that there already was a student sitting there, a Lan boy who only looked up from the scroll he was reading to glare at Wei Wuxian. In turn, Wei Wuxian did appear a little startled, having clearly not expected that his new nemesis would be there.

It took Nie Huaisang all of his self control not to laugh at this situation.

The plot to help Lan Wangji find a cultivation partner had held little joy when he had believed Wei Wuxian to be the second Jade's equal in temper. But discovering that Wei Wuxian was a wild spirit, sure to drive Lan Wangji mad with annoyance and to distract him from his duties, delighted Nie Huaisang. It was the funniest thing in the world.

It was the stuff of great romances, something which might blossom into a love story people would talk about for ages. Two people of opposite temper, of opposite values even, learning to see each other’s worth… it would be quite fun to watch that unfold, and even more amusing to give it a push here and there.

Helping the romance of others was the closest to living his own that Nie Huaisang was likely to get, so he’d have to content himself with that.

His lack of appealing skills made it unlikely he’d ever provoke the sort of strong sentiment already at play between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. But even a more talented nature would not have changed his delicate position as his brother's heir. Until his brother married and had children, Nie Huaisang knew it would be unwise of him to flirt with anyone of his own choosing, not when the Nie clan might someday require him to make a good match. The only reason he wasn’t already engaged to anyone, he suspected, was because there weren’t many girls of the right age among the greater sects, and because his brother disliked the idea of using him as a political tool unless absolutely necessary.

It was not easy, being next in line to inherit a sect, and Nie Huaisang was quite happy that he wasn’t in love with anyone at all. He only wished a little to be like Wei Wuxian, as a servant's son, free to live as he pleased as long as he did not bring any scandal for his sect. And it was lucky that Lan Wangji's status was not quite as dire as Nie Huaisang’s, not when he had a brother who was more likely to get married than Nie Mingjue, and even a relatively young uncle who could well have children of his own if needed.

Lucky them indeed, but Nie Huaisang was determined not to envy them.

He’d just have his share of fun watching them… and maybe he’d see if Lan Xichen could be convinced to help too, just so they’d have another thing to laugh about together.

#xisang #nie huaisang #lan xichen #su she #mo dao zu shi #mdzs #jau writes #double time travel #I'm hesitating to tag this as wangxian on AO3 #them getting together is an important plot point but it's also not really the focus so...

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idontblushsrry · 3 years

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How the Jujutsu Kaisen Characters Smell

A/N: Absolutely no one asked for this but I have thoughts and now yall have to hear them. Btw gonna put a keep reading because I’m trying to cover as many jjk characters as possible so it’s gonna get long.

Warnings: Spoilers if you’ve only seen the anime or haven’t read the manga up to the Shibuya Arc (relatively minor but you’ve been warned)

Itadori

He’s nowhere near the best smelling but his scent isn’t awful

He sweats a lot so he takes showers a minimum of 2x a day

Overall his smell isn’t that bad, he just smells like outside

5/10 points for effort but he always smells like he just got done rolling around in grass

Fushiguro

Fushiguro smells like the suave ocean breeze body wash with an undertone of pen ink

His smell is very nice, it’s not the most remarkable but it’s not stinky

Middle school Megumi was definitely a hot mess that smelled solely of axe body spray and other middle schoolers he beat up (Tsumiki tried her best but there was only so much he’d compromise on)

After he started attending the Tokyo school, Maki threw out his axe and made Gojo buy him actual cologne/scented body wash

7/10 smells like a friend (points reduced because he used to use 3 in 1 body wash)

Kugisaki

Kugisaki is very much clean

She keeps up a beauty regimen and doesn’t play when it comes to upkeeping it

She has this light floral scent because of that; it varies between cucumbers and roses

Her body wash is also consistent with the smell of her beauty products

One thing about Kugisaki’s smell is that it does change completely depending on what products she’s using

Although, if she were to be completely clean with no scented products, she’d have a smell that’s a little bit metallic because of the nails and a little pumpkin-y

10/10 points because she sets the standard

Gojo

Smells like the inside of a guys car

He smells like bergamot and cedarwood mixed with a hint of leather

Overall he smells nice and it’s frustrating because his scent lingers. It’s so distinct that even when he’s gone, his scent will stay behind just to taunt you

9/10 minus one point for being Gojo

Maki

She’s very particular about hygiene

It mainly stems from 1) her upbringing and 2) the level of cleanliness needed to clean all the weapons she uses regularly

She smells of metal polish, lavender with a hint of patchouli, and a slight undertone of rust

10/10 overall very strong scent but it’s so uniquely her that it’s calming

Inumaki

This makes no sense but I feel like Inumaki smells like the sandwich part of a deli

Specifically that fresh baked bread and sliced lettuce smell

It can be a bit nostalgic at times especially because the smell in general occurs in a lot of places

10/10 because bread smells good

Panda

It’s canon that Panda smells like the sun but we can get more specific

Panda does smell like the sun but I think he smells like a freshly cleaned room with the curtains open

The smell is like air freshener mixed with the sun

The air fresheners he smells the most like are: morning and dew, wood, pine, pet odor eliminator

10/10 no explanation needed

Yuta

Smells like teen spirit

Pre-jujutsu high (and before he was sent away to Africa); Yuta smelled like deodorant

He smelled like wayyy too much old spice, it was pretty bad

Post trip to Africa (idk which country he went to), Yuta smells of shea butter, frankincense, and charred wood

8/10 the crimes of pre jujutsu high Yuta will not be easily forgiven

Nanami

He smells like the blue Ralph Polo Lauren cologne

No I will not take criticism

He also smells a bit like the wrinkle spray people use when ironing clothes

10/10 we been knew that Nanami looks good, smells good, and dresses good

I don’t even like that cologne but for him...

Shoko

Love Shoko but her smell isn’t the most pleasant

Literally smells like cigarettes and alcohol with the sterile smell of cleaner to top it off

She’s an icon but her smell can be overwhelming at the best of times and suffocating at the worst

5/10 some people might like it but it is not for me

Utahime

Her scent is very foresty, either pine or spruce, with an undertone of gree tea

Her scent is a bit muted too so you can only really smell it if she’s really close or if you’re hugging her

It’s not a bad scent though, it’s the type that immediately sets you on ease

10/10 smells like a warm hug

Mechamaru(spoilers)

He’s a robot what’d you expect???

Jkjk Pre-Shibuya he smells really sterile and clean due to his condition

His robots obviously smell like metal and wiring

Post-Shibuya arc(or yk during technically): He smells kind of like nothing

There's the slightest smell of sparks from his cursed technique and the hint of mojito’s smell lingering, but otherwise he smells like absolutely nothing

6/10 the lack of smell is a bit off putting

Miwa

I can’t explain but I feel like Miwa smells like banana and vanilla

Like Mai and Momo tricked her and she ended up actually liking the smell

6/10 not the worst but not the best

Mai

Mai smells really heavily of metal and gunpowder

Obviously brcause of her cursed technique but she ever expected it to stck to her like it does

She doesn’t make any active effort to change it though because she thinks it makes her seem cool and mysterious

4/10 because while it DOES make her seem cool and mysterious, she scares locals

Momo

She definitely uses bath and body works perfume (tempted to say she uses the glittery versions but alas)

She loves using all the candles, lotions, and perfumes because of how girly they make her feel; has a collection that’s probably on a rotater

Definitely uses sweet pea above all

Tries to get Mai to try some of her fragrances but she has a 30/70 chance of getting her to agree

7/10 another scent that’s not for me

Todo

He has a really intense cleaning regimen and is never caught lackin in the smell department

He gets all the more embarrassed when Yuuji smells stinky next to him and will always make Yuuji shower if thr boy stinks

Other than that, he smelled of an ocean-y cologne before Takada-chan released her perfume collection

Now all he talks about is how he smells like the perfect husband for Takada

Takada’s perfume is really light a floral (along the lines of rose + vanilla) and if Todo runs out, he tries to steal it from Momo’s collection

9/10 minus a point for being a simp

Noritoshi

Smells really clean except for when he’s using his cursed technique

On average, Noritoshi smells like the clean linen spray/ clean laundry

When he uses his technique, he smells like blood and when he uses his technique to “dope”, he smells like sweat

Usually he smells like clean laundry though, he’s very picky about how he smells and hates the smell he gets from using his technique

10/10 for keeping clean

Naoya

If you think this man washes his ass...

Sorry but he’s a little too busy being a misogynist

Naoya saw the term gooch grease and was like “wow someone gets it!”

-400/10 I’m sick of talking about the ways this man smells like a popped neck pimple

Mahito

Only person that smells worse than Naoya

If Naoya smells like a popped neck pimple, Mahito smells like a literal sewer

He smells like sewage, garbage, rot and decay, melted plastic,etc.

Not only does Mojito’s body stink, his breath stinks, hair stinks, just everything stinks

Jogo and Hanami can’t tell since they don’t have noses but everytime Geto gets a whiff, he dies a little inside

-21982913293237932392379319210391090320323019/10 GET BACK. GET BACK. GET BACK.

Sukuna

Pre-death; he smelled like blood 9 times out of 10

The other 10% of times he smelled like incense or jasmine but you’d never smell it for long

Post-death; stinky funky and rotten

I’m sorry but 1) he’s a mass murder who literally sits atop a mountain of skulls 2) he’s technically dead and only exists thriugh his fingers

If you think that man smells like anything other than rot and grave wax...

-2/10 be glad he got a higher score than Mahito

Choso

I love Choso with every ounce of my being

That being said, he smells like a scab

Scabs don’t even have smells but somehow he smells like one

Alright I’m done slandering him

3/10 because I didn’t have the heart to give him anything lower

Geto(spoilers)

Pre-Gojo angst: Geto was the best smelling sorcerer in the world

He was very meticulous about his grooming routine and showed Gojo how to care for himself w/o the aid of servants

A king of self care and personal grooming 10/10

Post-Gojo angst: Geto really stopped caring about his appearance

He’d keep clean to set a good example for his kids, but he didn’t really see the value of looking decent

Probably says “I refuse to use the technology of monkeys”

Even though Mahito smells worse, Geto does still hang around Mahito and that’s gonna rub off

2/10 take a shower man, sea water doesn’t count as cleaning yourself

Junpei

Junpei smells like dandelions/picked grass and cigarettes

Cigarettes are obviously because his mom smokes them so frequently the smell sticks to him

The dandelions/ picked grass smell is because Junpei spends a lot of time outside

Out of boredom or a need to keep his negative thoughts at bay, Junpei started picking at the grass

I do think he eventually started weaving flower crowns made of dandelions and strips of grass

6/10 because I feel bad for him

Toji

This man...

As much as I’d like to pretend he smells good, he has a drooling worm hanging off him and probably owns like one outfit

That being said, he’s not as stinky as Naoya or Mahito (or even Sukuna), because he does clean himself when he has the chance

It’s just that he spends his money so quickly that he kinda forgets sometimes

Although he usually has no problem finding some woman who’d be more than willing to put him up in a hotel room

His smell is musky but it’s not funky

He smells like a guy right before they start to get stinky, it’s a delicate balance

4/10 he’s a lil funky but it kinda feeds his image

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bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher · 4 years

Text

In My Dreams Tonight

for @chaotic-bard who asked me for some fluff!

have a soulmates that dream about each other au featuring both a modern au and the canon universe!

brought to you by “Dreams Tonite” by Alvvays

---

“You’re nothing but trouble, bard,” the tall man glared from atop his horse. He always seemed to be glaring or glowering or huffing, the man in Jaskier’s dreams. The familiar stranger wore his long white hair pulled halfway back and he had golden eyes, the pupils of which were slit up the center like a cat’s. His name, Jaskier had learned after the third straight week of seeing him every night, was Geralt of Rivia. A Witcher, apparently, whose job it was to hunt down monsters.

“Ah, but what a lovely piece of trouble I am!” Jaskier replies. And he’s rather sassy himself in these dreams. Far more clever and ready to fight than he is when he’s awake. “You would miss me if I left, wouldn’t you, Geralt?”

“Hmm.”

The stranger hums a lot. He glares and he hums. Jaskier’s heart stutters frightfully in his chest whenever the man smiles, though. The sight is rare. Geralt has smiled perhaps three times in the past two months.

“Where are we going today?”

“Werewolf outside of town. You’re staying at the inn, where I know you can’t get into… nevermind. You can get into trouble anywhere.”

There’s a lightly teasing tone to the stranger’s voice that Jaskier hasn’t really heard before. He likes it. He craves more of it. He tosses and turns in his sleep, his skin damp with sweat. The dream goes on.

“Geralt, please,” he whines, “I can’t write ballads about monsters I haven’t seen! Or fights I did not attend! That’s lying to my audience, Geralt, and I simply won’t do it. I must go with you.”

“Drop it, Jaskier,” the man snarls. Jaskier feels sad. Incredibly sad.

Rejected?

“Gera-”

“I said drop it, bard.”

Jaskier wakes up feeling a little heartbroken and he yearns to be held. His pillow holds the fading scents of leather and wood-smoke. The sight of a pine sapling at the dog park makes him tear up.

He starts to wear the color yellow out of nowhere and his taste in jewelry switches from gold to silver.

When his best friend asks him about the recent changes, he cannot answer.

---

Geralt pours himself a mug of tea and shakes his hair out of his face. He’s been having odd dreams lately, things that feel familiar but manage to stay just out of his conscious grasp. Someone important is waiting for him. Someone he love and cares about and needs.

Geralt doesn’t really buy into the concept of soulmates, but he does understand instinct. He knows to trust his gut. He knows to listen and start paying attention when the same haunting blue eyes creep into his dreams every night for six months, plaguing him in the waking hours by refusing to give up their owners’ identity.

He wipes a hand down his face and sighs loudly into the otherwise empty studio apartment. “Fuck me, I gotta figure this shit out. I gotta talk to Yen.”

Talking to himself has always helped him calm down. He does it again, just to hear his own low voice scraping through the silence.

“I gotta see what’s going on with my head. These dreams are… getting to be a bit much, even for me.”

He nods to no one in particular and goes to text his best friend and coworker.

---

Jaskier hops off the bus and carries his guitar case down to the coffee shop on the corner. Finally, he’s managed to get a gig that wasn’t through the university.

He sets up his stuff in the tiny alcove the shop treats as a stage and watches as a few customers stroll around near the counter, waiting for their drinks or reading through the menu, hovering just far away enough from the line to keep others from growing confused.

He loves people watching.

Once everything is ready to go and the light outside the window has dimmed a bit, indicating early evening has finally arrived, he pulls his guitar onto his lap and strums through a few quick chords.

“Rode here on the bus,

Now you're one of us.

It was magic hour,

Counting motorbikes on the turnpike;

One of Eisenhower's.”

“Live your life on a merry-go-round;

Who starts a fire just to let it go out?”

He watches a particularly handsome man with broad shoulders and a vintage denim jacket approach the counter. Jaskier adds a haunting, well-practiced lilt to his voice as he goes into the chorus, hoping to get his attention:

“If I saw you on the street,

Would I have you in my dreams tonight?

If I saw you on the street,

Would I have you in my dreams tonight, tonight?”

An equally beautiful woman with long, curly black hair approaches the denim-clad angel and whisks him towards a table nearby. She settles with her back to Jaskier, leaving him with a decent view of the man’s sharp, lightly stubbled jaw, glittering eyes, and severe white ponytail. He’s gorgeous.

He’s also uncomfortably familiar.

Jaskier continues to perform, trying to identify his attractive mystery man the whole time and failing miserably.

---

“He’s everywhere, Yen. I feel like I could identify him by scent if I got close enough. I can’t remember his name, though. Or the color of his hair. I don’t know his face, only his eyes. It’s driving me crazy.”

“Have you talked to Dr. deStael about it?”

“Yeah, but she said this kind of thing is normal. Recurring dreams often help us sort out our trauma or something like that. I don’t know. I don’t feel traumatized by this guy I feel… protective of him. Maybe even like I love him?”

“Hmm.”

“Hey, that’s my line.”

“Shut up for a minute, this live music actually slaps and I want to listen to it. Then we can discuss your weird possessive tendencies towards your dream boyfriend.”

Geralt takes a slow sip of his coffee and glances up at the singer off to their left, perched on a barstool with his guitar held carefully on his lap. His voice is soft but somehow bright. Geralt finds himself utterly entranced.

“On the weird guitar;

Said you'd go to work

In the waking hour.

In fluorescent light,

Antisocialites watch a wilting flower.”

“Live your life on a merry-go-round;

Who builds a wall just to let it fall down?”

The lyrics are strange and hold a dream-like quality to them. They draw a picture in Geralt’s head, something dark and heavy and oddly hollow. He has another sip of coffee and tries to ignore the feeling of panic welling up inside him. He glances at Yennefer to see if she’s picked up on his mood, but her violet eyes are focused on the singer and his nimble fingers as he continues to play and sing.

When he glances up towards their table and their eyes meet, Geralt loses the ability to breathe.

That shade of cornflower blue was…

Couldn’t be…

Had to be…

The gorgeous, feathery tenor continues to fill the air, whirling pleasant notes past his ears and deep into his subconscious. Geralt knows that voice. He’s heard this man laugh and sing and cry and scream a thousand different times. Through a handful of different lives. Geralt knows that face, those hands, those strong legs and long arms and blue fucking eyes. He’s held this singer in his arms every night for centuries, feeling his breathing as they both drift off to sleep.

He has protected this man and been protected by him in return. He has kissed and been kissed, caressed and been caressed. The two men sitting across from each other in the coffee shop physically embody an endless cycle of love. It has been bound up in the souls of two no-longer strangers. Geralt knows that he knows this man.

He knows Jaskier.

Petal pink lips continue to form soft words and slender hands keep plucking at vibrating guitar strings:

“Don't sit by the phone for me,

Wait at home for me, all alone for me.

Your face was supposed to be

Hanging over me, like a rosary.”

Geralt stands suddenly, startling Yennefer but not the performer, even though he’s clearly just as shocked as Geralt about this recent development.

Their mutual realization.

“So morose for me,

Seeing ghosts of me,

Writing oaths to me,

Is it so naïve to wonder…”

Geralt crosses the room to the edge of the stage in three quick strides. Yennefer is close behind him, her latte just as abandoned as his coffee at their table. She grabs her friend’s arm as if to stop him from doing something violent, but when he doesn’t struggle against her grip she lets it go again easily.

“Geralt?” the musician asks.

“Jaskier?” Geralt replies. The guitar is placed quickly to the side and a pair of incredibly familiar arms are thrown around the taller man’s neck. Geralt hugs back just as firmly, his arms flung low around the brunette’s waist. Geralt knows that this is Jaskier’s favorite way to be embraced; he doesn’t know how he’s aware of that fact, but it comes to the front of his mind clear as day.

“Holy shit,” Jaskier breathes, leaning back to stare Geralt in the face. One of his string-calloused fingers traces down over Geralt’s eyelid and cheek and he cocks his head to the side. “No scar?”

“No,” Geralt shakes his head. “Not this lifetime, I guess.”

“Were we? Are we- are we, you know...?”

“Yeah,” Yen beams, adding her two cents from the sidelines. “I think so. Congrats, boys. This is one of those one in a million chances and you’ve gone and done it.”

“Done what?” Geralt asks. Jaskier tosses his head back and laughs. His happiness rings out through the cafe like a struck bell and Geralt’s heart stutters frantically. He really does love this man already. Wholeheartedly and without fear. “What have we done, Yen?”

“As obtuse now as you were then,” Jaskier chides affectionately. “Soulmates, my love. We’ve been bound by the red string of fate and ta-da! Here we are. Again, apparently.”

“Yes, okay,” Geralt breathes, nosing his way along Jaskier’s jaw with giddy determination. He presses a quick and wholly welcome kiss to the bard’s lips. “That makes sense.”

“Do you... do you want me again? This time around?” Jaskier asks, fingers fiddling with one of the ties on Geralt’s hoodie. A pair of chapped lips press against his again and he sighs into it, melting against his no-longer-Witcher.

“Yes. And the next one, as well.”

#bouncey's sappy hours #geraskier #geraskier fluff #yen #yennefer #yenerference kinda #getting together #soulmate au #prophetic dreams #geraskier soulmate au #geraskier soulmates #shared dreams #modern au #geraskier modern au #kissing #first kiss #magically getting together #prompt fill

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chockfullofsecrets · 3 years

Text

Critical Role: Don’t You Know?

(Read on AO3)

Rating: Gen

Summary: Clarabelle just giggles, revealing a little gap between her two front teeth. “What?” she asks. “Don’t you know? Caduceus never starts tickle fights, he knows he’s gonna lose!”

“Belle,” Caduceus says loudly, “maybe you should go check on the tea-”

Beau likes to think she has a good sense for potentially incriminating information, and right now it’s pinging off the fucking walls. “No, no, no, tell me more.”

Wordcount: 3.7k

A/N: fill for this anon prompt! and for a bunch of people who want to see poor Cad get absolutely wrecked, apparently XD

spoilers for C2E92 and C2E96 - and a little side note that i may have forgotten the timing of certain Greater Restorations while planning this fic, so let's just pretend that the clerics had two more of them to cast that day 🤦

---

Beau doesn’t like feeling jealous. It’s not a frequent feeling, around the Nein, since they’re all pretty much the same level of fucked up, but watching Caduceus and his siblings sit in amiable silence as they work through prepping whatever grows around here that passes for dinner is starting to get to her.

Maybe it’s just too soon, after going back home to Kamordah. She’s fine, or she will be - she loves her friends and they love her and her parents don’t and that’s fine, but -

She grits her teeth. All she has to do is sit here in this corner and wait for Caduceus’ mom to finish making tea in the other room, and then she can take it and run and leave this happy little family tableau to their own devices. She’s got a bottle of wine and access to a trickster cleric, it’s not going to be that hard to have a good evening.

She’s still mulling over what kind of pranks she can play in a petrified temple when the littlest Clay - who’s still a good head taller than her, because fucking firbolgs - finishes scraping the peel off the last unidentified vegetable in her stack and drops her knife with a bright little clank as she turns to her brother. There’s no way Caduceus hasn’t noticed that for every one she’s done herself she’s snuck another into his pile, but Beau’s not going to be the one to rat her out. “Okay, I’m done, lemme look at your hair! I bet I can fix it, I have all my dyeing stuff with me.”

Caduceus eyes his own pile and, very slowly, starts pushing it in his older sister’s direction. Beau chokes back a snort.

Said sister’s eyes narrow. “No!”

The little one pouts at both of them. “But Calliope, look at him, he needs help!”

Big sister - Calliope - takes advantage of the little circle the three of them are sitting in to shove both of their shoulders simultaneously. “No. If you two are taking a break, then so am I!”

Caduceus rumbles out a laugh, already starting to undo his braid. “Sure, but you’re explaining why we’re not done to Mom.”

It’s a low move. Beau approves entirely.

Calliope scoffs and tosses her paring knife in his direction handle-first, laughing herself when he yelps and dodges. “Oh, we’ll see who’s doing the explaining.”

She’s smiling, though, as she gets up and stretches. Beau takes one look at her insanely toned arms and has to swallow convulsively to get her saliva flowing again.

As she wanders off, Caduceus shakes the last of his hair loose and flops the whole pink mass over onto his face. “Don’t pull too hard, Clarabelle, it’s pretty fragile right now.”

“I’m not a baby, Caduceus,” Clarabelle snarks, and promptly climbs halfway into his lap to bury her hands in it and start bemoaning the state of his roots.

The quip slips out of Beau’s mouth reflexively. “You know he’s just luring you in so he can tickle you, right?”

It’s kind of their thing, her and Caduceus, whenever one of their group is standing anywhere in his vicinity and his hands are free. The reactions are great - the warning makes Jester bounce excitedly, Fjord and Caleb go all red and sputtery, Yasha look up in quiet anticipation - fuckin’ adorable, by the way - and Nott threaten to kill them all as she darts away.

And if she’s a little too invested in the way Caduceus huffs and throws her a quiet little smile before reeling his victim in, like they’ve got an inside joke that’s just for the two of them - well, that’s just an unexpected benefit of the chaos.

Today, though, two pink heads snap in her direction. Caduceus makes a panicked little sound, barely audible under all the floof, and isn’t that interesting.

Clarabelle just giggles, revealing a little gap between her two front teeth. “What?” she asks. “Don’t you know? Caduceus never starts tickle fights, he knows he’s gonna lose!”

“Belle,” Caduceus says loudly, “maybe you should go check on the tea-”

Beau likes to think she has a good sense for potentially incriminating information, and right now it’s pinging off the fucking walls. “No, no, no, tell me more.”

Clarabelle beams. “Calliope!” she yells. “C’mere, we have to tickle Caduceus!”

Caduceus’ ears shoot up in obvious alarm. He lunges forward and makes a decent attempt at smothering her through all the hair in his way, but Calliope’s already turning around.

Beau shivers - apparently the smug Caduceus look is genetic. “Did I hear that right, Belle? Caduceus has been going out and starting tickle fights?”

Caduceus lets go of his sister and gets halfway up before Clarabelle tackles him with a war cry. They’re wrestling on the ground, lanky limbs everywhere and absolutely terrible form, by the time Calliope lopes over.

She reaches in with one hand and hauls her seven-foot-tall brother up into a sitting position by the collar of his shirt - fuck, that’s hot. Beau firmly suppresses the urge to fidget as Calliope tugs one of Caduceus’ arms up over his head and yanks his sleeve down to his elbow. “Well, Caduceus? Got anything to say for yourself?”

Caduceus actually whines. It takes serious effort not to gape in shock. “I didn’t do anyth-ING-NO-”

His protests dissolve into near-silent squeaks as Calliope starts to tickle his - hands? Beau watches closely as she drags her fingertips up his forearm, fluttering them lightly in the crease of his elbow, and commits the technique to memory.

Caduceus’ helpless grin is wider than she’s ever seen it. He braces his feet on the floor and tries to twist free, elbows akimbo. “Calliope! Stohop it, I’m - heh - I’m not-”

She snorts. “Not a chance, we’ve got - how many years has it been again?”

“Two hundred!” Belle chirps, and dives in to worry at the backs of Caduceus’ ears with blunt fingernails. The trembling, stuttery sounds he’s making jump an octave as he frantically shakes his head from side to side.

“Ten,” he snickers. “Belle - heeeh, hehe - cut it out, I’m - mmm! - I’m serious, come ohohon-”

Clarabelle turns back to Beau. “See?”

Oh, Beau sees. She’s gonna get so much mileage out of this.

Caduceus looks over at her too, eyebrows furrowing, but Calliope’s already talking over the both of them. “Well, that’s a lot of years to catch up on, I’d better pull out the big guns.”

Caduceus’ eyes widen. Beau decides to help the panic along and mouths big guns? in his direction, slipping her notebook out and opening it to a fresh page.

Caduceus yelps and throws himself forward with alacrity she’s never seen from him, ripping his arm from Calliope’s grip and nearly scrambling past Clarabelle before his big sister takes a step forward and scoops him up under the arms. “Nice try,” she tells him. “Might have worked, if you weren’t so scrawny.”

She drops him on top of Clarabelle. “Hey!”

“Sorry, Belle, you gotta stay out of the way!”

“No, I’m helping!” she insists, and dutifully wrestles her way on top of Caduceus to start tickling his ears again.

Caduceus wheezes and curls into a ball, trying fruitlessly to shove her away. “Belle - Belle!-”

“Let’s see, let’s see…” Calliope muses, crouching down and plucking a booted foot from the pile of limbs. “Legs?”

She grabs Caduceus’ calf and squeezes it like a piece of dead meat. He squeals. “Yep, still ticklish.”

Caduceus kicks her in the knee with his other leg and she staggers back for a moment before surging forward to grab at his hips. “Ow! Oh, now you’re in for it.”

He can’t do anything but flail as she wrestles him onto his back and urges Clarabelle to sit on his belly to keep him pinned. “Nonono! M’sorry - eheheeeeh, Belle, stoppit! - I’m sohohorry! Don’t!”

There’s a pause. Beau leans forward, half excited and half trying to sense genuine distress. She’s never heard Caduceus plead like this - not her fault, the fucker has apparently been hiding his ticklish spots for months, but it’s not like she wouldn’t be willing to jump in and save him.

And maybe she wants to see what Calliope’s arms can do up close. Maybe.

Calliope adjusts her grip on him and smirks. “Heh. No, I think I’m gonna. Belle, you got him?”

“Yep!” she says cheerfully, bare feet planted on each side of his ribcage. Caduceus has managed to press one big palm over her face, keeping her at arm’s length and away from his ears, but she just wriggles her bare toes under him and into the backs of his ribs. “Tickle, tickle, Caduceus!”

Caduceus guffaws and squirms like his life depends on it, but there’s nowhere to go. “Noooo - hahaaaheeh - stop, stop, not my ribs-”

He keeps begging as Calliope levers a hand under his back and starts rooting around for something with a focused expression. She finds it, too - Caduceus screams and arches his back nearly in half as he abandons Clarabelle and grabs desperately for her hands instead. “Pleeeheease! HHAHAH - nonnono - eheaahaaa!”

Beau can’t even see what she’s tickling, but there’s enough potential here to topple a regime. “Fuck,” she whispers. Does this make her the most powerful tickler in the Nein now? Is this what ascending feels like?

She’s surprised that the rest of the Nein haven’t come running yet, with all the noise he’s making. But then again, she and Cad and Caleb are the best at paying attention to their surroundings and Caleb definitely isn’t in a hurry to run towards hysterical laughter.

She doesn’t mean to make any sound herself, but amidst all his struggling Cad’s ears twitch in her direction. “Beau,” he pleads. Shrieks again. “Help mmm-ahahahAA-”

“Hm, who’s that?” Calliope stops tickling, judging from Caduceus’ wheezed relief, and turns to look in her direction. Beau swears that her hair flutter in a nonexistent breeze. “Right, you, the non-important one.”

Beau nearly bites her tongue in despair - why does she have to be such a disaster around every hot woman she meets? “Yep, that’s me.”

Calliope looks at her for a moment, considering. “You look like a fighter. What are you doing all the way over there - you’re not scared of him, are you?”

It’s never been less tempting to confess the time she accidentally hit Cad in the face with some of her weeks-old pocket bacon and he tickled her until she cried. She clears her throat. “Uh, no. No. It looks like you’re doing a pretty good job already, I mean, he’s really-”

Calliope yanks her arm free and uses it to beckon her over. “Eh, come here - Belle, watch it, I’m going to flip him.”

Caduceus squawks in renewed panic as one of his sisters tumbles off him and the other wraps her arms around him and twists him facedown like a wrestling move from the back-alley brawls Beau used to sneak into as a teenager - and, once again, hot.

She swallows again and strolls over as casually as she can while Calliope pins him across the shoulders with her forearm. “Riiight - here.”

She doesn’t even touch, just points to the backs of Caduceus’ thighs, but he obviously knows where she’s leading. “Beau, no,” he yelps.

He tries to pull his legs up beneath him. Beau automatically grabs him just under the knees and drags him out flat. “Hey, hey, where do you think you’re going?”

Calliope raises an approving eyebrow. Beau tries not to blush. “It’s his worst spot - he’s ticklish there if you so much as look at him wrong.”

“We chased him up a tree once,” Clarabelle pipes up. She’s tap-tap-tapping blunt fingernails across Caduceus’ back, sending him shivering. “He stayed up there all night until Dad went to get him.”

“Beau, don’t,” Cad rasps. She’s heard him sound perkier seconds after coming back from the dead. He’s laughing still, quietly, and it sounds somewhere between the lava of the volcano forge they stayed in once and Frumpkin’s rusty purrs.

“Not so fun when you’re the one doing the begging, huh,” Beau tells him. She flicks him, once, in the back of the leg and looks incredulously at his siblings. “So you’re telling me his absolute worst spot… is his fucking butt?”

Calliope shrugs. “He’s so weird, isn’t he?”

All three of them laugh at that, even Caduceus, so Beau figures it’s all right. “Yeah, we’ve noticed. We’re all weird though, it’s kind of our thing.”

“Sure,” Calliope says. “He’s weird and ticklish, though, so if I wanna pin him down and get all his worst spots then he’s just gonna have to deal with it-”

Caduceus peels his face off the ground and gasps out a few strangled syllables that reverberate in the warm air.

Both of his sisters shriek as their eyes fill with black ichor. “Caduceus!” Calliope yells, letting go of him and grabbing for her face with one hand and her holy symbol with the other. “What did you do?”

Caduceus props himself up on his elbows, panting. “Oh, it’s just something I picked up,” he tells her smugly. “Don’t worry, it’ll wear off.”

“After how long,” Calliope growls.

Clarabelle giggles, still draped over Caduceus’ back. “Oh, this feels weird!”

He laughs and starts to crawl out from under them, but Beau’s not done with him yet. Mercifully un-blinded, she snags him around the knees again. “Wow, usually you’re the one telling us not to be mean to people.”

Caduceus rolls onto his side and looks sharply back at her, sighing in relief when she holds her hands up in surrender. “Well, I know these people.” He shoves gently at Clarabelle, wriggles a finger into her side when she doesn’t move. She squeaks. “They deserve it.”

He grins down at her, unrepentant and bratty, and Beau can’t help but grin back.

“So are your thighs really that bad?” she asks. “Or-” she jerks her chin over at Calliope, who’s started praying. “-did you just decide to be a jerk all of a sudden? Also, how the fuck did we not know how ticklish you are? You wreck us all the time!”

Caduceus shrugs. “S’easy to get in your heads,” he says. Beau bristles a little at that, but he’s not wrong - Caduceus has this way of looking at them like he’s going to take them apart one way or another, and the tickling is probably the safer route. Doesn’t hurt that they can always trust him to set them right after, either.

“And they’ll get me eventually, might as well have some fun with it.” He fixes Beau with a stern look. “Now you, on the other hand-”

She interrupts him. “Hey Cad, how long’s that spell supposed to last?”

He blinks. “A minute, why?”

Beau points wordlessly over his shoulder at a clear-eyed Calliope. “Uh.”

Caduceus twists around. “Oh, dear.”

That’s all he has time for before Calliope grabs his shoulders and twists him facefirst back into the ground. “You know,” she tells him, “I was going to go easy on you. Was. You’re lucky I’m not calling Colton in here.”

“That’s ‘cause Colton’s a jerk,” Caduceus says, muffled and remarkably calm.

“So are you, apparently,” Calliope retorts. She forms a vibrating claw with one hand and digs it into his spine, and Caduceus shrieks. “You can’t just blind people!”

“I’m telling Mom and Dad!” Clarabelle agrees, wiping one last black tear from her eye and lunging back in to knead mercilessly at the backs of Caduceus’ ribs.

Caduceus shrieks again, kicking helplessly, and tumbles straight back into hysterical laughter. “Come - hahaAAA - come on!”

Beau’s fairly sure that he’s going to hurt himself if she jumps in, but Calliope looks breathlessly over at her and grins with a bloodthirsty look that Beau recognizes all too well. She usually saves it for enemies, though, or Caleb if he’s being particularly insufferable. “Is that what he does to you guys too? Go on, get some revenge!”

And well, put like that…

It takes a bit of effort to pin one of Caduceus’ flailing legs, especially when he catches wind of what she’s doing and starts kicking even more frantically. “Hold fucking still,” she yells.

Caduceus is losing it, less put together than she’s ever heard him. “I cahahan’t!”

Beau jams the ball of her thumb into the nerve cluster just above his knee until his leg goes dead. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

“What was that?” Clarabelle says, sounding delighted. “Can I learn how to do that, Callie?”

Beau ignores her, focusing in on her prey. “Let’s see, how many apologies am I looking for?” She’s pretty sure she deserves every single time that Caduceus has tickled her to pieces, but the opportunity to tease Caduceus the way he does with them is too good to pass up. “I’ve lost count at this point, guess we’ll just start the ball rolling and see what happens.”

She squeezes mercilessly at the back of his thigh, making sure he can feel it through his homespun trousers, and he laughs a bit louder and squirms as best as he can, but it’s not enough-

“Huh,” she says, trying to channel Caduceus, and watches his sisters dig into his back for a moment. Something something destiny, calm, balance-

Oh. She grins and spiders her fingers ever so lightly over the vulnerable spot, and Caduceus howls.

Beau settles in, satisfied, and keeps spidering until he’s thrashing and laughing too hard to get more than a couple broken words out. He’s not anywhere near out of breath, not yet, so she figures they’ve got at least a couple more minutes of squeaking, ticklish Caduceus and she’s going to enjoy every single one of them.

“Oh, dear,” someone says, unexpectedly close. Beau whips around to see Caduceus’ mom, holding a whole tray of mismatched teacups and looking like she’s desperately trying not to laugh.

Caduceus’ ears twitch. “MOM,” he wails. “SAVE ME, I’M GONNA DIE.”

She does laugh then, a little misty-eyed, and juggles the tray so she can prop a hand on her hip. “Calliope, Clarabelle, be nice to your brother,” she chides. “He came a long way to find us.”

“But he blinded us!” Clarabelle tattles, painfully earnest even as she grins from ear to ear. “He hasn’t even said sorry yet!”

“Clarabelle Clay.”

Beau’s spine locks up in instant parental-dissatisfaction panic, but Clarabelle just laughs and echoes back “Mo-oom,” before moving her hands and sprawling forward onto her brother. Calliope stops too, with one last dig into his back that inspires a final agonized wiggle, and sits back on her hands triumphantly as Caduceus wheezes and scrambles up to safety.

Beau rocks to her feet, sticking her hands in her pockets, and takes in the full glory of a seven-foot-tall firbolg doing his level best to hide behind his mother. Clarabelle and Calliope get up too and grab their tea, the former sticking her tongue out as Caduceus peeks at her with narrowed eyes.

“If you two are done,” Caduceus’ mom says firmly, “it looks like there are still vegetables that need attending to.”

“Oh, yeah,” Calliope says, and fixes Clarabelle with a look.

“Yeah!” Clarabelle echoes, looking innocently back.

She yelps as Calliope drags her away. Beau shuffles her feet for a moment as Caduceus’ mom turns to her. “Uh - if some of those are for us, I can take them - I know you guys probably want your time alone-”

Caduceus ducks a little further down, and his mom laughs again. “Oh, dear, you can stay as long as you like, but these will be better hot.”

“Got it.” Beau smirks up at Caduceus. “I have to go talk to Jester, anyway.”

She grabs the tray and speed-walks back across the room, barely hearing Caduceus’ hurried “I’ll go help her” before his heavier footsteps echo behind. If it were Fjord or Caleb she’d channel her ki to beat him handily back to the others, but, well - he doesn’t deserve it, really.

He’s walking fast, anyway - once she slows down, it’s only a couple seconds before she can feel his warm presence at her side.

He holds a hand out for the tray. “Don’t tell them.”

Beau looks at him then, still smug, and grimaces. “Oh, Duceus, you’ve got something on your face.”

He makes a face and wipes at his running nose with his sleeve, still trying to catch his breath. “Don’t tell them,” he says again. “I mean, they’ll find out eventually, and none of you are as mean as Calliope so it’ll be okay, but - please.”

She pretends to think it over. “I don’t know, I think your sister’s kind of great.”

Caduceus sighs heavily. “I’m not surprised.”

“I won’t tell them.” She does reach over to nudge at his spine though, expertly balancing the tray, and laughs as he squirms away from her. “You have to… make tea for me every night though. For a week.”

Caduceus blinked. “I already do that, you asked me to.”

“Which is exactly why I’m not gonna rat you out, Caduceus. You’re just a little bit less of an asshole than the rest of us.”

Caduceus looks - surprisingly pleased, at that. Beau tells herself it’s more about the prospect of not having Jester try to jump him every morning than her approval. “I appreciate it.”

Beau hands the tray over and crosses her arms, looking up at him. “You don’t really mind though, do you? Seems weird that you’d keep getting all of us, if you did.”

He shrugs. “I don’t, it’s just- it’s different around family. They already know everything about me.”

That jealousy sneaks out onto her tongue, quick and bitter, before she realizes it. “Well, I wouldn’t know.”

Beau looks away then, speeding up to get ahead of him. She manages to take a single step before something tickles at the back of her armpit and she nearly drops all of her stuff.

She curses and whirls around. “Caduceus!”

He looks evenly back at her. “Yeah, you would.”

It takes a second to connect the conversational thread, but she can’t help but smile once she does. “Thanks, Caduceus.”

He smiles back. “You’re welcome.”

“Deal’s off though,” she quips, and before he can react she’s sprinting down the hallway as fast as she can.

She’s not going to tell on him, but for tickling her? He’s gonna have to chase her down if he wants to make sure.

#tickling #critical role #caduceus clay #beauregard lionett #clarabelle clay #calliope clay #chocfic

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etherealluminescence · 4 years

Note

Could I request a headcanon of the brothers reacting to finding MC sleeping in their bed?

Sure thing anon! Thanks for asking. No gender specified so it’s a GN!MC. ✨💘💗 thank you for requesting. I appreciate it.

I have three more requests after this one!! Don’t worry other anons I’ll get to you three asap. Two nsfw fics and one hc!

Brothers reacting to finding GN!MC in their bed sleeping

Lucifer

You wanted to make sure Lucifer wasn’t overworking himself, so you made him some tea and brought it to his office a bit after dinner.

After knocking and entering, you ask him how he was, how much work he had, and made a bit of casual conversation. He insisted it wasn’t much, but you could tell from the mountainous stack on his desk, it was going to take quite a few hours so you were going to do something nice for him.

Kissing his forehead, you left your boyfriend to his work and went to his bedroom. You were going to clean and organise it! That way he won’t have to worry about dust, and you’ll even wash his bedsheets and pillowcases tomorrow, because you’re the best lover ever.

You figured it would just take an hour or an hour and a half. What you didn’t expect was you forgetting where everything in the drawers go after cleaning them, and had to figure out where you even put them in the first place when cleaning. You also didn’t expect to see hidden photographs of you two in his drawers, but because you saw them you couldn’t not reminiscence and gush!!

It was already near midnight by the time you were done, so you decided to rest your head on his big comfy bed for a bit, relax your muscles, and then leave. You didn’t want him to find it was you, even if it were obvious. You just wanted him to have one less thing to stress about.

But your own exhaustion betrayed you, as you fell asleep and passed out for a few hours.

Sighing, Lucifer finally finished his paperwork. It had to be around three am about now. If Mammon didn’t annoy the witches again, for who knows what, probably existing, he would of been done hours ago.

He made his way to his room, gently massaging his stiff shoulders on the way. As he entered, he could immediately tell you were there, and noticed just how out of place certain things were.

This could only be your doing. You were the only one who would come into his room, clean it, and accidentally disorganise it.

He made his way to his bed, and smiled softly seeing your chest slowly rise up and down while you snuggled into his pillow.

He took off his coat, and climbed into bed cuddling you without changing, he just wanted to embrace you. You’re just a human but you’ve affected him, a great and prideful demon, so so much over the course of a single year.

He’s going to kill Mammon for taking away his precious free time with paperwork instead of spending it with you, but that can wait until the morning.

Mammon

It was breakfast time and you figured you should wake Mammon up, since he surprisingly was still asleep in his room. Normally you were the last up.

You walked into his room and made way to his bed, gentling shaking him. He wasn’t budging at all, so you decided to go a different path.

If he was going to sleep, so were you! You crawled into his bed and snuggled between his arms, your back against his chest, and your head under his for maximum warmth. Afterwards, you pull the sheets high enough to nearly cover your face.

When Mammon wakes up in an hour, though, he can tell he’s immediately touching something. Is he being punished in his sleep again?

Taking the covers off, he immediately looks down at what he was holding, only to notice it was you?? His favorite human’

Realization doesn’t really kick in that you’re sleeping in his bed snuggling in his arms because he goes to your room for cuddles. But then it hits him like a truck.

You crawled into his bed something when he was sleeping, made yourself comfy, and went to sleep yourself?

You’re putting way too much trust in him, aren’t you!! He’s a man, he is a demon, yet you just went to sleep in his arms for who knows how long.

He stopped working for awhile before coming to the conclusion that of course you wanted to sleep with the GREAT Mammon he’s the best there ever is, who wouldn’t?

He goes back to sleeping, but now it’s back to back. Although he came to that conclusion it’s different than normal cuddling okay! He has to respect your personal space.

Leviathan

You were feeling slightly sick with a stomachache, and really just wanted to disappear off the planet to make it stop.

You were trying to think of a way to go to sleep and feel good at the same time. That’s when you remembered sleeping in bathtubs is good when you’re sick. At least that’s what your dad told you, and made you do as a child.

The coldness of the tub pressed against your skin should soothe it, so trusting your dad’s nonexistent medical degree, you went to test it out. My dad told me to do this once.

You didn’t want to bother Asmo asking for his bathtub when it’s probably covered in roses, so you went for someone who literally slept in a bathtub, Levi.

You knocked but there was no response. However your stomach hurt and you were not leaving for anyone. You entered the room, surprisingly unlocked. Levi was nowhere to be found, but you would explain it later.

Climbing into the bathtub, you lied stomach down while exposing your stomach. You brought one of pillows under your face and just planted yourself into it.

A half hour later, Levi returns to his room. He went to pickup a new limited addition Ruri Chan figurine. When he walked by his bathtub he thought he saw something or someone in it, but went to put the figure away first.

If there was something in his tub, one of his brothers must of did it. He purposely left the door unlocked because he already set up a curse, so they’ll get what’s coming to them.

But then he notices it’s you and freaks out;; he set up the saying Ruri at the end of every sentence curse again.

Okay maybe it’s not too bad it was be adorable. He missed hearing you say ruri at the end of your sentences. But why were you in his tub?!

Realization kicks in and he’s so conflicted does he moves you, does he wake you, does he question every single decision in the entirety of his life right now?

He went for the latter. He’s slowly freaking out that he ends up just watching you from above sort of creepily for the next two hours.

When you wake up you just roll onto your back and see Levi staring down at you with an I’m not sure what to do striken face on. You burst out laughing and explain.

Now Levi thinks he overthought, but you assure him it’s fine and it’s sort of your fault for just breaking into his bed. But he’s concerned about your stomachache.

Your dad’s nonexistent medical degree saved you this time, and you hate to admit it. So you change the subject by offering him cuddles while still in his bed.

Congrats, you’ve broken your Levi.

Satan

You were only going to return a book you borrowed from Satan then go back to your room, you swore, but your desires betrayed you.

You greatly missed your boyfriend who has been busy studying up new curses, and practising magic with Solomon. You were happy he was socialising and learning, but you couldn’t help but feel lonely without him around so much lately.

You ended up returning his book, but reached towards his bed. Surely, he wouldn’t mind, right?

You crawled on top and snuggled into his blankets, trying to get the smell of him. It felt so incredibly comfy to be laying in his scent, that you closed your eyes for just a few minutes...

Click! The door began to open, and in came Satan. He was out for nearly half the day and it was nearly midnight, he just really wanted to rest. Lucifer did not deserve the amount of time Satan was using trying to learn to curse him.

He took off his blazer and set it on his chair before walking to his bed. He could see that something was underneath his blanket, a decently large shape.

He cautiously walked towards it. Was one of his brothers playing a prank and decided to put something under his blankets?

Peeling off the covers, he sees you, sleeping soundless, trying to snuggle into the blanket to get more warmth.

His heart melted and he could feel his exhaustion fading away from just seeing this. He changes into his night clothes and climbs into bed, hugging you from behind.

In the morning you wake up in his arms, engulfed by his warmth. You realised that you never actually woke up and left after you closed your eyes for “few minutes”. But this was actually very nice.

Peeling his arms up for a bit, without waking him, you turned around and snuggled into his chest after giving him a quick kiss.

If you two could always wake up like this, then this is your new bed.

Asmodeous

You and Asmo had spent the whole day shopping. You liked to shop, but shopping with Asmo was a whole other sport. Trying on fifteen outfits per store is a little bit too much for you.

When you two returned, Asmo immediately brought you to his room and told you to wait on his bed, while he goes to the bathroom and open up a few products.

It was pretty late in the afternoon, and you two weren’t going anywhere else, so it was nothing major, maybe a bit of makeup and a fashion show just small Asmo stuff.

While he left, you were sitting on the bed, but your back was really hurting, so were your feet. Everything just hurt. Way too much pushing, changing, walking, ah how you suffer.

You lay down backwards not intending to do anything but rest, your legs hanging off, and close your eyes. His bed was so soft and comfy it’s a crime that your bed isn’t this comfy.

When Asmo returns he sees you passed out on his bed, and is automatically gushing. He should be pissed you fell asleep during your shopping-makeup date but you were very special.

You’re absolutely adorable and even Asmo would say you’re pretty close to him in looks, because he loves you so much. He automatically forgives you.

You look so comfortable that he just picks you up, he may look delicate but the boy could easily throw you, and he fixes your position.

Not to anyone in particular, he says that it’s bad for your position to be like that while you sleep. He brings his covers over you, and goes to take off his makeup.

He won’t join you in bed because you deserve personal space, and he needs to spend two hours preparing his beautiful skin for dinner, but he will watch over you and continue to smile.

Beelzebub

All the brothers had an important meeting that lasted all afternoon until evening. With you not being a student council member, you weren’t going to wait out in the hall until evening, so Solomon walked you back to your dorms.

After getting back you thanked Solomon and just did stuff Lucifer usually told you not to do. Jump on the bed, eating extremely sweet snacks, go into everyone’s closest and take something and just wear it for a bit before returning it.

It was finally Beel’s closet’s turn to be ransacked by you. You started with his shots and they were all just extremely large. You saved his for last since it would take the least amount of time. One of his shirts could just be used as a nightgown.

You looked through a bunch of his shirts and decided on his regular black triangular one, because that smelled most like Beel, which you really loved.

After putting it on, you took off your pants/skirt to really see just how much of a dress it looks like on you. This man is absolutely giant.

You sigh to yourself in content as you jump backwards onto his bed, resting. You spent all evening breaking Lucifer’s rules and damn did it feel GOOD.

But now you were tired, so a small rest is needed. They probably wouldn’t come back till very late in the evening, so you’ll leave before then.

You were wrong. The meeting was finished earlier than expected, because everything with the witches got cleared up pretty quickly. All the brothers went their seperat ways to probably change, Belphie going straight to the attic, Lucifer’s face pissed him off.

Going to his room, Beel walks over to his closet, but before that he just sees you in his bed?? In his shirt, that’s obviously way too large for you.

His face goes from the surprise devildom sticker one to blushing. He had no clue why you were in his bed, and why you were wearing his shirt. But it was extremely cute and looked good on you!

He repositions you so that you’re comfy and pulls the blankets up more. You should really sleep with pants on do it doesn’t make him feel immoral please.

Beel watches over you while you sleep and even brings snacks up to his room to share with you when you wake up, but he eats like half of them. I’m sure you’ll still appreciate the sentiment when you’re awake, though.

Belphegor

It had been a very rough day for you. You procrastinated on all your assignments so you had to get them done in a few hours, you fell down the stairs, and you even forgot to bring your lunch to school. You were dead tired and couldn’t bring yourself to face reality anymore.

You had no idea where Belphie was and he wasn’t answering any calls, so you decided to go into his room and sleep so when he came back, he could snuggle with you.

You walked into his room and casually greeted Beel who was on his side eating cake.

Crawling into Belphie’s bed, you made yourself comfortable and snuggled into the blankets, trying to find even a little bit of his smell on it to comfort you.

You ended up falling asleep fairly quickly, and Beel eventually left the room to invade the kitchen again. During that time, Belphie returned home from rad.

He was sort of annoyed that his phone died and no he had to charge it, because he didn’t do overnight, and his sleep schedule is already abnormal.

He goes over to his bed to reach for the charger when he suddenly notices you!! Absolutely adorable, brightens his mood.

Normally he has to find you for naps, and cuddles into you, but this time you were just defencelessly sleeping in his bed, your shirt slightly pushed up and you were hugging his cow pillow.

The sight was adorable and he ends up forgetting to charge his phone again, because he’s already in that bed cuddling you, going to sleep.

He slept a whole lot at rad that he even came home late, but damn did he feel so tired and comfy with his arms wrapped around you.

#obey me headcanons #obey me #obey me hc #obey me swd #obey me shall we date

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cultifi · 3 years

Note

Hey~ okay so this request is based on a story I read about online. But basically the female is on her period (but she doesn’t realize yet ) and it seeps through her pants so she has a blood stain now. Could I request Bakugou or Todoroki seeing the stain and trying to be lowkey about helping her cover up so she isn’t embarrassed? Idk if that makes sense. Also I wanted to ask what fandoms/characters you write for. Idk if it’s annoying always writing about Bakugou, but he’s my comfort character so 😭 sorry.

Covering - Bakugo x (fem)reader

prompt: Bakugo sees that you had started your period and helps you out

genre: fluff

-actual plot of the request starts at ‘keep reading’ button-

“Come on! I promise it will be fun,” Mina begged you as she flopped onto your bed, sprawled out, “it’s only for the weekend anyways.” She had been trying to convince you to spend the weekend with her and a couple of other friends at Momo’s beach house which wasn’t far away from where you lived, but the thought of being trapped with people for more than a day irritated you just thinking about it. Mina just kept pleading for you to go.

“If I come, you have to...” you stated as you looked thought of a compromise that would benefit both you the most, “...do my homework for a week!” Mina’s mouth dropped open as she looked at you in disbelief. She hung her head down and muttered a small,

“Fine.”

Friday afternoon came around and when you arrived at the beach house with Mina and Momo you finally saw who you would be spending the weekend with, Deku, Todoroki and Bakugo. 3 boys, 3 girls. You all headed inside and set your luggage down near the entrance, admiring how spacious and clean the house was, like no one had ever stepped foot in it. “Woah...” you whispered in amazement when you had seen that Momo’s description of the house was nowhere near accurate, claiming it was “just a regular beach house.”

“This place is huge!” Mina exclaimed and threw herself on the enormous leather sofa placed in the middle of the living room, which was the centre of the beach house. “Honestly Momo, you really downplayed how big this place is.” After exploring the large, almost sparkling clean house, everyone discussed sleeping arrangements. despite it being a huge house, the only thing it lacked was a decent amount of bedrooms; there were 2, but fortunately they were quite big, so everyone had decided that the girls would room together and the boys would do the same.

The sky grew darker before anyone realised how late it had gotten so everyone headed to their designated sleeping rooms. Since the rooms were quite large, there were conveniently three beds in different areas of the room, the middle being empty. “Dibs!” Mina shouted and catapulted herself onto the bed directly opposite the door, even though the were all basically the same size (hers was a little bigger but that’s besides the point). All three of you prepared yourselves for bed as you slid into the cool covers, having light conversation until Momo asked you a question about him.

“I noticed Bakugo looking at you a lot today,” she teased as her and Mina both giggled, “I think he has a crush on you!” You felt heat rise up to your cheeks when you started thinking about what it would be like to be in a relationship with him so you pulled the covers up to your face and protested against Momo’s idea.

You woke up to Mina and Momo jumping on your bed which made you want to dropkick them but you restrained yourself, putting your pillow over your head. “Fine, I’ll get up,” you complained and threw your pillow at Mina who was jumping with such vigour that you might think she was trying to create a dent in the bed frame.

“Let’s wake the boys up,” Mina suggested with a smirk and whispered something to Momo, both giggling and making you feel confused. “Okay so I’ll wake up Deku, you wake up Bakugo and Momo will wake up Todoroki. We’ll just jump on their beds until they get up.” The evil scheme was soon in motion.

You approached the door of their room and carefully twisted the handle, making sure to not create any disturbances. You pushed the door open and looked at all the boys sleeping peacefully. It wasn’t going to be peaceful for much longer.You each took your places and on the count of three flew onto the beds.

“Wake up!” you shouted and jumped onto Bakugo’s bed, bouncing up and down as though it was a trampoline.

“Shut up,” he mumbled tiredly and grabbed onto your ankle, making you stumble and fall onto him in a bit of an interesting position, staring at each other awkwardly. You looked down to realise that you were straddling Bakugo and that he also wasn’t wearing any boxers underneath his pyjama bottoms. His eyes widened and told you to move, but flinched slightly when you finally did, pulling the covers over his lower half. He put his head in his hands and shouted at all of you to ‘get the fuck out.’ You hurried out of the room in embarrassment, Mina and Momo following you as you cursed to yourself.

“What just happened?” Mina asked you worriedly as she closed the door behind her. You told her about the ‘situation’ which was currently being taken care of by Bakugo in the bathroom. “I think he’ll be fine in a bit, don’t worry about it,” she advised you and hugged you lightly and suggested that we all go to the beach, your stomach had been hurting, but you ignored it and agreed.

Later on, after having swam in the salty water and played volleyball with everyone, Mina’s words had proved to be true, Bakugo wasn’t angry, he actually looked like he was having fun, especially when Deku tripped and got a face full of sand. You were all hungry at this point and decided you would go to a restaurant near the beach house, it wasn’t anything fancy so you just decided to wear light blue denim overalls accompanied by a black belt with a white short sleeved crop top.

You ignored the aching in your lower stomach since you thought it was probably just because you were hungry and tied up your hair into a ponytail. “You ready?” Momo asked as she picked up her phone and purse.

“Yea.”

The dinner actually turned out to be really enjoyable with everyone there, you honestly thought it was going to be chaotic but you managed to have fun. When the sky started turning a dark orange colour and you realised it was getting late, and you all were tired from the day’s activities.

“Alright let’s go back,” everyone agreed and made their way out of the restaurant. As you were walking you saw Bakugo drop his phone and went to get it after realising it wasn’t in his pocket anymore, falling behind the group slightly as you all walked by knowing he’d catch up anyways.

“Hey, um...” he walked up besides you holding out his zip up hoodie, “wrap it around your waist, there’s kind of a problem,” he whispered to you and you suddenly realised why your stomach had been hurting the whole day. Shit. You endured the pain as the cramps kicked in conveniently when you were close the the beach house, not wanting to get any weird looks from strangers. “You okay?” Bakugo asked, acting as though he didn’t really care, you nodded and smiled feebly keeping yourself from crouching down into a little ball.

Once you all arrived home the first thing you did was run towards the shower because you just wanted to clean up and have a shower quickly to relax your muscles after having been in pain for so long. As soon as the hot water hit your shoulders it felt as though the stress melted out of them and you stood there for a minute, enjoying the sauna-like atmosphere the nearly boiling hot shower was creating. It really did help your stomach cramps.

Grabbing the vanilla scented body wash, you remembered that Bakugo had seen the period stain but luckily didn’t make it obvious to everyone and he was actually subtle about it. You pushed your hair out of your face and sighed, feeling the embarrassment wash away as you realised it shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Steamed followed you when you stepped out of the shower and you noticed Bakugo’s hoodie hanging on the door, deciding you should probably give it back.

You walked into the living room to see he was the only one there, sitting on the plain leather couch, staring at whatever was on the huge tv. “Hey,” you greeted him and sat down besides him, handing him his hoodie, “thanks for helping me out, here, it’s clean.” He took the hoodie and placed it on the arm of the sofa, getting up to retrieve something since he told you to wait there. You did as you were told and waited patiently until he came back with a handful of snacks and a hot water bottle, accompanied by a cup of chamomile tea ‘to relax you’. “Um, what is this for?” You asked him, confused as to why he was being so nice.

“You’re on your period right? So I thought it would help if I brought some snacks. The tea might help with the cramps, that’s what my mom told me to do when a girl is on her period,” he said nervously and laid the snacks down next to you, scratching the back of his neck. You smiled at him and took the tea, placing it down on the coffee table in front of you and happily took the hot water bottle, shoving it under your shirt to soothe your stomach. You noticed him still looking at you and you smiled.

“Could you stay here?” He looked surprised for a second and grabbed a soft throw blanket to cover the two of you, putting on a movie to watch as you opened a bag of gummy bears and got closer to him, not noticing the blush you had caused to spread across his cheeks.

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princessmariaphiliper · 3 years

Text

THE SLEEPOVER FIC | Part 8 The Sleepover

Notes: James Acaster, No warnings babes xoxo

Pairing: James Acaster x Reader

Genre: Fluff, Slight Angst, Slow Burn fic

Words: 2,739

Summary: You and James have put yourselves into trouble, but you think maybe it’s hotter that way.

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9

You and James had been laying together for quite some time now. Dwelling in your act of sin. Guilt pumped through your blood, clouding your mind. But for the most part all you could feel were Jame’s arms wrapped around you. Your stomach a mix between dread and delight, two complex emotions rising and falling at once. There was so much to say, yet you chose to keep your silence in the now darkened evening. The sun having set long ago.

You’d both gotten dressed once again and cleaned up yourself in an attempt to regain some dignity. James ran a thumb across your shoulder as the Tv droned on, the backdrop to your shallow breaths. He cleared his throat, your head bobbing up from his chest. You thought he might speak. However after looking longingly into your eyes he opted for a kiss instead. Unlike the previous kisses of the night this one felt sincere and somewhat shy. The kind of kiss that you would give at the altar. A performative innocence fit for a virgin. Perhaps this was all the two of you could manage to muster as you drifted gently to sleep.

You awoke at what you presumed to be the early hours of the morning with James checking his phone. Noticing you stir, he whispered tenderly into the dark.

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

“A little, what time is it?”

“Three thirty seven.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah,” James pulled himself up onto his elbows, you rolled off of his chest body going cold from the lack of his radiation. “Sorry I didn’t mean to fall asleep, I’ll get going.”

The pit of your stomach sank, not liking the idea at all. Your mouth began to speak before your brain could register your words.

“You can stay if you like, I just opened a new toothbrush packet. I wouldn’t want you getting on the tube so late.”

James seemed slightly stunned by the prospect, body stiffening beside you. Your breath hitched, unable to see his expressions fully in the dark. You feared you might have said too much.

“Are you sure?” James worried.

“If you like, I don’t mind,”

“Okay.” He waited a while before beginning to stand, you stirred also, stretching to turn on the lap beside your sofa. You winced your eyes before the bright strobe flushed through the room.

“Ah fuck,” James mumbled under his breath, covering his eyes with his palms. Although you could see through your own adjusting that the corner of his mouth was twisted in a smile.

“Sorry,”

“No you’re not, that was purposeful.”

“Maybe.” You smiled as James turned around to face you. Standing slowly. Thighs tender from their extensive use earlier in the night. Sleep commanded its way through you, eyes stinging from the time of day, you yawned loudly with a stretch.

“Can I use your shower tomorrow? I’m a sweaty boy.”

“Yeah that's fine. I have to be at the studio early so do you want me to wake you up or..?”

“Yeah please. I’m recording a podcast with Ed tomorrow morning.”

Oh god Ed. Criminality washing over you again as you began to make your way over to your bedroom. James hot on your heels. Ed could never know that you’d slept with James. You knew it would cause far too much complication in an already complex situation. You threw yourself under your covers as James climbed in timidly beside you. As though he wasn’t sure it was okay for him to join. You watched him as he lay down, falling on his side to face you. You smiled over at him which he returned before planting a light kiss upon the tip of your nose. Shutting his eyes.

Deciding it would be better to consider such trivial things about your actions come morning, you cosied up to James. His arm falling naturally around you as you came closer. You faded into a dream for the second time that evening.

Seven AM your alarm began to blare out into the morning dew. Your mind registered the noise on autopilot. Fingers crawling underneath your pillow to silence the drone. For a few minutes you lay in the glow, not wanting to rise just yet. You loved mornings like these in London. Where the city was just beginning to sturr. Where you could dream up a new life for yourself before your snooze alarm kicked in.

Before this could happen however, a stirring of movement beside you pulled you out of dreamland. An arm twitched awake to your shock bringing you back down to earth. Remembering the events of the night previous. You opened your eyes with difficulty, sleep having crystallised in the corners, meeting the side profile of James waking up too.

You lay there for some time, taking in the silence as a blessing before your busy day ahead. The arm underneath your pillow felt numb and heavy. After a moment though you knew that you had to get ready, gently prodding James’s arm you spoke croakily.

“James.”

“Hmm?”

“It seven,”

“Okay.” James mumbled huskily in his morning voice. Sending a little tingle down your spine. He sat up slowly, all the time his eyes closed. Seemingly not wanting to adjust to the morning light. You dragged yourself up and began to get dressed timidly. Somewhat shying away in case James could see your body.

Everything felt a little strange.

Here the two of you were waking up in the same bed as though you had been a couple for years, yet you’d only met him a week prior. You felt comfortable enough to change your shirt, but you opted to change your pants while he was showering.

“Um,” He said tiredly “Am I still okay to…”

Presuming he was talking about getting cleaned up, you nodded. He stood groggily, making his way over to the bathroom upon approval. As he moved you noticed he was still wearing his shorts and t-shirt from yesterday.

It was nowhere near as hot as the day prior and you considered that shorts might not be the most appropriate attire for work. Somehow feeling guilty about it you decided to search for something in your wardrobe he could wear.

Once he had left the room you pulled on some new underwear and leggings. Making your way over to your wardrobe you delved into the back. Recalling a pair of trousers you’d bought for your ex’s birthday a few years prior, you started to dig through piles of old clothes. You weren't the sentimental type of person. You hadn’t kept such items to keep the memory of him alive in your life. It was simply that you’d broken up a few months before Christmas, and having bought the gifts early you decided to keep them. Considering they might be useful for any projects you might be involved with in the future. In addition to this it was far past the return date when the two of you broke it off.

You pulled out the pair of plum coloured slacks, contemplating for a long while if it would be strange to offer them for James to wear. His voice booming into the room once again.

“Y/n.”

“Yeah?” You rose from your crouched position, following his voice.

“How do you work your shower?”

You chuckled, feeling for him you headed towards the bathroom. Knocking timidly on the door.

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah one second.”

“Are you decent?”

“Sure,”

You pushed open the door, peaking your head inside the shower spat out incohesively into the drain. James stood a few steps away from the door in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist, hair slightly damp. You glanced over at him, noticing the small hickies dotted across his neck from last night. Making you bush. You made a note to check yourself once over in the mirror for the same.

“I can’t get it to heat up, sorry” He flustered, causing you to smile kindly at him.

“It’s okay it does this sometimes,”

Stemming into the room you placed the trousers on the sink for him later. You snaked your arm around the water reaching the faucet. As all showers, it was a rather simple design once you knew how to use it. But you couldn’t blame James, showering at other peoples houses was always a stressful business. You turned it towards yourself. Waiting a minute for the water to run hot.

“Just turn it right when you’re done and it’ll shut off, make sure you get out first though because it goes freezing if you don't do it fast enough.” You offered.

“Sure,”

“Oh erm,” You hesitated, “I got those out for you, I don’t know if they’re your size but I figured you wouldn’t want to put on dirty clothes.”

Pointing at the slacks James’s eyes followed your finger to the sink. A warm beam crossed his face before he uttered a ‘thank you’. You left him to clean up while you made some food and a drink for each of you.

“James.” You called out as the kettle boiled. The shower had finished a short while ago, causing you to assume he was close to being ready.

“Yes chef.”

He came into the kitchen, towelling his hair with one hand to dry it off. He looked kind of sexy like that. Dressed in the pants you’d given him. Forearm in an L shape defining the muscle under his skin. You stared for a moment, studying his features, you wished you knew what he was thinking.

“Tea or coffee?” You asked remembering you had to speak for a conversation to happen.

“I’d love a coffee, do you have decaf?”

“I think so”

You had an inkling that you had a couple of mini sachets somewhere in your cupboard. You dug through as James leant his body against your kitchen worktop. Arm finally dropping down to let his hair air dry.

“Y/n.”

“James.”

There was a pause in the air where you thought he might begin to voice an internal dialogue. You didn’t look at him, forcing yourself to search busily for the coffee that you’d already found. James didn’t say anything either. For the longest time you both stood around in silence until the toaster popped to break it.

“Ah,” You mumbled, “Here it is!”

You mixed the drinks, opting to pour them into travel mugs as it was already getting quite late. You didn’t know when James had to be at work, but you knew that if you didn’t leave soon the tube would be horrific. Handing the decaf to him you grabbed your slice of toast, James coming closer to grab his own. Noticing it was slightly burnt you turned to him deflated.

“Shit sorry, I’ll make you some more if you like,”

“Oh no its okay, I quite like it burnt.”

“Are you sure” You pulled a face at him, but he was smiling at you. Body a couple of inches away. You could smell your own shampoo and body wash on him, having muted the scents of last night. Becoming aware of the fact you hadn’t showered since, you had quite an intensive class today that you knew would have you leaving the studio in buckets. He didn’t know that though. You hoped to god he didn’t think you were gross.

“I’m just happy I’ve been fed.” James warmed. Coming away from you now. He headed over to your fridge, opening it up and studying the contents. He pulled out the butter and some honey, making his way back towards you and the toaster. Quietly he whistled as he began to butter both slices of toast, one for each of you. Coating them with honey afterwards. It was refreshing to watch him perform such a mundane task. With a heavy heart you sighed. Blue from the gut wrenching feeling that your sleepover was short lived. You couldn’t shake the feeling that everything was far too complicated.

James presented you with your slice, holding it up to your mouth to take a bite. You accepted with a sad smile. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” You brushed off, “Shall we get going?”

An air surrounded you and James as you swiped your oyster cards entering the station. The two of you had made casual chit chat, both dancing around what the two of you were desperate to be said. Somehow the conversation has moulded your plans for the rest of the week. You hadn’t anything special, you thought maybe Ed would be coming to visit at some point. Stepping onto the escalator one after the other you waited with the crowd.

“Ah,”

“Single life,” You joked

“Must be nice.” James said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Making you feel a mixture of guilt and tenderness. He noticed the pause in conversation, turning to you with a panicked look in his eyes. “Sorry, I don't know why I said that!”

“It’s okay?”

“No it’s not,” He fretted “I don’t want you to get a bad image of me-”

“I won’t James.”

“I,” James started, pausing for a moment to consider his words. “So what now?”

“I’m not just some rebound to help you flesh out a narrative James.”

“I don’t want you to be.”

“We don’t know each other that well,”

You both stepped onto the escalator, James behind you. He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, speaking into your hair.

“I’d like to get to know you,”

He stated, looking into your eyes with full transparency making your humble heart skip a beat. You pondered the idea for a moment, his chin sitting atop of your head. You could feel his heart beating quickly against his back, indicating that he was feeling almost as heightened as you at the minute. You looked down, noticing that you had a long while before the two of you reached the bottom, you turned around to face James. His face pulled back as you did so.

“Well,” You began, “I just want you to know, if you fuck me about James I wont be able to forgive you. I’ve spent far too many years fighting for people that only gave half of a shit about me and I’m done with that. But I’m willing to try something if you are, honestly, I think you’re an amazing guy and I love spending time with you. But, I’m not going to sit around and wait for you to realise that you just wanted an excuse to leave her, and along the way you found me. I won’t put myself through that.”

A weight lifting from your chest, James contemplated your statement for a moment. Eyes darting across your face.

“Can I be honest?”

“I’d prefer it,”

“I’m not going to pretend like I didn’t initially just find you attractive. But the longer time we’ve spent together. I just can’t stop thinking about you. I’ve not - stopped thinking about you since we met. I know it hasn’t been that long and that terrifies me too. But I’m not going to let you walk out of my life without trying to get to know you more. Because you feel like home in a way I can’t describe” James smiled at you, taking your hand in his. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life Y/n. I can’t even think about how anyone else ever made me feel. So no, you can’t ever be ‘just a rebound’ ”

You blinked up at him through your lashes, a tenderness forming inside of you. His words had taken you by surprise. He let go of your hand, taking your silence in embarrassment. You turned around, close to reaching the end of the elevator.

“I’d like to know you better too James.” You said in almost a whisper. “But, if we do this.”

“Yeah,”

The two of two walked to your platform. Contemplating your words, you took his hand one more time, determined to keep them glued together from now.

“We can’t let Ed know anything. I refuse to be seen as a mistress by anyone, let alone him. Once you’ve officially broken it off with…”

“Sarah.” Adding a name to the imaginary face did not help the guilt you discovered.

“Then we can, you know, start to go on dates with him knowing.”

“I think that’s probably for the best.”

Taglist josies-polestar queensantiagoofthe99 laurabeech olithephangirl @rilannon

If you want to be put on, or taken off my taglist, feel free to tell me!

#james acaster x reader #james acaster imagines #james acaster fanfic

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whats-rambled-rambled · 3 years

Text

Smoke & Mirrors - part 4

Neil x Reader

Chapter 4: Save me

(see chapter 3, 2, 1)

summary: what’s gonna happen if we lock them together for some time...?

warnings: some violence, language and other explicit things, 18+

author’s note: 4,8k words, just because I thought I needed to add more plot to it because you wanted 2 shorter chapters instead of a longer one. Who’s laughing now?

Reading this may cause a slight whiplash. Sorry, not sorry.

song for this chapter: Aimee Mann - Save me

Anyway, enjoy and let me know what you think, please?

----

The Protagonist’s eyes darted at Ives.

“And what did she say?”

“Short answer? Nunya,” Ives shrugged, closing the door behind him.

Wheeler giggled and TP looked at her in confusion.

“Long answer,” continued Ives, joining the other two by the coffee machine, “is that as long as they're doing their job, it doesn’t matter who they are fucking in their free time.”

“And are they?”

“What, fucking? I thought we’ve already--”

“No, doing their job,” TP pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “I have a mission for them, but it requires locking them together for a significant amount of time.”

Wheeler took a sip from her cup. “If they don’t bond, they’ll bone, and I’d say it’s better than killing each other.”

Ives snorted, clearly amused, but TP hid his face in his palms and groaned lightly.

“Was that your plan all along?”

Wheeler gave them an innocent smile. “Wasn’t yours?” she asked, and as she caught the exchange of looks, her eyes lit up. “You’re welcome.”

-----

You found the car parked near the front door and you had to admit - that grey-ish sedan was the dullest, most ordinary vehicle you’d seen in a while. And that’s why it was perfect.

Neil tossed you the keys and proceeded to load your bags into the trunk. You went to check the GPS setting. The total route was calculated for a little over 5 hours, which gave you enough time to go over the details of the assignment at least once on the way there.

As your mission partner took the passenger seat, you handed him the tablet with all the documents loaded up and ready to go. He nodded, fortunately sparing you the small talk and unnecessary comments, and started reading through them out loud as you followed the GPS directions to your destination.

What you didn’t expect was an almost insultingly short length of reports from the previous stakeout teams, and even a slightly more detailed operation brief was not enough to keep you occupied for too long. Exhausting all the work-related topics, you tensed, suddenly uncomfortable in the silence between the two of you. Especially since you caught Neil’s stare, because if his furrowed brows could be any indication, you had a feeling he might start asking way too many questions any minute now.

As the radio crackled again, you groaned in frustration. There were still two hours left of traveling through the middle of nowhere, and you’d appreciate any distraction that wouldn’t make you want to drive into the nearest tree. Unlike talking to your partner.

Neil opened the glove compartment and searched through its contents. He found a thick CD case and started flipping through pages curiously. With the corner of your eye, you saw a grin lighting his face when he finally picked one.

As you heard the familiar piano notes, your knuckles on the steering wheel turned white. Oh, fuck no.

You glared at Neil, who was gently swaying his head, eyes closed, fighting himself to keep a straight face. When the lyrics started, he pressed his palms to his chest right over his heart and looked at you as he mouthed the words.

//When I was young

I never needed anyone

And making love was just for fun

Those days are gone//

You gritted your teeth and focused back on the road, trying to keep in check the rising anger already boiling the blood in your veins, as Neil was clearly feeling the song more and more with every line.

Well, at least this time he wasn’t--...

And then just as the chorus was about to hit, Neil mimicked the opening drum sequence and spread his arms wide, singing along:

//All by myself

Don't wanna be

All by myself

Anymore//

“If you don’t change that fucking song in the next 10 seconds, be ready to walk all the way to the city--...”

“Come on, it’s a classic!” he complained, the biggest smile not leaving his face even for a moment.

You smacked your tongue, finding your most casual voice, “...and I’m not gonna be bothered with pulling over.”

Neil turned down the volume so the music was barely audible, and while it was not what you’d asked him to do, he didn’t give you a chance to scold him.

“I bet you’ve spent at least one evening listening to that song with a big box of ice cream on your lap,” he smirked, closely watching your reaction to his words.

You could feel your ears burning. Fucking hell, you really hated his guts.

“No,” you scoffed, but even you were not convinced by the sound of that. Judging by Neil’s expression, neither was he. You winced and groaned, ”...shut up!”

“Nothing to be ashamed of,” - he shrugged - “been there, done that.”

“Of course you have,” you couldn’t help but snicker at the image planted in your head.

The blue eyes studied you for a while longer before focusing back at the view outside the window. Meanwhile, the song ended, getting replaced by an instrumental track. You turned the volume up and for the next minute or two, you drove in silence.

When you heard a light chuckle, you glanced at Neil again. There was something peculiar in the look on his face, a soft gaze in contrast to a knowing grin.

You sighed.

“Do I wanna know what you’re grinning about now?”

Neil raised a brow and his lips parted in an even wider smile.

“Probably not.”

You shook your head, drawing a long breath, wondering how you were going to survive the next forty-something hours together. You could just hope that being at the actual location and starting the real work was going to make it easier.

Grounding yourself, you stared into the darkness stepping back under the car’s headlights as dusk slowly turned into night. You noticed a faint glow of city lights reflecting in the clouds over the horizon and you relaxed slowly, tuning out anything other than the road ahead.

Just as the CD player jumped back to the first song again and you switched to a local radio station, now clear of static, you realized your companion had been unusually quiet for the last half an hour. You looked at the passenger seat only to find Neil deep in his sleep and your heart started beating a little faster. Suddenly, everything about the sight seemed endearing - the peaceful face under the ruffled blonde hair, the slightly open mouth almost hidden behind the turned-up collar of the dark navy jacket, the way he wrapped his arms around himself in a little self-hug…

Your lips curled into a fond smile and as your chest clenched painfully, you turned the radio down, wishing you could do the same thing to your feelings just as easily.

-----------

The second you pulled over in the alley at the back of the abandoned hotel, two figures emerged from the door and rushed in your direction. You recognized the fellow agents and jumped out of the car to make the exchange as smooth as possible.

“Ten-minute window until the patrol comes back,” you said to a short brunette, taking your bags out of the trunk and passing her the car keys.

“Got it,” she nodded, handing you the room key in return. “Our report should be ready before we reach HQ, I will send it to you ASAP.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that the lack of an easy escape plan is intentional,” said Neil as he grabbed one of the bags and looked around.

“But it is,” you shrugged, walking into the building and heading to the nearest staircase. “No loose ends. You’re either good enough to make it out undiscovered and alive, or you get revealed and --...”

“...and then even having the cavalry on call is not going to make a difference, I get it,’ he sighed, matching your two-steps-at-once pace up the stairs, “Can’t say I like it, though.”

“So let’s try not to do anything stupid so we don’t get caught, shall we?”

A corner of your lips twitched as you heard him scoff at your remark, but to your surprise, he didn’t take the bait. Huh.

When you reached the room, you turned the lock and looked around, taking mental note of the location of every piece of equipment left by the previous team - two cameras, night vision binoculars, and a parabolic microphone placed by the windows. Some parts of the blinds on the windows were broken, others were missing, but the remaining parts still provided a decent cover from the curious eyes peeking up from street level. Other than that, the room was exactly what you would expect from a stakeout location - peeled-off wallpapers of an undefined color, a small table with an electric kettle, a couple of chairs, a mini-fridge, and a mattress.

As you went to check the last few minutes registered by the camera, Neil started unpacking the supplies. Seeing nothing interesting on the feed, you grabbed one of the water bottles he’d just put on the table and took a seat by the window, your usual first-hour-of-stakeout enthusiasm fending off the tiredness you felt after the long drive.

Neil took a laptop and sat on a chair at the other window, alternating glancing outside and typing in a message to TP with a quick update on your situation.

Your main objective was to observe the building on the other side of the street, especially one loft that was suspected to be a meeting place for one of the smuggling cells’ bosses. Snapping photos of the vehicles pulling over, of the visitors, and reporting any odd activity straight ahead. The usual. But it was past midnight already and your targets were having a pretty quiet night, apparently.

As Neil finished filing in the paperwork, he stretched his arms and groaned.

“Tea?”

You rubbed your eyes, a sudden wave of sleepiness flooded your brain as soon as you lost focus on the mission.

“Yes, please, there should be a box with a green one somewhere.”

“Ah, pity, I don’t know how well it’s gonna mix with the biscuits,” said Neil in a ridiculous posh accent, making you facepalm in response.

Partially, to hide an amused smile.

You really were that tired, huh?

“I take my tea with no sugar, no biscuits, and no snarky comments, thanks,” you huffed as your eyes followed him to the table.

“I, too, don’t like talking over a cuppa.”

“What did I just say--” you groaned, smacking your thigh in frustration.

Neil giggled and rolled his eyes, now lit by a playful twinkle. “All right, one ‘green tea no bullshit’ coming right up.”

“Thank you,” you sighed, glancing up to the ceiling as if it was supposed to help with the alarming level of annoyance in your system.

Less than two hours on-site and you already wanted to strangle him.

Among other things.

And before you could stop your tired brain, it brought up a memory of that karaoke night.

His hands roaming through your body. The sound of a belt buckle hitting the floor. Your frantic gasp when you felt him inside you. His firm grip on your hips. The heart racing in your chest. Your longing body pressing itself into him even further. His uneven breath on your neck. The quickening pace of his thrusts. Your eyes squeezing shut. His muffled moan when you tugged at his hair. The cold wall against your cheek. Your fingers interlocked. His arm wrapped around you tightly. The things whispered into your ear---

“Your tea.”

“Hmm?” you mumbled, blinking rapidly and focusing your gaze on a thermal cup in front of your face. “Oh, thanks.”

Neil studied your expression curiously, a sly grin hiding in the corner of his mouth.

“Pleasant daydream?”

“Maybe,” you sent him a smug smile and raised a brow.

His lips parted slightly at the implication. Drinking his tea, he schooled his features and sat back on the chair.

You spent the next moments enjoying the hot beverages, the silence becoming more comfortable with every sip you took. But as the time went by and you ran out of tea, the peacefulness turned into boredom.

Finally, Neil shuffled in his seat and turned your way.

"We should play a game."

Even though it sounded tempting, you didn’t trust those roguish sparks in his eyes.

“We already had a chance to play ‘yellow car’,” - you shrugged - “not my fault you chose a nap instead.”

His puzzled face gave you a hint he didn’t get the reference. Pity.

“I was thinking about some sort of...questions game,” he said and cleared his throat, shifting in his chair again. "To get to know each other better."

"Why?" you stared at him with your mouth open, suddenly taken aback.

He gave you a half-smile. "Don't you think it's weird that the only thing I know about you is all the ways to turn you on and piss you off?"

"Wouldn't be so confident about that ‘all’ part…" you huffed and lost a train of thought as you spotted the familiar flare in his gaze.

"You’re sure you wanna challenge me like that right now?"

A cold shiver ran down your spine at the way his voice got lower. You gritted your teeth as your mind started racing to find a way out of the dangerous waters.

"Aren't you a master of multitasking?" you teased, batting your eyelashes.

"And aren't you scared of having an actual conversation?" Neil narrowed his eyes and grimaced slightly.

"Fine!” you fumed as you tossed your hands in the air in defeat. “Why don’t you get straight to the point because I have a weird feeling you have a very specific question in mind."

A silence that dropped after your words was heavy and you realized you’d made a mistake.

"Actually, I do,” he said, tilting his head and locking his gaze on you. “What's up with you and kissing?"

...shit, walked right into that one, huh?

You pulled one leg up on the chair, glancing outside the window to avoid the blue eyes boring into you. "It's nothing."

“Didn’t look like nothing to me.”

Sighing, you rested the chin on your knee and wrapped your arms around it, as if that little bit of comfort was enough to make the conversation easier. Your ears were burning, your heart pounded heavily in the clenched chest, and it all was only adding to your frustration. Because it really was nothing. Or maybe it should have been, and that was the issue.

“If you don’t wanna talk about it--”

Your eyes darted at Neil only to meet his soft look. A shadow of concern on his face wasn’t helping, but you were grateful that he was willing to give you a way out.

Although at that moment, you felt you owed him an explanation.

“No, it’s just that it’s a bit silly,” you said, wincing. “I’m gonna tell you, but if you laugh, I will murder you in your sleep.”

Neil smiled lightly in encouragement.

“Got it.”

So you took a deep breath and squeezed the first word past the lump in your throat.

“It’s just that kissing to me was always something… special,” you cringed, fully aware that you sounded like a flustered teenager. “Like it really meant something. Do you know where I’m going with this?”

Neil’s brows knitted together.

“I think so, yeah.”

“Good,” you sighed, forcing yourself to breathe again. “And some time ago, I made a mistake and opened up too soon, burning myself. Fuck, it’s pathetic, I know, I just…” you hesitated and looked away, feeling the rising panic. You were exposing yourself, again. “...maybe I’m just wired that way and we should leave it at that. And never talk about it again,” your voice was hollow, the result of your brain’s desperate attempts to keep your emotions bottled up, just to keep you safe.

And after what felt like forever--

“Okay.”

You shot him a thankful look, too overwhelmed to say anything.

Neil got up, moving his shoulders in small circles to get rid of the stiffness. As he walked by you on his way to the bathroom, he patted your arm lightly. Reassuringly. The tip of your nose tingled and you bit the inside of your cheek, cursing a sudden wave of softness clouding your mind.

A few minutes passed and Neil was back. He fell on the chair heavily, slowly massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers. Catching a question in your stare, he shook his head and grinned.

“What?” you asked, squinting suspiciously.

Neil chuckled, leaning back and spreading his legs. “Trying to figure you out is giving me a headache.”

You rolled your eyes and scoffed, focusing on the view outside the window.

“Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two different things, you know.”

“So it’s all an act?”

You looked back at him, suddenly perplexed. “What is?”

“This,” he gestured vaguely in your direction and shrugged. “Or rather your usual behavior.”

You snorted. “Oh, I am a real ray of sunshine, but somehow being around you makes my inner bitch jump out,” you teased, meeting his amused gaze. A corner of your lips curled and you exhaled slowly. “I don’t know, after some time you learn life is easier that way, and at one point the line blurs,” you stopped for a second and frowned, wondering what had gotten into you tonight. “Does it make any sense to you?”

Something new tainted Neil’s features as he looked away, smiling sadly.

“You have no idea.”

Just as you opened your mouth to ask what was wrong, the blue eyes darted back at you.

“I’ll take the first shift, already had my nap after all,” the little laugh escaping his mouth felt forced. “You must be exhausted. Try to get some sleep.”

Oh you were exhausted, all right. But all of the sudden it felt as if he wanted to get rid of you and you couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt by that. There was something in his presence that gave you a hint that it wasn’t the best idea to pressure him about it now, and you slumped your shoulders, nodding.

“Thank you,” you said quietly, getting up. All that held-back fatigue was going to hit you in full force any minute now, and you really wanted to be laid down by then.

A few moments in the bathroom and you were back in the room again in more comfortable clothes. You rolled out a sleeping bag on the mattress and slipped into it, covering your mouth as you let out a small yawn.

“Wake me up if anything happens or you need me to take over, will you?”

Neil shot you a quick look from his chair.

“Sure thing,” he gave you a weak smile. “Goodnight.”

“‘Night,” you mumbled.

You curled up and closed your eyes, hoping the heaviness you felt in your chest would be gone by the morning.

--------

It took your still half-asleep brain a moment to remember where you were and what was going on. You looked around as much as you could without moving your body to avoid revealing that you were no longer asleep. Oh right, the stakeout.

You noticed Neil sitting on the floor by the only floor-to-ceiling window near the corner of the room, looking outside. The early morning light seeping through the blinds was reflecting in the disheveled blonde hair, a fitting addition to his overall tired appearance. It seemed like he’d spent most of the night working through whatever bothered him after your last talk, but he seemed more at peace now. You studied him in a little moment of sleep-deprived self-indulgence, musing over the dark quarter zip pullover, those absurdly long legs in khaki pants--...

Okay, enough. You sat up, rubbing your face.

“How’s the mattress?”

Hearing Neil’s raspy voice made you quite tempted to invite him over to check for himself.

“Passable,” you replied instead, stretching your arms and wriggling out of your sleeping bag. You nodded at the cameras. “Anything?”

“Not really. One visitor, already on the list,” he said as his eyes followed you around the room.

“All right,” you sighed, flipping the switch on the kettle. “I need coffee, you want some?”

“No, thank you, but if you could pass me a bottle of water--”

You grabbed one and tossed it to him, heading to the bathroom.

When you finally looked and felt like a decent human being again, you went back to finish making coffee. As you walked to the windows with the thermal cup in your hands, you caught Neil’s resigned stare. You sat down on the floor in front of him, leaning your shoulder against the wall. A glimpse of internal battle clouded his features and you tilted your head, waiting for him to speak up first.

“I didn’t want this,” he blurted out, and when nothing else followed the statement, you cleared your throat.

“You have to be more specific, I’m afraid.”

Neil clenched his jaw. You noticed a hint of frustration in his eyes, but then his shoulders dropped and he let out a nervous chuckle, fastening his gaze on the view outside the window.

“I wanted to do things by the book. When TP recruited me… I thought I’d be just another field agent and I was okay with that,” he sighed and grimaced. “But he insisted on fast-tracking me, even when I told him it wasn’t fair to the rest of you.” Neil shook his head slowly and a corner of his lips twitched. “He promised me one of his best agents’ help on the way though. Imagine my surprise when the agent in question kept snarling at me and shoving me around instead.”

When Neil looked back at you, you realized the meaning behind his words and your mind went blank. You stared into the blue eyes with your mouth open, trying to process everything you’d just heard and its implications.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you breathed out, feeling light-headed.

“Why?”

“Nobody told you…?” you asked, but his confused expression was his only answer. And you simply couldn’t believe that he hadn’t known all this time. “I’d been working my ass off for that position,” you huffed, studying his reaction to your words closely. “And then you showed up.”

Neil’s face dropped as he finally connected all the dots. “Fuck...I had no idea, I’m sorry.”

Seeing his sincere look, you sighed, raking fingers through your hair. Fucking hell, what a mess. The impossible mix of emotions swirled inside you and you giggled hysterically, suddenly finding the whole situation absolutely hilarious.

“And I had no idea I was supposed to babysit you,” you said as you stretched your legs, positioning them alongside Neil’s.

“Thought we were having a moment here,” he scoffed, smiling lightly.

You smirked and tapped his thigh with your foot.

“Think again.”

Neil tapped you back, stifling a chuckle. “You’re insufferable.”

“Too bad you can’t do anything about that now, huh,” you teased, wiggling your brows as you nibbled at your bottom lip.

The blue eyes lit up. “Just you wait till we finish the job,” he said slowly and placed a hand on your ankle.

But before you could respond, you heard a phone alert and Neil jumped at his feet.

He read the message quickly.

“Seems like we are about to see some action after all,” he said, pressing the phone to his ear. You downed your coffee and joined Neil by the table.

“Hold on, I’m gonna put you on speaker… okay, now”

“Hope you two are rested,” TP’s voice filled the room. “We intercepted a phone call. Our target is expecting a delivery in the next hour or so. Significant enough that from this moment on, the mission objective changes.” You exchanged looks with Neil, knowing well what was coming next. You walked back to the windows to keep an eye on the street. “We have a chance to prevent this shipment from spreading to different sellers. I’m sending the cavalry your way. But you’ll need to assess the situation as it progresses.”

“Means we might have to engage early, got it.”

“It’s your call, Neil. And as we have enough intel now… no loose ends. Good luck.” said TP and hung up.

Neil tossed the phone on the table and dashed to the bags to prep the equipment. You noticed movement in the loft across the street and snapped a few pictures before looking back at your partner.

“Are you good to go? You haven’t slept tonight.”

He glanced at you and gave you a smug smile.

“How nice of you to worry about me.”

You could feel the usual annoyance mixed with a new emotion, but maybe you were just glad to be back on familiar waters.

“Nah, I’m worried about the mission,” you snorted. “Especially if we may end up going in there alone.”

“I’m okay. How does it look out there?”

You looked outside again and tensed as a van appeared at the end of the street. “We’ve got company.”

Neil changed you by the window and you rushed to get ready.

-------

After clearing the back entrance, you found yourselves in the underground garage.

Splitting up, you took down the guards one by one without raising any alarms.

Neil checked the van and then you both made your way upstairs. You knew there were at least five more people in the loft, but you had to rely on the element of surprise because the cavalry was still on their way.

As you got to the door, you cocked your pistol and met Neil’s determined stare. You nodded.

Bursting through the door, your instincts kicked in, allowing you to put a bullet into two men before they had a chance to realize what was going on. In the next second all hell broke loose. You knew one thing - you somehow underestimated the numbers. And just as you thought that maybe you got lucky and got every last of them, someone grabbed you from behind and you felt something cold and sharp pressed against your neck. Fuck.

You dug your fingers into the arm wrapped around your shoulders, but a stinging pain made you stop any further attempts at breaking free. The blood pounded in your ears and everything seemed to slow down.

You noticed Neil standing in front of you with a gun pointed right next to your head.

He secured a grip on his pistol and the man holding you yelled something at him, but you didn’t listen, focusing completely on the blue eyes, now filled with a silent question, looking straight into yours.

You let out a shaky breath and blinked slowly.

A gunshot echoed through the room.

The pressure on your neck lowered and you heard a thud of a body fitting the floor behind you.

Neil lowered his gun.

You stared at each other for what seemed like forever.

“Nice shot,” you said, composing yourself first.

He gave you a weak smile, and just as he opened his mouth to say something, your comms filled with a familiar voice.

“We’ve missed all the fun, eh?”

------

Neither of you said anything on the way back to the HQ, not counting the short answers to the questions asked by Ives, but even he gave up after a while seeing you weren’t in the mood for talking.

You got your duffel bag out of the trunk and looked around. Neil was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the building, talking on the phone. You walked up to him slowly, waiting for him to finish the conversation.

“Do they need us to get in to file a report?”

“No, I convinced TP to give us the rest of the day off,” he said, hiding the phone in the pocket of his jacket. “We can do that first thing tomorrow, I’m just gonna drop the equipment now.”

“Great, thanks.”

You couldn’t wait to get back to your apartment. You tossed the bag on your arm and smiled at the thought of a long hot shower and crashing in your own bed.

There was just one thing you needed to do first.

Neil took a step towards the building and without thinking too much about it, you reached out for his hand.

“Neil…?”

He stopped and turned around, puzzled. His eyes dropped to your joined hands and slowly moved up to your face.

You gave him a nervous smile.

“Thank you.”

His features softened and he squeezed your hand gently.

“Don’t mention it.”

And then he smirked.

...of course.

“Guess that makes us even.”

(next chapter->)

#neil tenet x reader #neil tenet #neil tenet fanfiction #tenet #robert pattinson #tenet fanfiction #the protagonist tenet #ives tenet #wheeler tenet #neil tenet imagine #neil x reader #smoke & mirrors #tags hate me

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animebaby00 · 4 years

Text

Tea and Cookies (Ciel Phantomhive x Female! Reader) - One-shot

Summary: Y/N, the newest maid at the Phantomhive manor, adds a little something extra to Ciel's afternoon tea to hopefully brighten his mood.

~~~~~~~

Stoic. Firm. Serious.

That's how the young master was portrayed to almost everyone.

Punctual. Proper. Dedicated to his work. A human being with a perfect attitude that never faltered for anything.

But Y/N, she's noticed things that others haven't.

She had seen the small, underlying blush on his cheeks when embarrassed or flustered.

She noticed his determination to please those around him.

She's come across times where the tiniest of smiles had laced his lips.

And quite honestly, those were her favorite times because of how rare they were.

The young master was nowhere near the average 14 year old.

Even as she bustled around the kitchen, she still found it strange to address him as such. After all, she was almost a whole year younger than him.

Just barely a teenager and working as a maid in the famous Phantomhive Manor. Even younger at the age of 12 when she had first started.

The word 'maid' had a repulsive sound to the average, noble lady. But Y/N was thankful to be given the position after the horrible state she had been in when she arrived.

A lowly orphan clad in a torn, mud covered dress covered in soot and ash. An injured leg from running through the forest to escape the thieves that had stolen from the orphanage she had called her home. The crude individuals had set the building ablaze and she watched what few friends she had choke and suffocate in the dark, thick smoke.

On the Queen's Guard Dog's doorstep with red, watering eyes, matted hair, and a weak, trembling form.

An absolute mess.

But despite it all…. the young master took her in.

With a Butler clad in black by his side.

The whole thing sounded frightening, and she had nightmares for months. But soon, comfort in knowing she was protected and had a place to call home again was a reason to stand strong and move on.

She was welcomed with open arms and proved to be one of most level headed people in the manner, talented in many fields she didn't know herself capable.

On top of every schedule the young master had, a worthy opponent in chess, decent in the kitchen, a fast learner in archery, and unbeknownst to her, the person Ciel preferred most to bring him his afternoon tea.

And currently, that was what she was doing now.

Her steps were quiet as she made her way to her young master's office, cart in tow decorated with delicate silver utensils and expensive China.

At last, she reached the door to the young master's study. She lay a fist against the door and knocked, and a muffled "Come in." could be heard shortly after.

She opened the door just enough to fit the cart through and closed it behind her once in the room, being mindful to not disturb the busy male as he talked business with his Butler.

"I will send these out immediately, My Lord." Sebastian stated, tapping a stack of documents against a desk in order to even the top edges of them, " Don't forget you have your meeting with Mr. Thompson at 3. I will fetch for you when the time comes."

"Very well," Ciel said lowly, folding his hands together, "You are dismissed."

Sebastian bowed both towards Ciel and then to you. You curtsied in reply, keeping your head low out of pure respect, only raising it once Sebastian had finally left the room.

"The other 3 could learn a few things from you."

His voice rang in your ears. Smooth, mature, and slightly cold, causing shivers to run down your spine.

You turned around to see Ciel looking at you, lips turned into a rare half smile while his single blue iris stared back at you. The other covered by a silk black patch.

You took a step forward, pushing the cart that was in front of you as you began to prepare a cup of tea for your master.

"Do you mean Baldroy, Mey-rin, and Finnian, sir ?"

Ciel nodded, "Yes. I've been very tempted to insist you teach them manners and respect. Bard can't go one day without blowing up the kitchen even if all he's doing is boiling water, Finnian speaks out even when conversation is being held, and Mey-rin can't curtsy property or push that cart without tripping over her own two feet."

You did your best to stifle a small laugh, "Yes, I'm aware of their shenanigans. But at least they get the job done. Especially with Sebastian constantly nagging at them."

Ciel hummed, "I suppose you're right. But they are still fools."

You chuckled, picking up the now filled cup of tea along with the saucer.

"It's Earl grey today, young master. Shipped here yesterday."

"Hm…" he took the cup from you, his fingers lightly brushing yours. You could feel your cheeks heat up slightly, but tried to keep yourself calm, as any such behavior was highly improper.

But you were unaware of the blush that had dusted his cheeks as well.

Even with such a slight touch, your skin had felt so soft.

Being so close to him, he could smell your sweet scent. Vanilla, maybe mixed with hazelnut. It was divine and-

No. Stop.

Such thoughts were entirely crude. He mustn't think like that.

"Uhm...my lord?"

He blinked. And it was then that he realized he had been staring. Bloody-

"Are you alright ?"

His eye widened, "Oh ! Yes, m-my apologies. Just...lost in thought I suppose. I have quite a...uhm busy schedule today. Let's just say I'm not looking forward to it."

"Oh, I see." You looked behind you at the tea cart, specifically at the extra tray you had purposely brought in, covered by a silver lid.

You had made them just to be nice, not sure if he would even like them. But now, perhaps they could serve as a token to brighten his day a bit.

Another thing you knew was how much he hated meetings of business no matter how important they were.

You turned to face him again.

"S-sir...i-if I may ?"

"Yes ?"

" I...well, it's not much but," you retreated back to the cart and picked up the sterling silver tray and set it on his desk, "Perhaps these will help." You hooked your fingers under the handle and lifted it.

Ciel's mouth dropped open slightly in shock.

Simply displayed before him, was an assortment of cookies.

They were pretty basic looking, but they smelled absolutely heavenly of chocolate, peanut butter, toasted sugar, and cinnamon. It clouded his senses, delectable, and so very sweet.

He could've sworn ( though he would never admit it ) that his mouth was watering.

You giggled at his expression, grabbing a tiny pair of serving tongs and put one of each cookie on a plate you had grabbed. Four sounded like a lot, but you had made them smaller on purpose, finding it easier to enjoy them when they took about one or two bites to consume.

"I know Sebastian doesn't exactly like you eating sweets this early in the afternoon, but I think today can be an exception. "

Ciel was dumbfounded, almost missing your previous statement.

It was obvious, but he had to confirm.

"You...made these ?"

You nodded, "Yes. I did. Fresh out the oven this morning."

"That's... highly impressive."

"Is it ?"

Ciel picked up one of the cookies. It felt warm against the skin on his fingertips."Well I know you had chores this morning, and you also helped with breakfast. So I suppose I'm just confused on how you found the time."

"I have my methods," you stated simply.

Ciel smirked, his face imprinted with slight amusement as he brought one of the cookies closer to his lips, mouth opening slightly as he bit it in half.

And immediately after, total bliss blossomed over his taste buds. It was soft, warm, with a slight bitterness so as to not make the dessert too sweet. He would have to guess it to be raw cacao powder or dark chocolate, but nonetheless.

It was delicious.

You watched him with a hopeful expression, watching his mouth move with every chew.

Your heart was beating in your chest, and for the first time in a long time, you found that you couldn't read his expression which scared you quite a bit.

Yet you were able to muster up enough courage to ask him the simple question that was burning on your tongue.

"W-what do you think m-my lord ?"

You knew you looked a fool. Standing there with fidgeting hands and sweaty palms.

But the cool, crisp, clean voice that you had come to adore cleared that nervousness away

"They're like nothing I've really ever tasted before in a sweet."

Your eyes widened, heat rushing to your face.

That made you perk up in both happiness and worry. but it seemed Ciel caught on to the flusteredness you felt taking over your nerves.

He rose his hands up quickly, "W-which isn't a bad thing I assure you! Don't worry, please." He leaned forward, folding his hands across his desk, "They're actually quite good. I...like them very much."

The blush on your face deepened, "O-oh ! That's v-very good to hear. I'm happy you like them...m-my lord."

Ciel tilted his head,Actually....I was going to ask you, if perhaps you could -"

*BOOOOOM

All potential awkwardness and discussion was forgotten ad, both you and Ciel's heads darted to the doorway.

Ciel stood up from his seat, rushing over to your side, "What the bloody hell was-"

"Y/N !!!!!"

You could hear frantic footsteps clack from down the hall. The door to Ciel's office was flung open and you immediately recoiled and Ciel clicked his teeth once you both caught sight of Mey-Rin standing there, out of breath, covered head to toe in soot and ash.

You were about to ask what was wrong, but Ciel beat you to it.

"Mey-rin what is the meaning of this ?!'

"M-my apologies young master !" She squeaked, "Bard...he ehmmmm...oh he blew up the kitchen again yes he did ! A-and I was fetching Y/N for her assistance…"

Ciel sighed, rubbing his temple, "She'll be there in a few minutes. Go and get a head start without her. Now."

Mey-rin bowed clumsily, her glasses nearly falling off her face, "Y-yes young master."

And then she was gone, but not before you could hear her trip and fall from down the hall with a loud yelp.

Ciel turned to face you, "Told you they were fools."

You sweatdropped, "W-well it was good for the time it lasted. Bard hasn't blown up the kitchen in...I believe...3 days ?"

Ciel gave out a deeper sigh, finding his way back to his desk as you collected and put away the items on the tea cart.

"I suppose I should get going," you said, wheeling the cart closer to Ciel's desk, "I'll leave this here for you in case you want more tea or sweets." You turned your gaze fully onto him, " Now, what were you trying to tell me before ?"

Ciel's dark blue iris widened, "Oh ! Yes, uhm, simply just...I was going to say that if you're okay with it, I w-would like you to bring me my tea more often. I enjoy your company very much...it's nice to not have some lunatic driving me crazy or having Sebastian constantly nagging at me. I suppose it's just a relief to be around someone...normal."

You blinked, shocked over Ciel's statements due to several things.

He stuttered quite a bit, something he hardly ever does. And he also didn't come off demanding with it at all. He was actually considering your wants and that made your heart flutter with warmth.

How could you say no ?

"I-I'd be happy to serve you, sir. It would be my pleasure." Your curtsied then turned around, keeping your head his way so he could see the smile on your face, "Sorry, but please excuse me. I've been given news I'm needed in the kitchen."

At this, Ciel's widened eyes softened as he watched you leave, but just as you were about to…

"Oh, and Y/N ?"

"Yes, my lord ?"

He gave you a knowing look, "When we're alone, please, call me Ciel."

You weren't fazed or shocked by his request, you thought it rude to be, so you merely waved and abided by your master's wishes.

"If that is what you wish...Ciel."

And you left, leaving Ciel alone to finish his tea and the special little treat you made just for him.

After all, what's a good cup of tea without a little something extra to go with it especially if it can brighten someone's day ?

Which is something you definitely achieved.

#ciel phantomhive #black butler #kuroshitsuji #ciel x reader #reader insert #tea #cookies #cute #fluffy #oneshot #fluff #character x reader

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malfoymanortings · 3 years

Text

What a Shame

SUMMARY: Draco breaks up with Wrenly out of nowhere for Astoria Greengrass after they dated for two years. When she sees her opportunity to get revenge, she takes it.

PAIRINGS: Draco X fem!OC, hinted one sided Harry X fem!OC

WARNINGS: smut

I’m so bad at writing summaries, I apologize! Inspired by the song What a Shame by Leyla Blue

Draco had his hands on Astoria’s waist as they walked into the Great Hall, his lips near her ear as she laughed as though he had just said the most hilarious thing in the world. It made Wrenly sick, to see the two of them so close.

It appeared Pansy shared her sentiment, as she turned to Wrenly and stuck her perfectly manicured finger down her throat in mock disgust. “How pathetic. If her laugh were anymore annoying, I swear she could be a mandrake.”

Wrenly smirked in amusement, a chuckle slipping from her lips. Draco’s head moved in her direction, his eyes meeting hers. When he saw the amusement in her eyes, he scowled, a crease appearing on his forehead. Wrenly’s smirk simply grew bigger.

“Wait, which one is she again?” Theo asked, sliding in next to Pansy. He took her hand in his, his lips brushing against her knuckles.

“They all look the same, don’t they?” murmured Wrenly, stirring her tea. “Guess I’ll never understand the thinking of a man.”

“If you could call Draco a man.” Pansy snorted, leaning against Theo as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Wrenly sighed in annoyance, standing from the table. “As much as I would love to continue sitting here and discussing my ex’s love life and watch the two of you be so disgustingly cute, I have to go get ready for tonight.”

She picked her tea cup off the table, walking away.

“You can’t leave with the silverware!” Pansy called after her, covering her giggles with her hand.

Wrenly ignored her, instead flipping her off as she left the Great Hall. She could feel Draco’s eyes on her as she left, and she let her finger linger in his direction for a moment before she left.

What a shame.

She brought her tea outside, sipping it as she sat on the lush green grass. It was an unusually warm spring day, and she shed her robes, leaving her in her white school blouse and plaid skirt. It was a Saturday, but she didn’t feel like picking out something special. She would safe that for later, when the party would commence. It was the second Saturday of the month, which meant the Slytherin’s were throwing their rager. All houses were welcome, the only catch was that you had to be invited by a Slytherin. There was usually a decent mixture there.

“Hello, Wrenly.”

The dark haired girl turned to see Harry Potter coming up behind her, a piece of toast in his hand. He held it out for her, and she took it with a grin.

“Thanks, Harry.”

He nodded, smiling, and sat down next to her. She munched on her toast, polishing it off along with her tea, while Harry sat with her in compatible silence.

“So, I saw Malfoy this morning,” he said awkwardly, tapping his fingers on his knee. “Looks like he’s moved on.”

Wrenly made a noise of discontent agreement. “It would appear he has. With a basic bland bitch.”

Harry laughed at her words, his green eyes crinkling at the corners. She was quiet for a moment, her brown eyes examining him. She supposed he really was handsome, with his wild hair and gorgeous smile. An idea came to her in that moment, and a wide grin cracked across her face.

“Harry, there’s a party tonight in Slytherin. Would you care to come?”

He looked taken aback for a moment, before nodding quickly. “Brilliant! That’d be brilliant.”

“Marvelous. I’ll be waiting outside for you.”

Harry nodded, grinning at her with that damn smile. She smiled back, something in her chest stirring.

Wrenly chose her outfit for that night carefully, a low cut black dress that clung to her ample curves like a second skin, lavender fishnets, and black ankle boots. Pansy did her makeup, a sultry brown eyeshadow look with mascara that made her eyelashes go on for miles. She knew she looked good, and she knew this dress was one of Draco’s favorites on her.

Wrenly entered the party with Pansy, although the girl quickly left her for Theo’s arms and his never ending supply of firewhiskey. Wrenly didn’t plan on getting drunk tonight, she didn’t need liquor in her blood to say what she wanted to say.

The same couldn’t be said for Astoria, who looked to be rather tipsy as she kept whispering something not PG13 in Draco’s ear, to his obvious annoyance.

A grin lifted her lips. What a shame.

“Wrenly!”

She turned her head, her dark curls swishing around her face, to see Harry walking towards her looking out of place in the sea of thumping music and swarming bodies.

She greeted him enthusiastically, holding him tightly in a hug. As she pulled away, she saw his eyes dart down to her cleavage before darting back up to her face, swallowing hard as he did so. She smirked knowingly, and gave him a swift kiss on the cheek.

“I’m so glad you came, Harry,” she made sure to bring him by Draco, noting the way the blond’s jaw clenched. “It means the world that you came.”

“You asked me to,” Harry said simply, smiling at her. “Of course I’d come.”

“Let’s dance!” She exclaimed loudly, pulling him towards the moving bodies.

Draco noticed, of course, and the look on his face made her absolutely ecstatic, especially when he harshly shoved Astoria away from his ear. The girl had seemed to be nibbling on it, and pouted as she was denied the action.

Wrenly had a lovely time with Harry, and the chosen one had even grown so bold as to place his hands on her hips as she grinned her hips in his direction. He played his part perfectly, even if he didn’t realize he was in the game. Draco’s eyes rarely left them, and she made sure to give him a show with the flip of her hair and the gyration of her hips in Harry’s direction. Her night got even better when Astoria had to be led to her dorm room, the girl had gotten cross faded and thrown up on her older sisters shoes.

The party soon died down, and Harry reluctantly left to go back to Gryffindor. He seemed as though he wanted to tell her something when she walked him to the door, but instead gave her a tight hug, and left. She didn’t dwell on it. Her mind was somewhere in the boys dormitory where the stand alone room for prefects were.

It was four in the morning. She had no liquor in her system to justify her decision, but she climbed the stairs anyways, soon finding herself outside of the smooth oak wood with an emerald green P on the outside.

Wrenly rapped her knuckles against the door harshly, instantly regretting her decision. What the fuck was she doing here?

Draco opened the door, looking unsurprised to see her there. He leaned against the doorframe, raking his eyes up and down her body.

“That was quite a show you put on there with Potter.” he finally spoke, his words hard and his tone cold.

Wrenly shrugged in indifference. She knew what she had been doing.

“But your eyes never left me, couldn’t help but notice.”

Again, she shrugged. What was there to say? She had no idea what she was doing there.

He stepped back, motioning towards the inside of his room. “Come on, then.”

She stepped inside, and he shut the door behind him. She half expected to see Astoria lounging on his bed, perhaps still sloppy drunk like she had been before.

“I’m surprised your little toy isn’t here with you.” she kept her tone even, neutral. But she couldn’t help the smirk that lifted her lips as Draco tensed, his eyes flashing in annoyance.

“I don’t need her to throw up in my bed.”

“Little girl can’t handle her liquor,” she taunted, walking over to the edge of his bed. She sat down, crossing her legs as looked at Draco. “Coulda been with me instead of what’s-her-fucking-name.”

His jaw clenched, and she took it a step further.

“What a shame, baby, what a shame,” she tsked, glancing down at her nails. “Had a winning here but you threw away the game.”

A frustrated growl left Draco’s throat, and before she could react, he charged at her. He pushed her down on his bed, his hands roaming her body. He pulled down her dress, revealing her chest, and he grabbed at her tits harshly through her lace bra. She moaned at the contact, her nipples pebbling and her core becoming wet.

“You’ve gotten mouthy without me to keep you in line,” Draco muttered, his lips pressing against her neck. “I’ll have to fix that.”

He slid her dress up, exposing her already damp thong and her fishnets. He looked up at her, an amused smirk on his lips. “You dirty whore.”

He pulled down her panties and fishnets, spreading her legs apart. Her stomach clenched in anticipation, it had been far too long without him touching her. Maybe that was why she came tonight.

He slid a finger inside her hole, making her breath hitch. He slowly slide another finger in, and as his pace continued slow and steady, he leaned his head down, and started to lick at her clit. She threw her head back against the bed, parting her lips at the sensation.

He hummed against her, beginning to suck at her clit at the same time he licked it. She felt breathless, her eyes twisted shut, and as he slid a third finger in, she felt a knot slowly beginning in her stomach.

His tongue began making circular motions around her clit, all the while his fingers continue pumping in and out of her, making her eyes flutter shut again as a string of moans left her mouth. She resisted the urge to tangle her fingers in his hair, instead she clenched the bedsheets.

His tongue pressed harder against her clit, as his lips sucked harshly on her. He added another finger, his mouth still working on her sensitive skin. The knot in her stomach grew tighter, and as a string of moans left her mouth, she knew she was close to coming.

Draco knew this as well, and he lifted his mouth from her, causing her to whimper at the lack of contact. “You better not come until I say you can. Beg me, whore.”

“Fuck,” she gasped out as his fingers curled inside her, hitting a new sensitive spot that sent stars to her eyes. “Please, please daddy, please let me come.”

He smirked. “Not good enough.”

His mouth once again pressed to her clit, sucking harshly, and she cursed as she felt the knot in her stomach grow taught. She was so close.

“Please, please daddy, let me come,” her words came out in a gasp, and her thighs began to shake. “Please let me come.”

Draco lifted his head for a brief moment. “Only because you asked so nicely.”

As his mouth returned to her clit, and his fingers continued their movements, the knot broke, and she came with a loud moan, grinding her hips against Draco’s fingers as she rode out her high.

Their eyes met, and Draco slid his fingers in his mouth, not breaking contact as he sucked himself clean of her. When he was satisfied, he reached for his pants, hurrying to undone the belt, and she sat up.

His brow furrowed, and he gave her an odd look. “What are you doing-“

“Gave you a million chances,” she was still somewhat breathless from her orgasm, and she stood unsteadily, pulling her pants up and giving her dress. “You don’t get no more. I can’t wait forever. I’m getting bored.”

“Are you kidding me?” Draco exclaimed, glaring furiously at her. “You’re just going to leave after I got you off?”

She shrugged, indifferent. “I guess the only thing that’s left to say is... what a shame.”

Wrenly brushed past him then, ignoring his shouted protests as she exited his room. A smirk crossed her lips, and she felt like patting herself on the back.

Once back in her dorm, her dress discarded and her pajamas on, she lay under her covers staring at the top of her four poster bed. She had thought she would feel empowered, and on some level she did. But she also felt empty, hollow.

What a shame.

#harry potter #draco malfoy #draco fuckingmalfoy #draco imagine #harry potter series #hogwarts #hp x reader #hp #draco fucking malfoy #draco #draco malfoy smut #malfoy smut #malfoy #draco smut #draco x oc #draco x y/n #Spotify

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prettyoddfever · 3 years

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Panic! at the Disco’s shows in August – September 2007

I love this season even more in hindsight because it’s nothing like the Pretty. Odd. era, yet nothing like the Fever era either. This whole year was basically an in-between phase (so it’s actually kind of nice that the second album got bumped to spring 2008 because each of the band’s phases fits neatly into its own year now). The shows at Atlanta and Summerfest earlier this year felt like the band had ditched the Fever era, but hadn't decided on a new direction yet... so August was the first time that we really got a sense of where the guys were heading.

update: the new songs in August had absolutely nothing to do with the cabin album. the band had already scrapped that & started over in July.

NEW SONGS YAY

The band played their new cover of The Weight by The Band at shows this season and that stuck around for a long time... they even played it at shows during the Pretty. Odd. era. Spencer told the Toronto Sun in 2008 that “We knew we wanted to do a new cover song and for whatever reason we just watched The Last Waltz and wanted to cover that song. We love playing that song.”

They also added rough versions of two new songs: Nine in the Afternoon and When the Day Met the Night. We had no idea what those songs were actually called, though... the most common names were Back to the Street(s) and Middle of Summer. (And I know those are just random names that fans gave the songs, but I’m still going to say “Middle of Summer” for the earliest version of WTDMTN because I loved it so so so much and really cemented that name in my mind... plus the early version is different anyways).

Ryan introduced Back to the Streets as “Nine in the Afternoon” at Decaydance Fest, so that correction started spreading earlier. Many fans initially thought the band was singing about “night in the afternoon,” which IS pretty cool... I’m kind of sad that wasn’t a song ha. There also was a decent amount of debate over the lyrics in the bridge for Middle of Summer. Some people thought it said “to this day they’re sipping tea” (or something similar) but I agreed with the “to this day they’re seventeen” idea so strongly that I still can’t properly hear the examples where Brendon is very clearly singing “to this day they’re sipping tea” lol. (although I LOVE those lyrics too. a lot. they just exist in an alternate reality for me). Here’s the same bit from Reading. A couple articles said that the song was called When The Moon Fell In Love With The Sun... so the info about that song was definitely less consistent. There were still articles being written at the end of January 2008 that called the song Middle of Summer.

The band also began regularly mixing Roxanne into Camisado after Virgin Fest (they’d also done it for a short time after the NRWC tour ended). They had talked a lot about being tired of playing their same old songs by the end of the Fever era, so it was fun to watch them find ways to make their set feel different.

VIRGIN FEST (August 5th)

here are some pictures

the Spin interview

MTV often chopped up their interviews to use in different news segments, so here are two parts.

some videos from the show

P!ATD played on the second day of this 2-day festival in Baltimore. Here are a few highlights from reviews.

This was the first time that the band played Nine in the Afternoon, Middle of Summer, and the new cover. Spencer said that he and Brendon messed up the new songs, so evidently those aren’t exactly what the earliest versions were meant to sound like... but it still sounded great for something they wrote within the past few weeks.

The two new songs had a waaaaay better reception than It’s True Love. Some people were still confused about why the new songs were obnoxiously happy, but even those types of comments were nowhere near as harsh.

Ryan told the crowd that the band had eaten “like 300 crab cakes” and Brendon said he felt nasty from it. This blog post / interview is still up where Brendon said something similar.

The band hadn’t started adding Roxanne to Camisado yet (for this season), but maybe that was fortunate since The Police headlined Virgin Fest and played that song themselves ha.

I know it seems like the Pretty. Odd. era in 2008 must have come as a surprise since it was so different from the Fever era, but Virgin Fest in 2007 was actually the biggest shock for me. Everything after this point felt like it was building on the new direction that had been established.

I don’t remember seeing better pictures of this moment, but a fan said Ryan got tp’ed:

DECAYDANCE FEST (August 21 – 22)

here are some pictures

the band wasn’t at the August 19th show in Germany, but they were at the one in Paris on August 21st and the one in London the next day.

Fall Out Boy played last and P!ATD played right before them. Cobra Starship played first, followed by The Academy Is... and then Gym Class Heroes.

a lot of the fan videos from these shows have sadly been deleted or made private... but here’s a playlist of some of the leftover stuff.

one review said “Urie wore his talent lightly, but couldn't hide a truly extraordinary voice - Freddie Mercurylike in its effortless ability to switch from delicate falsetto to gritty rockout mode.”

Jon & Ryan were talking way more onstage now.

Ryan’s habit of picking a few girls to stare at super intensely was still going strong haha.

People were lined up since sunrise and the doors didn’t open until that evening. Some fans said that part of the band was able to come outside... it sounded like Jon & Spencer were walking to a shop and Ryan offered soup to fans.

this interview happened on August 22nd and the same soup story was mentioned.

here’s a random blog post that’s still up.

the band went up the Eiffel Tower one night. It sounded like other Decaydance band members might have gone too, but it was hard to pick out which stories were definitely true because some fans were overly excited that the guys were all hanging out (cue the fanfiction).

I heard that one of the shows was filmed for a dvd, but idk what happened with that.

THE KERRANG AWARDS (August 23 in the UK)

here are some pictures.

Fans could vote earlier this year for these awards. P!ATD was nominated for Best International Band but lost to My Chemical Romance.

here’s an interview from the Kerrang video podcast.

here’s a fan video from afterwards.

Kerrang’s coverage of the event listed this in their timeline: “6:53 pm – Panic! at the Disco arrive, minus Ryan Ross, who’s ill with tonsillitis. Will drummer Spencer Smith hit anyone if the band doesn’t win? ‘No no, of course not,’ he splutters. ‘We may throw over a table... if no one’s in the way.’ Rock and fucking roll!”

The band was also mentioned in Kerrang’s article about the aftershow: “first to the bar was one of the young scamps from Panic! at the Disco. Four-stringer Jon Walker...”

READING & LEEDS (August 25 – 26 in the UK)

here are the pictures I’ve posted so far

they played Reading on Saturday, and Leeds on Sunday.

BBC had the 2007 Reading show up on their site, so that became a popular file to pass around. You can still watch it here! (Also: it looks like someone recently put that file on youtube as “Leeds,” but it’s definitely Reading). That’s not the full set that P!ATD played btw... it’s just the parts BBC aired.

Some of the better quality fan videos from Leeds: one, two, three.

here’s an aerial view of Leeds and Reading.

here’s BBC’s interview and NME’s interview from Reading.

Brendon was interviewed after the Leeds show (and omg he had changed/grown so much in just half a year... it also felt like he’d been put through media training or something).

some videos from the Reading signing booth: one, two, three.

some videos from the Leeds signing: one, two, three

My main takeaway from NME’s blog was that Spencer liked couscous and Ryan’s floral shirt was a poly-cotton blend. The most interesting thing that BBC said was “Brando Urie.” I’m sure these are very useful bits of info...

It felt weird how journalists were still trying to call P!ATD emo when the band had completely shed the makeup and were literally wearing jeans & normal street clothes onstage this month. One journalist for NME who ate lunch with the band said “I should be painting my face considering the hunky specimens I've been hanging out with” as though the Fever era was still going strong.

Kerrang’s Reading Special said that “After getting felled by a single hit last year, the joyous tidal wave of missiles that welcome Panic! at the Disco this time round seems almost like a display of affection. That they’ve toured this long on the back of a single record is impressive, but while their vaudeville emo-pop melange gets a faultless execution, without the circus stageshow trappings or any unexpected drama it feels like something’s held back. They are however, a Ritalin bomb compared to the Red Hot Chili Peppers...”

there were a lot of jokes made about the bottling from 2006, but nothing as dramatic happened this year.

NME’s blog post about The Academy Is said “we're convinced they were conceived at a record label board meeting entitled Bridging The Gap: How We're Gonna Make Money Between Panic! At The Disco and Fall Out Boy albums.”

Ryan’s at the end of this TAI TV episode

On August 30th the band posted a journal entry that said “Just wanted to thank everybody over in Europe for showing us a great time as always. Decaydance Fest was great, and Reading made us feel very welcome once again. As much as we love it over there, we are very glad to be home continuing to work on the new record. We also have 2 shows for you west coasters coming up soon... That might be it for the rest of the year, so pllease make sure to come out if you can and say hello!”

RYAN’S BIRTHDAY (August 30)

Ok, this wasn’t a show (or even a big deal), but I’m sticking it in this post anyways since the current fandom seems to have turned it into a notable event. The band had a few days off after Reading & Leeds before they had to be in Seattle for Bumbershoot. It looked like Ryan flew into NYC to see Keltie when the band flew home from the UK. There were pictures of them in Central Park (I don’t mean their cheesy photoshoot). Keltie threw Ryan a birthday party at Angels & Kings (Travie McCoy had also had his birthday there and got the same type of cake that Ryan had). Anything I post will end up in this tag.

This article is still up! And here’s the article where Rolling Stone talks about how Keltie found a bunch of pictures of Ryan online to decorate with. Perez Hilton also posted a picture from Ryan’s birthday party and said “Uhmmm, dude, that headband is totally gay. And that’s not a bad thing” and then filed the post under “gay gay gay.” The people I recognized in the background of pictures were mostly from NYC (like Eric Ronick). I didn’t think it was weird that the other P!ATD guys weren’t there, since Ryan’s big Vegas friend group he’d been hanging out with offstage that year weren’t at his birthday party either (plus, Brendon & Spencer & a lot of Ryan’s friends were underage). The pictures made it look like that night was mostly about Keltie and her fellow Sugar & Spice members.

The whole Ryden Seattle story isn’t real btw. However, Brendon and Ryan were together the morning after Ryan’s birthday to do the Fuse interview for the Videos That Rocked The World episodes that aired in November... here’s an example from the Nirvana episode. The ads made it seem like Brendon & Ryan would be talking WAY more than they were actually shown, though... so that wasn’t very interesting in the end.

BUMBERSHOOT (September 1)

here’s some stuff I’ve posted so far

here’s a basic playlist

this was at Seattle Center. A one-day ticket cost $35.

Panic headlined the mainstage at 10pm. Their set was supposed to go until 11pm.

Spin’s coverage said “Even more disappointing was Panic's headlining set, which wrapped 15 minutes shy of its prescribed 60-minute allotment -- including an encore -- and felt extremely tossed off, especially after Gym Class Heroes charming, engaging show just prior. But with so many additional options throughout the day and amazingly reasonable ticket prices ($35 per day, $10 for kids aged six to ten, and even cheaper if you purchased them long in advance), there wasn't much value lost -- at the Disco. Plus, several thousand screaming Panic fans behind us didn't seem to care much.”

One review said that “I was anticipating Panic! At the Disco to be a favorite for Bumbershoot, and I'm not the only one. The turnout was overwhelming. The show sold out, as in… even if you got a Bumbershoot ticket, some people were denied entrance to the stadium.”

an interview from Bumbershoot

THE VMAs (September 9)

this got a separate post

SAN DIEGO STREET SCENE (September 22)

here are some pictures

a playlist of some videos (I put a couple good ones towards the top)

Most news articles earlier in the year were saying that P!ATD, The Killers, and Muse were headlining this festival. Panic played at 8:45 for an hour right before Muse.

P!ATD played on the first night. 2-day tickets started around $120.

Ryan had been talking more onstage throughout this season, which led to complaints that he was too deadpan & boring. I thought it was just nice to see him way more comfortable & confident.

This article that’s still up had a nice summary of the day and spelled Brendon’s name right: “The crowd reacted really well to Panic! Almost everybody was up out of their chairs dancing and singing along. And when front man Brendon Urie said “bitchin” – which was the pre-established code word for the crowd to scream – the crowd went crazy.”

AOL AMP’d UP (September 24)

this was an invite-only benefit at the Nokia Theatre in NYC, so there weren’t too many fans there specifically for P!ATD. Gym Class Heroes also headlined this event with Panic.

here are some pictures

here's one video and another.

UPDATE: I literallly cannot comprehend this mind-numbingly boring event... like I cannot focus on the concept. So I am going to just summarize some descriptions I saved because I honestly still don’t 100% know what this event was lol. Soooo apparently Advertising Week (which is a thing?) made the GeneratioNext Fund in 2006 to establish new internship & mentoring programs in NYC... some media called it a college fund. The concert on September 24th was usually referred to as “AOL AMP’d UP” and was one of 3 components of GeneratioNext 2007 (the other 2 being a golf thing in July and a Tribeca closing block party on 9/27). Ughhh there’s a lot of other info about advertising & crap, but the point is that P!ATD was there, the end.

Angels & Kings held a karaoke contest after this show and listed the P!ATD guys on myspace as the judges.

Rolling Stone was still confused.

Panic at the Disco’s AP cover article in spring 2008 said that the band’s performance at a pre-Grammy show in early February was “their first public appearance in more than a year” and made a big deal out of that. I have no idea why anyone would say that... it’s like they just blanked out 2007.

THE MAIN POST

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