#Do people genuinely struggle with hands?? I mean I still do at times - especially closed fists or certain angles

[the-modern-typewriter]

Your work inspires me so much! Could I request a villain x hero where they’re both mutually in love but the villain, is very much a villain and murders people and the hero feels betrayed, and hates the fact they still love the villain (bonus for the villain doing it out of jealousy 🥺💕) don’t feel pressured to write this ofc! Thank you for taking the time to read and have a good day / evening and thank you for the content you produce ❤️

The hero scrubbed harder at their hands when they heard the bathroom door open behind them. Their shoulders tensed. Their jaw locked.

They didn't look up at the mirror.

"You're upset," the villain said, finally.

The hero snarled, wordlessly. Their skin was beginning to look flayed. Red from the hot water. Clean. Not clean enough.

"You know who I am," the villain pressed. "You know what I'm capable of. I've never hid it, never pretended to be something other than what I am."

"You killed them."

"I've killed before."

"Oh, well. That makes it all so much better then, doesn't it?"

The villain stepped closer. They gently took hold of the hero's wrist with one hand and firmly closed the tap with the other.

The hero whirled, wrenching back and shoving.

Part of them expected the villain to instantly lunge; slam them right back against a wall, leaving the two of them struggling. It was worse that the villain immediately put their hands up in placating, 'okay, I won't touch you', surrender.

It was too damn reasonable.

The villain's expression, through the blurry fury of the hero's tears, was too damn concerned.

The hero swiped at their cheeks, teeth practically bared. "Fuck you."

"Oh, I wish that was the mood, right now."

"You killed them because you were jealous."

The villain's head tilted.

"Don't deny it," the hero snapped.

"I wasn't denying thing. Outside of a court of law, I rarely do."

"This isn't a joke!"

"I wasn't joking, love."

"Don't call me that!"

The villain folded their arms across the chest, and for a moment the hero thought they might walk out and come back later 'after the hero had calmed down'. They leaned back against the bathroom door instead, shutting it.

The hero gulped. They took a step closer, fists raised - wanting to - needing to - they ended up hurling their shaking hands back to their sides.

"You know," their voice cracked. "I defend you to people. Did you know that? I tell them that you're not so bad. Ruthless, yeah, but you're not a monster. You have a code. You love me."

"I do love you, which is why I would never ask you to defend me."

"Like that's the point here!"

"Then what is the point?" the villain asked. Calm. Implacable.

"You're better than this. You're supposed to be better. You don't just - just kill people. Not because of me."

"Ah." The villain's gaze flicked down the hero's arms. "You feel you have blood on your hands."

"No. That's not it."

"Isn't it?"

"It's about you being morally reprehensible."

"Yeah, but we knew I was morally reprehensible, didn't we? Just as we both know I pretend otherwise sometimes when I can make it easy for you."

The hero made a strangled sound. Even if they did know that. Especially because they knew that.

The villain shrugged. "If it makes you feel better, it's not your fault. Yes, I was jealous that you were spending a lot of time fighting them. But on the other hand, they were also a morally reprehensible person, so really if I'm going to kill anyone it should be the people like me. I thought you'd be pleased."

"Pleased?!"

"Well, that I'm channelling my violent tendencies in a societally friendly way. You wanted to stop them too. Does the end not justify the means?"

The hero stared at them, aghast. They genuinely weren't sure if the villain was joking or not. They did not look like they were joking.

"I hate you," the hero said. "So much."

"Yes."

"That's all you have to say? Yes?"

"I'm not an easy creature to love," the villain said, softly. "Of course you hate me sometimes. Otherwise loving me would be unbearable."

"It is unbearable."

Some of the calm slipped from the villain's face; a flinch of pain.

it didn't make the hero feel better. It just made their hands feel more bloodied, more like the villain's hands. Hurting things.

"You know," the villain said. "You're not easy either. I limit my nature a lot for you. I compromise for you all the time."

"It's not a compromise when my demand is asking you not to kill people!"

"I've never asked you to stop risking your life to save people."

"That's not the same thing!"

"Hurts the same amount.," the villain said quietly.

The hero didn't know what to say to that. The two of them stared at each other from across the bathroom, the hero still shaking violently. "I don't want to do this right now," they managed to say, and it was only a little wobbly. "I can't deal with you right now."

"I wanted to check you're alright."

"Yeah? I'm not."

The villain bit their lip. "I really didn't think you'd react this badly. I wouldn't have done it if I thought it would upset you this much."

The hero closed their eyes, because it was true and it was terrible. Another treacherous tear spilled over their cheek. They dashed it away.

"What do you need?" the villain asked. "You should have water or you'll get a headache."

"I want you to leave."

"Are you going to put your hands under the tap again if I leave?"

The hero glared at them.

The villain's defences were back up again, so they merely raised an eyebrow. "I'll be outside, then."

"I thought you were better," the hero said. "You were supposed to be better."

The villain paused, one hand on the door, considering that perhaps.

"No," they said, after a moment, like the hero was the one who had committed some great and grave betrayal. "You just started pretending."

They shut the door behind them.

#hero x villain #heroes and villains #villains #heroes #writing #enemies and lovers #story #short story #ficlet #creative writing #writeblr

[ametrictonofaudacity]

Gaps 2

Platonic Yandere Batfam x Mentally Ill/Forgetful Reader

Warning: This work is a yandere work, hopefully part of a series, as as such will contain themes of manipulation, abuse, violence and obsession. This specific work contains drugging. Stay safe, and enjoy!!

“(Y/N), maybe you should stay at the Manor for the night. It’s coming down pretty hard out there.” Bruce comments, passing you a warm mug. You curl your fingers around the mug, enjoying the heat seeping into your hands, and glance outside. It was pouring, yeah, but nothing beyond what was standard for Gotham.

“Bruce, I’ve driven in this sort of weather hundreds of times.” You point out, even as you curl up on the soft couch. The large man sits next to you, a touch too close for your comfort, and takes a sip from his own mug. The bitter smell makes your nose wrinkle, and you glance at the cup of black coffee. You much preferred your hot chocolate.

“Still. I’d rather you not have to. Just for the night? Alfred can drop you off at work, if you need him too.” Bruce cajoles gently. He turns on the TV, to some drama or soap opera you don’t recognize, and you sigh, taking a sip of your hot chocolate.

There’s a strange aftertaste you can’t quite place. You wonder if Alfred changed the recipe.

“Bruce, please. Let’s not do this.” You plead, absolutely exhausted. Emotionally and mentally. You adored the Wayne’s, you really did, but they tended to treat you like you were younger than you were, constantly hovering and fretting. “I know you worry but I need you to trust me.”

He doesn’t respond for a bit, and when he does, he leans forward, eyes fixed on the crackling fire.

“It’s not you I don’t trust, (Y/N). You know that.”

You take another gulp of hot chocolate, hoping the sweetness will wash down the bitter words coming to your mouth, but you let the man continue. The fire casts his face into something intense, something almost other, and you watch as the shadows seemingly twist and dance around him.

“I just… everyone in the family worries, (Y/N). You’re very important to all of us, and we worry that something might happen to you when you’re away. Especially with how much you struggle with your memory.”

You lick your lips, waiting patiently for him to continue. When you realize he’s waiting on a response, you word your sentence carefully, even though they’re heavy in your mouth and make your lips tingle.

“That’s not.. that not y’all’s job. You don’t have to worry about me. Not that I don’t appreciate it, it’s just…”

It’s just that they’re stepping over your boundaries. It’s just that they’re stomping all over them, walking all over them gleefully. You preferred to keep people at a distance, preferred solitude, but the Wayne’s had already wiggled their way into your heart with ease. You didn’t mind that, but you did mind how they seemed determined to take care of you when you didn’t need to be taken care of.

“(Y/N), I know you aren’t used to being taken care of. I understand that. Just let us help you. Even if it’s something as simple as picking up medication, or helping you find an item. You don’t have to rely entirely on yourself anymore.” Bruce is almost fervent when he says this, leaning forward towards you, and there is a warm, earnest expression on his face. It’s not Brucie, his public persona, but the intensity of it steals the breath from your lungs and makes your chest tighten.

Your fingers buzz, and you take a sip of your cocoa, realizing you had forgotten to take your anxiety meds.

Maybe that’s why you were so put off by all this. Maybe the wires in your head were too crossed, too tangled, for you to understand genuine care versus smothering. Maybe Bruce really did just want to help.

“I’ll let you guys help.” You finally decide, and his shoulders unwind, before he reaches forward.

You aren’t sure what you expect, but the hand gently ruffling your hair isn’t it. You blink as the man stands, picking up his cup.

“Thank you, (Y/N). I mean it. Are you finished with your..?”

“Oh, ah, hold on.” You quickly chug the rest of the unfinished drink, because far be it for you to waste Alfred’s cocoa, and pass him the mug, wiping the foam from your lip.

“Be right back.”

The TV drones on when he comes back, and there’s a blanket in his hands, which he wraps around you. You don’t mind. The warmth is pleasant, seeping into your bones which are rapidly getting looser, and you sigh, burying your face into the soft faux fur.

Bruce sits down. He’s closer than he was before, radiating heat, and you grumble when your body falls against his thanks to the shifting weight. He doesn’t move you, instead wrapping an arm around your shoulders.

You’re not sure how to react. It’s warm and it’s nice and good, but part of you reels against being causally held like a small child.

You decide to let it continue, if only because you were too tired to care.

“Bruce?” The word is barely understandable, slurred, and you frown. That wasn’t quite right.

“Mm?”

“I think-“ You yawn, jaw popping loudly. “I think Alfred is gonna have to drop me off tomorrow.”

“Thats alright. You just get some rest, okay?” He soothes, and you nod, feeling him adjust the blankets around you.

You sink into oblivion like that, warm and safe and heavy.

#yandere dc #yandere platonic batfam #yandere platonic x reader

[fandomxpreferences]

Blurred Emotions

Masterlist

Pairing: Drew Starkey x female!Reader

TW: angst(?), fluff, super brief allusion to violence, fame (Is that a warning? lol)

Summary: You and Drew get asked about working together and it uncovers some feelings.

Word Count:1.6k

Being in the limelight is honestly something you don't think you'll ever get used to. It just doesn't make sense to you that people actually follow your life and care about what you say and do. However, that doesn't stop you from enjoying it; especially when you get to experience it with Drew. 

Working on Outer Banks is already an insane opportunity that has improved your life in ways you can't even fathom, but to top it off it introduced you to Drew. You were cast as Barry's sister and Rafe's love interest. 

It only took a few scenes with each other to develop feelings, and it spiraled from there. It's a challenge though, seeing as your relationship on the show is tumultuous, to say the least.

So as you stand here with Drew in front of an interviewer, you're not surprised when she asks about it. 

"Is it hard to film such violent scenes with your boyfriend? I would think that would cause some tension." 

Drew's hand squeezes yours as you mull over the words, well aware that what you say will be plastered all over the internet by the end of the night. He's equally as interested to hear your response; it's not really something the two of you have ever blatantly discussed.

Your bright smile never falters and you nod your head a bit.

"Of course. I mean, Drew is such a phenomenal actor and he completely loses himself in his roles. When we're in character, it's like he's nowhere to be seen, and it's just Rafe. Of course I know he would never hurt me, but it's hard for the brain to differentiate sometimes. It's easy for the line to blur."

She nods in understanding and you take a breath before continuing, trying to ignore Drew's burning gaze on the side of your face. 

"It's definitely an obstacle to portray such a toxic relationship with someone you love. Even though it's a role, it's still his hands around my throat and his voice spewing venom. Like I said, Drew is incredible and he just lets that personality take over. It's magical to experience up close, but it can be scary too."

The interviewer pulls the mic away for a moment and Drew's face is set in a deep frown. 

"I can imagine. Do you ever struggle with separating the two when work is over?"

You sigh and glance down for a moment, debating how forthcoming you should be. 

"I used to for sure. I remember when we first started dating, I would flinch away from any sudden movements and tiptoe around him. It's better now, but yeah it was rough for a while."

She hums in acknowledgment before turning to Drew, and it takes him a second to tear his eyes away from you. He remembers where he is and plasters a smile on, but you can see that his eyes don't crinkle the way they usually do. 

"What about you, Drew? What's it like to have to act out those scenes with your real-life girlfriend?"

You watch as he swallows and shifts nervously on his feet. 

"I don't really think about it. I can't, or else I'll start getting emotional. At the end of the day, I just go in and do my job. What she said about me getting so lost in Rafe, the same goes for her. She's remarkable at what she does, and I hate seeing the genuine fear in her eyes. It makes me sick to my stomach, so it's definitely not my favorite aspect." 

You give him a small smile when he glances over and the interviewer smiles. 

"Well I'll let you guys continue on, thank you so much for taking the time to talk."

You give one last smile and Drew pulls you into him. 

"Of course! Enjoy the rest of your night."

The remainder of the evening goes off without a hitch, but you can tell Drew isn't his usual bubbly self. It's not until you're back at the hotel changing out of your dress that he finally brings it up. 

"Did you mean what you said? About being scared of me?"

He sounds so sad when he asks, and your heart squeezes in its cage. Your eyes meet his through the mirror and you sigh before nodding slowly. 

"I mean, kind of. I was scared of you for a while, but not really. Like I told her, I know you would never ever hurt me. It was just hard to look at you at first because even though it wasn't you doing those things, it was. I'm past it now, though."

You try to comfort him, turning to place a gentle hand on his cheek but it doesn't seem to help. Tears burn his waterline and your stomach sinks at the sight. 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

Your eyebrows pinch together as you look into his cerulean eyes, and you try to find the right words. 

"I didn't want you to hold back. The last thing I wanted to do was get in your head and affect your performance. I knew if I told you, that you wouldn't give it your all and I couldn't have that. Besides, I knew it wasn't real. It was just trippy."

He purses his lips and nods, but the way he pulls out of your grasp tells you he still isn't quite over it. 

"I'm gonna talk to the writers and see if they can remove some of those scenes."

He's walking away as he says it and you chase after him, grabbing his arm to turn him back around toward you. 

"No, you're not. Drew, this is what we signed up for. It's not their fault that there are personal feelings behind it. We can't start making demands out of the blue."

He shakes his head and runs a hand through his hair as he begins pacing. 

"Y/N, filming those scenes is destroying me. I can't keep pretending to hurt you, it feels too real."

You stare up at him and really observe just how distressed he is. You knew it was hard on him; how could it not be? It's one thing to be on the receiving end, but to be the one actively inflicting pain? You can't imagine the toll it takes. 

"Baby, maybe you should talk to someone. You love playing Rafe, and you love being on OBX. I know it sucks, but I could never live with myself if you gave that up for me. We'll figure it out, but promise me you won't do anything drastic."

He hesitates for a second before agreeing and you breathe a sigh of relief. 

"Let's go to bed, okay? We can talk about this more in the morning."

The two of you crawl under the comforter together, and Drew clings to you like you'll float away if every inch of your body isn't pressed to him. You don't complain about the proximity; you know he needs this. 

The next morning you wake up to an empty bed and sit up with a scowl. Your eyes glance at the clock and see 8:30. Where the hell is Drew this early? Usually, the two of you sleep until at least ten; especially after an event like last night. 

Your ears zone into the sound of voices coming from the attached office, and you stretch while slowly climbing out of bed. Your feet pad against the hardwood floor as your rub your eyes, your mind still foggy. 

Your confusion worsens when you see Drew sitting in front of his laptop on a conference call and you hang back to listen. You're not exactly in the best state to be seen right now anyway with tangled hair and drool dried on your chin. 

"What do you need us to do?" 

You recognize the voice as Jonas and your eyes widen, suddenly much more alert. He promised he wouldn't do anything. Drew sighs and you wait for his next words with bated breath. 

"I know it's my responsibility to remain professional, and that I took on the role. Thats fine. I just think that maybe there can be some measures in place for when it gets to be too much. I think we both need to be able to decompress, and maybe take some breaks if it gets overwhelming."

There's a beat of silence before Jonas responds, and you bite your lip. 

"I think we can manage that. We want you both to be comfortable, we all know it's hard on you. What are you thinking?"

Drew leans back in his seat, still unaware of your presence, and his response makes you wonder if he slept at all or stayed up thinking about this. 

"Maybe a chill room? Just a trailer or whatever that has our favorite snacks and bean bag chairs or something along those lines. It doesn't have to be a lot, but I want her to feel safe. It's rough for me, but I'm more concerned about her."

You see Jonas nod on the screen and he scribbles something down. 

"That's doable. We can work out the details later, I know you had a long night. Is there anything else?"

Drew shakes his head and Jonas smiles. 

"Do you at least feel better?"

You hear your boyfriend chuckle a little and he sits up to lean his forearms on the desk. 

"Yeah. Thanks, man."

You hear them say goodbye and Drew ends the call before slumping back in his chair. He startles a bit when your hands rub his shoulders but quickly relaxes when he realizes it's just you. 

"Can you come back to bed now? I'm still tired and I miss you." 

You watch as he stands and a loud squeal tears from your throat when he unexpectedly tosses you over his broad shoulder. 

"Of course. If my girl wants to cuddle and nap, then that's what we're doing."

@veescorneroftheworld @lcvelylies

#drew starkey imagine #drew starkey x reader #drew starkey x you #drew starkey #outer banks #outer banks imagine #outer banks x reader

[final-fantasy-imagines]

Can i ask for general relationship hcs for genesis and sephiroth (gn!reader), pretty please? :)))

Hey there, dear anon! Thank you so much for your request. <3 I know it took me a while to finish these but I hope you enjoy the headcanons nevertheless.

Characters: Genesis Rhapsodos, Sephiroth

General relationship HCs (gn!reader)

Genesis Rhapsodos

One might not expect it but Genesis is a hopeless romantic at heart. He usually hides it quite well but once you get closer to him it’s obvious how much all of this really means to him. He often brings you flowers from Aerith or leaves little notes for you to find, for example when he has to leave the house before you wake up.

Whenever you compliment him, he’s putty in your hands immediately. Genesis might often act like he doesn’t care what others think about him but deep down, he really craves these words of affirmation – especially since he’ll probably never stop seeing himself as a monster or a failed experiment. It’s also so very easy to fluster him with genuine compliments, though he tries his best not to let it show.

Aside from Angeal and Sephiroth, you’re the only one he trusts enough to show his true self. Around others, he hides behind a mask of cockiness, even arrogance, carefully locking away his feelings and struggles, but around you, he doesn’t have to fake anything. He can be himself, without having to fear any judgement from you, and that alone is enough to make him fall in love with you again every single day.

He’s not one to get jealous easily since he trusts you and knows that you would never betray him like that. But he still hates when others are clearly trying to flirt with you, especially if you’re obviously uncomfortable with the whole situation. It makes his blood boil when others are unable to respect your boundaries, and in moments like that, he definitely won’t hesitate to step in.

Of course, his SOLDIER duties keep him more than busy, and he sometimes has to be away from you for days, if not weeks, but Genesis makes sure to contact you at least once a day, not only because he misses you but also to show that you don’t have to worry about him. He doesn’t always have the time to call you though, so sometimes he just sends a quick text (which includes at least one quote from Loveless as well as some variation of I love you).

Sephiroth

Sephiroth isn’t someone to fall head over heels in love with someone or to dive head first into a relationship. He’s definitely hesitant, even repulsing at first, and tries to push you away, both because he feels like he’s not what you need and because he’s just so used to being alone. But once you have him, Sephiroth is yours forever. 

He’s not overly affectionate, in the sense that he rarely initiates cuddles or kisses himself but he would never deny you any affection if you asked for it, especially since he soon realizes how nice it feels to just hold you close for a while. There’s something so calming and peaceful about cuddling with you, and although he’d probably never admit it, he really craves these feelings. However, PDA is something he most likely never gets used to. 

There’s absolutely nothing Sephiroth wouldn’t do to keep you safe and sound. He knows first-hand how dangerous and awful the world can be, and he tries everything in his power to keep you safe from all harm. And should someone dare to lay a hand on you, Sephiroth won’t hesitate to make them pay for it. He fiercely protects the people he loves, no ifs, no buts – even if he had to risk his own life in the process.

You’re one of the few people he trusts with his whole heart. When he’s around you, he doesn’t have to pretend to be something he isn’t, and that’s one of the main reasons why he feels so comfortable in your presence. You know him – the real him – and you accept him just the way he is, his flaws and quirks included, and he loves you all the more for that. 

However, being in a relationship with Sephiroth isn’t all sunshine and flowers. No matter how much he loves you, there will always be situations where he still pushes you away, for example when you get into an argument and he feels like he needs to protect you from himself. In moments like this, patience is key – sooner or later, he will come to you to apologize but until then, it’s best to give him some space.

Thank you so much for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider liking, reblogging and/or leaving some feedback. I'd really appreciate the support. <3

Taglist: @sixdaysofsilverashes @thevoidwriting @theimaginaryheir @strawberrymoonsx

#genesis rhapsodos x reader #sephiroth x reader #ff7 x reader #final fantasy x reader #genesis rhapsodos x you #sephiroth x you #final fantasy headcanons #ff7 headcanons #gn!reader #gender neutral reader #reader insert

[jacevelaryonswife]

Hi, honey💕. So... Well... What, if our lovely monk can no longer resist the desire, to kiss his beloved wife on the lips? Well, those lips, that are between her thighs...

ㅤㅤ The sweet taste of sin

∴pairing: Osferth x Fem!reader

∴warning: obscenities, female receiving, english is not my first language

part two

The carnal intimacy in your union with Osferth developed with time and patience. None of you were experienced and/or extroverts when it came to sharing a bed, especially your sweet husband, who in addition to being shy was a little more religious than most people. However, as body-to-body contact became more common in your marriage, the urge to test and discover things grew in parallel. The great reason for the curiosity to break new ground was the exchange of experiences with other lords and ladies, although for Osferth it was almost involuntary to hear, unlike you, who whispered subtly with your friends about the experiences of the flesh.

Living with other men meant constantly hearing about libidinous acts of all kinds, but one specific account caught his attention—almost horrifying him.

“The best way to stop a woman from talking is to shut her bottom lips, if you know what I mean.”

It wasn't the first time he heard about it, but the situation responsible for bringing him to the current moment was a few weeks ago when he heard Finan's advice to a young squire whose lady was still chaste and wished to remain so until marriage.

"You don't just have your cock to satisfy a woman, use your tongue and make her want more, she can also use her mouth to your advantage."

After that, the immoral thought of having his face between your legs took up more and more space in his mind. He was genuinely intrigued by the use of something as common and harmless as the mouth in such a… pleasurable activity. It felt wrong, almost a sin, but how could he think of anything else when your hands were palming him in that place during wet kisses? When you warmed him with kisses and licks on his neck and chest, with the tenderness of your mouth and the receptive warmth of your flower… everything was so good and intoxicating. His sweet wife, so beautiful and affable, so devastatingly tempting.

Osferth has tasted your lips, your face, your neck, the soft skin of your stomach and breasts. What would it be like to wrap your intimate petal in such an intimate kiss? How would you receive the idea?

He did not know. He was terrified, but it didn't go unnoticed by you.

“Is there a problem, my love?” You asked sweetly, cupping the right side of his face in your hand. It wasn't the first time you identified that look before they surrendered to love. It seemed recurring lately, but you wouldn't let it go from today.

The owl sang as you shared physical affection and loving words by candlelight, your white dress leaving little to hide in your precious husband's long arms, leg crossing his hip innocently.

“My lady”, he whispered after inhaling deeply, eagerly kissing your neck.

“Husband”, you replied quietly, melting and closing your eyes, briefly forgetting the nervous eyes and uncertain fingers of seconds ago. “Mm, do you want me?”

"Yes my love."

Turning to have it above your body, you scanned it intently, holding both sides of the beautiful, smooth face you loved so much. “You look nervous, did something happen? You had that look the last few times…”

Oh Lord. That was the moment. Sudden dryness clogged his throat and a red color stained his cheeks, remembering the last time he'd snaked his fingers up your thigh and planted kisses on the soft skin to settle between your legs and… that's enough, he couldn't take any more. He needed to say.

“My lady, th-there's something I'd like to do,” he began, propping himself up on his elbows and struggling to choose the right words, “now, there's something I'd like to do now, which some lords do for their wives. .”

"What my love? What would you like to do?”, you saw the flush rise in your Osferth's face, leaning in too to prop himself up on his elbows, lips close to his again. “No need to be ashamed, husband, tell me”, your hands stroked his hair. Heavens, he was totally embarrassed, hoping you'd catch on to his intentions quickly.

“My love… I want… I want to be between your legs. Kiss, between your legs.”

Oh! Your mouth parted in realization, smiling shyly and almost satisfied at the thought. A few ladies described the sensation as majestic and delicious, but it felt so indecent to think of your exquisite husband licking your nectar, so wrong… it didn't lessen the tingling between your legs.

“Osferth. I want. I want this, husband”, you kissed him tenderly, trying to calm him down through the slow movements of your lips. You lay down with him on top of your body, opening your legs to fit him.

“Are you sure, my love?”

“Yes, yes I have. I want you."

Even with your consent, Osferth was still nervous, nodding as he lowered himself to your hips, snaking his long fingers down both thighs to feel the softness of your flesh and slowly up your bed gown. Standing face to face with your naked flower, he preferred to plant a few kisses on the inside of your thigh before…

How should he proceed?

Remembering Finan's advice, your husband tentatively licked the midsection of your femininity, contemplating a part of her pearl with his tongue. Your legs closed and a low moan escaped, hands moving to cup the sides of his face. Osferth took another short lick, seeing your reaction repeat itself.

“More, husband, I want more.”

Using more pressure, he licked a longer strip over and over, gripping yourlegs a little tighter to keep your body still. As your sounds increased, Osferth buried his head deeper and held your hips for better support. The sensation was fantastic and warmed your entire body, spurring your femininity to provide additional moisture as it tingled where your husband's tongue gazed.

“Kiss me my love, kiss me more”, you whimpered, lifting your hips a little. “I want to feel everything.”

The fiery little thing you were allowed to harness your husband's wet member for your own lust, rubbing your intimacy in your sweet monk's face. “Eat me as if I were a fruit.” Your pert mouth enchanted him along with your nectar, the sweet taste of sin he lapped at so greedily. He started to suck you like a peach, devouring your petals from top to bottom, especially on that mound where you sang the loudest. So good, so delicious is his wife. Osferth surrendered completely to the mercy of your taste and your sounds, moaning when you squeeze his head between your thighs and pull a few strands of his dark blond hair. When the sweet pleasure that pooled in your pearl suddenly exploded, your eyes closed and a loud moan left your lips, enjoying the extra stimulation during the heat before gently pulling your husband away.

“That was so good,” you said breathlessly.

He was fascinated by your sweaty body and the peculiar taste between your thighs, wiping moisture from your face with his forearm. His bed pants didn't do much to arrest his manhood, leaving him conspicuous and in need of your attention, with a hazy look and slightly open mouth.

How could you deny your lovely husband anything?

Getting up slowly, you squeezed him gently between your pants to hear him groan. “Let me return the favor, my love.”

hope you like it dear 💙

#osferth #osferth x you #osferth x reader #osferth smut #osferth x fem!reader #smut #the last kingdom #ewan mitchell #baby monk #tlk #osferth fics

[weebsinstash]

Dunno if you watched SK8 the Infinity, but one important conflict is literally the protagonist Reki becoming extremly insecure and unmotivated in skating after seeing how his new friend Langa (a snowboarder) who has barely started skating is a prodigy and so much better at it than him, who has been skating since he was a child.

Langa is naturally talented at skating while Reki works hard and still cannot measure up to someone who just started, which makes him consider quit skating altogether and leads him to distance himself from Langa because of insecurity and jealousy.

Those type of scenarios just pull at the heartstrings, you know?? Like there is nothing worse than working hard and still feeling inferior to the people around you, which DOES make for juicy angsty scenarios :)(

No but literally those are the kinds of plots where you kinda immerse yourself in the grief and it can be empowering to see your underdog recover, but also GOD is that shit so depressing and hits close to home, for real the kind of plots I soak up and throw pity parties for myself for lol

You know I've been pretty open about it but like, every so often I get compliments on my writing that are very sweet, but ultimately I do have to acknowledge like 😅 I AM basically a self taught high school drop out. So especially when I personally start writing about these sorts of stories "lol what if Reader is a depressed fucking loser absolutely struggling through the mediocre machinations of life and has Strong Hot Person come save them" like. You know where that's coming from lmao 😂 extremely unsettle but I figure what I write is usually relatable enough that it's like why the fuck not be a little personal sometimes

God though I had initially considered that when I was talking about like the Spiderverse You vs YouTwo ideas, initially considered making YouTwo drastically superior to you, but the route I've decided on is, you're on equal footing and there are certain things you each do better than the other but, seeing them be better than you at anything is salt in your wounds since you're feeling replaced.

I also like obviously have mentioned it several times but like. Living with Damian Wayne specifically would be absolute awful for this scenario, especially if you make your yandere mean or whatever. Like you could be minding your own goddamn business doing your favorite hobby and have this snot nosed fucking 10 year old (this one, the nasty one, before he gets tamed down, potentially by you?) and he's just like "that's not how you're supposed to do it" and physically takes it out of your hands, does it for you, and explains to you what you were doing wrong the entire time

Like imagine platonic yandere Damian who can't communicate his feelings for shit and is still deep in his Little Hellion Phase so you think he's just constantly insulting you and trying to show how much better and smarter than you he is when in reality he's just like. Very Poorly being like, "oh, a chance to show my sibling how cool and smart I am, and then I can teach them and they'll like me :) and they like to learn new things so I should teach them as much as I know and they can feel smart too :)" and on your end you're thinking he's an egotistical MEAN little kid who's making you extremely insecure and feel worthless and stupid and maybe sometimes often he's, not always using the best language with you because he wasn't really raised with kindness. "Why would you think THAT'S how you do it?" With a tone like youre a fucking idiot, "I don't understand what you're not seeing, I've been doing this for years and I'm an actual child"

like genuinely it's all of those "someone else one upping you" ideas but WORSE because you can't leave this fucking house and he's TEN. Youve got a fucking TEN YEAR OLD physically and mentally one upping you CONSTANTLY with the mental abilities of like a fucking adult man. I feel like the entire family being trained in violence, you'd think they would understand having like a physical fight and have probably had many themselves, but the second YOU lose your temper and put a hand on any of THEM, SACRILEGE. Damian couldve been saying the cuntiest things to your face and the SECOND you swing on him, just absolutely lose your shit, suckerpunch that brat in his face, give him a literal black eye that he didn't block because he didn't expect his beloved sibling to hit him, Bruce is UP YOUR ASS about, "you know better than this! That's your brother!!" like straight up, I think messing with one of the Robins or members of his family is the fastest way to have yandere Bruce lose patience with you and do something less loving. Takes away privileges, grounds you, makes you do labor around the house or labor for him in the cave or Damian, forces you to apologize and also acknowledge "that my brother just wanted what was best for me 🙄"

He's the kind of overbearing calculating shit where he waits until everyone is at the family dinner table and he casually pauses in between spoonfuls of soup, "so I see sister has been sneaking out of the house. You didn't do a very good job of washing the cigarette smoke out of your jacket" ousting you in a double whammy combo for sneaking out without permission AND smoking, and of course you're responding something like "you little PRICK!!" and now Bruce is standing up, jabbing a finger towards the stairs as he demands you go to your room with the unspoken threat that's he's coming up there to speak to you about this after everyone eats

Like legit living in that house would be a nightmare because everyone is gifted and everyone's doing somersaulting backflips and it's like. Lmao my knees pop when I stand up :) you're all like insanely gifted in your fields and I'm like. Normal. Some would say a simple minded burnout, even. Like. Lmao. Imagine a scenario where you're still independent and doing your own thing bur Bruce is, you know yandere mode and keeping tabs on you, and he's constantly trying to like, nudge you towards better opportunities. You're in costume on a rooftop and suddenly he's asking you about your schooling. You're working a shitty day job and one day the in universe equivalent sends you am email "based on your qualifications, this employer is interested in your resume" and its a super well paying WayneTech job that you. Turn down because you'd either fail the drug test and don't think you're good enough lmao. Bruce just tearing his hair out as he decides "ok fine I'll make your life better by force" and just starts buying your apartment building and where you work or some shit so he can improve your quality of life from the outside

#yandere stuff #yandere x reader #yandere batman #yandere batfam #sinprompts

[thezombieprostitute]

Good moaning. 😇

A/N: Sorry this took awhile @navybrat817. The muses weren't working with me.

A/N2: Reader is AFAB, Tall & Plus Size; Ended up working through a lot of my own insecurities on this one. Left it open ended because it's a lot longer than it should've been. It was supposed to be open ended but then Hal insisted on showing off.

Part 2

Word Count: ~1.2k

Warnings: Insecure reader. Please let me know if I missed any.

Hal had always been the most notorious flirt in the office. Every woman had been complimented, flirted with, made to blush by him. Except you. When it came to you, Hal was all business. Maybe some friendly gestures, but that was it.

You should be used to it by now. You'll never forget in high school when your crush said, "I just never thought of you as a girl. I don't think of you as guy," he was quick to say, "but I just don't think of you as a girl." And it seems to have been the same for every guy, every crush, ever since.

Dating apps only seemed to make things worse. You'd be really getting along with someone, they'd talk about how personality is more important, but as soon as they actually saw you, their demeanor shifted. They always just wanted to be friends. You were pretty sure spinsterhood was your only option. Especially if even the Hal Carter wasn't willing to flirt with you.

"You should be grateful," some of your friends would chide you. "You don't have to worry about being harassed or assaulted." And you were grateful that those weren't concerns for you. But you weren't bemoaning a lack of problems, you were bemoaning an abundance of loneliness.

"Hey, Y/N," Hal's voice snapped you out of your self-pity party.

"Yes, Hal?"

"Do you have the specs for that Potts order? I need to double check a few things."

"Sure thing," you nod as you go to the filing cabinet. You find the paperwork he needs and hand it to him.

"Are you alright," he asks.

"No different than usual. Why?"

"You just...you seem...um. How do I put this?"

"Hal, please just tell me I look miserable and get back to work? I'm not in the mood for beating around the bush. I'm painfully well aware of how I look." You're struggling to keep the tears at bay and just want him to leave you be.

"Is there anything I can do? I hate to see you like this."

"No, Hal, there's nothing you, personally, can do. I'm just having a self-pity party after yet another bad date and I need to be left alone."

"You're dating?" His face is filled with genuine surprise and it's the straw that breaks you. You stop fighting the tears and just run to the bathroom to let it all out in private.

By the time you're done crying you're exhausted. You should get back to work but you just can't fathom spending more time around people. You get back to your desk, send a note to your boss and head home early. You're just gonna let yourself cry and sleep it out.

When you get to work the next day there's a bouquet of blue hyacinth and white lily-of-the-valley flowers. The card had a simple "I'm sorry" card signed by Hal. You really should apologize to him, it wasn't his fault. It was just really shitty timing. Still, you appreciate the flowers. You can't remember the last time anyone got you any.

You get into the flow of work, catching up on things you missed yesterday, so you don't notice Hal slowly making his way to your desk, like he's afraid you'll lash out. When you finally look up and see him, you give him a soft smile and he takes that as an okay signal to close the distance to your desk.

"Thank you for the flowers, Hal," you start. "You really didn't need to. You did nothing wrong."

"I ask you a question and you leave crying," Hal huffs. "Pretty sure that means I did something wrong."

"Believe me, Hal, if it was something you did, I'd have told you." You shake your head, "it's just me being overly sensitive. And I'm sorry I worried you or made you feel it was your fault. You don't deserve that."

"So, you're single and looking," Hal slowly says.

"For now," you sigh. "Seriously contemplating giving up but I just can never bring myself to ever fully give up hope. No matter how many times I get hurt."

"Maybe it's your technique," he offers. "If you need help with your flirting, just let me know. I can teach you a few things."

Against your better judgment you open up the dating app and the messages you shared from the last guy you met for a date. You show them to Hal and tell him how you could've done better.

"Huh, you're a smart cookie," he says. "Talking to this guy about smart stuff that definitely goes over my head. Why didn't he work out?"

Trying not to lose patience, he is just trying to help, you calmly tell him, "because he saw me. That's how it always goes, Hal. I'm not pretty enough. I don't fit into any of the molds that define 'attractive'. I never hide my build, my picture, but there must be quite the difference between photos and real life."

"Sounds like your problem is that you keeping attracting douchebags," Hal observed. "Just need to find yourself a good man."

"If it were that easy, I wouldn't be so lonely."

"You don't think I'm a good man?" He seems genuinely upset by this thought.

"Hal, please be careful because I don't want to cry at work again," you start. "Regardless of whether or not you're a good guy, you've never once expressed interest in me, so why would it matter if you were a douchebag or not?"

"This is definitely my fuck up," he sighs. "I was trying to be respectful of you. I was trying to treat you differently to show I think about you differently."

"Yes," you agree. "That came through loud and clear. You want to be workplace friends at most. I understand that. It's not a fuck up."

"No, not like that," Hal counters. "I...I flirt with everyone but you because I didn't want you to think I thought of you as just another pretty face. I kept it professional with you so you would know that I am respectful of you as a person. That I appreciate working with you and don't want us to get separated because the boss thinks I'm doing more flirting than working."

"I don't want your pity, Hal," you scold him. "If you're not interested, you're not interested. I don't blame you! But a pity flirt? That's hurtful."

Instead of backing down, Hal puts both hands on your desk and leans closer towards you, neither of you breaking eye contact. Your eyes are filled with a simmering anger and his beautiful blues are steely with determination. "I will prove to you, however I need to, that my feelings and intentions are genuine."

"I need to get back to work," you reply with ice in your voice.

"Challenge accepted, Dandelion," Hal smirks before leaving you to your work.

Part 2

Tagging @alicedopey and @icefrozendeadlyqueen because I promised I would

#zombie asks #hal carter x reader #x tall reader #tall!reader #big & tall reader #hal carter angst #self indulgence time

[lullaebies]

Hey! Can you do some headcanons on what it would be like for Helaena and Aegon as parents if the Dance never happened? They were really young when they both died, so would they have more babies if they lived? What would it be like for the twins and Maelor to grow into teenagers, what would the marriage plans for them be like? Love your content btw ❤️

Oh sure!! This should be very fun. The Dance not happening AU could mean a lot of things so there would be many variables, so bear with me a bit haha. (And thank you for the compliment, dear! <333) [also I'm sorry for the length of this if you ask me about the kids I really can speak for HOURS about my hcs.] Helaegon as Parents, Part 2 - No Dance AU Headcanons

⁎ For the if they had more babies question - probably yes! I don't see them abstaining. I think as the first kids grow older Helaena might specifically want more childen, but generally they would just happen as it is the way of life, regardless of planning or not planning. ⁎ Speaking about more children - Helaena and Aegon would be so bad at naming, lmao. They wait until the baby is out to decide, lol. I think Jaehaerys was named after the Old King via Alicent influence and Jaehaera was named in tow to fit, so Maelor would've been the first true name they've chose (I personally imagine that was from Helaena; also for the record, I genuinely don't believe it had anything to do with Maegor lol). Anyways, they would suck at it, and I imagine they'll have a lot more joke names they talk about. Imagine Aegon coming to Helaena like "Daemon the Younger. To piss uncle off." (He got very inspired from Aegon III's naming pettiness😂) and Helaena is like "I should kill you and make our son Aegon the Youngest" LMAO. ⁎ I always said this, but I do feel like there would be a cycle of hardship in the family; Aegon and Helaena were both not exposed to the best of parenting and Aegon will continue to struggle with his substance abuse/vices, which will obviously have effect. I have gone on several tangents on how I can see him and Jaehaerys butting heads like crazy as the father vs the oldest son. I do think there are times Aegon would try harder to be an active parent, especially after Jaehaerys and him get into a big fight, or Jaehaera mediates, or Maelor being visibly upset. I also think there inherent guilt in Aegon for a lot of things, I do think he will try to be better after he gets a few slaps from his first children, as he doesn't want to be like Viserys. His younger children will get the better of it, likely. I like to think he could find power in the fact his kids believe in him still despite everything. ⁎ Helaena would be such a sticky mom ahhh. Jaehaerys could grow taller than Otto and she would still look at him like he's a baby, Jaehaera she would want kept close too (As Alicent wanted her close, cough) and not even speaking about Maelor! I do believe all the kiddos would have her side on most things - Jaehaerys and Maelor being Biggest Defender no. 1 and Intern Smoll Defender no. 2. Jaehaera is The Conciliator coded and she tends to be midway, she'll probably be the one who is most honest with Helaena. ⁎ If Helaegon have more kids, needless to say the first three would be a pretty hands on crew of sibling help. Probably particularly the twins. I think Maelor might have to go through an ick phase at having a younger sibling always on his toes, though really he was just the same to the twins when he was born.

⁎ Some Teenage personality headcanons: Jaehaerys - mr. Trying to be good enough and work hard to be good enough. Extrovert using humor to cope, can be shady and also defensive like dad. Feels like he has a very big responsibility to help mom and family. He takes to a warhammer as a weapon in the future as he has a grip of six✨ Jaehaera - Careful in her steps, emotional intellegence based girl who is a bit too kind on other people sometimes. Likes to sew, and she makes her own dolls as she grows older. Introverted but Tries. Can be awkward when she's not used to someone or can't tell what they're like. Maelor - forever the first family baby, but he is the type to try and push against it LOL. I actually imagine him a bit more bookish and curious. Skinnier kid but has quips and he talks back. I think he's shyer outside of the family, people that don't know him gaslight Aegon his son is not a menace at all, "all he does is read books in the library and be cute are u fr" vibe, but in reality he learned from brother to not take shit. He's a Grandma kid for sure, I like to think he reads to Alicent back when she's elderly. ⁎ To end this off, on marriage proposals and the likes: I think no matter what AU spoken of, one thing that Helaegon would always agree on is that they would prefer their kids to find a love marriage, and I very much believe they would not be into putting them into Targ incest shenanigans unless the kids express they want it. this is one thing they want to break the chain in and are in full agreement - helaegon do not want the kids to have the same burdens they had to deal with. Overall this topic is muddy because its very much depends on the cirucmstances of things, but in the grand scheme of things - if helaegon are not pressured for alliances/not reigining king and queen, love marriages would be preferred if not at least arranged marriages where the prospective spouse is well regarded and of fitting status. If they are pressured for alliances as king and queen - Houses like House Lannister that are Green supporters will likely be considered first, then general houses that can benefit the crown and stability of the realm (possibly even Rhaenyra's family if its to keep the peace), and only then proper houses where the kids find someone they like. It is the feudalistic monarchy way. At the end there would be an attempt to give the best for them, one way or the other.

#hope this works <3 #helaegon #helaena targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #prince jaehaerys targaryen #jaehaerys targaryen #jaehaera targaryen #maelor targaryen #hotd #my headcanons #answered #team green

[burstofastar]

Tekken — Random thoughts

Okay, but Nina and Jin in Tekken 6? I simply love them. Tekken 6 gave (not just me but some other people too) the foundation for an amazing ship.

A respectful relationship that started with work, and the Scenario Campaign showed their closeness and confidence, without losing their professionalism and focus on Jin's goal.

Story-wise, Tekken 6 is… interesting, to say the least. I don't know, I still have mixed feelings about the direction they gave Jin's development and what he was like since Tekken 3.

I can't say that I like that in Tekken 6 he became a war criminal and did such aberrations, when Azazel's problem could have been addressed in another way; because actually, I don't like it at all.

But on the other hand, I don't totally hate the concept itself. I just find it a little hard to digest.

What I can save (or at least try to) is that, from a personal opinion, I don't think he did it because it's the destiny of bearers of Mishima blood to be corrupted. Because, in fact, I don't think Jin was corrupted by having Mishima blood or by the influence of the Devil Gene.

I think he did everything out of his conscience. A twisted, fucked up and terrible way of doing things, but by conscience at the end. Because if we go to the fact, he always struggled and fought against the influence of the curse, and tried to keep it at bay as much as he could (in despite of his T3 and T4 endings, in T5 vs. Hwoarang, in T7 in the desert)… well, in the end of Scenario Campaign we could see how Jin consciously used the power of the Devil Gene (without turning into Devil) to defeat Azazel.

It's a bummer that they "ruined" Jin like that, but it was an interesting chapter in Tekken history.

Anyway, before starting to wander more than necessary… I know that Tekken: Blood Vengeance and the Tekken Comic by Titan Comics aren't canon either, but Nina and Jin roles in each one are a good addition for this dreamy ship (especially in the comics).

And no, my point isn't that the base of the ship has to be that the woman has to do the whole work and being his support 24/7 (a thing that usually happens in the Japanese culture: the female character being just a bland sidekick with no depth and the protagonist's love interest; just as in mostly of shonens, for example), or because it's just the job she was hired for… But because both of them could relate to each other: both suffering child abuse from a close family member, both having family members they dislike, both having lost a family member they loved, both having suffered and survived Ogre's attack, and both having a mostly lonely path in life… because they know they're not the best company and their methods are very questionable.

Feelings aren't part of their lifestyle and not allowing themselves to open their hearts (because having feelings means their goals be compromised), is a fact. And it's a fact that a ship like this will never happen in canon, yet I always loved their genuine mutual trust and respect. It's far away from the Japanese culture's typical cliché of the badass lonely boy and the cute submissive girl who has a huge crush on him, is ghosted during most of the series and wants to "save" him but just meddles, resulting annoying most of times. It reminds me to someone… Wait!!

Alright, speaking more seriously now… Tekken 6 turned 14 years some days ago (especifically for PS3 and XBox, on October 30th), and this was a good opportunity to talk about an underestimated and unapreciated OTP.

I'm very intrigued about what's going to happen in Tekken 8, and the path of both of them when Bamco already revealed the roster's bios. Nina working for Kazuya doesn't make sense if we take into account her relationship with Jin during Tekken 6, the fact that she failed on purpose for Lars and Lee to protect Jin from Heihachi and... taking as bonus the non-canonical comics and BV.

Possibly developers will take the path of Street Fighter x Tekken's story? Nina working with Kazuya but undercover, for Jin's instructions? Because no one can deny how amazing was Jin trusting someone since the beginning, spending time with that someone and being able to share thoughts... even if it's just professionaly.

P.s.: I feel the luckiest guy alive, since I have the privilege of writing this wonderful ship on Twitter... I mean, X. My dearest friend @carade0jete and I roleplay as Nina and Jin, respectively, since almost five years. An amazing journey that still goes on and will last until that app is either ruined or closed by El*n M*sk. Love you, bb. ♥️✨

#tekken #tekken 6 #tekken 8 #nina williams #jin kazama #nina x jin #jin x nina #random thoughts

[beautifulterriblequeen]

TDP rewatch: autistic Soren?

I spent a lot of time going along with everyone else saying that Soren was a big dumbass. And for that, I would now like to apologize. I don’t think Soren’s dumb. I think he’s autistic. 

As an autistic person, I feel bad for not spotting this earlier. But, like Soren, I do have a tendency to believe what I’m told, especially when everyone is saying the same thing. And this may not be canon, ever, but that’s okay. I see Soren in a new light now, and I know that light. (Gods, S3 is really gonna wreck me now)

He doesn’t get sarcasm. He takes Rayla’s “obviously” sarcastic comment at face value. He’s also not good with metaphor, taking a long time to grasp “butter them up.” Once he’s figured out what he should do--lie about the king--he does a very bad job of it because the emotions he needs to embrace to sell the lie aren’t familiar to him.

He’s very good with rules. A father who needed a son who was rooted in the narrative of strength could easily have trained an autistic child to bind himself within those rules form a young age. It’ll be very hard for Soren to question rules that he consciously chose to follow himself.

He doesn’t understand the shifting of loyalties. First he’s a loyal Crownguard, and then he’s supposed to detain Callum because his dad asked him to? Soren’s genuinely confused.

He still chooses to protect Callum when the assassins attack, even shoving him to safety from Runaan’s arrow, because those old rules of loyalty to the royal family haven’t been shifted.

He’s also slow to react to the arrow striking him. He takes precious reaction time to study it closely. He’s probably never seen a Moonshadow assassin’s arrow before. It telescopes in three places. It’s green. It probably smells faintly of poison. Soren’s possibly also never been shot before. All these physical details are hitting him at once, all with equal force, and it takes him a moment to sort through them, process them, and remember that the arrow means the assassins have arrived.

He spends time and effort trying to speak others’ languages, but he doesn’t always get it right. He knows Claudia’s nose trick but he can’t perfectly replicate it. He misinterprets Rayla’s angry intent as personal interest. He really tries to connect with his dad by offering his “see-saw” comment (which is actually right on the money as far as the show’s themes are concerned). 

He’s oddly focused on the difference between a prince and a “step-prince.” Not in a mean way, though. He thinks it means he’s paying attention to small details, which people often like. Not particularly in this case, though.

He really does just want to fit in. He does whatever Viren says because he wants to be accepted, not just as Viren’s son but as a not-weird, not-useless person.

Claudia’s the one who makes the jokes. He happily lets her lead on the mission to Mount Kaelik and has no ego attached to being in charge of her.

He’s really awkward with his brotherly feels when he calls her “weep-ridden” and offers to help by punching Callum. Autistics can struggle with language, especially in unfamiliar emotional territory and under stress.

He hyperfocuses on being a Crownguard, though, which is why he’s so good at it, and why he’s in charge. He does nothing but train. He loves being a Crownguard. He knows that role inside and out. He knows when to order men into position, and he knows when to shut up and hand the king his sword.

He insists that sweeping the leg is not a thing, though, because it’s outside his training. None of the Crownguard instructors taught him that, and so it is outside the rules. 

When he votes that Corvus is a traitor and gets Claudia to vote with him, he’s reinforcing the rules that he learned. The black-and-white shield on his armor isn’t just an indicator that he’s straddling the line between good and evil and will one day have to make a choice. It’s showing the way Soren sees the world: everything is either inside the rules, or outside them. Soren doesn’t see gray areas. But he might learn to very soon.

He’s cheerily cold-blooded about lopping Runaan’s head off and trying to kill Rayla because empathy is a strange animal for autistic folks. Sometimes it’s really high, and sometimes it’s nonexistent, even within the same person. Between a low empathy for elves and his Crownguard training, Soren legitimately doesn’t see any problem with killing them, even at the age of 18.

He knows the rules on how to deal with dragons: you fight them. And he gets a whole town torched. He was entirely unprepared. But his ego wasn’t in this fight. He freed Corvus because he understands that a Crownguard’s job is to protect Katolis, and that includes the townsfolk. And he admitted his mistake to Claudia because filters are hard under stress, and the truth just pops out like that.

When he’s paralyzed, Soren has no ego attached to remaining a Crownguard, either. His hyperfocus has broken. He was growing increasingly stressed by his dad’s secret mission. And he immediately seeks a new hyperfocus: poetry. He gives it a shot, and he’s terrible at it. He hasn’t actually internalized any poetry rules yet. He’d become a good poet pretty quickly, if he had the chance. But Claudia came to heal him instead.

As S2 ends and the siblings head home together, Soren has no plan anymore. He has no rules for what’s gonna happen, and he can’t anticipate Viren’s reaction but he expects it’ll be bad. He asks Claudia for help in understanding what his parameters should be, because that’s a long trip home, and that’s a lot of time spent worrying over scenarios that he has to consider because he can’t narrow it down--every possibility is a legitimate possibility to him.

[unfinished tdp meta]

#soren #autistic soren #tdp meta #can you believe there was a time when we did not See #release the drafts

[dragonflies-draw-flame]

10 fandoms/10 characters

Many thanks to @tomatette, @jaynesilver, and @fallingdeeperintothispit for tagging me 😁.

Star Wars (Sequels): Armitage Hux. I really do love Kylo too—Ren is such an interesting, dramatic character, and he's absolutely perfect for Hux, seriously. But Hux with his emotional unavailability, hard, overly-composed exterior, his passion/drive to the point of his own detriment, traumatic past...he's everything I could want in a character, because I am also all of these hard-to-love things (though thankfully minus the space fascism).

Star Wars (Prequels): Anakin Skywalker. Look, I know he's a bit whiny sometimes but damn if I don't love a murderous pretty boy on a fool's errand for the person he loves. Mystical space powers and dramatic sweeping outfits are just an added bonus.

Beauty and the Beast: the Beast. For the handful of people following my BatB Kylux fic, this is TOTALLY shocking, I know (and also you guys are amazing ❤️). I do love Belle—she's a book-loving introvert, so that's a given. But the Beast (notice I didn't say Prince Adam)...yeah, I did NOT know how to deal with my attraction to him when I was younger. Mercurial, cursed, awkwardly endearing, dark-haired, passionate, and desirously fluffy?! Wears dramatic capes, has an enchanted rose determining his future, and has the library of my dreams that he is willing to share?? What the fuck more could I want?!

LOTR trilogy: Aragorn. Do I really need to explain that to anyone?? (Also: sorry, Legolas...you were a VERY close second).

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Jemma Simmons. Brilliant, adorable style, much more resilient than she looks. Her quote that goes "Past events...have shown me that I’m not good at improvisation. However, I excel at preparation" is not that great out of context here, unfortunately, but regardless, it was so validating to me. Me too, Jemma!!

Once Upon a Time: Killian Jones (Captain Hook). My husband loves this show, so we have watched it so many times. Hook is a seductive, charming bad boy who eventually really does try his best. And his pirate get-up? UGH, have mercy. (Also, wow, apparently I really, really have a thing for pretty, dark-haired, dangerous men who wear mostly black INCLUDING at least one garment that falls to at least knee length. Huh. That's...rather specific.)

Harry Potter: Hermione Granger. I related hard to a bookish girl who had a hard time making friends when I read these in grade school.

Howl's Moving Castle: Howl. I did not know how to process the extent to which I was attracted to him either, especially because he's not even human some of the time (which I liked, a lot). It was a revelation to find the world of online fanfic where I was very much not alone in those kind of thoughts!

Mean Girls: Janis Ian. Yeah, I know Janis does some shitty things in this movie, but she is unapologetic about who she is. I totally admired her boldness in high school, especially since I too dealt with the horror of rumors being spread about my sexuality (except the ones about me were true ahaha). And I always leaned much more Victorian goth than punk, but I nonetheless appreciated her style as well.

t.A.T.u.: Lena. I would be remiss to leave off this duo, even if they were a musical group, which is not one of my usual fandom sources. BUT they were the first pairing I actually read fanfic about online, way back when, and wrote a ton for them too (unpublished). For a 12-year-old who was struggling massively with...well, everything, but especially feeling incredibly alone and terrified of my sexuality, their music video/song "All the Things She Said" blew my mind. Unfortunately I never got my own chance to make out/run away with a pretty redhead in the rain, but still.

Tagging: I think I've seen this done by most people I follow already? But if you haven't done this and are reading it, please consider yourself tagged and do so, if you wish! I love these get-to-know-you things and would genuinely love to hear about you :).

[bearbluebooks]

Chapter 13 - Space Song

Who remembers the Triwizard tournament? Find out in the next chapters what happens when you combine it with the Blood Rite.

Read on AO3 or under the cut :)

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 - Chapter 12

I commissioned an artpiece from @avia.sebag for the Sun and its Shadows. It's the first artpiece I have ever commissioned and I couldn't be more happy with it!

The last scene of this chapter was written with the piece in mind.

The beginning of the chapter is NSFW.

Gwyn POV

Sunlight slowly made its way through the open window across the bed. The delicate white rays of dawn broke through the wings of dusk she was currently surrounded by. Small veins on the huge obsidian wings were illuminated, exposing the intricacies of the mechanism that allowed Gwyn to feel the magic of the air. With that inquisitive thought, she slowly traced her finger in a featherlight touch across a particular enticing part of his wing. Would it be as soft as it looked, she wondered.

Azriel awoke with a full-body shiver. His hand shot straight to Gwyn’s, grabbing it firmly by her wrist. He struggled to get the words out as if his brain was occupied with something else entirely. 

“Gwyn.”

“That’s very sensitive.”

“Did I hurt you?” she immediately withdrew her hand as she started to apologize profusely. She moved back on the king-size bed, crumpling the satin black bed sheets with her chaotic movement.

Azriel smiled in return. “You didn’t hurt me.” His eyes looked across the room. His eyes were downcast. “Not in the way you think.” He added.

“What do you mean?” Gwyn said, genuinely confused.

“Has Nesta never told you?” he asked.

“Told me what, Azriel?”

It was silent for a little bit as if the words were still taking shape in his mind.

“Wings are very sensitive. Especially in certain situations.”

“If it’s done by certain people.”

Azriel moved closer to where she sat on the edge of the bed. He moved his hand to her neck and slowly brushed her neck with his scarred hands as he moved his fingers down her chest. Gwyn instinctively closed her eyes. 

A thousand little sparks replaced the touch of his fingers. They all went straight to her core. She loved kissing him, but this was very nice too.

She already wished he would do it again.

“It’s like this” he moved his hands under her chin, forcing her to open her eyes “but a thousand times more intense.”

“Must be very nice.” She said in a haze.

“It can be,” he said with a smile.

“But Illyrians rarely let people touch their wings.”

“It’s very intimate.” They stared into each other’s eyes for a little while. She loved it when his hazel eyes had that golden sparkle of mischief in them. She knew it meant trouble but she loved that side of him, the part that so few people got to see.

Gwyn smiled as she said “may I?” with an already stretched-out hand

He smirked as he said, “you may do anything you’d like to me, Gwyn.”

Gwyn was sure her face had taken on the color of her copper-brown hair. She could never hide her emotions well.

The bed rustled when the huge weight of Azriel’s body quickly shifted forward to press a kiss on her treacherous cheeks.

“Are you embarrassed?” he said teasingly after he placed another kiss on the other cheek.

Gwyn quickly stood up and moved towards the window, “it’s very hot in here.”

Azriel’s smirk grew only wider, “I can remove myself, I’m sure it’ll lower the heat a little bit.”

Gwyn was annoyed and amused, a dangerous combination. “You’re impossible,” she said as she lightly pushed her hand against his chest. Creating distance she didn’t really want.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. He was very handsome, especially in his black loose-fitting pants and a tight black T-shirt. She was a little bit sad that it obscured his upper body. She had seen the glory of his naked chest on their first date at the beach. When the moonlight illuminated the dark swirls on his powerful arms, and the lines across his burly shoulders and unnaturally sculpted chest. Even the muscles in his back were more defined than any statue she had ever seen in Helmerra- or outside of it for that matter.

Gwyn didn’t have her own undergarments because she didn’t go back to her new home. 

After all the words that were spoken the previous night, the final answer was found in each other’s embrace. “Take me back to your room, shadowsinger.” Gwyn offered after she had confessed her feelings. 

That’s how she ended up wearing one of his black t-shirts, which looked more like a tent on her but he seemed to like it when his eyes roamed over her, taking in her long naked legs, her exposed shoulder, and the hint of her curves. 

She put a little bit of sway in her hips as she walked over to him on the bed. She didn’t really know what she was doing, but she saw Nesta do it once. It seemed to be working because as soon as she got close enough to notice his intoxicating cedar smell, he pulled her into his lap. 

They both sat on the edge of his bed with his strong arms wrapped around her waist to ensure she wouldn’t fall off.

She moved her finger lightly across the edge of his wing which was draped over them, creating a little cocoon. A low growl escaped Azriel’s mouth at the touch.

She lifted her legs so they sat closer to his crotch, she turned around to face him as she slowly moved her hips in search of that same friction from that night on the rooftop. “Fuck, Gwyn.” Azriel groaned into her ear.

Tingles formed all over her body at the guttural sound that was breathed into the sensitive spot. She could feel it having an effect on him too, as the already big bulge in his pants now pressed into her core with even more force.

She needed more.

“Azriel?” she almost whined.

“Can I touch you?” she asked. The question still felt vulnerable. As if the rejection was a possibility that existed next to the fine line between pleasure and exploration. But something overshadowed the uncertainty and that was the safety they created. She knew he would stop if he needed to. And that alone was enough to continue.

“You can do whatever you’d like to me, Gwyn.” He had that beautiful grin she loved so much.

She moved her fingers over his scarred hands and little stars littered the path upwards to his arm, his huge bicep, and his shoulder. It felt like a current of electricity moved between them. His t-shirt was in the way, and she decided, “can I take off your shirt?”

He had a glint in his eyes she couldn’t quite place. He moved to take it off himself but she stopped his hands and moved them to her backside.

She smiled at his surprised eyes when she moved her hands to his back and removed the shirt in one clumsy movement. The tight black garment wouldn’t budge and got stuck on his chest and then his ears. One half hung down his left ear, and the other half was stuck in his hair. A muffled voice asked, “can I help now?”

“Your shirts are too tight. They’re impossible.” She said in defense. “You weren’t complaining a moment ago” he quickly countered. She didn’t need to see his face to know he was enjoying this way too much.

“Alright.” She made to move off his lap, to give him some space, but he quickly grabbed her backside and moved her back into his lap. With his t-shirt still at an odd angle, she sat back on his lap. In the next few seconds, he removed the black obstruction in one swift movement, so they could face each other again.

She really wanted to explore the new areas that were suddenly exposed, but all she could look at right now were his magnificent auburn eyes. They contained so much kindness, so much patience, understanding, and safety. He was safety.

She couldn’t contain her happiness as the need to kiss him overtook all other senses. Her lips crashed into his with a loud smack that echoed throughout the room. “Ouch,” he said against her lips.

The force would surely add a bruise of love to the plethora of colors already on his face.

She licked the cut on his lip that was slowly healing. He looked surprised at her aggressiveness.

She moved a hand down his naked chest, tracing the fine line of obsidian hairs that continued down into his pants. Her hand stopped just above it when he quietly asked “can I touch you?”

“I would like that,” Gwyn answered with a smile.

Immediately one of his scarred hands traced her collarbone, down to her chest. His other hand delicately moved from her calves to the back of her knee and ended on her backside. He moved both hands to cup her behind and squeezed them gently. His nose found the crook of her nose, and he inhaled strongly. Did she smell as intoxicating to him as he did to her, she wondered.

He put his tongue on her neck and traced a slow line towards her ear, he finally enveloped her earlobe with his mouth and lavishly sucked on it. Butterflies entered her stomach. She didn’t know she could feel such pleasure from something as simple as an earlobe.

It was her turn to shiver when he whispered in her ear “you have no idea what you do to me, Gwyn.”

He moved his hands to her back and attempted to remove her shirt, although she was not completely naked underneath, it felt like the loss of the layer of clothes was a level of protection she wasn’t ready to rid of just yet. 

She froze, as did Azriel’s hands. 

“Are you okay?” he quickly asked.

“I’m not ready yet.” She forced the words out of her mouth in a tone just above whispering. 

Would he judge her for those words? Was it her fault for teasing him in that way? Was it unfair that she removed his shirt and he wasn’t allowed to remove hers?

It remained silent for a little bit. His shadows moved behind Gwyn as if they were protecting her.

“Is that okay?” she quickly added.

He grabbed her face in his hands, forcing her to look into his eyes, when he said “Gwyn listen to me, the only thing that is ever not okay, is when I do something that makes you feel uncomfortable.”

“I never want to be the one to make you feel unsafe,” he said with so much resolution in his eyes it formed a lump in her throat.

“I just want you, and I am very grateful for every moment we have together, no matter where or how we spent it. And I never want you to feel pressured into doing something with me. Ever.”

“I would rather eat my own tongue.” His eyes were firmly focused on hers. As if he really needed to get his point across.

“I happen to like your tongue,” she said when a small smile.

At that, he laughed too, and said “oh, I know you do.” And he gave that mischievous smirk again.

She moved her head closer to his, looked into his auburn eyes, and moved to look at his lips. She smiled and leaned closer to his luscious lips as she ran her tongue over his closed lips. She could still taste some of the tears from last night. She quickly replaced them with new memories. He opened his mouth, allowing her to deepen the kiss. She slid her tongue into his mouth and pleasure ruptured throughout her body. It demanded more, every sense was taken over by Azriel. She wanted to feel that rough and hard skin underneath her fingers. She wanted to taste him, even kissing him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to smell him, she never wanted to leave that chilled mist scent.

He would take the lead in the past when she didn’t really know what she was doing. She tended to be in her mind a lot, but when he led them through pleasure, it was all she could feel, and all other thoughts emptied from her mind.

Gwyn was a quick learner and noticed all the things that made Azriel groan, made him smile. She studied it as if she was studying for a class. It was as much theory as it was practice, and how she loved to practice this particular subject matter.

She felt confident enough to lead, she started slow and gentle. She made sure to use lighter pressure, playing with his tongue. She moved her hands to his hair and made small movements, slightly pulling it. She made sure to keep the movement in her hips, as she rubbed that sensitive spot of her core on the growing part of his pants. He groaned, “that’s good, Gwyn. So good.” She smiled. She loved compliments.

Her hands roved over his back, and she felt small grooves. Not as deep as the ones on his hands, but they demanded closer inspection. Later, she vowed.

As she moved her hips quicker, chasing the friction harder and harder, she extended the kiss. Gradually picking up speed and applying more pressure. She bit his bottom lip, not where his cut was, she didn’t want to really hurt him, just a little bit. She licked the spot she bit, and the one where the cut was. She moved to his neck and noticed how his smell was even more noticeable there. It was her favorite spot on his body, she decided.

Gwyn was coming undone, getting lost in the movement, in the kiss, in him. It felt like she was climbing up a hill of pleasure, one she usually only felt in the comfort of solitude. She often achieved climax to images of him, but this was the first time he was actually here, not in her mind.

She moved quicker, chasing that pleasure. With every new movement, she took another step up that hill. She kissed his neck then his jaw, until all focus and thoughts emptied her mind, and only pleasure existed. She picked up speed and threw her head back as an explosion of pleasure took over her body, “AZRIEL” she yelled into the open space.

He smiled and wrapped his hands around he more tightly, in one swift movement he took her into his arms and turned them around on the bed. She was pinned underneath his heavy body, with his wings draped over them. Shielding them from noise and outside influence. He placed a kiss on her lips and looked into her eyes as he said “Gwyn, will you be my girlfriend?”

The question made her feel giddy as if she was five years old again.

His arm left their cocoon, to pick up something she should have noticed before, was that… a teddy bear?

“For when you need someone to hold you when I’m away.”

“Azriel….”

 “I love it,” she said with a hand on his cheek. He was so thoughtful. He made her so happy it almost hurt.

“And yes… I would like that very much.” She threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his hips. She kissed him with as much ecstasy as she was feeling. She desperately wanted to convey exactly how he made her feel.

“I’m really happy. You make me happy, Azriel.” These words could be a start.

“You make me happy too, Gwyn.” He smiled and kissed her swollen lips. As he started to open his mouth, attempting to deepen the kiss again, she moved her head back and whispered against his mouth “come find me in the library after the draw.”

He wrapped his arms around hers too and they remained in the embrace for what felt like forever, and yet not nearly long enough.

Azriel POV

The draw was an ancient practice in Helmerra, almost as old as the school itself. Seven students were granted the ‘privilege’ to become the champion of their section. All champions would compete in something called the Blood Rite.

The Rite was originally established to enhance relations between the different groups that existed within Prythian.

The champions would compete in three tasks that tested their magical ability, courage, and intelligence. The winner(s) would be granted the title Carynthian. Two completed tasks allowed the title ‘Oristian’, and when only one task was completed they were called ‘Arktosians’.

In the last five centuries since the school's origin, only six champions earned the title of Carynthian.

Historically the competition was very deadly. To continue its legacy, rules were set. A competitor had to be of a certain age, and it was all voluntary. Nowadays, the trials were designed to be less deadly, but they weren’t any less brutal.

Every section- creature, fae, and Illyrian- provided two champions, the Royals were an exception. Due to their small size, they only offered one.

Although he had a 2/197 chance, in Azriel’s year he and Cassian were chosen to represent the Illyrian group and Rhysand was the royals’ champion.

It was fortunate and tragic that his entire chosen family was picked. He hated they were put in that dangerous position, and he would rather have suffered alone. But they did help each other throughout the Rite and they actually won their year, all earning the title of Carynthain in the process.  

As he walked into the dining hall, he couldn’t shake the feeling a similar faith awaited Gwyn. He heard she was put in the Royals group. Although they only chose one, there were merely 20 of them. That greatly increased her odds, compared to the 2/147 odds she would have had in the Fae section.

Five enormous tables divided the dining hall space, one table for every year. The tables were made of dark wood, which greatly contrasted the mostly stone space. Orbs of light were spread throughout the ceiling space, illuminating the dark space.

The tables were supposed to be mixed within the year, but societies tended to stick together.

All teachers were gathered at the end of the space, where the cauldron stood. It was only visible on special occasions, such as today, when names were picked for the Blood Rite.

Azriel walked towards his usual spot next to Cassian and Rhys. They were seated at the fifth years table, at the far end.

He spotted the teal eyes from across the room within seconds. She was sitting with the other third years next to Nesta and Emerie. She smiled when his eyes found hers.

He couldn’t detect any fear, but he knew she must be at least a little nervous. It was all new for her, and he truly hoped after everything she had already gone through, she would be spared this fate.

He tried to remove her name from the cauldron just before the gathering, but Helion put some kind of protection spell around it.

All he could do now was pray.

“Quiet please”. A small voice said from the teacher's table.

“Quiet.” The murmuring from the students continued.

“QUIET” another more stern voice yelled into the grand space.

The small voice continued, “we have gathered here today to draw the champions who will compete in the Blood Rite.”

“It’s an honor bestowed upon few.”

“Let’s see who the cauldron chooses today.”

The whole room went silent in anticipation.

The headmaster, Hybern, picked the first name out of the cauldron, the first contestant from the Faes will be “Nesta Archeron.”

The whole room started murmuring again.

Azriel could feel Cassian tense up next to him.

He must have dreaded this moment too.

Hybern continued, “to defend the pride of the Illyrians, Emerie will be tasked with this plight.”

He saw Emerie’s face switch from sadness to acceptance when she grabbed Nesta’s hand. As if their fate was dire, but their grievance was collective. 

“Let’s move on to the Royals, shall we?” Hybern continued.

He put his hand in the big golden expanse, making a show out of the process. When he finally pick one droplet out of the sea of tears, which with the flick of his hand transformed into a piece of paper.

“Gwyneth Berdarra.” He said as the whole world seemed to stop.

Gwyneth, Gwyn, his Gwyn. His new girlfriend Gwyn.

Shit, how did this even happen. Why couldn’t the cauldron pick someone like Tarquin who had trained for this his whole life. Who he wouldn’t really miss when something were to inevitably happen.

He looked at Gwyn, who was staring at him the whole time. As if she waited for his reaction ever since her name was drawn.

He tried to project confidence from his eyes, but fear was all he felt.

“Champions, come up to the stage, so we can celebrate your privilege properly,” Hybern exclaimed in the distance.

The crowd cheered, but all he could feel was the sinking dread of realization, that his Gwyn would once again be in danger.

And he couldn’t do anything to stop it, again.

Gwyn POV

Her future may have shifted with the draw, but her present still required her attendance in the library. Merryl didn’t wait for anyone, not even the Blood Rite.

She still didn’t really know how she felt about it- being drawn into the vicious competition.

All she knew was that whatever awaited her, she would face together. With Nesta and Emerie at her side.

She saw the look in Azriel’s eyes, his eyes were strong but she recognized the emotions behind them: fear and worry.

Her library shift almost ended, she found almost all the books, she needed to find just one more and then she was free for the day. Promises of the East wasn’t in any of the conventional spots, not in tales of the East, geography, philosophy, or foreign literature. Where else could it be, she wondered as she made another round through the library stacks.

“Are you looking for this?” that familiar baritone voice said from behind her.

A shadow opened up a portal and the book she was looking for dropped out of the pocket dimension.

She was shocked and wondered when she would learn the full extent of Azriel’s magic.

“I was. Thank you.” She smiled and kissed him on his cheek.

“Thank you, Blaze.” She said to the obsidian cloud that moved in front of her, caressing her face.

“Absolutely not,” Azriel said in the stern voice she rarely was on the receiving end of.

“They love it,” she said as she rolled her eyes. “Don’t you guys?”

They moved up and down, and she decided that meant yes.

“See?”

Azriel said down after having paced the entire length of the library. She was sure she would find a hole in the stone flooring.

“Gwyn, I’m worried.” He finally said as he stopped in front of her to sit down in a chair.

“About your shadows?” She joked. “We can name them Smokie, Buster, Nathan.”

“Whatever they’d like.” She knew what he actually meant, but she wanted to postpone that conversation for as long as she could.

“Gwyn.” He said as he moved his hands on his knees, putting his head in his hands.

“I know.” That was not long at all. They were having this conversation now then.

“I put my name in there with the other Valkyries after training. I knew this could happen. We all did. Maybe me even more than the others.”

When Gwyn got kidnapped by Koschei, Nesta revived a group of warrior females called the Valkyries. Historically they were fearless and smart fighters. Individually they were strong, but they excelled in their skill to function as a unit. It’s where she learned her mind-stilling technique from.

“And I can handle myself Azriel, that’s why we’ve been training.” She countered.

“I know you can. I really do.” He said with that same worry in his eyes.

“I just worry.”

“I was there Gwyn. The tasks, they’re brutal.”

“And after everything you’ve been through.” He paused, looking for his next words.

“…I just don’t want you to get hurt again.”

She moved behind him, she didn’t know if there were words in this world that could ease his mind. If she could show him the future would be in favor of his argument, or her conviction? All she knew was that she could only influence one of them.

She positioned herself behind his back, finally towering over him, as she looked into his eyes and said “thank you for your worry and care.”

“I know you mean well.”

“But when you say stuff like that it makes me feel like you think I’m not good enough to compete. Not strong enough.”

He started talking again but she continued “I know you don’t mean to, but I can’t stop the feeling.”

“I am going to compete and I would like your support.”

“I’m done letting fears from the past affect my present. I am the one who shapes my future. 

Azriel stilled again, as if he was absorbing the words and forced them to ease his body. Gwyn moved closer, putting her hands on his shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes as she said “I am the rock against which the surf crashes, and nothing can break me. Not memories from my past, not doubts in the present, and not fears about the future.” She had never shared her mind-stilling out loud before. It felt strange but powerful.

He moved his scarred hand up toward her face, but she met his just above his heart. His auburn eyes burned with the power of a thousand suns when he said “I believe you. I believe in you, Gwyn. I’m sorry if I made you feel like I didn’t.” 

“And I…” 

She knew what he was about to say, she also knew how difficult it was for him to say the words. So they both held onto the place where it resided, as they looked into each other’s eyes, a conversation was held that words could never convey. This was enough. He was enough. Always.

#gwynriel #azriel shadowsinger #gwyn acosf #gwyn x azriel #gwyneth berdara #acotar fanfiction #acotar alternate universe #a court of silver flames #ao3 fanfic #acotar #gwynrielfic

[shall-we-go-far-away]

okay, okay ep. 5 & 6: holy shit that was one hell of a ride wasn't it? (maybe whoever is reading this also saw my panicked posts from wednesday, yes I was losing my mind)

I'll try to do this as structured as possible but I can't promise anything so prepare for it to be just as all over the place as wednesday's episodes.. get ready, buckle up I have a lot of things to say:

first and foremost: FUCK YOU TAEHYUNG!! I was trying to be nice last time giving him a second chance and all because yk, I thought maybe just because he was annoying once, doesn't mean he has to be all the time but fuck was I wrong.. is he genuinely so stupid that he doesn't realize how his words affect jaewon or does he just straight up choose to ignore it?? or is it simply the mixture of both because wtf dude?? this guy is so blinded by his jealousy it's crazy like bro, how about you try and make it less obvious?? and considering how angry and uncomfortable he makes me (and jaewon) I was sooo glad jihyun and aeri were there and so happy to see they quickly picked up on how jaewon reacted and then decided to team up against taehyung (rightfully so)

especially jihyun (my cute little bean) was so attentive the entire time he really took one look at jaewon and immediately recognized something was off.. and because he was watching him so closely his reaction to jaewon slamming his hand on the table came almost naturally

moving on to aeri, I still think she's a bit much but that's probably because I'm introverted as fuck and she's clearly not.. I do really like her and jihyun's dynamic and loved their little class-skipping-shopping-sequence like you go besties!!

back to the junior-senior get together: that cut to jaewon being absolutely wasted was kinda scary and really shows how much he's struggling with everything and that he doesn't know how to properly cope with it.. and this little part of dialogue really stuck with me so once again props to jihyun for this simple yet very deep response

"you're not acting like yourself."

"hey, what is 'acting like myself'?"

"that's up to you."

I just feel like jaewon never heard something like this, he always had to fit into this box that the people around him created for him so someone saying who you are is up to you is complete news to him

harsh cut to jaewon waking up and the flashback with his brother: that shit hurt!! for some reason I expected his brother to be closer to him age wise (not that this would make him dying any less horrible) but when I saw jaewon with this little boy that just shattered me and jaewon just sitting there sobbing and desperately trying to put the camera back together was so painful to watch

skip to the beginning of episode 6: the scene of them in the car was also kinda hard to watch seeing jaewon so out of it like he wasn't even fully there (a quick round of applause for lim jisub who portrays this haunted look very well) apart from that I really liked that even though jaewon didn't answer jihyun's question he didn't let go and kept asking until eventually he gets an answer from jaewon

and now we're at a point where things started to get a little confusing for me:

while watching I felt like something was off, I couldn't pinpoint what it was (most of the time my brain has all the pieces of information but I can't put them together) but the episode felt different and then I saw a post on here (I tried not to read too much because I wanted most of this post to be my own impression) that said we might be seeing everything from jaewon's blurry, medication induced view which is why some things don't seem to add up and I think that's true or at least somewhat close to what was happening

I was actually debating which route to go with because so many possibilities about what was actually happening in ep. 6 came to my mind at first I actually thought jaewon might've overdosed in the car and ep. 6 didn't happen at all but were a hallucination or nightmare (what made me think that was the weirdly bright lighting and everything looking kinda blurry which always was an indicator of a dream or something unreal happening in any sort of media I've ever seen) but I don't think so anymore I would actually go with what I mentioned above and this blurry look comes from jaewon's medication

OOOR they chose this lighting to show how this entire trips feels like a dream because it's only jaewon and jihyun, completely separated from other people and far from their actual lives so of course that feels somewhat dream like

what I'm trying to say is: I don't think the entire episode was fake

I think making it all fake would be a waste of an episode and judging from the rest of the show so far it doesn't really seem like something the creators would do.. I think?? (maybe that's why I want some of the theories here to be true so bad because I don't want this episode to be wasted as a dream or whatever)

I would also agree with others that jihyun is probably fine, maybe a little shaken and scared but not physically hurt.. I think we see the accident happen from jaewon's pov and he's imagining it way worse than it is

nonetheless that shit scared me, how the entire mood switched and went so dark all of a sudden and then jaewon screaming jihyun's name.. I think the worst part were the silent credits and damn, that silence was loud.. let's just say, I cried..

alright, I think that's it.. I kind of lost focus in the end so idk if I actually said everything I wanted to but I think I covered most of it

#I'm a wreck #a hoe for this show #god damn it #it makes me go insane #but for some reason I feel like the wait for Wednesday won't be as long as before #maybe because I'm still in shock #I only know that we're probably gonna deal with a lot of heartbreak next week #buckle up it's only gonna get worse #bl drama #korean bl #the eighth sense #jaewon x jihyun

[leporellian]

thoughts on “modern” opera productions!

this has been sitting in my inbox forever and i thought 'yeah i'll answer that sometime' and then i went and fucked off to pittsburgh for like a week but now... i am here. i have fire in my veins. and i can't go to work at the moment so i'm going a little insane. perfect timing to write about "modern" setting opera productions and why i have it Fucking Out for them most of the time

so i know the big joke is that i have it out for modern setting opera productions but there's a caveat here, and the caveat depends on three things:

a) if it works with what's in the source material and/or provides something additionally meaningful instead of messing up the existent dynamics, b) if it understands that audience sympathy and modernization do not go hand in hand, or c) if it pisses off opera boomers (funny). the lucia di lammermoor at the met right now that everyone's panicking over i think works because, third point aside, it works with what's already there. the whole idea of mental health struggles both affecting and being taken out on women, as well as the concept of women having to carry the public image of their families, works both in Ye Olde Scotland and modern southern America. plus, the new setting adds an additional sort of patheticness (in that perfect sort of pitiable way) to the whole 'you must keep up our DISTINGUISHED family NAME' when said distinguished family name is a corrupt car dealership, and i think that's really genuinely interesting; it doesn't take away from or act in defiance of the original but adds a new layer on top. and again, it makes people mad, and that's funny.

so if there's some modern productions i'm okay with, why do i hate so many of them? and the answer comes down to a few key features.

number one. directors want to do an ironic take on something and in the process sort of ruin it. lucia, as previously stated, works with its irony because it's still very genuine in spite of it. but there's a lot of operas where the director thinks they can provide commentary on parts that haven't aged well (or that they just plain disagree with) by making the characters act like blatant assholes and having any sense of peace or good will be absolutely obliterated. now this isn't an issue specific to modern setting productions but it tends to be really common with them. now this isn't to say directors can never put characters or situations in different lights, but it Is to say that making something too mean spirited can spoil it. this is especially annoying when the opera is actually rather idealistic in nature and the director's just trying to be like "OH BUT TRUE LOVE DOESN'T EXIST" like... maybe go watch a cinemasins video or whatever it is edgy 14 year olds do these days and take a break from directing opera until you feel better.

number two. certain dynamics tend to get lost in translation when done in modern settings. you especially see this in operas revolving around class dynamics, although others are to be included as well. take don giovanni, for example, a show i have never really liked any modern setting productions of (despite it ofc being my favorite opera). leporello's entire character hinges on the dynamics of 17th century class servitude, along with other power imbalances of the time. in a more 'modern' setting, where leporello is just the don's assistant or a close friend, it doesn't make sense why he has little to no agency over the don's actions because there isn't the 'servants of the 17th century had to follow their masters' orders or McFucking Die' notion in the mix- and this directly leads to the modern idea of making leporello into a slimy, unlikable enabler instead of the more benign and sympathetic figure he's meant to be seen as. there's many more examples here but that one comes to mind and that's a major failing of modern setting productions, even if the vague general concepts are timeless.

number three. directors think that the audience can only empathize with modern characters. this is the biggest issue and, i think, the worst one. there was a tweet a going around a while ago like 'oh i cant relate to finding nemo because i'm not a fish' and that's really a TLDR of this situation. directors have this need to make everything easier to the audience to relate to, and while this strategy might work with the shallow, it kind of... removes one of the main points of theatre and fiction as a whole... which is TO WORK TO UNDERSTAND AND EMPATHIZE WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN YOU. opera's themes are universal; rigoletto is about ableism and misogyny and how societal power structures are built on their backs; the marriage of figaro is about class not determining the merit of a person (and misogyny and power Again), tosca is about the plurality of god and how religion and politics are inseparably linked. all of these themes are things we aren't unused to. you COULD of course make the argument that a modern setting shows the audience that these struggles have always been there, but in my mind that's spelling it out for them and i like letting them make the connection for themselves. it's much more profound to connect to something that'c obviously set in a different time than it is to connect to something that happened in a story taking place just last week with characters roughly Your age. you have to let the audience do some work to understand the piece. part of the joy of opera is that it feels like you're not alone in your struggles, and having a modern setting kind of removes that feeling. that and there's this idea in fiction that a character has to be just like you for you to understand them, which... i evidently thoroughly dislike. i am making a story here, not a #relatable buzzfeed quiz. empathy isn't created by putting the characters in modern slacks and handing them an iphone. it's created by damn good writing and portrayals, which opera has in spades but just needs to.... actually realize it has in spades. modern settings are thoroughly superficial in this way.

number four. directors think that old timey costumes and situations are ridiculous. this sorta goes hand in hand with the last one. listen here's the big secret: all genuine expression of human emotion? it's going to be inevitably, wonderfully ridiculous! you cannot have something that is incredibly profound without it looking at least slightly silly to someone somewhere out there. because that's human nature. we are all just a bunch of apes on a big rock in space trying to do our best, and we have to embrace the inherent silliness of profundity if we want to express it. once again this is an issue boiling down to 'director wants all of the vulnerability without none of the actual vulnerability' and shooting themselves in the foot over it.

TLDR for this one: you are going to look at the guy onstage in a 14th century jester costume and you are going to understand him and have a Moment over it, and then you will understand how connected we all really are and how art is a repeated journey of telling the world that there was someone there, and it mattered. Oh and if you stage The Rakes Progress in a modern setting GO TO JAIL NOW. i yield my time

#opera tag #rambles

[evergardenwall]

21 and 29 for the non-Americans asks! (hi Sam <3)

hi rynna<33

21. if you could send two things from your country into space, what would they be?

a baguette, obviously -- cannot escape that one! --, and uhhhh ...watercress ? it's a local specialty from where i live (in france, this plant is mainly cultivated in my home department and the neighboring one)

29. does your region/city have a beef with another place in your country?

i don't know if it quite counts as 'beef', but inhabitants of the 'grande couronne' departments of paris' region often tend to be seen as parisians and teased for it by french people from other regions... while parisians don't see us as parisians at all, and more like 'country/provincial people'... but none of these two stereotypes are completely true, imo

i mean... on one hand, because paris is the economic center of both the region and the country, we are inevitably intertwined with it : three of our departments, including my beloved essonne, were created in the 1960s by the loi n° 64-707 du 10 juillet 1964 portant réorganisation de la région parisienne (law no. 64-707 of july 10, 1964 relating to the reorganization of the paris region) in order to respond to a demographic boom due to rural exodus of people from other regions + immigrants, all searching for jobs in the capital or its close suburbs but unable to afford housing there (i'm kind of simplifying, but you get the gist of it!). we share a public transit network and the same transport card (the pass navigo), a common slang/accent, cultural references, etc... but, on the other hand, i would still argue we are different, and ultimately don't face the same problems nor are the same kind of territory, socially and economically.

i could use many examples, but the topic i know best is the way we are connected to the rest of the region : we are even further from paris than people living in the close suburbs, and that means can get really isolated when there are renovation works on the rer/transilien (which. happens often. like really.). it's a whole issue, how we genuinely cannot get to paris or the suburbs (because the network is so paris-centred -- it's star-shaped --, most of the time, when you want to go from a suburb to another, you have to take a connection in paris) when the lines are closed in the evenings (and by that i mean the evenings on weekdays, sometimes starting from 8:30pm) and weekends, the infrastructure on many lines (c and d especially) is old, and unlike with the subway, you don't get a train every five minutes (it's a train all 30 minutes or every hour, and that's when they're not cancelling them lmao) :'D and as someone who lives in a more rural corner and has been going to uni, working, and seeing friends in paris... i have been experiencing it daily. people commute for hours every day to get to work because they don't have the choice... and the regional council (presided by valérie pécresse </3), which is in charge of the public transport, doesn't do anything to improve the situation...in fact, the quality of our public transport has been degrading since her coalition won the regional elections back in 2015 and has been reelected since because there is a very low turnout so. yeah. (also tbh whilst we have an extra struggle due to distances in the 'grande couronne', this obviously applies to the closer suburbs as well, especially the poorer ones like seine-saint-denis.)

honestly, while not ignoring the fact that this city also has inequalities within it, just living in paris itself is a privilege that most ordinary parisians (not just the upper-class ones!) don't realise. it immediately gives you a wider array of opportunities and access to a lot more services and institutions! like, a parliamentary investigation has once showed that even the least reputed schools in paris' working-class districts receive more funds than the best-ranked schools in the neighboring department of seine-saint-denis, which is one of france's poorest departments ; there are almost no food or medical deserts (even though the public hospitals there are also being fucked over by the government's policies like in the rest of the country, ofc), and wherever you are in the capital, you will have a subway/bus/tram, and a plan b if your line is closed, etc. anyway yeah tl;dr: there is no universal experience of living in the paris region, especially if you live in a poorer department with shitty infrastructure and public services that are even more underfunded by the state / in a rural area, but we are still linked to paris whether we want it or not. schrödinger's parisians or something, idk👍(also, i'd say the shared trait in the whole paris region is that people are rude. our fellow countrymen from other regions are right about that one.)

“hi, I’m not from the US” ask set

#replies #rynna #ask game: hi i'm not from the us

[vacantgodling]

@henrike-does-writing-sometimes

gl with resetting your sleep schedule! i know that's a struggle lmaoooo

so when it comes to dag's lovers i still am working on a lot of their personalities and everything but i can give you a kinda basic rundown of whats going on

tl;dr in order to have a chance at becoming the celestial ruler, dag & 7 other hopefuls (chosen by the previous celestial ruler's lovers when they pass on) are chosen young in order to be trained, and then go on a worldwide journey to each of the 8 spheres (or realms. or gates. however you would like to call them lol) to marry a member of each realm's royal family. they have to basically choose the right one (soul destiny some shit lol) in order to ascend to the throne :)

some hopefuls aren't in it for the romance they're just tryna get it over with; or they marry platonically (but thats not this story im obsessed with romance lol). dag however, really loves all of his partners and seeks to genuinely get to know and fall in love with them and whatnot

so without further ado, these are the partners & what i know about them so far:

*also as a side note everyone in this story including dag are nb. but i do list their pronouns and you can call them anything in that realm lol

LILLIABET (she/they/he) — lillia is dag's childhood friend and is the youngest child of the dattenmaow royal family. i just first of all, love her aesthetic she wears red most of the time and has long braids. favorite part of her outfits/design is her big heavy beaded jewelry, its a bit of a staple in dattenmaow! the two of them have been in love for a long time; dag was taken to the celestial city for training when he was 6 years old, and for the 27 years he was away for training (yeah its that long lol) the two of them kept in contact through letters! lillia is excitable and can be a little childish, but she cares deeply for people. they're also a very skilled fighter and love exploring and adventuring. she feels like she's not taken seriously by her family because she is the baby, and appreciates how dag has always seen her as his equal! she also saved her first kiss for him lmao. it's a well known fact in dattenmaow that if dag hadn't been chosen to be a hopeful, he and lillia would've been wed regardless lol (especially bc she and dag's parents were close).

IZUL (they/them) — i don't know much about izul yet tbh. they're the fifth child of the mukhiru royal family. i definitely know that they tend to go most places barefoot (i think it might be a cultural thing for them) and they have a lot of anklets. their skin is sooo pretty and dark and they have short kinky curly hair. i think they're a bit more of a reserved person; they tend to laugh behind their hand a lot and i think they're also more reserved with affection. dag definitely appeals to them as a friend first.

VIGUSTAV (he/him) — VIGUSTAV MY BELOVED i gotta calm down. he’s the third child of the vukter royal family! something to know about dag is that he's actually pretty tall, but 2 of his lovers are taller than him: vigustav and almine. viggo is an absolute sweetheart, which is actually looked down upon in his culture. i don't know much about everything that their culture does yet, however i do know in order to become accepted as a true warrior or some shit, they have to complete a SUPREMELY dangerous trial that its seen as more of an honor if you die in than to come back and fail and... unfortunately vig failed. he lost his arm in the trail actually and while he's not in the extremely dark place that he was before he met dag, he definitely was suicidal back when it happened. he's matured a lot as a person since then but that doesn't necessarily mean people's treatment of him is any better, and tbh, he really struggles to see himself as a worthy partner for anyone, esp when he meets dag. they have such a sweet romance like i'm laying on the FLOOR. dag helps vig feel attractive and desirable and worthy of affection and vig absolutely spoils tf out of his wife. there's this really sweet scene that i see happening during a courtship ceremony when viggo and dag dance together and bc of his disability most of the time vig sits out dances or has to be "led", dag lets him lead the dance and boy it restores his confidence a lot. if you can't tell absolutely adore this big bear of a man he has my whole heart.

MUU (they/he/she) — muu is another newly figured out addition. i know my initial description of them was “sports anime protag” bc i just see them being very excitable, hardworking and down to earth. they’re also SUPER dreamy. head in the clouds all the time and very giggly. they come back down to earth when things need to be taken care of but they’re very laid back and love relaxing and driving boats throughout the marsh. they definitely started off being instantly attracted to dag but also admired him greatly for his strength and chill personality.

ZHUJEN (she/her) — WIFE. WIFEY. BELOVED. she’s the eldest child of the guanai royal family though she is still younger than dag by three years. in guanai culture there is a lot of emphasis on the care of elders to youngers and the ruler of guanai is essentially seen as a parent to all of the people. since zhujen (before she weds dag p much) is seen as the next in line to be mother (nb) to all the people of the nation, she’s constantly worn thin by people constantly needing her. between being trained as a ruler, to her peoples calls for her aid, to her siblings relying on her… it’s a wonder that she’s able to handle it all. dag is the first person to really be able to emphasize with the stress of having so much responsibility rest on her shoulders at all times and the two bond over it quickly. she has a fairy-like vibe to her; guanai is a land of thick dense forests with houses built in trees, so to be fair most of the people of guanai feel like that. however zhujen is remarkably patient and loving and kind. acts of service are a huge love language for her both giving and receiving and she promises dag that once he becomes celestial ruler she’ll make sure he never works himself too hard 🥲

ALMINE (she/he) — the fourth child of the royal family, almine is gruff and has a calm command of the room around her. she can be intimidating with her tall frame and large build, and fierce disposition but it’s because she’s a guardian and protector to her core. the only thing she loves more than silence and nature is horses and she is the leader of the zali mountain militia. she’s also the oldest of dag’s lovers and the wisest. it’s definitely a situation where she swept dag off of his feet when she realized he would respect her boundaries and had a similar love for the earth like she did. (i also based a lot of her personality off of geralt of rivia from the witcher down to the scruffy stubble/beard and light hair 😭)

RHOHANEN (they/he) — sixth child of the aeronwen royal family and an ACTUAL brat he had genuinely no desire to be wed off to anyone until dag sort of convinced him otherwise. the deal is that aeronwen, like it’s icy peaks, is a land devoid of integrity like some of the other spheres value it’s intensely cutthroat and ruthless. being one of the younger members of the family, rho has constantly had his ability and existence questioned and constantly has to duke it out with his siblings in order to be noticed and respected. he’s not used to love, essentially. in fact the only reason anything sparks between he and dag is bc rho is a horny lil bastard who says “it’ll be sex and nothing more” however guess who catches feelings 🤪 dag’s probably the most assertive with rho than with any of the other lovers bc rho is someone who refuses to see things even if it’s right in front of his face. dag teaches him how to allow himself to be vulnerable and to trust those who have truly earned it while rho helps dag with his decisiveness bc up until they met, dag has been very much able to use his subtly and humbled nature to solve problems and get by. however it mirrors how, even as the celestial ruler when tough times arise, you have to be cutthroat occasionally for the good of the world :)

AENLIN (he/they/she) — finally, aenlin, the most interesting circumstance of all dag’s lovers. see, the thing about aenlin is that not only is he the second child of the lesedi royal family but he’s also a hopeful himself. all throughout the journey that he and dag have taken through each of the realms (1) aenlin hasn’t courted any lovers or been wed and (2) he’s viewed dag as a sort of rival. this is simply bc since he’s in a unique position of being both a hopeful and a member of the royal court, he essentially was forfeited from birth from the ability to be the celestial ruler (he can’t marry one of his siblings lol). but he also can’t become a ruler of lesedi bc he’s second in line. it’s made him very bitter, and he’s known that dag is the most likely candidate to become the celestial ruler for a decade at least, however they didn’t met officially until the journey of the hopefuls began. he wanted to hate dag and he does his best to. in the times they interact even when dag is kind or neutral towards him, aenlin has been very gruff and almost rude in a way. but all is revealed when they reach lesedi and he’s “welcomed” by his family. dag has no ill will towards aenlin and slowly gets to the bottom of his feelings and helps him reconcile that just because he isn’t “the best” doesn’t mean he isn’t loved and that he doesn’t have purpose. so, as much as aen didn’t want to lol he does end up falling for and marrying dag :) their love story technically takes the longest bc i’d be sprinkling it in all throughout dag’s time traveling and with the other lovers haha.

#oof this was long sorry but hope you enjoyed tm #s: celestial weddings