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#I realise they are very badly drawn
theemporium · 1 year
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[1.6k] sick of their lovesick friend crushing on you, remus and sirius take it upon themselves to give james the boost he needs to talk to you. it doesn’t quite work out the way they planned.
It wasn’t meant to happen like this.
Or, to accurately rephrase that, it wasn’t meant to be this fucking intense. 
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were nothing but good friends. They were there when you needed someone to listen, they were there to offer advice, they were there to make you laugh when all you really needed was a distraction. 
They were good friends. 
But even this was pushing their limits. 
It was no surprise to anyone at Hogwarts that James Potter fell hard and fast. It may not happen often as people like to make it out to be, but the second that boy sets his eyes on someone, he’s a goner. And there’s no one better than his friends to know that. 
They had seen it with crushes over the last few years, but none of them hit the boy as hard as you did. 
One snarky comment, a broom race and one infirmary  visit later, and James Potter was completely besotted by you. 
And as his best friends, Remus and Sirius had been subjected to far too many rambles the bespectacled boy had given over the months since he first laid his eyes on you. 
But even they had their limits and their patience was quickly running out. That’s why they had a plan, a simple plan. It was honestly the simplest of plans where nothing could go wrong. 
Or at least, that’s what they had thought. 
The main problem was that for all he was confident and arrogant and loud, James Potter seemed to lose all confidence and suave when he was around you. The boy got flustered and stumbled on his words and struggled to even say anything remotely impressive, and it was a disheartening sight to see. 
So when Remus suggested a simple confidence boosting potion from the alchemy in Hogsmeade, the plan was set in stone. They’d sneak him the potion, convince him to ask you out and the rest would be history. 
The task to acquire the potion was left to Sirius considering Remus had prefect rounds and would be unable to get the potion himself. But Sirius didn’t think some measly potion from Hogsmeade would be enough, so he didn’t see the big deal in grabbing one from his family’s favourite upend alchemy instead. 
As it turns out, it was a very big deal. 
Not only were the potions stronger, but they were laced with extra festive elements for witches and wizards who were stupid enough to buy potions during holidays. 
And this confidence potion was laced with a very, very strong love potion—-in celebration of Valentines Day. 
“What the fuck did you buy?!” 
“The man in the store said it would enhance!” 
“Enhance what? His bloody insanity?!” 
“Stop yelling at me, Moony, I am sensitive!” 
Both boys stared at their friend who sat on the bed in front of them, a cheesy grin on his face and his tousled hair falling into his eyes. They thought it would be easiest to slip in the potion in the morning, just before they headed down for breakfast. 
Now, they realised, it would probably be best if they hadn’t given him the potion at all. 
James Potter sat on his bed, a badly drawn picture of you that was no better than a stickman on a piece of parchment in his hand as he sighed hopelessly. 
“She’s so pretty,” James murmured happily. 
“That’s a bit of ink and paper, mate,” Sirius replied, looking at James with the caution one would have for a wild beast. 
“She’s even pretty when she’s a drawing,” James continued as he lifted his head to look at his friends. “Don’t you think?” 
“Uh, sure,” Remus murmured, unsure if disagreeing with a lovesick fool would be the best course of action. He turned to look at Sirius, a glimmer of annoyance in his gaze. “We can’t let him leave this room when he is acting like…that.”  
“He will be fine, Moony,” Sirius scoffed and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s barely noticeable anyways.” 
Remus raised his brows. “Oh really?”
“Hey, buddy, how ya feeling?” Sirius asked as he turned back to James. 
James jumped onto his feet, puffing his chest out. “I feel like I wanna sing to the world how much I love my girl—“ 
“Yeah, okay, maybe he’s not ready to leave the room just yet.” 
Remus let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay, I’m gonna go down and grab us some food and possibly some books from the library that can help us…reverse whatever this is,” he announced as he turned back to Sirius and fitted him with a glare. “Keep an eye on him, and do not let him leave.”
Sirius rolled his eyes. “Aye, aye, captain.” 
“I’m serious.” 
“I thought I was Sirius.” 
“I swear to Merlin—“ 
“I promise, I promise!” Sirius eventually sighed and raised his hands in mock surrender. “Now go, before Prongs starts spouting sonnets and you start correcting him.” 
It didn’t sit well with Remus has he quickly exited the Gryffindor common room, heading into the halls of the school and making his way down to the Great Hall. Leaving Sirius in charge of a very…odd James was not reassuring in the slightest, but at this point they had little choice in the matter. They needed to get this sorted out and get it sorted out soon without alarming any of the teachers. 
Or worse, James’ mother. 
Remus suppressed his shudder as he made his way through the throng of students, heading towards the Gryffindor table so he could grab some food for the lot of them and make a quick escape. 
However, the boy failed to notice the group sitting just a few feet away from him. 
“Remus, hey!” 
Remus froze, a piece of toast hanging between his fingers before he turned his head to the left, giving you what he hoped was a casual smile—although it looked more like a grimace. 
“Hey,” he answered lamely. 
“You’re late this morning,” you joked lightly, your attention purely on the boy. You stretched your neck to try and catch a glimpse of his friends but he was alone. “Hey, where’s—”
“James is sick!” Remus blurted out and watched as you frowned in concern. “Not like, deathly sick. But just enough for him to stay in bed for the day.” 
“Oh,” you murmured and the disappointment was clear in your voice. “Is there anything I can do to help? I have some potions my mum gave me—“ 
“No, no,” Remus waved you off. “Potions can’t fix this.” 
But that only seemed to deepen your worries. “Remus, are you sure he’s okay?” 
However, before Remus could even open his mouth to spout another lie, another voice yelled through the hallway just outside the Great Hall. 
“OH TREASURE OF MY HEART!” 
Remus closed his eyes. “Fuck.” 
“OH DARLING APPLE OF MY EYE!” 
“He had one fucking job,” Remus muttered to himself. “One. Fucking. Job.” 
“WHERE IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE?!” 
Your wide eyes met Remus’. “Is that—” 
Just then a figure came bursting through the entrance of the Great Hall, standing in nothing but socks, a pair of boxers and a white shirt. But James Potter didn’t care about the gasps or gawking eyes, he was looking for one person—you. 
“My love!” His eyes brightened as he spotted you on the table and quickly began making his way over to you. 
Not even seconds later, Sirius came running after him as he panted heavily. “Fucking…prick…hexed me.” 
Remus would’ve snorted if James approaching you wasn't the priority. 
Your eyebrows furrowed together as a partially dressed James kneeled down in front of you. “James—”
“Love of my life, you look absolutely stunning today, it wounds me!” James sighed dramatically as he reached to take your hands in his, pressing kisses on the back of each knuckle. 
“I wound you?” you murmured as the boy looked up at you with wide eyes. 
“Don’t you know, darling? It wounds me to even be apart from you!” James exclaimed. 
“Okay, buddy, how about we head back to the dorm?” Remus murmured as he tried to pull James up, but his hands were quickly batted away. 
“Leave me alone, Moony, you are getting in the way of true love!” 
“True love?” you repeated, biting back the smile growing on your lips. You were still very confused, but at least you were amused. 
“The truest!” James said as he looked you in the eyes before taking a deep breath. “Oh darling, do me the pleasure of becoming Mrs Potter—“ 
“OKAY!” Remus clapped his hands together, finally pulling James away from you as Sirius cackled beside him. 
“You’ve ruined my proposal, Moony!” James whined. “You’re officially taken off the best man list.” 
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Remus muttered before flashing you a sheepish smile. “Just…pretend this never happened.” 
Before Remus could make proper move of herding a boisterous James out of the Great Hall and back towards the Gryffindor dormitories, you were out of your seat and chasing after them. 
“James!” 
His head quickly snapped around, big eyes finding yours as his face split into a grin. “Yes, my love?”
You stopped when you stood in front of them, your chest moving up and down quickly and your heart thundering in your chest, but it was too late now. 
Before you could second guess yourself, you leaned forward and grabbed his face in your hands, pressing a kiss on his lips before pulling back. 
“Come find me when you’re…better.”
James didn’t even get the chance to reply as you quickly skidded off, his lips parted in shock and his cheeks burning a bright pink as he aimlessly stared at the spot where you stood moments ago. 
“Moony?” 
“Yeah, Prongs?” 
“Did that really happen?” 
“Yeah it did, mate.” 
“Right…great…catch me, mate.” 
Remus opened his mouth to reply but James’ body had already sagged against his, the boy’s eyes now closed and he couldn’t help but let out a snort as he heaved the unconscious boy’s arms around his neck. 
“I better be your fucking best man now.” 
“Hey!” 
“Shut up, Pads and carry the croissants.”
.
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riizebabie444 · 7 months
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𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 🤍
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🤍 ─── hello and welcome to today’s tarot reading which will describe how your life will be five years from now.
🤍 ─── picking your pile: take a deep breath and allow your soul to centre itself. when you feel your mind balanced and cleared, allow yourself to be drawn to an image. your eyes may gravitate to one, or you may close your eyes and feel which image is calling out.
🤍 ─── be sure to check out my other readings and don’t forget to share and give feedback. disclaimer: all readings done are for entertainment only. please do not use my tarot readings as a replacement for legitimate advice.
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🤍 ─── masterlist. paid readings. exchange rules.
donations. games/events. feedback.
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𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 — 𝙨𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚
for you guys who chose pile one, the first thing i see is feminine and motherly energy. for a small number of you, you may have become or will be becoming mothers (or fathers) in the next five years. but for others it means you will simply be entering a period of your life wherein you connect with the world around you and nurture your creativity. it seems for a number of you that you will have the life you've been dreaming of or manifesting. that is to say, it won't just fall into your lap but rather, you will have worked hard in the five years to achieve your dream life.
you may have had some unrealistic desires with this "dream life", however, with the life you end up with in five years, you will still be satisfied. you may have also realised that the things you wanted to badly aren't necessarily good for you and that other possible outcomes are just as acceptable. for some, i think insecurities will be prominent, and also feeling overwhelmed. you have finally achieved this but you also were not fully prepared for it to come into your life this way. but i see you actively working on your insecurities and accepting your new life. you may also be dealing with some temptations.
pisces energy and moon energy are also very prominent. you could be in a period of your personal life transforming, and also big changes happening in your external life. you could be leaving some things or some people behind; for example, toxic friends or a unsatisfying job. you may feel a heavy burden and guilt for walking away, but you will be in a position where you feel confident enough to do it and work on yourself to always improve. i also see a lot of inner work, therapy, personal growth etc. you will have learned at this point to purge inner negativity and trust your intuition.
you won't let bad people or bad habits hold you back anymore. you may have dealt with addictions or obsessions, control issues and materialistic tendencies. five years from now, you will have moved away from these things or at least be putting in the effort to start the journey of doing so. it's sort of like a rebellion. there will be people trying to hold you back but you will break from the shackles. those who chose this pile will be fighting against societal expectations, familial expectations and also personal expectations in order to become a better person and have a better life. there is a lot of personal growth in the next five years and life will still come with difficulties, but you'll be in a much better position to handle them.
𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙤 — 𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢
for a number of you, i see that you will have travel on your agenda. it could be that you travel for work, or you have moved abroad. either way, there is a lot of focus on planning for international trips. i think travelling will help you discover yourself. in terms of travels, it may be a very big decision, probably one of the biggest decisions of your life. you'll be pondering a lot about whether or not you should have moved or move in the near future, or if a job which requires a lot of travel is the right job for you.
i see you being a very emotional person in five years but for the most part, you seem to be emotionally stable, or in touch with your emotions. i don't see a lot of wild or erratic emotions or behaviours but rather quiet and introspective moments trying to understand your personal feelings. you will feel confident and content with your life that you no longer feel the need to lash out or experience extreme stress. you can deal with emotions properly and even if it takes time, you will be gentle with your emotions and nurture them. you may also experience loneliness in five years. for some, you may be going through a breakup. for others, you could be estranged from your family. and for others, it could be that you feel lonely because of life itself. travelling can also make one experience heavy loneliness.
although emotional stability is prominent, i do think those who chose pile two should be wary of financial loss or instability. maybe isolation makes it difficult to have access to money. you may have lost some money due to poor investments or perhaps your lifestyle is too expensive. or perhaps it is due to economic factors which make it difficult to afford things. overall, you will feel quite insecure with your finances. it could also mean you feel poor in other aspects of life, such as relationships.
but on the plus side, there is some positivity because achievements and satisfaction are standing out. you may be meeting someone who can help you in a lot of ways. a person who helps you get back on your feet. there is a lot of generosity, too. those who see you struggling will want to help you, not just in a financial sense. you may be quite moody and dependent on bad things but you will also be working towards leaving it behind. you could have a habit of pushing people away, but what you really need is to push away the negativity in yourself and work through personal issues. i see that happening or beginning to happen in your life five years from now.
𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 — 𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙧 + 𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠
my first impression is that there is tonnes of good energy here. your life in five years will be pretty nice and filled with happiness and content. around you, you will have a great community. a tight social circle but you may be a prominent member in your communities or networks. i see things moving very smoothly. also, i think you might be the type of person who has a lot to celebrate. in five years, you'll be going out a lot, maybe drinking and dancing and overall celebrating the achievements of life and also those around you.
i'm getting major extrovert energy, so maybe if you are currently an introvert, you will come out of your shell and find a group of people you can be comfortable around. and although there is a lot of outgoing and bubbly energy, there is an air of introspection and taking time for yourself. you will have time alone to rest. most of you who chose pile three will be in a relationship, likely a committed one. for some, it may even be marriage and for some it could be that you're starting a family. some may also be moving into a permanent home. you will have achieved a lot, even if it is not these things. for example, a job or a degree or personal development.
like i said, there's a lot of positive energy here and for a lot of you, you will be working on healing your inner child's. some will also be sharing this journey with someone else, such as a partner. there is also creativity and pleasure showing itself and i think you'll have enough free time to pursue personal hobbies and interests. a lot of you could also be reuniting with old friends or family members. i'm inclined to say that for a few, you will reunite with someone from your past and they could possibly be your life partner, if not a lifelong friend once again. i don't know what else to say, i've never had a pile with so much positivity. the version of you five years from now seems so happy and content, like you're accomplishing everything you put your mind to.
there may be some things you need to contemplate. a big life decision, such as getting married or having kids or buying a house or going to university etc. the possibilities are endless but i definitely see at least one big life-changing decision which will be made. but after meditation and contemplation, you will be very happy with your decisions in the end. there is so much harmony and love and bright energy, lots to celebrate and lots to look forward to. and for those who will be in a relationship, the attraction will be very strong!
𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙧 — 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 + 𝙗𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨
some of you will be feeling stressed and in a repressed or oppressed position, but you will still be accomplished. i honestly had a hard time getting cards for this pile so i think you will be in a "stuck" energy, like you can't get out. out from where? i'm not exactly sure but i think it has to do with finances and career. for example, you will be very stressed but i see your financial position will be decent, if not well-off. so you may be stuck in hard working job where you earn a lot of money but it's a lot of work and draining, could be forcing you to work too much overtime, etc. it could also mean you will be earning a lot but stuck in a financial cycle of not increasing wealth - for example, you may spend high levels of money or give money to those who are dependent on you so in the end you aren't increasing your wealth because your money is leaving you as soon as you receive it. be careful of those who ask you for money and make sensible spending decisions.
however, i still see you feeling very accomplished, as if you have the job you've been working for. you might also be working a "traditional" job, i'm seeing the generic nine til five except you're worked to the bone. but for some, i do see this energy only being for the earlier part. for example, the more you experience the work, the better you get at it. the job is stressful but it will get better over time. you might be wallowing in self pity thinking "did i choose the right job for myself?" but when you look at how far you've come, you will not want to leave it all behind.
i also see a new beginning for some of you. whether you leave the stressful environments behind or not, i think most of you will have a new take on life all together. you may also be travelling to different parts of the world. i think this negative energy may lead to you having missed opportunities. for example, you may be so stressed out that you forget to apply for a promotion, or you're too focused on work to explore interpersonal relationships or anything along those lines. this stagnant and heavy energy will get in the way of a lot of things.
but overall, the energy isn't too draining. you will have a lot to your name and a lot to feel proud of so whenever you feel down, you will remind yourself of all the things you can do. in the end, i think you can take better care of yourself and let yourself rest, learn to cater to yourself and nourish your personal attributes and hobbies, but it will take a lot to get there. the you in five years may be stuck in "bad" energy, but you will also have the power to pull yourself from it and put yourself first.
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jettingtothemoon · 30 days
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Daughter of the Spirits; chapter 11
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➳ pairing: zuko x f!reader ➳ genre: a retelling of the show from season 2 onwards with a heavy focus and expansion on zuko’s story (canon divergent) ➳ warnings: violence, swearing, smut (underaged if your age of consent is above 16), spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the show ➳ word count: 3537 ➳ rating: 18+ ➳ summary: In which y/n comes across the fire nation prince during her stay in Ba Sing Se. ➳ tags: @harmlessoffering, @lammello (i’m sorry if i’m forgetting anyone, lmk if i am or if you want to be added)
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Chapters: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13,
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The Invasion
You found out from Mai and Ty Lee that there had been another war meeting — one Zuko hadn’t been invited to. He was furious, of course.
For the first time in years, he was finally starting to feel like a prince again. What with all the servants at his beck and call, insisting he take the palanquin when traversing the city, even if he was only out on an errand with you. People were by his side day and night, making sure he had everything he needed. It was exactly how it should have been, even if it was quite the adjustment for you both, yet he had still been excluded by his father.
He had told you about his banishment. How he had spoken up at a war meeting and disgraced his father, leading to the agni kai where he had to fight the very man that was supposed to protect him. The man who scarred and banished his own child.
Only this morning was he happy and smiling, simply enjoying the time he got to spend with you. Now, however, he sat staring out of the window, watching as the clouds passed over the moon in silent contemplation.
“Zuko,” you said his name and yet, he didn't move. Didn’t even flinch. It was as if he hadn’t even heard you, only you knew he had.
"Zuko," you tried again, this time wrapping an arm around his shoulders.
Wordlessly, he leaned into you. His scowl never once left his face but he was at least trying to control his temper for you, allowing himself to fall into your embrace.
"It's just a war meeting. I bet they're full of old, boring men."
Your attempt at amusing him seemed to fail as he leaned away from you and back against the window. "They're important. All the best advisors and the entire royal family attend. Even Azula is going."
"Just another reason that it won't be fun, Azula will be there."
Now that got a chuckle. A small one, but a chuckle nonetheless.
"Stop worrying about it and come to bed."
He hummed, turning away from the window and towards you. He wasn't happy and he probably wouldn't be for a while, but at least he could relax with you. Even when things weren’t going his way.
The next day, you sat with Zuko as you made a cup of jasmine tea. He sulked beside you with a frown on his face, thinking about the meeting that was about to start without him. You could tell how badly he wanted to be there, even if he did keep shrugging it off when you tried to comfort him. You thought making some tea would help but it only seemed to sour his mood further and you soon realised it was because he was missing his uncle.
You missed Iroh too. You had wanted to go and visit him but Zuko forbade you, expressing how dangerous it would be if you did. Azula had found out when he went to see him and if anyone were to find out you were visiting a traitor of the Fire Nation you would be hauled away and thrown into a cell of your own before either of you could do anything to stop it.
It pained you to think of the old man sitting in a dark, grimey cell. More so when the smell of jasmine tea reminded you as much of him now as it did your mother.
“Prince Zuko,” your attention was drawn to a servant as he entered the room with a bow, “Everyone’s waiting for you.”
Zuko looked from you to the man who now knelt at the floor with furrowed brows before getting up from where he sat. “What?”
“The high admirals, high generals, the war ministers, and the princess have all arrived. You’re the only person missing,” the servant explained, his eyes lifting to look at the prince as he spoke.
You stood beside Zuko with a heavily beating chest as he asked, “So my dad wants me at the meeting?”
The servant bowed again. “The Firelord said he would not start until you have arrived, sir.”
With a full smile, Zuko turned to you and, although he was going to a meeting where they would likely discuss the deaths of even more people you loved and knew, you couldn’t help but feel happy for him. This was all he’d ever wanted — to be accepted by his father. To be loved and wanted. For his opinions to matter. That alone brought you hope because if he could sway his father or even some of the generals, perhaps he could help save lives on both sides of the war.
You, along with Mai, waited outside the meeting for him, both anxious to hear how it went. She had offered to come with you so that you would not be alone in the palace for too long since she knew just how daunting that could be. Besides, she was still Zuko’s friend too, just as she was now yours.
When he finally emerged, Mai was the first to ask, “So? How did it go?”
“When I got to the meeting, everyone welcomed me. My father had saved me a seat, he wanted me next to him. I was literally at his right hand.”
His words almost sent a chill down your spine as you thought of the worst — that rather than Zuko swaying the Firelord’s mind about the war, that it would be his father who would sway him. You knew better than that, though, and as much was confirmed when you were met with nothing but a troubled expression on Zuko’s face.
“That’s wonderful,” Mai grinned, “You must be happy.”
The three of you stopped in front of a large tapestry, one displaying a large portrait of Firelord Ozai. You placed a reassuring hand on Zuko’s shoulder as he looked up at it and exchanged a worried glance with Mai.
“During the meeting I was the perfect prince,” he concluded, “The son my father wanted… but I wasn’t me.”
You ran your hand down his arm and slotted it into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. For a moment, he squeezed it back, but then tugged his hand free and began to walk away, leaving both you and Mai behind.
She sighed and became the one placing a gentle hand on your shoulder. “Give him time. This was a good thing, he’ll realise that soon.”
You hummed although you did not agree. The only good thing was that Zuko was starting to realise who he was and that the man he was wasn’t the man his father wanted him to be. He was not ruthless and cold. He was kind and strong and so many other things his father would never be. He was better than him and finally, you thought he was beginning to realise that.
When you returned to your room, you found him writing a letter.
“What are you doing?” you questioned, wondering what he was up to.
“Writing to Mai. I at least owe her a goodbye.”
“Goodbye?” you asked, your brows furrowed.
He hummed. “We’re leaving. I… This isn’t who I am. Not anymore. An invasion has begun, we can slip away in the chaos but I have to do something first.”
Whatever he had in mind, whether he just wanted to leave and find your parents or maybe, just maybe, hunt down and join the avatar, you knew you were going with him. After all the time that had passed since you left Ba Sing Se, he was finally ready to accept who he was. He was finally going to do the right thing.
He passed you the brush when he was finished, allowing you to write your apologies and goodbyes to your newfound friends. You addressed both Mai and Ty Lee directly, wishing them well and hoping you would not come to face them on opposite sides of the battlefield. The two of you then signed the letter and Zuko left to take it to her home, putting it someplace where she would see it long after the two of you were gone.
After he returned, as you collected what little things you owned, he knelt before a portrait of his mother and closed his eyes. “I know I’ve made some bad choices, but today I’m gonna set things right.”
He picked up his swords and a small bag of provisions, turning to the lighter side of himself once again, and pulled his hood up to conceal his face.
You stepped forward and pulled him into your arms, pressing a kiss to his lips as your thumb stroked the side of his face. “It’s going to be okay, you know. You’re doing the right thing.”
He smiled and leaned into your touch. “I know.”
He led you quickly through the palace and down underground. You could hear the fighting up above as you moved through the tunnels and Zuko explained that during the eclipse today, no one would be able to Firebend. It was the perfect time for an attack and, along with the invasion forces, would surely be the avatar. He had a plan and that plan was to join them, to help the avatar finally put an end to this war.
But he had to confront his father first and what better time was there to do that than when he had no bending?
When he finally came to a halt before a large, reinforced door, you felt your heart in your throat. How would Ozai react to the news of his son’s betrayal? Would he try to kill him then and there? Or perhaps he would simply try to imprison you both? Either way, you were prepared. You would use your bending — all of your bending — to fight. You were fighting for yourself. You were fighting for your family. You were fighting for Zuko.
You held his hand, squeezing it in reassurance as you had done time and time before.
“I’m ready to face you,” he spoke, as though his father could hear him through the door.
He did not protest as you walked to the door with him, nor did he ask you to remain behind as he walked inside. As dangerous as what he was about to do was, he trusted that you would be safe by his side, and that he would be safe by yours. Whatever was going to happen, you were going to do it together.
“Prince Zuko,” his father addressed him with a frown and lowered his cup of tea, “What are you doing here?”
Zuko walked towards his father, with you standing only a few paces behind. This was his moment and you wanted him to have it but if he needed you, you would be there to fight by his side.
“I’m here to tell the truth,” Zuko declared from where he stood, staring his father down.
The firelord furrowed his brows and signalled for his guards to leave, his eyes only once flickering from Zuko to you. “Telling the truth during the middle of an eclipse? This should be interesting.”
Zuko only spoke again when the guards were gone, the strong doors sliding shut behind them, “First of all, in Ba Sing Se it was Azula who took down the avatar, not me.”
“Why would she lie to me about that?” Ozai questioned.
“Because the avatar is not dead,” Zuko explained, “He survived.”
“What?” Only then did the firelord’s expression change. What was a calm and collected leader suddenly turned into an angry father. One who was clearly afraid of what the avatar could do if he was still alive.
“In fact, he’s probably leading this invasion. He could be on his way here right now.” For a moment, it almost seemed as though Zuko was warning his father, as though he had not really turned his back on him. He was still his father, after all, but you knew him better than that. He was changed and he was here for one thing and one thing only, to bid his father farewell.
“Get out!” the firelord snapped with a wave of his hand, anger boiling up in him, “Get out of my sight right now if you know what’s good for you.”
Although the firelord’s temper was continuing to grow, Zuko remained calm. From where you stood behind him, you could almost hear the satisfaction in his voice as he spoke, “That’s another thing. I’m not taking orders from you anymore.”
His father’s brows crossed in rage and you adopted a defensive stance as he began to walk towards Zuko. “You will obey me or this defiant breath will be your last!”
The prince unsheathed his swords, standing ready to fight his father as he demanded, “Think again. I am going to speak my mind and you are going to listen.”
To both of your surprise, the firelord sat back down as though he was ready to hear whatever Zuko had to say. The two of you still stood at the ready, prepared for a fight. You closed your eyes for a moment, focusing on the ground beneath you. You could feel the echoing rumble of machines coming from the surface, another sign of the battle above.
“For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me,” Zuko admitted, casting his eyes to the ground, “To accept me. I thought it was my honour that I wanted but really I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turn,” he pointed at Ozai with the end of his blade, “My father who challenged me, a thirteen year old boy to an agni kai. How can you possibly justify a duel with a child?”
It was like a weight off your own chest to hear him finally letting go of all that had burdened him, telling his father just how he felt after all he had done to him.
The firelord only scowled, looking at Zuko as though he was nothing but the dirt under his shoe as he spat, “It was to teach you respect!”
“It was cruel and it was wrong!”
“Then you’ve learnt nothing. This girl,” he gestured to you, “Has only made you weaker than you already were.”
“No! I’ve learned everything, and I’ve had to learn on my own. Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilisation in history, and somehow the war was our way of sharing our greatness with the world. What an amazing lie that was, the people of the world are terrified by the Fire Nation. They don’t see our greatness, they hate us! And we deserve it. We’ve created an era of fear in the world and if we don’t want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness.”
The firelord laughed out loud, mocking his son even now. “Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn’t he?”
There was a brief pause and Zuko smiled, actually smiled, in the face of his father’s taunts. “Yes, he has.”
“And this girl? She stands with you now, is she not of the Fire Nation too? Another traitor turned by your uncle’s tricks?”
Now it was you who stifled a laugh. “A traitor? Zuko isn’t a traitor and neither is his uncle. You are the one who betrayed the Fire Nation, you even betrayed your own blood because you’re so blinded by power you can’t see the bigger picture. My name is y/n and my parents were from the Northern Watertribe. They left their home and raised me in the Earth Kingdom to fight against your army! Even now, they fight against your cruelty, and now we do too!”
“You foolish girl,” Ozai glared at you with fire in his eyes, “What could you possibly do to stop me?”
“After we leave here today,” Zuko interrupted, answering his father’s question for the both of you, “We’re going to free uncle Iroh from his prison, and I’m gonna beg for his forgiveness. He’s the one who’s been a real father to me.”
The firelord only laughed again. “That’s just beautiful, maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure.”
“But I’ve come to an even more important decision,” he continued, ignoring his father completely, “I’m going to join the avatar and I’m going to help him defeat you.”
“Really?” Ozai smirked, “since you’re a full blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait? I’m powerless, you’ve got your swords, why don’t you just do it now?”
“Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the avatar’s destiny,” he sheathed his swords and, although a part of you wanted nothing more than to strike him down now, you were in agreement with Zuko. It was not your place, “Goodbye.”
As Zuko turned and began to walk towards you again, ready to leave his father behind once and for all, the bitter man began to hurl more insults at his son, calling him a coward for confronting him during an eclipse when neither of them had their bending.
“If you have any real courage, you’ll stick around until the sun comes up. Don’t you want to know what happened to your mother?”
Those words stood Zuko in his tracks, even when you looked at him with pleading eyes. There was no time for this, the sun would be back soon and the two of you stood no chance against his father at his full power.
Without a second thought, the prince turned back around and demanded to know what happened the night his mother disappeared.
“My father, firelord Azulon, commanded me to do the unthinkable… to you, my own son, and I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost. She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan. A plan in which I would become firelord and your life would be spared.”
It was awful, entirely diabolical, to think that a father would even consider murdering his own child but knowing what else the firelord had put Zuko through, somehow you weren’t at all surprised. It seemed in his very nature. You wondered what Zuko’s mother ever saw in the man.
“Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished.”
“So she’s alive...”
Cautiously, you moved to Zuko’s side, hoping to console him as tears began to spill across his face.
“Perhaps,” Ozai all but shrugged before raising his tone once again, “Now I realise that banishment is far too merciful a punishment for treason. Your penalty will be far steeper.”
In a flash, the firelord was moving, forming a stance you had only seen once before. The sun was back and he was drawing on its power to call lightning down. Lightning that he intended to use to put an end to his traitorous son once and for all.
“Zuko!” you cried, realising you had already missed your window to create a wall between the two of you and Ozai to block the attack.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion as you ran towards Zuko only to see him do the impossible. He redirected the lighting, sending it crashing back down on his father who was thrown into the air at the force.
He grabbed your hand and ran, pulling you out of the bunker before his father could get back to his feet. As you ran out onto the streets, you saw what looked to be the avatar launching an assault on the Fire Nation airships, giving his friends enough time to retreat. “Look!”
“Do you think you can get up there?”
You furrowed your brows. There was a chance that with your bending you could reach the airships and help the avatar but you weren’t sure if you could get there in time. They were fleeing, after all, they weren’t going to stick around for long. Besides, you had more important things to do.
“Maybe,” you shrugged, “but I’m not leaving you. Let’s go get your uncle.”
With a determined smirk, he led you into the prison. He ran so fast that he seemed to miss the cowering guards and singed walls.
“Uncle!” he cried out when he reached Iroh’s cell but his uncle was already gone. The bars to his prison cell were broken and battered, blasted through from the inside. Iroh had already escaped.
Zuko was quick to run to one of the guards, interrogating him about what happened in a matter of seconds, only to be told what you already knew. Iroh had escaped, busted himself out before you had had the chance to get to him. He was long gone now, all you could do was get out of there yourselves.
“Zuko, we have to go. We’ll find Iroh again, I promise, but right now we need to leave!”
Although disappointed, he nodded and followed you back outside.
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Chapters: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13,
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362 notes · View notes
kowaiitenshii · 10 months
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[Sunkiller Lullaby Part Two]
Pairing: Darth Vader X Reader
Plot Summary: Accepting your role as Lord Vader’s personal attendant, you take the first steps in learning your new duties, and proving your loyalty to your new master. 
Warnings: Canon-level violence. Mentions of death/murder. Descriptions of fear. Corruption. Canon-divergent. Unburnt!Vader. Reader is a former slave. Improper use of the force. Vader is his own warning. Descriptions of mistreatment. AFAB reader, feminine pronouns and descriptions used. 18+ content to come in later chapters.
Words: 4.2k
A/N: First off, thank you so much everyone for all the love on part one! I truly did not think so many people would enjoy it! I appreciate everyone who reblogged and liked, and I cannot wait to continue sharing this story with you. If people continue to enjoy my writing, I will most likely open up for requests/prompts!
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Part One HERE
Part II:
To your dismay, you awaken to bright beams of starlight peeking through the sheer inner curtains of your suite. 
You blink in confusion as you mull over the contents of the past night’s dream, and lament the fact that it was only that; a dream. 
Sighing deeply in disappointment, you slowly rise from bed and dress yourself for the day, deciding on a deep ruby red set of robes. They’re thick and soft as you slide them on, and you decide that red really compliments you. 
You are again presented with a decadent breakfast, this time dining on exotic ripened fruits, cured strips of thinly sliced meat, and toasted breads.
When you finish, the friendly droid again kindly leads you to Lord Vader’s private chambers. 
As the doors slide open, you nearly jump out of your skin when you find your master awaiting you, staring at the door expectantly as he anticipates your arrival.
 Forcing yourself to hold your head high, you saunter into the room as nonchalantly as you can muster. Your hands shake as you approach, and you clench them tightly in an attempt to push down your building nerves. 
“Morning, young one.” he greets you coolly, his deep voice resonating through the silence. 
“Good morning, My Lord.” you reply calmly, bowing to the Sith Lord. 
He gives you an approving nod as you rise, before turning to the large window behind himself, commanding you to join him. 
“Come.” he booms simply, and you oblige him. Standing next to him only highlights the size difference between the two of you, seeing as you only reach his shoulder at the highest. 
All the lights of the room both overhead and from electric controls shine off of Vader’s helmet and armor, creating almost an aura of light which glints off of him. Your eyes are drawn to the heavy slant of his shoulders with his cape draped over, and the curve of his very evident biceps beneath his thick suit. Your face reddens slightly before you turn to face the window, feeling a measure of shame for looking at a Sith Lord in such a way. 
The two of you gaze out at the expanse of stars before you, and you can’t help but marvel at the sight. Being from a small planet and having been enslaved since you were just a young girl, you had never any chance to explore or travel, no matter how badly you may have wanted to. 
One of the things that amazes you the most as you stare out into space is the realisation that the stars are colourful.
There are stars of every colour you can imagine, and most of them are planets. Each star glittering across the sky in endless hues, they remind you of the fields of wildflowers that were common on your home-planet. 
For a fleeting moment, you imagine lying amongst the stars and wrapping yourself in a blanket made of space itself, before Vader speaks again. 
“I have arranged a test for you today.” he asserts, his tone unreadable. 
Cocking your head, you glance up at your master, questioning exactly what sort of test he had in mind. 
“We need to have the understanding that we can trust in one another if I am to take you on in personal servitude.” He explains, sensing your curiosity. 
You can feel yourself go cold as the words sink in. It could be any kind of test, and ice cold pangs of fear grip your heart as you pray you do not fail. 
Failure is simply not an option. 
The trembling in your fingers only worsens, and to your horror, Vader notices. 
He takes one of your quivering hands tightly within his own before placing the other heavy, leather-clad hand over top of yours. His touch is like holding a livewire, like nothing you had ever felt before, and it makes you jolt in your skin. 
His gaze albeit masked is fixed upon you as he speaks, the air catching in your throat. 
“I can sense your fear, your hurt. Your rage.” he says, a reassuring tone hidden in his distorted voice. “Use them. Do not fear me.” he commands, before dropping your hand like he had never touched it in the first place. 
Not fearing him was a hefty task indeed. 
You say nothing in response, swallowing thickly and flexing your fingers to rid them of the lingering sensation of his touch. 
Just then, the ship begins to descend on a barren planet. The land is desolate, clouds of smoky-coloured dust covering the rough, rocky terrain. 
You take deep breaths to steady yourself as the ship lands, still reeling from the touch along with your nerves and their gnashing teeth gnawing at the back of your mind. 
As you disembark, you can feel how tightly wound your body is with anticipation. Despite this, you diligently follow your master as he treks along the barren, grey landscape, leading you to a wide clearing in the rocky wasteland. 
All around you are boulders and crystals of enormous size, and you figure this must be an Empire-controlled resource planet. 
Looking up to the violet sky, you pray to the maker that you make it out of this in one piece. 
Vader stops at once, turning to regard you once more as you come to stand before him. 
“Before we begin,” he starts “What is your name?” he asks, striking you with the realisation that you had not yet told him, and that he almost certainly already knew it. Truthfully, you had nearly forgotten that you had a name, as more derogatory terms were commonly used to refer to slaves. It is a strange thought that Lord Vader would even care to know it. 
“(Y/N).” you answer dutifully. 
“(Y/N).” he confirms before speaking again. “As I previously stated, we must be without a shadow of a doubt that we trust in one another. I have brought you here to assess that fact.” he explains, his droning voice reverberating off of the jagged walls of the terrain surrounding you. 
Doing your best to maintain your shaken composure, you watch as the Sith Lord strides a few paces away before speaking again once more. 
“I will test you, as you will test me.” He iterates, now turning towards you and watching you for a moment. 
Rooted to the spot, you clench your shaking hands and swallow the lump in your throat, fixing your gaze upon Lord Vader.
 You will test him? What could he possibly mean by that? 
You watch in thinly veiled terror as he raises his right hand and the ashen earth around you begins to tremble. A large mass of sparkling crystal sizable enough to crush a freighter breaks away from the earth, beginning to levitate.
Stomach in knots and your mind racing, you watch in horror as it rises impossibly high and comes to a stop directly over your head. 
In your youth you had heard tales of the Jedi and the Sith, but you had always taken them with a grain of salt. It is then that you come to understand that the stories were true, and the force is more powerful than you could ever have imagined. 
Vader’s voice cuts through your frenzied train of thought, snapping you back into the moment. 
“Focus on me.” he instructs you, holding the spiked mass of crystals steady above you, pulling it higher. 
Although every atom in your body screams at you to run, you know there is no point. Wiping away the fine sweat forming on your brow, you obey your master, fixing your widened eyes upon him. 
“Feel your fear.” he commands in a guiding tone. “Feel it, and understand that I will never harm you.” 
Dread cuts into your chest like knives, and still you obey. You feel the goosebumps on every inch of your skin, your muscles poised to flee, and the fine tremble running through you in waves. 
You look upon Lord Vader who holds your life in his hands so effortlessly. Focusing on the expressionless countenance of his helmet, you envision looking into his eyes and finding unwavering certainty there. 
You stand as a statue as the massive crystal drops, time itself seeming to slow, and you don’t so much as blink when Vader catches it just before it hits.
“Very good.” Darth Vader affirms, before reeling back and launching the crystals far off into the distance; the sound of impact only coming as a murmured echo. 
Sighing a huge breath of relief, your shoulders and head droop as the tension washes away in waves. When you lift your head, the Sith Lord is in front of you again, this time holding a cylindrical silver and black object in his outstretched right hand, motioning for you to take it. 
“Do you know what this is?” he asks as you carefully take it from him, examining the activation switch on the side. 
“Yes,” you affirm as you inspect the object with great curiosity. “It is a lightsaber.” 
You had seen them in use only once when your planet was under siege, but you had also seen them traded by smugglers a handful of times.
 However, you had never held one. The metal is cool to the touch, and it is deceptively heavy in your hands as you marvel at it, turning it over and over in your hands. 
“Turn it on.” Vader demands, cutting your observation short. You swallow your nerves, holding the lightsaber in your right hand and placing your thumb over the switch. You jump as you press it, the glowing crimson plasma blade instantly shooting out with a sharp sound.
The glowing saber incandesces between the two of you, red light illuminating Vader’s ominous visage. 
“Good. Now off.” he directs, and you obey immediately. 
“Now, we test my faith in you.” he states intently, stepping closer and closer until he is merely an arm’s length away, looming expectantly over you. 
Stomach tingling and your mind blank, you watch as he harshly grips the wrist of your right hand and presses the unarmed lightsaber against the blinking control panel on his chestplate, the shocking sensation of his touch feeling a million miles away. 
Staring at where the hilt of the blade rests against his armor, you have the cold understanding that you could kill him right now. 
You could kill him, and yet it would do nothing to change your fate. 
It takes a moment to realise he’s staring at you before you look up to meet the blank gaze of his mask. Somehow you can feel it in him, the faith he has in you and the understanding that killing him would not save you. 
You’re like that for a moment, staring at each other and listening to the rhythmic sound of his breathing before he steps away, and you hand the lightsaber back to him. 
“Well done.” he praises as he beckons you to follow. “Come. We are done here.” 
You both board Lord Vader’s ship once again, your mind and emotions still reeling from the stress of the situation you just managed to live through as he calmly leads you to his chambers.
“Make yourself comfortable.” he orders as you enter the room, and you waste no time in shrugging off your outermost robe, leaving on your cowl and belted underdress. Plopping wearily onto one of the long couches in the room, you notice that it’s notably firmer than the plush furnishings of your suite, though you were in no place to complain. 
Lord Vader stares at you for a moment, and you become bashful at the idea of him looking upon your uncovered skin, before he turns to his place at the large window to watch as the ship takes off. 
You wonder if he does anything other than stare out the window in contemplation. 
Straightening yourself up, you watch the grey planet fade away as the ship flies, bidding the site of your near-grave a goodbye before looking around the room in which you sit. 
Now that you have the chance to really look, you take in your surroundings. To your right, the wall with the door is covered in blinking controls which you can only assume are either used to manipulate aspects of the room or call droids and Imperial personnel. On the far wall opposite where you sit, there is a large open doorway into an illuminated room housing an enormous tank filled with a mysterious blueish liquid, and you wonder what the purpose for it could possibly be. 
You don’t see a bed in the room, so you assume that Vader sleeps elsewhere. That is, if he indeed sleeps. 
In the left hand corner of the opposite wall, you can see a long white table littered with various parts, mechanisms and tools laid out upon it, and you find it mildly interesting that Darth Vader likes to tinker. 
The Sith Lord’s voice cuts through your curious observations like a razor.
“What do you know of the force?” He asks, peering over his shoulder at you. 
You’re stunned for a moment before you answer. 
“I must admit, Lord Vader, I know very little, as it was forbidden to be taught on my homeworld.” you reply truthfully, caught off guard by the seemingly random question. It was true, the ways of the force were not formally taught as a form of trying to shield the people of your home-planet from the Empire; all you know are the legends and the myths that were told as stories. 
Lord Vader nods in acceptance. 
“This ship is equipped with an entire library full of knowledge of the force, both light and dark; Jedi and Sith. You are free to utilise it if you so wish.” He offers, but it sounds more like an order.
Feeling as though there’s something he’s not saying, you simply nod.
“Thank you master.” you accept graciously with a soft smile. 
He only nods in reply, gaze lingering heavily upon you before he turns away from the window, pacing over to his work bench in the opposite corner from where you sit and taking a seat. 
You do not know how long he toils over his machines, nor how long you accompany him in doing so. 
The last thing you remember before waking up in your own bed is dozing off on Lord Vader’s couch. 
Confused and unaware of how you got back to your suite, you rub the sleep out of your eyes and sit up. As you rise, a gentle knock sounds behind the door. 
“Come in!” you call out, clearing your throat and wetting your lips. 
The friendly droid enters, bowing to you and chirping its greetings. 
“Good evening, Madam! I’m assured you’re ready for your meal?” it asks politely. Smiling softly at the kind droid, you nod. 
“Yes, please.”
After all, the stress of the day's activities has left you quite hungry, your stomach growling at the thought of the decadent spreads you’ve been spoiled with. 
The droid steps out for a moment, promptly returning with a spread no less extravagant than the others you’ve been lucky enough to enjoy. Tonight, your meal consists of a striking plum-coloured stew, accompanied by an herbed mash of root vegetables, and crusty baked breads still warm from the oven. 
As you eat, a curious and humorous thought crosses your mind, and you set down your spoon to ask the droid a question. 
“Was it you that carried me all the way back here?” you giggle playfully, finding amusement in the idea of the spindly droid hauling you through the corridors.
“No milady, Lord Vader saw to that himself.” the droid answers dutifully. 
Knowing it is incapable of lying, the idea hits you like a train, and you’re struck by it for a moment. 
Carrying you to your room seemed like a task that would be uncharacteristically tender, too gentle for Vader to carry out. You can feel the flush that spreads across your cheeks as you come to the understanding that there is still much you do not know about your master. 
“Oh, um. Give him my thanks.” you reply quietly, leaving it at that.
“As you wish, Milady.” the droid affirms. 
Spending the rest of your meal in contemplative silence, it does you well, nourishing and soothing your tired body. 
Before the droid leaves you for the night, you request the books that Lord Vader had mentioned, thinking some studying may help you to understand your master, even if just a small bit more. 
It happily delivers them to you, leaving you with a stack of thick and heavy books with weathered bindings. 
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Elsewhere, Darth Vader paces in his chamber, heavy footsteps echoing around him. 
He is quite satisfied with the recent turn of events, knowing surely now that your spirit had not been broken by your life of torment, but that it was bendable.
It was true that you had great fear within you, but your lust for power and your anger was greater.  Your suffering had made you fierce, it made you courageous. 
The Emperor will be pleased. 
Remembering the strength in your expression as you had connected with him while your very life hung in the balance, the absolute, steady faith you had in him; And then the dichotomy of holding your serenely peaceful sleeping body in his arms, your angelic calmness, he feels an unfamiliar flutter in his chest before shaking it off. 
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Spending the rest of the night flipping through an ancient tome, you are thoroughly intrigued by the stories contained within. They read like fairy tales; tales of heroic bravery, of villainous contempt, of epic battles and galactic love. 
They’re enchanting, reminding you of those cherished times as a child when your parents would read to you before putting you to bed. 
Well into the late hours of the night, you finally ready yourself for sleep, yawning and stretching as you shrug off your garments. 
As you lay out an outfit for the next day, you catch a glimpse of a passing moon. It’s beautiful, a light yellow hue to the pallid monolith as it glows. Moons always reminded you of solitude, your only companion in those quiet hours of the night. As you watch it pass, you silently hope that you dream of your mysterious suitor again. 
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Your prayers are answered. 
Becoming aware of your surroundings, your eyes scan the room around you. It’s a more intimate setting this time, a quaint stone cottage within a verdant forest. There are strange herbs and flowers hung to dry all about the room, leaving it with a floral, green aroma. 
Sitting on the floor in front of a warm, crackling fire, your vision finally adjusts to your dimly lit setting, and you spot the one you had wished for standing just within the doorway. 
He smiles warmly as your eyes land on him, exposing a row of perfect teeth. You can’t help but to smile back. 
Striding out of the shadows, he joins you by the fire, nestling you against his side. His energy is the same and you can feel it just as strongly as before, entrancing and sultry as the fire before you. 
You spend a long moment just looking at him, committing every aspect of his features to memory in case you never get the pleasure of seeing him again. 
He’s still got that warm smile on his face as he gazes back at you, making your stomach flutter. His hair falls in perfect golden waves on his shoulders, framing his outstandingly handsome features. His eyes are half-lidded, his pupils blown wide as he looks upon you; his full, pink lips parted. 
Feeling the heat in your body rising, spreading across your face and tinging the tips of your ears, you look away shyly. 
The connection you feel with this man still baffles you, it doesn't make any sense, leaving you confused and questioning whether you can even trust your own emotions. 
Though, you suppose dreams don’t have to make any sense. 
Reaching over to you, he brushes a tress of hair away from your face to read your expression, pulling your attention back to him. 
You blink sheepishly at him through long lashes as he hooks a finger under your chin, turning you to face him fully. Goosebumps form instantly at the contact, your hairs standing on end as a wistful sigh leaves your lips. 
He brings your face so close to his own that you can feel his gentle breaths tickling your lips. The air, the energy between you is like a thunderstorm; intense, restless, and exhilarating. 
You revel in the way he touches you like something that threatens to break. 
The realisation then hits you that this is your first time seeing him unhidden by his cloak. You take your time in taking in all the new details you had missed, noticing a lengthy scar on the right side of his face, running nearly all the way from his hairline to just below his eye. 
He slowly curls a strong arm around your waist, pulling you onto his lap, never breaking eye contact while doing so. Following his movements obediently, you shift your legs to wrap around his waist as you perch on him; the tips of your noses tickling each other as you adjust yourself.
 You want, you crave nothing more than this closeness and contact with him.
After being denied pleasant, consensual human contact for so long, the feeling is intoxicating. It makes your head swim, and your heartbeat race. 
Still face to face, you delicately raise your right hand, ghosting the tips of your fingers down the length of his scar, taking great care in case it’s still painful for him. Your fingers buzz and tingle, like nerve endings coming back to life after having fallen asleep. 
Lips parting and eyes falling shut at your touch, he presses his forehead against yours. 
Your whole body lights up and hums at the sensation, like a static charge. His intense and all-consuming energy surrounds you, threatening to swallow you whole. 
And you let it. You let him in. 
Holding the doors to your mind open, you begin receiving visions. 
Visions of a small boy with tawny hair and bright blue eyes. Visions of the familiar sandy, dual-sunned landscape of Tatooine. Visions of that small boy toiling away in the shop of a cruel junk dealer. 
Your eyes fly back open with the newfound understanding that the child was him, that he truly had lived a life like yours. 
In this moment, as your heart races and your eyes flit between his, he feels like the person closest to you in the entire world. 
He looks back at you with soft eyes. The expression on his face is one that says: 
This is me. Do you see it? This is me. 
Overwhelmed by the connection, by the painful swelling of your heart in your chest, you let instinct lead rather than logic.
Leaning into him further, you brush your lips just barely over the full curve of his, inviting him to close the distance.
Instantly he relents, capturing your own lips with his, pure passion and intense longing radiating off of him in waves. 
As he tangles a large hand in your soft hair, you can feel your heart thumping against your ribcage, your blood rushing through your veins. Draping your arms over his sturdy shoulders, the very air around the two of you feels electric, tingling and crackling with released tension. Lips locking over and over, hands everywhere, tongues tasting each other in the heat of your fiery desire, you send a message through your ministrations. 
I see you. You say with every touch of the lips, every tease of his tongue, every rake of your nails across the soft skin of his abdomen. I see you. 
When you finally break the session to suck in greedy gasps of much needed air, he bites onto your bottom lip, prolonging the contact for as long as possible. He clutches you tightly, possessively to his strong body, as if you could be ripped from his arms at any moment; his own chest heaving as he breathes. 
He slides a large, rough hand up the small of your back, steadying you as you rest your head on his shoulder for a moment. Pressing a feather light kiss to the petal-soft skin of his throat, your eyes slide shut with great satisfaction. 
Credz: 
Lightsaber graphic creds: @saradika  
Taglist: 
@heyitsaloy
@poisonedsultana
@cryptidsrcool 
@mayhemories 
643 notes · View notes
7-percent · 4 months
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Another excerpt from Inferno (working title), the sequel to @totallysilvergirl's Drawn to Stars. Let's get Roberto Zanardi's POV.
Per carità di dio. I thought I was braced for seeing him again. Yet when I walk into the case room, I’m seared once again by the same lightning bolt as when I first laid eyes on him back at New Scotland Yard.
He’s still so beautiful, painfully so, and my heart constricts in my chest. The rumpled white linen shirt, his dark glasses dangling from the pocket. He looks warm, his raven curls a bit damp. The years we’ve been apart fall away and I have to look away lest my attraction become too apparent, so I can’t gauge his reaction to seeing me.
But I can and do register John Watson’s fury at recognising  me — he curses that he should have known.
Ah, Valentina hasn’t told them I’m the team leader. I’d urged Alfiero not to name names, lest it lead to an instant refusal. And perhaps that would have been wiser; if he’d known, would Watson have allowed this meeting to take place? For that matter, would Sherlock have agreed to come?
I’ve been completely torn, my heart divided against my head. I’m late to this meeting because I had to try once more to convince Alfiero to do without Holmes and Watson, only to be overruled yet again. I left that rendezvous both dejected by my failure to persuade him and oddly agitated at seeing Sherlock again. I must be honest, too; the case has been going badly enough for the past two months that I can use all the help I can get. But at what price?
......
So many times I’ve realised at the end of a difficult case that it would have been quicker and so much better if Sherlock had been working with me. From the very beginning, back in London on that trafficking case, it had been my fantasy to entice him to Rome, not just to my bed but to my side, as my partner. Together, we’d have been invincible.
Yet now, when the opportunity presents itself, I find myself hesitating. Of course, John Watson complicates things. The man who squandered his chances to love Sherlock had whistled, and Sherlock had gone running back to him, leaving me broken. At least he’d had the decency to marry him. Under Italian law I couldn’t do that even if he had wanted me to.
But he did want me, once. He didn’t just say it, he showed it. If that month with him hadn’t been so intoxicating I could have accepted it when he left me; but we were good together, I know we were. I saw how he blossomed when we became lovers, how his body relished being worshipped, how he loved bringing me to my knees. Conversation was easy, dancing was just another form of lovemaking, and he was happy with me in Rome. Until he wasn’t.
So despite wanting Sherlock to work his not-exactly-magic on the case, I’m apprehensive about working with him on it. Am I even capable of behaving normally around him? Functioning normally? To go by my racing thoughts and distracting memories, I may not be; I’m barely keeping up my end of the conversation, fading in and out of my memories of the past (and perhaps, wishes for the future). And this case is vital. Definitely dangerous, too: all the more so with Sherlock as a clear and present distraction. If he does join me, will he be more help or hindrance?
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dumbseee · 2 months
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prince charming.
in which, i tell you the story of how you met yassine bono.
yassine bono (bounou) x reader.
note: this will flop since he’s criminally underrated, give my boi some love too. i love him so much i HAD to write something for him <3
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you met him at a wedding. he was invited since he was in the same football team as the groom, and you were invited because the bride was your best friend since childhood. going to that wedding, you surely never thought that you’d meet the love of your life there, dressed in this beautiful navy suit, his signature smile plastered on his face at all time. you immediately noticed him, how could you not? he was insanely gorgeous but also a giant next to anyone so it was hard to not notice him.
you found him extremely attractive and your friends also agreed on that and tried to get his attention. but he gently turned them down, thanking them for the compliments and sending them away with a curt smile. when you saw that, you immediately lost hope and chose to not go to talk to him. if he rejected all your beautiful friends, why would he talk to you? of course, you were as beautiful as your friends and people were naturally drawn to you because of your sweet persona and natural charm. but it was hard to fight back all those voices in your head, telling you that he was way out of your league.
you pushed all those negative thoughts and still enjoyed your night, it was your best friend’s wedding after all. and you had a blast, you were so happy for the couple. you even had some eye contacts with yassine. midnight came and you decided that it was time for you to go home, as you were walking to the parking lot to call a taxi, you tripped over literally nothing and scratched your knee pretty badly and also broke your right shoe.
"fuck! that hurts…" you mumbled to yourself, trying to get up but failing miserably. you were so focused on cursing at yourself that you didn’t notice the very tall and handsome man standing next to you. "are you okay?" yassine asked you, kneeling in front of you, face torn with worry. you didn’t even respond to him, too surprised to have your "crush" talk to you and be so close to your face. you also mentally cringed when you realised that he probably saw you fall miserably to the ground. "you’re bleeding. is your ankle okay? can you walk?" he asked again, his fingers brushing against your ankle, making you shiver. you failed miserably at answering him again, which made you slap yourself mentally again because what was wrong with you?
yassine smiled to you and turned around so his back was now facing you. you frowned, not understanding what he was trying to do. "get on my back, i’ll carry you." he tapped his shoulder, of course he was still smiling. "no, don’t worry i can walk!" you immediately stood up, almost loosing your balance because of how fast you got up. yassine also stood up, you could see on his face that he wasn’t buying it, he had his arms crossed and that damn smile on his face. you tried to walk but almost made contact with the pavement again, yassine catching you with his arm. he put his second arm under your legs and carried you, holding your broken shoe in his left hand. "you didn’t need to do that, you know." you were so ashamed of yourself, but would lie if you said that you didn’t enjoy that moment. "i know, but i wanted to. and i wasn’t going to let you alone and injured in the dark." yassine stopped in front of a black sport car, he gently put you down and opened the car, he opened the passenger seat and helped you sit inside. 
long story short, yassine drove you home and secretly kept your broken shoe, because he wanted you to reach out to him so he could see you again. you got his number through your best friend’s husband and immediately texted him. you invited him for dinner at your place and he came with your now fixed shoe. sooner than later, you two became a couple and you couldn’t dream for a better boyfriend than yassine bono. he treated you like the princess you were, showering you with gifts and kisses every time he’d comeback from practice or a game. even if his team lost, he’d comeback to you with his huge smile and collapse on top of you on the couch. "you’re sweating." you said, almost choking under him. "liar. i took a shower." you laughed before he started to tickle you, making you almost die from laughter. he knew how much you hated tickles, but he loved the sound of your laughter and after a bad game, he needed to hear his favourite melody.
yassine was grateful to have you in his life, everyday he’d thank god to have had him play in the same team of your best friend’s future husband, so you two could attend their wedding and meet. yassine was a gentleman, always opening the door for you, always buying you flowers on your first day of period because he saw how painful those were for you, always cooking your favourite meal when he felt like you needed it. when he was away for work, yassine would always facetime you, even after tiring days, he’d never miss your call, or else he’d have a hard time sleeping well.
yassine was the sweetest human being you’ve ever met and you thanked god every day for making you fall in front of him at that wedding.
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echooefrost · 2 months
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More Designs!
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Jasper - Ok, I know he looks weird - he's just a happy boi! pls don't look too closely at the hands. So, I gave him big (and really badly drawn) calves becasue he's basically always doing some sort of exercise/work and Sage once said that he's the strongest, and we never really see his legs so I felt like showcasing those details here. Now his shoes, yet another thing that might look random, however I assure you, that these are what medieval workers use to wear. I kept his design relatively similar to his canon one, although I did have to give him a different hat.
Rachel - out of all the designs, Rachel's is the most historically accurate. it's a common misconception that women were shunned for showing their forearms/ankles but it was actually quite normal! married medieval women would wear veils and other elaborate headwear, however women who were not would either wear their hair loose or in a braid. Rachel isn't married so she wears it loose, I added a little braid that she puts flowers and decorative items in, to make her design a little bit more interesting. (and becasue its pretty)
Frankenstein - Frankenstein is really fun to draw! I don't exactly know why but she just is! She has this big fluffy pelt thing going on, it's made of a lot of fur and owl feathers, why owl feathers? because she reminds me of an owl, that's why. she also has big ol' snowboots because it snows in the swiss mountains and because I think it looks cute. you can't see her gloves but they are dark brown (fyi). she has these vials attached to her belt but they can also serve as an emergencey crystal ball - you know, just in case you have to conjure up some evil spirits, as one does.
Papa Lanyon - I think Papa Lanyon sounds way funnier than Lanyon sr. and it contrasts his serious face. I anticipated that he was going to be really hard to draw, but It was surprisingly easy. I liked his design until I had to colour him, I really don't know what happened there, I'm slightly annoyed because I wanted him to appear very cool and dapper, yet he really looks like a generic king. So this doesn't have to be his official design, he just wears fancy king clothes (it's not that important anyway because we don't see him all that much) he is wearing metal soldier-like boots, solely because I searched up outfit references and they all had soldier boot things.
Now that I've done this, I have no more excuses to procrastinate doing work for the other things in the au. Anyway I hope everyone likes these. have a nice day/moring/afternoon/night!
*just realised I forgot to colour their eyes, I'll add later!
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carryoncastiel · 6 months
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Thinking thoughts about Wyll and his story. Two things I've gathered 1. His character has been completely rewritten in developement. 2. General consesus is that something is missing from his story.
Now, I haven't played early access and I don't feel like going through old content so this is just the conclusion I came to playing the game as is plus little mentions of things I saw in tumblr posts.
So Wyll is 17 when Mizora comes to him and makes him sell his soul to defeat Tiamat's cultists that want to destroy Baldur's Gate. In this fight he gets pretty badly injured on his face, losing his right eye and sustaining noticeable scars.
We can assume he went back to his father right after the fight and Ulder seeing his 17 year old son, his only child, missing an eye and probably still bleeding, does not listen to his explanation at all (if Wyll even gets to say anything) (edit: I forgot: Wyll actually tells you that he couldn't tell his father about his pact and he tried to show him the battlefield but there was nothing left to show. Still...what did he think was the reason Wyll made the pact then?) and just banishes him from the city for daring to make a pact with a devil.
After that the story gets a bit murky. Wyll tells you how he saved a boy from goblins and that gave him the calling to be the blade of the people. Throughout the game he will casually mention heroic fights he had and you and the other characters take it at face value because there's nothing telling you you shouldn't believe him - but it also doesn't really lead anywhere storywise. He just is the Blade of Frontiers and he does heroic deeds.
What kept bothering me in my first playthrough is that Wyll will casually flirt with Lae'zel and Shadowheart at the beginning of your journey. And it feels very random. The natural conclusion would've been (for me at least) for him to very obviously flirt with the player character too but he doesn't really do that. You have to ask about the dancing and you have to convince him to get one kiss. Even if he's drawn back for other reasons it still doesn't add up.
And of course once you start romancing him you find out he gets all giddy and blushy after that one short kiss at the party and he's a pure romantic at heart who wants to do this the proper way like the bards sing about in old ballads and he won't do anything beyond kissing until he literally proposes and you say yes. Also if you don't romance him and Lae'zel mentions being interested in him at the party, then next day she will lament that they spend the night together but he literally just wanted to talk (did I mention I love Wyll a lot).
The other thing is what Mizora says when you rescue her from the mindflayer colony. She tells you about asking Wyll how they met and the way she says it made me assume it would make Wyll look really bad. But then you hear the story about him saving Baldur's Gate from cultists and there's nothing bad that Wyll did here (besides selling his soul which duh).
Idk much about early access Wyll as I've said but I think he was supposed to be a huge liar. So I assume that actually Wyll was supposed to have made the pact out of seflish reasons and/or making the pact had major repercussions for other people. If for example innocent people died as a consequence it would also seem a tiny bit more reasonable for Ulder to not want to listen to Wyll's reasoning (still a shitty father move though). Now, he would've still been a 17 year old, a child essentially, getting tricked by a devil into selling his soul without realising the full impact it would have. But he would also feel incredibly guilty about it and then lie about it being his proudest moment that he never regretted to mask that fact.
Then he would go on to create The Blade of Frontiers, this huge legend that does every heroic deed you can think of. The flirting with every pretty woman he meets then also would make more sense in a "that's just what heroic male characters in stories do" way.
He would still be a good and heroic person at heart but some of it would be an exaggerated persona he created out of the guilt and shame of what happened when he made the pact and also the feeling of abandonment he got from his father banishing him.
I like Wyll as he's written now but I'd be lying if I didn't say he's missing some depth and giving him more flaws than just "he made a deal with a devil (out of completely selfless reasons no less)" would make him a more interesting character.
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yungchaeng · 2 years
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Keep the mic on (Twice: Mina)
word count: 1754
content warning: kinda fluffy at the start, but basically just smutty
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With a sigh, you locked the doors to your apartment and kicked off your shoes. Work had been hectic that particular day and all day you couldn’t wait to get back home and spend time with your girlfriend. Thoughts of her had been clouding your mind, and honestly, not all of them were as pure.
You made your way through the house and halted at the door of your bedroom. Mina softly giggled to herself inside and you couldn’t help but smile when you saw her through the creak of the door. She looked adorable. Her hair was pulled up into somewhat of a messy bun and she was engulfed by one of your oversized sweaters. She seemingly subconsciously swayed back and forth in the computer chair she sat on while concentrating on the video game she was playing on the monitor.
You leaned against the door frame and just took the time to adore her. The way her tongue was slightly sticking out in concentration, her furrowed eyebrow, her nose scrunch whenever something seemed to go wrong in the game. She was so captivating, even when she was doing nothing at all.
It didn’t take long for you to realize that she wasn’t just giggling to herself. She was actually playing the game online and was talking to friends through her headset. You pushed the door open further and smiled at her. Her face lit up when seeing you and she gave you a small wave, her fingers barely sticking out of the sweater paws.
“Hey, baby. How was work?” she whispered and moved the microphone away from her.
“Good, good.” You quicky replied and made your way over to her. She squirmed and shyly smiled when you placed a kiss on her cheek. You stood behind the desk chair she was sitting on and planted another kiss atop her head. Just seeing her already made it that you couldn’t keep your hands off of her. “How’s the game?”
She looked up at you and adorably pouted, “Not good, we’re losing.”
Lightly chuckling, you pecked her lips and shrugged. “That’s okay. You’ll do better next time. There you go already.” You nodded over at the computer screen on which the game was restarting and you heard a “you ready, Mina?” through her headphones.
“I want to spend time with you now you’re home though.” Your girlfriend pouted again.
“That’s okay,” you chuckled. Honestly, you would love to spend time with her and cuddle her and talk about how you guys’ day was, but you also really loved watching her play her video games. It was just too cute how concentrated she would get. You plopped onto the bed to get a good view of her and smirked. “I want to see you win.”
So you watched her re-start the game. Sometimes she’d talk to her teammates over the headset, coordinating position or something of the sort. She was doing quite well actually.
And you tried, you really tried to stay focused on the game…but your eyes started to wander. It started with the way she would lick her bottom lip and then trap it between her teeth. Soon her whimpers of dissatisfaction caught your attention, and the sighing.
Then your eyes were focused on her legs that were exposed from her only wearing a sweater and (very short, barely visible) shorts underneath. As if they were drawn to it like magnets, your fingers wanted to feel her skin. You wanted to plant your lips on her exposed collarbones, maybe even nip at the skin there. You wanted to trace figures on her thigh and make those whimpers and soft sighs whimpers of just your name.
Looking at her, you didn’t even realise how hard you were biting your lip till it started to hurt. You wanted her so badly, right now.
You got up from the bed and slowly made your way over to your girlfriend, her being too into the game to notice you coming. You started with a small kiss on her cheek, which made her smile. A smirk crept up on your lips, when you kissed her again and again down her jawline, reaching her neck. When you heard her gasp lowly, you looked up at her and met her eyes. Without you having touched her, her lips were already parted, her breath picked up and her cheeks turned rosy. She was so flustered already.
“Babe…” she mouthed with a nervous chuckle. “what are you doing?”
She tried to keep her composure and kept the game going as you started to nip at her ear, but you noticed her eyes would flutter closed from time to time. “Don’t worry. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
Your hands travelled down her body, moving up and down her thighs in the way you’d fantasised about. And the small whimpers you earned from her in response were even better than you had fantasised. She had your head spinning and you felt like you could barely think straight anymore.
Your girlfriend made a move to pause the game she played, but you halted her and shook your head with a devilish grin on your face. You lifted her headset from her head and placed it on the desk, the voices of her teammates still fiercely strategizing clear from them. Mina gave you a look, one that was followed with her scrunching her face from pleasure once you returned to kissing her neck.
“Uh…” she started, “The mic is still on.”
As you softly bit down her neck, you smirked again. Your hand travelled to her hip and found their way between your girlfriends legs. The moan she let out could only be described as heavenly. Music to your ears.
With a whisper you spoke, “If I touch you here…” you said and dipped your hands into her shorts, slowly starting to rub circles over her most sensitive area. “Do you promise you can be quiet for me, baby?”
Her arms had already made a way around you and she pulled you in closer to her. You couldn’t stop admiring your girlfriend, her gasps, moans, and the way her breath picked up even more, the way her eyebrows furrowed, the way her hand balled into fists due to the pleasure she felt. The pleasure you made her feel.
“I- I can try…”
“That’s a good girl.” You said. “Then we keep the mic on.”
In an impulse you took your hand out of her shorts and lifted her up. A small whimper of displeasure left her mouth at the loss of contact, but all you could do was smirk when you laid her on the bed.
You looked at her up and down. Basked in her beauty and how pretty she looked with her chest heaving the way it was, the way she lightly gripped at the sheets in anticipation and rubbed her legs together in a way to satiate the need she had. You could look at her like this forever.
Slowly, you lowered yourself onto her and placed a kiss on her cheek. The way she breathed in your ear almost made you lose control. It almost made you want to rip her clothes off, bite down all the places you knew she liked and leave your marks on her. It almost made you want to fuck her so hard that she would have a hard time remembering her own name for at least a little while.
But you didn’t. The way she smiled at you, anticipation clear in her eyes, made you want to tell her those three words over and over again. “I love you.” You spoke as your hands snaked its way up her sweater.
Mina hissed as your grabbed her breast into your hand, your fingers having their way with her sensitive nipple. Her voice was shaky when she grabbed you and pulled you in closer, but trying to follow your order she whispered “I love you too.”
You decided then that it was never going to be enough to tell her just how much you loved her. It could never be enough to use something as simple and common as words, for you to convey to her just how much love you felt for her, how much you loved to see her after a long day of work, just how much you liked her voice or liked to spend time with her, how much you were into her or exactly how much you liked moments like these…with her under you, a squirming mess, already sweating and already quietly moaning.
So you decided to show her. You showed her in the way you touched her, the way your fingers moved over her where she needed you and the way your mouth left sloppy and open mouth kisses over her breasts, all the while enjoying the challenge you presented to her to make as little noise as possible.
And boy, did she try. Her fingers gripped the sheets under her firmly, and when that wasn’t enough she used her hand to cover her own mouth as she groaned. Some moans you helped her conceal by kissing her and you couldn’t help but smirk at the way she harshly bit down your bottom lip.
When she finally came, mouth agape but having concealed all the pleasure she felt into a soft whisper of your name, you smiled at her. You softly kissed her cheek and told her over and over and over again what you had tried to show her all this time. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”
And as she her breath hitched in her throat with her laying in your arms, trying to recover from the intensity of what you both just did, you knew one thing for certain; she loved you too. You knew it in the way she took a fistful of your shirt and buried her face in your neck, planting soft and delicate kisses on the skin.
As for your request, your baby did perfect. Her teammates were still discussing whatever game strategy they were as could be heard through her headset and they seemed to have not noticed a thing. With a smirk, you took note of it. This was way too hot, not to do again.
And as your hands once again made their way up her sweater, making a move to pull the piece of clothing off, you came to a conclusion. You definitely wanted to do this again.
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bugflies00 · 18 days
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I do think it's interesting how in canon with c!tommy there is a difference drawn between rude and cruel. He's pretty rude throughout most of the smp. He can be shitty to people, but it's usually not more than an irritant. He swears, shouts, talks over people, steals, etc. But he can also be very considerate. He can't always read people but he is often checking on people (mostly wil and tubbo) he fights for what he believes in and he's ride or die with a lot of his friends.
I think the only real time he becomes cruel is around exile and bedrock bros. He does hurt people very badly (Connor), he says things that cut horribly deep, he generally disregards other people's emotions. And I think it's cool that the way it's written it is not at all an extension of his general personality, his rudeness, which is beat down in exile, but moreso stemming out of the learned idea that no one cares about him and that his own life is worth very little. He stops really trying to connect to or understand people around him and it drastically affects how he interacts with the world.
I also like that he is actually rude. I feel like a lot of rude characters are just sort of loud or poor communicators, but Tommy is rude and gets to stay rude throughout the story
sorry ive been ignoring all my asks but YEAH THIS!!!! what i love love love about ctommy is that he's not cruel but not because he's some holy grail of goodness who is incapable of hurting a fly. he CAN be cruel. he has that potential, just like everyone else. but the MOMENT he realised that he was starting to act upon that potential and that he was hurting people? he backtracked. it's a CHOICE he CHOOSES to be kind im gonna throw up. and yeah like you said the fact that exile didn't turn him in a meek quiet person but instead made him more cruel and violent is sooooo. AND CAUSE THEN specifically BECAUSE he was lashing out and being cruel bc of his abuse, that made people refuse to see that he was a victim and he was abused, which in turn isolated him more and made him more prone to the extremes I JUST. froths at the mouth i like ctommy a normal amount
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rhythmelia · 9 months
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Support a Translator of Color (1 day left of Crowd Justice fundraising!)
Fresh post for the tags! As I've shared extensively in updates on this post since 2023.06.24, my friend Yilin Wang (yilinwriter on twitter) has had their translation work stolen and used uncredited by the British Museum in a major exhibit on The Hidden Century in Chinese history that featured major feminist revolutionary Qiu Jin, and when called out on that behavior, the museum chose to remove Qiu Jin's poetry and Yilin's translation, silencing both of them. Instead of, yanno, naming the translator and giving appropriate credit and payment. ....yup.
So! Here's the Crowd Justice:
Case updates can be found at that fundraiser (especially as the muskrat has made twitter into an epic trashfire at the moment) but some key points, in Yilin's words:
I need to raise at least £15,000 by July 10th to enable me to instruct expert lawyers in London to initiate a claim of infringement of my copyright and moral rights. I will be working with lawyers in the UK to bring a claim against the British Museum for its infringement of my copyright and moral rights in the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC), which is a specialist court and part of the Business and Property Courts of the High Court of Justice in London. ......
Please contribute and share if you can - each and every small contribution is very much appreciated! Let’s hold the British Museum accountable together!  I realise that this is a lot of money at any time, and especially in the current economic circumstances, but the cost and difficulty of taking legal action is a huge barrier when it comes to access to justice. My hope is that if I am able to generate enough support to take this point of principle forward, it will give the British Museum and all similar institutions the maximum possible incentive to avoid similar conduct in the future, because they will see that there is collective power in communities who feel disrespected and insulted. .....
Why This Case Matters This case matters to me not only because I believe both my work and Qiu Jin's work should receive the credit and respect they deserve, but because it affects the copyright and moral rights of all translators, writers, and creatives. 
The British Museum has not issued an appropriate apology or taken proper responsibility for its actions, so if it is not held accountable, then this is a cycle that stands to be repeated.
Yilin was able to make the minimum to retain a lawyer, and is now working towards the stretch goal. Here's part of the statement from the lawyer on the crowd justice page:
Accordingly, it is not giving anything away to say that we sincerely hope that the British Museum come to recognise the shortcomings in their conduct so far, and move to make amends rather than fight Yilin all the way. We will make Yilin’s funds go as far as we can, but there is a real prospect of the case being drawn out beyond the funding she has available, so it continues to be the case that every pound she raises towards her stretch targets puts her in the strongest possible position - a position that the British Museum has extensive visibility of - to hold out for what she deserves with help of expert legal assistance.
Currently it's at £16,722 pledged towards the stretch target of £20,000 from 573 pledges in small amount donations. Help Yilin be able to keep going if the British Museum continues to behave badly and try to fight until Yilin's out of funds. Please consider reblogging and/or donating a small amount if you can - about 1 day left to July 10! (I'm in UTC-7 and it's the 8th for me but I'm not sure what timezone the fundraiser site is in, since it says 1 day left there)
tagging @copperbadge, @vaspider and @prismatic-bell on the off chance they might be interested in signal boosting? No pressure though!
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serafilms · 2 months
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thoughts on pjo series so far after episode 6:
(spoilers for ep 6 ahead!! minor spoilers for the books too but nothing much about the plot)
acting SLAYS. slays. i almost teared up like 3 times bc of percabeth in ep 4/5 ALONE. and sally!! and grover!!!! luke and clarisse too ugh!!!!
special effects SLAYYYY. the monsters look really good and just as i imagined, I’ll give them that.
sets and locations are also very accurately pictured and the vibes brought out are just like the book!
script sucks. the writing is soooo awkward most of the time and the conversation just does not flow well. it’s too serious and boring half the time and i can’t keep relying on the actor’s tones even if they’re doing well as child actors.
soooo much exposition in every single conversation my head is spinning. like i feel like there were better ways to contextualise info from the book?
i saw someone say this show could’ve been approached with a fleabag ish narration and while that sort of would be a bit unorthodox i feel like that or just having walker narrate over the top sometimes would’ve been a good way to nod to the books. it’s difficult to bring a first person series alive when the narrator has so much personality and stuff to say that affects descriptions and how we see it, but i think it could’ve been possible.
music is clunky sometimes in that like why r the vibes so heavy for nothing…. like when they were talking in the animal truck and when they were driving the taxi etc.
no action. like i don’t need it to be pumping out adrenaline all the time but they have fr barely done anything i’m sorry 😰 book trio would’ve ate them alive.
cutting grover out at the waterpark likeeee??? yeah maybe him w ares was important but also it was not. they could’ve gotten that info any other time without making him stay w ares.
lacking explanation where it matters. like the eeriness of the lotus casino and why there are people from all different eras. and their RESOURCES like they aren’t explaining where their money and clothes and stuff are like these kids are surviving off one backpack?? it reminds me of in a wrinkle in time (2018) how the kid’s shirt changes like every 10 minutes and it’s just never acknowledged.
speaking of the lotus casino it’s just so like… bland. they’re cutting out the best parts of the story. percy fighting the chimera was so underwhelming and the bus scene too!!! and the lotus casino like yeah ok let’s not promote drugs i guess but they could have and SHOULD have had fun. why did they waste that time on cgi for the roller coaster in the casino at all?? it wasn’t sinister enough bc the whole vibe of the show is just serious so there’s no contrast between them thinking they’ve found paradise and realising there’s something wrong. captured the vibe of the show tbh: they plateau along the middle line of fun and serious business instead of playing with it like the book does.
feels like the character relationships r poorly drawn out. i’ve already forgotten about the weak attempt to build a percy-luke friendship. and annabeth not letting grover talk to hermes in the casino felt badly explained. plus grover’s whole backstory?? why r we straying so far from how the books explained him like they’re separating him a bit toooo much from the others.
generally just too many plot changes like as much as there is good in this show there is also bad and we stray further and further from the plot every single episode (the SOLSTICE WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TIME PRESSURE??).
it’s somehow too low stakes and too serious at the same time. like they’re acting like the stakes are high but i’m not feeling the pressure.
i understand it’s a new iteration and an adaption almost never means it’ll be the same, but that doesn’t mean i like all the changes. i guess there’s probably tonnes of reasons why book to screen adaptions always change so much (actually harry potter and tbosas ate tbh but oh well), and in this case it’s been many years since pjo was released, so rick is just taking that chance to rewrite things as he would if he wrote the books now. and i accept that. but these are just my opinions and some of these things are just plain bad choices for a show 😭
but i do still hope it gets picked up for all 5 seasons + heroes of olympus like i’ll give u all my money i’ll watch it all i swear
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solarmidnight · 21 days
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I'm sorry if I'm misinterpreting or just forgot something vital in these books, but do you think Kastor is responsible for Auguste's death?
To be perfectly honest with you, it may be me who's misinterpreting. But I highly doubt that the Regent's control over Kastor, and, as a result, Akielos, started when Kastor had Theomedes poisoned and Damen enslaved. I think this was the end result of years of the Regent's work.
With Laurent years from ascension age, the Regent had a long time to spin his spider's web, placing his pieces on the chessboard and learning how best to control each one of them.
And one of those pieces had to be Kastor, since there's zero reason that Damen, a legitimate son of the king, heir to the throne, would have moved against his own father for power; all he'd have to do is wait for Theomedes to come to his natural end.
The Regent can't exactly go in and have all the Akielon royalty killed; rather than giving the Regent the power, there'll just be another Akielon put on the throne, perhaps a distant cousin or something. Akielos will stay in Akielon hands because there'd be no need to transfer power to Veretian royalty. No, he needed someone very close to the main royal family, someone who bore a lot of resentment at being overlooked and overshadowed, denied what had been, for nine years, his birthright.
Someone like Kastor.
Whilst Kastor did not kill Vere's king, nor did he kill Auguste (thank you, Damen), in my mind Kastor bears some of the guilt because he was allowing the Regent into Akielos's court. He was conspiring against his own country. Perhaps not at first; maybe there was correspondence, maybe there were meetings away from both courts, but Kastor became one of the Regent's little birds.
He would have been talking to the Regent, letting him in on things. Kastor was tricked by both the Regent, and by Jokaste, indicating that he, like Damen, has no sense of trickery and deception. But unlike Damen, who began to learn and adjust, especially after he came to know Laurent who's basically a master of trickery and deception, Kastor did not learn.
Kastor was being played for the fool. The Regent had every intention of taking control of both Vere and Akielos and merging it into one country for him to rule over as king and have the ultimate power he craved.
It would not have been hard to see that Kastor resented Damen, resented Theomedes for overlooking him after nine years of being the crown prince. Someone like the Regent would have seen it. Kastor is an illegitimate child, which, to the Regent, is almost like being born a second son; once the crown prince ascends and has children, there's even more people between you and the throne.
Kastor wanted the throne so badly that someone like the Regent, who bore the same nigh uncontrollable thirst for power, would have seen it. And it left him wide open.
The scene where Kastor and the Regent are sitting side by side at Laurent's trial, and Kastor does not realise (but Damen does, thanks to three books' worth of learning how these mind games are played) that the Regent is controlling the whole room, leaving Kastor with very little political power, was enough to convince me of my theory.
Again, I could be entirely wrong, but these are just the conclusions I've drawn after reading the books a few dozen times over.
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theladyelizabeth · 6 months
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Hey guys, bit of a personal one here but I've grown somewhat desperate:
Does anyone have any experience with dermatillomania also known as excoriation disorder or, more simply, skin picking disorder? I've struggled with this since I was a teenager and it's gotten to the point where I constantly look like I'm suffering from chicken pox with the amount of spots and welts and wounds I cause myself. I've gotten very close to giving myself a bad infection before but even that hasn't manged to deter me. I've got scaring in some places that I know will never go away because I won't ever just let the damn things heal.
It's severely affecting my self esteem, sense of self-worth and makes my anxiety spiral really badly. When I look in the mirror, I feel hideous and disgusting and it makes me want to cry. Especially because I don't, by nature, have problematic skin. All the acne I get is caused by my skin grazing and picking. I'm my own worst enemy which makes me feel even worse. I'm well aware that dermatillomania is usually caused by underlying mental health issues like anxiety, don't worry, I'm dealing with that in my own time.
My question is: does anyone have any tips to, for the love of god, help stop the picking??? I've tried every fidget toy under the sun, I hate the sensation of wearing gloves indoors, wearing makeup doesn't deter me, and having moisturizer on hand to use instead of picking hasn't worked either. It's gotten so bad that I will do it subconsciously, without even realising I'm picking until I feel a sharp sting of pain meaning I've drawn blood. The one thing I did notice somewhat helped was when I had acrylic nails since they became too thick to pick effectively. I would still try but it wouldn't work. But I can't afford to get my nails done every three weeks.
I'm reaching my wits end at this point so any and all suggestions, advice or even just some validation that picking my skin doesn't make me a disgusting person would be helpful. Thank you. PS. If anyone has recommendations for good skincare products (or natural remedies) that might help with the scarring/acne, please, please let me know. If I can't prevent, I want to at least try to heal the damage as best I can.
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revory · 1 year
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“You’re not a Chambermaid, are you?” - Aemond Targaryen x Servant!Reader
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Paring: Aemond Targaryen x Servant!Reader
Warnings: Swearing, mean behaviour from other servants.
Summary: When the usual chambermaid falls ill, Y/N has to step up from her normal role and fill in for her. But when she enters a room to begin her duties, she does not realise that it belongs to a certain one-eyed prince…
Word count: 1876 words
A/N: Hi guys! I’m Ana, and this is my very first time writing, so tips are very much appreciated!! Please reblog if you like it, it would help a lot :) This  is mostly fluff, but if you guys like it I’m more than happy to make another part that's smut or in Aemond’s POV. Words in bold are Y/N’s thoughts, btw. Happy reading!
PART 2 COMING SOON!
“What? But….but I wasn’t trained for this-”
“Your job is to serve the royal family, Y/N. No matter in what way,” Dorris, your superior says, grabbing your wrist firmly. “Do you think they will care that you are not the usual girl? No. Do you think they will notice that you are a scullery maid? Oh please…”
One of the usual chambermaids fell ill, and they were short on staff, so Dorris decided to volunteer you to step up, without consulting you first. You were panicking though, as you had only worked in the Red Keep for about a month, and only as a scullery maid. Your work consisted of scrubbing the kitchen tops and floors, and taking any waste out, so changing sheets and cleaning chambers was something you were not used to.
“Dorris, I can’t….I’ve never done this befo-”
“Well you will today,” she glares at you. Honestly, if you weren’t so scared, you would’ve laughed at how her eyes almost popped out of the sockets and how her lips were pressed in a single line. “…and you will continue until you’re not needed anymore.”
You sigh, not wanting to start a fight. You didn’t want to lose your job, especially not after only working there for such a short time. No matter how much you hated the situation, you were determined to earn some money to send back to your mother and little brother, and so you kept your mouth shut. You take the chambermaid uniform from Dorris’s hand, the clothes being much cleaner than what you were wearing. It would have been weird if a chambermaid had rabbit blood all over her apron, which she certainly did not need for remaking beds.
After changing into your new uniform, you quickly redo your hair in one braid down your back, before leaving the servants quarters to pick up your equipment. In the storage room, you find other chambermaids, dressed the same as you, chatting with each other.  You smile at them, but they just stare and side-eye each other. Okay, rude. You look around for all the things you need and try to balance them in your arms, the others laughing when you keep dropping something.
“Seven hells….where is her basket?” One snickers, looking at the others before glancing at you.
You tried to ignore them, as you grab one of the woven baskets they were mentioning, shoving your supplies in before rushing out the door. Dorris gave you a sheet, well, a badly drawn map by her of the Red Keep, so you could navigate your way around. All the rooms that were circled were the ones you had to tend to, one of them being a very large one by the looks of Dorris’s map. You decide to start with that one, so the biggest would be over and done with by nightfall. As you approach the room, there are two large doors, unlike the other rooms you’ve been to in the Red Keep.  Hmm…odd. You knock three times, but no answer. You knock again, this time, you speak.
“Hello…?…It’s the chambermaid….is anyone inside…?” You twist the doorknob, and to your surprise, it's unlocked. I guess nobody is here so…should I just go? You enter cautiously, not bothering to close the door, looking around the room. Your jaw drops as you take it all in, the room is bigger than any one you have ever seen. You think that even your whole house was smaller than this. There is a large four-poster bed, black sheets and a dark wood frame. Opposite the bed was a table, stacked parchment and books in a pile neatly on it. To the right was a fireplace, one long circular couch in front of it. Every piece of furniture in the room was a shade of black or dark green. You wondered who occupied this room, they must be quite important.
After you finish your observations…and silent jealously, you begin to take the sheets of the bed off, dusting the bed before putting on the new black spread. As you do this though, the sheet isn’t being laid evenly, causing one side to lift off as you pull on the other. You begin to get frustrated, you knew this wasn’t right for you. Stupid Dorris. As more time goes on, you still cannot make the sheets look nice for the life of you. You begin to groan, stomping around like a toddler.
“Seven fucking hells!” You shout out, throwing the sheets off the bed and onto the floor in rage. You aggressively wipe your tears away, not even noticing that you had begun to cry in annoyance.
“Having trouble, are we?” You hear a deep voice behind you, jumping in surprise and snapping around to face the door. There, stood a man, leaning against the doorframe, a faint smirk on his face, like he was trying not to laugh. The long, silver hair that flowed down his shoulders, and the eyepatch were enough to tell you who he was. Prince Aemond. So this was his room. Your eyes were wide, red from the tears, as you scrambled to give him an awkward curtsy.
“M-my Prince….forgive me, for-”
“Entering a prince’s chambers without permission, then taking my sheets and throwing them on the floor, before swearing in my presence?” he cuts you off, this clearly being a game for him. But when he sees your terrified expression, and the way your eyes begin to water, his gaze softens.
“I’m only jesting, my Lady,” Aemond smiles, going over to the sheets that you had thrown on the floor, picking them up and handing them to you. You stare up at him, mouth slightly agape at his towering figure. “Please, take your time,” he says as he walks over to his desk, unstacking the sheets and beginning to read over them. Great, so now he has to watch me fail. As you begin to redo the bed, you see Aemond,  busy writing letters to some lord or whoever the hell princes talk to. Unbeknownst to you, however, the prince can’t help but steal a glance or two up at you, lips curling into a small smirk as he hears you mutter a curse occasionally. When you are practically laying on his bed, trying to get the top right-hand corner of the sheet under the bed, Aemond sighs.
“You’re not a chambermaid, are you?” you can hear the smile evident in his voice, too embarrassed to face him as you continue to look at the sheets.
“…N-no, my Prince…how did you know?…”
“Because chambermaids would have taken five minutes for the whole bed. You, on the other hand, have been stuck on the same corner for half an hour,” he states blankly, leaning back into his chair to watch your embarrassed expression.
“….forgive me-”
“Here,” he stands, making his way to you, his walk a little intimidating. You can’t even seem to process what is happening as he stands behind you, placing his large hands on yours, guiding you on how to properly make the bed. As he explains how to do it, you’re not even focussing, cheeks heating up and breath quickening at the feeling of his warm fingers on your skin. You don’t realise what you are doing, as you close your eyes, inhaling to take in his scent. He smells like pine wood, a slight plum scent lingering. Probably from the pie I had seen being made for his family earlier today. Your thoughts are interrupted when he clears his throat, your eyes shoot open to find the bed being done completely. You look over your shoulder, finding Aemond smirking slightly, clearly having witnessed your little…act. You swallow, throat feeling dry as you try to think of words, mouth opening and closing like a fish.
“Understand now?” he raises his eyebrow, hands still on yours, before you turn around to face him completely.
You nod furiously, you’re certain that you’re blushing like a madman. Aemond chuckles as he walks back to his desk.
“Good. You may now do whatever else needs cleaning.”
You look around to find anything messy you could start with, but you find nothing. Aemond’s room is perfectly spotless, everything neatly placed, no mess whatsoever. You sigh, deciding you will just dust of the furniture slowly, finding that you don’t want to leave. Why face those bitchy girls again when you could be in Prince Aemond’s room?
As more time goes on, you find yourself ‘dusting’ for a while, and by dusting, I mean just staring in awe at Aemond, quickly looking away when he looks at you back. You don’t see the smirk that rests upon his lips as he sees your eyes widen, pretending to clean the same spot on the shelves again. The sun was now setting, the room tinted orange from the windows, as Aemond gets an idea into his head.
“Oh, and…” he looks at you, thinking if you told him your name or not.
“Y/N, my Prince…”
“Y/N…” he repeats slowly, before remembering what he was going to say. “I think I’d like a warm bath before nightfall, would you be a dear and help me? That is if you don’t have more important duties tonight…” he says, eye twinkling with mischief.
“Oh-, not at all, my Prince,” you gulp slowly, leaving the room to get the jugs of hot water, but before you could leave, he speaks.
“I’ll be in this room with the tub, so just come in here when you’re done,” he says, you nod as you leave.
When you come back, your holding two tubs of hot water, going back four times to get more, as you place the jugs outside the door of the room Aemond said he would be in. By the fourth time, you’re certain you have enough, as you knock on the room’s door.
“Come in, Y/N.” Every time he said your name, your heart fluttered. With excitement or nervousness, you didn't know, but you slowly opened the door, your jaw dropping at the scene in front of you. Inside, was a smaller room, a large tub in the middle, Aemond on the side of it. He was standing there, back facing you, his shirt off, making his back muscles visible. He seemed to be in the middle of unbuckling his belt, head looking behind his shoulder before turning around completely. You wanted to act professional, but your eyes were betraying you, wandering down to his toned bare torso, inhaling so you wouldn’t stop breathing. Gods…
“You can pour the water in, Y/N, then we can start.”
We? What does he mean, ‘we’?…He can’t possibly mean…
As much as you loved the sight in front of you…and that you wouldn’t be opposed to seeing…more, you didn’t want to make a fool of yourself. You didn’t know how you would be able to sleep at night without the embarrassing scenario replaying in your head.
“…My Prince, I'm but a scullery maid… I’ve never bathed someone…I'll fetch a more experienced maid-”
“Nonsense. You will stay…I want you to stay.” Your heart stops, half excited, half scared. “Besides, you’ll need someone to teach you if you’re going to be serving me for a while…”
-
A/N: Hope you liked it! Let me know if you guys want to be added to a tag list or if you have any other requests!
Thanks for reading!
Ana :)
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soulofapatrick · 1 year
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A Moment Captured - Tommy Miller x Reader
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Summary: Tommy wakes you up with books and cuddles you except the tension gets too much for feelings to be held back
Words: 1.8K
Warnings: none I think
Y/N’s POV
I stir at the shift in weight on my bed, eyes fluttering open to find a very sweet Tommy sitting there, a small smile on his face as he brushes my hair out of my eyes. His own are warm and kind, catching cognac in the morning light that filters through my curtains, twinkling as he watches me. His hair is a deep and rich shade of brown, so rich it’s mostly black and his curls are tousled from his patrol, only adding to his addictive charm. 
“Morning Sleeping Beauty,” His voice is low and gentle, like a hug to my brain. There’s a hint of mischief in his tone as if he’s trying, and failing very badly, to suppress that boyish grin of his and it causes butterflies to stir in my stomach at the sight of him. His eyes are flicking to my bedside table as I pull myself up into a sitting position, a little self-conscious I’m in one of the shirts I stole from him and panties and that’s it but I quickly forget all of that when I realise why he’s so excited. 
There is a stack of books on my bedside table, five of them. I’m in awe as I pick up the first book, “A Fault in Our Stars” by John Green, I remember seeing my older sister read that a year or so before the outbreak. The cover is tattered and the pages are yellowed but there’s something undeniably beautiful about it’s worn edges. I run my fingers over the spine, feeling the grooves left by countless readings, knowing that this was once someone’s favourite book as I flip through the pages as see notes scribbled in the margins. It’s like holding a little piece of someone who has passed, keeping that person alive with their messy scrawl in the palm of my hands. My fingers ghost over the faded writing, feeling connected to the person who once held it and poured their thoughts and emotions onto its pages. 
It’s a bittersweet feeling, knowing that these books have been neglected due to the outbreak. I can only imagine the joy and solace they brought to people before the world feel apart and it’s heart-wrenching to think that so many things were lost in the chaos. But it’s moments like this that give me hope, the fact that these still exist even in their worn and neglected states which in itself is a testament to the resilience of humanity. 
Tommy’s shifting where he’s sat, eyes flicking briefly away before coming back, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks as he bites his lower lips slights as if trying to think of the right words. He’s usually confident and flirty but he almost seems shy and uncertain in this moment. Seeing him drag his plump bottom lip between his teeth has my heart fluttering and he notices the way I have to shift a little myself. That confidence is back in an instant as his lips curve into a mischievous grin, eyes sparkling with playfulness. It’s a subtle gesture but it’s enough to make me flustered and breathless, like he’s teasing me without saying a words and I should be mad but I just feel more drawn to him, especially when he speaks, “Scoot over sugar, let me join you for a bit.” 
I’m stuck watching him as he stands, slipping his jacket off to place it on the back of my chair at my desk, my face flushing at the sight of him. He’s in a fitted button up that hugs his toned chest and abs, leaving little to the imagination as his muscular arms flex when he sets the jacket down. My eyes are gliding over his tall figure, admiring the way his jeans cling to his thick and muscular thighs and I’m daring a glance between his legs to see if his jeans are that tight but they’re not. He’s reaching for my old Polaroid camera I found a few months ago, holding it out to me with a raised eyebrow and teasing smile. 
“Take a picture doll, put it to use when I’m not around to stare at.” His voice is low and full of unmistakable desire when he speaks, a hint of teasing still in his tone. The southerns drawl only adds to the sensual quality of his words, making my heart race at the implications ad his voice sends shivers down my spine and pulls a flush from me. 
I’m frozen in place when Tommy moves so he’s leaning against the wall, crossing his arms and flexing those muscles, sending me a playful smirk and gives me a look of ‘well?’. So I raise the camera and click it, the flash almost blinding before the familiar whirring fills the room. I catch the picture as it starts to develop, Tommy moving back to the bed and sitting next to me, leaning in to watch the image slowly take shape. I can feel his breath ghosting over the back of my neck and the way his thigh presses against mine. Tommy’s snatching the picture form me when it’s developed enough to see what it is and he’s holding it up, studying it before speaking, “Not bad Doll,” His voice is low and husky, “But it’s not as good as the real thing, is it?” He’s leaning closer, breath hot against my ear, “Maybe I should take one in the bathroom for you.” 
My face burns as I try to come up with a witty response but all I can manage is a shy smile, the asshole leaving me speechless. He’s always teasing me but this is different, this is more intentional and as if he has an end goal instead of our usual teasing and flirting. He’s moving suddenly, drawing a surprised sound from me when he wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me between his legs as he shifts himself to sit against the headboard of the bed. My back presses against his chest and I can feel the warmth radiating from him as I pick my book back up, intending to start reading it and act as if he has no affect on me. 
I really try to focus on the book but the tension in the air is making it hard to concentrate, especially when he’s shifting a little and his body is molding to mine perfectly and his breath hot on my neck, drawing goosebumps. The rough pads of his fingers trace circles up and down my arms, making my skin tingle and I’m leaning further back against him. His chest rises and falls against my back comfortingly, a contented sigh slipping past my lips. I’ve been reading the page over and over again, unable to focus on anything other than the feel of Tommy surrounding me. 
My head falls back against Tommy’s shoulder, feeling his chin brush my hair. Our eyes meet and I can see the affection and desire in his gaze, my heart racing again as he leans in. For a moment, I think he’s going to kiss me but he stops just short, breath hot on my cheek and I can feel the heat rising to my cheeks as I choke out, “Please.”
His composure breaks and his lips are meeting mine, both of us giving into the overwhelming feelings of want and desire that has been simmering between us. The heat of his body, the scent of his cologne, the roughness of his facial hair against my skin has a sound escaping my lips which he swallows eagerly. His lips are soft and tender against mine yet so full of desire and longing it’s almost overwhelming. Our lips move together in a slow and sensual dance, each kiss deeper than the last. His strong arms wrap roundly waist, pulling me closer until there’s no space left between us, the book slipping to the floor. Those large and calloused hands grip my waist, lifting me up and spinning me around to straddle his lap in one smooth movement that draws a sharp gasp from me. 
Heat is radiating off of Tommy as he pulls me so close to him that his chest presses against mine, my arms wrapping around his shoulders while my fingers slide into his curls, revealing in how silky they are despite having been on patrol this morning. His hands roam my body, exploring every inch as I moan into his mouth, him reciprocating the sound. 
The kiss breaks too soon, ragged breaths while his hands continue to roam and one slipping under my shirt to trace patterns on my back while the other holds the back of my head so his fingers can tangle in my hair. He’s tugging lightly, tilting my head and so his lips can travel down my neck, leaving a trial of hot kisses in their wake. My hands gripping his own hair tighter as I let out a gasp, feeling a surge of pleasure shoot through me. It feels like you've been waiting for this moment forever, and now that it's finally here, it's like a breath of fresh air. Your heart races as you deepen the kiss, lost in the heat and passion of the moment
Suddenly, Tommy’s radio goes off and Joel’s familiar voice echoes through the room, telling Tommy to get his annoying ass back to the gates so he can help his brother with a building that needs a few fixtures. Tommy’s sighing into my neck, reluctantly sliding me off his lap and standing but there’s a mischievous smirk on his lips. Before I can ask he’s disappearing into my bathroom, the Polaroid camera in his hands, my heart still racing from our kisses moments ago. All I can do is wait patiently, listening to the sound of the click of the button and the whirring of the camera. Finally, Tommy returns and hands me the developing picture. 
I’m spluttering as the picture develops: it’s a dick pic. He went to the bathroom and pulled down his trousers and took a picture of his hard dick. I should be tucking the picture away but I can’t help but stare at it as Tommy is no way small and I can’t help when there’s a longing ache between my legs. I can imagine how much he’d split me apart, being able to feel every drag and the way the tip would probably brush against my cervix. Lips are capturing mine in a kiss that leaves me wanting more and he knows it by the smirk of his lips as he steps away after. 
His voice is low and sultry when he speaks, “I’ll leave you to image it sugar but I will be back to show you how it really feels.” 
“Tommy!” 
“Love you Sugar!”
------------
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