#Is this the first one without any rose perspective at all

[myfictionaldreams]

Safety Measures // Mafia!Stucky x Fem!Reader

Summary: It was the anniversary of Steve and Bucky saving you from your sadistic brother. Usually, it was a time of celebration for you, but this year, you couldn't help but feel paranoid and unsafe.

Extra reading: Last Hope for background context

A/N: Happy New Year, beautiful readers! I hope everyone is well and safe.

Requested by: @theatrelove3000 thank you so so much for the request and all your support with my writing. As always, you're the best!

Tags: 18+ readers only, smut, polyamory, ptsd, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, discussion of past abuse, domestic fluff, dom/sub undertones, cock warming, subspace (kinda), hurt/comfort, new member of the family (yay!), puppy

Words: 4.8k

my masterlist 📚 AO3 Link

Insomnia was an issue you’d never had to deal with before. Not when you have two of the most powerful men of all of the East Coast tiring you out and wrapped around your body to make you feel safe and content.

However, as the seconds ticked by on the clock position on the nightstand next to the bed, you’d found that your body was willing to do anything but sleep. As midnight struck, any hope that had been inkling in your thoughts was diminished. There you were, half sprawled over Steve’s naked chest, his warmth burning through your skin, with Bucky spooning around your back, sandwiching you thoroughly between the two of them, legs crisscrossed between one another.

Even in the safe embrace, your heart continued to palpate painfully in your chest with such powerful thumps you were worried it would wake one of your lovers.

It was always this day. This date. Every year, that sprung fear through your soul, with the memories of your past returning to haunt you. Before Bucky. Before Steve or either of their safety and love, you’d been involved with your family business, reigned by your sadistic brother, Enzo, who was both hateful and abusive, causing you to live a life that was not worth living at all.

For countless years, you’d simply been floating through life, doing anything your brother demanded to benefit his gang. There was no hope, love, or light in your life until the men whose arms you were wrapped tightly in found you, saved you, and showed you what life was about. It hadn’t been an easy adjustment, especially with the violent and bloody end to your brother, but then readjusting to the newfound freedom had taken its toll. The anxiety from your past still haunts you to this very day.

In truth, in the first few years surrounding your brother's death anniversary, you’d celebrated the beginning of your new happiness and life. However, as you grew older and had to live through the dangers of being in the most infamous mafia gang in Brooklyn, your optimistic perspective became somewhat fragile with the realities of becoming close to losing everyone and everything you loved on multiple occasions.

So now, when this dark day loomed over your head once more, your anxiety rose along with the reminder of the horrors that you’d experience throughout your lifetime. Paranoia blossomed into something that was logically not plausible, frightened that somehow, Enzo would return and take you back to the hell hole he once kept you contained within.

These fears had been discussed with both Steve and Bucky on multiple occasions, as well as your friends, who promptly reminded you that nowhere was safer on earth than with all of them. There was 24/7 surveillance within the office and your home, guards patrolling, all armed and trained, as well as having the enhanced bodies of your boyfriends always at your side.

You were safe.

Safe.

And yet, still, there you lay. Wide awake, breaths shallow, trying to remain as quiet as possible so that you may listen to any sounds of intruders walking through your home. It is an impossible feat to do either way due to the pounding of your heartbeat without your ears, the repetitive thump and drum that increased in speed over the minutes. Your palms were becoming clammy where they were resting on Steve’s chest, a faint tremble beginning to throb through your limbs as well. You closed your fingers into a tight fist, attempting to cease the shaking whilst blowing out a long breath as the clock ticked to 00:01 am.

It was no use. You couldn’t do it anymore. Couldn’t just simply lay there and wait to be attacked or taken.

Carefully as you could, you attempted to climb out of your fierce hold, but due to your fragile state and the firm grip of Steve and Bucky, the movements stirred them both awake.

“Baby? Everything ok? Where are you going?” Steve asked, still half asleep but attempting to rouse himself more by rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Sorry”, you whisper into the darkness, “I just needed to use the bathroom”. The lie trembled from your lips as you clumsily searched the bedroom floor for some clothing to cover your naked body. From the smell of the shirt that you were now tugging over your head, you’d found Bucky’s t-shirt in the dark. As your eyes adjusted to remain in the darkness, you could see Bucky moving closer to Steve on the bed, his face resting on the blonde's chest, replacing where you’d been.

The sight had you smiling for a split second before a rustle of the wind against the windows drew your frightened attention back to reality. Stepping into the bathroom and shutting the door behind you, there was a stalling moment where the walls seemed to close around you. Strangling. Suffocation. The fears of your past squeezing closer.

“No”, you chastise yourself in a whisper barely audible as you take a single sweeping step towards the sink, running the cold water to splash it on your face. “Enzo is dead. Stop freaking out, you’re being ridiculous!”. Yes, you were having a conversation with yourself, but only because it was a coping mechanism before you completely lost your mind and had a panic attack.

“Get a hold of yourself!”, you continue the monologue whilst staring at your distressed reflection in the mirror. “You’re safe here in your home”. For some reason, your bottom lip began quivering with the rising emotions and the overwhelming urge to cry. Giving your body a thorough head-to-body shake and angrily wiping away the traitorous tears dripping down your cheeks, you also gave yourself stern talking.

“Either you get yourself together, or you embarrass yourself and wake up Steve and Bucky”. You wouldn’t, not when it was something as irrational as being frightened that your definitely deceased deranged brother would somehow return from the dead to steal you to a life of misery. You couldn’t stomach waking them from their slumber to see the sad puppy eyes they would give you as they told you all the things you already knew. You were safe with them; they’d never let anything bad happen.

Filling your lungs with air, you blew out a long, slow breath until your lungs were completely empty. “Right. One search of the house and back to bed”, you decided, needing to check the surroundings with the hopes it would ease your battle with anxiety and insomnia.

Upon leaving the ensuite bathroom, you were thankfully greeted by the sound of two distinctively soft snores from both men still lying together in bed. Tip-toeing past them and into the hallway, you made sure to keep the lights off with your eyes having adjusted to the darkness as you approached Steve’s office.

There were a few things that you needed from this room. Firstly, to check the security camera feeds from his laptop, showing every angle possible surrounding the house and inside the many rooms of the luxury property. The baseball bat was also hiding beneath the desk. It was one of many weapons stashed throughout your home, carefully placed by both Bucky and his bodyguard Natasha and even though a gun would be a swifter finale for any intruder, there were still more consequences if you were to shoot the firearm accidentally and hit the wrong target whereas, with a bat, you could still keep someone at arm's length and also not fatally wound a friend if they came knocking at the door.

Clutching the smooth bat in both of your trembling hands, you watched the screen, flicking between rooms and areas of the exterior of your home, not spotting a single leaf out of place. In fact, the only emotion that seemed to bloom through your chest was adoration as you stared at the bedroom video feed, noticing that Bucky was now the bigger spoon, wrapped thoroughly around Steve, whose hands were stretched out to your side of the bed, like in his unconscious state, he was still searching for you.

Guilt settled heavily in your stomach at the sight, and closed the laptop with a sigh. You knew this paranoia would fade by the time tomorrow came around. Still, it was completely illogical for you to react rationally today, so with a sigh that echoed around the office, you stood and began to search the property physically.

Holding the bat at arm's length, you peeked around corners first then swung before stepping out. You'd been trained to use all the weapons scattered throughout the house with Steve, Bucky, and Natasha, even with how to strike with a baseball bat effectively.

Every shift of shadows out of the corner of your eyes and every creak of the house naturally settling or knocking with the raging winds outside had your heart racing and senses going into full alert.

One check of the house turned into four full sweeps to ensure no one was there. It was also a slow and thorough check, so by the time you were stepping carefully through the kitchen, glancing out of the back window and into the dark abyss that was your back garden. The creak of footsteps echoed from upstairs; you’d become lost and disorientated on the search, and you had neglected to check the time.

05:03 am.

A sniffle and quiet cough followed the footsteps of the man who had decided to wake earlier than most. In a rush of adrenaline and the need to not be found with a baseball bat in hand like a crazy lady in the dark, you decided to hide the weapon in one of the kitchen cupboards and quickly pretended to be preparing coffee as the sleepy steps wandered down the carpeted stairs.

Placing two cups onto the kitchen counter, you almost held your breath in anticipation for the morning grumbly welcome by whoever had woken first. Steve and Bucky both like to be awake early, much to your usual pleas for them to stay in bed.

However, as the man walked into the kitchen, not a single word was shared as he stepped up close behind you, enveloping your body in a warm and metal arm, wrapping tightly around your waist and pulling you backwards until flush against a naked chest. Stubbled cheeks nuzzled into your neck as lips gently kissed the sensitive skin as you sighed, eyes closing and all tension diminishing into the floor at the feeling of finally being safe.

The two of you swayed on the spot, wrapped in the tight embrace, listening to the water in the coffee pot. One of your hand gripped onto the metal fingers, feeling the smooth material beginning to warm and match the temperature of your skin. The other hand lifted to rest on the back of his head, scratching his buzzed hair, earning a comforting moan from Bucky as he kissed your jaw.

“It’s a rare day when you’re awake before me”, Bucky whispers into the shell of your ear before kissing it. Goosebumps lined your body with the gruff tone of his early morning voice. He didn’t pester you any more about why you were awake at this time, but he did pinch the hem of your shirt. “Is it your plan to always wear my shirts so I must be topless?”

His words pulled a giggle from your lips, shaking your head as you poured the coffee into each cup. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”.

The two of you sat at the dining room table, coffee in one hand and in the other you held onto one another, admiring the night turn into the day with dawn breaking over the fences that lined the back garden. It was blissful and a welcomed distraction from the terrors beneath your surface.

Steve eventually joined, groaning about waking up alone as he kissed you, then Bucky on the back of the head. “Who knew the big grown mafia boss could be so needy?” Bucky quipped with a teasing smirk over the rip of his cup before taking another glug of the coffee.

“That’s a lot of sass for someone who will be going without any breakfast if he keeps it up”, Steve grumbles as he looks through the refrigerator to start preparing the three of you breakfast like he did on most mornings. Before Bucky could respond, Steve asked curiously, “Why is there a baseball bat in with the plates?”

Your eyes downcast to stare into your empty cup, shrugging your shoulders at the burning stares of your boyfriends. “I don’t know. Anyway, who wants a fresh coffee?”

Thankfully, nothing more was mentioned regarding the random appearance of the baseball bat as the three of you ate and prepared to head into the office. You were thankful for the distraction working in the gang gave you, especially on a stressful day like today. Although the paranoia and anxiety that had kept you awake still bubbled away beneath the surface.

On the car journey to work, even squished between Steve and Bucky in the back seats, their hands eagerly resting on the naked skin of your thighs, having pushed the dress up to have the contact. Even your bodyguard and best friend Sam, who was driving the vehicle, couldn’t ease the panic that came from every car horn that blared, the dangerously speeding vehicles that passed or just the erratic driving that was expected with other idiots on the road.

Every single disruption had you anticipating that the car you were in would be hit or stopped, and your brother would then arrive and drag you away. Of course, this didn’t happen, and as you came to work, another heavy sigh released from your body as you walked through the extensive security to get to the office.

New shipments of discreetly stolen goods had arrived, which was a welcome distraction for you, checking the quality and organising where and to whom it would be sold. This only lasted for an hour before the coldness began to creep in, and you made excuses to return to Steve and Bucky back in the office.

“You know you can talk to us, right?” Bucky reminds you carefully whilst pulling your chair closer to his. You couldn’t meet his intense stare as you shifted your body under his awaiting arm so you were cuddled close to his side.

“Yep”, you respond casually, leaning into his warmth.

Bucky’s face lowered to your ear as he stroked his fingers down your arm. “And you also know you’re safe with me. With Steve. In this building or home. I’d do anything to keep you safe, Doll”.

You smile politely at him, trying to ignore the guilt that, for some reason, passed over you as you reached to take his hand that was draped over your shoulders. “I know”.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Bbcky checking his phone for the 15th time in an hour. Not that you’d been counting.

Finally, he seemed to receive the notification he’d been waiting for as he suddenly sprung up from his seat, pulling his leather jacket swiftly.

A frown settled over your features as you sat forward, “where are you going?”

Bucky glanced towards Steve first before addressing your question. “I’ve just got some errands to run, nothing special. I won’t be long, Sweetheart”.

He was leaving you. On a day when you needed him most so that you felt safe, he for some reason had to go.

You stood abruptly, pushing back your chair and taking urgent steps towards him whilst nervously playing with your fingers. “You’re going to leave me on my own!”

“Who am I? The milkman?” Sam joked from where he was standing near the door, and you instantly regretted the words, having not meant them that way. What’s worse is that Steve muttered something under his breath from his desk and now you were riddled with more guilt as Bucky’s sad eyes turned to you, his hands resting heavily on your shoulders.

“I won’t be long, and maybe you’ll get a surprise later.” He tried to bring a smile to your lips, but it was worthless as you were caught between staring at Sam and Steve, trying to find the words to apologise. Bucky breathed heavily through his nose at seeing you distraught, but then his phone pinged again, so with one last kiss to your temple, he made his way to the exit.

Turning to Sam whilst awkwardly rubbing your cheek to ease the burning of embarrassment under your skin, you attempted to apologise, but Steve cut off your sentence. “I’m sorr-”.

“Baby, come here”.

Turning towards the comforting voice, you saw that Steve’s full attention was now on you. He’d moved his seat away from his desk and opened his arm, a clear sign for you to approach, which you did with rushed steps before climbing into his warm, sturdy lap. Your knees rested on either side of his thighs as your fingers caded through the curling blonde hair at the nape of his neck which you were quick to bury your face into, breathing in his calming cologne.

“I’m sorry about the comment; I didn’t mean it like that. I know I’m not alone. My head is just all over the place and-”.

“Shh, I know, baby, you don’t need to explain yourself. I know you’d rather us both be around for you today”. There it was. The one small mention and reference made by someone else that this was a day that you hated. It’s not that it needed to be spoken about as it had been clear that both of your boyfriends had been trying their hardest to be there for you today by being at your side as much as possible, constantly checking in with your emotions and making sure you ate and drank enough.

But Steve saying it out loud seemed to make it all the more real, so as you clung to him with more desperation, his arms did just the same until it felt as if there wasn’t a single part of you that wasn’t currently being touched by his giant frame.

“I love you, Steve, so much”, you plead to him in a tired daze, finally feeling somewhat safe now that you were crowded into his body.

“I’d do anything for you, baby girl, you know that. I love you too. Try and get some sleep; it’ll make the day go faster”.

You wanted to and knew you could if you’d let your eyes drop close, but something still wasn’t sitting right like an itch that needed to be scratched.

“Could I please make one request… sir?” you say, nerves beginning to flicker through your chest at the intimacy of the request, already starting to switch into the role of the submissive mind, especially after the fragile state you’d been in all day.

Steve seemed to straighten his posture at using the name, and his lips kissed the top of your head a few times before he responded, “Anything”.

Lifting your head away from his neck and gazing into the endlessly intense blue eyes that always looked so kindly down at you, you asked, “Please can we touch everywhere? I just want to sit and be close”.

Steve tried not to smile at the innocence and the way you couldn’t even say the words, ‘Please can I cock warm you?’ which he knew was what you were asking. Reaching between your bodies, he began to undo his belt and zipper, “You know you don’t need to ask, Sweetheart. I want you to feel comfortable”.

You could never explain to someone why you loved the thought of cock warming so much. It seemed to settle both your nerves and put you into a relaxing state. Not at all times, though. Half the time, it would just turn you into a horny, wet mess that ended with you riding the cock until at least three orgasms. But other times, such as now, you just needed to be stretched and feel as close to Steve as possible.

Lifting higher onto your knees, you moved aside your underwear and lifted the front of your dress as you manoeuvred yourself to accommodate the toe-curling length that was Steve Rogers. Through your groaning sigh, you couldn’t hear Steve’s matching noise as he made sure you were comfortable with a steading arm around your hips before shuffling his seat closer to the desk and continuing with his work and talking to Sam about an email he’d just received.

You were asleep before hearing the end of the email being read out. Your head is resting on his shoulder, hands loosely holding onto the material of his crisp navy blue shirt. You were warm, full and safe.

Hours later, as the sun began to set and the day passed, you were still drowsy, much more relaxed than you had been in the morning. You’d wake up to Steve packing his belongings and Sam saying he’d warm the car for you and Steve.

As you gathered your disorientated thoughts and tried to sit up, you noticed that Steve was very much still thoroughly hard inside of your soaked cunt. Silently, you thanked whatever super serum had been injected into him during his time in the army. You clenched at the realisation, and Steve hummed in contentment at realising you were waking up.

“Let’s get you home. Bucky’s waiting there for us”,  Steve informed quietly whilst cupping your cheek tenderly.

With the position you’d been sitting in, your legs were sore and tense, but Steve was more than happy to carry you down, even with his cock still inside. However, with the movements of his steps, it caused his length to ease in and out of your already sensitive cunt that by the time you’d made it to the car, you were clinging desperately to his shoulders as an orgasm rushed through you, pulsing between your legs.

Steve’s knees nearly buckled as he rested your frame against the side of the car, his face dropping to your neck as he breathed you in deeply. Your cunt continued to clench around his cock until he, too, joined you in euphoria with a deep grunt and a snap of his hips; warmth flooded your hole and began dripping out and onto the floor. Neither of you or his employees batted an eyelid as both of you came. 

Once in the car, you were so distracted with cleaning each other up that the idiots in other vehicles that had panicked you on the way in, didn’t remotely phase you.

Wishing Sam a good night, you and Steve walked up to your front door, hand in hand. Steve opened the front door for you, letting you walk into the living room first, where you abruptly stopped, causing the blonde to nearly knock into you.

“I promise I tried to stop him, but he’s a feral little beast!” Bucky exclaimed from where he sat on the floor, surrounded by something that could only be described as chaos.

It seemed all of the decorative pillows had been utterly destroyed as the contents of the fluff covered all of the surfaces. Not only this, but there were half-eaten shoes, and the corners of the couches and coffee table seemed to have tiny bite marks gnawed into them.

“Bucky?! What did you do?” You couldn’t even comprehend where the mess began and ended as you looked at your dishevelled boyfriend sitting on the floor. Well, he was more lying down, reaching beneath one of the couches as he began to sit up and plastered a wide, toothy grin towards you.

“Surprise!” Bucky shouts with exhausted joy as Steve sighs with a shaky laugh from behind you.

“Surprise? What kind of a surprise is my home being destroyed?” you say, gobsmacked, staring longingly at your favourite cushions ripped to shreds.

As Bucky opened his mouth to explain, a tiny yap sounded from beneath the furniture where he’d just been reaching, and suddenly, a bundle of black fur was pounding for your ankles. It took you a second to drop to your knees and gasp, reaching for the puppy.

“Careful! His teeth are viscous”, Bucky warns, trying to reach forward to grab the animal, but you beat him to it and pull the pup into your lap.

“Oh my god, look at you! Aren’t you just the most beautiful little thing! Was it you that destroyed my lovely cushions? It was, wasn’t it? That’s okay. I forgive you. I’ll forgive you for everything. You're just so damn cute!” you couldn’t help but talk in a childishly high voice as you spoke to the adorable little puppy.

Thankfully, he didn’t bite you with his tiny sharp teeth and instead rolled onto his back on your legs, his paws resting in the air as he waited for a belly rub you happily gave him with carefully placed head kisses.

“You didn’t tell me you were getting a new guard dog! And what happened to the rule of not letting them into the house?” you asked Bucky as you continued to pet the pup.

Steve squatted down next to you, reaching to stroke the puppy behind his ears but then quickly retreating as the tiny sharp teeth nearly nipped his fingers. “He’s not going to be a guard dog; he’s going to be your dog”.

Your head spun with how fast you looked between your boyfriends as you screamed, “What?!”

“Yep! He’s all yours. He’s a Rottweiler and is eight weeks old. They’re known to be a protective breed and great guard dogs, so we will have him properly trained a couple of times a week for this, but we also want him to be yours”. As Bucky explained he knelt closer which earned the attention of your new puppy who watched him closely but continued to lick your fingers in between as you scratched the top of his head.

Steve rested a firm hand on your lower back as he continued, “We know how difficult today is, even with our reassurance that you are safe from Enzo”. Even just hearing his name, your whole body tightens and locks, almost forgetting to breathe until a certain puppy begins to wiggle and try and jump up your body to attempt to lick your face, having noticed the change in demeanour. “We wanted there to be someone around for you all the time, just with the chance that you could still feel safe if Bucky or I weren’t by your side. So, we are hoping this little rascal will be able to do this”, Steve says playfully, stroking along the puppy's back but quickly withdrawing when he nearly nipped again.

“Thank you. Both of you. I don’t even know where to begin with telling you how amazing this gift is”, you say brightly, glancing between the two men you loved most in the world.

“Don’t thank us; it’s the least we could do”, Steve mutters whilst leaning in to kiss your cheek and then standing up, beginning to grab handfuls of fluff from all the surfaces with an attempt at cleaning up the mess.

“I just want you to be happy”, Bucky whispers whilst kissing your other cheek, but then his gaze moves to the puppy, and a line forms between his brows as he frowns. “There will be some ground rules, though. No dog on the couch or in bed. We need boundaries”.

You nod your head in understanding but lean closer to whisper to the pup loud enough that Steve and Bucky could still hear. “Don’t listen to the grumpy old man. You can stay wherever you’d like!”

Bucky sighs whilst rolling his eyes and begins to help Steve with cleaning.

The three of you were sat in front of the TV watching a late-night film. The four of you were sitting on the couch as the puppy was resting in your lap, exhausted from all the playing you’d been doing and now resting as you tried to think of a name for the little guy.

“What about Winchester? That’s a good dog name, right?” you ask the boys, but mostly the dog, hoping he would react to one of the suggestions, but he hasn’t succeeded so far. You pondered some more whilst petting his little black ears. “Oh, what about Sargeant?! No… what about Rogers? No…”. You gave up trying to think of a name off the top of your head and began to scroll for suggestions online.

“Max? Brutus? Thor? Um, nope, these aren’t good. Chase? Ari? Bullet? Dodger? Bli-” Your suggestions stop as the puppy’s head tilts to look at you, seeming more awake. “What is it? Is it one of the names? Ari?” No response, “Bullet?” still no response. “Dodger?” his precious little tail began to wag as he yapped.

“Dodger? You like that name?” he barked again, attempting to climb higher up your body to lick your face as you laughed fondly.

“Dodger it is”, Steve announced from your side with a smile.

#steve rogers #bucky barnes #bucky #stucky #steve rogers smut #steve rogers x reader #stucky x reader #bucky barnes one shot #bucky barnes x reader #marvel smut #mafia au #mafia stucky #mafia steve rogers #mafia bucky #mine*

[thelittlestoflives]

Unravelling the Mystery

a wee Sanji x Strawhat!reader from the perspective of our favourite archeologist! it’s so self indulgent lol but i just love these lil pirates so much!! my first time writing for one piece too!!

barely proofread or formatted forgive me pls!!!!

no warnings, just fluff, use of YN but gender neutral as much as possible

wc: 1k

Robin loved a mystery.

Whether it be a novel, an ancient archaeological site, or even the small cartoon strip in the newspaper that Nami got delivered every so often, she was all over it, the cogs in her brain whirred like a woman possessed to solve it.

Her newest obsession was the mystery of where her fellow crewmate was going when everyone else was asleep. Every night, she would hear the door creak and their gentle footsteps on the floorboards.

Sleepwalking?

No. It seemed too calculated for that. And if it were sleepwalking, how would that explain the way that they managed to always be in their bed in the morning?

Robin knew in her gut that there was something else happening here, and she was determined to find out what. Not by asking, of course. She would find out in her own special Robin way, by following YN as they left the room, and then staying awake all night to see when they returned. Simple enough really.

That night, she laid with her back to YN, breathing steadily to imitate someone who was dead asleep. Nami’s breaths had evened out too, and like clockwork Robin heard the familiar creak of the floorboards and the door carefully being pried open.

She waited a few seconds before getting up and creeping out of their room.

YN tiptoed ahead of her, bare feet not making a sound on the floor, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

Robin felt in her element as she sneaked behind her crew mate, only a slight pang of guilt in her stomach. Her curiosity overrode that particular emotion.

YN turned left, towards the boys’ room.

With precision, they opened the door slowly, and then shut it behind them without a sound.

Ah. Of course. They're sneaking in to see someone. But who?

Robin’s brain raced with possibilities. Was it the stoic swordsman? Their silly captain? The flirty chef? She went back to her bed, puzzling over each outcome.

When Robin opened her eyes, sunlight streamed onto her face and she was hit with a feeling that she forgot something. She rolled over and saw Nami and YN sound asleep in their respective beds.

Dammit! She fell asleep before she could see YN coming back to bed. Tonight, she would do it. The day could be used to gather some more clues.

At breakfast, she watched YN for any signs of lingering gazes or prolonged touches with any of the other crew mates.

Unfortunately for her she was in the middle of an intense discussion with Usopp and Luffy, trying to explain why their Captain physically couldn’t eat so much that he would actually explode, and missed exactly the telltale signs she was looking for. Hands brushing, a slight blush of the cheeks, eyes meeting with a knowing glint.

The rest of the day proved ineffective for clue gathering, and now asking YN outright seemed almost like admitting to failure, by not being able to solve this mystery. And that simply wouldn’t do. Tonight she would put an end to this and find out to settle her questioning mind.

Again, she feigned sleep and waited for those creaking floorboards. Once she felt like enough time had passed for YN to settle into whoever’s bed it was they were creeping in to, Robin rose from her sheets and moved towards the male quarters.

She imitated the way YN had opened the door, carefully and noiselessly. She stuck her head through the gap and scanned the swinging hammocks for any signs of her friend tangled up with someone. Wrinkling her nose at the smell of, well, men, she willed her eyes to adjust to the dark whilst internally cursing. She couldn’t see anything! This was beginning to frustrate her. Why couldn’t she solve this seemingly simple mystery? She sighed softly, closing the door and stepping back into the hallway.

She made herself a coffee and sipped it while deep in thought. She would just have to stay awake and see if she could spot YN heading back to bed.

She lay in bed reading her book, so lost in the words that she didn’t realise that it was almost sunrise. The footsteps outside the door startled her and she blew out the candle she was using to read and pretended to sleep once more.

The door pushed open, and she stared intently through half shut eyes.

A familiar blonde head stepped into the room, with a sleepy YN cradled in his arms.

Aha! So it was the damn chef after all.

He laid them down impossibly gently, tucking the duvet around them. He knelt down beside their head, and they exchanged some mumbling words before he pressed a tender kiss to YN’s forehead. Their hands were still tangled as he stood to walk away, and he kissed their knuckles so softly that Robin felt a small jolt in her heart. Sanji left the room to prepare breakfast for the crew, and YN was already back asleep.

She suppressed a smile. The thought of her friend creeping into his arms every night, so soft, so tender, so loving, and him gently cradling their body to his every morning before he started work, tucking them in, was so overwhelmingly endearing she could cry. Now she knew why her friend was keeping it a secret, for now at least. However, she was surprised that the lovesick chef was able to keep something like this to himself, but you didn’t need to be as perceptive as Robin is to see how special and genuine this relationship was. They belonged entirely to each other and were secluded in their small bubble of secrecy. She wasn't going to be the one to pop it for them.

And after all, she got what she wanted.

She solved the mystery.

#one piece #sanji x reader #sanji x yn #sanji x y/n #vinsmoke sanji x y/n #blackleg sanji x reader #blackleg sanji x yn #blackleg sanji x you #sanji x you #sanji fluff #sanji drabble #sanji oneshot #vinsmoke sanji x you #vinsmoke sanji x yn #vinsmoke sanji #one piece x reader #op x reader #strawhat reader

[sanctus-ingenium]

Just wanted to ask, please forgive me if you've already answred this, what program do you use? Your art fucks HARD and like. I was looking at your art of the two moths over the city they die in and I was hit with the wave of "oh that looks really fucking fun actually." Like i know my art program can't do some of those effects and like, I'd love to try fucking about with them.

hi there, thank you! all my art is done in procreate and paint tool sai

because you mentioned that drawing in particular i thought it would be fun to break it down and show ppl what exactly went into each part of it so check this out

sketch & lineart - the brushes come from georgbrush.club and the urban sketcher is my most commonly used lineart brush, it has a nice irregular shape. the square brush is nice for big blocky sketches.

the cityscape was REALLY hard but basically I got a photo of the skyline of florence, traced some basic building shapes, then bullshitted the rest using the vertical symmetry/mirror tool to cut down on the amount of work (so i only had to sketch one half of the city). then for lineart I turned off vertical symmetry, turned on the two-point perspective tool, and got this:

the rose windows were made using the radial symmetry tool.

I didn't like it being so flat, so I used the liquify tool to make a kind of fish-eye effect (limited success tbh). I liked how it looked but the buildings in front needed something to cover them up to make the liquification less obvious...

first pass colours. I felt they were very washed out, aside from the sun which i loved. I use the spectra brush (default procreate) for skyscapes a lot, I love the texture. Although the clouds were filled in using the lasso selection tool, I softened the edges using the square pencil again and added texture using true grit sampler grainy brushes. The translucency effect comes from my setting the brush as an eraser. The sun rays come from the radial symmetry tool.

Blocking in the moths' colours was done with the urban sketcher again.

Something people may not have noticed is the labyrinth hidden in the sky! yeah I had a bunch of versions where it was more obvious but I found that it clashed a bit and was too busy, so I made it subtle. But yes. I searched for "royalty free labyrinth" and picked one.

The toner grit brush is one you've seen before if you've looked at any art on tumblr lately (this is such a popular brush) and it's from the true grit fast grit set. The pointillism brush is from the true grit free sampler pack, like my grain brushes.

I added shadows to the moths, increased saturation overall, and changed the clouds to a translucent blue (you can even see in the sun where I forgot to block in the sun itself because the clouds over it used to be opaque lol). Moon rays were drawn using the radial symmetry tool but this time with rotational symmetry off. I also moved the moon down closer to the moths because I felt that it was a bit far away, and this served to visually divide the drawing into three equal parts, so I chose to lean into that and divide the sky colours too, to show passing time, or an endless moment - morning, evening, night, etc.

And then the oroborous, I tried a few different effects on it because I wanted it to be very clearly separate from the main scene - I settled on a dot matrix newsprint texture, using procreate's onboard tool, and some heavy chromatic aberration. This is because the oroborous isn't real, it's purely symbolic and the moths' demise started when they became photographers so I liked the print media aspect there as well. The story itself is about grief without closure, cyclical violence, and sunk cost fallacy, while everyone explores an endless labyrinth, so an oroborous fits I think

what makes art fun to me is thinking up ways I can tell a story using just a single image. and sure a lot of it will be lost to an audience who isn't familiar with the characters or backstory but i want to leave enough in there that even complete strangers to my work will be able to construct a narrative about what's happening here, rather than it just being a cool image. that's my goal.

Finally I exported it to sai on my pc to give it a once-over. this is really important because the retina display on an ipad is oversaturated on purpose, to make everything look amazing and vibrant. but what this means is that on other screens, your work might look washed out. it's especially bad at displaying yellows! so i look at it in sai on my pc and i make minor adjustments, in this case I actually added another multiply layer on the moths and an overlay on their non-shadowed parts to increase the contrast there.

finally if you've read this far, I played a little trick with the caption of the drawing. yeah, THEY die... but only one of those moths is a theythem pronoun haver... the other has to survive. he isn't given a choice in the matter.

#fr you will never catch me trying to mystify my process i will explain literally everything #brushes

[mauvecherie-writes]

Cupid’s Kisses.

pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Black f!reader.

tags: 18+ nsfw, minors dni, super fluff, cheesy in parts, an overdose of corny, smut, mention of birth control, unprotected sex, choking, hard breeding kink, gagging, minor spanking, dirty talk, creampie, aftercare.

word count: 6.6K.

note: Welcome to my first fic of 2023! So so sorry it took so long to come but life got in the way. Things are a little rusty but either way please leave feedback and your thoughts! Reblog and like! Thank you 💕. NOT EDITED.

tip jar.

Since your years in university, Valentine’s Day was one of the celebrated holidays that you hated purely from a resentful standpoint and you weren’t ashamed to admit that yourself. Every time that you had tried to celebrate with a partner, it never ended well for you one way or another - from being dumped on the day to your partners just not having any type of enthusiasm for Valentine’s. “I mean I love you everyday, one day shouldn’t change that.” You hated hearing that - it was such a lame excuse used to justify not wanting to go through the efforts to plan anything special. It made you feel like shit to be honest and after a while you began hating the day. The only way that you really celebrated for the past three years was exchanging gifts with your friends and then coming back home, watching romantic movies and indulging in all of your favourite foods and wine.

However, you did not expect the whirlwind persona that was Lewis Hamilton - the absolute charmer swept you off your feet and they haven’t touched the ground since. It had been a blissful seven months since a chance encounter at the French Grand Prix. You had been a guest of the Mercedes Petronas team and when he laid his eyes on you in his side of the garage he just knew (he said) and since, you were never out of his presence.

Weary at giving the high profile man a chance, you did not regret agreeing to a date with him. Giving him the opportunity to win a chance at your heart had not gone wrong thus far and as the days went by, you knew that you could not walk away from him without heartbreak. He made you feel a deep love and ultimately it made you realise that Lewis was the person for you.

This year, Valentine’s Day was going to be different and you knew this when you were greeted with a box of your favourite artisan chocolate that spelt the question ‘Will you be my Valentine?’ as you woke up on the first day of the month. Of course you enthusiastically agreed to the question, jumping into his arms and spending that morning making out and sharing the chocolate.

For the first time in years you felt butterflies in your stomach and you were unable to shake them off the more your relationship with him grew. Today was Valentine’s Day and you didn’t feel utter despair and dread when you woke up and got out of bed. Unfortunately, ever the busy man, you weren’t able to wake up in Lewis’s arms. He had flown you out to Monaco to his beautiful beachfront apartment, fed you and made sweet love to you until the both of you passed out. This morning, he needed to do some last minute business stuff before he was able to shut himself away and just be with you.

After washing your face and brushing your teeth, you walked out of the bedroom and you gasped as the open floor living and kitchen area came into your view. Red and pink rose petals were scattered all over the floor from the corridor you were standing in to the kitchen island where a few varied sized boxes resided along with love heart balloons and a bouquet of your favourite flowers. In the front of a large, circular black box was a pink envelope with your name elegantly written on it. For what felt like hours, you just stood there, simply in awe of the effort Lewis had put in for you. In the earlier stages of your relationship, you had confessed about your hang ups with Valentine’s Day so the fact that he was going to such lengths to change your perspective of the day was greatly appreciated.

You hadn’t realised that you had been softly crying until your best friend had picked up your facetime call and that was the first thing that she noticed.

“Bitch! Why are you crying?! What did he do! I’ll fly over there and beat his short ass right now!”

You laughed through your tears, shaking your head. “Nothing bad, I promise.” You sniffed as you tried to wipe your tears away. “Ugh I don’t even know why I’m crying but look at what I woke up to.” You flipped to the back camera and panned to the view that was ahead of you.

“Oh my god!” Ariel gasped as she took in the decorations. “That’s so fucking cute!” She gushed.

“I know! And there’s an envelope with my name on it but I haven’t opened it yet. I was too overwhelmed and just called you.”

“Do you want to open and read it together?” She asked and you nodded your head as she could see you. You then propped your phone and sat on one of the bar stools at the island. You took a deep breath, wiping away your tears before grabbing the envelope and softly opening it. You ignored the slight trembling of your fingers and pulled out the letter.

Princess …

Every moment that I have spent with you since I saw you in the garage had been an awakening, an awakening as to how I could have gone years without you in my life. You bring me such an unfathomable joy that I didn’t even know I was missing and I want you to know that and I will let you know that everyday for as long as you let me.

Inside this box are forever roses to represent each day since we’ve met how grateful I am that you’re taking this chance at cupid with me. I hope that you don’t regret making that choice as much as I don’t regret following my heart in chasing after you.

You are worth it my dear Valentine …

Yours,

Lewis xxx

The tears were now freely streaming down your face after you had finished reading the letter. You even heard Ariel sniffing as well.

“Holy fuck, that was the most romantic thing I have ever heard. Who knew short stuff had that in him.” Ariel commented as she watched you cradle the letter into your chest. Your heart was beating so fast as another wave of emotions crashed against your ribcage. Lewis, near or far, had the ability to rock your equilibrium, leaving you unbalanced and flustered.

“I can’t deny it anymore.” You whispered just loudly enough for her to hear through the phone.

“Are you going to tell him?” Ariel asked.

Before you could answer, the apartment door opened and along with his footsteps, Roscoe’s loud barks echoed and filled the space. You quickly tried to dry your tear soaked face but you knew that you couldn’t hide the redness and puffiness of your face.

“Baby I’m home!” Lewis yelled, his voice carrying through to the kitchen.

“In the kitchen.” You yelled back, willing your voice to not crack. Roscoe rushed as fast as he could to your feet as Lewis came around the bend and came into your view with the brightest smile on his face. However, the smile slowly dropped away from his gorgeous features as he took in the state that you were in.

“What’s wrong?” He asked as he drew closer to you.

“I read your letter.” You replied as your bottom lip quivered as his words rang through your mind. “That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever written to me.”

“Awe Princess, come here.” He cooed as he cupped your puffy cheeks in his warm hands. You leaned into his palm as he wiped your tears away with the pad of his thumb and placed assuring kisses on your skin after. “I meant every word.”

“I know.” You whispered as you smiled at him. Lewis smiled down at you before he placed his lips on yours. You leaned into the kiss, letting your body be swayed. He wedged his hard body in between your legs, letting the fabric of your robe slip away from your thighs. As the kiss deepened further, your hands grabbed onto his waist as you stabilised yourself.

“Alright now. As much as I love both of you and think that this moment is cute, you’re making me feel like I’m intruding on something I shouldn’t be looking at right now.” Ariel loudly announced, causing the two of you to break apart. You groaned in slight embarrassment and hid your face in Lewis’s chest. His laugh shook his body and vibrated through you.

“Hi Ariel.” He greeted her as you hugged him, melting into his embrace. His scent was soothing and the sound of his steady heartbeat calmed your unregulated feelings at the moment. You sat in silence as the two briefly interacted before Ariel bid her goodbyes. You waved at her before Lewis hung up the call. You sighed contently as you focused on the feel of his skin beneath your fingertips.

Lewis dropped his hands to the sides of your thighs and caressed them. “How are you feeling Princess?”

“I’m feeling happy.” You smiled, still rubbing your face into his chest. You felt the pressure of his kiss on the top of your head.

“And those were all happy tears?” He questioned as he began to rock your body from side to side.

“Mhm. Thank you for the letter and gifts.” You lifted your head to meet his eyes. You blushed as he smiled, the creases of his cheeks almost touching his eyes.

“You’re very welcome.” Lewis bent his neck and captured your lips into a slow and passionate kiss once again.

“Are you ready for the rest of the day with me?” He mumbled against your mouth.

“I am!”

“Good, because I intend on making sure that today becomes the first of many.”

“Oh really?” Your eyebrow quirked upward as a smile threatened to spread across your face.

“Yes really and you better be ready for it all.”

Your heart seemed to have capsized in your chest as were at a loss for words. Truthfully the words were the tip of your tongue but you couldn’t say them just yet. Instead, you chose to kiss him, hoping that he could understand that the fervour of your movement conveyed the words you couldn’t say …

There was never a dull moment during the day with Lewis and your favourite pup. You had spent most of it in Monte Carlo, enjoying the beautiful sun and waves the location offered. Lewis at one point had tried to teach you how to surf but you were not having it. Your cornrows were relatively new and you were not about to let the salt water ruin them more than they had already been ruined after you had accepted to ride on the jet ski with Lewis. His inability to be slow on any vehicle led to you being splashed by the water as you screamed and he laughed at your dismay. After that you decided you rest on the private sunbed, reading a book with the occasional glance at Lewis playing fetch with Roscoe.

When evening came, the dog sitter came to collect Roscoe at the last minute after Lewis had decided you would spend the rest of the day in the Monte Carlo region on a whim. Luckily for you, you had grabbed his gifts and hidden them in your day bag. With his status and wealth, Lewis was somehow able to manoeuvre a last minute booking of the Venus Lover’s suite at the Fairmont Hotel and when you arrived at the suite, your belongings that you needed for the night were already there. You shared a shower together but then prepared for dinner separately and you were happy about that considering that you wanted the second part of your gift to be a complete surprise.

You embellished in a black backless maxi dress that hugged your figure and almost exposed the crack of your ass but somehow due to the bunched up fabric on your ass, it didn’t. Due to the high neckline of the dress, you barely accessorised sticking to large golden hoops and a bold statement bangle to match. With one last puff of your signature perfume - you were ready.

“Baby! Are you ready?” Lewis asked from the bathroom, where he had been getting ready.

“Yeah!” You excitedly exclaimed. You dug your first gift out of your bag and waited for him to approach you in the sitting area. He was fixing his cufflinks and had yet to lift his head and look up at you as he walked into the space. Finally, he looked up and the familiar look of adoration that always adorned his face when he looked at you drew on his features.

“Aren’t you the most beautiful woman to ever grace the earth.” He complimented as he walked towards you. With a roll of your eyes, you tried to hide your blush.

“Are you always this corny?” You enquired. “Or is it just something about this day that brings it out of you?”

“I like to think of myself as a poet.” He shrugged his shoulders confidently as you rolled your eyes yet again.

“I have something for you.” He looked down at your hands and saw the velvet box being trapped in the grip of your fingers. “As you know, this particular holiday hasn’t been the best for me for some years now to the point that I hated it.” You started and you could already feel your emotion climbing up your throat.

“But here you come, barging your way into my life and breaking through all of my walls and making me feel things that I haven't felt in a very long time.”

“Angel..” He said as he picked up on the quiver in your voice as you spoke but you shushed him.

“No. Let me say this now before I lose my nerve.” You mumbled.

“Okay.”

You took a deep breath before you continued with the small speech that you had planned out in your head. “Seeing so much of the effort you’ve put into making this day be worth it for me has shown me how you truly care for me. I feel so wanted, adored and most importantly, you make me feel so, so loved.” Your voice lost volume towards the end as you tried to control your emotions and stop yourself from ruining your makeup with your tears.

“I didn’t know what I could get a man who could have the world at his feet but I hope the fact that I put a lot of thought into this counts.” When you stopped talking and met his eyes, they were unshed tears lingering in his but the spark never dwindled. He took the box from your hands and opened it.

“Princess, this is … wow.”

“The necklace is encrusted with lab grown diamonds and the bracelet with a matching pinky ring are made from old gold jewellery I did not want anymore. Turns out that it’s cheaper to smelt old gold making it into something new than buying something else outright.”

“That was so thoughtful of you.” He softly murmured as he placed the gift down and took you into his arms, securing them around your waist. In your heels, you towered over him and a part of you secretly loved that in situations like this, you looked down at him but his eyes were so captivating, it was hard for you to shift your gaze anywhere else but his eyes.

“Thank you for the gift, I’m probably never going to take them off.” You giggled, fixing the lapels of his suit then shifting your ever moving fingers to his shirt. He had opted out of wearing a tie and let his chains hang low on his exposed chest.

“Good, so that everyone knows that you’re mine.” You spoke softly and inched down to peck his lips.

“Oh you’re claiming me now?” He smirked as his hands moved down to your ass, pulling you into him. You felt his hardening cock on your thigh and a part of you wanted to say fuck it to dinner plans and stay in the room but you had put too much effort into getting ready and there was no way you were going to let it go waste.

“You knew what the deal was.” You giggled before giving him one more kiss. “Now let’s get out of here before I change my mind on dinner.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Lewis decided to wear the pinky ring and bracelet despite the fact that it clashed with the silver jewellery he was already wearing. The table in the hotel restaurant was in the VIP section but it did not stop people from reaching for their phones to sneak a picture. It had been a while since Lewis had stepped out publicly with a woman but you had the discussion prior to this and you were prepared.

Dinner was still as intimate as it could be in the open space. You were sitting side by side instead of across from each other because you loved looking so closely into his eyes as you spoke. You loved the sound of his voice so close to your ears and with the way that you were feeling now, being right by his side was the better option.

“I had forgotten to mention that I wrote something on the inside of the ring and bracelet.” You said as you played with his fingers as you waited for dessert. Lewis’s eyebrows curiously quirked upward before he pulled his hand away to take the jewellery off. He was silent for a beat as his eyes squinted to look at the small engravings.

“Yours, YN and yours as you are mine.” He read out loud with a bright smile on his face and you could feel your cheeks rise as you grinned in response to his joy. He put the jewellery back on and leaned forward to capture your lips in a soft kiss. Your hand came to his cheek as you dove in, tasting the addicting sweetness of him - letting the sensations take over and slowly losing yourself. His moans were soft and barely audible but you cherished them all the same.

A clearing of the throat broke you from your love spell.

“Sorry.” You apologised as you cleaned Lewis’s lips of any reminiscent of your gloss.

“It’s not a problem, It is the day of love after all.” Your server replied with a cheery tone. You dropped your head onto Lewis’s shoulder as he announced Dessert. There was a range of sorbets and fruit before a specific plate of vanilla cheesecake was placed in front of you. At first you were confused but then you gasped as you registered the worlds that decorated the plate.

“When did you do this?” You asked Lewis as you looked at him.

“When you went to the bathroom.” He softly laughed. “I think now is an appropriate time to ask you officially.”

You didn’t hesitate to exclaim an enthusiastic yes before pecking his lips multiple times. It wasn’t a must that he asked you to be his girlfriend. The boundaries of your relationship had been established around Christmas but as your friends had always drilled into your head, nothing is ever truly official until clear titles are put in place, that way no one else can question it.

Lost within yourselves, the server quietly left the both of you. This man made your heart burst out of your chest with just how happy he made you and it was sickening because the lingering doubt threatened to ruin your joy.

What if it is all too good to be true?

You did not even want to think of a possibility that Lewis was faking any of this - call yourself delusional, crazy or whatever but you were going to stay in this moment with him and maybe come back to reality some time later.

Right now you were completely content with what you had.

“How do you feel about the coming season?” You asked him as the both of you fell back into your conversation. He had been sharing with you his anxieties about the new car for the upcoming Formula One season.

“You’d think with how long I’ve been doing this, I wouldn’t be getting nervous. But the last couple of years, I won’t lie to you and say that they didn’t fuck with my mind a little bit. There’s a certain confidence you tend to get with the experience I’ve got behind me but 2021 and 2022 really shook that up. It was like everything I had done up to that point didn’t really matter because the governing body could just say fuck that shit and create their own champion.”

His candidness left you awestruck. He had made the decision to stop talking about what happened in Abu Dhabi for his peace and well being but you could tell even with the work that he had put into moving on, what happened on that night and in the coming year affected him a lot. By then, you had been an avid supporter but that night really shifted you to become an even bigger supporter than you already were. The way that he had handled himself with such grace and humility for people who didn’t deserve it was commendable.

You caressed his hand that was on your lap. “I still think you should have lost your shit on them.” Your comment caused him to snort out a short laugh. “Like I know how it would have looked in front of cameras, but at least backstage. I was so angry for you! I still am by the way. You may have been able to move on but I hold a mean ass grudge.”

“Let’s hope you never bump into the FIA then.” He teased.

“I’m gonna be at every race that I can, they won’t hear the end of it if shit goes down like they did last time.”

“Oh yeah? What are you gonna do?” He raised his eyebrow, smirking softly - seeing you getting worked up amused him. To him, the situation was past him and hated looking back at it but it was always good to know that people close to him, especially you, were able to voice all the things he couldn’t say without it being a whole separate issue.

“I’m YN fucking LN, I’ll create Dante’s inferno on earth for everybody.”

“Okay YN fucking LN.” His soft laugh lightly shook your body. “Thank you for having my back.”

“Well, we’re a package deal now. You do the racing, I do the hating.”

The restaurant slowly began to empty but the night was still young and there was still so much energy to burn. The champagne the both of you had been sipping on was burning through your veins as you rushed back to your suite, excited to be getting back to privacy, away from prying eyes, ears and cameras.

Once you were back in your room, you threw your shoes off and opened the fridge to pull the bottle of wine out. You grabbed your phone and set your R&B playlist before pouring the alcohol into a glass.

“Baby do you want a glass?” You asked but didn’t get a response. “Lew?”

You straightened up and turned to face him but he was just staring right at you as he played with the black tie he had abandoned to wear for dinner.

“You okay?”

“Come ‘ere.” The sudden shift in his mood and tone almost startled you but not too much. The tension had been lurking all day like a bad habit. A lustful cloud followed you everywhere and it was finally going to pour. You walked to him and stopped right in front of him with your glass of wine still in your hand. He took the glass away from your hand, taking a sip from it before placing the glass down on the table.

You exhaled a small breath as he silently placed his hand on your neck and tipped your head to the side.

“What’s your safe word?” Lewis murmured into the side of your neck as he placed kisses on your skin.

“Cherry.” You whispered as your eyes fluttered shut as you enjoyed his lips travelling along your skin. His other hand came to your back and pulled on the strings of your dress. The material fell from your body and pooled at your feet. He dropped his hand from his neck as a harsh breath left him.

“You were naked beneath the dress the entire time?” He asked as his eyes hungrily drank in your body. You shifted on your feet beneath his heated gaze.

“Underwear would have ruined the outfit.” You justified it as his hands came to your body once again. His fingers traced from your collarbone to your heaving chest. He outlined your nipple before softly pinching it eliciting a soft moan from you.

“I haven’t been inside you all day.” His lips followed the trail of his fingers, kissing, sucking and nibbling on your flesh as you stood leaning into his touch. You could feel yourself throb with anticipation as he teased you. His words caused your body to ache as if signalling to you that you indeed missed the feel of him buried deep inside of you.

“Yes.” You gasped as he abruptly lifted you into his arms. You secured yourself tightly onto him, your heat pressed against his shirt.

“We’re about to change that.” You tugged on his locks, freeing them from the hair tie and running your fingers through them. He got to the bed and laid you down with him hovering above you. He devoured your mouth as his hands moved down your body, gripping you tightly. Teeth clashed with tongue as the kiss grew heavier. You moaned into his mouth as he pressed his clothed hard cock on you.

“I love the sounds you make for me. So sweet.” He groaned as he took your hands and placed them above your head. You lifted your hips, trying to create some friction on your clit. Your soft panting made Lewis press even harder into you. “You just can’t help yourself can you? Humping me so desperately because you want me to fuck you.”

“Please, please.” You whimpered which caused him to chuckle. He bruised your lips with a rough kiss once more before he flipped you onto your stomach and parted your legs. You wiggled your hips as you patiently waited for him - you knew that he loved taking his time with you. He caressed the back of your thighs, kneading your ass and parting your cheeks.

“The prettiest pussy.” He said as he laid in between your legs and softly bit onto your thigh.

“You’re gonna eat it baby?” You asked him as you leaned back, feeling his beard on the inner part of your thigh.

“Yes pretty girl, I’m gonna eat your pussy and you’re going to cum all over my face.” Air faltered out of your lungs as he dragged his tongue down your slit and pulled your clit into his mouth. His hands pulled your cheeks further apart as he feasted on your pussy.

The sloppy sounds of Lewis eating your pussy mingled with your unfiltered moans. He groaned into your cunt and smacked your ass as he flicked his tongue even harder against your clit.

“Oh fuck!” You moaned louder when he introduced his fingers into your cunt, immediately pressing down onto your g-spot. You grabbed onto the headboard and began grinding on his face faster and faster. His satisfied groans vibrated through your body as he worked your body with his mouth and fingers.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck! I’m gonna cum baby, I’m gonna fucking cum!” You gasped as you moved your hips until your body trembled with your first orgasm of the night. He licked your pussy until you were trying to throw your body away from him. He chuckled as he finally moved his lips away from your body and watched you collapse into the mattress.

“I hope you’re not tapping out just yet Princess. I’m just getting started.” He said as he stripped his clothes away from his body, leaving him bare between your legs. He flipped you onto your back and took your hands into his and from the side, he pulled the tie and bound your hands together and raised them above your head. Securing them on the headboard, he moved away from your body to search for condoms.

“Wait!” You yelled which halted his actions and he looked at you.

“What’s wrong Angel?” He asked you as he approached the bed and sunk beside you. As bound as you were, you leaned your body closer to his and held his eye contact.

“I want you to fuck me raw.” You told him.

“Baby …”

“Please? I’m clean and I’ve been on birth control for the past three months. I want to feel you come inside of me. I need it, please baby. Can you give that to me?”

“Fuuucckkk.” Lewis moaned as he grabbed your throat and shoved you into the bed as he situated himself in between your legs once more. Your eyes slightly rolled to the back of your head as he restricted your airwaves and rubbed the tip of his cock against your opening.

“Are you sure you want that with me? Because once I have you this way, there’s no going back. I’m going to want to fuck you just like this every time.” He warned as he coated himself in your slick. It was true what he was saying but you loved this man more than anything and this was going to be the next step. During a conversation, you had made it known that you loved the feel of your partner filling you up but it took an immense amount of trust for you to get to this point. With Lewis, you were there and you wanted him completely.

“I’m sure. I’m so fucking sure, I need you.” With that he pushed his cock inside of you, slowly until you were filled to the brim. With your air passage restricted and Lewis slow stroking you, your eyes rolled to the back of your head as the pleasure quickly intensified.

“Fucking hell Princess. You feel so fucking good like this.” He growled as he snapped his hips forwards. “You’re so fucking wet.”

You spread your legs even further for him to accommodate his body. Your mouth fell open as you looked in between your bodies where you connected and watched his dick move in and out of you, covered in your cream. His breath hitched in his throat as he disappeared in your folds. He was slowly losing his senses but he held onto his control as he guided himself deeper into you.

He was so thick and stretched you to your limits and you were taking it all. You wanted to touch him as your arms ached to reach out for him but the tie was digging into your wrists. He held onto your waist as he rocked himself into you, the weight of his body almost crushing you but it felt too good having him thrust in and out of you over and over again.

Your moans rang out until he shoved his fingers into your mouth, gagging you as he fucked you harder until you couldn’t breath. Your chest was burning but the pleasure was too much and all consuming. He pulled his fingers out of your mouth and wrapped them around your neck once more as he pounded your cunt . The sound of your thighs slapping against each other with your wild moans echoed in the room.

Lewis leaned down and sucked your bottom lip into his mouth, slowing his pace and caressing your arms to soothe them from the ache from being stretched out. You whimpered into his mouth as he felt deeper this way as he rolled his hips.

“I love the way you handle me.” He whispered. You nodded your head in a daze as you could feel yourself tightening up causing him to groan into your jawline. He nibbled on your soft skin, kissing the bruising from his suckling on your neck earlier. He put his hand underneath your back, pulling you tighter against him which changed the angling of his thrusts which caused a gasp to leave you as he pushed against your spot. The tip of his cock hammered at it until you were trembling beneath him.

“Oh fuck, fuck fuck fuck!” You cussed as your eyes closed and your mouth parted. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“Come for me right fucking now.” He hissed against your cheek as he kept up with his momentum. He watched as you writhed beneath him, letting yourself go and soaking his dick and his thighs with your cream. “You look so beautiful when you come Princess. Do it again.”

He quickly untied your wrists and you wrapped them around his neck. He smacked the right side of your ass as his thrusts became more desperate. He tightly gripped your hips as he became more erratic and you could feel him swell inside of you.

His moans were getting louder with each thrust.

“Please come inside of me Lew.” You whispered as you looked up at him. His hand came to the back of your throat and pulled you in for a rough kiss, his grunts echoing into your mouth as the both of you got closer to the edge.

“Say it again.”

“Come inside of me! Please baby, fill me up. Wanna feel you please!”

“Fuck!” Lewis exclaimed before he dropped his face into the crook of your neck. “I’m gonna fill you up Princess. Gonna fuck my cum deep inside this pretty pussy.” He murmured as he kissed your shoulder. His word threw you over the edge as you clenched around him tighter and came yet again. Your orgasm triggering his own as his muscles tightened beneath your fingertips as he came deep inside of you. He held onto you as he twitched until he stopped coming.

Your soft breaths and caresses brought him out of his daze. Lewis lifted his head and kissed along your jawline until he captured your lips into a soft and slow kiss. He cupped your cheek with one hand and held his body up with his other as he watched you.

“How are you feeling beautiful?” He asked.

“Full.” Your answer caused him to chuckle before he slowly pulled out of you. You whimpered at the loss of him inside of you and clenched your muscles to keep his essence from dripping out.

“Stay right here.” He smacked your ass causing you to giggle. He walked to the bathroom, staying in there for a while as you closed your eyes to take in the moment. The intensity was different this time around - the both of you had crossed a line that you personally could not come back from.

You were his girlfriend now and that brought on a wave load of emotions that you weren’t able to deal with right now. You were happy and that’s all that mattered.

The bed dipped and you felt a warm cloth touch your thighs. He wiped you down, showering your body with kisses as he did so and after he was done, he grabbed a bottle of water and a fruit platter from the room fridge. Getting into the blankets, he wrapped his arm around you and you laid your head on his chest.

“You feeling okay baby?” He asked as he fed you grapes along with sips of water. You nodded your head as you looked up at him and pecked his lips.

“Today was amazing, thank you so much baby.” He cuddled you closer to his body and pecked your lips again.

“You deserve the world Princess and for as long as you want me, I’ll give it to you.” He murmured.

“You’re so fucking corny.” You mumbled which caused him to chuckle.

“But you love it.” He replied as he began to tickle you. You squealed as you tried moving your body away from him but he dragged you closer, continuing to tickle you anywhere that he could.

“Okay okay! I love it! Damn!” You yelled which caused him to stop.

“I have one more present for you.” Lewis said as he got out of the bed with his boxers hanging low on his hips. You bit onto your bottom lip as you watched his hips sway as he walked. His back was slightly red from your nails marking his skin making his back even more attractive to you. He bent down into his suitcase and grabbed onto a black velvet box.

He came back and sat on the bed beside you and placed the box on your chest. You sat up and took the box into your hand.

“What is it?”

“Just open it.”

And when you did, your eyes were greeted with a necklace with his initials as the pendant. The letters were encrusted with white diamonds along with the chain.

“I had gotten this as a way to show you that I truly mean it when I say I’m committed to you. I don’t take this relationship lightly and sometimes when I say stuff, it’ll come out as corny but I mean it, it’s how I feel about you. There’s no hiding with you YN, I’m proud to be your boyfriend.”

“Fuck.” You sniffed as tears began to line your eyes yet again. You placed the box on the side as you grabbed his face and captured his lips. You moaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped into yours.

“I love you.” You whispered in between the kiss.

“I love you too. So, so much.” He replied as he pulled away from you and laid his forehead against yours. You hugged him before you pulled him down with you onto the bed. He shifted his body underneath the duvet and in between your legs.

“We go together, like real bad.” You grinned as he pressed his hardening cock against the inner part of your thigh. Your body was becoming hot all over again as you pushed his boxers away from his hips.

“I like the sound of that.” He replied as he held onto your chin as he kissed you once more …

lewishamilton

liked by yourusernane, spinzbeatsinc and 937,822 others

tagged: yourusername

lewishamilton this Valentine’s Day I was blessed with a love beyond measure. Thank you for loving me the way you do Princess 💜.

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mercedesamgf1 💜💜💜

f1wags: what a lovely surprise! congratulations! 💕

teamlh44: this is the hardest launch I’ve ever seen 😭 so beautiful!

paddockwags: she’s so beautiful! So happy to see you happy champ!

hammertime44 that’s a gorgeous BLACK QUEEN with you champ! Happy Valentine’s 🙏🏾.

yourusername You are everything and more. I love you 💖.

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yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, arielboo, mercedesamgf1 and 98,546 others

tagged: lewishamilton

yourusername Your presence has changed my life in ways that I had deemed impossible. Grateful to be receiving your love and I will cherish it forever, my forever Valentine 🌹.

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mercgirl4463 oh you guys have claimed my heart 🥺.

ashawoforlh Lewis asking you to be his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day is the most Lewis thing ever.

liked by yourusername.

arielboo have I told you guys how much I love you and your love?

yourusername you do, almost everyday.

lewishamilton: I’m yours as you are mine 💜.

liked by yourusername

@dhlfastestlap @queenshikongo3 @kindan3rdy951 @ricciardosheart @lewiscrown @sarah-ev @mercedesjpg @playgurlxoxo @scorpiobleue @leilaxalie @nomnombibblenibble @honey-prinxess @ohkapten @aisharmi @melodicheauxxo @chaneajoyyy @royallyprincesslilly @olyvoyl @fineanddandy @lewisthot @paradisehamilton @lh44adore @mimihopie

#mauvecherie writes #lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton x black reader #lewis hamilton fanfiction #lewis hamilton smut #lewis hamilton fic #lh #formula one fanfic #formula one smut #formula one fanfiction #lewis hamilton one shot #sir lewis hamilton

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Cater, Ruggie: The Secret in a Smile

Caycay, bestie… I am so sorry that SSR Crowley stole your spotlight 😭 (Is that why Cater looks so Mean Girls in his groovy... He's seeking petty revenge against Crowley/j)

Some cute stuff from the vignettes that I wasn't able to include in this fic: Cater makes a reference to TsumTsums! He mentions being into this mobile game with cute round creatures. Cater also tells a story about a 5-year old girl giving him a flower after his club's performance at a cultural festival (omg, do they mean the one in book 5?!). Ruggie teases him and says Cater must have been that little girl's first crush 😂

A Tale as Old as Time.

“Ne, ne, Ruggie-kun! Check this one out~ It's all the way from the Queendom of Roses!"

Cater jabbed a thumb at a painting of a young blonde girl dressed in a modest sky blue frock and apron, a small black bow in her hair. She couldn’t have been older than 10 years of age, still petite enough to squish inside a glass bottle with a narrow neck. The bottled child was adrift in a sudsy sea, her face frozen in an expression of slight worry.

Ruggie took one look at the artwork, then wrinkled his nose. “Sure sucks to be in her shoes. What’s this even supposed to show us, anyway? Doesn’t make a whole lotta sense to me.”

"Not a lot from the Queendom does if you aren't already familiar with its topsy-turvy stories~" Cater placed a hand on his hip and leaned forward, grinning. "This one is pretty popular! It's about a girl that wants an audience with the Queen of Hearts. She gets lost on the journey there, meets strange people and experiences even stranger things on the way. This is just one leg of that trip!"

"Wouldn’t the castle be further inland? How'd she end up in the middle of the ocean?"

“It’s about the perspective of the shot.” Cater formed a frame with his hands, catching his underclassman in it. He pulled back, creating the illusion of sizing Ruggie down. “She drank this bottled liquid she found and that shrank her down—so really, the ocean isn’t that big.”

A grimace.

“Man, talk about no sense of self preservation. She just chugged an unlabeled bottle without a second thought. Must’ve been real desperate.” Ruggie paused. “Weeeell, not like I’m one to talk about being desperate. You really can’t afford to be picky sometimes. If it fills your stomach, it fills your stomach.”

“You’d drink it too, huh… I don’t think I could do that. I’d at least want to see how the menu describes it before I order—though I guess it also depends on how ‘cammable the drink is! And hey, think about all the cool pics I could grab from a worm's eye point of view!”

"Heh, you don't seem too pressed about living life as an ant."

"Cay-kun likes to look on the bright side of things!" he declared with a wink and a peace sign. "The lost girl... she worried so much about finding her destination, she forgets to stop and smell the roses. She overlooks a lot of the fun people she could have spent time with."

Hopping from place to place, missed people—familiar elements, resurfacing a childhood of being uprooted and dragged about. Never to fully settle.

A tea party here, a brief convo there. Just enough to keep him placated, but not enough to see beyond the surface of the looking glass.

His curiosity still left wanting.

She got into so much trouble, but didn't have any real friends to come and help her.

Sadness tugged at his heartstrings, but Cater's smile didn’t waver.

"... I can’t help but kinda pity the poor thing," he said quietly. Then, brightening in the next moment, "All her issues could've been avoided if she just looked before she leapt and made some connections."

“Yeah, she definitely should’ve played smarter, not harder. Maybe if she kissed up to the locals, they’d have come to her rescue." Ruggie shrugged. "It works for me and Leona-san."

“Right? A smile goes a long way to getting what you want!” Cater poked the corners of his mouth. “You totes get me.”

“Cuz it takes a trickster to know another one on sight.”

"Wow, it sounds so mean when you put it like that. We're not tricksters, we just know how to use our smiles to problem-solve~"

"Giving a word a fresh coat of paint doesn't make it any less shady. At least be honest with yourself," the hyena smirked.

“Eeeh, I’m always honest!”

They shared a laugh—Ruggie, a snicker. Cater, lighter, more bubbly, like a carbonated mystery drink. When the effervescence died down, he cast another glance at the painting.

Too big for her small world of the sea, too small for the big world that loomed beyond it. Trapped within glass walls. Curled into herself in her delicate chambers.

Her perspective and his, one and the same.

Poor thing, poor thing, poor thing.

Cater summoned his strength and bore the full brunt of his smile.

“I’m sure she’ll find what she’s looking for… one day.”

#twst #twisted wonderland #Cater Diamond #twst imagines #twst scenarios #twisted wonderland imagines #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #Cater birthday takeover #something no one asked for #spoilers #twisted wonderland scenarios #Ruggie Bucchi

[jenatwork]

I finally finished my Utena re-watch yesterday, binging the last three episodes and Adolescence in one evening, and I am Having Thoughts. Mostly about the story from Akio's perspective, surprisingly.

I don't know if I've ever read anyone's exploration of the story from his pov, so I'm going to brain-vomit about it.

From his pov, he's the one who's trapped. The Rose Bride sealed Dios away from the world, whether for his own good or to keep her brother to herself, or both. The princely part of him, Dios, is trapped, leaving only the human part of him, Akio, out in the world, trying to regain what he's lost and cope without what he sees as his 'real' power. 'The power to revolutionise the world' is, for him, the regaining of his heroic princely aspect that made him something close to a god among mortals, a natural leader, the greatest warrior.

So what is he left with? What does a regular human man have with which to find his place in the world? What is his role, if not a prince? Is he a ladies' man? An intellectual? A fighter? A logical realist who denies the 'miracles' the prince could perform to keep people safe?

It's clear from the Black Rose arc, and from the final scenes, that Akio has repeated the duels in some form many times, assuming that he needs the right sword to open the Rose Gate and access his old power. He holds this 'might makes right' belief that physical strength or a warrior's weapon is the key to power. When Utena, just a girl, succeeds as the winner of the duels, at first he tries to persuade her to stand down, because how could a girl's sword possibly be strong enough to open the Gate? I wondered, during this watch, if this cycle was the first time that any girls had taken part in the duels, and whether that was by design or accidental. In the Black Rose arc, it's 100 boys who are drawn in to find the power or the eternal something. In this latest cycle, it's the student council, a power structure that represents intellectual masculinity: Juri, as a lesbian in a uniform closer to her male counterparts than to the other female students, might possibly have been the first girl to join the duels, an unintentional outcome perhaps inspired by Mikage, who was more easily tempted by a boy than by that boy's older sister. She still represented an aspect of masculinity in her own way, as the logical realist who denies miracles. Likewise, Nanami joins the duels initially to stand in for her brother, and leaves when she is confronted by how damaging the system is to the very people it's supposed to protect.

I wondered if perhaps Utena was never meant to join the duels. If Dios had meant to find Touga and Saionji on that particular day, and stumbled on Utena because they did. If Utena joining and winning the duels was never part of Akio's plan, and that's why he, and all the others, are so perplexed by her and never figure out how to get the better of her. Akio tries to force her into the role of 'Girl' because all he knows is playing the role of 'Man', and what else is a man supposed to do with a girl besides protect her or seduce her?

Utena succeeds because, for all her talk about wanting to be a prince to rescue girls, she gives up that roleplay and acts of of genuine love and compassion. She succeeds in besting the Rose Bride's curse because she doesn't approach it like a man, trying to seduce, fight, or logic her way through, but by loving Anthy and by having the compassion to want to end her pain.

Utena is still very much about smashing the patriarchy (literally in the case of Adolescence), but in its own way it also artfully deconstructs the ways in which patriarchy hurts men too, by limiting the roles available to them. Utena offers an alternative to the masculine roles of warrior, lover, intellectual and cynic, as well as to the feminine role of princess. The student council recognise it in the end, but Akio never does, because he is so utterly stuck in his role. That's why Anthy gets to leave at the end, telling him he's the one that's trapped, because Utena showed her that she, and we, can choose our own roles.

#revolutionary girl utena #utena #rgu #meta #akio ohtori

[utilitycaster]

Do you think that Laura and Marisha are deliberately making their relationship somewhat toxic and unsustainable or do you think they see the relationship as healthy? It is just so different from all of the other relationships they have been a part of and not really in a good way. Would love to get your perspective on it if you have one

I am honestly unsure. I would like to say it's deliberate. Prior to it becoming canon, in fact, I, and a lot of other people who were less than enthused by Imogen and Laudna's romance and weren't entirely sold from the start, made the case that we expected they would be talking to each other and would put together a compelling story, not the dull fluff so common in fanon. While whether it's compelling is a subjective judgment, we know for a fact they didn't talk to each other. We know for a fact Marisha was surprised by the question of "Can I kiss you," and Laura was surprised by the answer. We know from a 4SD not long after (4SD #16, Kiss and Tell) that several episodes later they still hadn't talked. We know that Marisha perceives Laudna as holding Imogen back (and that Laudna perceives herself as doing so) from the Rose City Q&A. We know that from 4SD #20 (Episode Twenty) that Laura doesn't like conflict in narrative and Marisha does, and that Laura was thrown by Laudna's regression following Ashton's attempt to absorb the shard (4SD #19, Shard Candy).

I don't know if it's deliberate or not; I don't have any extra insight that isn't public knowledge any fan can easily access. But man, it doesn't feel like these are two actors on the same page about what's going on.

I've touched on this before but mostly in tags or whisper posts but I've always felt ill at ease with a number of for lack of a better term "fandom-approved opinions" and one of the ones that has baffled me the most is this idea that Marisha and Laura have exceptional chemistry. I watched Campaign 1 knowing the endgame ships but deliberately avoiding the fandom, and Vex and Keyleth did not even once occur to me as a thing. I watched the first year of Campaign 2 without a ton of fandom interaction because I was avoiding additional C1 spoilers and it seemed crystal clear that the obvious ship was Beau and Yasha; it felt like Beau and Jester only even had enough potential for me to multiship it as my general "whomever Jester picks" for like, 30 episodes. And yet people - people who didn't even ship either of the above ships and in some cases disliked them- would just say "oh man I can't wait until we get to a campaign where we can finally explore Marisha and Laura's incredible chemistry!" and it's like. I feel like I'm the kid in the Emperor's New Clothes on this! I understand that chemistry is to an extent a matter of taste and subjectivity, but it just increasingly feels like people looked at two campaigns of tables where Ashley was frequently absent and said "well, if I want an F/F ship that's between two of the women in the cast, I guess this is what I have to work with" and repeated to themselves that a flat pamplemousse La Croix was a Piña Colada until they started to believe it. I mean if someone wants to explain it to me in good faith I suppose be my guest and I will try to take it in, but it feels like people just treat this as incontrovertible fact and if you doubt it they're like "don't you have eyes" and it's like, well, pretend I don't. Explain like I'm eyeless and five because I have never understood this. They both have more chemistry with every single other cast member; it's not all romantic but man, I didn't even buy Laudna and Imogen as platonic best friends of two years. I have never had this problem with any other pre-existing character relationships Marisha and Laura have played, platonic or otherwise. It's literally just them. I just never feel like they're quite on the same page.

Back to the relationship between Imogen and Laudna onscreen, this was easily the best conversation since the start of the gnarlrock fight, and it is my hope it doesn't fizzle out the way that did. You can't keep kissing Laudna whenever she fears she's lost forever to Delilah, Imogen. Or you can, but that won't fix the problem. Again: are you disgusted? Do you feel betrayed? If you're not, why did you say that? If you are, how will you move past it? Do you want to be with someone who never feels like they're good enough for you? Laudna, do you want to be with someone who, no matter what they say, you feel you're holding back?

Early in the campaign, my feeling was that of our current situation, switched - Imogen felt her powers were a burden and a curse and Laudna kept referring to them and to her glowingly. It's just...ships passing in the night, no pun intended here. I hope it's on purpose and whatever comes from it is a good story - and either a tragedy or a happy story could be a good one. But I have a nagging sensation that Laudna wants out but is afraid to say no, and Imogen is afraid to let go, and I honestly don't know if the actors have realized this impasse and how the characters might resolve it, one way or another, besides the insufficient bandaid of a kiss whenever the conversation gets too uncomfortable.

#answered #minxie-the-sabertooth-kitty #really the mission statement of this blog is I am the kid in the Emperor's New Clothes #also i know i keep relying on food metaphors sorry i really like food and feel it's fairly universally accessible to understand #anyway. i am sure some will not believe me here but I think I and most people who agree with me desperately wish we liked this ship #i do not think most people who dislike it are actively hoping it crashes and burns it's just #it feels so fundamentally disconnected and lifeless. at least the conflict shocks it into something vaguely animated #the vindication i was right about this lack of chemistry is still ultimately a consolation prize. i promise you i'd rather be proven wrong #i'd rather be wowed by a brilliant dynamic ship i didn't expect to like. but here we are. #cr spoilers #long post

[gendertrickster]

:33 < wait can you purrhaps explains how egbert made rosemary happen?

okay so i'm going to explain this from kanaya's perspective as it is somehow the most str8forward of the three of them

CONVERSATION ONE

kanaya is commanded by karkat to start trolling the humans, and she picks rose because she has already developed an impression of what kind of person rose is meant to be based on the guide she wrote and stored on a lone server in the depths of the furthest ring, which kanaya then made use of in the session that produced the universe rose inhabited in the first place.

however, as one who lacks any competence at computers whatsoever, kanaya stumbles through the first conversation without the viewport open, a conversation which gives her the impression that rose is very snarky and stupid and a huge smartass. in reality, the person behind the screen was john egbert, who was opaquely trolling kanaya back because he happened to be at rose's computer at the random point in time kanaya chose to troll rose — rose was asleep. "rose" suggests kanaya go troll john in the past so she can figure out what is going on with these humans.

following this, kanaya gets the viewport to work just as john has already left the room and sees rose, now awake, standing at her door. she then bears witness to the thank-you prank john prepared as a response to rose gifting him the knitted bunny:

she is mortified by the sight, concluding that rose can be nothing short of an utter buffoon.

she then determines there's really no point to trolling someone who can evidently provide no intellectual challenge. the next logical course of action, then, is to go troll john fucking egbert

john proceeds to prove even DUMBER than "rose", which drives kanaya fucking insane — which is what john wanted in the first place, since acting like an idiot is his go-to countertrolling method — and lands john a humble few ticks of the prankster's gambit (for now). john suggests kanaya give rose another chance, and kanaya departs with no intention of john "ever hearing from her again", which is true from her perspective but not john's, because she just finished talking to john in the future, who was disguised as rose.

kanaya finds no interest in talking to dave or jade and, to her vast irritation, finds her curiosity drifting back in rose's direction.

CONVERSATION TWO

kanaya finds john to have been right, that this rose is not the same one she spoke to in her first conversation, and concludes that rose has indeed been toying with her all along. she informally declares trolling war on rose lalonde.

CONVERSATION THREE

kanaya skips ahead to a point where she'd hoped friendship had been established already but finds rose unresponsive, and also that rose has at this point already figured out what has been going on in regards to the "smart rose/dumb rose" thing, and that it wasn't a tactical move on rose's part. she doesn't give details, of course, because that would cause a time paradox, but it clues kanaya in on her future self's machinations.

her fourth, fifth, and sixth conversations pass by offscreen, with kanaya feeling as if she's losing hold on this friendship gambit she's putting effort into for some reason. she goes to dave for insight, as he is rose's server player, and he tells her to pull out all the psychological stops and play mind games wherever possible. she believes she knows how to proceed.

and it is here where her plan comes to form in full:

CONVERSATION SEVEN

here, kanaya attaches "ConversationWithAVeryStupidGirl.Txt", which is the first conversation kanaya had with user tentacleTherapist. at this point in rose's timeline, this conversation hasn't happened yet; this is only her second conversation with kanaya, whereas her first with kanaya was kanaya's "third" with rose. the attached conversation would be rose's next conversation with kanaya, or so the two of them both thought at this point.

kanaya's play here, then, is that by sending this conversation (with various edits and tactical omissions) to rose, rose would be forced into the causal position of reenacting it perfectly, making herself look the fool to kanaya, sparking this trolling effort in the first place, thereby being outplayed by kanaya and, officially, trolled.

except,

rose was not the one who spoke to kanaya the first time she contacted that handle.

it was john.

CONVERSATION EIGHT

kanaya, having now been hooked by john, pulled all the way through several conversations with rose that culminated in the impression that she had the upper hand, and finally being led to observe rose destroying a vital game construct in a display of light-player hubris with which kanaya is deeply and viscerally familiar, has been successfully trolled by john into a position of deep concern and reckless affection for rose lalonde, hook, line, and sinker.

whether john actually planned any of this is hardly a question, but if you asked him at the time, he'd absolutely take credit for it in the smarmiest manner conjurable

#mail #Anonymous #rosemary

[quite-right-too]

Do you know what kills me about The Runaway Bride?

The fact that Donna's appearance in the TARDIS happens literally minutes after the Doctor just said his final goodbye. Just imagine it from his perspective.

The woman you love so much that you subconsciously changed your entire anatomy to be perfect for her; all of the characteristics of the ideal partner integrated into you because it's Rose and why wouldn't you want to give the best. You barely get a couple minutes to say goodbye to her, now locked in a parallel universe that you know cannot safely be opened enough to bring her home. You don't even have enough time to say I love you before the breach closes. You're crying and you're grieving, but only for a couple minutes. Just enough time to move the TARDIS into the Time Vortex. Suddenly, this loud ginger woman in a wedding dress impossibly appears in your console room. You just lost your best friend, your partner, your everything. And now you have to get back into action to save humanity again without getting the time to really handle this loss.

Don't even think I forgot the dialogue and even the scenes where we actively see him upset while thinking of Rose. Everything reminds him of her and it's like the universe is trying to rub it into his face.

(Donna grabs a blouse that is hanging over the railing.)  DONNA: I knew it, acting all innocent. I'm not the first, am I? How many women have you abducted?  DOCTOR: That's my friend's.  DONNA: Where is she, then? Popped out for a space walk?  DOCTOR: She's gone.  DONNA: Gone where?  DOCTOR: I lost her.  DONNA: Well, you can hurry up and lose me! How do you mean, lost?  (The Doctor takes the blouse from Donna and throws it through a doorway.)  DOCTOR: Right, Chiswick.

DOCTOR: Trust me.  DONNA: Is that what you said to her? Your friend? The one you lost? Did she trust you?  DOCTOR: Yes, she did. And she is not dead. She is so alive. Now, jump! 

DOCTOR: I spent Christmas Day just over there, the Powell Estate, with this family. My friend, she had this family. Well, they were my-. Still, gone now.  DONNA: Your friend, who was she?  DOCTOR: Question is, what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS?

What about when Love Don't Roam is being sung by the singer at the reception, and all the Doctor can do is reminisce sadly about him and Rose. Also, Love Don't Roam was written specifically about TenRose canonically so...

DOCTOR: I'll sort it out, Donna. Whatever's been done to you, I'll reverse it. I am not about to lose someone else. 

Or how he decides he's gonna kill a bunch of children because he's hurt and not thinking clearly. He needed Donna to snap him out of it. DOCTOR: My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on. Gallifrey.  EMPRESS: They murdered the Racnoss!  DOCTOR: I warned you. You did this.  EMPRESS: No! No! Don't! No!  EMPRESS: No! No! My children! No! My children! My children!  DONNA: Doctor! You can stop now!  EMPRESS: My children!  DOCTOR: Come on. Time I got you out. 

DONNA: That friend of yours. What was her name?  DOCTOR: Her name was Rose. 

And let's not forget that in Turn Left, Donna's alternate universe that Rose finds her in shows what would have happened without Donna there. The Doctor actually kills himself because he couldn't stand to be without Rose. HARRIS: The Doctor is dead. Must have happened too fast for him to regenerate. Escort the ambulance back to UNIT base.  (Donna walks on. A blonde woman runs towards her. She speaks as if her top lip is glued to her teeth.)  ROSE: What happened? What did they find? I'm sorry, did they find someone?  DONNA: I don't know. A bloke called the Doctor, or something.  ROSE: Well, where is he?  DONNA: They took him away. He's dead. I'm sorry, did you know him? I mean, they didn't say his name. Could be any doctor.  ROSE: I came so far.  DONNA: It, it could be anyone.  ROSE: What's your name?  DONNA: Donna. And you?  ROSE: Oh, I was just passing by. I shouldn't even be here. This is wrong. It's wrong. This is so wrong.

Just him mourning breaks my heart every time.

#my post #doctor who #tenth doctor #rose tyler #donna noble #the runaway bride #tenrose #ten x rose

[scekrex]

I just want to preface this by saying I love your work, your stories are wonderful and I have been reading them nonstop since yesterday, thank you so much for making them

Since you are taking request, can I ask for another part of the Overlord!reader storyline, like, maybe part 2 but from reader perspective as his angel explore his new home, him slowly coaxing Adam too get use to him, to find comfort in his touch. OH, and maybe a shot of reader hidden on a balcony just watching as his sweet birdy wander about in his garden, just basking in this little piece of paradise in the depth of Hell

I fucking love Overlord!Reader x Adam, gimme more of that shit I'm addicted. Also I kinda already wrote a part 2 for Overlord!Reader, so I'll make this part 3

Part 1 ; Part 2

I promise you that I'll be good to you if you promise that you'll try to love me too

pairing: Adam x male!reader

warnings: language, tooth rotting fluff

note: not beta read bc fuck you I don't have beta readers

The way Adam carried himself inside the walls of your mansion was surely nothing but divine, his chin was tilted upwards, his eyes were partly closed and his back was as straight as possible, making him seem even taller. His body language told you with how much pride this man was filled with. And while he appeared so prideful and untouchable, his actions spoke a different language.

In the beginning you had offered him his own room, a thing he had accepted without any hesitation but as the bond between the two of you grew, as you continued to treat his wounds with kindness even though Adam was acting like a huge dickhead - even back then you had known that most of his behavior had been an act, nothing but harsh words that he had spoken to keep you away from him, something that had changed over time. But then, slowly, he started to accept your touch.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” your voice calmed the first man down, that you noticed, his body visibly relaxed under your careful fingers as you took off one of his bandages. You eyed the healing stab wounds critically - they would scar, you had known that ever since you had taken the brunette in, those wounds would leave imperfect scars on Adam’s perfect skin and you could only imagine how much he must have hated the thought of that. “I fucking know,” the brunette mumbled barely audible as he avoided your eyes at all cost, his chin was tilted upwards as he sat on your bed, chest bare, body exposed. And you believed him, because he’d react differently if he wouldn’t know. That was something that filled you with pride - knowing that the first man trusted you enough to let you treat his wounds, saw him in a state as vulnerable as the one he was currently in. You didn’t voice your pride though, you knew Adam would just make a pissy comment about it.

You gently traced the outlines of the healing wound, careful not to hurt the first man and to your surprise he let you. He even closed his eyes for a moment and seemed to genuinely enjoy your touch against his skin, before he harshly pulled back and slapped your hand away a moment later, “Enough.” You decided it would be best for you to not respond to his sudden moodswing, you simply kept your hands to yourself as you rose from your knees and took a step back, “We won’t need to bandage your wounds anymore, darlin’, they have healed incredibly well.” Adam dared to look down on himself, spotting the still healing stabs of the dagger Niffty had rammed into his body countless of times. And while Adam tried to mask his emotions like he always did, a little bit of worry shined through his facade, “They won’t fucking disappear.” It was less of a question and more of a statement, as if he was trying to get himself used to the thought of it. “Well, we could ask-” “Fuck no. There ain’t no fucking way that any demon fuck-up shit is going to touch my damn body, this bitch is divine and it will fucking stay that way.” You simply nodded, it was his choice after all and if you were honest, you understood, If your roles were reversed you’d act the same, that was for sure.

Adam took your silence as his sign to leave the room - or maybe he took it as the sign that told him you were one touching his wounds, whatever it was, the brunette was quick to leave your bedroom and wander through the building, where he went you were never quite sure of, but you trusted him - there was literally no other place for him down here. It was either staying with you or getting killed over and over by angry sinners and while Adam definitely made some reckless decisions from time to time, he wasn’t stupid. Even if it seemed like it sometimes.

You decided for yourself that you needed some fresh air, Adam’s mood swings could weigh quite heavily on you, he didn’t intend on that, you were positive about this. You slowly stepped across your bedroom and made it over to the small balcony that was promising you the view of an amazing garden. Your garden was your treasure, it was probably the most peaceful little place in all seven rings of hell, the most beautiful area a sinner would ever see. So when your eyes watched over your garden in protection, you noticed Adam’s wings gleaming between a couple cherry trees. He had loved your little garden right from the start, once, when you had found him half asleep underneath one of the cherry trees, he had told you that your garden reminded him of Eden, that it gave him a welcome feeling that could be compared to feeling at home. You were sure he didn’t even remember telling you that little detail, he had looked at you with tiny, tired eyes that kept falling shut. But it explained why he spent so much time laying in the grass, why he loved to take a bath in a small lake that was located at the center. You adored the way Adam’s eyes would lit up whenever the two birds that were living in your garden would show their faces.

In amusement you watched as Adam rushed from his current spot to the other side of the garden, then he quickly made his way over to the strawberries. Whenever the first man was spending time in the garden he seemed so carefree to you. Like it lifted a burden from his shoulders that was usually so heavy to carry. You decided that joining him would be a fantastic idea, so you left the balcony and made your way downstairs to join the brunette.

Once you set foot in the garden, Adam was quick to notice you - it seemed as if he noticed everything that was going on there. His eyes watched you skeptically, then he walked over to you, “I still don’t fucking understand how you manage to keep all of that shit alive in a hellhole like that.” The brunette sounded genuinely impressed and that filled you with pride. “TIme and love, my dear, and a little bit of patience of course,” you hummed proudly as you wrapped an arm around his waist. In the first moment the brunette flinched, tried to pull away from your touch, but then he seemed to change his mind because suddenly he was leaning into your touch instead of trying to get it off him. “You know,” you started as you gently guided Adam back to the cherry trees, they provided some shade and given the temperature shade seemed like a good thing. “I’m glad I found you,” Adam huffed at your words as he watched you while you sat down. Your back rested against one of the trees and you patted your thigh to tell Adam he was very welcome to sit down. The brunette hesitated for a good moment, then he sat down in front of you, his back towards you. And just as you were about to complain he leaned back and his head was resting in your lap. That was definitely something that you hadn’t expected, it wasn’t that Adam strictly avoided your touch, he just never initiated body contact this soft before. “Do you give me permission to touch your hair darling?” The question was spoken quietly, you were afraid to scare him away, but a hum in agreement answered your question and blew away the doubts you had.

Your hands gently massaged his scalp, fingers comed through his thick hair as Adam relaxed his muscles and allowed himself to fully drown in the feeling of your touch - it was beyond cute. Despite pushing you away over and over again, you had always managed to get close to him again and it seemed as if Adam was slowly growing tired of pushing you away and denying himself the comfort of your touch. His eyes cracked open a little as he asked, “Does that fucking offer still stand?” You curiously tilted your head a bit as you looked down on him, “Which one?” “Y’know, sharing a room,” he mumbled and turned his head to the side in order to avoid your eyes, one of your hands came up to move his head back into its original position, forcing him to look at you, “Yeah, that offer is still on the table.” A small yet cocky grin appeared on Adam’s lips and all he said before closing his eyes again was a simple, “Good.”

You leaned down, placing a soft kiss on his forehead and the satisfied sounding hum the first man let out at that told you that he was enjoying having you close - no matter what lies his words had tried to tell you, no matter how often he had pushed you away. “Could get fucking used to that,” and his words not only tool you by surprise, no they also made you smile against his soft skin. You placed yet another kiss to his forehead before you responded with the softest voice you had to offer, “I can offer you this,” Adam felt a quick peck on his cheek, “For all of eternity, if it is what you desire.”

The brunette opened his eyes once more as your face pulled away from his, and his beautiful golden eyes met yours, the lighting made them look even more beautiful, “What if I fucking want you?”

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel adam #adam x male reader #male reader #adam x y/n #adam x reader #adam x you

[regulusrules]

Yo, I saw your post about orientalism in relation to the "hollywood middle-east" tiktok!

How can a rando and university dropout get into and learn more about? Any literature or other content to recommend?

Hi!! Wow, you have no idea how you just pressed a button. I'll unleash 5+ years on you. And I'll even add for you open-sourced works that you can access as much as I can!

1. Videos

I often find this is the best medium nowadays to learn anything! I'll share with you some of the best that deal with the topic in different frames

• This is a video of Edward Said talking about his book, Orientalism. Said is the Palestinian- American critic who first introduced the term Orientalism, and is the father of postcolonial studies as a critical literary theory. In this book, you’ll find an in-depth analysis of the concept and a deconstruction of western stereotypes. It’s very simple and he explains everything in a very easy manner.

• How Islam Saved Western Civilization. A more than brilliant lecture by Professor Roy Casagranda. This, in my opinion, is one of the best lectures that gives credit to this great civilization, and takes you on a journey to understand where did it all start from.

• What’s better than a well-researched, general overview Crash Course about Islam by John Green? This is not necessarily on orientalism but for people to know more about the fundamental basis of Islam and its pillars. I love the whole playlist that they have done about the religion, so definitely refer to it if you're looking to understand more about the historical background! Also, I can’t possibly mention this Crash Course series without mentioning ... ↓

• The Medieval Islamicate World. Arguably my favourite CC video of all times. Hank Green gives you a great thorough depiction of the Islamic civilization when it rose. He also discusses the scientific and literary advancements that happened in that age, which most people have no clue about! And honestly, just his excitement while explaining the astrolabe. These two truly enlightened so many people with the videos they've made. Thanks, @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog

2. Documentaries

• This is an AMAZING documentary called Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Villifies A People by the genius American media critic Jack Shaheen. He literally analysed more than 1000 movies and handpicked some to showcase the terribly false stereotypes in western depiction of Arab/Muslim cultures. It's the best way to go into the subject, because you'll find him analysing works you're familiar with like Aladdin and all sorts.

• Spain’s Islamic Legacy. I cannot let this opportunity go to waste since one of my main scopes is studying feminist Andalusian history. There are literal gems to be known about this period of time, when religious coexistence is documented to have actually existed. This documentary offers a needed break from eurocentric perspectives, a great bird-view of the Islamic civilization in Europe and its remaining legacy (that western history tries so hard to erase).

• When the Moors Ruled in Europe. This is one of the richest documentaries that covers most of the veiled history of Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain). Bettany Hughes discusses some of the prominent rulers, the brilliance of architecture in the Arab Muslim world, their originality and contributions to poetry and music, their innovative inventions and scientific development, and lastly, La Reconquista; the eventual fall and erasure of this grand civilization by western rulers.

3. Books

• Rethinking Orientalism by Reina Lewis. Lewis brilliantly breaks the prevailing stereotype of the “Harem”, yk, this stupid thought westerns projected about arab women being shut inside one room, not allowed to go anywhere from it, enslaved and without liberty, just left there for the sexual desires of the male figures, subjugated and silenced. It's a great read because it also takes the account of five different women living in the middle east.

• Nocturnal Poetics by Ferial Ghazoul. A great comparative text to understand the influence and outreach of The Thousand and One Nights. She applies a modern critical methodology to explore this classic literary masterpiece.

• The Question of Palestine by Edward Said. Since it's absolutely relevant, this is a great book if you're looking to understand more about the Palestinian situation and a great way to actually see the perspective of Palestinians themselves, not what we think they think.

• Arab-American Women's Writing and Performance by S.S. Sabry. One of my favourite feminist dealings with the idea of the orient and how western depictions demeaned arab women by objectifying them and degrading them to objects of sexual desire, like Scheherazade's characterization: how she was made into a sensual seducer, but not the literate, brilliantly smart woman of wisdom she was in the eastern retellings. The book also discusses the idea of identity and people who live on the hyphen (between two cultures), which is a very crucial aspect to understand arabs who are born/living in western countries.

• The Story of the Moors in Spain by Stanley Lane-Poole. This is a great book if you're trying to understand the influence of Islamic culture on Europe. It debunks this idea that Muslims are senseless, barbaric people who needed "civilizing" and instead showcases their brilliant civilization that was much advanced than any of Europe in the time Europe was labelled by the Dark Ages. (btw, did you know that arabic was the language of knowledge at that time? Because anyone who was looking to study advanced sciences, maths, philosophy, astronomy etc, had to know arabic because arabic-speaking countries were the center of knowledge and scientific advancements. Insane, right!)

• Convivencia and Medieval Spain. This is a collection of essays that delve further into the idea of “Convivencia”, which is what we call for religious coexistence. There's one essay in particular that's great called Were Women Part of Convivencia? which debunks all false western stereotypical images of women being less in Islamic belief. It also highlights how arab women have always been extremely cultured and literate. (They practiced medicine, studied their desired subjects, were writers of poetry and prose when women in Europe couldn't even keep their surnames when they married.)

4. Novels / Epistolaries

• Granada by Radwa Ashour. This is one of my favourite novels of all time, because Ashour brilliantly showcases Andalusian history and documents the injustices and massacres that happened to Muslims then. It covers the cultural erasure of Granada, and is also a story of human connection and beautiful family dynamics that utterly touches your soul.

• Dreams of Trespass by Fatema Mernissi. This is wonderful short read written in autobiographical form. It deconstructs the idea of the Harem in a postcolonial feminist lens of the French colonization of Morocco.

• Scheherazade Goes West by Mernissi. Mernissi brilliantly showcases the sexualisation of female figures by western depictions. It's very telling, really, and a very important reference to understand how the west often depicts middle-eastern women by boxing them into either the erotic, sensual beings or the oppressed, black-veiled beings. It helps you understand the actual real image of arab women out there (who are not just muslims btw; christian, jew, atheist, etc women do exist, and they do count).

• Letters of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. This is a feminist travel epistolary of a British woman which covers the misconceptions that western people, (specifically male travelers) had recorded and transmitted about the religion, traditions and treatment of women in Constantinople, Turkey. It is also a very insightful sapphic text that explores her own engagement with women there, which debunks the idea that there are no queer people in the middle east.

---------------------

With all of these, you'll get an insight about the real arab / islamic world. Not the one of fanaticism and barbarity that is often mediated, but the actual one that is based on the fundamental essences of peace, love, and acceptance.

#orientalism #literature #arab #middle east #islam #feminism #book recommendations #reference #documentary #western stereotypes #eurocentrism #queer #queer studies #gender studies #women studies #cultural studies #history #christianity #judaism #books #regulusrules asks #regulusrules recs #If you need more recs #or can’t access certain references #feel free to message me and I’ll help you out!

[scuttlingcrab]

Late Night Intruders

This was inspired by @mslanna and all the amazing Raphael prompts they shared with me. I'm being cheeky and combining 2 of the prompts, as they were quite similar.

Summary: Tav thwarts an assassination attempt against Raphael during the wee hours of the morning. And from Raphael's perspective, everything is going according to plan.

(Image via certifieddilfenjoyer)

Raphael smelled the intruder skulking behind him. Naturally he enjoyed the profuse aromas humans exuded when pushed to their breaking points but this one was vile; their fear was acrid and abhorrent, soiling the otherwise immaculate ambience of his private room in Sharess’ Caress. 

Despite the distraction, he continued labouring over his current contract, taking care to add the final words to a clause he was amending for yet another poverty-stricken beggar. So hasty to exchange their souls for gold. And no wonder, the tremors in Baldur’s Gate were getting worse, sometimes occurring by the hour, the more the Elder Brain gained power. Swim tadpoles, swim; for no matter how far you sprint, you will not escape the wrath of the Illithid when judgement day arrives. 

The smell grew stronger as the stranger crept closer but then another odour broke through: a mixture of sage and damp wood. Sparks lit up in Raphael’s mind with the sudden familiarity. 

“What a pity, you’ve given yourself away, Dain…” 

Without warning, the air around Raphael turned cold. Shards of ice shattered around him, ripping through his sleeves and leaving his desk riddled with frozen fragments. He paused his writing, tightly grasping the infernal quill between his fingers. The ice around Raphael melted rapidly, creating a pool of water by his feet that began to sizzle. 

“My dear, sweet Dain… did your mother never teach you any manners?” 

Raphael slowly rose from his chair, balls of hellfire growing in his clenched fists as he prepared to incinerate Dain where he stood. 

When Raphael turned around, he instead found Tav standing in between him and Dain. A broken ice knife stuck out of her left shoulder, the arm shredded to pieces and lying limp at her side. Gashes tore through her left cheek where the weapon had ruptured, leaving her delicate facial features nearly unrecognisable.

“You?” Raphael locked eyes with Tav, quieting the flames in his hands. 

Dain gasped, his beady eyes bulging. He nearly choked on his own spit before turning to flee. Raphael snapped his fingers and the halfling froze on the spot; his fat, greedy fingers inches away from the doorknob. The fool will never see another sunrise.

“Coming by to pay me a visit, and at such a sinful hour? Why, what will your companions think?” Raphael beamed.

“Listen here, you should be grateful, otherw–” Tav stumbled, falling to her knees in discomfort. “Otherwise, there’d be a big bloody piece of ice sticking out the back of your neck.” 

“You do know devils cannot die on this plane, yes? Or have you not been heedful of a single word I’ve articulated since we first met?”

Tav looked up at Raphael with wide eyes, her pointy ears turning bright red. She immediately raised her uninjured arm, tugging at an earlobe.

While traversing the mortal realm, Raphael had grown accustomed to the odd attempted murder or two. Righteous mortals seeking redemption or the amateur killers for hire accepting contracts without proper scrutiny. His least favourite, however, and the type of vermin he encountered more as of late, were the clients who tried to grovel out of their deals. 

He always had a keen eye for which types of slimy creatures would try to deceive him, always the ones so quick to make a deal, any deal. He could have denied them everything, but where was the fun in that? He quite enjoyed the hunt, being kept on his toes; the thrill of the chase, exhilarating, no matter how brief, and in spite of knowing he’d always end up the victor.

“Oh hells... Guess I forgot that specific detail." Tav responded through a sheepish smile.

“And yet, you risked your life? When you could have remained hidden… were you going to stay quiet all night? You know, my door is always open.”

“That, I, uh, I can explain…”

Tav diverted her eyes. She tried to hide her obvious embarrassment as she pretended to examine her wound, shifting on her knees. 

Muffled moans came from Dain’s clamped mouth at the other end of the room, but Raphael’s eyes remained drawn to Tav. A pang in his chest rose like bubbling magma, on the verge of rapture, as he observed her. 

“Patience Dain, I haven’t forgotten about you.” Raphael sneered as he took a step towards Tav. She winced, clutching her arm as the ice knife began to melt. 

“I suppose thanks are in order. Perhaps a reward? I will consider this an investment to our current agreement.” 

“No rewards. I just had to make sure I could trust you.” 

“What’s not to trust about a devil, hmm? And one as charitable as I?”

Raphael was standing over Tav now, so close he could get a whiff of her perfume over the scent of lingering blood; cloves and roses enveloped his senses, a harmonious aura. Tav cried out in pain as she fell to her side, rolling onto her back to avoid the damaged limb. 

“Your deal seemed too good to be true.”

“Mhmm, but the question of why you shielded the attack still stands, little mouse.”

“I–I was worried…”

Raphael edged a little closer, hanging on her every word, his hunger growing.

“You’re… we’re allies.” 

“Indeed.” Raphael whispered, leaning back. His eyes savoured Tav’s vulnerability, cataloguing every moment for a later use. 

Yes, the contracts were all signed and tucked away in his archive, but Raphael knew more had to be done to fulfil his prophecy. There would be no loopholes. No hidden surprises that would get in the way of his destined glory. He would not lose the Crown a second time. He needed devout supporters, creatures willing to do anything to help him conquer the Hells. And he had Tav exactly where he wanted her. 

Tav writhed in a growing blood stained puddle; the ice knife had fully dissolved, allowing the gaping wound to pour freely from her shoulder.

“As much as I enjoy watching mortals bleed to death, you are ruining the carpet.”

Raphael snapped his fingers, revealing a large health potion. It floated in the air, dangling above Tav. She struggled to rise, grabbing the bottle and flopping around the floor like a fish. He merely crossed his arms and watched, his eyebrow cocked. 

After a few failed attempts, Tav finally removed the cap. She drained the potion and gasped, as if taking her very first breath. Her wounds closed in an instant, restoring her face to a more pleasing sight. 

Raphael snapped his fingers again and the blood disappeared, the red velvet carpets of his suite restored. He extended a hand down to Tav and she accepted without hesitation. He let his hand linger only for a second when Tav was back on her feet, lightly caressing his thumb over the back of her palm before he released his grip.

He proceeded to turn his back to Tav, smiling to himself, as he focused his attention on Dain. He was supremely satisfied.  

“What will you do with him?” Tav asked curiously. 

“No concern of yours. Now, please leave us… unless you’d like to wait around, perhaps there will be another attempt at my life this evening.”  

Tav stiffened and nodded, rubbing her earlobe again. She swiftly made her exit, but not without looking back at Raphael, before shutting the door. See you soon, little mouse.

“I hope you can forgive me for keeping you waiting, Dain. As you saw, I had a far more important guest to entertain.” 

Raphael excitedly rubbed his hands together, circling Dain’s paralysed body like a ravenous shark. 

“Soon you will be asking yourself why? Why was I so feebleminded? Why was I so impatient? Why didn’t I just listen? You're only as good as your word, Dain, and mine is exquisite. Now... shall we perhaps review your contract before the fun begins?”

Raphael snapped his fingers, removing Dain from his hold. Dain fell on his backside, shrieking as Raphael shed his mortal skin in a fiery rage.

#bg3 raphael #raphael the cambion #baldurs gate 3 raphael #bg3 #fanfic #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #raphael baldur's gate 3 #raphael bg3 #raphael x tav #raphael bg3 x tav #bg3 tav #tav #raphael

[arcielee]

Ask Me Anything

Summary: Aemond asks his professor some questions.  Paring: Modern Aemond Targaryen x Female!Reader Word Count: 3162 Warnings: The smutty smut you all wanted, fingering, p in v.  Author’s Note:  Here is part 2, you can read part 1 Hazy Shades of Spring ♥ This was the poll winner and I had to make it into 2 parts. Also, I am also celebrating that I have over 400 followers now! Thank you all so much for reading, it fills me with joy. A shoutout to my muse and editor @f4ll-for-you​ thank you for your unique perspective and helping me become a better writer! ♥ Also, I got this finished on Ewan’s birthday? Coincidence? Yes, absolutely. My planning and scheduling is terrible.  Tags (Tumblr kindred spirits): @sirenofavalon @annikin-im-panicin @nina2697 @skikikikiikhhjuuh @itsabby15 @greenowlfactif @padfooteyes​ @danika1994 (If there is a strikethrough, it would not allow me to tag you.) 

Mrs. Lannister had been kind enough to share that even though you ended your office hours early on Fridays, you would often remain to finish the lesson plan for the next week. “She’s the only one who does this,” she continued her overshare, batting her lashes. “The rest of the faculty is already gone for the day…even I’m about to leave!”

Aemond returned a warm smile that was close lipped and allowed his cheeks to dimple, noting the faintest hint of rose to her complexion when he thanked her. His gait was languid with his fluid stride to follow the hallway that snaked through the building and back to where he already knew your office would be. 

He saw the glint of your name on the door plaque and it seemed closed; he stopped and rapped his knuckles on the wood, the action pushing it slightly ajar and allowing him to step in. 

“How may I help you?” You had asked without bothering to look up. Your laptop was open and a stack of papers were tidy on the side, but your focus remained on the one in front of you. 

Aemond thought to when his brother first enrolled in your business law course, his arrogance more obnoxious than usual when he came home to say, “My professor is hot and I am definitely fucking my way to an A.” 

Aemond did not even acknowledge the cocksure idiocracy he spewed and remained silent when Aegon would return with weekly updates before he inevitably begged their grandfather for a suitable donation to help him pass your class. He remembered being intrigued by the professor who, despite the board’s pressure, then only gave Aegon a barely passing grade.

Aegon was furious and Aemond only said: “You could always attempt studying,” with his eyebrow cocked.  

His brother moaned. “Wait until you have to deal with her.”

When Aemond entered the classroom, he remembered you were bold with your gaze and without the hint of fear he often met with other professors. Aegon had once described you as a librarian in need of a good railing, but Aemond liked your tasteful, almost bookworm look, how your hair would be twisted back and the glasses you wore during lectures.

He was dutiful with his classes, but with yours he found himself pressing for more; he would push for answers, often getting a rise from his classmates with his constant disputation, but you were unfazed by it, taking the time to pick apart any argument in your eloquent way and even admitting when he was correct with his verdict. Aemond would wait after the room emptied to approach your desk, pleasantries always exchanged and he liked your smile when you once said, “Are you sure you’re only twenty-two?” 

“Age is only a number,” he replied and relished in the blush that dusted your cheeks. 

Aemond could admit to himself he had a slight crush, but he did not understand the extent of it until the semester ended, until that Friday night. 

With Aegon doing a “study-abroad” in Essos, it was put on Aemond to help with the new restaurant. His uncle had been annoying throughout the set-up, using Aemond for menial micromanaging, and he was relieved with the grand opening, just to be rid of the role of Daemon’s tedious shadow. 

Everything is perfect, though, he thought during his rounds, walking the grand staircase towards the bar when he noticed your backside. 

Aemond did not immediately recognize you. For one, your hair was down, your thick main smoothed into a cascade of curls instead of the usual bun or braid your locks would be in. Also, the dress you wore fit to your curves in a way that looked like you had been poured into the garment, not your usual comfort uniform of a top, cardigan, and jeans. 

He was enamored by the curve of your back, how you were curled over the bartop and your attention focused on something, unaware of the few patrons that lingered with the hopes to draw your attention, before grabbing their drinks and moving on. It was the moment you paused to grab your glass of wine that he recognized your profile.

He had to talk to you.

“Professor?” 

Your hesitation was understandable, but eventually you fell into the ebb and flow of the comfortable conversations he would get moments of during your office hours. His heart jumped when you offered the excuse to take you out on the balcony.  He was enamored with the way you held yourself, the smile on your lips and how he never truly noticed the beauty of your eyes or how your lashes framed them. 

Aemond noted the moments you would hem for words, as if it was an internal debate to say one thing before you would give your genuine thoughts and your upfront honesty was something he welcomed. He noticed the flush to your cheeks and nose, perhaps from the bit of cold in the night air mixed with your passion for science fiction, which he had not expected, and that was the moment he stepped in to kiss you. 

You seemed to meld against him with a soft familiarity to his touch. He loved how your expression brightened when he took your hand and how you moved to keep with his strides towards the car he called for. Aemond waited with bated breath when you paused at the car door, watching when you leaned forward and it exaggerated the curves your dress complemented. He would have followed you to the ends of the earth, but you only asked him to come upstairs. 

The next morning, Aemond woke with your curled so perfectly against his chest, his silver hair between your fingertips. He did not move because he did not want to wake you and allow this tranquil moment to end. You were cute when your eyes fluttered open to take in your surroundings and he handed you your glasses. 

You seemed to not want him to leave and he stayed until Sunday. Even then you hesitated to let him go and he made sure to follow up with you, just a simple text that thanked you for the lovely weekend. He followed to ask when you would be available and was surprised when he did not get even an emoji for a response. 

Aemond waited before sending another text, but when he saw he had been left on read, he let it be. Maybe you thought the weekend was a mistake? Perhaps you had not enjoyed yourself like he assumed you had? 

The abrupt end confused him, until he received an alert from Amazon, suggesting a new book release from an author he made sure to follow. 

Your pseudonym, an anagram of your first and last name. 

He read Hazy Shades of Spring in one sitting and knew he had to see you again. 

“Hello, professor,” Aemond stepped into your office. “If you have a moment, I came to seek out your expertise on a matter.”

Your expression was stunned, your lips parted for a moment and your cheeks rosy from his severe gaze, his one sapphire eye glinting in the office light. “Yes, Aemond, hello,” you struggled for the greeting. “Please, sit down. How may I help you?” 

There was the probability of running into him on campus, but you had not expected for him to come directly to your office. Your eyes could not help but drink in his lithe figure, the grace of his movements as he seated himself in the chair across from your desk. His expression would have been stoic except for the slight upwards curl of his lips, amused by your flustered state. 

“I had some questions in regards to one's penumbra rights,” he began, watchful of your reaction with his deliberate words. “I think I could be a victim of unwarranted appropriation and I wonder how that would hold in the court of law?”    

You could feel the blood drain from your face and your tongue pressed against your bottom lip, your teeth biting as you brought it forward to try and relax your jaw. The gesture was subtle with your attempt to calm your nerves, but it was not missed from his intense gaze.

Aemond fucking smirked. 

Your eyes narrowed on him. “You would need undeniable proof of tort liability,” you began, your voice hoarse with your reply and you cleared your throat before continuing. “It would need to be undeniable that your likeness had been used without consent.” 

There was a pregnant pause; you refused to ask what he may or may not have and you watched the dimples line his cheeks with his knowing smile. “I believe I do have proof,” he finally said, reaching into his jean’s pockets and retrieving his phone. “It’s an ebook that was just released.” 

Oh, fuck. 

You force your features to relax and watch his screen light up, filled with text. “His mien is breathtaking, the sharp contours of his features-”

“That description could be used for any protagonist worth noting,” your voice interrupts, almost shrill; you find yourself standing on your side of the desk, your hands pressed on top to anchor you.

“Perhaps,” he replied, his eye flitted to you for a moment. Your breath came out slow through your parted lips, watching as he looked back at the screen and continued to read. “The severity of his gaze was offset by the sapphire stone-”

Your moves are quick and clumsy, coming around the desk and clasping your hands over his; your cheeks are flushed and you are bold with your stare. “Aemond,” you finally find your voice. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

There is a moment that his expression hardens, a flash of an emotion that is wiped away and instead his perpetual smirk returns to play at his lips. He pulled his hands away, pushing to stand while tucking his phone into his pocket.

You fall back as he takes a step towards you, his silver hair spilling forward when he leans forward to hold you attention. “I actually came for clarity,” his eye flits to your lips and he purses his own for a moment. “I had thought we had a lovely weekend together, but every reach out I attempted since had been left on read.” 

“Aemond,” you say his name with your exhale, breaking away and looking at the floor. 

His head tilts with a slight hum as he looks over your stance; your bottom is pressed to the edge of the desk and your arms stiff at your sides, with a hold on the profile that has your knuckles white with your grip, like you could not trust your idle hands.  

“I had thought,” he softened his tone. “I thought I had done something to offend you, or perhaps… you did not enjoy yourself, until…” you looked up and saw the glimmer of hope that danced through the aloof façade of Aemond Targaryen. He didn’t finish the thought and instead said,  “I also came here because I want to take you on a proper date, to go to an agreed location, where I will be punctual and we will have dinner together.” 

You cannot form words; your face is burning and you make a noise of disbelief, a mixture of a gasp with an almost laugh that stops in your throat by the touch of his warm palm to cup your cheek. His hold keeps you from looking away again, his stare intense. “I am telling you what I want, why I came here.” He leaned forward until the tip of his nose touched yours, the breath of his words fans your jawline and you can feel the ripple of goosebumps all over. “But if you are not interested, tell me now and I will stop. I will leave you alone.” 

You did not want him to leave you alone.

In fact, that weekend was on an endless loop in your mind. After he left, you began to write, fervently, and with every keystroke, you poured the intimate, delicious details into a transcript, hoping that when you sent it in, it would empty your mind of him.

It did not and Aemond consumed your thoughts. You remembered the ease of conversation, the comfort of his presence, and how you craved his touch, how alive you felt pinned under his steady gaze. 

Now he was in your office and his steady gaze was burning; you bit your bottom lip, your fervor basked in the flame of his stare, savoring the warmth that he exuded. His scent washed over you, just his proximity made your skin feel aflame. 

The moment ends when Aemond relaxes his stance, falling back a step, and only then did you react. Your hand touches the junction of his shoulder to his throat, your fingers curling around the back of his neck to bring his lips to yours. He welcomes your mouth with a lusty frenzy and you moan when you feel his tongue move to taste your mouth. 

He closes in on you, his thigh pushing your legs apart and his hand on your jaw to tilt your head, moving to ghost his lips on the column of your neck until they reach your ear. “I love that you are a woman of action,” his husky tone and words tickle your skin. “But, remember, I require verbal consent.” 

Your hands move to his jawline, your right hand hovering and careful to not quite touch. “Yes, Aemond, please,” you beg him, your eyes wide. “I wanted to reply but I…” 

He interrupts your words with another kiss and he is hungry to taste you again. Your arm wraps around his neck and the other hand is pressed against his solid chest. His hands move to follow the curves of your hips and wrap around to cup below your ass, bringing you flush against him.

Your hands drop to unbutton your jeans and you feel his warm palms slip into the waistband of both, pulling your underwear as he peels you bare. He presses against you, lifting to set you on the desk edge before kneeling in front of you and unlacing each Converse shoe. Aemond sets them aside and returns to grab the fabric to pull it off; you burn from his stare and he leans to kiss the inside of your knee, his lips trailing your thighs and his hand pulling himself to stand again. 

You watch him bring two slender fingers to his mouth and wet them with his tongue, before they dip between your thighs. A gasp spills from your kiss-swollen lips when he touches you with familiarity, following the crease of your wet folds and the slow curl of his finger inside you. 

He watches your response, the arc of your back with the rub of his fingertips in your velvet walls until you mewl his name. Aemond hums, a smile to his lips, and adds a second finger, continuing the same come hither motion to that same sweet spot. His wrist shifts, allowing his thumb to press against the nub above with ample pressure and you moan loudly to his touch. Aemond continues his ministrations until he feels you clenching; there is a lewd sound of your wet heat and how his fingers continue to fuck you through your climax, until you whimper from the overstimulation. 

You look at him through lidded eyes, still on the curtails of your release; he licks his fingers clean with a grin, his gaze narrowing on you. “Is it better than the book?” 

Your look hardens and you push from the desk, desperate to pull his shirt over his head and the fall of his silver tresses tickle your face; your cardigan falls to the ground, your fitted shirt follows. He is still smug when you place your hands on his chest and push for him to fall back into the chair, your touch falling to unbutton his jeans. 

Aemond lifts his hips to bring it down enough, his hand wrapping around the base of his member. Your mouth waters at the sight and you step to straddle the chair, lowering yourself so he can line with your entrance before you sink further.  

You moan as he fills your velvet walls and he wraps his arms around your waist, burying his face into your neck and allowing you a moment to adjust to his size. With slow breaths, your nails bite into his shoulders and you press onto the balls of your feet to rise and lower onto his length.

There is a soft echo in the office with the lewd noises, the suction of your cunt to take him in and your wanton moans when he begins to thrust upwards, meeting your motion. He presses his lips against your ear with the hot whisper, “Stop clenching or I won’t last.” 

You almost purr from the sensation, turning your head to find his lips. “You’re fine,” your voice is breathless. “I’m on the pill.” 

He stills and you look to see his pupil blown, taking you in; without a word, his hands grip into the soft flesh of your ass and he moves to lift you. You squeak your surprise, your legs quick to wrap his waist as he takes a step towards the desk; the polish wood is cool to the touch when he sets you down, reaching behind you to clear away the clutter and laying you back on the desktop, positioning you until you are nearly folded in half. 

This new angle has you a mewling mess of tears, the flutter of your cunt encourages his fingers to bruise into your hips with a brutal pace until you see stars. 

You can feel the twitch of his cock and a low, guttural groan from the back of his throat with his peak. Aemond leans forward, his forehead damp and pressed to yours, his breath warm with his exhale until it evens again. 

He looks and notices a box of kleenex, reaching for it and is careful to clean the mess. You sit up, still feeling the trough of the waves of your release tingling over, your hand moving to pull the hair tie and your fingers comb out the braid.

Aemond rightens his jeans, but does not button them; instead, he looks at you, another hum as he reaches to cup your face, bringing his lips to your forehead and then tilting your head back to find your lips. You stare at him a moment, warm from his touch and also shy at the realization you are still very much naked. 

“What now?” You ask, pushing to stand.

He pulls you against his bare chest and your heart flutters from his warmth. “Depends,” he murmurs and you pull back to look up at him. “Which restaurant did you want to go to?”

#ask me anything #part 2 #aemond targaryen #aemond targaryen x reader #aemond targaryen x you #aemond targaryen x female!reader #here is the smut you all wanted #my tumblr kindred spirits #thanks for reading #♥

[hella1975]

hellaaa plz share your favorite dabihawks fics for all of us who want some recs into their crazy minds!!

sorry i didnt answer this straight away i was reading a 230k words fic that i wanted to finish before i added it here 😭 does anyone know what's wrong with me. therapists hate me

dabihawks rec list!!

burn it all down by dorothycanfly - an au where dabi comes back to the todoroki estate to kill shouto when he's 19 and shouto is 11, but decides instead to take his little brother with him as part of his Grand Evil Masterplan that doesn't quite go as he wanted. this is the fic i always rec first in this fandom as it's the first dabi fic i really read that felt like it Understood Him and really made me go bananas about him. it's dark and twisted and true to what i think his actual mindset would be without demonising him, and also has shouto and him being very close and the way the author writes their dynamic is everything to me like it's so true to a real sibling relationship and id die for them. it gets very smutty in the middle but if that's not your thing the plot also kicks right back up again at 100mph immediately after, and there's also a sequel still being updated that's very promising.

big reputations by phanatics - singer fake dating au!!! i absolutely love dabi's characterisation in this and the celebrity angle is handled soooo well. the miscommunication and slow burn is incredible and that's coming from a bitch who finds both tropes frustrating unless they're done to my very niche standards. im pretty sure i read this fic in one day. im not making graduation i fear.

gunshots and molotovs by ironicallystupid - this is a 14k oneshot where dabi treats hawks' gunshot wound in a distinctly dabi way and then they get drunk. this one really got to me and i think it's bc it's one fic where they feel so true to character while still, for once, both acting their age. a big appeal of dabihawks for me is that they are both ultimately just two guys in their early twenties and seeing them embody that youth and silliness was surprisingly poignant

the 'will you accept this rose?' series by satelliteblue- the famous bachelorette au! if you don't know what i mean by famous, it's bc this fic has a habit of getting people who don't even read mha fic obsessed with it. like it's genuinely addicting. i remember first finding it and being like 'bacherlorette au dabihawks? be so fr' and look where im at now, 355k words later. it's genuinely just such a fun read AND i love the drama of it AND it has the todofam angle AND an actual plot snuck into it effortlessly. one of my fav fics of all time truly and it's still updating!

perspective by theeclecticeccentric - this is the fic i just finished and when i tell you ive powered through all 230k words of it in the past 4ish days. i love the league dynamic in this with the whole found family angle. i'll say it was something i clicked on less bc this kind of au (childhood friends dabihawks brainwashed to forget each other) is what i would normally go for and more bc i have BATTERED the dabihawks tag for all it's worth so i just tried it on a whim, but im so happy i clicked this bc it wound up being so fun! i also love any fic that forces the heroes and villains to ally against the hpsc and this fic does that. instant hit with me.

#if you want more dabi-centric fics (bc those are my bread and butter to the surprise of no one) #then i recommend ao3 user theyaremycrocs for singlehandedly RUINING my mental health with every and any fic of theirs #but yeah! i tried to keep this short and sweet but genuinely a ship hasnt had me in such a firm chokehold as dabihawks since like #my haikyuu era or something. not quite zukka bc who could ever but sakuatsu are getting nervous #ask #dabihawks #mha #fic rec

[all-you-need-is-paul-mccartney]

James (Paul McCartney x Fem!Reader)

A/N: Hello! I've decided I have to make a chapter fic for Paulie because I'm in love with him. There are gonna be at LEAST 6 chapters in this fic, so there will be plenty more coming! Stick around, like and comment, and let me know if you want to be tagged when I release more chapters of this!

I want to personally thank my editor @strawb3rri-le for helping me make these ideas come into fruition. Literally cannot do this without you <3

Summary: Paul meets a pretty girl in the library one day, and is elated to find out she is oblivious to who he actually is.

This fic is written in third person from Paul's perspective, which is kind of different to how I normally write my x readers, so it might be a little jarring to read at first, but I just wanted to try something a little different :)

WARNINGS: I'm not certain I wrote any curse words in this one, but I'll say there is just to be on the safer side. Mentions of mushrooms/ fungi; not drug-related, but I figured I'd add that because some people don't like them. I use Y/n like 4 times in here around the end it drives me nuts, but it has to happen. I don't think there's much else.

This one is pretty safe, if I could rate it lower I would, but I'll mark it at T just to be on the safe side.

Paul could have watched the heavy raindrops hit the window pane for hours and hours. the grey clouds drifting in the sky above brought nothing but heavy showers to the streets of London that dark afternoon...

But that's not what he came to the library for.

He came here for some peace and quiet.

He wanted to get some more songwriting done, but the apartment didn't seem to be the place for it that day, and everywhere else just appeared to be crawling with girls. As much as Paul liked girls, he didn't want to be noticed, because then his day would have simply consisted of him trying to escape the hoards that would have started chasing after him.

The library felt like it made the most sense. People were there to read, study, keep to themselves; not to socialize with others and be loud. As long as he found a little private area to sit, he knew he wouldn't be bothered at all. He also figured, if he couldn't come up with any song ideas, he had tens of thousands of books to refer to for inspiration.

And that was the situation Paul was in at that moment. He'd been sitting in his little study nook for a while now, just staring blankly at his notebook, or out the window next to him. Usually the words came flowing from his mind, translated by his hand and onto the paper, yet that particular day, nothing seemed to be inspiring him.

He rose to his feet after a while, notebook shoved under his arm as he wandered off into one of the aisles nearest to him. He wasn't looking for any book in particular. Sometimes he'd just pull one off the shelf, flip to a random page, and read a random sentence in the middle of the text. If it seemed to be interesting enough to inspire even a single line in a song, Paul would use it. If not, off to the next book.

He began to do just that, with older books with worn spines, and newer books with colourful covers. Unfortunately, even after the fourth or fifth book he pulled from the aisle he was in, no inspiration seemed to manifest from what he was reading. He sighed as he pushed the book he was holding back into its place on the shelf before he made his way to the next aisle over.

Paul began repeating what he was doing before, reaching for a book, and flipping through the pages. This particular book, he cut three separate times, and not one sentence seemed to draw any kind of innovation for his songwriting.

Once again, Paul shoved the book back onto the shelf. As he stared ahead at all of the different pieces of literature before him, one book in particular seemed to catch his eye. It was green, with gold accents on the bevelling as well as the raised parts of the spine. Without a second thought, he reached up for it, only for his fingers to come into contact with someone else's.

Paul drew his hand back and glanced to his right, where a young woman about his age stood. He held his breath, fully expecting an overreaction from her at his presence.

Instead, she smiled awkwardly at him, her hand also drawn back close to her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were after that one," she explained gently, and Paul blinked, raising a confused eyebrow before looking back to that specific book. After a moment, he pulled it down off the shelf and examined the cover, the golden text embossed into the front cover reading 'Europe's Most Common Mushrooms, and Fungi: A Field Guide'.

"Do you like learning about Mycology as well?" She asked curiously, and Paul's gaze shot up to her face, eyes squinting a little at her question.

He was half confused on what she was honestly asking him, but he was also kind of surprised she wasn't pointing and shouting at the fact that she found a Beatle in public.

"... Mycology?" He asked back sheepishly, and her awkward smile warmed up a little at his question. She pointed at the book cover before responding with another question. "You know, the study of mushrooms, and fungi?"

Paul's eyes dropped back down to the book before cracking it open and flipping to a random page as he was doing with all the others. A beautifully illustrated picture of a mushroom with a porous underside presented itself to the young man, and his eyebrows furrowed at the image.

"That is a Boletus Edulis," she explained quietly to him. "It's a tasty gourmet mushroom found in Europe, as well as in North America."

Paul looked back up to her briefly before returning to the book and flipping to another page, a red capped mushroom with white spots being the next image to catch his eye.

"Ooh, and that one there is an Amanita Muscaria, also known as the Fly Agaric. It received its name back in the day because grinding it up and putting it in window sills and doorways would repel flies from entering your home."

"... You sure know your mushrooms, huh?" Paul asked carefully, rather impressed with the few bits of information provided to him by this stranger.

"It's definitely a good hobby to get into. Nothing beats going out onto the trail and foraging them for dinner." She paused briefly before adding, "I mean... the boletes are fine, but perhaps not the amanitas." 

Paul closed the book up again before taking a final glance at the front cover.

"I'm uh... sort of grabbing books at random, looking for something inspiring. There needn't be a reason to hang onto this if you need it," Paul explained, presenting it to her so she could take it, and her fingers accidentally brushed against his once again as she took it from him.

The graze was so gentle, yet Paul felt his cheeks warm up at the contact. She was awfully pretty, he decided to himself in silence as he watched the look of joy on her face appear when she flipped the book open herself. She stopped on a page containing a drawing of a white mushroom dripping black ink at its edges.

Paul couldn't help but double take the image. To think there was so much about the world he didn't know a thing about... it made him feel so small, and insignificant.

She must have noticed his gaze on the page, and figured she'd teach him about one more specimen. "These ones," she began, with a rather excited exhale, turning the book Paul's way so he could see, "are Shaggy Mane mushrooms. They are edible and good, as long as you haven't consumed alcohol for a few days prior to, and post consumption. Then they'd be quite toxic."

She smiled at the tidbit and looked up to Paul's face, nose crinkling a little. "Isn't that just the neatest thing?"

Paul couldn't believe what he was hearing. He never really thought about mushrooms before. Sure, he'd seen brown and white ones before in the grass, or growing on trees, but there was something about the way she relayed the information with such passion, that just made it so interesting to him. It was unlike anything he ever experienced before.

"... You have a very natural way of describing this sort of stuff," Paul expressed, nodding his head to her positively. "I honestly never realized there were so many different ones."

"Oh, what I've told you doesn't even scratch the surface of the world of Mycology," she explained, the smile only growing on her face, and Paul couldn't help but smile back at her.

"... I should really leave to let you continue on with what you were doing," she said after a moment. "I do appreciate you listening to my ramblings. I know I can sometimes get carried away with this sort of stuff," her smile fell away a little. "Not many really care about fungi, so it's nice to talk about my interests with someone who's willing to listen."

Paul's own smile began to falter, rather upset that such a pleasant conversation, with such a pleasant person, had to end so soon. He hadn't encountered such a normal discussion in so long. Not that a conversation about mushrooms and fungi was normal, but Paul felt it was just so refreshing talking about anything but him and his fame.

"... well, I rather enjoyed what you had to say," he admitted lightly, an undeniable blush flourishing from the woman's cheeks as she appeared to smile again, a little brighter than before.

"Well... thank you, again. You're very kind," she repeated, waving her hand kindly as she turned on her heel and wandered off to the next aisle.

Paul's eyes watched her round the corner, and he stood there in disbelief. There was so much for him to unpack in his thoughts in that very moment.

She had to have been one of the prettiest girls he'd ever seen; minding her own business in a library by herself, and doing something she really enjoyed. Her intelligence on the subject showed through her excited rambling, which Paul could have listened to for much, much longer.

Her voice was so pleasant, happiness apparent in her words as she described every species effortlessly, as if she'd known it all since the day she was born. It left him wanting to hear more from her.

But the cherry on top of all of this, was that she didn't even acknowledge Paul as anything but another human being. Not some big musician with whom she obsessed over just because of his looks. For someone who remained so calm, and pleasant in conversation, Paul was certain she had no clue who he actually was.

And he loved that.

As much as fame brought excitement to his existence, Paul couldn't deny that the concept of a simple, normal life with someone who loved him for him, and not his popularity to the public, was something he seemed to yearn for more often as of late.

He loved the idea of being a nobody, especially to someone he wanted to be somebody to.

He looked over his shoulder to the empty space where that green and gold book once sat, deciding to reach for the one sitting next to it. It happened to be another book on mushrooms and fungi, but it had a lot more words in it than images. He flipped to the middle of the book and read the fist word he saw.

Symbiosis.

He felt dumb staring at the word. He knew there was only one person he could ask to inquire about what it meant. He glanced up through the bookshelves, eyes searching through the gaps of the works to find her.

She only happened to be in the next aisle over, scanning the book titles off the spines above her head carefully, too in her own world to notice Paul's obvious staring through the shelving units. She pulled a book down and read the summary on the back, Paul watching her eyelashes flit lower and lower as she absorbed the words like a sponge in water.

He noticed that as she read, her lips gently mouthed each word, and he soon found himself stuck in a trance. He observed how her tongue poked out between her teeth to mouth words with the letter L, and how her lips would press tightly together as she read words containing B, and M.

Who would have thought, Paul wondered, something so small could be so hypnotizing?

She made a small face of approval to the book before stacking it on top of the green one she was given by him, and she headed over to an empty table in the corner of the room. She faced towards the shelves, back to the wall so she could see the whole library from her spot.

Despite this, as soon as she made herself comfortable, she was solely focussed on the books, and her dominant hand wrote out her notes almost romantically, notebook pages filling effortlessly with information that brought her joy.

Paul was absolutely mesmerized by her movements. Screw the rain, he could have watched her for hours. He couldn't get over the little flick of her wrist when she ended a point, or the wonderful silent motion of her lips reading out the words.

She drove him mad in the best kind of way.

She flipped to the next page in her notebook, and Paul came back down to earth, realizing then just how creepy he must have appeared, standing close to the shelf, and peering through to the other side to watch the woman simply minding her own business from afar.

His shoes felt like they were filled with cement, but he worked up enough courage to slowly move towards her table, opting to stand by a nearby shelf and stare blankly at the spines as to not look so awkward.

What would I even say to her? was the only thought at the forefront of Paul's mind, the black mushroom book still in his hand, one of his fingers wedged between the pages to mark where that silly word was. He knew he was going to ask her about it, but he needed to smoothly segue into it, somehow.

This situation was rather a bother to Paul. He felt conflicted as to why he seemed so nervous about approaching her. He was a flirt, and he loved making girls feel giddy, why would this stranger be any different?

He was close enough that he could have called for her attention, but her focus was faithfully undivided, completely oblivious to Paul standing only fifteen feet away from her, trying to muster up the nerve to say something, anything.

After talking to her for only a minute and a half, and having parted ways for not even five more, Paul found himself deprived of her voice, longing to hear anything roll off her tongue, as long as it were to him. He was pining to have her attention so badly, but standing and admiring her from only a couple of steps away was only going to get him so far.

His palms were sweaty, and he wiped them on his pants haphazardly as he took a deep breath. He took one more second to nod his head positively for motivation, and he stepped out into the open, facing her completely. His heart pounded in his chest, but he pushed himself to take one more step forward. And that happened to be enough for her to notice.

The stranger raised her gaze up to Paul, the look of neutral concentration on her face softening into a pleasant smile.

Just that made Paul weak in the knees.

"Find anything inspiring yet?" She asked him in a friendly tone, eyeing the book in his hand as his thoughts flatlined. He didn't expect her to speak first. On the one hand, he was relieved that it indicated she was okay with talking to him, but on the other, it put him off-script, and now he had to actually use his brain to initiate discussion.

"I uh..." he struggled for a moment, glancing down at the book in his hand, as well.

"If I'm going to be quite honest... you talking about mushrooms so passionately was pretty inspiring. It's all I can think about."

The woman's eyebrows arched in surprise, a gentle dusting of pink spreading over her nose as she took in his words. She toyed her bottom lip between her teeth, and Paul couldn't help but drop his gaze for just a second to admire her mouth.

"You know, I'm really flattered that you said that," she expressed gently. "That means a great deal to me. Thank you."

Paul couldn't even feel his legs now, basking in her praise, as a flower would to the rays of sun on a warm spring day.

"... I couldn't help but grab another book like the one you're reading," he explained, lifting it up to show her, and the apples of her cheeks rounded as she smiled even wider. Paul hadn't ever recalled seeing such a beautiful face before.

"I... I saw a word I don't know. I think you're the only person who can help me." The confession made Paul feel a little self-conscious; he didn't want to seem entirely stupid in front of her, but she really didn't seem the type to make fun of him over something like this, and really damage his ego.

Without a word, she pulled the chair out next to her as a silent indication for Paul to take a seat, and he took the offer graciously. He set his notebook down onto the table, and then opened the book to where his finger marked the page cut. She leaned in a little to peer down at the text, and he pointed to the word, realizing only seconds after just how close she was to him. He could smell the faintness of her body wash, and it made his head swirl.

"... This one." He mumbled, watching her in his peripheral as she read the sentence in her head, and physically mouthing the words as her eyes tracked each letter.

"Ah, symbiosis. It basically means two different organisms are benefitting off each other in some way or another. We would be a good example of this, right now," she offered, tilting her head up to look at Paul, who's ears burned hot at the eye contact, but he kept strong and held it for as long as she wanted to look at him.

"You're keeping me pleasant company, and in return, I'm helping you learn about fungi." He thought her point was going to end there, but she quickly added on, "from a natural standpoint, fungi and trees have a symbiotic relationship. If it weren't for the millions of miles of fungal network underground, connecting all the living organisms together, plants wouldn't be able to communicate to each other, or convert their energy from one to the other to achieve optimal growth."

"So... everything would die without fungi?" Paul asked slowly.

"I believe so," she nodded her head. "They play a role in every step of a plant's life. Take a tree, for example."

She slid the green and gold book over to sit between them, and she flipped through the first few pages until she found a diagram of a tree's life cycle, pointing to the images as she rambled on.

"Fungi help them establish strong roots when they're young. Some fungi actually provide nutrients in the soil for the trees to use as energy to grow tall and strong."

She turned her gaze back to Paul. "Even at the end, if a mother tree is dying, she will begin to use the fungal networks below to disperse her energy to her kin, sacrificing herself so they can grow, instead. They use the networks underground to communicate in their own special way."

The young man appeared to be in a dream-like state, head in his palm as he looked on in favour of her words. But when he noticed she stopped speaking after a while, he blinked, finding she was smiling a little awkwardly again, as if she'd asked him a question.

"Hm?" He asked, propped hand dropping to the table. He felt rather guilty his attention diverted.

"... I'm boring you, aren't I?" There was a hint of sadness in her words, a weak smile at her lips, and Paul shook his head quickly.

"No, no! Believe me, I'm listening." He thought for a beat, face going warm again as he confessed, "I just... I really love the sound of your voice. You have a way with words, and I did get a little distracted by that." The young woman's face fell expressionless, and Paul continued.

"I may be rather daft on the subject, but there's just something in the way you talk about it that makes learning about it so much more enjoyable. Please, don't stop talking."

She opened her mouth to say something, but she shut it as she pondered what to respond to Paul with. Her face was flushed, and she was holding back a grin, which ultimately made Paul a little confident considering he was the one that made her flustered.

"... You probably say that to all of the girls you talk to," she finally replied, eyes casting down to the books to hide her blush, and he couldn't help but bite back a smile of his own.

"Well, none of the other girls I know are quite like you," he stated with poise, eyes still locked in on her, hands clasping together as he noticed her blush deepen, and a smile finally breaking through.

Paul then attempted to downplay such a strong interaction. Despite talking to her the way he wanted to, he didn't want her to be uncomfortable with how forward he felt he was being.

"What does your boyfriend think about your hobbies?" He asked. "He must be so proud, and fascinated by how passionate you are about all of this stuff, surely."

She looked back up to Paul, her smile weakening a little. "Boyfriend? Oh I uh..." she cleared her throat. "I don't... I don't have one of those."

Paul's eyebrows lowered a little. "... As in you just got out of a relationship?" He tried to clarify, to which she shook her head.

"As in I've never really... had one." She had a sheepish look on her face, cheeks now red out of embarrassment rather than flattery. Her response sent Paul's eyebrows shooting up in surprise, to say the least.

"... Never?" He repeated in disbelief. She pressed her lips together in a line tightly, shaking her head once again.

"This," she gestured to the books with her hand, "is my life. It has been my life since my early teenage years. Mushrooms and fungi are... strange, and because I like them, I guess that makes me kind of strange, as well."

Her self-dejecting statement made Paul feel bad. In his mind, someone like her not being taken, though washing the feeling of relief throughout him, didn't add up at all. Not even her fascination in mushrooms made her odd, in his eyes.

"... If it means anything to you, I think you're just absolutely lovely," he said, watching as her lip pressed into a little pout as she regarded his words.

"I'm telling you... every guy out there has no idea what they're missing out on."

Paul desperately wished he could read minds; especially hers. She didn't speak, and Paul assumed that the was simply trying to grasp for some words to say. If he were in her position, he wouldn't have known what to say, either.

"For once in my life, someone has actually made me speechless," she confessed, huffing a sigh as she rubbed one of her cheeks, as if that would have made her blush disappear.

"I want to tell you thank you, but that doesn't feel like nearly enough," she explained. "Honestly, your girlfriend is very lucky to have such a charming boyfriend. You have a way with words, yourself." Her comment made Paul laugh, but only once. Inside his chest, his heart was doing somersaults, but he was trying his hardest to keep his composure.

"What girlfriend?"

The woman gasped at his response. "You lie," she accused, yet Paul knew it was all in good nature by the smile on her face. "Even if you were, with a face like that, there's no way you don't have girls chasing after you all the time."

How the tables have turned, Paul thought; a little excited he found himself in the same spot as her only moments after he made the same mistake. Part of him wanted to respond to her with something witty, like "who says I don't?", but the other part of him didn't want that to arouse any questions that would segue into a conversation regarding his job.

He couldn't risk having her know everything, and fall for the idea of him.

"I guess I just... haven't found the right bird yet." He figured that was another truth he could hold by without entirely lying to this poor woman.

"That's fair. Well, whoever has the pleasure of ending up with you is a very lucky woman, indeed." Paul's cheeks darkened again, the compliment making his fingers feel a little numb. He noticed her eyes drifting to the window above his head before she suddenly closed her books shut.

"The rain's stopped. This has been a rather lovely conversation, but I do apologize. I must be leaving now."

Paul felt his stomach drop, and his mouth fell agape, watching worriedly as she gathered her belongings and rose to her feet.

"What-- you're leaving? Right now?"

He felt the same way he did back in the aisle when she cut the conversation short, full of disappointment that it all had to come to an end again.

"I was on my way to my parents' house before the rain started," she explained with a lopsided smile. "I'm helping my mother prepare for dinner tonight, but the rain was so bad, I figured I'd spend some time in here while I waited for it to die down. And I'm very glad I made that decision."

Paul nodded his head, realizing the last part of what she said alluded to making his acquaintance. He also found he couldn't be upset at such a wonderful gesture of kindness, her going to her parents'. "That is very sweet of you to do that for her," he said gently, standing up as well before she disappeared again.

"Before you go," he started, feeling hot beneath the collar as he tried to gather a little bit more courage to speak, her expecting eyes on him making him rather anxious.

"I would like to keep in contact with you," he paused briefly, "only if you want. I just... I've had a really pleasant time talking with you, and learning about your interests, and I would very much like to do all of this again."

Her cheeks rounded out again as her smile widened a little more-- Paul couldn't get over that damned smile of hers.

"You know... I would like that a lot," she finally answered, glancing down at her notebook before flipping to the last page and ripping it out. She folded it in half, and then tore it at the line, handing Paul one of the halves while she began writing on the other one. Paul watched with a pounding heart as she scratched out her phone number, and he began to do the same.

When they exchanged the papers, Paul examined the number she provided him, and then read the name she printed above it, a smiley face drawn next to it. he tried his best to concealing his excitement within.

"Y/n..." he mumbled thoughtfully, eyes casting back up to look at her. She laughed a little as she flipped the paper in her hand to show Paul, which only contained his phone number.

"That's me, but what am I to call you, exactly?"

This is where Paul found himself in another dilemma. He wanted her to call him Paul, but he also didn't want her putting two and two together if she recognized his name. He didn't want to entirely lie to her, either.

That's when a light bulb went off in his head. He realized the greatest loophole, and solution was staring him right in the face.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Paul reached for the paper again, scribbling his name at the top. But he wasn't using 'Paul'; he decided he was going to use his real first name.

"You can call me James," he explained, handing the paper back to her. She surveyed the name at the top of the paper before looking back up to him.

"Finally, a name to a face," she hummed in content. She then offered a hand out to Paul, to which he took so they could shake and say their farewells.

"It was an absolute pleasure meeting you, James."

It was the first time in a very long time Paul had been called that by anyone. He figured he would have hated the sound of it leaving her lips, but instead, it made his heart flutter. His face felt hot again, and it was apparent y/n could see the flush of his skin, because she smirked a little.

"The pleasure is all mine, Y/n. Please be safe." He finally let go of her hand, waving good bye as she did so as well, turning on her heel once again, and heading to the counter with her books to sign them out.

She slid Paul's phone number into her notebook as she walked away, and Paul just stood there for another moment as he watched her leave. He was was still feeling so many emotions now that he was alone, unable to help himself reaching back down to the piece of paper she gave him. He ran his fingers over her name and smiled a little to himself.

"Y/n..." her name was like a breath of fresh air to him. When he looked back up to catch one more glimpse of her, she was already gone. It made him feel a little empty, but when he noticed she left the black mushroom book for him, he felt just a little warmer inside.

Paul reached for the book, sliding her number into the pages, and deciding he was going to sign it out and try to learn a little on the subject. If they ever planned to meet in the future, he could try and impress her with some of the information he learned.

He didn't end up getting what he was looking for at the library, but he felt he was leaving with something he needed.

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A/A/N: Okay, I hope yous enjoyed that! Part 2 will happen as long as I have people requesting it. I have ideas, I'm just missing supporters<3

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[tumblingxelian]

Honest question, what do you think a well-written "Jason lives" story would look like?

Like, if Death in the Family still happened, but Bruce saved Jason before it was too late, then odds are there would still be consequences resulting from how BADLY the Joker brutalized him.

Hmm, OK so with your starting premise and utilizing my knowledge of comics to come but also the fact that if Jason lived then certain ideas and plots would be nixed... While all still colored from my perspective, here is my general take:

So, first, rather than Bruce saving Jason I'd say Jason actually manages to save himself, either because he released his mother or managed to half talk her through disarming the bomb.

I know the original splash page has Bruce pulling him from the rubble but that makes zero sense even by comics standards, he and Sheila should be charred corpses.

So, the bomb is disarmed or they managed to get out cos he released Sheila and Bruce arrives to whisk Jason away to medical treatment with Sheila keeping his head above water.

The exact next sequence is harder to make sense of at first, but here's the thing. The original comic could let Joker get away with learning who Jason was behind the mask because he 'died' soon after and then 'came back'. He also initially mistook Tim for Jason. So, given his state of mind it can be... Tacitly tolerated that he never deduced or used Bruce's identity.

Here, that's a bigger issue and so I will say that to keep the tracks covered as much as they can...

Sheila is kept in custody because while Bruce is furious with her, she did keep Jason alive & separating them seems like a bad idea, though she is to be closely watched by Leslie & Alfred.

Unfortunately, the intel she gave him on Joker's plan was slightly false and she used her time to slip away to go after the clown herself, intent on a redemption arc.

There's messages, misunderstandings, truths revealed and another arrest that doesn't last, before Joker is once again in a helicopter trying to escape but this time with Sheila who shoots him, but he shoots her back as he lays dying and the helicopter crashes.

They cannot find Joker's body but Sheila stayed above long enough to die later, musing on where her life led her, the importance of getting a chance to do something, and that Jason is a real good kid, better than she or Bruce deserve.

This is deeply tragic, mostly conceptually and philosophically, but still.

This is enough to make Bruce sort of ease up on Jason, but at the expense of becoming more overprotective in general. Which is hard to argue with as Jason is doing physical therapy and Dick has a broken leg.

So the drama for the ensuing period is Bruce trying to bench key allies and family ETC, so he can keep them safe while still running himself more ragged, but not quite as terribly as his suicidal spiral in canon.

He also has ideas on sending Jason to a semi boarding school to try and keep him out of super heroics. If he succeeds, this plan will still fail and likely ends up forming the nexus of Jason's own mini team with Eddie and Rose. But also would fail to keep him out of Gotham sufficiently. Still he may be at Brentwood some of the time so one can justify solo Batman stories & some more school time adventures for Jason.

But before all that happens, we have a new player in the field.

The Spoiler!!!

That's right, into the arena is the one, the only Stephanie Brown. She's here to spill the tea and kill her dad, and maybe protect her community on the side.

Best part?

Bruce either does not know who she is at first, or has zero jurisdiction over her and can't gain any without revealing his identity or attacking a teenager for trying to help and she is slippery regardless.

Basically, one of the people who helps crowbar Bruce back into tolerating help is Stephanie basically keeping her original give no fucks about Batman attitude and doing her own thing.

Their relationship is likely a bit contentious and back and forth, far more hands off, not quite mentoring, but also less outright toxic than canon.

She & Jason probably have a thing and bond over some shared and different history stuff, but I don't see it being the mainstay relationship.

Young Justice is likely found eventually under similar circumstances, though Stephanie likely gets to be a member this time, as do Eddie & Rose.

I think the team would be less, Kon, Kid Flash & Robin and more like a cycling mass of active or present members, dealing with an overseer.

Basically a comic series to throw lots of different personalities power sets and problems together and see what dynamics emerge as popular.

After that, less sure.

My ideal is Jason goes to university or maybe has to stay with Young Justice or some other area full time and adopts his own hero persona while Steph gets a run as Robin alongside Cassandra as Batgirl.

Otherwise most major storylines, save one's reliant on Jason being dead, still happen. Steph likely has a less horrible time as Spoiler, but is also maybe always and forever more overtly on the outs so she might not get Robin as she might not want it. (Though maybe during No Man's Land...)

See what I mean about the plot drift?

War Games may still happen but probably with a very different, though not inherently better cos Bruce's plan was dumb, resolution.

Also Joker does return, sadly, and there's always likely a hovering question as to whether he knows the truth of their identities but its never confirmed, or isn't until he dies again.

#Bat Clan #Batfam #Batman #the batman #Bruce Wayne #Jason Todd #robin!jason #Stephanie Brown #the spoiler #robin!steph #Death in the Family