#all three of those are good shows at least in their early seasons

[mochinomnoms]

So uhhhh...... what other kinks would octavinnle have 😗

🦩

I already went into one I think Jade would have, so I'll list three new ones for each and a brief thing as to why, though it's not their only ones I would say it's some of their top ones.

Azul

Oral fixation: Azul has a refined palate, he can note each ingredient used in dishes with just his tongue! He's learned to put that tongue to good use, so it's logical to assume that he'd like to taste you as well. And Azul does love it so. There is no treat taster than you and your cum on his tongue, and while he's not one to indulge in his meals, for you he'd make an exception. I do hope that you are willing to keep your legs open for a quite some time, after all you wouldn't want to deny him of a treat, would you?

Praise kink: Let's be real, because of his childhood, Azul thrives on recognition and praise for his hard work. When he decides to go into something, it's never half-hearted, especially regarding his love and affection to you. So, praise him! Tell him what a good job he's doing, tell him to keep hitting that spot right there, oh god, Azul, you make me feel so goood~ It makes him feel so so good knowing that only he gets to make you feel like this, that only he gets to hear your voice praising him. It gets him off, so keep doing it at all times, whisper in his ear about how smart and wonderful he is in all aspects, the sweet tone in your voice gets him hot and heavy, turning into a need to keep hearing those honeyed words and show you just how deserving he is of your praise.

Breeding: Out of the trio, he is technically the only one with a mating season (two actually). And while he can usually get over those seasons on his own, with you at his side he instinctually develops a need to breed you silly! Who knew he had such a desire to become a daddy, you'll help him won't you? As his mate? Regardless of whether or not you can actually get pregnant, when the late spring and early fall come, he needs to fill your tummy with so much cum that it hurts! You'll spend at least two months out of the year with bent over or in a mating press until you're shuddering and twitching as milky white fluids are dripping from your hole. Now now, Azul can't have that, so won't you let him fill you just one more time? (It's never just one more time.)

Jade

Shibari: Jade thinks it's fascinating how humans don't have long, winding limbs to wrap their mates and make due with soft, pretty colored ropes. It's even more fascinating seeing the fat of your skin bulge against the ropes. Your chest, thighs, hips, all straining the ropes as your hands are tied against your back, helpless to his poking and prodding. Call him sadistic, but he loves seeing you so helpless underneath him, pretty eyes begging for him to use you and make you feel good. It makes him feel a sort of way to hear you beg to free your hands so you can hold him, dig your nails into his skin as your orgasm inches closer and closer. Jade does love having you be so helpless under him, free for him to use as he sees fit.

Service kink: Jade likes taking care of things, to be depended on. After all, he's so good at being a dependable partner, so why not place all your pleasure into his very capable hands? Be warned, though, Jade can be quite sadistic, and once you place your pleasure into his hands, it belongs to him and only him. There's no need to touch yourself when he hands long, nimble fingers to use, a long furling long to sink into your heat, and attentive eyes that watch and study every single moan, twitch, and breath you take. Jade will make sure that your lust filled brain will be drawn to him, immersed with the mind-blowing rapture he provides. All to the point that you'll only be able to cum through him, whether it be his mouth, hands, or dick. It's fine, Jade does love depend on, especially if it ruins you for anyone else after him. That's if you can bring yourself to leave, after all you'll never find another quite as attentive and caring as he. Jade's made sure of that.

Roleplaying: This plays a bit into Jade's service kink, but he does love dressing you up in cute outfits and making you play a bit. Perhaps he is a butler, and you're his master, bringing yourself down to ruin by a lowly servant as he fucks you into oblivion. Perhaps he's come to collect collateral from you for a deal, and you can only offer yourself. Maybe he's a big bad sea monster, and you're a sweet little human that drifted too far off into the sea. In any case, he loves playing into any of his roles, teasing you as you start of shy like an actor with stage fright. It's wonderful when Jade finally gets to see you lose yourself into your role, all for him. Though, don't be surprised if he decides to turn the table a bit, and dresses you up in a maid costume with a leash and collar. As much as he loves playing his usual role, Jade does also love seeing you coo and tend to him (and his dick) like the pretty, sweet spouse he knows you will be. Go on love, get on your knees and make him feel good. It's your responsibility to clean up the mess of slick you've left on his dick after all.

Floyd

Overstimulation: To no one's surprise, Floyd has plenty of energy to go around once he's interested in something, and you are very interesting to him. He wants to see just how much you can take of him and what he gives you until your crying and begging him to give you a break. But unless you give him your safe word, that delicious orgasm he just gave you is blending into the next as he seeks his own euphoria. But don't think that he won't just ignore his own overstimulation, because he will. Just feels so good for both of you that it almost hurts. And yet, Floyd just can't help and keep going. That yummy high on cloud 9 is gonna keep going, even through your shrieks and cries for a break, the rhythmic slap of skin, the shuddering breaths. He just can't stop, even if he wanted to, oh please Floyd! It's too much! It feels too good-AAAAH~ He'll keep going until you both pass out from sheer sensory overload and exhaustion, his dick still in you and ready to go when you wake back up.

Dumbification: This is a bit surprising, or maybe not, but Floyd loves fucking you until you're so sex-brained that all you can think about his him and his dick. He wants you to love his cock so much that you're bending over and spreading yourself open for him with hearts in your eyes. No thoughts, head empty except for Floyd and his cum. He wants a pretty smile with your tongue lolling out. He wants you to see him taking pictures of him fucking you with your hands forming a heart. He wants you to ignore anything and everything else except for him, because you're his little dummy that can only think about him and his pretty dick that's bruising your insides and shaping you for him. And only him.

Dacryphilia: This should actually come as no surprise, but Floyd gets really horny at seeing your tears streaming down your face. But not from being upset, no, he loves the tears that come from him overstimulating you. They're just so pretty! You're so cute, and he's so big, too big for you, but you try so hard! So forgive him if he's a bit mean, a little rough, and dragging out orgasm after orgasm from you so that you're whimpering and sobbing. Such a sweet sight reserved just for him, as only he can guarantee that these tears come from feeling good and not from something more sinister. Plus, Floyd really likes how you pout at him. It's just so cute!! And he just looooves cute things.

#mochi asks #twst #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twst x reader #twst smut #twisted wonderland smut #jade leech #floyd leech #azul ashengrotto #jade leech x reader #floyd leech x reader #azul ashengrotto x reader #jade leech smut #floyd leech smut #azul ashengrotto smut #!nsfw #!breeding kink #🦩 anon

[alpaca-clouds]

Let me talk about Mizrak

Yeah, this with all the entire Nocturne brainrot is going to continue for a couple more days at least. But the show has so many interesting themes and characters and I just love it so much. And after getting all my friends to watch the show, I got surprised by one of them being super angry about Mizrak.

Why? Well, because of the last scene with him and Olrox in the season and his words of: "You are just an animal that lost its soul centuries ago." And the friend considered that "being an asshole" and "cruel".

To which I say: Cruel? Yes. Asshole? No.

Let me explain.

First, let me make one thing clear: No, Mizrak is not a templar. I have seen that one too many times. He is not a templar. He is a monk knight of the order of St. John, so the Knights Hospitaller. Like the templars they were very much tied to the crusades originally, but they are not the same thing. There were a lot of orders and types of knights associated with the crusades. Templars were just one of them. (Do you guys wanna hear more about the templars? I can talk more about them.)

We know from bits and pieces of dialogue that Mizrak originates in Jerusalem (which is also where the order was founded). This is a gentle reminder: Israel as we know it today was not a thing back then. But Jerusalem was always a place of religious conflict as it holds importance in all three Abrahamic religions. Which was, what the crusades were all about after all. Before the time of the French Revolution, though, there was mostly some a conflict between the Ottomans and some Arab forces over Palestine. There were some Christian orders accepted within the city though.

Now, the Knights Hospitaller, who were accepted in Jerusalem, had a strong connection to France. Which... lead to problems, when some of the Arabs and the French got into problems. Which let to the Knights Hospitaller leaving for Malta. This too is referenced in the dialogue. (If you guys cannot tell: I am very happy with the amount of historical research put into this show!)

Mizrak looks to be in his early 30s. So I assume he entered the order in his mid-teens (which was a usual age to enter an order like that) and then probably left for Malta within a couple of years after that when the political situation got more charged. And then from Malta to France.

The Knights Hospitaller back then for all intent and purposes lived as militarized monks. That means they made vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. And this very much shines through with his character in so many scenes.

Of course we see that the entire "chastity" thing does not work out that well for him. But that is also why he clearly is shown to be conflicted about that entire thing. What he tries to uphold, though, is the obedience aspect of his vows. And that is, what his entire conflict is about.

See, what I love about this character is that there is all this delicious conflict.

I will iterate again: I grew up in a very, very conservative, strict, catholic household. Other kids got read fairytales for bedtime. My mother read me the bible. Priests and monks were people we intermingled with a lot. (Heck, the last pope? I met him when he was still a bishop.) And hence I got to make one very clear experience: There are three types of Catholics: Those, who focus on all the horrible things. Those, who focus on the literal stuff written in the bible. And those, who focus on the positive stuff. You know, the stuff with helping people, and being poor, and sharing, and being in general a good person. (Though the three types are not always mutually exclusive.)

And it is pretty clear that Mizrak is of the latter kind. He believes in the good he can do through his faith in God and Christ. But he has also grown up in an Order and a Church that puts a lot of focus on the idea of sin, on the idea of obedience, and the idea of the "natural order".

But there he is, with his Abbot collaborating with demons and vampires to enforce that "natural order", which among other things goes against their own vow of poverty. This is so clearly against Mizrak's believes. Because in his very core, Mizrak is a good fucking man. He is one of the good guys. Who wants to do good through his faith in God. And this conflicts for him.

So by the end of episode 7 he reached the point to go against his vow of obedience, because his faith in doing good was stronger, than his dedication to his vows. He very actively broke his vows in the eyes of his order, standing against his order, to protect those darn kids. Because it was the right thing to do. He is absolutely willing to do the noble sacrifice if that is what it takes to save those kids. And in comes that weird dude and takes this chance from him.

And his entire thing with Olrox... It seems very much that Mizrak is indeed gay. As the series so helpfully points out: Yeah, priests, monks, other clergy, and their vows of chastity were always a thing that rarely worked out. Again, as someone who grew up with close ties to the church: The fact that everyone is secretly fucking is... well known. As well as the fact that yeah, there are a lot of gay clergy. Mostly for the reason that they are shamed for their sexuality and then take the vows to not be tempted into homosexuality. Only to find that a priest school with a lot of other queer supressed men is exactly the place you do not want to be to not be tempted. (And that is all without going into all the non-con, pedophilia and what not. Things that were also already happening back then, I guarantee you.)

So, try to imagine that entire thing from Mizrak's perspective. There he is, already ashamed and suppressed about all of that and in comes this very, very seductive vampire man, who kinda seems to align with some of his values, but not with others. And who is emotionally unavailable as fuck, outright telling him that he does not love our dear Mizrak. Someone, who clearly is not for the vampires and your abbot, but also clearly not willing to take the other side. The side that you in your heart (even though it means standing against your order) know to be right. And this man, who claims to not love you, then comes in and tries to stop you from doing what is right.

Yeah, no fuck, Mizrak is a bit pissed at him. Especially as in that moment Olrox very clearly goes against Mizrak's ideals, that are all about self-sacrificially doing the right thing.

And I do think that Mizrak is right in one regard: Olrox lost his soul. He lost a part of himself. Through the trauma of colonialism, but he lost it never the less.

So, once more: Thanks the team for giving us another interesting, well-rounded religious character! CV already did so well with Isaac and Mizrak is sofar extremely promising in that regard.

#castlevania #castlevania netflix #castlevania nocturne #castlevania nocturne spoilers #castlevania mizrak #castlevania olrox #olrox x mizrak #mizrox

[aza-writes]

Morning Affirmations

Lip Gallagher x female!reader

Requested: no

Summary: Lip walks in on his girlfriend singing to the younger kids while she gets them ready for the day. Takes place in season 4 after Liam gets home from the hospital

Warnings: few curse words, mentions of drug use (Fiona in jail) but overall, it’s just tons of FLUFF

A/N: inspired by “I love my body” by @mothermoon on TikTok. Might rewrite something similar for dad!lip, lmk what you think. Got bored before lab and wrote this

The floorboards creaked under every step Lip took to get down to the kitchen. He wasn’t too concerned with anything too wrapped up in his mind until two sweet voices pull him out.

“I love my body from my…” 

“Head to my toes.” 

Liam’s voice was hard to hear, even in the quietness of the unusually empty Gallagher house. Everyone was already at school or wherever they ran off to today—leaving Lip home alone to take care of some things. 

Liam has only been home from the hospital for two days, leaving Lip and the rest of the family still scrambling without Fiona running the show. Lip had school off today, some random college holiday that didn’t make sense for a lot of people, but they took it anyway. 

Lip had been out of bed since 5 that morning, unsure if it was considered a late night or an early morning due to the fact he hadn’t slept for more than a few hours the night before. His mind was going a million miles an hour, mixed with him worrying himself sick about Liam and going to check on him every thirty minutes. Every time he would get up from his bed, y/n would sit up, too. Her concerned look was always dismissed with a quick “go back to sleep” or “I’ll be back soon” from Lip. The “soon” in question was around five to ten minutes of Lip just sitting in front of Liam’s bed, watching his chest rise and fall. 

Y/n stayed up and waited for Lip the first few times, but soon enough her eyes got too heavy for her to ignore. Even with the extra sleep, caffeine would be her best friend today. 

Lip’s mind was still groggy as he trudged down the stairs, stress and sleep deprivation felt like chains were strapped to the back of his ankles. He barely made out the words y/n and Liam were exchanging. 

“I love my face…” She lingered for a second, allowing Liam to think about the next verse. She smiles and continued on. “My-” 

“Eyes, my mouth my nose.” Lip could help but smile at the sight of Liam touching every body part mentioned. He clearly knew this song, yet Lip couldn’t think of any of the words. When ever you would sing it to one of his younger siblings, all he could do was hear your voice. The kindergarten-teacher-like tone was enough for him to abandon all of his thoughts and focus on you. 

“I like the way I look when I look in the mirror.” Liam didn’t have to wait for y/n this time, he sang it with her. Their voices both were quiet, almost scared to wake anyone up, but the house stayed quiet. It was just those three in that house, the outside world didn’t matter. 

“I stand a little closer just to see a little clearer.” Both of their smiles were beaming. Liam giggling at y/n’s little tickles all over his belly and neck. Lip’s grew too. Y/n was so amazing with the kids, Lip could’ve sworn it as always been this way. Y/n and Lip, Lip and y/n. They belonged together. 

Everyone in his family loved her. Carl made her a gift out of melted spoons and forks, Debbie demands they have a girls day at least once a month. Shit, even Frank called her “one of the good ones.” Technically it was after she downed a shot of vodka without even wincing, but he still liked her non the less. 

Y/n turns around smiling, it only growing when she finally sees Lip. 

“Good morning babe.” 

“Morning babe!” Liam repeats immediatly, causing Lip and y/n to giggle with him. 

Lip pours two cups of coffe before heading to the kitchen table. “Good morning to you.” He sets the coffe right in front of y/n while kissing her cheek. He carefully set his down too and kissed Liams cheek. “Good morning little man.” 

#lip gallagher x reader #lip gallagher #lip x reader #shameless us #phillip gallagher #lip gallagher x you #lip gallagher fluff #lip gallagher x y/n #lip gallagher fic #lip gallagher blurb

[elliesbelle]

nobody compares to you

chapter 5

pairing: ellie x reader

synopsis: you're in your junior year of college and at a party, you run into the girl who broke your heart: ellie williams. despite the time it took to reset your life, will you risk a broken heart again for her?

content warnings: modern college au, cursing, angst, slight slut-shaming, brief mention of death, minors do not interact

word count: 2.3k

chapters: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen

series masterlist

my masterlist

i have a ko-fi if you like my work so much that you feel compelled to tip me ♡︎

the "nobody compares to you" spotify playlist

featuring the isa song “sometimes you lose your soulmates”

Present Day 

Though you didn’t exactly enjoy Mondays, it was at least the one day of the week when you got to wake up naturally instead of at the crack of dawn. Your first class isn't until noon, so when you wake up at 9:30 in the morning, you decide to get your day started early. 

You weren’t always the type of person to completely do themselves up just to go to class. Maybe in freshman year for the first few weeks, but you were a seasoned vet now. Most of the time, some leggings and a simple shirt or sweater sufficed. But after such a shitty weekend, you figure you could at least make yourself feel good by looking good. 

After half an hour of getting ready, you look yourself over in the bathroom mirror. You smile, fairly satisfied with your appearance. Despite the cold breezes of Saturday night, the forecast called for a rare warm day. As a result, you allowed yourself a floral sundress, decorated with a puffy knitted, button-up jacket on top of it in case the season’s true weather decided to show. A pair of simple white sneakers finished your outfit; not the most stylish, but practically, you still had to walk around campus. 

Your lips shine from the bit of lip gloss you’d applied. You’d only applied some light mascara on today (you figured that your Literature and Sexuality class did not warrant your bold, false eyelashes). You’d lightly painted your eyes with colours that complemented those of your sundress, blending them seamlessly onto your eyelids. As you did this, that one memory that was prodding you two days ago became clearer. 

“I have no idea how you do that so naturally, dude.” Ellie’d said, watching you in awe from the foot of your bed. 

Her ocean green eyes watched the meticulous strokes of your makeup brush applying eyeshadow to your lids. It was early on in your “friendship” and it was still a couple more weeks of her calling you “dude” before you became “babe” and “baby.” 

“It’s not that hard, honestly. Just takes some practice.” You’d said, trying to keep your hand steady as you grew nervous under Ellie’s watchful gaze. 

“Nah, it’s natural talent. You’re an artist.” She’d replied. 

You’d scoffed, saying, “Ellie, all I’m doing is my makeup. You’re the actual artist, remember?” 

“No,” She’d shaken her head. “I just draw. You’re the artist here.” She’d said decidedly, eyes full of admiration as she continued to stare. 

You’d blushed furiously then, and you would continuously do so when you’d replay that memory the months following after. 

But it was two years later and now, the memory instead has you staring at your reflection tight-lipped and frowning. 

Why is she still everywhere? 

It was roughly a fifteen to twenty-minute walk from your apartment to the university. You lived in an off-campus apartment complex that was in a decent location from both the school and a downtown area nearby. It was less convenient than living on campus like several of your friends still did, and this certainly wasn’t what you’d had in mind when you were planning out your social college experience. But after the freshman year events of Rafael’s death and Ellie’s abandonment, you were far more comfortable where you were. 

You liked walking anyway. You found solace in the strolls you took, accompanied only by your thoughts and headphones. 

About five minutes into your trek to campus, you pull out your phone to text your friend Tara. 

A couple of minutes later, you were just officially entering the campus when Tara texts you back. 

You continue walking as you frown down at your phone. Dina had spent most of the previous day at your place, cheering you up and taking your mind off Ellie. Your group chat with your other friends was blowing up and by the end of the night when Dina had left, you were overwhelmed by the amount of unread texts you had. The group chat remained unopened until right now. 

The chat consisted of your friends Tara, Sidney, Astrid, Rebecca, Kristen, and Mina. You’d met them all in freshman year. Tara was your assigned roommate and Astrid was Dina’s. They were all initially casual friends, ones that you saw on a usual basis and got along well with, but they weren’t necessarily very close. You were better friends with the gang from Jackson. But after you came back to campus for sophomore year, you detached yourself slightly from Dina and Jesse, knowing full well that Ellie had them first. They both tried to remain closer to you; but they remained inseparable from their childhood best friend, not fully knowing what events led to what “broke up” you two. It wasn’t the same and it was a much different dynamic with this other friend group, but the girls were there for you all the same. 

Reluctantly, you click on the group chat named “Wilson Crew ❤️‍🔥” (Wilson Valley had been the name of the freshman dorm building most of you had resided in the first year). Scrolling up to where you’d left off, you scan the messages your friends had left the previous day. Your eyes grow wider and wider the more you read. 

The previous day, Tara, who worked at a campus coffee shop called Ruston Coffee, was tasked to train a new girl. To her, your other friends’, and now your shock, the new girl Tara was training was Freshman Girl. The same Freshman Girl who stayed glued to Ellie’s side for most of Saturday night. The same Freshman Girl who drooled over Ellie’s every word and move. The same Freshman Girl that mistook your Ellie’s signature lavender-laced joints as lilac. The same Freshman Girl who wore Ellie’s old motorcycle jacket the entire night. 

It turned out Freshman Girl did have a name: Daniela. Your friends had sent messages with different levels of shock and horror. Kristen called her a whore, to which Sidney agreed, to which Astrid reprimanded and told them both to be nice. Mina sent memes as a response. Tara also texted that Daniela would be working with her again today. 

You look up. Ruston Coffee is just down the way. You don't have to go in. You can skip coffee for today and hide out in the library instead. 

“I’m not expecting you and Ellie to magically make up. I won’t try to get into the middle of it because I know that’s between you two. But you definitely need to figure out this out, babe. This doesn’t seem like something that should remain unresolved.” Dina’d said.

“But don’t also let it affect all the other parts of your life, okay?" She continued. "She shouldn’t be stopping you from hanging out with me and Jess more often or going out to parties we’re at or anything that involves Ellie in some way. Don’t let her stop you from enjoying your life.” 

And Ellie certainly shouldn’t stop you from getting coffee. If you want to get a coffee and relax before class, Ellie should not be getting in the way of that. 

You take a deep breath and march towards the coffee shop, fingers gripping tightly onto the straps of your backpack and feet stomping in rhythm to good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo blasting loudly through your headphones. 

A bell above the door tinkles as you enter Ruston Coffee. The shop was a little busy, most seats taken up by other students sitting with their laptops or biding time before class. There's a line of people by the register and you begin approaching it until you hear your name being called. 

Your friend Tara waves you over by the counter where orders are usually dropped off. In one of her hands is a straw and your ready-made mocha frappe. 

“You’re the literal best, Tara.” You sigh, pulling your headphones off and walking up to her. 

She hands you your coffee order. 

“No problem.” She says, smiling. “You know that I don’t mind.”

“Thank you for indulging in my caffeine addiction,” You say, whipping out your phone and sending her $6. 

Tara frowns and says, “You better not have given me a $3 tip this time.” 

You sip from your straw. 

“Dude!” Tara reprimands, laughing. 

“$2 tip!” You say, defensively. 

“Just for a $4 coffee.” She chides, shaking her head. 

You shrug. 

“So uh,” Tara begins, her voice lowered slightly. “Did you see what I said in the group chat yesterday? Cause you weren’t responding.” 

You gulp. 

“Uhh. Yeah, I did, just now. Sorry, Dina was at my place yesterday, so I was busy—” 

“Nah nah, it’s cool, man. But like. You saw what I said about that girl, right?” 

“Is she here?” You ask, chewing the inside of your cheek. 

“Not yet. But—” Tara checks her watch. “—she’s supposed to be here in less than five minutes or so.” 

Fuck. 

“Oh, okay.” You gulp, your heart rate increasing. 

“Are you okay, dude?” Tara asks. 

“No, yeah, I’m fine.” You lie. “How did training her yesterday go?” 

Tara crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. 

“Literally the worst. She kept on looking at her phone instead of listening, she left one AirPod in her ear the whole time, she kept asking when we were gonna be done. And now I have to go through it all again once she gets here.” 

You give Tara a sympathetic look. 

“I hate that,” You say, sucking on your teeth. “Can’t you just, I don’t know, not hire her?” 

“We’re short-staffed as fuck, so we don’t have much of a choice.” Tara sigh. 

One of Tara’s co-workers comes up behind her and attempts to elbow her ribs which she dodges easily. 

“Get back to work, Maclay.” He says, putting down two cups of coffee next to her before heading back towards the register. 

“Fuck off, Khanh!” She replies, shooting a middle finger to his back. 

“Should I let you get back to work?” You ask. 

“Nah,” Tara reassures. “I wanna shit talk this Daniela girl first before I have to deal with her this morning.” 

“Do you know how often she’s gonna be working with you?” You inquire. 

“I’m not sure yet, but if Bonnie thinks she’s gonna stick me with a lazy new girl this early in the year—” 

You hear the bell above the door tinkle as someone enters the coffee shop. Both you and Tara look instinctively at the new arrival. Tara groans silently and your throat goes dry. 

Freshman Girl Daniela walks in. Wearing Ellie’s jacket once again. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

“Crap, I gotta go now, I guess.” Tara whines begrudgingly. 

“Y-yeah…” You say, unable to take your eyes off of that same jacket that used to often adorn your shoulders back in your freshman year. You hate that it looked good on Daniela. 

“I’ll see you later, dude.” Tara says, wrenching her elbows off the counter and walking towards the register. 

“Good luck.” You reply. 

You aren't exactly subtle with your stare, but thankfully Daniela doesn't seem to notice. It's a little different seeing her now in the daytime. She was very pretty, you have to admit to yourself. She has a short, pixie cut that complements her sharp bone structure. She's wearing a bright yellow tank top below Ellie’s jacket that clings to her lean figure, making her stand out slightly. The light makeup she has on looks so simple and natural. 

Daniela wasn’t Ellie’s first conquest since you ended things with her. She didn’t waste much time dating around after you all came back for your sophomore year. You’d avoided her as much as possible so you wouldn't have to come face-to-face with the girls she’d get involved with. You still heard about them, of course, and you were sure there were even more than the ones you’d known about. 

But Daniela was the first you were forced to encounter. You weren’t prepared to be thrust right into Ellie’s love life once more. But here you are, staring at the most recent fling of the girl who you were once so desperately in love with. 

As Daniela lazily makes her way through the shop towards the back, you eventually tear your eyes off her and head straight for the exit. 

♫ Maybe she’ll come through / If he waits some more 

But she doesn’t / No, she doesn’t ♫ 

You're leaning against one of the trees in the quad, backpack laid next to you and headphones back on your ears. Your next class is in the building right behind you, but you still have a while until it started. 

♫ It’s not like the movies / Like you dream it’ll be 

Sometimes you lose your soulmates / And sometimes they leave ♫

Your journal and pen are laid out on your lap but abandoned as your fingers pick at the grass around you. Your mostly empty coffee cup sits next to you, condensation dripping into the soil. Your eyes are completely glazed over, watching the clouds in the sky. 

♫ She’s not a girl you forget / She’ll run through your head 

With all of the moments / You loved but now dread 

To remember / Burning like—♫ 

Your hands and voice react quicker than your mind does. Your sudden movements cause your headphones to fall onto your neck. After a second, you realize that you had shrieked and that your hands had flown up to your face to catch something. As you bring the object down to look at it, you realize it was a football. 

“Shit! I’m so sorry!” 

You look up to see a tall girl in a dark t-shirt and grey sweatpants jogging towards you, a dirty blonde braid bouncing behind her. 

“Abby?”

author's notes:

sorry for the delay in uploading this! i'm back from my brief vacation, and after i settled in after getting home, i almost immediately plopped down in front of my laptop to finalize this ldksfjsdlkds

not very chockful of ellie in this chapter, i know, i'm sorry! y'all got plenty last chapter! but don't worry, more will be coming up soon. i just enjoy keeping y'all in suspense.

i just wanna mention that most (if not all) of the names that i use in this fic are picked out people in the games themselves. also tara's last name is maclay as an homage to my lesbian queen tara maclay from buffy the vampire slayer. she's not the same character obvi, but i just enjoy putting in the reference :)

freshman girl aka daniela may have been named after and based on some whore girl that my ex left me for and that i'm still bitter about it oops

i hope y'all enjoyed the surprise guest appearance at the end of this chapter! she will be integrated further into the story from this point on, so stayed tuned :)

taglist: @lonelyfooryouonly, @elliesinterlude, @sawaagyapong, @peppesgirl, @iconsoft, @maybeidohaveadhd, @ellieswifee, @valiantllamapersonpony-blog, @nil-eena, @echostinn, @uraesthete, @softbunlvr, @cherriessxinthespring, @amitycat, @chrissyfishywissy, @yevheniiaaa, @machetegirl109, @bertandfearnie, @ximtiredx, @efam, @elliesnoviecita, @oatmilkchaii, @tayyyystan, @emothurman, @livvy-2000, @abigaillovestoread, @gold-dustwomxn, @liabadoobee, @yuckyfucky

please let me know if you'd like to be added to the taglist or if you'd asked previously and i missed you!

#nobody compares to you series #ellie williams #dealer!ellie #ellie x reader #ellie x you #ellie x y/n #the last of us #tlou #the last of us part 2 #tlou2 #ellie fanfiction #Spotify #audio #belle speaks #v #belle writes

[eddiemunsons80sbaby]

Let Me Take Care of You

Pairing: JoeQuinnxReader

Summary: I couldn't stop thinking about how that man needed someone to take care of him after such a long day. And I know how much he cares about his fans. He was so kind but toward the end, everybody was rushed, and I have no doubt he wished he could have taken more time. So, fic idea popped into my head because...yeah, he looked so damn good on Sunday. You're dating Joe and after the chaos of the day, you just want to help your man.

18+ only

The hotel room door opened and in came Joe, looking absolutely drained and exhausted. It had been a whirlwind of a weekend. The U.S. Embassy had misplaced his passport and he almost missed the con in Philly, disappointing thousands of fans. At the last minute, everything worked out, but he’d had to cram three days worth of autographs and photo ops into one day, showing up early and staying late. You’d offered to tag along but he’d insisted on you relaxing as you’d had a late flight the night before and he had his friend, Ollo, there to be by his side throughout the day. Joe was also nervous how his fans might treat you if they found out he was seeing someone. The two of you had kept it under wraps the last few months when you’d seen how some of the fandom had treated Grace. It was awful that someone so sweet had to deal with that kind of toxicity. 

You knew Ollo would take care of Joe, making sure he hydrated, got something to eat, and at least got a couple of smoke breaks to keep his nerves steady. But that didn’t stop you from worrying all day. You’d been checking your phone, seeing all the photos people were posting. It hadn’t gone without notice that as the day wore on, Joe’s smile wasn’t quite as wide, those eyes weren’t quite as soft as usual. 

You set your phone down, sitting up as he let out a large sigh, dropping onto the edge of the bed in front of you. You gripped the leather jacket in your hands, sliding it down his arms and tossing it onto the chair in the corner. Using your fingers, you kneaded the tense muscles of his shoulders, relishing the pleased groan he released. Your fingers continued, moving along his back and you rested your chin gently on his shoulder, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. Joe’s hand came to cradle your cheek, his thumb running over your jaw. 

“Long day, baby?” you asked.

“The longest,” he answered. “We managed to get everyone done but as the day wore on, they were making me rush. I felt so bad because I couldn’t chat with people or do the poses they wanted. They were telling people no hugs. I feel like they left disappointed.”

“Oh Joe, no,” you assured him, your thumb pressing into a tight knot you felt in his low back. “Your fans understand. I saw so many of the posts today and they were so grateful they had the chance to see you, that you managed to make it even if it was for one day. They understood. None of this was your fault. It sucks that you had to rush people but if you didn’t, everyone might not have gotten their chance to see you.”

“I know, darling. I just hate feeling like I didn’t give them a great experience. And it was such a long day…”

“Did you get a lunch break?”

“Yes, I did,” Joe chuckled, tilting his head, resting it against yours. “I ate, love, no worries. Ollo kept checking in on how much water I was drinking. I got three smoke breaks. It was just a lot. The panel actually felt like a break. I got to sit on a couch and have a good chat. They asked about the Kas theory again.”

You laughed, “Of course they did. Your fans want you back for season five badly. I’m sorry it was such a long day. I know this isn’t how you wanted it, but I am glad Ollo took care of you. Him and I would be having words if not.”

“I have no doubt, my sweet girl. Everyone took very good care of me today.”

“Mmm…well, maybe, but I haven’t had my turn.”

“You’re taking care of me right now,” Joe insisted. “Thank you for the back rub. Standing on that concrete was killer by the end of the day.”

“Oh, I think I can do more than that. My poor boy needs to relax,” you crooned, winding your arms around him, pulling him until he was lying back on the bed. You straddled him, your knees cradling his thighs. “Let me help you relax.”

Joe’s eyebrows raised, a smirk appearing on those sweet, full lips, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, bringing your lips to his. 

His arms locked around you, crushing your body against his. Your tongue slid along his bottom lip and he caught it with his lips, gently sucking before slipping his tongue along yours, eliciting a gentle moan. You rocked your hips, rubbing your core along his length, your tongue exploring his mouth, loving the sounds of pleasure that rumbled up from his chest. 

“Let’s lose this shirt,” you whispered, sitting up and pulling the plain black tee over his head, tossing it across the room. 

“And what about your shirt?”

“This isn’t about me right now,” you grinned, your lips tracing the line of his jaw, down the side of his neck. Jesus, he smelled like heaven. “I'm taking care of you, remember?” Your lips continued their path, over his collarbone, nipping gently, his hips thrusting up into yours, creating delicious friction against your already pulsing center. 

“Seeing your tits would take care of me. Nothing makes me happier than your jubblies smothering my face.”

“Uh-uh…not yet, my beautiful boy. You just lay back and relax. Let me do all the work tonight.”

You placed open mouthed kisses over his chest, teeth grazing over his nipples. His hand cradled the back of your neck, a low growl falling from his lips. As your tongue flicked over one nipple and then the other, your fingers worked his belt and then the button on his jeans. You continued to slide down his body, placing your feet on the floor. Your tongue followed a path over his abdomen, following the trail of coarse hairs that led right where you intended to go as you gripped his jeans and boxers at the same time, dragging them down his legs and over his feet until he was completely bare to you, his cock standing at attention, pre-cum glistening along the tip. 

Kneeling down in between his legs, you gently raked your nails over his thighs and his hips rolled towards you in response, his body letting you know exactly what he needed. Your tongue darted out, capturing the salty release that had already collected. 

“Fuck, darling…” he hissed. “Don’t tease. Please.”

“No worries, baby. I am going to help ease all your stress.”

You wrapped your lips around him, working his length, taking as much of him as your throat would allow. He grunted deeply, one hand tangling in your hair as he thrust up into your mouth, the tip of his cock scratching the back of your throat. Wrapping your hand around the base, you moved along him, using your mouth and hand, pleasure shooting to your core as you listened to this beautiful man coming undone because of what you were doing to him. 

Sometimes you pinched yourself because you could not believe he was all yours. But here he was, completely at your mercy, groaning, gasping, writhing, and you were the cause of it. You were the one who could help him, who could ease his stress, who could make him feel good. It was a goddamn high. 

“Bloody hell…so sodding good…don’t stop, love…just like that…” he panted. 

Your other came up to cradle his balls, rolling them along your palm like a pair of dice. Joe growled low, the hand in your hair tightening, pulling, his other hand slamming down against the mattress. Your tongue ran along each side of his cock before taking him fully in your mouth again as you tugged down gently on his balls, squeezing them gently, applying just the right amount of pressure. 

“Fuck!” Joe shrieked, bucking up into your mouth as he held your face tightly against him, his release flooding your mouth. His entire body shook beneath you as he went rigid, helpless grunts and moans rolling out of him. 

As he relaxed, you carefully released him from your mouth, swallowing and wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. Standing, you smiled down at him, holding his eyes with yours as you slowly removed your shirt, followed by your shorts and panties until you were naked in front of him. Joe’s eyes traveled the length of you, devouring you with his gaze, sending a shock of desire straight to your center, pulsing with need. 

You crawled over the top of his body and his hands immediately fell upon you, roaming over your sides, your hips, the curves of your breasts. He grabbed your hips, sliding you up his body until your breasts were directly over his face and then he buried himself between them, deeply moaning, his hands pressing them together against his face. 

“Fuck, I love these tits,” he sighed, his mouth exploring every inch, tongue and teeth teasing your nipples into hard little buds. 

“Joe,” you breathed, sliding your wetness over his cock until it was hard, ready to go once again. The feel of his erection pressing against your clit had you whimpering, eager for him to fill you. 

His hand slid between your bodies, his thumb moving over your clit and you gasped, back arching as you pressed your hands against his chest, sitting up. Joe started with slow circles, moving faster and faster until you were gasping for breath. 

“So wet already, darling and I barely did anything for you.”

“Taking care of you works me up,” you breathed, struggling to speak against the intense pleasure coursing through your body as his circles grew smaller, focusing right on your pleasure button. “The way you sound…knowing I can do that…it’s so damn hot. Fuck, I need your cock.”

Reaching between you, you grabbed his cock, lowering yourself onto him slowly until your pelvises were flush together. The two of you moaned simultaneously as you began to slowly rotate your hips in a circle, his cock hitting all the right places that had your stomach tensing, already so close as his thumb continued working magic on you.

“Shit, darling…that’s so good,” Joe praised. “I love watching you ride me.” His free hand caressed your face, thumb running over your lower lip and you caught it between your lips, sucking it into your mouth. “Fuck, you’re so beautiful.”

You sighed, releasing his thumb as you rocked back and forth, hands gripping his shoulders for purchase as you picked up the pace. Joe’s chest rose and fell heavily as he quickly raced toward another climax, his cock twitching within you as you rolled over him. His thumb began moving back and forth, faster over your clit, and you knew he was determined to get you to cum before he did. 

“Come on, my beautiful girl,” he urged, one hand now gripping your hip as he moved with you. “Cum for me, darling. Let me see how fucking beautiful you are when you let go.”

“Joe…I…fuck!” you cried, nails digging into the flesh of his shoulders as you shuddered on him, your climax crashing over you. 

“That’s it…yes, love,” he grunted, gripping both of your hips, thrusting up into you hard, taking over as you lost all control, moaning his name over and over. Joe’s fingertips dug into your flesh as he held you against him, filling you with his release. “Jesus Christ, darling…” He sighed, falling back on the bed. 

You fell forward onto his chest, nuzzling his neck, “Do you feel more relaxed, beautiful boy?”

“So relaxed,” he murmured sleepily. “Fuck, you took everything out of me, love.” His arms wrapped around you and his lips pressed against your forehead. “I am going to sleep like a goddamn baby.”

“Good,” you replied, kissing his shoulder. “I’ll clean us up and tuck you all in.”

You went into the bathroom, getting a warm washcloth that you used to clean the two of you. Joe laid still, eyes closed, breathing deep as you gently wiped him. You tossed the washcloth back in the bathroom and then had to work to get him turned in the bed the right way as he was not much help. Your poor boy was so damn tired. 

Laying down next to him, you pulled the blanket over both of you and he whimpered softly in his sleepy state, hands reaching out for you. Joe was a cuddler, always the big spoon. Smiling, you slid toward him with your back to him, those strong arms encasing you, pressing you against his chest, wrapping himself around your body. You sighed happily, burrowing into his arms, inhaling the soothing scent of your favorite person on this planet. 

“I love you,” you whispered. “Good night.”

“Mmm…love you…” he mumbled. “Night love.”

#joseph quinn #joe quinn #joseph quinn stranger things #joseph quinn smut #joseph quinn fanfiction #joseph quinn x reader #joe quinn fanfic #joe quinn smut #joe quinn x reader #joe quinn x you #joe quinn x fem!reader smut #joseph quinn x fem!reader smut #joseph quinn x you

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

Note: request by @bubblyabs! thank you so much!! I hope you'll like it!

Warnings: SKMD SPOILERS. fluff/smut 18+, a lot of fourth wall breaking and my infamous attempt at humor.

pairing: SKMD!Sihtric x Modern!You (f)

summary: The fictional man of your dreams was suddely not so fictional anymore.

wordcount: 5,2k

'You looked really hot there.'

There you were again, wrapped in a blanket on your couch, ready to once again finish another binge rewatch of The Last Kingdom. You just couldn't stop yourself. Ever since you became obsessed with the show, you could watch nothing else. No other series appealed to you anymore, and you kept going back to the very first episode, pathetically anticipating the second season, because that's where your favourite character comes in; Sihtric Kjartansson. The man needs no introduction, if we're honest. 

You don't know what exactly it is about him, but you were smitten. Each time he appeared on screen, you needed a glass of water and a cold shower afterwards.

You thought the actor who played him was cute too, you just couldn't really recall his name, you only remembered he had some complicated last name, Federsomething. However, cute or not, nothing was better than the rugged look of that pretty Danish rat boy in that medieval Netflix show. And so, only several weeks since your last rewatch, you were watching the movie again, which was the very last taste of the entire show you would ever get. Until they'll make some lousy remake in 10 years or something, which you would obviouslly not watch because you couldn't stand the thought of all those actors being replaced. Not on your watch.

Anyway, you had cried your absolute eyes out during the movie when you saw it the first time. But more importantly: whoever was responsible for Sihtric's haircut in the movie, was an actual blessing from the lord. Every time you saw his very first scene in that movie, where he walks up to Uhtred, with that long, loose hair, you simply just slide down your couch, being a whole hot mess. The things you would do to get that man in your bed, and the things you would do to him… oh, if only he wasn't fictional. You'd let him rail you, but alas.

And that made you groan each time. The most beautiful and perfect man you had ever seen was freaking fictional! It seems ridiculous, but Sihtric just ticked all your boxes.

He was funny, brave, loyal, adorable, hot, sexy, maybe not the smartest but you had no problem taking care of that man, he was good with weapons, he was protective and a real family man. What else could a you possibly want? You cursed Bernard Cornwell for coming up with the character and whoever casted that actor, as they are clearly responsible for you being forever single. Because you would never settle for anyone who was not Sihtric Kjartansson; fictional character and the goddamn love of your life.

And just like two weeks ago, you finished the movie and switched off your tv, while being a sobbing, snotty mess once again. Your three week holiday had just started, and your initial plan was to stay up late each night, but you had a headache from crying, so you decided to go to bed when it wasn't even close to midnight.

The next morning you woke up early because of some loud banging. You figured the toddlers of your upstairs neighbours were at it again, banging their fists on the wall, running through their apartment. You could hear their little gremlin claws stomp and scratch everywhere they went. But you had to admit, they were louder than usual today, and it actually sounded like they were kicking and stomping at your front door.

You groaned and got dressed for another day of simply doing nothing. You started your coffee machine and opened the door to your little hallway, which led through the front door. You hadn't checked for any mail downstairs in a few days, and it was time to leave your cave for that little adventure to the main hall of your apartment building.

But you would not get there, at least, not any time soon. No. You were about to get the biggest jump scare of your life, to which you would scream so loud, it would without a doubt wake up the entire city. And after that, everything would turn black in front of your eyes.

During your unconscious state you had the weirdest dream. You had opened the door to your hallway and found the cause of that weird banging noise. The noise came from your own apartment. The noise was created by a man, kicking at, and rattling your door, in a pathetic attempt to open it. And it wasn't just any man. 

You recognised him from the back within a split second. It was the fictional man of your dreams, dressed in the red-brownish leather armour he wore when you last saw him on your tv, his hair braided and his face bloody and bewildered. You screamed so loud when you saw him, that someone probably called the cops, because it was a horrible, distressing sound. And it also scared the hell out of Sihtric, who turned to face you while reaching for the hilt of his sword as he stepped closer. But after a second, his expression changed from anger to astonishment, and he stared at you, all confused and wide-eyed. You stared into his mismatched eyes as he was merely two paces away from you. 

'Lady?' he said, with the voice and accent that simply set your body on fire whenever you heard it. 

And you randomly thought how Sihtric looked taller on tv than he did in real life, in your hallway, and then everything just turned black.

And it turned out that it wasn't a dream. But it all had actually happened before you passed out, in your hallway. Sihtric had been quick to catch your fall and caught you in his arms. While still completely confused, and in shock, he had carried you into your living room and carefully laid you down on your couch. And as it would take a good five minutes before you regained consciousness again, Sihtric took a quick look around your apartment, growing more confused and concerned with every passing second.

And you suddenly opened your eyes again as he had his back turned to you.

You blinked rapidly, your eyes trying to focus on the backside of the man in armour, which you recognised all too well. It hadn't been a dream, it all actually happened. And it was still happening apparently. How the fuck was this possible? Did someone prank you? Did someone pay a ridiculous amount of money to hire the actual actor, just to scare the shit out of you and to mess with you? Breaking your heart in the process as you could never be with the man of your dreams? What a sick joke.

While that medieval looking hunk stared at your family pictures, you quietly took your phone from your pocket and opened instagram. Your eyes grew wide when you saw that the actual actor, who you knew played Sihtric in the show, had posted a story just a minute ago, announcing that he was currently in some country, far away from yours, at a comic con.

'No way,' you whispered, 'but then who the fuck-', you looked back at Sihtric again, who had made his way over to your Last Kingdom book collection. 

He stared at it, but as you couldn't see his face, you had no idea what he was doing because you remembered he shouldn't be able to read. You followed his movements with huge eyes, completely in shock, and without realising it, your phone slipped out of your hands and dropped on the floor with a loud thump. You spooked Sihtric, who slightly jumped, and was quick to turn around, again ready to draw his sword.

'Where am I?' he asked, trying to sound calm.

'W-what… uh, England?'

'England?' 

'E-England,' you said again.

'What is the year, lady?'

'2024.'

'What?'

'No, sorry! Sorry, I- I mean 2023!'

Sihtric stared at you, and you thought if he wouldn't blink soon, his eyes would dry out.

'H-how did you get here?' you asked.

'How did you get here?' he asked cautiously.

'I… live here?' you frowned.

'Why?'

You blinked. 'Because… I… pay to live here?'

'Oh,' Sihtric said, then nodded, 'that seems fair. What is that?' he asked, pointing to your tv.

'It's a t- uhh,' you figured that if for some reason this really was Sihtric, the medieval dude from your favourite tv show, he would not know what a tv is, so for the sake of playing it safe, you lied, 'it's a… art.'

'Art?'

'Yes, like a drawing,' you panicked.

Sihtric looked at the tv, then back at you, and said, 'but it's all black?'

'Well, it's… modern… art? It's really expensive,' you said, hoping he would not try to break your tv for whatever reason.

'Expensive?'

'Yes,' you said, 'it's, uh, over a six hundred poun- pieces of silver.'

Sihtric looked back at your tv again, scratched his forehead, and then locked eyes with you again, 'Lady,' he snickered, 'I think someone has fooled you. That drawing is not worth that amount of silver.'

You smiled, simply agreeing, while anticipating his next move.

'Is that,' he squinted his eyes and walked over to your kitchen, 'Uhtred?' he frowned, looking at your coffee cup which had a picture of Uhtred's face on it, 'why?' Sihtric asked as he looked back at you.

'I, uhh…' were you going to tell him they didn't have a cup with his face on it, and that you had sent an angry email to the company? Maybe not. You cleared your throat, but before you could speak, Sihtric's eyes found the large framed poster of him, Finan and Uhtred on your wall. And his eyes grew wide. 

'Where did you get that? Why am I… why are… wh-,' Sihtric stopped talking, then eventually said, 'who made this painting?'

'... Google?' 

'Who is Google?'

'It's, well, so,' you stammered.

'You paid six hundred pieces of silver for this too?'

'Wha- no, more like…seven.'

'Seven hundred?' Sihtric gasped, 'lady,' he smiled, clearly flattered.

'No! I mean like seven pou- bloody pieces of silver!'

'Seven?' he frowned, suddenly offended, 'only seven? Yet you paid six hundred for that?' he pointed at your tv.

'Sihtric, look,' you sighed.

'How do you know my name?' he asked, frightened.

Okay. This had to stop, right now. What the fuck is going on? 

You told Sihtric to shut up, a little harsher than you really meant, but so be it. You took his hands and sat him down on your couch. For some reason he kept holding your hands, which you obviously didn't mind, and you tried to explain how you knew who he was while desperately not trying to get distracted by his appearance. Those tattooed fingers, the tattoo on his neck, and all those scars. He was even more handsome in real life. If this was real life, of course.

'You… you have seen my life?' Sihtric frowned, 'on… the black painting?'

'Yes, it's called a tv. Here, I can show you,' you took the remote, and Sihtric gasped when he suddenly heard noise and saw moving images on the previously black screen.

'Sorcery,' he whispered with big eyes, squeezing your hand.

'No, not sorcery,' you said, remembering how awfully superstitious he was in season 3. And how cute he looked in season 3. Well, he was cute in every season.

'The… the people,' Sihtric suddenly said, 'are they s-stuck?'

'Stuck?'

'Are they stuck in the painting?' he asked, concerned.

'What? No… no, it's… oh god,' you sighed, 'the people are fine,' you smiled.

You quickly switched on Seven Kings Must Die, and you thought Sihtric was going to pass out. He jumped up when he saw Finan and Ingrith, near the beginning of the movie, in Uhtred's hall, your favourite scene, and he ran to the tv.

'Finan!' Sihtric yelled, 'is he stuck?' he looked back at you, worried, 'can he… can he hear me?'

Sihtric turned to the tv again and pressed his fingers against the screen.

'No! Don't touch the screen!' you yelled, worried he'd damage it with his rough fingers, and Sihtric was quick to pull his hand back with a flinch. And you felt horrible for making him flinch, but before you could apologise, Sihtric had composed himself again.

'But… F-Finan?' he asked, 'is he okay? Where is he?'

'Finan is fine! He's not stuck! This all already happened… right?' you grimaced, hoping you were right somehow.

Sihtric looked at you, confused, then back to the screen, and he stumbled backwards when he saw his own face appear on the magic painting. He watched the scene unfold, and he didn't know what to say, he just stared at the screen as he reached for your hand again.

'You looked really hot there,' you blurted out, and you felt yourself blush.

'Hot?' Sihtric frowned, 'I wasn't hot, lady. It was a cold night! Can't you see the furs?' he scoffed.

'No, I mean, you- … no, you're right. It must've been… really cold that day.'

'It was,' Sihtric said sternly, and looked back at the screen again, 'I remember this,' he gasped, 'Finan said he only fell asleep once,' he said, just seconds before Finan said the line on tv.

'See!' Sihtric gasped and looked at you again, 'he actually has fallen asleep many times, lady,' he grinned.

Holy fuck. You didn't even think about that. Sihtric obviously knew everything that had happened, the whole story, not just the bits and pieces you saw from their lives on tv.

'H-has he?' you asked, cautiously.

'Yes, lady,' Sihtric said, 'it often happened because he had too much ale the night before. And because he's old,' he winked with a grin.

'Oh,' you snickered, 'I see. And… you never fell asleep?'

'Me? no, never,' he said with confidence.

'Are you sure?'

'Yes, lady.'

You hummed and skipped to the scene where both Finan and Sihtric had fallen asleep, while Uhtred was awake.

'So…' you smiled, pointing at the tv.

Sihtric gasped, 'No, that… see! See, I'm awake. I was merely resting my eyes, I was… in deep thought,' he lied.

'Okay,' you laughed, 'if you say so.'

You watched Sihtric's face, which went from mildly ashamed to a light chuckle, and soon he laughed softly along with you. He still had no idea how it was possible that he could see his own face on your expensive painting, but Sihtric was a simple guy; he saw a pretty lady and he was smitten, not caring about much else anymore, except for winning your heart. He clearly didn't know you were basically ready to marry him on the spot. And for some reason you both just seemed to accept the situation, no questions asked. You watched the rest of the movie together, and it was surreal. Sihtric remembered everything, told you little anecdotes and simply seemed to enjoy seeing his friends on your screen.

'So… did Uhtred die?' you asked when the end credits were shown on screen.

'Uhtred died?!' Sihtric gasped.

'What? No, I mean, I'm asking you!'

'Uhtred was alive when I last saw him!' Sihtric said, and so you found out Sihtric had ended up in your world only hours after that heartbreaking last scene in the movie.

'Okay, then I'm sure he's, uh, fine,' you tried to convince yourself as much as you tried to convince Sihtric. 'Also,' you cleared your throat, 'what happened to your wife and kids?'

'Oh,' he said, 'we had a rough divorce. She broke my heart and took the kids,' he shrugged.

'Oh,' you blinked, surprised, 'I'm… sorry?'

'Are you married?' Sihtric blurted out.

'Uh, me?' you chuckled, twirling your hair, looking the handsome Dane up and down, 'n-no, I'm not. Why?' you kicked your feet.

Sihtric stared at you, he just couldn't believe his luck after being strangely teleported into a different year and world, ending up with a beautiful lady who wasn't married. But then he thought that was odd, because why weren't you married yet? A pretty lady who was clearly rich, at least that's what he thought, who lived in a nice home, was of marriage age, who was also very kind and funny, and with a body which he would undoubtedly be thinking of later that night. Why has no one married you yet, he wondered.

'Are you cursed?' he said without thinking.

'What?'

'Cursed,' he said again, 'you're not married. Why?'

'Uh, well,' you cleared your throat, 'I'm… picky.'

Sure, picky. You were simply in love with the medieval, fictional man on your couch, and you would never settle for anything less. 

'Picky?' Sihtric frowned.

'Yes,' you replied, 'only a certain kind of man could win my heart,' you grinned, mindlessly twirling your hair around your fingers again.

'Oh?' Sihtric raised an eyebrow and smirked, clearly intrigued.

And he thought of it as a game now, a game he desperately wanted to play, because he wanted to know if he could win. And gods, how he wanted to win you and take you back home with him. Or stay here with you, he really didn't care, not after you just batted your eyelashes at him. No, he would do everything for you now.

'So,' he cleared his throat, shifting a little closer next to you on the couch, 'what kind of man would that be?'

'Hm,' you hummed, thinking as if you weren't looking at that specific man, 'a man who is… kind,' you said, 'loyal and brave,' you smiled at him.

Sihtric hummed and licked his lips as he gave you a playful look. He knew he was kind, loyal and brave, so he figured his chances with you were pretty good right now.

'And… someone who is not afraid to take charge,' you teased, seeing if he's willing to take the bait.

Sihtric grinned and slightly adjusted his position.

'He also has to be protective,' you said, 'and strong,' your eyes trailed down to his clothed biceps, knowing very well what's underneath all of that fabric he was wearing.

'Well,' Sihtric smiled, a little cocky, 'I might just be the man for you then.'

'You think so? I'm not sure…,' you played it cool, but inside you were going stark raving mad, this surely had to be a dream.

'I think I am,' he gave you a smirk and winked.

You were absolutely ready to pull that man in your bed, but it was only noon, you had just met him a few hours ago, and everything was just really freaking weird. So you held back. You told him you'd think about it, to which he frowned, playfully offended. You bickered a little and eventually ended up discussing what on earth you two were going to do now. He had nowhere to go, and you didn't want to kick him out, but he was still a stranger. Even though he had lived in your head rent free for years already. You told him first things first; he had to get into different clothes. Which he agreed to. You did some digging and found some sweatpants you had bought online years ago, which turned out way too big for you, and you had forgotten to return it, which came in handy now. Unfortunately, the sweatpants were pastel pink, and Sihtric clenched his jaw, exhaling sharply as he grabbed them out of your hands. You snorted, and to make it worse, the only thing you owned which he would possibly fit in, was a matching sleeveless crop top.

'No,' Sihtric said sternly, looking at the top you held in your hands.

'Guess you're not brave enough for me then,' you taunted.

Sihtric huffed and snatched the shirt out of your hands. You pointed him towards your bathroom, where he stayed for quite a while, simply admiring every foreign object before he even thought of changing clothes. And when he finally walked out, you thought you were going to pass out again.

He had untangled his previously braided hair, wearing it down now, which you loved so much, all while wearing that sleeveless crop top, which barely covered half of his insanely toned upper body. And the matching sweatpants hung on his hips, low enough to reveal he wasn't wearing any underwear, which made sense, as you had no underwear that would possibly fit him. 

He raked his fingers through his hair, exposing even more of his trained torso when he did, and every single filthy thought you ever had about that man crossed your mind at once. You desperately tried to shake your thoughts and took him back into your living room, where you sat down and simply talked. He wanted to know all about you, and even though he didn't understand a lot of the things you mentioned, he knew he was going to marry you. Somehow.

Later you made him dinner and as promised, Sihtric slept on the couch. And you had to fight the desperate urge to find him in the night and lure him into your bed, which Sihtric would have gladly allowed to happen.

A few days passed and Sihtric seemed to adapt decently. He was not as dumb as Uhtred and Finan always made him seem, but he was definitely as clumsy as expected. Knocking over drinks, breaking small objects which he wanted to look at but his hands were too rough, things like that. But you couldn't give a shit, you were madly in love with him, and you couldn't wait for him to break you-... your bed.

Sihtric was very flirty too, and loved brushing his fingers over your face, arms, or well, anywhere he could really, whenever he could. But he was also a true gentleman, and slept on your couch each night, for nearly a week. 

One evening he asked if he could see one of those Last Kingdom episodes you had talked about, and you agreed.

It was still unreal to watch an episode with the one and only Sihtric Kjartansson next to you, and it still felt like a dream. You switched on a random episode, and it happened to be the one where his father, Kjartan, ends up getting killed. At first Sihtric had been watching in awe, amazed that he could relive parts of his life like that.

But when he realised where it was going, his face became more and more deprived of emotions. You noticed it quite late and wanted to switch the tv off once you saw it, just before Kjartan got killed, but Sihtric stopped you by taking your hand in his. And he held your hand tightly as he watched the scene unfold. He showed no emotion, which told you he was more or less at peace with it, but it still was a rough moment to sit through.

When the episode was over, Sihtric looked at you, and you could finally do what you had always wanted to do after seeing Sihtric in that terrible scene; you pulled him in your arms and held him tight.

'Are you okay?' you asked after a moment.

'Yeah,' he said quietly, enjoying the feeling of having his arms around you.

He softly hummed as you brushed your fingers through his long, wavy hair, which was simply another dream come true, and he held you tightly for a long time.

'Can I stay with you?' Sihtric suddenly asked a few evenings later as you had just watched another episode.

'What?' you asked.

'Can I stay here? With you? I mean… I- I like you. I like being here,' he said, 'and, unless we find out how I got here, I have nowhere to go.'

'Y-you want to stay here? With me?' you frowned. 

Sihtric wasn't wrong, he truly had no place to go and you also still had no idea how on earth he had gotten here, which you both quickly stopped questioning as it drove you mad. And naturally you wanted him to stay, but it would be a hard thing to explain to your friends and family, who knew all about your (unhealthy) love for Sihtric, who was, until last week, non-existent in the real world.

'I'd like to stay,' Sihtric smiled sweetly at you, 'with you, lady.'

And you just couldn't resist him anymore. With his long, wavy hair, those mismatched eyes, that smile, and the pink crop top he kept wearing once he realised you liked it on him. He did swap the pastel sweatpants for a black one, after you had bought it for him a few days ago. He was simply the most mesmerising man you had ever seen, and before you knew it, your lips crashed together into a heated kiss. And you tore each other's clothes off as fast as you could. You've been waiting years for this dream to become a reality, and you absolutely would live your fantasy to the fullest right now.

Sihtric seemed just as desperate as you, but before he pulled your panties down, you ran to your bedroom. He was still a medieval man, who knows what he caught in those days and you wanted to limit the risk of catching something as much as you could, and also you did not want a baby, yet, so you grabbed a condom. Sihtric frowned at the package, and you quickly understood he had never seen such a thing. You chuckled a little awkwardly and opened the package.

'It's protection,' you explained, but you didn't want to spook him by talking about STDs, knowing he would probably think it's a curse, so you simply said, 'it's so you don't put a child- I mean, pup in my belly,' you frowned a little as you said the ancient words.

'You do not want my pups?' Sihtric asked, and he almost sounded hurt.

'N… I… well,' you cleared your throat, 'not yet,' you admitted.

Sihtric started to ramble and question you, and you politely asked him to stop talking. You asked if he was okay with everything, to which he then nodded with a smirk, and he allowed you to put the condom on him. And the low hums he let out when you did so, were enough to turn your insides into jelly, and the pressure between your thighs was immense and unbearable. And as you wanted to take your hands off him, he quickly held onto your arm, keeping your hand in place.

'Please,' Sihtric said with big, darkened eyes and a sly smile.

And you understood he seemed to like the feeling of your hand working his length. You had to admit, all those fanfic writers did not lie about his size; you had nothing to complain about here. God, the way you enjoyed having this man on your couch, completely naked, except for the Mjölnir pendant around his neck, with his head thrown back as he smiled while soft moans escaped his slightly parted lips, enjoying the way you made him feel. And it didn't take long before Sihtric came, and the sound of his low groan was pure bliss to your ears, and even more arousing than you already had expected it to be. 

After a short moment, Sihtric was quick to push you up and make you sit back against the couch. He kneeled down in front of you, on the floor, and he carefully spread your legs with a smirk. He threw one leg over his broad shoulder, and before you could grasp that your wildest fantasy was coming true, his face was already buried between your thighs. He nipped your sensitive skin with his lips before he softly kissed your wet folds, followed by running his tongue over your core, making you exhale sharply as your hands found his hair. Your body trembled in no time as he sucked, kissed and licked your clit, as if you were the most delicious thing he had ever tasted in his life. And just like Sihtric, it didn't take long before you came with a desperate moan, pulling his hair to which he groaned.

You both ended up laughing softly as Sihtric sat back next to you, giving you some time to recover, while you both realised how insane this was. But in less than a minute he already took your face in his hands and pulled you closer, wanting to kiss you like there was no tomorrow. And as soon as you felt like you could take him again, you climbed on his lap, to which Sihtric smirked. He watched you with half open eyes as he bit down on his lip. His hands settled on your hips while yours found support by holding onto his muscular shoulders. His body was even more impressive than you imagined, and you cursed Netflix for never giving the audience a shirtless Sihtric scene. 

And then you finally sank down on his cock, you both gasped at the feeling, hands desperately squeezing and scratching each other to display pleasure. And Sihtric was vocal, moaning and cursing with a smile as he enjoyed the way you were riding him, his eyes fixated on you, darting between your eyes, your lips, your breasts and down to your core, loving the view of how you took his length.

'Gods,' he moaned, out of breath, and then he hummed with a light chuckle.

'Fuck,' you muttered under your breath, digging your nails in his shoulders as you tried your hardest to not finish right there and then.

'Hm, I want to fill you up,' Sihtric whispered with ragged breath, and your attempt to not finish before him was to no avail, as his words were enough to make you cry out his name while your walls clenched around his throbbing cock.

'Fuck, sorry,' you said, panting, riding out your own high while feeling a little embarrassed you finished so fast. 

But to your surprise, and pleasure, you felt Sihtric's grip on your hips tighten up and he let out another hard, deep groan as he threw his head back, finishing only moments after you, just as he had hoped he would. You both tried to catch your breath as you embraced each other for a little while. Then you took a shower together and dressed in some comfy clothes. You grabbed a few drinks and some snacks, and made your way into your bedroom, telling Sihtric to come with you. And on your bed, you'd talk and joke around for hours, if you weren't too busy kissing each other or cuddling that is.

'If you had the chance,' you asked, hours later, as Sihtric held you in his arms, 'would you go back home?'

'Only if you'd go back with me,' he said, without any hesitation or doubt, and he squeezed you a little tighter against his chest, 'but if you wish to stay here, then I will stay here, even if I could go back.'

'Why?' you asked, surprised but happy to hear his answer, and you felt a little emotional all of the sudden.

'Because,' Sihtric smiled, moving up a little to look into your eyes, 'because I like you,' he lovingly brushed his fingers over your cheek, 'I have lived my life there, back home,' he said, 'there's not much there for me anymore. I would rather stay here and have you, have someone to take care of and to provide for, then going back without you and just… feel alone again at night.'

'I love you,' you suddenly blurted out.

Sihtric's jaw dropped slightly as he looked at you with big eyes, and then he smiled softly, 'I love you too,' he said, 'and I just want to be wherever you are.'

'Sihtric,' you whispered, cupping his cheeks as you stared into the warrior's vulnerable eyes, 'I will simply follow you anywhere you decide to go.'

taglist: @clairacassidy @finanmoghra @uunotheangel @hb8301 @bathedinheat @neonhairspray @anaeve @bubblyabs @travelingmypassion @sylas-the-grim @bubbles-for-all-of-us @andakth @bel-bottoms @willowbrookesblog @lady-targaryens-world @skyofficialxx @diosademuerte @elle4404 @alexagirlie @sweetxime @solango @gemini-mama @cheyennep3107 @little-diable @jennifer0305

#sihtric kjartansson #sihtric x you #sihtric x reader #sihtric fic #the last kingdom fic #the last kingdom #sihtric #tlk #sihtric kjartanson #seven kings must die #sihtric x fem!reader #sihtric x femreader #sihtric kjartansson x reader #sihtric kjartansson x you #sihtric kjartansson fic #SKMD!Sihtric #the last kingdom fandom #the last kingdom fanfic #sihtric fanfic #tlk fanfic #fanfic

[veetowervaporwave]

Man I am so vanilla when it comes to ships in Hazbin...

Staticmoth: The epitome of toxic old men yaoi. They're just the worst. They push each other's buttons. They both have obsessions on the side but both want to be each other's center of attention. Other people's suffering gets them horny. They got married three times and divorced five times. They know exactly how horrible the other one is but it only makes them more attracted to each other. They're so toxic it's a health hazard for everyone around them. I wish nothing more than for them to die horribly while holding hands.

Chaggie: I've been shipping them since the pilot and I'll be real they were everything I wanted and even more. I always knew that their relationship would be mostly background stuff since they're an established couple, and I was excited to have something where the main character is in a stable and affectionate relationship. I didn't expect them to get a whole little storyarc with the whole angel drama... I'm just. So happy. Seeing them, knowing how much they supported each other over the years when they had no one else on their side, openly working out their issues... They're just everything that's good in the world.

Huskerdust: I feel about it a bit more differently compared to the previous two. I'm happy to see them just do whatever, but Huskerdust stands out because its development is kind of... part of the plot of the show, rather than just being an extra layer to their characters. I'm not even interested in fanfiction for them because I'm too excited to see how it progresses in the actual show.

Radiorose: QPR goals. Alastor having someone he's so comfortable with honestly elevated his character for me. I don't have a lot to say but I enjoy seeing them together immensely.

Appledust: guilty pleasure comfort ship, refer to this post for more context.

Ships I like less under the cut, I try not to be too mean but still, be careful.

Radiostatic (Or, I guess, Onewaybroadcast, rather): I like it a lot but only when it caters to my superspecific tastes. First of all it needs to be one-sided. The second Alastor reciprocates I'm like *Lucifer voice* "Who is this? Who is this man?" Second of all the "hate" part of the "hateboner" is essential (unless we're talking before their falling out). Vox both wants Alastor and wants him dead. It's been swirling inside him for years and had poisoned whatever relationship they had beforehand. There's no turning back from this.

RoyalHalo: I don't know how to explain it, but when I personally ship something "platonically", it's different from just regular shipping and different from having a brotp. Nothing much to say on the ship itself, they're cute.

Cherrisnake: I wish I could like it more but "Meh" is right. I think it has potential, unfortunately 8 episodes a season didn't allow it to develop. I wish we could have had Cherri before ep6 to establish her relationships with Angel and Pentious and I wish they had at least one genuine conversation before the end of the season.

Alastor x Charlie & Alastor x Angel: actually it's not about the ships themselves, just some bad experiences in the early fandom. Ik not all the shippers are like that, especially now when those ships are less popular and a lot of people are vocal about not liking them, but unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to enjoy them.

Lute x Vaggie: Nothing to say I just don't like it.

Val x Angel: I put a black line because my knee jerk reflex was to think of people like. Ignoring the abuse, but thinking about it, I do enjoy the exploration of their relationship if it's in-character. It's just not something I personally would consider "shipping". (But then what makes it different from onewaybroadcast? Guess I'm just a hypocrite or something)

"Found family" is a term that's used very differently by different people in the fandom, which is a little confusing to me, so I changed this category to "maybe".

Alastor x Husk: Much like the previous one, except I trust people with it even less after all the victimblaming Husk got after ep5.

Velvette x Vox and/or Velvette x Valentino: I don't ship those personally just for the reason that Vel genuinely seems uninterested, but I support the people who do. Especially the polyvees shipping. There's also additional element to this for me personally is that if Val and Vox were an item, there's a fear that Vel would come off as a third wheel or be pushed to the side, and if they were all together this wouldn't happen. So I have no choice but to support, even if I myself can't get into it.

Guitarspear: Lute ripping off her arm to go help Adam... The last thing Adam does before death is smile at her... God. They were also very fun hypemen for each other during songs, and just the general dynamic was really funny. I would say I like this ship when I see it, but I won't go out of my way to look for it?

Carmilla x Zestial: They're friends... The fanart is nice to look at. It's fine.

Radioapple: I'm conflicted. I guess I am kinda interested in what their relationship would be like in the show, but in fanworks I mostly enjoy the "they aren't actually attracted to each other but everyone thinks they are" dynamic. It's funny.

Pentious x Emily: Ok, one (1) crackship. My friend ships them and I kinda see the vision? Could be cute.

#.ramblings #idk how to best tag it... i guess I'll tag the ships I put above the cut lol #hazbin hotel #staticmoth #chaggie #huskerdust #radiorose #appledust

[arielburrow]

Maybe one where joe gets nervous about the stadium crowd

10 minutes

This one is definitely a little shorter, but I thought it was cute :)

Four years. It had been four years of game days, big crowds, and adrenaline rushes. But never in those four years had Joe ever cracked.

This game was so very momentous given it was Joe’s first time back on the field since the first playoff game last season. The game which was going so well, until it wasn’t. With three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Joe took a third down sack which left him with a torn ACL and a fractured vertebrae. Devastating, to say the least. But the truth was, even in that moment Joe didn’t crack. You remember running to the tunnel to meet him alongside his parents, as he was carted off to be examined. You were so worried, even if you put out a good front to support him.

It was definitely a rough journey, the rehab process truly put you and Joe’s relationship to the test. You had to press pause on your life and focus on supporting him through his recovery. But of course, you guys made it out of the woods, and you truly felt that the two of you were now closer than ever.

His demeanor remained calm and collected as he joined the team again for training camp a couple of months ago. Since then, the guys have been grinding, finding that chemistry again to put on a show when it was finally time to hit the field again, which was now just about an hour and a half away.

It was the season opener, an away game at none other than Arrowhead Stadium. Walking through the tailgate, you could already tell what kind of game this was going to be. While bengals fans were ecstatic for Joes return, the sense of rivalry between the two teams had no intent of sitting this one out. You begin making your way to your seat, saying goodbye to the other significant others, as you decided to sit a bit early and catch up with Joe’s family.

After about an hour of chitchat, it seemed as if the whole stadium had been flipped. What was once a mild crowd, was now and sold out roaring mess, that couldn’t care less that there was still a half hour till kick off. You had no choice but to stop talking with his parents as the stadium had just gotten too loud. It was majority chief fans, with a few bengal fans. scattered about. You watched as the clock ticked down to the 20 minute marker, which caused an uproar of cheering and chanting across the stadium. You turn to yell something to Robin, but you’re stopped by a tap on the shoulder.

“y/n!” Katie yells, motioning for you to stand up. You get up quickly, feeling a little alarmed at her demeanor. She must notice Jimmy and Robins confused faces, because she leans over to converse with them for a few moments. “Katie is everything okay?” you ask in a worried tone as she begins her descent with you by her side to the field access.

“I don’t know y/n, he’s not talking at all, after warmups he came back into the locker room and slammed one of the office doors, he hasn’t come out since.” She stresses as you too hurry to the visitors locker room. “I need you to talk to him, get his mind right, because we need him out there in exactly 18 minutes.” Katie is stern, but you can tell she’s worried, as are you. Joe has never been in this situation before.

Entering the locker room, it’s surprisingly quiet, a few players greet you, but you can tell everyone has picked up on Joe’s funk. “y/n”, Tee runs up to you, leading you to where Joe is. “You know him the best, get our guy right.” he pleads giving you a side hug before going back to his locker.

You stand infront of the door, hesitant to knock. Instead, you just open the door. You frown as soon as you see his appearance. Head in his hands with his eyes shut, he’s sitting in the corner visibly startled by something. “Joe..” he only looks up when he hears your voice. He immediately stands, pulling you into him, wrapping his arms around you tightly. You hold him for a moment and allow him to feel whatever it is that’s getting to him.

“You can even hear it in the locker room…” he says lifting his head on his shoulder to meet your eyes. “What?” you question.

“I worked so hard for this moment and I knew it would be hard…but hearing that crowd. It’s paralyzing. What if i’m not ready.” His eyes hold a sense of worry, not sadness, just confusion, almost desperation.

“Joe. You are the only person who could do this. Nobody can fight like you, even when you were down, you were fighting like hell to get back to this moment. Who cares about the noise, you know how to tune it all out, you just have to find that mindset again.” You say reaching a hand to his cheek.

“It’s just so loud. I cant even think straight, let alone read a defense.” He stresses as he begins pacing.

“Joe-” “What if that was it?” He cuts you off and the pacing comes to a stop as he now makes eye contact with you from across the room.

“What if I lost the spark when I went down? I mean i’ve made my way through practice, but game days are different. What if I can’t get that rush back?” You walk over to him and sit him down on a desk so you can come to eye level with him.

“Joe, listen to me carefully. You have ten minutes, ten minutes to find that spark.” You place your hands on his knees and coke close to his face. “Whatever the fuck it is that makes you Joe Burrow, I need it, your team needs it, you need it. 10 minutes Joe.” You say quietly but sternly.

“Baby this is it, this is the comeback you’ve been working for. That crowd? That noise? They’re waiting for it Joe. Cmon, put on a show.” you wink and smile as you push yourself off of him. His face now holds a different emotion and he watched you walk towards the door.

“See ya in 10 Burrow.”

“10 minutes left!” Robin yells next to you. “Cmon Joe! We need this!” Jimmy yells amongst the crowd. The crowd that hadn’t given out even a bit throughout all four quarters of the game. Joe was playing alright for the most part. He started rough, with a pick within the first five minutes, but the team pulled through and we’re sitting down by 3 points. A couple more plays go by and the Bengals kick a field goal to tie the game with 5 minutes remaining.

You were nervous, there was no denying, this would be a big factor for Joes outlook on this season, and if they lost he would only be harder on himself. The clock continues to tick as the ball only barely makes it to the line play by play.

With one minute left you watch as Joe fakes a throw to Jamar, only to take off down the field. This was your least favorite part of the game. It sounded selfish, but it was true. Whenever Joe would take off, you just imagined the worst possible hit taking place. You watch as 2 defenders tail him, but he keeps up as you watch the yards decrease.

15

10

5

Touchdown.

You jump out of your seat and hug his parents as you watch the sideline go nuts. The once electric stadium was now mumbles, besides the few bengal fans around you. Joe takes off his helmet and you watch as he embraces Jamar and Tee.

You knew this meant the world for him and it felt like a dream to see him back as his normal self. The sidelines pour onto the field and Joe embraces multiple players and coaches. You see Zac pull Joe in and spend a moment talking to him, then the Jumbotron picks up on it and the crowd erupts. What was once a moderate group of Bengals fans, sounded as loud as the whole stadium. They chanted Joe’s name in union, staying seated as the rest of the chief fans made their way out.

This was going to be a good season, you thought to yourself.

#joe burrow #joe burrow fic #joeburrow #joe burrow x reader #joe burrow imagine #joe burrow x y/n

[usedpidemo]

Radiance (Kep1er Chaehyun)

—————

Thank you to @capslocked for beta reading/input.

I swear I didn't purposefully delay till Christmas. Enjoy!

—————

“So, how do I look?”

No words are enough to describe how divine she looked—how her body and dress couldn't complement each other more.

To say she was perfect would be an understatement. She was beyond perfection.

Your attention is drawn away from the phone in your hand, in the middle of taking pictures of the dolled up idol like you’re her model photographer, and her beauty shines more radiantly with the naked eye compared to the camera lens. She’s examining herself in front of the mirror, sizing herself up from head to toe. A risque outfit by industry standards, her long white dress, along with the little jewelry to adorn her, is intricately designed to attract every eye on her when she comes face to face with the bright lights of the red carpet—cameras, fans, everyone.

By most accounts, this was a risk—one that was large for a rookie group and idol to take. 

“That’s the look of a winner,” you comment, clicking another photo of the gorgeous idol—your girlfriend—right in front of you. 

“Please,” Chaehyun spins around, has this sarcastic edge in her voice, like your words are nothing but flattery—which they are. She looks down at her chest, adjusting her cleavage to hide those prized assets of hers, but they can’t help but stick out in a sea of perfection. “You know well that’s not true.”

“What?” You lift an eyebrow, confused. “That you’re gorgeous? Of course you are!”

“No, no, silly.” Chaehyun approaches you, each step of her high heels clicking on the marble floor, then she playfully slaps you on the shoulder. “You know damn well we’re not going to win anything tonight, stop puffing me up.”

Admittedly, you knew deep down there was a less than zero percent chance of her group winning any competitive award, especially amongst other rookies. By all statistical accounts, their peers have surpassed them in every category—digitals, sales, views. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that they’ve had a successful debut campaign, and are deserving to be recognized up there with their contemporaries. 

“No, I believe in you guys,” you say, shaking your head. “I’m sure you will have at least one win tonight.”

“Stop joking around. This isn’t funny at all,” grumbles Chaehyun, showing slight contempt with her stern glare. It’s disheartening to hear such defeatism from her, especially with how positive and optimistic she has been throughout the year. Not once have you seen her look dispirited, until now. Nothing breaks your heart as much as seeing her radiant face fade with dejection.

In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to spend thousands to glam her up and the rest of her members. She could have saved herself all the trouble; feign sickness, stay in this hotel to cuddle with you, and everything would have turned out fine. After all they’ve been through this year, no one would blame her or the group for taking a day—hell, even a week—off. Of course, you didn’t really need to step in for their styling department, but with the way their management has handled their outfits throughout award season, you knew it was time for an intervention.

“I’m sorry, Chae,” you whisper in her ear. “I don’t know, maybe there’s still a chance—”

“Forget about it,” she mumbles, interrupting. “I look so good not to act out like this. I’ll go out there, perform my heart out, and have fun regardless of what happens.” Afterward, she gives you a soft, comforting kiss on the cheek, easing your concerns about her. 

You look her right in the eyes, still conflicted, but ultimately resign your doubts and return her little smile back. The setting may be different, but it’s just another day in the idol life for Chaehyun, one she’s already used to in her short career. “Atta girl.”

Look down at your watch to find that it’s already three in the afternoon. That’s how early the red carpet starts, and they’re expected to be among the first in a long line of star appearances. If it were up to you, you’d take her there yourself, but instead, you’re forced to sit there, alone in your hotel room, while she disappears until around midnight.

“You have to go now,” you call to her, while she’s back in front of the mirror, placing additional makeup on her face. You want to hold her in your room a few minutes more—maybe two hours more—keep that beautiful presence in front of your eyes a bit longer, withhold this secret from the rest of the world if you can, but you can’t, and you’ll have to share her with everyone else.

After putting on her tiny diamond earrings, she returns to you with a wider, casual smile; her transformation to idol form is now complete. She adjusts the bowtie on your suit, tightening it a bit too much to leave you in a temporary chokehold—as if her cuteness and beauty wasn’t already suffocating. 

“You know you’re not coming along, right?” she remarks, giggling and blushing with embarrassment. No one else is around, but she acts like you’ll be watching her over the shoulder, like you’re the voice in her head or her inner subconscious. Her other members are nestled on different floors, intentionally booked by you to avoid letting them see how extra of a person you are. They have zero idea of you two as a couple; you’re like an urban legend to them—a mysterious benefactor who’s secretly helping them from the shadows, when really, you’re only in it for Chaehyun. “Gosh, can you imagine if we stepped out together like this? My career would be over, and you wouldn’t like that, would you?”

“Of course not,” you reply, suppressing a chuckle. Truly, you would break the rules in an instant if there weren’t any dire consequences. “I’m getting you in the mood, you know?”

“Mood, huh?” She gives you a glint of want with her gaze; she knows how you’ve purposefully dressed her in such a provocative way. Planting a kiss on your nose, she adds, “Then how about this: If our group wins, I get to have my way with you tonight.”

“Of course you will win tonight!” 

The lie is completely unconvincing and doesn’t affect her in the slightest.

She leads your palm toward her chest, cupping one of her breasts, slowly melting her perfect form into something malleable, something yours. “Only if we don’t win anything tonight.”

“You will win something tonight, believe me!” you say, panicked and sweating. Your eyes slow to lengthy blinks, relishing the soft sensation of her mounds in your grasp.

“How can you say that when you don’t believe it yourself?” Chaehyun leaves your hand on her tit, giving you a fiery look that almost breaks you. If it were up to you, you’d tear that piece of fabric off and rip through her expensive dress like paper in an instant, but you’re in no position to do so—at least not yet. 

Forcefully removing your hand from her body, she twirls around, then walks away. Opening the door, she looks over her shoulder and says, “See you later tonight, babe.”

—————

It's late into the night when the gentle creak of the door snaps you from your drowsy state. You’ve comfortably melted into the couch while you aimlessly scroll through fansite pictures and thousands of tweets about your beautiful idol girlfriend, liking every post on your secret fan account. They can’t stop raving about her dress, how exposed her cleavage is, and how bold it is by their standards. Safe to say the risk paid off in the end.

A gold trophy lands on the coffee table in front of you. At first, you thought it was a hallucination, so you rub your eyes, but the cup remains there at the center, glimmering in the near-dark room. Look around to find Chaehyun standing beside you, still in her internet-breaking red carpet dress, but with her hair frazzled from performing. Had it been anyone else, you would have cried out ghost, but instead, an angel appeared right before you.

“Guess what?” she says, smirking. You both already know the answer and what it entails.

“I said I believed that you would win,” you mutter, sarcastically, somewhat annoyed.

“No you didn’t, silly.” Chaehyun leans down, beaming a wider, smug grin. “You liar. Remember the promise we made earlier?”

“I didn’t promise you anything,” you reply, almost shouting in protest, but without any intention to fight. Even if it was a joke, the way she called you a liar stings. You really didn’t, but there was no escaping her demand, no matter how much you contend, especially after a win like tonight’s. 

“Oh, don’t play with me. You know what’s about to happen next.” 

Chaehyun’s figure is now directly at center view, her cleavage right up in your face before she forcefully smothers you between her chest for a closer look. Your skittish hands latch on to her thick waist as she suffocates you with her boobs—a punishment for your lack of faith, but ultimately a satisfying reward. Now freed of the cameras, and with all the time in the world, the dress that has drawn everyone to her needs to go.

She realizes how much of a hindrance it is, too. So she pulls on the sleeved part of the outfit, exposing her shoulder and one of her breasts as it falls down her perfect, goddess shaped figure. Cradling your head while you strain yourself gathering oxygen between her bosoms, her jaw slacks, and she releases a deep, lewd moan. Her tight hold on you denies you any opportunity to do the undressing—or proper breathing. Nevertheless, you indulge in her creamy flesh, kissing and suckling up her mound and her freed nipple in your mouth.

“Oh God—fuck, that feels so good—” Chaehyun’s lolling, drooling uncontrollably, and her eyes are fluttering, already consumed by her voracious lust, and you haven’t inserted any part of you inside her, at least not yet. You knew how sensitive she was, especially around her chest, and you took advantage of it. Slow and steady wasn’t how she preferred you partook of her; she always wanted you to drink her up, to take her in full, to ravage her. Without the cameras on her, she could finally loosen up and release her pent-up needs.

You continue to consume her tit, leave wet marks all around and over her taut bud, make her flesh as red as the sun. She’s too engrossed in the quick surge of bliss; now she’s clinging to you for support. A string of moans pass through your ear, mixed with the occasional profanity, and it’s a better song than her group’s discography. The sensory pleasures begin to drown you further along, too; you’re close to passing out in her arms and waking up to them. You’re so engaged with her breasts that you ignore that she’s still mostly draped in expensive clothing, slowly piercing through the fabric with hungry, needy nails, and leaving sharp red trails on her skin.

“Wait, wait, wait—” Suddenly snapping from her daze, she suddenly shoves you off her, realizes the tear in her clothes, and how much of an obstruction it is. She grabs her exposed tit, then begins to shed the rest of the dress, letting it free fall down her body. Kicking the useless garment aside with her heels, she stands in front of you in all her naked glory, and you swear your heart is wildly beating through your chest. 

“My God, Chae,” The expression on your face makes it look like you’ve seen something unbelievable, which you have. You’ve seen her bare before, but something about tonight feels so different, feels so special. “You’re so—fuck—”

She doesn’t allow you to finish; instead she puts you back where you belong—between her chest, indulging in her mouthwatering tits. Your fingers dig and squeeze her thick mounds in your clasp. Fuck, if they aren’t the most soft and perfect material you’ve ever held, as if they were only meant for you. Between soft kisses and hungry licks of her rigid bud, you’re worshiping at the altar of her divine figure, and she returns your offering with moans in kind, tugging you as close as she possibly can.

“That’s it, that’s it. You like my tits? You saw all those pics of me in that dress?”

“Fuck—fuck yes I did—” you mumble. Staring up to her pleasure-ridden face, you gasp and take a deep breath, briefly escaping her suffocating hold after your reply. Admittedly, a strange sight when she’s usually the shorter one. “Everyone was talking about you online. You wore it so perfectly.”

Cupping your cheeks, she flashes a gummy smile, a tender one in the midst of the expanding heat. “I have to thank you for it. Too bad it’s ruined now. I really liked it.”

“I was gonna ruin it either way,” you say, rather bluntly. Your cheeks are burning up—likely more from asphyxiation than love. “That dress was gonna end up in ruins, one way or another.”

“Then let me ruin yours then,” she replies, smirking, pushing you against the couch, and her thick, shapely thighs pressed against yours, making it impossible to move. “I wanna ruin you tonight.”

Planting a kiss on your lips, you work together to strip your clothes, one by one. Bowtie, coat, shirt, pants, and boxers make a growing heap on the ground while Chaehyun passionately makes out with you, palming your cheeks with deep conviction, as if unwilling to let you go after being away from her for so long. Eight hours isn’t an eternity, but to her, it was. Your fingers slip between her luscious locks of hair as you slide your tongue into her mouth, motivated by desire just as much as she is.

Her creamy trunks create agonizing friction against your hardening shaft, makes you wet, creates a slick puddle between her legs. Aroused, her thighs acclimate and rub in slow motions against your dick, closing whatever gap remains between you two. Resting her head against yours, she sings streams of moans into your ear; she’s so honey sounding, yet so adorable as you both comfortably sink further into the sofa.

Digging into the soft texture of her curves, your fingers dig into her flesh, all while you slowly thrust between her forelegs, brushing the entrance of her lower lips. What started as a promise to ruin you, the opposite is happening instead. She’s in your arms, with complete freedom to break character after all of the night’s activities, solely dependent on you for relief, which you are more than happy to provide.  

When you try to get off the couch with her in tow, her weight presses you down, seemingly aware of your subtle motions. Her teeth gently nibble on your sensitive neck, and she whimpers, breaking the near silence. “No, baby. Let’s do it here on the couch.”

It was worth a try, but there really was no way out of there and straight to the bedroom. She was exhausted and the neediness in her voice couldn’t be any more obvious—she needed you right away.

Laboriously gasping and grunting into her ear, you continue to cuddle Chaehyun in your clutch, slowly but certainly building more tension in your loins—and your cock. Leaving your climax at the suffocating mercy of her legs, your vision goes dark, gradually closing as the pleasure sinks you deeper. If not for the constant grinding of your wanton bodies against each other, you’d be fast asleep with her by now. It’s tense how her thighs buckle with each passing second and thrust between them, and you’re silently praying for that sweet, satisfying release.

Her fingers caress the back of your skull, an endless loop playing between her lips as she sighs sweetly. You’re stuck in this state for so long, it might as well be a lifetime. The conflict of quickening the pace between her legs challenges your patience; your loins are practically screaming at you to finally give in, but she feels so good, so wet, it turns your brain and thought processes into mush. 

Sneaking your hand past her ass, you slip a finger between her bottom lips. Eliciting a deep moan, you insert a second one, drawing out a second whine. Stimulating her sensitive spot like it’s second nature for you, the heat between her legs builds up rapidly, presenting how desperate and wet she is for you. Her thighs rattle as they grind against your shaft, quickening your impending orgasm ahead of hers.

“Mmm God—” she quietly whines, pinching her hands on your shoulders. As if she couldn’t be any weaker for you, you push all the familiar buttons, hit all the right spots in her clit. It shouldn’t take long before she joins you, knowing how delicate she is.

Your climaxes come one after another in a quiet but hard hitting fashion. Gripping onto each other’s clasp, Chaehyun writhes violently as you spill thick, hot seed between her legs. Even while you hit your peak, you continue to pump between her thighs as your digits undo her. She breathes into your ear, still quivering in near silence as you fondle her with tender, utmost care, kissing her ear softly. 

“Cum for me, baby. Cum for me.”

Perfect timing. Chaehyun gushes like you’ve got her brainwashed. A muffled, wispy moan follows her climax, liberally coating your fingers with wet juices and staining what was clean, quality made fabric with uncleansable slick. The space between your groins is soaked, and though the weight in your loins is fading, the load on you has never been heavier.

Until it wasn’t.

Chaehyun mutters wordless babbles into your shoulder, then she slowly perks up, lifts that weight off your lap, then drops to her knees. For a second, you’d believe she was acting drunk, but she’s wired with pleasure. Her fingers reach between her thick, drenched legs, gathering up the cum you’ve blasted them with. It’s a hot, hypnotizing and arousing sight, watching the usually spry and clean idol play and sheen her body with flecks of your semen. 

If not for your own fatigue, you’d be stroking yourself back to hardness at the lewd scene playing out before you, but she saves you the effort. She grabs your cock by its length, pumping you to another erection with a particularly sultry gaze. One second and she's transformed into a completely different person.

Your eyes pop wide at the sight—not because she looks sexy (that’s one thing, she always is), but at the tighter, even more asphyxiating sensation of your cock sandwiched between her big bosoms. “My God, Chaehyun—” Your voice cracks, and the immediate burst of pleasure scatters your thoughts and the rest of your sentence. 

Staring up at your bliss-filled face with glazed eyes, she hums delightfully as you grow weak for her. Pressing your dick between her breasts, the combination of your cum mixed with her sweat eases the movement of your shaft in them. 

One stroke up and down and that was all you needed to see. Submitting to her control—for real this time—you slump back on the couch, resting your eyes and spreading your legs wide as Chaehyun pumps your cock between her chest with minimal effort. Each stroke is hot and emphatic, makes your body shudder wildly, better than your dick could do inside her cunt. 

As if you weren’t already drowning in her heat, she darts her tongue out to lick the tip of your shaft, and it shatters whatever parts of you that still remain.

“Oh fuck, Chae—” you rasp and clench your teeth, overwhelmed by a powerful ripple of bliss that you’ve never felt before.

Another taste in her mouth, with an audible slurp of your cock imprinted on her lips. Unknowingly, you’re drooling—and groaning. 

“You like that?” asks Chaehyun, and it’s swooning. “You like how my body feels on your cock?”

“Of course, I do,” you manage between breaths, moaning loudly after she slides her tits again. “So goddamn good, you feel so good, my God—”

“Just relax. Shhh.” She kisses your tip, makes your whole body quiver with heightened excitement. “I promised that I would ruin you tonight. Now let me ruin you tonight.”

Even when she said she’ll ruin you, you know you’ll feel way better coming out of this. So you let yourself go, and allow her to have her way with you. Comfortably settled into the sofa, you gasp and whine, cursing and praising Chaehyun’s name with your lips while she continues to deliver an unbelievable tit job. Brushing her tousled locks aside, her nails dig deep into the skin of your legs, coating your shaft and her breasts with her saliva and kisses.

It didn’t matter how late into the night it was—you were practically humming her name out loud without care for the poor souls who had the unfortunate luck of occupying the rooms around yours. If anything, what was being ruined was their sleep. The warmth around your groin burns hotter as the puddle around her chest grows. Not too fast, nor too slow, she pumps her busts between your cock at the perfect pace to maximize the pleasure surging through every nerve and muscle in your body.

“So good, so good—”  What began as a stream of moans and profanities turns into a continuous string of two words, each delivered with the same level of intensity. “So good, Chae, fuck—”

Meanwhile, Chaehyun quietly watches on, drowning your throbbing cock in a pool of semen, sweat, saliva, and flesh. “Gonna cum again, right? I can feel that you’re close.”

Shaking your head, you deny, knowing that the burning sensation in your loins is close to exploding a second time. A pointless show of resistance, as it takes only a few more pumps to bring you to another collapse.

With your tip peeking out on a particularly deep stroke, you erupt—considerably weaker than the first, but enough to fill her chin and her chest with a deluge of white, hot seed. Tilting your head upward, your jaw slackens while you groan deeply, nails digging into the tattered fabric. When you finish cumming on her, labored breaths follow, making you look more exhausted than she ever was, despite her having the busier schedule.

At the end of the day, she fulfilled what she promised to do—she ruined you.

“Told ya,” teases Chaehyun, tone playful, giggling at the laughable sight of you completely in shambles. Holding you by the wrist, she leads your hand to wrap around her waist. 

When you regain your senses, your eyes take in the sight of Chaehyun standing in front of you, one finger dipped on her cum-stained chest, hypnotized by the fresh coat of paint on her. Even in her filthy state, she still looks so divine. 

Noticing your freshly opened eyes, she follows, “Bed?”

Still recovering from the high, you merely nod, weakly.

“I was thinking, how about we make another bet?” she adds, resting a finger on her chin. You lift a weak eyebrow, intrigued, incapable of formulating a single word. She looks all around the room, searching for a flash of inspiration, until it hits her right in the eye—and her eyes perk up like a lightbulb has appeared above her head.

“I bet if my members don’t call tonight, I’ll let you cum inside me.” From the award on the table, she returns her gaze to you, smirking. “What do you think?”

—————

Maybe if you moan loud enough, then the bet is off.

Much later into the night, early into the next day, the ringing of a phone is mostly ignored by the echo of collective moans, bed creaking, and the sound of wet flesh slapping flesh. You’re both in bed, but not much has changed. Chaehyun remains atop you in full control, riding you vigorously with your hands glued to her hips, distracting you from the deep soreness in your cock with her swaying, glossy breasts. 

“I’m gonna pretend I don’t hear anything,” says Chaehyun, half-teasing and half-seductively, between moans and rocked hips, looking over her shoulder, completely aware of the loud impediment. “I’m gonna make sure the rest of your seed ends up inside my wet pussy, until your balls are completely dried up—or when the sun rises.”

—————

(A/N: Yep, you know I had to do one after seeing those pics, but I got beat to the punch real fast, so I mostly left this on limbo for a couple of weeks. It's been a bit difficult to write and move in general lately, my mind state isn't in the best shape after finals and a string of bad decisions and bad luck, but hey, we're most likely past that now. Make sure you spend your holidays with the ones you cherish the most. Thank you for reading!)

#smut #kpop smut #kep1er #chaehyun

[studentofetherium]

watch Monogatari

Monogatari is a lot of things. across 18 novels or 102 episodes and three movies, the series spans numerous tones and genres

the premise of Monogatari is that there are supernatural creatures called oddities that represent the characters' mental problems. in each arc, a new oddity happens to force the characters into situations. that's rather broad! because the series does a lot with its concept and treats it rather loosely. the point is, the focus of the series is on its characters and their numerous psychological issues. as a result, the topics the series handles can be rather serious. this includes things like domestic violence, child abuse, and rape. however, not all its plots are so serious, and others focus on sexuality or sibling relationships

Monogatari is highly unconventional. i could say a lot about the bizarre presentation of the anime, or Nisioisin's distinct prose, but i think it's been seen rather than described. needless to say, Studio Shaft and specifically the directors Tatsuya Oishi (who directed the first two arcs, Bakemonogatari and Kizumonogatari) and Tomoyuki Itamura (who directed everything after) did a fantastic job in the series

what about the characters? it's hard to talk about the characters in Monogatari without going into spoilers, but suffice to say that each is distinct in their own ways

Koyomi Araragi is the series' protagonist as well as its narrator. for good and bad, his view is how we see the world. during spring break, an incident occurred which left him in a twilight state between humanity and undeath as a half-vampire. the supernatural attracts the supernatural, so since then, he has found himself involved in a number of other oddity incidents

Hitagi Senjougahara is the cool beauty, a tsundere with a violent side. after a run-in with a crab, she found that her weight had been stolen, causing her to come down with poor health

Mayoi Hachikuji is a precocious and energetic elemental schooler who can't find her way home. at times, she can come across as wise beyond her years, but at others, she seems exactly her age

Suruga Kanbaru is the princely athletic star of the school. however, a recent incident has led to her early retirement. at the same time, she begins to spend more time around (stalk) Koyomi for some unclear reason

Nadeko Sengoku is the little sister character who Koyomi forgot. he remembers her again when he stumbles across her at the shrine in the mountain, taking part in some sort of dark ritual...

and last but certainly not least, Tsubasa Hanekawa is the studious class president who shares some hazy recent history with Koyomi

and of course, there are many more characters than this, but i can't spend all my time introducing them

unfortunately, Monogatari has problems. i already mentioned that it tackles serious issues such as abuse or rape, and while it handles them well, there needs to be a warning for their presence, as the series does not shy away from them. however, not everything is handled well. complaints about the series oversexualizing its cast are frequent, and especially Koyomi's relationship with Mayoi falls under scrutiny. much as i love the show, i would be remiss to not warn people about these issues

but! if you still want to watch the series despite those problems (and you should), knowing what and how to watch can be difficult. the series is infamously hard to translate, meaning not every translation is equal. official subs are not always ideal and streaming services are far from the ideal way to watch the series. i recommend torrenting the series (suggested torrents are linked below). each arc name is unnumbered which easily causes confusion if you're not already familiar for the series. the watch order for the series are:

Bakemonogatari

Kizumonogatari

Nisemonogatari

Nekomonogatari Black

Second Season

Tsukimonogatari

Owarimonogatari season one

Koyomimonogatari

Owarimonogatari season two

Zoku Owarimonogatari

this may seem complicated, but it's much less so once you're familiar with the series

there is so much more i could say about Monogatari. the series is really deep, leaving lots of room for analysis of its characters and stories. even if you aren't inclined to go that far, there is so much to appreciate about the series. Monogatari is without a doubt my favorite story ever, and for many people it has been lifechanging. i cannot recommend it more and i hope if you've read all of this, that you're interested in checking it out!

#monogatari #monogatari series

[pendragonsclotpole]

i’ve watched the first three episodes of the pjo series and then decided to wait. ostensibly this is because once season one is done i can binge it all in one go like i read the book, but i have a confession to make. i can’t stand to watch it.

hear me out: i read these books when i was in grade school. tlt? fifth grade. the rest of the original series? powered me through sixth grade and into seventh. hoo? eighth grade and first year or two of high school. i was a baby. percy jackson and his friends were either my age or older than me and doing shit i could not even comprehend.

i’ve seen a lot of discourse online about the changes made in the show and how they don’t align with how some fans remember the books, and i think that criticism perfectly echoes my feelings on this series. when i read pjo, i saw myself in the characters and saw my interactions with people older than me in their interactions with adults or older characters. case in point sally and luke.

i’m gonna have to make another post about my feelings for show!sally vs book!sally (tldr: book!sally reminds me of how i thought of the adults in my life and their complicated relationships with other adults as a kid, show!sally shows me that things were never so clear cut, surviving/being a survivor is mastering how to balance on a tight tope into adulthood, and sometimes the monsters we remember from our childhoods are a lot more pathetic than we ever realized. don’t even get me started on how i spent my whole life thinking of sally as a woman in her late twenties/early thirties with nothing in her life put together. seeing her in the show was a slap to the face for that notion, because sally seems so much older, but also so much closer to my age than percy in terms of maturity if not actually and what does that mean for me?)

but now about luke. jfc he looks so young. i think it was so easy to demonize luke because he was older, described as college aged, and perfect and popular and a mentor. he felt so responsible, so caring that the betrayal from him in tlt felt so much worse because as a reader i inherently related to percy, annabeth and thalia.

but growing up is realizing i’m now older than book!Luke in tlt and if i was faced with the loneliness of not having at least one good parent, i might be just as bitter as him. heck i do have one good parent, and i think i’m just as bitter as him about somethings. i’m older than him and somehow still feel so much younger. and also, show!luke’s actor is so young looking! i didn’t expect that to be such a hard pill to swallow, realizing the actor is actually 19 made me want to roll up into a ball and cry because fuck, did i look that young at 19??? i’m still in my early 20s, but somehow you do so much growth in the span of those years that just blows my mind. it isn’t fair and it feels like loss and at the same time, i think i understand why rick riordan and the rest of the writing/production team made the choices they did. on the one hand, they could have stuck to the books as faithfully as possible and recreated word for word the story we remembered from when we were kids, but on the other hand, they had the chance of portraying the story as it was and now would be now that we’re the grown ups.

i’m gonna finish the season, eventually, but i don’t yet have the emotional maturity to not hate every little change.

#luke pjo #pjo headcanon #pjo #pjo disney+ #pjo tv show #percy pjo #pjo fandom #pjo series #pjoverse #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #luke castellan #sally jackson #rick riordan #the mortifying ordeal of growing up #and realizing you are the adult

[sam-loves-seb]

the fruity four but make it hollywood au (3/x)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3

so, nancy moves into steve's old room and completely rearranges the furniture--much to robin's dismay--and paints the walls a different color. she doesn't touch the rest of the apartment, save for putting her shampoo in the shower and her toothbrush in the same holder as robin's.

they don't talk much. at first, they don't even really talk at all. but one night, after nancy comes home half an hour into a date with a takeout box filled with pizza, robin emerges from her bedroom and tentatively asks what happened.

"He didn't really want to know me," nancy shrugs, handing robin a slice. "He just wanted to be my date to my movie premiere next month."

"He said that?"

"He didn't have to."

robin rolls her eys. "Guys suck."

nancy taps her pizza against robin's, like a toast. "Guys suck."

and thus, a friendship was born, over battered hearts and cold pizza. they start talking more, start getting to know each other over late night dinners and early morning call times. they talk, and they laugh, and they have fun in their big apartment just the two of them.

robin thinks it's nice to have another friend, a female friend, a friend who is a girl, and definitely not a girlfriend. just a friend. just--friendly.

until one weekend when nancy's little brother (her real brother, mike, not her on-screen-brother, dustin, who she's still close with today after growing up together on the same show) and little sister fly in to LA to visit some family and they end up staying at nancy and robin's place place. robin doesn't mind, especially with how big nancy smiles when she brings them home from the airport, and mike and holly seem like good kids.

it's all fine until that night, when nancy puts mike in the guest room and holly in her room, that robin starts to feel the vibe shift.

nancy grabs a spare pillow and blanket from the closet and lays them down on their couch, but robin stops her, tells her they can share her bed. tells her no one should have to sleep on the couch.

(even if it is an expensive, ultra comfy couch that both of them fall asleep on regularly. though this point does not get brought up when nancy follows robin to her bedroom wordlessly.)

they stay up for maybe an hour, talking about everything and nothing and staring at the ceiling while they giggle. the clock reads 1am before robin's eyes start to close on their own, and nancy falls asleep in the middle of her sentence.

robin watches her for a while, noting the rise and fall of her chest, the slope of her nose, the way her eyelashes twitch just slightly in her sleep. robin falls asleep watching nancy breathe.

in the morning, when she wakes up and finds the other half of the bed empty, with nancy and holly already up and in the kitchen, robin feels a pang of sadness running through her chest.

then panic.

she shoves those feelings way down deep and blames it on the wine they had with dinner (they had one glass each) and the late hour (they've been on sets later than that) and the whirlwind of a night (they ate pasta and watched a movie with nancy's siblings).

things go back to normal--mostly--and robin and nancy's budding friendship continues to bloom as the weeks go on. nancy finishes shooting a movie--her return to mainstream american media--and robin lands a new contract--a twenty episode horror series that reads good enough to go for two or three seasons, at least--and things are good. great, even.

so why is it that robin feels an overwhelming amount of joy when nancy asks her to do her makeup for her red carpet premiere? like, a truly staggering amount of happiness from something she usually gets paid to do. she doesn't think about it too hard.

"Nancy are you ready yet?" steve yells as he walks into their apartment, his hair perfectly floppy and his tux neatly pressed.

"Almost!" nancy yells back from the bathroom, where robin is putting the finishing touches on her mascara.

nancy's agent told her she needed to find a date for the red carpet, and rather than trying to find someone new to accompany her, nancy asked steve if he'd go with her as friends. her agent was more than happy with that--television's princess showing up on the arm of hollywood's latest heartthrob, hello--and steve agreed, roping nancy into doing the same thing with his movie premiere next month.

(steve and eddie have been living together for three months now, and the tabloids still haven't caught on. once a week their names pop up in an 'unlikely friends' article or an instagram series of hollywood's closest 'bros', whatever the fuck that means. steve and eddie are fine with that for now, keeping their privacy for as long as they can even if half of all sets and stages in hollywood know their a couple by now.)

"Perfect," robin tells her, capping the mascara and setting it to the side with an almost sad smile. she tries to make it meet her eyes

nancy thanks her profusely, even stopping to give her a long, lingering hug--which is unprecedented, for fear of wrinkling her gown, but nancy doesn't seem to care--before grabbing her jacket and meeting steve by the door.

steve kisses robin on the cheek, tells her that eddie's coming over after rehearsal and he's bringing booze. robin makes him promise to bring Chinese food--and nancy--back by midnight. steve laughs, but he says okay.

so, that's how robin ends up on her couch, watching the live stream of the red carpet on her tv, passing a bottle of whiskey back and forth with eddie. they drink every time they see steve, or nancy, or steve and nancy, with his hand on her hip and her head on his shoulder.

it's all fake, robin knows it's all fake. well, the romantic undertones are, at least, she knows nancy and steve love each other the way robin loves eddie, or the way robin loves steve--platonic, with a capital P.

so why does it still hurt to watch them walk into the theater hand in hand?

"It sucks," eddie says unprompted, practically reading her mind. "it's not... It doesn't ever really get easier, watching him like that with someone else. Even if it isn't real."

robin swallows thickly, trying to hold back the tears in her eyes. "How can you stand it?"

"I don't," eddie tells her, a little bit drunk. he takes another sip of the whiskey. "I just wait for him to come home, wait for him to hold me through the night. He'll tell me that he's mine and no one else's--and I believe him. Every time."

robin falls sideways on the couch, letting her head drop on to eddie's shoulder. he pats her knee in an unspoken understanding.

they stare at the tv until the live stream fades to black, and then for a little while after. they're well and truly drunk by the time steve and nancy get back with Chinese food, and robin goes to bed without taking a single bite.

nancy brings her coffee in bed the next morning, and robin wishes she was just a little less perfect. maybe then, this would be easier.

~~~

("Nancy, you gotta tell her."

"Eddie. No."

"Nancy--"

"Shhh," she shushes him over the fried rice. "She'll hear you."

"She's asleep!"

"I'm with Eddie on this one," steve says around a mouthful of food.

"Stay out of this," nancy tells him, pointing a chopstick at his face.

"Nance," eddie brings his hands together quietly. "I'm like, ninety-five percent sure she feels the same way."

nancy shakes her head at her food, not looking at either of the boys. "I--I can't. I can't risk it, she's..." she laughs sadly at the realization that just dawned on her. "She's my best friend."

steve and eddie share a look over the kung pao chicken, but neither of them says another word.)

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | ko-fi

#...anyways #ronance #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #fruity four hollywood au #fruity four #hollywood au #my ronance posts #ronance fanfic #steddie fanfic #steddie au #ronance au

[door]

my friend asked me for murder show recs and i put together a list of a bunch of them and thought i'd also share it here in case anyone else who was not raised by the glow of mystery! on pbs might want an intro. extremely subjective commentary, obvs. enjoy.

hello. welcome to the world of finding television shows about people getting killed comforting. it's fucked up, but who isn't. here's a list of the ones i like and why and where to watch them.

midsomer murders (1997-current): this is one of those sterotypical "it ran for 25 years and did nearly 18 episodes" british shows. it was adapted from a book series, which are the early eps. they're really fucked up and great imo. the later ones lose that sharpness, but until seasons 20+ i think it's a really solid show. the theme song is performed on a theremin. pluses: every great british actor shows up at least once, incredibly great deaths, lots of hyper niche hobby groups, tom barnaby is the best. minuses: showrunner brian true-may quoted as saying that his version of "english countryside" is entirely white. he was booted from the show at that point, however. i've watched the entire series 2-3 times, except for s5e3 "Ring Out Your Dead" because there's a death in it that i found particularly tragic the first time i watched it and have no desire to revisit it (but ymmv). robyn's fave ep is s3e3 "Judgement Day," because a brass band plays the show's theme song at a village fete and also Orlando Bloom is run through with a pitchfork. (ACORN)

Poirot (1989-2013): truly the goat. David Suchet bodies this role. i don't know how familiar you are with christie, but hercule poirot was her recurring detective character, a fastidious little belgian living in 1930s England. in this show, it's the late 1930s for 20 years, and the sets and costumes are so good. not a single streamline moderne property in england is overlooked. the early episodes are short--40ish minutes each--but they transition to 90 minutes at some point. they adapt all of the poirot books, with the big ones--murder on the orient express and death on the nile--done as higher budget tv movies. (BRITBOX)

marple (2004-2013): another christie adaptation, with 2 actresses playing miss marple in sequence. they also adapted a bunch of non-marple stories to have miss marple in them. set post-WWII, mainly countryside english mysteries. (BRITBOX)

miss fisher's murder mysteries (2012-2015, film in 2020): set in 1920s melbourne, mfmm follows independently wealthy private eye phryne fisher. it's an adaptation of modern novels, so it's less conservative than the christies. phryne's best friend is a suit-wearing lesbian doctor. it's a sharp, smart show, and phryne herself (as well as her relationship with buttoned-up detective jack robinson) is very sexy. it ran three seasons and was followed by a crowd-funded film in 2020, which isn't GOOD, but it is FUN. there's another a spin-off set in the 1960s called miss fisher's modern mysteries, which follows phryne's niece. again--not good, but fun. nothing beats the og series tho. (ACORN)

lewis (2006-2015): this is technically a spin-off of the inspector morse series, which started in the 80s, but i've never watched it so you should be fine. this follows very un-academic inspector lewis and his very academic assistant DS hathaway in EXTREMELY academic oxford england. i really dig the pacing of this, as well as how profoundly weird smart people can be. the big downside is the actor who played hathaway is laurence fox, who's a real stinker of a dude. right-wing, racist, etc. so. ymmv. (BRITBOX)

vera (2011-current): vera is a nearly retired, irascible, set in her ways detective in northumberland. she heads her own department, so part of the appeal is definitely trim youngsters dashing to do her bidding with a "yes mum." she drives a huge old land rover, wears a raincoat everywhere, has no patience for class barriers, and in short i love her. in the newer seasons there is also a detective in her squad called Jaq who is a very cute butch. (BRITBOX)

dalgliesh (2021-current): adaptation of pd james novels following detective-poet adam dalgliesh. set in the 1970s, which sets it apart and which i quite enjoy. his character is really sensitive and thoughtful is a way that's unusual for cop shows. (ACORN)

annika (2021-current): i'm gonna dive into some of the weirder ones now. annika is still pretty serious, but the title character has a habit of breaking the 4th wall to loop the audience in on the meta nature of her thoughts--usually relating to a book or story. it's set in glasgow and they investigate marine crime specifically. annika is played by nicola walker, who full disclosure i find VERY attractive. she's norwegian, she's odd, and she's trying her best. she has a teenage daughter who's gay. (PBS)

queens of mystery (2019-current): this one is VERY odd. think british murders meets pushing daisies. there's a narrator, and occasional technicolor flights of fancy. it follows a very serious detective who was raised by her three aunts after her mother was killed. she comes back to work in her home town and has to navigate both sides of her life, plus still wanting to know who killed her mother. production was interrupted by covid, so the main actress changed between seasons, but the new person is also very good. (ACORN)

brokenwood mysteries (2014-current): this one is sort of...sillier than the rest? it's a new zealand show set in a small town. it's fairly queer (although not nearly queer enough), and one of the things i love the most about it is it maintains a roster of recurring characters (which i think is only possible because of the small size of the NZ film industry). pretty good maori rep, especially jared, a local who seems to know or be related in some way to everyone in town. i adore him. he's off the show now, and i miss him. (ACORN)

mcdonald & dodds (2020-current): set in bath, this is an odd couple partnership of an ambitious young cop lately from london and a shy older cop who has lived in bath all his life and hasn't seen action in a decade. their interactions are funny and lovely, and it's refreshing to see a black woman character allowed to be ambitious. (BRITBOX)

#took out the julie mentions left in the robyn mention #because their love of a tv show playing its theme song on the show is so funny and i love it #gentle murders #this is like. half the length this list could have been #and that's not even getting into the mini-series

[the-fab-fox]

[Setleth 5+1] There's Something Here, I Can Feel It

SUMMARY: This is the result of my idea I came up with awhile ago, which was thus: "THE FIVE TIMES CLAUDE, DIMITRI, AND EDELGARD NOTICED SETETH AND BYLETH HAVE A THING FOR EACH OTHER, AND THE ONE TIME THEY (FINALLY) NOTICED IT THEMSELVES."

Hope you all enjoy! Do please reblog to get the story out and if you feel up to it, I'd love to hear what you think! Can be in reblog or reply or even an ask if you'd rather!

I. Claude

"And so that's why I think this is…" 

The best course of action, he finished silently in his head. He waved the words aside internally, as if his mind's inner voice was someone else entirely. 

None of that mattered. Something big was going down, right before his eyes. 

The slight pink dusting Seteth's cheeks said everything the silent man wasn't saying. 

How had he not noticed before? As much as the advisor to the Archbishop wanted to believe he was the master of impassivity, Seteth was anything but. He wore his heart on his sleeves and it was clear with just a glance at the man what kind of mood he was in. 

His mood right now was less emotional though and more of a state of mind. 

It was sweet, really. Honest to goodness. Claude never lied when it came to the sweetness of a situation. 

It seemed the academy's headmaster had a bit of a crush on the Professor. 

What made the whole thing even better was that Claude was ninety-seven percent sure his Teach was kinda into Seteth too. 

Now, wasn't that just cherry on top?

—

II. Edelgard

It was a worthy idea. It hadn't ever crossed her mind to consider combining two houses in a particular class. Now that it had been laid out before her by the Archbishop's advisor, however, it was a little embarrassing that it hadn't. 

Seteth was a little pink in the face too, which made it seem as if he too was feeling the disappointment at failing to come to this conclusion earlier. That's what she thought, at first. 

Something caught her eye though. The slightest turn upward at the corners of his mouth. The softening of the creases at the corners of his eyes and across his forehead. The spark of light in eyes that were normally quite dull, truth be told. 

A certain sneaky degenerate of an alliance leader whispered in her ear even now, reminding her of a conversation with Claude that she had long since dismissed. 

In her defense, it had seemed laughable. An impossibility. Their teacher hardly spoke, much less showed any emotion. 

But perhaps there was some merit to the idea. Certainly there was something, at least on Seteth's side of things. 

But their teacher felt the same? Was it possible? 

And would she, Edelgard, be okay with it if it was?

—

III. Dimitri

The crown prince of Faerghus had actually witnessed two such exchanges between the two prior to Claude and Edelgard's experiences. He just hadn't realized that the exchange had been something shocking or surprising. Were they not like that with other people? He'd never really paid enough attention to their general dispositions around everyone else.

He told his stories now to a fully rapt future leader of the Leicester Alliance and future ruler to the Adrestian Empire. In fact, the blond prince was quite certain that he'd never been able to hold their attention like he was right then. 

"Wait! He pulled a leaf from her hair?"

Edelgard looked a little too offended on Byleth's behalf. If anything… she seemed almost… no, that couldn't be it. Could it?

Claude, on the other hand, looked as if gift-giving season had just come early. 

"Obviously, there is an opportunity here. Now, I may not have your royal dispositions, majesties, and I make up for that with my charm and wits and good nature. But I consider us equals, the three of us. And if ever there was a situation made for the very purpose of us teaming up, this is it, guys!"

Edelgard knew immediately what he was getting at. Dimitri could see the anger, annoyance, and definite jealousy in those light purple eyes. But a second later, followed by a deep breath in and out, the Adrestian princess joined Claude's cause.

"If this is what will ensure our teacher's happiness, then it is our duty to help them along!"

Dimitri, frowned. "I don't know… it doesn't feel right, meddling in the affairs of the heart. Surely, if it is meant to be, it'll happen without our input."

The other two glanced at each other before shaking their heads. 

"What?"

"That's a nice thought. A knightly thought but… people will rarely do what's best for them on their own."

"Well said, princess."

Dimitri wasn't sold but he supposed he could see their point at the very least. 

Determination set along his brow. 

"Tell me what you need me to do."

—

IV. Claude, Edelgard, & Dimitri

Dimitri frowned and Claude was worried the prince was about to call the whole thing off.

"Are you sure this, er, topic will be enough to distract the professor?"

"Oh definitely. Teach seems adamant about helping others out, no matter what. She'll definitely want to assist you and it'll kill her that she can't offer any advice. That's gonna distract her more than anything!"

Dimitri looked scandalized. "I don't want to cause the professor any undue harm."

Claude held up a hand. 

"No harm. An annoyance at the very most, I promise."

He ignored the pointed look he got from the princess and instead rest his hand on Dimitri's shoulder. 

"You're the only one she will believe. So… maybe think about your own crush while you're pretending to ask for advice…"

Dimitri nodded, his face understanding. A few seconds passed before his gaze widened and he quickly crossed the room to the door. 

"N-no time like the present, like you always say, Claude. I'll be off now."

Claude blinked, staring at the spot where the prince had been seconds prior. 

Slowly, a grin slipped onto his face. 

"So Dimitri does have a crush!"

He spun around to seek out Edelgard. 

"Don't ask me. Why would he tell me?"

Claude sighed. 

"Yet you still seem to have some idea, don't you, princess?"

Edelgard shrugged but allowed herself to give the smallest near imperceptible nod of her head.

"Let us just say that I haven't a clue what he sees in this particular person."

Claude narrowed his eyes, trying to gauge whether or not she was messing with him. He couldn't sense any ulterior motive and she seemed to be teasing rather than hurtful. 

"You said person, an interesting choice of words when it's generally presumed that his princliness is straight."

Edelgard rolled her eyes but said nothing else. She couldn't allow herself to give away clues accidentally. 

"So either it was a simple word choice that had no significance or this "person" isn't a girl. Wouldn't that be interesting?" 

Glancing her way, Claude raised a brow at the surprise on her face. She masked it a few seconds later but too little, too late. "Oh." A smile slowly slipped onto his lips though he tried to smooth it away. "So it's like that, is it?" 

Edelgard scoffed and shook her head before storming off. Claude got the distinct impression she was annoyed because he was totally right about Dimitri. A good thing too, considering the whole crush he was harboring on the guy.

—

V. Golden Deer

"Alright! So that's the plan! Any questions?"

Claude watched his pink haired retainer cross her arms with a frown. 

"Let me get this straight. You want to talk loudly outside Seteth's office, playing up that Dimitri is professing his love to our professor, knowing it's pretty much likely that Dimitri is gay?"

Claude nodded, smirking at the ingeniousness of the plan. 

"Uh huh. And you don't see how this plan can go completely wrong?"

Claude gave a pause at that. She had a point, after all. But he ultimately couldn't see how the plan could fail. 

"Alright. And what if our dear professor actually gives Dimitri some good advice and he decides to go after the guy of his dreams? Are you going to be okay with that?"

Claude blinked and then frowned. "Teach doesn't know about romance. There's no way…wait, are you saying you know the guy that Dimitri likes?"

Hilda giggled and took a deep breath. "My how the tables have turned. Claude, I'm pretty sure everyone knows who Dimitri likes except the person Dimitri likes."

She walked off and Claude was about to call after her when the true meaning behind her words hit him. Marianne and Raphael had just passed him when he reached out to stop them.

"Who does Dimitri have romantic feelings for?"

Marianne blushed and looked away, mumbling something about it not being her place to say but surprised he didn't already know. Raphael, on the other hand, had no qualms informing him.

"Ah! I guess it would be hard to know who a person likes when the person is you, so yeah. I can tell ya. Dimitri is like, seriously in love with you, dude! How cool is that?"

Claude felt his jaw drop as so many uncertainties and impossibilities finally clicked neatly into place.

"Oh. Uh, thanks for that, Raf. You've given me a lot to think about, that's for sure."

"Haha. Any time!" 

Claude watched as the two carried on, suddenly working through the two issues now on hand.

—

 +1. Setleth

"I don't know, Hilda. Dimitri was really adamant about wanting to talk to Teach alone. He asked to meet her in the courtyard after class. And Teach is really pretty. You'd be a fool not to see it. So it totally checks that she's pretty popular with the guys around here. I heard she gets one confession a week. Minimum."

Seteth took a deep breath and brought his fingers up to rub at his temples. 

What scheme are you cooking up now, Claude? Whatever you're doing, I'm not taking the bait. You'll have to try harder than that.

"Even if Dimitri does like men, it would make sense strategically. Our dear professor would make a great queen."

Seteth gave pause at that. 

It was true that most people with eyes could see how hopelessly in love the prince of Faerghus was with Duke Riegan's grandson. But it was just as likely that Dimitri would be more concerned with a union that would benefit his people. Byleth—the professor—would be a very smart choice. 

Still, even knowing and understanding the reason behind it, just the thought of Byleth marrying someone for any reason but love did not sit well with Seteth. 

Which made sense, considering he had come to realize his love for her quite some time ago. He'd never presumed to consider the chance that she might like him in return, but none of that mattered. 

As long as she was happy, that was all Seteth desired. Well, it was all he'd allow himself, in any case.

Deciding that it couldn't hurt to at least check out the situation, Seteth left the office, locking it up on the off chance this was a ploy designed to leave his office unattended. 

He made his way to the location Claude and Hilda had mentioned. Sure enough, the courtyard scene played out just as Claude had stated. A rush of jealousy surged inside him and he was about to walk away when a pair of emerald green eyes met his and the resultant smile shot an arrow straight through his heart. 

His will was no longer his own as his feet carried him across the distance between himself and the professor. 

"Seteth," the blond prince said, lips twitching slightly. Seteth's first thought was that it was likely nerves but as the events of the last half hour replayed in his head, he came to the conclusion that Dimitri was likely in cahoots with a certain scheming student. 

Ah. So that's what this is.

He couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped him as he watched Dimitri leave. He pointedly ignored the question in Byleth's eyes, only looking at her when he was positive he had his emotions in check.

"What was that about?" He asked, trying to sound offhanded. Byleth smiled lightly, glancing in the direction the blond prince had gone. 

"He was asking for advice."

"Ah. Well that's nothing new for you."

"About romance."

Seteth felt his body stiffen but he forced himself to sound as unaffected as possible.

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth." She smiled at him now and he found he was suddenly held captive by her gaze. "That I don't have the experience in that area to give sound advice but it was probably a good idea to get such important feelings off one's chest. And who better to confide such feelings in than with the person the feelings are for."

Seteth smiled warmly down at her. 

She truly was a marvel.

"You say you have no experience but that sounds like wonderful advice from where I'm standing."

It was too. Perhaps the very advice he should take for his own situation.

"I love you, Seteth."

Seteth nodded along before the three words plus his name fully sunk in. 

Light green eyes wide, Seteth stared at the young woman for a long time before clearing his throat.

"I see… well, if that is truly the heart of the matter then it only stands to reason that I too confess."

He closed the distance between them and reached out, cupping her cheek with one hand. 

"I find myself quite in love with you, Professor… Byleth." He smiled warmly. "I love you, Byleth."

He barely had a chance to register what was happening as Byleth wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Pushing any other thought from his mind, with a quick reminder to thank Claude later, Seteth kissed her back.

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #fe3h fanfiction #fe3h fanart #fe3h fanfic #fe3h setleth #setleth #fe16 setleth #fe3h seteth #fe16 seteth #byleth eisner #f!byleth #female byleth #fe16 byleth #fe3h 5+1 #fire emblem fanfiction #fire emblem fanfic #5+1 things #5+1 fic #5 plus 1 fic #5 plus 1 #5+1 times #5+1 #seteth fe16 #cichol fe16 #byleth fe16 #fe16 #fe16 fanart #dimiclaude #dimiclaude fe3h

[hamliet]

Never Have I Ever... Been So Grateful For a Show

Well, NHIE finished strong after the fourth season got off to a rocky start. The first three episodes were... messy, honestly, but then the story picked up steam. By the time we got to the final two episodes I was bawling pretty much the full way through.

NHIE also continued to flex its mature understanding of nuance, its appreciation for cultural differences, and its determination to keep its characters flawed and realistic. And including a game of Never Have I Ever in the finale? Fab.

All in all, it's a great ending to a great show. I loved it.

Ben and Devi

I've seen people complaining that the end relationship was predictable, or that Devi should be single, and kindly: no. <3

It fit Devi's character to end up in romantic love with someone, because the entire show has been about love for her. Love for her family, love for those who have died, love for her friends, love for her mentors, and yes, romantic love in all the aspects that entails (physical, intellectual, emotional).

The other thing that I think is beautiful about their relationship is that they both push each other in all these ways--physical (obviously), emotionally (Ben's final realization in New York was chef's kiss), and intellectual. They both get to go to their dream schools in part because of each other. Not only have they been pushing each other to excel since before the show started, but Devi helps Ben finish his schoolwork, and Ben encourages Devi to write that final letter to get into Princeton.

Ben's early acceptance to Columbia, which seemed a given given, well, his father and nepotism (I appreciated the show behind upfront about this), ultimately still almost gets sabotaged by his own repressing of other aspects of his life (which parallels Paxton, Blair Quan, and more, and isn't exactly new--see Ben's physical issues last season). This contrasts him with Devi, whose self-sabotage is always doing too much too suddenly. She's been trying so hard all along, but sometimes you need a final cheer to push you over the finish line.

Ben and Devi, Ethan and Margot

Ethan is dark!Ben. Margot is dark!Devi. On paper it's great.

Except... Margot was really, really annoying. I'm sorry, I found nothing remotely redeeming about her. Ethan at least served a purpose. The reason I think the first three episodes are so rough is that they focus on Margot but seem to not know what to do with her. But more about that later on.

Ben's speech about why he chooses to be with Margot in the first episode is well done and shows how much growth he still has to do. Because an essential part of love--of a mature kind of love and relationship--is that you are challenged to become a better version of yourself. Ben and Trent, in episode 2, shy away from this. Trent breaks up with Eleanor because he's afraid she'll break up with him, and he wants to do it first. Ben stays with Margot because she offers him superficial challenges, but nothing substantial in terms of his flaws.

That said, Devi making peace with Margot (numerous times) was narratively necessary because, of course, Margot's kind of a literary shadow (just not really well done). It also showed how much Devi's grown.

Trent + Eleanor

Trent's character is also really well done. That's how you deepen a comedic character. (Ethan was also dark!Trent in some ways; hence, Eleanor's crush on him.) Yeah, Trent's a stoner and not so bright. But, he loves Eleanor. He adores her, and he wholeheartedly believes in her. It's heartwarming to see.

I wasn't surprised they broke up early on, but was relieved they got back together. I think it was a funny inversion of what you'd expect, because El moving on to bigger and better things seemed like a natural progression. Yet, as the scene with El's mom showed... that's not what bigger and better is for Eleanor.

Yes, Eleanor still wants to grow. Yes, she still wants to be an actress and a director, and she's good at it.

But she doesn't want to leave her family and loved ones behind.

Eleanor knows what it's like to be left behind. And obviously it's not the same to leave a teenage boyfriend as to leave your own child like her mom. But, Eleanor ending up back with Trent was, frankly, narratively perfect for both their characters. Because Trent was helping her in her growth, and always had been from Season 3.

I also think they handled Eleanor's dreams and her complicated mother relationship well. The dream itself, even if it is far-fetched, even if it is unlikely to happen, is not bad. Pursuing it also is, in fact, positive (they paralleled this with Devi's dreams of Princeton). But, one of the best parts of dreams? Is the people you meet along the way, the people who cheer you on. It's a metaphor for life.

Paxton (and Lindsay)

Paxton's arc I think is one of the best in the series. I loved his journey from boy who was considered "hot guy" who sucked at school to the point where it was comic becoming a teacher. The episode where he helped Eric join the swim team was actually really powerful.

And, I didn't even roll my eyes when Devi told him he was an even better friend than boyfriend. On paper it's a cliche line, but it totally works within the characters' arcs (and of course the actors' portrayals!). Lindsay also seemed like much more than just a consolation prize to the guy who ends up outside the triangle--their relationship paralleled his with Devi, and quickly got me invested.

His final advice to Devi: "don't reinvent anything" also fits really well, because when Paxton at first refused to be Devi's boyfriend it was because Devi's image wasn't acceptable after the two-timing thing. Then, Devi's anxiety during their public relationship, the anxiety that actually ruined their romance, was because she didn't think she fit with Paxton or "made any sense" with him. But, she does fit with him. As a friend, and as herself.

Blair Quan + College

Blair Quan was also dark!Paxton--someone who lost themselves because they were always the Best in high school. The best student, the most popular. And then at college, everyone was the Best. And suddenly you're nothing.

The situation with Blair Quan was really realistic for how college can be for people, and in how the show (admittedly briefly) addressed the fundamental unfairness of college admissions. I work in higher ed, and... it's not fair. Nothing about it is fair. Professor Warner telling Devi outright that she "should have" gotten into all the Ivies actually meant a lot to me, because it's true.

For any readers of this who are applying to schools, there's a degree to which your merit matters, and there's a degree to which it's up to sheer luck. If they reject you, it's almost certainly not because you're not on par with other applicants. Hard work does not get you into prestigious schools. That's a lie. It gets you to a point, but it also gets a lot of other people to that same point, and then there is nothing at all you can do. It's up to luck.

Fab (and Addison. Kind of).

Fab's arc was interesting, but I feel like it peaked in season 2. I did like her conflict this season though, particularly with messing up about lying to Devi. The scene where she and Devi reconcile was beautiful, and the show handled it really well--giving empathy for Fab as for why she kept it a secret, while also pointing out that the lying was the fact greater problem than the initial applying.

The negative is that... I like Addison, but I wanted more. It kind of sucks that the queer character is the one whose romance doesn't come with two complex characters getting development. And sure, Fab isn't as important as Devi, Ben, or Paxton, but the fact that they wrote a compelling romance between Trent and Eleanor and gave Trent some damn deep character development despite him being a comedic character shows they were more than capable of writing a complex character romance for Fab. Addison is really just... kinda there, and we get no development for them at all.  Which sucks because I would like to have learned more about them! They had potential, especially as a parallel to Trent!

Nalini and Andres

Nalini and Andres were a little more out of left field... that said, Nalini clearly has a type! She likes guys whom she argues with first. I still preferred the hot doctor from Season 2, but that had less to do with Andres and more to do with the fact that I found Margot so irredeemably annoying. Still, I appreciated Andres' growth in realizing that he'd been spoiling Margot by catering to her every whim. This was itself a nice contrast to Nalini, who hurts Devi by being too hard on her.

That was especially a flaw in the early seasons, but Season 4 really showed how much Nalini has grown. She does mess up with her response to the college debacle, so her flaws are still there, but she's so much better than in Season 1. For example, Devi lashing out at her mom after she got deferred was irrational; Nalini really didn't deserve any of that, and yet Nalini still met Devi where she was at: with a chip salad, addressing her fears. It was heartwarming.

Even when Nalini then does mess up with the "stupid" comment, we know she didn't mean it in the same way Devi fears she did (that that's all she can be, rather than that yes, Devi did a dumb thing). When she comes to help Devi pack, it's genuinely heartwarming. I honestly think Nalini and Devi's relationship is one of the best in the show, if not the beating heart at the center of it.

Pati and Len

Now, Pati. Pati and Lens' relationship parallels Kamala's romantic drama--not just with Manish in Season 3, but also with Steve in Season 1. Pati is also very clearly where Devi gets her drama from, and I stan.

I also liked the parallels between Len and Pati and Ben and Devi. They are both Indian-Jewish couples, and Pati and Len's wedding of course marks a grand romance for them... and a grand romantic gesture for Ben, who arrives to tell Devi he loves her.

Kamala (and Manish)

Kamala's arc this season was good as well; I just wish we had seen more Manish than just in the finale. Still, at least Manish did have an arc in the previous season. Though, it was a nice twist to have Kamala's arc be not about romance, but about her career.

Where Art Thou?

I also missed some other side characters, like Rebecca Hall-Yoshida and Jonah.

Margot & Aneesa

The overall show was filled with callbacks to past seasons that were really well utilized, in that they showed the character's growth. Unfortunately, in one instance, this came back for the worse when they repeated one of their biggest writing mistakes from Season 2.

Devi is, simply put, absolutely not morally responsible for reporting Margot to have lied about her alibi for vandalism. Yeah, Margot ultimately didn't do it--but Devi didn't do anything wrong by reporting that. In fact, the principal should have actually done her job and checked the alibi with the teacher; it's like 101 common sense.

Clearly this is a callback to Aneesa (the episode even has Devi reclaiming the nickname "crazy Devi," which started there). However, the shame is that the writers didn't learn from how they bungled the Aneesa plotline, and they did. Here again they hold Devi responsible for something she frankly is not morally in the wrong for. The show also mentions the Aneesa incident and calls Devi "a liar and a bully" for it, but she objectively didn't lie? And frankly Aneesa bullied Devi more than Devi bullied her and was never called out for it.

While I think it's a flaw, it COULD theoretically work from a psychoanalytic theory in that really all that Devi can control is herself. She can't force others to do what she wants, even if it's unfair. And that's part of maturing is realizing that (and it's not the same thing as selfish focus). You can't control the world, even when it's unfair and even when other people are frankly wrong.

I did like more or less how Margot was resolved in the end; namely, that she was not there among Devi's friends at the end. I also liked that Aneesa did defend Devi in the final episode from someone mocking her about the Clean Sweep. It just would've matter more if Aneesa's actions had ever been addressed.

The Principal + Professor Warner

Also, while in general the show is great in its portrayal of teachers and satire of other teachers, the principal sucks and she's not actually funny. She acts like another teenager, but unlike some of the other teachers/adults who are framed well, she's framed as being more or less fine instead of with the critical lens of the others. And she isn't.

Professor Warner stands in stark contrast, because she is wise even though flawed. The principal is just... awful. I'd never liked her, but this season made me hate her.

The Therapist + Grief

Now that I've gotten my salt out of the way, let's end with a positive and a theme.

The therapist's final session with Devi in the penultimate episode--I bawled.

“When I first met you, you were a closed-off, angry little thing... But look at you. Look how far you’ve come. You faced your trauma, and you came out on the other side.” 

They used this to emphasize the show's main theme: grief. Despite how this quote makes it sound, the show doesn't actually frame grief as something to move on from. Instead, it's something that accompanies you.

Grief is like chasing a dream. Grief is part of life. It is love itself, but a painful part of it, and grief never, ever stops. You never "get over" someone's loss. You never stop loving them.

But, you learn to see them around you, and in you. In the dreams you planted together, like Devi's dad telling her about Princeton. In the loved ones you shared, like how Devi yells at her imagination of her father that he's not here, but then Nalini arrives to help her pack.

Just because someone's gone doesn't mean they stop influencing you, or stop being a part of your life.

There will always be moments of pain, like Devi in the final episode with the imagination of her dad. But, there will also be moments of feeling them again.

#nhie #never have i ever #nhie season 4 #devi vishwakumar #paxton hall yoshida #ben gross #ben x devi #bevi #bendevi #fabiola torres #eleanor wong #trent harrison #eleanor x trent #hamliet reviews #nalini vishwakumar #kamala nandiwadal #manish kulkarni #nhie finale #nhie netflix #nhie review #nhie 4

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

Do you have good recommendations of books/movies/ect that either do a particularly good job explaining certain facets of it (you mentioned Early Modern Catholicism recently, which was what got me thinking of this), or simply captures a vibe of the period in a way you think was particularly well-done?

Thanks!

Oooh like late medieval/early modern Catholicism/religious movements of the time (i.e., reformation)?

I think some of my favourites are:

Little Hours (film) - ok, so hear me out. Boccaccio would have LOVED the recent film interpretation of those stories of his (it's stories one and two from the third day, if I remember right. Been a while since I read the Decameron). It's modern in language, music, humour and incredibly pop-modern particularly. Yet the clothes and scenery etc. are all more or less of the late 14th century. Boccaccio, who wrote in the vernacular and enjoyed the bawdy and "common" entertainments of the day, would have been like "yes, you get it. you get what I'm doing" about it.

Just a fun, raunchy story of the late medieval era and it does capture some of the vibes~~.

(Story time: I got into an argument with one of the more curmudgeonly and pedantic historians I know irl and he was so against this movie and I was like "I'm sorry that you're wrong and Boccaccio's ghost is going to laugh at you but it is what it is I guess".)

Wolf Hall (book and show) - while I love the show, I recommend the books over it (for many reasons, not the least of which is: let Thomas Cromwell be fat). That said, if you're pressed for time or can't get into Hilary Mantel's writing style, the show is perfectly good.

She does a great job of capturing England in a state of change and the push pull of the early reformation. Cromwell is obviously of the Protestant persuasion but the dynamic, complicated quality of the average person's engagement with their faith and the Church is more or less captured. It's also just gorgeously written--very lush, you sink into her writing style, quite gorgeous. She also gets her historical details right, so that's a win.

(Unlike the movie Luther which is just like: Luther is always right, the Catholics are always wrong. The end.)

If you're a fan of Thomas More, he doesn't come the best in this, but you know - we are deep in an interior third person of Cromwell's brain so that informs the view of the world we are presented.

(There is a hilarious scene where Cromwell is trying to rally the troops to save More from himself and you get Cromwell, the Duke of Norfolk and a few others kneeling before Henry basically begging for mercy to be shown and it's so fucking funny. Bleak, heart breaking, but also funny.)

A Man for All Seasons (play and film) - and the famous play that Hilary Mantel is in direct conversation with! There's a good movie version of it that I was enamoured with for a time. It's very much a pro-Thomas More piece of writing, so take that for what it's worth. It does suffer a little from the Luther effect of Thomas More always being right and Cromwell and Cranmer and the others always being wrong (or, rather, Luther suffers from the A Man for All Seasons effect). But you know, it's still worth watching I think.

An Instance of the Finger Post (book) - a little later than the other pieces, this is set in the 17th century and is a great who-dunnit from three different perspectives, exploring the classic issue of an unreliable narrator. I remember feeling that it captured life in Oxford just post the Restoration quite well. Also we get some fun cameos from Locke, Boyle and others who were bopping around at that time. Two of the narrators are also known figures from Oxford in the 1660s.

Lent (book) - So, my main man Marsilio Ficino wrote that famous letter to the college of cardinals after Savonarola was executed describing Savonarola as a demon who didn't know he was a demon. Jo Walsh took that concept and ran.

Basically, we follow Savonarola (who is a demon that, at first, didn't realize he was a demon) as he gets stuck in this time loop where he has to keep reliving the last five(ish) years of his life until he manages to free himself from hell. It's like Ground Hog Day but in 15th century Florence.

I have questions around the mechanisms and theological implications of like...his birth, his childhood etc. but you know, don't let that ruin a fun read.

I will say, Lent is a sloooooow start. Like. very slow. I almost set it down and didn't pick it back up at first. It really hits its stride about halfway through. But, it's a fun look at 1480s and 90s Florence with Ficino, Mirandola, Poliziano, Lorenzo de' Medici for a hot minute before he dies etc.

My beef is 1: Piero Soderini, my boy, she did you dirty (tbf to Walsh, the book is from Savonarola's perspective and he and Soderini were not close, shall we say. I may, or may not be, biased); 2: Marsilio is present and we love that but there is no word on Cavalcanti. Not even mentioned in passing!; 3: some of the exposition is heavy handed and could have used some tightening up etc.; 4: Jo Walsh's use of the English for words like Prior etc. which she explains her motive for at the back of the book. I've still got quibbles with that choice, though I know that's a me-thing.

But if you want a novel that is a decent look at every day Catholicism in the early modern period, this is a good one.

Le Moine et la Sorcière (The Sorceress) (film) - a medieval French film from the 1980s that takes place in the 13th century and follows the arrival of a Dominican friar in a small southern French town investigating rumours of a sorceress. It's a delightfully weird piece that plays with the story of St. Guinefort (the dog saint!) as well as medieval faith healing and other local synchronistic practices that carried over from pre-Christianized France.

The whole exploration of local sainthood, where a figure is not formally determined to be a saint by the Church but local people venerate them and eventually they sort of are absorbed into the canon, is fantastic.

The friar, Etienne, is wonderfully drawn as a character. I do wish they had given the same treatment to Elda, the titular "sorceress". But it's still worth a watch if you can get your hands on it.

Name of the Rose (book and film) - an Umberto Eco classic! Another who-dunnit, but in a Medieval monastery in the 14th century. Absolutely worth reading - beautifully and intelligently written. Lots of back and forth on the different religious thoughts and movements of the time (some deemed heretical, others more just fringe things people were into).

William of Baskerville is the main detective figure but the story is told from the point of view of his acolyte Adso. It's got lots of gothic feeling to it with an isolated monastery, a labyrnthian library, murder, madness, sexual tensions and so on.

This is one of my favourite books (up there with Wolf Hall and Kate Zambreno's Heriones).

There is a movie version with Sean Connery and it's fun to watch but really, the book is worth it. 110% worth it.

Other good films/plays that I can think of off the top of my head (they're all more medieval but w/e):

Seventh Seal (film)

Becket (film and play)

Lion in Winter (film and play)

I hope this answers your question? (I mostly hope I got the time period roughly right! I know I veered heavily in medieval in some of the rec's but they're all gold and worth the time.)

Thank you so much for the ask! <3 <3

#ask #reply #film #books #recommendations #medieval #early modern #name of the rose #wolf hall #lent #a man for all seasons #an instance of the finger post #little hours #book recs #film recs