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closingwaters · 7 months

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TIMING: A few days ago

PARTIES: @plunderwater @closingwaters

SUMMARY: Upon hearing that a nereid had her magic stolen, Teagan sets out to find the culprit, leading her to Aika (Shan). The two banter, threats are thrown around, but the two come to a mutually beneficial agreement.

WARNINGS: None

For the longest time, Shan wondered why they called it the Drowned Ship Gardens. It looked more like a graveyard to the transformed selkie, not anything resembling a garden. Her first swim down there led to an…interesting encounter with its self-proclaimed guardian, one that Shan had never pursued again. Succeeding swims became much more creative, finding ways to get in and around the place without the annoying singer’s notice. Or maybe Cordelia has always seen her, just not cared enough to pick a fight with a “harmless” seal.

The last time Shan had been in the area, however, a young ocean nymph tried to upset her. She knew the nymph was young because the latter didn’t seem to know what Shan was. Or maybe she did, just not convinced she was something to be feared. Days after that interaction, the selkie turned the nymph into a willing accomplice, a ‘friend,’ so to speak. Until of course the selkie’s need to recharge her pelt outweighed the ‘friendship’ of the nymph.

“There went my ticket to the Gardens,” Shan heaved a sigh as she took a sip of her tea on the balcony of the Codfather. Pays to be related to one of its owners. The sudden trip down recent memory lane made her feel sad, more than the fact that she had stolen an innocent nymph’s magic for her own selfish reasons. “Cordelia would most likely have my head if I showed it around those parts right now… Might need to lay low for a while. Shame.”

Teagan made a point to visit the ocean after meeting Marina. Even with the beautiful nereid gone, it was easy to slip onto the beach and appreciate the ocean’s beauty. She’d even hover her hand over the water just enough to feel a soft hum. Ever so faint due to the salt within it, or so she thought. For all Teagan knew, the sensation was in her head, knowing that the ocean was not her element. She could do nothing for it besides support her fellow nymphs.

That was what she set out to do that day, really. Down the pipeline, what fae the nix knew spoke of a selkie that had stolen her cousin’s magic. It was a distasteful act, one that required swift justice to be dealt out, and Teagan was determined to ensure that happened. “I’m looking for a woman named Aika, have you seen her?” She smiled sweetly at the hostess, who looked incredibly perplexed and suspicious. “Oh my, sorry–a bit distracted by your hair. It’s gorgeous…” She looked at the badge, “Kathy!” The employee’s brows rose with bashful surprise, and she smiled back finally. “Thank you…”

Perfect, Teagan was excited to see that it was so easy to get a small bind. “I’ll take that gratitude and would like appreciation shown by you taking me to Aika’s table. I heard she was here.” Kathy’s eyes went blank with obedience, and Teagan was quickly led the nix to a woman who matched the poor nereid's description. Except, she left out the fact that Aika was absolutely gorgeous. “Leave us,” She waved Kathy off and slipped into a seat at Aika’s table. Her stare was intense and ready, blue and brown searing into the selkie.

“Hear ya like to steal magic?”

As someone who has to take magic from spellcasters and especially the fae, Shan has developed a contingency to ensure her real name wouldn’t be a vulnerability. Years of dealing with the delicious tricksters only strengthened her own personal belief that words have power, and a person’s name can be used as a weapon. That’s why she has taken great effort into developing alternate identities, using different names. These also help with the less interesting laws of boring humans — Lin Ye Shan may never be able to step foot in Macau again, but Aika Chan would have no problem swindling old rich men with terrible gambling habits and an even terrible string of bad luck.

“Hm?” With eyes narrowed in suspicion, Shan turned to face the stranger Katarina had brought to her. What a betrayal. Katarina, now Kathy, had sought Shan, then Zhenchen, for help escaping her very small and very weird village in Eastern Europe. If it wasn’t for Zhenchen, actually Shan, Kathyrina wouldn’t have made a less weird and definitely much safer life in Wicked’s Rest as a part-time hostess at Shan’s relative’s swanky restaurant, the Codfather. And now she does this? Kitty Kat may end up losing her job if she keeps this up, and even this life, considering she has no more useful secrets to share. “And who might you be?”

Shan had to give credit where credit was due, though. At least the stranger the hostess brought to her was beautiful. She wasn’t the first pretty face with heterochromia the selkie has ever met, and bedded, but she was definitely in her own category. “Is that a pick-up line?” she purred, leaning forward to take in the other woman’s scent and features, all while playfully smirking at her. “But since you’re easy on the eyes, I’ll bite — What do you mean by that, hm?”

Pretty and witty, a deadly combination for the nix who had a particular fondness for the type. It was one of the many reasons Arden was so easy to drink up, and now Teagan was greedy for every glass the woman offered. “Ah…” Her lips curled into a smile, gaze turning dark as she moved past the flirtations. She couldn’t get distracted. “Believe me, lass…” Teagan leaned in, intensely. “You’d know if I was flirting. We’d already be in my bed if I was.”

Something shone in Teagan’s eyes, foreboding and twisted. Pretty as Aika was, she’d hurt a cousin. That’s not something she could stand for, her dedication to her kind deeply rooted. “I’m Teagan.” Her gaze remained strong, expression dead. “Hope that bite’s strong because if you’re the one who took a poor nereid’s magic, then we’re about to have a bit of an altercation.” Scrunching her nose platfully, Teagan shrugged and shivered with anger so strong that it spilled over into appearing like glee. “Do you get what I mean now?”

“Well,” Shan raised an eyebrow, just as intrigued as she was impressed. “Aren’t you confident?” The selkie would be lying if she didn’t admit to herself she was fond of confident people. That and she was a sight for sore eyes. Especially with those eyes. Quite a delicious combination. Dangerous. Dark. Two things that almost always drew her in. Like a hungry seal to some free fish. Although Shan wasn’t quite sure if she was that hungry, and if this fish was even free.

“Teagan, hmm?” Shan tried to remember if she had anything on anyone named Teagan but nothing came to her at that moment in time. “I do like my tea, but I’m not sure what you’re talking about…” Discreetly, she looked around to see if there were any other eavesdroppers, using another sip of her drink as cover, before grinning when she realized there was none. Heaving an annoyed sigh, which was followed immediately by an unintentional yawn, she turned her attention to the view. “...so let me try to make sense of all this — someone took a…nereid’s magic, you think it’s me, and now you’re here to avenge your…sibling’s misfortune?”

Teagan’s smile curled wickedly while she watched Shan’s expression turn into one of surprise. “Of course. Every scar is a lesson, and let me tell you,” She steepled her fingers, tapping them together. “I’ve learned much. Too much. So yes, I’m confident.” People rarely expected someone who looked like her to have confidence in that particular manner. Flirting? Sure, she had the looks for it. But confidence in the ability to exact violence and hold her own in a fight? Hardly anyone expected that from Teagan, and it was one of her favorite pastimes to prove them wrong.

“Lying is such a human thing, Aika. It’s pathetic and weak. Not even my human resorts to such a thing.” Well, as far as she knew, at least. Teagan was confident though, fully believing Arden to use honesty with her, where it counted the most. When it comes to emotions or issues of the heart, Teagan was even confident there. Which was more than most could say. More than she could say, even. But that was different. She wasn’t hiding to preserve herself, she was doing it to protect Arden.

“I’m here to avenge my cousin.” Teagan began, rubbing her temples while she relayed what she’d learned. “We fae are closely knit, so as soon as I heard that a nereid had lost her magic, I immediately thought…hunter.” She giggled, genuinely happy she didn’t have to deal with that flavor of rage. Keeping her composure was important, and had Aika been a hunter, blood would have surely already painted the area. “But no, she said a woman named Aika did that to her. And lo and behold, your name is Aika.” Releasing part of the illusion, Teagan presented her claws, flexing them and digging them into the table. “So quit dilly-dallying.”

Shan grimaced at the idea of getting scars anywhere on her perfect skin. If she could, she would always avoid them, and she usually did, but she wasn’t delusional. Sooner or later, one of her…adventures was going to give her a bad one, but that was what the spellcasters she spared were for. Glamorous and all that. Like the one on her teeth right now. “Wouldn’t it be so that if you get more than one scar, then that means you never learned the lesson from the first one?” Semantics. Nothing but. But Shan did enjoy the game of words more than the game of fists.

“A human thing…” Shan purred, downplaying the gravity of the tense situation. She feigned wonder, confusion, as she heaved a sigh and leaned back on her chair, appearing way too comfortable for a woman who was being confronted by a vengeful fae. Then again, story of her life. What sin did she commit in her past life to have such a terrible pelt, she knew she’d never find out in this one. She wasn’t even sure she’d survive to the end, to see her pelt fixed and no longer in need of a desperate fix every so often, more times than she could relax, uninterrupted by vengeful sons and daughters, siblings, and now apparently cousins.

“Humans barely craft the lie. In my experience, the fae are so much better at it than them,” she gestured toward Teagan’s claws, implying the use of illusions as a lie, a notion that Shan wholeheartedly agrees with, using a glamour herself to play with the boring mammals on land. “I doubt your…cousin would’ve survived to tell the tale if I was a hunter. Those folks are uninspired, killing for the sake of killing…” She heaved another sigh, lamenting the many lost fae lives that could’ve recharged her pelt with little to minimal death. “What a waste!”

“If you want the truth,” Shan prepared the lie. “...I am truly sorry that your cousin had to lose her…magic.” The selkie cared about no other lives than hers. If her pelt wasn’t such a malfunctioning piece of work, maybe she’d have the privilege to care about strangers. As it stood, she wouldn’t get any close to that if she died right then and there. “But we were deep in those cold waters, and if I didn’t…‘borrow’ her magic, I would’ve frozen to death. Worse? The panic would’ve ended her, too.” A truth, though any mention of her vulnerable pelt was omitted to ensure her own survival. “I would’ve apologized to her in person but…I feared I’d drown if I returned to her.”

“Never said what type of lesson.” Her eyes went dark, expression reflecting everything she’d seen, how the wars had marked her. “Learned how to handle pain, and inflict it tenfold. Make theirs worse. The kind they couldn’t heal because, you know, you can’t heal when you’re dead.” A smile, a big one, that didn’t quite reach Teagan’s eyes, spread across her lips, an expression far darker than it was before. Aika was good at words, but her skill was no match for the nix. She was nothing compared to the skill of a fae.

Taking a deep breath, the smile disappeared, catching Aika’s insinuation. A fair one, if Teagan were honest with herself. She seldom was, but this wasn’t a matter of the darkness in her heart. This was her nature, her very appearance. She wouldn’t stand for it. “Another form, dear. Both me. Both beautiful.” Her claws lengthened the marks on the table, and Teagan was about to throw the table aside and make her attack, but Aika’s explanation gave her pause. A creature of water herself, it seemed. Hunted as well. Teagan sighed, irked that she understood what Aika had to do. That didn’t mean she had to like it, though.

“I know you’re not sorry.” She began, her hands returning to flesh. “Survival of your nature is rarely met with guilt. I can accept that. But…” Teagan rose from her seat, kneeling next to Aika to show her she could be reasoned with. Maybe Aika wasn’t fae, but she was of the water. A deal could be made. “Perhaps we can have something arranged?” Searching the woman’s eyes, Teagan’s own began to have light once again, compassion blooming. “I’ll find you a caster and you give her back her magic. Take the caster’s instead, and everything will be forgiven. Maybe…” She paused, looking Aika up and down to return the looks she’d given Teagan. “Maybe even rewarded.”

Shan paused, frowning. There was nothing else she could do when her eyes met Teagan’s. The selkie was adept at bending words to suit her favor, more than happy to profit from her silver tongue, but there was much to be said for the fae’s expertise at the field. It was like comparing a werewolf to a kitsune or a vampire to a zombie. Either way, she realized as she stole a glimpse of the restaurant’s interior, she’d rather not risk losing a very useful tool in her machinations, present and future. “Dead can be final,” she muttered as she took another sip of her tea, eyes glued on the dangerous individual in front of her. “...for some of us.”

Shan watched Teagan’s claws violate the wood of the table. What was it again? Fall collection, IKEA? She felt the tension rise, as if the other woman was about to cause a very violent scene, but remained calm. Shan was quick. She was fast. Very agile, but only because she wasn’t physically strong, especially not in a fight, not in those close quarters. The selkie had already braced herself to move when Teagan relaxed, withdrawing her, well, weaponry. “Something?” She raised an eyebrow, curious at the proposition, more so at the propositioner. The edge of her lips slowly curled into a smile. She liked that idea. All of it.

“Maybe… But what kind of reward?” The selkie bit her lower lip, already knowing the implication. Still, she would like it more if she heard the words from her mouth. There was no declining the offer on her side obviously. Shan would prefer not making an enemy of the nix. It would be a shame for all this to end in physicality, especially outside of bed.

Teagan enjoyed the way Aika began to falter, the fight in her recoiling as she realized she had met her match. It was a satisfying sight, but there were other matters to focus on. She smiled, a little warmer that go-around. “Something, yes.” Teagan nodded slowly, leaning in and slowly tracing Aika’s jawline with her index finger.

She watched as the woman bit her lip, the action alone enough to be a sign of agreement. But, as deals go, Teagan figured she should at least elaborate on the final details before she took anything in finality. There was more fun to be had, and she didn’t need trickery to get there.

“The kind of reward that messes up the bed, Aika.” With a boop to Aika’s nose, Teagan giggled and scrunched her nose playfully. “Now, we’ve got a deal, eh?” To seal it, the nix closed the distance between their lips, kissing Aika firmly for a few beats before pulling away with a grin. “But don’t get any ideas and don’t fall in love with me. Someone’s already got me…what’s the saying?” She tapped her chin, clapping her hands together when she found the answer. “Ah yes. Wrapped around their beautiful finger.”

#wickedswriting #writings #waving words #enticing deals #shan and teagan #c: shan

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fourseasonsfigs · 1 year

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Bright Boy - New Year's JZEU Series (3)

It's been a while since I last posted about figs from this series, so I'm here to change that! I've been saving them up in order to have a good run of posts on them, and now it's time. We're kicking it off with the next one in the series - Zhang Zhehan as the young Lin Shu from Nirvana in Fire.

The inspiration for this fig are these pictures:

He looks absolutely gorgeous in this picture - resolute and noble and stunning. My goodness. I know Zhehan said actors must look beautiful in guzhuang, and he does.

Here's a behind the scenes pic Zhehan posted to his Weibo back in the day.

It turns out I really love battle-worn warrior figs. There's just something about their resolute bloody faces together with their miniature weapons that makes them a must have.

And it turns out I'm not the only one! There have been some truly incredible sweeping epics in photo form of this fig together with tomorrow's equally worn warrior. Drama! Tension! Romance! Battlefield betrayals! Battlefield rescues!

Incredible.

There was a photo shoot that featured a mini castle with these figs manning the battlements, which, dear reader, was obviously also a must have! You can see it in my header pic, but please look forward to future epic photo shoots whenever I find the time.

In the meantime, every army starts with one warrior, and this is ours.

As perfect as this little man is (and he IS), he's taken so much damage from the fight that he can't stay on his feet all that well. He kept falling backwards when taking this picture. I'd be wobbly too with all that blood loss!

His sword is one piece - it's not removable at all. He has it firmly in hand until he needs it.

Note his little ear mole! I love this angle for his extremely resolute appearance. This noble warrior has some really beautiful armor- just look at this detail.

The back of this fig is so interesting with the chain mail on his helmet and his horse hair helmet. And of course, his cloak blowing in the winds of war.

Speaking of his cape, I like the billowing motion from the side and the fact it's slightly longer in back.

Another firm and resolute look. He's clenching his little fist at his side!

His costume is just outstanding. I like how we can see the robe under his armor here.

Speaking of underclothes, you can see more details of his boots and his pants under the robe. This is also a good angle to see some of the texture on his armor.

The top of his noble head and helmet. Love the detail.

And one more shot from above!

An extreme closeup so you can see all the detail of his armor and his beautiful face.

This seller always very helpfully puts her inspiration for each fig directly on the card.

This box art is gorgeous. I need to get a valiant horse just like that one for our Lin Shu.

Material: PVC

Fig Count: 255

Scene Count: 19

Rating: The brightest boy in Jin Ling City

[link back to Master Fig Index for more posts]

#jzeu #zhang zhehan #word of honor cast #woh cast #shl cast #nirvana in fire #figthusiast

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backtothestart02 · 2 years

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The Right Brand of Luck - 1/1 | westallen fanfiction

A/N: Mini break before the next installment of Mixed Drink. Enjoy.

...

Synopsis: College!AU - Iris had her eyes set on the star baseball player, until fumbling, uncoordinated number six Barry Allen walked into her line of vision.

...

Iris stepped onto the steel bleachers and made her way across the wide, nearly empty expanse until she was near the dugout for the home team. The players were currently mid-field with their coach, likely getting some last-minute pep talk before the opposing team arrived.

“I still don’t see why you wanted to watch the game,” Linda said, taking a seat beside her and already fanning herself with her hand as the humidity started to take effect. “You hate sports.”

Iris shot her a look.

“You know why, Lin. Don’t pretend you don’t.”

It took her a few seconds, and then-

“Wait, this is about Mark?”

“Mhmm.” Iris nodded, grinning, as she spotted him in the huddle from afar and zeroed her gaze in on his voluptuous ass.

“Iris, honey, you know he has a girlfriend.” She put her hand on her best friend’s arm, lowering her voice.

“Yeah, so what? He’s easy on the eyes. If everyone else is going to be lusting after him, so can I.”

“Alright, just so you know tha-”

“I mean, just look at those full globes he has there…I could just, I could squeeze ‘em!” She clenched her fingers together, making Linda’s jaw drop.

Iris caught her stare and rolled her eyes.

“His eyes aren’t bad either…and those full lips, mm!”

Linda laughed.

“You’re terrible.”

“I’m horny, and he’s gorgeous. Those are the only facts I know.”

Linda shook her head but made no further attempt to dissuade Iris from her drooling. Before they knew it, the team had broken apart and were practicing some pitching and catching just as a bus drove up with the opposing team.

While Linda’s gaze moved towards the new arrivals, Iris’ gaze was drawn to a scrawny-looking player on the field who approached the coach – and, when she counted, with him included it was an odd number of players.

“Hey, Lin, Lin!” She nudged her side with her elbow until she got her attention. “Who’s that one? Number 6?”

Linda focused, and instantly recognized the figure in question.

“Oh, that’s Barry Allen. Coach’s kid. Total flop. I don’t think he’s been in a single game all season, except when he had to be for reasons, I suppose. Mrs. Allen definitely had to pull some strings to get him even on the team.”

Iris frowned.

“He’s that bad?”

Linda nodded gravely.

“He can’t catch a ball, he swings and misses, his run is terrible, more like a slow jog. It’s an embarrassment when he steps up to the plate honestly.”

Iris felt strangely defensive on his behalf.

“That’s kind of…mean, Linda. And how do you know all this anyway?”

Linda was taken aback a bit, but she supposed her friend had a point.

“They film these games and show them in the rec rooms and the gym. The games are always on when I’m in there. I do like sports, remember?”

“Yes, of course.”

Iris nibbled on her bottom lip, unable to take her eyes off this Barry Allen. He had no ass and no muscle period from what she could tell. Plus, Linda was right – he did move kind of awkwardly even when he wasn’t running. He was definitely not made for baseball. Maybe a science or a chess club.

And yet…

“Do you think he’s asking to be put on the bench?” Iris asked.

Linda shook her head.

“I’ve been to a couple other games in person, and I was close enough to the dugout to hear him complain.”

“Complain? About what?”

“He wants third base.”

Iris’ eyes bulged.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. He’s pretty much oblivious to how bad he is.”

“Oh, my god. Poor baby.”

Linda turned to her, amused.

“Poor baby?”

Iris avoided her prying eyes.

“Well, you have to feel bad for the guy. He must love the sport if he’s always asking for a position he clearly doesn’t thrive in.”

“He doesn’t thrive in any position.”

“Maybe he just hasn’t had the right cheerleader to get him in the zone yet.”

A smirk tugged on Linda’s lips.

“I thought you were here for the star player, not the underdog,” she teased.

“I-I am here for Mark,” she stuttered. “Did you not just hear me lusting over him?”

“You’re blushing.”

“I am not blushing! You couldn’t even see if I was anyway. My skin’s too dark.”

“Tell me, Iris.” Linda propped her chin in her hand and leaned toward her friend. “If I felt your cheeks right now, would they be hot or…room temperature?”

Flustered, Iris looked away.

“We’re outside where it’s hot and muggy, so obviously they’d be hot for that reason alone.”

“Uh-huh. He’s single, you know.”

“I don’t care if he’s- Oh, shut up. The other team’s heading in now. It must be about to start.”

Linda laughed, but Iris was right about one thing. The countdown to the game starting was on its way. The new players poured onto the field to warm up as the home team went into the dugout. More and more people filled the bleachers too to the point where it was almost stifling moving in any which way because the benches were so packed.

Iris was glad they were near the end of an aisle for easy exit when the game was over, and if she decided to bail early. She suddenly wasn’t interested at all in watching Mark run from base to base or hit some home runs. Like Linda had said, he had a girlfriend, so no action was coming from that corner any time soon.

But Barry…

No. Stop it, Iris. He’s totally not your type.

But, gnawing on her bottom lip again, she found her eyes drifting to number six on the bench, and when he took his hat off and reached for a water bottle to down some of the beverage, she saw his adam’s apple bob, and then it was all over for her.

His brown hair was wavy and sweaty as he ran his fingers through it. She was suddenly very jealous of those fingers that looked particularly long from this angle, and she wondered if they had any experience-

“Iris!”

Linda nudged her.

“Huh? What?”

Linda grinned, popping some popcorn into her mouth that she’d apparently gone to buy without Iris’ knowledge.

“They’re starting.”

“Oh.” She cleared her throat. “Right.”

“Want some?” she offered.

“No, I’m uh…I’m good.”

Then, to Iris’ astonishment, after the pledge of allegiance was finished, number six himself went to stand near the pitcher’s mound where a microphone was placed. The pep band began to play the national anthem, and on cue, Barry Allen opened his mouth and sang.

“Guess he’s good for one thing,” Linda murmured under her breath, but Iris wasn’t listening.

She was one hundred percent focused on the man before all of them. For what he lacked in playing, he delivered in music. He belted that song as if he’d had music lessons all his life and excelled at them. His hair waved in the wind, the light breeze that had started to brush across the land, and Iris unconsciously started to fan herself.

No teasing came from Linda this time, but when they sat down, she dug through her little purse for her make-up bag and reapplied her lipstick, pursing her lips in the small mirror she’d brought with her.

“Don’t tell me this is all for Allen?” Linda asked, astonished.

“He may have no ass, and he may not have any mad skills on the ball field, but that boy can sing, and his face isn’t too bad to look at either.”

“I can’t believe this.”

“I need to meet him.” She started to get up.

“Wait, Iris. I was joking before, okay? Joking! You can’t really be serious about this.”

“Deadly.”

Linda tugged on her arm before she got too far away.

“Okay, well, just…wait until they’ve done a few innings, yeah? You can’t just barge into the dugout, Iris. That’s not how it works.”

Iris considered that, then shook her head.

“Iris.”

“Watch me.”

She started down the stairs, trying to collect herself and figure out what exactly she was going to say. Maybe she should go buy a water, so he’d have one when he was finished with the one he was downing before even playing.

No, that was silly. Obviously, they’d have more waters for their players in the dugout. Probably in a cooler of some sort.

Dare she just give him her number? She didn’t even have something to write on. She paused at the bottom of the bleachers when her shoes hit the dirt and dug around in her purse. She found a pen but no paper.

Taking a deep breath, she walked closer and closer to the dugout, her heart pounding a million miles a second with every step she took.

Was she crazy to do this? He was nothing to her twenty minutes ago, and now all of a sudden…?

“Barry Allen!”

He didn’t hear her. There was too much cheering, and the announcers talking over even that with their need to narrate what was happening on the field. Iris hated that suddenly.

“Number six!”

He whipped his head around, looking for who had called him, and then their eyes locked. Iris swallowed hard and approached the fence.

“Hi,” she said, curling her fingers around the openings in the fence.

“Hi.” He waved pathetically. She thought it was adorable.

“You’re a really amazing singer,” she shouted over the crowds, and he visibly blushed, making heat surface in her neck and cheeks as well. “I wonder if I could…?” She held up her pen.

His eyes widened.

“You want my autograph?”

“Not exactly.”

She gestured for him to step just outside the dugout. He was so tall! In her sneakers she was practically a midget next to him It would’ve been alarming if his eyes hadn’t been such a deep green, and his hair, she was itching to touch it!

“Well?”

She blinked.

“Oh, right. Your hand?”

He frowned but extended it to her, and she took it in her own. She was trembling now, her heart racing, but she scribbled her number onto his palm. His eyes went wide again once he realized what she was doing.

“What if I sweat it off?” he asked, looking scared to death at that possibility.

Iris’ lips parted. She didn’t want to tell him how unlikely that was, given he’d probably be on the field for minimal playing time during the game.

“I’ll wait for you when they game’s over.”

His adam’s apple bobbed, and she felt her knees go weak.

“You’ll… You’ll wait for me?”

Iris blushed, ducking her head down briefly.

“To write my number again, if it’s been sweated away.”

“Okay,” he said, astonished and smiling like a fool.

Iris couldn’t stop smiling either, and to seal her lips back together, she pulled on his shoulder so he’d lean down to her, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“I’ll see you later, Barry.”

She started walking away when all of a sudden, he panicked, even as his hand brushed the lipstick stain she’d left on his skin.

“Wait! I don’t even know your name!”

She spun around, grinning still.

“It’s Iris!”

“Iris,” he said faintly, so soft no one could hear him, but Iris saw his mouth forming the word. She couldn’t take her eyes off it until eventually he turned away to go sit back down in the dugout, and she made her way back to her seat.

“Well, you certainly made an impression,” Linda said, having gone from shocked to amused watching the whole transaction.

“Hmm?”

“Next up to the plate, we have number six!” An announcer said, cutting Linda off.

“Yes, that’s Barry Allen!” A second announcer said. “He hasn’t had much luck this season, but looks like he might’ve gotten a stroke of luck in the dugout just now. You see that uh…mark on his cheek?”

“That looks like some lipstick.”

Iris covered her mouth, horrified.

“Oh, no. I’ve embarrassed him.”

But Barry turned around briefly to find her in the crowd and grinned, blowing her a kiss.

“Whoo-ie!” The first announcer shouted. “Looks like we’re seeing young love unfold right before our eyes.”

Barry winked, adjusted his helmet and looked the pitcher square in the eyes. He gripped the bat, watched the ball as it tore threw the air, and then wham!

A cling sounded as his metal bat hit the ball and sent it soaring into the outfield.

Shocked beyond belief, it took him a second before his fellow teammates shouting at him to run kicked in, but when it did, he ran. Faster than he ever had in his life. He ran from one base to the next. For some reason the outfielders on the other team kept scrambling to catch the ball, and by the time they had it soaring to the pitcher, Barry Allen had slid across home plate.

“Aaaand it’s safe!”

But that wasn’t all. Barry kept going. He ran off the field, up the bleachers and straight for Iris, heaving when he got to her he was still trying to catch his breath.

Everyone went silent.

“Iris,” he said, revealing his hand to her and the numbers that were probably half on the metal bat at this point. “I think it’s smudged. Will you go out with me?”

She smiled slowly and yanked him down by the collar of his shirt.

“Yes,” she whispered, and sealed the promise with a steamy kiss.

The crowd cheered wildly, everyone grinning from ear to ear, even the announcers had something to say about it.

“I was told you weren’t a good player,” she admitted when they pulled apart.

“I’m not usually,” he said, on a laugh. “Something must be different with you.”

She smiled, butterflies exploding inside her and started to lean in for another kiss when collectively the announcers and the home team as a whole urged him back to the dugout.

“I’ll wait for you,” she said, laughing. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He grinned and made his way back to his team.

Iris took her seat back beside Linda, and Linda could only shake her head in awe.

“Well, that’s one way to get yourself a boyfriend.”

Iris blushed unashamedly this time, and Linda looped her arm through Iris’, happy for her.

When the game was over, Iris waited until Barry was free and went down to meet him. There he introduced her to his mother – the coach – by way of saying he wouldn’t be going with the team for their usual celebratory dinner, and they all understood.

Iris gave a nod to Linda who also understood and waved, texting later that she wouldn’t wait up for her in their dorm room.

As the sun started to set, Barry and Iris stood before it, holding hands and staring into each other’s eyes.

“What next?” Iris asked, after she’d put her number into his phone, and he’d returned the favor.

“The whole world?”

It was cheesy, and she knew it, but she felt as though she’d been lifted right off her feet, like she was floating on cloud nine. She couldn’t explain it, and she didn’t bother trying.

“Why don’t we start with ice cream,” she suggested, and he smiled slowly, leaning down for another kiss.

“Why don’t we start with this?”

Iris wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all her might, dizzy with lust and the crush of a lifetime as he kissed her back. This would be one night she’d never forget.

#westallen #westallen fanfiction #backtothestart02 fanfiction #the right brand of luck #one-shot #college au

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mrsalwayswrite · 3 years

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Sinners and Saints (Sihtric x reader)

Summary: One day you stumble upon your childhood friend, Osferth, whom you have not seen in years. Yet the more time you spend with him, the more you find yourself drawn to his companion, Sihtric….and the butterflies his dark eyes give you.

This is my contribution to @emilyhufflepufftlk 100 followers challenge! Congratulations again! I’m so happy for you!

My prompt was - "Love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints." - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton (in bold within the story)

Words: 5500

Warnings: A couple of swear words, fluff, my poor attempts at humor, Osferth being a good bro.

Tag List: @deans-ch-ch-cherrypie @flowers-in-your-hayr

This gorgeous moodboard was made by @flowers-in-your-hayr. All credit goes to her!

"...so there she was, aye, and next thing I know, she flips 'er dress up and I see the most perfect set of…."

"I'm going to be sick." Osferth mumbled to himself, trying to block out Finan's retelling of his prior night. To the laughter of his companions, he started to push away from the outdoor table at the alehouse. He was no virgin anymore, Finan and Uhtred had seen to that, but he still felt squeamish when listening to their stories of recent conquests. His mother's voice whispered in the back of his mind, things she had told him before her passing, about respect and love. Plus, he could not help but think that this idea of conquests, of women's worth derived from what pleasure a man could take from their bodies, was what brought bastards into this world….like him.

"Alright, Finan, we get it. You saw the arse of a goat and couldn't help yourself." Uhtred teased, slinging an arm around Osferth so he could not escape them- most likely to find a church and pray for their souls.

"Oi, lord! Ya know that was one time!" Finan feigned mock-outrage, making Uhtred and Sihtric laugh.

Osferth put a hand over his eyes as if that would somehow block the image from his mind. Something he desperately did not want there.

"How much longer are we here, lord?" Sihtric asked, changing the subject, while twirling a dagger between his hands fluidly.

Although Osferth would never admit it aloud, and God forgive him, it was hard not to be jealous of how easily his companions handled their weapons like they had been born with weapons in hand. They continued to tell him it was practice. Recently though, he decided it was a gift that he clearly did not have.

"Until I feel satisfied with the training of Lord Godwin's fyrd and his defenses." Uhtred stated indifferently, as if it was something he had to repeat to himself often.

"Ya think King Alfred knew how much of a horse's arse Lord Godwin is?"

Uhtred glanced up, a tiny smirk on his lips. "Probably."

"But he knew you were the man for the job." Osferth commented. Not necessarily to defend his father but to hopefully bolster Uhtred's confidence. "The men respect you, even if their lord fails to acknowledge his own respect."

"The baby monk is right." Finan said. "What else needs to be done for the town?"

Uhtred and Finan began discussing ideas and strategies, Sihtric adding an occasional comment but mostly just listening.

Osferth found his attention wandering, since this was an area outside of his expertise. His gaze drifted to the town and its residents who moved about to complete their duties under the midday sun. Their group had only been in this large town for two days and already Osferth was keen to return to Coccham.

From amidst the crowd, a familiar face caught his attention. The world tilted off its axis as his entire body went rigid, all his focus zeroed in on her. His heart hammered in his chest and the air whooshed from his lungs painfully.

"Y/n?" He muttered to himself, disbelief and shock clearly painted in his tone and on his face.

"Baby monk, ya alright?"

Finan's words did even register, so consumed by the ghost before him. Rapidly, he slid off the bench, almost losing his footing when he went to stand, but pressed on, hurrying towards her.

"Y/n!" He called, an almost desperate tone in his yell.

When she did not turn around, he shouted louder. "Y/N!"

That time she paused, then slowly turned to find him standing still amongst those walking around him, a solid rock in a stream of people. He held his breath as he intently watched her expression, suddenly worried seeing him would not be as meaningful as he hoped. He could see her utter his name silently, eyes wide. Then in the next moment, she dropped the basket on her hip and ran towards him. He opened his arms just in time for her to collide with him, and with her embrace, a painful wave of nostalgia and guilt crashed over him with the strength of a tempest.

"It's really you." She finally whispered, peering at him in awe.

"Hi." He smiled, his own shock clouding his mind from forming coherent sentences.

Then to his surprise, she reared back and punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" He whined, rubbing the offended limb.

Throwing her hands in the air, they landed on her hips as her voice rose in anger. "For disappearing in the middle of the night without telling me!"

"I did tell you."

"That you were THINKING about leaving, not that you WERE leaving!" She reared back and punched him in the arm again, ignoring his pained cry as she continued to berate him. "I spent an entire day running around the monastery trying to find you only for Father Harold to finally pull me aside and tell me you left for Wincheaster."

And there was the heaping of guilt he knew he deserved. "I'm sorry….I just….I just knew if I didn't leave that night, then I never would."

Her face softened at his quiet admission, understanding passing in her eyes. "I know. I wasn't truly surprised…. Just wish you'd have told me before."

"I'm sorry."

She sighed, all anger and frustration disappearing, much to his relief. She was a force to be reckoned with when truly in her fury. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Ah, traveled here with the Lord Uhtred to assist Lord Godwin in his defenses….or something."

"Uhtred? That Uhtred?"

He smiled at her, catching the reverence in her tone. "That very one."

"How did you find him? How did you join him? Wait! Are you a warrior now? We have a lot to talk about and you better get started." There went the hands on her hips again, making his smile widen at the image. Even as a young girl, when her hands were on her hips, you knew she meant business.

"Would you like to meet him first?"

A shy look passed over her face that he was unused to seeing. "I'm…. I'm not presentable to meet a lord."

He scanned her, noting the dried mud on the hem of her dress and shoes, the small smear of what looked like flour on her left temple. What he noticed most was how the years had made her even more beautiful. She had always been a pretty girl but now, she truly looked like a beautiful woman. A fact he was unsure of how to feel about.

He chuckled lightly after a moment. "Well, you certainly smell better than Lord Uhtred so I think it's fine."

That caused her to tip her head back and laugh loudly, the desired effect of his comment. She gathered up her basket and walked next to Osferth, back to the table where his companions were. It was impossible to ignore their curious stares as they approached.

"Lord Uhtred, may I introduce y/n. Y/n, this is Lord Uhtred of Bebbanburg." Osferth said, standing next to her at the end of the table.

Uhtred nodded graciously, clearly wondering why this woman mattered and why Osferth was introducing her.

"Oh, it's an honor to meet you!" Y/n gushed, a bright smile on her face. "Uncle Leofric told us so much about you, but I never thought I'd ever meet you in person."

"Leofric?" That caught his lord's attention, his gaze narrowing and eyeing her with renewed interest. "How did you know that turd?"

"When he came to visit Osferth, he'd tell us stories."

"Ah….all exaggerated, of course." Uhtred said with a cocky smirk.

"Wait. I think we're missin' the most important thing here." Finan leaned forward, dark eyes bouncing between Osferth and her, as he pointed a finger at them, hand still wrapped around his cup. "Ya said 'Uncle Leofric'....are ya related to Osferth?"

Osferth answered quickly. "No, her family owned the farm next to the monastery, so we grew up together." Then he furrowed his brows as a thought hit him. He had been so amazed to see his childhood best friend (only friend really) that he had not realized that she should be back at the farm and not in this town. "Wait, y/n, why are you here and not at the farm?"

Her face crumpled for a brief second before she was able to mask it into a neutral expression. She shrugged casually, but he could read the subtle tension in the action. "We lost the farm, so mother and I came here to look for work."

"Ah." There were so many things he wanted to ask but could tell now was not the right time. If she lived here, he would have plenty of time to hear the full story later. Instead he decided to change the subject. "So, you know Lord Uhtred, the others are Finan and Sihtric…. And Sihtric is also a bastard." He added as an afterthought.

That made her face light up as she turned to look at the Dane. "Hey, another bastard! We really need to start a club. We can all rant about how awful our fathers are."

"You're a bastard?" Uhtred asked, shock evident in his voice.

"Yes, my lord. My mother was a servant for a lord. Got pregnant. The lord's wife did not like that so sent my pregnant mother back to her family. Certainly, it was our Lord's Will because how else would I have been able to grow up with Osferth?" She asked, patting him on the cheek affectionately. He blushed and swatted her hand away, much to the other's amusement.

"I reckon you have quite a few amusin' stories of growin' up with Osferth, eh?" Finan smirked.

"I might….but I don't share secrets for free." She matched his smirk with her own crooked smile.

He slapped his hand on the table. "I'll owe ya a drink! I need to 'ear this."

"No….oh no, no, no." Osferth said but knew it was a lost cause before he even tried to deter them. The rest were already deciding when and where to meet that night. "Lord help me."

"It's not that bad." She teased, bumping his arm with hers. "The worst one is when we went streaking naked through the monastery."

Osferth felt his face heat up like the flames of hell itself as everyone laughed. "It was your idea."

"Yeah, yeah, so you like to remind me." She smiled fondly. "Now, if I don't get back home, my mother is going to think I've run off with some man or I've been kidnapped. Either way, she will raise the fyrd herself to find me. I will see you all tonight."

The others said their goodbyes but before she could step too far away, Osferth gently touched her arm, halting her movement.

"Y/n….I'm….I'm glad our paths have crossed once again."

She pulled him into a tight embrace. "I am too, Osferth. I've missed you." With that, she turned and walked away with her basket still on her hip; but not without glancing over her shoulder at the group before disappearing around some buildings.

Once out of sight, Osferth sighed and turned back to his companions, only to see them all still staring intently in the direction she disappeared.

"No….y/n is off-limits to you fornicators." He stated firmly, well as firmly as he could be.

"She's very pretty…." Uhtred declared, a playful grin on his face.

"Lord, no. All of you, keep your hands off of her."

"Or what?" Finan chuckled, eyes alight with mischief. "You'll fight us, baby monk?"

"I will if I must."

"Alright. Her dignity won't be tarnished." Uhtred lifted his cup in Osferth's direction. "Your reputation might be tonight depending on what stories she shares."

Osferth groaned, sitting back down next to his lord. "I'm going to need a lot of ale."

"That can certainly be arranged!" Finan laughed, jovial once more.

As discussion started back up again, they all missed the silent, longing glance Sihtric snuck one last time in the direction she walked away….

*****

Over the next several weeks Lord Uhtred helped increase the defenses of the town and instructed the guards and fyrd how to better defend against the Danes.

During those weeks, you found yourself frequently spending time with Osferth and his companions. First it started off with meeting them in the evenings for ale, laughter and good company. Within days, it became almost expected for one of them to purposefully seek you out. Most of the time it was Osferth and Sihtric coming to join you in whatever your tasks for the day because they were bored or unwanted in meetings. It was not difficult to tell that although they were certainly welcomed members of Uhtred's group, not everyone else saw them in such a positive light.

So the three of you often passed the hours away together, waiting until evening to rejoin Uhtred and Finan at the alehouse. Their presence became such a regular occurrence that your mother practically adopted them, they even had their assigned seats at your small kitchen table for meals. Somehow, they seamlessly slipped into your daily life in a way that seemed like they were meant to be there this whole time.

Even at the alehouse in the evenings, you usually found yourself nestled between Osferth and Sihtric on the bench. A place you certainly found yourself enjoying more and more….especially next to the Dane.

Over the weeks, there was something growing between you and the Dane. It gradually revealed itself with each passing day, growing like the roots of an oak tree. It was through the borderline flirtatious comments that you teased each other with. It was in the subtle touches that caused butterflies in your stomach to dance, from your fingers barely gracing each other when passing something, to the way you leaned your head on his shoulder when your eyelids threatened to close, to the way your thighs would touch under the table and away from view of the others. It was in the lingering looks when your gazes locked and you swore you never wanted to look away. It was in the consistency of being next to one another whenever you could, either sitting at a table or just walking down the street, almost like your bodies were magnetized to one another's.

Plus the more you talked to Sihtric, the more you desired to know about him. For he was like no other man you had ever met.

Almost a fortnight after you reunited with Osferth, there was one particular evening after staying out far too late with the four men and drinking a bit too much, Sihtric graciously offered to walk you back home. You knew propriety demanded Osferth should be the one to escort you but he was already passed out, head on the table and snores emitting from his mouth. Giggling at your childhood friend, you accepted Sihtric's offer and the two of you easily fell into step.

On the walk you learned more about his past, about going up in Dunholm and his cruel father. You had heard bits and pieces while with Osferth and the others. Maybe it was under the cover of darkness, maybe it was the extra ale flowing through both of your blood, but he confessed secrets to you he had never told another besides his mother. When you reached your home, before he could slip away, you clutched his arm and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. After, you bid him goodnight and slipped inside your humble home.

After that night, he always walked you home, sometimes alone and sometimes one of the others would join. But when it was just you two, when you were alone, you would bid him a goodnight with a kiss on the cheek or he would kiss your hand, locking eyes with you in a way that made a fire stir in your belly and your core clench.

There was definitely something between the two of you, but neither seemed able to verbalize it or take the next step.

*****

"So, what is going on between you and Cedric?"

You turned your head to look at Osferth, who laid on the grass next to you, soaking in the heat of the early afternoon sun. "What?"

"You know….that blacksmith. The one you were talking to the other day."

"Oh." The memory hit you. You had stopped by to drop off your mother's damaged cooking pot for Cedric to attempt in fixing, although you personally thought it was a helpless cause. The dent in it was significant, but he offered to see what he could do. As you dropped it off at his workshop, the two of you began discussing an approaching saint's day and the celebration that would occur with it.

Several minutes later, you heard your name called and looked over to see Osferth and Sihtric walking towards you. You bid Cedric a farewell, promising to stop by the next day to come pick up the pot. After receiving his promise to try his best at fixing it, you headed off towards the stables with your fellow bastards. At the time, you had not thought the encounter significant but with it happening two days ago and Osferth now bringing it up, you wondered how long he had been ruminating on it.

Finally, you simply said, "he's a good man, and has been kind to my mother and I since we arrived here."

"Is he….pursuing you?" Osferth turned his head to scrutinize you, his lips pursed slightly as if concerned about your answer.

You openly laughed at the notion. "No, that's silly. He is just a kind man."

If anything, you had to fend off flirtatious advancements from some of the young men that worked under Cedric. Those same young men quickly learned to keep their eyes on their work and mouths shut. When one openly called out to you, and before you could offer a sharp retort, Cedric threw a hammer at him from across the shop. He bellowed that he did not allow heathens to work for him and if they chose to act godless then they needed to find a new place of work. Their blatant interest diminished after that and Cedric made a point to be the only one that conversed with you if you came to the shop. Although he was easily ten years your senior, you found him a likeable man with a quick wit and sarcastic comments that occasionally left you in stitches.

The idea of him pursuing you was an amusing idea. He was still a bachelor, never having married, claiming that his work and apprentices kept him far too busy for much else.

Your answer appeared to satisfy Osferth. A thoughtful look crossed his face and he opened his mouth as if to speak, but immediately slowly closed it and turned his head back to stare at the blue sky.

A stillness settled after your answer, only interrupted by the frequent bird song and the wind through the tall grass. You closed your eyes, enjoying the sun's warmth and just lying around relaxing on the hill outside of the town, away from the hustle and bustle and chores that demanded your attention.

"He was watching you like a man who wants a woman." Sihtric stated after a couple minutes of peaceful silence.

Startled by his sour tone, you shifted up to look over at the Dane. He sat on the other side of Osferth, one leg propped up and an arm casually slung over it, but his gaze was focused straight ahead, staring off into the distance. Now that you thought about it, over the past two days Sihtric had become more reserved and sullen than you had ever seen. Even his companions commented on it a few times to which he would shrug his shoulders or make an excuse and walk away. You had thought he just missed Coccham, the group having been away for so long, or something happened that made him introspective. It had also not escaped your notice how the prior closeness between you two had halted. Now you wondered if there was something more to his demeanor.

"Well, that is most unfortunate for him since I am not interested in him."

"Does your mother not want you to marry?" Osferth asked, his voice deceptively neutral.

Sighing, you leaned back on your hands. Eventually you knew Osferth would bring up the topic, he was your friend after all and you were certainly of marriageable age. Actually far too old to not be married by some people's standards, but you ignored them. "She does but she has told me that she will not force it upon me. She said I should make my own choice….that if I am able, I should choose love."

You knew your mother offered you that choice in hopes your life would turn out differently than her own.

"But if Cedric is a good, kind man….could you not love him….or someone like him?" Osferth pressed.

"Perhaps. There are plenty of men I have seen who the church would call a 'good' man but are cruel in their own home, and there are many men who are calloused but it's obvious they love their wife and children. My love doesn't discriminate, between the sinners and the saints. I would rather choose a man whom I know loves and cares for me than a man I know is 'good' but carries no love in his heart." You paused, the candid confession rolling off your tongue before you realized it. Sighing, you ran a hand over your hair before quietly saying. "I just….I just want someone that loves me….sinner or saint."

Not a word was spoken as all three contemplated your statement, the silence hanging heavy like a brewing storm. Tilting your face to the sky, unable to meet the gazes of your companions, you chastised yourself for the candor with which you spoke. Osferth had asked a simple question initially and you chose to make it complicated. They did not need to know how you longed for love, how the hope for it in your potential future was what kept you going. It was foolish and you supposed after this, they would only see you as a silly girl with outlandish dreams of a storybook romance.

Finally, Osferth broke the silence. "Well, I shall be praying fervently for this man….hopefully he knows what he is getting into before he marries you."

You laughed, appreciating his lighthearted comment. Reaching a hand out to smack Osferth's arm, you teased. "Keep that up and you won't be invited to my wedding."

"Your mother will let me in."

"Yeah, you're probably right." You glanced over in the direction of the town, regretting that your time away had to end. "I need to head back, those chores won't finish themselves."

The three of you headed back to the town, quiet contemplation cloaking your group. Yet you feared that whatever spark lay between you and the Dane had been extinguished forever by your unexpected honesty. For still he refused to look your way, keeping his gaze focused forward. If your heart fissured within your chest, you swallowed down the pain. It was better for the spark to die out now then burn brightly only to be smothered later.

Or at least that was what you told yourself.

*****

"What you said….about the sinners and the saints…."

You whirled around, heart leaping into your throat with a silent scream on your tongue. In the small herb garden behind your house, you had thought you were alone. After the awkward conversation on the hill earlier that day, you sought solace in your chores. Thankfully Osferth and Sihtric headed back to meet with their companions on their own accord, leaving you to trudge through your muddled thoughts with all the grace of a newborn foal.

Now you found the very person who your thoughts centered on, standing just a few paces from you….and your heart began to race for a very different reason.

When his voice trailed off, those dark eyes that set fire licking through your veins dropped to the ground, you quietly stood up from where you had knelt, wiping the dirt from your hands, although you moved no closer.

"Sihtric?" You tried to prompt him.

"Is it true?" His piercing gaze lifted to meet yours, stealing the very breath from your lungs. "Your love doesn't discriminate?"

"Yes." You breathed out.

He nodded silently before taking a step closer to you. "And what about….what about Danes?"

Your chest pulled tight at his words, yet a coy smile grew on your lips. The flutter in your belly made your gaze drop for a moment as you tried to stifle the excitement making butterflies dance. Although this was no declaration, it was the closest the two of you had talked about what lay between you. Taking a steadying breath, you prayed this moment would not pass by without confessing the truth that you had harbored in your heart for weeks now.

"Not even towards Danes." You shook your head, the smile still on your lips. "And…. There is one I'm becoming quite fond of lately."

"Yeah?" He took two steps closer, somehow moving cautiously but eating the ground with each determined step.

"But….do you think this Dane could be….fond of me?" You softly murmured, feeling as if your heart lay in the palms of your hands for all to see.

That last step separating you two disappeared almost before you finished asking your question. His hands ever so gently reached over to take yours, entwining your fingers together. The two of you stood so close, your chests almost touched with each breath you took. Your breathing seemed to cease under the intensity of his gaze and a shiver raced up your spine. Yet you had no desire to withdraw from him.

"He would be a fool not to." He whispered, the barest hint of a tremble in his voice. "I'd bet you are constantly on this Dane's mind. That he cannot go a day without seeing your face and hearing your laugh. You are the first thought that he wakes to and the reason he falls asleep with a smile. That you have become the north star that it seems the gods have been guiding him towards for his whole life."

As he spoke, everything faded to oblivion around you. The past and future vanished. Dane versus Saxon disappeared. The world narrowed down to this….this moment….this moment that you had dreamt of but never thought would come true.

The two of you continued to stand there, lost in one another's eyes with fingers intertwined. Your heart raced within your chest but a cooling breeze swept away the fears that plagued your mind. For staring at him, you knew he spoke no falsehoods. That he owned your heart just as much as you owned his. That very heart you could feel hammering away in his own chest. His eyes fervently held yours, a silent conversation, a confession, spoken only in looks but you both understood the language. His gaze dipped down to your lips, tracing them before slowly rising once again to your eyes. A curl of pleasure blossomed in your core as you witnessed the fire now in his eyes.

"If this Dane wanted to kiss me…. I wouldn't mind."

A deliciously, sinful smirk teased his mouth. "As my lady commands."

His head tilted, leaning towards yours. Unconsciously your eyelids fluttered closed. Then the briefest of touches made your knees weak and your mouth part open in a sigh. After a moment's hesitation, he continued to shower your jawline with kisses. Needing to touch him, your hands landed on his chest, feeling the tunic that covered his firm chest. Your hands moved upward to grasp the back of his neck, his pulse jumping for a second as your nails scraped his skin. His hands landed on the curve of your waist, bringing you even closer to him, erasing the unwanted space between your bodies.

As his lips began their ascent upward along the otherwise of your jaw, you moved. For the burning sparks in your body screamed if he did not kiss you, you would spontaneously combust. Shifting your face, you stole a kiss on his lips before he could place it on your skin. It was more of a gentle pressing of your mouths, but even then, you heard a sharp inhale from him. Before you could question him, his mouth returned to yours with soft, probing kisses that urged you to respond. Not that you would ever deny him. What started off as a gentle flame quickly became a roaring fire. Breathing became unnecessary, for how could air bring you life when your body craved Sihtric, when your lungs demanded to breathe him in instead. He led you in a drugging kiss that had you melting against him. Your lips drank from one another as if that alone could sustain you forevermore.

"THANK YA, GOD!!"

The passionate kiss abruptly ended as Sihtric and your gazes darted towards the side of your house. Only to be met with the sight of his three companions standing at the entrance in various states of smugness.

"Oh, for the love of Odin…." Sihtric mumbled.

You buried your face in Sihtric's chest, face heated in embarrassment but unable to stop the giggles that poured forth. So caught up in finally confessing your feelings and kissing the man who haunted your dreams, you forgot that anyone could walk by and see you. His arms tightened around you, keeping you within his protective, loving embrace….and you knew there was nowhere else you would rather be.

"Took the two of ya long enough." Finan continued, leaning against the side of your humble home with a shit-eating grin.

"Amen." Osferth had a small, teasing smile on his face. "Thought I would have to lock them in a room together before one of them finally confessed."

Apparently, you and Sihtric were not as subtle as you previously thought. Now it made sense why Osferth was questioning you about Cedric and your thoughts on love and marriage earlier. Your heart flooded with gratitude towards your childhood friend, for without him you doubted neither Sihtric or you would have spoken up. Peering over, you caught Osferth's eye and mouthed a quick 'thank you'. He nodded, a simple joy radiating from his face.

"Lord?" Sihtric called over with a blank expression. "Permission to continue?"

Uhtred chuckled. "I guess you've waited long enough. Go ahead."

Without waiting a moment longer, Sihtric tipped your face back up towards his and claimed your lips once more. You vaguely thought you heard laughter coming from the others but it all blurred away, like a faint sound while underwater. All you could see, all you could feel, all you could hear was Sihtric.

Just how you wanted it.

Suddenly you yanked your head back, your breathing labored and lips swollen. "My mother is helping at a nearby farm today. She won't be back until it's dark."

He hummed against your skin trailing small kisses along your jawline and down your neck as if unable to keep his hands and mouth off you now that the dam had been released.

"I'm not as pure as Osferth thinks me to be."

That statement made his actions stop. Carefully he raised his head to meet your gaze. "After dark?" He confirmed, voice rough in a way that sent a bolt of heat through you.

"Yes, she planned on having supper with them….so my home is currently empty….and I did just clean my blankets the other day…."

He swooped in to give you a feverish, greedy kiss that left no doubt where his mind had gone. When he finally pulled back, you were surprised your legs could still hold you upright. Your whole body felt like puddy in his arms and he had only kissed you, albeit you doubted you would ever forget the way his mouth worshiped yours.

"You are certain? You want this?" He softly asked, staring into your eyes once more. "You want me?"

It was the last question, the vulnerable undertone, the hint of insecurity in it that sealed your decision. Letting your actions be your answer, you grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the door to your home. It did not take more than a second for him to come beside you, wrapping his arm around your waist.

With his taste on your lips, the future did not matter right now. It did not matter that he was Dane and you were not. All you knew was Sihtric was neither a saint nor a sinner, but simply a man deserving of love. The river of your love was pointing you directly towards him, and you silently vowed to never let it run dry.

#ems100 #mzwrites #The Last Kingdom #the last kingdom fanfic #the last kingdom fandom #the last kingdom imagine #sihtric x reader #sihtric kjartansson #Sihtric #sihtric imagine #Uhtred #Uhtred of Bebbanburg #osferth #finan #finan the agile

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linmanwe11 · 2 years

Text

The Drama Bookshop

Pairing: Lin-Manuel Miranda x Reader

Words: 1,565 words

Warnings: FLUFF- seriously it's so sweet, I got cavities from writing it- Swearing

"My heart was set on you from the moment I met you."

Listening to the wild streets of New York City, you sat in the corner of you favorite book shop, rereading a chapter of an unfinished book you were currently working on. The Drama Bookshop was one of your favorite places in the world, next to your own couch at home, this place felt like the only place where you could unload all of your creative thoughts, everything seeming to come to you easy in the quiet space. You had discovered this spot a few years back and were devastated to hear that it was going to be shut down, so you were overjoyed when you heard that someone had bought the shop and brought it back to life.

Talking quietly to yourself, you emptied all of the words that had been occupying your brain onto the page on your laptop, ideas flowing out of you like the calmest river. This was the only other place you could work at besides your house, whenever you needed a change of scene, you always came here and browsed along the hundreds of pages of manuscripts and lyrics from various plays and musicals, plus, the coffee was some of the best you had ever had. You were so engrossed into your work, you had hardly noticed that you had run out of coffee, so when you noticed after going for another sip, you decided to get up and order another.

“Miss [Y/N]! Same as usual?”

“Yup! You know me so well.”

The barista smiled kindly at you before he got to work on your coffee. You liked your coffee to be sweet with a little bit of cinnamon to add to the flavor. Deciding to use this time as a break, you scrolled through your twitter, liking and retweeting things you though you could use as some sort of inspiration, but overall just for the entertainment. You heard the front door open and glanced up for a second before quickly picking your head up again to get a look at the figure who had just walked in. It felt as if all time had slowed down, the only thing you could focus on was the gorgeous man who had just walked in. He looked around for a second, seeming to be very familiar with the place, and then he turned towards you and as soon as you made eye contact with you, it felt as if you were the only two people in the whole world. Your heart was beating faster now, as if it was being pulled to the man, and he was feeling the same thing.

“Hi… I’m uh, I’m Lin-Manuel.”

His name ran through your head and then wrapped itself around your heart, giving it the warmest hug.

“I’m-“

“Alright, [Y/N], here you go!”

“[Y/N], I’m guessing?” Lin said, making you laugh shyly.

“Yeah, it’s nice to meet you.” You shook hands, and you swear you felt a bolt of electricity shoot through your hands as you touched, the two of you maintaining eye contact the whole time. After you pulled away, you went back to where you were sitting and saw the man, who you now knew as Lin-Manuel, have his drink handed to him by the barista. The blush rising to your cheeks failed to leave as he made his way towards you.

“May I?” He asked, motioning to sit in the empty seat across from you.

“Of course!”

“So, [Y/N], do you come here often…? God, that sounds so cheesy, um, have you been here before?” You both laughed, and for some reason, all of this felt so natural even though you literally just met.

“I do, actually! I’ve been coming here for years. Well, I had before they started rebuilding this place. Thank God it was bought out and brought back. This place got me through college and I have no idea what I would have done if it had been shut down for good.”

You went on about how much the place had meant to you and how it’s been your safe space for as long as you could remember. Lin went on to tell you about himself; he was a writer too, except, unlike you, he was a song writer. The two of you had talked for hours, but it seemed like no time had passed, neither of you realized that it was closing time already. When you walked out of the shop and onto the street, you were hit with a sudden chill that was quickly blocked by Lin handing you his sweater, his scent engulfing your senses.

“Well, I have to say that that was the best first date I’ve ever had!”

“Oh, so that was a date?”

“Uh, only if you wanted it to be! Shit, [Y/N], I’m sorry, you’re probably super weirded out right now. I mean, we just met but I-“

“It was the best first date for me too, Lin.”

He stopped his rambling and smiled, sighing in relief. It was cute seeing him so flustered.

“[Y/N]? Can I get your number? I’d love to see you again. Maybe I could take you out to dinner?”

“I’d love that. It’s a date.”

You exchanged phone numbers, him putting his in your phone and vice versa. On your way home, you immediately got a text from him, smiling to yourself when you saw that he had put a heart next to his name, knowing that you did the same to your name on his phone. From there on, it was smooth sailing for the two of you.

ONE YEAR LATER

“Hey, babe?”

“Yeah, Lin?”

You turned your head to look up at your gorgeous boyfriend, your head resting in his lap as the two of you sat on the couch of your, now shared, apartment, him gently stroking your hair as the TV played softly. He looked down at you and smiled, leaning down to plant a kiss on your lips. You ran your hand through his short, dark brown hair, his goatee tickling your lips before you both pulled away, both smiling as you looked into his beautiful brown eyes.

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Lin-Manuel.”

“You know, there’s something about me that you don’t know.”

You panicked for a second, sitting up and facing him, worry flooding your mind.

“What is it?”

“So, the Drama Bookshop-“

“What about it?”

“We have history with it, right? We had our first date there, our first kiss...”

“Yeah… Lin, what about it? Is it shutting down? Fuck, they can’t do that, Lin! I won’t let them, I’m gonna start a petition, send a letter to the owner and give them a piece of my mind if they wanna think about shutting that place down-“

“[Y/N].” You continued rambling on about how you refused to let them shut down the one place in the world that had so much significance to your life, the one place where you met the love of your life.

“[Y/N]!”

“What?”

“It’s not shutting down. I promise.”

“How do you know that?”

“Well, if you had let me FINISH,“ He laughed, “you would have given me the chance to tell you that I own it.”

“You… You what? You OWN The Drama Bookshop?”

He nodded, a smug smile growing on his face. You started laughing- you couldn’t believe that all this time, your boyfriend was responsible for the resurgence of the most important place in your life.

“Why didn’t you just tell me that in the first place!” Lin joined you in your laughter, but it was stopped as he gently grabbed your chin and kissed you. It was soft, slow, passionate- the kind of kiss that made your heart flutter more than it usually did.

“Actually, WE own it.”

“We?”

Confused, you didn’t know what he meant. Suddenly, he seemed nervous, at a loss for words, which was rare with him. He held your hands in his own, his thumb gently running over your soft skin.

“[Y/N], I love you so much. More than anything in this entire world. You’re the most important person in my life, and I wanna be with you forever. I wanna spend my life with you. So…”

You felt tears well in your eyes as you realized what was happening and what he meant by saying that the two of you owned The Drama Bookshop. Lin went to reach in his pocket, revealing a small velvet box before getting down on one knee in front of the couch.

“Will you marry me?”

Nodding, and now with tears running down your face, you grasped his face with your hands and kissed him, both of you sharing one heartbeat. You had met your soulmate, and you were going to spend the rest of your life with him- just the simple thought of that made your heart jump. He gently slid the ring onto your left ring finger, it fitting perfectly as he wiped the tears away from your face and then his.

“My heart was set on you from the moment I met you. I love you so much, [Y/N], so fucking much.”

“I love you too, Lin-Manuel.”

You engaged in yet another passionate kiss, remaining eternally grateful for the owner, who was now your fiancé, of The Drama Bookshop.

#lin manuel miranda x reader #lin-manuel miranda #lin manuel miranda #lin-manuel #hamilton #in the heights #lin manuel #lin-manuel miranda x reader #lin-manuel x reader #lin-manuel miranda rpf #lin x reader #Lin-Manuel Miranda x reader fluff

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thelordsknight · 3 years

Text

Enjoying the rain

Sometimes when it rains, Kya finds herself restless and sometimes unable to even get comfortable in bed. Even worse is that when it rains, those tend to be the nights Lin slept especially well. The last thing Kya wants is to wake Lin up when she already sleeps so unwell in the first place.

So Kya tries her best to get out of bed without waking up the chief of police. Which she somehow manages to do. Kya silently leaves the room but of course not before admiring her gorgeous wife and giving her the softest of kisses on her forehead.

Kya walks out to the porch and closes her eyes in almost pleasure as the rain begins to hit her skin. Maybe it’s because she’s a water bender, but she’s always found the rain to be one of her favorites. Maybe it was because she was a sap and enjoyed the fact that all life needed water in some shape or form to function. Perhaps somehow through all of it, it was just poetic and Kya enjoyed all things poetic.

Basking in all of its greatness, Kya leans on the railing and thinks back to her lover that’s asleep in their bed. Her wife. Lin Beifong. After years of pining and wishing Lin would acknowledge her feelings and take a chance, it finally happened. They had shared looks for years, even shared a bed a few nights when Lin wanted it. Kya never suggested it, she would follow what Lin was comfortable with in fear that she would step too far and be cast out. But after what happened with Zaheer and how Kya could’ve died, Lin realized that she shouldn’t wait anymore and confessed.

Since then they had been taking things kind of slow, but then Kuvira attacked and nearly destroyed Republic City. And Lin had gotten badly injured from the mecha, that’s when they had decided that they weren’t going to be as slow. Lin proposed and they had gotten married shortly after Asami and Korra revealed to the world they were in fact a couple.

Kya smiles thinking about the memories and runs her fingers over the betrothed necklace Lin gave her. “ How did I get so lucky? ” She wonders out loud.

“ You might not continue to be lucky if you stay outside in the rain, you might catch a cold sweetheart. “

Kya stands up and turns around to face the voice, a smile still adorned. She puts her hand out. “ Come out here, I promise we won’t get sick. “

Lin quirks her eyebrow, but regardless steps outside to join Kya and grabs her hand.

Kya pulls her into her arms and begins to hum and sway. “ Dance with me. “

Lin, having no choice already being in her arms and holding her hand, sways with her to the tune that Kya is humming.

Kya leans her forehead against Lin’s and continues to dance. Rejoicing in the feeling of Lin in her arms and the rain touching her skin.

After a moment, Lin leans back to kiss Kya softly, lips just barely touching. “ Thank you Kya. For taking a chance with me. “

Kya laughs and kisses Lin just as softly. “ Funny, I was gonna thank you for the same thing. “

And for a while, they just held each other and enjoyed the rain. Thinking about all the fond memories they share and just how lucky they were to have each other.

#kyalin #lin beifong #kya #legend of korra #i should've made this longer #i should write a lin pov of her reflecting the same things #i havent proof read pls dont bully me

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krewbies · 4 years

Note

can't wait to see some of your writing! can i maybe ask for a bolin x reader who's maybe a tiny, innocent seeming airbender, but is actually insanely impressive at their bending? maybe the avatar gang underestimates their skills and ends up pleasantly surprised (especially bolin 😏) if not, just anything bolin would be amazing ✨❤️ thank you!!

so i decided to combine these two, i hope that’s okay! i also thought that hc format would be best, just because its stretching over a longer period of time. the next thing i’ll be working on is NOT a request but i will get to the requests as well :) anyways, i hope you enjoy!!

•••••••

so like, you first meet bolin at the park in republic city

it was actually really sweet; you’re sitting on a bench and he thinks you’re GORGEOUS and asks if the seat is taken next to you and of course you say no because bolin and pabu are both cute as hell

usually bolin is a pretty straightforward guy but right off the bat he noticed how sweet you were and he didn’t even feel the need to flirt with you like he just felt comfy sitting with you

you guys decide to hit up this little noodle place together after sitting for a while and he’s convinced it’s love at first sight

you were especially endearing to him because you didn’t watch movers and you literally didn’t know wtf the fire ferrets were, and while bolin loved to be loved, he also really liked just feeling like a normal person???

you didn’t have your tattoos (yet) so he first noticed you were an airbender when you did this little spinny thing to mix your tea

the look on this mans face... both hands on his cheeks and wide eyes

“ooooh! do it again (y/n)!”

you happily obliged because you thought he was adorable

you guys kept in touch after that day, often ‘accidentally’ running into each other in random places

OBviously he told mako, korra, and asami about you. they didn’t tell bolin that he sounded like a lovesick puppy cause they just thought it was sweet

mako got the most of it, like they’d be heading to bed for the night and bolin would whisper ‘i wonder what (y/n) is doing right now’ and mako would just GROAN

anyways, it wasn’t too long before you met the rest of the krew. you had gone to get ingredients for dinner tonight and bolin pointed you out to them cause they were walking down the same street

‘they’re a lot shorter than i thought they would be’

‘shush korra, they’re perfect’ (aww he called u perfect)

anyways, your relationship with all members of the krew grew beautifully after your first meeting

mako actually warmed up to you quickly, appreciating your calmer and innocent personality; you and asami both had very gentle souls that meshed perfectly; korra picked up a sort of ‘annoying big sister’ dynamic with you that you both enjoyed

and oh my god did they get exasperated with the two of you quickly

it was obvious to anyone with eyes (or feet) that you and bolin were SO interested in each other

whenever you talked, bolin would look down at you with this softass smile on his face and if someone interrupted you EVER he got so defensive... like just let his baby speak!!!!

you always listened to whatever bolin had to say and laughed at all of his jokes, even when the other three were rolling their eyes

like even in a silent room you two were always whispering to each other, and he pulled you along with him on all the krew adventures

none of them would ever tell you guys this but they thought you and bo were perfect for eachother

mako actually thought you were a perfect balance for his little bro, and after meeting you he got a lot more lenient and understanding whenever bolin would gush about you

‘did you hear what (y/n) said today! they’re so funny’

‘mako mako mako they’re so precious how do i TELL them!!!’

‘i wish (y/n) were here.... THEY would’ve laughed at that’

one time asami, korra, and you decided to hang out without the boys and you were not prepared in the slightest

‘so how’s it going with bolin?’ korra asked nonchalantly

you almost choked on your drink you were like ???

‘wait are you guys not dating?’ asami followed that up with. she and korra gave each other the most appalled look

‘n-no? should we be? i mean he is, well, i wouldn’t be opposed-’

‘you DO like him. mako said he likes you too. like a lot.’

‘korra ur joking right?’

even after that the looks and red cheeks did not stop between the two of you, asami was this close to just pushing the two of you together

don’t think the three of them didn’t notice you glancing at his lips, his hands, his arms...

and vice versa, he was always making direct eye contact with you and looking at your lips when you talked and every time he saw you, when you weren’t looking, he’d just look u up and down and it was literally this emoji 👀

so a few weeks after that ordeal the five of you were sitting in front of a shop and all of your interests are immediately piqued when you see these 8 super shady guys walk up to the store nextdoor

obviously stuff goes down. you and bolin end up chasing 3 of the guys down a side street while the others are dealing with the other 5

bolin is shooting rocks at these guys left and right but they are LIGHT on their feet and tbh his precision is a little off because ur there

‘bolin i got this’

‘what?’

you release this HUGE gust of air and topple all three of them off their feet and raise them up in the air, basically controlling 3 mini tornadoes and bolin just looks at you

he KNEW you were an airbender but oh my god he’d only ever seen a group of airbenders pull off something like that

korra, asami, and mako run up behind the two of you and mako looks at bolin like ‘the fuck dude?’, korra is straight up IMPRESSED, asami’s just smiling because she knows from experience that the most intense and talented people are the ones you least expect

after that whole ordeal is over (i’d like to mention that lin is also pretty impressed by you), you and the others are sitting up against a brick wall together, j chillin

‘you should kiss me’ you finally mustered up the courage, thinking back to your conversation with asami and korra

‘yeah i sho- wait WHAT?’ bolin looks down at you because your head is on his shoulder and your sides are pressed together, and he’s blushing. this dude is a tomato.

you nodded at him letting him know that he heard you right

he did NOT hesitate after you gave him consent, he wrapped his arms around you and kissed you SO proudly he didn’t even care that you were surrounded by your friends

and, well, the rest is history. i’ll be at the wedding.

(IM SORRY this ended up being so long)

@nancbyers :)

#bolin x reader #bolin #legend of korra #legend of korra x reader #lok #lok imagine #bolin fluff #requests open #krewbies writes #baby bolin ily

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momsopposed2theoccult · 3 years

Text

A Very Special Night

Hey everybody! Here’s a quick oneshot I wrote where Toph and Su help Lin get ready for her school dance, because we deserve more happy Beifongs and Lin getting the love and support from her family that she was denied in canon. Enjoy!

“So, are you nervous? You must be nervous, you’re not eating.”

Lin looked up from her plate at her sister’s words. It was true, she was nervous. Her dinner lay untouched on her plate, as her stomach was in knots.

“Eat up, baby girl. You can’t dance on an empty stomach. Well, I suppose you can, but you shouldn’t,” her mother chimed in.

“No, no, I’m not nervous. I’m just… excited, that’s all!,” she lied, something her mother picked up on immediately.

Toph’s expression shifted into one of concern.

“What’s wrong, Linny? This is a big night, you should be over the moon right now,” she wondered.

It was true, tonight was a big night. When her school at first announced that they were going to be hosting a formal, Lin decided right away that she would not be attending. She was a horrible dancer, not to mention socially awkward, and she didn’t know the first thing about getting dressed up. It wasn’t until one of her oldest and quite frankly only friends, Tenzin, had decided that he wanted to go and as his best friend she was obligated to go with him was she convinced to buy a ticket.

Lin wasn’t sure why she felt like her heart was gonna beat out of her chest when he asked her to go with him. It wasn’t like it was a date or anything. She had known Tenzin forever. This was just a friend thing, she repeated over and over again in her head, although the mantra didn’t do much to rest her fast beating heart.

“Promise you won’t laugh at me?”

“Promise,” Toph and Su assured her.

“Well, I have a dress and shoes and everything, but I’m still not really sure how I’m going to do my hair and makeup. You know I’m not good at that stuff,” she confessed, blushing.

Su perked up. “Oh, that’s easy! I can do it for you, I’m great at that stuff!”

It was true. Su had always had a keen and stylish eye that her visually challenged mother and dorky sister lacked. Maybe Lin should have felt embarrassed that her ten year old kid sister knew more about these things than herself, a girl of fifteen, but she was honestly just grateful for her help.

“Here, I can do it right now no problem,” Su offered. The sisters got up from the table and began to make their way upstairs.

“Hey, girls! Aren’t you gonna finish your dinner?,” Toph called out.

“Yeah, yeah, we will in a bit. But this is more important!,” Su shouted back from the top of the staircase.

The girls made their way to the bathroom, where Su sat Lin down on the closed toilet seat. She pulled out a hairbrush and assorted hair elastics and then plopped herself down on the edge of the bathtub behind her sister.

“So, you and Tenzin?,” she asked suggestively as she brushed out Lin’s hair.

Lin began to blush. “What about me and Tenzin?”

“Is this a date?”

Lin’s face lit up bright red. “Wh- what? No- no we’re just friends. We’re going to the dance as friends. Not a date. Why would I be going on a date with Tenzin?”

“Because you have a huge crush on him?,” Su said knowingly, as if this should have been obvious.

“No! No I don’t! Who told you that anyways?”

Su rolled her eyes. “Nobody told me, silly! I figured it out myself. You make it pretty obvious, you know.”

“No I do not! I do not make it obvious because I do not have a crush on Tenzin!”

Su sighed. It appeared she was going to have to bring in the big guns.

“Hey Mom! Does Lin have a crush on Tenzin?,” she shouted down to Toph in the kitchen.

“Su! What are you doing?,” Lin asked her sister angrily, a warning tone in her voice.

Toph laughed. “Well duh! She’s had a crush on him since she was like, what? Five? Six?”

Lin’s face was growing redder by the minute. “Mom! Why would you say that? I. Do. Not. Have. A. Crush. On. Tenzin.”

“Sorry baby girl. Deny it all you want, but your heartbeat always goes crazy for that airhead. Don’t worry, he likes you back,” Toph called up to them from the kitchen.

“What?,” Lin shrieked, although she couldn’t deny that she didn’t entirely hate the idea. She more than just not hated it. She actually… well she could actually get used to the idea. Tenzin having a crush on her.

Su giggled. “Keep still, I’m trying to do your makeup. Unless you want me to poke you in the eye with this thing,” she joked, waving the mascara wand in front of her face.

Lin rolled her eyes. “I don’t think I would mind having my eyes poked out right about now. And maybe gag me with a spoon while you’re at it.”

Five minutes and lots of eye goop later, Lin had been transformed into a thing of beauty. That’s not to say that she wasn’t already beautiful as she was, but it wasn’t as if Lin put a ton of effort into her appearance on a daily basis. She told herself that it was because she had more important things to worry about, but in reality it was mostly because she always felt as if she couldn’t really pull it off.

“Here! All done! You look absolutely gorgeous, Tenzin is going to love it,” Su told her with pride.

Lin took a look at herself in the mirror. Her sister hadn’t been lying. Her dark hair was done up in a low bun at the base of her neck with a braided crown circling her head. A blue lotus blossom poked out from behind her ear to match the shade of the shadow on her eyes. Her lips were glossy, and her cheeks blushed a faint pink.

She looked fantastic.

“Wow, Su. I don’t even know what to say. Thank you.”

“My pleasure!,” she replied with a smile.

“I’m gonna go put on my dress. How about you go downstairs and help Mom figure out the camera?”

Su gasped audibly as Lin emerged from the top of the stairs several minutes later. Her beautiful blue qipao dress perfectly matched the flower tucked behind her ear, and it made her look and feel like a star.

“How do I look?,” she asked nervously.

“Wow, Lin. You look amazing!,” Su exclaimed.

Toph walked up to where her daughter was standing and cupped her face with her hands, tracing her features softly with the tips of her fingers. She had to reach up and pull her face down to her level, as Lin had undergone quite the growth spurt within the past few years and had shot up well above her chronically short mother.

“Gorgeous. You’re gorgeous.”

Toph began to tear up a little. “I can’t believe my baby girl is all grown up. Where does the time go? It feels like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms for the very first time.”

“Yeah baby girl, where does the time go?,” Su repeated in a light mocking tone, although there was no real malice behind it.

“You’re growing up too, little miss beauty parlour,” Lin reminded her sister with a laugh, but she was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. All of a sudden, the nerves she had been keeping at bay all came flooding back to her.

“He’s here! Okay, you guys cannot embarrass me.”

Toph threw up her hands defensively. “We wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Mom, that means you can’t try and interrogate him like he’s some criminal. And Su, if you mention anything about this being a date or how I have a crush on him, I’m going to have to kill you later,” she warned her family.

“Got it. Scout’s honour,” Toph swore.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it,” Su agreed reluctantly.

Lin took a deep breath and opened up the door.

“Wow, you look fantastic!,” Tenzin exclaimed, blushing.

Lin began to blush herself. Tenzin had gotten pretty dressed up. She was surprised to see him in a suit, normally he wouldn’t be caught dead in one unless his parents forced him to.

“You look pretty good yourself,” she complimented him.

Su waggled her eyebrows suggestively behind Tenzin’s back, and Lin shot her a warning look.

“So, Tenz. Bring my daughter home in one piece, will ya? We kind of like her around here.”

“Oh yeah, of course Aunt Toph!”

Toph raised one eyebrow at him.

“Oh- uhhh- I mean- uhhhh- yes. Yes ma’am. I will do that,” he stammered.

“Good man,” Toph validated him with a nod of her head, apparently unable to resist an opportunity to take a power trip.

“Let’s take pictures, and then you guys can go have your fun,” Su giggled.

Lin rolled her eyes at her sister, but obliged to take a few cheesy photos of her and Tenzin posing together.

“Alright, we better get going or we’re going to be late,” Tenzin warned.

“Right. Okay, I’ll see you in a few hours, bye!,” she said, waving goodbye to her mother and sister.

“Have fun, kiddo! Don’t spike any punch, at least not without me there to make fun of the aftermath!”

“Bye Lin! Bye Tenzin! Have fun on your date!,” Su called out as the door slammed shut.

Lin shot a look at her sister, but it was too late. Tenzin had heard.

“D- date? Is this a date?”

Lin’s face burned bright red. “I mean- n- no. Unless you want it to be?”

Tenzin went quiet for a moment, as if he were thinking it over.

“Yes, yes I do. I do want this to be a date. But I mean, only if you want it to be.”

“I think I do.”

Tenzin’s entire face lit up, and Lin felt herself begin to grin as well. Perhaps school dances weren’t so terrible after all.

#atla #lok #avatar the last airbender #the legend of korra #lin beifong #toph beifong #suyin beifong #tenzin #linzin #nora writes #writing

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ourimpavidheroine · 2 years

Note

If you don't mind me asking how do keep all of those characters different?

Hey, that's a great question!

(I do not mind.)

So for me, it's about the small things that make a character. I think a lot of this comes out of my background in theater. I have BA in theater and have been acting since I was about seven and my speech therapist (I had a stutter) realized that if I was pretending to be someone else I didn't stutter. (In retrospect I am pretty sure that was echolalia, but I digress.) They did actually teach us a lot about character work in getting that degree! (Something which is seriously lacking in a lot of American movie stars vs trained actors but that's a rant for another time.)

What it comes down to is the little things. That's what makes a character unique.

What I mean by that are the sort of everyday things that all people have about them, the things that we just do all the time without thinking about it. Not a stress reaction, not something that we only do when consumed by lust, fear, aggression, whatever.

So for example, from my fics, about the canon characters:

Mako has a sweet tooth, and he particularly loves coconut. Over the years and through my fics this is brought up numerous times. He also loads up his tea with milk and sugar and has a weakness for fruit tarts. He also reads the newspaper at every breakfast.

Wu does not curse. Instead, he says my gracious or my goodness or I never (he has cursed aloud in my fics exactly twice; once over caftans and once when his oldest daughter blew up his driveway). He also has an irrational dislike of caftans. And has absolutely perfect, gorgeous handwriting.

Bolin can't dance choreographed steps and does not hold his alcohol at all. He's also the hankie guy. (If you read my fics, you know what I mean.)

Lin's incredibly foul mouth and the way she enjoys it when people argue at the dinner table and how she gulps down every drink she has.

How both Baatars push up their glasses with their forefinger and thumb, which signals when they are uncomfortable and/or want to change the subject.

The Beifong Hand Flick, which was canon in the show itself and which has been passed down through the generations.

Su Beifong dominates every single conversation she has in all of my fics. Except for one. With Bolin. And yes, that was on purpose.

Huan disappears at the first sign of conflict and, once he leaves Zaofu, wears very loud and pretty much tasteless clothing.

Ikki hums when she eats something she really enjoys, blows air up through her bangs when she gets frustrated and is nearly always moving the air about her in one way or the other.

Opal narrows her eyes when she gets pissed. When Opal's eyes narrow, watch the fuck out.

Wei flirts with everybody. Male or female. Flirting is in his bones. It's when he isn't flirting - or flirting very badly - that we know something is wrong with him.

Wing blushes when he gets embarrassed or flustered and it travels all the way to his ears.

So this is what I mean! You just have to find those little things and bring them back in naturally. It goes for the OCs as well, of course. I mean. Nuo's whoosh whoosh. I rest my case.

And look, I do get that it is a lot of names and a lot of characters, especially the ones that one show up a handful of times. Which is why I need the whole character list. Which I need to finish. SOMEDAY. But that's a lot of how I keep them straight in my mind. Each of them has some small character thing - Jinpa the weaver has arthritis! Miwa the Majordomo's favorite color is blue and she has a crush on Qi! Lady Chun is a fucking fashion plate and elegant down to her bones! Sonam gargles butter tea and makes Baatar want to murder him! San loves apples! Everyone tells Poppy to shut up on the regular! - and that's how they don't all run into a blur for me. (Although I think they do for a lot of you reading it, lol.)

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i-watch-too-many-movies · 3 years

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5 Favorite First Viewings of July 2021

Quick note: Hi everyone, I'm back, things have honestly been getting better for me, and I'm glad to be on this site full of cinephiles, people that are too horny, and cinephiles that are too horny. I'll be more active on here. But anyway, let's talk about some movies.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) (dir. Russ Meyer)

CW: Abortion mention

What a picture. What a gorgeous, sexy, horrifying slice of what Hollywood and star life can do to a bunch of bright-eyed young people looking for success. Also is a critique of how macho nature can ruin friendships and romantic relationships with total ease. I was obsessed with the scene transitions, like Pet pouring pancake mix onto a plate after the abortion scene, or Kelly singing after someone screams before their murder in the opening scene.

Great, campy flick with exceptional music too.

Deep Cover (1992) (dir. Bill Duke)

Laurence Fishburne plays Russell Stevens, a Cincinnati police officer who hopes to do well by the community, to make a difference. He’s traumatized by the death of his substance-abusing father, and wants to make sure that he can help the people of his own town. He goes undercover on assignment as a drug dealer, where his boss orders him to take down the kingpin. Stevens realizes the police’s own failings while on assignment. The racist abuse he takes from Agent Carver, and the realization that the police department is protecting drug kingpins like Gallegos and Barbossa. Giving drugs to Black kids and Latinx kids so there will be less of them. The cops are no different than the drug kingpins looking to make filthy amounts of money.

Fishburne’s performance is excellent, as Stevens feels he has to maintain a stone face so he doesn’t get caught by Jason or Barbossa or any of his cronies, but also he maintains a stone face to try and hide his emotion, his trauma. But when he gets pissed, Fishburne acts it beautifully, as is when he has to deliver a funny quip to counter Jason’s douchebaggery. And the production design, holy fuck, the sets and the lighting.

A perfect neo-noir for the HW Bush years, arguably one of the most timeless commentaries on the era, as well as the police as a whole.

Fast Five (2011) (dir. Justin Lin)

I was torn between including this or Furious 7, but I ultimately went with Fast Five because it felt like an important turning point in the series, it's a great heist film, and it reached the same chaotic highs and genuinely excellent filmmaking that I had been waiting for since 2 Fast and Tokyo Drift.

Fast Five opens where Fast & 4ious left off. Dom is hauled away to prison on a bus. Mia and Brian drive in their high-tech cars and knock the bus over, helping Dom escape. The title drops. Fast Five. It’s such an intense yet short action scene, and dropping the title immediately after it lets the viewer know that this movie is not fucking around. It’s arguably gonna be more intense and insane than the previous one.

And it is. The filmmakers made the decision to use a lot more practical stunt work for the film, and as a result, it leads to, so far, the best action in the entire series, since 2 Fast and Tokyo Drift. It’s not just how it’s shot or edited, it’s the geography of the locations, the rooftop chase echoes the rooftop chase of Jackie Chan’s masterwork Police Story, particularly the way each character bounces from top to top.

And of course, there’s the silliest moment in the movie, the one that matches the intensity and kineticism of a film like 2 Fast, which is driving the Reyes’ bank vault throughout the street, getting chased by corrupt cops.

I know we make fun of Vin Diesel for saying “family” all the time in these films, but there’s a reason we remember him saying all of these impassioned monologues. Because he’s unbelievably sincere, and has so much love in his heart for every single person in the room. Anytime he delivers a speech to any of them, it’s genuinely heartwarming.

This is the film that finally shows La Familia in their best environment, which is working together, in a movie genre that allows them to work together, which is a heist film. And a great one at that.

Last Days (2005) (dir. Gus Van Sant)

CW: Mention of suicide

Several films have been made about legendary rock artist Kurt Cobain, and for good reason. He is one of the most tragic figures in rock and roll. A tortured genius who has written and performed classic song after classic song with his band Nirvana. He was called the voice of a generation, and helped change the face of mainstream alternative rock music as we know it. But with that fame, and all of those expectations came a worsening depression and further drug abuse, and his eventual death. But most of the films about Kurt Cobain ask one question which gets under my skin way too much:

“Who REEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLY killed Kurt Cobain?”

It was him. He did. And it’s okay, I’m sad too. Thinking that Kurt Cobain was murdered is completely ignoring the depression that he faced. And despite Last Days being more inspired by the death of Cobain rather than actually about it, it feels much more honest than the conspiracy documentaries on his death, wanting to leech off of his dead body.

This is the last installment of Gus Van Sant’s “Death Trilogy”, the previous two installments being Gerry (2001), and Elephant (2003). While I have not seen Gerry, I have seen Elephant though, and love that film for its minimalist, raw nature, and its boldness for not romanticizing the school shooter or the lives they had taken. Last Days falls into that trap once, as I don’t agree with the shot of Blake’s soul climbing up a ladder, that always struck me as cheesy in a film that is anything but.

Last Days is similar to Elephant in terms of the way it is filmed. Its usage of long takes, and still shots of characters doing various things, such as Blake playing his guitar behind a drum set. The way these moments are shot is similar to a Chantal Akerman film, particularly Jeanne Dielman. Where the acts of the mundane are the stars of the film. Blake wanders around an empty house, and the viewer can feel the pain, not just through Michael Pitt’s acting, but from the house itself. Its decay, its paint peeling from the walls, from the soft glow of the lamp that lights his face.

I say this is the most honest film about Kurt Cobain, because, despite the characters technically being fictional (the main character who looks, walks, and acts like Cobain is named Blake), this film focuses on the mental state of a person before they eventually take their own life. They’re still working, still making music, still trying to talk to friends and bandmates, but the depression lingers on. Not once does this film try to make you believe that someone else killed him, because you can see the signs of his own suicide taking place just through the film’s excellent cinematography by Harris Savides, showing his mental state only growing worse through the production design.

And it’s empathetic with him. There’s no judgement for leaving rehab, there’s no finger-wagging at him or the people he was with, there’s just a silent prayer at the end of the film, hoping that he is in a better place than he was.

Sometimes you don’t need to show every event that led you to where you are, all you can show is the moment, which also makes this better than most biopics as well, as it never feels messy or muddled, just showing one moment of Blake/Kurt’s life.

I really loved this film, and I’ll be writing about it in full soon.

The Village (2004) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)

The Cracked.com/Channel Awesome audience stuck in 2012 will tell you that this was the beginning of the end for Shyamalan. That this was when people stopped taking him seriously, that this was when he became more of a punchline because of his twist endings.

But why?

The Village was released in 2004, deep in the Bush administration, during the early stages of the Iraq War. The leaders of the time were talking about imaginary boogeymen, terrorists that would attack the civilians if they could. Because of 9/11, politicians could get away with these false ideas with the majority of Americans fully believing them. The boogeymen in The Village are “The People We Don’t Speak Of”, monsters attracted by the color red. Yet we find out that they are all costumes made by the Elders of the land, designed to prevent people from going outside the land. They rule by fear disguised as love. They’ve gone through their own traumas through the deaths of their family members, but they’ve decided to completely abandon the lives that they’ve had and have their children living lies.

9/11 impacted American life by teaching citizens to live primarily by fear, to not trust anyone but their own people. And yet, post-9/11, all that increased was not “coming together”, but hate crimes against South Asian people. The rage white Americans had felt led to conservative politicians pushing fear-mongering agendas, and said white Americans blindly accepted. The outside world was progressing, but too many people were fine with living with further conservative politics only regressing American life further and further back, all for the illusion of safety. Meanwhile, the only threats to them were not the brown citizens outside of America they were so afraid of, but the white elders, the white politicians.

The Village explores these fears so eloquently, all while having a terrifying atmosphere, an enchanting score, and brilliant sound design. I enjoyed this movie very much.

Other viewings I enjoyed:

Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) (dir. Mike Judge) (re-watch)

Blow Out (1981) (dir. Brian de Palma) (re-watch)

Clueless (1995) (dir. Amy Heckerling) (re-watch)

Furious 7 (2015) (dir. James Wan)

The Long Goodbye (1973) (dir. Robert Altman)

Lupin III: The First (2019) (dir. Takashi Yamazaki)

Unbreakable (2000) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan) (re-watch)

Velvet Goldmine (1998) (dir. Todd Haynes)

The Visit (2015) (dir. M. Night Shyamalan)

#favorite first watches #these movies are (chef's kiss)#beyond the valley of the dolls #russ meyer #deep cover #bill duke #fast five #justin lin #last days #gus van sant #the village #m night shyamalan

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willow-salix · 3 years

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Ok, so, here's the next chapter.

It's a wee bit weird, so feel free to skip most of it, it won't affect the story at all. It's just there, doing it's thing.

Here's the first part, you can follow the link to read the rest of dip out here if you don't want to read a full ritual.

---

“What do you mean Lin is in the hospital?” Selene gasped, unable to believe her ears. “I just saw him no more than...” she glanced at her phone, “four hours ago.”

“Yeah, well, that was before the arrow hit him,” Vera snorted, tugging at Selene’s dress as she unzipped it and yanked it down.

“Arrow? What arrow?” Selene asked, her voice muffled as a new dress was slung over her head.

“The one that hit him in the leg,” Alegra answered as she bustled past with an armful of candles, clearly heading outside to the circle clearing.

“What the hell was he doing to get shot in the leg?”

“Teaching an archery class, it appears someone had very bad aim. One legged Linden strikes again,” Alegra replied.

“That name is because he is the master of Tree pose, not because he only has one working leg!" Selene argued, starting to feel more than a little stressed. “Who the hell is going to be my Priest if Linden is out of action? There’s no one else I’ve worked with enough to even have a connection with let alone one enough to raise the power needed for the circle.”

“Don’t you worry your head about it,” Vera snapped, tugging violently on Selene’s arm, yanking her down in a chair where she sat as still as a statue, allowing the old lady to attack her hair. “Tanzi said she had a plan, so give her some time to see what she can pull out of her arse before you start your panic flapping.”

“But there isn’t anyone here,” Selene argued. “Why don’t we let Tanzi take my place, she’s worked with far more people than I have, she'd know how to work their energy better than me.”

“Because it’s your role, that’s why.”

“But I- OW!”

Vera pulled the brush back like she might donk Selene on the head again.

“We’ll have none of that negativity, my girl, I taught you better than that. You know negativity before a circle is a no no. Just trust the Gods, trust they have a plan and a reason.”

“Linden won’t like that he was part of whatever plan they supposedly had,” Selene grumbled but stayed still as Vera slapped a flower crown on her head and set to work curling her hair around it.

"Well, it's not like he has a say in it now, is it?"

-x-

“I feel ridiculous,” John complained as Tanzi straightened his tunic, giving him the once over.

“Oh hush, you look gorgeous, she’s gonna shit a brick when she sees you.”

“I swear, if anyone even dares to take a picture I’ll make sure that they never get an internet connection again for the rest of their lives,” John threatened, wincing as Tanzi grabbed a comb and a pair of scissors to start attacking his hair. "Are you sure this is completely necessary?"

"Oh yes, very necessary, you have to dress the part, besides, it'll be worth it, you'll thank me later," Tanzi grinned admiring her handiwork. "That bitch is gonna send me a gift basket for making you look so good."

"And there's really no one else to do it?"

"No, I already told you. Linden is out of action and it's been years since she's worked with anyone close enough to lead a ritual with them. You're bonded to her, you're basically her familiar, you're the perfect solution. Don't worry, it'll be fine, believe it or not she does know what she's doing, she won't let you mess up."

"I never thought for a moment that she wouldn't be completely capable and in control, she always is. She may seem flighty but-"

"You don't have to tell me," Tanzi interrupted, patting his shoulder. "I've known her since she entered the craft, in fact I think tonight will be quite eye opening for you. You've never seen her in a ritual before, have you?"

John shook his head.

"Then you're in for a treat, she's a natural performer as well as a talented witch."

"My wife with a penchant for dramatic performance? Never."

Tanzi sniggered under her breath but declined to comment, focusing her attention on the back of his head as she worked.

"Are you sure this is all I have to do?" John asked, unfolding the instructions he'd been given and reading them through again. They seemed simple enough, follow Selene, stand where he was told, do as she directed and only speak when she spoke to him first or asked him a question, it sounded like a standard social event to him.

"Yep. You've got your part of the performance there too, just make sure you give Sel her part."

"Tell me again why we aren't warning her about this?"

"Because I want to see the look on her face," Tanzi shrugged. "I'm old, I have to get my kicks somewhere."

John snorted out a laugh. "Don't let my Grandma hear you complaining about being old, she gets very defensive when anyone under sixty even dares to mention they have a wrinkle."

"Good job I'm over 60 then," Tanzi answered distractedly, tugging at the side of his head as she tried to wrestle his hair into submission. He resisted the urge to flinch and instead focused on her words.

"Sure you are, and I'm planning a career change to become a game show host." The woman didn't look any older than he did, let alone old enough to appease his Grandma.

Tanzi grinned evilly. "Look me up if you don't believe me, but sit still while you do it."

For want of anything better to do John pulled out his phone and did as he was told. It took him less than two minutes and a tiny bit of government file delving to find the truth.

"There's only one Tanzanite Summerland, who is apparently seventy-eight years old."

Tanzi hummed a little sound of acknowledgement as she worked on his parting, trying to force his hair to lay in a way that didn't come naturally to it. "Why won't your bloody hair stay where I put it?"

"Selene asks the same thing, I gave up trying to change it years ago and just work with it, but don't think I don't know you're trying to change the subject," he retorted, on to her game.

She huffed, giving up on the parting, deciding to work with what she had, smoothing it back into place instead. "I'm mated to a full bloodied Shifter, Nikos is 297."

"He's what?" John spluttered, turning to look at her. "That's impossible."

"Dude, you turn into a cat, nothing should be impossible to you," she drawled, her tone implying she thought he was being particularly dense as she grabbed his head and turned it to face forward. "Avery is 413."

"Avery too? What does he turn into?"

"Nothing, though I'm sure he'd love to embrace the bat cliché if he could."

"Bat? Why would h-"

Tanzi raised her curved fingers to her mouth in a crude depiction of fangs and hissed.

John's eyes widened.

Tanzi nodded. "Yeah, and he's still not matured into a fully functioning adult, he'd be lost without my sister, I swear. Now, you've got your words, I've done the best I can with your hair, I think you're good to go."

"What? No! I've got questions, you can't just dump this kind of information on me and expect me to just accept it. I need answers."

"No time my friend, chop chop, it's getting dark, move your arse, your wife's waiting."

-x-

"Seriously?"

Selene couldn't have been more shocked if Tanzi had produced a monkey from her pocket to slap her around the face.

"You think John is the solution to our problem? How? Why? He hates people!"

"Oh hush," Tanzi soothed, brushing away her concerns. "He'll be fine, it's only a little ritual-"

"Little? There's a hundred and fifty people out there joining in!"

"In at the deep end," Tanzi shrugged, "he married a witch, he's gotta learn sometime. He said he'd do it."

"But why him? Is there really no one else?" Selene fretted, more worried about her husband's social anxiety than the ritual itself. "Can't you do it?"

"Nope, you're our poster child, you're the one they came to see, we can't let them down. He's the only person here with a connection to you that won't dull your energy. You know a Priest is supposed to enhance it, not drain it."

Selene wanted to argue, but her friend did make a good point, not that she wanted to admit it. She had worked with John in little ways before, working on his intuition and raising his personal power quicker and easier before each shift he attempted; it really wouldn’t be that much different for him, you know, apart from all the people staring at him.

“Fuck it, we’ll make it work,” Selene huffed. “Did you at least prepare him, even a little? Gods, he’s never going to leave my side again after this. I walked away for an hour and he was drafted.”

“Of course I prepared him, I gave him a script and everything,” Tanzi promised her, crossing her heart.

“Which script?” Selene asked suspiciously.

“This one,” Tanzi grinned, handing Selene a book of Shadows already opened on a page.

Selene quickly scanned through the pages, recognising the revised ritual instantly.

“I’m going to make a few adjustments,” she stated in a tone that allowed no arguments.

“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Tanzi assured her, knowing that she had won that round.

“Fine,” Selene sighed, checking the time. “Then I guess I'm ready.”

“Good, let’s go,” Tanzi said, draping a cloak around Selene’s shoulders.

“Hang on, where’s my chapstick?”

“Do you really need it?” Tanzi asked, desperate to get the other woman moving.

“Yes, I do, especially as I have a lot of foreheads to kiss out there,” Selene answered, already scrabbling through her bag looking for the elusive little tube.

“Where the hell is the bloody...Oh, thanks, babe,” she said in response to the chapstick that appeared in her line of sight, recognising the ring on the hand that held it. She took the stick and slicked on a generous amount, making fish out of water noises at her reflection in the mirror before turning around. She stumbled, reaching blindly behind her for something to hold on to, because praise be to every single deity for the God that was her husband.

“Holy shitballs Batman!”

“See, I look stupid!” John huffed, his cheeks burning. He should never have let himself be talked into it.

“Rubbish,” Tanzi scoffed.

“Wow,” Selene breathed, seemingly unable to form any full sentences.

“Told you she’d like it,” Tanzi grinned.

“What...I mean...how the...my Gods,” she breathed, unable to tear her eyes away from the pure gorgeousness she was seeing. Her eyes kept darting to a new part of him, there was simply too much beauty to take in in one go. “Wow.”

“Yes, I am a miracle worker, I know this,” Tanzi preened, brushing a non-existent speck of dirt off his shoulder.

“Is that a wig?”

“Clip in extensions.”

“My Gods,” Selene whispered again. John’s hair was now brushing his shoulders, falling in shimmering red waves that perfectly matched his own colour. His usual side parting had been maintained, the extensions having obviously been trimmed to blend in with his forelock, which somehow made it look less alien on him. Her fingers itched to run through all that silky looking hair and she actually reached out a hand but Tanzi slapped it down.

He was dressed in a black shirt with loose fitted sleeves that laced up across his chest under a dark forest green tunic. His legs were encased in black leggings and dark brown lace up boots that came up to just below his knees. He had a black cloak over one arm and a metal headpiece that encircled his head looking rather like a crown. But it was the pointed ears that peeked out from his hair that really pulled the whole look together.

“Fuck...me,” Selene was absolutely stunned, taking a few steps towards him, wanting to be close, to touch, to kiss...

“Later,” Tanzi ordered. “You two have to get moving, I can hear the drums already.”

Snapping out of her dazzling husband induced daze, Selene grabbed a sword that had been laying on a table in one hand and reached for his hand with the other.

If John felt nervous dressed in his ridiculous costume, it was nothing compared to how Selene seemed to be feeling. He could feel her hand shaking in his and hear the way she kept sucking in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

He wanted to say something to make it better, but knew that in times like these words made very little difference to her. Instead he repositioned her hand in his, linking their fingers and giving it a comforting squeeze. She looked different tonight, he’d seen her in ritual robes before, but this time she had replaced the dramatic makeup she had been wearing earlier with something much more subtle. She looked younger, less sure of herself, with pale golden eyeshadow, pink blushed cheeks and no lipstick, maybe that was part of the reason that she looked a little less confident than normal.

They waited just outside the perimeter that had been marked out for the circle, around which a ring of people stood, others seated in little huddles on blankets, obviously not part of the actual ritual but wishing to observe. The whole clearing was lit up by the crackling flames of a large bonfire, which warmed the chill air to a more pleasant temperature now that the sun had gone down, taking its heat with it.

The drumming that had been growing louder with each passing moment reached its crescendo and abruptly stopped. He felt her stiffen and heard her inhale deeply once more, holding it for the count of five before letting it out slowly.

“Show time,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. “Just follow my lead, babe, I won’t let you down.”

“I know,” he assured her, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

Link to Ao3

#john tracy #selene tempest #thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds 2015 #witch #thunderbirds fanfiction #paranormalromance #thunderbirdsarego

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hamiltonimagines · 4 years

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Inside and Out

Pairing: Anthony x Plus Size Reader

Request: Anthony x reader at a Tony’s after party and the reader feels insecure. Using the quote “You don't have to be insecure. I love you and no amount of slim girls could change that.” - @irlydontknoanymore

Word Count: 1.8k

“Woah Y/N you look stunning” I heard Anthony exclaim. I was standing in our bathroom and I had just finished getting ready for the Tony’s after party tonight. I felt really insecure in the dress I was wearing. I had bought it a long time ago and apparently I had gained a few pounds since I bought.

Anthony walked up to me and put his arms around my waist and kissed my cheek. I didn’t even thank Anthony for the compliment, I was too busy staring at myself in the mirror and seeing all the areas of myself that I didn’t like.

I had always had some self-esteem issues, I tended to compare myself to other people. I just never felt like the most confident person, but I was lucky to have Anthony as a supportive boyfriend. He was always so encouraging and loving towards me.

“You okay?” He asked me, noticing I seemed kind of zoned out. “No it’s fine, I was just thinking” I lied, putting on a fake smile. “Well then, let’s go. It’s time for everyone at that red carpet to see how beautiful you look” Anthony said, grabbing my hand as we walked to the car.

We arrived at the party after only a quick drive. We got out of the car and we went over to wait to walk down the red carpet.

I was so excited to have an amazing night with my boyfriend and I wasn’t going to let my insecurities ruin a great night.

Then I looked down the carpet and saw Renée, Pippa, and Jasmine all smiling together for the photographers. They all looked so gorgeous, their dresses perfectly fit their curves and they just looked stunning. I couldn’t help but feel like they looked better than I did. They looked amazing and I felt like I didn’t belong at such a glamorous event.

Then Anthony and I got signaled to start to walk down the red carpet. We posed at the first spot, putting on smiles for the cameras. I felt like I was just faking a smile. Anthony seemed to notice because he leaned closer to me.

“I can’t believe that I get to call you mine, you’re so stunning” he whispered in my ear. All of a sudden, this huge smile was on my face. Anthony always knew how to cheer me up, he was the most loving person I’d ever met.

The rest of the red carpet was amazing. Anthony would occasionally whisper sweet nothings in my ear just to make me smile. As soon as we got off the red carpet, I pulled Anthony into a hug.

“Thank you so much, just with all the cameras and lights, I felt really insecure and you were there for me, just like how you’re always there for me. I love you” I whispered to him. We pulled and he brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. “Anything for you sweetheart, I’ll do anything so you see yourself as gorgeous as I see you” he said, kissing my cheek.

Then I felt someone hug me from behind. I turned around and saw that Pippa was hugging me. Renée and Jasmine were also standing next to her. “Hey guys, how are you?” I said, smiling.

“We’re good. It’s so good to see you” Jasmine said, politely. “All three of you look amazing” I complimented, truthfully. “Are you kidding? Have you seen yourself? You look like a model, Y/N” Renée said, looking at your outfit. I felt so flattered that they thought I looked pretty. “You’ve got a gorgeous girl Ramos” Pippa joked.

“Yes I do” Anthony said, kissing my cheek. “Now come on guys. We have a party to go to” Jasmine said. We all cheered as we walked inside. We walked inside and looked at all the decorations. Then the song that the dj was playing changed.

It mine and the girl’s favorite song. We always had girls nights and would always dance to this song. “Oh my god, it’s our song” Jasmine said, excitedly.

“Come on girls” Renée said grabbing our hands and pulling our hands to the dance floor. I blew Anthony a kiss as we all went to the dance floor. I saw him chuckle at how excited we all got.

We got to the dance floor and we all stood in a circle and we were dancing like our lives depended on it. We were having so much fun and belting the lyrics. Any insecurity that I had before was completely gone. I was just having an amazing time.

I grabbed Pippa’s hand and spun her in a circle as we were all still dancing. Eventually, the song ended and we all were exhausted. “That was so much fun” Jasmine said, and we were all out of breath.

“I’ll be back, I’m going to find Anthony” I told them, as I walked away to find him. I spotted Anthony standing at a table with Lin and Daveed.

I changed the direction I was walking to go over to him. I made it over to the table they were all standing at. “Hey! It’s Y/N“ Lin exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. “Hey Lin, what’s going on?” I said, as we pulled away.

“We were just talking about you” Daveed said. I had an unsure expression, “All good things?” I asked. “Of course, Anthony was just gushing about how amazing you look tonight” Lin said, smirking.

“Oh was he?” I asked, teasing him. “I always am” Anthony said, putting his arm around my waist and pulling me towards him. “Seriously, you two are made for each other. It’s almost scary how similar you are” Daveed said, laughing.

We all laughed and I felt Anthony kiss my temple and whisper “I love you” in my ear. “Alright, I want to go dance. Who’s coming with me?” Daveed asked. Lin held his hands up in surrender and said “that’s all you Ramos”.

Anthony looked towards me, looking unsure. I knew he was wondering if I was okay with him leaving. At this point, Anthony and I had been dating for five years and sometimes we could communicate without even talking. I smiled and nodded at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll stay with her. Go give Daveed some dancing lessons” Lin joked. “Alright, if you insist” Anthony said, laughing as he walked away with Daveed.

“So I know Anthony would of hit me if I said this in front of him. And I mean this completely in a friendly way, but you look amazing tonight. You really do” Lin complimented me. “Aw thanks Lin. I mean that’s what everyone keeps saying” I said, mumbling the last part.

“What? Do you not think you look good? Because trust me, you look like a movie star” Lin said again. “Thank you that means a lot” I said, pulling him into a side hug.

“Of course, you’re like my little sister” Lin said, kindly. Lin and I talked for a little while longer and eventually Anthony and Daveed showed back up, out of breath. They were both arguing over who was a better dancer. Lin and I were busy laughing at how competitive they both were.

Now, we had been at the party for an hour or two and I was really started to feel self conscious. I kept seeing really pretty women in gorgeous dresses that complimented their body. I felt like I couldn’t compare at all, and like my dress didn’t suite me.

I was sitting at a table by myself. Everyone else was out dancing. I scrolled through my phone, trying to distract myself. “There’s my beautiful girl” Anthony said, sitting down next to me.

I smiled weakly at him. He interlaced our fingers and I leaned my head on his shoulder. I guess he knew that I didn’t want to talk about it right now.

I just felt horrible in my dress. It was kinda short and tight. It also had really thin straps so you could see all of my arms. I felt like I looked too big for the dress.

“Ant, can I wear your jacket? It’s a little cold” I lied. “Of course babygirl” he said pulling away from me and taking off his jacket. He placed it over my shoulders and I could tell from him eyes that he knew exactly why I wanted it. He knew me too well and I could never lie to him.

Then I heard a slow song start playing. “Come on, let’s go dance” he said, softly as he pulled me out to the dance floor. We got to the dance floor and he held onto my waist and I put my arms around his neck.

“You look gorgeous Y/N. I promise, you don’t have to worry about it” he whispered and I leaned my head on his chest. I rested there and we danced slowly to the beat.

The whole time we were dancing, he kept whispering sweet compliments in my ear and I felt so loved. I felt myself tear up a little, just at how kind and loving he was. I looked up at him smiling and I leaned in to kiss him.

After the song ended, Anthony leaned in close to me and asked “Are you ready to go home?”. I just nodded at him. I went back to the table to grab my purse and Anthony said goodbye to everyone for the both of us.

We got in the car and rode home in a comfortable silence. Anthony held my hand the whole way home.

We pulled into the driveway and walked inside. We both silently started to get ready for bed. We had both changed into our pajamas. Anthony was brushing his teeth and I was wiping off my makeup. Neither of us said anything until we were both done.

I turned to face him and I knew he could tell I wanted to talk. “Come on” he said, interlacing our hands and walking into our bedroom. We both sat down on the end of the bed. “I’m sorry if I was a bother tonight” I apologized.

He interlaced our fingers. “You are never a bother Y/N, I promise. Loving you isn’t some tedious chore that I have to do. I love showing you love and telling you how special you are” Anthony said.

“I know and I love that you do that. I just felt really insecure tonight. The rest of the girls looked so good and they had tight dresses that fit their body so well. I just felt like I couldn’t measure up” I explained. “But that stuff doesn’t matter to me Y/N, I love you for you. Just because you aren’t a size zero doesn’t mean you are worth any less” he said, kissing the back of my hand.

“Thank you, it’s just hard to not be insecure sometimes” I said. “You don’t have to be insecure. I love you and no amount of slim girls could change that. You are beautiful inside and out” he said, looking lovingly into my eyes.

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135 notes · View notes

a-dorin · 4 years

Text

simplicity | daveed diggs

warnings: sexual innuendos, cursing, nudity

a/n: okay first of all i have no idea what the fuck is raining down on him. is it tampons? something else? no idea. anyways, this is my first daveed blurb ever! so i hope you guys like it! :)

summary: the life of a broadway star can be quite extravagant, but he tends to adore the simpler things of life.

keys turning in the lock startle you from your slumber, quiet steps ringing through the space as he enters the apartment. the light of the t.v. dances across the ceiling, the sound mute. the only noise is the faint tick of a clock in the den, yet it’s white noise.

“baby i’m home,” his voice is soft, plump lips grazing your temple as he leans over the couch, “i didn’t wake you, did i?”

“no,” you string out a mumble as a yawn settles in, eyes squeezing shut momentarily, “not at all. i was just resting.”

“resting your eyes?” his tone is lighthearted, yet his voice is hoarse.

rising to your feet, you pad over to the figure, his curls bouncing as he set down his duffle, “do you need me to make you a cup of tea? i’ll add right amount of honey, just how you like it.”

lips curl in the corners, a wide grin enveloping his features, “i’m all right love, but thank you. i was just looking forward to a shower and then some sleep.”

“carrying the second act again, were you?” you arch a brow, prodding him with your index finger.

“as always,” a low chuckle rises in his throat, “but really, everyone did great. pippa was phenomenal, and anthony always has that wonderful voice of his.”

“and lin?”

“he did well,” daveed shrugs, his gaze softening as a thumb caresses your cheekbone, “i really wish you could’ve came tonight.”

collapsing into his chest, you nuzzle into his hoodie, “me too.”

“hey,” lips connect with your forehead this time, “do you want to shower with me?”

“is there going to be some sex involved with that?”

“you just gotta ask and i will provide,” he flirts, grasping your chin with his fingers, “i’ll give you anything you want baby.”

your heart sinks as your eyes fall on the deepened circles underneath his eyes, the way the skin is puffy and swollen. wrinkles are beginning to etch their way into his skin. and you can’t help but notice his eyes.

his mocha depths, always alight with happiness, always glimmering with flirtation, were now a hollowed obsidian hue, dull with exhaustion.

the toll was beginning to reflect in your beloved diggs. whether he wanted to admit it or not.

“daveed,” you begin, the words delicate, “how about i start the shower for you, and then i’ll help you wash up?”

the jovial grin transitions into a weary, gracious smile, “there’s nothing that i wouldn’t want more.”

taking his hand, you lace fingers together, leading him to the bathroom. leaning over, you turn the knobs, stretching out fingertips to test the temperature. he peels off his clothes, the sweats dampened from a hard night’s work.

“make sure it’s not too hot,” you murmur, shedding off your own hoodie and leggings, “i know you always tease me about the water.”

“yeah because you and satan happen to like the same temperature,” a laugh escapes from his lips, “it should be fine.”

you allow him to enter first, shutting the glass door behind you. once you’re both in, he stands underneath the stream, soaking in the warmth as the water runs down his body.

for a second, you can’t help but admire your boyfriend as he stands before you. the droplets of water litter his built frame, muscles apparent, bicep flexing as he reaches for the soap.

the water streams down, magnifying every concave and convex.

god, was he absolutely gorgeous.

and he was all yours.

“you going to help me out or are you going to just keep staring?”

your heart skips a beat, “o-oh yeah. fuck. sorry.”

“it’s okay baby,” the bottle of body wash is placed into your hands, “will you get my back?”

“of course.”

carefully, you squeeze a sufficient amount into your palm, hands roaming across his shoulders and back as you apply the body wash. moments later, your hands start to knead, massaging out knots and aching muscles.

a content hum echoes through the bathroom as you massage, daveed nearly melting underneath your tender touch.

“there,” you exhale, “you can rinse now.”

daveed swivels on his heel, coming face-to-face with you. hands cup your cheeks, bringing you in.

his lips are soft and plush, the kiss gentle as his mouth molded with yours, his tongue running along your lower lip. arms loop around his neck as his tongue delves into your mouth, the tart taste of cherries lingering on your tongue.

the kiss is languid, as he was savoring the moment.

the moment of simplicity, where he wasn’t under the intense lights of the stage. where the roar of the crowd wasn’t thundering in his ears.

the simple moment of sharing a shower with the woman he loved more than anything. the woman who knew exactly how to make him feel better after the draining nights. the woman whose touch could send him spiraling into a state of forever bliss.

and for daveed, those moments of simplicity were enough to outweigh those extravagant moments, where the applause flooded his ears and blood coursed through his veins.

sure, he adored broadway. he was passionate about his career. he relished the spotlight. he enjoyed spending time with his castmates and the fans. he liked interviews with media outlets.

but god, there was nothing more that he loved than coming home to you.

#daveed diggs #daveed x reader #daveed #hamilton #daveed diggs fluff #some smut

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tehfabbooty · 4 years

Text

Jealous Part 2

The next morning came quickly. You started the day by sneaking to houses on the outskirts of the city to find clothes to disguise yourselves in. While dressing your self in some green and black clothing, gou watched Katara helping Toph with disguising here intrigued by the waterbender's makeup skills.

"....And there. Not too much that you'll stick out to people, but enough to make it more difficult to recognize you,"Katara said as she applied the last touches.

"Thanks, Katara. I would've done it myself, but ya know...,"the blind girl said, grinning.

She was stunning with her hair down like that, you thought in jealousy. Her long black hair went down to her butt, her bangs pinned away to show more of her face. Katara somehow had adjusted Toph's everyday clothes to look a little different and a little more feminine and it made you jealous with how great she looked while you, a waterbender, looked awkward as hell in your earthbender clothing.

Zuko noticed your jealous looks at Toph, so gaining courage, he walked by as if in passing and muttered to you, "You look amazing, Y/N. Like a real earthbender."

You blushed, just now noticing him in his disguise. "T-thank you, Zuko. So do you."

Zuko was dressed in a pretty similar outfit to what he wore in Ba Sing Se, it was just missing the hat he wore to cover his scar. But his hair made up for it, being long enough for partially cover the scar.

His face reddened as well. "Thanks."

You two stood there for a few seconds, awkwardly waiting for the other to say something, but Sokka started talking to the group again.

"All right, everyone dressed and ready? Great. Oh wow, you look great, Toph!"he said, making the earthbender blush, which you have never seen her do before.

"Okay, anyways, we are going to split up in twos. Katara and Y/N, you girls do the shopping for anything useful to us since you're girls, you love shopping -"

Katara punched him in the arm.

"- You didn't let me finish!"Sokka whined, rubbing his arm. "And you're the most responsible and smart with money."

"Aww, thanks Sokka." You walked up and kissed his cheek.

The green-eyed monster flared its head again inside Zuko. It took a little bit of control, but Zuko managed to not huff and glare at Sokka. He just thinned his lips into a thin line.

"Toph, you come with me. We do well with food shopping. Aang and Zuko, you guys search the other areas looking for anything useful to us also, like weapons and other resources. Or information we could use. Also keep a lookout for any Fire Nation soldiers,"Sokka added. "You guys are our best defense. Anyways, we meet back here by evening or sooner. Got it?"

Everyone agreed, then set off for the city of Kuidaore.

......

Around midday, you stopped at a stand to get a drink while Katara scoped a jewelry store out.

"Hey, Y/N, come look at this!"

You paid for your drink before following the water bender inside the store.

"What is it?"you asked before freezing inside the door.

All around the store before you were jewelry pieces from all four nations. You have never seen a store so diverse that it included all nations, especially the Fire Nation. Your jaw dropped as you walked around, amazed.

"Whoa,"you whispered to Katara as you both gaped at Earth Nation jewelry before Katara and you set your eyes on the water bending pieces.

"Oh my God. It's so beautiful,"you said in awe as you stared at a neck choker. It had an opal gemstone, your birth gemstone in the center of the choker necklace. All along the rest of the piece were smaller Opal stones varying in shades of blue along the clear material of the fabric of the choker, making it appear as if only Opals adorned your neck.

"Ooh, that is beautiful,"Katara agreed in a hushed tone.

"May I help you ladies with something?"a strong male voice said behind you.

Gasping in surprise, you and Katara spun around to face a man no older than nineteen staring down at you with a smile on his kind, handsome face.

"Oh, I apologize for scaring you. My name is Lin Chang, and I own this fine establishment,"he boasted, puffing his chest out a little.

You and Katara exchanged glances before giggling a little. "Well, aren't you successful then,"you told the man. "You have gorgeous jewelry, Mr. Chang."

He beamed at you. "Please, call me Lin."

You smiled wider. "Okay, Lin."

He turned his attention back to Katara. "I see you ladies have an eye for our Water Tribe pieces. Would you like to try some on?"

Katara's eyes widened in excitement. "Ooh, yes please! Can I try that one on?"

As Katara tried on a bracelet, you smiled kindly at Lin. "I won't be trying on anything today, Lin. But thank you."

You made your way around the store, checking out the other nation's cultural pieces.

Stopping at the Fire Nation's area, you eyed the beautiful gold and red ornate pieces in wonder. Red had always been your favorite color for some reason.

Finally, you stopped at something that made your heart soar.

There, in a glass case by itself, was a gorgeous Fire Lily hair piece, a piece that looked similar to what the royals would wear in their hair, except it looked exactly like a Fire Lily. Orange, red and gold. You couldn't tear your eyes away from it.

Heart thudding in your chest, you suddenly remembered a conversation you once had with Zuko. How his favorite flower had always been Fire Lily's. Since orange was his favorite color.

Swallowing hard, you looked at the price tag and your eyes widened in shock before your face fell in disappointment. It was way too expensive for you to just drop that kind of money on. But it was so beautiful...

"Hey, Y/N. Find anything interesting?" Katara had suddenly appeared next to you, scaring you.

"Oh, uh. Nothing." You blushed furiously.

"Wait, why are you looking at Fire Nation jewelry? Don't you want to -" She stopped talking before a grin spread across her face. "Wait, are you shopping for your lover boy?"

You gasped in embarrassment. "Katara! He is not my lover boy!"you hissed, face so red it matched the Fire Nation pieces.

She giggled. "Whatever you say."

"He's not! I just like .. The uh, style. I like the jewelry they make. And, I love red." Your eyes darted away from Katara's, looking for an escape.

She giggled again. "Mmm, okay, Y/N." Her eyes landed on the hair piece you were just admiring. "Oh! That is so gorgeous!" She got closer to it, her eyes scanning the details of it. "This would look amazing on you!"

Your eyes widened, shocked. "It would?"

"Of course!"Katara replied. "You should get it!"

"But it's so expensive, Katara. I don't want to spend TOO much money...,"you said worriedly.

She scoffed. "Oh, please. Treat yourself this one time. I think it'll be worth it. And besides...." She got close to your ear. "I doubt he'd be able to resist you with this thing on."

"Katara!"

You both giggled to yourselves, unaware of Lin's eyes watching you.

.....

"Ugh this so boring! Why do girls like this?" Zuko complained as Aang just HAD to scope out every shop and stand.

It was already midday and they barely had seen a quarter of the area they were supposed to scope out, due to Aang wanting to read and learn and gawk at every little thing he found interesting.

"Calm down, Hot man. This is the last item here. Then we can move to the next shop, I swear!"

Aang had stopped to look at an air bending toy, amazed by how the air would keep it spinning without anyone physically touching it.

Zuko sighed. This was going to be a long day. Especially without seeing you. Is it sad Zuko was already missing you and it's only been a couple of hours?

By the time it reached late afternoon, Aang finally stopped checking out every detail, complaining about being tired and hungry and needing a rest. Relieved, Zuko led him to a nice little restaurant.

"So what looks good to you, Zuko? I can't decide!"Aang exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, uh. I'm not really hungry. I think I'll take a walk while you eat,"he told the young avatar.

"Okay! Don't go too far."

Zuko grunted in response before leaving the small cafe and heading down the street.

Finally, some time to myself, Zuko thought.

As he strolled through the city, giving soft smiles to little kids and nodding at other citizens walking past, he suddenly noticed something intriguing.

Fire Nation colors through one of the windows of a store caught his eye, so he decided to check it out.

Upon entering the store, he realized it was just a jewelry shop.

"Meh,"he said to himself, turning to leave, but he noticed something.

He approached the counter cautiously, his eyes roaming over the beautiful piece of jewelry.

Remembering that you had told him your birthday was in October, his eyes stopped on a gorgeous neck choker covered in small opals around the clear fabric, before his eyes stopped on the Opal in the center.

He pursed his lips, considering.

A few minutes later, he exited the shop, accidentally running into Aang outside.

"Hey! There you are. I told you not to go too far,"Aang said.

"I didn't." Zuko leaned towards Aang's ear and in a low voice said, "But I need your advice again."

.......

Evening was slowly beginning to roll in, and you knew you needed to head back to the rendezvous point, but you and Katara were having too much fun enjoyingthe city, finally living like you weren't fugitives.

Stopping at a small cafe, you two decided to get a cup of tea before heading back to camp.

You told Katara your order before finding a nice table near the wall and the front door so as to keep an eye on anyone passing.

You sat down before closing your eyes and smiling to yourself. It was such an amazing day. Sokka was a genius, you thought to yourself.

Suddenly, a voice started speaking to you that you recognized. It was Lin from his jewelry shop!

"Hey, Y/N, is it? Funny seeing you again!"the boy exclaimed, stopping by your table.

"Oh. Hi, Lin! Nice seeing you too!"you replied with a small smile.

Suddenly Katara appeared. "They gave us to-go culs since they're closing,"Katara told you. "We should head back."

She turned to Lin, realizing his presence. "Oh, hey, Lin!"

"Hello. Would you ladies like me to accompany you back?"he asked politely, his eyes darting between you and Katara, but mainly staying glued to you.

"Oh, uh. That isn't necessary, but thank you!"Katara answered sweetly.

Standing up, you two headed out of the shop.

But Lin followed. He jogged to catch up with you.

"Then I can just walk you to the edge of the city. I figured you girls must be camping nearby. I've never seen you ladies before,"Lin said, smiling.

"Oh, uh, thank you. We appreciate it,"you told him, getting a tad creeped out now.

Meanwhile Zuko and Aang were also just starting to leave to head back to camp.

"Man, today was so fun. I miss days like these!"Aang said sadly.

"Don't worry. You'll get plenty more of these once we end the war,"Zuko assured him.

Aang decided to change subjects, so he started rambling on about something else, but Zuko wasn't listening now. His eyes picked up something. Something he didn't fucking like. At all.

Ahead of them were you and Katara. He was relieved to know you were safe. But there was a man next you. One he didn't recognize. One who was getting too friendly with you.

And you seemed to be enjoying it.

The green-eyed monster inside Zuko reared its head back again, furious. It threatened to break out. Zuko had to clench his fists and bite his lip to keep from blasting that asshole into smithereens.

Aang, who finally drifted off into silence noticing Zuko wasn't listening, finally seen what his firebending friend was glaring at.

"Uh, Zuko -"

"I'm not going to hurt him, Aang. I promise,"he muttered quietly to him.

Finally they reached the outskirts of the city, where Mr. Asshole finally parted ways with you, but not before touching your shoulder and smiling down at you.

Zuko could feel his blood boiling.

This was it. This was where Zuko was going to lose his shit.

Suddenly, a hand touched Zuko's overheated arm. He glared daggers down at Aang for a moment before stopping to take a breath.

"Good. You have controlled your anger. Now that's something Azula definitely can't do,"Aang complimented him.

Zuko chuckled lightly, but he was still furious. How dare this strange man touch HIS girl? The fuck. How dare she LET him touch her.

Ah, well. At least we'll never see that bastard again, Zuko thought to himself smugly.

Back at camp, everyone marveled about their finds. But Zuko couldn't concentrate or join in. His eyes burned into your face. He so badly wanted to just claim you now, in front of everyone. But he knew he had to wait.

But patience was something Zuko of the Fire Nation just did not have.

Standing up, he marched over to you, grabbed your arm and said, "Can we talk?"

You looked up, startled. You've never seen Zuko so mad before. Sure, you've witnessed his rage, but never seen such a wild fire burning in his golden eyes like this. It worried you. Did you do something wrong?

Before you could answer, he led you away anyways.

It was a good ten minutes later, and you wanted to ask where he was taking you, but you didn't dare. You kept quiet.

Finally, he stopped. His grip on your arm didn't loosen.

You stared at the back of his head. "Uh, Zuko, can you let go -"

He spun around to face you, anger and jealousy all over his face. This was kind of hot, you weren't gonna lie.

"Who was he?!"he demanded.

"Uh, who, Zuko?"

"Don't play dumb! That man you were flirting with!"he snapped.

Your eyes widened. "What? Flirting? I wasn't flirting with anyone!"

"Bullshit! I saw the way you looked at him!"

"I wasn't looking at him in any sort of way! Damn, Zuko, what has gotten into you -"

Suddenly he backed you into a tree, both hands slamming to either side of your head, trapping you between the tree and his body.

"Bull. Shit,"he said through gritted teeth.

You rolled your eyes. "He was just a shop owner. We went into his shop earlier to check out his jewelry -"

Zuko's eyes widened a little. Jewelry shop?! Must be that one he went into earlier. . .

Eyes not narrowing, he leaned in a little and whispered, "Yeah? So why was he walking you outside?"

Your face flushed. "Why does it matter?"

"Cause it just does!"

A smile started to appear on your lips. "Are. Are you jealous?"

Zuko stared at you in shock. "N-no! I just ... I just don't trust him! And you shouldn't either!"

"I was safe. I was with Katara, Zuko,"you explained calmly. Though you were not calm.you had goosebumps all up and down your skin, your heart was pounding in your chest at his proximity, and a blush was forming on your cheeks.

"Yeah, well. He could've killed both of you. Or followed you back to us!"he blubbered.

"We could've handled him even if he did!"you shot back.

"How would you know? Two water benders against - what - an earth bender? Or maybe a fire bender!"

You groaned. "I can take care of myself. Even if I somehow died, you still got Katara. Nobody actually needs me -"

His eyes bulged out of his head. "Nobody needs you?? I need you! I've always needed you! I'll ALWAYS need you!"

Before you could reply, he slammed his lips into yours, finally claiming what was his.

Letting the shock subside, you wrapped your arms around his neck, moulding your lips with his.

He shoved his whole body onto you, crushing you against the tree as his tongue invaded your mouth. You moaned at the feeling of his weight on you, and you felt him smile against your lips.

After a few, he pulled away, staring lovingly at your swollen lips. "You are mine. All mine. Nobody else's."

Before you could respond, he pulled you towards him and laid you down on the ground.

"And I'm gonna show you!"he exclaimed.

Suddenly you felt your pants disappear. Seeing that you have gone commando, Zuko groaned in delight before burying his face into your pussy, using his arms to pin your legs and body in place as he ate you like the queen he thought you to be.

"Ahh, fuck! Zuko!" you moaned loudly.

You felt him chuckle against you. "Keep moaning, baby. I want the world to know who is mine and who I belong to,"he told you in a sultry voice.

You groaned. Him talking dirty was SO sexy.

He laughed a small laugh into your crotch. "You like that, don'tcha?"

You watched as his eyes flickered up to meets yours as his tongue darted in and out and played with your clit, making you a moaning, sweaty mess. He loved watching you fall apart for him, and especially the fact HE was the one making you fall apart. Not that douche bag shop owner.

"Mm mm mm, Zuko. Please." You had a strong grip on his hair, guiding him in your pussy and keeping him there.

He glanced up at you again. "Mm what baby?"he murmured before tongue fucking your pussy again.

It was getting too much. After everything, the jealous, his dominance, now this. . . . You needed him inside you. Right. Now.

Suddenly he stopped. He pulled his head back to look at you more clearly.

You groaned in protest.

"Tell me what you want,"Zuko said.

"Zuuuukooo,"you cried. "Please."

"Please what? Tell me what you need."

"I need you inside me! Fuck me Zuko!"you rasped.

You barely got the words out before he was stripping himself, his cock bouncing free. He lifted your legs up before positioning himself and pushing in. No hesitation, no wait for you to stretch. He was taking what was his.

"Ughhhh!"you winced in pain.

"Shut your whore mouth. You were a bad girl, flirting with another man, when all along you knew you only belonged to one man!"Zuko bellowed. "Me!"he shouted as he bottomed himself out.

You cried in pain and pleasure as his cock filled you so good.

It was only a second before he was pounding you into the dirt, his chest crushing yours as he placed his lips by your ear.

"Tell me. Who's girl are you?"

You moaned loudly.

He lifted your ass up so he could spank it. "Say it!"

"Y-y-yours Zuko!"you gasped.

"Damn fucking right. About time you learned that too." He turned his head and started attacking your neck with kisses. Sucking and swirling his tongue all around. He took your ear lobe into his mouth before letting it out with a loud pop, then went back to leaving hickeys everywhere on you.

It was too delicious. You were so close and he was making it so much worse.

His lips found their way back to your ear. "Cum for me, princess. Let me hear you moan my name while I feel your body shake."

Oh fuck. There it goes.

You cummed so hard it finally got to him too. He pulled out right as his cum spilled all over the grass next to you.

After a few minutes of panting and calming down, you both sat up. Finally, he grabbed the back of your head and forced your lips to his for a loving kiss that said everything.

After pulling away, he smiled at you. "I love you so fucking much, Y/N. You don't even know."

"I love you more,"you panted, grinning.

"Oh I don't think so. I got proof."

"What?" You looked at him in confusion as he stood up and pulled his clothes back on. You did the same, waiting for him to answer.

"Close your eyes."

You did as you were told, facing the bright full moon that hung right above both of your heads.

Suddenly you felt something on your neck and before you could say anything, he told you to turn around and open your eyes.

You did, and then gasped.

Zuko was on one knee smiling shyly at you. You looked down to see that he had bought you the opal neck choker from the shop.

"So uh . . . I heard that when you want to, uh. Um," he stuttered, blushing profusely.

Aww, you thought. He's so cute when he turns back into the shy awkward boy even though he just got done being so dominant and jealous with you.

"Will you - Ugh. Fuck it. Fuck what Aang said. Will you marry me??!"he demanded. He stared into your eyes, his full of hope and nervousness and love for you.

Your cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"Yes!!!"you shouted.

You tackled him to the ground, kissing him hard on the lips before standing up and grinning at each other.

"I got a gift for you too. But it's not for you to wear,"you admitted, blushing.

"Oh?"

"Close your eyes."

You pulled the hair piece out before fixing your hair up into a high ponytail before securing it into place at the base of the ponytail, making sure the Fire Lily faced front and center.

"Okay, you can look."

His eyes opened. He looked at you confused for a moment before his eyes caught the hair piece. His mouth dropped open and his face blushed once again.

"I guess this could signify who I belong to -"

You didn't finish as he grabbed your face and kissed you again. Then he peppered your face in kisses before pulling back and staring at it in awe.

"Yes it does signify that you belong to me. But so do these." He tapped a finger on the side of your neck, making your face redden even more.

"To be honest, I think everyone knew already."

"Yeah,"he chuckled. Then his face darkened. "But not that shop owner."

Grinning, you pulled him back into another kiss.

You definitely have to make him jealous more often.

#jealous zuko #zuko x reader #atla zuko #zuko x oc #zuko #atla

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