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captains-simp · 3 years

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Carol Danvers ~ Put On A Show

(This isn't what she looks like in this fic but it is the ✨I'm gonna make you see the stars vibe✨)

Carol Danvers X fem!Reader Smut

Word Count: 3,569

Includes: lil bit of public teasing, thigh grinding, edging, gagging on fingers, praise, strap on, overstimulation and oral

[ masterlist ]

Buy me a coffee ☕

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Being an Avenger taught you to handle a lot of difficult situations.

You knew how to take down a state of the art quinjet in a minute. You could survive on an unknown planet. You had played a significant part in tracking down and rounding up the last Hydra agents.

And yet no one had ever prepared you to be stuck in a room with a hundred arrogant business men who were desperately trying to impress you with what they thought was power.

You were certain you could have better conversations with a caveman.

You weren't a superspy like Natasha. You couldn't fake interest, put on a realistic smile and pretend to enjoy yourself like she could.

You weren't Tony who genuinely enjoyed himself at those kind of parties and thrived at being the center of attention.

And you weren't Carol who didn't need either of those things. If she didn't want to talk to someone, she wouldn't. It only took one of her looks to make any of the leaches hurry away. She didn't have to worry about the repercussions of doing so because there weren't any. Non of the guests would ever be willing to admit they were intimidated by a woman.

Not that you were jealous of what Carol had. Carol wasn't the kind of person you wanted to be, but she sure as hell was the kind of person you wanted to be with. And that woman was one of a kind.

The distraction of the Captain was definetly not helping you keep your cool. She wore a tight fitting dark blue suit that you had been struggling to stop yourself staring at ever since you had first seen it. Her hair was hanging loose at her shoulders and had become messy from the amount of times she had run her slim hand through it. That alone had your mind reeling of what other ways you could get it to look like that.

You had been lucky so far, everytime you stole a glance at the Captain and her attire she happened to be in convosation with someone else. Although that meant you two hadn't exchanged a single word that night.

Thankfully, you had soon learnt that half of the guests never actually noticed if you zoned out, perfectly content to continue rambling about themselves. While others could zone out themselves as they talked...while they stared at your chest and feuling your urge to smack them.

You were in a dress that you hadn't bought and were far from comfortable in around these people. A thin glass of champagne was clutched firmly in your hand and you predicted it would shatter by the end of the night. You had lost count of how many you had downed with your back turned, stopping once you felt lightheaded.

You had regretted it at first, but you became internally grateful you had saved your heightened senses when you felt a familiar hand rest on your lower back.

Training almost everyday with the blonde Captain had familiarised you with her firm grip and reassuring touch. It was the only kind of contact you had gotten from her until that moment and you treasured it greatly, praying Carol hadn't noticed your slight faulted at the knees.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to steal this one." Carol stated in a very unafraid tone as her hand pressed into you more. You wanted to melt into her touch.

The man you had been not-really-listening to (because you could not for the life of you remember anyone's name) opened his mouth to speak and probably try to get Carol to stay, was ignored by the blonde who was already guiding you away with her hand.

Of course you didn't protest, throwing a party over it in your head while the butterflies in your stomach danced along to the music. You didn't even realise Carol was leading you to the bar, too focused on the fact her hand never left your back as she walked beside you without a word.

You did however, realise when you almost walked into the bar stall before gracefully (that's what you told yourself) sliding onto the stool. Carol sat down next to you and said something to the bartender you didn't hear or really care about.

When she did look back at you her gaze was piecing along with her usual confident aura. Anyone who pulled off a suit the way Carol did had every right to some arrogance, especially as it somehow made her even more attractive.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress before." Carol said with a knowing smile.

"I don't think you'll be seeing me in one ever again." You respond as you glance anywhere but Carol, unable to hold her intense gaze.

"I'll have to treasure the memory even more then. You look beautiful." Carol compliments and watches you blush.

"You clean up pretty nicely yourself, Captain."

You don't fail to notice the way her jaw tightens slightly at the title, but she's quick to pass it off when the bartender places two bottles down on the counter.

You realise you're still holding your champagne so you put it on the side to swap it with small bottle of beer, already taking a sip to have something to do instead of figiting under Carol's gaze.

"I didn't need you to say it, you know? You undressing me with your eyes was telling enough." You choked slightly on your drink the moment those words left her lips, embarrassment shooting down every last butterfly in your stomach.

"I-I wasn't- it was an accident- I mean! I- um..." Carol watched you ramble with an amused grin and took a sip of her beer herself.

You could feel your cheeks heating up and your fight or flight instincts kicking in.

"I was enjoying the attention." Carol smirked as she moved closer to you so the faint smell of her expensive perfume overtook your senses.

You had been so sure the whole night that Carol hadn't noticed what you were doing. You thought you had gotten away with it all. Natasha's tips on concealing emotions and thoughts were clearly paying off on Carol more than you.

"And its not like it's the first time." Carol almost whispered as her voice dropped in a way that went straight to your core.

The Captain placed a gentle but firm hand on your bare knee as she studied you. Her brown eyes flickered across your face while your own y/e/c eyes stayed fixed on hers.

"Is this a test?" You whispered under your breath.

"Perhaps." She whispered back as her fingers stroked your bare skin slowly. "I'm sure I could test you some other ways though." Her hand was along your thigh now. You desperetly wanted to grab it and pull it up further but you had to remember you were in a room full of very important people.

Carol noticed you glance around the room and must have known what you were thinking because she smirked slightly before withdrawing her hand and standing up from the stall.

"Come." She ordered. You felt goosebumps across your whole body and hoped it wouldn't be the last time you heard her say that tonight.

You restrained yourself to waiting a few seconds before following Carol in the most subtle way you could manage when you wanted to sprint over to her side.

You weren't really aware of where Carol was leading you, but once you rounded the corner away from the party you sped up to close the distance between you both.

After rounding a few corners of the complicated hallway you realised you had lost sight of the Captain. Just as you were about to risk calling out her name a strong hand gripped your forearm and pulled you out of the corridor and into Carol's arms.

Her lips were on yours instantly. She had you backed into a wall before you could comprehend any of what was happened but her kiss was so eager you returned it without any thought.

The blonde's lips were unbelievably soft. They felt perfect against your own as you tried to match her pace.

Her hands were cupping your face with surprising gentleness so you wrapped your hands around her neck to pull her impossibly closer, accidently pulling on a few strands and earning a low groan from her.

She bit down on your lip harshly, making you moan audibly until you were muffled by her tongue invading your mouth.

You could taste the beer both of you had barely started and something else that was strikingly Carol. It was intoxicating and you didn't want it to end.

The friction Carol sparked when she pressed one of her muscular thighs between your bare legs was sinfully blissful. You moaned into Carol's mouth when you felt her very deliberately press against your heat and apply a teasing amount of pressure to your throbbing clit.

"Carol." You whispered her name like a chant. She smirked against you as she turned her attention to you jaw then neck, nipping and sucking at the skin exposed to her. You arched your neck to give her more access and felt your breathing become laboured.

This probably wasn't helped by Carol's hand on your bare thigh, gripping the skin in a much firmer way than she had at the bar and venturing further up.

Her hand disappeared beneath your dress in no time, massaging every inch of skin she came across.

You couldn't help it. Her warm lips, her strong hands and invasive thigh made you feel lightheaded and you couldn't stop your instincts of grinding yourself on Carol's thigh.

You desperatly sought more friction that your Captain's thigh could produce. What started as small rotations of your hips soon turned into full on desperate grinding. Your thin panties were soaked and clung to your skin, you were sure you were going to leave patches on Carol's expensive suit trousers but both of you were far from caring.

You could feel Carol continue to smirk into your neck with each mewl that left your lips. She grabbed your hands and pinned them against the wall above your head and that somehow made you needier.

The beautiful friction against your clit was one that had you moaning Carol's name continuously. It didn't take long for the familiar coil to tighten in your power abdomen and making your movements increasingly erratic.

You bucked against your Captain as you sought you sweet release only to have it pulled away from you.

Carol stepped away with a shit eating grin as she watched you struggle to hold yourself against the wall and give her a confused look.

"Why?" Was all you could manage, embarrassingly out of breath.

"Because I can." She smirked. "Did you want to cum, baby? Do you want to feel your release?"

"Please." You said shamelessly as you gave her a pleading look from your vulnerable position.

"Then be a good girl and bend over that desk for me."

You hadn't even noticed you were in an office, too busy trying to get yourself off on Carol's thigh than take in your surroundings. You didn't hesitate to place your hands on the far side of the desk and bend yourself over it so your ass was out for Carol. You glanced behind you to see Carol smirking as she took in your appearance in the new position.

She stalked towards you and placed a hand on the back of your thigh while the other pushed your back down further into the table. Her hand trailed up under your dress before she ran her fingers over the material covering your ass. Her movements were slow and teasing, trying to enhance your desperation to a place you wouldn't come back from that night.

Her slim fingers dipped beneath the waistband of your panties and gradually pulled them down, subsequently allowing her fingers to brush over your ass.

Once the thin material dropped to your feet Carol had you spread your legs for her as far as you could while she lifted your dress over your hips.

You guessed she really did like the dress.

Your pussy pulled around nothing as it was exposed to the cold air of the room and Carol's teasing fingers ghosting over your skin.

"Eyes front." She said as she stood back. It was hard to resist the urge to turn around and look when you could hear Carol undoing her belt buckle.

You had to bite your lip to suppress a moan when the blonde brushed the silicone against your folds. You were both shocked and aroused at the discovery that the Captain had been packing all night. You wanted her more at the thought that she had planned this.

You were snapped out of your thoughts when you felt two slim fingers against your lips. You opened your mouth to allow Carol to slip her fingers in and tried not to moan around them at the heated gesture.

You sucked eagerly on Carol's fingers in an attempt to please her and hope it would give you some preparation for the girthy strap. It wouldn't.

You were caught off guard again when Carol continued to push her fingers forward, further than you were expecting at first then more than you could take. You gagged around her fingers and heard a chuckle from your sadistic Captain.

"Good girl." She whispered against your ear before biting down softly.

You were so caught up in the praise you almost forgot about the strap until Carol nudged it between your lips. You tried to grip onto the table more as she slowly pushed the head into your soaking pussy and moaned around her fingers still tickling the back of your throat.

You were extremely unprepared to take something that size, but that only spurred Carol on more and added to your arousal that had your lower lips slick for the strap to ease into you.

Once Carol was half way she paused when you started breathing heavily through your nose as you continued to suck her fingers. But the break was short and without any warning, the Captain thrust the rest of the girthy toy into your cunt.

You moaned around her fingers and pressed your head further into the desk. Carol barely gave you a chance to adjust to the filling of being so full. You're reminded of her impatient nature when she pulls the silicone toy out to the hilt before snapping her hips back against you and causing the strap to burry itself deep inside you again.

You knew Carol was strong and you had seen her doing hip thrusts in the gym before, but you had never imagined the force she would be able to muster when slamming the fake cock into you over and over.

Carol eventually took her fingers away from your mouth and wiped your saliva along the side of your neck before gripping it in her hands, threatening to cut off your breathing and blood flow.

Her pace never faulted. It brought you an intense amount of pleasure everytime that had you stumbling over your words.

'Carol...please...it's- I...so good." Was all you were able to say.

Her name fell from your lips over and over as your cunt clenched around the invading toy. It never failed to hit the hilt of your pussy and brushes against your most pleasurable spot, every movement made it brush some incredible nerve.

You moaned louder as you tried to fuck yourself back on her strap. You were so close to your orgasm and it had already been set up to be the best fuck you ever had so you were so desperate to finally reach it.

"Are you gonna cum for your Captain?" Carol asked as her thighs continued to slap against your own.

"Yes Captain! Please...I'm gonna-"

"Cum for me." She husks as she brings you over the edge and flying through your orgasm. You completely slump against the desk and Carol fucks you through your high.

White blanks appear in your vision but you're too out of it to care.

You're moaning, almost screaming, in the pleasure that's overwhelming you and you don't realise how sensitive you are until Carol continues to pound the strap into you.

"Carol..." You whine at her perfect pace. She's still going so hard, so fast, and fuck she's so deep inside you.

The vigor of her first fucking already had your pussy overworked and sensitive, and yet you can't stop yourself from incoherently begging her not to stop.

"Please Captain! Don...don't stop...so good- so good!" You cry out as another orgasm crashes over you.

You're shuddering now but still swimming in pleasure. You can't stop yourself from bucking yourself back against her.

Carol holds your hips down firmly as she thrusts the strap into your overworked cunt. They're less coordinated this time, more about establishing the control Carol has over you.

You can't form any words this time. The only sounds in the room is Carol's thighs slapping against yours, your whorish moans and the thick strap fucking your leaking pussy. You were vaguely aware of the audible sounds of your pussy before you break into your third earth shattering orgasm.

You're completly limp against the desk and trying your best to breathe normally.

Your pussy is throbbing and pulsing around the strap that Carol very slowly eases out of you and leaves you feeling extremly empty and sore. You know you're gonna be feeling it the next day.

"I don't think I can stand." You finally muttered weakly, not trusting your legs to even attempt to let go of the desk beneath you.

"You don't need to. Get on your knees." Carol ordered from behind you. You shivered at her words and tried to take a moment to compose yourself but the blonde was apparently growing impatient...again.

She held your hips with an iron grip and flipped you onto your back to see her towering over you. You used your arms to help you into a sitting position on the edge of the table before falling down onto you knees infront of your Captain.

Your knees ached from landing on the hard floor but you were much more focused on the smirk playing on Carol's soft lips.

"So obedient, such a good girl for me." Carol cooed as she ran her fingers through your hair and pulled you towards her now strapless core. You could see her pink folds glistening in arousal and you wanted nothing more than to taste her.

"Use that pretty mouth of yours to make me cum, baby." Carol instructed.

You wasted no time. You licked an eager strip through the blonde's folds and moaned against her as you collected her wetness on your tongue. She was so sweet and you were instantly addicted.

You did this a few more times, pushing your tongue further between her folds everytime until you couldn't hold off anymore.

You gripped the back of Carol's thighs and sunk your tongue between her folds. The moan she gave in response made your stomach flip and swell with pride. It was like discovering a new song you wanted to listen to on repeat.

You retracted your tongue and began sucking softly on Carol's wet folds to taste as much of her wetness as your could. You then switched your attention to her throbbing clit and sucked it harshly into your mouth.

"Fuck so good! You've got such a good mouth." Carol praised continuously as you pulled out all of your tricks in hopes of pleasing her.

You kept alternating between fucking her with your tongue as deeply as you could to taking her neglected bud in your mouth. Your efforts soon paid off.

Carol grinded herself against your mouth as she cursed and praised you amongst moans. She was gripping your hair so tightly you couldn't help but moan into her, aiding her pleasure.

"I'm gonna cum, fuck!" She gasped out as you sucked as harshly as you could on her clit.

Her bundle of nerves pulsed in your mouth and you could feel her cunt clenching around nothing as she came with a cry of your name.

She sounded so good when she came. You wanted to hear it again, to see her. But once Carol had finished her high and you had lapped up every last bit of her white liquid she pushed you back gently.

She sat back on the dest as she regained her steady breathing and tapped her lap as she smiled at you.

You had just about enough strength mustered in your legs to allow you to stand up from your position and sit on Carol's lap.

She wrapped an arm around your waist and cupped your cheek with her hand to pull you in for a kiss. She smiled against you as she tasted herself on your lips and kissed you longingly.

"You were everything I dreamed you would be, baby. You did so good for me." You blushed under her praise and buried your head in the crook of her neck in exhaustion but mainly comfort.

Neither of you had any intentions to return to the party after that.

#brie larson #captain marvel #captain marvel imagines #captain marvel smut #captain marvel x reader #carol danvers #carol danvers imagines #carol danvers smut #carol danvers x reader #marvel #carol danvers imagine #captain marvel imagine

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crossguild · 3 years

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one piece and how i learned to love the fakeout death

this is definitely an unpopular opinion but i have really started to count on and enjoy the fakeout deaths in OP! on a shallow level, i like knowing that these characters I've gotten attached to, who are funny and endearing and strong-willed enough to sacrifice themselves for the people they love, will be able to see their sacrifice come to fruition and celebrate with everyone at the end of the arc

i stopped seeing the value in a sacrifice as based on whether or not the character actually died, but rather on this character's strength of will and their devotion to their dream and their people. just like when nothing happened to zoro, whether or not a character actually shuffles their mortal coil has very little to do with my enjoyment of and emotional impact of the scene.

on a meta level, one piece as a series has set up a pattern of characters being immensely resilient, capable of surviving impossible amounts of damage, and to suddenly change that pattern wouldn't fit with its tone or message, and imo would detract from what made op such a fun and exciting adventure in the first place.

i never needed risk of death to worry about characters who are badly hurt, but being mostly sure they'd eventually be okay (even if they're taken out of the fight) lets me enjoy the story without fear or dread dogging the experience. characters don't need to die in the present day to teach any of the others a lesson because every character has experienced that grief and loss.

none of the strawhats needed a wakeup call about how sudden and unexpected death can be, because they've all experienced it. the character growth they can achieve through grief and the death of those around them has already happened, because they were born into a violent age surrounded by cruelty and death. so many of their stories are about becoming people strong enough to protect those around them, and being able to count on others to do what they themselves can't. deaths for shock value are cheap; there's no better feeling for me than hoping that a character i love, who's become a friend to the crew, is still alive and then finding out that they are.

the deaths that have happened in the present day gutted me emotionally every single time, and part of the reason is how infrequently characters die. when it does happen it always happens in a big way, in a way that meaningfully moves the story forward, and oda giving in to the fans clamoring for bloodshed would detract from the story he's telling. I'm not sure why anyone would expect that pattern to change in wano! kin'emon and okiku's stories aren't over yet; of course they aren't dead. i took IMMENSE comfort from that, but that knowledge didn't detract from their confrontation with kaido. you just go 'oh geez, i know they're not dead, but i really want to know how it'll be explained away' cause... that's the story i know and love! that's the story that's been told for the last 24 years.

i have plenty of criticisms about narrative choices oda has made, most of them around the ignorant and juvenile art and character choices, but i think the lack of death is very deliberate, and it's something that adds to my enjoyment, that i anticipate and rely on as a pillar of the story. if i had to grieve for sodom and gomorrah and the franky family and even cp9, i wouldn't have had any tears left to shed for merry, and that would've been a shame

#one piece

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aros001 · 3 years

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Going in blind: Watching season 2 for the first time. Random thoughts.

Huh. Only 7 episodes. Not complaining necessarily. For series with an ongoing plot I've definitely become more in favor with their seasons only having as many episodes as they need rather than them having to stretch themselves out to full up a certain number of episodes, which can lead to padding and just bad character moments.

Episode 1: Jeez. Catra visiting Shadow Weaver's cell just to rub her success in her face and verbally abuse her back for once. It's like a twisted version of Zuko and Ozai from ATLA. Catra's upbringing under her was abusive but this is far from a healthy way for her to deal with it. She's basically deliberately swimming in her resentment.

Episode 2: It's not that I'm rooting for her but by-golly was it fun to watch Catra act like just the absolute worst she could while she was Glimmer and Bow's captive.

I touched on this in season 1 but part of the drama of the heroes feeling guilt over leaving Entrapta behind is kind of lost on me a bit simply because it was her own fault it happened. She deliberately went back into the purge room because of her machine obsession, which then closed on her and erupted in flames. It was more than reasonable to assume she was dead and no one but her was to blame, so I'm not really able to be invested in their guilt over it.

That said, weirdly enough I do like that her "abandonment" doesn't seem to be even a blip on the radar for Entrapta herself. She hasn't joined the horde because she resents the heroes or felt left behind, she simply is so obsessed with machines and experimentation that she'll be on the side of whoever lets her do the most of that. Like, it's selfish and irresponsible but it's very in-character and I'd far rather have a traitor motivation be based in that over something stupid like a misunderstanding.

Episode 3: I love the mental image of Shadow Weaver thinking up princess-themed ghost stories to tell Adora as a child.

So, if the previous She-Ra Mara separated Eternia from the other realms/planets/whatever she did and that's what cut off the She-Ra line for 1000 years, I'm guessing Hordak may be from the time before that happened, thus his drive to create portals and calling Eternia a backwards world. Either he's naturally long-lived or his technology is extending his life.

Episode 4: You know, you could maybe argue it was vague enough that it could be taken other ways but I'm definitely getting some vibes here that Scorpia is crushing on Catra. She literally refers to the two of them as soulmates at one point. I know she says she's trying to be friends but this feels a level beyond that.

Fun little reference to the original She-Ra cartoon thrown in there (and maybe Cowboy Bebop...? James Bond...? What was Glimmer's art style supposed to be?). I like how it is more like just playful ribbing than anything outright dumping on the original. Again, I've never seen original She-Ra but whenever remakes/adaptations go out of their way to trash to the original I always kind of wonder why they bothered doing an adaptation if the original is just that bad? Also, I was having trouble sleeping so it was about 2am when I watched this episode and the very Eartha Kitt Catwoman Catra made it very difficult for me not to lose my **** and stay quiet. With how much of a contrast that version is from the one in this series, that was hilarious. Bonus note, it's a nice touch that Frosta's version of Catra is a pretty crasher in that sweet suit, since that's the only impression of Catra she's ever had.

Adora being a chosen one is definitely elevated up simply by how much the pressure of what she's supposed to be is getting to her. I'm likely going to keep making Avatar The Last Airbender comparisons throughout the series but that's partly because I went into this series figuring it'd be at least structured similar to ATLA (season 1 being more episodic and a little more kid-friendly as it builds up the world before getting more serious later). Adora and Aang are interesting to compare here. Aang's worries early on were less apparent because he was more in-denial/choosing not to think about his problems that much, which fit with his character as a free-spirited Air Nomad. While Adora is much more military-minded. She can't keep herself from thinking about her problems and trying to prepare for the worst-case scenario. And jeez, that idea of who/how Catra is in her mind. Not only beating her but making her watch as she takes everything she cares about away. Not Shadow Weaver, not Lord Hordak, but Catra. That whole Lion King Mufasa/Scar moment between them in episode 11 and their fight in the S1 finale really did a number on her mental image of her old friend. Not reasonably so.

Minor note: I'm sure I'm the only one who got this impression but by the look of it, the way the robot's eye moved, and the music, after getting the soda spilled on it that little spybot gained sentience for half a second and then immediately died. It was so darkly comedic I had to laugh.

Episode 5: So that red disc is basically She-Ra's Red Kryptonite, having an effect on the mind rather than the body. The drunk Adora joke doesn't really do it for me but it did get some nice interactions going between Scorpia and Sea Hawk, two characters I certainly wasn't expecting to bond. I did really like Catra's panic when berserker She-Ra nearly beheads her. The implication is that is Adora really wanted to kill her Catra would already probably be dead. It's a thing I like about powerhouse characters like Superman or Aang, who could just demolish everything around them and don't simply because they're a good person...which in turn makes them the scariest person on the planet when they're well and truly ticked off. I'm not going to lie, I do kind of want to see a She-Ra version of Aang when Appa was stolen or when Superman fought The Elite.

Also, Catra's line of "I have control over Adora. I'm not giving that up for anything.". There's a lot to read into there.

Episode 6: I guess my prediction was sort of right. Shadow Weaver became basically a magic parasite and while it did increase the power she's capable of the implication seems to be that she needs a constant fix of magic to keep herself going, thus her attachment to the Black Garnet.

Have we seen Micah before? Given how long ago the flashback seems set, the fact that Shadow Weaver didn't kill him and thus he probably becomes someone important later in life, I'm guessing he's Glimmer's dad and the queen's late husband, since I think he's the only important male character whose face we haven't seen yet. Also, he's voice by Ezra from Star Wars Rebels and that cracks me up for some reason. It's the exact same voice and a relatively similar character.

I compared Catra and Shadow Weaver with a kind of twisted version of Zuko and Ozai and that definitely still fits here. Both Catra and Zuko confront their parent and call them out for the inexcusable abuse they put them through but while that moment was the start of Zuko's upwards journey this and SW's betrayal seems like it's going to cause Catra to spiral even further. Makes sense why Adora leaving affected her so much. She's probably the only one Catra's ever had that she could consistently trust and rely on, even if she did somewhat resent her.

Not surprised Hordak is getting along with Entrapta. She's not socially aware enough to be scared or intimidated by him, so she'll speak frankly, and since all she wants to talk about is the machines, experiments, and how they could get them to work Hordak probably doesn't take much issue with that. She's producing results, which is what he cares about, thus also why Shadow Weaver and Catra started losing favor with him. I wonder if Catra is going through imposter syndrome? Shadow Weaver had that line that Entrapta earned her place next to Hordak and, if you think about it, Catra hasn't really "earned" anything. We saw that she didn't really take her training or studies that seriously, showing up late to combat practice and even getting partial credit for what Adora beat. She wasn't promoted to Force Captain because of her own abilities but because Adora had defected when she was supposed to get that title. She's come close to a few victories but never really had any except for Glimmer and Bow's kidnapping...whom she then basically let escape when she returned Adora's sword to her. She doesn't have the slightest clue how the horde's bureaucracy works when trying to get things done, like simply getting troops armor. Given how much better than her Adora always was and how little she herself has to her name, I wonder is subconsciously Catra believes she doesn't deserve her current position and thus why she's fretting so much over trying to prove herself.

Episode 7: Am I mistaken or did Bow's parents say that he's the youngest of TWELVE siblings? I was going to ask whether Bow was adopted or if his dad's used a surrogate or if maybe there's even just simply magic in She-Ra's world that allows two people of the same sex to have a child together but now I'm just focused on the 12 kids thing. I get nervous just imagining myself having more than one. You should see me when I'm with two cats. I have to pet both of them because I'd feel like I'd be making one feel left out and like the other is the favorite. I'm a mess with kids.

The dad with dreadlocks (Lance?), his design looked familiar to me and I finally realized it reminded me a of a fanart design for a human Grim from The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy. Very different voices between those two characters though.

I wonder if there's any significance to the robot protecting the crystal having the same design as those in the artic in episode 5? Obviously both have the connection to the First Ones but the robot in the forest who was also protecting First Ones' tech had a more insect-like design over these more worm/Graboid ones.

I'm kind of curious what Hordak would have done if Catra had told the truth. Given his interactions with her and Shadow Weaver he doesn't seem like the time to tolerate failure but I suppose the implication here is that he at least would respect those who own up to their failures. Or I suppose more simply he was just testing to see if she would lie to him and since she did there's little merit in keeping her in a position of authority anymore where she could lie about important things again.

Season 2 verdict: Still enjoying it. Another person on this reddit recommended I view seasons 2 and 3 as one since they are basically just one season split in two. I was going to do that but this ended up longer than I thought I would, so I'll just do 2 and 3 separate to keep them semi-organized and easier to read.

I think overall Catra is my favorite character since she has the most interesting backstory, interactions, and just general path through the story out of everyone. She's like Pearl from Steven Universe or, well, Zuko. There's just so much baggage there that she's trying and kind of failing to deal with. I'm always invested in whatever's happening when she's onscreen. Hordak so far is a good big boss villain for Adora to face but Catra is a good archenemy for her.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/PrincessesOfPower/comments/o027y3/going_in_blind_watching_season_2_for_the_first/

#she ra #she ra spop #random thoughts #reddit repost

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its-the-love-shot-exo-writer · 5 years

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Kim Kai Fluff

@theloveinkimkai 😏😳😈😎 enjoy ❤❤❤

There was something wrong with your eyesight that was your first thought when you saw the blurry blown up stalker pic of the man you were currently dating.

It was so absurd at first you didn't even recognize the place or the person in the picture. We never really get a far away look at our life unless someone deliberately tries to encapsulate moments in the form of photographs and those are taken consensually.

This was not consensual. This was a rude, crude, and an undoubtedly cruel breach of someone's privacy and you couldn't believe people could be capable of such injustice and harm living in what we call civilized society.

The worst part was that you started to think about the girl in the picture next to her celebrity date and after a while it dawned on you who it was and why she looked so damn familiar.

And no matter how hard you tried for the next fifteen minutes to try and erase that information from your brain, you couldn't do it because holy gods in heaven that was you. In the picture. In the midst of a secluded street you were absent mindedly sharing an ice cream with… none other than Kim Kai, the person you were on a date with the previous night.

How could they have gotten these pictures up on that stupid website so fast? When you still have a hangover from all the wine you drank the previous night?

Let's face it, this wasn't your first time on the site. You went there occasionally to keep up with the life of your favorite people and though it frequently bothered you to see these stalker pics, you had to admit that you were guilty of seeing them too quite a few times. Something that you were about to swear off of now because before today it had never quite hit you how terrible it was to distribute those pictures and the accompanying vicious articles. Karma was a rotten bitch.

It was the first time that happened to you and it dawned on you just how inappropriate and screwed up it was to invade people's private lives for a few hits to your site. The people who did it didn't think twice clearly but you were miserable.

You don't even know why you continue to read the post below those pics.

And maybe you're a glutton for punishment because why else would you do that to yourself? Reading the contents of the ridiculous, inciting viewpoint of the author that basically makes you sound like another one of Kai's conquests.

Kai isn't exactly a virgin and that's why you like him. He doesn't have all these pretenses. With Jongin you get what you see and even though last night you were certain you meant something to him now you weren't so sure.

Because suddenly you were being called words that weren't suited for an intelligent conversation. They were calling you a whore and you didn't know what to do. Should you just ignore and pretend nothing was wrong?

Just then you get a phone call from a number you don't recognize. Thinking it might be Kai, he checks in with you frequently even when he's in locations where there's no reception on his phone so naturally you pick it up. “I know you're his current slut,” a woman's voice said. “But he's had way better. What was Kai doing going out with someone like you?”

Before you can even get a word in, the woman speaks again. “My friend used to go out with him you know,” she began. “And she's a popular idol, beyond beautiful, and still got dumped when he was done with her. That's what he does. He doesn't care about you. That innocent idol appearance is all an act. You're not seriously buying it you're not that naive are you?”

The woman continued to speak and say vile things and you don't know why you couldn't just hang up. Because there's a part of you, that insecure, negativity ridden part that says she might be right. “He could go out with anyone in the world and he chooses you? Stop kidding yourself, Y/N.”

Saying your name out loud was the last thing you expected from her but there she was doing exactly that.

“You must be wondering how I know your name,” she said. “I have contacts in the industry. If you go out with someone like Kai expect your personal details to be outed. For your worst mistakes, the ones you've forgotten about, will come out as well. I suggest you take some time to think and then make a decision. There are going to be endless sacrifices for an outsider like you. This community has never been patient.” Saying that she hangs up.

You're left standing in the middle of your living room with no idea what your next move should be. All you want is to talk it out with Jongin but he's in rehearsal and you don't want to disturb him. That's not the kind of person you are. So you decide to spend the rest of your day organizing your kitchen.

But soon you start getting attacked by more phone calls and this time some of them leave you mean texts. And the subject of every single comment is the same: leave our oppa alone. Leave our idol alone. You even get one from a reporter asking you to give a statement and offering you a load of money in exchange for a juicy story.

All this keeps piling up until you feel like there's no more space in your head for any more and you feel a little heavy in your chest and on the verge of throwing your phone out the window. You have somehow managed to stay away from the stalker pic site and at least that's something you tell yourself. You can do this. It won't last forever. But no matter how much you tell yourself you can live through this those texts keep coming and they keep getting angier.

When the doorbell suddenly rings you almost jump. And when you've settled down a bit you answer the door and the sight of the man standing in front of you makes all those emotions you were holding in, burst.

And you're suddenly a crying mess like you've never been before and you feel Jongin’s arms around you tighten and his worried voice is the same soothing and kind as always. “Are you OK, babe?”

And suddenly it dawned on you that you are standing in the foyer.

At least you can finally stop crying now.

Kai closes the door and locks it and you notice the shopping bag in his hand that he places on the breakfast bar. The second his hand is free he comes back to you and hugs you again even harder this time.

In all your confusion and anger his arms give you the strength you need to finally broach the subject with him. But before you can speak he pulls you away gently so he can look at you and gaze right into your eyes. “They said terrible things about you, didn't they?” Jongin says.

You don't want to cry again so instead you try to say something positive. “It's not that bad” why would you even say something like that? When you feel like a mess inside?

Kai looks at you and knows you're lying. “Do you know how many times I've been called ugly on some post or comment? I've been called everything from stupid to untalented. For one art is subjective. Even the art god made in the form of us. You know how they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder? It's a fact. Ugly people see ugly things because it's nothing but their own repulsiveness being reflected. That's why you can't take a person's views about any of these things seriously.”

You try to smile but it's not easy.

“OK, tell me precisely what it is that's bothering you?” Jongin wants to know.

You hate it but you also know that you have to get this off your chest or it will bug you forever. “I'm not the only girl you've dated,” you finally let it out. “It doesn't bother me but I can't help but think maybe what I feel for you is way more than what you feel for me.”

“That's not true, Y/N. Yes, I've had plenty of experiences and that's why I'm able to know the difference between real and temporary. Between lust and love. And what I feel for you isn't just lust. I've known you for months now and every day I feel like I want you even more,” Jongin pauses and kisses you gently. “I love you, Y/N.”

Suddenly you feel flustered. “Why are you saying that? If it's because I'm upset--”

“Do I sound like the kind of person who has to resort to saying that to get what I want?”

Of course not.

You don't know why you even said such a thing. But then you realize just what he's done. Kim Jongin just confessed to you that he loves you. And he's not done, because out of nowhere Jongin’s lips press against yours, gently, and you feel that rush you always feel when he gets that way.

There's no one else in the world who can make you feel that way.

When he finally breaks off he stares at you. “Isn't there something that you'd like to confess?”

You bite your lip.

There's only so many seconds a man like Kim Kai can wait patiently for your response. So his impatience makes you forget about everything that was bothering you and all you can do is grin. “I don't think so,” you say playfully knowing full well it's going to bug him.

“You know what,” Jongin says. “I wasn't going to play the Baskin Robbins card but you're forcing my hand. If I don't get a reply to my artistic confession then I will have all the ice cream and eat all the take-out.”

So that's what the fragrance was. Delicious, delicious, food.

“You can't possibly finish all of that before I steal your dumplings,” you retort.

Suddenly Jongin can't stop laughing.

If he was gorgeous before his laughter basically devastates you in every way. Whatever seriousness you were currently holding on to is gone the second you see him laughing like that. Innocent. Beautiful. All heart. Mine.

“You can steal all the dumplings you want after I get my confession!” Kai groans.

This time it's you who's laughing.

You're still smirking when Jongin grabs you by the shoulders and jokingly pushes you on the bed. When he's on top of you he kisses you again.

“Not fair,” you say without much conviction and he knows he's won.

“Say it,” Jongin says. “Or you'll get to spend the rest of the night right under me and I can't promise what might happen.”

You realize that for once in your life you feel happy. This man makes you feel like you are wanted. He makes you feel everything you craved to feel. Desire. Warmth. Comfort. Loyalty. And now…love.

Which is why what you say next comes so naturally you don't even know how it happened.

“I love you, Kai.”

Why do you feel so emotional right now? You don't want to cry so you try to smile.

Before you know it, Kai kisses you again. “You can have the dumplings but I need the sugar.”

You jokingly try to push him away but you can't stop laughing. “Could you be more corny, Kai?”

“I could be if I tried,” Jongin says. “But I have to warn you. My superior corny might not be something you can handle.”

“Two can play that game,” you say responding to yet another kiss.

Kai goes silent and looks at you. “I meant what I said before. I love you, Y/N. I really really love you.”

You bring him closer. “I love you too, Kai.”

#exo smut #exo scenarios #exo #exo scenario #exo x reader #kpop #kai #kai fluff #fluff #fluff exo #kpop fluff #kim jongin #jongin #kim kai

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thedyingmoon · 5 years

Text

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

~ A V X Reader set in an Alternate Universe wherein you get to listen to cheesy songs of the seventies. 🎶

~ I want to thank everyone who liked and reblogged my V art. This chapter is for you! 🖤

~ And to my friends, @heaven-on-a-landslide , @acieoj , @ehrzeth , @simmy-ships , @lessy86 , @gxthghoulfriend , and @kerlialighieri . 🖤

~ And especially to you, @krazy06 ! 🖤

~ Everything's gonna be just fine. Alright? Let's do this! 🖤

***

XII

***

At last, you were holding onto the discarded mask of a Death Scissor that you've slain as proof that you're worthy to work as Dante's partner. The man just could not be convinced, saying that he worked alone and that he had no plans of hiring an assistant.

But, here you were, determined to the bone to get hired. You really needed Dante. You knew it was very selfish on your part to actually admit it but, you had no other choice.

And so, with a deep breath, you opened the door and,...

... immediately closed it, unable to process what you just saw inside.

You deeply sighed, feeling your confidence leave your body.

Yes, you were very proud of your achievement, and you just couldn't wait to show it to Dante.

But, it seemed that he had different things in mind.

You were about to walk away from the building, not once looking back, when the door suddenly burst open. Out came Dante, who clearly looked both embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He grabbed your right arm and made you look at him.

"Didn't your mother teach you how to knock?!" he yelled at you, gaining the attention of the people nearby.

You drew back, one eyebrow raised. "Sorry." you sarcastically blurted out. "The sign says you're open for business!" you took your arm off his grasp and rubbed it. "Didn't have the slightest idea that you're open for something else!"

"You - "

"Dante, where are you?! We're not done yet!" came the voice of the woman from within the building, making you cringe.

"I'm sorry for barging in, sir." you went on with your sarcasm, still not able to rinse your eyes off the sight that you witnessed earlier. "I'll just tell Morrison that you were busy and that I covered for you."

"Don't you dare!" warned Dante in a low voice, trying to avoid the prying eyes of his annoying neighbors.

You gave him an evil smirk. An idea just sparked inside your head.

"No, really. It's okay." you pressed on with your act. "I'm sure Morrison would understand."

"Dante!" the woman inside the building playfully whined. The man began sweating nervously.

While it was true that Dante was supposed to be the one who must take on the small Demon - slaying job, it was also true that he declined it, saying that he had better things to do than perform small time requests.

And while it was also true that you volunteered to cover up for him in exchange for your coveted job, it was definitely a lie that Morrison knew anything about your proposition. You just couldn't help but tease the man as revenge for unintentionally stealing what's left of your innocence.

"I must go now." you said to Dante, who couldn't say anything. "I have to talk with Morrison and - "

"Okay, you're hired." Dante announced in a heartbeat, making your eyes widen in surprise.

"Really?" you asked.

"Yes! Yes! You win!" Dante finally surrendered. "You'll be my assistant from now on. On one condition."

"And that is?" you asked him, crossing your arms and fearlessly looking up at him.

"Our relationship would purely be professional. No one would ever belong to anyone. Got it?"

You chuckled at his proposal. "That's it?"

"And you'll wash the dishes, clean the building, answer the phone, pay the - "

"I'm your assistant. Naturally, I'll do those things for you." you cut him off. "Except pay for the bills. You're the boss here, Dante. Not me. And you have the money."

"Yes, yes. Of course." The man nodded in defeat. You smiled and gave him the mask you obtained on your small job.

"Are we good?" Dante asked, still worried about what you might do or say to the Broker.

You winked at him and walked away. "Sure."

***

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"My love must be some kind of blind love.

I can't see anyone but you."

You were staring at the Death Scissor mask - like thing that V placed on top of the table for who knows how long, until someone tapped you on the shoulder.

"Hon, we're leaving now." Nico told you, her face looking strangely and uncharacteristically serious.

"Huh?" You mumbled, your head still in the clouds.

"Are the stars out tonight?

I don't know if it's cloudy or bright.

I only have eyes for you, dear."

"Don't worry. We'll be back in a heartbeat." She said as she handed Nero his new breaker. She turned to V, who was sitting on the sofa across you. "We leave her to you, man."

The mysterious one, who changed back to his old clothes of black, leather vest and equally dark pair of cargo pants, nodded, the look on his eyes as serious as ever. "I'll guard her with my life."

Nico nodded, fully trusting V to protect you once more. She turned to Nero and gave him the go signal.

And, with that, they're gone, leaving you alone with V once more.

"The moon may be high,

But I can't see a thing in the sky.

I only have eyes for you.

I don't know if we're in a garden,

Or on a crowded avenue.

You're here and so am I.

Maybe millions of people go by.

And they all disappear from view.

And I only have eyes for you."

The place was really quiet, save for the sound of the radio, which either played an old song from the seventies, or someone else's cheesy request. But, most of the time, some announcer with a sleep - inducing voice would announce the current situation regarding the Demonic infestation, the nationwide evacuation, and, of course, the Dreadnought.

You looked to your right as V went closer towards the passenger's seat to turn up the volume of the radio in curiosity.

"The nationwide evacuation ensues, this time, with the help of the Devil Hunters commissioned by the head of the Fleminger House of Red Grave." The male announcer droned on like an old professor reading an age - old historical text in front of an empty classroom. "With the combined forces of Fleminger's finest warriors and the nation's Military, the Demons, which,..."

V's eyes widened a bit as he heard a soft thud behind him. He turned around and saw you collapsed on the sofa, asleep. He sighed, turned the volume of the radio to the minimum, and went towards you, utterly careful in his steps so as not to wake you up.

All of a sudden, some of the dark markings on his skin vanished as Shadow materialized. She trotted towards you, her lithe body making little to no noise, and sniffed you, seemingly trying to check if you're alright. V noticed this very unprecedented action of his familiar, and was actually not surprised that she approved of you with a curt nod towards him and a subtle squint of her eyes.

"Good girl." V whispered, his voice so low and hoarse that it almost sounded foreign to him.

After much deliberation with his own conflicting thoughts, he took the liberty of taking a seat at the edge of the sofa where you slept and decided to watch you as you dreamed.

In a space of a few moments, he saw you turn, curl your lip, and furrow your eyebrows, which he found really amusing, interesting, and oddly satisfying all at the same time. Your erratic sleeping movements told him that you were, indeed, dreaming, and that your soft voice -

"D - " V heard you mutter. He leaned in closer towards you to hear what you were saying. "D - d - "

D? V thought. Was she dreaming of Dante?

"D - don't,... leave,..." He leaned in a bit closer, if that was even possible, that he was already feeling your warm breath against his face. "S - stay, please. Stay w - with me,...

... V."

His eyes widened, his jaw dropped. V could not quite believe that you just uttered his name! And, what's even more alarming was the fact that his chest almost brushed against yours. His hands were on either side of your head, and your intoxicating scent sent signals down to his very core.

Signals,...

... that were very hard to ignore.

He looked down at your form, which was only covered by the mere coat that he draped over you to protect your modesty, and felt something stirr within his heart.

He knew it was very wrong of him to take advantage of you this way. After all, Nico trusted him to take care of you while she and Nero were away on a little scouting mission outside the mansion.

But, you two were alone. Plus, Griffon was not coming out to make a scene. If he could -

Before his thoughts could further take over his senses to make him totally lose his sanity over you, V pulled away immediately, standing as far away from the sofa, and you, as possible. You deserved his protection, not his lust. How could he call himself a gentleman if he goes like this every time he sets his eyes on you? Or, let alone, inhale your strange, addictive scent?

With a deep, disappointed sigh, he walked away, opening the door of the van and going out to catch some fresh air and calm his senses, leaving Shadow alone with you.

He was about to sit on an abandoned chair near the van to read his book when he felt a pair of sharp eyes directed towards him. He looked up, and there, right outside the smashed window, was the Master of the house, himself. His lips twisted into a strange looking smile as he beckoned for V to come closer.

He turned towards the vehicle. He knew Shadow would protect you should something go wrong once more, and if the situation called for it, he would have no qualms, whatsoever, to summon the golem again.

He looked back towards the vicinity of the smashed window and proceeded there with caution. And when he was finally outside, he found the Master waiting for him at the balcony where he had his very first waltz with you.

"There's no need for caution." The Master began. "The Demons would only come out at night. It's almost dawn."

"And why should I believe you?" V questioned the man.

The Master gave him that strange, twisted smile once more. "Well, let's just say that I know things that most of you don't."

V forcefully tapped his cane against the ground, fighting the urge to summon Griffon, and tipped his head to the side, having no intention to show any sign of fear or weakness.

"You knew for a fact that the Demon originated from the North." V spoke, carefully choosing his words in the face of this very untrustworthy man. "It seems that,... you knew too much,... for your own good."

"Most of the time, I just pray to the gods to bring back the time when I was still a foolish and naïve boy."

V watched with wary eyes how the Master of the house situated himself near the railing, leaning on it and crossing his arms. Despite his bulky figure, the man sure moved with flair.

The Master turned his gaze towards the interior of the wrecked ballroom, directing V's sight.

"Curious thing, this Dreadnought is." The Master quietly said, his words easily hard to miss should one fail to listen carefully. "Rising from the depths of the Underworld, itself, laying waste to everything it laid its eyes upon, then going back to hibernation for a hundred years. Only to wake up once more to wreak havoc in the present."

"What is this Demon?" V questioned, walking closer towards the man and blocking his sight from the vicinity of the van at the same time. "And how do we destroy it?"

"My Lord, are you aware of the tragedy of Fortuna?" Getting no response from V, who only looked at him in suspicion, the Master went on. "A Demon laid waste on a house full of orphans, mutilating them, and sparing no one. Now, despite the assumption that nobody survived that onslaught, my ancestor, my grandmother to be exact, actually lived to tell the tale.

"She moved away from Fortuna, starting a different life here in this city, and forgetting the nightmare that occurred in the past. However, the faces of the helpless orphans haunted her until her last day on this world.

"But, today, it seems that her nightmare has awoken."

"So, it seems." V said in a sarcastic manner that was missed by the Master.

The man smiled and nodded towards the ballroom once more. "I will give you a valuable advice for defeating the Dreadnought." Satisfied that he caught V's attention, he smiled in that twisted way once more and spoke. "You know how some pleasant things send so many different kinds of sensations all throughout the body. I suggest blocking all of them all the same."

The Master of the house left the railing and turned away from V.

"It's best to know what is truth, and what is not."

And with those final words, the man finally left, leaving V with more questions than answers.

***

🖤🖤🖤

#devil may cry 5 #v #i see my future before me #v x reader #v x you #i only have eyes for you #tashaki miyaki #devil may cry nico #devil may cry nero #i would listen to the song if i were you #chapter 12

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chasholidays · 5 years

Note

First of all, I'm weirdly proud of you for thinking of your mental health and changing the setup for holiday prompts! Anyway, I always love how you write Clarke and Miller's relationship and I would love to read a modern day Bellarke fic that focuses on Clarke and Miller being supportive friends who love each other but don't like to talk about it, but maybe they end up talking about it anyway? Besides it being modern day and focused on their friendship you have really free hands!

Like most friendly agreements, the dibs system wasn’t something Clarke and Nate ever sat down and ironed out, not really a formal thing. There is no list of rules and guidelines, no contract signed in blood.

All that happens is that a cute boy comes into auditions for the play in seventh grade, and Nate says, “Dibs.”

Clarke frowns. “On him?”

“Yup. He’s all mine.”

The confidence is just a little bit absurd. Not only is Nate twelve years old, skinny, and awkward, but they don’t even know if the guy likes guys. The idea that he’s going to, without a doubt, get this guy is pretty much ridiculous.

All of which Clarke could point out, but she doesn’t want to. Nate only just told her a few weeks ago that the thought he liked guys, and this part feels like a test, like Nate wants to see if Clarke believes him and accepts him.

“All yours,” Clarke agrees, and when, five weeks later, the boy tries to kiss her, Clarke says, “Sorry, you’re not my type.”

She doesn’t mention it to Nate for a long time, not until they’re at a party sophomore year and she sees a cute boy and says, “Hey, dibs.”

“What?”

“Dibs.”

“Who calls dibs? Are you twelve?”

“You called dibs. When we were twelve,” she has to admit. “You called dibs on Mark Talbot when we were doing the play and he kissed me and I didn’t kiss him back.”

“Huh,” says Nate. “Really?”

“Yup.”

“So really, you owe me. Mark Talbot’s a dick.”

This is true, but somewhat beside the point. “You still made dibs a thing, not me.”

“So what, now I’m supposed to not hit on that guy? Because you didn’t make out with a douchebag in seventh grade?”

“Well, not that douchebag.”

Nate snorts. “I forgot your taste in guys sucks. Fine, I won’t try to hit on him. He’s not even that cute.”

Up close, he’s definitely not that cute, and he’s not interested in Clarke, but the principle of the thing remains: Clarke called dibs, and Nate respected it, and now it’s a thing they’re both aware of.

It doesn’t always mean that they’re worried the other person will make a move; Clarke calls it on girls sometimes, and Nate calls it on guys he knows to be gay. It’s a declaration of interest, a request for backup, a silly tradition that grows over the years into a ritual. It doesn’t mean everything, but it means something, and something important.

And then, Nate calls dibs on Bellamy.

Which isn’t a big deal, all things considered. There’s definitely nothing wrong with it. Bellamy teaches Latin at the school where Clarke teaches art, and they’re friendly, verging on actually being friends. He and his roommates were having a party and he invited Clarke, who invited Nate. Nate hasn’t met Bellamy, so this is the first time calling dibs is an option, and now he has.

Clarke didn’t, so there’s no violation or anything. She’s had plenty of chances to call dibs on Bellamy and it never even occurred to her. She’s had two years of potential dibs and never took them.

“On Bellamy?”

“The one with the curly hair and the glasses, yeah.” Nate looks at her askance. “You said he’s bi, right?”

“He is, yeah.” Her brain finally gets with the program, and she smiles. “Honestly, you guys would probably be pretty great together.”

“You think?”

“You’re an asshole, he’s an asshole–”

“Wow, we already have so much in common.”

“And I’m pretty sure he’s single. Yeah, this one’s actually a good call.”

“Unlike my usual shitty taste?”

“Your exes have been a pretty mixed bag.”

“Oh, you’re one to talk.”

She grins. “Here’s hoping I develop good taste one day too.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Are you going to go talk to him?”

Nate takes a deliberate sip of his drink. “That’s not really in the spirit of dibs. It’s a long game. If I was going to hook up with him tonight, I wouldn’t need to call dibs. But I figure I’ll see him again sometime.”

“Oh good, I can’t wait to watch the train wreck of you seducing my coworker in real time.”

“You’re trying for sarcastic, but I know you’re actually looking forward to it. I can give you some tips.”

“I don’t need tips.”

“You’re just saying that because you haven’t seen me work yet.”

“I’ve seen you work enough to last me a lifetime.”

“Not since high school. I’ve gotten a lot better.”

That’s the other thing about the Bellamy dib, the thing that makes it feel more important than maybe it should. Clarke and Nate went to different colleges, in different time zones. They stayed in touch, of course, through Facebook and text messages, but this is their first time living in the same place full time for seven years, and the first time ever as adults. This is part of their new status quo, and Clarke doesn’t want to mess it up.

“Looking forward to it,” she says, with a smile.

She thinks she sounds pretty convincing.

Clarke and Bellamy weren’t instant friends when Clarke started teaching at Arcadia. The first time they met, Bellamy was disciplining some kids too harshly (in Clarke’s new and only semi-professional opinion) and while she hadn’t undermined him in front of the kids, she did take him aside after to gently point out that he was wrong.

Which he hadn’t been. Clarke can admit she was the asshole there, and Bellamy maybe knew his business better than she did.

Still, it was a hurdle that proved difficult to overcome on both sides. Clarke has never been good at admitting she’s wrong, and while Bellamy has since admitted that he got where she was coming from, he wasn’t particularly inclined to be the first to try to make amends. Given how stubborn both of them are, it probably could have gone on forever, but at the start of Clarke’s second year of teaching, they hired a new principal, who was and still is awful, and suddenly she and Bellamy had a common enemy. They found themselves on the same side of conversations in the staff room, working together to push back against shitty policies, and once that started, they realized how good they were at it and how much they actually did agree on a lot of things.

By the time Nate calls dibs on him, Bellamy is without doubt Clarke’s favorite coworker, which means the whole thing should, in theory, be a slam dunk. Nate and Bellamy seem like a good match, two of her favorite people in the world, and if they want to date, Clarke should be all for it. Clarke wants to be all for it. On paper, it makes so much sense.

Something about it bugs her, though, and she can’t figure out what. She’s probably being territorial toward one or both of them, worried that they won’t need her if they have each other, and that’s beyond shitty.

But she can get past it.

“You’re still single, right?”

It’s a week after the party, and if Nate has done anything to try to actually make a move on Bellamy, Clarke missed it. And, of course, he doesn’t have to do anything, there have been countless dibs that went nowhere, but it would really be a shame if nothing happened with him and Bellamy. A complete waste of dibs.

Bellamy looks up from the papers he’s grading with a small frown. “What?”

“You. Your dating status. Still single?”

“Still single. Why?”

As sad as it is, Clarke hadn’t really had a plan for this conversation past this point. She’s not really much of a matchmaker, and telling Bellamy that Nate likes him goes against the entire spirit of dibs. Her job here is to support Nate in his crush, not go out and make things happen herself.

Bellamy is still watching her, eyebrows raised, waiting for an explanation. “I saw you talking to that brunette at the party, I thought she might be a new girlfriend.”

“Oh, no. Ex-girlfriend, actually. But we broke up on good terms, so people make that mistake a lot.”

“I don’t understand how you’re on such good terms with all your exes,” she grumbles. “You broke up, it’s supposed to be bad!”

“No, breaking up is good. Staying together when you should break up is bad. Maybe this is your problem,” he teases.

“Shut up.”

He considers her. “What about the guy you brought? New boyfriend?”

At least he’s considerate enough to give her the perfect opening. “Him? No, that’s Nate.”

“He said his name was Miller.”

“He started going by his last name in high school because our class had like five Nates. But we’ve been friends since–I can’t even remember. Basically since birth.”

Bellamy snorts. “You would have a friend like that.”

“What does that even mean?”

“I picture your childhood as very idyllic, I guess. I moved around too much to keep any of the kids I knew growing up.”

“That happened with our other friend, Wells. We were all in the same carpool to pre-school–shut up,” she adds, before he can say anything, and he grins and holds his hands up. It is a cute story, he’s not wrong. “We were pretty much inseparable through elementary school, but then in sixth grade Wells’ dad got a job in Seattle and they moved, so it was just me and Nate. Not that we didn’t still talk to Wells, but it wasn’t the same.” She shrugs. “We went to different colleges, but he got a new job here, so here we are.”

“That’s awesome. It must be nice to have him around again.” He smirks. “You know, none of that is convincing me that he’s not going to be your new boyfriend. That sounds like some rom-com shit.”

“He’s gay.”

“Okay, never mind, yeah.”

“I’m going to try to bring him to stuff, though,” she says. “Maybe even organize stuff myself.”

Bellamy snorts. “Wow, drastic measures.”

“I could have parties, right? Or, like, game nights. Nate likes games, I have a pretty big apartment.”

“Is this you asking me if I’ll come to game nights at your apartment, the answer is yes. I’ll even give you some tips on how to act like you’re actually comfortable having people over.”

“It just gets messy,” she says, making a face. “I hate cleaning.”

“But you’re worried he won’t make any friends without your semi-competent help, so you’re willing to do it anyway?”

It’s a much safer explanation than the truth. “I know he didn’t just move here for me, but I was part of the reason. I don’t want him to regret it.”

Bellamy’s expression softens, the smile warming his whole face. “I get that, yeah. It looked like he was having fun at my party, so that’s a good start.”

“Yeah, I think he had a good time.” She tucks her hair back. “So, game nights?”

“Until you come up with something to do that doesn’t mess up your apartment, sure. Whatever it is, I’m in.”

Clarke smiles. “Cool, I’ll keep you posted.”

Despite the whole thing being for his benefit, Nate is less enthused about the game night idea.

“You need a good group dynamic for game night,” he explains. “I don’t know anyone well enough to be sure what kind of games would even be good. You’re over-competitive, that’s already a bad start.”

“I am not!”

“You hate losing.”

“Who likes losing?” she grumbles, and Nate smirks.

“This is what I’m saying.”

“I’m trying to help, you know.”

“Help with what, exactly?”

“Making friends? Hitting on my coworker? Settling into the city?”

Nate snorts. “Thanks, Mom. I can manage my own social life.” But his expression softens. “We should have auditions.”

“Auditions?”

“Don’t call it a game night until we know who we want to come. You don’t want to commit to a group. These are the kinds of things you’d know if you were a true gamer,” he adds.

“This is the kind of thing I don’t know because I got laid in college.”

“I got laid in college and I played board games. Which one of us is winning here?”

“Honestly, neither.”

He grins. “Yeah, that sounds right.”

“So, any of your new coworkers you think would be good for a board game night?”

“I think we can figure something out.”

Clarke invites Bellamy, Sinclair from the physics department, and Jasper from English. Bellamy brings (yet another) ex-girlfriend, Raven, who’s apparently a shark, and Jasper brings his friend Monty. Nate invites his coworkers Harper and Monroe, and they have what, in Clarke’s amateur opinion, is a pretty successful game night. Everyone seems to enjoy themselves, and no one gets too competitive, not even Clarke.

And, as a bonus, she manages to get Bellamy and Nate in the same pod for most of the games, and they seem to get along just as well as she thought they would.

Honestly, it’s one of her more successful plans, thus far. She could maybe be good at this.

“That was a good crew, right?” she asks Nate, once everyone else has cleared out. “Good attitudes.”

“Yeah, that actually worked out really well.” He leans against the counter, watching her. “You know you don’t have to do all this, right? Like, I’m an adult, I can make friends on my own. You’re not even that good at making friends. Blind leading the blind.”

“So I’m trying to help both of us. And it’s working so far, right?”

“One good game night,” he says. “Don’t get cocky.”

Clarke grins. “So, same time next week?”

“Yeah, can’t wait.”

The exact make-up of game night varies, depending on how busy everyone is. Clarke is the default host, but after a few weeks, it’s evolved beyond her. She has too much going on with grading and helping out with the junior fundraiser one week, so Bellamy agrees to have it at his place so Clarke won’t have as much on her place. Even Jasper’s friend Monty, who barely knows them, hosts one week, just because he loves games so much and is excited to finally have a group to play them with.

It takes about two months for things to go wrong, and when they do, it’s in the stupidest possible way. Nate’s usually the one to help Clarke with cleanup, but he has an early morning, so Bellamy volunteers to stick around instead.

“You know,” he observes, “I didn’t think this was going to work.”

“Which part?”

“The game night thing. I figured it would fall apart after a week or two, that’s how this always works. But I should have known you’re too stubborn to just give up. Is it working?”

“You just said it was working,” Clarke says, frowning at him.

“No, not that. You were trying to make friends for Miller. How’s that going?”

Clarke feels a flush race through her body, although she can’t figure out why. “You like him, right?”

“Yeah, he’s cool. Does he like sports?”

“Sports? Like, as a general concept?”

“I have some tickets to a baseball game,” he says, not looking at Clarke. “My sister got them and she can’t go, so she gave them to me. I thought maybe Miller might be interested. I assume you’re not,” he adds, an afterthought, and Clarke pastes on a smile.

“Yeah, definitely not. I don’t know anything about baseball. But Nate might be interested, yeah. You should ask him.”

“Cool, thanks. It seems like he’s getting along with everybody pretty well, so–seriously, I’m impressed.”

“I’m impressive.”

She makes it through the rest of the cleaning up without incident, sends Bellamy home, and then drops back against the door with a shaky exhale of breath. This was what she wanted; this was the whole point. Helping Nate make friends generally and with Bellamy specifically, and now Bellamy is asking him out. This is going better than Clarke could have imagined.

She takes a few deep breaths and calls Wells. He’s still on the west coast, so it’s not as late there, and he picks up right away.

“Hey, Clarke, what’s up?”

“I’m having a weird crisis.”

“Oh good, that sounds fun.” But she can hear the smile in his voice. “What’s the weird crisis?”

She exhales. “It’s complicated.”

“Will you quit stalling and just tell me already? It’s complicated and stupid and you’re embarrassed, I get it. I won’t judge you.”

“I just realized I have a thing for my coworker.”

“Bellamy?”

Her heart drops. “How did you know?”

“You talk about him a lot. I didn’t think you knew, if it helps. You’re kind of slow with this stuff.”

“That’s supposed to help?”

“So, you figured out you like him and now you’re panicking? That’s not that bad.”

“Nate likes him and I’ve been trying to set them up. And I just figured out I like Bellamy because he’s going to ask Nate out.”

“Huh,” says Wells, slow. “Okay, yeah, that’s worse than I was expecting.”

Clarke closes her eyes, sighing deeply. “I thought I was happy for him. I was happy for him. Nate said he had dibs and I thought–” She pauses, reconsiders. “I told myself I was good with it and I should make it happen, and now I did.”

“How much does Nate like him?”

It’s a good question to which Clarke doesn’t have a good answer. Nate called dibs, obviously, but it doesn’t feel as if he’s put a ton of effort into hanging out with Bellamy, not more than anyone else. They seem friendly, but Clarke wouldn’t know he had a crush if he hadn’t told her. He hasn’t mentioned it since that first night, and he hasn’t seemed to put together that the game nights were entirely for his benefit, with Bellamy.

“I don’t know. He just said–” She’s never explained the whole dibs thing to Wells, and saying it now feels juvenile. She’s twenty-five; she shouldn’t be having a meltdown like this over something that ambiguous. “He just said he liked him. It’s been a couple months now, he hasn’t mentioned it again.”

“So talk to him,” Wells says, logical as ever. “Tell him what’s going on. I’m not saying he’s going to just tell you to go for it, but you know the two of you need to have a conversation. And you knew I was going to tell you this too, so you knew what you were getting into calling me. Get it together, Griffin, and ovary up.”

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, he’s your best friend. Aside from yours truly. You can talk to him.”

“Yeah,” she says, with a sigh. “I can.”

The next day, she frets off and on about when to talk to Nate, but doing it after the baseball date just feels shitty, if she’s honest. If their positions were reversed, and she was going out with a guy Nate had realized he liked, she’d want to know about it as soon as possible, and definitely before the actual first date. Like Wells said, it wouldn’t necessarily change her plans, but she’d at least want to weigh Nate’s feelings against everything else. That’s what friends do, and it’s definitely what Nate is going to do.

So she asks if he wants to hang out the next night, and when he shows up, she just blurts it out: “I need to talk to you about Bellamy.”

Nate frowns. “What about Bellamy?”

“You know–” She exhales. It’s easy to talk to Wells about feelings stuff; Wells loves feelings. But she and Nate have never been good at that. “Okay, I know you like him. And I really wanted to support you, but–”

Nate holds up his hand. “Wait, what?”

“I was trying to help!”

For a second, his face is all confusion, but then his expression clears and he starts to laugh. “Jesus, you’ve been trying to set me up with Bellamy.”

“Of course I have! You said you liked him.”

“I did?”

“You called dibs! The first party, you saw him, and you said–”

“I wanted to hook up with him, I didn’t want to marry him. It’s not like I was real attached to the idea.”

Clarke opens and closes her mouth a few times, finally says, “Did you hook up with him?”

“No. He’s still hot, don’t get me wrong, but Monty’s more my type.”

“Monty?”

He scowls. “What’s wrong with Monty. He’s hot, he’s geeky, he’s not as fucking intense as you and Bellamy–”

“I didn’t mean it like–” She shakes her head. “Nothing against Monty, he’s great. I’ve just spend the last two months stressing about you and Bellamy.”

“You know I’m an adult, right? I can take care of myself. I don’t need you managing my social life or my love life.”

“I know.” She rubs her face, gives him a sheepish smile. “Bellamy’s going to ask you to go to a baseball game. He told me that and I had kind of a breakdown because I thought you guys were going to be–this whole happily ever after love story. And I might have just realized a thing for him.”

“Jesus Christ, Griffin.” He puts his arm around her and squeezes. “You never thought about just asking me?”

“I was telling myself I was happy for you!”

“Just saying, five minutes’ conversation and this would have been all set. Even if I liked him, I wouldn’t have–”

“You would have told me to go for it, just like I was telling you to go for it. I thought–you called dibs! It wasn’t ambiguous.”

“Yeah, but it’s not a blood pact.” He pauses, studying her for a long moment. “If you ever called dibs on a guy I really liked, I would have just told you.”

“You’re a lot more in touch with your feelings than I am. I was still in denial.”

“Yeah, you’re a disaster. So, he’s going to ask me out?”

“To a baseball game. I don’t even know if it’s a date, he was being pretty casual about it. Fuck,” she says. “If he’s into you–”

“I’ll let him down easy. But I haven’t really gotten that vibe from him. Honestly, if you asked me? I’d say he’s into you. He’s always looking for an excuse to hang out with you more, and half the time when I’m talking to him, we’re talking about you.” He grins. “If he still wants to take me to the baseball game as friends, I can feel him out for you.”

She sighs. “I don’t know, I was thinking I could just talk to him.”

“Really?”

“It really does clear things up fast.” She smiles. “If you liked him, I’d step aside. Really. I wasn’t going to ask you to give him up or anything. That’s not why–”

“I know you’ve got my back. And I’ve got yours. Let me know if you need anything.”

“And if you need help with Monty–”

He smirks. “You know, I think you’ve done enough. I’ve got it from here.”

“Good. I’m rooting for you.”

He presses a kiss to the top of her head. “Right back at you.”

She waits until all the students have cleared out the next afternoon and then goes to find him in his room. He likes to grade until dinner time, a tradition Clarke finds baffling, but he claims it helps with work/life balance, and it does make him easy to find. She’d like to say she’s only a little nervous, but that’s a lie. She’s had a very intense week of feelings, and she’s looking forward to just having it done with, but she’s also kind of dying.

So it’s time to clear everything up.

“Hey,” she says, knocking on his door jamb. “Got a second?”

“Yeah, what’s up? You’re here late.”

She closes the door behind her as she enters the classroom, props herself up on the table across from his desk. It’s her first time alone with him since she realized how she felt and she’s hyper aware of everything about him. She can’t believe it took her this long to realize how she felt. It feels so stupidly obvious.

“Yeah, I was waiting for everyone to clear out.”

He frowns. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. It’s–honestly, it’s kind of ridiculous. Are you asking Nate to go to that game?”

“One of my students might want to buy the tickets, I’m waiting to see if he actually comes up with the money. Why?”

“Was it going to be a date?”

The blood drains from his face. “What? Fuck, no, I–did he think that? I didn’t think–”

She starts to laugh. “No, I’m pretty sure I had this whole weird narrative built up in my head and no one but me knew about it.”

“The narrative where I want to date your best friend?”

“And he wants to date you.”

“Does he want to date me?”

“No, he doesn’t. No one thought that but me. And I’ve been kind of–” She shrugs. “It’s been a weird couple months.”

“I still feel like I’m missing something,” he says, almost reluctantly. Like he’s disappointed with himself for not getting it.

It’s not his fault, of course. She exhales, makes herself look at him. “I was kind of freaking out about it. Because–I’m interested in you. Which doesn’t have to be a thing, but after this week I feel like direct communication is my friend. So–do you want to get dinner sometime?”

He blinks a few times, processing the information. It’s clearly nothing he was expecting, probably nothing that ever occurred to him, and now he’s trying to figure out how to let her down easy, how to–

“Fuck, I didn’t think I had a chance,” he says, face breaking out into a huge grin. He crosses the room and cups her face, kissing her so she can taste the smile too. “No wonder I was getting such weird signals,” he teases.

Clarke grins too. “I’m not very good with feelings.”

“Not so much.” He leans down for another kiss. “So, dinner?”

“It’s a date.”

Two weeks later, they end up on a double date with Nate, who’s up to date on Clarke’s incompetence, and Monty, who wants to hear the whole story.

“I don’t know if we should really be talking about how I wanted to fuck Bellamy,” Nate teases.

Monty waves his hand. “It’s fine, Bellamy’s hot, everyone wants to fuck him. We just accept that.”

“Thanks,” says Bellamy. “I think.”

Clarke smiles. “It was really a simple misunderstanding. Nate and I didn’t formalize the dibs system, so I thought he was saying I want that guy and you can never go for him–”

“And I was a little drunk and thought Bellamy was hot. I forgot about it by the next day.”

“I probably would have too,” Clarke protests. “Except that I was trying really hard to be supportive.”

“Heavily in denial,” Nate says, winking at her, and Clarke kicks him under the table. Just a little.

“Hey, I’m not complaining. I got a girlfriend and I found out everyone wants to fuck me. This worked out great for me.”

“Yeah,” Nate agrees. “Good job with the matchmaking, Clarke. You nailed it.”

He waits until Bellamy and Monty have gone for another round of drinks to add, “I think we should retire the dibs thing.”

“You think?”

“It was confusing. And I’m hoping we don’t need it anymore.”

Clarke smiles, raises the dregs of her drink for him to clink his glass. “Yeah,” she agrees. “I think we’re all set.”

#stayalivelou

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