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poltoreveur · 3 months

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Seduction by the Shores

Pairing: Luke Castellan x GN!Reader (implied pussy lol)

Warning: NSFW, set before tlt, smut, PWP, piv, semi-public sex, doing it on the wet ground, dom!Luke to slightly sub!Luke and back to soft dom!Luke, choking, going in raw and creampie (wrap it before you tap it!), slight aftercare.

Word count: 5.3k+ (I got carried away).

A/N: In the wise of SZA, “now I’m ovulating and I need rough sex.” So I'm back again with another fic. Weirdly enough, I reappeared last year just to write a smut fic and leave (oops). I usually have a summary for this, but this is just pure smut.

!Not readproof! I’m too lazy to reread my own writing.

Everyone loves Luke Castellan.

He’s the golden boy of Camp Half-Blood. Handsome, generous, and kind. Helps out the new kids. He’s the best swordsman in camp by a mile. You’d even love Luke if you didn’t know better. Maybe you did anyway.

But you've always known there's more to him than his charming exterior. You've seen his eyes change like they're hiding something. That shift happens mostly when his father is mentioned, and he tense up. You've tried to avoid him, but he always seems to find you. One night, he caught you by the lake, his eyes kind but troubled. "I'm guessing you're not having a great night."

For all his charm and charisma, Luke Castellan is more than just the beloved golden boy of Camp Half-Blood; he's a human being with a complex inner world, one that's filled with secrets and conflicts. Despite his best efforts to hide it, at times, his inner struggles emerge, leaving you to wonder just how much more there might be to Luke than meets the eye.

You glanced over at him watching him approach you but kept your quiet. Luke sits down next to you, close, but not touching.

Luke looks at you, waiting for a comment or an explanation. The lake is beautiful, shining in the moonlight. It's actually quite a lovely scene, he's not sure why you'd be miserable here. He has this habit of looking at you without actually looking at you, somehow making it feel more personal.

"I could help with that, you know? Make your night a little more fun."

"Don't start with me, Castellan." You simply commented, rolling your eyes as your gaze stayed staring at the lake.

You can't tell if he smiles or not, but he laughs before speaking. It's actually just adorable when his lips curl up. Luke leans closer, not much. Just enough to make you a little anxious.

"How was I starting anything? I was trying to brighten your mood. I bet I could help."

Something comes into his eyes, a darkness.

His voice is still the smiling flirty guy that everyone loves, but his tone changes a little.

"Besides... you look so miserable. I've always been really good at fixing people's moods. It's one of my best qualities."

He leans a little closer than before. Close enough that you can smell the honey, citrus scent coming from his cologne. You're not sure if he does that intentionally, but he's quite close now.

"Come on now, you know you can tell me. Maybe I could put a smile on that pretty little face."

"You could, but I might have to kill you after." That made him smirk. The way he's looking at you... Oh Gods.

"You can try, you know I'd get you right before you got me, though. I'm too quick." He grinned. He was flirting, he always flirted, but there was something else in his eyes. Something darker.

"Come on, what could be so serious?"

“Not gonna talk it out of me, Castellan." You closed your eyes before lying down on the ground. The ground was damp but it wasn’t too much of an inconvenience, finding comfort just lying there.

He smiles and lies down right next to you.

Too close now, too close. You're practically on top of each other but he doesn't pull away.

The grass is very green, the lake is a beautiful dark blue. It's actually quite peaceful here. The air is still but not too cold.

"You're too stubborn sometimes. Why won't you tell me?" His hand brushes her hair absentmindedly. "You can talk to me, even if you don't want to."

"I feel like if someone doesn't want to, they won't talk." You pointed out the obvious, slowly glancing up at him again.

Luke smiles, his hand resting on your head now. He's actually being surprisingly gentle.

His eyes are so hypnotic in this light. His voice grows softer, a hint of that darkness in it still. “I like to make people change their minds. You would talk if I got you into the right mood."

"Not gonna happen."

"Really now?" He leans in just close enough to almost kiss you. He's still smiling, his voice a little bit softer, a little bit more husky.

"You're stubborn." He said, lightly tapping your nose. "I'm stubborn. We can stay like this all night if you want. But I'll stay here to remind you that I care."

Luke pulls back again, smiling at you. He gets a little bit closer though, until his face is mere inches away from yours. He tilts his head at just the right angle to catch the moonlight coming off his blue eyes.

"Think about that." Luke looked into her eyes for a long moment. Then he leaned forward, placing his hand on your head and kissed your forehead.

"Just a reminder."

Luke pulls away and sits up. His hands are resting on his legs now, and he's looking up at the moon.

"What do you think about the sky, you know? The stars. It's quite beautiful. Makes you think about things. Life's so short. Maybe you should do the things you want to do, while you can." Luke chuckles, sitting back down and looking up at the sky. He looks at you for a second, then looks away.

The air is thick with tension. Luke looks at you over his shoulder, with kind of a half smile on his face. His eyes are still that darker colour, but they're softer now. You're not sure why it's so tempting to lay your head on his shoulder.

"The sky is beautiful. You know, most demigods think of it as a symbol of the gods, right? But I've always thought of it as... freedom. I mean, who cares what the gods think?" He said, looking back at you.

"The sky makes me feel free. I'll look at it sometimes when I'm feeling trapped, you know." He glances back at you, expecting an input.

"You think the gods are looking down at us from the sky?"

He laughs a bit, turning back to the sky and looking at it.

"I don't know, maybe? But even so, why should we care if they are or not? I don't get what all the fuss is about the gods, why do so many people at camp obsess over their opinions so much? They're just like any other person, except they have a little more power. They don't really care about us, if they did, then we wouldn't be the ones doing all the important stuff."

“I mean, they say that Jesus is always looking down on us, do you think they meant the sky?”

He laughs again, looking at you out of the corner of his eye.

"You're really not going to let me distract you from whatever's bothering you, are you? Even when I'm trying really hard." There's another hint of that darkness in his eyes.

"I don't want to think about it, I just wanna lay down and have a relaxing moment to myself, but I'd rather it not be on this damp ground." He knows how stubborn you are. Instead, he smiled and scooted closer.

He's so close to you now, his body is close to yours and he can feel your breath. He just stares up at the sky.

"Where else?" He looks into your eyes. He's enjoying this. You’re falling for this. He smiles. "The lake sounds pretty lovely to me."

"It's wet here."

The darkness in his eyes is getting stronger. His voice is growing husky again, the way you like it.

He can’t help it, Luke leans closer again. He wants the intimacy between you. There is a subtle change in his eyes. He stares at you, and now his hand is brushing your leg.

His voice is low and rough and seductive. “The lake is fine. I prefer it, even. It’s the perfect place for us.”

A hint of a smirk rises from his lip. He knows how much he affects you. You both know exactly what he’s trying to do, and you both want to do it, but he will not let you think you have any control over this situation, he’s always in control.

He leans towards you again, his hand moving further up your leg.

"Castellan." His name came out of your lips like a warning but you said it softly enough for him.

The smirk slowly rises on his lip, and he whispers.

"What, love?" His hand keeps creeping up your leg, his voice sounding almost like a growl. It's such a change from the charming guy you know, and it's so tempting, yet so unsettling. He stares at you, waiting for a response, waiting to see what you'll do.

You can almost feel the dark energy coming off him. His presence is just so dominating right now, he wants this. He is getting closer and closer until he's practically lying on top of you. He's not looking at you anymore, he's just looking down at his hand which is resting just below your thigh. It is not moving up, but you can feel the tension.

He leans up, his eyes searching yours. You can tell that he wants something more than just a little flirting. He wants to see how far he can take this. Luke's hands are going up even higher, brushing her thighs now. He's so close now, you can feel his breath brushing your neck.

The tension builds more and more. He is so close to just taking you right here. You can feel him starting to move his hands to the sides of your back, to the small of your back. He wants this, and he can't help but try. The darkness in his eyes is getting more potent, as his breathing gets heavier and heavier.

He leans in closer, his mouth less than a few inches away from your neck. You can feel his breath. He's waiting. That anticipation, that temptation, is just so intoxicating and it's making him crazy.

The darkness of his eyes fades away as he finally makes a move. His lips come closer, so close, until they just touch, making a soft clicking sound. His eyes close, and his lips finally meet yours, his lips opening slightly to let the kiss linger longer until he pulls back and leans towards your ear.

It was such a soft kiss, nothing more than his lips barely grazing yours. But the heat between them builds when his eyes reopen. He pulls away just barely speaking.

"Castellan."

Your voice is so low, so quiet, and yet so alluring. Luke’s breathing starts to speed up, and his grin gets wider.

He looks down at her with the darkest eyes you’ve ever seen. His voice is low. "Luke." He corrected.

You only called him by his first name, whenever you’re gonna or when you’re doing it. He was certain you’ve been deliberately conditioning him with it.

Luke's movements slow, his body unweights your body.

His eyes are dark. A little bit too dark. He seems less sure of himself now. Still, Luke's hand is sliding up your thigh. Closer to what he wants.

He's so close to you now. He's moving his hand up and down your leg. Slowly. Almost teasingly. His voice is barely a whisper.

He quickly took the initiative by kissing you aggressively. But somehow your hands making their way to the back of his neck and into his hair.

His tongue flicks into your mouth as his hands grip your thighs, he squeezes tighter. Luke’s breath comes out in short little moans.

Luke is on a whole different level now. He's enjoying this more and more. His eyes are closed as he kisses you deeper. His hands move further up your thighs. This is going exactly how he wanted it to. He's got you completely trapped and submissive at this point and he knows it. He opens one eye and looks at you.

"Do you want me?" He asks, his voice dark and smooth. He's holding himself just on the edge. Right where he wants to be. He stares into her deep sapphire eyes, waiting for an answer. It's a dark question, but he wants to hear it from you.

You simply smirk at his question. You knew that he wanted you to say it, your admission is everything to him. But you weren’t going to give him that satisfaction as you pulled him closer and just started kissing him again, slowly, biting down on his lower lip.

He groans and then laughs quietly. You weren’t giving him the words he wanted to hear. That was fine. He was going to make you say it.

He kisses you back, harder, faster. His hands are moving under your shirt, tracing the curves of your back and waist.

Luke leans back, his forehead leaning on you. Your breaths are coming faster and faster. Your lips touch when you kiss. He is in complete control over you right now, and he likes that. "You want me? Say it."

"I'm not giving you that power." Your hands travelled down his shirt and slowly went underneath it, feeling the tone of his abs.

His body is still now, but you can feel his muscles tensing as you move your hands.

It's like you're pressing switches that turn a machine on. A low groan escapes his mouth, as his breath quickens again. His eyes close tight as he tries to resist the urge.

His breath hitches in his throat, but you probably doesn't notice that for a moment. His eyes snap open when he can't fight it and he stares at you, waiting for you to admit it.

He's the only person at camp who actually has this level of control. He pushes you back down, his hands going down to your waist now. His breath is almost like a growl at this point. It's pure pleasure to hear that he still has complete control over uou. His voice is soft in your ear now. "Please."

You chuckled and moved down to his neck to kiss it.

Luke tenses again. His neck is his weakness.

He always liked to be in control, and his neck feels like it gives him away. He likes that you found this. "Please." His voice is low but pleading. They both know that he is very much begging you to say it now as his neck is being kissed aggressively.

Luke gasps as you continue trailing kisses down his neck. He tenses again. His breath is heavy in his throat.

The sound alone is like music to your ears. His hands are still at your waist, squeezing a little harder. He likes the feeling of you pulling at his shirt, but he tries to still keep himself on. "Please." His voice had the sound of urgency, almost begging now as his eyes dart to yours.

"I like it when you beg."

That wasn’t exactly what he wanted you to say but his body responds to your voice. His breath catches in his throat again and he arches back against your body. His eyes roll back and another low groan escapes his lips. One of his hands moves up to your neck as he pins you down against him, and starts dragging his hand down your back.

"You'll have to earn that," you purred, licking a trail along his neck that made his gut twist taut.

Luke's body moves away from you. His breath comes out in short but heavy breaths, he arches his back and lets out a deep grunt of pleasure. "I can earn it." He pushes you back down now.

He is taking control again. He kisses your neck passionately, his lips against your neck, his breath almost like a growling moan against your skin. He is moving slowly around your neck now as if he's exploring.

He positioned himself between your thighs. One hand supported your back, while the other fumbled to unclasp his belt.

It was difficult to recall how he'd ever got aroused before you came along. The way you both demanded and begged all at once sent his brain spinning.

Luke's hand is fumbling with his belt, it's not coming undone though. Like him, he's lost control. He's lost control over you, over himself, he never loses control. Maybe that is why he's enjoying this so much. Your presence and your kisses have turned him completely into someone else, someone whose only thoughts are pleasure. He leans forward again, kissing your neck passionately yet again. His breath is coming fast but heavy now. He's completely and utterly obsessed with the feeling.

You smirk before your hand slowly starts to help him undo his belt as well as unbutton his pants.

His head arches back slightly and he lets out a low groan again. "Yes..." He whispers softly. His breath is heavy in his throat. He takes a look down and is startled to see she is helping him undo his belt. Now he is almost completely submissive to you. You’re the one in charge now, completely at your whim. All he wants is you.

"Say please," you whispered, nipping his lower lip as he pulled your pants hastily down to your ankles, impatient as he is, he moved your soaked underwear to the side. “I like it when you ask nicely."

Luke is almost embarrassed. He has never been this submissive before. He always thought he’d be in complete control at all times. But you had to take control away from him and he doesn’t even mind. “Please…” His voice is soft, begging for you now. He looks down at you now, wanting you to reply. He wants to give up all control to you. All he wants now is your eternal pleasure.

You simpered before kissing him, your tongue eagerly seeking his.

You swallowed his moan as he hurried to himself free from the restraints of his boxers. He couldn’t wait anymore, he pushed himself into you. Tight, hot, and quivering as he gave you everything he had. He loosely wrapped his fingers around your throat, and you whined against his mouth, my head tilting back as my eyes fluttered shut. He tightened his grip, your own hands scrambling at his waist to encourage him deeper.

This is more pleasure than he has ever felt. The feeling of being completely submissive is a thrill that he had never felt before. He loves being at the complete mercy of someone else. Luke pulls you closer to him, arching his back again and letting out low grunts into your mouth. He holds your neck and he pulls back, looking down at you. His breath is heavy in your ear, his eyes closed tight. “You have… complete control.”

He was completely lost now. All he could hear was her begging now. All of his focus was on you now, he was consumed by you. Your hands around his waist, his mouth kissing yours passionately, your bodies moving in perfect sync with each other. His breathing grew heavier as the pace grew faster. His hand tightened on your throat, as if by instinct, but still gentle.

Luke’s breathing was heavy, his body tense and quivering. His breath was all he could hear now. Every time he moved forward, you moved her body and his would follow, and vice versa. You both lost yourselves more and more in a world where nothing mattered but you and the feeling you could give him. His breath caught in his throat, it came out in moans of pleasure. His hand was tight around your neck, but you could feel the soft grip of it.

You close your eyes in the pleasure of everything.

Everything around you felt a little fuzzy even your vision as you threw your head back while still trying to keep your hands on his waist, but you didn’t think you could hold on much longer as you gripped on his way, slowly started to falter.

The pace was getting faster now. His breath was coming faster and heavier now. “Hey, stay with me…” He whispered. It was so close. He was so close.

His body shakes uncontrollably. Every nerve in his body was tingling with pleasure. His grip on your neck tightened slightly as you moved faster and faster. His breath was coming out in short little exhales. His eyes are closed tight, his whole body quivering. All he can hear is your breath and soft moans, which are getting louder now.

He is so close, but he doesn’t want to finish right now. He wants to drag it out for you. He wants you to experience more of this. His grip tightens again, but still gently. His breathing is coming out in short little gasps now. Every fibre of Luke’s being was consumed with you and this pleasure.

You keep going, your bodies moving together, the pace has reached its peak now. His breath is short and loud now, his grip is tighter on you but not harsh.

He pulled you closer by your waist with one arm, maintaining his grip on your neck with the other, aligning me to accommodate all of him. With each thrust, I bit down on the flesh of his shoulder as his whole body tensed and his breath caught in his throat. His body shudders, and his entire body shakes with the pleasure. His hand is now tight around your neck, as he hits the peak of pleasure now. His breathing comes out in the slightest groan of satisfaction as your bodies combine together in one last movement.

Luke is shaking by this point. His breathing is deep now and his whole body is a quivering mess. Your touch is the most intense feeling he’s ever had. The pace was steady now and the feeling had only gotten more intense. The feeling of your hands around his waist, as you move with him. Your eyes looking into him. His body is twitching and tense, his breath is sharp and loud now. He can almost feel what you’re feeling as you move together.

“Luke, I’m—“

“Don’t stop.” He whispered in your ear. He was so close. His whole body was tense and she could feel the vibrations of his breath. Your touch was all he was thinking about now. He was in complete control for the first time in a long time. He was in complete control of your pleasure. Your breathing became louder, and he knew you were close to your climax too. You could feel the vibrations of his breath as you got closer and closer.

Luke’s body is shaking uncontrollably now. The grip around your neck is the tightest it’s been all night, but still gentle. His breath is coming out in loud sharp gasps now, his body twitching like crazy. Your body is twitching with his, the both of you moving at your own pace.

His grip is tightening even more as he feels the buildup of energy in her body. His breathing is like a growl now. He has completely lost control again, you were the one in control. You were the one making the pace. Now he just wants to hear you finally call out to him, call out to him that you’re almost there. Your body is the only one he feels now. You, your breathing, your motions. You are all he feels. He wants you to let go of it all, he wants you to call to him. He could feel you getting closer and closer.

“I swear to the Gods, Luke. I’m gonna—“ You finally mumbled his name again, but it came out breathless as you tried to hold onto him. You were practically clinging onto him for dear life. He could feel you clenching inside around him. Which almost made him lose control, he would’ve given up at that very moment if it wasn’t for your voice grounding him.

Your voice is like music to his ears. It’s all he wanted to hear. He was holding on to you tightly as the both of you were so close to the end. You calling out to him sends waves through his body, but he is losing even more control of himself. Your calling out to him only sends him further into the pleasure. His grip around your neck tightens even more, as he pulls you closer, his forehead coming to rest on yours.

Both of you are extremely close and are moving together at the same pace. He can feel your breath coming out in short, sharp gasps. You both move together like there is only one body moving. You both have reached your peak now and are moving like machines now. The pace is too much, you calling out to him is too much.

Your breathing is his breath. Your heartbeat is his heartbeat. The pace has built to its peak and it’s pushing you both to the end. Luke is so close to the end now, he is feeling what you’re feeling. You both finally are at the absolute peak of pleasure. You both reach their finale simultaneously. Your bodies shake uncontrollably and his grip is the tightest it has been all night as he lets everything out at once.

He came inside of you, his groaning was the only warning as you felt him shoot up his release.

He nuzzled right up against you, wrapping his arm around your waist. He was still slowly thrusting inside, just warm white liquid started spilling out of you.

Both of their breathing settles down and their bodies relax. Luke is out of his trance now, his breathing is coming out heavy but no longer is it an animalistic growl. He’s calm now, but satisfied. The whole night had been a thrill for him. It was exactly what he wanted: someone to take complete control of him, which he didn’t even know he wanted. His grip around your neck loosens and he pulls away from you.

Luke finally finds himself again. He is looking right into her eyes and his voice is low but soft. He is looking right into her eyes and he gives a small grin. “It’s okay, I got you.” He mumbles, nuzzling his head right into her neck. “Don’t worry.”

He kisses your neck softly again, but his breathing is normal now. He isn’t losing control anymore. He was now just content with your presence. He snuggles closer to you, his voice is soft and the glow of his eyes is different than before. He is relaxed, calm, and content.

“Are you alright?” Luke thought he might’ve been too hard with the choking earlier, but based on your expression, he didn’t really have anything much to worry about.

Luke was content. His body movements were slow and smooth now. He had complete control of himself now. The pace of his thrusts had slowed down but he was still inside of you. His breath was still heavy, but not because it was intense pleasure anymore. It’s just because it was comfortable. The glow in his eyes was not the same as before, his eyes were full of content and pleasure. Instead of intense pleasure, it was more like satisfaction now. His hand was still tight around your waist, and he brought his other hand up to your hand, squeezing it softly.

Luke’s breaths were coming out in slow grunts and he was keeping a pace with no intensity to it whatsoever. It felt more like he was moving in slow motion. The two of you were finally just moving together now as if you were one single person. Neither of you were looking at anything else. Nothing else mattered in this moment but this pleasure you finally felt with each other.

“I’m okay.”

It was as if his body was just flowing smoothly with you. His hand is still tight at your waist and your hand is still holding him tightly. The feeling was a complete mix of pure bliss and complete pleasure. The two of you were enjoying each other’s touch so much that nothing else mattered at all. You were just locked together, moving in an endless rhythm now.

You were still letting out heavy breaths in mere seconds, one after the other. “This is disgusting.” You motioned to the wet damp ground that you both were lying on.

He laughs at you. You both were pretty disgusting. But it’s also somewhat funny that he didn’t care, your whole bodies are soaked and sticky. Luke’s laughs are soft and low now. He lifts up one of his hands to wipe the sweat off of his brow. He looks over at the ground and laughs again as he looks back at you. He lowered himself as he planted a kiss on your forehead, his hands slowly grazing upon your cheek.

“Look at us.” He laughs silently, keeping his voice low. He chuckles a little bit, the two of you are such a mess right now.

Luke laughs a little bit more, it’s funny to him how much of a mess they both are. The ground is totally soaked and sticky as is your body and his. You both are completely covered in your own bodily fluids. It’s quite the scene to take in all at once.

Luke’s laughter dies down slightly, though it’s still somewhat there as he just chuckles at the whole situation. He looks over at you and smiles a small and soft smile at you. He shakes his head slightly, just still finding it funny. The whole scene is just utterly ridiculous and disgusting.

“You think they’ll notice us missing and coming back all sweaty and disgusting?”

He laughs again slightly and his body shakes in amusement. The thought of them both coming back to camp in this state is a funny thought to him. The two of you are covered in your own sweat and fluids, it’s not exactly a pretty sight of the two of you. So much so, that people will notice at first glance.

“Let’s wash up a little by the lake.”

He nods his head. He doesn’t even really feel that sore right now. You really were covered in so much sweat and fluids. The thought of even being around other people makes him feel awkward. Your suggestion is good though, a good old rinse-off is just what you both need right now. He pulls you off of him and sat up.

“Pull up your pants, Castellan,” I commented, looking down at him as I sat up straight, brushing off the debris on my clothes.

He is still lying at your feet. He shakes his head and he nods you off of him. He stands up slowly and he laughs at your comment. His pants actually fell down further and they are hanging around his ankles. He pulls them up and zips them up.

You were being direct, and it cracked him up a little. He is completely covered in yours and now his own juices.

“I feel sticky.”

“You think you feel sticky?” He laughs again and shakes his head. He grabs your hand and he pulls you up off of the floor and holds you close to him. He takes a quick glance around at the surroundings before looking right back at you.

“Let’s find a place where we can wash off.” He says with a smirk on his face. His body is a hot mess and he can feel every bit of it. He didn’t even believe they could get this dirty, but they did. So you need to get cleaned up now, especially before any of the other campers notice the two of you. That would be absolutely horrific.

“Nobody can find out.”

He chuckles again and he nods his head. You were absolutely right about that. Nobody can find out about this, it would be so embarrassing. You both would go down in history as a complete disgrace if anyone found out.

“God, we’re so nasty.” He muttered, leading the way towards the lake.

#luke castellan x reader #luke castellan smut #luke castellan imagine #luke castellan x you #luke castellan #luke castellan pjo #pjo #pjo series #percy jackson #pjo fandom #percy jackon and the olympians #charlie bushnell #charlie bushnell x reader #i’m ovulating #i want this man all over me fr #smut #imagine #pjo disney+#pjo tv show

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thiswaytwoinfinity · 8 months

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Emma’s Epic Bday Multi-Fandom Rec List: Stranger Things Edition

(yes, there will be many parts because oh my god I read waaaay too much fic)

Since it was my birthday recently (and around the 1-year anniversary of when I started actually using Tumblr again after a years-long break) I figured it was only fitting to do a giant master list of all of the amazing fanfics that I have read (and reread) in the past year.

I do my best to reblog as much as possible but sometimes with work and life I miss it so this is my attempt to make up for that and give all of the amazing creators on here the credit they deserve. Thank you all so much for sharing all of your work with us. This year has been a long and difficult one for me, especially mental health wise, and being able to escape into these stories has been so valuable and important to me.

If you read anything on here that you like, please reblog and/or comment on these fics to show the creators some love!

AN IMPORTANT NOTE: While not everything listed here will include smut, many of these authors have 18+ blogs. Please, please, please respect their boundaries and DO NOT INTERACT WITH THEM/THEIR CONTENT IF YOU ARE A MINOR.

Stories marked with ❤️‍🔥 contain NSFW content

Stranger Things:

colors (series) ❤️‍🔥by @loveshotzz — this was my introduction to ST fanfic and hooooo boy what an intro it was. what i wouldn’t give for a steamy, forbidden romance with best friend’s dad!Steve —sorry, Jenny, but he was just too hot to resist — it’s hot and emotional and basically the stuff that fantasies are made of. loveshotzzz is also the creator of the Foxy Lounge series, featuring flirty bartender Eddie and bad-at-fighting bouncer Steve which is also *chef’s kiss*

Time to giddy up, yeah? ❤️‍🔥by @loveshotzz — two words: pornstache Steve. Two more words: mustache ride. Two more? You’re welcome.

As You Wish (series) ❤️‍🔥 by @corroded-hellfire — my all time favorite Eddie series! Ryan and Luke are the most adorable, hilarious kids (i loved their little “scheme” to set their dad up with their babysitter) and the little family that Eddie and his sons form with the reader has just been so delightful to read. (also, for the record, it’s on sight with brittany)

put me through it, baby ❤️‍🔥 by @agentmarvel — PINING EDDIE MY BELOVED! Ugh I loved the slow building of the friendship between Eddie and reader, the angst of him knowing that her boyfriend was trash but not wanting to cross a line, the passion between them. As i wrote when i reblogged it, “Screaming, crying, laughing, smiling, CRYING 😍🥹😭🥵 “

take me higher ❤️‍🔥 by @munson-blurbs — i will never get enough Argyle stories, and bug has written some of my favorites. this is one i reread all the time (i’m clearly a sucker for a good babysitter fic) because i love the way Argyle feels so real in it. The flirtation, the banter, those sweet little moments of awkwardness, it’s all truly 10/10. A special runner-up mention goes to this blurb which features best friend! Argyle and hair pulling and is just … just a dream.

bad idea ❤️‍🔥 by @abibliophobiaa — if i’ve said it once, i’ve said it a million times: Steve Harrington is a menace. Best friend!Steve gets his hands on the romance novel you’re reading and decides to tease you with all of the flirty things he picked up from it. Steve is at peak menace in this, which means i fell hard and fast.

this is gonna sting by @lovebugism — this one was written so, so beautifully. Sweet, lovestruck Eddie afraid to open up and confess his feelings always hits me hard and the imagery in this was just so stunning that i think about it a lot. I aspire to write a sentence as beautiful as “he leaks a bright red truth right across from you and carries everything he feels about you in raging scarlet scrapes.”

Steve Harrington Boat Smut ❤️‍🔥 by @lovebugism — God, what a glorious day it was when those pictures of Joe Keery on a boat in Italy made their way online. Anyway, this is exactly what is says on the tin and exactly what we all needed in that moment.

This story by @pouringmyheartoutforpaper — sweet, sweet lovesick Stevie who is determined that things will be different in this relationship meets reader who has some insecurities about how slow their relationship is progressing. Gorgeous, sweet, fluff that will give you the warm fuzzies.

The Tune-Up ❤️‍🔥 by @roanniom — Issa, queen of smut! This mechanic Eddie story is so hot that it will have you contemplating whether or not you should mess with a few things on your car, just for an excuse to come visit him in the shop. (Also just read all of her stuff. It’s so, so good.)

Happy Mother’s Day, Steve Harrington ❤️‍🔥 by @roanniom — STEVE. HARRINGTON. BREEDING. KINK. WILL MAKE BRAIN GO BRRRRRRR. I rest my case.

The Riddles Three ❤️‍🔥by @blueywrites — You cannot convince me that Eddie “Dungeon Master” “Lord of the Rings nerd” Munson would not try and do a Gollum impression in bed. As a firm believer in goofy, weird bedroom antics, this story is canon and I will hear nothing else about it.

Smoke and Cherry Pop Rocks ❤️‍🔥 by @somnambulic-thing — want to have your heart broken in the best way possible? HERE YOU GO. A gorgeous, tender, emotional story about regrets and moving on and finding the courage to open up, even if it’s a little too late.

Classified ❤️‍🔥by @pullhisteeth — considering the slightly absurd premise — putting an ad in the paper to lose your virginity — this was gorgeously grounded and real. Eddie is so lovely and gentle in this and it was just a treat to read.

monster under the bed ❤️‍🔥by @eddiemunsons-missingnipple — i’m going to be honest: this is monsterfucking. But if that’s something you’re into, you *need* to read this. It will make you go feral.

River Monster! Eddie ❤️‍🔥by @courtingchaos — brb, wandering along the banks of all the rivers near me in an attempt to lure River Monster!Eddie to come out and mate with me. Again, it is monsterfucking, but … come on. It’s so good. (Meg also has some of the best Gator Tillman fics out there. They’re hot and weird and wild in all of the best ways.

My Goyle Fiend ❤️‍🔥by @bettyfrommars — You want monsters? You go to Betty. Trust me on this. Her gargoyle series was the first that I read from her and I was hooked instantly. She’s written werewolves, vampires and is currently working on a brilliant series where Eddie works at the Nightmare Factory and appears in your dreams as all kinds of different ghosts and ghouls. If things that go bump in the night aren’t your taste, her biker! Eddie and Steve series are also great, as well as her beautiful gigalo!Eddie story.

I Can See You ❤️‍🔥by @fairyysoup — I don’t know that there are enough words to express how much I loved this story, The not-so-unrequited affection, the building tension, the way Steve and the reader keep coming together over the years, Steve’s big grand gesture at the end … just so beautiful and moving and steamy. I’ve already reread it like 4 times.

Stranger Things Adjacent a.k.a. Joseph Quinn characters

The Hat Shop Girl (Ralph from Timewasters) ❤️‍🔥by @rehfan — Y’all this story is *so* good. It packs so much into this love story — issues of class, grief, sexuality, power dynamics — in a way that just makes their journey so much richer and more interesting. This version of Ralph is perfect, soft and sweet and well-meaning but also the way his confidence builds throughout the story is delightful and the smut between them is so delicious and delightful. 10/10.

Knight in Shining Armor (Billy Knight) ❤️‍🔥by @rehfan — I’m gonna say it: This is my favorite Billy Knight fanfic of all time. So soft and tender, it handles Billy’s mental health in a way that feels really empathetic and realistic while also letting the audience indulge in the thing everyone really wants: to give sweet Billy all the love in the world.

This Billy Knight Masterlist ❤️‍🔥by @pollenallergie — I could not pick just one of these amazing Billy fics. pollenallergie is, in my mind, *the* authority on all things Billy Knight and she’s got it all. Her writing is soft and steamy and touching all at the same time and I love it all.

Worth It (Ralph from Timewasters) by @wheels-of-despair — Do you want to feel *all* of the delightful warm fuzzies as you daydream about the perfect life with sweet Ralph? This is the story for you. Every chapter is delightful and touching and will make you feel *all* of the feelings. I love it so much.

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endwithajadestrick · 10 months

Text

Who Is Fucking In Star Wars? A Non-Comprehensive List

So in honor(?) of the DDoS attack on Ao3 preventing us all from mainlining slash fic, I've decided to go horny on main and list off my opinion about 3 traits of all Star Wars characters. Our beloved Galaxy Far Far Away is a usually (tragically) chaste place, which may lead us to ponder about our faves:

Do they even know what sex is?

Have they ever actually HAD sex?

Are they any good at it?

We will not be including characters who are minors in this list. Obviously. Judgements are based somewhat on the lore, but really more on vibes. Perhaps it goes without saying, this will be lightly NSFW.

This is probably gonna take a while and stop feeling like a good idea halfway through. Which of your exes does that describe? Let's Go!!!

Starting with the big three:

Han Solo

Always begin with an easy one.

Does he even know what sex is? Yes, unlike a surprising number of people in this galaxy, Han knows how to do the do.

Has he ever had sex before? Sure (but not as often as he wants you to think). Do you, uh . . . maybe wanna get out of here and come back to his ship? She's called the Millenium Falcon.

Is he good at sex? Look. It's not going to be good the first time. He's gonna keep insisting that he "knows what he's doing," but you wish he would just let you explain what you like. He needs to be girlbossed around a little bit. And it is mostly girls for him, though the occasional guy and non-binary being has mounted that loading ramp too. His bedroom does smell kind of funny.

Luke Skywalker

This one may be controversial for some people.

Does he know what sex is? Nope. Farm boy didn't go to schmool. Skool? Am I saying that right? There were no copies of Our Bodies, Our Selves lying around the rebellion base, and you better believe the Sacred Jedi Texts did not include some kind of version of the Kama Sutra. Han wasn't gonna draw him a diagram either; that would be too embarrassing. This man is not learned in the pleasures of the flesh.

Has he ever had sex? Also no. He got into some light over-the-clothes action with Biggs Darklighter when they were teens, but nothing ever went any farther than that.

Is he good at sex? I'm sure a real earnest effort would be made, but we'll never know, will we. Because he DOES NOT KNOW what sex is.

Princess/General Leia Organa

Does she even know what sex is? Oh, absolutely. This woman was treated to an actual formal education. She probably even got a nice, progressive version of SexEd that talked about pleasure and consent and not just all the weird diseases you could get--assuming the Empire didn't nix that sort of thing on Alderaan, which, honestly, they might have.

Has she ever had sex? Of course. And despite being a princess, she's not that precious about courtship either. Casual flings are totally fine and normal.

Is she good at sex? Leia is mature but, like her hairstyles, can be a little tightly wound. Once you get over any initial awkwardness, though, it's sure to be a fun flirty time.

And this is Star Wars, so sooner or later we have to address--

Chewbacca

--the aliens of it all. Welcome, monster fuckers! It's not even weird in this universe!

Does he know what sex is? Chewy is canonically 234 years old as of TLJ, so I'm going to give this a definite yes. Also, he hangs out with Han Solo and all the doors in this universe appear to be panel-controlled. There are no door knobs to stick a sock on; he's SEEN some things.

Has he ever had sex? Again, 234 years old, and Chewy has never seemed like a wallflower. This is also a yes.

Is he good at it? Maz Kanata seems to think so? I don't pretend I have the predilections/imagination to get the appeal (though I honor those that do), but I'm gonna take a swing and say, yes, Chewbacca is a good lover. Solid stamina, surprisingly tender after-care.

Lando Calrissian

Does he know what sex is? Yes, and not just on a mechanical level. If anyone in this universe HAS read the Space Kama Sutra, it's Lando.

Has he ever had sex? He has. And he doesn't keep a list of all his past sexual partners because that would be cras. But he COULD tell you about each of them, names, dates, locations. But he won't. But he could.

Is he good at it? Surprisingly, yes! He may come across as a guy who is all talk, but Lando is an artist at heart and the democratically elected President of Consent. He has mood lighting set up and a tastefully curated playlist. The atmosphere is fun, the oral is enthusiastic. When you're done--wow!--there's a mini bar right near the bed. And would you like to borrow a silk robe?

Your magical evening will not prevent him from cheating you at cards later, though.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

Does he know what sex is? No. He learned once, but has since memory-holed the information. Otherwise he might accidentally experience some pleasure from the stick up his bum.

Has he ever had sex? Many beings have made valiant efforts to claim this beautiful man as a conquest. All have failed, but there was much exquisite yearning along the way.

Is he good at it? Hypothetically? Alas, my heart wants to say yes, but my head says no.

Padmé Amidala

Does she know what sex is? Look at this dress. This dress is a CHOICE, a ruthless tactical decision made by someone who definitely knows what sex is.

Has she ever had sex? Yes, but her taste in men--oh, honey.

Is she good at it? A pillow princess if there ever was one. You will be doing all the work.

Anakin Skywalker

Does he know what sex is? No.

Has he ever had sex? Yes.

Is he good at it? . . . and I know those answers seem contradictory, but it's true. This is a man who has had normal, consensual adult sex. However, baby boy's brain is full of more holes than a colander. He is dummy thick actually in the head region. He is incapable of retaining complex thoughts such as the nuances of sexuality.

That said, he is a creature of pure instinct and, like, yeah, the lovemaking is pretty hot.

Mace Windu

Does he know what sex is? Yes.

Has he ever had sex? No.

Is he good at it? If it ever happened, which it won't? No, and Mace is possibly the only Sammy J character for whom this holds true. It would be strictly procreative missionary. No fun allowed.

Yoda

Does he know what sex is? Yes, he is aware. Knowledge is this little frog man's burden; Yoda is too in touch with the Force, the life energy of the universe, not to know. He WOULD not know if he could, but he has had to settle for just ignoring the information.

Has he ever had sex? You know I am genuinely stumped on this one. On one hand, he is the perfect ascetic Jedi sage. On the other hand, a nine hundred year lifespan is a long time . . . anything could have happened to this lilliputian enigma.

Is he good at it? Size matters not.

The Mandalorian

Yeah I know his name is "Din Djarin." Shush.

Does he know what sex is? I'm pretty sure this guy thinks that babies are found, not made. He does not know what sex is.

Has he ever had sex? I don't care what season one implied about Mando and that toothsome twi'lek, it's never happened. The helmet doesn't come off and the trousers don't drop.

Is he good at it? And here's the tragedy of it all, right? Because we know that underneath that impenetrable layer of beskar lies such a man. I don't even care if he's an ace, as seems plausible. Just the chance to look him in the eye would mean worlds.

Finn

Does he know what sex is? Negative, Ghost Rider. It's not something the First Order teaches their child soldiers, and the Resistance, like the rebellion of old, has bigger fish to fry. Poe wants to explain it to him, but feels like he has a dog in that race and it wouldn't be right.

Has he ever had sex? Men, women, and other beings are lining up around the corner for a shot at this man, but he only has eyes for one woman, and she in turn may be legitimately the only person in the galaxy who does not pine for him. Hang in there, Finn! Maybe one day she'll become emotionally available.

Is he good at it? While we have seen Finn makes some selfish moves along his journey--mainly because of, y'know, all the trauma--he has done a lot of growing and is an essentially generous spirit. This gets a yes.

Rey Skywalker

Does she know what sex is? Not in either The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi, but before Rise of Skywalker Leia explained it to her. She's the future of the Jedi after all, and this is basic stuff, goddammit Luke!

Has she ever had sex? Hmm, what's that? Sorry, she's super busy right now with, like, destiny and stuff.

Is she good at it? Rey seems to pick most things up fairly quickly, so you have to imagine that would hold true for l'amour as well, except that she'll also be a bit of a try-hard. Do less, sweety. Really, it's fine.

Lightning Round

Asajj Ventress

Yes, yes, and it depends on the answer to one question: do you enjoy pain?

L3-37

It Works.

Cinta Kaz

Yes, yes, and not just good but so good it will politically radicalize you.

Karis Nemik

No, which is a shame because you know that he would have made sex-positive feminism and queer theory a huge part of his manifesto.

Count Dooku

Gay, and pulled legendary numbers of exquisite vintage ass across the galaxy. It's the real reason Sidious traded him in for simple, pussy-whipped Anakin. He just couldn't take it anymore.

Luthen Rael

Hope you like role-play.

Armitage Hux

Yes, it's true; this man has no dick.

Qi'ra

Yes, yes, and good but maybe in a dangerous way? Like drugs, it's possible that you--maybe even most people--could have a healthy, well-adjusted relationship to it. But there's a chance also that it will alter your brain chemistry, fundamentally shift your priorities, and ruin your life. The only way for sure to be safe is not to try it, not even once!

The Bendu

The One in the Middle. So in this case, would that be, like, the taint?

Reva Sevander

I mean, do you like it freaky? How freaky do you like it? There are levels to this sort of thing, and you, through no fault of your own, may not be ready for this ride.

Cassian Andor

Cassian Andor fucks.

The Armorer

I tried to get a read on this one, and all I picked up was radio static. We'll never know. We'll just never know.

Rose Tico

Rose appears naive at first, but she's actually quite worldly and will rock yours.

Bo-Katan Kryze

I daresay more than 2% of us want her to sit on our face. Ms. Sackoff was really lowballing it. Bo does not know what sex is, however, and is rarely in listening-mode, so that's a hurdle we'll have to overcome.

But it's more than 2%.

Poe Dameron

Yes, yes, and does it even matter? It would be an honor just to be considered, sir.

Hera Syndulla

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. Apparently what Lola wants is an inexperienced, sexually repressed Jedi hotty. In this way, she is the true queen of Star Wars fandom. Captain our ship, Hera!

And Finally:

Kylo Ren

I do not understand the hold this man has on some of you--which is fine; you don't need me to understand it. He does not know what sex is, he is so horny and angry all the time. And sure, maybe you CAN fix him by completing his education. Blessings, angels. Live your fantasy.

Just promise me you'll use protection? And I don't mean a condom, I mean body armor.

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madame-fear · 6 months

Note

Yay!! The competitive lucerys x reader request, I almost forgot I sent that in, what a nice surprise appearing on my dash!! 💕💕

You just know Luke would do everything in his power to win, he probably throws flirty remarks and innuendos your way mid game just to try and get you to mess up. He’s a sneaky one! The idea of having reader dress up for him is probably one of his favorites because he would make you wear something sexy underneath your regular clothes all day and he’s the only one that knows your secret and teases you relentlessly, good times! 😏

Thank you for completing this request darling!!

—Hands on Luke Anon 😆🩷🩷

Hellooo dearest nonnie! Nice to see you again, sorry for having written your request just now! 😩 It was a super fun one to write, thank you for sending it! 💘

OH MY GOD YESSS Luke would have very lewd thoughts with you, to put it in a way. There’s something in the way that you become heavily flustered + distracted at his flirty remarks and innuendos that he simply can never get enough of it. Luke most definitely plays around with your mind, and he SO loves it 🤭 Not only he loves it because he literally adores having you wrapped around his finger, but also because Lucerys is always more than keen in being sweetly rewarded by you 👀

And the rather revealing clothing he forces you to wear during the entirety of the day as part of his reward for winning? I can definitely agree that one is his favourite. Gods, I think he would also be very handy (if ykwin) in a discreet manner while being in public, in front of everyone in the rooms. Perhaps his hand is under the table, caressing your thighs with the tip of his fingers, and often leaning closer to you to whisper a teasing remark about it.

I LOVED THIS REQUEST SO MUCHHH THANK YOU MY BELOVED FOR THAT SUFKDKXDKDKF 💘💘💘

#might turn this one into a one shot after finishing all my reqs 🤭#lucerys velaryon x reader #hotd x reader #hotd smut #house of the dragon x reader #✧.* amiraverse #ask box open #reblog #ask box #hands on luke anon <33

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vickyvicarious · 2 years

Text

some of my favorite things about The Haunting of Hill House, in no particular order (under cut for spoilers):

Unreliable narrator my beloved! Obviously this reaches incredible levels later on but I love how early it shows up. Like. Not even starting with the stories Eleanor tells herself on her journey to Hill House becoming the home she describes to Theo, but from the very start she doesn't quite let us in on just how miserable her life at home is. She says she hates her sister and I did get the idea that she lived with them. But I thought she had a room of her own. I thought she had pooled money she earned for the car, along with her sister. I mean, maybe it's just me not realizing, but I thought that she had a job now, she had at least a little bit of control over her life. But no, apparently she lives in her niece's room without even a bed of her own, the car was inheritance money. She hinted at things being bad but wasn't open about the extent of it even in the very start.

I really do love the "cup of stars." The bravery to insist upon her own choice. But also, in Eleanor's daydream life, at least as she depicts it to others, seems to involve independence and confidence, but in reality she's obviously lonely and longing for connection. She daydreams about being guarded by poisonous oleanders, about being protected and loved, and that's not really about independence or making choices at all. All she does is show up, and the narrative calls her a princess, rearranges itself as she pleases, coddles her. It's exactly what the house gives her, in the end (she thinks).

Why does Eleanor not remember the stones falling? Did she make them fall?

Every time Theo repeats Eleanor's thoughts or answers a question she didn't ask out loud. I kept wondering how much of Eleanor's hateful thoughts she heard, and how much of that led to her being spiteful at times. Or actually, how much of that was actually spite at all, and how much was things like Theo wanting to protect Eleanor's feelings from 'playboy' Luke, since she's obviously pretty naive.

Luke is introduced as a liar, and later on Eleanor is super scornful of his 'secret' about his mother but it kind of read as him being genuine to me. There's stuff going on with his home life, nothing as messed up as Eleanor but it's still obviously not super happy. Seems like he was reaching out for friendship and neither woman really believed him.

The general theme of fucked up families. Luke's aunt. Dr. Montague's wife, who he seems to love but when she's there she is overbearing and insulting. Not to mention he obviously wants children but hasn't been able to have any. Theo's only outside connection is a friend she lives with. Eleanor hates her sister, and obviously hated and resented her mother, who 'stole' her life and whose death she blames herself for. The original dad and sisters who lived in Hill House, from the eventual hatred all the way back to him supposedly loving them but leaving them alone, and that super creepy book he made for them. There's no straightforward kindness or love for anyone's family, it seems. Something's always missing or twisted.

So they arrange themselves in this loose imitation of a family, with the doctor offering to read bedtime stories, and Theo and Eleanor playing as sisters/cousins. Luke vacillates between older brother and flirty neighbor kid, in a way.

QUEERNESS. Theo's unspecified roommate 'friend', the sister's 'companion', Eleanor's deep deep love for/resentment of Theo even has a vibe, though it's twisted up in a bunch of other stuff too. Still, she wants Luke to fall in love with her but when they come even slightly close she gets mad at him and it's obviously more a vague ideal about the prince coming for the princess than anything to do with him specifically. She thinks journeys end in lovers meeting when she sees him but the first companion she meets and loves upon reaching the house is Theo. She pays a lot of attention to Theo/Luke but it's unclear how much they're actually genuinely flirting and in any case Eleanor's resentment/attention is all focused on Theo. Luke makes a daring rescue of her upon the stairs, but the thing that really brings her out of her haze is seeing/listening to Theo - who she didn't recognize at first, automatically putting her in a place of more importance than either man who Eleanor knew and didn't care about in the moment. Theo's targeted in a way that simultaneously punishes her/ruins her belongings that Eleanor envies, but also forces her into close contact with Eleanor as they share a bed/clothes. Something that Eleanor resents but also maybe wants? Maybe she wants to be Theo, to exchange places, not to see Theo as a 'better' version of herself? Definitely Theo is the biggest threat to the house keeping Eleanor, and the way that plays out is very interesting. Eleanor trying to escape by depending on her at the end, despite knowing it's all a fantasy. Just a lot of gay stuff.

Eleanor "not being allowed" to go in the library??? All the early hints that she's more sensitive to whatever is here.

When she succumbs to the house, she reenacts the hauntings that so frightened her earlier. Further questions on how much the house is doing things and how much Eleanor is, even from early on.

That it's obviously THE HOUSE and Eleanor. There's creepy stories and strange voices/noises, a sense of presence... but no ghosts. Nothing about the haunting that seems linked specifically to the women who lived here before. The cold spot is the center of the house, not the site of a murder, etc.

'ELEANOR NELLIE NELL'. Something about nicknames and seeming younger and childhood, Eleanor conflating the house with her mother, Eleanor seeming to desire to be taken care of more than she ever wants to grow up and go out into the world on her own, despite obviously wanting that too...

How much did the others notice what was going on with her? There was early suspicion, but then it gets quiet on that front and I'm not sure how much is just Eleanor herself not noticing their concern anymore. Obviously they have been talking about her behind her back at the end, so...?

The way the narration gets super vague and loopy and episodic near the end. There's no sense of time. I was deeply surprised to learn how short a time they've been staying there.

Eleanor becoming a part of the house, hearing and seeing things from every part of it! And yet she doesn't know they called her sister. Didn't know they were concerned about her. All the stuff she sees and hears seem to suit her own narrative, and it's unclear whether this is deliberate on the part of the house, her own subconscious, if she's imagining all of it, if she did hear that stuff but blocked it out because she didn't want to hear it...

The scene when she lets the house in.

The ending is SO GOOD. The mirroring of what happened before, the doctor and everyone's fear for her, and best of all that tiny moment when she realizes what she's doing and wonders why. It's still "why don't they stop me?" which still relies upon other people at the very end. Her feeling of rejection from all of them, and maybe it's just her wanted them to rescue her and take her to live with Theo, etc., and not really fully snapping out of it. But at the same time it's a splash of cold water over all her giddy joy or possessive thoughts of Hill House just moments earlier. So in the end, how much exactly was it the house, and how much was it Eleanor? Did they really become one and the same at the end? Or was something in the house preying upon Eleanor, and she merely its victim?

the first and last sentence of the book are almost exactly the same. I can't decide how significant those few tiny differences are, but there's a theme for SURE with it always remaining the same, Eleanor's life on hold, this odd odd status quo and everything going back on the shelves at certain times, the doors always shutting, the concentric layout like protecting something in the center...

The whole house being built a little wonky. I love that.

#books #i actually finished this like a week or two ago but it needed time to percolate #and even then i have no one single interpretation i'm just enjoying all the ambiguity #the haunting of hill house

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slafkovskyhughes · 2 years

Text

Juno, Chapter 2

Well here it is my dudes - part 2! Sorry to say there's pretty much no Lukey in this chapter BUT major storyline stuff sooo enjoy!

Venus was confused all the way home. Even listening to her favourite compilation of Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie couldn't calm her down. She had thought her conversation with Luke was going well, a naturally flirty chemistry falling between them. If not for the note he left behind, Venus might have thought she imagined the entire encounter.

When she arrived home, Venus was met with near silence.

"Hello?" she called, nerves settling in. She heard a faint in here, following the sound to the kitchen, where she was met with her long time best friend and roommate Daya.

"Hey, how was everything?" Venus asked, concerned for her friend. Daya provided a tired smile.

"You know what he's like. It's hard for him, V, and he tries his best," Daya replied. Venus simply nodded, before turning down the hallway toward the bedroom down the hall. She stopped at a grey door, a small beam of dim light shining through the crack underneath. She smiled to herself before twisting the brass knob slowly, trying to avoid making a sound.

The room she had entered was small, each of the four walls painted navy, maize or orange, with posters adorning them. the biggest poster was framed, a photo of the 2021 US World Juniors Team celebrating their gold medal.

Below the poster lay a small bed, the bedding orange with Wild Wing of the Anaheim Ducks printed across. And in the bed, sat a little boy.

"Why aren't you sleeping, bud?" Venus asked, eyeing the boy disapprovingly. He just poured back up at her, replying "Auntie Daya said you'd be back soon. I knew you'd came see me, and I wanted to see you."

Venus sighed, making her way over to the small figure. His small face was undoubtedly similar to hers, the freckles, the rosy cheeks. Ears slightly too big for his head jutted out the sides, the tips of which were slightly burnt. The only obvious difference between the two, was the boy's unruly brown mop atop his head, tight ringlets falling over his forehead.

"Well, baby. I'm here now. Wanna tell me what you did with Auntie Daya today?"

The boy grinned and launched into waffle, from talking about the chocolate chip pancakes he had for breakfast to the new episode of Paw Patrol he watched before bed time. Venus stared at the boy lovingly, breaking out of her trance when she saw him wave his wrist in front of her eyes.

"-and look! Auntie Daya got me a wristband! And it's got my name on it, and things about me! I love it!" he rushed out, his entire face lighting up at the gift. Venus gently grasped his left wrist, carefully moving back his orange watch to read the blue and yellow band.

Juno Ardern

09.09.2018

I have ASD and ADHD, so please be patient!

Venus looked again at the little boy, and the pride written across his face. "Auntie Daya says this is how people know I'm a superhero, but I think she was just being nice. I know I'm not like Harry Potter, but maybe I can come here instead of Hogwarts!"

She laughed a little at his enthusiasm, but nonetheless was blown away by by the four year old's eloquence and ambition.

"Okay, baby, time for bed now. For real, this time," Venus told him, poking the tip of his nose and making him giggle. He clambered back under the covers and patted around him, feeling for his beloved toy. Picking it up off the floor, Venus placed the large bald eagle stuffy in his arms, placing a soft kiss on his forehead.

"You gotta kiss Lukey goodnight, too momma," the boy scolded, reaching up to Venus. Giggling quietly, Venus gave the eagle a small peck, too, before tucking in the boy and wrapping him up tight.

"Night night, Juno. I love you to the moon and Saturn," she whispered, switching off the bedside lamp.

"Night, momma. I love you 3000," he replied, drowsiness lacing his voice.

As Venus went to finally get ready for bed, she felt the crumpled up not in her pocket from Luke. Smiling for the umpteenth time that night, she shot him a message, falling asleep shortly after.

To Hughesy 🦅

I guess it really was a phenomena, huh?

#ren writes #umich hockey #lukey hughesy #luke hughes #luke hughes x oc #luke hughes fic

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msookyspooky · 2 years

Note

HELLO ! HI !! I watched like a lot of movies this week, not all from the list and not all horror BUT Matthew Lillard was on them so it’s fine 🥰🥰🥰

First I watched the Buffy movie with my sister and wHAT A TRIP SKSKSKS Luke Perry and David Arquette were big highlights to me (loser vamp Dewey my newest beloved) I enjoyed it yes, but i think seeing it with my sister and losing our minds made insanely more fun

Then it was Wing Commander, a funky lil sci-fi with ML and Freddie Prinze Jr (2000s hearthrobs godbless) and i wasnt honestly expecting much but it was sO GOOD !!!! Genuinely good plot with interesting characters, I really recommend it !! Bleached blonde Matthew is def a bonus and his character was EXTRA flirty godbless

SERIAL MOM WHAT A MOVIE !!! I think it was MLs first credited role, very campy and trashy comedy, somehow predicted the true crime craze years before podcasts (also a rec if you haven’t seen)

I’ll add the last movies on a dif ask so this isn’t even longer !

Okay, okay you're giving me movie ideas ✍️✍️✍️ I have heard of both but kept putting it off welp now I gotta watch both!!!!

Ikr? Dirt bag vampire Dewey is something I didn't know I need but I do

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tartagliad · 2 years

Note

hello can i request genshin bois (particularly childe) playing tears of themis bc their s/o is into it and their thoughts about each ToT guy ir perhaps their fav? thank you and i hope ya doing fine

NONNIE?!?!? I CAN SEE THIS SO CLEARLY?? HELLO?? thank you for requesting btw, hope you have a great day :D I actually have fun writing this-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two Men, Different Worlds

Summary: genshin boys about ToT boys :D (modern au!)

Fandom: Genshin Impact x Tears of Themis

Characters: Childe, Zhongli, Thoma, Albedo + all ToT male leaders

F reader!

Warnings: Jealousy~ lmao, also I colour coded for each ToT characters' pronouns so you can understand which one is which :D, this is more to their reactions im sorry :")

(purple: Marius, green: Vyn, red: Artem, orange: Luke)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Childe -> Marius:

I HEADCANNON THAT CHILDE WOULD START A WAR WITH HIM- (but sadly Marius isn't real LMAO-)

Flirty? rich? love for his family? charming? Marius has it too

When Childe knew that you're obsessed with him.. BOOM he'll prove himself that he's more better than Marius

Sometimes.. he'll snatched you're phone while you're busy and see what this Marius person is like ._.)

Yes, that means he'll play the game-

He remembers that you got one of his card that called "Daytime Aurora" and remembers that you're in LOVE with the story

So he plays the story from chapter 1, while carefully reading the story and his character

And boy.. he's like (''so this is Marius that she was talking about?")

My boy got jealous because how the two of them are quite similar

When you played the game and he's watching, he'll watch your expressions when meeting with him

The word that he hates the most is 'onee-san~' cause MY GUY, he got jelly when you blushed from that :(

like, ''YOU LITERALLY HIT ME WHEN I CALLED YOU SMTH LIKE THAT-'' he thaught

After you played it, expect him to sit in front of you like a puppy who needs love-

This man literally CLINGS to you, hugs you while your cooking, follows you when you're walking, and asking for cuddles when you're not doing anything

Please don't speak about Marius when he's like that, he'll be more jelly :(

Deep down, you thought that this was actually cute

But if he is really jealous, just tell him that it's just a game and he's you're one and only, okay? :)

"..ung.. what's so special about him? he's literally me but I'm better.. ngahhh- think of only me, I can hug you and cuddle you and give you stuff while he can't, hmp"

Albedo -> Vyn:

The more he knows<3_<3 (no fr he's my favorite one-)

The infamous psychiatrist Vyn Richter is your favorite~

From how romantic he can be and how gentlemen he is, you liked him

But that is nothing compared to your beloved alchemist, Albedo~

Similar to Vyn, he can be sweet and make you desserts after a long day

You would be astatic to see how elegant he is in the game and not just that, you also learned some things from him

So when Albedo knows you're a fan of Vyn.. yeah, he'll be curious

Unlike Childe who would snatch your phone, Albedo will most likely to watch you play and understanding Vyn's character

The more he knows about Vyn, the more heated up he get

Albedo would watch your expressions every time Vyn would tell you that he'll make desserts for you or telling you interesting things

You look so amazed by him that your beloved boyfriend is quite lost.. :(

Do you think he's not enough? this was his thoughts

One day, he actually, I MEAN LITERALLY, try to be like him

For example, he would kiss your hand like a gentlemen that Vyn was like and makes sweets like he would do in the game

Maybe with this, you'll love him more and forget about him

This made you chuckle and sometimes blush a little because you're like bro, are ya trynna cosplay him-

But at the end of the day, you always told him that you always love him the way he is and Vyn is just a character :")

"o-oh I see... ehem, but would you like some desserts? my treat of course.. hah.. you got me.. sorry.. I guess I only wanted your attention back to me.."

Zhongli -> Artem:

don't ask me, I'll call Artem ''Rich Zhongli" lmao

Yeah, don't ask why cause y'all already know-

Preserved, calm, and collected are some of the traits that you love in a man

And it's not mistaken that he's your favorite :D

But your boyfriend Zhongli has that trait too

Almost the same as Artem, you are his first love for him after living more than 6000 years

You are his half and he now can't live and separate with you

When he heard that you were playing an otome game, he would ask you what is it

After explaining to him clearly, he's actually a bit concerned

Why? of course it means that you will have a favorite man beside him, a-and Zhongli doesn't want that.. :(

Especially that he knows that Artem's logo..? badge..? is a scale (Libra), which is the same symbol that he made for Liyue..

P-please stop, he can't handle it :(

He would be slightly upset when you're always talking about him

while smiling brightly

Zhongli would nod and looks at you flatly when you talk so much about him

One thing that makes Zhongli more at ease is that Artem is much more easily get flustered than him

Meaning that he'll be more likely to get panicked when he's face to face with MC (Rosa)

Even so, he'll still feel upset when you mentioned him, please cuddle him and give him kisses :")

"Dearest.. let's talk about something else.. I-I'm sorry, I'm just.. not in the mood talking about someone else.. especially him.."

Thoma -> Luke:

GOLDEN RETRIEVER BOYS- I just wanna pat their heads.. :^

You loved how Luke kinda reminds you of Thoma :")

How sweet and protective he is always makes your heart warm

More importantly, Luke is MC's childhood friend, you loved it and think it's the cutest things and wanted to have a relationship like that

When Thoma heard it.. he's kinda.. feel sad..?

He wants to meet you like that too, and one of the reasons you loved him is because he's that one guy who loved someone since they were little

It always make him sad he can't make you giggle and smile when you played the game and see Luke's expressions

He knows his busy, he does.. but, he doesn't want you to see his face too much, you'll forget about him :'(

One day when he's cleaning and you played the game, there's a scene where it made you say "aww.. i wanna cuddle you so bad, you little teddy bear-"

Thoma heard it and he went "b-but.. I'm your teddy bear..'' he mumbles

Hng... now he wants you to just look at him and cuddle him

He cant help it, Thoma walks to you, gently take the phone from you, put it down and he proceeds to cuddle you.. :")

You know he was jealous because you have another favorite man beside him and he knows that it's just a game..

But seeing you smiling because of him.. he can't help it..

He just stops whatever he's doing and just clings to you.. :(

Give him attention, okay?

"Ung.. I'm sorry.. I'll be here now.. can you perhaps.. not think about him.. I know he's cute and sweet.. but I-I'm yours.."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(A/N: this is not how it turned out in my head- this is probably i have fun but my least favourite- idk, what do you think? :/)

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minteyeddevil · 3 years

Note

Hello! Can I request some hurt/comfort with an MC with the brothers+undateables(no Luke pls)? The MC is dating the demon and the MC's best friend comes to visit the Devildom... but the MC is kind of nervous bc their best friend likes to try to seduce away the MC's partners. The best friend is more attractive, more outgoing, more overtly sexual and loves the attention and the ego boost that comes with it. The MC doesn't say anything to their partner, but the friend starts the second they meet the

(Part 2 of MC with a seducing best friend) the friend starts trying to seduce the demons/angels/human the minute they meet them and since it's their partner's best friend the demon wants to get along! So poor MC thinks it's working, even though they hoped that JUST THIS ONCE it would be different... so some comfort from their partner is DEF needed. (Is this based on a real story... ha.. ha....) Also sorry it's so long. I hope you're doing well :)

(MC, my sweet dear, you need better friends cause forget that noise! I'm sorry you had to deal with something like this, you don't deserve friends who do these things, anon! Let me see what I can do for you here❤️)

As excited as MC felt for their best friend to be visiting, the nerves were still buzzing in their stomach. They knew how she could be; flirty, seductive, a slight bat of her lashes and she could have whatever and whoever she wanted. MC feared she would make moves on her boyfriend, and internally wished that this one time she would just...let her have this.

But the moment her friend arrived, she gave her boyfriend the once over, a sly grin spreading on her painted lips as she walked up, offering out her hand for him to shake it as she introduced herself, before even addressing MC's presence.

He took her hand and shook it, a smile also gracing his features. She let her hold on his hand linger, even laced there fingers together, and asked in the most sultry tone she could muster if he would be her guide and show her around the Devildom. She pressed her plump chest against his arm as well, trying to draw his attention away and distract him from MC.

This made their heart sink. Were they really about to lose him to this friend of theirs?

---

Lucifer:

Immediately he was put off by this so-called friend. He forced his best smile for her as to not be rude, he knew how important she was to them; but when she grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his, his kindness just drained from him. The smile slowly morphed into a scowl as he looked down at her, and the moment she pressed against his arm as she did, he pulled away, visibly brushing off his arm to show his disgust with her behavior.

He stepped closer to MC and placed his arm around their waist, pulling them into his side, indicating where his loyalty lied.

"I am sure MC would be a wonderful guide for you. You are here to visit them, are you not?"

There was so much venom in his words that even MC looked at him quizzically; but he gave them a genuine smile when he looked at them, leaning down to kiss them openly in front of their friend. He'd be damned before he let someone try and get between him and his love.

"I hope you enjoy your time with this...friend of yours, beloved. I have some work I must attend to. But you and I will need to discuss what real friendship is later."

He gave said friend a dark glare, leaving her dumbfounded by his actions; but he was going to make damn sure that MC never had to deal with her again.

Mammon:

He was extremely excited to be meeting one of MC's friends from the human world; from what he heard she was nearly a model there, just like he was in the Devildom. He also hoped maybe she would have some juicy gossip he could tease MC with as well. In his head, a friend of his MC was a friend of his.

What he did not expect, however, was this friend to eye him up like a meal and suddenly cling to him, chest pressed against his arm and fluttering her lashes at him as well. Huge. Ass. Flirt.

He flushed and pushed her off immediately, stepping behind MC as if she was some kind of witch trying to steal his soul. He practically growled at her, a sneer on his features when he addressed her again.

"Oi, don't be touchin' me like that! I ain't some kinda hunk of meat! Only one allowed to touch me is my MC, so dontcha do that again!" he warned, putting his arms possessively around MC.

He reluctantly agreed to follow MC around as they gave their friend a tour, but he was definitely going to find a way to convince MC to end that friendship. A person with zero respect for their friend's relationship was not friend material at all.

Leviathan:

Ugh. Another normie he was going to have to deal with. The only normie he even cared about was his MC, so the entire time he was internally complaining about not being able to hide in his room. He was polite of course, introducing himself to her and reluctantly shook her hand when she offered it; but the moment she squeezes his hand and presses against his arm, he freaks.

"D-Don't touch me like that! I don't even know you, what kind of human are you?! Be your guide!? N-No! MC! MC, let's go home! I don't like this normie!"

Makes it completely obvious he does not like how she is acting towards him and MC. He catches on to her flirting and he hates it with a passion.

When MC tries to apologize to their friend for his actions, he stops them and says they don't need to apologize, that she is the one who should for how she was acting towards the both of them.

Her stay there just ends up being an awkward mess sadly, and she ends up going home sooner than she planned. Levi will make sure she doesn't bother MC anymore.

Satan:

He is a complete gentleman to their friend, introducing himself with a smile on his face the entire time. He welcomes them to his home, being respectful as ever, until she presses herself against him, trying to speak seductively in his ear.

The smile on his face twitches slightly, and MC can feel the waves of anger slowly coming from him as he gently removes her grip on him, taking a few steps back to be next to MC.

"I will do my best to be cordial with you for the sake of MC, but you would be wise to not be so flirtatious with me in front of them. I do not take disrespect like this lightly. Please take this as a warning. Because next time I will not be as kind."

His green eyes seer into her own, and for a moment MC fears his demon form is going to take over; but he clears his throat and turns to face them, leaning forward to place a soft kiss to their lips.

"Forgive me, love, but I don't feel I will have the patience to deal with your friend. Do enjoy yourself with her, but I do not foresee her coming back here any time soon once she leaves."

Asmodeus:

He is bubbly as ever, excited to meet this so highly talked about friend! When he meets her, he happily shakes her hand, showering her in compliments on her looks and attire, but he stiffens slightly when she presses incredibly close to him suddenly, flirtatious words filling his ears.

Oh, what a bold human she is! He smirks and breaks into a fit of giggles, embracing her for a moment as he bats his own lashes at her in return.

"Oh my sweet darling, you don't stand a snowball's chance in hell with me.~"

He bursts into laughter at the dumbfounded look on her face, letting her go with a small push as he returns to his MC, wrapping himself around them and nuzzles their cheek.

"Ugh, my love, we need to help you work on your taste in friends. This one is definitely rotten. But I guess since she is here, we can show her around a bit. Maybe even help her get a better fashion sense."

Beelzebub:

He's standing next to MC, holding their hand as they wait for their friend to arrive. She comes walking up and waving, but gives Beel the most obvious once over, sauntering up to him and holding out her hand. He takes it and shakes it rather roughly when he introduces himself, but when she doesn't let go, he looks at her with confusion on his face. She presses closer to him, chest flush against his arm and he stiffens for a moment, before wiggling out of her grasp.

"Don't do that, it makes me uncomfortable. And it's rude to MC especially. They were looking forward to your visit, so don't be rude."

She apologizes but tries to win him over with a pouty lip and puppy eyes, but he simply ignores her, turing his attention on to MC.

"MC, I don't like her. Can we just go off together and get burgers or something?"

She gawks at his forwardness, but he refuses to give her the time of day anymore. Anyone who disrespects his MC like that will never have an ounce of his time.

Belphegor:

He was leaning on MC, his chin perched on top of their head/their shoulder as they were waiting for their friend to arrive. He was a little annoyed he was going to have another person to share their attention with; but he did look forward to hearing stories from the human world about MC that they wouldn't share with him. Could be a good form of bonding to get used to this friend.

When she finally arrived, he shifted from MC to greet her and introduce himself, but the way she squeezed his hand and pressed herself against him made him grimace instantly. Her sultry voice sounded like nails on a chalk board to him. Nope, he definitely did not like this person at all.

"Tch. Whatever. I guess it's nice to meet you, but I sure as hell don't like you."

MC got on his case, but he just frowned in response, telling them that she shouldn't openly flirt with him like that in front of them.

He made it his goal to make sure her stay with them was miserable, pulling pranks on her and not bothering to hide the fact it was him. Hopefully that would teach her to treat her friends and their relationships with more respect.

Diavolo:

He was extremely excited to be meet a close friend of MC's, and was genuinely hoping she would like and approve of him dating them, considering his status in the Devildom. The people most important to them were important to him as well, and he wanted to be as polite and respectful to her as he could.

But when she barely said a word to MC, only walking straight up to him and being openly flirtatious with him, his smile faltered. Was this really MC's best friend from the human world?

He recoiled from her touch instantly and stepped back, crossing his arms in annoyance at her behavior. "I welcome you to my realm, and you act as such? Do be mindful of who you are dealing with here. I don't take kindly to those who disrespect me and my own."

After telling her off, she changed her tune; you don't ever step on the toes of a demon who could have you burned to a crisp. He made sure she also treated MC better during her visit, though once she left, Dia made it a point to help MC find better friends.

Barbatos:

Ever the loyal butler, he is incredibly polite and cordial when MC's friend arrives with them at the castle, and he greets them with a bow. The friend giggles openly, offering her hand for Barbatos to shake, only to grip tightly and try to move in closer to him.

She makes a remark about how good looking he is as she tries to press against him, asking if he wouldn't mind showing her some of the 'fun' spots in the Devildom; but he immediately pulls away, placing his hands behind his back as he gives her the fakest smile. MC can sense his annoyance right away, but before they can offer an apology for their friend, he holds up a hand.

"No need, my dear. I can already tell how her visit here is going to go. We will make a schedule for her to visit places here in the Devildom, and she will have an escort. Oh, and young lady," he leans in ever so slightly, a sinister look to his eyes despite his smile, "attempt to touch me like that again in front of my beloved and you might just lose your hand."

Needless to say, her stay was not the most pleasant one; and Barbatos was going to make sure to show love to MC after discussing with them how to cut off that horrid friendship.

Simeon:

He was all smiles and politeness when he greeted MC's friend, happily shaking her hand when she introduced herself. He of course gave his name and also stated he was MC's boyfriend, a status he was very proud of; but he froze when she giggled and stepped closer, pressing her chest to his arm and asking him in the flirtiest way if he could give her a 'private tour'.

He forced the smile back on to his face, as he patted her hand, doing his best to stay polite as he declined her request.

"I am sure you would much prefer to spend your time with MC, since you are here to visit them. Isn't it rather inappropriate to act in such a manner in front of them as you are?"

He finally pulled away from her and took up MC's hand, placing a kiss to their knuckles before pulling them in for a tight hug. He gave the friendly one last judgmental glance before addressing MC.

"I apologize on behalf of your friend, my lamb. So that she does not continue to act in such a disrespectful manner, I will let you have your time with her alone. We can meet up later, alright?"

Solomon:

He was spending time with MC in the human world, actually staying at their home when their friend was coming over to visit and meet their infamous boyfriend. He was all smiles when she introduced herself, and he shook her hand, giving his name and proudly addressing himself as MC's boyfriend; but the moment she started getting flirty with him, he pulled a full stop.

"Sorry, that's not going to fly with me (Name). I don't appreciate you being flirty with me in front of my partner like this, so mind yourself," he leaned in menacingly, "or you'll find out why I'm so infamous."

She looked between him and MC, eyes wide at his threat; but MC just gave an awkward shrug, explaining that...that's just how he was...

He made sure to shower his attention on MC the entire time said friend was visiting, trying to make her feel uncomfortable for being so cruel to them. He even tried to pull a few pranks on her as well, emphasising just how much he did not like her.

Once she finally left, he had a talk with MC on how someone like that just couldn't be a real friend, and if she was going to continue be disrespectful, he would teach her a few of his tricks personally.

#obey me #shall we date obey me #lucifer #mammon #leviathan #satan #asmodeus #beelzebub #belphegor #diavolo #barbatos #simeon #solomon #request #headcanon #a friend like this gonna catch these hands trying to steal my partner heeeelllll naw #gn!mc

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thejudgingtrash · 3 years

Note

11. “...did you just sniff me?” for percabeth pretty please 🙏🤍🤍🤍

Heya! I’m finally here to come back to this request 😄😄 It took me only a little bit in comparison to other requests, but I'm here!

Also since @percyheartsannabeth, @skaterannabeth and @not-optimistic-petrol-biscuit had asked about fluff. Here you go... Kinda? 😬 Anyway. Here's a monster sneak peek into may I introduce you to my beloved wife? 😋

It took me all day yesterday, but I managed to pump out 11k words. That's a record for a single session in one day (with like two breaks). And yes, that is still not the entire chapter. Here are roughly 9,2k for you to consume!

TW: alcohol, overbearing relatives not minding their own business, a tiny section talking about domestic abuse and Athena and Frederick Chase ain't shit but that's nothing new. Poseidon too, for once. Enjoy!

may I introduce you to my beloved wife?

(*absolutely not proof-read, my bad)

Annabeth sighed. You can do this. You can do this. You’ve already finished the week. Think about the money. Think about the move to California. Push through this day and next week, think about the money and the minute you’ll hand your termination in. She wanted to splash some water up her face, but the makeup that tinted her lips in a luscious rose and added some bronze to her high cheekbones was too expensive to be washed off and hastily reapplied.

It was pre-Dionysus Day, which meant it was merely the calm before the storm. The first sparkling sip of an impending disaster waiting to rollover the roomy Greek villa Percy forced her to stay in. Well not really forced. Forced and bribed her to stay in. That made it sound slightly better. Just think of the one-hundred seventy-five dollars he’s going to transfer into your bank account for your new start in California. I should renegotiate. California is also expensive. Make it two-hundred fifty thousand.

The tall blonde looked at her reflection in the mirror. A young woman full of life was the first thing she had seen in the morning but now she looked tired and annoyed, just how she felt. Something crashed in one of the dozens of rooms next to her and people laughed. Annabeth sighed again. It was the only thing she could do, otherwise she would scream like a banshee, making sure that at least Hermes and Prometheus would check her, if it wasn’t for Percy stuffing socks into her mouth to make her shut up before they got to her. The majority of his Greek relatives had been lovely if not terribly nosy and overbearing. It was the opposite of her family. His was warm and chaotic and for the most part welcoming. Hers? Cold, apathetic, disapproving of everything she did. She had no family in comparison, and neither would she want to compare this wholesome messy bunch to the cold-hearted Athena Pallas and the monster that was Friedrich Chase.

Annabeth respected Hera and Hestia, she definitely side-eyed Aphrodite who was cheating on her husband and she would definitely stay away from Zeus. Crossing paths with him occasionally in the New York office of Atlantic INC. was terrible, seeing him openly be flirty and loosen up during a forced trip was way worse.

This was a bad idea and I have a terrible feeling about this. The burgundy wrap dress that hugged her skin was soft and light but in the Thessalian heat it felt like a sticky cocoon caging her. She wasn’t a beautiful butterfly, ready to burst out and wow everyone. Neither was she a moth drawn to a flame. She was a bug that had been sprayed by Percy with a pesticide, wrapped in toxic chemicals which were slowly dissolving her body, piece by piece.

A knock shoved the horrendous image inside of her head aside. “Yes?” she asked with a firm voice. Too firm with a hint of annoyance, but she was not a professional actress and could not switch her emotions off as she pleased. She was a junior marketing manager for Christ’s sake. Not for much longer. Only two more months…

Percy opened the door. “Are you ready?“ he asked with his usual pleasant baritone reaching her ear.

He wore light linen pants that hugged his legs loosely and a light blue shirt with the first buttons opened up. She could see his defined chest and the swirls of black hair peeking through. The hair was styled into a disheveled curly mess which suited him way better than the gelled back corporate look and he forgot to trim his beard like the day before. Annabeth couldn’t deny what she saw – her tormentor was a very attractive man.

“Do you want to bail?” His sea-green eyes darkened a shade. Worry flashed through them.

Annabeth exhaled sharply for the last time. “I wish I could but then I’d leave you without a fiancé,” she smiled through the pain.

Her glance found her reflection again. The topknot was still intact, and a few strands carefully framed her heart-shaped face. She looked perfect on the outside and she wanted to commit manslaughter in the inside.

“Let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and stretched his hand out. It seemed like Percy was the one that would rather bail.

Annabeth took it without any complaint. She was the happy girlfriend soon-to-be-wife and holding hands was way better than being forced into kissing him during Sports Day. The Theodoropoulos family truly had planned activity after activity during those two weeks in winter.

“Oh!” Sally peeked into the bathroom and saw her son holding Annabeth’s hand.

“There you are! Is everything okay, mija?” she asked with her sweet Dominican accent and looked at Annabeth.

Annabeth automatically smiled back. Sally was the mother she never had, and it broke her heart crumble by crumble by the sheer charade Percy and she were forced to display for the next six days. Sally Jackson deserved the best. She certainly didn’t deserve being deceived and lied to by her terrible son and his tag-a-long coworker.

“Yes, Percy was just making sure we’re arriving on time.” Annabeth got on her toes and placed a soft kiss on Percy’s stubbled cheek. It tickled but by now she had gotten used to it.

He rolled his eyes, smiled at his mother, nonetheless. Sally’s eyes sparkled and she clapped, clutching her hands tightly. “You don’t know how proud you’re making me, mijo,” she then said teary-eyed.

“You finally found a great girl and she is standing next to you.” Sally wiped a tear away and the awful feeling that sat on Annabeth’s chest and made everything heavier, amplified by a thousand times.

This was way worse than being referred to as the woman that would bear him three to five children presuming with the first one sired on this current vacation by Ares. Yes, Annabeth wanted two children at max, but not definitely now. She was twenty-eight and in the prime of her life! Note: Percy would certainly not be the father of said two children. Unruly blond waves and a mischievous grin blitzed through her head. Pale blue eyes came back from the deepest pit of her memory. Luke. Fuck no, that was even worse than Percy. His betrayal… Annabeth tried to shake the memory off and focused on the ongoing situation in front of her.

Sally truly hoped her son found love and not a quick fling. Oh shit, Annabeth thought and looked up to Percy whose face expressed similar thoughts. His conscience nibbled and guilt flooded his body.

“Mamá,” Percy began and released Annabeth’s hand in order to grasp the older woman’s shoulder.

Sally brushed his large hands off. “No, no! Off you go! You younglings should be downstairs celebrating your reunion with the entire side of Poseidon’s family.”

Annabeth appreciated the fact that Sally was invited and flown out each winter holiday by the Theodoropoulos’. Despite having been divorced from Poseidon for over twenty years, she was still a popular and welcomed guest, not just because of her son’s attachment to the Greek side and his tied division of the Greek family company.

Sally gave each of them a last smile before entering the women’s bathroom. Percy exhaled and pinched his nose. After ten seconds he released the nose and looked back at Annabeth. “Ready?” he asked a final time. Annabeth nodded.

The loud singing, yelling and talking that had been muffled by the bathroom hit her by a tenfold. The place had all the Mamma Mia vibes without the fun singing four days ago. Not anymore, as drunk relatives hit up the shore with loud music and talked loudly in their Pontic Greek dialect.

As the couple descended the stairs and walked through the parlor, a new wave of guests arrived at the same time. Three people that have just entered early adulthood looked up to them. Two men, one blond with a stoic face and bronzed skin, the other was shorter with spiky black hair and a beautiful grin on his lips. The woman next to him was the tallest out of the trio and possessed a high ponytail that would leave Ariana Grande dying out of envy. The dyed lilac hair swung around and nearly reached the middle of her thighs, meaning the hair was even longer without its tight prison on top.

“Thanatos, Zagreus, Megaera!” greeted Percy and gave each one of them a rib crushing bear hug. They looked pleasantly surprised at seeing Percy being accompanied by a pretty woman his age. It seems like the proposal didn’t reach all of the ends of the Greek world.

They fell into a short conversation in Greek and Annabeth smiled politely next to Percy as she fell entirely out of place. The evil Duolingo owl didn’t prepare her for this experience. Neither did her mother bother teaching her at least their Athenian dialect properly. She could introduce herself in Greek, order a beer, say goodbye and that was it. Thank you, Athena. For nothing again.

“Oh, you must be Annabeth,” Megaera eyed her carefully and Annabeth had the feeling that she could split her open with her hands. Weirdly enough, Annabeth was kind of into it. Megaera wasn’t only as tall as Percy but she was clearly the one with the toughest workout regimen as she displayed her muscular legs and defined arms with a short cocktail dress only a few shades darker than her hair.

“Yes,” Annabeth squeaked. She nearly added a ma’am towards the end. Megaera cocked her dark eyebrow. She had an aura that demanded respect.

“Interesting to see the woman who captured Perseus’ heart. It seems that he did develop a good taste after all. Calypso was as pretty as the crescent moon flower but sadly as dull as his corny jokes are.” Megaera’s deep smirk was a stamp of approval as her eyes roamed all over Annabeth.

“Hey!” Percy interrupted and placed a firm hand on Annabeth’s waist, as if he was trying to mark his territory.

“You have your own toys right to your right,” he then added with a playful tone.

Megaera actually laughed and waved dismissively. “That doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more.” A clear offer which left Annabeth’s face turn into a fiery tomato red.

“Anyway, we have some catching up to do,” Thanatos proposed as Zagreus and he silently watched the conversation blossom. He sounded as reserved as he looked.

“Indeed,” Zagreus agreed, surprising Annabeth with a posh English accent. “Father will murder me if we miss out on his moussaka. It’s to die for you need to try it, Annabeth, at least before Hephaestus gets ahead of himself.”

Annabeth laughed. The Theodoropoulos did have their positives. “I will, Zagreus,” she nodded.

“Oh please, if aunt Sally gave her go for you to stay here, you’re as good as family. We’re Than, Zag and Meg for you,” Zagreus offered.

“Annabeth is already my nickname but thank you for the kind offer!”

The three new guests went on to join relatives and friends at the party which seemed to get more chaotic by each passing minute as the volume seemed to increase.

“My cousin Zagreus from my uncle Hades’ side,” Percy explained as the three went out of his sight.

“Are they friends? Or…”

“Pretty sure they’re polyamorous. You know, I don’t know, and I honestly don’t really care, I see Zag once every twelve months at max. Just don’t stick to Meg’s side for too long otherwise she’ll turn you into her fiancé.” Percy’s tone suggested that he was not joking.

“Oh.” Annabeth didn’t know what to think of it.

Percy closed his eyes as if he was making a silent prayer, before his sea-green met Annabeth’s light gray ones. She smelled like lemon with a hint of lavender, instead of roses like normally. Delicious. If it weren’t for the fact that it was Annabeth.

“So, listen. You know I’ve talked about Dionysus Day and how his birthday brings out the worst side of everyone.”

Annabeth nodded as Percy went on to explain.

“Pre-Dionysus Day is basically same with the only exception that my great-grandmother’s house is filled with the entire family. Yes, we’re expected to eat, drink, laugh, drink, dance, drink, reminisce on our past, drink, make fools out of ourselves in order for them to take blackmail pictures and drink some more, but no matter how much they want you to open up… try to control yourself. Everything you say can and will be used against you.”

Annabeth’s stomach started to churn, and her knees slightly gave in. “Look, I’m truly sorry for the mess that I’ve caused,” Percy looked directly into her eyes and tried to ignore the rosy streaks across her flushed cheeks. “And my relatives can be overbearing. But if we manage to stick through this night and the next one tomorrow, we’re as good as done with playing games.”

“Fine,” Annabeth gritted through her teeth. She had agreed to the terms and condition. She didn’t need a reminder of the stupid decision she made two months ago.

“Let’s go.”

She placed her hand on the doorknob that separated the parlor from the huge living room. Percy followed her as she opened the door. A wave of laughter, wine, ouzo, discovered secrets, cigarettes, sweat and fun hit them.

“Oh wow, someone should open a window.” Percy suggested as he coughed. Luckily cousin Metis had the same idea. No, aunt Metis. Or was it Thetis? Why did Percy need to have so many relatives with similar names again?

“Oh, Annabeth, look at you!” Aphrodite had snuck up behind them and surprised the fake couple by hugging each of them and nearly spilling the expensive Greek vintage in her hand on Percy’s shirt. The red alcoholic liquid carelessly swirled in her glass and more than often seemed to want to escape from her clutch.

“Aphrodite, be careful!” Percy reminded her as she dug her fingers into his arm. Her nails were as fake and bought as was the bond between Annabeth and Percy.

“Oh, please cousin, you should learn how to loosen up!” She laughed, but it sounded more like the shrill sound a bird made when it got nearly hit by a car. The high pitch made Annabeth slightly frown.

“Take your girl upstairs and show her all the Zorbas moves you got!” She wiggled her badly overdrawn eyebrows.

Aphrodite had always been the poster child of perfection. She knew how to dress her curvaceous body the right way, she knew how to apply the perfect touches of makeup on her face and she was the most graceful being Annabeth had ever met. Seeing her so disheveled left the blonde American content. It showed that Aphrodite wasn’t one of the gods, she was a mortal mess like they all were. That, and it was kind of funny seeing the abrupt transition from oozing perfection to looking like a rough mess after a couple of glasses of wine.

“If you know what I mean, you two know what I mean, right?”

“Yes,” Annabeth and Percy answered. Unfortunately, they did.

“That reminds me, this is such a pretty dress that you got!” Aphrodite’s eyes widened and she tugged at Annabeth’s sleeve that went slightly over her elbows. “Percy needs to bring me a couple of those the next time he visits. Oh wait! You’re about to marry, Annabeth can take me shopping. I want to visit New York next summer. When was your wedding again?”

Panic filled Annabeth she tried to stutter a lame excuse like they had done the entirety of the stay. Aphrodite’s brown eyes found something else to focus on in the meantime. Her hand went out to poke the tall blonde’s chest as she went on to pull on the thin fabric.

“You should show the men what you got! Free the girls!” Aphrodite yelled over the loud music, pushing Annabeth’s C cup to its limits. “Let Percy stand in the corner with that stupid frown, all jealous and depressed while you’re out on the hunt!”

Percy did not look amused especially since he tried to pull Annabeth away.

“Yeah, just like that!” Aphrodite’s glass pointed directly at his face as Annabeth tried to shove Aphrodite’s fickle fingers aside. “Oh, if I were just a little bit younger and not tied to your cousin…”

“You mean cousins,” Percy corrected and made a step backwards as Aphrodite’s dreamy and drunk dazed focus shifted from Annabeth to him.

“Aphrodite, leave Percy and his future wife alone,” Hera arrived to save the stressed couple and rolled her eyes. “Go harass Hephaestus and try to be a faithful wife for once in your life.”

She still looked like she had a massive stick shoved up her ass by the way she stood entirely straight next to them, but Annabeth appreciated the gesture. If Hera didn’t like Aphrodite much, Annabeth would rather join Team Hera than stand alone by the bleachers and under Aphrodite’s charmspeak. Aphrodite pouted and stomped with her feet twice as if she were a toddler and not a grown woman marching towards her forties. Then she stormed off and ran into the arms of her lover, nother husband to spite her mother-in-law and embarrass her even further.

“Malàka,” Hera cursed and lost her cool for one second, before clearing her throat and focusing on the already tired fake engaged couple in front of her. Not even Hera seemed to be averse from drinking a glass of wine or two. “You two definitely need a drink.”

Annabeth agreed with her for once.

She pointed at the bar behind her, which was managed by Dionysus and his wife Ariadne. The number of relatives ganging up on them and demanding new drinks was frightening. Surprisingly Dionysus kept his cool and shoved drinks in people’s hands at an impressive speed.

“Yeah, let’s get over with it,” Percy sighed and took Annabeth’s hand again.

“Are you okay?” Annabeth asked him. She knew from Thalia that Percy rarely ever drank and that his family was to blame for most of it. Percy seemed stiffer and graver than usual as well. As much as she disliked his jokey nature and easy-going demeanor he displayed at work, she’d much rather have that Percy by her side right now. Dionysus Day and the day before seemed like it was hell on earth for him and walking through it each year must take a toll on him.

“Yeah, let’s just each grab a glass of wine. Let them be happy about me shoving this disgusting stuff down my throat.” He thanked Ariadne as she prepared two glasses of the same vintage Aphrodite seemed to have inhaled earlier.

“Thank you.” Annabeth took her glass and sniffed. The wine smelled sickly sweet with a hint of the bitterness that the fermentation process had left. The glass in her hand weighed surprisingly heavy, not because of the wine itself but because of the golden swirls decorating it. The glass transitioned from the crystal-clear transparency into a deep black. A lyre surrounded by a bigger laurel wreath decorated the middle section and a golden snake was wrapped around the stem. The golden rim gave it a nice finish.

“Into a fruitful night,” Percy darkly mumbled over the music. He was really not looking forward to it, which confused Annabeth immensely. She didn’t understand why he pushed himself through this if he really didn’t like the drinking activities. He surely had his reasons, hence her not starting a fight with him over it. It was his family and their tradition after all.

“Into a fruitful night,” Annabeth instead repeated.

Issuing a weird toast as well. Percy Jackson was clearly not a drinker. Their glasses clinked and each of them took a sip. Thankfully grandma Rhea made sure they were well-fed before the festivities began.

“Fuck,” Annabeth muttered. A fine vintage as well. Not as sweet as she thought, it left a hint of sweet cumin as the lingering aftertaste. Her lipstick left a mark on the glass, but she didn’t bother to care as she took another gulp. The wine was nearly finished. She slowly started to understand why ancient civilizations went crazy after this stuff.

As she looked at her so-called fiancé, she saw that his glass was already empty. A grimace rested on his face as well.

“Err, Percy?”

“What?” The dark brooding look on his face was no more.

“Shouldn’t you take it easy?” Annabeth carefully asked. His eyes narrowed.

“I am,” he stated and cocked his head towards his cousin who was still busy playing the barkeeper but kept an overall watchful glimpse on the guests that flooded the gates.

“Dionysus saw me drink. Most importantly he saw us have a drink. That should be enough for me, but if you want some more, be my guest.” He shrugged.

Annabeth felt that she should probably drag his mopey ass out of the party, but it was way too early to leave. “Fine,” she said and asked Ariadne for a refill. Annabeth went in for another long sip. She should definitely stock her wine cabinet once she was back at her shitty apartment. Before the glass reached her lips again, Hermes snatched it away and chugged the remaining wine.

“Hermes, what the hell?!” Ariadne grabbed the glass and pushed her husband’s cousin away. The bored postman was back with his shenanigans.

“My bad, dear wifey, but I’m on a mission here to abduct sweet Annabeth,” Hermes winked and placed his hands around Annabeth’s shoulders.

“What are you up to?” Out of all of the relatives she’s met so far, Annabeth was convinced that everything Zeus had ever sired was a mistake. Zeus himself was a mistake.

“Can you stop being German and boring for once?” he joked. Annabeth’s eyes narrowed. She did not like this one bit. She turned her head around and saw that Percy had been pulled into a conversation by Hypnos and Morpheus. He had completely forgotten about her. Great.

Hermes guided her through the crowd, towards the middle of the room. They had to dodge chairs, drunk relatives, a sofa, chatty relatives, the coffee table and dancing relatives before they made it.

“There she is!” greeted Achilles the confused marketing manager.

Paris, Helen, Patroclus, Hermes and Achilles stood in a circle around a table. Dozens of shots of all sorts of colors were displayed. Annabeth had a terrible feeling about this.

“What is this and why are you pulling me into this?” Annabeth asked and did not like the mischievous grin they all shared. She wanted to go back home and cuddle with Daedalus on her sofa and push his cat ass out of the way before the next steamy Outlander scene hit the screen. Yes, Annabeth was that much of a single that seeing some on-screen action was the best she could get. She hoped that the mangy cat didn’t bother Thalia all too much while she was staying in Greece. She owed her so much already.

“Well, I stayed in your country,” Paris started. “And they have a weird tradition with ouzo. They don’t drink it the way we do, watered down and slowly at lunch and what not…”

Annabeth was still American for the most part and had nothing to do with Germany. The last time she stayed there was nearly thirteen years ago. She didn’t want to have anything to do with Germany. Friedrich Chase lived in Germany. And she fucking hated Friedrich Chase. Therefore, she hated Germany. Things that would never change. Okay, Hamburg was a cool city and she was glad her father moved to Cologne. Should she feel the urge to travel back to Germany for a week or less, she’d go to Hamburg, take ten thousand pictures, and post them on Instagram the minute before she was boarding her flight back to New York. Helping her to enrage her stupid father was all Germany had to offer.

“Germans do ouzo shots,” Patroclus cut to the chase. “And since you’re the newest member of our family…”

“And German!” Paris and Hermes added simultaneously.

“We’ve decided to play this little game,” Achilles added.

“What’s the name of the game?” Annabeth asked. She was only slightly curious. Emphasis on slightly.

“Last man standing. Oh sorry, ladies. Last person standing,” Hermes corrected himself as he placed four shots in front of each person. That was way too much hard liquor to handle. But if she did Jägermeister bombs in her sophomore year of college without any issues, this should be fairly easy.

“What are the rules?” They all looked at her in silence. No rules. No prize. Just drink.

“Oh wow.” The urge to roll her eyes and walk off came back with a force.

“I think I’m going to pass,” Annabeth said and already turned to her right.

“Why?” Helen asked innocently. “Need your man to look after you? The one who’s having an amazing time back there with his third glass of wine?”

Foul game. Annabeth’s head shot to the right. Helen was right. Percy was laughing and looked like he was having a great time chatting with Oceanus and his wife Tethys. Tethys refilled his glass as her husband and Percy broke into laughter once again.

If that’s the case…

“Fuck it, I’m in,” Annabeth agreed. She swallowed the bait and she knew it. There was no reason why she should feel upset about Percy opening up all of a sudden. He desperately needed it. Why she wished to be a part of that, Annabeth did not know.

“Great!” Helen threw her brown mane over her shoulders and grabbed the first glass.

“Για μας!” they all yelled and chugged the liquor. Gia mas, the Greek toast, was repeated every time and it seemed to brighten the mood, despite resting heavily on Annabeth’s stomach. Her college days were over, but she was glad she resisted coughing repeatedly.

Patroclus clutched his stomach after the second shot, Helen ran out after the third, Paris and Achilles were laughing maniacally after the fourth and Hermes mysteriously disappeared after the first one. Annabeth was the last person standing. She placed the crystalized shot glass back on the table and examined the messes around her. The only thing that had happened to her, were that more golden locks escaped from her bun and her lipstick needed some reapplying as she left marks on each glass.

Annabeth tried to take a step away from the table and felt how the world slightly shifted around her. The fact that she would curse and hate herself for her behavior in just six hours, was something drunk Annabeth gladly put aside. The headaches that definitely would haunt her for the rest of the trip didn’t matter, she won and that was all she cared about.

“Hell yeah!” she yelled as all inhibition faded away, leaving pure and raw life force behind. Unbeknownst to her, Annabeth had moved right into the circle of dancers.

“Perseus, get your bride before she breaks her legs!” someone laughed. Was it Iapetus? Or was it Hyperion? Who even cared at that point?

The next two hours were a blurred mess. A blackout slowly crept through her mind, leaving foggy memories behind. Annabeth felt how she was dancing with people and how people were laughing. Were they laughing at her or with her? Did it really matter? Why was her hair repeatedly slapping her face, didn’t she tie it up?

She danced with different people, men and women. She really hoped that the guy that looked like a naked Danny DeVito with longer black hair was not Zeus who had lost his shirt and pants. Who was the guy with the sea-green eyes again? Why was he clapping and laughing whenever she was busting a move next to Hermes? Was he important? Why did he remind her of work? The shots might have been a short-sighted idea after one and a half glasses of wine. She probably overestimated the amount of food she had consumed at dinner prior. Wasn’t she supposed to try someone’s moussaka?

“There you are! Ares, stop dancing with her for once. We’re about to leave.”

Ugh. Ares. Not Zeus, but still yucky.

Sea-green eyes. Percy, of course. How could she have forgotten the asshole that brought her into this whole mess? He seemed fairly sober, didn’t he have a glass or three of wine? Annabeth was certain, she’d be able to drink him under the table. His height and his build might put him at an advantage, but if he wasn’t used to drinking, she might have a fair shot.

A rock song was the next song that appeared. Percy wanted to drag Annabeth off the dance floor.

“Oh no!” Aphrodite intervened with a shrill screech. “Give the two lovers some room to show each other affection!”

Hera actually raised her glass for once to show that she actually agreed with one of Aphrodite’s wild ideas. Someone fumbled with the playlist and a Greek slow jam roared through the old speakers.

“Are you guys fucking serious?” Percy muttered under his breath. But roughly eighty pairs of eyes were all but watching the soon-to-be betrothed and waited for a romantic dance which reminded Percy more of the horrors that the eight-grade dance was.

Annabeth drunkenly hiccupped and looked at him in surprise as she felt one of his hands around her waist and the other one taking her hand. They rocked as if it was the final dance at prom. Annabeth barely remembered prom. Oh right. Her mother had forbidden her from going. She never attended prom.

A casual glimpse through the crowd showed her that people were actually filming this nonsense and some women were actually cooing. Did… did they seriously think this back and forth with sweaty clothes on was romantic? Her eyes found Percy’s again.

“So…” he began.

“So…” she repeated.

“Careful!” he warned her before twirling her through the tight circle. People screamed and applauded. A camera flash blitzed through the darkness twice.

“Oof,” Annabeth groaned. Her stomach and equilibrium did not appreciate that sudden movement.

“I’m sorry, I won’t do that again,” Percy swore. The rocking motion made both of them sleepy. Annabeth suppressed a yawn, rested her head on his shoulder. Percy could make the perfect comfy bed, if he wanted to.

Percy, sensing that people were awaiting some action from either of them, placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up. Annabeth’s eyes widened. Is he going to kiss me in front of them? Again? her panicked brain asked. She was turned into stone, not by Percy’s distant cousin Medusa who had eaten most of the truffles, but by the tenderness of his actions. He was one solid actor.

Percy placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before moving on to a temple. Annabeth blushed and buried her heated face in his chest as he released her. Intimate, soft and sweet. The screaming relatives disrupted their comfortable silence yet again. The slow song came to an end and the next upbeat one invited everyone back to the dance floor. Annabeth released herself from Percy’s tight embrace and just bolted. Damned be nausea. A wave of coldness hit her. She felt something she didn’t like the minute Percy had softly kissed and soberness woke her at a start. What was it? Anger? Disappointment? Longing? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to know.

“Annabeth!” Percy shouted, but the amount of people standing in his way made it more difficult for him to keep up with her. His hand brushed over his own lips.

Annabeth opened and closed doors left and right. The kitchen, the dining room, the smoking room. She hasted through the first floor until she found another lost soul in the fireplace room. Why the villa had a fireplace room in the first place, she did not know. It had been super-hot the entire time but what Annabeth understood as heat and what native Greeks deemed as hot temperatures didn’t have to correlate.

Great-grandmother Gaia’s humming faded away. The eldest of the Theodoropoulos looked up from the pair of socks she was knitting. When she came to find out the intruder was Annabeth, joy spread over her face.

“Come, come!” The broken English that she softly spoke reminded Annabeth of her own grandmother. She hadn’t seen Elsbeth Lilienthal-Chase since she had left Germany. And since her mother didn’t give her a chance to say goodbye, she didn’t have a phone number to reach her with. The only way would be through that asshole Friedrich Chase, and the only time she’d willingly let someone contact that man was if she had been six feet under and he would be forced to show up for one important family event for once.

“I was unable to sleep. Parties aren’t something for me. I’m too old and boring for my children and their children,” Gaia sighed as Annabeth took a seat on the green sofa next to the light blue armchair. All of the cushioning seemed to have been made by Gaia as the socks had the same pattern as the pillow that Annabeth leaned against. Balls of wool surrounded the older woman as if she sat on a field of fresh tulips.

“Drink, drink! You need water. I’m pretty sure you danced a lot.”

Annabeth kindly took the offer, grabbed the carafe and poured herself a little bit of water into a small glass. The water was surprisingly cold and refreshing.

“My children deem me crazy,” Gaia continued. “The war with the ottomans. Deportation. Fleeing and seeing death everywhere. Losing my father in the chaos. Then the big world war after that twenty years later. They don’t want to listen to the same stories. They only want to have fun. So, they sent me away.”

Annabeth felt terrible for the old lady. It looked like she had been through hell and back in her youth. She didn’t look like she needed much, only someone to listen to her.

“I won’t bore you much,” promised Gaia.

Gaia’s tanned leathery hands continued working on the little socks. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, dearie. We have plenty of acetaminophen and other hangover remedies. Tomorrow will be even worse, because Dionysus wants to celebrate his birthday with even more wine,” the old woman laughed, and her green eyes twinkled full of life.

“I also was young once…”

The two sat in comfortable silence, only interrupted by Gaia’s humming or Annabeth refilling her glass of water.

“So,” Gaia began.

“So?” repeated Annabeth.

“You are the woman that tamed my little Perseus,” the older woman grinned.

Oh no.

Annabeth had a lump in her throat and drinking water to solve it, didn’t work. She wasn’t just lying to Zeus and his wife. She was lying to an entire clan, from the youngest to the oldest members. What Percy and she were doing wasn’t right, neither was it fair. Sure, Percy’s shitty uncle didn’t help much by forcing him to marry the next person, but did the rest of the family deserve to be deceived as well? No, they didn’t, and that truth rested heavily on Annabeth’s narrow shoulders.

The fact that Gaia looked so much like her great-grandson was crazy. They possessed the exact same shade of sea-green. It was passed onto Rhea, Percy’s grandmother, and then Poseidon, Percy’s fucked up father. Always full of intelligence and calculation. Shifting easily from delighted and full of life to the crashing anger of a storm. Power and knowledge were key features of Gaia’s eyes.

“How did you meet my sweet Perseus again?” Gaia innocently asked but Annabeth knew that there was some sort of ulterior motive behind her question.

“At work,” she honestly answered, and Gaia smiled. The old lady was able to sense the truth.

“He’s not my direct boss, but we run into each other a lot. And we hated each other from the moment we saw each other.” Annabeth remembered how she accidentally spilled her hot coffee all over his shirt. She had been public enemy number one from then on.

“He’s an excellent boss, as much as I hate to admit it. He knows his ways around and is passionate about the ocean and its inhabitants. Definitely more passionate than me, I’m just there for the money. He actually wants to make a difference. And he’s extremely annoying, might I add.”

Gaia burst into laughter and needed a minute to calm down. Annabeth cracked a toothy grin. “Ah yes, I can see how you fell in love with him.”

Doom. Uneasiness. Discomfort. The lump in Annabeth’s throat grew bigger and bigger. Why was her vision so blurry all of a sudden? She looked down at her dress. Dark dots appeared. More sprinkled across her lap as Annabeth realized she was crying.

“I’m so sorry,” Annabeth sniffled. “I… Percy… I…”

Gaia put her knitting utensils aside and set herself upright in the armchair. “Oh no, what is going on, Annabeth?”

The calming hand on her back did not help the young professional at all. No, Gaia’s honesty and curiosity made it way worse.

“Percy and I… we’re not engaged. We did it because Zeus-” Annabeth tried to confess, but Gaia brushed her off.

“It’s okay, Annabeth. I know,” the old woman smiled.

The tears that smeared her foundation or rather what was left of it ceased to fall. “You what?!”

Shock widened Annabeth’s light gray eyes.

“I knew from the minute you stepped into my house. I’m pretty sure Rhea knows as well.”

Annabeth’s jaw fell open. “B-but how?!” she stuttered and felt like an utter and complete idiot. The first few days had been rough and difficult, but now she thought that Percy and she conveyed the illusion of being a happy couple.

“You were scared of everything including him the minute you arrived,” Gaia warmly smiled. The infectious warm smile of a grandma looking out for her little chicks. Was Annabeth now one of them?

“I knew something was off with that sudden engagement of yours with the way you two behaved. Either you were pregnant, or it was a ruse. Since you are heavily drinking and paper thin, it was clear that there was no pregnancy. You young people truly don’t eat enough anymore,” Gaia shrugged, patted Annabeth’s knee and went back to knitting the sock.

“But now… it all makes sense. You do feel something for each other. Even if you are blind to it for now.” She continued to hum. “I just hope that my dear Perseus will be the young and carefree boy he was all those years ago one day again. And I do believe that you are the key in finding him hidden underneath all those layers and walls he had put up due to his father.”

Annabeth didn’t even close her mouth during the elder’s monologue. Did Gaia seriously connote that she… that Annabeth Chase… might feel something for her soon-to-be boss? Madness. Absolute madness. She took everything she had thought of the friendly old woman in front of her back. Maybe her relatives did have a point, when they decided to brush Gaia off due to her old age.

Annabeth? And feeling something for Percy? If that something was hatred and the utmost rage, absolutely yes. But… anything else? She would receive a hefty sum on her bank account and would put in her two weeks the minute she found a better job in California.

“You know… there is a tale I’d like to tell about men.”

And Annabeth would prefer to place the glass back on the table, throw the heels away, storm out and run to the next airport.

“They are stupid vapid creatures,” Gaia carried on.

Annabeth snorted behind her glass. “That is certainly true,” she agreed and earned an honest grin from Gaia.

“My dear husband Ouranos with whom I had all of my dear children decided one day that one woman was not enough. And that twelve children were not enough.”

Twelve children?! Annabeth's womb just twisted and turned in protest. The shocked expression on Annabeth’s face made Gaia chortle loudly.

“Oh yes, back in my day we were all very fruitful,” Gaia affirmed.

“That sounds horrible,” Annabeth interjected.

“Oh, only the birth part and the eighteen years after it,” the older woman dismissed her which made Annabeth in turn laugh again.

“My father was a farmer and he had one piece of advice: never let someone toy with you. You are not a doll; you are a person with morals and dignity, a person with feelings and dignity. Let no one, especially not a man, treat you like a commodity or something to kick around. Well… when dear Ouranos left me and sought our neighbor with bigger breasts… I taught him that lesson. And I did so with my father’s trusted knife that I hung on the wall afterwards.”

There was no knife displayed on the wall. It was a fucking scythe. Large, frightening, brutal. A golden great long sickle with jagged teeth rested on the wall as if it were ready to cut you up into one thousand pieces. Was there really dried blood stuck on the teeth or was Annabeth’s drunken mind making things up?

“The minute our youngest turned eighteen he took off and was never seen again. And now, should a person, in that case my Perseus, not know how to treat you properly, you know what to do,” Gaia advised and took a sip out of her own glass.

“Uh… you mean threaten to cut his genitals off with a large and sharp family heirloom?” Annabeth’s eyes widened again.

“No, dearie…” Gaia gave it some thought. “Well maybe so, dearie,” she then went on. That made Annabeth chuckle again.

“But demand absolute respect from him. Don’t ask him for it. Demand it. I don’t know how but he has dragged you into our family and expects you to play the perfect fiancé. This will eventually blow up in his face and he will drag you along with him. Teach him a lesson, however.”

“You know what? I will!” With Gaia’s official blessing, Annabeth was all smiles and scheming new plots. If the head of the family gave her the approval of kicking Percy’s ass, she definitely would.

Steps echoed in the fireplace room and Annabeth and Gaia’s heads turned to greet the intruder. They didn’t even realize the door opened and closed again.

Gaia’s younger twin who still had some black streaks in the braids marched into the hall, curious about what the two women in front of her were previously talking about. Gaia’s youngest daughter Rhea had joined them. The large blue floral dress made her seem like she never left the late 1960s and the two long braids only added to that sentiment.

“Mamá, what is going on? By the way Percy is looking for you, Annabeth,” Rhea informed her grandson’s alleged fiancé before taking a seat in front of her and grabbing one of the many balls of yarn in front of her mother. Rhea then went on to play with it as if she was a six-year old.

“Oh no, Rhea, Annabeth and I were just chatting about love and life,” Gaia batted her eyelashes.

“You see, I gave Rhea the same advice about her disgraceful husband when he went out to seek another woman.”

Rhea rolled her eyes behind the large pentagonally glasses. “You and your stories about the scythe, mother,” she sighed.

“I have to make sure the younger generation knows!” Gaia huffed. “I won’t be here for much longer and then-”

“We'll regret all the things we’ve said and done to you, I know mamá, you have been telling me this since I was four years old and spilled my apple juice,” Rhea completed her mother’s sentence.

Rhea’s attention shifted to the smiling blonde in front of her. She grew to like Percy’s fiancé. She had a fire within herself and a backbone, all great things to handle a Theodoropoulos man.

“But my mother is right when she says that the scythe is a trusted tool. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades did scare Kronos with it after he tried some foul things with their sisters. Treated them worse. Did overall horrible things. He never wanted daughters, only sons. Didn’t seem to accept the fact that it was out of my hand.” Rhea squished the ball of light blue yarn in her hand.

“My children were always looking out for me and I will be forever grateful for them. I do hope that you will have the same feelings and love for your children.” It was clear who their father was supposed to be.

“Yes, I hope so as well,” Annabeth squeaked. Did it get hotter in here all of a sudden?

The door opened, and a worried Percy stepped into the fireplace room. “Oh, there you are,” he sighed as he immediately sighted Annabeth’s blonde unruly curls. He had been running from the basement all the way to the roof searching for her. Relief washed over his face like some shower gel from a cheap commercial. Only then did he realize that Annabeth had been cornered by both his nosy grandmother and his even nosier great-grandmother.

“Whatever they’ve been telling you, it’s a lie, it’s wrong and it never happened!” he warned her as he took a seat right next to her.

“Oh please, relax,” Rhea rolled her eyes and threw the wool at her grandson. “We have been talking about mamá’s scythe.”

“Hey!” both Percy and Gaia complained. At least they hadn’t dished out embarrassing stories of him taking off in diapers at night.

“This is expensive! You young people show no respect towards others' belongings,” Gaia cursed.

Annabeth took the blue yarn and placed it back on top of the pyramid of other colors.

“Thank you!” Gaia smiled before she focused on finishing the sock.

“You’ve found your fiancé, Perseus. Now go off back to celebrate and let us old people reminisce about the past and talk.” Rhea lazily waved at them whilst Gaia didn’t even look up from her craft.

“We will,” Percy said while getting up and casually dragging Annabeth along. He kissed both Gaia and Rhea on the cheek, Annabeth threw a hasty “See you in the morning!” over her shoulder before the couple left.

“Are you okay?” Percy asked as he pulled Annabeth aside for a small breather.

She nodded. “It’s just a bit overwhelming with the amount of people that either want to take pictures of us, hope I remember when their youngest kid’s birthday is, or they tell me they hope we have our first baby preferably in less than a year.”

Percy blushed. He didn’t think it was that bad, but then again, men are mostly left out of the baby talk until their mother’s saw that their best friend’s children had their first grandbaby. He truly didn’t have any intention of having a child before the age of forty. He had to save a business from his damned uncle, run and manage said business and preferably find a woman he tolerated enough to marry before he could even think of children.

Percy apologized again. “One week,” he promised her.

“One week,” Annabeth repeated and nodded.

“We’re going in, you’ve missed the high of the party with your talk with my yai yai, but that’s perfectly fine. The first have already left, let’s just mingle for ten minutes or so before we can-”

The door flung open. “There they are!” yelled Hermes who was followed by Zephyrus and Hercules.

None of them had any intention of letting the party stop before five in the morning. It was merely two. The minute Hermes had his sights on Annabeth, he knew that he had found his best drinking buddy aside from Dionysus himself. Oh no, Annabeth thought and rightfully so.

The minutes of calmness and rest next to Gaia did their wonders because Percy and she were thrust back into the party at full force. She didn’t exactly remember when the blackout happened, but it was roughly thirty minutes later. She was drinking, she was dancing, she was completely making a fool out of herself. The hair? A mess. Annabeth herself? Don’t even think about it. She had been dancing with Hermes and Patroclus, Aphrodite accidentally stepped on her foot one time when Ares approached her.

Percy broke his own promise and accepted a fourth glass of wine from Dionysus who insisted on it. That glass was his doom. The last droplet touched his tongue and his world turned into a flashy mist, his consciousness was broken into pieces, fragmented and sprinkled across the floor. Where he was, when he was and who he was were things he couldn’t remember. The only thing that popped up in his mind were waves of solid gold. Was it hair? Could hair truly move like that and possess that texture? And a whiff of lemon with a hint of lavender crawled up his nose. It was an odd combination, but it felt safe and like home. He liked this smell. Where did he smell this before?

Percy didn’t care, he had other matters to attend to. The first thing on the docket was finding the bathroom, he had drunk way too much. The house had weird rules in regard to bathrooms. Was it the left side or the right side that the young men could use? Why did his uncle Hades have to break two sinks in a span of a week when he was sixteen again? Why were women and others allowed to do whatever they wanted? His great-grandma and her weird plans were always set to make him fail somehow. Things that she had thought of decades ago still bore fruit today.

Percy stumbled upstairs and turned right and prayed the doors he was opening were empty bathrooms and not relatives making out. That was just what he needed. The first door he opened was of his great-uncle Oceanus and Tethys who had a face mask on her face and pink curlers up her hair. At least the old people still knew how to behave. He hoped his mother had left the party hours ago. He apologized and closed the door. The next one was an empty bedroom, his even maybe. No, his bedroom was on an entirely different floor. Or was it?

The next bedroom was closed off thank god, but from the sounds on the inside it seemed like cousin Eos and her newest catch Orion had some fun. Disgusting, Percy thought before he moved on. The next door was what he was looking for. A bathroom. Lit up, clean and empty. Empty if it wasn’t for this one woman who was clutching the brims of the polished sink. She was tall, the golden hair equaled a rat nest and her red dress seemed to have witnessed a lot.

“Ugh,” she muttered and looked into the mirror. Her eyes found his immediately.

“Percy?” she turned around.

Oh right. He was Percy Jackson, thirty-one, single, hopefully the new CEO of Atlantic INC., he had a fantastic apartment in the Upper East Side with an amazing view and he was in Greece to impress his family with his fake fiancé in order to secure his father’s legacy. His fake fiancé being Annabeth Chase, a woman he loathed, had to pay a little hush money and hoped would leave the company fairly soon after.

“You’re in the men’s restroom,” Percy then stated.

Annabeth looked around. No, it was not the same bathroom she used in the morning. Oh yeah, Gaia’s weird bathroom rules.

“Honestly who cares?” the junior marketing manager complained. “A toilet’s a toilet, no matter who uses it.”

Percy shrugged. Annabeth had a point but it wasn’t their house so they couldn’t dictate the rules.

“I wanted to retouch my makeup, but I didn’t find my makeup bag.” She walked steadily to Percy, but it was clear to both of them that she had her fair amount of shots in her system.

“Yeah, it’s probably in the other bathroom. Wait, let me use the bathroom for a second and then we can head back to our room and you can look for your makeup.”

Annabeth nodded and waited on the outside while Percy was tending his business. After drying his hands, he opened the door and found Annabeth yawning in front of one of his yai yai’s paintings. It showed the scythe from the fireplace.

“In all honesty, your great-grandmother is an amazing woman. I admire her. Showing kindness and strength each day. How old is she?”

“Turning 106 next October,” Percy smiled at her. “She always said she wanted to live long enough to see her favorite descendants find their own happiness, whatever it may be.”

The softness in his voice made Annabeth’s heart ache. She turned her head back to the painting. She was a nobody. She had no family, no traditions she could upkeep. She didn’t even have a steady relationship in the past five years. Fucking Luke Castellan. He also had to take that from her as well. Make her suffer. That’s what Athena, Friedrich and Luke all thought at the same time. And they all had nearly reached their wicked goal if it hadn’t been for her stubbornness and will to eventually blossom into something else. The first step towards that something else resided within her move to California. She wanted to leave everything and everyone behind and start a new life, somewhere where no one knew her.

A thumb brushed over her cheek. Annabeth looked up to Percy. She hadn’t even realized she was sobbing again.

“Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay,” Percy assured her. His hands found her sides, pulling her into a soft hug.

A true fiancé level hug. Annabeth had never felt that comfortable within a man’s reach. Percy might have been an awful and annoying coworker, but he truly cared about his fellow people. The way they slowly rocked and kept hugging each other reminded her of the school dance work they had put on the floor earlier. But this time it was real. This time there was no one taking pictures or yelling into their ears, or the demand to see a kiss.

Annabeth rested her face in his chest and Percy leaned his head on hers. It was like they had been made for each other. A welcoming scent greeted Percy. Lemon and lavender. The person stuck in Percy’s crumbled mind had been Annabeth. She was his anchor in the havoc his relatives had created in such a short time. He took a deeper breath. It felt reassuring.

“Did you just sniff me?” Annabeth laughed as she pulled away from him.

“You do smell good!” he defended himself with a stupid grin on his mouth.

“Oh, wait you’re super drunk,” she giggled again as she saw his widened pupils that had pushed the darkened sea-green iris away.

“Well, look at you,” he retorted.

They looked at each other. Aside from the bumping music and the noises people made downstairs it had been completely silent. He missed her warmth; she missed his comfort. Neither would have guessed that a simple embrace could offer so much. Neither would have thought they would take it to the next step within a split second.

One last look. A last time sea-green and light-gray met before each set of eyes closed and their lips met with a brutal force in the middle. Their teeth clacked but it didn’t matter to them. What mattered now, was the moment. Forgotten was the alcohol, forgotten were the troubles of past, present and future. Forgotten were the friends and relatives in the building and back in New York.

So... what do you think? 😄 Like I said, this is not the entire chapter 🤷🏾‍♀️ I honestly feel bad for cutting the chapter off because it's really getting more interesting from that point on 💁🏾‍♀️ I'll probably continue working on this once I've published the next act of The Fool 🥳

Also Greek people, if something seems off with this (aside from random English at times lol) hit me up, I definitely have to do more research!

#mel answers #pjo #percy jackson #Annabeth chase #percabeth #percabeth fanfic #may I introduce you to my beloved wife #mel writes #hoo #heroes of olympus #percy and annabeth #pjo fanfic #percy jackson and the olympians #mel spoils

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obeysme · 4 years

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— someone who wants to be loved.

asmodeus is a character that doesn’t get much attention, by the game and the fandom (which is ironic, because he craves attention). there are several reasons as to why that is, but one is how one-dimensional he appears. i thought that at first as well, but after having played the game several times and doing so again for this meta, i realized there’s a lot of depth to asmo.

let me start off by warning that a lot of this meta is just me speculating wildly. i’m taking events and dialogue from the game in order to construct my own interpretation of asmo. it’s not the only interpretation, nor is it the correct one. this is just me taking a look at what we know of asmo and trying to gain a better understanding of him.

heads up that this is 2.8k words long, as in i’m literally just rambling for no reason for most of this thing. i have a lot of feelings about asmo and i needed to put them down somewhere, okay.

when we first meet asmodeus, lucifer is tasked with introducing his brothers and isn’t too happy about it. asmo comments on this, saying he should be “honored” to introduce “such a sweet and charming little brother.” from that alone, we can understand that asmo has an inflated sense of self.

upon inquiring more about him, here’s what asmo says:

whereas satan protests lucifer saying that the title of “avatar of wrath” encapsulates him, asmo has no such qualms. he seems to relish being the avatar of lust—i’d argue that among the brothers, he accepts and even enjoys the title he’s been given the most—and we players quickly realize that he neatly fits the sin of lust.

right after, we learn about a bit more about asmo and his power:

we’re told a couple things here. one: as avatar of lust, asmo is able to charm people instantly just by gazing at them. it isn’t specified whether that’s restricted to just humans, either; we know it’s not, since he goes on to charm henry 1.0, leviathan’s pet snake. (does it work on demons, though? that’s not clarified, i don’t think?) two: this power doesn’t work on the mc for some mysterious reason.

but also, we’re told that asmo can charm and manipulate people with ease. he uses people to his own advantage. note that when satan brings this up, asmo reprimands him but doesn’t deny his words.

for some time, there isn’t anything else of note to asmo. he’s relegated to a side character as the player communicates and bonds with mammon, leviathan, and beelzebub, making pacts with all three of them. during this time, he’s flirty and playful when interacting with the mc, but he’s not that interested in them.

then it comes time to make a pact with asmo. it occurs during the retreat, where the mc along with the brothers, solomon, simeon, and luke travel to diavolo’s castle. during their time there, the mc bunks with simeon and asmo. this is when we learn a bit more about him, particularly about what he was like as an angel. when prompted to, simeon explains how he sees asmo:

this is arguably the first time asmo’s afforded any proper depth by the narrative. we’re told rather bluntly by simeon and asmo himself what’s at the heart of him: someone who wants to be loved, and believes the way to achieve that is to live up to a reputation that others have constructed for him.

asmo has been this way since he was an angel, lauded for his beauty. he had been by lucifer’s side, the most beloved of the angels, and called the jewel of the heavens...who wouldn’t want to live up to such a title? who wouldn’t want to hold onto the awe and admiration that inspired?

now imagine what it must have been like to base your whole life and sense of self-worth around that title...only to be cruelly and abruptly stripped of it when you fall and become an demon. the very antithesis of who you used to be. he was no longer an angel, no longer the jewel of the heavens, no longer anything.

although i can’t find the lines, one of the demons also mention that upon losing the war and becoming demons, all of them were essentially ‘reborn’ and given new names, as well as made avatars of the sins. which means his name wasn’t always asmodeus, either. he had another name as an angel, one that’s not used any longer. he lost his identity in every sense of the word.

so asmo constructs a new identity. he clings to the title of the avatar of lust, wrapping it around himself until it’s second skin. if he could no longer be the jewel of the heavens, he could at least be this. he has a new reputation to live up to now. the demon who reveals the hidden desires lurking in every person, human or angel or demon, and brings them to the surface; exploits them, uses them.

also, note how quickly he disagrees with simeon over his assessment. he reverts to his tried and true persona, pretending to be confident of the fact that everyone loves him. he even asks the mc if they agree. surely there isn’t anyone out there who doesn’t love him? he’s overjoyed if mc backs him up, and accuses them and simeon of being jealous if mc disagrees.

let’s return to the scene with simeon and asmo again. there’s another line said by simeon that reveals a bit more about asmo:

note how he says “a soul that you couldn’t charm, that you couldn’t control.” charm is equated with control. by charming people, which asmo does as the avatar of lust, he’s exerting a level of control over them. he’s manipulating them so that they’ll do whatever he wants, which satan brought up the very first time you meet the brothers.

i get the feeling this has a lot to do with the lack of control asmo feels he had. he had no say in the matter when he was stripped of his grace and made a demon; it was punishment for following lucifer in the grand celestial war and disobeying god. he had no control over his fate, over who he’s now become. thus, asmo seeks to control others, to make them as helpless as he felt and perhaps still feels in a sense.

in fact, we soon meet one of the humans that asmo manipulated in the main story. more on this later.

diavolo tells the group that they’ll be splitting into threes to do a scavenger hunt of sorts. mc, simeon, and asmo are placed into one group, since they’re rooming together. while on this hunt, asmo uses his eyes to charm a statue into moving, which effectively sabotages the others. they aren’t happy about this and chastise him for it, which results in this moment:

asmo walks away from the others, angered that they tried to “lecture” him because he charmed the statue. i could be wrong, but this might be the first time we see him genuinely annoyed about something. usually he’s the one poking and prodding at people until they snap, not the other way around.

i wonder if his “outburst” has less to do with what happened with the statue, and more to do with simeon’s words from before. there’s no way to know for sure, but i like to think so. maybe asmo’s still upset over how accurately simeon pinpointed his weakness: his desire to be loved. as the avatar of lust, a demon who’s a master at revealing people’s inner desires, it must be aggravating to have someone turn the tables on him for once.

the mc follows asmo when he storms off, which leads to this exchange:

just as simeon predicted, asmo is brought face-to-face with a human he can’t charm. yes, he already knew this since literally the first lesson, and he hadn’t had much of reaction to it apart from mild surprise and curiosity. no, it doesn’t make much sense why it’s such a big deal now. let’s move on from that plot hole lmao.

what’s most interesting is that last line. i hadn’t realized it until i sat down to write this meta, but asmo seems to have control issues. it’s so obvious upon doing a reread, but it kind of went over my head at first. from my speculation above, though, it makes sense. after losing control over his identity, he found some form of both by accepting his new status as a demon/avatar of lust and manipulating others. to not be able to charm a human...that has to be a shock.

now let’s look at someone who hadn’t managed to resist asmo’s charms. some time after this scene, our cast stumbles into helene, a powerful witch who’s been cursed to forever live in a painting.

we’re told that asmo inadvertently had a hand in her downfall:

so. helene was famed for her beauty and ability to charm humans, angels, and demons alike. that sound similar to someone we know? it makes perfect sense that asmo heard the reputation of this witch and just had to meet her for himself. what better ego boost is there, to out-manipulate a master manipulator?

asmo is blasé upon meeting helene again, but she’s understandably incensed to see him. which is why she utilizes the curse cast upon her—she’s able to pull anyone who looks at her into the painting—on asmo, as a form of revenge. only for the mc, solomon, mammon, leviathan, and beelzebub to be pulled into the painting as well.

when solomon tells asmo that he’s at fault for the situation they’ve landed in, asmo barely bats an eyelash. of what happened with helene, here’s his justification:

speculation time, take two! it may be just me, but this little spiel sounds almost introspective. as asmo says, everyone desires something. that includes asmo himself. which is why i believe that he’s very much talking about himself in this moment here. specifically, he’s talking about his angel self, named the jewel of the heavens.

picture asmo as an angel. who is praised by lucifer, allowed to be by his side. who has a song written for him. who is given this reputation of being the most beautiful. angels are meant to serve god, are meant to be the very antithesis of demons and sin. but asmo wants nothing more than to be loved. it’s a desire that he has to do his best to control, to lock away inside himself, lest it be set free.

now, as a demon, he’s able to indulge in that desire. he revels in the affections of his admirers, enjoys manipulating and using others for his own means. but is that what he truly desires? is that what it means to be loved? why is all the praise and admiration never enough? how much of his inability to be satiated a result of his status as an avatar?

...anyway. that’s enough speculation sjfkdjfjk let’s go back to the scene at hand. after giving his spiel about desires, asmo goes on to say this:

asmo is insistent on the fact that the mc has hidden desires, shameful secrets that they’ve locked away. and of course he is, because they’re the first human that he hasn’t been able to charm with his eyes.

up until this point, he hasn’t afforded the mc much attention. sure, he flirts with them and teases them, but he hasn’t been fixated on them until now. you can tell that he’s equal parts intrigued and frustrated with them. it’s either control or be controlled, and asmo very much wants to do the former.

let’s fast forward. eventually the group makes it out of the labyrinth that helene pulled them into, and the mc tells asmo that they want to make a pact with him. he refuses. but, he tacks on, if they’re able to pull one over on lucifer, then he will. attempting to do that results in the mc and the brothers she has pacts with to wind up in the labyrinth and in the path of henry 1.0 once more.

faced with no other options, the mc draws upon the power solomon gave them and summons asmo. to everyone’s surprise, this works. then they amplify asmo’s power, just as solomon had earlier. which results in these two scenes:

asmo had been intrigued by the mc, but this absolutely cinches his interest. they’re a total enigma. not only can they resist his eyes, but they’re able to amplify his power to a degree that not even solomon, considered the most powerful sorcerer in the human world, can.

but i’d argue it’s more than just that. before, asmo is frustrated by the lack of control he has over them. it might even be possible that he hates them for it. when he encourages the mc to spill their secrets to him, it comes from a place of manipulation. he’s playing the role of the avatar of lust and trying to find some way to control them now that he can’t use his power.

by amplifying his power, though, the dynamic has shifted. it’s no longer a (arguably one-sided) power struggle between asmo and the mc. instead, they worked together in order to pacify henry 1.0; they were partners, in a sense. there’s no need to exert control, to manipulate.

which is why even though the mc failed to prank lucifer, asmo still agrees to enter into a pact with them.

here’s how asmo explains it, when satan questions him about it:

not only does asmo admit that the mc was able to draw an unsual amount of power out of him, but he compliments them as well. imagine that. asmo, fawning over someone other than himself. will wonders never cease?

anyway, this moment is what sparks asmo’s fascination with the mc. from this point on, he’s much more drawn to them. the change is pretty striking when you recall how he treated them before, particularly when he was annoyed by them trying to “lecture” him.

simeon points out this change in position as well:

asmo is studying the mc, almost in a clinical fashion. he’s examining their fingers, their ears, even attempting to look at their teeth. he wants to understand them, see what makes them tick. why? because he wants an explanation for why he isn’t able to charm them, how they have so much power lurking within.

this doesn’t mean asmo is in love with them. not by a long shot. that comes some time later down the line, once they’ve gotten to really know each other. but it’s more than what most humans are afforded. he’s no longer aggravated by the fact that he can’t control them; he’s fascinated by them.

i know it may seem like this meta took a bit of an abrupt turn, with me going from examining asmo to suddenly discussing asmo/mc. but there’s a reason for that.

after all, asmo’s deepest desire is to be loved. it makes sense, then, to look at his relationship with the mc. because this is where he’s afforded the most depth. (not that solmare allows asmo to have that much depth most of the time, but whatever.)

take asmo’s level 10 intimacy phone call, for instance. it reveals quite a lot about the demon, even though the call isn’t very long. check out this exchange in particular:

asmo calls the mc, for no reason other than to hear their voice. we aren’t told why he’s upset, just that he is. and he is upset, even if he won’t admit to it.

this inability to admit to his true feelings, to be vulnerable with another person, is integral to asmo’s character. in the main story, we rarely see him in a low mood. typically, he’s upbeat, teasing, and sexual. he’s always making sexual innuendos or propositioning the mc. but when do we see asmo being honest with the mc, with himself? when do we see him admit that he’s more than just his sin?

no, asmo, isn’t sad, because then he’d be showing mc the “not-so-fabulous side” of himself. and such a thing can’t exist. to admit he’s sad means admitting that he has insecurities. it means admitting he has flaws; that can’t be, because he’s supposed to be flawless. he relies heavily on his reputation as the avatar of lust, to the point where he’s projecting this false image of himself to himself. asmo is lying to everyone including asmo.

also note how asmo says that he’s alone in his room at the moment. the avatar of lust, who everyone loves, who has thousands of admirers...alone. it’s clear that he’s uncomfortable being alone. he needs to have someone by his side, talking to him, praising him. who is asmo when he is by himself? who is there to entertain, to charm, to control?

it’s important, then, that asmo called the mc in this moment of vulnerability, one he isn’t even willing to admit to himself. there were so many other things he could’ve done. he could’ve called one of his admirers. he could’ve gone out clubbing with his adoring fans. he could’ve gone to one of his brothers, who understand him better than most. instead, he calls the mc. he wants to hear their voice, that’s all.

he wants to be loved. that’s all.

conclusion

asmodeus is an intriguing character, because he starts off as the formulaic, tropey flirt, only to reveal hidden depths. primarily, the writers make it obvious that he has self-worth issues, and that his identity hinges upon what others think about him. he wants to be loved, by anyone and everyone.

despite all he attention he gets from fans and admirers, it’s never enough for him. this is due in part to him being the avatar of lust; just like how beel can’t satiate his appetite, asmo can’t satiate his desire. he craves more attention and admiration. but i don’t think that’s the only reason he isn’t satisfied. i doubt that asmo knows what it is to be loved, despite wanting it so desperately.

after all, asmo’s comments about love is surface level. he mentions that everyone adores him, and worships him, that it’s common sense. but we all know that isn’t what love is all about. it isn’t just empty words and admiration.

“if we want the rewards of being loved, we must submit to the mortifying ordeal of being known” perfectly encapsulates his dilemma. he wants to be loved, but he confuses it with adoration. in order to be truly loved, he needs to bare himself to someone, flaws and all. for someone like him, though, admitting to having flaws means admitting you aren’t perfect. and that’s something he can’t even admit to himself, much less someone else.

asmo is afraid of being vulnerable, of opening himself up to scrutiny. why is that? there is no way for us to be sure, since solmare halts his character development after he’s made a pact with mc. but we can take a good guess. and i believe it’s just as simeon said: asmo is trying desperately to live up to his reputation. because if he’s not the avatar of lust, flawless and beautiful, what is left? who he is then? and is that person worthy of being loved?

as much as he may want to be loved, he doesn’t think he can be if he isn’t constantly striving to be perfect.

i’m hoping that in the next season, asmodeus’ character development receives more attention, from the game as well as the fandom. his arc is something we all can relate to, and (what i hope is) the culmination of it—the fact that everyone is worthy of love, that you don’t have to construct a false version of yourself to receive it—is a message we need to hear.

#m writes meta #long post for ts #i didn't even bother editing most of this sjfkdjf #sorry fellas but it's 1am and i literally could not be bothered #i'm gonna regret posting this so early in the morning i just know it

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catchyoulaterhotdog · 3 years

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Country boy, I love you AU

What’s up, i’m back on my bullshit with this self indulgent country boy!Willie and city boy!Alex au. The new tag is country boy I love you au because I finally came up with a name. Since I don’t really write I wanted to write out some head canons for this au as I pump out more drawings. Put under the cut for anyone who doesn’t want to read all my ramblings.

Willie

Last name is Thomson, lives with his family on a big farm, has an older brother and a younger sister, plus his cousin Flynn lives with him!

Absolutely loves animals and getting up early. My boy is up crowing with the Roosters.

Can cook and bake like a god, predominantly works in the bakery in the back of his parent’s market. You have to try his homemade donuts, they’re to die for.

His parents are Renee and Allen, his sister is Fivel, his brother Matthew. Y’all already know Flynn

Absolutely loves horses!!! Had a horse boy phase, probably still in it.

His parents and trainer try to get him to do horse shows but he’d much rather go on trail rides all day

His formal trainer is Caleb Covington, who wishes he’d use his skills for much more than just running around the woods and pretending to be Merida from Brave.

Absolute best friends with Reggie and Julie, who he’s known all of his life. Reggie works as a stable keep and Julie works at the market with him.

Flynn and him are tight-knit, and tease each other about their respective crushes on some cute but definitely out of place people on the farm.

Friendly as hell but super energetic a lot of the time, can take some time to get use to him.

Carries around stim toys for him and Reggie in his bag, even sometimes puts them in saddle bags when they go out for rides.

Assigned to help out Alex, a new boy to town who just needed a job and didn’t expect this.

Alex

Lives with Carrie and Trevor Wilson, Carrie being his cousin, since coming out to his parents didn’t go so well

Trevor decides to move out to the countryside to find some new inspiration for his music and get out of the stuffy city life.

Trevor becomes friends with Ray (cough cough) and Alex is introduced to his daughter Julie

They hit it off and when Alex mentions needing a job, Julie recommends him to the Thomsons.

Shows up to his first day of work in a nice shirt plus his fanny pack, along with some nice jeans he had patched and painted with Carrie.

Willie is enamored but is like, what the hell are you wearing? As Willie stands there in beat up overalls and a very loose flannel button up.

Alex is not amused, going through mud and hay and all this gunk to work with animals.

Low key terrified of the horses at first, the only animal he trusts is Willie’s beloved sheep dog, named Hot Dog for some reason???

Thinks Willie is hot way too energetic and kind of hates him at first.

Rants to Carrie, think Draco ranting about Harry to his dad, “You won’t believe what he made me do today!!! I almost slipped and ended up pig food! And He had the audacity to look so good in messy braids and overalls covered in filth!”

Low-key wishes he had a job in the market instead but is slowly coming around.

Does have one cow that he absolutely loves

Does absolutely 100% not have a crush on Willie shut the fuck up Carrie.

Julie

Absolute sweetheart and a half, we know this

Lives with her dad and brother in a nice house not too far from Willie’s, they grew up together and him and Flynn are her absolute best friends

Reggie she’s meant a few times but doesn’t really have a lot of time to check out the stables, he seems really nice though.

Works mostly in the bakery part with Willie, she can frost a cupcake like nobody’s business.

Absolutely adores music and she organizes a quarterly concert on the farm where anyone can sign up and help raise funds for cancer awareness (Started after her mom died)

One day a newcomer shows up and his name is Luke

She thinks he is absolutely obnoxious at first, wayyyy too flirty and wayyy too full of himself

Once he catches sight of her though he makes it his mission to go to the farmer’s market as much as possible without seeming to creepy

And maybe, maybe Julie’s starting to think he’s funny

No he’s not cute shut up Alex!!!

Reggie

Horse trainer and stable hand for the Thomsons

Willie loves going on long trail rides with him, they really get each other

Absolutely loves his job and the friends he’s made at the barn

Very common for him to stay with Willie when his parents are fighting

The first one to make friends with Alex on the farm (After Julie), they bond over a shared love of many 90s bands and he helps him come around to the horses

Thinks watching him and Willie in the beginning stages is absolutely hilarious

Takes Alex shopping for some actual appropriate clothing

Gets crushes really really easily, probably has had one on everybody on the farm at some point.

Absolutely loves Julie’s quarterly concerts and always plays the same song-Home is where my horse is

Sometimes on really busy days he’ll help out Willie and Julie in the market

Met Luke at the same concert Julie did and is now very happy to play matchmaker

He loves love!!!

Is trying to teach Luke horseback riding but it’s not going so well

May or may not be the reason the sheep dog is named Hot Dog

Luke

Lives with his friend, Nick, since he ran away from his parents.

Has dedicated himself to music, and found out about a concert that a local farm did

There he meets Julie and Reggie and he loves them both

Makes it his mission to try and court the lovable but sassy Julie with Reggie as his wingman

Meets Alex and they bond over being into music and a little less country oriented than everyone else.

Though Alex will tell him off if he’s holding up business

Constantly gets snuck onto the farm by Reggie

First to notice the insane tension between Willie and Alex

Flynn

Lives with Willie since her parents travel a lot

Loves the farm but not as much as Willie, she’s not as big into the animals

Always performs with Julie at the concerts

Works in the market but in the produce section

Does hijack the speakers to play modern music

Meets Alex’s sister(?), she thinks Carrie is his sister at first.

Everyone thinks they hate each other but Willie, who realizes Flynn has a big crush on Carrie and tries to get her a job

Flynn will absolutely not admit her crush though

Is very intrigued by whatever Luke and Julie have going on and teams up with Reggie to make it a thing

No one expects it but Reggie and her make a bomb ass team

They’re pretty close but they don’t hang out as often as they should

Carrie

Absolutely hates this move, even more than Alex

Goes to the farm with him a few times and almost cried when one of her dresses got ruined because a certain worker smashed into her with crates of produce

Though she couldn’t cry because the beautiful girl who smashed into her and was talking a mile a minute had absolutely enamored her.

Alex thinks it is hilarious since it’s finally reversed and she’s not teasing him about his crushes

Carrie is determined to get this girl to like her, but isn’t quite sure how.

Finds an in when she becomes friends with Julie and Julie knows right away what’s going on between her two friends

Just a lot of oblivious gay pining

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kaleidoscopeminds · 3 years

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hello my love i would love to hear about ballet fic my beloved 😌 (would you expect any less from me)

mandie my no.1 cheerleader!!! okay ballet fic he did ballet i could say so so many things about this fic but i will just say a few!

this fic is soooo close to my heart for a number of reasons. as i’ve said before it started with me toying with the idea of a ballet au and then codie posted that gifset and i was like! it’s a sign! so bad boy calum and uptight ballet luke were born... the loves of my life 🥰 the characterisation of the two of them were pretty “tropey” i guess but there’s something about having a bad boy type who’s soft for one person and an uptight person who bends their rules for one person. that together with a bit of an enemies to lovers element and the idiots who act like they’re not boyfriends but are!!! all those satisfying cliche things. this is also one of my first cake fics that wasn’t a prompt so like the beginnings of who i am today!!!

so i wrote 4k for the first chapter and was like huh.... maybe i can chapter this? maybe i can write a chaptered fic? so i wrote a rough plan for the plot and was like i CAN chapter this so i did what no writer should really do and posted the first chapter without having written anything else. but the response from my wonderful friends was so good and CONTINUED to be so good that it literally was not even a problem to write weekly for it? like it actually was a great way to have a nice little weekly writing session and every week i had you and a couple of lovely others validating me in live fic reactions it was so 🥺🥰

the plot pretty much stayed how i intended from the start with a few tweaks! in the original plan i didn’t have them actually seeing each other but i decided to write in a bit of like actual happiness to make the bit when calum leaves hit a bit harder! looking back there is a part of me that maybe thinks it would have been better if i wrote it in one go to make it more coherent and flow better? but it actually gave me less chance to second guess myself because if i’d already written it that was just how it had to be! the muke friendship ended up being a bigger part than i envisaged but that always happens with my fics because i just love writing their dynamic

a fun little behind the scenes insight is that i watched a LOT of different ballet videos for this, the dialogue of the teacher in the second chapter about sequences of steps and stuff comes direct from various different royal ballet class videos on youtube and the references to the different ballets are accurate in terms of the content i mention. like obviously i take a lot of liberties with how the royal ballet works but in terms of actual dance content i’d like to think that’s accurate!

a couple of my favourite parts have to be the scene when luke watches calum play bass for the first time and the make out scene after that because again!! flirty sexual tension is my favourite to write!!! and then the angst. chapter 7. honestly i refused to write and angst and conflict before this but this fic needed it and so i went for it, i wrote it all in one sitting on saturday night whilst looping lom and goy and i was actually pretty happy with it? and then the reaction to it was insane? like i’ve never received asks about fic before, people were shouting in the comments it was so crazy i couldn’t believe people were that invested in it

i think one of the things about this fic is the number of people that have told me that it’s the fic that got them into cake, or that they didn’t really rate them as a pairing until they read ballet fic. that is the sweetest compliment because like they gave it a try because of the concept and it helped them like a pairing i love? so so good! i also went back to reread it when i wrote the POV switch for your birthday and like i was really nervous to in case it was actually bad and i just thought it was good? but i genuinely enjoyed reading it back like for sure i’ve improved since then but i still think it’s a good story!

#mandie #ily mandie thank you #god like. i still love this fic this was my first Big Fic u know #and i love your love for it too 🥰#fic talk #directors cut chat #ballet fic #haven’t used that tag for a while 🥺

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boysenberry-starbucks-gremlin · 4 years

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Nowhere Else I’d Rather Be

THIS FIC CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE RISE OF SKYWALKER

Pairing: General Hux x Poe Dameron (Gingerpilot)

Warning: Abuse? It’s implied.

Summary: Rather than Finn blasting Hux and leaving him at the mercy (or lack-there-of) of the First Order, Hux returned with him and Poe and has officially defected. Poe, Hux, Rose, Finn, Rey, and Ben have become the closest of friends. However, they soon realize that they know close to nothing about Hux. Poe decides to attempt to get some information out of him and it turns out they have something in common.

A/N: The information Hux provides can be found in the Aftermath book series which follows the time between the Empire and the First Order. (Great book series, I highly recommend.) As for Poe, I relied on Wookiepedia for a lot of the info I found on him.

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The war was technically over. There were still a hand full of loose ends to tie up, a few battles to still be fought and won. Leia, the beloved princess and general, was gone and Poe Dameron, along with Finn, has taken her place. Although, there really is no replacing General Organna.

Poe walked into the cafeteria, BB8 close at his heals. People nodded to him as he passed and soon came upon a table filled with those who had become his best friends and family. Among them, sitting with his back perfectly straight, was the ex-general Hux.

Poe could still hardly believe that he was the spy. Part of him had always felt that the redhead could do amazing things if he had chosen the correct side. But he would have never imagined him actually changing sides. Of course, he told them that the main reason was to get Kylo Ren dead. That doesn’t change the fact that, when offered, Hux flew away with Poe and Finn back to the base. And besides, Kylo Ren was gone. When Rey had returned, another ship carrying one Ben Solo arrived soon after.

It had not been an easy transition. For anyone.

Hux had gotten cornered many times for Starkiller, people wanting to get revenge for the lives he had taken that day. Poe tried to keep an eye on him, be there as back up when needed, while adjusting to life as general. Rey had left and returned, having taken the Skywalkers’ lightsabers to Luke’s home planet. When she returned, she told him and Finn that she felt like she left a part of her on that desert planet with the sabers, but she also knew that now she could begin living as her own self, and hopefully make Luke and Leia proud. Ben had the most adjusting to do. He mourned the passing of his mother, while also getting the chance to properly mourn for his father as well. Rey helped him through it, though. They were there for each other.

Poe took a seat across from Hux. Around the table also sat Finn, Rose, Rey, and Ben. The six of them met up for at least one meal a day, often dinner, to catch up and have a few laughs before having to return to business. It was the highlight of all of their days.

“And he decides to go though regardless, this narrow opening between mountains and my father decides, ‘oh, the falcon can fit.’ I’m surprised we didn’t crash,” Ben laughed through the end of his story and everyone joined in.

Rose caught Poe’s eye and smiled. “We’re talking about our childhoods,” she explained.

Poe nodded understandingly. “What have we got so far?”

Finn, Rey, and Rose quickly recounted their stories. Poe smiled and laughed along with everyone before turning to the only person only slightly chuckling along. Hux sat there, only a small smile on his lips as he ate, but his eyes were kept down on the table.

“What about you, Hugs?” Poe asked, a wide, flirty smile on his face.

Everyone turned to look at the man in question.

“Yeah,” Rose spoke up, “We hardly know anything about you. We don’t even know your first name. I mean, Ben should. You’ve known each other for years.”

Ben chuckled. “Actually. I don’t know that either,” he turned and looked at Hux properly. “You were always just General or Hux.”

Hux sighed, knowing they weren’t going to let it go. He had gotten to know everyone around the table, it was only fair that he returned the favour. “Its Armitage.”

“Armitage,” Poe repeated. “I like it, it suits you.” As the rest nodded Hux smiled a little brighter. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Poe. What Poe didn’t know was that Hux hadn’t heard his name spoken so kindly since his mother last spoke it.

The group soon disbanded, everyone separating to their private rooms. Poe and Hux branched off down their hall. Their rooms were a short distance from each other’s and they often ended up sitting in each other’s rooms late into the night. They didn’t say much; Hux read and Poe would have a gadget that he was busy fixing. It was often something off his x-wing that didn’t get flown quite so often anymore since he became general.

Hux enjoyed the company. So it wasn’t a problem that when he entered his room, the dark haired man followed him. Hux sat on his bed, while Poe took a seat in the chair nearby. Neither of them moved to pull out a book or a gadget, they just sat in silence for a moment.

Poe took a deep breath before speaking. “So what else can I know about you?” He leaned back, his legs crossed so his ankle rested on his knee.

Hux shifted uncomfortably. “There’s not much to tell. Most anything you want to know, I’m sure you have seen from files I gave you from the First Order.”

“No, not stuff about General Hux. I’ve been told and have read plenty about him. I want to know about Armitage. Your childhood, your parents-,”

Hux let out a scoff before he could stop himself. At Poe’s puzzled look, he explained, “Anything regarding my parents is...complicated. That’s saying the least.” Poe just gazed at him, eyebrows slightly raised, urging him to continue. “Surely you don’t wish to hear about my childhood. Or lack-there-of.”

Poe smiled softly. “I do.”

Hux could feel his wall breaking slowly. He always could when Poe was around. It was even worse when they were alone together. He could never be cross or cold with him. He sighed before leaning forward and deciding to speak, staring at his hands folded in front of him.

“My father was...not a good man. He started training me to be in the military from a very young age. For most of my life he refused to call me his son. It wasn’t until I ranked general that he did. By that point though I couldn’t have cared less.” It was the first time he was ever being honest with someone about his father. Someone who never saw the way Brendol treated him, someone on the outside who otherwise wouldn’t have known.

“What about your mother?”

Hux’s face dropped. He should have seen that question coming from a mile away. Part of him had. And yet, it still stung.

Poe opened his mouth to apologize, but Hux quickly cut him off. “She died when I was young. She was kitchen staff where my father lived on Arkanis. I don’t remember much about my life there. But I remember her.” He was still looking down at his hands. He wanted to brush off the topic, as he had so many other times. But this wasn’t like other times. This time he was with Poe, and for some reason unknown to him, he had opened up to the general, and he couldn’t find it in himself to close back up again.

Poe sighed softly and hung his head. “My mother died when I was young too. She was an a-wing pilot in the first war. She taught me how to fly.” Poe let a small smile grace his features. Hux looked up just in time to see it. Poe reached around his neck and pulled out a chain with a ring hanging on it. “Her wedding ring,” he explained, meeting Hux’s gaze. “I had told my dad that he should have kept it, but I had always loved it. I never take it off now. It’s my good luck charm.”

“I’m sure your mother would be very proud of you,” Hux spoke softly.

Poe smiled and gave a chuckle that was hardly audible. “So would your’s.” The two men gazed at each other for a long moment before Poe cleared his throat. “My mom, she would have liked you. She probably would have tried to put us together.”

“Would she really have to try so hard?” The words were out before he could think them. Anxiety rose in Hux’s chest as he prayed that the comment went unnoticed. But this was Poe. Of course it didn’t.

Poe’s features softened to that of a sort of realization. He gave that cricked flirty smile he gives that makes Hux believe that he would’ve defected from the First Order much sooner if only he’d seen that smile. “No,” Poe said at last. “No, she wouldn’t.”

Hux’s ears turned as red as his hair as he lowered his face and turned away from Poe. He was so caught in his thoughts that he hadn’t seen or felt Poe move to sit next to him on the bed until a gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. He turned and faced the dark haired man sitting closer to him than anyone had ever sat before.

Their eyes scanned each other’s faces; Poe’s searching for a go-ahead, Hux’s looking for any sign of doubt. Because Poe would never do anything unless he knew for certain that Hux wanted to; and the situation was so unfamiliar to Hux that he was sure Poe didn’t really feel the same way he did. Hux reached over and blindly took Poe’s hand, which had been laid on the bed, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to him. That gesture was all Poe needed, and the gentle squeeze Poe gave in response reassured Hux.

Poe’s hand which had been placed on Hux’s shoulder moved up to his face, running along his jaw before coming to just above his ear. He pushed some fiery hair behind Hux’s ear. It sent chills down Hux’s spine and Poe nearly melted when Hux leaned into the touch. It couldn’t have been a more perfect moment.

Poe leaned forward and closed the gap between them. Their lips collided in what Hux felt was an electric shock. It was a soft kiss, one that lasted a long time, with Hux rubbing his thumb against the back of Poe’s hand, and Poe running his fingers through fiery hair. It was perfect.

When they broke they rested their foreheads together and laughed. Neither really knew what to do now.

“Armitage,” Poe spoke softly.

Hux hummed in response, waiting for Poe to continue. He loved the way Poe said his name. And Poe loved saying it. It rolled off so naturally that he felt like he had no other words.

“I’m really glad you’re here.”

Hux smiled and pulled back to look at Poe’s face. What he was about to say was the most honest he had ever been with anyone in his entire life. It scared him a little. “There is nowhere I’d rather be, Poe, than here with you.”

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A/N: I typically don’t write fics with major spoilers in them. However, I feel like our wonderful General Hux did not get the ending he deserved. Neither did Ben but that is beside the point. (We’re also never specifically told that Ben is dead. Maybe something could have happened to save him. Just my thoughts on it.) If people like this fic I will happily do more based of this idea of these six becoming friends and Ben and Hux being accepted into the group.

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