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midniiights-garden · 3 months

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A Little Mistake MobAU!Mizu x Fem!Reader

Summary: Your scary, intimidating mob boss wife attempts to cook for you. It... does not go well.

TWs!! Mentions of blood and gore, mentions of violence, swearing

DISCLAIMER!!: REMEMBER Y'ALL THIS IS PURELY WORKS OF FICTION. I DO NOT CONDONE THE ROMANTICISATION OF ANY KIND OF MOB OR GANG AND I AM DESCRIBING IT AS SUCH. IF ANYONE YOUNG IS READING THIS IS ALL FICTITIOUS!!

To most people Mizu was untouchable. A Goddess in her own right. After she murdered her late husband she moved on, driven by rage and bitterness, and ended up starting a rather small but lethal group of assassins. With her as the head, of course. And for a long time she remained bitter and cold, her heart worn out with one too many heartbreaks.

Until she met you.

You were kind yet strict, a diamond in the rough one could say. The only catch? You were a woman.

Mizu was hesitant to pursue you at first, not really sure if she was ready for another heartbreak. Or to confront the fact that she was undoubtly attracted to women. However, it turned out she didn't have to. You made the first move, presenting her a single white tulip, not a word leaving your lips.

And the rest was history.

Now you and her were happily married. Mizu was happier than she ever thought she could be. She could practice her swordsmanship in peace and she had a pretty, intellegent and kind wife to boot.

It's been 4 years now. Mizu, being the secretly loving wife she was, snuck out of your shared bed early to cook for you. Did she know how to cook? No. Not at all. But it couldn't be that bad, right?

Wrong.

On the morning of fourth year anniversary you wake to the sound of Mizu swearing, said wife no where to be found and the smell of charcoal coming from the kitchen. You stumble out of bed, searching for Mizu only to find her in the kitchen with the fire exstinguisher in hand, a pan full of... something... being the cause of the smell.

"...happy anniversary?" Mizu greets quietly, smiling sheepishly at you as she lowers the fire extinguisher.

You sigh. How could you ever get mad at that precious face? All you do is walk forward, wrapping your arms around her waist and kissing her softly.

"Tried to cook, huh darling?" You ask, raising your eyebrow.

Mizu blushes out of embarassment, looking away.

"I... I didn't think it'd be that hard... I just wanted to surprise you since you're always cooking for us," she murmurs, now deciding to hide her face in the crook of your neck.

You giggle, squeezing her softly before planting a kiss to her forehead.

"Awww, darling. Thank you very much for trying. Lets try together now, huh? So that you know what to do for next time."

You spend the rest of the morning cleaning up Mizu's mess (much to her absolute embarassment) and then cooking alongside her, showing her how to adjust the heat, how to know when something was done cooking and showing her how to crack an egg. Somehow she really struggled with cracking an egg.

Unfortunately around an hour after finishing breakfast Mizu recieved word that she was needed. She left begrudgingly, apologizing profusely as she left to deal with... whatever it was she dealt with. You knew the gist, but you really weren't interested in the nitty gritty of it.

She returns at 2AM, her previously crisp white shirt drenched in blood. She had several scratches on her body and she was obviously not in a great mood. Before you could say anything she had tossed herself on top of you, curling into your warmth and staining your clothing with blood. Not that you cared right now.

You decide not to speak, instead holding your precious wife close as you wipe the blood splatters off her face. You watched as her face finally relaxed, the scowl wearing off and replaced by a more serene, content expression.

"Tired?" You whisper.

"Yeah...." She replies. "...I'm sorry for not being here today, my love."

You shake your head, understanding the severity of her work.

"No, it's alright. You're here now, right? That's all that matters. You're here."

Mizu looks up at you, her eyes tired yet undoubtly so grateful for your entire exsistance.

"I love you... I love you so much," she whispers hoarsely.

"I love you too, Mizu. Happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, love."

You spend the rest of the night cuddling and talking with your loving wife knowing you had your entire lives ahead of you. You knew whatever happened, she would be yours and you would be hers.

(A/N: Dedicated to the lovely @emiliabby!! Tysm for tagging me in that idea post <33)

#mizu blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai #i love women #mizu #i love fictional characters #wlw #mizu come home the kids miss you #mizu x reader #i love the traumatized sword lady #x fem!reader #x reader #fem! reader

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sugarpasteltmnt · 2 months

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I read all of tnv today and I am insane for it please take my offering (that only took me like 2 hours sorry I have a project I have a deadline for and I couldn’t sacrifice much more time)

RIP Donnie in the back doing the family guy pose i love it so much LOOOOOOOOL

ALSO!!! PLEASE DO YOUR ASSIGNMENT FANFICS CAN WAIT!!!

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lunamond · 1 month

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I need more unhinged mothers and their monstrous offspring.

I need more of whatever this shit is:

"What have you done to me?"

"I gave birth to you."

And also:

"Do you love me?"

"You imbecile."

#dune #dune part two #house of the dragon #hotd #by far one of my favourite dynamics in fiction #pauljessica #lady jessica #jessica atreides #paul atreides #alicent hightower #aegon ii targaryen #i love Rheanyra #but this literally the reason i don't care about team black as an ensemble #her relationship with jace has so much potential #pls let Rheanyra be a failmom #i promise it will make her character so much more interesting #i want to like the kids but they are really underdeveloped #also show us Daemon with his daughters #let that man be the rancid father he was meant to be

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ilovemesomevincentprice · 4 months

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Vincent Price as Dr. Warren Chapin

The Tingler (1959) dir. William Castle

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juliaschifini · 9 months

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i just think more women should have talons.

#harpies #greek mythology #this is about those things obviously #but also in fiction? love when a lady has bird feet or bird hands #big fan of that it's very queer #mythology #women. i just think they're neat

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crown-ov-horns · 6 months

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Bridgerton men are mediocre.

Bridgerton ladies are to die for.

#bridgerton #fictional crushes #diary pages #daphne bridgerton #kate sharma #edwina sharma #eloise bridgerton #penelope featherington #queen charlotte #violet bridgerton #lady danbury #francesca bridgerton #no hate to those who love bridgerton men #that's just my opinion #tho i can't say i crush on edwina... she's 17 in the books

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muckyschmuck · 22 days

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this is all i drew at The Duty (they didn’t need any jurors)

#i thoight i was the hottest guy there but there was some bitch w a nose ring who told the lady sitting next to him #“i love that book!#so fuck me i guess i’ll never be him #JK #IMAGINE #my art #gun #digital art #oc art #doodlings #well i was definitely the hottest guy with a fictional spouse there that’s all i know

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ackari74 · 1 year

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“I do not need reasons to exist. I do not need to justify the space I take up in this world.”

Felicity!! she’s so cool

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deadpanwalking · 5 months

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do you have a favorite short story?

I feel like I cycle through the same three answers every time somebody asks me because, having inhaled them for 30 years, in multiple languages, I can tell you that there are at least a thousand short stories that have surpassed every threshold of excellence and defy quantification. If you actually asked me to choose between Munro and Gallant, I'd probably die like Burdian's Ass. Anyway, I forget which one I said last time, but stream Willa Cather's “Paul's Case”.

#when i tell you a thousand i'm not looking at a ketchup bottle & saying there are 57 card-carrying communists in the us government #i am looking at multiple bookshelves devoted to short fiction—and i don't hoard books #my partner and i are both monsters of reading—but that's exactly why we don't have the floor space to spare for books we don't love #if it's here it's because at least one of us can vouch for it #anyway i've said it before but i truly don't see the point in ranking art the way people rank prize hogs at a country fair #why not paul's case? why not return of chorb? why not the dead? why not lady with the dog?#anonymous #assbox

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midniiights-garden · 3 months

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Your Eyes... They're like Diamonds. Fem!Reader x Mizu

Summary: You, the reader, stumble upon Mizu bathing. Instead of being distracted by the fact that she is very much naked, but by the dazzling view of her eyes.

Possible TWs!!: Nudity? idk if that counts as a trigger idk

Note: Mizu is called a man in the beginning.

~~~

Stumbling upon Mizu naked was defintely not on my agenda.

We had set up camp in a secluded area of the forest, finding a hot spring much to our relief. Mizu had sent me off to forage for food, claiming that 'he' was going to porperly set up the tents. So that's what I did, muttering about the cold and the snow and everything that a woman could possibly be complaining about.

When I returned I was met with the sight of the tents set up but Mizu nowhere to be found. So, naturally I begin to worry. Mizu was a capable warrior, but 'he' could still be ambushed. No one was perfect. So I scurry off towards the place I last saw Mizu, following a trail of footprints that most likely belonged to 'him'.

After following said trail for a while I reach what appears to be a natural hot spring. My eyes widen- this was a brilliant place to finally get clean. But that wasn't the point right now, I had to find Mizu.

Before I actually had the proper time to comprehend anything or even begin properly looking a familiar blade is pointed straight at me. Startled, I step backwards, falling onto my behind with a small 'oomph'.

"Mizu-!"

My trail of thought is cut off as I looked up. I realised right then two different, very important things. One: 'he' was not a he. Mizu was a girl. Very obviously so considering she was buck ass naked in front of me and had no dick. Secondly- she had stunningly pretty eyes. I had never gotten a proper look at her eyes as she always hid them but now that she was bare I could see them. My breath catches in my throat and I can't help but stare.

"You're eyes-" I begin, only to be promptly cut off by Mizu.

"Yeah? What, gonna insult me as well? Actually, wait what are you even doin-"

"-they're like diamonds," I finally blut out. "They're so... clear. Like the ocean around Japan or, well, diamonds."

Mizu seems taken aback by your blatant compliments. She sheaths her blade, stepping back slightly. Her brows are furrowed as she contemplates whether or not to believe you. She's had people compliment her to distract her before but... you seemed completely sincere. A little too sincere considering that from her perspective you hadn't stopped staring.

It was true, though. I hadn't managed to take my eyes off of her. She was so... beautiful. In all aspects. After seeing her as she was a lot of things finally made sense. Why she always had so many bandages on her, why she kept her neck hidden and so on. But wow... she was really the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

If it wasn't obvious to Mizu that I was a raging lesbian before, it sure as hell was now. I was looking at her as if she hung the stars in the sky for me to see. She was suddenly very aware that she was naked in front of you now. Mizu unsheathes her blade, pointing it at you once more.

"Don't even think of telling anyone about this," she growls, trying to mask her confusion with aggression.

"Please stab me-" I blurt out.

"...what?"

#mizu blue eye samurai #i love women #blue eye samurai #wlw #i love fictional characters #mizu #mizu x reader #mizu come home the kids miss you #x reader #mizu x you #reader insert #i love the traumatized sword lady

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arsene-fixates · 1 month

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Finally got a proper trim on my hair + thinning it out + got highlights ^_^ i’ll include a little drawing for funsies later

#the lady who did my trim the other time didn’t get it evenly done #it feels like a breeze can pass through my hair i always love newly thinned out hair feeling #i always look behind me and see like a huge clump of hair #it’s like a hedge in there #first time getting highlights or any kind of dye in my hair #i look like some fictional character #arsene-blogging

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my-jokes-are-my-armour · 7 months

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I always believed I would spend the rest of my days with you all, or like we always did, crossing path, sharing adventures, or a meal somewhere, anywhere... We always had something to share.

I would have followed you as long as my legs would have carried me. I would have sung to you as long as my voice would have hold. And then I hoped you would have visited me when I would have been too old... Because you were eternal to mere mortals like me and this was the only good way to end this story. You alive. Me dead.

But today, I am lost. That future won't exist and I don't know what to do. You left me on that bank and disappeared into the mist, when all I wished was lying with them. I understand your feelings, princess, but, if they are not alive, I don't belong with the living either... You know it.

Now, my body seems too heavy to move even if I feel empty, and my heart is too broken to feel anything but pain. I don't know how to sing, because my voice is trapped somewhere.

There is nowhere I feel home anymore. I am just a lost soul on this sphere. So please, come back... or welcome me on the other side. Don't leave me here... alone. I beg of you. This is not fair I have to stay here, in a space full of your absence.

You denied me the right to have a more peaceful end and I saw in your eyes that you will never come back. Maybe we could have mourn together. We didn't have to be alone to face this ordeal, didn't we ?

But maybe you knew that my own pain would be too much to bear and you couldn't see me never heal. Maybe you were right. Maybe that's better that way. But maybe it means that everyone understood, and I was in denial all my life. Maybe my own kind knew from my first breath in this world how unworthy of love I was, and I should have bent before that heart would know the feeling. Maybe that's why in the end, I have to face this alone...

I am sorry, princess, for my bitter words but the wound is too fresh and the fall is hard, because I thought for a short time that I was enough and worth to be part of your family, when clearly it was just a construct of my mind. Also you knew what to say, but this is not fair you used that against me to keep me alive... on this side. Because I will give myself heart and soul to the task you gave me, knowing it will never bring me real peace.

But my letter isn't for that.

Yes, I am bitter that you did that to me, but deep inside I can't blame you and never will. You had too much to endure. This is only pain speaking and I am sorry. I have to find a way to accept things as they are. I need just time. Probably.

This letter is there to enlighten what I should have said before. What I should have say many times. I have to make things right before my own end.

The poet in me wants to believe that you knew how much I love you all. But for the first time in my life I regret I never said those three little words out loud. You are gone and it is too late now. There is no second chances with those kind of things.

I will continue to tell the story of my beloved family to the world as you asked me to, if I can find my voice back, but the world doesn't deserve the words I would say to you only. I will continue to hide them to their eyes and ears, like the most extraordinary things I keep inside.

But for you, I write these words, for the first and the last time. This is a beacon in the dark and the most important thing anyone has to know. And you have to know.

I LOVE YOU.

Your crazy uncle Jaskier.

(Letter found in a empty wine bottle in a lake in Rivia)

#jaskier #unsent letters to geralt #although this is to ciri this time #muse saga #micro fiction #my fanfiction #my potato edits #(this is part of the muse saga and an easter egg of the saddest story i have written - yeah more of a rottent egg lol)#spoilers #extraordinary things #the lady of the lake #geraskier #yennskier #and just the found family love

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doctorwhoisadhd · 2 months

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okay im thinking about midnight burger <--> doctor who now.

#listening to doom coalition and ive only just started the red lady but COME ON THAT IS CLEMENTINE RIGHT THERE #and it would make sense for the creator of midnight burger to have listened to this since theyre both. you know. audio fiction #ari opinion hour #fav midnight burger characters btw are probably terric and caspar. and effie and zebulon tbh #its funny usually if theres an insane woman with a love interest whos just like Some Guy i am FAR more interested in the woman #(source: gwen cooper‚ jordan from scrubs‚ annika strandhed)#but its actually the exact OPPOSITE way here #although me being a terric enjoyer is... highly unsurprising.#as for caspar though. what can i say except he said he likes birds that one time #really though there isnt really one midnight burger character im that obsessed with i think theyre all fascinating but theres none that #stand out to me as Blorbos™

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ladyinbooks · 18 days

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Have you read Mary Renault's Alexander series/if you have, do you have thoughts? I've only read the persian boy so far and just started Fire from heaven but I've always heard amazing things about how she wrote them

Hello lovely anon!

I'm going to start off with an apology in advance, because whoops! You've asked me something that's set off my inner ramblings quite happily here (in a good way). So I'm going to roll up my sleeves behind the 'read more' and get overexcited about this.

But just in case, the tl;dr is: yes, I have. And yes, I love the series (with a few caveats):

Let's start when young!Lady was a small, wide-eyed thing, all of 17, who had just lied on her Oxford application form, and said she'd read Arrian's Campaigns of Alexander. Then she got called for interview and thought 'Oh shit, I'd better actually read it'. So she did. And she loved it. And she kind of... ended up developing a little obsession with this bloke called Alexander.

Now, around the same time as this deceit was taking place, Robin Lane Fox's biography on Alexander was fairly accessible in most book stores. Possibly because it's really quite a readable biography, and thus had become quite popular. And so young!Lady snaffled that too, and read it. And Lane Fox's name kept coming up in conjunction with Mary Renault's (perhaps because - personally speaking - I think they have a fairly similar approach in their views on Alexander), and so young!Lady thought 'Hey! Let's read those books too!'

All of which, is a very long-winded way of saying: I read them, and I loved them at the time. (To be fair, I still love them. Hephaistion my beloved.) Renault's style of writing is gorgeous. I know for some people it can be off-putting, and a little difficult to parse (she's not what I call a 'light read' in that sense), but I genuinely love the way she constructs her prose.

She was also, I think, one of the first fictional writers to actively and openly tackle an explicit romantic relationship between Alexander and Hephaistion (most prominent in Fire from Heaven, but it's definitely still there in The Persian Boy), and although Hephaistion-as-a-concept had been kicking around before then, I think Renault made the relationship (and Hephaistion) more... mainstream, if I can put it like that?

Renault's historical research is also good. She does give a really interesting flavour of what it must have felt like to live in a Macedonian court, filled with intrigue and the kind of political machinations that resulted in heads rolling. She captures that dangerous, desperate element very well, and she makes Macedonian life accessible to a reader in a way I very much enjoy.

I think as I've got older, where my love for Renault's version has become a little tarnished is in my own inability to put aside my mental nitpickings (and this is no fault of Renault's writing!). Her Alexander trilogy writes about Alexander-the-Legend, not Alexander-the-Man. For me, there is very little balance to be had from her, and although this was a stylistic choice, I do find myself missing the nuance of an Alexander who is not, well, pretty much a perfect example of a living god. He's almost Achillean in the way Renault portrays him - far beyond us brief mortals! - and in some ways that makes his fictional character feel more inaccessible to me. Her Alexander is untouchable. Unknowable. Godlike in his abilities and driven by ambitions far beyond anything a non-heroic mortal can comprehend.

I also feel that Renault's portrayal (understandably) is a bit wrapped up in W.W. Tarn's vision of Alexander as some kind of benevolent conqueror (he wasn't), whose life's exploits were geared towards the betterment of mankind (they weren't). I need to add: this isn't a criticism of Renault! Tarn's scholarship and ideology was very prevalent for quite a while (see: Robin Lane Fox, who sort of subscribed to a viewpoint of Alexander along vaguely similar lines, I think).

My other gentle nitpick, is that very often Renault's women are stereotypes. Or caricatures. Olympias comes across as a vengeful harpy (interestingly, I think there is a lot or Renault's Olympias in Oliver Stone's film version). Again, I think it's fair to defend Renault with the fact that she's working with historical sources that can have the same biases - but even so, for me it's not particularly satisfying.

In the same vein...

Hephiastion my beloved. He does suffer from this too, I think. He's very much in the style of an 'Alexander-can-do-no-wrong' kind of character, and although that does fit the narrative purpose, it simultaneously makes me a little sad that we don't particularly get to see an active, competent Hephaistion in the way I personally feel he likely was. He's not completely reduced to the role of 'the boyfriend', but he is completely defined by Alexander - his behaviour, his impulses, his career are all attributed more to being 'philalexandros', than to any genuinely displayed individualistic motives. Again, it's not a bad thing, but for my Hephaistion-loving gremlin heart it can be dissatisfying if I don't turn off that portion of my brain a bit.

All of which is my very rambling way of saying: yes, I've read Renault's Alexandriad, and yes I genuinely do love those books - for what they represent, for what they do and just for the sheer joy of reading them. But I do have some slight quibbles. None of which are enough to put me off of them, only to say that I think as a reader I have to temper my expectations and meet the books where they are (for what they are). They are beautifully written, and I do think they do something rather unique for the Alexander mythos.

One other book I'd recommend - purely for the sheer delight of it - is Aubrey Menen's A Conspiracy of Women. Written around the same time, it's very different and deals primarily with a moment in time during Alexander's campaigns. It is a satire (not particularly historically motivated), and it pokes fun at quite literally everyone. Whilst not at all romantic in (either sense of the word) the way Renault's writing is, I do love the fact it takes aim at Alexander, and the Alexander mythos (along with a more generally satirical approach to the concept of empire building).

I also love Menen's Hephaistion, who is possibly the driest, wittiest takes-no-nonsense-from Alexander character:

Few men could face an angry Alexander and remain in control of themselves. But one of these was Hephaestion. He glanced at his friend the King, smiled and then said, "Alexander, if you continue to glare that way, the poor man will die of fright. Bathyllus," he said, "for the moment only His Majesty may wear Persian robes. Maybe one day we shall all do so. But His Majesty has not yet made up his mind on the subject."

This being the exact truth, it made Alexander angrier than ever, as Hephaestion knew it would, but with him and not with the unfortunate Bathyllus. Alexander turned his back on Hephaestion. "See that he is brought to my tent," he said, and strode away.

"See that you bring yourself to His Majesty's tent," said Hephaestion to Bathyllus. "I am in no mood for his imperial tantrums this evening..." (pg.19)

Or:

"Hephaestion," he said, "am I really as vain as you say?"

"Did I say you were vain?"

"You said I was in love with myself. Just now. When I boxed your ears."

"Ah," said Hephaestion. "Yes. You are."

"You must tell me when I get vain."

"I do," said Hephaestion.

"Yes, you do," said Alexander. "And I am grateful."

"You are usually remarkably cross," said Hephaestion. "But I shall go on telling you."

"It's strange," said Alexander. "We have conquered a world together, but our friendship is as strong as ever."

Hephaestion made no answer.

"You must find me very hard to bear sometimes, Hephaestion."

"Sometimes," agreed Hephaestion.

"When?" asked Alexander.

"When, for instance, you say things like 'We have conquered a world together, but our friendship is as strong as ever'." Hephaestion echoed exactly the touch of pomposity that Alexander had put into his voice.

Alexander smiled. He reached out and put a hand on Hephaestion's shoulder as they rode together." (pg. 101)

Hephaistion my beloved.

#lady replies #perils of a classicist in modern life #sometimes Lady is a Classicist #this reply could be ten times longer #I have a lot to say about Alexander in fiction #and it shows #alas I do not have the time to do a deep dive into all the things I'd love to reflect on at the moment

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wri0thesley · 10 months

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oh look another ~kweer~ tumblr genshin writer who is rlly just a straight girl and only writes about the men, surprise surprise

i don’t write as much abt eating pussy on my blog bc im too busy doing it in real life, hope you understand

#nat.txt #negative cw #sorry I had to respond to this one bc this comeback felt so funny in my head sgddgdg #misgendering cw #the truth is ofc that I like attention and the ladies don’t get much love when I do post #but you can absolutely find Lady Posts on my blog #and I am constantly thirsty for Lisa n miko in particular #irl I almost never find a man attractive but I am constantly seeing beautiful ladies #I think I get out a lot of comphet in fiction tbh #anywat. not a girl in a long-term relationship with another Not A Guy Or Girl person #(and by long term I mean ‘over a decade’)#bad bait try harder

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illiana-mystery · 1 month

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Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been as active on this blog or writing as frequently like I have in the past. Life has been a bit rough for me this year. But I'll leave it at that.

I am working on some stuff in the background, but for now, here's the first chapter of a fic I had on hiatus for a while.

Hope you enjoy! Happy reading! Oh and I will post this and a chapter 2 to my AO3 later. 😉

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Eye of the Beholder

Plot: After a rough performance filled with jeering and insults, you (Beatriz) are hesitant to get back on stage. However, you know the show must go on lest the circus you work for lose money. Luckily, the Ringleader of the circus (and your secret crush), Clem Hoatley, comes to your trailer to talk it out with you. And he also brings you roses and compliments you. Does that mean that he likes you too? Guess you'll see soon.

SFW, Plus Size Reader, Friends to Lovers, Crushes, Hurt and Comfort, Body Positivity, Mild Bullying, Budding Love, Protective Lover

Taglist: @ghnaim24 , @imwithyoutiltheendofthelinebucky , @iobsessoverfictionalmen , @emily-ella-nightshade89 , @goodoldcharley , @writingkitten , @dreamlikedesires

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The joyous sound of innocent child-like laughter and orchestral music invaded the trailer you now sat in.

It was quite the contrast to your melancholy and sense of dread, but still quite nice to hear. Although the tears still ran down your face.

You knew it shouldn't have effected you like it did, but yet it had a stranglehold on your psyche.

Yesterday was just a shitshow of a performance for you and it lingered in your mind as you prepared for your performance today.

The crowd was just nasty and rude, making fun of your ailment instead of just enjoying your uniqueness and talent like before. You never had that type of response, so it hurt even more.

But you couldn't help that you were overweight and had a full beard.

You had a condition.

A condition that was incurable.

And since joining the circus, you were more accepted and felt better about your condition.

You thought you escaped ridicule when you ran away from home at the dawn of your adulthood, but alas, it was back.

Back with a vengeance.

Your tears fell even more as you looked at yourself in the mirror.

For once in your adult life, you felt ugly in your own skin.

You couldn't help but notice how discolored your skin was, how plump your stomach was, and all of the cellulite that was exposed from the leotard and leggings you wore to perform.

You felt nautious just from glancing at your unflattering body, but tried to ignore it while brushing your hair with the antique brush that once belonged to your deceased mother.

Your beautiful, healthy, skinny mother.

Your mother that never struggled with her weight and looks. You envied her, even beyond the grave. And that just made you even more sad.

That was until you heard a knock on your door. You jumped, afraid of who was on the other side of the door.

You only had two friends at the circus, after all.

Those friends being Electra, the Electrified Lady, and Clem, the Ringleader.

And unbeknownst to you, at the time, it was Clem that was at the door.

The older man, that you had a massive crush on, was more than concerned about you. He saw how hurt you were after last night's performance. And he finally had the courage to tell you that you didn't have to perform tonight if you weren't comfortable.

The last thing he wanted was for you to get more hurt.

Sure, he would be losing money, but your feelings were more important to him than that. And if he had to host more geek shows to make up the lost revenue, he happily would.

"Beatriz, it's me, Clem," he softly said. "Can I come in?"

You blushed, and quickly replied,

"Yes, please come in. The door's unlocked."

The Ringleader came in immediately after he was granted entry, with a dozen roses clutched in his wrinkled hand. He was more than excited to give them to you, hinting that he really liked you.

But you were more than oblivious, despite how sweet Clem always was towards you. He always complimented you and gave you little gifts. You just thought he was being nice, but were still more than appreciative of his kindness.

And you didn't even notice him staring at you while you were still brushing your hair to put it up into a ponytail.

He had to stop himself from licking his lips as he gazed at your voluptuous body.

Every flaw you hated about you, he loved.

He really loved.

You were absolutely gorgeous to him.

He always liked his women bigger and your beard was quite charming to him. If anything, it highlighted your cheekbones and eyes.

But he didn't want to come on too strong, afraid that you would reject him for being an old geezer. So he approached you as a friend, even with his romantic gift of roses.

"Sorry," you apologized after you realized you were basically ignoring him while fixing your hair.

Slowly, you turned around and noticed him sitting on the chair nearby while the roses were on his lap. He only smiled at you before you sat down on the chair next to him.

"Are those for me?" you curiously asked.

"Yes," he said before he handed them to you. "You deserve them. You are my best performer after all."

"Thank you for the roses. I appreciate it. But you don't mean what you said," you scoffed. "I mean Electra is much better and actually attractive unlike me."

Clem made a face when you said that. He really didn't like you putting yourself down.

"Why? Because she's skinny?" he asked. "There's nothing wrong with you, Beatriz. There's nothing wrong with having more meat on your bones."

"I beg to differ," you moaned, turning away from him.

"That's actually why I came to check on you," he suddenly said. "I was afraid that you let those horrible people make you feel bad about your condition."

"No, they didn't make me feel bad. They just made me realize that I'm ugly and always will be."

"That's not true," he declared, as he took her hand. "That's not true at all, Beatriz. And you know that. There's nothing wrong with you."

"Clem, you don't have to lie to me," you insisted. "I appreciate your kindness, but you don't have to be untruthful to spare my feelings."

You started to cry again after that, breaking Clem's heart even more. He really did hate seeing you like this, but he knew a good way to comfort you.

That being all the love and affection he could muster in his cold, old heart.

So after swallowing his pride, he hugged you tight as your head fell against the cotton of his shirt and the flax thread of his left suspender.

His body felt warm and comforting too, which made you feel a little better. He had never hugged you before, so you did enjoy this little moment of weakness in his case.

"Clem, why are you doing this?"

"Because I care about you, kid," he said in his more assertive tone. "And because I care about you, I wanted to let you know that you don't have to perform tonight if you don't want to."

You shook a bit in shock, before looking up at him with wild, bewildered eyes.

"What? No, Clem. I have to."

"No, no you don't. You don't have to perform if you're not feeling up to it."

"I'll be fine, Clem. I can't just not perform. We'll lose money."

"I can host more geek shows if I need to," he insisted. "My chicken guy can supply me more chickens for that freak of nature if need be."

"I'm fine," you insisted while wiping your tears. "I just needed to let it out."

"Beatriz, you are in no shape to perform tonight. What if the crowd this time is just as bad or worse? I can't bear seeing you worse than this."

"I'll manage. I don't want to inconvenience you, Clem. I owe you for letting me live and work here anyway. You didn't have to do that for me."

"You're right. I didn't," he agreed after moving a loose strand of hair from your face. "But I'm glad I did. I'm very proud of you. You aren't that shy young woman any more and your performances have only gotten better."

"Thanks, Clem," you said with a noticeable blush on your cheeks. "You're much too kind to me."

"I'm not kind enough, honestly," he said with a visible blush on his cheeks too. "But if you insist on going out tonight, then I suggest you ignore any ignoramus that wants to insult you. Half of those chumps don't even know about real beauty. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Never forget that."

"Wow, that's very profound, Clem."

"Thanks," he said with a snicker. "Now, would you give me the honor of escorting you to the big top? The show's starting soon."

"Sure. I would love that."

He smiled, before he took a rose out of the bouquet and put it on your hair.

"I think that accentuates you cute outfit more," he cooed, making you giggle.

"Oh, thank you."

"Ready now," he asked, extending his hand out.

"Yep, I'm ready."

"Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, feast your eyes on the greatest wonder in this world," Clem dramatically said as the spotlight hit you where you sat in the middle of the big top.

"Here before you today is a woman like no other. A woman with the strength of 60 men, the aerodynamics of a hawk, and the grace of a swan. Please put your hands together for the voluptuous vixen herself, Beatrix the Bearded Lady!"

On que, you got up and smiled at Clem before you began your performance. Like normal, you began with an intensive interpretive dance, purposely exerting your body to both stretch and impress.

After the warm up, you began to do the "aerodynamic stunts" you were known for. Stunts that involved jumping from high heights, basic acrobatics, and lifting heavy objects.

You did it all flawlessly, and luckily tonight the crowd was much nicer and very entertained. You even got a standing ovation.

You bowed reverently at the audience, before peeking over at Clem.

His face was deep red as a big smile appeared. He was so happy to see you content and treated right by the audience.

It absolutely tickled him pink.

So you smiled and waved at him, before going behind the curtain to cool off. Gently, you sat down before a voice rang in your ears.

“Beatriz!” the voice called out. You turned around to find the voice, only to see your other friend making her way over to you.

“Electra!” you chirped before the brunette woman hugged you as tight as she could.

Immediately, you noticed she was in her usual tight electricity-proof rubber suit while her long hair was tied up in a bun. Her makeup was also on point like usual.

“Bea, you were amazing out there! I'm so glad you decided to perform today. I hoped you didn't let those fools get you down.”

“Thanks, Elle,” you started. "But I did let the fools get to me. Clem made me feel better when he checked on me earlier, though.”

“I should have known Clem helped you out,” she said with a smirk before looking over at the Ringleader.

He had just announced their fire eater, Ian aka Fuego, to the stage so he was off to the side.

Curiously, his eyes moved to the open part of the curtain just so he could see you again. But instead, his eyes caught Electra’s.

He embarrassingly blushed and then went back to watching Ian.

“What do you mean?” you asked her.

“Oh, Bea, is it not obvious?” she softly asked.

“Is what obvious?”

“That Clem has feelings for you.”

“No, he doesn't like me. I like him,” you admitted. “Why would he like me? I'm not pretty like you.”

“Bea!” Electra scolded you. “Don't say that. You're gorgeous. Beard and all. Just because you're different, it doesn't mean you're ugly. Besides, Clem admires your uniqueness. I know this to be true. He only dates circus performers. I've known him a little longer than you have. Even with other performers he's liked, he's never been as charming and sweet to them as he has been to you. You really melted his cold heart.”

You blushed.

“You think so?”

“I know so. You'll see soon enough. I'm rooting for you two though. You would be cute.”

“That was Fuego the Fire-Eater,” Clem announced to the roaring crowd. His assistants came out soon after to set up Electra’s set as he began to introduce her, “Now feast your eyes on this…”

“That's my que. I'll see you after I'm done, Bea,” she said to you before hugging you again.

“Break a leg!” you yelled to her.

“Thanks, I will,” she replied back, smiling at you before she met Clem in the middle of the big top.

“Welcome Electra, the Electrified Lady!” Clem cheered. You watched as your friend bowed before the applauding crowd and then took her seat on her set.

She was surrounded by coils and lightning rods like usual, and had her confident smile on as Clem’s assistants helped her with her performance.

And Clem excitedly narrated everything, getting the crowd even more hyped as her performance went on.

However, you did notice him subtly looking over at you as you were watching your friend. He would smile and wink at you when he was in between narrations.

It made you blush, but you just acted like it didn't mean anything.

Sure you trusted Electra, but you didn't want to get your hopes up.

Her performance lasted another five minutes before she met you backstage again.

You hugged her as soon as you could reach her before congratulating her on another stellar performance.

“Aww, thanks Bea. It was nothing,” she insisted. “It's the same routine. I wish I could switch it up some more.”

“Maybe I can help?” you suggested.

“Sure. I wouldn't mind the help. But let's worry about that tomorrow. I'm tired and hungry,” she replied before asking, “Want to go back to my trailer? I can get Roger to go into town to get us some food.”

“That sounds amazing,” you responded. “Let's go.”

The two of you walked out of the big top performer entrance with your arms linked together. You both were gossiping about your coworkers and giggling in between as you made your way to the trailer.

The moon was high, the wind was calm, and you had not a care in the world.

You finally felt at peace with yourself again.

That was until you heard hurried footsteps behind you.

Both you and Electra were alarmed by it but before you could look behind you, you felt a sharp pain in your back above your leotard.

Your shaky hands moved over to the pain and your fingers picked at the mush of a tomato.

A tomato that now stained the back of your leotard.

“Eat your vegetables, fatty!” one of the assailants jeered at you.

It wasn't even a clever remark, but it still enraged you. Swiftly you turned around to face him, only to be hit with another tomato.

Electra was frozen in confusion at the attack, so she could do nothing before the three teens started to pelt you with more tomatoes.

You screamed and tried to grab Electra and run away but they were faster.

“You really think you're wanted?” one of them asked.

“Why does that weird old man even keep you around? You're more of a freak than that geek,” another insulted.

Clem heard the commotion when it first started, but had to wait for the next performers to come out.

Once the acrobats started, he told one of his assistants to take over for a minute before he went to see what was going on.

He followed your and Electra's screams for help until he found the teenagers trapping you two in the corner of an alley.

Slowly he approached behind them, grabbing the wrist of the main antagonist before he could throw again.

He paused in fear of the sensation of the wrinkled hand tightening around his wrist. And the other two gulped as they looked Clem dead in the eyes.

The older man knew these hooligans all too well and was quite feared by the three.

He had hoped that they weren't behind the attack, but he also wasn't surprised.

They were the ones that started the crowds jeering and snarling at you the night before.

“Oh, hi Mr. Hoately,” the main boy said, fear deep in his voice.

Clem hissed at him before asking,

“You didn't torment my friend enough yesterday?!”

“Well, no sir…we were just playing a game…”

“Don't look like any game I've ever seen. And it doesn't seem like my performers are having fun playing this game either.”

“Oh that's just…”

“Save it, Matthias,” he snarled before he snatched the tomato from him and tightened his grip around his wrist.

“Oww, Mr. Hoatley, you're hurting me.”

“Oh, it's just a little bruising you'll get. Nothing too serious,” he teased. “Now beat it before I call the Sheriff and your parents. And I better not catch any of you on the premises of my circus again.”

He let go of his wrist after before they all fearfully ran away from the scene.

You were crying again by the time Clem reached you to comfort you. Electra was trying to calm you down first, but then relented once Clem put his arms around you.

“You alright, Beatriz?” he softly asked.

“I am now. Thank you for saving us.”

“Of course,” he happily said. “I care about you girls.”

Electra warmly smiled at the Ringleader, before saying,

“I'm sorry I didn't do more, Clem. It's just you told us not to fight the patrons and I panicked and…”

“It's okay, Electra. Those boys won't be bothering you two again. Also you were allowed to fight them if you had to. The Sheriff would have taken our side. Our circus brings a lot of revenue to this town.”

“I'll remember that,” she softly said.

“There, there, Beatriz. I won't let go until you want me to,” he assured as you kept crying into his shirt.

“Clem, they were insulting her again,” Electra told him.

“Right. Well it doesn't matter what three snot-nosed kids think. They wouldn't know true beauty if it hit them in the nose.”

“I couldn't agree more,” she responded.

“Beatriz, there's something I've been meaning to ask you,” Clem suddenly said after.

“Yes?” you asked, raising your head to meet his eyes.

“Would you like to accompany me to dinner tomorrow night…say around 9?”

Your heart started beating fast when he asked that.

Did he just ask you out on a date?

You couldn't believe it. Was this a dream? It had to be a dream, right?

“Clem, are you asking me on a date?”

“Yes, that's exactly what I'm doing. I like you a lot, Bea. I just had to find the courage to ask. And I think right now is the best time.”

The biggest smile appeared on your face before you looked over at Electra who was also excited for you.

“Well, what do you say? It would make this old man very happy if you said yes.”

“Oh, Clem. Yes, I'll go out with you tomorrow night,” you happily said before you hugged him again and kissed his cheek.

He blushed after you kissed his cheek, before he kissed yours.

“I'm so glad you said yes,” he chirped. “You're the most beautiful woman I've seen in a long time.”

You blushed.

“Thanks, Clem. I'll see you then.”

“See you then,” he said after he let you go. “I have to go back to the big top, but Roger will be around if you need anything. You girls have a good rest of your evening.”

“Thanks, Clem. We will,” you chirped before he left you two alone.

You both screamed in delight after, just giddy that it finally happened.

Electra was right.

He did like you.

He always liked you.

“I told you he liked you,” Electra teased as you began your walk to the trailer again.

“I know. I should have listened.”

“It's okay,” she gently said. “Trust me. I know what it's like to doubt my self worth and esteem too. But Clem's right. You're a beautiful woman who deserves happiness and love. And I think Clem is willing to provide that for you.”

“I think so too. But I don't know what I'm gonna wear.”

“How about this…you help me with my routine changes and I'll help doll you up for your date. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Good. Now let's stop at your trailer first so you can change. And I'll take your leotard and clean it. I have a trick to get these tomato stains out that my mother taught me.”

“Okay. And thanks. You're a life saver.”

“Of course. What are friends for? Also we need to flag down Roger. I'm getting hungry.”

“Same,” you replied before you both started giggling.

---

Stay tuned for Chapter 2 where Beatriz and Clem go on their first date to Clem's favorite diner. It's gonna be a lot of fluff and some smut. 😉😊

#happy reading #this has been a long time coming #i've been meaning to give clem a fic #because i love this carny #hope you like it #clem hoately #nightmare alley #nightmare alley (2021)#fanfiction #fanfic #fan fiction #body postivity #plus size reader #circuscore #circus performer #circus fic #reader fic #bearded lady #willem dafoe

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