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brain-rot-central · 2 months

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Sonnet of the Lone Cardinal

A/N: This is a working title. I reserve the right to change it going forward, lol. This is also my first AA fic! Can't believe it took me this long. Also feel free to note any other tags I may have missed. I'll add them as I go.

Rating: E Word count: 5.1k Pairing: Ascended Astarion/Fem!Tav Warnings: 18+, post-canon, PiV sex, creampie, angst, stalking behavior, obsessiveness, possessiveness, manipulative behavior (overall A's not really the greatest in this), use of derogatory language (though not at anyone specifically), messy break-up, depictions of gore, break-up (maybe make-up?) sex

Summary: Astarion has performed the Rite, becoming someone unrecognizable. Tav leaves him after settling their business with the Netherbrain, refusing his proposition to become his consort. She uses these last 6 months to heal her broken heart, mourning all they were and what they could have been. Hopefully all her hard work has paid off, because he's decided he wants her back and drops in for a visit.

♥ Next Chapter ♥ Link to Ao3

“It's awfully dangerous for such delectable morsels to leave their windows open this time of night.”

The whimsical voice comes from behind. With it, a rush of cold air sweeps through the quaint upstairs bedroom. Curtains lining the double panes of the front windows dance as the breeze blows in. Papers on the dresser scatter about the floor.

A young woman dressed in a sheer linen nightgown sits at her vanity, combing through her long red hair, when she freezes.

A familiar scent dances beneath her olfactory nerves - heady, rich, citrus. She breathes deeply, the warm spice of the cologne sweeping through her. Waves of heat pulse throughout her body as her ears pick up the sound of footsteps drawing closer.

With a sigh, the woman closes her eyes as the assailant reaches her position, their footsteps coming to a halt behind her.

It's him, she realizes. She’s never been more sure of anything else in her life.

Many months have passed since their last meeting. Passion burned as hot as an Infernal forge on that night. Promises of love, of pleasure, of power poured freely from their lips as their bodies intertwined. At that moment, she was prepared to give him everything - her life, her freedom, her body, soul.

She would have, had she not come to realize it was all an elaborate farce.

As she cracks open her eyes, daring to look up, the woman catches his reflection in the vanity mirror. With an audible gasp, it quickly dawns on her that this is the first time she’s seeing his face reflected in a glass pane.

Their eyes meet in the mirror, her chest suddenly heaving.

It is him.

And by the Gods, he's even more devastatingly handsome than she remembers.

“You never know what sort of monsters are out lurking the streets, hm?” he purrs, bringing his face close to her ear.

Assaulted once more by the warm spice of his cologne, her head spins.

“Astarion,” the woman whispers, nearly breathless. “What are you doing here?”

Craning his head, Astarion dips down into the nape of her neck, inhaling deeply. Her pulse quickens as he draws near, heart hammering away in her ribcage. His lips curl, fangs gleaming in the faint candlelight illuminating the room as his tongue sweeps over his teeth.

“I needn't an invitation to go where I please now, pet,” he pants against her neck.

A cold shudder shoots down her spine.

There was a time when her body would come alight from his many terms of endearment.

Darling, dear, sweet, pet, love.

Love.

“Nothing special, of course. You're only the first person I truly care for.”

His words echo in the far recesses of her mind. The words of her companion and partner, her lover… of a man who no longer exists.

That night in the ritual chamber, he changed.

The sound of the staff hitting the stone floor reverberates off ancient walls. Cazador and his spawn playing their parts, bound together in blood by the Rite. Astarion, levitating at the center, eyes burning red as an aura of blood envelops him. He's chanting the words - the Infernal seance that was once meant to be his end.

Her tongue lay heavy in her mouth. Words fly across her mind; desperate pleas begging him to reconsider, to stop this. None ever make it past her lips.

Suddenly, the spawn pop. One after the other.

Pop, pop, pop.

Astarion laughs, loud and boisterous, relishing the new found power that comes with each death.

Finally comes Cazador's turn.

He screams - a true blood-curdling scream. The type you hear moments before a person knows death has come, all too late. His voice carries on as she stands in the chamber, helplessly watching Cazador succumb to the ritual. He bursts at the seams into a pile of pulverized matter, dripping onto the floor below, completely unrecognizable.

Then suddenly, the room is engulfed by a haunting silence.

The Ascension… is complete.

The aura around Astarion fades and he drops down onto the platform below his feet. He remains kneeling for a moment. The sound of his breathing is all that fills the chamber, companions too stunned to speak.

He rises, slowly turning to face their leader. Looking upon his face, she sees the horrible truth lay bare before her.

Her lover is no more.

She's mourned him, the promise of them, ever since that night. Cried tears until her head throbbed and her face swelled, cried until nothing but sleep could soothe the ache in her heart.

And here he stands behind her, a scowl littering his visage as their eyes meet yet again in the mirror.

Her heart pounds in her throat, tears welling at the corners of her eyes. She swallows, asking, “Why did you come here, Astarion?”

Astarion pulls himself back, taking a few paces away from the woman. Folding his arms over his chest, he replies, “My darling Tav, I've come to take you home.”

“Home? I am home,” insists Tav. Turning her body, still seated in her chair, she scans him over.

Moonlit curls sweep elegantly across his forehead, framing his face. Ruby gems glint in the dim light of the room. He's wearing a black and silver doublet, blood-red dragons delicately embroidered on the lapel. Every bit elegant and refined; elite.

Astarion's face softens. He draws closer again, Tav’s breath hitching as his hand cups her chin. Tilting her face up toward his, he states, “I've given you more than enough freedom.” He cranes his head, bringing his lips a breath above her own as he whispers, “Don't you think?”

The velvet grace of his voice makes her dizzy. Tav realizes she feels heat radiating off his skin as their faces draw closer in proximity; a stark contrast to his usual aura. Her face burns - a fire that quickly spreads down into her belly. Tav tries to speak but Astarion closes the distance, lips capturing hers in a delicate embrace. His kiss is soft, alluring, unhurried.

Gentle, she thinks to herself. He's being so gentle.

“Astarion-” she protests, logic returning to her as she breaks the kiss. Tav scans his face, drawing her head back. Heavy lids fall over his eyes as they transfix upon her lips. He’s hungry, in more ways than one.

She knows that look. It's the very same he'd give her night after night in his tent, when all he wished was to share his body with her. Instead, they'd find other ways to partake in the ecstacy of one another until they were left breathless and panting.

But that was long ago.

Astarion's tongue darts out to lick over his lips as he says, “A lord is nothing without his dearest consort.” He moves to kiss her again, but Tav quickly ducks out of reach. She stands, hands clenched in tight fists.

“No,” she insists, locking eyes with him. She furrows her brow. “I will not be made into your personal plaything!”

A chuckle rumbles from his chest. Astarion tilts his head, a smirk forming on his face. “‘Plaything?’” he reiterates. “Do you believe I think that little of you?” Astarion brushes his knuckles over Tav’s cheek. “My darling treasure,” he begins, “I have many playthings, though none are quite like you.”

Tav’s pupils blow wide.

Astarion means to make her jealous with talk of other lovers. He means to fill her mind with images of him making love to unknown beings. To make her think of him finding pleasure in others who are not her.

She will not rise to it.

“Your chosen harlots aren’t enough?” Tav sneers. “I thought Lord Astarion Ancunín had everything he desired?”

With a scoff, Astarion replies, “You don't get it, do you?” A twinge of impatience can be heard as he says, “You helped make me what I am. We are bound to one another, until the end of time.”

Tav shudders as his hands come up to hold her face. She pulls in a sharp breath, expecting the cold sting of death from his usual chilled palms. Yet, they're completely warm as they cradle her jaw. Another reminder that he is now very much changed. Alive. His cologne assaults her senses once more and her eyes flutter closed as she settles into the strange comfort of his touch.

“My heart will never stop calling for you,” Astarion speaks softly. “No other can satisfy that hunger.” He brushes over her bottom lip with the pad of a thumb and feels her tremble below him. “You are to be my consort, my bride,” he insists, voice stern but low. “That is your role in this.”

Tav falters beneath his touch, allowing herself to be walked back to the wall next to the vanity. Her hands come up to wrap around his wrists. “Such honeyed words,” she retorts. “If I didn't know any better, I'd actually believe you.” Her back connects with the wall and she gasps.

“Tav, look at me,” Astarion demands with urgency. She doesn't comply, turning her head to the side. Slipping a hand from her cheek to grasp her chin, he forcibly turns her head back toward his. “Look at me!” he spits again.

Hesitant to look upon Astarion’s face, Tav cracks her eyes open. Opening them fully, it's not anger that she finds there. Her stomach flips. No, not anger or even disappointment. Instead, she sees… vulnerability.

“I wish I could replace you. I’ve tried,” Astarion bites out through clenched teeth. His face falls as his eyes settle on her. “Nothing can fill the void your absence has left.” He shakes his head slightly before adding, “Something within me screams for you, as if I were alone in a decrepit crypt and only you can save me.”

Her heart beats wildly in her chest. She feels as though she may suffocate, or that her heart may give out at a moment's notice. Tav begins to feel the tendrils of desire dance across her abdomen. They start low in her groin and quickly spread upward, causing a rhythmic contraction of her walls. She cannot fall for this again, she simply must not. All he's done is spout pretty words and step into her presence. And yet…

His breath pants against her face as he rests their foreheads together. The scent of freshly chewed mint whirls beneath her nose. Her vision spins.

In her stupor, Tav hardly notices Astarion's hands slipping under her nightgown. His palms rest on the backs of her thighs and he lifts a leg, allowing more room to slot himself against her core.

Tav groans as their centers meet, arching her back. Her chest presses into his and she moans, hands seeking purchase in his hair as he rocks himself into her once again.

“Astarion,” she pleads, wrapping her leg around the small of his back. A bolt of pleasure shoots up from her groin. She feels her walls clench again in desperation as his hardened cock brush against her cunt, straining against the fabric of his trousers. Her body remembers him and is all too eager to receive him once more.

Astarion knows. He recalls exactly how her body reacts almost on instinct to his touch. He pants against her lips with each roll of his hips into hers. “Come home with me, Tav,” he groans out. “Please, darling. I need you.”

His voice comes out ragged, stressed. Astarion leans against her chest, slipping his face into the nape of her neck. Inhaling deeply, a fire begins smoldering low in his belly. Her scent is of fresh mountain dew in early spring. Floral, sweet, and holding the promise of possibility. His cock twitches in anticipation.

Tav moans, loud and unfiltered. Her knees grow weak and she nearly buckles off the wall if Astarion weren't holding her up. She throws her head against the wall behind her, back arching once again.

“I mourned you,” Tav tells him, nearly breathless. “I mourned us.” She doesn't protest as Astarion lifts her other leg to join in locking around his waist. Tav doesn't fight how he grinds himself into her again, trapping her between himself and the wall. She feels faint, her vision growing fuzzy at the edges, though she manages to huff out, “You don't get to come here and make demands of me, Astarion.”

Astarion pulls his head back leisurely to meet her eyes. “You left me, remember?” he says low in his throat.

“What choice did you leave me with?” Tav exclaims in frustration. “You wanted me to sacrifice my life in order to prove my love for you. You would have never asked that of me before that accursed Rite!”

“I only wish to live out the rest of eternity together,” Astarion replies. “I promised I would protect you, that no harm would ever come to you.”

Tav stares into his face as realization registers in her mind, mouth falling slightly agape. She's gotten used to reading between the lines of his words, so often laced with duplicate meaning. True to his former life as a rogue of the night.

Her mortality is a threat to his oath.

Astarion cannot fathom going through the rest of time without her. Or, he does, and the thought is too painful for him to ever risk becoming reality. That is what he means to say, though apparently incapable in this new state.

“Isn't this what you wanted?” he asks, quietly. “To be together? Forever?”

Tears well in the creases of her eyelids and Tav sobs. “You are a fool, Astarion Ancunín,” she chides.

Astarion hovers his mouth mere millimeters above hers. “Only for you,” he says. “Always for you.” He captures her lips in a gentle embrace, breathing deeply through his nose as he pushes further into the kiss.

Tav moans into his mouth as she slackens her jaw, creating enough room for their tongues to begin exploring one another. She gasps as Astarion carries her from the wall to her bed on the far side of the room, grabbing at his shoulders for leverage.

“Tell me I may have you,” he asks, breaking the kiss as he lays her down over the mattress. He climbs over her, mouth descending upon her neck. He peppers chaste kisses along the underside of her jaw.

Tav writhes beneath him, whimpers escaping her throat as he licks and suckles on the delicate flesh of her throat. With resolve quickly waning, her hands find purchase again in silver locks as she finally says, “You may, but only for tonight.”

Astarion freezes above her. Hesitantly, he pulls himself back, looking her over as he begins shrugging off his doublet. “Are you sure?” he inquires softly.

This is the perfect opportunity to ask him to turn and leave. To not start this over again, to not return down a path in which she knows there is no favorable end. Though, Tav also cannot deny just how much she has missed him, as well.

“It's only sex, Astarion,” she tells him, sitting up to undo the ties of her nightgown. “That's all this will be.”

His hands come to rest atop hers, replacing her motions as he pulls gently at the laces of the gown. With the last tie undone her gown falls open, revealing her bare breasts to his heated gaze. Astarion sucks in a sharp breath as he meets her eyes.

“Only sex,” he ponders aloud as he furrows his brow. “But what if I want-”

“No,” Tav interjects, voice firm. “This is all I can give you. You either take this, or you have nothing.” Her breathing comes uneven as she stares back at him, chest heaving. Her nerves have come alight; she cannot fall in love with him again, but she can at least offer him this.

With a curt nod, Astarion replies, “As you wish.”

His expression is guarded as he fumbles with the laces of his trousers. He pulls his undershirt up and over his head, dropping it unceremoniously onto the floor behind the bed. Standing up, he peels off his boots, pants, and underclothes in one fell swoop. He returns to Tav on the bed as bare as the day he was born, following her eyes as they roam down the long plane of his torso. They come to rest between his thighs.

Astarion’s cock stands ready at attention, jumping in tandem with his heartbeat. Saliva pools thick on her tongue and she slips the nightgown down and off her arms. She's left naked before him, not having time to fully dress before his unexpected visit. Tav hears him groan as he looks her over.

A surprised gasp falls from her mouth as he cups her sex. She feels him drag two fingers through the arousal that has already gathered between her folds, and watches as he brings those same fingers to his mouth. A bolt of desire pulls behind her navel as she watches his slick-soaked fingers slip between his lips. He suckles around them, moaning his approval.

With a wet pop, Astarion pulls the two digits from his mouth and places them against her cunt again. They're saturated with his spittle, softly prodding at her entrance.

“A-ah!” Tav gasps as his fingers sink in. It's only two, but Gods how she's struggling to take them. They glide in and out, Astarion occasionally curling his fingers to pass along the spongy spot inside her that turns her vision white.

It's not long before he's pulling his fingers out and lining himself up along her entrance. Astarion spits into his hand, giving himself a few languid strokes. The weight of his cock slaps down heavily as he drags his length through her slickened folds once, twice, before he's finally slipping into her.

Screwing his eyes shut, Astarion lets out a guttural groan as he feels his tip pop through her tense entrance, her warmth enveloping him as he seats himself a bit further before halting. Her walls spasm wildly around his shaft; it takes every ounce of willpower he has not to sink the rest of himself down into her inviting wet heat.

Tav sighs as she finally adjusts, body relaxing around him. She hadn't necessarily forgotten that taking Astarion is no small feat, though she did forget how it feels to actually do so.

“You can move,” she tells him meekly.

He doesn't respond with words; a simple nod of his head is all Tav gets before he's leaning over her, hips slipping further and further toward the backs of her thighs. Wrapping his arms around her thighs, Astarion pulls her into him, pelvis meeting her backside. He growls, cock twitching as his tip brushes against her cervix.

Tav shudders under him as he pulls out, feeling the dragging of his length within her cunt, only for him to push back in with added force. Her body jerks upward from the power of his thrust. An audible string of whimpers falls freely from her lips as he does it again, and again, and again.

Astarion catches Tav’s hands as she tries reaching for him, pushing them back toward the bedsheets. Confused by his gesture, Tav tries again, only for Astarion to once more shove her hands off of him.

Stunned, Tav looks at his face. Sweat is beginning to gather along his brow, though he keeps perfect composure. There is no lust nor passion to his expression. He looks… removed. Distant. Aloof.

Just… having sex.

“Astarion?” Tav asks, concerned. “I can't touch you?”

He scoffs above her, grunting as he slams his hips again into hers. “Touch is a rather intimate thing,” he says, sarcasm saturating his tone. “Intimacy isn't welcome when you're just having sex.”

“Stop,” Tav demands, hands pressing against his stomach. Astarion immediately ceases his movements. “This is too cold, Astarion,” she says quietly. “This isn't us.”

Above her, Astarion sucks in a large breath. “It is when it's devoid of emotion,” he clarifies, patience wearing thin. “That's what you wanted, isn't it?” He tilts his head, craning his neck to look down upon her. “Just a quick romp?”

“I-”

Venom seeps from his pores as he quickly adds, “If you were ever curious as to how I treat my harlots, well, now you know. It's rather different from our last time, eh? I wonder why that is?” Astarion feigns an inquisitive glance, placing a finger to the side of his mouth as his lips form into a pout.

“Astarion, I-”

Tav tries desperately to interject, but is disrupted again by Astarion snapping his fingers. “Oh, I know! It's because I made love to you!” he sneers, lips curling over his fangs as he leans closer to her face. “You were never a conquest to me!” he growls. “Never one night it's best to forget.”

Astarion exhales, eyes falling closed in an effort to regain his composure. “If you insist on me treating you like a whore in a brothel, fine,” he says, “I'll do it. But know it's not done willingly.”

Tav remains silent, words failing her. Her body trembles as the full weight of his confession echoes throughout her mind. Pulling in ragged breaths, she questions, “Would you make love to me again? If I asked?”

Astarion huffs out a laugh, his expression softening. “I would raze an entire city for you,” he confirms. “You need only ask.”

A sense of despair enshrouds her as she stares into his ruby red eyes. He still loves her, Tav realizes. As much as, if not more than, the day she left him. Her head pounds; she needs to stop this from going forward. The voice in her head is begging her not to continue, to not risk reopening the wound she's spent the last six months delicately stitching back together.

Their last night together replays in her thoughts. She recalls the all-encompassing feeling of want that radiated off Astarion, that night. He carried her into a world of pleasure she never dreamed possible, all while singing praises deeply into her ear as he rocked in and out of her core. They joined as one, body and soul. Or so Tav thought, until the following morning.

Astarion looks at her now with that same compassion in eyes. He means what he says; he would destroy anyone and anything should she ask it of him. He's already destroyed himself, all in a vow to protect her.

Choking back a sob, she accepts final defeat in the battle her heart fought so desperately since he first came through her window. “Make love to me then, Astarion,” Tav tells him, pleadingly. “The way you used to.”

The flame of the single candle in the room dances in his eyes. The ghost of a smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Oh, my sweet,” he purrs, “There's nothing I'd like more,” Astarion brushes her cheek with the back of a palm. His arousal has flagged, still situated within Tav’s warmth, though it stirs back to life as he captures her lips in a hungry kiss.

Tav groans as she feels Astarion's length swell within her walls, noises swallowed by his mouth over hers. When he grows stiff enough, Astarion gives shallow thrusts between her legs. It isn't long until he's back to full virility, rolling his hips into hers in a steady rhythm.

She cries out as he breaks the kiss, one last deep thrust before he's pulling out of her. Pushing her legs back, knees almost hitting her chest, Astarion slips back into place between her thighs. Tav’s knees are being held up by his shoulders as he bends forward, sliding his cock back into her slickened cunt with ease.

Astarion groans as his cock slides down, down, down until his tip nudges the end of her tunnel. Tav gasps as he settles himself impossibly deeper, hips giving a soft push that leaves her womb pulsing. She claws at Astarion’s back when he pulls his hips up slightly, only to crash into her again.

Astarion rests his forehead against Tav’s. He drops his hips repeatedly into her center, eyes locked with hers as he does. The air pushed from her lungs from each of his thrusts passes over his face and he greedily sucks it in. Her face is flushed shades of red and pink as blood rushes through her veins, singing her desire loudly in his ears.

Nails sink into the tender scars on his back and Astarion hisses. With half open eyelids, Tav struggles to keep his gaze, pleasure threatened to overwhelm her. But when she finally does, she sees it. There, in his eyes, is him. The man she fell in love with.

Astarion's eyes are soft, round, pleading. The eyes of the man she gave herself to repeatedly all those months ago.

Each night she spent being devoured by his mouth, pulling the very essence of her body into his, she felt it - the sanctity of her oath dangling in the balance. Should she have stuck to her teachings, Astarion would’ve been staked through the heart at first discovery of his true nature. And yet, night after night, she willingly succumbed to the lustful desires that only her blood could provide him.

She moans as he angles his hips sharply on the next downstroke, the head of his cock brushing deliciously up against her spot. The rhythmic fluttering of her tunnel over his shaft pulls a throaty groan from Astarion, who quickly buries his face into the nape of her neck as the sensation wracks through his body. His arms envelop her torso, using her as leverage to increase the pace of her thrusts.

Tav feels her arousal leaking down the cleft of her ass, carved out from her with each plunge of his cock into her cunt. The tip of him rams against her spot repeatedly and she shakes in his arms, pleasure coiling tightly in her belly with not much left to hold onto. “Astarion,” she pants against his ear, mindlessly mouthing at his lobe. “Gods, Astarion…”

He groans again against her neck, skin muffling most of it. The sounds of their joint arousal fill the room, and Astarion pulls his lips back in anticipation of his impending climax. The smoldering fire in his belly has erupted into hellfire, threatening to consume all and any in its path if not quelled soon.

Fangs press into the delicate skin of her neck and Tav shivers, hands flying into his hair and grasping, pulling. “Do not bite me, Astarion,” Tav says, panicked.

Humming his disapproval, Astarion reluctantly pulls his head away from her neck. He rests his forehead against hers again. “Where do you want me, Tavaria?” The question comes quietly, unguarded. Strained.

Tavaria.

The sound of her full name on his tongue sends pulses of desire through her belly. He's close, Tav realizes. Astarion pants against her face as his thrusts grow more uneven. Moving a hand to his jaw, Tav holds his cheek, rubbing his chin with her thumb. “However you want,” comes her reply.

Astarion shudders, a moan slipping past his lips, eyes rolling to the back of his skull momentarily. He blinks back into focus, chest heaving as his breathing becomes labored. He's barely lifting hips into Tav, instead giving short stuttering thrusts that have his tip kissing her cervical os.

“Tav, please,” he begs. “Tell me.”

Silver strands of hair stick to his sweat-soaked forehead. Brushing them out of the way with a hand, she plants a kiss between his brow. “Inside,” she coos. “It's okay.”

Carnal desire flares behind Astarion's eyes. He grunts, raw and guttural as he dips his head back into the crook of her neck. He feels his cock begin to swell, a telltale sign that his release is imminent.

Tav whimpers as Astarion rams over her pleasure point again and again, the fattened head of his cock dragging along her walls. It doesn't take much longer before she's screaming out her completion below him, nails digging into the skin of his marred back.

Astarion roars out his own climax above her, balls pulling up tightly as fangs sink into the pillow next to her. He floods her channel with his seed, tiny rolls of his hips pulling groans from his chest as he rides out the wave. Tav’s walls are more than willing to massage the rest of his spend from his balls and into her greedy womb.

They lay together panting, post-coital haze in full effect. It isn't until Astarion shifts to pull out his softening member that Tav feels it - his spend dribbling from her entrance and onto the nightgown under her. He's the first to leave the bed, shaking his head while running a hand through tousled locks. Tav watches him disappear into her washroom as she slowly sits herself up onto her elbows.

The sound of water running into the tub can be heard and Astarion reappears in the doorway. He returns to the bed, Tav gasping as he scoops her up into his arms and carries her toward the washroom.

“What are you doing, Astarion?” she asks, mind still clouded by her peak. She loops her hands around his neck, lolling her head against his shoulder.

A chuckle rumbles from his chest as he kisses the top of her head. “Taking care of you,” he answers, bringing them both across the threshold of the washroom.

-------------------------------------------

Tav awakens the next morning alone, tucked snuggly in her bed. The events of the night are hazy as she slowly regains consciousness. She doesn't recall when or how she fell asleep. Peeling off the covers and giving herself a quick look over, she realizes she's dressed in her nightgown again. The ties are neatly in place, eerily similar to how she had them before.

Looking around her room, there's no evidence that Astarion had been present. The papers she swore fell to the floor are all stacked neatly on her dresser. The candle has been hushed out, and her windows closed.

Was it a dream? she ponders, heart rate rising as her confusion grows.

Her eyes scan the room frantically in an attempt to find a single piece out of place. Finally, she finds the answer she is searching for laying atop her vanity. Rising out of bed, Tav walks over to find a single rose laid across the top of the desk. He was here, Tav notes to herself, bringing the rose to her face. She inhales its sweet scent, dread filling her heart as the heavy weight of last night begins to actualize.

No, it was very real. And it’s only just beginning.

#astarion #ascended astarion #bg3 #bg3 astarion #astarion smut #astarion ancunin #fanfiction #astarion angst #astarion x tav #astarion romance #astarion x female tav #my writing #bg3 fanfiction

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ghouljams · 5 months

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I think König is one of those guys where everyone thinks he's the biggest asshole. Like your parents meet him and unless your relationship with your parents is perfect they will not like him. Like to the point where the day of your wedding they'll be "gently" telling you if at anytime you need to pack up your things and come home. (Totally not speaking from experience)

like when it's just you two, he is the sweetest man, peppering you with kisses, using himself as a living weighted blanket, telling you how amazing you are, and how happy is to have you. Constantly praising you for any special skills or talents, but EVERYONE thinks he's an asshole and can't understand for the life of them why the hell you a relatively nice person is with him.

That isn't to say he can't play nice, he can, but if he finds out someone hurt you even if it's emotionally or mentally he's not even going to try because if they can't play nice with his darlin they're not worth the effort. Being nice is one of those things that takes effort for him.

-Hot mess rambler

(I know I said I'd get out, but ghoul you have infected me with CoD brain worms. I have multiple one shots on a Google doc of X reader stories and have multiple tabs of research for said fics. I don't know if I'll share them, but I wanted to let you know that you have infected me with the inspiration)

König is not charming lol he's not nice. He can play at nice but he doesn't actually want to engage with people. Monotone king, voice a little too loud to be considered friendly, constant side eye, he only pulls because he's tall.

He's ONLY nice to you. He only cares about what his darling thinks of him, everyone else is incidental. If you complain even once about someone they're on his permanent shit list. He menaces your family and friends, radiates the worst possible vibes while standing behind you. You introduce him and it's such a shock. You only ever gush about how sweet König is, how caring he is, how soft and gentle with you he is. Who the fuck is this monster glowering at them like he's imagined 100 different ways to kill them. Yeah he's a huge asshole. One word answers to questions, doesn't elaborate on anything, doesn't even seem interested in talking to people other than you.

Everyone at your wedding asks if you're being held hostage or something, offers you a couch to crash on, it's the most confusing thing. The toasts are all half joking about König being a giant scary weirdo, you don't get it. He's the best partner in the world, but only for you.

(also you stay in my ask box, you're not getting away that easy. If you ever feel the desire to share I would love to read whatever you've written! Congrats on the brain worms.)

#ghoul speaks #hot mess anon #we love to see the worms getting more people

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year

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The Yakuza daughter! S/o x Gun basically made me fangirl as I imagine them being a power couple lol. I now wonder if you got part 2 in that like Goo just discover Gun ring on his hand and a photo of his fiancée/wife in his photo (I just imagine that he took a photo of s/o in a lingerie lol)

Ughhhh Sam, this idea is too fun. Here's a much much quicker follow up with a lot less Yakuza-ness (sorry 🙇🏻‍♀️).

Gun Park x Reader: After I do (feat Goo)

Goo finds out. Follow up to 'I do' fic here

"How was Japan?"

Goo watches Gun washing the blood from his hands. Something about Gun has changed. He seems... different. Goo couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe it was Japan. Maybe it's the guy just being a freakshow as per usual.

Gun side-eyes him. The response is clipped, short, singular.

"Fine."

"Not like you to take an extended leave."

"..."

The lack of answer doesn't deter Goo, all too used to his partner's silence. "Business or personal?"

"..."

"Anything I should worry about?"

"..."

"Are you planning anything?"

"..."

"Did you pick up my Sanrio-"

Gun thrusts his hands in the dryer, the blasts of air drowning out Goo's incessant questioning. Unfortunately, this doesn't last long enough. Nothing ever does once the blonde's curiousity is piqued.

As soon as the whirring stops, Goo opens his mouth once again and Gun finally responds. "No, no and no. Shut up."

Hmph. Looks like Goo won't get anything else from this asshole. With a glint in his eye, he asks his final question, "You owe me for covering your duties. Was Crystal always this annoying?"

Gun reluctantly smiles. "Yes."

"What does our big bad boss want?"

Gun scans his phone. The message from just moments ago wasn't anything of significance to their mission. Although. The selfie of you in a seductive pose and risque underwear might be a distraction.

He appreciates it for a beat longer then locks the device. "It's not our boss."

That's the end of that conversation. Or so he thought.

"Huh?" Goo's eyes dart over to him with increasing frequency and the car starts to swerve.

Gun will not die by his hand because this fucking maniac can't keep his eyes on the road. Begrudgingly, he elaborates, "It's personal."

The blonde's eyes bulge out at this admission, "During work hours? Who wants to text a mean bastard like you?"

For fuck's sake. Can't this fucking idiot ever mind his own business.

Goo continues, "Who the hell would even want to be friends with you? I hope you're not plotting anything against me..." A malicious snicker, "Or are you dating? You should introduce me to them, they must be a firecracker!"

Gun tunes out his partner, a skill he has long mastered.

But when his phone buzzes for the third time in as many minutes, with you no doubt sending yet another racy image, Gun has to physically restrain himself from looking (and internally curses you for your poor timing).

Goo tries to swipe at the phone. "Hey, let me text back!"

Gun moves it effortlessly out of arm's reach. "If you're not going to keep those eyes on the road, then I can just pluck them from your head."

"You're no fun." Goo pouts, narrowly missing driving into a ravine.

"Oppa~ do you want a bite of this sushi?"

"No."

"Are you sure? It's really delicious!"

"..."

"Just a little taste!"

"Come near me again, I'll jam the sushi and the chopsticks down your throat."

"Ahhh~! Goo, your friend is so mean!"

What the fuck? Gun seems to be in an even more sour mood than usual. The last time the both of them were at this Gangnam bar, Gun had no issues with the women. Someone to warm his bed for the night, he had figured.

This evening though? He didn't even bat an eyelid in their direction.

"Gun! You can at least be nice to these sweethearts!" Goo snaps.

"No." Gun replies simply, getting up to leave.

What a fucking weirdo, Goo thinks. Oh well, more sushi for me.

"Since when did you wear jewellery?"

Goo snatches Gun's left hand, pulling it up to his face and holding it so close he is cross-eyed behind his glasses.

He absolutely has not seen this before, his brows furrow at this very odd addition. A plain, silver-coloured ring wrapped around the fourth finger.

Yanking his hand back, Gun responds. "Since I want to."

"A plain ring? On that finger?" Goo trails after him as he strides off, "You know what that means right? Wait..."

Goo completely stops in his tracks, "A couple band? Engagement? Are you...?"

Gun completely ignores him, increasing the distance between them.

No fucking way, right? The simple band on his hand is definitely something, but-

There's just-

No. fucking. way.

Who the fuck would be able to put up with Gun Park?

"Who's that?" Goo peers at the picture of the smokeshow on Gun's phone, catching a glimpse just before he tucks it into his pocket.

Having that image is certainly... a choice. Who is she though? A new k-pop idol? Gun doesn't seem like the type that would have an image of an idol or a celebrity as their background.

"My wife."

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Focus." Gun commands, as a gang of men come at them with knives and baseball bats.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Goo repeats, ducking to avoid a slash.

"I said, focus." Gun easily tanks a couple hits before returning some of his own.

"WHAT THE-" Goo's words are cut short as some thug takes advantage of his diverted attention and knocks his glasses off.

"FUCK- Fine." Goo elbows the guy in the solar plexus then easily plucks the baseball bat from his now slack grip. "Let me just borrow this~"

"You must be Goo Kim!"

Turning on the hostess charm, you note how Goo has to almost literally pick his jaw off the floor with your entrance.

Gun leans against the doorframe, observing with quiet smugness at the reaction. You had dropped in at the HNH offices to join Gun for lunch. Usually he would pick a better time and place but the level of questioning from Goo had already surpassed absurd levels ever since he found out Gun was married.

The last few weeks had been hell.

"When did you get married?! You didn't invite me to the wedding? I wasn't your best man? Tell me, who was it! I'll beat them up! When can I meet your bride? Or are you scared I'll charm her away?"

And Gun had promised you a partnership of equals. With your short time in South Korea, you had more than enough proved your usefulness and loyalty. It's about time he cuts you in on the Crew business.

He surmises this is a way to kill two birds with one stone.

You're Gun's wife? This absolute knockout? With him? That fucking boring asshole?

Goo would have thought this is Gun's twisted idea of a prank if he hadn't found out that the guy barely had a sense of humour a long time ago. That time had almost ended in stitches for Goo.

"Mrs. Park!" He gives you a theatrical bow, "I've been so looking forward to working with you!"

"Just call me Y/N," you giggle.

Goo takes your hand, pressing a loud smooch to the top of it. Gun's entire body tenses at the contact. This does not go unnoticed by you.

You retract your hand back, subtly wiping the kiss away, "I can't wait to get stuck into all the details."

"Of course, Y/N!"

"There won't be any trouble from you, right, Goo?"

"Princess, don't you trust me?"

You look Goo dead in the eye, seeing through the fake hurt on his face and dropping your own act.

"No. And," you grab onto his crotch, digging in your nails as Goo yelps, "If there is even a whiff of anything amiss then I'm coming after your balls." Your grip tightens as he tries without success to push you off, "Got it?"

"ACK!! Fuck! Got it, got it!"

You release him, relishing at his squeal.

"If you've broken anything," Goo scowls, struggling to stand and cradling himself tenderly. "Ugh, you two are fucking made for each other. Psychos."

Gun arrives at your side with a smirk, he guides you by the small of your back, leading you out.

"Not bad," he murmurs into your ear, "You were wasted in Japan."

#sorry goo my poor baby #lookism #lookism x reader #lookism headcanons #lookism hc #lookism fic #lookism webtoon #lookism manhwa #gun park #gun park x reader #park jonggun x reader #park jonggun #goo kim #kim joongoo #wannaeatramyeon

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lavendersartistry · 2 months

Text

Once Upon a Starry Night

Space Riders AU - @onyxonline Eve Ewe, Bolt - @lavendersartistry

This is a wholesome fic for onyxonline's Space Riders AU! This is mainly centered on the ask I sent to Onyx about the Space Critters attending a ball/gala! Please check Onyx out, their work is super cool!

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE'RE GOING TO A GALA???"

Upon CraftyCorn's quick turn to DogDay, CatNap frowned at the sudden yell.

By what Bubba has said, their pen pal Eve had invited them all to the evening gala. A bit late for the invitation, as Bubba would put it. But it had seemed fair to have everyone come as a little reward for their recent successful missions.

"Princess Everiene has courtly spoken that we come to the gala as special guests. A very nice gesture of Her Majesty."

CraftyCorn nearly squealed at the news and ran off to prepare and to most likely make formal attire for everyone.

CatNap signed with a puzzled look.

'Do you think Z will come?'

DogDay shrugged and looked back at the set coordinates for Eve's planet.

"I don't know, being honest. He's never met Eve before and I think the gala would be a bit overwhelming."

Bubba nodded and leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of coffee.

"It's to have them meet at their own time. Maybe Z and Eve will get along well."

CatNap signed again.

'So DogDay is free from gossip for now. Oh well, there's always Bolt.'

"What do you mean by that?"

'I'll tell you when we get there.'

........

The gala felt like a fairytale. Elaborate gowns, fancy suits, divisions of the royal courts.

Bobby could nearly squeal at how glamorous the ordeal was, yet CraftyCorn had to calm herself before she actually squealed.

Hoppy and KickinChicken were busying themselves at the buffet tables, lightly fighting over the desserts while PickyPiggy snagged a few cookies in her pockets.

Bubba mingled with the other guests, mostly talking to a blue monarch butterfly lady.

That left DogDay and CatNap left to their own devices. However, they only observed from the drinking table as DogDay looked for Bolt.

"It's a bit past 11. Shouldn't they be announcing Eve coming?"

CatNap shrugged and leaned his head against his closed fist as he mindlessly floated. The captain, on the other hand, sighed and looked back to the dancing crowds, waiting patiently.

A quick lightning bolt strikes the garden path as Bolt approaches the drinking table while grumbling. Despite being so angry, he seemed quite handsome in his blue and gold suit.

Before the two critters could greet him, the wolf slammed his fists against the table.

"Damn that council..."

CatNap raised a eyebrow at him, quickly signing.

'Is Eve alright?'

Bolt sighed heavily and tried calming himself.

"No, she's not! That council, once again, projects onto her! And of course, I can't do much of the matter either."

DogDay patted his back in assurance, being a little upset himself.

As the two tried comforting their friend on the situation, the candle lights from the chandelier dimmed. The three watched as the music became softer and people by the end of stairs moved away.

Eve was guided down the stairs, the silver trim of her dress glittering from the hidden spotlight. Her expression remained calm despite the quick glances to Bolt.

CatNap looked towards Bolt and signed:

'Go to her.'

The wolf sighed softly and leaned back.

"I... I can't. Not when I already caused enough trouble for the both of us."

DogDay didn't believe his words, quickly nudging him.

"Sometimes you have to go against the rules. Go to her, Bolt."

The wolf looked at the both of them and let out another sigh before heading over as DogDay and CatNap watched.

"So how did you know Bolt had a long crush on Eve again?"

'I have my ways.'

[Added Bonus (for funsies!]

"I felt like a father figure."

"Watch me make it canon."

:3 you're welcome Onyx lol

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fotibrit · 1 month

Note

Could you give song recommendations that remind you of our favorite genius billionaire playboy philanthropist disaster? My 5 hour long playlist is clearly not long enough already! (Bonus points if they also feel like songs that he'd listen to)

Absolutely yes. Some of these are songs he would listen to, some the lyrics connect to him, and some are songs that inspired tony-centric fic ideas. I'll let you guess which is which. I'm happy to elaborate on any of these, if anyone is interested.

(full transparency, i'm just shuffling my TS playlist and putting whatever comes up lol)

Blood Makes Noise - Suzanne Vega

Supermassive Black Hole - Muse

Rocket Man (I think its going to be a long, long time) - Elton John

False Confidence - Noah Kahan

Rooftop - Ryan Roth

Freakin' Out On the Interstate - Briston Maroney

parachute - second thoughts

Walk This Way - Aerosmith

Give 'Em Hell, Kid - My Chemical Romance

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romanarose · 7 months

Text

Washed In Black: Chapter 1

Darkish!William Tell x fem!Reader

Masterlist : Join my taglist! : playlist

Summary: A young cocktail waitress at a casino takes interest in William but he rebuffs her advances. Still, he can't get her out of his head. When he follows her home, he stopped an attempted attack and brings her back to his hotel. Wanting company Will invites her on the road with him, just for the summer before her final year of college... It's just a summer fling, right?

Content and Warnings: No happy ending, oops. Darkish!Will, but not really dark to reader. big ole age gap, reader is 21, Will is early 40's. Attempted rape, reader defends herself but William finishes the job. Will briefly stalks her but there was no nefarious intent. Possessive Will, protective Will, hints too Will having OCD (my personal headcanon), PTSD from both Will and reader, reader has a shitty homelife but not abusive like I usually write. Canon typical violence. Alcohol and smoking from everyone involved. More will likely be added as we go but I'll add them in chapters under "additional warnings"

Immersability: References to reader having hair. She works at a casino as a cocktail waitress, takes place in the US and her and her parents live in the US currently. Reader generally dresses "sexy" in casinos, I know not everyone does for different reasons So I figured I should note that.

Authors Note: This fic has been in my head since last November when I saw this movie. It's my comfort movie and IDC how weird that sounds lol. I've gone back and forth on whether this needs to be a one shot or series, but I think miniseries just makes sense. I'm thinking 3 chapters.

Comment if you'd like to be tagged going forward!

3.5 Words

************************

Will wasn’t stalking you, really, he wasn’t.

He just wanted to make sure you got home safe. You’d caught his eye all week, bringing him drinks at the casino he was at for the time being, pretty, flattering dresses. He liked that you wore flats instead of heels. You looked more comfortable. He liked that you had a soft smile on your face, and he liked that you were clearly eyeing him. He’s only human, after all. Did he feel a bit of guilt for checking out someone so much younger than him? Yes, of course he did, but it was just looking… right?

You threw that out the window when you sat down next to him and slid him a drink. When Will gives you a quizzical look, you clarify. “Ton Collins. That’s what you drink, isn’t it?”

It was. You’d been paying attention. “Yeah, it is. But I didn’t order one.”

“Don’t worry, this ones on me.” You gesture to where your ballet flats had been traded for Converse. “I’m off the clock”

Will takes a sip. “Still doesn’t explain why you gave me a drink.”

You roll your eyes, but smile still. “Men aren’t the only ones who can buy drinks.”

A little bit of bite to you, he notes before condeeding. “Fair enough.” William takes his new class and holds it up, smiling when you clink it to his.

Fidgeting in your seat, you look around at the bright lights and bustle of the casino as you try to stoke a conversation. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Will can sense your nervousness from two seats down, trying to keep his eyes from the tight red dress wrapped around your body. He tried to stay polite, you were just a kid after all. “William Tell, and your-” His sentence was interrupted by your laughter, bright and jovial and although he didn’t know what was funny, it made him happy to hear. “What’s so funny”

“Nothing!” You shake your head, trying to move on, as you cover the smile on your red lips. Same shade as your dress. When you see he doesn’t buy it, you smile harder and elaborate. “It’s just, I expected you to give me a fake name, but I didn’t expect it to be so…”

“To be soooo” He urges you on.

“So obvious!” A fresh bout of laughter, and while he was aware you were making fun of him, he couldn’t help smiling gently.

“That is my name.” He lied.

“Yeah, and mine’s maid Marian.”

“You’re thinking of Robin Hood.”

“Same thing.”

“Not really.”

“Whatever.” You tell him your name, and he reaches out to shake your hand. The firm but gentle shake makes your heart skip a beat. He was handsome, a head of straight, fully grey hair, and although you were certain he wouldn’t take kindly to you calling him a DILF, that’s what was going through your head. What appealed the most, however, was his manners. Many a man at this casino had attempted to woo you, to buy you, to assault you. Men were disgusting. With this man, however, although you could tell he was checking you out, it wasn’t leering. You didn’t feel like he was mentally undressing you. He simply said please and thank you and kept to himself and god, it made you want him. You didn’t sleep with the men here as a personal rule… but maybe he could be an acception.

“You can call me Bill, since you don’t like my name.”

“I’m not doing that either.”

She’s a bit of a brat, he notes. “Why not?”

“Too King of the Hill.”

A slight chuckle escaped him. She is trouble.

“Can I call you Will?”

“Whatever makes you happy.” You wouldn't be calling him anything. Will would talk to you while he finished the drink, he didn’t want to be rude, but he wasn’t going to indulge you. You weren’t the first young cocktail waitress that had made a move on him, and plenty of girls barely old enough to drink spent their time hooking at casinos, but William wasn’t that kind of guy. He didn’t have anonymous sex, he didn’t really have sex, and he certainly wasn’t entertaining girls young enough to be his daughter… But Will was fighting for his life. You’d scooted over to the chair next to him, had been very clearly leaning in ways to show him your tits, smiling at him with that youthful grin… No, he couldn’t indulge you.

When you got the hint that he wasn’t about to invite you to his room (he wasn’t staying at the casino anyway), you made a graceful exit, telling him to have a nice night and good luck.

But he couldn’t shake the thought of you.

It was for your safety.

He was just going to make sure you made it out of the crowds okay.

When he saw you were walking home, he was just going to make sure you got home okay. It was dangerous at 2 am for a young girl.

William repeatedly validated his action in his head as he watched you. You were just not being safe. Walking alone, headphones in your ear… something loud and aggressive he assumed by the way you banged your head, did air guitar and drum solo’s… you weren’t paying attention at all. All this was validated on it’s own, however, when William realizes he’s not the only one following you.

The man appears almost out of nowhere not far from the casino and grabs you, pulling you into a dark alleyway before he can jump in. As William runs to the scene, he’s surprised to find you were not quite as helpless as he thought, watching you take a stabber keychain and thrusting it into his side.

“Holy shit” William mutters as he watches the man bleed, but you turn to him, the stabber pointed at his chest.

“WATCH IT!” You yell, but you’re clearly posturing. Your whole body is shaking.

“Relax” William put his hands up, beginning to build his lie. “I saw him following you, I’m not here to hurt you.”

The man on the ground groans loudly in pain, and your shaking becomes uncontrollable. You drop the stabber and rush into his arms. Jesus, you’re naive. So trusting. Another moan and William looks at the man. He was a rapist. Well, attempted one with you, but men like that dont just rape once.

“Go home.” He tells you. “I’ll take care of this.”

You shout a no. “You can’t leave me alone! We’ll call the police!”

Naive indeed. William takes you a few steps away, holding you by the shoulders. “The police won’t do anything but arrest you for stabbing him.”

Confused, you try to argue. “But it’s self defense, he tried to-”

“Your word against his. Women get arrested for defending themself from rape all the time, it’s hard to prove attempted rape.”

The tears never stopped from your pretty eyes. “Then can’t we just… leave him?”

Sweet young thing… William shook his head. “I’m not leaving a rapist alive.”

The man starts begging for his life, alternating between pleas to you, and then when that doesn’t work, telling William that you were asking for it. That didn't help his case. William carefully guides you, taking you out of the alley and away from the bleeding man. “Stay here” He grabs your dropped airpods and tells you to turn up the music.

And you do.

Linkin Park, as loud as it can go, still doesn’t drown out all the sounds that came from the alley.

When William came back in sight, he was covered in blood. He thought you should be horrified… but the way you looked at him was like his night in shining amour. “C’mon. I’ll drive you home.”

“No!” You surpsise him with your answer.

“Or we can walk, that’s-”

“I don’t wanna go home!” When he looked confused, you elaborate. “It’s lonely there, my parent… they act like I don’t exist, and I’m scared, Will. I’m fucking scared and they are no help. Please, please can’t I go with you?”

Bad idea. “No, I don’t think that’s-”

“Please?”

William heard sirens not far away. The dead man’s screams must’ve alerted someone… fuck, they needed to leave. “Fuck, come on.” William wrapped an arm around her, taking her through the alley. “Don’t look at him.” He kept a hand at her head, keeping her eyes forward. Through the backways and slipping into darkness, William took her to where his car was parked and ripped out of the parking lot.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Are you going to tell me where you live?” He asks but you stay silent. He sighs. “Honey how old are you?”

You hesitate. “26”

“You’re a bad liar.”

“Why do you care?”

“I want to make make sure I won’t get arrested for kidnapping a minor!”

“I work at a casino!”

Okay. Fair point. “Just checking, because you said you lived with your parents.”

“It’s a shit economy.”

“Hey, I’m not judging you, I was in prison by 26.” That was enough to make you turn to him. He glanced over to you. “Yeah, you still wanna stay with an ex con?”

“What were you in prison for” Nosy little girl.

“You don’t wanna know.”

“Was it it rape?”

“No”

“Then I don’t really care.”

“You should”

“But I don’t.”

“Do you really want to stay with me tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. You can stay with me. For one night, I’m heading out tomorrow.”

“Fine.” A short pause. “Thank you.”

“It’s fine.”

“For all of it.”

“It’s fine.”

When you arrived at the motel and Will opened the door, you were regretting your choice. “Oh my god.”

“What?” Of course his room setup was going to be off putting. He didn’t have an explanation for himself, so he never bothered on the rare occasion someone saw it.

“You’re going to kill me.”

Well that was not what he was expecting. William turned to you. “What?” he reiterated with more vigor.

You sigh, rubbing your eyes before groaning. “God dammit I’m so fucking stupid. My dad was right, I was gonna get myself killed some day!”

He called your name. “What are you talking about? I’m not gonna kill you.”

Gesturing vaguely towards the room, all the furniture, paintings, chairs all wrapped up. “Covering the fucking room? Clearly you’re planning to slit my throat and throw away the evidence.”

William pushed past you. “If I slit your throat, the blood would go everywhere, walls, ceiling, all of it. Covering the bedside table won’t do shit.”

“Oh. That’s comforting, I guess.”

“Are you coming in or not?”

Well, what option did you have? You close the door and take in the room. It was so… plain.

“Why do you cover everything?”

William simply shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He pulls out some clothes, handing you a t shirt and pants and some for himself. “I’m going to shower since I’m covered in blood.” He states plainly, seemingly unphased. “You can shower after, wear these.”

“Thank you.”

After everything was settled, you sat on the bed watching tv while William wrote in a book. “You can lay on the bed, you know. It’s late.”

He didn’t look up. “I’ll sleep here.”

“Oh come on, I’m not taking your damn bed.”

“I don’t sleep much anyway.”

“Ohhhhh mysterious.”

That was enough to make Will turn around, a light smile creeping on his features. “You haven't told me much about yourself either.” He deflected. “What”s a niice girl like you doing in a trashy casino?”

Swinging your legs over the bed, you force yourself up and over to him. “Pays for tuition.”

When you make your way over, Will stands up, looking down at you as his hair flopped in his face. The action closed a lotof distance, bringing him close to you. The left over energy from what happened tonight was buzzing in both of you, unable to sleep despite the late hours of the morning. “Oh yeah? You’re in school?”

“Mhm. Geology at Notre Dame”

“Realy?” He was impressed.

“Yup, senior year.”

“Hm. Pretty and smart.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. William was so worked up, the brutal murder of the man who attempted to rape her transfering into a sexual energy that was getting hard to control.

He expected you to get uncomfortable, but you lit up at his words. “You think I’m pretty?”

It was all slipping out now. “You know damn well that you are. All dressed up in those tight, skimpy dresses, showing yourself off, flirting with me all week…” He took a step forward, but you didn’t move back, instead leaning in ever so slightly.

“And you weren’t flirting back?”

William huffed a short laugh. “I was trying not to. You make it awfully hard.”

It was you who closed the gap, feeling his plush lips against yours. His kiss was immediately hungry, starving, William’s mouth opening wide to take all of you in, to taste the expanse of you. “Fuck, I shouldn’t be doing this.” But he made no effort to stop, walking you backwards until you topple on the bed.

You were winey and desperate, rutting your hips up into him as he pawed at you. “Need you to fuck me.” You beg him.

“Relax.” Will purrs in your ear, slowly grinding into your spread legs. He was going to take his time with you, fuck you right… but god he was barely holding on himself, so worked up that he needed to release himself somehow. He continued kissing you, licking into your mouth and stifling your pretty little sounds because he just can’t keep his mouth off of you when he feels it. You were shaking.

“Hey,” William pulls back, cupping your face. “Hey, you alright?”

When you look up at him, wide-eyed, Will is stuck by how young you look. “Y-yeah I’m fine I just…” You chuckle nervously. “Not a whole lot of experience in this department.”

Will gives you another few inches of space. “Are you a virgin?”

“No,” You try to assure him, but his intense gaze boring into you did not help the nerves. “Just… not much better.”

Sighing, he drops his forehead to yours. “How old are you?”

“26-”

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m 21.”

Another sigh, Will rolled off, but you try to fix it, grabbing at him. “No! Will, I’m sorry, I want you-”

His eyes were pinched closed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s just… lets just go to sleep.”

Embarrassed and sexually frustrated, you begin to shuffle under the blankets with Will. “Can you… can you hold me?”

“Yeah, yeah I can do that.”

William wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into his body. You could feel his hardness, but his closeness comforted you. Will made you feel safe.

That morning, you were woken up to the sound of Will packing and you made it a point to groan dramatically. “UUUGGHHHH Why the hell are you up so early?”

“I told you, I don’t sleep much” He was folding up his linens, slowly making the room look normal.

“Ooooo edgy”

“Check out at 10 anyway.”

You grumble, rubbing your face into the pillow. “Do you have to go? Can’t you stay another day?”

Will stopped his movements, pausing before he pulled up a now-uncovered chair to where you lay. With his legs manspreading, he placed his elbows on his knees, folded his hands and leaned towards you. “What’s keeping you here? You clearly don’t care for your parents, your job you can get anywhere, pretty girl like you. What’s keeping you here?”

You’re taken aback by his question, but answer honestly. Early morning grogginess doesn’t leave much room for deception. “Just making enough money to pay for next years school.”

“How much do you think you’ll make this summer.”

You give him an estimate.

He nods. “Leave with me.”

Blink. “Huh?”

“Travel with me. I’ll pay you what you would make at the end and bring you back to school at the start of the summer. I’ll pay for your food, clothes, anything you need.”

You can’t help but huff at that. “What what money? Sorry, but this isn’t exactly a luxury room.”

Little shit. He grabs one of his bags, opens it, revealing large stacks of hundred dollar bills. “I count cards. I keep to modest means but… there’s no reason I can’t win more.”

“Hooooolyyyyy shit.” He was loaded. Absolutely loaded. You get off the pillow, looking back and forth between Will and the money. There’s no reason you couldn’t go. Well, it was dangerous, a strange man you didn’t know taking you across the country… but you were never one for impulse control. Still, you think of last night. “I’m not… I’m not a hooker.”

“It’s not about sex.” When you look suspicious, he presses on. “It gets lonely on the road. I just… want some company. Two and a half months, just us, like a summer vacation. You’ll have everything you need to finish school, I promise.”

His eyes were earnest, and despite the fact you heard him slaughter a man only feet away from you… you trust him.

A few hours later, you and him were on the road. You sent a text to your boss who was none to happy about quitting with no notice, and left a note for your parents when you got your essential saying you left with a friend. They didn’t care enough to question that you didn’t have any friends in your home town anymore.

Will’s car was old but clean. Comfortable. The next destination was Seattle and after hours of begging, he let you put on your own music instead of the silence.

“What the fuck is this shit.”

“It’s Green Day, I thought you would know Green Day, old man.”

He wanted to wipe that bratty smirk right off her face. “This isn’t any Green Day I know.”

“Yeah, cause you probably only know American Idiot, poser.” When Will turned to you with a cocked eyebrow, you backtrack. “Sorry.”

“That’s what I thought.”

When you and Will check into your hotel, he paid in cash. Great, no paper trail in case you’re murdered. Wonderful. Sometimes you wonder what was going through your head when you left with him, but you couldn’t find yourself regretting it. You enjoyed his company so far, even if he was cranky. It was cute. He was cute. You wanted to suck his dick.

“Here.” Will handed you a wad of cash. “There’s a strip mall down the street, get something nice for tonight.”

You smile up at him cheekily, swaying your hips a bit as you walk over to take the money. Fuck, you had a sugar daddy. “Don’t you wanna come with? Make sure you approve of what I buy, stay on budget?” You graze his hand with your fingers as you take it.

He simple began to unpack his linens. “Your budget is whats there.” There had to be at least $1000. “I gotta take care of this.”

“Ah. The weird room thing.”

“Yes, the weird room thing.”

You left him too it, taking the money and going for a shopping spree. You do, of course, pick out what you were sent for. A beautiful black sparkling dress, designer because why not, and some fancy jewelry to go with it. Shoes, however, you get from the department store. You’d do a lot of things, but wearing heels was not one of them. You couldn’t take the pain anymore.

While almost out the door, you spot a little something in a store window, something you’d always wanted but you budget wouldn’t justify it.

A few hours later, you exit the motel bathroom all dolled up. Will was sitting on the bed, phone in hand, only looking up when you exited. “Oh.” Was his first muttered response as he stood.

You blush, looking down. “That all?”

“No, shit, sorry.” he mumbles. “You look beautiful. Sorry, I’m… I’m not good with words…”

You’d noticed that. Not that he wasn’t good with words, just that he didn’t talk much. You didn’t mind, he was… peaceful.

Right before you and William left for the night out, his lady luck on his arms you stop him. “Wait wait!” You say before going to your pile of bags and pulling out a polaroid camera you had bought today.

“Ah come on. Do we have to take pictures?” He grumbled with only a half hearted attempt at resistance.

“If I’m having a summer fling and a road trip, I’m documenting it. I promise I won’t always take pictures of you.”

“Fine.”

“You’re like that grumpy eagle muppet.”

“What the fuck-”

You snapped the picture just as he turned, giggling as it developed. Despite his resistance, Will leaned over to see it: You, smiling brightly at the camera, him, looking grumpy as he frowned at you.

“You’re gonna pay for that.” Will warned, his voice low but a bit of tease was there. His hand gently guided you out the door.

The night awaits.

****************

Almost a year in the making ;-;

Tagging those who've expressed interest in various mentions lol sorry if i forgot anyone! Note that things changed a lot at various points developing this in the minor details but the major plotline stayed the same

Special shout out to Melsy and Clem and Mona and Ceira for always encouraging me with this at various points.

Like dark fics? This aint darkenough for you? Come check out my dark blog

@whatthefishh @melodygatesauthor @hon3yboy @fandxmslxt69 @winniethewife @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @campingwiththecharmings @milkymoon2483

#william tell #will Tell #william tell x reader #william tell smut #william tell x reader smut #tw stalking #canon typical violence #the card counter #the card counter fan fiction #william tell fanfiction #the card counter smut

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soulsforsales · 7 months

Text

Professor Steven Grant x Reader

Warning: This is my first fic (Idk if that should be a warning but I am scared lol), fluff, age gap, no use of Y/N, sorry for any grammatical mistakes

Summary: You always had a weak spot for nerds but Steven Grant might just be the man of your dreams.

Pairing: Steven Grant x reader (yes, we do have Marc and Jake in the next chapters!)

Thankyou @ivystoryweaver for your ideas and support <3

Chapter 1

It is a warm Tuesday afternoon in October. You are browsing the books in the "classics" section at the bookstore. Usually, you come to the bookstore on weekends but you've decided to meet a friend this week, so here you are.

Your eyes roam the bookshelf along with your hand in a straight line until you hit something. Someone. You step back, an apology already on your lips until you turn and see the man beside you and suddenly you are at a loss for words. You stare at him.

Normally, if you run into someone at the bookstore you would just turn away and apologize, which happened a lot since you were always lost searching for your book but it wasn't a rom-com movie where anyone you accidentally stumble upon turns out to be your soulmate - but, god, right now you wish it were.

Honestly, you have seen your fair share of good-looking men, but this guy was, you dare say it, gorgeous.

He had a defined, sharp jawline with dark brown eyes, and his hair was a mess of curls. He was wearing baggy clothes but it suited him just fine and a messenger bag slung on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry,' you hear him say and he gives an apologetic smile. O.K. If you thought he was good-looking a moment ago, his smile was absolutely beaming - and it wasn't even a real smile. 'You okay?' He asks, his fingers grazing your forearm for the slightest second, bringing you back to life. He is looking down at you, confused. Really? Could he not see what he was doing to you or did he not know how good-looking he was?

You nod, saying, 'I am fine. Sorry about that.' He waves his hand in front of his face, 'No worries,' he replies with a smile. He looks a bit older than you, thirteen years or some.

You are staring at him again. You can feel yourself getting red. So embarrassing.

'That's a nice book you've got there,' he says, pointing to the book in your hands that was now wrapped around your chest. The blush on your cheeks deepens, he doesn't notice.

"Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte" you trace your fingers over the cover of the book.

'Yeah,' you say, pushing the book closer to yourself, 'you too.' Alright, you do not know why you said that, but he was holding a book and it only felt right to return the compliment.

Or maybe you are just really bad when it comes to conversations with someone who's got you fawning.

He shows the book to you, "The Ennead" it reads. Suddenly, you are intrigued. Yes, you work for a textile company but History, especially Egyptian, has always been interesting to you. And before you know it, you are both somehow in a long, elaborated conversation about the Ennead, Egyptian history, and the pyramids.

He knew so much that it left you speechless. You could only admire him as he kept spitting engrossing Egyptian facts as if it were the weather report. He talked animatedly, with his hands moving and his eyes gleaming. His hands, wow, his perfect, sleek hands were totally distracting you from his stories.

He stopped abruptly when his phone rang. He was telling you something about Ammit, the sinister goddess of the Underworld but he had to stop and pick up the call.

He held the phone close to his chest, saying, 'Looks like I'll have to leave.' He looked like he was in a hurry but he glanced at you once more before walking out the place, as if he wanted to say more.

He disappeared soon as if he'd never even been here.

Your heart is beating fast and it feels almost as if, you have never had a conversation like this one before. Maybe it was the person more than the conversation itself.

You didn't even ask for his name, you wince at the realization. You should've totally asked for his name.

Maybe you'll see him again.

For some reason, you are sure you'll see him again.

•------🌙

You are a few feet away from the coffee shop's door when you notice your friend. She's sitting at the table with someone, you can't really see who, and is typing aggressively into her laptop.

Your friend is in the last year of her University, she's a year younger than you. You always knew that University was not your thing but you'd attended it anyway because your parents wanted you to and being exceedingly wealthy, they had proposed to pay your study loans for you.

So now you have a full-time job, a good paycheck, and an apartment of your own without any piles of loans above your head. While your friend, still in Uni was drowning in projects and assignments and you knew she needed to loosen up a bit, hence, the reason you two were meeting today.

You enter the shop with a smile, but it drops the moment you notice who your friend is with. You freeze a few feet away from the table. You couldn't be sure if it was him but the resemblance was there.

Your friend looks up from her laptop, noticing you. She waves at you, grinning, which makes, whoever it is, sitting in front of her turn to you.

You almost trip. He looks even better than the last time you'd seen him. He was still wearing baggy clothes, his hair tousled and curly but it looked purposely done. And he was wearing glasses, red colored glasses perched on the top of his nose. Adorable.

You always had a weak spot for nerds but he might just be the man of your dreams.

Your friend asks you to come over and have a seat and you do. You can tell that he remembers you. He's been staring at you ever since you walked in and you can't breathe. What's happening to you?

Your friend, however, is oblivious, she introduces you to the man, telling him your name and he introduces himself, 'Steven Grant,' he says, shaking your hand clumsily. You nod. His hand, oh god, the handshake sent tingles all over your skin.

'He was just helping me with a few assignments, thank you so much for this,' your friend adds and after telling her that it's no big deal Steven leaves the table to get his order.

You watch him go. Steven Grant. You had met him at the bookstore almost a week ago and yet, you couldn't stop thinking about him. It felt foolish but you'd never, in your life, daydreamed about a guy the way you'd daydreamed about Steven Grant.

'Stop drooling,' your friend says interrupting your rail of thoughts. A blush spreads on your cheeks. You aren't drooling... are you?

'How do you know him?' You ask her

Your friend grins, 'he's my history professor.'

Your jaw drops, 'he's a professor?' You repeat, placing your hands on your chest dramatically, 'he's like everything I've ever wanted.'

She chuckles, 'You should ask him out. He's exactly your type and I am sure he's single.'

Your eyes turn to Steven who's now getting his coffee, 'how's he still single?'

'Because he's the most awkward person you'll ever meet and the only friend he has is a goldfish named 'Gus', it is one-finned or something. He loves talking about it,' your friend tells

You smile to yourself but your heart's hammering against your chest and you know you'd never have the courage to ask him out.

'I could never,' you say, biting your lower lip. Before your friend can reply Steven comes back with a flask that the barista had filled for him.

Your friend smirks as she closes her laptop and leaves the table the next moment. You silently beg her to stay but it's too late.

Steven looks at you and you can't stop blushing. You are praying that your complexion doesn't give it away. 'Correct me if I'm wrong,' he speaks sweetly, 'but... have we met before?'

Your cheeks redden, 'yeah,' you say, 'Yes actually, at the bookstore... that day, I - I had no idea that you were, would be - what a coincidence, right?' You give yourself an imaginary facepalm. Someone must remind you how to form a coherent sentence again.

'You're at University too?' He asks

You shake your head, 'Oh no, not anymore.'

Steven smiles in reply and you two fall into an awkward silence. You want to say something - you know you should say something but he hasn't stopped smiling since you arrived and you can't think straight when he's looking at you with those deep, soft, brown eyes.

Maybe you should ask him something about his job - anything would be better than staring at him like an idiot.

You open your mouth to speak but Steven cuts you off, 'that day when we met,' he says, taking his glasses off, 'I wanted to ask you something, actually...' he pauses to take a good look at your face, you can swear you are as red as a tomato by now. 'I was wondering if - if you would want to - maybe - uh, have dinner with me sometime? I was just thinking if...' You don't hear the rest of the sentence. Your breath hitches in your throat. Was he asking you out? Was Steven Grant, the man you had been reeling after - asking you out on a date? This felt unreal.

'I'm sorry,' his voice reaches your ear, interrupting your thoughts, 'I think I might be reading too much into it. I understand if you're not interested.'

Your eyes visibly widen at his words. It wasn't that at all.

'No.' You almost yell, 'I - I am interested. I want to, I mean. I would love to go on a date with you.' You are smiling hard and you can feel the butterflies rummaging in your stomach. 'If - if that's what you are implying.' You add.

This is bad.

Steven lets out a small laugh, his cheeks turning pink, 'Yes. Yes, th - that's what I meant.'

You grin, not because you want to but because you can't help it. He's so nice and so absolutely beautiful.

Steven fiddles with his sleeves nervously, saying, 'Well, there's this really nice restaurant down the street. They have all kinds of food options. I - I was thinking maybe we could, you know, check it out.'

You nod, still smiling. Still feeling the butterflies in your stomach. He looked ten times better when he smiled.

'Yeah,' you say, 'yeah, sounds great.'

'I'll see you tomorrow then? If - if that's okay with you. I get off work at 5'

'Tomorrow's good.'

'Yeah?' He's smiling with his eyes now, crinkles appearing around them and oh, you could just die.

Steven's expression softens as he starts to get up, 'I am terribly sorry, love,' he says, with a weak smile, 'I would really like to stay but I have to leave now - I have a meeting at work. I could, uh, text you the details, though?'

You tell him that it's alright and exchange phone numbers.

'See you tomorrow, then?' He asks, sliding his messenger bag down his shoulder, his curls toss as he fixes the strap and you fight the urge to push your fingers through them. You really wanted to.

'It's a date then,' you say, biting your lower lip. It was hard to contain your giddiness.

'I'll call you.' He says, passing you a little smile before finally walking out the shop.

Oh my god. It happened! You are going out on a date with Steven Grant. You are acting like a teenager getting asked out for the first time but you're too happy to care. You are happy - excited even - for a date, you haven't felt this like this in a long time.

Your friend finally comes back to the table, holding a sandwich in one hand and a coffee cup in another.

'You were ages.' You say, adding Steven's phone number into your contacts

'Was I?' Your friend replies, slurping her drink, 'well, the barista was super cute - not really my fault, besides, what were you chatting with Mr. Grant about?'

You smile. Your cheeks hurt from smiling now but you can't help it, 'I am going on a date.' You tell her, 'With your professor.'

Tagging: @wittyjasontodd (I didn't know if you'd wanted to be tagged since this is not DC related but here it is!), @fandxmslxt69 (bcs I was inspired by your math professor lol >.<)

Anyone who wants to be tagged, just lmk!

#fic #fic writing #moon knight #moon knight fic #steven grant #steven grant x reader #professor steven grant #steven grant x you #i did it y'all

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fraterfalls · 5 months

Note

Hi, I'm new to Blood Brothers AU and I was curious about it. Can you explain about it or show me where I can see the best explanation about it?

ohhh, dear asker, the rabbit hole i'm about to send you down... >:)

alright let me try and explain it in the most coherent way possible, it's late at night BUT i will try my best!!!

explanation under the cut!

(in general, if you're new to the bb au like this asker and trying to find your way around this overwhelming hell of an au we've concocted, i recommend you start here :D)

wow. i tried SO HARD to make this a semi-concise explanation and YET it somehow turned into a mini-fic in itself towards the end there. sighhh... (lol even still, have fun reading!)

first thing's first i need to tell you aboutttt

The Parallel World / "Better World".

in journal 3, ford mentions visiting a parallel dimension in which stan never pushed him into the portal, and instead took his journal and hid it as ford had requested.

^ some screenshots to give you the basic gist of what's going on in that dimension, everything you need to know for the time being. you can read more about it on internet archive if you like

at some point in august i reread this part of journal 3 and became obsessed with the idea of a parallel dimension. i also noticed that apart from mentioning how he never pushed ford into the portal and took the journal in this world, parallel stan is just... not really brought up. at all. ...which opens up some interesting possibilities.

as you can probably guess, this dimension features in the blood brothers au! in my interpretation, the reason stan was never mentioned is because after leaving with ford's journal, he never came back, just seemingly disappeared off the planet. parallel ford... has not been handling this well (and a certain bastard triangle only serves to play up his worst fears!), and because he has such a large student body to attend to and take care of and protect, he represses his issues, buries them under layers and layers of work and responsibilities. nobody even knows he has a brother...

not even his nephew and niece, dipper and mabel. however, they're observant as all hell. as secretive as ford is, they see past his little white lies, they see how he doesn't eat properly and falls asleep at his desk and laughs nervously when someone asks if he's alright. (i haven't talked much about the role they play in this au on tumblr, but rest assured i'll be elaborating more on it in my upcoming fic that may come out sometime within... um... the next few months to the next few decades. they're still the same old mystery twins we know and love, except now they've set their sights on figuring out what their grunkle ford is hiding. very Not What He Seems reminiscent)

alright, now that i've mostly covered the parallel world, time to move on to:

The Portal Stan AU

while i was obsessing over the Better World, a parallel dimension/"alternate universe" which already exists in canon, i started thinking about another AU which is fairly popular in the gravity falls fandom: the portal stan AU. in which stan, rather than ford, gets sent into the portal. thought it was a fantastic concept ever since i first saw it, because it opens so many doors for interesting characterization and also some good ol' angst (and later a healing arc, of course). portal stan has, after all, spent 40 or so years without a solid family base or anyone to care for him. and i can imagine that in those 30 years he spent dimension-hopping, his only thought was to return to his home dimension and see ford again. yes, he was furious and frustrated when they had that last argument, but surely in hindsight he saw how paranoid and jittery ford had been throughout their meeting. he would want to get back and make sure his brother was safe as soon as possible.

and then i had the thought which kicked off this entire au:

what if portal stan fucked up and somehow stumbled upon the parallel dimension while searching for a way home? what if portal stan and parallel ford... MET?

portal stan sees parallel ford and his situation and comes to the conclusion that, without him in the way, ford would flourish. parallel ford sees portal stan and comes to the conclusion that no matter the universe, he somehow manages to destroy stan's life just by being in it. even just knowing that the other exists exacerbates their own insecurities. IT'S SO AWFUL AND SO PERFECT.

also, portal stan couldn't be more desperate to get out of the parallel dimension- partly because he hates the reminder that ford would be better off without him, but mostly because he wants to see his real brother again. however, parallel ford has other plans for him. he's been in denial about the true fate of his own brother for a long time now, but he sees this version of stan and decides he can't afford to let go of him. (his own mental state is too fragile to accept the idea of losing stan again, even if this isn't his own stan. he already let go of him once after the WCT fiasco, and again after the journal incident. thrice is... thrice is too much.)

you may also be thinking "hey, smart guy, i actually DID read that screenshot you posted above while explaining the parallel dimension. it said parallel ford and fiddleford constructed a little something called a Vortex Neutralizer which allows for safe, bill-free multiversal travel. couldn't portal stan just use that to get out of there?"

yeaaah, parallel ford doesn't tell him about that!

he will do almost anything to keep stan with him. he is sinking his claws into that man begging him not to leave-

and stan hates him for it. tears into him with insult after insult. he can't stand this ford, why's he acting like he doesn't have everything he could ever want? (except, of course, he doesn't really hate him. after all, this is still stanford pines, maybe not his ford but he's certainly a ford. same old easily excitable nerd he used to tease back in high school. but stan still has his own ford to attend to, one who needs him more than anything... probably... hopefully, so he shuts out the part of him which is growing fond of parallel ford. tells himself not to think too much about this one. he hardly even knows him. he shouldn't have to bother.)

and yeah that's. i think that's enough information to take in in a single post. there's still plenty more going on with the au that i haven't touched on here, but hey that's just the premise! i would link you to more specific posts which will help you further acquaint yourself with the au, but it's. it's 2am and i am incredibly sleepy, so instead i will simply provide you with the link to the blog archive, where you can look at all the posts on here without having to scroll endlessly trying to find specific things. enjoy!!!

if you have any more questions DON'T BE AFRAID TO COME BOTHER ME ABOUT IT !!! i loved answering this ask... <3 been meaning to rewrite a better AU Premise Post than the one i made back in august anyway lol

#asks #lore dump #the premise #<- PART 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO #parallel ford #parallel stan #parallel mabel #parallel dipper #portal stan #home world ford

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sparrow-in-the-field · 1 month

Text

I super don't want this to come off as bragging but something like this has never and probably never will happen to me again so please forgive me for this post, but uhh

If even just last year, you had told me I'd have the highest kudos'ed fic in an entire fandom tag on ao3, I wouldn't have believed you.

If you then elaborated that the top kudos'ed fic in the entire fandom had about 130 kudos, I'd wonder what kind of niche ass fandom I'd gotten myself into, lol.

Seriously though, kudos are a weird thing--The Quiet Act was lucky with timing within the fandom, it was multi-chaptered so getting reposted probably helped boost the numbers too. It was a perfect storm that it just happened to end up on top.

That being said, still--thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed the fic, from the bottom of my heart. The Quiet Act is so incredibly special to me and the love it received is not something I take at all for granted.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I really love this little fandom. You're all so wonderful and I just hope I put out even half the love/good energy I receive from y'all 💜

#the boys in the boat #bobby moch x don hume #thank you #this fandom is the best

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letters-to-rosie · 2 months

Note

You said last month that it's not Ekko if he's not involved in activism, anarchism, just actively doing shit to make a change. I absolutely agree. But you also said you "come out of a particular background and that means [you] have certain thoughts and approaches to social change that leave out things that others do and are involved in". Would you please elaborate further on that? Not just for writing Ekko, but for the sake of knowing and maybe applying to real life. You made me curious.

So I sat on this for a while not because I didn't want to answer it but because I wanted to answer it thoughtfully, and I've typed out some things that didn't feel right, but I'm going to try again now.

I tried to find the exact context for where I said that and I failed lol so I am working off memory, but again I will try.

So in terms of background, I'm a Black American. When I was young, I pretty much assumed that my family history would be depressing and I didn't want to look into it. And some of that is there: family trees that get lost once you hit enslavement, dysfunction you can pretty much trace right back to that period, having to explain to people that your family is on the light side not because of consensual relationships but because you're from one of those states that exported slaves, you get the deal. A byproduct of this is that by the time I was an adult and wanted to dig into it and found that there was actually a lot to learn, many of the elders I wanted to learn from had passed on.

That, mixed in with me trying to understand my... financially turbulent?? life led me to engage with black radical thinkers as an adult. And that led into left-wing politics in general. So that's like half of it.

The other half is I've always been the type of person who likes a hands-on problem. My approach to social change has always just been "find a problem and throw myself at it." And that translated into a social service background. Even now, to pay for my classes, I work in social services at my university, still throwing myself at a problem that's sort of followed me around for a decade or so now. I'm not in love with the conditions of trying to fight a problem within the walls of an institution that helps perpetuate them, but for me, the immediacy of people's needs supersedes any need I feel for ideological consistency.

On top of that, I study race. And media. So imagine my excitement when I see Ekko!

I don't know that I've ever encountered a character who checked so many boxes. He sees problems and throws himself at them. He practices radical compassion with people struggling with substance use. AND their victims. And even though he's fighting Silco, he knows that the problems in the city go straight to the top (I oughta write a fic someday where he does make it across the bridge and gets to yell at the council because he so deserves that).

He grieves. I've said before that grief is the emotion that has most defined my adult life. I feel like I'm always grieving. And Ekko models how you do that and keep moving. Rather than giving into the hopelessness of the setting, he creates a place where people can heal and be their best selves. AND HE HAS NATURAL HAIR!!! My natural hair journey is another story but it's honestly tied up in all of this lol.

He's like a treasure trove of things that matter to me, honestly. I'm not even sure how much I realized it at first. But as time passed, I'd keep going back to this character and thinking. His revolutionary spirit is truly to be admired. And I think that evolution in how I've thought about him comes through pretty clearly in my writing, as I come to fully embrace a bottom-up style of conceptualizing revolutionary thought and practice. I know I'll grow and change as I get older, learn more, and do more, but at this particular moment, I think Ekko has a lot of value for me.

So what am I not interested in? Off the top of my head...

versions of the character that leave out that political dimension. I'm not inserting politics into the show. The division between what is political and isn't is a false one. If the politics aren't registering, that's because they're close to the politics of the status quo

which is not to say I think everybody has to write him with politics fully foregrounded, but I wish more people would, you know?

and speaking of the politics, not really interested in ones that aren't radical. Not trying to pass a certain purity test, but we can keep in mind that Misfit Toys shows Scar beating up a dummy Enforcer, in gear. Which they probably got by fighting them. Fun!

another thing I think is key and I would like to see engaged with more is that Ekko doesn't view people using shimmer as enemies. I honestly wonder whether the Firelights know as much as they do about Silco's stuff because they have members who formally worked in the syndicate.

and I bring that up because another thing that the show as a whole and Ekko's interactions with Jinx invite us to think about is not viewing anyone as too far gone. I think in the rush to clearly delineate good and evil, we make too many lines and ignore the material conditions that motivate and contextualize people's actions.

and on that note, I don't like to make Ekko a paragon. I think casting him as a pure soul who is working tirelessly for his people ignores his indignation at the situation around him and how he is actively choosing, every day to do the things he does. I like to keep agency foregrounded.

To close, I wanna share some quotes, because y'all know I love reading revolutionaries.

“It is necessary that the weakness of the powerless is transformed into a force capable of announcing justice. For this to happen, a total denouncement of fatalism is necessary. We are transformative beings and not beings for accommodation.” —Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed

“We have chosen a different path to achieve better results. We have chosen to establish new techniques. We have chosen to seek forms of organization that are better adapted to our civilization, abruptly and once and for all rejecting all kinds of outside diktats, so that we can create the conditions for a dignity in keeping with our ambitions. We refuse simple survival. We want to ease the pressures, to free our countryside from medieval stagnation or regression. We want to democratize our society, to open up our minds to a universe of collective responsibility, so that we may be bold enough to invent the future. We want to change the administration and reconstruct it with a different kind of civil servant. We want to get our army involved with the people in productive work and remind it constantly that, without patriotic training, a soldier is only a criminal with power. That is our political programme.” —Thomas Sankara, Speech before the General Assembly of the United Nations

“Let me just say: Peace to you, if you're willing to fight for it.” —Fred Hampton

#arcane #ekko #arcane ekko #rosie's writing desk #asks #i wrote a whole-ass essay #hope it was fun lol

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marinaiguess · 10 months

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I've always imagined a small one shot of Sonic and Blaze having a playful sparring match, I'd love to see your take on that idea (if you want to ofc) x

ahem. this took. 7 months. im so sorry, hope this is worth the wait lol. i hate action sequences but i'm always up for a good challenge, amirite? I'll upload this on ao3 once i'm able to:/ The ending was inspired by a @hishighnesstheprincess fic that I absolutely love. Read it afterwards so that you don't get spoiled:)

playing with fire

warnings: violence, blood

It was a while since the last time he enjoyed a nice and calm afternoon like this one, surrounded by nature and its beautiful creations, like the picture-perfect painting across the sky, the colors seeping through the canvas, staining the grass, the trees, the field.

The table they were all gathered around.

He took a breath and allowed his lungs to be filled with the air that had previously been knocked out of him due to the realization that dawned upon him while looking at his friends.

That wasn’t a regular occurrence, he mentally noted, while the sound of laughing in the background was drowned out by his own thoughts. It wasn’t often that he felt overwhelmed, but of course, when he did, it was because of his friends; only they had the power to knock him down. Yet, what was also quite rare, was them gathering together like they did today, especially without being interrupted by any mad scientists and their evil plans.

A smile was adorning his expression, a small one, directed at no one in particular, as he looked into the distance, behind the pink hedgehog that kept on talking about her adventures.

His ear flicked as he picked up a different sound; a foreign one. He whipped his head to the source of it just to witness another rare moment; Blaze the cat laughing.

Well, it was more of a giggle because she tried her best not to be loud (and was successful) but that didn’t mean they didn’t hear her or that they didn’t see the joy that was written all over her face.

Sonic exhaled softly at that. The fact that Blaze was here, in his world, was a scarce incident on its own. And he was very happy that she was here, that she visited them, deciding to leave her world, lay off from her duties to relax and have some time for herself. On top of that, she chose to spend that free time, with them, with her friends. She sure has come a long way; how could he not be happy?

Gold eyes met his and he soon realized he had been staring at her, judging by the confusion prevalent on her features.

His own dumbfounded face was quickly replaced by a nonchalant and reassuring grin before he turned his attention towards Amy who was talking about… the chao races?

Okay, so, he might have been a little too happy about Blaze, but he didn’t like that everyone else could tell. He’d always hide his emotions quite well and he never enjoyed others knowing how he felt (maybe he never enjoyed dealing with his emotions himself) but in this specific case, something felt off. Out of control.

“Mr. Sonic?” Cream had called out a little while after Blaze’s arrival, when she had been taken away by Amy who was too excited and impatient to show her a photo album she made with Cream’s help.

“Hm? What’s up kiddo?”

“You seem very happy today!”

“Well, I am happy! We’re having a tea party!” he bent down to squish her cheeks, Cream escaping his attacks, giggling. “Isn’t that great?” He smiled widely.

“Yeah, but that’s not what I mean.”

A tilt of his head was enough to make her elaborate her statement and thoughts.

“You’ve been smiling…a lot. From the moment Blaze visited!”

“Huh.” He scratched the back of his quills nervously. “I didn’t realize.”

“You must have missed her.”

He tried to intervene but didn’t have enough time to.

“I’ve missed her too, so I understand! You like Blaze just like I do.” She smiled.

Sonic kept smiling, ignoring whatever weird feelings this conversation had brought up. “Of course, I like her, Cream. Same goes for you and all my friends.” He explained, refraining from opening his heart too much, his face was betraying him enough as it was.

“That’s very nice of you Mr. Sonic!”

If Cream could tell Sonic was just a tiny bit giddier than usual, then Amy would too and who knows who else, so that was a little worrisome. Especially if Vanilla had caught up, then, yep, he wouldn’t be able to save face anytime soon.

His shoulders relaxed a bit when he reminded himself that he didn’t actually care about all that because he didn’t need to have a justification for his delight, he didn’t need a reason to be happy for his friends. Why was he even so worried about it in the first place?

“So, yeah, the maze part was crazy but taking those guys down? Real trouble.” Amy’s storytelling was abruptly cut off by her groaning. “Man, just the memory of it gives me a headache.” She said closing her eyes and massaging her temples to soothe the pain. She really got into the story, huh?

Both Cream and Blaze looked a little taken aback by the whole story and Sonic couldn’t blame them; either of them is used to dealing with robots or having these types of adventures on a daily basis just like he did. In fact, part of why Blaze was here to begin with was that there was no threat in her world, she told them that much. Which was ironic at best, since his own world never seemed to be at peace, they were somehow always fighting against mad scientists who only caused chaos—

Sonic bit his lip as he remembered the one thing that almost destroyed them all: the metal virus. He glanced at Cream as the image of her broken form, of her lifeless eyes, inched into his brain, the way she had lost all hope the moment she lost her mother. It was painful to recall, (guilt still taking the best of him sometimes) but he couldn’t imagine how Cream was handling the aftermath of that—now gone—threat or how hard it would be to handle any other hurdle that life threw their way after that one.

Even now, she looked hesitant, sinking into her chair slowly until half of her face was hidden. Sonic raised a brow at that. Was she…scared?

“Amy…” she squeaked, everyone’s attention now on the youngest of the group, “…that sounds like real trouble. What if you couldn’t beat the robots and get out of there in time?”

Amy cringed visibly at that, Sonic’s eyes widened in surprise and the two hedgehogs were silently sharing the same thought. They knew where this question, this hesitation, was coming from, why Cream was afraid of them losing.

Because they almost did, not too long ago.

But Blaze didn’t know what their shared glances meant and didn’t care to understand at that moment as she only paid mind to Cream’s visible fear, carefully rubbing her shoulder without thinking twice about it.

“I’m sure it was nothing spectacular.” She smiled reassuringly. “They had it under control. They’re both safe, see?”

Cream peaked at the hedgehogs, gaze finally settling on the blue one, on the famous hero who everyone relied on. Sonic’s eyes flicked between the people who were staring at him, Cream and Blaze, like they were waiting for him to confirm that they were indeed safe. Because he was Sonic, he had to be the one who could make that confirmation, right? He was expected to.

The world always fell on his shoulders.

But as the thoughts multiplied and the words dried out in his slightly open mouth, Blaze took it upon herself to take his role.

To help him carry the weight he so desperately tried to carry alone.

And he was thankful for her help.

“They’re right here with us.” She tilted her head closer to the bunny in an attempt to gain her attention, to allow her eyes to communicate whatever else she wanted to add but wasn’t able to say through words.

Cream gulped and nodded slowly, registering what she meant.

“Besides,” Blaze bent backwards. “I didn’t lie before. I’m sure these robots were nothing spectacular. I could have taken them all down by myself no problem.” She smirked cockily as she crossed her arms.

Maybe this was her trying to sound confident enough to convince Cream that no one was really in danger but the way her lips curved upwards, made Sonic think otherwise.

Especially when she popped one eye open to directly look at him.

He knew this was a challenge.

So, he acted without thinking twice. He got up and walked next to Blaze who hadn’t flinched an inch despite having heard him alright. His footsteps on the grass were all that could be heard along with the occasional howl of the wind because everyone else had gotten silent. Was it the look on his face that caused this? Was the excitement too obvious? He wasn’t sure and he didn’t really care.

“So,” he speaks once he reached her side, hands planted on his hips. “you’re sure you could have taken them all by yourself?”

“Oh yeah, I’m most certain.”

Getting cocky, are we? “Then, I don’t think you’ll have trouble taking me down?” Sonic countered, jabbing his chest with his thumb.

“Where did this come from?” Blaze side-eyed him, unable to fully conceal her grin.

“I just wanna see how high you think of yourself princess.”

Blaze scrunched her nose at the nickname. “Are you suggesting we fight?”

“I wouldn’t call it a fight.” He crossed his arms. “Battle is a better word, to decide who is the…better one.”

“We did ‘battle’ the first time we met, Sonic, and it ended in a tie.”

“Yeah, but I was going easy on you. Right now, I can win no problem.” He closed his eyes as if that settled it, with a satisfied grin plastered on his face.

“Oh, a bit overconfident, aren’t we?”

“Uhhh, guys?” Amy interjected, suddenly feeling like she was covered in cold sweat. “You don’t have to—”

“Oh, don’t worry Amy, we just need to settle this, it won’t take too long.” He popped one eye open as he bent closer to his challenger. “Right, your highness?”

Blaze inched closer as well, almost making Sonic stumble back. Thankfully, almost. “If you keep calling me that, it certainly won’t take too long, yes.”

Sonic stepped back as his grin widened, cocking an eyebrow at the equally overconfident cat. “Huh.” He exclaimed in amazement. To say he was excited with how things have turned out would be an understatement.

“Whatever you say—” he bowed, still holding her gaze, “your highness.”

His added wink only infuriated Blaze more. She jumped out of her chair, not wasting another look on the hedgehog as she headed towards the open field not that far from where they had been spending their afternoon. Sonic snaked his hands between his spines before following her, his attitude exuding relaxation and assuredness.

They took their positions opposite to one another, a good 10 feet apart. They locked eyes as they prepared themselves, taking the same pose without really intending to do so. Besides, everyone knows bending your left leg forward and stretching your other one far back is the best way to get a good head start before boosting.

“Hey Ames, do me a favor and count down from 3 for me.” Sonic spoke, without taking his eyes off of Blaze.

Amy on the other hand, flicked her eyes between the two of them, waiting for either one to back off. Her hesitation was short lived though, upon seeing as none of the two moved away or towards each other. They were really waiting for her. So, she gave up and did as she was told, grabbing ahold of Cream’s hand to direct her behind her. Yet Cream tilted her head on the side to be able to look at the oncoming fight.

“Fine,” Amy sighed. “3, 2…1.”

Blaze was the first to get on the offensive, wasting no time to lunge forward, her fist directed right at Sonic’s face. Sonic understood her intentions and knew he would be able to outpace her, so he stayed there with a confident smirk plastered across face, waiting to evade at the last moment.

To his detriment, his confidence was predictable.

Blaze retrieved her fist and began sliding on the ground, aiming at his feet with her own. Sonic’s eyes narrowed at the incoming danger as he jumped just before she reached him, avoiding Blaze by a very small margin.

Using the momentum from his leap, he turned around with his right leg raised, aiming right at her, only for his kick to be blocked by Blaze’s arm.

How did she—?

Her other arm charged a punch at him which he easily avoided by landing a backflip. It seemed like he didn’t have much room for mistakes. But he didn’t have to worry about that if he started his offence right now.

And that’s what he did.

He boosted off at her direction with a very clear target. If his smirk had faded away, it returned in no time, especially when he witnessed Blaze dash as well, right at him. Just at the moment they were ready to crash, Sonic dodged by side-stepping, readying his kick at the back of her head.

What he was unable to predict however, was Blaze’s powerful kick that she delivered before he even had the time to comprehend her moves; bending her body forward and pirouetting with an outstretched leg, sent him flying at the bark of a nearby tree. He heard it crack as he slid down, his hand bracing his abdomen in an attempt to soothe the sudden pain that he definitely hadn’t accounted for.

He closed his eyes as he winced, trying his best to pull himself together as quick as possible but that was until something else caught his attention. A hunch. As if on instinct, he ducked, only to witness a punch landing just above his head, one which left another crack on the tree trunk behind him. The severity of it was obvious and Sonic found himself to be very lucky that this specific hit didn’t land on his face.

He shook his head and faced forward again, straightening his legs and launching himself at her feet with his own, using his entire body weight without thinking twice about it, giving little time to his opponent to react.

Next thing he heard was a thump. He craned his head to find Blaze lying on her back.

That was it. That was his chance to deliver the finishing blow. This fight was truly fast after all.

But just as Sonic readied his attack, Blaze raised her legs and gained significant momentum, using it to do a handstand and then land with a back flip. Her attempt to also kick Sonic in the process was in vain, as he was able to evade the hit this time around.

Well, to be fair, he wasn’t expecting such a recovery. Maybe she even faked that fall to trap him. He grinned at that thought as he playfully wiped his nose, watching her back away from him, possibly planning how she should attack next.

“Oh, I see you’ve gotten faster.”

A smirk spread across her lips as she skidded to a halt by planting one hand on the grass, her free arm stretched outwards in an attempt to keep her balance. When she sat up straight, still wary of her opponent’s movements, she turned her head to face him while the sunset in front of her illuminated just the outline of her features with a bright orange hue, making them glow like the flames on her palm.

“Or you are just too slow.” She said as he was approaching dangerously.

Sonic stumbled mid-air, feeling as though time had slowed down and for a short span of time, for a mere millisecond, he was overtaken by hesitation, unable to directly land the punch on Blaze and he didn’t know why. Maybe it was her comeback or that damned smile that accompanied it, but despite it all, it was exactly what Blaze needed to duck out of the way unharmed. Sonic’s fist met the ground not long after, eyes widening as he felt blood rush to his cheeks all of a sudden.

Battle. He reminded himself as he realized he had his back turned-on Blaze (bad decision), quickly side-stepping to narrowly avoid the incoming attack he had predicted with ease.

Of course, it’s getting hot, he tried reasoning with himself, I’m running around trying to take her down, I knew it would not be easy, she’s tough. He grinned at the ground before getting up and turning around, ready to keep up the fight.

And that’s the fun part of it.

“I can’t catch a break, can I?” he flicked his nose, grinning at her.

Blaze answered with a smile of her own, using her flames to boost herself towards Sonic at unprecedented speeds.

Sonic blocked her attack with an air cancel, a trick that helped him use the air to his advantage, by raising dirt from the floor with his feet. That would be enough to mess with Blaze’s sight for a little while. But as he was upside down, not yet stopping his “attack”, his head was momentarily close enough to the ground to notice fire shooting from underneath Blaze’s shoes. It was minimal and if he weren’t in that position at that time, he wouldn’t have noticed it. So, he steadied himself by landing on both his feet.

He witnessed Blaze shooting upwards with her makeshift rocket shoes, in an attempt to avoid the debris. This gave him a few seconds to think about it as he relaxed his body, the realization hitting him like a brick.

“You’re holding back?” he asked, not sure if she heard him.

She hadn’t used her flames to attack him or even restrict him yet. She was giving him a hard enough time as it was so maybe it was because she knew her powers wouldn’t contribute much to stopping him or slowing him down. But she also knew he liked to play with fire. If anything, he was concerned.

Blaze kept looking at him, the hint of a smile she wore until now suddenly gone as she extinguished her flames and used gravity to her advantage by doing another back flip. As she descended, she aimed a kick right at Sonic, clearly never letting her guard down. In order for him to be able to block the attack, Sonic had to use both his arms and even that got him pushed a couple feet back, planting both his feet firmly on the ground so as to prevent his fall.

A series of kicks and punches followed all of which were avoided by Sonic. Though, each time he evaded, he found it increasingly harder to get out of the way in time for the following attacks.

“Does it look like I’m holding back?”

Well, she was right to an extent. She wasn’t holding back physically. Heck, here he was hyperventilating, trying his best to keep his breathing in check.

However, he smiled, closing his eyes.

“Where’s the fancy fire then?”

Blaze blinked, lowering her fists, just a tiny bit. “I don’t need to use fire to defeat you.” She said expressionless.

It reminded him of that cold-blooded girl he met a long time ago. That expression; her way of hiding her emotions. Sonic didn’t like that. He didn’t like what that implied. Blaze was one with her flames; without them, she wouldn’t be the same. Her being hesitant to use it in this battle only meant that she hadn’t fully come to terms with her powers yet. Or even worse, she was afraid that she might hurt him and that’s why she was holding back.

“Come on Blaze, give me everything you’ve got.” He winked, smirking at her and her surprised face.

----------------------------

A punch sent him flying backwards. His eyes widened in realization when he saw what was in front of him and managed to curl himself into a ball to minimize the damage from the unavoidable hit. When he hit the rock, he couldn’t do anything but allow his body to land on the sand, thankfully a few feet away from the sea water.

The damage wasn’t that bad. But it didn’t mean that it didn’t hurt.

He kneeled on the ground as he coughed, holding one hand around his abdomen to support himself.

He looked up through blurry vision to find his opponent looking back at him, waiting for him to get up.

That look… A sense of déjà vu washed over him.

He suddenly recalled their last battle. The one where he was worried about her holding back.

He huffed a short inaudible laugh at that while mustering whatever energy he had left to stand on his feet, wiping his sweat with his forearm. He remembered how, if he were being honest, that he himself was also holding back during that battle, lest he hurt her.

The situation right now was similar, at least on his part; he was still holding back against her. Then again, he always had. From the very first moment they met.

But she wasn’t. And she was more ruthless than the first time they got into that fight.

She was burning everything around her to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes in her wake. No hint of fear could be seen on her emotionless expression. No remorse. No hesitation.

Her dark eyes were piercing through him, as he was focused on her glowing form, glowing brighter, more fiercely than the sun rising behind her. The sun that overtook the darkness, that started painting everything beyond the hills, except for her form, as her fur remained white, that unfamiliar color on her which he had learned to despise already. He wished the sun had the power to paint her fur back to its normal color. He wished her real self, the one that wasn’t affected by the fake Sol Emeralds, would come back to him.

And Sonic silently wished, if nothing else, that she would hold back against him, even a tiny bit, just like she had back then.

Or that he could find it in him to not hold back himself.

Sonic forced a grin as he spat out blood. “Come on Blaze, give me everything you’ve got.”

He was always up for a good challenge.

#A LONG ONE #3.7K WORDS LETS GO #hope you like this guys:)#why am i so nervous help #why did it take me so long lmao #sonaze #sonic the hedgehog #blaze the cat #sonic #sth #sonic idw #fanfic #fanfiction #sth fanfic #sonic fanfiction #amy rose #cream the rabbit

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