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fangisms · 9 months

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all of the girls you loved

A/N: i am a SUCKER for a good song fic and obvi a sucker for some good Taylor content (gif creds: @merakiaes)

Pairings: George Weasley x Fem!Reader

Summary: Every woman that he knew brought him here. You want to teach him how forever feels. 2.6k words.

Warnings: so much crying why am i in a mood, fluff mostly!, song fic, song lyrics, pet names (poppet, dear), heartbreak, brief angst, ONE FUCKING CURSE WORD. jealousy, being stood up

1984

"your mother brought you up loyal and kind"

You'd been chasing the little red haired boy through the train station for the better part of the last ten minutes. But only because he tugged at your hair and stuck his tongue out at you. He started it. He's got this worn grey sweater, and you can tell his jeans were hand-me-downs from the patchwork in the knees. Probably from the boy, his older brother, with the wavy red hair carrying far too many books and stumbling up the train's steps.

Your antagonist giggles and ducks behind the brick pillar in the center of the station. You roll your eyes and round the otherside, tapping on his shoulder with a grin. He yelps and skitters away behind his mother. She has a small baby tucked in her arm and another cooing from a pram decorated with ribbons, lace, and wicker.

"Georgie!" She scolds him for tugging on her skirt before looking down to see your little face staring back at her. "Hello, dear, what's your name?"

The boy peeks his head out from behind her leg, round cheeks flushed a soft pink from all the running. You fold your arms over your chest and scowl at him.

"Determined little thing, aren't you?" she says with a sweet smile and kind eyes, "Have you been terrorizing this young lady?"

"It's not my fault, mum! She looks funny!"

"George. That's not how we talk about other people, now, is it?" she warns.

"No, mum."

"No, of course it's not. Now, you apologize this instant. Your brothers give me enough grief as is."

His wicked gaze meets yours, and you scowl hard as you can back at him. He squints. You purse your lips.

"I'm sorry because my mum told me so!"

You pout, "apology not accepted! I hope I never see you again!"

And with that, he watched the little girl with the wild hair and the polka-dotted pinafore skip away. Never to be seen again. Until the next year. And each year following the last.

1994

"teenage love taught you there's good in goodbye"

George has got a mouth full of the loudest bubblegum in existence when he comes roaring up behind you in the hallway, laying his arm across your shoulders.

"Evening, poppet. I assume you've heard the news," he chirps, smacking his gum in your ear proudly.

"You're disgusting, George," you say, shrugging his arm away but still matching his pace, "and I don't care that you bribed Niamh Ward into being your date to the Yule Ball."

"I didn't bribe her! She asked me and I said 'yes'"—he blows a gummy bubble in your face, and it bursts with a ringing pop—"D'you reckon she'll kiss me if I dance well enough?"

He twirls off down the hallway, ending his mini routine with a flourish of jazz hands.

"I don't reckon any girl will ever want to kiss you with moves like that."

"Oh, you're just a cynic. I'm perfectly snoggable, whether I can dance or not." He takes your wrist and drapes your arm in the crook of his own, and you scoff when he leans in to pop another bubble in your face. "Who's taking you to the ball, anyway? That Durmstrang halfwit?"

You yank your arm away and stop dead in your tracks. It's a well-known fact that you'd been waiting for George to ask you to the Yule Ball since first year. You thought for sure he'd ask you. But the time came and went and you each found other dates, other outfits, other plans. And you hate that deep down, a small part of you is still waiting for him to ask you. But you'd never do that to Niamh. Not even for George.

"As a matter of fact, yes," you say, "and his name is Johan—"

"What kind of name is Johan?"

He's still smacking his gum like he knows exactly how to get on your nerves. And after all these years, it's no wonder.

"You're so immature. I'll see you later."

"Oh, come on—"

"No, George," you huff, not turning around until you clear the corner and wipe your wet cheek with the sleeve of your robes.

...

The Great Hall has never looked more decadent. Draped in glitz and the magic of the holidays. Everyone's absolutely buzzing with excitement, ever-present gossip, and the beauty of students dressed to the nines. And in the midst of it all, you still spot him from across the room.

Of course, Johan is the perfect gentleman. He even asked if you'd like to match your gown to his traditional red dress robes. It was a lovely idea, and it wasn't hard to pick out a lovely chiffon, maroon dress. He said you looked beautiful and danced with you most of the night, but there was still that sickly ache in your chest like flesh and tendon left split by two cold hands. George's hands.

After you told Johan you didn't feel well, he left you alone at one of the shimmering tables. You felt bad practically leading him on, but it's not like you'd been lying about your attraction to him. Just about your attraction to George.

You don't turn to face the person who plops onto the stool beside you. You're pretty dedicated to flicking the thin straw around the rim of your glass at this point.

"I left my date to come talk to you, so you better have a stellar reason for looking so glum."

George. You know he's trying to cheer you up. And he knows it's not exactly working how he'd hoped. "Come on, poppet. It's the Yule Ball. You've been looking forward to this for, what, six years?"

He hates that when you turn to face him, you've got tears dripping from your chin, jaw, nose, lashes. He hates that there's a small part of him that wishes he could have fixed it for you.

"What's wrong?" he whispers, scooting closer and catching a slow tear slipping over your cheekbone. You flinch away and lean your head in your hand, closing your eyes.

"You have no idea."

George chortles and shrugs, "well, yeah. That's sort of why I'm asking." You land a hearty wallop on his arm, not even looking when you swing your fist at him. "Alright, that was deserved. Now, tell me. I don't like it when you shut me out."

"Why are you doing this, George? Why don't you just leave me alone? Go hang out with Niamh or something," you say. It's accusatory, sure, but that's the point. The inflection was aimed for the heart. Spear tipped with arsenic just to make it sting more.

He chews the inside of his cheek, rubbing the back of his neck when you dodge his gaze and sniffle.

"That might be a tad difficult seeing how she stood me up."

Shit.

"George, I didn't mean—"

"No, no, it's okay. She caught a... a stomach bug, or something. Spent all morning hunched over the girl’s toilet," he mumbles, loosening his tie. And you catch just the smallest smirk tugging the corner of his mouth. Like there's some kind of amusement in his own misery. "I feel bad for her, honestly."

"I'm so sorry, I had no idea." You grab his hand and lean closer. He looks tired up close. Like the light usually at home in his eyes as twinkled out and left him dimmed.

"You've nothing to be sorry for. Fate is fate, after all." He brushes his hair out of his face and takes a deep breath, squeezing your hand. "Dance with me?"

Yes, of course, you want to shriek. I'd love nothing more from the boy who used to yank on my hair and call me names and tell me he loved my sparkly shoes. An honor, you think, but the words don't reach. Just a smile.

"Sure," you say, letting him tug you in the direction of the crowd. The right direction, you think, the direction you've longed for. Then he spins you into his chest, and you feel the shallow rumble of his laugh in your fingertips.

"Was Johan a better dancer than me?" he says, swaying your bodies like tender obligation. You cock an eyebrow.

"Johan stepped on my toes every four steps and nearly tore my dress."

"...So?"

"Yes," you tease.

"Shut up. Let me make this dance a good one. For you."

You look up at him and he thinks he's never seen someone look so clueless and yet so completely beautiful. From the gloss on your lips to the gems on your shoes and even now, mascara smudged and hands shaky, he thinks he'd like to look at you for as long as you'll let him. And when you shuffle closer between songs, he has to catch his breath against your temple.

"Your hair's gotten so long, Georgie," you whisper, slipping your hand up and over his shoulder, to the back of his neck with a smile pressed to his warm cheek.

"Like it?"

"I’ll always like it."

He pleads to Merlin you can't feel the rattletrap pounding of his heart. His hand moves of its own volition, spread across the small of your back like he's seen in some romance films. The slow dance scene is always the most romantic. The pinnacle of their love thus far. The event to dissolve any prejudice leftover in their heads, and any pride hidden in the last cracks in their hearts.

"George, I have to tell you something important—"

"Shh, poppet, just dance with me a little longer."

And you suppose. It could wait that little while longer. Another dance. Another day. It'd come up again and break your heart, but it'd be too pressing to put off eventually.

So you let him hold your hand a little tighter, sway you in circles a little slower, and keep your heart beating a little louder.

1996

"every woman that you knew brought you here // i wanna teach you how forever feels"

The something important you had tried to tell George that night was that you'd be staying with your estranged aunt in Spain over the course of the next school year. Your final school year. You'd be leaving Hogwarts—leaving George—and spending the year homeschooling over in Spain.

You left that Spring to spend your days in the Spanish countryside, drinking in the sunshine and dancing to the music of the cicadas. It had devastated George. It had devastated all of the Weasleys. They were so used to housing you most summers, and the change was quite unwelcome. Less place settings, less baggage clunking up the stairs, less laughter. He could only hope you were happy. And that he'd be able to see you again one day in the future.

"Georgie?"

You caught him off guard. He nearly tripped and cracked a tooth on the steps when you called his name. He and his twin brother had made a spectacle of Ninety-three Diagon Alley in the time you'd been away. And you had just happened to wander in and find him hurrying up the technicolor stairs after his brother.

Nothing felt real when he met your eyes for the first time in a year and change. The sirens and bells and sparklers went fuzzy as he realized just how beautiful you'd gotten since he last saw you. Beautiful enough to make him wildly nervous. Enough to make him sweat.

"My Poppet." He says it gently, grinning when you bat your lashes and hold your arms out.

"Christ, I've missed you, George," you huff, burying your face in his shoulder when he wraps his arms around you.

"You have no idea."

You tease him with a laugh, "Well, yeah," pulling away to wrap your lithe fingers around his tie. "Look at your hair! It's so short!"

"Like it?" He runs his fingers through the scruff at the back of his head. You squint and pat the soft tufts at the top of his head.

"I love it. You know I do."

He sighs, ushering you to the back of the shop all while trying to conceal a giddy smile.

"I've had an entire year to reflect on all the reasons why you abandoned me, poppet. I made a list"—He takes your wrist and drapes your arm in the crook of his own—"Starting with that time I told you your unicorn shirt was quote, unquote, 'for babies'."

"You have to include my stunning defense, Weasley"—you clear your throat—"'I am a baby, and you're just a rotten little boy!'"

"How could I forget?" He pushes open a door to the very neglected office towards the back of the building. Papers stacked on the desk, a cobweb in the corner. Well-loved. "A little privacy, mademoiselle?"

"I'd be delighted."

He sweeps the dust off a brown leather chair by the desk, offering the seat to you with a shy smile.

"Oh, George," you whisper, fiddling with the clasp of your purse with watery eyes and a pout like the one you gave him the first time he saw you.

"Come here, sweetheart," he says, hurrying you into his embrace with the feeling of being gutted by your sad eyes weighing heavy on him.

"There's just so much"—you gasp and cover your mouth when you sob—"So much I've missed and so much I want to tell you and so much I wish I had seen and done with you..."

"I know. I know, I feel the same," he huffs, "I missed you more than words can describe. I didn't know what to do with myself."

"I'm so sorry, I never meant to hurt you, I thought—"

"No. No, poppet, of course not"—he holds you tighter, pressing you to the curves of his body, holding you like clay and hot glass—"You came back, that's all I could ever ask for."

You pull back and let him wipe the tears from your cheeks, leaving faint kisses on each temple. And when he finally tears himself away from your skin, he's only left desperate for the contact. His thumb brushes you cheek, and you hold his wrist, lashes fluttering to meet his soft gaze. Desperation. Exhaustion. Relief. It's all there in the palm of your hand, and just at his fingertips.

Twelve years is far too long to be loving anyone the way you love each other. Completely but without the parts of love we sometimes need most. The honesty and openness, the comfort, and more than ever, the kisses. He curses his wild eyes for sweeping the length of your parted lips. His wild eyes giving away his secrets and calling him a damned fool.

You catch his mouth with yours, innocent at first peck, but he kisses you back, unsure of where his hands should go, wanting perfection, especially when your nose bumps his and makes you smile into the wetness of the kisses.

"I want everything," you whisper, forced to choose between air and George, "I have loved you since the day we met."

"That's very cheesy, my dear." He rests his forehead against yours, cupping the side of your neck, thumb resting gingerly over the column of your throat. Just to hold something delicate. Fragile. His.

"Think you can do better?"

"Hmm," he clears his throat, "You stole my heart and... I don't think I want it back."

"Gross! You win."

"I meant it."

He winks and pecks your bottom lip sweetly, only to realize you're tearing up, head tilted back and hands fanning at your eyes. He holds your waist and you shake your head with a defeated laugh.

"I'm such a crybaby."

"My favorite."

"You're awful, Georgie."

"I know," he says, finally, "I know."

masterlist

#fanfic #fluff #hp universe #x reader #fanfiction #friends to lovers #george weasley fanfic #george weasley #george weasley fluff #george weasley x fem!reader #george weasley x reader #hp universe x reader #x fem!reader #Spotify

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grapejuicestyless · 4 months

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Pomegranates

Harry Styles x fem!reader

Summery: Y/n is naive and Harry knows it. She is so easy to fool, so easy to change. Her heart, something meant to be a gift is her curse. And it only hurts her in the end. Based off of pomegranate symbolism.

ANGST(what else am I good for)

How selfish the world is. To allow a person, so sweet and soft. To give love, share love with whomever they choose. Only to let another mutilate the heart that was once full.

To let the wicked taint the pure and the cruel diminish the kind. It was a sick thing, but something that would never be changed. While you could avoid the easily detectable, sometimes flaws came out over time. As you peel back the layers, you submerge yourself into the mess you let yourself make. And over time, you begin to wonder if it’s truly worth it.

Y/n really liked pomegranates. She told Harry that on their first date. Rapid fire questions between the two of them, candle light dinner and a glimmer in their eyes. More than that, something she was too shy to share out loud, she found that she really liked his eyes. How green they were. They truly were captivating, in a way she had never experienced before.

She liked the way his toothy grin made her feel excited. How his hands would ghost over her skin and leave goosebumps in their wake. When he whispered those sweet nothings to her, she felt nothing but desire for her lover beside her. His hot breath by her neckline and his possessive touch.

When her friends warned her they were moving far too fast, she shrugged them off, scoffing and teasing about love and jealousy. She didn’t see an issue with their pace. How quickly she’d moved in, how quietly she’d distanced herself from everyone else. Harry had told her that they were no good friends. Real friends wouldn’t try to pry and break apart relationships. He whispered in her ear about jealousy and selfishness. And the sparkle in his eyes and the way his arms wrapped tighter around her made Y/n believe him somehow.

It was the start of the end, and Y/n could not see it.

But it was in her nature. Born to become someone who nurtured, not to be nurtured. With her well spoken tongue and her infectious laughter. Her trusting heart and foolish soul. Everyone always knew she was destined for a life of happiness, even if it was under false pretenses.

Merely ten months into their relationship, when Harry got down properly on one knee, declaring his love to her with tears in his eyes and a shaky voice, Y/n proudly put the rock on her finger and smiled with such innocence it was certain the girl was unaware of the suffering that would come.

Her parents warn her that he’s no good. That under all his affection there’s a wicked man with a sinister smirk and a list of hurting people. Her friends tell her she’s making a mistake. And only three of her friends come to the wedding.

She doesn’t understand why, at first. Each morning, he greets her with a kiss, raspy morning voice mumbling about how he still can’t process that she is finally his. At night, he has her beneath him, puffs of air escaping their mouths and lips locking together messily. She’s never felt more loved. He’s a loving man who treats her right, so why is their love so disapproved of?

She had a kind spirit, a trusting heart, and a foolish soul. It was obvious. An innocent little thing. Something so easy to take advantage of, to manipulate.

Y/n loved pomegranates, so she should’ve known. The more you peel back the layers, the messier it gets.

Soon, the sweet nothings turn to dead silence. And bodies pressed together with no room to breathe turns to backs facing each other and prayers from Y/n that he will once again show her the same affection that he once had for her.

Silent prayers turn to countless efforts to catch his attention. Home cooked meals, new dresses, new perfumes. She’s nearly there. Peeling back pieces at a time. She’s craving the sweetness she once had before. The sweetness she believes is still there. Somewhere in an undiscovered space.

It consumes her until she has nothing left to change, nothing left to give. She has done all the work, put in all the effort. Harry has ripped her apart and taken all the sweetness she had to offer. He has left behind a distant, heartbroken woman. Only the husk left behind from what once was.

When he kisses her goodnight, he doesn’t even notice the difference in her eyes. The cloudiness or the way her smile lines have turned to frown lines. Her eyebrows have wrinkles in front of them and her skin by her nails is picked and pulled completely raw.

He doesn’t notice because he doesn’t care. Because he doesn’t have to work for it anymore. She’s already his. Completely and forevermore.

Harry thought it was amusing, the whole situation. How she’d bent to his will. Made the mess for him, peeling back each layer of skin until the fruit was left bare and vulnerable to him. And she let him take it all without a fight.

On their first date, Y/n had mentioned how much she loved pomegranates. Promised she would slice and peel them just so he could have a taste. She raved about the sweetness inside. Harry didn’t think it was worth the mess.

And he still didn’t.

#harry styles x reader #harry styles x y/n #harry styles x you #harry styles imagine #harry styles fluff #harry styles angst #yn x harrystyles #fine line harry styles #hslot harry #harry styles #harry x reader

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artist-issues · 8 months

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Screentime For the Prince

You know how in the original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, each character's true nature is revealed by what they choose to treasure?

You know, Grumpy treasures safety because his true nature is vulnerable, the Queen treasures beauty because her true nature is ugly, and Snow White is the only one who's treasure is as true as her nature: pure love?

And how the Prince only gets around 5 minutes of screentime, and in those 5 minutes, proves that he A) treasures Snow White's true nature of pure love and B) keeps his promises?

Well, I was thinking. In the new Live Action, they're basically writing in a different male character in place of the Prince and not focusing on any kind of love story. So it's not actually "Snow White." But what would a good, faithful, beautiful adaptation of Snow White look like? (You know, one that actually does adaptations correctly--like Cinderella 2015?)

What should they be doing with the Prince?

I have a general idea below.

I mean, they can't introduce him in the same way they did in the classic animation. Obviously modern people aren't used to so much nuance in their big-screen fairy tales anymore; 5 minutes of screentime isn't enough, we prefer Mr. Darcy & Lizzie Bennet-levels of couple-building interactions, at least. And that's okay.

But it means we have to fill in a lot of the blanks about where this Prince comes from and why he values Snow White's "pure love nature" so strongly.

So I figure, in my head, it might look something like:

The Prince (let's call him Walther, German for "Walt," since basically everybody who worked on the original movie agrees that it was Walt's big brain child, and the popularized "Ferdinand" is not only fan-made but makes me think of a kindhearted bull) is the heir to a neighboring kingdom's throne.

Prince Walther isn't King yet, not because his parents are still King and Queen (they're dead,) but because tradition states he can only take the throne once he's come of age. Prince Walther's like 17, turning 18. So instead, his kingdom is essentially run by this council of busybodies, with one Regent holding the throne until he's old enough to take it. Something like that.

(the picture is of Dean Stockwell who's the son of the original voice actor for the Prince, I think someone who looks like him ought to be cast.) Prince Walther experienced pure love from his parents, who treated him like a normal boy and didn't place much emphasis on courtly manners or politics when raising him. But then they died tragically, leaving their honest and innocent son to be raised by a bunch of old people who put way TOO much emphasis on those things.

Because everyone in Prince Walther's court has had to handle being next-door neighbors to the Wicked Queen's country. They're all super political, and afraid of appearing weak, and therefore, very insincere. That's what I'm saying.

Everyone he interacts with on a daily basis never comes out and says what they really want. Nobody is genuine. He lives a life of hearing words like, "good morning Your Majesty, I hope you slept well. The Grand Duke could certainly stand to sleep better; the poor fellow looked run down at breakfast." but learning that what they actually mean is, "The Duke is getting old and ineffective and when your birthday passes you should decree that he give his land and resources away to me."

And he misses the genuine love the court used to feel from his parents' kind, simple way of ruling. No political games, no complex feuds. Plus, he misses the personal love they shared as a family, genuine, uncomplicated. He missed the days when people just say what they really want, unafraid, so that their rulers can take care of their needs.

Then there's the problem of why Prince Walther's in the Wicked Queen's realm in the original movie--that's not his territory, if he has his own kingdom.

So I think it would be neat and interesting if the Queen wants Walther's land. Maybe she invited his parents, way back when, to a kind of audience to negotiate an alliance. Then she got jealous of his mother's beauty, maybe even tried to seduce Prince Walther's father, and assassinated them both when he rebuffed her. Oo, maybe even the Huntsman (her FAITHFUL Huntsman) helped her do it all those years ago.

But she didn't realize they had a young son, so she couldn't just raise her hand and say, "Hey Neighboring Kingdom, it's too bad your monarchs both mysteriously died--don't worry, I'll be your new leader" because Prince Walther's council suspected foul play (they always do, they're suspicious people) and were preemptively like "NO NO WE HAVE A PRINCE, WE HAVE A PRINCE! We're fine, we don't need help, everything's fine."

So she sort of had to stew on that. Maybe she even tried a couple more halfhearted attempts to get their throne, and they just never worked out--then eventually her attention was occupied by how much older her stepdaughter was getting, and how much prettier.

Anyway, Prince Walther asks for an audience with the Wicked Queen; he's about to become King, and he knows that the council fears their neighbor, and he sort of wants to go over and size the next-door ruler up for himself. So he rides over with a little delegation of the members of the Court he can actually tolerate the best, and is visiting.

It's not fun. They're only there for a day, but the Wicked Queen is definitely scary. For one thing, she's unnaturally beautiful and everyone he brought with him is either stupefied in her presence or terrified. He himself is very confused by her; he's an open-hearted guy, with a touch of naïveté even though he was raised with good intuition and doesn't trust the Queen. All audiences with her are full of all the formal, double-and-triple meaning conversations that he hates back home; except worse, because she makes everything seem more sinister.

So after a particularly weird conversation with the Queen where he can't decide if she was flirting with him or threatening his kingdom, he goes for a ride around the courtyard to clear his head. And what should he hear, like a breath of the freshest air since his parents died?

A pure, beautiful voice. A young girl singing--and not just singing about anything, but singing about what she really wants. Genuinely. Her heart's fondest desire--and it's not power, or land, or even freedom. Just love. She's singing loudly, like she doesn't care who might hear such a vulnerable longing.

And he climbs over the wall and sees this scullery maid. She's absolutely beautiful, even though she's dressed all in rags, and he loves the picture of her: sharing her heart with doves, who feel completely safe with her, and not having to worry about what anyone thinks of her.

He sort of eavesdrops on her for a little bit, and in this part of the movie, maybe we learn how impulsive he is. He just jumps over and tries to join in. Maybe it's even a little funny. And we can stretch out the feelings behind the part where Snow White runs from him--that feeling of her being unsure of a stranger, not because she worries about what he thinks, but because it's so surprising that anyone is taking notice of her so abruptly at all. And she doesn't know him.

Maybe he asks to extend his stay at the Queen's palace and keep negotiating or whatever, but he really just wants to get to know the scullery maid better.

Then the romance is sort of still fast, but built in a way that the audience can sink their teeth into. The Prince and Snow White have a few more mutually-agreed-upon meetings, not necessarily hiding them, but just in breaks between courtly audiences with the wicked Queen. They're both enamored with each other: she's never been treated so kindly by anyone and his whole faith in pure, innocent love and uncomplicated, genuine people is being restored just by talking to her. They bond chiefly over missing their parents.

Eventually he learns that she is the Queen's daughter--maybe from the Huntsman, maybe from Snow herself in an innocent way. He's stunned that she's treated so poorly, but the second he learns it, he confesses that he loves her and he wants to take her away from there. Plus, this solves the whole "will my kingdom go to war with the Wicked Queen or be allies even though we can't trust her" diplomacy thing--Snow White is her heir, so it would be a beautiful twist of Providence that the girl he has fallen in love with can also be the alliance of peace for the kingdoms through marriage.

Snow White accepts his proposal, but she's afraid for a moment that her stepmother won't allow it. The Prince urges her not to be afraid: he'll take her to his castle and they'll be happy no matter what: he promises it, he gives her his word, he encourages her not to worry because he won't let anything stop him. It's lovely. She finally has someone she can gift her superpower of pure love to, and someone who can treasure her like she deserves.

Problem is, the Queen overhears this last conversation, right after learning that Snow White is the new "Fairest of All" from her mirror, just like in the original film.

So while the Prince is convincing his council that he's proposed to Snow White, the Queen's largely-unknown secret stepdaughter, and is going to reveal the fact to the Queen tomorrow, the Huntsman and the Queen herself are plotting the assassination attempt that eventually leads to Snow running for her life and living with the Dwarfs before she ever gets the chance to see her betrothed again.

Then the movie unfolds largely the same way it did, but with more dialogue and nuance strengthening the original's main themes: Snow White is pure love in nature, and that's everything the Prince has been missing, and he fulfills his promise which she has total faith in. And along the way, the Dwarfs learn to care more about protecting an innocent girl than they care about protecting themselves, and treasuring a person over jewels. Grumpy in particular. And the Queen dies because she's a jealous witch who's self-love has twisted her into something ugly.

Basically, what I'm saying is, there's a way to make the Prince compelling for audiences who are now used to more fleshed-out interactions in movie couples. Just give him a background that is longing for pure, uncomplicated, innocent love. Then when he runs into Snow White, who's never been treasured and valued since her parents died, they give each other everything they've been longing for--and then they have faith in one another when circumstances, both funny and sinister, force them apart.

It's like the Notebook (just in story structure)--you build up romance in the first act through a few poignant scenes, but then the rest of the movie is about waiting for that romance to be fulfilled.

Anyway. I guess I could've said all this more succinctly, but I was kind of making it up as I went. 🤷‍♀️

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petrichor-idyllic · 1 year

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Hi Petri, I would want to request a Minho x fem! reader where they know each other since before the mazes, when where just some simple tests in wckd, they were really close but were sent out to different mazes, reader's maze was in the edge of a river (who was the maze btw) and she manages to get out and get to the safe haven, and she have this glimpses of her past, dreams of things that happened, memories, but to her they're just stupid dreams, that's until she sees Minho again and everything seems to click cause she knows she knows him, and he has this feeling she's familiar too and then te friendship they had transition to love. (I saw your post about oc's and tried my best to be kinda of creative with this request, hope it went well 😅)

Ooo, I really like the idea of a water-based Maze. I can imagine little floating shacks held up by sticks and a rowing boat needed to traverse the Maze- definitely a good idea.

Also, I'm a sucker for the dream trope in this universe.

LIFE BEFORE DROWNING

MASTERLIST | MINHO MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Movie based fic because of the different Mazes.

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, awkward teenagers, mention of Newt's suicide attempt, I've made up a monster for your Maze that is the equivalent of the Grievers, some mild suggestive themes, WICKED being WCKD because movie.

After hearing the experiences of other WCKD Subjects, you're starting to realise that your Maze was a little weird.

There was a Maze full of boys, one full of girls, another with mixed, some with monsters, some without- all nearly impossible to solve.

And yours was full of water.

For a few years, your life was like waking up and forgetting there's not ground beneath your feet, walking off your little wooden platform, and nearly drowning. You disliked the water.

It meant you also has to explore your Maze in a poorly constructed boat and had to deal with a half-metal half-serpent monster that roamed your Maze.

It was terrifying.

But that's not the only thing that strikes you as different to the others.

You remember things. Well, kind of.

Whilst you were in your Maze, you used to have memories- well, dreams -of your life before the Maze.

And most of them consisted of the same boy.

Asian. Dark-haired. Well-built. Taller than you. Handsome. Sarcastic. Passionate. And he cared about you, clearly.

You had dreams of playing card games together, sneaking around a lab, exchanging glances and pulling faces at each other whilst men in lab coats probe you, and staying up late in a cafeteria area when you weren't meant to.

It was all simple and meaningless- none of it ever held any significance. But it meant a lot to you. You didn't understand it, but it feels like you know this boy and that your friends with him.

You used to tell your friends in the Maze about it, and none of then experienced anything similar. So, you're really on your own with this one.

Though, one of your friends- your best friend, actually; a girl called Emmy, said something that stuck with you. And maybe even made you think it's true.

"Maybe WCKD couldn't take away the people we loved the most, no matter how hard they tried."

That doesn't matter, though. The survival rate of the Maze and WCKD in general is low.

But you're not in the Maze, anymore.

You were one of the first groups to be taken away from WCKD and put in the Safe Haven. You pretty much went straight from the Maze to paradise.

It was about sixish months later that the Gladers showed up. They'd been through hell and back, so Vince told everyone to give them space apart from the few people they actually knew.

You didn't really care for new arrivals. There has been a few since you got there, so it kind of became normal. But since Vince is back now, you doubt you'll get anymore.

Because of your simple lack of care, and the assumption the guy in your dreams is dead, it took you an embarrassingly long time to actually notice Minho.

A couple of weeks into the Gladers arrival, you stopped dead in your tracks, causing Emmy to walk straight into the back of you and drop soil absolutely everywhere.

"Bro? What the hell?" Emmy hisses. You don't respond, staring straight ahead. "(Y/N)?"

"It's him," you say.

"What?" She follows your line of sight, her gaze landing on the boy.

"The boy from my dream-memories - that's him."

"Holy shit. Are you sure?"

Minho is sitting at one of the dining tables with Gally, Thomas and Frypan, whilst you stand there like a deer in the headlights.

"Uh, dude," Thomas says to Minho as he takes a swig of the alcohol that Gally's made. Some things never change and the Gladers have got into the habit of finishing their jobs as soon as possible and day drinking to cope. "That girl is totally staring at you."

"Huh?" Minho looks at his friend, who points at you.

And then he looks at you.

"Oh, fuck, he's looking." You immediately avert your gaze. "Shit, Emmy, move. Go, go." You awkwardly push your friend away.

"My soil-"

"We can get more damn soil!" And with that, you flee.

Well, that was probably the most embarrassing thing you've done. That you can remember, at least.

Minho's blood ran cold, however.

You met his eyes for only a couple of seconds and it felt like he'd known you his whole life. You feel... familiar.

Minho didn't experience the same constant dreams you did- mainly because he's plagued by nightmares of Grievers and that day he found Newt out there. But he's had a couple. He can't remember them very well, but the parts he does remember have your face in it.

You go on acting a bit weird. Every chance you have to look at Minho, you take it.

Which also goes on for a couple of weeks.

"Haven't spoken to him, then?"

"'Course I haven't," you grumble to Emmy as you do your work in the garden. "And I'm not going to."

"What? Why not?"

"Because how would I go about that? 'Hey, dude, you don't know me but I've been having dreams about you for as long as I can remember- wanna be pals?'"

She chuckles, shaking her head. "I mean, why not?"

"What?"

"Why not go and say that to him? I mean, people have probably experienced weirder things 'causea WCKD- and those bastards from Group A had it the worst. I'm sure he'll understand."

"We don't know him," you groan, throwing your head back.

"But you do-"

"No, I don't." You sigh. "Maybe- maybe I used to, but I don't now. This is dumb." You pick up the empty water bucket and start walking backwards. "I'm not gonna speak to him- there's no point-! Shit!"

You back up into someone, the bucket clattering to the floor and the slight splash of water left in spilling out.

"Shit, sorry-" you turn around, meeting Minho's eyes. You blink, steeping back to lengthen the short distance between you. "Uh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I-I wasn't looking-"

"It's cool. All good," he holds his hands up.

Little did you know, Minho was actually on his way over to talk to you.

You let out a breath of relief, giving him an awkward smiles. "So, who aren't you going to talk to?"

He grins at you, playfully, and you look to Emmy for help. Who simply shrugs.

"Uh, nobody- doesn't matter."

"Alright," he clicks his tongue, "you guys are from a Maze, right? That weird, like, river one?"

"You been asking people about us?" Emmy pipes up and you glare at her.

"Just heard a couple of things," he puts his hands in his pockets, rocking in his heels. He looks at the bucket on the floor. "You need water?"

"Uh, yeah, we use it for the watering can. I was just about to get some more."

"Ah, it's fine," he bends over and picks it up, "I'll get it for ya."

"Oh, uh, don't you have a job to do?"

"I'm already done, besides, can't have a pretty girl wasting her energy, can I?" He smirks at you before turning and walking away, leaving you flustered.

You turn to Emmy, who is grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't."

Minho returns and insists on helping you out on the gardens. Emmy feigns illness to give you some alone time.

That you don't want.

Though, Minho is a shit gardener.

"It's obvious you didn't work with plants in your Maze," you chuckle.

"Really? I thought I was impressing you," he says sarcastically, and you roll your eyes. "I was a Runner, if you're interested."

"A Runner?" You lean on a plant support beam as Minho picks at some vegetables.

"Yeah, exactly what it says in the tin- I ran the Maze. Day in, day out. I was Keeper- uh, Leader of the Runners."

"Wow, musta been pretty good at it."

"I wasn't half bad," he chuckles. "What did you do? You have a job in your Maze?"

You shake your head. "Everyone kinda did a bit of everything. We worked on rotation since groups had to go out in boats, exploring the Maze was hard- so we all took it in turns. Fresh eyes also meant someone could spot something we didn't. Everyone was on the same field in my home."

"You didn't have a Leader?"

"Well, we all just respected the first guy that got there, but I wouldn't say he was in charge."

"So, you had guys and girls in your Maze?"

"Mhm, you didn't? Oh, shit yeah, you're Group A." You recall Emmy saying.

"Mhm- just dudes."

"Must've sucked. I can't imagine being stuck with just a buncha guys- gross."

He barks a laugh, standing up and shaking his had. "We had one girl- she was only there for a couple of days. But I'm pretty sure we did gross her out the brief time she was there."

"What was she like?"

"Total bitch-"

"Hey," you snap, "watch your mouth, man, you shouldn't talk about women like that."

He holds his hands up again. "Sorry. I just mean..." He trails off, the memory clearly becoming painful. "She betrayed us. Told WCKD our location and had me- well she- I was... shuck it."

"You don't have to tell me about it," you reassure him, "shit happens; I'm not entitled to know about it."

"No, uh," he hesitates. "It's weird, I wanna tell you. Kinda feels like I know you."

"We've never spoken before-" you try to brush off the comment, not wanting this awkward conversation. You figured once you came here, awkward conversations and relationship drama would be over.

"That's not what I mean," he sighs. "I know it's forward, but there are a lot of people I wish I woulda told klunk to before I lost 'em. So, I'm just sayin' it. You feel familiar. Like I know you before I lost my memories. You feel it too, right?"

You pause, but nod. "Yeah, I know you."

"Then we should be friends, right? If we know each other?"

You smile, feeling butterflies in your stomach. "Yeah, I'd like that."

And from then on, you became friends with Minho.

You eat with him, stay up late talking to him, get introduced to the Gladers, drink with them, and just generally have fun with him and his friends. Even Emmy joins in- and you're pretty sure she has a thing for Frypan.

But the problem is that you have a thing for Minho. He's effortlessly attractive, and he's funny and attentive. He makes it known he cares about you and likes making you laugh.

And it's starting to make your heart skip a beat, especially when he jokingly flirts with you. It did start off as a dumb inside joke, but now you're starting to hope it's genuine.

Your friendship grows closers and your wants grow bigger.

"What the hell are you doing?" You shout as you watch the Gladers splash water at each other and frolic in the ocean under the moonlight. They've all stripped down into their underwear in what was originally a dare from Emmy, but now they're enjoying it.

"Come on!" Minho shouts, standing up straight as he waves you towards him. You swallow as you watch salt water dribble down his abs.

Yanno, if he wasn't so fine, this crush would be less of a problem.

"The water feels shuckin' great! Aha! Oi! Gally! Stop it! You goddamn slinthead!" He shouts as he gets attacked.

"C'mon, (Y/N), it'll be fun." Emmy giggles, kicking her shoes off and walking towards the water.

Then she freezes. Just before her toes hit the water.

Due to the nature of your Maze, most people got attacked by the fresh-water monster you called the Serpent. You only had the one, but it's shadow lurked under the boat and it's full form was never seen because of it's size.

Either you got bit when it jumped out the water and it dragged you with it until you drowned, or it injected you with venom. It wouldn't kill you, but it left you seething with agony for days.

You got biten twice. Emmy three times.

You don't like big bodies of water now- especially when you can't see the bottom.

"Emmy?" You step towards your friend, putting your hand on her shoulder.

"I-I can't- what if something's in there?"

"There's nothing in there; we're safe here. But you don't have to go in. I'm not."

"C-can we get a drink?"

"Sure," you give her a soft smile. "Hey, guys!" You shout, getting the boys' attention. "We're calling it a night- see you tomorrow."

They group hollars their goodbyes and you both leave to have a couple of drinks before bed.

You watch Emmy sleep, hands in your pockets as she lightly snores in her pocket.

"Hey," Minho makes you jump and you immediately shush him. "Hey," he repeats, in a whisper this time. "You okay? You kinda ran off before."

He's fully clothed now, but his hair's still damp.

"Yeah," you clear your throat, "just... Maze shit, you know?"

He raises his head up a bit. "Dare I ask?"

You sigh, nodding for him to follow you. He does as you sit on once of the benches on the sand.

He gingerly sits next to you.

"You ever wonder why Emmy and I don't really talk to anyone else?"

"Kinda, just figured you didn't like many people."

"It's because we're the only two people that survived our Maze." He shifts slightly, his jaw tensing. "You had your Grievers, we had our Serpent. It was Lovecraftian big, and we had to get through the last part of our Maze on foot because getting the boats over the circular doorframes was taking too long. It was a bloodbath- let that thing pick us off one by one until me and Emmy were the last men standing. She doesn't like- we don't like water anymore." You pause.

"I always think the Serpent is going to dive out and drag me under or tear me shreds." You look at him. "I know it's dumb and we're safe here but I-" your voice breaks. "I can't- I lost everyone, I can't-"

"Hey, hey," he throws his arm around you, pulling you into a hug. "It's okay, I get it. You know, whenever anyone's building anything around here with those tools we stole from WCKD, I can't be anywhere near it. It sounds exactly like the noises the Grievers used to make- I don't know how Gally works with that klunk all day."

"We're fucked up, huh?" You chuckle between sniffs and he grins at you.

"Yeah, we are. Thanks WCKD."

You both chuckle. But you stop when your eyes land on his lips, flickering up to his eyes and his lips again.

"What do you think we used to be? Before the Maze?" You mumble.

He smiles faintly. "What do you mean?"

Maybe it's the buzz from the alcohol from your drinking game that's making you so bold, or maybe it's how close he is. It doesn't matter- you're drunk in some sense.

"Well, we know each other, do you reckon we were just friends or..?"

He tilts his head. "Why? What did you want us to be?"

"I used to have dreams about you- in the Maze. All the time. Emmy used to tease me about my 'old boyfriend'," you smile fondly, "it was so dumb, but... I don't know."

"Do you wonder if she was right?"

You don't speak, just giving a simple nod. "Do you want her to be?"

"Do you?"

You lock eyes with him. His eyelids are heavy and his body is now completely facing you. "Shuck it," he mumbles, leaning in a kissing you.

You gasp into his lips for a second, and it feels like something bursts in your chest.

You kiss him back immediately, fire sparking along your skin and the world feeling lighter. You run your fingers through his hair, his pulling you closer by your waist.

He pulls away, sucking in air. He goes to speak but as his eyes flicker open, it's like something overwhelms him and he kisses you again, deeper this time. His tongue brushes over your lower lip and he pulls on the belt straps of your jeans.

You hum into his mouth, egging him on further. But he suddenly breaks away.

"I gotta stop," he mumbles, pretty much into you, "or I'm gonna get carried away."

You snicker, the thought making more butterflies form in your stomach.

"Yanno," he continues, breathing laboured. "It doesn't really matter what we used to be- it matters what we are now."

"And?" You raise your eyebrow. "What do you want that to be?"

He grins. "Haven't I made that obvious?" He says before he kisses you again.

Yo yo, I really liked this one, and I got to be creative with making my own WCKD creation.

I hope you enjoyed :))

#🌿 petri writes tmr #🍃 petri tmr #🌿 petri writes #🌿 petri tmr minho #tmr fanfiction #tmr imagines #tmr minho #minho the maze runner #minho tmr #minho tmr x reader #minho maze runner #the maze runner

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ferallair · 9 months

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The Minisodes are a Mirror

I've been thinking about the minisodes and how they are a mirror for the three part story we're currently in the middle of and I just wanted to collect my thoughts a bit.

#1 - The Clue/A Companion to Owls

This is a mirror for season 1. Crowley and Aziraphale joining together to defy Heaven and Hell to save humanity. There are a ton of interesting things happening in this episode. Aziraphale trusts Crowley not to destroy the children. Aziraphale eating that entire cow. It's insane, the gluttony of it. It means something about him and his connection to earthly things. They even use the ribs (that he licked clean btw) for their little ruse against the angels. For some reason it brings to mind the body swap in season 1. Aziraphale learns to possess a human(something he's probably not supposed to do, like eating) and use that new skill to fool Heaven and Hell. But the most important in this sitting together at the end.

So sad.

They're sitting on a nice rock that looks like a bench, as far apart from each other as they can get. It's a reflection of where they were in season 1: together but apart. An angel and a demon who go along with their side but only as much as they want. Not and Us yet (which they still aren't).

A few other questions I had:

Turning the goats to crows, why? Crowley has a crow statue on his desk in season one. Connected? A memento of that time?

Aziraphale says he is on "Gods" side. Is that a nice little side step that allows him to defy other angels but still be "the good one?" Or a foreshadowing of what's to come next season?

Crowley says the wine is from a "promising little vineyard" Châteauneuf-du-Pape perhaps?

All the angels and demons assume you can cause humans to fall in love with miracles, but Aziraphale KNOWS you can't. I wonder about that story.

#2 - I Know Where I'm Going/The Resurrectionist

This minisode is a mirror for the current season. It starts with Crowley and Aziraphale puzzling over a half naked Gabriel only to be distracted by a lesbian couple and basically ruin their lives by trying to help.

Look at that thigh.

Sure, Azripahle gives Elspeth a bunch of money, but we never find out what really happens to her. Not yet anyway. The more important part is the argument about doing wicked or immoral things for the greater good. The reuse of the name Dalrymple is interesting because it's a call back to The Thundergun of Witchfinder Colonel Dalrymple aka the gun Aziraphale tries to shoot Adam with. And it foreshadows the end of the season with Aziraphale leaving Crowley and going to heaven (something everyone on the internet is SCREAMING is wrong, including me!!) because he thinks he can do something good by it. But is it wrong? I guess we'll find out.

Some interesting things:

More foreshadowing? Is God gone? There is a conspicuous absence of the voice of God in this season, except for her half heard diatribe to Job. If she's around, is she only talking to humans?

Michael's Prophecy:

"There will come a tempest, and darkness and great storms. And the dead will leave their graves and walk the earth once more. And there will be great lamentations. (Everyday it’s getting closer)"

It's definitely foreshadowing the next episode, which is full of darkness and explosions and clouds and fog. But I think it's also a prophecy of what's to come in season 3. Just like:

#3 - The Hitchhiker/Nazi Zombie Flesheaters

I think this minisode is just one big foreshadow for season 3 and that's why it doesn't make a lot of sense yet. So, let's look at where the furniture isn't and see if we can guess some things? Feel free to play along at home.

But first can we look at the titles of these three episodes:

The Clue - A Companion to Owls. Is the clue the companion to owls? Job? Or is the clue in the meaning of owls: wisdom and sorrow? The Clue in the framing story is the song "Everyday" and a quote "I remember when the Morning Stars sang together, and all the Angels of God shouted for joy." The sorrow of owls is their song, the sound they make represents lamenting, so music might be important next season. (Didn't King David have something to do with music? Or is that just a song I know?) Crows are enemies of Owls and Crowley has a thing for Crows, the statue, the goats, the book he gives Muriel.

I Know Where I'm Going - The Resurrectionist. I know where I'm going can mean "I know what I'm doing" (trust me) or "I know what direction I'm going in" and that direction is to to Resurrectionist! It's literally what happens in this epsiode: everyone goes to the Resurrectionist in the past AND the present. Or maybe it's a metaphor for death, a place everyone (human) goes. Or maybe The Resurrectionist, who represents the Metatron, the moral quandary of doing bad things for good reasons, represents NOT listening to God or yourself (and thinking you know what you're doing), but falling for the lies of people who claim to be doing good when they're actually not. There is also the Ressurectionist as metaphor for rising from the dead and there is a lot of hints about coming back from the dead this season: Lazarus as a unit of measure, the word Ressurectionist, literal zombies, talk of a second coming, probably more stuff I can't remember.

The Hitchhiker - Nazi Zombie Flesheaters. So “The Hitchhiker” is a short radio play by screenwriter Lucille Fletcher. It was first presented in 1941 on the Orson Welles Show and was later made into and episode of the Twilight Zone. It's also the name of a horror anthology TV show from the 80's, which is fitting for this episode, because it feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone or a horror anthology story. Mostly because of the literal Nazi Zombie Flesheaters and a good dose of "be careful what you wish for" moralizing.

So what can this episode tell us about next season? I have a couple of thoughts:

We have the idea of human magic. These zombies aren't just anyone, they are occultist Nazi's that were meeting with Aziraphale in season 1 to buy books of prophecy. They particularly wanted the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, reminding us that some kind of real human magic exists, and that these Nazi's know about it (and they are now undead Zombies roaming the earth). There is also the mention of Free Masons, a secret organization that may or may not be into the occult. I suspect we'll see some kind of human occult/magic in season 3. Which make's sense with the second coming because by some accounts Jesus was an occult magician in his day.

We also have human magic. The regular stage kind. Here it is used as a kind of trust fall for Aziraphale and Crowley.

So sweet.

I suspect the boys will be placed in a situation where they will have to trust each other or die. Maybe there will even be a lose of power like this time. But they will definitely have to trick someone using mundane means. All three minisodes are about tricks (and arguably the whole season), the three ribs turning into the children, the melting the corpse and stealing the laudanum, the whole magic show episode. There will be a tricks, illusions, making things seem like they aren't. If there isn't I might be sad.

#good omens #good omens 2 #good omens meta #This is such a hot mess #hopefully I'm not just crazy #hopefully someone smarter then me can make something of this #I'm an eating up all the meta and it's fabulous #feral thoughts

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daresplaining · 9 days

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opinions on the red fist saga? :0

Resoundingly negative, unfortunately. I actually only just read it, because I was having a rough time with it while the issues were coming out and so decided to put it off until I was in a better headspace for it (or until I saw a preview for an issue that excited me and gave me the motivation to catch up, which is what happened with next week's anthology issue).

As I said, I disliked this story very much, so if you aren't interested in hearing me rant (perfectly fine! I wouldn't blame you!), read no further. I really hope you liked it. I really don't want to get you down if you did. This whole run was just the epitome of Not For Me.

Ahem.

The "Red Fist Saga" is, in my opinion, a flimsy "Shadowland" knock-off, centered around the abrasive, moralizing religious zealot who has been inhabiting Matt Murdock's body for the past few years. Elektra Natchios, an incredibly complex character whom I love dearly, had her backstory savaged to remove its autonomy and complexity (that's a rant for another post...) and exists in this story as an accessory to this Matt look-alike and as a handy target of his moralizing (at one point he comes to the revelation that this recent journey she has been on has been worthwhile because it was all about God saving her from her wicked ways!!, at which point I may have blacked out from rage for a few seconds). Matt and Elektra GET MARRIED, and the implications of this massive shift in their relationship are not explored at all. And phew...the less said about Sam Chung's single scene, the better. As was true throughout Zdarsky's entire run, Matt speaks and thinks in this story like he is reading a prepared speech at all times, making grand-yet-hollow pronouncements about the nature of good and evil. He doesn't sound like a real person, but rather like a robot that has been fed a steady diet of religious texts, along with a few surface-level social/systemic reform concepts. His personality consists of being alternately sad, angry, and making lofty proclamations about "fighting evil in the service of God's plan", and I just have no emotional investment in that. I'm not Catholic (and neither, until recently, was Matt Murdock, making this whole thing profoundly weird).

There were some cool elements to this story. I'm a huge Stick fan and I'm thrilled that he is finally back from the dead after all these years. I love Stilt-Man. I love Speed Demon (for some real Speed Demon goodness, go read Superior Foes of Spider-Man, one of my favorite comics of all time). Foggy had a few good panels. I got to read Milla's name; always a treat. Kirsten didn't actually die. Mike was...mentioned (I've already griped about his death; I won't do it again here). The twist that Foggy and Stick were actually already dead was effective and very cool and I didn't see it coming at all, so I will give full credit for that. And I'm someone who genuinely does enjoy Hand shenanigans. I love that stuff when it's done well. But the degree to which I could not stand this new Matt and did not care what happened to him or what he was doing, plus the fact that I had seen all of these plot points executed already, and better, by previous Daredevil teams, meant that this story was just a protracted slog through painful writing, past scene after scene that could have been so much better in the hands of a different creative team or centered around a version of Matt Murdock who was actually a compelling protagonist.

#Thank you for asking! I hope this isn't...too terrible an answer.#I hate being negative like this but it also feels good to get this off my chest because this run was a miserable experience for me.#Daredevil vol. 7 #Daredevil #Matt Murdock #Elektra Natchios #The Hand #Asks #Commentary

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yourimaginationrealm · 4 months

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He kinda grew attached to you, despite being just a human but Cordelia disliked this bond and leaked to your villagers that you care about a vampire. Those people mistook you for a witch and burned you alive. Knowing this, Ayato could nothing do than watching you die while his mother told him, it was his fault being involved with a pathetic human. Years later, he killed his mother with satisfactions and slowly, showing her the pain you had to endure and finally revenging your death. However, he would never tell everyone that your death still stings him…

As a child he visits you regularly: You served him self-made Takoyaki and that is why it is his favorite dish. Your warm smile and praise after he gave everything from the swim session. The soft pat on his head is even today his weak spot. This little vampire was obsessed with you, of course his mother has to be jealous after a while. You can not be more than her! Not a human woman!

The red head bragged about being the best and going to marry you one day. You always giggle which brought a smile to his face but told him you are old when he is an adult. He scoffed and offers you to become a vampire: So you can wait until he is grown. You said that is a cute offer but you prefer humanity while ruffling his hair. He became irritated and shout at you why you deny his glorious idea. After this, he ran away. Typical Ayato behavior.

The next day, he came back with tears in his eyes. His mother and brothers were mean to him but he is still mad about her declining his offer. You just took him in your arms as you hugged him while he start bawling his eyes out. He never felt this warm and love from someone....

If friends of yours visit, they wonder who the little red head was: You always lied and mentioned your deceased brother had a kid. "Wasn't he blonde?" They seemed irritated but better than finding out that he is a vampire. A supernatural being at that time weren't treated good...

The last time before your death, you gifted him a shirt of your dead brother. "Why are you giving me this...? It is too big!" You laugh at his bewildered face as he examined the clothing. "Because you always annoy me with marrying you. I can't do that... Yet, my brother wanted that I gave his shirt to my future husband. So I think you should have it!" You smile at him as his face light up. "Wow! Then, wait up until it I fit in." "Haha, sure!"

A few days later, you were burnt as a witch. He never forgets the wicked laughter of his mother. He cried his eyes out while hiding his face into your gift. He swore he is going to take revenge on his mother. The relationship to you makes him more drawn to humans and their antics. He loves basketball, Takoyaki, etc..

Guess what he wore as he brutally massacred his mother after he had grown. Yes, your gifted shirt which was drown in Cordelia blood. "Ah,.. now you ruined my shirt. Ah no... It is the gift of Y/N..." "Wha-? What has she to do with it?" "Everything.... mother..." he coldly stated as a shiver runs down Cordelias spine. When was the last time he called her mother? "How fitting that the shirt she gave me, is drown in your blood... What a sweet revenge...." He laughed evilly as she did back then. "Sadly, I can not burn you like she had died... Although, burning you alive seems fun too..." He licked the blood from his hands and eyed her. " I want more..." "No.... No..... Aya-AhhhH-!" Her screaming ended suddenly. Never had she thought that she dies because she murdered a pathetic human. Or more that her son his the murder of hers.

_______________________ Yes, new Design! Hope you like it. And yeah not the fluffiest Imagine... Wonder where the idea came from xD I just fell back to the Diabolik Lovers Hell so of course my favourite is Ayato....Enjoy!

#imaginationrealm #imagine #ayato sakamaki imagine #diabolik lovers ayato #ayato x reader #sakamaki ayato #ayato sakamaki #diabolik lovers ayato imagine #diabolik lovers ayato sakamaki #diabolik lovers imagine #diabolik lovers ayato imagime #diabolik lovers #dl imagine #ayato x you

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littlemisslipbalm · 8 months

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Demonology - Part 4

Just Like Heaven -- Jake x f!Reader x Josh

Series Summary: A new demon has come to Nashville. Josh and Jake's ways of life have been thrown off by her arrival. The angel and demon have lived with an understanding of one another, but with Y/N stirring up trouble and asking questions, they're forced to work out a new normal. And why is she so powerful for a human turned demon anyway, that's unusual, right?

A/N: heyyooo new chappie! I do not have the next one written at all unfortunately so it may take awhile to upload but thank you to all who read...to all those who have been wanting to fuck angel!josh...lets just say your prayers may have been answered. lmk what you think :)

Chapter Summary: Flashbacks and angel sex and demonic anxiety attacks OH MY!

Word Count: 3.9k | Warnings: Smut (pretty explicit) 18+ always!!!!, explicit language, alcohol consumption, dubious understandings of demonology like always (sorry!), Josh and Jake chapter yay!, angst and plot!

Join the Taglist! | Masterpost (catch up on the rest of the story here)

Part 4: Just Like Heaven

1972. Los Angeles, California

4 years before she died.

Y/N was having the time of her life. Rori was in her arms as she sat on the side of the Forum stage, atop an amp, swinging her legs back and forth to the guitar riff Jimmy was winding down.

She hollered and threw her head back, in awe and joy. She was coked out of her mind and a little drunk but she was oh so free.

At 21, she’s been in this world of musicians and lovers and adventure, making trouble, for around six years. From lead singers to roadies and fellow fans, she’d made a lot of friends. Everyone around most of the theaters in LA and Inglewood recognized her by then.

She didn’t have to say her name at a single door or even have a name on any list. When people saw her coming they let her in, knowing a wicked good time was about to be had by everyone. No one ever had a bad thing to say about her either. It was incredible. Wicked.

So it confused her when she was taking a smoke break at the side stage door and a guy in a black leather duster and dark sunglasses didn’t seem to notice her at all. People loved talking to her, she often felt like a bit of a celebrity. And her hazy mind made her feel a little indignant that he didn’t even chance a look as she stood beside him smoking a cig looking as sexy as ever.

Half way through the smoke, she glanced to her right still feeling his presence and growing more agitated. It was strangely just the two of them out there. Both smoking. She couldn’t bear the quiet.

“Hey, cowboy.”

He finally looked over when she spoke and she grinned her best smile. He nodded a curt nod and took another drag, turning to face forward again.

She worried her brow and twisted so she was fully facing this guy. It was curious rather than malicious when she asked: “What’s your deal?”

He threw another glance her way but she couldn’t see his eyes with the dark-tinted sunglasses he wore. “Sorry?”

“Are you new over here? I’ve never seen you around before.”

He chuckled and she wasn’t sure what she had said that was funny. He flicked the butt of his cigarette across the alley, the cherry fizzing out as it glowed for a moment and faded into the night.

“C’mon man,” she whined. “Give me a clue.” He couldn’t be a rockstar even though he had the look about him. She knew them all. Intimately.

“Friend of the devil.” He shuffles his glasses to his breast pocket and in the light it looks like there’s a flash of yellow in his eye, but she thought that was just the drugs messing with her as she tried to focus on the stranger.

“Oh! Dead and company! I’ve always wanted to make it up to San Francisco. They just keep me so busy here.” She is alight with excitement. The Grateful Dead were pretty incredible even if she’d never seen them.

“I’m usually out in Nashville. But San Fran sure is…a scene.” He shrugs, noncommittal in his words, unsure himself why he was entertaining this conversation.

“So you really don’t know who I am?” She’s simpering, teasing in tone as she twists her legs, lengthening her body against the brick wall.

He won’t look at her but she can’t stop looking at him. His hair is long and pretty, a little unruly, but he’s beautiful. His silhouette is illuminated by the street lamp, leaving him in intense shadow and light. His prominent nose, his strong jaw, and his sunken eyes. He was the prettiest thing. She thought she’d never forget him.

“This is Los Angeles, correct?” He chuckles again, looking down his nose at her. “I find it hard to believe that you think any old stranger would just know who you are.”

“I’m pretty notorious.” She leans her head to the side, still showing herself off for him, but he doesn’t seem affected.

“So am I, doll, and you didn’t know me,” he raises his eyebrows. “So maybe let’s call it even.”

“Deal,” she grins, extending her recently freed hand towards the man. She shook it at him as he looked at it reluctantly. “C’mon, baby.”

He shook his head in disbelief. She was strange. A mix of sweet and sour. Pure and evil. Strange but he took her hand nonetheless. She bit her lip at the touch. He was cooler than she’d expected but it was welcome.

“You wanna come?” She asks after a moment, not letting go of the stranger's hand, nodding towards the door she’d exited less than 10 minutes ago. “I can get you in to meet Jimmy and the boys. Jimmy’s real nice.”

He chuckled again, removing his hand from hers with a tug. “Another time. I was just passing through.” He pushed off the wall and chanced another glance back at her face as he moved to place his sunglasses back on.

“Catch you on the other side!” She called when she caught his eyes, gleaming yellow once more before he disappeared. She hadn’t realized the corner was so close but she didn’t think about it twice, hearing one of the boys calling her name from inside.

Present Day. Nashville, Tennessee

47 years after she died. 4 months since she’d been back. 30 minutes since she’d left the dive bar. 1 hour since Jake had left her.

The moon was still high in the sky when Josh got home from the bar and was in the middle of taking off his blood-ridden shirt in his entryway. He wasn’t sure if it was salvageable and as he was inspecting it with disinterest, the last thing he expected happened. A soft knock sounded. Y/N was at his door.

Hurrying to the door, he opened it a crack, eyes wide and mouth ajar. Shirtless despite his efforts to stay behind the wood. She smiled shyly, unlike herself.

“How did you know where I live?”

“You said ‘come over, anytime I need’. Is now not anytime?”

Josh chuckled, “Yeah, I just hadn’t expected you to take me up on that invitation, what, a half hour after I’d extended it.”

She bit her lip, feeling the emotions flowing off Josh already. “Well I need it. Can I come in? I think we have some unfinished business.”

“Damnit,” Josh sighed to himself, hanging his head and opening the door wider. She made him weak.

She smirked and tried to channel her excitement into casual cockiness. Like she’d always known he’d fold. “Isn’t swearing wrong, Joshua?”

“Shut up,” He shook his head, locking the door again and meeting her in the dimly lit hallway. “I can’t believe you came here. Like this.”

She had changed on her way over. A body-hugging slip dress barely covered her skin. It was an iridescent light blue satin. Josh couldn’t take his eyes off her body. She had dressed it up for him.

“I realized I wasn’t ready to say goodnight.” She replied, allowing him to back her up into the cream wall. Her hands reached up to play with his necklace, fingering the shiny beads. “And I can feel that you wanted to see me too. I felt you at the bar, watching me and Jake. How you wanted it to be you. I can feel you.” She breathed the words softly, their breath mingling with the faces inches apart. She pressed her hands against his warm chest. “You radiate towards me. Constantly.”

Josh hummed, fingers dancing over the silk concealing her waist. Beneath was the skin he couldn’t take his eyes off of all night. She was right. Because of Jake, because of her, but mostly because of himself, he was about to screw his greatest temptation. Maybe still half in spite of Jake tonight.

Josh thought she must have come to his apartment immediately. She must have known his resolve was at his weakest. A few drinks in and jealous, needy for her touch and here she was stepping onto his doormat, presenting herself for the taking. She made doing the wrong thing too easy. But, Jesus, all he thought about at night was her and the images she’d shown him, wishing they were real. Wishing he could forget all about her.

She pushed her hips towards Josh's, pressing them even closer together as he rested his forehead against hers, taking a deep breath. Exactly how he’d wished he’d been in Jake’s place at the bar.

“This is wrong,” Josh’s voice is shakey, fanning hot against her skin.

“This isn’t wrong. This is right, I swear. Can’t you feel it,” her voice is sickly sweet again, whispering just for Josh. “It’s okay, Angel. It’s okay to want me. I want you, too.”

“What about Jake?” Josh selfishly wanted to know where his brother fell in this equation. He took solace in the fact that she was with him instead of Jake but he didn’t know if that should actually reassure him.

“What about Jake?” She repeated. Her eyes stare into Josh’s with a scary intensity he’d never seen from her. She knew he’d overheard what Jake had said. Never again. He must have heard it.

Josh swallowed and she caressed the skin around his throat where his Adam's apple had moved. She smiled.

Maybe he was trying to prolong the inevitable. The sin he was about to commit. That he couldn’t come back from. Maybe if he talked about Jake enough she’d leave him for his twin. It was something he both wanted and couldn’t stand. His voice is choked up, pinched. “Won’t he mind?”

“He made it clear he doesn’t want me…again. But if you’re worried about him, Angel, it can be our little secret. Now kiss me, sweetheart. I know you want to.”

The way she called Josh that pet name made it sound like a curse but it still made him press his lips against hers. Fervent and desperate to taste her again. He pressed into her more and she opened her legs, allowing his to slip between hers, slotting them closer than ever before. Immediately she ground down onto the thick of Josh’s thigh, relieving the pressure growing in her core minutely.

“Dear god,” Josh gasped when he pulled away from her for a moment.

He could feel her wetness on his thigh already and the press of her hardened nipples against his chest. She grinned at him, her smile fucked out and devious. This was exactly what she needed. He was exactly what she needed.

“They’re not here…Take me to your bedroom, Joshua, and have me anyway you want me. My treat.” She nipped at his lower lip and he felt an ache in his chest and his pants. She was sin incarnate and he couldn’t wait to taste it any longer. “Please.”

“Oh,” He whispered, but she caught it. He was too close to miss a thing. The ‘please’ had gotten him.

His fantasies were becoming reality and grew tenfold in front of his eyes as they made their way to his bedroom. Drapes of white and cream extended around it. Votive candles in golden vases and holders were scattered around the room and offered a warm light. They illuminated his floor to ceiling bookshelves, filled with hundreds of books, and paintings of foggy serene landscapes in lilac and robin’s egg blue. It was beautiful, but she couldn’t be fucked to take the time to appreciate it all. Her mind was filled with Josh.

“You’re so wet,” Josh mumbled, pressing his thigh into her center again as he laid her gently down on his sheets.

She grinned up at him, her hands wrapped around his neck, curling into his soft hair. “So this isn’t your first rodeo, angel?”

Josh pecked her lips and moved to litter tender kisses on her cheeks, jaw and neck. “I’ve had a few committed relationships over the years,” he mumbles. “They couldn’t exactly last, though.”

She nodded in understanding, petting over the nape of his neck and over his broad, strong shoulders, creamy skin. Soft as silk.

He inhaled deeply, taking her in. “This dress,” He ran his thumb up and down the fabric on her hip.

“Just for you, angel. I know how you hate all my black and red.”

“S’not that,” He kisses down her chest, kneading her breasts through the fabric and then slipping a hand down between her legs.

“Then what is–oh! Oh fuck!” Her hands gripped for purchase on Josh’s shoulders. Her thoughts derailed.

Josh’s fingers had slipped between her folds and swirled around her clit. “So wet,” he repeated and she groaned, in disbelief this was happening. “No panties.”

She hummed in agreement, body beginning to work with his fingers with small thrusts. “Was hoping I wouldn’t need them. And I was right, wasn’t I?”

“Dirty, dirty demon,” He whispers, breathless at the feeling of her heat. How his fingers feel inside her, thinking about what it will feel like when he sinks in. He burrows his face into her neck, laving kisses into her skin, feeling thankful. “So good, baby. Oh, wow.”

She whined at his words. She wanted to worship Josh as he began to fuck into her every way he needed after he made her cum the first time with his fingers. He was so strong and powerful, yet so gentle with his touch. It was long, a strong ocean wave, pounding into her steadily, filling her with his heavy cock. Angelic strength and stamina. The room seemed to glow a golden light emanating from every inch of Josh’s skin. The same gold as the fading sun on that same rippling sea, where the light catches the movement just right and it’s pure reflected light. She came three more times before she began to feel Josh let up. A little. She was feeling euphoric.

He wanted to switch positions. It was the one his fantasies often drifted to. Her dress had been discarded on the floor a long time ago. Her beautiful body was on full display for him as he whispered in her ear how he wanted her and she giggled, practically purring in compliance.

As she moved to turn around, her eye caught something in the dresser mirror. The golden light that emanated from Josh, bathing him in a shiny glitter that stuck to his skin, had fallen onto her own skin. Together, they were both bathed in liquid gold. Instead of angels and demons, she swore they resembled gods, gods caught in the most human of acts.

Hands and knees on the bed, she presented her ass towards Josh and stretched her back. Lengthening her torso, she leaned her head down into the sheets. Josh watched her move, lithe and practiced. Breathtaking. Unmatched. He was catching his breath at the side of the bed, one leg already bent on the bed and the other keeping him standing. His eyes couldn’t leave her body. He would’ve fucked her forever if he could.

She wiggled her ass and whined his name, effectively getting his attention and breaking his reverie. He thrust into her from behind and she moaned out and he grinned, smoothing his hand down her naked ass and lower back. She pushed back on his length, meeting him in the middle.

“Good girl.” He mumbled. His hands spread her ass checks and got lost in the trance of their bodies meeting. How he disappeared inside her and how her body welcomed him, never wanting him to leave, sucking him in deeper and begging him to never leave. How could something feel so right be so wrong?

“So good, Josh. Fuckin’ me so good. Thank you, angel.” She breathed, eyes fluttering shut in ecstasy. “Love it, love you…”

Josh was sure he misheard her. Surely she hadn’t just said–he was distracted by his imminent orgasm that led him to a different headspace all together. He moaned as he came inside her and she whined in agreement. “Let it all out, baby.”

She hadn’t even heard herself.

When Josh woke up the next day, he was naked and alone in his plush bed. His eyes scanned the room, feeling calmer. Maybe that had just been a really weird and vivid dream. He tried to believe himself until he saw the satin blue dress on his floor. Oh fuck.

He threw himself back into the pillows and covered his face with his hands groaning into the silence. He’d gone somewhere he couldn’t come back and now he was left in the after of it all.

Picking up the evidence of the previous night, he wandered around his home, muttering to himself and feeling immense shame. As well as another emotion. He longed for Y/N. Why had she left him before he had woken up?

No note. Just the dress which he assumed she didn’t want now that it had done its job. It wasn’t her color after all.

Josh showered off the remainder of the evidence from last night, gold flecks drifting off his skin and swirling down the drain, a river of gold shame.

She tiptoed back into her apartment around sunrise after leaving Josh’s. She couldn’t bear to face him in the light of day. He had bestowed the exact gift she had longed for since she’d laid eyes on his glowing skin, but it felt wrong to lay with him afterwards.

She had waited for his breathing to even, his mind going to another place, before she untangled from his angelic body. Something had been repeating in her head the moment he had finished in her for the final time.

She wasn’t good. She was wrong. She had led him astray.

She had expected pure bliss to continue flowing through her when he had laid beside her, caressing her skin gently with sweet innocent kisses placed against her temple as he mumbled a song under his breath. It was beautiful and tender. She wanted to be at peace.

Instead, she felt disgusting shame. Like she has done something terribly wrong. It made her skin crawl. She didn’t understand the sensation. She didn’t feel this feeling. Ever. As a demon or as a human (or whatever Josh and Jake think she was).

So he eventually fell asleep and she fled because maybe if she got away from him the feeling would go away. She didn’t have time to test that theory.

Jake was sprawled across her couch with Rori wrapped around his chest in his chupacabra form, cooing to the animal until his yellow eyes flicked up to her figure.

Clad in last night’s original red and black outfit and covered in gold, she stood in her doorway frozen.

“Your animal was feeling neglected.” Jake lifts the dog off of him and sits up. “How was dear brother Josh?”

She opened her mouth but no words came out, she just stepped inside and Jake shut the door behind her with his mind. She closed her mouth.

Jake continues, eyes still gleaming as they flicked up and down her face and torso. “He’s all over you.”

“Why do you care?” She finally manages to get out.

“I don’t.” Jake smiles wickedly. “Just making conversation based on observation, kid.”

“Get out of my apartment, I’m not in the mood.” She decides that being punished by Jake wasn’t helping her situation.

“I’ve heard celestial fornication creates something of this,” he pauses, finger swiping along her collarbone, suddenly at her side. Their opposite shoulders were beside each other as he inspected the fine gold smattering of flecks that had come off onto his fingertip. “Sort. But I wasn’t an angel long enough for me to ever find out first hand. Not that they’re supposed to…is he okay now that he’s got his wings wet?”

“Wh-what?” She steps back from Jake, still reeling from the night with Josh and the information at the bar and now Jake in her apartment. It all was happening too fast, she felt her head swimming. The room was too hot. Jake was too similar to Josh in this moment. Her eyes were blurring, it was like Jake’s face was shifting or morphing into Josh’s as she stuttered. Spinning around and around. “Wings…wet…what?”

Jake’s eyes widened, the smirk on his face quickly sliding off as he watched Y/N, her eyes flickering in her head to black. She took another step back from him and this time Jake took a step forward, following after her staggering body.

“My head,” She groaned, clutching a hand at her forehead, and Jake grabbed for her elbows, realizing she was about to collapse.

“Woah, woah,” He says, carefully easing her body weight into him. “It was just some light teasing for bagging my angel brother, don’t go discorporating on me.”

He carries her to her couch as carefully as possible despite his awkward hold on her, adjusting her so that he can sit by her legs and lean over her, staring into the abyss of her still black eyes. Rori is on the back of the couch, staring down at his master. One of Jake’s hands is smoothing over her forehead and then down over her hair as he inspects her. She can make out his snake-like eyes shifting quickly back and forth between hers.

“Can you hear me, Sal?” He asks weakly, giving away his distress.

Her lips part, “Did you just give me a fucking demonic anxiety attack?”

“I don’t think so…asshole,” He adds with a joking lilt in his voice, glad she was able to joke, meaning it couldn’t be that bad. “I don’t know. Maybe. This has never happened before?”

“No,” She murmurs, reaching out to her dog to scratch at his ears–that servant of hell might’ve been wrong, this little monster might end up being her ESA. She takes a deep breath, still feeling a little overheated. “Maybe don’t ambush your colleagues from now on.”

“I thought you were made of stronger stuff, kid.”

She huffs and Jake bites at his inner lip at his ability to bother her, just a little. His demonic self couldn’t help the pleasure it brought even if he was also genuinely worried about her well-being.

“Sorry,” he says half-heartedly. “Just wasn’t expecting to see you come home in eau-de-Josh.”

“Yeah, well I wasn’t planning on it,” She says. Her eyes were slowly fading from black and back to her average color. “Going or you seeing me right after the fact.”

Jake almost smiled and then quickly suppressed it, leaning back from her as she shuffled up onto her elbows. “Well this settles it.” He says with a finality that she doesn’t understand at all.

What she wanted was some peace and quiet, but it seemed the universe–and Jake, had other plans for her.

“What do you mean?”

“Now we really need to figure out what you are because my bet is that your little mystical panic attack is linked to the questions surrounding your powers and true parentage.” He runs a hand through his hair, before tapping his fingers against his lips. She could see the thoughts rapidly racing through his mind.

“That seems like a leap,” She says, unsure.

Jake leans closer and they are once again within each other’s breathing spaces. “Like I said last night. The things you do, including this, aren’t normal for demons. You are not normal and I fear that means you may be in serious trouble that we cannot even begin to fathom.”

Her eyes flutter at his words hitting her face. His voice was low and raspy, urgent. She licked at her lips and watched his eyes flicker to the movement.

“So no pressure, huh?”

To be continued....

Taglist: @ofthecaravel @gretavanfreaky @sinarainbows @jaketlove @mysticalstarcatcher @whiterosekiszka @sacredjake @beingextraisfun @malany-gvf @joshysgirl @ascendingtothestarssasone @amygvf13 @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @alwaysonthemend @lvnterninthenight

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arece · 1 year

Note

Okay maybe despite John’s sacrifices reader has become violent because of the grief. Caine said he would watch over her. Caine probably realize she got back into the business. It doesn’t have to be a physical fight but maybe some sort of verbal thing reader just reader yelling how much she misses John and how Caine killed him or something. What would Caine do? Would reader allow Caine to comfort her? Make that shit angstyyyy

Francis Forever

♤ Summary: It's easier to stick to what you've learned instead of moving on. The series

♤ Warnings: John Wick violence, swears, alcohol, reader avoiding therapy and choosing murder (like father like daughter).

♤ a/n: It has been so long and I'm so very sorry!!! On a brighter note, the lovely Mallorie has made a playlist for our favourite duo! (It had me sobbing, the title and slogan made my heart melt). Check it out, cry over it and lets all thank Mal for the inspo! Love you Mal! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2PNWum0VLYV9k8VYJu5ZRc?si=7uTnEbr0R3CV1TxWXr1Svg

Without further ado... enjoy some angst!

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The first time you broke the sacrifice John made for you was the first time he was mentioned. You had become a shell of the little girl you both used to know, an angry violent woman who couldn’t help but to blame everyone.

You avoided Winston as his new hotel was being built, the hotel that was only being built thanks to John’s death. Dog became your sole companion, joining you the few times you dared to venture out. John had left you all that was his, you had scoffed to avoid crying - he really did plan on dying since the very start.

You didn’t work, you didn’t know what to do with yourself. How cruel you thought it was, for John to teach you the only thing you were good at just to rip it all away from you in the name of protecting you.

You drank. A lot. Not too much to raise enough concern for Winston to come drag you back to wherever he was, but enough for one to consider it a minor hobby. Your chosen bar was one frequented by those of the underworld.

It was comforting in a way, a reminder of home. You were nursing your first drink of the night, drowning in self-pity when you overheard a conversation from two Russian men sitting beside you.

“Baba Yaga is gone, the Ruska Roma is a threat no more.” The burlier one smirked, chugging down the rest of his beer.

“Don’t be a fool. They did not rely on him and what of the child? Just because the Table forgets her does not mean she isn’t a threat.”

“The Likho? He failed and she will meet his end.”

You finished off the rest of your drink with a sigh, standing and smashing your glass off the side of the counter. The attention of the entire bar was brought to you, the shocked silence only being broken to react.

You threw the sharpened glass straight into the neck of the larger man. His hands flew to his neck, holding tightly as he gurgled on his own blood. The second guy looked to his friend before pouncing after you.

Expecting it, you ducked under his grip, turning to slam his head against the bar’s counter top. You didn’t want him dead, too many bodies trailing after all that happened would be too suspicious. Knocking him out will have to do.

You shoved him back against the bar, his neck at a weird angle as you held his head in a lock. Once he was unconscious you released his body to the floor, throwing a hundred dollar bill for the damages.

“What are you doing?” The bar owner called after you in indignation.

“Trying to meet his end.” You didn’t even bother to wipe the blood off of your hands, it no longer phased you. You’d have to get your knife back from John’s grave.

Since then the trail grew, nearly reaching double digits. Technically you weren’t doing any kind of job, purely from your own will. If you kept going at the rate you were, the Table would force you back in, erasing everything John did.

You almost couldn’t bring yourself to care.

Caine had settled down with his daughter, their reunion going better than he could’ve ever anticipated. He explained the few things he could to her, why he had to leave her and how he managed to come back.

It was a late afternoon when he first heard the rumors of the Likho being active for the first time since the death of the Baba Yaga. He knew what that meant and knew it was time for him to keep his word.

“I know I said I wouldn’t leave again-” He was cut off by his daughter kissing his cheek. A soft and understanding smile painted her face as she hugged him tightly. “I have my father, she doesn’t. She needs you, go.”

He was quick to travel to New York, ready to do anything to keep you safe. He found your place thanks to Winston, who was beyond worried. He had tried to reach out to you but was met with hostility.

“Who are you to say anything? You used his death to get a fucking hotel!” He left with you looking ready to stab him and Dog growling nearby.

He sat on your armchair, white cane leaning on the back. He heard you unlock your door and remove Dog’s leash. Dog was quick to sniff him out, standing defensively as she barked at him. You tensed, jaw clenching at the sight of him.

“Caine. Thought you’d be off with your daughter,” the last word sounded choked, like it was a struggle for you to even pronounce.

“I have some other obligations to attend to, she is aware.” He wouldn’t speak on his promise to John, something he was sure would turn you against him. Your current state reminded him of a lost puppy.

One that had been harmed too many times to function properly, to truly hold any trust in anyone. “I don’t see how that brings you to my place.”

You zero in on his hand, catching a glint from his palm, “give it back.” He opened his hand showing the gold coin. The gold coin that held all your worth, that John took you for, that you had to hunt The Doctor down to retrieve.

“So you can use it to get back in?” He scoffed, “after all that John gave up for you.” You flexed your hand before reaching to grab it back but he expertly dodged you.

“For me? He died for you,” you tried to hide your tears behind anger, choosing to act violently by shoving Caine out of your chair. He recovered easily, sliding away from you with the coin still in hand.

“You were his daughter, he’d do anything to protect you.” How dare he come here to lecture you about your choices, defending the man who made decisions that led you here. You faked lunging for him, swiftly kicking out his leg from underneath him.

He grabbed onto you, using the momentum to send you falling instead. “How could he have seen me as a daughter? He was willing to leave me behind so you could be with yours!” You desperately clawed at his hand as you began to cry.

You were conflicted, emotions contradicting and betraying you. You wanted to defend him, justify everything he’s ever done but at the same time you hate him for what he did. You missed him and would do anything to have him back.

Caine was confused as he listened to your sobs over the coin. He loosened his grip, letting it fall from his and into your hands. You held it to your chest tightly, curling in on yourself like the desperate child you still were.

“It’s mine. He only took me because of this.” Caine kneeled down to the ground next to you. He laid a hand on your shoulder, slowly pulling you into a side hug when you didn’t flinch away.

“No, the coin only brought you to him. I’d die in an instant to keep her safe. John was wrong in the way only a father could be, he was wrong for you.”

Those words stuck with you. Each time you felt yourself slipping you remind yourself of his faults and how he willingly did them for you. John Wick was never perfect and you couldn’t hold him to that standard.

He was a loving father who did all that he could to love and care for his daughter. Baba Yaga and Likho were a mask, an illusion for two lost people who managed to discover each other in a twisted painful time.

You loved him and freed him in a way he never thought would be possible for him to have. He wanted to return that for you. It was time to let go of that part others created and instead treasure the him that was solely for you. Your John Wick.

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blysse-and-blunder · 2 months

Text

in lieu of a reading week

11pm, tuesday, feb 20, 2024

hello beloveds. just wrote two increasingly passionate paragraphs about what social media and my use of it over the years has done to benefit my life, and got so genuinely moved that i had to come talk to you about it.

reading really wild mix of reading material of late. surprisingly high amount of YA, because people keep recommending me things and i keep going 'sure, let's try it!' so i'll use that as an organizing principle and save discussing some of the others for a future post. in order of completion:

firekeeper's daughter, angeline boulley, read by isabella lablanc. finished in a rush, very engaged in the last three-four hours. i was never prepared for the next thing this plot threw at me, though in retrospect saw how it all made sense. i didn't know a thing about it going in, which i think actually enriched the experience a lot, but for a novel set in michigan's UP and sugar island, it resonated with a lot of things i associate with ontario after living here for five+ years. the hockey, the ojibwe /anishinaabe names and cultural connections, the murdered and missing indigenous women. but it also mixes in elements reminiscent of, like, braiding sweetgrass (and tangentially mexican gothic) and various fan fiction tropes i recognized in their shape if not their execution. highly recommend the audiobook-- they cast the audiobook's narrator very carefully, and she does a superb job juggling the mix of scientific jargon, teen narrator unreliable/dramatic narrator (loving), and Anishinaabemowin.

castle in the clouds, kerstin gier, translated by romy fursland. maybe 33% through. it's giving grand budapest hotel and somehow also the princess diaries? it's also reminding me somehow of, like, the kind of novel i wanted to write as a second or third grader, which means eva ibbotson, and a particular flavor of plucky, intelligent heroine. i was hooked by the first page+ but have yet to see a ton more of the same high action and suspense, and have let this one slip a little further onto the back burner. it's cute escapism at the moment, though that may change.

fourth wing, by rebecca yarros, read by rebecca soler (and apparently also teddy hamilton, although i haven't gotten to him yet?) about 25% through. trying desperately to give us a gritty, hardcore, new and dangerous and fun take on dragons and their human riders, while also trying to be idk divergent? the hunger games? there's a love triangle, the protagonist has naturally ombre hair, the premise of the novel is brutal training where young adults are all dying in improbable droves due to how cutthroat and brutal it is. a testament to the narrator that i am, despite myself, having a great time. there are a few too many supporting characters who want our main girl straight up dead for me to really find the threats believable, but i'm intrigued by the prospect of alternate versions of this world's history than what she has learned and a potential for discovering how their kingdom has? manipulated them? could be asking too much.

fairest, gail carson levine. finished in a long saturday morning spent reading in bed. i was such an intense and dedicated fan of the original ella enchanted novel that i couldn't read most of levine's other books (exceptions for her short stories made grudgingly) because they weren't sequels and weren't the same and wouldn't be as good. in fairness, reading this now as a much-older-than-the-intended audience, perhaps i was too harsh-- but i think little-me was right to be a little suspicious. it's a snow white retelling, and again i think largely successful in building a more detailed plot in which the elements of the retold fairy tale are embedded, but where the focus in ella was on language and obedience and free will, here we're trying to articulate things about beauty and body image, and it's harder to say that it really succeeds? i like that we gave the Wicked Queen more nuance, positive and negative qualities, moments of sympathy, a name and a precarious political position. i was not nearly as charmed by the romance (fine, fine, it's not ella and char but it couldn't be, it's fine). i still love the use of unfamiliar / fairy-tale languages and how levine puts them on the page in such fun spellings. probably aimed at the youngest audience, of the four titles here, but treats its reader as almost more intelligent than fourth wing, possibly? YA from ~twenty years ago was a different world.

listening graded like twenty quizzes today with just a mess of random panic at the disco bumping in my headphones. it's a hell of a feeling, etc. i'm halfway through this particular round of grading, and they're doing so well, so it's mainly a quick check to make sure they got the basics right and i can jam while doing so.

watching spent a very pleasant ~2 hours yesterday watching as much as we could of the film amadeus with @hematiterings, @pep-squad-lizzie, and @dimir-charmer. love a film that isn't afraid to lean into all its sensory indulgences, and to be a little heavy-handed with its symbolism (the chocolate is about repression!) and to, just generally, spend money on costumes, locations, hiring lots of extras, and so many wigs. there's a live event performance of this film with orchestra + choir being advertised all over our subway right now, so it does very much feel like we're being followed by this guy:

...but what's sticking in my head right now is the costumes.

playing 41+ hours into hollow knight. i have opened half of my stag stations! i have the dream nail, surprisingly early i think! i have saved bretta! i have somehow missed the mantis lords, i think, but have made it to the city, the resting grounds, and have now been throwing myself fruitlessly against the crystal guardian and a soul warrior in alternation. i am...not good at combat. current plan is to grind to get quick focus, and i'm close! also, @spoonierbard stepped in and gave me a much needed morale boost by winning me the final mask shard necessary to get increased lives, which has helped tremendously, and the grubs rewarded me with the grub song charm which has helped tremendously.

making many potential projects, none executed (or even really attempted). soon, hopefully. fallow section for now. does music count? music counts, right? i joined a second choir! enticed by the chance to perform mozart's requiem in full with an orchestra, and finally fulfill the broken promise of 2020. that's my hobby right now. oh i also just cleaned out a ton of storage in my phone + icloud, which felt generative in its own way. besides backing things up better than i have in a while.

working on submitted the travel money application i've been thinking and dithering about since...this time last year? no real expectation of getting it, but it did actually help me consider some next steps in the diss, so that's nice. now prepping to take my class on two fun on-campus field trips next week, one to the manuscript library and one to the medieval collection in our little hidden art museum! i need to write some notes up for the TAs and docents to use, and finish organizing my list of desired manuscripts, like, yesterday. midterm grades posted today, a little late but hopefully not too bad, still well before the drop date. the aforementioned quizzes (i have like 28 more to grade, but they're reasonably painless). plus i was going to work on my fucking dissertation this week, and prep to teach the next few lectures in advance so i'm not scrambling monday nights, plus send a bunch of emails, design a CFP poster, put in some RAship hours so i can speak intelligently in my meeting tomorrow, and....prep for the guest lecture i'm giving on the 28th! it's a reskin of the conference paper i gave this summer, freshly edited, but i need to expand the intro bits to include a useful overview, since these students aren't a conference of celticists.

weirdly at peace with how my work-life balance is balancing right now, though. it's the extra sleep and the increased sunshine, and the little cat who is being so so whiny right now. i must conclude these lines and feed Herself.

#in lieu of a commonplace book #ilcb #going to cave and admit the truth and tag this:#monthly roundup #click for gratuitous cat pic featuring: housemate blurred for anonymity #Spotify

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bestworstcase · 1 hour

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the perennial Tai Discourse is really interesting to track bc, speaking broadly, the two major camps are just:

those who focus primarily on ruby’s recollection of her childhood and relationship with her dad (and filter what yang says through that lens such that “i had to pick up the pieces and keep things together when i was five” gets diluted into “yang had responsibilities as a child”)

those who focus primarily on yang’s memories and her arc in v4 (and tend to just ignore or minimize the things ruby says that suggest a positive relationship with tai, in particular often just flat out disregarding how excited ruby is to spend time with or receive care packages from him)

when it’s like. yeah that’s. literally the point. that ruby and yang had profoundly different childhoods.

they’re half-sisters in a story about fairytales and only one of them had a decent dad. rwby is unsubtly interrogating the fairytale archetype of the Evil Stepmother/Dead Mother with raven (not dead, but absent) and summer (villain, presumed dead) and that archetype quite literally requires its counterpart archetype of the Neglectful Father who remarries and tacitly participates in the Evil Stepmother’s abuse of his child from his first wife

tai is as much an exploration of the fairytale Neglectful Father as raven is the Dead Mom and summer is the Evil Stepmother. that’s. a core aspect of the narrative surrounding the rose xiao long family.

the Dead Mom often reincarnates as a bird or tree or similar spirit to watch over her child; rwby turns this on its head by reimagining the Dead Mom as an absent one. raven watches over yang in her bird form because she is too afraid to be meaningfully present; she isn’t dead, but her absence in yang’s life is so complete that she might as well have been, and the fairytale tension between the Dead Mom’s death and her lingering presence is explored through these cramped and inadequate half-measures raven takes in trying to have it both ways.

the Evil Stepmother is a vehicle for making the fairytale heroine miserable; she has no identity nor any reason for her monstrous treatment of the child who is not her own. rwby, again, flips this over with the mystery of summer rose. who was she, really? did anyone know? she was a good stepmom—she loved yang like her own daughter—but now she’s gone. she left. she never came back. she lied. she joined salem. why? what expectations did she feel on her shoulders? what broke her? why did she do the things she did?

lastly, the Neglectful Father must either be a love-blind fool or a weak, contemptible man with no love or loyalty to his own blood; he forgets his motherless child at the behest of his new love. rwby turns this on its head too by rendering tai as a human being—messy, flawed, fully-realized. wicked stepsisters exist for the purpose of being spoiled by the Evil Stepmother in juxtaposition with her cruelty to the first child, who is kind and good because she remembers her mother’s lessons. the fairytale children of these archetypes function as repetitions of their mothers. rwby makes that the central conceit of its spin on the Neglectful Father: what if he loved both the Dead Mom and the Evil Stepmother so much and then both of them broke his heart in mirrored ways, leaving him a single father to both of their children? if he sees raven in yang and summer in ruby, how does that color his relationships with both girls? if you take away the Evil Stepmother but not her daughter, does the Neglectful Father remember his first child? or are people more complicated than that?

and with all three, the narrative engages with these one-dimensional archetypes by constructing complicated, multi-faceted characters on top of them; by tossing the simplistic moral didacticism of a fairytale and presuming, first, that everyone is trying their best, that bad choices can be made from good intentions, and that no one gets it right all the time, or even most of the time. love and profound dysfunction can coexist.

ruby and yang had very different childhoods. that’s the narrative foundation the whole rose xiao long family is built on, because they’re a deconstruction of the archetypal fairytale blended family.

#this is also why every permutation of ''tai isnt rubys Real Dad'' is nonsense btw. ruby being yang’s half-sister instead of step-sister is #on purpose. the condemnation of the archetypal fairytale Neglectful Father is he mistreats his own blood in favor of another man’s children #and rwby uses his blood relation to both his daughters to question that framing;#the dynamic doesn’t become any Less dysfunctional if the favored child is equally the father’s by blood

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6lostgirl6 · 1 year

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Could you do poly lost boys with a fem mate that’s a detective? Like the boys are a little on edge about it because obviously she’s investigating the missing persons and murders, but they also want to help her out and they keep eating criminals and eventually she figures out what’s going on and they have to tell her

Murder, She Wrote

Poly!Lost Boys x Detective Fem!Reader

TW: Brief Mention of Gore, Murder, Dead Bodies

It has been months since you arrived in Santa Carla to investigate the multiple murders. Officially, many of the victims were considered still missing, their posters still stung up around the town and boardwalk. However, it was known that after a 48 hour period, likelihood of finding those victims were majorly reduced. With the count of missing people and barely any bodies showing up, it was clear that an investigation needed to be established in the community. Therefore, you were sent to investigate and with your record, you were pretty damn good at your job.

The most recent missing person was a woman named Alyssa Shrouder. However, during your investigation, you have come to understand that her cause of disappearance wasn’t because she ran away, like her parents suggested, but she was murdered. Last month, her body had been found in an alleyway, a place that not very many ventured, but you surely did. She was clearly killed and your next course of action was to discover her killer and bring him to justice. Within that time frame, you discovered something entirely different. A group of fashionably-dressed punks that rode motorcycles and loved causing trouble. It wasn’t until a month later that you were in a committed relationship with them. Whenever you were off duty from investigating, you were spending time with your new boyfriends, but not tonight. You still haven’t told them your occupation…or your temporary stay in Santa Carla.

Another body was discovered and you were called to the scene, quickly leaving everything behind to find out what has been discovered. Despite your keen eye, you were unable to witness your four boyfriends hanging by your roof, waiting for the opportunity to sneak into your home while you were away. Now was the time to strike.

Marko watched as you drove off in your vehicle, taking off down the street until your lights disappeared in the darkness. Then, he motioned to the others and flew to your window, checking to see if it was unlocked. Paul hovered next to him, a wicked smile on his face, Dwayne and David floating behind him.

“Gotcha!” Marko exclaimed, pulling the window up, the sound of creaking wood breaking the silence before Marko climbed inside.

“Sweet, man!” Paul replied, crawling into your bedroom after Marko with the other two following along.

David let a hiss slip through as he climbed in, “Try not to be so loud, I don’t want her neighbors thinking someone broke in.”

“We broke in.” Dwayne replied, chuckling low as he moved towards your bed, “It’s not like they would file a false report.”

“Just look around.” David rolled his eyes before making his way around the bedroom, checking through your things as he did. Marko walked towards the closet to check through there while Paul decided to check out your bathroom. Dwayne stayed where he was on the bed, messing with one of your smaller pillows that held your scent.

It has been months since the boys began dating you, taking the time to learn and understand how their mate operated. However, they began to notice that there were instances where you couldn’t arrive at certain times with an excuse that you were busy and lost track of time. David wasn’t opposed to his abilities to figure it out. But, Marko thought it would be a better idea to instead sneak throughout your residence and discover what you were doing themselves.

After a while, Paul was standing in the living room where he found stacks of paperwork and some photographs. He blinked before making his way over, curious to know what you were working on and if that was the reason you couldn’t spend as much time with them. Were you a college student? He fiddled through the paperwork, noticing it was full of reports and side notes on…leads? He couldn’t understand some of the words. He placed them back where they were before looking through the photos. But from what he could gather, you were definitely not a college student.

“Uh…” His eyes widened before he called for the others, his voice wavering as he stared at the pictures. “You guys might need to see this!” David was the first to arrive next to him, standing to his left while Dwayne moved to his right, Marko taking up the space beside David.

“Shit.” David said, taking the photos and looking through them as Dwayne silently picked up the paperwork to look through. “This isn’t good.”

They finally understood your occupation and how much time it was taking you away from them, the paperwork and photographs crystal clear. In the photos were some of their victims when they would go out to feed, the bodies that they didn’t bother properly disposing of since meeting their mate. David was immediately upset and forced himself not to completely destroy everything that was in their hands.

Marko was biting his glove, his nerves eating away at him as he thought about what would happen if you discovered what they were and the brutal killers that they are. He glanced through the photos that David was still looking through before his brows furrowed,

“Wait,” He pointed at one of the photos, “That’s not one of ours.” He said, catching the attention of everyone else as they also looked at the picture that David pulled out.

It was a woman by the name of Alyssa according to your documentation and she went missing a few months before you moved to Santa Carla. Dwayne nodded as he pulled up the report and pointed at something, “She was murdered, body found by the alley far from the boardwalk.”

“So we aren't the only brutal killers.” Paul joked, lightly shoving Marko as the smaller male gave him a wicked smile. “Maybe we should recruit them.”

“Don’t you idiots see the point?” David glared at them, his patience slipping immensely. “Our mate is hunting them, a fucking killer that murdered a woman prior. See where I’m going with this?”

Paul needed a second for his brain to catch up before he finally connected the dots. “(Y/N) could get hurt!” He said, eyes widening as he took a moment to process the mere thought of it.

Marko’s eyes flashed their monstrous gold before he said the thing that everyone else was too afraid to bring up, “She could be killed.”

The room was filled with growls that threatened to shake the entire house, walls seeming to vibrate from the extremity of their rage. David placed down the photographs before he could damage them, he didn’t want to ruin your process and decided to lean against the wall instead.

“Unless…” Dwayne continued looking through the documentation, “We catch them before she does.” He smirked, glancing at the others as their own wicked smiles made their appearance.

Looks like they were going to be hunting tonight after all.

_________________

Another body has turned up and it was uncovered that it was the murderer of Alyssa Shrouder. Essentially, you have found the individual responsible for the person you were investigating. It had taken an entire month for him to be unveiled but it wasn’t from your own hand, you couldn’t bring him to justice. Marcus Griffin, he was found underneath the boardwalk with his throat ripped out and intestines spilling along the beach, blood almost completely drained while the rest coated the cool sand. You may not have caught him yourself, but from someone else.

You stood there, writing in your notepad as one of the officers recalled the supposed events or lack thereof. There were no witnesses that could properly discuss with you what they saw. The person that did this knew how to keep out of sight, brutally kill them, and dump their body to be found without leaving a trace of evidence. It was frustrating, being so close to being finished while having to now work on another case.

After taking some notes, you thanked the officer as he walked off to talk to his other partners. You placed your hands inside the pockets of your coat, the wind picking up and making the weather colder than it already was.

After a moment, you started to feel a little off. Almost as if…there were eyes on you. Your own gaze led you towards the boardwalk and that’s when you saw your boys. Only, they didn’t seem to be your boys. They stood on the boardwalk near their bikes, watching you intently, still as statues as they took you in as much as you did.

You blinked, looking away for a second before you turned back, hoping to see if you could talk to them about what was going on. However, they were gone without a trace. You stood there a little bewildered, how were they able to disappear so quickly and quietly despite only having one way of transportation that would have easily caught your attention.

You pondered for a moment before looking towards the body once more. In your field, you were renowned, skilled in your profession with the ability to see signs and evidence without it being visibly seen. You were highly recommended and you now understood why. You glanced towards the boardwalk once more before making your way up the stairs. You needed to have a little chat.

_________________

You stood there, watching as the boys shuffled where they were standing. After finally catching them on the boardwalk after a few nights trying to find them, you were finally ready to talk about what you needed clarity on. Your intuition was never wrong, but you were sincerely hoping that it was this time. When you caught up to them on the boardwalk, they only agreed to talk to you somewhere private, taking you on their bikes towards their ‘home’, a cave that was practically threatening to go through another breakdown as it did many decades ago.

You stood in the middle, watching as David took his place in front of you, the others following but keeping themselves slightly behind him, wanting him to do most of the talking as usual. You decided to break the awkward silence.

“The body that was found under the boardwalk, was it because of you?” You asked, watching as they all glanced at one another, however David could only watch you. They didn’t want to lie to you, you were their mate, but they didn’t want to scare you off either. Honestly, they were terrified, they didn’t understand how you knew it was them so quickly.

“Yeah, it was.” David replied, putting his hands in the pockets of his coat to give himself some ground, “but we had the best intentions.”

You crossed your arms as you tried to process what you just heard. Your own boyfriends were murderers and they didn't seem to feel that much guilt over it. You had a pretty good feeling that they have been doing this for a while. How many more people have they hurt? Were they any of yours that you were investigating?

“Many of yours were from our own doing.” David answered for you, watching as your eyes widened from having not asked those questions yet. “We have no choice and you will need to accept it as is.”

Paul decided to jump in, not wanting David to make things worse, “Babe, we really had the best intentions. You could have been killed!”

“Yeah!” Marko replied, “Babe, that guy was a killer and he could have hurt you before you could have caught him.”

You sighed and sat down on one of the couches near you, “That still doesn’t matter, it was my job to take care of it and you decided to do it without consulting me, especially through killing!” Before they could respond, you continued, “How did you know what I was thinking?” You said, looking towards David.

Dwayne sighed, “Because we can.” He glanced at David and gave him a look, it was time to confess and confess everything.

David moved his way over to where you were currently residing, standing near the couch but not actually sitting next to you. “We’re vampires, we kill people in order to survive. We have no choice and we killed that guy because we had a feeling you could have been hurt if we hadn’t jumped in to finish the job for you.” He blinked, showing off a flash of his yellow eyes before they returned to their normal color.

You stared at him in shock, before glancing towards the floor practically made of dirt. Your mind couldn’t process the fact that they were indeed murderers but they were also creatures that were meant as legends, fairytales, and stories to scare children. You glanced back towards them.

“Why me? Why do all this for me? We’ve barely started dating?” You asked, confused on why they would go through all this trouble for someone like you.

Dwayne sat next to you, placing a hand on your knee as he silently watched you. Paul and Marko moved closer and it was only Marko that decided to speak up,

“Cause you’re our mate. We did what anyone would have done.”

“...What?”

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softandsweetbtsrecs · 1 year

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Navigation

LEGEND

Mature (smut)

Fluff

Angst

Series

JEON JUNGKOOK

● call of nature by @sugar-petals M F A

↳ summary: camping with your boyfriend Jungkook turns sensual.

● euphoria by @jeonsweetpea M S

↳ summary: You end up at an android sex club to find your brother and lecture him about his studies only to end up renting an android yourself. You can't help it. The owner is letting you try out the latest model for free.

● diamond in the rough by @kimvtae M A F S

↳ summary: When a business heir from Busan, Jeon Jungkook, meets you, a poor girl from Daegu, he doesn’t expect to fall as quickly as he does. He’s been told for his entire life to avoid Daegu, a town riddled with gangs and a history of a brutal murder in Busan, but he can’t stay away from you, even when he’s warned that you’re not good enough for him.

● baby boy by @gukptune

↳ summary: Jungkook’s never been one that expresses his emotions very well, but in a moment of awakening, it reveals a lot more about him that he would’ve expected. Finding that for the first time he was attracted to someone in a different way, wanting her to do all sorts of things to him, things he was used to doing to other people.

● moon monsters by @xmagicxshopx F (Possible M later on) S

↳ summary: You’re the CEO’s new personal assistant. But there’s something strange about him and the company you work for.

● try-hard by @hobibliophile F M S

↳ summary: Yoongi asks you to help him photograph the university rugby team, and you’re reluctant until you see Jeon Jungkook in uniform. Damn.

● Falling Skies by @fortunexkookie M A F S ↳ summary: Jeon Jiyeon was your childhood best friend; her brother, Jungkook, was something else entirely. You used to be friends, but then he had gone from endearingly frustrating dumb boy to card-carrying fuckboy so fast it had given you whiplash. Despite the teasing and fighting, Jiyeon realized how Jungkook felt about you long before he did - it was a twin thing - and if you were her sun, and he was her moon, then she just wished she could show you how he reflected your light

● Hopping Into Love by @hobiorbit M

↳ summary: In which Jimin has no idea what he’s getting himself into when he adopts you, and he finds both him and Jungkook sexually and romantically infatuated with you.

● discipline and punish by @dovechim M

↳ summary: when your brat of a boyfriend shows up unexpectedly at your workplace, you decide you have to teach him a lesson.

KIM SEOKJIN

● infidelity by @jungk0oksthighs M A

↳ summary: You and Jin had been divorced for a year, but you’re forced to see each other when your son is found cheating on a test. After being called into school you both agree to make more of an effort being civil with each other, but it’s not long before history repeats itself. Family dinners turn into stolen kisses and ruffled bedsheets, but there’s one problem with your new arrangement.

Jin’s wife.

● old n' young by @gukptune M F A

↳ summary: a freshman and senior seemingly despise each other, one says the other acts older than they are and one says the other acts like a child, a feud brewing within the estranged pair.

● these wicked delights by @ditzymax M

↳ summary: In the dead of night, a sinful creature visits you, penetrating and encompassing your mind, body, and soul.

● carnival rides by @geniuslab M F

↳ summary: Working at your parents’ funnel cake stand during the summer sounds like a decent enough gig. But you didn’t quite plan for the exhausting heat or the cute gelato guy who would make it his mission to get you to like him. Warning: This ride will get you wet!

● the way to a man’s heart by @inkjam-moon M

↳ summary: Jin was your best friend in college, but you haven’t seen each other in five years. Now, you’re going to be living with him and his six roommates while you adjust to your new job in Seoul. What could go wrong?

KIM NAMJOON

● intro: her by @jamaisjoons A F M S

↳ summary: You enter Namjoon’s life in the most unexpected of ways, but will you be able to stay, especially when he comes with three adorable but chaotic children, even more chaotic best friends and a bitch of an ex-wife? Not to mention your own emotional baggage.

● let the villain win by @lemonjoonah M

↳ summary: Kim Namjoon, famous author and your childhood friend has been keeping a secret from you. His new book treads on such dark themes that he’s finding it difficult to write. Excited by the prospect of a sinister plot you offer him a piece of advice, “Let the villain win…”

● out of pity by @nomnomsik M A

↳ summary: Namjoon has loved you ever since he was a kid. Despite looking after him, he was a young and immature burden. Hoping that one day you’ll finally realize his feelings, he spends years pursuing after you. But how long will it take before he is no longer the childish boy you remembered so many years before?

● good guy by @namjoonchronicles

↳ summary: Having a baby with namjoon is your lifelong dream, but medical conditions don’t make that possible anytime soon. what happens when your ex-boyfriend being a single dad, comes into your life? How will Namjoon handle his jealousy?

● one thousand and one by @littlemisskookie M

↳ summary: Inspired by The Forbidden Wish, 1001 Arabian Nights, and Aladdin. Your lamp has been found in a garden not of ruins, but of gems, by a peasant who’s hopelessly in love with a princess.

● go with it by @joonbird

↳ summary: You show Namjoon your dominant side.

● kits n cubs by @yminie ☾ ☁

↳ summary: Winter is coming and so is Namjoon’s rut, but when an offhand comment gets you thinking, your future is about to get a lot more exciting.

● wolf boy and snoopy girl by @ausblack ☾

↳ summary: “I mean, he’s the alpha. He knows what he’s doing.”

KIM TAEHYUNG

● beastly gods by @lemonjoonah M

↳ summary: ‘Don’t leave the forest,’ a rule that you’ve been forced to follow since birth, but you are tired of living in this wooden cage. Out of desperation you cut a deal with Taehyung, who claims to be the only one who can get you out safely, even though he might be just as dangerous as the god you’re trying to escape.

● wrapped around by @jjkfire M S

↳ summary: Freshman year was a mess and sophomore year doesn’t seem to be looking too good either. You know boys like them are no good for you but maybe they’re just your kind of type.

● l’apple du vide by @infireation M

↳ summary: This request for serial killer Taehyung.

● to the sun and back by @sugaxjpg M

↳ summary: Your summer job as a receptionist at the Apollo Resort had the promise of being a safe getaway for your accumulated stress, but it all turned upside down when you met the charming surf instructor named Kim Taehyung.

● change of direction by @minlucent M

↳ summary: being on the road with taehyung for weeks can get a little tiring. just when you thought things couldn’t get worse, you find yourself stranded with him in the middle of nowhere–but events take an unexpected turn.

● my puppy by @solastia M S

↳ summary: You’re a top associate at one of the largest law firms in the city. You lead a successful but lonely life. You decide getting a puppy is just what you need. Enter Kim Taehyung, a very good boy.

● papillon by @readyplayerhobi ☁ ☆

↳ summary: Kim Taehyung has been a constant presence in your life for the last 25 years. The bestest friend a girl could ever want; he’s been there for you through all the good times and the bad. What happens though when you find yourself pregnant and abandoned? What happens when your best friend steps up in ways you never imagined?

PARK JIMIN

● interference by @minnochu

↳ summary: n/a

● wrapped around by @jjkfire M

↳ summary: Freshman year was a mess and sophomore year doesn’t seem to be looking too good either. You know boys like them are no good for you but maybe they’re just your kind of type.

● Hopping Into Love by @hobiorbit M

↳ summary: In which Jimin has no idea what he’s getting himself into when he adopts you, and he finds both him and Jungkook sexually and romantically infatuated with you.

● under the spell of a demon’s touch by @jeonggukingdom M A

↳ summary: You had believed, for your entire life, that creatures of the underworld were only a myth, but you were proven wrong by the existence of Jimin. He is, according to his definition, a smaller type of Fae called Incubus. A creature of sex. Someone that can only live and strive as long as his sexual appetite is satiated every day. And Incubi are known in all of their myths to be insatiable and ravenous creatures.

● drain by @hayjeon

↳ summary: n/a

JUNG HOSEOK

● fake love by @aquaminwrites F M A

↳ summary: Every year, your family spends the holidays at your parents’ cottage in the country. Freshly single and not wanting to be picked apart by your family for being alone, you decide to recruit one of your friends to pretend to be your boyfriend. The only available volunteer? Your brother Namjoon’s roommate, Hoseok. Only problem? He absolutely hates your guts.

● run little rabbit by @readyplayerhobi M

↳ summary: Jung Hoseok - the Alpha wolf of his pack and far out of your league. As a rabbit shifter who still jumps around predators, you fantasize about your dangerous crush from a safe distance, particularly as he doesn’t like you. But what happens when he goes into heat and you’re the only one he’ll accept?

● a taste so sweet by @geniuslab M

↳ summary: In an attempt to find a boyfriend, you agree to go on a series of blind dates that turn out to be hilariously disastrous. Striking up a friendship with the cute bartender is your only reprieve from the horrible dates, but after a while you realize maybe the one for you has been in front of you the entire time.

● kairos by @kainks M S

↳ summary: Jung Hoseok is the devil in Armani. Self-entitled, rich, with striking good looks, there’s nothing he wants for with his parents’ money backing up his extravagant lifestyle. Yet when suddenly he’s forced to find himself a humble girlfriend or say goodbye to his monthly paycheck, he runs into you, lacking everything he possibly looks for in a girl. But he’s desperate and being desperate makes a man do crazy things.

● take it out on me by @btsfiles M

↳ summary: When your boyfriend neglects you one too many times, the only thing left for you to do is run to his best friend for comfort.

MIN YOONGI

● puppy loving by @army-author F

↳ summary: cuddling wouldn’t be complete without Min Holly, Yoongi’s dog, getting in your way.

● by its cover by @kittae F

↳ summary: n/a

● to catch a dream by @nomnomsik M A S

↳ summary: It’s difficult for Yoongi, who’s completely infatuated with you, to quietly remain your college friend. With a slow appearance of unusual tendencies in him, he realizes what he needs to do to attain his dream. However, jealousy and possession are universal in everyone.

● listen closely by @avveh M

↳ summary: Unintentionally, you stumble upon something that makes you view your coworker Min Yoongi in a whole new light.

● take it out on me by @btsfiles M A

↳ summary: When your boyfriend neglects you one too many times, the only thing left for you to do is run to his best friend for comfort.

● claim by @raepdnim M A F

↳ summary: A family of humans bound to a family of vampires for centuries as their own personal blood bank. Among them, one vampire who despises humanity because he has none, and one human girl who fights to discover the humanity in her masters. In him.

OT7

● bangtan in wonderland by @inkjam-moon M

↳ summary: a miniature Alice in Wonderland themed smut series spin off of I Need You.

● sweeter than sweet by @gimmesumsuga M F A S

↳ summary: You would have never experienced someone like Park Jimin to notice you. As handsome and beguiling as he is deadly, you’re enthralled from the very moment you meet. Addicted to his kiss and his bite, Jimin opens up your eyes to a whole new world of love, lust and seduction.

● lucidity by @luffles424 M F S

↳ summary: You've spent years jumping from country to country, starting countless new lives. When you meet a witch who offers the idea of opening a supernatural club, using your powers combined with hers to endure safety to those who enter, you decide to join her in an adventure that is entirely new to you. But your new life in Seoul is drastically changed when you're forced to face something you've spent centuries hiding from. But just because you might be running for your life again doesn't mean you can't have some fun along the way, right?

● truth or dare, noona by @weishenbwi M F S

↳ summary: What's it like to play a game of truth or dare with BTS, especially if you happen to be older AND one of their managers?

● nymphet garden by @pasteljeon M

↳ summary: He was just a fanboy, they got dragged into it, and so blooms your love story.

● the trinity by @pleaseseokjin M

↳ summary: The Trinity were the most indigent, shameless, and needy men you spent time within the clan. Their needs were selfish, egotistical, and narrow minded, claiming you for each of themselves. When one out of the three Trinities finds out you are promiscuously associating with the other, havoc is sure to ensue.

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omg-im-such-a-masochist · 8 months

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𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Summary: When they first met, one would say they didn’t match at all. He was quiet, reserved and shy - unless he was around friends. She, on the other hand, was loud. No matter where she went, she always managed to be the center of attention. Whether it be for her unusual clothes, loud voice or exaggerated laugh. He was just like the earth: Grounded, steady, reliable, trustworthy and predictable. And she was fire in all its glory: Warm, irresistible, uncontrolled, flammable, dangerous. It only took one glance to realize they were never meant to be, at least that’s what everyone thought - including them. But time has only served to prove how wrong they all were.

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC Lolli

A/N: Special thanks to Crystal aka @theworldofotps for her undying support 🥰

Tags: @theworldofotps , @writtingrose , @aerynscrichton , @daddyhausen , @melissahausen , @unoficialy-married-to-ace-austin , @sophiewolfheart-blog , @sultryfandoms , @new-zealand-chic , @crowleysqueenofhell , @thealliasylum , @legit9thlunaticwarrior , @adamjf , @josiewrites , @seeingstarks , @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch , @whenimakeitshine1234 , @moxkindagirl , @sunshinevirus , @im-just-a-mississippi-girl , @ripleyswhore

He tried to swallow for what felt like a hundred times in the span of 30 seconds. This was a bad idea, Kenny should’ve never let The Bucks convince him of doing this. This would never work, after this stupid stunt, Kenny was sure Lolli would never, ever, forgive him for this.

But what can a man do when all hope is gone? “Shit, it can’t get worse than it already is, right?” He mumbled to himself behind the red velvety curtains. The karaoke host introduced the next contender as a “man trying to make things right again” before all of the lights turned out.

The first notes of the harp played along the karaoke bar and Kenny sent a silent prayer to whatever invisible being might be hearing him right now, before he began.

“I'm limited.

Just look at me.

I'm limited.

And just look at you.

You can do all I couldn't do.

Glinda

So now it's up to you,

For both of us.

Now it's up to you.”

The lights slowly turned on, revealing not only the crowd in front of Kenny but also the only person that truly mattered to him.

There she was, as beautiful as always. Her face was a mix of surprise, disbelief, embarrassment, and something deeper…hope? Love? Kenny sure hoped it was the latter. Grabbing the microphone with a deadly grasp, he continued:

“I've heard it said,

That people come into our lives,

For a reason.

Bringing something we must learn.

And we are lead to those,

Who help us most to grow if we let them.

And we help them in return.

Well I don't know if I believe that's true.

But I know I'm who I am today,

Because I knew you”

Fuck, he was sweating so much. Kenny could feel it dripping down his back before being collected by the waistband of his jeans. He was now thankful for not having had coffee before this because fuck, he was so jittery already.

“Like a comet pulled from orbit,

As it passes a sun.

Like a stream that meets a boulder,

Halfway through the wood.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better,

But because I knew you,

I have been changed for good”

Kenny was certain his heart has never beaten this fast before, not even before the most important matches of his career. He was certain that if he stopped to rationalize everything he was doing right now, he’d have a heart attack. Plain and simple, bang! A dead man on the floor.

“It well may be,

That we will never meet again,

In this lifetime.

So let me say before we part,

So much of me,

Is made of what I learned from you.

You'll be with me,

Like a handprint on my heart”

The yellow front lights momentarily blinded him, shielding his vision from who truly mattered to Kenny the most. He needed to see her, needed to see her expressions and try to read what was going through her mind as he pulled the most tone-deaf show of the night. Being unable to see her face from center stage began to annoy him, so Kenny let his feet guide him down the stairs to the crowd.

“And now whatever way our stories end,

I know you have rewritten mine,

By being my friend.

Like a ship blown from its mooring,

By a wind off the sea.

Like a sea dropped by a sky bird,

In a distant wood.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better,

But because I knew you”

There she was! She looked somewhat different, although her hair, clothes, and lack of obvious makeup were still the same there was something oddly different.

Perhaps it was the shocked expression she had plastered on her face. Yes, it was that! It made her incredibly human, which may seem crazy to say considering she is a human, but if you only knew Lolli then you’d understand. That woman is the personified version of a Pit Bull: impressively smart but sometimes incredibly dumb to the most obvious things, annoying, sometimes rude, resting bitchface, fun to tease, mean when hungry, loyal, all over the place, loud, strong, courageous, and cold and emotionless. But similar to the dog, it was all a gigantic façade, a defense mechanism if you will. Lolli’s imposing “fuck you! I don’t need nobody” demeanor was the only way she found to survive through everything life threw her way ever since she was a child. Once you got to know the person behind the character, you discovered that she was incredibly fragile. And that fragility was what made Kenny’s heart tighten in his chest right now, because even though she was sitting amid these unknown people, Lolli was unable to hide what she despised the most: her true feelings.

“Because I knew you

I have been changed for good”

She tried to hide them from him, but they appeared through her watery eyes. Shit, she hated crying in public! Well, she hated crying in general, but especially around people. Kenny could count on his hand how many times she cried in front of him in their 10 years of friendship. Vulnerability scared her like darkness scared a small child, Kenny thought that was an accurate example because similar to a child, Lolli was also terrified of the dark. She screams whenever there’s a power outage in their house, and Kenny can’t help but remember that when it does happen she instantly screams for him to go stay with her because she doesn’t want to be alone in the dark.

Lolli had found in him a sense of security she never found before in anyone else, her distrustful nature didn’t allow her to trust anyone, but devils be damned there was something about that soft, Canadian blue-eyed man that made her open up like a wildflower and now she hates it, regrets it, despises it.

“And just to clear the air,

I ask forgiveness,

For the things I've done,

You blamed me for”

Really, who the hell does he think he is? Does he think this stupid - and incredibly bad - singing will make her forgive him? Has the last 10 years not been enough for him to know her already? This is stupid! Incredibly embarrassing, uncalled for, and completely unnecessary. The closer Kenny got to her the more she could feel the tears on her eyes growing in weight, and Lolli knew it would be inevitable for them to fall sooner or later. Fuck, she hates this! She doesn’t want to cry in front of these people, she doesn’t want to cry in front of him, goddamn it, she refuses to cry right now! She’ll do it either way but in the comfort and loneliness of her apartment. She doesn’t need Kenny nor these people witnessing her weakness, she can’t let him see what he did to her, what he turned her into a big walking mess of tears and pain.

“But then,

I guess,

We know there's blame to share”

*Blame to share my ass!* She thought to herself as Kenny pulled a chair to sit beside her. Okay, maybe this was the anger and pain speaking, if she had to be honest then yes, they were both to blame. But in her infuriated state of mind refused to acknowledge any kind of blame. Until the rage subsided he was the one to blame for all of this! The pain, the tears, the words spoken throughout an empty apartment, the crushed dreams, the lost hopes. Kenny Omega was the bastard to blame for her broken heart.

“And none of it seems to matter,

Anymore”

*Maybe not to you!* She caught herself thinking. Fuck, she missed him. She missed him so much…

“Like a comet pulled from orbit

(Like a ship blown from its mooring,)”

The crowd began to sing along with Kenny and that’s all Lolli couldn’t stand, to be the center of attention of a drama scene. Kenny knew this, he could see the uncomfortableness in her body language, but what the hell was he supposed to do?! She refused to answer the door whenever he went by her apartment, she blocked his number, she took a different path to work so then he couldn’t find her, and she threatened to castrate The Bucks with a razor blade in case they shared information of her life with Kenny. She wasn’t making it easy for him to contact her so this was the only way he found to at least look at her one last time.

As he sat beside her, Kenny turned his body to the left so he could be face-to-face with her. Her heavy tears now rolled down her cheeks, leaving clear trails on her skin that gleamed underneath the pale yellow lights. From behind her, Kenny could see the people singing along with him, some of them were cheering while others held up a lit lighter in their hands.

“As it passes a sun.

(By a wind off the sea.)

Like a stream that meets a boulder,

(Like a sea dropped by bird,)

Halfway through the wood.

(In the wood.)

Who can say if I've been changed for the better.

I do believe I have been changed for the better.”

Much to her annoyance, Lolli found out that hating Kenny was an easier task when she didn’t have to face him. It was easy to hate him after that night, after everything that was said, after the way he stormed out of her apartment. After the night that changed their lives forever, she had made the silent oath of never speaking to him ever again. And she was being very successful at keeping her promise, but she had to admit that it wasn’t as easy now that he was facing her with those big, stupidly kind, and regretful blue orbs.

“And because I knew you

Because I knew you”

This was it, the very last seconds of Kenny’s opportunity were fading and he could hear his voice growing more nervous after every word. He would never forgive himself if Lolli didn’t agree to at least hear him, all of this would be in vain, and Kenny cannot allow it! In the last 10 years, this woman has proven herself to be the most important part of his being. He could live without a lung, a kidney, a leg, hell even without wrestling! But he cannot live without Lolli.

“Because I knew you,

I have been changed

For good”

After the final notes, the crowd began to chant a mix of “forgive him” and “kiss”. Kenny felt incredibly motivated by the support he was receiving from all these strange people, but deep down he knew it was pointless. Lolli lives by her standards and she’s not someone who cracks under other people’s pressure, if anything, pressuring her to do something she doesn’t want to will only serve as fuel for her to do whatever the fuck she wanted to do.

Kenny placed the microphone on top of the table as he heard her mumbling, “Why?”

“Because I’m desperate” He sincerely answered

“Desperation makes us do some dumb shit” Lolli spat, not so subtly giving Kenny her thoughts on what he just did.

“True” Kenny nodded in agreement, deciding that silence would be his best ally for now

After a couple of silent seconds, she asked with an annoyed tone “Are you gonna say something or not?”

Kenny internally celebrated her question because this meant that she was somewhat willing to listen to him and that by itself was already an accomplishment when it came to Lolli.

“Do you want to come to eat a burger with me? We can stop by that chocolate expo and grab something for dessert afterward”

And of course, the bastard was trying to win her over with food! That’s what 10 years of friendship did, no? Make you earn a kind of knowledge about the other person's weak points that will certainly be used to your advantage at some point in the relationship.

Kenny was trying, he was making an effort. Even though the things he said that night didn’t sound like Kenny at all, he was trying to make things right now.

Lolli needed this, the sentimental dumbass in her needed to hear what Kenny had to say, even if it would make her heart ache worse, she needed this. The brain convinced her that this was the closure she needed, but her heart screamed that this was the opportunity for things to be right again.

Lolli did hear her heart in regards to Kenny, and look at where that led her to, a fucking broken heart. But at the same time, she always heard her rational side, and that had also led her to pain countless times. It all sounded like a big lose-lose to her.

‘You can’t win them all’ they say, well it sounded more like you can’t win at all. So if the inevitable result is to lose every time, what should one do when faced with this scenario? Should they listen to the comfort of the mind and let that lead them to sadness and regret or should they listen to the unfamiliar heart that will take them down the path of pain and sorrow?

Independently of the choice, the results seemed mirrored. So now it was up to Lolli to figure out which path of thorns she was going to take from now on.

“Fine” She answered briefly before grabbing her backpack and following Kenny out to the parking lot under the crowd’s endless ‘uuuuhhhh’ cheering.

#kenny omega x reader #kenny omega imagine #kenny omega fanfiction #kenny omega #yellow brick road series #masochist writes

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darkestprompts · 9 months

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DD2 Shrine Rewrites Part 3: The Tragic Tale of Lady Audrey

I live! But Audrey’s husband doesn’t. It’s grave robbing time!

From here on out we start to deal with the meat of DD2’s issues. I decided Audrey was a good place to start, because the problems with her story are less about radical deviation from previous canon or poor characterization and more so about a bunch of things that don’t make sense when put together and add up in the most infuriating manner. I will argue that placing that backstory in the context of DD2’s redemption narrative in this particular way does Audrey a huge disservice when there were plenty of other solutions at hand.

Audrey as we knew her

The Grave Robber is presented to us as the most archetypical of the game’s rogues. She’s sneaky, agile, precise and deadly, although somewhat frail (and I will die on the hill that someone graverobbing should not be). Compared to the fully offensive Highwayman or the sturdier Bounty Hunter and Shieldbreaker, she’s the quintessential thief in the dark. Her work is dirty, yet her design and manners are elegant. Her tactics are underhanded most of the time: poison (Poison Dart), ambushes (Shadow Fade), mobility and range; but she’s perfectly capable of direct violence (Pick to the Face). She has fallen from high places to the lowest depths.

Her comic shows her past as a lady, alone in a dark mansion with the news that she’s about to be evicted. The camera focuses on a portrait of a couple. It suggests that the man, most likely the husband, is responsible for her present predicament. He looks unpleasant and smug. The woman, who is none other than Audrey, looks aloof, maybe a little despondent. The real Audrey is struck by an idea as she stares at the image. She lets down her hair and turns to the mausoleum inside her property, a wicked grin on her face.

The Grave Robber’s CC set isn’t very enlightening, except for the hint that she may have a drinking problem, probably caused by either the man on the portrait, her destitution, or both.

The contrast between class and brutality is at the core of Audrey’s character. When push came to shove, she showed she wasn’t just a pretty thing. She will desecrate the dead if she has no other means of making money. She may prefer to keep her hands clean, but she will not hesitate to dirty herself when it comes to her survival.

One piece at a time

At first glance, Audrey’s shrines operate a lot like Baldwin’s, adding context to the comics ambiguities without making anything up wholecloth. Her personality stayed largely unchanged, the main events line up. So why is it such a mess?

We start off on a good note. Audrey is a rich party girl, as expected. However, we get to see her independent streak and her active nature. She wears beautifully tailored but still sensible riding clothes. I really appreciate the hint of physicality here. No dainty lady could become a grave robber overnight without some grit to her.

Our lovely Audrey gets hitched for money, cause that’s that’s what you do in aristocratic families, you either marry for fortune or prestige. As suggested by her comic, her husband turns out to be a supermassive turbocunt. He’s a drunkard, he’s abusive, maybe even physically so, considering he goes to grab her in inebriated rage. Audrey has had it with this bitch. She will kill him and inherit all their joint fortune.

I won’t lie, I greatly enjoy the husband battle sequence despite the horrible situation it depicts. I find the selection of skills for Audrey very clever and real to what one would do in this situation. More importantly, there’s great satisfaction in the fact that I’m about to kill this motherfucker. It’s the last time Audrey will have to deal with him and, girl, I’m here for it.

Now, note the difference between the backstory portrait and the one in DD2. The guy in the comic looks arrogant, but in DD2 he grasps Audrey’s shoulder like she’s property. His original design looks like a regency jackass, the new one is straight-up Henry VIII. You know, the guy known for killing, harassing and generally making women’s lives hell. Here I want to take a moment to draw attention to a line she says before a shrine: “He meant to leave me a pauper or a corpse eventually. I’m certain”. This is important, regardless if it’s true, because it tells us that present Audrey believes that not only her financial ruin was inevitable once she married, had she done nothing, her husband would have killed her, deliberately or not. Whether you read physical violence into her husband’s demeanor or not (I certainly do), Audrey sees her act as one of self-defense. We will go back to that in a bit.

You know what is coming. Upon his death, Audrey discovers her husband left piles of debt. Our noble lady turns to the most inviting occupation available: graverobbing! I kind, of course, and I do think that she was so easily drawn to that path because she wanted to metaphorically piss on her husband’s grave. Maybe literally too. I wouldn’t judge.

Things get weird in this section. One gets the impression that this family mausoleum is a vast, byzantine labyrinth, since she can’t find the right grave even though she buried the guy what, last week? Why are there guards and booby traps? I could see a rich landowning family keeping some servants active during the night for security reasons, maybe a few dogs and a lookout that is ultimately a housekeeper, but holy shit. These are armored soldiers! And why would they all be stuck inside the mausoleum and not, you know, beating the grounds around the walls and fences where someone actually might come in? And boy, if Dismas, a convicted murderer, beating an army of those guys bothered you, get ready to watch young lady Audrey slaughter them without a hitch as well. I know I emphasized Audrey’s latent ability to be ruthless and her physical aptitude but she went from killing her husband in a sneaky, indirect manner, to hitting innocent bystanders in the face with a pickaxe. If she’s that unfazed by the sprays of gray matter in her neat little coat, I expect the narrator to comment on it! Again, holy shit.

The end sequence is… confusing. Did Audrey lose her marbles after her bloody rampage? Did she turn into the Shrieker and start a nest of loot? If her motivation was greed, like the narrator insists it is, why did she leave valuables behind? This reads like my undergrad papers before I learned to write conclusions, weird and devoid of content.

Rest in pieces

Up to the midway point, the Grave Robber shrines match the old comic, although it makes some bold decisions. We could always infer that the man on the portrait was a husband, that he was kind of an asshole and that she wasn’t happy in marriage. But I want to highlight this: asshole does not mean abuser. He could easily have been the traditional husband that gets a trophy wife with a huge dowry, doesn’t think much of her and her activities, but largely leaves her alone as he goes out to drink and gamble. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad that Audrey has an abusive relationship in her past, but this was DD2’s deliberate decision and it needs to be dealt with properly.

The game’s tagline is “face your failures”, the past is invoked in the boss fight so the heroes confront those it. So tell me, what was Audrey’s failure? Getting married for money? That’s ignoring that, even if her family cared about her feelings, society would still constrain her to make a good economic match. There was no deception involved; they both knew it as a match of convenience. Not marrying for love isn’t a moral failure, especially since the concept of marriage for romantic purposes only is something very modern. Was it murdering her husband, then? You mean the Henry VIII cosplayer that abused her, who she believes would have led to her death? Let’s not go there. Killing your abusers may not be the glorious solution to every evil in the world, but for fuck’s sake, there ain’t no protective services in this setting. Before divorce was a viable option for women, voluntary widowhood was the alternative. Was it the grave robbing? Could be, but it’s a hard sell when you show her bankrupt and breaking into her first tomb to retrieve the rings of the aforementioned shitfuck who left her destitute. And again, he’s dead. Deservedly so. He got no use for those rings. Is it killing the strangely placed and conveniently clueless guards? That’s a background event at best.

The narrator speaks of greed, but that’s only Audrey’s primary motivation when it comes to her marriage, before any crimes are committed. Afterwards, her actions are dictated first and foremost by self-preservation. Noble upbringing or not, losing your house isn’t a joke. She’s selfish, no doubt, greedy, perhaps, but to frame this as her failure gives off the impression that her desire to marry for wealth is responsible for the disaster that follow and not, you know, the fact that a chucklefuck spent all of her money while yelling at her and throwing up on the carpet. It’s an even tougher pill to swallow since there isn’t a single indication that Audrey feels regret about her actions that isn’t shoehorned by the metanarrative.

Rise from your grave

I can see two main ways to fix the Grave Robber story. First, abandon the whole “heroes have one great failure in their past to atone for, except for Baldwin, who would happily stab his advisors all over again” thing. You don’t even need to rework the Face your Failure theme, just make it about DD1. Isn’t that the game about inevitable failure? Wouldn’t it make sense for the destruction of the Heart of Darkness to break reality? Couldn’t this dying world be the exit point of the DD1 timeloop? But I digress, we’ll get to DD2 as a whole in due time. This is about Audrey. So we can keep Mr. Turbocunt as he is, as long as he isn’t linked to Audrey’s journey towards redemption. The alternative is to make his murder morally questionable. As I said above, make him a neglectful but mostly harmless guy with a gambling problem or poor financial management. Maybe someone got the better of him because he’s stupid and inept. That’s not something that warrants death, especially if Audrey too was happy to spend without worrying about finances. Let’s be real, we would still cheer for her. The DD fandom enjoys fucked up characters.

That’s the biggest problem taken care of, with two neat alternatives to pick from. But I’m still unsatisfied with the grave robbing bit. Compared to the murder or Barristan’s desperate charge, it’s almost goofy. We can do better. How about this: the combat section is pure stealth. No guards spawning from the ground. Audrey is simply trying to avoid a few servants on the way to the mausoleum. When successfully sneaking by them, the servant de-spawns and the next one shows up, for a fixed number. Why would she want to leave a trail of blood, anyway? Better to get away without suspicion of a much greater crime hanging over her head.

Or, all right, we decide we must really enforce the drama and have some drastic event happen. Let’s say she gets caught just as she’s leaving the mausoleum. The day is about to break, it’s much harder to hide, she’s carrying noisy jewelry. She gets seen by a gardener or and, in a split second decision, kills him so he can’t rat her out. Only then it sinks in what she’s just done. On the back of her first murder, she commits her first robbery, then goes on to her first violent crime. It’s a bit similar to Dismas’s story, I’ll admit, but I think the theme of one crime leading to another one, plus the fact that she would have killed deliberately to cover her own ass, give it some novelty exclusive to her narrative. You can even have her as an unrepentant asshole in this version. Make her regret that the murder put a bounty on her head, while she could probably have gotten away with simple robbery if she changed her name and laid low for a bit. It would make her into an Anti-Dismas, in a sense.

Ultimately, the variants I present here depend on how much of a victim or a jerk you want Audrey to be. I think they are all fine options. DD2 could have gone with abuse survivor Audrey, but it made a blunder when it tried to show perfectly good reasons for her actions and still require her to be redeemed of them.

The woobification tendency will continue to rear its ugly head again as we proceed with the rewrites. I still haven’t decided who will be next, but it will probably another one of our girls. We’ll see.

#darkest dungeon #dd2 shrine rewrites #dd audrey #dd grave robber #darkest dungeon 2 spoilers

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