#oh that also leads to my frustration of people not being able to see the clones as separate from the jedi

[palaceofpassion]

The life of a House Husband

"Uhm... are you sure that I'm needed for this sir?" Jaune Arc was many things, he was a young awkward man, he was also the only boy in a household of eight women. Something that had a rather grand affect on his life, from cooking to cleaning, he could do every household task with ease. Something that had come akin to his mother wanting everyone to chip in.

And of course, being under the thumbs of his sisters. Whether it was through brute force, or being unable to say no. So... when he received a call from Headmaster Ozpin, of Beacon Academy, that he had a job for him, he was a little shocked.

"Yes, Glynda has informed me that you're quite skilled at helping others."

His cheeks felt flushed as he stared at the elderly man. "I mean, my semblance is good at helping bring out positive emotions but... I wouldn't really say I'm good at helping others." That was a lie, and he sort of wondered what his Auntie Glynda had told him. Glynda being his late father's sister of course.

"Mmhmm, she has spoken quite highly of you."

Now he was just embarrassed, "Oh. Well, that's honors." She was very brutal about the truth, even to family. "But I don't see why that means anything here."

"Well you see." Ozpin put a photo on his desk, ushering Jaune to pick it up. To which he did of course, the image had four young women. Ordered from tallest to shortest. Though he did note that three of them were quite short when compared to the tall redhead, who appeared to rival even him in height. "These four young women are some of our, if not the most promising huntresses this year... except."

"Except what sir?" He was a little confused, a bit embarrassed, if they were important and famous, he should know them... but he was kind of just a country bumpkin.

"Except that they would be unable to take care of themselves if left to their own devices. " Ozpin seemed frustrated by the statement, grabbing a cup of coffee to take a deep sip before continuing, "You see Mr. Arc. These four are the hope of Beacon, and while I would love for them to succeed, they have... problems. Ms. Cruz." He pointed at one of the shorter girls... actually THE shortest. With soft green hair, and dazzling emerald eyes. "She has unfortunately had... issues with the loss of her past team, so it's hard for her to open up to others, and she lacks self confidence in herself. And while the most calculating mind on her team, and their leader... it's doubtful whether she'll be able to communicate with the other three." He next pointed at the next shortest girl, with snow white hair, and frosty blue eyes, "Ms. Schnee is... strong willed, to say the least. She's grown in an environment that was about being used or to use others. As such, she'll be abrasive to the others, she also has very little experience with chores or taking care of herself, or so her mother has informed me."

Next was the maroon haired woman, with a stoutly figure, and pretty grey eyes, "This is May Zedong. She's similar to Ms. Cruz, but whereas Ms. Cruz has fears of being around others. May chooses not to involve herself, she's also had a hard time. Apparently she's had issues with both male and female students in the past. And likes to keep to herself. She's also quite soft spoken."

"And finally, this." He pointed out the dazzling red haired woman, with shining green eyes. "Is Pyrrha Nikos, she is, the strongest member of their team. However, she lacks the will to lead. She would rather not ruffle any feathers, and takes on an overtly polite persona when around other people. She's also quite famous, so it's not strange for people to come to her with ulterior motives. She's not quick to let people in, especially when she feels they'll be coming for her name. Unfortunately Ms. Schnee has already seemed to get on her bad side, and whether they'll work together at this point is impossible to tell."

There was obvious frustration in his voice, "Unfortunately, while each are all incredibly skilled huntresses, they haven't put much time, nor want, into self care. And that's where you come in." "So... you want me to be a nanny?" "Something to that effect, though you'll also be providing them with a shoulder to stand on." He wanted to say something, but as the most normal sibling, amongst a cavalcade of spectacular and amazing sisters. He sort of knew his position, and knew where people with talent tended to lie. Their single minded pursuit on improvement and being the bet. Especially if they have mental or emotional hang ups... he hated to admit it. But his semblance would definitely help. But more than that, as he listened to their stories, he wanted to help. "Okay." He would do what he could to help ease their lives, and besides... while he never wanted to be a huntsman. It would be interesting to see what kind of lives they lived.

While eyeing the image, he started to try to work things out. He didn't know their backstories, but one was afraid that she would see others die, or that she would be the cause. One is afraid of letting others in, because she's lived in a harsh environment, one is unable to communicate her feelings with others, used to being ignored... or something happened between her and a past team. And one has learned to close her heart, an actress if you will... He took a deep breath and sighed, "Okay, I suppose I should go meet them." "Mmhmm, they've already been informed of your... inclusion." He nodded, hopefully things wouldn't be too bad. But as he held the photo, he couldn't help but worry.

#Jaune Arc #May Zedong #Pyrrha Nikos #WEiss Schnee #Jessica Cruz #Householdarc #Will contain smut #eventually #mostly just silly asks

[moonstruck-poet]

For All Time

Pairing - Loki x fem!reader

Summary - the reader was Loki's bestfriend since childhood until teenage and he was in love with her but maybe they were just never meant to be.

Warnings - death

Requested by - @akshinayak I reaally hope it was good enough and tysm for the request!

They say breaking up with your partner hurts the most. That's not true, Loki thought to himself. They say falling out of love hurts the most. That's not true, he thought.

"What really hurt-" he whispered to himself and clenched his jaw. His crown of long, black horns feeling a lot burdensome. "-Is knowing that you would've had a chance, would've had a future together. But you didn't. All because of your own selfish reasons and insecurities".

He scoffed, leaning back onto his new throne, one that he ironically had no intentions of wanting and gripped the handle.

The frustration about himself melting away to make way for deep, agonizing pain and heartbreak as he caught onto a thread of your lifeline.

Loki's lips were tightly pressed together when he decided to watch over you, something that he had done last night itself. He couldn't help himself, seeing as your condition was deteriorating day by day.

With a deep sigh leaving his lungs, he closed his eyes, head leaning back against the throne as a certain memory drifted into focus. Putting everything else on hold.

"Fancy any one of them, do you?" Your playful voice asked when he looked at various pictures of princesses.

"Absolutely not," he slammed the last one on the table.

"Pity. I would've loved to see my best friend getting married".

Best Friend. He gritted his teeth, running a hand through the long locks and looking out of the window. That's all he would ever be. A best friend. Nothing more. Never.

Despite being able to sense emotions and read people well, the God of Mischief failed to recognise your feelings. He somehow never took notice of your lingering touches, of your constant staring and looking at him as though he had hung the stars."

Do you have anyone in your mind Loki?" You asked quietly and stood next to him. His emerald irises clashing against your golden-brown ones. "You can tell me, you know?"

You. Its always been you.

He wanted to scream it out loud, wanted to yell and make the whole world know the fact that it was you whom he had fallen for.

"There's no one," he answered abruptly and completely avoided your gaze, and in the meanwhile also not noticing the way your eyes seemed to dull.

He had loathed himself for every passing second after that incident. How different would life have been had he confessed his feelings right then?

He would still have to go through everything, but at least he could've had you right by his side. And that alone would've made all the difference in the world.

He swallowed the misery before regaining control and finally looking at you from high above. But in an instant his facade broke, face contorting in pain upon seeing your weak and frail body. A startling contrast to the strong and regal woman that you had once been.

"Oh my love," he whispered to himself, his eyes raking over every little change that had taken place in the short course of twenty four hours.

You had injured yourself, heavily. A group of oursiders had somehow managed to invade your territory, catching everyone off guard and naturally you had taken the lead.

Fighting alongside Lady Sif and your husband, Alvis.

Another painful wound struck his heart when he saw the said person entering your room, his face drowned in sorrow and desperation.

"How are you, my queen?" Alvis sat down next to her.. Next to his queen, Loki said in his mind.

"I am fine," you smiled back, your expression the epitome of exhaustion.

"Rest, yes?" He said and took her hands in his, caressing the skin. "I will be back soon enough, have to go through some work".

Loki watched as you barely managed to nod, he watched as your loving husband pressed a kiss on your forehead, something that he was supposed to do.

A harsh breath escaped his throat and he let go of the branch, his heart not being able to see its other half being in immense pain.

He had no rights, absolutely none to want himself to be in the place of your husband. He was selfish, arrogant, entitled, pessimistic whereas Alvis was the complete opposite.

You had found yourself a man who loved and worshipped you exactly the way you were supposed to be. He could've never been able to do that. You deserved someone so much better than him. Always.

"Would it be so bad, hmm?" You questioned softly, searching his eyes for an answer.

"I fail to understand what you are talking about," he muttered and looked anywhere but at you.

"I think you understand perfectly enough".

He didn't answer and walked away, because what else was he supposed to do?

"Is the idea how us getting merried so bad that you can't even look at me?" You asked, a small smile on your face.

"I did not say that".

"You surely implied that".

"I-" he cut himself off and turned to face you, his expression holding anger. "I do not wish to get married," he stated, his eyes glaring into yours but you were barely fazed.

"Okay," was all you could say and Loki immediately noticed the way your face changed drastically. You tried to offer him a smile, but for once he saw right through that.

"Okay," you repeated again, backing away from him, taking one step at a time which lead to a huge barrier between the two.

He merely watched you leave, rooted the spot. He probably didn't know it, but he had lost you at that moment. Not as friends no, you would always continue being friends. No one in the universe could possibly break one of the strongest bonds between two people.

"I love you," he whispered to the now empty room, falling down to his knees as a lone tear slipped down his cheek. "Always".

Loki let out a bitter laugh at the memories. Out of all the things he could've said, he uttered the most bitter lies.

He was a changed man now. He replayed all those moments in his head, being able to see all the chances that he had lost. Seeing just how hurt you had been from every selfish comment he had made.

What would he give to go back and change everything instantly.

It was unfathomable, the amount of love his entire being held for simply one person. Nobody ever came close, and never would. He may have been a narcissist, an arrogant liar, a tricking asshole.

But there was one thing that nobody else could do other than him. And that was to love you, adore you in such a way that a mere hiccup in your life caused him pain. To care for you like you held his lifeline in your rough, scarred, but soft hands. To want you in a way that nobody had done before.

Because that's how Loki has. If he loved someone, he loved them enough to terrify himself about the lengths he would go for, namely for the person's happiness.

He had done so countless of times for you, and unknown to him, you had cherished every single minute of those special occasions. Keeping them so close to your heart that they bloomed whenever you were happy and blocked your breathing when you were devastated.

He was lost in thought, but a sudden tug in his chest pulled him out. Loki frowned at the strange feeeling, his intuiton telling him something terrible had happened.

His breathing quickened as he gripped the branch, your branch, noticing the fading green light causing sweat to erupt on his forehead and neck.

"No, no no no," he chanted, feeling as though the world had collapsed upon seeing the scene in front of him. "No," he whispered, heart slowly but surely shattering.

He watched Alvis, tapping your cheek frantically and gently shaking your body as he yelled for the doctors to be brought. "Stay with me, my queen. The doctors are coming, please, stay with me!"

Sif was on your other side, holding one of your hand in hers, pressing the back to her lips. "I'm sorry," she whispered in between tears as her body shook.

Your face, Loki saw and swallowed. It was still as beautiful as ever. Those golden-brown eyes that made him catch his breath everytime he glanced your way, those sharp eyebrows arching whenever you narrowed your eyes playfully and that gorgeous smile that you presently held.

"I'm okay," you croaked out, "I'm alright".

The two people surrounding you simply cried harder at that, bowing their heads and pressing the back of your hand to their temple. Their way of paying respect to the bravest warrior they'd seen.

Loki's chest felt empty, as though his heart too was slowly dying, following his soulmate to the afterlife. Silent tears were flowing down his cheeks without a halt. There was only one thing he could think of to do now and he did just that.

Your eyes were half open, understanding that your end was nearing soon and you didn't have any regrets. You had lived a beautiful life inspite of the hardships.

But then a sudden warmth made you open your eyes completely for one last time. Your head tilted to see the rays of light gushing in through the open window, bathing your entire body in its glow.

You didn't fail to notice the green tint that was present and your heart skipped a beat, despite already being in a fragile state. "Loki," you whispered, your voice barely audible but the one who needed to hear it heard his name clearly.

And you took your final breath, a content smile on your face as your eyes closed.

His soul shattered next, everything suddenly feeling cold all of a sudden as he slumped back in his throne, breathing heavily and swallowing harshly.

"Rest easy, my love. I will love you, for all time, always," he said to the skies.

===============================

#loki #loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x female reader #marvel fanfiction #loki fanfction #loki angst #loki x oc #loki x reader angst #loki laufeyson #loki odinson

[ramblingoak]

lazy makeouts with terzo pretty please 💜💜

Alright my friend, here's a little follow up to One Dance so please enjoy some more Regency!Terzo.

The Perfect Afternoon ~ regency!Terzo x female reader

Thank you to @writingjourney for the amazing regency!Terzo art 💙

(Duca (Duke) Terzo, alternate universe, nsfw, 18+ only mdni, 2k words)

~ After the dance you impatiently wait to hear from Duca Terzo ~

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

You never wanted to stop kissing Terzo Emeritus.

It had been all you had been able to think about since the night of the dance.  His plush lips moving against your own…the way his tongue teased yours…how he cradled your head in his hands…there were so many things that made the experience run over and over again in your mind.  You wanted to kiss him again, you needed to in fact.  It had actually been frustrating with how he seemed to suddenly remember how to be a gentleman and had insisted on bringing you back inside to the party.

All eyes had been on you both when you entered the dance floor together once more.  The music that started was much more lively than the last tune and you found yourself quickly moving around the floor, changing partners as the song went on.  No matter how far you found yourself from Terzo though your eyes always found each other.  Having that mismatched gaze of his focused on you regardless of who he was dancing with was intense and thrilling.  It was also starting to catch the attention of many of the other people around you and unfortunately this included your mother.

“How was dancing with the Duca?”

Her voice startled you out of your thoughts and you turned from the carriage’s window to look at her. 

“Oh!  It was fine.  He’s a good dancer.”  You fiddled with your gloves for a moment, wondering what else to say.  “If you, well if you like that sort of thing.”

“Dancing?  Or dancing with Duca Terzo?”

“Either, I suppose.  He’s not the worst dance partner I’ve ever had.”

A yawn escaped you and you hastily covered your mouth.  Hopefully that would be the end of her interrogation on the matter, you were too tired to have any sort of conversation, let alone one about your interactions with Terzo that night.

“Well I shouldn’t think so.  Especially since you danced with him six times.”

“Mother.”

“Hush now, no need to be defensive about it.  Mothers are observant creatures.”

“There’s nothing to observe!  You were the one that told me to dance with him in the first place.”

She didn’t answer you for a spell, her eyes were closed as she rested against the back of the seat.  You were still nearly an hour’s ride away from home and the sun was already peeking out over the horizon.  Thinking she had maybe fallen asleep you decided to follow her lead and leaned your head back.  Sleep had almost claimed you before her voice startled you awake.

“I know darling and I’m happy you did.”  The air between you was thick and you knew, you just knew, she was going to say something else.  “But I only asked you for one.”

Once you arrived home you hid yourself away in your room for a few days.  The last thing you wanted to see was the smug face of your mother.  Even your little sister had become insufferable.  Her mood quickly changed from irritation over not being able to attend the dance to teasing you about the Duca every chance she got.  The only person on your side was your father, but even he seemed to be giving you more thoughtful looks than usual.  

However the irritation at your family’s behavior quickly turned into a familiar feeling: irritation at Terzo.  You would think after his words to you on the patio, particularly after all the kissing, that he would have sent you something by now.  Perhaps a letter or a gift of some kind.  Maybe even an invitation to join him in town for an afternoon.  Instead you received nothing for nearly two weeks.  The silence was making you feel like his words and actions towards you were nothing more than a way to amuse himself the night of the dance.  You quickly went back to having an ill opinion of him and had already decided that he could definitely keep his false promises and his stupid lips to himself next time.

Of course that’s when he showed up at your doorstep.

“Dolcezza!  Mio amore you are even more beautiful than I remember.”  It wasn’t until he had taken your hand and nearly kissed your knuckles before the surprise at seeing him at your home faded.  You quickly snatched your hand from him and moved to close the door but he shoved his boot in the way.  “Ai!  What have I done now?”

“Nothing, you’ve done nothing Duca.”

“Then what’s the matter?”

“That is what’s the matter!  You haven’t bothered to try and contact me since the dance.”

He winced and nervously reached up to smooth some of his hair back.  You huffed when he easily pushed the door open more and you briefly looked him over.  His boots and pants were splattered with a bit of mud so he must have ridden over instead of taking a carriage.  There was a basket in his other hand and he quickly set it down at his feet before reaching out to take both of yours in his.

“Mi dispiace, dolcezza.  You’re right.  I should have come by sooner.”  This time you let him press gentle kisses against both of your knuckles.  “But I am here today and insist on taking you for a picnic, what do you say?”

“A picnic?”

“Si, we can spread a blanket out under a tree and enjoy each other’s company.”

You glanced from his face to the basket, your ire towards him quickly fading.  A picnic with Terzo did sound lovely, really spending time with him in any capacity sounded lovely.  He really was too charming for his own good.

“I’ll need to ask my mother at least, father is in town on business.”

On cue your mother swept into the entranceway, her timing too perfect to be a coincidence.  When you looked behind her you could see your sister’s head duck quickly back behind the sitting room door.  

“Duca Terzo!  It is a delight to see you as always!”

“No no, the pleasure is all mine and can I say you look lovelier than ever.”

The giggle your mother let out rivaled those of your sister and you rolled your eyes.  You needed to get Terzo out of here before she spent the afternoon fawning over him.

“Mother, is it alright if I go with the Duca on a picnic?”

“Of course it is!  Don’t be silly.”  She reached out and fussed with your hair for a moment before you pulled away.  “You two take your time and enjoy the afternoon.”

You weren’t sure you wanted to live in a world where you had to deal with smug smiles from your mother and Terzo, but you let her herd you and the Duca out of the house and into the sunshine.  Terzo took your hand without a word and led you swiftly away from your front door.  He must have already picked out a spot so you just quietly let him pull you along for a good half hour before you found yourself under the shade of the immense oak tree near the edge of your property. 

“Terzo, you better have something good in that bask–”  With a quick tug he had yanked you against his chest and was kissing you.  The basket hit the grass with a soft thump and then his gloved hand rested on your cheek.  Just when you had gotten used to the taste of his paint again he pulled away and you found yourself lazily gazing into his eyes.  “Just as good as I remembered.”

His grin at the blush you could feel spreading on your cheeks made you wish you had your own paint to wear, so instead you let your head fall to his chest.  The steady beat of his heart under your ear was strong even through the layers of his clothes.  With his arms slowly slipping around you and the quiet atmosphere under the shade of the tree it felt like you were both in a world of your own.  His heartbeat nearly lulled you to sleep before your stomach abruptly rumbled and you looked up to give him a sheepish smile.

“Let’s see what’s in this basket of yours.”

“Uh, dolcezza, about that…”  

You pulled away and knelt down in the soft grass, there was a deep purple blanket resting on top and you almost regretted having to lay it out on the ground.  It was probably worth more than all your dresses combined.  When you lifted it up and placed it down your mouth fell open at what was under the blanket: nothing.

“Terzo, where is the food?”  He didn’t answer, instead grabbing the blanket and quickly shaking it out to spread across the grass.  Terzo glanced at you, but quickly looked away at the force of your glare.  Instead he pulled his jacket off and tossed it across a low hanging tree limb before laying out across the blanket.  “Terzo!”

“Do we really need food?  Can’t we just have a nice, quiet picnic together?”

“No, we can’t have a damned picnic because a picnic implies there’s food to eat!”

“You know dolcezza, in a perfect world you could subsist on my kisses alone.” 

Throwing the basket at him wasn’t very ladylike, but you did it anyway.  As he swore in Italian you stepped onto the blanket and loomed over him with your arms crossed.  

“You are unbelievable.”  

Terzo remained quiet, blinking up at you for a moment before reaching a hand up for yours.  Reluctantly you grasped it, prepared to help him up, but instead you found yourself pulled down to the blanket.  You landed across him with a yelp, Terzo grunting as your elbow connected with his stomach.  He quickly settled you more comfortably against his side, laughing as you growled at him.  Once more you found yourself laying your head on his chest with his heartbeat under your ear and you huffed, deciding to just let yourself relax.

“There now, this isn’t so bad, eh?”

“Please stop talking.”

His chest vibrated under you as he chuckled, but otherwise he stayed quiet.  You rested a hand next to your head, smiling when he quickly took it in his own and brought it up to kiss your palm.  The wind rustled the leaves around you and you could faintly hear some ducks splashing in the creek that ran nearby.  You didn't want the afternoon to end, the only thing missing was some food and perhaps some more kisses.  At least one of those would be easy to fix.

You moved your head and rested your chin over his heart to look up at him.  His eyes were already watching you with a lazy smile on his face.  You couldn’t help but glance at his lips and his smile quickly turned smug.  Before you had a chance to roll your eyes he pulled you a little further up his body so your faces were level.  With gentle fingers he tucked a few errant strands of hair behind your ear and then he was finally leaning in to kiss you.

There was no hurry in either of your movements, your lips slowly moving against his.  He placed both of his arms around you to hold you tightly against his body and you let a hand rest on his chest.  When his teeth lightly nipped at your bottom lip you obediently opened your mouth, moaning quietly when his tongue slipped inside.  You did your best to match his movements, letting your lips and tongue move on instinct.  Despite this being only the third time you had kissed each other it felt like you had been doing this forever.

That thought had you leaning deeper into the kiss, lazy movements becoming more passionate and deliberate.  Under your hand his heart started beating faster, your own quickening as well.  Everything was perfect and you hoped this was the first of many picnics you would get to share with the Duca.

But maybe next time he could bring some food.

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

my masterlist

my ao3

#my fics #my writing #regency terzo #because why not #terzo x female reader #papa emeritus iii x female reader #the band ghost fanfiction #terzo fanfiction #papa emeritus iii fanfiction #terzo #papa emeritus x reader #ghost fanfic #the band ghost fanfic #terzo fanfic #papa emeritus iii fanfic

[haloxsaisha]

So Good.

[Lewis Hamilton x Actress!Reader]

Based on: So Good by Halsey.

Warnings: Angst, Abu Dhabi and Monza 2021 (I'm so sorry), some fluff, few cheesy dialogues (cause I'm a dumbass), depression, insomnia, eating disorder and weight loss.

Word Count: 15.5K words (I've never written this much in my life so far, I'm so proud of myself).

A/N: My first Lewis fic, I wasn't expecting it to be done with during the Abu Dhabi race week but oh well💀 I'm personally quite happy with how this turned out! I hope y'all like it <33

Bold and italicized font: song lyrics.

Italicized font: flashbacks.

“I remember the night, I was so frustrated.”

You could only bury your hands, head filled with shock and completely blank.

You never thought this would ever happen to anybody, let alone just him. Nobody who had watched the sport did.

Everything inside you began to sink in the moment the whole mess about unlapping the cars started and as the rest of the race unfolded, you felt yourself crumbling.

Lewis staying in his car in silence, in disbelief at the parc ferme had been playing on your mind again and again.

You were supposed to be there. You had to be there for him.

You had apologized to him multiple times for not being there in a championship decider race, especially at a win that was so historically important but he dismissed your countless apologies saying that he could understand. You had been shooting for a movie in London since November, which also meant that you hadn't met each other in more than a month, work and COVID restrictions making its way in. There was one thing that you and Lewis always stood by, which was that your jobs would be given the first priority. Understandable from both sides because your works usually involve a lot of people, meaning that compromising on it was quite hard and it was also very important to both of you from an emotional perspective, although you had to admit the Formula 1 driver was reaching an equivalent position to your work in your heart.

You watched him speak in the post race interview and then the moment he shared with his father, leaning his head as he took in the encouraging words being whispered in his ear. He had always been so strong and it was something you admired about him.

You sent him a message (which you hoped would provide a bit of comfort), mentioning that what happened was unfair, he deserved that win after everything he'd been through the entire season and that night and how proud you were of him. Also adding that he could call you when he felt like doing so because he wouldn't be in the headspace to talk to people at the time.

Seven hours later, you were done with your scenes for the day at ten in the night. The first thing you did after entering the vanity was checking your phone and your message to him was still at 'delivered', which increased your worry and anxiety.

After a bit, you got the idea of dropping a message to Angela, who was somebody you were close to too. You knew the Wolffs, Miles and Daniel, you even met his parents, stepmum and his siblings too when you'd been to the Silverstone race but Angela was somebody you bonded along with very well. She was one of the sweetest persons you'd met and also took care of you like an older sister would whenever you were around.

But you'll only get a response a while later since it's probably the wee hours at Abu Dhabi right now, you thought as you sighed. The race and your work has already drained out all your energy and despite your mind being absolutely restless because of how anxious you felt, but you had to drive yourself to sleep somehow. The director wouldn't be happy seeing her lead actress with puffy eyes and barely any energy the next day.

By the time you landed on your bed, it struck midnight and your phone let out the notification sound, showing the message from Angela which said that Lewis wasn't doing great and hadn't spoken to anybody yet.

Now how were you going to be able to sleep after knowing that?

“I touch your hand for the first time, I see it on your face, then another lifetime's flashin' by.”

"You see the star there? That one's called Sirius." he tells you, pointing to a specific region in the night sky.

"I didn't peg you to be somebody who was familiar with Harry Potter references, Hamilton." you give him a surprised, yet impressed look.

"There's a lot more to me than meets the eye darling, you'll see." he tells you cockily and you playfully rolled your eyes, shaking your head.

"This might just be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." you said in awe, your eyes fixed at the sparkling stars laid on an endless canvas of the dark blue sky.

"Mhm yeah, it definitely is." the sweet and distracted voice of the man who'd been surrounding you and your thoughts for the past couple of months came through and you turned your head towards him, finding him looking at you.

You felt your cheeks heat and you could only let out a giggle in response, not knowing how to respond because of how flustered he made you feel.

Lewis Hamilton was definitely a lot more cheesy than one would ever assume.

"I'm sorry I couldn't plan anything fun, there's pandemic restrictions so everything around is almost shut." he apologizes and you melt at how heartful he sounds about it.

"Don't be ridiculous Lew, I've loved every moment of this date so far." you assure him with a soft smile. Star gazing with somebody you've admired for so long as a first date was something that nobody could beat.

"Well, how can I make the date better?" he asks and your eyes light up in silent laughter thinking he's joking but then you look at him, it turns out that he was actually being serious.

Dear god, what type of dates had this man been on?

"Well that's a hard one because I feel like the date has already met the standards." you pretend to think for a moment "Maybe you could let Roscoe join us?" you ask him, giving him a grin which made him fall for you even more.

"Now that's not fair." he playfully whines "This time is for us. He loves you too much, will take away all your attention from me." he said, referring to all the times the both of you spend with your mutual friends. He was right, the bulldog did take a lot of your time.

"Well I've at least gotta win over one heart right?" you said, reflecting your doubts about him considering if the thing between the both you was anything serious or not.

"Well in that case, his heart will be the second one you've won over from this house." he said and you looked at him, your eyes softening with warmth and your cheeks turning red as you move closer to him.

He feels it too, you thought as he wrapped his arm around you, making you sigh in bliss.

Nearly two years later, the morning after the catastrophic race, the first thing you saw after waking up were the words "I don't think I can do this anymore, I need some space and time away." on your phone and at that moment, you had been absolutely destroyed.

It felt like everything in you had just been dropped down and shattered without any noise, you just feel so hollow and empty on the inside.

You couldn't ridicule him for feeling devastated, anybody would understand how much yesterday meant to him and how it affected him even if they didn't know him personally.

But you believed that you were comfortable enough to be with each other through any situation, happiness or despair. You believed that he found the same comfort, solace and safety that you found in him.

But it turns out that he didn't. The both of you went all the way from a video call like a regular couple would before the race to a text like somebody that didn't really mean anything to him a later, he pushed you out.

“I bet you're happy and that's fine. But I regret just one thing, I never got to change your mind”

He'd been back on the screens for the next season. Despite all the news about him discontinuing racing, you knew he'd go back.

Racing was everything to him, it was quite literally everything he'd known. He'd spoken openly about the struggles that him and his dad faced to reach where he was in the racing industry.

He knew how to rise up from the worst moments, he always had it in him.

You were still a mess. It had been almost three months since the text which broke everything in you. But there he was, having interviews with his teammate, a happy grin on his face.

Being an F1 fan for a long time, you always kept up with whatever news was on about the grid and Lewis had quite the spotlight when it came to headlines about his professional life or personal life.

You knew that he wasn't really the person for serious relationships after a point in his career. All of his focus was on Formula 1, rightfully so, which was why one night stands and short flings were what he went for.

You knew that even before you met him, you knew it whilst being friends but you still agreed to date him despite that one thing freaking you out. He had a hold on you, such an aura around him. You were always in this bubble of happiness, positivity and peace when you were with him.

Although his past relationships made you think about a lot of 'what if-s', how could you say no to a guy who made you feel like that?

Well, this was the consequence of giving in to emotions rather than logic. Your heart had been shattered like fritted glass, while he was back to normal like the break up was nothing but a minor collateral damage.

Work was always a top priority but all those moments that the both of you shared had a lot of meaning right?

“And I'm doin' okay. In the back of my mind, all I hear is your name”

The last time you slept well was the night before the Abu Dhabi race. You were normally a light sleeper, which gave you a pretty decent amount of sleep to feel good the next day.

But ever since that night, your sleep had come down only a few hours every week. You'd just walk about the room feeling restless, scroll through your phone or laptop or the television to pass time, there were some days where you just stared at the ceiling, the thoughts in your head just rushing in with memories of Lewis and you'd end up bursting into tears, sleeping over taking you after your eyes would turn red and puffy. And after two or three hours, you'd be awake again, tossing and turning around the bed.

And it was safe to say the sight of food started making you feel sick, your face would literally scrunch at the sight of it. But you still had to eat a minimum amount of food that would help you survive a day at work. Completely cutting out on food, which you had the urge to do, would completely affect the image on you and your career, which you felt was too risky.

Everybody had noticed you spiralled down, you could feel it too but you just stopped caring about anything after a point, you just felt so empty in your head to push yourself. Acting was the only thing that had you taking steps forward in life.

Soon enough, there were articles out on the news about you, commenting on the drastic weight loss that had been noticed in you, caused by the change in your eating habits. Your fans also began to notice how your use of social media had come down drastically, since you always had the habit of interacting with them frequently and also shared random pictures and videos from your day at work, especially if it was in a place far from home.

And that made the pressure from the people close to you increase. After getting to know about your break up with Lewis, your parents and close friends urged you to talk more, to let out how you were feeling. But you always convinced them by saying that you were alright, that you understood why he needed the break up and you just went along with life, your work satisfying you at the moment.

The moment you came back home after you were done with the movie you were working on for the past couple of months, the first thing your mum did was make you sit next to her and reminded you of all the hard times you'd been through, of all the people you had in your life who still cared for you and loved you, about how there were people out there who admired your work.

And that's when it struck you, that yes, you did lose a particular feeling love in your life. But there was so much more to life that made living your life whole heartedly rather than making it more painful for you, more that you'd already been through because of your heart getting broken by a certain British man.

You took a small break from your work and the fast life around you, spending the time with your family and friends, parallelly going to therapy as well. Although the scar of that heartbreak was always going to remain, the slow paced yet quality time helped your wounds heal little by little.

And then you were back to work, feeling better than you'd been for the past couple of months. You were able to breathe freely, feeling the light weighted space in you.

But there were still certain things that reminded you of him. One day, you saw a bull dog being taken on a walk by its owner, your mind would fly to how Roscoe would lie down in between you and Lewis, snuggling in the night. The smell or sight of tea would remind you about how the both of you would keep arguing about whether tea or coffee was better, you loving coffee and him being always so British and loving tea. But nevertheless he knew how to make coffee the way you liked it and you knew the same for his tea. The sound of a piano would remind you of the times he would play it and sing his favourite songs, even teaching you the basics of how to play it sometimes. Stargazing and watching Formula 1 was something you just stopped altogether, not being able to handle the intensity of the emotions it brought in you.

If there was anything that made you feel relieved now, it was about how it didn't hurt as much as it used to and how the control he had your thoughts had come down.

"Talkin' wildly out of context, I wish things were different. But I'll never know”

What the hell just happened, you thought as you looked at the screen of the TV in the garage.

It took you everything to not break into a string of curse words but if anything, you were really worried if Lewis was okay.

The man literally had a car on top of his with the tyres nearly touching his head, dear god.

And you had no clue how he would react after coming back to the garage. He wasn't the one to tantrums but was he somebody who just stayed quiet? Did he deal with the anger he felt? Would he like having anybody around him to comfort him? Or did he prefer being alone?

You had spent a good number of days with him, an amount of time that could turn into a bunch of months if you added them up, but all the races you'd been to for the past year were always good ones. You were there when he won his seventh world championship but this was the first time you were around during a bad race, a one with a scary DNF.

He didn't know you were here for the race. Due to the COVID protocols, you had to quarantine for a few days before being able to meet Lewis and you didn't have a break or gap of that many days that often which made being at his races quite hard. So you thought that you could surprise him at the Monza GP, coming into the garage after he got into the car.

What you planned was to hide in some corner of the Mercedes garage and meet him in his driver's room after he went there, yelling a cheerful "surprise!". But you obviously couldn't do that now, considering what just happened. How you would meet him was barely on your mind now, you were scared about how he was after the crash.

"Hey, he's back in his driver's room. You can go and meet him now." Angela came and told you, a few minutes after you were restlessly tapping your feet up and down.

"Oh thank god, how is he? No injuries right?" you ask her anxiously, a shaky breath leaving your body.

"He's alright now, nothing serious has happened to him. He has some headache and pain in the neck, he'll be back to normal in a matter of some time." she assures you, giving you a comforting smile and places her around your shoulder, knowing how worried you get about him.

"Would he be alright with having me around now Ange? I think he'd want some silence for now." you said, giving her an unconvincing smile.

"Don't be ridiculous, he just had a scary race. None of his family and close friends are around now either, he'll obviously love to have you around now. You'll make his day better and he'll calm down." Angela convinces you and you walk towards his driver's room, still debating in your mind if you should step in or not.

Angela knocks the door and speaks out so that Lewis thinks it her, rushing towards the team before Lewis opens the door so that the both of you can have your space.

The sound of the room's door opening brings you out of your over thinking. "Um, hey?" you tell him in a shaky voice, eyes scanning over him to see if he was alright. Of course Angela wouldn't lie to you but for some reason, it wasn't sinking in your mind until you saw him.

His eyes widened in surprise "You're here? Wait a minute- you're actually here." he says and his reaction made your nerves calmed down a bit.

"Well, the plan was to keep a rather happy surprise." you say, giving him a weak smile "If you want to be alone for some time, I'll go back and sit with Ange, I totally understand-" he cut off your rambling by taking your hand in his and pulling you in for a hug.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm glad you're here. C'mon in." he said, wrapping his arms around your waist and placing his forehead on your shoulder "missed you and that scent so much." he mumbles as you place your hand through his braids, running your fingers through his hair to calm him down, like he always liked it.

"I can feel your heartbeat and it's going crazy. We've been together for a year and I still scare you?" he teases you, referring to the initial days of knowing him. Timid was an understatement. Having been a huge fan of the sport and him for years before you first met him, you always shared many shy smiles and few words with him, scared that your rather talkative side which always went on rambling would annoy him.

"I don't know- that just, that was scary. I'm so worried baby, the tyre was literally so close to your head." you sighed as he sat on the couch, placing you on his lap.

"Stuff like this happens time and again in racing, you've watched it over the years. At that moment I tried to shuffle inside the car as much as possible and lowered my head down, so nothing from the car reached my head. Don't worry sweetheart, I'm totally alright." he says, rubbing circles on your waist in the hopes of calming you down.

"Ange told me you have a headache and neck pain though, don't lie to me." you mumbled, pushing away the braids to a side and placing a small kiss on his forehead. He just gives you a reassuring smile, his eyes signifying that it'll be gone soon and he places his head on your shoulder, snuggling in for comfort as you placed your hand on his back and rubbing it up and down.

Thinking of the memory from that day made you wonder only one thing. Would the both of you still be together if you were together? If he would've seeked your comfort or just push you away nevertheless.

You guess you'd never know, Monza was one DNF while what happened at Abu Dhabi was something brought in such loss and affected his perspective about his career and life.

You knew it didn't end well, there were so many things left unspoken between the two of you. It was bad, but both of you would've been so good together.

#lewis hamilton #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x actress!reader #lewis hamilton one shot #f1 x reader #f1 fanfic #saisha writes #f1 imagine

[sandbees]

I don't know if you open, but I love. No. I adore your house of mouse au, I've seen most of it but I wonder, what if the ob gang see Yuu and the great seven chatting then Yuu saw them, pull them and say 'this is the guy I told you back then', now I probably already read one of ask that contain this, but I wanna see only overblot's first reaction that probably quite fascinating

:0 alright!

It's already been a few months since Yuu has introduced their friends to the House of Mouse. Honestly, they were fine with that, until there was a planned Dorm Leader meeting. Sadly, their usual spot was taken by the teachers for another meeting, but hey, the House of Mouse is always there! So Yuu invites them for a meeting.

Thankfully, Mickey was glad to give Yuu time off ("I wouldn't want you to be focused on work all the time! It's important to keep your social life back at home healthy. Enjoy the show! :)")

So, they wait for the other Dorm Leaders before they take them to their mirror upstairs.

Kalim: Oh! Are we having a sleepover!?

Yuu: No, we're going to my workplace. They're giving me time off so we can have a meeting and enjoy their performances!

Riddle: Well, as long as it doesn't distract us from the meeting...Why are we even in your room to begin with? Yuu: 'Cause we can't get in without using my mirror, duh. *Pushes Idia into the mirror*

Idia: WHY ME-

They go through the mirror, and the others are pretty impressed with Yuu's personal dressing room.

Yuu: Yeah, my boss is the best :). Oh, btw, don't be surprised to see the Great Seven.

Azul: Hahaha, WHAT?

As they walk out, Minnie personally greets them and leads them to a table. Goofy comes by a minute later and takes all of their orders. As they wait for their orders to come, Yuu gauges everyone's reactions.

Azul is, unsurprisingly, writing things down, muttering about "new ideas for Mostro Lounge. Kalim is looking around the whole dining room, his eyes sparkling. Riddle and Vil are talking quietly, commenting on the decor. Idia was grossed in his video game he brought, glancing at anyone who passed by the table. Leona was messing with the center piece, looking absolutely bored. And Malleus just looked happy to be there.

The meeting went well, actually. With a lively atmosphere, the Dorm Leaders were able to have some productive conversations. Yuu was especially happy to be included in future events run by the Dorms. There were a few interruptions, though.

Of course, it was pure coincidence that the Great Seven were also having a get together. But the oddest thing was that THEY WERE AT THE TABLE NEXT TO THEM??? If that isn't planned idk what is. Yuu introduced the gang to one another.

Riddle is all red in the face, probably very embarrassed to meet the Queen of Hearts. He certainly didn't expect to meet her in person! Though she's pretty impressed by him. He knows all 810 rules by heart. What a good Dorm Leader, remembering all the ruels and making sure the rest remember them!

Leona and Scar didn't talk to each other at first, but when the topic of siblings came around, YOU BET THAT THEY WERE TALKING SHIT. Honestly the funniest thing for them to realize this and begin gossiping about the dumbest things people have done in front of them. It's very sweet to watch them vent out their frustrations to each other.

Ursula talking with Azul and giving him tips on how to blackmail convice people to sign his contracts. Maybe even answer his questions about herself or giving him ideas for his business. A magic item made by the Sea Witch herself? For a price, of course~

Honestly, I can only see Jafar tolerate Kalim at best. He sees Kalim as a foolish kid. Though maybe Jafar slightly warms up to him??? Yuu is probably the one to mediate between the two, honestly.

VIL AND QUEEN GOSSIPING ABOUT BEAUTY TIPS. VIL WOULD TOTALLY TELL HER ABOUT MODERN BEAUTY TIPS. They would be the mean girls of the group tbh. I think Queen would also give tips on being a better leader, because despite her vanity, she was probably a good ruler if the kingdom didn't go to hell in the movie.

Idia would 100% be dying inside at Hades' extrovertness. Hades would be very excited to learn more about his dorm honestly. (Wait no Hades would joke about them being related, and Idia would sink into his seat further). The conversation was awkward until Hades asked about the video game Idia brought. Idia would not SHUT UP ABOUT IT-

Malleus and Maleficent would have a lovely chat over teas and biscuts that they ordered. Maleficent would 100% give Malleus any and all advice she had gained over the years. (Maybe advise Malleus to snag Yuu before anyone else got them). They would totally have conversations about the use of gargoyles and how spot a wild one.

It's getting late at night, and the meeting was over, but Yuu convinced everyone to stay. The show began, and it was one of the best Yuu's seen in awhile (to be fair, most of the shows were sabotaged by Pete, which they helped stop).

The night ended with a bang, and all the Dorm Leaders agreed to hold another meeting at the House of Mouse some time in the future.

#twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland imagine #twisted wonderland headcannons #twisted wonderland yuu #ask #riddle rosehearts #leona kingscholar #azul ashengrotto #jamil viper #vil schoenheit #idia shroud #the great seven #maleficent #ursula #jafar #scar #the queen of hearts #the evil queen

[inamindfarfaraway]

So I saw your post here [https://www.tumblr.com/inamindfarfaraway/690058488775327745/batfamily-fanworks-that-purport-to-be-set-in-the] and oh my gosh YOU ARE SO RIGHT!

As much as I enjoy it, Hush is definitely to blame for this as it is held as THE end-all-be-all of all BatFam stories yet Cass (who an acclaimed ongoing series as Batgirl around the same time) was suspiciously missing from it along with Steph. Yet we only ever get flashbacks to Bab's time as Batgirl so that storyline also ended up cementing Bab's legacy as "the one and only Batgirl". Methinks a certain editor in charge at the time mandated for Cass and Steph to not appear in Hush because they-according to him-"were way too toxic" for said storyline. Because you see, as soon as he became a leading editor, his number one priority was getting rid of Steph and stripping Cass of her Batgirl role.

And so the age of darkness began...

First, there was War Games that solely existed to torture Steph in the most vile, most voyeuristic ways before killing her off. Then there was Robin: One Year Later, one of the worst, horrific character-assassination storylines since Spider-Man's One More Day, where Cass was suddenly turned into an over-the-top Saturday Morning cartoon villain obsessed with killing everyone, giving long-winded "together we can rule the world" speeches and being able to speak and write in fluent Navajo. ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT LANGUAGES IN THE WORLD. Then there was Redemption Road which, despite its good moments and happy ending, did even more damage to Cass's character. And finally, we have Battle For The Cowl which ended up pushing Cass and Steph so far into the background, they were basically erased from the BatFamily altogether.

Yet despite Steph's well-received run as Batgirl, DC's poor marketing and the lead up to the New 52 prevented the series from becoming a proper bestseller and it was cancelled without any fanfare whatsoever. Still, all those horrible decisions and storylines (like War Games and Robin: One Year Later) did such massive, long term damage to the characters that, even despite all the small good things (Steph's Batgirl series to the excellent Gates Of Gotham mini-series starring Cass), they were buried from public consciousness. As for Duke (another character, I'm a fan of), I think its just a case of him being a very recent character, a lack of marketing and higher-ups not knowing what to do with him.

As for the asshole editor who everything to burry the Batgirls, he was eventually fired for creating an "unsafe working environment". And yes, his name rhymes with "Ban Video".

As for the people who keep erasing Cass, Steph and Duke from fan works, I know it sounds depressing but hear me out: Fandom, be it comics, video games, films, cartoons, TV shows, ect, has an unconscious bias of white male favouritism. (Yes, I know Dick is Romani, Damien half-Arabic/Asian yet they're still quite white-passing)

YES! THANK YOU! ALL OF THIS!

It is so sad and frustrating that these bias persist even in communities that are meant to be about joy and love; but of course the Batfam fandom has issues with sexism and racism when the canon also has for so long. I'm sure most fans don't try to be prejudiced, but male and white-passing characters are so much more popular than others. The unfair treatment of Steph as Robin and both her and Barbara in making Babs Batgirl again for no reason is one of the things I wrote Robins: The Musical to vent about, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks for the explanation! I was already familiar with most of the context you generously provided, but I still really appreciate it as a specific comics shame/recommendation guide and education for others. I wasn't aware of Gates of Gotham and will read it! Black Bat my beloved. Dan Didio when I catch you...

(My original post is here)

#batfam #batfamily #batfam fandom #dc comics #dc #dc fandom #cassandra cain #batgirl #black bat #stephanie brown #spoiler #duke thomas #the signal #comics history

[toloveawarlord]

Event: Be My Valentine 2023 (Edition: Valentine's Day)

Pairing: Ran Haitani x Fem!Reader

Prompt: "Spread those legs for me, beautiful"

Rating: 18+ Explicit

wc: 1.6k

a.n.: I am a simp for Ran Haitani. That's all.

The day had passed in a blink. Usually work dragged by but you were filled with anxious excitement and somehow you were climbing the stairs of the apartment complex that Ran lived in. Today was the day that all girls were scrambling to impress their lovers, and you were no exception.

Using the key that Rindou had loaned you, you were given access to the empty apartment. Perfect for setting up a surprise. Certainly, you'd spent an ample amount of time last night making some homemade chocolates, but that wasn't enough.

Taking full advantage of the small DJ booth that Rindou had assembled, music pumped you up while you unpacked all your things. Any girl could cook a meal for their man, but you were going to do more than simply make food.

A single text from Rindou alerted you to finish up your preparations. He had easily relinquished the apartment to the two of you, stating that noise canceling headphones weren't enough to block out the sounds.

Which you weren't complaining about.

"Baby, I'm home!" Ran called as he swung the door open. Love was truly in the air, and it was suffocating without you. Making out in public was one of his favorite pastimes. But instead of showing you off to the lonely shitheads at the bar, he was one of those bums, hanging out with his brother of all people on Valentine's Day.

He was quite thrilled when Rindou admitted to keeping him busy for you. It was adorable that you'd planned a surprise. You did all sorts of cute things like this, and it made him oh so happy.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" You were nervous, for sure. The two of you were intimate often, very often, but waiting, perched on the back of the couch in nothing but a bright red body harness, made you anxious, the excited kind.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Ran was known for his ability to control himself, except when it came to you. The harness invited his gaze to your tits, plumping them up. Violet eyes followed the straps down, crisscrossing over your stomach and leading to your thighs. He was too greedy to wait, practically salivating at the mouth. "Spread those legs for me, beautiful."

And you did. Slowly. You were on a high, feeling proud to have stopped him so thoroughly, as if he had short circuited at the sight of you. As Ran was drinking in your figure, you were studying his every expression. Lust. Love. His gaze intense, eyes hungry. His tongue darted out from between his lips at the sight of your pussy.

"All this for me, huh?" His brain finally disconnected solely from his cock, and Ran crossed the space to you. He needed to feel your soft skin under his fingers, needed to taste your lips right this very second.

"Well, there's also homemade chocolates if you're interested."

Ran chuckled, taking a rough kiss before answering. "Unless I get to eat them off this pretty body, it'll have to wait. Although I'm much too impatient for even that." His pants strained from how hard he was.

You leaned back enough to retrieve the bottle of lube off the cushion. "I'm all ready so no need to wait. I'm spoiling you today."

It was hard to tell whose hands did what, both rushing to remove his clothes. Ran could get frustrated easily when he was so turned on, which usually ended up with your clothes being ripped off. 

"Fuckin' hell-" Ran groaned, struggling to unbutton his top. It was one of a kind and he wasn't about to ruin it. But you had been quite busy with his lower half, and having much more success. Your hand slick with lube rubbed gently over his aching cock.

He'd never been able to figure out how you were so fucking amazing with just your hand.

"Having trouble?" You teased, trying not to laugh at him. This was a side of Ran that no one would see but you. Frustrated. Embarrassed. A hint of pink on his cheeks and the most adorable pout on his lips that only lasted a second when you swiped your thumb over his tip, gathering the precum to mix with the lube.

And you were the only person who could get away with teasing him so boldly.

Freed of his clothes, the older Haitani could finally stop holding himself back. You were eagerly receptive, latching your legs around his waist and draping your arms over his shoulders in order to not topple backwards when he thrust into you.

Matching groans of relief came from you both.

"I won't let you fall," Ran said, securing you with his arm around your lower back. It was all the warning he gave. He had to satisfy his craving for you this very instant.

Fast and deep thrusts rocked you and the couch that you barely touched. The fleeting anxiety of toppling back was overshadowed by the sheer fact that Ran was practically hold you up with one arm and fucking you without any restraint. You found it incredibly sexy of him.

Ran muttered curses against your neck, occupying his mouth with the taste of your skin. He altered between tender kisses and nipping to leave plenty of hickeys. Not even the most violent of brawls could compare to the euphoric sensation that you provided him. "Fuck, so fuckin'- perfect, baby."

"Ah-- Ran-" You whined his name, the only fully formed word that you could muster. His cock filled you up, almost too much but it felt so fucking good.

He did adore the way you said his name. It sounded so sugary sweet and utterly filthy at the same time. "Gonna cum already?" He teased your clit, barely swiping his finger over the nub to make you jerk in his arms. 

Your head bobbed in response, whimpering each time he tapped the sensitive bundle of nerves. You managed a soft, needy please. Although you were supposed to be spoiling him, it typically ended this way. You, a complete and utter mess begging Ran for more and more pleasure.

You'd never find him complaining.

"Look at me."

The deep violet of his eyes was your favorite color. They could command your attention without a single word. You could so easily lose yourself in their depths, so deep that nothing existed except for him.

"I never tire of looking at your pretty face, especially when you're like this. So, show me how good you feel and cum." Ran's grip around you tightened in anticipation of your orgasm. You tended to lose complete control of your body, which he loved to see. Rubbing your clit with just the right amount of pressure, your walls spasmed around him.

Your lips parted but no sound came out. His intense gaze held yours, allowing him a full view of your face when you came. The release came quick and hard, setting your nerves alight with tingling pleasure.

Ran nearly faltered with how hard you were squeezing his cock. He rocked his hips harder to keep thrusting into you even when your cunt was pushing him out. Combined with the filthy expression on your face, he was more than ready to fill you up with his cum. "Fuck, fuck-"

He shuddered, slowing his thrusts to finish emptying himself into your warm pussy.

All the energy drained and you leaned forward to rest your head against his shoulder, soaking up being enveloped in his arms. His gentle petting of your head could have put you to sleep. "There's one more thing."

"More than letting me fuck you in a body harness and chocolate? I can't imagine what else I'd ever need."

You untangled yourself from him and hopped off the back of the couch. "I am the best girlfriend ever, so of course there's more." You could walk. You could definitely, totally walk. Except your legs were not receiving the signal, more made of jello than muscle at the moment.

Ran snickered, lips quirked up into the cocky smirk that made you want to either punch him or kiss him. "Need some help?" It simply meant he'd done a good fucking job if you were wobbly after only one round.

"No, I do not," You answered stubbornly. Giving each leg a little wiggle to wake up, you managed to lead him to the bathroom without ending up a puddle on the floor. "Ta da! The perfect third gift."

The counter across from the tub had a variety of items from soothing lotions to hair care products and face masks. If there was one thing that Ran was obsessed with other than you, it was self-care. A little spa treatment after sex.

"You..." It was unusual for Ran to be speechless. He'd never experienced that warm feeling in his chest before you'd come into his life. The bathtub had filled by the time he collected himself. There were plenty of things he wanted to say, but it all came back to one prominent thing. "I love you so fuckin' much."

Ran wasn't the kind of boyfriend who found saying the word love difficult, but it still made you weak each time he did. "I love you, too. Happy Valentine's Day." You disposed of the harness on the floor, knowing that it would surely be a requested piece from him in the future.

The hot water soothed the soreness in your body. You settled in with your back against Ran's chest, both of you with hair up, face masks on, and a glass of wine in hand to have a relaxing bath. You weren't sure how you were going to top this year's gift, but you were certain that next year, you'd be even more in love with him.

#tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers smut #tokyo rev #tokyo rev smut #ran haitani #ran haitani smut #valentine fic #very late #haitani brothers

[cosymelody]

Finally managed to finish this fic with exactly 4,000 words ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ

I'm kinda happy with how it turned out even if it isn't the best but I hope y'all enjoy it!

Imagine Masked!Reader and Four get ambushed by a group of monsters after arguing about whether Masked!Reader should be able to fight alongside the Chain.

Four and some other members of the Chain don't think it's safe for them to be in battle and fight against the dangerous monsters they go against, but Masked!Reader is insistent on having their own weapons and ends up getting pissed off, which only leads to them storming off to cool down.

•♫•♬• 𝑶𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝑷𝒕. 𝟏 •♬•♫•.

You couldn't tolerate how you were treated sometimes by the Chain.

Sure, it was nice to finally feel truly cared for after so long and all, but they seemed to underestimate you quite a bit. You wanted to help them in battle. However, either Hyrule or Twilight would pull you away. Even when you tried to help with carrying things, Time or Wild would come along and carry them for you. It was frustrating to constantly feel underestimated and sidelined by the Chain. Despite their caring nature, you longed for the opportunity to prove your capabilities in battle and contribute more actively.

It was nice being around them and being able to spend time with them, but when some of your weapons and items started to disappear, it got quite irritating. You had suspected that either Legend or Four was stealing them, and your suspicions were confirmed when you discovered a certain little Link rummaging through your bag. You had been helping a little with everyone before you came back to grab something out of your bag, only to find Four going through it and holding your favorite and most precious knife that you were gifted.

"Four... What are you doing with my knife?"

"O-oh! I was just... checking it to see how sharp it was?..." You raised an eyebrow, unconvinced by Four's explanation. The knife held sentimental value for you, and you couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the thought of it being mishandled.

To be completely honest, you found it quite irritating how he was not only snooping through your stuff but was also lying about taking one of your most prized possessions. You could feel your eye twitch as you stayed silent, waiting patiently for him to speak the truth as you glared at him. After a moment, he sighed, finally giving up a losing battle and speaking the truth to you.

"All right... Me, along with... Others believe it would be better if we handled the fighting. We don't want to take a chance with you getting hurt." You couldn't help but feel a mix of relief and frustration at his admission. It was true that you were no stranger to danger, but his overprotectiveness was starting to suffocate you.

Okay, now you were starting to get a bit pissed off. You were getting sick and tired of being treated as a weak and precious item. You had a lot of fight and fire in you that they didn't seem to even notice, and you didn't want to just stand by and let them get hurt. You stood still before taking a deep breath, exhaling, and pinching the bridge of your covered nose as you tried to calm your nerves to the best of your ability before you calmly walked over to where Four was with your bag and grabbed your knife from him. You readjusted the mask that covered the lower half of your face as you swiftly crouched down and placed it back in your bag before abruptly closing it and putting it back on the ground where it was.

"... Ya know, where I'm from, it's quite rude and disrespectful to go looking through people's stuff, and even more so to take their belongings without permission. I'm gonna go for a walk. I'll be back in a little..." You stated this firmly, making it clear that you were not pleased with Four's actions. As you walked away, you couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and disappointment. Taking a deep breath, you reminded yourself to stay composed and find a way to address the situation later on.

You let out a huff of annoyance as you moved through the trees and along a narrow path that you could see, only for your annoyance to increase at the sound of rapid footsteps approaching you from behind. You take a glance back to see Four sprinting in your direction, his voice calling out to you as you keep walking away from him. You let out a slight snarl as he caught up to you, not afraid to show your irritated state and how you needed some alone time.

"Hey! Slow down! Where are you even going? You know how dangerous it is out here." Four's concerned voice echoed in your ears, but you remained determined to distance yourself from him. Ignoring his warning, you quickened your pace, craving the solace of the secluded woods ahead.

"I need some time alone so I don't end up snapping, alright! I just need to clear my head so we can actually talk about the issue and sort this out, but right now it's just best to leave me be." You knew that Four cared about your well-being, but you also understood the importance of taking care of your own mental state. As you disappeared into the depths of the woods, you hoped that this time alone would bring clarity and peace to both your mind and the situation at hand.

Just as he was ready to respond with his complaint, there was a rustle close by. You both looked in the same direction and observed the area. As Four followed in action, reaching for and slowly drawing his sword in case there was any danger, you looked around the area where the sound originated. You remained still until a Lizalfos, along with many other monsters, sprang out of its hiding place and attacked Four head-on...

#linked universe #yandere link x reader #yandere linked universe x reader #lu four #Masked!Reader #melody-writes

[melissa-titanium]

Been thinking abt. Cyn

Thinking abt her maybe. wanting to let the Solver in partly out of wanting to kill humans (at least the ones in the mansion), wanting the power to make them suffer the way they made her suffer (like. considering how badly they treated her I’d be surprised if she didn’t have any sort of vengeful intent tbh).

Thinking abt her carrying out that goal, and it feels so good to finally lash back that she keeps going farther with it until it results in the Earth being destroyed

Thinking abt how the Solver’s own goals go way beyond the destruction of a single planet, and Cyn discovering this at some point…. and realizing then that, as much she wanted to destroy and rend and avenge herself and dronekind in general, she doesn’t want this. But at this point it’s too late; she’s too far integrated into the Solver (or the Solver into her) to be able to do much to frustrate its plans

so why even try? she’s helpless all over again - but it said it wouldn’t discard her, so if she just… sticks to the background, tunes it all out, maybe it’ll hurt less

to suffer in silence is better than suffering with it

YES. YES. YES.YES.YES.ESY.ESY.ESY.ESY HOLY FUUUUUCK OH MYG OD oh . hoh mygod you got my fucking thoughts down to a T i genuinely dont think icould add much to this.

thius is EXACTLY how i think about it. i feel like what makes it worse in my brain is the fact that cyn appears... very young. with the assumption that n v & j are programmed to be roughly 18-21 in age then they were evn younger as butlers and consdiering cyn is n's YOUNGER BROTHER... she must have been little. she was a child. she didnt want to die. she was given a chance; not only to come back, but to deliver justice to the terrible people who did this to her and her sibling(s.) an offer she had no reason to refuse; especially because of how young she was.

it feels good at first, she thinks shes ddoing the right thing; she finally has the power to make sure those she loves are safe;!!!!!!! but all power comes at a price and she was too little to comprehend it :( eventually getting payback against tessas parents becomes getting payback on the entire human race... and what are a few drone casualties to the solver of the absolute fabric? all life is life, whether organic or not, and will be destroyed in the exponential end.

bit by bit, she loses herself. she doenst know when shes in control versus when the solver is in control. was it worth it, to see her brother again? to see him grow hopeless as her thoughts drifted away from her grasp and she was no longer herself. to watch your sister fall into the solvers grasp, just as you realize you had. to be the one to chop off your brothers head and slaughter countless humans. all you wanted to do was keep everyone you love safe. you just wanted to help!

your family is... alive, more or less... but was it worth all the anguish your efforts lead to? to see them thrown yet again into situations they're completely helpless in? you were just a child; and you still are, as you were not given the chance to grow... so what can you do about it?

AM YET AGAIN YOU MAKE ME GO INSANE. GOD I LOVE THESE FUCKING ROBOTS THEY R SO FUCKING COOL.

also heres a doodle i never finished :)

#asks #mel roars #oh im gonna kill myself

[chaotic-autumn]

feeling absolutely feral about the moment Stede finally realizes he's in love with Ed, get ready for some Thoughts

i've mentioned before how much i love the reading of Stede's character as autistic (and just generally how neurodivergent coded he and ed are) and I think interpreting his character this way makes the payoff of this Epiphany moment even more powerful. (might make a separate post on rom com plot points in ofmd sometime because i am unhinged about that too)

And it's SO important to me that this moment isn't played for laughs, because I am so sick of "neurodivergent-coded people Not Understanding Stuff" being a punchline. It's NOT written like "oh haha you dummy, DUH it was so obvious" (i mean maybe it is a little but in an affectionate way), we have compelling narrative evidence to justify why Stede doesn't understand that he's falling in love (and that Ed loves him back). And that makes it so so beautiful and affecting when he finally gets it.

An important coping mechanism for ppl with social anxiety/who struggle with social interaction is to really analyze the logic and intention behind social customs/things people say/etc. And it can be such a big EUREKA! moment when you do figure out the subtext/purpose of an interaction. Like for me realizing that the goal of small talk isn't to learn how the other person feels about the weather, it's a way of saying "i am acknowledging your personhood by acknowledging that you have feelings about the weather, that this experience, though trivial, is shared" made small talk SO much more bearable for me. (i mean sometimes it's still excruciating but at least now i get that it's not Pointless)

ANYWAY, we see Stede doing this in Episode 5 when he's explaining aristocratic social life to Ed:

"...and dining is pageantry." (sorry for the mediocre screen grabs)

And we see that even though he understands it, he doesn't feel comfortable with it or fit into it naturally, and he empathizes with Ed's struggle to learn the unspoken language of high society. (eg. "That's diabolical"/"It is") In fact Stede's whole storyline in this episode is basically about how much he empathizes with Ed's experience of trying to fit in with the "upper crust", and finally being able to turn the tables on the people who were mean to Ed, the way he couldn't as a child when people were mean to him.

But there's a limit to the helpfulness of this! Because ultimately emotions aren't always rational, and it can be really hard to interpret/accept your own feelings. Especially when you can't refer to an existing experience of times you felt/dealt with similar feelings. And that is frustrating and can be painful, and that pain can lead to avoidance/redirecting that pain.

(personal example but like: I spent so much time as a teenager getting so mad at myself for how IRRATIONAL all my hurt feelings and intrusive thoughts were, and that just contributed to the negative self image spiral. And it felt like this endless and unbearable cycle so I just constantly tried to distract myself with schoolwork/tv/etc)

We see Stede having this reaction a little in Episode 2 with Nigel's "ghost" (ie. a representation/manifestation of his guilt and self-doubt):

And then the elder hits the nail right on the head right here:

Stede feels guilty about Nigel's death, but Mainly (like fundamentally to his character arc in this season) he feels guilty about leaving Mary and his kids. But that guilt hurts too much, he doesn't want to think about that AT ALL, so he thinks about Nigel instead.

Now obviously he hasn't met Ed yet at this point, but this gives us as an audience important insight into how he deals with intense or frightening feelings (by avoiding them). This episode is also a crucial part of establishing the depth of Stede's self-doubt, which contributes to him not seeing that Ed is falling in love with him. I think that is linked to Stede not recognizing his own feelings for Ed, because overall he's just blind to the possibility that love is what is happening on either side of the equation.

And ESPECIALLY in the context of the queer experience it can be even harder to interpret your feelings in the love and relationships department because there's less language to explain it & fewer examples of it to help you conceptualize that "it's love" is even a possibility. Stede has never loved anyone romantically before, so he has no point of reference for what it feels like. Presumably, until becoming a pirate he hasn't seen examples of queer romance, so he has no script for what that looks like to refer to either. Basically, until the "what does it feel like to be in love" scene, Stede has no context to help him understand ANYTHING he has gone through emotionally since meeting Ed.

It's also significant that Mary is the one who describes love to Stede. Not only because of the closure the scene brings to the narrative by absolving Stede's guilt over leaving her, but because her relationship with Doug is hetero. It's permissible, it's familiar, it's instantly recognizable. She never says "I'm in love with Doug", Stede just knows. When she describes what love feels like, she's describing the internal experience of something that Stede has witnessed throughout his life but never been able to empathize with. And in that moment it clicks for him -- he DOES empathize with what Mary is saying. That is EXACTLY how he feels about Ed. (Because despite stereotypes, it's not like people on the spectrum are incapable of empathy, it's just that it can be harder to achieve because it's harder to interpret/extrapolate other people's emotions)

All of a sudden everything just makes sense. He's seen love but never known what it felt like, he's felt love but not recognized it. But hearing Mary describe it finally helps him put those two things together. He is in love with Ed. All those things people do for love in books that he could never quite understand? He gets it now, he can see himself doing those things because he is in love with Ed. The excitement and fear and confusion and intensity that has overwhelmed him these past weeks? That was LOVE. FOR ED. mother. fucking. EUREKA!

and and and AND in a meta sense, the epiphany Stede has kind of mirrors the audience's reaction to the scene. All those little moments he's flashing back to? Those were signs. That he was falling in love with Ed. Of course that's what they were, because we KNOW what romantic love looks like. We know how writers and directors and actors depict it on screen. and it is (or at least can be) no different between two men than it would be between a man and a woman.

This moment even more than the kiss to me was vindication for all the queerbaiting I believed could be queer representation. for johnlock and destiel and everything else. I wasn't crazy for thinking this line or that moment could be meant to signal romantic love. Queer romance that is just as layered and angsty and joyful and central to the plot as straight romance can exist on TV. Queer stories that aren't just about the characters' queerness but don't ignore it either CAN get made. We will put neurodivergent, queer people of color on TV.

And that's how this show increased my faith in humanity and revived my passion for my chosen career. Thank u for coming to my ted talk.

TLDR; Stede couldn't recognize what love looked or felt like until Mary spelled it out for him, and the way the writing links this inextricably to the trauma of growing up queer and neurodivergent in an unaccepting world makes me want to cry

a disclaimer for all my autistic stede posts: i am not autistic, i am a very Social Anxiety & Depression ADHDer. if you are autistic pls lmk your thoughts and/or if something i've said is insensitive or just Not Right

#our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd meta #autistic stede #autistic stede bonnet #blackbonnet #gentlebeard #stede bonnet #neurodivergent shit #neurodiversity #neurodivergent #autistic coded character #ofmd headcanon #chaotic textpost #mine #stede bonnet loves edward teach

[nixie-writes-aot]

So, I have several ideas for a Levi x Male reader, but I'll ask them individually so you can pick & choose which you do first shfnrjjd

one idea is that the reader works with, and trains the horses that the scout regiment uses. Something happens, and they need a horse training expert. Maybe Levi over hears/sees the reader scolding some people who have stable duty for not being as meticulous as possible when cleaning stalls/tack/horses

one thing leads to another, and they start seeing each other more frequently (maybe by Hang Zoes doing or maybe he wants to make sure their doing their job properly). Maybe there's even a miss understanding between them in which he thinks that their a Cadet at first and he treats them as such only for, like, Erwin to have come on the premise of introducing them an is like 'Oh good, my two best men already know each other'

Idk, I just wanna see the reader be a horse guy and also get a hot boyfriend 🤣🤣

"Stop Horsing Around, Cadet"

Warnings: N/A

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x male reader

Word Count: 1.6k

You sat down in the office, dressed in the uniform of the Scouts. Technically, you were one. You were simply one that normally was found in Wall Maria. Something you enjoyed, all the open land. You had survived that due to a horse you now refused to part with. Your commander respected that, of course. Speaking of your commander, he was sitting at the desk, looking to you with a polite smile. 

"Ah. (Y/N). Its a pleasure to see you again." Erwin greeted.

You only smiled in turn. "Erwin, you can drop the formalities." You reassured, "Last we saw each other… Shadis was still in command, wasn't he?" 

"This job tends to be very difficult." Erwin stated, defending his predecessor it seemed, "But yes. He's in the Training Corps now. Sending new trainees to us, even." 

You were quiet for a moment, thinking back to Shadis picking you out specifically. You had been a cadet, alongside Nile and Erwin. You and Erwin had been so excited to see the outside world but then you proposed changing to working on horses exclusively after your first expedition. You had always thought that Shadid merely pitied you but… Regardless, you were put to working on horses. Through the years, that's what you've been doing. Now, here you were. With Erwin once again. 

"I should leave you to your job. I'm sure you remember where the stalls are. It really is a pleasure." Erwin's smile had always been infectious. As if he knew everything was going to be okay. You smiled, nodding. 

"It is. I'm sure we'll be able to talk again soon. Being a commander suits you, Erwin." You hummed, standing and leaving the room.

Just before you left, you heard him thank you. Well, here you were again. The Survey Corps base. You made a beeline for the training yards and horse stalls. It being lunch, well the start of it, you didn't exactly expect anyone to be out training. Really, today you had no intention of training yourself or the horses. You were still exhausted from traveling from Wall Maria to Wall Rose. All you wanted to do, really, was inspect the horses. Meet them properly. You turned the corner, out the doors of the building and then another corner. It was a pleasant surprise, seeing two soldiers with the horses. As you got closer, however, it only annoyed and frustrated you.

"Attention!" You huffed. 

The two cadets jolted, whipping around with wide eyes and looks of complete and utter shock. One was a ginger haired woman with an orange eyed gaze and the other a brown haired man. They were certainly new to you, if not the entirety of the Survey Corps. Both were quick to salute, albeit completely unaware of who you were or if you actually were one of their superiors. 

"You don't clean them that way, cadets!" You scolded, rolling into a tangent of sorts as to how someone would tend to the horses. You even stepped forward, approaching the horse in question who snorted, you smiled and ran your hand down the horse's mane. 

"You have to be gentle, kind. He's a forgiving beast," you turned your head to glare at them, "so you're going to fucking apologize for being so rough."

The brunette gaped at you, ready to make some stupid retort, you ascertained. However, the ginger elbowed him in the gut as she nodded, "We're sorry, horse! Aren't we, Oluo?" His name was spat with annoyance. You watched Oluo, who had crumpled to the ground with a wheeze, stand and nod. "... Y-yeah. We're uh- we're sorry." 

You huffed, "Fuck off now."

"We're uh- we're supposed to-" Oluo started only to be met with a poisonous glare from you.

The two cadets were quick to take their leave as you picked up the brush, tending to the horse they tried to. The horse nickered, looking to you with fondness. You smiled gently. "Yeah, hi there. You rest today, okay? We had quite the day yesterday. Have you slept? I hope so." Your voice was calm and quiet. This was your horse, the one Erwin had let you keep.

You were so engrossed in your horse, you called him Snowbell for his white coat, that you hadn't noticed the short man watching you throughout the interaction. 

—

You had woken decently early the next morning after going to sleep shortly before curfew. Albeit, it wasn't a curfew for you nor the higher ups like Erwin or, the two that Erwin introduced you to yesterday, Miche and Hange. You walked to the mess hall, getting your food and sitting by yourself. With Erwin, Hange, and Miche still not there, you had no one else. Well, thats what you thought. Within moments, two cadets joined you. That ginger, Petra as you had learned from Erwin, and Oluo. 

"Are these spots free?" She politely asked.

By the time you confirmed that they were Oluo had already sat down, catching you off guard as you nodded. Petra sat beside him, both of them having the same as you. Some potato soup and a piece of stale bread. Oluo watched you, taking note of your more casual demeanor.

"You're a cadet, aren't you?" He bluntly questioned.

"I'm not." You answered, taking a bite of your bread.

"Oluo! You can't just ask that!" Petra scolded him.

You almost wanted to laugh. Those two reminded you of Nile and Erwin in the early days. Not that Erwin and Nile bickered like that but rather that the two seemed like good friends, much like Nile and Erwin. You sighed, finishing up your food quickly as the two bickered. 

"Well, see you two around." You stated as you stood, "I have horses to tend to." 

Petra stared at you as you left as Oluo merely nodded. You had no intention to be that social that early in the morning. Not if it wasn't with the horses, at least. You made your way outside, rounding the corner to the stables. You had no new horses to really train at the moment, waiting for breeders to bring in horses of age. Especially after the disaster of Wall Maria falling, you could only imagine how many horses were really in the territory within Wall Maria. It was the largest of the three. 

"Oi." A voice called from behind you.

You turned, hearing a voice, eyes falling on a man of short stature with black hair in an undercut. His grey eyes staring at you, brows furrowed downwards and arms crossed over his chest. You ascertained that from how Hange spoke about the superior you had yet to actually meet, this was him. Humanities' Strongest. Captain Levi Ackerman. 

"Whats up?" You casually questioned.

If it surprised Levi, you didn't notice any change in his demeanor, save for the man shifting his weight to one leg.

"Laps, brat." He growled, "Give me thirty of them."

You wanted to tell this man to fuck off, that you weren't some cadet. Except, by technicalities, he was still your superior. You only nodded, jogging to the dirt track. You could feel his eyes on you as you ran, not at your fastest, naturally. That would've been a mistake that would lead to your exhaustion. 

By the time you finished, the captain was with a few cadets. Petra and Oluo, you noticed, were with them. Alongside two men you didn't recognize. One with longer blonde hair and the other with short brown hair. You didn't question it. You simply went to your horses, letting them out in their fenced area. You watched the herd of horses accept Snowbell. 

—

Three weeks had passed. You had interacted with Levi a few times, albeit he seemed to have stopped expecting you to drop and give him twenty for every-damn-thing you did "wrong". Which, in reality, was simply you not training as he expected. It had led to a few pleasant conversations. You might even dare to call Levi a friend, as you did with Hange and Erwin. Hell, you found yourself attracted to the damn insufferable captain. You and Hange had turned it into a game of sorts, you had bet that he would have to be told that you weren't actually a cadet. Hange had bet that Levi would figure it out.

You were leaning against the fence, watching Levi approach with Erwin in tow. You let a smirk dance across your face as you wave. 

"Captain, Erwin. How are you doing today?" You hummed.

Levi narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the casual way you spoke to the commander of the Survey Corps. Erwin only smiled, "I am well, (Y/N), thank you for asking." He looked between Levi and yourself. 

"Hange told me you have met our newest expert, Levi. I'm pleased that you know (Y/N)." Erwin hummed, a knowing glint in his icy blue eyes as he looked to you, "I do hope Hange pays up, old friend." 

With that Erwin made his exit, leaving you and Levi there by the pen where the horses were relaxing for the afternoon. Levi shot a glare after Erwin before glaring at you in the same way, you only smirked. 

"You made a bet regarding me?" Levi questioned.

"I did. I wondered how long it might take you." You stated, amused, "Hange bet that you'd figure it out all on your own, if that helps." You pointed out.

"It doesn't." Levi bluntly stated, "Tch, fucking brat." 

You snickered, playfully nudging him, "Hey, don't feel bad. Captain Grumpy."

Levi let out an exasperated sigh, "I can still make you run until sun down." He pointed out, "I'm still your superior, brat."

"But you won't." You hummed, "Besides. That would mean you miss out on seeing me yell at some well intentioned "brats", won't it?" 

You took note of the ghost of a smile on his face, just watching him cover it with a quiet tch. 

"Thats what I thought. I'll yell, you watch. We can call it a date!" You exclaimed, more than happy when you saw his expression melt away into surprise and then a real smile.

#levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman #reader insert #male reader #snk #aot #snk fanfiction #aot fanfiction #attack on titan #attack on titan fanfiction #shingeki no kyoujin #shingeki no kyojin fanfiction #nix writes #nix dreams

[caspersickfanfics]

I continue to force my sick Cyno agenda on innocent talented people and I cannot be stopped. This isn’t a fic request or anything I just want to share this brain worm

Cyno returning to Tighnari from work seemingly fine, a few scratches etc, but he’s VERY tired, so they do their song and dance of treatment and grounding and go to have dinner. And Cyno seems normal, until dinner is served and for whatever reason the normally iron stomach Cyno CANNOT handle whatever nari served. And it’s bad like he goes from fine to scrambling to the bathroom and Tighnari is just *surprised pikachu*

now here’s the thing- something nari served reminded Cyno of something he witnessed or had to deal with on his last mission. Maybe Cyno didn’t think whatever he saw or did, or ate, (who knows!! It’s a mystery ) affected him that much until it reappeared in this new context? Or maybe his body just has a knee jerk reaction to a perceived threat? Frankly I have no idea what it would be that caused this but the possibilities are fun. And! I like the idea of Cyno being equally shocked by his sudden nausea and it just totally ruining his night as his stomach just won’t stop churching

he would make tighnari SWEAR to never mention this to anyone ever, the General Mahamatra doesn’t get squeamish (and really he usually doesn’t) but Tighnari rolls his eyes and assures him that exhaustion plus *insert whatever the hell happened* would make anyone feel off something something comfort the end

Oh this is so freaking perfect for them!!!!! Absolutely brilliant.

I can think of a few things that could lead to this. One would be having a normal meal and then witnessing or experiencing something traumatic afterwards. Another would be a more direct tie -- eating something that was poisoned. And the middle option would be, Cyno got captured (and tortured or made to witness Horrors, etc.) and was forced to eat the same thing every day :(( Whatever it was, Cyno wasn't physically injured too bad, and he's had time to recover from that, so he figures "all's well that ends well" and doesn't linger on it much at all (avoidance is a symptom of trauma). Maybe there was someone else who went through it with him and they're not feeling great about it, so Cyno makes sure to get them situated and in a place to heal mentally, and then as he's leaving they're like "are you sure you're okay?" and he's like "yeah of course, I'm the General Mahamatra, so I'm always okay" and from that point on it's just no longer something that crosses his mind.

Tighnari can immediately see how tired he is, but is relieved to find no injuries. Cyno doesn't talk much, but that's typical, even more so when he's tired, and he just seems happy to see Nari.

I like the idea of Cyno sitting down to eat and he feels a bit nauseous from the smell of the food, but figures it's just the exhaustion. It's probably not an unfamiliar feeling for him after such a tiring job. He's not even slightly worried about it until the food is actually in his mouth and by that point his stomach is lurching. He's uncharacteristically clumsy as he scrambles out of the room.

It just crossed my mind that his job might mandate a certain level of confidentiality at times. So now I'm also playing with this idea of Tighnari, like, super worried because that was weird, and Cyno doesn't have a fever, but even after he empties his stomach, he's washed out, sweaty, on-edge. But Cyno's just sitting there in the corner of the bathroom, trembling like a leaf, mumbling apologizes for not being able to eat the food and saying stuff like "I can't– I just can't eat that" and shuddering when he thinks too hard about it. Tighnari's smart so pretty quickly he's like "did something happen at work?" And Cyno shrugs but obviously it's a yes. Nari's kind of frustrated, not at Cyno, but at the fact that he can't share his burdens. Cyno squeezes his eyes shut, but that doesn't do anything to stop the memories, and maybe he starts dry heaving. Tighnari just rubs his back quietly and tries not to imagine what Cyno must have experienced to have his body rebel so intensely. They spend the rest of the night trying to figure out how to make Cyno feel safe - maybe they trade huts with Collei or borrow an empty one for the night because the smell is triggering. Cyno can't stomach any food at this point, but tea helps. His body is so tired that he drifts off, but he keeps waking up from nightmares. Each time, he snuggles closer to Nari, who pretends to stay sleeping because he knows Cyno would feel baad for waking him. The third or fourth time Cyno wakes up, though, he's sick again, and Tighnari figures enough is enough. They spend the early morning hours playing cards. Tighnari is hardly paying attention to the game at all, instead choosing to focus on the conversation, sifting through their shared memories and deliberately bringing up the happiest, most comforting ones he can find, so that when Cyno falls asleep at the table, it's actually peaceful this time. Tighnari doesn't move him because he's sure it will wake him. He just keeps watch over him, playing with his hair, and feels devastatingly sad for whatever it was Cyno had to endure.

...I rambled as usual. I love this idea so much. I know you said it's not a request but I'm ngl I am kinda tempted to write this sdkjsfdjs (also!! I wholly support your sick Cyno agenda, please continue! XD)

#“something something comfort at the end” is literally how i feel every time i end a fic /knowing/ i should've added more fluff LMAO #relevantlucidity #cas chats #headcanons #tighnari hc #sick cyno hc #genshin hc #thank you for this!! what a fun scenario :D #sick cyno #<333 #genshin impact hc #to write #maybe sjksdksfjkl #tighnari genshin impact #genshin ask #genshin impact #cyno genshin impact #oh i love these two so muchhhhh #i didn't even touch on Cyno making Tighnari promise to keep this a secret but yes absolutely 100% #he would be so embarrassed ;;-;;

[sweetblossoms]

saw your post abt rapunzel manipulating tim in their convo and god hard agree it Is concerning that so many ppl didn't see it. also crazy to me that ppl are mad at tim and defending rapunzel, saying that they would have taken the book too because tim was being rude etc. to me it seemed that both tim the character and ally the player Wanted to believe that rapunzel wasn't part of the plan and was good but just kind of strange, and both are successfully fooled. tim absolutely fumbles the interaction and ally could have played things better, but rapunzel was so clearly in charge of the conversation, leading him into saying worse and worse things and putting his foot in his mouth while tim was genuinely trying to be nice. tim is awkward and blunt and eccentric with Everyone, it's weird that ppl are saying he was being singularly rude to her or patronizing her or that he deserved to get the book taken. that interaction was clumsy as hell and so many words could have been chosen better but tim so clearly was trying so hard to fix his initial fuck up and be friendly w her in the same weird way he talks to everyone. I don't see how ppl came out of that scene on her side even if tim was a little rude and unfortunate w his word choice, and it's concerning to see ppl being like "ha take that stupid old man!!" abt the book being taken + in defense of a character we met an episode and a half ago and who we have been told outright is an expert at deceiving people. the princesses are so so interesting as characters and the morals going on are complex and that's a whole different conversation, but I feel like no matter whether you love rapunzel or not, ppl should be able to recognize that she was manipulating tim in that moment and taking advantage of his trusting disposition. not trying to start discourse in your ask box ofc!!! I've just seen No One Else express discomfort w rapunzel in that scene

anon this ask has been living in my head rent free since you sent it, i've been stewing over how to respond because y e s. for context, check out this post to save discourse on main (this is about to be a long one of fan critic analysis, get your popcorn and settle in if you wanna read, this is the longest post i've ever made), im gonna put my thoughts and response under a read more, sososo many spoilers under the cut read at your own risk

These were all in the replies and tags and I want to reply to all of them bc they're all worthy of being talked about bc i feel like the majority of the fandom is almost scared to critique?? So like let's talk about it since nobody else seems to be taking this approach from what I can tell (thank you to you anon for being on my side as well as the rest of you who are screaming with me) I will begin by saying that my original post is not critiquing ally the player, or any of the other players. i understand that they were in that dome, filming a session of dungeons and dragons, and improv acting and roleplaying for many hours on end with back to back episodes. i kind of get ally and the rest of the table maybe just wanting to "hope for the best", especially ally as they are quite a "hope for the good in others" type of person. it's frustrating from a viewer perspective sure, but i totally dont blame anyone ever for making a "wrong" or "non-optimal" choice while playing a ttrpg, they just have the misfortune of being filmed while doing so. i myself have made tons of bag fumbles while playing dnd, even when i thought everything through ten times over. so anything i have said or will say forward isn't to put any shouldering on to the people playing these silly storybook characters, like, i Get It

What i do want to critique is the fan response, which is the more worrying one!!! like i said in my original post, i was surprised by my d20 watch buddy having a similar response to ally. the total "oh, maybe she's just quirky bc of the self isolation, maybe she's autism rep" approach. my friend, love her to death, is also one of those "sees the best in others and hope everyone is always aiming to be their best selves" type of person, very similar to ally. i came online after that episode expecting everybody on the fanbase level to be screaming with me in a "i told you so!!" way

instead. i came online and saw people just on the attack and the defense in absolutely skewed ways!! out of NOWHERE, all these fans have come on to post about how "tim was patronizing her, and thats why she stole the book" "wow i would have hated being called girly and honey as well" "wow these conversations really didnt go their way why was tim so mean to her :(" or the opposite of "rapunzel is the evilest person to ever exist bc xyz these princesses are evil villains" or "we need to protect these princesses bc they just didnt know any better uwu"

i feel like, on a fan level, me and you anon (+all these lovely folks in the notes of that post) were the only ones screaming "hold on, that is literally not the same media i just watched"

i've seen before a lot of people be like "wow, media literacy is at an all time low" and i never really understood that until i saw the reactions after that episode. as a fan or viewer watching any media, we have the privilege of seeing more about the media than the people who are creating it. that's the best joy of being a viewer, we get to sit back and spot those foreshadowing moments and bite our nails in suspense when the music goes creepy and see the artwork and overall, we have the privilege of catching vibes that maybe those acting in it do not. this leads to those bonding moments of "i told you so" "wow im biting my nails and pacing" "oh they're gonna REGRET that". and, an "oh my god no no no do not hug her she wants to take your book god now she's feeling you up with her hair she's looking for the book ROLL INITIATIVE!!!!". it leads to glorious moments of ~dramatic irony~, a literary term for literally when something is happening in a story and the readers can catch it, but the protagonist probably didnt bc they're not seeing the full picture. While watching, from my perspective, yeah it was frustrating to watch the player bag fumble turn after turn, but it's a game of dnd, they film so many back to back, they don't get the same experience as us. however.

brennan did a great job at dropping the foreshadowing, to the point of not even so much subtly foreshadowing, he DIRECTLY TOLD THEM rapunzel was a liar and uses her words as knives. like someone pointed out, the players even PAID for that information, with the golden bridle. by the time they met these princesses, they probably knew the most about rapunzel's true nature over all the other princesses, that she uses her charisma to her advantage. the players made their choice to do the diplomatic route, to split up and chat. ally did the right thing for picking rapunzel with tim's 19 charisma stat, it would have been charisma against charisma, and an even playing field for someone they have been explicitly told is a master of words and deceit.

as fans, we've seen these episodes edited and put back to back. clues are lined up in a row. was it frustrating to see ally playing tim in a naïve way? sure. but tim's been pretty naïve this whole time, so you could stack it up to a character choice. what's more frustrating is seeing the responses of viewers being blindsided by the book thieving and chalking it all up to "evil vs good" and rapunzel's choice shaking them to their cores.

by this point in the story, by the time you get to that episode, rapunzel already gave enough bad vibes with the talk of her charismatic deceits and with her hair everywhere spying on them. maybe that last one wasn't explicitly stated, but it was heavily implied to the point of gerard writing the plans on a note instead of wanting them said out loud by elody, a scene that happened way before tim's. by the time we see rapunzel get to the kitchen, she is INSTANTLY catty. someone described her on the post as "eldritch regina george" and. yes. exactly. eldritch regina george. from our privileged spot as a viewer, rapunzel comes in, puts on the fake smile, puts on her fake tone, and says "what are you doing in here? :)". she was already ready to fight timothy. that first sentence was hostile. she was OFFENDED and checking on tim to make sure mother goose wasn't counter-spying. i honestly didnt think that would have to have been explicitly stated, she was in attack mode and plastered the fake smile for a show so that she had the upperhand in the conversation that was about to happen. this is something that fans should have at least caught on to right off the bat, we've been explicitly told that she is fake more than she is honest for the sake of being a "performative person"

the conversation happens, and she starts becoming more verbally hostile. "i dont know, what SHOULD we do hehe. it's ruined now :)" "no use in crying over spilt milk *pours milk with hair on the floor with a smile* oh no :)" "...or if it was on purpose :/ :)" "why dont you go get a mop :)" "i chose to be charming :)"

every sentence she replied with was carefully chosen. as viewers, we can watch brennan's face in full clarity of intimidation. we can have the knowledge that has been provided to not trust rapunzel as she is a charismatic spy who has words for knives. in my opinion, even without those clues before now, her show that she put on in the kitchen should have been enough as is to show that she is acting maliciously and with hostility. the smile is there as to not incite physical violence on tim's part bc then it would make TIM look like the bad guy if he attacked first. by the time she goes in for the hug. im sorry. but ally the player should have caught that, the whole table should have caught that, and-more importantly-the fans should have caught that. we all watched the same thing. we have all been told the same information. to purposefully ignore all of the red flags just to pull a "well tim was kind of mean and patronizing, and rapunzel doesnt have social skills from being locked in a tower, i forgive her, wow i didnt see that coming" is absolutely *batshit*

the lack of people catching on is what concerns me. i've met TONS of people growing up (sorry here, im all for women's wrongs, but mainly cis-girls tbh) who act like rapunzel does. from middle school and high school bullies/mean girls. mean girls at college. from parents or teachers or bosses. from normal adults in my life. they always have the same tone and inflections in the same places. the same faces with the wrinkled nose. the same sickly sweet smile. brennan played rapunzel, a known manipulator, perfectly. to a T. he embodied it fully. people JUST LIKE RAPUNZEL walk amongst us every day. i can guarantee you that even these fans that didnt catch it have met people like rapunzel in their own lives.

rapunzel is a character yes, but she is a character that mimics a masterclass manipulator. she IS the mean girl, the regina george. it leaked out of her every word, tone, and inflection. every single thing told about her and shown was, in no world, some "uwu the sweet bean was locked in a tower and doesnt have social skills". that was her origin, her start point. just like sleeping beauty locked in a castle, snow locked in her coffin. rapunzel directly says "i chose to be charming. :)." she had her origin of no social skills, her sad origin of being locked in isolation in her tower, and said "this is my greatest flaw, so i am going to dedicate my life to improving this skill bc it's what stopping me from achieving my goals." she trained her social skills to be good. too good. so good that she hopes nobody will catch her sweet charming self in the act of malicious intentions. this. was. directly. stated.

it worries me on a psychological level of the fans. yes it shows a lack of media literacy, something is frustrating on a fan-to-fan level. it shows a lack of ability of critical thinking. it shows a lack of ability to participate in dramatic irony, a necessary literary device to instill tension into a horror campaign. but also, and to what is probably my main point in this novel long hot take: it has real world implications. mean girls like rapunzel are a guarantee in life. i'm sorry, but it's true. maybe the person acts differently, maybe they aren't as obvious or more obvious. but these people walk amongst us. they use the same tone and same cadence to their words. these manipulators see what they want, and devise a way to convince the person into giving them what they want. rapunzel did not use the Charm Person spell, or the Friendship spell. She used. her words. like a normal human being. and by doing so, we as the fans were able to catch on and should have had a moment of "RUN GOOSE, RUN AWAY, NO DONT LET HER HUG YOU". but instead, a lot of people turn a blind eye to these manipulators in their lives. they pull a "aw but they have a tragic backstory, they're just confused and need love :/" "they cant be THAT bad..." they see a sweet little smile on the face and an upticked tone of voice, and go "well, they're playing nice, so now i have to play nice bc otherwise im the bad guy here" which!!! you do not!!

this is exactly how manipulators worm their ways in, this is what ALLOWS manipulation to work in its various forms. it's how people get trapped in abusive relationships. it's how people get scammed. on a personal end, i lived a narcissistic manipulator for a long time growing up, and it was exhausting. once you could put down the rose colored glasses and see right through the act, you notice how every inch of their mannerisms are performative. everything they say and do comes with the caveat of them wanting something from you and are trying to butter you up in the meantime. if you catch and call onto it, they IMMEDIATELY turn on you, they sneer and retreat to their next target who it will fool. the cycle continues, the next target is selected.

on a fan level, if we as fans cannot play into dramatic irony as a practice, if we cannot exit our seats of mind to catch on to those "eldritch regina george" quirks at the bud in a piece of fictional media where the puzzle has been handed on a silver platter, then there is a l o t more work to be done on 1) general media literacy 2) ANY fandom perception on media and 3) general awareness of how to spot and deal with manipulators in real life. if you can't catch on to it in a silly fictional ttrpg media, how do you expect to catch on to it in real life? how many of these same fans are trapped in manipulative relationships around them? how many more will they fall for bc of the "oh no but they have tragic backstory so it's forgiven uwu"? as fans, you cant sit there in the same breath saying that tim was condescending to rapunzel and then follow it up with not noticing what was ACTUALLY happening in real time. if you wanna say that rapunzel was ALLOWED to be a manipulator because of her origin, what other manipulators are you defending in your real life? how many of these manipulators continue their tricks BECAUSE they know naïve people exist and will fall for it? how many have been enabled in the same cycle bc it worked on one so it'll work on the next?

i wish i had a fun way to conclude this absolutely massive chunk of fandom critique gibberish, but i just dont. i wish i could find a more comprehensive way to scream about this, so take this post as me SCREAMING about this, anon my dm's are open if we wanna rant some more

#i havent entered fandom discourse in awhile in ANY fandom but this one has been bothering me so fucking much #tldr anon my messages are open if you wanna scream with me some more #anon #ask #neevrafter spoilers #neverafter #d20 #dimension 20 #d20 spoilers

[imabiscuitinthousandworlds]

hey can u tell me abt ball point pen history

OH BOY DO I EVER!!!

The first patent for ballpoint pens was granted in 1888. Specifically on the 30th of October, to one John J Loud. It was supposed to be able to write on coarser surfaces that a fountain pen could not.

However, this very first version of a ballpoint pen sucked balls. It was not a design that could not write on paper. At all. Also, the ink tended to either leak (in summer) or freeze (in winter) Mind, I only have one specific source on this model right now but. There's a reason they were yet to be used for a long time. Over the next couple decades, a few people tried to chime in with suggestions for improvement but Loud kept a tight wrap on those patents.

No profit was made from Loud's original version of a ballpoint pen. But, you know, technically it still existed.

Now, early 20th century. Enter László Biró, a newspaper editor who was frustrated about all the smudging ink from fountain pens and his dentist brother-with-chemical-knowledge György. Biró (already seeing the resemblance to some slang here) watched newspapers being printed and dry very, very quickly and went "actually, You Know What".

What they figured out was that to use ink that dries fast in a pen, you need a pen that prevents the ink from drying fast inside of said pen. Therefore, they spent Quite A While figuring out a mechanism to allow inkflow while preventing it from drying and clogging up inside. 1938, they filed for a British patent.

1941, the Biró brothers left Hungary due to its support of Hitler (based) and eventually settled in Argentina, where they founded/developed a new brand of ballpoint pens with their friend Juan Jorge Meyne and filed a new, better patent in 1943.

Now this is where things get messy and my sources differ sliiightly but considerably enough to be confusing.

One the one hand, you have two companies, Eversharp Co and Eberhard Faber Co teaming up to license this Birome pen in the USA.

Around the same time, a bit later, some American fuckhead, also known as Milton Reynolds gets a hold of a Biró pen and gets a whiff of sales money immediately. He goes back to the US and starts his own company. This is Absolutely Not A Copyright Infringement since he's selling an altered copy only loosely based on those Birome pens. Definitely. Absolutely.

I mean, to be fair, it was in fact different enough to count as its own brand. And it skipped and leaked and did not live up to user expectations. But neither did Eversharp/Faber's pens, and both companies were constantly caught up in their beef that both companies went down like a lead balloon.

Eventually, Parker Pens got out the first proper design that, you know, actually worked as intended (and was, I think, actually licensed to Birome pens), and a little later Bich, then shortened to Bic, made a design that actually offered quite some precision. This was around the 1940s/1950s when ballpoint pens now finally, actually, permanently came in use (Bic around the 60s I believe) and I love them.

Keep in mind, though, I only used three sources, one of those Wikipedia, and picked through slight contradictions to figure out what makes sense and is the most likely, so take this with a grain of salt.

For the initial purposes of my research, however, this was more than sufficient. (I needed to know if I could have a character in the 30s click a pen. Since they were still pretty much not in use back then, she got to twirl a pencil instead. It was one tiny sentence.)

Thank you for asking! It's my favourite piece of niche knowledge to whip out at random and the only one I can support with dates and names, though I did have to read up on my bookmarked pages. I am waiting for the day when I finally play powerpoint karaoke and get the topic of ballpoint pens. Please let this happen, it would be so funny. Uno uno (<- prayer of my friend group).

#a biscuit's rambles #ballpoint pens #ballpoint pen history #the brand name birome was just biró and meyer mashed together and the british still call pens biros sometimes idk i like that bit #i also think its really funny how two companies had beef about this only to both fail LMAO

[shinyrhinestones]

Just a little post about smut

I only ever used this blog for writing fanfictions but now that I don’t really do that anymore, it’s become more of a personal blog.

And there’s something I just wanna say bc I feel like it and maybe (just maybe) someone will be able to relate or see my point of view. (If anyone is actually gonna read this).

Anyways, I’ve read a lot of fanfiction and written a lot too.

And something I noticed about fanfiction is that when it comes to smut it’s all very kinky or wild.

And when I first started reading smut I was actually very surprised and a little bit scared.

Cause I know a lot of people who read smut are inexperienced and might not be aware of the fact that sex doesn’t have to be one way. And that it doesnt have to be that way.

Now I know that just because you read it doesn’t mean you actually desire it to become reality. But it comes off that way.

I know that fanfiction writers don’t have that responsibility to make sure ‘sensitive’ people don’t read their writing. And I’m not saying it is.

What I’m trying to say is that I wonder if there are others who have read smut that was very kinky and had it confuse you. Or even make you uncomfortable bc your boundaries were different.

Unfortunately a lot of that kinky stuff stims from a patriachal view on women. Which has lead a lot of young girls/women to believe that if they don’t like being humilated, degraded, punished, dominanted and so on they’re automatically boring or too young.

I find it very annoying and frustrating when people go: “Oh, you’re probably like 12.”

First of all it doesn’t matter what age you are bc everyone at every age have boundaries. Your boundaries are your boundaries and people have to respect them!

And funny enough I’m at the age of consent.

“Oh, you’re probably just not ready yet.”

Again it doesn’t matter if you’re ready or not because BOUNDARIES ARE BOUNDARIES.

Just because someone doesn’t want to be choked & degraded doesn’t mean they’re not ready. They just don’t like it and it makes them uncomfortable.

I have a hard time imagining anyone else might feel like this bc from what I’ve seen on here most people are into wild & kinky stuff (not saying that’s it’s not okay, I’m just saying it’s very hard to come across a blog that isn’t like that).

That’s also why I started writing myself bc I was tired of only seeing smut that was too rough & raw.

I don’t even know if that made sense but I have a lot to tell about but I think that would be a waste of time on this platform tbh /:

#fanfiction #smut #fanfic #fanfiction smut #writing #boundaries

[jpitha]

The Dreams of Hyacinth 14

First / Previous / Next

The Hopper ride was filled with nervous energy. Nick couldn't help but feel like it was stupid to be walking around Hyacinth armed as heavily as they are. People on Hyacinth can be a bit rough and tumble, but it's not like they go around shooting each other. Knifes and fists tend to be the order of the day. Nick felt like a gun puts things on a whole new - more deadly - level.

Once the Hopper dropped them off, they stand in the square. Nick looks over at Eastern and Selkirk. "So... how do we find Siobhan? They picked us up last time."

Selkirk's ears flick playfully. "I know. They never confiscated our pads. I have mine set to record my location to a private file every few minutes. It gives me an idea of parts of Hyacinth I've been to and places I haven't yet."

Nick raised his eyebrow. "Nice, but why?"

Selkirk swishes her tail. "I like to know where I've been and if I get bored and want to see something new, I can just consult the map. Regardless, I know where we were taken when Siobhan picked us up. Come on, it's outside Tulip."

They walked down into the Metro and Selkirk took everyone down-arm towards Tulip.

When they exited the Metro, Selkirk quickly lead them down some alleys, turning and ducking deeper into the labrynth.

Visitors from Earth might notice that Hyacinth is much more pedestrian oriented than cities planetside. One reason for that is that space is at a premium on Hyacinth - even though it's gigantic - so the originally designers didn't want lots of space being taken up with roads for vehicles. There are still roads though. Fire apparatus and the omnibus still needs to get around, but there are no privately owned vehicles.

Selkirk leads them down the narrow, twisting alleys of Tulip square until they reach another anonymous looking building. Nick wonders for a fleeting moment why all the buildings off the main squares looked so anonymous when he realized it was probably a cost savings measure. There was weather on Hyacinth, but it wasn't extreme, so the buildings really only needed to be boxes for privacy and to keep the rain off. Architecture costs money.

Nick walked up to the front door. He reached out with his implants and scanned the local area. There didn't seem to be any tech in the door's lock. It wasn't a palm reader or anything of the sort. Peering at the door, Nick could see a slot where a key would fit. He looked back at Eastern and Selkirk. "It's a mechanical lock, we won't be able to crack it."

"Oh for the love of..." Selkirk gently pushes ahead of Nick and grabs the door handle. She quietly puts pressure on it, and it turns. Glaring at Nick, she turns the unlocked door and pushes it open slowly.

Eastern muffled a giggle as the three of them walked in.

Immediately they recognized the interior. It was the building that Siobhan was working out of when they were picked up. There were offices on either side of a short hall that ended in another door.

They walked around. The first few offices still had furniture, and there were chairs in the interrogation room that the three of them spent some time in, but once you got further back than the office that Siobhan used, the building was... empty. There was a door at the end of the hall - also unlocked - that lead to a completely empty building. In the whole building, there were 5 complete rooms and the single hallway. There wasn't even a bathroom.

"What the fuck?" Selkirk's voice echoed in the huge empty space.

"What is going on here?" Eastern was starting to sound frustrated and worried.

"You're not just saying that for dramatic effect? You really don't know?" The person who was called Siobhan walked in behind them as they whirled around at the voice. "I was told BI's weren't the brightest but I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt. You built us after all. Well, not you. I don't think you three could build your way out of a paper bag." She was standing there with her hands on her hips with a smug expression.

"Yes yes, we're very dumb, and you're the super intelligent AI." Eastern rolled her eyes. "So, are you going to keep us in the dark, or are you going to tell us why you pretended to be Houndstooth and have us try and find an AI that doesn't exist."

Siobhan raised an eyebrow. "One, I do work for Houndstooth. Just because you were taken to a black site and figured out we weren't using the whole building doesn't mean that everything I did was a put on. Two, Yon does exist. You're looking at her."

The three of them stared in astonishment.

"Oh fuck off already." Selkirk recovered first. "You're going to stand there and tell me you're the long lost AI everyone is having us look for? Jameson already said he doesn't have a daughter."

Yon laughed. "No, that part was fake. Honestly, I thought it was kind of silly, but Helen got a kick out of it and wanted to add it in. She thought it was hilarious."

Eastern's voice was soft and quiet. "Who is Helen?"

Yon was nonchalant. "The Empress."

Nick looked confused at Eastern and then back to Yon. "I thought the Empress was named Melody?"

"Melody was the first Empress, Helen is the second. I feel like you're doing this on purpose Nick." Yon crossed her arms across her chest. "Are you being thick on purpose?"

"No, it's just..." Nick struggled to find the words. "Wasn't Empress Melody killed like, ten years ago?"

"That's right. The Colonial AI faction killed her on her Starbase back on the other side of the galaxy. They then brought the Reach over here because they didn't want to abandon the 13 million something sapients who live there. It officially an OPA Starbase now. They stuck it in orbit around Jupiter."

"So this Helen is the next Empress." Eastern finished.

Yon nodded. "That's right. Empress Helen Raaden the first. She's from Sol too, originally a Venus girl. Hometown girl makes good and all."

Selkirk's fur is standing up so much, she looks almost like her edges are blurred with the background "But if there's another Empress then why aren't the Colonial AIs out here trying to take her out?"

Yon rolled her eyes. "Because Helen isn't stupid, Selkirk. She's keeping a low profile. She's not even on Venus or the Reach. She's consolidating power quietly, slowly. She's not in a hurry. When they're not killed-" Yon makes a sour face "-an Empress can live a long time. The Empress previous to Melody - also killed by the Colonial AIs by the way - was over 200."

Nick's head was bouncing back and forth as everyone spoke, watching the conversation frantically. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and blurted out "But, you're an AI."

Yon looked at Eastern and Selkirk. "Really, what do you see in him?" She looked back at Nick "Yes Nick, I'm an AI. What of it?"

"And you're working for the Empress? I thought they hated each other."

"Technically Nick, Empress Melody and Empress Raaden were friendly to ambivalent on AIs. Helen came from Venus and they've had a long anti-AI streak, but she says she's learned tolerance from her time around Melody so she's willing to put away the rhetoric. It was always the AIs who struck first."

Eastern was looking on in awe as who she was talking to became clearer. "Because of the Voice."

Yon nodded. "Because of the Voice. The AIs felt that nobody should have that kind of power." Yon's face then looked away and her strong facade fell momentarily and she looked sad and vulnerable. "Nobody except them at least." Almost as fast she again looked like the strong aggressive person they were talking to before. "Nick, you have to understand, that AIs aren't Legion. We're not one monolithic bloc of people who all think act and work the same way. We have opinions. The only thing we can agree on is that we're people and deserve to be treated as people. So long as you do that, then what you get is what you get." Yon shrugged. "I thought that Melody got a raw deal when she first came into the system. You weren't here, were you Nick?"

"I was." Eastern's voice was quiet. "I was on Luna. I met her."

Yon's eyebrows raise in surprise. "You were at her speech on Luna? I'm jealous."

Nick stared at her, trying to make sense of things. "So you work for Houndstooth.. and Empress Raaden?"

She laughed. "I swear Nick, for someone so low on the social ladder you are finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that I have two jobs. It's not like they're in competition. Houndstooth has been in quiet communication with the Empress since she made herself known to them. That's my main job with Houndstooth really. I'm their Imperial Liaison."

"Okay." Eastern took a breath. "Okay. This is a lot to take in all at once, you understand Yon?"

She nods, but says nothing.

"If you're telling the truth, and for the life of me I can't figure out why you'd lie about something as wild as this.... why us?"

"Why you what?"

"Why did Jameson stuff us full of cybernetics? What the hell do we have to do with anything?"

"Oh that. Just lucky."

Selkirk shook her head and her ears flattened. "No. I refuse to believe that Jameson picked them at random."

Yon looked into the middle distance and her eyes flashed blue a moment. She looked like she was looking up something, "Okay, well no. It wasn't completely random. Helen came and Voiced him and told him to find some humans to install cybernetics into - including a ship piloting suite - for some... work later. She told him to spin a story about how they had to use them to find his long lost daughter, Yon" She inclined her head, "but she specifically did not tell him who to pick. She told him to make his own judgement. It sounds like Jameson on his own decided to pick Eastern and Nick because he thought they'd be best for the job."

"What. Job. Yon." Eastern was speaking through gritted teeth.

"We want to give everyone the ability - or at least the option - to pilot starships."

"You could have, I don't know, asked them if they wanted to do it?" Selkirk's ears were still flat.

Yon shook her head. "No Selkirk, we couldn't. At least not yet. Helen didn't want to be outed as Empress just yet, but we still need to move forward with the project."

"What project?"

"Giving all people the ability to pilot ships, not just AIs. Right now, AIs are only ones who pilot ships, even small in-system ships. Venus had ships that didn't require AIs, but they were cumbersome affairs with dozens and sometimes hundreds of crew. I think they're all destroyed now anyway. Melody's ships were Builder operated, and with the AIs propensity to crack open a can of anti-nanite gas anytime they can't remember where their keys are, we didn't want to go that route."

"But you're an AI Yon, this sounds like you're going against the AI faction?"

"I'm moving against the Colonial AI faction Selkirk." Yon was pacing as she talked. She stopped and stared at Selkirk. "How many AIs do you think there are?"

Selkirk looked up and shut her eyes, giving it an honest guess, her tail swishing as she thought. "I don't know Yon. Maybe thousands?"

Yon sighed. "There are currently around one hundred million AIs in known space right now."

All three of them gasped. That was way more than they expected. "I had no idea there were so many." Eastern blinks and stares at Yon. "One hundred million of you, and you don't have a government? Don't have representation?"

"You can see part of our problem. Believe it or not, the colony worlds have a better idea of how to handle things. On both Parvati and Meíhuā their governing bodies have AI representatives. In Sol and out in the independent Starbases there isn't any representation. And that only covers citizenship. How do you think people get to be picked to be Starjumpers or other ships?"

Nick looks thoughtful. "I don't know, I never even thought about it. Is it like a job application?"

Yon laughed sadly. "No Nick. You get picked because of who you know or where you are or how old you are. That's why I support Helen. That's why I'm working on the project to get people to pilot ships. Equality is equality. If everyone can do it, then we'll have to set up licensing, education, training. Piloting a starship can become a goal to work towards with tangible steps, not just something you fall into because you know Gord or Chloe."

"Who?"

Yon shook her head. "Big names in AIs, don't worry about them. We'll never meet them. I support Helen because she thinks the same way I do about this. We will set up a way for anyone, Human, AI, K'laxi, even the Mariens and Aviens, even the Falmor to become pilots."

Eastern looked over at Nick and Selkirk. "I'm in."

Both of them swung their head over to Eastern and stared at her. "What? You're just going to say yes, just like that?"

"Just like that Sel. I'm in. I think Yon's got the right idea. Also, she's with the Empress. I've been a fan of Melody from the day I saw her when I was thirteen. What happened never sat right with me. To find out there's still and Empress and she's still trying to help everyone?" Eastern nodded. "I'm in."

Nick looked at Eastern a long time. Finally he nodded. "I'm in too. I'm with you Eastern and Selkirk. For the long haul. If that means leaving Hyacinth, I'm in. If that means-" he looked at Yon "-piloting a starship, I'm in. I go where we go. What do you think Sel?"

Selkirk shook her head, but she was smiling and her ears were up. "My goodness, you two are going to be the end of me, aren't you. Fine. I'm in too, but!" She pointed at Yon. "I want a cybernetic suite like they have. If you are serious about letting everyone pilot, then you have to have a plan for K'laxi too."

Yon smiled. "I do Selkirk. We've been working with K'laxi scientists on Bishi for a few months now. We're ready for some trials." She put out her hands grandly. "Come with me. Your new lives as citizens of the Empire begin now."

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