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ozzgin · 3 months

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Heyyy just checked your masterlist and saw that despite you being into obey me! fandom, you don't have a fic. I'm married to Solomon in my mind so how about a situation where the reader (fem or gn your pick) is equally in love with this old man and begs him to recreate that time potion which made him immortal. Oh? Did i mention i want him to be a yandere? Please do that as well ^^

I love me my morally grey wizard ;)

I have 3 unfinished drafts for Diavolo, Barbatos and Satan on my Wattpad, but it was around the time I started getting Baki related requests here so I haven’t had the time to continue them. This goes for everyone reading, if you see a fandom title with no works you can always request something! :) This blog is only a few months old and I wasn’t writing much before (twice or thrice a year if I was generously inspired), so the variety is rather limited still. (I also finish requests at the pace of a snail, sorry about that)

Yandere! Solomon x Reader Headcanons

Featuring your fellow human classmate and now soon-to-be husband who couldn’t be happier about your wish to spend an eternity with him.

Content: gender neutral reader, obsessive behavior

It started rather subtle. Just idle curiosity at first, a mere feigned surprise that was quickly swept aside for more important matters. Sure, Diavolo bringing another fellow human to the Devildom, especially one without any powers, was at least mildly intriguing. Your situation was as tempting as a puzzle to fiddle with in between tasks. Beyond polite offers to help you handle the new challenging environment, Solomon was not planning on prying further. Then the surprises begun to queue one after another. To think that you had barely learned your way around and somehow still forged a contract with one of the devilish siblings. Then another. And another. Fascination crept its way in and the greatest sorcerer found himself begging to learn more about the mysterious (Y/N).

Naturally such fascination should’ve had an intellectual grounding and nothing more. What is it about you that has caused such a ruckus across RAD? All he needed was an answer. Yet he discovered much too late how embarrassingly involved he’d become. Childishly clutching his D.D.D. in the middle of the night, wondering if you’ve already fallen asleep, and grinning when the screen lit up with a response from you. Cancelling all plans the instant you’d ask - casually - if he wanted to join you after class to check out a new café. No, of course he had nothing else to do. Yes, it’s definitely a lucky coincidence that he’s always available when you want to hang out with him.

Once he accepted he was madly in love with you, he began fretting over all possible obstacles. The demon brothers, life after RAD. He’d never engaged much with other humans and his charisma only covered superficial pleasantries. How was he to properly convey that he’s - mildly put - obsessed with you to the point where rejection won’t be taken lightly? Uh oh. Closer to a threat than a confession. Thankfully the Heavens were gracious and you immediately returned his affections. No need for potions or hexes (not that he would’ve…he had them prepared just in case). He remembers it to this day, years after, the wide, innocent smile that you so generously bestowed upon him. Almost like a premonition, he knew you’d be the person to marry. Something he never considered in his long, lonely life.

You lazily lift your hand and admire the ring again. Solomon is quite clumsy and forgetful, but he goes all out for the things that matter. The proposal had been planned to a dizzying amount of detail and you couldn’t believe how much thought he put into it, with many aspects you otherwise assumed he’d forget or omit. Yet staring at the intricately carved band adorning your finger now, you can’t help the pang of melancholy blooming in your chest. Solomon lifts his gaze from the book he’s reading, sensing your discomfort. “Something bothering you?” He inquires with a hint of worry in his voice. “What happens after the wedding?” You demand, turning to face him. “Oh my. I personally prefer to focus on the present.” He answers with a chuckle. “Sure, because you don’t have to worry about your future. It’s mine that will end at some point.” His eyes widen and his hands are suddenly cold. He’s been so entranced by your company that he didn’t even entertain the idea of a potential end to it. He almost strokes his cheek to soothe the hard slap of your words, leaving him in a frightened stupor.

Oh no. No, no, no. Within the blink of an eye he finds himself standing before the alchemy shelves, rattling the bottles for the right ingredients. You didn’t even need to mutter a word. He knew exactly what you’re thinking of. How shameful of him to have caused you this distress in the first place. You’re young, and time for him has lost its human meaning, so your mortality hadn’t crossed his mind this entire time. He would’ve found a solution for it later, most certainly, but he didn’t expect this postponement to make you so anxious. His lips are quivering and his slender fingers are visibly trembling. Partly from the fear of almost failing you as your future husband, partly from the excitement of what’s about to come. He always imagined there’d be nothing more beautiful and precious to witness than you in your wedding attire as you tie the knot. But now? Oh, how ravishingly tempting and seducing, the fact that he can listen to the mundanely repeated words of “Til death do us part” and stare down its meaning until there’s nothing left of it. Not quite. Not for you two. The veil will be lifted and your face will radiate eternity.

After all, nothing will stand between him and his fated soulmate. What’s death to a wizard of his caliber?

#obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me x reader #obey me x mc #yandere obey me #solomon x reader #obey me solomon #solomon x mc #yandere headcanons #yandere x reader #gender neutral reader #gn reader

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ravenonice · 1 year

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I'm sure at least some of you have by now seen ice dancers Gabriella Papadakis and Madison Hubbell skating together:

And let's just get this out of the way: They're STUNNING! Absolutely amazing! And I am beyond excited about what's coming!

But here's what we're NOT going to do:

Especially on Twitter I've been seeing comments like:

"IRL YURI ON ICE!"

"Viktuuri paved the way!"

"Yuuri and Viktor did it first!"

And it's disappointing.

When Skate Canada changed their rules to allow couples of all gender constellations in ice dance and pair skating it was a huge deal! And now that the ISU is allegedly considering following suit and therefore same sex couples maybe being allowed in international competition in the foreseeable future is even more HUGE!

What is happening right now in figure skating and ice dance is revolutionary and a big step forward in a sport that, even though it attracts a lot of lgbtq+ individuals, is still pervaded by homo- and transphobia!

This rule change doesn't just open up the field for homosexual romance stories, it also officially includes non-binary athletes, who are kinda existing in a grey area so far.

Plus, this isn't necessarily an LGBTQ+ issue. Another issue in pairs and ice dance is that is seen as inherently romantic...and audiences and judges hardly accept any other narrative. If you and your partner don't seem like you are madly in love, you don't have any chemistry at all and your presentation is worth hardly anything.

This leaves us with juniors and sibling duos skating routines with sexual narratives (not good) and skaters who are pressured to fit in a mold of what a figure skating/ice dance pair should look like and present as. And it doesn't really matter what they're comfortable with. It's what gets you points from the judges and praise from the audience.

Also there are much more women in the sport than men. This leaves a lot of women who'd like to compete in dance without a partner. Sure, there are solo dance competitions now. But it's not recognised by the ISU yet and also it clearly is not exactly the same as with a partner as things like lifts and partnered dance spins aren't possible.

While this rule change opens up the sport for lgbtq stories, it also helps to open up the sport to a wider range of performances and stories that aren't romantic or sexual in any way.

Putting the label "gay!" on a same sex couple in ice dance and pairs isn't necessarily helping the cause...and I admit that I am guilty here and I need to tone my excitement for that side of it down a little maybe 😅

So please respect the work that people in the sport have put in and the work Gabi and Madi are putting in right now to pave the way for this exciting rule change, and don't ascribe any part in it to Yuuri on Ice, no matter how much it may remind you of that end credit scene of Yuuri and Viktor.

Thank you 🫶🏻

Here's a few links for further reading on why this is a huge step forward that do a much better and more detailed job at explaining this than I do!

#figure skating #ice dance #yuri on ice #yuri!!! on ice #yuuri on ice #yoi #gabriella papadakis #madison hubbell

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lemonflavoreddishsoap · 4 months

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May I please ask for headcanons for la squadra reacting to their gn s/o doing this for halloween?

oh my god...yes??? holy SHIT am I finishing this so late I am so sorry but yknow how i am at this point...

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La Squadra getting pranked by their S/O with a fake snake

Formaggio

You have to keep yourself from cackling when his eyes light up at the sight of the cooler. He looks to you, asking if you brought it, then making some silly comment about how he'd "be taking one for free anyways" before reaching for the lid.

He jumps just a smidge, his only sound of shock being a small "oh-" before exploding into laughter. He's down on his hands and knees at the silly little prank. He's trying to call you either fucking stupid or a fucking genius but you can't tell through the giggles.

Takes the humor into his own hands afterwards. Grabbing your attention, he flaps the lid up and down rapidly the nod the snake's head with a stupid grin.

"B-before you can grab a drink, y'gotta answer my three riddles!"

Illuso

You don't even know he had spotted the cooler - he just made a beeline for it the second he could read the writing, not thinking to ask about it or even notice your presence. Beer first, chat later.

That is, until you hear his scream. Yes I think he'd scream like a little girl, what're you gonna do about it? You look over and the lid's slammed shut, your lover holding a hand over his mouth, looking at you. His expression hasn't yet decided whether to be pissed or horrified.

"Did...did you-?" once you explain that you set up the little trick he calms down quickly, save for his furrowed eyebrows. He's standing next to you then, arms crossed as a smirk tugs at his lips.

"As long as you don't tell anyone about my reaction, I'll play along. I'd love to see what everyone else thinks."

Prosciutto

He's suspicious immediately. Of course the beer would be free. It's a cooler, just sitting there, why would there be any charge whatsoever. No reason to point out "free"...nonetheless, he could use a drink.

Obviously he's not stupid enough to get it himself, so luckily you're there. He asks you to grab him a beer. Knowing what lies beyond that cursed lid, there's no way you'd follow his order, and he's clearly ticked off at your "strange" hesitance.

You two just stand there, arguing over who's to grab the beer, both trying to hide your "secret knowledge" from one another. He eventually realises it's futile to try and make you fall for your own prank, and in defeat he walks over to the cooler and opens it. The only slightly sour look on his face is disappointing.

"Wow. A fake snake, really? Childish."

Pesci

Doesn't like the taste of beer, has no interest in it, so you can't really get him like you can with the others. At best he'd tell Prosciutto about it, and you get a new target. But it's not what you originally hoped.

So if you really want this to work, you need to enlist Prosciutto's help. Once you somehow get him to agree, you wait for Pesci to inevitably join the two of you in the room. The boy is obviously quick to obey when Prosciutto asks for a beer.

Pesci stumbles away from the cooler with a cry when faced with the fake snake, and when he turns to you and Prosciutto to point out the danger, he's even further disconcerted when you look amused and unbothered respectively. This makes him check the cooler again, and you can't help but chuckle as he reaches out and shakes the false snake.

"Jeez, it's nothing...why would you do that to me??"

Melone

He's smart, at least you thought so. But...somehow the genius you love barely even thinks about it as he approaches the suspicious cooler without so much as a second glance. He...he wasn't that gullible, was he? You wanted this to happen, yeah, but this was...creepy.

Then you notice the look on his face and know that smile means he knows what's going on. Of course he's not stupid enough. He's trying to play around with you, isn't he? He might even know exactly what's about to pop out of the box.

Well, apparently he didn't know that last thing, because the smug look on his face is gone the second he is met with the fake snake. He gasps and shoves the lid back down, stumbling away. You try to make some silly comment to him but he's averting eye contact and retreating, ashamed.

"Well, goodbye darling. I'm....no."

Ghiaccio

Oh come on, what fuckery is this, is the first thing your blue-haired beloved thinks as he sees the writing on the cooler. Paired with the fact that you're standing a few feet away, totally not glancing at him every few seconds makes it even more obvious.

He decides after some moments of just staring at the cooler to just go for it. Best case scenario, he gets his beer and leaves, worst case scenario he witnesses some stupid useless prank. and leaves. Literally facing disappointment head-on, he kneels down and is face to face with the snake that greets him.

Of fucking course. He grabs the false snake by the head and rips it off the lid with a scowl before walking off. It's your choice if you're underwhelmed or howling with laughter.

"Stupid fucking...why would you even..." *insert the sound of the frozen snake scraping against the floor*

Risotto

In any other situation he should, and would, be weary - the perk of being his S/O is that he lets his guard down when it comes to you. He doesn't jump right into falling for it, he stands around and makes conversation with you first, asking where you got the beer and why.

You're hopefully prepared for this with a good lie about a sale, or some shit you never finished yourself that you thought the team might want. You better be a good liar too. Check both those boxes and soon you'll be watching him open that cooler.

He probably didn't expect a snake of all things, and does let out a surprised "oh!", but his reaction is pretty much over once he doesn't see razor blades spew from the serpent's head. Risotto does chuckle when he shuts the cooler, just a bit.

"Do tell me if this works on anyone else. That was a good one, dear."

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b0njourbeach · 14 days

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"Haha stupid lazy Lion go brrrr."

No.

Shut up and delete yourself from my sight.

I'll confess, My sight of Leona went approximately like this:

"Ohh, big kitty!" -> "Damn, he hot" -> [plays Book 2] "Damn.." -> [Has spent time to consume a lot of Leona content] "........"

Disclaimer: I'm continuously talking about Book 2, so if you don't want to get spoilered - Don't read it.

I have many thoughts on Leona, but the strongest one of them is:

"I want to hug his younger self/his inner child."

I know it's inside of him, hurting and damaged. All he ever wanted was to be loved, to be appreciated, to be *seen*. A child that longed for love but was starved for so long that it got used to the emptiness inside and now, as soon someone trues to show affection, he'll respond with verbal biting.

He's not an asshole by choice. Keeping his distance is the best defense to avoid getting attached.

Outside of Book 2, there's especially one event where he genuinely shows that he just wants to be seen: The Fairy Gala event (or better said his Fairy Gala Vignette). Vil pushed Leona further and further, nagging to no end and beyond until, at some point, Leona lashed out: "I've BEEN helping you out, and all you've done is find fault with every single thing I do. I followed your directions, and what did it get me? NOTHING. Not the slightest bit of progress." It might be my own interpretation of his words but I wholeheartedly believe that the whole Gala story reminded him of how nothing he ever does/did was ever good enough. It didn't matter what he did, it would never be enough. Vil kept nagging him, people at home keep seeing him as nothing more than the second prince, he was never enough. Which is also a reason why I believe he was so "full of himself" when he got the Fairies to be completely whipped: It was attention and appreciation for his work, for *him*. The Fairies didn't know he was Royalty, they didn't know he was the Housewarden of Savanaclaw, they knew nothing yet they were there, showing him attention and how much they loved his doing.

They gave a starving child the food it desperately needed.

If you're being constantly proven that nothing you do matters, if everything you've done is not enough, you slowly but surely stop trying. You stop trying because it doesn't matter anyways. You loose motivation, you end up in an endless circle of self-hatred and lack of motivation. You know you could and you'd know it would be good but it wouldn't be good enough, it wouldn't please anyone. Their judgmental eyes, their lack of praise, the lack of attention suffocates even the smallest amount of self-confidence and the pride you had in your own work. You stop trying because doing nothing at all hurts less than knowing it wasn't enough, again. Leona is smart and I have no doubts that he'd be actually an admirable Housewarden with excellent grades if it weren't for this huge issue in his mind. Additionally to that, I truly believe that he hadn't any intention of leaving school. In Night Raven, he was at least *someone*, he was Housewarden, the highest position in Savanaclaw. At home, he was no one and he had to deal with his family. Falenas part of the family shined brightly while he was the shadow, a dark disappointment. A nobody.

So why leave school? Why leave the only place where you were someone?

Many also dislike Leona for what he did to Ruggie. I don't blame them, I can understand their point but I think they often miss a point in his action: He didn't (only) do it for the sake of hurting Ruggie. Ruggie was/is his right hand, the probably closest person in Night Raven (Or his whole life, if we're being honest). Ruggie could've sucked up to many people - Even if it was only for Leonas money, Ruggie could've crawled up Kalims (Idias or even Rooks) butt or if it was for power, he could've gone for Malleus. But he didn't. His (seemingly) firstchoice was Leona.

Leona, out of all people.

Leona, the guy who starved.

And it was Ruggie, who saw Leona fail. Leona made a small mistake and their plan failed - And Ruggie knew it. He was there. So with all that has happened, the fact that Ruggie has seen his fall and I also believe that their very bond has turned uncomfortably sour in Leonas mind, so in the heat of events, there was only one solution: "If I fall, I'm dragging Ruggie down with me."

Additionally, I also believe that Leona instinctively took Ruggie simply because they could work things out in the case he was saved out of Leonas grip. Ruggie would have a problem with Leona for a certain period but in the end, he and Leona would still work together. In a slightly messed up way, he has shown confidence in their mutual trust (which has been proven later in Book 6).

Okay whew, now that I got my view on Leona out of my system, I'm adding some more Headcanons:

I can see him the kind of "I wanna unsubcribe of life but I ain't gonna do it myself".

One of the servants at home has a little daughter and she's the only one he's genuinely looking forward to see during holidays.

He pretends to not notice whenever something "disappeared" (via Ruggie) out of his room but knows. He just doesn't want to put himself nor Ruggie in the position of "You took that" (Secretly thinks "At least being Royalty has *some* positive aspects", aka helping Ruggie out with money without going out of his way to hand the money over to Ruggie. Kind of 'letting him hunt himself')

Has read an insane amount of books as a child (mainly to be by himself and escape reality).

If emotions overboil (which happens more often than expected from him), he lets them out when he's entirely alone (Still feels extremely ashamed after expressing emotions, even though no one noticed)

Does not own a single picture of himself - Neither as a child nor his current self. The only pictures/paintings existing are those his family wanted them to be done.

Despite saying he didn't remember how he got his scar, he knows. He knows and won't forget so easily (still has nightmares of it happening sometimes).

Everyone feared Leona as a child for the way he found his Unique Magic: As a child, he was practicing his magic when his father came a little too close to him and suddenly, the king experienced the very thing Ruggie went through: His skin began to crumble more by the second. Servants and doctors came rushing by, hoping to save the King but he would pass away shortly after from completely drying out.

I must add: I'm rather unhappy about the lost opportunity in Book 2, though. Leona is a well written character, but Disney didn't raise Book 2 high enough for Leona to reach his whole potential.

Edit: I forgot to mention that being compared to his brother countless times is bound to cause an unhealthy relationship with his brother, which can also result in further issues in Leonas' mental health. It doesn't matter how hard Falena will try to build up the relationship with Leona, they will (most likely) never have a "normal" sibling relationship.

#twisted wonderland #twst #leona kingscholar #leona kingscholar headcanons #twst headcanons #local x is cooking

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cowgurrrl · 3 months

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Lavender Girl

Pairing: Joel Miller x fem!reader

Summary: A field trip [4.7k]

Warnings: financial stress, school fight, June once again introduces an ex, having a muse is creepy and weird, flirting that’s not flirting but it’s not not flirting, June putting her art history knowledge to work

Most days, you're a good teacher. A teacher that students want to eat lunch with or inadvertently include in their silly TikToks. Most days, you're patient and kind and only have to raise your voice a handful of times, if only to be heard over the blanket volume level of teenage conversation. Today is not one of those days. "Guys!" You yell, pausing the music on your computer and turning to look at your class, obviously annoyed. "We're supposed to be talking about Picasso. I don't know why I'm hearing so much conversation about lunch." It's a lie. There was a fight between two students at lunch. It'd also been the topic of conversation in the teacher's lounge, but still.

"Miss, we already talked about Picasso!" One of your kids bemoans, and you raise your eyebrows at them.

"So, if I asked you right now, you could tell me what historical event his painting Guernica is supposed to depict?" You ask. The entire class goes silent as you wait for a response that never comes, and you sigh. "Please, do your work."

The day started with getting yet another email from another gallery, this time from down south, telling you they loved your work but not enough to showcase or buy it. Then, a text from your manager letting you know that paychecks will be late because of technical issues with the system, even though you're already beyond broke. Then, a sad text from Andie about how she's feeling homesick and misses you and wishes you could get on a plane to come see her. Then, to top it all off, an email from your ex, Henry, popped up the second you pulled into the school.

Hey, long time, no talk! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to reach out and let you know I've got an exhibition going up later next week and wanted to invite you to the opening. It's about-

You didn't read any further, anger and a wave of past emotions drowning you before you could. You and Henry were together all throughout college. You met during a freshman art class and were inseparable after that. He was tall, sensitive, and had a penchant for listening to country music when he worked, leading to many delirious nights spent crooning to Emmy-Lou Harris together. He surprised you with new paint and spontaneous trips to scenic parts of Texas to fuel your inspiration. You were happy for a long time. You even thought you'd marry him at one point. He wanted to be the next young, groundbreaking artist, making you his muse, no matter how many times you tried to assure him you were also an artist. Your work would go up in galleries and exhibitions, and everyone in your small program would gossip about the two of you. "He's so talented. It's insane," you heard one of your classmates say once. "And she's so beautiful."

The compliment dug under your skin and stayed there as your relationship failed. You didn't want to be a muse anymore. You stopped letting him paint you in various states of undress and started asking for more alone time to work on your own stuff. You went from being the perfect, polished doll he could position however he wanted and started living in your paint-stained jeans and old, ratty shirt. You started arguing more and more, first about little things like why he left his paint water cups everywhere, and then about big things like your decision to pursue teaching and the "inspiration" he found in an impressionable freshman. He suddenly moved out after graduation without a word, leaving you to nurse your wounds in a half-empty apartment for the rest of your lease, and you hadn't heard from him until this morning.

There's something more than the sting of hearing from him all these years later that bothers you. You're a high school art teacher struggling to make ends meet, and he's doing exactly what he set out to do. He's getting his work in front of his eyes and receiving praise for it. "Why do you wanna be a teacher when you can just be an artist?" He asked you one morning as you studied for your certification exams. "Or, at least, an artist's wife."

"And what if I'm not good at that?" You asked. "Then what? I'm just supposed to be your muse for the rest of my life? Have kids to fuel someone else's inspiration and have no time for my own work? Wither away while you go on to make art and give talks and become a cynic? Fuck that."

You stand by what you said, even all these years later, but there is an irony in that, even as a teacher, you don't have time to do your own work. Still, fuck that. The bell rings and signals the end of another class, and you quickly stand as students start packing up their stuff. "Okay, guys. Remember, your art history essay is due in two weeks! I'm excited to read all about everything you've learned since we started this unit. I love you, and please make good choices." You announce, hoping that at least some of them are listening to you, as they spill out of the classroom and the next students stream in. Ellie's sweet face is a welcome reprieve when she walks in.

"Hey Bellie! How's your day going, kiddo?" You ask, and she smiles. You'll swear up and down all day that you don't have favorite students, but if you did, Ellie would be one of them.

"Good. I have my signed permission slip for the art club field trip." She says. After your experience with Joel outside the bar, you couldn't sleep and knocked out all the field trip paperwork before falling asleep on your couch. But you weren't safe from his lips and broad shoulders, even in your subconscious.

"Oh, my hero! I've been meaning to remind everyone about those. Thanks for getting that in so quickly." You say as she hands the paper to you, Joel's scribbly signature at the bottom. Somehow, you're not surprised that the box indicating he wants to be a chaperone is ticked. "Perfect. Your dad knows when the field trip is?"

"Yeah. He wrote it down on his calendar and everything." She says, rolling her eyes fondly, and you laugh.

"Well, good, because I'm gonna need all the help I can get when I'm dealing with you guys."

"Hey!" She feigns offense as the bell rings, signaling the end of the passing period, and the last of your students comes running in. Ellie takes her seat near the front, and you grab your silly, colorful pointer to talk about Guernica, which is still proudly displayed on the board. After a quick art history lesson, you release them to work on the projects they've been working on for a week now. They still have a few more days before it's due, so more than half of them are slacking off quietly, which you're fine with. As long as you get a finished assignment at the end, they can do whatever they want.

You play quiet music as they work to help them focus and answer some emails. One email that catches your attention is from the parent of one of your students, Dalton, who's an amazing football player but is less than passionate about art, to say the least. You emailed his dad to let him know he was missing some assignments and could still turn them in late for only a slight penalty, but if he turns in nothing at all, you'll have no choice but to fail him. You also CC'd the football coach so he'd know the academic standing of one of his star players. Needless to say, you've been subject to a few not-so-nice emails from all parties involved.

Once you're done firing off another round of emails, you decide to step away from your computer so you don't have to see the next reply until absolutely necessary. Walking around the room to answer questions, give opinions, or just hear what's happening in students' lives always makes you feel better. In one period, you helped a handful of students put the finishing touches on their projects, heard the latest gossip, and talked one of your girls out of sending a nasty text to the boy who just broke her heart. And they say teachers aren't important.

The second you get a little bit of peace during your planning period, your phone buzzes with a notification. Given all the notifications and messages you've received today, you're hesitant to even pull it out of your pocket. But curiosity wins, and you open your phone to find a text from an unsaved number.

Is there anything I should bring to the field trip? Snacks, gum, alcohol?

You laugh to yourself and start typing a message back.

Alcohol won't be necessary, but it might be good to bring some lunch and a few snacks. I think we're gonna try to have a picnic or something at the museum.

Yes, ma'am.

You still feeling up to chaperone? Teenagers are no joke.

Do I need to remind you that I've raised two? I think I can handle a few more.

Oh, I can't wait to see this.

It can't be that hard, right?

On the day of the field trip, it turns out to be that hard. The only adults accompanying twenty teenagers to the museum are you and Joel. They're excited to be out of school and doing something new, but you can feel your migraine starting before you even get on the bus. Thankfully, the ride to the museum (and the traffic) calms them down, and they're more manageable by the time you arrive. A curator meets you outside the front doors and begins by walking your group through the outdoor sculptures, giving a little bit of history of the museum and the pieces themselves. The kids ask insightful questions and take turns snapping photos or even sketching a rough outline of the piece before moving on to the next. You stay at the front of the group while Joel manages the middle and back, silencing kids with a stern look. You fight a smile when you catch him and Ellie lingering at a sculpture, whispering to each other before he urges her forward and takes a sweet picture of her smiling in front of it.

After the initial walk of the grounds, you stop to have lunch in a sunny garden and listen to the kids gush about their favorite part so far and what paintings they're most excited to see inside.

"Miss, what's your favorite thing here?" Kayla asks.

"I like Dream Village by Chagall. If you find it before me, you'll have to let me know." You say. "Do you have a favorite?"

"Not yet. Maybe I'll find it today." Kayla says.

"I like that attitude!"

"Kissass." Jacob coughs, and you both give him a look. You can feel Joel's eyes burning a hole in the back of your head as you stare at Jacob.

"What's my policy?"

"Are you really gonna make me say it?"

"Yep." You say, and he sighs.

"You can be anything you want to be, but you're not allowed to be a dick." He mumbles.

"Exactly. So, please, be nice," you say as you fish around in your lunch box for something. "Here, have a cookie. It might help make you feel a little better." He mutters a little thanks and unwraps it, already in a better mood after one bite, and you smile.

"You just carry around cookies, waiting for a kid to be in a bad mood?" Joel asks, and you turn to look at him. He's wearing a plain blue t-shirt and jeans with sunglasses sitting atop his head, but you think it might be your favorite thing he's worn in your presence. You like it when he wears color.

"It was my cookie, but he needs it more than I do," you shrug. "Besides, things like that are a great morale booster. It's hard to be grumpy when you've got something sweet."

"I'm inclined to agree with you." He quips a little too smoothly, his eyes flicking across your face and down to your lips, and you feel your cheeks getting hot. Thankfully, all the kids have returned to their own conversations and couldn't care less about what the Adults are talking about.

"You're relentless." You whisper.

"Do you want me to stop?" He whispers back, and you sigh. If you were a stronger or better person, you might be able to think fast enough to come up with a response, but you're not. So, you just look at him and rack your brain for something to say but come up empty. "That's what I thought." He smiles and offers you his sweating Dr. Pepper can as a peace offering. You roll your eyes at his smug look but take a sip anyway.

Once everyone is done eating, you all stand and make your way into the museum lobby, the kids already chattering about what they want to see.

"Okay, you guys are free to roam but please, please, please remember that you're representing not only the school but also me. Be respectful and kind, and please don't act like you've never been in public before, okay? Go, be free." You say before the kids split off into their little groups with their obligatory activity in hand. Ellie stays near Joel, only a little shy, until Kayla turns around suddenly and waves her on.

"Ellie, c'mon!" She says. Ellie takes a few steps in her direction before turning to look back at Joel.

"Go. I'll be okay." He says.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Now go. Have fun." She doesn't need any more encouragement after that and skitters off with the rest of the kids, leaving you and Joel alone in the atrium.

"She's doing really well." You tell him even though he can clearly see for himself.

"Thanks to you."

"All I did was give her a push."

"Take the credit. You deserve it." He says, his lips pulling into that award-winning smile.

You fall into silence as you walk through the different galleries, Joel never too far behind you. Sometimes, he'll start at the opposite end of the room and work his way down until you meet in the middle, making a deliberate effort to bump your shoulder or hand as he passes. Other times, he'll stay right next to you, and, for some reason, it doesn't bother you. You like being so close to him and feeling his eyes work over the piece like it's a puzzle he doesn't quite know how to work. When he can't stand the quiet anymore, he'll whisper a question to you about the artist or the history, his breathing fanning out across your neck and making the hair there stand on end.

After moving through a big part of the museum together, you and Joel end up at the same painting as the dull hum of voices fills the space between you. You smile to yourself, practically hearing him trying to find something to say as he stands there and observes how the lines of bright colors follow each other. Some are stark and almost resemble lightning in how they move around the canvas, but others are muted, blended together with careful precision and patience. It's hard to imagine what West Texas could've been like in 1953, but this makes it a little easier.

"What's this one supposed to mean?" Joel mumbles, leaning ever so conspicuously into you.

"I can't tell you." You mumble back, and he finally turns to look at you head-on. You meet his eyes with an amused smile, and he shakes his head at you.

"You're really not gonna tell me?"

"I can't tell you what art is supposed to mean to you. I can't tell anyone that."

"But, you're a teacher."

"If you're asking me for an art history lesson, I'd be happy to help, but that's about all I can do for you."

"'S cruel and unusual punishment."

"If art and culture are cruel and unusual punishment, why'd you sign up to chaperone?"

"Maybe I wanted to see my friend," he says, bumping you with his shoulder, and you laugh a little too hard. "What? We can't be friends? Is there a school policy against that, too?"

"Nope, no school policy. I just," You pause and revel in how enraptured he looks at every movement, pause, and breath you take. "I already have friends, so..."

"Oh, and you're 'fraid of bein' too popular?"

"Famously." You say, and he chuckles next to you. You go back to staring at the painting quietly with him so close you can feel his body heat. You're the one to break this time, knocking him with your shoulder to get his attention again. You didn't need to. When you glance at him, you see his focus is on you, not the painting. "It's Texas. Canyon, to be more precise. Up by Amarillo where there's nothing but cattle and desert. O'Keeffe taught out there for a few years and wanted to paint something that showed how big the West is. It's supposed to make you feel like you're two feet tall and seeing the sky for the first time. For her, it might've been the first time in a long time she'd gotten to see a sunset that big. So, she painted it so other people could enjoy sunsets like that. It's like a love letter."

"How d'you do that?" He asks once you're finished explaining, and you furrow your eyebrows.

"Do what?"

"Make little things seem so beautiful." He answers easily, like you asked him what color the sky is. You don't know what to say. What are you supposed to say to something like that?

"'S just what art does." You shrug and break away from his gaze to look at the painting, if only to not feel him staring into your soul.

"No, it's what you do to it. 'S why those kids love you so damn much. You make everythin' feel like a masterpiece, even the little things." He's not flirting. He's not trying to persuade you to do one thing over another. He's genuine and heartfelt. You swear you would start crying if you had a little less sleep. You take a deep breath and lean into him for half a second, just enough to feel his body against yours, before standing upright again.

"Thank you."

"It's what friends are for," he says, leaning into you in return. "I should make sure they haven't seized the museum or anythin'."

"Oh, I can do it. You're a guest."

"And you work too hard," he stops you. "Take a break and enjoy what you love. The world won't end if you take some time for yourself." If ever there were awards to be given out for sweet talking, you think Joel Miller would win all of them.

"Okay," you say, and he walks behind you to move on to the next section. "You really wanna be my friend?" You ask before he can fully pass behind you, looking at him over your shoulder. He smiles devastatingly, light sparkling in his eyes, and nods.

"I really wanna be your friend." He says softly, his voice low and rumbling in his chest. He lingers for a second or two before finally making his way to the group of students, leaving you to scrutinize the painting you've been staring at for God knows how long.

The day crawls to an uneventful close, with you forcing all the students to take a picture in front of the museum for the yearbook. Joel takes your phone out of your hand and all but pushes you in the photo, and your students lovingly welcome you into their little group. In exchange, you grab Joel's phone and take cute pictures of him and Ellie for their own memories. They smile almost identically, and Ellie makes a fake annoyed face when Joel kisses her temple. Your fingers brush against each other when you hand it back, and for a second, you can feel the callouses from his job. It feels like unlocking a new piece of him or a new quirk.

Too bad this isn't a date. Too bad nothing can ever come of this. Too bad you had to meet this way. Too bad. Too bad.

The ride home is quiet and full of the clinking of backpacks and new souvenirs. When you get to the school, parents are waiting in the parking lot with fast food dinners and excited ears to hear all about their days. Almost everyone immediately slinks home, tired and happy, before you can even get close to the school doors. Almost everyone. Joel and Ellie help you carry your backpack and some things you bought for teaching purposes at the museum into your classroom. The school is virtually deserted, and you return to your room to find all the lamps flipped off and mostly positive notes from the sub.

"Dad, what are we gonna do for dinner?" Ellie groans as you sit in your chair and open your email quickly before you can pack up the rest of your stuff. Their dinner debate becomes background noise as you find your inbox full of annoyed messages from Dalton's parents, coaches, and even Principal Martinez regarding his grades. Under all that vitriol sits Henry's half-read message about his gallery opening, and you feel the perfect bubble of your day burst around you. Joel and Ellie seem to realize it because they're both quiet when you tune back into their conversation, and you turn in your chair to look at them.

"Are you okay?" Ellie asks, and you snap out of it, putting on your best teacher everything-is-fine face.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Just some emails. It's not important." You wave her off, but Joel isn't so easily convinced. He thinks for a second before pulling his keys out of his pocket and handing them to Ellie.

"Go get some practice driving." He says, jerking his head toward the door, and Ellie's eyes light up.

"Really?!"

"Just bring the car to the front, and don't hit anything!" He says, but she's already taken off with the keys and her stuff in an excited whirlwind. You laugh at her enthusiasm, and Joel leans against one of the desks near you, crossing his arms in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Your whole face fell when you opened that computer."

"It's nothing."

"If we're gonna be friends, you're gonna have to tell me if somethin's wrong otherwise I can't help you." He says, and you fight a smile.

"I don't know how you're gonna help me with this one." You say. He bumps your foot with his and gives you a pleading look. Big brown eyes on men like him should be illegal, you think.

"Talk to me." He begs quietly, and you take a deep breath.

"When I was in college, I dated this guy. He was an artist, too, and we were like the little power couple of our program. Things ended kinda badly and abruptly, and I hadn't heard from him since graduation until last week when he invited me to his gallery opening. I really don't want to go alone because, honestly, I haven't been able to get anything showcased in years, and I'm embarrassed. Plus, he broke my heart and made me feel like shit for a few years." You can't stop the words from falling from you once the dam is broken, but Joel doesn't flinch.

"Well, you've got friends to go with, right?"

"I do," you say. "But I want to invite you."

"Oh." He says, seemingly unintentionally.

"Oh." You repeat. "You can say no. I just thought... since we're friends and all now."

"I just... I don't..." he struggles before finally giving in to what he wants to say, what you think he's wanted to say all day. "I don't think I'm smart enough to go to somethin' like that. I don't know anythin' about art. I don't even know how to dress for those kinda things."

"Nobody knows anything about art. Not really, at least. Especially not Henry."

"You do."

"Then I'll stick with you all night and feed you lines about composition or some shit," you say. "And you just wear a nice shirt and some slacks. Maybe a suit jacket if you're feeling snazzy. It's really not as big a deal as people make it seem. We'll go, drink wine, say something about the colors, play nice, and then we'll leave. I'll have you home by 9:30. Earlier if you really hate it that much." He rolls his neck like he's rattling something around in his head or thinking about your offer, and all you can do is watch him and the way his Adam's apple pressing against the delicate skin of his throat. You're convinced he's gonna say no.

"Are you asking me on a date?" He finally asks, and you laugh.

"Not a date."

"Sounds like a date. You even promised to have me home to my girl at a reasonable time."

"Fine, it's a friend date."

"A friend date?" He raises his eyebrows at you, and you nod.

"It's perfectly normal to go on friend dates, Miller. You're just behind on the times."

"Seems like I am. Maybe you can bring me up to speed during the gallery opening?" He says, and your shoulders drop in relief. "I'll pick you up if you agree to help me not look like an idiot."

"You won't look like an idiot."

"Not with you there, I won't." He says, and you want to laugh, but you also want to tear up a little at his kindness. It's been a long week.

"Thank you, Joel. Really. I owe you." You say, and he nods.

"'S my pleasure," he says. For a minute, you two just stare at each other in your empty classroom like teenagers with an obvious crush. You think that's what you feel like. You think that's all you'll ever be able to feel for him. "I should go. I've got an impatient teenager waitin' for me."

"Yeah. Go get her some dinner, and I'll text you the details." You say as you stand to walk him out. He stands to his full height, opens his arms, and approaches you. You didn't think you were hugging territory, but as his arms wrapped around you, you couldn't help but hug him back.

"Goodnight." He says into your hair, lingering for another moment before disappearing as fast as he appeared.

"Goodnight," you say. With that, he starts walking to the open door with a smile stuck to his face. "Hey, Joel," you call before he can step over the threshold, and he turns around to look at you. "Art is for everyone, and even if it wasn't, you're more than smart enough to enjoy it."

"Yes, ma'am." He says with a half-salute and a wink before stepping out of your classroom. You let yourself rest against your desk and take a deep breath. Finally, you let yourself pull out your phone and read the rest of Henry's email detailing the time and place of the gallery.

I hope you can come. It would really mean a lot to me. I miss talking to you and even though things ended the way they did, I still love you.

See you soon,

Henry Hall

"Fuck that."

TAGLISR: @abbyhaslongshorts @kiwiharrykiwi @sumsworldz @myloveistoolittle @anavatazes @marantha @cosmoscoffeee @shyminnie07 @beezusvreeland @eddiemunsonsbedroom @harriedandharassed @doodlebob-mp3 @ignorethisplz2004 @buckyispunk

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filmtv2022 · 9 months

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In the Bleak Midwinter: Chapter 1 (18+ MDNI)

Next Chapter

All Series Masterlist

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Reader

Summary (Whole Story): Left with the dying wish of her husband, Y/N finds herself in Birmingham in search of one Thomas Shelby. Old wounds for both will be brought to light as the pair finds a way to heal from the hurt of the past together.

Chapter Summary: Y/N goes to find Thomas to drop off a letter that was left for him by her husband before his death. The search does not get off to a great start. With nothing to go on besides a tip to visit the Garrison, Y/N is left to her own devices to push through the obstacles and carry out this last act. Personalities clash as Y/N begins to interact with the hardworking folks of Watery Lane, including Mr. Thomas Shelby himself.

Warnings: Language + alcohol & drug use + illusions to self-harm/suicide. Eventually, as the relationship grows, this story will become even more 18+. So, please check the warnings before reading each chapter.

A/N: Okay folks, I don't normally start multiple series at once, but I had to start writing this. I'm binge-watching Peaky Blinders and have become totally enthralled by these characters. I'm very excited about this journey/story and can't wait to share it with you. As always, I apologize for any mistakes.

____________________________________________

Rain poured in sideways sheets that blew over the rooftops, filling the pitted roads to the brim and turning them into a sea of mud and horse shit. The wind whipped around the corners of the buildings smacking around anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the deluge. Tugging the edge of your hat down a bit further to keep it from flying away, you pushed through the dark of night toward the glowing windows dead ahead. A golden glow and rowdy voices spilled out from the pub whose presence was the only source of life in the grim surroundings.

Warmth rolled out in a most pleasant wave as you pushed your way inside the bar. The place was full to the brim with intoxicated patrons letting off steam after a long day of work, their faces and hands still coated with the filth of their jobs. Thankfully the men seemed too far gone at this point to notice your presence. Behind the bar stood a kindly-looking man, a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he pulled another beer from the tap. Watching from the shadows, you waited for the men to grab their drinks before approaching the bartender.

Catching your movement out of his peripheral, he began to speak before getting a good look at you, “What can I get for ya? Beer or …” wiping his hands on a rag, his eyes roved over your figure before speaking again, “Sorry love, we don’t serve unaccompanied ladies at the Garrison. I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.”

“That’s all right, I’m not here for a drink. I uh… I’m lookin’ for someone. I was told that I might be able to find ‘em here.”

“Not sure if I’ll be of any help, but who are you lookin’ for?”

“His name’s Thomas Shelby.”

The man’s eyes narrowed as he sat down the cloth he was holding on the countertop, “I don’t know who told you that he’d be here, but I can assure you that this isn’t the place.”

“But you do know who he is, yeah?”

“Yes, I do, but he isn’t ‘er, and it isn’t my job to meddle in other people’s business. If you want to get in touch with him, you’ll have to figure out a different way.”

“But I don’t ‘ave another way. Please, I came all this way. I-I don’t even need to speak to him, I just-”

Clearing his throat he glanced toward the side of the bar as he continued, “Listen, I can’t help ya, and moreover, it’s not safe for a lady to be out in Small Heath at this hour. What I can do is get someone to walk you home, but beyond that, I’m afraid I’ll be of no help.”

“Fine. I’ll leave, if you promise to give him this.” reaching into the hidden pocket of your coat, you pulled out a worn envelope and held it out for the man to take.

Hesitantly, he looked closer at the paper, “Why should I do that?”

“It’s from William Butler,” Swallowing hard, you worked up the courage to keep eye contact, “He’ll want to read it.”

Catching your face, he noticed the way your jaw twitched as you spoke the name. There was a sadness in your eyes that worked its way over the rest of your features, pinching the corners of your mouth in a frown as you stared at him.

“I’m sorry. I’m sure you mean well, but I can’t do this for you.”

“Why the fuck not? I ‘aven’t asked you to kill a man, I’ve asked ya to deliver a letter.”

“As I told ya, I’m not here to get involved with other people’s business, and certainly not Thomas Shelby’s.” Turning away, he shouted a name into the crowd, drawing another person to the bar, “Make sure she gets home safe, all right? And then get your ass back here and clear up the mess you and the rest of your mates made. No extra stops, you ‘ere me?”

“Yes, sir. No, problem, sir.”

Giving you no time to protest further, the young man grabbed you lightly by the elbow and did his best to guide you through the crowd. The walk back to your rented room was quiet other than the sounds of the wind whipping through the air. The boy who accompanied you had the good sense to keep his mouth shut, but whether that was from a fear of the hateful look you’d given him when he’d introduced himself or fear of the bartender's wrath if he didn’t take care of this business in good time, you’d never know.

Safely inside, you hung your sopping clothes wherever you could find room before slipping into a dry set of pajamas. Grabbing the flask from your bag and your gun, you took a seat in the stiff wooden chair near the window. The whoosh of heavy drops and bright flashes of lightning flooded the tiny space and did nothing to steady your nerves.

Staring blindly into the night, you fought a silent battle with your mind. Pushing it back from the dark recesses you tried so hard to avoid. Some nights the battle was more readily won, the odds tipped in your favor by early and heavy consumption of whiskey and laudanum. On other nights, the fight was lost before it even began. The cool metal of your gun pressed hauntingly into the palm of your hand as the memories of that night pounded against your soul and overwhelmed your senses. The iron tang of blood, warm and wet upon your skin. The profound silence was broken by the desperation of your screams. No, on those nights it was only sheer willpower that kept you from falling into the abyss.

This night would be one of the latter.

…

Murky gray light filtered through the lacey curtains, the brightness was enough to rouse you from the weak sleep you’d fallen into the previous night. Sitting up, you rolled your head from side to side in an attempt to release the tension in your muscles. Falling unconscious in the chair with your head pressed against the window did little to alleviate the bone-deep exhaustion that had become your constant companion.

The cap of your flask squeaked in protest as you spun it open. Tossing back a swallow of the astringent liquid, you stood from the chair and assessed your surroundings. A singular suitcase sat open and mostly empty on the bed. From the looks of the clothes you’d hung around the room the previous night, they had a long way to go in terms of drying before they’d be ready to wear again. Only one other outfit remained untouched in your bag.

Setting down your drink, you moved to the bed. The weight of your body caused the mattress to creak, the whole frame moved with you as you adjusted your position. Your fingertips brushed over the black dress that sat folded neatly in front of you. The cotton was soft if a bit threadbare, but it would do.

…

By the time you made your way out onto Watery Lane, sunshine had burned away the morning clouds, leaving behind a beautiful blue sky. Tipping your face up, you let the warmth rush over your skin for a moment. Hearing the sound of voices barreling down the walk, you forced yourself to move. At a loss for how to proceed after the failure of the previous night, you decided to give the Garrison one more shot.

In the light of day, the clattering of heavy machinery echoed through the streets. Its noise was a welcome distraction from the pounding of your heart as you strode toward the bar. Its humble black exterior blended into the ambiance of the city, matching the looks of the buildings and the people who inhabited them perfectly. Wasting no time, you made your way inside. The clip of your heels on the floor clearly announced your entrance.

“We’re closed. You’ll have to get your drink elsewhere.”

Stopping in your tracks, your focus turned to the man behind the bar, his back still turned to you as a cigarette hung loosely between the fingers of his right hand. The fine black suit he wore was certainly a cut above the rest, its pristine fabric hugged his figure perfectly. Pouring three fingers of whisky, he took a sip and continued to ignore your presence.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

At the sound of your voice, the man turned, his piercing blue eyes locked onto you immediately, “No worry, you’re not interrupting anything. Is there somethin’ I can help you with?”

“Uhh, maybe. I’m lookin’ for someone.”

“And who’d that be?”

“It’s Thomas Shelby. I, I was told by some people at the station that if I wanted to find any of the Shelbys I should try the Garrison.”

“Really?” clearing his throat, he tossed back the rest of his drink before speaking again, “An’ what do you need with him?”

“I have a letter I need to give to him. That’s all.”

“A letter. What’s so important about this letter?”

“Why do you care?”

“Curiosity. Drink?” Sitting down an empty glass on the counter, he held out the bottle of whiskey as a question.

“Sure.” Closing the distance to the bar, you hoisted yourself onto one of the seats, and tossed back the amber liquid in one quick swallow, “But you didn’t truly answer my question. Why do you care?”

“Call it a vested interest.”

“Jesus. You know what, thank you for the drink, but I think I’ll be going now. No reason to stay since you obviously can’t help me.”

Tossing a coin on the counter, you slid from your seat and turned away toward the door, but you didn’t get far before the man’s powerful voice called out.

“Eh, wait! Where the hell do you think you’re goin’?” his strong hand clasped tightly around your wrist as he spun you around.

Unwilling to give him the upper hand so easily, you cooly held his gaze, “ I’m goin’ to find someone who can actually fuckin’ help me.”

Fed up with the bullshit, you turned around rapidly to exit.

“For fucks sake, it’s me. I’m Thomas Shelby.”

Frozen in place you let the hot wave of anger that flooded your veins simmer for a second before gathering up the strength to face him.

“Now that we’ve got that on the table, why are you really ‘ere?”

“I have a letter, as I told you.”

“That’s not what I’m fuckin’ asking.”

“Then what is it you want me to say, Mr. Shelby? Do you want me to say that I’m here because of my dead husband? Or is that not enough? Maybe you want to know that it’s because the last thing he left me was a fuckin’ note telling me to bring this to you?” pulling the letter from your pocket, you held it up for him to see, “Is that what you want to hear?”

A blank look fell over Thommy’s face as he contemplated what you’d told him.

“What’s your name?”

“Y/N. My husband is… was William Butler.”

“William.” a lost look replaced the blank stare, “He… he and I… we served… he was a good man.”

“Yes, I know. Now, are you gonna take this letter? Or should I haul meself all the way back home and explain to him over his grave that I failed to do the last thing he asked of me, hmm?”

Reaching out, his hand shook as he took the paper from you.

“Thank you, Mr. Shelby. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll be going.”

“Hold on, you can’t just leave me with this letter, and then disappear. Where will I be able to find you?”

“First of all, Thomas, let’s get one thing straight. I can do just that. I did what I came here to do, and now I have no use for this shithole of a city. But if you read that letter, and decide that you need to clear your conscience or whatever the fuck it is you feel you need to do, you’ll be able to find me at 725 Watery Lane. I’m there until the end of the week.”

With that, you stormed out of the Garrison, slamming your palms against the wood of the door so hard that it stung up to your wrists. Wobbly legs took you back across the road. Tears streamed in hot rivers down your cheeks as you pushed inside your room. Unable to move any further, you sunk to the ground behind the door, your back flush with it. With unsteady hands, you pulled out your flask and took a swig before reaching back into the pocket in search of the tiny vial you kept hidden inside for emergencies.

Your finger closed around the tan bottle and pulled the cork. Tipping it back, the liquid slid down your throat, mixing with the cheap alcohol you’d just consumed. Soon, the harsh edges of the world began to fade, easing the grief and anger that had threatened to pull you under. Resting your head back against the door, you let your eyes close as you slipped away from reality.

#thomas shelby fic #thomas shelby x y/n #thomas shelby #thomas shelby x reader #peaky blinder fanfic #tommy shelby x you #tommy shelby fic #tommy shelby x reader #peaky blinders #cillian murphy

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itsclydebitches · 4 months

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It's weird to think Vol 10 of RWBY just straight up might never happen. much less further volumes. No matter how bad it got I would still have loved some form of ending but Barabas comments don't paint a hopeful picture. Alas fics of RWBY will go until the end of time.

It's very weird. Most shows I come across have either already concluded, or give their audience an estimate of when things will wrap up ('We're planning another two seasons and each takes us about two years to film, so...'). I have shows that unexpectedly get more content after providing an ambiguous, but still satisfying ending (Alice in Borderland), shows where each season is self-contained so it can end whenever without issue (Bake Off), shows that were cut short and had to scramble to wrap up (Sense8), and of course there are always shows that are straight up cancelled and can't do a thing to mitigate that... but RWBY feels almost, almost unique in this combination. It's a webseries rather than a traditional TV show. It's gone on for a decade with absolutely no indication of where it's heading. Each season feels threatened to the point where the fandom can no longer differentiate between a real cancellation concern and Internet exaggeration. The story has hit what's arguably its most important narrative peak - the team has traversed an alternate world, Ruby has "overcome" drinking the tea, Summer finally appears on screen - only for news of the story's future to remain frustratingly vague. Not only have we never had a sense of when RWBY's story will end, now we don't even have confirmation of whether it will end. That's such a frustrating way to approach storytelling given that your audience relies on some level of commitment to remain engaged.

I too want RWBY to finish up because I am not immune to the Sunk Cost Fallacy: I put this much time into the series and it needs to satisfy me with a conclusion, even if the conclusion itself will inevitably be unsatisfying. Outside of any normal disappointment with a story you love getting the ax, I generally don't mind embracing unfinished works. I read abandoned fics, watch cancelled shows, browse barely started comics, because getting a taste of the world is always worth it if it's compelling to me. I never regret meeting characters whose stories go untold because as a writer myself I can at least imagine that on my own terms. But RWBY? Losing it now would be a real kick in the teeth. I personally don't think the story is salvageable at this point, but at the very least fans deserve a conclusion: one that will likely please a lot of devoted viewers and allow critical fans to put a satisfying tick mark on the box in our heads labeled "RWBY."

Given its popularity I wouldn't be surprised if RWBY wound up cancelled and then concluded in a comics run, or a one-off movie. Beyond the fact that this would no doubt mess up the writing even more (now you have to iron out this mess of a plot on a time limit, in a new medium, with new authors!) it would, unfortunately, be kind of hilarious too:

[generic tour guide voice] "Hello. Welcome to RWBY. Our fandom is known for having copious side stories connected to the canon in confusing ways. Some are incidental to the main series. Some outright contradict it. Some are crucial to your understanding of the primary plot and must be engaged with in a timely manner. These texts range from comic runs to random bits of information in abandoned mobile games. Please note that this corpus did not grow naturally across decades of storytelling, as is the case with fandoms like Star Trek and Star Wars, but was rather cobbled together by RT in an attempt to 'fix' numerous, ongoing issues with the webseries. Our latest addition? The ending. Yes, if you would like to finish RWBY please refer to this index of sources that together provide a semi-cohesive conclusion to a ten year show. Now, on your left you'll see the ongoing brawl as fans attempt to determine whether this index is canonical or not. Please watch your step..."

#rwde #rwby #mymetas

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en-d-d · 3 days

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So, this is my first post, so hello everyone! I don't really know how to properly navigate this platform just yet, but I'm sure I will figure it out, so please bear with me.

Having said that, unfortunately, I've come here today to rant a little on social media about things that make me borderline insane just from listening to. Most specifically, from MTXT's works. (Because if I ever see another wrong characterization for those fictional people I've became very attached to, I'm actually going to go mad.)

(This is not meant to be an attack of any sorts, I'm just a teenager on social media pulling my nerves into writing because who knows, maybe I can finally be at peace then.)

Let's start then!

Xie Lian is not owo small cutie or sum, and if I hear that one time... my man may be short, but he could fight off almost anyone, just thanos clapping people out of existence. He's also very insane and very horny about the Calamity attached to his hip. My guy is pretty smart and also just kinda gives patient auntie vibes (you know, that auntie that can see beyond everyone's bull but choses not to).

And if I already started with TGCF, may as well continue with it. Hua Cheng is a switch and you can't convince me otherwise. (If his Dianxia wanted to top, he would be as elated as he would be if Dianxia wanted to bottom. My man doesn't care.)

Luo Binge being referred as a white lotus and people not knowing what it means ("In Chinese internet novels, the term "white lotus" refers to a character who appears innocent, naive, and pure on the surface but uses this reputation to backstab, blame, or sling mud on others.") (I believe maybe people confuse this with the other meanings of the white lotus, like, actually naive or pure in character, but those are obliviously not what they mean in the chinese novels)

Shen Yuan is Kim Dokja, but chinese (or maybe KD is SY but korean)

Lan Wangji did not like Wei Wuxian despite him being 'evil', he loved him exactly because he isn't evil. I can't stress this enough. If wwx was a actually bad person, lwj would not hesitate to cut his head off and be done with the matter. Whenever I see someone saying something about him liking wwx even if he's evil, I'm slowly loosing my mind, bcz no, lwj is not such a shallow person, to be attracted to someone based purely on looks (and we do know this bcz he loves wwx in mxy's body just as much as he loved him in his original body.)

Now, we're moving into a territory I like exploring. I just want to start this off saying that I don't like Jiang Wanyin. I just don't care very much about him and I find him annoying as a person. With that being said, I'm a little miffed with fellow jc dislikers bcz they sometimes invent some things up about him or such things. Like. Man, you do not need to invent things to hate abt him, there are already plenty of things you can hate abt him. I'm pretty unbiased when it comes to actual judgements abt others. I will protect someone if the points made abt them is incorrect as much as I will point out every thing they actually did bad.

And the next point is still abt jc (wow, what a surprise) just bcz, honest to god, his fans are annoying. I've said it. A lot of y'all are hella annoying. The single ones I don't find bad are those that like him just bcz of how bad of a person he is. I can respect that. What I can't respect is another owo he's innocent and traumatized and a tsundere and everything is wwx's fault owo jc fan. Fam, did we read the same book, or has media really rotten our colective brain that much??

(I believe I have more comments on this jc topic, but my brain is starting to hurt.)

And the last one is Wei Wuxian, probably the most controversial character in all of MTXT's novels. First of all, I have to be clear about this, but in all of this post, I'm purely referring to the characters from the books, not the other adaptations. This is important, bcz the adaptations further skewed wwx's image in the fandom.

I have saved him for least because of just how much things tick me off in this fandom when discussing wwx in special.

Disclaimer that I sincerely believe that you should enjoy and do art and fanfiction of characters however you want. If you want wwx to be, idk, a demon that terrorizes people and breaks lwj's heart and then jc comes and saves the situation from the evil patriarch and then french kisses Lan Xichen, then go ahead, idc (Unless you say he's owo, you have no excuse that would allow you to do that unless you're a child, and if you are, then you shouldn't even be here). But I draw the line when people lie about canon characterizations.

And there is just so much misconceptions on wwx's character that I would need an essay just to compose a list of them. They range from huge details that somehow miss people like how their neurons miss firing, to small details, like his handwriting (I believe the novel said it was cursive, not messy, like how almost all the fandom has apparently mutually agreed on. Do corect me if I'm wrong on this, some things are lost from translation to translation)

I will be discussing just some of them here. Maybe I will do another post where I go in more detail, we will see.

ADHD Wei Wuxian. The people that believe wwx has ADHD should probably reread the novel, bcz that characterization comes mostly from CQL. In the novel, wwx is a very chill guy that can stay in one place perfectly fine. I will not go into more details, just read the novel.

Wei Wuxian is the reason for the Jiang's collapse. Bull statement, everytime I see it, well, you already know already. If you know a little politics, you would realize the Jiangs were next on the list for sure. Why, you would ask. The Lans already burnt themselves to the ground. The Nies have a fortress for a sect. The Jins are almost-not-exactly allies with the Wens. Now, guess who is the most unfavorably positioned gentry sect (lakes are not a good strategic spot), with lax protection (how did the Wens just march in like that like what) and a little too carele leader (Jiang Fenmiang really thought the Wens will give them back the swords after that whole disaster that was the indoctrination? Really??). Oh! I think I know who it is! And maybe you guessed it too. Glad we're on the same page.

Now, wwx being the reason why jc lost his core. Very many people already came to their own conclusion on why jc gave himself up. Brotherly affection, suicidal thoughts or just straight up idiocy. Whatever you believe, it's fine with me (but I do have a brother and I can assure you, wwx and jc never really seemed like brothers to me. They are a little too far to the left to be considered brothers, but this is my opinion, take it however you will). So, was it wwx's fault?

We're finally getting into the juicy stuff. The blame game. I hate it with my being, still, as long as I'm in fandoms, I must persist. My answer is yes & no. Did wwx deliberately made it so jc would be captured? Of course not. Did it still happened? Unfortunately, yes. To go deeper, we will look a little at fate. There are some things that are outside of our control. As much as we prepare, some things will still blow us over. So the definite answer is no. Jc made the decision to be seen by the Wens. It might sound callous , but the decisions you make are yours, even if you protect someone's life or not. Wwx did not ask to be protected. In conclusions, it's not his fault.

And that is a very good statement to make, seeing as we got to the core transfer. People often criticize wwx for giving non-consensualy his core to jc. I always thought it as a weird thing to hate him about, but whatever, I still shall address it. I will start with an exemple. If you loved someone very much, and they would die if they don't get, idk, a new arm (maybe think of something less inconspicuous, but you understand the ideea) they would die. You are the single person that can do it. But you're sure that if someone told your loved one that you would give it, they would refuze it. Are you still going to give your arm? Will you let your loved one die? Knowing that you can help?

And for those that say jc was not on the brink of death. He was suicidal. He would not have resisted a week with the shame of inferiority plus all the trauma that the Lotus Pier massacre was, combined. 'Regaining' his core might have actually made him feel better, like he beat the odds, like he has another chance. That's also why wwx never told him he gave him his core. Bcz he knew jc would not take it easy, finding out that all his accomplishments were thanks to wwx's sacrifice. Because jc has a big ego that's clearly evident through the story.

Anyways, let's continue.

Ghostly Cultivation. It's more popularity used the Demonic Cultivation term, but they are not the same think for Christ's sake. Modao Zushi does mean The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, however the title is for click bait. In the actual novel, I believe wwx talks abt ghostly cultivation, not demonic. It was probably lost in translations.

I don't think I need to explain how wwx needed guidao to escape the Burial Mounds, so at least half of my job is already done. Now I go into dangerous territory however, bcz guidao is not expended upon. Still, I would rather listen to wwx when it's about, you know, the path he himself created?

To explain my stance, we would need to go deeper into the novel's points. A novel can have multiple themes, ranging from obvious ones, like love, family, to obscure ones, like, the importance of standing up for oneself (not the best exemple, but I believe y'all understand what I mean).

I'm someone that loves thinking abt MDZS. It's my dearest. So, I tend to analyze it pretty often. And the themes I usually get are things like 'the danger of hearsay and mob mentality', 'the importance of standing true to your ideals', 'the inherit unpredictability of life' and so on, and so on.

Anyways, what does that have to do with guidao? Well, everything, I believe. The MDZS world has a mentality resembling that of the curent China. Or well, the China of when MXTX wrote the novel. If you know some history, I believe you can connect the similarities. What does that mean then?

Wwx is someone that does not fallow the path set by the ancestors. He creates his own. When the cultivators see that, they are revolted. Becouse everything that strays from the 'right' path must surely be evil. And so, after Wen Ruohan, the Jins paint him as the new anarchist, and the rest is history.

Now, I would actually love to continue, but I've been typing nonstop for hours now, I need to stop. I will continue my points in another post, bcz I still have a lot of them.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful day 💐

#mxtx #mdzs #tgcf #svsss #wei wuxian #lan wangji #jiang cheng #xie lian #hua cheng #shen qingqiu #shen yuan #luo binghe #can you tell that I love mdzs #my head is about to explode from a headache #and I just typed for hours on end #the power of being done with fanon gave me strength

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whaleofatjme1920 · 1 year

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Hi! So I had a request for Avatar the way of water where the reader is a huge daddy’s girl and is also like Jake’s favorite because she rarely gets into trouble but when she does Jake gets super angry and disappointed in her but she stands her ground and when it gets to much she just storms away and since then they bump heads constantly and aren’t the same anymore. Could you write how they are forced to make up by the family brcause they just can’t handle the tension anymore? I would be very happy if you use my idea. Stay healthy and don’t overwork yourself!

Sullys Stick Together

[F!Reader, but could be read as gender neutral I don't actually give you any pronouns or code you any way.]

[Warnings: Like, none?]

Spoilers for The Way of Water in here!!

[AN: My apologies this took like a month for me to do,,, I honestly take my time with things these days. Anyways, here's this for you! Just headcanons because my energy is going towards uni.]

Reblogs are appreciated!

Everyone in the family is tired of the passive aggressiveness you and your father are showing towards each other at this point. It's ridiculous how you two just actively refuse to talk about it or even attempt to make up.

Look, it was one mistake. ONE. Your father had already expected Lo'ak to screw around, but you? His golden child? The one who exceeds his expectations? The one who has done nothing but good the entire odd 15 or so years you've been alive? How could you mess around that badly? Making him look like a fool in front of Ronal and Tonowari... He asked you to pull your weight, not throw yourself head first into dangerous situations and actively disobey orders.

And to make it worse, you argued with him! Your anger to defend your brother Lo'ak and yourself had boiled over. It wasn't entirely your fault that you were beyond the reef. Ao'nung and Rotxo were truly the ones to blame! They played a cruel trick on you and your brother and you almost lost your lives in the process! And to make matters worse, Lo'ak took the blame. You wanted to tell Tonowari what had really happened and Lo'ak stopped you!

You tried to really explain this to your father. His anger shouldn't be directed towards Lo'ak or you. Your father didn't care and said that you weren't playing by Omaticaya standards, this was now Metkayina territory, and you all had to play and live by their rules.

What a load of bullshit. Verbatim, that's all you could say. Tail flicking downwards in annoyance, ears pressed flat against your skull - hell you even hissed at your father baring sharp canines to to further your ire at him - you couldn't understand why he was just rolling over and letting the Metkayina lord over him.

How they treated your sister, Kiri, how they almost got Lo'ak and yourself killed, the whispers of how inept you and your family were.... Fitting in here wasn't easy.

That was a rough night. Your father was more than upset with you and the space all of you lived in became awkward, cold and hostile. Your mother spent more than enough time hashing things out with your father but truly only the two of you could make this right.

"Your child has a strong heart," she said. "They take strongly after you. You know this." Your mother's voice was soothing and hushed as she spoke to your father. "Please, all they want to do is prove their point. It was not done in a good way, but they love you and cannot tell why you act and treat them, and their siblings otherwise."

Anyways there's no actual forcing here. While everyone is very tired of you two bumping heads, no one actually forces the two of you to make up. Neteyam might approach your father and try to sway his opinions, Tuk will often do something similar, no one can make things right between the two of you but you. Kiri doesn't really want to do anything either of you are uncomfortable with, as she respects you as her sibling, and Jake as her father but man she doesn't like the awkward energy either. I think she's just much more "teenage angst and sass" in her approaches to BOTH of you.

Neytiri is a bit more direct in her approach, often saying "your child misses you" or something to that effect. She's also a bit more blunt in believing Jake is the adult and he should make the first step to mending the relationship. However, Neytiri kinda gets behind your reasoning. She doesn't like being Metkayina either. She misses the forest. Misses being Omaticaya, and a tsahik in her own right.

Lo'ak argues with his father too. He's got your back through and through and hates that Jake is being such a hard ass on you.

Eventually, things just kinda come to an emotional head and you and your father talk it out. And it's done in that dad way of not actually addressing what had happened but rather understanding all you can do is move forward from the incident and make vague allusions to it later on.

It kinda works - Neytiri gets to stop nagging Jake to speak with you and your siblings can go back to not having to whisper about you.

Jake loves you. Of course he does. You're his child, he will always be your father, that is non negotiable.

But damn, you take after him just a bit too much.

#jake sully headcanon #jake sully x reader #neytiri headcanon #neytiri x reader #avatar the way of water #james cameron avatar x reader #avatar x reader #james cameron avatar

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icantpickafictionalman · 1 month

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New flesh

Adam x Fem!Reader

A/n : you remember that scene in stranger things season 3 where El gets a piece of the mind flayer stuck in her leg, and she uses her powers to get it out? Yeah, it's that (kinda)

Context : Reader is a different kind of seraphim, one capable of chaos beyond anything imaginable. She could bring universes to downfall, and despite her mighty power being forbidden to use, decided so by Sera, the head seraphim, there come times when it is the only answer. Although readers powers span as far as collapsing worlds, a given is her talents when it comes to telekinesis. During the battle in ep8, we see reader draw the final straw, and give into her powers.

Tags: heavy gore, Angst, knifes, descriptive injuries and pain

(PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT COMFORTABLE)

"Wait!" Adam screamed, as he watched his lover, who had come to help in the battle, descend into her truest form. (Name), one of the angelic seraphim, was powerful. So powerful, that she would hurt herself in the process of using her powers.

When she had fully reached her chaotic form, a bright light blinded almost everyone watching. All of hell experienced momentary sunrise, and even heaven saw a bright, white flash.

The battle was done. Everyone had been stopped, however, as (name) fell to the floor, Adam rushed to her side. Soon, everyone gathered to watch.

"What- what the fuck were you thinking?!What have you done?!" Adam screamed in between fast and short breaths, just now noticing the huge gash of flesh ripped out of (Name)'s knee.

"I'm- I'm fine! Fuck- Aeugh!" She cried out, pain soaking through her skin and forming itself into words. "Where does it hurt?!" He yelled, trying his best to put an end to his beloved's anguish. "Everywhere! Fucking- Adam it's in me!" She screamed, throwing her head back so that she didn't have to look at the golden blood pouring out of her leg any longer. "What? What the fuck do you mean 'it's' fucking in you! What is!?" Experiencing pain beyond imagine, all (name) could muck up the strength to do was point to her leg. When Adam looked, he saw a lump, moving around under (name)'s skin, making its way from the bottom of the wound, to further up her leg. "Fucking Christ! What the-! I need, I need something to get it out of her!" Nearby, Adam watched as Nifty pulled out a knife and offered it to Adam. "Fuck, yeah okay!" Turning back to (name), he held her hand. "Look, this is only gonna hurt for-" but he was cut off by (name)'s excruciating cries. "Get it out! Get it out of me!" Wincing, Adam held the knife at an angle, and began slidinb the knife down from the top of her leg to the opening of the gash, trying to push the creature out, but it just wouldn't work. "I'm gonna have to cut your leg, you'll be okay, just.. oh fuck!" Adam tried his best not to hurt her, but piercing her with a knife and slowly making the hole bigger was no use. "Fuck, fuck just- just let me- Agh! Let me do it!" Adam threw the knife to the side, not wanting to cause her any more pain. Slowly, (name) raised her hands above the wound, and started to focus, until, the creature could be seen being dragged slowly but surely back down to the wound. As (name) continued to wail, everyone around her was silent. But more specifically, Adam was silent. He was shocked. Scared. Confused. Suddenly, as (name) gave one last blood-curdling scream, the creature was released from her leg, and immediately Adam pounced at it with the knife. He couldn't even say anything. Just grunt, as he tortured and pulverised the creature who had caused his love such suffering. (Name) was silent too, partly recovering, partly stunned. She had never seen Adam so... violent.

As the two left, Adam carried (name) through the portal back to heaven, and made sure to find her immediate medical attention.

"I don't know how you done it." He whispered, sitting next to her hospital bed where she lay, drifting in and out of sleep.

"Done what?"

"Yanked that thing out of you like it was nothing. I struggled to get it out of you myself. Must've hurt like hell."

"It's better now."

"You sure?"

"Promise."

"I love you."

"I love you too Adam."

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prof-peach · 9 months

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Having real fun reading through the backlog of the blog.

I keep wondering if this is the kind of place my trainer would randomly book a tour to. She requires her chair for regular locomotion but has been working on getting a more versatile model. She can be carried by most of her team but would much rather roll herself.

I can't imagine a lot of the island has easy paths for wheelchairs though. That said, she did manage the Hoenn region, though Sinnoh and its unreasonable amount of mountain defeated her. Do you think anyone knowing her physical limitation would try and talk her out of coming?

I can also picture her seeing Peach wrestling a 'mon and pointing it out to her Machoke, going "I told you I wasn't the only one!"

She is also pleased by the don't-send-10'yo's-on-their-own stance. She went through an academy that taught much the same skills (when her parents couldn't talk her out of wanting to do her trainers' journey) and left at 16 with two pokemon, a treeco who picked her, and a Machoke from the school who wanted to make sure such a student was ok.

The Island prides itself on being accessible, theres ramps everywhere, elevators in any buildings allowing public access to higher floors, the hotel is its own buisness but accomodates for this too, rentable mons who can help folks around, and almost everywhere is wheelchair acessible, including any doors being power assisted.

Not only do we at Dotaku deal with A LOT of footfall, we handle a lot of older clientel above and beyond the youngsters, and to top it off, pokemon with disabilities move around the different locations too. The island caters to that, you can even get up to the top of the mountain for the view if you wish, it's been carefully carved out and planned so anyone can visit and have relative ease getting about, though we do advise anyone going up that hill with mobility issues at the vesy least take a pokemon with them to aid should they become tired. We have plenty that are happy to help if visitors dont have a pokemon strong enough too.

You can book a tour with any facility individually if you like, or do a day tour. We have staff leading them regularly, giving visitors informed details about various pokemon and locations. Or, if you prefer to venture alone, its all acessibe and open to the public. There are some buildings of limits but those are clesrly sign posted and overseen by staff and pokemon to make sure no one wanders in and gets hurt, ot ends up in a secure area they shouldnt be.

Dotaku is just one big island park, catering to all. Phone the head office for further details, we have great members of staff always ready to help clear up any questions you may have, and you can even book any specific events ahead of time.

During the summer we have cook outs, independant vendors with hand made trinkets, the kite flying festival which is quite something to watch if not partake in, the migration of the swellow that'll come by, theres lapras sightings this time of year cose to the shores, and at the end of summer the Jumpluff move off the island to go inland for more tame weather, quite a beautiful sight to see so many catching the wind to go home, usually I'll fly with them to the mainland so its a good time to see a handful of dragon types on guard duty. Theres a fair where you can buy local produce, partake in friendly battles to earn some neat reward items, three contests, one for beginners, one is a costume one anyone can enter, and the other is more professional for those who want a challenge, each judged by telented guests who come in from all over. If you need a break our daycare can offer your pokemon respite, theres a groomers on site so a new hairdo might be on the cards too, or just a massage to ease tension. Water based sport is avaiable, with small canoes, boats and gear available to rent if that appeals. Theres the odd talk on pokemon care from our experts, and opportunities to ask questions and dig deeper into some of the pokemon the island handles. Dont forget the dock side fair, if you just want to eat junk food and play some arcade games with your pokemon, more than reasonable to take time for that, grab lunch at the cafe, or just chill out and watch the waves while listening to the Dewgong laid out on the rocks.

On wednesday you can challenge the professors, staff and rangers, we try to give an evening to guests who want to battle us for the fun of it, but none of us use our core teams for saftey reasons, and will pick pokemon based on whoever is close at hand and willing, could be anything. If you win you can get a ribbon bangle, which some enjoy collecting much like badges, though they hold no weight in the league.

Other staff are more than free to fight with their true teams, so predicting their strategy may be easier, but I never will, and will refuse a proper battle with my core group should someone request it, I say this now to save any dissapointment.

I'm sure you'd see me from time to time, but summer is the busy month, plenty to do, so don't mind me if im run off my feet, I do try to show face whenever possible but work comes first. Best bet is to keep your eyes on the skies, youll see the flash of orange and yellow of my dear charizard Boa ferrying me around, and probably get a sense of where I may end up in the day. If you spot Val wandering around, I suggest NOT trying to pet her, many have made this mistake, many have been bitten. Every localised sign has stickers on them reminding people of specific pokemon not to approach or pet. She's on every sign.

Any visitor is given a saftey breifing, and all areas have signs for people to see the rules, as some locations dont allow flash photography, loud noises, or touching of the pokemon.

#dotaku island #prof.peach #pokemon #feel free to visit #its an open door to anyone #we cater to all

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midnighttreasureseeking · 5 months

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James Somerton and the Vampire Chronicles

Ok last thing about this whole James Somerton situation before watching the hbommerguy video.

James Somerton made several videos in which he mentions interview with the vampire and they always rubbed me the wrong way. In the last one, a video of which im still trying to figure out the point, he spends about 20 min trying to tell us that Anne Rice was the first person the portray the vampire as sexy. Which is not true, for example 'The vampire lovers' was made in 1970 and 'The kiss of the vampire' in 1963 (and then i havent even talked about literature). It is not Anne Rice's original idea that vampires can be sexy. But the portrayals of sexy vampires before 1975 were mostly women being sexy, and i guess that doesn't count for him.

The only other things he could talk about was how sexy the main characters are (in a way that made me honestly uncomfortable because he seemed to be undermining the point of the scenes and the show in general) and to give us a general summary of the show he spends ten minutes on.

He goes into the attractiveness of lestat in the book and briefly the show but he goes into no further depth beyond that. And there is a lot to say about attraction in the vampire chronicles beyond that!! Why do we get a ten minute summary of the show instead, where nothing is mentioned to further your point?

Don't get me wrong, Interview with the Vampire is my current hyperfixation and i love hearing about it. But i already knew the plot of the show and you had a point to make, right?? (the point never gets made)

When watching the video back when he posted it i was pretty disappointed that he went into so little depth regarding the show, certainly after the analyses i had already read about it, but now i'm honestly relieved. No doubt he would have directly stolen from our amazing meta creators and analysts in this fandom.

There are more things i can talk about.

His endless praise of Anne Rice as the saviour of all gay people while every other woman (including queer women) is bad for liking and creating content about gay men. (heartstopper, fanfiction, etc.)

How he doesn't mention the racism present in the books while only sparing a sentence or two talking about the handeling of racism in the show. And with that taking a firmly white lens stating that Lestat releases Louis from the shackles of humanity and therefore racism and homophobia. Which, when you watch the show, is obviously not what actually happens. Louis is still factually a black man in the Jim Crow south, he just also has to kill people now and can't talk to his family. Not crazy he doesn't take to vampirism so easily. But James seems to agree with Lestat that he should get over it and have fun.

He does not talk about any of the misogyny present in the books, just not at all. I don't remember him talking about the women in the books or the show at all either...

Now i'm going back to real life where people disappoint me far less

here 5 youtubers that source their content

#james somerton #iwtv #a rant #There is also weird stuff he said about yuri on ice #some weird stuff about japan and the language #Also the whole queer women have it easier around rep thing???#I should have seen it as a sign and unsubscribed #Feel free to add things or correct me on things i have said

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archonadeptus · 2 years

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Genshin x Creator!Reader.

Characters: Zhongli & Xiao.

Part One Click Here☆

Warnings: Not proof read! Sorry I'm sleepy hehe♡

A/N: The second part to my creator series! I Hope it's okay, I'm soft for these two lmao x

Sign Here ♡

It had been a few days since arriving in Liye. During those days Venti had to return to Mondstat to continue his duty there as a part of the seven, yet he had ensured that you would be safe within both Zhongli and Xiao's presence. Amongst themselves they had agreed to give you a few days' peace to answer any questions you may have had for them as you truly did need rest too.

"So then... My old life never existed?" Your gentle voice swayed through Wangshu inn's balcony, practically blessing the air itself as you spoke. Zhongli was the first to speak after you,

"In a way that's correct, your grace." He paused for a moment doing his best to truly consider his words. "It was a realm within your mind. Very real, yes. But once you leave, it destroys itself until you return." Slowly nodding you let out a soft sigh. All of that suffering you were forced to endure back in your previous world suddenly felt so avoidable.

"What was the world like?" Xiao finally piped up, eyes gazing upon you.

"Horrid." Your words held a venom that could make anybody shake with fear. Your eyes soon lit up once they met him though. "But that's okay now because I'm here with you all." Zhongli couldn't help but smile before returning his focus to a new matter.

"We've created a new contract, your grace." You tilted your head slightly with a quizzical look upon your face. Xiaos' eyes however seemed to sparkle ever so slightly.

"May I ask about its contents?"

"I'm your protector, your grace. I'm able to travel alongside you wherever you may go. This is my way to repay you and everything you've done for me." He finally stood and bowed before you. "Please, your grace, allow me this."

"But Xiao xiao," Your voice spoke out, a hand against his cheek offering him some comfort. "You've done more than you know for me and Teyvat. If anything, I owe you." You smiled at the red on his cheeks, he really wasn't used to affection.

"Please? This... This will put me at ease. It will make me feel… What mortals call joy." Humming softly your mind began to run. It was still hard to believe that one of your comfort characters wanted to protect you. Maybe this too would allow you to give Xiao a good life, away from any suffering.

"Very well then." Zhongli smiled as he prepared the contract and got all the needed signatures.

"Wait Zhongli, why are you signing it?" He just grinned at you too,

"I'd be a fool if I didn't... Since the day you saved me I've been longing for the day to do this." Passing you the pen, he pointed to the line for your signature to lay. "I wish to forever be beside you, my grace." Well why hesitate any further to sign? It's literally the geo archon and a Yaksha who desperately wished to guard you. Allow yourself this and in return you'd provide them with a wonderful life. Your signature soon laid upon the contract and shon gold before disappearing.

"Then what now?" You aimlessly asked out loud, eyes gazing at the sights before you.

"Why don't we walk around, your grace?" A smile soon returned to your lips as you stood.

"Please! Let's go! This is all I've dreamed of…"

"Anywhere in particular you'd like to go?" You thought a little about this, thinking about your journey through Genshin Impact back in your mind's realm. Humming lightly you finally decided on your destination.

"Liye first please?" With a nod, you three began walking back down the stairs of the inn before reaching that well known path. However Zhongli had placed the hood up on your attire, hiding you from any passerbys.

"Just until you're known again… We cannot allow people to bombard you can we?"

Your time there was beyond enjoyable, and much to your joy you had plenty of Mora within your pockets and you had insisted you spoiled both men. Whatever their sights lingered on, you had insisted that you buy it for them. Though both of them caught onto this pretty quickly and tried their best to refrain their gaze from lingering on anything. However, that soon came to an and once the familiar yet sweet scent of Almond Tofu flowed through the air.

"Xiao xiao?" You grinned at the sparkle in his eyes once the smell reached him. "Are you hungry?" The playful tint to your voice didn't fail to make Zhongli chuckle a little.

"No. I have no need for that, I don't require mortal food." Smiling at the words you had expected of him, You'd already sat them both down at Wanmin Restaurant and ordered dishes each of you would enjoy.

"Oh really? How disappointing…" You sat beside them both with a smile. "I guess the Almond Tofu will grow cold…" The dishes were soon set before the three of you, Xiao's eyes never leaving the dish before he began to speak.

"N-no. It's fine, I'll eat it." His cheeks grew red once again. "Besides, you got it for me. Thank you." You smiled happily at this before Zhongli gazed at you with a softer, more relaxed expression upon his face.

"Your grace…"

"Y/n." You corrected softly, trying to hide a laugh at how quickly Xiao was finishing his food. He hates crowds and eating with others. Yet within this moment, Karmic debt free, he seemed...Calm and rather happy.

"Y/n." He repeated, "I apologize that we've been unable to treat you... We found a way to bring you back at the loss of the war's memories yet we haven't truly treated you yet." Shaking your head, you finished a mouthful of your favourite dish.

"I'm afraid you don't understand… This is everything I ever wanted whilst I resided within that hell of earth."

"Hell?" Xiao questioned, his mouth full.

"Ah... I suppose the term here would be the abyss. But it was horrible. I never wish to be seperated from either of you again - nor from the others. Please believe me when I say that all I've ever wanted to do was spoil you all and make you smile once again." The words you spoke rapidly warmed their hearts as you watched them both exchange a knowing nod.

"I'm honoured that you're our Creator... I will forever smile for you, y/n."

"As will I." Xiao spoke softly, a very slight hint of a smile laying against his lips.

Night rapidly drew inward, lanterns offering a comforting glow as you three walked the beautiful Streets with a hint of tiredness washing over your body. Xiao and Zhongli had positioned themselves beside you, keeping you safe within the middle and it was due to this that they realized you had fallen sleepy.

"Ah I'm sorry I kept you both out for so long." Zhongli shook his head humming lightly,

"It was an honour to spend the day beside you." Before you could reply, a shout was soon heard.

"That's them!" Turning your head in confusion toward the shouts, two spears crossed before you to protect you.

"Your grace, stay back." Zhongli spoke before moving you away from a thrown weapon. Your gaze soon laid upon a large group of treasure hunters whose eyes laid upon you. Tilting your head in confusion, your thoughts began to run. Who on earth in their right mind would try and fight a Yaksha, the geo archon (not that they know but still-) and the creator? A slight slash to your cheek seemed to wake you back up. Zhongli and Xiao were about to go feral for hurting you, even if it wasn't bad, their weapons drawn and a shield around you. Sighing lightly you lifted up your hand and created a wall as such, it was see through and tinted like gold. You still weren't certain how to use these abilities but it seemed to be whatever you thought.

"Who dares to disturb us?" The treasure hoarders stopped at your voice, seeing the golden blood trail down your cheek.

"Your grace?" Another spoke.

"I asked you all a question - so now you must answer before you endure harm. Who dares to threaten my loved ones and me?" Fingers were now pointed at their supposed leader shaking under your piercing gaze.

"P-Please forgive our insolence. We didn't know it was you - we saw you spending a lot of mora so we tracked you down and-" Zhonglis expression turned into a scrowl, golden eyes tainted with anger.

"You realize you come off horribly whichever way you plead your case, yes?" The treasure hoarder actually had the audacity once the barrier you created dropped, to reach and grab your hard after glaring at Zhongli. Xiao was quick to grab his hand and shove him back before that happened though.

"Hands off." His expression was dark just as Zhonglis was.

"You're causing me and my beloved's trouble. Leave." With that, they had just teleported elsewhere. Was that you? Oops. "Are you both okay?" They both just rushed to your side after a quick nod from Xiao and a mumbled yes from Zhongli.

"Your grace you're bleeding." His gloved thumb Swiped gently over the golden toned blood on your cheek.

"We shall return to Wangshu Inn for your care and recovery, your grace." Before you knew it, you were sitting carefully on the balcony chair as they both tended to you quickly and carefully.

"Beloveds?" Your voice whispered out, "You don't have to - I'm fine. Are you both certain that you're Okay? I'm sorry I didn't create that barrier sooner. I wasn't thinking." Xiao softly sat before you, worry hidden within his features, a red tone still clear on his cheeks at the nickname you chose for them both.

"This is through no fault of your own, we should have slaughtered them without a second thought." Shaking your head you ushered them to sit down by you, which they did.

"I didn't want that and you both knew that... I'm just sorry I dragged you both out." Zhongli hesitantly took your hand in his own, something that instantly calmed you and made you smile, causing Xiao to hold Your other hand.

"You called us both your Beloveds, did you not?" You nodded lightly, "Then allow us to care for you like that. Let us accompany you wherever and guard you. Allow us to…"

"Love you." Xiao mumbled, looking away lightly. Zhonglis thumb rubbed lightly against the skin on your hand.

"To love you." Zhongli confirmed with a soft smile.

"Please do?" Without another word, it felt as if a hidden contract had been written between you three. Where you'd all love and protect each other for years to come.

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact fanfiction #genshin #xiao x reader #zhongli x reader #genshin Impact xiao x reader #genshin impact zhongli x reader #genshin impact creator #Sagau

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justalonelyslytherin · 1 year

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My Kingdom, Your Kingdom | two

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Pairing: secret king!Steve Rogers x heir apparent!female Reader

Summary: Revealing where the girls come from couldn't become a problem could it? Even less of a misconception. Right?

Warnings: none

Wordcount: 3.6k

If you enjoyed reading this, please consider leaving a comment or reblogging. I don't allow for my content to be copied, translated, or resposted on other websites/apps. Please don't steal my work.

A/N: Both chapter 1 and this one were rather plot/introduction heavy and I know that isn't for everyone. It was necessary to set the world & story up, ok. From chapter 3 onward, we'll be focusing on Steve & Y/N slowly falling in love. I promise. I want to give a shout-out and big thanks to @imaginedreamwrite who helped me work out some troubles I had at the end of the chapter. You are awesome <3 The lovely red dividers are from @/firefly-graphics, go check her blog out.

Taglist: open, will be tagged in the comments, let me know if you want to be added

“There you go,” Steve said, holding out a thick and warm blanket in his hands.

“Thank you,” she answered, reaching out to take the blanket from him, when he moved.

“Let me,” he mumbled and draped the blanket over her shoulders, its added warmth surrounded her. The heaviness of the dense but soft wool was soothing. A cocoon of comfort that helped quench the uneasy feeling residing in the pit of her stomach.

Steve’s offer had come to be their saving. Half frozen, they’d wandered through the forest for hours, dread overtaking them the further the sun set. The welcoming and generous blonde with his grumpy friends and the warm cabin they were staying at had been their salvation.

Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling it would turn bad. She’d feared they would turn hostile if they knew who they had truly invited into their home. Yelena had almost revealed the secret a couple of times. Her youngest sister had a bad habit of speaking before thinking, too open for her own good.

Right now she was occupied sitting in front of the warm fireplace, holding her hands close to the flames to warm the frozen digits. Natasha sat just behind her in one of the armchairs, keeping watchful eyes over the youngest of them.

Not long did Y/N’s eyes stay on her two sisters. Looming in the doorway and in one corner of the big and open room were Steve’s two friends. Ever since the invitation, they had been broody and quiet and if they had spoken up they’d been short and curt. She couldn’t shake the feeling they weren’t truly welcome here. It was when Bucky stepped forward and crossed the room to take a seat on the couch just opposite them that the unease started to overwhelm her once more.

“So who are you?” He asked them bluntly. “We already introduced ourselves, didn’t we?” Natasha’s answer was almost as blunt and not any less stoic.

“Wrong. You told us your names but nothing more.”

“Bucky,” Steve glared at his friend as he sat down on the same couch. Instead of putting the most possible distance between him and them, Steve sat on the point closest to Y/N.

“What Bucky is trying to say is, we are a little confused about who you are and where you came from.” She could tell that Steve tried to mediate. He was equally as curious as his friends. His curiosity was barely hidden behind his warm and welcoming eyes, whereas they concealed it behind sobriety and hardened, cold eyes.

“Let’s be frank and put the cards on the table.” Sam added from the doorframe, “This is the last town before the border from the direction you were coming from, which means you had to have come from there or even beyond. ”

A thick lump had formed in the back of her throat, making it hard for her to swallow. Or maybe it was her heart beating so strongly that it had jumped into her throat, making it nearly impossible for her to swallow. It had only been a matter of time for that question to come up and while she had known it would come, she had dreaded it no less strongly.

Glancing up, Steve’s eyes were focused solely on her. The curiosity in his eyes was thinly veiled, more so now than before. It was only shadowed by the absolute openness and warmth he exuded. A warmth that took the hesitation out of her and instead replaced it with the courage to answer him. In her stomach, a tingling, warm sensation blossomed. She found herself wanting to open up to him.

“You are right.'' Steve's eyes widened in surprise. From him she turned to look towards Sam, “We were coming from Sokovia.”

The empty landscape passed by the car. Nothing but fields, trees, and hills around them. They’d left behind the last point of civilization miles ago and exchanged it for no-man’s-land. Most people would have felt unsettled by the lacking signs of humanity. Not them. Not when it felt like freedom to drive around with no true destination. Not when for the first time they were able to choose on their own where to go and where to stop.

Y/n glanced over at her sister in the driver's seat. Natasha had never looked more relaxed and at ease than behind the steering wheel now. Her sister was a put-together person, always calculating and listening to everything around her. There was nothing Natasha wasn’t aware of, nothing that slipped past here, and in return, she’d always kept her guard up. Every step was calculated, every reaction of everyone around her something to analyze. Sometimes she wondered if her sister ever truly rested or if even in her room she stayed aware, never just being and letting things happen on their own.

“Hey, what if we drive to Brooklyn?” Yelena had leaned forward in her seat, scooted to the edge of it no less, her elbows digging into the headrests of the two front seats.

“Are you crazy?” Natasha countered the question with another, rhetorical, one.

“Why would you want to go there anyway? There’s nothing over there besides wastelands and despair. Haven’t you listened when they taught us about it in history class? How that country is nothing more than a barren and broken ruin anymore–”

“– devastated by the financial ruin of their greedy King, blundered by his dark and dangerous knights that won’t hold back even against their own countrymen, women, and children’? Jeez, Nat, when did you swallow the fairytales of that old geezer?”

“The old fart talks a lot of rubbish but that doesn’t mean that all of his words hold no truth,” Y/N interfered, sensing the approaching argument between her younger siblings. Yelena’s proposition certainly was exciting. That didn’t mean it wasn’t also dangerous if not right out foolish.

“Oh please. Can’t we drive close to the border? I just want to see it! We wanted to go on an adventure, didn’t we?”

With a sigh, Y/N leaned her head back. She was right. They’d wanted to go on an adventure. When she glanced over at Natasha, the redhead was already looking at her. As they looked at each other grins slowly formed on their faces, a giddy feeling rising below the surface.

“Let’s do it then.”

And so they continued to drive towards the mountains, through winding roads with endless serpentines and the most breathtaking views. It was one mountain range separating everything new and exciting from their home and everything they’d ever known.

“Hey isn’t that the great lake?” Yelena yelled as the road curled around the side of one mountain. Before them the landscape opened up from gray rock and evergreen conifers, to reveal a short valley dotted in shadows and light as the sun came between the mountains. Just behind a great lake with crystalline, azure blue water stretched out from one side of the mountains to the other, reaching seemingly infinite.

Y/N felt awe upon the sight, the sheer vastness had her sitting up in her seat. The beauty took her breath away. She had heard many things about the great lake and seen pictures just as paintings. Nothing could compare to actually seeing it. The water sparkled and rippled in the sun, even from way up. The pool of water was so clear a portion of its surface turned into a giant natural mirror, reflecting the snow peaked mountains curling around its edges. From their position out, high up, they could see as far as the opposite edge of the lake, spying the lands of Brooklyn behind.

It didn’t look like a particular wasteland to her, she thought as her eyes were focused on the land beyond. It was beautiful in fact, the mountains dusted with snow and the valley between them so long it vanished beyond the horizon.

“Can we get closer?” Yelena whispered in awe.

“There should be a road branching off in a bit that leads closer so we can drive directly by the lake.”

There was no question of do or don’t after Natasha informed them of this. But when they arrived at the junction there was no sign. Or rather there was none anymore, as it lay beside the road, bent and clearly run over.

“Can you tell which way is which?” Natasha asked her. The sign was still anchored in the bottom, in theory, it should still display the correct way.

Briefly unbuckling her seatbelt, she leaned out of the window and squinted at the sign. It consisted of two arrows pointing in different directions, one straight ahead to follow the street further curling around the mountain and one to the left, forking away and up. One way was leading across the border and over to Brooklyn, the other one to the edge of the Lake.

“Y/N?” Natasha asked once more, impatience bleeding into her voice as they were standing in the middle of the road.

“Uhm, go ahead, not left.”

Her decision was made on pure gut feeling. Something deep down told her to drive ahead, pulled her in that direction. And so they went that way, coming closer to the lake until finally, they drove to its edge.

“Wait. Didn’t we come from those mountains?” Y/N asked, pointing to the other side of the lake, where the mountain range was much more drastic. Big mountains stuck up toward the sky, some of the peaks ripping up the clouds around them while others entirely vanished with no apparent end beyond the clouds. The side they were driving on was full of mountains too, yet those were calmer and softer, streaked by extensive patches of forest.

“No, that can’t be.”

But it could be. All three of them watched in anticipation as a sign on the side of the road kept approaching. ‘Kingdom of Brooklyn’ it read. Stunned silence encompassed the car, the sign passed them by in the blink of an eye.

“Let’s turn around,” Natasha suggested instantaneously as the car slowed to a walking pace.

“NO! Why should we? We can have a trip here as much as we can back home. Didn’t we want to go on an adventure? This is an adventure! What more could you ask for?” Yelena protested loudly.

“Are you crazy? We are in enemy territory! What if they find out who we are?”

“How should they? No one knows us here. Come on, please~”

Natasha’s grip on the steering wheel turned deadly. Her knuckles paled as she pressed her lips in a thin line. Y/N knew that look too well.

“You decide,” Natasha told her, glancing at her older sister. Loudly she sighed and leaned her head back. She didn’t want to turn back around. It was beautiful here and it looked nothing like the descriptions they heard.

Which led her to wonder what else they’d been told to be the truth but turned out to be nothing but lies. On the other hand loomed the danger they were exposing themselves to. She glanced back at Yelena through the rear-view mirror. Her sister looked so hopeful and excited. Y/N had never seen Yelena like that. They'd never gotten the opportunity to do something like this and she would likely never get another. So with a rapidly beating heart, she made her decision.

“Let’s continue driving. We can stay the night and then drive back tomorrow.”

“Yes!”

“What’s going on?” She asked, sitting up as the car slowed down and made a weird noise.

“I don’t know,” Natasha told her, pressing her foot harder on the gas pedal but nothing happened.

“Nat.” She became more serious as the lights in front of the car started to flicker, shortly before the engine died with a pathetic splutter. They rolled to a silent stop at the side of a long and winding street in the middle of a dense forest.

“Come on,” Natasha muttered, twisting the key in the car to restart the engine. It rattled for a moment, spluttering and coughing before it died again. It didn’t stir the second time at all. “What does that mean?” Y/N pointed at the red, blinking light on the display behind the steering wheel. It looked like a small canister of some sort with a hose.

“Don’t cars run on something? Gas or Fuel?” Yelena asked as she leaned forward in between the driver's and passenger's seats.

“They do?”

“Yep,” Yelena nodded. “And it looks like we just ran out of it.”

“Shit.” Y/N screwed her eyes shut. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not when they were in the middle of nowhere. They’d been driving for hours

“I saw a sign some time ago mentioning a town. If we keep walking along the road we should reach it.”

“You are from Sokovia?”

She shook her head, “We are from Widovia.”

Steve’s eyes - widened in curiosity - now dilated further in surprise, perhaps even shock. She could see emotions and thoughts pass by in intervals of mere seconds, flitting past his eyes.

The three men that had offered their home up were speechless. Had it not been for the continuous cracking of the fireplace and the accompanying flickering of the flames, she’d have believed time to be frozen.

“Shit,” Bucky murmured and leaned back on the couch. He stretched his arms over his head, rubbing his flat palm over his hair.

“And you just left there with nothing on you? No phone, no wallet?” Sam asked. The shock had waned and he was back to questioning them in a serious manner.

“There wasn’t exactly time to prepare or gather our things. We had only a small window of time,” Yelena butted in, sounding rather annoyed. Her words were matter-of-factly and so dry as she looked at them with a glint in her eyes that was challenging them to challenge their words further.

Instead of prodding further, Sam snapped his mouth shut and furrowed his brows. And neither Bucky seemed to have another question for them. It was Steve who spoke up next and who presented his question. One that was neither prodding in nature nor accusing. Instead, he asked, “Are you okay?”, and reached a hand out to her.

Only after she didn’t flinch did he lean towards her and dropped his hand to her knee. It was big and warm and caused another tingling sensation to rise up in her. Full of compassion were his eyes, and concern just as comfort too. His openness and the care he displayed for her, just a stranger to him, warmed her heart. He didn’t know her and her sister and yet, when he had seen them in need of help, he hadn’t hesitated. Instead, Steve had gone against his friends and stood his ground.

“Yeah.” Without wanting to, her voice shook, overwhelmed by the way he made her feel.

“I’m sorry.” Bucky leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. Deep wrinkles drew across his forehead as he stared into the flames.

“You are sorry?” Natasha asked him with a raised eyebrow. The surprise in her voice was mutual with what she felt.

“I was nothing but a heartless jerk because I thought you were dangerous.” With a groan, he drew his hand over his face.

“We kinda assumed you were spies or assassins,” Sam added, causing Bucky to grunt once more. It had the three girls chuckle amusedly.

“I wish we were. That would be so cool!” Yelena groaned dramatically as she fell back against the backrest of the couch.

“Assassins?” Y/N asked, her lips twitching upwards in a smile. She glanced back at Steve and raised her brow in question. His answer was a lopsided grin on his own as he shrugged his shoulders.

“These idiots are as paranoid as they are protective of me.”

“Yeah well we have to save your ass on a regular basis since you love getting yourself in trouble,” Bucky barked, a smile tugging on his face too. The first non-stoic or serious expression she had seen from him. It made the brick that had been sitting uncomfortably in her stomach somewhat lighter.

“Anyways…Didn’t think you’d turn out to be refugees instead.”

Refugees? Y/N glanced at Natasha, who was already looking back at her. The boys thought they had fled from Widovia? Thinking about it, it did make sense that they didn’t have anything on them that bound them to their ‘old life’. In reality, it couldn’t have been further from the truth. Y/N hated lying to them, but they couldn’t tell the truth, could they? It was safer and far wiser to let them assume they had flown.

A loud yawn sounding from the other end of the room caught Y/N off guard. Her eyes flitted over to her youngest sister. Just as Yelena had made her exhaustion known loudly, Natasha and she felt it too. It sat boned deep, far deeper than the chill that had thawed the longer they sat before the warm fire. Steve’s hand, still remaining on her knee, was so warm she’d felt it to her core.

She couldn’t put a number on the length of their travel, it must have taken them the better part of the day to cross the border and get stranded in the middle of a snowy road, even before they had spent hours walking along the road, tracking through the woods until the sun had set.

“I think it’s time to go to bed,” Steve announced. “Any other questions, should you be willing to answer them, can wait ‘till the morning.” With that, he withdrew his hand from her knee and stood up. His warmth left behind a spot of coldness that made her crave to be touched once more.

Slowly they all shuffled out of the living room. The cabin was big, she had noticed already. Much too big for only three people, and certainly way too expensive to pay for by them alone too. Maybe they had rented it from someone? Or was it a family possession? She’d been mesmerized by its grandeur from the first moment she had seen it. It was cozy and deluxe, nothing she had expected to see in Brooklyn.

In the middle of the first floor sat a big wooden staircase leading up to a landing and the rooms of the second floor. A hallway each led behind the stairs on the left and the right, meeting behind it in a small, quadratic room. Its ceiling was modeled into a beautiful cross vault, which reminded her of the stone hallways at home. Steve led them down the left hallway, which continued after the small room even further into the house.

“You can choose any room you’d like,” he told them with a smile as he pointed to the many doors. “Bucky, Sam, and I are sleeping upstairs. Feel free to come look for one of us if something should be.”

The glare Bucky sent the blonde over his shoulder made her lips tuck upward. He hadn’t been lying when he said they were protective of him. She found it sweet how much they looked out for their friend. It reminded her a lot of Natasha and her. She’d protect her sister just the same way if she had to.

“I doubt it will be needed, we appreciate it though,” Natasha told Steve with a nod, as Yelena was too busy eyeing the different doors.

“Well, good night then.” A chorus of ‘good nights’ followed after, with the boys turning around to head down the hallway. Y/n turned to her sisters, smiling at them.

“Let’s go to bed. We’ll talk about what we’ll do tomorrow.” There was still a lot they had to talk about, but for now, she didn’t want to think of all of that. She was too tired for it.

“You want the first pick?” Yelena asked her, whipping on her feet.

“No, you too can pick first.” Yelena didn’t need another go, she turned around before the last word had even left her lips and sprinted to a door further down the hall. Natasha huffed amusedly and chose the first door to the right of her. And she?

She turned back around and glanced at the retreating form of Steve. Grateful didn’t even convey all she felt. In a split second decision, made from solely her instinct, she jogged after him, rather than going into the room he had used as an example to show them the bedrooms. Quietly she called out his name, causing him to slow but not halt. Only when she grasped the sleeve of his arm, did he stop and turn around to her. Back was the boyish and cute curiosity on his face and the sparkle in his eyes.

In her mind her decision had been a good one but now, standing there with him, she suddenly didn’t know what she wanted or should do. Her lip took the brunt of it, teeth nibbling on the bottom one. Thank you,” she whispered.

“For Everything.”

Curiosity yielded to surprise. Quietly he stood before her, stunned, with his eyes flitting over the plains of her face. Steve was a handsome guy, the soft smile he shared with her only amplified this. Or maybe it only did in her mind.

“Of course.” The velvet smooth rumble of his voice, so low and full of warmth and a hint of something she couldn’t pinpoint, set fire to her cheeks. Speechless beyond control the only thing left for her to act was nod.

They stared at each other in comfortable silence, for a few seconds that well could have been minutes or even eternity. “Good night,” she murmured, slowly shifting and turning around. Steve looked after her, rooted to his spot in the hallway. His heart was beating a rapid melody in his chest. “Good Night Y/N,” he whispered after her.

#steve rogers x reader #my kingdom your kingdom #steve rogers x female #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x you #king!steve x heir apparent!reader #modern royalty au #royalty au #christmas au

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