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heartbreakgrill · 5 months

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Delicate: Vessel (Sleep Token); Part 1- "You can make me a drink."

description: Spending the summer touring Europe with her brother and the band he works for sounds like the perfect way to get herself out there, at least, that's what Daisy's intent is. But, with the cocky lead singer of the band, clashing personalities, and an entire summer for tensions to grow, things may not go as they are planned.

a/n: not the story i promised, but one i love. posted on ao3, too. enjoy lovelies <3

“Okay, so, ii is kind of…quiet, I guess? He’s fucking smart as shit. Knows all these random facts, but he just doesn’t talk too much until he gets to know you. Ya know?”

I stared out of the airplane window, Sam’s words distant to my tired brain. My processing skills were not sharp this early in the morning, especially considering the time change we had gone through. I was too focused on the view, anyways. The sky looked ethereal this time of morning, all foggy mountain peaks bleeding into crimson orange, bordered by black, starry clouds. I traced their puffy edges with my bleary eyes in an attempt to not fall back asleep. We were landing, after all, and we’d have to push through busy crowds for the next half an hour. Falling back asleep would take any energy I had left and stomp it out.

“And, then, iii…I am a little concerned about how he’ll act with you because he’s-he’s flirtatious-”

“Ladies and gentleman, we are now landing at Heathrow International Airport in London, England,” the pilot interrupted Sam’s sentence, staticky voice crackling over our heads.

I felt Sam shift in his seat. His elbow knocked against mine on the tiny armrest we had been fighting over the entire flight. I snidely shoved my elbow against his in an attempt to steal the space back. He hissed as it pained his funny bone. I looked over in time to catch the glare he sent me, his fingers rubbing at his bruising bone.

Though he looked annoyed, he kept his murmurs to himself, unwilling to be too aggressive with me this early in the morning- and this early in the trip. We had an entire summer that we still had to spend together. Starting fights now would make it a miserable, long couple of months.

“That was rude,” I heard him say. I ignored him and turned back towards the plane’s window. The ground was growing closer as we shakily descended from the air.

“‘Course, then…there’s Vessel.” Sam continued on his explanation of the band members and a few of the crew workers I would have the opportunity to meet this summer. He had been doing so I woke up fifteen minutes ago.

Not that I planned to hang around Sam and his friends too much. I was taking this time between college graduation and going back for my master’s in the fall to see what little of the world I could manage. I didn’t plan on being stuck indoors at the hotel or backstage at the venues too often. I had plans for each and every tour stop- friends I would be meeting up with, concerts I was going to attend. I had my own long list of tourist attractions I had to see, bucket items I needed to cross off. Sam’s friends sounded lovely, but I didn’t expect to be too attached to them.

“He’s quite, um…How do I describe him? He’s not scary, per say…just…intense. He’s quiet and brooding and I don’t really think you’ll like him too much, ya know? Anyways.”

Sam unbuckled his seatbelt. I finally peeled my eyes from the window, the edges of my lids burning with exhaustion. I undid my own belt, reached down to gather my book bag, and looped my neck pillow under my arm.

Sam looked down at me with a tired smile, “You’ll be meeting them all very soon, so…you can just find out for yourself.”

I offered up a grin, even if my face fought back at the energy this action required. “Thanks for having me, Sam-Ham.” I moved to rest my head against his shoulder, sweetly. I probably could have slept right there if we weren’t having to pile out of the plane.

He went to rest his own head against mine, but as soon as the nickname quietly passed my lips, he flinched, back straightening up. “Please don’t call me that in front of them. Please, Daisy. Please. I don’t have any other rules you have to follow. I’m giving you complete freedom on this tour. Just- please. Don’t say that.”

My grin twisted into a devious smirk. Sam’s brown eyes were pleading, a frown sitting deep in his wrinkled cheeks. “Aw, what do you mean, Sam-Ham? Are you embarrassed?”

He flinched again at the nickname. I’d given it to him when I was four and he was just eight. He loved ham and cheese sandwiches at the time and refused to eat basically anything else. Ever since that month-long fight of mom trying to force him to consume any semblance of a vegetable or fruit, I’d coined him as such with zero ounces of shame. On social media posts, his birthday cards, at his own high school graduation party. No shame.

“Daisy-” he went to plead again, but I wouldn’t let him.

“Everyone’s getting off. Let’s go.” I pushed past Sam, ignoring him. I marched out of our aisle, then off the plane, Sam hot on my heels. His frustration with the nickname had melted into protectiveness as he tried to keep up with me. He’d always been overbearing, and I think he’d only be more annoying about it during this trip.

The air in London was chilly, though it was felt only briefly as we walked down through the terminal. I was grateful to have a hoodie wrapped around my waist, and managed to slip it on as we walked. I knew it would warm up as the day passed on, though. It was May, after all, and London had that weird spring weather, with chilly mornings and sweltering afternoons. At least, this information was according to Sam and a few Google searches on my end.

Sam caught up to my side as we headed for baggage claim. He had his phone out, ready to shoot someone a text, “Okay…”

I spotted our bags spinning past where we stood. As he continued, I reached out and grabbed them. They landed on the floor beside us as Sam said, “Ronnie- Ronnie’s the band’s tour manager, also one of my best friends, ever. You might like her-”

“I like everyone, Sam, unless they’re an asshole. I don’t know why you assume I’m such a hater-”

“Cause you are!” He said, matter-of-factly. I always hated when he’d make negative observations about me. I knew I was his little sister, his annoying little sister who threw dirt at him when we were little, who he had to drag along on first dates in high school. But, I was more than that spoiled brat, especially now. I hoped this summer would help him see that, hoped he would gain some respect for me based on the difference in the real me and who he knew.

I wanted to shove his suitcase at him, just to spite him for making such a comment. But, I simply smiled up at him and rolled the luggage towards his outstretched hand. Before he could really say anything, I shot towards the exit.

“Anyways!” He rushed up to my side, breathless from how quickly I walked.

He shoved his mop of dirty blond hair into his phone as he continued texting someone. “Ronnie’s sent over an Uber,” he spoke, absentmindedly.

The automatic doors slid open. We stepped out into the chilly morning air of London. Had Sam’s head not been shoved into his phone, he would have been able to see the glorious sight lain out before us. He unfortunately didn’t, but I sure did.

I came to a halting stop, a humored grin upon my face. Sam bumped into my shoulder, but still wouldn’t look up from his phone. “Uber is a gray sedan-”

I giggled, stepping towards the group of men standing before us, party hats upon their heads, noisemakers between their lips, and a god awfully hand drawn sign held out before them.

Sam, dark brows furrowed, questioned my laughter, “What-?”

He finally pulled his nose from his phone. As he did, I took a party hat from one of the band member’s outstretched hands. We all blew into our noisemakers. Chaos erupted.

“Welcome back from rehab, Sam!” The shortest of the group held the sign up proudly, a bright grin on his face.

“What the fuck-?”

The tallest man- who had sandy blond hair and stormy gray eyes- a literal personification of the beaches in England- nearly tackled Sam, crushing his frame between the hand drawn sign and his hugging arms. I pulled the noisemaker from my mouth as a laugh erupted from me. The others rushed forward to greet their friend. Sam’s face was flushed red from the words on the sign, but he looked so incredibly happy, embracing each of them. They were all dressed in dark black clothing, save for a few spots of royal blue, maroon, or forest green. It was in stark contrast to my pink hoodie and gray sweatpants. Sam was right when he said these people weren’t my usual crowd, but wrong when he just assumed I wouldn’t like them. Yet another example of his misconstrued perception about who I really was. Just because I was girly, a Taylor Swift lover, with my favorite colors being purple and pink, didn’t mean I automatically could not stand people in the metal crowd. They were just different from me- that was all.

I did keep my distance, though, just as they greeted each other. I waited for Sam to introduce me, which he did shortly after. Their chaos faded as he moved his way back through the group, back to me. He faced them from here, an arm around my shoulders. “This is my baby sister-”

I elbowed his side, frowning at his choice of words. He squirmed away from me, a slight hiss pulled through his lips because of the pain. I stepped forward, offering my hand to the closest person- a short, blond-headed man with these brilliant blue eyes. “Daisy.”

He shook my hand politely, “Pleasure to meet you, Daisy. I’m-” He cut his own words off, glancing over my shoulder to Sam. ‘‘Wait…Are we introducing ourselves as, like, numbers or real people?”

I cracked a smile at the confusion. The tall man beside him, clutching the sign he’d made Sam,, shrugged, “We’re already unmasked. Might as well.”

“I can sign something,” I let go of his hand with a casual wave in my arms. “I don’t mind.”

“We can take care of that later,” another short one, darker haired with slight ringlets to his hair and green in his eyes, stepped forward. He took my hand, “Adam.”

“Cyrus. Cy, for short,” settled the original one.

I nodded at each of their introductions. The tallest one was named Max. He must have been three, considering he kissed the back of my hand and smirked up at me. Also considering Sam stepped between us and punched Max in the shoulder. He was right about the flirtations, though I didn’t mind it too much. I knew it was harmless.

Finally, I turned to the last band mate. I held out my hand. He glanced between it and my face, lips thin, face void of any expression. My brows furrowed slightly. I felt insecure under his harsh gaze, but I kept my kind composure, “Daisy. Nice to meet you…”

“Oliver.”

He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t move to take my hand, didn’t offer up any kind greetings. My once joyous smile morphed into a frown. Sam had warned me he was brooding, quiet. But, not rude. He was just plain rude.

I didn’t have time to ruminate on this meet-ugly, though, because Sam was then herding us all into a taxi. They had meetings to get to, I guess. I was given the front seat, which only made me feel a little left out. I knew that would probably happen, considering Sam had been working for them for four years now and I was a newbie. So, I didn’t take it to heart. Sitting in the front of a taxi was mostly just awkward.

What I did take to heart, however, was Oliver’s rude introduction. Perhaps it was because I was so tired, but…it bothered me. I didn’t want to spend the summer with an asshole like him. As we got onto the busy road, thirty minutes counting down on the GPS for our arrival at the first venue, I eyed him in the mirror, a slight glare in my tired eyes

He sat behind the driver’s seat, large legs pushing up against the door and spilling into Cyrus’ space. I didn’t get a good look at him earlier, too focused on the bad energy he bled. From what I gathered through the rearview mirror’s reflection, he had sharp features- a long nose, pursed, pink lips, high cheekbones, and a neck that more than definitely spilled into a toned chest. His eyes were dark, brown, maybe, but I remembered that, outside, when the sun hit them, they were lighter. His hair was a medium shade of brown, shaggy before his eyes, but clean cut on the sides.

He was kind of attractive. But, that didn’t matter, considering he’d made such a terrible first impression. I knew he was Vessel because, even though he’d muttered just one word to me, his dark voice matched the one from the songs that Sam had forced me to listen to before we left. He was probably full of himself, the fame inflating his head, his ego, which was why he gave such a shit introduction. He honestly probably just thought he was too good for little girls like me, though he was only seven years older than me.

Like I said, I didn’t have anything against people who listened to metal. But, part of the reason I could never really get into the shit that Sam liked, was because most of the band’s seemed to be like this Vessel, this Oliver guy. Stuck-up, self-involved, all struggling artists who thought the world was out to get them, though, in reality, they were elitist, straight, white, cis men who had more privilege in their pinky fingers than I had in my entire body.

Either I had been staring for too long, or he felt my gaze, because his dark eyes met mine in the mirror. I flinched, quickly snapping my chin towards the window. I pressed my knees against the door, arms crossed over my chest ashamedly, trying to melt away. I caught sight of the exposed skin on my arm, where my hoodie sleeve had been tugged up a bit from my restlessness, and saw goosebumps littering my body. Why was my body reacting to his stare this way?

I sulked in my frustration the entire ride there, ignoring the sense that I could still feel his eyes burning into me. Eventually, I guess, I passed out, even though the morning fog cleared the view outside my window, displaying the beautiful, stretching buildings of the city. If I were awake, I could appreciate the glorious architecture, the landscapes of this foreign land.

Someone woke me up, their warm hand pressed upon my shoulder. “We’re here.”

I knew it wasn’t Sam, only because, as I sat up in my seat, I saw him standing at the back of the taxi, pulling our luggage from the trunk. Besides, he didn’t have an accent like this person did. I turned to see who had so gently awoken me, but the backseat remained empty.

I gathered my things, swinging my backpack straps over my shoulders as I stepped onto the cobblestone of the hotel parking lot. It was sprinkling, so I tugged my hood up and over my head. Sam then rounded the car, dragging my suitcase behind him noisily.

“Here,” he rolled it to a stop before me. His eyes examined my face for a moment, seeing the furrowed brows and scowl I wore, “You doing okay?”

I shivered, hugging my arms around my body. I felt kind of sick, probably from the jet lag. I tried to look not so bitchy, but I couldn’t do that when my head was pounding and vile threatened my throat. “Yeah,” I nodded, half-heartedly, “just need to lay down, I think.”

“S’okay,” Sam patted my head, “we’ll check into the hotel quickly and get you into bed, okay?”

I nodded again. Sam took my suitcase back into his hold and gestured for me to follow him. The band was just a few feet behind us as we headed into the hotel. I wanted to stop, take a look around, snap a billion photos of this newfound dreamland. But, my head was pounding more as we moved about. My stomach ached from hunger and exhaustion. I needed a long nap, even if it would fuck up my sleep schedule more than it already was going to be.

We reached the front desk. Sam began speaking to the attendant there, our reservation details pulled up on his phone screen, in the email management had sent him. Because I was tagging along and didn’t exactly work for the band, Sam and I would be forced to share lodging in each and every city. Luckily, I’d managed to snag my own bunk on the tour bus. But, when we’d jump between countries, I had to buy my plane tickets. I didn’t mind, considering this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that really wasn’t asking much from me.

I leaned against the counter, arms still wrapped around my body as I hunched forward. I squeezed my eyes shut in an attempt to ease the headache. Sam, the attendant, the band- their voices were all distant, like I was on another plane of existence.

But, another voice- one delicate, with an unfamiliar accent- became relevant to my hearing as he approached me. “Jet lag getting to you, love?”

I opened one eye and, upon seeing Max, straightened up a bit, “Oh, fuck,” I chuckled quietly. “It is.”

“Doesn’t get any better, just to warn you,” he shoved his large hands into the pockets of his black jeans. Stray pieces of his blond hair fell from the bun at the back of his hair.

I nodded up at him, neck straining, considering he towered over me, “Amazing news, thank you.”

“You need to invest in some energy drinks, loads of excedrin, and get good at cat napping,” he offered up the little advice he’d gathered from his years of experience touring.

Sam turned back to us, holding out a key card for me to take. I thanked him, plucking the key from his fingers, before looking back at Max, “Thank you, too. I’ll go try out this cat nap you speak of.”

Max grinned at me with a slight scrunch in his nose. I tried and failed to return the expression. Then, I continued on following Sam towards the elevators. I glanced behind us as we stepped inside and saw that the band was b-lining for the front doors. Just as the gray metal doors of the room boxed us in, I saw one of them peer over his shoulder, looking back at us. Sam didn’t notice, too busy pressing our floor number into the key pad. But, I did.

Oliver and I met eyes. He quickly looked away. The doors shut.

I tried to take a cat nap. I well and truly tried. I even turned a timer on for twenty minutes, promising myself that I would get up as soon as the alarm went off. I kind of knew that was going to happen when, as soon as my head hit the stack of plump pillows, my burning eyes immediately fell shut.

I guess my body had other plans than taking that cat nap.

As the alarm rang, Sam stepped out of the bathroom, where he had been showering and getting ready for the day. It was, after all, only 10am, and he had a job to report to. He sat down on my bed, near my chest. He set a warm hand down upon my shoulder.

I squirmed under the covers, fully waking as I felt his touch. I aggressively shut off the noisy alarm and groaned into my pillow.

Sam chuckled, squeezing my arm again. “Go back to sleep, Daz.”

“I want to, but…I don’t want to waste the day away. God, this sucks!”

He laughed again, “You’ll get more used to it. Besides, we have a whole other week in this city. You will have plenty of time to see everything you want to.”

“Where are you going?” My own words were muffled by my unwillingness to open my mouth all the way. Sam patted my head soothingly and I felt myself quickly falling back asleep, like the rain pattering against the window pane. I barely understood what he was saying now, too dazed and confused. “The venue. Have some meetings and shit. I’ll send you the address if you want to stop by. Just, take it easy for me today, Daz.”

His comforting demeanor, his warm touch, the love and gentleness that he treated me with- it only coaxed me further into my slumber. Sam pressed a kiss to my head before leaving. The door to the hotel room clicking shut was the last thing I’d consciously hear for the next eight hours.

I woke with a sharp intake of breath. There was a dry taste in my mouth, drool crusted in the corner of my lips, and a sheen of sweat clung my t-shirt to the skin of my back. I sat up, so I could peel my hoodie off, a gross expression morphing onto my face. My head still hurt, but the Excedrin I had taken that morning was helping just a bit.

I lazily made the bed, knowing I would be back in its clutches in just a few, short hours. The process made me feel a bit normal, though I was thrown off my rhythm completely. As I did it, my stomach growled, angrily. I realized at that moment that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. The last thing I remember consuming was that souvenir package of pretzels on the plane- and that was nearly 24-hours ago.

First things first- I had to shower. So, I scrubbed the plane dust, the sweat, from my skin. Then, I dressed in something easy: leggings, a reputation album hoodie, my white sneakers. I clipped my wet hair up, away from my face, and filled my purse with what I thought were essentials- my passport, in case I managed to get lost somewhere- a portable charger, my wallet, hotel key card, a can of pepper spray. I knew Europe was much more safe than America, but- I still needed to be cautious.

As I rode the elevator down the stairs, I shot Sam a text. There were five unanswered ones from him- the address to the venue, a photo of the outside of it, a check-in to see if I was okay, a pin-drop of his location, and, finally, one of him informing me that he was returning to the hotel with the band.

I reached the lobby and spotted them all at the hotel bar. They had taken up a table in the corner, noisy, chaotic, bordering on drunk. The rest of the room was nearly emptied out, probably because of them. Max saw my approaching figure first. He raised a hand to wave, interrupting Sam to say, “Look who it is! Cat nap do you any good?”

I shook my head at his words, a small giggle on my lips, “Not at all. I slept for eight hours.”

“Oh, shit,” Sam turned in his chair to face me. “I was wondering ‘cause you never responded to my texts.”

“Sorry,” I shrugged. Cyrus and Adam gave their attention to me. I looked over their faces with a polite smile before my eyes landed on their lead singer. He clutched onto an amber colored drink, head pointed down towards the table. He didn’t even have the decency to look at me when I was speaking.

I took a deep, annoyed breath, countering my vision back to Max, as he said, “You’ll get in the swing of things soon enough.”

I ignored the frustration Oliver fueled in my bones and said, “Just mad I wasted a day.”

Adam tilted his glass to me, “It’s okay, Daisy. You didn’t miss much.”

“No?” I inquired, glancing around the men before me.

They all shook their heads. Cyrus frowned, “Just meetings. Boring shit like that.”

“You have all summer, Daz. You can start catching up tomorrow,” Sam reassured me again.

“Well, I am gonna go out tonight. Just for a bit,” I replied.

Max nodded appreciatively at my plans, ‘'Whatcha gonna do? Hit the town? Go dancing, maybe?”

“Eat my weight in Nando's, actually,” I giggled in response.

The boys shared a round of laughter. I glanced at Oliver, but his head was still down. He was scrolling his phone, now, frowning though the rest of us were having a great. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and looked at Cyrus. “Nando's is great. You’ll like it.”

“Hope so.”

Sam finished off his drink with just a small sip. “I should come with you.”

I waved him off, “I’ll be okay. I’m gonna be alone a lot this summer. Best to get used to it now.”

“It’s late, though,” he offered up again.

“It’s fine, I promise. I’ll give you my location and you can anxiously watch my little avatar move around London, okay?”

Sam huffed in agreement, unwilling to argue with me. I was an adult, after all. He didn’t really have a say as to what I did, though I wasn’t unappreciative of his efforts. Then, Max spoke again, “Well, you’ll have to let us take you out another time, though. Maybe even take you dancing. There’s a great nightlife here in London.”

“Yeah, that could be fun,” I nodded. My stomach growled and, luckily, I was the only one to have heard it. I began to wrap up the short conversation, “I’m gonna get going. I haven’t eaten all day and I feel like I’m gonna turn into the Hulk soon. See you all tomorrow?”

Sam stood from his seat and enveloped me in a short hug. “Be safe, Daz.”

As we pulled apart, I reached up on my toes to ruffle his sandy hair. I settled back onto my heels, my smile morphing into a mischievous smirk as I thought of a silly way to throw him off. I tilted my head to the side, teasing, “Sure thing, Sam Ham.”

I rushed for the exit, escaping the hotel bar before he could retaliate. I knew I had made his face flush a deep red. I could even hear the band’s laughter trailing behind me as they teased him for the nickname. It was a good start to what felt like it could be one of the best summer’s of my life.

As long as Oliver stayed out of my way.

I was gone for just two hours. I struggled to find Nando’s at first because Google had me walking in circles. But with a little help from a CVS worker, I finally reached the restaurant. I ordered a little more food than I was probably able to eat because I wanted to sample the popular menu. Between the mass amount of food and the speed at which I ate, it wasn’t long until I was full.

After I left the building, I took a stroll, finally in a decent enough headspace to be able to appreciate the lit-up city. It was Monday, and nearly 10pm, so most of the shops and bars were closed for the evening. When something interested me, I simply wrote down in my notes app so I could remember to come back. Tomorrow, I decided, I would return to this little corner of the world.

Elated with the excitement of this promising journey, the mood only heightened from the hunger dissipated in my bones, I made it back to the hotel. Though Sam had promised me he would stay up, he was curled up under the blankets, passed out. I wasn’t mad- I knew he needed to get a good night’s rest. Besides, back home, I lived alone, came and went late at night all the time. I didn’t need him to look out for me to this extreme extent. I tucked the blankets up under his chin a bit more snugly, plugged his phone in, and ensured I was quiet as I got myself ready to lay down.

However, I threw the covers off of myself after struggling to sleep for over an hour. My body was buzzing. I was just not going to be able to fall asleep for a while. I could feel the energy pulsing through my body, excitement forcing my once tired eyes to jolt open unwillingly. I needed to get up, move around, do something to get this jumpiness to leave me alone.

I pulled my once abandoned hoodie overtop my pj set, shoved my feet into the pair of slippers I’d packed. Rummaging through the mini-fridge, I pulled out a few small bottles of liquor- three vodka shots, one Jack Daniels. These few should be enough to get me to sleep.

I piled them into my purse, grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and headed out the door. I didn’t know where I was going when I got into the elevator, but my eyes scanned over the button pad and found an option for the roof. That seemed like a good enough place to chill for a while.

The air was cold, but not in a bitter way. My warm skin almost welcomed the stark contrast. It seemed to coax the buzz of energy out of my system once I began to shiver. There were a few patio chairs set up around fire pits or grills. I picked a huddle that was positioned towards the corner of the roof, sitting myself criss-cross on a maroon-colored couch.

I unlocked my phone and shuffled my liked songs playlist on Spotify. I uncapped one of the shots and downed it with a scrunched face. I never much liked the taste of alcohol because it was so bitter. And, then, because of that, tolerance was low and I was an annoying light weight. It immediately made my chest feel warm. At least two of these would probably coax me to sleep, no problem.

“Gonna share?”

I flinched at the deep voice, eyes snapping from examining the front of the bottle to the body seated across the firepit from me. It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the light from the small tiki lamps surrounding our section of the roof. But, when they did, my pupils widened in slight shock.

“How long have you been sitting there?” I replied, tone a little more than annoyed that he was just now announcing himself.

“Long enough to know you can’t take a shot,” there was a smirk in his voice, a cockiness that made me want to wipe it clean off his pink, plump lips.

“Sorry I’m not an alcoholic,” I snide back. “If you want one, you have to come get it, by the way. I’m comfy now.”

“Comfy with this trash music playing?” He quipped, though he stood and reached out for the alcohol..

I begrudgingly handed him a vodka bottle, though his comment only annoyed me further, “Real men like Taylor Swift.”

“Hey, haven’t you heard? I’m a vessel. Not a man.”

I watched in silence as he took the shot. He held my eyes in his. There was a teasing sense edging at his pupils. I couldn’t quite read what he intended with his gaze, his quips. Maybe he was really trying to piss me off even more. I already figured him an asshole, based off of how he acted each time I saw him today. But, with every sentence that passed, this belief was only carved deeper.

I pressed my lips together in an attempt to soothe my frustration. If he really just wanted to get on my nerves, I wasn’t going to let him know it was working. I would just be sickly sweet in return. “So, Vessel, what are you doing up here? Can’t sleep?”

“Obviously,” he waved me off.

I watched him for another moment, wondering what I could say to bother him back. He took a cigarette and a lighter from his hoodie pocket. The end of it glowed red from the small flame. and he sunk it between his lips. When he pulled it out, he flicked his brows at me, as if to offer a drag. I frowned, head shaking, “That’s okay. Thanks.”

“Hm…too good for a smoke, then?” He flicked off the end of the cigarette, sending ashes down to his pant leg, onto the concrete of the roof below us.

I watched as they fell, a glare in my gaze, “More like my mom died of lung cancer because she smoked for thirty years.”

Oliver held the cigarette mid-air, paused from bringing it to his lips. He flicked his brows again, rubbed his lips together, Then, he tossed the stick onto the floor and stomped it with the toe of his boot. “Sorry.”

“Mhm,” I challenged, knowing I now had the upper-hand because of his obvious guilt. All I could think was that I really did not like him. But he was so fucking hot.

“I’d ask what you’re doing up, but I figured you wouldn’t be able to sleep after the day you had.”

“Yeah, no,” I chuckled dryly.

Oliver peeled his eyes from my face, looking out over the city lights sprawled out before us. He pondered for a moment, the process obvious because of the way it sat on his face- his eyes darkened, his brows furrowed, and he frowned. I wanted to make a comment about how I could see the smoke billowing from his ears as he thought, but he met my eye again.

“What’s your deal, Daisy?”

I wouldn’t admit it, but I loved the way my name sounded on his pretty pink lips. I wanted to hear it, closer, right next to my ear, in a much darker setting, wearing way less clothing. I shook away the thought, hoping it wasn’t obvious that he had thrown me for a loop. I ignored the smirk that curled on his mouth, shifted in my seat, and shrugged, “What the fuck does that mean?”

Oliver laughed, a dry, hollow sound that I quite enjoyed. I opened the other shot of vodka and went to take it, needing desperately to quiet my brain. But, he replied, “What are you here for?”

“What are you here for?” I leaned forward to toss him the bottle of Jack Daniels.

He took it, then stretched his arms out over the back of the couch he sat upon, the bottle hanging loosely from his fingers.. “Good question. For our music, I suppose. To perform it for our listeners.”

“That’s not what you’re here for,” I rejected his words, shaking my head just slightly, “That’s what everyone else is here for. What about you, Oliver?”

He glanced around. Smoke, ears again. I nearly cracked a smile at the parallel before he finally responded, “To…worship. To celebrate my music, myself…life.”

I held the shot out towards him, offering a cheer up to what he had said, “To life.”

Oliver leaned forward on the couch, stopping me before I could take the shot, “Wait, what about you?”

“There’s no deeper meaning to anything I do,” I waved him off with a small giggle. The air between us was growing more comfortable as we opened up to each other. Maybe Sam was right- maybe Oliver just needed to get to know me before he stopped being an ass. It didn’t make it okay, that he was like that. It was definitely a trauma response. But, it was alright. I’d be over it by the morning, especially considering some semblance of a friendship was blossoming here between us.

“Oh, Daisy, there’s always deeper meaning to everything humans do. Think. What’s yours?” He lay a hand out, as if I had to fill that empty air with my response.

I glanced from his hand, out to the city, thinking over the question. What was mine? Why was I here? I wanted to take a break from reality before my life would really start. I wanted to see the world. I wanted to visit friends, to discover life beyond my small corner of the map. But, what did it all mean to me? What was my purpose this summer? I was always quite stagnant. I just…existed. I don’t think I ever really lived, found that meaning within what I did.

“I guess…” I met his eye again, finding some answers in my own thoughts, “I guess…to find that deeper meaning. To find what I’m looking for, maybe.”

“Then, to life…to discovering life. To finding life,” he sampled a few phrases before settling upon what he’d come up with..

We both leaned our arms out until our shot glasses clinked together. It was cheesy, meta, a conversation that, 24 hours ago, I would have snorted at. At least, that’s what the girl who boarded the plane last night would have done. Maybe I was changing already, and maybe it was for the better. Maybe this summer really would be about discovering life, discovering my own.

I didn’t think we’d find much else to talk about, but that was quickly proven wrong. We spent the next hour and a half involved in a deep conversation, swapping childhood stories, dreams, favorite songs and movies. Oliver wasn’t so bad, wasn’t so depressing as I originally thought he was. Sure, he had plenty of skeletons in the closet. But, he was funny, too, with niche interests, interesting stories that drew laughter out of me. I hadn’t thought this was possible.

Eventually, we both needed to get to bed. He had to be up in just six hours and I wanted to get a good start on the next day. I was finally starting to feel tired, too. So, we boarded the elevator together, only after tossing his cigarette bud and shot bottles into the trash.

Oliver reached across my body to press the button for our floor. As his body passed mine, I caught a sweet whiff of his cologne. It rattled my brain around. That, combined with his warm breath, and the alcohol in my system, shivered goosebumps down my spine.

As he settled back on his heels, I braved a glance up at his handsome face. He was already looking down at me. The small smile on his plump lips stretched into a teeth-bearing grin. I blushed at the expression on his face.

I didn’t care anymore, not about his rude greetings, his annoyed stature at the bar earlier. I didn’t care about any of it, if it would mean he would keep looking at me like he was right now.

My eyes felt like they glazed over as we stared at one another. Oliver turned his shoulder, facing his chest towards me. The action was an opening door, an encouraging lure into dark places I should stray from. But, I didn’t.

I faced him, too, fingers grasping at my hoodie sleeves, nervously. Oliver tucked his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. He spoke, softly, quietly, “You’re very pretty, Daisy.”

I blushed, again. I went to step forward, to make some sort of move in return. But, then, the elevator doors were cracking themselves open. A bell rang overhead.

I guess it broke whatever trance we were both in. Oliver stepped out first, but didn’t move to stride away. He waited for me to join him in the hall. We walked, side by side, towards our rooms, silence taking up so much space and time. Maybe I was being delusional, but I really thought he was going to make some sort of move on me. It probably wouldn’t be for the best, but…Either way, I was grateful for the bond we had begun to form. It would make for a great tour, I just knew it.

Just as I reached my door, Oliver softly called out my name. I turned to him, hand on the door knob, ready to escape into the confines of my bed to think over everything. I met his dark eyes, catching the light in the golden flecks of his pupils. He smiled, “Thanks for staying up with me.”

I couldn’t help but grin back, appreciative of the time we’d spent, hopeful for the future of our friendship (even if I had imagined him blowing my back out in the elevator). “Thank you, Oliver. Sleep well. I’ll see you in the morning.”

And see him I did.

When Sam’s alarm went off, I joined him in getting ready, deciding to hit the town early. We went down to breakfast together, my attitude a little more perkier than his, considering the jet lag had started to get to him. And, considering I was excited to see my newfound friend.

We sat with Max and Adam. I greeted them both with a kind smile, my plate of pancakes coming to rest on the table before me. We chatted just a bit, everyone a little more quiet than usual due to the slowness of the morning time.

I finished up my first pancake just as Cy and Oliver sat down with us. I looked up from my plate, grinning despite myself, and tried to meet Oliver’s eyes. “Good morning, guys.”

Cy glanced up, a tired smile on his face. “Morning, Daisy. Sleep okay?”

It took more than a moment before I looked at him, mind focused on catching Oliver’s eyes, “Yeah, thanks. Struggled for a bit, but managed to get to sleep after Ol-”

“Butter,” Oliver reached out a hand, eyes trained onto his plate.

I peeled my gaze from Cy, my smile faltering when I realized Oliver was holding out a hand towards me. He was waiting for me to pick up the plate and hand it to him, without any sign of a please or, God forbid, a greeting. Not to mention, he interrupted me as soon as I had begun to mention our escapade from the night before.

I narrowed my eyes, hoping my burning stare would rattle him. But, it did nothing, so I picked up the butter and shoved it into his hand. He settled it onto the table before him and didn’t say anything else.

What was going on here?

I was thrown for a loop, which seemed to just be the case when it came to him. He was a game, I realized now. And, I did not plan on playing it. Cy looked up from his plate, “After what, Daisy?”

I tried again, just to confirm if that interruption had been as intentional as it seemed, “After Ol-”

He coughed. He coughed right through my words, stopping me from saying his name; again. His gaze was still locked on his plate as he buttered his toast. He blinked. Didn’t make any move to excuse himself, apologize. Nothing.

I gave up then, reading the situation well enough to understand he didn’t want anyone to know about last night. I settled on saying, “After downing a couple shots of vodka. Helped me get to…sleep.” I continued to watch Oliver as I spoke, my -tone flat, frown settled deep into my cheeks.

Cyrus responded, though I wasn’t listening anymore. Max conversed back, moving onto some wild, drunken story from last tour, intended to make me laugh. I tried to catch onto their words, tried to give them the chuckles they searched for. The attention they deserved, and Oliver did not.

But, I couldn’t draw my eyes from his face. After a few minutes, he finally glanced up, though it was quickly, barely looking long enough for me to catch his eyes.

This was going to be a long summer.

#sleep token!vessel x reader #sleep token x you #sleep token smut #sleep token x reader #sleep token #vessel sleep token #sleep token vessel #sleep token iv #sleep token iii #iii sleep token #vessel x reader #vessel x you #vessel #sleep token band #sleep token worship

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babiebom · 2 months

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Hiiii. I hope ur ok with my just constantly being like *ahem* spencer reid 👉🏻👈🏻🥹🥹. I loved how you wrote him in the last request! I feel like a lot of the time, people write him very ooc - just bc he can be hard to get written the right way, but like that's my boy, look at him spitting random facts for HOURS 🥰🥰?? Like yes, pls info dump on me while I stare at u lovingly, Spence 💞.

I recently came to terms with being ftm, but it's almost impossible to find any male! reader x Spencer Reid content. Which can be very dysphoric 😵‍💫. Which sucks! Bc holy hell, there are some fuckinnn amazing writers out there writing fanfics.

So now, I have come to you, an amazing writer out here writing fanfics, to beg ask if ud be down to write any kind of oneshot with Spencer Reid dating a male reader! It honestly doesn't have to be anything specific - romantic, angsty, enemies to lovers, slow burn, whatever peaks ur interest atm!

I would just love, love to have that content with Spence & a male reader if you're down for the task! Thank you so so muchh 💓. Hope ur having a wonderful morning / afternoon / evening !

A/N:im sorry this took so long!! I’ve been busy working (blegh) and I wanted to write something sweet for you!! I’m happy you’ve come to terms with being ftm!! As a cis identifying person myself I can’t say that I know how it feels, but I am VERY happy that you’re more comfortable with your identity!! Also never worry about being too “crazy” over Spencer I’ve been obsessed with him since I was about 5 or 6 (yes it’s been a long time)!! I’ll try more to write in a more gender neutral way when writing anything reader insert related that way you can enjoy my writing without feeling left out or anything!! Always let me know if there are things I can do better <3

Tw: maybe some cursing but overall should be wholesome

Wc: 0.54k

Criminal Minds Masterlist

Spencer Reid often came home dejected after a case gone wrong, it was often that he came home tired but happy after a successful case. It wasn’t often, however, that he came home excited for a break; but then again he hadn’t had a boyfriend to come home to on previous breaks. Now, as you watch him walk through the front door of your shared apartment, you can’t help but grin at the absolutely goofy look on his face.

“Emily gave us all 4 weeks off to rest after our latest case, so that means I get four WHOLE weeks of you to myself! Isn’t that great?” He lets out a giggle after he finishes speaking, putting his bag down on the kitchen counter. You didn’t even have to ask him why he was so giddy, he answered unprompted.

“It is great!” You try to match his energy, only seeing him this excited for the first time since you’ve met. He brings you into his embrace, hugging you so tightly that you think you might die if he squeezed you any tighter. “So what are your plans now that you’re a free man for four whole weeks?”

“Well we could go to the park and play chess, or stay here and play chess but I think the sunlight would be good for both of us. Or we could go to the movies, or take a class together, or…”

“Your plans are to just have dates with me every single day?” You ask, quirking an eyebrow.

He nods as if the answer is the most obvious, concrete fact in the universe. He looks at you, not as if you’re dumb, but as if to say ‘duh what else would I be planning to do?’.

The two of you move to sit on the couch, enveloped in each other as he talks about the many, many dates you’re going to go on now that he’s free from his time constricting job. “What if I don’t wanna do those things?” You ask playfully. He shrugs.

“It doesn’t matter what we do, as long as I get to do it with you”.

“Oh?” You look at him as if he said something scandalous, “I didn’t know you had that big of a crush on me.”

He shoves you gently, rolling his eyes at your attempt to joke off his sweet words.

“You’re joking but studies have found that couples who have regular date nights more often result in higher relationship satisfaction, better communication, and a stronger emotional connection. Us going on dates during these four weeks will be better for us in the long run.”

You don’t reply, or interrupt. It’s always amusing to listen to him ramble on and on about facts that he finds interesting or applicable to the conversation. And all it does is make you fall more in love with him, seeing how serious he is about your relationship working out in the future. He says that he loves you often, but it’s things like this; seeing and listening to how much he genuinely cares about your relationship.

Being the boyfriend of a pretty boy genius has its perks, and how much he cares about you compared to others is definitely one of them.

#criminal minds x reader #criminal minds oneshot #criminal minds #criminal minds drabble #criminal minds fluff #cm oneshots #cm x reader #cm spencer reid #cm #cm dribbles #spencer reid headcanon #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid #spencer reid fluff #cm fluff #spencer reid x male reader

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beesxrated · 2 months

Text

A Noble Exercise

Tav x Wyll wedding with some spice. ��

The wedding starts out with an orange sun just above the horizon. The house is buzzing with energy and excitement. You never get to catch a glimpse or hear anything about Wyll. As all of the preparations begin getting finished your palms start to sweat. After all your time fighting the cultists and your years in Avernus this is the most nervous you've been. All that time you had several friends and allies who knew exactly what you were going through and may have been going through the same. Now, however, it's just you and Wyll. Some of your friends are still by your side, but none of them are married, let alone in a long term relationship.

The long flowing sleeves of your dress begin to frustrate you as you try to keep your hands busy. You angrily throw the train over your shoulder and push the fabric up. You would be more comfortable getting married in your armor. Karlach bursts through the door at the perfect time. You were just about to change into your usual armor.

She grabs you with tears in her eyes, "You look so beautiful."

Her hug is extremely tight and you can't manage any words. When she finally releases you she sees how distraught you are. She immediately goes into Momma K mode. She brushes your hair and puts it out of your face. She tells you all the things she's heard about Wyll getting ready and how nervous everyone is saying he is. Hearing how Wyll is as nervous as you are, makes you feel a little less scared.

When the time comes you make your way down the aisle. Halsin agreed to marry the two of you. Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard agreed to walk you down to Wyll, seeing as you had no family left. Gale, Minsc, and Lae'zel stand next to Wyll. Shadowheart, Karlach, and Astarion stand on the other side.

When you pictured your wedding growing up, you never imagined a vampire or githyanki being your most important people, let alone marrying a well-known folk hero. You'd always pictured a comment that had smitten you, made you feel as though you were some sort of noble. Wyll thought writing vows to each other would be more personal and fit the life you have and will continue to lead. It's another thing you never thought about when you were younger.

When Halsin finally reaches the vows it's your turn first, "I promise to dream with you, to build a family with you and to encourage you. I admire you. Simply because of your kind soul, tender heart, and positive mindset. I especially appreciate your endearing sense of humor. I am ever so grateful for your love and selflessness. In return, I offer these promises. I promise to always be your perfect dancing partner."

"Love is a word that is much too soft and used far too often to ever describe the fierce, infinite and blazing passion that I have in my heart for you. Falling for you wasn't falling at all—it was walking into a house and knowing you're home. Everything in me recognizes your heart as my home and your arms, my shelter. Your youth may fade away, but your smile will always remind me of that time I first saw you in the moonlight at the teifling party." Wyll says it all so effortlessly. He somehow pours the love he has for you into every word.

The rest of the ceremony and kiss feels rushed and it begins to make your head spin. The party is about to begin and you have barely been able to sit down. The moment your lips parted everyone was pushed to the ballroom. You see the sun is just an hour above the horizon. Has the day really been that fast?

You and Wyll dance and meet all the guests, many of whom he knew growing up. The two of you barely have time to talk with lines waiting to congratulate you when you take a break from the dancing. Wyll's hand stays interlocked with yours and squeezes when he notices how tired you are.

When the party is finally over the moon is almost at its peak in the sky. You make your way to your room, Wyll follows close behind. You turn to him and he shuts the door quickly behind him. As he begins to strip you give him a pointed look. It's been a long day, you haven't been planning on any sort of extra curricular activity.

Once he gets down to his undergarments he sighs and flops onto the bed, "Do you need help with your dress?"

"Yes, I just..." You drop your arms to your side, "I don't have the energy to do... Anything..."

He jumps up and begins unlacing your dress, "I was not looking for sex if that's what you mean. It's been too long of a day. I just want to hold you, make you feel less stressed." He pulls the dress off your shoulders and falls to the floor, "I am happy to wait for morning, or however long it takes."

Wyll pulls you down to the bed and holds you close to his chest. With little effort the two of you fall asleep. In the morning you feel more refreshed and rested. Wyll is awake next to you, reading a book. You shuffle over and lay on his chest.

"Good morning, myn lykyng." Wyll smiles down at you.

You lean up and kiss him. As you try to pull away he follows you. His hand cups your face as he attempts to place the half read book on the table. But when you hear a loud thud you know he's missed. He follows you all the way onto your back. The tension between the two of you begins to grow as he kisses you deeply, placing his hips between your legs.

He pulls away quickly, "Is this okay?"

You nod before pulling his lips back to yours. The two of you agreed to doing nothing physical for three months before the wedding. It was hard, but it's not like you actually had sex with each other. You touched and that was about it. Not from lack of trying, but in the Hells simply touching was hot enough.

He pulls away and rips the remaining clothes you had on, off. His lips feel as hot as the Hells as they make their way down your stomach. His tongue pushes into you, his nose grazing your clit. He seems surprisingly good since he'd never done it before.

He begins to slow his movements and pulls away, "Is that good?"

"Yes." You laugh as he gets back to it.

You grip his horns to guide him to the right movements. He's a fast learner and soon you're holding on for your sanity. He pulls away for a few moments, kissing your thighs. His teeth graze your skin. He continues kissing your tights and up to your hips, causing you to beg.

"Wyll." You moan and try to redirect his head using his horns, "Please."

He smiles into your hip bone before plunging back between your legs. You see him moving more than he was before and he groans into you. You pull at his horns asking for more friction. Wyll pulls his face away and climbs you. He rubs against you, letting you feel how aroused he is through his underwear.

He drags a hand down his face quickly, places a kiss on your lips, and pulls off his underwear. You admire him kneeling in front of you before he pushes himself forward. It's slow and slightly painful as you get used to him. When you finally start taking pleasure from him he quickens his pace and strengthens his thrusts.

Wyll keeps his lips locked with yours as it all comes way too quickly to an end. He pulses inside you and you feel shaky under him. He holds himself above you, not wanting to collapse and hurt you, he slowly falls onto the bed next to you.

Wyll breaks the silence, "I like when you grab my horns."

"Oh?" You smile at him, never expecting him to enjoy that.

"I don't know how to explain it. It feels nice."

You reach over and stroke the smooth horn. He shivers at the touch. You wish you would've known before, it seems like a good way to tease him or even give him some sort of pleasure while he pleases you. You let your hand fall down and brush his hair from his face. He's let his hair grow out and curl. The curls extenuate his horns and for some reason you find it very attractive. In fact the aging he has done in the past few years has made him far more attractive to you. Nothing looks bad on him.

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drdemonprince · 8 months

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I had a great time this afternoon but no matter how genuinely good I feel around people, I always feel exhausted afterwards. I am going to rest now but I really would love if I didn't feel like this every single time. I've been trying to do it for months and I feel good, happy for being around people I can talk with and spend a good time all around, and I cherish that time. I also know that good feeling is gonna help me feel better tomorrow, but tonight I just feel like I climbed a really big mountain. Do you think it's bad if I never stop feeling this tired after spending time around people?

It's not bad at all. I think it might be more productive for you to plan around it and treat it as a thing to expect rather than an outcome to avoid or a sign that you've done something wrong. People experience big drops from all kinds of lovely experiences -- after sex or kinky scenes, after conventions, after vacations, after a great date -- it's not only an Autistic experience and it's not a sign of a failure, but rather the body regulating itself after a peak of energy and connectedness. It's also one part of realizing just how much you enjoyed the experience and how much it meant to you. Returning to everyday life can feel like drudgery in comparison, and the stimulation of the moment might have been exhausting to process because it was so meaningful to you, or because you don't get that kind of closeness a lot. I'd encourage you to keep at it, budgeting in time for rest and recovery, and make a plan for how you will soothe any negative emotions you feel in addition to the exhaustion. I find that spending a lot of time with good people exhilarates me, but also drains me enough that I find old videos and videogames that sometimes bore me interesting again. Leaving the house makes returning home feel nicer than staying there, holding those two experiences in balance helps me cherish both things. You may also find that with practice you get less emotionally flooded by some of these experiences, which could be a great bonus if you do want to socialize even more, but it's fine if it never changes.

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rhoorl · 1 month

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Hiiiiii 💗

I'm skipping into your askbox, hopping onto the bed on my stomach and kicking my feet in the air with my hands on my cheeks while I excitedly listen to you answer the following question:

We see the Miller brothers argue and physically fight in Triple Frontier (with other honourable mentions of sass between them). How many times do you think they've absolutely beat the shit out of each other over the years?

Who is most likely to antagonize the other? Have there been any serious injuries or repercussions as the result of a spat?

With love,

The other slut who loves watching them fight 🫠

OMG @laurfilijames I loved this ask! I also cracked up at how you signed it because like same, this is me when they got into it

I'll have you know, I stared at that first gif for a very long time too. Ok, let's get to the answer, it's below the cut because you know I'm long-winded AF.

Ooof, these two 🫠 So I think they definitely grew up roughhousing with each other. Benny is so full of energy that he was always bouncing off the walls. I think they grew up as big fans of big pro wrestling, so they’d practice moves on each other (let that visual sink in).

More often than not though, I think they just got into more verbal spats and would push each other around. (Am I looking for any excuse to post a gif of Benny yelling, yes, yes I am)

Now, there have been a few instances where it got a little out of hand and they needed to be separated - a black eye here or there, a bloodied up lip, split knuckles…lots and lots of sweat and panting…no the latest episode of SOA I watched didn't totally send me down a rabbit thot hole

Will you just look at those two...

I think that more often than not, Benny is the one to antagonize Will and Big Brother needs to put his little bro in his place. Will strikes me as the kind of guy who once he’s pissed he’s PISSED and you better look out. One thing about these boys though is they love their momma and try their hardest to not let it get too out of hand in front of her – she can’t stand to see her two babies fighting.

Now if you’ll indulge me in a little DL back story…it’s been established so far that Benny had a pretty toxic ex and she ended up isolating him from the boys. Will tried to confront him once and it didn’t end up well. Benny was on the defensive and ended up beating the shit out of Will (Benny was in peak MMA fighting mode at the time) and broke his jaw. The two didn’t talk for a couple of months after that but Frankie and Joel stepped in to try and repair things. Frankie’s always been a bit of a Benny whisperer and Joel can offer some advice to Will as a big brother who frequently needs to put his little brother in his place too.

I didn’t mean for that to take such an angsty turn lol… back to thinking thots of these two play fighting in the backyard and one of them tossing the other into the pool and laughing.

Your fellow slut,

Jess

#rhoorl asks #laur always come through with the thots #triple frontier headcanons #delta landscaping

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yandere-genji · 2 years

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Omfg you’re bully!Gabriel had me weak in the knees!!! Please make a second part! I’d very much appreciate it!!!

hnng after writing these college au prompts i am actually convinced this is peak content//fem!reader in this one homies

The semester had started just a few weeks ago but you dove headfirst into your studies like a madman. Carefully studying your textbook and making notes for chapters well in advance, this was the part of your studies that invigorated you the most. You truly enjoyed the material and what would seem like a chore to anyone else was an odd thrill to you. Not only that, but studying was enriching and you hoped your future would benefit from your dedication to your field. Still, you missed socializing with your friends.

In fact, since your encounter with Gabe, you had become a recluse. The last thing you wanted was to chance another run-in with him. It must’ve gotten him off knowing he had such an effect on you, but you didn’t care to indulge him any further than that. So, you continued your studies but never stayed on campus long enough to fraternize with anyone. After class, you went straight to the comfort of your dorm, where you were sure to be safe.

Your dorm mate, Angela, was your only source of interaction. The two of you got along well, both hardworking students. You understood each other, it had been a blessing that she was assigned as your roommate. And she was happy to be your shoulder to lean on while you were keeping to yourself, allowing you to rant about your courses and professors as you pleased. But to your dismay, Angela had grown concerned for you. Obviously you had undergone a change of some kind, one that was affecting you for the worse.

“You know,” she chided, “I can’t be your only source of comfort. I love you, honey, but what’s going on with you?”

You sighed, not wanted to go through the stress of explaining anything to her, “I just…I don’t know. College, I guess.”

“My God, you’re a terrible liar,” she scoffed, “Am I going to have to mother you like this the whole semester?”

“I mean…” you rolled onto your back, looking up at her from your mattress, “am I so needy that I’m becoming a nuisance?”

Angela giggled and sat against your mattress on the floor, meeting your eyes with her icy blues, “I’m just worried. We should go out sometime together. You know, somewhere that’s not here.”

You shrugged, “Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad. But I have some exams coming up that I have to study for…”

She cut you off, “You’ve been studying for those exams for weeks. Come on, it’s Halloween season, you know. Ana is hosting a costume party and I’m just dying to go, I have the cutest angel outfit, wanna see?”

“Jesus, it’s almost November, and then December. Angela, before we know it, the semester’s over!” you propped yourself up on your elbows, “Ugh. Whatever. I kinda wanna see your costume, though. What’re you going for, like a Victoria’s Secret vibe or like Catholic school stage play angel?”

“That’s the best part,” she jumped up, headed for the closet, “it’s both!”

Seeing her so excited made you match her energy. It had been some time since you dressed up for Halloween. And you’d never been to a costume party before, let alone a college party. It sounded like great fun.

Angela emerged from the closet, glowing brightly from the sequins of her white dress. She looked radiant, the corset of the dress fit snuggly around her waist and the short skirt puffed around her hips. It seemed like the dress had been made for her. She flashed you a beaming smile, “What do you think? Isn’t it cute? Oh, you have to come to the party. We should have matching costumes!”

You were never as giddy as when you were with Angela. She brought out the girly side of you that laid dorment whenever you were enveloped in your coursework. You stood up and fiddled with the wings attached to her back, “It’s so cute on you, Angie, but I couldn’t pull something like that off. Plus, it suits you better.”

She pushed your hand away and began to take the wings off of her, “Try it, at least. See if you like it.”

The pajamas you had on would certainly look silly with the wings, you thought, but she insisted. The elastic bands pulled at your shoulders and chaffed your skin. You examined yourself in the mirror, clearly uncomfortable.

“Seriously, Angie, you’re much more the angel type,” you started, already taking off the wings, “I don’t know. I think I’d like to go to the party, but I have no idea what I’d go as.”

She hummed inquisitively, examining you like the fairy godmother of your dreams, “They have those Halloween stores this time of year. Why don’t we shop around today, get you ready for the party. It’s not until the weekend anyways, plenty of time to get you dolled up.”

You agreed, no longer hesitant and finally ready to leave your books and pajamas behind. The two of you set off to a large strip mall just outside campus that had been decorated to theme. Purple and orange garlands framed the stores and pumpkins littered the ground with the vibrant fall leaves. Angela led you by the hand to a large department store full of costumes. Witches, clowns, a bloody nurse, a zombie maid, and a very tempting banana suit. But none of them seemed to appeal to you.

“Oh my gosh, this is perfect for you!” Angela almost squealed in excitement.

“What is it?” you asked, discarding a pirate wench’s corset dress.

She lifted up a plaid, pleated skirt shorter than your own underwear, “Slutty schoolgirl, what do you think? I mean, it’s basically what you wear everyday. Just slut-ified.”

“Great…” you groaned, turning away from her and averting your attention to a werewolf mask on the make up shelf next to you.

It had masks and palettes with artificial blood. Strange to think people willingly put that stuff on their face. Lord knows what was in those things. The palettes were cheap and certainly weren’t made from the highest quality face products. You could already feel your skin breaking out just by being in proximity to them.

“Oh,” you heard Angela raise her voice behind you, “what’s this?”

She picked up some sort of pencil, it looked like an eyebrow pencil but the tip was a much darker black than what you had seen. She looked at the pencil, then at you, then the pencil again. Her brain was brewing up an idea that you weren’t sure you were going to like.

“You know, there is a universal Halloween costume that I know you will like,” she began, “something so basic but so cute that you can’t possibly say no to it!”

You were not sure where she was getting this newfound confidence from, but she had your attention by the way she was selling her idea. “And that is?” you asked.

“A black cat!” she opened her mouth in feigned shock, “My goodness, what an idea! And I could be a witch! Oh, that’d be so adorable! Oh, let’s do it!”

“What about your angel costume?” you asked.

“Oh, well. I mean, I just had to buy the wings, I already had that dress from my sweet sixteen. Or was it prom? Can’t remember,” she shrugged, “Come on, let’s pick out a witch costume and see what else they have for you, my kitty.”

Angela was already getting into character, there was certainly no swaying her now. Besides, going as a cat wasn’t so bad. She was right, it would be cute couple’s costume. You sighed, “Alright, let’s go.”

You felt like an actual pet being led by Angela as she scoured the aisles looking for accessories for the both of you. In the end, she decided on some fluffy cat ears that tied around your own, a thin choker attached to a leash and a flattering black skin suit fitted with a fuzzy tail. For herself, she found a short witch’s dress with matching gloves, a hat, and a wooden broom, of course. Both of you went into the fitting rooms to try on your outfits. Your suit hugged your curves and complimented the shape of your body. The leash, in your humble opinion, was a little much for you, but Angela insisted upon it. You were surprised with the quality of the costume and were content to wear it for the party. Angela was too, happily praising her own styling intuition. It was beginning to darken outside and the two of you headed back to your dorm after a successful day of shopping.

——

Your days were starting to look brighter. There was something to look forward to and because of the busy fall season, you were able to keep to yourself. Angela wasn’t pestering you about leaving the dorm and your anxieties about Gabe were getting weaker by the day. If this was becoming your new norm, it wasn’t so bad.

The party came sooner than expected and you were nervous as ever the day of. To you knowledge, only Angela and a couple of people you knew would be in attendance. Ana was an acquaintance, you had seen her at the library cafe from time to time and waved to her, but the two of you had completely different majors. She was close to Angela, but you didn’t know much else about her.

Angela said there would be boys too, much to your dismay. There were two suitors of hers she was anticipating to meet. One of which was Genji. You shared your comp sci class with him and he was a good guy as far as you were concerned. He was cute and seemed like a good fit for her. Then there was Jack. You’d seen him with Gabe, and that was as much information as you needed to know about him. He seemed cocky, probably only wanted Angela for her looks, something to show off at parties. You told her you much preferred Genji, and she agreed.

“But men have to earn you,” she said, “or else it’s too easy for them. It’s like playing tug of war with a puppy. You know you’re going to win, but it’s no fun for them that way.”

“Um,” you started reluctantly, “I don’t know if that’s true at all.”

“Oh, what do you know about boys, you’re still a virgin!” she giggled at herself and your cheeks burned red.

“Whatever…” you replied, “how big is this party going to be? I might have to cling to you.”

“Oh, you’ll definitely have to cling to me. Why do you think I insisted on matching?” she said, patting her face with blush.

“You’re okay with me being so clingy?” you asked.

“I’m well used to it by now,” she smiled at you, brushing her hair.

“I’m not usually like this, you know,” you started, “it’s just been so weird lately.”

“Dont worry about it. If you need me, I’ll be here. Let’s just enjoy our time tonight, yea?” her words soothed you and the two of you agreed to ride whatever wave of emotion you were on until it subsided. You weren’t sure where you would be without Angela holding your hand through this. Her words about you being a virgin reminded you again of Gabe and you wondered if he would show his face at the party. Jack was going, sure, but probably only to met Angela there. Gabe definitely didn’t seem the type to go to a costume party and you doubted he even knew Ana or Angela very well if at all. You deserved some time away from all the drama and stress of college, you thought. This was the perfect opportunity to decompress and allow yourself some fun.

Once the two of you were dressed and made up, you eagerly drove out to Ana’s house in the suburbs. It was festive, the lawn was decorated with skeletons, bones, tombstones, and a blown-up haunted house gated the entrance. Ana was waiting outside, dressed like a pirate with a fake parrot over her shoulder. Her smile was inviting and she welcomed you with open arms.

“Argh mateys,” she mustered her best pirate voice, though it wasn’t very convincing, “are ye ready to party?”

“What is wrong with you?” Angela scoffed, “That voice is painful.”

“Fine, but you can’t tell me this isn’t the best pirate costume you have ever seen,” Ana retorted. It really was, you had to admit. The neutral leathers of her belt complimented her white blouse and flowing pants.

“The boots are a nice touch, with the heels and all,” you complimented her with a smile.

“Don’t entertain her,” Angela chided, “it’ll go right to her head.”

“Not as fast as the rum will,” Ana opened the door to her house and gestures for the two of you to come inside.

The interior was just as festive. It was illuminated by purple string lights and tv screens playing old horror movies you didn’t recognize. Bottles of liquor and fruit juice lined the kitchen along with bowls of snacks and candy. You were tempted to drift away from Angela that instant, but she pulled you by the hand to a crowd of people on the couch.

There was Genji. Dressed as a flashing neon green power ranger, smiling from ear to ear and looking directly at Angela. He was like a fool in love, it was sweet to witness. With him was another man who looked a couple years older than him, same black hair but longer and tied back. He wore a beautiful black suit, Men in Black, maybe? There was no obvious indication of what his costume was. Across the boys were two girls, one with a high ponytail in a graceful ballet dress and another with a striking duo-toned black and white updo that flattered her pained green skin. Bride of Frankenstein, easily the best costume you’d seen yet. You didn’t recognize any of them, but Angela was quick to introduce you.

“Scoot over, Genji. Make some room for us,” Angela patted the spot next to her and you sat, “Have you met Hanzo before? He’s Genji’s brother.”

Hanzo gave you a curt nod, said something to Genji, and returned his attention to his drink. You met the attention of the girl in the ponytail across from him.

“Hi,” you extended a hand, “I don’t think we’ve met, what’s your-“

“Amelie,” she replied before you finished, her tongue was sweet and smooth as silk, “This is my friend, Olivia.”

“Friends, are we?” she laughed, looked at you, “nice to meet you, heard a lot about you.”

“Me?” you asked puzzled.

“Uh-huh,” she rose from her seat, “excuse me, there’s someone I have to met.”

Something about her tone left you feeling uneasy, like there was some nefarious plan you weren’t left privy to. But Angela kept you from thinking any further into it, offering you a bottle of beer.

“No thanks,” you said, “I don’t know if we should be drinking tonight.”

Her and Genji laughed, “You’re at a party, honey,” she wrapped your fingers around the bottle, “live a little, yea?”

And you did. Although Hanzo seemed stone cold, he loosened up with a few drinks and was eager to chat with you and the group. He told you stories of his childhood with Genji in Japan. There was a lot to learn from him and Genji often interrupted his brother before he was about to say something extremely embarrassing. You and Amelie bonded over a few drinks, both of you being impartial to beer, she offered you mixed fruit drinks instead. She had you giggling like a school girl as she played with your costume.

“I wanted to be cat woman,” she explain, “but didn’t have the time to prepare a proper costume. You look exquisite.”

It made you blush, though it was hardly noticeable through your drunken red face, “I think you would’ve made a great cat woman. You’re a beautiful ballerina.”

She cackled, very amused at your joke. You didn’t quite understand what was so funny, but you gave a light chuckle to entertain her, “Look at you, you’re laughing and yet you have no idea why.”

You weren’t sure if she was mocking you or genuinely thought you were endearing, “Sorry, maybe it’s the alcohol.”

“Well, you two are really enjoying each other’s company!” Angela remarked, “Wanna go outside for a bit? I have to touch up my makeup, the heat in here is unbearable.”

“Sure,” you replied, you weren’t sure what she had in mind, but she came to the party with a plan and you intended to help her, “Amelie? Want to join us?”

The three of you took your leave and left the two brothers behind. You followed Angela to the back of the house with Amelie in tow. It was much quieter and intimate, a nice relief from the crowded party.

“Ugh, I’m starting to drink too much,” Angela bemoaned, taking a breath of the fresh air, “if Jack doesn’t come soon I might just fall asleep in Genji’s arms.”

“Jesus, Angela,” you reprimanded her, “why even bother with Jack? You’re playing those two boys.”

“I admire you, Angela,” Amelie said and turned to you, putting a gentle hand on your shoulder, “those two boys need something to play with or they tire quickly. You’re too innocent, dear. These are just the ways of a masterful seductress.”

The two girls laughed among themselves. You sighed, “Not you too, Amelie. This is just cruel. Genji is so sweet, he really brings out the best in you. And Jack…he’s so upity.”

“Why don’t you just take Genji for yourself, then,” Amelie suggested.

“What? No way, he’s not even into me. I’m not into him, either. But him and Angela really make a cute couple,” you said, looking to Angela. She seemed to be eating up the conversation with a satisfied grin.

“Oh? What are you into, then? Not the nerdy type…maybe the jocks? Oh, don’t tell me, you’re into Jack, aren’t you?” Amelie was being obviously playful, but you weren’t sober enough to detect it.

“No! You know there are more boy on this planet than Genji and Jack, right? Ugh, never,” you leaned against the wall, arms folded.

“Okay, let’s see. What about Hanzo? He’s handsome,” she remarked.

“I don’t know, I don’t really like to think about boys like that. I’m way too busy with school,” you said, fiddling with the leash that dangled onto your chest.

“I think you’re getting somewhere Amelie!” Angela was engrossed, hanging on the every word.

“Maybe not Hanzo. Then who else can I think of. Oh, of course! You go to the same school as Gabriel Reyes, don’t you?,” she spoke intently, closely examining your face.

At the sound of his name you couldn’t help the way your body responded. You froze, almost shuddered, and you legs involuntarily squeezed together. The heat in your face was almost unbearable, “What? Why would you even bring him up?”

Amelie chuckled and coiled a finger around the ends of her ponytail, “Just curious. He’s the biggest name at your university besides Jack, thought you might know him.”

“I don’t,” you practically snapped, like a cornered dog, “I’m sorry.”

Your own reaction stunned you once you directed the rude reply at Amelie. You had only met her just a bit ago and were projecting whatever conflicting feelings you had about Gabriel Reyes onto her. It was embarrassing. You didn’t dare look at either of the girls as you excused yourself back into the party.

It had grown louder since you first arrived. Something had changed the mood, everyone was jumping energetically to the music with alcohol in hand. You tried to make your way to something familiar, but you were lost in the sea of people. Navigating through the house seemed impossible, but you managed to stumble your way into the kitchen, holding an empty red cup close to your chest.

“Hey,” you heard a familiar voice faintly next to you. Turning your head, you noticed Olivia trying to get your attention, “You’re Angela’s friend, right?”

You nodded. She smiled, “You’re not with her?”

You just shook your head. Olivia offered you her hand, “Wanna chill?”

The two of you made you way through the crowd and up the stairs. Most of the party was below you now and Olivia took you into what you presumed to be an office of some sort. There was a computer desk across from a leather couch, occupied by a rugged man dressed as a cowboy and none other than Jack Morrison dressed as…himself, presumably.

“What in hell took you so long?” the cowboy spoke with a deep southern accent, “I was nearly about to blow my damn brains out.”

“Shut it, hillbilly,” Jack retorted, “don’t you see Olivia brought a guest.”

The sound of his voice was jarring but you followed Olivia into the room and sat among the men.

“Certainly, and what a lovely lady you are,” the cowboy extended his hand and you placed one on top of his. To your surprised, he rose your hand to his lips and gave a gentle kiss, “Name’s Cassidy.”

You blushed, unsure what to make of the man or the situation unfolding before you, “Nice to meet you.”

The door crashed open, Ana stood in the frame and raised a six-pack of beer, “Hello, old friends,” she smiled at you, “and a plus one! Perfect, a beer for each of us!”

You counted five people, including yourself. Ana handed you a beer and you held it against your chest, unsure of when or where your red cup had been discarded.

“Where the man of the hour?” Jack asked, opening his beer.

“He’ll be here shortly,” Ana turned to you, “do you need help opening that?”

“Oh, sure,” you shyly replied, not really wanting anymore to drink but perhaps if you just wet your lips…

“Don’t tell me your drinking without me,” you heard a voice speak from the open door. You froze.

“Well, shit,” Cassidy chuckled, “get yer ass in here, Reyes, I’m workin’ up a thirst sittin’ next to this jackass.”

Fuck. You wanted to jump up and run away into Angela’s arms. But something kept you in place, staring down at the beer in your hand. Your costume was beginning to feel all too revealing in front of the man you had been trying to avoid for weeks.

“Here, you can have my seat,” Olivia spoke, sitting up from next to you.

“What a doll,” with all of his weight, he plopped down next to you, making you jump.

You looked away, thumb playing with the lip of the beer bottle and eyes fixed at the hallway outside. Even when you weren’t looking at him, you could feel him staring into you.

“Yo,” he snapped a finger at you and you turned towards the sound. You couldn’t believe your eyes at first. He had really outdone himself, face painting like that of a skeleton. The hollows of his cheeks were black, same for the rest of the areas not painted white. You stared at him like a deer in headlights, “what the hell is a prude like you doing here?”

You blushed and took a breath. Before you could reply, Cassidy spoke up for you, “Shit, if she’s a prude wearing that little number, I’d like to see what the less modest ladies are wearing.”

He and Gabriel shared a hearty laugh and Ana rolled her eyes, “Now that you’re here, Gabe,” she started, “let’s have a little toast.”

Jack rose up, holding his beer out in the air, “To good company,” he looked down as Cassidy, who was beginning to light a smoke, “on second thought, to debauchery.”

Gabe laughed, shaking the couch, “That’s something I can drink to.”

And with that, everyone took a drink from their beer. You took a small sip while Gabe downed half of his in one go. It felt wrong, sitting next to him here and enjoying a beer as if nothing had happened between the two of you. And Cassidy’s comments weren’t helping you feel any more comfortable with the situation.

“Thank you for letting me drink with you guys,” you spoke shyly, “but I should really get back to Angela and see if she’s okay.”

Before you could move, Gabe put his arm around your shoulders and kept you in place with a strong grip. Your eyes met his and you couldn’t hide your anxiety any longer. He could undoubtably see what he was doing to you, a smile growing on his face, “Don’t be rude. Finish your drink.”

“Wait a minute, Gabe,” Jack interrupted, “you said you were going to find Angela?”

You nodded. Jack might be your saving grace yet.

“Let’s go. I’ve been meaning to find her all night,” Jack said, lifting himself from his seat.

“Fine,” Gabe relented, “I’ll go with you.”

“Looks like it’s just the three of us, ladies,” Cassidy sent Ana a sultry smile, to which she responded with a slap to the back of his head.

Jack began out the door, motioning with his hand for you to join, you and Gabe followed him to the party downstairs. The party was still going hard, it seemed, as the floor shook with the feet of the dancing partygoers. You searched for any sight of Angela’s blonde hair or her witch hat. It didn’t seem like she had returned to the party.

“Where did you leave her?” Jack asked, almost screaming to cut through the noise of music and guests.

“We were outside,” you explain, matching his volume, “come on, I’ll show you.”

“Fine,” he said, lowering his voice. You made your way through the party guests and opened a sliding glass door that led to the backyard. Sure enough, there was Amelie leaning against the wall and scrolling through her phone.

Before you could ask her where Angela went, Gabe greeted her, “Wow, Amelie, you’re really enjoying this party, huh?”

She put her phone in a clutch bag and turned her attention to your company, “Well, I was wondering when you would show up. Looks like you found yourself a little pet, too.”

You blushed when she smiled at you, you were really regretting going along with this costume. You cleared your throat, trying to get back on topic, “Do you know where Angela went?”

Gabe tugged lightly at the leash dangling from your collar and you looked up at him, “Don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt adults when they’re speaking?”

Amelie laughed and you slapped his hand. Jack was growing ever impatient and spoke, “I didn’t come to this party to watch your fucking foreplay. Where’s Angela?”

“Her and Genji went to the basement,” Amelie replied, “with his brother or something. Probably playing pool. Might be caught up in some other things, though…”

When her voice trailed off, Jack made a bee line into the house and disappeared into the party. You started to follow him before Gabe pulled you back.

“What’re you doing?” you asked, frustration obvious in your voice and he seemed all too amused to hear it.

“You’ve been drinking like a damn sailor,” he said, “I can smell it when you talk.”

“Oh, please, Gabe,” Amelie chimed in, “cut her a break. Heaven knows the last time you’ve had this much fun, right?”

You weren’t sure if she was referring to you or Gabe but whatever fun you had at the start of the evening was beginning to fade fast.

“I just want to find Angela and go home,” you confessed, “it’s getting late.”

“You know she’s been waiting for Jack all night, there’s no way she intends to go home just yet,” Amelie reminded you, walking towards you and Gabe. She put a hand on your shoulder and said, “I suggest you make the most of your time here.”

“I’m just going to follow Jack, then,” you said, hoping they would let you go, but you should’ve known better.

“She really is rude, you know,” Amelie said, patting your shoulder before making her leave. When she opened the door, she turned to chide you again before leaving, “Be a good girl, now.”

You looked up at Gabe, that same feeling in your stomach you felt in the locker room came back again and you were suddenly reminded of what you had been hoping to avoid. How could you feel so alone and vulnerable in a house full of people? It didn’t make much sense, but your heart raced and you hushed the urge to cry. His face was concealed through the paint, even the line of his lips was difficult to make out. Still, he stared down at you with his hand still holding your arm. Your face burned hot again knowing how tight your costume was against your body, it was suffocating when his eyes trailed downward.

“Cassidy was right,” he began, “for a prude, you’re really dressed like a slut.”

You tried to wiggled you arm away from him, but he tightened his grip. Annoyed and anxious, you spoke, “Stop it, Gabe. I don’t want anything to do with you, and if you don’t like me so much then maybe we should just leave each other alone.”

His eyes met yours, rich ebony that bended against the outline of his pupils. They kept you frozen in place, like the stilling darkness of a bottomless abyss. No light reflected through them.

“And yet here you are,” he said after a brief pause, “Little miss perfect, drunk, at a party, dressed like she’s looking for a good fuck that’ll leave her senseless. What a sight you are.”

“Shut up!” your voice cracked and your words couldn’t reach the volume you had hope, “I didn’t even want to dress up like this, Angela picked it out for me. We’re matching! She’s a fucking witch and I’m her cat familiar, asshole!”

“Jesus Christ,” he rubbed his temples, “you’re such a fucking dork, you know that? Can’t believe I-“

He paused suddenly and looked down at you again, eyes trailing down your body. His stare perverse and he licked his lips in sick anticipation like a hungry wolf, “What am I saying…look at you. If only you’d shut that pretty mouth of yours, you might be the finest piece of ass I’ve ever seen. Hell, you even give some good head.”

“What the hell?!” you spoke up in an attempt to stop any discussion of what had happened in the locker room, “You’re sick, for real. There’s something actually wrong with you!”

He chuckled, “Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t enjoy yourself. Poor thing, you never did get off. Maybe we should finish what we started…”

You crossed your arms in defiance and tightened your jaw in an effort to conceal your frustration. Truthfully, you wanted to slap him in the face for being such an insulting, patronizing, annoying creep. But you didn’t want the confrontation. You didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of ruining your night.

“You’re nothing but trouble, Gabe,” you huffed, “maybe you should stop following me around like a puppy and just pretend like nothing ever happened because I am not at all interested in playing your sick little games.”

He clenched his jaw and turned away from you, a sly smile growing on his face. The muscles in his arms flexed through his hoodie, clearly what you had said cut through him. You didn’t regret it, what you said was true. He’s bad news.

Gabe turned to catch a glimpse of you. In that moment, you thought you could see right through him, piercing through whatever barrier that concealed his true nature from everyone that know him but you. He liked to play with your emotions, to dwindle down your strength and take control of the situation. But now the tables had been turned in your favor. It had stunned you, to think you could disarm him like this. And the atmosphere was tense, silent and still for a while.

It wasn’t long after that he regain his composure, straightening his posture and bridging the gap between the two of you, “What do you want, huh? Want some desperate boy to feed your fucking ego? Always talking about how I don’t like you, like you want me kiss your ass and tell you whatever bullshit you want to hear, is that it?”

He laughed and his chest rose heavily. Staring up at him, you remained aloof, “I thought we were friends once, Gabe. Then you changed your tone quick. You’re mean, actually, you’re cruel.”

His arms suddenly gripped onto yours and he forced you to back up against the wall with nothing more than a squeal of defiance from you. He moved a hand from your arm to hold your face, smearing whatever black makeup that it touched. You felt that same paralyzing fear you had felt before. He crashed his lips against yours and you denied him any sort of entrance to your tongue. This didn’t satisfy him, his hand went to grip your throat and the tight squeeze caused you to open your mouth in an attempt to breath. He took the opportunity to lace his tongue between yours, and a tear rolled down your cheek. It was sickeningly intimate, like the reunion of two passionate lovers. And you were anything but.

Your hands wrapped around his wrist, pulling and tugging to release their grip but it was futile. He didn’t move a muscle as he continued to assault your tongue with his own, both your lips wetting with each other’s saliva. It disgusted you. But why did you hips stutter when he sucked on your tongue and why did your fingers squeeze around his wrist in reaction to the burning feeling in your core? Why did he have to be so perverse, so debauched in his thoughts of you yet still lure you in with his hoarse voice and beautiful visage. It was as if he were the devil himself and you a victim of temptation.

When he pulled away from you, it was sudden. A string of spit connected the two of you for a moment, breaking once Gabe stood at full height. He towered over you, a shadow of a man eclipsing the moon. You wiped your mouth, surely smudging your makeup and drawn whiskers while doing so.

“What a waste of time,” Gabe spoke, “trying to talk sense into is like talking to a wall. Just as dull, too.”

“You’re vulgar,” you spat through heavy breaths.

“You’re in denial,” he scoffed, wiping his lips with a swipe of his thumb.

“You ruined my makeup,” you almost shouted.

“Yeah?” he chuckled, “Wouldn’t mind ruining the rest of you while we’re at it.”

“Gabe,” you felt him staring intently at you like a bloodhound, “let’s just go back to the party.”

He looked up at you from whatever part of your body caught his attention, “Fine, you caught me in a good mood tonight. Just know I’m not finished with you yet, princesa.”

He brought a tender hand to you cheek and rubbed it endearingly, sending you a wink as he walked towards the sliding glass doors that lead inside. His sudden gentleness reddened your cheeks and you walked beside him into the party, trying to find some sort of sanctuary in the arms of Angela or perhaps an unoccupied bathroom. Whatever presented itself to you first. Before you could bid farewell to Gabe, he had already left you, somewhere among the crowded house. A part of you was relieved but another unsure what to make of his sudden disappearance. It was a tendency of his to come and go as he pleased and take whatever it was he desired from you while doing so. You felt vulnerable, even when you sent curses his way it barely seemed to make any difference. He was going to take what he wanted from you and you were powerless in your efforts to stop him.

#yandere #yandere overwatch #yandere!overwatch #dark overwatch #dark!overwatch #yandere mccree #yandere reaper #gabriel reyes #tw: noncon #yandere au #college au #dark gabriel reyes #yandere gabriel reyes #dark!gabriel reyes #yandere!gabriel reyes #gabriel reyes x reader #reaper x reader

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bearsbeetsbeskar · 10 months

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weed smoking! joel x dispensary shop! reader preview 🍃🔥💨💨💨

A/N: A little taste for you guys! I am very excited at this new idea, especially because I am co-writing this with the actual love of my life @serenaxpedro!!!

So excited to see where it will go and excited to see our grumpy old peepaw finally kick back and relax with some alternate pain management methods. He's not gonna be happy about it at first, but it's going to turn out so good 🤓. Moodboard art also by @serenaxpedro (please go check out her delicious writing as well, she's got some YUMMY Joel fic's posted 🫠)

sneak peak under the cut, feel free to comment or reblog if you want more!

“The side effects from an over the counter painkiller could spike your cholesterol even higher, which is what we do not want,” the doctor continues, unaware of Joel’s steadily boiling frustration. “Which is why I wanted to suggest an alternate method for pain management, something more natural.”

For fucks sake.

He thought this would be a simple appointment. Show up, get a new prescription for whatever magic pills can help this pain in his back to dissipate, and go home. Not look into ‘alternative methods’ that undoubtedly wouldn’t work.

Joel’s gaze narrows and he huffs, leaning back in his seat. “Natural? Like what, seeing one of those hokey practitioners that read your energies and use natural herb remedies and all that crap?”

“Not quite that per say but it is natural medicine. Medical marijuana to be exact.”

Joel’s mouth goes dry as his jaw hangs open. Weed? Nope. Not the solution he was looking for.

Maybe what he should be on the market for is a new doctor at this point.

“Uh listen, I appreciate the suggestion doc, but I don’t think that’s gonna help me at this point. I don’t do that kinda stuff,” he waves his hand dismissively. “If it gets to that point I’ll crack open a beer.” Joel leans forward in his seat and he starts to get up.

“Just a second, hold on. At least let me write you a prescription for it today and you can choose whether or not you want to get it filled at a dispensary.”

“I don’t think-” Joel continues to protest but the doctor cuts him off.

“It’s medicinal marijuana Joel,” the doctor says plainly, as if that’s supposed to calm his nerves. “It has opiate-like properties, which means it’s similar to a pain killer, just without all the usual side effects that come with over the counter medicine. Lots of individuals, older and younger,” the doctor pointedly emphasizes, “use it to help with aches, pain, anxiety, even mental health issues. Not just the physical.”

Joel continues to eye the doctor warily, his spine now stiff as he sits up in the chair. Even now, he can feel his body protesting his upright position, the inkling of that pinched phantom pain coming back slightly.

“Does it get you high?” he asks the older man.

Aside from the stories he’s heard, he’s had his fair share of buddies who used to toke up back in the day. Hell, they didn’t even know what was in it back then, they just smoked as a distraction, something fun to do, to take the edge off after a long day's work. Joel tried it once and didn’t like it at all. The hazy, fuzzy feeling not mixing well with his frayed nerves, all glassy eyed and out of touch with his body and his mind. No, he would much rather crack open a beer or pour himself a whiskey neat to kick back and relax when he was stressed.

“Not necessarily, some strains, or some kinds of weed have a higher content of THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive component that makes you feel high or ‘out of it,”’ the doctor explains with finger quotes. “Some medicinal marijuana are low in THC but high in CBD, the relaxing component of marijuana. CBD acts as a relaxer, and it can ease physical pain. So depending on what you’re comfortable with, you can opt for the kinds that have a high CBD but low THC content, which will help with any pain issues, without causing you to experience the high.”

Joel’s mind whirls around the acronyms. THC, CBD, ABC.

Christ.

Does it have to be this fucking complicated?

#joel miller fanfiction #joel miller #joel miller x you #joel miller x reader #joel miller x female reader #the last of us fanfiction #joel miller fanfic #tlou fanfiction

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ryuichirou · 5 months

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Ace and Deuce special! Kind of… I guess lol Since our last post was about them. But there’re also some about AzuIde!

Anonymous asked:

Context of the latest post? :)

I think it’s pretty self-explanatory, Anon~ But I’ll let the second Anon answer your question:

Anonymous asked:

Hey Ace finally got laid!

The entire twst cast does the “omedetou” clap 😔👏👏👏 Congratulations, Ace!

Anonymous asked:

Not their faults that they share the same room, Riddle. XD Also, poor other two roommates. (Freshmen rooms have 4 roommates, 2nd year have two roommates, and 3rd year have their own rooms. Only Dorm leaders have their own rooms)

No-no, it’s entirely their fault, why would they even do something like this?! (Cue angry virgin noise)

And yeah, I honestly don’t know how their roommates survive this, but who knows, maybe they are out for some reason and ADeuce decided that they won’t get another chance like that and got a little bit too excited~

Anonymous asked:

Do you have any ace thoughts?? I have these like "twst character phases" where one character becomes my chew toy for a week and then gets discarded and ace is my latest victim 🤭🤭

I've kinda been thinking about pining!adeuce except deuce keeps fucking other people to cope and ace is insanely jealous and keeps avoiding him. Maybe he sleeps with one of their classmates (Jamil or epel maybe?? I like jamiace a lot) as a sort of "revenge"?? Which probably works after ace purposely doesn't hide the marks left from his "wicked plan" LMAO

Aftermath is they either fuck and become occasional fuck buddies making their pining worse or they avoid each other and make things worse (either way everyone is getting a headache from these two)

Ace is a nice chew toy, Anon, good choice! We have a similar situation, even though there are characters that are always our faves, right now we’re going through the first book again, so we’ve been kind of rediscovering Ace and Deuce lol

Ace and Jamil are a fun combo (poor Jamil just has to suffer because of his basketball club boys lol), but I honestly don’t know if Jamil would be up for something like that. Maybe he has his reasons though, it all depends on a scenario I guess.

Deuce feeling jealous despite knowing darn well that Ace is purposefully trying to make him jealous… god, how complicated things could be between them lol

I do like the idea of ADeuce being fuck buddies and not dating each other despite the fact that they’re super obviously are into each other and want to be together though; there are some nice doujins about Ace going through a crisis because he definitely wants to keep sleeping with Deuce, but just can’t help but cling to the “we’re just friends” thing, hurting Deuce very deeply. Wow this sounds more tragic that I thought lol but it doesn’t has to be: these idiots are hilarious, and watching them trying to figure shit out, fight, make out and fight again, and then have sex and stop talking to each other and then fight again is peak comedy. And also super headache inducing LOL

Anonymous asked:

Okay someone has to say it, next to Jack Deuce looks like a fucking stick. To be fair, you could be the buffest guy around and look like a stick next to Jack, he’s just THAT beefy

Yeah, Jack is hella big, so he has this aura that makes everyone shrink when they’re near him lol But I’m also prone to exaggerations when it comes to size difference. I love it too much

Anonymous asked:

i was the beach anon..also the dead dove anon from awhile ago, i’d love to discuss the beach scene potential in dms of that’d be ok

Oh hi Anon! :)

Sure, but only if you’re okay with me super slow (I mean it) with my replies. I absolutely hate making people wait and giving lackluster replies, but I also don’t have a lot of time and energy apart from drawing, which makes me a terrible person for chatting…

Anonymous asked:

Hello hi hello I am one simple man who enjoys AzuIdi very much- may your brain always be full of ideas and your hands be capable of completing all your missions

Thank you so much, Anon, it means a lot <3 God how much I want to complete all my missions. There must be more Azul/Idia in the world, and I’m happy to know that there are people who are excited to see them.

Anonymous asked:

So I was looking into your Azuide marriage AU and I find it very interesting so I was wondering if say Idia cheated on Azul for some mysterious unknown reason...what would Azul do??

Ohh thank you for your interest, Anon! I’m glad you like it :)

It honestly depends on the circumstances, but it would still be bad. Azul’s first instinct would be to learn anything he could about that person and how they know Idia. He would talk to Idia about it himself, but even if Idia just tells him everything as it is, Azul needs his own independent research to check if Idia is lying to him or not. Yes he is THAT petty lol

Azul is very bad at forgiving people, and cheating on him is one of the biggest betrayals a person could present him with. Of course, their marriage isn’t a romantic one, but it doesn’t change Azul’s feelings, and he’d be very hurt.

You’ve seen the “bad ending” scenario and probably have read my replies about it; although it’s kind of vague, but this is the reaction I’m picturing, to be honest. Maybe not as drastic, but he’ll also stop giving Idia any kind of privacy: either Jade or Floyd is going to be around him at all times, looking at his monitors, watching what he’s doing, who he’s talking to. Just to make sure that he isn’t doing anything stupid~

Oh, and Azul’s also going to scare that other person away or even ruin their life. Easily.

But there are also some exceptions that would make Azul begrudgingly look the other way. If Idia was to have an affair with Lilia or Ortho, Azul is going to just swallow his pride and try to act calm. But he’d still be super hurt and probably punish Idia in some other way.

#replies

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catszu · 16 days

Text

Writing Random Prompts Until I Improve

A forgotten well granted wishes, at a price

In his village, there was a legend: those who seek the Well that grants any wish, no matter low or large, would bear the consequence of their selfish aspirations.

Unfortunately for Atsumu, he was a dreamer amongst a clan of pragmatics. If it wasn’t for the overall wellness of the clan, a personal dream was no more than an intricate fallacy in which its fruition would cause havoc.

The Inarizaki clan needed dreams as little as they did memories.

He tried to live within the bounds of his clan's expectations and customs. There was no person more honorable than the clan head, Kita Shinsuke. He led the clan with compassion and selflessness. Atsumu couldn’t recall a time in which he acted in service of himself. His heart was soft but his spirit and resolve were ironclad.

So naturally, Atsumu fell in love, fast and hard, unable to stop despite his brother’s forewarnings. They all grew up together. He, Osamu, Suna, and Kita plucked herbs together, dug the earth for crops, and climbed trees to their highest peaks. They promised each other to see the world, to know its secrets. Atsumu promised to lead them all to the extraordinary. It was easy to imagine how he and Kita could be together.

When the day came to tell Kita of his budding love, Atsumu wasn’t even remotely nervous.

His confidence was short-lived.

“Atsumu, I am so sorry. I do not feel the same.”

Kita laid a gentle hand on his shoulder with a kind squeeze. It was almost worse that there was true sympathy in his eyes as he crushed Atsumu’s heart within the delicate folds of his grip.

The pain was agonizing and he spent weeks unable to leave the den, only eating or drinking the nutrients that his brother forced down his throat.

Soon after, Kita got married to Ojiro Aran, an heir of a neighboring clan. It was a happy occasion, the entirety of the clan celebrated with a festival that lasted three days.

It was then that Atsumu decided that he could no longer live with the crippling burden of a broken heart.

He searched for the well the next day. He would have a single wish: to force his heart to forget, never to allow love to bloom again.

He told nothing to his brother and Suna, leaving in the dark when the moon was at its peak. He brought only a single packed bag that was slung carelessly over his shoulder. It was said in the legend that the wishing well sat in the brush just before the mountain.

It was shrouded under foliage so dense that you’d miss it 99 times out of 100. There was magic within these forests and the closer one got to the well, the thicker the energy swelled. As the story is told, the only way to find the well is to become hopelessly lost. It acted as a great ward so that many would not abuse the power that the well held.

Atsumu aimlessly wandered through the forest, knowing that if he could find the well, it would be as the well desired, not as he chose. Eventually, when he was well and truly lost, he stumbled over something hard. He skinned his knee and both palms were rubbed raw from catching himself, dirt and debris embedded into his skin.

He rubbed the blossoming sore spots with a frown as he surveyed the ground for what tripped him. He caught sight of pale cobblestone covered in layers of dark moss. Atsumu brushed the moss away, uncovering a single aged stone with directions carved into the side.

He who seeks the grace of the well shall look no further, for it is upon him. Search thineself for what you desire and it will appear.

Atsumu read it twice, then a third time. He picked up the stone and turned it over in his palm. It was abnormally heavy and smooth to the touch. He grazed his fingers over the etching in the stone with curiosity.

The stone said that the well was here but he saw nothing. Perhaps it was a kind of key?

He searched the surrounding area, looking for any clue. He hadn’t been paying attention to where he walked, only that it was somewhere between the foothills of the mountain and his home in the plains. First, he noticed the trees. They were tall, with thick trunks and far-reaching branches that allowed very little light to spill between, encompassing the earth in darkness. Next, he noticed where his hand was touching the earth, his fingers came away with damp soil clinging to him. While the air was thick with humidity, there was no evidence that it had rained recently in the surrounding foliage. It could only mean that there was water underneath the soil, keeping it moist even without rain.

Atsumu weighed the rock in his hand, bouncing it up and away from his palm several times before catching it and slamming it into the earth. The moment it struck the ground, the thud vibrated the ground beneath. The letters carved into the white stone began to glow.

He stumbled backward, pushing away from the glowing rock as he shielded his eyes from the light. The ground rumbled beneath him as if he was enduring an earthquake.

As the shaking stopped, all the noises around him of the flora and fauna became eerily quiet. There was not a sound, no cricket or bird, not even the sound of the leaves rustling. When Atsumu dared to crack his eyes open, he realized he was no longer on the forest floor, but in a deep and wide-set cavern.

The walls were covered in brightly colored murals. They painted a picture of creatures that Atsumu had never seen before. Some were human-shaped, with familiar bodies and faces to his own, yet their lower half was that of a fish. Each figure was languidly draped across rocks, holding the hands of kneeling figures. Human, like himself.

Atsumu's heart beat rapidly within his chest and his fingers trembled where they dug into the ground underneath him. When he looked past the murals, he saw the Well. Except, that it was more a fountain than a Well.

The pool was wide, with water cascading into it from the ceiling of the cavern. There were flowers everywhere. It looked otherworldly, like he was transported to another universe. Perhaps he was. Atsumu got to his feet, careful not to trample the array of colorful flowers leading to the pool.

The water was so clear, it was like looking into glass. Atsumu’s curious reflection stared back at him. He was afraid to touch it, to disturb the serenely still waters. He couldn’t see the bottom, just the reflection of the cavern ceiling against the surface. In the legend, there were no instructions on what to do once you actually found the Well, so Atsumu was left hesitating. He had nothing to offer, only mere dreams and a broken heart.

It dawned on him suddenly that he could not ask the Well for such a gift, with nothing in return. Perhaps that is why there were dire consequences. People would come, with desires racking their hearts, encroaching on their vision, and diminishing their character. He who would disturb the beauty of the Well, would only do so in his own self interest.

With a heavy sigh, Atsumu stepped back from the well. He sat upon the shore with his head in his hands. He made the journey here, and to what end? He would go back and watch the person he loved make a life with another. Everyone he knew had a partner or a purpose.

Atsumu had nothing.

“You won’t make a wish?”

With wide eyes, Atsumu shot his head up from where it rested in his palms. There in the middle of the pool was a man with coal black eyes with hair just the same. His skin was so pale it was pearlescent and covered in inky black moles. Two, most notably, sat right above his brow, one after the other. He was the most beautiful individual that Atsumu had ever laid eyes on.

“Who are ya?” Atsumu asked, quelling the urge to reach out and trace a wet curl where it dropped on the creature's forehead.

“Who are you?” The stranger parroted, moving closer to the shoreline that Atsumu sat at. “Who I am is irrelevant, will you wish or won’t you?” He placed a wet hand on the shoreline, his fingers the same shade of pale as the rest of him, sin the gray webbing between his fingers. His nails were human, as were the length of the arm it was attached to. Yet, he was too beautiful to be anything but magical.

“Are ya one of the creatures on the wall?”

Atsumu thought back to the beautiful humanoid figures painted just behind him, he wished to see more of the person before him, to see if he too had a tail like the others.

The creature stayed silent, viewing him warily with those starry black eyes. It did not blink, nor did it move. It simply watched Atsumu, assessing him.

It took him several long moments to realize that the creature was waiting for an answer. “Ah, sorry fer wasting yer time. I guess you’d be the guardian of a place like this? Should have figured.” Atsumu ran a hand through his hair, probably leaving smudges of dirt through his blonde locks as he did so. “Don’t ya worry. I did come here to make a wish, but I won’t. It’d be selfish.”

“Human’s do not care if they are selfish.” The creature responded, boredom laced in his tone. Whatever this being was, it did not think kindly of humans.

“Well, this one does.” Atsumu assured, slowly pushing farther away from the shore.

The creature followed him, dragging the bulk of itself onto the shore with half of its torso exposed. “You earned your arrival, wish like everyone else does. Only fortune can judge the weight of your selfishness. Your consequence will be just.”

“I had a change of heart, alright? Can ya just tell me how to get out of here an’ i’ll be out of yer pretty hair in no time.”

The creatures brows rose, clearly confused at Atsumu’s insistence to leave without making a wish. “No human is without desire, make a wish.” It demanded.

“‘Course I have desires, but i don’t hafta act on everythin’ I want. ‘S’not that important anyway. I’ll be fine eventually.” Atsumu stands then, dusting off his legs before rising to his full height. From above he could see that he was right, this creature is one of the beings painted on the wall. His tail was dark, black like midnight, but it shimmered lightly as it lazily swished underneath the water. The fan of the tail was large and thin, it elegantly swayed with the creature’s movement.

“You are not like the others.” The creature commented.

Atsumu frowned. “Nah, I’m the same as every other human. I came here for the same reason as everyone else. ‘M not better just cause I chickened out at the last moment.”

The creature looked at him inquisitively for a moment before pulling all the way onto the shore. Atsumu was wrong. The tail was not black like the creature's hair, but a deep blue. He wanted to touch it. Would it be scaly like a trout? Smooth with the direction of the scales but rough going against it? Atsumu desperately wanted to ask the creature so many questions about it, how old it was, if there were more like it. If all of them were as beautiful. If it were human, the top half of the creature’s body was starkly similar to that of a human male, but there was no telling how things worked for a magical being.

“Why?” The creature asked.

Why what? Atsumu thought. He was deeply entrenched in admiring the individual before him and couldn’t seem to recall what the creature would be asking about.

“Sorry.” Atsumu relented, “I don’t remember what we were talkin’ about.”

The creature rolled their eyes, which Atsumu found hilarious because it seemed like an extremely human thing to do. He wondered if the creature had known of other humans besides him, or if his judgment of them was like Atsumu: based purely on legend.

“Why did you ‘chicken out,’ as you say?”

“I got nothin’ ta give. Nothing that’d be worthy of receiving any gift given by the Well.”

“The trade is made complete by the consequence. So long as you are willing to endure the price, you owe nothing before your request.”

Atsumu smiled. “That’s why I’m a coward. I wouldn’t want to endure the consequences, especially not at the price of disturbing somethin’ this amazin’.” He gestured to the environment, the astounding beauty of it all. “I could never give anythin’ of worth to a place like this so I don’t have a right to take anythin’ from it either.”

The creature hummed, low and melodic–contemplative. “Change your wish then.”

“Why d’ya want me to make a wish so bad?” Atsumu asked, more than a little suspicious. An alluring pretty face and magical to boot, he wondered if this was a sort of test.

The creature continued. “If it is the consequence you are worried about, do not ask something large. If you ask for something small, the Well will grant you with it and the related consequence would be miniscule.”

Atsumu was struck by a realization then. “Oh.” He said. “I hafta make a wish ta leave, don’t I?”

The creature merely nodded.

“Alright then.” Atsumu thought for a moment before deciding. “I wish ta know what your name is.” He said, smiling brightly as he took in the stricken expression on the creature's face. The water of the pool rippled the moment the words left his lips and a sudden wind whirled around him. He heard the faint sound of whispers in a language he did not know. It sounded archaic as it reached his ears, like an ancient song being spoken. Suddenly, a name popped into his mind, as if the knowledge had always been there and he just remembered it.

Kiyoomi

All at once, the cavern walls trembled and Atsumu watched with reverence as the murals split apart, revealing a staircase.

Kiyoomi gestured to the stairs. “There. It will lead you to the forest. Pick a direction and walk, it will guide you home.”

Atsumu gaped at him. “What about my consequence?” he asked. He took stock of his body. He felt fine, physically. His heartbreak from before was still present, although muted by his shock.

Kiyoomi only offered him a small smile, his dark eyes shaped like crescents as he spoke. “It is mine as much as it is yours, for we will not see each other again so easily.”

He watched him go, slipping beneath the waters as it turned from glass to a murky shade of brown.

Atsumu walked the long distance in the forest towards home, thinking only of the creature from the Well. A punishment indeed, for all he thought about was seeing Kiyoomi once more.

#writer stuff #sakuatsu #i kinda wanna make this a series #oopsie #creative writing

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convenient-plot-device · 9 months

Text

My unorganized thoughts after finishing The Dragon Prince season 5

Finished binging the season!!! I loved it. It dragged in places and that stupid fucking lemur thing is still the bane of my existence but I loved the character development and plot beats! I also loved seeing more of Terry. He has something deeply wrong with him <3. Also liked Viren completing his redemption arc, though I would have preferred the resurrection spell actually require Claudia to sacrifice herself or at least like sacrifice a limb or something to truly complete Viren's arc. He has no attachment to that fuckin homunculus thing, and his reasoning for not killing it being that "Dark magic led Claudia down a dangerous path, I'm not doing any more dark magic" is a little weak. I do appreciate that the way they did it gave us a whole scene of Aaravos talking about "our child" with Viren, peak evil gay, but it did a disservice to Viren's redemption arc. I get that it was kinda the only way, since Aaravos knows Viren would never hurt one of his actual kids at this point in his arc, but still. I also am really interested in how Zubeia being corrupted goes, how Claudia losing her leg goes, and what's up with that magic pearl. Is that really Aaravos's prison? Or is that the key to his prison? Loved Callum struggling with what he's willing to do under pressure to save those he loves, and how that's contrasted with Claudia, who's kind of a dark mirror for who he could become if he can't learn to let go of those he loves. Loved the reveal that he used dark magic to save Rayla in the Sea Legs episode. Also just really liked Finnegrin, he's a great character and I love his design. Love a ruthless evil pirate who wants revenge on the Archdragon of the Ocean for killing his beloved hermit crab, who keeps pet hermit crabs all over his office, and who has a neckline low enough to kill god. I also love Elmer! What the fuck is his deal though. Are there just plant trolls in Xadia now? Not opposed, just wanna know.

I also really loved Soren this season! I like how his kindness and unwavering faith in others is his greatest strength. Very sweet. That man is the One True Himbo. Dumb, strong, and most importantly, kind. Fucking LOVED seeing Tidebound elves this season. I've wanted to see ocean elves since season one! Fuck yeah! Janai and Amaya are so cute together. Same with Terry and Claudia, love a good fucked up couple. He's just like "I can fix her" and she's just like "No you can't but you CAN join me in my insanity." Callum and Rayla go back and forth for me; sometimes they're really sweet, but sometimes they seem almost forced and I'm just like... can't they be BFFs? Or in a QPR? I feel like it would fit better than a romance TBH. I also love how Villads was 1000% willing to get his hand chopped off for a few kids he met once three years ago. My kind of dude. Fuck that General lady, also. Like, how is Karim worth betraying your entire people and possibly ruining the future of your whole society?? Does he kiss you on the forehead sometimes? Please get better judgment you are literally a judge on the High Court. Also what is up with the Sunfire high priest? He's clearly hiding what's most likely a corrupted wound but why? And why side with Karim? I loved Kim'dael. Love an emo vampire lady with sapphic energy who could kill a man with her fingernails (literally). I like how she isn't strictly evil and has a clear goal that she acts toward with logic. She wants to be freed from her mercy debt so she can drink the blood of anyone she wants, and she acts with logic toward that goal. I still CANNOT wait for them to finally free Runaan from the coin. Honestly Rayla's parents come second for me because we just don't know them as people. But like. I wanna see the cut to Ethari standing over the pool and seeing Runaan's life lily rise to the surface again. I will cry and that is a promise.

Also, that bit where Janai has a nightmare where Aaravos tells her that her great-grandmother's fate was that Aaravos "swallowed her"??? Why are half the lines out of Aaravos's mouth innuendos. Is it the VA's voice? Does it just compel people to write his characters like that? Or is Aaravos just Like That as a person.

I mean like. Aarvos also flirts needlessly with Viren every chance he gets. Not even for manipulation because Viren is not into him, he's just incapable of not acting like that. Viren is definitely gay though. Like definitely. Even my cishet brother could tell in that scene where Viren is having a dark magic-induced fever dream about Harrow. Like oh you *liked him* liked him. Sure had a funny way of showing it, Mr. Kill The Princes. Anyway. Yeah that's my thoughts on The Dragon Prince season 5! Cannot wait for seasons six and seven, I'm sure they will be so cool.

#the dragon prince #the dragon prince season 5 #tdp spoilers

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sassydefendorflower · 10 months

Note

To survive the AO3 down time, want to write about Al sending letters to Ed while he's traveling to Xing? (Bonus points if Ed's doing something interesting too ^^)

Hi :D I don't know if this is what you imagined when you sent me this ask... but I had a surprising amount of fun with this! So... here goes nothing <3

+-+-+

Dear Brother,

It’s so good to hear from you! Who knew West Aerugo could be this interesting? Just don’t drink too much – and tell Darius and Heinkel that I miss them too! As for how I am doing… Xing is a lot more different than I expected it to be. From what I can tell, people just aren’t as tall as I’m used to – and that even though I am no longer as tall as I used to be! Ling invited me to stay at the palace, but I don’t think court life is for me. At least not yet. I joined a caravan to the northeastern part of the country instead, pretending I don’t know that Lan Fan is following me. The food is utterly delicious, and one of the old men in my group told me that the Tsang clan has developed a type of alkahestry that allows them to grow trees taller than some mountain peaks. It might be worth checking out.

Until your next letter reaches me

Alphonse

Brother,

Why did Brigadier General Mustang sent me a telegram informing me you started an international conflict on the Beruskan border? I don’t care how interesting their research is and how nice their pubs, we’re no longer the kind of people who just start chaos and let someone else deal with it. I hope this letter finds you in good health and not in a jail cell – and please excuse my language in the telegram I’ve send ahead. I love you, you idiot.

Alphonse

[Telegram sent on the 12th of December 1923 from Xio, Tsang Territory of the Great Imperial Nation of Xing, to Balka, Aerugo-Beruskan border facility]

YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKING IDIOT .stop. IF YOU GET ARRESTED I WILL .stop. PERSONALLY HUNT YOU DOWN .stop. YOU BETTER NOT BE IN .stop. ANY TROUBLE

Brother,

While I am glad to know that you are no longer held by Aerugan officials on suspicion of terrorism and counterintelligence, I do beg of you to lay low for a while. My blood pressure won’t stand for another incident like this. But while you were busy arguing for better accommodations in a jail cell, I did uncover something interesting. The Tsang clan has grown trees big enough to build houses in. The stories weren’t lying – this has to be some sort of alkahestry. But it feels different from the things Mei taught me. Oh, which reminds me: I finally figured it out! I can read the Dragon’s Pulse – and these trees are bursting with life’s energy. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it feels almost magical.

Best wishes and happy returns

Alphonse

Dear Brother,

Yeah, that’s why I said ‘if I didn’t know better’ – I am aware that magic isn’t real, you didn’t have to scream at me for half your letter just to make a point. Then again, it is in character for you to make a big deal out of something so small. (please don’t waste your next letter on another rant just because of a little joke between brothers) I think I’m going to move on from the Tsang territory over to the Ang clan – there’s been some unrest because of the policies Ling implemented recently, so I might have to travel by foot. Don’t worry if I don’t write for a bit. Address your letters to Lan Fan and she’ll get them to me once I settle down again – I’ll tell you my next mailing address as soon as I know where I’ll be staying.

Tell Winry I said Hi!

Alphonse

Ed,

It’s okay. It was just a tiny bit of poison. I’m fine.

Alphonse

Dear Brother,

If you come to Xing just to be an overprotective idiot following me around, DON’T. Please stay where you are – I have everything under control. I need to finish my research here. I think I’m getting somewhere. I can’t tell you via my letters because I fear someone might read them along the way and realize what I’ve just figured out but… this could change the world. Not that I actually plan on ever telling anyone just how far the scope of this reaches. Not even you. I hope you can understand why I am doing this. And don’t worry for my life – Mei joined me on my travels and her fighting skills are beyond what I could have hoped for.

Love

Alphonse

Brother,

The Ang Clan was very welcoming, and their food was otherworldly, but I don’t think we’re going to stay here for much longer. The more I look into the Dragon’s Pulse and its possible connection to tectonic movements, the more confusing it gets. I meant what I said in my last letter – but maybe I don’t have to worry quite as much. There is a very real possibility that the two of us might be the only people who could ever even understand what is happening here. By Truth, life is just a never-ending quest of wonders, isn’t it?

Take care.

Alphonse

[Telegram sent on the 26th of April 1924 from the Imperial Palace, Great Imperial Nation of Xing, to Munk, Hala Territory east of Creta]

I AM SO SORRY EDWARD .stop. BUT WE’VE LOST CONTACT .stop. WITH ALPHONSE .stop. SOMEWHERE BETWEEN NANNING .stop. AND LIPU I AM SO .stop. SORRY YHELY

[Collection of unsend letters by Alphonse Elric]

Ed,

I don’t think I’ll get a chance to post this letter. Someone’s following me and Mei. I told her to get back to the palace or make contact with Lan Fan, but it might be too late. There’s something going on with alkahestry here – I think it’s only happening in the northeastern part of the country. It’s nothing like what we went through, I promise, but in the wrong hands… it could kill thousands. I am so sick of this art we’ve dedicated our lives to being used to ruin it instead. They could heal and flourish, but no… you know what the worst part is? I’m the one who discovered how to use it as a weapon.

I love you. I miss you.

Alphonse

[and]

Ed,

I think they’ve got Mei. What am I supposed to do? I don’t know. Dammit, I won’t send this letter, but at least it feels as if I can talk to you. As long as I write it down, you’re not gone – what did you say you were doing the last time we’ve talked? I think you were in Munk. Isn’t that a seaside town? Do you think there is alchemy connected to the sea? The tides? That would be insane. Is that what you were researching? I hope it went well. You can’t even swim, idiot. I hope you didn’t drown.

I miss you.

I miss Mei.

I think I messed up.

[and]

Ed,

They won’t get me. And they’ll pay for whatever they did to Mei. I’m getting her back. I’m doing what is right.

Please don’t hate me for this.

Alphonse

[and]

Ed,

They won’t be a problem any longer. I took care of them. I’m so sorry. I did what I had to do to survive. But now blood is staining parts of the Duyun forest, and only some of it is mine. I won’t ever tell you this in person, but this is my confession. I broke our oath – I hope I can make it up to you by coming home.

[Telegram sent on the 5th of August 1924 from the Imperial Palace, Great Imperial Nation of Xing, to Kanda, Independent Republic of Ishval]

WE FOUND ALPHONSE .stop. OR RATHER HE FOUND US .stop. BLOODY AND THIN .stop. BUT ALIVE PRINCESS .stop. MEI IS WITH HIM . stop. THEY ARE ALIVE YHELY

Dear Brother,

Thank you. Thank you for traveling all the way to Xing. Thank you for waiting for me. Thank you for being there for me when I came back. Thank you for listening. Thank you for leaving. Thank you for letting me keep some of my secrets.

I love you.

Alphonse

Dear Brother,

I think I might take on a journey across the ocean – just to see where the world ends, and the future begins. There are so many secrets out there still left to discover. So many things unknown. I’m definitely writing it all down. At least the good stuff. The things we can use to change the world for the better. And I do think that it’s possible – for things to get better, that is. I won’t be gone forever. In a few years I might just be ready to play politics at the court next to Mei and Ling. But until then? I crave another adventure.

Best wishes

Alphonse

Hey Al,

Mind if I join you?

[send me a prompt/snippet request while ao3 is down]

#fma #fmab #edward elric #alphonse elric #scienceoftheidiot #my writing #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #fma brotherhood #ao3 #epistolary #this was so much fun to write #a completely different style for me #i hope it still works #thank you for sending me this ask <3 #ask and answers

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