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alwaysshallow · 5 months

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coffee at midnight, part 7

John "Soap" MacTavish x f!reader

You try the whole "dating" thing. Soap doesn't quite like that, and it shows. (4,4k)

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If you'd known how much of a fuss it would be, you wouldn't even tell him. Hell, you wouldn't even think about telling him, you'd just describe it as a simple meeting with an old friend, and he'd know everything afterwards.

Now, you felt like you were seventeen again, trying to explain yourself right in front of your mom when you did something that she didn't like.

The only difference was, Soap acted like your mom, proudly taking her place in scolding you.

"'s like a free invitation for an axe murderer to come and get ya. Bonnie, thought yer gonna be smarter than this." He looked at you, his eyebrows furrowed. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see how conflicted he was with you going out without him.

Well, maybe it was also the fact that you were going on a date; an unexpected one, but you couldn't really say no, when your best friend played as your wingman.

And, what could shock the most, the wingman wasn't Soap, but Gaz that got into the conclusion you needed something like this; after your injury, but also in general since he hasn't seen you in ages on date with someone. Truth, harsh but still truth, got into you, so you've decided he's completely right. You needed this, a fresh air in the whole situation.

Which was funnier, that date was with Cody. Cody, who got your fake number from Johnny just because he didn't like him and he gave off weird vibes and you deserved better. You felt bad for a moment considering it was a fucking helpline, but it was too late to do anything with it. What's more to it, you really didn't want to tell him that your idiotic best friend decided to joke, thinking it would be funny.

That guilt was until Garrick proudly admitted that he gave him your number because it felt right. Because Cody asked about you since he saw you with them, and after a quick "interrogation", he felt like a proud wingman to allow him to take a shot on you.

Pretty funny choice of words, but all in all, you knew what Gaz was thinking about. You've babbled with him about it for almost two hours straight, drinking wine, while Soap just listened, throwing his snarky remarks from time to time. He looked like a kid that got his candy stolen from him, and while you didn't really like that kind of behavior, it was kind of funny to see him like this.

Such a contrast to his usually playful nature, especially in something stupid; you were just getting ready for the date. Nothing too scandalous, nothing too fancy, and nothing too deep, but the last thing you kept to yourself, just to get him riled up.

"Axe murderer that I know, Soap," you groaned, when he stood in your way, clearly not wanting you to go any further. Or to at least think what you were doing, which was funny enough, given you were a grown up woman. Not his sister that he needed to protect because she's not mature enough to think for herself, his best friend that knew exactly what she's doing.

At least, she pretended like she knew it. He was so stern that even when you gave him a look, full of politeness, he wasn't impressed.

"You just met him after years," he emphasized the last word. "He could be so much different than the last time you've seen him, 'st sayin'. Yer too good to people, always been."

You sighed, a little defeated; there was nothing you could say that would convince him enough to Cody. "Yet, Kyle thinks he's pretty good for going out."

Soap laughed at your words, shaking his head with disbelief. His previously royal, blue eyes, were nothing like before; they were a bit... colder, if it was even possible. "And since when Kyle is your love advisor?" He raised his eyebrow, his arms crossed at his chest. It felt pretty defensive, even for him.

And, you would lie if you'd tell that you didn't like that, even if it was weird for you, to see him care about something like this. It was heartwarming; like he didn't actually want you to see that guy, to see him adding his statement.

But, of course, you couldn't admit that. It would only make his ego burst, and it was the last thing that he needed to know.

Besides, it would only make things more complicated.

"And like, it's..."

"Why do you care anyway?" you interrupted him; he opened his mouth for a moment, to close it right away, like your words actually hit him. "Genuinely. It's just a date."

Soap rolled his eyes, playing with his fingers – when you only glanced at them, he swiftly hid them behind his back. Like he wanted to keep them away from you, like you would say something about it. It was weird, but you didn't pay much attention to it back then.

"Carin' about you. 's all." He shrugged, looking carefully at you, when you put your shoes on. "'st... be careful, aye? 'm gonna kill this lad if he's..."

"...Johnny." You sent him a look; your hand instinctively covered his for a moment. "It's all gonna be alright. I'm not like, going to a mission where I'm gonna get another injury" you joked. He didn't take it quite well, considering that he gave you a scolding look.

"Mhm." Soap grumbled, helping you as you moved on to your coat. "Text me if you'll need anythin', bonnie. I mean it. Yer arm good?"

"Good, thank you. I'm gonna remember." You smiled softly, nudging him for goodbye, indicating that he could step down from his protective role. Cody was supposed to pick you up, so there was absolutely nothing for him left to do.

Well, at least you thought this way. His thoughts were a little different, as you saw the moment he escorted you to the exit of your apartment building, leaning against the door, as you were getting into your date's car. Cody even waved to him, but all Johnny did was a slight nod, like he was acknowledging him.

Small win, but a win anyway, you thought.

"Hope he's not your hidden boyfriend or something?" Your old friend looked at you for a second, before taking a turn to the left. "Like, he seems pretty... tense, when he sees me. Like he's protecting something."

You needed a few seconds to process what Cody was implying; and when you understood, you couldn't help but laugh and with disbelief. "No, he's completely harmless. Seriously, it's just... maybe he doesn't take strangers well, you know."

"Does he give strangers a distress hotline number instead of yours, or is it just me?" he grinned, and even then, you could hear the question in his tone, which made you gulp a little.

Well, if you’d think this way...

"Well. Johnny is... he's..."

Best friend. He's your best friend.

Why couldn't it leave your mouth?

"He's my... Johnny." You eventually said, looking at him. "He's like that, you'd understand after some time. But he's not my hidden boyfriend or something."

"Note taken. Would be awkward, if I'd taken you on a date and didn't know that." He laughed, shaking his head. "He'd probably kill me, huh?"

You laughed at this too, instead of telling him how Soap was already not pleased with you going out with him, and he was only your... best friend, technically. Heaven only knew what would happen if you'd want to meet Cody if you were in a relationship with him.

It was the possessiveness speaking. If anyone wanted to know something about MacTavish, he was possessive about his things. Obsessively so; it was cute when he clutched the Subway's sandwich to his chest from Ghost, when his friend wanted to take a bite. You, of course, had permission to take it (just a little bite since you were a girl), but no one else could. He cared about his things, he didn't let anyone touch his stuff if it had a sentimental matter to him.

The funny thing about it, he was possessive about people too, which sometimes irritated you to the core; he could have multiple friends and all, but you? Oh, he was interrogating the shit out of them, giving you the side eye if they managed to plan something with you before he did. He felt like he came before anyone, no matter what.

Not to mention, he was only like this about guy friends. Like a dog with a bone that's too precious to give to others. Funny thing is, they didn't even flirt with you, and he was acting like they were stealing you from him.

So, it wasn't really surprising when he didn't want to let you go out with Cody, especially that he somehow knew that you two had a history. You were thankful enough he didn't make a scene right in front of him because that would be humiliating.

Especially when your date seemed to be so nice. Not only did he open the car door for you, but also the restaurant's one, and you couldn't help but smile at that little gesture, nodding to him as a silent thank you. What was even better, you loved the place he chose for tonight.

Your old friend had to remember your taste, considering that the Italian restaurant was probably the prettiest building you've seen in a while. A lot of warm lamps around, climatic music that got your attention right when you walked into the room, greeted by an older waiter with a mustache; everything screamed Italy here, and you were taking in the view with pleasure.

"You like it so far?" Cody looked up at you from the menu; his bright, green eyes sparkled with curiosity in dim light. You suddenly felt bad, since you appreciated the effort more than you've probably let him know.

So, you nodded quickly, your painted nails clicking against the table. "Reminds me of this one restaurant back at home. You know, where we went with Stacy and others?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I remember." He laughed, shaking his head "I remember how Stacy spilled expensive wine on your shirt. Before meeting with your moms, you were pretty pissed back then."

You opened your eyes a little wider at this memory, suddenly remembering it; yeah, Stacy did something like that. What was also important to mention, you were right before an important dinner with your moms and their friends (Price involved), and the tragedy was huge back then. "So, you do remember things, huh?"

"Most of them," he admitted, tilting his head to the side with that boyish charm that he always had. It was something you couldn't really take away from him. "If something is worth remembering, I remember. Mostly situations with you."

It would be a lie if you'd say that dinner didn't go smoothly – because it did. Perfectly, even, knowing how much of a gentleman Cody was, how swiftly he balanced between topics, trying to entertain you. Trying to at least get a glimpse of your life that he didn't get to know since you left your hometown after being deployed and you cut ties with most of your friends. It was something that you liked, something that you adored, knowing he once was interested in you, and you were in him, when you were at high school.

Key words: high school.

As much as you liked him now, you knew it wouldn't work the moment waiter brought your food, and you awkwardly smiled to him, when he bon apetite'd you. Even if he tried to be smug, conversation wasn't effortless like you wanted it to be, you didn't like the way he asked you about your work, implying how it was men's work. Maybe it wasn't evident at first sight, but comments about you ruining your nails and your struggle as the only woman, and everything like that, irritated you.

Maybe it was you being hypersensitive, but you didn't really enjoy comments like this, no matter who it would be.

The chemistry between you two wasn't sparkling as well, and as much as you kept yourself from admitting it, you couldn't brush off a feeling that you would enjoy time with Johnny better. Hell, you were sure that your Scot would make those few hours a lot better. Movies, cooking together, even visiting the gym together... anything.

You felt bad for the thought, when Cody was so nice overall – yet, not nice in a way that would interest you.

"Is that your friend?" You heard him, which brought you back to Earth; he frowned, as he looked behind you. You were sitting right by the window, so he had a pretty clear view on the street.

"Friend?" You raised your eyebrow, amused.

"From earlier on."

You turned around, to see if your date was right; you doubted, really doubted that Cody would see Soap. Your friend was anything but someone that would disturb your date. "I really don't think Johnny..."

Well, Johnny indeed was here, and the thought of him not interrupting your date was completely crushed. You had to give him credit, though; he wasn't that recognizable, you didn't catch him right in the moment. He was in his dark sunglasses and brown cap; if the situation would've been different, you could laugh at how ridiculously similar he looked to all the Marvel characters when they had to hide.

Back then, you balanced on the line between being amused and furious that he didn't respect your time enough with someone else.

Having fun, Johnny?

As you observed him, you saw how quickly he looked around; for a brief moment, you felt like his gaze was on you, and it only confirmed itself when he started typing in his phone again.

dinnae ken what yer talkin about.

"I guess he's just here." You shrugged, lying to him swiftly. "It's the center of the town, yeah? Things... happens."

Cody chuckled, playing with his fork. "Yeah. Yeah. Maybe he is. As long as he doesn't disturb our date, right? It's too nice."

You're a menace to the society, MacTavish; you swiftly typed out under the table. "Yeah. It's too nice." you agreed, even if you thought how interesting it got only because your best friend was outside.

and yer mean: (

You had to hold back a laugh when you've read it; so, you put your phone down and came back to talking with Cody, eating and drinking that delicious wine; you knew you had to buy a bottle after this little adventure. Maybe they didn't sell it, but you were willing to try as soon as the waiter would come with the bill.

It was a personal win for you to come out twenty minutes later out of this restaurant with a bottle in your hand, laughing to your date about something convincing enough to sell it to you. You had to speak with two managers, but it was yours after all, ready to go home with you.

Soap was ready too, even if he acted like he wasn't here; you turned down Cody's proposition of taking you home just to call your best friend to ask where he is exactly, since he disappeared from that bench before you knew it.

"Over the date already? Had to suck, eh?" His eyebrow arched, as he wrapped his arm around your waist. "Sad. But yer sure that lad ain't for you."

"You know," you started, as you grabbed his glasses, just to wear it yourself "if you wouldn't be such a stalker, I'd let you drink wine with me at home. But, now, I have doubts about it."

"Stalker? C'mon. A simple coincidence, that is," he chuckled, as you two walked into his car. "Not my fault you'd rather have me on this date, not him. Can't really blame ya, hen."

You could feel how your face heated up in the moment; maybe if his statement wasn't true, you'd react differently, maybe you would think of a snarky comment. Back then, when you felt exactly like he said, well... It was hard enough.

He seemed to catch the hesitant look at your face, considering how smiley he got. "Oh? Got ye real good, if yer blushin'—"

"—you imagine too much, Johnny, " you mumbled out, as you got more comfortable in your seat, ready to go. "Let's go home, yeah?"

"'st sayin', bonnie. I could have a better date, even at home."

You didn't say anything about his reply. Not because it wasn't true (because it was), not because you were at a loss of words, but because you were conflicted about him and you having a date, when you two were friends. Was he honest, or playing like he always did?

It was just easier to think of it as just banter, ignore it, than actually take him seriously; because if you did and he would have to explain it to you it was just a joke... You were pretty sure that death of embarrassment was gonna happen, honestly. John was too important to you, friendship with him was too important to you to experiment with things like that.

Besides, it wasn't like you two would fit, right? There was a difference between being friends and someone that you could date. Your best friend was great, but as a lover? You didn't know this side of him, you could only guess.

When you finally arrived, you automatically left the car with your head in the clouds. Maybe that's why you haven't even noticed that your best friend was on the other side, trying to open the door for you; and that end up badly, considering that you've hit him with the door.

Low "fuck" snapped you from your thoughts, as well as him holding his nose; you immediately approached him, your expression bashful.

"I'm so sorry, Soap, I—"

"—S'alright." He shook his head, smiling at you like it was nothing. "I've been worse, you know. 'Suppose I deserved that." He nudged you, laughing when you rolled your eyes.

"It wasn't intentional," you groaned, grabbing his arm to start walking with him. "Come on, I'm gonna check it. Just in case."

"Apartment first, ma'am."

So, as soon as you were in the apartment with him, you had to check if nothing was broken – and even if it sounded like a wild thought, breaking a nose in close contact with the car's door, literally everything was possible with Soap, so it was better to be safe than sorry. Wouldn't be the first time that you did something to him without intention of doing it.

Once, when he pretended to be a burglar (he thought it would be funny this way) and he grabbed you from behind in your apartment, you hit him with a flower pot. You laughed afterwards, but you were pretty mad at him in the first ten minutes, trying to find something with ice that would help his headache.

After you checked everything, he seemed to be good. At least, excluding the moment where he thought it would be funny to whine and make you worry, which you smacked him for, but that was just his idiotic side speaking.

This incident though was definitely a lighter one. You've found yourself cleaning his shirt with soap and cold water, since he had a few drops of blood on it, and somehow you felt responsible there wouldn't be any stain left. Soap kept you company even then, shirtless, leaning against the doorframe to have a joke or two about how well you are cleaning blood, suggesting that you have "close connections" with underground fighters.

A simple answer would be period, but you didn't feel like going into that kind of conversation, so you just agreed, telling him he has to book you for the next cleaning. His laugh was everything.

Quickly after this, you were off to sleep, tired with the events of the day; you really needed a good rest, where you'd wrap yourself in the sheets, a warm nest around you. Calm environment, nothing to worry about since you were on leave, and your best friend was in your apartment too, it was the sense of safety here.

Except, your nightmares had a bit different plans than you had.

Ruthless, like they needed to remind themselves, and the worst thing about it was: you lived through every one of them. It wasn't something of your imagination, monsters and creatures that had no place in the real world, no – the realness of it all was scary. The memories you had from missions blended perfectly with events that didn't happen, causing you to have a heart-attack experience.

Nightmares about your team were the worst; where everyone was killed. Where you couldn't do anything but scream; this time, you watched their execution, as every one of your boys were killed right in front of you. Gun wounds, humiliation, where killers wanted them to beg for their life, when they cut the fingers of your comrades just to shoot them afterwards.

And you had to watch all of it, teary-eyed, just begging to stop all this madness.

The worst moment was when royal blue eyes looked right into yours, terrified, with a silent plea in them, hoping that you're gonna be the one to save his life; and the worst thing was, you knew you're gonna fail him. You knew there was nothing you could do to prevent the bloodshed, not when your body refused to move, not when you couldn't even move your finger, nor legs to defend them.

To defend him.

You remembered screaming, when the hope died in his eyes; silent, maybe meaningless words from your side that you're gonna fix all of this, no matter what. How you were the only one alive, and it felt worse than being dead with all of them.

And then, you woke up.

Your breath rapid, shuddery, you had no control over it, as well as you had no control over tears streaming down your face, without you acknowledging the fact of them. The only element that you saw? A pair of blues, looking at you with horror.

Owner of them shook you gently, trying to get you out of the trance you were in; after a minute you were pretty sure that he was talking, but you couldn't really recall what.

You had other things in mind.

"You're alive," you said, breathing out; he seemed shocked at least with your statement, but as he held your hands in his, he nodded quickly.

"Yeah. Yeah, 'm alive. Always will," he whispered. For a moment, the two of you were just looking at each other in silence and breathing. He took as it personal job to ease your nerves, and you could say that he really succeeded at it – the feeling like someone ripped your heart from your chest, slowly but surely vanished. "Better?"

"A bit," you murmured, sighing. You felt kind of bad, even if it wasn't your fault entirely. "I woke you up. I'm so sorry Johnny, I don't even—"

"—sssh. None of that right now, lassie, 'salright." He shook his head, leaning even more in your direction. "Come on. Give me a bosie."

"A bosie?" you chuckled, wiping away your tears. "It's a... hug, or...?"

"It's a hug, aye," he laughed too, wrapping his arms around you tightly – he knew how you liked to be hugged, he knew what you needed back then.

Soap hid his face in your hair, as he caressed your spine softly. He whispered a lot of words back then; soothing ones, encouraging, sweet nothings that made your heart go. How you weren't alone in all of this, how you could always count on him, how he was always gonna be here, no matter what was gonna happen.

All of this, in his arms, slightly rocked back and forth by him, seemed like the sweetest promise ever made, when you listened to his heart, slowly coming back to normal, just like your breath did not long ago. You two had magical influence on each other, you knew, but seeing it in action had you on a chokehold.

If this would be possible, you'd never leave this hug. You were more than happy to stay there with your eyes closed, your arms tightly around him, chin on top of his arm, where you could just smell his scent that somehow calmed you even more.

"'m gonna bring you a glass of water. Then, you're gonna go to sleep, all right?"

You couldn't care less about a glass of water, when you had all you needed in one person.

“Can you... stay?" you asked, slowly, when he started getting out of your bed. Somehow, you felt out of place asking that, but you needed to do this, even if it could seem outward weird to him.

You saw how he froze for a moment, before sitting in your bed again. "Of course."

This wasn't the first time; you once comforted him in bed, you slept next to him on missions just to keep both of you warm, but that was definitely the first time when both of you felt... more intimate. Like it was a change in the air, and after all it was your bed, in your apartment, and you wanted him to be next to you because he brought you comfort.

And because, somehow, it felt like he belonged here.

He spooned you from behind – one of his arms going under your head, so you could easily use it as a pillow if you'd only want, the other around your waist, like he was personally protecting you from anything that could happen to you. His body heat hit you the moment you snuggled more under the sheets. Soap was like a personal heater, ready to do anything to keep you warm.

You were in heaven.

"This will do?" he asked, his voice low. "Is it good for you, lassie?"

"...yeah." You smiled under your nose, when he ruffled your hair with the tips of his fingers, when you laid your head on his arm. "Good."

"Mhm. Sleep now, I'm gonna be here, if you need me." He kissed the back of your head, and from that gesture alone, you just knew for a fact that he was smiling too. "You know I love you, right?"

"I know. Love you too."

And for the first time, it felt a bit different from "I love you" than usual.

#soap x reader #soap x you #johnny mactavish x reader #johnny mactavish x you #x reader #cod x reader #soap mactavish x reader #soap mactavish #john soap mactavish #soap fluff #soap fanfic #friends to lovers #soap cod #soap call of duty #john mactavish

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newjeansgirlfriend · 5 months

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coffee shop girl

part two

kang haerin x reader

angst, fluff(????)

haerin glances at the cute girl to the right. so pretty, she thinks. the cute girl picks up her drink and leaves the coffee shop. haerin takes another sip of her coffee.

——————

the cute girl is back. ‘coffee shop girl’, her friends have dubbed her. she takes her drink (iced americano) and leaves the shop again— but not without winking at haerin before she leaves.

haerin can feel her face get red as she takes a small, embarrassed sip of her latte.

——————

the coffee shop girl buys a drink. she gets an iced americano, just like last time, and smiles at haerin while she’s waiting for her coffee. haerin waves tentatively, and coffee shop girl’s grin gets wider as she waves happily back at her.

haerin wishes she had supersonic hearing as coffee shop girl’s name is called and she collects her coffee, a spring in her step as she walks out of the shop.

——————

this time, it’s a little different. this time, haerin works up the courage to motion for coffee shop girl to come sit with her, and she does.

“hi, coffee shop girl,” haerin says.

“hello, beautiful lady. what’s your name?” haerin feels a blush creeping up her neck at the compliment.

“my name is haerin,” she manages to reply.

“a pretty name for a pretty girl,” coffee shop girl winks, “listen, i’ve got to go now. i’ll see you soon. bye!”

coffee shop girl runs off, leaving haerin still curious about her name.

——————

the four words haerin has held on to seem like they’re fading out of her grasp.

i’ll see you soon, coffee shop girl had said, but it had been two weeks now, and she wasn’t anywhere in sight.

haerin sighed as she got up. she had already finished her drink ages ago, but every day, she sat here for a while, waiting for coffee shop girl to appear. every day, haerin waited for coffee shop girl, who had left her a glimmer of hope, but no phone number, and no name.

haerin waits at the coffee shop the next day, and many days after that.

this is not the idol helpline update you wanted and deserved but yk part 2 coming soon hopefully but dont trust me im the most unreliable updater

#newjeans imagines #newjeans x reader #haerin #newjeans haerin #kang haerin #haerin imagines #haerin x reader #kang haerin x reader #nwjns #newjeans #idol x reader #kpop x reader #newjeans fanfic #angst

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notalwayscommonsense · 2 years

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Making Showering Easier w/ Executive Dysfunction

On this account we cover how to do things that are "common sense" or generally untaught for the people who dont know. Shame-free. Today, we'll be covering tips to help shower when you struggle with executive dysfunction, a depressive episode or something similar. Executive dysfunction can cause tasks that seem easy and simple for most look insurmountable to people who suffer with it. Sadly, there's no quick fix, but below will be tips on making bathing easier.

Tip 1: Taking away the pressure - A big reason bathing can feel like such a daunting task is because you're looking at the big picture. A list of things you need or feel like you have to do; washing your body, your hair, shaving, going about your regular routine. Simply put, simplify your shower. Gauge what you can manage and cut out the rest. If you can only wash your hair or only wash your body its far better than nothing at all. If you cant do either, just letting the water run over you is enough.

There isnt any hard and fast rules you must follow while showering. You dont have the energy to stand? Then sit. You can invest in a shower stool or just sit right on the floor. "I cant shower, its 3am!" Says who? When motivation strikes, its best to ride that wave no matter what time of day it is. Is the process of getting ready after you shower the daunting part? Pick out comfortable clothes, air dry your hair or even plan to reward yourself afterwards with something you've been wanting to do. Thinking of being able to curl up on the couch comfortable, clean and cozy may strike some motivation.

Tip 2: Make it fun - This tip definitely isnt for everyone, but it may be helpful for some. Try to indulge in some things to make your showers more fun and increase the motivation to do it. Some quick, free things you can do are playing music or even setting your phone or tablet a safe distance away to have your favorite show or movie on in the background. You can even bring a refreshing drink or snack (fruit will never get soggy and you dont need to worry about getting sticky from popsicles!). If you're open to spending some money, there's countless other ways you could increase the motivation to shower. Fancy soaps, body scrubs, fluffy new loofahs, bath bombs or shower steamers can all leave you feeling eager to try them out. Check out the kids section, seriously. Bath tints, bathtub crayons, markers and paint can all be fun for people with a creative side. Tip 3: Dont - If none of these options sound appealing to you, then simply dont shower. There are other ways to freshen up without having to go through all the motions. Using dry shampoo can leave your hair unwashed for longer. Dampen a wash cloth with warm water and wipe down your armpits. Keeping a pack of baby wipes by your bed can help when you feel a spark of motivation. Below will be linked a few more resources and products that could help when you're having trouble. Remember, no matter how hard it may feel right now, things will get easier. Products: Bathtub Markers & Crayons Affordable Shower Speaker B&BW Bath & Shower Products 15 Pack of Shower Steamers Resources: 15 Hygiene Hacks SAMHSA’s National Helpline

#positivity #affirmation #self worth #reminders #self help #gentle reminder #actually autistic #actually neurodivergent #actually adhd #executive dysfunction #mental health #tutorial #adhd #recovery #healing #encouragement #self compassion

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winchestergirl2 · 3 months

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January Reading Recs

To show some love and appreciation to all the amazing writers here on tumblr, here are all the fantastic fics I've read this month. 💖

Many of these fics and blogs are 18+ only, and NSFW please heed the author's individual fic warnings and requests regarding no minors. I am not responsible for your media consumption.

2023 Reading Recs

Smallville

Jason Teague

"Sleep. I'll Keep You Safe. " @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: Jason has just helped you escape the clutches of his nefarious mother. Where will you go from here now that you know the truth?

"I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that." @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: When another student makes an unwanted move on you, Jason's not above flexing his assistant coach authority muscle a little to get the guy to leave you alone and send a message.

Big Sky

Beau Arlen

"I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that." @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: He put you with Hoyt and Tonya. For the day. What the hell had he been thinking?

"Sleep. I'll Keep You Safe" @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: Your house is broken into one night when Beau wasn't home and now you find yourself expecting it to happen again at any moment. Will you ever feel safe in your home again?

Dark Angel

Alec Mcdowell

"I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that." @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: You're looking for a way to set yourself up and blend in after breaking out of Manticore. Having heard the rumors, you seek out Max for help. In doing so, you come across someone you had never thought you'd see again.

Being Human Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | @zepskies

Authors Summary: Your life made sense before Alec slipped his way in. He unravels your threads without even trying. He frustrates you as easily as he weasels back into your good graces. But you soon realize that this man is worth the challenge.

The Boys

Soldier Boy

"Sleep. I'll Keep You Safe" @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: You're tired of running and you go to Soldier Boy for protection. He agrees to do it but not without a price.

Possessive @kaleldobrev

Authors Summary: Ben is highly against when other men hit on you

Dawsons Creek

CJ Braxton

"I hate you." "You have a weird way of showing that." @thebiggerbear

Authors Summary: You had only meant to call once, remaining anonymous while feeling out the whole helpline thing for yourself. Now, you talk to CJ every Friday night around the same time. When you don't call one Friday, CJ is worried and comes looking for you which presents its own host of problems.

Good Morning @zepskies

Authors Summary: Your attempts to get your boyfriend out of bed don’t go as planned.

Supernatural

Dean Winchester

Smoke Eater Part 19 | Epilogue @zepskies

Authors Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real.

That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.

Desire (The Wanton Song) @deanbrainrotwritings

Authors Summary: Dean looks delicious in a suit, that’s it.

What Awaits You In The Dark @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

Authors Summary: After sleeping with Dean, Y/N really wants to sleep next to him too. Dean seems reluctant. Can Y/N figure out why?

Wake Up Call @wayward-dreamer

Authors Summary: Y/N starts Dean's birthday in a special way.

Blush @kaleldobrev

Authors Summary: For the first time in your life, you can say you’ve made Dean Winchester blush

Always @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

Authors Summary: When Y/N storms out in anger, Dean is afraid he's lost her.

Privilege @mind-empty-just-fictional-people

Authors summary: dean admits he feels old and you can’t help but gawk at his thinking

Tourniquet @impala-dreamer

Authors Summary: Y/N has been by Dean's side through his worst days, always there if he needs her, forever just a call away. Love is impossible to fight and more impossible to live with. Just a side character in his epic life, Y/N would give anything just to give Dean a moment's peace.

Sam Winchester

Authors Summary: The reader shifts into a new city after being offered a dream job by a big firm. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect after an ugly break-up with a douche-bag Ex. But things turn out not as dreamy as she’d want them to be and the only thing that keeps her smiling is a totally coincidental game of Tic Tac Toe.

Untitled Sam Drabble @supernaturalfreewill

Authors Summary: Imagine sending Sam little texts throughout the day. They're his favorite thing and cheer him up during long hunts...

We Could Stay @imaginesfordifferentfandoms

Prompt - Help me I’m being hit on at a bar please be my fake boyfriend for a second

It's All Coming Back To Me Now @sams-sass

Authors Summary: You are falling for Sam until Swan Song happens, but there is something you don't know.

Sam Winchester x Reader, Dean Winchester x Reader

Unopened At Your Feet Chapters 1 - 5 @thoughtslikeaminefield

Authors Summary: This is the story of how I broke my own heart.

#winchestergirl2 recs #winchestergirl2reads #fic recs #jason teague x reader #jason teague fic #beau arlen x reader #beau arlen fic #alec mcdowell fic #alec mcdowell x reader #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy fic #cj braxton x reader #cj braxton fic #dean winchester x reader #dean winchester fic #sam winchester x reader #sam winchester fic

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with-love-from-hell · 11 months

Text

Melancholia

{part Ten}

Fandom: Obey me!

Genre: Angst

Written for F!Mc

WC: 3k

CW: Kidnapping!, Michael is a heavy antagonist and angels are fucked up, slut shaming/victim blaming, mention of suicide vaguely, fear-based content and lots of tension, angst, depression, mentions to past sexual violence in Vermillion Skies, Torture, anxiety, descriptions of deceit, season 2 spoilers

A/n: Michael is quite the wad in this chapter, just as a fair warning! I will be discussing his character in my brain more in the q&a post later on, so send in your questions about the series to my inbox! Also I apologize if the formatting seems wonky or out of order...tumblr is deciding to test my patience this morning.

Music Accompaniment (Point of No Return thru No Love)

>> Though I have a Masters Degree in Psychology and clinical training in treatment for mental health, I am not your therapist. If you have experienced any form of depression or suicidal thoughts, and are in need of help, please utilize the Suicide Prevention Lifeline, NIMH helpline, or the SAMHSA helpline. <<

Series Masterlist

You can find more of this series by searching the tag #Vermillion Skies or #Melancholia on my blog!

“Are you sure that’s what you saw?” Diavolo’s eyes darted between Simeon and Belphie. He wanted desperately for their concerns to just be baseless anxiety, but the grim look on Luke’s face made his heart sink deeper into his stomach. The phone call he had received from Lucifer hours prior was alarming, but he figured the sounds of shuffling and distant grunts meant he had just pocket dialed him. He never would have expected mc and Lucifer to end up missing, and in the brutish hands of the Archangels, no less. After what he had seen Simeon go through, he only hoped that they could get to them before its too late.

“I’m almost 100% certain that Michael has taken both of them.” Simeon clenched his fists, fighting back his demon form. “I don’t know what he’s planning, but it will surely be nothing good.”

Diavolo’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I see...”

Luke squeezed his eyes shut to prevent himself from crying. His grip on Simeon’s sleeve tightened as he tried to make himself calm down. How could this be happening? Michael was a good angel; a merciful angel. This had to have been some sort of mistake!

There was a moment of silence as the brothers looked amongst eachother with uncertainty.

“Well...ain’t we gonna do somethin’ ‘bout this?!” Mammon finally asked, giving a pointed look to Diavolo and Barbatos. "We should be stormin' that fuckin' palace and destroying everythin' in sight!"

A tense sigh passed through Diavolo’s lips as he massaged the slight headache developing at his brow line. “Mammon, it’s not that simple. We have no idea where they’re being held, or why. We have no idea what their next move will be, and we dont know what they'll do when they hear of our rescue efforts.”

“And we certainly don’t have the manpower amongst us to fight the entire celestial army, even with our combined strength.” Satan paced while rubbing his chin, trying hard to think of how they could get both Lucifer and Mc back with the least amount of bloodshed.

“I just...I d-don’t understand...” Luke shook his head, still trying to wrap his head around what was happening. “W-why would Michael do something like this?!”

The demons looked amongst each other, unsure of how to respond to the small angel’s query. They felt so much pity for him. He was really having his worldview tested more over the past 4 months than than he had in his entire life.

“Michael is obsessive.” Solomon chimed in as he entered the room, a bag of tinking glassware slung over his shoulder. “He sees Mc as a threat, and it appears as though his desire to renew the exchange program was a ploy to get our guard down so he can neutralize that threat. I only wish i would have picked up on the signs sooner.”

The remaining color left in Luke’s face drained, and he stared at Solomon, wide-eyed. “W-what..? Do...do you mean they’ll...”

Solomon locked eyes with him for a second, a glint of sadness passing through his expression. “They’re going to try to kill her, yes.”

Simeon shook his head, finding himself feeling strangely numb in this moment. "They wont just do that. They've risked too much in even kidnapping Mc.”

Everyone in the room turned to him, looks of pure terror on their faces. The fact that the situation would likely provide Mc with more trauma was enough to try to stomach already, but to run the risk of losing her again made their blood run cold. Each waited with baited breath for what Simeon had to add to suggest that it could get worse than you’re death.

Simeon sighed, avoiding their desperate eyes. “Michael had said over and over that their worst mistake he made during your fall was not ensuring Lilith had been unable to be reincarnated. To ensure that Lilith’s bloodline won’t ever be able to cause a disturbance in the celestial realm again, they are going to attempt to wipe her from existence, along with the one person who could and would stop at nothing to ensure they would never see another day of peace. The one person who, without him, would leave the Devildom vulnerable in the event of an all-out war.”

The brothers each dropped their eyes to the floor, slowly understanding what Simeon was getting at.

Not only would they kill Mc- but they were going to kill Lucifer too.

“But...But...” Luke stuttered, looking amongst the brothers. "Michael's a good angel! He couldn’t...H-he wouldn’t...”

Tears burst from Luke’s eyes, now fully unable to hold back any more. Simeon kneeled, wrapping his arms around him gently, and allowed the small angel to sob into his shoulder. Simeon glanced to Diavolo, who’s expression had become a mixture of grim anticipation, and deep anger.

“My lord, what would you suggest our next move be?” Barbatos did his best to bite his tongue, but was holding onto his sanity by a mere thread. It was bad enough that you had to be taken and threatened with death, but to have a close friend and necessary ally suffer the same punishment made the situation all the more dire. He himself wanted to charge in and swiftly decapitate any angel that crossed his path, but he knew that running in without a plan would be foolish. "If what Simeon says is true, we are already at a major disadvantage given they have been in their grasp for nearly 5 hours. We don’t have much more time left to lose.”

Before Diavolo could even respond, Beelzebub stepped forward, catching his attention. His normal flat expression was turned into an furious scowl, his muscles bulging under his shirt with all the tension he held in his body. The prince didn’t think he’d ever seen the avatar of Gluttony so angry before.

“Our next move should be getting our family back, no matter what it takes.” He stated matter-of-factly, but there was a lust for blood behind his tone that neither of the royals, nor his brothers, had ever heard from the 6th born. “I’ll annihilate their entire army by myself if I have to.”

“While I agree we should prioritize their safety before politics, we mustn’t forget that charging in without a plan only gives them the advantage.” Diavolo sighed. “Though right now, I am frankly at a loss for how to develop one that won’t just be a suicide mission.”

Beel closed his eyes, trying to refrain from snapping on the prince. He was terrified for your wellbeing, and didn't think he could handle the uncertainty of your fate for much longer. He needed you- all of his brothers did. And they needed Lucifer too. Without both of you, his family would fall apart. No one would ever be able to recover from such a loss.

Luke stared between Beelzebub and Diavolo, almost as if he couldn’t understand what they were both saying.

“First we should decide who will be doing what.” Simeon stated, now rising from his knees. He gestured toward Solomon to take Luke from him, who quickly scrambled to replace Simeon’s place as Luke’s support.

Barbatos nodded. “We should establish a rendezvous point as well, in case we get separated.”

Simeon looked to Barbatos, nodding in agreement. “I think it goes without saying that Diavolo and Luke will be staying behind.”

“What?!” Luke and Diavolo both yelled at the same time, seemingly insulted by the assertion that they would not be helping.

“Yeah, What?” Mammon added, crossing his arms. “I understand leavin’ the Chihuahua behind, but Diavolo’s got some mad strength. He could take down 10 seraphim at once without even tryin'!"

“Really, Mammon!? You’re going to call me a Chihuahua now?!” Luke wiped his tears, shooting Mammon a glare.

Barbatos interjected, ignoring Luke’s annoyance at the teasing name. “But if he is injured- or worse, killed- during battle, the Devildom will be without a leader. That’s not something we can afford. We would be susceptible to both external invasion and violent anarchy amongst the lower demons.”

“Besides, it might be helpful to have someone here to prepare a space for injuries.” Satan added, tilting his chin toward Simeon. “If his vision is right...Mc and Lucifer could be in pretty awful shape...”

Mammon winced at the idea of Mc being hurt again, not wanting to accept it as a possible reality.

Diavolo sighed. “Fine, we’ll stay back for now. But if things go south...” He gave Barbatos a deathly serious look, “...I will not hesitate to charge in there- full force.”

Luke shook his head, now pulling out of Solomon’s arms and nearly groveling to Simeon. “No! Wait, I...I could talk to Michael! I could get him to s-see reason!”

Simeon closed his eyes and sighed. “Luke, I know this is hard for you to understand, which is why it’s best if you don’t get involved.”

“But...Mc...” Luke swallowed back more tears, looking at the floor. “I...I want to help...t-to do something...”

“I know...I know.” Simeon took a deep breath to maintain the softness in his voice. He pressed both hands to Luke’s shoulder. “But the way that you can help is holding down a place for when we come back. Please Luke...this is what I need from you.”

Luke sniffled, hanging his head and nodding. “O-okay.”

Simeon gave him a firm hug, solidifying that things were going to be okay. He had experienced a loss of optimism for anything for so long. He hadn't felt the ability to cling to any sort of hope to allow him to move forward. Whether it be denial, fear, anger, or just wanting to see Mc smile one last time, the feeling allowed him to be strong enough to stand as an anchor for everyone else, and to make a plan to get them both back. He needed to be a rock for everyone else, who were near the edge of panic because the two who would normally take the lead were now indisposed.

Mc and Lucifer will be brought back alive...they had to be.

Simeon stood, resting a firm hand on Luke’s shoulder. He pointed toward the brothers, giving fervent direction of what he wanted them to do. “Beel, you will be our tank. Belphie and Satan, you’re his backup. Your job is to neutralize anyone in our way of getting to Lucifer and Mc.”

The three looked at each other and gave a single nod to signify that they understood.

“Levi, and Mammon- you two will help me and Barbatos get into the Celestial prison cells to search for Mc and Lucifer. We will need help getting past guards, and the more people we have searching rooms, the better. You'll take the east wing, and Barbatos and I will be on the west wing.”

“Got it.” Mammon nodded to Levi, winding up his shoulders to stretch the muscles. "I'll wipe the floor with any crumby angel that dares to do harm to the family of the Great Mammon!"

“Solomon- You and Asmo will take up the rear. Do what you can to ensure our portal home isn’t infiltrated and that the others have first aid in the event of an emergency. You will also be our center point of contact.”

Asmo nervously glanced to Solomon, who pressed a reaffirming hand to his shoulder. “Not a problem.”

“For the rest of us outside of Asmo and Solomon, our meet up point should be at the treeline just south of the prison.” Barbatos added, giving a nod to Simeon for thinking through the division of the groups. “If we need to change it, Solomon and Asmo will spread the message. No one should break off from their pairs. There's safety in numbers, after all.”

The group nodded amongst each other, now preparing for what they assumed was going to be an absolutely bloodbath, and the beginning of the end of peace between the realms.

“Get up.”

Lucifer groaned as the words echoed through his throbbing head. He tried to bring his awareness back- to figure out who the voice was, and where it was coming from. A swift kick to the stomach caused him to sputter, the pain pulling his consciousness back to the surface.

How long had he even been out?!

He forced his eyes open, trying to adjust to the dimly lit room he found himself in. As he tried to move his weak muscles, he found his arms restrained tightly behind his back. He looked up, trying to push his vision to convert the blurred outline into the image of the individual standing before him.

“I said: Get. UP.”

Lucifer snarled as the individual grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him up to his knees. He gritted his teeth as his vision adjusted to the shape of the blonde angel, who’s nose was only a few inches away from his own.

“Stand, Demon.” Michael commanded, pulling on Lucifer’s hair again to make him stand.

His knees buckled beneath his weight as he tried to remain standing. Eventually he was able to keep his balance, albeit barely. He hadn’t felt this groggy since Diavolo had spiked his tea with tranquilizer a few months prior. His mind wandered briefly to you, and he was desperate to know where they were holding you. He hoped that you were safe, but given the aggressive handling that Michael and the guards were treating him with, he concluded they were probably weren’t treating you much better. Regardless, he knew he had to figure out a way out of his binds- to make sure you were safe again in his arms.

Michael snapped his fingers, signaling for two armored guards came to Lucifer’s side. They hooked their arms under his armpits and followed Michael out of the room. Lucifer swallowed hard, taking note of his surroundings. Clearly, he was in the celestial palace, but he was unsure of his specific whereabouts- that is, until he was brought before the familiar, intimidating council doors.

He narrowed his eyes, staring daggers into the back of Michael’s head. The last time he was here was when he was begging on his knees for Michael to help him to convince father to let Lilith live. An odd sense of familiarity washed over him as Michael grasped the handles on the doors. He swallowed hard, trying to bring back his cold and confident demeanor...but the fear about whether you both would make it out of this situation alive continued to sit like a rock in his stomach, making it hard to turn away from the anxiety.

Lucifer was thrown down to his knees roughly before the council. He gritted his teeth through the pain, trying to wiggle his arms our of their binds enough to where his shoulder wasn't threatening to dislocate. He took a deep breath before looking to the judging eyes of the council, but was surprised to see only two council members other than Michael who were looking at him with glares of hatred. The rest harbored a look of shock and uncertainty.

"Lucifer. It's been too long." Michael mused sarcastically with a wicked smile as he took his place amongst the council members. “I would love to say it’s good to see you, but unfortunately the mere sight of you is very unpleasant.”

Lucifer tightened his jaw, but said nothing.

Michael cocked his head at him, the smile turning into a teasing smirk. "Come now, you're not going to even give us a proper greeting?"

Lucifer hissed his retort. "Fuck you."

Raphael winced as Michael let out a sickening chuckle. He looked to the other council members, noticing Uriel and Saraquael with similar grotesque smiles. Gabriel, Raguel, and Remiel, however, shared in his discomfort, and tossed nervous glances amongst each other.

"Uh, Michael..." Gabriel nervously chimed in after a pause, trying his best to keep a smile on his face, though it was clearly weathered from nerves. "We...we shouldn't delay in discussing why you've brought Lucifer before us so suddenly, especially considering you didn't not get all of our approval before doing so."

Lucifer lifted an eyebrow as Michael's eyelid twitched. The archangel slowly tilted his head back to look at Gabriel, his intense eyes boring holes into the second in command. "Approval was not necessary. I made an executive decision for the safety of the Celestial realm."

Lucifer furrowed his brow. Safety? What was he talking about??

"When you discussed the revamping of the exchange program, I did not expect this to be your ulterior motive." Raguel shook his head in disapproval as he scratched his long, grey beard. "This isn't right, Michael. Send him home."

"And the human too." Remiel added, a furious look on her face. "I know many angels- including yourself- are wary of deceit from humans after what happened with Simeon, but we have no right to-"

"Silence!" Michael slammed his fists on the podium in front of him, breathing hard. The other council members snapped their mouths shut, not wanting to evoke Michael's fury. "Humans as a race are not the problem here. I've explained this to you thick headed fools 5 times already!"

Remiel gasped quietly, looking to Raguel and Gabriel for support. They said noting, only looked on in shock at Michael’s behavior.

Michael continued. "The problem is this particular human, and those who enable her. She should be exterminated for her sins... and Lucifer..."

He glanced to his former brother over the rim of his glasses, seeing his eyes go wide with panic at the acknowledgement that he wanted to have you killed.

He shook his head. "Lucifer is our second biggest threat if we are to get rid of her, and as such he should be imprisoned indefinitely at the very least- if not sentenced to suffer the same fate."

"Agreed." Uriel stated, without hesitation. "It took 5 injections of the strongest sedative we had to bring him down."

"Who knows what destruction he could cause with those brothers of his if we didn't include him in this." Saraqael glared at him, seemingly disgusted by his actions. "We should have executed all of them after their betrayal instead of letting them fall. The blood of their sister still runs through their veins, and the veins of that wretch of a human."

Michael nodded as Lucifer's lips upturned into a snarl. "His brothers will come for him, and prove just how much destruction they're capable of- but they're no match for our army." He turned back to Gabriel, shaking his head once more. "Mercy for blasphemous actions are what lead Simeon to fall in the first place. Are you suggesting you're fine with every angel turning a blind eye to grace and becoming demons themselves? That simply will not do!"

Gabriel gulped, glancing toward Lucifer and then back to Michael. "Demons are allowed to make their own decisions for how they run their realm. Lucifer having the freedom to love a human doesn't concern us at all, Michael. We have already agreed not to become politically invested in the Devildom beyond maintaining peace."

Raguel stood, mirroring Michael's intensity with his hands firmly on his podium. He had enough of Michael's dictator like order over the council, and unfairness in making such extreme decisions without their input. As the oldest member of the council and a man of tradition, he was insulted by Michael's apparent insolence and side-stepping of the parliament rules. "What you've done is akin to a declaration of war! We're you not able to set aside your petty jealousy of father's favoritism for one moment to think of the consequences of your bull-headed actions!?"

"Tch!" He stood and rounded the podium to the front of the room where Lucifer knelt. He paced in front of him, dark brown irises glaring down intensely at the eldest brother, completely ignoring Raguel's words. "Tell me: What would we have done if this human wasn't given the ring of light?"

“I hardly see what this has to do with anything.” Remiel muttered, sharing a nervous glance with Raguel.

“Just answer the question.” Michael demanded, glancing amongst the council. “Tell me what would have happened.”

Gabriel sighed, crossing his arms. "It was told to us by the sorcerer that her pacts with the brothers would have been revoked."

Michael let out a sickening laugh. "And you believed him?"

Gabriel was taken aback by his words. "I beg your pardon?"

"Lucifer needed to die in order to go with that route. Do you really think the demon prince, had he known, would have allowed that?"

There was a pause, before the hesitant council members slowly shook their heads.

Michael nodded, lips turning upwards into a smile. "Precisely. Now, wouldn't there be an easier option that would produce the same results? And it didn't even cross any of their minds."

The room wad quiet for a moment before Michael let out a 'tsk.'

"What they should have done was dispose of the threat. She not only holds pacts with 7 of the strongest demons at their disposal and could be considered a danger to both the Celestial Realm and the Devildom in that right, but weilding that power has made the entire fabric of the universe unstable."

Michael turned to Lucifer, crossing his arms. "Now, wouldn't such a danger to the 3 world's go directly against your precious Diavolo's plans?"

Lucifer swallowed, but remained silent.

"It would." He answered for him, turning back to the council. "And yet, his love for the human resulted in them risking the stability of not just the Devildom, but the Celestial Realm and the human world as well!"

"The solution that was arrived at was a suitable one." Raguel argued. "Providing the human with the ring of light was more than a reasonable solution, And I remember that you had hidden it from the council. Even after Simeon approached us with the option, you were still vehemently against it because of your own pride."

Michael glared at the older archangel. "And what if she were to take the ring off?"

Remiel sighed. "You saw it with your own eyes, Michael. She was terrified. Why in heavens name would she do that?"

"It doesn't matter how or why." Uriel nodded toward Michael. "His point still stands that it's a possibility, and made the option a mediocre one at best."

Raphael gripped his pants tightly in his fist. He wasn't sure who to side with at this point, and kept finding himself thinking back to Luke and the interactions he witnessed between the two of you. Raphael was still indifferent toward you, considering the bias he initially came into the Devildom with, but even a week with you was enough to sway his opinion slightly in the opposite direction.

Perhaps Michael was obsessed and blinded by anger and power, like Raguel had said to him before the meeting.

"Michael...y-you've gone mad..." Gabriel shook his head in a panic. "This isn't the way father would-"

"And how are you to know what father wants!" Michael snapped back. "I am the leader of this council, and I am the direct executor of his will!"

"Enough, Michael!" Remiel shouted, now standing. "The council was elected as a whole to execute father’s will. Cease this absurdity at once, and release these two back to Devildom! They are innocent!"

"Innocent!? Hah!" Michael laughed sarcastically at her. "Even meeting Mc in real life was enough to convince me she is anything but!"

Lucifer growled in warning, wanting desperately to tell Michael to keep your name off his lips.

Michael shook his head, feeling a shiver run through his spine as he remembered his encounter with the human. The way he felt such an unnatural pull toward her made him feel so disgraceful, and only re-affirmed his mindset on how dangerous she was. "Just the way in which she was dressed told me everything about her intentions. She’s clearly well able to use manipulation and seduction to her advantage. No wonder demons and angels alike have a difficult time controlling themselves around her- clearly she's inviting them to defile her!"

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Lucifer finally spat at him, finding himself enraged at the suggestion that your state of dress they had captured you in- that was supposed to be for his eyes only- was somehow an excuse for the trauma you suffered. His eyes bore holes into Michael's as they stared each other down. Lucifer panted, snarling at him as he wrestled with his binds, wanting to beat Michael to death right there.

"Tch." Michael narrowed his eyes. "How pitiful."

"Look, Michael..." Gabriel sighed, "despite your personal feelings on the matter, this entire situation needs further discussion, both amongst the council and with father directly. Until that is done, these two are not to be harmed, and should be returned home."

"We are not doing anything to either of them as long as there is disagreement among the council." Remiel reiterated Gabriel’s words, glaring at Michael with her emerald eyes filled with fire. "That is final."

Michael let out another sickening laugh, making the opposing council members' blood run cold. Even the two who were on his side lost the smirks they displayed through the meeting at the unsettling sound of it.

"This was not a request for any stupid debate, or a vote." He smirked toward Lucifer, who continued to glare at him. "This was just a warning to you that the wheels of retribution are already moving. Her punishment was started well before this meeting, and I saw to it personally."

"Wait...what?" Raphael finally spoke, unsure of what to make of Michael’s words. He glanced uneasily toward Uriel and Saraqael, who shared in his confusion. "Y-you said you would get the councils permission before...before-"

The color drained from Lucifer's face as Michael's smile grew. He felt his stomach churn as Michael folded his arms over his chest, staring Raguel down as the realization of what he had done sunk in to everyone in attendance.

"M-Michael... what did you do to that human?" Gabriel stuttered out, completely blindsided by Michael's descent into madness. He glanced to Lucifer, seeing the Avatar of Pride barely holding on to his emotions.

Michael stayed silent, watching the horror on their faces grow with each passing second. His wicked smile told them everything they needed to know.

#obey me #obey me!#shall we date: obey me #obey me swd #om!#om! one master to rule them all #om! shall we date #obey me lucifer #obey me Simeon #obey me mc #f!mc #obey me f!mc #om! f!mc #obey me fic #om! fic #melancholia #vermillion skies #obey me michael

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shatar-aethelwynn · 1 year

Text

I can't believe I'm going to do this. Who wants a presentation on Herodotus' sources for Book 2 (the Egypt book)? It was given by PhD student Alex Tarbet for the Herodotus Helpline and it's 46 minutes long. Folks, this is a scholar who is explicitly arguing that Herodotus' Egyptian sources can not be trusted for factual information on the lives of the Pharaohs. The specific topic is how the stories of the Pharaohs appear to be humorous "Tourist Trap" stories rather than factual narratives from reputable, educated sources. And that the "priests" Herodotus talked to might not have been real priests. While Tarbet is clearly fond of Herodotus, he is also critical of the source material (he also straight up calls Herodotus a tourist). This is an attitude that more people need to have.

“It’s very possible that if Herodotus asked to talk to a priest he could have gotten somebody with a little bit of attitude, a little bit of salt, drawing on these popular traditions. It’s like if someone wandered around Italy asking to talk to the Pope and the locals instead said things like, ‘I’m the Pope,’ or they drew upon all these jokes about the Pope’s hat that they knew, and in some ways it was a way of brushing off a tourist. This is the sort of thing that happens at a festival along the Nile, you get all sorts of interactions between people, and Herodotus had a kindof difficult time figuring out when people were just joking with him or they were telling him true facts.”

In other words, sure, you can learn stuff from The Histories, but only if you remember and accept that it's not all true, and that you can't just trust it and accept it at face value, especially the Egypt part. You know...the thing the Egyptologists have been trying to hammer into people's heads for a couple of years now.

(My stance on Herodotus remains unchanged, and now has another scholar to back it up.)

#academic fun

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sh4tt3rg1rl · 28 days

Note

XEYSHATTERSILTAV1A

RANK/OPINIONS ON ALL THE TAOCC SHIPS (AND I MEAN ALL OF THEM)

OKAY!!

Sigilbeam 9/10 Crobias 10/10 (i am sorry i am obsessed w them) Egypt Yaoi (Is it really called this???) 9/10 Pharaoh x Damsel 3/10 (o7) Cloud Computing 7/10 Dialchemist 10/10 (OUGH) Bellalchemist (DO YALL ACTUALLY SHIP THIS???) 5/10 Toxic Helpline 9/10 (the worst trio of all time) Bellephone/Toxitone 8/10 (ENEMIES TO LOVERS JUMPSCARE???) Helliphone 8/10 (THEY MAKE ME SICK /POS) Helle 6/10 Helpline 4/10 (o7 this ship used to sail) Helucy 3/10 (Idk i just Do not Like them) Alcemhelp (7/10 they should hate eachother <3) Prank Call 3/10 (Clown is aroace, but the ship name alone gets it 3 points.) Northeast 5/10 (they are the white bread of ships. Sorry) Null Island 7/10 Sob 5/10 (i love them but they are SO rocky) Icia x Lance WAAAHHHH/pos/10 (made me feel Emotions) Chance x Stitch 6/10 (DUB) Alcoholove ANGST ANGST ANGST/10 (THE ANGST POTENTIAL.) Gunshot 8/10 (JSHDFFJFJFJFJ THEM) Yelena x Aleksander/Simon i forgor their shipname 5/10 (they are also the white bread of ships. Sorey) anger x sunshine or whatever their names are LOL 8/10 (Theyre CUTE) Royal Rain 8/10 (AAHHHHH THEY MAKE ME ILL) Neptune x Cerberin 8/10 (THEY SHOULD NOT BE AS WHOLESOME AS THEY ARE) Isaac x Simon (Real world) 10/10 Mix x Silhouette (Circus) 9/10 Kopie 5/10 (THEY SHOULD HATE EACHOTHER PART 2 <3) Koumi 9/10 (i love em. o7 this ship was fun while it lasted) Kumo x Loneliness 10/10 (SORRY AHAH) Golden Rain 8/10 (them <33333333) Kopi x Silhouette (LOL LOL LOL) 5/10 (the crackship ever) Fireafy 7/10 (This is literally just my opinion on the ship in BFDI so) Elida x Taika (in the EL!AU they're datinggg) 8/10 Sarah x ???? NA/10 (ARE THEY SIBLINGS?? ARE THEY??? IM SCARED) Hamaos 7/10 (Hammer, Chaos, and Arson living happily while the whole circus suffers:) Scrawled 7/10 (they make me SICK)

Put more in the comments cause I'm too lazy to remember them, canon or not. Bye Bye

#xeyasks

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mixamorphosis · 3 months

Text

Blog post and linked up tracklist [HERE]

Tracklist

01. Slow Meadow - Palemote (Self Released) 02. Fumio Miyashita - See The Light (Abridged) (Light In The Attic) 03. A conversation with Rickie Lee Jones (Youtube) 04. Umber - All The Ships (Oxide Tones) 05. Birds Of Passage - On Our Hands (Dronarivm) - Proceeds go to Warchild 06. Caught In The Wake Of Forever - Faultless Youth Declined (Dronarivm) - Proceeds go to National Suicide Prevention Helpline 07. Weyes Blood - Everybody's Talking (Mexican Summer) 08. The Green Kingdom - Bell Garden (ambimix) (Rusted Tone Recordings) 09. candysomething - Sellotape (Self Released) 10. Levi Patel - Her Angled Beauty (Self Released) 11. Evan Bartholomew - Medicine / Healing (Newlands Music) 12. Good Weather For An Airstrike - Breathing (ft Inachus) (Hawkmoon Records) 13. William S. Fischer - Chains (Late Night Tales) 14. The Cinematic Orchestra - To Believe (Ninja Tune) 15. Hampshire & Foat - The Solitude Of Certitudes (Parts 1 & 2) (Athens Of The North) 16. Man Watching The Stars - Fields (Self Released) 17. Charles Bukowski on life 18. Agnes Obel - Poem About Death (Late Night Tales) 19. Endless Melancholy - In Transition From Anxiety To Acceptance (Dronarivm) 20. Jonathan Fitoussi - Aquarius (Further Records) 21. Katarzyna Borek - Uranus for Craig Armstrong (Weather Storm) (BITTT)

Download available via [Hearthis]

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elvesandlanterns · 1 year

Text

Ghost a helpline part 10

Uncle Tucker part 2: conversations are had and the Masters family finally move to Gotham.

Diana could practically see her comrades sputtering at the Captains words. She felt conflicted, “I understand Marvel you are also my brother in arms. The trust I have in all of you because of that is very important to me. We are not writing her off as a threat nor are we going to go after her.” At this she threw a pointed look at Bruce, “We just want some information on her that’s all. We don’t know anything about her and are justified in being cautious. “

“From my understanding you all decided it was a good idea to contact her not the other way around. And now the Batman is going to do what he does best and come up with contingencies because he feels insecure.”

Diana put her hand on Clark’s tense shoulder.

“Captain that is not-“

“The same way you’ve been trying to find my weaknesses for years. So if you’re that desperate to find one then here. She is my weakness and if anything happens to her I don’t know what will happen. Do you understand me?”

“Marvel! We are not-“

“Understood.” Batman grunted, “I still have questions.”

“So do I.”

Diana looked between them and shared a look with Clark, hopeful Batman would know what not to ask…. Clark opened his mouth first, “You two were in a war?”

A grin, “What did you think I just made up the Captain part of my name for kicks?” a humorless laugh left him.

“Right that makes sense, you’ve been around along time but isn’t she too young.”

“In a way, Konstelacio is considered a ‘forever child’ uhh she’s pretty much stuck that age.”

“So she just has the body of a teen but is actually an adult.”

“No she is a kid, and always will be. She’s just sorta stuck. She may have lived a long life but she’s still a child.”

Diana pondered over it. It’s wasn’t anything she didn’t expect. She was even use to it, on Paradise Island children were taught to fight, to kill when necessary. War was something Diana knew. But it felt wrong.

“A demon child with resources, connections and reality altering powers.”

“She’s a child who loves her family, collects trinkets and helps people.”

“But who exactly is she helping. What is stopping her from being summoned by Lex Luthor or Felix Faust or any number of villains.”

“She can decide who to help and who not to help you know. They can’t force her. Trust me they’d be sorry if they tried.”

“You just said she’s a child, anything could happen. They wouldn’t have to force her when they could manipulate her.”

Diana smiled leave it to Bruce to care about a child he barely meet, even when he was scared of them.

“Also we can’t just allow a potential danger to run around buying souls.”

Diana took it back, Bruce was making a mess.

—- —- —-

Konstelacio followed the guard to the sitting room, Uncle Tuckers kingdom always felt comfortable to her. It was warm, sun filled and quite frankly Konstelacio had a lot of leeway here. A type of get out of jail free card that made her feel safe, but also nervous. She would not embarrass her family again, not here.

She bowed to her uncle as he entered the room, “I greet Pharaoh Tuck, Prince Consort to High King Phant-“

“That is enough my constellation, Princess Violet how many times must I ask that you call me Uncle?”

“I only mean to show my respect.”

“None needed come here. Tell me what I can do.”

“What I didn’t !” Had he heard from Dan already?

“Come on Violet I know you and I know that if you came here for help it must be something big.” Her Uncles smiles always looked genuine, she loved them.

“It’s a long story.”

“Eat some snacks and tell me everything.”

—- —- —-

Well that had been a mess Clark thought after both the dark knight and Captain had stormed out. Clark still wasn’t sure were he stood on the matter, he didn’t want to make the same mistakes he made with Connor. But just like with Connor none of them had enough information. It was time to call another meeting, ugh and invite Constantine to it.

Clark stopped walking, wait wasn’t there a demon on the Titans?

—- —- —-

Vlad’s eldest, Dandy Masters, parked the car outside the Gotham estate. Their new home was located far enough away that their neighbors wouldn’t be able to hear them scream, the manor was gothically decrepit, and the outside plants looked dead. It’s perfect thought Vlad, just perfect.

—- —- —-

Tucker nearly spat his coffee, “YOU MEET BATMAN.”

- The guards outside the door twitched, their pharaoh never yelled. He sounded shocked and was quickly shhhuhed by the princess. Hopefully this Batman would not be causing ether of them stress in future. The bird like guard pursed his beak, whoever this bat was did bode well. He would have to tell the others to keep their swords sharp.

“You SWINDLED Batman out of his gadgets!!”

- Yes the guards were probably due for some more training, just in case.

“Guards please get ready to escort the Princess to Pandoras realm.”

- All the guards, the bird adjacent ghost thought to himself. He had a felling something was coming.

“A WHAT?!”

- Something bad.

—- —- —-

Tucker moved his newly allotted gadgets into piles looks like he had a belt to work on. He picked up the handkerchief. “Violet what did you want this for?”

“I… had a suspicion I needed to prove.”

“And did you?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m guessing the tracking device wasn’t a part of your plan?”

“A WHAT!”

The man held his nieces hands, “Konstelacio please tell me what else is going on. I’ve already promised not to tell anybody.”

Violet wanted to believe him but she knew he’d tell on her to keep her safe. He wouldn’t understand, the Al Ghuls were dangerous she need to keep THEM safe! No matter what.

“Not yet, not until I figure everything else out for sure.”

“Alright but when you do please please come and talk to me okay.”

“Okay.”

“Alrighty then off to Pandoras then okay, be nice to the guards and tell her and Ghost Writer I said hi okay. And be careful delivering that antidote to the league. Minimal contact is the - oh you’re hugging me.”

Konstelacio smiled into her uncles shoulder, she would tell him everything someday.

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bittersweetimaginings · 2 years

Note

I know he’s far from sweet, may I request though some fluff with Alex DeLarge? Pronouns for she/her and I don’t mind dark content mentions ^^

In the aftermath • Alex DeLarge

⚠️Content warning: Mentions of s3x (consensual), violent actions/behavior, thr3ats, gang activity, manipulative behavior, ghastlighting, verbal, psychological and emotional abus3, hoovering, over all the depiction of a very t0xic and codependent relationship. (I'm sorry, but this is just angst with a few ""cute"" moments sprinkled here and there, tho I might do something more "light" in the future for Alex)

*These characters do not belong to me, all rights to their respective owners, this is just a piece of entertainment by and for fans.

Summary: You finally get fed up of your boyfriend treating you like shit, so you gather up the courage to end the relationship; too bad he knows his way to your home and heart.

Reader’s pronouns: She/Her

Keys: Y/N = Your Name. Nadsat glossary.

Recommendation: I based this piece on the song “Hoax” by Taylor Swift, “Embers (Alt Version 2014)” by Max Richter & Elfa Rún Kristinsdóttir & Chui-Yee Trey Lee, “Beth’s theme” and “Broken” by Ólafur Arnalds so I highly recommend listening to them as you read :)

Author's note: If you want to send your own request, please check the Disclaimer & Rules post and the MASTERLIST post to see more content and which characters are available.

I try my best to not let characters be OOC and I think the only way to have a "fluff" moment with Alex is him using this as a manipulation tactic...so yeah, he's an asshole.

Also I believe in the movie Alex is 18/19 and by the end of it 22 or something idk, so I implemented this on the story (and will keep doing so in future requests), so to keep you from any confusion that might arise: Alex and reader are currently 18 in the story, with reader developing a crush on Alex at 14 until they met and started dating at 15-16, a bit before Alex started his criminal endeavors with his droogs; this is a very long piece, sorry if it differs much from what you were expecting (the “fluff” part is almost at the end), I got carried away ._.

I'm not here to judge why you are consuming this type of content (I'm the one doing the writing after all) I know from personal experience that this type of content (as weird as it sounds to some of you) might be used as a coping mechanism to a similar situation some of us might've experience or are currently experiencing irl; but just in case, I want to encourage you to reach for help, so please, if you're going through a tough time or experiencing some kind of violence, here are some resources that I was able to find and might be of help, please stay safe everyone:

List of countries and their helplines for d0m3stic abus3, s3xual as5ault and other resources.

List of other resources for immediate help.

List of countries and their respective helplines for su1cid3 prevention/crisis.

It's been almost 2 whole months.

It's been almost 2 months since you last saw him.

They say time heals all wounds but in your case you have only grown more anxious as time keeps passing and you haven't seen him.

"Maybe it’s part of the breakup process." you try to find some peace in that idea, but it's quite difficult once you take into account that this is the longest breakup period you had endured without him, normally it will only last a few days, maybe a couple of weeks at most and the two of you would be back together as if nothing ever happened until the cycle repeats itself once again.

"you're fine, it's better this way." You repeat out loud in order to convince yourself.

Two months ago you broke up with Alex, your boyfriend of almost 3 years but you had been in love with him for quite some time before that; Alex had been one of the boys you went to school with and since the very first time you saw him you felt a connection, so passionate and vibrant it was almost frightening; but since Alex had always been quite the charmer, he was surrounded by people (especially girls) all the time, so your shyness and immense fear of embarrassing yourself prevented you from approaching him in any way and for a time you were fine with just loving him quietly thinking that in time you'll grow out of your little crush; but it wasn't until your friend Pete (He was mostly friend of your brother, nonetheless you still hung out with him and got along) started to hang out with Alex that the two of you finally met.

You and your brother had been hanging out in Pete's house as usual, talking nonsense while playing a friendly game of poker when suddenly his new friends stopped by and that was the first time Alex saw you, it was hard not to, you were the only woman in the room and he promptly teased Peter by asking him if you were his girlfriend which he quickly denied.

“‘Course not, she’s too pretty for you, ain’t that right, my lovely?”

As a not so subtle blush crept into your cheeks you could only reply to the unexpected compliment with a sheepish smile, fearing you might say something ridiculous if you were to utter a single word.

That night you didn’t say much if anything at all, only uttering your goodbye’s once you decided to leave, not being able to bear Alex gaze sizing you up “discretely” from time to time without growing redder everytime it happened.

The next time you met him was outside the local library after a long afternoon dedicated to your studies, you had lost the track of time and now the sun was almost setting, nervous and quite frightened you decided to head back home as fast as you could manage, you knew just how awful the city can get at night, you had seen the news; the ever increasing gang activity in town had everyone cowering back to their homes before sunset in an almost unspoken curfew, you knew that if you didn’t make it back home in a few minutes not only your Mama would worry, but also something horrible might happen to you if you had the bad luck to encounter the wrong people.

“Well, well, well; Greetings Y/N!” the sudden mention of your name making you turn around immediately, only to find dear Alex leaning against one of the light posts in front of you.

“um…hello, Alex” your reply comes in a hushed tone, your shyness momentarily taken away By the surprising fact that he knows your name which you never told him but you guess Pete must have done so.

“Say, no pretty ptitsa* like you should be out at this hour, your poor em* must be worried.”

He stated as he approached you, not even bothering with hiding the fact that he was once again sizing you up lasciviously with his eyes; now no longer oblivious to the fact that he was flirting with you and high on all of his unexpected but very much wanted attention you decide to make a move even if a small one, you were grateful to have the perfect excuse laid before you, and so you asked:

“I know, I just lost track of time.” you chuckle lightly “Alex, I know it might be troublesome to ask this of you, but would you care to accompany me home?”

Though momentarily surprised by your unexpected brief moment of boldness, Alex does nothing but smile widely to himself before replying a few seconds later:

“It would be my pleasure.”

that night he had indeed escorted you home, but made a brief stop in an alley near your house to fuck you hard in the cold winter air of a january night; not exactly how you had planned to lose your virginity but you were happy nonetheless, specially because he had treated you so sweetly afterwards even making you laugh with him placing a kiss on your hand in a chivalrous but over-the-top farewell gesture before parting ways as he left you safe and sound on your doorstep.

you guessed that would be the end of it, a one night stand and nothing more, and you were fine with that, at the very least you had experienced being embraced fully by the very person you had had a crush on for a long time.

And for a while it was true, remaining as almost perfect strangers, the only thing changing between the two of you being the small acknowledgements you’ll give each other in the forms of brief smiles, small hand waves or a slight tipping of the bowler hat he had begun wearing recently, as he saw you passing by.

But then there was a night as cold as the other, you were sitting by the vanity near the large window in your room, getting ready for bed; until you heard the sound of something hitting the window, harsh enough to spook you but lightly enough to see that breaking it was not the intent. As you approached the window your face now reflecting disbelief at the person standing at the bottom of it: Alex.

“Well hello, Darling” he seemed a bit…off, jumpy, perhaps even restless.

“Alex? what are you doing here?”

“Oh, you know, just passing by, it occured to me that might as well pay you a visit, long time no see and all that.” you know it’s a lie as he is looking over his shoulder as he says this, and that's when you heard it: faint due to distance but very much recognizable…police sirens.

Alex looks at you dead serious, gauging your reaction in search of any sign you had put two and two together and whether or not you would help him, you look at him with the same intensity and without a word you retreat back into your bedroom; Alex almost curses you out right then and there, but his face is met with a large white cloth emanating from your bedroom window.

“I'll hold it, but you better hurry.” Your words pleased Alex greatly and in no time he was climbing up the make-shift rope, a big smile plastered all over his face; as he is climbing the last bit of the cloth, you hear the sirens approach dangerously so without wasting a single second you pull Alex in with all the strength you can muster, which is not much as he ends up falling and hitting the left side of his body against your bedroom floor, but once he’s inside you let the cloth fall (deciding that you’ll recover it later), shut the windows, the blinds and turn off the lights. What follows are a few tense seconds that felt like minutes as you hear the police siren right in front of your house and the blue and red light reflecting on your bedroom as they pass by it and only when they drive away, Alex's infectious laugh is what breaks the silence, but as you hear footsteps approaching your bedroom you cover his mouth quickly.

“Y/N? Dear, what was all that noise? Are you alright?” The voice of your father outside your bedroom door makes you panic, you look at Alex as you try to come up with an excuse but even with your hand over his mouth you can see he’s smiling, his mischievous blue eyes trained on you awaiting your next move.

“Umm…yes, Dad, don’t worry I just dropped some things”

“You sure? Do you need help with anything?” your father questions and you can hear the door knob turning.

“No dad, please don’t enter, I'm changing.” you yell hurriedly, and that’s all you need to drive your father away as he mutters an apologetic “ok” and you finally hear him walk back to his bedroom, is only then when you feel you can finally breathe and as you remove your hand from Alex’s face, he bursts out laughing once again though this time, as quietly as he can manage.

“Is not funny, we almost got caught!” you scold him lightly.

“Apologies my dear, but you should have seen your face.” he manages to muster in between laughs. Part of you is curious and eager to ask why he was running from the police while wearing such strange clothing? but the questions get caught up in your throat as you become aware of Alex’s injuries.

“God, are you alright?” you mutter as you inspect his face carefully to which he immediately goes silent analyzing your face as an unreadable expression falls on his own. Moments later you have Alex sitting on your bathroom toilet as you stand before him cleaning and tending to his injuries as best as you can;his face still lays frozen in that same serious yet mysterious expression as he looks at you.

Truth be told he was trying his best to comprehend the situation, your unwavering gentle and soft demeanor paired with your eagerness to help him had taken him by surprise to say the least; most girls he had one night stands with had never treated him like you had in the aftermath, in fact; that night you weren’t the first girl who’s window he had come knocking, but you were the first one to have helped him, even if that could’ve put you in a dangerous or troublesome position; you even went as far as to care for his injuries, minor as they were, so attentively.

And the first thought that popped into his mind is how adorable he finds what he perceives as foolishness on your part, a thought that allows for a small smile to break his serious façade of which you take notice and smile back at him almost instinctively.

“What?” you questioned with a glint of nervousness on your voice, Alex shakes his head slightly before closing the small space in between you with a soft kiss that caught you by surprise but you returned his affection shortly after by allowing him to fuck you once again, though this time was quite different, not only because you where no longer in an alleyway in the cool night air, but because this time it felt more real somehow as his touch was no longer hurried nor rough but soft and gentle; he spent the whole night beside you, you even remember him caressing your cheek as your head laid there near his chest.

And after that night everything changed, he wasn't just greeting you from afar, oh no; this time around he make sure everybody knew of your “relationship”, greeting you warmly by holding you in his arms every time he had the chance, introducing you as his girlfriend to everyone even his parents, showering you with gifts, compliments and fun escapades that made nothing but accelerate your heart.

You genuinely thought of him as being “the one” and how could you not? Oh how unbelievably sweet Alex was when he was trying to conquer you.

You were so deeply blinded by his so-called love that today it’s impossible for you to know exactly when things began to change. Did it began with all those “jokes” or comments he made about you in front of his droogs? You hated those because they made you uncomfortable, especially the ones that made fun of your body. Perhaps it was right after that time where you decided to hang out with your friends instead of him? The next time you saw him he acted as if you didn’t even exist and stopped talking to you for days until you apologized. Was it after your first fight? He yelled at you so horribly you almost thought it was a nightmare and not reality, but he apologized right after so it was alright, right? or Was it that time he belittled you so badly he made you cry in front of his friends? you’ll never forget the look they gave you, almost as if they pitied you, you felt so ashamed and demoralized you felt your eyes would start bleeding as your tears kept falling nonstop, or maybe it was after you found out about him being a gang leader? about the things he did? he started off by revealing just the small things: robbery or vandalism, always ready with a very good excuse up his sleeve (that or you were just desperate to believe him, believe he wasn’t…all that bad) but as time passed by he didn’t even bother to make any excuses nor did you bother to ask what he had done in his outings; you had learned that doing so would only end badly as the last time you did so he had made you tag along and forced you into beating a poor man who’s only mistake was being at the wrong place at the wrong time, his screams and pleads for help still haunt your nightmares, but at the time you were just too afraid of the look Alex gave you, he didn’t even need to threaten you with anything, you knew hell would be released upon you if you didn’t follow his orders.

How you had been able to put up with everything for so long? that’s a question that keeps you up at night; perhaps it was because he knew when to take two steps back with you and treat you just as kindly as he had done in the beginning, it was those moments of fleeting but intoxicating tenderness that kept you by his side, even when you found out he had even cheated on you multiple occasions.

You had broken up with him more than once, but the only thing he needed was to say sorry, get a bit emotional, perhaps even give you some flowers and you’ll be back easily. And in your now torn apart mind, you loved that; the aftermath of the breakup had now become the only moment in the relationship where you were truly happy as sad as that might be.

And now here you are, panicking because two whole months have passed and he hasn’t come to see you.

Yes, it’s true that for the past month and a half you took to visit your sick aunt who lives in another city entirely; not because you cared about her fragile state, at least not entirely (you were hardly familiarized with her, having only seeing her 5 times in your whole life) but because then again, your torn mind found a worryingly amount of pleasure in the thought of Alex finding out about you leaving and then…what he’ll do then when he couldn’t reach you to ask you to take him back? oh, the fantasies your mind infected with both feelings of adoration, sadness and a desire for a bit of vengefulness create; every night as you laid on the sofa near your aunt’s bed you wonder…How did his face look at the moment he found out about your departure? had he brought you your favorite flowers, climbed all the way to your bedroom window only to find nothing? had he threatened your poor brother for information on your whereabouts? and when he denied him such information (as you had instructed him to) would he have grown desperate? paranoid? mad with the idea that perhaps you had found someone else? or maybe, just maybe he finds your location and comes looking for you? you relish on the idea, knowing deep down it’s just not going to happen, it would be too much of an effort and too much of a hit to his ego doing so, but one can dream, right?

But as you arrived back in town you were met with nothing but disappointment; according to your brother, Alex didn't even come to your house much less spoke to him nor your parents, neither he came looking for you the days after; to say that was a low blow to your own ego would be an understatement, and as you sit there, in your pajamas, body almost completely submerged between the sheets and shaking as you allow yourself to snivel, all the while your intrusive thoughts swallow you whole: What did you expect? for him to actually be waiting for you? for him to come running the second you came back? for him to say how much he missed you, how he can’t live without you, how he knows he hurt you once again by cheating on you…again, how he hates seeing you sad and from now on things would really be different this time around? for him to love you? What is there to love? he was right, you were always too dramatic, too sensitive, too weak; he must’ve finally grown tired of you and left to find someone better.

You don’t know when you fell asleep, time hasn’t been something you’re keenly aware of at the moment; it takes you a few seconds to get past the headache that falls over you like a ton of bricks as you open your eyes, you feel your face stiff, probably because of the tears and then slowly begins to dawn on you: faint as ever, a small knock on your bedroom window. You lay still for a few moments, second guessing if what you’re hearing is true or not, only when it happens again is that you’re sure it’s real and as soon as you do, you hurry past your bedsheets, heading straight for the window.

There he is, looking straight at you with an expression you can't quite pinpoint; he’s not wearing that hellish white attire instead opting for regular clothes, his hands in hiding as he tucks them in the pockets of his pants and gives you a small almost invisible smile. It’s a unspoken agreement between the two of you, once he shows up at your window you help him climb up and into your bedroom just like the very first time; and that’s what you do, almost entirely out of instinct you tie and let the large cloth fall so he can make his way to your heart once more.

You find yourself unable to look him in the eye once he’s right in front of you, tension thick in the air you feel unable to breathe properly as his gaze does nothing but seek yours.

“You left this at my home” he finally declares, voice barely above a whisper and you pick up on his serious tone as he abandons his usual cheerful and taunting manner of speech. He presents you with a necklace and as it dangles lightly in front of your face you recognize it: is the necklace he gave you on your 2nd anniversary, he knew you had taken quite a liking to Basil so he gifted you the necklace with a pendant of a snake resembling Basil.

You reach for the necklace in his hand slowly, but he pulls it away lightly before you’re able to take it, this earns him a confused look on your part but alas you’re finally making direct eye contact which is what he was aiming for. You feel as if his vibrant blue eyes bore into your soul and that’s enough for your heart to start beating so loudly it plays into your own ears and as he moves forward you wonder if he can hear it.

He reaches his hand carefully to your hair, lightly brushing it aside as he allows himself to put the necklace on you once more, once he has finished he once again brushes your hair gently back in place all the while maintaining eye contact.

He gazes at you so softly this time, as if even the tiniest speck of dust could break you and sadly enough you feel like it just might. you feel so exhausted as your eyes and chest still burn with pain after crying for so long.

“Darling” he utters in what comes off as a sigh “you have no idea how much I’ve missed you” his words come slowly as he closes the distance between you little by little.

Somewhere in the back of your mind you snort in laughter at those words as you have lost count of how many times he had spoken them; but all that manages to break through is an incredulous smile on your part as you struggle to maintain eye contact once more. He takes note of your expression and acts on it quickly, lifting your face by your chin ever so softly.

“I know I messed up, that I've hurt you, there’s no denying that.” he admits “That’s why I´ve come here, to make things right, to apologize.”

You shake your head slightly, as if in denial and wanting to get rid of all those intrusive thoughts that slowly creep up into your mind as he speaks.

“Love, I am so sorry for what I did to you, to us.” Oh no, here he goes. “I know there’s nothing I can do to change what I did nor can I force you to stay with me after all you’ve been through.” He emphasizes his words as he drips emotion into them, almost as if he is at the verge of sobbing.

“You are the only one who has ever understood and cared for me, no one else has loved me the way you do.” silent tears begin to dance dangerously in the corners of your eyes.

“I didn’t realize just how wonderful I had it with you, you’re probably the only thing I have ever felt this strongly for.” Your eyes betray you and the tears you’ve been holding begin to slip, he catches on quickly and so he places a hand near your cheek and begins to wipe your tears ever so sweetly with his thumb.

“Y/N If your wish is for me to leave you alone, I promise I will do so, even if my heart can’t bear it…but if you allow me, just this once; I swear to you…dearest, I’ll make things better.” The determination in his words paired with that sickly sweet emotional delivery do nothing but disarm you for the final blow.

As he leans forward once more, gently places your head in between his hands and joins your forehead against his while still caressing your cheeks with his thumbs he whispers:

“I love you Y/N.”

And that’s all he needs to break you, you fall apart in his arms as quickly as those words leave his mouth, you’re a bawling mess and somehow you still have tears left to shed.

But you’re not crying because you believe for even a second that what he just said to you is true and you are so touched by it, no, you’re not that foolish. You know better than anyone that those are nothing but empty words, a perfectly timed and rehearsed monologue that he tells to every other girl under his spell the second he starts to feel like they have begun to slip away.

You’re crying because you’re crying because there is no strength left in you to fight back, you’re crying because his affections and the seek for his approval have become like a drug to you, you’re crying because Alex has consumed all of your life at this point, you don't even remember what life before him was like, You’re crying because at this point you’re utterly and completely alone, you abandoned your friends and fractured your family ties so badly nothing would be the same any more, you are crying because you’ll play along in this twisted game he has trapped you in, at least for now; you’re just not ready to let go, not yet; but as you lay there, in the aftermath, as he holds you tightly, you pray one day you will.

#alex delarge #a clockwork orange #alex delarge x reader #Alex DeLarge #Alex DeLarge x reader #alex x reader

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preservationofnormalcy · 8 months

Note

How does the website where people ask for help and stuff work in universe? I assume it's not a tumblr blog there, but when people visit it can they see how you responded to others, or only their own conversations? Is it even a website? And I'm sure there are other important questions to ask about it but I can't think of any. If you haven't thought about that, it's fine, but you will probably want to put that stuff in the ask guide once it is written, so that people know if they can reference others posts, or what information their character can expect to have when sending an ask, and stuff like that.

OOC: this is a great question, and yeah, that's something that would go in an ask guide/code of conduct. I've mentioned in passing, in character, a few ideas like "anonymous helpline" and the memetic masking, but it would help to nail that down a bit.

My basic idea right now is two things:

1. The Office has made use of "memetic masking" techniques to psychically "mask" physical locations, websites, and certain phenomena from the general public. An OPN building will say something generic about, say, a pipe warehouse or shipping center to anyone not memetically induced. This masking is worn off/down by exposure to the supernatural of any kind, which the Office considers a feature, not a bug - if you need help, you'll be in a position to find it. That's why Norm has advised some people to walk around downtown in the nearest major city. By that point they'll be able to see the logo.

2. For reasons that may or may not become clear later, exposure to the supernatural has become more common since 2021, and thus the masking is slightly but measurably less effective. In response, the Office has set up a website where people can anonymously ask for help or get information, and Norm has been put in the position of public relations. For those same reasons, many people might be skeptical of the OPN, and the PR push is partially a cynical effort on their part. I think just in the interests of transparency they'd be able to see other questions and answers.

If anyone has any other questions, feel free to ask on this post or in asks, I may not answer but they will help me think about the guide.

#ask #ooc post #meta #new tag for meta discussion

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aporiasposts · 1 year

Text

Pairing: Gregory House x James Wilson

Word Count: 250 words

Warnings; Rating: Suicidal implications, drug overdose, drug addiction, substance abuse, angst.

Premise: set during S1E11: Detox.

House tries to detox from vicodin in exchange for a month without clinic duty. Things take a turn for the worse when he starts experiencing withdrawal symptoms and ends up overdosing.

Author’s Note: this isn't actually a fic, idk i think i might write more parts of this fandom is still alive.

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

This was it. This is how he dies then. Cowardly and ashamed. He felt numb, as the bottle of pills clattered to the floor. The sight just made him nauseous. In a moment of clarity, when the fog in his head seemed to clear up for a second, House reached for his phone. He had to tell him. He couldn't go this way, Wilson deserved the truth.

He was on his speed dial, of fucking course he was. The phoned ringed. His vision blurred. Ringing. He was starting to wheeze now. Still ringing.

'hey.' Wilson's voice echoed somewhere in his head. Like he was speaking from afar, somewhere underwater, and not from the phone pressed against her ear. 'James I.. I' House couldn't get the words out. Not because he was chickening out again, he would've told him he loved him. He didn't have the cognizance to hesitate right now, hesitate about how he might ruin their friendship or because this, all of this, was a stupid fucking idea. He was too broken, he didn't deserve someone like James.

He couldn't breathe, his disoriented mind told him unhelpfully. The phone slipped out of his hands, his grip clammy.

But he must've managed to get some garbled response out, because James' worried voice was drifting across from the other side. 'Greg? Are you okay? Greg can you hear me?' He sounded panicked now.

That was the last thing House heard before he blacked out.

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

AN 2: my search history is so concerning rn, i keep seeing helplines on all my socials now. google thinks im on drugs no i just write bro 😭

#hilson #wilson x house #house x wilson #house md #gregory house #James wilson #lisa cuddy #house fanfic #house md fanfic #Allison Cameron #Robert Chase

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mychemicalroadworkahead · 10 months

Text

Things I figured out/just think are funny about season one and episode one of season two of 13 reasons why.

1) the song run boy run is played in season one episode two of both 13rw and the umbrella academy. It is the exact same part of the song and the time they are played in the episode is inverted with ua playing at the beginning and 13rw playing at the end

2) despite how depressing this show is it has the best/funniest sequence of lines I’ve ever heard.

“Clay, you know I’m gay, right?”

“What? No, I didn’t know that! Why didn’t you tell me?

“I thought everybody knew that.”

“I feel like there’s a lot of people who don’t know that.”

“I think there’s a lot of people that do know that.”

3) Alex Standall is a direct parallel to Kurt Cobain in the sense that they both play electric guitar, both have stomach pains caused by severe stress, and both shot themself in the head with the intention of ending their life. (Yes I am aware that cobain was probably murdered but that’s besides the point). Also, Alex has a ton of music posters in his room (including Joy Division, big slay) that are from similar time periods and genres as Nirvana.

4) Clay and Alex see the same therapist

Anyway, Alex Standall is my favorite fictional character, second favorite person (fictional or real), and he’s my precious little meow meow.

However, he is a dumbass (buddy, suicide notes aren’t something you typically bring to school on your first day back in months), so it’s worth mentioning Tony is a VERY close second for my favorite character.

But also, in all seriousness, if you are going through shit and you want to talk to someone, here’s a link for finding helplines.

Stay safe.

#my precious little meow meow #he’s everything to me #alex standall #him and Jessica are going to hell for joking about this btw #13 reasons why #he brought the suicide note to school #buddy wtf #clay jensen #jessica davis #tony padilla

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with-love-from-hell · 11 months

Text

Melancholia

{part eleven}

Fandom: Obey me!

Genre: Angst

Written for F!Mc

WC: 5.1k

CW: Torture!, physical and emotional abuse!, kidnapping!, mild sexual harassment/violence and allusion to arousal from said violence on the perpetrators end, whipping, Michael is very gross and predatory and abusive, slut shaming/victim blaming, mention of suicide vaguely, fear-based content and lots of tension, religious trauma/detailed depiction of purity culture in christianity, blood mention, violence, angst, depression, mentions to past sexual violence in Vermillion Skies, anxiety, panic attacks, descriptions of deceit, season 2 spoilers

A/n: be cautious with this chapter! As said in my Q&A, I got inspiration for Michael’s personality from Frollo from Hunchback of Notre Dame, so he’s very predatory.

Music accompaniment (Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums thru Lydia)

Tag list: @urmomondeez

Series Masterlist

Q&A for parts 1-10

You can find more of this series by searching the tag #Vermillion Skies or #Melancholia on my blog!

A slamming sound in the distance snaps your attention toward the small window on the door to your cell. Your senses were on high alert, eyes wide with fear of whose footsteps were clacking down the hall toward you. After experiencing numerous panic attacks and nearly losing your voice screaming for Lucifer to come help you, you had finally calmed down enough to try to think of a plan to escape your situation logically. An attempt at snapping the chains with magic was futile, and yelling through the thin barred window that lined the top of the west wall didn’t seem to do much either. You had accepted that the only way out was for someone to let you out, and for a moment you felt hopeful that maybe it was someone coming to your rescue. Though, now that the steps continue to draw nearer, you’re feeling the prickling anxiety come back, causing your limbs to tremble with anticipation of what is to come.

You weren't sure how much time had passed in your small cage. It was enough for the sun to come up and give you a teensy bit of illumation to the place you found yourself trapped in, though part of you wished it had stayed dark. The stains of blood on the concrete walls and floors, plus the plethora of bugs, made your terror spike much higher. The odd sounds you had heard when you first awoke continued, along with occasionally yells or sobs from who you assumed to be other prisoners. You still weren't sure where you were, but the small bit of the spires you could see in the window reminded you of the Celestial Palace, which you had seen on your brief visit to the Celestial Realm many months ago.

A face finally appears in the window, startling you. The individual is one you don’t recognize. It’s hard to make out her features given the window is so small, and she has a helmet covering most of her head. She locks her bright red eyes with you for a moment, before twisting a key into the lock and activating the tumbler on the door. After numerous clacks, the door unlatches, and she holds it open. At first, you think perhaps she is letting you go, but the thought is squashed when a familiar blonde-haired man steps through the door. He stares directly at you, and you feel your body immediately tense under his stare.

You begin to feel way too hot, and beads of sweat begin to form on your clammy skin as the man saunters over to you, his dark brown eyes flaring with intensity in the dim sun light that now shown from the thin glimpse your cell had to the outside. Following quickly behind him was the red-eyed angel who was dressed in silver and blue armor, and two other angels dressed similarly.

“So...we finally meet.” Michael smiled at you, but behind it was a terse hatred that showed plainly on his face. His eyes scour your body, taking in the state of dress you were in and trying to ignore his surprise at how attractive he found you to be. “Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Michael, revered leader of the Celestial Council and second in command underneath the Heavenly Father.”

You nod once, not knowing what to say in response. He raises his eyebrow expectantly, and it’s now that you realize he is wanting you to introduce yourself to him.

“Uh...I-I’m Mc...” You mutter out. “I’m the Human Ambassador to the Devildom.”

“Within Diavolo’s Royal Court, I presume?” He raises a brow, not realizing that you held an actual title within the Devildom political system. He curses himself internally, now realizing that kidnapping someone from under Diavolo’s royal protection would potentially result in the House of Lords declaring War on the Celestial realm.

You nod hesitantly, trying to place an emotion to the scrunched look on his face.

“Hmm. I see...” he paused, now beginning to pace the floor in front of you. “Well, I wish I could have been acquainted with you earlier, under different circumstances, but the trouble you have caused has required me to resort to extreme measures.”

You swallow hard, not liking the vagueness in his words. “T-trouble?”

He hummed in confirmation, pacing toward the window. “Tell me- for how long did you think you could keep getting away with your sinful actions?”

“w--what?” You stutter out the words breathlessly, unsure of what to make of such an accusation. You had no idea what he was even talking about, and the language he used gave you no insight into why he had you chained up in this dank, smelly room. When he doesn’t reply right away, you gulp back your fear, deciding to prod further, but your voice was meek and timid. “I’m sorry, but I don’t quite understand-”

Michael’s tense and nefarious-sounding laugh, followed by the clear tightening of his fists sent alarm bells ringing through your mind. You clamped your mouth shut as he turned to look at you, the intensity of his eyes now twice that of when he had entered the room. You scoot back an inch, pressing your body into the wall as he approaches, squatting down so that he was eye-level with you.

“Your manipulative tricks won’t work on me, harlot.” He hissed searching your fear-stricken expression for some clues into your weaknesses. He glanced down from your face, noticing the way your arms and legs were tightly bound to your body, trying to hide as much as you could from him. He made note of the scars that littered your collar and parts of your exposed chest that he could see, trying to soak in as much detail as he could get from just observing you.

You feel your body begin to tense even more than it already was under his judgmental stare and critical words, not liking how uncomfortable you felt under his prying gaze. The almost transparent half buttoned sleep shirt that hung low on your chest, along with the thin lacey underwear that was barely hidden by the hem of the shirt left you feeling very exposed. Your intention was to show off the set gifted to you by Lucifer for your engagement, since he was very smitten with how you looked in it. Had you known that you would be swiftly snatched up from your bed in the cover of night- presumably under the order of this strange man- you would have worn something more modest. The lingerie was never meant for the eyes of anyone but your lover, yet here you were, seemingly being undressed in the mind of the angel who squatted before you.

Michael shook his head standing back up to pace after feeling his brain start to stir with delinquent thoughts related to the curvature of your body. “Tch. It’s no wonder Simeon had difficulty controlling his purity around you. Such a teasing display you give, hm? Like a piece of fresh meat dangled in front of a tiger.”

Your eyes widen as you sit with his disgusting words, closing yourself off tighter from view. You try to speak to him, to tell him he’s misjudging you- but your voice merely comes out in a squeak.

“Come now, enough with this demure charade.” He hisses, staring down upon you with frustration. “I want you to try to justify to me why you have turned one of our own to the life of sin. Does it simply run in your blood, given your blood association to that other traitorous wretch? Or are you simply a Sadist- desiring to ruin the purity of those around you? Even having enough skill to seduce Demons back to instinctual depravity after sophistication has become their norm truly is impressive.”

“I...I haven’t done anything...” You whisper, feeling tears begin to well behind your eyes. “I didn’t seduce anyone...I-”

A swift backhand from Michael cuts you off. You shriek as his hand connects with your cheek, the stinging from the large ring on his fourth finger causes tears to escape from your eyes. How sudden his demeanor changed from calm to irate scared the hell out of you.

Michael scowls at the sight of you crying from what he believes is such a simple form of discipline. His voice is raised and wavered in frustration. “The question was rhetorical, Human. You speak when I ask for a direct answer, and you will address me as “sir.” I am owed that much respect. Is that clear?”

You hesitate before giving a quick nod, now refusing to look at him.

“I’m sorry, but I believe I asked for a direct answer this time, wench.” He hisses, clenching and unclenching his fist as if to loosen his knuckles for another strike.

A shudder runs down your spine and you nod more rapidly this time, trying to make your voice louder than a mere whisper. “Y-yes...s-sir.”

He smirks evilly at you. “Good girl.”

You could nearly gag at the way he had just referred to you, the events of your previous trauma bubbling to the surface as you wondered what he was going to do to you. You watched his unmoving feet from your peripherals, silently shifting between calling to someone to save you from this place and convincing yourself that it was all a horrible dream.

“Now then...” Michael stands, clasping his hands behind his back and returning to his pacing movements. “I expect you to answer my questions truthfully, and in full. First, Why is it that you’ve chosen to stay in the Devildom rather than return to your home- that of the human world?”

“U-uh...” You pause taking a shaky breath. “The human world wasn’t very good for me...and I found a family that I love and care about in the Devildom.”

“Why- pray tell- would you place trust in some random demons enough to refer to them as family?” He questions, gazing at you over the rim of his glasses.

“They showed me kindness, and genuine compassion.” You state matter of factly, not liking that he was questioning the structure of your relationships with the brothers. “I had limited experiences of that with other humans.”

“Had you even attempted to seek it out?”

“What?” you blink back your confusion.

“Are you deaf?” He hisses, pausing his pacing in front of you, now crossing his arms over his chest. “I asked if you had even attempted to seek such relationships elsewhere.”

You pause, thinking back to your early family and friends during childhood. “A couple times, yes...uh, sir...”

“So, If I may summarize.” He clears his throat, waving his hand as he spoke. “You had become entangled with demons beyond that of mere acquaintanceship, going so far as to undress before and betroth yourself to one, because your few attempts at connecting with other humans proved fruitless. So, instead of persevering through hardship, like God intended you to to, you gave up, betrayed and abandoned your people, and sought comfort in those who live lives filled to the brim with sin and stripped yourself of a morally pure path, one that would lead your bloodline to forgiveness and mercy. Is that correct?”

“What??” You shake your head in frustration, the amount of assumptions he was making on how you had come to find the demon brothers as part of your family, and how demons actually are in real life. “T-that’s not it at all! You think you can just assume these things about me!?”

Michael snapped his attention down as your voice came out in an annoyed retort to what he had said. He quickly snapped his fingers, and the two male guards yank you to your feet by your arms. Your heart pounds in your chest and your breathing begins to turn ragged as their grips tighten against you, holding you firmly in place as Michael leans in. His shallow breath is hot against your already too-warm face, the intoxicatingly-sweet scent of it overwhelming your olfactory senses. You try to turn your head away, but he grips your chin tightly in his gloved hand, forcing your eyes back to meet his.

“I thought I told you to address me with respect.” He hisses, pressing his thumb and index finger tighter into your jaw. He was infuriated by your response, but he couldn't fight the nagging thought in his head that your boldness in challenging him was endearing. Something about you was striking his emotions in a way he didn't expect. His heart pounded and he felt his loins stir with excitement. It was a confusing feeling, and he was enraged by the fact that it was happening.

He shakes his thoughts away and continues, the grip on your jaw never wavering. “I believe your insolent denial is proof enough of your wrong doing. Association amongst humans and demons is bad enough, as is becoming chummy with one. That sinful sorcerer has clearly also been an influence on your attitude toward them, and clearly has lead you further to depravity by spreading your legs for them. May I remind you, that coitus outside of your species is forbidden? But no. You did not stop there. You also have set to cross established peace sanctions, and marry one. Absolutely Deplorable. You have the audacity to say that I don’t know what I’m talking about? You may have me mistaken for a fool, Mc. And I assure you, that is a grave error in judgement.”

He finally drops your chin, shaking his head and tutting. He turns from you for a moment, clasping his hands behind his back as he mulls over his plans. He cursed himself for not being able to treat you more harshly. He anticipated you being easy to torture, but the more he was exposed to you, the more he was curious to know more about you. Perhaps it was the same power you had used on Simeon and the others...or perhaps it wasn't. Regardless of the reasoning, something about you made him want to make you his.

He pauses for a moment, deciding to change tactics. He sticks his hand in his jacket pocket, fishing around for something. You watch with baited breath, terrified for what was to come.

Finally, Michael turns. In his hand, he hold a small vial. It glows a bright, shimmering gold as he displays it between his thumb and forefinger for you. Your look at him in confusion, but your anxiety rises higher as you hear the soft gasps from the guards who held you still in their grasp.

“Sir Michael,” The woman who stands by the door sounds uneasy as she takes a step forward. “Are...are you sure about this?”

Michael snaps his attention toward her, his eyelid twitching in annoyance. His voice was hoarse through labored breaths and deep anger. “Are you questioning a superior officer, Dina?”

She pauses, glancing between you and the vial. A sympathetic look passes her eyes as she finally sighs. “N-no sir. My apologies for speaking out of turn.”

“Very good, then.” Michael turns back to you, a wicked smile appearing on his lips. He approaches slowly, and the reactions of the guards have you even more worried than before. You squirm in their hold, trying to desperately maneuver out of their arms.

"Now, Mc." His voice returns to a casual soft tone, though there is coldness behind it. "We could have forgiven your sinful actions if it weren't for two things. One of which is Simeon's corruption, which you are solely responsible for."

You flinch as he reaches for a strand of your hair, turning it over in his fingers. His eyes never leave your face, as if studying your every reaction to his touch.

"Second to that though, is your power." He smirks, dropping your hair and now running his hand down your neck. He continues down your collarbone, stopping just above your breast, where the dull scar-like outline of Lucifer's pact sits. "Initially, my plan was to just kill you- rid the world of the problem that had been unintentionally created by offering Lilith mercy."

You swallow hard, but remain silent. He leans into to your neck, his breath tickling your earlobe. You squeeze your eyes shut, heartbeat pounding in your ears.

He takes a breath in, inhaling your scent slowly. A shudder snaked its way down his back as he moves his hand up to cup your opposite cheek. He stroked the skin gently with his thumb, his breathing shaky on the outbreath. "However...It appears that I have changed my mind after finally being able to... observe you."

You stifle a gag as he presses his forehead to the side of your temple, giving a small laugh as he muttered the words in your ear. Finally, he leans back, dropping his hand from your cheek. He returns to pacing, now facing away from you.

"So...in my infinite mercy, as that is the type of angel I am...I will allow you to make a choice." He stops his movements, looking out the window wistfully. "I suggest you think over your next move carefully."

The guards holding you share an uneasy glance as Michael flicks his wrist, waving toward the door. They drop you to your knees, and promptly leave the room. You scoot as far away from him as the chain on your ankle will allow, still repeating the silent prayer that Lucifer would come for you, and reduce Michael to a bloody pulp.

Michael holds the vial up to the light, observing it as it refracts rainbow shapes onto the walls of the cell. "Your choice will be this, Mc. Either I end your life- giving you a very slow and painful death. You will never again be reincarnated as another being, and your soul will be kept in the deepest tomb of the Celestial Palace, never to see the light of day again." He turns to you, but his expression was difficult to read. It was crossed somewhere between pity and jubilation. "Lilith's bloodline will end with you. You won't even have a spirit to roam the earth with. You will simply cease to be."

Michael's face then contorts into a wicked smile as he drops his arms down to his side, now walking briskly toward you. He squats down as you try to shift away, the chain pulling tightly on your ankle as he reaches out to strok your calf.

"Or..." His smile widens as his fingers dust along your leg. His other hand holds the vial up to you. "...You can choose the path of grace by drinking this."

You hadn't realized how heavy your breath was until it suddenly catches in your throat. You stare at the intimidating angel before you, both terrified and confused. "Wh...what is that..?"

Michael chuckles darkly, twisting the vial between his fingers. "Curious, hmm? This is nectar from a very rare plant that we farm beneath the palace. It's called the Five-Winged Corpse flower. It's nectar is what we use to allow deserving humans into the Celestial realm as angels after their death."

You stare at the vial, watching the liquid ooze in different directions as he twists it for you to observe. You furrowed your brow in confusion, trying to figure out his intentions. "To...make me an angel..? You just got done telling me how horrible I am. Why don't you just kill me?"

Michael tutted at you. "Its rude to demand so many answers at once, little dove."

You grimace at the pet name, not liking the fondness he seemed to have for you now. In all accounts, you preferred him hating you.

"You see, I've decided to give you a second chance..." Michael beamed, searching your face for a reaction. "One that would still require your death, of course... but would also allow you the opportunity to renounce your life of sin. You will still need punishment for your actions, but I would allow you to be reincarnated as an angel. You would be held under my strict supervision as you unlearn all of the sinful things you had allowed yourself to indulge in, and i would truly look forward to the opportunity to make you into the heavenly being you could be."

You swallow hard, trying to decode why he was offerring you this choice. You were confused and terrified of his proposal, neither option sounding appealing at all. And the idea that you would be at his mercy should you chose this option, though, made you feel sick. Your mind raced with all of the things you feared Michael would do to you as "punishment." Tears threaten to well behind you eyes, trying desperately to manifest a call to the brothers to come help you, but you couldn't get up the strength to send out a call. You knew the anxiety and the physical weakness you felt from when they had struck you over the head had weakened your ability, but you felt something else getting In the way. It was as if something was siphoning out your energy. Each attempt at calling Lucifer, then Mammon, then Beel, Satan, Levi, Asmo, and Belphie proved fruitless.

Michael interrupts your thoughts with a laugh, somehow knowing where your thoughts were gravitating toward. "You would be forbidden from ever setting foot in the Devildom again, of course. Your pacts would disappear, as would your connections with those horrid brothers. And your engagement with Lucifer would become annulled. You will have anything you could ever want, and the ability to regain your purity. Certainly a life here would be a million times better than one amongst demons, wouldnt you say?"

You feel tears well up behind your eyes upon realizing that both choices would result in having to abandon the brothers. You shake your head aggressively, finding anger seeping through your pores at the fact that this so-called angel was seemingly trying to own you- to keep you something he could use for his own amusement. It overridded your fear, and you swallowed it down hard as he gazed at you expectantly, awaiting your answer.

You took a deep, shaking breath, deciding that your hope to live was forlorn. "I...I'd rather die a thousand deaths than live one second as your prisoner."

Michael's smile slowly fell into an intense frown. His gentle stroking of your leg ceased, now opting to squeeze it tightly, his sharp nails dug into your skin from beneath his gloves. You try to hold back your fear, now staring him down intently as his eyes shook with rage.

"You may feel that way now..." He hisses, squeezing your leg so hard that blood begins to ooze from the shallow indents he was making. "...but perhaps your tune will change when you see the fate of your lover."

Your eyes widen slightly at his words as he stands. You had no idea what he was talking about, but a pit formed in your stomach as your mind raced with all the horrible things he was probably planning on doing or had already done to Lucifer. Michael mutters something under his breath that you couldnt quite make out before again turning to leave. He pauses with his hand on the latch of the cell, glancing over his shoulder once more to look at you.

"Your death will ckme regardless of your choice-" Michael cracked another wicked smirk, the danger behind it sending a chill down your spine. "-I've already ensured that...but the right decision would preserve the life of Lucifer, and the rest of his pathetic little family. Take some time to let that soak in before hastily making a choice, Little Dove."

You fight back another gag as Michael walks through the door. He slams it hard behind him. You flinch at the sound, knowing that the violent action was an intentional warning of his capabilities.

The sound of his and the other guards' footsteps fades down the hall as you curl into yourself, hugging your legs tightly. You gently nurse the dripping wounds on your calf as tears finally force their way out of your eyes. All you wanted was to be held in Lucifers arms again; safe within the walls of the place you called home with the 7 brothers.

Michael paced the floor of the council chambers, awaiting impatiently his colleagues to come through on his urgent request to convene. If they didn't, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, really. His plan could be commenced without their silly input. Besides, he knew at least half of them would attempt to veto his plan. "Try" being the key word here. But he wanted witness to his grand scheme- one that would surely solidify a reputation of being as powerful as God himself.

The tranquilizer he had ordered Uriel and the guards to give Lucifer would wear off within the next two hours, so it was imperative that he finish what he started before that point. He did not expect Lucifer to be so strong-willed, making him ultimately question what it was about Mc that produced such a desperation. After meeting her, he was able to understand. Her aura was intoxicating, and oddly enough, he sensed a feeling of purity radiating from her that he didn't expect.

She had done so many sinful things, and caused even the most dedicated angel to become demonic. How could she still have purity?

Michael sighed, clicking his tongue as he pondered the human. The more he thought about her, the more his emotions confused him. He felt absolute hatred toward her, but also a deep longing and curiosity that he hadn't felt before. And that curiosity drove him to the brink of insanity. Was this her manipulative nature, or was she truly just so radiant that any being would fall to their knees before her?

Regardless of what it was, he needed to keep these emotions hidden.

The last thing he wanted was for the council to discover that he had changed his game plan, even fought they hadn't even really uncovered the original from the start. Each time he thought about the initial plot to wipe her from existence, he felt a strong urge to slap his past self for being so naive. Of course this woman was something special if she harbors so much power, and instead of destroying it, he could make that power his to command.

His thoughts wandered back to her state of dress, and what he perceived to be a mixture of terror and awe as she laid her eyes upon him. He paused on the image in his brain, feeling his body quiver with excitement. He wondered if she'd give up easily; if she'd give him what he wanted when he wanted it- or if she would resist. He wasn't sure which outcome would be better. Having blind adoration made his ego feel strong, but he also thrived off of a challenge- and something felt oddly gratifying in breaking someone's spirit.

Michael smiled to himself, licking his lips in eager anticipation. He couldn't wait for the opportunity to conduct a thorough punishment, and to see the fragile human quiver below his touch. He felt a shiver run through his spine as he imagined her begging to become an angel- begging to be able to repent- as Michael brought the whip down on her once more.

Regardless of what the human chose as her path, Michael would see to it that she would become his, no matter what it took.

He paused his pacing, feeling a twinge of worry manifest in the back of his mind. The small bit of his consciousness that always second guessed his motives and actions wasn't usually loud, but this time it produced a clear warning:

What if father found out about this plan? Or even the thoughts you are having about this human? Such heinous acts should not make you feel so inflamed with desire.

Michael winced, trying to think for a moment. Was this human already turning him to sin in just the brief interaction he had with her? No, preposterous. Michael was a just and righteous man, and his desires to control this human was not sinful. Serving a just punishment was not sin, it was glory. And besides, the sexual desire that underlied these emotions toward her could be nulled when the human would perish, and then be reborn as an angel.

After all, he fully intended to change her to this path, whether she consented or not.

Michael was jolted from his thoughts as irritated and anxious murmuring grew closer from beyond the council chamber doors. Within moments, the doors creaked open, and the annoyed and concerned faces of his peers appeared, uneasily taking their place in their seats.

"Michael, what is the meaning of this?!" Remiel demanded, having already been told by Uriel that Lucifer and the human were being held prisoner under his order.

Michael smirked. "All in due time, Remmy."

Remiel glowered at him, having told him over a thousand times at this point that she loathed that nickname.

"Regardless of what your intentions are, it is completely unacceptable that you did not include us in the conversation around staging a literal kidnapping." Remiel crossed her arms tightly over her chest. "So an explanation is needed for why you thought this was acceptable."

Gabriel and Raguel nodded their heads in agreement, but Uriel let out an annoyed breath.

"It's funny you all assume Michael's in the wrong here. Obviously he didn't come to us first because you all wouldn't even try to hear him out when he talked about how dangerous this human was before." They shrugged, mimicking Remiel's posture. "Besides, I think it's time Lucifer finally got to answer better for his crimes."

"Crimes? From a war that occurred thousands of years ago?!" Raguel spat, annoyed at the grudge Uriel clearly held against the eldest brother. "We have moved past that as a civilization, so why can't you?"

"It's the principle of it!" Uriel scowled, feeling his face burn in embarrassment.

Raguel rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it is. I think you're just an immature, spoiled, brat who merely wants to enact revenge, but sure. 'It's the principal'."

Uriel gritted his teeth, muttering insults under his breath.

"Now, now," Michael smirked, now turning his back to her. Walking back toward where the council had just entered, He continued: "You all may save your discussion for when i return. For now, I must go retrieve the man of the hour."

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