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black-butler-meta · 9 days

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Analyzing Book of Circus: Sex, Attraction, and Physical Touch Are Simply Tools for Sebastian

There are two things we know for certain about Sebastian. One, he is a demon, and as such, isn't bound by silly things such as human morals and human standards of right and wrong. Two, he's hot as heck and everyone knows it. This is intentional, of course... it's a key part of his design and a big part of what makes him such a desirable character. It's a theme often found with dark supernatural characters (vampires, demons, werewolves, fae, etc.) and it's that call of temptation, exploration of sex and sexuality, looking taboo in the eye, and following that dark lure of danger that makes such characters so enticing for so many of us.

So, of course we see how this comes up and presents itself throughout Black Butler. Specifically, this post is looking at how Sebastian utilizes his attractiveness as well as physical touch to manipulate those around him.

So, first, let's look at how he seduces Beast and manipulates her to gain information. He manipulates Beast's loneliness and pain combined with her attraction towards him to sleep with her and get the name of "father." It was a few heavily spoken words, promising relief from the ache she felt, and choice hand placements. Gripping her wrist, a hand on her hip. But every moment of that entire scene, from the moment he approaches her to when they are in her tent, was him being calculating and emotionally barren. There was no kissing, hardly any face to face positioning. Even when he first comes onto her, he's behind her, with eye contact at a minimum. The parts that we do see of him touching her during the act are primarily when he's undressing and touching her prosthetic rather than her actual skin. Even the shadows on the wall are only of her and her reaction to what he's doing to her, symbolizing how he's really not "there" with her. He's removed entirely from the exchange, and he talks through the entire thing. It's just another work day for him.

It's not the first or last time that Sebastian uses his attractiveness and sex appeal to manipulate. There are other points throughout the series where it happens as well, and with good reason - his entire characterization is centered around his sex appeal. He's meant to be irresistible, attractive to the point of distraction, possessing an otherworldly beauty and air of mysterious allure that humans are particularly susceptible to. William describes him as much in Book of Circus. He's a predator specifically designed to lure his prey into a false sense of security before striking, and his prey are humans. It doesn't matter their age, gender, sex, or race. Souls are souls, and they are made for devouring.

Which brings us to the PTSD scene where Ciel is having a full on panic attack/mental breakdown, drool and all. Sebastian is very close to him, grinning like the cat that caught the canary, and the entire vibe of it is uncomfortable due to how close and intimate it feels, all while Ciel is suffering and Sebastian is looking and nefariously seductive. Every action and angle of him in that scene is sensual and intimate (his finger swiping Ciel's lip, untying Ciel's eyepatch, etc.), while Ciel is obviously not. His eyes are closed, his face contorted in misery, drool/vomit down his chin… this moment is about his suffering. In fact, he hardly registers the way Sebastian is touching him, which makes this scene verge on noncon; after all, how would Ciel react to having his lips touched if he wasn't in the middle of a panic attack? It's this crossroad of Sebastian's predatory sex appeal and Ciel's trauma that makes this scene so uncomfortable. This is exacerbated even more so by the fact that Ciel is a child which is made even more obvious during this scene. Ciel is having flashbacks of his trauma from years prior, when he was younger and smaller, and he is pleading for Sebastian in the way a child may call for their parent during a nightmare. Ciel in that moment wasn't "13 year old going on 30" as he often portrays himself. He was a small little boy, once again trapped in his cage.

Meanwhile, Sebastian is simply relishing in Ciel's suffering and seizes the opportunity to change the power dynamic between them. Ciel may be his master, but Sebastian is the one pulling the strings in this moment. Sebastian's gentle, his voice is smooth, his touch is soothing. He holds his outstretched hand, wrapping his arms around him. He fills up Ciel's vision, making him focus on the demon's physical presence rather than the horror that's unfolding. And Ciel allows it, even the touching of his lips, unaware of the boundary it's crossing because he's literally in the middle of a panic attack and needs to be saved. It's manipulation, plain and simple; Sebastian is fostering codependency as a tool to further corrupt the soul he will eventually get to devour. He's using this close proximity and intimate contact to push Ciel to call on his demon and slaughter everyone. Sebastian may be the sword, but Ciel is the hand, and in the end, this act of violence falls on him. In the end, it's his soul that suffers, which is just how Sebastian wants it to be.

Even the touch of Ciel's lips is a predatory one; it may seem to drip with sexually charged energy, especially since the lips are an erogenous zone (imagine if he did that to an adult… tell me that wouldn't immediately seem sexual); however, this sexual presence is largely in part to that just being a part of Who Sebastian Is. As stated before, that allure is a part of his design as a hunter, so of course it will be the strongest/most noticeable when occurring in the presence of human weakness.

The way he draws his thumb along his lip is like checking the ripeness of fruit. The way he stares down at him is like a chef checking a pot of stew simmering on the stove. It's almost as if he can smell the corruption brewing through Ciel's open mouth. (Also, I'd bet money that the soul is "removed" from the body through the mouth, as this was also implied at the end of season 1, even though that episode wasn’t technically canon). This doesn't really surprise me, because creatures of the night devouring their victims through physically intimate situations is a pretty common theme (e.g., vampires biting necks/thighs). It all ties into Sebastian's dark nature. Once again, it's intended to be uncomfortable.

And once he gets Sebastian's permission, the discomfort of the scene immediately ends, Sebastian’s predatory sex appeal is muted (but still present - always present). Ciel is carried in Sebastian's arms like a child being carried off to bed while Sebastian slaughters everyone. Sebastian's manipulation worked; his food gave into the rage and Sebastian gets to kill for him, thus bringing him closer to completing his contract.

Contrast this with the times when Sebastian is not trying to manipulate Ciel, and his touches are far more tame and appropriate. Wiping the water off of Ciel’s body, feeling his forehead for a fever, etc. It’s usually when he’s fulfilling his butler duties, or when Ciel’s life is in danger, that he almost forgets his predatory nature and behaves almost normally. Perhaps it’s through these gentler, everyday interactions that helps Sebastian gradually grow an attachment to his young master. He still sees him as food, but less predator/prey and more farmer and his livestock, a steward for a broken soul until it’s ready for slaughter. But I feel like if there’s any chance of Sebastian growing beyond his demon nature, it’ll be through these mundane but meaningful moments.

#black butler analysis #black butler #kuroshitsuji #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive #book of circus

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zukosdualdao · 1 month

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i’ve sometimes seen the idea that azula cheating in the agni kai by aiming at katara is supposed to show how far she’s fallen and how lost she is because she wouldn’t have cheated before, but that just… does not ring true to me.

i think this idea comes from her characterization of trying to live up to perfection, but i think it’s important to remember she’s functioning under ozai’s definition of perfection, a guy who infamously colluded with his wife to kill his father so that he could be firelord. i don’t get the particular sense he cares how, exactly, azula carries out the goals he’s set for her, as long as she accomplishes them.

and a lot of really prominent azula scenes turn on the axis of her being exactly this underhanded. in the avatar state, she tries to manipulate iroh and zuko into coming home under false pretenses, when she really means to arrest them. in bitter work, seeing she’s outnumbered, she makes a false surrender so that her opponents will hesitate/back down and then attacks iroh when they do. in the crossroads of destiny, she strikes aang with lightning from behind while he’s in the avatar state. in the awakening, she lies that zuko killed aang because she wants an insurance policy she won’t be blamed on a hunch he might be alive.

whether or not these break official rules of combat or acceptable legal/social behavior in-universe, i think it’s hard to deny that these actions form a pattern that showcases azula as someone not concerned with integrity or ideological fairness in such situations.

azula is a fascinating character, and her breakdown in sozin’s comet is tragic. but it’s not because she’s acting out of character; if anything, it’s because she’s falling back on old patterns despite her hallucination of her mother (and therefore her own subconscious) trying to warn her that using fear to control people isn’t truly viable. but that means her entire concept of the world is wrong, so she doubles down and shoots for katara, a noncombatant in this fight, having seen zuko agree to an agni kai in the hopes she wouldn’t get hurt and thus understanding he fears that and will make sure the lightning never reaches her. azula doesn’t care how she wins because it’s never mattered how she wins, as long as she does. but with katara defeating her and ozai’s impending downfall, it’s about to matter a lot more.

#i actually think there’s an interesting parallel between azula here and zuko in tcod #falling back into harmful patterns #with the caveat that i think zuko is a lot more self-aware about how conflicted he is #none of this is meant as like. slander btw #she’s a fascinating and tragic villain but she is a villain #atla #azula #meta #sozin’s comet #the avatar state #bitter work #the crossroads of destiny #the awakening #into the inferno #the final agni kai #azula & ozai #zuko & azula

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mindingmybidness12 · 1 year

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Settling Differences [Jenna Ortega x GN! Reader]

Summary: You and Jenna were having a bit of a dispute and you two go about solving it like any normal couple would.

Warnings: Fluff, banter, no editing

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“Ok, it’s your turn to do the dishes.”

“BULLSHIT! It’s your turn! It was my turn last time.”

“and I had to do it for a month straight before that!”

“I WAS OUT FILMING COMMERCIALS!”

“Oh. So what you’re telling me is that you’re too Hollywood for the dishes? Dawn and Mr Clean just couldn’t fit into your schedule?”

“Oh. SHUT. UP."

"Oh? Has this worthless peon spoken out of turn? Forgive me Lady Hollywood."

"Oh will you stop being a petty little asshole? Geeeeez!!"

Despite the back and forth, your girlfriend Jenna had the biggest smile on her face. Even when she was continuously rolling her eyes she had nothing but fondness and slight exasperation on her face. This was how you guys worked. The banter was always lively and always came from both sides even though you were the one to instigate things more often then not. Jenna caught on to your bullshit quick and decided to roll with it by sometimes acting as your straight man on purpose. This is only one of the many things you love about her. She could take a joke.

"Hey if I was being petty I would have call you Miss Almost Golden Globe."

That's to say that you wouldn't try to push the envelope every now and then.

Jenna's eyes bugged out of her head and her jaw dropped as a laugh of disbelief escaped her lips.

"No you fucking didn't!"

"I didn't! I could've, but I didn't."

"You just did!"

"Nooo that was a hypothetical situation that could've happened in an alternate timeline. Sooo...."

"I'm gonna fucking kill you now."

"That would be rude and - oh god!"

You started booking it out of the kitchen with a pissed Ortega on your hills. You two would then reenact a Scooby doo ass chase scene throughout your shared living space. Eventually though she got a hold of you and would now exact her revenge.

"Take this you little shit! And this and that!"

She had you pinned down and straddle and was delivering a merciless assault of pinches all over your face. She got your cheeks and your ears. She grabbed at your hair and twisted it around and stuck two fingers in your nose and pulled. She wasn't mad still. She knew you were playing around. Didn't mean she couldn't give you hell though.

"Ow! Ouch! I give, I give! Uncle. I'm sorry!"

"That's right," she grinned while wiping her hands on your shirt. "Now prove to me your sorry by cleaning the kitchen."

"Oh alright..."

"Good-"

"SIKE!!!"

You threw her off you and she let a cute yelp.

"Y/N, what the fuck?!"

"I refuse to concede defeat." you said as you climbed to your feet while dusting yourself off.

"You just did though?"

"Hush child." You started off before going into a "dramatic" monologue all the while ignoring the mutter of an "Oh brother..." that came from the girl behind you. "We now find ourselves at a crossroads. Neither one of us willing to budge."

"Just do the dishes, dude."

"WE WILL NOT BUDGE SO WE MUST SETTLE THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL!!! TO THE DEATH."

"Best 2 out of 3?" At this point Jenna had gotten up and looked at you with a deadpanned stare but the amusement was clearly dancing in her eyes for anyone to see.

"Best 2 out of 3."

"ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT! ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT! ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT! ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT!"

"Dammit loose already!" You cried.

"Never!" Jenna shouted back laughing.

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You and Jenna sat at the dinner table with crumpled up paper all around you. One sheet of paper was laid out between the two of you with a myriad of x's and o's across it.

"Ok. Rock, Paper, and scissors is one thing..." You began, "But how the hell do you tie in tic-tac-toe? 20 times in a row?"

"Maybe you should just get a clue and lose already." Jenna shrugged while playing with her hair. She wasn't winning but she still had a smug air about her. She was stopping you from winning so she couldn't help but feel smug. You wanted to wipe that smirk off her face.

"Alright you little garden gnome, this next game will be your last."

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Y/N : 2000 LP

Jenna: 1200 LP

"I tribute my two monsters and summon my Blue-Eyes White Dragon." You cried in glee.

"FUCK!" Jenna wasn't feeling the glee.

"I'm gonna wipe out the puny monster of yours and-"

"Nope!" Jenna interrupted with a "Negate Attack".

"I can nope too." You said while activating a "Trap Jammer" to cancel her Trap card.

"Nope!" Jenna said again while activating her own "Trap Jammer".

"Right back at yah, kid." Activating your second "Trap Jammer" and she just gave you a look as you grinned cheekily at her. You were about to resume your attack before she flipped over her last trap card.

"Ring of Destruction? AH SHIT!"

That card would destroy a monster and deal damage to both equal to its attack points. Your Blue-Eyes was the target and with its 3000 attack points that means....

"Draw" You and Jenna sighed at the same time.

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You were now on what would potential be the last chance of victory for the both of you. A fighting game. Specifically the fighting game the both of you played together all the time. This game would always get competitive one way or the other and would often become a way to settle all disputes that got too far. Really something as petty as dish washing didn't need to call for all of this but the two of you were having way too much fun and both of you wanted to win.

It was a martial arts game that had a good move pull and several good mechanics and fun little gimmicks in the game. Like being able to show respect to your opponent.

"Ok let's begin with a bow of respec- DAMN!!"

Respect seemed to be the furthest thing from your opponent's mind. You were immediately interrupted by Jenna, who at the word "begin", threw a mean roundhouse kick at your character who was halfway into a bow. The poor bastard had no choice but to eat shit.

"Oh! You said begin! So I just... got to work I guess. My bad."

She didn't sound too sorry. Neither did she stop giving you the business either. You then quickly got into as well. Despite the cheap shot from Jenna (You were secretly proud as hell) you were able to catch up in terms of damage.

Soon you were both on your last legs and with one hit, there would be a winner. You both mashed your controllers and!!!

knocked each other clean the fuck out.

"DRAW!!" the game called out.

"BULLSHIT!!" You both raged.

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"Well there's only a few more ways this could go." You said after you both had time to cool off.

"How?" Jenna asked whiled looking towards you.

"Either you or I could be the bigger person and volunteer to clean the kitchen."

Jenna raised a delicate eyebrow.

"Or.... the one to last longest in bed wins and doesn't have to clean the kitchen for two weeks?"

"....."

".....deal."

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It was tie. You both lost. But you ended up cleaning the kitchen in the morning and making her breakfast in bed so really you lost.

You didn't feel like much of a loser though :)

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A/N: And that's that. Went a little longer than I thought it would but I had fun. Leave a like and comment and I'll see you when I see you!

#jenna ortega #jenna ortega x y/n #jenna ortega x you #jenna ortega x reader #tara carpenter x reader #tara carpenter #wednesday x reader #wednesday x y/n #wednesday x you #vada cavell

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outpastthemoat · 11 months

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thinking about how aang and iroh are character foils at the end of book two. by “crossroads of destiny,” both aang and iroh have loved ones who have been captured by enemy forces, and both make the choice to go after them even if it means risking their own lives.

for aang, rescuing katara means giving up on ever reaching the avatar state again, a perilous choice in the face of the approaching comet and his ever-looming battle with ozai. and iroh is in a very similar place to aang. he has followed zuko across oceans, across the entirety of the earth kingdom, and now he follows zuko once again into the catacombs of ba sing se, not accepting that zuko had left him behind purposefully in order to confront azula on his own.

In “crossroads of destiny,” both aang and iroh chose attachment over surrender. and for both aang and iroh, it is the wrong choice.

iroh vindicates aang’s choice to return for katara, telling him that choosing happiness and prosperity over power is the right decision, but. . .even though those words might hold true in general, they’re not true in either iroh or aang’s situation. in trying to save a loved one, both characters make a choice that ends in tragedy. aang’s decision to prioritize his attachment to katara gets him killed by azula. iroh’s decision to go after zuko ends up with zuko choosing to side with azula. it’s the same lesson luke skywalker must learn at the end of “the empire strikes back,” when he chooses to go after han and leia rather than stay and learn from yoda. luke pays dearly for his choice—and so do iroh and aang.

if aang had chosen to stay and learn at the eastern air temple, if iroh had chosen to let zuko challenge azula on his own—who knows what might have changed in their stories? zuko and katara might have been able to overcome their differences and work together to defeat azula. but with aang’s possessiveness and animosity present—and iroh’s insistence that zuko “chose the side of good” when he really wants zuko to chose him—zuko falls back into the same old patterns.

iroh and aang are even framed the same way in this scene. both characters run to their figure of attachment and throw their arms around them—literally and figuratively clinging to their loved ones. katara’s braid even mirrors iroh’s.

in “crossroads of destiny,” iroh is not making zuko confront his destiny, he’s literally holding him back from it. aang is not protecting katara, he is merely acting on his own fears of losing her. but it is only through letting go of their attachment that both aang and iroh achieve the happiness they desire.

when sozin’s comet arrives, iroh lets zuko leave with his friends and choses to help the white lotus liberate ba sing se—and at the end of the war, zuko returns to him voluntarily, the loving son that iroh has longed for. meanwhile, aang leaves katara and his friends behind to seek out the wisdom of the lionturtle. aang surrenders his attachment and faces his fear of being left alone by choosing to confront ozai by himself—and because of this surrender, he is able to achieve the avatar state once more and overpower ozai. hitting his spine on that rock was merely a physical reminder of the internal journey aang had already gone through.

in the end, aang and his friends achieve peace and prosperity for themselves and the world, not by clinging to what they have—but by letting go of what they want.

#aang #iroh #zuko #atla #crossroads of destiny #my meta

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solecize · 19 days

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fic announcement: through the mist | jungkook x reader

remember lookin' at this room, we loved it 'cause of the light now, i just sit in the dark and wonder if it's time ten years of being one and the same with jungkook as the country's it couple is the perfect disguise for the reality of a tumultuous relationship hidden behind the scenes. ten years of lies and love and crawling back to one another. once shy, budding first love that blossomed before the weight of fame, the cracks begin to surface amidst your respective rises to stardom and navigation of your twenties. either finding euphoria or the end of the world, there's never any in between in existence for you and jungkook. as you build each other up and break each other down in front of millions of eyes, there is a crossroads ahead with words of "marriage" and "military" looming in the air - all while ignoring the price of fame breathing down your necks. this is the story of love and the lessons learned from the man you made your religion. and i wouldn't marry me either, a pathological people-pleaser who only wanted you to see her

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒: idol!jungkook/female idol!reader and fictional versions of various idols 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄. idol au, on-and-off relationship, angst, i swear there's fluff, and themes of first love, growing up, struggles with fame, and marriage (ish) 𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒. portrayal of a toxic couple (implications of emotional abuse and control), infidelity, foul language, substance use 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄. based off of "you're losing me" by taylor swift. this is a fictional portrayal of real-life people that implement some aspects of events that have occurred in real-life. the main character is a member of a fictional idol group. more warnings may be added as the story is written. 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. wip.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook x reader #jungkook imagine #jungkook angst #jungkook scenarios #kpop fanfic #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts x reader #bts imagine #bts au #jungkook au #jungkook fic #*** / through the mist.

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burst-of-iridescent · 1 year

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i was rewatching the crossroads of destiny and i realized the scene where zuko comforts katara about her mother takes place right before the scene where iroh and aang go down to find them.

which means that the following zutara scene, where zuko is agonizing over his scar and his destiny, and katara offers to heal him, is most likely happening concurrently with iroh and aang’s conversation about the guru, during which iroh says this: “perfection and power are overrated. i think you are very wise to choose happiness and love.”

there are a lot of metas which discuss how iroh’s words to aang in this moment aren’t actually what aang needs to hear (though iroh, of course, couldn’t know that since he didn’t know the full context and likely would have said something very different if he had known) because aang wouldn’t be choosing the avatar state for power; he would be choosing it to save katara and the world. but is there another character, perhaps one paralleled very closely to aang, one currently undergoing a crisis of conscience regarding this very dichotomy, for whom these words would strike a chord?

given that this episode is written by aaron ehasz, i don’t think having the zuko-katara and iroh-aang conversation happen at the same time is a coincidence - and especially not when this is the moment that zuko lays his fears and vulnerabilities bare to katara, when katara offers him freedom from his past and zuko willingly submits to her touch, allowing himself the hope of healing, and the chance at a new, brighter destiny.

this is the closest that zuko ever comes, at this point in his arc, to where his true happiness lies - only to have it ripped away by azula. azula, who promises him a chance to make amends from failure, a chance to regain his power and his pride, a chance at the perfect life he thought he left behind.

iroh’s words to aang don’t fit aang’s circumstances, because they are not meant to illustrate aang’s struggles, but zuko’s. they are the embodiment of zuko’s crossroads of destiny, and the choice that lies before him.

the choice between perfection and power, or happiness and love.

the choice, in essence, between azula... or katara.

#zutara #zutara meta #no bc having KATARA represent his way forward was truly... such a choice #they could've gone for anything else yet they made katara the embodiment of his right choice #just hashtag platonic bestie things #zuko #zuko meta

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steveharrington · 11 months

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how is it bad and anti feminist exactly

maybe anti feminist was too strong of a descriptor but that scene truly rubs me the wrong way and illuminates why i have so many frustrations with the way they write nancy. that scene follows directly behind nancy and jonathan’s huge fight in the car, where they grapple with perspectives that the other will never understand. jonathan will never understand what it’s like to be a woman in a hostile male-centered environment, and nancy will never understand what it’s like to live in poverty and genuinely Need a job to survive. they’re both wrong in that scene. they’re both not listening. nancy specifically lashes out in her frustration and says things that are Very cruel and play off instances where jonathan has presumably confided in her (literally rolling her eyes in exasperation and saying here comes the oliver twist routine!!! when he brings up the fact that he lives in poverty) so it does Not Go Well. it would be such an interesting opportunity to have them both come away from the argument reflecting on the things they don’t understand about each other and their respective privileges. BUT instead we get a scene immediately where karen encourages nancy to buckle down and basically says that she did nothing wrong. nancy literally says “maybe jonathan’s right. to be honest i wasn’t thinking about him.” and karen Still reiterates that nancy doesn’t need to apologize or rethink her approach or anything of the sort. and then later, nancy Doesn’t apologize. she rubs it in jonathan’s face, really. it’s such a waste of an excellent set up and an opportunity for nancy to examine the crossroads between her ambition and her personal relationships, to acknowledge that she is a human being and she has flaws and she can be selfish at times. instead that’s literally all disregarded for One very hollow and superficial moment where we’re reminded that Women Can Do Anything! delivered by a woman who only a few episodes prior was fully prepared to have sex with a teenage boy. basically nancy’s classism moment is wiped away and forgiven on the basis that she’s a girl, which unfairly robbed her of a moment to develop and learn the way any male character would have gotten to

#answered #anon

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sunflowersandsapphires · 7 months

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Everything the Same

When Skies Are Gray, Chapter 2

Series Masterlist Next Chapter

pairing: Frank Castle x fem!reader

summary: Frank’s life has reached a crossroads: he can either continue to seclude himself and pursue a dark, lonely future, or he can open himself up to connecting with someone again and maybe achieve happiness. Being the grump that he is, Frank has already committed to the lonely path, but his curious new neighbor might just turn that around.

warnings: Swearing, mild violence, descriptions of Frank's nightmares, non-graphic depictions of eating disorder (reader doesn't eat much and it's noticed, that's literally it)

a/n: Writing this chapter gave me butterflies. It's very fluffy. Please enjoy. As always, I love comments and feedback!

w/c: 4.4k

As the weeks passed, and as Frank continued to learn more about you, his infatuation only grew. He learned that you had introduced yourself to nearly the whole building at this point. He found out that you would bake cookies for Gladys in 2B every few weeks when her grandchildren visited and that you were a fan-favorite of the young couple on the fifth floor who claimed you were the only person besides themselves who could get their unruly toddler down for a nap.

Even Reggie, who was quite possibly the only person more crotchety than Frank himself, had a soft spot for you after you’d helped him find his lost cat.

He wasn’t quite sure how he, a mass murderer, had befriended the manifestation of sunlight, but he couldn’t complain. You kept his pantry stocked with unique and, honestly, sensational pastries and kept his spirits high with your gorgeous laugh and constant smile. The truth was, you were the best thing to happen to him in years and Frank wasn’t prepared to let that go—despite his more rational side desperately asking him to leave you the fuck alone, for both of your sakes.

He shoved the warning bells aside, once again convincing himself that a simple friendship wouldn’t be too dangerous for either of you. Besides, you seemed to enjoy his company as much as he did yours, which made no sense to him but who was he to question the choices of an angel such as yourself.

An angel who was endearingly demanding (I’m not demanding, Frank, I’m insisting) that he sit down to have lunch with her and her coworkers after they closed up shop.

The cafe was quickly becoming a safe haven for Frank, even on days when his mood was especially bitter. Anyone with common sense would be able to determine that you worked here. Everywhere he turned, there were touches that you had clearly added to the cafe. A sensory sensitive area complete with weighted throws and fidget toys, beautiful arrangements of local wildflowers in the windows, soft upbeat music playing from the speakers.

Once, when he’d gotten there right as the store opened, he’d been lucky enough to catch you singing along. The sight of you dancing through the kitchen, using a wooden spoon as a faux microphone as you belted out the lyrics to the song playing overhead, had carried him through the rest of the week. With the hope that he could bear witness to the event again someday, he’d basked quietly in your glory, making his presence known after you’d finished your performance.

While your shop served a damn fine cup of coffee, it was your presence and the knowledge that you had purposefully crafted this space for those you cared about that kept him coming back.

Which is how he found himself being interrogated by your coworkers as you finished up behind the scenes. Frank hadn’t intended to strike up a conversation with the bakery’s other employees, but they seemed overjoyed to share embarrassing stories and tidbits about you, and Frank greedily indulged. Apparently, you baked homemade dog biscuits for the local shelter once a month, which seemed on brand. You had a complicated relationship with your family, but you were close with your siblings. You were loyal and fiercely protective of the people you loved. Every word out of your friends’ mouths made Frank’s heart grow fonder of you.

“So, Frank,” The flashy one, Leo, smirked at him from across the booth they were currently seated in.

“Pete.” You corrected from behind the counter as you grabbed food for everyone. Frank had made up some cock and bull story about a rabid ex-girlfriend who was looking for him and asked you to call him Pete in public. A blush crept over his cheeks just thinking about how stupid that sounded after the fact.

“Sorry, Pete,” Leo corrected. “How did you become friends with our loveable chef here?”

“My dog broke into her place a while ago. Fell in love with her. Clearly, I had no say in the matter.” He grumbled, smirking a tiny bit as you spun around, hands pinned to your hips, an incredulous look on your face.

“‘Had no say in the matter’, who was knocking on my door at 11 pm yesterday because he was hungry and I said I was cooking. Sure as shit wasn’t Max.” You huffed, Frank’s sly grin growing. It didn’t take much to work you up but, fuck, if this wasn’t one of the cutest displays of frustration he’d ever seen.

“He’s a man of good taste, you’re the best cook there is, Princess.” Leo snorted, giving Frank a knowing look.

Frank’s brow furrowed. “Princess?”

“It’s the nickname we gave her.” Your grumpy coworker, Stacy, said with little emotion as she plopped down beside Leo. “Because she acts like a damn Disney character.”

Frank laughed as you started sputtering, trying to dispute the allegations. “You do act like a Disney Princess, sunshine. Is that such a bad thing?”

You huffed with an exaggerated frown, plopping yourself in the booth beside Frank, who pressed his shoulder to yours in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

“Oh god, has she even told you about her baby animal acquisition talents?” Leo chuckled at your growing embarrassment.

Frank barked another laugh, “The fuck does that even mean?”

“It means, that if there is a hurt, scared, or young animal within a 5 mile radius, it will find her.” Stacy had a small smile on her face as she snatched one of the sandwiches you’d set on the table. “I swear, she’s got like a magnetism.”

“It’s cosmic, really.” Leo agreed, already halfway done with their sandwich. “This one time, she found a hummingbird outside the cafe. Poor thing was wrapped in cobwebs, couldn’t fly. She sits there and meticulously unwraps it, and, after it could fly again, the bird chooses to sit in her lap for like an hour like they were old friends.”

“People literally approached her on the street once to ask if she could help them rescue baby bunnies. There was a whole mess of people, they chose her.” Stacy pointed out, smirking as you buried your face in your hands.

Frank nudged you with his hip. “Hey now, don’t be embarrassed. It’s cute.”

You peeked at him through your fingers. “You really think so?”

“Yah, sunshine. I do.”

“Not to mention, your wardrobe is like 100% dresses.” Stacy sniggered, polishing off the food on her plate.

“And, you are so graceful yet so clumsy.” Leo continued.

“And—“ You waved a hand, cutting Stacy off.

“Ok, I think we are done embarrassing me for the day.” Clapping your hands together, you started stacking plates. Frank frowned, seeing the small sandwich you took for yourself remained mostly untouched.

“Who are we supposed to embarrass then? Pete?” Stacy rolled her eyes.

“I’d really rather you didn’t. He’s very sweet and I’d hate for you two to scare him off.” You wound your arm around Frank’s much larger one, rubbing it gently.

“‘M not sweet.” Frank grumped, graciously allowing you to retain a hold on his arm.

“Aww see!! Look at that grumpy face.” You poked his cheek and he growled softly, still not taking his arm back. Giggling, you squished in closer to him. “Sorry, Pete. I’m just teasin’”

Untangling yourself from him, you got up to take the stack of plates to the kitchen. The loss of contact exposed him to the blasting AC, and the chill made his scowl deepen.

“Pete,” Your voice rang out from the kitchen. Waltzing back into the front room, you grinned at him, tilting your head with a question. “Walk me home?”

Basking in your bright glow, Frank forgot how to speak for a second. “Uh, yah. Yah, I can do that, Sunshine.”

Dutifully turning off the lights and hanging up your apron, you gave a twirl around the counter—giggling at the way your dress spun.

“Disney. Princess.” Stacy whispered emphatically to Frank, smirking at his wide eyes and forgotten scowl.

Frank pushed himself up from the booth and opened the door for you. “Thanks, sweetheart.” You squeezed his shoulder before walking through the door.

The two of you maintained a good pace, as you walked the few blocks back to your apartment building. You were giddily chittering away about new recipes you wanted to try your hand at and, as much as it pained him to admit it, Frank wasn’t listening. At the very start of your trek home, you’d grabbed his hand so that the two of you didn’t get separated in the midday crowds. The heat of your palm against his pushed everything else away. Your skin was unbelievably soft, and your fingers threaded through his as if they were created with his hands in mind.

“Frank?” Your voice broke him out of a daze. He took in his surroundings, blushing when he realized you’d reached your shared building already. He was so gone for you already. You could’ve pulled him across state lines and he would’ve happily let you.

“Frank? Are you ok?”

“Uh, yah. Yah I’m ok. Just tired.”

Your pristine brow furrowed and his heart sank, hands longing to cradle your face and smooth the crease that had settled on it. “You’re tired? Did my friends and I wear you out? I’m so sorry!” You’d taken both of his hands now and he had to focus a significant amount on the words he was forming.

“Nah, I just don’t sleep well. It ain’t your fault.” He shrugged, noticing how small your hands looked around his. You squeezed his hands gently, prompting him to meet your concerned gaze once more.

“You sure you’re ok? I know that I can drain people’s energy—“

Frank drew one hand out of your grasp, nestling it against your jaw. “I’m ok. You—you make me happier than anyone has in…a long time. If people make you feel like you’re exhausting, find new people, yah?”

You chuckled, averting your eyes but leaning into his tender hold. “Yah. Ok, Frankie.”

“C’mon. Let’s get you home, darlin’.”

Hours later, a shrill ringtone pierced Frank’s tranquility. Tossing his book aside in a huff, he picked up the call.

“What do ya want, Curt?” Frank's voice had more of an edge than it should have, but the thought of Curtis and David gossiping about his shitty moods was enough to push him into one.

“Damn, nice to hear from you too. Didn’t see you lurking at group today, wanted to check in and make sure you hadn’t gone and gotten yourself killed.” The man on the other line sounded equally annoyed.

“Unfortunately, I am still breathing. That all ya needed?”

“Christ, Frank. You’re making it really hard to want to be your friend, you know that?”

Frank sighed. “‘M sorry, Curt. I’m ok. Promise. Not holin’ myself up in my apartment or anythin’. I know it ain’t easy stickin’ with me.”

“It’s all good. Come to group next week, will ya? I know it’ll be…tougher than usual. I’m here for you, don’t forget that.”

“I appreciate it, man. I—yah, I’ll be there.”

“Good. Seeing your ugly mug will make me feel better before my date.”

“She didn’t dump your ass yet? You're treadin’ water, man.” Frank chuckled.

“Yah, yah. I don’t know, Frank. She makes me happy. That’s what it’s all about, you know?”

Frank smiled to himself, hearing your giggles somewhere in the back of his mind. “Yah. That’s great, Curt. ‘M happy for ya.”

“Thanks, Frank. See you next week then?”

“Yah. I’ll be there. Bye, Curt.”

She makes me happy. His friend’s words echoed in his ears. Before he could set his phone aside, an idea formed. He swallowed his nerves and dialed the number.

Curled up under a blanket on your overly squishy couch, you could feel your eyelids growing heavy as you tried to focus your attention on the screen in front of you.

Reruns of some 90s sitcom flashed past your glazed eyes. You were tired, but it was barely 7 pm! Letting your head fall against the arm of the couch with a dull thunk, you chided yourself. You knew exactly why you were exhausted at this early hour. The stress of the move a few weeks ago combined with your recent family visits had pushed you backwards into old, less healthy habits. God, you needed to eat something, but your stomach remained silent.

You rubbed a hand over your eyes, pulling out your phone to stimulate your brain further. Your heart did a somersault as you noticed the text waiting unanswered on your screen.

Frank: Hey, I ordered too much pizza. You hungry?

Well, wasn’t that a wonderful offering from the universe. Grinning, you swiped open your phone and typed out a response.

You: I could eat. If the offer still stands, of course.

It didn’t take long for another message to pop up.

Frank: The offer always stands for you, sunshine.

With a giggle, you lifted yourself from the couch, running out the door and down the hall to rap your knuckles gently on Frank’s door.

Though you and Frank hung out pretty much daily now, this would be the first time you’d hung out at his apartment. Not that you hadn’t seen it before, he often invited you along on walks with him and Max, but you were eager to really take the place in. A person’s living space can tell you so much about them—and you were dying to learn more about the beautiful, grumpy person living next door to you.

As if your train of thought had summoned the very man, you heard heavy footfalls quickly pacing before the door opened. Frank’s face was ruggedly handsome. Deep brown eyes that always seemed to be observing above a crooked nose and a magnificent jawline beneath a thick beard. His wavy dark hair was growing longer by the day and you longed to run your fingers through it, to see if it was as soft as you imagined.

Currently, the sea of black strands was hanging loosely around his face after a day of living whatever life it was that Frank lived. When his gorgeous ochre eyes settled on yours, his expression softened which made your heart sing. Your excitement quickly drifted south as his gaze roamed over your body. Before you could dwell on that fact too much, a scoff-like laugh startled you from the daydream.

“All dressed up for me, are ya Princess?” Frank’s lips were barely upturned but his expression was impressively smug.

Looking down at your outfit with a frown, you pulled at the hem of your oversized crew neck which nearly covered the soft cotton shorts you wore.

“Hey! When you invite me over after business hours, you get what you get. I wanted to be comfortable!” Your frown became a dramatic pout.

Frank laughed harder. It was impossible to take you seriously when you were so goddamn cute.

“You know what, I’ve changed my mind. I’ll order my own pizza.” You huffed, sticking your nose into the air.

As you turned to go, a calloused hand shot out to grasp your wrist.

“I’m just kiddin’, sunshine. You look beautiful, as always.” Staring into his eyes, you felt heat creeping up your neck as you realized the compliment was genuine. Pushing away the embarrassment that always overtook you when someone commented on your looks, you rolled your eyes.

“Sure, sure. Bet you say that to all the girls, Castle.”

The amusement fell from the large man’s expression. Frank tugged your wrist gently, drawing your body into his with ease. His free hand came up to cup your cheek, his eyes boring into yours with an intensity you hadn’t seen from him before. “I mean it. You’re beautiful, honey. Amazes me every damn day, hand to God.”

Taking in a sharp breath, you swallowed the lump of emotion in your throat. “Thank you, Frank. That, uh, you don’t know how much that means to me.”

Frank’s porcelain skin darkened with a blush. “‘S the truth.” Clearing his throat, he stepped backwards into the apartment, gesturing for you to come in.

You curtsied clumsily, grinning at him. “Why thank you, my liege.”

Smile returning to his eyes, he shook his head as you nearly tripped with the action. “Christ, sit down before you break somethin’, ya goof.”

You giggled, happily taking his hand as he helped you sit down on the couch without incident. Breathing deeply, your smile widened at the sight of a scented candle on Frank’s mantle. Stifling another giggle, you let your gaze drift over the space in front of you, absorbing every detail you could about your new friend.

The room was simple: very few decorations, only necessary furniture. That much was not a surprise, the emptiness of Frank’s apartment was apparent to anyone who caught half a glance past the doorway. Once inside, though, you noticed the details that made this apartment so vividly Frank that you couldn’t help but explore a little.

There were very few pictures in the apartment, but two frames stood next to the burning candle above the fireplace. One was the smiling faces of two children, a boy and a girl, laughing openly at something behind the camera lens. The next was the same kids seated in front of a beautiful woman on a picnic in a park. The woman was smiling at the camera while the kids looked off to the side.

Gingerly brushing a finger over the frame, you found your thoughts wandering. Frank didn’t talk much about his family, but two weeks ago you’d noticed the ring hung around his neck. It didn’t take much time for you to piece together who he was, the name “Frank Castle” was nearly impossible to find on the internet these days (someone very dedicated had taken up the task of clearing this man from the digital world), but you’d lived just outside of the Kitchen when his trial was the only thing everyone wanted to talk about. Though your curiosity grew by the day, you tried to respect his privacy by not digging into his history.

His hesitation to talk about it was enough to signal to you that his memories were not all positive, so you hadn’t pushed—hoping that he’d feel comfortable enough to share his experiences with you on his own terms. The world had taken so much from Frank Castle, the least you could give him was his autonomy.

Moving on from the photos, you shook your head to clear the images of Frank facing all of these horrors alone. You’d do your best to keep him company going forward.

Hidden in an alcove near his bedroom was a beautifully crafted mahogany bookshelf, practically bursting with novels. Walking over to the magnificent piece, you began running your fingers over the worn spines of books by Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and the like. But, what stood out to you was the substantial collection of feminist novels and volumes of collected poetry.

You heard a deep rumble behind you. “Ya gonna eat anythin’ or are ya too busy snoopin’?” Frank’s exaggerated grouse made you chuckle. His large hands balanced a pizza box and two beers.

“I absolutely had you pegged as a ‘classic lit’ fan, but bell hooks?” You looked at him inquisitively, prying the beers from his hand and plopping yourself back on his worn couch.

Frank simply shrugged, setting the pizza in front of the two of you. “She’s gotta different perspective than me. Sometimes it’s necessary to think about someone else’s view of the world, I guess.”

“I absolutely agree. Talking Back is one of my favorites.” You smiled at him, heart spinning as you noticed a blush creeping up past his beard.

Frank forced his mouth back into a scowl, refusing to dwell on the way his chest lightened after you expressed your approval for some of his more “controversial” literature. Throwing open the top of the pizza box, he snatched a piece and shoved it in his mouth to avoid looking at you.

“You know, Frank, I’m starting to think you might have ordered this pizza for me, specifically. I seem to recall raving about the #3 from Capizzi when we passed the building last week.” You raised an eyebrow at him before grabbing a slice, closing your eyes as you practically inhaled it.

Opening a beer, Frank didn’t turn to face you. “Dunno what you’re talking about.”

“Aww, you like me, don’t ya, sweetheart.” You poked Frank’s shoulder, making him growl. Giggling once again at his persistent grouchiness, you snatched another slice of pizza. “Don’t be embarrassed, I like you too.”

Frank refrained from smiling, eyes glancing towards you as you ate happily beside him. He was goddamn relieved that you’d accepted his offer. Not just because it meant he got to bask in your presence yet again, but also because there was no way the few bites of sandwich he’d seen you eat earlier was enough to satisfy your gorgeous self. He wasn’t quite sure why you ate so little, but he’d be damned if you starved on his watch.

Startling slightly as your thigh pressed against his, he heard your melodic voice prompt him yet again. “Which classic author have you enjoyed the most?”

“Dunno. Depends on the day. Recently, I’ve liked Hemingway. But he’s—dark.” Frank’s brow furrowed, worried that his honesty would reveal his demons and scare you away.

“Makes sense that you’d like him then, you grumpy Gus.” You snorted, beaming at him as he rolled his eyes. “Just teasing. He’s a great author, despite the blatant sexism. Hills Like White Elephants is an incredible piece. It was on my mind for weeks the first time I read it.”

“Not familiar with that one.”

“It’s one of his short stories, just a little thing about a woman being ‘persuaded’ into an abortion. Definitely not the best pro-choice stance, but the symbolism is unique and it comments on an interesting dynamic of some relationships. It’s one of the only stories I actually remember from school, besides The Yellow Wallpaper. That one I can never forget.” You shuddered, turning your attention back to your pizza.

“Don’t think I’ve read that one, either.”

“Oh Frankie, you have to read it. It’s dark as fuck…you’ll love it.” You grinned at him slyly, making him smirk.

“You really are somethin’, ya know that?” Crossing his arms, Frank raised a brow as you cackled gleefully.

“So I’ve been told. Someone’s gotta be a pain in your prickly ass, though.” You let your head fall against his shoulder, looking deep into his eyes.

Stomach flipping at your affection, he gave into impulse and rested his forehead against the crown of your pretty head. “Better you than anyone else, sunshine.”

He could feel your brow pinch as your nose scrunched with a smile. Your soft lips pressed a kiss to his shoulder before you pulled away. “Seriously though, you have to read that one. It’s such a mind fuck. I swear I still have nightmares about it.”

Frank let out a breath, body melding into his mattress. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, you were easing the day to day pain he had grown accustomed to. You’d stumbled into his life on a whim and he was holding onto you for dear life.

Though very few people had ever seen it, Frank’s loyalty meant he fell for people hard. The pain of losing his family made it easier to push people away, to shelter that part of himself, but you’d scaled those walls without breaking a sweat. You were pure sunshine, golden and heavenly, bringing life and love to those around you. He just hoped that he wasn’t the Hades to your Persephone.

Falling asleep that night should not have been as easy as it was, but your presence had soothed his nerves. Breathing deeply, he replayed the sound of your laughter in his head until he drifted off to the image of your smile painted on his eyelids.

Unfortunately, the peace you'd shrouded his apartment in was shattered by his subconscious.

The nightmare started the same as always. A hazy view of his bedroom, lit by the sun shining through large windows. As he opens his eyes, there’s a figure in the doorway. She’s slender with dark hair and as she steps closer, her face sparks recognition. Maria.

His late wife climbs into bed, pressing loses to his limbs. He feels his body startle awake as his eyes settle on her smiling face.

But it’s no longer Maria.

Sitting in his lap, grinning back at him beautifully is you, his adorably kind neighbor.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” It’s your voice, not Maria’s, that makes him shudder with the familiar phrase. Before the dream can continue, the setting morphs.

You’re in front of him, chained up like one of his Cerberus targets, blindfolded and gagged—struggling ferociously against your restraints.

He hears his voice echoing across the cavernous space. Trying desperately to calm you while fighting his own shackles.

“It’s ok, darlin’, it’ll be ok. I’m right here. Right here, babygirl.”

A malicious laugh washes over him and you go eerily still, tears streaming silently down your cheeks. A figure rounds your taut limbs, hand wandering over your figure. Frank growls, pulling with all of his strength.

“Leave her alone, you son of a bitch, or so help me I’ll—“

“You’ll what?” Billy Russo’s torn up face stares back at him, eyes glinting with power and rage. “Hmm she sure is a gorgeous little pet, isn’t she? How the hell did she end up with a monster like you?” Billy’s marred hand rubs your jaw making you whimper. He tugs off the fabric covering your eyes and they immediately fall on Frank, more tears cascading over your pretty face. Next to come off is the gag and you choke out a sob.

“Go on, sweetheart. Ask him to save you.” Billy smirks, looking between the two of you.

“Frank,” Your voice is hoarse and it kills him to hear such pain in it. “Frank, please! Please help me!”

A cold steel barrel presses to your temple. Billy’s fingers flex over the trigger as he tilts his head toward you in false sympathy. “Sorry, little pet, but he can’t help you. It’s his fault you’re dead.” A gunshot rings out and Frank screams, eyes ripping open as his body rapidly separates from sleep.

The nightmare replayed in his mind over and over the first night, your desperate pleas for help, the feeling of your warm blood spattering across Frank’s face. His mind’s manifestation of his former brother was right, he was going to get you killed. But the thought of pushing you away was just as hurtful.

He was so fucked.

Tag list: @cheshirecat484 @xxdrixx @smhnxdiii @mattmurdocksstarlight

#frank castle #frank castle x reader #frank castle fanfiction #frank castle imagine #frank castle x female reader #frank castle x you #the punisher netflix #the punisher #the punisher imagine #the punisher x reader #jon bernthal #marvel #jon bernthal fanfiction #my writing #fc #gray skies

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talking-books-n-spice · 6 months

Text

Regalia City - Club Honey

This is the first story in my Regalia City Series!

Plot: Your friend dragged you out to the newest club that's just opened, and through pure circumstance you meet the owner, who appears to be a charming Fae male...or is he?

First Person Female Reader POV NSFW

TW: Implied mind control/magical influence (if there's more, please let me know in comments or DM)

A/N: If you spot any spelling mistakes, please let me know! <3

At 27 you would think I’d know better than to let Lindsey talk me into going out on the town by now.

It was my first weekend off from work in two weeks, and Lindsey thought the best way for me to spend my hard earned money was to check out the newest club that had opened earlier that month.

The Hive.

It was apparently a 25+ only club on Sunday nights, which would eliminate a lot of the Regalia Tech students and the usual overly rowdy crowd.

There were protests to this ruling (of course), but since Friday and Saturday night were normal nights, their complaints fell on deaf ears. The police and lawyers of the city had even taken the club’s side, as it kept drug distribution and drunken disorderlies on the lower end.

Much to Lindsey’s protest, I’d chosen to wear my most comfortable and cute green dress for the night. I had to remind her that unlike her, I wasn’t actively prowling for a bed buddy. I was joining her at the club to keep her drinks safe, and to have some fun myself.

The club had been built on the corner of Marine Way and Bedell Street, putting it right in the crossroads of the Warehouse District and Late Night Row.

As we got in line behind a half-orc and his human boyfriend, I could feel the bass from the music through the walls. From here you could just barely catch a few beats of the song playing.

A cooler breeze blew by, making me shiver and dance in place.

“I always forget how cold it gets at night this time of year.” I mumbled, rubbing my hands over my bare arms to keep them warm.

Lindsey shifted back and forth on her feet, “I really need to stop wearing open toed heels.” When I gave her a tiny smug smile, as I’d advised her to wear her spiked books instead of the heels, she gave me a hard swat on the arm, making me giggle.

We kept ourselves distracted from the cold by catching up on our respective works’ weekly gossip.

Being the only human assistant manager at a clothes’ store tailored towards Naga, Lindsey usually dealt with the worst kinds of customers and coworkers. If she wasn’t of the “Out Crazy The Crazy” mentality, she’d have quit ages ago. Instead she trucked on, and helped bring in the best sales the store has seen since its opening.

By the time we got to the door, we were having to speak a bit louder in order to be heard over the music that was barely being contained.

The bouncer, an orc standing at 7ft with shoulders wider than the doorframe, gave our IDs a quick check, then gestured for us to go inside.

When I stepped over the threshold I felt as though I’d walked through a sheet of jell-o, raising goosebumps on my arms and legs. Lindsey pointed to the doorframe, “They’ve got this place juiced.”

Looking to where she pointed I saw runes carved into the wood of the doorframe. I couldn’t tell which language they belonged to, but they were clearly active as they were softly glowing in a golden hue.

“Maybe it's an age repellant? You can’t get through if you’re not the right age?” I suggested as we continued down the carpeted stone steps.

From outside, the building had looked like just another warehouse that was in better condition than the rest. If not for the neon yellow honeycomb shaped sign that hung outside the door, no one would know where this place was.

The stairs took us down two flights, then leveled out into a short hallway. Strobing rainbow lights and the silhouettes of dancing bodies beckoned us forward.

The scene we stepped into was something you could truly only find in Regalia City.

The warehouse had been dug down deeper by two stories and divided into two floors.

We entered into the lower floor, which was specifically for the dancers.The floor beneath our feet was designed to look like honeycomb carved from amber, and with each step you took, the section of comb beneath your feet briefly lit up in muted rainbow tones. It was somehow working with the strobe lights overhead, creating just enough lighting that you could see where you were going and who you were standing next to.

The second floor held the stage and equipment for the DJ, and a walkway built into the walls of the warehouse above, connecting to a larger section filled with tables and booths for people to sit and drink.

“This place is bananas!” Lindsey yelled over the music.

Unable to resist I yelled back, “I think you mean, its the BEES KNEES!”

“I hate you so much right now!” Lindsey cackled and towed me towards the bar that I’d missed with my initial sweep.

There was a bar built into the wall just to our right, and I couldn’t quite see it from the lower level, but I thought I could see the edge of another bar on the upper level as well.

We got a couple shots, tossed them back, and went to the dance floor.

~~~*****~~~~~~~~~~~

A couple hours, and a few drinks later, I was up on the second floor sitting at a table and sipping some water.

Tequila and excessive jumping around to music do not agree with my stomach.

I’d lost track of Lindsey at least an hour ago when she’d started shoving her tongue down a Naga’s throat. She’d given me the thumbs up behind his back, our basic signal that she was still conscious of what she was doing and that I didn’t need to follow them back to his place.

The DJ was playing a remix version of a song I knew, but couldn’t remember the name of. Each time the beat dropped, and ramped back up the dancers went nuts. Earlier when I’d first come up to the upper level, I’d looked over the railing and watched the dancers.

It was almost hypnotic to watch all their individual bodies moving in time to the music. Groups that had come to the club together would slowly sync up their movements, and you’d see these clumps of people moving in tandem just slightly against the rest of the floor. Add in the honeycomb lighting and it gave me a really strong impression of actual bees in a hive communicating.

Thinking back on that notion, I swept my gaze around the booths and tables.

If this was a kind of beehive, then there had to be someone here who was something of a Queen.

“...OMG is that?”

“No way, what are the odds?!”

“Can you get a pic?! No one will believe us if we don’t have proof!”

There was a group of women in the booth just next to mine, and they’d been relatively calm a second ago, now they were practically clambering over one another to peer over the top of their booth.

Following their line of sight I was able to spot who they were watching.

Over at the bar, a man was behind the counter speaking with the bartender. I’d guess his height to be about 6ft, in his yellow long sleeved shirt, and black slacks, I could see he was lean but not in the skinny sense.

I had to wait for the white strobe lights to flash some white in his direction to see the rich gold of his hair which was styled in what I think is called a wolf cut.

With another flash of white light, I caught sight of movement just behind his shoulder.

‘Wings!’

“Rue! Can we get a picture?! Pretty please?!”

One of the women in their booth must have had just a bit more to drink than her friends, as she’d gotten onto her knees on the seat cushion and started hollering at the man while waving her hand to get his attention.

Her friends were trying to get her to sit back down, nervously giggling and whisper yelling at her.

Fully immersed in the entertainment that was happening, I tried my best not to break out laughing and draw attention to myself. Lindsey was going to be so jealous she missed this, (or not, considering she’s probably getting her rocks off with the Naga.)

To my amazement, as well as the women’s, Rue must have heard her over the music. He said something to the bartender, who laughed, and he came out from behind the counter and made his way towards the group of women.

As he got closer the women subtly adjusted their push-up bras, skirts, and hair to further enhance their best assets.

Sipping at my drink I couldn’t stop watching.

I had no idea who Rue was, but I did know he was quite handsome, and he was most definitely a Fae.

I got a better look at the wings that fluttered and twitched with each step he took, their shape was almost like that of a bumblebee’s, except the rounded curves drew out into points.

When he reached their table and turned to the side, I could make out a honeycomb pattern in the membrane.

Between his clothes and wings, I had a sneaking suspicion as to who he was.

“Good evening ladies. Are you enjoying your time here?”

Even from where I was sitting, I could hear the honeyed tone of his voice in each syllable of his words.

A flush of heat tickled over my skin, and looking at the other women, I could tell they were just as enamored as I was. A couple of them had their mouths slightly open in a gape, while the woman who had initially called him over looked ready to rip his clothes off.

They giggled and chirped their replies about loving the club.

Rue’s lips drew back in a pleased smile, “Glad to hear it. Now what was this about wanting a picture?” His head tilted the slightest bit as he leaned in a little closer, and I swear I heard one of the women gasp.

‘It’s like watching a porno’s opening.’ I thought, still amused.

They all spoke at once and scrambled to dig out their phones from their tiny purses.

There was a bit of squabbling about who’s phone they would use and who would take the picture, since the one taking the picture would need to be the furthest from Rue to get everyone in the shot.

Rue’s smile stayed in place, and I wondered if he was amused or simply used to this scene happening.

His wings gave a small flutter, and his head turned in my direction.

There had still been a decent bit of distance between my spot and where he’d stopped to talk to the group, so I hadn’t been able to tell what color his eyes were.

Now as they locked with mine, I could see they were a vibrant shade of amber with a thicker black ring around the iris.

I was grateful I hadn’t taken a drink of water just then, as I would have surely choked.

Having his full attention on me was electrifying. ‘No wonder those women were losing their minds just to get a picture.’

Rue lifted his hand and gestured for me to come over.

I didn’t hesitate, or even consider declining. I was out of my seat and walking over to him.

“Hi there, I’m sorry to inconvenience you, but would you mind taking a picture for us?”

Rue’s honey voice dribbled into my ears, and that flush I’d felt before turned into a wave of heat.

The women in the booth immediately latched onto the idea, and implored me to help them out, even offering to buy me my next drink in exchange.

Again, I didn’t even consider turning them…him…down.

“I don’t mind at all. In fact you’ve asked just the right person. I’m a photographer by trade.”

This got me a burst of excited exclamations from the women, and Rue’s smile somehow managed to shift into something just a touch more interested.

Or was that just my imagination?

One of the women offered me her phone, which they’d agreed was the better to use as it had the best camera.

I had Rue sit dead center and had two women sit on each side of him. I took a couple pictures in this arrangement, then asked them to switch so everyone had a chance to be center.

The smiles the women gave me were full of gratitude for giving them each a chance to have that moment. While Rue’s smile remained the same for every single picture.

It was just genuine enough to tell me he didn’t mind being surrounded by beautiful women, but it didn’t quite bring the shine of happiness to his eyes that I could see in the womens’. It was most definitely a rehearsed smile.

When I gave them back the phone and they crunched in close to look at the pictures, they squealed and giggled.

Rue leaned in to get a look and his brows rose, “If that’s the quality you can get with a camera phone, I’d love to see what you can accomplish with a proper camera.”

The women all agreed and asked if I had a social media account, and if I handled weddings and other special events.

Ever prepared for new potential business, I had a couple business cards on hand that I gave out.

To my surprise, Rue snagged one of the cards before I could put the rest away. He read over the information then asked, “I’d hate to take up any more of your time tonight, but could I interest you in a business proposition?”

From the corner of my eye I saw the other women try to cover smiles and eyebrow wiggles.The one that had called Rue over even gave me a subtle thumbs up and mouthed, “Do it for us!”

Who says us ladies can’t offer each other support?

“I was actually going to head home shortly, so I don’t mind at all.”

“Excellent, let’s go talk in my office.” Rue pointed to a door that was behind the bar and labeled ‘STAFF ONLY.’

In any other circumstance, I’d be politely excusing myself from the situation or suggesting a time and place that was more out in the open.

I couldn’t be certain if he was using magical influence, or he was just that charismatic, but my mind and body were completely drawn to this man, and I accepted the invitation.

Following behind him, I was able to get hints of his scent. It was earthy, sweet and floral all blended together with an undertone of something that must be his general musk, and it was making my mouth water.

‘I wonder if he’d taste sweet.’

The moment the thought crossed my mind, his wings gave a particularly strong flutter and he gave me a glance over his shoulder that was undeniably heated.

Everything I knew about the Fae came from my required history lessons in high school, and the odd bit of gossip I caught every now and then. One such thing I vaguely recalled was mention of some Fae being able to sense or know when someone was thinking about them, especially if it was something amorous, as it called to their darker nature.

The heat that had settled along my skin turned into a deep flush of equal parts embarrassment and arousal. As he apparently hadn’t minded the idea.

We passed through the staff entrance, and down a small hallway that led to washrooms and a change room for the staff. At the very end of the hall was an unmarked door.

This was the door that Rue opened and gestured for me to enter.

Stepping over the threshold I got that sense of walking through a layer of Jell-o again. Glancing at the doorframe I didn’t see any runes, and guessed that these were a different kind designed for security.

The inside of the office was much more spacious, with a light wooden desk, black pleather chairs and a couch, and walls that were designed with even more of the honeycomb pattern.

My curiosity overcame my etiquette, and later I would just play it off as drinking too much, “I apologize if this comes across as rude, but I’ve been wondering since I got here. Why the beehive theme?”

“Let’s just say it’s personal preference.” Rue teased as he took a seat at one end of his couch and invited me to join him.

I’d expected him to sit behind his desk in his sleek looking office chair, what with this being a business talk.

My mind noted that the door was still open, and the heat I’d glimpsed in his eyes a minute ago was gone.

I sat at the opposite end of the couch and practically melted into the soft synthetic material. ‘I might just steal this couch.’

When I appeared to be settled Rue went right into it, “First let me properly introduce myself. My name’s Rue, and I’m the owner of this establishment.”

Finally having that suspicion confirmed I replied in kind. I didn’t bother with a nickname or just my last name, as was a common safety practice when dealing with Fae, since he’d already seen my name on my business card.

“As you know, we’ve only been open for the last month. Our numbers have been good, and with the rotation of our designated nights, I can’t see our customers thinning out in the long run.” As Rue spoke of his business, the honeyed layer I’d heard from his voice before was more subdued. He was also using hands and his eyes were shining, making it clear how proud he was of his club.

“An idea I’ve been toying with is creating an Instagram for the club to better spread the brand. We’ll eventually be offering merchandise online, such as branded shot glasses, shirts, and keychains. For the Instagram account I was thinking of sectioning off a part of the upper level for a photo op area.”

Realizing where he was going with this I asked, “And you’re wanting to hire a professional photographer to work the area?”

Rue’s smile broadened, clearly pleased that I’d followed his trail of thought, “It wouldn’t be every night of the week, but at least once or twice a week for each of the designated nights. Guests would be able to take their own photos with their phones, or they could pay a small fee to have a professional take the photo as well as have it posted to the Club’s Instagram page.”

It was a rather brilliant idea, and not one I’d heard of other clubs doing either. Sure it was common practice for people to take selfies and pictures of the clubs and tag the business, which was great for publicity, but if that person was placed in the club’s feed, it was just as good as the old fashioned Wall of Fame restaurants tended to do.

“That’s a rather smart approach, and as someone that knows the field, I’m sure any photographer that deals with people would jump at the chance to have reliable income.” I deliberately phrased my words this way so it would open the conversation to a proper offer.

The man had only seen a couple pictures taken on a camera phone, he couldn’t possibly want to hire me for such a coveted position based on that.

Rue’s emotions were apparent as he went through confusion then amusement, “I was rather hoping you would be the photographer to jump at the position.”

“I’d be more than happy to take the job, but are you sure you’re wanting to hire me for it? You’ve only seen one picture from a camera phone. I’d be more convinced if you’d gone through my portfolio first.”

Was I fishing for compliments? Maybe just a little. It wasn’t every day a gorgeous man offered a golden work ticket to someone they’d just met 10 minutes ago.

And there was still that heated glance he’d given me earlier.

Some kind of magic had to be at play, as Rue’s eyes warmed, making the vibrant amber change to the color of liquid honey and his voice returned to that deeper, smooth tone, “I could tell from that picture how good your technique is, and I could tell from how you interacted with those women that you’re goal is always to give the customer the best memory captured in the moment. Am I wrong?”

I was so entranced by his voice, I didn’t notice when he’d shifted closer. The space left between our bodies suddenly felt charged, and heat returned to my skin.

“That’s…pretty accurate.” I was having a hard time getting my brain to think of words, as it was more focused on his eyes, and the more potent presence of his scent. I gently cleared my throat, “You’re deceivingly perceptive, you know that?”

Rue laughed, and the sound of it had my heart squeeze in giddiness.

“It's an effective bonus to my magic. Which reminds me…”

It was as if I’d blinked, and the distance between us was gone.

One of his arms was draped over my shoulders, and his other hand held my chin, allowing him to brush the edge of his thumbnail along my bottom lip.

My breathing stuttered and my brain practically flatlined as it tried to process what had just happened.

“...Just what were you thinking about earlier, my flower?”

Even if I had the ability to control my blush, I doubt I would have been able to do so now. It burned along my cheeks, chest and neck, and where he touched me felt as though my skin was going to burst into flames.

He’d just been offering me a job, and now he was trying to make me admit I’d been having inappropriate thoughts about him.

“I…um…don’t think I should say, since you’re going to be my boss.”

There was a shift in the air around him as his smile edged into the smirk of a cat that was about to eat the canary, and to my awe I saw the black edge of his iris spread out thin lines across the white of his eyes that interconnected into a honeycomb design.

It was a startling and enthralling sight.

Rue must have seen my eyes widen, and his gaze lowered to my lips which had parted to release a small gasp. He seemed to give me a moment to react, as if he were expecting me to try and pull away. When I didn’t do any such thing he inched a little closer, “You’re not my employee just yet, and I think you’ll find the work environment rather lax in that regard.”

The hand that held my chin grazed up along my jaw to cup my cheek, a means to keep me in place and make room for his lips as they came down to meet mine.

The moment his lips captured mine, I heard the door swing closed, and every inhibition I had about this behavior left me.

There was no easing into things.

Our kiss was frenzied, as were our hands as our fingers searched and tore at the fastenings of our clothes.

I vaguely felt the clasp of my dress scrape across my scalp as he pulled it over my head, my own hands popped two of his shirt buttons off in my rush to tear it off him.

Lust allowed me to take a moment to scan my eyes over his chest, and every inch of it looked delicious. Particularly the golden hair that started below his belly button and descended beneath the waist of his slacks.

Desperation and curiosity joined forces and propelled me to taste him.

My mouth trailed kisses from his lips down to his throat, nipping and biting as I went, continuing further down to swipe my tongue over one of his nipples. I felt and heard Rue’s groan, encouraging me to do it again before continuing down.

I moved off the couch and Rue eased himself back, our physical connection never breaking. I wouldn’t let it, my hands or lips needed to keep contact with him. The tang of his skin had the slightest hint of sweetness to it, and that sweetness was the most addicting thing I’d ever tasted.

When my lips reached his treasure trail his hands made quick work of removing his pants. His cock sprang free, and my urgency doubled.

I dragged my nails down his hips as my teeth nipped his skin down to the base of his cock. Rue’s whole body shuddered as he let out another groan. His hands went to my hair to tug on the strands and urge me closer in unspoken encouragement.

Not that I needed any, as I was more than eager to drag my tongue along his cock’s length, giving it a rough flick along the small vein just below the head. Rue hissed a word that wasn’t in English and his grip on my hair briefly tightened.

A bead of precum was already waiting for me along his slit, and I swiped it off with my tongue. I hummed in delight as my taste buds found this to be the strongest hit of sweetness yet. My mouth watered just imagining what his cum must taste like.

My self control held on just enough to make sure I eased him into my mouth, and sucked him in a bit at a time in order to allow my throat to adjust to his girth sliding down. His hands held my head in place and his hips began to snap forward, “My beautiful flower…fuuuuuck your mouth feels so good…so good for me, my flower…”

Over and over his honeyed voice praised me and cursed as he chased his pleasure through the use of my mouth and throat. I’d never been skull fucked before, and in this moment it was the hottest thing I’d ever experienced. I could feel my panties soaking through and the desperation for my own pleasure built to a point that I began to whimper and moan.

“Yes, yes, yeeesss my flower.” Rue’s voice rasped and his hips gave a sharp thrust forward, nearly causing me to gag. He held me in place and I felt the base of his cock engorge forcing my mouth to ease back. There was a strong twitch and a gush of warm, thick liquid surged along my tongue and down my throat.

As I’d hoped, his cum tasted of pure honey with a salted undertone. I swallowed and sucked him dry for every drop.

Rue had to gently force me off his cock, which I did with a pitiful whimper. Lightly coughing and panting hard I moaned, “More…Need more, tastes so good.”

“You’ll have more my beautiful flower, but not until I’ve had my fill of you first.” Rue cooed to me as he pulled me off the floor.

In a daze of pent up need, and still tasting hints of his cum on my tongue, I didn’t even register his fingers pulling off my bra and panties until his mouth latched to my nipple and his long slender fingers stroked between my folds.

I was so sensitive, that touch had me quivering and nearly collapsing to the floor.

He tugged me forward, making me straddle his hips. I arched against his mouth as my hips twitched and thrust against his fingers.

He curled one of them along the edge of my entrance, and I nearly wept in frustration when he didn’t push it in.

Drawing his hand up he showed me the coating of slick that covered his fingers, “Look at this delicious nectar.” He marveled before putting the fingers in his mouth. His honeycombed eyes remained locked with mine as his tongue extended past his lips, showing me that it had changed as well.

It was much longer and more narrow, the edges curled upwards forming a tube that wasn’t completely closed. It twisted and curled between his fingers to lap up every last drop of the slick, all the while a deep, vibrating hum of pleasure came from his chest.

Somehow I could feel that vibration against my core, stimulating me further and with no friction I felt my inner walls clench almost in pain. My hands clutched into his shoulders as I begged, “Rue…Rue please…I need it…Please, please.”

His tongue drew back into his mouth as he smiled in a way that my mind should have registered as wrong. Instead the heavy haze of lust distorted it into a good sign.

Reaching down Rue took hold of his still engorged cock, and ran his head between my folds, “My beautiful flower begs so prettily, of course I’ll give her what she needs.” He pressed the tip just at the edge of my entrance, then drew back his hand so he could take hold of my hips with both.

Without any warning, he shoved me down onto him, and at the same time he thrust up as hard as he could.

Where pain should have been, only overwhelming pleasure blanketed my mind. My climax was so brutal I wasn’t sure I even made a noise, as my lungs couldn’t seem to let out the air.

As soon as the pleasure began to ebb back, my lungs let out a keening moan and an assortment of curses and praises. Rue chuckled, kissing and nipping at my throat and breasts as he began to thrust into me.

My first climax had barely receded as I felt the next beginning to creep up, “Rue…oh Gods…don’t stop…Don’t stop!”

Rue’s only response was to use my hips to move me in rhythm with his thrusts. I didn’t resist or attempt to help other than to keep myself upright. I let him use me as he wanted, as which brutal thrust granted me another surge of pleasure.

I felt my second climax fast approaching, and Rue sensed it as well. He must have, as he did just as I’d asked him not to, and he stopped!

Freezing in place with me lifted off him, his tip barely piercing into me, I whined, “No! No no! Please, was so close!”

Rue’s eyes bore into me as he leaned in close and placed a feather light kiss against my throat, “Does my flower want more? Does she want me to fill her with my seed?” His voice was just as light as his kisses.

My nails scratched along his shoulders, as I felt my climax and the high of my pleasure begin to recede, I was so tightly strung and ready to release I felt as though my skin would break open, “Yes, Gods yes I want that.”

“Does my flower promise…” He kissed the underside of my jaw, “To come work for me…” then the middle of my throat, “and to join my garden?” His lips grazed over the juncture of my throat and shoulder as he whispered this.

Had I been in my right mind, had I not been intoxicated by the effect of his magic (something I came to learn later on) I would have realized the trap and immediately ended things.

But I wasn’t in my right mind, and all I could think of was how it would feel to have him cum inside me.

“Yes,I promise! Please, please just fuck me!”

“Such a good flower for me.”

His grip on my hips clenched, and his cock thrust into me harder and faster than before.

My climax crashed through me harder than the first, leaving me breathless and barely staying up right.

“So good, so so so good for me.” Rue didn’t stop thrusting, not even as the base of his cock became engorged. I felt it press my walls open even further, sending an extra thrill of pleasure into the mix that was consuming my mind.

With a single hard thrust he sent his cock in as deep as it could go just as he began to cum.

My body shuddered from the inside out, as though it were enjoying the sweetness that his body could produce without the use of my stomach.

As the high began to calm, and I was left with the body strength of a cooked noodle, Rue eased me off his softening cock and laid me down on the couch.

The haze lifted from my mind as my breathing slowly came under control, and I gradually realized what I’d done.

Horrified by my wanton actions, as well as his encouragement and influence of it, I tried to muster a glare in his direction.

Rue gently tsked as his hands gently slid along my legs, “Now now, there’ll be plenty of time to be upset later. I still need to get my fill of you before you sleep.”

I was so weak, I didn’t have any strength to resist when he pushed my legs back open and hooked one of them over his shoulder.

Realizing what he wanted I feebly protested, which he ignored and leaned in towards my now saturated and sensitive cunt. I could feel some of his cum already leaking out, which was what he darted for first.

His tongue flicked out, the tip which was somewhat split lapped at the fluids.

From this position I watched his wings stand erect and vibrate, creating a low buzz that accompanied the pleased hum from his chest.

“Just as I hoped, your nectar tastes even better this way.” He sounded entranced, his words were spoken in such a reverent way.

His tongue continued to lap at the moisture along my skin, flicking out and sucking in the droplets into his mouth. Pressing in closer it slid into my entrance, and despite its narrow shape, my walls still registered the intrusion.

Flickers of pleasure played in my mind, and if not for the sensation of warmth being drawn out of me, I would have given into it.

He was sucking his cum and my slick out of me, drinking it up through his tongue.

I had no words to express the shock and terror this was instilling in me. I had no strength to push him back and make him stop.

More concerning, was the lack of will I had to even try either.

Rue had made me promise to be “part of his garden” and I was getting a terrible idea of just what that meant.

FIN.

#modern fantasy #Regalia City #one shot #monster lover #monster lover story #fae x human #female reader #N-S-F-W #S-M-U-T

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