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#god bless the early moderns
tanadrin · 3 months
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gosh, the whole idea of taxonomic rank was terrible, wasn't it? just doesn't work at all.
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heya, i have to wake up in three hours but! here's another lil human au snippet! ft. lightly implied Laughingstock! disclaimer i am so so tired so don't come at me for typos or strangely worded sentences or missing info <3
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Before heading home, Eddie swings by a charming little store he’s been to once or twice before. He usually goes to the chain store by his house, but he doesn’t feel like dealing with the hustle and bustle and the endless aisles. This little store is quiet, nice, and strangely has everything anyone could need. 
The lot is mostly empty at this hour, so Eddie claims a spot right at the front. As with the other times, the windows are littered with displays and stickers - half off on this, sale on that. Eddie enters Howdy’s Place with the chime of the door’s shopkeeper’s bell. He’ll get what he needs and get out, quick and easy and peacefu-
Boisterous laughter slams into Eddie like a hammer, so sudden that he jumps in place. An employee stocking cans nearby glances weirdly at him. Eddie clears his throat and hurries into the nearest aisle as the laughter tapers off. The silence barely lasts a second before loud chatter starts up. It’s too fast and muffled for Eddie to understand, but he can pick out two distinct voices - one deep, one less so but still decidedly masculine. 
Eddie tries to tune it out as he gathers what he needs. Toothpaste, some paper towels, shampoo. For the hell of it, he nabs a box of classic bran muffins from the spacious food section. He lingers for a moment, enjoying how far-away the conversation seems at the other corner of the store. Unfortunately, theft is illegal, so Eddie is forced to move towards the noise.
A strange thing about the store - it’s a combination general store, antique shop, and diner, complete with a miniature gift shop separating the two. One long checkout counter stretches from the open store area, behind the gift shop, and into the diner, where the conversation is coming from. An interesting setup, but an understandable one. It allows anyone behind the counter to move fluidly between customers and sections.
As Eddie approaches, the conversation becomes slightly clearer. 
“-said, no wonder you didn’t get her number!” the deeper voice barks, and the two dissolve into that almost-too-loud laughter again. 
As it tapers off, the other voice says, “Sounds like a real charmer! But really, you oughta be careful, Barn. One of these days someone’s gonna throw a right hook at ya.”
Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up. A transatlantic accent? He hasn’t heard that anywhere outside of real old movies and a queen he once knew. It sounds natural too, like the man was born to sound like he belongs on a 1920s radio show. It nudges something in the back of Eddie’s mind. He’s started to get really sick of that nudge.
“Oh, this guy did.”
“No kidding? I don’t see a shiner.”
“Well, yeah. I went left.”
Both of them laugh again, and Eddie feels a tiny tug at the corner of his mouth. That wasn’t funny enough to garner an actual laugh in his opinion, but it wasn’t unfunny. 
Eddie steps up to the counter and quietly puts his acquired items on it, not wanting to interrupt. He chances a glance to the side - walking space in front of the counter’s length lets him see right down into the diner.
A large man with dyed-blue hair and an interesting fashion sense is at the bar, talking to an employee leaning against the other side. The employee doesn’t really catch Eddie’s gaze, but the other man… Eddie swears he’s seen him before. He studies him from the corner of his eye, not wanting to be rude but unable to mind his business. 
“Our bouncer didn’t even get a chance at the action - the idiot knocked himself out tryin’ a second swing!” The customer says. His deep voice, wavering with humor, only adds to the sense of familiarity. Metal glints in his right ear. Eddie knows this man from somewhere.
The employee shakes his head, tutting. His busy hands polish a vintage pitcher. “I swear, you get all the crazies.”
“Makes for a good story, though.” The customer takes a sip from his tall milkshake and scoffs. “Though if it wasn’t all well-ending, amusing bull, I doubt I’d be so tolerant.”
Minutes drag by as the two keep talking. Eddie goes from patiently waiting to awkwardly trying to get the employees attention. If only there was someone else behind the counter, but the only other staff member is elsewhere, likely still stocking shelves. 
The two men are too absorbed in their little world, even though both are facing Eddie’s way. The customer has both elbows on the counter, one of them bent to prop up his chin. The employee has his hip leaned against the edge as they chat. They’re obviously very familiar with each other, and clearly deeply enjoy each other's company. 
Still - and Eddie is sorry to say, but it’s bad customer service. He’s not in a rush, but he’d still like to be on his way home. He could be fishing out the complex keys right now. He checks his phone - he’s been here for nearly fifteen minutes. Picking out the items took less than five. 
Eddie sighs, staring at the various cigarette packs displayed behind the counter. He’s never seen the appeal in smoking, but as the laughter starts up again, he almost wishes he did. He’s going to treat himself to a very long shower once he gets home. 
The store’s other employee walks behind the counter, carrying a box. Eddie lights up. Finally - she pointedly clears her throat and heads into the back. 
The constant conversation stalls for the barest moment, and he looks over. The customer grins at him for a second - lord he’s handsome - before turning that grin towards his friend.
“You’re losin’ your touch, Howds,” he teases, bringing his shake straw to his lips.
“I resent that statement. You’re just distracting.”
“Lil’ me? Distracting? C’mon, you can just tell me I’m pretty to my face. I’ll take it like a champ, I swear!”
“Ha, good try.” The employee sets the pitcher down and starts to mosey in Eddie’s direction. “Your ego is big enough for the both of us as is. One more compliment and your head’ll pop like a balloon.”
“Well, given that most balloons don’t really pop, they just kinda deflate slowly-”
“Sorry for the wait!” the employee says loudly in a glaringly obvious customer service tone. He stops in front of Eddie with a cardboard smile. At the other end of the counter, the familiar man snickers and hides his grin behind his drink. “I trust you found everything you did - and didn’t! - need.”
Eddie just stares up at him for a moment. At six-one, Eddie hasn’t felt small in a very long time. He usually stands at least a full inch above other people. This employee - Howdy, his name tag states - has several more on him.
“Uh, y-yes, I uh, I did,” Eddie stammers, glancing at his items. 
“Wonderful! And again, my sincerest apologies for the delay. My friend makes a game out of keeping me from my job.” Howdy shoots his ‘friend’ a glare with enough heat in it to make an ice cube sweat. 
“No worries.”
Howdy scans the items at an almost frightening speed. Beep, into a paper bag. Beep, in. Beep, beep - “Oh, no.”
“What?” Eddie says, dread plucking at his ribs as Howdy holds the bran muffins and shakes his head. “Is there somethin’ wrong?”
“Indeed there is! You’re making a mistake with these. They’re absolutely horrible, I tell ya - and bad for you, too!” Howdy tuts and puts the box to the side. “No, no, you don’t want those.”
“I… don’t?”
“Not if you knew better! Lucky for you, I’m here to set you straight. What you need is-” he snaps his fingers, “Barnaby, be a pal and-”
“Already on it,” ‘Barnaby’ says, appearing next to Eddie.
If Eddie weren’t already paralyzed, he’d jump right out of his skin from how Barnaby towers over him. He has to be a scant inch or so shorter than Howdy, but he still makes Eddie feel tiny. Unfortunately, Barnaby is even more handsome up close. 
“Here ya go.” Barnaby hands a plastic container to Howdy and taps it, smiling lazily down at Eddie. “I’d take his advice on this one. Those bran-named muffins may sound fancy, but they’re pretty crumby! You want muffins of quality. Real breadwinners!
Eddie can’t help a soft laugh. “Breadwinners, heh, that’s a good one.”
“Are you selling these or am I?” Howdy says, raising a bushy eyebrow. 
“Hey, I’m just doin’ what you asked! I’m bein’ a pal.”
“And I - I’m sorry," Eddie interjects, "but you’re awfully familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”
“Eh, I’ve been around, but uh… you ever been to [INSERT GAY BAR NAME HERE]?”
Howdy clears his throat. “I’m trying to make a sale here, Barn. You can flirt on your own dime when you’re not costing me mine.”
“Didja know your nose gets redder when you’re jealous?”
Howdy rolls his eyes and shoves Barnaby in the diner’s direction. Barnaby goes with a hearty snicker. Despite the joke, Eddie thinks it has some merit as Howdy scans the final item and rings him up, considerably frostier than before.
Belatedly, Eddie realizes that he didn’t actually agree to the different muffins. Too late now. “Say, what kind of muffins are those?”
“Poppyseed-lemon.”
Eddie relaxes - that is a lot better than boring bran. “Y’know, my mother loved poppyseed-lemon muffins.”
“Did she now,” Howdy drawls.
“Like you wouldn’t believe! If baking was so much as mentioned, she’d jump right on houndin’ us to whip some up for her, or send us to go buy some. We’d never even get a taste! They’d be gone the moment they hit the air, I tell ya.” Eddie chuckles. “Took me a while to understand what all the fuss is about, but man was she right. They are good!”
“Uh-huh. Well, we have a fresh batch delivered every morning. They’re not the same type every time, mind you, but I can promise that they’re all of the highest quality.”
“Breadwinners, right?” Eddie jokes. Howdy doesn’t blink, but Barnaby snorts. He’ll take it. “I might have to come by more often, if that’s the case! Thank you kindly, sir.”
“Mhm, have a good day.” Howdy hands him the bag and strides away without a glance. The dismissal is clear as day. “Say, Barn, did you hear about the racket one of those cult crackpots stirred up at our dear friend’s tearoom?”
Eddie doesn’t catch the tail-end of the sentence as he hurries away, but he frowns. Cult? What cult? There’s a cult? He certainly didn’t hear of one before moving here, and none of his background checks had turned up anything of the sort. He hopes it was just a figure of speech. 
The door chimes again as Eddie leaves. It isn’t until he’s in his car that the embarrassment of that whole exchange catches up with him. If he had a nickel for every time he’d made a fool of himself in front of a gorgeous, strangely familiar man, he’d have three nickels. At the rate he’s going, he’ll either be rich, or he’ll have to move. 
Eddie subtly tries to peek around the store’s window displays from the safety of his car. He catches a scant glimpse of blue hair - come to think of it, it’s a similar shade to Wally’s. But where Wally’s had, to Eddie’s memory, been uniformly dyed right down to his eyebrows, Barnaby’s rich brown roots were obvious. His beard and eyebrows weren’t dyed, either. 
As Eddie relaxes back into his seat, he re-reads at the store’s name. The color drains from his face and he barely restrains himself from slamming his forehead against the steering wheel.
Oh, of course. Of course he made a fool of himself in front of the owner. Eddie can never come back here again. And it was such a nice store…
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lezbianz · 22 days
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i have a latin final tomorrow but i’m literally dropping the class to learn german so it feels so useless 😭😭😭
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alastors-wife · 1 year
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jesus christ
#at this point im ready to flat out beg for surgery#if ur on the max (safe) dose of multiple medications for the same condition... yea i give up pls just cut me open and get it over with#because this shit is NOT helping enough and its so dangerous#i mean. i rly dont *want* to have to get surgery because that fucking blows but id rather not risk death#jesus. count ur blessings if ur not disabled. holy fuck#its too early in the god damn morning#(will possibly delete later im just complaining about shitty health stuff rq)#not to mention i am UNBELIEVABLY jealous of the folks who got surgery for this and it was successful#and that part of their lives kinda went back to normal for the most part#or they were at least able to drastically decrease the dose of their meds#cant say im fond of being on a gigantic dose of multiple medications at 25 tis not a pleasant experience#and god only knows what these sketchy ass meds are doing to my body#i would prefer to not be one of the poor bastards that finds out that 20 yrs later their meds is what gave them kidney failure#or some crazy shit like that#modern medicine is great but i got trust issues way too much of this shit is so dangerous 😭#and the vast majority of my experiences with ''holistic'' treatment was PURE ass it did absolutely nothing. or it just made it worse#why are we still in the dark ages bro#i will say this is definitely one of those times im grateful im pretty chill about most medical stuff and don't really get scared of much#except for covid tests those big ass swabs scare me. but blood tests? dental work? MRIs?? certain surgeries? idc man go crazy#if u know what ur doing and its gonna help idc what u do. give me painkillers and treat me well and im happy
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thekinslayed · 30 days
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Give You My Lovin’
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summary | It takes little effort for your boyfriend, Aemond, to drive you insane.
pairing | modern aemond targaryen x girlfriend!reader
tags | 18+, MINORS DNI! unprotected sex, blowjob, naughty thoughts, aemond is So Fucking Hot, attempt at drunk sex, alcohol intoxication, spit kink, daddy kink, unexpectedly fluffy at the end!
wordcount | 3.3k
note | a little something to start your week! i need modern aemond astronomically bad. in ways concerning to feminism.
song rec | Give You My Lovin - Mazzy Star
likes, comments, reblogs are much appreciated! i am open for fic requests <3
(divider by @saradika-graphics)
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When you first started dating your boyfriend, Aemond, you had never felt so greedy for someone the way you did for him. You just couldn't get enough of him– his hair, scent, innate confidence, and that face, gods, that was a face you would certainly go to war for. You were insatiable, and so was he. Many dates had been cut short because both your hands started wandering a little too much, or a look from him would immediately have your skin on fire and end up with you pulling him out the door to rush home. 
And after 3 years of dating, it was safe to say this man still had you feral from every little thing he did, even without the intention of doing so. 
It was early, too early even, to be feeling this way. You both had just woken up in your shared apartment, having a slow morning on your day off. With having lived together for more than a year now, you and Aemond had established your respective routines at home. At this time, both of you should have been out on a morning run, but your activities from last night left a terrible ache in your thighs which had you both staying in that morning. You were still in bed, leaning on the headboard, watching Aemond do pull-ups on the bar by the doorframe. He was only clad in his plaid pajama bottoms, and his back was turned to you, giving you a perfect view of the way his back muscles rippled with every movement. Your eyes watched as the veins on his forearms bulged every time he lifted himself. His arm muscles were well-defined and toned, waist trim, and shoulders wide. Years of calisthenics blessed your boyfriend with a lean, lithe form. He was tall, the tallest in his family, blessed with long legs and a model-like figure. There have been countless moments where girls would come up to your boyfriend in hopes of charming him, but sweet, faithful Aemond only had eyes for his girl.
He puffed out a breath of air with every rep, and droplets of sweat started to run down his back from the sheer exertion. You had lost track of how long he had been doing this, but you weren’t complaining. As he dropped back to his feet, he rolled his shoulders back, letting out a groan. The sound alone went straight to your core, which had been throbbing restlessly while watching him work out. He turned around to face you, and you bit your lip at the sight of his bare chest, sprinkled with light hair. His abs were incredibly well-defined, and you resisted the urge to run your finger down the bumps of defined muscle on his abdomen. How the hell does one even get an eight-pack? 
“Baby?”
“Hm?” You hummed, snapping out your trance. The corner of Aemond’s thin lips quirked up when he caught you shamelessly staring at him, and his eye didn’t miss the way you subtly rubbed your thighs together underneath the blankets.
“Did you hear what I said?” he asked amusedly, raising an eyebrow at you. 
“Mm… no,” you said sheepishly. Aemond chuckled, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed by your side.
You could smell the sweat off his skin, the heat radiating from his flesh warmed you through the blankets. Your cheeks blushed as you caught the sight of a lone droplet of sweat on the tip of his aquiline nose, right on the cleft. His hand rubbed the side of your thighs, sending a spark that ran up your spine. All of your sense were gone as your blood rushed to your cunt, rendering your mind cloudy aside from the fact of how much you want to fuck.
Shit, were you ovulating?
“Y’alright?” He asked, his good eye studying your face.
“Mhm,” you merely nodded, not trusting your own voice to form words at that moment. He smirked, knowing full well the kind of thoughts running through your head. Aemond leaned his face closer to yours, a mischievous glint in his eye.
“Really? ‘Cos you got a little drool here,” He teased you, playfully wiping the corner of your mouth. You slapped his hand away, rolling your eyes as he bellowed out a laugh, though you couldn’t resist the way your lips tugged into a smile. You furrowed your eyebrows to feign anger, grasping his wrist to pull him on top of you.
“Enough of that, come here!”
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It was half past 1 a.m. when Aemond opened the front door to the sight of you, drunkenly leaning on your friend who struggled to keep you on your feet. You had been out for girls’ night, and your boyfriend had patiently waited for you at home while you were out. He took you into his arms, thanking your best friend for safely taking you home, before shutting the door behind you both. 
“Aem,” You mumbled, wrapping your arms around his neck. Through your drunken haze, you feel a kiss planted on your hair, smoothing out the strands that had gotten messed up.
“Hi, baby,” Aemond greeted you, rubbing the exposed flesh on your waist. “Did you have a good time?”
You hummed as you nodded, leaning on the wall while Aemond bent down to take off your shoes. You had a fun night with your girls, perhaps a little too fun. The lightweight that you were, it only took you a couple of cocktails to have you warm and loose. Though sometime through the night you had started to miss your boyfriend, the fuzzy feeling from the alcohol going straight to your core as you thought about what he was up to.
Aemond guided you through your home with a hand on your waist, slowly taking steps forward while you leaned your weight on him. As you reached the living room, you turned your body towards him, wrapping both arms around his torso, and looking up at him with your chin on his chest. 
You let out a deep affectionate sigh as you stared at him through dizzy, blurry eyes. He was wearing his glasses, having been busy reading while he waited for you to come home. The thin frames sat on his perfect nose, the sight sending a warm flutter across your chest. How he made glasses look so fucking hot, you had no idea.
“I missed you,” You confessed, rubbing a hand on his chest. Aemond smiled at your words, leaning down to plant another kiss on your forehead.
“I missed you too, darling. Let’s get you to bed, yeah?” he suggested, though you only whined and planted your feet on the floor.
“I need you, Aem,” You said, gripping on his bicep. Your nipples were hard against the thin fabric of your top, poking at Aemond’s chest as you pressed yourself against him. Your boyfriend only sighed, shaking his head slightly as he knew what you were up to. Truth be told, you were always needy for him. Your heart thumped heavily with yearning for his touch, his warmth, and that only amplified when you weren’t sober.
“No, baby, you know we can’t,” Aemond refused. It went against every fiber of his morality-driven being to take pleasure from you while you were intoxicated. His mother would be horrified if he did, reprimanding him that you were a woman, and every woman must be respected as she was the image of the Mother. 
But gods, you were irresistible when you were needy. 
You stomped your foot childishly at his refusal, grabbing his hand to guide it up your skirt. Your grip was surprisingly strong despite your intoxicated state, forcing his fingers past your panties where your cunt dripped with arousal, just for him.
“Please, Daddy, I need you so bad,” You cried out, hiding your face in his neck. Aemond could feel his resolve faltering as his cock jumped from how your slick coated his fingertips. He gulped, pulling his hand away from your core and wiping it away.
His large hands cupped your face, prompting you to look at him. Aemond’s heart twinged at the frown on your pink lips, your cheeks still adorably flushed from the liquor you had consumed. 
“It wouldn’t be right, with you drunk while I’m sober.” He explained, rubbing at your jaw affectionately. Some hair fell into your face, and his fingers tucked them behind your ear.
“I’m not drunk!”
“Okay, alright,” A chuckle fell from Aemond’s lips at your protest, before planting a kiss on your nose. “How about tomorrow, hm? I’ll spend the entire morning making it up to you if you still feel up for it.” A defeated sigh left your lips, accepting you won’t be able to convince him tonight. 
Damn you, Alicent, for raising such a perfect son.
You let Aemond guide you to the bathroom, where he helped you change into your pajamas before cleaning your face. He knew how much you would regret it if you went to be with a dirty face, so he clipped away your hair before removing your makeup himself. He held your hair back in one hand as you washed your face, a towel ready in the other. Your boyfriend patted your face dry and then applied your skincare products. The liquid felt cool against your flushed skin, your eyes comfortably closing as you let him take care of you.
The cold water on your face had helped you sober up a bit, and as you opened your eyes, the sight of Aemond’s concentrated face greeted you. The man took everything in his life quite seriously, even something so mundane as helping his darling girl clean her face after a drunken night out. You huffed out a chuckle, prompting him to meet your eyes.
“What’s funny?” he asked, but only getting a shake of the head as a response from you. Your hand grabbed his wrist, stopping his hand’s ministrations. You leaned forward to capture his lips in a sweet kiss.
“Baby,” Aemond tsked, pulling away from you. His good eye met yours, which shined with affection for him. His heart fluttered at the beauty that stood before him, giving you a small smile in return to your shy one. 
You were guided to your shared bedroom after brushing your teeth, sinking into the soft mattress as your exhaustion caught up to you. In the darkness of your home, your tired body turned to snuggle into Aemond’s arms. You let out a content sigh, whispering ‘I love you’ into your beloved’s skin.
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The sound of Aemond’s breathless moans filled the room as they fell freely from his lips. He was sitting on the couch, boxers dropped to his ankles as your head bobbed up and down his length. Your hair was gripped tight into a ponytail in one hand while the other gripped the armrest of the couch tightly. The movie on your television was completely forgotten, only serving as background noise while you sucked your boyfriend’s cock. It drowned out the wet slick sounds coming from your mouth as Aemond continued to thrust his hips up, chasing his release. 
He cursed under his breath when your hand came up to fondle his balls, throwing his head back as you hurled him closer to his precipice. Before the knot in his stomach could snap, he pulled you away from his cock, hurling you up from your knees and onto the couch.
Aemond pulled off your shorts and panties in one go, before turning you around to drape your upper body on the arm of the couch. You could only gasp when he entered you in one swift motion. His hips pounded into you mercilessly, giving you no time to catch your breath as you moaned. Your eyes rolled back into your skull as his cockhead bullied your sweet spot deliciously.
“Aemond,” You wailed, his name falling from your lips like a prayer. The sound of skin slamming onto each other overlapped with the movie soundtrack as the credits started to roll, though both of you still paid it no mind. 
Aemond let out a groan, dropping his head to rest on your shoulder. Your cunt throbbed as you heard him pant and grunt in your ear. His hands clutched your hips with a grip that was sure to leave marks, while his pace was still relentless, never faltering.
“Ha, so fucking tight. Perhaps I should fuck this pussy more, hm? Give it more attention?” He grunted in your ear. You whimpered at his words, walls clenching in excitement at the thought. “Yeah? You like that, baby?”
“Fu- yes, Daddy,” You whined shamelessly. Aemond let out a dark chuckle, planting a kiss on your temple before sitting back on his haunches. He pulled out his cock to manhandle you onto your back, before thrusting into you again to continue fucking you into release. Your leg draped over the back of the couch while the other was gripped tightly in Aemond’s hand. You lowered your hand to rub circles into your clit, but your boyfriend slapped it away to rub it himself. His thumb drew fast, hard circles onto your pearl, making your toes clench as it tightened the coil in your belly. You were so close, and Aemond could feel it with the way your walls spasmodically tightened around his cock. 
You could feel your climax threaten to wash you over, and as your moans only grew louder in pitch, Aemond’s hips thrust into you harder and harder. A chorus of ‘uh, uh, uh’s helplessly fell from your lips as you felt yourself being sunken deeper into the plush couch. 
A hand came up to the armrest above your head to ground yourself when Aemond took both of your thighs and pressed them against your chest. Your tailbone lifted into the air as your body folded in half like a doll. Aemond watched your eyebrows furrow and your jaw fall open, before clutching your cheeks to spit into your mouth. He gave you a praising pat when you swallowed, and continuing to rub your clit once more. His good eye stayed on yours which had grown dazed as you lost yourself in the throes of your pleasure.
As his hips continued to thrust into you in tandem with the circles he drew on your pearl, your thighs began to shake when you felt the beginning of your release. You let out a long whine, clutching onto Aemond’s bicep as you spilled around his cock. The man above you groaned as your walls squeezed his length, prompting his release. Curses continued to fall from his lips as your spasming walls milked him dry. 
You felt boneless as you caught your breath after your climax. The weight of Aemond’s body was a welcome comfort as he collapsed on top of you, equally as breathless. His softening cock remained in your pussy which had only begun to slowly stop its spasms. The combination of your juices dripped around his cock, running down your slit and onto the couch. You reminded yourself to clean your mess later, but with Aemond still lying on top of you, you remained motionless as you basked in the afterglow of your lovemaking.
The glare of the television was still bright against your closed eyelids, which had redirected to the menu after long minutes of inactivity. You opened your eyes to the blinking reminder,
'Still watching?'
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The sun shone brightly as you lounged by the courtyard in the Targaryen mansion. You and Aemond had visited for the weekly brunch organized by his mother as a chance to see her children. You loved driving up to their family home, relishing in the chance to get away from the bustling city for a moment in the quiet farmland the historic manor sat upon. Beside you, was Helaena, who indulged you with the latest gossip at the veterinary hospital she worked at.
“People saw them leave together for their break, and they were gone for more than an hour!” She exclaimed, wildly waving her martini glass around. Despite your interest in the juicy details Helaena divulged, you could only half listen to her words as you mindlessly sipped on your martini. Your focus was on a sight by the grass, where your boyfriend played with his nephews and niece. He let the children roughhouse him, rolling around in the grass as they climbed up on top of him. Aemond had always had a sweet spot for his sister’s children, while his own heart longed for babes of his own. Your heart warmed as gleeful laughter and shrieks echoed through the air, chuckling as you watched the tall silver-haired man fall helplessly to the children’s mercy. You hadn’t even noticed when Helaena stopped talking, your good friend only watching the lovestruck look on your face as your attention was fully on Aemond.
“Have you guys talked about it yet?” She asked. You tore your gaze away from the grass, turning to the woman beside you.
“About what?” you responded, clueless as to what she was referring to.
“Y’know, having kids, getting married,” she indicated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. You blushed at her words, downing the cocktail in your hand before fidgeting with the stem of the glass.
“Uh, a little bit? I-I mean I want to have kids with him for sure, but… I don’t know if we’re ready yet,” You stammered, flustered with her abrupt question. Your gaze returned to your boyfriend, who had now risen to his feet, carrying all three children. Jaehaerys and Maelor clung to his legs, while Jaehaera was carried on his back. They all squealed in delight as Aemond trudged through the grass, slow and careful to not drop them. Your heart warmed at the sight, mind helplessly wandering to the thought of him being a father to your own kids. He’d expressed his want for children, often in the form of whispering his intent to breed you and leave you full of his seed during sex. But those are uttered in the heat of the moment.
Still, you can’t help but yearn for the moment when you would finally vow to be his forever and to have a family of your own.
Aemond managed to walk back to where his brothers stood without any of the children falling off. Upon seeing Aegon crouched with open arms, the boys let go of their uncle’s legs to run to him. The elder Targaryen managed to catch both boys, carrying them in his arms with no complaint. He turned to his younger brother, who shifted sweet Jaehaera from his back.
“Your girl looks like she could eat you any second, brother,” Aegon commented, eyes flickering to where you lounged with Helaena. Daeron snickered, covering his lips with the bottle of beer he held when Aemond shot him a look.
“You can’t say that in front of the kids, Aegon,” Aemond reprimanded. The children paid the adults no mind, having asked to be put down again to run off and play in their little playground. 
“Y’know Mum’s asking for more grandkids? Said she wasn’t getting any younger,” Daeron said, wiggling his eyebrows at his older brother. Despite his mother’s young age, Alicent loved being a grandmother and was constantly dreaming for more grandchildren, often directing the request to her favorite son every time she brought it up. She absolutely adored you and has been treating you as her own daughter since early into your and Aemond’s relationship. 
“Yeah I know, I’m working on it,” Aemond sighed wistfully, snatching Daeron’s beer to take a swig, despite the youngest’s protest.
Aemond turned to where you sat, giving you a wave when you flashed him a sweet smile. He felt happy to see you with his family, especially with his mother and sister, who were both the most important women in his life. It felt right, having you here. He could see a future with you in it, and babes of your own to play with. Truth was, Aemond was more than ready. He would take you down to city hall to marry you right away the moment you asked. He would give you the grandest of weddings, however you liked it.
However, it couldn’t be just up to him. If you needed time, he would respect it, and if you decided that marriage wasn’t for you, well, what else could he do?
Still, the longing weighed heavily in his chest, as did the ring that sat in his pocket.
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supernovafics · 5 months
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𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 (𝟏)
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PART ONE | PART TWO
pairing: singledad!steve harrington x divorcedmom!fem!reader
word count: 9.4k words
summary: in which you hate him and he hates you— and that mutual disliking is perhaps the only thing you and him agree on. you make it your mission to avoid and ignore steve at all costs, and nothing more or less than withering stares and annoyed eye rolls are shared among you both whenever you have to see each other, which luckily isn’t that often. but when your son and his daughter end up in the same first-grade class and quickly become friends, it forces things to change between you two. it means that you and him also have to be friends, or, at the very least, tolerate each other’s presence. which is something that is much easier said than done
warnings: modern!au, enemies (to friends) to lovers, steve and reader are in their late 20s/early 30s, bestfriend!eddie, mentions of cheating/an affair (reader’s ex was an absolute asshole), explicit language, some angst
author’s note: i had the idea for this lil two part mini series (and have been working on it on and off) for like a thousand years at this point and i'm so glad and excited that it's finally free from the jail cell that is my google docs lol. i really really wanted to finish this and have it up before this year was over, so part two is coming new year's eve<3333
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
For the first time in the past two weeks, you were early. Granted it was only by two minutes, but you still counted that as a win. 
You stepped out of your car and headed to where the other parents were on the sidewalk, waiting for school to be over and the kids to come out. You inwardly ran through the list of things that you still had to do today— on a Friday that should’ve been calm, but instead, it had been pretty hectic. 
It felt like pure luck that you were able to step away from your coffee shop for thirty minutes to pick up Oliver from school. God bless Jude for being willing to take over the rush that was happening. She was your favorite employee, and you knew that she definitely deserved a raise for being able to effectively keep up with the insanity that the last two weeks brought.
That transition from summer into the beginning of the new school year was harder than you had anticipated, and you knew it was mainly because this time last year you weren’t running a business full-time when Oliver had been starting Kindergarten. Instead, the coffee shop was still just an idea, a dream, that felt like it solely lived in your head; even though it had actually been in its final stages, and with each passing day, you only got closer and closer to that October opening date. And when the long-awaited opening finally came, it actually didn’t alleviate an ounce of your stress; instead, it was only increased practically tenfold. 
You’d never say it out loud for fear of being deemed as a bad mom, but it was so fucking hard juggling everything and trying to handle it all.
However, somehow, you were doing it and you were actually doing it pretty well. Although at most times it felt like you were so close to drowning, for the time being, your head was completely above water.
You kept running through your mental to-do list as you waited for the time to go from 2:29pm to 2:30pm, indicating the official end of the school day.
Call the vendors that supply the coffee beans and teas and see if they can change the next delivery date, finalize the work schedule for next week, prep the ingredients for the pastries that will be baked tomorrow—
Your eyes instinctively went to check the time on your watch right as the first handful of kids came barreling out of the front doors. 
When you saw Olly, you waved until his eyes landed on you and he immediately smiled. 
Suddenly, you couldn’t care less about the time and the rest of the shit that you needed to do throughout the day.
“I made a new friend!” Were the first words he said to you when he came over to where you stood.
“That’s awesome!” You kneeled down so that you were pretty much at eye level with him. Hearing him say that made your heart feel so happy. You knew how shy he could be and he rarely ever talked about any kids that he was friends with, especially not with this much enthusiasm. “Who is it?” 
“Maddie,” He answered and then pointed in the direction of where you assumed the girl was standing.
There were a handful of kids standing with their parents in the direction Olly was pointing to about ten or fifteen feet away, but when he further specified that she was “the girl holding the blue lunchbox,” you saw her. A girl with brown hair who was smiling at her dad who was smiling back at her and holding a hand up so that she could give it a high five. 
You recognized him immediately.
In your mind, his name was “the worst person in the world.” In reality, his name was Steve Harrington. 
You didn’t really pay attention to him until this past January because your kids weren’t in the same Kindergarten class. You actually didn’t even learn that he was the only other single parent in the grade until then. 
It was one of your New Year’s resolutions to become more active and involved in school activities, PTA meetings, etc. Mainly because you knew that the other Kindergarten moms were judging you for barely doing anything aside from the occasional bake sale and the school was way too small for you to slip under the radar and not be noticed; those moms noticed everything. 
Therefore, on the first meeting back after the Winter holiday break, you were there— five minutes late, but there nonetheless. Although, it could’ve been assumed that everyone thought you were an hour late with the amount of withering looks you received when you entered the gymnasium. 
You offered a small apologetic smile and made a mental note to never be even a minute late again. 
Leslie, the PTA president, was droning on and on about what big things were planned for the second half of the school year— somehow dragging out a short list of things that you thought could’ve been simply sent out in a mass email— when Steve walked in fifteen minutes after you. You fully expected him to receive the same type of annoyed looks that you had gotten, and maybe even more because he showed up later than you, but he got nothing but happy smiles from the majority of the moms. 
That complete opposite reaction severely confused you and you wondered how he was able to receive such niceness when all you got was the coldest of shoulders. 
Meeting after meeting it was continuously proven that he was the favorite among the moms, and it didn’t take you too long to learn why. He was a charmer, which everyone absolutely loved, and he seemed to effortlessly throw money at any school activity or fundraising event, another reason why he was so goddamn adored. 
You were probably the only one that didn’t give a fuck about his charming personality, and instead, you would inwardly roll your eyes or scoff at pretty much anything he’d say and how easily the moms ate it up. Because when you really looked at it, you two were pretty much doing the same exact things— only moderately participating in events, showing up to the big monthly meetings instead of the weekly ones (and he was still always late to them), and not signing up for fields trips or activities that happened during school hours because of how overly demanding your jobs were; you’d learned from one particularly chatty mom that he worked at a pretty intense marketing firm. However, there was such a stark difference in treatment because he was the “hot single dad that gave a lot of money;” all of the moms practically fell at his feet and seemed to only tolerate you.
Maybe it was a hint of jealousy talking, but he still always managed to piss you off and you didn’t like him at all. It was an animosity that was perhaps just one-sided, and you hated yourself for caring so much, but that changed in April; during a moment where if the circumstances were different, it would’ve felt like some sort of romcom-esque “meet cute.” But, you basically despised Steve, so instead the whole situation just made your blood boil. 
It was a Thursday at almost five o’clock during parent-teacher conference week; it was the only day that could work in your insanely busy schedule and you managed to get the latest time slot with Oliver’s teacher. You were pacing in the hallway where all three of the Kindergarten classrooms were; a coffee in one hand, because it was the only thing keeping you going that late in the day, and your phone in the other as you texted back an employee who was having problems with the oven. You were seconds away from calling him— because you knew that the issue would probably be solved quicker if you did so— but before you could, you were bombarded by someone who was quickly coming around the corner and they crashed into you. The abrupt collision was forceful enough to make your drink spill on you and your phone slip out of your hand. 
You glanced down at your now coffee-stained white shirt and then up at the person who had caused this mess, and of course, it was Steve Harrington standing in front of you. You had to fight the immediate urge to roll your eyes. 
“Oh, shit. My bad,” He quickly said. “I’m minutes away from being late for my parent-teacher meeting, so I was rushing from the parking lot. Now it really does make sense why teachers always said no running in the halls, right? Because something like this can happen.” As he rambled, you picked up your phone off the ground, glad that it wasn’t broken, and then you tossed your now mostly empty coffee cup into the trash can nearby. When you looked back at him, you saw that he was fishing his wallet out of his back pocket. “Anyway, maybe I can pay for your dry cleaning? Or so you can at least get another coffee later or tomorrow?”
If it had been anyone else, you would’ve thought that the gesture was nice. But, since it was coming from Steve Harrington it only pissed you off because, of course, money was his immediate thought solution.
That time it was too difficult to not allow yourself to roll your eyes at him. “Y’know, throwing money at everything doesn’t make you a good dad. It actually makes you kind of an asshole.” 
You knew that you were being a little too harsh, but it was still too hard to feel completely regretful about your words; you were pissed at this current situation that was fully caused by him and you were also pissed simply because he was him.
You weren’t sure what you expected Steve to respond with, but he easily matched your angry energy. He narrowed his eyes at you. “Well, at least, I can do something. You barely show up to things and can’t give money to make up for it, so how much of a ‘good mom’ does that make you?”
Before you could say anything in response to that— a response that probably would’ve started and ended with a simple “Fuck you”— you heard your name being called from behind you by Oliver’s teacher. With everything happening with the man in front of you right then, you’d almost forgotten the meeting you were at the school for in the first place. 
Instead of saying anything to Steve, you simply buttoned up the black cardigan you were wearing to cover the majority of the coffee stain on your shirt and then walked away from him, putting on a smile and greeting Miss Wilson.
It wasn’t outwardly stated right then, but it was pretty much sealed then that this disliking could no longer be confused for being something that was one-sided. You two hadn’t said any words to each other since that moment in the hallway, and instead only annoyed looks and glares were shared anytime you saw one another; which lucky for you, actually wasn’t too frequent. 
On the first day of school, you learned that his daughter was in the same First Grade class as Oliver due to the emergency contact form all the parents had to fill out, which was then condensed into one sheet and shared among everyone for “just in case” purposes, and Steve’s name and number was on there. You really didn’t think it would be that big of a deal because you could still avoid him like the plague that he was, and that was exactly what you’d been doing for the last two weeks. 
However, you did not think that your kids would become friends.
“Can we have a playdate tomorrow?” Oliver asked. 
You racked your brain for a response; a way to say no without actually saying it because you really did hate disappointing him. “Oh, um, this weekend is gonna be really busy. But, maybe soon though, okay?” 
He frowned a bit but still nodded. “Okay.”
You held out your hand so that he could slip his in and then you started heading to your car.
“We have to go back to the coffee shop for a few more hours before we can go home. But, how does pizza for dinner tonight sound?” You asked as you buckled him in his car seat. The offer was an attempt to cheer him up and you hoped it worked; probably like every other six-year-old, Oliver loved pizza.
He smiled at that. “Ooh, yeah, that’s good.”  
You smiled back at him and inwardly hoped that this playdate idea would blow over over the next few days. And that the thought of you having to spend any sort of willing time with Steve Harrington would become a scary thought that only occasionally haunted your dreams, instead of it being something that actually became real.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
Of course, it did not blow over. 
Excuse after excuse would fall from your lips, but Olly was determined and your words of “Today’s really busy” or “This weekend probably won’t be good” didn’t discourage him from continuing to ask. 
As the days came and went and a week passed with Olly asking the same question each day, you were so close to sucking it up and calling Steve and finally setting something up, but you were still way too fucking prideful to do so.
That didn’t stop you from thinking about doing it most days, though. But it was easier not to think about it when you were busying yourself at the coffee shop, and it was almost too easy to make yourself busy in some way there. And that was something that didn’t change on this Friday.
Oliver was sitting in his favorite booth working on homework and you were behind the counter, making a simple hot chocolate for the older woman who would come in almost every afternoon, typically around four o’clock. 
“Enjoy,” You said with a smile as you handed her the drink. 
Things in the coffee shop were calm and quiet, and you were about to go see if Oliver needed any help with the worksheets he was doing, but then your phone started vibrating in your back pocket. When you grabbed it, you saw that it was a random number calling, and maybe you should’ve thought about that fact more before answering, but you didn’t. 
“Hello?”
“Has Oliver asked to have a playdate with Madeline?” You quickly recognized Steve’s voice.
You let out a small sigh. “At least once a day since last Friday.”
“Same here with Maddie,” Steve said and then let out a sigh of his own. “We need to let this happen. I don’t think either of them are gonna let it go.” 
At first, you didn’t say anything in response to his words. You wanted to disagree with Steve, but you knew that you couldn’t because it was the truth. And then there was the fact that every time you gave some sort of fake excuse to Olly, you would feel like the worst parent ever, so maybe it would be best to just finally let this happen. “You’re right. Are you free tomorrow?”
“Yes,” He answered. “We can just do a quick thing at the park if that’s good?”
That was exactly what you were about to suggest, but you didn't tell him that. “Yeah, that’s fine. Is twelve okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
Steve didn’t say anything in response to you and instead simply ended the call there. The lack of an actual goodbye almost made you want to roll your eyes in annoyance, but you didn’t because you knew that you probably would’ve done the same thing to him. 
You put your phone back in your pocket and walked over to the two-person booth Oliver was sitting at, sliding in across from him. “Hey, bud, I have really fun news. You and Maddie are finally gonna have your playdate tomorrow.”
Seeing the elated grin immediately take over his face made the fact that you’d be spending a few hours with Steve Harrington tomorrow worth it.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
You never thought you’d witness a moment where Steve was actually on time for something, but for once he was. When you pulled into the small parking lot of the park, you already saw him sitting on one of the wooden benches that surrounded the playground watching Maddie go down a slide.
Moments after the car was put in park, Oliver was unbuckling himself and rushing to get out so that he could head over to where Maddie was. You could only smile at his enthusiasm before telling him to slow down and be careful.
You took your time walking over to where Steve was because of how much you were dreading it, and for a moment you debated whether or not you should sit next to him or go to the bench that was empty and a few feet away. Ultimately, you decided to just sit next to him; you could be civil for a couple of hours. 
“Hi,” You said as you sat down on the wooden bench.
He looked at you just for a second before turning back to the playground. “Hey.”
“How are you?” You asked. It was always easy to go into the mundane small talk you’d have all day with customers; aside from the ones that were the regulars that you knew too well and couldn’t simply ask how they were doing without actually meaning it.
“Good,” Steve responded. “You?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” You answered with a small nod. 
A silence that could only be deemed as awkward began to linger in the air because it felt as if there was absolutely nothing else to say. If he was a customer, you would’ve simply taken his order and he would have walked away by now, but obviously, this wasn’t that kind of interaction. The only sound that could be heard was the handful of other parents with their children and your own kids looking happier than ever. 
It could’ve been easy for you to make some joke to Steve about how weird this entire situation felt because of how much animosity you had toward each other and now there you two were on a sort of playdate of your own because of your kids. And then the two of you would have laughed about this current set of circumstances, and maybe that would’ve allowed things to actually start to feel somewhat okay. But, it just felt way too hard to let yourself actually be civil toward him, even though you had told yourself that you would be.
“I’m very surprised you’re actually on time for something. After all the PTA meetings, I thought you were incapable of it,” You said, still staring straight ahead as you then took a sip from the water you had in your hand. 
“And you’re late, which is not surprising,” He told you with a small scoff.
Aside from that first time you had been late for the meeting, there was one other time where you were late again and, of course, that was also the one time where Steve managed to be a little bit earlier than you. Given that he had been late countless times, you felt that it was both stupid and unwarranted for him to use the single time he saw you late against you.
“Whatever,” You said as you rolled your eyes. “Not that I even owe you an explanation for being only five minutes late today, but the coffee shop was starting to have a rush right before me and Olly were about to leave, and I didn’t want to leave my employee right then to completely fend for himself.”
“That’s interesting because every time I drive by the place, it looks the complete opposite of busy.” 
Perhaps this entire conversation immediately taking the shittiest turn was your fault because you “fired the first shot,” but his words felt equivalent to a low blow. You pretended as if you were completely unaffected by them and tried your hardest not to recognize the slight validity behind them— the coffee shop had its peak times and also its deserted moments, and maybe sometimes it did feel a bit more deserted than not, but you were surviving and right then that was all that mattered you.  
You glared harshly at him although he wasn’t even looking back at you. Muttering a “Fuck you” was right on the tip of your tongue, but you bit it back and instead got up from the bench and started moving to an empty one. Steve didn’t say anything else to you and instead seemed completely unfazed by you walking away from him. 
You watched Oliver and Maddie talking and laughing at the top of a slide that was big enough to fit both of them and they went down it together. Seeing how happy Olly was and knowing that this was the first friend he actually wanted to spend time with outside of school, made dealing with Steve’s bullshit right then completely okay with you. 
When two o’clock rolled around, you were waving Oliver over to you, much to his dismay.
“I know it’s time to go, but can we all get food together?” He asked when he walked over to you.
For once, the excuse for saying no that you were about to tell him wasn’t a made-up one. “We gotta go pick Eddie up from the airport, remember? Also, he told me that he has a bunch of cool stuff to give you from California.” 
“Oh, yeah,” Oliver said, a smile taking over his face. “I almost forgot he was coming today.” 
He went over to where Maddie was now standing with Steve and he gave her a quick hug goodbye before running back over to you.
Instead of giving any sort of verbal goodbye to Steve, you simply gave him a small wave. It was hard to wrap your head around the fact that you’d now probably have to see him more often than not. With how happy Oliver and Maddie looked playing together, you knew that today definitely wouldn’t just be a one-time thing.
Somehow with the wave Steve gave back to you, you could tell that he knew that too.
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
You were in no way related to Eddie Munson, but he felt more like family than your actual family. 
He was the first person you met when you moved to Hawkins three years ago. After going through a messy divorce that felt like it had actively taken at least ten years off of your life, it felt so goddamn nice to immediately make a friend in this town that was completely new to you.  
Coming from Chicago, a city that had always felt way too big for you, any small town sounded perfect in your eyes, and you were able to find a cheap-ish house in Hawkins, so it was the winner.
You met Eddie at a grocery store a week after you’d moved in. It was also your birthday, a fact that three-year-old Oliver didn’t fail to tell Eddie when you accidentally bumped into him— quite literally crashed your cart into the guy— in the bread aisle. 
“Happy birthday,” He had said to you and you gave him a small smile before proceeding to say another sorry for bumping your cart into him. He then looked at Oliver. “Are you gonna bake a birthday cake for her?” 
Oliver visibly brightened and turned to you. “Ooh, yeah, can we bake a cake?”
“Sure,” You nodded and smiled at his eagerness. 
He smiled widely and then looked back at Eddie. “Can you come over and help us make it?” 
“Oh, um…” Eddie’s eyes met yours to see what you wanted him to say. 
“You can, if you want,” You told him and you genuinely meant your words. He seemed normal, and even though this was a small town, he was the first person who had been so outwardly nice to you and Olly. 
“Okay, yeah, I’d love to help,” He said with a nod. “I’m Eddie, by the way.” 
You told him your name and then gestured to Olly. “And this is Oliver.” 
“Sorry for suggesting this idea and contributing to the sugar high that will probably be happening tonight,” Eddie told you as you moved to the next aisle where all of the baking stuff was, you were giving Oliver full reign over what cake mix you got. 
“Apology not accepted,” You responded but still smiled at him.  
Many hours later, when the cake was baked and Oliver was tucked away in bed after having two pieces of it, you pulled out a bottle of wine for you and Eddie to drink. And then because of the wine and because of the fact that birthdays always managed to bring something severely melancholic out of you, you started crying to him about your divorce that had just been finalized, the affair that your husband had with his coworker being the catalyst for said divorce, and how you felt so weirdly alone in this new town but also not at all alone because you had Oliver. 
Somehow none of that managed to scare him away— even though you would’ve been completely understanding if it had— and a friendship had been cemented ever since. 
Eight months ago, he moved to California because of a huge opportunity he got with his music; it was something he had been waiting for for so many years. You had called it a “big break,” but he thought that sounded too pretentious. 
You hadn’t really wanted him to leave, he was your best friend— your only friend in this town— but you were also so happy for him. And the distance actually managed to feel somewhat okay because you two would talk all the time and he’d visit every few months.
Oliver especially didn’t mind the distance because whenever Eddie did come back to Hawkins for a visit, it always meant that he’d get some cool new toys from him. And this time proved to be no different. 
The three of you were in the coffee shop. It was quiet right then— you didn’t think about Steve’s words from earlier— and you watched Eddie smile at Oliver as he animatedly talked about something, you assumed he was telling Eddie about Madeline.
Moments later, Eddie walked over to where you stood behind the counter, beginning the clean-up process because you were closing in about an hour. 
“It’s really nice seeing how fucking– I mean fudging,” He turned around to see if Oliver heard what he’d just said, but Olly was too busy playing with his new red toy car to hear anything. “Happy he is. All he’s been doing is rambling about his new friend.” 
“Yeah, it’s really great,” You said, smiling as you thought about how happy he had been at the park earlier. You then thought about Steve and inwardly sighed. “Well, for the most part.”
“Why? Is she a bad influence or something? I didn’t think there could be bad influences in first grade,” Eddie said and then laughed a bit. “Actually, scratch that, I was definitely a bad influence in first grade.”
An amused look crossed your face. “You talk a lot about this “bad boy persona” you used to have, but I don’t know if I really believe it because all I see is a guy that actually enjoys buying toys for a six-year-old.”
He smiled at that. “I changed. Turned over a new leaf.”
“Mhm, got it,” You responded, your voice slightly sarcastic because it was still hard to imagine Eddie as anything other than the nice guy who baked a cake with you and Oliver on your birthday. “Anyway, though, it’s not the girl that’s the problem; she’s really sweet and nice. It’s her parent that’s the worst person in the world.” 
Eddie nodded. “Okay, tell me all about this mean mom drama.”  
“It’s a dad, actually,” You said and then started explaining everything that you had never said aloud before. You told Eddie all of it— how Steve was so easily able to throw money at anything the school needed, how he was basically treated like a King among the other moms because of that, the incident that happened last year during parent-teacher conference week where everything between you two fully came to a head, and the shitty conversation you had with him at the park only hours earlier. 
“Wow, I’ve missed a lot. I can’t believe you have a nemesis, and I also can’t believe you never told me about him.”
“He’s the last thing I ever want to think about, let alone talk about. If it wasn’t for Oliver becoming friends with his daughter, you wouldn’t be hearing about him. Also, I feel like “nemesis” is a bit of an exaggeration.”
“I can call him your mortal enemy, if you want,” Eddie said with a teasing smile and you only rolled your eyes in response, refraining from flipping him off. “What’s his name? Maybe I know him. Aside from you, people rarely ever move to this town for fun, so he’s probably been here his whole life.”
You actually never thought about the potential of Eddie knowing Steve, although it was completely plausible given the reason your friend just mentioned. 
“Steve Harrington.” 
“Oh.” 
From Eddie’s reaction, the answer to your next question seemed pretty obvious but you still decided to ask it. “You know him?”
“Yeah, we were in high school at the same time.” 
“Okay, what was he like?” 
“All the typical high school stuff. He was a popular guy, played sports, was kind of a jerk but pretty much all of the girls still loved him.” 
You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “That sounds very accurate.” 
“By the end of it, though, he seemed like somewhat of a changed guy. Got his heart broken by the nice girl, and then became friends with actual good people,” Eddie told you, and that was the one part of his description of the Steve that he had known that managed to actually surprise you. “I didn’t know he had a kid now.”
“Yup, and he’s also changed back into the jerk that you originally knew him as in high school,” You said. “And the most fuc— fudged up part of it all is that we should be friends. Which probably makes me sound crazy because of everything I just said, but it’s true. Me and him are basically in the same boat— the only single parents in the grade, we both have time-consuming jobs, and now even our kids are friends with each other. It would just make sense if we were actually friends too.”
“I mean, you still could be, right?”
You immediately shook your head. “Wrong. There’s no way that could ever happen.” 
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
The rest of September and most of October flew by with what felt like an abrupt kind of quickness. 
Absolutely nothing changed between you and Steve, even with Eddie’s idea that maybe it could. The only time the two of you talked to each other was if it involved your kids and if you were setting up the day and time for another park playdate, which quickly managed to become a weekly thing because of how adamant Oliver and Madeline were— just like you assumed they’d be. 
It may have seemed a little weird, these brief conversations you’d have with one another that were nothing more and nothing less than transactional, but it worked perfectly for you two. 
“This weekend is gonna be pretty busy for me, so is tomorrow after school good?” You asked Steve. A PTA meeting had just ended and you and him were lingering by the same exit that the kids would come out of when school was over. 
You were pretty close to not showing up to this Thursday night meeting, but you knew that you had to because it was about the Winter Carnival happening in December. It was a huge event that would be an “all hands on deck” kind of situation, which was why they talked about it so far in advance and why attendance at any meeting discussing it was pretty much mandatory.  
Steve shook his head at your question. “I have this big work thing tomorrow, so I have to pick up Maddie and then drop her off at the babysitter before rushing back to the city.”
You nodded understandingly at his words. A part of you knew that you should have left it at that, because you tried to set something up and that should’ve been more than enough of an effort, but instead, you found yourself saying, “I can pick her up and take the two of them to the park tomorrow if you want.”
Steve was quiet and your words simply lingered in the open air. You almost regretted making the suggestion because you felt as if he was somehow going to find a way to be a dick about it, but then he looked at you curiously, and another look that you couldn’t decipher crossed his face too as he said, “You sure?”
You nodded at him. “Yeah, it’s really no problem.” And it honestly wasn’t a problem in the slightest; Madeline was the sweetest girl ever. She reminded you nothing of Steve, so you assumed that she got her personality from her mom; you still had no idea what that entire situation entailed. “What time will you be done with work?”
“Hopefully around five or six,” He answered. There was still that look on his face, which you still couldn’t tell what it said, but you really wanted to know.  
“Okay, after the park, I can take them back to my house and you can pick Maddie up from there when you’re done with work,” You said, only a little surprised at how easily this idea came together. “Olly’s been wanting to show her his new fish, anyway.”
“Yeah, I think she’s mentioned his fish to me probably a thousand times. It’s blue and purple, right?”
“Yeah, it’s a betta fish; Barnaby.”
“Barnaby?”
You shrugged. “I have no idea how Olly came up with that name, but I will admit that it does sound more like the name of an old sailor lost at sea rather than a fish. But, in some weird way, both of those things are actually kind of related.” 
Steve laughed at that and somehow it didn’t sound the least bit mocking or condescending, it was more amused. Hearing that sound coming from him shocked you as much as it, surprisingly, made you inwardly smile. 
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
The amount of dark clouds in the sky didn’t necessarily faze you until a raindrop hit your cheek as you sat on a park bench watching Oliver and Madeline on the playground. It was a light drizzle that transformed into something heavier in a matter of minutes and you realized that you probably should’ve been more mindful of what the weather was going to be today. 
Neither of the kids really minded the rain putting an end to their time at the park though, because Oliver was happy to go home so that Maddie could finally see the fish.
They bounded up the stairs to Olly’s room the second you unlocked the front door, and you headed to the kitchen, sending a simple text to Steve in the process. 
You: Had to leave the park because of the rain. We’re at my place now
At first, the lack of a response from him didn’t surprise you because it was only around four-thirty and he was probably busy. He was also Steve Harrington and he rarely ever responded to you in a timely manner. 
You heard the sound of footsteps racing down the stairs and you looked up from your phone, after checking it for probably the hundredth time in the past hour, to see Olly and Maddie coming into the kitchen.
“Can you convince my dad to get me a fish?” Maddie asked as she and Olly joined you at the small dining table. 
You smiled and nodded at her. “I can try.” 
“Thanks,” She said, smiling back at you. “The only time I get to see any pets is at my Aunt Robin’s house. She has a golden retriever.” 
“Oh, that’s really cool. What’s its name?”
“Willow. She’s a girl.” 
Oliver looked at you. “Can we get a dog next?” 
“Let’s just worry about Barnaby for now,” You told Olly, giving him a small smile. You could only imagine how much more hectic your life would become if you two got a dog anytime soon. “I was thinking about doing dino nuggets and french fries for you guys for dinner. How does that sound?”
They both perked up at that and nodded and you got up to turn on the oven, purposefully leaving your phone on the table because you wanted a break from impulsively checking it every few minutes. It slightly annoyed you that you heard nothing from Steve yet, and it annoyed you even more that the lack of a response felt personal. You wondered if he actually hadn’t seen your message yet, or if he was simply being an asshole and not responding with a simple “Okay” or even a thumbs up to it on purpose. 
It wasn’t until the time was a little after six, and you still hadn’t heard anything from Steve, that your initial annoyance toward him not responding to you and not giving you any sort of updates on what was happening with him over the past few hours, morphed into something that resembled worry. 
You walked out of the living room and into the kitchen and pulled your phone out of your back pocket so that you could call him. Your gaze moved toward the window as you pressed your phone to your ear; the weather outside still looked pretty shitty. The call went straight to voicemail and you sighed as you waited for the beep. 
“Hey, um, it’s me. That’s probably very obvious. Um, anyway, you said you’d be done with work around five or six, but I haven’t heard anything from you in the last couple of hours… I hope everything’s fine. Um, any sort of update would be really nice. Call, or at least text me, whenever you get this. Okay… Bye.”
You hung up and slipped your phone back in your pocket.
It was an obvious fact that you didn’t like Steve Harrington, but that didn’t mean you wanted anything bad to happen to him. 
The only thing that managed to not make you feel completely worried was that Maddie seemed okay and not worried at all. Instead, she and Olly were in the living room playing in the fort you made for them out of couch cushions and throw blankets.
You went back into the living room and sat down on the small loveseat that was the only piece of furniture that still had its cushion left. 
“You guys okay in there?” 
“Yup!”
“Yes!”  
Hearing their chorus of happy “yeses” made you inwardly sigh in relief and lean back into the chair, letting your eyes shut just for a second and muttering to yourself that everything was and would be fine. 
Your phone was still glued to your hand as you grabbed the remote with your other and turned on a random Disney movie for the kids to listen to as background noise and for you to take your mind off of Steve, even though all you were waiting and hoping for was for your phone to vibrate in your hand with a call or text from him. 
You didn’t realize that you’d fallen asleep in the chair until you were startled awake by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The abruptness of it actually managed to scare you, so much so that you could immediately feel your heartbeat pounding in your ears when you opened your eyes. 
The second Lilo & Stitch movie was now playing on the TV and through your half-awake haze, you found the remote to pause it. You then peeked inside the fort and saw that Olly and Maddie were asleep. 
As you rubbed the slight tiredness out of your eyes and got up from the couch, you checked your phone and saw that the time was 8:11pm. The doorbell rang again as you unlocked the door and the first thing that you noticed when you opened it was that it was no longer raining, you were unsure when it had finally stopped. 
“Hi.”
Seeing Steve standing in front of you managed to immediately wash away the worry you had been feeling for the last couple of hours. And it was quickly and completely replaced with the annoyance you’d initially felt. “What the hell happened?” 
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Hearing a genuine apology come from Steve Harrington’s mouth actually managed to baffle you. “My meeting at work ran over, and there was no way to get out of it, not even for a second. And then there was a ton of traffic because of the rain, so a drive that typically only takes thirty minutes took longer than an hour. Also, I have the worst and probably oldest phone in the world because it never holds a charge anymore, and it was plugged in during the entire drive but didn’t turn on at all. So, I’m really sorry that I haven’t been able to call or text or anything. These past few hours have been hell.” He let out a sigh and then looked at you, concerned. “How’s Maddie? Is she okay?”
There were a lot of words that had been thrown at you during Steve’s ramble, but hearing his full explanation and how apologetic he was made your annoyance with him dissipate into nothing just like your worry did. Instead, you felt a little bad for him because of all the shit he had to endure in the past few hours. You pushed the door open further to fully let him in. 
“She’s good. She’s okay. She and Olly are sleeping in the living room. I made them a little fort,” You told him as he walked in and you pointed to where the kids were in the living room, and he nodded when he saw the construction of couch cushions and blankets. 
You looked at Steve and hesitated for a moment. You knew that this was where the goodbyes for the night should’ve started, but it didn’t feel right to have him leave just yet; he still seemed sort of frazzled and stressed about everything that happened. You started heading toward the kitchen and he followed you. “Do you maybe, uh, want something to drink?” 
“Yeah, sure.” 
“Okay, I have water and juice boxes,” You told him and turned around to meet his eyes, he was leaning against the small island. “It’s moments like these where it sucks being the “good influence/leading by example” parent because I can’t offer you something fun, like a soda.”
Steve laughed a bit; it still felt so foreign hearing that sound from him. “A juice box is fine. That’s probably all that lives at my house too.”
You grabbed one from the fridge and then closed it. “I hope you like apple.”
“My favorite, actually,” He said as you handed the drink to him, and you couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, but you didn’t have enough time to really ponder that before he completely changed the subject. “How was Maddie when you picked her up? When I told her about it this morning, she seemed excited about it and about hanging out with Oliver after school too, but was she really okay?” 
You nodded at his question. “She was great. They both had fun at the park and didn’t even mind the rain because they really wanted to come here and see the fish.”
He smiled and you could see the immediate relief wash over his face. “Okay.”
“She also wants me to try and convince you to get her a fish.”
“Of course she does,” He said before taking a sip from the juice box. You had to admit, it was a little funny seeing a man wearing professional clothes, that were probably so expensive, drinking from a tiny juice box meant for little kids. 
“I’m honestly kinda surprised that you pick her up every day,” You told him as you turned and went back into the fridge to pull out a water for yourself. “Given your job, I thought you’d just have a babysitter or someone pick her up most of the time. I had no idea it was half an hour away.”
“I didn’t used to do it… Her, um, her mom would,” He said and you could tell by the way he said those words that whatever happened involving Maddie’s mom was a touchy subject. It sounded similar to how you’d usually sound whenever you talked about Oliver’s dad— a little sad and a lot like you’d rather talk about anything else. 
Your mind started desperately trying to think of a way to change the subject; it was what you would’ve wanted him to do for you if the tables were turned. But, before you could say the first thing that came to mind, which was, “So, I wonder if it’s gonna rain tomorrow too,” Steve started talking again. 
“It had become a routine because of how hectic my job is. She’d always drop Maddie off and pick her up. But, she, uh… She left last year, so that changed everything,” He told you. You closed the fridge and turned around to face him; you forgot to grab your water but that was the last thing on your mind right then.
This conversation suddenly felt like completely uncharted territory between you and Steve because you two did not talk about touchy subjects— you and him barely talked about anything at all. But, for some odd reason, you didn’t necessarily mind the serious turn to the conversation because maybe it was a shit ton of honesty that was needed for you two to actually, finally, not dislike each other.
Steve ran a hand through his hair and pulled his eyes away from yours. He instead fixed his attention on his juice box in hand. “It happened around this time in October. She dropped Maddie off at school, but didn’t pick her up.” 
Hearing him say that surprised you as much as it confused you because you had absolutely no idea that happened last year. But with how busy you’d been then, and since you weren’t friends with any of the “gossipy” moms that somehow always knew everything, it did make a little sense why you knew nothing. 
“Maddie was waiting in the office for about two hours after school was over before I could get there because I was in a meeting and didn’t see the calls coming from the school. She didn’t really know what was happening, but she was still so sad and I think that somehow a small part of her did know.” He shook his head and sighed, a look that could only be deemed as melancholic crossed his face. “I never want her to feel abandoned like that again, so I always make sure to drop her off and pick her up now.”
As he said his last words, something managed to shift inside of you in a matter of a split second. Suddenly, his name was no longer “the worst person in the world” in your mind. 
In all of your months of having this “nemesis relationship” — as Eddie would call it— with Steve Harrington, you never thought that your opinion of him would ever be able to change. However, in this moment of you two standing across from each other at your small kitchen island as Steve held a freaking juice box in his hand, it finally did. He was a good person, a really fucking good person.
You were able to see it so goddamn easily then— the exact ways that he and Maddie were just alike. She got her personality from him, you were now quite literally certain of it. And you immediately felt bad for ever thinking differently.
“I’m sorry about what I said last year during conference week,” You told him, suddenly ready to give him your own burst of honesty. “I was pissed that you spilled my coffee all over me, and I was even more pissed because it was you, and you annoyed me so much. Because even though we’re kind of in the same boat with the amount of “active” things we do for the school, all of the moms love you so much and I swear they hate me, and it’s just so annoying.” You let out a small sigh and then met his gaze before saying the words that you didn’t think you’d ever say to him. “Anyway, you’re a really good dad, and I’m so sorry for telling you differently.”
“I’m sorry for what I said that day too. You’re a really great mom,” He said, giving you a small smile, and it slightly shocked you how much hearing that meant to you. Aside from Eddie, you couldn’t remember the last time someone said that to you. “And I don't think the moms at school actually like me. I think they just pity me because of everything that happened, and how they basically saw it all blow up in real time. Since pre-school, Maddie’s mom was dropping her off and picking her up, and suddenly one day she was completely gone. I swear the number of times I got phone calls that were a bunch of them saying, “We’re here for you,” but they really just wanted to get the full story about what happened, was insane during those first few months.”
“Jesus, small town moms are the worst,” You said as you shook your head. “Or, at least, ours are.”
You looked away from Steve and turned around, finally going back to the fridge to grab a water. “Oliver’s dad was kind of the same way. He left too. Or maybe it’s actually not the same because I made him leave— he was having an affair with his coworker. But, he also wanted to leave and be with her, so maybe it actually is a little similar. Sorry, now I’m just rambling about that asshole,” You said and rolled your eyes at yourself. You weren’t sure why you even decided to circle the conversation back to your exes.  
“Do you and Oliver ever see him anymore?” Steve asked, and when you closed the fridge and turned back to face him, you shook your head at his question.
“Not since we moved here. He does the bare minimum and sends Olly checks for his birthday and Christmas. Which I think is dumb because no kid wants a check as a present; even I would rather get an actual gift than a stupid check,” You told Steve as you opened up your water. “Does Maddie ever see her mom, or does she ever come around sometimes?”
With the way she left, you were almost certain that the answer was no, but you were still curious.
“No, she hasn’t, and I don’t think she would ever want to,” Steve answered and you gave him a small nod of understanding before he continued. “I remember about a week after everything happened, and after avoiding my many calls and texts, she finally called me. She was really apologetic about the way she decided to leave, but she said that she just couldn’t do it anymore because none of this life that we had here was making her happy, and she didn’t want me to try and convince her to stay. When she said that, it made me realize that the smallest part of me knew that this would eventually happen. Maddie was completely unexpected and our relationship had already gotten pretty bad before we found out, so neither of us was remotely ready to be parents, but we still decided to do it and try to make it all work. Right when I saw Maddie for the first time I knew that she was the best thing that ever happened to me and I couldn’t imagine my life without her, and that never changed. But, it wasn’t the same way for her mom, and sometimes it seemed like she felt the complete opposite way. So, in a way, I can understand why she knew she had to leave. I hate the way that she did it, but ultimately I understand that this wasn’t the life she wanted, and she’d never want it.” A sad smile took over his face.
“We don’t have to keep talking about this if you don’t want to,” You told him, suddenly feeling bad that you had been the one to bring the conversation back to this in the first place. “We can change the subject to anything else. Maybe the weather? I wonder if it’s gonna rain again tomorrow…” 
“No, it’s okay,” Steve said. “I really never thought I’d say this because we’ve never had a real conversation before, but I think I actually like talking to you.” He shook his head at his words. “I’m sorry, that probably sounds fucked up.”
“No, don’t be sorry. I feel the same exact way. Ten minutes ago I couldn’t really stand the thought of having any sort of conversation with you, and now I feel like an idiot for hating you all this time. So, this is insanely fast progress,” You said and then immediately thought of something. “Wow, I really wish I had some alcohol for us to drink right now because us actually not despising each other anymore is a milestone that truly should be toasted to.”
Steve laughed a bit; it was nice hearing that sound after all the sad stuff that had just been shared by both of you. He raised his juice box toward you a bit. “This will have to do, I guess.”
You raised your water and “clinked” it with the juice box. “Cheers to… whatever we are now.”
It didn’t feel entirely like a friendship, but it, at least, felt like you two could actually be nice to one another and not feel pained to do so. 
“Cheers to that,” Steve said with a quick nod and then finished off the rest of what was left in his small juice box. “I should grab Maddie and head home. She has dance class at eight in the morning. She hates it for the most part, but she has a recital next week and I told her that she should push through until that and then we can quit. A part of me is kind of glad that she hates it, though, because classes are insanely expensive.”
“Olly’s starting soccer at the end of the month,” You told him. “It’s for boys and girls. You should see if Maddie wants to do that.”
“If Oliver’s doing it, she’ll probably say yes.”
You nodded at that and how true it was on both sides. “I’ll text you the information.”
“Thanks,” He said and smiled.
You followed him as he walked into the living room to get Maddie. She was still fast asleep as her arms circled around his neck when he picked her up. You grabbed her bookbag that she and Oliver left by the front door and helped Steve hook one of his arms in it.
Somehow something was silently exchanged in that last look shared between you and him before you said your final goodbyes for the night, and you softly shut and locked your door behind him. It was a look that expressed that you both were glad about what happened in the past twenty minutes— the honesty-filled conversation that led to you two finally understanding one another and realizing how you were actually more alike than either of you had ever thought. 
It was a realization that was simultaneously surprising and refreshing. 
“Goodnight,” You said, giving him a small smile and he smiled back at you. 
“Goodnight.”
.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。
let me know ur thoughts<333
PART TWO
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hanafubukki · 18 days
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So I'm just looking at Lilia in his dorm uniform and imagining pulling his shirt open and creasing his chest, as one does, and then I'm thinking he needs to get plainer shorts so it's easier to slip a hand into them/slip them off, and then I went back to his shirt and his harnesses and they remind me of the things that hold guns and I was like---crime boss Lilia-!
He's an old man with old money but a Youthful face. Playful and technology literate, his age doesn't show when he makes an impromptu stop at a purikura machine. He's ready for retirement soon. He's been in the business too long, starting early and kept going while waiting for an heir. But Malleus is about ready to take over. Silver and Sebek are skilled enough to stay safe and assist their boss. He's so ready to be done. Should he get away from it all and move to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere? Get back to using the skills he had to make use of while growing up on the streets, before the previous boss picked him up? Enjoy the quietness and serenity away from the city he'd filled with bloodshed? Or should he just stay? Be close to his family, lend a helping hand if needed? To be spoiled by them? To still have access to his games and arcades and purikura machines? He finds that he can't make the by himself after he meets you.
Like most people, you don't know who he really is. (You don't know how old he actually is). You're sweet, maybe a little naive, but his heart beats for you. He wants to hold you and protect you and stay with you for the rest of his days. Is he too old for more children? For biological children? And should he tell you of who he is? Of what he used to do and what his sons, who have started to dote on you, now do? But he knows for sure, he will not hesitate if there ever is a time for him to hold your face to his chest, to shield your vision from the bodies falling to the ground after he's shot them down for trying to take you from him.
(And what if this is a mixed modern au? As in its still twisted wonderland with fae and beastmen, but putting all of that into a modern setting. Fae mafia <3)
- Fake Date Sebek anon
Hello Fake Date Sebek Anonie 🌺💚🌷
Not going to lie Anonie, but you had me for a second in the first part of this ask.🤣😆
I went from “Oh? Have I been blessed with smut?” to “Crime Boss Lilia?!?! HELL YEAH” 🤣💞
Ahhhh I’m squealing in bed. This is so??? Hot??? God the image?? Ahhhhh Lilia in a suit?? With those harnesses that hides hidden guns and knives. Pleasssee I’m ready to just combust. *shaking you Anonie*
Summary: Mafia x Flower Shop AU: In which, Lilia meets the local flower shop owner.
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Lilia was an orphan, taken from the streets, raised to protect his Masters whom he lost because he was ordered to protect their child.
Lilia then takes over as the boss and raises Malleus as the heir. At one point, he picks up Silver because he was an orphan who lost his parents due to crossfire between rivals and Silver reminds him of himself and Malleus when he was young. Then Sebek joins, the grandson of an old comrade.
Time passes as it always does even amongst the fae, and soon, Malleus will be taking his spot. He, Silver, and Sebek have grown and can protect each other without Lilia having to worry.
He can retire, but what then? Where does he go? Does he want to stay? Or leave? He knows his boys would love for him to stay, so would he, he won’t deny that. Or should he go somewhere quiet and peaceful, a contradiction to how he has lived all these centuries.
He meets you by chance one day, and he doesn’t know what to do anymore. It was by a stroke of luck when he ducked into the flower shop to get some for the office. To cover up the stench of iron and give some color to the place.
You had recommended him some lavender with a bundle of lily of the valley. He tried not to smile at your not so hidden way of saying he needed sleep nor the irony of flowers close to his name.
But something always drew him back to you and this shop close by the arcade he frequents.
It comes to the point that he has more flowers at home than is needed and Malleus’ smirk is getting to him.
So he asks you out on a date, it goes from one date to two to many more.
When he realizes he has feelings for you, he was surprised.
Well fuck, an old bat can still learn new tricks huh?
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What makes it all so seamless is the way you incorporate so easily into their lives.
You meet Malleus one day when curiosity got the better of him and he wanted to see who had Lilia giddily walking around with a light in his eyes only a select few see. Malleus conveniently meets you at a cafe. While you two talk about Lilia, Malleus can’t help the smile that graces his lips. Clearly, you are as taken with him as he with you.
Eventually you meet Silver and Sebek, who was sent to you by Malleus but you didn’t know that, they were a rather interesting pair.
Silver asking for more lavender and lilly of the valley flowers. His smile and quiet nature reminds you of Lilia. His graceful movements that of Malleus. His kind nature belies his strength as he easily and efficiently helps you gather materials and organize them.
Sebek is the opposite of Silver in many ways but yet the same. He’s loud and proud. Something you never criticize him for. Behind this demeanor, he’s soft and kind in his own way. Always helping you around the shop with bags of soil and pots that needed moving while Silver manned the cash register.
You couldn’t help the fond giggle. They were Lilia’s boys alright.
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You fit perfectly into their lives and Lilia wouldn’t have it any other way.
But Lilia has enemies, many of them in fact, so it was only time they would find you and try and take you away.
They didn’t notice him.
Foolishly thought you were alone.
Imbeciles.
Your eyes are covered by the time the first body falls on the floor.
Lilia tilts his head, kisses you on the forehead before whispering, “Shh, it’ll be alright beloved.”
Your trembling hands that had grasped his shirt relaxes slightly as you fully lean into him. This trust you give him so willingly and without doubt has him slightly nuzzling into you before eyes sharpen at the pawns before him.
Possessiveness.
Protection.
His.
Is all those before him register before crimson blood splatters the area, one by one.
Lilia will always be ready to take up his arms to protect his loved ones.
Let the blood stained floors be a message to those who seek his wrath and try to take what is his.
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Yes, I made this into a flower shop x fae mafia au. I’m weak okay, I love the softness and the violence and the symbolisms 🥹💞
I don’t know why but ahhh this is hitting me in all the right spots. Just?? The fierceness, the blood, the gentle hand, and the comfort?? The potentialllll…someone hit me with a bat! Ahhhhh *rolls around in bed*
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Major scandals By D&D Class
Artificer: Just came up with the idea of NFTs and Algorithmically Generated Content. They're going to introduce it to your fantasy world tomorrow.
Barbarian: Turns out to actually enjoy Sartre, have a PhD in Early Modern Art and spend their time going to poetry nights in disguise
Bard: Got turned down by the dragon this time. There's no magical song to cure heartbreak :(
Cleric: Got drunk and used Contact Diety to call their god an asslicking potato. Now they're too worried to pray for their spells today.
Druid: Sure, they love all creations of nature without judgement, but honestly? They kind of have to agree that wasps were a mistake.
Fighter: Finally admits they don't actually know what a sword is. No-one told them at fighter school because everyone assumed they already knew, and at this point they can't ask, you know?
Monk: Ate a single Pringle and are now reconsidering their entire way of life
Paladin: Ok, you got them. Their oath doesn't actually forbid them from doing the washing up or cleaning up the party tent.
Ranger: Their animal companion has actually been five different wolves and counting. They can't tell them apart so if they lose sight of it, they just grab the nearest wolf and claim its the same one.
Rogue: Shocking paper trail leak reveals that everything the rogue did this year was law-abiding and fully above board!
Sorcerer: They just say they have Dragon Blood because it sounds cooler. Actually, their magic comes from their Dragon Piss.
Warlock: No scandals because warlocks have no shame. Yeah, they're banging their patron. Yeah, their "Oath of the Tome" is just the Wizard's book they've scribbled over with crayon. Yeah, they eldritch blast servers when they ask for tips. What you gonna do about it, fucker?
WIzard: Could never quite get the hang of "Magic Missile" so instead they just keep a gun hidden up their sleeve.
Commoner: Actually the master of all forms of magic, stronger then the barbarian and blessed by all the gods. They just acted scared of the dragon because you guys looked so proud when you thought you's saved them :)
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frail-and-freakish · 1 year
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today, april 11th, is the anniversary of Mel Baggs' death. Mel Baggs was one of the early founders of the neurodiversity movement and believed that no one was too disabled for human rights, something that modern nd movements fail to understand to this day. sie was so instrumental to my understanding of literally everything. sie died from medical ableism and neglect during the beginning of the pandemic. we would be nowhere fucking near where we are now without hir. i've decided to make a masterlist of some of my favorite posts of hirs, organized into different categories.
(some of these are listed in more than one category because they overlap so much)
here are some of the "essentials" (what you might have already read by hir/should read first):
hir memorial site hosted by ASAN:
In My Language
the oak manifesto
There is ableism at the heart of your oppression, no matter what your oppression might be
Getting The Truth Out (many pages, parody of bad autism awareness campaign called "getting the word out")
the meaning of self-advocacy
what makes institutions bad
aspie supremacy can kill
here are some of hir beautiful writings on perceiving/communicating with hir environment as an autistic person, and on communication in general:
up in the clouds and down in the valley: my richness and yours
distance underthought
the naked mechanisms of echolalia
empty mirrors and redwoods
the fireworks are interesting
hir tumblr tag #sensing (@withasmoothroundstone)
on personhood and who has the authority to take it away:
being an unperson
what it means to be real
empty mirrors and redwoods
on institutions and the I/DD service system:
caregiver abuse takes many forms
"i don't know that person's program"
what my home means to me
dd service system tag
god help the critic of the dawn: glamour and its fallout
what makes institutions bad
post on the JRC
outposts in our heads
on online social justice communities/their inaccessibility:
Your politics have a problem when they contradict the real-life experiences of the people they're supposed to be about.
politics, ethics and mental widgets
hir tumblr tags #outside the wall and #little packages (@withasmoothroundstone)
misc:
The Bones My Family Gave Me
Please violate only one stereotype at a time
My sort of people, just as real as theirs.
Reviving the concept of cousins
gender tag
this is hir poems and creative works:
this is hir writing on autistics.org:
may hir memory be a blessing/revolution.
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houseofashesif · 1 year
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The mad desire for vengeance burned within you like an uncontrollable wildfire, threatening to consume all thoughts and reason with each passing day. It lashed wildly like fire accumulating within the belly of a dragon, waiting to be unleashed at those who wronged you, and your family.
But you were too weak. Too fragile, like a newborn chick. What could you possibly do in your miserable state?
Every night while the world slept, you would lie awake in your dirty cot, praying endlessly for someone to save you. Be it God or the Devil himself, you begged to be saved. To be given a second chance.
Then, your prayers were answered. Not by God but the Devil.
"I can grant you only one of your wishes, little one. So, tell me, what do you desire?"
There were a million things that you desired. A warm home. A loving family. However none of those could be compared to your life long desire.
"Vengeance."
"Are you sure that is what you desire?" You do not remember what kind of expression he had on, but the amusement was evident in his voice.
"I am." You answer firmly.
"Very well."
He held his hand out for you to grab, a final chance for you to turn back on your world. But a normal life was something you have given up on a long time ago.
You firmly grab his inviting hand, knowing fully well that there was no turning back now.
The Devil smiled wickedly.
genres ; dark, gothic fiction, romance, crime, thriller
setting ; fictional world of Celtica (loosely based on modern Britain from 1900's), Modern (at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution)
Set in the early 19th century, you play as the heir of the powerful aristocratic family of Morrigan. But your true identity is that of a fallen noble from a disgraced house. Once renowned for its art and craftsmanship, your family collapsed after falling into crippling debt following a failed business attempt and accusations of planning a coup against the royal family. At least that's what the public is aware of. However you know better than that. Your family were no traitors, they were victims of a malicious plot woven by none other than the Duke of Sinclair, once an old friend of your family. Following the false accusations your family collapsed in no time and your parents and siblings were executed publicly.
You who were the lone survivor of this massacre changed your identity for fear of being caught and killed as well, living as a coal miner in an old orphanage. You craved vengeance but what could you, a fallen noble from a disgraced house, possibly do against a Duke who is one of the pillars of the great empire and the closest associate of the Empress.
You prayed day and night to the heavenly being that watched your downfall, desperately begging to be given a second chance in life. But all seemed for naught as the days turned to weeks and weeks to years. Just when you had given up all hope for revenge, an opportunity landed before you, appearing in the form of your father and the current head of the Morrigan Duchy, Law Morrigan.
Between the two choices given to you, as to whether you'd seek justice or vengeance against your enemies, you chose vengeance.
For the past 12 years you have been trained to become the perfect killer by your father. Born with the extremely rare phenomenon known only as a 'Miracle' you have been blessed by the Murder Miracle.
Now, young heir, this is your story. Your history to be written. Will continue down your bloody warpath of vengeance and be remembered in history as the punisher of the wicked and upsurer of the monarchy, OR will you let the impartial hands of justice make their judgement to your wrong doers and be remembered as the saint of justice. The choice is yours.
House of Ashes is a dark, interactive work of fiction that takes place in the early 19th century, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It follows the story of vengeance in the midst of political chaos, grisly murders and schemes behind the scenes, while you have to choose between morality and desire to achieve what you want and what you believe in.
It is rated 18+ for violence, explicit themes, possible sexual content, and ofcourse, lots of blood and gore.
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Customize yout heir from their name, appearance, gender identity, pronouns anf many more. Choose what your heir thinks of their family, their position and their responsibilities.
Choose a weapon and master an ancient martial art of choice. Or don't and become a jack of all trades.
Choose what kind of heir you want them become and how far you're willing to go to protect your title. Will you go for a more diplomatic approach with a case of mutual relationship with your siblings or crush them with your overwhelming strength to show your authority.
Will you choose to give in to your murderous instincts or suppress them.
Get involved in a murder investigation following a serious of gruesome serial killings, and maybe learn that there was more than what meets the eye regarding the downfall of your house.
Indulge in some romance along the way with six different characters with varying backgrounds to choose from. Or just don't.
Choose a pet cat or dog to become your acquaintance. Perhaps if you're feeling a little exotic, a hawk will do?
More features to come
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The Crown Prince - Maximilian Windsor Celtica [Male]
The oldest of the Sun Twins, Crown Prince Maximilian is a very reverred personality among the nobles. He is known for his shrewdness and extremely ambitious nature. A very charismatic person, he has a way with his words which often allows others to lower their guard around him. Aiming to become the Emperor of the Celtica Empire one day, having such ambitious goals mean Maximilian is willing to do anything to achieve them. That includes sending assassins after his twin, the Crown Princess. With an analytical mind that allows him to see those inferior than him as mere pawns, falling for him is a doomed endeavor.
He is the holder of the Domination Miracle.
The Crown Princess - Victoria Windsor Celtica [Female]
The youngest of the Sun Twins, Crown Princess Victoria is often compared to her golden brother and frequently referred to as the ugly duckling of the two. An aloof individual, Victoria is a person of very few words and prefers to end things up quickly with sharp jabs and assertive speeches. Although a cold person, she has a kind side to her too, which often sees her donating large portions of her personal wealth to orphanages and charities, making her widely beloved among the citizens of the empire. Due to the frequent assassination attempts on her life, Victoria has chosen to close her heart off towards everyone, preferring to bear all the burdens on her own.
She is the holder of the Conquest Miracle.
The Fated Enemy - Cedric/Cordelia Sinclair [Gender Selectable]
Your mortal enemy. The child of the person responsible for your family's death and your misery. There are many things that you wish to address them as but cannot find the words to. That's how much you despise them. Imagine the surprise when they offered their hand for friendship to you. Contrary to how you imagine them as, like a spoiled young master from a privileged family, they're relatively humble. And also a little stupid. But behind their sunshine happy-go-lucky attitude, something much darker is lurking.
They are the holder of the Shackle Miracle.
The Best Friend - Orion/Ophelia Lancaster [Gender Selectable]
The lone, stoic heir of the righteous Lancaster Duchy, and also your best friend ever since the day you stepped foot into your new home, they are one of the few people that you trust. Although they have some trouble communicating with people regarding their feelings, they're a gentle giant compared to their intimidating features. They're also very open and blunt with their words whenever they speak so people tend to think of them as rude, not you though, you like their honesty. The two of you have stuck through the thick and thin of each other's lives like gum and even promised to do so until the end of your lives. But good things never truly last do they? A small misunderstanding which eventually gew to become a feud between the two oldest families of the empire, you wonder, what went wrong?
They're the holder of the Belief Miracle.
The Dream Demon - [???]
All dreams have a price to be paid. Are you willing to pay yours?
The Ash Demon - [???]
An old fossil, rising from the burnt ashes of your past. Do you remember me? Don't worry if you don't. I do.
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DEMO || THE RO'S || THE FOUR FAMILIES || THE MIRACLE
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More details on the RO's, their families and the Miracles will be added soon. Until then, i hope you like my poor attempt for an IF 🥲
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p1err0st4r · 3 months
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☆ | author's note : hello ! Im so sorry for not posting for so long. :33 I have been feeling bad lately , but now that i spent most of my pocket money on energy drinks ... or vapes ( i have been drinking one per day for 20 days straight ) so it gave me an idea.
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★ | warnings : gn!reader ; fluff mostly ; cursing ( from reader mostly ) ; modern!human!alastor ; might be un canon ; can be seen both as planotic and romantic ( no specifics ) ; reader is in university ; alastor and reader are both in their early 20s ; in this AU alastor is not a murderer.
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Well it has been a while since you properly slept.
Your grades , for the most part weren't great so you spent hours to days studying without a stop until you were just dizzy from not eating for days on end. And not only that but your grades were still hot shit , which worried you since you didn't want to lose your scholarship. It wad already rare , so you were "blessed".
As you opened the apartment door the sounds of jazz met your ears , Alastor was already home. You didn't want to make your boyfriend upset , mostly about your habits , but you didn't know what to do to keep yourself a bit fresher than you wanted to be. You drifted into your thoughts as you took of your coat and hung it , then stepped into the apartment... well , stumbled. It would be much more fitting.
"Ah , dear , didn't notice you there ! How was your day?"
Alastor said with a smile as he helped you with your bag.
"Shitty , as usual. I think i'll fail geomtery this semester."
You exclaimed. Alastor chuckled as he led you to the kitchen.
"Well i think if you actually were healthy your grades would be much better so i-"
"Al. Babe , you don't have to take care of me , im not a child. It's only a month until the exams so i need to study non stop."
You gave him a gentle kiss on the head. He always cooked for you , every evening so by now your humble little apartment was nearly a food storage. You felt guilty and ungreatful , he worked hard and you just ended up brushing it off.
You went to the fridge and took out another energy drink... for gods sake it was the 3rd one today. Alastor took your wrist before you could open it.
"Darling i insist... and i'd prefer that you stopped drinking those ,it's bad for the heart ! And i don't want you getting more sick. Besides , it's saturday and i think you should give sunday out to take care of yourself."
You stared at him with your tired eyes. It was ... true. Everything he said was true. You barely payed attention to him even , which made you feel worse. You sighed before you brushed off his hand.
"Last one , Al. I swear i'll eat later."
You opened the can and took a gulp.
You realized it barely even helped you at this point , even though you had like a whole stash in your fridge. It was now a mere apitizer for your pathetic little life.
"Ugh , fine."
Alastor calmed down a bit and as you sat down at the table he placed a plate in front of you then sat across you , just watching you.
"You're not gonna eat ?"
"Oh , i already did."
"You know you don't look any better than me."
Alastors expression became annoyed. You looked like a skeleton and could barely lift up your bag, which wasn't that heavy because it was all just notes and papers.
"Fine , fine , im sorry."
You said before a shaky chuckle escaped your lips.
"You better be."
"Oh nooo , im so scared of mister thin tall and bad."
He forced out a laugh.
"Be greatful that mister thin tall and bad keeps you fed."
You couldn't complain about that. Your boyfriend was an absolute charmer. You decided to continue eating in silence.
"Maybe i'll have the honor to sleep with you tonight instead of you sleeping on your desk ?"
You just nodded. The idea was great ... but you'd lose 8 hours of studying.
"What do i get in return?"
"Oho , what do you get ? I think you got enough. Consider it... payment."
You laughed at your boyfriend.
Honestly you sometimes thought how'd you even get him into your arms. He was the one to initiate every move at first. Gifting you various gifts and even helping you with your home task, which you failed... plenty of times. He was such a charmer , and you were a clean paper. It seemed irrational
You snapped out of your thoughts... literally , ad Alastor snapped his fingers in front of your face.
"Eat up. We have to go to bed soon."
"I love you."
Alastor stared at you for a good moment before he slowly chuckled with a sweet voice.
"I love you too... but you still hsve to eat."
His hand lifted up to your face and wiped the corner of your mouth with a napkin.
What a sweet night.
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♱   | ok but i would LOVE to live like that. I cry for 2 hours straight when i come back from university or work. ( average adulthood life )
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theloveinc · 1 year
Note
Please I need more of shy dating app shinshou 😭
hmmmm, i don't really know what to say!!
i think it's a little bit weird because... you honestly don't expect it to work out so well with him. not that you didn't want it to, but dating app relationships never go *this* well, right? so the fact that it made it to the point of meeting is. almost shocking.
(but he's the only guy who's ever made you laugh through a screen, much less gotten you flustered... the only one who's ever offered you so much of his free time, too, you wonder: does he ever sleep?, alongside all these oaths of pleasure: is he lying?)
but like... then you meet, and he actually is who he says, and you're who you say (and much, much MORE)... so there comes this sudden shyness when that fear, the only fear left between you, now that you've been talking so long, is assuaged.
but you know that thing that happens when... you both KNOW you're into each other and the tensions are high w/ attraction but neither of you know how to actually light the spark to let it all unleash?
THAT'S how it feels when you're finally w/ shinso irl. so different than when online ... but not because he feels or thinks differently, but because he doesn't want to come off too strong too fast and scare you off. like a persona is one thing, of course, but actually fucking u on the first or second date? teasing you til you're giggling and hot.... IDK. it feels a little... impolite, doesn't it?
but he's nothing but a gentleman, and it's an... interesting surprise. not bad, far from it, but.............. suddenly his cool, sly and funny nonchalance that tickles you through text has become........... handsome, thoughtful and intense in a way that makes your pelvis tight.
like, who is this sexy man??? who's taking your hand and kissing the back of it, opening the car door for you, putting his jacket around your shoulders after the meal and looking at you so intently every time you speak.
and it's good, SO good, but scary too because he's quieter than before, quieter than when you've been on the phone. and maybe that means he's not actually that into you after meeting you after all? just trying to get through it?
BUT NO. people said this in the tags of the initial post (and god bless them for it), but he's just ALSO in shock. at your beauty, your manner (i read too much early modern lit these days get me out of here), everything... and the whole date feels like the best thing to ever happen to him, even if he can't bring himself to express it, or address (to himself) how tight the crotch of his slacks got when he accidentally got a look down your fancy top.
so he comes off as shy! Poor guy!!!
.....................even if he does text you about going on a second date as soon as he gets home from dropping you off (and giving you a kiss on your cheek). and then tells you about what your little outfit was doing to him the WHOLE NIGHT.
(and yes, he smiles the next date. i promise).
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dvrcos · 2 months
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Ive been bothering everyone I possibly can by dropping asks abt Aaron in their inbox soo it's ur turn now
Any Aaron hcs? Your opinion on skater boy Aaron?
And because I love Kevin too, any Kevin hcs? I feel like people tend to forget that Kevin likes photography too canonically besides exy and history
OMG I JUST SAW THIS THANK YOU FOR ASKING HEHEHEHE
Skater boy Aaron is real and true and canon (to me at least)
He is the poster boy for the early 2000s skater aesthetic
Part of the reason he continues skating in college is because he enjoys the heart attack it gives Kevin
Kevin doesn’t want him getting hurt and jeopardizing the team and his wellbeing
So Aaron makes sure he finds time to skate everyday
Aaron is a lover of pop culture and is just a fucking nerd dude
He loves Lord of the Rings and read Harry Potter as it came out (and also very actively hates JKR in the modern day)
Aaron Minyard is a chronic migraine girly
He’s a med student and athlete who gets very little sleep so his head constantly hurts
And yaknow what he’s a little bitch about it too
He is constantly complaining to Katelyn and using it as an excuse to be an asshole
(I love him so dearly)
I also think he is constantly cold and has terrible blood circulation
His hands and feet are always freezing
Years of drug use and constantly needing to take Advil for his headaches has just shot his cardiovascular system
So he’s constantly cold and doesn’t run a lot because his stamina is shit
He has a raging addiction to caffeine and his vice is RedBulls
His sleep schedule is absolutely wrecked from both Exy and school so he’s rarely ever without a RedBull in hand
I don’t think he cares a lot about his diet but he does try to keep it pretty nutrient packed bc he knows the benefits of it
But he also has a sweet tooth (not as strong as Andrew’s but still strong) and he favors baked goods like cake and banana bread and pastries
His vision is bad and it just keeps getting worse over the years but he doesn’t wear his glasses often
He usually resorts to contacts but has to switch to his glasses late at night or when his head is hurting extra bad
OKAY KEVIN FUCKING DAY
He loves tea
Like has an extensive tea collection and will spend the money to buy teas from around the world
He also has a mug collection (the Foxes start gifting him mugs every holiday when they find out about it)
His favorite mugs are his vintage Trojans mug, a “history is not boring” mug the Foxes gave him when he graduated, and a Hogwarts mug Aaron gave him
(they read the series together :P)
Kevin’s favorite areas of history to study are Ancient Rome and the history of Ireland
He’s fascinated by the Roman Empire and studying Ireland makes him feel more connected to his mother
I think he continues school on the side and eventually gets a doctorate degree and teaches a bit after he retires from Exy
He always tries to sign with teams in or near the cities the other OG Foxes are in because he doesn’t really know how to function without the familiarity of his people
Kevin works a lot on undoing his Raven dietary habits and since he’s surrounded by people who can’t cook he grows a love for frozen food as well as caffeine
I think he takes a few art classes and really enjoys it even though he doesn’t think he’s that great at it
He’s actually not bad at all and makes a lot of really cool pieces
Kevin exclusively wears 5 inch inseam shorts
Anything longer is blasphemous
He has basically zero sense of style and just kind of mimics what the others are wearing
Until Allison forces him to go to the mall with her and they spend hours building him a real wardrobe that is him
Most of his closest still consists of PSU and USC merch though
And truly would this even be me if I didn’t put kevaaron headcanons? No
Kevin is basically a human radiator, especially after practice
And that is a blessing directly from God in Aaron’s eyes
Kevin comes back from night practice and Aaron just clings to him, absorbing all of his heat as they fall asleep
Aaron is a chronic clothes stealer like he just has sticky fingers when it comes to Kevin’s wardrobe
They spend a lot of time together in the library
They’re both in quite intensive and workload heavy majors so they study together a lot
It happened more as an accident tbh like Aaron was heading to the library to study for a midterm
And basically all of PSU’s student body had the same idea so there was no open tables
But low and behold there was Kevin, alone at a table tucked in the back corner, typing away at his laptop
Aaron joins him without asking and it kinda just becomes their thing
Kevin joins Aaron at the library between regular and night practices
They spend most of their weekends there and bring each other caffeinated drinks and snacks
Eventually they’re not even studying half the time, they’re just talking and spending time with each other outside of Exy and the other Foxes curious glances and prying comments
Aaron takes a history class with Kevin but Kevin refuses to take any science class outside of his required credits
He’s not a science person so Aaron doesn’t take it personally
Kevin can never properly wrap his head around how strong Aaron actually is
It just doesn’t compute for him, like how can so much strength be packed into such a small body
But he is most definitely not complaining, especially not when that strength is so clearly but on display or used against him
Kevin is practically drooling anytime he watches Aaron body check a striker twice his size and send them sprawling onto the floor
They become each others partners/marks during practices and it is simultaneously the best and worst thing to ever happen
They’re just excessively flirting while tripping each other and fighting with their racquets
The other Foxes comment on their “weird and disturbing foreplay” every chance they get
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star-of-zeus · 24 days
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Greek Mythology ‘versus’ Greek Religion
Excerpt from “Hellenic Paganism” by Samantha Leaver, published by Moon Books in 2021, as part of the Pagan Portals series.
”I do not believe Greek mythology is Greek religion, although they are closely linked, the huge range of myths concerned with Gods, heroes and rituals embody the worldview of the ancient Hellenes after all. Many of us understand that the myths varied over time and any writer could change a myth, there are often several versions of the same story. They are a guide, but I wouldn’t advise taking them literally, writers often change the roles played by their characters and therefore the overall message of the same myth can be different depending on the writer and indeed the audience it was intended for. Hesiod seems to have occasionally invented family links over several generations of deity to explain the origin and condition of the universe. The word story seems to by synonymous with Myth in Hellenic Pagan circles, they’re for entertainment purposes and perhaps to try to explain the way the world worked to common folk.”
A well-put insight on the fact that, like any other culture and religion, a lot of ancient Hellenic paganism is a product of its time, and so are the myths and the lessons within. The archetypes of human nature so brilliantly interwoven into these stories are connection points we can reach across time and space, but that does not mean that we need not be mindful of the sociocultural distance/difference that still exists. The society within which true ancient Hellenic paganism was practiced no longer exists, so if we wish to implement it into the 21st century it’s my personal belief that we don’t simply ignore the bumps, but be aware of them. Religious practice of any kind needs to evolve alongside its people if it’s meant to survive, but we still need to find the balance between tradition and modernity, a line each Pagan practitioner walks their own way. Overall, though, my message is don’t take the myths at face value! Their true worth lies within delving deeper and understanding why these values were picked to be represented in these ways in these stories, and how that reflects on the society itself. You’ll get so much more out of your practice by taking the myths with a grain of salt and having a little playfulness and curiosity with them instead of simply viewing them in black and white.
If anyone has tidbits of myths they questioned at first but then did a little research on and would like to share, I would love to hear and discuss more! Remember to thank your Gods today. Blessings to everyone, and a happy early May. :)
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earthstellar · 8 months
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it is time to be old on the internet: TFP Ratchet's hatred of 2010 era human tech is hilarious
every time Ratchet complains about shitty human technology in TFP, it's so funny to me, that shit is so good
because, I mean, I grew up with the first computer in my house being a fucking Tandy 1000, which to be fair wasn't exactly the hottest model even then, but still LMAO
the first modem I ever messed with as a kid was the wood box phone receiver type, the acoustic coupler ones, which was my dad's, and he only had it because his job at a local university meant he could borrow one from their tech lab (so we didn't technically own it)
if I remember correctly, the one we had ran at 300 baud, which was fucking amazing for such a set up at the time. slightly later AOL dial up looked like lightning speed compared to that shit.
my first chat rooms were BBS/Usenet (whenever I could connect) and IRC chats. now everyone has Discord and I still don't understand how that shit works lmao but that's more of a me problem and less of an age problem, I think
we got dial up (in the "modern" sense of it being AOL dial up service with the infamous hell noises) in my household in 1994, back when it was pretty much a brand new thing (at least for AOL), and I remember the Eternal September Usenet rush, lmao
imagine if TFP took place in the 80s/90s, oh my god
(I'm assuming TFP takes place in roughly 2010 because that's when the show premiered, and Miko has some kind of Razr-inspired flip phone, so if we assume it's supposed to be based on the first model of Razr, then at the earliest that places the show in 2004)
Ratchet would have gone completely insane with old school internet capable consumer level human tech
Ratchet: "How do I look at photos on this monitor?"
80s Raf: "what"
Ratchet: "what"
oh god now I want an 80s/90s TFP AU so fucking bad. imagine 80s Raf. it's so good
oh god, IMAGINE 90s RAF. just getting traumatised by terrifying shitty mid-90s FMV horror games. this poor boy. but imagine his hype when the PS1 would come out in the USA in 1995. the hype would be so fucking real. lmao
also for those of you who are Younger and Blessed With Good Internet From An Early Age, if you want a good idea of old school internet shit, go ahead and watch WarGames (1983) and look up 2600 Magazine and Mondo 2000 if you don't already know about those.
(personally I consider WarGames and Hackers (1995) to be the two best simultaneously dumbest and best movie depictions of computer bullshit in their respective eras, although Hackers was more of a thing that informed cyber culture after it released rather than reflecting actual hacker culture as it was at that exact time but anyway, please watch them if you have not seen them already, you will love this shit lmao)
I assume almost all of you already know about this stuff, but just in case, I want to mention it. those two movies are really good. lol
anyway, Ratchet dealing with early internet. early shitty human tech. or at least the 90s shit. imagine Ratchet having to listen to the fucking dial up screeching. the kids having to look through geocities webrings to see if any images of the bots had been leaked on any conspiracy websites. just 10/10 lmaooo
"I hate talking to machines" Ratchet, buddy, you have NO IDEA how bad it could have been!!!
anyway I'm old, I guess that's the point of this post LOL
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our-lord-satanas · 2 months
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PAGAN AND SATANIC HOLIDAYS AND CELEBRATIONS
NOTE: ALL IS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER, LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED ANYTHING.
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PAGAN:
IMBOLC (CANDLEMAS): (February 1st) a festival dedicated to the Goddess of the New Year (Brigid).
OSTARA (SPRING EQUINOX): (March 19th-23rd) marks the Spring Equinox, which happens between March 19-23. Ostara is a Pagan celebration of the German Goddess Eostre
BELTANE (MAY EVE): (May 1st) the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.
SUMMER SOLSTICE (MIDSUMMER/LITHA): (June 21st) Litha occurs during the Summer Solstice between June 19th-22nd. More commonly referred to as Midsummer's Night, Litha is believed to be a time when faerie folk pass into the human world at Twilight and offer blessings. Litha is a time to celebrate the abundance and beauty of Mother Earth.
LUGHNASADH (LAMMAS): (August 1st) a Pagan holiday and one of the eight Wiccan sabbats during the year. Each sabbat marks a seasonal turning point. The sabbat occurs on August 1st, which is about halfway between the Summer Solstice (Litha) and the Fall Equinox (Mabon).
AUTUMN EQUINOX (MABON): (September 21st-24th) represents the height of nature's abundance and usually falls between September 21st-24th. It is seen as the height of the harvest season and is a time to celebrate nature's bounty. Many also celebrate the balance in nature during Mabon.
SAMHAIN (ALL HALLOWS): (November 1st) a festival dedicated to the dead and a celebration of the New Year.
WINTER SOLSTICE (MIDWINTER/YULE): (December 21st-25th) a Winter Solstice festival. The longest night of the year followed by the sun's "rebirth" and lengthening of days. In most traditions, Yule is celebrated as the rebirth of the Great God, who is viewed as the newborn solstice sun. Some Pagans consider Yule to be the beginning of the New Year
SATANIC:
LUPERCALIA: (February 15th) celebration of bodily autonomy, sexual liberation, and reproduction. Based on the Roman festival of the same name, Lupercalia falls on February 15. In keeping with the ancient tradition, February 13th and 14th are observed as feast days leading up to the actual holiday. What we are translating this to in TST is a "hail yourself" day. This idea offers a parallel to the "others-centered" traditions of Sol Invictus.
HEXENNACHT: (April 30th) occasion honoring those who fell victim to superstition and pseudoscience, whether by. In Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust: a Tragedy (1808), Mephisto and Faust attend the Walpurgisnacht revelry atop Mount Brocken. TST's Hexenacht is a solemn holiday to honor those who were victimized by superstition.
UNVEILING DAY: (July 25th) celebration of religious plurality and shedding archaic superstition. A centerpiece of our religious movement and icon of modern Satanism, the Baphomet with Children statue was commissioned by The Satanic Temple in 2014 and created by Mark Porter with "respect for diversity and religious minorities" in mind. On July 25, 2015, The Satanic Temple unveiled Baphomet to a large crowd of devotees in Detroit, signaling the beginning of the new Satanic era. We observe this milestone in Satanic history by celebrating Unveiling Day.
DEVILS NIGHT (MISCHIEF NIGHT): (October 30th-November 4th) an informal holiday on which children, teenagers and adults engage in jokes, pranks, vandalism, or parties. It is known by a variety of names including Devils Night, Gate Night, Goosey Night, Moving Night, Cabbage Night, Mystery Night and Mat Night.
HALLOWEEN: (October 31st) holiday to celebrate indulgence and embrace the darkness and its aesthetic. Halloween is consistently described as evil, demonic, and satanic by those steeped in religious dogma. Costumes, candy, and facing fears are to be embraced.
SOL INVICTUS: (December 25th) a holiday to celebrate indulgence and embracing the darkness and its aesthetic. The cult of Sol existed within Rome since its early days as a republic, and Invictus was an epithet used for Jupiter, Mars, and Apollo (among others). The festival celebrated these Gods and may have also been used to celebrate the winter solstice.
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