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stardestroyer81 · 4 months

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My first post of 2024 may have been cited to be the first look at Star Tower, my arcade-centric Pizza Tower AU, though consider this post to be your first real look at both the AU! This is a post I've been wanting to make for quite some time, and I am simply overjoyed to finally reveal the first set of characters for Star Tower!!! ⭐👾✨

This is a long post packed to the brim with art— some of which aren't featured in the above image— so if you're interested, I highly suggest you read on underneath the cut! 💙✨

As an AU, Star Tower dates back to March 3rd of 2023, which is when I first drew the logo for it. A sprite of myself drawn in the Pizza Tower artstyle predates Star Tower as an AU by about a month, so I think it goes without question that the stand-in for Peppino is Star Tower is a representation of myself!

It's just another day for Star Splitscreen at the local arcade, when all of a sudden, the multicade cabinet bugs out and sucks her inside! It's within the cabinet's confines where she meets the omnipotent Sinistar, who claims it'll set her free if she can best its '20-in-1 Supercade Challenge'.

What follows is an arduous adventure that sees Star venturing through arcade games familiar and obscure, and learning Sinistar's secret identity as well as escaping back into the real world all depends on her success... it's a good thing a seasoned arcade expert like her has what it takes!

I knew going into designing for Star Tower that I wanted each floor boss (I.E. Pepperman, The Noise, etc.) to be represented with an actual character from an established arcade game (With one exception...) and trust me when I say that I spent a fair amount of time carefully going through every arcade game I knew of and selecting a character appropriate for each boss's role.

Ultimately, I'm quite proud of the selection of characters I settled with, so let's jump right in and discuss Pepperman's stand-in...

Goro from 1983's Mappy! I find that, in terms of appearance, Goro was a perfect fit to replace Pepperman. Both are predominantly large red characters who are often depicted with wide, toothy grins— it was the perfect match!

Unlike both his canon personality and his personality in the animated ShiftyLook series, Goro in Star Tower is a lot more nefarious and self-centered, and sends out the Meowkies to do his dirty work when his own efforts don't cut it. I wanted to include sprites of the three Meowkies for this post originally, but I decided to save them for a future post (That's tech talk for 'I'm still trying to figure out how to stylize them').

I think of the four main bosses, Goro was the hardest to sprite in the Pizza Tower artstyle solely for the way his head is drawn. There's something about his face that was extremely difficult to draw at such a small scale, but after drawing pretty much every other sprite featured in this post, he was the final character in this lineup that I drew a sprite for, and I'm quite happy with it!

While Goro is certainly an iconic character, the same can't be said for The Vigilante's stand-in who, in spite of starring in one of the earliest known arcade games, is all the more obscure. Enter...

Mr. Jack from 1979's Sheriff! The Vigilante is the only boss of the main four who originally was going to be represented by an entirely different character, that being Kinzo from 1996's Pac-Man Arrangement.

It was when I remembered about Sheriff that I realized that Mr. Jack was the perfect candidate to replace The Vigilante. I mean, both are represented as mostly yellow cowboys armed with guns and a fashionable cowboy hat. How much closer could you get than that?

The real challenge was finding a good image of Mr. Jack to base his appearance in Star Tower off of. For those who don't know, Mr. Jack only has three known images of him that exist despite the fact that the game he hails from is over forty years old, so it wasn't exactly the easiest task.

I decided to base his appearance off of how he looks on Sheriff's bezel as that's the only full-body look we've ever gotten of him. The guy already looks like a Pizza Tower character as it is (A long lost cousin of Burton, perhaps?), and I find that his sprite looks the most like something you would actually see in Pizza Tower!

On the topic of arcade characters that are perfect fits for stand-ins of certain Pizza Tower characters...

Charley Chuck from 1983's Food Fight was, without question, the ideal choice to replace The Noise. One look at this flyer for Food Fight should perfectly encapsulate as to why. He's a little brat who's primary objective is to make the lives of the local chefs miserable. Sound familiar? It should!

Charley has had numerous different designs drawn for him around the time his game debuted, and it was pretty difficult settling on just the right one. I decided to give him a white and red striped shirt which he wears on the Food Fight arcade cabinet, and draw him as similar to the Noise as I could— I even sized him so that he stands smaller than Star, which took a lot more time than I'm willing to admit.

What's particularly interesting is that, fairly recently, Atari announced a Splatoon-like game for their VCS console, and you'll never believe who's the poster boy and what the game is a sequel to. I'm fairly certain that just before the announcement of Food Fight: Culinary Combat, I was the only person who was doing anything with Charley Chuck, and here he is starring in a brand new game some forty years after his initial debut. Not bad, kid!

One must wonder if I was the one who manifested Charley's return into existence...

With Charley Chuck properly introduced, I can move onto who may just be my favorite of this post's lineup...

Crazy Star.

With the success of 1981's Donkey Kong, an officially licensed clone was created for use in Japan only, though found its way outside of the country without the license to do so from Nintendo. This clone's name is Crazy Kong, and to say it's uncanny wouldn't be doing it justice.

Originally, I was a bit hesitant on just designing a 'fake Star' and calling it a day. I wanted there to be some arcade theming to it, and when the idea of a 'bootleg Star' came to mind, I quickly turned to Crazy Kong as a point of reference and Crazy Star is what came out of it (I should also mention that Crazy Kong released in 1981... now that's what I call meant to be)!

Out of everyone featured in this post, I've definitely drawn Crazy Star the absolute most because, as I mentioned before, it's just about my favorite of the Star Tower bunch! My favorite detail about it is that its color palette is made up of colors hand-picked from Crazy Kong itself!

Originally, I had screen-picked its colors from a YouTube video of the clone, resulting in a slightly different color scheme, but once I found a sprite sheet for Crazy Kong, it resulted in the Crazy Star you see in this post! Crazy Star may look unsettling, but in reality it's just as welcoming as Star, and all it wants is to be just like her.

Just like her... just like her... just like her...

Beware... Sinistar from the 1983 arcade game of the same name lives! Yet another instance of the perfect replacement, both Pizzaface and Sinistar are giant evil floating circles, and it was clear to me from the get-go that Sinistar would make a perfect stand-in for the former, especially since half of its name is 'Star'!

Drawing a sprite for Sinistar was both a cakewalk and a challenge. For one, seeing as its sprite is on the larger side, that meant I had a lot more detail to work with. On the other hand, however, I struggled for a while to get a good design drawn for Sinistar. Eventually, my good friend @panurei-derogatory suggested that it would be funny if Sinistar was hyper-realistically detailed compared to the other sprites, and that was something I had a lot of fun with when drawing its sprite!

Anyone who's played Pizza Tower knows that Pizzaface himself is merely a facade, as the true mastermind behind Peppino's misery has been hidden in plain sight since the very start— the comically villainous Pizzahead! I think out of every 'arcade stand-in' I chose for Star Tower, coming up with one for Pizzahead was the absolute hardest, because none of my ideas really seemed to stick the landing.

But then, I thought "What if it was a completely original character?"

And that's where Richard Benito Townsend (More commonly known by his alias 'Richie T.'), the self-proclaimed 'king of video games', enters the scene!

Richie T., who is absolutely not based off of any notorious cheaters in the arcade world record scene, is a washed-up video game master has-been, once highly regarded in his heyday for being an icon in the world of video games before his supposed 'unbeatable world records' were discovered to be fraudulent.

Shunned to a life of seclusion, the ever boisterous Richie T. now pilots Sinistar within a multicade cabinet where he's free to call the shots, daring to go toe-to-toe with Star once she proves herself worthy of being a Supercade Superstar. After all, she's just some girl— she can't possibly trounce the Richie T., can she?

Spoilers: He has no idea.

And with that out of the way, that's just about everything I wanted to touch base on in pertains to this first set of Star Tower characters! As I said before, this post has been a long time coming, and it's ever so wonderful to finally get this out onto tumblr!

You can expect a part two of sorts to this post sometime in the coming months, as there are still more stand-ins I've yet to post... this time, replacements of the supporting characters, such as Gustavo, Mr. Stick, and a couple of others! For now, I hope that you've enjoyed your first real look at the world of Star Tower! 💙✨

#⭐ Star's Art ⭐#Star Tower #Pizza Tower #Pizza Tower AU #Arcade Games #Star Splitscreen #Goro Mappy #Mr. Jack #Charley Chuck #Crazy Star #Sinistar #Richie T.#Aseprite #Sprite Art #Coolness #STAR TOWER WILL BE REAL IN ZERO SECONDS!!!#I spent a solid two or three hours writing everything for this post from the write-ups to the image IDs #I was simply THAT determined to get this post up as soon as I had finished every sprite featured in this post.#For those who have read the entire post I realize I keep repeating how nice it feels to have these sprites out there now...#And I truly mean it! Now I can post all the miscellaneous stuff I've made for Star Tower I wouldn't have been able to post before!#Such as the OODLES of Crazy Star content I've drawn XD #I'm considering on drawing a render for some of the other bosses like I did with Richie T. and Crazy Star #I think it would look particularly cool to have full-sized renders of Goro and Charley Chuck in particular!#Hopefully this post properly illustrates just how big of a love letter Star Tower is to arcade game fans the world over #My best friend Kintsu knows full well of just how many arcade references I've packed into ideas for Star Tower #I again want to give her a shout-out for encouraging me to go all in on this AU— it wouldn't be where it is now without her 💛

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corvarrow · 6 months

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Okay, every time I've tried to upload this it looks blurry >_>a And I cannot figure out why so please full view!

Anyway, I present to you a better picture of one of my newer OCs, Akiyohm! He was in a few of my Lost Kingdoms art challenge pieces, though kind of loosely designed ~ I hadn't been able to work out how I wanted to draw his hair until more recently.

Aki is an ancient sion (an original race of mine) and was originally built to act as a trader, obtaining raw materials and trading out the finished goods that his siblings were responsible for making. He is a Namesake sion, but in shorthand you can consider him a type of royal, like a figurehead king. (Got a couple more notes about this here.) Although many eons pass between when he gained sentience and what could be considered his "present day", he likes humans most out of his siblings and continues to run trading routes, at least until a series of events occur.

Aki's city, Fatewinder's Beacon, is pretty far into the desert, so while he has a bunch of different outfits, his main one has him covered up because...sand. The outfits that show way more skin are usually the more 'courtly' ones.

Now I need to work out his colors, lol. I think its mostly going to be a lot of reds and browns maybe, though he has green eyes.

#behold! my art #my art #digital sketch #procreate #my ocs #Arrow's ocs: Akiyohm / Fatewinder #horned oc #horned human #humanoid oc #artists on tumblr #Arrow's Worldbuilding: ancient sions #character design #swords #swordsman

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its-the-cat-queen · 3 months

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*flutters down on iridescent wings*

It is me! The Infodump Fairy! I have come to cast a spell upon you that will cause you to ramble for way too long about Trolls! Please, o’ talented one, tell me why this series has captivated you so!

(Ok but seriously I’ve seen your stuff for it (which fucking SLAPS btw) and this is a series I’ve never really been very interested in, so I’m very curious about what draws you to it! Only if you want to share, of course! As you can see, I am not a real fairy and my spells are fake lol)

Oh dear Infodump Fairy! Your spell is taking its effects!

Asfdhgd seriously though, believe me, I have no problem rambling about Trolls all day jvjfjhf. This is not gonna be very coherent, so sorry in advance. 😅 (Also, thank you, I'm so glad you like my work! <3)

Okay so. I've actually been here since the trailer for the first movie came out (I wasn't very active in the fandom back then, though). I was already invested from that moment on, specifically in the two main characters, Poppy and Branch, and their dynamic, who I took one look at and said, "yeah, I ship that" hfjhf. I think what mostly got to me was the characters, the designs, the fact that it's such a fun and colorful world, and of course, the music. The songs are so good! Like, all of them. Yes, they are mostly just covers of already popular songs with some word changes here and there, but my GOD, are they good covers! But anyway, love me a musical with fun characters! Personally, I think all of the characters have deeper issues about them than what you can see on the surface and what you would expect from a children's movie franchise. Like, Branch has so much trauma it really just feels like in every movie they are just trying to give him more and more problems hdkhdjd. Which of course, makes him a pretty compelling character altogether. Do other characters have as deep issues as him? Some of them. But like, they don't really have that much screentime, sadly. While Poppy and Branch are equally important characters in the first movie (and well, in all of the movies, imo), the second movie is what I would dub as "Poppy's Character Development - The Movie" jgkjfjfj. While the first movie operates with the whole "happiness is inside of all of us, we just need someone to help us find it" kinda message (which doesn't fully stick the landing but oh well), the second goes for stuff like differences, equality (of sorts), and tbh some kind of colonialism metaphor?? It also widens the world of trolls as we've known it, as we learn of other tribes of trolls, who are all connected through different kinds of music. So the whole worldbuilding here just makes things even more interesting.

Now the third movie. In the words of youtuber Mann of 1000 Thoughts, it "gives no fucks in all the right ways". Tbh the Trolls timeline has already been questionable, as is, with the Netflix tv shows that came out after the first and second movies, but this just throws another ranch in the system, and says fuck you to the timeline altogether jckbfh. Like, I managed to make it work once I dedicated a good half hour figuring out how Branch's secret long lost brothers who he was in a band with when he was a baby fit into the picture, but it's not perfect even then. There would definitely still be plotholes gkfhfgf. But at this point you just gotta turn your suspension of disbelief on and just go along with it, cuz it is SUCH a fun experience besides all that. (This goes for all the movies btw. Turn your brain off, you're gonna have a great time jfkhf.) Ngl this is the movie that really got me to jump right back into the fandom with full force, and now I'm back to thinking about all of the previous movies as well and appreciating all of the characters. Tbh when I watched the trailer for the third movie, I thought that the whole long lost brothers storyline was the worst idea they have ever come up with, and then I watched the movie and I was like, "fuck this is the best thing ever" gjfgdhd. Idk, we learn enough about Branch's brothers for them to be compelling characters of their own, while we also have a 20 year old gap in which we can pretty much imagine anything into, cuz we don't actually know all the details about how they got to where they are today after the band broke up. Idk, it's like a sandbox you can play in. And that is so much fun. Also, yeah. The music in the third movie also SLAPS! I listened to the soundtrack on loop for a week after watching it jfkhfh.

The humor is also great in all of the movies, in my opinion. I think my humor operates on Trolls standards at this point, which everyone can decide for themselves if it is good or not hkfjfj. I'm having fun so that's all that matters to me.

But yeah, it's just. Idk. It's difficult to pinpoint something very specific that lured me in. Although, I did mention quite some stuff altogether jfkjjf. It's all about the experience for me. The movies are just filled with so much energy, which I love, and they are, in my opinion, the perfect combination of that energy and emotional impact. Are they perfect movies? Absolutely not. But I'm enjoying myself immensely while watching them, and that's l that matters. Soooo yeah. That's about it for now, I've already been talking too long hkfhfjf

Hope some of this made sense, at least jkfjfj. Thank you for the ask <3 You sadly had no idea about the beast you would unleash fjdgdhd.

#ask #buttercup bs

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pixiemage · 2 years

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16 and 23?

[Ask Game]

16. What’s an AU you would love to read (or have read and loved)?

Hmm...that's an interesting one.

Now I'm the kind of person who has read a vast number of fanfics in my time. If I think of an interesting AU I usually look it up right away to see if it's out there for me to read. (I think I've read every single story of quality in the Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries tag on Ao3 and beyond.) When it comes to Marvel, I'm a MASSIVE fan of the Iron Dad trope (Tony Stark either adopts Peter, is a father figure for him, or finds out he's legitimately the kid's dad somehow). In MCYT, I find myself gravitating toward Watcher!Grian stories, Hermit!TommyInnit fics (which is how I learned most of what I know about the DSMP), anything from Traffic Life, and basically any story that lays out all the different MCYT universes as being part of one greater universe where they all meet up for MCC once a month.

But in lieu of sharing new AU ideas (because I don't have many and I'd rather save them for my own stories ;3), I'm gonna toss two different fics your way that have absolutely blown me away. They're both angstier than my usual taste but they're both absolutely amazing.

Covet by Oceanbreeze7 | (WIP) Takes place in Boatem during Season 8 of Hermitcraft. An AU in which Grian was never found after Evo and Pearl was taken on as a new Hermit in Season 6 (iirc). They find a strange creature below the Boatem Hole who they dub "Scout"...but Scout isn't what he seems. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

The Take A Chance On Me series by Poppyflowerlesbian | (WIP but it's a MASSIVE BEAST of a story and four novels have been completed thus far) Begins during HC S8, crossover with the DSMP. Ranboo ends up on Hermitcraft during S8, and in the process of helping him get home (and changing the DSMP timeline for the better) they draw the attention of the Watchers. When the Boatem crew jumps into the Boatem Hole at the end of S8, Grian is taken by the Watchers and thrown into the Dream SMP...right before the founding of L'Manburg. He's forced to live through their story alongside them and can't reveal anything about the future. Martyn, Jimmy, and Mumbo are sent to join him at different points to keep an eye on him...and shit goes south REAL quick. (There's Mumscarian, TreeBark, and I think Flower Husbands in this, tons of angst, and a lot of reading. I stopped partway through because I wanted to watch the actual DSMP before continuing, but it's so so good. It's heavy though, so keep that in mind going in.)

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

Ohhh, now this one made me think. More often than not if there's a trope or AU I've been inspired by, I just - write it. Some may never leave my Google Docs but they're out there! That's not to say there aren't some I've never had a chance to try out!

I love reading Time Travel Fix-Its, but it's a genre I've never really tried my hand at myself. Part of that is because I'm a stickler for details and I know I'd have to keep track of a lot of things to make a time travel story work, and I'd want to do it right. Domino Effect comes close, but that's more like a Groundhog Day/time loop fic than actual time travel.

So...yeah. Time Travel Fix-It or even just Time Travel Shenanigans. It'd be a heck of a time. ^^

(Also gonna throw Soulmate AU out there, because even though I'm technically writing in the Double Life soulmate trope for There's Not a Word Yet, I've never written the whole discovering-who-your-soulmate-is thing. I'd love to try that out in the future!)

#Ask the Mage #Fic Writer Ask Game #Anon Asks

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protagonistheavy · 23 days

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Does Smash Bros Ultimate have too many characters? This is a sentiment I've had for a while, but I've noticed lately that it's resonated with different folks too as the years have gone on, especially among people who were really active in the Smash scene for previous games -- yet didn't get as hooked into Ultimate.

A big reason I think so many people didn't connect with Ultimate as they did with previous entries is mainly because there's just so, so many characters. It's overwhelming to consider all of these different match-ups -- or even just the match-ups for the handful of characters you happen to play. There is so much homework you have to do if you want to improve at Smash lol; so many characters you have to learn about and figure out for your MUs, but also, a lot of these newer characters also come with wild gimmicks -- gimmicks that would require, like, a paragraph or more to explain fully. It's hard to predict and follow along with your opponent when you don't have this info to understand their decision making.

Whenever I happen to hop onto Smash nowadays and go for an online battle, it's always this frustrating feeling when I get matched against a character that I just know nothing about. I feel like I'm so disadvantaged because I don't have a wiki up to remind me that, oh, this new character has some RNG insta-kill mechanic, or that this character has an ability with only these specific limitations you have to consider.

And because there are so many characters, you're not totally likely to get to even play against them randomly again. You might fight a Sora today and think you learned how to play against him, but then it doesn't matter because the next 50 matches are against completely different characters. There's 89 characters, and even the echo fighters have their own unique attributes, which just confuses things more!

I'm sure for someone who does commit to playing regularly, this isn't too much to learn -- I mean, I play DBD and can remember what every perk and most add-ons do, I get how gamerbrain works. But for anyone that isn't playing the game, like, daily, 89 characters is just too much to juggle in one's memory, and it makes reapproaching the game later more awkward.

Sakurai made a big deal to note that Ultimate is very well and likely to be the only game where we're gonna see everyone, which leads me to believe that the next game will have a notably smaller lineup of fighters. Which is totally fine by me lol. I'm more than happy to see a lot of the third-parties shed off and only be replaced with a couple new entires.

But what I really would like to see is an effort to take the pre-existing characters, especially the old-old veterans of the series, and radically change-up their qualities and move sets. Some of these early-debuted characters have the unfortunate quality of having these outdated, unimaginative move sets -- qualities that were fine for the time back in Smash 64, but barely represent what the character is known for today. I think DK is one of the most clear examples, a character with so much history to draw a fighting-game move set from....... and yet he plays like Man With Two-Arms. Or look at Ganondorf as another example, whose been burdened all these years with a move set varied from Captain Falcon. Some of these characters can do so much more than what they're given, especially when you consider their latest entries -- tell me how you would design Princess Peach if you've only played Mario games from the past 10 years; would you really limit yourself to picking turnips or a hip throw as her SPECIAL moves??

This would also of course be an opportunity to take echo fighters and give them whole unique kits, with much more creative liberties being taken as necessary. Characters like Fox and Falco and Wolf would be so much more interesting if they had more unique move sets between them -- sure, I guess you can only make a gun be a different kind of gun so many times, but why do they ALL need to have the same special moves otherwise? They can come up with anything! Grenades, guns, Arwings, power-ups, tech -- they made-up Fire Fox and Fox Dash and basically made-up the Reflector Shield, so I'm sure they can come up with more stuff for these characters to do. At worst, I would even be completely satisfied if they took echo fighters and just combined them as skins for the base fighter; if they really can't come up with unique move sets between Marth and Roy besides making Roy have fire... then yeah, just fucking make them the same exact character but different colors lol. Give them the Bowser Jr./Koopaling treatment, it's fine!

Smash 4 had 58 playable fighters. To me, even that is a pretty big number! And I doubt we're going to lose that many fighters going into Smash 6. Even still, I really hope they aim to keep the roster of unique characters down to ~60 or something -- I'd be more than happy with a smaller cast, if that cast was more meaningfully designed and have more inspired implementation. It would certainly make the game more approachable and even easier to balance, as well as breathe some new life into characters that have otherwise gotten stale.

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peakyblindersxx · 3 years

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whiskey business - john x reader (part 3 of ?)

gif by @michaelgreys but i cropped it cause god daMn 👀

read part one and two! | my masterlist

a/n: this one goes out to all my john bitches!! i know it's hard out here, we get no new content but this part is steamy as hell. its not over yet, though! i'm a sucker for happy endings, ok? i hope you all like it, i'm still working on requests as i go :) much love to @stxdyblr-2k for ghostwriting on this series, she has the most amazing ideas in the world 🖤

love, abi xxx

tagging: @datewithgianni

prompt: john's been ignoring you and you want to know why.

warnings: fluff, angst, nsfw!! smut, cocky john, just straight up porn at the end but can you blame me

John hadn't spoken a word in your direction for a week. Despite constantly seeing you glued to Ada's hip, he’d barely acknowledged you since the wedding. He didn’t even bother looking up. Instead his jaw tensed, taking longer inhales of smoke, constantly examining the pocket watch dangling from his right hip. You were the last person John wanted to see right now. He couldn’t get you out of his head, the flush of your cheeks as you had moaned for him imprinted in his memory. You were fucking picturesque writhing around in his lap, a mess for him, and only him. He’d never felt like this; never wanted someone so badly it hurt. Usually, he drowned what little emotions he had in the nearest bottle of whiskey. You, however, were igniting something inside him he’d never felt. Lust, yes, but it was more. A yearning, a need, to see you smile at his crap jokes for the rest of his fucking life. God, you were getting to him.

His coldness and distance towards you hadn't gone unnoticed. To John’s embarrassment, his brothers regularly referred to it as "a little tiff", usually when you were within earshot, as they loved embarrassing his brother. They were blissfully unaware of the full story, assuming his cockiness had put you off him. He sometimes wondered the same; even though you remained polite by greeting him despite the minimal nod he responded with, you seemed ashamed. John only hoped it wasn't because you were ashamed of him. The truth was, he couldn't get the intensity between the two of you off his mind. Whenever he so much as caught a glimpse of you, he remembered how pretty you looked begging for him, then the embarrassment of having to reject you out of family loyalty. You admitting you wanted to have sex with him, him getting fucked off at you because you were off your face, complicating everything. Yet, every night, he held your words close to him, trying to decipher them.

He knew his brothers wouldn't get it. They wouldn't understand how tragic it was; they'd think it was funny that Ada's best friend wanted to fuck him. Either way, John would always rather put himself in the firing line of his brother's jokes than risk your reputation being blemished. He just couldn't look at you without a wave of guilt and sexual attraction flowing through his veins, causing his jaw to clench and his shoulders to stiffen, his suit jacket expertly covering strain on the crotch of his trousers.

A full week had passed since the wedding, of a man Tommy had recruited in an assassination effort. It was embarrassing how his family used money to attempt to push the trauma they created under the carpet. He knew he didn't have room to talk, but fuckin’ hell, a wedding? Maybe Tommy should've just not hired him to blow the brains out of his own father. Well, it was one way to get rid of the police commissioner who got too nosey, John guessed.

He had hoped that you were a passing phase of infatuation. He’d had many before; he’d been notorious around Birmingham for his conquests. Sure, it was possible he had just gotten overly excited and intoxicated around a beautiful girl. Yet, in the quiet moments of his life, in between his kids and business, his mind was only on you. You, straddling him in that booth, the way you grinned at him as he approached you at the wedding party. Sometimes when he was driving home, his mind would drift off thinking of the feeling of your figure pressed against him, the feel of your lips, your laugh, the sound of your heaving breaths against his ear. You haunted him the most at night, visions of you with his name on your lips in his silk sheets. You were his forbidden fruit, dangling barely out of reach.

***

John was at his desk, paperwork long abandoned in favour of whiskey and a cigar, lost in his own thoughts. The loud tapping of rain and the wind of the storm outside shook the windows, yet John felt somewhat at peace; a temporary peace, but he could unwind. Just his desk, the moonlight, the gas lamp illuminating his empty glass and the heavy English rain for company. He found far more joy in the simplicity of life than his brothers, who reeked of new money. He liked his things the way they were, it all worked, but he had to admit he was a sucker for a good suit. The kids were long in bed, the nanny to comfort their nightmares. It made him feel like a shit father, and he didn't want to be like his useless dad. He had started resenting the life Thomas was forcing him to live; the booze, the partying, the Tokyo, the fighting. It was wearing on him. He needed a break from everyone in this town, he reckoned.

However, a certain unexpected guest was always welcome to him. You had just drifted across his mind when a firm knock at the door caught his attention. He straightened his tie, leaving his legs outstretched and crossed on the dark oak desk, calling for the visitor to enter.

There you were. Dripping from head to toe, but still as beautiful as ever to him, despite your damp hair and slightly smudged makeup. You had caught him off guard, and in his surprise, he couldn't suppress the cheeky grin which spread across his face.

"Got caught in the storm, eh? I'll put the fire on and pour you a drink yeah? Warm you up." He slurred slightly, springing into action, lighting the fire and going to fill two glasses with whiskey, which you politely refused.

"I'm not drinking tonight, Mr. Shelby."

He decides he won't either. He tried to ignore your piercing gaze, motioning you to sit across his desk from him, reaching to put the whiskey in his drawer. "That's not like you. Where you headed, love? That lecture with Ada?"

"I came to see you."

He noted your firm tone, the flirty smile, the coy eye contact.

"What's the occasion?"

"You've been avoiding me." You told him bluntly, his cheeks reddening, eye contact breaking momentarily.

"Yeah, I know." He took a draw from his cigar, rolling the smoke from between his lips on the exhale. "M’sorry."

You watched him for a moment and he met your eyes, suddenly softened from his usual icey blue inquisitive stare. To shame, he looked so vulnerable right now. You could feel yourself falling for him again. This is what you hung around for, the fleeting glimpses of the authentic John Shelby. The lad you'd first giggled about in the girl's bathroom at lunch, barely knowing what sex was. Barely understanding power and politics. Unaware of who you'd both end up as.

"You're fucking soaked to the bone. Come on, I'll put your clothes to dry by the fire. And don't give me that look, I'll give you my coat to save your modesty, lass." He teased. You ignored the way his muscles flexed as he reached for his woolen jacket, some outrageously expensive tailored affair from some London boutique, his large rough hands brushing your fingers. "I'll turn around."

You grasped the coat, heading to the fireplace and warming up for a moment, checking that you were far from his line of sight. This was a dangerous game for you both. You wished he'd grab you, take you on his desk and finish what he started, but the way he absentmindedly drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited indicated that he was restraining himself.

You'd rid yourself of your thin jacket, bought from the market stall last week, effortlessly trendy but an imitation of the pricey stuff Ada and the blinder wives and girlfriends you knew. You were jealous of their fur coats, they were always warm and glamorous looking even on the coldest winter night in Birmingham.

You glanced across the room to John. He was staring intently at the wall lost in thought, teeth gritted.

"John? Could you unzip me?" You asked, purposefully making your voice sound as neutral as possible, looking at him over your shoulder.

He paused, bringing his fingers to rub circles against his jaw. You caught a glimpse of white teeth and dimples as he glanced at you out the corner of his eye and you can't help but match his coy grin. He pushed himself off the desk and quickly closed the small distance towards you, his hand finding first your shoulder then the zip at the nape of your neck, your breath hitching as he pulled the zip to your waist. You could feel his eyes tracing the curvature of your spine and hips. You both hesitated for a moment, before John’s warm fingertips grazed your waist, lips pressing into your hair affectionately. His mouth found his way to your ear, cheekbone, jaw and then neck, encouraged by the way your left hand cradled his head as you pressed your body back into his and how your eyes drifted shut at his touch.

"Sweetheart, why did you come here?" He muttered into your ear, his words and casual affection causing your core to swell in response.

"Couldn't stop thinking about you. I've barely slept in a week, feel terrible. Then you've been ignoring me-"

"It isn't personal, Y/N. You know this isn’t how I want it to be." His hands found their way to your waist, gripping lightly at your hip bones, sending a shiver down your back.

"Well this is how it is, John. It's never going to be any different. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"What are you fucking on about, love?"

"I reckon that just once can't hurt, nobody would know but us. Then we can both move on with our lives..."

John hesitated, "What about Ada?" His head rested on your shoulder, the scent of your sweet perfume causing him to want you even more. Jesus, he was too far gone.

"We were so close the first night I got here and we didn't. No one caught on then, why would it be different now?"

He wanted to trust you so badly, it ached inside of him. He wanted to feel you around him, make you cum for him again and again, for you to be breathless and shaking under him. He wanted to give you everything he could, even if just once. But he couldn't.

"She's my sister. Family is everything; if I don't have them, I’ve got nothin’." He stated firmly, yet his palms lingered on your hips, the liquor destroying his perception of the distinction between friendly touching and actions that made you swallow deeply and pray for relief.

"You have me for tonight." You pulled away from him, ignoring the groan that escaped from his lips at the loss of contact. You locked your eyes with his blue ones and pushed the straps of your dress from your shoulders, allowing the damp material to pool around your feet, standing in front of the man you'd wanted for years. It was now or never.

He stayed silent, watching you, eyes not leaving yours, challenging you for a brief moment before his eyes flickered over your figure.

"Is it such a crime to want to fuck you?" You asked, the silk of your skimpy underwear forcing John to wipe the corner of his mouth absentmindedly as he drank you in, mumbling profanities under his breath. Yet, despite the glances and his sudden frustration, you could tell you had him. His eyes were feral and hungry, daring you to keep pushing him. His shoulders were squared, he was ready for action. The crackling firelight illuminated you beautifully; you were irresistible to him.

"It's not a crime. Where'd you get this backbone from?" He asked, reaching for you but you stepped away, teasing him.

"University up north does sommet to a woman."

"You can fuck off or fuck me with that attitude."

"The latter if you behave yourself, Mr Shelby."

He smirked at you, holding his hands up in mock surrender, before wrapping his coat around your shoulders, pulling you towards him by the back of the collar. "You've got a mouth on you, love. You gonna put it to good use?"

"I was told months ago that you'd sort me out, John-" Your speech was interrupted by a small squealing giggle as he tugged at your hair lightly for mocking his voice, his eyes bright and crinkled at the edges due to his grin. "I'm disappointed with these delays, especially from the Shelby Company."

"Well, as the boss, I'll sort it for you, personally and immediately. Let me make it up to you, lass," John crooned, his lips meeting yours once again, fingers pushing your thighs apart, still clad in your black stockings and garter belt. "This is where we got up to last time, yes?"

"Yes Mr. Shelby, I believe so."

He pressed his lips and teeth against where your jaw met your neck, tracing his index and middle fingers over the silk of your underwear which covered your slit. You couldn’t help but lean into him, a slight hiss escaping your teeth.

"You like that, huh? You're fuckin’ soaked for me already, love," John muttered against your neck, lifting your left leg to hook around his waist, easily lifting you onto his desk, scattering loose papers and heavy accounting books onto the floor in his urgency to feel your bare skin on his. "They teach you how to push a bloke over the edge at that fancy university?"

"No, I figured that out on my own actually."

"Always knew you were bright," He smirked, quickly ridding you of your flimsy panties, the pads of his fingertips hot against your thighs. "Always going for the ones smarter than me, Tommy reckons it's not difficult."

"Your brother's chatting shit, he's not the one ‘bout to fuck me on his desk, yeah?" You shot back, opening your thighs to encourage him, your cunt exposed, cutting off John’s laugh. He couldn’t help but stare, eyes glued to your dripping cunt. "You're my favourite brother, always have been. If you tell Finn, I'll kill you," You teased.

"Come off it," John grunted in reply, unable to restrain pressing kisses to your inner thighs, your head tilting back, fingers desperately clutching at his hair. “Need t’get a proper taste of you, yeah? Look so fuckin’ sweet for me.” His mouth reached your core, slowly dipping his tongue into you, causing your mouth to fall open in ecstasy. God, his lips were even softer than they looked. His movements switched from light and teasing to purposeful and focused, his fingers curled and pumping inside you, tongue and thumb attacking your clit. He'd gotten on his knees, your legs wrapped around his neck as he groaned into your cunt, causing you to buck your hips wildly at the sensation, moans falling out of your mouth.

“Fuckin’ christ, John,” You swore, feeling yourself pulsate and twitch around his nimble fingers, crying out into the empty office building. You were getting so close, your hips jerking independently, chest heaving as you gasped for air. You were quickly getting overstimulated, you were so close. Before you could finish, John raised his head back to yours, letting you taste yourself on his mouth, his hands moving from your cunt to your tits, finger tips tracing the outline of your nipples through your silk bra.

"If we get to do this once, I want to feel you finish on my cock, doll," John grunted in a hushed tone, pointedly moving his lips to your collarbone when you opened your mouth to argue back to him.

"Then I get to ride you." Your statement took him by surprise; most women he'd slept with seemed fairly passive in bed. Sure they enjoyed themselves, but they never took control. He could feel himself swell in response to your words. He'd never been put in this position; he was a stranger to it, but the idea was thrilling and wickedly seductive. Especially from someone who was the epitome of "girl-next-door" as they were growing up.

"Polly reckoned you'd be trouble since Ada told us you'd returned. Don't mind getting into trouble with you, though," He teased, his plump mouth dipping to your cleavage, unclasping your bra, tongue circling your hardening nipples.

"John, fuckin’ christ, need you to finish me off, yeah?" You begged, voice shaking, much to his amusement, his fingers re-entering you roughly. John pressed open-mouthed kisses to your neck, soothing your body from the sharp sensation, the slight pain exacerbating the pleasure arising from his mouth and fingers.

"I've barely started with you, and already you're begging for me to fuck you." He muttered into your skin, as he watched you writhe and lift your hips, reacting beautifully to the feelings he was reawakening within you.

"John, m’not fucking about, yeah? I need you," You whined, hand resting on his inner thigh, fingers grazing the fastenings across his groin, gazing up at him from your seat on his desk. John hated waiting for relief, he had very little patience, and almost immediately he gave in and collapsed into his large armchair, pulling you on top of him, letting you pin his wrists to the chair and grind against him as your mouth found his, then his neck, removing his waistcoat, shirt and tie, revealing his muscular chest. The bruising kisses you pressed to his skin left him breathless and needing more, helping you unbuckle his belt and push his suit trousers down his legs. You couldn’t help but take him into your hand, moving it up and down his sensitive shaft.

“Christ, you’re too fuckin’ good at this,” John groaned as you spit on your palm to better move your hand up and down his cock, teasing the sensitive tip with your fingers and tongue. He couldn’t help but watch you, keeping eye contact as you toyed with him, blue eyes heavy with pleasure and lust for more.

You angled your hips above him and he adjusted himself, using his hand to better push himself inside you. You yelped lightly as you adjusted to his girth, his mouth distracting you by pressing kisses on your shoulder and tangling his hands through your hair, trying to control his breaths as you adjusted to him, soft moans falling from your mouth, your tight cunt gripping his cock.

“S’fuckin’ perfect, like your pussy was made for me,” he groaned, breath growing heavier with the sensation of you grinding against him. Pushing his hips up into you, he couldn’t help but grab at your hip bones, grip burning into your skin, bouncing you on his cock, mouth slightly slack, groaning as he grasped at your flesh. You’d imagined hundreds of times how fucking irresistible John would look underneath you, but it was nothing compared to the real thing.

The thrill of having John Shelby with his trousers down in his office, quickly dissolving into a moaning and grunting mess with every rotation or twist of your hips, in the midst of a stormy night while the thunder echoed around the empty streets below was almost too much to take. You should be home right now, curled up in that empty unheated flat, behaving yourself. Even on a date or fucking someone else. But instead you'd gone to him and now you were riding him. You wanted the moment to last forever, right now everything felt so right, you knew when it was over the guilt would hit. But you couldn't avoid it, you could feel your legs start to shake.

“Look so god damn pretty ridin’ me, love. Makin’ me wanna cum inside you.” John growled, panting, struggling to keep pace as you moaned on top of him. Your fingers found his jawline and guided him to look up at you, craving to see how his face looked when he finally came undone. He reached between your legs, torturing your clit with his fingers while he slammed into you a few extra times, using up the rest of his energy. The extra stimulation pushed you over the edge, crying out John’s name as you felt yourself release. Watching you whine his name was the last straw for him, spilling into you as your dripping cunt squeezed him, reveling in the image of you a mess for him.

***

You finally came back to your senses, catching your breath, John clutching you to his chest protectively for a minute or two, enjoying the tranquility and post-sex clarity. He checked his clock, sighing and lifting you from his lap to his desk, running a towel under the sink in the corner of his room and passing it to you to clean up between your legs with.

"Charming," You smirked, tired but satisfied. "No wonder the ladies always come back for more."

"Not you though, aye? One night only exclusive, this." He matched your playful tone, but his eyes were dull with exhaustion and he looked almost upset. He was probably just knackered after working all day and then going overtime just to please you.

"Make yourself useful and grab my clothes for me John-lad." You teased, thankfully changing the subject. He rolled his eyes in the waning firelight, locating the clothes the two of you had left scattered around the room. You quickly dressed, not caring how he watched you silently, as though trying to memorize the image of you. Your clothes were far drier than earlier, the last remaining remnants of damp clutching to the fibers and freezing you all over again. Yet before you could even comment, John's wool coat was wrapped back around your shoulders.

"Because you're cold, not because you look fuckable in it." He said pointedly, smirking slightly, the edges seeming artificial.

"Remind me not to fall madly in love with you. Won't be able to help myself if you keep talking like that, Mr. Shelby." You retorted sarcastically with a grin, earning a gentle dig to the ribs.

"It's Mr. Shelby if you're trying to fuck me. John is between friends and family, right?"

"Someone better inform Mr. Solomons of that distinction, then," You paused, "Mr. Shelby."

"Don't be a fucking cocktease." He scolded with a small grin, grabbing his car keys and hat from the door. "You want a lift then? Don't dick about being polite, Y/N, it's fucking midnight, just accept it."

"Since you asked so nicely."

"You know you've got worse since you've been at uni? Too fast for us lot now." He teased, half serious, as he led you to his car. He couldn't believe the beautiful woman in his passenger seat was the girl with pigtails who'd chase Ada around the canal with their girl gang for hours, the pretty teen who read for hours in his sister's bedroom, comparing notes together. No one was surprised you got a scholarship to university, despite your gender and class. You'd been incredibly lucky. Yet, you'd seen the world and had come back to Birmingham and picked him.

Shame you could only pick him once.

#john shelby imagine #john shelby x reader #john shelby smut #john shelby fluff #john shelby #peaky blinders headcanon #peaky blinders x reader #john shelby masterlist #peaky blinders #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders smut #peaky blinders masterlist

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randomshyperson · 3 years

Text

Left Behind - Chapter 8 - Fine Line

Gif was made by my friend @abimess

Summary: The one where you lived in the apartment under the Maximoff family in Sokovia, or, your journey as a Sokovian civilian to Avenger.

Warnings: (+16) Violence, fighting, cursing, civil war environments, abuse of power, assault, torture, underage kissing, psychological torture, substance use, mention of assault/fighting of children, smut, kissing, teasing, insinuation of sexual and moral harassment, verbal offenses.

Words: 4.183K

A/N> I have no idea. Good reading.

All Works Masterlist || Read on AO3 || Series Masterlist

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Chapter 8 - Fine Line

As soon as the jet landed on the compound, things started to change.

Nick Fury was waiting for the Avengers at the entrance, and you exchanged a look with Natasha as you walked alongside everyone.

"I would like the twins to attend this meeting." Nick asks as soon as Steve leads the team into the office. You sit down next to Bucky on the couch in the common room, and he looks at you, as if wondering if you were going to contradict the other man, but you are looking at the Maximoffs.

Wanda and Pietro nod in understanding, and you try to give a reassuring smile when the girl looks at you, but it doesn't seem to help much as she just looks away and walks inside with her brother.

"What do you think they're talking about?" You ask a few minutes after you and Bucky are left alone. The winter soldier sighs lightly.

"Ultron, of course." He says. "Nick will want to know everything the twins have on him since they were working together. And I think some legal questions about them being here, like we did with you."

"Do you think they will want to become Avengers?" You ask a moment later, twiddling your fingers anxiously. Bucky gives a little smile.

"Depends on how much Tony talks."

You laugh, leaning back against the armchair.

"Maybe that will take a while, wanna eat something?" Bucky asks next, and you glance at the meeting room door before muttering, "Sure."

You and Bucky stand up toward the kitchen counter and he reaches into the cupboards, pulling out some ingredients as you prop your elbow on the counter.

"I'm going to make my secret recipe." He comments with a smile, taking two plates and placing them on the wood. "Grab some cheese for us?"

"Sure." You reply as you walk over to the refrigerator.

For the next few minutes, you watch Bucky prepare what resembles a cheese sandwich, but which he calls the Barnes secret recipe, but which is only different about the tomato and the fact that he heats the bread with oregano.

"Are you sure about that?" You ask as you watch him put on even more oregano. Bucky laughs lightly and then closes the bread, handing you one piece and taking the other.

"Come on, tell me what you think." He asks and you grimace uncertainly still biting into it. It is surprisingly good tasting, but deciding to tease him, you don't smile and the man looks at you wide-eyed.

"Dammit, pal, I don't think that turned out so good." You start and he takes a quick bite of the sandwich, and realizing you were joking, he nudges you lightly as he chews, making you laugh.

"Idiot." He grumbles but ends up laughing too.

You are in the middle of laughing when the meeting ends. Distracted by the interaction, you don't see the Avengers leaving the room, much less notice the way Wanda quickly catches the scene of you and Bucky laughing, and misinterprets it all.

"Barnes' secret recipe? Do you still have any for me?" Steve asks as he approaches, and you look at the Avengers who have entered the kitchen, scanning around for Wanda, but she is looking at the floor.

"I'll make one for you." Bucky says as the captain sits down on one of the stools. "Are you going to tell us what happened in there?"

Steve smiles, propping his elbow on the potty.

"For the current time, you guys are looking at the new two members of the Avengers." He counters and you widen your eyes, looking immediately at the twins. Pietro matches your excitement, but all you get from Wanda is a quick, almost annoyed look.

You leave your unfinished sandwich on your plate, and thank Bucky before walking over to the twins.

"Can we talk?" You ask them half-heartedly.

"Of c-

"Are you sure you're not busy?" Wanda interrupts her brother halfway through, crossing her arms. You frown in confusion, but Natasha approaches you.

"Why don't you show them the compound, Y/N?" She suggests with a smile. "They're going to be your door-mates too."

"Okay." You agree and exchange a look with Pietro before waving the direction where they should follow you.

It takes a few minutes to show them around, but you ensured that if they ever got lost, all they had to do was call out "Jarvis" who was already restored to the compound, plus there were maps in every corridor.

And then you led them to the hallway of rooms, and Pietro was the first door.

"I guess that's you." You say, and Pietro takes out the magnetic key he must have gotten from Fury in the briefing room to open the door.

You let the twins in first, and then follow them with your hands in your pockets, smiling at the impressed hiss Pietro gives.

"I know, it's fancy." You comment and he gives a short laugh, looking around.

"I never thought I'd be under the same roof as Tony Stark." He speaks and you bite the inside of your cheek, looking away to the floor.

"Yeah, me neither."

Have a moment of silence as they look around until Wanda, who is standing with her arms crossed and beside her brother, looks at you.

"Did you talk to him?" She asks. "About... Sokovia?"

You sigh lightly.

"I kind of did." You say. "Tony is... difficult. There' s not much to say about it if you ask me. I learned about how he had no idea that Stark Industries bankrolled the war, because he was busy spending his own fortune."

"Great guy." Pietro mutters and you give a weak little smile.

"Yeah, I know." You continue. "I'm sorry about that. I know you guys always wanted to find him and make him pay, but he didn't even know about the whole thing."

You shift the weight of your feet, and then sigh. "I know that doesn't change anything, but he apologized. And then he made me a suit, and let me stay here."

"You're right, it doesn't change or fix anything." Wanda retorts, but her gaze softens, "But, it's a start."

"And now we promise to help defeat Ultron." Pietro adds and you shake your head.

"What did Nick Fury say to convince you guys?" You ask with mild amusement and Pietro laughs, exchanging a quick glance with his sister.

"Your name." Wanda replies and you stop laughing because you feel your heart race, and your face heat up at the intensity of her gaze. Pietro seems to find the whole interaction amusing.

"W-what?"

"It doesn't matter. Can I see my room now?" Wanda asks quickly, already walking away to leave. You exchange a quick glance with Pietro, who just shrugs and then follows Wanda down the hall.

"Is this the one?" she asks as she stops next door and you shake your head.

"No, I'm in the middle." You clarify. "Yours is next."

She gives a smile as she looks at your door.

"I've never been in a room that was yours."

"That's because I've never had a room of my own before." You comment with a chuckle. "Wanna take a look?"

Wanda glances at you and then nods. You move closer to open the door, and try to ignore the way your heart races and your hands tremble because Wanda doesn't move aside and you have to lean in to open the lock.

She walks in as soon as the door opens, and you follow her in silence, trying not to look so affected.

"I think I just have the stuff the Avengers gave me here." You explain as you watch Wanda look around. "Not that I had anything in Sokovia."

Most of the rooms in the tower had a pattern of furnishings, and colors. As they became more comfortable, the team members would add their own personality to the room. In the short time you stayed with them, the most you had were sweaters with the team logo all over the place, or training shoes. There were also, however, drawings. And Wanda noticed.

"What are these?" She asks as she reaches for the small notebook on the armchair. You ran your hand through your hair shyly.

"A hobbie, I guess." You count with a smile. "It's new, it's...therapeutic, I think that's the word."

Wanda looks at you curiously.

"Since I've been here, I've had some trouble getting relaxed." You explain and Wanda frowns slightly. "So Bucky suggested finding a hobby of some sort."

"Who is Bucky?"

"The guy with the metal arm." You say and continue talking, not noticing the way Wanda squeezes the sketchbook a little too hard. "Since we've been through similar experiences, he figured that what his therapist taught him would probably help me too. He cooks, and I draw."

"Got it." Wanda murmurs, shifting her gaze to the notebook again. She opens it and looks at the pages carefully, smiling at some of the drawings. "When you say, similar experiences, what do you mean?"

You hesitate. Wanda doesn't know all about it. Everything you went through to get there. You wonder if you would like her to know.

"Maybe that's something for another time." You say as you look away and she looks upset.

"You used to tell me everything."

"Maybe there are things you don't need to know."

Wanda stares at you with her jaw locked. You look back, not sure what it is exactly that you're trying to hide.

You give in, with a soft sigh. You have waited so long to see them, only to have this strange nervous tension between you two.

Running a hand through your hair, you gesture to Wanda to return your notebook.

"Let me take you to your room..."

"No need, next door right? I'll be fine." She interrupts angrily, tossing the notebook into your hand.

"Wanda..."

But she's out of the room before you're done. You take a deep breath, staring at the notebook in your hands. Wanda never got to see the drawings you made of her.

Figuring that you should give them time to settle into their rooms, and take a shower after a mission like that, you return the notebook to your desk and decide to do the same.

With luck, you will be able to talk properly to each other in no time.

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Wanda and Pietro joining the team, seemed to have been the essential advantage for the Avengers to be ahead of Ultron.

Once you were back in the common room, Natasha handed you a mug of coffee while making a joke about Tony bragging about deciphering Ultron's entire plan, and you just laughed when she commented that it was easy to decipher when the twins had already shared the key information.

"We're going to Korea early tomorrow morning." She counters. "I think Steve wants to know if you're still going to be a part of it."

"Why wouldn't I?" You ask confused and she raises an eyebrow.

"You found your friends." She retorts and you sigh.

"Oh, yeah." You say. "B-but I can still help. I...I still want to"

"Is this about Ultron manipulating your friends?"

"Maybe."

Natasha laughs lightly.

"Well, the captain is in the conference room organizing everything." She says.

"I think he will be pleased to know that you are not heading off to Sokovia."

"Yet." You retort with a smile making Nat laugh as you take the coffee mug back.

When you arrived at the conference room, Steve was distracted by some paperwork, and you knocked on the door before entering.

"Hey, kiddo." He said as he turned his head to look at you quickly before returning his attention to the papers. "Everything okay?"

"Sure, Steve." You replied approaching, deciding to stay on your feet. "I wanted to let you know that I can still help."

Steve looks at you with a mixture of surprise and amazement.

"I thought..."

"Yeah, I know what I said before."You interrupt with an almost embarrassed smile. "But I want to help. I don't know what Ultron is planning, and I thought this was not my fight. But then..."

"It affected your friends." He concludes and you nod. Steve sighs and leans on the table, crossing his arms as he looks at you. "You know, I think I should give you a speech about how being a hero is about helping everyone, not just the people who matter to you."

You laugh humorlessly, looking away. You were going to contradict, but Steve quickly adds.

"I'm not going to do that." He says. "I won't because you grew up in a war that wasn't yours, with no one to fight for you. So you three were the only heroes you ever knew."

"We weren't heroes, Steve." You retort with a sigh. "We were just orphans trying to survive."

"My point is, I'm in no position to lecture you." He clarifies and you cross your arms, waiting for him to finish. "Your motive for fighting is nobody's business but your own. What matters is that you will be helping."

"Thanks, Cap." You grumble and Steve smiles.

He grabs a clipboard, and starts telling you about them finding out that Ultron had intention to create a better body made of Vibranium, and how they would be going to Korea to stop that and get the scepter back with the stone.

He is in the middle of the sentence about putting you on the support team when you can hear his heartbeat.

The sudden noise startles you and you frown in confusion.

"Everything okay?" He asks as he notices your expression, before you can say anything, your head starts to spin.

It's not just his heartbeat, but all the blood circulating in his veins that can be heard next. You suddenly find it hard to breathe, and just as you notice Steve's full molecular presence, you're able to know Natasha is in the next room, hear Tony chew in the basement, or feel Clint scratch his back.

It is oppressive and overwhelming and you stumble back in despair.

"W-what's happening?" You ask trying to breathe normally.

"Hey kid, breath, are you okay?" Steve asks worried, approaching you with his hands raised.

His heartbeat accelerates because he's scared for you and you gasp, covering your ears because you feel your head is going to explode.

"Please stop it." You ask in desperation, feeling your eyes fill with tears with all that information at once. "It's too much. please..."

"Tell me what's wrong." He asks but you just sit on the floor, burying your heads in your knees, and covering your ears as you try to breathe. "I'll get help."

Even after he leaves, you can feel his presence in the other rooms.

And it gets considerably worse when all the Avengers are around you, worried and asking what's wrong. Their heartbeats feels like it's going to pop your eardrums, and you want to scream.

"Hey Y/N, I need you to focus on my voice." It was Bruce, kneeling in front of you. "It's your powers increasing, remember how we talked about that? Try to focus on me."

"I can't. " You cry. "Please Bruce, it's too much. Tell them to be quiet."

"This will help." He says and you feel a sting in your thigh.

Little by little, the sounds become muffled, until they disappear. You get a taste of iron in your mouth, and you look up to see the whole team looking at you with concern, and Bruce in front of you, giving you a short smile.

"I'm sorry." You mumble awkwardly, feeling exhausted.

"Do not worry kid." Bruce says. "Can you stand?"

"I think so."

Bruce helps you anyway, one hand around your waist while your arm rests around his shoulders.

"I think you'd better lie down for a while." He says and then you are walking. "Guys, let's give her some space, alright?"

Bruce asks the team and they stop following you two. Bruce takes you to his room, and helps you to bed.

"Here we go." He murmurs as soon as you lie down completely. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted." You respond weakly, feeling your eyes grow heavy. "Thanks for help."

"Any time." He says. "Rest kid, we have a lot to talk about when you wake up."

You want to tell him you'd like to know what's going on now, but you're falling asleep right away.

You don't know Wanda is standing at your door with a pounding heart.

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Waking up is surprisingly unpainful.

You expected at least a headache, but your powers do the job right.

"Good Morning." Bruce greets you as soon as he notices you fidgeting with the sheets. You frown.

"Morning? How long was I gone?"

"Thirty-eight hours and twelve minutes." He responds by placing the tablet he was holding on the table beside him. You widen your eyes in surprise, sitting up quickly. "Hey, take it easy."

"B-but the mission..."

"Do not worry about it." He says as he approaches your bed, sitting next to you at knee level. Bruce assesses you quickly and then sighs. "Are you feeling something? Any dizziness?"

"No." You say. "Where are the others?"

"The twins also went to Korea if that's what you want to know." He responds while looking away to fiddle with his jacket. He takes out a small lantern and holds it close to your eyes, examining something in them as he mutters to himself.

"What was wrong with me?" You ask as soon as he puts the object away. He adjusts his glasses.

"Don't talk like that." He asks. "There's nothing wrong with you."

"I was out for two days, doc." You retort with irony and he gives a short laugh.

"Yes, because you were exhausted." He says. "Don't worry about it, it's not a bad sign."

You mutter, crossing your arms. Bruce clears his throat as he reaches for the tablet on the table and then hands it to you.

"I did some analysis while you were sleeping." He says, and you stare at the graphics without understanding much. "They are good news."

"What did you inject in me back there?" You ask then, handing the tablet back to him.

"An alternative to Hydra Serum." He clarifies. "Without the obeying part, just the controlling of your abilities."

"Thanks, I guess." You mumble. Bruce locks the tablet before looking at you again.

"I'll ask Bucky to cook you something to eat, and then we'll go to the lab." He warns you. "We have some things to talk about."

"Whatever you say, doc."

//-//-////-//-////-//-////-//-//

After eating, and thanking Bucky for the favor, you returned to the lab.

Bruce set up a kind of glass room that made you frown.

"I have a cell now?" You joked and he grimaced.

"It's not a cell." He retorted. "It's a training room."

"It looks like a cell."

"It is not."

"But it looks like."

Bruce sighed and you giggled, crossing your arms as you look at the glass in front of you. He walked over to open the door through the holographic lock and you took a closer look.

"Why did I get a training cell?"

"Your training room is special." He says entering the glass box. You follow him, and as soon as he enters, you notice that the glass muffles all outside noise. When the door closes behind you, you can only hear Bruce. "I needed something that could block out everything else when your powers awaken again."

"But I don't have super hearing, Banner." You retort. "I don't understand why an anti-noise room is the best option."

"That's not what it's for."

You tap the glass with your fingers while Bruce fiddles with the tablet. And then the glass gains a new layer of protection, which glows golden before becoming practically invisible.

"Cool." You whisper and then turn to him again. "But what is it for?"

"Well, as I said earlier, I did other tests on your blood." He counts. "By my calculations, and from your little scene two days ago, you're going to be showing an immediate growth in your healing abilities over the next few days."

"Okay..."

"Shield tries to classify the enhanced humans as best as possible, and after working with Maria, we put you in some of those categories." He counts and with a flick of his fingers, a hologram comes out of the tablet into the air in front of him.

It was your file, and lots of texts and some photographs that you thought were images from your time in Hydra. Those were Shield's files on you.

"Of course we'll just have to wait for it to happen, but you're already classified as an enhanced beta level with biotherapeutic skills."

You looked around the files, surprised about the pics of your young self that Shield managed to recover. Even images from your childhood.

"For now, you've only demonstrated cell regeneration and close-range healing manipulation."

He narrates. "And two days ago, you had a small episode."

"I could hear everyone's heartbeats." You clarified still looking at the files. "I felt them in the next room."

"I understand." Bruce grumbles as he writes something down on his tablet. "This is called biomolecular detection. Depending on how you evolve, you might be able to detect injured people meters away."

You frown in surprise. Bruce is thoughtful.

"Not only detecting the injured, but also being able to tell exactly where the wounds are." He says. "It's impressive."

"You forgot the part where I couldn't breathe and I curled up on the floor like a scared child." You mock.

"That's what this room is for." He retorts with a smile. "You need to learn to handle your powers in a controlled environment."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"It's better than putting you in the middle of the fight, I'm sure of that."

You sigh, crossing your arms.

"What else does Shield have on me?"

"You want to look at childhood pictures, don't you?"

You laugh, shrugging.

"Obviously."

After showing your files, Bruce also explained how the room was designed to block, at a molecular level, your ability to sense other people outside the room.

Since the team wasn't in the tower for the next few days until the end of the mission in Korea, Bruce and Bucky would help you practice with your powers.

And as soon as the serum Bruce developed started to wear off, you felt your powers come back with a vengeance.

"I need you to focus on my voice until we get to the lab." Bucky asked worried as he found you on your knees at the living room floor, hands over your ears. You muttered weakly, feeling him help you to your feet as you heard the air rush in and out of his lungs. He started humming a song, and you whimpered, trying to concentrate, but everything was overwhelmingly noisy.

It seemed to take forever, but then everything went quiet next.

You look up to realize that Bucky has left you in the room, and then close the door.

"Thank you, buddy." You say, adjusting your balance by leaning against the glass.

"Don't worry." He says giving you a gentle smile. "Do you feel better?"

"Fuck, yes." You grumble as you quickly wipe your tears. Bucky watches you carefully.

You sit on the floor, closing your eyes. It takes Bruce a few minutes to get to the lab, but when he does, he looks worried.

"Sorry for taking so long, I was all the way downstairs." He clarifies as he approaches the glass. "How do you feel?"

"It happened again." You count. "But as soon as I got in here everything was quiet."

"Well the room works, that's great." He says and you laugh weakly. "I think we can start your training then."

"But who will train her?" Bucky asks confused.

"I thought you could do that." Bruce retorts and Bucky looks at him in surprise.

"What? I thought you were going to do it."

"I don't know how to train anyone, I'm just a doctor." Bruce argues.

"Well I'm a sergeant who was brainwashed for eighty years, I'm not the teacher type."

"But you're a still a sergeant..."

"I was never a drill Sergeant..."

"Jeez." You grunt humorously, clearing your throat to stop the argument. "I have an idea, as clearly none of you are in the mood to train me, I suggest Bruce give me some more of the special serum until Natasha or Steve get back."

"We can do that." Bruce agrees. "I'll get the serum. Hopefully you'll learn to control this soon."

"I hope so, doc."

/-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-///-//-//-//-////-//-//-//-////-//-

Tag list> @imapotatao / @aimezvousbrahms/ @ensorcellme/ @helloalycia || @mionemymind / @abimess / @stephanieromanoff / @yourtaletotell / @tomy5girls / @justagaypanicking / @thegayw1tch / @idek-5 // @myperfectlovepoem // @helloalycia // @ENSORCELLME // @AIMEZVOUSBRAHMS // @drpepperobsessed // @sighsam // @olsensnpm // @sxfwap // @table57 // @madamevirgo // @causeitswhatjesuswouldfreakingdo // @emptysince18x // @xastrydx || @yuhloversxx || @ymzki-haruki || @wouldirunofftheworldsomeday || @lostandsearching || @lezzzbehonesthere || @musicinourlips || @chaekhan || @diaryoflife

#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #avengers imagines #Left Behind #Wanda x yn #wanda maximoff x you #elizabeth olsen x reader

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itsevanffs · 3 years

Note

Hihi!! I've been hyperfixating on tommary lately and I absolutely loved (In the dark!)! I wanted to see if u have any tommary/harrymort fics that u recommend.. preferably ones that feature a possessive Tom ^^ ty in advance

I guess this would be the right time to publicly declare my bookmarks as open? Everything on there is a hard rec, and I vigorously quality-check those... for my liking and my liking only. (Sorry, not sorry. They're there for me, after all.)

That being said, hmm. I've got a few you might like.

Below the cut: more (additionally to my bookmarks) Tomarrymort (Tomarry or Harrymort) recommendations with possessive/obsessive Tom in alphabetical order; NOT order of how much I enjoy them. I'd argue I enjoy them all equally, just in different ways.

Ps: thank you! I'm incredibly flattered you liked my work :D

and don't let the police know anything by littlecupkate https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920947

Ted Dirlod is dangerous, Harry Potter knows this for a fact, but the man was still his only hope at escaping a doomed fate. It is never wise to blackmail a crime lord. It is even more unwise(?) when said crime lord is obsessed with you. An expanded version of "praying to whatever's in heaven, please send me a felon"

Genuinely lovely? Ticks all my boxes, at least, and minimal angst, which is always a plus. That being said, you should probably read the work mentioned in the summary as well for context. But hey. Two cakes by one person ;) Can never go wrong, can it?

As Certain Dark Things Are to be Loved by Strange_Soulmates https://archiveofourown.org/works/6015619

Tom was Harry's best friend growing up and his first love. At eight, Harry gave Tom his first kiss before moving away. As a freshman in college, the name of the RA on the door across the hall is terribly familiar.

Also absolutely deliciously indulgent. Tom is a possessive terror and Harry loves him for it. Need I say more?

Harry Potter and the Search for Ancient Magic (series) by Snickerdoodlepop https://archiveofourown.org/series/1133141

Once Voldemort realizes that Harry Potter is his horcrux, his plans change drastically. So does Draco Malfoy's assignment for the school year. Harry's sixth year starts going very differently. Snape is on a mission. Harry needs to learn pureblood politics. Draco Malfoy is trying to convince Harry to forgive him. Voldemort finds himself visiting Harry Potter in his dreams. Everyone is realizing that no one is quite what they thought. And through it all, there's a mystery. What is Ancient Magic? Can Harry use it to save himself or will it pull him toward the dark side?

Honestly, genuinely, hands down the best fucking tomarrymort series I've ever read. Hard, hard rec from here. The first work is completed and the second is in progress, so it's a nice pile of words to chew through!

can't commit to anything but a crime by caelesti https://archiveofourown.org/works/27286483

Excitement is the word he does not dare utter, even in the privacy of his own mind. It’s wrong, he knows. These women are people, in their own right; people with fears and aspirations, with friends and families and dreams, and to have anything cut those lives short is nothing but tragic. To have anyone cut those lives short is nothing but condemnable. He doesn’t have James Potter’s laugh lines, but he does have his father’s innate flair for danger. He doesn’t have Lily Potter’s enthusiasm, but he does have her insatiable curiosity. (In every world, Harry will excel at finding the biggest spot of trouble available and sticking his nose in it.)

Hot serial killer serial killer hot. That's it, those are the thoughts. Please read.

Dripping Fingers by May_May_0_0 https://archiveofourown.org/works/25440826

When Harry finds Tom Riddle's diary he does not write 'Hello.' He does not write anything at all. He draws. Tom Riddle falls in love with the artwork. _________________ Sketch by sketch, drawing by drawing, the ink Harry pours into the diary manifests as creations in Tom's monochrome world.

Okay so if I'm the reincarnation of Shakespeare, May_May_0_0 is fucking... Ted Hughes. Which doesn't say much to your average viewer but that man wrote my favourite poem ever (the one I based my war fic off) and I hold him in very high regard. This story? It is poetry in its rawest form. Pure, condensed beauty. If you decide to read only one of the fics in this list, please choose this one.

Either must die at the hand of the other by Metalomagnetic https://archiveofourown.org/works/29356095

Voldemort survives the Battle of Hogwarts because Harry Potter had not been the one to kill him, as the prophecy demands.

When is Metalomagnetic not a master of words? When will I cease becoming breathless at every paragraph, at every cleverly twisted word that comes back and reveals itself so beautifully later?

Fine Line by galaxiesundone https://archiveofourown.org/works/26949952

Magic always leaves traces. The lingering darkness of Sectumsempra, combined with Harry’s nature as a horcrux, awakens the soul piece contained within Ravenclaw’s diadem. At twenty years old, Tom Riddle walks a fine line between man and monster, the devil and the light-bringer in one. His influence forces Harry to face an ancient enemy unlike anything he has faced before: temptation.

Long story short: Tom Riddle is Hot and Good At Being Hot and Harry truly doesn't stand a chance and I am here for it. Lord help me I love this fic to pieces.

Good Intentions by Strange_Soulmates https://archiveofourown.org/works/7035334

Five year old Harry Potter meets and befriends a seventeen year old Tom Riddle while hanging out at his dad’s station. James Potter decides to take Tom under his wing, using Tom’s connection with Harry to try and keep the teen grounded, even as he begins to investigate the Death Eaters, a dangerous organized crime group and their mysterious leader only known as Lord Voldemort.

The sheer potential of this fic. The horrible, terrible dread of future events that have yet to be revealed. I will cry.

Honey, Smoke, Shiver by machiavelli https://archiveofourown.org/works/16068062

Harry - Omega, only son of Lord Potter - is nothing more than a useful playing card in a political game of power and money, one that is bought by the famed Tom Riddle: powerful, dangerous, pureblood Alpha. Unsurprisingly, Harry loves being underestimated.

Machiavelli is always a rec from me. Sorry lads but that's the way it is. Never a moment where I won't recommend their stuff.

Sickly-Sweet Obsession by maquira https://archiveofourown.org/works/18259103

Quiet, studious Tom Riddle spends his first year thirsting after an older student—Gryffindor’s Quidditch Captain, Harry Potter. His crush is common knowledge, and even Harry finds it cute… at first. Possessiveness spawns monstrosities. Tom does all within his power to mess with Harry’s dating life. And one seemingly harmless crush spirals into something darker, begetting deadly consequences.

Again; the potential. Delicious. This will bloom into something beautifully twisted, I'm sure of it.

Stars, Hide Your Fires by Audair https://archiveofourown.org/works/27745546

Riddle’s undivided attention snapped to him with the swiftness of shattering glass. His turbulent magic receded from where it had besieged the shop. "You,” he breathed. Coiling in leisurely motions, the eager tendrils of his magic reached for Harry, swathing about his limbs and neck and chest with a liquid, flowing fascination. "I’ve been looking for you,” Riddle continued, tilting his head to the side and sweeping his gaze over Harry. It was an appraisal that felt simultaneously like the raking of iron nails and the tender drapery of silk. It was so familiar, and yet… so foreign. In the winding streets of Knockturn Alley, an intricate dance of mutual obsession unravels between twenty-three-year-old Tom Riddle and a time-travelling Harry Potter.

This work has recently been undergoing a rewrite, and I can tell you with certainty it's only gotten better for it. It's beautiful; the setting, the atmosphere, the vibes... Perfection. Captures Knockturn Alley's mood impeccably and does not disappoint a single moment.

the pleasure, the privilege by asterisms https://archiveofourown.org/works/21227528

It begins with Vernon Dursley's body, dead across the table. In which Voldemort is dosed with amortentia, and nothing is better for it.

Completed, terrifying... and gorgeous.

The Shrike (to your sharp and glorious thorn) by PaperWorlds https://archiveofourown.org/works/22380079

Shrike: A songbird with a sharply hooked bill, known for their habit of catching insects and small vertebrates and impaling their bodies on thorns, the spikes on barbed-wire fences, or any available sharp point. A young Harry Potter survives an attack by notorious serial killer Voldemort. Over a decade later, they meet again.

Lads I'm so desperate for an update from this fic that I might cry if I think about it for too long. I keep saying it and I'll say it again; this is one of those fics with amazing potential that are sure to never disappoint no matter what path they take. An incredibly hard rec.

To Raise a Servant by bluegrass https://archiveofourown.org/works/19780816

Tom had found the boy amidst pouring rain. He figured he'd always wanted a pet snake.

Surprisingly not quite as dark as the summary makes it seem? I certainly enjoyed it, though, and that's why it's on this list.

What He Grows To Be by Severus_divides_into_H https://archiveofourown.org/works/19042240

Tom Riddle is a frightening coil of darkness, cruelty, and greatness, and changing him is Harry’s only hope for saving people he loves. Going back in time, he takes Tom from the orphanage, but his optimism shatters with every year they spend together. Tom still longs for darkness. Tom stifles him in his possessiveness. Tom is fixated on him to the point of destroying the world just to keep him. But Harry loves him. And the future changes.

Beautiful. And absolutely terrifying. I've started crying mid-scene at least three times for this fic, and it honestly seems unfathomable if you haven't read it if you're on my profile, since I think this is one of the fics that have shaped my style and ambitions. It is what I aspire to be.

#fic rec #fic recs #tomarry #tomarrymort #harrymort #fanfic #ask #anon ask

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karahalloway · 3 years

Text

(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 3 - Room Service

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Synopsis: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale's problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: It’s the day after the Coronation Ball and Harper realises that she missed her flight to New York... but Drake has alternate plans.

Word Count: 6,400

Rating/Warnings: E (swearing, fluff, smutty smut)

Chapter theme song:

Chapter 3 - Hotel Room Service

When I come to, the first thing that I become aware of is the warmth of Drake's chest against my bare back and the feel of his arms around me as he holds me close.

With a blissful sigh, I snuggle deeper into his embrace, finding his hand under the covers and looping my fingers through his.

A lazy smile spreads across my face as I revel in the luxury of not only waking up naturally without the Beaumont alarm clocks barging into my room to rouse me at the last minute for some kind of important appointment, but of waking up next to Drake for the first time.

Hmm... Important appointment...? Why did that sound... important?

"Shit...!" I gasp, bolting suddenly upright.

"Gale, what's wrong?"

The bedside light comes on behind me. Turning around, I see Drake sitting up as well, eyeing me with concern, his hair even more mussed than usual from sex and sleep.

"I fell asleep..."

He raises a brow. "That a problem?"

"I... I don't know," I admit, feeling my shoulders slump. "I was supposed to be on a plane to New York..."

Amidst the shock and humiliation of the press scandal, I had been ready to run as far and as fast away from Cordonia as I could, even though I had felt my heart breaking as I said goodbye to Drake on the phone at the airport. But our unexpected declarations of love for each other had thrown a massive spanner in the works... And now I have no idea what we’re going to do.

"Like hell you were," he scoffs. "I didn't drive all this way for you to just eff off again."

"But I can't go back to Cordonia," I point out. "I'm on the cover of every newspaper and magazine by now. Plus they filmed the whole thing live. I won't be able to take two steps without the paps pouncing on me."

"And you think going back to the States will make a difference?"

"I... No," I admit glumly.

The gossip mags are never going to drop a scandal this juicy. If anything, the story is probably hitting the newsstands on the other side of the Atlantic as we speak.

Flopping back onto the bed, I cover my face with my hands. "Drake, what am I going to do?"

"We," he corrects, leaning over me to drop a kiss on my nose, "are gonna clear your name and figure out who did this to you. And make them pay."

Peeking out from between my fingers, I can see that he is gazing down at me with a look full of love and determination.

I wish I had his optimism...

"How?" I sigh, drawing my hands up through my hair in frustration.

Pulling me back into his arms, he says, "By tracking down that photographer to find out who hired them and then getting the Sun to retract the story. And if they don't, we'll sue them for libel. The others should take the hint after that."

"But you haven't even gotten to the bottom of the bachelor party photos, we have no idea where Tariq is, or who he's working with, and now you want to start yet another investigation to figure out who's behind the latest smear campaign? I think that's a bit ambitious."

"Actually, I think they're all connected," says Drake, drawing little circles around my bellybutton, making my skin tingle. "If we can get to the bottom of one, we'll get to the bottom of all of them. But to do that, we need to return to court."

"Eugh..." I groan. "Do we have to? I've already had enough fancy hors d'oeuvres and not-so-polite conversation to last me a lifetime."

"Trust me, I know," he agrees ruefully. "But the engagement tour is coming up and that'll give us a chance to do some digging as every royal and celebrity correspondent in Europe's going to be tagging along."

"Madeleine mentioned something about that at dinner last night..."

"Think of it as a weeks-long, multi-destination engagement party."

I stare at him in disbelief. "It's the social season all over again?"

"Kinda. Only this time most of the fixtures will be abroad. The idea is for Chris to parade his new bride around for all of Cordonia's allies to meet and greet before the wedding... with the whole court in tow."

My gut tightens at the mention of Christian's name.

"Will... Will I even be allowed back?" I ask uncertainly. "Christian did kind of kick me out."

"I'll deal with Chris," growls Drake. "He owes you a fucking apology."

I lay a hand on his chest. "Please don't do anything that will get you banished as well."

He lays his hand over mine with a wry twitch of his lips. "Don't worry. I won't. I need access to the Guard's secure network to track down the photographer."

"What about the person who has it in for me?" I ask, running a thumb over his skin. "Won't they come after me again if I go back?"

Drake's face clouds over slightly. "Maybe. But maybe not. I'd like to assume that since they think they succeeded in preventing you from becoming queen, they'll back off."

"I'm sensing a 'but' there..."

He sighs in confirmation. "But we'll need to be careful and take some precautions. We don't know how deep this goes. And we won't find that out until..."

"...we go back to court," I mutter dejectedly.

He’s right — there is no alternative.

With a resigned exhale, I say, "Fine. I'll do it. On three conditions."

Drake drops his head with a groan. "Your provisos are gonna be the death of me, girl."

"You don't know what they are yet."

"But I already know that I'm going to agree to them, despite my better judgement."

"Then I don't see why you're complaining, Walker," I reply sweetly, hooking my leg over his waist to roll myself on top of him. Pushing myself up, I look him square in the eye. "Do I have your attention?"

"Full and undivided," he drawls, sliding his hands eagerly up my thighs.

I roll my eyes at him before turning serious. "First, you're going to teach me self-defence."

His hands stop at my hips as his eyes meet mine questioningly.

"I know you think it's your job to look out for me," I press on, "but you're not always going to be at my side once we return to court. And I don't want to end up in another helpless situation where I am at the mercy of someone bigger and stronger than me, especially while whoever has it in for me is still out there and will probably not be best pleased that I've come back. So, if the situation arises, I want to be able to hold my own... On my own."

He assesses me for a long moment. "Alright."

"Thank you," I say, bending down to kiss him softly on the lips.

His hand fists into my hair to hold me against his mouth so he can return my kiss with heartfelt vigour. "Second?" he asks gruffly.

"You're going to take me on a proper date. Dinner, flowers, the whole nine yards."

He arches a brow. "Am I, now?"

"Yes. You are," I inform him decisively. "Since you drove all this way, I want a day out in Paris with you. Like we did that day in the capital. Take the opportunity to see the sights, eat some good food... just the two of us. Because I doubt we'll have a chance to do something like this when we get back to Cordonia."

"The other dates not pass muster then?"

"Oh, so they were dates, were they?" I ask with equal dryness. "I thought you didn't do those."

"Never said I didn't," he replies. "But you were technically off-limits at the time, so..."

"I don't think plausible deniability's gonna fly, bud," I tell him. "Apparently we weren't as discreet as we thought we were..."

His brows furrow. "Who knows?"

"That I know of? Let's see... Maxwell and Hana, obviously..."

"Guess there's not much of a surprise there..."

"...Olivia..."

Drake pulls a face.

"...or at least, she suspects...and Leo."

Drake's brows shoot up in surprise. "Leo?"

"It took him all of two seconds to figure out something was up between us in Monaco."

"Which means Chris might know as well..." he sighs. "Fuck..."

"I'm guessing you haven't talked to him yet?"

He shakes his head.

A disturbing idea pops into my head. "Do... Do you think he sent me away because he found out about us?"

The look on Drake's face tells me that he's thinking along the same lines. "I don't know," he admits eventually. "Guess we'll find out when we get back. And the third thing?"

"You're going to order us room service," I tell him with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. "I'm starving."

He lets out a throaty chuckle. "When are you not?"

"I'm not going to apologise for having a healthy appetite," I reply, crossing my arms over my chest.

In the next instant, I find myself on my back with Drake looming over me.

"Deal," he murmurs, trailing hot kisses down my neck as he pins my arms above my head. "But I get to have dessert first."

"Oh?" I ask with a grin. "What were you planning to have?"

"You."

My mouth drops open in surprise as he begins making his way down the valley between my breasts while drawing his hands down my sides. "But you... We already..."

"That was this morning," he states matter-of-factly, trailing his tongue down the sensitive diagonal from my hip bone to my groin, making me shiver. Glancing down at him, I see the heat in his eyes as he adds, "It's lunchtime now."

"Are you...planning on having me for dinner as well?" I ask shakily as he moves lower to the inside of my thighs.

"I'm not going to apologise for having a healthy appetite," he declares with a wolfish grin, grabbing my hips to yank me towards him.

I gasp when his tongue makes contact with my already slick centre.

Fisting my hands into his hair, I arch myself into his mouth with a moan.

He loops his arms around my legs and uses his fingers to spread me wider before drawing his tongue over the length of my clit with exquisite slowness, making me shudder.

"Christ, you taste good..." he whispers before eagerly flicking his tongue over me again... and again... and again.

"Drake...!" I plead, throwing my head back.

"Hmm?"

"Drake, please...!"

While what he’s doing is incredible, it’s driving me to the edge of reason, and if he doesn’t pick up the pace soon, I’m going to scream.

"Please, what, Gale?" he drawls, circling my wet folds lazily.

Ohmygodheismaddening! "Please... just... just..."

I can’t seem to be able to get the words out, so I resort to thrusting my hips up at him, hoping he'll get the message.

But his arms are locked around my middle, keeping me pinned exactly where he wants me... at the mercy of his teasing mouth and tongue.

"Just trust me," he assures me, glancing up briefly from between my thighs with a look that makes my heart skip a beat. "I'm gonna take my time and you're going to enjoy every last second of it."

I whimper as he dives back in to swirl, lick and glide over me as if he has all the time in the world.

As he works me insanely slowly, but surely towards release, my breath starts coming in shorter and shorter pants until it felt like I’m going to stop breathing all together as my entire being becomes subsumed by the frankly unparalleled sensations he is drawing from my body.

"Drake... Oh, my God... Drake...!

Without skipping a beat with his mouth, he responds to my cries by shoving his fingers into my tight centre, making me scream as I finally — blessedly! — explode.

Stars burst in front of my eyes as he helps me ride the orgasm to its glorious peak before easing me back down to earth again, my entire body throbbing with ecstasy.

As my consciousness settles languidly back into my body after the mind-bending high, I become aware of the sound of a phone vibrating.

"Don't move," Drake commands, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he withdraws from between my legs. "I ain’t done with you yet..."

All I can manage is a wheezy squeak in response.

Being in bed with this guy is unreal...

My entire body feels like it’s been turned to Jell-O and my head is still spinning from the intense climax he had just put me through. So, even if I wanted to, there is no way I can even think about going anywhere, let alone being able to actually move my limbs.

God only knows what he plans to do to me next...!

I hazily watch him locate his suit pants on the floor next to the bed. Picking them up, he pulls his phone from one of the pockets and I see his mouth twist slightly at the sight of the caller ID.

With a resigned sigh, he accepts the call.

"Yeah?"

While he listens to whoever is on the other end of the line, offering the occasional mutter of acknowledgement in response to what is being said, I let my eyes drift over his chiselled body, his ruggedly handsome face that is creased in annoyance at the interruption, and up to his silky, chocolate-coloured hair, which is sticking up in all directions from where I held onto it for dear life moments ago.

And even though he is standing in front of me in all his masculine perfection, having given me yet another mind-blowing orgasm, I still can’t quite believe that this is for real, and not just some mystical daydream.

"Alright. I'll be there."

"W-what?" I ask, my voice still shaky, as he ends the call.

"Looks like we'll have to do Paris another time," he replies sourly, dropping his phone on the bedside table.

"Why?" I ask with a frown.

"Chris wants me back."

My stomach drops. "Sounds ominous... Did he tell you why?"

"To discuss what happened at the Ball. He told me last night he wanted to talk, but I didn't think he'd set up the meeting for tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?!" I exclaim, bolting upright. "But that means—"

"Yeah. I know. It's gonna be a long drive."

"Are we ever going to catch a break?" I groan, flopping back down onto the bed in exasperation.

"Well..." he drawls with a sexy smirk as he crawls back onto the bed… like a tiger stalking its prey. "It's only 1pm now. There's still plenty of time between now and when we'll need to leave in the morning..."

"Nuh-uh, cowboy," I declare, pressing a hand into his chest as he attempts to climb on top of me again. "You've had your fun. Now you need t—"

"But I'm still hungry..." he murmurs seductively, parting my thighs with his knee as he looks down at me like I’m a piece of prime rib-eye, and he hasn’t eaten in days. "...and you're still wet."

A soft moan escapes me as I feel his blazing erection nudge against me.

"Drake..." I sigh, more in need than in protest.

As even though my stomach is grumbling about not having eaten since the Coronation Ball, the rest of my body is screaming out for a very different kind of sustenance.

I’m never going to get enough of him...

But given that we slept through breakfast, and it’s now early afternoon, I know I need food, especially if Drake’s planning on putting me through even more intense cardio.

So, with concerted effort, I open my eyes and flick my hips slightly to the side, denying him access.

He raises a brow at me. "Y’think you can escape, huh?"

In the next instant, I’m straddling him with my legs wrapped around his waist as he sits back on his heels.

I try to squirm away, but his hands are locked onto my backside with an iron grip, holding me steady against his hard length.

"I told ya, girl," he growls, nipping at my neck. "I ain’t done with you yet."

"And I told you that I need food," I counter breathlessly. "Now get on the phone and order some before I pass out from hunger."

He assesses me for a long moment, no doubt weighing the pros and cons of quickly finishing what we started now, versus being able to take our time later.

I keep my gaze steady, even though every fibre of my being is crying out for him.

"Alright," he concedes, dropping a kiss on my nose as he loosens his hold on me. "But after lunch, you're mine."

"Aren't you demanding?" I quip as I quickly slide off the bed before he can change his mind.

"Harper. You have no idea how many times and how many ways I've imagined getting you down and dirty," he says softly, his hot gaze licking over my body. "So, I'll be damned if we're leaving this room until we absolutely have to. Especially since we can no longer have a week to ourselves like I was planning on."

My eyes nearly pop out of my head. "You... you want to condense a week's worth of sex into one afternoon?!"

"If you're game," he confirms with a cocksure grin. "Or you worried you won't be able to keep up?"

I gulp.

He's already blown my mind three times in the space of six hours (at least five of which we had spent sleeping) and I’m sure I can survive the marathon sex session he obviously has in mind without turning into a drooling vegetable.

But — like him — I’ve waited too goddamn long to pass up on uninterrupted, no-holds-barred time with each other.

"You know I can hold my own against you, Walker," I reply, crossing my arms determinedly over my chest.

Famous last words, Harper...

"Good," he grins. "Because who knows when we'll next get a chance to be together like this, just the two of us. So, I intend to make the most of it."

"You'd better get on that phone then, shouldn't you, cowboy?" I purr as I saunter towards the bathroom. Pausing in the doorway, I glance back at him with a sultry look. "Clock's a-ticking."

I underscore the last word with a smack on my ass.

In the space of a heartbeat, Drake's leapt off the bed like a panther, crossing the distance between us in a flash.

But before he can reach me, I've closed and locked the door.

"Hard foul, Gale!" he decries from the other side of the barrier.

"Maybe I like making you work for it, Walker," I tease.

I hear him chuckle before he reluctantly shuffles off to ring up for food.

With a wry shake of my head, I make my way over to the shower.

I smell like Drake and sex — a heady combination for sure! — and even though he made it clear that we will be staying in bed for the rest of the day, I want to freshen myself up a bit at halftime.

Catching sight of myself in the oversized mirror, my jaw drops in shock.

My entire body is flushed, my hair looks like a tornado has swept through it, and I can see the glistening results of our amorous activities smeared on the insides of my thighs.

A snort of amused disbelief escapes me as I stare at myself.

I was no virgin, but I have never looked — or felt — like this after sex.

Obviously, I’d spent more than a few sleepless nights during the social season imaging what it would be like with Drake, but he has somehow managed to blow even my wildest fantasies out of the water.

And while every girl dreams of finding that one guy who can not only rock her world, but who also has the looks and personality to match, I have definitely hit the jackpot with Drake!

I throw my reflection a self-satisfied grin as I grab a hair-tie from my make-up bag and twist my hair into a bun on top of my head while I complete the journey to the shower.

Turning the water on full whack, I grab a towel while I wait for the water to warm up. Stepping under the spray, I let out a low exhale as the hot stream hits my neck and chest and cascades down my body.

After hanging out for a few minutes, I reach for the mini bottle of body wash, humming softly under my breath.

Despite everything that has happened over the past week or so, I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I‘ve been this happy... Maybe when my parents announced that they were taking me to Disneyland for my tenth birthday.

I am in the process of opening the cap when I yelp in surprise, nearly dropping the bottle as I feel arms wrap around my waist.

"I told you not to do that!" I exclaim, whirling around to face Drake.

"You've never told me not to get in the shower with you," he replies in a deadpan manner.

I can't help but laugh as he spins me back around and extracts the little bottle from my fingers to place it back on the rack. "You and your technicalities, Walker... But how did y—?"

"I have my methods," he responds roguishly, leaning in to drop kisses on my shoulder while his hands slide down my back to round the curve of my hips, like they had done at the beach party when he had spread sunscreen on me.

But unlike that afternoon where I had to mentally restrain myself from responding to his touch, I now let my backside thrust unashamedly towards him, and a shiver runs down my spine as I brush against his already — still? — hard cock. "But the food..."

"Ordered and on its way," he breathes into my ear, running his hand up my stomach to my breasts, making me moan as his fingers find my nipple.

"Then should... shouldn't we—?" I gasp as his other hand snakes down to dive between my legs, short-circuiting my brain in the process.

"Chillax, Gale," he whispers as he proceeds to circle my still-sensitive clit with his fingers. "We have thirty minutes before it gets here. And I intend to make full use of it."

My eyes flutter shut with a throaty moan as his hands get to work in earnest. I lace my fingers into his hair to steady myself, leaning back against his firm body.

After a few delicious swirls that leave me panting, he changes tack to begin sliding his fingers back and forth, the heel of his hand braced against my public bone to keep me flush against him.

"Drake..." I whimper as the fingers of his other hand circle my nipple with the same sensual rhythm while the steady stream of water pummels my chest, sliding down my stomach and legs like a caress.

"Yes, Gale?" he drawls, running his tongue up the side of my exposed neck to my earlobe.

My entire body is still tingling from earlier, so it’s taken no time at all for him to coax me into readiness. But this time, I want more than just his fingers… amazing as they were at making me forget my own name.

"Drake, I need you..."

"Since you asked so nicely..." he smirks against my neck.

He pushes me forward and my hands fly out instinctively to splay against the walls of the shower to stop myself from falling over. Grabbing my waist to pull me back against him, and I feel him shove my legs wider with his foot.

I inhale sharply as he slides in, my hands slipping down the wet tiles as my entire body curls around the sensation of us joining together again.

"Jesus, you're tight..." he grunts as he adjusts his hold on me.

I gasp as he begins to move slowly.

He’s right. It does feel tighter and much more intense from this angle. Like he’s pushing himself into the very centre of my being, every movement of his hips making me quiver.

"You okay?" he asks, running a hand down my back questioningly.

In response, I slide my hands up the wall and arch my back, changing the angle slightly. I hear a groan escape him as I shove myself back against him more forcefully. Taking the hint, he picks up the pace, tightening his hold on my waist to keep me exactly where I need to be for maximum effect.

I throw my head back, revelling in the heart-stopping feel of us coming together again and again, each thrust making me call out his name with increasing urgency.

"Fuck, Harper," he pants, his fingers digging into my skin. "You have no idea...how hot you are...right now..."

"Hot enough... to make you come?" I ask saucily, rocking my backside against him. My entire body is trembling with anticipation, but I don’t want to let go until he’s ready as well.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, yes..."

"Then don't hold back."

With a low growl in the back of his throat, he yanks me back forcefully against him at the same time as he drives forward.

I gasp, feeling the force of the penetration all the way up in my throat.

The gasp turns into a moan as he slowly slides out before impaling himself deep inside me again, this time making me cry out at the intensity of the sensation.

He repeats the pattern, again and again, each time a bit faster until he's barreling into me so hard and fast that we're both calling out desperately for God and each other as we become overwhelmed by the experience.

He explodes inside of me with a guttural cry, and I feel myself constrict around him before I am shattered a heartbeat later by a deep-seated release that rocks me to my very soul.

My arms give way and I slump against the cool tiles of the shower, my entire body pulsing from head to toe, as I gulp desperately for air.

"Christ, girl," pants Drake.

Opening my eyes with some difficulty to glance behind me, I see that he is leaning against the wall, his face flushed from exertion, chest heaving as he tries to calm his breathing.

"That was... something else,” he says, swallowing thickly.

"Worth making you work for it?" I ask with a languid grin, closing my eyes again.

He scoffs wryly. "I'm not gonna answer that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'd be lying if I said 'no'. But I know that if I say 'yes' then you'll just take that as a free pass to make me work for it every time."

"Not every time..." I correct, pushing myself off the wall and turning to face him on shaky legs. "Just... most of the time."

"Uh-huh..." he mutters unconvincedly, brushing his knuckles down my cheek.

"It would be for your benefit, Walker," I purr, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning into him. "You just admitted that it was worth it."

"I said no such thing," he counters, running his fingers down my neck and then my shoulder.

"Yes," I insist breathlessly, my body arching towards him on its own volition, as if it still needed more. "You did."

"I was talking provisorily."

"That's a fancy word, Mr Walker," I remark with an arched brow. "You got a law degree in addition to your Poli-Sci and medical degrees, that I don't know about?"

"I never actually finished my degree."

"Oh. Right. Because of Christian..." I smack myself mentally on the forehead. "Sorry, I thought..."

"It's fine," he replies, dropping a kiss on my nose. "Like you said — I've lived it all already. Going off to uni was more of an excuse to get away from court than getting the expensive piece of paper at the end of it."

"Don't you want to go back and finish it?"

"Not really. I mean, it wouldn't make any difference if I did. But, anyway," he says, reaching for the shower gel behind me. "Food's going to be here in a minute, and we should make ourselves at least moderately presentable."

We quickly soap and rinse ourselves off. Drake gets out of the shower first and is in the process of towelling himself off when there's a knock on the door.

Wrapping the towel quickly around his waist, he strides out of the bathroom and closes the door behind him to give me privacy while he dealt with the room service.

I soak myself for a little while longer, not really wanting to move. But when my stomach rumbles loudly, I decide to turn the water off. After drying myself off, I shrug into one of the hotel bathrobes. Glancing up at the mirror, I let my hair out of its bun and untangled it with my fingers.

Taking a deep breath, I look my reflection in the eye.

"Well, here goes..."

I walk out of the bathroom and am greeted by a sight that stops me dead in my tracks.

Drake has pulled the desk away from the wall to create a make-shift dining table at the foot of the bed and laid it as if we were in a fancy restaurant. But what really takes my breath away is the fact that he is standing shirtless next to the bed, faded jeans slung low over his hips, twirling a single red rose between his fingers.

"M'lady," he drawls, offering me the flower.

"What's all this?" I ask dazedly, taking the rose.

"You said you wanted a proper date," he replies. "Dinner, flowers, the whole nine yards. Since we can’t go into Paris like you wanted, I've had to improvise."

"Drake Walker the romantic," I tease with smile, lifting the rose to my nose. "Who'd've thunk it...?"

"Yeah, yeah," he smirks with a roll of his eyes. "I'm a big ol' marshmallow. Just don't tell anybody..."

"Your secret's safe with me, Romeo," I promise with a wink. "As long as you really are willing to go the whole nine yards and break out the awkward ice-breaker questions and first-date nerves."

He cocks a brow at me as he leads me to the end of the bed. "Don't you think we're a bit past all that, Gale?"

"Yeah," I concede. "But I still want to do it. There's a lot that I don't know about you."

"What d’you want to know?" he asks, walking around the table to sit down next to me.

"Let's start with some easy ones... Like, are you a dog person or a cat person?"

He shakes his head with a wry smile as he picks up his fork and knife. "Definitely dog. You?"

"I like both, but I lean towards dogs as well," I reply, cutting into the tenderloin he'd ordered. "Ever had a dog?"

"There have always been a pair of dogs at the ranch, but they were there more to guard the property than to act as pets."

"Have you ever wanted a dog of your own?"

"Yeah, I've thought about it a few times. But with all the travelling and erratic schedules, I didn't think I could make it work. Plus, Regina's allergic, so pets got effectively banned from the Palace when she married Constantine."

"That sucks..." I admit. "You would've thought that with all that space, she wouldn't notice if someone had a dog or a cat."

"I think Chris is planning on revoking that royal order. He's been hankering after a dog ever since he was eight."

"Well, then maybe you can get one too. What's your favourite TV show to binge out on?"

"Archer."

I snort in amusement. "Of course you'd like a dysfunctional workplace comedy featuring a snarky, whiskey-drinking spy."

He glances at me. "I'm surprised you know of it."

"I have three older brothers, remember? They usually ended up in control of the remote, so I've watched pretty much everything they've ever been into. Hence why I lean towards action movies instead of chick flicks. Favourite movie?"

"Eugh... Do I have to pick one?"

"Top three then."

"Die Hard, Bad Boys 2 and The Dark Knight."

"Not any of the Avengers movies?"

"You limited me to three."

I laugh. "Fair enough. Favourite comfort food?"

"Sloppy Joes," he replies, throwing a couple of a fries into his mouth. "It's simple, it's filling, and you can eat it without fancy cutlery."

I glance at him with a grin. "Is that your criteria for good food then?"

"Pretty much," he shrugs. "Though I do appreciate a good steak. Even if it does require a fork and knife."

"I don't think you'd qualify even as part Texan if you didn't," I remark with a smile as he takes a big bite of his own steak.

"What about you?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes – American style, obviously – drenched in maple syrup and topped with bacon."

Drake's eyes widen. "Are you trying to give yourself a heart attack?"

"I don't have them very often. Usually only when I go over to my Nana's. Her pancakes are to die for."

"Yeah. From a trans fat and sugar overload."

"Hey. Don't knock it till you try it."

"I'm not knocking it. I'm sure they're great. But that doesn't mean that it's good for you."

"Says the person with the whiskey obsession?"

"It's not really an obsession... Just a habit I picked up from Dad."

"He was a whiskey man as well?"

"Yeah. He started introducing me to bourbon when I turned 14. And before you say anything..." he cautions with a meaningful look, "the legal drinking age here is lower than in the States."

"Actually, I was going to say that I'm surprised a 14-year-old could enjoy a whiskey. It's not exactly an introductory kind of drink."

"To be honest," he says with a small smile, "I didn't really care for it initially. But at the funeral, everyone was served a shot as a way to remember him by. And I guess that made it take on a new significance for me."

"So, it's something you do to honour his memory?"

"Kinda. At least, I did to start with. I'd do a shot on special days – like his birthday, Christmas, that kind of stuff. But, over time, I learned to appreciate the whiskey for itself. So, it basically became my go-to drink."

"What's your favourite whiskey?"

"That I've ever tried, or drink regularly?"

"Both."

"That Eagle Rare I had on Hana's yacht was pretty special. So, that's probably the best I've ever had. In terms of favourite that I drink regularly, it's Maker’s Mark. It's cheap and easy to get hold of pretty much anywhere."

"What about your break-in-case-of-emergency whiskey? Is that not a favourite?"

"It is, but it's not one I drink regularly."

"Because it's so strong?"

"Because it's about two grand a pop."

I nearly drop my fork. "You gave me whiskey worth $2,000? So I could wash down some painkillers?"

"Was it, or was it not an emergency?"

"You could've given me a glass of water!"

"Yeah, but the whiskey did the trick, didn't it?" he shrugs nonchalantly. "It knocked you out for about six hours."

I shake my head in disbelief. "You're impossible..."

"I thought you knew that by now," he murmurs with a side-long glance as he polishes off the rest of his food.

God, he’s infuriating!

But when he looks at me like that, brow raised suggestively, mocha eyes sparkling, a smile tugging at his lips — not to mention shirtless — he could commit first degree murder in front of me and I'd still want him.

"Anyway," he declares, setting his fork and knife down on his empty plate and turning to face me. "I believe it's my turn to ask the questions."

"Oh, yeah?" I grin, reaching for the chocolate soufflé. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you prefer this...?" he asks, flicking the folds of the robe apart.

I suck in a breath as he ghosts his right hand up the inside of my thigh.

"...or this...?"

He tugs the top of the robe off my shoulder with his other hand to feather his fingers over my collarbone, making me shiver.

I grip the edge of the bed, dessert forgotten. "Do I... do I have to choose?"

"Yes," he confirms, his right hand moving over my stomach to trace the inside of my other thigh while his left hand trailed up to my neck.

My eyes flutter shut as I gasp, "But everything you do is amazing..."

"I want to know what turns you on more."

"Mmm..." I bite my bottom lip as his hands continue to explore. "First one..."

"Good choice," he murmurs, his lips brushing my ear. "And now that we're done eating, tell me where you want to do it next."

"Actually," I gasp as he yanks the rest of the robe off me, "there's still the chocolate soufflé..."

"You can have it later," he declares, pulling me onto his lap so I'm straddling him.

"Hey," I protest. "You've had your dessert, I want to have mine. Plus," I add, giving him a playful look, "those killer abs of yours look like they'd pair nicely with some gooey chocolate sauce."

He quirks a brow at me. "Are you sure it's the soufflé you're after, Gale?"

"Yes," I murmur, tracing the contours of his abs with my fingers. "But I think you'll be delicious as well, Walker."

He throws his head back with a laugh. "Fine. You can use me as a dining table. But I get to return the favour."

"What makes you think there'll be any left for you?" I ask, pushing him back onto the bed. "After all," I purr, drawing my tongue up his stomach to his chest, making him groan, "I love chocolate."

The story continues in Chapter 4 - Southbound

A/N: So previously, I know I had Drake say that his go-to whiskey was Jack Daniels (and the wine-cellar chapter in Lythikos I had Drake bring a bottle of JD with him as well). But I have since been informed by by whiskey aficionado’s that JD is only really drunk by women, college kids and people who have no idea what real whiskey tastes like, and so, if Drake is a serious whiskey drinker, he wouldn’t touch JD with a ten-foot pole (on the basis that it’s sticky-sweet and has a rather unsophisticated taste in comparison to other (better) whiskey). I have therefore update the references to JD to Maker’s Mark instead (as I was told that this is the ‘lowest’ quality a season whiskey drinker would deign to stoop to).

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bookofmirth · 3 years

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ok so this might come off as a bit rambly so please bear with me lol

i've noticed that the acotar fandom has this incessant need to be right when it comes to canon and it really sucks out the funness of fandom. shipping is supposed to be fun but when it comes to this fandom, it's almost like a competition to see who will be more right when the books come out. engaging with theories/predictions about characters and the plot is supposed to be exciting but when it comes to this fandom, some of the theories/predictions are problematic at worst and nonsensical at best. like how can you say with your full chest that you're so confident about where the series is heading in the future because of this or that theory when you're stuck in the past and refuse to see what all of the text is telling you in the present. it doesn't make sense. the selective reading is so strong that it has me looking sideways sometimes lol

i guess my question is why do you think the fandom is so divided when it comes to ships right now? i've seen people say this wasn't the case for feysand and nessian, so what's the difference here?

Oh boy Brielle, I have some thoughts on this. It's complex.

To be clear, I am not saying that this applies to literally every single person who ships a certain way. This is a commentary on the fandom as a whole, and there are always exceptions.

This got really, really long, so I'm putting it under the cut.

I think that one of the main draws of this series, and of sjm's writing in general, is her ships. I think that people get very, very attached to their ships.

I also think that sjm does NOT fully think through some of the choices that she makes when writing. See: the way that she takes from all these different cultures and mashes them together, which could be seen as disrespectful of their origin. She has retconned things, like Mor being queer and Lucien being Helion's son. I think that she thoroughly thinks about some of the aspects of her books, like Rhys's reaction to sleeping with Feyre for the first time, but then really half-asses other aspects of her books, like Mor coming out.

Then, we have your good old misogyny and homophobia - people in the fandom don't like Mor because she hurt the poor bat boy's feelings when she didn't sleep with him, and they don't have a mating bond, but she's never really told Azriel "no", and so every single moment of pain that Azriel has felt in 500 years is Morrigan's fault. And Mor's experience as a closeted queer woman who feels unsafe around the people she should trust the most is completely disregarded by the fandom.

Finally, I think that a combination of these factors has created the monster we know as e*riel, and that the fandom is perpetuating its own mythology.

What all of this comes down to, and the real reason I think that the fandom is behaving this way right now, is that e*riel is dead. It's never happened, it's not going to happen, but because we don't have the clear closure we got with moriel (where people would be accused of homophobia for continuing to ship it), people are still trying to figure out any possible way for e*riel to become canon, though every single sign points to it being a non-issue.

This weird thing where people have to be "right" all the time, and the way that "right" = "canon" is a relatively new development. It's as if everyone in this fandom forgot that they are in fact in a fandom, which inherently diverges from canon.

However, I think that the need to cling to canon is because the alternative would be to admit defeat and say "well, even if it doesn't happen I will still ship e*riel, it's fine, I will live with that." But they don't want to do that. In response, they look at canon so hard that they are reading the white space between the letters to create their theories, which as you noted as largely nonsensical and often fail to take into account who the characters are as individuals, how they are connected to other characters, and why it would or wouldn't be appropriate for them to be involved in various plots.

People could say, as eluciens having been saying since day one, "I really ship this thing but I can see that it might not become canon". But they don't say that. They literally refuse to see any other possibility than e*riel becoming canon.

You pointed out that people are stuck in the past - absolutely. The number of reimaginings I have seen of scenes where either Azriel or Elain has literally zero to do with the scene, but people try to shove one or both of them in there. And this from books ago. People are stuck on the Truthteller scene, and refuse to acknowledge that neither of them have acted on their feelings, whatever those might be, for years. And they ignore the fact that once Elain and Az do act, it goes horribly wrong.

Here are the facts as of right now:

ACOSF is the most recent book. In that book, sans extra chapter, those two had no interaction other than looking at one another.

If we include his POV, then he said it was wrong, we got confirmation that nothing has ever happened between them, she returned his necklace. Elain was aroused, but that does not mean she was ready to even have sex. "Yes" to a kiss is not "yes" to every single sexual act Az can think of. They parted on awkward, bad terms after a scene in which it seemed like they were about to start something. Yikes. Unlike Wings and Embers, they did not end that chapter still thinking of one another. After they part ways, the omniscient narrator does not mention Elain, or Az thinking about Elain, again.

His POV occurs months before the end of the book. They do not interact after that.

Elain has a mate she has not rejected, nor accepted.

So anyway, your question was why are people like this. lol. I think the fandom created a monster, and that monster is clinging to life. It can't accept the idea of morphing into a non-canon ship, though it never was canon in the first place. It had just convinced itself that it was.

There are other aspects to this, that have to do with gwynriel and elucien.

Gwynriel is a new ship, it's almost guaranteed to happen, people are super excited to ship it and give Gwyn all their love. I'm sure they would rather create content for that ship than argue about whether or not it's going to be canon, but they are in constant defense mode. Some people honestly didn't like e*riel before because they don't like Elain, or because they don't like Azriel, and those are valid reasons for not liking it. Why people ship gwynriel doesn't matter. The tone of the discussion is, unfortunately, being shaped elsewhere, which I will mention below.

Elucien is an old ship, older than e*riel. I can speak from this perspective - personally, I have been holding my tongue for 4.5 years. I have been letting people live, and just talking about the things I like. Then when acosf came out, it was like I could finally say all the things I had been thinking about Azriel, because I now had proof that the things I thought about his character (and because of that, about e*riel) now had solid canon foundation. This is 4.5 years of me holding in a lot of shit and finally being able to say it. Sometimes yes, I might take joy in having been right.

I think that a few people are clinging to canon, and that sets the tone for the discourse in the fandom. Someone says "according to page whatever, blah blah blah" and people feel the need to respond, and then it turns into and "I'm right" contest instead of... a fandom... A lot of us like debating. To me, it's fun. But when Person A starts a conversation that's about canon and it actually ignores canon, it's hard to let that conversation go by and just keep creating whatever we want to create. Instead, we respond, and so the tone of the conversation is shaped by what Person A decided to say.

I also think that there is a lack of distinction between theories (what will happen in the future) and meta (analysis of what we have now).

There is also a lack of "I" statements. Opinions are being stated as fact.

idk if there is a way to make it better, other than to just go back to ignoring one another. This whole situation makes me want to throw out every single canon ship I like and create exclusively non-canon content, just for spite. Except I really like doing meta, and so I don't want to. I guess for my point, I'll just keep doing meta, keep creating different content, and keep reminding people that they aren't here to continue perpetuating canon, but to play with it.

#ask #gimme-mor #acotar #antielriel #gwynriel #elucien #acotar fandom #fandom things #fandom history

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microsuedemouse · 3 years

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I think it's very cute the way Ben doesn't know anything. He's trying but he needs some help getting there.

hello I'm sorry it took me all day to answer this but every time I looked at it I knew it was gonna Get Me Going so I wanted to wait until I was sitting down at my keyboard with a few minutes to spare

the short response is: YOU'RE VERY CORRECT AND I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. Ben is dumb as a post 95% of the time and it's incredibly endearing. he's doing his best with this hero stuff, but his best does not involve any knowledge whatsoever. and that's fine, he's got plenty of heart to make up for it

(insert Tick reference here)

BUT ALSO. I hope you do not mind me going off on a character tangent here, friend, because I cannot talk about how dumb Ben is without thinking about how it informs the rest of his character and I have so many thoughts,,,

(quick sidebar: anyone who's been around for a single one of my hyperfixations knows this, but character is my shit. I don't normally feel the need to explain this but my Ben 10 posts seem to draw more attention/new people than most of my nonsense so I'm giving you this info as context. as someone with an English degree, as a lifelong story addict and storyteller, as a writer of both fanfic and original work - character is my biggest strength. analysing, picking apart, developing, whatever. and it's also the thing I can go on about forever.)

ANYWAY SO... Ben Tennyson knows nothing and it's wonderful.

I've mentioned before, while still watching the original series, that everything you need to know to understand Ben as a character is 'he's ten.' it literally completely explains him. even the smartest ten-year-olds in the world would still be dumb as shit if they suddenly had superpowers. he's a very average ten-year-old American boy when he finds the Omnitrix, and so in the process of learning to use it and be a hero... he's cocky and stupid. of course he is. he has moments of insight, because he's not incapable of learning, but mostly he's cocky and stupid because he's ten.

one of my very, very favourite things about Alien Force - which I'm now about halfway through - is the way that Ben is characterised. to me, it's so wonderfully done. because he's clearly changed! and if he hadn't I'd be frustrated, because it's been five years - five years during which every kid in the world goes through immense amounts of change. age ten to age fifteen? huge difference. I can tell you from experience: I transferred to an out-of-catchment school program from grades five through eight, meaning ages almost-ten to almost-fourteen (November birthday). when high school came around I returned to my own catchment and found myself amongst a ton of kids I'd known since kindergarten but not seen since we were nine, and the amount that everyone had changed was crazy.

Ben's growth between series is extremely believable to me. he's no longer stupid and cocky - he's not ten anymore. he often seems anxious, especially in the first season as they're searching for Max. everything about him feels very much, to me, like all the trauma that he experienced during the original series - and probably since! - has finally settled in, and he (and Gwen) has started to process that. his and Gwen's banter and friction is mostly gone; they're supportive of and close with one another now - like two kids who Went Through Some Shit together and have had to lean on each other as they began to deal with that. (I could go on a whole separate tangent about that implied growth they've done as a pair, but that would be a whole long-ass ramble of its own.)

as Ben becomes comfortable using the Omnitrix again, we start to see some of that dumbass overconfidence coming back out, but overall he's shed the cockiness of his childhood and grown into a teenager who's reasonably sure of and comfortable with himself with other people (e.g., the way he deals with Cash and JT now, as seen in The Gauntlet). but he's also still figuring out how to be a real hero, especially when the stakes are high, and he's not always as confident in that role. he does a good job of putting on the hero persona when he's in action and things need to be done, but in between we see him worrying about his capability at and suitability for that job.

but he also continues to be totally clueless. it shows differently from when he was a kid, a little because he's older, but largely because of how he's otherwise changed. that cocksure ten-year-old was too proud not to know what was going on, not to be right all the time! but his pride has mellowed out a lot, and he's developed a certain amount of genuine anxiety about his skills as a hero (as well as, apparently, a surprisingly healthy ability to talk about that anxiety). he's also only fifteen, and fifteen-year-olds are still dumb in much the same way that ten-year-olds are dumb. the brightest kids in the world are still incredibly dumb. again, I'm telling you from experience.

so we now have a Ben who can at times admit that he has no idea what's going on, which is so charming. we also have a Ben who, a lot of the time, doesn't even fully realise he has no idea what's going on, because he's distracted thinking about something else. I love how often the show cuts to shots of his face and you can practically see the loading bar behind his eyes as he tries to take in new information. like it just hasn't computed yet and you gotta wait a sec for it to sink in.

he's capable of cleverness sometimes, just like he was five years ago. but that's not his strength, honestly. we're actually repeatedly shown that his greatest strength is his heart: he's a compassionate and caring kid - he has lapses, like all teens do, but by and large he's a good guy. (this also, I think, makes a lot of sense with his off-screen development into a slightly more anxious, less certain young man. especially when you think about what a big influence Max has clearly been on his growth.)

Ben is a true blue 'pure of heart, dumb of ass' hero, and I'm just so constantly charmed with how it's executed. I have plenty of nitpicks with the show's writing that I'm sure I'll get around to yammering about eventually, but the character writing for Ben Tennyson is golden and so far I'm a huge fan.

holy shit this post got long - apologies lol, but thanks to anyone who bothers to read it!! ily.

#Ben10 #Courtney watches Ben 10 #long post #tldr: Ben is dumb and adorable and I love him

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wheredemdokis · 3 years

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[tastebreaker review] Law School (no spoilers)

Sometimes, I wish I could have a shrine for all the cerebral media that I consumed, because it definitely is my favourite archetype. Death Note was a masterpiece that I hungrily binged in one day - similarly with Psycho Pass (though I haven't watched the second season due to most of the reviews I have read). This extend well into non-anime media for me - State of Play (with Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams) remains one of my favourite movies, Inception and, well, honestly anything by Christopher Nolan, and I have recently began watching The Matrix as well.

And so, the thirst for real mystery and brain games was quenched when I started watching Law School, with Kim Myung-min, Kim Beom and Ryu Hye-young, directed by Kim Suk-yoon. Needless to say, throughout the whole trip, I was hooked, counting down days until the next episode came... but towards the end - an unpopular opinion - I was actually quite disappointed.

And so, before you start your cross-examination, allow me to present my findings first.

- How did I start watching this?

My friend and I were looking around for something to binge on Netflix and forget about COVID-19. This series popped up, and the moment I read the title, my sapiosexual senses were tingled.

- And how was it?

Very good!... until the ending came. ;w;

- Genres & overarching themes?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Psychological

Overarching themes: murder mystery, law vs justice, intelligence (as in, the characters are all really smart hahah)

- Plot: 4/5

It could have been a high four, near five if it wasn't for the ending, frankly. The first episode started out with Professor Seo Byung-ju of Hankuk Law School dead, and the spotlight shines on Professor Yang Jong-hoon (the man in the poster above), the first suspect. But was it really him? From then, the mystery unfolds as our favourite study group (who shall be very well elaborated on later in this review) launches itself into investigation for true justice.

The series started out extremely strong in my opinion, with its first few episodes filled with twists and sub-plots that were waiting to get wrapped up. Every episode just leaves you gripping on the sides of your seat in suspense. It really makes you doubt every single person that appeared on-screen and watch out for anything that happens - the show uses the Chekhov's Gun trope really well. As the knots become unravelled, we gain more depth into the characters. However, as we near the end - about two-three episodes for me - the show started to lose its thrust, falling into a comfortable stereotype that made things rather frustrating.

One of the major advantages of Law School, in my opinion, is its ability to twist and turn everything. It prompts the viewers to realize that when the case is really examined in a whole different angle, with more and more evidence coming to light, everything changes. The use of different suspects' stories being told in each episode is a pleasure to watch - the viewers feel like an omniscient judge, overseeing the motives and evidence to draw out a conclusion for themselves on who might be the murderer. The series prompts the viewers to think, which is a trend I really like. It's also interesting to question why characters do certain things they do. Professor Yang Jong-hoon (my favourite character!), for example, is a very... chaotic (haha) character, who keeps on surprising people with his actions - yet, his actions are all elaborate executions of his strategy, a whole plan that he has concocted which accounted for multiple steps ahead, thanks to his extremely sharp vision of what could happen. Thus, it is extremely satisfying when everything falls into place as Yangcrates (a nickname he earned due to his Socratic teaching) explains everything that led up to a particular tense moment where the truth was unveiled.

Yet... this very trope had its downfall near the end. The murderer was so heavily shadowed on in the beginning that the viewers would have expected the murderer to be someone else completely unexpected, a mastermind that pulled the strings behind all the proceedings. Yet, the murderer and the mastermind behind the murder were someone so... I dare say, unimpressive. I mean, this particular 'mastermind' behind the murder fell into so many traps! The murderer was definitely my major disappointment - the villain was a weak character, an unsatisfying antagonist that the intelligent heroes, once having figured who he/she is, didn't even break a sweat to bring to light. The last, final twist that was supposed to be the most glamorous of them all, completely knocking the viewers off their feet, fell completely flat.

Secondly, whilst having a lot of sub-plots still remains a favourite trope of mine as I'd expect everything to wrap up nicely near the end... well, it didn't. Whilst most sub-plots were hastily answered, there was one particular sub-plot which was just left completely unaddressed (for those who have watched it, it's about J****s), and unless they're hinting at a second season where this would be further elaborated on, this was a dead-end sub-plot, a plot with no elaboration or continuation whatsoever.

Overall, the plot was breathtaking in the beginning. It lost momentum very near the end, and wrapped everything up with an anticlimactic last episode.

- Characters: 4.7/5

Definitely the strongest set of characters I've seen in a Korean drama, frankly. All characters were so well utilised, each having their own quirks and flaws which were delightful to watch. Everyone was so, so intelligent, that they honestly were the main fuel to the series, our main stars.

Allow me to first start off with my favourite character, Professor Yang Jong-hoon. Stoic, yet with an extremely savage side that he does not hesitate to show to anyone of any ranks or social standings, Yangcrates carefully plots everything, always thinks, questions, and then thinks even more. Intelligence-wise, this man is most definitely the smartest on-screen persona I've seen in the Korean drama franchise - able to see miles ahead and figure out all the answers down to their root, he is someone that definitely earns all the respect he has, from both his students and viewers alike. Personality-wise, this man is equally interesting as he is smart. With a cold exterior, Yangcrates does not take any bullshit (cue a particularly funny water spitting scene), and does not hold back harsh words to point it out. Yet, underneath this cold exterior is a burning desire to find the absolute truth, which would in turn bring justice to ones who have been wronged (refer to a particular lecture-like speech he made in episode 10), and a passion for teaching his students. He secretly cares for his students a lot, and expresses it in his own way.

Next, our favourite study group - a group of capable, enticing individuals. Firstly, we have Han Joon-hwi, a complex character that always pursues justice and fairness. His intelligence shines through with the way he, firstly, is able to take advantage of his sharp understanding of law into the case, and his careful processing of the evidence he gathers during investigation. Whilst he always keeps a cold head when needed, he has an equally warm heart, genuinely caring for wronged and innocent people. His expressions were all extremely raw and did not feel fake at all - really, props to his actor. More on this later.

Then, we have the two girls - Kang Sol A and Kang Sol B. Don't be fooled by their names - they are very much polar opposites. Whilst Kang Sol A is excitable and wears her heart on her sleeve (sometimes a bit too much), Kang Sol B always keeps a cool head, sometimes taking it to the extreme. I do admit that if I had to pick out of the two, though I love both of them very, very much, I'd probably lean a bit more towards Kang Sol A - even though she definitely gets on my nerves sometimes because of her overload of emotions that could be disruptive, she has her frequent bouts of creativity and "a-ha!" moments that display her underrated intelligence (I'm always soft for underdogs that are underestimated by everyone, only to turn the table on them later). She is also an extremely loyal friend and a very generous individual that isn't afraid to place herself in danger just to help others - overall, a very warm person. Kang Sol B, on the other hand - perhaps due to her family environment - does not really taking other people's emotions into consideration, though I really, really admire her for her intelligence, her ability to always keep a calm head (making her the blue counterpart to Kang Sol A's red), as well as her straightforwardness which has proven many times to be necessary to push the case forward. She does have a soft spot, though - a very adorable one at that. These two make an extremely adorable pair of friends.

My favourite student of the study group must be Seo Ji-ho. I'd say he's a less intimidating version of Kang Sol B hahah - cool and composed, Ji-ho is a reliable member who always pursues logic and reason first. He is also driven to achieve his goal and, like Joon-hwi, utilizes his deep understanding about law very well to solve his own case, his sub-plot. Though his sub-plot eventually was wrapped up as an open ending, it was a nice sub-plot to watch. Not to mention his dynamic with Joon-hwi is very adorable as well - the two really balance each other out.

Other students also have their own quirks and flaws, but for the sake of this review's length, I won't elaborate them as much - but I will say they are all a delight to watch, adding their own personal elements to the overall study group. I will definitely miss this set of characters so, so much. ;-;

- Acting: 4.4/5

Frankly, perhaps because of some K-drama series I have watched, I had a problem with acting in some K-drama series - the actors and actresses did not feel genuine, and they either overacted, pushing their expressions to the extreme, or underacted, simply being way too... stiff (some of my personal favourite actors and actresses so far are Kim Seon-ho, whose theatrical experiences probably really helped with his very natural acting, Jo Jung-seok, and Kim Hye-yoon, an actress who impressed me with both of her most popular series - hope to see her versatility shine through with more diverse roles though). This series, however, is a definite favourite of mine in terms of acting. Firstly, Kim Myung-min is a veteran actor that deserves so much respect - he basically morphed into Yangcrates. I absolutely loved the way he delivered his dialogues - very long ones! - without even so much as taking a breath in between - it was smooth and the flow was excellent.

Kim Beom also became one of my favourite actors after this series - the way he handled his role was so good, his expressions, actions, everything. I noticed that he's very good with his eyes, if that's the right way to put it - he is very good at displaying emotions with them, all emotions ranging from sadness to adoration (towards a particular someone *wink*). It's a top-notch skill, really, and I'm glad to have seen him on-screen. Similarly, Ryu Hye-young impressed me so, so much that I shall add her to my list of favourite actresses as well - I can't spoil, but she is really able at... altering her vibes, yes. She seems to have studied her character really carefully too, being able to bring all Sol A's quirks to real life. Other actors and actresses were amazing, but for me, these three definitely shone.

- Doki moments?

Ah. Definitely some between Sol A and Joon-hwi, as a lot of other people have commented. From the way they tease each other to the way he cares about her every little thing, the way he stares at her, the way his whole demeanor just changes around her and the way she unknowingly influences him so much - they do balance each other out really well, Joonhwi being the cool to Sol A's warm. I do find myself thinking Sol B and Ji-ho would be rather compatible as well (also, them being study rivals in high school? My rivals-to-lovers side is ready).

- Enjoyment: 4/5

Again, could have been higher if it wasn't for the ending! But yes, overall, a whole trip worth embarking on.

- Overall: 4.2/5

Really, could have been higher... but yes, still an excellent show. I just hope they could have had more episodes to really wrap everything up nicely and maybe throw us one final, absolutely ground-breaking twist.

- Watch it or neh?

Yes, please do watch it! And let me know how it goes, too. ;3

#jtbc law school #law school kdrama #kdrama review #kdrama recommendations #kang sol a #han joon hwi #solhwi #kim beom #ryu hye young #yangcrates #kim myung min #kdrama #kdramanetwork #mystery thriller #crime thriller #psychological #mystery series #school life

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fayeimara · 3 years

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Meant To Be Series || One For Every Billion

1. Operation: Meet Shiratorizawa

*Both written and SMAU parts this epsiode*

You hear the familiar sound as you open the door and look inside the gym. The Shiratorizawa campus is definitely impressive but nothing feels more familiar than walking into a strange gym filled with mostly strangers. Back home or a world away, volleyball is the same, perfect sport.

"Y/nnnnnn!"

You're smiling wide before you even lock eyes with your favourite redhead. "Tendou!"

Your greeting is muffled in a bear hug to beat all bear hugs and you can't help but laugh as you wrap your arms around your cousin's best friend.

"I am glad you could make it." Toshi is standing behind Tendou with a small smile and you pull away to give him a hug too.

"Let us introduce you to coach first, and then you can meet the others."

"Sounds good!"

The three of you walk over to the side where a small elderly man is scowling at the players on the court and when Toshi introduces you, you follow what you know of polite customs here and bow at the waist in greeting, "Thank you for having me!"

"I hear you play as a setter for a premier league."

Yeah, Tendou and Toshi weren't lying about his intimidating demeanor, but you're unfazed. You've dealt with some like him and they're good leaders in their own way.

"Yes, sir."

"You're quite short for your age."

You blink. You're pretty sure you're the average height for girls your age. You're definitely on or above average in your league even though you're not as tall as your hitters. Okay, cheeky, it is.

"Yes, sir. I hear that sometimes from opponents before we play. Not so much after a game, however, if at all." Tendou starts chuckling only to muffle it when the coach's sharp gaze locks onto him for a moment before focusing back on the court.

"Is that so." He finally looks over, making eye contact and drawing out the silence for a few quiet seconds. "Well, height isn't critical for a setter, though it's an asset."

"Yes, sir." You have to bite the inside of your cheek so you don't push it. You're aware of his status and tenure, after all. To someone like him, kids your age with a little cheeky boldness and confidence can be surprising and impressive. Too much is disrespectful and you're still a guest here at the end of the day.

He looks back at the team and you do startle a bit when he barks out, "Did I say it was time for a break?!"

Looking over to the court, you finally realize the practice game has all but stopped. You meet several wide eyed, disbelieving stares before they jolt back into motion.

Tendou and Toshi leave you there to rejoin their teammates with a grimace and a nod, respectively. You just smile blandly and take a seat next to their coach.

-x-x-x-

By the time Coach Washijo blows the whistle for the end of their practice, you've got a clipboard on your lap with notes and the begrudging respect of the ornery man beside you. Yes, you know your shit when it comes to volleyball and you didn't hesitate to use your knowledge to impress. You have a feeling he'll be taking a look at the link you wrote down to your national games at some point given the observations you pointed out. Mission: Success.

As the boys are grabbing water and towels and gathering around, Coach locks eyes with you once again to study you as you smile politely back at him, waiting for what he's chewing over. "You can visit again."

And then he stands to address his team before heading over to his office and leave them to clean up.

You look away from his retreating figure and, oh my, that's a lot of eyes on you. Why do athletes look so pretty? You smile wider and stand to introduce yourself, "Hello. I'm L/n, Y/n, Toshi's cousin. Nice to meet you all and thank you for having me here for this practice."

You bow and they start stuttering and speaking over each other while Tendou laughs, knowing you're also teasing a little. They're clearly flustered so it takes the edge of your own nerves and your smile relaxes into something a little easier.

"Wow.. that was.. different. I've never seen anyone interact with Coach like that." You look over to an ash haired boy, oh hello- "I'm Eita Semi. Nice to meet you.”

He sounds a little brusque.. hmm. He's their setter and knowing Toshi and Tendou...

"Semi-san, your sets... they really show your love for volleyball."

His mouth drops, hopefully in surprise, but you also hope you didn't say anything too forward? You know it's pretty different here and some things like feelings aren't used as carelessly in conversation but.. he's blushing. Oh no.

You try to correct, just in case, "I mean, I hope it's not presumptuous or inappropriate to say! I'm lucky to call myself a setter too, so from one to another, I just wanted to say I can see how much fun you have and it's inspiring!"

Okay, now Tendou is literally dying of laughter, bent over grabbing his stomach but you can see his face and yeah, he literally looks like the emoji that's crying with laughter. And- what?! Even Toshi is smiling a little, he knows that under your calm and playful exterior there's an impulsive, reckless storm.

Semi raises his hand up to the back of his head and you swear he's full on blushing. Okay, yeah, no, you're good. It might sound cruel but when you see people more embarrassed or flustered than you, usually, you find your own equilibrium steadies in response.

"That's- uh- thanks! I hear you're incredible. I mean, as a setter. I- Thanks."

The rest of the team has been looking on and slowly amusement and excitement is like a wave that slides across their features. One of his teammates hits Semi across the back, knocking him forward a bit, while teasing him about compliments from a pretty girl. But you politely pretend not to hear and focus on some of the other members as they start asking you about yourself and answering your return questions about each of them.

I think we can call Operation: Meet Shiratorizawa a success, you think, happily satisfied with the people your dear cousin has to call his teammates and friends.

Prev | Next

Masterlist

Behind The Scenes!

-Toshi is not directly related to Y/n but they might as well be brother and sister for how close they are

-He’s actually her (bear with me, please) dad’s brother’s sister-in-law’s son : Her uncle’s wife is an Ushijima - so her aunt by marriage is sister to Toshi’s mom.. I’m sorry, am I making any sense?

-Their mutual cousins will appear in the story, you’ve already seen their profiles in Family Matters: Kazuya, Akira, and Akari

-Tendou has known Y/n as long as he’s known Toshi and treats her like a cross between best friend and older brother, which means he’s sometimes mean, always teasing, and he will smack, cut, bury a bitch if they hurt her

A/N: Two things.. 1) I absolutely love Ushijima, I find he's seriously underrated. Although I guess I’m guilty here too because he’s Y/n’s family instead of a love interest 😔 If anyone ever wants to see a Toshi fic, let me know, I’ll do my best to work on his characterization 2) CHARACTERIZATION... guys, I’ve wondered this with all the HQ characters I’ve incorporated so far, but.. I don’t know if I’m hitting anywhere close to what they might actually be like in the scenarios I put them in?? So I apologize in advance, and profusely, for all the HQ characters that turn out not quite.. the way they should lol. The writing kinda sorta maybe gets away from me all the time 😅

I lied, there's a third.. I know I've made several posts on days that I've posted so far, and while I do hope to be consistent with a steady couple posts a week (particularly concerning this fic, or rather, not including other fics and stuff I might decide to post as I get more comfortable here), I may not always be able to deliver the same amount of content as I a) am still slowly getting a handle on the social media aspect and how to smoothly deliver it; and b) catch up to where I'm at in the story. So I just want you all to know, I really appreciate your patience with me <3

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qwanderer · 3 years

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Loki in the Hall of Mirrors

This story is complicated. Not, like, as a plot, not particularly, but philosophically and thematically. It's got that great play of hero against villain that I love about the Loki story in general and that makes it all so divisive and messy. And I love it even more than I did on first watch.

The first time I watched the desert landing scene, I was like, "Wait? What happened to Allspeak?" because the people who live there don't seem to understand him. But on the second watch, I realized it could be a lack of context, rather than a break in translation. These people probably have an even chance of knowing nothing about Norse myth. Like, what if an alien came up to you and said "I am Boogle of Bofgar, I carry a burden"? You would still have questions like "What the hell is a boogle and why are you carrying your shit here?" So the basic dynamic of Allspeak is probably still functioning, and Loki probably understood their questions, but he was still trying to figure out how to answer when he got distracted by the TVA people.

It could even be an innate psychic ability rather than a magical one, as he seems to understand everyone in the TVA, including the man who can't be fluent in all languages like the field agents because he has never heard of a fish and the seemingly nonverbal robot. (Which of course makes me want Loki talking with Dum-E and the other shop bots! But I digress.)

Okay. I want to start talking about the next-level manipulation shit the TVA are pulling on Loki here. Time, as they say, moves differently in the TVA, and one might even assume that they can avoid having to deal with more variants at once than they can handle. And yet we see them dealing with exactly two other troublemakers during Loki's onboarding.

The first, I'm going to call little echo man.

Little echo man is incredibly annoying to Loki, because he does and says everything Loki might find himself inclined to do and say if he wanted to be difficult. Little echo man does these things in little annoying undignified ways, making them look silly and petulant. Little echo man protests and questions and pushes back, in his business suit and his long dark hair and pale skin, and clearly thinks everyone should treat him as important even though every indication is that he is an annoyance and an afterthought.

Perhaps he's a plant, and perhaps he's just a variant of an annoying but predictable regular they see who they lined up at the same time on purpose. But he is on purpose. Everything he does screams directly at Loki, "Don't do this."

We'll get to the second convenient intersection later.

The most obvious layer of manipulation is simply the beraucracy. They put him up against a series of obstacles which he needs to deal with to get anywhere else, and nothing he does can get him past those obstacles except compliance. All of these obstacles have personality, but they are not personable. They treat Loki like a bag of trash they have been tasked with taking to the curb. Annoying, distasteful, but ultimately routine. His silver tongue isn't going to get him anywhere because these people simply don't care.

I think a lot of these he just goes along with to see where it gets him, since at this point he still believes he has his magic in reserve. But the fact that he steps through the robot fryer even though he thinks he might be a robot without knowing (as others have pointed out, he spent thousands of years as a frost giant without knowing it, and he's recently spent time in the control of the being who shaped Nebula) is a testament to how deep they've already got their hooks in him.

They treat the robot fryer like it's routine, but come the next obstacle, they kill little echo man like it's routine, too. Because he didn't comply.

Loki is slowly being ironed flat to thread into their compliance mill.

And then - I love this, because it reminds me of one of my favorites among the multiplicity of Lokis, GoS!Loki - they put this line in as punctuation between the impersonal, compliance, don't phase of their manipulation and everything that comes after it.

When he's set before the judge, someone actually paying some attention to him, this is his chance to use his silver tongue on someone who will listen. But, although the judge listens, she treats him the same as all the other obstacles have - like listening is a distasteful chore she would like to be done with.

So it seems like the perfect moment for a dramatic escape. Except his magic is gone.

"It's not your story," the judge says. "It never was."

That hammers in all the worst things Loki has ever believed about himself - that he stands in the shadows of others, that he will never have the central place he was raised to desire, that he is, and always will be, a villain to be vanquished rather than a person with choices and agency.

Enter Mobius.

Mobius is a big echo.

He draws all the attention in a room. He is everything that Loki wishes to be - he is powerful, informed, prepared, in control. Capable of charming the judge. And most importantly, he is actively interested in Loki.

At this point in Loki's journey - both in the show and in his life - that has to be irresistible.

So Mobius is in a perfect position to wrap Loki right around his pinky finger.

He listens to Loki without shutting him down, the way all the obstacles have. When Loki tells Mobius he's going to burn down the TVA, Mobius suggests a couple of places he might want to start. One concrete, small, mischievous. One an indication that he's open to Loki doing larger, more significant things here in the future.

He shows Loki his own past and future - but carefully edited, to paint a particular picture.

So many echoes, so many reflections - Loki is in a house of mirrors. Lost, disoriented. Distorted one way, then the other. Magnified and examined.

Loki snarks, and Mobius comments, "Makes you sound smart." Affirms Loki for that little mischievous bit of personality.

Mobius shows Loki some of the most terrible things he's done, and questions them. Pushes Loki away from them. Then changes direction before he can get too heavy-handed, to basically fangirl over the DB Cooper adventure. That's mischief. That's good. I like that.

Punishes him for a small infraction, just to remind him who is in control and that even looking threatening could be seen as a problem.

I think it was at about this point that I got hard reminded of the dynamics of the show White Collar. It's a buddy cop show on a basic level and sometimes the relationship can be very sweet, but sometimes Peter spends one too many times reminding Neal that he can send him back to prison any time he wants and the power dynamic shows its messed up edges.

Mobius is part of the machine, and the machine is doing terrible things to Loki, but I have at least a sliver of hope that the relationship could gain more balance - more genuine balance, not based on the faux freedom that Loki has gained by the end of the episode. There's something to be said for making changes to a system from within that system, but for that to be meaningful change, Mobius would have to change as a person.

Anyway, this current nastily powerful Mobius pushes Loki as hard as he can, and then is conveniently interrupted by the actions of another variant, leaving Loki alone with his remote.

It could easily have been on purpose. The only thing Loki learns by escaping that room is that the TVA is more powerful than any force in the universe, in his experience.

Let's talk about the other Loki variant for a minute. It took me until the second viewing to realize the symbolism of leaving a small child the only survivor in a place of worship, then giving her something to turn her blue.

Odin said he found Loki in a temple, in the aftermath of a battle.

It's actually frighteningly easy to imagine how a distraught Loki could get to a place where he feels the need to genuinely burn down the TVA, and kill every agent in it. Because the TVA put certain clips in his little future show, focusing on the death of his mother, the way his own actions affected it, and the futility and brutality of his own death at the hands of Thanos.

They don't show him the destruction of Asgard, his own role in helping save the evacuees, and the way Thanos decimated the population of that transport before it could even reach Earth. They don't show him the devastation of his home or his capacity to do good.

A Loki who knows that the power of the TVA exists and that he has the capacity to be Asgard's heroic savior would do anything to get that power and save his people.

But we haven't met that Loki yet. I'm sure we will, and it's going to be exhilarating.

This Loki is being taught the importance of control over little things, and so when he gets his collar off and onto that guard, he toys with her, just to see that he can. They have been toying with him and it's oh so satisfying to turn the tables. But it's still compliance in its own way, the petty little mischief that Mobius has been steering him towards.

Loki has been given just enough freedom, just enough choices, that it seems like his own choice to watch the rest of the slide show and come to the obvious conclusion - there's no "out" to go to. His life has gone on without him, and ended. And there's really no point in his trying to fix it. No putting things back the way they were.

So he admits to Mobius - the person who has listened hardest, probably, besides his mother - he admits that he is small and scared and lashing out. That he doesn't know what to do.

Of course, this is when Mobius introduces the task the TVA has for Loki - to take down his other self.

Oh, I can't wait for the next episode! I want to know where this is going.

(I've popped in some panels from Loki: Agent of Asgard because it's my favorite and the show is giving me feelings about it.)

#the loki show #the loki series #agent mobius #loki #loki meta #spoilers #loki spoilers #loki show spoilers #aoa #gos!loki #marvel

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