#<- idk if this is a disclaimer i really need to add here or not | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

coconox · 3 months

Text

my 2 cents on the state of whb

i've been contemplating about my thoughts on this game since i never really sat down and processed it, and a month of not playing the game and just keeping up with fandom content/official game news i think i can properly format my words (hopefully idk lol)

if you're looking for a specific section dw i'll properly format everything under the cut so you can just scroll till you find whatever you're looking for (also head's up it's insanely long i'm sorry but kinda not sorry i wanted to just put all my thoughts into one post rather than multiple)

SMALL INTRO

for some context on my experience, i have been playing this game everyday since launch/day 1, i was f2p up until i got juno's card, which i'll talk about later, but just know in advanced that juno was the only case where i've spent money. i uninstalled around the time the announcement was made in regards to no posting full stories of paid content, so almost month ago, and only reinstalled recently to grab certain items to add to the spreadsheet that i've been maintaining since november (aka a month after launch)

i've said it privately to a couple of close friends but i'll say it publicly here: imho, i think they released the game way too early even with the fact that they delayed launch 3 times.

i understand a handleful of bugs are from the fact that the public servers are significantly larger than test servers, but playing this game after the servers kinda stabilized feels like we are the test players, like we're constantly given rough drafts rather than the final copy.

the localization is rough to say the least, but i think i've been so used to it from other gachas that i've played that it didn't really ruin the experience for me,,, except when the text would switch to an entirely different language HJGFDHJGK

from visual bugs to gameplay bugs to voiceline bugs, there's been a lack of communication in terms of what has been fixed and what is still a wip. instead the players just have to "fuck around and find out" in terms of whether something has been fixed or not.

as i continue to state the issues with this game and its direction i'd like to put a disclaimer that i am by no means an expert in any of this stuff lol. i'm just a guy who nerds out over math, spreadsheets, and video games and everything i'll be saying is my personal opinion based on what i've seen/experienced.

THE ISSUE(S)

SOLOMON SEALS AND GACHA

i think the first mistake was them adding solomon seals in the first place. based on what packs in the past looked like, it looked like red keys were originally designed to be for debut characters, but instead they throw a curve ball and add ANOTHER gacha currency that was essentially p2w only up till some point early this year. this ultimately led to there being 2 standard banners, both of which essentially do the same thing except one doesn't have A/B/C-ranks. the fact that now even with realm of seraphim, in order for f2ps to have enough to guarantee with seals, they need to save for a year and a half. that is WAY too long for ONE character. this is of course worst case scenario of needing to hit pity, i'm aware you can get characters early but you should never always expect you'll get early in gacha games, i learned that the hard way during my idk how many years i've been playing gachas lol

i personally think that there's no winning across any of the gacha banners. there's no pity for either of the standards, and debut L/S-ranks have imo too high of a pity for what we're actually receiving per week. we essentially get more or less 1 pull per week in terms of red keys, yellow keys, and seals through dailies/weeklies alone, though of course that can vary cause of the rng key boxes, monthly login rewards, etc.

PANCAKES

there seems to be a general pattern that i've noticed of rather than confronting an issue directly they try to create something new in hoping that fixes the issue instead. an example of that would be the pancake shop.

the old pancake shop was fine as is, we could get a multi for relatively cheap price and get pie boxes everyday (albeit they're rng but pies are pies). what they could've done was add the L-ranks and skip tickets or whatever new thing they wanted to add into that old shop, adjusting the currency wherever necessary. yet instead they just remove the old system entirely and replace it for a new one that no one really asked for? while having the L-ranks in shop are nice, an entirely new system wasn't necessary to make that one relatively small addition. having A+-ranks and lower give gold and books was also not necessary, we have resource stages containing those 2 things and it's very accessible to everyone. what resources we are lacking in however are tears and pies, which are arguably more important than gold and books since those 2 currencies are the core to ascending/lvling characters and their skills.

PIES

i've emailed pb in the past in regards to if there will be other permanent methods for obtaining pies, and their response was holy coin portal and events. those two are NOT stable enough for pie income considering the prices of skills. if there's instances in unholy board where we need to level a character's skills, i'd expect there to be some sort of resource stage that would allow us to get pies so that we can easily obtain that skill level requirement.

"META" GAMEPLAY

i'll explain the quotes in a bit but i do want to put a disclaimer that whb was the first time i've experienced a full on tower defense style gameplay for gachas. i was already familiar with how it works kinda because of neural cloud even though the game as a whole is more like an auto-chess game of sorts, but some story gameplay had tower defense mechanisms and i learned a fair bit from playing that. personally i also haven't played arknights since i'm trying to cut down on the amount of gachas i play but i am aware of its playstyle through friends who like to attempt to drag me into playing it cause of certain characters that i might simp over (*cough flamebringer cough insider cough chongyue cough*)

disclaimer aside, trying to piece together what characters work and what don't genuinely hurts my brain. i put "meta" in quotes because realistically there's only 1: all L-rank light types, ideally at least 1 tank, maybe 1 healer (though a tank can act as both), rest be whatever dps you'd like really (preferably satan considering the fact he can be extremely reliable without his ultimate unlike a few characters). of course, everyone will have a different opinion on what they deem as meta, but that's the general idea i'd personally follow based on what kind of battles have been given to us, what characters are available, etc. the rest tbh are just "cope and seethe" for lack of a better term.

there's a huge type advantage with light and dark types, and i really wish they could buff the other elements more just show they have some spotlight too. i also wish there were more non-light L-ranks. as of making this post, out of the 23 L-rank characters there is currently only 1 non-light L-rank, and it's juno, an L-rank fire marksman.

the part that really "hurts" me the most (don't really know what other word to put here LOL) is the fact that this game is going in a very specific direction of just dps'ing through everything and hope you clear the stage before the enemies kill you.

this game has a huge and imbalanced ratio between dps characters and support characters regardless of element. the fact that we only have 5 healers (NOT including lucifer (victory) considering he's technically a marksman and the healing is from his artifact and not in his skills) and 8 tanks, whereas marksman and close-rangers have twice or thrice the amount is absurd. what pains me more is the fact that for tanks, if you don't have mammon, you're screwed. arguably the best non-mammon option players have that's accessible is bimet. valefor and eligos share the same kit with the fact that their downfall is the possibility that they could be instakilled the second they pop their ult. healers on the other hand are somewhat more lenient. if you don't have lucifer, marbas is your next best, then gamigin (marbas and gamigin can technically be placed interchangeably since their healing differs by 0.1%, it just depends on who you have), then morax, then maybe buer but he only heals 1 unit at a time rather than multiple but i digress. healers still have multiple and very reliable non-L-rank alternatives whilst tanks really only have 1. i really, really hope there's more support units in the future cause man this sucks.

NIGHTMARE PASS

spending $50-$70, on paper, is significantly better than spending ~$400 for a character, and that's really the only "good" thing about it 💀

$50-$70 may feel like nothing to some players, but to a majority, that is a portion of a cost towards food, groceries, rent, etc. basically, i'd assume a majority of people would prioritize surviving than watching pixels on a screen.

i understand at the end of the day pb is running a business, but for kings to be fully locked behind a paywall knowing for a fact that a majority of the player base are 1. casuals/f2ps and 2. are here for the kings is absurd. plus with the fact that typically nightmare pass characters aren't added to standard and aren't always 100% guaranteed to rerun in the future just puts the nail in the coffin for me.

i think it makes more sense for non-kings like juno to be in nightmare pass because it's just additional fun and silly content that arguably won't be tied to the main lore and whatnot, maybe referenced as a silly bit here or there but it'd be more of an easter egg than something important that you absolutely need to know.

personally i bought juno's pass because i love his design, kit, and voice. story was kinda meh for me personally but i really just cared more about the va and gameplay. gameplay-wise, he certainly does not disappoint as a gehenna support unit. but do i regret purchasing him? yes and no. oddly enough this was probably the first i've ever felt guilty in terms of buying something i wanted in a gacha game. yes i regret it in terms of i'm no longer really playing this game anymore, which is unfortunate considering i barely made it through half a year of this game's release. yet at the same time, no i don't regret it because he is a really fun unit. for example, when it's gabriel's rotation in realm of seraphim, juno's, leraye (nostalgia)'s, and leraye's ultimates absolutely DESTROY gabriel in a matter of like <10 or so seconds and it's so satisfying to see. i also just really like his va, scratches a very particular itch in my brain.

anyways before i get sidetracked over appreciating juno, the fundamental flaws of nightmare pass are essentially

you shouldn't need to buy both tiers to get the character. you should realistically need to buy the highest tier and by default it unlocks all previous tiers below it

ui is a bit confusing. i still don't get why f2ps have to unlock parts of nightmare pass that they can't even access/obtain. there should be a clear separation between what f2ps get, what advanced tier gets, and what premium tier gets.

it's too expensive. most bp's i know are ~$10 at the highest tier, though that's considering the fact that bp's i'm familiar with only give cosmetics rather than actual units

from what i've heard through the grapevine, beel (bath) is basically in the same formatting as all the other currently existing bath cards, which are all currently obtainable through gacha. beel has no reason to be in nightmare pass. it genuinely makes no sense as to why pb put him there aside from getting money and that in-turn alienates a majority of the fan base since we can't even view the prologue of card stories if they're a nightmare pass character.

when nightmare pass was first released during christmas, everything was in chaos. the fact that a nightmare pass character needed the other two limited gacha characters gameplay-wise is absurd (mind you, this was before we were given the chance to earn seals through weeklies). everything was too expensive, and rather than an enjoyable christmas event it felt like a "merry christmas, now give us money" kind of situation. i think nightmare pass should not be happening as frequent as it is now. the gap between gabriel and juno was perfectly fine (4 month gap btw), but for a nightmare pass to happen back to back on top of gacha events is too much for both f2ps and p2ws.

the point of buying packs, bp, anything that costs real money in a gacha game is so it makes your gameplay experience easier, paying shouldn't be the main component of your game. personally based on what i've experienced through playing gacha games you should theoretically be able to pull for almost every character on debut just by playing dailies/weeklies/events, yet here we get a bit over a multi per patch (this includes playing realm of seraphim).

DICTATING FANDOM INTERACTIONS

i wholeheartedly believe a fandom is what keeps a game alive. a hindrance to the fan base is a hindrance to the game, which can be seen with the aftermath of pb announcing that legal action will be taken if full stories of paid content are shared publicly. while i understand from a business standpoint that pb would want to enforce the "no sharing full story" thing for paid content since they want players to yk, buy the card, like i mentioned in the previous section, the majority of the player base just cannot afford it.

the people who posted full stories wanted to share to those who cannot afford it, some people may not want only tidbits of the story but rather the whole context, especially those who enjoy dissecting character lore but don't have the irl funds to fully experience it themselves. some people may even want to archive it, cause honestly no one knows how long this game will stay up and we want to archive story so that it's something we can easily look back on. to essentially make players borderline terrified on trying to figure out whether or not it's ok to publicly post stuff in relation to any sort of story content is absurd.

there is also that loophole of what is defined as a paid story. when events end and get put behind a paywall, does that now count as paid story or is that still ok? what about debut L-ranks that are behind seals and there's a 3 month downtime till they're added to standard? or is it just referring to nightmare pass characters? paid stories in the context of the state of the game right now is insanely broad, it's practically at least 50% of this game (i'm exaggerating (or maybe not i wouldn't be surprised if that was actually the case)).

i understand no datamining, while it technically speaking isn't illegal, it's disrespectful to the devs, but a lot of these call to action methods they're announcing are rather extreme imo.

with the most recent cards either being put to standard 3 months after their banner ends or flat out paywalled and not 100% guaranteed to have a rerun, story content as of late has been very sparse. what people want most is a main story update, which we were originally promised to be updated every 3 months and it is now month 6 and we still have nothing.

EVENTS AND EVENT STORIES

event stories being locked behind a paywall after the event ends is probably the first time i've ever seen a gacha game do this. most of the gachas i've played either don't archive event story at all and just rerun it every year, don't rerun or archive the event at all (i.e. if you miss it, cope and seethe), or they archive it for FREE. it feels insanely greedy how EVERY event story needs payment if you ever want to backread an old event.

what also concerns me is the fact like instances like gamigin's event or beleth's event carry so much lore for their respective region and that may never show up in main story, which then screws new players over in not knowing the full context behind every region. events like minhyeok's or bimet's are fine in the sense that it doesn't carry that much lore in comparison to the more recent events. the first few events were like silly banter and getting to know a bit more about the cast.

also changing the event shop from daily pies to a set limit per account was an awful choice it just emphasizes my point earlier of how unstable obtaining pies are in this game.

FULFILLING PROMISES

i think while it was a smart move to list what's gonna be implemented throughout the year, they shouldn't have stated deadlines on when they're doing so.

the following are the things that still aren't implemented yet as of making this post:

new daily chats (expected within february)

friends system (expected within march)

birthday system (more specifically celebrating your bday) (expected within april)

new main story chapter (new chapter expected every 3 months)

if pb were to just say "here's what to expect in 2024" and NOT give specific months, that's fine, but giving these specific months sets an expectation that they would complete it within that timeframe. main story for example is probably the one people have been anticipating the most. by now as of july, if we were to follow the expectation pb gave us, we would currently be on chapter 7, or at the very least chapter 7 would've been released some time this month. we have not even gotten chapter 6 yet. chapter 5 was released in january. it has been 6 months since the last main story update. failing to meet these timeframes will make people upset, because it was mentioned in the announcement that it's 1. a promise (i hope i'm not the only one that takes promises seriously) and 2. in bold yellow text, "what we can realistically expect to see in 2024." the only promises that were fulfilled on-time were the ones in january, the rest have been delayed by at least a month. if you're giving a timeline of what's happening, announce if there's any changes to that timeline, because not doing so will make players believe you were lying to them even though you probably aren't and are instead just falling behind schedule.

i think what hurts more to me is the fact that they aren't publicly communicating these delays. it shouldn't be our responsibility to find out why or when something isn't happening within the timeframe they promised (e.g. by emailing them), it should be up to the devs to communicate that publicly to us. i'm not saying they should overshare what's going on behind the scenes, it can simply just be a simple announcement of "hey, we're very sorry but we're having some technical difficulties with this certain feature and we need more time. here is some compensation in the meantime, thank you for your patience and again, we're very sorry." it's that simple.

FINAL THOUGHTS

i mentioned back in my intro that i feel like this game was released too early purely because the fundamentals of making a bare minimum decent gacha game are just not there. if every patch update has people complaining on what's just recently been added/removed, you're not fully listening to what the audience wants. while i understand pb is a small business, a business is still a business regardless of size and criticism/feedback is necessary especially in a game dev setting.

i've followed this game's news ever since it was teased, which was december of 2022, i've lurked/participated in the fandom (on here at least) ever since september of 2023. i've felt a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions of "omg this is so great" to "why is this even a feature," hoping that over time the game would get better, but the only thing that's improved was server stability (and even that's still a bit rocky 💀).

a huge part of my stay was just being a lurker in the fandom. i genuinely appreciate all the creatives who fulfill asked prompts of characters, make ocs, fanart, write theories, reactions + many more. i love seeing other people's works/opinions and having just a lively fandom made it all more fun.

but at this point this game is just not for me. i've really only stuck around to read mammon's lore but since main story hasn't been updated in 6 months i'll really only chime back in when there's finally an update. it still amazes me to this day that my patience lasted this long. i think i've covered everything i wanted to cover but my memory is swiss cheese so if i forgot something,,, woops 💀

as for the future of the spreadsheet for those who check back on it, it's still being managed by myself and windy, who has been a huge help since day 1 of creating the build lists and team comps and i honestly can't thank her enough for also enduring this pain of a game with me as we've worked on this spreadsheet together hgjdfgh (luv u bestie 🫶). though it's written in the narrative that both of us will eventually quit updating it entirely if this game persists on not having any signs of improvement. when that day comes i'll make sure to post an announcement about it.

as for myself i'm probably still gonna lurk in the fandom/keep an eye out on game news. i doubt i'll be making any fanart anymore unless if i really have the motivation/boredom for it, but currently i'm revamping the "aesthetics" of this account so nothing's really set in stone. maybe i'll make a few whb rambles here or there if some game news really irks me but for the most part i've already been in the process of moving on to other things.

if you've stuck around this long to read this mess of a post, thank you for sticking around and have a cookie, you deserve it 🫴🍪

#good grief this post was longer than i expected LOL #silly rambles #whb

24 notes · View notes

gothcsz · 3 months

Text

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter XV.

GIF by azertyrobaz

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: A very eventful 4th of July celebration.

WORD COUNT: ~10.3k

RATING: 18+ Explicit topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: fluff i think? idk javi is working overtime here, some horny thoughts >:), kissing <3, descriptions of injuries and blood, if there's typos/grammatical errors just pretend that there's not, other things that i'm probably forgetting.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS: The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized.

A/N: first of all it's f*ck america we're just here for the vibes, okay. i had so much fun writing this, so i hope you all enjoy it as much as i did! 🎆 <3 as always feel free to drop any type of feedback/support on this blog or ao3. i'd really appreciate it <3

♰ read on ao3. ♰

♰ playlist | pinterest | series masterlist ♰

The sun shimmers on the surface of Lake Fraiser, casting reflections that dance across the water. The celebration is in full swing. The sound of laughter and cheerful conversations mixes with the sizzle of the grill and the occasional pop of a firecracker in the distance.

Paloma struggles up the steep wooden steps that lead to the kitchen, balancing a precarious stack of trays filled with the different desserts she’s made. Her arms strain under the weight, and she can feel the warmth of the summer sun annoyingly beating down on her. She pauses to readjust, narrowly avoiding the lemon bars from sliding off the top.

She’s been having quite a day. It began with a kitchen catastrophe that forced her to scrap and restart a batch of her treats. So, she had just told her father to go on without her, promising to join them later on.

Then came the clumsy misstep at the gas station, where she stumbled over her own two feet and badly skinned her knee. Now, with each step she takes, a stinging reminder pulses through her leg. The hastily applied bandaid, already starting to peel from her sweaty skin, offers little relief.

“Need some help with that?”

She glances up to see Javier, his brown eyes dotted with golden flecks. He’s holding a string of lights, his plain shirt and swim shorts an attractive sight, dark hair sexily tousled and slightly pushed back from his sunglasses sitting atop his head. She’s never seen him look this casual and it has both her heart and core throbbing.

“I’ve got it, thanks,” She replies, attempting to sound confident despite the wobbling trays.

His brows raise, setting the lights down on a nearby chair. “Are you sure? ‘Cause it looks like you’re about to start a dessert landslide.”

She huffs, her stubborn streak kicking in. “M’fine. Got it under control.”

He can’t help but smirk at her antics. “Y’know, there’s no shame in acceptin’ a little help. Especially when it comes with such a tempting offer for me.”

Paloma narrows her eyes playfully, lips curving into a teasing smile. “For you? Huh… so what’s this ‘offer’?”

“I get first dibs on these as a thank you.”

“Oh, is that all?” she replies, her voice laced with mock skepticism.

“Well, since you’re askin’, I was also hopin’ to pull you away later before the fireworks start,” he adds, his voice softer, more sincere.

Her cheeks redden, the warmth spreading through her in a way that has nothing to do with the summer heat.

She glances down at the trays, her resolve wavering as she meets Javier’s hopeful gaze again. His expression is earnest, full of an unspoken yearning, that she can’t help but give in.

“Yeah, alright, fine,” she concedes, “But only ‘cause it’s been a hectic day and I don’t want to be responsible for anyone missin’ out on dessert.”

He chuckles, a comforting sound that makes her feel like she’s buzzing. “Deal.” He reaches over and takes the containers, his fingers brushing hers.

The sensation has those pesky butterflies in her stomach fluttering, so she focuses on the task at hand to settle them.

“What’s in this one?” He asks with genuine curiosity as he peeks under the foil, walking alongside her as they go up the stairs.

“My pride and joy–– mini cherry pies. Had to restart ‘em this mornin’ but they came out so much better ‘cause of it.”

“How festive.”

“You know me. A true all-american girl.”

They put everything down on the counter once they’re in the kitchen and Paloma glances around, noticing how deserted the area is. The sisters are usually running around like headless chickens trying to make sure everything is perfect.

“Where is everyone?”

“Down by the lake,” Javier answers, nodding towards the large window over the sink that offers a panoramic view of the property.

The lawn is dotted with clusters of people, a lively tapestry of decorations in reds, whites, and blues celebrating the holiday. Children race across the grass, their joyous laughter mingling with the distant sounds of splashing water and excited chatter. Paddle boats and kayaks glide smoothly across the lake’s surface.

The sight is almost idyllic, a perfect summer day.

“They were gettin’ worried. Supposed to have been here hours ago.” He leans his hip against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest and the pull of his triceps has that damn t-shirt accentuating how toned he is.

And his forearms. She could pass out right now. The sight of his veins protruding against the skin is so attractive.

“Yeah, don’t remind me. Hit a few bumps along the way but m’here now. Better late than never, yeah?” She busies herself setting everything she’s brought out neatly, oblivious to the way his eyes rake over her body.

She’s wearing a Team USA t-shirt from the 1984 Olympics. Lola got it for her when she flew out to Los Angeles to watch the games. To Paloma, it was the coolest thing ever, and it quickly became her go-to patriotic shirt. The soft, worn fabric clings to her comfortably, and the faded red, white, and blue logo gives it some personality.

He’s always loved how the denim mini skirt hugs her curves, showcasing those beautiful legs that he wants to caress and touch on. It rides up high on her thighs, hinting at the white bathing suit underneath, glimpsed briefly when she bends over.

There’s also something about a woman in a pair of boots. It’s definitely the Texan in him that finds it sexy.

Javier reminds himself to keep the staring respectful and to a minimum. But it’s very difficult to when she’s walking around looking like that.

To beat the heat, she’s clipped her hair up and it naturally styled in a very Pamela Anderson-esque updo, a few stray pieces framing her face.

“What happened to your knee?” He can’t help but ask, eyeing the flesh wound and how the bandaid was literally hanging on by a thread.

“My clumsiness struck again. Tripped on my way to pump gas. Dunno what was more embarrassin’–– the actual trippin’ or how a family of five watched the whole thing happen from ‘cross the parkin’ lot. Swear they got a kick out of it.”

He laughs and she smiles softly, the warmth in her eyes mirroring his own fondness.

“I’ll go look for a first aid kit to help with that.”

“You don’t have to, s’not not that bad.” Just as she says this, she accidentally bumps her knee against the counter and hisses at the pain, some fresh blood now dripping down her leg.

“I’ll be right back,” Javier pushes himself off the counter and disappears to the nearest bathroom to retrieve what he needs. She’s kind of relishing in his newfound motivation to stay in her good graces.

When he returns, he guides her to sit on one of the stools, his touch gentle yet firm as he carefully cleans the wound. She flinches slightly at the sting of the alcohol wipe, but his reassuring grip on her calf and the soothing circles he rubs against her skin help ease the discomfort.

“You okay?”

“Mhm,” she hums, captivated by how handsome he looks while he’s concentrated, the pain now eclipsed by the tingles that follow his touch.

Brows are pulled together, mouth slightly parted, and tongue just barely poking out… he looks so dreamy.

After bandaging her up, he discards of the used materials and stands. “All set.”

“Thanks, doctor. I can walk again,” she jokes and he shakes his head with a playful smile, heading to the sink to wash his hands.

“Gotta finish stringing up some lights, but your dad’s down there by the deck.”

Paloma nods appreciatively, now eager to immerse herself in the day’s celebrations.

“Thanks for helpin’ me out. Hopefully Tammy ‘n them don’t have you workin’ all day,” she quips, half-serious about the women’s tendency to enlist any man around to do the heavy lifting.

“No problem, querida,” he replies softly, the endearment rolling off his tongue in a way that makes her heart skip a beat. “And it’s too late for that, but I don’t mind. Keeps me busy.”

“It’s a party not an odd job.”

“Still, it makes me feel useful.”

They part ways after that, Paloma hurrying back to her car to retrieve her tote bag with her essentials for the day. She joyfully bounds down the wooden steps, greeting familiar faces with warm hellos as she makes her way towards the deck.

There’s people everywhere, a much bigger turn out than last year.

Near the shoreline, a group of teenagers play an animated game of volleyball, their shouts of encouragement and friendly competition echoing over the water. Further down, clusters of people lounge on brightly colored towels and beach chairs, dipping their toes in the cool lake or floating lazily on inflatable rafts shaped like flamingos and unicorns. Paddle boats and kayaks drift leisurely, their occupants waving and calling out to those on the shore.

The deck of the lake house is a hive of activity, with adults congregating around coolers. Long tables covered with American flag tablecloths are laden with an array of delicious foods. The hum of conversation and bursts of laughter create a symphony of summer joy, a fitting soundtrack, she thinks.

“There she is.”

She’s greeted by her father and the sisters from the bar, all four of them lounging around one of the picnic tables.

“Sorry m’late. Had a crazy mornin’.” She leans in to kiss each woman on the cheek before turning to hug her father, who’s nursing a Corona in his hand.

“Not any crazier than your daddy attemptin’ to grill again. Almost blew himself to pieces.”

They share a laugh at Romeo’s expense, falling into small talk as she makes herself comfortable against the benched seat of the table, slipping on her sunglasses and plucking a slice of watermelon from the large plate at the center.

“S’alotta folks here. Like, the whole damn county it seems.” She observes, scanning the crowd and taking a refreshing bite of the fruit.

“People need community after everythin’ thats been plaguin’ all the towns. Somethin’ lighthearted to keep morale high.” They all agree in a quiet murmur, the air shifting as the conversation gets solemn for a split second, but it’s quickly brought back on track when they’re approached by a few regulars from the bar.

Her gaze drifts off then, catching Javier’s silhouette from the distance as he helps a few teens reel in a small boat.

He’s so broad yet lean. She wonders if he’s been working out recently. The sun makes his brown skin glisten, his red shirt a darker shade in some spots where sweat dampens the cotton. She’s having a good time eyeing his exposed legs, since he’s always wearing those tight ass jeans or in uniform.

The swim trunks leave little to the imagination. They cling to his narrow waist and wide thighs. She can’t help but ogle how the fabric hugs his ass, licking her lips.

She pours herself a glass of sweet tea, the cool liquid quenching her thirst. Both literally and figuratively. Watching him stirs something deep within—a mix of arousal for his physicality and a longing that almost breaches her boundary of not rushing things.

As she sips her tea, her eyes continue to linger, imagining the feel of his strong arms around her, the warmth of his body close to hers. She didn’t get to really enjoy him the first and only time she’s taken him.

While it had massacred her heart afterwards— she swears she’s never felt as pleasured as she did when he was fucking her. Not even with August, and their sex was great.

Now all she can really focus on is him, moving effortlessly by the water’s edge, unaware (or very aware) of the effect he has on her. She’s completely tuned out of the conversations at their table.

“He’s a real cutie, ain’t he?” Kristy’s voice cuts through Paloma’s reverie, pulling her away from her ogling. She blushes when she notices the knowing simper on her face.

“Who?” doing a piss poor job of playing it cool, Paloma reaches for more sweet tea.

“Don’t play dumb with me, girl, you know who m’talkin’ ‘bout.”

Her blush deepens, “Suppose he is…”

“He’s got that ruggedness like them cowboys from old western movies. Makes ya wanna saddle up and take him for a ride.”

Paloma laughs loudly, scrunching her nose. “Geez why dontcha tell me how ya really feel.”

“Oh darlin’, the interest for men bus has long departed from this station. M’sayin’ it ‘cause of you.”

“Me?” She chokes on her drink, caught off guard by the directness.

“Yes you. I’ve seen the way you act around him. ‘N not just today, either. You’re crushin’ hard, sister.”

If only she knew the full extent of the fuckery between them. But also… was her attraction really that obvious?

Duh. You’re always staring at him like a teenage girl does with her celebrity crush.

“Yeah, well, like you said. He’s cute and all but…”

“But…?” Kristy prompts, leaning in with interest.

“Look, I didn’t come here to get grilled, alright? That’s the food’s job,” she deflects playfully, standing from her spot and stretching her limbs.

“Oh, you’ve got it bad—don’t ya?” Kristy’s voice carries a teasing lilt as she leans in conspiratorially. “S’okay, pretty girl, secret’s safe with me. Though I’d reckon you should claim your territory ‘fore your girlfriend swoops in ‘n snatches your hunk.”

She juts her chin up to signal for Paloma to look over and when she does, the smile on her face drops.

It’s Sloane, standing there with her back turned, chatting with Javier. She can’t see her face, but the silhouette is unmistakable.

Jealousy prickles beneath her skin, green swims in her brown eyes. The sight of them together stirs a wave of unease and insecurity within her.

“Gonna go use the restroom,” she mutters suddenly, excusing herself before Kristy, who is somewhat amused by this little drama that’s unfolding before her, can respond.

She briskly walks off towards the house. Each step feels weighted with uncertainty, her mind racing with thoughts of what might transpire if she looks back and sees something that’ll confirm her fears.

Let this moment be a test, a chance to see if he will follow through on his promises and stay true to his word.

“Long time no see, officer. Haven’t got worked up again or did ya find someone to replace me?” Sloane bats her lashes up him, a playful smirk playing on her lips as she pinches the lower between her teeth.

He glances at her briefly, his expression unreadable, before side-stepping her entirely and heading towards the deck. He needs another beer and cigarette—quickly, and to distance himself from her unexpected presence.

“Oooh, cold shoulder. Knew you were harsh but seein’ it in practice... s’kinda hot,” She calls after him, her voice carrying a hint of amusement and challenge.

Javier halts abruptly, a surge of irritation flashing across his features. He looks around, ensuring no one is paying attention to their exchange, before turning back to face her. His tall frame towers hers, his jaw clenched with restrained frustration.

“Dunno what you think this is but I’m tellin’ you right now it’s nothin’ but a big fucking mistake,” He retorts sharply, his voice low but firm, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

Her expression wavers slightly, a mix of surprise and defiance crossing her features. She meets his gaze steadily, own demeanor shifting to match his intensity.

“You weren’t sayin’ all that when I was ridin’ your cock in the cab of your truck.” She shoots back, her tone laced with an edge, intended to provoke.

And it does. Javier knows he shouldn’t let her get under his skin like this—it’s exactly what she wants. But he can’t help it, especially not with Paloma nearby. He’s putting in every ounce of effort to mend things between them, to make things right. He won’t allow Sloane to fuck that up for him.

His jaw ticks again and he leans in closer, voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. “You are nothing special. All you’re good for is spreading your legs, said it yourself. A distraction that likes bein’ used,” the words drip maliciously from his tongue, “This,” he motions between them, “doesn’t exist. It never fucking happened.”

He holds her gaze for a moment longer, his resolve like steel in his dark eyes. Without another word, he walks away with purposeful strides.

Sloane stands there, seething silently, her expression twisting into a petulant scowl, like a spoiled child denied a treat. Her hands ball into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms as she fights the urge to lash out. They’re quickly losing control over the situation and that pisses her off. If only August had listened to her.

Meanwhile, Paloma stuffs a piece of dessert into her mouth, using the sweetness to distract herself from the interaction between Javier and Sloane.

She’d been half tempted to watch it unfold from the window, but kept herself from doing so. It just felt odd.

“Hey, little dove.” August’s southern twang breaks through her thoughts, and she sees him leaning against the doorway that leads from the kitchen to the foyer.

Great, she thinks wryly. If Sloane’s here, then August is sure to follow. Or the other way around. She scans the room, half-expecting to spot Gabriel lurking in a corner somewhere.

“Hey, August,” she greets, her tone guarded. She wants to ask him what he’s doing here, but it’s a public event, and the question feels futile. “What’s up?”

“Haven’t heard from ya in weeks…” his voice is veiled with frustration.

“Okay, and?” She responds curtly, own irritation evident as she wipes at the corner of her mouth where some icing has smeared.

His gaze narrows and he walks over to her, reaching out to firmly grasp her wrist and pulling her towards a more secluded area of the house.

“What the fuck are you doin’?!” Paloma whispers sharply, tugging away from his grasp with annoyance etched across her face.

“So that’s it, huh? You jus’ not gonna talk to me anymore?”

No, she intended to have a civil conversation with him and properly address their situation. But she hasn’t found the right time or the emotional fortitude to do it yet.

She stands uncomfortably before him as his upset gaze pins her in place.

“Don’t be ridiculous, ‘course I was gonna talk to you.” She crosses her arms against her chest, “I just wasn’t ready to but since you’re here with the intention of gettin’ some typa answer outta me…” Trailing off, she wracks her brain trying to think of the right words to say. “I think s’best if we just… go our separate ways.” She’s never had to break up with anyone before, so she’s totally winging it.

“Separate ways?” He repeats, words edged with disbelief and a hint of offense. “You really gonna say that? After everythin’ we’ve been through. After all I’ve shown you.”

She swallows hard, her chest tightening at the confrontation. “While I’m thankful for all that, I’ve decided s’best for me to let my momma’s past stay in the past. She had her secrets, ‘n now I get to have mine.” She tries to keep her voice steady, clearing her throat and shifting her weight uneasily between her feet.

“Really, it’s all been… eye openin’ and amazin’,” well not everything but she won’t get hung up on the technicalities. Her words remain careful yet firm, “And sometimes I still can’t believe s’all true… b-but m’just not cut out for all that. I’m sorry I can’t be the person you want me to be.” The person you think I am.

The silence that follows is uncomfortable, almost suffocating, in the small spare bedroom he’s pulled them in. She’s partially relieved they’re not having this conversation out in the open, especially not with Javier and her father nearby.

“So that’s it then? Got me showin’ you all your true potential for months just so you can break my heart like this,” He finally speaks, with pure resignation dripping from his tongue.

True potential? Her face twitches at that, unsure of what to make of it.

“The last thing I wanna do is hurt you,” she replies softly, ready for this to be over, “but I can’t, in good faith, continue this. It’s too much for me.”

She still thinks about what’d he said the last time they were together; how that old man was supposed to be an offering. How can he say things like that then get upset when people compare his group to a cult?

That possibility flits through her mind too fast for her to actually ponder it, too focused on the look he’s giving her now.

His blue eyes search hers, seeking any hint of doubt or regret. Yet Paloma meets his gaze with unwavering conviction, and he realizes he’s lost her for good.

“Is this really what you want?” He asks after the long pause.

“Yes,” she replies, quietly but firmly.

“What about Slo?”

She can’t help the pinched expression she gives, “What about her?”

“She’s gonna be real upset when she finds out you’re out.”

Ugh, cry me a river. “Yeah, well, I realized that maybe we weren’t as close as I thought. Been meanin’ to talk to her too but m’sure you can pass the message along.”

Because if she has to see her face to face, Paloma has no idea how she’s going to react.

There’s more silence as he takes in her shift in priorities. He chuckles wryly, “‘Kay… fine. Hope you don’t regret this.”

Paloma can’t quite place his tone, all she knows is that it stirs unease at the pit of her stomach, but she just remains quiet. It doesn’t matter how the aftermath makes her feel, she knows this is the right decision.

He’s gone in the blink of an eye and she’s left alone in the room, feeling a little lighter but also needing a few minutes to collect herself.

She won’t let this ruin her day. She’s been looking forward to being here all week and is dead set on having a good time.

When she finally rejoins everyone else on the deck, she spots Javier among their small group, smoking a cigarette. Relief washes over her, knowing he’s here and not off elsewhere in someone else’s company. Call her selfish, but she’s on a new path of allowing herself to take what she wants for once. And right now, the thing she really wants is his undivided attention.

She waves her father goodbye as he drives off to work, unfortunately not being able to stay the entire night. It’s later in the evening now, sun moving lazily across the sky, yet the heat remains relentless.

The cool lake water looks inviting, but she still feels uneasy from the nightmare she had a few weeks ago. Lingering dread nags at her, and although she knows she shouldn’t overthink it, she can’t help it.

“Ready to sneak off yet?” Javier’s breath is warm against her neck as he comes up behind her, sending a cascade of goosebumps across her skin. She does her best to hide just how reactive she is to him.

“Wasted no time, did you?” She turns her head to look at him, a small yet teasing smirk playing on her lips.

“Gotta have some respect. Can’t be going after a pretty girl in front of her dad like that. Especially when he’s carrying a loaded gun. Who am I, Jonah Abbott?”

She giggles, scrunching her nose. “Nice one. M’surprised he isn’t here. He loves a good party and bein’ the center of attention.”

“Missing him already?”

She nudges him with her elbow, “Never that.”

“Then we better get goin’ before he shows up. He’s got a penchant for appearin’ when mentioned.”

“And where exactly are we goin’?”

“Just to the other side of the lake. Not that far of a walk. I was over there this morning.”

Paloma hums, glancing at the large crowd of people scattered about before nodding. “Okay. Let me go grab my things.”

As she walks off, Javier feels a knot of nervousness tighten in his stomach. As much as he’s been wanting to spend some alone time with her, he’s anxious about what that might bring. Would he fuck up and say the wrong thing, driving her away? Would she realize that she actually wants nothing to do with him?

Every interaction they’ve had today has been great, so he’s off to a good start, and he’s enjoying being around her and everyone else. It’s the first time in a long time that he’s felt this... normal. It’s an odd feeling, but he’s learning to embrace it rather than reject it.

She returns with her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. “Ready?”

He nods, offering her a reassuring smile despite his inner doubts. “Ready.”

They begin their walk, the sounds of laughter and splashing water fading behind them as they move towards the quieter side of the lake. The path is shaded by tall trees, offering some respite from the heat.

The tension in Javier’s shoulders eases, and he finds himself relaxing, if only slightly.

“So, what’s over on this side?” She asks, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Just a nice spot. Thought it’d be perfect for us to spend some time alone together, away from all the noise.”

She smiles, her eyes gleaming with admiration. “Sounds perfect.”

They continue on, their conversation flowing easily. It’s actually kind of scary how they’re able to slip back into this normalcy. Making small talk as if they haven’t spent the last however long at each other’s throats.

The sun dips lower in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow over the body of water. By the time they reach their destination, Javier feels those nerves from before wash away entirely. He spreads out a blanket he had stashed nearby, and they sit down, the gentle lapping of the water against the shore providing a soothing ambiance.

Paloma leans back, closing her eyes and soaking in the tranquility of the moment. “This is nice,” she murmurs.

“Yeah, it is,” he agrees, watching her with a gentle smile.

They enjoy the peace and quiet for a minute. He knows there’s still a lot to figure out, but right now, he really is content with taking it one step at a time.

“Slo and August were here earlier.” She doesn’t know why, but the words tumble out, her curiosity compelling her to open one eye and glance over at him, gauging his reaction.

Javier scoffs, irritation blooming at the mention. “Yeah. Had the unfortunate pleasure of runnin’ into her. Did nothing but try and piss me off.” He works the gum in his mouth as he looks out into the distance, then he asks, “You talk to your boy toy?”

Paloma rolls her eyes. “Talkin’ to him right now,” she teases, unable to resist. His lips pull into a small smirk as he continues staring out at the water, his side profile illuminated by the warm light, jaw flexing and tensing with every chew. God, he looks so hot.

“But if you must know,” she continues, “I did. Told him things between us were over.”

He’s fucking relieved and happy to hear that. “Good.”

“Good?” She cocks a brow at him and he turns to face her again, leaning back on his forearms. She shifts to turn her body, propping her weight on her elbow, their faces now closer together.

“Can’t make this work if you’ve got a man.”

She hums in response, her eyes lingering on his pouty lips.

Javier’s smirk widens, and he leans in, just barely, minty breath fanning against her skin. “You know, querida, you drive me crazy.”

She runs her tongue across her lower lip, her heart racing. “Good,” she echoes, her voice barely a whisper.

The world around them seems to fade away as the electricity between them intensifies. The lake, the sun, the party in the distance—all of it becomes irrelevant compared to the undeniable chemistry they share.

“C’mon, let’s get in the water,” Javier says suddenly, standing and pulling his shirt over his head, revealing a fit and chiseled torso. He kicks off his shoes, and Paloma has to bite her lip at the sight of him.

Yup, he’s definitely been working out. His defined, broad shoulders and the tantalizing trail of hair on his belly make her pulse quicken. The swim trucks fit very snugly against his bulge.

“You just gonna admire or…?” He smirks yet again, catching her stare, and she scoffs playfully, rising from her spot and undressing herself.

Her white bathing suit is a little more modest than what she would usually wear, but it still showcases her curves in a way that has his brain short circuiting. His eyes trace the scar over her hip which only adds to the allure.

Javier’s mind races back to that night they hooked up. How he wishes he could redo it, not just to avoid the mess he caused afterwards, but to keep from rushing through it.

He’s typically all about filthy and quick fucks, but with her, he wants it to be different.

He wants to take his time, discover the spots she likes to be kissed and caressed at, to hear her pretty moans and pants of his name while his tongue maps out every inch of her.

“You just gonna admire or…?” She repeats his words, unclipping her hair and it cascades over her shoulders. The soft mahogany waves glow beautifully in the oranges and purples of the sunset.

“Guess we both have a staring problem,” he replies, unable to tear his eyes away.

Paloma steps closer. “Guess we do,” she mutters, a playful glint in her eyes.

“Race you?”

“You’re on.”

They both take off running toward the small dock a little further down, but as they get closer, she begins to feel more of that apprehension from earlier, slowing her steps.

The dock seems to stretch endlessly, the water around it looking darker and more ominous than before. Her throat runs dry and the rocky ground beneath her feet feels like it’s anchoring her in place.

Relax, it was just a dream you had weeks ago. Get over it. She repeats over and over, but still doesn’t move from her spot.

Javi reaches the end of the narrow structure, turning back to her with a carefree smile that falters when he sees her standing still.

“You okay?” He asks, brows furrowing slightly with concern.

“Y-Yeah, it’s just,” she stammers, feeling a bit childish, “I had a weird nightmare a few weeks ago involvin’ water, and it’s just spookin’ me a little right now.”

His expression softens as he walks back to her. “Hey, it’s alright,” he tells her gently, “We don’t have to get in if you don’t want to.”

Paloma takes a deep breath, “No, I want to,” she insists, her voice a little stronger. “I just needed a moment.”

He nods, understanding as ever, “‘Course, whenever you’re ready.”

She takes a tentative step forward, then another, until they’re walking side by side.

When they reach the end, he looks over at her reassuringly. “You sure you’re fine?”

Paloma nods, her apprehension disappearing with every step they took. “Yup.”

“You don’t have to act like you are. It’s okay if you—”

She cuts him off by suddenly pushing him into the water, laughing loudly in triumph.

He resurfaces, wet hair obscuring his vision and he pushes it back with his thick fingers. “Eres traviesita, nena (you’re naughty, baby). I’ll let it slide on account of your little bad dream.”

She rolls her eyes playfully. “Got no choice but to, cowboy.”

Now it’s her turn to dive in, taking few steps back to get a running start. As she breaks the surface, a sense of exhilaration washes over her, the weight of her nightmare gone.

“See?” he says, treading water beside her. “Nothin’ to be scared of.”

She grins, feeling better already. “Thanks, Javi. I needed that. Been avoidin’ the water all day ‘cause of it.”

“Anytime,” he replies, his voice warm and sincere and he likes hearing her call him Javi.

They float and swim around, taking turns doing cannonballs and plunging into the water. It’s as if they’ve reverted to childhood, joking around and teasing each other relentlessly, scoring dives and seeing who can make a bigger splash.

It’s always him. Him and his stupid, attractive broadness.

They’re carefree, relishing the pinch of privacy they’re able to share without the prying eyes of nosy neighbors. Javier imagines a future where they don’t have to sneak around, where he can proudly have her on his arm, showing the world what she means to him.

The sun fully sets, just barely illuminating the now night sky. “There’s a canoe back on shore I want to take you out on.”

She’s floating on her back as he says this, her eyes fluttering open to look over at him. “You’re pullin’ out all the stops today, aren’t ya?” she says, starting to swim over to where he is with a cheeky grin.

“Is it too much?” He feels a tinge of insecurity. Is he overcompensating?

“If you were anyone else… maybe. But you’re not. You’re… you.” She doesn’t need to explain any further. He doesn’t need her to.

Back on shore, he swiftly gets the canoe into the water and climbs in, extending his hand to help her. She’s a little wobbly at first but manages finally, taking a seat on one of the slats as he begins to row them towards the center of the lake.

They can see the lake house in the distance, its glow from the strung-up lights twinkling. There’s the faint sounds of firecrackers and the flashing of some sparklers that is oddly comforting to her.

“Got the best view out here. Skies are clear tonight, too,” he says, looking up. She follows his gaze, stars littered along the black sky.

The first firework is set off, bright colors exploding in the air with a loud boom.

She’s captivated by it, her eyes wide with awe, while his focus remains entirely on her. Always so beautiful, he pinches himself subtly to ensure this isn’t some dream. The fireworks cast a kaleidoscope of colors over her face, highlighting the joy and wonder in her expression.

Women like Paloma are a rare treasure. They often find themselves with people who dim their spirit or buried in places like Seminary. It’s why he has to change, to be better for himself. But most importantly, for her. She deserves everything—the world, the universe. He’ll do whatever it takes to give it to her.

“Oh my god, that one looks like there are stars explodin’ from it!” She exclaims, pointing excitedly at a particularly dazzling firework.

He finally tears his gaze from her, following her finger to the sky where a large burst of sparks erupts. The explosion of light is breathtaking, but nothing compared to the woman beside him.

“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing,” he murmurs, though his eyes drift back to her. The illuminations dance across her features in a way that makes his heart burn with a fierce protectiveness and desire.

She catches him staring and grins, tilting her head. “You’re not even watchin’ the fireworks.”

“I’m watching something even more beautiful,” he replies smoothly and earnestly. His flirting makes her giggle, having her look away bashfully.

“Smooth talker,” she teases, but there’s no denying the pleasure his words bring her. Even if they’re simple and cliché as all hell. She shifts closer to him, the canoe rocking gently beneath them. The proximity is intoxicating, warmth radiating from their damp bodies as her naked thigh brushes against his.

“Just tellin’ the truth,” he replies, his hand finding hers. Their fingers intertwine, and the touch sends electric sparks through both of them, more charged than any firework.

“I’d be a fool not to appreciate what’s right in front of me.”

Paloma feels the intensity of his gaze, his eyes roaming her face as if memorizing every detail. They both can feel the pull, the magnetic attraction that has always been there.

“Seems to me you’ve been a fool once or twice before,” she says, leaning in so their noses nearly touch. “But you’re not too bad yourself.”

Oh yeah, a giant fool. Big-fucking-time.

He gives her a lazy smile, the playfulness returning to his eyes. “Not too bad, huh? I think I can work with that.”

As the fireworks continue, the sky lights up with a magnificent display, but neither looks away from the other. The booms and crackles become nothing but background noise to the silent conversation happening between their locked gazes.

They often find themselves communicating through just looks.

“I’m really glad you gave me another chance.” He voices softly.

“Me too,” she replies, matching his timbre, heart pounding in her chest. “Even if it was really hard for me to.”

“I know it was. It’s why I’m really tryin’ to prove to you that I’m serious about us.”

“Serious enough to tell my daddy?”

They sit in silence for a moment.

“When the right time comes, yes.” He’ll face Romeo, he has to if he wants to be with her. And fuck, does he.

His thumb gently strokes her knuckles, and she squeezes his fingers in response, a wordless acknowledgment of their shared feelings.

“Let’s head back. Don’t need you freakin’ out over a water snake or somethin’,” Javier says with a teasing grin, the memory of the night he snuck her back home coming to the forefront of his mind.

Paloma scoffs, pulling back from him with a roll of her eyes as he begins to row them back to shore. “Don’t ever let me find out somethin’ stupid you’re afraid of. M’never gonna let you hear the end of it.”

He chuckles in response, shrugging his shoulders. “Have fun tryin’ to figure that out.”

As soon as the canoe touches the shore, she hops off before he can securely dock it, walking out until the water is at her waist before submerging herself in it.

Javier anchors the boat and goes after her, flashing her a confused expression when she resurfaces. “Figured you wouldn’t want to be in the water when it’s so dark out.”

She runs her hands across the wet surface, looking up at the sky again; different fireworks painting the empty canvas and reflecting against the water.

“The dream I had…” She begins, “I was walkin’ along the bank of a swamp then suddenly I’m goin’ under. It’s all muddy and gross and thick–– m’strugglin’ to find somethin’ to get me out when I see it. A fuckin’ gator comin’ at me.” She shivers, the eyes of the reptile flashing across her mind, making her grimace. “The panic I felt… the fear, it was so real.”

Javier is quiet, his attention fully on her. He can see her expression, illuminated each time sparks burst above.

“Then I saw someone on land. A savior.” She pauses, tilting her head to look at him, “It was you.”

His fingers twitch at his sides and he swallows thickly, remaining silent with an unwavering gaze.

“I called out for you and you came, about to pull me out but then…” She shakes her head, looking down at the dark water. “S’like you changed your mind. Left me there ‘n the alligator got me. I woke up terrified and immediately threw up.”

Now he grimaces, feeling a deep pang of guilt. Even in her dreams he’s betraying her. He moves closer, gently urging her to look up at him. When she does, he leans forward, tenderly brushing some wet hair from her face. “I am so sorry,” he whispers, not knowing what else to say.

Her eyes search his with a small, sad smile. “S’okay, was only a dream. Jus’ wanted to tell ya about it.”

He hesitates, feeling a strong urge to be vulnerable with her, to share his own fears. He takes a deep breath, pushing away his timidness before speaking up. “I get bad dreams too. Different, but they leave me shook up just the same. Can barely sleep most nights.”

Her eyes widen a little in curiosity. “What about?”

“There was someone… back in Colombia. She was a working girl that a lot of the sicarios sought out. She became my informant, giving me valuable information in exchange for a life here in the States with her son.” His voice is low as he begins to explain.

“The lines blurred along the way. We both started catching feelings,” her breath is shaky but she listens to him with the same attentiveness in which he had listened to her, “and just when I was on the verge of figuring us out and getting a notable arrest under my belt–– they fuckin’ took her. Beat her. Assaulted her. I showed up too late. The damage had been done.” He stops, jaw clenching at the memory of that night.

The image of Helena so broken is seared into his mind. The bullet he had put in the guard’s head did nothing to erase the guilt or ease her suffering.

“That’s the nightmare that haunts me most. The one where I relive that night over and over again. The dread of not knowing where she was, the panic of storming the building, the pain of seeing what they’d done to her… the shame of knowing she was there because of me. Her and her son were put into witness protection after that, and I never saw her again.”

Paloma’s heart aches, feeling terrible for all the things she said to him in the back of his cruiser. He’s been through some unfathomable shit, and here she is, throwing it back at him because of her hurt feelings.

She grabs ahold of his hand under the water, tugging him closer. “It’s not your fault, Javi.”

“But it was my operation—”

“That’s irrelevant. You could’ve devised the perfect plan ‘n still, somehow, life woulda found a way to fuck it up.”

He just stares down at her, the moonlight and fireworks making her glow almost ethereally.

“You gotta forgive yourself for that eventually. S’the only way to get the nightmare to stop.” Easier said than done, but it’s good for him to hear this. He needs to hear this. “Bad shit was gonna happen whether you wanted it to or not. You did what you thought was right, ‘n y’all were always playin’ a dangerous game dealin’ with those folks... from the sounds of it, she was always in harms way.”

Funny how she ended up being the one to console him despite that being the opposite of his intention.

Silence envelops them as he mulls over her words and the look she’s giving him—compassionate, understanding, resolute. Her eyes, brimming with empathy, seem to penetrate the walls he’s built around his heart.

He takes a deep breath, feeling exposed. “You really believe that?”

“I do,” she replies firmly, squeezing his hand. “You can’t carry that guilt forever. You did everything you could.”

Exhaling loudly, he breaks the tension. “How much do you charge per hour?”

Paloma snorts with a shake of her head, splashing him lightly. “More than you can afford.”

Javier quirks an eyebrow playfully. “You sure about that?”

“Positive,” she smirks, leaping out of his reach when he lunges forward in mock pursuit. Her playful giggles ring out, a melody that echoes across the quiet night now that the fireworks were done for.

It doesn’t take long for him to close the distance between them, his hands finding her hips and pulling her close. She spins in his arms, turning to face him, her hands resting atop his that hold her waist.

“Why are you lookin’ at me like that?” she questions lightly, studying his handsome face.

“Like what?” he counters, his eyes tracing the curve of her cupid’s bow.

“Like you wanna kiss me.” she teases further, her hands sliding up to rest gently against his wet chest.

“‘Cause I do. Real fuckin’ bad, actually,” he confesses with desire, but also a hint of restraint.

Her breath catches slightly, she can feel his heart thudding beneath her fingertips.

“What’s stoppin’ ya?”

“Trying not to move too fast,” he admits, his grip on her hips tightening ever so slightly, gaze locked on hers with an intensity that matches the flickering stars above.

She hums, tilting her head to the side then pointing her chin up to look at him. Even in the dark, she’s mesmerized by his inviting brown eyes, the silver light giving them this distinct glint that has her heart racing.

“Please do it.”

And he does, as soon as the words leave her mouth he’s leaning in to kiss her slowly. Testing the waters.

The match strikes, lighting ablaze a heated exchange of passion on each other’s lips.

The kiss deepens quickly, fueled by how fucking bad they both want this. His arms encircle her waist, pulling her flush against him as hers loop loosely around his neck. Their bodies meld together, hips pressing into hips.

Her back arches as one hand roams up, cupping the back of her head while the other digs its fingers into the plush skin of her hips. His touch is both tender and possessive, conveying a hunger that leaves her breathless.

Her tongue swipes over his bottom lip and he parts to let her in, grunting at the lingering taste of summer fruit and sweet tea. He can feel himself hardening, much to his dismay of wanting to move slow.

It takes everything in her not to rub up against him, the pressure between her thighs gaining momentum.

Their soft sighs of pleasure and the gentle sounds of their lips smacking echo in the air, she has to pull back before things are taken too far and she ends up climbing him like a tree.

“Mmm ‘kay, that’s enough.” She whispers against his lips but still goes in for one more quick peck… then another… then another.

“Sure it’s enough?” He can’t help but tease and that gets her to pull away with a quickness.

“Don’t get all cocky Peña.” She gently pushes at his chest and he raises his arms in surrender with that infamous smirk of his. She begins to waddle back to shore and his brows pull together.

“Where ya goin’?”

“Gotta take a piss.”

“Not really the sexiest thing to say to a man after you’ve left him half hard in the middle of a lake.”

“Sorry can’t hear you over me not givin’ a damn.”

He chuckles softly, shaking his head as he follows behind her to get redressed. It was getting pretty late, and as much as he’d prefer to stay out here with her all night, he knows he still needs to tread carefully and not smother her with his attempts at affection.

Paloma haphazardly dries off as she slides on her boots and walks a reasonable distance into the surrounding woods to find a secluded spot to relieve herself.

Her lips tingle, an aftershock from that amazing fucking kiss.

She steps carefully over roots and fallen branches, not wanting to add another injury to accompany the one on her knee.

Then, amidst the quiet, a faint sound catches her attention—a wheezing noise that unsettles her. Instinctively, she freezes, her brows cinching as she strains to locate the source.

The wheezing evolves into a soft groan, coming from beyond the thick trunk of a towering tree. She can hear her heartbeat thudding in her ears as she edges around it, eyes widening in shock when they land on a figure lying in the dirt.

It’s a young girl, about her age, barely visible in the dim light filtering through the dense foliage. Blood streaks her torn clothes, and her breaths are shallow and uneven.

“Oh my god,” Paloma breathes out in horror, rushing to her side. She kneels beside her, hands trembling as she feels for a pulse. It’s faint, but it’s there. “Okay, you’re goin’ to be fine just—” she urges softly, her voice tight with fear. She yells out Javier’s name in a panic, frantically scanning the girl’s injuries, trying to assess the damage as best she can.

The urgency in her tone is unmistakable, piercing through the quiet of the woods.

Javier’s head snaps to attention at the sound of her panicked voice. Dread grips him as he bolts through the underbrush, his mind racing with a thousand possibilities, none of them good.

He reaches her side in a blur of motion. “What happened?” He’s relieved to see that she’s okay, however that relief is gone the second his eyes land on the injured girl. He curses, kneeling and shifting into his authoritative nature, “Is she breathing?”

“I-I found her like this,” she explains quickly, tone trembling with emotion. “She is but barely. I think she’s been s-stabbed. We need to get her to a hospital.”

“The nearest hospital is an hour away. She won’t make it. I gotta get her to town,” Javier replies, his voice tense with determination. He scans the surrounding area, staying vigilant in case whoever did this is still lurking nearby.

“Dr. Hughes was here earlier, completely wasted. S’why she had to leave early. There’s no way she’s in any shape to deal with this now. We need to make that drive,” Paloma insists urgently, her eyes pleading with him.

“She won’t make it,” he repeats a little harsher, his jaw tense. “It’s a miracle you found her when you did. I’m takin’ her to Hughes— whether she’s drunk or not.” His tone brooks no argument, attention now shifting to the other girl.

“Alright sweetheart, I’m goin’ to lift you up and carry you to my truck, alright?” He says softly, his tone gentle as he carefully scoops her into his arms, mindful of her injuries. She responds with a faint nod, her eyes barely open as she struggles to stay conscious.

They move swiftly through the wooded area, Paloma following closely behind him as they navigate the uneven ground. Fortunately, those down by the lake are oblivious to their urgent mission, the distant noise of conversation and music low as they make their way to Javier’s truck.

At the vehicle, he carefully places the girl in the cab, Paloma attempting to climb in also but he stops her.

Javi frowns, shooting her a glare. “What the hell are you doing?” He asks incredulously.

“I’m comin’ with you,” she replies, matter-of-factly, gritting her teeth.

“Absolutely not, you’re staying here while I deal with this––” “You can either stand here ‘n argue with me while this poor girl bleeds out in your truck, or you can shut up and get to drivin’.”

She doesn’t give him time to make a choice, nudging him out of the way and hopping in, very gently placing the stranger’s head on her lap.

Javier mumbles out a litany of expletives, evidently frustrated, closing the passenger door behind her then rounding the truck to get it started.

They pull out into the main road and he reaches for his mobile phone to call Romeo at the station, clueing him in on what the fuck is going on. He doesn’t mention that Paloma is with him–– that’d only set the sheriff off and he needs him focused on sobering up the doctor, not distracted by his daughter’s unauthorized involvement.

“Hey darlin’, I’m Paloma.” She murmurs softly, brushing matted hair from her face and trying not to wince at her injuries. “We’re gonna get you some help, okay? You’re in good hands.” The girl’s left eye is swollen shut, her lip busted, her face a canvas of dirt and blood—both fresh and dried. Paloma’s stomach turns at the thought of how long she might have lain there, unnoticed and in pain.

As they speed towards town, Javier can’t help but overhear her words of comfort; her voice is sweet, all things considered, as she tries to keep the battered girl from drifting into unconsciousness.

Despite his initial exasperation over her coming along, he softens at her compassion. He knows she’s only trying to help.

When glancing over at them briefly, he sees that she’s still only in her bathing suit and boots, “There’s a flannel in the back. Put it on when we get there.” He advises, his tone calmer now. She nods in acknowledgment, eyes flickering with concern as she continues to comfort the girl in her lap.

When they finally pull up outside Dr. Hughes’s home, the doctor, her husband, and Romeo are already eagerly waiting on the porch. The sheriff’s expression is tight, his eyes narrowing as he spots Paloma in the front seat. Javier cuts the engine and hurries around to gently lift the injured girl from the truck, careful not to worsen her wounds as he takes her into his arms.

The doctor rushes forward, her professional demeanor snapping into place as she assesses her condition. “Get her inside,” she directs briskly, everyone moving to assist.

Paloma follows them into the house after slipping on his red flannel and buttoning it up halfway, her mind racing with worry and subtle guilt for having involved herself. She knows her dad is going to have questions, but she isn’t focused on that now.

She paces outside of the room they’re in, barely hearing the conversation happening on the other side.

“I can stabilize her but that’s about all I can do. She needs to go to a proper hospital,” Dr. Hughes’s voice filters through the door.

“I’ll take her. Get ahead of this thing before word spreads,” her father replies tersely.

“And your daughter?”

He sighs heavily, and Paloma’s heart sinks. “Why is she even here?” The question is directed at Javier, who stands quietly in the corner, arms crossed, thumb brushing his mustache as he stares into space. Like Paloma, he’s also covered in blood and dirt, but is unfazed by it.

“She found her out there and insisted on tagging along,” he answers truthfully. There’s a moment of tense silence. “I’ll make sure she makes it back home alright. What’s important now is her. Her injuries match that of the other victims. It had to have been the same person. We need her conscious and talking as soon as possible.”

Paloma stops pacing, her mind reeling with the implications of what they’re saying. She can’t bring herself to keep listening, now feeling a twinge of fear. It could have easily been her laying out on the dirt. Beaten and stabbed. Left for dead. She shivers.

She hurries down the hall to find the bathroom. The sensation of dry blood on her hands makes her skin crawl. She needs to wash it off, to do something tangible to alleviate the whiplash of her emotions.

Closing the door behind her, she turns on the tap and lets the lukewarm water run over her hands, scrubbing vigorously. The crimson stains run pink, swirling down the drain.

She leans against the sink when she’s finished, staring at her reflection in the mirror, trying to make sense of the chaotic events of the evening. How did her day go from being joyful to this? The adrenaline rush is starting to ebb, replaced by a sinking feeling of dread about what might unfold next.

Her hair is frizzy and damp from the lake water, her eyes glossed over with unshed tears she hadn’t even realized welled up. There’s blood and grime staining her midriff and parts of her bathing suit. The image reflects back a mix of concern and weariness.

A sudden knock startles her.

“You okay in there?” Javier’s voice is slightly muffled but it instantly calms her nerves.

She moves to open the door slightly, peeking up at him through the crack.

“M’not the one half dead on a bed right now,” she mutters.

He glances down the hall, ensuring they’re alone before focusing back on her. “I know, baby. She’s going to be fine. Your dad’s about to leave to take her to the hospital.”

“He’s pissed that I’m involved, ain’t he?”

He sighs, his hands falling to his hips. “Not pissed, just upset. But he’ll get over it. I’m taking you home, so whenever you’re ready, I’ll be outside.”

Paloma nods, grateful for him as he’s her anchor in all this turmoil. She closes the door, leaning her back against it and taking some deep breaths, composing herself before stepping out. She’s still a little shaky, but knowing she did all that she could brings a small measure of solace.

Back out on the porch, her father and Javier both turn to look at her. Romeo eyes the flannel on her shoulders then flicks his gaze over to his deputy sheriff warily. Whatever he’s thinking, he doesn’t voice out loud.

“How you holdin’ up?”

“I’m fine,” she replies, her voice steady though her eyes betray lingering worry.

Her dad walks over to her, enveloping her in a brief hug before pulling back, hands settling on her shoulders. “Lock all the doors when you make it home. You know where the key to the gun safe is?”

“Daddy don’t be ridiculous…” She begins to protest, but the serious look in his eyes stops her short. She swallows hard, “Yes, I know where it is.”

“Good. I’ll have one of the deputies posted out front of the house. Who knows if this fucker was lingerin’ around when you found her. M’not riskin’ it.”

All she does is nod while he places a gentle kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

She looks over his shoulder at Javier who’s doing a piss poor job of acting like he’s not listening in on them.

They lock eyes briefly, his expression a mix of concern and reassurance. The sheriff’s caution is warranted. The extra surveillance on her honestly makes Javi feel more at ease, too.

Ensuring that the girl is settled as comfortably as possible in the back of her father’s cruiser, he wastes no time–– lights flashing and sirens blaring as he speeds off towards the hospital.

Dr. Hughes joins them on the porch not long after, “You hurt, darlin’?” She asks and Paloma shakes her head. They say their goodbyes and Javier thanks the married couple for their help.

Back in his truck, it’s quiet minus the murmur of the radio as they drive along the backroads. She stares out of the rolled-down window, lost in thought.

“I hope she makes it out okay,” She finally breaks the silence, her voice laden with concern.

Javier glances over before reaching out to place a reassuring hand on her thigh, squeezing gently. “She’ll be fine. Don’t stress over this, hermosa, por favor.”

She nods hesitantly, appreciating his comfort but unable to shake off the nerves. The image of her beaten face and fragile state is etched vividly in her memory.

First the old man, now her.

As they approach her house, Paloma thinks of her father’s stern warning and the precautions he insisted on.

“Can you come back later?” She blurts out, tugging at the hem of his shirt out of nervousness.

Javier purses his lips, rubbing at his eyebrow. He can feel the migraine slowly winding up. “I wish. Gotta head back out to the lake to oversee everything while your dad’s at the hospital.” It’s going to be a long night.

Her heart sinks, but she understands. This is his job after all. He’s more use out there than he is staying here to comfort her. She rubs at her eyes, the weight of exhaustion pressing down on her, yet she knows sleep will be elusive tonight. The fear that someone might be coming after her is too intense.

She really hopes this doesn’t trigger another nightmare. She’ll stay up all night to prevent it from happening if she has to.

“Hey, c’mere,” he undoes his seatbelt then hers once they’re parked, bringing her closer to him, not giving a damn that they’re both dirty. “If it were up to me, I’d stay with you all night. I’ll make sure they send someone with some fuckin’ sense out here to look after you.” His hand comes up to cup her jaw, lowering his face to hers and she pouts softly.

“Even though I know you’re more than capable of handlin’ yourself.”

It’s true, but it’s the principle of it. The fact that they even have to worry about this. Still, she gives him a tight smile.

“I had a really great time with you today.” She whispers, nuzzling against the large palm that’s now against her cheek, his thumb stroking her soft skin.

“Me too, palomita. I always have a great time when I’m with you. Love seein’ that pretty smile.” Her heart flutters and she bites her lip, his dark eyes dropping to her mouth as she does.

They both lean in at the same time, sharing a slower, more tender kiss. Neither of them wanting to pull away yet knowing they have to. There are more pressing matters at hand.

After a few more minutes of getting lost in each other, he pulls back and nudges his nose against hers. “Go on now, cariño. I’ll see you soon as I can.”

She pouts again, leaning in to kiss him one final time before sliding away and reaching for the door handle.

“Wait,” he stops her, leaning over to open the glove box and pulling out one of his updated cards—the one with his new mobile number on it.

“You call me if you need anything at all. Doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll answer.”

She takes the small card between her fingers, looking up at him. “Anythin’?” she asks for clarification.

“Anything.” His voice is firm, eyes locking onto hers, making sure she knows he means it.

This brings her comfort, but she won’t bother him while he’s in the middle of dealing with everything. Not unless she has to. “Okay. Be safe, Javi.”

“You too, palomita. Lock the doors and try to get some rest.”

She steps out of the truck, watching as he drives off into the night, a mixture of fear and warmth lingering in her chest. She knows he’ll be back as soon as he can, but for now, she has to be strong for herself. She heads inside, locking the door behind her, the small card still clutched in her hand.

#pedro pascal fic #javier pena fanfiction #javier pena fanfic #javier pena smut #javier pena fic #javier peña fanfiction #javier pena narcos #narcos fic #javier peña x ofc #pedro pascal fanfic #narcos fanfiction #javier pena x ofc #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal fanfiction #javier peña fic #pedro pascal #pedro pascal character fanfic

25 notes · View notes

dc418writes · 2 years

Text

What Big Eyes You Have

✨Pairing✨: lumberjack!Ari Levinsonxblack!Reader

Summary🪄: Your knight in shining armor might not be as noble as you thought

⚠️: MINORS DNI!!!!, Ari (always first and foremost), hunter/prey chase situation, mention of an injured body part, partial memory loss, mention of unprotected adult fun times (wrap it up guys and gals, get tested, and pee after sex ladies!), semi explicit smut (at least I don’t think it’s fully explicit), nudity, body worship (f), allusions to oral (f), biting, mention of blood (small amount), violence (man-man)

A/N🎙: Hey guys! Really quick just wanted to say how this is my first time trying my hand at something smut related/adjacent (then again maybe it’s just full smut?? Idk, can you tell I’m nervous!?! Lol), and I just hope it’s ok. If there’s any warning I missed please let me know, and as always I hope you enjoy☺️!

Disclaimer!: although collage was created by me, I DO NOT OWN NOR CLAIM OWNERSHIP of photos as they were all found on Pinterest

“You sure you alright out there?”

“Yes I’m fine,” you giggle. “I’m in a completely renovated and furnished cabin with internet and surprisingly good service-,”

“That’s in the woods with no one else,” Selene, your best friend, adds making you roll your eyes. She, along with your parents, tried getting you to change your mind about journeying up to those foreign woods inhabited by dangerous animals and who knows.

None of this made you falter though, still eager to get to the waiting rental home surrounded by trees and much needed quiet.

The daily cycle of work, home, then work again was weighing on you enough that you knew a break was needed. Especially before the quickly approaching holiday season filled with the unnecessary stresses of gift shopping and visiting family member after family member. And yes you easily could’ve opted for an ornate resort on a warm island with endless sun and salt in the air, but there was also something beautiful—and highly undervalued—about having a front row seat to experience fall, and all it’s adjoining accessories, in such a raw setting.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” you state sliding your backpack on your shoulders as you head towards the door. “Call you when I get back, okay?”

“You better.”

Leaves and Earth crunching below your sneakers, you allow your mind to let go of any stresses currently plaguing your mind and aim your focus on what’s around you. Oaks and pines seemingly touching the heavens, while the sky begins its shift from serene blue to a mixture of pink and orange creating a golden hue to shine on everything in its wake. Birds soaring high as the squirrels bound from branch to branch either playing with another or in search of tonight’s dinner.

A small smile even spreads across your lips catching a small, beige rabbit planted in a patch of grass as it’s jaw twitched chewing on the dandelion partially hanging from its mouth.

“Aren’t you cute,” you whisper crouching down to find another dandelion beside you. “This your favorite? Hm?”

Keeping your hand as steady as possible, you slowly try to approach the woodland creature being as gentle as the breeze. It’s long ear flicks as it’s head turns. Little paws close to its white chest while it stands peering at you with beady eyes.

“It’s okay. Here, I’ll leave it. Don’t wanna make you nervous.”

Squat down with knees pressed against your chest, they cover your mouth helping you to contain your excitement watching your new bunny friend inch closer cautiously sniffing the ground. It’s nearly in range to bite down on the dandelion’s stem before the loud snap of a twig has it quickly hopping away and your head turning in every direction as you stand. Silence returns but only for a few seconds before there’s another snap along with the rustle of leaves.

Throat turning dry and heart thudding in your chest, your hands instinctively wrap tighter around the straps of your bag. “H-Hello?!,” you call out into the open air.

It’s quiet again. Eerily so as you take a slow step backwards in the direction you came from still actively searching all around for the culprit.

Maybe it was just a deer?

A deep growl tells you otherwise, giving your legs all the motivation they’d ever need to move.

The designated path is forgotten letting your feet carry you in whatever direction felt right, weaving around thick trunks and trying to evade the extra set of steps crunching close behind. You dare not look back, simply focused on getting away from whatever was breathing just as hard behind you, and hoping your stamina didn’t run out anytime soon.

Then you’re stuck.

Your ankle tightly bound by a rope trap cleverly hidden among the dirt and fallen leaves that yanks your leg so hard you fall back with a scream. Head thudding against the cool ground before your body is dragged and pulled upward along an oak until you’re helplessly dangling upside down. The ringing in your ears and pounding of your head make it hard to fight for escape, or fight the impending unconsciousness creeping in no matter how hard you tried to keep moving.

You can only whimper briefly meeting the golden eyes and sharp teeth bared as it snarls mere centimeters from your pained face. The warm air from its nostrils fanning your across your skin before all you see is darkness.

When you come to, you’re body is covered in a thick blanket as you lie on a foreign dark brown couch in an unknown living room. From what you could see, there was nothing lining the walls besides the dark wood planks that made up the home. No framed pictures, no decorations. Just a lone clock that ticked with every passing second.

It’s hard to sit up from the soreness in your back and slight dizziness in your head making you wince as you hold the cool rag to your head.

“Hey, take it slow,” a deep voice instructs startling you deeper into the couch’s back cushions.

Almond strands resting at his nape, his deep blue eyes were concerned as his muscular body neared closer to you. His large hands in front of him in surrender seeing you unsuccessfully try to scurry to the other side of the couch.

“I’m not gonna hurt you. My name’s Ari, I found you in the woods and brought you back here.”

You’re quiet as you study him. His burgundy flannel tight on his arms and opened to show the white tank underneath. His dark jeans over his equally thick thighs and cuffs resting over his work boots.

“Can you tell me your name?”

“…Y-Y/N.”

“That’s very pretty,” he smiles, and you could’ve sworn the room doubled its brightness.

“…w-what happened? And where is here?,” you shyly ask.

“Looks like you got caught in a hunter’s trap. Your ankle’s a bit scratched up and I’m guessing you knocked your head pretty good too. May I?”

Gently kneeling, he searches your nervous eyes for permission before reaching for your ankle to check under your bandage. His palms are rough from handiwork, but touch surprisingly careful and smooth like a feather caressing against one’s skin. You can’t seem to look away from his rugged face concentrated on dressing your wound, and his long lashes beautifully resting on the tops of his lightly freckled cheeks.

“And here, is my cabin. Where are you staying?”

“A cabin,” you answer, wincing as he carefully placed your ankle down. “Can’t remember the number though.”

“Are you up here with someone?”

“No, i-it’s just me.”

Ari lightly nods meeting your eyes again before standing to retrieve a backpack from the far corner of the room, “You had this on when I found you. Maybe there’s something inside that might help.”

Unzipping the front pocket, you find a set of keys and your cellphone displaying unread messages and a couple missed calls from your parents.

Hey it’s been over an hour, everything good? (sent 7:53 pm)

Y/N? Cmon this isn’t funny (sent 9:10 pm)

Ok, for my sanity I’m assuming you ate then went to bed and forgot to text me you got in…again😒 (sent 9:27 pm)

If I don’t hear anything by tomorrow afternoon, I’m calling the cops I swear to God (sent 9:28 pm)

Looking at the time, it’s a little after 10 the next day.

“Okay?,” he asks setting a bottle of water down on the table beside you.

Nodding, you turn your phone to show him the address sent in one of your earlier messages. “This is where I’m staying. Cabin 535.”

“You’re just a ways up the road then,” he softly smiles. “We can leave in a few minutes.”

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!,” Selene speaks through the phone. As soon as you entered the foyer, with the help of Ari’s thick arm around your waist, your phone vibrated with an incoming call showing the picture of you and your best friend laughing side by side.

You’re honestly surprised you weren’t already met with at least one squad car knowing how worried sick she was.

“I was minutes away from calling the cops and driving up there myself.”

“I’m sorry. I meant to call but then I hit my head-,”

“Wait, hit your head? What happened? You okay?”

“Yea I’m fine. Apparently there was a hunter’s trap-,”

“Apparently? You don’t remember?”

There’s a few seconds of silence as you bite the nail on your thumb looking down at your lap before a soft “no” slips past your lips.

“Okay, probable concussion. Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“Just sore on my back. My ankle’s scraped up a little. I promise I’m okay though! Ari found me and brought me back to his cabin-,”

“Ari? Who’s that?”

“He’s a guy that lives a few minutes away,” you answer turning to gaze at the man standing on your backporch leaning against the wooden post. His back facing you as smoke wisps from his lips to the cool air following the latest drag from his cigarette.

“And this guy just miraculously found you?,” she asks with a twinge of skepticism.

“Well yea, he said he was on a walk and I was just hanging there unconscious. He seems really nice.”

“So did Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer,” she replies under her breath. “Listen, stay in your cabin alright? I’m gonna try to get up there to bring you back home.”

“Selene-,”

“Nothing you say will stop me from coming Y/N. You’re hurt with amnesia, you don’t need to be alone.”

You knew her words were true. And with her mind set, there’s nothing more you can do except sit there in silence until she was done.

“And don’t let him back in. Hear me?” It’s ironic how at that same moment, his large figure steps through the sliding glass door returning to your kitchen. He lifts the corners of his mouth in a soft smile causing your own to follow shortly after.

Ari had taken care of you, bandaged your wounds, and made sure you were comfortable since finding you. How could someone so sweet possibly be bad?

“You say it like he’s bad,” you mumble loud enough for only her to hear.

“Because he might be! For all we know, he’s the one who set that trap.” Again, then why treat you so nice? “I’ll call you later okay? Be careful and stay inside.”

Setting your phone down, your fingers meet your temples trying to rub away the little ache forming as you quietly grimace. How long was this supposed to last? It was gonna be a bit difficult trying to do for yourself when you could hardly keep your eyes open for too long.

“You should rest,” Ari says handing you a bottle of ibuprofen, which you graciously took. “Someone coming for you?”

“My friend said she would try.”

“Well, I’ll tell you now, if she’s not here by the weekend she’s not makin’ it,” he states stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets. “Storm’s headed this way, which means the roads are gonna be flooded or closed.”

“Oh..”

He barely knew you, but watching the worry set in your body as your arms wrapped around your middle brought this protectiveness out of him wanting to take away your fears any way he could.

“You’ll be fine,” he speaks trying to ease your mind—and that little voice in his own concerned about you being alone in your condition.

“Stay inside, and if things start looking bad the day of, get to your bathroom and lie down in the tub.” Nodding your head, he can still see how uneasy you are from the way you chew on your plump bottom lip.

He has to mentally check himself that he doesn’t stare too long at such a simple yet distracting habit that had him shamefully curious if it tasted as good as you made it seem.

It came to pass that Selene wasn’t able to make it to you in time due to work and the incoming weather, as Ari said. So the days that followed, you heeded their instruction on staying in. You’d wake up, eat breakfast, then watch tv until Ari would knock at the door announcing his presence. He’d always hand you a bit of extra food from what he’d made the night before—making sure you had something to eat for the day—stored in a medium sized Tupperware before going to the bed of his truck to unload more firewood for you. You were pretty sure you had enough since you didn’t use the fireplace every day, but you were still thankful for his generosity.

Admittedly, you didn’t believe him when he first told you he was a lumberjack, never having met one in real life. You’d only ever heard of them in fairytales and the occasional ad for the newest pick-up truck with all wheel drive and other irresistible features every man just had to have.

He deeply chuckled when you told him that, flashing his pearly whites as the corners of his eyes wrinkled in the cutest way.

“Well, I’m your proof we’re definitely real sweetheart.”

It was the first time he’d used the term with you, and the way it sparked tingles through your body and warmed your cheeks had you addicted already.

He’d stay for a while talking with you and making sure you were okay before leaving close to nightfall with the promise of returning the next day if he could. It was like clockwork how he’d gather his things and put on his coat just as golden hour had dimmed from its brightest hue. Then you were back to the silence of the two story cabin with all its creaks and echoes of the whistling wind.

Something that was once craved now unwanted wishing for the extended company of your rescuer.

“What’s this?” Following you inside, he notices the table set for two with dark green bowls neatly sat on chocolate brown placemats. A spoon besides each along with a folded napkin and glass, while steam twirled from the bubbling pot partially covered on the stove.

“Well you always bring me food, so I thought I’d return the favor,” you smile shyly motioning to everything you set up. “And it’s my thank you for everything you’ve done.”

By the weekend you were much better. Your ankle now able to move without any sense of pain and only lightly bruised along with your back. Your headaches—although still plaguing—not as frequent, allowing you more hours in the day that you could comfortably be up and out of bed.

Ari was happy to see you walking about with the help of his healing hands. Plus that twinkle in your eye as you proudly showed him the fading marks had him smiling brighter than he had in a while. Deep down there was an ache in his heart though knowing soon you’d have to leave; possibly never returning.

The first person he’d actually connected with gone seemingly just as soon as you came. Lips curling into a small smile as you place the full bowl in front of him, he ultimately knew that’s how it had to be. Why it had worked all these years and continued to do so.

It was safer.

“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble.”

The tomato base of the vegetable stew was the first to find home in his nostrils making him pleasantly hum. It’s added spice of pepper, and maybe cayenne, wasn’t overpowering as it tingled his tongue and caused his mouth to water. Vegetables fresh as if you’d picked them this morning, it was the best dish he’d tasted in years.

“It was no trouble, I just hope it’s fit to eat,” you nervously giggle sitting beside him with your own filled bowl.

Fit to eat? If he was by himself, he’d shame the wildest of dogs from how quick his face would sink into the bowl loudly chewing and slurping; surely spilling juice everywhere that he’d happily lick up later.

“It’s perfect.” Just like you. “Thank you.”

Throughout the day, more and more bulletins flashed across the television screen and your phone regarding the incoming storm. Warnings of definite wind damage and flooding along with lightning as they urged those to be effected to stay safe and make sure they had their needed supplies. The wind already picking up and moving the trees with more force as sprinkles of rain tapped against the window and roof.

By sunset, roads were closed and those nearby were encouraged to head inside, if they hadn’t already, and not leave unless in the event of an emergency. You watched, with disheartened eyes, Ari sigh as he stood knowing what would come next. The words that would slip from his pink lips you didn’t want to hear, especially not tonight.

“I uh better get goin’. Before it gets too bad,” he states walking towards the door with you on his heels.

“Y-Yea, okay.”

Your quieter tone catches him first before he turns to find you downcast with arms securely wrapped around you.

“What’s wrong? Is it your head?”

“No no it’s fine. I just..” The back and forth in your head was tiring debating on whether it was best to say something or leave it be.

“Just what sweetheart?” God, the power of his drawl.

“I…I don’t wanna be alone tonight,” you whisper. He sighs once more scratching his smooth beard. He shouldn’t stay. He can’t stay. No matter how much his heart willed him to take off his boots and join you on the couch or wherever you wanted to be.

“..I don’t think that’s a good idea,” he whispers back. Your gaze falls to the floor making him so badly want to lift your chin and bring you closer. Instead, he stands there watching you awkwardly shift from one foot to the other as his rejection sinks in.

“Oh…I understand.” You didn’t. And it made him all the more frustrated he couldn’t explain. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t mean to-,”

“You didn’t. Promise.” His hand itches to reach out to you—even slightly twitching at his side—but he figures it’s best to keep to himself.

The silence is nearly deafening as you both stand there not really sure of what to say or do next. It’s not until the distant rumble of thunder that you get the push you needed. Shoving the embarrassment of potentially looking pushy deep down while moving towards the kitchen to retrieve the Tupperware bowl filled with leftover stew.

“In case you get hungry.” Your small smile doesn’t quite reach your eyes as you hold out the warm container towards him.

At first he doesn’t move, just continuing to peer at you with those gentle yet piercing cerulean gaze and making your heart begin to sink until his palm hesitantly hovers over the side of your neck. Your own lack of movement or protest tells him it’s okay to make contact with your skin as his thumb grazes just under your bottom lip. Then he steps closer. Leaning in until his nose gently brushed against yours to finally meet your lips.

It was like he was testing the waters from how his lips slowly glided along yours; taking his time to truly savor your taste and the feel of your mouth on his. Your arms around his neck invite him closer pressing his brawny body against yours. His hands cautiously wander until they can grip your bottom making you softly gasp and lips part enough that his waiting tongue can explore as well.

His hands pull your legs to wrap around his hips carrying you to the couch after the bowl is long forgotten on the counter. Your lips left swollen as he moves to your neck sucking and nibbling the heated flesh there as you try to catch your breath. Sat straddling his lap, you easily feel his bulge crying to break free against your throbbing center causing your hips to gently buck and grind needing more.

From his muffled groan and hands gripping your hips tighter, so did he.

A quiet whine emanates from your throat when Ari pulls away with swollen, red lips himself. His eyes shades darker from his blown pupils as he’s quick to remove his red flannel and then his white tee to expose his sculpted chest and arms etched with hidden tattoos.

You can’t seem to look away from the large laceration on his left pec though, spanning from his collarbone to the tip of his sternum. Now a mix of pink and red with scar tissue, your finger slowly slides over the slightly raised skin before looking up with curious eyes.

He shyly grins massaging your thigh with one hand as the other caresses your cheek. “Bar fight much younger and dumber me just couldn’t walk away from. Didn’t realize he had a knife until I was down on the ground with a sliced and bloodied shirt.”

It was possibly a dumb question, but you had to ask, “Does it still hurt?”

“I’m fine sweetheart,” he smiles. Thumb gliding along your lips again before you lean down to peck along the curved marking as far as you could reach. Ari’s soft hum as he rubs your back, and your lips creep along his skin, is as soothing as the ocean’s waves having you wanting to stay in this little bubble of intimacy with him for as many days to come.

Your top is next to go, then your jeans with the help of his pretty fingers you couldn’t wait to have on you again. He takes his time tracing from the dip at the bottom of your throat down your sternum and across the top lace of your bra, leaving shivers down your spine, until his fingertips tease the band of your panties noticeably soaked at this rate.

“Is this okay?,” he asks pausing to look in your eyes. Head tilted down slightly to make sure he didn’t miss any cues. You gently nod your head as you unhook your bra, letting Ari slide the straps down until you’re completely exposed.

He must be a mind reader how quick he whispers, “You’re so beautiful. You know that right?,” as if sensing how being under his intense gaze in such a vulnerable position made part of you want to shrink away. Long harbored insecurities beginning to creep along the dark corners of your mind even though you eagerly wanted the man below you.

He doesn’t take kindly to your silence this time meeting your lips a tad rougher than before as he stands from the couch to carry you towards the bedroom. It’s as if he was trying to transfer all the adoration he had onto you to erase the words of whatever idiot made you unsure of yourself.

To stop you from ever questioning yourself again.

As soon as your back hits the colorful quilt, his mouth is journeying along the map of your body taking detours here and there as he enjoys each and every stop until he’s satisfied and sure he reached each spot of its surface. Being so close to your center, your scent overpowers his senses snapping something in his brain that has him easily ripping your cotton underwear and the prettiest moan he’s ever heard slipping past your lips as your fingers tangle in his hair.

His skilled tongue and thick fingers have you embarrassingly close already unable to do anything but moan and whimper as your back begins to arch. The added vibrations of his grunts and own moans against your sensitive bundle pushing you closer and closer until he’s drinking down everything your body has to give while you pant, trying to catch your breath as you scratch his scalp.

Ari’s not done though, sinking back in needing more of you on his skin, his beard, practically flooding his nostrils with your essence so he’d never go without.

“Sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted,” he mumbles against your thigh as his fingers pick up their pace until you’re back where you started.

The way he was able to manipulate and shift your body to different positions, he could’ve easily sought out only his pleasure not caring if you were satisfied. But this was the same man who brought you back to his cabin to care for your wounds. Made sure you were safe and closely monitored your progress coming to check on you everyday. You’re not surprised how he listens to your body creating a personal relationship with it just as he did you.

He took in every clench and shudder. Every clutch of your hand around his bicep and fiery scratch left by your nails. Even every curl of your toes leading to the cutest “o” of your full lips to have you a babbling mess and body wrung to exhaustion. Strings of “please”, “don’t stop”, and “right there” the only words dripping from your lips followed by chants of his name.

And how could he not comply when you asked so nicely, and with twinkling tears of ecstasy flowing from your eyes? His numerous praises only adding to that pleasure referring to you as “perfect” and, your favorite, “his pretty girl”.

You can tell he’s close when his relentless pace stutters. His mouth on your shoulder to muffle the curses and animal like growl that overtakes his body as he holds your sweaty back close to his front. A sharp prick breaking your skin makes you cry out in pain before it’s quickly soothed by his warm tongue. His release—strangely lasting longer and thicker than you’ve ever experienced—steadily warming and filling you until you’re tensing again for the third, or fourth, time tonight before you’re body feels as if it would float away if not for Ari holding you to him.

You feel his wet lips on you again showing just as much attention to your back, shoulders, and further south that he did to your front before the bed gently dips and his footsteps pad towards the bathroom. The last thing you remember being his gentle hands cleaning you with a wet rag as your hazy mind fought to squirm away.

“I know, I’m sorry. Promise I’m almost done,” he whispers before his lips sweetly find yours again. Then you’re pulled into his warm chest as his muscular arm drapes over you like a weighted blanket further bringing you closer to the sleep you needed.

Your incessant shivering is what ruins your once peaceful rest, making you rise prematurely. It’s definitely too early for your liking still seeing the moon occasionally peek through in the onyx sky. Heavy rain continued to fall as gusts of wind knocked against the newly placed French doors making them shake ever so slightly.

Reaching behind you, you don’t feel the body once there causing you to sit up clutching the thin sheet to your bare chest pebbled and covered in goosebumps. It feels as if it’s getting colder by the second leading you to believe the storm must’ve knocked out the power. Maybe that’s where he went?

Scooting closer to the side of the bed, you crane your neck trying to listen for any sign of movement but everything in the house is still.

“Ari!?,” your strained voice calls, but you get no response. Just a flash of lightning and rumble of thunder that’s gotten closer since earlier this evening. You gingerly slide out of bed—still sore from your earlier rounds—to get a pair of your sweats and a sweatshirt to cover yourself before moving towards the living room.

There you find the same; more silence as you carefully maneuvered about the dark space confused and concerned. A particularly intense draft catches your attention turning your head towards the flowing sheer curtain and cracked door leading to the porch now partially slick with water as it continued to be battered. “Ari?,” you called again from its sheltered portion now armed with a flashlight that shined outward to the trees swaying and shimmying in the rough weather.

Maybe Selene was right all along about Ari. That he couldn’t be trusted, and you should’ve just kept the door locked forbidding him passage into your residence let alone your heart. And maybe you weren’t the first helpless stranger he’s offered his assistance to? Instead now a number on a list spanning however long as he charmed his way to his next victim.

“No..h-he wouldn’t,” you whisper to yourself feeling a crack begin to extend along the surface of your heart.

Your pity party is cut short hearing the crack of a tree limb before it eventually fell to the damp ground with a thud. Another snap and you’re scanning the small yard hoping it’s just the storm causing these sounds and nothing more.

Then your blood is running cold and air hitching in your throat seeing a set of glowing red eyes staring directly at you. They only seem to follow as you slowly try to retreat back inside—hand tightly gripping the door’s handle—until you see what looks like the menacing smirk of the creature in question. It’s ash grey fur weighed down by the rain and paws firm against the ground as it creeped closer towards the light with teeth gleaming and some form of liquid dripping from its curled lips. You’re not sure if it was rain water, saliva, or maybe a mix of both.

You try to will yourself to run inside and lock the door behind you but with the wolf-like being’s height reaching up to your waist and both legs and arms protruding large masses of muscle as it stepped closer, you were sure it could probably tear down any door or wall in its way.

You crouch down accepting your fate just as the nails of its paw are about to tap against the wooden deck when a fast blur shoves it into the dirt. It snaps and growls inches from the other’s face before they’re wrestling on hind legs. Swiping and biting as they seemingly compete with the thunder on who could be loudest.

Finally your legs are able to move, helping you quickly crawl into the cabin on the safer side of the door. Back pressed against the side of the island, your chest heaves as you struggle to calm your breathing. Could you even call for help? The roads were blocked and or flooded with all the rain, so no one could come up even if they tried. Then again, would they even believe you? They’d probably laugh in your face or tell you to stop wasting their time before angrily disconnecting.

Although frightened, you can’t look away from the two beasts rolling around and surely drawing blood from the other as they compete for dominance. Eventually, you see this new creature—larger than the other in both height and muscle—standing over its competitor’s weakened form before it’s snarling a last bite into it’s arm making it yelp into the surrounding forest with an echo. It rises shortly after growling lowly and slowly sauntering back in the woods where it came from.

Whether it wanted to or not, it had no choice but to surrender.

The victor keeps its eyes trained on the path making sure the other doesn’t try to come back. It’s body still tense and ears pointed ready for another bout if needed. Then it’s turning towards the cabin with eyes on you.

Those same golden eyes bringing you back to your hike all those days ago, finally able to remember everything. Your chase through the woods. The rope against your leg before you were upside down practically bait for the animal now outside or any other that passed by.

It’s features are softer now—dare you say apologetic or sorrowful even—taking one hesitant step forward then retreating back two. A small puff of smoke cast from its nostrils as the warm air meets the cool night. It’s head nods upwards a couple times making your own tilt in confusion.

Was it…telling you to go?

Turning it’s head with a twitch of it’s ear, a sinking feeling forms in the pit of your stomach noticing the all too familiar scar on it’s chest. Though surrounded by more hair, it was unmistakable with its placement and nearly crescent shape.

“Nonono that’s crazy,” you think to yourself slowly scooting towards the door placing your hands on the cool glass in front of you.

It made sense though the more you thought.

How Ari knew where to find you even though you were well off course from the designated trail in the middle of nowhere, and possibly why he’d been so nice and caring these past few days.

Turning back towards you, it’s as if he knows what you’re thinking seeing the conflict in your deep brown eyes and across your brows as he steadily steps forward until he’s on the deck leaving paw prints in his wake. His nose tapping the glass where your hand sat, smearing it with the water from its surface.

“Ari..”

Taglist: @celestianstars @stargirlfics @fumbling-fanfics @lady-olive-oil @themyscxiras @melinda-january @lovelymari4 @adoreyouusugar @lovebittenbyevans @royalwriteroftheuniverse @omg-mymelaninisbeautiful @theartisticqueen @chrisevans-world @literaturelove @ivorylei @elrw24 @pono-pura-vida @yinx1 @justile @sunsetfreedom05 @jackiekae @luvingmyships @give-me-a-million-dollars-pls @bekinds @maxcullen @curlyhairclub @plokyu23 @fullofmelaninsarcasmandepression @nunubug99 @felicity-x0 @ellixthea @jojolu @jnk-812 @captainsamwlsn @wildfirecracker @nina-sj @iammyownlover @chaneajoyyy @thesecretlifeofdaydreamss @damnitaa @literaturefeen @bamondomesticity @scoop93535 @secretmysteriousperson

If anybody wants to be tagged, has asked to be tagged but don’t see your name, only want to be tagged for certain people I write for (can be found in masterlist), or no longer wish to be tagged just let me know! Also, if anyone would rather opt to turn on my page notifications that’s perfectly fine too🤓!

#ari levinson #ari levinson x black!reader #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson x woc #ari levinson au #red sea diving resort #chris evans #chris evans x black reader #chris evans x reader #chris evans x woc!reader

379 notes · View notes

nonsensical-pixels · 2 years

Text

THE LINDASIMS2 RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION: PART ONE

No idea how to really make one of these posts. Most Sundays I'd wake up and post my own CC. But not this Sunday.

DISCLAIMER: This is not really a callout post. This is a warning to anyone who intends to download Lindasim's stuff. And a genuine one. I have nothing personal against Linda, this is only what I've found from my own deep dive into Linda's files. I have no proof that what I've found is stuff that Linda herself did, but the stuff does exist. And it's terrible.

WARNING: Some of these images contain racial slurs that may make you uncomfortable.

You can find the nails file I use for my 'research' post here. It's part of the reuploaded March 2021 set and from what I can see that entire set is a giant mess.

Credits go to @dystopianam and aga on @acottonsock's server for providing the links to the files I needed to inspect.

Continue to read if you really want to know what you download when you download Linda's files.

OPENING THE FILE

Obviously, step 1 to any research regarding Sims 2 CC is... opening the file. And at first glance, this may seem completely normal to a CC newbie. It's from 'Base cc #333', 'LS_ACC_TF_AF_nail_M1_4swatches', 'LS_ACC_AF_nail_1v290321_mesh'.

I mean, it looks like any normal Sims 2 file, right? It's a mesh!

Until you open one of DeeDee's own accessory files.

Yeah... notice how there's a TON of stuff that isn't present in the other two?

Now, at first, I gave this the benefit of the doubt. Maybe, I thought, this was just another sign of my lack of knowledge regarding Sims 2 CC. It's been awhile since I've done my own accessories. But let's move on to the next part of my research...

THE 3DID REFERENCING FILES

There are 57 3DID Referencing Files in this nails mesh files. And maybe I'm ignorant, but I'm pretty sure sims don't have 57 fingers.

I didn't have time to actually see where they're pointing to... but... why the heck are they in a mesh file?

THE AGE DATA

This was what originally stood out to me the most. Why the heck is there AGE DATA in a nail accessory?

THE BHAVS

In @dystopianam's post, they mentioned the game reading some of Linda's files as mods. Well, I found the reason why.

There are... BHAVs? In a mesh file? For those who don't know, BHAVs literally alter the game's code or add new code. From what I can guess these BHAVs probably have something to do with the sim embedded in this file?

THE CATALOG DESCRIPTION

This was the icky part. And why I was hesitant to make this post.

Yep, turns out that whoever made this file is a big fat racist. Also fatphobic. Also probably aware that catalog descriptions shouldn't be in accessory files. Most of the ones I've seen were for objects or... sims. But this one isn't.

THE GMDC AND ASSOCIATED MESH ELEMENTS

Okay, through all of this, I was under the impression that the GMDC, GMND, CRES, and SHPE would be the most boring elements to inspect. I... was wrong.

Yep, the sim has a face. No clue what their name is but they are more present in this file than I expected.

THE JPG IMAGES

It's the hero you've all been waiting for... LIGHTNING MCQUEEN himself!!

Yep, he's here too! He's real! And he doesn't just accompany hairs, I can tell you that much, because these are nails!

Apparently these were based on Bruno's files? (From MTS), since there's a Bruno JPG slipped in there.

THE MATERIAL DEFINITIONS

There are 38 random material definitions. IDK why they're here. They're just... vibing.

THE OBJD (OBJECT DATA)

I was baffled to see this here. Why's there an object in here, I wondered. Until I realised the game sees this as a person. So, yep. That's the moment I realised there's an actual sim in here.

There's a bit more stuff in this file (most notably the Texture Overlay XML) that wouldn't fit in this post because of the 10 images limit... but fun fact, our secret sim has grey eyes! Wow!

THE CONCLUSION

Phew, that was a rollercoaster!

I didn't dare actually loading the game with these files (mostly out of fear that secret sim will haunt my dreams forever...) but as you can see in this post, the reuploaded files from Linda are completely fucked. No way around it. These aren't nail files, they're probably nail files merged with a whole-ass sim.

I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject of sims or BHAVs, but this is what Part 1 of my research has yielded and it's made me pretty fucking terrified. How long have people been downloading this 'leaked' stuff only for it to corrupt their game? It makes me wonder how many neighborhoods were lost to 'corruption' that was actually reuploaded Lindasims2 files...

For now, if you have thought about sailing the seven seas to get Linda's Sims 2 CC, I would recommend reevaluating that idea. Unless you want your game to be destroyed like @dystiopianam's and several others.

aga was kind enough to link me to some pre-2020 files of Linda's and they seem OK (so far...) but I would also not recommend supporting Linda on Patreon until we have proof that these files weren't corrupted by her, but by whoever reuploaded them to SimFileShare.

Also, it's not just the mesh file that's corrupted, in case you thought that. Nope, the recolor files have also been given the hidden sim treatment.

I can't really get my thoughts straight right now and really wanted to make this post before I forgot or the hidden sims came to murder me in bed, but for now, cheerio. I'll be back with more 'what the heck is in these files' ASAP!

#lindasims2 #s2cc #sims 2 cc #ts2 cc #important info #the lindasims research and experimentation #how do u tag these sorts of posts #sims 2 research #sims 2 alert

289 notes · View notes

thatdragoncreaturething · 17 days

Text

Hi, everyone! This is a sideblog I made for every kink other than vore. You'll be getting likes from a blog called @ibetyousweet. If this makes you uncomfortable, feel free to block me, I don't mind.

That being said - I need to put a big fat disclaimer here.

MINORS DNI. THIS IS AN NSFW, 18+ ACCOUNT RUN BY A DERANGED 21 YEAR OLD. I PROMISE THAT I AM NOT YOUR FRIEND. I SHALT SLAY ANY CHILDREN I SEE

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled pinned post. What you will find on here:

-Monster Lovin'

-Lots and lots of dragon appreciation

-CNC

-Breeding

-Oviposition

-Pregnancy

-Primal play (?)

-Praise/worshipping/whatever it's called idk

-Mild bloodplay

-Bondage

-Vampire appreciation

-Whump (maybe?)

-Occasional Teasin of mutuals

-Dom/Sub

-Hypnosis

-Occasional Heat/Rut talk

What you will NOT find here:

-!ncest

-Ped0Ph!l!a

-hard gore

-DDLG

-Ageplay

-Sc@t/P!ss/v0mit

-Medicalplay

Edit to add:

DNI IF YOU ARE:

-A minor

-a pedo

-a TERF

-racist/homophobic

I take this shit seriously. Children are not welcome on this blog. Child lovers are not welcome on this blog. Radfems, racist, and homophobic people are not welcome here. I am a cis white woman, but I do not tolerate that at all! Hatred has no place on my blog(s).

With all that out of the way, thanks for visiting! Y'all know the drill by now. Thanks for stopping by. This blog is going to be pretty unserious compared to my other two lolol, so expect some really crazy things to be posted here, and also: this post is definitely going to be seeing updates too.

#pinned post

9 notes · View notes

sleeplesssmoll · 9 months

Note

So I've been reading the traces recently and came across a line that seems like it should be important to well at least something but I haven't seen anyone talk about it? Here's the line btw:

It's specifically the "you're imitating the Messiah" Part that's like making me think. So uhh yeah I just wanted to share it.

Sorry if it's a strange thing to send I wanted to see someone else's opinion on it.

Reverse1999 loves to put Vertin in the position of Jesus. We saw this at the end of Chapter 2 where she was sitting in Judas's position and Schneider was in Judas's spot. Arcana calls her "the savior" and describes Vertin in an almost biblical manner whenever she's interacting with her. Even her little Suitcase is called an "ark". However, this instance is a bit different.

Disclaimer, Idk much about religion but I did try to look this bit up because it reminded me of something too. If anyone has more experience in the matter pls feel free to correct me or add on. I will do my best but I might get stuff wrong.

Note: Vertin was placed in a coma because the Foundation wanted her out of the way. This is relevant to the theory.

Here is what I found:

Source

The Jewish high priests were apparently looking for a reason to get rid of Jesus. As the revolutionary leader of a new movement that challenged the religious status quo, he posed a threat to their power. But they couldn’t just take action themselves. Ultimately, sentencing was up to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time. And they needed to provide him with a legal justification for Jesus to be crucified. The trial of Jesus A number of witnesses testified against Jesus before the Sanhedrin, a Jewish court. Although the Gospel of Mark says many of them gave false testimony, Jesus didn’t confirm or deny their accusations. In fact, Jesus remained quiet through most of his trial, refusing to respond to the charges leveled against him. But he did respond to one question. Asked, “Are you the Messiah?” he seemed to admit that he was. Caiaphas, the chief priest, called this blasphemy. And then the others agreed that Jesus should be put to death.

This trial parallels Vertin's story.

Moving on, this trail is in the chapter where Madam Z is playing ping-pong while trying to convince her friend to vote for her decision. The whole thing is an analogy to referring to how Vertin started off as the simple Timekeeper who kept records of the end of eras and now she plays this pivotal role that is rocking Foundation's core. She is the real ping-ping ball being batted between two factions of the Foundation. She has no say in the matter because she is now an object in a bigger game. Her fate relies on the people around her. Poor little Vertin is always a pawn in someone else's game. I highlighted some bits in red from the trail posted below that helped me put it together in my head. You can see it if you click "Keep reading." I hope this helps!

Also, thanks for giving me a chance to really look at this. I glossed over it the first time but the scene is even more intense now and I have a deeper appreciation for it. Any corrections or additions are welcome cause I'm out of my depth here.

Source: Chapter 4-16 Ball Game

Ping, pong. Ping, pong. Ping pong ping pong ping, pong. Ping. Pong.

An imitation show?

Yes, an imitation show. A ball imitation show, little thing.

You're imitating the Messiah, while I'm imitating an orange ball made of plastic.

Being pushed back and forth by two rackets, I have nowhere else to go. Once they apply a force on me, I can't help bouncing to the sky.

You can see how the air flows across my dry, wrinkled skin ...

Oh, what a coincidence! Aren't you in the same situation as mine now!

Ha! Look at your frowning face-

Your face wrinkles from the eyebrows to the nose tip, but people can barely see those light furrows. We know what that means. You have a poker face, and it's never your fault.

But for now, your face is not the thing that matters. Well, maybe for someone it is, but still, it's not. You know what really matters?

The game! Yes, it's the game, of course the game matters!

Everyone loves the game. They gather at the stadium, yelling or roaring vehemently. They choose one team to become its fan and spend good money on a team uniform or an autographed ball.

Yet, it's just a ball. You see where I'm coming from?

Just a ball. Its outline, a circle, could be found in any geometry textbook and anywhere in this world. When the first hominid picked up a coconut and threw it to the sky-and caught it—and threw it—and caught it-and threw it again, when she felt joy and yelped, had she ever thought of the future?

The future where a simple ball has become so complicated and enchanting, now we call it the present.

Complicated and enchanting?

Hahahahahaha! Yes, sure! Complicated and enchanting!

Use your silly and smart head to think about this ball game carefully.

The complex scoring rules, the harsh requirements for reactive agility, the countless possible foul points ... Your fingers, your wrists, and arms, a correct way of using them will lead to victory!

What matters more is, like every ball game, it focuses on how you serve the ball and hitting it back.

It's not an easy job as it sounds. When you are in the game, you need to concentrate. Where will the ball come from, and how will you return it to your opponent-you need to figure that out within half a second.

Use your power in a proper way, move your feet in a stable pace, inhale and exhale at the right timings.

Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong. Ping. Pong...

The sound will last forever and ever until that bouncing little thing falls to either side of the court.

#reverse 1999 #reverse 1999 lore #ask #religion is everywhere #everywhere

31 notes · View notes

winxanity-ii · 2 months

Note

hi i recently read your message about making makima!reader a poc and completely understand where youre coming from

as someone who isnt a poc, sure, it threw me off every now and then, but its not like i really minded it or thought it changed my reading experience

im currently loving your know no evil story and i think youre an amazing writer, but i think you probably should add a disclaimer at the beginning and in the story masterlist about specifying a noncanon skin color for the more sensitive readers 🤷

idk girlie, you do you, i think youre doing amazing but i just wanted to let you know cause theres a lot of people who get touchy if a reader isnt a fully blank canvas so having a disclaimer puts them more into a spot

if they see it at the beginning and theyre not into that shit, they dont gotta read it yk cause like thats just how things work out here

💀💀💀 Lol, re-read what you typed and then click my page to go to the pinned post and come back… No need to play the "other people may be upset" card. Girly pop, YOU’RE the "other people" who is bothered, but just got the audacity to type it out instead of going about your day, and that’s completely fine. But what’s not fine is wasting MY time and Beyoncé’s internet to say you’re upset that I used "tan" and "brown" for skin tones 😐

My writing aims to be inclusive and reflect the diversity in the world, which includes representing people of color. My stories are for everyone, but they also aim to give representation where it's often lacking.

If a character's skin color or identity isn't to your preference, that’s totally fine. There are countless other stories that emphasizes the "paler" skin tones, I promise—there's some out there for everyone. As for adding a disclaimer, once again, I believe my pinned post already addresses the inclusive nature of my writing, so if your reading comprehension is a bit low, I always make sure to put it in simple terms in bold colors and big letters as well.

Also, this was really weird and tone-deaf, and the fact you did this anonymously is sad (and also the main reason I won’t be doing what you suggested because I can’t tell if this is a joke or not 🤷🏾‍♀️) but yeah, thanks for reading??

My page is for the majority of the world—people with COLOR. So unless you’re as pale as a white cloud, I can’t help you because my writing is meant to reflect a diverse range of skin tones 😭💔

13 notes · View notes

skhardwarevers1 · 7 months

Text

Okay I know I just went over this earlier and a did make a tutorial on TikTok but I feel like saying it here,

burning CDS is easy as FUCK

Or, a little explanation on how I make custom CDs

disclaimer: I use windows so if you use anything else I’m so sorry

I’ll add pictures to go along with this later!!!

things you absolutely NEED

a computer/laptop

(If said computer/laptop doesn’t have a built in disc drive) an external disc drive (there are pretty good ones for like 20-25 dollars!!)

CDs/DVDs obviously (either R or RW, the only difference is that you can rewrite RW CDs and DVDs)

also! DVDs obviously hold picture and video as well as audio, so do what you want with those

Technically step one

if you thrifted CDs like I did, or found really old ones in a box in your home somewhere, MAKE SURE THEY ARE EMPTY!!! If you want to keep the stuff on them, there’s an option to rip them in windows media player legacy (which is what I use to burn them as well)

then to erase it, open file explorer, click on the CD/DVD in your disc drive, click the three dots on the toolbar and select “Erase this disc” (this usually doesn’t take too long)

Actual Step One

if you want to make a mixtape, make a Spotify playlist of all the songs you want and copy the link to it (or any other platform, I just find it easier to make a Spotify playlist because I can download it), if you’re just doing an album then get the link of that album instead (make sure both of them can actually fit on the CD you have! Mine can hold like…74 minutes of music)

then use this handy little Spotify downloader to download a zip file of all the songs (sometimes it messes up and will exclude some, make sure to double check they’re all in there…if not you can download them individually too)

Step Two

in your files, open up the zip file of all the music, select them all, and copy them to music (there’s a whole section for it that media player uses, trust me you’ll see it)

then open windows media player legacy and double check it’s in there—usually it’s gathered by artist

step two and a half

Okay so most of the time I go to organize -> settings -> privacy -> and uncheck all the top boxes. You don’t have to, I just do that…idk why I just have.

Step Three (the easy part)

first make sure the CD is set as an audio CD (and also that it’s actually in the disc drive), and click the burn tab

drag all the songs you want on the CD into the burn list, and reorder them however you’d like! There are options to shuffle them and organize them specific ways if you’d like. Once you have everything all set you can click start burn and all you have to do is wait! It’ll eject once it’s done

Step 4 (optional)

If you have a jewel case, you can print or draw your own custom covers and backs!!!! You can also draw on CDs with a sharpie marker if you’d like. Just remember that slim cases have different sizing than standard cases. There’s also stickers for CDs that cover the fronts of them(? Or so I’ve been told…)

Step 5

make sure the CD actually works, try playing it on a different device if you can, and enjoy!!!

Step “what if I don’t have a CD player?”

well I’m gonna tell you you probably do and just don’t know it! do you have a DVD player laying around your house? That’s a CD player! do you have an old ass computer that would suck with burning the CDs itself but still has a disc drive an everything? That’s a CD Player!

do you have a shitty old karaoke machine? Chances are it has a spot for CDs! THATS A CD PLAYER!

Of course you can get a new one if none of these are functional devices for you or you just don’t have them, but I just wanted to point out that a lot of things can be used to play CDs

or you can help me bring back Walkmans and discmans….if you’re listening to music on the go…./silly

Also! Some cars have spots to play CDs in them!! Your CD doesn’t have to be limited to your home!!!

also also, I’m 70% sure that a lot of game consoles can play DVDs but not CDs. Saying thing incase the information is valuable for someone who wants to watch a good movie on DVD or something….

#S.K thinks #Made an edit to point out that a lot of things are CD players

16 notes · View notes

cornus27florida · 2 months

Note

What did you think of CPC’s ending? 👀👀

Hi IHF!!! I am really sorry to just replying cuz I overthinking so many things, I kinda want to write many things about CPC's ending but that's making me go here and there...

As an overthinker, along with a big procrastinator, I realized how long I keep your question in my inbox unanswered... This also I portrayed through fanfiction at AO3 ``June's Dump" which initially about month June at CPC, so 7 months timeskip as we have George and his sommelier wedding - which def invite Jamie, but I wonder if the venue at Plaid Palace thus we have Plaid Royals reactions over them... Hmph, fix time! I need to fulfill ‘em all!!

Back to basic, the initial question... What do I personally think about the CPC's ending as in epilogue 173? Well… I have mixed feelings, so I have some clashed opinions

As a wiki editor personal thought, I am kind of annoyed at a certain 'new' editor that cut off many things in the page as Mocha already gives the foundation... Peri was even shocked by my strong reactions over that annoyance... Although from there I see how unstable my emotions are, I literally have too many mixed emotions that I can't describe! Nevertheless I finished the story part up to completion, and I think that page is pretty much done. There's my thought as fandom wikia editor lmao but that's too much technical

As a wiki editor personal thought, I am kind of annoyed at a certain 'new' editor that cut off many things in the page as already Mocha gives the foundation... Peri even shocked to my strong reactions over that annoyance... Although from there I see how unstable my emotions, I literally have too many mixed emotions that I can't describe! Nevertheless I finished the story part up to completion, and I think that page is pretty much done. There's my thought as fandom wikia editor lmao but that's too much technical and boring

...although nvm, I will be myself who rambling to things that I love and I won't change at that aspect haha - here come v.02!

So, here is another of my thoughts but based on TV Tropes! This more at happy note~

(Disclaimer: I didn't mainly edit in there, but I do some minor editings here and there - although those never done lmao)

Also it's open secret for everyone, that TV Tropes content is hella subjective but at least they are funny - hence why I feel better informations database is at fandom wiki instead

"Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: The final chapter takes place six months later, and Gwen writes in her diary about what happened then:

Jack learned about Lilyth and her painting curse, then he cried for a whole week over her.

> We know Jack cried in happiness as reunite with his wife once again, IDK that sentence feels like Jack cried in sadness which the opposite of reality

Lorena got an A+++++ for her final class project.

The kids are getting along with the family, and both Jamie and Leopold made more artwork for the walls so Lilyth could travel through them around the castle.

Jack held a celebration to acknowledge the people who helped defend the castle from the invasion. He hasn't visited Leland in prison since.

Jerry was promoted to Chief Warden, while Beckett got demoted and transferred far away from Maria.

> poor Beckett, in wiki there Mocha add sentence which technically objective but lack in Tropes : Jerry got everything Beckett wanted - a princess, a promotion (to Chief Warden), and recognition from the King himself - while Beckett was demoted and moved to a station as far away from Maria as possible.

Suzana officially joined the Pastel Troops.

> It's actually from ep 171 about Suzie plan to move out to Pastel Kingdom, but ep 173 as the epilogue itself never explicitly tell it? Probably due to it from Gwen's POV that uninterested with military stuff... I am more curious about the location of the new "home" where the throuple LorZanCe are lmao, likely at Pastel Kingdom I guess

The Club got Gwen's painting from the Conservatory back by distracting them with Laverne.

The forest of the Cursed Princess Club was declared a protected area by the king so it's never in danger of being invaded again.

> Remember the spider's conversation about a new member of the CPC incoming? Who?? Heck yeah, sequel potential!

Frederick has been hard at work studying to one day become king and receives support from his family.

> At discord, me and some buddies are joking about how Frederick is going during timeskip espc as he is technically the 'special member' but hasn't got his own slumber party yet... Hence why we got amused on the scenario of him sneaking out on a night to get initiated, but his kingdom mistaken it as something serious and send an army to fetch him out from initiation LOL (in similar sense of ep 148 ending where Prez shocked to see Plaid soldiers lining and thought they are merely fetching Frederick, and in our scenario that assumption of Prez becomes reality). Oh well, I hope in the promised side stories we have Frederick's slumber party (and Maria as well! Although I also hope Lorena and Jamie get the open arms to join the CPC? Well let's see/Fanfic for cope)

Prez stopped taking her medication and resorted to her old way of dealing with her curse. With the growing acknowledgement and support for the Cursed Princess Club, she is looking to expand to help more people who are cursed.

> regarding Prez point, this kinda too summarized on my liking lol. First about the expansion as moving out to a new and bigger building, we don't know exactly where but I really really hope it's at Plaid Kingdom. That way with reformed Plaid Kingdom whose initially negative thoughts toward cursed people (let's see; Leland feels the cursed need to be fixed first, while Blaine and com. Tattersall sees cursed as a monster which needs to die), now on the hands of kinder people espc the crown prince himself is close with CPC - that makes the CPC expansion more meaningful IMHO. Also cuz Plaid has larger land xD

> the period pauser pill (it's not birth control y'all, please don't mix 'em up, fandom!) indeed merely temporarily solution and I have doubts from very first time as see it through eyes of biologist that concerned with drugs side effects espc for long use - even if those pills possibly non synthetic ones=lesser side effects. Basically ALL drugs are technically poison that is used on right doses, time and matched person with many has strict rules under prescription. That's why Whitney suddenly bought it kinda concerning, although I can see the comedic effect and temporarily 'relief of the curse' on that solution haha. Permanent solution possibility for Prez is to get 'reproduction organs/system removal' surgery - the HYSTERECTOMY.. here I spill a bit of spoiler secret of RaS as my ff series, I want Prez to consider that option

Themidora reunited with lobster lover, Benedict, who tricked the wicked sea cucumber into cursing him so he could be with her.

> I am surprised but in the side of “wao, so LambCat chose that option” because I kinda guessed it before. Thermidora "solution" is either to de-transform back as lobster so can reunites with Benedict (probably through searching 'lobster' serum from that background cursed serums merchant, or probably Jack allows the Clam to be used for betterment of CPC members not for greed) OR Benedict somehow finds a way to meets with her. I am more surprised with the way of latter guess to be true, because the method is kinda mundane "trick the sea cucumber to curse me so I can walk on land!" way + Thermidora wish of 'meeting hot summer lobster' to be true somehow LOL. Her premonition comes true and that's silly sweet panel ^^

Whitney returned home to his kingdom for Blacquelyn's coronation. She now wears a coat made from Greyden's fur.

> I wonder about Whitney's status in the Monochrome Kingdom but it seems won't be explained. So my guess as in HCs: Queen Blacquelyn actually 'likes' Whitney more than Greyden from the start, probably in the way of 'being girl is never to claim the throne' so Whitney never heeds her much. Which as Whitney presumed to die and Greyden raising to power, Greyden make havoc to bring his harem to the palace and annoys his sister so much = reason why Blacquelyn decides to throws throne of Greyden (which I and Axel have HC, got neutered LOL)

Nell and Jolie officially got married.

> Very happy for the wedding! Personally I thought their wedding itself is beautiful but the guests scene kinda iffy me a lil bit. Like why Pastel Kingdom only has Maria, Gwen, and Jack? Where are Lorena and Jamie?? I think they are busy chasing their dreams so choose not to attend, or LambCat simply lazy to draw them lol/jk. Also this kinda controversial intake espc to Syrah lovers, but personally I don't feel humored at all with Syrah still flirting with Jack when she must know how strong the love of Jack/Leelathae-Lilyth.. So that scene leaves bad taste to me, this excluding poor Saffron moment. Sigh, the ship of Syrah/ Saffron is officially sunk. I am kinda accepted it but I just feel weird despite being female myself, I feel many female characters are easily 'get away' with things while male characters gets repetitive/redundant/unnecessary misfortunes - some of folks at discord agree with that statement but at the end of the day I want CPC for their heartwarming wholesomeness, not to pick fights at anyone and I am still learning about that. I wonder if Nell and Jolie moved out to stays at the Lace Kingdom as I feel CPC need some delegations that stays at their own kingdom, that's what Tori wants for Monika after all. Speaking of Monika, she technically can have 2 suitors as one Tori and other Orson lol - but epilogue is not deciding her end so I feel who Monika ends up to isn't important? At least her dream to open a stall for jewelry becomes reality, although a certain someone at discord is mad about lack of Monika's appearance overall....

Aurelia got together with Celso after their meeting at the castle.

> This super simplified explanation about Aurelia, and a certain someone labeling Celso as her boy toy - which make me think both of their characters downgraded uhh. Anyway to be honest I am not really a fan of both of them as they are alright characters but not really special as in 'meh' territory. Unlike Orson/Monika as the ship of a Princel/CPC member, CeLia is too rushed imho (they literally meet each other during the night of invasion arc) with the dash of concerning acid mouth from both + we don't know if the "True love's kiss" attempt from Aurelia to Celso really happening or not, but it's so concerning - realistically in my HC about cures for Aurelia, we can develop some utensils that won't melt with her spit (they have magics, duh) with probability of chopsticks could not touching directly with mouth along it's saliva during consumption of certain foods OR developing (more realistic!) melting curse counter which high in acid with something like specialized mouthwash high in alkaline

Maria got to fulfill her dream of singing her recital for everyone, which caught the eye of her idol and they began collabing.

> Good for Maria :3 Also the side stories sneak peak has Maria like performing on a certain stage with a new outfit which the image can be seen at P.S at the end, I wonder if she does an idol live stage under Bozart tutelage?

Blaine is now on a journey of self atonement, but has made sure to attend Maria's recital.

> Some people love Blaine so much, I am not really sure if to be honest.. I just hope that Blaine at least attempts to communicate with his family (sans Leland ofc) in his journey, especially his youngest brother who becomes crown prince right now could get some pointers about how to lead people of their kingdom. My opinion about Blaine fits the most with Mono's opinion in that sense after all

As for Gwen, she no longer sees cracks in her reflection. She is happy with Frederick.

> that's how TV Tropes conclude things but I feel I need to add more (for another time, remind the future me plz) as I feel Gwen and Frederick, being the protagonist and the deuteragonist respectively, need to be on separate points? From what I get (thus my personal thoughts) by rereading ep 173 at uncountable times, Gwen technically doesn't stopping see cracks in her reflection BUT every time she feels down which make the cracking - she will read her mother's letter that she put on her bedroom wall (I kinda hope there's a couple pictures with Frederick inside Gwen's bedroom, but well at least we have that lovely finale panel)

> The content of Gwen's mom deserves a separate point! Her letter is so warming although there’s some parts that imho too female-exclusive, hence in the fanfiction that I made, Dear Me, I make the content to fits everyone :D

> What's TV Tropes forgot but I will make it up someday, but fandom like at this Tumblr doesn't by some folks, is the crucial final step implicitly told regarding Frederick's character development. He is purposely growing giant sunflowers at the front yard of his palace, showing that he didn't afraid of sunflowers anymore as well making peace with his past as got bullied (I still wondering his bullies where about although I have assumptions they are too 'broken' to show up to public anymore).

Last for real, GwenDerick/FredDolyn last finale panel is very similar with Frederick's dream as Frederick on the left side of us, holding hands with Gwen with blushing face. That panel is freaking cute and fits the CPC epilogue so much in my humble opinion, what I dream is becomes reality - of wholesomeness ^^

Conclusion: (u could just jump to here, HEHEHE XD )

Long Story Short, overall the epilogue as in the CPC's ending is satisfying to me espc that lovely very last panel. Certain parts like Aurelia's solution of her curse or Prez just back to her old method seems lackluster, but to me is not that bad. I feel the 'backlash' of enjoyment actually from the fandom itself by some 'people' that I will put as anonymous, those I label as 'ungrateful' with some points I already mention. Also I know I am pushing myself so unhealthy regarding editing stuff… I love it actually so no pressure to me at all, but I know it’s kind of my running of realities of adulting hence why I need to ‘touch some grass’ as well

I forgot to mention that I guessed long ago (and confirmed to be right!) that Gwen will write a diary at the epilogue as inspired by her mom's diary. Although a bit of 'offs' are due to initial thought about 'the diary of lilyth' is filled with grief so it meant to be hidden, while Gwen's diary meant to be read to her kids with Frederik [one of comedy is silly sentence that in form of: dear my lovely kids, I want to tell you that your father does not love me at first sight but used to be so scared of my appearance but see now how hard he loves me now :) as a means for the complete opposite as a form of happiness to tell everything about CPC... So a kind of epilogue "I write my own story - reveal" because some episodes which are heavy-centric of Frederick like at ep 70 and 145, no way others could explain it unless those come from Frederick himself. That scenario could happen once Frederick and Gwen becomes true lovebirds that cozy w each other - to reveals true selves

P.S:

Here is some bonus from LambCat's Patreon that somehow I get the updates including the HD pictures !!

I really want to get stable and high paying jobs soon :0 so I can be financially independent, thus can support LambCat through the paywall like subscribing her Patreon as well as buying CPC books!

#inbox answer #cursed princess club #webtoon cursed princess club

5 notes · View notes