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dalt20 · 8 months ago

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Tooning In 17 Douglas Booth part 2 of 7

DL:Yeah! So can you tell me a little bit about Glenn Leopard like you did with Jeffrey Scott?

DB:Leopard? Hahaha! Leopold! We had fun writing scripts together - I'd never worked with a writing partner before, but we would just tell each other stories and do our bad voice-actor impressions of the characters - and keep going - telling each other which ideas we liked and which we thought were terrible, trying to make each other laugh - and then writing it down - taking turns with that - and coming up with what we would usually feel was a brilliant script! Glenn had been a rock 'n roller prior to coming to H-B - his band was called "Gun Hill Road" (after a street in the Bronx) - and they had a nice run before he moved over to cartoons! He was very quick with ideas, jokes, and irrelevant asides, and we both got very good at throwing pushpins across the length of the office, to stick in our bulletin board - which may have been our most notable achievement!

DL:Leopard,I was thinking of Leopold! With his last name, who can't make a mistake like that?

DB:But of course! Leopold the Leopard - could have been an H-B cartoon!

DL:Haha! i know right! He was pure HB material as he stayed with the company until 2001! A true company man he was.

DB:Absolutely! His wife, as I remember, was the head of the ink and paint department, as well.

DL:Wow! Really?

DB:Yup! Nice lady!

DL:Any stories on the two?

DB:Not that I remember, though I'm sure there are many!

DL:Well after he left Hanna Barbera, he started to write for a German company called BKN, you probably worked with them right? P.S. they're also known by Bohbot Entertainment.

DB:Hmmm... not sure. I believe I worked on shows that Allen Bohbot, the founder, was involved with, maybe through DIC (?) - but, in terms of the European spin-off, when I just googled all that, none of the shows they produced looked familiar - though I would have loved to have worked on a new version of Zorro!

DL:Yeah Glenn worked on it, you could’ve too!

DB:All they had to do was ask!

DL:If you were around in 2006. Besides, Glenn was one of your friends.

DB:Who knows? There are probably thousands of shows that "slipped through my fingers" - but I certainly enjoyed working on the ones that didn't!

DL:Yeah well back to your career, The Flintstones Comedy Show for NBC. You were the story editor.

DB:As I remember, I story-edited episodes of "The Bedrock Cops", which was one element of that show.

DL:Explain to me the concept of the segment.

DB:Hahaha! Fred and Barney were cops - sort of "Car 54, Where Are You" goofy law enforcement officials, only in prehistoric Bedrock - with fun and silly adventures - nothing approaching "real crime", but lots of slapstick comedy and fun.

DL:oh, well when i think of Fred and Barney I don't really think cops but ok.

DB:No - but it was essentially the two buddies having the kind of funny adventures you'd imagine they'd have... that is, if they were, in fact, good-natured cops!

DL:Oh so why in 1980, did you Hanna Barbera the first time?

DB:? I think you missed a word or two…

DL:Why and left.

DB:At the end of 1980, I took my two week vacation and flew to Cusco, Peru - then took the train to "Kilometer 88" which was the jumping off point for a 5 day backpacking hike in the mountains, ending up at Mac. oops - Machu Picchu - which was really, really fun! However, when I got back to the U.S., I only then found out that Andy Heyward and I were both "budget cuts" in the writing department - and were thus free to pursue our diverse destinies! I guess things were slow and they decided they needed to economize!

DL:Wow! So they favor Glenn and Jeff over you two,huh?

DB:Can you imagine? No accounting for taste! 🙂

DL:I can, so how was finding work while Andy was on his own odyssey in 1981

DB:I got to broaden my horizons! I gained a lot of experience and knowledge from my time at HB and got to reach out to other studios, etc. As I remember, my next major gig was at Filmation, working on HeMan and the Masters of the Universe, as well as doing some development work for them that never quite made it to the air.

DL:well on IMDb after The Flintstones Comedy Show, you worked on Spider Man for Marvel Productions and NBC.

DB:Right - not sure of the timing for all this. I did write an episode of one of the versions of Spider-Man (and, years later, for another version of that show) - this first one was the version that Dennis Marks story-edited, and was, I think, my only professional encounter with Stan Lee. As well as the plate glass coffee table in their lobby that I always managed to bang into when I was walking past!

DL:Lol, that's awesome. Can you tell me about that encounter with the "business man" Lee?

DB:All I remember is that he was very friendly and nice - I think Dennis was mainly running the meeting, but I did think it was cool that Stan was sitting in on it, "supervising"!

DL:Lol! Wait Dennis is from Hanna Barbera too!

DB:Yes - that's where I knew him from.

DL:Any stories on him?

DB:Not that I can think of. At HB I knew him as a comedy writer, so it was a surprise to find him running the Spider-Man show - but I think he and Stan really hit it off and collaborated on a number of projects (none of which I know anything about - lol)!

DL:He stayed at Marvel, until 1986 when he returned to the studio.

DB:Ah!

DL:so, if you can remember, would you like to talk about an episode of the 1981 Spider man series?

DB:Well - not much that I remember. Believe I wrote one episode, called "The Vulture has Landed" - featuring a superhero named... you guessed it - "The Vulture". Apart from being happy to be working on Spider-Man, that's about all I can remember! That and the plate glass coffee table banging my shins every time I went into the studio!

(Actually the comic book character, The Vulture is a villain not a superhero.)

DL:That gotta hurt!

DB:That's why I remember it so well!

DL:Your return to Hanna Barbera in 1982?

DB:I worked as a freelancer on a few different shows - not on staff.

DL:Oh! understand. How did it feel sending scripts to your former co-workers?

DB:Fine! That's pretty much the same way it worked in-house - the only difference is that my office was off-premises (with better access to a refrigerator)! We're all pretty much co-workers, as writers, with people changing roles and studios, but, many times, working with a familiar array of "the usual suspects".

DL:Oh! Wow!

DB:Although, of course, a lot more time needs to be spent "hustling" when one is working freelance!

DL:So about Spider Man, how do you write the web crawler?

DB:Well, we all know what he's like and what he does - at that point, from the comics - so the idea would be to start imagining oneself as Spidey and working to craft an adventure that would work for him, and then see how he would respond!

DL:Yeah, I mean everyone knows Spider Man right? So, you wrote an episode of The Little Rascals animated series. Rascal’s Revenge, process for the episode?

DB:Hahaha! I know I did - and I did like the original Little Rascals, back when I was a "little rascal" myself - but I don't remember anything about that episode at the moment!

DL:Oh ok, so did you watch the original shorts on television?

DB:Yes!

DL:You wrote the episode with Tedd Anatsi and Patsy Cameron. Who are those two?

DB:Hmmm. They were a writing team - maybe husband and wife? And... maybe they were the story-editors?

DL:Ah ok, do you have any memory of writing with them?

DB:No, I don't believe we co-wrote it - but, er, who knows? If that's what it says on IMDB, well, I believe it's incorrect - unless, say, either they had written the story and I was asked to write the script - or vice versa?

DL:Yeah probably fixed your script as story editors. Yeah probably fixed your script as story editors.

DB:Makes sense - though "fixed" depends upon the eye of the beholder - hahahaha!

DL:Haha! How was trying to make old 30s comedy shorts to appeal to 80s kids?

DB:Well, they certainly appealed to "50's kids" - so not too hard! A fun gang comedy - and the new version would have come with a bible, which would have done most of the heavy lifting for the transposition from the 30's to the 80's - so that's where the foundation would come from - and, from there - it would be "just like any other show" - where you read the bible and any scripts that are available, as well as remembering the feeling of fun from the originals - all of which would then allow you to start to "think like a Little Rascal" and start brainstorming stories and character action, while hanging out with "the gang" in your imagination and seeing what popped up!

DL:Very interesting! So The Smurfs for NBC and SEPP International.

DB:I think IMDB gave me too much credit for that show - as I remember, I wrote an episode for Smurfs and several for Johann and Peewee - which featured the Smurfs. I think Len Janson and Chuck Menville were the story-editors for The Smurfs, and Glenn Leopold was story-editor for Johann and Peewee, which I think were based on illustrated books by Peyo, the original creator.

DL:IMDb said that you wrote 39 episodes of the show in 1982!

DB:Whoa! Yeah, simply not true! Gasp - you mean IMDB isn't infallible? Oh well - mostly they're pretty good!

DL:Yeah, I know! Okay! So Monchichis for ABC, what was that?

DB:Hmmm. Bryce Malek and Dick Robbins were the story-editors. Fun, woodland fantasy creatures - I suspect there was a major comedic villain who wanted to do terrible things to them - and they had to figure out fun and imaginative ways to foil these nefarious plots! I know I wrote two episodes - and enjoyed doing it. One was called "Sky City'' - I think - which seems self-explanatory - but which is also a sort of a nod to the Native American city of Acoma (in New Mexico) - which also goes by the nickname of "Sky City", and is a cool place I've visited on several occasions. Bryce had been the guy in the accounting department at HB who used to walk around and give us our checks, but he was also a writer, and, as he was writing spec scripts, I seem to remember that Glenn and I used to give him notes! And then, he partnered with Dick Robbins, who was a veteran writer - and they became a great team - and, of course, went on to become the story-editors of the first couple of seasons of Transformers! Apart from all that, sorry, I don't remember much more about Monchichis - just that it was a good-natured and light-hearted fantasy/action/comedy that was fun to write.

DL:Ok. Well time for He Man! and you are working for Filmation.

DB:Right!

DL:He Man for Filmation and Syndication/Group W

DB:I was on staff there for a bit - my office was actually the coffee room - so I got to see most of the people on the floor!

DL:How was Lou Scheimer? The head honcho?

DB:I didn't have much contact with him - just "hi, how are you?" - the person who was in charge of the writers was Arthur Nadel.

DL:Tell me about Arthur Nadel. Robby London said he was a great guy.

DB:Yes, he was! Deadpan, but funny. He had a series of initials he'd use, to make comments on your script - like NSG (not so good) - DB (do better) - not sure what other ones, but there were a good many! The best moment I had in his office was when he was raking me over the coals for an outline which he thought was terrible - not letting me get a word in edgewise - until he was finished, and I (grinning broadly) - told him that I was not the writer of that episode! He thought that was pretty funny, as well!

DL:Once I remember he gave Robby London an A, and Robby thought it was a grade and Arthur had to break it to him saying it was just his signature. That he wrote that A to show that he read it.

DBThat's hilarious - and sounds totally in character!

#animation #animation interview #tooning in.#80s cartoons #the smurfs #he man #filmation #hanna barbera #spider man #marvel productions #monchhichi #monchhichis #the little rascals #the flintstones

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psych---ologically-deranged · 1 year ago

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2x09 bounty hunters!

SF, CH, KK, AB, JRr, & DH, that is a lot of people. Six. I won't be able to keep track.

"half pounder" lol

SF "also a fantastic gardener"

(nice car)

"I'm Lindsay Sloan. Not the actress, the network" -Dule Hill 1987 /j

Baby shawn has shawnvision!

Jamocha almond fudge??? THAT'S THAT BLUE ICE CREAM? I would have thought it was fake.

Lol hair

Calls him shawn?

andy "subtle" berman

Why are they talking about hot cream shaves in the psych office circa 1925, what is going on in this commentary, but I haven't seen that deleted scene. The "great north" called & asked NOT to do it in the barbershop as was initially scripted, they asked for it to be .. in the psych office. full face of cream, matching stubble levels, can it be just a gilette, shawn sleeping gus shaving himself, what abt a quatro those are new right, can they be eating shaved ices?

Main requirement for casting: good hair

JRr: We'll just get a women's large

costume shop: bounty hunter costume

Already in s2 they are deconstructing hand to head & they've already abandoned the big song & dance ritual from channeling the cat channeling gus

That's just egg whites on the flat top. Never trust a skinny chef Me: there is no such thing as a canadian accent, we (excluding east coasters who sound very gaelic) sound just like typical americans (by which I mean not east-coast new york, & not southern cowboy)

*jumps on the car*

First & last time they use greenscreen for the car.

DH: He took all my money KK: You take all my money. Tim too. CH: Who is the better poker player lou diamond phillips or W earl brown? DH: wearl Brown JRr: He's a talker, it's part of his game

tinkerbell shawnvision

SF: I worked a jungle cruise boat at disneyland for eight years

SF: Once again, continuing the theme Me: that Henry wears purple? SF: that Henry calls at the worst time possible

go stunt actors

So hard to swim with shoes on

Nah KK is right abt the clothes

It's fun when they are commenting on what's onscreen but it's also fun when they are completely off topic but it's also fun when they stop talking to just watch the show for a bit

KK: Whenever an andy berman episode comes in, chris henze always emails him a picture of edward scissorhands just to know what's in store for this episode

CH: It's fun!

FRIENDLY INDIANS WAS PLAYING IN THE BIKER BAR?

AB: By the way, not every man who looks like a man in this bar is a man, & not everyone who looks like a woman in this bar is a woman Me: Yeah they're a bunch of rock music loving bikers at a bar at who knows what time of day Me: ...Trans rights

"Pisces"

*chooses the thumb to the the first in counting from one to three* *my hoh ass knows basic asl*

First experience in upside-down harnesses (btw how is shawn's shirt still up) "How was it?" "I have a new appreciation for scenes shot upside-down" KK: I remember Andy called in & said John wanted to film this whole scene upside down before they turned over

DH: But it aligns the spine nice

KK: That's all real sweat by the way

KK: That vest we got from the costume shop. James, you WEAR that vest AB I think: That guy was a woman. (The one with the vest I think? In that case, congrats on the gender)

I feel like shawn, as someone with a bike, could be able to make himself blend in.

Gus: Like that couple from open water DH: *doesn't get the reference*

I would have LOVED that shot of the car going by without the car going by

There would also have been a shot of the cops coming to henry bc they found his boat

Another purple shirt

The camp song in the end credits is great. ily andy cohen. SF: We want to broadcast it AC: *horrified*

"I <3 coins"

& look at his hair

*actually ate the steak*

Tancana's actor had a band. "He's too good a singer for this role" DH: You don't need to be a good singer to be in a band. Just look at the friendly indians SF: That's fine dule, but season three episode one: "I'm in a polka dot dress? What?"

"I wasn't even TRYING to get involved

*after touching a dead body*

the wink

whose idea was the wedding march?

SF: Between James & Andy & I there is an obsession with hair on this show that is unrivalled

the bounty hunter walk

KK: I love it when they're like "They should totally kiss they should totally kiss!" & Steve has got this grin on his face like "I'm gonna get them close" & Andy Berman just makes it so hilarious

They're all commenting on the kiss & the chemitry & how well it played onscreen & I love it

AB: If you listen closer you could hear me laugh off camera

samee "hmm" as psy vs psy

"She likes me" "I'm frustrated"

ML learned how to do this

TIKIHAMA

Lalalalala & then the view!

#psych commentary 2x09

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ablogtocheck · 1 year ago

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Translation:

Lea: Andi Wellinger…Andi Wellinger is here with us, we really must first congratulate him/you on behalf of many people on an outstanding tour. Congratulations on second place. I can imagine you are still disappointed.

Andi: Yes, I'm actually a bit torn. First of all, I'm primarily proud of what I did in the tour, because I got off to an incredibly cool start in Oberstdorf.

I was able to pull off all the jumps really well. I was able to reproduce that in Garmisch and then, funnily enough, I wasn't quite able to do it on the hills, where I've actually done better in the past. Why is it so bitter today? Because I definitely took a real step forward compared to yesterday. And it's no excuse, but I skied much slower than normal in the first one. Normally I ski a few tenths ahead, now I was three tenths behind.

Unfortunately, I jumped when the snowfall increased. The ski/descent experience wasn't so good. I rolled the jump a bit and then I just didn't have the energy.

Ryoyu jumped unbelievably well, I probably wouldn’t have beaten him one way or another today.

But that annoys me a bit because it prevented me from really starting the day with the jumps I'm capable of. That was a bit better in the second one.

All in all, you have to acknowledge without envy that Ryoyu is a damn good ski jumper and simply did better overall.

Lea: We talked about it earlier, it just has to come together incredibly well, the conditions have to be right, the perfect jump. Can you say, OK, I got the best out of this tour and in the end someone was just a tad better?

Andi: Yes, not quite the optimum. So, in Oberstdorf and Garmisch I would say yes, in Innsbruck I was close. I didn't have the necessary bit of luck in the second run at the bottom to go a bit further and now in Bischofshofen it started yesterday that it was difficult for me... today was much, much better. I had the correct descent. I was actually more on the early side for the last one, so I managed it, it was stable going down, I put length into the jump, but it just wasn’t meant to be.

Lea: That it was a bit more difficult for you yesterday, which you just mentioned. Germany has been waiting 22 years for this tour victory, it will take at least another year, how much pressure did you feel?

Andi: Yes, it was alright. So the pressure, if at all, I put on myself. I was able to control it quite well. I don't think I've ever been so well organized. The last 10 days. When tension was necessary, when relaxation, what do I need physically from the physio, mentally and it definitely wasn't down to that, it was...yes, for the future, the day like yesterday has to be better. In terms of control/direction, in terms of feeling. Then it's easier to take the step today and then I didn’t make many mistakes, but that's enough if someone else is better.

Sven: But really Andi, thank you again from my side for the sensational tour, it really started in Oberstdorf, so as a former skier on the sidelines, you get to see a lot more.

And what you all, or you in particular, really managed to do was to build up a sense of euphoria, this, this, this living together, this of course continuing to jump in Garmisch, of course surviving in Innsbruck and somehow still standing your ground here, that was just so nice for me to experience as a former athlete. And in the end, the greatest moment was when 25,000 Germans sang the German national anthem, and you were at the top. I'll never forget that. And of course, it doesn't do you any good at the moment, or not so much, but you'll go on your way, but that's really was sensational, thank you very much.

Lea: They were goosebump moments for all of us. Now you’re about to go up on the podium again. I hope you can enjoy it again and experience the atmosphere here. You already had a second place in 2018. Is it worth more today/does it mean more today because you know how close you are?

Andi: Yes, definitely, because the quality was even higher than in 2018. I got off to a bit of a difficult start and then moved up to the podium in Innsbruck. And yes, now I've managed to really perform from Oberstdorf, as Sven said, Oberstdorf, the award ceremony, I've never experienced anything like it, it was so incredibly breathtaking that I was allowed to be in that situation...and apart from a few very small mistakes, I've been able to implement it to this day. It wasn't meant to be, as Karl says, the tour has to happen, it writes its own history and at some point, we'll be back.

Lea: You have played an outstanding role in this story. Thank you, Andi Wellinger, and have fun at the award ceremony, thank you.

Andi: Thank you.

He was quite fine and very matter-of-fact at the start then looked like he was struggling a bit more, eyes getting shiny, especially with Sven's sweet praise. I really hope the team can cheer him up tonight and he can keep up this great form for the rest of the season.

#andreas wellinger #sven hannawald #ski jumping #reblogged to add translation text

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sleekervae · 2 years ago

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The Neighbour [3.8]

Masterlist

A/N: I laugh when I think about how I wanted to have this chapter up my Halloween. Whoopsie lol. Anyway, who's been listening to Fever Dream on repeat? Because my go-to-jam is Off with the Head and Toxic in You -- highly relatable 😂

Little shoutout to @imabee-oralizard for inspiring me to finish this latest smut-venture with King of the Damned. I could write a better in-depth version but this pretty much enlists all the qualities I love about that song.

Little disclaimer: There are drugs mentioned within this chapter. I'm not implying that any of the members of Palaye do these specific drugs, it's purely there for plot purposes. But we're also adults and some drug use is referenced in some of their songs so... don't @ me pls.

Warnings: smut ahead, mentions of drug use, alcohol consumption

---

They sat curled up together in the back of an Uber, the hills quiet and glimmering with the eerie haze of orange decorations. This time tomorrow, the neighbourhood would probably be crawling with kids zipping up and down in their costumes, toting giant bags for candy and never being satisfied when parents would assure that enough was enough.

Eva always liked Halloween, though she hadn't embraced it as much these past couple of years. She was excited when Remington suggested matching costumes for the season, never having the opportunity before with past exes. And the gleam in his eye when he pulled out his Halloween decorations was all too endearing to her.

His hand stayed firm on her thigh, just creeping over the hill of her knee. He looked too good in his suit, hair messy and dark makeup smudged beneath his eyes. He reminded her of that meme; "looks like they could kill you but are actually a cinnamon roll" type of joke. He didn't help her case by conveniently going without a shirt under that suit jacket.

"Emerson's gonna' be late," Remington huffed, glancing at his phone.

"You guys live in the same house," Eva pointed out with jaunt.

"And I'm not his keeper," he replied, "One day, he'll just be Shy's problem,"

"Somehow, I doubt she's complaining," she chuckled, "So, besides Caity, will I know anybody at this thing?"

"Of course. Andy's there, Hannah, Ash, and if you meet anybody you don't know, you just tell them you're my girl," his eyes crinkled over his mask.

Eva simpered, "... Or your wife," she joked.

His brow popped and he shifted closer, "Maybe one day you'll be doing just that," he murmured.

"What? Being your wife?" she chuckled, "I'm only twenty-four, Rem,"

"I always forget you're a little younger," he replied.

"Because I don't act like it?"

"Because you're too smart for me,"

Eva slapped his arm, "Oh cut it out, honey,"

A bemused giggle rumbled from his chest as he leaned over, nuzzling her nose through their masks. It was all they could do within the Uber, despite the driver's dismissive glances in the rearview.

"You look amazing in that dress, babe," he whispered, his eyes shooting up and down the expanse of her little black dress.

Eva blushed, squirming in her seat when his hand moved further up her thigh, "You're not so bad, yourself,"

"You know it's not too late," he surmised, "We could ask this guy to turn around, go home, pick out a movie and not watch it,"

She rolled her eyes, "Wasn't that my idea?" she queried, "In fact, weren't you the one who assured me we weren't going to be staying long? And besides, what about our driver?"

"I'll leave him a good tip," he whispered.

"That's very kind of you," the driver suddenly said, and Remington and Eva jumped apart, "But we're here,"

And sure enough, they had pulled up in front of Caity's house. Remington hopped out first, running around to the other side and opening the door for Eva before she could reach the handle. They wished the driver goodnight and made their way inside

It was only nine o'clock and already Caity's house was in full swing of an adult frat party. Billboard hits played in the background to incessant and random chatter, all of it getting lost amid the clinking of empty bottles and raucous laughter from strangers. Eva held tightly to Remington's hand, walking just a foot behind as he tried to look around for Caity. Despite her fears, Eva was put at a little ease seeing there weren't as many people here as she thought.

"Heyy!" Caity suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She threw her arms around Remington first, then Eva, "You guys came!"

"Of course we did," Remington grinned, bumping Eva gently with his elbow. Eva nudged him back.

"Caity, you look beautiful," she commented, and she couldn't lie. Caity was dazzling in her silken black pantsuit and silver heels, her long skeleton acrylic nails clinging to a blue solo cup.

"What about you? You look like the modern-day Vampira! Where did you get that dress?" she beamed back.

"-- Shy," Eva shrugged sheepishly.

"God, she always knows the best places to shop," Caity looped her arm with Eva's, "Remi, I'm stealing your girlfriend! Hayden just bought this delicious apricot whiskey -- you have to try it!"

Eva took one more fleeting glance at her boyfriend, giddily agreeing as she was pulled into the kitchen.

"Caity, play nice with her!" Remington warned.

"Always," The slender blonde winked at Eva before pulling her along.

Caity's kitchen was beautiful as always, and on the counter sat a variety of different liquors, sodas, and juices to mix up whatever the guests wanted. A group of girls were crowded around the bottles, chatting like starlings on a spring morning.

Caity shouted for their attention, "Ladies! Shut up and pay attention!" she hollered, "This is Eva, she's Remi's girlfriend,"

Eva waved politely, "Hi,"

One of the girls, a darker blonde, scoffed dismissively, "Another one?"

"No idiot, this is the same girl from May... right?" a short-haired brunette asked.

"Yes," Caity assured with a huff, "And get off Remi's back, Thea,"

The blonde shrugged listlessly and continued to sip on her drink. Another brunette came running over to Eva, "Don't mind Thea, she's a monogamy-is-a-prison-type of person. I'm Amy! Let's get you a drink!"

Remington meanwhile took a seat beside his pal Andy, watching as he and a few other guys were immersed in a poker game.

"Who's winning, boys?" he asked.

"Ash thinks he is," Andy said.

"Andy's cheating," Ash counterpointed.

"These guys can't keep a good poker face to save their lives," Hayden deduced

Remington simpered, "Deal me in next round. I'll show you a real poker face,"

"You're on, Leith," Ash challenged.

Just out of the corner of his eye, two boys got up from their spot on the wall. They had been chatting between each other when they saw Remington come in, and they couldn't resist striking up a conversation.

"Hey Remington! Long time no see!" Carson, a skinny hipster type with long hair, greeted him first. Andy refrained from rolling his eyes beside Remington, trying to focus on his cards.

"Hey! What's good, boys?" he fist bumped them both.

"Where you been, man? We missed you at the last few get togethers," Sam, a shorter and somewhat stout counterpart to Carson, pointed out.

"He's been busy," Hayden told them.

"Oh, you back in the studio?" Carson asked.

"Sort of, yeah," he nodded.

"He's also been spending his time with somebody who's got long, pretty eyelashes," Ash scooted closer to the singer, mockingly batting his own eyes at Remington. Remington laughed him off.

"Shut up! You got a girl, hot shot?" Sam asked.

"I do," he confirmed.

"Lemme' guess --"

"No, she's not a groupie," Remington stopped Carson short.

"She's not?"

"No! Rem pulled himself a college educated sweetheart," Andy beamed, nudging his friend in the ribs.

Remington rolled his eyes, "C'mon, I didn't exactly 'pull her',"

"That's not what Sebastian said," Ash grinned.

"He's being modest," Hayden added.

"Well, congrats man. Love to meet her, sometime," Carson said.

"She's in the kitchen! I'll introduce you later,"

"Great," Sam then adjusted the lapel of his suit jacket, sitting over his suit and tie t-shirt, "Hey by the way, if you guys are interested we got a new stash in this week," he lowered his voice as he spoke.

"Some of the cleanest blow we could get our hands on," Carson added, "But just because we like you guys, we'll cut you a deal,"

Hayden was the first to shake his head, "Not tonight, man. I'm not feeling it,"

"Neither am I," Ash agreed, "I'd rather drink my poison tonight," he raised his beer can to make his point.

Carson pouted, "Aw, come on. Andy?"

"Count me out," Andy huffed, "Last time I took that shit my head was pounding for twenty-four hours straight,"

"Ah, it's their loss," Sam sighed, "Come on, Remington. You never let us down,"

"Yeah! How about a couple lines?" Carson suggested.

Much to their chagrin, Remington too denied their offer, "Sorry boys, I'm with them,"

"You serious?" Carson huffed, "Lemme' guess, the girl told you she didn't like coke and you're pussying down to get her --"

"Bite your tongue, Carson!" Andy warned.

Remington's grin turned into an unimpressed scowl. Sure, he had done some coke before, he had done a couple of different drugs before. He and his brothers liked to experiment. And he was honest when it came to Eva, he never wanted to hide anything from her -- especially when it came to some of the more explicit poisons. She didn't like the idea of cocaine, and Remington didn't blame her -- he was already hyper enough without a line, so he decided that he would avoid it when he could; especially when he had Eva with him.

"He's got a point, Remi! You used to be one of our best customers!" Sam said, "Is that why we haven't seen much of you?"

"Does the girl even know you did coke?" Carson asked.

"Yeah, of course I told her! And I'm sorry, guys," he shrugged, "I'm just not interested tonight. Someone else here probably would be,"

"That is if Caity doesn't catch you trying to deal," Hayden reminded them.

Sam scoffed, "She hasn't caught us, yet,"

"And the night is still young," Remington pointed out.

"You guys want in on the next round?" Ash asked them.

Carson shook his head, "Nah. Would love to stay but we have a quotta to meet,"

"Good luck, fellas," Sam waved them off as they sauntered off to schmooze their next potential client. Hayden simply rolled his eyes.

"I don't know why Caity has to keep inviting them," he muttered.

"They went to high school together," Andy said.

"You still hang around with your high school drug dealers?" Hayden asked.

"Mine is shipping Bring It On CDs out of his mom's basement," Ash said.

Andy nudged Remington again, "Dude, you told Eva you did coke?" he was smack astonished at the notion.

"Well, it's not like I was doing it every week," he said, "I told her, though, I did it now and again. I don't want to lie to her about that stuff,"

Ash glared at Remington, almost studying him. He then picked up a lower valued poker chip and tossed it at his head. It bounced off of his cheek.

"Hey! What was that for?" he asked.

"Clean shaven, honest, denying drugs... who are you and what did you do to Remington Leith?" Ash asked.

"He's the healthier version," Hayden pointed out.

"The version who's in love," Andy awed.

Remington rolled his eyes, shoving at Andy to shut up when Ash suddenly threw down his cards.

"Full house, fellas! Read 'em and weep!" he announced with pride, showing off like the acclaimed Poker Masters on TV. Andy relented and threw his cards down, sulking in defeat, "Declare me the Poker King!"

"Nice play, man," he huffed.

"Not so fast, Poker King," Hayden then put down his cards, much to Ash's chagrin, "Four of a kind,"

Remington leaned over next to Ash, smirking coyly, "Read 'em and weep,"

"Fuck," and Ash pushed his money over to Hayden.

Eva pursed her lips as the whiskey simmered down her throat, coughing up a little hint of the apricot essence. She wasn't much of a whiskey drinker, but she could get used to this sweeter stuff.

"So, how's your mom doing?" Caity asked, keeping quiet enough so the other girls were out of shot.

Eva shrugged listlessly, "Alright, I guess. I haven't spoken to her yet,"

Caity cocked a brow, "Then how have you --"

"My dad. I think this is the most we've talked since... I don't know. Since I went off to college," she explained.

"And you're leaving this week?"

"Yep,"

"So you're gonna do it?" Caity asked, pointing at her torso, "You're gonna go and... snippety snip?"

"I don't know," Eva refrained from laughing, "I have to get some tests done and then we'll see,"

"Is Rem coming with you?"

Eva shook her head, "No, it's not the right time,"

"To meet the family, you mean?" Caity asked, "Is there ever a right time?"

"Probably a better time than having your estranged mother on dialysis," she shrugged back, "And then to have my sister picking at me: 'you wasted your money on your degree! what the hell did you move to California for? How much money are you wasting over there? Go get an actual job, Eva!' And so on and so on,"

Caity smiled empathetically, "You know you won't scare him away, right? If that's what you're afraid of; the guy's been through hell-and-back himself,"

"I know," Eva nodded, "It's not about me scaring him off though, it's just about the people in my family picking and pulling apart our relationship and then maybe scaring him off,"

"But he loves you anyway, regardless of whether or not you come from a crazy family. Hell, show me a family that isn't crazy,"

A loud smash suddenly echoed from the other room, followed by one of Caity's friends hollering a panicked "Sorry!"

Eva snickered, "I see your point,"

"My actual point," Caity interjected, pouring them both another shot of whiskey, "Is that Remi loves you enough that he wouldn't get scared off by your family; no matter how strict, scary, and dramatic they may be. I mean -- how bad are they, really?"

Eva scoffed, "You know the family from Shameless?"

"Yeah. That bad?" they shot back their whiskey.

Eva held her breath momentarily and swallowed, sputtering out, "Just as toxic but without substance abuse,"

"What if I came with you?" Caity jokingly offered, "Give me a bottle of pinot and a platform stage and I'll Jenny Jones the whole thing,"

Eva paused momentarily, "Um... Caity..."

Caity raised a finger at her, "I'm not promising that it won't end in murder, you see," thus prompting an amused snigger from the writer.

"Don't tempt me,"

Emerson and Shy arrived a bit later, much to Eva's relief as she was becoming lost in a cluster of chattering, sparrow-like girls, trying to keep up between those trying to get to know her and others all-together ignoring and steering conversations elsewhere.

One of the girls, the short-haired brunette with a Tinkerbell face and chunky purple platform heels, had taken a particular interest in Eva. Her name was Gigi, also a Seattle native, and once she found out that she was dating Remington, she had a plethora of questions. She was obviously a little drunk from the way she exaggerated and slurred her vowels, though nonetheless, Eva found her to be quite entertaining.

"There's no way!" the young model gabbed in awe, "There's no way in hell Remington could land a girl like you!"

"Wha -- how come?" Eva queried.

"Because!" she exclaimed, "You're -- like -- super smart and pretty and he's... he's Remington! The boy likes to -- like -- hang upside down and howl at the moon!"

Eva laughed in surprise, "I -- I've never seen him howl at the moon, but -- okay," she replied, "How did you guys meet?"

Gigi smiled casually at her wine glass, "I was -- like -- a model in a music video! Don't Feel Good or something like that; I don't remember. But it was a lot of fun! Oh, the boy was sooo cute! You should've seen him! He was so scrawny and kinda shy but -- oh mama! He got -- like -- a sexy-ass voice!"

Eva brought her glass to her lips, slyly hiding her smirk as she sipped her drink, "He certainly does,"

"Has he asked you to be in a video with him? You should for real do it! It's so fun!" Gigi beamed.

"He has -- I mean, I have!" Eva nodded, bouncing along as Gigi's bubbly attitude began to rub off on her, "I have. I think it'll be out in a couple weeks,"

"Ooooh! What did you do? Do you model, too?"

"No," she chuckled shyly, "I was just an extra. I'm a ghost writer, actually,"

Gigi gasped like a little kid then, "Oh shit! You mean you -- like -- write ghost stories?"

"Uh -- not exactly, I --" however, she was cut short when Thea walked by, casually bumping into Eva to get to Gigi.

"Hey," she tapped her shoulder, hardly acknowledging Eva at all, "I'm going to the bathroom, come with me,"

Gigi pouted, almost appalled at the notion of being dragged away, "What? Why? I'm -- like -- talking to Eva!" she whined, "She writes about ghosts!"

Thea glanced sideways at Eva, nodding dismissively. Eva grinned politely, "Ghost writer,"

"... right," Thea droned, then she took Gigi's hand, "Come to the bathroom with me. Let's go!"

"But Thea --!" Gigi hardly got the chance to protest as Thea dragged her away from Eva. Eva glanced at her shoes, at a loss for words as she looked around the kitchen. Shy came up behind her, tapping her long stiletto nails against her solo cup.

"I never liked Thea," she admitted, "Girl walks one runway in Paris and suddenly she thinks she's Kendall Jenner,"

Eva scoffed, "Is she like that with everybody?" she asked.

"Pretty much," she huffed, "Caity can't stand her,"

"... Then why is she here?"

"Friend of a friend," Shy shrugged, "Besides, someone probably told her Remington would be coming, anyway,"

Eva's eyebrows popped up, "... Why does that matter?"

Shy huffed, "She and Remi hooked up once -- years ago! Like, I don't even think they'd put out their first record yet, she was just a model for a video. Anyway, he told Emerson about it and Emerson told me once because she was being a bitch to me, too,"

"So, what's her problem, then?" Eva asked, "She wants what she can't have so she takes it out on us?"

"I told Caity to stop inviting her to these things but Caity doesn't want the drama," Shy shrugged, "I doubt Remington even knew Thea would be here, he doesn't talk to her anymore,"

Eva wasn't upset over Remington and Thea, it wasn't her business and quite frankly she couldn't care less if they had been close in the past. In the past being the optimal point. Thea wore her disdain for Eva on her sleeve, and if she was going to continue to be disrespectful towards her then they were going to have a problem. Eva didn't take well to confrontation most of the time, however she always stood up for what was fair; after all, it wasn't her problem that Remington wanted her and not Thea.

Gigi bitched and whined the entire time Thea dragged her to the bathroom, tripping over herself in her platform heels and bumping into a few others.

"Thea! Slow the fuck down!" she huffed as she was yanked into the bathroom. Thea slammed the door shut with a loud slam, pulling up her purse and aggressively digging through it.

Gigi pouted some more, "Why are you --like -- upset? Are you mad at me?"

"No!" she snapped angrily, "I'm mad at Caity!"

"Why? I know Caity doesn't have Ciroc but that's -- like -- no reason to be so bitchy!" Gigi replied.

Thea glared at the stumbling brunette, "Gigi, she fucking invited Remington but she didn't tell me that he had a new side piece with him!"

Gigi stared at her friend, completely dumbfounded, "Thea, she's not a side piece. Remington's -- like -- in love with her! Ask anybody! Ash said he's been like a puppy dog all year --!"

"Oh, would you just shut up?" she snapped again. She pulled out a small bottle of nasal spray, shoved the spout up one nostril and inhaled deeply. Gigi meanwhile was plastered against the bathroom door, still watching her friend with hazy eyes.

"Is this all because you -- like -- sucked him off for -- like -- thirty seconds and then he never called you? Are you still mad about that?" she queried.

"It wasn't thirty seconds," Thea grumbled, feeling herself now beginning to calm down, "And yeah, Gigi, he fucking humped and dumped me and the next time I saw him after he could barely look me in the eye. What a fucking creep!"

"Ugh! Who cares?" Gigi whined, "Why are you still so mad about it?"

Thea shifted the conversation, "Did you tell her?"

"Tell who?"

"Eva,"

"Tell her what?"

"About me and Remington!"

"What about Remington?"

"Oh, for fuck sakes!" she threw the nasal spray back in her bag, "Did you tell her that we fucked?"

"No! Why would I do that?" Gigi asked, "It's not her business, and he doesn't like you anyway so what does it matter?"

Thea shook her head, completely ignoring Gigi's rambling, "I could hear Andy going on and on: oooh! She's so pretty! Ooooh! She's so kind! She's got a bachelors degree! Whoopti-fucking-doo! What's she got that I don't? Hmm?"

Gigi stared silently for a moment, her jaw hung open until she drunkenly blurted, "She went to college! You didn't!"

Thea rolled her eyes, "And?"

"... and she's --like -- nice to me," Gigi admitted, "And she doesn't pull on me,"

A raucous commotion suddenly broke out outside, muffled by the door, though it was obvious that whatever was going on had captured almost everyone's attention.

"What's going on?"

"Probably beer pong, I don't care," Thea grumbled, "All I need is one shot. I mean -- how great is she really? She's not in the industry! She could never keep up with his lifestyle!"

"You really -- hicc -- need to move on, Thea," Gigi groaned, "Eva's really nice. You should give her a chance. It's not her fault --like -- Remington fell in love with her and not you,"

Oh, how those sentiments echoed in Thea's mind. She couldn't help the way she felt, she was attracted to Remington -- unhealthily so but it was an attraction nonetheless. She found him fascinating, handsome, edgy and so damn charming! Thea was so young when they'd met, she had stars in her eyes when she -- a young model on one of her first casting jobs -- got to make the acquaintance of a rock star. So he wasn't a full rock star, yet, so what? He was so fucking beautiful to her!

And yet when her opportunity came, when she followed her gut and trusted him, she was left in the dust to pick up what was clearly nothing special to him. It broke her heart, seeing him over and over with different girls who were all the same. They all had the same thing that she did, and just when she speculated that her time had come, he waltzed in with this -- child -- with liked to bat her doe eyes and ramble on about dead poets. What a fucking downgrade, she thought, what does she have that I don't? Honestly!

Whatever rationality that had possessed Caity to pierce his ear on the spot was gone as Remington pinched his throbbing, bleeding lobe. Liquid courage was more to blame than anything else, that and his own willingness to try anything once. Perhaps later on he'd ask Emerson about earring care -- that is if he wanted to wear an earring. It had never really been his thing.

He dabbed droplets of blood between his fingers, reaching absentmindedly for the bathroom door knob when another body collided into him. Gathering his surroundings, his demeanour deflated when he met eyes with Thea.

"Oh! Sorry, Remington!" she awed, quickly smoothing out her velvet skirt.

"It's cool, Thea," he replied swiftly, not eager to get trapped by her again.

Gigi exited the bathroom after, stumbling around Thea and she met eyes with Remington briefly, "Hey Remi. Oh shit! Are you bleeding?" though she didn't stick around for his answer.

Thea however found her opportunity, immediately spotting the stain on Remington's ear and fingers. She reached out with her hand, "Woah! What happened?" she touched his lobe with two fingers, eyeing the wound cautiously.

"It's nothing," Remington pulled away casually, "Caity wanted to pierce my ear,"

"And you just let her?" Thea queried.

He simply shrugged back, "I'll try anything, once," he tried to slide past her again, "Anyway --"

"How've you been?" and like that, the bleeding lobe was suddenly disregarded.

"I've been pretty good!" he nodded, "Busy, but I'm doing well,"

"And your brothers?"

"Them too,"

Thea nodded eagerly, "Oh good. So, what have you been up to? We haven't seen you around in a while. Feels like you're almost forgetting about us," she tried to tease.

Remington smiled politely, "Well, we are smack dab in the middle of a pandemic so I've been distancing myself from a few people. Listen, I hate to do this but --" he pointed to his ear, "I really want to clean this up before it stains my jacket,"

"Oh, of course!" Thea nodded, her gaze momentarily flickering to Remington's jacket and the lack of shirt underneath. An idea then popped into her mind, "Why don't I give you a hand?"

Remington nearly bit down on his tongue from how quickly he refuted, "Uh -- no. That's okay, but thank you,"

It wasn't that Thea was a bad person; well, she was a bit self-absorbed, and she knew how to put her foot in it without realizing. But mostly, Thea represented a time to Remington that he would most rather forget. He was fine acknowledging her, he could be polite and move on; but he was astounded that it had been well over five years and she still didn't get the hint that he wasn't interested in her the way that she wanted.

"Oh c'mon, it'll only take a second!" she urged, stepping closer and closer into his personal space. Her hand reached out again to touch his ear, clammy and cold and not a pleasant feeling.

Before he had the chance to fight her off again, another voice slithered in and cut their tension,

"Pardon my interrupting," it was as though Eva had appeared out of thin air, her arms crossed over her chest and her dark blue eyes staring down both Thea and Remington.

Remington swiftly batted Thea's hand away, panic swelling in his gut, "Eva! It's not what --"

"Sh!" she held up a finger, moving to step between her boyfriend and the pushy model, "Thank you for your help, Thea, but I can take it from here," she assured, "You can move along, now,"

Thea scoffed, "You're the one who can move along, sweetheart. I was having a private conversation,"

"With my boyfriend," Eva pointed out, "Who -- seems to me, anyway -- made it very clear to you that he didn't want you to touch him,"

"But --"

"So I'm going to take him and get him cleaned up. And you can go and do... something else," she shrugged, smiling as politely and stiffly as Pan Am flight attendant, "Thanks for looking out for him, however,"

Thea's lips popped open, either from the shock of being talked back to like that or she was trying to muster up some cocky come back. Needless to say, Eva was smug as she stormed off in a huff. Remington meanwhile was still when Eva turned to meet his gaze. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, but he'd seen Eva be confrontational enough to know that he wasn't eager to be on the receiving end on one of her tell-offs.

"Eva --" she cut him off when she smiled up at him, chuckling to herself when she finally acknowledged his bleeding ear.

"Is this what everyone was yelling about over there?" she asked incredulously, "I didn't know you wanted to pierce your ears,"

Remington was paused momentarily, mustering up his voice while trying to calm his fluttering chest, "I didn't. Caity just talked me into it. How does it look?"

Eva wasn't an expert on piercings my any means; she only had two herself. Though she had gone with enough friends to Claire's to get an idea of what ear piercing entailed.

"It'll be okay. C'mon, we better clean that,"

Remington sat on the toilet (lid down) as Eva ran the cold water and wadded up some tissue. The door was shut and effectively blotting out the other guests and pulsating music. He continued to pinch his lobe, now slippery and sticky from the ooze and it overall wasn't a very pleasant feeling.

"Did it hurt much?" she asked.

"Not really," he shrugged back, "Liquid courage definitely helped, though,"

"Well, you know if you wanted to get your ears pierced we could've just gone to Claire's. You get a free jab with a starter kit," she mentioned, crouching down so she could clean the ear.

Remington chuckled at the notion, inhaling sharply at the cold sensation that rippled down his neck and spine, "You're not upset with me, right?" he asked timidly.

Eva withdrew the tissue, seemingly perplexed by his question, "Why should I be upset with you? This isn't the craziest thing you've done, and I doubt it'll get infected --"

"Not the piercing. Thea," he replied, "I didn't know she was gonna be here tonight, I should've told you about her,"

She moved her hands to his lap, rubbing his knee reassuringly. He was staring at her like a puppy that had just been scolded, even mid-sulk he was easily the cutest person she had ever known.

"Thea," the name rolled off of her tongue with a edge of bitterness, "It's funny, I thought I left girls like her behind in high school. I guess it's true what they say, though," she reached up to clean the piercing again, "We never do grow up,"

"Eva, I'm --" Remington took her hand down, holding it tightly.

"Do you like her?" she asked suddenly, "Just in general, do you like her?"

He shook his head quickly, "No. She's so fucking self-absorbed and whiny. And clearly obsessive," he replied.

"Did you ever feel anything for her?" she asked.

He breathed in slowly that time, "Once, barely a fleeting thing, though,"

"And do you ever think about her outside of when you see her?" this time she squeezed his hand, staring up at him with those big doe eyes that made his heart swell every time.

"I don't have the time because I'm too busy being obsessed with you," he smiled with a false air of smugness.

Eva smiled too, genuinely however, "Then why are you getting ready to apologize for something that you didn't do wrong?"

"Because I do all the time," he huffed in a fit of pity, "I never want you to get the wrong idea and lose trust in me. That shit's my worst fucking nightmare,"

"Rem, I came out with you in a little black dress, mingling with a bunch of strangers I don't know while we're smack in the middle of Rona. I wouldn't do that if I didn't trust you," she explained, "I trust you regardless of where we are or what stuffy wannabe models try to flirt with you. It's my bed you sleep in, anyway,"

He simpered, pushing some of her loose hair behind her ear. His fingers trailed and traced the line of her jaw, basking in how soft and warm her skin was, "Your bed is really comfy," he pointed out.

"Even more so when you're in it," she dabbed at his ear a couple more times before standing and discarding the tissue, "You want to see it?"

Remington stood up, reaching across the bathroom counter and studying his new piercing with intrigue. It still throbbed from the after pain, and God only knew he would probably feel it more in the morning. However he had to admit, it didn't look too bad.

"What do you think?" he turned to Eva. She leaned back against the edge of the counter, eyeing the subtle puncture while shamelessly ogling the rest of him.

"Sweetheart, you can pull off literally anything," she replied, dropping her voice into an almost whisper, "It's kinda hot,"

His gaze shifted from the mirror to her reflection, her sweet and. sultry body outlined in that silky, velvety dress that he could probably tear right off of her in one fell swoop.

"Speak for yourself," he took hold of her hips, fingernails scratchy at the soft velvet, "I didn't know you could be so possessive -- especially over me,"

Her lips curved to match his smirk as she reached out with her right hand, her fingers slid up the smooth lapels of his jacket until they met bare skin. She felt him shudder through her touch, and like a switch had been flipped the color had disappeared from his eyes. The scolded puppy was gone and a lustful predator stood in his place.

"Well, I don't appreciate people trying to take what's mine..." her voice was barely above a whisper.

Remington chuckled gleefully, his spiced cologne flooding her senses as he came down to whisper in her ear, "Aren't you the one who told me that I belong to myself?"

"Absolutely," her left hand traveled a different path, coming down to palm him through his slacks, "This is reserved just for me, though,"

Remington's only rational response was to reach out and lock the bathroom door.

And that was how they'd found themselves here...

Like a claw lock his hands gripped her hips, holding her against him as she sat up on the sink counter top. Her once-cold hands were warmed up under the thin material of his suit jacket, pleased and exhilarated that Remington chose not to wear a shirt underneath. He was so close to her, consuming her every sensory receptor and yet she couldn’t enjoy him fully. How easy it would be to unwrap him from his jacket and slacks, and yet Eva had to wait like an impatient child to get her presents on Christmas. Her only reprieve was rocking against him gently, grinding her hips into his. And from the way he clutched and pawed at her, Remington was restless. On the one hand, he enjoyed teasing her relentlessly; on the other, all he wanted was to take her hard and fast against the bathroom counter.

Caity would fucking kill him if she ever…

Though all thoughts of pause and rational action were scarce to them both. Eva clung desperately to him, her head tossed back as he tasted the sweet salt of her neck with his tongue, soothing the love bites with gentle kisses that made her heart flutter and her stomach coil. His right hand slid under the soft velvet of her dress hem, crawling higher and higher up her thigh until he could stroke over the wet spot of her panties. When she shuddered against him, his smile mirrored that of a smug demon, bending her to his will with hardly a touch.

Just behind her, a long bathroom mirror reflected back their image in what little light was available to them. Remington stole glances between kisses, his dark brown eyes glued to the curve and ripple of her spine, mesmerized by her hair swaying briskly from side to side. He couldn’t bear to tear his gaze away from the mirror, watching her undulate beneath him was the most mesmerizing thing.

"Fuck... you're so pretty," he whispered coarsely against her ear.

His attention refocused on the fingers pulling at his clothes. First it was his jacket being unbuttoned, then it was his belt. He could feel her touch magnified, slathering and stroking him and ultimately undoing his pants. He loved when Eva became needy, watching her sweetness slip away in favor of desperation drove him wild. Her fingers were cold to the touch yet blended so deliciously against his warm skin, and his breath caught when she grasped him.

Eva suppressed a cunning grin, slowly moving her hand up and down. She circled his head with her thumb, Remington bit down on his lip so hard Eva feared momentarily he may draw blood. His eyes fluttered closed, his head falling forward in pleasure; they both giggled as he almost knocked into her.

Remington pulled back from her neck, glaring up at her hungrily. He yanked her in for a quick kiss as his hand slid around to pull at the dress zipper. He was in awe when he found she wasn't wearing a bra. Remington ran his thumb over her left nipple, the sensation of cold hands against burning flesh made her shiver. He latched his mouth around her right nipple, sucking and swirling his tongue around the bud before pulling away with a pop.

Eva never let go of his cock once, fumbling her rhythm but she stayed determined to get him off.

The music continued to pulsate outside, voices echoed and carried and there was always the fleeting fear that someone may try to open the door, or Caity or Hayden may have come along and demanded to be let in, so they stayed as quiet as they possibly could in their circumstance. Nevertheless, the thrill far outweighed the crime.

Without uttering a word, Remington stilled Eva's hand, instead working hastily to rid her of her panties. Eva bit down on her lip to suppress the gasp that echoed when he pulled her closer to the counter's edge. He pushed his swollen tip against her pussy. She moaned softly, now pressing her lips together. Remington pushed further into her, thrusting in and out during the process. Eva bit her lip as he pushed further and further, sweaty and relieved exhales leaving them both when he began to fuck her.

He grunted softly when he felt how tight she was, "You okay, baby?" he gripped her hips for better leverage. Eva's eyes began to water from the sensations, every nerve with her body was hot and needy.

"Yes," she nodded swiftly, one hand clutching the counter edge while she stayed clung to him, "Please, Rem,"

"Ah, ah! Don't make a sound," he teased, "Imagine if Thea could hear you right now," he laughed when she punched his bicep.

"Maybe she should," she whimpered, "Listen to how I make you fucking come for me,"

His hips snapped faster and faster, rubbing deliciously inside of Eva. Remington was going to come any minute, and judging by her heavy eyes and stifled moans, Eva wasn't far behind.

"I love when you talk like that," he grunted, shuddering and shaking as he spilled inside of her. And she came not long after, burying her face in his neck to muffle her lustful cries.

They settled down together, the bathroom was still and silent, minus their exhausted panting. Eva sat back on the counter, reaching to push Remington's hair off of his sweat-slick forehead. His lips turned up into a blissed-out smirk, he felt deliciously satiated paired with a rippling sense of pride. He had made a mess of Eva yet again, and yet every time he loved watching her slowly regain her senses. She was a sight to behold; her dress was hanging off of her shoulders, her lipstick kissed away to a faint tint and her dark blue eyes heavy.

He took her in his arms, laying kisses from her jaw and up to her forehead, whispering darkly in between, "Mine,"

Eva whined sweetly as she kissed him, following with a keen grin and a sudden, but brief, lick to his cheek.

"Hey!" he turned his head, giggling like a child, "What was that?"

"I'm laying claim," she decided, "You know the sentiment: I licked it so it's mine?"

He laughed harder, pulling her in to kiss her again, "May I?"

Eva chuckled bashfully, tilting her head back, "You may,"

#remington leith #remington leith imagine #remington leith smut #remington palaye royale #palaye royale imagine #palaye royale #fever dream #emerson barrett #sebastian danzig #the neighbour #eva kuznetsov #original female character #original story #band blog #band imagine blog #band imagines

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punemy-spotted · 4 years ago

Text

The Price You Pay Chapter 3: Counteroffer

Pairing: Mob!Steve Rogers x Reader, Senator!Andy Barber x Reader

Warnings: Rape/Non-Con elements, Dub-Con, Dark!Fic, Abuse of Legal System, Murder, Character Death (minor, possibly major), Love Triangle, Political AU, Mafia AU, Workplace Sexual Harassment, Abuse Mentions, Possessive/Obsessive Characters, Other Chapter-Specific Warnings May Apply, Possible Dead Dove: Would Not Eat

Chapter Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Elements Continue; Dub-Con; Angst; Politics; Possessive/Manipulative Behavior; Spanking; Choking; Crying; The Dove is Probably Dead: Do Not Eat

Chapter Summary: The return of an old friend brings back the ghosts of old memories.

Chapter 1; Chapter 2

Notes: Shorter chapters my ass, these outlines are getting unreal. Andy Barber has arrived, Steve Rogers does not approve, the Reader bears the consequences. Things are going to be angstier from here on out and I can feel it in my bones. Please don’t yell at me — or do, your feedback is well-loved and appreciated even if it’s yelly.

Not beta-read, these sins belong to me and me alone.

You met Andy Barber fresh from the ashes of his divorce, escaping the gossip and scandal and pain of his past life only to dive into the gossip and scandal and pain of politics. Senatorial campaign, in need of an aide and a law student desperate to do more for the people than hours in clinics and mock trials. Hungry for something grassroots, angling for the impossible.

A match. Whether made in Heaven or Hell feels irrelevant now, long ago as it was.

It was then. This… is now.

Hey Sunshine, didn’t think you’d be able to make it.

He looks the same. Keeps the same beard. Same hair. It’s uncanny and familiar and safe all at once and you slide into the booth with your purse by your side and feel genuinely smiley for the first time in a long time.

It’s been a while since I heard that name.

Yeah? It’s been a while since I got to use it.

The silence is heavy, unwelcome, unwieldy, a reminder of the space between what was and what is.

How’re you doing? Last I heard you were making a name for yourself taking down the…

He trails off, eyes fixed on the slide of your gaze, the sudden interest in a drink menu you wouldn’t normally touch, the tremor of your lips. A man doesn’t serve as Assistant District Attorney for the many years he has without picking up tells.

Sunshine.

Andy…

It’s a warning, a plea, a… confession, all at once, and all the dogged determination in the world can’t hold against the break in your voice, in your control. You’ve cried more in the past few weeks than you can recall and now here he is, soulful eyes and a worried expression and he’s never hugged you really, but suddenly you might want it just that much more.

Don’t be an idiot.

It’s dangerous, your stress, and you know it.

Dangerous enough to send you into the arms of the next safe thing — this is why you don’t do this, isn’t it, this reaching out bit, but no advocacy group on the planet is going to save you from yourself today.

I saw… I saw you win that case. Pretty brutal, standing up to the Syndicate, and getting what you did. He steamrolls past the way you wince, his thumb on that metaphorical bruise and pressing, the Prosecutor’s dogged determination demanding answers, I have a friend in the office, he was convinced you’d be climbing the ranks.

Every word is a twist of the knife, couched in quiet concern, gentle admonition, a warm hug in a smoky tenor and you want to tell him everything, you want to break down in his arms and tell him every word, every buried piece of you he never learned, everything that’s led you to this.

You don’t.

You know better than to trust him too. No one’s going to take care of you but you so instead you shake your head and wave it off and Decided going into the private sector was the better option — one big win doesn’t really make up for the stress, you know.

Private sector. That’s what you’re calling the SHIELD Syndicate now? C’mon, Sunshine…

Look. It’s the Syndicate’s New York, when he made the offer it was… safer than saying no. It’s a cushy position anyway, and I didn’t want anyth—

He doesn’t believe you. He doesn’t believe you and you’re digging a hole trying to explain your way out of it so you just… shut up, shaking your head, It’s not important. I’m fine. I’m more curious about you — what year is it now, your fourth? What are you doing in New York?

The deflection works, but the look on his face is obvious — you’re not getting out of this so easily. He gives in for now, just for now, for you.

Almost fifth, gearing up for re-election. Had a meeting up here… about the organized crime situation for both states, and I remembered you were in the area.

Oh. You… it’s been a while since we talked, you remembered?

You expect me to forget you, Sunshine?

That stops you in your tracks, or whatever road your mind had been racing on, thoroughly not enjoying the defensive you’ve been on since you met with Steve, constantly under watch and waiting for yet one more shoe to fall on you.

That’s fear, sweetness.

Andy…?

You were the best campaign aide I had — I told you then too, I would have made you Chief of Staff if you’d let me.

It’s a good save. A clever save, and you want to believe it more than anything, want to believe it was all business and no pleasure because the alternative makes your nails bite into the table and want to turn tail before he can say another word and he… sees that panic flicker over your face so keenly it’s almost embarrassing.

You’re not used to this.

You’re not used to the warmth of his eyes when he searches your face for the answers you can’t give voice to. You’re not used to the way he reaches for your hand and rests it over your fingers, curling around your palm like he might actually keep you close and keep you safe and keep you free of the demons you made a part of yourself too.

Sunshine, why does his voice have to be so soft, why does it have to sound like molten honey on your senses, why does he have to say your name like it’s the very definition of the word hope, If you’re not safe…

No. No you’re not, tell him tell him the truth, tell him you’re atoning for the girl you could not protect tell him you aren’t worth it tell him this is your penance tell him you signed a death warrant tell him tell him tell him.

Andy, really. I’m fine. It’s a good job.

It’s a shit lie.

He drops it. Drops it just long enough for a waiter to finally come by, for his hand to leave yours while he talks through the wine menu. Drops it long enough for you to check your phone, realizing with horror that you must have silenced it absentmindedly sometime on your way here.

Ten missed calls.

All from Steve.

And one text, stamped from just five minutes ago.

[SMS] Either you pick up your phone or I pick you up, Counsel.

The next one comes right before your eyes, a picture of a map and a GPS pin. Your location.

You glance up at Andy, still talking to the waiter about the small plates options, feign a smile and Go ahead and choose, you have better taste than me, and return to staring at the picture and the three dots at the bottom of your screen, waiting to see his next message.

[SMS] Make your choice.

The haptic feedback of your keyboard feels like an electric shock with every letter, hurried fingers until you manage to tap out something that won’t immediately put the man in front of you in the crosshairs of the most dangerous organization in New York.

You can’t do that to him. You can’t.

[SMS] I’m at a dinner with a friend.

[SMS] And since I know there’s no emergencies pressing, I’d like my time, thank you.

You have the good sense to set it next to you this time, watching your screen light up with whatever furious response he sends next, glancing over only occasionally every time another one comes through. Don’t let him control you. Don’t let him think you’re at his beck and call.

You’re not.

You’re free, you’re free and you’re going to prove it.

Sunshine? What’s going on?

His voice cuts through the haze of panic like a knife and you swear you don’t mean to jump but you do and there’s no denying what he notices, eyes narrow and lips turned down in a sharp scowl, Sunshine…?

You are not that girl. You cannot be that girl, never again.

Steel. Steel yourself, flash him a smile, take a sip of the ice water left in front of you while you’d been checking your phone, reset yourself. Steady. Steady on.

Don’t let them know.

Nothing, nothing, just the boss — let him know I was busy.

Why is he texting you after hours? The Syndicate can’t be that busy.

He’s too watchful for your own good. Probably just making sure I’m staying out of trouble.

Are you?

Are you calling yourself trouble, Senator?

You like this. You can handle this, the trading of jokes, the crooked way he smiles. His eyes are a little more distant than you remember but you can still see them sparkle softly when he suppresses a laugh, lighting up properly when the joy reflects in them.

Briefly, you wonder when the last time he really laughed was.

By the time dinner is over, his hand, warm and steady, is back on yours as you talk — and for a moment you almost enjoy the way he runs his thumb over your knuckles absently, like he’s making careful appraisal of each one. Could use your skills for the re-election campaign, you know.

Really? You’ve got a gorgeous approval rating, what are you afraid of?

Not having my good luck charm on the staff.

Andy…

I’m dead serious, Sunshine, you ran that ship. You were what, a 2L? Rising 3? You had canvassing down to a science. We need that energy down on the Hill.

The curve of his fingers is a little tighter now, squeezing yours, like proof of his earnestness and oh, you want to keep believing him. You need to keep believing him.

There’s so much in New York I have to get done first. And besides, you know me. I want a life on the bench.

Justice Sunshine, and it sounds absurd when he uses your nickname and it sounds so real when he uses your nickname and in the warm smoke of his voice those contradictions can live together all at once.

That’s the one. Closest you’ll see me to Washington is when I’m appointed to the Supreme Court. It’s a dumb, arrogant, silly joke but it’s the same one you used to make with him over drinks, teasing him about his political goals and making him promise to “go easy on you” at your eventual Senate confirmation hearing.

It’s the one that makes him crack that too-beautiful crooked smile while he takes a sip of his drink — hiding the curve of his lips behind the rim of a heavy glass.

Well. If you ever decide to ditch—

Ever decide to ditch what?

The world moves in slow motion: hearing the low growl from behind you; Andy Barber looking up and rising to his feet, his hand slipping from yours with just the ghost of his comfortable touch to assure you; Steve Rogers coming into view as you turn, flanked by the not-entirely-unfamiliar faces of two of his enforcers — it looked like Wilson and Banner had been selected this evening — and the sudden pressure of knowing you’ve done something terribly, terribly wrong.

You stood me up, Counsel. Steve’s voice is a threat, a half-drawl as you stand up and face him, Andy right behind you, Something wrong with taking my phone calls?

She was busy, the sound of Andy’s voice is a balm to your soul and fuel to Steve’s fire, the muscle in his jaw jumping as he grits his teeth and resists the temptation to throw the first punch — you can see the fingers of his right hand curling into a fist, can’t you? The slow curve, the watching, wondering if you’ll make the right choice now that someone has chosen to try to lead you astray.

And who the fuck are you? If he can’t get you to respond, he’ll get something from the man talking for you, eyes trained on him like he’s debating whether his own frustration will make this interloper turn to nothingness and return you to his arms where you rightfullybelong.

Do you? Rightfully belong?

Senator Andy Barber. The title practically knocks the wind out of Steve’s sails and you can see it — he may be the Captain here, King of New York, ruler of his domain but he’s not stupid enough to openly attack a man with connections beyond the Syndicate’s web of influence. It’s a comfort and it’s not, all at once.

The room is still, vibrating with tension, the two men staring daggers at one another and you caught in the middle. I worked on Senator Barber’s campaign when he first ran for election, you manage out in some vain hope it might explain and mollify, only to be thoroughly disappointed — and judging by the way Banner winces, only to dig your grave further.

We’re talking about this later, Counsel. You’re coming home.

And what gives you the right to give her orders? You really are going to have to look back at Andy and beg him to not make this worse. You really are going to have to let him see your face, see that you’re afraid, sweetness. He’s not going to let you go easy and this should not terrify you as much as it does.

Senator Barber. It’s fine. Something must have come up,turning to face his burning eyes, until his face softens like he’s seeing you for the first time. And is he? Is he seeing how you just need him to let it go, let you go, drop the protectiveness and step back?

He has to, because he does, nodding before he grabs his coat and glances to the host station. If you say so, Sunshine. Take care of yourself. He doesn’t press, not knowing when he’s beat but knowing when you don’t want him to. When you’re not safe.

And Steve Rogers offers you his hand to walk you out.

And just what the hell did you think you were doing!?

Oh, and you control my time off the clock now too?

He dragged you back home.

No. Not to your apartment, that sanctuary away from all this you’d been allowed to keep as part of the “deal.” His home, the bedroom where you signed yourself away, the space he unraveled you and left you tangled in your new life.

He dragged you back home, in the grim silence of the backseat of his car and you waited. Waited for the inevitable explosion, the one prefaced by Wilson’s nervous looks and Banner’s cautious stare.

This explosion, where he rounds in on you, where livid is still too tame a term.

Meeting with a Senator? Ignoring my calls? I told you, you were mine tonight.

And I told you I had plans.

After I told you that you were mine, Counsel.

Okay. That’s true, even if you’re loathe to admit it.

Plans adjust. Andy wanted to—

Oh, Andy now? I thought it was Senator Barber? You’re really familiar with him, aren’t you, Counsel?

Just what the fuck are you implying?

Maybe you need a reminder of who you belong to.

He loves to do this. Wrap his big hand around your throat, remind you just how easily he can impose his power onto you, watch your protests die behind your eyes when you realize how useless words are in the face of his violence.

The furious look in your eyes is something to behold, the way you embed your nails into his wrist to try and drag him off you, all soft snarls and indignant huffs, You fucking asshole…

You’re mine, Counsel, and don’t you forget it. You gave yourself to me, remember?

Like I… like I had much of a choice, breathy, furious, and clawing at him.

Doesn’t matter. You’re mine, and clearly I need to make sure you know it…

Steve—!

Captain, sweetness, Captain, and don’t you forget it.

There’s a moment, when anger becomes transcendental, when it turns into something cold and calculating and prepared, when a plan forms behind his eyes and you watch as he looks down at you, so full of fury and fear all at once and you watch as he leans in so close and you feel his hand slide until he has you by the back of the neck, until his thumb is the thing pressing under your chin to keep your eyes on him, until the heel of his hand is the thing keeping you from shouting at him further. Such a stubborn little bitch…

You can almost see the words forming in his mind, the ones his mouth won’t say, I could be so good to you, but he doesn’t say them, sliding his lips over yours instead and it is… soft. A capturing of your mouth with his, not caring that you protest, only insistent on leaving you breathless and hazy-eyed from each tug of his lips on yours and there stokes the warmth of more than your rage, a different fire rising in your core, unbidden and unwelcome but yours to own and his to play with.

He can sense it, practically feel it, that mad serum racing through his veins and making his nostrils flare as he pulls back and watches you, lets the scent of your perfume fill his senses like a drug he can’t get enough of and, I should hate you too, for this, whispered low and hushed and you barely catch it, don’t you? Barely, but enough, enough to remember it was said just before he pulls you down with him into the depths of his own lust.

And into his lap, it seems, as he drags you down, sitting on the bed with you draped over his lap, an effortless shift in his skillful hands. You can protest, and you do, even daring to try to pull away with a kick of your legs and an indignant, What the hell do you think you’re doing?But you know it’s all futile, useless as he places one heavy hand on your back and lets the other slide over the smooth chiffon of your blouse, tracing a line along your spine with careful, practiced ease.

Would have preferred this with a little more… circumstance, sweetness, but you need to learn a lesson now and drastic times call for drastic measures.

You can turn your head slightly, to look at him, that wild-eyed fury so sweet on your face and you are still a wild creature he needs to tame but he is patient and he can do this for as long as it takes.

But you’re a sight like this, draped over his lap in a pencil skirt and blouse, so put together and proper and now so prone to him, helpless under the appraisal of his hands and the way he takes no time in hiking your skirt up around your waist. Captain! Your protest is met with a low chuckle, especially as he lets his palm curve around the round swell of your ass, before leaving a light swat on the soft flesh, to draw a yelp from your furious mouth.

If that’s all it takes to get you shouting, sweetness, you’re going to hate what comes next, smug and cruel, as you try to hold yourself up enough to look at him, met with his smirk and the simmering fury still bubbling in his eyes. To say you’re in danger still is an understatement, no doubt, and you know it.

I won’t make you count this time, but piss me off again, sweetness, and we’ll just see how much you can take, you hear me?

Oh you loathe him, really and truly loathe him, hissing with anger and embarrassment, so close to twisting in his arms and clawing at him but remembering his size and just how much worse it could get — but then there lies the undercurrent.

The one you loathe too, more than you hated him, that warmth. Seeping into your core, a low heat kindled by the sly softness of his lips on yours and the sure tenor of his voice, low and soothing even as he promised damnation. The one that — just like now — leaves you flushed and writhing while he purrs threats to you, massaging the soft skin and sliding the lace of your panties down to remove all barriers to the sex he owns so surely.

You open your mouth to argue with him but as you do, you feel his hand lift from your flesh and then the resounding SMACK of palm on skin, turning words into nothing but a sharp cry of pain, surprise, and lust. The heat rises just as your body tenses, reacting to the sudden attack on your delicate form, cheeks flushed. Even as your eyes well with tears your sex strives to betray you and — Oh do you like that, sweetness? — damn him for noticing.

Let me go, Captain, the threat is shaky, your voice wavering with something like want and panic all at once, and all it does is draw another laugh as he soothes the stinging mark left on your cheek, gentle as a lover and four times as cruel.

Do you know what I think, sweetness? And another raise of his palm, to strike you once more, listening to the way that cry of pain and surprise turns into a soft, involuntary moan the moment he begins to soothe the ache, I think you need this. Always so uptight, trying to be the head bitch in charge, aren’t you? Just looking for someone to take over, take control, remind you where your place is.

His fingers slip further, more interested in exploring the soft slickness of your sex, listening to your protests die in your throat with every press of his fingers into your plush folds. That’s why I’m here, to keep you in my lap, all fucked and soft, sweetness. Don’t you worry, I’m going to take care of you. Even if I have to teach you just like this.

You should hate the way he talks, hates how he finds your center with effortless ease, like he’s known your body for years. Holding you down in his lap still as he draws mewling moans from you with every curl of his fingers, finding the proof of his accusations in the slick need coating your thighs, soaking his fingers, You’re making such a mess of me, sweetness. Are you going to be good?

Hiss at him. Snarl at him, buck your hips and twist in his arms, push him away. Do something more than what you are now, with red-rimmed eyes and tears staining your face, do more than listen to him talk, feel his cock pressing against you as you lay in his lap, I’m going to ask it one more time, sweetness. Are. You. Going. To. Be. Good?

He punctuates each word of his question with a harsh smackagainst your ass, leaving little time for you to do more than cry out, until the last spank draws something like a moan from your perfect lips and therein lies your surrender for tonight, that soft mewl of pleasure born of pain and he soothes you again with soft shushes and gentle touches, back to inspecting the renewed slickness of your cunt, back to enjoying that plump tightness wrapped around his fingers and back to trying to control the shift of his own hips and you can feel him, hard against you, needing you as much as he is compelling your body to need him.

Captain… a low, desperate sort of mewl, the squirm of your body less to escape and more to enticeand he notices. Notices the way your fingers try to cling to him, notices how you look so very sweet when you’re so very desperate and in some way this is your own game of control, a push and pull and the curl of his fingers is suddenly so much angrier, driving you to the precipice of the fall and you are tumbling, tumbling down into a darkness of want you may never recover from.

Say it again. Tell me you need me, sweetness, tell me you need me and I’ll give you everything, and there’s an edge to the way he says everything, like he might meanit, like he might give you the world if you just gave in and you hate him, sweetness, you hate him but you need the things you hate once in a while and you can’t keep bearing his fury on your body and so you sob out your surrender and whine—

I need you, Captain, please…

And that is enough.

Let him believe you.

#steve rogers x reader #andy barber x reader #dark!steve x reader #dark!steve rogers #dark!steve rogers x reader #mob!steve rogers x reader #dark!fic #steve rogers smut #andy barber smut #this fic is murdering my ass

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wintersportism · 3 years ago

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Stephan Leyhe/Andreas Wellinger - "You should get dressed, Andi." (fic)

remember when I reblogged those lellinger gifs from klingenthal last weekend and tagged them "someone write a fic"? it's me. i'm someone. i wrote the fic. which i haven't done in years so i'm sorry in advance. enjoy?

“This is not going to work in the second round. What’s up with the inrun today anyway?” Andreas complains as he makes his way into the container, shaking his head to get some of the very wet, very cold snow-rain mix out of his hair. “I swear one of the Norwegians sold their soul for them to do that well today. This is impossible.”

Stephan, with his back turned to his younger friend and currently in the middle of gathering his things to prepare for the second round, chuckles. “It’s not that bad,” he says, “seriously. Wisla was way worse.” Andi turns to his teammate with a deadpan expression on his face. “Sorry, did we jump on different hills?” He takes off his bib and unzips his suit down to the hips. “Had I been going any slower I would’ve gone backwards up the ramp.” He drops his stuff in a free corner and starts looking for the nearest towel to dry his damp hair with. Did Pius put them all away again? Neat freak. Generally, Andi appreciated his teammate’s cleanliness, but with the very limited time between the first and second jump, it was faster to find things when they were just lying around in the open. Not a single towel in sight except for the one hanging around Stephan’s neck, he quickly glances around the container, finding it empty save for Stephan, and takes a step closer to his friend.

Why, he doesn’t know. He could’ve just asked.

Stephan, oddly, goes very still as Andi tugs at the towel, then turns around to face him. The taller tilts his head in question. Stephan’s face goes weirdly blank. The silence grows longer; no confirmation of any kind coming from the older that he could use the towel. Andi frowns. Usually they do stuff like this all the time, communicating without verbally saying anything. A nod here, a brush of fingertips there. Markus calls it telepathy. Karl calls it scary.

Stephan slowly raises an eyebrow.

Standing this close to his teammate, Andi suddenly feels like he missed something. What he does not miss, however, is the way the zipper on Stephan’s tight black undershirt is halfway down. He also definitely doesn’t miss how that exposes Stephan’s smooth, long neck. And absolutely un-missable is his own hand still gripping the corner of Stephan’s towel, which brings it very close to the neck in question.

Idly, Andi wonders how far he could wrap it around.

“Andreas. Words. Use them.”

Andi’s eyes snap up to meet Stephan’s. This is new. Stephan rarely uses his full name, if ever. Stephan also very rarely has to tell him to speak. Most of the time it’s the exact opposite, Stephan telling him to shut up for once, and Andi making sure Stephan had his turn in a conversation whenever he became too quiet. Andi prides himself in being social, quick to read any room, any situation.

With four little words, however, the balance between them had shifted too fast for him to catch on. It leaves him breathless.

Stephan still seems to be waiting, arms crossed.

“May I, uh,” Andi starts, stops, then tries again. “Towel?” Very eloquent, yes. Nailed it.

Stephan fights back a smile. Andi wishes he wouldn’t. Stephan’s smile was in the top five of things that should never be fought back. The older starts to unwrap the towel from his own shoulders, still maintaining eye contact. Andi tries not to exhale too obviously. He hadn’t even noticed that he’d been holding his breath.

The moment the younger tries to finally take the towel, Stephan seems to think better of it and holds on tight. The smile has won, apparently, and Stephan’s in a good mood despite the disastrous first round. Which is probably the reason why he says-

“Ask me for it. Nicely.”

Andi stops dead in his tracks. “I- what?”

Stephan’s gentle smile lights up his face in full force. They’re still holding the towel between them. “I haven’t heard you say please, darling. That’s not very polite, is it?”

Oh.

The pet name sends a weird shiver down Andi’s spine. This also hasn’t happened before. Nicknames, yes. Andi, Welle, Welli. Everyone calls him those. Kamil had taken a liking to calling him sunshine sometimes when he’s teasing. But darling? This is territory Andi doesn’t know how to navigate, even though he knows Stephan. Inside and out. Or so he thought.

His shock, uncertainty and maybe something akin to fascination must have been showing in a confusing mix on his face, because Stephan’s smile begins to dim. The older’s grip on the towel starts to loosen as he averts his eyes, taking tremendous interest in the little puddle of water at their feet. “Sorry,” he laughs awkwardly, “I don’t even, uh- here, here’s uh, the towel. For your hair.” Stephan pushes the towel into Andi’s hands, who’s standing there like a brick wall. Stephan manages some kind of hesitant half-smile, then takes a small step back and continues getting ready for the second round. Zipping up his undershirt, putting his bib back on. The usual things you do between rounds. Routine.

As soon as Stephan stepped out of his physical space, Andi realized just how close they’d been standing together. It wasn’t a secret that he thrived off physical contact, which is why he mostly could be found latched onto whichever teammate was currently available. Andi needed human touch as much as air to breathe, but this… this had probably been a lot closer than what was considered acceptable between friends. With a lot more weird tension than he was used to.

The space now feels too big. Andi wants Stephan back. Closer. Which meant-

“Will you dry my hair?” What?

“What?” Stephan asks, then almost drops his helmet. “What?”

“Dry my hair for me. Please?” Andi holds out the towel for Stephan to take back. To his surprise, Stephan immediately put down his helmet, takes the towel from Andi’s hands and gestures for him to sit on the rusty folding chair they keep in the container, mostly to strap Markus to it to prevent him from throwing something against the wall sometimes.

Andi sits, a warm feeling in his chest.

Stephan places himself right behind him, close enough for Andi to lean back against. He then begins to work the towel gently through Andi’s thick hair, not rubbing too hard, being mindful of his locks and his scalp and his face. It’s nice and Andi can feel himself relax. He rests his head back against Stephan’s stomach and closes his eyes. “All done,” Stephan says quietly after a while, but before Andi can attempt to come back from the blissful trance Stephan’s petting has put him in, there’s a hand on the back of his neck, squeezing lightly.

A sudden, violent shiver runs through Andi’s whole body and to his own mortification, he lets out a quiet whimper. Instantly, he shoots up from the chair and whirls around to face Stephan, who’s looking at him with wide eyes, now damp towel still in his hands. Andi runs a hand through his already messed up hair and clears his throat. “I don’t, uh, know what that was. Sorry. What are we do-“

A jolt goes through Stephan’s body. He wraps the towel around Andi’s neck, uses the ends to tug him closer, and then they’re kissing.

Wait, what?

Andi catches himself with one hand on the chair and one hand on Stephan’s chest. Immediately, he pushes the stupid chair out of the way because all of a sudden, they can’t be close enough. The space between them from earlier feels impossibly big, now that Stephan has abandoned the ends of the towel to cup Andi’s face between his hands. With the chair out of the way, Andi uses his now free hand to grab onto Stephan’s ridiculously tiny waist and pull him even closer. The kiss deepens, Stephan angling up his face ever so slightly to make up for the few inches of height difference between them.

Andi is completely out of his depths.

He has never done this before. Made out with people yes, sure, even when he wasn’t supposed to, but never at a competition. Never a fellow ski jumper. Never a teammate. Never someone as special as Stephan.

They’re desperate now, adrenaline level still somewhat high in preparation for the next jump, and their movements are getting frantic. Stephan, contrary to Andi, seems to know exactly what he’s doing. He catches the younger’s lower lip between his teeth and tugs lightly while simultaneously starting to unzip Andi’s tight undershirt, fingertips brushing against his bare throat.

If he keeps that up, Andi might not make it to the second round. His fingers tighten on Stephan’s waist, probably hard enough to leave a bruise, but he can’t bring himself to care. Stephan certainly doesn’t seem to mind. Their lips meet again and again and again until they both run out of breath. Stephan pushes Andi’s undershirt to the side, partly exposing his shoulder. It’s cold in Klingenthal but he doesn’t notice, his whole body’s on fire. It’s more exhilarating than every jump Andi has ever made; heart going faster than he thought it possible.

Ski Flying is an extreme sport, but no 240 meter jump could ever come close to the feeling of Stephan’s lips on his; lithe body between his hands.

Stephan finally breaks the kiss, breathing heavily. Whatever he finds on Andi’s face seems to worry him. He frowns, hands returning to the back of Andi’s neck, a solid pressure to keep him from drifting away. “Andi, darling? You with me?” Stephan asks, pretty eyes betraying his calm demeanor. Tell me it’s okay, they said. Tell me you liked this, and you don’t regret it, and that whatever it was and wherever it came from, it was amazing, and it doesn’t change anything.

“That was. Uh. You can call me that more often. If you want,” is what comes out after a long time of trying to remember where he is. Andi isn’t used to words failing him. He always has something to say, but nothing could’ve prepared him for this.

Stephan’s previous uncertainty seems to evaporate into thin air at his words and the beautiful smile takes over his face again. He strokes Andi’s cheek, then steps away to give him some space. “That I can do, I think. You ready for the second round?” He turns around, directing his attention towards his skis, checking to see if he’s all ready to go.

Right. The competition. This is still the world cup, they still have one more jump to make. This, Andi realizes, is also still Stephan. His teammate and best friend and- nothing changed. This isn’t a mind-blowing situation. It’s really just how he’s always felt. He’s always known Stephan was special.

Looking at the older’s back, Andi can’t help but laugh. He shakes his head, pressing his hands to his eyes. “Was this okay, then? Have I been good?” Only after he said the words out loud does Andi realize how they sound. He also realizes he desperately needs to hear Stephan tell him that he was. Good. Which he does.

“You were, Andi. Very good.” Stephan looks back over his shoulder and smiles, eyes going all soft the way they always do. “So good for me.”

Andi’s knees go weak and he has to grab the chair for support. Is this a thing now? Getting praise for something other than a good jump?

Stephan’s smile turns into a smirk, which he quickly hides as he turns around again to grab Andi’s bib. He walks towards the taller, and Andi forgets how to move. Stephan slowly looks him up and down, eyes lingering on his still exposed shoulder and neck. They’ve seen each other with a lot less clothes on, but somehow this feels different. More significant. Stephan was looking at him as if he’s seeing him for the first time. He puts Andi’s bib around his neck in a nerve-wrecking imitation of their earlier position with the towel, and for a split second Andi thinks, or hopes, Stephan will pull him in again. The older gazes up and catches Andi’s eyes, who really hasn’t looked at anything else except Stephan’s face the past ten minutes, then pats his shoulder. “You should get dressed, Andi. We’re already late. Put on your clothes.” Stephan has the absolute audacity to wink before putting on his helmet and mask.

Andi huffed. “You took them off me in the first place! Now wait, let’s go up together, let me just-“ He puts on his mask and helmet in a hurry, not bothering to zip up his undershirt or his suit and grabs his stuff, the bib still hanging around his neck. Stephan, looking far too collected and ready to go, leans towards him.

“Tell you what, darling: I don’t plan on leaving them on you for too long.”

Their eye contact is brief, but Andi can tell from Stephan’s eyes that he’s smiling under the mask. Stephan starts walking towards the lift and leaves Andi to hurry after him, though he does wait for the younger to enter the lift first. Like a gentleman. Not like he just made out with Andi in the container and then told him he was good.

The other jumpers watch curiously as Andi starts getting dressed in the elevator.

Stephan’s eyes still betray his quiet smile. The others don’t notice.

Andi does.

#ski jumping #ski jumping fanfic #ski jumping fanfiction #lellinger #lellinger fanfic #lellinger fic #andreas wellinger #stephan leyhe #klingenthal 21/22 #sj fic #fanfiction #idk what i was thinking #what is this

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chuuulip · 4 years ago

Text

Another Earth

Pairing: August Walker (werewolf) x Female Reader (red ridding hood)

Warning: 18+, PWP, Oral (M and F receiving), Unprotected Sex, Multiple Orgasm, Slightly ABO Universe, Rough Sex

Words: 7434

Summary: After a failed attempt to sign up for the Halloween haunted house to meet your Superman, the last minute ticket turned your night upside down as you were stuck in another earth.

A/N: Unbeta! Any grammar mistake will be on me. Divider by me 😆 This is for @jtargaryen18 Halloween challenge, and I’m pretty late! Sorry for that life has been busy xD I still have another one in progress (the Andy barber one) and hopefully can post it soon! Thanks to @navybrat817 and @venusdemonroe for giving me the idea for this story and help me discuss what a werewolf August Walker would do in this lol. Actually I wanted to mention a lot....of things but I guess it would be too much for a one shot lil but anyway Happy reading!!!

***

This year's Halloween event was mental. Several big haunted houses are hosted by celebrities. To name a few, there's an Avengers Tower haunted house, The Hall of Justice League, The X-Mansion, and even Walking Dead one.

You knew it wasn't easy. All of them have a huge fandom. The ticket was sold out immediately when it was open for sale, like 3 months before Halloween, and you were terribly upset. You were whining for a month straight to your boyfriend. Or more like your sugar daddy. He was patient and wealthy, but he knew he can't satisfy you enough, so he usually did everything he could for you. But that time, you just have none of it. The relationship, if you could ever say that, fell out immediately because you were unreasonable.

You really wanted to go to The Hall of Justice League and maybe meet Clark Kent. The obsession started because he always visited your dream and mostly engaged in the steamiest dream ever. It's been your wildest dream, really, to have that body blanketed yours, in a really not innocent way.

Just one day before Halloween, you finally secured one ticket for The Hall of Justice League haunted house. Of course, the first thing you did was scream. You had been on their waiting list since the ticket sold out, but you really lost hope since last week. But now, you celebrate it with a bit of a jump and constant scream.

"What the fuck?" Your only housemate barged into your bedroom. Face annoyed.

You stopped your silly jumps and looked at your housemate. With a broad smile, you hug your housemate and shake her body, "I got it! I got the ticket for The Hall of Justice League haunted house! Can you believe that?"

The redhead hugged you, and both of you jumped in a circle. "Oh my gosh...I can't believe it! Congrats!!! I really hope you will meet your Kryptonite." she gave you her suggestive smirk.

"I mean...a girl can only hope. But this is a charity event. I don't think he will be available. What if it's all a decoy and I only meet his wax figure?" you pouted at your friend.

"Well, at least you have the opportunity to see it yourself. But remember, behave, young lady, don't let him if he's there, I mean, witness your brattiness."

"Aye...aye Captain!" you giggled but immediately gave your housemate a military saluted.

That night you dreamed of those big blue eyes and his firm, fantastic arms on yours.

***

Dress in your red riding hood costume, you patiently sat in the backseat of the Uber car. Well, maybe a little bit impatient, since it's already 11pm.

Everything just went down the hill since morning. You can't seem to find your Poison Ivy costume. Not to mention that you were late for work that morning. Your boss was a bitch since she seems annoyed at you every time the male employee or investor became too friendly with you.

Who can blame you? You were just good at acting all cute to them, and it's not your fault that they mostly thought you were a cute little employee.

You check your wrist. The expensive rose gold watch from your ex sugar daddy elegantly pointed at 11.30 pm. You sighed, "do you know how long I will arrive at my destination? It will close soon."

"Hopefully, in 10 minutes. Dunno why it's jam-packed." Said the Uber driver.

You huffed in exasperation, but there's nothing you can do. You arrived very last minute, like 15 minutes before the haunted house closed. Wearing black stiletto boots, you carefully made a small run into the stairs. The booth was stationed to the far left of the building.

"Good night, little red riding hood; you are lucky because we are almost closed. Can I see your ticket, please?" A man dressed as Edwar Scissorhands greeted you at the far left of the building.

You fished out your smartphone from your small basket bag and showed him your barcode. He scanned it and looked at the monitor in front of him. "Hmm, here for a kryptonite, aren't you." He eyed you up and down and smirked at you. "I hope you have a spooky night, little girl."

You smile at him and sashay your way to the entrance. Apparently, they makeover a warehouse into a vast real-life Justice League Hall. Like in the comic. A white half-circle exterior completed with two giant pillars at each side imitated the picture you only seen in comic books. It looks so magnificent.

You entered the door after you scanned your barcode at the scanner next to it. The whooshing noises startle you a bit, but you were too excited and step in immediately.

The inside was bright with a black marble flooring that shone bright; you even can see your reflection. There's a different section of the silvery door like in most sci-fi, alien invasion movies. So futuristic, so clinical.

You darted your eyes and found where you needed to go. A small rectangle monitor with a very digital clock font in it showed you 'Krypton' words. Without hesitation, you did a little run and waited in front of it. The small rectangle monitored turned to green, and it shone. It startled you, but you let out a sigh of relief when it just scanned your body from your head to toe.

"So much for a haunted house." You muttered.

When the door opened, you stepped in. It was a glass elevator. You circled your eyes and found everything was dark. When the elevator ran, bringing you down several floors, the surrounding changed.

Once, the darkness engulfed you like you were being shipped to the deep ocean, but it changed dramatically. Your eyes darted in awe as you drank on the scenery. The scenery of what you would call the imitation of Planet Krypton. So beautiful yet so harsh.

When the elevator stopped, the ding noise pulled you to the present. With excitement, you grabbed your smartphone and took several pictures of the scenery. It was just so surreal that a haunted house would make something like this. But you remember how expensive the ticket was.

"This three grant haunted house better give me a chance to fuck a real-life Clark Kent." you cackled.

There's a weird tower with a green light on top of it. You assumed some futuristic objects were supposed to be 'kryptonite' as it floated sparsely in most parts of the supposed Krypton. A bit further, you could see a white crystal-like triangle building. Oddly enough, it reminded you of the Louvre Pyramid. This one just full of crystal-like pillars crisscrossed it.

Didn't want to waste your time, you decided what path you should choose. It wasn't easy. Your stiletto pierced to the weird substrate like mud but also crystal-like as if it's ice. Carefully, you mind your footing while again stayed alert. There's this odd feeling of being watched. But you reminded yourself that you were in a haunted house, so it's understandable.

You let out a loud scream when suddenly a mummy appeared behind one of the floated crystals. "Holy shit, I didn't see that coming." you try to slow down your breath as you clutched the white ruffle shirt under your red corset.

When you feel that you can walk again, you try to do it faster. Several times it looks like the Krypton had shifted in its light as if the sun rose and shone, but the next five minutes, it set. Made the scenery look like it was illuminated by the crystal alone, like a lamp.

When many ghost-like mannequins showed up, it got scarier and scarier, and you immediately lowered your hood to shield you from some view. Your eyes perked up when you finally saw the path to the Fortress of Solitude. It was more like an icy bridge with a dark pond surrounding it.

As your right foot stepped onto the bridge, a loud noise of a clock surprised you. It struck once and counted until it stopped at the twelfth. It was so loud it's voice echoed. You can even feel it under the sole of your boots.

Stunned for a moment, your mind suddenly set on alert mode when the water from both ponds on each side of the bridge rippled. A dinosaur-like head appeared from both ponds. It has a single protruding horn. It opened its mouth and let out a loud growl. A blast of wind came out of it like a thunderstorm. It has sharp teeth like sharks that you assumed could quickly rip your body apart if it sank on yours.

"Holy shit. This is— this is a joke, right? It's not real?" Body trembled in fear; you ran your life out to the Fortress of Solitude. The monsters crawled up out of the water. Its slithered movement mimicked a snake, but it didn't have any problem crawling up without things to latch on.

You screamed as both of the monsters chased you. Run as fast as your legs allow you. This haunted house event might be too much for you. When you can see an oval object that looks like it can be a big mirror or a huge door, your gloved palms immediately bang on it. "Open the door!" You screamed. When the door finally opened, the two snake-like monsters that chased you suddenly disappeared.

"Oh— oh my god. Oh my god…," you chanted as you let yourself drop down on the floor.��

"I see you finally make it."

Your face turned to the left. In front of you, stood up tall and proud, Clark Kent with his superman costume. He's just so big. If you compared your tiny body to him, you definitely, nothing.

You replied to Superman's bright smile with a scowl. Slowly you got up from the floor and cleaned your skirt. "Isn't that just too much? What if I fell to the pond? I can't swim, you know?"

He seems surprised, "apologized my lady. It was something the organizer will handle. I don't think they mean any harm."

"Yeah...yeah… right." you walked closer to the hero and already fished out your mobile phone. "So… what did I need to do now I meet you, Superman?"

"Hmm… most attendants ask for pictures. Some of them spent time just talking with me. Since you are the last one, you can take as many pictures as you like and of course. If you have any questions about my protection for the earth, I will gladly answer it." The tone in his voice was more soft than authoritative.

Think of not sabotaging your Halloween any longer; you tried to forgive the silliness of the whole new level of scary from this haunted house. It's hard not to show off your brattiness in this kind of situation. Still, you reminded yourself that he was someone you weren't familiar with—practically a stranger.

Gave him a sweet smile, you took several pictures with him. At one time, you tried to bat your eyelashes at him and asked for a picture where you sat on his lap. You spent a solid 15 minutes talking to the handsome alien. Your fingers touched his biceps here and there. You knew that he knew what you were implying, but he didn't refuse you either. At least not blatantly.

"I apologized, my dear, but I think it's already time." Superman gently put you back on your feet. You gave him an upset face, but you knew it's time to go home. You bid the handsome man goodbye and sneaked a kiss on his cheeks. There's a twinge of pink on his cheeks, and you jump triumphantly at that reaction. Of course, behind his back.

Following the word of 'exit' behind the piles of the crystal-like shape props, you opened the door. The scenery in front of you caught you off guard. The harshed white tundra scenery was replaced by now dark, almost jungly like one. Unconsciously you stepped back and turned your body to come back to the exit door. How shocked you were when it vanished. Disappear without a trace.

As far as your eyes could see, it's only darkness and mist. Only the full moon aided your visions. The exhalation of your breath came out like a plume of white steam. It's definitely colder here than the fake Krypton one. The cold air seeped into your skin quickly as if you were actually in the deep of a forest.

With a loud sigh, you walk straight. You tumbled and fell down on your knees as your boots got caught with something: either roots or a massive branch.

Tired and frightened, you screamed loudly. You weren't sure if this was the continuation of the haunted house or not, but what you want right now just to be back in your apartment and soaked in a warm, relaxing bath.

"Get me out of here!" you yelled again. There's a lot of sounds as if a lot of people stepping on branches. A screeching sound of an owl surprised you, but you tried to follow its direction with your ears.

There's no way you will wait here and do nothing. Oh...my phone! You fished out your smartphone, but it showed no signal. "Shit!." you muttered.

The sounds from a far away crept closed, and you knew it. "You can do it! There's nothing more frightening than that monster snake." tried to encourage yourself; you stood up and slowly navigated. You followed the noises that now closer, like an animalistic growl. It was so intense you can feel all the goosebumps rise up your skin.

You weren't sure how long you have been walking, but you stopped suddenly when there's not only a pair but like 7 pairs of reddish eyes glowed in the dark.

"Come here, little lamb. Don't follow that voice." a vaguely familiar voice distracted you from stepping forward.

"Who the fuck are you, and why you get in my way just now." your voice came out hoarse. There's a twinge of fear in it, and you knew it. You felt like backed down wasn't the best option you had right now.

"I said, come here, or else I can't even save you when they get you."

You stilled as if you didn't hear him talking to you. "Wasn't this still one of the tricks from the haunted house? To let the people scramble in fear?"

"Are you out of your mind? Come here right now, or I left you to death. They will either rip you apart or play your body like a ragdoll before one of them eats you."

You screamed in horror as one pair of red eyes slowly came out. It's huge. Almost four feet of canine shook its fur.

You were hyperventilating right now. Body rooted to the ground as you were surrendered. Welcoming your fate.

"Fuck!"

You heard a curse from behind your back. Maybe the stranger gave up and left you alone to be eaten by the wolves.

The scrunched sound of leaves crushed was loud. Suddenly you felt strong arms hauled you upside down.

Your eyes faced the skin of someone's back. You craned your neck a little bit to get a better view of the wolf. Screamed escaped your lips when you saw not only one but all of them, in a pack, chased both of you.

"Stay still." The stranger yelled.

Did the best thing to not get thrown out by his weird, fast speed, you secured your thumbs in his belt loops. He ran, escaped the pack inside the deep of what looked like a pine forest.

You weren't sure how long you ran with him, but you felt that he's finally slowed down.

When the thud thud sound reached your ears, you opened your eyes and saw that the stranger walked up a stair.

You felt nauseated when he suddenly put you to sit on something that was apparently a countertop. The rushes of blood that circulated through your body made you regain your sense of surroundings.

"Where am I?" you didn't mean to add an ungrateful tone in your sentence, but it was too late.

The stranger eyed you like you were some sort of ungrateful bitch, which maybe you are. "At my cabin," he said flatly.

You haven't had time to look at him in the forest, but now, under the actual lighting inside his house, what you saw might instantly make you drooled, which you already did right now. Stand up in front of you, a shirtless beefy tall man that's definitely more than six feet tall. He has short dark brown hair with a somewhat thick mustache that's complemented by a stubble. The front strands of his hair were loose and slightly curled. Looks likely due to all the running.

The sudden chill of air made you shiver, and he didn't miss your reaction. He left you for a minute and came back with a rug. The sudden heat from it, when he draped the fabric on your shoulder made you let out a gasp of satisfaction.

But the next thing you know, he ripped your stocking. You were shocked, eyeing him in horror. "What the fuck are you doing?!" You threw whatever things that's on your reach. The loud sound of glass hit the wall, and the strong grip on your wrist instantly made your stop.

"Be still!" His azure irises left no room for confrontation. When you felt a sting on your knees, that's when you realized that he just pressed some gauze on it. Likely soaked with alcohol first. There's quite a prominent stain of blood on your legs, and it almost made you nauseated.

"If you stop acting like a brat, you'll heal faster." He looked at you with that cocky smile of confidence. "Understood?"

You just nodded at him. He continued to clean the blood and inspect the wounds. The position where you were sitting right now made it easier to study him carefully.

Although you felt the temperature decreased significantly, the beefy stranger in front of you appeared very sweaty.

Immediately your gaze ran down to his neck and continued its way to his chest and his abs. The unmistakable bulge under his pants made you squirm unconsciously. You were in a haze of fear and lust; you definitely insane.

"Wha— what's your name, sir?"

His strong gazed felt as if his eyes alone can subdue you. Maybe he has these laser eyes like Cyclops, your inner thought buzzed with speculation.

"August. My name is August Walker. What's your name, little lamb?"

How dare this man call you a little lamb? You cleared your throat and told him your name and where you were from.

"New York? It's pretty far from here." He patched you up nicely. The water-resistant gauze looked really neat pressed on your knees and some on your shin. You were impressed.

When your eyes returned to August, you gave him a smile that you hoped looked like a smile of gratitude. Not the kind of smile you always presented to any potential partner in bed, sultry, and flirtatious.

"I— I haven't said anything but— thanks. Thank you for saving my life." Your left fingers instinctively pat his right arms. The feeling of his skin startled you. It's warm; in fact, it felt like he had a very high fever.

"Are— are you alright? Your temperature feels off."

"Don't mind me. Just take care of yourself."

You knew there's something off with him, but you weren't sure if you had a clear mind to think right now. Not with the wolf pack outside and his words on New York being far away from here. Where the fuck am I?

"I… I have a—,"

"I suggest you stay here if you don't want to meet them."

"But I…,"

"You can use the bedroom there," his hand pointed to the door on the far end. "Feel free to use anything you want. Just don't come to the basement. I will meet you after a couple of days, and we figured things out."

His authoritative voice and dominant persona immediately made you want to counter his suggestion. The funny thing was, looked like he sensed it.

He approached you, face just inches away from you. Your eyes immediately glanced away from the delicious plane of his sweaty chest. His fingers drew your chin up, so both of your eyes were at the same level. "Do what I said, understand?. Thrust me; you don't want to know the consequences if you violate my suggestion."

Suggestion, my ass! Your inner mind ready to throw insults at him, but you quickly held it back. In the end, you nodded at him obediently.

—

That night you were restless. But in a weird sense, you felt comfortable staying in that cabin. The first night after August left you to your own devices, you had been pretty careful. Not touched a lot of things except food and items that help you with your long bath.

His cabin was quite spacious. The interior was a mix of something slicked and modern with an equal touch of classic. Tried to look homey. Not to mention his bathroom, it's super luxurious and made you feel at home instantly. Reminded you of your ex (sugar daddy's) bathroom.

Since you couldn't find another bedroom in that cabin and you don't feel like sleeping on the couch, you slept in his bed instead. After all, he said you can use the bedroom there. Still wearing your red riding hood costume, you slipped under the soft comforter.

After that, you woke up feeling a bit groggy. Aimlessly wandered around the kitchen, you weren't sure what to do first. Tried collecting your bearing, you tried to make a coffee. Or any equivalent things of it. Everything felt different; you just knew it. When the only thing you could find was several jars that you assumed were granules of tea, you brew it. You sat on the sofa that faced up a lake. The wall was made of glass, making everything well seen.

You walked closer and gazed at the vast pine forest in front of you. The trees were tall and big, so majestic. Somewhat it's different from the pine trees you usually see. The lake in front of you looked like it had two different colors, fusion together with weird looking fishes and plants that should grow on the land instead of water. Where the fuck am I?

The next day, you woke up feeling a little bit refreshed. You changed your slutty costume into one of the clothes you found in his closet. It was so soft and comfy. You knew when things were from high-quality material.

You continued your days by drinking your tea, ate whatever breakfast you can munch, and read a book that has these unusual fonts. You were sure it wasn't in the alphabet, but one day you absentmindedly swipe your fingers on some of the pages, and the font changed. Hell, it even translated into English in an instant. You were definitely impressed.

One thing you are sure of was, this place was strange. Wherever you were right now, it didn't look like it's on earth. Or the earth that you knew. Why were you so calm? Because you already freak out. After you freak out, you also wondered, did the haunted house event organizer realized that they were the culprit behind what the fuck happened to you right now? Did your housemate recognize that you weren't home for days? Or maybe she thought you fuck the Superman or perhaps found another sugar daddy? It was so absurd yet so real.

The last two nights, you were struck in awe as your eyes were spoiled by two moons. Two fuckin moons. It was always quiet at night, but you heard all the howls that you suspected likely from the pack of those giant wolves.

It was pretty late, almost midnight. You finally found your small bag hindered under the sofa that evening. Now…, now you had some time to check it. The first thing you checked was if there's a signal. Definitely no signal at all.

You curled up on August bed while swiping the pictures on your phone. When you scrolled your pictures with Superman, you realized why August seems familiar. It was none other than August having quite the same face, the same build, even somewhat similar voices with Superman.

"Fuck...maybe I should ask August if he would like to be my Daddy while I'm here." Imagining him spoiled you with gifts and other physical attention made you chuckled at yourself.

Your fingers instinctively crawled under the gray long sleeve shirt you borrowed from his closet (again). Your brain projected an image as if it was August's hands that ran on your upper thigh. Find its way quickly to your wet core. Two fingers slipped under the black lace panty. The panty that you need to wash daily due to no other replacement available. Left you a couple hours with only his buttoned-up shirt without anything underneath.

The sound of a loud howl startled you. It was as if it circled you in close range. Moved as fast as you can, you snatched the oversize robe on you. Your eyes tried to creep behind the curtain in the bedroom.

You knew the owner of this cabin stated that you can't go to the basement. You wouldn't be so lucky if that giant wolf found you first and broke in. Although you haven't been really out of the cabin, you tried to inspect a little bit and found it odd that this cabin was apparently a treehouse-style cabin. How come there's a basement in the house.

You exit the bedroom and go to the kitchen when you last saw August a couple nights ago. Next to the slick wooden cabinet was a particular thing that looked like a door. The surface of your palms works like a stethoscope, felt as if something with pressure from your hands. You tried not to get disturbed by the nonstop howl outside. When you hear something as if the door was shifted, you immediately step back.

"Oh my, finally…," you slipped inside the small door when it opened automatically. It was a small narrow corridor-like, and it was dark. Walk inside carefully, you follow the path that leads you to another door. The metal door let out a weird creaked as you pushed it open.

"Didn't I tell you not to come down here?"

Shocked was evident in your face when you heard his rather gruff tone. You step over, closer to where he sat, that looks more likely an even bigger size of the bed than the one he had upstairs.

"Don't —,"

He warned you, but you being you, could never obey orders. Although challenging, your eyes finally adapt to the only natural light from the glass wall. That said, you were totally confused as you can see the lake parallel to your eyes.

"What the… wait, how there's even a basement down here? Last time I checked, the cabin is a treehouse?"

"It's camouflage. No one can't see it or enter from outside."

"Holy… why there's a three moon?" you switched your gaze from the moon to August. Curiosity got the better of you when you saw his irises were now pale blue. You can still see the outer form that is August, but something was off.

A gasp escaped your lips as August rose up from the bed. The powerful moon shone his feature. He was taller, bulkier, and dangerous as he stalked towards you slowly. Your heart thumped erratically as you were cornered. Back supported by the glass wall as now you can see August in his other form.

"Holy shit. Wha—what are you?"

"Told you not to go here, and you just can't listen, little lamb." his smirk turned maniacal as he looked at the fear on your face. His white fangs, longer than usual. His fingers also look unusual, claw-like.

"Are you— are you a werewolf?"

"Well...you can say that. I'm half human half wolf if you are curious."

"So why— why did you save me?"

The tip of his nose inched closer to yours. You held your breath when his warm skin touched you. It moved to your left cheek and stopped near your ear. "I'm curious," he whispered.

"I haven't really met a pure human in the same age range. So I have followed you since I saw you step out of that door. I follow you until you meet the other wolf pack, and I decide to help you instead of fulfilling my need."

"What need?" you asked him, dumbfounded.

"This," he pulled away from you, his claw-like finger pointed out below his hip. Focusing on the long and hard appendage that was unmistakably, his cock.

"Oh—I- I'm sorry?" you gave him your best apologetic face. Eyes seemed eager to stare longer, but you gazed away quickly. Wait, why did you apologize to him? You cleared your throat, "I— I actually not sure what I should do to help?" tilted your head to the right, you looked him in the eyes, almost challenged him.

Despite almost getting eaten by wolves, August's menacing presence didn't really scare you. Maybe the fact that he was still human and less scary made it easy for you. Not to mention he's hot too, with all his glory.

His somewhat evil chuckled sent shivers down your spine. "If you really wanted to help, I think you know what to do, don't you?"

"W-wait—is—does this mean we 'mate'?" you gave him a somewhat weird expression. "And—and you bite me, give me marks that I'm yours? And knot me, and I will have a litter of puppies, and I become your omega—,"

His pale blue eyes stared at you as if you grew two heads. It softened immediately as he smiled. Broad one showed you a set of white teeth with extra long fangs.

"Oh, my little lamb...what have you read?"

"Err— Omega verse? Fanfic?"

He blinked. Gave you a quizzical expression.

"It's— it's erotica. Where mostly the character you know—," you darted your eyes away from August. "—mate, err have sex. Mostly was written very explicitly."

"Go on." He said.

"They are wolves, scenting, imprinting. An alpha mates with omega, and it's been told in a variety of plots possible. Sometimes two alphas fight too." You were breathless. You didn't realize you explained it to him in a quick, incoherent way.

You staggered backward as he came closer, forgetting that you already cornered. His long fingers reached out to the white robe you put on you. Although his fingers had claws that looked alarming to you, his hand still skillfully unfastened the robe.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, I think. Pack and hierarchies usually form just for a mating season; they hunt together for food and shelter in the winter. We might be scenting people, I guess. After all, we have a very sensitive sense of smell. But no, we don't bite our mate." He took off the robe from your body, left you only with his grey buttoned-up shirt.

"Well...I love that you are wearing my shirt as if you are mine already."

You purse your lips at him. "Why aren't you in a pack? Isn't it a mating season?"

"I mostly can control myself during the full moon. That's the advantage of being half-human. I don't need to transform myself into a wolf and be in a pack. But I am an alpha if that's what you are curious about."

"Can-can you turn back to your human form? Not like—you know, you aren't in your human form, bu—," your words were cut off by his thumb on your lips.

"You talk too much, aren't you, little lamb…," August leaned down and touched his lips to yours. Your first reaction was to freeze since you were afraid of his fangs. But his surprisingly soft lips coaxed you relentlessly, making you surrender as you closed your eyes. Opening your mouth, his tongue sneaked past your lips easily. His fangs poke at your lower lips, but it didn't hurt.

The non so innocent kiss became more desperate. Your once shied tongue now dances together with August. Your once clasped palms that were situated on top of your chest now scraped at his shoulder.

Your eyes fluttered open as August nipped down from your jaw to your neck. Forgotten, you even close your eyes in the first place. His claw-like fingers unbuttoned his shirt on yours without difficulty, left you only in your black lace panty.

The feeling of temperature as if dropped significantly made you glued your body to August. Smooth skin of your chest pressed to his hot hairy one, seeking warmth. One hand secured behind your back while the other palm on your ass. Massage the globe there.

"Ohh…" you gasped as you felt his finger on your clothed core.

"Hmm… wet already, I see." he let the pad of his finger move up to your clit, while the movement of the claw added sensation to your already. Seeing your reaction, he repeated it a couple times. Made you a mess with only one of his fingers.

Arched your body a little bit, you were thrilled to see his expression. Traveled your hands down from his hairy chest; your eyes still focused on his face, while your palms found their way to his hard cock.

"Oh, so big…," slowly at first, you ran your hands at the tip of his cock. Even without looking at it, you knew it's definitely bigger than any cock you've ever seen.

Eyes widened as your hand slid down to the base. The other weighed his balls. "Holy…," your eyes looked down, stared in awe at his cock.

"Careful little lamb, you drooled on it."

"Who's not?" You eyed him in disbelief.

August let out a weird laugh, "I expect you to worship it, then." He looked at you with a bemused expression as you quickly worked on his length. Stroked it up and down repeatedly.

You go down on your knees, eyes crossed as you focused on his slit that oozed pre-cum. Unconsciously, you stuck out your tongue and brushed it on his slit. Wrapped your right hand at the base of his cock, your gaze rose up to meet his. Left handheld on his upper thigh for support as your lips covered the heat of his cock. You bobbed your head calculatedly as you accommodate him halfway.

"Such a good little lamb for your wolf, aren't you." August's right hand was at the back of your head as he nudged you none too gently. Made you choke at his cock, and pulled it out from your mouth. You gazed at the mix of your saliva and his precum in awe. But it didn't last long as August pulled you to your feet and picked you up.

He climbed up on the bed with you and laid on his back. He situated your hips and pulled it closer, so your opening was hovering on top of his face. On all four, for him. August was rewarded with a yelped and a moan as his tongue licked your clothed core.

The sound of fabric being ripped made you turn your head to the right. "That's my only pa— ohhh," your protest died right away as his tongue lapped your opening. The feel of his claws as he spread your ass cheeks added wonder to your pussy.

Trying to keep yourself busy, you swallowed the head of his cock for a starter. His cock was too big for you; your mouth can only allow half of it. Diligently, you tried to move your tongue while you suck on his cock, hands slid up and down. Feeling all the veins that encircled his length made you shuddered.

August bucked his hips as you put one of your hands to massaging his balls. The action made you gagged as his cock entered further than before. But it didn't take a long time for you to stop due to his sudden attack on your pussy.

His tongue was not lapped at you anymore; it rammed inside your wet core like a starved man. You squealed as the end of his fangs scrapped at your now wet pussy. The pressure on your clit as the pad of his fingers made a circular motion left you breathless. It drove you to your high faster than you ever experienced. A surprised scream left off your lips as his tongue scraped your most sensitive part. Your body quivered as your inner walls spasm, hands held on his cock as you ride your high.

"Ohh— my god, ohh—my god—," you can still feel the kitten licked as August feasted on it.

"Ahh—that' s—that's good." You let your head rested on his left thigh.

"Now, for the main course." August's gruff tone pulled you back from your hazy state. His hard cock was evident on your right hand.

You felt your body shifted position, and now you were on your back. August spread your legs wide and shifted his position. The feeling of his heavy cock on top of your pussy made you nervous but also excited. Unconsciously you nibbled your forefingers while eyes traveled down to his long and hard cock. It made an up and down motion on your opening. You can feel your wet pussy clenched in frustration, ready to be filled.

"August please…," still nibbled at your fingers, you gaze at the wolf on top of you, one elbow supporting your upper body. He's so big, literally and figuratively. If you can't come back to your world, so be it. You didn't mind staying and being his plaything as long as he wanted you.

"Please, what my little lamb?" You pouted at that. You definitely weren't a little lamb. If anything, you should be the succubus.

"Please put that in me—," you writhed underneath him.

"Please put what?" His big body tower over you. His pupils dilated and only left a small ring of pale blue irises. His clawed fingers move up and down your thigh.

"Ple—please, ohhhh, put that cock inside me! Fuck me, my wolf— nhhh—," your plead was answered when August suddenly pushed the head of his cock on your opening.

The back of your head fell to rest on the thick pillow as the intrusion of August's cock sent a surprising jolt on your body. You knew he's big. But when his cock finally spread your lips open and entered you, the overwhelming sensation was something you still didn't expect.

"Ohh— so big—," your pussy clenched immediately when August tried to push deeper but also slowly. The noticeable ridge of his vein scraped at your inner wall deliciously. With closed eyes, you gripped the edge of the pillow as you mumbled about how full you feel right now.

"Work your clit for me. Yes...make that tight pussy cream on my cock."

"Oh—like this?" Your fore and middle fingers slowly pulled the hood and made a circular motion as August asked.

"Yes… Just like that…."

It didn't take you long enough to feel the fast buildup on your lower belly. Something that never happened before. "Ohh—yes—I'm going to cum, my—ahhh," you work your clit faster as August cock made a shallow fuck inside you.

"Yes, cum on my cock, my little lamb. I want to see your pretty face when you cum for your wolf." His wolf tone deliciously affected your body. His growl sent an extra twitch on your clit. And you lose it when he thrust all the way inside your wet pussy.

You scream in ecstasy as your pussy quivered uncontrollably on his hard cock. You feel so full. The feeling of his cock all the way inside you made your brain feel as if it was submerged. Forgotten that you ever closed your eyes, you were rewarded by a sly smirk on August werewolf's face. His eyes were now all dark. His hair loosened, made the curls of it fall to his forehead.

"I see you enjoying yourself, my little lamb." His claws caressed your thigh gently.

"Nnn—of course, I ahhh—I am." A little movement from August made you aware that his cock still inside you. Hard as a rock.

August lifted up both your knees and secured it with his hands. You lifted your upper body with your elbows as he retrieved his cock from your wet core. You gasped when you witnessed August pulled it out, inches by inches. Left only the head inside you.

You moaned when he pushed again. Stretched you like no one else ever had. He did it slowly, knew that you still adapt to his girth. But the feeling when the tip of his cock scraped your most sensitive part every time he thrust inside you, you were tripped to your high even faster than before.

The moan of pleasure became incoherent as August sped up his pace. Repeated syllables of ahhh and ohhh accompanied your plead for him to fuck you like you were a female wolf. Released his pent up frustration to mate.

Both of you fuck like an animal who just needs to reproduce. Lust clouded the atmosphere in the room. Moaned and growled were sung like a prayer under the moonlight that shone its way to the basement.

His balls slapped against your ass every time he plugged in inside you. Sweats trickled down your body, and it looked even animalistic in August. His werewolf form was so majestic that you just wholly let him own you.

His feracious fucking looked like almost to its limit. The buzzed on your lower belly was ready to explode, but you held it.

"Fuck!" He growled.

"Uhh—uhh—uhh—cum in me. Yes—cum in me, my wolf— filled me up with your thick hot cum!" You pleaded like a bitch in heat.

August slammed his cock deep inside you as he screamed and let out a long howl. The feel of his warm cum inside you triggered your orgasm. You wail as your inner walls contracted and squeezed his cock. Spurt and spurt of his cum filled your womb to the brim. Something that you never allowed any of your partners to do in the past.

You didn't realize that you lock both your ankles behind August ass. But also you sensed something changed. August was draped on top of your body, head sneaked at the crook of your neck. Still, in a haze caused by the release of oxytocin in your bloodstream, you missed the way August kissed turned into something more. He bit you.

The still clouded brain of yours pop-up an image of you becoming August omega. His only mate. Bear a litter of pups for him and live happily ever after in his house, in his world. Your pussy unconsciously clenched at his cock that was still inside you. You never really said this to anyone, but you imagine you live in another world since the first time you ever read a story about omega verse.

You mewled when the biting stopped. Maybe August bit you just for fun. When he craned his head up to look at you, something was different. His eyes turned back to his azure color. His fangs now short, back to its regular human teeth, and his body wasn't as hairy as he's before. He's practically not in his werewolf form anymore.

"You changed? Why?"

He looked at you with his quizzical expression. "You wanted me to return to my werewolf form?"

You glanced away from him and kind of embarrassed to declare that his werewolf form was way hotter than his human form. Not that his human form wasn't hot either. Damn, you definitely bang him every time you can, but his werewolf form just made you curl your toes in an instant.

You cleared your throat and looked him in the eyes, "I like it very much."

"Well...the full moon is still in the sky for quite some time. Are you ready for the next round, my little lamb?"

"Yes, my wolf." You purred seductively at him and witnessed in delight his transformation before your eyes.

***

Comment, like and reblog are highly desirable! Spread the filthiness lol 💋

#henry cavill #august walker #august walker x reader #werewolf august walker #august walker smut #august walker fanfiction #jshauntedhouse2020 #red riding hood #little lamb reader #henry cavill fanficiton #roughfuck #red ridding hood x werewolf #clark kent #superman #mission impossible #halloween challenge

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mystories2012 · 1 year ago

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His Smile and Andi´s win

This was for Stephan´s birthday but it ended up as Andi winning the four hill and also them getting together :) So it is a little bit older. Hope you like it☺️

The sun was shining bright through the trees. The snow made the light even brighter. But nothing was as bright as the smile on the person in front of the brunette. While the hair, which always looked like he had just fallen out of bed, fell down on his face, he watched the smaller one and couldn´t help but smile at that side. His best friend always had a bright smile when he was happy. The brunette thought for a second. Sometimes he had the feeling the smile was only for him to be seen. He shook his head. What was he thinking? His best friend always smiled brightly when he was happy. Still. Something was magical when he smiled at him. Only at him. Like in this moment when the other looked over and smiled happily at him. His eyes shone.

He just smiled back when somebody said: „Andreas would you like to give an Interview for today's competition? “. A woman wearing a jacket looked at him and waved him over. When he got closer, he saw that she worked for the ZDF. „Of course, “, he answered and gave her a little smile and a nodded. She smiled back and the cameraman said: „We are life in 3,2,1 and go “. She looked into the camera: „Welcome Winter fans. We are in Innsbruck in Austria at the Ski jumping hill where the 3rd station of the Fourhillstournament took place. For our Interview, we are visited by nobody else than the leader of the field and winner of today's competition Andreas Wellinger from Germany. Andreas how do you feel being the leader in the field at the moment? “. He thought for a second and said with a smile: „I am feeling good. Everything feels very light at the moment for me, so that is something I am really looking into “. She nodded and asked: „The jumps today looked very impressive. How did it feel to jump this far? “. „They felt awesome. I do have to work on my landing again a little. It felt like the same problem I had in Garmisch in the Quali, so this is something I have to work on but know I can manage “. „How is this atmosphere other than in Oberstdorf and Garmisch? Do you get what is happening around you when you jump? “. „The atmosphere is brilliant. A few more Austrian flags than German ones but that's totally fine. When I jump, I don't really concentrate on the fans, because I concentrate on jumping well but when you sit there it is amazing how loud they are. Something I am really happy about “. „One last question. Do you feel any pressure because Ryoyo Kobayashi is so close to you? “. He again thought of a good answer and said: „Not really. I don't put myself under pressure. I want to jump well that's all. You don't do that if you are under pressure “. „Thank you for your time, Andreas. And congratulations on your win today “. „Thank you “.

He walked away to the car. When he arrived, he was welcomed by his best friend. „Hey, Andi how did the interview go? “. „Hey Stephan. It was great. Just a few questions about today and my leadership at the moment “. He smiled and Stephan smiled back. They hopped in the car and talked a little bit about the jumps today. They had to drive a longer road because a tree fell on the road and was taken care of. So instead of 30 minutes, they drove 1 hour. Stephan and he sat in the back. He talked about something he liked and started to realize, that Stephan started to yawn and get tired. He always got when they sat in the car. „You can sleep if you like I don't mind. It was a long day and I can tell you the story another time “. „Nono it´s fine. I am fine. Tell me the story. I want to hear it “. He gave him a smile and yawned again. „If you say so. But I won't repeat it. So, you better listen “. He started talking again. A few moments later Stephan's eyes were closed and his head laid against his shoulder. Andi smiled and put an arm around his best friend. Half an hour later they finally arrived at the hotel. Just as Stephan had known this he woke up from his little nap. „Are we here? “He asked sleepily. A big yawn crossed his soft face. Andi just nodded and got out of the car. Stephan following. They went inside after getting their stuff and went to their shared room. Andi just flopped down on his bed. Not caring to put out his stuff. Stephan was the same. Since they had a queen-sized bed, he fell down next to him. To Andi's surprise, his best friend snuggled into him and a few seconds later he could hear a steady breath. A stray of hair fell down onto Stephans's forehead. Andi couldn't resist brushing it away. His hands were shaking. Stephan didn´t wake up. Andi smiled again and put his arm around the waist of his best friend. Andi put the covers over them. He positioned himself right before he started to fall asleep.

When he woke up the next day, his face was warm from the sun shining in. He smiled for a second. He just wanted to give Stephan a good morning hug but he didn’t find anything. Or anyone. His eyes shot open. He looked dazzled to his right side. The bed was empty. For a second, he thought it was a dream. His looked around the room but it was empty. For a moment he was disappointed. Or did he really dream it? He wasn’t quite sure anymore. Just when he wanted to yawn a face showed up in front of his. Dazzled he looked into deep teddy bear brown eyes. The person in the front smiled bright. This smile he could recognize anywhere. It belonged to nobody other then Stephan Leyhe. His roommate and best friend stood smiling in front of him. His face inches away from Andys. Their nose nearly touched. Stephan still smiling said: “Good morning. Are you searching for something or should I say someone”. Andi needed to gulp and he couldn’t look away from Stephans beautiful eyes. Where there always this brown with that little brilliant spark? His eyes went down to Stephans lips. The pinkish lips looked so soft and he wondered how they would taste. Just when he wanted to look up, something he never thought would happen happened. Stephan leaned in and kissed Andi on the lips. Andi shocked looked with big blue eyes at his best friend. Before he could do anything, it was over and Stephan pulled away with a smile and said: “Get up. We need to be ready for training in 15 minutes”. When he left for the bathroom, he winked at Andi. The brunette just sat there staring after him. His brain not functioning or getting any air. Dazzled he got up and went into the bathroom after Stephan. When they where finish somebody knocked on the door. Stephan opened and a tall man stood Infront of them. “Are you guys ready we are waiting”. “Sorry Karl we are coming in a few seconds. Just getting our stuff”. Karl nodded at Stephan and walked away. When his best friend walked past him with his stuff he smiled. He got closer and gave him kiss on the cheek. Then he was gone. Andreas was too stunned to speak or to react. Dazzled again he went after him and together they went down to the rest of the Team.

A few hours later he was tired and just wanted to sleep. It was very hard to always give it all. And today in training the other competitors like Stefan Kraft, Anzé Lanizek and Lovro Kos got more good jumps done than he did. And not to forget Ryoyo Kobayashi. He was just 2 points behind him. He did some impressive jumps today. Andis where good but not good enough to win. His thoughts started to race again.

What if it didn’t work?

What if he couldn’t do it?

What if everybody started to hate him?

What if Stephan started to hate him too?

What did the kiss mean to him?

Does he really like him?

Questions over questions started to spread in his head. It began to hurt and he hold on to his aching pain. He didn’t even realize that somebody spoke to him. His thought wouldn’t let him hear anything besides the voices in his head. Screaming at him. He had closed his eyes so the pain wasn’t as bad. Just when he thought he had lost, somebody touched him light on the arm. Andi looked up and opened his eyes to see Stephan sitting next to him. His worried look said it all. Stephan moved his lips and first the brunette couldn’t here him but the longer he looked the more he got and finally he heard his friend say: “Andi are you okay?”. Andi just shook his head and started to close his eyes again. He could feel the brown eyes on him. “Is it your head?”. He nodded and his best friend said: “You know I know you so please tell me what is bothering you. I am worried about you right know”. Andi didn’t look at him when he said: “I… I just don’t know what to do”. Stephan looked confused at him and asked: “What do you mean? Was it the kiss or…”. “No, it wasn’t. It was the training today. Everybody was so much better than me. What if I fail. What if everybody started to hates me because of my failure? What if you started to hate me too after that”. Stephan was to stunned to speak. He needed to process all that. He blinked a few times and said with a snappish voice: “What are you talking about?”. His voice got softer as he continued: “Andi who cares if they were better than you in training? The important thing is you showing them what you have on the hill. Nothing else matters and the others would never hate you. Nobody could. You’re to kind, too popular and too lovable to be hated. And definitely to good looking”. Stephan looked at him with dead eyes and Andi sighed. He looked down for a few seconds before he said: “What if it doesn’t work out?”. Stephan looked at him and said smiling: “What if it does?”. Andi put his head against his best friend’s shoulder. The other man gave him a little kiss on the head and said: “Lets go to bed. You have an important day in front of you”. A few minutes later they laid snuggled up under the covers next to each other and started to get sleepy before you could hear a steady noise

The next day they started the day early because of training. Andi still just couldn’t get a hang on that hill. Why was that. He couldn’t figure it out and it made him angry. While the others still jumped, he walked to the containers and sat down inside. He put his helm next to him and put his face into his hands. He wanted to cry but nothing came out. Out of nowhere the door opened and nobody than Stephan Leyhe walked in. “Here you are. I looked everywhere for you”. “Sorry. I just needed to get my head straight”. Stephan looked sadly at him and sat down on the left side. “Your thoughts again?”. “Yes. They just wont leave me alone”. “I know. I am worried about you Andi”. Not only Stephans mimic said it but also his eyes. They weren’t sparkling. He looked at him and said with a little smile: “I try to keep them down. I promise”. Stephan just nodded and leaned against him.

A few hours later the competition started. Because of the cancelling of the qualification yesterday they weren’t any battles. So, Andi would start at the second place. After a while Kraft who was number one, Kobayashi third place and himself where the only one left. Kobayashi stood up and Andi followed. A few minutes later he himself sat in the hill and started to make his first jump. When he jumped, he noticed the feeling of failure coming back up. Before he could think anymore, he landed already. He smiled at the camera because in his opinion the jump wasn’t so bad. When he looked on the screen, he saw he flew 138,5 meters and was first. He smiled even brighter. As he walked out, he put on his shoes, checked the monitor again and saw that Kobayashi only was on the 4. Place after the first. After he checked if everything was fine, he went up again for the second jump. There he sat down in a chair in one of the corners. After a while he could feel two eyes on him. He didn’t turn around but he recognized them as Stephan´s. His best friend didn’t jump that long. He landed at 128 meters and was on place 20. One after another left the room. He gave his teammates a fist when they left. Half an hour later he was the only person left. Not even the camera man was there anymore. It was completely quiet. His thought ´s started racing again. The third time in two days. What was if he would fail? Kobayashi jumped impressively 143,5 meters. He needed to at least jump to 145,5 meters. This was near Hill record. What could he do? Suddenly he could his name being said from behind. He spun around to find his best friend standing in the door. “Stephan what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the others down at the hill?”. “Yeah, but I could convince the security I forgot something. I just figured you could need some company”. They looked each other in the eye for a second until Andi brock it and pointed at an empty chair next to him. They only had a few minutes because Andi needed to get to the hill. They sat there in silence until somebody came in and said: “It’s your turn”. Andi nodded and got up. Before he went out, he and Stephan looked at each other. Instantly he got lost in the brown eyes. He nearly overheard his friend. “You know I wouldn’t hate you if you would lose today or any day. I could never hate you Andi. Never. I just can´t”. Andi didn’t know what to say and the next three words made his brain stopped working for a second. “I love you Andi”. His heart started to beat really fast. But he just leaned in and kissed Stephan. He could tell that his friend wasn’t prepared for that because he needed a second to kiss back. The kiss had everything. Trust, love and everything that he had in his mind these last days. He let it all out in this kiss. When they departed Andi realised this was the first real one. The other two he hadn’t kissed back. They both had their eyes closed but when they opened them, their faces were still only a few inches away. Forehead against forehead. They looked at each other with so much love it took both their breathes. But they needed to lose contact for now, because Andi needed to get out. Before he went, he gave Stephan another kiss on the lips and said softly: “I love you too”. Stephan smiled and when Andi was gone, he said with the same smile, that was only for his friend: “You will rock this. This is one of your strengths. You are the biggest fighter I know. If somebody can win this it’s you”.

And while he ran down the stairs to catch up with the other and to support his friend, Andi watched as Stefan Kraft jumped down the hill. He didn’t know how far but he saw from the flag that had been a good one. The guy next to him gave him the signal to sit down on the wood pole. He started to breathe faster. His head spinning again but suddenly he heard Stephans voice: “What if it works out”. His smile followed the voice. He closed the eyes for a seconds before opening them. New energy went through his body. Just when Horngacher gave him the signal to start he started to breathe normally again. He gave it a push and started to race down the hill. Then he pushed one more time and started to fly. He instantly felt the lightness of the last jumps he did in Oberstdorf and Garmisch. Then he landed. He didn’t know where but he heard the Fans. So was it a good one. His teammates waiting. First, he hugged Raimund, then Karl, Pius and then Stephan. He looked very proud and something mysterious laid in his eyes. He saw his jump on the screen. He landed exactly at 145,5 meters but because Kobayashi had a few meters ahead it could be his win. The blue bar came up. It was quit in an instant. Everybody hold in their breathes. The bar went up and stopped… At +0,1. Andi had actually won on 0,1 points. He was so in shock he couldn’t believe it. Stephan was the first to jump at him. He catches him and flew him in a circle before hugging the rest of the team. And the fans? They never applauded so loud in their entire life. A lot of jumpers came and congratulate Andi. Still in shock he attended the Ceremony that gifted him the golden eagle. He put it high in the sky. Let out a very loud roar and then started to get emotional. He needed to cry. How long did he, no them waited for this. Twenty-two years after Sven Hannawald they won the eagle again. After everything he went through the last years. The Cruciate ligament rupture in his leg in 2019 where he needed a year to come back. Then the bad jumps, when he was in shape for the Olympics in 2022 and couldn’t go because he got covid. Then finally the first podium in Lake Placid in 2023 after that everything went the right way. And now his dream came true that Stephan and him would be together. And of course, the golden eagle he just won. He smiled bright while he cried and after the ceremony yelled one more time while pictures where taken. The evening on the day of his win, he and Stephan snuggled up under the blanket and after they said goodnight they went to instant sleep. No party had been down. And that was something he had wished because he just wanted an evening with his best friend and a cozy and warm blanket.

#lellinger #ski jumping #stephan leyhe #andreas wellinger #i love them so much #they are the cutest #lellinger fanfiction #andi wellinger #i just need that today #Their are in love I am sure about that

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go-dark-turtle · 4 years ago

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(This had very tight writing limits and I just managed to keep under them. So yes there is mega time skips and stuff. Please enjoy this is for a contest.)

A day off with an opportunity and a rescue mission?

(A Mario x Nintendo loop crossover fanfiction)

It was the day of the annual Toad Town festival, Luigi was up bright and early. He had breakfast and a cup of coffee to start his day. Mario, his older brother, was still asleep in the other room. Luigi smiled with excitement and left a note for his brother and went to town on his kart. An hour later Mario stirred awake and walked to the kitchen and saw the note left by his younger sibling. He smiled softly and got himself dressed and ready to take part in the annual festivities.

***Meanwhile in the south of south Toad town, up on top of the hill***

Irri and his other guardians, Ralfonic, Andi and BreadSquid were all chilling at Irri's mansion.

"Hey BreadSquid could you handle the queue today please? I'm having a day off today and I wish to read my new book in the library." Irri nodded to the small inkling.

"You got it boss!" BreadSquid gave a peace sign "Leave the requests to me!"

"Excellent, Thank you." Irri took his leave.

He started to make his way downwards the spiral staircase to the basement where the library was. He smiled finally some time to himself he thought. He grabbed his new book from the shelf and took a seat on the old velvet chair in the corner of the room. He opened his book, started to read but was interrupted by loud music and the townspeople making such a noise.

BreadSquid tried their best to get the queue up and running but alas due to the towns people using the same wifi nothing could run. BreadSquid was so annoyed and shut down the computer.

"What is all this ruckus about! I'm trying to read here!" Irri burst through the door which made BreadSquid jump.

"AH! I dunno boss, it could be the townspeople, I think the festival is today?" BreadSquid grabbed a telescope and peered out the window "Ah see I was right, look, there's Toads everywhere. Oooh the princess is there and oh my is that Luigi?"

Irris eyes beemed with excitement and snacthed the telescope and looked at town square with Luigi and the princess giggling and having a good time. "Perfect, Breadsquid tell Andi to get the car ready. We are going to town."

"Oh yay road trip! Road trip!" BreadSquid ran out the room and kicked the door to the games room open "OI ANDI, IRRI SAYS YOU NEED TO GET THE CAR!" BreadSquid left the room.

*** 10 minutes later***

Andi flicked the switch in the garage and there in the middle was the Parade Kart.

"Out the way Andi I'm driving!" BreadSquid nudged him out the way.

"Hey!" Andi started to protest and sat next to Ralfonic sulking.

"It's fine you can drive us back. Come now, we must make haste" Irri sat in the top seat, crossed his legs and pointed forward "To Toad town!" BreadSquid giggled and floored it to Toad Town.

***Meanwhile in Toad Town***

Luigi had treated Peach to chocolate and ice cream, they giggled by the fountain but all that came to an end when BreadSquid swerved by them. Ralfonic and Andi got out of the car and snacthed the princess, BreadSquid sat in the back and smiled at Peach while Andi took the driver's seat and floored it back to Irri's mansion on the top of the hill. Luigi was furious and chased after them, a few Toads gave him a few starman power ups and he raced after them.

"ANDI STEP ON IT! LUIGI IS GAINING ON US!" BreadSquid looked behind and saw Luigi had almost caught up.

"Relax BreadSquid this is all part of my plan." Irri smirked.

Once they got to the front gates Irri waited for Luigi to catch up whereas the other headed inside, once he got there Irri bowed to him and invited him in.

"Okay princess you are free to go" Irri smiled and opened the door for her to leave

"But what about Luigi?" the princess asked while she stood on the step.

"Oh, he will be staying here for a while. Now off you go." Irri smiled

"Yeah you heard him, scram princess!" BreadSquid slammed the door.

The Princess in a panic ran back to town to tell Mario about what happened.

"Ah Luigi it is so good have you here. You will have a grand time let me assure you" Irri smiled.

"Um.. what did you have in mind?" luigi started to sweat.

"Andi prepare the tea room, Ralfonic get the scones from the pantry, we have a guest." Irri clapped his hands.

****Meanwhile back in Toad town***

"Are you telling me a bunch of people kidnapped you but it was a plan to kidnap Luigi. That's horrible" Toad shook his head " Mario we got to do something!"

"Leave it to us. Come Princess, Yoshi, Toad lets go and get Luigi back!" Mario smirked and jumped into Luigi's kart and made their way to the house on the top of the hill. They crashed into the garden fountain.

***About 30 minutes later***

"And you see Luigi, I thought you would appreciate a grand tour of my home as you can tell I was a big fan of you in Luigi's Mansion. Great game. Let me tell you it's one of my favourites." Irri smiled as he held the door open for Luigi as they left the upper living room.

"Ah why thank you Irri. I'm glad I had my moment in the spotlight." Luigi smiled back, they both started to head down the spiral stairs.

The Mario gang kicked the door open and they started to search the main lobby to find Luigi, Peach accidentally nudged against the picture frame and it smashed to the ground

"GOOD IDEA PRINCESS! LET'S TRASH THE PLACE!" Toad was excited and nodded to the others.

Mario smashed the boo statues in the middle of the lobby, Peach knocked off more pictures from the wall, Yoshi started to eat the curtains and Toad ran off to smash some vases on the windowsill.

Luigi and Irri got half way down the stairs and they saw the Mario gang had trashed the main lobby.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Irri gasped " THOSE ARE MY VELVET CURTAINS STOP EATING THEM AT ONCE"

Everyone stopped but Yoshi was mid eating and slurped the rest of the curtains. Furious, Irri marched down the stairs and discovered the whole lobby was destroyed. He stood there in disbelief.

"HA! TAKE THIS YOU KIDNAPPERS!" Toad threw one of the vases and it landed by Irri's feet, Toad looked up and saw Luigi was safe and sound. "Oh hey there's Luigi. Thank goodness you are okay."

Irri clasped his hands together and took a small breath "I think it's time you all left my house now. Please leave"

"Mario why would you do this?" Luigi folded his arms annoyed.

"We came to save you!" Mario said while hugging his younger brother

"Yes yes yes, now he is saved now get out before I get really angry." Irri pushed everyone including Luigi out the front door and slammed the door behind them.

"Oh well at least we saved you right?" Toad smirked

"I guess so but Irri was so nice to me, we had tea and scones and gave me a grand tour of his house. It was pretty nice." Luigi sighed "OH NO MY KART!" Luigi saw his kart totally destroyed by the garden fountain.

"It's okay Luigi, we can borrow theirs!" Toad said as he jumped in the driver's seat of the Parade Kart. "Lets go!" Everyone jumped in the kart. "But first...."

Toad smiled and pulled a lighting bolt from his pocket and held it in his hand and launched it backwards towards the house.

*Cue Roundabout*

Everyone inside started to feel woozy, they fell over as the house and everyone got smaller.

"Oops... I guess my hand tilted." Toad laughed as he drove back to town.

[<----To Be Continued----]

#fan fic #nintendo loop #mario #luigi #peach #yoshi #toad

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neo-existential-crisis · 4 years ago

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Thresholds, Online Exhibition Review

@ MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art

At the start of the year we were fresh-faced, coming into a new decade our planners were full and the air was ripe with potential. Then we entered the period of uneasiness, stuck at home not knowing what was going to happen next, our plans stifled; the places we once went for enjoyment and culture were shut and at risk of closing for good. In this period of uncertainty, we connected to the outside world via our screens, seeing family and friends in unfocused zoom calls and trying to figure out the best impromptu office space to work from home in. We spent more time in our domestic spaces, saw into the domestic worlds of our peers, lines were crossed as our domestic spaces became where we entertained friends, where we worked and where we also relaxed on top of everything. Our relationships with our homes we re-written as we adapted to our new way of living through a pandemic.

Throughout lockdown, art spaces jumped to create online exhibitions right away and created a plethora of virtual exhibits some newly made others pre-planned exhibits put into a computer manufactured gallery space or a video tour like Tate Modern’s Andy Warhol exhibit. Comparatively, Thresholds curator Adian Moesby, who is currently working as MIMA’s associate curator during his residency, took time to reflect on the changes made to our relationship with home during lockdown and the easing of restrictions which is where this current virtual exhibition is born out of. Moesbys practice is ‘under pinned through conversation’ (Adian Moesby – About, 2020) which he utilises in the curation of this exhibit through in-depth conversations he had with Sonia Boué, Lindsey Duncanson and Catriona Gallagher, the three artists that make up Thresholds. The exhibit connects these artists together through a mix of photography and film to communicate their personal stories and experiences with lockdown and the impact Covid-19 had on their relationship to home. Made at a time of easing restrictions Thresholds asks us to evaluate our feelings and connections towards our homes and the places we inhabit at a time where restrictions are tightening up once again and we will inevitably be spending more time there.

Clicking through to the exhibit PDF you are confronted with a low-res still from Catriona Gallagher's ‘Video Villanelle (for distance)’ (2020), a twilight sky setting up the transient mood that prevails throughout the exhibit. Scrolling down you are introduced to Sonias Boué’s ‘Safe as Houses’ (2020) 12 photos documenting her move to her new studio space which she moved into during the transitional period of lockdown. Set against a white backdrop each new photo exists on its own page and explores a plethora of objects which Boué takes with her for each new move; from childhood items such as a rocking horse to an exhaust pipe situated on its own rickety looking chair, these hold a personal connection to the artist. ‘Safe as Houses’ shares a close relationship to much of Boué’s practice where she ‘explores home and the domestic as metaphors for exile and displacement’ (Sonia Boue, 2020) with much of her work focusing on post-memory the idea of connection to the past and the generational trauma that continues to affect the lives of future generations seen most clearly in her work responding to the Spanish Civil war. Boué presents this within Thresholds in the specifically tailored striped pyjamas featured in a quarter of the photographs that connect not only to the new casualwear of lockdown but is reminiscent of the clothes her grandparents were forced to wear during their time in concentration camps. In one they sit folded on a wooden chair set to the right of the frame; the room dim with a square of light reflected in from a window in the empty space. Boués photos mark the space of time from childhood to adulthood and the period of moving. The photographs and the diverse objects we see serve as an exploration into what home means to us, the things we carry through with us through childhood into our adult lives and how we make a space a home.

Sonia Boué, 'Safe as Houses', 2020.

Where Sonia Boué travels through memories and explores the past, Lindsey Duncansons piece ‘Brief loss’ (2020) studies the repetitive stagnation of life during lockdown. The three greyscale film vignettes feature next to each through a triptych; filmed within Duncanson's own flat it reveals a very personal side to the artist and invites us into her own domestic space that she shares with her family. The film is notably different from the rest of Duncanson's work which usually feature sublime picturesque outdoor scenes with plenty of colour whereas in this piece she has swapped out the rolling hills of the moors of Stanhope for the cosy interiors of home. This reversal exemplifies the loss, change and confinement that lockdown brought, Duncanson can no longer explore the landscapes around Newcastle upon Tyne and so she has adapted to her new situation and uses her home as a landscape to explore instead. Titled ‘Brief Loss’ the piece carries with the emotional effects of lockdown and displays the monotonous nature of life that occurred when we could no longer go out to experience life outside our homes. Within the scene Duncanson sits crouched in the centre of the triptych, walled in by a row of plants and a bookcase she’s seemingly lost in thought, occasionally picking a book out and flipping through it before resuming her previous position, there is a quiet comforting presence to the piece, on either side of Duncanson her partner, in the left-hand panel, and son, in the right, sit in their own respective rooms, her partner rests comfortably on an armchair occasionally living his mug while her son sits at his desk drawing while a screen flickers out of signal next to him. The whole scene has a dreamlike quality to it with the comfortable atmosphere alongside the ambient sound and the black and white filter and in each doorway behind the subjects exists projections of the outside, with pond skaters skipping over water, the ripples and reflections of clouds, and star-like moving foam. Duncanson combines the domestic with the outside showing our dreams of being free once again and escape this monotony that we’ve fallen into.

The final piece of Thresholds isn’t confined to the comforts of home or one space instead it travels through memories, moments and landscapes. Home isn’t one pace for most of us but for Catriona Gallagher she works and lives between Northumberland and Athens ana through ‘Video Villanelle (for distance)’ (2020) she ‘explores her sense of dislocation’ (MIMA-Thresholds-Exhibition.pdf, 2020) from being stuck in England while trying to navigate the travel restrictions throughout summer to return to Greece. The aptly named 17-minute film follows the a, b rhyme structure -like that of a traditional villanelle poem- comprised of short snippets of footage with repeating motifs not too different from the structure of a stanza. The footage feels as though you are being invited into Gallagher's life, it’s a documentation of scenes with friends, with so warm sparkling candles on a birthday cake and to late-night bicycle rides, to rain pouring outside of a window and Gallagher's reflection in the window of a train the landscape rushing by while you hear mindless chatter in the background. Sound plays an interesting role in this film with most of it coming from the footage though you can hear music from Magic Arm ebbing and flowing through that perfectly ties the clips together. There is a sense of reminiscing over what life used to be with clips featuring a close-knit group of people and scene of the Greece coastline this is starkly contrasted to the reality of uncertainty as to when life will return to normal. The film is set in portrait mode with a somewhat low-quality feel to it due to the footage being taken entirely from existing videos from Gallagher's phone archive. It comprises of videos sent to friends or keepsakes as Jade French puts it ‘this footage was never intended to be art’ (French, 2020) which give it an intensely personal feel as if we are walking through her memories. ‘Video Villanelle’ focuses on the small moments, the subtle experiences in life and though the footage is fragmented it still carries the same focus on overlooked details in our physical spaces and ambient wistful nature that Gallagher's work holds. Gallagher uses this piece to reflect on their experience of lockdown and looks at how our phones connect while improvising with the limited tools she had available as she did with ‘They met under the ceiling of sky’ (2020) which then went on to the official selection in the Laterale Film Festival in 2020.

Catriona Gallagher, Stills from ‘Video Villanelle (for distance)’, 2020

Over the summer we have been overrun with the many virtual exhibits and Thresholds taking place after utilises the online space to its best potential. Having been commissioned to be a virtual exhibition it uses photography and film which are familiar to the online space rather than creating pieces tailored to a physical space. Through working online there’s a variety of different experimental formats to use over a simple pdf format however this way it encourages a non-art audience to take part through being simple, it becomes relatable for a wider range of people which Moseby advocates for having curated public events to specifically engage those audiences.

Thresholds subliminally speaks on the visibility of the disabled community in the art world. Curator Aidan Moseby closely works within the disability and diversity sector having been commissioned by and worked for companies such as Disability Arts Online and DASH which this exhibition is partnered with. The setup and extra care with subtitled and audio described versions for each film make this exhibition more accessible the usual cases. Where other galleries are immediately setting up shop in their physical spaces' as lockdown eased Thresholds doesn’t, it makes a statement that we can’t forget that the move to virtual during lockdown made art spaces more accessible to the disabled community. Art spaces have long been exclusive and inaccessible but with the lockdown when non-disabled people no longer had the means to visit gallery spaces that suddenly changed. It showed that galleries had little excuse for doing this before with the ease and speed in which they transferred their exhibitions online. Even having a virtual floor plan makes it more accessible as they ‘act as a helpful tool to plan trips and relieve anxiety for disabled art audiences’ (Kroese, 2020) referencing 3d art space floor plans.’. Thresholds subliminally makes a statement through being set after many galleries have shut their online exhibits and have opened their doors again through quietly having accessible versions of artworks. There is much change that needs to happen in the art world in making it more accessible to a wider range of people and lockdown has presented these options that we can and should learn from to aid us in the future.

Thresholds invades your domestic space as you visit it through the comforts of your own home through the ambient sound of Gallagher's work and personal memorabilia of Boués photographs. It looks at how the pandemic has changed our relationship to our domestic spaces, how confined we've become and how the virtual space can connect us. As lockdown has pushed and eased our homes have become multi-functional places, we continue to reflect on the change our lives have gone through and think about our connection to the people we surround ourselves with. Though through this we need to see the visibility of disabled people in the arts and how the small start that was ignited during lockdown needs to continue to help keep places accessible to the many rather than the few.

Thresholds can be found here.

Bibliography

Mima.art. 2020. MIMA-Thresholds-Exhibition.Pdf. [online] Available at: <https://mima.art/wp-content/themes/mima-wp/media/MIMA-Thresholds-Exhibition.pdf> [Accessed 21 October 2020].

French, J., 2020. Thresholds. [online] Corridor8. Available at: < https://corridor8.co.uk/article/thresholds/ > [Accessed 22 October 2020].

Aidan Moseby. 2020. About. [online] Available at <https://www.aidanmoesby.co.uk/contact-us/ > [Accessed 22 October 2020]

Duncanson, L (2020) ‘Quarry’, Blue Topgraphy, 27 January. Available at: < https://bluetopography.blogspot.com/2020/01/quarry.html> (Accessed 23 October 2020)

Kroese, I., 2020. Emerging Accessibility: Post-viral programming and disabled audiences. [online] Corridor8. Available at: < https://corridor8.co.uk/article/emerging-accessibility-post-viral-programming-and-disabled-audiences/> [Accessed 23 October 2020]video

#thresholds #MIMA #Aidan Moseby #Catriona Gallagher #Sonia boue #Lindsey Duncanson #Lockdown #Exhibition Review #Review #Art #home #disability arts #accessibility #art spaces

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fingaudioart · 4 years ago

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Hill House, and Audio Horror vs Film Horror

I got to thinking about this when an audio producer on Twitter asked what people thought the scariest parts of Haunting of Hill House, other than the jump scares. What struck me while reading the responses were almost all things that depended on the visuals, and would be very hard to move into the realm of audio.

I feel like many/most people think of horror movies as a template to build off of for horror audio fiction...which is fair, because for many of us, horror audio fiction wasn’t a thing we could find to listen to until recently (myself included). And it’s not uncommon to hear a successful, talent audio producer say something along the lines of “An audio drama is like a movie, without needing a million dollar budget.”

I agree with the thought, generally: audio fiction does have many similarities to film, but if you stretch it too far, it can be a dangerous approach. And it can be especially dangerous for Horror.

Let’s think about how we could move the Bent Neck Lady into audio (spoilers ahead). Except for one scream, she is silent and unmoving. To move it into audio, we’d either need a narrator (or someone to tell us what’s happening), or to make Bent Neck Lady move around. The first option would keep the nature of the ghost intact, but we would be robbed of having it happen in front of us. The second option would change the nature of the ghost entirely. This is before we even talk about the twist, that hinges on Bent Neck Lady largely being a silhouette, which obscures information without feeling like anything.

Horror is a genre that is especially dependent on craftsmanship, regardless of the medium. It’s a genre where--and you’re going to murder me for saying this--you don’t need a good story to be scary. You need a scary situation/scene, told with skill, but even if the scenes/plot/characters around it are terrible, you can still make the audience feel afraid (Looking at you, Argento).

That’s not to say the story doesn’t matter. In fact, a large part of what makes Haunting of Hill House so good is that it’s part horror, but also part family melodrama (and it actually spends more time on the melodrama than the horror), blended together so the ghosts have meaning. Bent Neck Lady is disturbing the first time you see it, but it’s the story behind it that makes her stay with you long after you’ve finished the show.

But if we set aside the story, and focus on the scary moments...they are pure filmmaking. Every aspect is working to create fear: the sets and art direction, the creature design, the pacing, the blocking, the editing, the sound design.

The same way a horror movie uses every weapon of filmmaking, a horror audio drama should use every weapon of audio to create dread/fear/suspense. But the flip side is, just as Haunting of Hill House isn’t using the tools of horror literature, your audio drama shouldn’t try to be a movie.

But I think we also need to own up to something: many of us (most of us?) have more experience watching horror movies than listening to horror audio dramas. So let’s get analytical here. What are films strengths? Audio’s strengths? Weakness? And how do these work in service of horror? Any tips for the audio drama producer?

Filmmaking’s Unique Gifts

Before I get into the list, I want to be very clear: I’m not to saying you can’t do versions of this in an audio drama. In fact, when these are successfully used in audio, they can be outright amazing. But they take a lot more work, either by carefully setting up signature sounds*, or by having narration, or some other creative way no one has done yet. The point of this list is that film does these things easily.

There are some obvious things, like, ya know, visuals. I don't think there's any amount of words or sounds that would allow me to imagine Giger’s Xenomorph. Some things just need to be seen.

One of film's special talents is it gives the audience an understanding of a location without even trying. I don’t mean the layout of a house (that can be confusing), but present an audience with one shot of a bedroom, and they’ll instantly understand where the bed is, the window, the door, the closet, the bedside tables. Films communicate small spaces so easily, they don't even need to stop to do it…a character walks in the room doing whatever, and as long as the space is seen by the camera, the audience gets it.

In horror, this is vital when the fear you're trying to create is that of a physical threat. Where is the killer? Behind the bookcase? Walking towards you from across the lawn?

Related to this idea of a physical space, films also have the ability to makes things appear--and disappear--quickly and unexpectedly. This is moments like Mike Meyers appearing in the closet in Halloween, or later, when Dr. Loomis looks over the edge of the Balcony, and Michael Meyers has vanished.

Perhaps film’s most famous strength is the montage. You can easily cut between different scenes and settings, without the audience ever getting confused.

There is one tool of film that I am very frustrated won’t work in audio: the Title Card. I don’t mean the title of the show, I mean those cards that say things like “Burbank, CA” or “CIA Headquarters” or “3:23pm.” Text on screen is a painless way to give the audience information without tripping up the storytelling.

Finally, let’s talk about one of film’s most powerful tricks...patience.

A film can stretch moments out, sometimes with slomo, but often with editing between close-ups. You can also have moments where nothing happens, you just linger in the mood/ambience/characters reactions.

A great example is the “Spielberg-Face”, those shots when the characters are reacting to something the audience hasn’t seen yet. In Jurassic Park, we spend a full 30 seconds watching jaws drop before we see the first dinosaur. This is pretty nuts, when you think about it. The true stars of the movie aren’t introduced with a speech, or a title card, or a curtain pulling back, but by the characters just staring in the distance for half a page.

Pausing the action, or even just stretching it out, is one of the fundamental tools of horror movies. It’s a way to create the mood: Show the spooky location, play the spooky ambience. It’s a way to create suspense in a scene, think of the long POV shot scanning the room for that noise. End the moment with something suddenly appearing, and you have the basic recipe for a jump scare. Even if you decide to be an artsy horror story, like Haunting of Hill House, silently drawing out the action is your primary weapon. Done well, the audience will be rapt, knowing that something could be about to happen any moment, even though as far as the plot goes, we haven’t moved much at all.

I’ll be honest, if I could go back in time and tell the younger version of me who hadn’t made an audio drama yet that you can’t draw out a moment the way you do in film, I probably would not have believed me. In my work as a TV Editor, it’s been one of the tricks that has really elevated my pieces...it feels like magic. But I’ll never forget editing my first audio piece, having a character fumble with a doorknob while trying to escape someone who was chasing them. They grunted at the door as the footsteps got closer and closer, and it was lousy. It felt like the manipulation it was.

Audio’s Unique Gifts

The thing that audio does better than any other media--and this is controversial--a narrator feels like they are talking directly to you, the listener (a narrator in a film feels more like they are talking to an auditorium). Now, here are people who find that narration is jarring and takes them out of the story. They aren’t wrong--you can’t argue someone’s experience--but that’s certainly not what happens to me. If you are one of these poor souls, I hope you take some time to listen to some narration and reprogram your brain, because you’re missing out on some magic.

The other great thing about sound is it activates the imagination. Films can also do this, of course, but audio does it be default.

Sound is also very good at evoking a sense of touch. Texture. Clothing. Almost anything you can feel in your hand.

While sounds is great at telling us about what’s very close, it also tells us about the world in the distance, i.e. ambiences. The sound of a forest transports us to a forest that exists in all directions. Distant traffic can tell us if the city is awake or asleep.

Audio also does an amazing plot twist that I’m gonna call the “Pull Back to Reveal” twist (yeah, that’s a film term). This is when, deep into a scene, something is revealed to the audience that the characters understood was there the whole time. While a movie can usually only sustain this for a minute or two, audio dramas can push this for a really long time. The Truth’s classic “The Dark End of the Mall” is a great example, as is the episode “Have You Seen My Mom?” It’s use in horror is more limited though...suspense works the best when the audience knows as much or more about the situation than characters (a.k.a. Audience Superior), and this is a twist that is Audience Inferior.

And, not for nothing: It’s way cheaper than a film. That’s not say the money doesn’t matter, but it doesn’t matter in the same way.

Film’s Failings

The hardest part of film is the flip side of its strengths: it’s so easily grounded in reality, it’s very hard to step out of it. That’s more of a problem than you think.

Take the sentence, “Andy called his sister-in-law.” While it takes just four words to write in a book, in a movie, you are going to be contorting dialog or some other clever trick, to get the audience to understand “that’s his wife’s sister.” (Non-narrated audio dramas also have this problem with exposition.)

Same goes for backstory. In the middle of a scene, a book can say things like “She’d been working on this for ten hours now, and was ready to scream.” One sentence. A film would have to lay out exposition, or clues for the audience to put it together.

Film also has a hard time conveying senses other than sound or sight. During scenes where a character walks into a place and says “Ugh, what’s that smell!”, I never really imagine the smell, I just see an actor pretending to smell something.

Visuals can be too intense. Gore or nudity are the first things that come to mind in this category, and are often alluded to in a film for exactly that reason. But even if they are merely hinted at, the film audience may spend a scene wondering “Are they going to actually show it?”, which knocks you out the movie a little.

Films are complicated to make, at every level. Casting is tougher---the actor needs to both sound and look the part. There’s the expense of sets and lighting, the effort of just getting a crew to a location can be monumental. And once it’s all shot, film editing is more complicated and time intensive than audio editing, and not just because it involves audio editing.

Audio's Weakness

The biggest: There's a big Blindspot right in front of the audience. Without some careful context, raw audio recording from real life is disorienting at best, intelligible at worst. Most sounds that come from the blank spot are descriptive, they generally tell us if someone’s shoes are wet, but they won’t tell who is walking around the room in wet shoes.

This blind spot can be especially dangerous to a producer, because in real life, our brain attaches sounds to the objects it sees, and when you understand what a sound is, it’s easy to place it. Because a producer knows what sound they are placing in the piece, it’s easy to think your sound design is intelligible. Sounds we don’t understand are also hard to place in the space. I personally find that while stereo and ambisonics can help make the sounds be more distinct from each other, they don’t really locate them precisely.

Another weakness of audio, characters are hard to tell apart. This can especially affect women's voices, who don't tend to have as much variation. This isn’t as true if the audience has seen the face of the actor talking, something about that seems to lock in our understanding of a voice (video though, not just a headshot). But without a face, it’s tough. EDIT: So I wasn’t very clear with that last point. To be clear, it’s not that you CAN’T cast people who sound different, or that you can’t direct people with similar voices to give different performances. It’s that you need to make a point of doing so. And while I have personally found that women’s voices are more likely to sound alike, that’s not the main idea. We remember face’s very easily, and names relatively easily (unless you’re me, I’m terrible at names). Voices without faces are easily confused.

This character confusion especially applies to large casts...I have a hard time imagining an audio only version of OCEAN’S ELEVEN, for example. Put twelve characters in a room for an audio drama, and it’s gets confusing for the listener really quickly.

If you aren't using a narrator, making time pass can be hard. A Rocky montage needs to be carefully setup. "Cut To: Five Minutes Later" is damn near impossible without narration.

Sound Effects need to be more meticulous. THE AVENGERS can sweeten a superhero punch so it hardly sounds like a punch at all, and the visuals on screen will lock it into place. Without a picture to give a sound context, they need to be much more realistic for them to be understood correctly.

So let’s put this all together.

Lets turn it into an “approach,” and design some scenes that work easily in the medium.

Ambiences are a strength, so we’ll pick a setting that has an interesting one, and avoid things like quiet rooms. We’ll have a small number of characters, let’s say four or less, and to make it easier for audience to remember who is who, we’ll cast actors with clearly different voices, and we can help on the script level by making sure they all have different motivations/goals/emotional states. To get that intimacy of the voice, we’ll have at least some of the characters close to each other (and the mics), and not shouting across the room.

The physical setup of the room will be straight forward, and our characters’ movements though the space will be clearly motivated and direct (“Does this key unlock this door?”), if a character has busy work that moves them through the space, the details won’t matter (like they are doing dishes). We’ll also want to have some moments that play on that sense of touch. Perhaps most importantly, we’ll want to paint some clear visuals for the listener to imagine.

For a horror scene, you really want to work your ambiences to make them add to the tension, vs just adding realism. We first want the monsters in the distance, say on the other side of a door or outside the house, or somewhere in the woods. Make our scared characters really close to the listener, play the sounds that you only hear when you are right next to them, like their breathing, swallows, adjusting the clothes or their make-shift weapon.

When the monster enters the room, have it spend as little time as possible in the blindspot, so avoid things like fist fights and fast-paced footchases. Instead get the monster right inside our character's personal bubble. If you’re aiming for a startle, instead of having it leap out in front of the hero like in a movie, you’d want to skip the blindspot, and have the monster pounce onto the hero--using those touch sounds that are so intense.

To me, that sounds like a scary scene.

It’s Not a Formula, and All of This is Nonsense

In fact, you probably wouldn’t want every scene in your piece to follow this, because a) it’ll get repetitive, and b) when you go against the medium, you’re more likely to make some magic (if you pull it off). But I do think it’s important to realize when the big moment of your piece is resting on some of the weaknesses. When this happens, you may want to make sure you’re leaning on something really strong to carry the weight. Other times, you may want to toss around some other ideas, make sure that it’s actually working, and to see if it could be improved.

Also, even though I’ve written a lot of words here, I fully expect someone has already proven every one of these rules wrong. But I also think it’s a good exercise to go through this and figure out why I’m wrong.

The medium matters. And I hate writing conclusions, so I’m ending it here.

*Signature Sound: A sound that the audience understands to mean something specific, such as a doorbell or a gunshot.

#audiodrama #horror #hill house

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purplesurveys · 4 years ago

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1124

survey by nadine07

Three Names You Are Called:

1. Robyn, by virtually everybody.

2. Byn, by close family members.

3. For some reason I have some friends who call me Bynbyn? even though I never established it as a nickname?? but they use it as an affectionate nickname so ultimately I don’t mind it. It just takes me aback sometimes, lmao.

Three Colors You Are Wearing At the Moment:

1. Red

2. White

3. Pink. Or light purple, depending on how you see it.

The Last Three People To Call You:

1. My mom, though I missed the call because I was at work earlier.

2. I just saw that Ysa, my director, also tried to call me. This story is so fucking stupid...I physically went to the office last Wednesday to pack some groceries, and all day long I had been leaving the door slightly ajar every time I had to go out because I haven’t had my biometrics enrolled yet and I don’t hold the keys to the office (and I was the only one who requested to go there for that day).

Of course, knowing my luck, the door slipped while I was out (I had to very briefly hand a package to a courier), locking me out of the goddamn office with all my shit inside. Even worse, I had a meeting going on with a client – I had speaking parts assigned to me, and I got locked out like 30 seconds before my part would start. I’m guessing Ysa called me during the time I disappeared but I obviously couldn’t have answered the phone. It was infuriating, especially since my manager had to cover for my slides which she didn’t practice for.

I’ll no longer get into how I managed to get back inside since it’s another embarrassing and complicated story altogether, but suffice it to say I was really upset about the whole thing and I still feel uneasy imagining how that meeting could’ve gone down with my disappearance.

3. A courier. They usually call when they’re already arrived where you are, so that they know where exactly to meet up with you.

Three Days You Look Forward To Each Year:

1. My birthday, because it’s kinda cool turning into a different age.

2. Whenever Wrestlemania is scheduled, which is usually late March or early April.

3. ...I don’t have any either favorite days/dates.

Three Jobs You've Had:

1. PR associate.

2. That’s my first job. I’ve had two internships before that, and they were both at PR agencies.

3. -

Three Bands/Singers You Love:

1. Paramore

2. Beyoncé

3. The Japanese House

Three People You've Talked To Today:

1. It’s exactly 7 AM. I could’ve talked to my parents when they headed downstairs earlier but I pretended I was still asleep on the couch so that they couldn’t, hahaha. They’ve since gone out to jog. I don’t think I’ve said a word at all yet this morning, actually.

2. -

3. -

Three Things You Could Grab From Where You're Sitting:

1. My phone.

2. The other end of this table.

3. My vape pen.

The Last Three Things You've Had to Drink:

1. I most recently had a glass of water after I finished my bag of salted egg chips.

2. I finished off the last of my coffee.

3. I also drank soju last night as an impromptu thing because I saw that I still had a peach-flavored one (my favorite) in the fridge.

Three People You Can Always Count On:

1. Angela.

2. Andi.

3. I’m also gonna name Pia even though we aren’t the closest. Girl has been crazy supportive over the last few months.

Three Places You Want to Go:

1. That I haven’t been to yet? Seoul in South Korea.

2. Thailand.

3. Morocco.

The Last Three Places You've Gone:

1. Other than places in the house – the local coffee shop inside my village.

2. The office.

3. The Starbucks beside the office. I had arrived a bit early so I had some time to walk over there and order something.

The Last Three Non-Relatives You've Hung Out With:

1. Angela.

2. Hans.

3. We were 8 in the group the last time we went out lol. But aside from the above, Pia (a different one) was the one who made the most effort to talk to me as well.

Three People To Be Stranded On A Desert Island With:

1. Angela.

2. Kate.

3. Not sure. Maybe Al for some comic relief while we try to survive there?

Three Smells You Love:

1. Cookies being baked.

2. A hotel room.

3. Seafood.

Three People You Look Up To:

1. Angela’s mom.

2. Andi.

3. My manager, Bea. Well she just got promoted, so I guess I’ll call her my director now, hahaha.

Three Places You've Lived:

1. The duplex where I mostly grew up, just a village away from my current one. I got to experience living in either house, as well.

2. Tondo, Manila. With my dad’s family.

3. Sampaloc, Manila. My parents briefly had an apartment and I was there for like a few months as a newborn.

Three Good Teachers You've Had:

1. My music teacher for the entirety of high school.

2. My professor in international relations.

3. My professor in my social history and history of Filipino women electives.

Three Things You're Good At:

1. I gotta say I’m great at parking, hahaha. Backward parking, parallel parking, you name it.

2. Going through my to-do list and finishing off every task by the end of the day.

3. Reflexes, or reacting/responding immediately, especially in games.

The Last Three People You've Kissed:

1. Gabie.

2. -

3. -

The Last Three People You've Dated:

1. Gabie.

2. -

3. -

Three People With Whom You've Shared a Secret:

1. Andi.

2. JM.

3. Jo was the first person I informed about my breakup, and I didn’t even reveal it publicly until like three months after. I didn’t expect to confide in her especially since we aren’t the closest, but I think I was just desperate to tell someone then to finally acknowledge reality.

Three Irresponsible Things You've Done:

1. Vape.

2. Road rage.

3. Leave my laptop in a classroom as I left to go to another class, in another building.

Three Movies You Love:

1. Two for the Road.

2. Revolutionary Road.

3. Room.

The Last Three People You've Gone to the Movies With:

1. Angela.

2. Leigh.

3. Gabie.

The Last Three People You've Ridden in a Car With:

1. Laurice.

2. Kuya Toby.

3. Lui.

Three Facts About Your #1:

1. Can I name my best friends instead? Angela is in her final year of college taking up architecture.

2. She has two shih tzus, Hailey and Kennedy.

3. Her mom is a pediatrician and has her own clinic in their home.

Three Places You've Gone With Your #2:

1. I haven’t been too adventurous with Andi...most recently we’ve gone to a Korean barbecue joint for a one-on-one catch up date.

2. TK.

3. Rita’s house.

Three Things You've Done With Your #3:

1. Kate works for the government.

2. Last time I talked to her, she’s still set on retake a law school exam after not getting admitted to her campus of choice last year.

3. She had a bad habit of dating orgmates.

Three Things You Have in Common With Your #4:

1. Laurice is great at debate.

2. She lives in the south, so I don’t get to see her a lot.

3. She has a cute habit of calling many of our friends by their respective honorifics, even though they’re the same age or even when she’s literally older than some of them.

Three Things That Annoy You:

1. Making the effort to go to a store and seeing they’re closed for the day, even though they didn’t indicate it in their social media accounts.

2. Offices of government agencies and their ever-grumpy staff.

3. Filipinos’ tendency to turn 3 lanes into 6 during a traffic jam.

Three Things That Attract You To The Opposite Sex:

1. Asexual. Pass.

2. -

3. -

Three Material Items You'd Save If You're House Was On Fire:

1. My laptop, since all my work files and a whole ton of memories are in here.

2. My phone, so I can update family and friends.

3. My glasses. Realistically, I wouldn’t care about any of these and would jump up to grab my dogs instead.

Three Careers You've Considered:

1. Journalist.

2. Lawyer.

3. Historian.

Three Things You Wish You Knew About Your Future:

1. Whether marriage or kids will be part of mine.

2. When I’m dying, and what from.

3. Where I’ll end up living, and what kind of housing.

The Last Three Songs You Listened To:

1. Wait On - Hayley Williams

2. Good Grief - Hayley Williams

3. Over Those Hills - Hayley Williams. Stream Flowers for Vases, friends.

Three Things You Consider Lucky:

1. I don’t believe in lucky charms.

2. -

3. -

Three T.V. Show Characters You Wish Were Real:

1. Mr. Peanutbutter from BoJack Horseman.

2. Chandler Bing from Friends.

3. Glenn Rhee from The Walking Dead.

Three Issues You Have Strong Opinions On:

1. Racial equality.

2. Gender equality.

3. Abortion rights.

Three Things You Wish You Could Change About Yourself:

1. That I wasn’t so clumsy at work.

2. That I wasn’t too selfless all the time to just about anyone.

3. That I had a better hold of my finances and keep spending just because I’m still within budget, heheh.

Three People From Your Past You Wish You Could Spend a Day With:

1. My grandpa, who passed away before I could properly grow up and shoot the shit with him over some beer.

2. Nacho.

3. Sofie, so we can properly catch up, just the two of us.

Three Famous People You'd Like to Meet:

1. Beyoncé.

2. Hayley Williams.

3. Leni Robredo.

Three Things You Are Wearing:

1. A t-shirt.

2. A pair of shorts.

3. Underwear.

The Last Three Places You Went That Were More Than 2 Hours Away:

1. Tagaytay.

2. My dad’s family’s home in Laguna.

3. Those are the only places we’ve been to where we had to travel for a while.

The Last Three Reasons You Went to the Hospital:

1. Blood and urine test for my ~mystery illness~ last year.

2. I had to be confined for a couple of days because of low platelet count.

3. ...I was born. I haven’t made many trips to the hospital.

Three Things You Are Addicted To:

1. I’ve never felt comfortable using the term addicted because it’s an actual condition...but if you mean to ask for what I’m hooked to at the moment, I’d go with coffee.

2. And salted egg chips. I literally bought five bags of chips yesterday and I’m already finished with my third.

3. Anything Korean, tbh. Korean food, shows, music, etc...the Korean Wave is very strong over here and I’ve finally been reeled all the way in.

Three Favorite Colors:

1. Baby pink or pastel pink.

2. Mustard yellow.

3. Maroon.

Three Things You Will Do Now That This Is Over:

1. Find another one to take for later.

2. Finish my breakfast, and maybe heat up some leftover pasta because I’m still hungry.

3. Maybe get my embroidering template so I can make some progress today.

#survey #surveys

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andrastyn · 4 years ago

Text

understanding the bear

Andrastyn sat in the branches of a tree in Moonglade, a cigarette pinched between her fingers and her gaze locked on the vast Elune’ara Lake that sat below Nighthaven. Her mind was unfocused, flickering this way and that between the druidic teachings she had been given by Cuhlan, the lack of clarity in mastering the form of the bear, planning a wedding for herself and Aerimell – it all seemed overwhelming.

Especially the bear part.

The elf sighed, taking a drag from her cigarette as she adjusted her position in the tree’s limbs. The creak of wood and rustling of leaves in the wind made it easy for her to relax – the gentle swaying reminded her of the way a mother would rock her child, back and forth in a pattern so controlled it couldn’t help but to soothe.

“That’s terrible for the environment, you know.” The unfamiliar voice speaking in Darnassian startled Andrastyn from her muddled reverie, and the elf nearly fell from the tree before catching her balance and snapping her eyes towards the source.

At the base of the tree, a youthful-looking kaldorei woman stood. Pinkish-white hair fell to her waist in smooth, straight lines that flowed with the breeze around her, and she bore the purple markings of leaves around her eyes that denoted to Andrastyn that she was, at the least, an adult who had followed her rite of passage. Her eyes, while wide and observant, also bore a hint of mischief and humor at having startled Andrastyn – though, the gaze she pointed at the cigarette between the latter’s fingertips displayed her distaste clearly.

“I know,” Andrastyn replied apologetically. She leaned carefully to ash the cigarette on her boot before placing the remains in a small pouch she had designated for the exact purpose. “Trust me, I was never the littering sort.”

The other woman sighed, shrugging her shoulders. “Better than some, I suppose. Mind if I sit?” To that, Andrastyn extended a hand towards an empty branch that looked sturdy enough, albeit a little high for one to jump and climb to. It had taken Andi herself nearly five minutes to scale to her own position and keep steady.

As if in response to Andrastyn’s natural skepticism, the other elf leapt upwards and – in a flurry of feathers and beating wings – a stormcrow settled on the branch before returning to her elven form. Of course. Moonglade, Andi, these are all druids, Andrastyn chastised herself mentally. Why do you think you’re here?

“So!” the other woman spoke up, her own silvery gaze looking over her new companion thoughtfully. “What brings you to Moonglade this time? I mean, it’s not Lunar Festival, and I haven’t seen you before, so I can only assume it’s guidance you seek.”

Andrastyn’s eyes turned skyward as she gave a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Right on the head,” she commented quietly. “You aren’t wrong. I’ve been struggling with figuring out my place on this path, and it just seems… I don’t know. Impossible, sometimes.”

Leaning forward on the branch, the other elf tilted her head with a frown. “Well – how do you mean?” she asked carefully. “Druidism doesn’t come easy to everyone, but I’m no mind-reader. Speak on your troubles.” Pausing, she seemed to remember something, and laughed. “Oh! I’m so sorry. I’m Elyrin Thistlesnout.” Hooking her right hand on a branch above herself, Elyrin reached over with an extension of her left hand. Andrastyn shook it, careful not to upset the balance that kept them both seated.

“Andrastyn Sundershade. Good to meet you, Elyrin.” With a small smile from Elyrin, the two settled back into their places. Andrastyn ran a hand through her hair, sighing. “Okay. So. I’ve been – well, very recently introduced to the path, right? My mentor, he… isn’t the Cenarion Circle sort, and that works for me. He’s taught me in a way I understand – never talks down to me, does his best to help. Most of it made sense. It’s hard, sure, but it made sense.”

With a sigh and a defeated gaze to Elyrin, Andrastyn shrugged her shoulder. “Then, figuring out how to shapeshift came up. As it turns out, discovering ‘how to bear’ is a bit more complicated than I figured. I’ve tried meditation, I’ve tried conscious effort, I’ve tried studying natural rituals and whatever else can help me figure this out, I’ve tried praying that Elune works whatever magic She can to help this along… but I just can’t figure it out.

“My mentor mentioned taking a trip to Vordrassil,” Andi continued, noting Elyrin’s confused gaze at the mention of the Broken Crown. “He’s always been one of Ursol’s devotees, and thought that showing me a bit more of that aspect – of something raw, something connected – would help.”

In response, Elyrin pursed her lips, and nodded. “I don’t disagree,” she said. “Your mentor has his own ways of doing things – but, perhaps I can lend a hand. Walk with me?” Descending from the tree, Elyrin motioned for Andrastyn to follow. After a moment, she dismounted from her branch, her knees aching as she hit the ground on the balls of her feet. Elyrin smiled and looked north, into the hills surrounding Nighthaven. “I think there’s someone that can help you.”

Walking some distance – past the village, up a small path and into the hills where the shade grew thick – Elyrin looked over her shoulder to Andrastyn. “Most of the time, when we have a new druid, they seek the counsel of the great spirits. At least, they used to. That practice has been forgotten over time, and most aspiring druids are merely passed the same blessing their mentors were given. You mentioned that yours wasn’t part of the Circle… maybe the differing approach is where the discrepancy lies?”

Andrastyn blinked. “I had considered that – but he said that he hadn’t conferred with the Wild Gods. That it just… was.” That response drew a sudden, surprised laugh from Elyrin that startled Andrastyn.

“The Wild Gods? Oh, Elune, no, of course not. If I had to reach out to the Twin Bears to understand my form, I never would have learned it! No, no. When I say the great spirits...” Elyrin stepped aside as the two reached a small clearing, and in it, Andrastyn saw the towering, serene form of a bear – transparent, almost, and ghostly in appearance, but the Life coming from it was unlike anything she had ever felt. “I mean the Great Spirits.”

With a wide, proud smile, Elyrin beckoned Andrastyn forward before bowing deeply to the Great Bear Spirit, who turned its eyes on the pair with a watchful gaze. “Great Spirit,” Elyrin began, “I bring you a new student – she struggles to understand your form. Will you guide her in receiving your blessing?”

The bear sat back on its haunches, and though its mouth did not open, a rumbling voice shook forth and made itself known to Andrastyn’s ears. “Step forward, young one,” the Great Spirit spoke. “Let me have a look at you.” Andrastyn took a few timid steps forward, looking back to Elyrin – who offered a wink and an encouraging nod.

Looking back to the Great Spirit, Andrastyn bowed her head. “I want to learn the Path,” she said quietly. “But I fail to understand the tenets of shapeshifting – how to master my usage of Life. I don’t know what else to do.”

A low, chuffling laugh echoed from the form of the bear, and Andrastyn couldn’t help but be reminded of the way Cuhlan sounded similar in the same form. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she looked up to the spirit, her tension palpable.

“You… doubt yourself,” the Great Spirit spoke. “And that, my child, is exactly what prevents you from being able to learn. The heart of the bear is strong, courageous – it does not hesitate. Your actions must be pure of intent and forthright. That is strength of heart.” Andrastyn felt a warmth in her chest as the bear spoke, and a sudden vigor seemed to flood through her.

“Strength of the body is the other thing you must understand, child. It is power, swiftness of action. You must keep yourself fit at all times – physically, as well as mentally. The bear’s girth highlights its strength, as it is a ferocious foe in combat.” A tone of amusement drew into the bear’s voice as it continued. “The bear’s girth, however, belies its agility and sharpness of mind. These are surprises you must use to your advantage.”

With that, the vigor seemed to subside – it remained present, and Andrastyn felt it rush through her bones with the same bond to Life that she felt upon reaching out with her aura, but… everpresent. “I have seen your spirit – you are not new to battle. The scars you bear tell your story, child – but answer me this one question before I grant you my blessing.”

Andrastyn blinked, surprised. “… Anything, Great Spirit.”

The bear’s head seemed to tilt before it looked at Andrastyn keenly, its voice echoing forth with curiosity. “Your spirit – and your bond to Life – is not… average. It is augmented with something else. Whose bond do you carry, that changes your spirit so heavily?”

In response, Elyrin took a step forward, curious. Andrastyn, hearing the grass settle beneath the elf’s foot, nodded once and withdrew the amulet from around her neck, embedded with the sigil of the Red Dragonflight.

The Great Spirit, for a long moment, seemed to look over Andrastyn with intent. “… Your own potential remains, young one.” Andrastyn put the necklace back under her clothing, and looked back to the bear. “In fact… I believe that it will be a boon to you. You have my blessings, druid. Go… with strength.”

Andrastyn bowed deeply, whispering her thanks before returning to Elyrin, who peered at the other druid with skepticism clear in her gaze. As the two walked back towards Nighthaven, Elyrin spoke up, her eyes narrowed. “What was that all about?” she asked curiously. “What did the Great Spirit mean, ‘augmented’? Did you bind your soul to someone else’s?” She gasped. “Is it a lover?”

Andrastyn snorted. “Yes,” she answered. “My partner’s – in a way. I carry his blessing, and his own ability to use Life to heal seems to have made its home in my own. I don’t mind it… I don’t think it’s been a blockage, in any way. It just makes things a little more unique.”

“I’ll say!” Elyrin responded. “How do you feel, though? Excited? Nervous?”

Andrastyn took a deep breath, coming to a stop on one of the wooden bridges throughout Nighthaven as she found her gaze settling on the lake again. “Yes, to both, but also… calmer. A blessing is one thing. That understanding, that… potential. That’s something that will have to come with time. I think I’ll go pay my mentor a visit and discuss this with him. Elyrin?”

“Hmm?” the other druid asked, her brows raised.

“If I come back to Moonglade, I do hope I’ll run into you again. Hopefully, next time, it’ll be with less of a need for guidance – and moreso in hopes of finding a friend well off.”

“Hah!” Elyrin laughed, grinning wide. “I hope so too, Andrastyn. Safe travels – and may Elune always guide your path.” She waved before turning away, that same shift to the stormcrow sudden as a thunderclap before Elyrin was skyward and flying off towards the barrow dens. Andrastyn watched her go, her fingertips landing on the pendant around her neck.

“Not average.” Hm. That would be interesting to explore… but for now, she did owe Cuhlan and Lisana a visit.

#wowrp

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