#Best convertible backpack

[rewardbloggersseo]

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Travel Backpack

When planning your next adventure, one of the most critical items to consider is your travel backpack. A well-chosen backpack can enhance your journey, offering convenience, comfort, and functionality. Here's everything you need to know to select the perfect travel companion.

Why a Travel Backpack Matters

A travel backpack is more than just a bag; it’s an essential tool that supports your travel goals. Unlike traditional suitcases, backpacks offer hands-free convenience, mobility on uneven terrain, and compactness for easy storage. Whether you're trekking through the wilderness, hopping between urban destinations, or navigating crowded airports, the right backpack ensures you can carry your essentials effortlessly.

Key Features to Look For

Size and Capacity: Consider your travel duration and packing habits. Backpacks with capacities between 30-50 liters are ideal for short trips, while those 50-70 liters are better suited for extended journeys.

Comfort and Fit: Opt for a backpack with padded shoulder straps, a hip belt, and an adjustable sternum strap to evenly distribute weight. Ensure the bag fits your torso length to avoid discomfort.

Material and Durability: Choose materials like ripstop nylon or polyester for durability and water resistance. Reinforced stitching and sturdy zippers add to the bag’s longevity.

Compartments and Organization: Look for multiple compartments to keep your belongings organized. A dedicated laptop sleeve, external pockets, and compartments for toiletries can be highly beneficial.

Security Features: Anti-theft zippers, lockable compartments, and RFID-blocking pockets can safeguard your valuables during travel.

Whether you’re setting off on a weekend getaway or a months-long expedition, your backpack should feel like an extension of yourself—comfortable, secure, and ready for every adventure. For more travel tips and gear recommendations, share your blog at travel guest post , your trusted source for travel inspiration thoughts.

Types of Travel Backpacks

Hiking Backpacks: Built for rugged terrains, these are ideal for outdoor enthusiasts and often include hydration reservoirs.

Carry-On Backpacks: Designed to meet airline size restrictions, they are perfect for minimalist travelers.

Convertible Backpacks: These can transform into duffel bags or include detachable daypacks, providing versatility.

Tips for Packing Your Travel Backpack

Roll your clothes to maximize space and reduce wrinkles.

Keep frequently used items in accessible compartments.

Distribute weight evenly to maintain balance.

Use packing cubes for better organization.

Final Thoughts

Investing in the right travel backpack is a decision that pays off in comfort and convenience. Assess your travel needs, prioritize quality features, and choose a style that suits your journey. With the perfect backpack, your adventures will be hassle-free, letting you focus on creating unforgettable memories. For more information, read more: RewardBloggers

[worldsaparted]

id love to request a slight angsty fic where reader and johnny are best friends and reader likes johnny but johnny still loves ali so then the reader starts ignoring johnny and ends up taking his motorcycle bc she's so upset and gets hurt bc of it and then like johnny being so concerned and upset and ending with like an angsty love confession with him and reader hope this makes sense i really love your writing

I’m so sorry for the wait but thank you for this cute request! I hope I did it right!

The Flowers

It was evident that Johnny Lawrence and Y/n L/n were nearly attached at the hip for as long as they could remember. Their mothers were high school best friends and now - their children were.

It was a sensitive topic to Y/n though, of course Johnny was her best friend - she knew everything about him and he knew everything about her - but maybe the fact that the term best friend was as far as it would ever go did irk her.

As Johnny’s red car pulled to a stop in front of her white and blue house - she rushed out - carrying her belongings in hand as she threw them over and into his convertible, he glanced over from his spot - blasting his favorite cassette tapes and as Y/n took a seat, he gave a small smirk.

“Woke up on time, I see.” He began, and Y/n glanced over - her eyes rolling as she continued to organize her loose belongings.

“Just drive.”

Arriving at school on this particular Friday was quick, and as Johnny pulled to a stop - he handed the keys to Y/n - who was much better at taking care of them than him.

His eyes flickered around before he got out of the car - and he waited for Y/n to begin walking into school.

From any other point of view, you might’ve thought that Johnny Lawrence was head over heels for Y/n, and that Y/n L/n was head over heels for Johnny, and maybe it could’ve been true, but it was constantly denied.

Johnny Lawrence felt he knew where his heart stood, along with Ali Mills who dumped him 7 months ago, his eyes squinted at the sight of her with Daniel LaRusso, and he was quick to glance back over to Y/n when she called out his name - asking for him to zip her backpack up.

They quickly parted their ways for class - and as passing period going to 3rd came - Johnny Lawrence made his way to Y/n’s locker, she stuffed her belongings in, and met his eyes as he leaned his back against the locker just beside hers, he was close - and while she didn’t say anything, she felt it.

He flicked his hair to fix it, he was wearing his newest sweater, paired with his khakis that Y/n helped him pick out from JCPenney. More than that - he wore a deep black eye, and while he hated that he had to walk around with that, Y/n didn’t mind it. She studied his features, admiring them the slightest bit before he turned over, his eyes meeting hers. “Where’s Jenny?” He asked, his eyes glancing around as he asked for Y/n’a friend.

“Not here.” She responded in one breath, her eyes flickering to his lips as he stared off, though slowly - he looked back over.

“You gonna be with anyone at lunch?” He asked, now studying her expression. She was quick to shrug - closing her locker.

“No.”

Johnny thinned his lips and as the minute bell rung - he propped himself up and off of the locker. “I’ll meet you right here.” He spoke bluntly, already switching his binder from one hand to the other before making his way to his 4th period. With a sigh, Y/n shook her head.

“Johnny - ” she began, almost scolding him and the blonde boy gave a simple shrug before turning around - and opening up the double doors.

As lunch approached, and fourth period went by - Y/n sat in her math class, her legs crossed as she tapped her pencil against the desk - it was quiet as the rest of the class finished up their quiz, and she practically yearned for the bell to ring. Once it did, she quickly propped herself up from her desk and made her way out to her own locker.

Johnny Lawrence already stood against it, his eyes searching around - a judgmental look to them until they landed on Y/n. His expression softened, and he began making his way over, bumping those he didn’t like and finally - he stood in front of Y/n and placed his hands on his hips.

She clutched her binder against her chest - glancing up to him every time he spoke as they made their way to the cafeteria - shoulders brushing against eachother. He paid for her lunch along with his own, and they sat across from one another - eating it as they spoke.

His legs softly grazed hers, and he left it there - taking his water and drinking from it as she spoke of her math test, and this was enough. The way he looked at her, and the way his eyes never left her as she spoke - it was evident he loved her and while she couldn’t tell in what way - she admired that.

His protective instincts were up 100 % with her, and she could see that.

He dropped her off at home that day, saying his goodbye and sending his sweet smile as she made her way out.

While her Friday nights never occurred of much, she was excited to be home. She spent the day in her room - and as the sun began to set, she stirred in her seat, her mind stuck in the image of Johnny Lawrence and the feeling of his leg up against hers.

Y/n L/n took deep breaths before she snuck out her own window, it was getting darker and darker but Johnny lived a block away - so she wasn’t bothered with walking. Her breath raced, and she clutched Her fists by her side as she made her way over.

The Lawrence residence was nice and fancy, Y/n slowed to a stop as she turned - nervously sighing before making her way up the steps.

And on the walk over, she decided. She’d tell him. Exactly how she felt about him, she’d break it to him.

As she stepped up and out of the house, Johnny excited his front door - he held a small bouquet of flowers in hand - his eyes landing on Y/n and widening a bit.

Her heart stopped at the sight, was this the perfect timing or was she just the unluckiest girl to walk earth? Her eyes narrowed and she cleared her throat - both of them frozen.

“Where are you..going?” She gestured to his flowers, and Johnny looked down at them, clutching them in hand before turning back to her.

“Gonna go talk to Ali.” He informed, and T/n’s heart sank. It was the second one.

She hid the disappointment and nodded, and at that - Johnny lost a small sense of confidence. He gestured to her now. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

“Well,” she glanced around, gulping nervously and swinging her hands by her sides. “I was gonna ask about seeing your..your bike. I just wanna mess around with it, I won’t go anywhere - I promise.” Her eyes landed on the motorcycle of Johnny’s and he furrowed his brows - looking over to his hike and then to her. To everyone else, he said no. But to Y/n, he’d allow it. He popped back into his house and grabbed the keys, handing them over to her and she took them - holding the keys up.

“Thanks, John.” She smiled, her breath shaky.

“Be careful.” He spoke sternly, making his way to his own car and it took so long for his eyes to leave hers but once they did - he got into his car, and he drove off.

At the sight of him gone, Y/n got onto the bike. Sure he’s guided her sometimes, and sure he taught her lots about these things so she figured why not test it?

As she turned the engine on, her heart began to race and she smiled the slightest bit. Maybe this was why Johnny loved it so much. The thrill.

Riding it was rocky at first, and she did feel out of place, to be riding in an outfit such as this. Her eyes checked the neighborhood frequently as she drove through and it wasn’t til she hit the main streets in which she began going fast.

Now, she was sure she got the hang of it, and she’d tell Johnny she was finally on his level now.

She wore her strongest jacket as it was getting colder out, and the wind blew strongly into her face, causing her to struggle a bit and she paid no attention to that until her altercation. Y/n found complete regret when she nearly crashed and collided with another car - her heart raced and instead of stopping, she steered around. Her eyes were everywhere until she attempted to make a left turn, and there - she was hit.

It was a good few minutes of calming herself down after that small problem with Johnny, but now - she was aching from her leg that clashed against the floor - the motorcycle pressing her down as well.

The last thing she truly remembered was her leg pain - and thankfully, she woke up in the Encino Hospital - she wore her own clothes though her jeans were cut off due to her leg injury. She sat there, and as she stirred awake - she took notice to the empty room.

Her parents had work and probably didn’t know - so she didn’t expect much - though at the sound of an angry boy who was snapping at doctors outside, she knew who her first visitor would be.

“Piss off, man - I know her.” And then, Johnny Lawrence came from the curtains. His eyes softened at the sight of her being okay, but still, he rushed to her side, kneeling down.

“What did you do?” He sounded mad, but also worried. His eyes searched hers and she struggled to find the right words, so she didn’t say anything - instead she gave a shrug.

“Did you do this on purpose? Did I make you mad?”

“Johnny, I’m fine. Nothing happened.”

“Bullshit your legs nearly crushed.” He seethed a bit, and Y/n took a deep breath, inching away from him and as he took notice to that - he calmed himself down. His cheeks were pink and he pulled a chair up, sitting beside her.

“I’m sorry about your bike - ” She said, and when it was silent in response, Y/n groaned. She should have expected for him to be like this, but it the fact that he was disappointed her.

“You’re mad at me?” She scoffed, and Johnny glanced over - nodding quickly. “How are you mad at me? I didn’t mean for this.”

“That’s the point, L/n. You didn’t mean for it but you didn’t think to put some thought into this? You’ve never rode a bike.” He exasperated; his hands were holding onto his knees and he shook his head.

“Are you scolding me right now?”

“Someone has to, right?” He gave her this remark, his voice just as loud as hers and she left her mouth parted - her eyes watering in the slightest, so naturally she looked away.

“If it were Ali Mills right here, would you be scolding her?” She spoke, after one big breath.

“What?” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What are you talking about?” His eyes slowly glanced up to her and she shrugged.

“Just a question.”

At this, Johnny’s heart stopped. His eyes were glued onto Y/n and she couldn’t even think to look back over at him, moving up from the chair, he took the extra space on the bed to sit there, facing her and attempting to make eye contact. “What are you talking about?”

Nothing.

Being the hothead he was, Johnny scoffed. His eyes averted from her and he looked up at the ceiling. “Ignore me then - I’ll just go, doesn’t feel like you want me here anyways.”

As he began to stir, getting up - Y/n glanced over - her eyes finally catching his. He stood, but he stayed, his eyes stuck on hers and she took a deep breath.

“Why were you giving Ali flowers?” As she asked this, she looked away once again and he sighed, his hands down by his sides and he blinked before answering.

But he could t give a clear response, he knew what this was about - he knew this subject too well. The longing of being with his best friend was something strong, and as he stammered for a response - her lips curved into a bitter smile.

“Don’t.” He began, pointing at her and she looked over - dropping the smile. “Don’t start with that, because you know why I went to her.”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t?” He scoffed.

“No, so tell me. Tell me why she gets those pretty flowers, John. Really, I wanna know.”

He gave a short sigh - shaking his head and he searched for a response before finding one, ranting. “Maybe because i wanted to, hm?”

He began stammering again, this was a record for Johnny Lawrence. In front of him was his girl, his. And he’d say that to himself but as he watched her swoon and distract herself with other guys, he could never think to show that.

“Did you?” Y/n asked, sarcastically, and with the same energy - Johnny responded.

“Yes. I did.” He gave a firm nod; and in the short pause he couldn’t help but switch his point. “You know damn well that I gave her those flowers because you were busy with Ricky for half of high school.”

Then, her heart stopped. She looked over and there Johnny was - his face turning red. “If I can fix things with Ali, why should I ever be jealous of you and the guys you walk with going to 6th? Or the guys that sit next to you in Physics..”

He went on, “Don’t ask me shit you already know the answer to.” He pointed his hand at her, and Y/n’s eyes narrowed - they never fought like this and right now was different. It was scary. But her heart raced and she wanted Johnny to know that she was angry too. Still, she responded with her voice soft.

“I don’t care about guys at school unless they’re you.” Her voice was low, and Johnny’s look of embarrassment and anger slowly faded. “You think I like seeing you fight over another girl? When all I care about is your attention?” Her voice grew louder now and she wanted to keep going - she wanted to get louder.

“When all I want, all I’ve ever wanted is you?!”

As she shook her head, taking a pause Y/n turned and before she could continue - she felt the soft tug on her shirt collar, Johnny was leaning one hand on her bed as he leaned over - and he pulled her lips into his. It was a needy kiss, he kept it rough because they were both pretty worked up and he was gentle when he sat down, moving his hands to cup her face.

He had so much to say as their lips went on against one another’s, but he wouldn’t start anywhere - anywhere other than, “I’m so in love with you.” He said this against her lips and smiled in her grip, she was okay and he softly rubbed circled on her cheeks with his thumb, nodding into the kiss.

[allforthegaymes]

Neil josten and his disposable cameras against the world.

Neil josten who has spent his entire life ducking away from photos, whose heart still beats a little faster when he sees a photo blown up for a poster on the side of the stadium when the season starts up again. Who sees a news article about himself go up and refuses to read it, trusting his pr manager (and andrew) to make sure anything posted about him isnt something weird.

Neil josten with a different disposable camera tucked into the pockets of every pair of jeans, each backpack and duffel bag, and shoved into nearly any crevice of the apartment.

(Andrew fishes at least one a month out of the dryer after they get forgotten in Neils jeans)

At first Abby had suggested it as a way to get more used to hearing a camera flash and associate it with something positive.

So theres rolls and rolls of film developed around the dorm, photos of the foxes, the stadium when the sun sets over it and lights the sky up orange. Blurry photos from Edens of Aaron and Nicky dancing to ABBA, photographed right after is a picture of both of them leaning on the bar wall outside crying into their phones trying to call Katelyn and Erik.

(Andrew corrals them into the car when he realizes that Aaron and Nicky drunkenly called one another and had been blabbering to one another from just over a foot away thinking they’d actually called their respective partners)

A series of photos of Kevin drunk and half leaning over the bar trying to snag someone elses drink that Roland is in the middle of mixing, showing Roland darting back and forth trying to dodge Kevins long reach.

Another photo of Kevin being dragged out of Edens by security, Rolands mixer held up victoriously in his hand as he’s brought outside.

A picture of Allison leaning against her pink convertible. Her hair is tossed back behind her and her mouth is open with a loud bark of laughter. She’d glared at Neil after for taking a picture of her unaware but she has the photo pinned up in the girls dorm room anyways.

Photos of all the cats at the shelter when they decide to adopt Sir. Most of the photos are of Sir. Nearly all of them looking identical because of the Persian’s inability to not have a permanent glare on his face.

The cycle repeats when they get King. The Scottish Folds face etched with a permanently shocked look.

Theres a photo of her on the bathroom counter, feet blurry in the bottom of the photo but its clear shes trying to scramble backwards, the edge of a hair tie looped around the sink faucet and the other half lodged in her mouth as she tries valiantly to pull it loose without getting it in the water spray as Andrew washes his face in the mirrors reflection.

Andrew takes up the majority of the photos. Sure there’s hundreds pictures of the other foxes scattered about but Andrew is always Neil’s main focus.

Wether its actually Andrew framed front and center, always trying to give his typical unimpressed look but constantly betrayed by the uptick of the corners of his mouth, the slightest peak of his teeth when he closes his eyes at the beginning of a tired smile towards Neil.

Or if its not related to Andrew, the essence of him always ends up leaking in. The curl of cigarette smoke at the bottom of a photo of the sunset view from the top of Fox Tower. The reflection of his arm bands in the photo Neil snapped of the Maserati in the rain.

Neil’s favorites are the ones of him and Andrew in their house after theyve gone pro. Its a cozy house out in Washington, close enough to the Seattle team that they can comfortably commute each day without having to actually live within the city.

The lighting is always half shit because of the constant overcast sky outside. But the array of lamps inside always try their best to make the photos look orange and cozy.

Andrew sat asleep in Neils armchair. The bright orange fabric something that Andrew had huffed and rolled his eyes at, but constantly found himself in instead of the black designer chaise Andrew had bought. Both cats are on him. Sir sat on his shoulder glaring down at King, who is in the process of trying to eat his hoodie strings.

Andrew stood in the kitchen, his bare back turned towards Neil as he pours a smoothie out from the blender, arm already reached behind him and holding Neil’s smoothie glass out towards him.

Andrew a half second later, turned looking startled over his shoulder in shock from the sound of the camera shutter as Neils smoothie is caught in motion falling to the floor. Another photo following of Neil hunched over on the floor sweeping up glass.

A photo of Andrew stood with his hip cocked looking up at the light fixture on the ceiling, arms crossed in front of his chest as he stares up at it, the light half ripped out of the ceiling when he’d gotten the midnight urge to change it and then quickly remembered he was a professional athlete and not an electrician.

Andrew hunched over in the engine of a Mustang. The cars an obnoxious bright yellow, two black racing stripes gone up the middle of the hood. His hands are covered in grease and theres a streak of grease running through his short blonde hair as well. Theres a wrench in his hand and a jug of some fluid propped on the engine that Neil doesnt care enough to understand what its for.

And Neil knows the foxes start taking more pictures of him, can hear the camera shutter or see the flash going off but doesnt flinch away or try to sidestep out of the way anymore. Doesnt care that theres evidence of Neil Josten being a real man that exists and lives a real life outside of fake IDs and lies, because he has photos of the life he’s created for himself as well.

[raiiny-bay]

update: i am having fun

i figured out how to extract fo4 models to use in blender :-)

[williceunleashed]

Here is Dardanne, he mirrors Melony, who's perpetually on Ghetsis's side, while Dar ultimately chooses to pick N's side

More infos under the cut !

Dardanne's Politoed was originally his father's pokémon. He followed him when he ran away from home.

Politoed dies of old age during the 2 years gap between b1w1 and b2w2.

Dardanne has some sort of selective mutism. He barely talks to strangers and can sometimes give incoherent answers due to stress. In b1w1, he physically cannot talk to people he considers "scary" (the Sages, the whole Harmonia family, gym leaders, anyone with some sort of authority over him)

The mutism gets better in b2w2 and he can now talk to almost everyone :)

Dardanne joined Plasma as a teenager after fleeing from his abusive home, with his father's Politoed and a backpack. His family didn't look for him, believing he left to become a trainer. Being a runaway, he wasn't considered a high priority for authorities anyway

Dardanne was in a very vulnerable situation before joining Plasma, and ended up joining out of despair because at this point he had nowhere else to go. Also, the idea of helping pokémons in danger was of course very appealing to him

Dardanne has some sort of sibling-like relationship with Melony in b1w1, and Melony is the one showing him the ropes and mentoring him. They also relate to each other on having difficult home life (not in quite the same intensity tho), being trans and generally being autistic. They are also both kalossian.

Dardanne is one of the grunts who is in charge of escorting N throughout Unova in b1w1. Dardanne slowly comes out of his shell and bonds with N as the both of them come to conclude that Team Plasma's ideology might be wrong. Dardanne and N also have some really cool bonding over childhood traumas and autism

N and Dardanne infodump on each other A LOT

At the best of their relationship, they go full on autism-mode and they stim with each other. Also if one of them makes a weird sound, you can be sure the other will repeat it, and it won't stop for hours

The both of them do enjoy physical contact with each other (hugs, petting, kisses) as long as enough pressure is applied to the touch for their body to register it properly (The autism is strong with these two). N can give awkward hugs to others, but Dardanne dislikes physical contact from people other than N, Rood or Alder.

When Ghetsis reveals that the end goal of Team Plasma is to take over Unova with him as the new leader, Dardanne is devastated, because he lost the few landmarks he had finally acquiered; Team Plasma collapses on itself and everyone picks a side or goes back home. Dardanne doesn't have a home to go back to, refuses to follow Ghetsis, and N is gone.

Melony leaves Dardanne behind, as Mel chooses to follow Ghetsis, later becoming part of Neo Plasma

During b2w2, like several repentant ex-plasma grunts, Dardanne is taken care of by Alder and Rood to deconstruct the damages the cult brainwashing has done.

Despite being sent to the Safe House of Driftveil, Dardanne often leaves and hangs out in the abandoned Castle, looking for a sense of comfort and routine again, despite the Castle being a place of abuse

Between b1w1 and b2w2 he converts into a normal trainer with the encouragements of Rood. He doesn't catch pokémons, still following N's ideas from b1w1, and instead adopts pokémons who have been left behind or abused by their trainers

When N comes back, Dardanne still feels a strong sense of loyalty to him after years of cult brainwashing, and despite trying his best not to, he will still act like N's grunt from time to time

During b2w2, Dardanne lives by himself with his pokémons in a small isolated house. He regularly takes in abused pokémons and takes care of them, giving them back some trust in humans. Afterwards, the pokémons are usually either freed, or given to a new, caring trainer. As for work, Dardanne works at the local Pokémon Nursery

Despite being in a better place and slowly saving money, Dardanne refuses any kind of physical transition, as he doesn't trust medical staff and is generally scared of operations (the few times he had to get stitches in Plasma were not great times). Thankfully, he doesn't get much body dysphoria

Dardanne struggles to befriend anyone outside of former Plasma members (his parental figure is Rood, his partner is N...)

Dardanne goes to win the badges eventually, post b2w2, with N at his side. N also participates, just for the fun of it, this time.

N does give Zekrom to the player of b2w2, but Zekrom chooses to return to him once the events of b2w2 end. N also reunites with Concordia, Anthea, Rood and his Zoroark (very important)

Happiness ensues

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 48

Part 1 Part 47

The nostalgia of the morning cannot be overstated for Steve. Sure, the fight over the bathroom is more cramped than it used to be, and Eddie’s much grumpier in the mornings than Tommy’s ever been. And yeah, Eddie doesn’t have enough spare toothbrushes, so Steve has to fake disgust when Carol snatches his out of his hand and starts brushing her own teeth with nary a rinse-off.

Carol digs through Eddie’s drawers until she finds a shirt ripped up enough that tucking it into yesterday’s jeans looks like a purposeful statement instead of a walk-of-shame look, ignoring Eddie’s squawking. Steve does the same, and by the time they stumble into the morning dressed and ready, Eddie looks like he’s adopted a couple preps he’s converted to his demonic metal ways. It’s Carol’s hair – too perky by halves. 

And yeah, Uncle Wayne is sitting at the table, eyebrows raised like he’s trying to figure out the minutiae of the three of them coming out of his nephew’s room bright and early on a random Tuesday morning. Sleepovers at Steve or Tommy’s never involved any sort of parental oversight, and one’s at Carol’s involved everyone sneaking out of the window to avoid the breakfast table all together.

“Didn’t make enough toast,” Uncle Wayne mutters tiredly, even as his eyes vertifiably twinkle over his mug as he looks between the three of them before settling onto his nephew.

Eddie, never a morning person even on the best of days, slumps down in his customary chair, thumping his forehead down on the table with a groan. 

Carol scoffs, scooping up a piece of toast and eggs onto one of the two empty plates laid out, glaring at Eddie as she takes a ferocious bite. Then, seemingly remembering her manners, she smiles over at Uncle Wayne like butter wouldn’t melt and sweetly says, “thank you, Uncle Wayne.”

Steve goes to the counter, shoving two more pieces of bread in the toaster and waiting impatiently for them to pop back up. 

Behind him, Eddie’s near-snoring into his eggs, snuffling. Steve turns around, smiling as Uncle Wayne elbows him in the ribs. “Introduce me to your friend, boy.”

“Not my friend,” Eddie mutters. Steve turns back force the half-baked toas up and out of the toaster impatiently just as Eddie hurriedly continues, “but this is Carol Perkins! Steve’s–”

“Best friend,” Carol says. Steve slides back over to them, leaning against the fridge to watch the show, unwilling to slink off into the living room when there’s a show to be had. He eats both pieces dry, choking it down with a glass of orange juice he pours from the fridge.

He downs the cup, wiping his juice-mustache, before meeting Uncle Wayne’s judgemental eyes. “Don’t have room for another stow-away.”

Carol chokes on her eggs as Steve laughs. “This one will be leaving,” he says.

Everyone ignores Eddie grumbling quietly under his breath. “Aww, Stevie,” she says, pouting up at him and lowering one of her eyelids mockingly. “You trying to get rid of little old me?”

Steve rolls his eyes, turning his back to rinse out his juice cup before putting it carefully on the rack to dry. “Whatever,” he mutters, walking past the table to go snag their backpacks from Eddie’s room, stomping out of the trailer with a called, “bye, Uncle Wayne!” to wait for the other two by the van.

Eddie comes stumbling out, clearly being pushed along by an unmerciful Carol. He slides into the driver’s seat just as Steve’s buckling his seatbelt. Instead of settling down in the back, Carol sits between them on the floor, bickering with Eddie over what cassette they should play.

When they park, Carol barely waits for the van to come to a complete stop before jumping out and skipping off, blowing a kiss over her shoulder just before she melds into the mob that is the student body at large.

Steve and Eddie sit in silence for a moment, reveling in the silence, like the echoing quiet after a bomb has gone off. Or when the cops come, and someone cuts the music at a party.

“What a freak,” Eddie says. He sounds like he can’t decide between being impressed or disgusted by her, unsure where he’s going to land.

Steve laughs, sliding out of the car himself, following in Carol’s wake. The day passes, Steve rides the wave of it, a buoy on the waves that never quiet settles into one spot.

It’s not Carol who sits at their table at lunch, but a Nancy-less Jonathan. Steve smiles absently at him as he squeezes between Steve and Eddie, eyes shifting over to his old table. Carol’s already there, whispering heatedly into Tommy’s ear. He looks sullen, eyebrows pinched and mouth sneering the way it always does when someone tells him something he doesn’t want to hear. Carol smack him with the back of her hand, hard in the arm until he leans away, full-on scowling as she continues to scold him.

It doesn’t take a genius to guess the topic of their conversation, especially after Tommy’s eyes lock with Steve’s across the busy lunchroom. Their gazes hold. Tommy looks serious, sad in a way he rarely is, even more rarely lets show in public. Steve’s heart shudders, the long-buried desire for the past rearing its head.

But then Jonathan leans into him, whispers, “I think we should tell someone,” and Steve glances his way.

When he looks back, Tommy’s turned away entirely, slamming the contents of his tray into the trash as he stalks out of the cafeteria entirely. Steve looks back to Carol, who meets his eyes with a snarl on her face, shrugging, like she’s indifferent to Tommy’s reaction. Steve sighs, looking away.

“Tell someone what?” Steve asks quietly.

Jonathan leans closer, lowering his voice even further. “About your weird powers,” Jonathan replies, the “duh” silent but heavily implied by his tone.

Steve scrunches his nose up, looking over Jonathan’s head at Eddie, who looks just as baffled as he is. “…who?” Eddie asks, just as Steve says, “why?”

Jonathan looks back and forth between them, his eyes just as intense as usual. “The lab people contacted Mom,” he says, mouth barely moving. “They wanted to check up on Will, see how he’s doing.”

Steve looks at Eddie over Jonathan’s hunched shoulders. For once, he can’t tell what Eddie’s thinking. Can’t even tell what he’s thinking himself besides a visceral reaction of wrong wrong wrong that makes him want to curl up in a ball somewhere dark and small.

“Uh, they experimented on a kid, dude,” Eddie says, scoffing. “No way in hell should we trust them with any further weirdness.”

“They what?” Steve demands.

Eddie waves his hand placatingly. “Later, Stevie,” he says, not taking his eyes away from Jonathan. “If Mama Byers wants to trust shady government goons, you shouldn’t tell her either.”

Jonathan looks down at the table. Steve notices he hadn’t even bothered to grab lunch before sitting down. He scoots his own food closer to Jonathan, feels relieved when he immediately steals a couple fries.

“But what if she makes him go?” Jonathan whispers around the fry in his mouth. “What if there’s something actually wrong with Will?” Left unsaid, is that if something’s wrong with Will, there’s something wrong with all three of them.

The tight ball of Steve’s emotions curls up tighter, constricting his throat until it’s hard to choke out, “we’ll go with him.”

Eddie squawks, “what?” incredulously, leaning over Jonathan like he wants to shake Steve where he sits. Their friends quiet around the table, staring over at them, attention caught from Eddie’s shocked outburst. Eddie smiles nervously around the table before murmuring from the side of his mouth, “fucking fine!”

Steve slumps, relieved. Disappointed. Stressed enough that his organs are eating themselves inside him.

He eats a fry, like a normal boy on a normal Tuesday lunchtime would do. “Let us know what she decides to do,” he demands.

Jonathan nods. He spends the rest of lunch taking up space between them. A Byers is a Byers is a Byers, but Steve can’t help spending the rest of lunch tugging at the tie between him and Will, hoping the kid is okay.

Part 49

Taglist: @deany-baby @estrellami-1 @altocumulustranslucidus @evillittleguy @carlprocastinator1000 @1-8oo-wtfbro @hallucinatedjosten @goodolefashionedloverboi @newtstabber @lunabyrd @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @manda-panda-monium @disrespectedgoatman @finntheehumaneater @ive-been-bamboozled @harringrieve @grimmfitzz @is-emily-real @dontstealmycake @angeldreamsoffanfic @a-couchpotato @5ammi90 @mac-attack19 @genderless-spoon @kas-eddie-munson @louismeds @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @pansexuality-activated @ellietheasexylibrarian @nebulainajar @mightbeasleep @neonfruitbowl @beth--b @silenzioperso

[confidentkiwisims]

This is a little collection of 4t2 stuff from the Base Game with a kids theme!

I decided that the llama just needed to be in my game, and then made a little set out of it that was centered around kids. I also included the new RCs for the backpack (previously converted by The Ninth Wave and hafiseazale) as well as the new lunch box.

The cork board isn't specifically kids-themed, but I can never have enough cork boards and might update it later with a more kids themed texture :)

I forgot to add the Tiny Teacher blocks in the pic, but they're in the downlolad.

As always, let me know if something is wrong!

DOWNLOAD ALL

#1 Mom Wall Decal DOWNLOAD

Always Has a Snack Bag DOWNLOAD

Baby Nursery Art (and Working for Peanuts on the same mesh) DOWNLOAD

Curated Cork Board DOWNLOAD

Fully Functional Helicopter DOWNLOAD

Koalified Best Buddy DOWNLOAD

Lala the Llama DOWNLOAD

Little Squeakheart DOWNLOAD

Pencil Holder DOWNLOAD

Spuds in Space DOWNLOAD

The Don't Break Your Backpack DOWNLOAD

Tiny Teacher Nesting Blocks DOWNLOAD

Winsome Growth Chart DOWNLOAD

@sims4t2bb

[starcrossedxwriter]

Wicked Fantasies Part 5 (MBJ x OC)

Warnings: Slow burn, NSWF… All the past warnings and series warnings apply lol this is just pure filth lol not gonna lie.

“Bonjour Mademoiselle Turner. Welcome to Le Hotel Shangri-La Paris. We hope you had a pleasant travel experience? I know you must be tired.” 

As if her body wanted to respond to the concierge who was leading her through the hotel, her only response was a deep yawn that made him hum in agreement. 

“Sorry… the jet lag is rough.” She had been so anxious on the flight that she had barely slept. She had thought of a million random things… the dangers of traveling alone, even though she was meeting someone else, how much time Michael would actually have to spend with her, if it was even safe to travel halfway around the world with a man she met a little over a month ago, how she knew precious little about what even they were going to do for a week. She had just boarded a flight and asked little to no questions. Once she was on the flight, it dawned on her that if something went wrong, she knew nothing and no one there. Just Michael. But still, despite those practical concerns, she did not regret the decision. She was hopeful that it was going to be as amazing as she imagined it would be as she prepared all week.

She took a sip of the glass of champagne they gave her upon arrival. She could now fully understand why the wealthy were so determined to remain so if this was how they lived. This was high living, high cotton as her grandma used to say. From the moment she stepped out of her apartment building to right now, she had not had to use her brain to think of a single thing. Everything was taken care of. She had not even touched a single piece of her luggage since she left the apartment. When she landed in Paris, she had a moment of panic as she realized she did not know how to get to her hotel. She was about to make a beeline toward a taxi when she spotted a burly driver holding a sign up with her name who took her straight to the hotel. 

The hotel was something plucked straight out of every novel she had ever read about kings and queens, a converted palace drenched in finery and elegance. The marble hallways gilded in gold, tall ceilings donned with crystal chandeliers. It was as if she had stepped back in time and was headed to a ball. And it had all been thoughtfully arranged by a certain prince. 

“Well, Mr. Jordan ensured your suite would be ready when you arrived so you can rest. Though I tend to recommend remaining awake if you can. We are in a fantastic location. There is much to see and do and we have a car here for you. Monsieur Martin, the gentleman who picked you up from Charles de Gaulle? He will be your driver during your stay. He can take you anywhere you’d like.” 

“Thank you.” 

“This,” the man opened the door to her suite. “Is our suite Chaillot.” He pushed open the door and held it so Raven could enter first, her eyes widening as she took in the suite. 

She stood in the living room, sitting her backpack on the couch as she scanned the space. The entire room felt serene, designed in shades of taupe and teal that made the space feel extremely homey for a hotel. Her hand rubbed the soft velvet fabric of the couch as she glanced around, her eyes landing on the French doors that led to her terrace. 

“Ah the best part, in my opinion,” he smiled as he watched her take a step toward the terrace. He walked over to the double doors that led to the wraparound terrace and pushed them open. 

Raven followed him outside, her eyes landing on the Eiffel Tower in the distance. She was shocked at how close it was, just over the river. 

“A perfect view of our crown jewel. Mr. Jordan’s suite and this one have my favorite views in the hotel. Some would argue that Bonaparte’s apartment has the best view but I must disagree.”

“That is spectacular,” she muttered as she leaned against the concrete railing. Paris had always been on her bucket list, one of those cities and destinations that everyone went to and raved about. She wondered if it would live up to the hype and it was already exceeding it. 

“Would you like us to set up breakfast out here for you in the morning? 9 a.m.?”

“Yes, please.” 

“Excellent. I will leave you to rest.” A knock at the door interrupted him. “Oh there are your bags. Please call down to the concierge if you would like the car brought around for you or if you need anything else. Mr. Jordan asked me to give you this,” he handed her a card from his pocket. “I hope you enjoy your stay with us and your time in Paris.”

He opened the door and helped the men place her two suitcases into the bedroom before giving her a nod and closing the door behind him. She had likely gone overboard packing but she wanted options. 

Raven stared at the door for a few moments before turning to get a 360 view of the suite. She tapped the card on her palm as she walked to the bedroom. She kicked off her sneakers and promptly flopped down onto the bed with a content giggle. 

“What the fuck is my life right now?” She whispered. 

She opened the envelope and smiled as she read his writing. 

Welcome to Paris. Kept me on my toes wondering if you were gonna come, not gonna lie. Figured you’d want the day to rest and I have press and events until late tonight. I set up treatments for you at the spa starting at 4 and got you a day pass so you can relax by the pool there. Enjoy the night and I’ll come by when I get back if you’re still awake.

Michael

Raven let out the most childish squeal of her life before letting her arm fall onto the bed. She had made an agreement with herself on the plane that she was going to indulge in all the luxuries Michael offered and she could afford to. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and, she knew, the only one she would get with Michael before they broke up. She was determined to enjoy every second of it. And she appreciated that he seemed to know a day of pampering was exactly what she needed. 

She glanced around, realizing she still had almost six hours until her spa treatments. She quickly grabbed another athleisure set from her bag and hopped in the shower. After a quick but still luxurious shower, she felt slightly more awake and refreshed and slid back on her shoes to go on a walk. She grabbed her wallet and AirPods before heading to the lobby. 

“Mademoiselle, would you like me to have the car brought around?” The concierge asked as she walked through the lobby. 

However, she quickly shook her head. “No, I think I’ll just walk. Thanks!” 

She would certainly get plenty of use out of the car while she was there but today, she just wanted to roam. She wanted to see the shops and people watch and just enjoy being in a new city. She put in her headphones and slid on her sunglasses before venturing down a random side street. Naturally, her feet gravitated toward the Eiffel Tower. She spent over two hours roaming the expansive parks surrounding it, getting a million pictures of the tower and selfies by the river. She knew she was giving strong tourist vibes but she could not hope to care.

She stopped for lunch at this small sandwich shop and bought a crepe from a street vendor for her walk back. By the time she returned, it was almost time for her spa evening. Not only was she thankful for the manicure, pedicure, facial, and massage, she was grateful Michael once again arranged everything for her. She was far too tired to use her brain for anything useful. She knew she was beyond exhausted when she laid down on the massage table and was asleep before the man even truly started. She only remembered him touching her shoulders before he had to wake her up and tell her the two hours were done. But every muscle in her body felt 10x more relaxed than when she first laid down so she knew it had been a success. 

She almost forewent dinner but was able to stay awake long enough to order and wait for room service. However, as soon as she finished eating, she settled into the couch and dozed off. She did not take the extra steps to get in the bed or put her phone on sleep mode because she did not want to miss Michael knocking on her door when he was back. Though she knew he would happily wait until tomorrow to see her just so he did not wake her up, she did not want that. She wanted to see him… tonight. 

And she was not disappointed when a loud knock jolted her out of her sleep. She quickly jumped up and wiped her mouth, feeling a bit of drool from her deep sleep. 

“Gross,” she muttered as her body protested getting up. 

She ran her fingers through her hair, which she had gotten blown out and pressed before the trip, knowing she had messed it up slightly by forgetting to wrap it before falling asleep. She almost tripped over her backpack to get to the door and swing it open. 

“Hey.” 

“Hi,” she offered with a smile, attempting to hide some of the excitement she felt at seeing him. 

“Didn’t mean to wake you… know it’s late.” 

She stepped aside so he could enter. “Don’t worry about it. You invited me, seems like I could stay awake long enough to say hi. This suite is insane. You could’ve just put me up in a regular room in a hotel that doesn’t cost thousands a night, you know?” 

She gave him a quick once over as he walked into the suite and perched on the arm of the couch. He was in a gorgeous red suit, perfectly tailored to his form as if it was his own skin. He looked sexy as fuck. But she could tell he was just as, if not more, exhausted than her. His usual perfect posture lacked a bit, his shoulders hunched over as if he could not hold them up any longer. His lips were tugged down in a frown and his nose was scrunched up a bit, which he typically only did when something was wrong. 

He merely shrugged and winked at her. “Maybe a regular nigga woulda done that. But that ain’t me. Have a good flight and everythin’?” 

She yawned. “Yea, didn’t sleep much but first class was…” she did the motion to say chef’s kiss causing Michael to grin brightly. 

It had only been a week but he missed her. Getting to see her this week had been the light at the end of this hellish tunnel of a press tour. He loved his job, he was living his dream and he was beyond blessed to do so. But the grind was exhausting. He had been working nonstop for almost a decade, between projects and press tours, he went and never stopped. Perhaps because he was on the most important run of his career, the pressure, the exhaustion, the weight of it all felt like tons on his back this time around. But with Raven here, he would have a reprieve, however brief each day. He could be whoever he needed to be with her and that was the rest he did not know he needed until he stood in her presence. 

“Walked around for a couple hours. Got a crepe just on the side of the road… which I’m gonna gain like 100 pounds this week between that and the pastries. The spa treatments were amazing… well, at least the ones I was awake for,” they both laughed. “Thank you for this. Seriously. Haven’t had a vacation in a while..”

“Good, I’m glad. And I know, that’s why I invited you. Glad you’re here. Oh I wanted to give you this,” he pulled out his wallet and slid out his Black card and put it in her hand. 

The mere weight of the card in her hand let her know the limit on it did not exist. 

She held it up between two of her fingers. “What’s this for?” 

“A couple things. I got a photoshoot tomorrow. Got one surprise for you in the morning but then it’s all you until the late afternoon. Then I got reservations for us for dinner. Whatever you wanna do, charge it to that card. Day after, my stylist is gonna take you shopping. All his favorite shops, they’ll pull pieces. He is instructed to ensure you buy anything you like. Don’t argue. In fact…” He glanced around for a moment and eyed her wallet on the dining table before grabbing it. 

“Hey!” She rushed forward and started grabbing at it but he held it over his head, knowing she was too short to take it from him. He held it up and rifled inside it, finding every card that could be used as currency and the cash she brought to convert. He held those in a tight grip in his fist while putting his card in it and handing her the striped wallet that now only had his card and her ID. “Give those backkk.” 

“Not a chance. I invited you so I’m payin’ for everything. The only card you touch till you land back in LA is that one. And you’ll get these back when we get home. Understood?” 

“I can’t accept that! I will happily pay for whatever I want to do when we aren’t together.” 

“You can and will accept it. I order you to,” his hand grabbed her chin to force her eyes to his. 

“I’m not on my knees… who says you can give orders right now?” She smirked at the way his eyes seemed to light up at her sass, her bratty attitude. 

He chuckled. “I see someone already forgot they have a punishment waitin’ huh? You wanna add to it?” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” she offered with a innocent smile. 

Michael tucked that away for later. Once she got over that little jet lag, he was going to tear that ass up. 

“Besides, the stores he’s takin’ you to… well, they ain’t all just for you. There’s one store where he’ll wait outside. A lingerie boutique. The staff is under specific instructions not to let you leave without, at least, one set for every night of the week. Figured I should get somethin’ out of this shopping spree.” 

Raven’s lips turned into a playful grin. “Well that does only seem fair, I suppose. Any special requests for that particular store?” 

“One set needs to be black and gold. Otherwise, it’s all you.” 

She raised an eyebrow as she realized why he wanted her in black and gold. Visions of Erik Killmonger immediately flooded her mind and a couple of visions that she knew she could never breathe out loud. Her mental break must have been obvious because Michael waved his hand to get her attention. 

“What was that?” 

“Oh nothing, nothing,” she immediately lied and cleared her throat. 

“Nahh, none of that. Tell me or I’ll double your punishment.” 

Raven wondered if she should see how far she could take it. However, she quickly remembered that he never said exactly what the punishment was going to be so she could be playing with fire. 

“I just… maybe thought about how it’s a shame you couldn’t keep your suit… from the movie,” her eyes got quiet with embarrassment. 

Michael let out a barking laugh that made her cover her face with her hands in embarrassment. 

“Baby girl, if you wanna role play, just say so.” 

She shrugged. “Eh without the hair,” she gestured up at his freshly cut fade. “It’s not the same.” 

“Really, it’s the hair?” he asked. 

She shrugged. “I mean no, it’s 100% the abs and your face. Like no one’s getting wet just cause of the hair,” she chuckled. “But the hair is the difference between you fuckin’ me as you and you sellin’ the fantasy that Erik is fuckin’ me. Otherwise it’ll just be you with a deeper voice and ruder tone,” she waved her hand dismissively. “But just… remember me for Black Panther 3 when you gotta grow the hair out again. Won’t even charge you for that date, promise.”  

He bit down the retort that he could never forget her. 

“Deal.” They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before he cleared his throat. “Um. Friday through Sunday is all us. Do some research, let me know if there’s anything you wanna do. Figured we could hit all the big tourist things and shit. But it’s up to you. Never asked you - you been here before?” 

Raven shook her head. “Nah, went to Amsterdam after I got my MFA to celebrate but my passport hasn’t seen much love since,” she admitted. 

“MFA?”

“Masters in Fine Arts. That’s when I wrote my manuscript for my book.”

“Learn somethin’ new about you every day.”  

“I’ll do some googling, talk to my driver and see what he thinks we should do.” 

“Aight. Sounds like a plan. I’m gonna let you go to bed.” He stood up again and started to walk toward the door. 

Though she desperately needed sleep, she could not help the way her face fell at the idea of him leaving. “We aren’t gonna…” 

The disappointment on her face, those perfect puppy eyes she gave him, likely with no conscious thought on her end, made him want to amend his statement. This girl? She would be the end of him but a glorious end indeed. However, he knew he shouldn’t and that she deserved a night to actually get sleep this week. 

“Oh I plan on fuckin’ you on every surface in this room and mine for the next week. Don’t worry. But not tryin’ to have you fall asleep on me. Take tonight, get situated and get over the jet lag.” 

“Understood.” 

He leaned on the door handle for a moment before turning to her. “Don’t fall asleep on the couch again,” he warned. “Get in bed… bad for your back. And you’re gonna need all your limbs workin’at their best this week. See you tomorrow.” 

She merely giggled as he opened her door and left. However, before the door slammed shut, she ran forward and stuck her head in the hall searching for him. 

“Hey!” She called after him, causing him to turn around at the end of the hallway. “Thank you again… for all of this.” 

“Don’t mention it.” He threw her his boyish grin before disappearing into the elevator. 

***

“A bit early for a summons, don’t you think?” Raven moaned playfully as she walked out onto Michael’s terrace. The sun sat high in the sky, a slight breeze making the late fall morning a bit frigid. 

He merely laughed and gestured toward the empty seat across from him, the table outside heavy laden with breakfast foods. 

“Have a late start today, figured we could eat breakfast. How’d you sleep? Feelin’ alright?” She could hear the cockiness in his voice. 

Raven’s eyes narrowed. “Like a baby… never felt better. Thanks for asking.”

While that was not necessarily true, she would not let him know that. He had done a number on her last night in all the best ways. Even as she sat there smiling at him innocently, she had to avoid shifting uncomfortably to ease the discomfort of her sore ass. Her punishment had been long and severe, her body draped over his lap as he spanked her 50 times. He had dragged it out, the spankings split up by his finger teasing her entrance but never letting her cum. That is until she was in a pool of tears with a bruised ass begging for mercy. After that, he let her cum more times than she could remember or count. It was the first time he left her with actual bruises but she did not mind, it was a punishment she would endure over and over again for those results. 

“Good to know for next time. I was goin’ easy on you. Besides, you were such a good girl last night, I have a treat for you.” 

Raven’s eyes twinkled. “The shopping spree I’m about to go on isn’t the treat?” His stylist, Brian, had sent her a list of all the stores they were going to today and Raven could not wait. She was not one to care much for labels, after all there were more important things. However, it was clear that she had free reign to shop until her heart dropped. Such a rare opportunity she knew she could not waste. 

“Nope. This one… well I think you’ll enjoy it.” 

Raven smiled as she took a sip from her cup of hot chocolate. Michael handed her a plate, piled high with fruit and pastries, which she devoured as they sat in silence. 

“How was the library yesterday?” Michael asked as he continued eating. 

Thus far, her experience had been something straight out of a novel. She could not have written a more perfect fairytale herself. She had woken up yesterday to a similar spread on her own terrace, complete with a mimosa. She listened to R&B music as she sat out there in her nightgown for over an hour. The only thing that broke her out of the peace trance was a call from the concierge letting her know her car would be ready at 11 for a surprise. 

She tried her hardest to guess what the surprise could be or coax it out of her driver but there was too much to see and do to pinpoint what Michael had set up. She had started a list of things she wanted to see when he finally had time off but she had fallen asleep with her phone in her hand. 

She still was not sure why he was going to such lengths for her. The cost of her hotel alone was more than most people made in a year. She knew the price, to him, was comparable to putting her up in a four star hotel for a regular man. However, she still struggled with accepting such extravagance, and could not stop the intrusive thoughts that questioned whether she was worth so much money and effort. After all, they were going to break up in a few months. She tried not to allow that to disappoint her every time her brain reminded her heart of that simple fact. That was what she signed up for: a relationship with a firm expiration date. Her brain knew that. Her heart though? It did not care about the practicalities of what she signed up for. It only cared for how he made her feel: wanted, appreciated, cared for. 

And that was rare air. 

Still, she could not help but wonder why he even invited her there in the first place. He mentioned no events he needed her to attend with him, no public appearances in which he needed a woman on his arm. Yesterday and today, she was on her own. He had essentially paid an exorbitant amount to give her a vacation for a week. She was itching to get to the later half of the week when they would actually be able to spend time together. When it was just the two of them, Michael became the singular space in this world where no one wanted anything from her. She could just be. Sometimes she had everything to give and sometimes, like her birthday, she had nothing. And he seemed to accept either without judgment or question. And she needed that. 

Yesterday, his surprise was a guided tour of the oldest public library in Paris, Le Bibliothèque Mazarine. Raven had a ball as she took in the insanely beautiful architecture and special collections the curator showed her. She simultaneously loved and despised him for it, for his thoughtfulness and how in tune he was with her. 

“It was gorgeous… the architecture?? God, there are so many gorgeous libraries in the world. This was certainly one of them. Can’t wait till I can afford a house and build out a giant library in the basement,” she mused. “That’s the dream.” 

Michael silently put that knowledge away for later. 

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. Figured, you know, given your day job, it might be cool.” 

“It was. And it’s not just… my day job. I’ve always loved libraries. You know I used to spend hours at the library down the street from us? Holed up in a corner with a stack of books or my homework. Knew every person who worked there by name. They’d have to kick me out at closing,” she chuckled as she wiped the flakes of her chocolate croissant from her lips. “I had a favorite corner, by this window that overlooked the park across the street. You could hear the kids playing. If I wasn’t at school or at home, I was in that spot.” 

“No one ever cared that you weren’t home?” 

She scoffed, holding her mug tightly in her hands as she cozied up in her chair, one leg coming to her chest. Michael loved how relaxed she looked. She had not gotten fully ready for the day yet, no make up, her hair in a high ponytail. She was dressed in a casual dress with a slouchy oversized sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Her back was to the Eiffel Tower and somehow one of the most beautiful structures in the world was still eclipsed by her natural beauty. He could not take his eyes off her. 

“After my grandmother passed? Nope. And by high school, I preferred to just be out of the house anyway. Everyone just pretended like I wasn’t there so it hurt less… to just not be there. Spent time at friends’ houses or at the library or I was at school but that was really it. But it was good. When all you do is read and study, you tend to do well in school.” 

“No parties? No fun?” Michael asked, part of him not believing she engaged in nothing fun or reckless as a kid.. 

She laughed. “No, not really. I don’t think I even drank until I was in college. I was so boring back then, which is why my first career choice… well anyone who knew me would’ve thought it was an odd one.”

“Why’d you pick stripping? Plenty of ways to make money.” 

“Needed something I could do at night, after classes and my work study job. Doesn’t require past experience and the owner liked that I looked young, had the whole innocent girl doe-eyed thing going for me. I picked up on the dancing and tricks pretty quickly too. It was fun… in its own way.”

“Who taught you your moves?” 

“Monique… best dancer I ever saw. Taught me every trick in the book. She had been dancing for like 5 years when I started. Took me under her wing, I guess.” 

“Really? That’s a long time.” 

Raven shrugged, leaning on the table as she reminisced on a time that felt like eons ago. “Everyone does it for a different reason. Some don’t have much of a choice, some are working their way through something else, like I did. And some girls really liked it. Monique was a girl who really liked it. And it showed. She was saving up to open her own burlesque club, which I think she did a couple years ago.” 

“Did you like it?” 

She stared off into space for a moment before answering. “I guess it was nice to be the center of attention… the spotlight for once. I was a wallflower 20 hours a day but during my shift, I was more. Men wanted me, some of the girls wanted to be me. I didn’t hate it. I don’t miss it… but I miss who I was on that stage. The confidence, the power… it was something. Could never quite get it to translate to regular life though. Certainly couldn’t get it to translate to being a working girl,” she grimaced. “It’s just not the same though.” 

“And you never felt exploited by it? Or scared?” 

She shook her head. “Not any more than cat calling on the street makes me feel scared. First thing Monique told me when I met her - Sex is power, one of the few powers that women inherently have that men don’t. Always has been and always will be. And it's the one power that, try as they might, they can’t take away. Everyone sees it and their place in it differently. But I always remembered that they were there to see me, spend money on me. And whether they had a good night or not, whether they went home satisfied and happy, that was all my decision. And I liked that.” He liked the sparkle in her eyes as she talked about that time. “I dunno if stripping is proper breakfast conversation.” 

“It ain’t but I like it anyway. One last question… tell me your name?” At her confused expression, he clarified. “The one you used at the club.” 

“Give me my treat and I’ll tell you.” 

Michael gestured for her to stand up. “Come here.” 

She walked over to him and stood between his legs. His hands took free reign, running up her toned legs beneath her dress, tightly gripping her ass, which made her hiss in pain.

“I thought you never felt better?” 

“Shut up,” she mumbled with a small huff. 

He shifted a few of the dishes out of the way before pulling her sweatshirt and dress off, leaving her in nothing but her panties. He pushed her gently, a silent but clear instruction to lay down. 

She glanced behind her at the pastries and food. “Someone’s gonna have to clean all this up if they fall.” 

“Guess you’ll have to be careful then.” At her continued hesitation, he smiled. “I’ll leave a bigger tip for the staff, aight? Now lay tf down.” 

At his command and assurance that the staff would be compensated for their games, she gently laid back, cringing as she heard one plate crash down onto the stone floor as Michael pulled off her panties. He draped her legs over his shoulders and leaned forward in his seat, his face eye level with her prize. 

“W-what are you doing?” She asked quietly, the anticipation getting to her as he merely stared at her. She squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.  

“About to finish breakfast,” he muttered as if it was obvious. “This is better than anything else on this table.” 

And with that, he slid a finger inside her, Raven’s back immediately arching off the table. She bit down on her lip hard to stop a moan from escaping her as he wrapped his lips around her clit. He glanced up at her and stopped. 

“I wanna hear you. And I want everyone in this hotel to hear you.” 

And with that, he devoured her. Michael loved any chance he got to taste her and find himself nestled between her thighs with her pleasure completely at his mercy. However, today was particularly special. This was the most relaxed he had ever seen her, the most at peace she had been since he met her. And it did not hurt that the backdrop for his favorite meal was the best view of his favorite city. 

One hand kept her firmly in place as she writhed on the table while the other, in sync with his tongue, did nothing short of the Lord’s work. 

Her hips rolled to meet every thrust of his fingers. 

“You like that, baby girl?” He moaned as he slid another finger inside her, both of them curling into her g-spot at a quick speed.

“F-Fuck! Yes, yes! I l-love it!” She cried out loudly, knowing her voice most certainly would carry to their neighbors. But with the promise of an orgasm at the end of this, she could not hope to care. 

Michael certainly had pushed her limitations farther than she would have expected since they started “dating.” Everything he tried, she loved. Every limit he pressed against, she yielded and every time? It exceeded her wildest dreams and fantasies. Public sex was one of those lines she always wanted to cross but knew it was too wild to do so. And yet, Michael seemed to know all her fantasies, even the ones she felt were too wild and wicked to speak out loud. 

Michael reached over and grabbed a piece of ice from the ice bucket that held a bottle of champagne. He could tell she was so consumed by his fingers that she did not even notice. But she would. 

He put the ice in his mouth while he continued to fuck her, sucking on it for a few moments before diving back in. The moment his cold lips and tongue touched her sensitive bud, she came. Fast and hard as if someone had pushed her off a cliff without warning. She could not control the loud slew of expletives that escaped her lips as he sucked, the cold temperature sending shivers of pleasure through her whole body. 

“That’s it. Scream for daddy,” he muttered as he talked her through her orgasm. However, he was far from done and far from letting her tap out as he put another cube in his mouth and pressed it directly against her clit. 

“I-It’s too m-much!” She clamped her legs around his head, her entire body nearly seizing up from the pressure and pleasure the cold provided. She tried to shy away from it, moving hastily, causing another dish to crash around them. But his firm palm on her stomach stopped her from getting away. 

“Nah, you said you were better than ever. You can take this shit. Open your fuckin’ eyes.”

She forced her eyes open as tears spilled out, “M-Michael… I-I’m g-gonna cu-cum…” 

“Let ‘em hear you. Whose pussy is this?” He demanded, lifting his head as he added another finger and hammered into her. “Look at me!” He ordered, towering over her body with such dominance that, even without him touching her, she could’ve cum on the spot. 

She locked eyes with him as he added another finger, four in total and pressed roughly into her spot. She could see her juices glistening in the sun on the hairs of his beard. She hoped he would give her a taste, she loved it when he had her to taste herself.  

“It’s yours!” She cried out loudly, louder than she would’ve liked, as she came all over his hand again. 

“That’s right. Good girl,” he talked her through her orgasm before pulling out of her. 

He held his fingers up to her face, all four completely covered in her juices. “Suck.” 

She opened her mouth immediately and propped herself up, sucking with earnestness as she enjoyed the taste of herself. 

“You like the way you taste, baby?” He asked, enjoying the feeling of her warm mouth on his fingers. 

She merely hummed her response and showed him how much by continuing to suck on his fingers. When she was satisfied she cleaned them to the best of her ability, she released them with a pop and a smile that made Michael want to fall to his knees and start over again. 

“That’s my good girl,” he whispered before leaning over and kissing her softly. 

She let out a sharp exhale before collapsing back against the table with a chuckle. 

“That was… fucking amazing,” she muttered as she laid there, completely naked, contemplating the meaning of life. “You wanna do that every morning this week?” 

“Sounds like a good ass time to me.” She started to move off the table when a strong hand gripped her thigh, halting her movements. “I didn’t tell your ass to move. Lay there till I’m done.” He picked back up his coffee mug and his phone before grabbing his previously discarded plate. 

She wanted to protest but instead she merely laid back down as instructed. From that moment until the end of his breakfast, he treated her like a mere centerpiece of the table. Something to gaze upon and fondle but nothing more. He disappeared into his bedroom once, returning a few moments later. He said nothing and offered her no explanation as he held out nipple clamps, both connected with a chain. He worked in silence as he put both of them on her erect buds before settling down to resume his coffee. Her eyes twisted up for a moment at the sharp pain before it settled down to a dull ache. With the clamps, everything felt 10 times more sensitive, even the cool breeze made her want to touch her aching boobs. But she had been scolded once already for moving so she merely laid there.

Her eyes followed his frame as he sauntered around the terrace with his coffee cup, lazily refilling it as he scrolled on his phone. His joggers sat low on his hips, showcasing that perfect V that led to one of her favorite parts of him. She licked her lips, wishing he had allowed her to taste him as he had her. Lust curled in her belly as she watched his muscles flex as he moved around. Here she was, laying on a table in the middle of Paris like a human flower arrangement, and all she could think about was how sexy he was. A God among men. 

Every so often, he would return to her and tug on the chain connecting the clamps, sending jolts of pleasurable pain right to her core. And after, he’d give her a bite of whatever pastry he was continuing to eat. She appreciated him remembering that the rest of her breakfast had been a sacrificial lamb to their activities. 

This continued until his manager called him. Michael reminded her that good girls keep quiet before he answered, putting the phone on speaker to incentivize her. She had to stifle a laugh as she heard him say he was just “enjoying a lazy morning on the terrace” before heading to an event. She listened as they talked about the film and numbers and his schedule, while he trailed pieces of ice around her nipples and under her breasts and down the soft panes of her stomach. That made her eyes roll back into her head. 

She loved nipple play. She had heard of women orgasming from that alone but she had never experienced it herself. However, as Michael talked about business, he seemed determined to get her there with that alone. The clamps increased the pleasure of every touch as he fondled her.

She thought she would draw blood as she bit down on her lip to stop the moans from escaping her as he played, contrasting the warmth of his mouth with the coldness of the ice when he had to talk. 

“Yea once we settle all this shit with the Coach deal, we’ll be set,” Alex remarked as Michael sat the phone down on Raven’s stomach so he could give each of her boobs the attention they deserved. When he bit down on the swell of her breast, she let out a groan that she prayed was barely audible. It reached his ears, she knew, but the oblivious woman on the other end did not even skip a beat. “How’s Raven enjoying Paris?” 

Michael threw her a smirk and pressed a finger to his lip as he continued doing what he was doing, Raven trying her hardest to quiet the pants of pleasure that wanted to escape. 

“Oh I think she’s enjoyin’ it just fine.” 

“I’m glad. Post something of the two of you while you’re there. Doesn’t have to be much but let’s make sure we’re getting something out of these extra four days you’re spending there instead of continuing to promote your movie.” 

Despite the fog of pleasure, Alex’s words stuck out to Raven, settling into her brain. She did not have the capacity to contemplate them too hard right then but she tucked them away for later. 

“Yes ma’am. I’ll make sure we all get somethin’ out of it. Anything else for me?” he assured her as he pulled the clamps off roughly, causing Raven to clamp her hand over her mouth to muffle the scream as the blood rushed back to her breasts. To top it off, he clamped his mouth around one of them while his fingers pinched the other, causing her whole body to convulse with her third orgasm of the day. And it was not even 10 am yet. 

“Nope, that is it. Have fun today and don’t forget to get something for your favorite manager while you’re there,” Alex continued. 

Raven felt her entire vision go white as she focused all of her attention on muffling the screams of pain and pleasure that were boiling over.

“Sounds good. Listen, I gotta go. Someone here needs my attention. Let’s talk tonight.”  

He signed off quickly, pulling Raven’s hands from her mouth so he could hear the sounds of her pleasure, which were music to his ears. He gave her a few moments to calm down before he leaned over and kissed her. 

“Now you can get up and finish your breakfast. Take your time.” 

“You’re… a menace. I hope you… know that,” she whispered, her hand pressing into her chest as she tried to calm herself down. “It’s not even lunchtime and you’re trying to kill me.” 

“Let’s not pretend like that wouldn’t be a better way to go.” He winked at her before pulling on her arm to help her sit up and disappearing inside to change into his own clothes. 

Raven took a deep breath, her hand massaging one of her aching breasts as she sat there for a moment. She finally forced herself off the table, her legs almost giving out beneath her before she collapsed into his chair. She grabbed a few pieces of fruit and a danish as she sat there, contemplating how he continued to manage to surprise her. 

. 

She took a moment and gathered her thoughts before she slid her clothes back on just as Michael emerged back onto the terraces in a burnt orange sweater and slacks. 

“You good? Enjoyed your treat?” 

“Yea… yea I did. Can’t tell if it was more for you or me though.” 

“First part was for you, second was for me. Now you’re relaxed and can go spend all my money. Brian’ll be waiting for you downstairs in an hour. Don’t forget… black and gold.” 

“I’ll see what I can do.” She winked at him before walking past him to head back to her suite. 

***

Raven could not believe how quickly the week seemed to pass her by. She could not help but be sad that it was already almost over. Their flight home was tomorrow and despite having a week there, it did not feel like enough. She had enjoyed every single second of it, particularly the last three days with Michael. They spent those days hitting everything they could think of, the major tourist attractions and some off the beaten path. 

Michael had clearly forgone his diet for this particular trip and the pair ate any and everything that looked remotely good, particularly anything with carbs. She savored this long stretch of uninterrupted time the pair had together. At home, they just saw each other for dates and talked on the phone at night. But the last three days, they were together from breakfast until the moment he finished and she slid out of his bed to return to her own. It made her sad to leave in the middle of the night, to end their private time together, but she knew she had to. They took tons of pictures, the least curated ones they had ever taken. Neither of them cared to pretend these were for the masses and tabloids when they were just for them, their opportunity to capture those moments together. 

By the time they returned to the hotel Sunday afternoon, Raven could not hide her melancholy attitude about having to leave. 

“You good?” Michael asked as he escorted her back to her suite.

“Yea, yea,” she smiled sadly. “Just sad to be leaving. Not gonna get another experience like this for a long while,” she shrugged. “But once-in-a-lifetime experiences aren’t called that for nothing, I guess.” She leaned on the door frame of her suite. 

“Well… surprises ain’t over yet. Couple things waiting for you in there. Get some rest, make up and hair will be here at 7. Be dressed and downstairs at 8.” 

“That’s all you’re gonna give me??” 

“Wouldn’t be a surprise if I gave you anythin’ else. See you at 8.” And with that, he turned to head back to his own suite. 

Raven quickly entered her own room, racing to the bedroom to find the black and gold lingerie set she bought laying out on the bed. Next to it lay a jewelry box set and hanging on her closet door was black dress that was fit for someone heading to a ball. She opened the box to find diamond earrings and a diamond choker necklace waiting for her. 

“God I love him,” she whispered to herself as she took everything in. And she did, she loved him. She could never say it or admit it to anyone but God and herself but she did. And it was not the material things, it was his thoughtfulness… that he would even think to arrange something like this for them. That’s what she loved. And that is what she would miss when it was all said and done. 

Raven did not get any rest as Michael instructed. She merely laid in bed, scrolling on tik tok and counting down the minutes until she could get dressed. Around 6:30, she got up and got in the shower, taking her time before Michael’s team arrived. 

They worked quickly but efficiently and had her dressed and ready to go by 7:50. She spent five minutes just staring at herself in the mirror. She spun around a couple of times, examining the dramatic dress Michael had chosen for her. It was unlike anything she would have gravitated toward herself but she loved it. It was a showstopping, head turning dress. She always felt like a million bucks when she and Michael went out. But tonight? Tonight, she felt like billions. 

Brian took a couple photos of her on the terrace since the sun was setting before she left her room to meet Michael. As promised, he was waiting in the foyer for her in a black tux. It was simple but he looked gorgeous. And as she got closer, she realized the detailing on his jacket matched that of the bodice of her dress. 

She stretched her arms out as if to ask what he thought, the actor completely silent as he took her in. 

Raven bit her painted lip, fear gripping her as she mistook his silence for displeasure. “D-do you not like it?” However, before he could give her an answer, she answered for him. “It’s not what you wanted is it? Fuck. I’m sorry… I t-thought the dress was a little tight but Brian assured me it wasn’t and I knew I shouldn’t have eaten all those damn pastries and crepes this week. But I’m a slave to a crepe,” she moaned pitifully. “Not an ounce of self control. And I didn’t have good enough spanx for this type of dress. I s-should’ve known it didn’t look right. You got me this beautiful dress and I probably look like a fucking whale o-or a busted can of biscuits or something horrible. I’m sorry, I can go change?” she offered, already turning away from him to race upstairs and hide under the covers. 

However, before she made it more than two steps, a force grabbed her and pulled her back. She quickly found herself in his arms, Michael holding her flush to his chest. He kissed her deeply, silencing any more rants, concerns, or criticisms that could have fallen from her lips. He did not want to hear any of them. He pulled back to look at her, his finger on her chin to keep her eyes on his. 

“You gotta let me answer before you start spiraling, baby girl. You are exactly what I wanted and exceeded my expectations. I was speechless because I didn’t think I had the right words to describe how fuckin’ gorgeous you look.” 

“Really?” she asked quietly. 

“Really. One thing I’d never do is lie to you, hope you know that by now. You ready?” 

She nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the hotel and into their limo. They spent most of the car ride recapping the last three days and their favorite parts of the trip. 

Soon they pulled up to a restaurant and Michael led her into the elevator. It went straight up to a rooftop, one that overlooked the entire city. Paris was beautiful any time of day but night time eclipsed all the others in her opinion. 

“Bonjour Mr. Jordan,” a waiter approached them as they stepped off of the elevator. 

He led them to their table, which offered a perfect view of the city. There was a dance floor in the middle of the roof and a small stage that held a string quartet that was softly playing music. The railings were covered in string lights. 

“This place is amazing… how is it so empty?” Raven muttered to Michael as he held out her chair for her to sit. 

“Bought it out just for us.” 

Raven shook her head in disbelief. “No way…” At his completely serious face, she gasped. “Wait, you’re serious? How much did that cost??” 

“Didn’t matter. Wanted to come here and have the place and that view to ourselves.” 

Raven laughed. “That’s wild. Not mad at it though. This view probably makes it worth every penny.” Raven let out a content sigh as she stared off into the depths of Paris, not realizing that the city was not the view Michael was admiring as he muttered. 

“Yea, it does.” 

They settled into content silence as the waiter brought them a bottle of wine and let them know they would be enjoying the chef’s signature tasting menu. Slowly, course after course made its way to them as they talked and enjoyed the evening. By the time they reached dessert, Raven felt as if she was floating on a cloud that she never wanted to come down from. 

The familiar refrain from the string quartet filled her ears. “Oh I love this song,” she muttered more to herself than the man across from her. 

“You recognize it?” 

She nodded. “La Vie en Rose… I know the Louis Armstrong version but pretty sure he covered it in English from a French artist.” 

“Don’t know if I’ve heard that one before. My French is trash,” he chuckled. “What does that phrase mean?”  

“Means to see the world in pink, you know with rose colored glasses essentially. It’s a beautiful song, the lyrics are so romantic.” She paused. “Hold me close and hold me fast. This magic spell you cast… this is la vie en rose. When you kiss me, heaven sighs and though I close my eyes, I see la vie en rose. When you press me to your heart, I’m in a world apart… a world where roses bloom. And when you speak, angels sing from above… everyday words seem to turn into love songs. Give your heart and soul to me and life will always be la vie en rose.” 

The two merely stared at each other as the words settled into the space between them. Raven felt every word of that song with him. But every time she wanted to sink into that feeling, melt into him, her brain stopped her. She merely cleared her throat and chuckled, breaking the trance both of them were in. 

“Don’t ask me to sing it though,” she joked. “I’m dreadful.” She took a long, awkward sip of her wine before Michael stood up and held out his hand. 

“Dance with me.” Since it was only them in the restaurant, the dance floor was wide open and available. 

She glanced at the string quartet as the song transitioned to XO by Beyonce. She hesitated for a moment before sliding her hand into his. He pulled her to the center of the dance floor, their bodies flushed against each other. 

The entire night had been perfect, filled with romance and magic Raven never thought she would have herself. She knew it was for show but she could not deny that there was an intimacy to it that felt… real. Felt like they were truly connecting with each other at a deeper level. When he looked at her, sometimes, she swore she saw it. A twinkle of something too deep… too paralyzing to be mere friendship. But every time, she felt like she imagined it. Maybe even hoped she imagined it because that would be easier. She knew it would not be her but as she looked at him, she could not help but think he enjoyed this. The romance, going above and beyond to show someone you love them. And now he just needed someone, a real someone, to do it with.

She stared at him for a few moments as they swayed in each other’s arms. “Tell me about her.” 

Michael did not need her to elaborate on who she meant. Michael shook his head. He had the perfect woman in his arms, there was not a single woman in his past worth talking about right then.

“Why does she matter?” 

Raven shrugged. “Because she’s gone and you’re still shutting yourself off from things I think… you’re too afraid to admit you really want. You want this,” she gestured between them. “Not with me, obviously,” she chuckled. “But this, this connection with someone who you love and loves you back. Does she really still have so much power that she can take this away from you forever?” 

Michael wished he could grab her shoulders and shake her. So beautiful and so smart yet so oblivious to the hints he was throwing out left and right. He did want those things but not with anyone but her. He had hoped the last week would paint the picture for her. He knew he should just come out and say it himself but he was not brave enough… not yet anyway to admit that he was head over heels for someone again. Because Raven did have that much power. She controlled his heart and very being. And if he said those words to her and she rejected him or broke his heart? She would be the last woman he ever said them to again. 

“Not that interestin’ of a story to be honest. But she was… an actor too. Not super well known but you know, steady workin’ and everythin’. Met on the set of a show I was workin’ on. We hit it of.. She was the first woman to really understand me? Understood my dreams and my ambition. I understood hers, I had been in the industry longer so I helped her out, making connections and all that. We dated for almost three years. First relationship that I saw a real future in, even bought a ring.” He sighed as he glanced down at Raven, their bodies swaying to the music. “But all she cared about was using me to get to the next thing. Saw a text on her phone one night, she was cheating on me with another nigga. Had been for most of the time we were together. Left me for someone with more money, bigger name. We broke up and she acted like it was nothin’... as if three years of living life together hadn’t mattered at all. Felt stupid for not seein’ it, for thinkin’ there was a future there… but also for believin’ she loved me for me. Went on a binge afterward… lots of partyin’, drinkin’, fuckin’ every woman I could see. Decided that if that was all everyone was gonna see or care about, the money and all that… then that’s all I would give.” 

“I’m sorry. No one deserves that. She’s dumb. Too stupid to realize what she had.” She paused. “You can’t give up though… gotta keep trying to find the right girl. Keep reaching out your hand until it happens.”  

“Not all of us have your annoyingly relentless hope and optimism. More worried about my hand getting ripped off.” 

“It might,” she admitted. “But I dunno, I’ve always believed heartbreak is the price we pay for love. At the end of the day, we’re all standing on a giant cliff and when you take that leap with someone, you can’t see the bottom. You just hold hands and you jump and you experience the fall that is living life together until you crash into the water. Whether you’ll enjoy the fall, whether rocks or an oasis are waiting for you, whether your fall is long or short. We have no idea, which is why jumping is so scary. But the only thing that’s certain is the crash at the end because all of it ends. Whether you get the greatest love story that goes on until the end of your life or a tragedy that gets cut short because other shit gets in the way. All of it ends. That’s the price, the fall isn’t forever. But when it ends and that heartache comes, the hope is that you look back on it all and see the life you lived and that it was all worth it. And so you’re willing to pick yourself up, dry yourself off, and go back up to the cliff and do it all over again. If you’re avoiding the crash, you aren’t jumping and that means you aren’t living. And there’s a woman out there somewhere who pulled herself out of the water and 's willing and waiting for you to be ready to take the leap with her. Who knows you’re the person they want to free fall with and who will make it worth it.” She ran her hand over the material of his tuxedo jacket. “It’s a shame because while you’re avoiding the cliff altogether, people don’t get to see how amazing you are.” 

“You really are a writer,” he mused, causing her eyes to crinkle at the corners and her whole body glow. “Only someone who writes love stories can think of some shit like that. But I hear you. I dunno though, most people can see how amazing my life is. I don’t think that’s the problem.” 

Raven scoffed and shook her head. “Your money, the things you can buy?” she gestured around them. “Those are the least interesting things about you,” she remarked flatly. “You’re funny. I would’ve never guessed you were as funny as you are. You’re thoughtful, you see through people, through the bullshit and facades and the walls. You see them, the one they hide from the rest of the world. You’re smart and engaging and so clearly care about every person in your life. Every woman I know wants that. Hell I want that,” she laughed, not noticing the joy that sparked in his eyes at those words. “And all of this is lovely and amazing but most of us can be happy without it. She told you that all you’re worth to people is money and clout and things. But the version of you I see right now is more than enough. And there’s someone out there who knows that too.” 

Her hand cupped his cheek as she spoke, Michael learning in and kissing her softly. She had kissed him many times but there was something different about this one, something that made her want to profess her love for him right then and there. 

She leaned back and studied him for a moment. “I hope… I hope when this ends, that we can still be friends? This was all really special. You made me feel like a real princess this week. Made me feel wanted and cared for in a way most people don’t. I was in… not the best of places when we met. Seeing a lot of darkness and no light at the end of the tunnel. But all of this, I dunno, reaffirms that annoyingly relentless hope and optimism. Things do turn around eventually. And this’ll all end but I’ll never forget the things you’ve done for me since we met.” 

He spun her around for a moment before bringing her close again. 

“I didn’t do anything,” he muttered in her ear. “Just gave you the space to be you. You’re far from a wallflower or sidekick or however you described yourself to me on our first date. You’re powerful, smart, beautiful… promise me you’ll take this version of you, the real you… the main character version of you back to the real world tomorrow. You do that and I’ll work on takin’ your advice,” his hand played with the curls in her hair as he spoke. “And then… what’s that line from Casablanca? We’ll always have Paris.”  

“Seems like we both need to work on seeing ourselves how the other sees us.”

“Well we got plenty of time to work on it.” 

“Yea… guess we got a few more months before I gotta let you go.” She could not hide the sadness in her words. She was resigned, knew their fate but that did not make it hurt any less. 

His heart screamed at him to tell her she didn’t have to let him go. They didn’t have to end just because of some agreement they made under stress. They could try it out for real, love each other for real. But the words felt lodged in his throat. His fears, now top of mind since their conversation, were massive blockages that would not allow it out. He wanted her, it hurt how badly he wanted her. But that terrified him. 

They danced for a few more minutes before the song, which she recognized as All of Me by John Legend, came to an end. 

“Let’s go back to my suite. Got one more surprise.”

Though she did not want the romantic part of the evening to end, she could not deny she was looking forward to the other part of the night. Michael had kept true to his promise and fucked her on every surface in his suite and hers. Her favorite, though, had been that morning on the terrace. She’d never forget that. 

So she put up no argument when he led her back to their limo and whisked her away to the hotel. She hated the time in between the end of their date and the start of their more private moments. Time seemed to inch forward as slowly as possible, the anticipation always felt like torture. She was practically bouncing out of her skin when they finally made it to his suite. 

However, instead of opening the door, he stopped her.

“Close your eyes.” 

The game was starting early, she thought to herself, which signaled she was in for a long and wild night. The romantic Michael was about to disappear and the dominant one would stand in his place. She rolled her eyes and pouted like a brat before following his instructions. However, she could not let the moment pass without a warning. “If you lead me into a door, I’m gonna kill you.” 

“I don’t think French prisons are that nice so wouldn’t recommend that. Trust me, you know I’d never hurt you.” 

She snorted as he led her into his room, her feet taking extremely small tentative steps that made Michael chuckle to himself. After a few steps, he stopped her. 

“Ok open.” 

She blinked a couple times before gasping, her eyes taking in the chrome stripper pole in the middle of his living room. His couch had been pushed away and a singular armchair was in front of the pole like a throne in front of a stage. 

Michael walked into his bedroom and came back with a wad of cash. “Figured you could give me a private show? Besides you forgot to tell me your name the other morning.”  

Raven ran her thumb over the cash, fanning it out lightly. All she saw were hundreds. She stepped around him and walked over to the pole, her manicured nails tapping on the chrome as she strutted around it in her dress. The elegant gown now seemed out of place in a room with a stripper pole. But the lingerie number she had on underneath would fit in perfectly. 

“How much?” 

“What?” He asked as he went over to the decanter in his room and poured two glasses of whiskey. He handed her one, Raven downing it immediately. She needed the extra liquid courage to do what he was requesting.

“Did it cost to convince them to let you pressure mount this into the ceiling?” 

Michael turned off the lights and strode over the chair and sat down, his face and body illuminated by the moonlight and lights from the Eiffel Tower through the giant windows. Raven licked her lips as she took in his power, his body slouched back and his legs spread wide. A king on his throne waiting to be entertained. 

“I’m sure you’ll make it worth every penny.”

She chuckled. “You are something else,” she muttered. “I went by Nova… Name of a character in a book I was reading at the time.” 

He chuckled. “Definitely thought you were gonna say somethin’ a little more out… stereotypical,” he admitted.

Raven snorted. “The market was oversaturated with Candys. Besides, I like to be different.” 

“So tell me, Nova, how often did the niggas you danced for throw benjamins at that fine ass?” He took a sip of his drink. 

“Not often enough.” 

“I imagine you’ll enjoy the experience then. Dance for me.” 

Raven could not help the way her legs clenched together at the demand, the juxtaposition of how he asked her to dance with him a mere hour ago. He turned on the speakers, sultry music filling the room. She had not danced in so long, it was true. She felt like part of her should have been nervous but she was not. It was like riding a bike, a skill she knew she’d never truly lose. And though she may not have the strength to do any tricks anymore, she guessed Michael knew and did not care much about that.

She reached behind her to unzip her dress, allowing it to fall to the floor. She quickly threw it on a chair so it did not get wrinkled on the ground. She kept on her heels, though they were not tall enough to give the effect she wanted. The gold accents of her black lingerie glittered in the moonlight as she approached his chair. Her hips swayed with the music, her hands roamed her own body as she went, her eyes trained on him. 

Once she was in arm’s length, he immediately lifted his hands to grab for her but she stopped and held herself just out of his grasp. She shook her finger at him with a teasing smile. 

“No touching… club rules.” 

Michael letting out a menacing chuckle. “You’re gonna regret that later, baby girl.”

“I don’t think I am, daddy. Rules are rules. You like the lingerie I got for you?” She asked as she turned and leaned back on him, her ass grinding on his lap. She could feel him growing hard beneath her, loved how his hands curled into fists as he physically stopped himself from touching her. 

“Fuckin’ perfect. Think it’ll look better on the floor though…” 

“I dunno, I like it better like this.” 

She knew he was realizing just how out of control he truly was. This was her stage and she had all the power. The power to entice, to tease, to give, and to take away. 

She slid onto her knees beneath him, crawling away from him and back to her pole. She could feel his eyes trained on her ass as she moved. She knew it looked absolutely perfect, it was the main reason she purchased this particular set. She looked like a goddess and she felt like one too. 

For the next 15 minutes, she put on the best show of her life as Michael rained bills on her as if he could not get enough. She allowed the music to flow through her and thought of nothing other than pleasing him. Every movement tailored to his reaction, the spark in his eyes when she spread her legs, the way he bit his lip as she fondled her breasts, how he so clearly resisted undoing his tuxedo pants to pleasure himself when she finally stripped her bra off. She threw it at him, his hand catching it with ease and precision. She allowed herself to get lost in it, lost in the spotlight and the feeling of his eyes laser focused on her. All those things Michael said she was? In that moment, she felt it… like a queen. 

Meanwhile, Michael was beyond mesmerized. He could have watched her dance for hours and hours and it would not have felt like long enough. She moved as if born for a stage of some sort. This was a side of her he had never seen, a woman who knew her power and proudly stood in it. He wished he could punch any and everyone who diminished this version of her, who chipped away at this person and made her think she had such little power that scraps were all she deserved. She deserved so much more than that. 

“Come here,” he whispered, barely audible over the music. But she heard him and immediately finished her dance move and sank to her knees to crawl to him. 

Once she was before his chair, she slid into the position he always made her wait in, on her knees and head bowed. 

“What do you want?” 

“W-what?” Michael never asked her what she wanted when they had sex. That was the whole point, it was not about what she wanted. 

“What do you want? How do you want me to fuck you? Tonight, I do what you say.”

“Anything I say?” she asked, a twinge of a playful tone in her voice that made him shake his head. 

“Don’t get too excited. I still own that ass. But you put on a good show for me, feelin’ generous. What do you want?” 

She stared at him for a moment before answering. “I want to taste you and then I want to fuck you. And then… I want you to fuck me so hard I can’t move tomorrow.”

He let out a barking laugh before standing to strip, his member standing at attention. Her mouth watered as she took in the pre cum already leaking from his head. She wanted to groan at how slowly he was moving. He leaned over her and wrapped his hand in her hair, pulling her head back. “Your wish is my command. If that’s what you want, ain’t no tappin’ out tonight.” 

“When have I ever tapped out?” she challenged. 

Michael grinned like a Cheshire cat. He loved that she had some fire in her. But she was not wrong. She never tapped out.

“We’ll see then.” He let her hair go and settled back into his seat. 

Raven immediately launched herself at his dick, not bothering to waste another second. She kept her eyes trained on his face as she spat on his dick, licking his head like it was her favorite treat. In some ways, it was. She continued her teasing, after all, it was still her show and she was still in control. She licked the underside of his shaft, along a vein that made him groan every time. She grinned as the deep, guttural sound escaped him. He did not even need to touch her, his mere voice and the sounds he made made a mess between her legs all on their own. 

“Don’t like… to be teased, baby girl,” he mumbled as his head fell back in pleasure, feeling particularly tortured by her warm mouth and her hand as she spread her spit along his shaft. 

She paused, her hand continuing to pump him. She decided that she was going to egg him on. She wanted him to take her to another realm when he fucked her tonight. She wanted all of him, all of his strength, all of his dominance, all of it until she could not take a single inch more. And she knew the best way to get that was to rile him up a bit. 

 “Shouldn’t have asked me what I wanted, daddy. Cause right now, I’m in a teasing mood.” 

He let out a low whistle. “Gonna tear that ass up in a minute.” 

She winked at him before enveloping his dick in her mouth. She moaned around him, enjoying how his hips bucked into her face at the vibrations, sending his dick farther into her throat. One of his hands rested on his stomach while the other tangled itself in her pressed hair. However, he did not stop her from controlling the pace as she sucked him. He just enjoyed the feeling of her head bobbing up and down on him, her hand massaging the base of his dick that she couldn’t fit into her mouth fully. She was responsive to his groans and moans, and had learned over the last month what he liked. 

And the one thing he liked was sloppy. She took breaks to spit on him and make a mess of her drool on his lap and the chair beneath him. They could add it to his tab, he decided as she deep throated him. Usually, when she did this, it was just him fucking her throat without a care. However, this time she was in control and she took her time, allowing him to feel every inch of him as she took him down her throat. 

“Fuckkkkkk… love your mouth, you filthy slut. That’s it. Take this dick.” 

Her jaw hurt, the dangly thing in the back of her throat ached every time she pushed her head back down on him. But all she heard was his praise and that spurred her on. Faster, sloppier. Whatever she could do to feel him explode in her… on her. On her… that stuck out as she felt his hips start to move faster in rhythm with her mouth. Michael had a thing for cumming on her ass when he fucked her from behind, which she loved. However, a particularly wicked idea came to her mind as she wondered where else she would like him to cum. She could not imagine he would say no… most men dreamed of that right? 

“I’m about to cum, don’t stop!” He called out. 

However, she did stop, letting him fall from her mouth but continued giving him a hand job. 

Her breathing was labored as she tried to catch her breath. “Cum on my face, daddy,” she begged, her voice filled with need and pleas that made Michael forget that he should be mad at her for stopping when he told her not to. 

She did not give him a chance to respond or check to ensure that was truly what she wanted before she took him into her mouth again. Knowing where she wanted him to release himself, Michael did not let her control the pace any longer. He wrapped her hair in his hands and fucked her mouth with abandon. Raven did not even care that she lost control, the sounds of his moans and grunts, the disgustingly lewd and sloppy noises of her mouth, her gagging were a perfect symphony to her ears. 

“I’m gonna cum!” he warned before using one hand to keep her hand in place while he aimed his dick right at her cheek and lips. 

Both of them were panting as he finished unloading on her face. She stayed there beneath him as he wiped his dick off on her other cheek. She licked her lips, enjoying the taste of his cum but she left the rest on as she rose to her feet and straddled him. Usually she did not move until he told her to move. However, she had made what she wanted clear and she was taking it. And then he could take her. 

She kissed him deeply, her hand massaging him until he was fully erect again. She wasted no time sliding down on his throbbing dick, both of them groaning as he filled her. 

“Wish you could see yourself… bouncing on my dick, covered in my cum. Such a good whore for me, baby. Did you like me cummin’ on that pretty face?” Michael asked as she rode him. He loved how disheveled she looked. Her face covered in his seed, her mascara running from her tears after he fucked her mouth. The picture of submission and that made him want to fuck the daylights out of her. However, he knew he had to practice patience. After all, he had given her control, he had to let her enjoy it… at least for a time. 

He buried his face in the valley between her boobs as she cried out. “Yes! Yes! I l-loved it!” He wished he had the nipple clamps to tug on while she rode him, an activity for later he decided as he sucked on her nipples. Everything he did to one, he did to the other as that was only right and fair as she switched between his favorite slow grind on his lap and bouncing on him. 

He could tell her legs were starting to grow tired as they slowed down a bit. However, he did not mind, that was perfect actually. It meant he could take over. 

“You had your turn. You read for daddy to take over again? Give you what you need?” he asked in her ear, his hand wrapped around her throat. She gasped as he squeezed lightly, the action sending her tumbling over the edge of her first orgasm. 

“Y-Yes, p-please.” 

“What do you want? Say it.” 

“Fuck me like a whore,” she whispered, desperate to feel all he had to offer. 

His hands grabbed her beneath her thighs and hoisted her up in the air. She let out a shocked cry at the sudden change and clung to him tighter. The whole time, their bodies never separated as he walked with her until she was backed against one of the French doors. He let her legs fall to the ground and turned her around roughly. 

“Spread your legs,” he demanded, his voice leaving no room for arguments, not that she had a single one. 

He pressed her cheek into the glass panel, her eyes trained on the glittering lights of the Eiffel in the distance as he wrapped his hand in her hair once again. He held the head of his dick at her entrance, sliding it against her clit and making her body convulse slightly. 

He slammed into her, causing Raven to scream out with pleasure. His thrusts pinned her entire body to the door as he fucked her like a man possessed. 

Her high pitched screams were incoherent words that Michael could not make out as he fucked her roughly against the door. She loved every moment of it. It was painful, her breasts and body pushed up against the door like that with every thrust but she loved it and never wanted it to end. 

“You still in a teasing mood??” he asked, Raven immediately shaking her head. She tried to answer verbally but the words would not form. He pulled her head back, her sweet perfume hitting his nose as he bit into her neck. He did not do it hard enough to leave a mark but he knew she felt it. “I asked you a fuckin’ question!” 

“No! N-no! I-I’m s-sorry,” she blubbered as she felt another orgasm building. She had asked for this and he was not going to disappoint. “F-Fuck… you f-feel so good. I-I love it!”  

He let go of her hair and slid out of her, Raven groaning at the sudden feeling of emptiness. He gripped her arm and pulled her into the bedroom.  

“Get your ass on the bed. Face down toward the window, ass up.” 

He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment while Raven assumed her favorite position. However, when he returned, she glanced at him and found a small black bullet in his hand. He turned it on, the powerful and loud vibration filling the bedroom. She knew exactly what he wanted her to do as he climbed onto the bed behind her and slid it into her hand. She immediately tried to shy away from him but he stopped her. 

“The fuck I say about tappin’ out? You’re gonna hold that to your clit and aren’t gonna take it off. Drop it, I spank you twenty times, turn it down, I spank you fifty times, turn it off… you won’t sit for a fuckin’ week. We’re gonna see how many times you can cum before I do.” 

With that, Raven braced her body up one one forearm before reaching beneath her to put the vibrator on her clit. She immediately shuddered as it sent spasms through her body. This was torture. 

“You tortured me. Now, I get to return the favor,” Michael offered as he roughly thrusted into her. 

She had never used a toy during sex in this way and torture was the right word, delicious, mindnumbing torture. With Michael’s dick curving into her g-spot with every thrust and the vibrator stationed on her clit, she came in record time, couldn’t have been more than 30 seconds. Keeping it on while she came was even harder. Every instinct wanted to end the pleasure so she could calm down but she couldn’t.

“I-I c-can’t,” she whimpered as she felt her orgasm start to build again. It was too fast, too much too soon.

“Yes, you can and you will. You wouldn’t want to disappoint daddy, would you?” A loud smack filled the air as he spanked her. “But I’ll help you.” 

He reached around and wrapped his hand in hers, forcing her to keep the vibrator there. Michael had to slow his movements down a bit to hold onto her hand but it was worth it to feel her pussy snapping around him with every orgasm. She came and she came and she came. She begged and screamed for reprieve and mercy and rest but he gave her none of it. He ignored all of it. By orgasm number 4, she was a quivering mess. Her arm had completely gone slack, her upper body pushed into the bed and he wondered if he was pushing her too far. But no safe word had crossed her lips, just a lot of curse words. 

“I’m close, baby… How many more you got in you? I think you got two more. Don’t fuckin’ run from me, baby girl. This shit’s what you wanted isn’t it?” He slammed into her with a particularly rough thrust. “Isn’t it??” 

“Y-Yes…” she choked out. But now she did not know what she wanted because her brain was utter mush. She wanted less, she wanted more, she wanted him to slow down, she wanted him to speed up. She wanted to stop and she wanted to give him those last two orgasms he believed she was capable of. It might kill her but so be it. 

“Yes what?” He spanked her again with all his might. 

“Yes sir!” 

She fell off the cliff again, a breathless scream escaping her as she came again. It was still pleasurable, a tinge of pain accompanying it that she had not expected but enjoyed. Her body was covered in a layer of tacky sweat, she was exhausted. And yet, she knew she had one more. She could feel all the signs that he was close and after all he had done for her this week, she desperately wanted to give him one more, to hear him praise her for doing so. 

She used her last bit of energy to fuck him back, using her arms as leverage to bounce back on his dick. She took the vibrator from him, pressing it into her clit. 

“That’s it, baby girl. Cum with me, baby. Take this dick and cum with me.” 

Just as he shot his load deep inside her, Raven felt everything in her explode with untold pleasure. She collapsed forward, the vibrator falling out of her hand as she rode the waves of the most intense orgasm of her life. She felt as if he had just restructured her very brain chemistry. Everything faded in and out as she laid there for only God knew how long, paralyzed and exhausted. Michael’s presence and movements felt like a ghost hovering around her. She did not move, stuck and frozen in that position until she felt Michael help her flip onto her back. 

She let out a whimper of pain and tried to close her legs as she felt a warm washcloth touch her too sensitive clit. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice returning to his usual gentle baritone. “Just tryin’ to clean you up a bit. We made a mess.” 

Once he was done, he reached over to the phone and called down for new sheets and a comforter before picking her up in his arms. He loved how her body immediately curled into his chest as he carried her into the bathroom and settled both of them into the tub. He held her up until he could get her hair in a high enough ponytail to ensure it did not get wet. He knew enough black women to know she would not appreciate that when she finally came to.

Raven moaned, the water was heavenly. They sat in silence, Michael massaging and rubbing her aching limbs while she just laid there with her eyes closed. 

“I hurt you?” he asked. It felt good in the moment, it was so easy to get lost in it with her. But now he worried he had pushed her too far past her limit. And more so, he felt worried that she had not felt safe enough to say so.

She shook her head, her words coming out as a raspy sigh, her voice half gone from screaming. “Not in any way I didn’t want you too. You gave me exactly what I asked for.” 

He kissed her shoulder. “You sure?” 

“Positive. It was… amazing. I promise.” 

“Never made you squirt before… I liked it. Maybe I’ll do it more often.” 

She chuckled. “That’s what happened at the end? If that’s how it feels, I’ll gladly do it again.” 

They stayed in the tub for a while, Michael lazily helping her work out the soreness and kinks she felt in her legs and back. She appreciated how gentle and attentive he was afterward. Something about the end of their playtime made her feel vulnerable and exposed, made her wonder what he truly thought of her after the things she willingly did. However, every time, he took the time to care for her and ensure she was ok, he checked in and asked questions about how she felt and let her rest in his arms before he left. She appreciated and needed that. 

When they finally got out, her legs felt like jello but she imagined it was better than it would have been. He helped her dry off before giving her a robe to put on. He settled on the edge of the bed, which had already been remade with fresh bed clothes as she walked out of the room and returned with her dress. She started to slide the bodice up her nude body. 

“Tonight was fun… perfect ending to a great week. Thank you.” She gestured toward the door. “I s-should head to my suite.” 

She turned to leave when his hand grabbed hers to stop her. 

“Stay.” The request was simple and though it was not phrased as a question, she knew it was one. 

She could not help the way her face twisted up in shock. She never stayed the night, they never actually slept beside each other. It was an unspoken rule between them. She bit her lip as she studied him. She could list a hundred reasons this was a terrible idea but none of them seemed reason enough to say no. So she settled for, “You sure that’s a good idea?” her voice was filled with her own hesitation and desperation to say yes. 

“Nah, I’m not,” he admitted, his hand cupping her cheek. “But I’m willing to take the risk if you are?” 

That was all she needed to hear. She unzipped the dress and let it fall back to the floor, this time too tired to care about discarding it on the ground. She followed him and let him help her into bed before falling asleep on his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her. 

***

“So what’d you think?” Michael asked as he helped her down the steps of the private plane. “First private jet experience? Worth it or nah?” 

“Totally worth it. No security lines? No screaming babies? No annoying adults? Insane amounts of leg room? True bliss.” And it was. Raven had slept most of the ride home, mainly due to still being sore and exhausted from the night before. She had asked Michael to introduce her to the mile high club but he told her she needed to rest. And he was not wrong, her pussy definitely needed a break. So she spent most of the flight curled up on his shoulder asleep while he worked and listened to music. 

By the time they landed at LAX, she had not even realized the whole flight had passed her by. The pair noticed a few paparazzi lurking on the other side of the gate as they walked to the car where Alex and Allen waited patiently for them.  

“Welcome home,” Alex offered as the two approached Michael’s car, Allen immediately greeting them both as well before grabbing their bags. “Have fun?” 

The couple nodded enthusiastically. 

“I’m so glad. That means you two are relaxed and can get back to it. Cause we got a problem.” She handed Michael her phone, his relaxed face immediately scrunching up in frustration. 

“What’s wrong?” Raven asked, confused as to what could have happened in the span of a flight. All was well when they took off this morning. 

“Well let’s just say… I am so glad I’m an only child,” Alex answered flatly as Michael handed Raven her phone so she could see ‘the problem,’ a giant TMZ headline staring back at her that featured a quote from her very own sister. 

Fuck.

Tag List: @readinghere2023 @blackerthings @prettyisasprettydoes1306 @physicxal @purplehairgawdess @miyuhpapayuh @rueruesclues @geemamii @certifiedlesbianbaddie @pipsqueak-98 @nyifly22 @destinio1 @twocentaur @gopaperless @musicisme333 @roguekiki @majesticbrownjawn @taurusqueen83 @mysteryuz @miamormilan @itsknor-thedeep @naj-ay444 @mads-grace4 @nayaesworld @kholdkill @msniaimani @nccu-rnc @apenasumlug4r

***

A/N: I hope Paris was as magical for you as it was for me lol And our not-so favorite sister is backkkk. Drop a comment and let me know all your thoughts or if you want to be tagged! Thanks for reading!

[nonsensical-pixels]

4t2 conversion of syboulette's high school corridor set [download - sfs]

hey, feast your eyes on the infamous fridge-locker scene from the strangetown storytelling images... now 2023-ified! 😄

this is @syboubou's high school corridor set's buy mode, converted for ts2! i did not convert the 2, 3, and 4-tile lockers because the one-tile locker seemed sufficient enough. please read the 'things to note' section below the cut before bringing up any issues 😊

have fun with these items!

credits

@syboubou for the original ts4 meshes & textures

@bstu aka bart for helping me with the speaker. the speaker still sucks but we got through it together.

things to note

the speaker is cloned from the base game floor radio (the clone of the wall speaker wouldn't work, oh my god, i spent hours irl actually working on this damn speaker) so the music effects when it's turned on appear on the ground. you can get this mod by cyjon so the effects don't show at all

the wall clock isn't functional, only decorative :( i tried my best

items included

bench - 682 polys classroom sign - 152 polys clock - 314 polys coat rail - 964 polys corkboard - 776 polys hanging backpack - 1478 polys hanging coat - 1377 polys locker - 634 polys schoolbooks - 713 polys speaker - 1056 polys wall dispenser - 1367 polys

hope everyone has some fun with these conversions 💘

( @4t2ccdatabase )

[jaebeomsbitch]

Sleepless Nights (R.B.)

Summary: You'd been best friends with Robin since freshman year of high school. Now you're twenty five and those feelings of your heart racing near her are too much.

Pairing: Robin Buckley x Fem! reader (Genderless pronouns but only bc I'm non-binary)

Mid-twenties Robin and Reader

Warning: SMUT MINORS DNI, fingering

You’d been friends with Robin since your first day of high school. You’d clung onto each other after bonding over a button on her backpack. You both gushed over the show, arms entwined as you walked down the hallways laughing a little too loudly. 

You followed her around like a lost puppy when she introduced you to Steve. You’d heard of him of course but you’d always been a shy kid. So you took a step back, letting them bounce off each other but every so often Robin would look at you. She’d ask something to make you feel included, eyes wide and expecting. She’d cling onto every word, as you stutter at her undivided attention. Your heart racing, throat closing up as you feel your heartbeat climbing up it. The friend group grows more and more until you're just one big family. 

Now the two of were in your mid-twenties, still heading to Steve’s house for movie nights and parties. You spend the night making the rounds, your first stop was getting high with Eddie. It was the only way you could truly relax. You loved spending time with Eddie, it was always so easy. He had the ability to make you comfortable, he mostly just rambled as you nodded your head. Every so often you’d ask a question, his eyes widening. You were a good listener, actually you had become an expert. You were never much of a talker, always enjoying taking a step back and watching people speak without restraints. You liked the way their eyes shone and hands moved with passion. You told Eddie your secret, you’d both share smiles behind your friend’s backs. Giving each other reassuring touches when Robin or Steve said something accidentally hurtful. 

Your friendship with Robin was interesting. She was always breaking some sort of boundary with you, mostly touch. She had her hand on you one way or another almost as if it were involuntary. You learned to slow your breathing at the brush of her fingertips on your arm or the hand intertwined with yours as you walk. To almost everyone you looked like a couple with how much she clung onto you but that was just Robin, right? She hugged all her friends. Somewhere deep down you knew something was different between the two of you. She wasn’t pulling everyone in between her legs while she’s sitting on Steve’s kitchen counter nor was she laying her head on on anyone else’s shoulder during movie nights. Most importantly she wasn’t sharing her bed with anyone else.

It started when you moved in together, she said she couldn’t sleep when you were up watching a movie on your TV. This was the same as watching a movie on the couch right? You pulled back the sheets inviting her in, she lied like a stone next to you. When you turned to look at her you laughed. This was normal right? You were always touching and cuddling, she shouldn’t feel weird about it. She kept doing this every night until she basically converted her bedroom into an art studio. She moved all her clothes to your closet one day and you didn’t dare question it. Your friend’s joked that you two were a married couple but Robin would deny it. Her red streaked face burying into your shoulder as you punch Steve in the chest for making her embarrassed. 

You both grew accustomed to the warmth of each other’s bodies. You sought her out, feeling lost when her side of the bed was empty when she woke up in the middle of night for a glass of water. One weekend she decides to go visit her grandparents, saying they were getting old in age and she didn’t know how long they had. You couldn’t sleep during those three nights she’s gone, you turn the TV on watching an old movie, counting sheep, doing jumping jacks to no avail. Your body misses her even though you try to deny it but when she comes home you see her state. 

You notice the bags under her eyes when she comes back, your tired gaze on hers as you both silently nod at each other. You climb into bed, pulling her into you. Your chin hooking onto the top of her head as she breathes in the scent from your neck. You can’t help but sigh in content. This small moment makes you realize how much you need her. How you need her rambling and random fun facts. How you need her to insistently bug you and make stupid jokes. It’s a pivotal moment in realizing you feel so much more for her besides being friends. Friend’s hearts don’t race when she wears your sweater or when she sits on your lap. Friend’s breath’s don’t hitch when her nose presses against your neck or when her fingers run through your hair to lull you to sleep. 

“Fuck,” You mumble in your half sleep state. 

“Hmm?” Robin makes a noise in acknowledgement. 

“Robin?” You whisper, pushing away the feelings of fear. The feeling of desperation clawing at your throat, to say something to just get them out.

“Yeah?” She sighs into your neck. Her hot breath brushing against your sensitive skin. 

“Can I see your face?” You ask, heart racing in your throat, blood rushing through your ears. She can’t move her head with her tiredness but she lets you move her head back, cradling it in your hand. Her eyes still closed as she feels the thin veil of sleep come over her. She’s aware but starting to drift off. 

“I think I’m in love with you,” You whisper, maybe hoping she won’t hear. Her eyes slowly open, blinking as if she misheard you. 

“What?” She chuckles, eyebrows pinched together in confusion. As you look at her with her eye bags, hair a mess, mascara smudged you realize you are in love with her. 

“I don’t know how it happened but… I- I-,” You stutter unable to form words now that the reality is setting in. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! You were about to ruin an almost ten year friendship over a crush. 

“I love you too,” She mumbles, yawning. 

“What? Why aren’t you freaking out? You’re always freaking out! Robin, I like you… Like want to make out with you and stuff–” you stop feeling embarrassed at your confession, feeling like a teenager again. Her eyes finally fully open, the sleep starting to dissipate. Your adrenaline is racing as you hold her. 

“Uh, I like you too and want to make out and stuff,” She teases, her hand coming up to caress your face. 

“Is this real? Am I asleep?” You whisper, suddenly freaking out this was all a lie. She scoots closer to you, your hand dropping from where you were holding her head as her face leans up to yours. You accidentally flinch at her proximity, hitting your forehead against hers. 

“Ow, definitely not a dream,” You say, cradling your forehead. Holy shit this wasn’t a dream, you drop your hand to look at her. Her face is adorned with a big dopey smile even as her head throbs. 

“You bring a whole new meaning to ‘love hurts’” she laughs, you can’t help but join her. 

“Shit, m’sorry,” You mumble, slowly approaching her face again until you’re a centimeter apart. Your eyes flicking to her blue ones as if asking permission. She gives you a small nod before you press your lips to hers.

The kiss is slow and sweet, you have all the time in the world to kiss her and hold her like this. You realize all you’ve been missing as you place kisses all over her face and neck. You like the way she gasps as you suck a hickey onto her delicate skin. Her fingernails digging into your shoulder as you hold her in place. Your fingers pumping in and out of her, her sleep shorts still at her ankles. 

“Fuck, so pretty,” You sigh, pulling back to look at her reactions. 

“Shit- d-don’t look at me like that,” She says, her eyes unwilling to let yours go just as you’ve commanded her. 

“Like what?” You ask, a wolfish grin on your face. She doesn’t reply, a high pitched moan leaving her throat. She wasn’t used to this confidence from you.

“Better get used to it, baby. Gonna be seeing this face all the time, especially like this,” You taunt with a promising tone. Once you’d seen your best friend like this there was no going back. You pump your fingers faster, reaching the familiar spongy part, as your thumb circles her clit. 

“Shit, you’re really swallowing up my fingers,” You gasp, feeling her walls start to flutter. 

“Fuu-ck, love you so much,” She moans. Her eyes roll back at the sensations, your tongue back on her neck as she spasms under you. She lets out a string of curses, her nails digging deeper into the meat of your shoulders. 

“Love you too,” You mumble into her skin. You lower yourself back onto the sheets, pulling her close as her legs continue to twitch. 

“So we’re like… together right?” You ask sheepishly. 

“M’yours,” She nods, cuddling back into your chest. 

“Okay,” You whisper as she falls asleep. Admiring all the freckles on her face. You thank god she put that stupid pin on her backpack freshman year. It was like you were meant to be this. Like the years of being friends and feeling like something was missing all lead to once again to her being in your arms. Maybe she planned this all along, maybe she just wanted to fall asleep in your arms. Maybe there was nothing more that you wanted than her here sharing your bed because there was a part of you that knew she wasn’t afraid to fall asleep in her own room but, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[late-to-the-party-81]

Finders Keepers - Chapter One

AN: Hey guys - I’m back with my first x Reader story in a few months and of course it’s Bucky. I hope you enjoy this multi-chapter futuristic adventure story, where some elements are complete rip-offs of other sci-fi franchises, lol

Beta’d by @mrs-illyrian-baby 

Dividers by @firefly-graphics and moodboard by me.

Bingo Fills - @buckybarnesbingo Square B5 - an Image of Bucky pointing down with a gun

Master list | BBB Master list

Relationship: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Chapter word count: 2k

Chapter CW: Cyberpunk/Futuristic AU, Bucky being a dick, Reader has a prosthetic lower leg, world-building, mild angst, minor background PepperRhony.

Chapter 1 - Bucky fucking Barnes

April - 2206

“What are you doing here, dollface?”

You looked up, from where you were sprawled inelegantly on the floor after your fall, into the masked face of your worst enemy. Bucky Barnes.

He stood over you, pointing his stunner in the direction of your chest. It was menacing, but you knew that, at least at this moment in time, he didn’t actually mean it. You batted the weapon to the side with your hand and stood up, scowling at him the whole while.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m carrying out a Find for someone. What else?”

His ice blue eyes narrowed, but he holstered his stunner and you felt the last of your trepidation disappear. The neon lights from the buildings at the other end of the alley bounced off the plains of his face, highlighting his strong jaw and high cheekbones, despite the half mask he wore.

“Well, sweetheart, I think that you seem to be in my territory.”

You scoffed. “So what if I am, Buck-o? I’m a small potato in this business. Hardly a threat to your vast empire.”

Bucky stepped closer, the rainbow of lights shifting and illuminating the blue-black of his left arm, and unconsciously you wiggled the metallic toes of your right leg inside your boot.

“I didn’t get my vast empire by letting folk like you muscle in. You got something to find for someone, you do it elsewhere. That’s always been my rule and I’m not about to become a bleeding heart now, especially for you.”

You bent down, picked up your backpack and slung it back over your shoulder. “Heaven forbid that the great Bucky Barnes do something that benefits someone else, even if it doesn’t inconvenience him. But don’t get your panties in a wad - I didn’t find what I was after, anyway. See you never, Barnes.” 

Without waiting for him to respond, you turned your back on him and walked out of the alley into the bright lights of downtown, heading towards home. You weren’t stupid enough to head directly there though. You took a circuitous route, stopping at the Spectrum for a drink and to check for a tail. After thirty minutes of nursing the luminous concoction you’d ordered and people watching, you decided it was safe enough.

You doubled back the way you’d come, and ducked into an apartment complex in one of the most rundown areas of the city. As you jogged up the stairs you waved and smiled back at the other occupants you saw. Most knew who you were and what you did. People with skills like yours were invaluable. Reaching the top floor you walked past all of the apartment doors until you got to the small supply closet at the far end. Pressing your thumb to the padlock that was on the door until it clicked open, you entered the small space.

You’d done your best with your humble abode. There was a small cot to sleep on, a covered bucket for waste, a large bowl to wash in and then an array of handmade shelves taking up the rest of the space. These shelves were packed with high nutrient rations, the meagre possessions from your childhood and all the Finds you’d picked up because you knew someone would want them sooner or later; an intermix injector for a Mk 2 flyer, a converter for a top of the range holovision and various other easy to transport items. 

Was your accommodation legal? No, but you knew no-one in the building was going to rat you out to the mostly absent landlord. You did your share for the immediate community you lived with. Some folk were nice enough to let you use their washing facilities and in return you reimbursed them with any spare credits you had, or offered them discounts on your Finder’s fees for anything they might need to get hold of.

As you closed the door behind you, you let your backpack drop onto your bed, and locked yourself in. You then sat down and pulled out the Personal Access Display Device that, contrary to what you’d told Barnes, you’d managed to scavenge from one of the heaps on the edge of his territory. You couldn’t help the smile that spread over your face at the fact that you’d managed to best him. It was just a shame that you hadn’t gotten in and out without him noticing. 

Your smile disappeared and your brow furrowed as your thoughts returned to the embarrassment of getting caught like that. Barnes had startled you, and in the dark you hadn’t seen who it was, so you’d run. You recalled the sounds of the heavy footsteps chasing you and the jolt of fear you’d felt. Fear that had then been tinged with dismay when a projectile hit your back. It didn’t do much damage, thanks to your backpack and leather jacket, but it had knocked you off your stride and you’d gone down, only to roll over and look up into his annoying face.

Snorting at the recent memory, you decided to put Barnes from your mind for the rest of the night. You pulled your mini HV out from under your cot and, after switching it on, hopped through the stations until you found one playing your favourite, trashy soap opera. The actors roamed around in front of you, and you smiled at their antics. 

With your entertainment sorted, you reached up onto one of the shelves and grabbed a random savoury ration pack. The text on the side of the silver packaging proclaimed that it was some sort of vegetable curry. You pressed the clicker on the side of the pouch to heat it up and while you waited you got out your tool kit. There was no point handing off the PADD if it didn’t work. You wouldn’t be able to build your reputation that way.

You spent your evening tinkering, laughing at the show and trying not to grimace at your dinner. But you were happy. You didn’t have a lot, but it was yours and still a lot more than some folks had. And when you went to sleep it was with a smile on your face, knowing you’d pulled one over Bucky Barnes.

You woke in the morning to the chiming from your personal comms device. You rolled over with a groan, stretching out your hand with your eyes still closed, until your fingers came into contact with the thin plastic. You cradled it to your chest for a few moments as you woke up the rest of your body, your eyes finally opening and working well enough to bring everything into focus. You brought up your messages and were overjoyed to find that you had a new commission. Someone wanted you to find a Fustan Convertor and you knew just where to find one. First, though, you had to get up, and deliver your Find from last night. That would mean credits and therefore some food that didn’t come out of a foil pouch. You’d managed to grab a shower yesterday, so today you’d settle with a strip wash. 

You sat up on your bed and swung both your legs - all one and half of them - over the edge,and shucked your sleep clothes. Your body started to pre-emptively shiver as you dipped your washcloth into your bowl of cold water and wrung it out. You started with the most delicate areas first - your face and then your stump.

You’d long come to terms with your limb difference, the result of an accident when you were a teenager, and we’re glad that you lived in a time when most folk had access to prosthetics that could easily give you back all the abilities of a flesh and blood limb. And it wasn’t just lost limbs either; people who’d lost their eye-sight could gain some semblance of vision back with the latest technology, and the deaf could get cochlear replacements. What hadn’t changed though was the cost of such things, and you knew that paying for your prosthetic was what had bankrupted your family, and why you were living where you were now.

With your ablutions dealt with, it was time to put your leg back on. First was the sensor net that plugged into nerve ports on your thigh and also covered your stump. It transferred signals to your prosthetic once you had it in place and stopped any rubbing against your skin. As always, there were a few moments of calibration, where you had to wiggle your toes and rotate your ankle, making sure everything was properly connected. Then it was time to get dressed and head out.

You carefully placed the PADD in your backpack and slung it over your shoulder, before unlocking your door, exiting and then re-locking it. You jogged down the stairs, in a good mood, and pushed through the exterior door out onto the street, pulling the hood of your coat over your head to protect from the seemingly permanent drizzle that misted over the city. 

It was only a couple of stops on the grav-train to get to your client’s lodgings, and you completed your transaction with a smile, the PADD handed off for those all important credits. Your next stop was breakfast. 

As you travelled back the way you’d come, your thoughts turned to the man that made your life a lot harder than it needed to be. When you’d first crossed paths with Bucky Barnes, having only heard the odd snippet about him, you’d hoped that you’d be able to make an alliance or at least a mutual understanding. That had all gone out of the airlock before you’d barely had a chance to open your mouth. He’d been immediately combative and rude, telling you to leave his territory, the unspoken threat of what would happen if you didn’t, hanging in the air between you.

You’d resolved then and there to make yourself just as well known as him, if not more, in this business, and if while doing that you trod on his toes, all the better. The guy thought he was the big ‘I am’, and deserved to be taken down a peg or two. No-one in your shared socio-economic bracket could realistically manage on their own for very long - partnerships were the way of the world.

The grav-train swayed to a stop and you walked up the steps and up into the dim light of daytime. You could just about make out the shapes of personal transport vehicles zipping through the sky above the fog that hung at the lowest levels of the city. You’d used them every so often when you were younger, but not enough for you to lose your fascination with them. The memories were hazy now, though. All that remained was the feeling of absolute freedom, and how quiet and clean it was up in the sky. However, for now, you’d just have to rely on your two mismatched feet, and the odd ride on public transport. It was therefore with those two feet that you made your way down the street towards your favourite diner, skipping around the puddles of suspicious liquids, and avoiding the pickpockets. 

Despite the daylight hours, Potts’ Diner was still brightly lit, the sign attached to the roof flashing, like a signal beacon. Luckily, there was nothing nefarious going on with the owners, Mr & Mrs & Mr Potts, unless you counted the time they attempted to add fish tacos to the menu - that had not been a good few days. 

When you’d first moved to the area, when it was clear you had to find a way of supporting yourself, this diner had been one of the first places you’d come. You’d been here before several times as a child, brought along by your parents for a treat. Mrs Potts and Mr James Potts were always so gentle and kind, and their husband, Mr Tony Potts, was always making you laugh and smile with his antics.

You jogged up the diner steps and the door whooshed open, the electronic rendering of a bell chiming as you stepped through, letting the three of them know that a new patron had arrived. You flashed a smile at Pepper as you passed where she was standing behind the counter and gestured towards your normal booth. She responded with a nod, before turning back to the customer she was currently serving. You slid into the booth, and took off your backpack and coat, stretching your legs out under the table. Your right leg whirred as the pressure on it was reduced and it went through a recalibration cycle.

You were just pondering whether to change up your usual order for one of James Potts’ specials, when a shadow fell across you. You looked up and gasped in surprise as the looming body bent down and slid onto the bench seat opposite you.

“Hey, doll. Fancy seeing you here.”

Bucky fucking Barnes.

Chapter two

Tag list: @christywrites, @alexakeyloveloki, @wolfsmom1, @doasyoudesireandlive, @sonatabee-blog, @goldylions, @galactusdevourerofworlds, @apenny4thots, @wheezy-stucky @km-ffluv

[420slvtt]

sea, swallow me

masterlist

summary: in which eren jaeger, an amazing football player, gets to play for one of the best high schools in marley, the mysterious rich town over.

in which y/n y/ln, the well-off girl, tries to overcome her addictions and just wants to be loved and cared for.

part two

content warning: (self harm, substance abuse, mentions of vomit, drug use)

y/n.

you rushed around your room, picking out a good outfit for the first day. knowing that if it was horrible, pieck would ridicule you jokingly.

your thighs were burning as you put a pair of jeans directly over them. the fresh cuts from the night before were a pale red color on your skin.

you had relapsed last night because you had gone out to some lame party and came home 'too' late. at least you were sober then. so your parents started lecturing you until you went to the bathroom and locked them out.

self harm wasn't the only thing you had done. the room was slightly spinning as you put on a shirt.

your phone buzzed while you were sitting down at the vanity. you looked at it.

'CALL FROM PIECK <3' you answered. "hello?"

"am i picking you up?"

"sure."

"okay! be there in ten. be ready bye!" she said before hanging up the phone.

you put the phone back down on the vanity and worked on your makeup. your eyes were a tad bit red as you had dipped into your weed collection and some of your pills last night.

god, you were in so much mental pain, but no one noticed.

but maybe they did. and they just didn't know how to help.

you finished your makeup with five minutes to spare and dug through your closet, finding a bag of your oxycodone you dug through it grabbing one pill and placed it on your tounge, rushing over to your nightstand to drink your water.

you had three minutes left, so you sprayed perfume on yourself and made sure you looked good.

you grabbed your backpack after looking at the clock and walked downstairs. "bye!" you shouted into your empty house.

you walked out of your house to be met with pieck pulling up in her light blue volkswagen convertible. you walked towards her dragging your finger across your car-that you never use. not anymore at least.

"hi." you said as you got in her car. you were bubbly more than usual.

"are you okay?" pieck asked, driving her car towards the school that was ten minutes away.

"yeah, why wouldn't i be?" you chirped back, happy demeanor strong.

"no reason." she said, smiling and turning up the music she had playing.

you were scrolling throughout your phone-zoning out. "we're here." pieck said lightly, shaking you out of your daze.

"okay." you said, pocketing your phone and opening the car door. you and pieck were going to meet up with your friends in the outdoor lunch seating, or that's what pieck kept saying, but all her words were sounding droned out.

you spotted some of your friends, one of them being your favorite. "reiner!" you said running towards him and getting scooped up in his arms in a hug-your arms wrapped around his neck and your legs wrapped around his torso.

reiner smiled into the hug. you usually did this. he set you down, dusting himself off. "hey, y/n, did you hear we're getting a new student."

he said as you sat down at the table legs draped on ymir's lap. "we are?" you asked, putting your head on your folded arms on the picnic table.

the breeze felt so good that you felt yourself about to drift off into sleep.

"what's wrong with y/n?" ymir whispered in pieck's ear as she sat next to her and yelena.

"i think she's high." pieck said, looking down at the table. "she always gets like this." she said suggesting to your form.

your brother malik came up to the table and sat down next to you. "y/n, are you seriously sleeping?" he asked, nudging you.

you stirred awake. "well, i was." you said, flicking his forehead before digging through your bag and putting in some headphones to play some music.

malik quietly chatted with your friends, keeping his eye on you. "is she okay?" he asked the group-finally noticing that porco was missing.

"i don't think so." yelena said, gripping her bag and walking away.

pieck stared after yelena. "she's high. she relapsed malik." pieck said quietly for only the boy to hear before continuing her conversation with colt and ymir.

reiner smushed himself in between you and ymir. he tapped your shoulder. "you okay?"

"yeah, why?" you asked, noticing how the group was staring at you.

"you just look out of it, your heads down, etc."

"yeah,i’m fine." you said, grabbing your bag and getting up and walking to sit in front of your locker.

𖦹

your desk had all kinds of trippy patterns on it as you looked at it. you felt like all the drugs you had taken were clashing together.

your leg was bouncing as your head was down blasting music in your ears.

you couldn't even feel your teachers touch. "Y/N!" she yelled, making you look up and at your surroundings, which was an abandoned classroom. "are you okay?"

'what had she said?'

you only nodded, gathering your things and going to your next class gym. you know, with any slight aggressive move of your body, you would probably throw up.

but you still went. you met up with annie giving her a hug, which she slightly returned.

"hey." she said as you guys sat on the bleachers while the boys played football and the girls walked the track beside you two.

"hi." you said, taking a sip of your water bottle, hoping that it'd help you. it didn't, it was the exact opposite thing you needed right now, vodka.

"fuck." you said as your head was pounding from the mix of the drugs and alcohol.

"y/n, are you okay?" annie asked turning to face you.

"no, not really. i thought it was water but it's actually vodka and im on a whole lot of drugs right now." you said tears threatening to slip from your eyes as she cradled your head, putting it in her lap.

"damn, your an alcoholic and drug addict, i feel bad for your kids." she said still comforting you making you laugh as you both looked at the football field.

"have you seem the new kid yet?" you asked her trying to change the subject.

"oh eren? yeah i have." it was silent after that just her rubbing your head and you quietly sniffling.

it was almost to peaceful. "oh! erm— sorry didn't know anyone was up here." a blond boy you've seen multiple times before said locking eyes with you before looking away.

annie responded for the both of you. "it's fine, it's big enough for three." she said pointing to the sea of bleacher benches.

"okay!" he said before picking a seat on the bottom row closer to the exit. he pulled out a book from his book bag and began reading it. you couldn't pull your eyes away from him.

you looked away seeing an unfamiliar brunet playing football. "is that eren?" you said pointing at him.

annie nodded. "yeah, apparently your dad recruited him."

"oh."

𖦹

you were back at the lunch table with the full group. well, not quite. you still hadn't seen porco all day besides gym.

"pock!" pieck said as porco hugged her.

where was he? "sorry i wasn't here this morning, guys. i had to tour this guy." he said, sliding out of the way to reveal the brunet from earlier. "this is eren, he's new and he's the new recruit on the football team."

"hi guys." he waved awkwardly at the blended friend group. his eyes landed on you. you didn't even wave at him. you just looked at him before looking back at the table.

porco sat down next to you and nudged you. "hey."

you looked up, seeing how awkward eren looked standing at your table. before a someone called for him, armin.

you felt sick. "i got to go. porco, tell pieck i'll see her later." you said gathering your things and escaping off the school campus.

you saw some members of your friend group staring at you, but none of them bothered to move except one. yelena.

"shit, shit." you muttered, picking up your pace. you had no transportation, so you had to walk twenty minutes back home.

"y/n, wait!" she called after you.

you ignored her, feeling bile rise up in your throat. you slowed bending over and threw up on the side of the road. "gross." you muttered, feeling yelena come to your side and hold your hair back.

"y/n, what happened?" she asked, trying to soothe you by rubbing your back.

"nothing." you said throwing up some more. you didn't know throwing up this much with a (basically empty) stomach was possible.

once you stopped vomiting, yelena looped her arm with you and brought you to her car. strapped you in and began driving. "why." she demanded, turning to look at you.

you avoided her gaze, looking out the window as she drove you home. "i don't know." you mumbled.

she looked away. "whatever."

you brought your knees up to your chest and placed your head between them.

yelena drove until she reached your neighborhood, pulling in and stopping. "get out." she demanded a twinge of hurt evident in her voice.

"yelena—" you were cut off.

"no, get your shit and get out." she demanded unlocking the car.

you gathered your backpack and shoved your phone in your pocket before getting put out of her car. you watched as it sped off.

as you sauntered back into your house, you quickly locked the door and ran to your room. that had made you feel even worse.

how had you manage to fuck everything up?

you choked on tears as you set your painting of the universe out in front of you. you grabbed the pills that were taped behind it and took them.

"god." you said groaning at the headache that was sneaking upon you.

you retaped the small baggie on the back of the canvas and threw it somewhere in your room before laying on your back facing your ceiling.

you had music playing in the background as you stared up at the ceiling, quietly giggling to yourself as you saw all the funny patterns on the ceiling.

you sat at the dinner table with your family. your eyes were glossed over as you ate your salad. you had your airpods in and couldn't hear what they were saying.

"Y/N! Y/N!" someone said repeatedly tapping your shoulder. you looked up seeing it was your mother. "hello? earth to y/n?" she asked waving her hands in front of your face.

you took out your airpod and looked at her. "yeah?"

"we we're just discussing school, and we want you to join in on the conversation."

she said.

"okay."

you tuned everyone out, only nodding and humming softly when needed as an answer.

you spun your salad around on your fork before speaking. "dad, why didn't you tell us you recruited someone. you always do."

your mom looked at him eagerly, somewhat pissed. "i just forgot." he said, getting up and putting his plate in the sink.

your mother slumped in her seat, not hearing the answer she wanted. "i'm going to bed." she said, trudging up the stairs.

you put your fork down and grabbed your bowl, and headed up the stairs to your room.

"y/n?" malik called out.

"yeah?" you called back, stopping on the stairs, looking back.

"can you stay with me?" he called back.

you didn't answer but began moving back down the stairs towards where he was.

"of course." you smiled and leaned your head on his shoulder and ate your salad. him eating his salad, too.

"i really wish you would stop doing drugs." he said as his head was on top of yours.

you froze before saying your next answer. "me too."

-

A/N

if yall didn't notice, y/n acts like a child when she's high!! and dw guys eren and y/n will make an interaction soon.

PSA

i don't think drugs are a good coping mechanism, and it just makes you feel worse, im adding this story solely for the purpose people stay away from drugs. but i can't control what others do. i just want you guys to be safe.

[sincerely-astra]

So i request Yandere choir X Penny some time ago, and i wanted to request other thing if it's not a problem-

Yandere choir X Penny having a crush on Tammy

So if you don’t know who Tammy is, Tammy is a character that only has like two lines in Legoland, but according to fandom hcs, Tammy is a super religious/catholic girl and Penny's best friend, she is the most devout girl in town and possible tried to convert Penny when they became friends (she stopped right after), she is a kinda popular and extrovertd and tried to make Penny fit in (it failed so both of them gave up), they meet after some bullies burned Penny's backpack, then Tammy aprooched her and gave her a CD or something

If I remember her lines were: " Only the lord knows what's really cool " and something about erasing Penny's sins

I imagine that Penny has a crush on her since they meet and she mentions Tammy most of the time, like: " Tammy introduced me to this band. " " The first time i went to the fair was with Tammy. " etc.

I hope this isn't difficult! If it is you can ignore, i don't remember much of Legoland! Thanks! 💞

☁️Yandere Choir x Penny: Penny has a crush on Tammy...🌧️

⚠️WARNING: General yandere content and some religious mentions!⚠️

Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg:

When I say Ocean has never felt so furious about anything in her life, I do mean that.

Penny and Ocean have never really spoken about Tammy before. Sure, they mentioned her in conversation once or twice (it's hard not to due to the girl's popularity), but it never went further. So hearing Penny casually mention that she really likes Tammy during one of their study sessions, Ocean had to excuse herself for a moment before she had a meltdown.

Really, she tries so hard to show Penny that she's the only one the girl needs, that she will always be there, and that she is logically the best choice. So why is it that her efforts never seem to be enough? Why is it that when she is head over heels for Penny, Penny wants to go off and smooch some other girl??

It's quite frankly, outrageous.

It's safe to say Ocean is not happy with this development and she makes it known.

For the rest of the day and week, she acts sour, never snapping at Penny (She would never) but it's clear something is bothering her which leaves Penny worried. Ocean has these moments a lot, but to have it directed at her made Penny want to crawl into a hole and die..., especially since she doesn't understand what she did wrong.

And to be fair, even if Penny did ask if she had done something wrong, Ocean would just brush it off and dote on her for a bit before going back to her foul mood. Penny was thoroughly confused...

To Ocean, she had never considered Tammy a threat to her and Penny's relationship. She knew Penny and Tammy were friends, but with Tammy being so popular and with the trouble that Penny had gotten into as of late, she never gave their interactions a second glance. Apparently, that was a bad choice on her part because now she has even more to worry about.

As mentioned before, Tammy is popular. Although she is one of the few actually religious girls in St. Cassian, everyone seems to be attracted to her whether it be for her kindness or something else. Ocean would never, ever admit this out loud but... god, she was jealous of Tammy, like, really jealous.

Ocean has always had to try hard in life, as much as she didn't want to admit it, nothing really came easy to her. 9/10, she had to drag herself to study and complete all her extra credit assignments just because she wanted that 1 extra point. Ocean O'Connell Rosenberg was successful, but that came at the cost of burnout and being alone. That's why seeing someone like Tammy be so popular and successful in her own right and not even lifting a finger to get it makes her so upset. Why is this so hard for her? How come she is the one who gets stuck with no friends? Hell, Ocean knows the majority of people don't like her at St. Cassian because of her ways, so why do people like Tammy??

Ocean just doesn't get it..., good thing this will only be a temporary setback. :)

After a good week and a half of moping over Penny's newfound crush, Ocean is quick to pull herself back together and get to work. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do about this yet, but she knew she had to work quick and after a night of brainstorming, Ocean had a good idea.

She was going to do something she never would have done if this situation didn't arise in the first place, something she was kind of afraid to do...

It was Thursday afternoon, right before choir rehearsals started. Earlier that day, Ocean had managed to convince Tammy to meet her after school so she could talk to her about something, intentionally being very vague about the whole thing. Once Tammy was there, Ocean's plan could finally be enacted... Pulling out the fake tears and the best acting she could manage, she was quick to lie about Penny to Tammy. Oddly enough, her plan was to get Tammy to see how "awful" Penny was and to leave her alone "lest her own soul be damned."

Was it a dirty tactic? Maybe, but Tammy, after hearing about all these horrid things Penny had supposedly done (some lies, some truths,) was pressured into agreeing with Ocean to stay away. Ocean made sure to cover her tracks also by making Tammy promise to never tell Penny she said this and that she was too far in to leave Penny, unfortunately.

And like things always seemed to, everything went perfectly and Penny was kind of a mess during rehearsals.

Penny is, of course, devastated by the sudden news from Tammy that she can't be near her anymore, something about her being "unholy?" It was kind of a blur as Penny had to restrain herself from bawling on the spot.

For days on end, she was inconsolable. Tammy was her first real crush if you don't count any celebrity crushes and she thought everything was going so well... What changed to make Tammy hate her so suddenly? First Ocean and now her.

Penny didn't need to worry though as Ocean was quick to console the girl, a wide smile on her face all the while...

Noel Gruber:

Honestly, it really wasn't hard for Noel to see that Penny was gaining a crush.

It was quite obvious with the way she and Tammy were hanging out more than ever, how Penny started mentioning Tammy more often, and a lot of other signs he picked up over the course of a few weeks. He's the most romantic boy in town, he knows a thing or two about love, of course, he would be one of the first people to know she has a crush even before Penny knew.

And as much as he wanted to say that he was happy for Penny, that he was incredibly eager to help her get the girl of her dreams... He wasn't.

He wasn't at all, in fact, Noel couldn't help but be very suspicious of this development.

It just seemed odd to him that Tammy was suddenly so buddy-buddy with Penny for no reason, and someone as popular and highly religious as her was hanging out with someone with a less-than-stellar track record.

Plus, he's seen every "religious kid" here, Noel knows how they tick and he just doesn't buy that Tammy is hanging around Penny for pure reasons.

Granted, he doesn't know Tammy personally as he's sure no one would even let him glance at her in fear of her catching the "gay disease" or something stupid from him, but that definitely doesn't stop him from downplaying her to Penny.

Anytime Tammy is brought up, Noel just dies inside a little more... He doesn't mean to be so harsh, but as Penny talks about her in the giddy way she does, he can't help but make a few snide comments about the girl here and there. He wasn't exactly subtle with his distaste for her and Penny was quick to learn to stop bringing her up so often around him...

Penny didn't quite get why he was so offset by Tammy, they haven't even met so why does he get so sour when she's brought up? It really sucks too cause Penny did want them to meet at some point but now she's not too sure that would be a good idea...

Over time Noel's paranoia about Tammy just kept getting worse and worse... He's never thought about anything other than The Blue Angel and Penny this much and it's starting to aggravate him. He doesn't need to spend his nights bashing Tammy in his head or thinking about how to get Penny away from her.

But simultaneously, it was so easy to fall into the headspace when he knew Penny was so close to leaving him... There is no way on god's green earth that he's gonna let that happen but he doesn't know how to stop it unless he comes clean to Penny about his feelings on Tammy.

And without many options, he knew he would just have to take that risk.

When the week was finally over and the weekend came around, Noel had invited Penny over for one of their usual hangouts. He tried his best to not come off too strongly at the start, he didn't want to scare her off or anything by suddenly insulting the girl she was crushing on... They just talked for a while and watched a movie to settle in.

Noel wasn't sure if there even was a right time to tell her something like this..., that the person whom she considers a brother figure hates her crush's guts, but as the night neared, he knew that time would have to be soon.

...Yeah, he told her right before she left.

Penny was grabbing her things, making sure she didn't leave behind anything as Noel stood awkwardly to the side, internally trying not to panic as he thought about how to start the conversation. Snapping out of his thoughts as he heard the zipper of her purse, Penny turning towards him to bid him goodnight, the words, "I don't trust Tammy," Suddenly flooded out of him much to the shock of both him and her.

After a deafening pause, more of his feelings came out before Penny even got a chance to react. All of the built-up feelings he's had for the past few weeks were finally being acknowledged by both her and him, no longer being held back by Noel's fears. Of course, he was at least able to catch himself before his words could start slipping into a concerning territory that Penny didn't need to know about, it can't hurt her to not know that he is so constantly worried about her that he stalks her profusely or that he often thinks about keeping her trapped in his house...

...Anywho, his ramblings about his distrust of Tammy and how he's been hurt by those kinds of people in the past were met with a lukewarm reception. Penny was seriously conflicted about how to feel at the moment and it was really hard to think about it when Noel's words started getting a little more desperate.

Needing to just get away from him for just a moment, she simply replies to his ramblings with, "I'll think about it Noel, see you later." A response that delighted and terrified him to the core as she left his house, he could really only hope she made the right choice before he had to take some drastic measures... (He also totally spent the night tossing and turning from the anxiety of awaiting her response-)

Penny couldn't really believe her ears after hearing what was really bothering Noel all this time. She knew he didn't love her, but hearing the words come out of his mouth of how much he hated her was so devastating to hear.

Come on, Noel is like another brother to her and honestly, one she talks to about a lot more things than she can to Ezra, she didn't want to lose him over a crush... She does love Tammy, but who knows if that would even work out, especially with all the trouble she got into. Would Tammy still want to hang out with her if she heard about it? For some reason, Penny highly doubts it.

Penny needed Noel.

She knew it, he knew it.

The next morning for both Penny and Noel was filled with apologies from both of them and a promise. The promise is to not talk to Tammy again.

Really, Noel knew Penny was smart enough to make the right choice.

Mischa Bachinski:

Mischa has this belief that he has the complete right to go through Penny's phone at any moment he pleases, for safety reasons of course.

Penny grew up on a community farm without a lick of the internet so it makes sense she is not the most tech-savvy person in the world. She literally forgets where her phone is half the time and although she likes it, she gets frustrated with it quite easily. So why not have her loving boyfriend friend help her out and make sure she didn't download any viruses or is talking to anyone fishy!

It's all for her benefit, really.

Today was like any other weekend, Penny had left Mischa's room to use the restroom (much to his foster parent's dismay, he's sure,) and Mischa was using this opportunity to look through Penny's phone. Nothing stood out at first, she was rarely on it anyway and nothing looked like it had changed since yesterday...

Then the phone rings as a notification drops down, showing a text from a girl named Tammy... Mischa's eyebrows furrow in confusion as he clicks on the notification, eyes quickly scanning the words of Tammy and Penny's various conversations, all seeming a little too affectionate for normal friends.

As each word is processed in his brain, he feels his gut sink lower and lower as the familiar feelings of rage also tingle inside of him. Mischa had heard of Tammy from others before and he thinks Penny might have mentioned her name once or twice, but he's never interacted with the girl himself. So, who does she think she is being so flirty with his friend? What gives her the idea that it's okay to send morning and goodnight texts to Penny, heart pretty much every single text Penny sends, and be so sickeningly sweet to Penny??

He had to put the phone down for a second before his rage started really consuming him, jealousy also made its way into the mass of feelings he was experiencing at the moment.

He knew he needed to do something about this, he couldn't just let Tammy pester Penny when it was so obvious that she wanted nothing to do with the girl and was just being polite! (Lol, keep telling yourself that Mischa.) Penny shouldn't have to worry about insolent people like her when he's all she needs.

Does Mischa know of Tammy? Not really no. He's sure he's probably heard her name once or twice, most likely when speaking to Penny, but he tends to just block people's names out when they aren't someone he cares about.

Plus, even if he did know Tammy personally, that definitely wouldn't stop the immense feelings of jealousy that were rearing its ugly head inside of him when he looked at her and Penny's messages. Really, he can barely handle the choir's constant advances on her, what makes anyone think he can handle a person he barely knows advances??

He's gonna make Tammy stop bothering Penny in one way or another... In fact, there is one way he is quite familiar with that has proved to stop these kinds of nuisances in the past. Physical approaches to these situations did always tend to be his favorite.

Now despite what he's sure a lot of people think about him, he isn't a violent person, especially towards women. He doesn't plan to treat Tammy too harshly just to..., rough her up a bit, nothing too crazy. He knows people will start getting suspicious if it is too bad after all.

With Mischa not knowing Tammy personally and the fact that she was pretty popular, Mischa did find it tedious to get an ounce of alone time with her, it was like everywhere she went there were at minimum 3 people waiting to speak with her. It took a good week to find a spare moment where she was alone. It was before school outside of the back of the building, Tammy's face wearing a bright smile as she texts happily on her phone, completely unaware of a rapidly approaching Mischa. Mischa didn't exactly know what she was doing back here, but he wasn't going to waste this opportunity overthinking it.

As he got closer and closer to the girl, he found his heart rate starting to pick up, his hands subconsciously clenching at his sides. Anger..., a feeling he knew all too well started quickly spreading inside of him like a forest fire, all too eager to get to Tammy and do what needed to be done. The thoughts of Penny and Tammy texting and talking, those moments of flirtation between them, and the simple idea of them potentially getting together made Mischa unbelievably pissed, more so than he's ever been.

He doesn't care how many times he needs to say it, how many times he needs to make it crystal clear, Penny Lamb will forever be his.

No one is gonna get in the way of that.

...

Mischa can't quite recall what happens next..., only faint images of anger, rough handling, and sobs could be retrieved as he must have blacked out from the anger. All he knows and cares about now is that Penny is safe from Tammy's bothersome attention.

The past few weeks have been awfully strange for Penny...

Mischa, possibly one of her best friends in the entire world, had been acting a bit distant. It wasn't like he quit speaking to her or anything, but he was just more busy than he usually was. That was just one thing though, it wasn't enough to have her as confused as she was now.

But then out of nowhere, he started being extremely active in her life again right as Tammy decided to block her with no rhyme or reason. She was just so distraught as she rambled to Mischa about Tammy's sudden disappearance from her life that she never once thought to question it all. She can't believe a girl she really thought was the one just up and left, just like that... Was she really that bad? Was her ways of love that despicable??

Penny couldn't stop those feelings of sadness from consuming her for days...

And as sad as Mischa was to see Penny not being happy, he knew she just needed some time to see that Tammy was just a burden on her, that she never loved her the way he does.

Ricky Potts:

...

Well that was unexpected.

If you would have told Ricky that Tammy Edwards, a highly religious girl with more friends than she knew what to do with, would be friends with Penny Lamb, a girl with a known toubled past and is basically the school's punching bag, he would have looked at you like you were crazy.

And if that wasn't shocking enough, finding out that Penny liked Tammy..., that sent Ricky through a bit of a spiral.

Ricky would be lying if he said he ever cared for Tammy, really, to him, anyone who wasn't Penny, Ezra, or his parents, were all just kind of side characters he had no interest in interacting with.

Can you blame him though? When you have been shown that time and time again, everyone around you views you as a background character who has no thoughts or feelings beside than what they were "made to do," you to would get a little cynical about others as well.

Moving on, Ricky has a bad habit of looking through Penny's stuff from time to time, he knows how bad it looks, but he hates the idea that she's keeping stuff from him! So..., while Penny went off for a moment, leaving him alone in her and Ezra's shared room, he admittedly got a little curious. He checked all the usual spots he knows she hides things in, having done this plenty of times before, before coming across her diary.

Now, he knew of Penny's diary from snooping previously and because Penny herself has mentioned it before. Apparently is was just some activity Dr. Prattle was making her do to let out her "intense emotions."

Normally, he would've just skipped over it, he has some boundaries after all and reading her diary was stepping over them. But today..., today something just told him that he needed to read it. It was a gut feeling far too strong to ignore. So, he did...

Skipping over to her lastest entry, one having been done from the day prior as seen from the date written in the top left corner, he saw it.

Written in the messy handwriting he adores was, "Okay so, I think i'm finally ready to admit to myself that I really like Tammy... and not just as a friend either. (I guess those barbies were right, huh?)" Clear as day, right in front of his eyes, Penny admitted that she liked Tammy.

She didn't love him.

Ricky's hands were particularly shaky as he placed the diary back to were he found it, expression unreadable as the storm in his head grew to an incomprehensible size. He had always told himself that if he waited, if he was patient, kind, and if he was everything Penny would ever need, than she would realize he was the one for her.

He's tried so hard. Everything he does and think about is for Penny, all he wants is for her to see that he loves her more than anyone, including herself, can even imagine. He just wishes that for one moment, one signular second, that piece inside of head will click and everything will be the way it should be.

But that wasn't going to happen. That moment will never occur if Penny continues having eyes for Tammy.

...

Maybe it was the anxiety overflowing in his head or the thought that Penny would never love him that made a thought Ricky woulde have never dared to think of pop into his mind. An idea that he normally would never dream of doing, Penny is her own person after all, but in such a dire situation....

He knew it would have to be done. What better way to show Penny that he loves her like no other than to have her have no one else in her life. (With exceptions of course.)

Isolating Penny, to no one's surprise, was a lot easier than it probably would've been for most people.

All Ricky had to do was, 1. Take up as much of her time as possible (which he was already doing.) 2. Put in a few bad words here and there about Tammy or whoever else tried getting close to Penny. And lastly, 3. Make her think this was all her own desision!

Who knew Ricky could be so good at gaslighting?

Whenever he made up his mind about this plan, he started on it almost immediately, he couldn't waste anytime with it because who knows when Penny was planning to confess?

And yet, as much progress this plan was showing and even when Ricky was almost positive Tammy was out of Penny's life..., he couldn't help but still feel so paranoid.

What if Tammy came back? What if Penny still liked her and ready to just leave him behind? What if she knew what he was doing and found him utterly despicable?? What if-

Those pesky thoughts just kept snowballing and snowballing. He really would have never considered himself a nervous person, but Penny is just too amazing to let go...

Penny on the other hand, despite what Ricky's paranoia might have been screaming at him, was none the wiser to the isolation Ricky was imprinting on her. She was never really a social butterfly anyway, so she hardly noticed how these days Ricky and Ezra were the only people she talked to.

This was just her desision right? She just needs them in her life, others wouldn't get her anyway. Penny was perfectly content with being alone, as long as it meant being alone with the two most important people in her life.

Did she miss Tammy? ...Yeah, she did miss her a lot.

...

This was her desision and she's sticking to it.

(Sorry that this one is kind of bad- Writer's block is hitting me hard.)

Constance Blackwood:

"Have you seen the way that Penny looks at her?" "I just know she has the biggest lesbian crush on Tammy! Poor Tammy." Giggling and laughing soon ensue, and those words Constance would normally never pay a second glance to suddenly seem awfully interesting.

Constance was nice. That was the only word people could describe her with in St. Cassian. No matter what other skills or personality she's shown to make them think any differently, it always reverts back to her just being nice. And as much as she hates it, which, believe her, she does, she can't help but admit that it was useful in these situations.

You would be surprised by the dirt she's heard from people either too careless to notice she was there or naively believing she was too kind to do anything with it. While it's true she usually never thinks twice about this stuff, she isn't shallow after all, this time it was different. This time it was about Penny.

And it wasn't exactly something she was thrilled to hear.

In fact..., the mere idea of Penny having a slight interest in Tammy was enough to make Constance have a bit of a freak-out... Quietly, of course!

"Penny likes Tammy? But what about me??" Constance mumbled to herself as she left the cafeteria all shaken up, her thoughts scrambled as all she wanted to do in the moment was find Penny and figure out the truth. Surely she just heard it wrong right? She's been there for Penny way more than Tammy has..., and Penny would have been so understanding and open with her if she didn't like her somewhat, right? ...Right?

Constance found Penny fairly quickly since she pretty much knew the girl's schedule to a T. As soon as her brown braids came into view, Constance took a breath and tried to walk up to her as calmly as she could, it would be rude to just ask something like that so suddenly.

Constance had finally made it up there and they talked for a few minutes, luckily Constance's anxieties always seemed to melt away when she was around Penny. But she knew the bell was going to ring soon and she would have Penny to herself forever... (Even if she should-) So, with what little courage she could salvage, she manages to speak up, "Uhm Penny, do you by chance like... someone? ...Sorry-"

While the words filled the space between them, a silence came soon after as Penny, in a bit of shock and confusion, stared at Constance for what felt like an eternity... Honestly, Constance was ready to throw in the towel as soon as the silence occurred, but she somehow managed to not run out of the room at that moment and Penny finally spoke up. "...You mean to ask if I like Tammy, right? I guess I do, she's really nice and I like her smile... So, I guess that means I have a crush." Penny simply shrugged as she said that like she hadn't really thought about it and was only now realizing her feelings for the girl.

Constance, trying her absolute best not to break and start sobbing right then and there, replies with a small, "Oh..."

Look, it wasn't the fact that Constance hated Tammy that made this confirmation of Penny's crush so hard for her. Really, she's spoken to Tammy a few times and she never had any issue with her, it's just that Penny has a crush on her.

In these situations, Constance's first thought is to just be as self-deprecating as possible. Of course, she likes Tammy..., what does Constance have that Tammy doesn't? She's nice, pretty, smart, popular..., It's not exactly rocket science as to why Penny would find her attractive.

But see, Constance wasn't going to do that this time. Penny wasn't some old crush she would only really care about for a week before Constance would act like nothing happened. This was Penny Lamb, the love of her life and the girl who makes living seem even a little bit bearable. So, she wasn't going to sit back this time and watch Penny get stolen from her, no, she was actually going to do something about it.

And what better way than to do what she is always known for? She was going to be nice.

Only a day later after Penny admitted her feelings for Tammy to Constance, Constance had managed to grab some of Tammy's attention before school and get her into a semi-secluded area so they could talk. Constance honestly thought this would be a lot harder, considering Tammy's popularity and all, but despite it, Tammy made time for her. Constance could only guess this was from their friendly relationship in the past or her reputation..., either way, she was glad for it.

Like with Penny, she didn't want to scare the girl off by demanding things right away, so she decided to do some small talk. It was definitely a little awkward..., but hey, Tammy hadn't run away screaming yet so a win is a win.

Eventually, though, Tammy had the heart to finally ask, "So, is there a reason you called me out here Connie? It's not that I mind chatting, I just thought there might be something going on, you know?" Giving Constance the perfect segway into the left-field conversation she was kind of dreading having..., "Okay, so I'm just going to get it out of the way and say it but..., I like Penny, like, a lot."

Constance slowly starts to ramble on about her love for Penny and how she knows Penny likes Tammy, all to lead up to asking one simple favor of Tammy.

The favor being, to stay away from Penny.

And as much as Tammy wants to decline, to keep seeing Penny and continue exploring these feelings she had gotten for the girl..., how could she deny Constance? One of the few truly nice people at St. Cassian and especially when she's asking so nicely. Tammy can tell Constance really likes Penny and she knows she'll treat her well...

"Of course Connie, may the Lord bless you and your relationship."

...

Constance could hardly believe the words she was hearing as Tammy gave a quick goodbye, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Turns out being nice isn't all bad after all.

Now, Penny was of course very confused and a little heartbroken as she received Tammy's text. She has no clue why they can't see each other anymore..., or what "Don't worry, the Lord has made a perfect someone just for you," means.

Come on, she was just discovering what it means to love someone after being stuck on a farm with old people all her life...

Well, at least she has Constance.

A/N: I honestly have no clue if I got Tammy right- Or any of the others for that matter, writer's block is hitting me hard. :'(

This post did however make me want to write a Yandere Choir x Tammy Edwards post, which I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, lol.

[zipzapzopzoop]

The Prodigal Son

Fritz is the only one left. He knows it's time to go. He asks to say goodbye to his son one last time.

(Warning - this ficlet is a bit dark. Read at your own risk)

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Soundtrack recommended for best experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLfkhY3IxpU

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He’d been expecting this day to come for quite some time now… but that didn’t make it any easier.

There was nothing easy about watching the broken husk of your child standing before you.

------------------------

Their group had been dwindling for a while. His son and daughter had been taken by those parasitic hats months ago. Months? Years? He couldn't remember. The sky was so overcome with smoke and pollution, there was no telling the day from the night.

Fritz had gone out alone for supplies and had returned to the destroyed remains of what was left of the once lively Robinson house. It had been converted to a fallout shelter at the beginning of the end of the world. 

But now, that little light had been snuffed out by the hats. That’s all those hats do. 

Take.

They take and take and never give anything back. They took the city, they took the people, they took the world, and they took every living thing in it. 

And yet they wanted more.

Moments ago, Fritz had stepped into the dark space, quietly calling out to the others. No answer came. They were gone. Enslaved. More mindless workers for the parasites that ran the world straight to hell.

Fritz looked around, suddenly noticing the figure waiting in the darkness for him. Watching him, even if he wasn’t exactly seeing him. Fritz was too far into the room to make a break for it. Even if he did… did it matter? Now that the others are gone…

Fritz was the only one left.

“I…” His voice wavered. “...I see you.”

With a low hum, the signature red light of a helping hat lit up in the darkness. The figure began to move closer, the sound of shoes not clacking, but dragging on the ground as he approached. One more of those hats hovered broodingly next to him, following closely. Fritz knew it would be for him.

When the figure got close enough, Fritz felt his eyes well with tears.

It was his son.

Laszlo stood before him, slack-jawed and braindead, filthy from the dirt and pollution and muck that covered every square inch of this damn city. He smelled heavily of smoke from the ever burning furnaces he had to help run. It was either those or the coal mines. 

Though the hat already covered his eyes, his dirty red hair hung down across parts of his face. His skin was a sickly pale color, and he was dangerously malnourished and weak. His father didn’t need to see his face to see he was completely exhausted. Just another slave to those cold, metallic parasites.

It broke Fritz’s heart.

Every few seconds, Laszlo would twitch slightly - even if just a head tilt or one of his fingers twitching. The man knew it was his son trying to fight back. He was still in there, he knew. 

Even if there was little he could do, he was aware of what was happening. He knew his dad was in danger, and he was using the little strength he had left to fight.

Laszlo wheezed slightly. Fritz blinked. He was trying to speak. The artist wasn’t able to form coherent words, only small sounds. But it didn’t matter... Fritz understood what he was trying to say. 

“Mmn srr-”

“It’s okay,” He hid the despair in his voice for the young man’s sake. He had to be strong for him.

“It’s okay. You have nothing to be sorry for.”

Fritz pulled the backpack off his back and set it on the ground. Moving slowly, he kneeled down to dig around for a bottle of water and a rag. The lone hat began to move towards him and - despite nearly jumping out of his skin - Fritz put up a quick hand. 

“Please. I know you’re going to take me.. and… I’m not going to stop you. But if this is the last moment I get to share with my son, at least let me say goodbye.”

Some beeps and whirs came from the hat. There was no telling what it said, but it stayed put. It seemed she allowed it.

He uncapped the bottle of clean water and carefully held it up for the artist to drink. Even through the hat’s control, he could tell it was very appreciated. After that, he took what was left of the water and wet the rag. Reaching up, he gently cleaned the dirt from his son’s face, moving his hair to the side so it was out of the way. For a moment, just a moment, it felt just like when his son was little, and Fritz used to clean dried paint off his face.

“There you are. I missed you,” Fritz smiled sadly. “Every day. Every single day.”

Fritz wanted so desperately to ask about Tallulah. To make sure she was okay. But he knew he couldn’t. Laszlo could barely move, let alone speak. He just wanted his children to be okay.

…But it was too late for that now.

Knowing it was time to go, Fritz reached forward and pulled his son into one last hug. 

Laszlo began to wheeze again. “Ah- l… lv..”

“Shh… I love you too.”

Fritz held him tight, wishing he could take it all away. All the pain, all the hurt, all the fear… all of it.

Gently, Laszlo managed to get enough control to rest his chin on his dad’s shoulder. Fritz felt himself begin to cry that time. He couldn’t stop it, and he didn’t care. He rocked them both slightly, relishing in these final moments.

He couldn’t see the tears pouring down his son’s face, either. He couldn’t see the way his son’s face was contorted in grief for his father. For his sister. For his family. For the world.

“Okay. Go ahead.” Fritz spoke to the machine.

A couple beeps sounded in response and the hat settled itself atop the man’s head, covering his eyes.

He felt the soft fabric of the hat on his head.

He felt his son’s heart beating against his own.

And then he felt nothing at all.

Yes, the prodigal son had returned. There were no parties or celebrations. Just a final moment between a father and son. No banquets or feasts, only a small drink of water. There was no festival, only a warm embrace.

Laszlo wouldn’t have traded it for anything.

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Check out the story on my Archive!

[joey-marvel14]

A friendly neighbour...(part 1)

!Civil war! Bucky Barnes x Reader

Author’s note: hello this is my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy it :)

Summary: Your a university student and you live in a cheap apartment block, rarely anyone moves in due to the living conditions. Until someone moves in across the hall from you. He looks familiar.

*** = time skip.

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I trugded up the long flight of stairs and finally reached the door of my apartment, I sighed in relief, feeling the exhaustion hit me. All I want more is too go to bed and sleep. I search my jacket pocket’s to find my keys. I found them in my right pocket. I grabbed them and unlocked the door the very unstable door. I stepped into my small apartment and dropped my bag to the floor.

I’ll pick that up later…I thought.

Although my apartment was very small. It was manageable. I looked around and took notice of how actually small and crooked it was. The kitchen was a walk-in and it was right next to me. The small closet to which I converted to my “bedroom”. My singular wore in chair next to a cheap TV. The bricks were starting to erode in the wall. And the tiny bathroom, that needs a good clean. Oh yeah this is home.

Eventually I slowly walked to the kettle to make myself a herbal tea and ramen noodles. The best dinner a university student could have. I turned on the kettle and walked to my bedroom to get changed into something more cosy. Until I heard the large echos of footsteps coming up the stairs.

Odd, there’s only 2 other people here and they barely come out of there apartments.

I couldn’t help but snoop. I walked to door and looked through my peephole. I saw a man, tall, muscular, longish hair, stubble, and beautiful blue eyes….and a metal arm? The man was holding a small box and a wore-out black backpack. It was strapped to him tightly. Whatever’s in there must be precious to him. He unlocked the door to the apartment across from me, before he entered he cautiously looked around the small hallway and then shut the door behind him.

I shrugged it off. And continued on with my evening.

***

I woke up feeling groggy, I appeared over to my clock and it read.

2:00am

I sighed to myself, rubbing my eyes, I pushed back my hair and decided to get up. I turned on the kitchen lights and began searching in my small cupboards, I found cookie dough. Thats when I had the great idea to spontaneously bake cookies. I did everything I could to be quiet as the walls hear are thin and not very sturdy.

As I brought over the tray I tripped over the mop I left out from a week ago, I accidentally dropped the tray, the bang echoed through my apartment and what seems like the other rooms too. I bit down on my knuckles and cringed at the sound, I hoped and prayed that didn’t wake anyone. I swore to myself. I picked up the tray and continued on. Soon I put the cookies into the oven. I turned towards my clock, it was quietly ticking in the background.

3:45am

I set a timer for when the cookies would be done, I sat on the counter side. I swung my legs waiting paitently, I let my mind wonder off.

The guy I saw earlier, he looked familiar, like I’ve seen him before in real life. Mmm. I wonder what the metal arm is for, maybe he got into an accident? Or maybe he was attacked by those alien creatures from a few years back? Who knows. He looks like he’s seen alot maybe he served in the military? His eyes look so tired bless him. Mmmm maybe I should give him these cookies and introduce myself, like any good neighbour would do.

I smiled. Suddenly the loud noise of the alarm shook me out of my thoughts and back into reality. I rushed towards the alarm to turn it off before it gets louder. I grabbed a glove and took out the cookies, I could smell the declious scent of the chocolate chip cookies. Yum. My eyes went over to the clock.

4:30am

What’s the off chance that he might be awake?

I shrugged and decided to give it ago. I softly grabbed the cookies and packed them into a small takeout tub. I opened the door to my apartment, I looked around first before I stood out fully. The hallway was dark and weirdly eerie. I let out a quiet breath and walked towards his door. I stood infront of the wooden door and softly knocked.

No answer.

I knocked again but this time slightly louder.

No answer

I propped my ear to the door. I could hear movement from the inside.

I decided to try one last time. I knocked and this time I felt someone coming towards the door. The door click open, I could see the silhouette of his head appear around the corner of the door.

“Um. Hi, sorry to disturb you but I saw you moved in yesterday evening and I thought I would come and introduce myself. I- um- brought cookies” I felt a tad nervous now, as the realisation hit me that I’m doing this at 4:30 in the morning and this man was probably trying to get some sleep.

“Thank you.” His voice was slightly rough and monotone.

The door closed. Oh. I was about to walk off in defeat until I heard the jangling of the door fully unlocking. I turned back to the door. As it opened so I could see his silhouette a tad better.

“I’m Y/N, i live the apartment directly across from you. What’s your name?”

“James.”

“Nice to meet you James” I smiled

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Here is part one of the mini series 😊

Hope you enjoyed :)

[anadorablekiwi]

@silvercaptain24 @telemna-hyelle …so you know that modern hsr au i was playing around with? Also @onceuponaladye , im 90% sure this au wont have any spoilers or anything

The one i said i would never write because there’s too many different characters/mini plots to follow?

…

Well.

Enjoy?

“Oh, are you Bailu’s older brother? It’s a pleasure to meet you!” The woman smiled brightly. “Im her teacher, she has spoken highly of you!”

Dan Heng did his best to conceal his tension. “Yes. My name is Dan Heng, I’m a technology major at Xiangzhou University.”

The teacher poorly hid surprise. “Oh, you’re a college student then? It must be difficult balancing school, work, and taking care of little Bailu here.”

Bailu pouted at being called ‘little’ and stuck her tongue out at the lady.

Dan Heng forced a chuckle and smile. “Well, I’ve started focusing mostly on Work and Bailu right now. I only take a class or two each semester.”

While not technically a lie, he chose to leave out the fact that he had started college in general with just two online classes. This semester. And is only 17 years old.

Relief flashed across the teacher’s eyes. “Oh, that's good! Well, if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask me!”

“Thank you.”

Dan Heng led Bailu out of the school to where he had parked. He attempted light conversation for her sake, but he was still mildly panicked, and he knew Bailu could pick up on it.

Once they reached the privacy of their tiny apartment, Bailu finally broke the tension.

“I didn’t say anything that would make her worry, promise,” she offered in a small voice.

Dan Heng gave a slight smile and ruffled her hair. “I know, Bailu. Don’t worry. Its probably because I look young. Or, well, I look my age.”

He hung Bailu’s backpack on its hook by the door and headed towards the kitchen.

“Hopefully that should keep her off our backs. Want some ants on a log for your after school snack?”

“Ooo! Yes please!!” Bailu replied enthusiastically.

~~~

[months later]

“Woo Hoo!! Summer Vacation!!!” Bailu cheered as she pushed past Dan Heng and ran inside. She quickly took off her backpack and shoes, initially tossing them aside. One look from Dan Heng later, they had been put into their proper places.

“Cracker and peanut butter sandwiches for snack today?” Dan Heng removed his own shoes and put them away.

“Oh yes please! And Juice?” Bailu looked up at him, eyes full of hope and pleading.

Dan Heng chuckled. “Sure. And juice.”

~

Dan Heng set a plate and cup down on the cardboard box they had converted into a table. “Snack’s ready!”

A muffled ‘yay!!’ Was heard from the other room, followed by rapid footsteps.

Just as Bailu sat down to eat, Dan Heng’s phone rang. He looked at the screen, and raised a puzzled eyebrow.

“Video call…?” He muttered.

Dan Heng answered the call. “Hi.”

Jing Yuan smiled back from the screen. “Hello there! And oh perfect, Bailu is with you, too!”

Bailu grinned and waved. “Hi mister Jing Yuan!!”

Jing Yuan chuckled. “Hello there, little Bailu. I was wondering if you two would like to stay with me for a couple weeks, kick off your summer vacation with a bit of fun? You can play with the animals on Boothill’s ranch, help out with the horses…”

“HORSES??” Bailu practically screamed. She turned to her brother with her very best puppy dog eyes. “Please??? Can we????”

Dan Heng sighed. Jing Yuan clearly did this on purpose. He would know Dan Heng would want to decline, but if asking over video call, he was almost guaranteed to be within Bailu’s hearing range when the question was offered.

Reluctantly, he answered, “…sure. Why not?”

“YES!!!” Bailu shouted/cheered. She began to talk quickly, rambling off things she was planning on doing and excitedly ran to the other room.

“Bailu! You need to finish your snack!” Dan Heng called out. He finally turned his attention back to Jing Yuan.

“Sorry about that. Sure, we accept your invitation. When exactly were you thinking?”

Jing Yuan flashed a bright smile. “Perfect! How about you drive up here tomorrow? Or whatever time works best for you two, of course.”

Bailu, having returned to finish her snack, replied with mouth full of crackers and peanut butter. “Yes! Tomorrow!!”

Dan Heng wanted to smack his head into the wall.

“…Sure, tomorrow works. Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Jing Yuan.”

“Of course! And how many times must I say, just Jing Yuan is fine. No need for formalities. Well, I shall see you two sometime tomorrow then!”

“Bye!! See you tomorrow!!!” Bailu called.

“Goodbye Bailu, Dan Heng. Have a good rest of your day.”

“Bye.”

Dan Heng ended the call and let out a sigh.

Bailu grinned innocently at him as she took a sip of juice.

Dan Heng had an odd feeling about this.

~~