#COURTNEY APPRECIATION DAY

[xoangel-dust]

It’s probably a bad thing that I don’t ship Courtney or Heather (the only other character I’ll ship her with is Noah but only in an OT3 with Alejandro)with too many other characters. For some reason when it comes to this series I’m not that big of a multishipper (unlike with Naruto and low key death note)

[art--harridan]

[Image description: A digital drawing of The Driller Killer and Courtney Bates from Slumber Party Massacre 2. They are facing off against one another. The Driller Killer floats above her, with a wide, menacing grin. His pose is jovial and laid back, and he's pointing his bright red drill-guitar hybrid down at her, grazing her shoulder with the drill bit and drawing blood. Courtney's expression is equally manic, mouth smiling and eyes wide. Eyeliner runs down her face, and her shirt is stained with blood. She points a oxyacetylene torch and a lighter at him, setting him ablaze. The fire is coloured with pinks and blues, following the established colour palette of the piece. The pair has an electric blue outline. The background is a gradient from pink to blue, with a wavy texture overlaid. Surround them, there's the text "come on baby - light my fire", distorted in different ways.]

let's buzz!

[vaguely-concerned]

Eight Little Talons Reread Thoughts

Which, I’ll level with you folks, is mostly just me gushing about Teia and Viago and how much they should kiss because of who I am as a person, but maybe also some actual observations sprinkled in. This is still my favourite story in Tevinter Nights, I think, there’s so much Character Stuff in it. Let’s go!

Viago hated carriages—no amount of plush seating could make up for the inevitable ache of being knocked around like weighted dice. But decorum insisted, and he would not be outclassed by his fellow Talons.

Vs.

“You didn’t take a carriage.” 

“My luggage did. But I couldn’t resist the opportunity for a country jaunt.” She nodded toward the thoroughbred Taslin strider grazing on the top of the hill. “Andoral so rarely gets a chance to let loose in Rialto.” 

“You named your horse after an archdemon?” 

“Don’t worry, Vi. I won’t let him nip you.

You know… Andarateia might gain some illusion of normalcy by standing next to the most paranoid wound-up-tight repressed man around to provide contrast, but I think it’s crucial we keep in mind that she is also nuts. Naming your horse after an archdemon IS an insane thing to do in the world of Thedas huh. I suppose she genuinely seems to think of Caterina Dellamorte as a warm maternal figure and is in love with a tetchy snake of a guy too, it does all start to add up when you look at it like that.

— Beneath the smooth samite, he felt like a sinewy ball of tension. Teia suspected contact of any kind made Viago uncomfortable. It would explain why he swathed himself in indigo from chin to toe and refused to remove his gloves during dinner.

He offers his arm to her and doesn’t pull away when they meet Caterina — only when Dante shows up. Interesting (and possibly part of why Caterina seems to consider the two of them a cleverly stabilizing package deal when they get along lol). I love the mix of playful seduction and genuine fond, intimate knowledge and interest Teia has for him all the way through too — speculating about his childhood, trying to divine his thoughts and intentions, testing to see how he reacts to different things. And it’s so sweet that she seems to regard him with this affectionate amusement and fascination (which he seems to be afraid means that she’s mocking him but is, I think, just another level of appreciation she has for him. Correctly. Because he’s one of the funniest people in Thedas both in concept and in practice. Accountant brained-ass noodle arm Vetinari homage poison specialist. Teia’s neurotic purse dog of a man. Sole royal bastard who willingly chose to have a boring Antivan day job (killing people) and makes spreadsheets about it.) 

— “Not exactly welcoming, are they?” Teia whispered, her breath warm against his ear. 

Viago’s grip tightened on the head of his walking stick.

I swear to god courtney woods is so fucking good at writing romantic and sexual tension. One sentence!!! She drops in a one-sentence detail and it says everything!!!! She has such a knack for consistently adding these details without getting overindulgent or spelling it out too much that I really admire, I tend a bit more towards indulging too much as a writer that way myself so her sense of where to show restraint has me in awe 

— “Don’t ‘Nonna’ me, Andarateia Cantori,” Caterina snapped, although the heat in her voice had lowered to a simmer. “Not even my actual grandchildren call me that.” 

“Well, considering who your grandchildren are,” Teia responded, “I’m not surprised.” 

“How is Master Lucanis?” Viago asked.

Hell yeah Lucanis mention! Can’t wait to see how their dynamics will turn out in-game, we could be in for some truly spectacular and absurd workplace comedy nonsense if we’re lucky

— As always, Viago had with him his leather case of poisons and antidotes for toxins typically hidden in ingredients such as olives, truffles, pasta, lamb, cheese, cream, and alcohol. But he had not expected eggplant.

This is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read, I love Viago so much he’s such a perfect weirdo. Reader, he had not expected eggplant. 

— Taking a deep breath, Viago focused on tying his cravat—an ordinarily simple task except now Teia was running her hands across every surface in his room, and his fingers kept slipping on the final knot. “It would help if you removed the gloves,” Teia remarked. “Surely your own cravats haven’t been tampered with.”

Viago being just… seethingly horrifically despairingly horny every time Teia shows up is so amazing, and Teia clearly paying A Lot of attention to his hands and his reactions at all times… again, courtney woods s tier sexual tension provider. 

— “No,” she said, crossing her arms. “Not until we boil some water.” 

Viago raised a brow. “Eight people were poisoned in this room.” 

“Then run your little tests to make sure it’s safe, but I refuse to look at another dead body until I’ve had my coffee.”

I must take care to repeat: teia is also fucking nuts (affectionate). It’s SO FUNNY that her slightly lighter and softer moral take on being a Crow means she does feel bad about the servants ending up in the crossfire, but she will also demand that viago make her coffee with their horrifically bloated corpses still strewn about the room fhdsjka. 

— Teia had often imagined what it would be like to kiss Viago. She told herself it was only natural. He was handsome, in his own way, and wound up so tight that she likened him to a giant knot. He was a challenge to untie—to twist and pull and loosen until the tension gave way and he unraveled, laying bare all his secrets. But knots were a delicate business. Tug the wrong way and you could end up with a noose.

I know I KNOW they have sex so weird and intimate and no one even takes their clothes off during it I know it in my heart

— “Do you not think you’re attractive?” Viago turned on her, his ears pink. “Ten people are dead.” 

She didn’t back down. “And whoever’s responsible will pay, but that has no bearing on this conversation.” 

“It could be me.” 

Covering her mouth with both hands, Teia doubled over, laughter spilling from her lips. “It’s not you.” 

He looked as if she’d slapped him. “I’m more than capable of killing everyone here.” 

“Don’t tell me you’re offended!” 

“It is offensive,” Viago protested. “Professionally.”

Teia please tell me you love me not only for my body and fashion sense and numerous and fascinating neuroses but also my extensive knowledge of poisons and capacity to cause death

— Again, Viago felt like a lute string. With every challenge, Teia twisted the pegs, tuning him, until she found what she wanted. Which is what, exactly? he asked himself, not daring to listen to the number of answers that bubbled to the surface of his mind.

You know Viago I think we should let her try some scales here at least. See what happens. (There’s no explicit sex in this story but everything that’s going on is nevertheless so kinky fdsjak. I think Teia could convince Viago to show a flash of his naked wrist and have a reaction like a sheltered young Victorian gentleman seeing an exposed ankle and a playful wink for the first time)

— As if she could feel the sudden rush of shame within him, Teia brought her hands up to rest on Viago’s hips, holding him in place. His thumb stilled as he realized her breath was short. Her pupils dilated. Before he could stop himself, Viago nuzzled his forehead against hers, his nose brushing her cheek. Teia’s hands snaked up his chest to run through his hair. She tugged him forward. He braced himself on one arm, while the other curled around the small of her back. 

This whole scene is unspeakably good of course but it’s always the detail of ‘his nose brushing her cheek’ that does me in the most. The longing!!! The yearning, the intimacy, the awkward perfect clumsy physical reality of it!!!! If he kissed her here the magical potion thing on her lips would have been immaterial, the results would have been the same without it!!!!!! The tug of war between longing and fear!

— oblique Zevran mention! <3 as the ultimate failson of house arainai, granted, but as I believe he might argue here: ‘ah, but you have heard of me, no? :>’. Babe I support you so much go out there and raise hell/kill whoever you want to I got your flower

— Big shoutout to the author for managing to pull off an entirely workable ‘And Then There Were None’ plot in the background here, even though the real meat and potatoes going on is the character and relationship development (and what meat and potatoes they are too)! It’s not an easy thing to do even in an abbreviated, more of a homage sort of form and balancing it with everything else going on is a feat

— Caterina 100% knows Teia is in Viago’s room when he’s supposed to be isolated and just doesn’t care lmao. (They act like such teenagers in that scene where she knocks on the door and they haven’t even kissed yet I’m dying). Caterina seems like a terrible person but it’s impossible to not feel for her a little, trying to keep Talons in line seems a lot like herding (very horny very carrying sharp objects) cats 

— Standing outside her ex-lover’s room, Teia tried to quell the violent drumming within her. Normally, she didn’t need to come down from a physical encounter. Seduction—like any form of manipulation—was about control. She could enjoy herself, but Teia always made sure to hold the upper hand. Viago had shattered that control without so much as a kiss.

I feel like this is a sneaky common trait that actually is part of what makes them so compatible (and the playful negotiation of which must feature prominently in their sex life eventually lmao): they are both HUGE control freaks. (Indeed it might be hard to be a successful Talon without this trait.) Teia and Viago both strive for control of themselves and their surroundings so deeply, she’s just much more extroverted, psychologically minded and soft power focused going about it (not unlike Caterina, whose power is built more on fear than charm but works along the same lines), while he’s more coldly intellectual and uh materialist? I want to call it? about it. Which makes perfect sense considering their backstories! Teia came from nothing in a monetary sense but has found she excels at moving people, hearts and minds style — and she’s very good at it, she is everyone’s favorite — so that’s the source of power for her, and Viago is not very charismatic or interested in people naturally but grew up seeing how status, wealth and power have their own clinical gravity that can be used, and also that people can never be trusted to watch out for you in that system.  

If Thedas has a Machiavelli-equivalent to ask whether it’s better for a ruler to be feared or loved they would both instantly give their answer with their whole chest and then squint at each other like ‘babe how do you live like this’ lol

(Also this line of thought has me wondering what the hell Caterina’s partner/spouse(s) would have been like — she must have at least two children to account for Illario and Lucanis, I wonder if she was ever married and what that looked like.)

— I really like the oppressiveness and claustrophobia you get from the descriptions Teia uses in Dante’s room — it feels so icky and sticky with history and sad and confining, and the way she keeps pushing herself through it anyway is weirdly melancholy to me. 

— I also like how their flaws/traits that drive them apart at the crisis point have follow-up consequences outside of their relationship before they reconcile. Teia’s penchant for manipulation and pushing on people indirectly causes the death of someone she once cared about (I mean, fuck that guy, not crying any tears for Dante or his broken bottle, but like in the overarching principle of the thing lol). When she goes too far with it or gets careless, she renders other people vulnerable and helpless in ways she doesn’t anticipate. (Rightfully or not this seems to be part of what scares Viago so much about it, he has this fear of being dissected for whatever she finds interesting and then abandoned when she’s tired of it, the whole underlying being a footnote in her life when she could clearly be something uh a lot more in his anxiety.) Meanwhile Viago’s insistence on self-reliance and reluctance to engage in human contact leaves him easily isolated and nearly results in his death. (And even when Teia saves him he has a hard time giving her full credit in favour of his many neurotic coping mechanisms lmao disaster man.) But when the two of them work it out to understand each other better and come together as a partnership, they’re such a force to be reckoned with that it brute forces the resolution and return to stability near the end. (Well. A significantly reduced version of stability to be fair but y’know better late than never.)

— Also: delicious detail that she is actually the closest you might get to a self-made woman/Talon, and he is definitely at least not in a position to fully dodge the nepo baby allegations — he wants so bitterly to be entirely independent and self-sufficient and not reliant on anyone, and yet it’s his connections inherent to his birth that have helped him get here, while she wants so desperately to have people to rely on because she comes from nothing and has known what it is to be that alone and unprotected. He knows protection and gifts — and love — can easily be taken away and used to control you/render you helpless in your vulnerability from how his father treated his mother, and she knows you have to try to hold on to something in other people or it’s just you and the dirt and you die. Which is what they’re really talking about in that scene where they argue, and it’s why they’re both right and wrong at the same time and it’s so tasty. It’s really Teia asking ‘Will you ever trust anyone? (will you ever trust me, or will you put up this wall every time no matter what I say or do?)’ and Viago going ‘Will you never take precautions to protect yourself against this hurt? (will I have to be the bearer of bad news about how the world really is every time?)’ and neither of them realize that’s what they’re taling about and it’s why it all explodes so badly. (I mean. Factually both came to the wrong conclusion about who the murderer was for fairly good reasons, so there’s also that haha.) 

— I wonder if we’ll see Bolivar or the heirs to the houses left Talon-less in the game itself. I’m guessing they probably won’t have big roles, at least, but you know just as background flavour, especially since Crow!Rook is already within the de Riva uh household as it were. I think Viago is still sensibly mid-table at Fifth Talon in Veilguard and Teia remains Seventh? So at least they’re not messing around with that rank order during the occupation 

— In semi-not teia and viago news (I am a character first writer and reader I canot change this), it’s neat to see it outlined just how much the Talons really are just merchant princes with some more added knives and cultural weight behind them. They are at the end of the day running businesses, no matter the mystique ™ you wrap it in. (Which I think Viago would be the first to tell you and Teia might try to argue against at least a little haha. Being a Talon is what you make of it you live your truth girl kill awful men you’ll never run out of contracts!!)

— Can’t believe the Crows have self-congratulatory ‘top 10 murders in history!’ classes as part of the training. Do you think Zev sat through those. Probably, if Teia did, right. Now there were some entertaining hours around the campfire during the Blight I’m sure

— Viago understanding but not accepting Teia’s offer to help him with an alibi and at first angling it as being out of hesitancy to accept help/rely on someone, and then later unveiling the added element that he knows Teia respects and loves Caterina and doesn’t want her to have to lie to her for him… Viago is nothing so simple as secretly nice deep down but he IS horrifically in love with and desperate to be kind to specifically Teia and it gets to me okay  

— I’d forgotten that DA’s passionate love affair with toxic yuri and some recreational bury your gays extended to Guili and Lera in this fdskjah. Would it really be Thedas without it I suppose (considering the genre of the short story it’s fine with me in this case, though, everyone’s dropping like flies in this even the straight people that’s just equality) 

— Viago was not a typical Antivan. He liked facts—checklists, numbers, precise measurements. Heart palpitations, clammy hands, tight pants—Viago did not like these things. In fact, he would go so far as to say he hated them. Mild curiosity was his favorite mood. What Teia had elicited in him was akin to an internal natural disaster.

I simply love him so so much. Mild curiosity was his favorite mood. He failed to account for the eggplant. He’s so annoyed at being poisoned and dying horribly and it literally never occurs to him that anyone would help him until he wakes up in Teia’s lap. He organizes all his poisons by puns. He uses his potentially last breath to argue with Teia about his precise state of dress or undress. Have we finally found him, the perfect man? 

(Also between Reyes and Viago Courtney Woods does such a good line in guys who’d really rather be emotionless machines of practical violence and monetary gain but find themselves down so horrifically catastrophically bad that it cracks them open to reveal a soul they aren’t all that happy to discover they have lol) 

— When Viago woke, it felt like someone had drained the blood from his body and replaced it with sludge. But it wasn’t all bad—someone who smelled like coffee and cinnamon was playing with his hair. . . . Her fingers resumed stroking his hair. It felt better than the water. It felt better than anything.

Unspeakable. Don’t look at me. 

— Viago reaching out and touching Teia’s cheek with his bare hands without a thought and all his tenderness and reverence for her laid bare in turn is something that can actually be so personal and it only took very nearly dying to get there (also… he’s presumably still half-naked through all of this while cradled in her lap. Amazing.). Can’t believe bare hands to cheek feels like third base with these two. And his fucking THOUGHTS through all of this… Don’t cry, he doesn’t deserve your tears, no one does (I don’t, I don’t want to be something that causes you pain) AOUGH

— Vaguely related: the implication in how that part is built is that he’s reaching out specifically to gently dry away her tears, right. Double AOUGHHHHHH not only does he manage to not be selfish or unfair in asking her not to cry he does that instead… there’s hope for you yet messere de riva  

— Teia with the red-hot poker standing guard over Viago while he ‘looks like a king in judgement’ and does the Poirot in the library exposition is everything and so hot what the fuck. She a snacc she attacc but most importantly… she protecc, she’s so fucking cool lol. they’re both really smart, but she’s clearly the brawn as well as the social skills (hey manipulation is such an ugly word!) and he’s the logistics and realpolitik on two long thin nerdy legs, absolute power couple. She’s the gaslight he’s the girlboss together may they gatekeep this invading army out of antiva  

— You guys… this might come as a surprise I have tried to keep it on the down low but. I really do love the world of Thedas so very much. I love the people and the places and the history and the stupidness and the brilliance so much. We must save the world because everyone I love lives here. Let this be a secret between just you and me we can’t let people know we sit/have emotions etc.  

— A servant approached to take the cage in Viago’s hand. 

“Careful,” Viago warned. “He bites.” 

“I can’t believe you’re keeping that snake,” Teia said, shaking her head. “It almost killed you.” 

“Which is more than any man can say. He deserves my respect. And a good home—with all the mice he can eat.” 

“But did you have to name it Emil?” Teia asked, making a face. 

“An homage. You’re always telling me to recognize my fellow Talons.”

Andarateia ‘names her horse after an archdemon’ Cantori x Viago ‘keeps the deadly adder that nearly killed him as a pet and names it after the last guy who failed to murder him’ de Riva. Freak well and truly matched. Soulmates, no notes, I’ll do borderline anything for these two to make it, goodnight. 

[loveesiren]

Doing It All For Us (Pt. 4)

Masterlist

Rafe Cameron x Reader

Summary: Rafe's love grows stronger when he sees the love of his life suffer.

Warnings: Alcohol, California sober, neglect, language, fighting, mention of virginity, mention of overdose, canon divergence, porn

Word Count: 4.8k+

Ward: Where are you?

Rafe: You kicked me out, remember?

W: Are you at Barry's?

R: No.

R: I'm clean.

W: Since when?

R: Like a week now.

W: Well, you can prove that at Midsummers.

R: You want me at Midsummers?

W: Of course, Rafe. We are going as a family. And if you want to bring that girl you're always running around with, we'd like to meet her.

R: I'll ask her.

W: If you really are clean and doing well, son, we can talk about you coming home.

Rafe bit his lip as he read the last message.

He locked his phone and put it back on the night stand before rolling over and looking at you. Your back was to him. He appreciated the way the sheets draped over your body as you slept. Your hair spread out across the pillow behind you as the sunlight shining through the blinds illuminated your sun kissed skin.

You and Rafe had been clean for a week. Still smoking, still drinking, but you hadn't touched coke or pills. Rafe promised to stay clean with you. Not just around you but with you. That made it all so much easier.

You were both on edge as you got used to not having coke constantly at your disposal. But as you slept next to each other every night and you always counted your blessings.

Rafe moved closer to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you into him. He pressed a kiss to the bare skin between your shoulders.

You smiled at the sensation. "Hey," You whisper as you roll over and face him.

"Hey," He smiles.

You wrapped your arm around his neck and pulled him to your lips. You opened your mouth, allowing his tongue to enter.

"Mmmm," He moaned into your mouth.

Your fingers ran through his hair as you smiled against his lips, rolling over so that you were on top of him.

Your skin pressed firmly to his as his hands rested on your hips. The feeling gave you goosebumps.

This is how you'd been waking up every morning since your first kiss with Rafe Cameron.

"I love you," You said against his lips, giving him one more quick kiss before you sat up, straddling his lap.

He smiled up at you, eyes beaming with adornment. "I love you, too," His voice was almost child like.

You sat in silence as you played with his hands. Just feeling happy to be so close to him.

Rafe finally broke the silence. "So, my dad texted me."

"Oh yeah? What did he say?" You ask.

"He, uhhh...he wants me to go to Midsummers with them. And he wants me to bring you."

Your eyes shot up to meet his. "Really?" You asked.

"Yeah. He says if I'm clean and doing good I can come back home. Having you as my date to Midsummers sure as shit would be a good sight." He chuckles, running his index finger along your hip.

"Uhm, yeah. Okay." You smile. "That would be fun!"

Rafe's eyes sparkle at your response. The way he smiles at you melts your heart every time.

"You want breakfast?" You ask, leaning down and kissing his cheek before you hop off the bed and throw on his t-shirt.

"You're going to cook?" He laughs, rolling over to watch you.

"No," You tease. "I'm gonna call Courtney." You say, waving your phone in his face.

"You know, one of these days I'm gonna teach you how to cook," He laughs.

"So we can die in a house fire?" You shoot back with a smirk as you look in the mirror, pulling your hair up into a high ponytail.

"As long as I get to die with you." He says. You turn to him and he smiles.

"Courtney is coming over. Meet you downstairs!"

"I'm gonna shower then I'll be there!" He calls after you.

You head downstairs and pull some water out of the fridge. You hear the front door open and you assume it's Courtney.

"Hey bitch! I'm hungry!" You call out.

"Is that how you normally greet me?"

You spin around to see your dad standing in the doorway.

"Oh, hey dad!" You greet, walking over to him and giving him a hug. "Sorry, I thought you were Courtney."

"It's okay, honey. How are you?" He asks.

"Uhm, I'm doing better...did you not get my messages?"

"Hmm, no I don't think so." He said, staring at the messages on his phone.

You swallow. "I, uhm, I overdosed dad."

He pauses for a moment. "Again?" He finally asked, not looking to meet your eyes.

His simple word stung. You'd tried to reach out to him over the past week. You even got in touch with his assistant. He still had no clue. And he didn't even care.

"Look, honey. If you need to go back to a rehab I can get in contact with-"

"No, dad. It's okay. I've been clean for a week. And my friends are helping me." You respond.

"Oh, good. I'm glad you are meeting some people you get along with here." He says.

"Yeah, they are great."

"I can't stay long. I have a dinner to get to then I fly out again tomorrow. Can you take care of the gardener?" He says as he takes off towards his room.

"Uhm, I didn't know the gardener was coming today."

"Is that not his truck outside?"

"Uh no, that's Rafe's."

Your dad stopped and turned to you. "The Cameron boy? Is he here?"

"Uhm, yeah..."

"Hanging out with guys like that won't help you stay clean, honey."

"He's clean too, Dad. He's kind of the reason I didn't die." You shoot back.

"Hm," He says. "Just make good choices." And with that, he walks off.

You are left standing in the foyer, tears threatening to spill from your eyes.

"Hey bitch!" Courtney says. You hadn't even heard the door open.

"Oh, hey," You say, wiping your eyes.

"Are you okay?"

You close your eyes at her question. "No," You admit, leaning into her and hugging her. She hugs you back tightly and rocks you back and forth.

"Your dad?" She asks. She had seen his car in the driveway.

You nod your head in response.

"Well listen, there is a party tonight! Let's get dressed up and have fun!"

"Okay," You agree. Sniffling and wiping the tears from your eyes, managing a small smile.

________________

Rafe had overheard the conversation with your dad as he made his way downstairs. He kicked himself for every time he complained about his father to you. Ward was a prick but at least he gave somewhat of a shit. He couldn't believe the way your dad had brushed off you almost dying like it was nothing. How he hadn't even known it happened even though you tried to reach out multiple times.

He wanted nothing more than to wrap you in his arms and comfort you but when he heard Courtney come in, he decided to just turn around and go upstairs. You would talk to him when you were ready.

_________________

After you and Courtney finished getting ready, the three of you made your way to the kitchen as you waited for Topper and Kelce to come pick you up. Top offered to drive tonight so Rafe could have a turn to get drunk. Not that Rafe necessarily cared, as long as he was with you.

You poured shots for each of you and you all threw them back. Then another, and another, and another. You were starting to feel good as you and Courtney danced around the kitchen.

Rafe couldn't help the smile that washed over his face as he watched you dance. He felt like a 12 year old boy experiencing his first crush. He couldn't believe he'd spent every morning this week waking up next to you.

"Oh, hey Mr. Y/L/N." Courtney suddenly said.

You paused as your dad entered the kitchen.

"Courtney," He nodded. "Lovely to see you again."

"Hey dad," You said softly.

"Honey? Are you going to introduce me to your new friend?" His eyes scanned over Rafe.

"Dad, this is Rafe Cameron. Rafe, this is my dad." Your voice was awkward.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Y/L/N." Rafe said, standing up to extend his hand to your fathers.

"Likewise," Your dad responded dryly, shaking his hand a bit too firmly for your liking.

"Well, I'm headed to a meeting. You kids have fun." Your dad said, placing a quick kiss on the side of your head and heading towards the door.

You just stared blankly at the floor as he left. You chewed on your lip, trying to get the craving for drugs to subside.

"Hey, are you okay?" Rafe asked, reaching out and taking your hand.

You felt yourself relax instantly and you leaned into him, resting your head on his chest and taking in his scent.

"I'm fine!" You say. "Let's take another shot!"

You pour out two more shots for each of you before Topper and Kelce finally showed up. You climbed in between Rafe and Courtney in the back seat of Topper's Jeep. You smiled to yourself, excited to be going out again. You hadn't gone out much since the hospital. But you were so sick of sitting at home. Sick of being sad about your dad. You were ready to jump back into being the bad bitch you were.

Courtney saw this. "Let's go fuck shit up, baby!" She squeals in excitement, wrapping her arms around your neck and pulling you close.

You laugh and hug her back. You turn back to Rafe and look up at him with lustful eyes. You realized you and Rafe had practically spent the last week alone in your house. You hadn't even told Courtney the two of you had kissed. You started to wonder if that's something he'd even want everyone else to know.

He leaned over and placed a kiss on your temple. The gesture made you feel warm and you linked your fingers through his.

Topper scoffs. "Did the two of you not fuck enough this whole week you've been MIA?"

Rafe kicks the back of Topper's seat. "Shut the fuck up," He spits.

You just throw your head back and laugh.

"You guys are horrible at hiding it." Kelce laughs. "Everyone knows you two are hooking up."

"I don't kiss and tell," You tease.

"Wait! Did you guys kiss?!" Courtney asks with excitement.

You bite back the smile forming on your lips as you shyly look up at Rafe. He looks down at you, his tongue grazing his bottom lip as his eyes flicker to your lips, asking for permission.

Your eyes tell him everything he needs to know as he brings a finger up to your chin, lifting you up to face him as he leans in and kisses you deeply.

"OOOHHH!" Kelce and Courtney yell in unison. "Fucking finally!"

You smile against Rafe's lips as your friends hype you up.

"Seriously? Took you guys long enough!" Topper laughs.

"So are you guys like dating now?" Courtney asks excitedly.

"Uhm..." Was all you managed to get out before Topper interrupted.

"We're here!" He says as he parks the car and quickly hops out. You all follow suit.

The house was massive. All three floors filled with drunk Kooks. You felt your confidence kick in as you and Courtney stood next to each other. Mini skirts, high heels, and gold body chains. You knew you were the hottest girls there as you walked into the party. And the fact that Rafe Cameron followed you around like a lost puppy was a huge bonus. He was the hottest guy on Figure Eight.

Eyes were on you, as always. Men drooling over you, girls glaring at you. All attention on you and your friends and thats the way you liked it.

The five of you made your way to the kitchen and grabbed drinks. You threw back a couple shots with everyone in the kitchen and you could feel the music start to take over your body. You and Courtney twirled around until you were in the living room. You couldn't control yourself as you moved your body to the beat.

Rafe couldn't take his eyes off you as you and Courtney danced to the music. He couldn't stop thinking about what Courtney asked in the car.

Are you guys dating now?

Truth is, he hadn't actually thought about it. He'd just been in pure bliss this last week he'd spent with you. Everything felt right with you. He was finally okay with not being high.

But now that you were all out at this party, he noticed the way guys stared at you. How every guy in this house would do anything for a chance with you. He had to make you his.

"Hey Rafey," A familiar voice cut through his thoughts. "Still drooling over the sluts?"

"What do you want, Jess?" Rafe growled.

"I heard Y/N has a little bit of a drug problem," She attempts.

"Weren't you the one always sucking me off for blow?" Rafe shot back.

Jess narrowed her eyes slightly but laughed. "If I remember correctly, you really enjoyed the time we spent alone." She said as she dragged a finger across Rafe's forearm.

You look over and lock eyes with Rafe. Your face falls when you see Jessica pressed up against him. Rafe was obviously uncomfortable.

"These bitches never quit," You say to Courtney. She turns to see what you're glaring at.

"Jesus fucking Christ," She spits. "She's so desperate it hurts."

You watch as Rafe shrugs Jessica off.

You make your way back towards the kitchen, ready to put this bitch in her place again but before you can get to her Rafe picks you up and sets you on the counter. He stands between your legs and looks you in the eyes.

You look back at him, slightly confused but really enjoying whatever it is that's happening.

He brings his hand up, tangling his fingers in the hair at the base of your neck while his other hand rested on your hip. You could tell people were starting to stare now.

"Will you be my girlfriend?" Rafe asks. The people standing in the kitchen with you all stare as they wait for you to answer. Jessica stood there, jaw hanging open.

"I thought you'd never ask," You smile.

He smiles now, pulling you in to kiss you deeply.

"OOOOH THAT'S MY FUCKING BRO!" You hear a drunk Topper and Kelce cheer.

"I'll drink to that!" Courtney yells, throwing back a shot.

"Whatever, have fun with your junkie girlfriend," Jessica spits before trying to walk away.

You pull away from Rafe to say something but you see Courtney grab her hair and slam her into the glass microwave, shattering the glass and her face.

"Oh shit!" You say as you watch Courtney handle the situation.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut before I fuck you up so bad that not even plastic surgery can fix your slutty little face you fucking coke whore!" Courtney yells before pushing her off.

Jessica runs off crying and you and Rafe can't help but laugh. "Holy shit, Court! You're a motherfuckin' g!"

"Learned from the best!" She winks.

You and Rafe spend the rest of the party practically glued to each other. He wanted everyone to see you together. For everyone to know you were his and he was yours.

"I'm getting tired," You finally say, leaning your face into Rafe's neck.

"I can call us an Uber," Rafe says. "I think Top's out for the night." He nods towards the couch to where Topper and Kelce had practically fallen asleep in each others laps.

You noticed how much the party had died down. "What time is it?"

Rafe glanced down at his Rolex. "Shit, it's 3:30." Rafe chuckles.

"Let's go lay by the pool," You say. Taking Rafe's hand and leading him outside. A few people still stood around the fire, drinking beers and smoking weed.

You lead him to the far end of the pool where there was an open cabana with a bed in it. You laid down and looked up at the twinkling string lights hung around the back yard. Rafe laid down beside you, wrapping an arm around your waist and nuzzling into your neck. He placed kisses on your skin, starting at your jawline and working his way down to your collar bone.

"You make me crazy," Rafe whispers against your skin. You could feel a growing warmth between your legs. His hand moves under your shirt, running his fingers over your exposed skin as he sucks at your collar bone.

"Fuck..." You moan at the sensation.

He leans up and kisses you as his hand travels down to your thigh, hiking up your skirt. You feel his thumb tuck under the hem of your panties and your breath hitches as you bite his lip. He growls at the gesture.

"Rafe," You whisper.

"Hmm?" He asks, still kissing you like his life depended on it.

You pull away from him. "Rafe, I need to tell you something."

He sits up slightly. "What is it, baby girl?" He asks, bringing his hand up to stroke your hair.

"Uhm, I just need to tell you..." You hesitate. "Th-that I, uhm.."

"What is it, baby? You know you can tell me anything." He assures you.

"I'm a virgin, Rafe." You say, looking down at your hands and biting your lip.

Rafe smiles and lifts your chin up so you meet his eyes. He kisses you so gently but so passionately you swear you could melt right there.

"You're not, like, weirded out?" You ask curiously.

Rafe laughs. "No, baby, not at all. And we don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with it." He promises.

"I-I want to, Rafe. I do." You tell him. "But, I also don't want to lose my virginity in the back yard of a house party." You chuckle.

"Yeah, not very romantic is it?" He chuckles. "Come here," He says, pulling you into him, your back pressed firmly against his front.

You bring his hand up to yours, intertwining your fingers together. "I love you, Rafe." You whisper against his skin.

"I love you too, pretty girl." He says into your hair, before pressing a kiss to your temple.

The two of you fall asleep easily, tangled together in the warm summer air.

______________________

When you'd all finally made it back to your house in the morning, Topper and Kelce had to practically drag Rafe away from you to make it to their tee time.

The two of you couldn't keep your hands off each other. As much as you were going to miss Rafe today, you were excited to hang out with Courtney and look for a dress for Midsummers.

"Did Kelce ask you?" You ask Courtney as you scan your massive closet.

She rested on the chair in the middle of you closet and watched you. "Yeah, he did. He's sweet. And he likes that I'm taller than him." She chuckles.

"You're taller than everyone, Court. Why aren't you a runway model again?" You ask.

"Cuz a bitch gets too drunk to walk straight," She jokes. You both laugh.

You pull a few options from your closet and scan over them intently.

"So," Courtney starts. You already know where this is going. "You gonna let Rafe take your virginity?" She grins.

You try your best to bite back a smile. "I mean...I want to. I'm just nervous, you know?"

"Why?"

"He's like...experienced." You say, waving your hand around and rolling your eyes. "I have no clue what I'm doing."

"Okay, well....Let's practice!" Courtney says as she jumps up and grabs your hand, pulling you to your bed.

"Court, no offense, but you have no cock for me to suck."

"Shut up," She says as she grabs your lap top. "Just watch."

Courtney pulls up a couple porn sites and types in some videos. "Do what they do," She says.

You watch the videos. It's not like you'd never watched porn before but the more you watched the more you felt like you couldn't be as good as these women.

"Throw your hips back like this," Courtney shows you. "Here, let me film you."

Courtney showed you all the ways to move you body just right. The faces to make, even how to give head on a banana she had found in your kitchen.

She filmed it all and played it back for you and you couldn't deny that you looked hot as fuck.

"Don't forget to be fucking sloppy when you suck his cock," Courtney added. "Guys love that shit! Oh, and when he cums in your mouth, fucking swallow."

You licked your lips at Courtney's words. You really, really, wanted to fuck Rafe Cameron.

"Y/N?! Court?!"

You heard Rafe's voice as the came in through the front door.

"Shit!" You said to Court, quickly exiting out of the 10 porn tabs you had up and slamming you lap top shut.

You both hopped off the bed and ran downstairs to greet the boys.

"Hey baby!" You said as you jumped into Rafe's arms. He dropped his clubs to the floor and gripped you immediately. Bringing his hands to your ass as he he kissed you deeply.

"Hey, sweet girl," He said, pressing kisses to your neck.

"Could you guys not fuck for one second while we figure this shit out?!" Topper asks as he plops down on your couch.

You hop down from Rafe's grasp. "What happened?"

"Those fucking Pogues sunk my fucking boat!" Topper yelled.

Rafe gripped your hips, pulling you down on his lap as he sat on the couch. "We're gonna get them back, Top." Rafe promised.

"Yeah? How?" Topper asked. He was obviously stressed as he sunk back into your couch.

"Tomorrow night," Courtney suggested. "There's that movie in the park or whatever. I bet they'll be there."

"Hey, yeah! I swear I overheard them talking about it," Kelce chimes in.

"Okay, so tomorrow night, we go to the fucking movie thing or whatever and wait for them to slip up." You add.

"Let's fucking kill these Pogues," Courtney laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, let's fucking do it!" Topper says as he stands up. "Whoo!"

You narrowed your eyes slightly, noticing Top was coked the fuck out. You glanced back at Rafe and examined his eyes.

"I'm sober," He said, seeing the question in your eyes. "Top, however, has had a day."

You nod in agreement. "We'll end those fucking Pogues."

_________

The next day, you and Courtney slipped into some casual clothes. You settled for simple jean shorts and a form fitting tank top. But that didn't stop you from gluing your diamonds to your eyelids.

You pulled your beach waves back in a high ponytail and slipped into some sandals.

Courtney finished applying her lipstick. Popping her lips in the mirror before turning to you. "Let's go kill some fucking Pogues," She said with a devious smile.

You linked arms with hers as you made your way downstairs to meet the boys.

"Shots?!" A drunk Topper asked from your kitchen. You watched as he poured 5 shots, losing half of the tequila to the counter.

Rafe came over to you and wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing his lips to you neck. "You look fucking stunning," He whispered against your skin. You swore you wanted him to bend you over the counter right then and there but you composed yourself.

"And I'm dating the most handsome man on this island." You chuckled as you pulled back to look at him. He had on a yellow shirt and a tan snap back. He looked like a dumb frat boy and it made your pussy swell.

He smiled at you before turning to pick up the shots Topper had poured. "Cheers!" He said, clinking his glass to yours before you both swallowed the alcohol.

You cringed at the taste but quickly shook it off.

"Alright let's do this!" Kelce said as he took off towards the front door.

You all followed out to Rafe's truck. You climbed in the passenger seat while Courtney, Kelce, and Topper piled in the back.

Rafe kept a hand on your thigh while he drove. His fingers dangerously close to your entrance and you could feel yourself beginning to drip.

"Yo, when I see that fucker, Pope, I'm gonna rip his fucking face off!" Topper preached from the back seat.

"Why the hell would they do that shit?" Courtney asked.

"Well if Rafe here hadn't insisted on jumping him on the golf course..." Topper spat.

Your eyes widened as you turned to look at Rafe. He had his eyes on the road in front of him as he sucked his lips between his teeth. You could feel his grip on your thigh tighten. "They held a gun to your head, Top." Rafe said.

"Yeah, but now my boats gone and my parents think it's my fault!"

"Okay, everyone shut up!" You snapped. "Look, we are going to get back at the Pogues for all the shit they've done. But you guys," You pointed between the three boys. "Need to be smarter with how you handle shit!"

The boys shut up and listened. They always listened to you. Especially when you raised your voice. Nobody wanted to fuck with the Queen Bee.

When you finally pulled up to the park you instantly spotted JJ, Pope, and Kiara.

Topper tried to hop out but Courtney grabbed him. "Hold on," She hissed. "We have to be smart."

"Don't storm them right away," You said. "We don't want to draw attention. Just play it cool and wait for the right moment."

You all got out of the truck. You and Courtney grabbed the blankets and the cooler you'd brought and set it up at the very back of the park. You pulled the tequila and solo cups from the cooler and added some lime juice to each cup before passing the drinks around to the group.

Rafe sat down and you leaned back against him. He rubbed your arm and placed kisses to your temple.

"Why'd you jump him, Rafe?" You ask.

Rafe sighed. "Doesn't matter."

"It matters." You said. Your voice harsher than you intended.

"He was talking shit," Rafe said, anger coating your voice. "I got pissed, okay?"

You watched as Kiara got up and walked towards the concession stand.

"I'll be back." You say as you get up quickly and walk over to where she stood.

"Hey, Kie," You said with a bitchy smile. "How are you?"

"What the fuck do you want, Y/N?" Kiara spat back at you.

You chuckle, your tongue grazing over your bottom lip as you look down. "Tell your boy," You say, taking a step closer to her, looking up to meet her gaze now. "We know what he did."

Kiara glanced over your shoulder to see the rest of your crew sitting at the back of the park. Courtney offered her a sadistic smile and wave. Kiara clenched her jaw. "I don't know what you're talking about." She stated before quickly walking off.

"Enjoy the movie!" You called after her. You smiled before you turned and walked back over to Rafe and the others.

The five of you sat and drank as you barely paid any attention to what was going on on the screen. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to get the Pogues alone.

You noticed JJ and Pope get up and head towards the back of the screen.

"There they go," You say with a smirk. "Go get 'em boys."

Rafe, Kelce, and Topper were quick to get up and follow the two Pogues. You and Courtney sipped your drinks and giggled as you watched all the boys disappear behind they screen.

"They're gonna fucking ruin them!" Courtney laughed.

"Straight up! I don't know why-" You cut yourself off as you saw Kiara get up and walk towards the back of the screen. "Oh fuck this bitch!" You spit as you stood up and stormed after her, Courtney not far behind you.

When you finally get behind the screen you see Kiara on top of Topper. Rafe quickly pulls her off and throws her to the ground.

"Grab her, Court!" You say. Courtney lunges towards Kiara and holds her arms behind her back as she presents her to you. "Hi bitch!" You say with a wild smile. Before she got the chance to respond you kicked her in the stomach.

"Ah!" Kiara cried out as she bent over in pain.

"Kie!" Pope yelled out as he slipped out of Topper's grip.

Before you could kick her again, Pope grabbed you and pushed you to the ground.

"Oh, fuck no!" Rafe said as he grabbed Pope by the throat and began to choke him out. "Don't you EVER put your fucking hands on my girl!"

Courtney was by your side, helping you off the ground. "Where'd that little bitch go?" You spat.

"I don't-" Courtney stopped when she noticed the screen going up in flames. "Oh shit!" She helped you to your feet.

You glanced around to see Topper and and Kelce running to you but Rafe was still choking out Pope.

"Rafe!" You yelled. "Baby, we gotta go!"

Rafe finally snapped out of his trance at the sound of your voice. He threw Pope to the ground, landing one more kick to his stomach before he ran toward you and grabbed your hand. The five of you ran off towards the beach before anyone could realize you'd been there.

"Holy shit!" Topper said as you all finally reached the sand. "Rafe you almost killed him!"

Rafe sighed and pulled you into him. "Are you okay?" He mumbled into your hair.

You laughed against his chest. "I almost had that bitch if Pope didn't fucking catch me off gaurd."

Rafe's jaw clenched. The fact that someone put their fucking hands on you filled him with rage.

"Hey, baby, look at me," You said as you rested your hands on his chest. "I'm okay. I promise."

"This isn't over," He said as he looked back in the direction of the park.

"No, no it's not. But for now, let's go home."

Rafe took a deep breath and turned to look at you, his forehead pressed against yours.

"I love you."

[destroyingangelneveragod]

Continual Support for a Black Disabled Mom of 3

For those of you who know my blog, you know my friend Courtney needs support. The reality is it is unlikely that that will change soon given that she is a disabled single mom providing for 3 kids with a lo-wage job. I love her dearly and she genuinely struggles every day. I want to make the world better for her. I talk often about the power of community care. Courtney needs this consistently. If you are a non-Black person who is financially secure, please consider giving her reparations every month or biweekly. I will put her paylinks below. To work towards and as an accomplice of Black liberation, you need to be committed.

I know many of us are not well off, so I wanted to recommend some more one of ways you can help short term if you cannot commit to helping her more. She has 3 kids to get Christmas gifts and food for. I had her put together an Amazon wishlist so that people can help her in a small but mesurable way. Her kids have been through so much alongside her. Please help them have a Christmas if you are able. Many years they haven't. One off financial donations are also appreciated.

If you are in Houston, Texas, and are able to drop some gifts and food off to them, please reach out to me so I can connect you. That would be super meaningful for them. If you can commit to dropping supplies off more than once, let me know.

If you can't help financially, please reblog. Share the wishlist beyond tumblr. Support however you are able. She needs and deserves support a million times over. Love you all.

Paypal.me/stillcreece85

Venmo @courtney-reece-85

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/AOHU8NB3TDGU?ref_=wl_share

[hayleythesugarbowl]

spencer agnew!

him and his partner are long distance and he surpises them and shows up

Birthday Wishes || Spencer Agnew x reader

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ masterlist • smosh masterlist  ⋆˚｡⋆୨୧⋆

summary: you and spencer have been long distance for some time now, and he decides he wants to do something special and surprise you for your birthday

word count: 3.2k

warnings: mild language

a/n: ahh i’m so sorry this took me so long to get to but i hope you enjoy it!! i love writing for spencer sm 🎀🫶 also it’s still the 19th where i live so happy bday courtney!! 🎉

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~°~❦~°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     “Do you think green is my color?”

     “Hello to you too, Spencer,” you spoke into the phone you balanced on your shoulder as you tied your hair up in a towel. 

     “Hey, small talk can wait. This is a fashion emergency,” Spencer’s voice filled your ear as you wrapped another towel around your body, fiddling with the edges to keep it in place.

     “Alright,” you said, “That’s enough Project Runway for you.”

     “It’s a good show!” 

     You giggled, shifting Spencer to your other ear.

     “So,” he continued, “What are you doing right now?”

     “Right now? Well, I just took a shower and now I’m talking to you,” you told him.

     “I don’t want to be one of those guys, but, damn without me?”

     “I’m hanging up,” you giggled. “And like you’d fly hundreds of miles just to shower with me.”

     “You’d be surprised,” his voice took on a teasing tone, “I do have those frequent flier miles just waiting to be used.”

     You and Spencer had been long distance for about two months now. You’d agreed to stay together even though you were going to be moving across the country. 

     You’d met your boyfriend at work about nine months ago. You’d both been working at Smosh when you began dating and it all took off from there.

     First dates, anniversaries, you getting a job opportunity in New York, and now this. Talking to Spencer on the phone no less than three times a day.

     It had killed you to leave him. But you’d agreed that this was the best option for both of you. Spencer was almost more invested in your career than you were and you really appreciated him for being so willing to make things work for you. 

     Now, you set your phone down on the counter and pressed speaker phone as you    began to moisturize.

     “Don’t you have something better to use those on than one shower?”

     “Hey, don’t think this is all about you,” Spencer said. “Your shower has jets. Who wouldn’t fly across the county to use that thing.”

     You laughed, rolling your eyes playfully even though Spencer couldn’t actually see you.

     “Plus,” he continued, his voice becoming more serious, “I’d get to kiss you.”

     And there it was. The one thing you couldn’t do while you and Spencer were miles and miles apart.

     No more forehead kisses after a long day at work. No more long embraces that smelled like him. No touching at all.

     God, you missed him so much. There was only so much that technology could do.   

     You sank down on to the counter, letting your elbows prop you up. 

     “(Y/n), you still there? You’re not watching Runway without me, are you?”

     You attempted a weak chuckle. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

     As if sensing your sudden deflation Spencer asked you, “Hey, are you ok?”

     “I’m fine, Spence,” you said, tracing the pattern of the countertop with your fingertip as you talked, “I just miss you.”

     “I know,” he sighed, “I miss you too. Really freaking bad.”

     There was silence between you before Spencer said, “But hey, your birthday is coming up soon. Any plans?”

     “Not yet.” You shrugged off his abrupt subject change. 

     You hadn’t really wanted to do anything for your birthday, not without Spencer. You  had tried to squander your roommates attempts at throwing you a party multiple times.

     You appreciated her efforts, but you kind of just felt like a quiet evening eating cake in your bathrobe.

     “(Y/n), it’s not every day you turn 68,” Spencer teased, “You gotta celebrate these.”

     “Very funny,” you deadpanned. “And you’re one to talk! On your last birthday you just came to work in your pajamas and made everyone obey that ‘Mountain Dew me’ button.”

     “And that was a party! Some people got seriously hammered.”

     “Sure,” you agreed, “If by people, you mean you. And by hammered, you mean sugar crashed.”

     “Ok, I don’t get shower pics and you’re gonna start correcting me? I’m so out.”

     “Wait,” you stopped him, “switch to FaceTime.”

      You waited for the image of him to show up on your screen, pulling on the towel wrapped around your drying hair. Spencer’s face appeared suddenly and your heart leapt as you took him in.

     He was laying in bed and had his head propped up on one arm, the other holding his phone in his hand as he smiled up at you.

     His hair was tousled and he had his glasses on and he looked so damn sexy that you almost forgot what you were intending to do.

     “Ok, if you want shower pics so badly…” You flipped your camera and began pretending to take rapid photos of the shower curtain behind you.

     “You are so stupid,” Spencer laughed, rubbing his hand over his face before laying it behind his head again.

     “And you’re gorgeous,” you said, flipping the camera back to front-facing.

     “And you are working that towel.”

     You rolled your eyes, walking out of the bathroom and carrying Spencer with you. 

     You plopped down on your bed, just opening your mouth to speak when you heard someone yell your name from the other side of the apartment.

     “(Y/n)! I’m home! And these groceries aren’t going to put away themselves!” Your roommate called.

     “That’s Layla,” you huffed, “I better go before she rearranges the whole fridge.”

     “I’m going to pretend I’m not hurt,” Spencer clutched his chest in mock injury. 

     “I’ll call you later tonight, I promise,” you blew him a kiss and stood up from your bed. “I was just about to get dressed anyway.” 

     And by dressed, you meant your pajamas. 

     “Dang, I can’t believe I have to miss that,” he said. “‘Sure you can’t just put me on the night stand?”

     “Pervert!” You stuck your tongue out at him.

     “Woah,” Spencer held his arm up, “I just wanted to see your choice of clothing. You always know how to perfectly match patterns and textures with the undertones of —”

     “No more fashion speak!” You giggled, “Goodbye, Spencer.”

     “Bye, baby,” Spencer said softly, and the regret in his tone made it hard to hang up. “Love you.”

      “Love you more,” you whispered before ending the call. You slumped down onto your bed, letting out a sigh. 

      “Thank god!”

     You whipped around to see your roommate, Layla, standing in the doorway.

     “I thought I was gonna have to end that.”

     You shook your head at her as she came to sit down next to you on the bed. 

      “You still need help?” You asked her.

      “Nah,” she waved it away, “You lovebirds took too long. If you weren’t so cute together, it’d be hella annoying.”

      You smiled. You loved your roommate, brutal honesty and all.

      “But now that we’re here, can we talk about your birthday?” 

     You opened your mouth to protest and she interrupted you.

     “I know you’re going to say you don’t want to do anything but please just consider it. Your birthday’s in less than two weeks and you still haven’t let me plan a party.”

     “I don’t know, Lay,” you said, for the hundredth time, “I’m just not in a party mood.”

     “(Y/n), you can’t spend the rest of your life missing Spencer and talking to Spencer and thinking about Spencer. I get that you love him but maybe a little party would take your mind off things. And your boyfriend would want you to have a good time. What do you say?”

      Your best friend had a point. You had been pretty preoccupied with Spencer when you weren’t working or sleeping.

     And maybe she was right, maybe a little celebration was what you needed. Spencer had wanted you to do something for your special day.

     Besides, your friend was trying to do something nice for you. And the more you thought about it, the more it sounded like it could be an enjoyable experience.

     “Alright,” you told her, “Plan away.”

     “That’s the spirit!” Layla beamed at you, grabbing your hand before bouncing out of the room, probably to go buy party supplies.

     You laid back on the bed, smiling at the ceiling. You were actually excited for the party. 

     Your phone buzzed suddenly, and you reached across the comforter to grab it.

You had two texts from Spencer.

[Spencer] : wait i was actually serious about the green thing though!! 

[Spencer] : i’m doing a merch shoot tomorrow and i need to know 🙏 

     You grinned at the screen, remembering the first part of your phone conversation.

[(Y/n)] : any color is your color babe 

[(Y/n)] : but actually go with yellow 

     You waited for his reply to come, smiling when you read his messages.

[Spencer] : what would i do without you? 

[Spencer] : k, i better go. i gotta hit the shower myself (jet-less)

[Spencer] : stay tuned for pics 😉 

₊˚ ✧ ‿︵‿୨୧‿︵‿ ✧ ₊˚

     Four days. It had been exactly four days since Spencer had stopped answering your calls.

     He only responded to your messages with short, generic texts and whenever you asked if he could call he had somewhere he needed to be or something he needed to do.

     You tried to be rational—maybe he really had gotten pretty busy at work lately—but you couldn’t stop yourself from worrying.

     You looked at your reflection in the mirror,  surveying your party outfit and running a hand through your hair, as you though not-so-party-like thoughts.

     Today was your birthday and Spencer hadn’t called or even sent you a text. You tried not to let it get to you and instead look forward to the party that was probably already starting in the living room. 

     You took a deep breath and went to open your bedroom door, but it flew open before you reached the doorknob.

     “There you are!” Layla greeted you with a smile, “C’mon, let’s get this party started!”

     “Hey,” you put on a smile, trying to not think about Spencer. “I was just getting dressed.”

     “Well, you look hot so let’s go,” she grabbed your arm and pulled you down the hall.

     You were greeted by a decorated room with streamers and balloons and presents and partygoers milling about, talking and laughing.

     You knew about half of the people that Layla had invited and you gave her credit for that—you didn’t know that many people in New York yet. Most of your friends were back in LA.

     You got a sharp pain in your chest as you thought about your loved ones back home—especially Spencer.

     “I present, the birthday bitch!” Layla announced with a dramatic flourish. 

     You couldn’t help grinning at her as all of the guests turned to look at you and began clapping. 

     “Thank you all so much for coming,” you addressed the room. 

     “And thank you,” you turned to your roommate, “for planning all of this.”

     “It was nothing,” she said, “now go enjoy your party!”

     And that’s what you tried to do. You spent the whole evening mingling with people and being wished happy birthday and sampling the hors d’oeuvres.

     You were enjoying yourself—as much as you could, at least. 

     You sat down on a bright yellow chair in the corner that Layla had bought a few weeks ago—personally it wasn’t your taste, but she loved it.

     Kind of like large parties and giant social gatherings that required you to have nonstop conversations with people you hardly knew.

     You pulled your legs up into the chair, sitting criss-cross and hoping no one would notice you taking a quick break from the festivities. 

     “Told you you’d like this chair eventually.”

     You looked up to see Layla standing to your right. 

     “I guess it’s growing on me,” you said.

     She sat on the arm of the chair, pulling your head to rest in her shoulder.

     “You can say your miserable, (Y/n)” she said, “I won’t be offended.”

     “No,” you shook your head on her shoulder, “I’m not miserable, I promise. I’m just…tired.”

     “Spencer still hasn’t called I take it.”

     “Nope,” you blew out a breath, “I’ve given up.”

     “I don’t know,” she said, standing up. “He might surprise you. You never know what the night may hold.”

     “Why the narrator voice?” Your mouth quirked up on one side. 

     She shrugged, “It’s fun and i never get to use it.”

     “Now come on,” your friend began dragging your chair out of the corner and towards the center of the room, “Time to for cake!”

     You shrieked as she pulled you through people before abandoning the chair and going to grab a large cake sitting on the counter.

     Once candles had been lit and people had been gathered, Layla handed you your cake.

     “Alright, make a wish!” she yelled.

     That was easy. You knew what you wanted more than anything else. You didn’t even have to think about what you would wish for when you blew the flames out.

     Everyone began to sing me happy birthday and you let Layla snap picture after picture.

     You knew wishes were stupid and almost never meant anything, but you couldn’t help imagining what it would be like if your wish did come true.

     You squeezed your eyes shut and blew out your candles, only thinking of one thing.

     I wish Spencer was here. 

     All the guests erupted into applause and you smiled, hoping your longing didn’t show on your face.

     But god you wished Spencer was here.

     Everyone finished clapping. The room fell silent for a moment, before—

     “I hope you didn’t waste that on me.”

     You froze. The voice came from behind you. You almost thought you imagined it, until you turned around.

     Because there he was. 

     You blinked, trying to make sure he wasn’t a figment of your imagination. But this was real.

     Spencer was standing in your living room, his hands in his pockets, looking at you how you imagined you were looking at him. 

     “Now that,” he pointed at your chair, smiling, “is my color.”

     And that was all he got out before you were rushing towards him and into his arms.

     Spencer wrapped his arms around you, laughing, lifting you from the ground and spinning you in a circle before setting you back down. 

     The room burst into applause for the second time that night. You almost didn’t notice over the rush in your ears as Spencer embraced you. 

     He pulled back just enough so that he could cup your face in his hands. “God, I forgot how beautiful you are in person.”

     You had so many questions bouncing around in your mind, your thoughts racing. 

     You settled on the one that encompassed all of them, “How?”

     “Well, y’know, there’s some distortion with iPhone cameras so you can’t expect—”

     You interrupted him, “That’s not what I meant.”

     “Oh, you mean the whole me being in your living room thing?” He shrugged, pulling his hands away from you and back into his pockets, “I kinda flew here.”

      Spencer had flown—all the way from Los Angeles—to surprise you. You’d had no idea he was even planning this.

     As if reading your thoughts, Spencer said, “I wanted to tell you so bad, but I also wanted to surprise you for your birthday so I sorta ghosted you.”

     He rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, c’mon, you know I would’ve spilled those beans.”

     And that explained the not calling or texting you. You couldn’t even feel relieved that he wasn’t mad or breaking up with you because you were so floored and excited that he was here.

     He had done this for you. 

     “Wow, I don’t know what to say Spencer,” you started, wrapping your arms around him again. “As far as gifts go, I’d say you win by a long shot.”

     “Hey, I helped!” Layla shouted, putting her hands in her hips, her grin almost as wide as yours. 

     “Couldn’t have done it without you!” Spencer shouted back before leaning back to kiss you on the forehead, whispering “She let me into the building.”

     You put your head on Spencer’s shoulder, letting him hold you. You tried to memorize everything about the way that he felt in your arms. You didn’t want this to ever end.

     “So,” Spencer said, his voice rough, “How about that kiss now?”

     “I guess since you came all this way…” you trailed off.

     “Good,” Spencer whispered, “Because I’ve been waiting to do this since I booked the flight. Turns out I did find a good use for those miles.”

     And then his lips where on yours and you forgot how to breathe.

     In all the times you had imagined finally kissing Spencer again, nothing was as good as this. This was passionate and starved and full of all of the words you hadn’t said.

     This was different than all of the kisses you’d shared before you’d been separated, you thought.

     And then Spencer mumbled your name against your lips and you were incapable of thinking at all.

     You weren’t sure how long you stayed like this until Layla’s voice interrupted you. 

     “Hey, I’m just as happy as anyone that you’re reunited,” she said, “but please, get a room!”

     You and Spencer pulled apart, grinning like idiots. The whole room chuckled.

     Spencer pulled you to the side as Layla began rounding people up and gathering decorations.

     You caught your best friends eye and mouthed ‘thank you.’

     She just smiled and shooed your attention back towards Spencer, pulling down a streamer.

     You turned to your boyfriend. 

     “Well,” he said, “Before we get that room, want to give me a tour of the place?”

     “You’ve seen most of my apartment on FaceTime,” you told him. “What’s there to see?”

     “Some things can’t be captured over the phone,” he said, his voice becoming more serious. “Some things need to be experienced in person.”

     “Spencer, if you’re talking about the shower—” You teased, nudging his shoulder.

     But you caught his meaning entirely. And you agreed wholeheartedly.

     “Hey that shower is a piece of art! And how little you think of me,” Spencer smiled, continuing, “I was going to wait until you showed me the bathroom before I made that joke.”

     “Spencer?” You got out, through your laughter as you led him down the hall.

     “Yeah?” 

     “I love you so much.”

     “Well, I should hope so,” he shot back, “Otherwise, I spent five hours on a plane—which didn’t serve Mountain Dew, by the way—getting kicked in the back for nothing.” 

     You shook your head at him lovingly.

     “And yeah,” he finished, “I love you too. More than Mountain Dew and Project Runway.”

     You kissed him on the cheek, continuing to pull him down the hallway.

     “I meant to ask,” Spencer broke the silence, “What did you wish for?”

     “You,” you said, pausing. “I wished for you. All I want is you.”

     “I don’t want to say ditto, but I couldn’t agree more,” Spencer teased. “All I’ve ever wanted is you….and maybe one shower.”

     “Spencer!”

     “Six jets! There are six jets in there, (Y/n)! Why does nobody get this?”  

      You just giggled and ran down the hall, leaving him chasing after you. You couldn’t stop smiling. This was the best birthday you could have ever wished for. 

     You rounded the corner, Spencer still calling after you, just a few feet behind you. Right behind you. Here. Yours.

      “Six jets and a heated seat!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~°~❦~°~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ˋ°•*⁀➷ hope you enjoyed my loves!! stay tuned for more spencer fics coming soon 💋🎀

also bonus text convo 🤭 —>

[sangreprince]

I wanna keep this brief (graphic design is my passion level effort but also it kinda works in a really funny way) !!! I wanna let you all know I appreciate the love you've given Zagreus and I'm so so happy to be here. You're all great and wonderful and I could say so many good things to say about each and every one of my mutuals. So fuck it, that's what I'mma do. Because you all truly deserve it. I'm super happy with Zagreus and being able to share my portrayal and have it be well received means so much !!! It's easy to say 'thank you all so much' but I want to acknowledge that I truly do appreciate and care about each and every one of my mutuals, even if my time / availability makes it tough at times. PART 1/4

@withinchains / @hercarnality : Elle you already know how much ily so I'm gonna keep this short. You're such an amazing friend and writer and you already have the screenshot about me gushing pinned so eat my shorts and play arams with me. Your Morgana is to die for and you write every character to a fucking T because of how you just interpret all their personalities and put them into words SO effortlessly.

@lasraichean : NEMO U SMELL LIKE BEEF and I think you're fantastic. You pour so much effort into all your OCs and that passion does you so much credit. You absolutely shower Annie with love in such a way that I shower everyone else with unrequested amounts of fromsoft lore so MWAH.

@blackrosesmatron : Lucy your LB is fantastic and you're so easy to talk to and communicate with. Genuinely every time we sit down and plot I find myself getting so enthralled in her antics and character. You do her so much justice

@avernusfuries : HAN You single handedly made me like Karlach and that isn't even a joke. Before we met and started writing I always thought her story was one of the weaker ones and you somehow managed to turn her into one of the more realized characters in the game. HATS OFF TO YOU and every day I beg for more of this big doofus.

@feuerwizard : Crys I know I need to get back to you for plotting things, I've just been so busy but I want to say: You and some of the other CR writers you write with are so talented and I adore reading your posts. Were it not for you guys I still probably wouldn't have any interest in CR and I'm so so excited to get started with more stuff and actually get threads going!

@soulcluster : Lilah I think all your portrayals are excellent. Your MM deserves all the attention it gets and I honestly couldn't pick a favorite muse if gave me truth serum. Plotting with you is a blast and I'm so thankful for all the ideas we pass between eachother!

@pitgritted : Your Sett, Taric, and Mutli are all so well done Jojo. I can tell you really care about all the people you write and it shines so brightly, right down the amount of detail you place into every reply and how you format things. Passion shows in the end and this is no exception!!

@palespawn : This sassy motherfucker. We've only just started writing and I still need to get to replies but you've showed interest since almost day one and I cant say how much I appreciate that. Courtney you do such a beautiful job with the twink, I almost dont wanna stab him. Almost~

@infinitysagas : I first of all wanna say thank you for writing such underappreciated characters. To see Damon get love brings me so much joy, I always take a second to read his posts when I see them come up. I know we haven't done a ton but please know that I see your writing and totally wanna do stuff, I'm just very busy skdjhf.

@deathdxnces : Irelia was a character I never cared about too much, but how you humanize her so much and have expanded on her character beyond what Riot's given us does SO much for me. I actually adore how you portray her, Mel, and I wish to get writing at some point soon!! I know you liked a starter a bit ago and I do plan to get to that, but please do not hesitate to hit me up for plotting in the meantime. It really does help and I promise I don't bite!!

@tealbeats : I know you're not super active on Ez (and I still owe you a lot of stuff actually) but I wanna say I love the amount of his personality you're able to paint into every interaction. You have such a way of making him the perfect amount of insufferable (in the best way) while still twisting it in SUCH an endearing light. I love that annoying little bug and I'm so glad you do too, because it really shows.

@agonizedembrace : Han it's been really nice to reach out and get into contact again. You're genuinely a really funny, interesting, and thoughtful person who cares about Evelynn in such a way that brings out every aspect of her character. The agony, the sex appeal, the sass, the confidence, you just nail all of it and I'm really hoping we can get stuff going soon!

@bendwill : Elder scrolls blogs are few and far between, but Miraak is absolutely one of those characters that deserves to be more written out. We haven't gotten to do a ton but please don't hesitate to hit me up and scream ideas at me, the idea of Tamrielic Zagreus is very fascinating to me. (And also I need somebody to ramble about my Oblivion D&D Campaign ideas with skdfjh)

@ofweave : First of all, trans gale is based as fuck and you have a vision. Second of all, I know you're on hiatus but once you come back I'd be so happy to get the ball rolling with this stinky wizard man!!

@kismetwilled : I'm not gonna lie, seeing how you pour effort into your headcanons and thoughtful replies kind of inspired me to do similar with my own. I also want to say that I'd love to plot more and yell ideas all day with you, your style is gorgeous and I find myself appreciating characters on your blog I've never even heard of or are barely familiar with. Seriously Dani, it's top tier and I'm so happy to be mutuals.

@enrogued : We haven't gotten anything started with but I'm so hyped. Rogue as a character has such fascinating potential with her powers, and that's not to mention her attitude towards others in general. Once stuff gets started I'm probably never gonna shut up in your DMs but like that's a constant sdfjkh STILL!!

@lunarrepel : Shadowheart my beloved. The aesthetics, writing, dialog, everything you do with her is SO on point and I can't get over it. I was already biased and liked her after Larian adjusted her a bit during the beta phase of BG3 but still. Man you just nail her and I'm so excited to develop these two out. They give wine aunt energy and THAT alone gives me so much life.

@dreadgloom / @cinderschild : I wont lie to you I was GIDDY when I found out you wrote a WoTR character. I honestly expected that fandom to have more of a presence on tumblr but I'll take what small fanclub we can get right?? And also can I comment on the takes you have from Salvatore are absolutely genius and play really well into WoTC's drow?? Genuinely fantastic worldbuilding and it's always a pleasure to see you crop up on the dash.

@nightsbloom : Your headcanons and replies have been gorgeus and I just want to say despite me being really busy and not getting around to approaching yet, I'm so excited??? Also a while back you reblogged a Qimir gifset and it's still living rent free in my head so thank you for the food chef--- Please though, if you have any thoughts or even just dynamic ideas - toss them at me at mach 5 and I will run with them because I'm HYPE.

@spiderwarden : I think you officially win the title of Minthara's #1 fan. Her performance (as I've mentioned) is absolutely captivating, as is your writing. I'm very excited to see where her interactions with Zagreus go and writing with you (or even just seeing your random hc posts and comments) is such a blast. I will always sit down and listen to you ramble about her, I think she's so fascinating and that's in no small part to how you manage to inject so much life and love into her despite all the cut content.

[nightwriter357]

Smosh summer games: Ships

This is the first part of a Damien Haas x reader series called, you guessed it, Smosh summer games: Ships. This first part is mainly setup and doesn't contain any smut but is still 18+ and the next parts will be very smutty.

Hope you enjoy!

Part 1 - and they were roommates?

Exitment filled the air as you packed the last of your things into your suitcase. Smosh Summer Games is making a comeback and it's shaping up to be one for the books, especially since it's the first one since Anthony's return, and the first one ever for you and many of the other cast members. You felt incredibly lucky to be part of a team where you genuinely enjoyed the company of your colleagues. Not many people could say they looked forward to spending this much time with their coworkers, but for you, it was like a dream come true. If you were honest though, there was one coworker who you were a bit extra excited to see more of.

As you zipped up your bag, you couldn't help but think about him, Damien. Over the past few months, you'd found yourself increasingly attracted to him. He was funny, kind, and always made you feel appreciated even on the days when you weren't feeling good about yourself. The thought of spending time with him, in a more relaxed and domestic setting, made your pulse quicken. Maybe this trip would be the perfect opportunity to see if there was something more between you two. You have a hard time imagining him making the first move, but you can't really see yourself doing it either. Maybe you just need to start dropping some big hints.

You all stood at the office parking lot, the cars were packed, and the cast was ready to hit the road. You hopped into the car with Courtney, Amanda, Angela, Olivia, Chanse, and Tommy. Courtney took charge of the playlist, and soon the car was filled with the nostalgic sounds of the early 2000s.

Courtney pulled out a camera and started vlogging. "Welcome to the 'Gays and Girls' car! We've got Amanda, Angela, Arasha, Olivia, Chanse, Tommy, and y/n. We're on our way to the Smosh Summer Games, and it's going to be epic!"

Amanda turned in her seat, grinning. "So, Court, tell us what we can expect. This is our first time."

Courtney smirked at the camera. "Oh, you're in for a treat. There's always something crazy happening. And, somehow, things always get a bit sexual or spicy," she pushed her hair behind her ear

Arasha raised an eyebrow at the camera. "Sexual? Like how?"

Courtney laughed. "Well like, on the car ride to the first winter games a no-fap rule was introduced. So I can imagine they're already starting to say some wild stuff in the boys' car. It was hilarious watching everyone struggle with it."

Chanse snorted. "Please, those guys have no self-control. I give them two days."

You leaned forward, "but we are going to be sharing rooms right?"

Olivia chimed in, " that's not going to stop those demons, they are nuts."

Tommy raised an eyebrow, "right Olivia, they're nuts.."

You laughed along with the others, your mind drifting back to Damien. You wondered if he would struggle with that. The thought made you blush, and you quickly looked out the window to hide your face.

The vlog cut to the boys' car. Shayne took control of the camera, turning it to face himself, Damien, Spencer, Keith, Noah, and Trevor.

"Welcome to the 'Boner Mobile'!" Shayne announced with a laugh. "We are definitely the cooler car. Right, guys?"

"Absolutely," Damien agreed, leaning in to the shot. "We're on our way to the Smosh Summer Games, and we're going to crush it."

Keith laughed. "Yeah, especially with Anthony back. This is going to be wild."

Spencer, who was driving, glanced at the camera. "You guys better be ready. This year's gonna be intense."

" Why are you so sure about that?" Trevor questioned

Spencer gave a sly smile, " Oh, you will soon see".

Shayne smirked at the camera. "Do you think anyone's gonna stick to the no-fap rule this time?"

The car burst into laughter.

Noah looked at the camera, " It did not work out that well the first time."

Damien chuckled. "Oh man, I can't believe you guys actually did that."

Keith nodded. "Yeah, it was total chaos."

Trevor chimed in, "I'm just excited to see who cracks first."

Damien let out a big sigh, " I'm scared to find out which one of you I'm rooming with."

Spencer laughed, " ooh, I think you're going to be on board"

Shayne leaned back, grinning at the camera. "So anyway, Do you guys remember the wet t-shirt contest we had one year?"

Spencer's eyes lit up. "Oh man, really? That sounds awesome!"

Shayne laughed. "Yeah, except it was the guys who got wet, and the girls were the ones spraying us."

Spencer looked directly in to the camera lens, "you know, I wouldn't mind getting sprayed by a woman."

The car erupted in laughter again, the mood light and full of camaraderie as they continued their journey.

When you finally arrived, you felt a rush of excitement. The air was filled with the scent of the ocean and a cool breeze hit you as you jumped out of the car. You caught sight of Damien getting out of the boys' car, your eyes met briefly, and he flashed you a grin that made your heart skip a beat.

Damien wiped some sweat from his brow, his arm flexing slightly as he did. His silver hair was a bit disheveled, and you found him incredibly sexy in that moment. You quickly looked away, feeling your cheeks heat up. As you grabbed your bag, you couldn't help but steal another glance at him. This time, you noticed the way his shirt clung to his back, highlighting his muscles. You bit your lip, trying to focus on anything else.

As the group gathered on the dock, the anticipation was palpable. You could feel the excitement bubbling over. Everyone was eager to find out what surprises lay ahead.

Spencer stepped forward, a big grin on his face and a whistle hanging around his neck, He looked at the camera, "Welcome, everyone, to the return of the Smosh Summer Games!" he announced, his voice filled with enthusiasm. "And this year, we have a special surprise for you."

With that, Spencer blew the whistle, and from behind a curtain, Anthony and Ian emerged in their costumes. Anthony was dressed as a sailor, complete with a white and blue sailor hat and a striped shirt, while Ian sported a full pirate getup, complete with an eye patch and a plastic parrot on his shoulder.

The cast burst into laughter and applause.

Ian stepped forward, grinning from ear to ear. "That's rrrr-right! This year's theme is 'Ships!' And we're taking it literally."

Anthony nodded. "We'll be living on this massive boat for the duration of the games."

You could feel the excitement and surprise ripple through the group. Chanse raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did you say we're staying on a boat?"

"That's right," Spencer confirmed. "And I'll be your judge this year, making sure everything runs smoothly and fairly."

Courtney couldn't contain her laughter. "This is going to be amazing. I can't believe we're actually doing this."

Tommy added, "I've never even been on a boat this big before. This is going to be wild."

"Let's get started with the team names," Anthony said, stepping forward. "I'll be leading 'The seamen.'"

Ian, with a mischievous glint in his eye, announced, "And I'll be leading 'The leg peggers.'"

The cast erupted into laughter again. Shayne wiped a tear from his eye. "You guys really went all out with the themes this year."

The group erupted in cheers and surprised exclamations. You glanced at the massive boat docked nearby, this was going to be amazing.

"Now, before we pick our teams, let's explore our home for the next few weeks," Ian suggested

Everyone hurried to the boat, eager to explore. As you climbed aboard, you couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of it. The boat was equipped with everything you could possibly need: a large deck for sunbathing, a cozy common room with couches and beanbags, and a kitchen stocked with snacks and drinks.

You and Courtney found your room, a cozy cabin with bunk beds. "Looks like we're bunking together," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, this is going to be fun," you replied, trying to keep your excitement in check. The room was small but charming, with nautical-themed decor and a porthole window that offered a view of the ocean.

Noah poked his head into your room. "Check out this place! It's like we're on an actual pirate ship."

Keith laughed from down the hall. "I call top bunk in our room!"

Courtney quickly called out. "I call top bunk!", tossing her bag onto the bed.

"Fine by me," you said, setting your bag on the bottom bunk. The room was small but cozy, with just enough space for your things.

After unpacking a few essentials, you and Courtney joined the others to explore the rest of the boat. You passed by Amanda and Angela's' room, where they were already bantering about who got the better bed.

Shayne and Damien were in the kitchen, rummaging through the snack supplies. "This is going to be awesome," Shayne said, holding up a bag of chips.

Damien nodded, "Definitely. This boat is incredible."

Everyone explored the boat some more, checking out the various rooms and common areas. The ship had a large dining hall, a deck with lounge chairs, and even a hot tub.

After a while, Ian and Anthony gathered everyone on the deck. The view of the ocean was breathtaking, and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. The cameras were rolling.

Ian clapped his hands, "Alright, now that you've seen the boat, it's time to reveal the twist for this year. In addition to the usual team based games, we'll be competing in pairs for many of the challenges. These pairs have been voted on by the fans, and it's pretty obvious they went with their favorite ships."

Amanda gasped, " Oh my good, so that's why the theme is ships?"

Ian smiled, "exactly, people being shipped on a ship", he winked at the camera

The excitement in the air was palpable as everyone waited to hear who they would be paired with. You couldn't help but glance at Damien, wondering if you would be paired with him. It would make sense, every time you were in a video together someone would comment about the way you were looking at each other. There were countless compilation videos of you too, but then again, there were for many of the other cast as well. The anticipation was almost too much to bear, but you knew that no matter what, this was going to be an unforgettable summer.

Anthony continued, "After our judge announces the ships, Ian and I will pick our teams from those pairs. So take it away Spencer!"

You just noticed Spencer wasn't there. A door swung open and he emerged, dressed in a formal robe, a white wig that could have belonged to a founding father, already sweating.

"Why are you dressed like that man? It's so fucking hot out here" Angela exclaimed upon seeing him.

Spencer proudly declared, "I am the judge" he raised his eye brow "Also did somebody just say I looked hot?"

Chanse squinted his eyes at him, "no".

Trevor put him arm on Spencers shoulder, "I don't think you're supposed to be this kind of judge"

Spencer looked back at him, "Objection."

You tilted your head at him, " I don't think that's.."

Spencer waved his arm around, "overruled."

"Alright everyone, it's time for one of the most anticipated moments: the announcement of the pairs for this year's Smosh Summer Games!" Spencer declared, a grin spreading across his face. "This year, we've taken your favorite ships and made them a reality. Let's see who we got"

You felt a buzz of excitement and curiosity ripple through the group as Spencer began reading the pairs from his list.

"First up," Spencer said, "Courtney and Shayne!"

Courtney let out a cheer and high-fived Shayne. "We're going to crush this!"

Shayne chuckled, putting his arm around her. "Dream team, baby!"

Angelas eyes widened, "that IS so shocking "

"Next, Keith and Noah!"

Keith and Noah grinned at each other, clearly pleased with the pairing. "The dynamic duo is back!" Noah announced, and Keith gave him a playful nudge.

"Amanda and Angela!"

Amanda and Angela exchanged a hug, laughing. "Let's do this girl!" Amanda said, and Angela nodded enthusiastically.

"Tommy and Chanse!"

Tommy and Chanse glanced at each other, smiling. "This is going to be so gay!" Tommy exclaimed.

"And hot" Chanse chimed in.

"And last but not least, Damien and y/n!"

Your heart skipped a beat as Spencer called out your name alongside Damien's. You turned to see Damien smiling at you, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Looks like you drew the short stick," he said, stepping closer.

You smiled back, feeling a mixture of nerves and excitement. "Oh yeah, I was rooting for Shaymien."

He leaned in and whispered in a playfully tone, "I wasn't."

As the ships were announced, the cast mates all seemed pretty pleased with their pairings. Olivia didn't get a partner since it was an uneven number so instead she was going to be like a cheerleader for the games, which she seemed pleased with

"Perfect pairs!" Keith shouted, giving a thumbs-up.

"Can't wait to see how this plays out," Noah added with a grin.

The group gathered around as Ian and Anthony stepped forward in their costumes, ready to pick their teams. Spencer held up his whistle and blew it once more to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone, it's time for our fearless leaders to pick their teams!" Spencer announced. "Ian and Anthony will take turns choosing pairs. Ian, you get first pick."

Ian looked at the assembled pairs, stroking his fake pirate beard for dramatic effect. "For the first pick of the 2024 Smosh Summer Games, Team 'The Leg Peggers' selects... Shayne and Courtney!"

Courtney laughed and nudged Shayne before catching the shirt Ian had thrown to her. "Called it."

Shayne smirked. "Of course I'd be in the peg team. It's destiny."

The group burst into laughter, and Anthony stepped forward, a mock-serious expression on his face. "And for Team 'The Seamen,' I choose two veterans... Keith and Noah!" He tossed them their shirts.

Keith and Noah high-fived each other. "Let's do this!" Keith shouted.

Noah nodded. "We are gonna KILL you guys!"

Keith scrunched his face, "okay, chill man"

Ian surveyed the remaining pairs and made his next choice. "Alright, Team 'The Leg Peggers' selects... Damien and y/n!"

Damien shook Ian's hand, "so happy to be here."

Your heart skipped a beat again as you stepped forward with Damien. You exchanged a glance, both of you smiling and you took each other's hands and held them up proudly. You looked at the shirt that was just handed to you, A cartoon pirate putting his wooden leg into the ass of another pirate, fitting.

Anthony followed up quickly, holding up the shirt for 'the Seamen'. It was a cartoon Sperm with a sailor hat and ascot on, also fitting."'The Seamen' picks, our queens... Amanda and Angela!"

Amanda and Angela cheered and hugged each other. "Yes! I knew I would get semen" Angela exclaimed.

"Angela" Chanse quickly said in response to Angelas comment.

Ian grinned and looked at the final pairs. "And last but not least for 'The Leg Peggers'... Tommy and Chanse!"

Tommy and Chanse stepped forward. "Let's go!" Chanse said.

Anthony finished up with the remaining pair. "And that means Arasha and Trevor are on 'The Seamen'!"

Arasha and Trevor exchanged a fist bump. "I always am" Trevor announced.

With the teams chosen, Spencer blew his whistle again. "Alright, everyone, the teams are set! Get ready for the first challenge of the Smosh Summer Games!"

The crew came in to set up the first game, as the teams gathered on the deck of the boat, the excitement palpable in the air. Ian and Anthony stood at the front, each holding a water balloon. Spencer, still dressed in his formal robe, completely out of sync with the ship theme, stepped up and blew his whistle to get everyone's attention.

"Alright, everyone! Welcome to the return of the Smosh Summer Games!" Spencer announced with a flourish. "And for our first game, we're bringing back a classic with a twist: the Water Balloon Toss Challenge!"

The cast erupted in cheers and laughter, the atmosphere buzzing with energy.

Spencer continued, adjusting his wig, "Here's how it works. You and your partner will stand opposite each other and toss the water balloon back and forth. But there's a twist this year! The contestants are coated in a special lube that you might also remember from a previous summer game, making it slippery and challenging to catch and hold onto those balloons. After each successful catch, you take a step back. If your balloon falls to the ground or breaks, you're out! The last pair standing wins points for their team."

Everyone nodded, as two big barrels of lube got carried in. You dipped your hands in one of them watching the lube drip in between your fingers. You dragged your hands over your arms coating them in lube.

Damien came up behind you, his breath warm against your ear. " Do you really think we need to be that thorough?"

You looked over your shoulder, "oh yeah, you can't just go in dry"

He reached into the bucket from behind you, lube running from his hands to your sides as he pulled his arms back.

"Hey" you turned around " bopping him on the nose with your lubricated finger, " you spilled".

He grabbed your wrists, " can't let you go in dry, y/n" he smiled at you. You felt yourself go a little weak in the knees.

Ian clapped his hands, gathering his team. "Alright, Leg Peggers! Let's show them how we handle slippery situations!"

You turned around to face them. Everyone was lubed up and already strategizing with their partner. Damien let go of your wrists.

Anthony smirked, turning to his team. "Seamen, let's keep those balloons intact!"

You and Damien took your positions, your heart racing with excitement. Damien flashed you a confident grin. "Ready to show them how it's done?"

You smiled back, feeling a flutter in your chest. "Oh, I was born ready."

Shayne and Courtney, Keith and Noah, Amanda and Angela, and the rest of the pairs lined up, ready to start.

"Order in the court. On your mark... get set... toss!" Spencer shouted, blowing his whistle.

The air was soon filled with shouts and laughter as balloons flew back and forth. The first few rounds were easy, but as the pairs stepped further apart and tried to maintain their grip on the slippery balloons, the challenge intensified. Spencer's commentary added to the fun, making everyone laugh with his witty remarks.

Trevor and Arasha were the first to be eliminated, their balloon bursting in a spectacular splash as Trevor slipped and came crashing down on it.

Spencer grinned, "Well, there goes Trevor and Arasha, making a splash in all the wrong ways! Careful, Trevor, or you might slip your way into the ocean next!"

Arasha gave Spencer a look, "was that a threat?"

You and Damien managed to keep your balloon intact, but the lube made it challenging. Each catch required careful coordination, Damien's large hands deftly maneuvering the slippery surface. You admired the way he handled the balloon, his fingers tracing the surface with surprising gentleness despite the slippery surface.

Ian, who was getting increasingly sweaty in his pirate getup, called out, "Come on, Leg Peggers! Don't you dare peg those balloons!"

Anthony, not missing a beat, shouted, "Seamen, keep it together! We can't afford any premature bursts!"

Shayne and Courtney's balloon slipped through Shayne's fingers, drenching him. Spencer laughed, "Looks like Shayne's all wet! Courtney, maybe you should have aimed a little lower!"

Spencer's comments kept flowing. "Remember, folks, it's not about the size of the balloon, it's about not dropping it!"

You and Damien moved further apart, the tension rising. "You're pretty good at this," you called to him, struggling to keep your grip on the balloon.

Damien chuckled. "You haven't seen anything yet."

You laughed, shaking your head. "Big talk, let's see if you can back it up."

Amanda and Angela's coordination was impressive, and it was clear they were in the zone. When you and Damien stepped back for another toss, the balloon slipped through your fingers, breaking upon impact. Splashing you straight in the face.

Spencer blew the whistle, "And there goes y/n and Damien! So close! Looks like y/n's all wet now too!", you rolled your eyes at him and he smiled in response.

Amanda and Angela were the last pair standing, their balloon still intact. They screamed in excitement and hugged each other tightly, water and lube dripping down their arms.

Spencer approched them, "any finishing statements?"

"Slap the bag" Angela said as she slapped the lube covered balloon with her free hand, making lube spay everywhere.

"Angela" Chance said as he wiped his eyes.

Spencer blew the final whistle. "We have our winners! Amanda and Angela for Team Seamen!"

"Great job, Amanda and Angela!" Anthony cheered, clapping for his team.

Damien smiled at you, slightly breathless. "Not bad for our first game."

"Right? the fans did good," you replied, feeling the chemistry between you two intensify.

"Definitely," Damien agreed, his eyes twinkling.

Anthony gathered his team, giving encouraging words and high-fives. "Seamen, we took the first win! Let's keep this momentum going!"

Ian, not to be outdone, rallied his team. "Leg Peggers, we were close! Let's come back and really peg those legs the next game!"

Anthony gave on last look to the camera as he delivered the final line, " That's 'seamen' one, 'Leg peggers' ZERO.

As the excitement from the game began to die down, Spencer, still in his black robe, shouted, "Alright everyone, you're all covered in lube and water. What better way to clean off than to jump into the ocean?"

The suggestion was met with enthusiastic cheers.

"Last one in is a munge!" Shayne yelled, sprinting towards the edge of the deck and leaping into the water with a loud splash.

You laughed, grabbing Damien's hand. "Come on, let's go!"

He grinned, squeezing your hand gently before you both ran and jumped into the cool, refreshing water. The sensation of the ocean washing away the lube was invigorating. You surfaced with a laugh, wiping the water from your eyes.

Damien surfaced beside you, his wet silver hair clinging to his forehead. "That was awesome!"

You splashed him playfully. "I told you we'd have fun!"

Around you, the rest of the cast joined in, jumping off the boat and into the water. Courtney and Shayne were already splashing each other, their playful banter echoing across the waves.

"Take that!" Courtney laughed, splashing Shayne directly in the face.

Shayne retaliated by dunking her briefly under the water. "Gotcha!"

Keith and Noah were trying to wash the stickiness off, but it quickly turned into a water fight.

"Noah, you missed a spot," Keith said, pretending to help but then splashing water all over Noah's face.

Noah laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, it's on now!"

Amanda and Angela were swimming gracefully, occasionally flicking water at each other but mostly just enjoying the coolness of the ocean.

"This feels amazing after being all sticky," Chanse said, floating on her back. Tommy nodded, agreeing.

Trevor and Arasha were trying to clean each other's backs, but their efforts kept resulting in more laughter as they slipped and splashed.

"Hold still!" Arasha giggled, trying to scrub Trevor's shoulder.

"I can't when you're tickling me!" Trevor protested, laughing.

Damien turned to you, his eyes sparkling. "Looks like everyone's having a blast."

You smiled, feeling a warmth spread through you that had nothing to do with the sun. "Yeah, this is perfect."

He reached out, gently wiping a strand of wet hair from your face. "You know, I think I got the best partner."

You felt your whole body tingling at the soft touch of his hand. "I think so too." You scrunched your face in realization of what you just said. " I mean I think you..you know"

He smirked at you, he seemed to enjoy watching you squirm. "Yeah, I think I do"

Anthony and Ian, watching from the deck, exchanged a look. Anthony grinned, "Well, we can't let them have all the fun."

Ian nodded, already removing his pirate hat. "Alright, let's do this!"

The two of them ran towards the edge and jumped in with a synchronized splash, joining the rest of the cast in the water.

Spencer stood at the edge, shaking his head. "I can't go in while wearing this!"

Without missing a beat, Olivia grinned mischievously and gave Spencer a gentle push, sending him tumbling into the water with a surprised yelp.

The entire group erupted into laughter as Spencer surfaced, his robe soaked. "Olivia!" he yelled, but even he couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation as his wig started to float away.

The rest of the cast continued to mess with each other, Shayne had gotten a hold of Spencers wig and started throwing it around. Spencer flashed a playfull pout before joining in. Later the cast climbed back onto the boat, dripping wet and still laughing from their swim. Towels were handed out, and everyone began drying off, sharing jokes and stories about the day's events.

Keith shook his head, chuckling as he dried off his hair. "I can't believe Olivia just pushed Spencer in. That was legendary!"

Spencer, now towel-drying his wig, laughed along. "I guess I had it coming. Should have known better than to stand so close to the edge in my beautiful ensamble!"

Olivia blurted out, " you look like a wet tablecloth".

Chanse laughed, shaking his head. "I'm definitely investing in a waterproof wardrobe next time."

Tommy, grinning, looked at Chanse. "Lubeproof too?"

Angela, bouncing with energy, grabbed you and Amanda by your neck. "Did you see the look on Spencer's face? Priceless!"

Amanda, with a flirty smile, replied, "Yeah, but I think he secretly enjoyed it."

You smiled at Amanda, " Yeah, he's such a munge"

Shayne began cackling, Damien soon followed.

Tommy looked at you questioning, " What the hell is a munge?"

You mouthed at him while shaking your head, " I HAVE NO IDEA."

Courtney wrapped a towel around herself. "You know, like, this was so much fun, and also, the water was so refreshing, and I can't wait for tomorrow because I bet it's going to be even crazier!"

Shayne, drying off with a loud laugh, pointed to Trevor. "Trevor, I swear, you slipping on that deck was the funniest thing I've seen all day."

Trevor flashed a mischievous grin, and shot back, "Hey, at least I didn't belly flop like you did!"

Arasha added, "I can't believe you didn't break the boat, Shayne. Daddy Ian would've been so mad." She gestured to Ian.

Ian chuckled, playing along. "Well, you all survived, so I guess I won't have to ground anyone."

Damien, carefully toweling off, smiled at you. "So, any plans for taking down the competition tomorrow?"

You laughed, shaking your head. "Honestly? I was just trying to keep up with you out there."

He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "Well, you did more than just keep up. We might just be the dark horses in this competition."

Olivia, suddenly chiming in, said with her usual randomness, "Do you think mermaids exist? Like, what if one just showed up right now?"

The group burst into laughter, Noah patted Olivia on the head. "Only you, Olivia, only you."

The group went to their cabins to change before gathering for a casual dinner on the deck. The sunset created a beautiful backdrop as they enjoyed their meal together.

Courtney, seated between Shayne and Olivia, animatedly recounted a previous Smosh Summer Games challenge. "And then, we had to walk on like a million mouse traps. It was so bad, but hilarious!"

Amanda laughed, shaking her head. "I can't wait to see what other crazy games they have planned for us."

Anthony stood up. "Alright, everyone, just a heads-up about tomorrow. We've got some awesome games lined up, and trust me, you won't want to miss them."

Ian nodded, adding, "Also some other shows from back in the day might make a return!" The teams cheered in response.

After dinner, the cast slowly dispersed, making their way back to their rooms. You walked alongside Courtney, feeling the cool night breeze against your skin. Angela and Amanda were chatting animatedly about the day's events, while Shayne and Damien were laughing loudly, recounting the funniest moments.

Courtney nudged you with her elbow, a playful smile on her face. "You know, I think today went pretty well. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow."

You smiled back, nodding. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun."

As you walked through the narrow corridors of the boat, you overheard Olivia talking to Ian, her voice full of wonder. "Ian, do you think if a dolphin and a shark had a baby, it would be able to talk?"

Ian chuckled, shaking his head. "You never know, Olivia."

Olivia noded back at him, "I think so too"

Finally, you and Courtney reached your shared room. The cozy space only had the bunk beds, a small desk, and a porthole that offered a view of the now dark ocean.

Courtney sat on the lower bunk, smiled and then hesitated for a moment. "Sooo, I was thinking it would be nice to actually sleep in the same room as Shayne while we're here. I thought I would be fine with it, but I don't like sleeping without him. Do you think you'd be okay if we like swapped rooms? and you shared with Damien instead? I'll still be here when the cameras are on since we haven't gone public with our relationship yet."

The request didn't really take you by surprise, but you couldn't deny the flutter of excitement at the thought of spending more time with Damien, just the two of you. You smiled, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, I don't mind. That sounds fine."

Courtney's face lit up with relief and gratitude. "Thanks, y/n! You're the best." She quickly gathered her things and gave you a quick hug before heading out the door. "I'll let Damien know."

You sat on the bunk for a moment, your heart racing. The idea of sharing a room with Damien made you both nervous and excited. What should you wear? It should be something a little bit cute but it couldn't look like you were trying to hard, it was also still very warm. After spending some time deliberating, you choose a big t-shirt.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. You opened it to find Damien standing there, looking a bit sheepish.

"Hey, y/n. Courtney said it was cool if I crashed here?" he asked, his eyes meeting yours with a warm, hopeful expression.

You nodded, stepping aside to let him in. "Yeah, no problem at all. Come on in."

Damien entered, carrying his bag. He set it down by the door and looked around the room before his eyes settled back on you. His eyes did a quick scan over your body before he seemed like he tried to blink to get the control of them back. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then smiled shyly. "I hope this isn't too weird for you. If you're uncomfortable at all, just let me know."

You shook your head, smiling. "It's fine, really. Besides, I think you'll do your best to not make me to uncomfortable."

Damien smiled back, his eyes softening. "Yeah, I think so too."

"I ," you said, sitting down on your bed and leaning back against your pillow. " I have faith you'll be a good roommate."

Damien grinned. "I think you'll at least be a better roommate than Shayne. You know, he demands to be tucked in every night and insists on having his forehead stroked while I sing him a lullaby"

You laughed, shaking your head. "Oh my god, that sounds absolutly horrible! Also, did you know that Courtney burps the alphabet in her sleep. It's impressive but not exactly relaxing."

Damien laughed loudly. "Wow, that sounds challenging, you are such a trooper. What's wrong with those two?"

"Right?" You removed your socks and threw them in you open suitcase. " And we are such good people. Like, we should be treated better"

He nodded along" Oh yeah, absolutely, I bet you're the kind of roommate who gives nighttime foot rubs."

You grinned. "Of course, and I bet you're the type who makes midnight snacks for everyone."

"Obviously, and I bet we both iron our roommates t-shirts every morning" Damien said, still smiling as he opened up his bag.

Just as you were about to respond, Damien pulled off his shirt, revealing his naked chest. You couldn't help but stare for a moment, admiring the way the light played off his muscles. His pale skin contrasting with his dark tattoos. Your thoughts drifted, imagining the feel of his soft skin under your fingers.

Damien noticed your gaze and looked at you with a curious expression. "Hey, you okay?"

You snapped out of it, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "Yeah, sorry. Just lost in thought."

Damien smiled softly. "No worries. Just making sure you're comfortable."

You smiled back, still feeling a bit flustered. "Very".

You both settled into your beds, the room quieting down as the initial excitement of the day faded. You stared up at the bottom of Damien's bunk, feeling the urge to keep the conversation going.

"So, what's your guilty pleasure?" you asked, breaking the silence.

Damien laughed. “Oh wow, hmm... Probably birds.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “What? like girls?"

He burst out laughing, " Oh Jesus, No. Like bird, birds. Do you really think I would call women birds?

You giggled, "Okay thank God" you paused for a moment"  I think mine’s just Phil Collins. Specifically because of the Tarzan soundtrack.”

Damien's eyes widened in amusement. "Phil Collins, huh? That's pretty awesome. That soundtrack does go hard, like way harder than it should."

You nodded enthusiastically. "Right? I used to watch Tarzan with my dad all the time. That movie and Shrek. Shrek was like one of the few movies we would watch together. Because, it needed to be like a movie that he would still enjoy, or I would just feel bad but it also had to be one without any awkward sex scenes."

Damien chuckled. "oh yeah, I hated when that happened. I usually tried to make some awkward joke to break the tension."

You raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh really? What kind of joke would you make during a sex scene to make it less awkward?"

Damien laughed, thinking for a moment. "Okay, so imagine the scene is getting super steamy, and I just lean over and say, 'Well, this escalated quickly. Do you think they practiced this beforehand?'"

You burst out laughing. "Oh my god, that would definitely break the tension."

His head popped out from above "You don't think so?"

You shook your head at his, still laughing. " With my dad?"

Damien grinned. "Hey, okay maybe not. What would you say?"

You thought for a moment, then smirked. "I'd probably go with something like, 'I wonder if they have a safe word.'"

Damien laughed loudly. "Nice one! You know, you are much more of a freak than you seem at first glance."

You smirked to yourself, "Oh really, so what was your first impression of me?"

Damien thought for a moment, then smiled. "I remember you making me laugh straight away, and you seemed very confident. And I remember exactly what you were wearing—a yellow sundress with daisies on it."

You blinked in surprise. "You remember what I was wearing? I can't believe you remember that much detail."

Damien chuckled softly. "How could I forget? You looked amazing and made such a strong impression."

You blushed slightly, feeling a warm flutter in your chest. "That's actually really sweet." You felt yourself blush again, happy that he couldn't see your face right now. "That's so many hair colors ago for you"

His voice was soft but filled with sarcasm, "that is how I measure time"

You continued" .. and you were wearing stupid pants"

"Naturally"

"You know, I actually remember thinking you were the confident one. You seemed so sure of yourself and very calm."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Trust me, I didn't feel confident at all. I am also still overthinking that first handshake. Like was it wet? Did I make you wet"

You playfully kicked his mattress from below, giggling. "Yes Damien, you make all the ladies wet with your handshakes"

Damien grinned, once again poking his head back out from the top bunk. "Yeah, you know, that's exactly what I meant" He smiled down at you, " I'm glad we're roommates. This feels like one of those sleepovers you used to go to as a kid. Where you just talk about like, anything, for hours."

You laughed, nodding. "Yeah, it does. Like any minute now, my mom's going to burst in and tell us to shut the fuck up."

Damien laughed, the sound comforting and familiar. "It's nice though. I like talking to you."

You smiled, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. "I like talking to you too, Damien."

[fight-for-what-you-love]

♪Wheel of Fortune - Kay Starr

Aahhhh. I love weddings. Don’t you? I think it’s a wonderful expression of one’s love for another, and it’s always nice to see celebrated! Crashing weddings can be fun to watch too, thankfully. Thanks, Sierra! (And sorry you lost your husband!)

Notes on the episode under the cut!

* Cody’s silently praying to whatever God may be out there that Noah’s the one that comes back.

* Chris announces Noah’s return as he rises from the stage on a three-tier platform. Sierra’s “WHAT” is drowned out by Cody’s “YES!!!”.

* (Noah's song is an entirely new arrangement that spoofs Kay Starr’s “Wheel Of Fortune”. It would entail Noah leading [obviously], singing about how awful it is that Lady Luck brought him back to compete on this awful show. It would end with Noah and Cody collectively thanking Lady Luck for letting them see each other again.)

* Noah asks if he has to go back to team Chris, and Chris responds that the teams are merging. Everyone welcomes this development except Sierra.

* Once he rejoins the cast proper, Sierra starts picking a fight with him. “Whatever… At least I got to spend more time with Cody.” Noah’s petty. “…At least Cody likes spending time with me.”

* They keep going. “At least I got to sleep with Cody!” “At least I slept with him first!” “At least my parents won’t hate me because I kissed a boy!!” “At least my parents care about me in the first place!!”

* Chris interrupts them: “Okay, okay! As entertaining as this spat is…” Cut to Cody, Tyler and Heather holding back Noah, and Courtney, Alejandro and Duncan holding back Sierra. Cody holds Noah’s mouth shut and Courtney holds Sierra’s shut. “…I’ve got a show to run. Let’s move on, shall we?”

* Sierra’s the first one to spin the roulette machine and she gets Tyler. She’s not happy. Tyler’s met with no one as Sierra yells at Chris to let her spin again. He insists she gets what she gets, and she’s not allowed to re-roll.

* Noah goes after Sierra, and rolls Cody. He pops out and finds himself in front of Noah. He jumps up and hugs him tight as he says it’s “The BEST DAY EVER!!” Sierra seethes in the background.

* Courtney rolls Alejandro and Heather is left with Duncan. Alejandro's disappointed but he won't say that out loud. Courtney on the other hand is SO happy to not be with Duncan.

* (As it turns out, Courtney and Alejandro are more compatible than they thought. Duncan and Heather, on the other hand, are not. Sad.)

* Noah and Cody breeeeeeze through the dress portion of the challenge. Cody’s laying down on his podium kicking around his legs, yelling directions at Noah with the stupidest look on his face. Noah makes it to the dress first and looks it up and down. Cody yells out “I THOUGHT THAT DRESS SUITED YOU WELL!!” Noah weakly yells back “Thank you Cody!” He’s not thrilled about wearing the dress, but he does appreciate Cody leading him to the one he’d be the most comfortable in.

* Noco’s the first ones to walk the tightrope. Cody looks down at the falls nervously, and Noah suggests carrying him instead. Cody stops him, insisting he can do it, and picks Noah up. Noah leans into him, getting comfortable. “If you insist, macho man.”

* Sierra and Tyler go after them and Sierra’s visibly upset. Tyler tries to mellow her out, suggesting that Cody and Noah are happy with each other and maybe she should let them be. Sierra stares at them as they talk about flower arrangements in their hypothetical wedding. She decides that no, she’s not quite ready to let them be, so she starts bouncing to make Tyler wobble and shake the line. It works and both couples fall.

* Cody manages to grab Noah in one arm and the line in another, though he’s struggling. Noah asks him if he can pull them back up (though he knows he can’t.) Cody tries anyway, and strains to the point of veins popping out of his neck. Noah tells him to stop.

* Alejandro and Courtney walk by and Alejandro “accidentally” kicks Cody’s hand off the line. Noco falls, screaming on the way down (“No!” in reality, “Asshole!” If I was allowed to curse.) Courtney is somewhat impressed by his ruthlessness. They win this challenge. Duncan and Heather were just bickering the whole time don’t worry about them.

~*[Events of the comic]*~

* Duncan gets voted out for being a prick and a bastard. Courtney is ok with this.

[arkangelo-7]

Okay, but, what are the Batfamily’s favorite tv shows? It’s hard to find time between saving the world and curating their civilian identities, but when the Bats do have the chance to sit down and watch tv, they typically default to a certain genre.

Bruce by far has the weirdest taste in tv shows. Its why no one ever watches with him, because he’s the type to pick some random, obscure show that literally no one has ever heard of and is dubbed over in French or something. However, he does get kudos because he was the one that got everyone hooked on Squid Game.

Dick and Cass 100% watch American Ninja Warrior together. Dick started watching it when it first came out, and tunes in weekly for the new episodes. One day Cass walked in and was hypnotized. So now they watch it together and occasionally set up their own courses in the Batcave to have competitions on. Dick usually gets his ass beat but it’s still fun.

Jason watches period dramas. (This might actually be canon? I’m not sure?) He’s made his way through the Gilded Age, Downton Abbey, The Crown, and annually rewatches the ultimate cut of Pride and Prejudice. No one would expect the terrifying Red Hood to tear up watching Little Women, but man does that shit get to him…

Tim watches reality tv. The Kardashians, The Real Housewives, The Bachelor—he eats that shit up. Listening to other people’s problems and watching them deal with them in a removed way takes him back to his stalker days, and, hey, he appreciates some mind-numbing drama. Tim’s brain is like a whirlpool; sometimes it’s nice to just conk out thinking about what Kim said to Courtney, instead of that new project at WE or that new gadget he needs to work on for Young Justice.

Steph does not watch TV. She watches clips of TV shows on TikTok. (Particularly, those Young Sheldon clips that come up on everyone’s for you page.) On the rare occasions she actually does turn the TV on, it’s usually turned to Gossip Girl or a cartoon, and she doesn’t actually pay attention—it’s just background noise.

Damian is enthralled with National Geographic. He’ll deny it till the day he dies, but he loves those five-hour documentaries on rhinos and whale sharks or whatever. The problem is that he records everything, so the Manor’s DVR is always full, and it drives everyone crazy. Especially Dick, because by God, if there isn’t enough storage for next weekends episode of Ninja Warrior—

Duke likes comedy shows. Abbott Elementary, Parks and Rex, and The Good Place are just a couple of his favorites. He’s currently rewatching The Office with Barbra and they’ll quote it at each other during patrol.

[cloudyskiiees]

ok hear me out. total drama high school au. alenoah. scott pilgrim but instead of evil exes noah is friends with them all and they find it hilarious so they make a pact to have to approve whoever he dates next, and noah finds it fucking hilarious so he goes with it.

1: owen (and izzy and eva by association)

e-scope are poly! izzy is dating eva and owen, and owen was dating izzy and noah. noah loves his idiots, but decided he needs a partner with at least a shred of sanity. they're all still best friends and very close! dated for fiveish months sophomore year!

2: cody (of course)

middle school bfs. dated for like two weeks until noah couldn't deal with cody anymore. have been friends for so long he can't get rid of him, despite it all noah appreciates the geek (even if he wants to strangle him most of the time)

3: tyler

tyler came out as bi in freshman year (noah was his gay awakening) and asked him out on impulse. noah found it amusing and accepted, knowing the jock would quickly figure out he wouldn't wanna date such a pessimist. broke up after like a month, tyler is a good friend and very happy with his gf lindsay!

4: justin

got dared to ask out noah and date him for three days freshman year, accepted the challenge. noah isn't stupid, so he accepted then broke up with him after two days, making him lose the bet. justin was so distraught about it he confronted noah, who quickly learned he may be a prick but really he's just a crybaby attention seeker. if you asked noah now why he's friends with him, he couldn't give you an answer. but they're on friendly-rivalish terms!

5: emma

first and only gf. was scared to come out as a lesbian to everyone, so noah offered to date her to ward of suspicion from her family (people assume he's bi, he's still not sure) till she was ready. dated for a solid year between sophomore and junior year before she came out and got with her current gf (courtney), her and noah are lesbian gay solidarity, he's good friends with her and her sister, kitty.

6: duncan:

most recent breakup. end of junior year they both wound up in detention together a lot (noah couldn't stop correcting teachers + being a snark in class) ((duncan is a delinquent)) and a very unlikely friendship formed. duncan wanted to piss his ex (courtney) off so he would constantly flirt with noah in front of everyone. unbothered, noah and him went on a few dates just to post about it. emma found it very funny, courtney did not. both boys enjoy being assholes and judging people together.

alejandro has to go through and befriend all of them to basically get a stamp of approval to date their fav snark <3333

total drama has effectively taken over every inch of my brain i hope y'all enjoy my silly thoughts

[37sommz-archive]

✼. INVITATION | 2019.

CH. 05. NOW PLAYING: essence by wizkid [fluff, suggestive]. ✼.⠀summary: michaela makes a promise, 2.5k. ✼.⠀view:⠀masterlist⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

✼.⠀MARCH 14, 2019 — melbourne, australia

“P9, Michaela. That is points at home; well done.” 

Eugenio’s voice crackled into Michaela’s helmet. The celebratory shower of applause from the Alfa Romeo garage echoed alongside his voice, adding to the near imperceptibility of his speech. 

Though the sweat from the Melbourne heat simmered underneath Michaela’s baklava, she could only focus on the calming fact relayed to her by her engineer—points in her debut race. 

“Couldn’t have done it without you all. Cheers to the new season,” she responded with a sigh of satisfaction. It wasn’t long after that when she heard her father's voice leak into the radio. A gentle, “Amazing drive, Mickey. We’re eternally proud” only magnified the moment's euphoria. 

Though it was nowhere close to a podium, Michaela figured keeping up with Kimi Raikkonen just ahead in P8 was more than worth celebrating. Finally reaching the garage and kicking the engine off, Michaela hopped out of the car's cockpit with practiced grace. Fist bumps and energized embraces from the team personnel eager to congratulate the rookie driver.

Rushing to embrace her family before turning away to be weighed, her sister, Courtney, was the one to remind her that she had joined a small list of modern drivers who had scored on debut. A whisper of Hamilton and Prost and Villeneuve slipped through her lips and into the shy ears of her younger sister. 

Varied strengths of celebratory pats and friendly hugs kept Michaela in a daze as she floated from the Alfa Romeo garage to the weighing platform. Words of congratulatory relief left the lips of the remaining 17 drivers excluded from the parc ferme madness. 

As she pulled the straw of her energy drink to her mouth, a particularly firm clap on the back shook her from her daze. A familiar German accent filled her ears before she could fully regain control of her breathing. 

“You might have the biggest balls here. Solid drive, Mick.” Helmet in hand, Sebastian Vettel’s acknowledgment drew chuckles of appreciation from the nearby Perez and Hulkenberg. 

Rolling her eyes in response to the senior driver’s sense of humor, Michaela threw a friendly punch into his shoulder. Quickly engaging in light-hearted conversation with a few of the surrounding drivers, Michaela found herself back in that daze. As if totally disconnected from her body, it wasn’t until she was sitting on the floor of her parents’ living room that Michaela realized the magnitude of her achievement. 

The Sommers had taken it upon themselves to invite several drivers to a small cookout after the race. Though George, Lando, Alex, and Pierre, the usual guests, had made their way over, Pierre and Lando’s parents were in tow. Michaela was more than shocked to see Antonio Giovinazzi find his way among the group. Somebody—likely her father—must have extended his invitation to a plus one, Michaela figured. The familiar face of his friend Olivier stood out to her almost immediately. 

Between the chilly November night, they shared in Abu Dhabi and the race in Melbourne, the two had shared little more than polite half acknowledgments. Michaela never got around to calling him back. Not that she planned on it or even truly believed he��d give her the time of day. It must have been that same sense of self-sabotage that Pierre had once mused would “obliterate any potential for romance.” She had called him a dick at the time, remembering the long eye roll she responded with at the time. Sitting there on the floor with her head leaned against her mother’s legs, her hands pulling Michaela’s hair into two neat Dutch braids, she couldn’t help but realize he was right. As he often was, frustratingly. 

It was Pierre’s mother’s words that shook her out of her thoughts. “Have you met Antonio’s friend? The French one?” The question was innocent, but Michaela couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that the older woman knew more about him than she let on.

“Briefly,” she decided would suffice to satiate Pascale’s curiosity. Sitting to his mother’s left, Pierre seemed to perk up at the mention of Olivier. Leaning over to mention something to his mother in French, Michaela gritted her teeth as she strained to catch what the Frenchman could be saying. 

“English, Pierre,” she almost begged, embarrassment written all over her face. 

Her mother and sister sensed the discomfort on the youngest Sommers’ face. Courtney, jumping up to sit on the other side of Pierre, tapped him on the shoulder. Reciprocating her energy, Pierre whispered into her ear as well. A delighted laugh left the lips of the Australian two years his senior. 

Courtney let out a more boisterous laugh in response to her younger sister’s irritation. Her amusement spurred on additional laughter from Pascale and Pierre, who were both keen on the secret. Catching her breath, Courtney couldn’t shake the smile adorning her glossed lips, the very same brand Michaela used for hers, at the newly revealed information.

“You know him?” Courtney almost exclaimed from her seat directly across from her sister. Rolling her eyes once she recognized the hidden implications of Courtney’s question, Michaela sighed against Miriam’s legs. 

“Yeah, he used to drive F3,” she muttered. Miriam began to chuckle herself, knowing her daughter’s self-imposed avoidance of romantic interaction. “Not with me, though.” The words are tacked on quietly, parroting information she learned from Antonio—Alfa Romeo’s reserve driver.

“Where did you even meet him?” Miriam questioned calmly, trying—more than could be said about the giggling pair of 20-somethings—not to set off the youngest child.

“In Abu Dhabi,” was muttering one more by the embarrassed Australian. “He was at the club I went to with Alex.” Finally catching on to the unspoken, Miriam’s words faltered in her throat until she caught Pascale’s eyes and fell into a fit of laughter herself. A short “Oh!” left her lips between her amusement, triggering a teasing snicker from Pierre.

“Did you text him back?” He spoke up from his side of the room. A glint in his eyes not unfamiliar to Michaela made her skeptical of his intentions in posing the question.

“No…” she drawled out slowly, eyes squinting at the older driver. A sudden gasp from Pascale broke their staring contest, and she excitedly spoke with a clap of her hands.

“Why not? He’s so sweet, and he’s French!” Her eyes widened cartoonishly. The blues become brighter still as she symbolically adopts a schoolgirl’s interest in Michaela’s love life.

Miriam’s amused chuckle at the added “qualification” only added to the heat Michaela couldn’t shake from her face. The embarrassment seemed to radiate off of her very being, only serving to make her increasingly wary of drawing attention from the other side of the room. 

When her mother laughed, her father noticed. It was one of the criteria a younger Courtney had added to her blue and purple ‘Cute Things Daddy Does for Mummy’ list, the same one that still hung in her childhood room. Michaela remembers the differences in their rooms, even in their childhood years. Courtney, the romantic, decorated her room head to toe with posters from her favorite movies, while Michaela, the anti-romantic, hoarded posters of her favorite circuits.

“I don’t do relationships,” Michaela spoke under her breath. Her hands found their way to her warm cheeks, wishing them to cool down before turning her attention away from the group, catching sight of her father seated with a beer in his hand, speaking animatedly—by some cruel coincidence—with Olivier.

“It’s lonely at the top,” Miriam hummed, reaching for her glass of wine. As Michaela exhaled deeply in response, Pascale echoed the statement hanging in the air. “If you’re worried about a man understanding your commitment to your career, don’t waste your time. They won’t.”

Hums of appreciation spiral through the air from the three other women in the small circle. Michaela catches Pierre’s eyes, suppressing a giggle as it rips through her. A bratty scowl rested upon his face at his mother’s words, his mind scrambling to find the right words to defend himself in an effort to prove he was exempt from her quip. 

Before he could get the words out, his mother added to her statement. A carefree, “Just find a polite one and keep him around for a good lay” leaves Pascale’s lips before the rest of them can even begin to process the thought. It is Miriam who chokes on her wine first, reaching over the center table to grasp the Frenchwoman’s hand in her own. The two parents giggle together over the idea as if a congratulations. 

Their three children look on with uncomfortable sighs, Michaela herself seemingly the most painful. Her lips curl up into a tense grimace before a deeper set of voices snaps her out of her discomfort. A low French accent hits her ears first before the others—Italian and Australian—can strike her as familiar. Her heart quickens once she lays eyes on the owner of the husky voice, his hazel eyes having yearned for hers from across the room over the last several hours. 

Ignoring Pierre's stray whistle coinciding with his mother's shushes, Michaela shakes herself from her lavender cloud. A quirk of his head towards the kitchen is all it takes to rouse her from her place on the floor. She could not bring herself to care if she were aware of the eyes tracking their movements. The husk of his scent and the drawl in his voice almost hypnotized her from the beginning.

Only vaguely aware of the sound that fails to emit from the shocked few now seated in the living room, Michaela finds comfort leaning into the countertop behind her. Olivier’s near-golden eyes sweep the length of her body, leaving her burning to feel his touch on her. It is a clear of his throat that only accelerates her misery, pulling in a breath as his hand sweeps through his dark curls. 

“So?” is what Olivier opens with. A twitch in her features draws a small chuckle out of him. “If I was that bad, you should have just told me then.” When Michaela can only furrow her eyebrows in confusion, he laughs once more. His hand lifts his beer to his lips, taking a gulp as if drawing strength from the alcohol. 

“You never called,” he almost whispers as if embarrassed. The odd tone strikes Michaela, who straightens up in anticipation of his following words. “You wanted me to call?” Her voice is just as soft as his, and her eyes struggle to look anywhere but into his. 

He waves off the question with an immediate scoff, breaking eye contact for just a moment as he carefully places his chilled beer on the counter behind him. Taking a confident step forward, a hand reaches out to her before hesitating and falling back to his side. 

Deciding to cross them, he answers her decisively, “Of course, I wanted the pretty girl to call.” It’s smooth as it rolls off his tongue, twirling with the French accent that dances through the sentence. This time, it was Michaela’s turn to break eye contact, the ‘pretty girl’ being the last thing she heard before falling back into her desperate yearning.

“Plus, I’m quite a fan of yours.” 

The sentence draws a giggle out of an embarrassed Michaela. The Australian’s heart fluttered beneath her blushing skin, leaving Olivier with practical stars in his eyes as he watched her fluster. Anyone else would find the behavior distinctly out of character for the ultra-competitive driver. Her usual gentle cockiness was replaced with an unfamiliar coyness that nearly left her paralyzed to his charms. 

Wordlessly, Michaela finds a surge of courage, tossing her blonde locks over her shoulder before taking a step forward to shorten the gap floating between the two of them. The move brings a falter to her steps as she takes in a whiff of his cologne. Expensive-smelling is what she decided the scent was. As Michaela places her out in wait, Olivier’s features twist with confusion. 

Her simple request, "Hand me your phone, I'll put my number in," shocks him immensely. 

The words hang in the air, heavy with unspoken promise. A scoff leaves his lips, a playful sound that betrays the spark of curiosity in his eyes. In one fluid motion, his honey-toned hand reaches into his pocket, releasing his phone from its confines and placing it in her waiting hands. Her short, manicured fingers wrap around the device, the touch sending a jolt of anticipation through him.

With an ease that hints at a confidence typically seen in her Sauber racesuits, Michaela's thumbs dance across the screen, her name and number slowly appearing on his contacts list. She adds the details with a quickness, a desire to commit to the action before her mind can intervene. 

"Okay?" 

The question is a challenge, her voice laced with a vulnerability that dares him to reject her. Her lips quirk upwards, a gentle smile that contrasts with the doe eyes locked on his, pleading for approval.

"Perfect." 

The affirmation falls from the Frenchman's lips, the single word a decisive praise that sparks a giggle from Michaela. A uncharacteristically delicate hand rises to cover the lower half of her face, as if willing herself to hide her reaction. The sound is melodic, a sweet note that hangs in the air between them.

The room around them fades into the background, the hum of conversation and clinking glasses receding until all that remains is the crackle of tension between their bodies. It is Olivier who bridges the nearly nonexistent gap, his movements an act of casual seduction. A hand snakes down to rest on the curve of her lower back, the touch sending a shiver down her spine. His fingers draw loose circles into the material of her shirt, the caress featherlight yet full of intent.

As if drawn by an unseen force, Michaela's hands find their way up the length of his firm torso, coming to rest on the broad expanse of his shoulders. The contact burns unexpectedly, the heat of his skin seeping into hers. The air between them thickens, heavy with the weight of unspoken promises. His breath intermingles with hers, a mix of anticipation and desire. 

"Promise you'll answer?" 

The question is a whispered desperation, a plea for reassurance.

Words become useless as her lips find his, the contact a jolt of electricity that sears through them. The 'yes' is unspoken, conveyed in the press of her mouth and in the sweep of her tongue. She pulls away before he can fully process the sensation, leaving him longing, his chest rising and falling in a rhythmic motion. A soft "I promise" is her parting gift, the honeyed words hanging in the air like a promise of more to come.

With a grace that contradicts the turmoil bubbling inside her, Michaela leaves the kitchen, her steps a slow withdrawal back into the familiar safety of the living room. He remains still, his phone still clutched in his hand, her number and name staring back at him. A challenge and invitation consuming him totally.

✼.⠀taglist:⠀

@cha-hot @certifiedlesbianbaddie @nichmeddar

@d3kstar @thewannabewriter @hwalllllllelujah

@pacmacs-macs @thearchieves @doodlehunz

@lavisenri @evie-119 @bxdbxtxh

@seaweed-orchid @glitterquadricorn @99snse

@ginghampearlsnsweettea @alliwantisadonut @hiireadstuff

@emilyval1 @scarlettwidow3000 @anotherblackreader

@sv5beehives @mynameisangeloflife @tellybearryyyy

@melancholyy-hill

[moments-on-film]

Moments on Film: The Bear Season 3

Now that I have had a few days to process and fully…..digest S3, I am back with my most visceral thoughts.

I must say, distance did not do anything to ameliorate how I felt about this season. There were some beautiful moments, I really enjoyed episode 1, for example, and I truly appreciated the opportunity to learn more about how Sydney comports herself as a leader, Marcus‘s beautifully inspired and fresh creativity as a chef, Tina’s journey, Natalie’s inner struggles, and more backstory on chef Luca.

What I am having so much trouble with this season, is Carmy. I knew this would happen. I knew S3 would be the belly of the beast, as I predicted 🔗 here , but it was still so hard to take in.

Those of you that have read my work know how much empathy I have felt for Carmy. I have rooted for him. I see how much help he desperately needs and I am always hoping he will find a way to course correct when he gets off track. Carmy ditching Sydney in S2 and lashing out at Richie in the finale felt like a punch to my gut. I was so hoping those two relationships would be nurtured this season but in fact they got worse.

I want to be clear, I have had so much compassion and empathy for Carmy and his emotional problems, due to the cycles of abuse he has had to endure. What I absolutely cannot excuse or reconcile this season is how his behavior and actions are hurting, stifling, and traumatizing those around him.

Another thing I really want to uplift is that yes, this is a show that emphasizes found family. But at the end of the day, this is a business, he is in a leadership position, and everyone who works there is an at-will-employee. In my opinion, Carmy has completely failed as a leader, on all fronts. He has never exhibited leadership skills, with consistency. And as supportive member of the “family”, real or otherwise, he is nowhere to be found. Carmy has actually created a hostile work environment that is legally actionable and litigious with his mood swings, verbal and physical abuse and erratic behavior.

It is a stone cold fact.

I was rooting so hard for Sydney and staff to walk out the door this season. That’s how bad his behavior is. Sydney deserves better, plain and simple. Everyone working at The Bear does. Another point I want to uplift is that while Christopher Storer created the show, it is his sister, Courtney, “Coco” Storer who is the chef on whom he based much of the plot. Courtney has also moved from Culinary Producer in seasons past of The Bear to Co-Executive Producer and even “Story By” credit on this season of the show.

There is something Courtney said a few years ago on a podcast that has stayed in the back of my mind because I always wondered if it would be used as a plot point for Sydney. She shared a story of a restaurant she worked at in Los Angeles. She was promoted to CDC, loved her team and really enjoyed working there. However, it was not all perfect. She was constantly burnt out and at a physical and emotional deficit due to the stress. She suffered panic attacks. She also shared that she was not officially a partner with a stake in the restaurant, and she felt like she needed to have her own back because at the end of the day, no one else did. Although it was a difficult life decision—-she quit.

Forget Michelin stars. If Carmy cannot create and maintain an environment people want to work in, with him, he will end up completely alone. It also may already be too late.

I understand this season is apparently in two parts, I understand that everything happens for a reason. What I can’t understand is how I am meant to root for a character that has contributed to Sydney having panic attacks, has hit Richie, has yelled at Marcus during what must be the worst time in his life and who was about to lose it on Tina if Sydney hadn’t stepped in, saved her, and saved him from himself. Completely unacceptable behavior.

Carmy needs professional help. I have said this many, many times before and I am going to say it again. Carmy. Needs. Professional. Help. He cannot continue to let his triggers and emotions be his master. He is in a leadership position and people’s jobs are depending on him. He cannot offer any more hollow apologies, he has to back them up with consistent action, or I will continue rooting for the staff to leave or for him to step down.

If he doesn’t make the time, energy, and effort to stop the madness, slow down, take a beat, remember all of the gentle and beautiful mentorship he actually did receive through his rise as a chef, lead with his heart, build trust and repair his relationships, especially with Sydney, with Richie, with his sister and her new baby, he will lose it all, because he will have lost the one thing that truly matters, the people he is supposed to care about and the people who care about him.

Does he have it in him to turn this all around? At this point I am not sure. And if he doesn’t, I believe what “grows together”, and they really did, all grow—-will in fact, go together.

©️moments-on-film 2024

[baflegacy]

Welcome to Smosh Girlies Week! (March 24-31)

Since March is International Women’s Month and I’ve been wanting a way to gush about the female cast & crew of Smosh and the F/F ships in the fandom! So why not dedicate a week, right?

The event will run from March 24-31 and anyone and any kind of post (fan art, edit, fanfic, etc.) are welcome! I’ll be splitting the week into two ‘parts’: a general appreciation half and a half for the RPF stuff so anyone who wants to join in can either choose one ‘half’ or do both!

Rules + prompts will be posted under the cut! Good luck to all who will participate, and feel free to send an ask if you have any questions!

(Would like to also thank @zillaphoneswag & @lilac-hecox for doing Amangela Week and the Valentines Gift Exchange as they inspired me to do this!)

Rules:

Open to anyone in Smoshblr.

Any kind of post (art, edits, moodboards, writing, AUs, etc.) is welcome!

Smosh Girlies Week is for anyone who is/was at Smosh! So yes—that includes former and current cast/crew.

Multiple entries/posts in a single prompt are definitely welcome!

Since this week is also about boosting/highlighting the wlw side of smoshblr, lets focus on F/F ships for the RPF side of the week!

Please tag any work that is NSFW/18+

Make sure to tag your work as #smoshgirliesweek as well!

Don’t feel pressured to do all of the prompts, we’re here to have fun!

* Also, I know most of us here are very respectful people, so just a general warning: I ask that we only have this on Tumblr & AO3 (for the RPF side). Let’s not tag the cast in our fics and possibly make them uncomfortable.

Prompts:

General:

March 24: Cast and Crew! (Highlighting your fave or wanna gush about an underrated smosh girlie? Can do one or both! It’s all up to you!)

March 25: Smosh Dynamics! (Nows your chance to talk about your fav dynamic or a dynamic you think isn’t talked about enough!)

March 26: Favorite Character by a Smosh Girlie! (Sarah Christ? Katchem Poppy? Andromeda?)

March 27: Favorite Project they ‘Starred In’! (Courtney’s Funeral Roast Trailer? Angela in Starkid? You decide!)

RPF:

March 28: Inside the Smoffice Cinematic Universe (Office shenanigans, a workplace romance? The possibilities are endless!)

March 29: Alternate Universe (Medieval AU with Queen!Amanda? Superhero Team/Vigilante AU? Maybe even a universe based on a sketch/bit? Who knows!)

March 30: Found Family & Friendship (Let’s highlight the friendship & different dynamics within the female cast!)

March 31: Free Day! (Write about anything and everything!)

*Bonus Challenge: Try to write/make something about a different smosh ship every prompt during the RPF half of the week!

[imanii-leaa]

wanted to start off making a good impression, so here y’all go! 😅😅

::

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I’m Ready.

y’all ever feel that chu can’t do something? ever? like your life doesn’t fit with said something. well, that’s how jey (josh) felt towards coco. his party animal life didn’t suit with coco’s dream life. for him, it was too settled.. too rushed. sure, he loved her but was he willing to risk freedom for her expectations? ↴↴

‼️ YALL DONT AND I MEAN DONT EVER USE, COPY, OR STEAL MY STUFF, REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED, FEEDBACK AND LIKES INCLUDED, AND ALL OCS ARE MINE. i dont own anything else (obviously except fictional events made by me) 😌 ‼️

*Not proof read

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(3rd person POV)

𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐚 (𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐱 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐲𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐞)

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Jones was getting ready to hop in the shower before she got a WhatsApp notification from her friend, Trinity (or some like to call her Naomi). Coco ignored the message, played her shower playlist and stepped into the shower. She closed her eyes and swayed her hips to the music as she felt the hot water comfortably burn down her skin.

She was really getting into it before her music stopped. What the heck? That question lingered in her head, not for long though as she heard her iPhone ringtone coming from her phone. Coco sighed as she looked through the glass mirror cover bit of her shower to see the contact name.

“WhatsApp call incoming: trintwin 💕💚”

The 5’10 woman felt as if to laugh. Is she serious? Coco waited for the ringing to end and her music to play, and it did just that. Around 20 minutes later, she stepped out and grabbed her towel to wrap around her slim, ebony body. Entering her room and drying off, Courtney went on her missed calls list, tapped on her friend’s name and calling her again. After one ring, Naomi picked up.

Here’s how that convo went:

T: GIRL, I BEEN CALLING YOU!

C: Chill, boo, I was in the shower. ‘nyways wassuh?

T: Yuh, uh-huh, anyways Jon’s going out and asked me to accompany him, I do wanna go but not without my girls. I texted and called Jade, Bianca, Nikki and Brie already, telling them to bring their mans but I can’t leave my fav out! So whatchu say?

Coco sucked her teeth and giggled a bit. They had only known each other for a month through mutual friends and with their busy schedule, they never really had the chance to hang out. Despite the fact that it is in a group, it would still be nice to catch up on things with her.

C: Nope, I’ve got no plans for the day and I desire to keep it like that, thanks though!

T: Oh, it wasn’t a question. Be ready by 8 later this night. Before you say anything, I do know that it is currently 11AM but I didn’t want to forget to ask you. Please come, it’s our day off, we both barely get those, and it’s time to let your guard down and relax with the girlies for a bit!

Trinity was a master at persuading people because after that, Coco had reluctantly agreed to her invite. She wasn’t going to lie, she was playing hard to get as she was feeling a tad bit excited to go out and enjoy herself for the night; she did have nothing to do after all.

( 𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗣 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝟳𝗣𝗠, 𝗖𝗢𝗖𝗢 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗗𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗨𝗣 )

Coco was listening to her song, ICU, while doing her hair and makeup, until she received a text notification from Trinity. She stopped everything that she was doing to pick up her phone and take a look. Tutting, she picked the iPhone 14 pro up and took a look at what Trin had said.

‘Change of plans, we’re leaving in around 30 minutes, so you should probably start getting ready to leave. Sorry for the inconvenience!’

Coco dropped her phone down and sighed. This just annoyed her. She’s near the end of her makeup and doesn’t know what jewelry she was going to where. What perfume, what bag, shoes..

That was very important to her! Nevertheless, she had to round up what she was doing-so she quickly finished off her making, though making sure not to rush, found a cute purse to match with her CUTE outfit and of course had to finish off the look with some gold accessories and shoes. Adding a bit of her Clive Christian - X Feminine Perfume into the mix before she was set to go.

That must’ve taken around 45 minutes, but if they were to be disappointed it would be their fault for changing plans on such short notice.

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— AT THE CLUB —

Coco entered the club, immediately surrounded by the smell of booze and the sound of blasting music coming from the speakers that are seen to be nearly everywhere in the club.

(COCO’s POV)

The club stank of richness. I didn’t consider myself to be rich and famous, just upper-middle class and well-known. Most would disagree. Anyways, I looked around the club, searching for my friends. The bar…nope. I turned my head to the right and couldn’t see anybody. I looked to the left and saw a big group of people. Without thinking twice, I began to walk towards them until I realized they were complete strangers. I took my phone out from my purse and was going to text Trinity until I heard her forever cheerful voice.

“Girrrlll! You came! We all thought you was gon stand us up, come with me” Not giving me a chance to reply, she took me in her arms and lead me upstairs. I figured a bit ago that that kind of annoys me. I ignore it though, because that’s my homegirl! Dang, ian knew this place had an upstairs. I thought, mentally rubbing the back of my neck.

A few minutes later after walking through a closed off hallway, we arrived in front of a door that had two security in front of it and a label on the entry that ‘Door 13: V.I.P Only’. Taking a quick second to myself, I looked around and noticed that there were other VIP rooms around us. We stepped inside and I noticed everybody that was there.

(incoming wrestler’s stage names and real life partner’s names- mind yu, main characs in this story won’t be called by their real names)

Jon, Kofi, Xavier, Bianca, Montez, Jade, Brandon, Liv, Jordynne, Bayley and … JOSHUA?!

He looked up from his phone, staring at my surprised face in shock aswell. Oops, guess I said that out loud. I turned to Trinity and hit her playfully, my jaw still dropped. “Uh, trin! You ain’t never said anything about him being here!”

She shrugged and sat back down next to Jonathan. The others looked uninterested, everybody except from Bayley and Liv, the only females without a partner. Bianca and Jade were going to greet me but obviously I was busy and they were busy too, having deeps with their partners. Josh approached me and suddenly I tensed up.

“You look beautiful.” He complimented. “Thanks” I replied back. “Can we talk over there?” Joshua gestured to an empty space: the bar.

“Um, sure”

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OKAY, YALL? WHAT YALL THINK?? Mb, yall im not very good at English and i often get messed up with uk vs us words so yea.. anywayss, lmk what yu think? 💭 🩷‼️

[babychosen]

prompt idea: vic’s pov on amangela, especially when they visited the smosh office for tntl

word count: 608

Vic’s visit to the Smosh office was short, but it showed them a lot more about the cast and crew than they ever expected to learn.

Like, how Erin orders coffee up to three times a day, and how Tommy spends multiple hours in one of the bathrooms. Or how Courtney and Shayne are the most professional and yet affectionate couple they've ever seen work together.

But there was something that went unspoken within the office: Amanda and Angela.

Sure, Vic had worked with both of them in the past, but the chemistry between the two in the office was unmistakable. Vic found themselves constantly looking around subtly in a ‘Is anyone else seeing this?’ kind of way whenever the duo was in the same room together.

Attached at the hip was an understatement. If they were beside each other, their bodies were always touching. Whether it was an arm around a shoulder or a waist, or hands intertwined, their skin somehow made contact. And if they weren't beside each other… well, heart eyes (and ‘fuck me’ eyes, if Vic's being honest) were frequently exchanged. Vic knew they worked well together on screen, but this was something else entirely.

When it came time to film the Try Not to Laugh episode, Vic watched as the pair steeled themselves for the cameras; like they put on masks for the audience. But throughout the video, the chemistry only ramped back up.

Vic could swear Angela was ready to pounce at them behind the partition after they kissed Amanda for the bit. It was a side of Angela they had never seen before—possessive, and jealous. The animosity cleared up quickly when they moved onto new bits, but it left Vic curious about the dynamic between Angela and Amanda.

They were so open about being so into each other, so surely everyone already knew?

No, no. It wasn't their place to speculate.

When the day was over and they finished shooting everything Vic was scheduled for, they said their goodbyes and started packing up their things to leave. 

In the cafeteria, Amanda approached Vic with Angela trailing behind her.

“Hey, Vic! What are you doing tonight? Would you be up for a home-cooked dinner?”

Amanda’s question threw them off. Not that it was unwelcome—in fact it was flattering—but Vic considered themselves closer with Angela than Amanda. 

“Oh, gosh, no. I wouldn’t want to intrude. It’s really kind of you to offer, though,” Vic said, an appreciative smile on their face.

“Please, you wouldn’t be intruding. Angela talks about you so much.” Amanda playfully rolled her eyes and glanced back at Angela having a conversation with a few cast members. “Plus, we’ve been meaning to have people over to our new place, and we both love cooking.”

Vic felt time stop. 

We… we?

OH.

They tried their best to mask their surprise when they came to the conclusion that Amanda was inviting them over to her apartment with Angela. As in, they live together.

“Well… I mean… why not!” Vic answered enthusiastically, their demeanor mirroring Amanda’s own excitement.

Vic’s surprise slowly turned into acceptance as they recalled all of the interactions they witnessed at the office that day; the touching, the flirtatious behaviour, the closeness—it all made sense now. Not to mention the subtle positive changes Vic had noticed in Angela’s mood over the past few months. The realization made Vic feel giddy.

Amanda beamed at Vic’s response, and Vic watched as Angela approached her from behind and proudly put an arm around Amanda’s waist. 

Angela asked what they were talking about and all Vic could do was smile knowingly at the couple.