#Gonna talk to someone i haven't chatted with in such a long time and i'm legit so excited!!! Love her

[livesworthlivingau]

Behind the Vale Chapter 34

You know the drill, Spoilers for all of ISAT, etc. CW: Confused Pining? Sparring Scene/Consensual Violence. I SHOULD NOTE THAT THE PINING AND CONSENSUAL VIOLENCE ARE NOT RELATED!!!

"So, how was your little chat with Eclipse last night~?"

"It went well actually," [Blind it!] "how was sharing a tent with Nille for the first time~?" [STARS BLINDING CRAB!!! You immediately feel your face begin to burn.]

"You could at least humor me when I try to tease you, you know!"

"Hah! Not so fun on the other end, is it~?" [You cross your arms and pout. It wasn't fair how difficult they were to fluster now.]

"... Wait... what do you mean it went 'well'?"

"Well... I talked about what I was going to talk about back then... a-and uhh... they weren't... against it." [His face begins to darken instead. Hah! It's working!... Wait what is he talking about?]

"Against, what exactly?"

"Uhm... M-Maybe we shouldn't really talk about this! Th-That was a whole loop ago, it never really happened technically, j-just forget about it!"

"Hah~! I haven't seen you this flustered in a long time~. If I didn't know any better I'd think you were falling for me, Stardust~." [His face burns darker as he falls silent.] "... This is the part where you refute that, Stardust."

"... W-Well... the thing is... uhhh..." [Your own face grows just as dark.]

"... Truce to never speak of this again?"

"Y-Yup! Truce!" [You both stop acknowledging each other as you break off. Stardust heads off towards Eclipse and the Housemaiden, while you head towards Nille, Flare, and, ugh, the Researcher... Fantastic. Nille perks up at your approach.]

"Hey Vay, what were you and Sif talking about?"

"Absolutely nothing~! Next question~!"

"That bad, huh? Alright, I won't pry. Though speaking of, Dile here was hoping to get some info out of you." [Of course she is...]

"Yes, Petronille has informed me that you're a paper type now. I've never heard of someone changing their craft type before, but there's a lot of topics that would apply to in the last few months. I was hoping you might like to spar sometime." [Wonderful, here comes the interro-wait what did she just say?]

"You... want to spar with me?"

"Yes. In Ka Bue, it is believed that there's no better way to understand someone than by the way they Craft. I may not believe in all the sentimentality behind it, but watching someone Craft can make for quite an impression. Perhaps it could even answer some questions you have about yourself."

"... I don't think that would be for the best. I'd rather not hurt any of you."

"I don't doubt your time in the loops has given you an advantage when it comes to experience, but I'm sure I could hold my own long enough to get what I'd need. Besides, Mirabelle can help ensure nothing goes too far." [Your expression does very little to hide your hesitance about the idea.] "So you don't want to prove how different you are from Siffrin now?"

"What?"

"I've seen how Siffrin Crafts for months now, I'd be able to spot it in a moment. So why don't you show me just how different you are now?" [You know exactly what she's trying to do... yet her goading still succeeds in spite of that.]

"Fine, then spar we shall~."

"DILE'S GONNA KICK VALE'S CRABBING BUTT!" [Flare shouts as Nille chuckles with a shake of her head.]

"Can't say I'm not excited to see how this plays out."

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

[You stand at one end of a clearing, the Researcher at the opposite end. Everyone else eagerly gathered into a little group nearby to watch. You perk up as Nille calls out.]

"Go easy on them, Dile! They've only been in a fight or two since the Change!" [Excuse us?!]

"Thanks for the vote of confidence?!"

"Hah! Well it's true!"

"Vale seemed rather worried about hurting me earlier, so I don't intend to hold back. Besides, if they do then this whole research project would be null and void. I need to see you at your best, so don't pull any punches!" [The Researcher calls out in a demanding tone, one similar to a teacher encouraging a student. You're unsure why, but it starts to light a fire within you.]

"Alright." [You draw your whip and hold out a paper sign with your other hand.] "Ready when you are, Researcher!"

"Would you mind counting us down, Boniface?" [Flare jumps to their feet eagerly. A very excited grin across their face.]

"One!" [Wait...]

"Two!" [We just remembered...]

"Three!" [WE DON'T HAVE ANY CRAFT SKILLS OF OUR OWN!]

[You begin to panic as the Researcher starts to rush towards you. You see her hands move in a familiar way, and without thinking to go to copy it. You need every advantage you can get as you both SLOW IV each other with the exact same method. She raises a brow as she realized what happened.]

"Huh. No, no that would make sense. You must have seen me use that craft countless times, of course you'd learn how to emulate it. This still isn't exactly helping this experiment though, show me your craft, Vale!"

"I... don't really have any yet..."

"Then you best come up with something fast!" [She threatens and makes a scissors sign, slicing a streak of SCISSORS III towards you. You barely manage to dive out of the way thanks to that heavy feeling slowing you down, leaving you wide open for the next attack.]

[She swings her open palm down towards you just as a PAPER III blast slams down onto your back.] "GAH!" [It stings, but no where near as much as that earlier strike would have. You shake off the craft weighing you down and quickly get back to your feet. You notice she still has the SLOW on her, you have an opening!]

[You crack your whip a few times, sending waves of Paper Craft towards her. She only manages to block one, taking the full brunt of the other two. She slides back across the dirt and falls to a knee. Despite this, a grin crosses her face as she looks back up at you.]

"Now we're getting somewhere, keep it up Vale. Show me what you're capable of." [She commands yet again, getting back up and flashing another scissors sign. The Craft comes flying at you quickly, slamming into your stomach and causing you to fly back, slamming into a tree.]

"Ugh... Oh you'll pay for that one Researcher!" [You're injured now, but it only strengthens the fire within you. You focus your intent into the tip of your whip before lashing it out, sending an intense wave of pure Creative Craft towards her. Even as she blocks it, it manages to deal a good amount of damage. You don't let up, you snap your whip again and again, sending smaller blasts but trying to overwhelm her. She evades the first few only to stop in her tracks and SLOW IV you yet again, taking a couple hits to do so.]

"You're getting desperate, good! You're showing your true self now!" [You grumble as you feel that same weight again, like your whole body was moving through sludge. You can't take another big hit, you look around to find some sort of advantage... You crack your whip once more, and as she goes to defend, it swings upwards and blasts the tree behind her, sending an explosion of leaves to surround and distract her. You move as quick as you can in this addled state to hide behind a tree until it wears off.]

"Clever. You fight like a cornered animal, yet you still manage to find and use any advantage you can." [Why do we feel like a book being read right now?...] "I haven't had a good fight since Dormont, I appreciate you indulging me with this." [You take a few breaths to help shake the craft off of you.]

"My pleasure, I just can't wait to wipe that grin off of your face~!" [You call out, whip ready as you focus your craft into it again. Just as expected you feel a heavy blast of Craft slam against the tree you hid behind. You tuck and roll back out into the open and prepare to strike!... Wait, where did she go?]

WHACK [You're suddenly smacked upside the head with another PAPER III, knocking you over as you grip your head.] "OW! CHEAP SHOT!"

"You think you're the only one who can use tactics?" [She smirks, stepping out from behind a very different tree than you expected. She holds her free hand in a paper sign.] "Now time to finish this."

[You prepare to defend, you're weak but you could take another hit of PAPER III if you're ready for it... until you notice her hand moving different than usual. You glance over at her hand holding her book, which was hiding the Scissors sign she was actually using to power the craft! By the time you realize her trick, the piercing energy was already heading directly towards you.]

[You panic, without thinking you act, a wave of Craft flowing out of you and into your whip. LION TAMER! You lash out your whip, coiling around the attack itself. You guide it off course, and hold on tightly as it spins around your form, releasing it as it flies directly back at the Researcher. She was too surprised by what you did to even try blocking it, landing a direct hit with her own attack and leaving her K.O.ed across the grass... You blink a few times as you still aren't even sure what you just did.]

"M'dame!" [The Housemaiden quickly hops up and rushes over to her side, starting to pump healing craft into the downed Researcher. Flare is close behind with the pack of tonics in case it's needed. You look down at your hands and whip, still just lost in the shock and adrenaline of what you'd just done. You stumble as a heavy pat hits your back.]

"Holy crab! Where have you been hiding that one, Vay?!"

"I... I have no idea... Is... Is she okay?" [You look back over to her, Flare and the Housemaiden are helping her up to a sitting position. She looks spent but otherwise awake and aware. You hesitate before walking over.] "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize I could even do that, are you-" [You're interrupted as she raises a hand to stop you.]

"That was exactly what I asked for, thank you for assisting me with this experiment. I think we've both learned a lot from it, Vale." [She has a satisfied smile painted across her face.]

"Yes, that was... certainly an experience, thank you for helping me find myself like this, Comet." [She raises a brow at the end of your statement.] "A nickname, if you don't mind me using it..." [She shares a look with you, understanding the importance you give to these silly nicknames. She smiles and nods.]

"Of course, now go enjoy your victory, I need to rest and gather my thoughts properly." [She says with a huff, trying to play off the feelings much like you do.]

"Of course, rest well~." [You head back to Nille as you hear Flare begin shouting behind you.]

"Diiiile! I can't believe you let Vale beat you! What the crab!"

Huge thank you to @itstheval for inspiring the fight scene and coming up with Craft Skills for Vale!! His fan chapters are wonderful and the skills he came up with are so goooood!

[lee-blogs]

I hate having to give my cat (George) baths, always makes my hands itch sooooo bad afterwards 😖

(Also i think Discord's acting wonky for me? Saw something about it having issues earlier today :0 )

[restinslices]

okay chat maybe him like getting jealous

Assuming you’re the anon who asked about Spooky

Him this episode >>>>>>>>>>

I've seen posts before about Spooky and people say he'd pull out a gun and start swearing when he's jealous and really show his ass but honestly? I don't think that's accurate 

I haven't watched OMB in a hot minute and Netflix is being some hoes rn so forgive me if I'm wrong but wasn't he incredibly patient?

He was patient with Cesar and with Cesar’s friends. I don't recall him ever losing his temper and going insane besides season 4 when he heard people fucking shit up outside 

Spooky gives me the silent jealous type. Silent but also petty 

Like if you came back to him after talking to a guy he'd say some petty shit like “thought you'd be around him all day”

“That's your man now, right?” “Stop being childish”

You could tell when he's jealous though cause you'd feel him staring at you the whole time 

I could also see him clearing his throat loud as hell if you're nearby to both get your attention and introduce him to whoever it is you're talking to 

It's gotta be a guy he doesn't know cause realistically what Santo is dumb enough to flirt with you?

I feel like I'm expected to say he'd have this huge outburst but Oscar doesn't give me that vibe. He's pretty patient and I think especially if y'all have been together for an extended amount of time, he'd feel secure enough to know you won't do some foul shit 

I feel like someone touching you would cause him to immediately get involved. He'd walk over and physically take their hand off of you while pulling you closer to him or behind him 

And let's be real, no one is dumb enough to try shit with him. He's 6’1 and known as the leader of the Santos 

But if someone did try him because they're drunk or whatever, I feel that even though he's jealous he'd still put your safety first. His jealousy would go to the back of his mind and he'd try to get you out in case shit gets intense 

Another situation he'd step in is if you're visibly uncomfortable. Typically if someone's flirting with you, he knows you can handle it but if you're so obviously uncomfortable then he'd step in and get you away 

I feel like if you're dating Oscar your safety would go over everything so while he's still a man and wants to play all big and bad in whoever's face, getting you away is his biggest priority 

“Are you jealous?” “Should I be?” “No” then he'd nod or smth 

Now let's say you're hanging around a new guy a lot. Would he get jealous? Probably. He's a guy. 

This is a different situation ‘cause he's not seeing anything. He can't pull you away. What does he do?

Short answer; nothing. Long answer; he doesn't seem like the type to be so jealous he'd snoop on your phone or follow you because relationships require trust and if you caught him, you'd be upset. I could see him asking questions about the guy and then denying he's jealous ‘cause “I have nothing to be jealous about”

And it's like??? Are you telling me  that or telling yourself that? 

Over time it'd become obvious he's feeling a certain way. You'd say you're gonna hang out with whoever the guy is and he'd just make a “mmm” sound instead of actually responding 

“Something wrong?” “I didn't say anything” “Exactly”. Eventually it'd come out though 

And the idea of him flirting with someone else to make you jealous comes up but I don't think that'd happen. He hardly has any relationships besides his gang which means he hardly has any close relationships. He has the kids, who he's like an older brother too (or literally an older brother to) and Mario (and we don't know how much they interact) so I don't see him risking a relationship just to be on petty shit 

He'd say smth petty but flirting with someone else just as payback for some shit you can't control? Nah

You could probably calm him down easily just by being near him. Making jokes about him being jealous would help also because it's you acknowledging that you see how he feels without having a sappy ass conversation 

I feel like this is so anticlimactic and disappointing but realistically I don't see him flipping his shit. He's 19-25, which could make him a bit immature but 1) he's grown up quickly so I think he can handle his emotions. 2) He has two strikes already. He's not popping his shit and risking life in prison because he was jealous. And 3) he knows you know where home is. 

He gets jealous, sure, but all those reasons stacked together makes him act calm, only getting somewhat aggressive if someone is touching you or making you uncomfortable. He’s more petty than anything

Quick story time. So I got away from my abusive dad when I was 13-14, right. I was also obsessed with Spooky. Tell me why my therapist said “I think you love him so much because he’s a strong and scary guy and in your head he’d protect you if your dad came back for you”. The way I almost blocked her-

I’m still seeing her years later😃

[azulock]

you know, I wanted to properly write something as the first thing to post on this blog but I've been starved of free time recently so have an exhibitionist Oli drabble thing. I love this garbage man

summary. just Oliver being a shameless pervert who likes sending nudes, just casually

pairing. Oliver Aiku x Reader

wordcount. roughly 1k

warnings. nsfw (minors back off)

shameless Oliver Aiku who will send you a nude any time of the day if he can. without any warning what so ever. his excuses for sending the picture completely half assed. by this point you know not to open any image from him in public.

you are not even dating either, haven't even fucked. Oliver wanted, tho, and as far as he knew you did too. you met when he moved to Europe to play in the Ubers main team. you hit it off, exchanged messages but you were both always so damn busy. when you were free, he wasn't, it just never happened.

then you moved to another country. Oliver had to accept his luck was trash on this one. shit just never worked but you strangely kept in touch. texts ranging from funny to mundane to flirty with ease. it was entertaining at least. that's when he decided to try something.

it wasn't the first time he sent nudes. but it was the first time Oliver had sent a nude to someone he hadn't fucked before. someone he had no idea when (if) he even was gonna have a shot with again. but it could be something he does for fun. and to stroke his ego, of course.

he didn't straight up start with a nude, though. he worked his way up to that. first Oliver started with clothed but horny pictures. then he moved to the shirtless pictures. you had access to his instagram, so you were already used to his thirst traps, these steps were quick. then came the shirtless picture with a clear bulge.

honestly, that was pretty much gonna be the diving point. you could react badly and just cut him off then and there. he wouldn't be losing much - ok, he'd be losing something, you were pleasant to talk to, he'd come to enjoy your conversations. but he was already not expecting a big chance at a shot here. might as well have fun with it.

the first one Oliver sent you was after a training at his home gym - you seemed to like when he sent you a picture after training with the team, so it sounded like a safe bet. he was wearing nothing but a pair of gym shorts, sitting on a bench before the mirror, sweat still clinging to his skin. one hand holding the phone while the other sat on top of his large thigh. right beside the long outline of his thick cock.

got some training done for the day

then it was a waiting game. tho, he didn't have to wait much. it didn't take even a full hour for you to respond.

nice shape. you got a gym at home or you just showing off to everyone? nah, got a gym at the apartment, I'm just showing off to you hmmmm an exclusive look. I like it ;)

now, that would do, that would do just fine. from then, it didn't take much for Oliver to grow bold. he went from shorts, to towel wrapped around his waist, and then to towel poorly held over his crotch with one hand. after that, of course, came the leap of faith.

wyd oliver you live on the other end of europe, no use wydoing me what? you think so lowly of me :'( can't I just wanna chat? when you lead with a wyd, no. what, you bored or something? yeah, been holed up indoors all day cause of a freak storm. world's falling over here oh poor oliver, the italian summer treating you badly? you afraid of a little rain? this ain't a little rain, this is a big ass storm. I'm gonna show it to ya

he sent you a short video, just a couple of seconds, enough to see a lighting strike crash somewhere off in the distance. the video was shot with the view of his floor to cieling window, from his 15th floor apartment. but aside from the storm raging outside there was the reflection of his bed on the window. and Oliver lying naked on it, lit only by the warm glow of his bedroom lamp, straining erection resting heavy on his lower abs.

as far as nudes go, that was a pretty damn good one, if Oliver could say so himself. pretty damn artistic even. he'd be praising himself for the rest of the month for thinking of using the reflection like that. damn smart of him.

well that sure does look pretty damn big and that storm is impressive too I guess

and that seals the deal, giving Oliver free range to be the shameless whore he is. after that he is fearless and far more obvious with the nudes he sends. not that he does it everyday, he doesn't want it to become boring, he knows the importance of balance - besides he does still enjoy just talking to you, it's just that now he got the added benefit of the ego boost every now and again. he likes showing off, you like seeing, what's the harm on that?

sure, he'd love to get you to send some nudes too - and the shameless bastard has asked for them before. but he gets why you wouldn't, Oliver isn't stupid. and having you praise his body is good enough. besides you give him the occasional thirst trap - nothing much riskier than the ones you post on instagram, but damn, it feels good getting sent them personally.

honestly, he likes this arrangement. sure he'd like to see more of your body but who knows, if he plays his cards right he might just get to see it up close at some point. but for now he keeps on sending nudes - happy with the freedom to indulge in his exhibitionist tendencies. and indulge Oliver does, already plotting a way to start sending you jerking off videos soon enough.

[gor3-hound]

TALK TOO MUCH - WELT YANG

ft. welt yang x fem!reader

a/n: was really struggling with this and hate it - want to preface it by saying this is unfinished. it's just a first draft, but people (person) still wanted me to post it, even if i'm not gonna end up fully finishing it :/ the ending is rushed, but it technically does have an end. hope you like it regardless. title from coin song of the same name

cw: 18+ content, welt rambling, hand holding, kissing, just really fluffy smut tbh, welt is a lil subby and shy, age gap, p in v, creampie

word count: 1.4k words

You certainly were a curious thing. Welt had gotten used to those on the Astral Express treating him as their personal encyclopedia, although he hadn't quite expected you to be so adamant to get him to info dump on every little thing once you'd discovered it - not that he didn't like it. He did pride himself on his intelligence, and there were much worse ways to spend his time than having a nice conversation with someone like you, even if you're the only one that can make his heart race when you called him Mr. Yang.

He's not surprised at all when he hears a knock on his door at night. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he looks up and gazes towards the entrance of his room, spotting you slowly opening it, looking all sheepish as you slide your way into the room, shutting the door behind you.

"Ah, good evening. Isn't it a bit late for you to expect me to go on one of my tangents?" He asks, the corner of his mouth twitching up in amusement.

“Sorry, I just couldn't sleep. I thought maybe you could talk to me about something for a while? If you don't mind, of course.” You say softly, offering him a small smile as you take a step further into his room, hoping he agrees.

"Oh, you want me to start blathering, hm?" He replies, meeting your gaze and smiling in return. He pats the spot on the bed next to him, inviting you over to sit. You offer your thanks as you take a seat, leaning back against the headboard. “Well. If you're seeking a calming influence, then I suppose you've come to the right place." 

You smile at his words, tilting your head to look at him as you settle comfortably on the bed. "Your blathering just so happens to be my favorite thing to listen to.”

Welt raises an eyebrow, eyes narrowing slightly as you admit that you really do like listening to him ramble on. You always bring a feeling of warmth in his chest that he has not felt in a long while. Your company is certainly becoming one of his favorite things on the express.

"And here I thought you were just humoring me to keep me from being lonely." He says, but a smile curls the corner of his mouth regardless. "You're in luck, though. I'll chat your ear off for as long as you need me to.”

And so he does. He starts talking about any topics that come to mind, getting lost in his thoughts as he does so. He's not sure how long he's talking for, but you haven't stopped him yet, so he can only hope he isn't bothering you.

“The starskiffs of the Cloud Knights would head to planets that went out of contact to seek information, while the Xianzhou Ten-Lords Commission remains-”  Welt trails off as he feels your head loll against his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. The smile hasn't left his face the entire time, but it only grows at the sight of you lying against his shoulders, eyes half-shut. His hand moves to the back of your head to keep you secure, his thumb gently moving back and forth. “I thought you couldn't sleep, dear. Are my words really so boring to you?”

You shake your head softly, peering up at him through your lashes as he speaks. Your expression is soft, lingering on his eyes for a moment before they drop down to his lips, just for a second. “You're not boring. Not at all. You just make me feel comfortable. Relaxed.” 

He nods softly, but he's barely focusing on your words. He can hardly stand being this close to you, and it was impossible to ignore the way your gaze settled on his mouth, even if only for a moment. He wanted you so, so badly.

He's about to open his mouth to say something, anything to distract him enough to stop him from doing anything stupid, until you beat him to it. “I want to kiss you. Please, can I?”

The mere thought of it sends his heart pounding so fast it hurts. He's so old, at least, far older than you. You're still so young, so full of life - how could he expect he'd ever have a chance with you?

Welt nods, his eyes closing momentarily. "Please, be gentle. It... it has been a long time." With his words spoken, he brings his lips to meet yours.

Your lips eagerly meet his once your eyes have fluttered shut, greedily taking in everything he's giving you. His lips are just as soft as you'd imagined, pressing firmly against yours. A small noise escapes him when you cup his cheek, drawing him further towards you.

He leans into the kiss, his hands squeezing you tighter. His lips are warm and gentle, his tongue peeking out gently to prod at your lips until you part them, before it carefully slides into your mouth. His free hand trails down your back to your ass, squeezing it lightly as he deepens the kiss once more, tugging you onto his lap. 

“Welt…” You murmur between kisses, brushing his bangs back with your free hand as you straddle him, pressing your body against his. Welt. Not Mr. Yang. The sound of that has him smiling into the kiss, tugging you a little closer. 

He's still smiling when you pull away from the kiss, the corner of his eyes crinkling as warmth floods his features. Your warm body pressed against his is enough to have him craving more, his heart pounding against his chest. 

“I… I want you. Please.” You breathe out, resting your forehead against his, your thumbs grazing his cheekbones. You slowly roll your hips, rubbing yourself against his clothed cock. You can't help but feel a surge of pride as it instantly fills out, causing Welt to let out an almost pained groan.

"Please, my dear..." He starts, his voice soft and tender, but hoarse with arousal. "Do be patient with me, alright? I... I do not want to disappoint you.”

“You couldn't disappoint me. God, I've wanted you for so long. Wasn't it obvious?” You breathe out, lips pressing against his jaw over and over again.  His body is now trembling in your hands, your lips sending his senses into overload. His groan deepens, and he lets out the subtlest of moans when your hips roll to grind down on his lap.

"I-I didn't know that at all..." His breathing is short and shallow now, every moment feeling like the first time you've kissed him. "Who would've known that I'd be so popular with you?”

“I'll be careful, okay?” You murmur against the skin of his neck, nipping and licking at the skin as you paw desperately at his clothes, tugging them off until you're both laid bare on his bed. His pale skin is marred with scars, his muscles slightly toned but covered by a soft layer of flesh.

You sink down slowly onto his length, taking him inch by inch. Welt lets out an involuntary gasp, his hips twitching towards you instinctively to try and drive himself further into your wet cunt. His hand reaches out to grab yours, squeezing it tightly as you begin to build a steady rhythm, bouncing up and down on his cock. Your free hand shifts to thread through his hair, yanking gently on the strands.

“I care for you, ah, very deeply, you know?” He said through gritted teeth, his breath coming out in short pants. It had been far too long, and he knew he wasn't going to be able to stave off his orgasm anymore. “I want… I want to make you feel good, too.”

He does his best to ignore the tightening of his stomach, whimpering softly as he feels the coil snap, flooding you with rope after rope of his cum. His free hand presses against your mound, his thumb hastily swiping back and forth over your clit until you're cumming, clenching around his over-sensitive cock until he's gasping your name.

It takes a moment for him to calm down, to catch his breath - but when he does, he's beaming at you, a shimmer in his eyes that he'd long lost returning. “That was perfect, my dear. You're perfect.”

[sydsaint]

Ilja Dragunov supremacy <3

Summary: The reader starts to have doubts about staying with Imperium after the incident with Giovanni and Gunther's change in demeanor after losing the Intercontinental championship. Luckily for her, Ilja, who's an old friend, is starting fresh on Raw.

The SUV has barely pulled into the arena for RAW and you are already tired of being there. Ludwig is busy on the phone talking with his girlfriend Tiffany. And Gunther never bothers to talk much with any of you before the show. Ever since Giovanni got kicked out of Imperium and moved to Smackdown you've been feeling more and more left out.

Ludwig finally hangs up the phone and acknowledges you for the first time since the group left the hotel.

"YN, what's with the face?" Ludwig asks you.

"What face?" You reply blankly and pull your bag higher up on your shoulder.

Ludwig shrugs and grabs his bag from the back of the car. "You look like something is bothering you." He explains. "Come on. You think I haven't noticed you moping around these past few weeks?" He adds and falls into step with you.

"Gunther hasn't seemed to notice anything wrong." You scoff, staring ahead at your leader striding through the hallway. "So maybe you're just being paranoid, Ludwig." You joke with him.

"Yeah, okay." Kaiser drops the subject for the time being.

The three of you head down to the Imperium locker room and get ready for the show. Gunther has a match scheduled for later against Otis, but you and Kaiser aren't scheduled for anything. That doesn't mean Gunther won't want the two of you out there with him though.

You drop your bags off at the locker room and decide to grab a bite to eat from catering since you aren't wrestling.

"I'll be back in a bit, guys. Gonna go grab a bite to eat." You announce your plans to the room as you head for the door.

"Don't be long," Gunther warns you. "I want you and Kaiser both out with me in case Gable and Maxxine are with Otis." He explains.

You nod and pull the door open. "Will do, boss." You muse playfully and head out.

You make your way down to catering and peruse the selection of food and drinks set out for everyone. You decide on a snack wrap and a bottle of water before settling down in an empty seat to scarf down your meal.

You are in the middle of eating and scrolling through your phone when someone approaches your table.

"YN LN?" A male voice catches your attention.

You peek over your phone, still chewing a bite of food, and nearly choke on said food when you see who's standing in front of you.

"Ilja?" You choke back your food and swallow hard. "Hey! How are you?" You ask and gesture for him to take a seat.

Ilja sits down across from you and you take a moment to observe him. It's been over a year since you've seen Dragunov. Not since your NXT UK days. He looks slightly older of course, but there's still that same fire in his eyes. He's dressed in a nicely tailored suit, like usual.

"I'm great, thank you." Ilja smiles at you. "Tonight is my first night here on Raw." He explains.

"Right." You nod. "Pearce snagged you from NXT." You recall Ilja's name being called last week during the draft. "Well, welcome to Raw, Ilja. I'm sure that you'll thrive here." You match his friendly smile.

Ilja nods in thanks. You feel your phone buzz in your pocket, probably Ludwig warning you to get back to the locker room. But you chose to ignore it. At least for a minute.

"And how have you been, YN, my dear?" Ilja asks you right back. "I heard that Giovanni recently left Imperium?" He asks you.

"Left, yeah." You scoff. "You could say that I guess." You shrug. "I've been good, Ilja. Thanks for asking." You assure him.

You and Ilja chat for a bit until your phone buzzes again. You begrudgingly take out your phone and check your messages. Ludwig has been blowing up your phone, warning you to get back to the locker room.

"Something wrong?" Ilja notices the annoyed look on your face.

"No, just work." You sigh. "It was wonderful to see you again, Ilja. But I've got to get back to work." You stand up from your seat.

Ilja does the same and walks around the table to you. He holds his arms out for a hug and you gladly accept.

"Of course. I won't keep you." Ilja pulls you into him for a hug. "It was a pleasure seeing you again, YN. I hope we can talk again soon." He adds as he lets you go.

"I'd like that." You nod. "I'll see you around, Ilja." You flash him one more smile before you hurry back to the locker room.

You hurry back to the locker room and manage to make it back just in time. Gunther and Ludwig are waiting for you when you arrive.

"YN. There you are." Gunther stares at you once you're through the door.

"I'm cutting it close, I know." You reply. "I'm sorry. I ran into an old friend down in catering and lost track of time." You explain.

Now that you're back with the group, everyone files out to the ring for Gunther's match with Otis. Ludwig falls into step with you behind Gunther, and he's got questions.

"Who'd you see in catering that was so important?" Ludwig asks you.

"Ilja." You reply, a smile creeping up on your face. "I ran into Ilja."

Ludwig's pace falters a bit at the mention of Dragunov's name. "Right. I forgot he was drafted to Raw." He suddenly recalls the draft. "What did the two of you talk about?" He asks you.

"We were just catching up." You shrug. "Ilja and I used to be friends. Remember?"

Ludwig nods. You did use to be friends with Ilja. The two of you started in NXT UK at the same time. You got scouted by Gunther to be a member of Imperium almost immediately. But Ilja remained his enemy. Despite the differences in factions, you and Ilja always remained civil. But the two of you lost touch when Imperium left NXT UK before him.

"Gunther isn't going to like talking to Dragunov," Ludwig warns you.

"I don't really care." You admit. "I'm a grown woman, Kaiser. I can talk to whomever I please." You huff, gaze fixed on Gunther walking ahead of you.

Kaiser nods and drops the subject. Everyone files out to the ring and Gunther has his match against Otis. You and Kaiser help keep Maxxine and Gable at bay for him. But otherwise, you are stuck on the sidelines for the majority of the match.

After Gunther beats Otis he decides to do a bit of showboating. He obtains a microphone and stands in the middle of the ring to address the crowd. You stand off to the side of the ring with Ludwig and roll your eyes at Gunther's ego rearing its ugly head.

"This again?" You sigh and turn toward Kaiser.

"Shh." Kaiser hushes you sharply. "Don't let him hear you. It'll only cause problems." He whispers to you.

You roll your eyes again but stop talking for the moment. Gunther finishes his speech and everyone heads back to the locker room. Kaiser once again falls into to step with you behind Gunther. And he's got more opinions to share with you.

"YN, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?" Kaiser asks you. "And don't tell me it's nothing again. I'm not an idiot." He insists.

"This doesn't bother you?" You gesture to Gunther walking ahead of you. "This new attitude from him?" You ask Kaiser. "He's always been tough, sure. But this? The speeches? What he did to Giovanni? None of that bothers you?"

Kaiser shrugs and glances forward at Gunther as well. "Gio was losing his edge. It was messed up, yeah. But it had to be done." He insists.

"I guess." You blink a few times, unnerved by Kaiser's lack of empathy for attacking his former best friend.

Everyone makes it back to the locker room area and are headed for the Imperium locker room. When you turn the corner Ilja is there loitering in the hallway.

"Ilja!" You greet him first.

You step forward and past Gunther who is now staring a hole into Dragunov.

"Hello again, YN." Ilja greets you. "Gunther, Ludwig." He nods to your companions. "I don't want any trouble friends. I just came to talk to, YN."

You walk over to Ilja and set a hand on his arm. You glance back at your comrades before leading Ilja away from them. The two of you step into a less-populated part of the backstage area so you can talk.

"Ilja, what's going on?" You confront Dragunov. "I didn't think you'd want to talk again so soon. It's only been like an hour or so." You add.

"Yes, I apologize for the intrusion." Ilja replies. "But I watched you out in the ring with Gunther and Ludwig." He explains. "And forgive me if this sounds a bit odd and uncalled-for, but I couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable you looked out there. So I wanted to check up on you."

You wear a look of slight surprise upon hearing Ilja's confession. "That's sweet of you to be concerned about me, Ilja." You fidget with your hands, the incident reminding you of back when the two of you used to be friends. "I'm alright, though. Really." You assure him, despite the fact that Gunther and Ludwig are obviously on your nerves.

Ilja nods, glad to hear that you seem to be alright. His worries are about to be put to rest when Ludwig steps into the room looking for you.

"YN? Hey, Gunther's worried about you." Kaiser makes a b-line for you, not giving Ilja a second thought.

"What? Worried about me? Why?" You turn around to talk with Kaiser.

Kaiser makes it over to your side and you don't notice that he puts himself between you and Ilja subtly.

"You're out here being all shady and disappearing with him." Kaiser looks at Ilja pointedly. "The fact that you trust him astounds me. And Gunther as well." He adds.

"Disappearing with him?" You scoff. "We're having a friendly conversation, Ludwig." You scold him.

Ludwig huffs and shakes his head. "YN, come on. Have some sense. Are you trying to end up like Giovanni?" He asks you.

That's the last straw for you. "Excuse me?" You raise your voice at Ludwig, which catches Ilja's attention. "You know what? I'd be happy to end up like Giovanni if it means I get away from you and Gunther's pretentious bullshit!" You step away from him.

Ilja steps up next to you, ready to defend you if needed.

"YN." Ludwig reaches a hand out to touch you.

"Don't." You swat his hand away. "I am done with this, Ludwig. I'm doen with you. And I'm done with Gunther." You insist. "I just can't do it anymore."

Ludwig tries to reach out again but is met by Ilja grabbing him with a firm grip. "I believe it is time for you to leave, friend." He warns Kaiser.

"Fine." Kaiser rips his hand away from Ilja's grip. "I'll set your bag out in the hall for you." He scoffs before storming off.

You watch Ludwig walk off in a rage. A part of you feels bad. He's been your friend for a long time. You're even getting close to his girlfriend, Tiffany as of late. But you simply can't do it anymore.

"Are you alright?" Ilja checks on you once Ludwig is out of sight.

"Yeah, Ilja. I'm okay." You nod. "Actually okay, this time." You muse. "I don't suppose that you're looking for a new compantion to join you on Raw?" You ask him.

Ilja cracks a small smile and nods. "I'd love to have you at my side, YN." He leans down for a hug. "Come on. I'll come with you to retreive your things."

"Thanks, Ilja." You nod and thank him for his support.

All this time has gone by since you've had the pleasure of being aqauinted with the one and only mad dragon. And yet he's still the same man you once knew. A fiercy loyal, good man.

[http-finnick]

𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 - 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

finnick odair x fem!reader

cw: teasing, sexual jokes, flirting, just a fun drabble.

request: still feel like asking requests is weird but i rly like ur blog so🚶 Could you do a Finnick Odair x Reader were they meet/actually talk for the first time in that scene where Finnick talks to Katniss in that horrible bare-chested outfit that makes him look like a draft and then he eats pure sugar like ew 💀 after having that weird interaction with her he comes over to us and introduces himself and is all flirty with the Reader and the Reader actually flirts back what totally startles him but hes into it and Katniss is just like ???

you stood in the tight gown as you brushed the horse's back with your fingers, thinking about how you wished to be out of your 9-inch heels and back home.

your reminiscing was cut short with a scoff so loud you could've mistaken it for the bell chime that was supposed to announce your descent into the capitols viewing

you turn to see two of the most iconic capitol celebrities out there, Katniss and Finnick. you watched as they chit-chatted (more like monotone fighting) when you couldn't help but almost scoff yourself at the atrocious thing Finnick's stylist put him in.

you must've stared too long because his dark green eyes met yours as he popped a sugar cube into his mouth before walking over to you

"Hey Y/n" he says, leaning on the carriage as you're still hung up on how he said your name so smoothly you almost mistaken him from back home

but there was no mistaking Finnick Odair from someone back home. no, not with how he looks, talks, and even that glare in his eyes that almost makes your knees weak.

that's because Finnick flirts to see how weak you are. to see how easy you are, not for sex. but for the game. for the kills.

"Finnick, was it?" you say playfully, about everyone knows who he is, especially someone who has been in the games before

he laughs before grabbing another sugar cube from his pocket and messing with his between his fingertips, his eyes lingered on your body and you couldn't help but feel tense

"last time I saw you, you definitely weren't wearing a dress like this" his eyes darken on you. curse your stylist for getting the tightest dress out there with a slit so high you walked like a stick to not show anything

"cant say the same for you, you seem to always have your tits out" you grin and he couldn't help but laugh at your banter, not everyone plays into him every often

"Hopefully next time you'll be the lucky one" now he's closer, staring you down as a grin slowly meets your lips

"Hopefully we don't have to wait till next time" you couldn't help but feel immediate satisfaction as a shocked look fills his eyes yet that ionic smirk stays plastered on his lips

"See you, ally" he winked before running off, you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding as you look ahead to see Katniss giving you what you can only describe to be a "what the fuck was that" face

you shrugged before spinning on your heels to start the way up on the carriage.

and when you stood with your tribute going at high speeds with people screaming everywhere, you couldn't help but see some dark green eyes staring right at you.

an: ahhhh I missed you guys so much! I've been so busy so i haven't been able to get back into my thg mindset even tho I'm obsessed with it lmaooo. being brain-rotted with thg and just being by myself makes me more quiet and happy and but because of the holidays, it's made me have to be more talkative and hyper almost. I haven't had time alone until his moment and I look back at how I was before with shock and sadness because I want to go back to my bubble :((( you know how when you talk to people you have to pretend you care to be nice so you make up a fake you? that's how I feel right now by myself, and that would be fine if I was sad or mad but I'm so neutrally fake happy it hurts. it'll pass overtime but it's gonna be hard because i have to do it again tomorrow and for the rest of the week ((more family time)) like ahhh i wanna be my old self by myself lmao. anyway!!!!!!!!! Thank you for the request! it makes me so happy you like my blog sm and this was so fun to write!!! mwah ily! <3

[heich0e]

Liv, you're such a good writer... I'm gonna cry thinking about the one who got away! Kuroo :'( I don't want him to leave us...

He's gonna leave again.

You realize it after almost an hour at the bar. Forty seven agonizing minutes ticking past of sitting mere metres away from him. Of sharing the same space with him for the first time in ten years.

In a matter of minutes (maybe hours, who's to say? It all feels the same at this point,) Tetsurou is going to stand from his seat at the bar and walk out of this izakaya—and out of your life, along with it.

Again.

It makes you feel completely nauseated. Rattles you so badly that you can't even peek up at the mirror you've been using to sneak glances of him anymore, even if you feel his eyes on you from across the room.

Which you do. Often.

"Senpai..."

Hina, your junior at the company—one rank below you, but still senior to most of the employees gathered—calls to you hesitantly from across the table. When you look up from where you've been staring blankly into the foamy surface of your beer, you notice her eyes on something over your shoulder. Though if you were a betting woman, which you haven't been for a long time, you'd say that rather than something she's looking at someone.

"...do you know that guy?"

You don't turn around.

You're grateful that Hina is at least subtle. None of the other people around you have noticed her question.

You force out a laugh that sounds just as pained as it feels, even in spite of your best efforts to the opposite.

"What guy?" you ask, though you don't need to.

"The dark haired one, at the bar. He keeps looking at you," she comments, her lips pursing thoughtfully. "He's handsome."

"I don't know him." A lie.

"You didn't even look," she counters, disbelievingly.

You cast a quick glance over your shoulder, looking towards the door, instead of towards Tetsurou—but she doesn't need to know that. He's not looking anyway, chatting with the man working behind the bar, and you find yourself grateful for it in the split second you're turned his way.

"Oh, him," you remark. Your chest feels tight. Yes, him. "I think we may have gone to high school together."

That's not technically a lie, but it still burns like one.

"Well, he looks like he wants to talk to you," she remarks, taking a sip of her drink. "You should go say hello."

"No," you answer, too quickly.

It draws the attention of your other colleague, Kawasaki-san, at your side, and he turns to look at you curiously—but his attention is thankfully caught a second later by something one of the employees at the other end of the table says.

"No," you repeat yourself more quietly, looking up towards Hina with what you hope are insistent eyes. "There's no need. We..."—you swallow thickly—"we were never close."

The worst lie so far.

"Alright," she concedes with a shrug. "But even if you don't go say hi, he looks like he's one drink away from doing it himself."

Your stomach sinks.

You absolutely cannot let that happen.

Because the only thing worse than Kuroo Tetsurou walking out of your life again would be letting him back in.

[tryingtograspctrl]

BETTER DISTRACTIONS: CLAUDIA X BLACK PLUS SIZE READER

SUMMARY: Claudia’s gotten tired of the same old mundane lifestyle, caught in the turmoil that is Louis and Lestat’s romance. It’s about time she branched out, found some love of her own.

It was a dull night, the streets littered with an only a few people, most retreating to their homes to get some rest for the long work day ahead of them tomorrow.

Claudia stubbed her cigarette out, sighing of boredom.

She had already fed twice so another hunt was pointless, she was full and she wasn't the type to overindulge.

So she wandered the streets, eyeing a few passerby's as she went, peeking into their minds to find some sort of entertainment but nothing... absolutely nothing satisfied her.

Then she heard you.

You were singing quietly to yourself as you cleaned up around the bakery, preparing for closing.

She went on plenty of night strolls around this part of town yet she had never seen you until today and honestly... you intrigued her.

She watched you curiously, small smile on her face as your sweet voice filled her ears, her eyes drinking in the way your bright orange dress hugged your plush form, your plump cheeks lightly dusted with flour.

You were a sight for sore eyes, she just had to talk to you.

You jumped slightly, a knock on the door pulling you from your task.

"I'm sorry sweetie, we're closed." You opened the door slightly frowning apologetically at the girl.

"Oh that's too bad." She put on her best pout turning to walk away.

"Well i guess you could stay for a little while until i lock up." You called after her.

How could you deny someone as cute as her.

She smiled to herself before turning back around, gladly accepting your offer.

"Can i get you anything?" You asked dusting your hands off.

"No thank you, just needed to escape the cold for a little while." She gave you a small smile.

You tilted your head studying her for a moment.

She looked too young to be out roaming the streets on her own, especially at this time of night.

"I'm a lot older than i look." Claudia bit her lip, a tinge of annoyance in her tone.

"Did i say that out loud?" Your eyes widened slightly, face heating up in embarrassment.

Claudia huffed rolling her eyes.

"My apologies if i offended you, i didnt mean any harm. What i say is true though, its very dangerous this time of night for anyone, especially a woman, young or old." You explained, turning toward the coffee pot and placing some water in it to heat up.

"Yet you're out here past midnight with your shop door unlocked." She teased.

"You've got a point i guess." You smiled sheepishly.

"I haven't seen you around here, you must be new?" Claudia questioned.

"Not exactly, i born and raised here, lived here too until i was around 12." You started.

"My parents up and moved us to Texas for a few years, my grandma stayed behind, ran this bakery." You pointed to the sign.

"Gloria's" Claudia read.

"Yeah... she passed away a few days ago, they were gonna tear the place down but i decided to move back here, keep it open." You whispered.

"I'm sorry." Claudia grabbed your hand gently.

"Thanks." You patted it, smiling sadly before turning back to the coffee pot.

You grabbed a mug, pouring some of the hot water into it along with a few spoonfuls of a dark colored powder that Claudia didn't recognize.

You tossed a few marshmellows on top of the drink before you spun around again, sitting it down in front of her.

"What's this?" She eyed it curiously, poking at the melting marshmellows.

"Hot chocolate. You've never had it?" You looked at her in surprise.

"No, never heard of it." She picked up the cup hesitantly.

She took a long sip trying to imagine what the flavor would be like if she had the ability to taste it.

You watched her continue to drink it, a blank expression of her face.

"You don't like it?" You questioned.

"I wouldn’t say that it’s just... new." She glanced up at you.

"Fair." You giggled.

The two of you chatted for a while as you continued to clean up.

You packed up a few leftover pastries before removing your apron, following Claudia toward the door.

She insisted on walking you home, stating that it would be safer which you were a bit hesitant about.

She explained to you that she was in her late 20s and it's not that you didnt believe her, a lot of people looked younger than they actually were, sometimes it's just a genetics thing you just weren't so sure that other people would believe her, would perceive her that way.

She looked like a teenage girl at most standing beside you, just an inch or two taller than you but a whole lot smaller. So you stuck close by her, wanting to be able to protect her if something went down.

"You're so jumpy, relax." She laughed as your eyes scanned the streets wearily.

You looked over at her, ruby red eyes shining under the streetlight.

You'd never seen anyone with eyes that color, were they contacts?

Either way they suited her well.

"Cute"  You thought to yourself.

Her smile seemed to widen and you looked away, slightly flustered.

"Well this is me." You stopped in front of a small house, pulling out your keys.

"Thanks for walking me home." You smiled gratefully at her, arms holding out the box of pastries for her to take.

"You don’t have to give me anything." She shook her head pushing the box back toward you.

"I was going to give you them anyways, i couldn't win you over with my hot coco so let's see if i can with some sweet treats" You smiled playfully.

Her face flushed as she took the box from you, fingers brushing against yours.

"I hope to see you again soon Claudia, be safe." You smiled at her one last time before heading inside and shutting the door softly behind you.

She felt as if she was walking on air the entire way home, clutching the box to her chest, bright smile on her face.

"Pastries?" Louis raised a brow as she walked through the front door, eyeing the box.

"Yeah." She shrugged floating up the stairs.

Louis chuckled to himself going back to his book.

A/N - Just a little treat from my drafts until i finish part three of my slasher steve series. I've been wanting to write for Claudia for a while now, specifically Delainey Hayles version. 🎃

[noblesixjm04]

Comfort characters gonna comfort

Reader: *Rambling about their favorite hobby/interests. Hands moving wildly as they speak. Their eyes bright and a blinding smile on their face as they talk to John.*

John: *Thinks it's sweet and kind of adorable. He's mostly just comforted by the fact that you feel comfortable enough with him to talk like this.* *It's nice for him to just. Feel normal once in awhile outside of blue team.*

John: *Is also confused on how you just as quickly stopped as soon as you started. Falling in on yourself as you ring your hands together.*

Reader: *Embarrassed that they had managed to talk for so long and John hasn't gotten to say anything yet.* *A lingering voice hissing at them that he doesn't care. That they've made a fool of themselves yet again.*

Reader: "I'm. I'm sorry."

John: *Is now both confused and concerned.* "Sorry for what?" *Doesn't like the fact that you're no longer holding eye contact. A sure fire way to tell that you're nervous or embarrassed over something. If anything he could almost hear your pounding heart.*

Reader: *Swallows thickly. Nervous by the stare that John is giving them. They consider lying or brushing it off but they knew better than to do that. John is capable of sniffing out a lie like a bloodhound.* "For talking so much?"

Reader: *Shrugging their shoulders. Trying to get rid of the tension there.* "I know it's not something you care about and I've probably taken up your time when you could have been doing something else." *They are rambling now.* "And I know that what I've got to say isn't all that important."

Reader:*Nearly jumps a mile high when John lays a hand on their shoulder.*

John-117: *Low-key pissed. Not at you but at whoever made you believe such nonsense.* "Who said that?" *His voice is low and even. Face void of emotion save for the muscles clenching in his jaw.*

Reader: *Squirming in their seat. Still unused to John's intense way of caring even after having known him for a while.* "Who said what?"

John-117: *Leaning forward in his chair so that he can be more on your level.* "That what you have to say isn't important." *He pauses. Eyes searching over your face.* "Who y/n." *He's using what you jokingly call the 'master chief voice '. The one that leaves no room for question. The one you hate to be on the receiving end of cause it means that you have to learn that you are cared for.*

Reader: *Wants to look away but can't. Both comforted by the fact that John cares but worried about what he might do.* "It's nothing Chief. Really."

Oh now you've done it.

John-117: *Nothing?* *Slides the hand on your shoulder down your arm until your hand is in his.* "It is never nothing when someone makes you feel this way y/n."

John: "No one deserves to be demeaned like that. You should have never been made to feel that way." *His knees bump into yours as he moves closer.* "Never will I take anything you say as "not important." You are allowed to be heard. Be seen."

John: *His hand squeezes yours. A calloused thumb soothing over your knuckles.* "You're allowed to be yourself with me. Always."

John-117: *He pulls away although he does not want to. Reaching for his helmet he had taken off to better hear you with. Wanting to hear your voice without it's audio filters.* "Now. Who?"

Reader: *Watches as Master Chief stands up. Golden visor looking at them.* "An. An old friend I'm no longer friends with. David Hawthorne."

Reader: " Chief I haven't talked to him in years. Why does it matter.... Who...."

Master Chief has left the chat.

A few days later

Reader: *Is humming along to Welcome to the Jungle as they clean their gun. * *Startles when they feel a hand on their shoulder. Really they should be used to it by now from how often people do it while they're lost in their own little world.* "Sorry about that! I had my earbuds... In."

Reader: *Immediately frowns when they see who it is. Almost putting the earbuds back in so they wouldn't have to listen to him.*

Reader: *Now standing with their hand on the back of their chair. On guard as they speak.* "Hawthorne."

David H: *He looks. Well scared as he shuffles from foot to foot. Brow glistening with sweat. He keeps glancing to the right.* "M'sorry."

There's a noise in the back.

David H: *Louder now. His face is paler than snow.* "I'm sorry." *You see his adams apple bob up and down as he swallows.*

Reader:*Confused.* "Sorry for what? What are you even doing here? Last time I checked you were on some distant colony planet."

David H: *Glances to the right again.* "For the way I treated all those years ago. For what I told you. I'm sorry. I know I can't make up for it but I'm sorry."

Reader: *Everything clicking into place as they remember their conversation with John.* "I. Okay then." *Honestly they didn't know how to respond. Never expecting an apology from the man that made them feel like the worst human In history.*

David H: *Curtly nods. Glances to the right. If anything he lost more color in his face from that last glance before he took off out the door.*

Reader: "Okay then..." *They look to where David had been and almost cry as a warmth bloomed in their chest. From happiness, from knowing that they were cared for. They don't know.*

All of Blue team is standing there. Leaning against the walls or in the Chief case against the back of a bench. Arms crossed as he, and them, kept a watchfully eye on reader as David gave what they thought was a less than ok apology.

Reader:"Thank you."

Master Chief: *Nods then motions for blue team to follow after David.*

John: *As he walks past reader. Lays a hand on their shoulder, squeezes, then leaves to follow after his team.*

[raconteur-wanpi]

ONE PIECE 1124

I'm probably gonna start writing these thoughts / reactions with each new chapter at this point. At least as long as I have something to say!

Sentomaru is alive waaaahhhh!!! Mr. Golden Boy! I'm so glad! He skyrocketed his way up my favorite character list in this arc, but then again I'm weak towards any characters based on folklore / fairy tales and mythical heroes to begin with. It's nice to see him escape Egghead, but it's devastating to see him mourning like this. He lost so much, he really is a tragic character. Seeing him cry is genuinely a bullet through my heart. He lost his adoptive father, he lost the island he has spent much of his life on, he failed to protect the civilians who he risked his life to save, he's now a fugitive running from the government, and the man he considered an uncle and mentor figure was the one to pull the trigger. Poor guy, his experience with the Buster Call and loss of mentors almost makes him feel like a parallel to Robin. I hope he gets to heal, there are some revealed surprise good news he might want to hear eventually.

And speaking of tragedy within this little family unit, here it is. Borsalino's regret. This really reminded me of Garp and Ace, but unlike Garp being just passive and complacent in Ace's death, here Borsalino was the man who actually did it. You can see the sorrow and devastation but also the complacency. He was always going to do it, no matter how he feels about it. What in interesting character, I want to dissect his brain. His lack of a sense of actual justice and code was something introduced as a joke, but here we see what that actually looks like. A man passive enough to follow any order, even if it's something he isn't going to be able to bear.

And of course, the aftermath of such a conflict. This is the first time we've ever seen him sad and / or furious. He's sobbing and screaming to Sakazuki, someone who he's always tried to appease in the past. I wonder where will this lead him as a character. I adooore seeing the Marines betrayed, broken and fed up by their own system one by one. Maybe they will eventually realize they're on the wrong side of history. Or maybe Borsalino over here will stay complacent and passive as he always has been, who knows. Either way, I love the way Oda has approached all this interpersonal tragedy within all the grander politics of it.

Yep, there is it! The big twist! ...That most people myself included completely expected. Punk Records is still intact! The Gorosei need Vegapunks mind, so they explicitly tried to protect that part of Egghead. And that means, of course, all the Vegapunks' consciousness is still up there in the Cloud. There's a chance any of them could talk through Lilith, Stella included. Hell, she could probably build new android bodies for them if she gets the resources. Or at least, that's what I'm assuming she means by "everyone's alive", since she doesn't elaborate further.

Aaaand Robin getting excited to meet Saul again. 🥹 God I hope it goes well, I'll be devastated if it doesn't. PLEASE let this reunion happen properly.

And to close things off, somebody is waiting for them on Elbaf. People have pointed out the silhouette looks similar to the mysterious kasa-hat-wearing man we see chatting it up with Crocus in one of the cover stories. The most common guess I've seen is that it's Scopper Gaban, the man from Roger's crew, and potentially that he is the "man marked by flames". Others have suggested things like Shiki or even a 90-year-old Yorki who survived. I don't know if I personally have any predictions, but Gaban feels like a good guess. It could potentially also just be a character we haven't met yet. Really looking forward to the future!

[soemthingsparkly]

HCC RANCHERS SNIPPET (if you feel no inclined)

YESSIR O7

---

Tango's Apartment

Sometime in the future.

By the time Tango wakes up that morning, he's already got a stack of texts from Jimmy waiting in his notifications. 

He smiles into his pillow, giving himself one more long moment of enjoying the glee that surges in his stomach at the thought of him. 

It's been roughly two months since their first kiss - the one that allowed them to shift what they had to what they have now. 

There's something still so very new and exciting for Tango to think of Jimmy as his boyfriend. It seems silly, even.

Especially, considering hardly anything has changed between them. Sure, there's a little bit more flirting now and it's exciting to know his affections are returned, but really?

Jimmy is still just his rancher. 

...

His Rancher. 

Tango smooshes his face into his pillow again and lets himself calm down, before finally checking his texts. 

Jimmy and Tango 

Sometime in the Future. 

8:41am 

Jimmy: Mornin' rancher :) 

Jimmy: Oh, i bet you're not awake yet actually 

Jimmy: hopefully you've got your phone on do not disturb or something 

Jimmy: if not then whoops 

Jimmy: alright I tried to refrain from texting you but I actually just can't help it 

Jimmy: I've just got a coffee and some brekkie and I'm about to head into the forest for a cosplay shoot I'm doing 

Jimmy: like that someone's hired me for I mean

Jimmy: I'm not in the cosplay obviously 

Jimmy: not that there's anything wrong with cosplay of course!

Jimmy: just that I'm not the one dressing up today 

Jimmy: or any other time actually 

Jimmy: not that I wouldn't but just that I haven't 

Jimmy: jeez Louise I'm chatting up a storm ma coffees gonna get cold blimey 

Jimmy: alright I'm gonna drink this and then hit the road and maybe by the time I get there I'll have learned not to be a total idiot :PP

Jimmy: hopes are not high

Jimmy: just arrived at the forest and I listened to that band that Skizz recc'd me on the way over 

Jimmy: man likes some weird stuff but after like the first 15 minutes I could kinda dig it actually 

Jimmy: hope you're sleeping well rancher

Jimmy: can't wait for you to wake up <3

Jimmy: right so elves can go to hell I've decided 

Tango: morning rancher heh 

Tango: quite the adventure this morning for you huh? 

Jimmy: Hey T! :) yeaaaaahhh

Jimmy: How'd you sleep? 

Tango: pretty well 

Tango: dreamt of you 

Jimmy: omg no I'm blushinggggg

Jimmy: wait did you actually?? 

Tango: mhm 

Tango: I dreamt that you decided to start your own hot dog stand outside the hermit 

Tango: you served hot dog water like coffee and I kept having to tell people we couldn't let them drink your hot dog water inside the hermit 

Jimmy: what??!?! dude that's so rude!! 

Jimmy: I thought you loved me :(( 

Jimmy: why wouldnt you support my business ventures T?? :(( 

Tango: hehe sorry it was X's fault 

Jimmy: sighhh 

Jimmy: I'll have to have a word with him next time I'm over 

Jimmy: let him know that big man Jim and his customers won't be denied comfortable seating like that, eh!!! 

Tango: oh he'll be trembling for sure 

Jimmy: I should hope so 

Jimmy: tell him his days are numbered 

Jimmy: cause I'll be there again in (hang on lemme check) 

Jimmy: 52 days!!! 

Tango: sigh 

Tango: too long :( 

Jimmy: I know :( 

Jimmy: I miss you rancher 

Tango: I really miss you Jim 

Jimmy: I miss you so much T 

Tango: Hey I have to get up and take a shower before work, but do you want to call on my way in? 

Jimmy: I'd love that yeah :) 

Tango: And you can tell me about the elves and their eternal damnation :P

Jimmy: omg yes 

Jimmy: I have never been so blooming mad at a man with a pair of pointy ear Tang! 

Tango: hehe 

Tango: can't wait to hear about it

Jimmy: can't wait to tell you!! 

Jimmy: go on then stinker 

Jimmy: talk to you again after :) <3

Tango: heh

Tango: talk after <3

[elli3luvs]

falling in love at a coffee shop pt. 4 [ELLIE W]

summary: when your favorite barista turns out to have a girlfriend (an ex? you weren't too sure) you got cold feet and ran

genre: fluff/angst

wc: 2.5k

a/n: lord.... im so sorry this took so long and tbh im not happy with it at all LMFAO im thinking either one or two more parts to this as well! so sorry i haven't been updating recently life has come at me hard! im hoping to get fewer hours at work so i can have some free time bc omfg!

part three

The phone buzzing against the desk was seriously starting to distract you. It had been going off incessantly since you left Ellie's house in a rush, and you just assumed it was her wanting to explain her side of the story. To be honest, you didn't really want to hear it. Your heart felt like it was torn into two earlier this morning. But you should've known, someone that attractive and funny and kind had to come with some sort of baggage. You just didn't expect it to be a whole girlfriend.

Your thumbnail was sitting in between your teeth as you slightly nibbled on it. Dina was laying across from you with worry etched into her features. She was usually amazing with words, never having trouble gossiping or giving advice, but when you came storming in with tears about to fall over your lash line, she couldn't quite find the words to console you. She awkwardly stammered until she realized all you wanted was moral support. 

The phone had only been silent for a minute before it started buzzing again. You groan, sitting up to finally grab the stupid device. The buttons on the side were squeezed under your fingers until you could swipe to fully cut off the phone.

Now it couldn't bother you anymore.

Dina sits up, staring at you with pity, "Would it hurt to just hear her out, maybe? Didn't you say you heard her say something about breaking up?"

You gnaw on your bottom lip, "I can't," Dina seems upset at your choice, "Seeing that girl, Cat I think, in front of Ellie was like a slap in the face. She could've been lying about breaking up, Dee. I just don't know." You sigh, crossing your arms to try and soothe yourself a bit.

Dina jumps off of the bed and makes her way to you, a grin spreading over her lips as if she just thought of the best idea. Knowing Dina, you had a feeling about what she was about to say. 

"Wanna get trashed?"

--

The bar was packed even though it was a random Tuesday night. Sounds of college-aged people screaming the song playing filled your ears and chatting with their friends filled your ears. Dina had already shimmied to the bar, ordering a drink for you and for her, before making her way to the dance floor. She was gone with the wind now. You only hoped she would make it back to your dorm without you dragging her home. You decided to keep a low profile and hang by one of the back walls. It was better that way.

You didn't feel like dancing away your inner struggles. Realistically, you needed to talk to Ellie about this. But how could you just call her up when you ignored her for a whole day? A shiver went down your spine when you thought about the conversation that was going to have to take place.

A part of you was still mad at Ellie. You didn't want to have the conversation. But you were going to have to be mature about it one day. You couldn't just ignore her forever.

A voice cut your running thoughts off, "Aren't you?" You turn around to meet Jesse's eyes, "Hey, it is you! How ya' doing?" As kind as ever, he gives you a side hug while enthusiastically greeting you. 

"I'm good!" You shout over the music. He motions to the cup in your hand and you nod, "Some sort of tequila."

He grimaces, "Oh, lord. You tryin' to die or somethin'?"

You purse your lips, "Yeah. Something like that."

Jesse pats your shoulder while laughing off your statement, "How did things go with Ellie? Man, she was so excited about it." His hands shoot up to gesture, "That's all she could talk about last shift was how you were gonna go over to her place. She was like a kid in a candy store!"

Your heart shatters. It felt awful to ignore her like that and a part of you wondering if you were acting crazy. Ellie said she could explain, yet, you just left her. Then you turned your phone off as if you couldn't give her the time of day.

Your eyebrows pinch, "It was good... until..." The words die in your throat. Jesse was a good friend of Ellie's and you had come to get pretty acquainted with him but was he a good one to confide in?

His face falls into confusion, "Until?" You see a flash of concern before his face returns to the original confusion.

"Until," You bite the bullet. Now is as good of a time as ever to pour your heart out, "Until her ex or maybe girlfriend? Until whatever she was came over. I totally left Ellie after not giving her a moment to explain. I'm starting to feel like a little bit of a bitch about it..." A fake half-laugh comes out to deflect how truly awful you felt.

Jesse's eyes widen and he sets his drink down, fully turning toward you, "Woah, woah. Was her name Cat?"

You nod and Jesse rubs his hands over his face. The loud techno music silents his hushed curses before he grabs your wrist to drag you out of the bar. The drink in your hand flies out as your legs try to keep up with his wide stride. Your eyes scan the room until you see Dina — who is cheering you on? She looks at you with a thrilled expression before giving you a thumbs up.

Oh my God.

Words of protest spew out of your mouth, trying to get him to just slow down yet Jesse only walks faster. Once you make it to the parking garage he turns back to you. You just hope he ignores the way you are trying to catch your breath. 

Jesse starts to fidget with his hands as if he's thinking over what he's about to say. 

Your anxiety spikes when he finally asks you what he wanted.

"Is it okay if I take you to Ellie's?"

--

The ride over to Ellie's house felt as if it took forever. The beating in your chest almost had you sick as you thought of all the possible things that could happen. What if Ellie completely rejected you after this? What if she looked at you with disgust and contempt when she opened her door? What if that Cat girl answers the door instead? You slide down farther into the passenger seat as the anxiety-ridden thoughts became too much.

You were beginning to recognize the area. It didn't make you feel any better — it just meant you were that much closer to having to be mature and talk through what happened. As much as you enjoyed hiding from those complicated feelings, you couldn't do that right now. 

Jesse taps his steering wheel while taking in a deep breath, "Look, I know you're nervous and all but... you really shouldn't be," You lift your head to look at him, "She's really into you. I think she will be over the moon that you decided to talk this out face to face."

You purse your lips, "Yeah, but what if she isn't? I left in a completely bitchy way."

Jesse shakes his head, "Trust me, I would've done the same thing if I woke up to Cat's shrill whining."

You were slightly taken aback, "What do you mean by that?"

"I think it's better if Ellie explains that to you."

The air from the vents blows on your face, warming it up. The city lights slowly started to disappear behind you.

"If I know anything about Ellie," His car goes into park. Your head whips to your right and there it was — her house, "She loves giving second chances. Now, go talk this through. I do not wanna deal with a mopey Ellie tomorrow." He jokes around. His words made you feel somewhat better but as you opened the car door and the cool air hits your face, the anxious feeling started to creep up again.

The steps took you a good 30 seconds to get up — stopping every so often to look back at Jesse's car to which he would lift his hands in a supportive motion. Like a father telling their son to, 'go get 'em, tiger!' except he wasn't your dad and you weren't ready to get 'em.

When the large oak door is finally in front of your face, you turn around one last time but Jesse's car was pulling off now. At least he waited until you were fully on the doorstep. It was now or never.

Never sounded pretty good.

Working up courage was never your strong front and god, you wished Dina was beside you to knock on the door but she wasn't. You were going to have to do this. Your hand makes contact with the door producing three heavy raps against the door.

She doesn't answer. She doesn't answer for a while. There isn't even a sign of life behind the door. All you hear is the cars honking faintly where you came from.

You begin to feel hopeless. Deciding to give her one final chance, you knock even louder this time. When you hear rustling on the other side of the door, your stomach lurched. 

"Coming..." Her voice sounded solemn. A grimace pulled at your features at the sound. You caused that.

The door swung open, it seemed like she didn't even look into the peephole, and she openly gawked at you for a couple seconds — a dusty pink rose underneath the smattering of freckles on her cheeks. Her socked foot tapped against the wooden floor as she leaned against the door. She finally snapped out of her catatonic state.

"Uh," She voices first, "What are you doing... here?" The words were strangled as they came out.

You take your bottom lip in between your teeth. There was no dancing around this, "Can we talk? About this morning?"

Ellie perks up a bit. There is a look of pain still lingering but she looks more eager to share what actually happened. You were eager to hear it. 

"Yeah," She opens the door further, waving you to come in, "Please come in. It's cold."

Stepping inside her house gave you a weird feeling. There was such a great memory inside of here but also one that left you with the worst bitter taste in your mouth. You wanted nothing more than to make more amazing memories in here but you needed to hear what exactly happened this morning.

Ellie guides you to the couch, the couch where you talked for hours, which looked as if she had lived on it for the past 10 hours. There were blankets stacked upon each other while water bottles were littered along the table in front of the couch. You saw the noise cancelling headphones strewn on the table and figured that's why she didn't answer.

You sit down on the edge, rubbing your hands on the front of your thighs. Ellie joins you except she is leaning back on the couch but you can tell with how she's wringing her hands, she's just as nervous.

"I guess the most burning question I have is," Ellie sits up at the sound of your voice. Like she was ready to give you any answer you needed, "Who was she? Why did she seem so hurt by me being here?"

Ellie clears her throat, hands tapping on her leg now as she searches for the right words, "That was Cat, my ex-girlfriend," It would be a lie to say you didn't feel some sort of relief at that, "She is having a hard time coming to terms with that, though. As you saw, she still frequently comes to my house even if I tell her not to." Ellie gives a pained laugh before flicking her eyes over to you to gauge your reaction.

You sigh at that, "How long has it been? Since you broke up?"

"Oh," Ellie scoffs, "A while. It's been around.... 7 months? 7 and a half? Long enough. Jesse calls her a pimple that just won't leave." It suddenly makes sense why Jesse wanted you to come talk to her. 

A tension lifts off of your shoulders at that. Ellie wasn't playing you for a fool. She just had a clingy ex. Your hand reaches out to grab hers, which she lets happen without any sort of resistance. Ellie even looks at you while a smile tugs at the corners of her lips.

Guilt settles deep within your chest now. You wanted to smile back but the dreadful emotion was eating at your chest. Ellie notices how your body went from relaxed to tense again. She twists back to you.

"Hey, you've gone rigid on me again," She jokes, her hand soothingly stroking your forearm, "What's wrong? Please, tell me or ask me anything. I'll say it all. I don't wanna keep secrets."

Your eyes flicker over to meet hers, tears brimming your waterline. Ellie shakes her head at the sight as if she's telling you not to cry. But the tears still sit in your lash line, threatening to spill over. Ellie's hand comes up to cup your face while the hand holding your hand squeezes tightly trying to reassure you.

You try to blink away the tears but instead one drips down causing Ellie to coo, "I feel like a bitch, Ellie. Didn't even give you the chance-"

Ellie cuts you off, "I wouldn't have given me a chance to explain either," Her voice wobbles a bit, "I don't blame you, who wants to get woken up by that? I just was scared I, fuck is it too early? Whatever, I was scared I lost you this morning."

You purse your lips at that while you shake your head. Ellie continues, "I know we haven't known each other for a while but I want to continue to see you. I think... I think I really like you." Her face flushes a bright red as she says that. Her palm precipitates a light sheen of sweat while she waits for your response. You can see her mentally preparing for the rejection.

You decided not to keep her waiting. She had done enough waiting today, "I want to continue to see you too."

The beaming expression she gives you clears any guilty emotions you had lingering. Now you just needed to show Ellie how much you liked her.

tags: @ellieismami, @minillie, @dankpunks, @elliesgff, @muthafuckingstargirl, @deafelliewilliams, @pinkazelma, @fairybr3ad, @me-and-your-husband, @intrnetdoll, @kyleeservopoulos, @elliewilliamsmunch, @champagnelovers101, @amelies-a-simp, @gloomychuuu, @s1decha, @ellieapologist3, @wrendermedone, @robinbuckleys-wife, @waywardpiratebird, @parkers myth, @guacala, @pinknightsinmymind

[thissortofsorcery]

For the soft asks, could you please do 30 and/or 16 with Harringrove? You can do either one or both in the same if you want, I just really like both of those and you're such a good writer so I can't wait to see what you do with them 💚💚

So, um. It's a month and ten days later. I'm still gonna answer all of these! I'm going through rough time with writing and it's taking me a while.

This one's just for you though!!!! I did both 30 and 16, and I hope you enjoy it. Again, I tried to keep it short but it, um. Got away from me. And I added a little bit of angst. Just a smidge.

For context, the setting is a modern college and-they-were-roomates AU sort of thing.

------

Steve's talking to some chick.

She's pretty, Billy thinks, in the same way Nancy Wheeler is. Tiny, brunette, with huge eyes and dainty, bird-bone wrists, swallowed up by a cable-knit sweater.

And Steve's smiling at her with that wide, pleased smile he sometimes gets when he and Billy are alone and the lights are low, the one that Billy never gets tired of looking at, the only time he's sorry to kiss Steve, doesn't want to wipe that look off his face. 

Billy spots them from outside the coffee shop. 

On Thursdays, Billy has his shift at the library until six, and Steve gets off class at five. Steve always waits for him at the campus coffee shop so they can walk to the dorms together. He's been doing that since before they started hooking up. 

He isn't expecting to find Steve chatting up a girl when he's supposed to meet him, though. Jealousy hits him like a punch to the sternum, leaves him breathless and stunned. He knows he should walk away, but he can't unstick his feet from the sidewalk and force himself to move.

They're leaning against the high, long table by the window, standing close to each other. Steve's talking with so much enthusiasm that Billy would be laughing with him if he wasn't watching him talk to someone else. The girl seems plenty amused, though.

Billy's always known he liked Steve more than Steve liked him. There was no way he'd like Billy like– like this. Like Steve's the only voice he can't go a whole day without hearing. Like his heart's breaking is his chest at the sight of Steve flirting with someone else. 

They haven't talked about what they were to each other, yet, not explicitly. But Billy's been hoping, like a fucking idiot.

Billy breathes hard through his nose, and reaches for his cigarettes. He can feel himself getting worked up. He's not gonna be able to let this go. The ache is turning into anger in his chest, bubbling up to his throat. He's not gonna be able to keep it civil with Harrington when he gets back to the dorm after his date, and this is either gonna turn into a fight or Billy's gonna call it quits before he's even through the door. 

Billy's done watching his dating life go up in flames, so he's gonna go to Heather's dorm to see if she has any booze and ice cream. He turns around to leave when a shoulder checks into him hard, knocking his bag to the sidewalk, and his cigarette with it. His temper's already shot, frayed by a long afternoon listening to an asshole professor that didn't want to teach, so he yells out an, "Asshole!" to the guy's back. The dude doesn't even turn around to give Billy the middle finger. Bitch. 

Billy shrugs his bag back on, and turns around to see that Steve's staring at him through the window.

Well, fuck.

Steve doesn't look caught out, though, he's smiling wide and waving frantically for Billy to come inside, not at all deterred by his scowl.

What the fuck, right? They can do this in public if Steve wants to.

Billy shoves his way into the coffee shop, adding sway on his hips to show Steve just what he's missing, and goes straight for them.

He's not expecting Steve to take his hand, lace their fingers together, and say, "Billy, this is Amanda from my Child Psych class. Amanda, this is my boyfriend, Billy."

His what?

"What?"

The girl giggles, a melodious, sweet laugh, and gives him a wave and a smile.

"He's been talking about you for like twenty minutes!" She says, hiding a smile behind her coffee mug. "Well, actually, since the semester started, but for the last twenty minutes, too! It's nice to meet you, finally."

On the outside, Billy's quick to recover, but inside, he's still reeling. He can turn on the charm and greet her, but he can't get his bearings about what he just walked into.

"Nice to meet you," Billy says, quirking his lips into a smirk. He adds a wink for good measure and hopes they chalked up any of his off behavior to being shoved outside, and not to being a jealous dick. He leans hard against Steve, squeezing his hand. Steve squeezes back, rubs his thumb over Billy's, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

"He says you have good taste in music," Amanda says, and her eyes are huge in her small face, to match her excited smile. "My friends and I are going to see Greta Van Fleet this weekend, and two of them backed out, so they're selling their tickets. Steve's been telling me you liked the band, so if you guys wanna come with us, I can totally text Cassie to hold onto them for you!"

Steve got him concert tickets?

Steve was getting him concert tickets?

"Are you serious?" Billy says, looking between Amanda and Steve, who's watching him with the widest grin, eyes crinkling at the corners. He wraps an arm around Billy and kisses him on his stunned forehead. He can't believe he thought Steve was chatting her up, and he was getting Billy concert tickets. "Steve, shut up, are you serious?"

"Yeah, Bill, we're serious," Steve says. "Amanda came to talk to me after class because I've been rambling to her about you and your playlists since I met her."

"Apparently we have the same Ratt tshirt," She says, shaking her head at Steve, "And I've been harassing him with my musical knowledge because my partner cannot hear anymore about it."

Billy's eyes narrow at Steve.

"Is that how you've keeping up with everything I've been saying about the music I like?"

Steve just shrugs, looking guilty.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sell you out!" Amanda cries, clutching her chest. "Don't be mad at him, though, he's just a good listener."

Billy looks at Steve, with his wide smile and his kind eyes, the hair he obsesses over so much falling just so over his eyes. He wants to kiss him so bad.

"Yeah," Billy says, and he can't help but match that smile with his own. "He is."

They say their goodbyes, and Amanda promises to text Steve the information they need to get the tickets as soon as her friend responds.

Steve holds Billy's hand all the way back to the dorms. Billy doesn't let go of it for anything.

As soon as they're through the door, Billy shoves Steve back against it, presses  their bodies together, swallows his gasp into his own mouth. Their lips meeting is the sweetest caress, the first breath of air after being underwater, and Billy lets the sensation of Steve's body against his, always so warm, wash over him, make him shiver. He can't get enough of Steve, needs to touch him everywhere. Billy's hands cup his face and circle his waist, his hips, anywhere they can find skin, needing to feel him, real and close.

Steve holds him just as tight, tries to pull him closer. He's already buried a hand in Billy's hair, a favorite of his, knowing just how much to pull on it to make Billy sigh or whine.

Billy pulls back, makes the kiss gentler, less hurried. Gives Steve little pecks on the corner of his mouth, makes him chase Billy's lips.

"You got me concert tickets," Billy says between kisses, nose rubbing against Steve's.

Steve hums, both in agreement and because he's pleased, having caught Billy's bottom lip between his own. "Yeah. 'Course."

"You're so…" Billy cuts himself off with a laugh, and kisses Steve again, licking into his mouth. "I can't fucking believe you."

Can't believe I have you.

Steve called him his boyfriend.

"Steve…" Billy pulls back, doesn't open his eyes. Can't help the smile that spreads across his mouth as he says, lips still close to Steve's. "You called me your boyfriend."

Billy feels Steve's answering grin against his lips, against the kiss he's pressing to them.

"Well yeah, you're what, my study partner?"

Billy laughs, a soft, quiet thing, that's not less happy for how low it is.

"Don't think we've ever studied anything."

Steve kisses him again, and Billy is distracted for a second, eyes falling closed to the feeling of Steve's lips catching against his.

"We studied anatomy, I think," He laughs, pressing another slick kiss to Billy's mouth. "And um, electricity."

"Electricity?" Billy laughs, opening his eyes to peek at Steve's face, and finds that wide, pleased smile he fell in love with, that he thinks he can't live without seeing.

"Yeah," Steve says, and laces their fingers together, sending a shiver down Billy's spine. "Do you feel it?"

Billy looks up at him, caught in that soft, brown-eyed gaze. Jesus, but Billy could look at him forever.

"Yeah," Billy says. "Yeah, I feel it."

----

This is in no way inspired by the Greta Van Fleet album that came out yesterday and the fact that I think modern Billy would be a super fan.

[supercalifragipopculturevomit]

More of Daniel Brühl on Just One Last Question with Frank Elstner:

Listen. I don't think it's an accident we haven't seen Daniel in many of the major chat shows like Fallon. Save for the press junkets that must be contractual for big Hollywood projects, he seems to be quite selective in the interview sessions he agrees to.

It tracks that he wouldn't do anything gimmicky like Thirst Tweets—can you imagine though?? this feral fandom would be the death of him—opting instead for a long and intimate format that focuses on his work, like DP/30. This one falls under that format but it's special. Apart from his Arte documentary, I've never seen him more relaxed and candid. For one, he's never talked about his family this much. Already posted about the time Dame Helen Mirren bit his neck, who can blame her really now gonna go over some other favorite moments...

The way his entire face lights up when the host tells him about the time he worked with Daniel's (late) father:

The adorable way his son thinks his father is a clown off to the circus:

The animated way he talks about his son:

...and the almost bashful way he adds this afterthought:

His mischievous reaction when the host asks about his wife's influence on raising their child:

The way he opens up about his perfectionism and other shortcomings:

The way he pushes through his nervousness when the host drops this bombshell on him. (I'm all for hard-hitting questions but I was definitely like: HOW DARE YOU, SIR??)

The really long pause he takes when the host asks him when he last apologized to someone:

I first heard this referenced in Conversation with Juan Gabriel Vásquez at the Hay Festival, but he never really mentioned which movies of his actually made it to the shelf, so I was happy he did here.

...and you better believe I hollered my answers like I was on a quiz show. And I would have taken home the prize money because I scored 3/3 with Good Bye, Lenin!, Rush, and Inglorious Basterds.

p.s. shame as it is that we'll never see him squirm reading Thirst Tweets, I'm hoping someone will convince him to do Hot Ones. The depth of Sean Evans' questions will honestly surprise him. Also holding out hope that he'll be on The Graham Norton Show someday.

[dr-spectre]

man i saw your last two posts and i wanted to tell you, you're not cringe, and you're not unlovable

i've had like, one full conversation with you going back and forth on both shared and unshared interests and it had a profound effect on me at the time

I need to unlearn shame, i need to be more open with what i fixate on and what i'm doing (and also the realization i'm definitely on some kind of spectrum), from one chat with someone *loud and proud* like you, how fucking crazy is that?

I hardly know you personally, but it's not hard to gauge how awesome you are, in face of your perceived faults, several of which i share myself, you yap so much but you're so genuine and passionate i and pretty much everyone who sticks here loves to read it, it never gets old, it never gets annoying

you put your whole pussy into innocuous little things about the subject matter, and it's a wonderful thing

you can find friends, you can find love, and you deserve both of those things

this is a little long but it's sentiments i've had for awhile now but no good opportunity to share......

I.... I..... WHA.

WHAT DO I EVEN SAY TO THIS?!?!?! YOU CAN'T DROP THIS IN MY INBOX LIKE THAT!!!

LISTEN... ITS JUST.... I aint awesome!!! Im some 20 year old autistic dude who's too obsessed with a squid woman! How's that awesome!!?!?!? I haven't made an impact on anything... not on the community... not on inkipedia... not on anyone... I have 300 followers... that's nothing...

...or have i?!?! There's no way I could have had an impact on someone... hell even SEVERAL PEOPLE! I just overanalyse stuff that seems so cut and dry but... people are actually positive about my stuff? People say to me that I changed the way they see this important character to me.... BUT THERE'S NO WAY RIGHT?!?!? I still feel like a drop in the ocean. Just a spec of dust!!! I haven't made real change yet... OR HAVE I?! I DON'T KNOW!!! WAAAHHHH!!!

Maybe.... maybe if I have changed one person's perspective, then maybe it was worth it in the first place...

You know. I wanna say that the reason I came to tumblr was because my irl friends aren't into Splatoon and my family gives me a meh shoulder shrug to my interest. It was so difficult for me to explain Splatoon to my parents when Splatoon 3 came out and I picked up the game at launch! So I went here because I felt like it was the best place to express myself. And yeah I'm glad I stuck with it honestly.

I get why my irl friends aren't into Splatoon, they need to buy a multi hundred dollar console that's about to get replaced soon just to play 2 games. And trying to explain to them Nintendo Wii U and Switch emulation is just... I dont even wanna attempt that HAHAHAHA!!!! So I often felt lonely and it felt like I was screaming into a void when talking about Splatoon to them in a discord server. I guess that's where my sense of loneliness comes from.....

I genuinely have NO ONE in real life to talk to about my interests and have someone ACTUALLY listen. I guess that's why I feel cringe and not cool at all. My interests are so nerdy and I'm on the spectrum, my social skills are like D tier. I genuinely cannot talk about myself, i really cant. Its why i have never been in a romantic relationship before.... As a 20 year old dude, that shit fucking stings I'm not even gonna lie. I think about that shit every day. LITERALLY EVERY DAY I'M NOT LYING!!!!

But anyways, I'm getting way too personal on the internet. I don't wanna be some sad sap.

Thank you. Seriously, thank you. I'm not sure if I truly feel like I deserve love but. Thank you anyways. I guess it is a good quality to have that I can ramble and yap and become really focused on something, even if it's not adult things like... getting a job, paying taxes or whatever HAHAHAHA!