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aliyahwritings · 2 months ago

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THE CONTRACTED HEART — Rafe Cameron (09)

MASTERLIST | Basketball Player & Model!Female Reader

Summary: Rafe Cameron, a basketball star, needs a marriage to fix his image, while Model!Reader needs one for citizenship. They may be the perfect solution for each other.

Warnings: smut, descriptions of violence, jealousy, usage of drugs, talks about body image/ed, angst, and lots of bickering. Reader is confident, a people-pleaser, has a traumatic past, and is a sunshine with an attitude. Rafe is a whore, possessive, cocky, and secretive about his past.

Word Count: 4.7k

Aliyah's Notes: y'all are getting fed cause this chapter and the next one are gonna be cute asf so enjoy :)

Three days before the engagement party felt like an endless marathon, with every hour packed to the brim with decisions and errands. The morning started early—too early for your liking—as Aisha and Nina practically dragged you out of bed.

Nina, ever the “mom” of the group, had already prepared an itinerary. She stood in the kitchen, arms crossed, her phone in hand, while you slumped in a chair, still clinging to the remnants of sleep. “Alright, ladies,” Nina began, her tone brisk, “we’ve got a packed schedule. Venue first, then flowers, then caterers. We’ll fit in the designer appointment after lunch, assuming someone,” her eyes flicked pointedly toward you, “doesn’t take forever to make decisions.”

Aisha smirked, sipping her coffee as she leaned against the counter. “You know she’ll take forever. She was debating the color of napkins for twenty minutes for her birthday party.”

“Because they matter!” you protested, sitting up straighter, your natural energy kicking in. “The wrong napkin can throw off the entire table aesthetic. Imagine gold chargers with plain white napkins—horrible!”

Aisha groaned dramatically, while Nina pinched the bridge of her nose. “God give me strength,” Nina muttered in Tagalog under her breath before clapping her hands. “Alright, let’s move. The decorator is expecting us in twenty minutes, and I’m not letting us be late.”

The three of you piled into Nina’s car, and the drive to the venue was filled with your endless chatter. You couldn’t help yourself; you were excited. Ever since your night at Rafe’s, you’ve been walking around with a weight lift off your shoulders, and a smile on your face. “Okay, but seriously, do you think white and gold is too basic? Should I add a pop of color? Like blush pink? Or emerald green! Oh, that could be so chic—”

“Breathe, Miss. Yapper,” Aisha interrupted, shooting you a look from the front seat. “You’ve already settled on white and gold. Don’t backtrack now.”

“She’s just overthinking again,” Nina said from the driver’s seat, her voice calm but firm. “You always do this, sweetie. Just trust your instincts. They’re good… most of the time.”

“Most of the time?!” you repeated, feigning offense.

“Girl, you’re the one who almost ordered heart-shaped balloons for your ex’s retirement party,” your best friend deadpanned.

“He always complained about his job, alright! I thought he was happy to retire.”

The two of them burst into laughter, and you couldn’t help but join in. They always knew how to make you laugh, even when your perfectionism threatened to take over.

When you arrived at the venue, the decorator was already waiting, surrounded by samples of linens, centerpieces, and lighting options. The grand ballroom looked beautiful even in its unfinished state, with its high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows letting in streams of sunlight. But you could already see a million tiny things that needed to be fixed or adjusted.

Nina took charge of logistics, confirming delivery times and setups with the decorator, while Aisha kept you in check. Every time you tried to change something—a table arrangement here, a floral display there—Aisha would cross her arms and give you a warning glare.

“Focus, Y/N. You’re going to drive this poor decorator insane,” Aisha muttered as you debated, for the third time, whether the table runners should have a satin or matte finish.

“It’s not insane to want things to be perfect,” you argued, though your voice was tinged with doubt.

“It’s insane when you’re deciding between two things that look exactly the same,” Aisha countered.

“Pale beige and normal beige are completely different—”

Nina swooped in to mediate, her tone soothing. “Look, kids, both options are gorgeous. Y/N, pick one and move on. We still have three more stops today.”

You sighed, finally nodding and pointing to the matte finish. The decorator gave you a grateful smile, and you moved on to the next decision.

By the time you left the venue, your head was spinning, but there was no time to slow down. The next stop was the florist, where the three of you pored over bouquets and arrangements.

“Peonies are elegant, but are they too soft for the theme?” you mused aloud, holding up a sample.

“Peonies are fine,” Nina assured you, already checking her phone for the next appointment.

“Roses are boring,” Aisha chimed in, inspecting a cluster of orchids. “But these could work. They’re dramatic. Like you.”

You stuck your tongue out at her, earning a rare laugh from Nina. “She’s not wrong,” Nina said with a small smile.

The florist walked you through the arrangements, but your perfectionism struck again. You wanted everything to complement the aesthetic without feeling overdone. Nina stepped in when she sensed you starting to spiral.

“Y/N, just pick a theme and stick with it,” she said gently but firmly. “You can’t have every flower in the world at your party. Less is more.”

Aisha nodded in agreement. “Listen to her. She’s right. For once.”

Nina rolled her eyes but didn’t dignify the comment with a response.

Eventually, you settled on a mix of peonies, orchids, and eucalyptus, feeling a little more confident as you left the florist.

Lunch was a quick stop at a café, where you barely had time to scarf down a sandwich before heading to your next appointment. The designer fitting was a whirlwind of fabrics, sequins, and pins, with you trying on dress after dress while Nina and Aisha offered their unfiltered opinions.

By the end of the day, you were utterly spent. You stumbled through the door of your apartment, exhaustion hit you like a ton of bricks. You kicked off your heels, letting them clatter onto the floor, and flopped onto the couch with a moan. Your feet ached, your head was pounding, and the thought of the work you have for tomorrow made you want to cry.

Just as you were debating whether to order takeout or crawl into bed and call it a night. Your phone buzzed—-your new phone that you bought yesterday after losing your original one and your keys at the charity event—-on the coffee table. You reached for it, squinting at the screen.

Rafe: “Longest. Day. Ever.”

A small smile tugged at your lips despite your fatigue. You propped yourself up against the armrest and typed back.

You: “Tell me about it. I’m so dead! Who knew choosing flowers could feel like a full-body workout?”

His response came almost immediately.

Rafe: “Yeah? Well, at least you didn’t have to run for AN HOUR!!! My legs feel like they’re about to give up on me.”

You: “Poor baby. Want me to send you a trophy for Most Exhausted Future Fiancé-to-Be?”

Rafe: “Ha. Ha. So funny.”

Rafe: “Are you sure we’re not married yet? You already sound like a nagging wife.”

The audacity of him made you chuckle and roll your eyes. You typed quickly, unable to help yourself.

You: “Excuse you? If I’m a nagging wife, then you’re a whiny husband.”

Rafe: “Whatever you say, nagging wife.”

You let out a quiet laugh, shaking your head as you sank further into the couch. The teasing back-and-forth was an oddly comforting way to unwind after such a chaotic day.

You: “Seriously though, did you at least eat? Or are you surviving off your ego again?”

Rafe: “Does a protein bar and water count?”

You groaned audibly, your fingers flying across the screen.

You: “No, Rafe. A protein bar and water do NOT count. A protein bar is not food; it’s a snack. Please tell me you’ve got something decent in your fridge.”

Rafe: “Define ‘decent’…”

You: “I’m going to kill you.”

Rafe: “That’s very romantic, baby, but you’re avoiding the question. What’s the verdict? Is my fridge decent enough for you, Your Honor?”

You: “No.”

You: “Knowing you, it’s probably full of water bottles, expired vegetables, and mystery leftovers. Am I wrong?”

Rafe: “I don’t like this attack on my character.”

You: “Answer the question, Cameron.”

Rafe: “Fine. Maybe you’re right. I don’t have the energy to argue. Or to cook, for that matter.”

You sighed again, a twinge of concern sneaking past your teasing. You guessed he pushed himself hard during training, but the least he could do was take care of himself after.

You: “Alright, what do you feel like eating? I’ll bring you something.”

Rafe: “What? No. You just spent all day running around. You don’t have to do that.”

You: “Too late. I offered, and I’m not taking it back. So, what’ll it be?”

Rafe: “...You’re really doing this, huh?”

You: “Absolutely.”

Rafe: “Fine. Surprise me. Just nothing too fancy. I’m starving.”

You: “Got it. Be there in an hour.”

Rafe: “Angel.”

Shaking your head, you pocketed your phone and headed to the kitchen. After a quick assessment of what you had on hand, you decided on a simple but satisfying dish: chicken biryani.

Cooking helped you relax after the chaotic day. The process of measuring spices, chopping onions, and stirring the pot grounded you, your mind focused on creating something warm and filling. By the time the dish was done, the air was fragrant with the scent of saffron, cardamom, and cloves.

You packed the biryani into a container, added a side of pudding kheer for balance, and grabbed some naan for good measure. After a quick freshen-up, you were on your way to Rafe’s penthouse.

When he opened the door, the sight of him hit you like a punch to the gut. Rafe stood there in low-hanging sweatpants that clung to his hips, no shirt in sight, leaving every inch of his toned chest and sculpted abs on full display. His damp hair was a tousled mess, drops of water clinging to his skin, catching the light as they slid down the defined lines of his torso. He leaned casually against the doorframe, his gaze raking over you with a mix of cocky amusement and exhaustion. The lazy grin tugging at his lips was enough to make your pulse stutter—and the way his voice dipped, low and teasing, when he finally spoke didn’t help.

“Well, well,” he drawled. “Look who showed up. My nagging wife bearing gifts.”

You rolled your eyes, forcing yourself to focus on the container in your hands instead of his sexy, very sexy abs. “You want dinner or not, Cameron? ‘Cause I can take it back?”

He instantly straightened up. “Come in, Your Honor,” he stepped aside to let you in, his grin widening when he saw the bag in your hand.

The penthouse was dimly lit, the warm glow of the city skyline visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows. You set the food on the kitchen island, trying to ignore the way he was watching you with that infuriating smirk.

You looked at your attire, and rolled your eyes. “Stop staring at my ass and grab plates,” you ordered, sounding stern.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, clearly amused, but he obeyed.

The two of you sat at the island, the meal between you. You put your hair in a bun, and said; “So, this is chicken biryani—” you pointed to it. “—and this is kheer and some naan.”

“This looks amazing, Y/N,” he let out a groan of appreciation.

You blushed at the compliment. “Thank you. You ever had Asian food before?”

“I had sushi and ramen with my team—”

You chuckled. “I meant South Asian food, Rafe.”

“Oh. South Asian…”

“Yeah,” you nodded. “You know, Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, etc… Did you?”

He shook his head. “I don’t remember. I eat basic white man food, to be honest.”

“I realized,” you laughed. “Well, eat well.”

Rafe took his first bite, and his eyes widened. “Yo! This is delicious, what the fuck?”

You smiled, watching as he devoured the food like he hadn’t eaten in days. “Told you protein bars wouldn’t cut it—”

“You’re not going to eat?”

“I already ate,” you lied.

“Bullshit,” he said, giving you a pointed look. “Have some with me. I don’t like eating alone.”

You hesitated for a moment before giving in, grabbing a fork and joining him. The two of you ate in companionable silence, the tension of the day melting away with each bite.

For a brief moment, it didn’t feel like you were preparing for an engagement party or navigating the complicated arrangement that had brought you together. It felt easy, natural—like something that didn’t require overthinking.

You stood at the sink, sleeves rolled up, rinsing off the plates and containers. Warm water rushed over your hands as you scrubbed away the remnants of biryani and naan. The scent of spices lingered in the air, a comforting reminder of the meal you’d shared. Behind you, Rafe leaned against the counter, his tall frame relaxed but his eyes fixed on you.

“You know,” he said, his voice cutting through the quiet hum of the faucet, “you really don’t have to do this.”

“You’ve said that already,” you replied without turning around, focusing instead on rinsing the plate in your hand.

“Because I mean it. I can clean tomorrow,” he quipped, folding his arms across his bare chest.

A chuckle escaped you, and you tossed him a look over your shoulder. “Some of us were raised to clean up immediately after eating. It’s a brown girl thing—no one leaves the kitchen messy in my house.”

Rafe raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. “Ah, so it’s cultural?”

“Hell yeah,” you replied, turning back to the sink. “If my mom ever caught me walking away from a pile of dishes, I wouldn’t live to see another day.”

“Sounds intense,” he teased, though his tone was laced with curiosity.

“You’re just white,” you shot back, and he laughed. “But also… I kind of like it,” you admitted, your voice softer now. “It feels wrong to leave things undone. Like you’re disrespecting the meal or something.”

Rafe was quiet for a moment, and you could feel his gaze lingering on you, not with judgment but something that felt closer to admiration.

“You’re kind of incredible, you know that?” he said finally.

You blinked, caught off guard. “For doing the dishes? Your standards are low, Cameron.”

He laughed, the sound deep and genuine. “No, I mean… just in general. You don’t have to cook for me or clean up after me, but you do it anyway. And you don’t even make a big deal out of it. You’re just… thoughtful.”

His words made you pause, your hands still under the running water. For a man who often masked his feelings behind sarcasm and cockiness, the sincerity in his voice hit you harder than you expected.

“Well,” you said, trying to keep your tone light, “don’t get used to it. Just because I cleaned your kitchen tonight doesn’t mean I’m signing up to do it forever.”

Rafe grinned, stepping closer. “Noted. One-time deal.”

You rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you shut off the faucet and reached for the dish towel. “Besides, I wasn’t cleaning for you. I was cleaning for my own peace of mind.”

“Still,” he said, his voice dropping slightly, “thanks. For all of it.”

You glanced over at him, caught off guard again by the softness in his tone. The cocky grin he usually wore was replaced by something more subdued, more genuine. It made your chest tighten in a way you weren’t ready to think about.

“It’s not a big deal,” you said, your voice quieter now. “Just food and a few dishes.”

“To you, maybe,” he said, leaning against the counter beside you. “But it’s been a while since anyone’s done something like this for me. I don’t even know the last time I had an actual home-cooked meal.”

That admission tugged at something deep inside you, a mix of sympathy and affection you weren’t quite prepared for. You focused on folding the towel in your hands, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way your cheeks warmed.

“Well, someone has to make sure you don’t live off protein bars and bad decisions,” you said lightly, trying to steer the conversation back into familiar territory.

Rafe chuckled, the sound low and warm. “Guess I should count myself lucky it’s you.”

Your eyes flicked up to his, and for a moment, you forgot how to respond. The way he was looking at you—soft, unguarded, and almost reverent—made your heart skip a beat.

“Alright, stop,” you said, breaking the moment and brushing past him toward the counter. “You’re making it weird.”

“Making what weird?” he asked, following you with an amused grin.

“Everything,” you shot back, grabbing your bag. “And don’t think I didn’t notice you slacking off while I did all the work. Next time, you’re cleaning.”

“Deal,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “As long as there’s a next time.”

You hesitated at the door, looking back at him. His smirk was still there, but so was that softness in his eyes, the one that made it hard to look away. Bag slung over your shoulder and shoes slipped back on, ready to leave Rafe’s penthouse and head home for what was left of the night. The day had drained you, and though the quiet domestic moment you’d just shared with him was nice—unexpectedly so—you still needed to recharge for tomorrow’s chaos.

“You don’t have to leave yet,” he said, almost too casually, as if trying to disguise the sincerity in his tone.

You paused, glancing back at him. “Rafe, it’s late. I’m exhausted. You’re exhausted. We both need sleep.”

He shrugged, his mouth curling into that boyish grin that usually meant trouble. “So? Five more minutes won’t hurt. Sit down, relax. You’ve been running around all day.”

You narrowed your eyes at him but relented, curiosity getting the better of you. “Fine. Five minutes,” you muttered, dropping your bag onto the floor again and heading to the couch.

Rafe followed you, sitting on the other end of the couch, though he shifted closer. His arm rested along the backrest, his entire posture relaxed in a way that only made you more aware of him.

“So,” he began, his tone lighter now, “what did you actually do today? Besides fighting with tablecloths and flowers, I mean.”

You groaned, leaning back into the cushions. “It feels like that’s all I did. The decorators kept bringing me options that were either too tacky or too plain. And don’t even get me started on the florists. Nina kept trying to keep me on schedule, Aisha rolled her eyes at every single arrangement, and I was stuck in the middle.”

His laugh was low and warm. “Sounds like a nightmare.”

“It was,” you said, though there was a faint smile tugging at your lips now. “But somehow, it’s all starting to come together. Slowly. Painfully. I think we’re making progress.”

He tilted his head, watching you with that quiet intensity he always seemed to have when you weren’t paying attention. “You really care about this party, huh?”

You hesitated, the weight of his gaze making it harder to brush off the question. “Yeah, I guess I do,” you admitted softly. “I mean, if we don’t make it believable then I’d have to go back to my country, and I can’t let that happen.”

Rafe was silent for a moment, his eyes never leaving yours. The soft light in the room cast shadows across his face, making him look more vulnerable, less guarded than usual.

“You’re putting so much thought into it,” he said finally, his voice quieter now. “More than anyone else would, I think.”

You shrugged, your gaze dropping to your hands. “Just doing what needs to be done. Nothing special.”

“It is special,” he said, his tone firm but gentle.

The sincerity in his voice made your chest tighten. You glanced up at him, meeting his gaze for a moment that felt like it stretched on forever. There was something unspoken in his expression, something soft and unfamiliar that made your heart stutter.

“Okay, your turn,” you said quickly, needing to break the tension. “What did you do today, besides run yourself into the ground?”

His smirk returned, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Practice, drills, meetings. The usual.”

“You make it sound so thrilling,” you teased, crossing your arms.

“Oh, it’s a blast,” he said with mock enthusiasm. “Nothing like running suicides and lifting until your arms feel like they’re gonna fall off. And then sitting in a room listening to people tell you how to market yourself better.”

“Sounds glamorous,” you said, leaning back into the couch with a small laugh.

Rafe chuckled, his gaze softening as he watched you. “It’s not. But then again, you make flower arrangements sound like boot camp, so I guess we’re even.”

You smiled, letting the comfortable quiet settle between you for a moment. The hum of the city outside was faint but constant, a reminder of how late it had gotten.

“I should really go,” you said, breaking the silence and sitting up.

Rafe’s hand reached out, brushing against yours as he spoke. “You don’t have to.”

The softness in his voice caught you off guard, and for a moment, you stayed still, his fingers lingering near yours. The space between you suddenly felt smaller, charged with something neither of you were ready to name.

“Rafe,” you said gently, pulling your hand back, though your voice betrayed your hesitation.

“Stay a little longer,” he said, his eyes searching for yours. “This is… nice. Just sitting here. Talking.”

Your heart thudded in your chest at his words, and you looked away, pretending to straighten your bag. “I can’t. I’ve got another long day tomorrow, and so do you.”

He sighed but didn’t argue, leaning back into the couch. “Alright. But you owe me another five minutes next time.”

You laughed softly, shaking your head as you stood. “Sure, Cameron. I’ll pencil it into my busy schedule.”

He followed you to the door again, his presence warm and steady behind you. As you stepped into the hallway, you glanced back at him, your smile softer now.

As you moved toward the door, your bag slung over your shoulder, Rafe trailed behind you, his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his sweatpants. The quiet between you was comfortable, a marked contrast to the constant noise of the day. Just as you reached for the handle, his voice broke the silence.

“So… my dad called today,” he said, his tone light but deliberate.

You paused, turning slightly to glance at him, curiosity flickering in your expression. “Oh? What about?”

Rafe leaned against the frame, his posture deceptively relaxed. “He wanted to ask about you.”

The corners of your mouth lifted in a faint smirk. “Me? Why? Should I be flattered or scared?”

He chuckled, though it came with a hint of exasperation. “Because you’re about to be my wife, and you should definitely be flattered. He’s been… curious, I guess. You’re kind of a hot topic at the moment.”

Your brow furrowed as you adjusted the strap of your bag. “What do you mean?”

Rafe shrugged, though his eyes flickered to yours briefly before looking away. “He’s been asking when he and Rose can meet you. Sarah’s been on my case about it too. She wants to meet you again. It’s like they’re more excited about this whole engagement thing than I am.”

There was an edge to his words, not quite bitterness but something close to it, and you stepped back from the door slightly, your curiosity deepening. “Is that… a bad thing?”

“No, it’s not bad,” he said quickly, though his jaw tightened ever so slightly. “It’s just… predictable. My dad’s all about appearances, and this engagement makes us look good. You make me look good.”

His words were meant to sound casual, but the weight beneath them was unmistakable. You softened your tone as you leaned against the couch. “Rafe, if you’re not comfortable with all this, you can tell me. I’m not going to—”

“It’s not that,” he interrupted, shaking his head. “It’s just… complicated.”

You tilted your head, watching him carefully. “How so?”

He hesitated, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “My family has this way of… making everything feel like a performance. You know? Like, they’re not just happy about this engagement because it’s a good thing for me. They’re happy because it’s a good thing for them. My dad’s already talking about how it’ll ‘strengthen the Cameron name,’ and Rose keeps mentioning how much she ‘adores your poise.’”

You blinked at him, momentarily caught off guard. “Wait, your step-mother said that? About me?”

He laughed lightly, nodding. “Yeah. I think she’s obsessed with you already.”

You couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped you. “Wow. And here I thought winning over your dad would be the hard part.”

“Oh, don’t worry. He’ll grill you like a steak the second he gets a chance,” Rafe said, his tone teasing but his smile tinged with something softer. “He doesn’t trust anyone, especially not when it comes to me.”

You frowned at that, your arms crossing instinctively. “Why not? You’re… I mean, you’re his son. Shouldn’t he trust you the most?”

Rafe’s smile faltered for a split second before he masked it with another shrug. “Let’s just say my track record isn’t exactly spotless. And my dad… he’s always been more interested in results than reasons. This marriage? It’s a result he likes. That’s all.”

The raw honesty in his words caught you off guard, and for a moment, you didn’t know how to respond. Finally, you stepped closer, your voice quieter now. “Rafe, if this is too much—if your family’s involvement is making it harder—I can talk to them. Set boundaries or whatever.”

He shook his head, his eyes meeting yours. “You don’t have to do that. It’s not your problem to fix.”

“Maybe not,” you said, your gaze unwavering, “but it’s my problem now too.”

“Such a good wife already,” he caressed your cheeks softly, the corner of his mouth twitched, his smirk returning faintly. “You’re really taking this whole ‘teamwork’ thing seriously, huh?”

“I’m a perfectionist,” you replied, matching his tone. “Can’t help it.”

He chuckled, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “You’re too good at this, you know. My family’s already halfway in love with you, and you haven’t even met them yet.”

“Maybe I should be worried,” you teased, though there was a softness in your voice now.

“Don’t be,” he said, his tone quieter as he let his hand down your face. “If anything, they’re the ones who should be worried. You’re gonna walk in there, charm everyone without even trying, and leave me to deal with their unrealistic expectations.”

You laughed, the sound light and genuine, and Rafe found himself leaning just a little closer, caught up in the warmth of the moment.

“Well, if they’re anything like you,” you said, your voice still tinged with amusement, “I’m sure I’ll survive.”

Rafe’s smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by something softer, something you couldn’t quite name. “They’re nothing like me,” he said quietly, almost to himself.

The words hung in the air, and for a moment, neither of you moved. His gaze lingered on yours, steady and unguarded in a way that made your breath catch.

“Rafe…” you began, your voice trailing off as his expression shifted ever so slightly, something unreadable flickering across his face.

But just as quickly as the moment had come, it passed. He straightened, his usual smirk slipping back into place like a mask. “You should probably get some rest,” he said, his tone lighter now. “You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

You blinked, startled by the sudden shift, but nodded. “Yeah. You too.”

He followed you to the door, his presence steady behind you as you stepped into the hallway. As you turned back to glance at him one last time, his expression softened again, his blue eyes holding yours for a beat longer than necessary.

“Goodnight, Y/N,” he said, his voice quieter now.

“Goodnight, Rafe,” you replied, your chest tightening slightly as you walked away, the weight of his gaze following you long after you’d gone.

chapter ten

680 notes · View notes

xervn · 11 months ago

Text

𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 🔧

oneshot | mechanic ellie x reader

ao3 link

summary: your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, but thankfully ellie shows up and offers her help

18+ MDNI | 6.3k words | tags; modern au, porn w/ plot (like 70% is plot tbh), kissing, vaginal fingering, pining from reader? arguably, no use of y/n, not proofread

my first post on tumblr EVER and my first time seriously writing smut, so pls be kind!

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It’s midday and you’ve been driving down an isolated road in fuck-knows-where with the hopes you’ll be able to find a gas station in at least 15 minutes. You’ve been driving down this straight road for what felt like ages now, your only surroundings being orange-colored sand and leafless plants.

Never in your life has driving made you more anxious, it was like you were in charge of safely disarming a bomb. You gripped the wheel and glanced at the gas gauge occasionally, each look wearing your hope thinner. You were supposed to fill your tank before leaving, but it wasn’t in your plans to get lost in the first place. You knew your incompetence would catch up to you eventually, but you didn’t think it’d be now.

Your teeth grit against each other as you raced against time. You desperately repeated affirmations, hoping they would help you along the way. Maybe if you ignored the fact you could be stranded, you’ll get to your destination faster.

My gas is NOT running out…

I will NOT have a mental breakdown…

I AM responsible…

Not even a good moment later, the engine starts sputtering as if you called it upon yourself. You desperately tapped at the fuel gauge, resulting in the amount dropping drastically. To your surprise, it’s been showing the wrong amount the entire time. You drove towards the side of the road so you could let the tank run out while you spit out a colorful array of obscenities. There was no doubt in your mind that this might be the worst day of your life.

You slammed at the dashboard of your piece of shit, beat up, 2012 Toyota Tacoma with unprecedented rage, dropping your head onto the steering wheel in defeat. The depleting noises the engine made as it slowly died only added to how you were feeling. Your face heated up and your eyes brimmed with tears; not because you were sad, but because you were so damn pissed.

“Fuck my life...” You sobbed out, forehead pressing harder into the wheel.

The sudden blaring sound that came from the car’s diaphragm jolted you up and caused you to yelp out. Everything’s silent for a while— you included— like a city before a tsunami attacks or the quiet before a dam bursts. In proper fashion, you unleashed a waterfall of tears; slowly, but surely, turning into a wallowing mess. Tears, snot, and saliva everywhere all because you made an irresponsible decision and drove a terrible car to make irresponsible decisions in.

Out of frustration, you honked some more, beating at the wheel’s center like there’s a solution inside of it. Certainly, this wasn’t the best way to handle your situation, but it was the only thing you had the energy to do. Amidst all the beeping and profanities, you failed to notice a car pulling up beside you. They honked their horn in unison with yours and the harmony caused you to frantically look around for the source.

You turned to your left and your gaze was met with a green set of eyes. It only took a second longer for you to realize who or what was looking at you. A woman with short auburn hair and a freckled face was shooting you a concerned glare.

All that was running through your head now was that a woman was looking at you and the manic episode you were having would undoubtedly scare off any future prospects. As your stomach turned into knots of shame, you muttered a low swear and quickly wiped away the remaining tears on your face.

You took a deep breath and calmly rolled down your window, which took an agonizingly slow amount of time. You occasionally spared the woman a few awkward glances with an equally awkward grin. Your humiliation built up along with the comically loud sound coming from the rolling window. After what felt like an eternity later, the window finally rolled down and you looked up to meet the woman’s gaze again, further examining her features.

Right there and then, you swore your heart fell out of your ass. You never thought you’d find yourself saying something so cliche, but the lady was a sight for your teary sore eyes. She was wearing a simple gray tank top, which showcased her spectacularly shaped arms and tattooed forearm.

The sight of her alone made you question your sanity. Maybe you were imagining her to make you feel better? You wouldn’t be surprised if you did.

As you looked up at her even more attractive face, you noticed her scarred brow was perked up, which could only mean she noticed you staring, and based on the subtle curl at the corner of her lips; she found it amusing too.

Your face instantly warmed up. You needed to defend your ogling quickly, but before you could manage out a single word, the beauty beat you to it.

“Are you okay?” The woman questioned, the slight lilt at the end of it only deepened your embarrassment. It physically pained you to imagine how much of your breakdown she saw.

“I’m fine, I was just...” You couldn’t finish your sentence, so you let out a sheepish laugh to fill in the space.

“You sure? It looks like you’re having some trouble.” The woman gestures her head at your car as she speaks, not breaking a second of eye contact.

You chewed on your lip, nervously shifting your stare before admitting, “Uh, yeah. I ran out of gas...”

“Looks like it slightly inconvenienced you.”

A subconscious scoff fell from your mouth as you lazily gestured around you. “Slightly?”

“Just a guess. I could hear the honking a mile away.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the only thing that works on this junk.”

The woman let out an amused hum, casually glancing at the road behind her before turning to you again. “Did you already call for help?”

“Nope...” You responded, your eyes still wandering off.

The woman idly wet her lips in thought before driving up the road. For a moment, you thought she rudely left you stranded on the side of the road, but after carefully looking, you noticed she was driving a tow truck.

Your previous thought that she might be a figment of your imagination immediately came back, because what the hell? A real-life angel came to save you at your lowest. She parked in front of your car and stepped out of the vehicle and you peered out the window of yours, shamelessly following her movements in awe.

She was slim, lean, and held an average height. The jeans she was wearing fit her so nicely, you actually had to pinch yourself to stop looking.

You reached for your rearview mirror and pointed it towards yourself, making sure most of your makeup was intact. Much to your dismay, your eyeliner was smudged, and your lip gloss was wiped away. So, not only did she watch you wail like a baby, you looked like one too. You glimpsed back at the woman, making sure she wouldn’t catch you in the act of dolling up for her.

You stepped out of the car after quickly fixing your makeup, a bit shy to face the woman now. You weren’t particularly dressed like you were ready to do any flirting today, sporting a white graphic crop tee and distressed blue jean shorts. Nonetheless, you fidgeted with your clothes before approaching her.

She double glanced at you as she moved stuff off the truck’s ramp, eventually blurting out, “I don’t have any gas in my truck, and uh–“ She abruptly stopped her action to look at you as she spoke, “– there’s no gas station out here for a while, but I have a garage not too far away.”

“You’ll help me? I mean, is it okay? I don’t wanna shit on your plans.” You asked, but mostly out of decency. You needed the help after all. Plus, your only other option was to wait for another mechanic instead of just going with this extremely hot one.

She grinned and nodded a few times reassuringly. You found that every little motion she did melted you a bit. Just the tease of a smile from her could turn you into pudding. “It’s no problem, I was headed there anyway. It’s not every day I get to rescue a damsel in distress.”

You bit down a bashful grin as you muttered a thanks and she told you to wait in the passenger seat. When you walked off, you swore you could feel her eyes burning into you. You couldn’t tell if it was a phantom feeling or if she was actually staring you down, but every inch of you hoped for the latter.

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You took a look around your surroundings. The car smelled like diesel and marijuana, but you weren’t expecting much from a tow truck. There was a cute 3D dinosaur pendent hanging off the rear-view mirror and the car had small handmade stickers across the dashboard.

Before you could look any further, the woman stepped into the driver’s seat and started the car. She just hooked your car up to hers, so she had to take a look behind to make sure it was in place, setting her tattooed arm on your headrest as she did so. Your heart skipped at the closeness and all you could do was stare at her like a dork.

It was slightly perverse how much you enjoyed staring at her face. You’ve seen beauty before, but she was a discovery. Another plus was that she smelt really good. She didn’t wear a sweet or flowery perfume. She wore something earthier, and it blended in perfectly with that slight hint of gasoline. The best way to describe it is that she smelt like a pinewood air freshener in a new car but fucking hot.

The woman caught you off guard with a glance, her own face a bit shocked to find you looking at her. You quickly averted your gaze and eyed the road up instead, pursing your lips together as if nothing happened, attempting to ignore the shame away.

You were obviously embarrassed, and that usual mortified feeling washed over your body. She didn’t laugh or anything, but as she retrieved her arm and put her hand on the wheel, you nervously glimpsed at her face and saw a small, smug smile.

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The drive was painfully quiet. All you could hear was muffled crunchy sounds of the road and the humming of the truck’s engine. You sat there, fiddling with your shorts as you slowly zoned out.

“Where are you headed?” The woman blurted out, causing you to abruptly turn her way. She was still focused on the road ahead, so you took the time to peer at her side profile, in which you deemed needed to be framed and hung up in an art gallery.

“I’m going to see my family upstate for the holidays.”

“How long have you been driving then?”

“About... three hours.”

“Three hours and you didn’t think to stop for gas?” She huffed out a melodic laugh and peeked at you. You’d let her tease you as much as she wanted as long as you got to hear that laugh again.

“I thought I had enough! My stupid tank was reading wrong.” You responded, puffing your cheeks out at the thought.

“I’ll fix that too then.”

“That’d be appreciated.”

“Why’re you driving that old thing anyways?”

You shrugged as you spoke out, “Well, I’m a college student and it’s better than nothing.”

“Really? What’s your major?” She looked at you for a moment with genuine curiosity. It didn’t feel like she was just looking for small talk.

Her interest was comforting, but you were slightly wary to say it. Your major didn’t necessarily scream out sexy like psychology or law would. You hesitated before slowly speaking out. “… Astrophysics.”

You knew the chances of her having any idea what your nerdy major was about was incredibly low. You bit your lip as you waited for the awkward ‘oh’ or ‘cool’ that usually comes after.

“Astrophysics? That’s actually fuckin’ sick.”

Your brows rose in shock, never expecting anyone to respond that way. “Yeah, I like space stuff... I guess...”

You rubbed your forehead at your dull awkwardness and the woman let out another satisfying laugh at your lack of explanation. “That’s one reason to get into it. I like space stuff too. I think constellations are pretty neat.”

You smiled to yourself at her sincerity, and consequently, the thought of stars perked you up in an instance. “Me too! I had the perfect view of Aquila from my backyard growing up.”

“I’m jealous. I struggle connecting them myself, so I just go to that one space museum in the city to look at ‘em. But, fuck, if I could see– I know this is basic, but– if I could see Ursa Major with my own eyes?”

“You haven’t? The Big Dipper is one of the easiest to find.”

She chuckled before she spoke. “You’ll need to help me find it then.”

Help her find it? Lay underneath the stars and connect them with her? It was a very nice thought in your head, but you’re 100% sure she said it without thinking. You expected the previous silence to continue after that until she broke it again.

She was clearly embarrassed by herself, twisting her lips before finally saying something. “My name’s Ellie, by the way.”

You sheepishly responded with your name and Ellie subtly smiled as she continued to drive down the road.

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You guys pulled up to the driveway of the mechanic garage. There was a large decal with ‘MILLER AND CO’ over a wrench painted on the metal doors. The area was just as deserted as the road you guys drove on, minus the few farms around now.

“Is this yours?” You asked.

“Nah, it’s my dad’s. I try to enjoy it like it’s mine though.”

“Has this always been what you’ve wanted to do?” You wondered out loud, only to feel regretful after. You didn’t know her, and you were already asking personal questions. The slim chance she’s suddenly put off by you made you wanna curl into a ball and cry.

“I mean, I always wanted to be an astronaut growing up, but that was never in the cards for me. Things changed when my dad adopted me, I was practically glued to him. I did everything he did.” Ellie freely answered and it dropped your worries instantly. You found her openness incredibly attractive. At that moment, you could feel yourself yearning to learn more about her. “I still love everything about space though, don’t get me wrong.”

“And dinosaur stuff too?” You cheekily queried as you pointed at the rearview chain.

Ellie glanced at the cutesy decor and chuckled. “And dinosaur stuff too.”

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After getting the cars into the garage, Ellie steps out of the car and walks over to your side. You watched curiously as she strolled to your door and popped it open for you.

You stared and she stared back expectantly, gesturing for you to hop out. You smiled slightly at that, and Ellie smiled back. God, you could watch her smile for days on end.

“You can sit anywhere, it shouldn’t take too long.” Ellie said as you stepped out, closing the door behind you.

You turned to face her before continuing the conversation. “Thanks again. Also, err... how much is it gonna run me?” Your teeth clenched a little as you asked. It wasn’t the first thing that you wanted to say, but you weren’t made out of money. I mean, look at what you were driving.

Ellie snorted at your expression and shook her head. “Don’t worry about it.”

In response, you gave a doubtful look. There was no way she was this kind and wanted nothing in return.

Leaning against the truck door, Ellie playfully rolled her eyes. “I’m serious. This is my good deed for the month.”

“Nothing? Nothing at all?” You quizzed, your brow perking curiously.

“Nothing at all. But if you insist…” She went on, looking off as if she was really changing her mind.

“No! No... Thank you.” You blurted.

You cursed yourself at how vulnerably broke you were being, and Ellie smiled wider than she had before. Once you caught onto that smile, your eyes latched on. It was only natural to stare at her teeth, her lips, wondering how they’d feel on yours; if she’d smile between her kisses.

You quickly snapped out of it before you spiraled any further, but clearly not fast enough.

“You have a staring problem, y’know?” Ellie stated, slightly tilting her head as she let her eyes travel over your body. A stare for a stare if you would.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a staring problem.”

“If it’s not staring, what is it?” She asked with her eyes locked onto yours.

“Admiring?”

Ellie was slightly surprised at your sudden boldness, her smile faltered for a millisecond before quickly returning.

“Hm, I could say the same.”

She basically confirmed she was also checking you out. Meaning, you had a chance. You looked away as you blushed fiercely, and in the corner of your eye you could see Ellie doing the same.

You don’t know when it started, but the vibe between you two became pleasantly tense. Any previous worries and doubts that Ellie might not like you vanished. You clearly had a chance with her, and you planned to see how far your luck would go. She turned away to clear her throat and pushed off the truck. You decided to move away yourself, finding a nice chair to settle yourself on.

The spot you sat at put Ellie in your direct line of sight. You should probably call your family and tell them you’d be running late, but you were comfortable where you were. Ellie was incredibly captivating; you wouldn’t mind trailing her with your eyes as she did simple tasks like filling up gas for the rest of your life. She was like a really good fucking movie.

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Thirty minutes into your imaginary film, you thought the picture quality was getting better, but you discerned it was just Ellie getting closer.

She rubbed her oiled hands off her shirt as she approached you. “Can you help me with something? I j–“

You sprang up to your feet before she could finish speaking. You didn’t need to hear what she had to say next. It wouldn’t hurt for her to see how interested you were.

Ellie went wide-eyed at your eagerness, shaking her head lightly.

“You could’ve let me finish talking first.” She said with a subtle, taunting smile.

“I didn’t need to. I’m already getting serviced for free, so I’ll gladly do it.”

“Getting serviced, huh?”

You smiled coyly at Ellie as you recognized the implications of her childish repetition before correcting yourself. “I’m already getting helped.”

Ellie retained her smile as she turned back to the car, gesturing for you to follow her with one of her stained hands. You followed her over to the driver’s side of your truck where she knelt down and shifted an arrangement of tools on the cement floor.

“I need to fix the wiring underneath your car to fix the fuel gauge. If you could hand the tools to me when I ask for ‘em, that’d be great. Can you do that for me?” Ellie questioned in a honeyed voice. She looked up at you, waiting for your answer; a cruel grin barely tugging at the corner of her lips.

You only nodded as her stare left you too flustered to speak. You knew the intentions from her tone of voice alone and, boy, did it work. She was teasing you again, but even more obvious than the last.

She fixed a set of tools on a white cloth, setting the toolbox open and nearby as well. You weren’t stupid, you can tell what almost all the tools were. Driving a car you do; it was only a matter of time before you had to do temporary repairs yourself. However, you realized the opportunity you had laid out in front of you, and you were most definitely gonna take it.

Ellie spoke as she retrieved a tool from the box, glancing at you to make sure you were following. Of course, you made sure to pay attention fully.

Her gorgeous green eyes laid upon your dreamy lash-filled gaze up and you could read the subtle fluster off her face. “This is a ratchet. I.. I’m sure you know that already though.” Whatever you were doing was working and Ellie’s little stammer was evidence.

You looked at the tool and pushed out your full, bottom lip, slightly shaking your head. “Nope. I do now though. What’s next?” You immediately resumed your gaze at Ellie before you could even finish speaking.

She grinned and it was clear she didn’t believe you, but the look in her eyes had a mischievous glint in them; so you knew it was definitely safe to continue.

“Alright, princess. This? —“ She paused to pick up another tool mid-sentence, and the break gave you just enough time to process the panty-soaking pet name. “— Is a screwdriver. The pointy end screws things in.”

You didn’t bother to look at the tool this time, making sure every inch of your face was telling her you wanted her to screw you in.

“Uh-huh.” You nod with your eyes glued on Ellie’s.

Ellie laughed lightly with a new tone to it. You couldn’t describe it if asked, but you could describe how it made you feel. It took everything for you not to clench your legs together to relieve your now growing pressure.

“Are you keepin’ up with me?” She said, teasingly.

You grazed your teeth along your bottom lip, and you hummed in response. Ellie licked hers like an effect from your cause before she continued to school you on the tools she needed.

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You two engaged in the flirty lesson until it eventually ended, and she left to fetch a garage creeper from a tool station nearby.

Ellie set it at the side of the truck, where the driver would be, and sat down and laid back on it. You were sitting on the floor by the tools now, so you could easily watch her work. She rolled backwards and underneath the car, adjusting herself on the trolley by sending her hips forward so sexily you wondered if she did it on purpose. In that motion her top rode up a bit and since you were so close, you could ogle up her midriff freely.

“Screwdriver. Enjoying the view?” Ellie suddenly quizzed.

Without a second thought, you handed her the screwdriver only taking a moment longer to register what she said after.

By now, you felt less embarrassed by Ellie catching you staring since she obviously enjoyed it. “The view? The view is nice.”

“Just nice?”

“The view is really nice. Amazing, even. It’s a nice area, I might even move here.”

Ellie huffed out the faintest chuckle. “Are we talking about the same thing?”

“We are, don’t worry.”

“Feel free to admire all you want then.” You could tell she was smiling as she said that despite barely being able to see her face.

The light banter you guys shared gave you twinkles all over your body. You wondered where this all might lead to. Perhaps nothing at all, or, as you hoped for, her number at least.

Ellie tosses the screwdriver to your side with a low hum before holding her hand out. “Pass me the torque, please?”

You reached into the toolbox, staring dumbly at the items. It seems you might’ve really needed the walk through after all. Along that tutorial you failed to learn what the hell a torque could be. “Let me try to find it...”

You looked through some more, trying to see what method could help you single out this torque. Meanwhile, Ellie rolled from underneath the car and sat on the creeper, rolling forward and towards you. You were so caught up in Ellie’s request, you failed to notice her presence.

When you finally chose a tool, Ellie’s hand happened to land onto yours. You and Ellie shot each other surprised glances and Ellie eased the tension with a subtle smile. She pulled her hand away, but not fully nor quickly. Not quickly at all.

In fact, she lingered like she wanted you to remember how her fingertips felt; slowly sliding her digits up the back of your hand. Just like that, everything felt like it was in slowmo. Everything but your heart, which was beating faster by the second. You knew you had to pull yourself together quickly. This moment could potentially make or break something.

“I found it.” You spoke out so lightly it could be mistaken for a whisper, peering your eyes into Ellie’s green pair. You didn’t have any expectations for what would happen next, but you were practically shaking from anticipation.

“Took you long enough. Do we need to go over it again?” Ellie responded just as low as you spoke. The husk and tease around her words made you clench around nothing, embarrassingly so.

You didn’t let that stop you, however, letting yourself indulge in her teasing for your own guilty pleasure. “Maybe… What’s this again? A hammer?”

Ellie grinned at your faux naïveté, her head cocking to the side. “I know you’re smarter than that.”

“I just need a quick reminder.” You grinned back as you spoke.

“That’s not what you really want though, is it?” Ellie’s smile faded into a less prominent, yet more seductive one.

You could swear up and down her eyes flickered down to your lips a couple times, so you naturally started leaning towards her.

What you failed to realize was that Ellie had already started to lean towards you. She dropped off the creeper, decreasing the distance between you two dramatically. She leaned herself against her hands and spread her legs, leaving you kneeled between them. There were no coherent thoughts in your mind, but you finally had an expectation and that was Ellie’s lips on yours.

Your lips collided and your eyes fluttered shut. You instantly dropped the torque back in the box and stiffened a bit, not sure if this was really happening or not. However, whether it was real or not, you wanted to do a good job.

The kiss started off slow, testing the waters. Ellie’s smooth, gentle lips made you feel tipsy along with that smell you loved blocking your senses. You were completely intoxicated.

Ellie slid her palm on your hip and gradually roamed the small of your back. The sudden touch shot electricity through your body. She was balancing herself on one hand now, but she attentively stayed on your lips. You couldn’t stop the greed for more rushing through your core even if you wanted to. You placed your hand on the nape of her neck, desperately bringing her in to deepen the kiss.

You could feel the grin etched into her lips and it only drove you further. She obliged to your wishes and parted your lips against hers with minimal effort, easily intruding the tip of her tongue between. Your tongues slid and ran across each other sensually, and the messiness of it all had you sopping where you knelt. Too lost in the moment, you accidentally let a low moan escape. If Ellie couldn’t tell how needy you were, she could tell now.

She slowly broke away from your lips, and it left you both panting heavily. Your face, confused, and hers, studying. Did you turn her off? Did you do too much when she was probably expecting something less? You tried to avoid her eyes, too disappointed with yourself to look.

Ellie didn’t let the eye-contact break, following your eyes with a worried expression. “Hey, hey... It’s alright. You’re not in trouble.” Ellie said, letting out a cruel laugh at the end.

You frowned at the teasing this time and your embarrassment was even more evident.

Ellie took your expression in consideration as she leaned in to peck the corner of your lips. The gesture eased your worries, but you were unsure of how this would turn out. She gave you a brief smile before finally saying, “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

You nodded your head slowly and Ellie frowned at it. “I need words.” She said, more sternly than you’d expect.

She was quick to get a few words out of you. “I… I want this.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” She replied, leaning in to connect lips with yours again. You didn’t realize how much you missed that contact until you felt chills run through your body.

You missed her lips on yours despite only kissing for so long. The hand Ellie had placed on your back drifted lower and grasped your ass, earning a moan from you, which Ellie took great pleasure in hearing and feeling.

By now, your knees were starting to hurt, and it took a lot of restraints not to topple over Ellie. However, you refused to move your lips from hers, you just got them back.

Unfortunately, Ellie must’ve noticed your stubborn shuffling since she pulled away despite your muffled protests.

“Let’s move somewhere more comfortable.”

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Ellie cracked open the door for you to a small lounge space and placed a quick apologetic kiss on your lips before walking off. She had noticed her handprint smudged on your shorts on the way to the lounge and it reminded her that she had to wash the car grime off before doing anything more with you. At this point you were so pent up you probably wouldn’t mind. You decided not to dwell on what risks you’re willing to take to fuck Ellie and sat yourself on a brown couch that felt a lot comfier than it looked. The vibe of the room was similar to Ellie’s car minus the smell of weed. Speaking of smells, it smelled just like her.

Thoughts of Ellie panting and briefly taking your lips between her teeth flashed through your mind. The vividness, considering it just happened, made the heat between your legs increase. You instinctively pressed your thighs together and fought the urge to take care of yourself right there and then.

Thankfully, Ellie strolled into the lounge and shut the door behind her, and it finished with a lock click. Your eyes met as she strolled towards you, plopping on the couch next to you.

Ellie opened her mouth to say something, but you didn’t want to hear it. Not right now. You cupped her face and pressed your lips into hers and you shut her up instantly. She leaned over you, pressing you back into the couch. Amidst the smacking and passion of your mouths against each other’s, Ellie’s hand drifted up your waist; thumbing along your skin. Everything was so hot and cloudy now; you couldn’t think about anything other than how good you feel.

At some point, Ellie’s leg was kneeled, and her thigh was wedged between your legs. You only became aware of the new positioning after accidentally pressing yourself against her. You were laid down on the couch, completely dazed with Ellie hovering over you. She noticed you coming back to reality and grinned smugly as she moved her hand underneath your top and groped at your breast. You arched into her touch, keening, and Ellie rewarded the sound by rubbing her thigh against your clothed clit.

You gasped sharply and the brief friction had you bucking for more. Your barely audible pleas must’ve triggered something in Ellie as she bent down to kiss you, taking your lips between her teeth. The feeling is even better than you remembered.

The intensity of the kiss is wet, hot, and you can’t remember when you last took a breath. You placed your arms over Ellie’s shoulders and lightly ran your fingertips along her back, rolling your hips into Ellie’s thigh. You were so close, so close until.. you suddenly lost contact. Ellie moved her right hand to your hip, gently pinning you down so you couldn’t move as she placed her thigh out of reach.

She has pulled away from you too often and you weren’t going to back down quietly this time. You broke off from her kiss-swollen lips, rather reluctantly, and begged. “Ellie! Please… just—”

Ellie shushed you and whispered directly into your ear, her breath hitting your cheek and sending shivers down your spine. “I’m gonna fuck you myself. Be patient.”

You weren’t gonna argue. You wanted that. You wanted her. Ellie moved her hand from your hips and went to loosen the button of your shorts. She moved her legs so that yours were fully between hers. You unwrapped your arms from her shoulders and helped her tug your shorts down urgently, lifting your hips to speed the process.

Ellie positioned herself so she could tuck your knees in. She parted your legs and leaned back, taking a moment to appreciate how wet you were for her; your slick heat coating your underwear, glistening, all for her to see. It would’ve embarrassed you in any other instance, but you were so filled with lust, none of it mattered.

She pressed her thumb against your clit, through your undoubtedly soaked panties and peered down at your face: brows furrowed and brimming with want. Ellie wasn’t gonna make you wait any longer. She moved the fabric out of the way and finally rubbed your bare clit with the pad of her thumb. You panted heavily, moving into her touch.

Ellie leaned towards you, turning her wrist clockwise and dipping her fingers between your folds, rubbing your labia between her middle and ring digits. You groaned out and quickly pulled up your top and tugged your bra underneath your tits so you could grasp at the sensitive area.

Your wetness coated Ellie’s fingers perfectly and it was only a matter of time before she fucked you with them senselessly. She coaxed your clit between her fingers, and although you were too wet for much friction, the pressure was just enough to get you there.

You fondled and squeezed at your chest, pinching at your nipples as your eyes clenched shut; concentrating on that release you needed so badly. Ellie was practically salivating at the sight, still hunched over you and getting off from the look of you alone.

Your much anticipated orgasm rolled through you, crashing in like a wave. You moaned loudly, arching your back and rolling your hips forward.

Ellie slowed down and helped you ride out your orgasm before suddenly slipping both fingers into your entrance. The sudden intrusion made you whine, and Ellie dipped down and pressed a kiss on your cheek. Your eyes were brimming with tears, but you needed her to move. You needed her to fuck you badly.

You squirmed under Ellie and she placed her free hand on the cheek she kissed, thumbing along it as she cooed at you teasingly. “Shhh.. You’re gonna ruin the makeup you fixed just for me.”

Ellie’s thumb creeped towards your swollen and gloss-less bottom lip, the aftermath of rough, sloppy kissing. You mouthed out a ‘whoops’ and faked a pout.

Ellie laughed as she gazed down at you. The sight of her flushed red, freckled cheeks smiling down at you only made you want her more. Ellie felt your need squeeze against her fingers, and she made sure that you knew she knew by glancing down at her fingers filling your cunt. She bit her bottom lip and decided to give you what you wanted, slowly pumping her fingers in you.

You keened colorfully, raising your tucked knees and wrapping your legs around Ellie’s waist. You needed her deep. She picked up her pace and curled her fingers, hitting that soft wall. She was doing everything right, there was no doubt in your mind she was an angel, a sexually experienced one at that. You pulled her down, meeting her halfway so you crash your lips into hers.

Ellie moaned over your lips and, god, you were so close. She slid a third finger in you, pumping and curling her fingers; knuckles deep. You were so close you were seeing stars, it made you think back on the little conversation you two had in the car and you wondered if this is what she meant. Then just like that they fucking connected.

You cried out as you came, tightening your legs around Ellie’s waist as you gushed over her fingers. She kept her fingers in you until you finished. Once Ellie pulled out, you groaned from the loss and she muttered out an apology.

You gave her one lingering kiss before plopping back down. You were utterly exhausted and aching. Aching... pleasantly, but that wasn’t the point. Your mind slowly started recollecting everything that happened. You were just fucked by a hot stranger you met in a town you still don’t know the name of. You’re not sure you would’ve remembered after this anyways.

“Usually I would help clean up, but...” Ellie gestured around her. You almost forgot you guys were at the back of a mechanic’s garage.

You snickered and nodded understandingly. “Right. I know.”

You two stared at each other awkwardly despite what occurred not even five minutes ago. Ellie ruffled with her hair before speaking out, “So… Can I take you out sometime? When your trip is over?”

You pushed up so you were at eye-level with her. “I... I think we’re past that, but yes. Yes, you can.” You leaned in for a kiss and she returned it with a grin.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

click 4 bonus!

#ellie x reader #ellie williams #ellie the last of us #ellie x fem reader #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x you #ellie williams x female reader #the last of us part 2 #ellie smut #tlou2

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ladyiristheenchantress · 5 months ago

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Magic for the college witch

In honor of finding out I am set to graduate in December with my associates in science I have decided to celebrate with you all by sharing my tips and tricks I used to help pass some of my classes! Each tip will be sorted into circumstances as to where they may be applicable. Please enjoy, and congrats to all my future grads!

Reminder: In dorms and such you wont have access to many tools, but if your living in an apartment things are less strict. every time you see candles and such if you live in a dorm replace it with either electric candles or even colored stones you can rub together or place in a grid!

Registering for classes

Often times we try to register for classes as soon as possible, especially when you are an incoming freshman. When it comes to getting accepted and starting the process congrats your here.

Set up registering appointments on lucky number days, during the new moon, or on Mondays and Thursdays because those times represent readiness and preparation

Manifest getting good classes and teachers by sending off a prayer out to the universe

Do divination when registering opens to see if a teacher is a good fit or not (Also check out rate my professor)

If you are having trouble establishing classes, or just cant seem to get that *one* class you need, light a blue candle and put mint at the base of it to promote an opening

If your facing a situation where you are trying to get into an exclusive class (this also works if your presenting a thesis) put a sugar packet under your tongue to sweeten your words and make you more convincing

Getting to class on time

The commute anywhere can be a really hard thing to do, whether your commuting from a dorm to a classroom or city to campus it can be hard to be on time or find the motivation to show up to class

To motivate yourself to go to class keep a carnelian under your pillow to help you rise in the morning

Keep a consistent schedule, not only is this helpful psychologically but magically consistency helps build up magical energy towards motivation

enchant your walking shoes (or get heelies) to put pep in your step and always be on time when walking. You can optionally put a sigil in your shoe

enchant cars to avoid red lights by charging your keys in full moon light

Light a green candle before important days to make sure your morning commute runs smoothly

Setting up magical space in the dorms

Most dorms don't allow things like candles or flames, heaters, strip lights, etc. With this in mind people assume it must be hard to create a magical space without some of the key items, but we do have solutions!

Instead of regular candles, use electric ones as votives on deity altars

Instead of incense use MILD essential oil diffusers like lava stones in the corners, or a defuser. Bonus points if you use a dehumidifier

Chances are you wont have a lot of space, so opt for small placements on desks via mini figures and small stones

Set up sachets around your space and put them in clothing areas, not only do they smell good and keep moths away, they act as magical protection

Start working on energy based practices like meditation or enchantments with only your body

Navigating relationships

College can be a hard time, your adjusting to life without the friends you grew up with, most people start their dating life, and friends begin to come and go as you go through classes. Don't restrict what you experience

When you brush your teeth, enchant it to represent you 'speaking your truth' and 'biting back' so your protected from people who have bad intentions or are deceptive

When at parties and such put a sigil of protection on your left thigh, this represents protection from people looking to harm you

blow cinnamon at your door, or use a light cinnamon essential oil wash to invite new people and opportunities

Keep amber under your pillow or by photos to maintain friendships and help you let go of ones that no longer serve you

wear silver to repel energy vampires or people who are looking to use you

Studying success

Studying and how effective it is will depend on you and how you like to study, there are hundreds of posts online that look at how to find your study style, this more focuses on magic you can do for memory retention

Chew mint gum during studying AND during your test for memory recall

Draw sigils on your physical flash cards to make the information easier to retain

On the third of each month save that day to brush up on all information from the class, not only does this prep you for the final but this day is Athenas ritual day

Study the most on Wednesdays as they represent wisdom

Use a shungite worry stone during studying and testing to help keep your mind focused and stress free before tests

Test taking

Test taking can be a really hard part of college, I know it was for me. We do a lot of things to help prepare but what can we do during a test?

Create a sigil of good luck on top of your exam

Wear green on exam days

Eat and drink something enchanted (I swear by a snickers and a red bull) before a test for good luck

Create a superstition like a lucky shirt or pair of socks after your first good exam grade

Wear gold accessories to enhance your test taking skills, and speed up your test (Great when you are being timed)

Mental Health

Your mental health in college is very important, it can be hard being separated from your home town or family and just know that it does get better. College is a mix of emotions, from the loneliest point in your life, to the most social. You will be navigating new challenges, new feats, and its important to take care of yourself. Seek out the college mental health resources available to you like counseling as needed. you matter!

Use words of affirmations when you wake up and before you sleep to remind yourself you matter, my favorite is from the help "You is smart, you is kind, you is important"

Carry rose quartz and carnelian on you for self love and energy

Before bed drink lavander tea for rest and revitalization

Pray over your food to nourish your spirit as you go through college

Write down letters and petition to the universe for stability and how you feel.

I hope you all have enjoyed! Again, congrats to all my future grads, and I hope you all can come with me as I journey to getting my bachelors

Tip Jar

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mymiraclebox · 4 months ago

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Updated Alpha Powers!

So I decided to drop Purification and Corruption from being one of the Alphas' powers (they will still have this ability, but it won't be one of their three main powers). I wanted them to have three unique abilities though, so I added/revamped what I had for them. This has already been updated on their bios, but I'm also adding it to this post if anyone's interested in seeing it all in one place. :) Thank you to @silverslate221 for helping me with these, especially with Catalyze and Ubiquitous, along with the updated versions of Nascence and Abyss!

As for what's happening to Purification and Corruption, they will be like the Animal Traits with it just being something Alpha Miraculouses can do without it taking up a power slot. Actually all Miraculouses will have some form of energy manipulation, but I'm still working on developing that system.

---

Panda of Life

Esse – Summons a white orb of Life energy, which can be given to another. This can bring youthfulness and save those who are dying or have just passed away.

Nascence – One is able to create a small spiritual being, many of which can inhabit various items to interact with the physical world.

Resurrection – A mist of white light spreads across an area, restoring Life and raising those who have passed to all it touches, able to go back generations if one so wishes.

Crow of Death

Wither – The user can charge their weapon with red energy, which will begin draining life from all it touches. This will cause rapid aging, and eventually Death.

Necro – One gains control over anything that has been touched by Death, able to summon things such as skeletons to do their bidding.

Reap – A wave of bright red light is released, which instantly kills all that it touches, leaving no mark upon them. This can bind a soul to the place where they fell.

Ladybug of Creation

Lucky Charm – One summons a red energy that can be molded into any item they wish. One can either fully call these items into reality as a permanent Creation, or channel the energy to make something else.

Fortuitous – One is able to instantly Create a solution from their surroundings to what problems they face.

Miraculous Ladybug – A cloud of ladybug constructs swarm the area, recreating anything they touch into a new and prime state. When interacting with living things these ladybugs encourage healing and growth.

Black Cat of Destruction

Cataclysm – Destructive energy is summoned around one's hand. This can Destroy any physical objects, and with experience it can even Destroy more abstract forces.

Catalyze – Imbues a target with a spark of Destruction, slowly Destroying components in their surroundings that causes things to break down and go wrong around them.

Catastrophe – One summons a dense black fog full of crackling green energy, from which a natural disaster is released.

Wolf of Order

Sequence – The user instantly creates Order within anything they touch, resulting in things becoming straight and organized, or restoring cracks and damage.

Compulsion – One is compelled to act on an urge to ensure Order and structure, descending into an obsession the longer this effect remains active.

Midnight Howl – Silver light encloses an area, securing the state it is in, preventing change or disorder. Any damage inflicted will instantly be restored to the state it was in when the power was summoned.

Platypus of Chaos

Paradox - A random, unexplainable event takes place.

Entropy – Chaotic energy is shot out from a firework. Whoever is hit by the light will have their perspective on reality become incomprehensible the longer they are under the effect.

Pandemonium – A blast of strobing light is released in all directions, consuming everything into a state of Chaos. It is impossible to note all that can happen, but logic and physics will not apply.

Firefly of Space

Kinesis – Lets one manipulate an item's place within Space, able to move things about as if with mere thought.

Ubiquitous – The holder gains the ability to appear in multiple places at once, their singular presence inhabiting many locations at the same time.

Expanse – This manipulation of Space allows a location to be stretched out far away, or to be a step away; or an object can be made to take up more or less Space, the effects being fluid and instant.

Raccoon of Void

Stifle – Stifle rids the area of a specific component for a short period of time. This can be anything from an idea, to sound, light, air, or even emotion.

Abyss – A Void appears beneath the feet of a target, which removes them from this plane of reality. They end up in true emptiness: no sound, no solid ground, nothing until they are freed from it.

Desolate – A heavy fog of nothingness overtakes the area, permanently removing it from existence. No sign of something can be found after Desolate strikes, as if it was never there.

#alpha kwamis #alpha duos #kwamis #kwami oc #kwami #oc kwami #vitaa #plagg #tikki #shii #graay #prrysm #stellar #koree #my headcanons #miraculous ladybug #oc kwamis

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cherrylng · 1 month ago

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Green Day interview - UNO! DOS! TRE! [ROCKIN'ON (September 2012)]

The fastest interview just before Summer Sonic! The band talks about their new album trilogy in its entirety!

UNO! DOS! TRE! GREEN DAY

Interview by AKEMI NAKAMURA Photographs by YURI HASEGAWA

"It's unmistakably a 100% “Green Day album” and we can now say we're in the prime of our lives because we're able to do that."

What the fuck is this! They've made not one, but three incredible albums, bursting with outrageous energy that make you want to scream. Green Day is extremely ambitious in releasing their ninth album as a trilogy called "Uno!", "Dos!", and "Tre!", one album every two months starting in September, an unprecedented and ambitious feat that no one will ever pull off again. The reason this masterpiece, which could be called Green Day's version of the "Rock Encyclopedia", was created in the first place is because of "American Idiot", which they completed in 2004 and which is considered the most important album of the first decade of the 21st century. An outright critique of the Bush administration in an America that had fallen silent in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, the all too righteous album was arguably the riskiest gamble in their career history, but the most politically charged album ever sold 15 million copies worldwide and was greeted with great acclaim. And they continued their momentum with 2009's 21st Century Breakdown, their second rock opera, which went to number one in 21 countries around the world. It is truly astonishing. Having pierced the zeitgeist so boldly and shared it with the masses around the world, Green Day did not grow weary here, but instead accumulated an unprecedented sense of achievement and positive energy. And the creative solution to releasing all that energy was this high-powered "party" trilogy. Feeling that they had done it all, the band came back to their 'roots' and tackled this work with a fresh start.

The good news for long-time fans is that the band themselves have revisited Green Day's early golden years, including "Dookie," and started production with the aim of "returning to their roots". However, after attempting to "return to their roots", they went further back in time, to their youth, and revisited the origins of rock music for themselves. The result is a work that is both autobiographical and a summary of Green Day's history, tracing the band's path from there to the present day. If we organise the three albums, "Uno!", which aims for arena rock like AC/DC and power pop like the early Beatles, is a work that depicts a longing for the youth, while "Dos!", which resonates with garage rock influenced by the Stooges, depicts the "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" of adolescence. And the third album, "Tre!", is an epic work that sums up the current Green Day, who have already released two historic rock operas. The trilogy of 37 songs and 130 minutes in total is so thoroughly high-tension that you can't help but wonder if this is a new album from a band that has been together for more than 20 years.

More importantly, their new Green Day Sound, which is more about jubilation, excitement and emotion than political messages, is needed here for American rock, or even America as a whole, which has become introspective in the decade since the terrorist attacks. In other words, the band, who became America's heroes in the post-terrorist conflict, have once again made a new chapter for America here, and once again have created a work that will lead America to a new chapter and break out of its shell, at an excellent time. Green Day is always right!

With Summer Sonic coming up soon, there is no doubt that they will come in with the super high tension of having created a triumphant return to their roots, so it is essential to head to the venue with high enthusiasm and high expectations! -Akemi Nakamura

BILLY* JOE ARMSTRONG & MIKE DIRNT & TRE COOL INTERVIEW

"The first one is a little foreplay, the second one is sex, and the third one is something we have to apologise for (laughs)."

First of all, when I heard that you were going to release three albums this time, "Uno!", "Dos!", and "Tres!", I thought it was a crazy idea, but also genius in many ways. The previous two albums were very political, had strong messages, and had a rock opera concept, but this time, even the title tells us that you've removed the seriousness. However, the sheer volume of the album also clearly shows that you guys have not lost any momentum. In that sense, I came here today with quite high expectations, and I just listened to all three albums and was blown away. It's like you've been reborn, and the content makes me feel like you're starting something new, and the energy and tension was so high that I was overwhelmed. So, first of all, I'd like to ask you frankly how on earth this came about. Billie: 「Anyway, after making “21st Century Breakdown”, I really felt renewed and refreshed. With “21st Century Breakdown”, I had the distinct feeling that one era of us had ended. So it seemed like we had the freedom to carve out a new era from there, and it was up to us to use that opportunity or not. So we started writing songs straight away, and the first ones we wrote were “Nuclear Family”, “Stay the Night”, and “Carpe Diem”, which happened to be the first three songs on the album (laughs). Then we decided to go in the direction of power pop, and we ended up with a lot of melody-driven songs, with lyrics that were more personal and not so much political in their message, and the album as a whole became a work that was not dark, but had a sunny feel to it.」

In short, is it just the sense of achievement after "21st Century Breakdown" and the fresh feeling you got from it that allowed you to generate so much high tension and energy again? Mike: 「Yes, I suppose so. Anyway, we started off by trying to get back to a garage-rock approach, and we decided to just jam together. And whenever we jam together, it always feels like a new connection is formed, and as we kept rehearsing, a new groove was born. And then we got into it. It was so intense that no one could stop us.」 Tre: 「Of course we were influenced by a lot of things on the way here, and you could say that we developed very naturally while vaguely absorbing them. For example, the starting point for such an epic songwriting career had to do with witnessing the birth of the "American Idiot" musical. That was a very significant event. We were surrounded by so many talented and creative people that it really stimulated our creativity. Also, the "21st Century Breakdown" tour was great. Basically, we had a sense of accomplishment that we had accomplished everything we had to do with "American Idiot" and "21st Century Breakdown". That's why I think we were like, "Now it's time to have fun and play to our heart's content!" It was like, "Let's have sex!" (laughs)」 Everyone: 「(laughing)」 Mike: 「Let's just take our pants off! (laughs)」 Tre: 「Let's take our dicks out! (laughs)」 Mike: 「(laughs) Let's have some fun.」

(laughs). You recently stated that you guys are ‘currently in the most creative period of your career’, but I imagine it's pretty rare for people to start a punk band at a young age, and then to be in the most creative period of your career at a year when you are all turning 40 this year. Billie: 「It's like we've been getting better and better and now we're here. So, for example, I think it's the same with jazz musicians, but sometimes it's only when you get older that you really hit your stride. I think we've always developed slowly and naturally as a band while making albums, and we've always tried to do that. We've never tried to force ourselves to go in a direction that we thought was right in our heads, we've just tried to make something that comes from our truth. So sometimes we look back and realise how much we've changed with each album. So, because we've been building up our experience over the years, we had a huge pool of creativity when we made this album. So it's like we've got a lot of weapons in our arteries, we can rock really hard, we can write ballads, we can do garage rock, we can do power pop, and we could make all of that sound like "Green Day". That's how this album came about. Only we could have made this album, it's unmistakably a 100% "Green Day" album, and I think we can say that we're in the prime of our lives now that we're able to do that.」

So, when I listened to these three albums, it seemed to me that these were three complete albums as a whole, did you ever think of releasing all three at once? Mike: 「I thought it would be better to put them out one at a time separately. Because I thought that way everyone could really understand and digest each one. And it was made in such a way that the moment you finish listening to one album, you'll be excited and think, "I want to hear the next album!" So we set the time period between albums to be six weeks, so there wouldn't be too much time between albums. I also thought it was an exciting way to release something like this. On the other hand, if you suddenly gave me three songs at once, I'd be absolutely overwhelmed (laughs).」 Tre: 「So, you know, you can think of it like this. If we released it as a triple album, there would be one Green Day album this year, which means that the fun would end after just one release. Instead, we're going to have three new Green Day albums! Wouldn't that be great? Simply put, this year is all about Green Day. This year is all about Green Day. So get ready! Come along!」 Mike: 「So, (the first one) is a little foreplay, (the second one) we had sex, and then at the end is something we have to apologise for (laughs).」 Tre: 「So from now on, when people ask me what year it is, I have to say 'The year of Green Day!' We'll have a dragon face with three of our faces added to the Chinese zodiac (laughs).」

(laughs). These three albums seem like a movie depicting a certain coming-of-age story. The first one focuses on your early teens and youth, and is the starting point for rock listeners, the second one is about the struggles of becoming an adult, and the third one is a song about actually becoming an adult, or rather, it seems to have a development that summarises what you learned in each era. Did you intend to depict each album as you grew older? Or did you have a theme for each album? Billie: 「Yeah, the first one is definitely about youth, as you say, but the second one is about sex, sexual desire, and has a red-light district vibe, so it's more of a garage rock, party record. So the third one is definitely epic, but at the same time it's about self-reflection and self-projection.」

The second one, then, is a "sex, drugs & rock'n'roll" album, isn't it? Everyone: 「Yes!」

So, I'd like to ask you again about the lyrics of the first album: where on earth did lyrics like ‘I kissed your lips’, ‘I don't wanna say goodbye’ and ‘Will you be my girlfriend*’ come from? Where do they come from in terms of youthfulness, haste, eternity and a perspective on life from an early teenage point of view? Billie: 「Well, there's a point here where I kind of wrote the lyrics with my voice as an instrument to express something, and I didn't put too much emphasis on what I was actually saying there (laughs). So, for example, the song that says something like ‘Will you be my girlfriend’ is called "Angel Blue", and in that song…… Yeah, it's definitely like a look into my past, and I guess you could say that it's a footprint of my teenage years. It's like, "You're Angel Blue with teenage traces / Angel Blue with pretty faces". So, yes, I think you could say that the first album is a look back at my innocent days.」

Right. But why did you decide to look back at your youth now? Billie: 「Well, maybe I'm………… Hmmm well…… I wonder why?」 Mike: 「Because sometimes you just don't think about it.」

"We didn't set a goal to make three albums from the beginning, but it ended up being three. I mean, I think it's a testament to how much we enjoyed making music together."

(laughs) I think it's too specific and focused to have come out without thinking about it. So, for example, your son. Billie: 「Okay! So this is what I mean. So with the first one, we wanted to make a great record that really represents our origins, the classic "Green Day" record. So we looked back to the days of "Dookie" and "Kerplunk", but we wanted to bring it back as a modern interpretation. Because people often ask me, "Are you not going to make any more albums like the ones you made back then?" And every time I say, "Of course I will!", but if I were to make such an album, I should make it when I really want to make an album like that, not because I've had an idea that it's time to live my youth again, but only when I feel that this is the only way to make it now, when I really feel it in my heart. And now was the time.」

Instead of making three albums this time, did anyone ask you if you could pick a few songs from each and make them into one album? I think kids these days are happy listening to just one song from an album, and the fact that it's three albums means you're challenging your audience in these times. So I think there must have been a necessity amongst you guys that this album had to be three albums by all means. Billie: 「Yeah, but there wasn't a particular reason why it had to be three albums, and in this case, there was no assignment like, “I have to write about this”. However, first and foremost, we just wanted to make music and write songs. Of course, we've always done everything on an epic level…… But in this case, we didn't even intend to do that at all, and it just ended up like this. We didn't set a goal to make three albums from the beginning, but it ended up being three. I mean, the album came from such a really pure place, and I think it's a testament to how much we enjoyed making music together. Because it really felt like a whole new rebirth, like we were starting a band from scratch. It felt like we joined a whole new band without breaking up the band. So, ultimately, that's what this album is about, just playing music and having fun. So I think that's clearly reflected when you listen to the songs. Every song is really tight and it's clear that all three of us are on the same page.」

The first album is power pop and the second is garage. Can you be a bit more specific and describe the direction you were aiming for in terms of sound and the bands you were influenced by on each album? Billie: 「Well, for the first power pop album, I would say we were influenced by Cheap Trick's “Surrender”, the early sound of The Beatles, and even The Knack. And for the second garage album, I went from the “Nuggets” compilation to aiming for the Amboy Dukes and The Stooges. And for the third album, I can't really explain it, but it reflects more of what Green Day is now, or it expresses what we've learned from our past. So I don't really think about the musical influences, it's just what I wanted to play at the time.」

You said you wanted to make a classic Green Day album for the first album, but did you have any big goals for the three albums? From power pop to garage and the current "Green Day sound," it's like a depiction of the growth process of one person's life through music, and it felt like a Green Day version of the "Rock Encyclopedia." I felt like you were also playing a role in that, for example, if a child who wants to listen to rock music asks you which albums they should listen to, you could just tell them to listen to these three albums. Billie: 「Actually, that's what we thought too, and we thought it would be great if the kids could listen to these three albums and decide which one they liked best out of them. Because I'm sure there are parts of these albums that each of us can relate to, and I felt like they would reflect who we are as human beings. I thought that would be interesting. I wanted people to listen to all three albums, and of course I wanted them to like all three, but I also wanted them to decide which one they liked best. I mean, I thought that would be the audience's projection of themselves, and of course our projection of ourselves. It would be great if each person could collect their favourite songs and make a compilation album out of them.」

"We’re “No Future” and that's why we're living every moment to the fullest. I think that's exactly what this album represents."

So you didn't set any special goals, but the result is an album that you hope people will listen to in that way? Mike: 「Yeah, we just wanted to make good music.」 Billie: 「Yeah, we didn't have any clear goals, we didn't really know what our goals were or what the future was, and we didn't really think about those things from the beginning. Especially with this album, there was no agenda, and that's the beautiful thing about this album. So I don't think there are any typical singles on this album. It's true that "Oh Love" will be released as a single, but I think this album has the potential to go beyond that and expand in many different ways. So I'm thinking of doing a multi-media, home-video kind of video on YouTube, and I'm also thinking of making a solid music video. Anyway, the possibilities are all there, but we haven't decided anything about the future yet. We're "No Future" and that's why we're living every moment to the fullest. I think that's exactly what this album represents.」

Last year was 2011, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and I personally thought about what was the most important thing in the music scene of the last decade, and I still think the most important album of the last decade was "American Idiot". America was almost frozen in silence for three years after the terrorist attacks, and we had always thought that rock music was strong in the face of adversity, but in reality, other than you guys, Bruce Springsteen was the only one who could speak for what we wanted to say and turn the tables on the situation. And the more time passes, the more I realise the greatness of that album, including how it was expressed. Earlier, you said that you depicted party time in this album because of the sense of accomplishment you felt from "American Idiot" to "21st Century Breakdown" and the musical "American Idiot." Because you made an album that strongly connected to those politics and times, you felt that it was time to move forward as a feeling within the band, but at the same time, did you feel that this kind of work was necessary to lighten the mood a little and move forward, for example, for the whole of America, to not to take the atmosphere too seriously anymore? Billie: 「I would say that such things should follow the laws of nature, or let nature take its course. So I think the American government should let things move forward naturally in the direction that things are going. So, for example, if it were now, I think it's already time to establish a health insurance system in America, so I think we should follow the natural flow and establish it without going against it…….. In a way, we allowed ourselves to make these three albums, it's a bit like establishing a health insurance system, I mean, we didn't want to go against the laws of nature that came from within us (laughs).」 Mike: 「Well, because we've created this, there's even the possibility that we'll be in a crisis where we'll absolutely need to establish a health insurance system (laughs).」 Everyone: 「(laughing)」 Tre: 「We felt like with this album, once again, we've kind of filled a hole in what's missing in the world today.」 Billie: 「Yeah.」 Tre: 「When “American Idiot” was made, there were no people anywhere who were saying what needed to be said at the time, so we filled that missing hole with “American Idiot”. So I don't think there's anyone out there now making music that people really feel something. So we wanted to fill that hole now. I mean we wanted to make music that would make those people really feel something.」

So it's a festive album, but if the audience can really feel something from this album, you really want them to feel something from it. Tre: 「Yes, that's right. Besides, there's so much more to feel on this album.」 Mike: 「Really, seriously (laughs)」 Billie: 「Yeah, yeah. I think so…… Um, well…… I don't know…… But anyway, I mean, you know, seriously, because I think it's really, really crazy. I think it was a really crazy idea. So, quite frankly, I myself still can't believe the fact that we've actually completed something like this.」 Mike: 「(laughs)」 Billie: 「Because I think the idea of doing three albums could have easily gone wrong. But we actually did it. And no one had ever done it before, and I don't think anyone will ever do it again. And we've done it. Yeah.」

"In the world today, there is no one who is making music that people can really feel something. So we're trying to fill that hole with this album."

That's right. You said that it's something that people feel now. For example, I thought that "Kill the DJ" from "Uno!" was the best song that Green Day had ever made, but judging from the title alone, it seemed like it was a rebellion against the dance scene, which is now huge and empty, especially in America. Mike: 「I had been telling Billy for a long time that I wanted to write a song with a dance beat, with four beats. I wanted to see what would happen if Green Day did that. So, while we were working on the album, Billie actually came in with a song he'd written to try it out, played it and said, "Tell me what you think?" and Billie walked out of the room. And the moment the song started, I was like, "Oh man, are you serious?" (laughs).」 Tre: 「"Yeah!" (laughs)」 Mike: 「Then we took it from there and jammed on it as a band in a rock 'n' roll style and finished it. It's also about the noise that surrounds us, so "Kill the DJ" is a metaphor, I'm not actually saying I want to kill the DJ, but I might want to kill the VJ. For example, kill that guy from TMZ (news/gossip website)! (laughs).」 Tre: 「It's also funny that even though it's a dance song, he sings "Kill the DJ".」

We're running out of time, so I'd like you to tell me a little bit about a few songs, firstly about the single "Oh Love" and then the magnificent and epic "Forgotten" that closes the three albums. Can you tell us about them? Both of them touch on love, how did they come about? Billie: 「"Oh Love" was written as a spotlight ballad. I started with a guitar riff and it almost sounded like a cross between AC/DC and Queen, but a Green Day version of it. And then, umm, I wrote that song with the intention of just grabbing your heart and never letting go. It's almost like a love addiction. Well, I wrote that song with that in mind, and then the last song, "Forgotten," is kind of a song that kind of reflects and embodies everything you've heard on "Uno!", "Dos!", and "Tre!" It's the song that sums up the three albums, the real grand finale. It's also a torch song, so it's like a sentimental love song.」

What about "Amy" from "Dos!"? Billie: 「Amy Winehouse.」

Why did you want to sing about her? Billie: 「I was really sad that she passed away because I thought she was a really great artist and I thought the music scene lost a really big presence because of her death. She was someone who could sing modern versions of old soul music, and I think it's really hard to find someone like that these days.」

Finally, you are all 40 this year and show no signs of slowing down. In the almost 25 years since you formed the band, how far have you come, and where do you plan to go from here? Billie: 「Wow (laughs). Weeeeeell, let's see. We…… So we're all alive at the moment, you know. So as long as the three of us are alive, we'll keep making music. Other than that, I can't think of any other plans at all.」

Understood. Thank you very much! Everyone: 「Thank you!」

Translator's Note: A few things to note.

-Yes, that is a typo on Billie’s name and I’m keeping it there for posterity’s sake, no matter how much Google Docs is trying to correct me. And in case you’re wondering, this is the second time that I encountered this typo. It will not be unusual if I encounter it again in some other magazine.

-In the text of the interview, it really did say “Will you be my girlfriend? (僕の彼女になってくれないか)”, and Billie did confirm that it was from the song ‘Angel Blue’, but the line in the lyric was really written as “Won’t you be my bloody valentine?” So I assume that for some reason, the editor chose a far more polite wording and I chose to keep it that way.

Please do support me via my ko-fi! ☕

#Billie Joe Armstrong #Mike Dirnt #Tre Cool #Green Day #Trilogy era #my scan #translation #interview #ROCKIN'ON #ROCKIN'ON September 2012

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sepublic · 5 months ago

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Kanden Debut Pitch

Per the title, here’s a pitch for another hypothetical Metroid episode; One debuting Kanden. I’ve already done the basics on a debut episode for Noxus; I think it’d be a fun idea to introduce the motives of each bounty hunter from Hunters by showing them in individual episode format, via a conflict it presents to Samus, rather than just having a log scan of hers tell the audience outright; Except maybe Sylux, since he is meant to be kinda mysterious and all. And indeed, maybe Samus doesn’t even get the chance to log scan him in the show, so his motives are left ambiguous until the Beyond arc…

But I digress! An episode for each hunter, or at least their backdrop in the case of Trace, to shine. Thus we have Kanden.

The episode begins with Samus Aran silently trekking through some area; Maybe the ruins of some city devastated by the Metroids, and evacuated accordingly. Or maybe a forest, to add some diversity; I think it’d make sense for Metroids to just migrate en masse towards a larger, concentrated source of energy after whittling down a location’s. Makes them more efficient in targeting X after all.

Samus notes something yellowish-green out of the corner of her eye; She turns around, arm cannon ready. But it’s not there. Maybe it’s hiding behind something. Either way, she feels there isn’t a threat and continues. Her Metroid tracker begins to beep; She’s here to round up remaining Metroids abandoned by the Space Pirates.

She seems to have figured out the area; The entrance to some underground cavern. But before she can begin, Samus gets ambushed by a giant ball of electricity. She dodges, but because she’s standing in some water, gets shocked anyway. In steps Kanden, the Enoema bounty hunter we’re all aware of. He’s backed up by some other minions too. They don’t seem Space Pirate, and Samus is able to confirm with a scan that they’re an entirely separate criminal organization, much smaller. Most head down into the underground area where the Metroid is, while the rest stay back to handle Samus.

As the battle rages, we get the POV of the mysterious figure from before through binoculars, watching Samus.

The minions aren’t much, but Kanden is a whole beast, able to shrug off smaller firepower like it’s a warm spray. His Stinglarva form surprises Samus too; Kanden is able to shift from such a huge target to a small one, and back. His Volt Driver short-circuits Samus’ visor, messing with her vision whenever it hits. Kanden eventually gets the drop on Samus, hoping to finish her off.

But a minion shoots a rocket at some debris hanging above Samus. It falls down, burying and incapacitating her; Kanden looks back at the minion, perhaps angry that he got cheated of a fight. But in that minion’s defense, this is the more practical solution to handling the Hunter.

From the underground area emerges those other mooks, but with notably lesser numbers than before; And they have the Metroid captured. The one in charge gives the command to fall back; Kanden looks back at the buried Samus disappointedly but follows.

Samus comes to, hearing someone digging her out from outside, mumbling worriedly. She breaks through, surprising them; It’s the yellowish-green figure from before, hands up in surprise. They resemble a walking tardigrade, but their aesthetic is quite similar to this mysterious Kanden…

Samus is wary at first, but lowers her cannon. The stranger apologizes, clarifying they mean no harm, and explains they weren’t sure if they could trust Samus; They were here for an entirely separate agenda. The Metroid, Samus guesses laconically. Not quite, the stranger corrects, but they fear it is quite relevant now.

Kanden, they name the monster Samus fought earlier; He is a bounty hunter. He is Enoema like me, or was… The Enoema gets frank; They need Samus’ help in destroying Kanden. He is their greatest mistake.

Cue a flashback; The Enoema explains that their people were afraid of being subjugated by the Space Pirates, but they had no desire to join the Galactic Federation either. But the Enoema are weak; To defend themselves, they began the Living Weapons Project; Their goal was to create an invincible supersoldier, perhaps the first of many more to come, to protect themselves with. Instead, they created an immortal beast; A monster…

The Enoema is present in the flashback; They and others created a living chimera called the Volt Driver, and incorporated DNA from various insects, such as the Stinglarva, into their test subject Kanden. Maybe Kanden was a brave patriot, or just a poor soul forced into this position; Either way, the mental conditioning, the jolts blasted through his brain and body, all of these placed much stress on Kanden as he transformed into a hulking brute. He would suddenly scream loudly; He would be placed through a pacifying procedure of questionable efficacy and ethics, and emerge silent. The stranger would watch, concerned, but ultimately say nothing.

All of this had its toil on Kanden, who finally snapped and went on a rampage, breaking through even the toughest restraints. Armed with the living Volt Driver, he laid waste to the laboratory, slaughtering all but one of the researchers as he cackled maniacally. The carnage finally ends in a shot-for-shot recreation of his intro cutscene at the beginning of Hunters; Kanden slithering out of the smoking lab as a Stinglarva, transforming back. He waits for the explosion, not looking back, and roars in triumph when it detonates.

Only I survived, the Enoema explains, crawling out of the rubble as they watch Kanden move his attention towards the nearby town, for his rampage is not finished just yet. Per narration, Kanden would eventually gain infamy as a brutal, unpredictable bounty hunter. As the flashback fades, the Enoema mournfully notes that despite the failure of the Living Weapons Project, the Enoema got their wish; They were subjugated to neither Federation nor Space Pirate rule. Instead, they were conquered by the Kriken Empire, who wiped most of them out.

Samus listens solemnly, as her log scans confirm from the Enoema what they’ve said; Their homeworld was terraformed by the Kriken, and only a few Enoema exist now, scattered across Federation space.

The Enoema needs to make up for their sins, and destroy Kanden; He’s beyond reason, they know that now. And they’re willing to pay Samus quite a bit, all they have left, to help them. They know of her feats on Zebes, if Samus can take down Space Pirate high command, she can do this, maybe.

Samus opts to refuse the payment; She needs to finish off that Metroid anyway, per her pre-existing contract with the Federation, and that requires tracking down Kanden. The Enoema reassures her they can do just that; During the experiments, they implanted a tracker into Kanden in case he got captured, lost, went rogue… Obviously it was that last one that happened. They can use it to find him.

And the Enoema has no concern that theirs and Samus’ paths will be forced to diverge; They are quite convinced that Kanden and the Metroid will stay together, despite his contract to help the criminal organization secure it. Because in their investigation on Kanden, the Enoema has figured out this much; He is obsessed with perfecting his creators’ work on him by becoming the ultimate warrior, and will rely on any augmentations to achieve this. And they call the Metroid the Ultimate Warrior…

As the Enoema says this, we cut to the criminals next to their ship, cargo bay open as they’re loading the cold containment unit with the incapacitated Metroid inside. The commander gives Kanden a briefcase loaded with seguru, and tells him he can leave. As they turn around, they mumble in their tongue in disgust, Freak.

Kanden continues to stare them down, and then at the Metroid. The pilot is prepared to take off, everyone just needs to get in. At which point, the commander is about to board as the last one, when they notice Kanden still standing there. Well, they ask impatiently. What are you waiting for??? You can leave, we haven’t paid you to escort us any longer!

Kanden drops the briefcase; And then grabs the commander by the neck.

All of the minions aim their weapons, the pilot asks what’s going on. Kanden hoists the commander by the neck in the air in front of him, as a hostage; His Volt Driver is charged. There’s some tense seconds of deliberation… And then Kanden just snaps the commander’s neck anyway, chucking their body at the minions as they fire; Nothing to lose now!

A few get knocked over, and Kanden goes on a brutal rampage; Something to really earn this episode its TV-MA rating. It’s a good thing the carnage is colorful alien fluid… He tears the minions apart, using the Stinglarva’s bombs to blow up their feet, and then finishing them off as they fall down in agony. The pilot tries to take off, but Kanden displays his incredible strength in lifting the ship from the front, causing the unsecured Metroid capsule to fall out.

Kanden drops the ship, disorienting everyone. He fires his Volt Driver, electrocuting the whole craft as its energy spreads throughout the metal surfaces and shocks all inside. His carnage reaches the poor pilot, and then he comes back around to secure the Metroid. The last survivor gets a horrible death; Both hands wrapped around their skull, eyes gouged out by Kanden’s thumbs as they scream. Kanden’s fingers dig into their skull, and with a burst of strength he rips the poor minion’s head in half, splattering himself in viscera and clearly relishing in it.

The groggy Metroid watches from inside its containment unit, as Kanden detonates the ship with his larva bombs. In his great strength is able to casually hoist the Metroid capsule between his arm, when previously it took multiple minions to carry it. As the ship burns, Kanden walks off, and the camera pans down to the seguru, untouched.

The lighting changes to night, to indicate time has passed, with Samus and the Enoema staring down at the seguru. What did I tell you, the Enoema laments regretfully. Does that tracker work on an interplanetary scale? Samus inquires. It does, the Enoema confirms; At which point, it’s time to go back to the ship…

Before she does, Samus asks the Enoema to look the other way, to their confusion… And then grabs the briefcase while looking around, because no use letting all that money go to waste! The Enoema looks back in baffled, mildly scandalized surprise. Samus loads into her new gunship, the one seen in Prime –replacing the starship destroyed in Zero Mission- with the Enoema aboard. They sync up their tracker with the ship’s navigational computers, and fly off.

Cut to some run-down, urban area on some other planet; Kanden’s glowing green, Enoema-like ship –possibly another organic creation of the Living Weapons Project, or just every hunter in this series having ships that look like them- landing down beside some shady-looking building. Kanden hauls the Metroid with him as he enters.

Inside a room is some poor scientist, chained to the wall, and a bunch of dubious-looking equipment. The poor scientist asks Kanden what they want, and when they see him set down the Metroid, they begin to stammer; No no no… That’s a Metroid, these things have ravaged the entire galaxy recently, worlds have fallen to them! Kanden ignores the scientist, unlocking the bonds.

The scientist continues: Extracting its DNA would be nearly impossible; It’s been confirmed that attempts to remove any cell samples fail, because they disintegrate nearly immediately. They ramble on the theories, that Metroids are partially energy-based and without a source of energy from the larger body, the DNA dies… And technology can’t replicate that energy, either. Cryostasis is not viable because of the Metroids’ weakness to cold, which will erode their tissue and DNA if freezing is prolonged!

Kanden grabs the scientist around the neck and they gag out, But there could be a way to work around this!

Kanden lets go, unchaining the scientist and watching menacingly as they get to work. They explain that to implement Metroid DNA is tricky; They’ll have to directly hook Kanden up to the Metroid, to transfer its DNA immediately. This will be a precise process… But more importantly; Even if this does work, Kanden wouldn’t want this because the Metroid cells will turn on him. They turn on anything they come into contact with, it’s as if they have the ultimate immune system; Kanden himself will surely be killed in the pro-

Kanden grabs them by the neck again. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, the scientist chokes out.

Samus lands nearby, and her and the Enoema sneak into the building; Now the Enoema’s tracker beeps, silently. They explain they devised a serum tailored to Kanden’s body, based on the experiments they performed upon him; It will, hopefully, tear apart the bonds keeping Kanden’s various DNA components together, unraveling his chimera genome and killing him. The serum relies on Kanden’s own bio-electricity to fuel it, turning his own power against him. Without this, Kanden’s own DNA could render him unkillable.

Our protagonists get a glimpse of what’s going on from outside; I knew it, the Enoema grimly confirms. He’s going to implant Metroid DNA into himself, just as we implanted Stinglarva and other insect DNA into him.

Kanden is in a seat, there’s a tube linking the Metroid in its cold containment unit up to him. The scientist explains the generator below will pump power into this entire process, keeping the Metroid cells alive just long enough to last the trip into Kanden’s genome. The scientist sorely mumbles in their tongue, I hope this kills you, as they work on the final touches. Kanden silently looks at them; Does he understand, or at least hear the sentiment? The scientist nevertheless tenses, feeling eyes down their back.

They’re about to begin the process, here goes… When Samus barges in and blasts the tube, severing it. Kanden springs up, alarmed; The scientist raises their hands in surrender as Samus guns right for the Metroid, vulnerable and contained.

Kanden leaps in front, blocking with his arm, and engages Samus. Cue chaos as the scientist escapes, while Kanden’s funky theme song plays. Kanden continues to give Samus trouble, but suddenly the Enoema unleashes the Metroid, which targets the biggest prey in the room; Kanden. You wanted this power, the Enoema reminds Kanden; Now take it! The Metroid latches onto Kanden and he flails around in pain, even his invincible hide means nothing to the hunger of the Ultimate Warrior. He tries to pry it off with his hand, but no luck.

Alas, he has just the perfect tool to deal with this, the same way Samus does; Kanden turns into the Stinglarva, which the Metroid is still latched onto, but drops a few larva bombs that send it flying off. Kanden turns back into his humanoid form and spin-kicks the Metroid right towards Samus. There could be a semi-humorous moment where the two play tennis with a Metroid while the Enoema just looks back and forth to keep track; But Samus eventually gets latched onto, tries the Alt-Form plus Bomb trick, but the Metroid just latches right back on.

Kanden prepares to attack Samus in her vulnerable state, but the Enoema confronts them. They try to talk gentle and calm him down, apologizing for the experiments, and explaining they only let the Metroid loose to protect Samus; But they know, having worked on Kanden, that he’d survive. They’re holding behind their back a syringe, containing the killing serum. Kanden seems to calm down too, approaching; But his Volt Driver looks suspiciously charged up.

Is either of them sincere? Are they just playing it safe? In Kanden’s case, he could intend to be sincere… Only to change his mind away. You can never know.

The Enoema lunges, injecting the serum into Kanden. We zoom into it attacking his DNA… But it’s either not working, or not working fast enough; After doubling down in pain, Kanden straightens up anyway, and impales the Enoema in the face with a metal spike. Samus cries out, rushing over to help, and Kanden resumes the battle. They’ve also got a very angry Metroid to dance around, too; Kanden refuses to let Samus destroy it, but this gives her some room to breathe because it means he can’t be focused on destroying her, and is even taking hits for a creature that will also try to kill him too.

The lab catches fire, but all three are unaffected by the heat. Kanden charges up the Volt Driver, energy ball prepared to launch, and punches Samus with it; She learns from this and does the same.

Kanden gets a nasty, impromptu idea; He grabs some cable and lashes it around the Metroid, strapping it to his fist; At the angle he does it, its mouth is facing outwards, so it can’t drain Kanden’s fist through the top of its head. As the Metroid squirms, he uses it like a boxing glove against Samus, a new hand. She tries to freeze it, but attached to Kanden’s quick arm, he can always move the Metroid out of the way, or protect it. Kanden latches the Metroid onto Samus, and when she tries the Morph Ball and Bomb technique, Kanden just pushes it back towards her.

Luckily, a Power Bomb pushes back Kanden, and as Samus retreats, the Metroid squirms through the cable tying it down; Metroids are slick and flexible, they can squeeze through any small space bigger than their fangs, like an octopus. It turns around and latches onto Kanden’s fist anyway.

Kanden’s fist starts to shrivel, and Samus fires an Ice Beam at the Metroid. Still not giving up, Kanden moves the Metroid out of the way, his wrist being frozen; Undeterred, Samus fires a Super Missile that shatters Kanden’s hand off. Fluid drains from the severed stump, Kanden roars as Samus tries to freeze the damn Metroid, which is reducing Kanden’s fist to dust; But the flames augment the Metroid’s thawing ability. The arm cannon’s cool down means Samus can’t fire a Super Missile fast enough, even if there was nothing to distract her.

So she blasts the floor, causing it to collapse as her and Kanden fall into the room below, containing a shoddy generator. It’s cooler down here, way less open flame. The Metroid, not realizing its tactical advantage above, flies down to attack Samus; She freezes and blows it up with a Super Missile, finally.

She sighs in relief, and then Kanden lunges at her in rage. He slams a Volt Driver punch into her abdomen, before wrapping his injured arm around Samus in a chokehold, immobilizing her. He charges up the Volt Driver for another point-blank hit, and Samus’ energy tanks are running low.

Samus spots an unsecured cable from the generator; She lashes out with the grapple beam, tears it out and brings it to her other hand before jamming it into Kanden’s severed stump. As he shudders, Samus kicks his Volt Driver to aim at the generator as it fires; The electrical blast supercharges the generator, which sends a particularly powerful surge into Kanden’s body. It begins to pulsate and strain, as we cut to the serum, super-charged, doubling its attack on Kanden’s DNA. Samus fires some Wave Beams at Kanden, piercing his hide and adding to the current.

As the fire pours down from above, Kanden’s muscles swell grotesquely, suffocating and crushing his head beneath, as they’re unable to take it anymore; Kanden explodes, splattering all over the place. Poor Samus is drenched, and looks down at the scattered viscera; She sees the smoldering tracker that had been implanted into Kanden, the one she and the Enoema used to find him. The generator looks ready to blow, the fire is spreading here; Her work here is done. She glances up solemnly at where the Enoema’s corpse should be, but let’s be real, the fire probably scorched it to ash at this point.

Cut to outside the laboratory, that poor scientist from before limping away. They look back as it explodes, and mumble, shaking their head. They continue to limp ahead, when oh! It’s Samus Aran. Armor steaming as Kanden’s blood boils away, but very much alive. The scientist thanks Samus graciously, presuming she finished off Kanden, and also tries to continue past; But then she silently holds up a holographic wanted poster with their face on it.

They know better than to resist; The scientist groans, rolls their eyes, and holds their wrist out. Ugh, fine; Just get me away from that freak. Samus applies the future’s handcuffs; A device that messes with your bioelectricity, causing your limbs to go limp, while allowing your organs to still function. She drags the scientist away, taking a moment to look at Kanden’s ship, pondering… Before heading back to her gunship.

…On the other side of the burning laboratory, we see a glowing, yellow-green trail of slime, quite similar to the Stinglarva’s, leading out into the darkness. A soft rendition of Kanden’s leitmotif plays in the background.

If you look closely when Kanden explodes, a couple of his darker, solid bits are sent flying; But among them for a split frame is the Stinglarva (depleted of bombs, making it look even smaller), implying Kanden can regenerate by shedding his body and re-growing from his renewed form, like how a snake sheds its skin. And the tracker, shown earlier, has been excised from his body; Samus has no way to track Kanden anymore…

(I wouldn't say the battle and the Enoema' sacrifice was for nothing though; By keeping Kanden down for a while, this would minimize any other harm he could’ve done. At the very least Samus and the Enoema’s effort destroyed the Metroid, preventing any possibility of the augmentation actually working, god forbid.)

#Metroid #Kanden #Samus Aran #Enoema #Metroid Prime Hunters #Fanfic #Fanfiction #My Writing

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sunshinesmebdy · 1 year ago

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Uranus Awakens: How the Rebellious Bull Shakes Up Business and Finance in 2024

Prepare for disruption, fellow stargazers! As the revolutionary planet Uranus stations direct in the grounded sign of Taurus on January 27, 2024, a cosmic earthquake ripples through the world of business and finance. Get ready for unexpected twists, innovative breakthroughs, and a complete reshaping of the economic landscape. Buckle up, entrepreneurs, investors, and everyone in between — Uranus is here to shake things up!

The Cosmic Cocktail:

Imagine the stoic, earth-loving Taurus as a well-established bank, steeped in tradition and conservative practices. Now, picture the rebellious Uranus, bursting in with a briefcase full of digital currency and blockchain ideas. That’s the essence of this transit — a clash between old and new, stability and revolution, practicality and radical transformation.

Impacts to Expect:

Technological Disruption: Brace yourself for a wave of innovation in finance and business. Cryptocurrency, blockchain, and decentralized finance (DeFi) will take center stage, challenging traditional banking systems and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Prepare for a digital gold rush as Uranus throws open the vault of financial innovation! Cryptocurrency will erupt into mainstream commerce, blockchain will become the new ledger, and DeFi will democratize finance like never before. Traditional banks better dust off their abacus and learn to code, because digital cowboys are charging onto the financial frontier, redefining how we value, exchange, and invest. From peer-to-peer microloans to fractionalized real estate ownership, the possibilities are as limitless as your imagination. Buckle up, because the tectonic plates of finance are shifting, and the digital revolution is rewriting the rules of the game!

Shifting Market Dynamics: Expect volatility and unexpected shifts in established industries. Old guard companies might scramble to adapt, while nimble startups with innovative ideas flourish. Think green energy disrupting fossil fuels, or AI revolutionizing the service industry.

Be prepared for market earthquakes! Uranus, the cosmic trickster, will send shockwaves through established industries, causing titans to tremble and upstarts to dance. Picture fossil fuels choking on the dust of solar panels, brick-and-mortar stores gasping as virtual bazaars boom, and customer service bots replacing flustered clerks. AI will infiltrate every corner, from crafting personalized shopping experiences to streamlining logistics, while sustainable solutions crack open resource-hungry giants. It’s a Darwinian playground for businesses — adapt or face extinction. This isn’t just a market shuffle, it’s a complete reshuffle of the deck, and the cards are dealt anew. Get ready for the thrill of the unexpected, because the only constant in this dynamic landscape is change itself!

Evolving Values: Sustainability, ethical practices, and social responsibility will become increasingly important for consumers and investors alike. Businesses that prioritize these values will thrive, while those stuck in outdated models might struggle.

Get ready for a values revolution! Consumers and investors will turn from price tags to purpose tags, demanding businesses that go beyond profit and prioritize sustainability, ethical sourcing, and social responsibility. Imagine carbon-neutral factories replacing smog-belching behemoths, fair-trade coffee beans eclipsing exploitative practices, and employee well-being becoming a non-negotiable bottom line. Businesses that cling to outdated models will find themselves gasping for air as ethical alternatives steal the oxygen. It’s not just a trend, it’s a tidal wave of conscious consumerism sweeping away the tide of greed. So, businesses, listen up: embrace responsible practices, champion inclusivity, and weave sustainability into your very fabric, or risk being swept away by the rising tide of conscious capitalism. The future belongs to those who do good, not just those who do well!

Collaborative Entrepreneurship: Collaboration and community-driven ventures will rise in prominence. Shared workspaces, cooperatives, and peer-to-peer platforms will gain traction, challenging the traditional top-down corporate structure.

Picture the corporate pyramid crumbling as the cosmic crane hoists the collaborative flag! Uranus, the revolutionary, encourages a seismic shift: from isolated silos to thriving beehives. Shared workspaces buzz with creative collisions, cooperatives blossom out of shared passions, and peer-to-peer platforms become the new marketplace, fueled by trust and mutual aid. The top-down hierarchy shivers as horizontal networks rise, blurring the lines between boss and worker, replacing command with consensus. Collaboration takes center stage, not competition, as communities band together to tackle challenges and build innovative solutions. So, entrepreneurs, shed your solopreneur capes and embrace the power of the collective! In this new social business ecosystem, where synergy triumphs over supremacy, the future belongs to those who share, empower, and co-create a brighter tomorrow. Let the collaborative revolution begin!

Focus on Personal Values: Individuals will increasingly prioritize work that aligns with their personal values and passions. Entrepreneurship fueled by purpose and authenticity will flourish, shaping a more diverse and fulfilling business landscape.

Prepare for a workplace metamorphosis! Uranus, the cosmic butterfly, flutters wings of purpose, urging individuals to shed the career chrysalis and soar towards fulfilling their true potential. Gone are the days of soul-sucking jobs; now, personal values take center stage as the compass guiding career choices. Imagine passionate bakers opening community cafes, eco-conscious designers launching upcycled fashion lines, and tech whizzes crafting apps that tackle social issues. Authenticity becomes the new currency, with entrepreneurs weaving their passions into the fabric of their ventures, creating a mosaic of purpose-driven businesses that cater to every corner of the human experience. This isn’t just a career shift, it’s a heart shift, transforming the business landscape into a vibrant tapestry of diverse talents and fulfilled souls. So, listen to your inner compass, embrace your unique spark, and let your passion ignite the world — the future of work belongs to those who dare to be true to themselves!

Tips for Navigating the Cosmic Chaos:

Embrace innovation: Don’t cling to the old ways. Stay open to new technologies, trends, and business models. Be curious, explore, and experiment.

Adapt and evolve: Be prepared to change course quickly. Agility and responsiveness will be key to success in this dynamic environment.

Prioritize sustainability and ethics: Integrate environmental and social responsibility into your business practices. Consumers and investors are increasingly drawn to values-driven companies.

Collaborate and connect: Build partnerships, join communities, and leverage the power of collective action. Collaboration will be crucial for navigating the changing landscape.

Follow your passion: Don’t be afraid to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams. Uranus encourages authenticity and purpose-driven ventures.

Remember, Uranus isn’t about chaos for chaos’ sake. It’s about dismantling outdated structures and paving the way for a more progressive, sustainable, and fulfilling economic future. By embracing the change, staying adaptable, and aligning your business with your values, you can not only survive this cosmic revolution but thrive in the exciting new world it creates. So, let your inner rebel loose, embrace the disruption, and ride the wave of innovation — the economic future is bright for those who dare to dream big!

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