#I feel for all the kids nowadays since I feel like everything's gotten so much worse since I was a kid

[amyispxnk]

Silent Night

Summary - You're back from college for the holidays, and you've decided on exactly what you want for Christmas - Joel Miller's cock.

A/N: this was such a last minute fic im ngl rn. wasn't even planning on posting a Christmas fic, let alone my FIRST dbf joel miller smut?? anyway, i hope everyone enjoys. happy Christmas<3

Pairing: dbf!Joel Miller x f!reader

Word count: 3k

Warnings: smut, some good ole daddy kink, age gap (20+ years), Joel is pretty pervy in this, alcohol, divorce mentions. Not proofread because I'm tired

DO NOT COPY THIS FIC IN ANY WAY PLS AND TY.

When you left for college all that time ago, Joel didn't have any strong feelings towards you. You were his best friend's kid, so naturally he saw you often, and got close with you. You were a sweet kid, kind, smart (more than him, he reckoned), and very.. determined when you wanted to be.

Now you're back for Christmas, and as he sees you exiting your dad's car, hurrying over to him, yelling “Joel! Joel! Oh, I missed you so much!” he realises how fucked up his mind might be.

Any normal guy who was reuniting with a girl he'd known since she was a teenager, and a girl he had at least 20 years on, would not be looking at how her tits bounced in her crop top, or how her leggings were tight enough to let him see just how perfect your ass was.

But Joel wasn't normal, he wasn't a good man, so he was looking for all of those things. If he'd actually been looking at your face, maybe he'd have seen you smirking. Maybe he'd have realised you wore those clothes for exactly this reason.

-

Joel, or dad's best buddy, Mr Miller, as you'd known him until you were 16 and couldn't be bothered to pay respect to your elders, had been a part of your life for a while.

Ever since your mom took off, Joel was coming around far more often and, in his own gruff and quiet way, was taking care of you more than your own father was at the time.

Nowadays, you didn't really have any resentment towards your father because of this - he'd just gotten divorced, he was going through a rough time.

But teenage you definitely did, and having Joel step in like that definitely left you with mixed feelings.

If things weren't the way they were back then, you'd probably have developed this all-encompassing crush on him even earlier.

When you were leaving for college though, the crush suddenly dived into your life, crashing down and muddling up everything you thought you knew about yourself.

Now, as you returned back home at last, you knew you had to have him, or you feared you might just lose it.

He was everything a girl.. like you, could want right now. Old, brooding, mysterious, and so fucking hot.

So as you hopped over to him where he stood in his front lawn, you made sure to hug him tight and make sure he could really feel that you weren't wearing a bra. You knew he was looking already, so why not let him feel it?

He hesitated for a moment - probably struggling with his boner which you swore you could already feel - before bringing his arms around you and clapping you on the back.

“I missed you so much, Mr Miller.” You hum sweetly, looking up at him through your eyelashes. His own eyes almost flutter shut at the name you chose to use for him, and he manages to choke out a soft missed ya too, darlin’.

That darlin’ would be enough to make you come tonight.

Your dad finally turns around after unloading your luggage and turning the car off, greeting Joel before the two of you head to your house.

-

The next day, it's Christmas Eve. Dinner rolls around, and you check over your makeup one more time. You don't want it to be too much - it would look weird, considering it was only Joel coming over (your dad was a solitary creature) - but you still had to look good for him.

The doorbell rings and you almost trip down the stairs. “I'll get it, dad!” You yell, and he thanks you, completely unaware of your motives.

You open the door, biting back a smirk when Joel immediately looks you up and down, only just managing to tear his eyes away from your chest.

“Hi, Mr Miller. It's so good to see you.” You smile sweetly.

“Hi, sweetheart… told ya y’dont have ta call me that. Joel's fine.” He says softly, eyes still a little hazy.

You step back to let him inside and immediately take one of the beers he'd brought over once he sets the case down.

“Y’old enough to drink that, honey?” He teases, mind finally out of the gutter for now.

“I'm 21 in like.. a month. It's fineeee.” You smirk, tipping your head back and taking a big swig, showing off the long column of your neck and the swell of your breasts.

His mind is back in the gutter.

Your eyes are off him for now, so he allows him to drink in the sight of you properly. A silly Christmas hat atop your curled, gorgeous hair; red sweater tight around your breasts, little candy-canes dotted around it; your skirt, far too short and he's almost certain you're teasing him now, tights underneath making him want to rip them clean off of you. Your makeup looks perfect, red lips which he knows would look perfect around his cock, mascara which he can picture smudged and ruined from tears and sweat while you fuck-

“Joel, y’made it! Cmon, sit with me.” Your dad grins, and Joel's eyes widen. What the fuck is wrong with him? He cannot be thinking that way about you.

He shakes his head, muttering something to himself before going to sit with your dad.

-

Joel finally thinks he'll have some reprieve from your incessant teasing, letting out a tired sigh as he sits on the couch, your dad on the armchair.

“Tired already, old man?” Your dad teases.

“You're older than me, asshole.” Joel grunts, earning him a chuckle.

Just then, you appear in the doorway. Of course, of-fucking-course, you'd decide to watch TV with them tonight. It's soccer, for Christ's sake, you'd always get bored out of your mind and run upstairs to go on your phone whenever the game was on.

Not today though, much to Joel's dismay.

“What're you watching?” You ask, sitting beside Joel. He tries to mask his discomfort.

“Just soccer hon, I know you don't like-” your dad starts, but you quickly cut him off.

“No, no! It's fine. I'll try watching it tonight.” You smile softly, and settle in to watch.

You clearly get bored after about 5 minutes, sighing softly.

“You really find this interesting?” You murmur to Joel, now having made yourself comfortable on his shoulder. He tried to make himself as stiff as possible when you first lay on him, but you were persistent as always, and he just gave in.

“Ain't nobody forcin’ you to watch it.” He argues, and you keep quiet after that, eventually getting up to go get the food ready.

-

Dinner is yet another trial for Joel. You've gotten just as frustrated and impatient as he is, it seems.

Leaning in front of him when serving the food, giving him a clear view of your tits. Not to mention you never serve food, set the table, but all of a sudden you're acting like little miss helpful today.

‘Accidentally’ dropping a cup and bending over in his eyeshot to pick it up.

Sitting beside him at the table instead of with your dad.

When your hand moves to his thigh, he bolts upright, earning him a look from your dad.

“Bathroom,” is all he can get out before he's rushing upstairs.

“Fucking kid. Thinks she can fuckin’.. pull all this shit with me.. thinks she can act like this in front of her dad.. fuck me.” He mutters to himself, despite undoing his belt and pulling his cock out, barely stifling his groan when he spits on his palm and starts tugging at his length so fast it's almost painful.

His mind conjures up all sorts of unholy images, and he's on the brink of release when- “Mr Miller,” you coo, knocking on the door. “is everything okay? You've been gone for like 10 minutes. Was it something in the food?”

He's so angry, so pent-up, he wants to pull you in here and just fuck that goddamn attitude out of you.

He's deathly silent, flushing, turning on the sink as he pulls his pants up, blue-balled like he'd never been before, and exiting the bathroom.

“Everything is fine.” He grits out, fists clenched as he walks past you. You eye his bulge and smirk before practically skipping down the stairs.

“He said everything's fine, daddy.” You smile to your dad, and he almost collapses. He swears he sees god for a second.

That word coming out of your mouth should absolutely not turn him on like it just did - but it did.

The rest of dinner, he's almost silent, just gulping down beer and chewing on his now cold turkey. You don't try anything with him, actually a little afraid he might just get up and leave.

Instead, you wait until the movie.

Your dad puts Die Hard on, and after a lengthy argument about whether or not it even counts as a Christmas movie, - you insist it's not and will carry that with you to the grave - you settle beside Joel.

Joel thinks he's made it through the worst of the evening, but then you shiver. You shiver again, and then you pout, and he feels obliged to ask.

“Are you cold?”

“Yeah.. can I have some of the blanket?” You whisper. Your dad is practically falling asleep in the armchair.

He goes to hand you the blanket, and you, devious as ever, put it over both of your laps, cuddling up to Joel even more.

He's on full alert right now, stiff as a log, waiting for your next game.

The movie goes on, and then your hand creeps under the sheet. Moving from the side, to your own lap, to his arm, then to his leg-

“What're you-” he grunts, but you just shush him.

“I'm trying to watch the movie, Joel.” You huff, as if your hand isn't on his cock right now.

His eyes are darting between you, the screen, his lap under the blanket, and your dad. Way too much is going on, and as you start palming him, he lets out the most pained groan. He sees you biting your lip and he's so angry, so horny, he doesn't know what to do with himself.

Your dad suddenly wakes up, and the bubble pops. You pretend you're asleep on Joel's shoulder, and you know you've won when Joel tells your dad to just go on up, that he'll make sure she gets to bed.

As soon as your dad's bedroom door shuts, Joel grabs your jaw, glaring at you.

“Exactly what the fuck do you think you're doing, little girl?” He spits, and you giggle softly.

“‘m not doing anyth- ow, Joel!” You whimper when he squeezes your cheeks together.

“You gonna tell the truth now? Gonna answer me properly?” He says, tone and eyes cold as the ice on your driveway.

You nod, trying to stifle your whimper. He eases the grip on your jaw, still holding it, before asking you again.

“What do you think you're doing?” He says through clenched teeth, and you know he's not fucking around anymore.

“I.. I just..” Fuck it, you may as well shoot your shot, otherwise what was the point of everything tonight anyway?

“I wanted you to fuck me, Joel.”

Creak goes the step at the top of your staircase, and you squeak, jumping off the couch as Joel pulls the blanket and a pillow over his lap. You rush upstairs past your dad, hurriedly bidding him goodnight before slamming your door.

“Just came to grab my phone. Everythin' alright..?” He asks, brows furrowed at your skittish behaviour.

Joel nods, and your dad leaves him alone.

His cock has been throbbing for hours. So long that it's actually painful. But now he can't do anything. You and your dad are upstairs, you'll be asleep in 5 minutes, and Joel will just have to pretend it's your pussy wrapped around his length when he fucks his fist in the guest bedroom tonight.

-

Guilt gnaws away at him as he cleans his come off of his hand and stomach, tossing the tissues into the bin before changing into some sweats and managing to fall asleep after half an hour of tossing and turning.

The world seems to hate him, since he wakes up at 2am, heading to the bathroom only to walk past your bedroom and hear you moaning. He can't make out what you're moaning - but he has a good idea - and he's thankful your doors are quiet when he opens the one to your room.

You're facing away from the door, legs spread, face in your pillow as your hips buck, fingers working your pussy furiously.

“Joel, Joel, fuck-” you gasp, whimpering as you get close.

Fuck this.

If he didn't get to come for the entire evening, you did not get to come right now.

He walks over to you, morales abandoned, and growls your name.

You squeak, biting your lip as you turn and look at him. You'd been so close, but now you're too petrified to finish.

“Joel, I-”

“Not another word.”

It's the last thing he says before he flips you back onto your stomach, pushing your head down into the pillows.

“You're gonna be a good girl and shut the fuck up while I fuck this needy pussy. You understand me?”

You part your lips to reply, earning a spank to your ass.

“Can't fuckin’ listen, can ya? No talking, baby.”

You nod, whimpering as he pushes your head back down and pulls your soaked panties off, tossing them onto the floor.

“Fuck, look at her. Drippin’ for me, ain't she? Didn't know you were such a slut, babygirl.” He teases, knuckles dragging along your slit, and you cry into the pillow, hips bucking back against his hand.

Another spank, making you moan, trying to stop your hips from bucking once more.

“You take what you're fucking given. Do you understand me?”

You nod, having learnt from your mistakes.

“Good girl. Knew you could listen for me.” He coos, before he's thrusting two of his thick fingers into your dripping heat.

You gasp and whine, moaning his name into the pillow, almost tearing your sheets with how hard you grip them.

“That's right.. moan my name. Fuckin’ slut.” He grunts, head ducking down to tease your clit with his tongue. You almost lose it, starting to clench hard and fast around his fingers. You're right on the edge when he pulls away.

“Joel!” You practically sob, deflating as your orgasm drifts away.

“Shh, shh. You thought you could tease me all night and still get off? Y’thought wrong, honey.” He coos, mocking, pulling down his sweatpants and slicking up his cock with your wetness, giving you no warning as he starts to push in.

“Ohh, fuck. Knew you'd be tight for me, baby. That's it, good girl.” He groans, bottoming out. He allows you to cry his name into the pillow, but when he starts really fucking you, it gets too much.

He pulls out to the tip before slamming back into you, making you almost scream, back arching and hips bucking - unsure if you want him to get out, or fuck you even harder.

He decides for you, starting to pound into you. The only sounds in the room are your broken moans, his heavy breathing, and the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin.

“Joel- Joel- pl-please I'm gonna come- please Daddy-” you moan, and his hips stutter before he's pulling you up by your hair, his back to your chest when he resumes his aggressive thrusts.

“Shut- the fuck- up.” He pants in-between thrusts, and you whimper, brows drawing together as you get close. He starts rubbing your clit and you see stars, unable to stop yourself from coming.

“Fuckfuckfuck yes, yes daddy- oh my god-” you sob, before he's pulling out and manhandling you onto your back, thrusting back inside to the hilt, palm covering your mouth.

“You better shut up right now unless you want your real daddy to wake up, find us here like this-” you curse silently when you clench around him at the thought - what is wrong with you?

“Oh, you like that? Dirty fucking girl. Such a slut for daddy, huh?” You clench tighter at that, and his thrusts speed up, pace irregular. “Yeah, you fuckin’ like that.”

His hand leaves your mouth and you cover it yourself, not wanting to anger him anymore.

“‘s okay, baby.” He murmurs, taking your hand from your mouth and leaning down to kiss you. As he does, his hand goes to your clit, and you moan loudly, muffled slightly by the kiss, as your back arches off the bed and you come so hard you see stars, setting off his own release and making him groan, biting your shoulder as he fills you up.

It's quiet for a moment, save for your shared panting, before he pulls out.

“Fuck, honey..” he murmurs, watching your shared fluids dribble out of your cunt, gathering them up on his fingers and pushing them back into your tight hole.

“Made such a mess, didn't we?” He says softly, brushing your hair away from your eyes as you giggle softly, nodding.

“That was so good.” You whisper, and he nods, gathering you up in your arms.

“Joel, you can't stay in here-” you mutter, confused.

“Just relax, honey. I'll leave in the mornin’. Just let me hold you for now.”

You're utterly perplexed, but you're definitely not complaining, swallowed up by his warmth and drifting off within a minute.

-

The next morning, you're opening presents, and you bite your lip when he reads his card from you. At the bottom, you'd added - come to my room afterwards for the second part of your gift - and when he comes upstairs afterwards, it's safe to say he doesn't leave for a good hour.

Dividers by @adornedwithlight <3

Thank you sm for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! Have a good Christmas everyone!! ❤️

[tortillamastersblog]

Back To You - Part 10 | Sam Carpenter

Pairing: Sam Carpenter x reader

Warnings: mentions of violence, death, blood, injuries, and swearing

Summary: When Sam left after turning eighteen, you were devastated. You’d been in love with her since you were kids and her leaving meant you never got to tell her how you truly felt.

Fast forward a couple of years, Tara gets attacked and Sam returns. . .

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

_______________________________________________

9 months later. . .

“Look who finally made it,” Liam teases when he opens his door.

I scoff playfully and hug him after being ushered into the apartment. “I’m sorry. I know I said I’d be here earlier, but traffic was a bitch.”

“It’s okay. I know.” He waves me off and runs a hand down his dress shirt, smoothing it out. “But I have to get going, or I’m going to be late.”

I nod and accept the spare key he hands me while slipping into his dress shoes. “Have fun!” I tease when he shrugs on his jacket.

“It’s a business dinner, not a date, Y/N.” He deadpans which makes me laugh and slap his shoulder before he leaves with a final wave and smile.

It’s the end of September and I’m visiting New York for a couple of days since I have some time off before the hockey season begins again.

I’m here to visit Liam— obviously, since I’m staying with him— but also Tara and Sam, who agreed it would be better if I stayed with Liam since they’re apartment is fairly small and their roommate, Quinn, doesn’t know me.

Since Christmas, we’ve only seen each other once, three months ago, at one of my hockey games which Sam, Tara, Mindy and Chad came to see after they all collectively moved to New York.

I was happy to see them again, and glad we were once again living in the same time zone, but there was an underlying tension the whole time we hung out because things between Sam and I haven’t been the same ever since Christmas.

While Tara and I are in contact almost daily, Sam and I barely even talk once a week. It’s not for her lack of trying though, it’s because I’ve distanced myself ever since I realized it was hopeless to think the two of us could ever be a thing.

I gave up on her, doing exactly what Tara told me not to do, and I even tried to move on, but that didn’t work out as planned.

I went on a couple of dates here and there, and hooked up with several people, but I just can’t get over Sam even though nowadays we’re barely even friends.

The only reason we could still be considered friends is because of our backstory and because Tara connects us. Other than that, we’re back to the way things were when Sam first returned to Woodsboro, and being like this hurts even more than when she was simply gone.

Those five years were undoubtedly the most painful years of my life, but now everything is so much worse. I thought I’d gotten Sam back, I thought we could finally be something, but all of that hope shattered as soon as she said she’d never do long distance. She also never acknowledged how Richie exposed my feelings for her, which makes it abundantly clear that she’d rather just forget about it and move on as friends.

I know she doesn’t owe me anything and she’s been trying to stay in contact as best as she can, but I’m just too hurt to let her back in and accept her as just a friend.

I know how stupid that sounds and it’s not my intention to hurt her by keeping my distance, but it’s just how I cope with everything.

With a sigh I enter Liam’s apartment properly and let out an impressed whistle when I realize just how big and luxurious it actually is. When he sent me his address and I saw that it was on the upper west side, I was surprised because living here is usually reserved for the rich and famous, but he explained that his company owns the building and rents its apartments to their employees for a reasonable price.

That doesn’t make it any less luxurious though, and when I take a look in the bathroom and see a rain shower with a view of the twinkling city outside I make a mental note to use it as soon as possible.

Right now, I’m hungry though, so I raid Liam’s fridge, helping myself to a smoothie and some leftover chocolate cake that he has for some reason.

The dinner he’s at right now wasn’t planned, it was a last minute thing his boss organized, but I’m not complaining. Yes, we were supposed to do something together tonight, but I’ll just check and see if Sam and Tara are free instead.

We’re supposed to meet up tomorrow for lunch, but I don’t see why I can’t stop by their place tonight, too.

I pull out my phone and call Tara after gulping down some of my smoothie. She doesn’t answer, so I reluctantly call Sam next.

Tara’s probably in the shower or something. . . God knows she loves to take long ass showers. When she lived with me my water bill almost doubled.

Sam picks up after two rings which is not surprising since I can’t remember the last time I called her instead of the other way around.

“Hey, Y/N. You okay?” Her concerned voice makes my stomach twist and I hate how she thinks something’s wrong because I’m calling her instead of Tara.

“Hey. Yeah, I’m okay. Just got into the city and was wondering if I could stop by your place for some dinner since Liam was called into work,” I say.

The sound of traffic on Sam’s end of the line makes me realize she’s not home and I think calling might have been a mistake, but she immediately agrees. “Of course. I’ll text you the address again. I’m not home yet because I just got out of therapy, but Tara and Quinn should be home.“

“Okay. Thanks.”

There’s an awkward silence, but Sam is quick to break it by saying, “Alright then. See you soon.”

“Yeah. See you.” I hang up and exhale slowly.

It’s just Sam, Y/N. Pull yourself together. You’re going to go see Tara and Sam, and their roommate, not just Sam.

The two of us haven’t been alone since Christmas eve and I’m not planning on changing that anytime soon.

I finish the piece of cake and throw away the empty smoothie bottle before grabbing a zip up hoodie from my bag and heading out of the apartment.

Sam and Tara’s apartment is quite far away, and because I’m not in the mood to call an Uber or take the subway, I take one of the public e scooters standing around, unlocking it with my phone before heading off.

It’s nice getting some fresh air after being cooped up in my car for hours and not even fifteen minutes later I’m in front of the building Sam sent me the address of.

I get off the scooter and park it around the corner, making my way inside the building after getting buzzed in by some random person.

Compared to Liam’s building, this place is a dump, but it seems relatively safe and affordable, so who am I to judge. This is New York after all.

I head up the stairs and knock on the door of Sam and Tara’s apartment, my heart rate picking up with each second that passes until the door finally opens.

Having expected Sam or Tara, I’m surprised when a stranger greets me. It’s a red haired girl, around Tara’s age, with a round face and gray eyes. She’s dressed in only a robe and I momentarily avert my eyes when she reties it around her waist.

“Hi, you must be Quinn,” I say, raising my hand in greeting.

Quinn’s eyes rake over me and she smirks before her eyes snap back up to mine. “Yeah, and you’re Y/N, right?”

I nod, feeling slightly uncomfortable under her hungry gaze. “The one and only,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.

Quinn’s face softens ever so slightly and her smirk turns into a genuine smile. “So I heard. . . You’re here to see Sam and Tara?” she guesses and when I nod again, she opens the door properly and invites me inside.

“Sam should be here any minute, but Tara is out,” she says.

I frown. “She’s out? Sam said she’d be here.”

Quinn smiles apologetically and goes to say something but then a man’s voice from a nearby room calls for her. “Babe? You coming back or what?”

My eyes widen and I feel heat rushing into my cheeks. That’s why she’s only wearing a robe. “Shit, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to. . . interrupt you and your boyfriend.”

“My boyfriend?” Quinn laughs as if the idea is ridiculous and waves me off. “Oh don’t worry. He’s not my boyfriend. We’re just hooking up.” She eyes me once again with that lustful look in her eyes and bites her lip seductively, squeezing my biceps. “You could join us if you want. The more the merrier, am I right?”

I squirm and pull my arm out of her grasp with an uncomfortable smile. “Uh, no thanks. I’m good.”

God, what’s up with her?

I want to ask about Tara’s whereabouts again when the door behind us opens.

My eyes instantly lock with Sam’s and even though I’m nervous to see her again, I’m also relieved she’s here to distract Quinn from making a move on me again.

“Y/N. . .” She hugs me after a moment’s hesitation before shrugging off her jacket and hanging it up on the hook next to the door. “I see you’ve already met Quinn.”

I rub the back of my neck awkwardly and avoid looking at the aforementioned roommate. “Mhmm.”

Quinn, having absolutely no shame whatsoever, touches my arm again. “Yeah. Why didn’t you tell me Y/N was such a snack, Sam?”

Oh lord. . .

My face heats up again, but Sam is quick to come to my rescue. She raises an unimpressed eyebrow before stepping in between Quinn and me which forces the redhead to let go of me.

“Right. I forgot you don’t like to share.” Quinn laughs, unbothered and turns to head into the kitchen.

“Sorry about that. I know she can be a bit much sometimes.” Sam glances at me over her shoulder, and I wave her off nervously.

“It’s okay.“

She turns as soon as Quinn is out of sight and I hold my breath at how close she is.

She looks as beautiful as ever even though she looks tired and I curse my heart for flipping in my chest when she picks a piece of lint off my shoulder.

The white off-shoulder top she’s wearing over her tank top looks incredible on her and I have to force myself not to look at her exposed neck and collar bones too much, a task that is incredibly hard because she’s wearing the necklace I gave her for Christmas.

It glints in the low light and even though the knowledge that she still wears it makes my insides melt, it also serves as a reminder why I’ve been keeping my distance.

Don’t get hurt again, Y/N.

I swallow thickly and lean back a little, not missing the way confusion and hurt flashes across Sam’s face before she clears her throat and steps back.

She looks anywhere but at me before asking Quinn, “Have you seen Tara?”

Quinn, who was just about to open a bottle of wine in the kitchen turns with a sheepish smile. “Uh, don’t be mad. . .”

I frown and follow Sam into the kitchen.

“Why would I be mad?” Sam asks and the way Quinn winces slightly at her tone makes my lips twitch with amusement.

“Because you get mad,” she says and I can’t help but agree silently.

Sam does have a temper, however I’m not sure why she’d be mad when Quinn tells her where Tara is as long as she’s not alone.

“Babe?” The guy from what I’m assuming is Quinn’s bedroom calls for her again which makes Sam’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, the question of Tara’s whereabouts momentarily forgotten.

“Is that Paul?” she asks and Quinn cringes when the guy shouts, “Who the fuck is Paul?”

“Life, I have found,” she says quietly with an innocent shrug, “is all about variety.”

This time I can’t help but smile properly, and Sam chuckles softly, too.

“So, uh, where’s Tara?” she asks after a moment which makes Quinn sigh helplessly, the wine on the counter forgotten as she toys with the bottle opener in her hands.

“She went to the Omega Kappa Beta party.”

Huh. I didn’t think Tara’d be one to enjoy frat parties but I guess she’s young and wants to try everything now that she’s in a new city and in college.

Sam doesn’t seem to agree though and it’s clear why Quinn was scared of her getting mad when she exclaims, “What? I begged her not to go to that!”

I want to tell her that it’s just a party, but she seems to haver her reasons why she doesn’t want Tara there, so I stay quiet.

Quinn sighs again. “And we’ve now arrived at mad. . .”

I try my best not to smile— Quinn’s actually pretty funny now that she’s not trying to sleep with me— and focus on Sam instead.

She seems ready to explode, but gathers herself by taking a deep breath and closes her eyes momentarily. Then she deflates and when she asks, “Do you know if she at least took her taser?” she sounds more worried than mad.

A taser?

Quinn grabs the wine off the counter and pushes the cork screw into the cork before twisting it and opening the bottle. “I cannot speak to how heavily armed Tara is at this fraternity party,” she says hesitantly which makes Sam huff in frustration and brush past me back to the front door where she grabs a taser from a dresser.

I follow her, knowing she’s going to go back out to look for Tara, and Quinn follows me with the now open bottle of wine in hand, ready to return to her not-boyfriend.

Sam eyes the taser for a moment, her jaw working and I move around her to grab her jacket off the hook for her.

Right as I reach for it though, Quinn says something that makes me freeze. “Oohh. Is cute boy shirtless again?”

My head snaps around so fast, it’s a miracle it doesn’t snap, and my eyes instantly land on what, or rather who, Quinn and Sam are looking at through the window. There’s a shirtless guy, seemingly my age or a couple years older in the apartment right across from us.

I have to admit, he is cute with his neatly trimmed beard and muscular upper body, and I even smile when Quinn’s not-boyfriend asks, “Who’s cute boy, babe?” and Quinn cringes, replying, “Always you. . . sweetie.” But that smile is quickly wiped off my face when I see the way Sam is looking at him.

Her eyes are soft and there’s something like longing written all over her face which feels like a sucker punch to the stomach.

This is why I keep my distance. . . She’s not mine and if she likes this cute boy, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s not that I’m jealous, I’m just hurt and I’m once again reminded to keep my heart guarded.

But then Sam’s eyes snap to me and her face instantly falls and something like guilt flickers across her eyes, but I don’t dwell on it and avert my own eyes, staring at my shoes and fidgeting with Liam’s key in the pocket of my hoodie.

“You guys have been checking each other out for months, why don’t you just talk to him?” Quinn asks softly, and once again, it feels like I’ve been punched in the stomach.

Sam turns away from the window and I feel her eyes on me, but I don’t look up. “Because. . .” Her voice falters ever so slightly before going on. “That right there is all the romantic interaction I’m ready for.”

Once again a reminder that she’s not over Richie, and definitely not into me. . .

Out of the corner of my eye I see Quinn shrug and when Sam says, “I’m going to find Tara, you coming with me, Y/N?” I nod wordlessly without meeting her eye, and follow her out of the apartment after returning Quinn’s awkward wave.

I’m doing exactly what I planned on avoiding, which is being alone with Sam, but my worry for her going out alone outweighs my need to keep my distance, so I silently follow her down the stairs and outside where she pulls out her phone to look up the directions to the frat house.

I forgot you don’t like to share. . .

Quinn’s words suddenly echo through my mind and I frown because Sam and I obviously aren’t a thing, but before I can dwell on it too long, Sam nudges me and starts walking. “Come on, let’s go. The frat house isn’t too far from here, so we can walk.”

I wordlessly fall into step beside her, intent on not talking about what just happened, but she seems to have other plans because after we cross the street she turns to me with furrowed eyebrows and says, “You know, Danny and I aren’t a thing or anything. . .”

“What?” I know she probably means cute boy, but I wasn’t expecting her to say that. I thought they only knew each other because they live across from each other, but it seems as though they know each other better than that. Also, the fact that Sam is trying to deny that something is going on between them makes me believe there actually is something going.

Which is fine. . . Totally fine. She’s an adult and she can make her own choices.

“Y-you know,” she stutters. “The guy, Cute Boy, he and I, we’re not a thing. Not really— I mean we’re just—“

I stop dead in my tracks and raise a hand which makes her shut up and stop walking as well. “Why are you telling me this?”

She seems taken aback by the harshness of my tone and frowns, so I sigh and add, “I mean, I don’t tell you anything about my love life, so why are you telling me about yours?”

Sam’s frown deepens. “I just— I thought you should know— I mean. . . You’re my best friend.”

I scoff and before I can stop myself I say, “Am I though?”

“What?”

“Your best friend?” I clarify, ignoring how crushed she looks at the implication of my words. “We’ve barely spoken in nine months.”

“And whose fault is that?” she snaps back defensively. She crosses her arms over her chest and eyes me with a challenging glare.

I know she’s not actually mad, she’s just hurt and she’s put up her guard, so I deflate a little.

She’s right, it’s my fault we haven’t really talked since Christmas, but I’m not about to spill the beans and tell her why.

“Look,” I say softly. “Let’s not get into this now.”

“Why not?” she asks harshly. “Because you can’t just hang up if it gets too much?”

I cringe at that because lately every time she calls and asks what’s wrong I usually come up with an excuse to hang up or ignore her texts.

I shake my head and let out a deep breath. “Let’s just find Tara okay, we can get into this tomorrow.”

Sam bites the inside of her cheek and the storm of emotions in her eyes makes me believe she’s about to disagree, but then she huffs and turns around to continue leading our way to the frat house.

Long story short, at the party, Sam ends up tasing a guy who tried to drag Tara upstairs in the balls which in turn leads to Tara storming out with the rest of us— Mindy, her girlfriend Anika, Chad, Chad’s roommate Ethan, Sam, and me— hot on her heels.

“Tara, will you stop?” Sam says, sounding irritated as Tara continues to dash ahead. She’s short and has asthma, so she’s not going all too fast, but still. . .

She has yet to realize I’m also here, but I don’t want to get in the middle of what’s about to go down between her and Sam, so I stay back with the others, the twins having greeted me with quick hugs a moment ago before officially introducing me to Anika and Ethan.

“I cannot believe you did that! You embarrassed me!” Tara shouts over her shoulder.

“That guy was a dick. He was going to take advantage of you,” Sam argues and even though she’s right, that guy was really sleazy, she didn’t actually have to tase him. Also it looked like Chad had it covered, but I’m not about to get in the middle of this.

“So?” Tara stops abruptly and turns on her heels to face Sam.

The rest of us come to a halt a safe distance away, but I raise my eyebrows at what Tara just said.

“So?” Sam echoes incredulously, voicing my exact thoughts, but Tara is not having it.

“If I want to hook up with an asshole that’s my decision!” she shouts and even though she’s right, it is her decision, I don’t like the way she’s talking to Sam like she did something wrong by trying to protect her.

Sam tenses and I know what Tara just said hit a nerve, but she stays calm and simply nods dismissively. “Okay. . .”

Tara doesn’t seem to be done just yet though because she goes on, “I mean, you’re out of my life for five years and then you can’t leave me alone for five minutes.”

Yikes. She’s right, but. . . yikes.

“Because you’re not dealing with what happened to us,” Sam shoots back, her voice relatively calm. “Have you even gone to see the counselor once?”

“No, I’m not going to.”

“Why not?”

I sigh and share at look with Chad and Mindy who seem to be hating this just as much as me, if not even more because it sounds like this isn’t the first time the two sisters have been at each other’s throats.

Anika and Ethan just look uncomfortable and if it weren’t for the fight I’d laugh at how ridiculous they look, what with Ethan wearing Anika’s pumpkin hat and Anika wearing Ethan’s ridiculous cardboard helmet that matches his handcrafted chest plate.

“Hey, guys, come on,” Chad tries to step in at one point when Tara accuses Sam of living in the past, but he’s straight up ignored and I shoot him a pitiful look when our eyes meet.

They continue bickering, and even though I agree with Tara that we shouldn’t let something that happened to us for three days define the rest of our lives, I don’t like how she puts Sam on the spot in front of everyone by asking why she’s in New York with the rest of them.

After what feels like hours, they finally stop which is when, out of nowhere, a girl walking by yells, “Murderer!” and throws her drink at Sam.

Sam recoils and chaos erupts. There’s shouting and cursing, and a bunch of accusations thrown at Sam about God knows what, and I’m barely fast enough to rush forward and wrap my arms around her stomach from behind to prevent her from lunging at the girl who threw her drink at her.

Everything is over in a blur and before we know it the grill and her friends have left and the people who stopped and stood around to watch are moving on as though nothing happened.

I let go of Sam as soon as I’m sure she won’t do anything reckless again and step back, seeing out of the corner of my eye that Chad is also holding back Tara.

“What the fuck was that?” I ask, but no one answers and Sam even looks away as though she’s ashamed of something.

“Let’s just go.” Tara sighs and turns to leave, grabbing Anika’s and Chad’s arm.

Mindy frowns but agrees and is quick to follow them, leaving Ethan behind with me and Sam, who is currently trying to wring out her shirt.

“Hey, I. . . I have tissues if you want tissues,” Ethan offers kindly, pulling some tissues out of his pocket and handing them to Sam.

She wordlessly takes them and Ethan awkwardly looks between the two of us for a moment, obviously not knowing what else to do before hurrying after the others.

What an odd kid.

Sam dabs at her neck and hair where most of the drink hit her and she’s about to brush past me to follow the others as well, but I step in front of her and gently touch her forearm.

“Wait.”

Defeated brown eyes find mine, and the way she deflates when looking at me breaks my heart.

I have no idea what that girl and her friends meant when they called her a murderer and when they said she “knows what she did”, but now’s not the time to ask about it.

I take the used tissues from Sam and momentarily stuff them into the back pocket of my jeans so I have my hands free to unzip and take off my hoodie.

“Here, take this.” I hold it out to Sam, who simply eyes it with furrowed eyebrows.

“What?”

“Take off your shirt and put this on. I know how you hate it when clothes stick to you.” I wiggled the hoodie a little and raise an eyebrow until she sighs and takes it.

When we were kids I found out how she hates wearing wet clothes after pushing her into our pool after school once.

She wasn’t mad at first because it was summer and we both really needed to cool off, but then she got out of the water and her mood immediately turned sour.

She never explained why, but I knew it was because of her clothes clinging to her, so I never pushed her into the water again unless she was wearing a bikini or swimsuit.

“Thank you.” Sam’s small voice brings me back to reality and when I look up again I see she’s already changed into my hoodie. Her shirt is clutched between her fingers to the point where her knuckles are turning white, but I don’t comment on it.

She’s humiliated, sad, angry, and embarrassed, so all I say is, “You’re welcome,” before gesturing for her to lead the way and follow the others.

She lowers her chin in silent thanks again and starts walking, and I follow her after quickly darting over to one of the nearby trash cans and disposing of the tissues.

What a night. . . Maybe I should have stayed at Liam’s and watched some TV.

_______________________________________________

We’re in New York, people! And Ghostface is right around the corner. . .

Poor Sam, getting a drink thrown on her, but the way she clapped back at reader on their way to the party? Damn. . .

And Tara hasn’t even acknowledged reader yet hahah but it’s okay, they’ll talk in the next part.

Tag list: @bella423 @artrizzler19 @btay3115 @canyonyodeler @quadofthec @pussyydestroyer @rqizzu @pithod @morganismspam23 @idontliketoread2137

[heyhihellosworld]

𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Trent Alexander-Arnold x reader

Word count: 6.2k

Summary: Trent would do everything for his daughter even if it's out of his comfort-zone but maybe something, or someone can make it more bearable.

Warnings: Single parent, talk about non-present parents, horses, angst, smut, fluff, dad!trent, young pregnancy (19/20)

Notes: I don't know but this idea just came to me randomly when I was in the stables and I just find it funny to see these out of place parents, especially dads so yeah. Random but fun to write

Being a single parent wasn't always easy. Trent found it hard to be as present as possible, to spend as much time with his daughter as he wanted and still succeed in his football career. It took a lot of time, effort and help but he managed well, being the best dad possible and still develop in his football. It took a toll on him but he wouldn't trade it for the world.

Since he had been a little kid football had been his life, his goal and the only thing that mattered. For so long it was all that consumed his life, until Ella came along. It was never the plan, never his intention after the one-night stand he'd had but it happened and after a rocky year he had full custody of his baby.

After that his priorities changed because he was no longer alone, he couldn't be selfish anymore, he couldn't think about himself because he had a little girl at home. A little girl relying on him for food, comfort and love and suddenly, she was what mattered the most.

Less to say Trent didn't have a lot of free-time, already juggling more than the time could wrap up but he didn't really miss anything, he felt complete. The only thing he sometimes missed was dating. Going out was nowadays almost impossible, even though his brothers and parents tried to help out and babysit as much as they could he didn't feel fine with leaving her in their responsibility too long knowing they already helped out more than they should. Trent hadn't dated someone in what felt like years nor had he gotten any action regurarly. He didn't mind it, but he could miss it some days. Not only the sex but the social life outside of his work. That's why it felt like a blessing when Ella got older and he had to engage in some of her free-time activities. It wasn't like before of course, this was mothers and fathers with their kids not drunk idiots in a club in some VIP-room. But it was still some kind of social life, some people he could talk to and sometimes hang out with outside of the footballpitch.

For him it was obvious she would play football. It was what he'd anticiapated for a long time but the little girl said no. She didn't wanna play football, she wanted to take horseback-lessons, and as the nice father he was he didn't pressure her into anything but said ok, she would get to take her horse-riding lessons if that was what made her happy.

The four-year old was over-joyed, not Trent. He was as far away from his comfort zone he could imagine when he stepped onto the yard with his estatic daughter. It was muddy and bloody cold but he didn't say anything, just smiled at Ella who blabbered away.

Anything for her

It was all he repeated in his head to get himself to not jump into the car again.

He could hear his teammates laughing in his head as he stood in the small house which apparently was called the club-house. When he had told them about his daughters wish he had got his head nagged in with teasing, but hey, anything for her.

He got informed of how it worked, where the list was, where the different buildings were located, how he handled the horse, that he'd have to fix it up before riding.

He nodded along pretending he understood just fine before walking after Ella as she hurried into the stable. The smell was the first thing that hit him, then the horses. What the fuck was he doing here, why hadn't he asked somebody who knew something about this to take her? Well probably because she had been so excited for him to come along.

"Look, look!" Ella prompted, grinning from ear to ear as she pointed to one of the horses "Which one am I having? Which one daddy?"

Trent shook his head "Uh, what was his name? Mons?" "Monty!"

Trent hummed, nodding as they walked along the line of horses, "Here it is" he told her and she squealed with excitement at the tiny, fat little horse that stood in the box, glaring at them from inside.

Trent stood a few meters away as one of the people who helped out in the stables showed Elle how to tack up. He could feel the stares as he tried to look at what they were doing, trying to memorize but nah, it was too much stuff. Ella almost bounced on the spot as everything was ready, Trent yet to touch the horse that was still glaring at them.

-

Trent sat on the cold tree stand as he watched his daughter wiggle around on the horse. If it wasn't for the biggest smile on her face he would've tried to talk her into something else but he couldn't, and it didn't matter how bitter he felt. He would have to learn and show up, put on his well practiced fake-smile, for her.

-

"Are you really Trent Alexander-Arnold?"

The sound of his name made him look up, taken aback by the mention. He hadn't even thought about being spotted or recognised here which he of course should have.

"Eh, I am" he choke before he even located the woman who spoke but when he did he felt like his choked reply was just right. Before him stood a beautiful woman, she didn't look like a mom, for sure not. She looked about his age, maybe a year or so younger than him.

She was absolutely stunning, her beutiful face held a warm and almost teasing expression. Eyes glimmering, like she was mocking him for his whereabouts.

"Wow" she hummed, sitting down next to him so naturally it almost made him envy her confidence. "So what in the world brings the famous footballer to the stables?" She asked, seemingly unbothered but the smirk she tried to hide leaked through, making him pull a grimace at her.

"Well, my daughter wanted to take horseback-lessons... so I took her to do it, silently hoping she wouldn't like it but now I guess this is my new place to be" he muttered and she chuckled softly "That's sweet of you"

Trent shrugged his shoulders, looking over at her as she sat so casually but still looked so elegant and beautiful. "What about you?" "Well I also happen to have a daughter who loves this stinky hole" she hummed, peeking his interest even more "Really?" he questioned, his eyes full of interest as she hummed "yeah, why?"

"No no I just... you look young to be a mother" he revealed, pulling a smile from her "thank you, I guess. But I was young when I got her" she admitted, making Trent nod along "How old are you?"

"23" she answered shortly making him hum "And what's your name?"

She chuckled, giving him a loopsided smile as she raised one eyebrow "Why are you so interested?"

Trent shrugged "I just am, you're not gonna tell me your name?"

"Y/n, it's y/n" she answered politely, a silence settling over the two as they watched their children try to lead the horse in the right direction.

--

It had been a stressful afternoon for you, hurrying home after work to make it in time to Amelies riding-lesson. But you'd made it, not quite on time but good enough.

Amelies riding lessons was nothing you'd been too big of a fan of, not only because you knew nothing about horses but also because it was darn expensive. But of course you couldn't say no to your precious daughter when she so sweetly asked you, so now you found yourself on this tree bench every week, looking as your daughter held the biggest smile on her face, and it felt worth it.

"I don't mean to be forward" you voiced quietly after a few moments, "It's fine" he hummed, turning his attention to you, bracing himself for what he knew was coming.

He was even more beautiful face to face, so close up, than on the tv-screen and you still had a hard time realizing it was actually the football player sitting next to you on the stable stand.

You had of course read gossip sites and rumors about him and his daughter, some saying he was indeed secretly married and other saying it was a failed one-night stand leading him to be a single parent. You didn't know what it was but you were intrigued.

"Are you married?"

Your question didn't surprise him, his eyes fleeting back from watching the group to you again. "Well-no"

"No?"

He shook his head, curls flying all over the place, your face told him you wanted to know more and he gave in, he knew darn well about all the rumours flying around about him and his daughter, and especially about the mother. "I am not married. Me and Ella's mother is not in any committed relationship. In fact it was a one night stand, ending up in her calling me and telling me she was pregnant and after a long hard time she pulled out, and I am now a single parent"

You hummed "is her mother in the picture at all?"

"Rarely, whenever it suits her" he shrugged, not really understanding why he told you all this. "What about you?" You chuckled bitterly "Nah, I was in a relationship when I got pregnant, but like I said I was young, barely 19 and our relationship was as serious as they are at that age so when things got real he bailed"

"So, do you have any contact?"

"No, I haven't really heard from him since I told him I was pregnant, I forced him to meet her once" you told him bitterly, the air tensing but you didn't mind and neither did he. It was nothing secretive and something you both had moved on from so talking about it felt like a natural part of an introduction because it was a big part of who you were, big part of your families.

When the short lesson was over Ella was bouncing as she ran up to Trent. You stood next to him, waiting for Amelie whilst continuing to small-talk. You couldn't help but smile as he kneeled down to scoop her up in his arms with the brightest smile. "Did you enjoy it princess?"

"I love it! Thank you daddy" he chuckled as he let her down again "Of course sweetie, are you all done now so we can go home and cook?"

You watched as the little girl nodded before looking away, Trent saw it aswell "It's okay, we can stay a little longer" he smiled at her shy look making her face lit up again "I just wanna say bye to my friends" she replied, kissing his cheek before running up the small bump into the stables again.

You felt like pouting at the sweet interaction but stopped from it seeing they were strangers and it would probably put him off. "She is really adorable" you smiled as he stood up again, smiling small.

"Thank you"

"Have you been here for a long time?"

"Here?"

"Have your daughter been riding for a long time?" he corrected making you hum "Well nah not that long, a couple of months" you answered. More than that wasn't said and it felt like a small relief when both of your daughters came running down from the stable giggling, breaking the sudden awkvard tension. You smiled at your daughter, her hapiness making you happy.

"Mommy, did you see?!" she squeeled as she raised her arms as a sign for you to lift her up which you did with a grin. "I did see, you were really good today" you smiled, loving her happy face as she bubbled with hapiness, all giddy.

You put her down when she started to wriggle, packing down all the things in your stable-bag. "Mom"

"Yeah" you hummed "Do you think I can play with Ella some day?"

You looked up, smiling softly as you paused "I'm sure we could fix something some time" you promised making her smile again, breaking away from the small shy energy. You could see that she was tired, even though she was blabbering and bouncing the tiredness started to droop onto her.

When she yawned you chucled, picking her up which she gladly accepted, snuggling into your shoulder.

You waved goodbye at Trent who smiled your way before stropping Amelie in the car to drive home.

Since that first time in the stables Trent and Ella went every week, every week coming to seek you out, ask you about your week and how you'd been since last time.

What in the beginning was a dreadful day for Trent slowly started to become an enjoyful one. You liked the stables just fine but it didn't get worse by seeing Trent.

Whenever he wasn't there it was a huge disapointment, something you were all to aware of.

He had became a good friend, your daughters spending time outside of the stables as well which prompted you to meet more than once a week.

The attraction was there, always but of course you never went with it since the kids were around and dating with a kid or even more so sleeping around whilst having a kid was not something you found appropriate or fair for her at the moment so you didn't do anything, didn't say anything and if he felt the same way he didn't say it.

You learnt more and more for every time you met and got more and more smitten. You understood why everybody was fawning over him so bad. You'd always liked him on the pitch, enjoyed watching him play but this was something completely different than that.

It was a sunday you realized how smitten you actually was with the guy. He had suggested to meet up for the kids to play so you could watch football together. It was United against City so the expectations where high as you sat in your sofa together. The girls in Amelies room playing.

He had been such a softie, resting his hand on your thigh as you sat closer than appropriate, conversing and laughing about the game. He told you stories about himself, about Ella and it was all so soft.

His eyes had been warm and he had been so sweet, cooking all of you lunch and helping you fix the new coffee table you hadn't put together yet. It had felt so domestic and it had made you realize how much you actuallly liked the guy.

But you hadn't spoken a word about it. It was too complicated to get involved with anyone. No man had gotten introduced to Amelie except from her dad but other than that you had stayed far away from that part of you. Only ever being with someone when Amelie wasn't home.

It was a delicate matter with kids and you didn't want to risk anything, plus, you had no idea if Trent even liked you in the slightest so you just kept your mouth shut, enjoying what was now.

A rare evening without Amelie or work was spent out. You were still young, still enjoying the thrill of a good club with friends so the bar was the place to go.

Your best friend begged to go to this new open bar, more similar to an night-club than bar but you didn't mind.

The first hour was spent upstairs in one of the more reserved booths, drinking and gossiping, spilling the recent tea and of coure the main topic was Trent.

She was dying to hear about it and you were dying to telll her. "No way he said that" she gasped, clapping her hands "Wow you go y/n, this is honestly wild"

You giggled, swallowing the rest of your drink "I know"

"What's next then? You almost kissed in his car and now?" "Now nothing" you sighed, shaking your head "What do you mean nothing"

"I mean that I haven't heard of him since then"

"Well text him then!" she exclaimed "I dont know" "Oh come on y/n you gotta do it, you are so smitten by him already and you never meet anyone"

"Lets drop this topic for tonight" you decided, sweeping the hard parts under the rug for now.

"Fine, let's go down and get the party started for real" she beamed sensing not to push you further right now.

"Yes please"

She giggled, hooking your arm with hers as you went down the sketchy stair to the club area, the night club you needed.

-

You were deep in your cups which was why you weren't sure if you actually saw who you thought you did or if you were hallucinating

"Y/n! Is that Trent??" your friend gaped making you realize it was actaully Trent and you gigggled, pulling her along with you as you tripped up to him, facing him with a bright smile

He was with a couple of friends, some you would probably recognize if it wasn't for the slight womble in your head

"Y/n??"

Trent eyed you up and down with a giant smirk, sensing your drunkness but he too were deep in his cups, immidiately dragging both you and your friend to their table.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, handing you another drink and pulling you to sit on his lap as there was limited space on the table he and a couple of his friends shared. Your friend immideately hitting it off with some of them.

"I have a rare night out" you grinned

"How convinient, I have to" he revealed, squeezing your thigh where your short dress had ridden up.

"How convinient" you smirked right back at him, your eyes dropping down to his lips a little too often

It wan't long until you couln't resist the urge to kiss him anymore. The clear part of our head would probably stop it right now because it was compliacted, you had Amelie, you couldn't just date around and bring people here and there but the rational part of your brain wasn't working right at the moment. Only wanting some sort of normality, some sort of attention tonight and Trent gladly gave it to you, so you took it.

The soft kiss turned heated, passionate and neeedy, hands grasping desperately at each other as your turned around on his lap. Only when the people around you started to make noises did you break apart for the moment, enjoying the night on his lap, his mouth on yours and hands caressing you whenever the moment allowed it. It was something completely different like this, when the kids wasn't around, when neither of you had to take the parent role, when you both were deep in your cups and didn't hold back. It was something completely different but so relieving.

--

He asked you out, actually asked you out. Not asking for a playdate with the kids, no. Alone, with you and it felt like the nerves would explode. You had met him for months now but it felt different after the bar meeting.

It had been heated, promising more than just parents of two friends. No, that had showed you he wanted more as well. The kisses shared, the touches ad the late, drunken question to come home with him. It all indicated that he wanted more of whatever it was between you.

You read his text again. You had agreeed on dinner in his flat. Neither of you wanted to do something public. Still it felt nerve-wracking. You hadn't been at his place before, always at yours for various reasons.

You hadn't gone home with him that night but what if he wanted something in that way tonight`?

did you want anything like that? Hell yes

How did you act with him, alone? Without being drunk

What do you wear to something like this?

You had no idea

After what felt like forever you finally emerged from your car outside of his complex, wearing sweats and a hoodie as he had told you after asking and making your way inside.

It was darn expensive, exclusive, luxaury celebrity building. You felt hella out of place, not only because of your clothes as you got escorted up to his floor. The secod you saw him though, it felt okay. The smile twinkling in his eyes as he welcomed you inside.

-

"This feels a bit weird" you smiled, sitting on his big comfy sofa. Stretching out your tired body on the comfortable furnitor.

Trent chuckled, pursing his lips "Well"

"Not bad" you promised "But weird, I'm not used to be alone with you. It's always the girls or the horny mums"

At that Trent couldn't contain his laughter "Horny mums?"

"Yeah you should hear them talk" you scoffed, shaking your head at them.

"I do, trust me" he chuckled, plopping down next to you in the sofa with two glasses of wine. "I just choose to ignore them most of the time" he smiled, handing you one of the glasses.

Your eyebrows raised as you turned to him with an unimpressed look "most of the times?"

"Well yeah, I mean I did not ignore you, did I?" he teased, showing his beutiful smile. Your eyes rolled "no but I'm not talking about how hot it would be to be fucked by a footballer or how perfect your back looks to scratch"

"Why don't you though?"

You choke on the wine you sipped, spluttering it out in your lap as you tried to contain yourself with laughter You looked at him deadpan, "you want me to?"

His shoulders shrugged and his face pulled a grimace, smirking at your flustered state "I wouldn't mind it"

"Really?" you hummed, looking at him from under your lashes while sipping your wine. Gaining your confidenece back "Oh Trent, I wanna scratch your back while you fuck me so hard" you ironized with a high-pitched voice.

Trent laughed, raising his glass towards you "Take away the irony and we are home"

You couldn't help but give him a bright smile, leaning your head towards him before straightening up to do your real performance. His eyes followed you amusedly as he watched you clear your throat before you repeated "Oh Trent, I wanna scratch your back while you fuck me so hard" but only this time you tried to make it sound real, moaning out the words with an additional moan afterwards.

Trent's amused face dropped slightly as you smirked at him "Better?" "Mhm" he nodded, giving you an impressed look "Wow, that's actually wild" he hummed causing you to laugh at him, shaking your head at his dramatics "That explains how you women are so good at faking things"

You hummed, nodding "Sure but you can hear a clear difference from an fake moan and a real moan"

Trent hummed, pouting his lips in thought "well sure"

You pursued tour lips "Do you know the differences?" Trent shrugged "Sometimes, I think most of the times I can tell"

"Have someone ever really faked it with you?" you giggled, "Sure" Trent chuckled, internaly palming himself for revealing that to you.

"Why?" "I don't bloody know, I guess they didn't like it?"

You laughed "Oh poor Trent, are you not that talented in bed?"

He only scoffed, giving you a face that only made you laugh harder "I'm sure am talented enough"'

You giggled, crawling closer to him before settling in his lap. It didn't feel weird, you had been in this position before. You wanted to take it one step further, wanted to be with him.

"What if I need proof?" you whispered, your voicie low and all serious as he swallowed, giving you a heated gaze "Well I think we can fix that, don't you think?" "I was hoping" you smirked, immediately atttacking his lips with yours.

His hands fell on your ass, pulling you closer as your hands tangled in his curls.

Screw all the complicated shit, screw all responsibilites. You would fix it all later, talk it all through later. This wasn't bound to change anything, except it was. You felt more than you wanted to admit.

Screw the feelings, you needed him right now and he felt the same.

His hands started to undress you, flinging your hoodie off and you let him but when his hands left your boobs and started to tease your underwear you stopped him.

"Hey" you mumbled, immideately grabbing his attention, brown eyes searching yours for any signs that he'd crossed the line.

You gently stroke his neck, smiling at his attentive expression. "Did I do something?" he asked softly, relief filling his body as you shook your head. "No no, I just-" you began, looking away from his intense gaze

"What?" he murmured, gently angling your face so that you looked at him again.

Your face felt warm as he looked at you "I-I just haven't had sex in.... forever" you admited shyly

"Forever? you do have a kid, right?"

You giggled loving how he tried to ease the embarrsament as your lips graced his shoulder. "A year" you clarified, looking away from his face as he raised his eyebrows in supriese "Really, wow I feel like i've been in a dryspell forever but a year... I would've alredy have cum now"

You giggled again, hiding your embaressment in admitting this to your lext lay but Trent was different. It wasn't just some hook-up, it was Trent. Someone you already had found a liking towards. Someone you felt comfortable with and trusted, someone you didn't feel embarrassed around.

He kept a loving smile on his face, kissing your cheek sweetly before speaking again. "It's nothing, as long as you want this we can take it as slowly as you want to and if you don't, we don't" he mumbled softly against the soft skin of your shoulder.

"I want to, just... take it slow" you breathed out, his head noddding in recognition as he continued his ministrations on your neck and collarbone. Leaving marks like a teenager would on your sensitive skin. It made you giggle, plafully pushing him away but he just gave you his millon-dollar grin and continued, knowing you liked it.

You started to ease into it. Not feeling as stiff anymore as you moved your body against his, making him let out an apreciative sound. "Yeah?" he mumbled, a word so short but still so hot to hear from his lips.

His hand creeped down your sweatpants, gently teasing the hem of your underwear, tripping under the waistband only to crawl back up. It was all a part of his slow show and you started to realise what you had really asked him.

You kissed him sweetly, passionately but soft. Searching his mouth with yours, hands grasping on his broad shoulders, slowly creeping down to finally feel his gorgously sexy abs.

His breath fanned your jaw as he watched your face every movement, only slipping his hand into your panties for real when you made strong eye-contact with him, pleadig with your eyes for him to keep going.

And keep going he did, finally lettig his fingers stroke over your swollen clit. His fingers moved expertisely, knowing exactly where it would feel the best and where to be to drive your mind absolutely crazy and needy.

He was so focused on your face as you let him play with you, enjoying it way to much to ever ask him to stop.

When your mind started to function again you let your hand slip under the waistband of his calvins. Quickly wrapping around his hard dick to give him some attention as well. Too soaked up in your own for quiet some time already.

He didn't complain, his eyes closing briefly and a hard breath escaping his open lips as you stroked him firmly. Trying to focus on him whilst he brought you to the edge, slipping two fingers inside of you.

Your body had gotten completely loose now. Moving on it's own accord, not caring anymore, not controlled by nerves but pleasure.

He could see exactly when your orgasm started to climb to it's top. Not daring to stop as your voice pleaded him not to. Your hand stopped aroud his dick, unable to focus as your orgasm washed over you. The sounds you let out fell deaf on your own ears, not to Trent's who only got harder as your body shook, fingers slowly retreating as you came down. Not wanting to overstimulate you at this state.

"Okay?" he smiled softly, the giggle you let out sounded free and happy "more than okay" you smiled, leaning up to kiss his lips lovingly. Hand resuming it's pace on his hard cock.

Soon enough you tugged at his boxers, wanting them off, wanting him inside of you.

He let you do what you wanted, helping to take off his boxers as he helped you out of your sweatpants. His hands gently cupped your breasts over your brah as you looked at each other. "You sure you want this?" he hummed, needing the consent "Yes, you?" you hummed back softly, "All I wanted to do since I first saw you" he consented, bringing a smile on your lips as he guided his tip to your entrance.

He rubbed oer your sensitive nerves, giving you time to relax again from the initional reaction to feeling his dick against the place you wanted him.

"Relax yeah?" he hummed softly, kissing over your chest, smiling against your skin as you complied. Relaxing your body against the soft material.

He fially pushed the tip in, your breath catching in your throat at the stretch. His lips a nice distraction, your arms wrapping around his shoulders as he kissed you passionately. Breathing in and swallowing your sounds.

It felt like an enternity until he finally stopped, fully inside you. You panted against his lips, trying to take in the feeling of complete blizz.

Fuck you had missed this

"Move" you breathed, his hips immediately following your words as he slowly started to thrust inside of you. Taking it slow as promised but it felt just as good as anything else. It wasn't about fucking the life out of you, it would be time for that later. No this was about connecting, making eachother feel pleasure and love and wow did he manage well.

You felt like all you could do was moan and whine, your body writhing on the soft cushions as he gave you all he had, rolling his hips into yours, filling you completely with each deep thrust.

He reached places you didn't even remembered you could or knew. It felt like you were floating on a cloud as his mouth found your skin again.

"Fuck I'm sorry" he breathed harshly on your jaw as he kissed his way up

"What?"

"I-I'm gonna cum" he breathed making you giggle out a moan "Fuck do it"

His fingers found your clit, gently stroking the sensitive nub as he quickened his pace slightly. His hips started to jerk as he got closer to his release, soon coming to an complete stop as he came, taking you with him in the blizz.

It felt like you blacked out. Letting your eyes fall close as he slipped of to the bathroom, helping you clean up and change clothes to sleep. He didn't bother making you brush your teeth or go to the toilet. You were already half-asleep so he just crawled down into the bed again. Kissing your shoulder and whispering soft praise for you as you drifted off to sleep in his comfortbale bed and warm embrace.

--

Awkvardness settled in your body as you looked down on the steeming hot cup of coffe he'd just handed you.

He looked as free as a bird, not an ounce of regret or questionmarks visable in the way he moved around the kitchen

You didn't regret it but now the hard conversation were bound to happen, the conversation you'd dreaded since you started to feel something about him. But again, he didn't look cornered at all, he looked the oposite to you and that also made you question this, question his feelings.

It wasn't long until he broke the silence, turning to you with an look you couldn't really decide if it was scolding, angry or amused. Maybe something inbetween it all.

"Why are you awkvard?"

He popped the question, just like that, cornered you even more than you already felt as you squirmed on the tall bar stool you sat on at his kitchen island.

"I'm not" you tried but he only chuckled, giving you a soft smile. "This dosen't have to be as hard as you make it out in your head"

"I dosen't?" you half mocked him but he stood his ground, shaking his head "No, it dosen't. I really like you" he stated, like it was the easiest thing ever to say

"And I think you like me too so what's the problem? Our kids already love eachother so why just not take it slowly, ease into it with them, keep it on the low, see eachother more and then move forward step by step. It dosen't have to be that hard. I'm sure of my feeling, it's not something casual or temporary"

You sat quite for a while "Well when you say it like that it sounds like the easiest thing in the world"

Trent chuckled, coming loser to you "It's not the easiset thing in the world but I like you too much to not give this a try"

You smiled leaning over the island to kiss him gently "I like you" you mumbled against his lips, feeling them curl into a smile against yours.

--

Sundays couldn't get better than this, the sun was out, mood happy and the birds were singing. Trent's hand in yours made a warmth spread in your chest. The girls ran in front of you, playing tag in a fit of giggles.

The soft morning had woken you up in the right mood, waking up alongside Trent was bound to wake you up in a good mood. Early morning sure but the way Tren't had made love to you first thing after waking up made your mood hit the good roof.

"I love this" you hummed, watching up at his beutiful smile under the baseball cap he'd pushed down over his curls, not wanting to be recognised.

You'd made it official, but not public. He had asked you to be his girlfriend one late night in front of the tv, cozied up together on the sofa. It had been only one clear answer on your tongue and since then things had changed for the better.

The worry of affecting your kids had been one that had proved not to be a problem, the girls already concidering the other best friends. Trying to explain had been a bit harder the girls not completely undestanding why they spent so mch time together at eachothers houses but they loved it neitherless.

"Me too" Trent hummed, glancing up at the girls "And I love you" he continued, turning to you again, tilting your head up to gently kiss you, a kiss you couldn't help but to smile into, holding his chin gently as he kissed you softly, intimately.

"Daddy!" "Mommy!"

You broke apart, giggling as you turned to your kids "Why is your daddy snogging my mommy!" Amelie protested but Ella only giggled making Amelie start to.

"Where have you learnt that word?" you asked her pointedly, her eyes blinking up at you "Trent told me it" she defended before they were off again.

"You taught her the word snogging??" you turned to him with a scoff "What?!" he exclaimed "The girls were using the word fucking so I told them not to say that and to say snog instead, choose your word woman!" he defended making you laugh "Okay okay, snogging is much better than fucking"

"Exactly" he smiled in victory as you continued to walk.

You'd never felt this kind of peace before in your life. It had always been something, something unsettling. But right now, right now it felt like peace, like nothing was hard or confusing. Everything was clear and you were happy, happiest you'd ever been.

And it all felt like it was coming together, peace had finally landed.

[houseofkirklands]

Headcanons relationship each Kirkland brother have with each other

Okay this is like the typical draw explaining the relationship some characters have but since I suck at drawing (really I don't even know how to draw a tree) I'll drop some hcs here about what do I think their relationship is like

-England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

•With Wales: He is the brother he probably trust the most in a normal daily basis. He and Wales have been living together for so long and England didn't really have at all that much problems with him that he is the first one he comes to when needs to talk to one of his brothers. Wales is the one who can understand better England and since Wales is the calmest one in the family he won't get angry easily but England knows Wales is the worst one to face if he gets angry

•With Scotland: Oh god from where to start? Their relationship is ...complicated... Mostly because of all the war they had which made broken their brotherhood more but the current political situation around Scotland makes England have a headache. They have that love-hate brotherhood the "he is an idiot but is my idiot". They will never tell each other but deep inside they really care about each other, Scotland tried his best to take care of England, which he thinks he failed by a lot but England will come to Scotland when he feels like, Scotland is the closest person England could consider as "a brother and a father". He knows Scotland tried to protect him and he learned a lot from his older brother. England will never tell but Scotland was the only one who could make England feel safe when he was a little kid, he will come to him when he was scared looking for Scotland's protection and that still happens nowadays

•With Ireland: They are the most distant between all the brothers. Nowadays they are working in their personal relationship which is kinda a sign for the rest of the brothers to keep an eye on them cause they can't be left alone in the same room for 5 minutes and try to be civil and well mannered people. England feels like Ireland sometimes makes a drama over smaller things and tend to exaggerate everything to the point he can't take him seriously but deep inside he knows Ireland still holds a grudge against England for everything he has done to Ireland for the last 800 years and because of this it's difficult for them to have a talk but sometimes they can forget about their differences and share the same braincells which can be very dangerous from an outsider view

•With Northern Ireland: It's a bit difficult to explain this one. They trust in each other and get along pretty well but from England' side he sometimes see in North a young America cause like his former colony, North is cheerful, full of energy and joy, with creative ideas but then he remembers North is also a Kirkland so he has gotten his strong headed from somewhere. England sometimes feels like if he is doing right with North in taking care of him while North is living in his house, the little boy will go sometimes asking help from England when it comes to the problem on how to be a country but then he sees North and remembers Ireland and everything, he knows one day North will stop living in England's house and the cheerful and joy that brings to the house will dissapear to give that to Ireland, he just doesn't know exactly how to feel about him, he worries about him, he deeply cares but North sometimes makes it difficult to tell, he just doesn't want to get too much attached to him

Wales

•With England: He is the one that get on well better with England like already metioned. From Wales perspective, he doesn't have any problem in help him if needed, he would sit down on the sofa with him, make some tea and drink it together while he is listening to his younger brother. Wales was the one who took care of England when Britannia was under Rome's rule so Wales became very important for the personal development of England, also Wales is good at giving advices so he would try to help England the best he can and he would be the one next to him most likely when England struggles with the problems but on the other side, he can be mad at him for some England's ideas or actions sometimes, Wales could be found not defending England when it's Scotland or Ireland matter depending on the topic (mostly for a historical grudge) so that can make England think Wales doesn't care about him at all...which it isn't true but Wales is not stupid, he has seen things and won't defend something that has no right to be defended specially if it involves his brothers and he knows England has hurt them in the past....

•With Scotland: They have like a "middle" relationship. They don't get along the best but they don't hate each other. Wales rarely has asked Scotland for any help and depending of the mood Scotland has that day could send Wales to heaven or to hell. Wales knows that's if its needed Scotland would be there for him since Scotland is the most protective of all the brothers but Scotland is aware Wales prefers England's company than his

•With Ireland: Kinda similar to Scotland-Wales relationship. They don't really talk to much, it's not like they dislike each other actually when they are together they become a bunch of idiots. Wales used to be the one who used to send letters to Ireland to know let him know what's going on in Great Britain, how he, England and Scotland were doing. This is a thing they do nowadays but changing the letters with text messages since Wales probably knows all the secrets his brothers have and Ireland as the oldest brother, has his right to know how are his younger brothers doing

•With Northern Ireland: They have a lovely brotherhood dynamic. North is a really young country compared with the thousand of years his brothers have and is trapped in a 15-18 years old body. So Wales is the one who helps North with some stuff North might find interesting, if England can't help him in the affairs of the country, Wales will help him (actually every one helps North with this) and like the curious mind North has, he always goes to Wales to ask him how he can learn magic as fast as he can to reach his brothers's magic level or go to the countryside and Wales will start to talk to him about animals, Wales is also the one teaching North how to sing and when it comes to emotional support, Wales will be there for North

Scotland

•With England: Tries to hide it but he deeply cares about England. He is the little brother he raised the most, Scotland wanted him to be stronger than he ever was cause he didn't want England to suffer as much as Scotland did when he was just a child/teenager. He just couldn't see his brother being in pain but the problem was, how a 7 years old kid can raise a little brother that is 4 years old knowing they have lost their parents recently? How a family of brothers who didn't surpass the 10 years old age could survive in a world where Rome and Germania were expanding their territories so fast? And the Vikings...They lived in a forest, surrounded by animals, started to see magical creatures and needed to survive without a parental/maternal figure, they were so young for the world, and that's what Scotland wants to England to understand. Life was not easy, life was never easy for them, England doesn't remember cause he was very young but Ireland and Scotland struggled a lot, they needed to grow up while being child to protect the younger brothers, they even had no idea if there were going to survive the next day...Find some food for 4 mouths, everything was so difficult and for a moment Scotland thought maybe Wales and England being under Rome's rule was good, cause they had food, they had a proper bed, proper clothes, they could study, learn how to write, how to read and a decent house to be stay but when they meet each other again, England wasn't the boy Scotland knew before, Scotland's methods to raise England weren't the best, he is aware of that. For the rest of their history, Scotland just couldn't see anything more but a mix of hate and dissapoinment, England made things to him that Scotland would never do to him but Scotland has been always the one more affected for England's change in the personality, the fact he wants to get independence doesn't mean he hates him, if only England could understand ...

•With Wales: If there is something Scotland will never understand is how Wales can defend a lot England, how he can be so clever and so stupid at the same time? Scotland appreciates Wales for being the brigde between him and England current fights, Wales always listen to the both of them so it's easy for him to find an answer and make those two make the peaces and bring to the house 5 minutes of really silence and a peaceful mood. They are the ones who can be the most be found doing some magic together

•With Ireland: The dynamic duo, the stupid dumbass big brothers of the entire islands, they same the same braincell literally. These two have the best relationship between all the brothers, similar tastes, similar physical features, similar everything around those two.

Just Ireland is the extrovert one and Scotland rarely wants to be social cause he holds an introvert ass

These two are the C-H-A-O-S of the family together, they will ally together to annoy their little brothers BUT only them are allowed to do that, if anyone outside the family makes fun of one of their brothers, prepare yourself, put some trainers and be ready to run the marathon of your life cause they will kick you and won't have any regrets in doing it. Their family is very important for them, extremely important, they will risk their lives to protect them even through they are annoying as f.

They will start speaking in Gaelic much for the disgrace of Wales and England while North is just there trying to see if he can understand something

Now leaving the brothers behind, they fully support and worry about each other, they are the ones who have struggled the most to survive so they can understand each other so well. Ireland as the oldest, doesn't want to see Scotland suffering and if there is a brother Scotland will let his guard down and need a should to cry on, that would be Ireland for sure, the rest of the brothers have Ireland and Scotland for them to ask about life and that stuff...Scotland only has Ireland as his older brother, the one and only, the one who raised Scotland, the one Scotland used to look up for and he doesn't know what he would do if he lost his older brother, he wishes he could protect Ireland for all the suffering he had gone through, Scotland promised himself to be strong to be able to protect Ireland but he just can't, he just wants him to be happy and will say to him he is proud of Ireland knowing how much he endured everything to become a stronger person and a better nation for his people, he will say those words cause Ireland tends to forget them, Scotland will always support him

•With Northern Ireland: North will go to Scotland to ask him about his homework problems, or just anything that involves problems, Scotland will be here listening to North most of the time but other times Scotland would just think North problems are dumb as f which can lend to North to get angry.

But most of the time, Scotland is the one that spend more time with North either playing with some toys or videogames or bringing the boy outside to do some outdoors activities just to make the little lad forget about everything that involves to be a nation

Ireland

•With Wales: Ireland is very fond of Wales, he is the brother he can always trust because Wales is so open-minded and will listen to any of the brothers no matter what. Ireland sometimes used to ask Wales to look for the safety of Scotland when they were younger even though Scotland was trying so much to be a good big brother, taking care of England cause we are talking about a period when Ireland and England didn't have problems and to protect and support North when needed. They maybe don't talk too much but definitely they care about each other so much and Ireland couldn't be more happy to have Wales as his brother.

•With England: Oh god... This one... He is glad that nowadays they are working on their relationship and can cooperate but it takes just a minimum thing done wrong for Ireland to explote out of the patience because of England.

It's just so much going on between them...They manage to work together but Ireland just had enough from England, he is tired to fight with him. There was a time they were on very good terms however for Ireland is not easy to forget 800 years of colonialism. England has caused him so much trauma and mental illness, Ireland is working on it, he is really trying and he just wishes England could understand its just not easy to forget. He can forgive cause Ireland has a big heart but the damage to him, his land and people are there. He doesn't understand how England can say he is exaggerating sometimes over things England might find unserious but for Ireland it's just a whole world, luckily Wales and Scotland knew to be there for Ireland when he needed and talk with England over how he was treating Ireland.

Also they kinda agreed to work and improve their relationship for the best specially for Northern Ireland cause he just can't choose between the two and they are like their tutors but everyone knows they can't spend so much time in the same room.

•With Scotland: If there is something that Ireland will say to Scotland, it would be he is proud of him. He is the brother he has spent most time with during his whole life, the first ever brother he took care of, Ireland made sure Scotland learned everything but because of circumstances it was difficult for him to do it.

Ireland remembers how much Scotland looked up for him back in the days when they were just the two of them, then Wales came, England came and now with North, they are the older brothers and they need to protect their younger brothers the best they can, they have seen each other at their worst but they have always supported each other cause they could understand each other situation.

You won't see Ireland crying that much cause he was used to feel pain but he knows if he needs to cry even though he has always seen like he isn't broken, he can be very vulnerable sometimes, he could be found alone crying in Scotland' shoulders

No matter what Ireland loves Scotland so much and will make sure he can have a better life than his. They have their own agreement to protect each other from any pain but definitely they can hang out to have a drink and forget about the world for a moment

•With Northern Ireland: They have their ups and downs, it depends so much of the period, they can have their misunderstandings but they also know they need each other.

In Ireland's eyes, North is a baby based on the terms of a nation, North is only a century old compared with him. Ireland feels like he needs to protect North, Ireland has seen so much and has gone through so many bad times, North is aware of this and just because Ireland doesn't want North to have the life he had, he sometimes will go on "parental mode activated" when North is struggling with something. He just wants to give North the best childhood he can have, a childhood neither Ireland or the rest of the brothers have.

Ireland knows he can't treat North like the way he treated his younger brothers centuries ago. North is growing up in a very different world and that's a thing Ireland has needed to understand, so he is always ready to help North the best he can either with homework or just when North is hitted with some anxiety attacks. He will stay next to him and let him know that even though North lives with brothers that are ancient af, they would be there forever for him.

North appreciates that and Ireland just loves to see him happy. Ireland will always find some time to spend with North because he knows North needs and desires for that time.

Northern Ireland

•With England: When he was younger he was very fond of England but as he is growing up and understanding the history of his family, he doesn't know what to think about England at all. North likes England a lot, he is always looking up for him for some advice and he is aware England actually helps him a lot but then he founds about the past of England, about what he did to Scotland and to Ireland specially and he might have mixed feelings towards England. He actually knows England is not anymore like that but also he can understand why his oldest brothers are like that with England. He just doesn't know how to feel about it, he sometimes think it's just better to let his older brothers issues between his older brothers cause its a past thing and he just simply hasn't lived those times with them.

North just depending on his mode sometimes will love England and other times he will go specially when something political happens and he sees his own country affected by a very bad decision England took, telling him he wants to be back in Ireland's house just to pressure England that or he takes action, or he will call Ireland and North knows England doesn't want to face Ireland

But in general facts in a personal way North and England get along pretty well but England understands given the situation North has, he could some days find the teenager very, very angry at him and deal with him it's actually difficult for England cause North is a Kirkland and is linked to Ireland so he is the ultimate stubborn of the family.

•With Wales: Wales is actually the one who is teaching North basic magic concepts and some singing voice classes. North likes so much to spend time with Wales, he learns so much with him, Wales is the reason why North started to like animals a lot and he will always watch with his older brother documentaries about the animal world and some mystical and mythological animals as well and for Wales means so much that little boy has so many interests in so many different things and topics. North trusts so much in Wales and he will go to him everytime he see the other brothers fighting either because England and Scotland fought again, Ireland and England or just the 3 of them so for North, Wales is that scape he has for a period of time where fighting is not allowed where Wales will tell him just not to get involved in the discussion of the rest of the brothers

•With Scotland: North looks up for Scotland a lot too (I mean he is the baby brother, he looks up for all his brothers). Advice for life and supervivence, North likes a lot to follow Scotland anywhere, he is young and he is willing to see the world so he always go with the Scotsman to the trips he had planned (mostly to the Scottish Highlands), Scotland loves to be a guide tourist for North telling him stories about the places they are visiting, he is a really good storyteller so when North was very little, he was the one who used to read him a book to make him sleep. North also loves to go to Scotland's workshop and see all the manual works Scotland has done. He remembers how Scotland used to give him as a present some figures for him which really appreciates and eventually will make a team with him to make jokes to the rest of the brothers

•With Ireland: North doesn't want to admit or at least not in front of him but he is really scared to lose Ireland. He doesn't want to fail him and wants him to be proud of what North has become on his own. He is aware he is sometimes very rough at Ireland but just like with England because of his situation he just has mixed feelings, in a personal way he really love and appreciates Ireland, he knew that he is linked to Ireland no matter how many people tells him otherwise, in a personal way, Ireland has been there for him and North knows he has learned a lot from Ireland. He took care of him when he was a little toddler, how to walk, how to talk, how to read... Thanks to Ireland he has that part of him that makes him interested in Irish culture and traditions just like the UK brothers did as well with the British culture, he learned Irish, he got interested in Irish dancing and loves when Ireland tells him stories as well just like Scotland. With time he has learned to try to understand Ireland better cause he feels like he has been rough with him for so long, ofc he knows Ireland isn't a saint but history is there written and well its not like North can't pretend he doesn't feel bad when he reads a bit of Ireland's history and point of view or defend England actions or even Ireland own actions back then, he just can't but if he was honest he feels like the way he sees England and Ireland as brothers is very different from each other, he won't tell but he knows he loves when Ireland defends and protects him and Ireland just goes on his father mode cause for him North is his little baby and actually North doesn't mind that all...

[wingboundwarrior]

TOA Anniversary Munday

Celebrating TOA and the people who contribute to make our group what it is.

Repost, don’t reblog. Only fill in what you feel comfortable sharing!

Happy anniversary, TOA! Here’s to many more years spent together.

Name: Serena

Pronouns: she/hers

Birthday (no year): February 3rd

Where are you from? What is your time zone? US, EST!

How long is your roleplay experience? I’ve been roleplaying as long as I can remember... I have vivid memories of creating characters with my friends as a small child and pretending to be them. From there, I moved to forums, paper and pencil RP, texting and email RP, and the like! I’ve been roleplaying on Tumblr specifically for over 10 years.

How were you introduced to roleplaying as a whole? I think it really just came naturally to me and my few friends as a kid, haha! My first forum was a Harry Potter one as a child... and then I got into Tumblr RP with my introduction to Star Trek!

How were you introduced to TOA? I found TOA while in the “fe rp” tag, as they’re really frequent in there!

Do you have any pets? I have two cats, a 4 year old gray cat named Jasper, and a less than a year old black cat named Jacinth! They don’t get along 💖

What is your favorite time of year and why? (Season, holiday, general period) Winter by far! I grew up in a humid environment, and I find the colder weather and environment so magical! Even though I’ve moved, I still do 💖

What is your IRL occupation? I’m disabled!

Some interests and things you like/enjoy? I love crocheting, playing farming sims, and watching anime!

What non-Fire Emblem games do you play? Fields of Mistria is my favorite game rn!! I’m also a sucker for a game I’ve been playing since I was young called Mabinogi! But a good rule of thumb is, if it’s a farming sim available on the computer I’ve heard of it and have an opinion on it.

Favorite Pokemon type & Pokemon: I never really got too much into Pokemon buuuuut my favorite TemTem is Vulffy 💖

Tell us some fun facts and trivia about yourself!

How did you get into Fire Emblem? I met Havoc in another roleplay space and when we moved away from that space I wrote with his Fire Emblem characters, and then I was curious about the source material, so!

What Fire Emblem games have you played? FE7 and a little tiny bit of Three Houses! 👍

First & Favorite Fire Emblem games: FE7 for both JKLFAJKL

List your 5 favorite Fire Emblem characters across the series! Ohhhhh I mean. Definitely Serra and Fiora but also Florina? And Erk? And Heath? And... ohhhh tbh it’s so hard. They’re all so good.

Who was the first character ever to make you go “ooh I like this one in particular” and why? Can be any context and reason! The first time Serra opened her mouth she had reached through the screen and grabbed me by the throat.

Any Fire Emblem crushes? I’d marry Eliwood tbqh....

If you’ve played (or are familiar with) the following games, who was your first S support? Who would you S support nowadays? Wheezes.... I haven’t.... ever gotten that far :softsmile:.....

Favorite Fire Emblem class? I actually love Mages sooooo bad.... But I do rely on my Cavs for. Everything ,

If you were a Fire Emblem character, what would be your class and stats? Would you be playable? I’d be a healer!!! Probably a mounted healer actually!!!

If you were a Three Houses character, what would be your affiliation? (Black Eagles, Blue Lions, Golden Deer, Church of Seiros, Those Who Slither in the Dark, unaffiliated civilian, other - for example Almyran) Probably Church of Seiros!!

If you were an Officers Academy student, what would be your boons, banes and potential budding talent? Boons: Faith Banes: Everything else 😅 Budding Talent: Maybe Reason?.... ha ha.... Deep down I want it to be Bows, though

If you were an Engage character, which nation would you originate from? (Firene, the Kingdom of Abundance; Brodia, the Kingdom of Might; Elusia, the Kingdom of Knowledge; Solm, the Queendom of Freedom; Lythos, the holy land of the Divine Dragon; Gradlon, the desolate land of the Fell Dragon) I really have no clue but I’ll say Lythos for fun 🙏

How do you pronounce TOA? 🤔(separate letters, to-ah, other?) Separate letters!

Current TOA muses: Fiora and Serra!

Past TOA muses? I wrote Limstella for about seven seconds but actually still muse them in another server!

Who was your first TOA muse? If you no longer have them, can you see yourself picking them up again? Serra! Yes, I still got her!

Do you believe you have a type of character you gravitate towards writing? YES I write Sunshine Girls or Melancholic Girls. Sometimes both at once. 🙏

Do you have characters or types of characters you don’t think you can handle writing, but wish you could? Honestly not really, I think I could figure out how to write other muses but these are the ones I enjoy most!

What kind of scenes, situations etc do you believe you enjoy writing the most? (If you filled this out last year, has this changed in any way?) I really love delving into emotionally or physically charged things... I’m a little angst demon.... I really want our characters to feel and feel deeply....

Do you have any scenario in mind for your muse(s) that gets you thinking “man I hope I get to write this one day”? For Fiora, I hope to confront her feelings of failure and sorrow over her losses. I want her to be called out!!!! For the self-sacrificial shit she does!!!! I want her to be honest and emotionally vulnerable!!!

Favorite TOA-related memories? I feel like every thread I write is my new favorite thread 🫶

Present or past tense? Present tense recently, honestly!

Normal size text, small text, no preference? I actually like small text the most but I’ll do anything!!

Got any potential muse delusions to share? 😉 Nope! I’m happy. 😌

[thewritersaddictions]

Drabble: Joel Miller- Dad Jokes

Did Joel always have such a rough exterior? Yeah, he did with people that he didn't know, or while he was trying desperately trying to keep himself protected.

Joel was a creature of habit. A set of things that made him comfortable, but now that had been taken and ripped away from him. Right in front of him, in his arms, he had the joy of life sucked out of him.

He stayed cold for many years. Cold to the touch and cold to the heart. Nothing not even what you thought he was supposed to sound or feel like was Joel anymore.

Joel tried for the longest time to keep emotions and anything that would or could hurt him at bay. emotions of his daughter dying in his arms. Shove that deep down in his chest, away from the burning light of the next morning sunrise. Knowing that he wasn't able to protect Tommy from joining the Firefiles. He shoved that one down too. Everything that was hurting him was shoved further and further into the pit of his stomach. It left Joel feeling heavy and angry.

The pain didn't stop there though. He turned numb and just like that he was trusted back into the realm of love and friendship. Tessa, god she was so damn straight with Joel. She was the sweetest person that Joel had met since his daughter Sarah. She was everything that kept him going even though he wanted nothing more than to be with his daughter once more.

But love is a bitch and she takes even the best things from people who don't deserve it. Tessa bit, too many emotions clouded Joel's mind as he tried to figure out how they had gotten here. How he had somehow ended up with a girl not far from Sarah ages when she passed away. How had he gotten here back to taking care of another person.

Sure Joel had tossed the idea around in his head. Was Ellie more than cargo or was she just that. Had Ellie and Joel's time together meant anything like his time with his daughter. There was that but there was also something different, For years Joel had yearned for that role of a protector all over again. He wanted someone who he could protect to make up for the loss of his daughter. Not a replacement but for forgiveness.

Maybe Ellie was that forgiveness, Maybe Sarah had in some god-like way Ellie in his path. Maybe Sarah was trying to help him come to a realization that the anger and self-pity could be turned into something worth it again. Something that would make a difference in the bleak world they now lived in.

It took longer then excepted for Joel to come around. For Joel to be comfrotable with Ellie being around him. Relying on him, wanting to learn more about the world that she had been lied to about by FEDRA

He gathered his thougths when he went to Bill and Franks. He didn't want to let her go, not to the tw ofo them. He was good friends with Frank and Bill, but he had been taking care of ellie for to long already now.

"Joel?" Ellie asks him softly in the dark night. "What Ellie?" "Do you have any dad jokes?" Ellie asks. She tired it's in her voice but still she asks through her long yawns. Pushng sleep away, Joel can't help but think back to sarah. his heart squezzes a little at the thought.

He remembers a few. A few of Sarahs favorite that her dad used to use on repeat. Sarah would laugh loudly. A hand on her stomach as it ached from laughing so damn much. Joel smiles at the thought of his daughter with a wide smile on her face, bright eyes that loved him. "yeah I think i've got a few in my back pocket. Why do you wanna know?" Joel asks Ellie. It rough on the extorit his question. He doens't mean to sound like an asshole that just how he sounds nowadays.

"Well will you tell me a few?!" Ellie says. Joel looks over at Ellie. The truck isn't that big but he's been looking up at the roof of the truck. When he turns Ellie looking at him with those child-like eyes. One that are waiting for adventure, ones that are waiting;yearning to grow up quicker then they have to.

"Cool it kid, but yeah." Joel says he gives a few seconds for the air between the two of them to cool down. "Have you ever heard the chocolate record player?" Ellie brows scuch together. Joel has to push down the smile growing rearing it ugly head. "It's pretty sweet!" Joel says finsihing the joke.

Ellie rolls her eyes. "Come on Joel you've got to have better ones!" Ellie complains. So, Joels thinks. "How do you make 7 even?" Joel asks. He's letting in the happiness spark by spark. 'Oh I know this one." Ellie says. Surpisingliy to Joel she get's it right. It reminds him of Sarah always a quick wit. "All you have to do is take the s away!" "Shit kid, you actually got that! Are you pulling my leg with these dad jokes?" Joel asks Ellie. She smiles and for a second there's a whole different person in the passenger seat next to him.

"Maybe Joel, but can you tell me one more?" Ellie asks a yawn interuptting her towards the end. "Sure kid." joel says. He starts thinking.

He's trying to think of one that will get a laugh out of Ellie. A deep, belly aching type of laugh out of her. He wants to see that same smile on Ellie face that he hadn't seen in more then twenty years. Joel wants to feel like he isn't here in the truck waiting and listening out for clickers or anything else that might be hauntig the both of them.

he wants to live in a dream for just a little longer. Joel wants to think and beilive that he's just driving across the country trying to find allthe best features that the country has to give. "okay Ellie, one more. Here we go," He looks over at her once more.

"I once got fired from a canned juice company. Apparently I couldn't concentrate." Joel can see the qucik looks cross over Ellie face, and then she's laughing. For what reason Joel doens't care. She laughng probably something she's never done not like this. She's a pure child, and for the first time in forever and a decade.

Joel feels happiness wrap around his cold heart.

Completed on: 02/22/23

Posted on: 02/22/23

Last Of Us-

A/n- This got out of hand, but I hope you enjoy a cute father x daughter between Joel and Ellie

[jollyinha]

50 (+3) Facts About My Rook Listener (aka Félix)!

Because I love him in a hiperfocus kind of way 😭💙 If you want to see how he looks like, go to my yuurivoice tag, and you will find all my listeners! Although I probably should make an updated version, he has gotten a 2.0 version ever since... Also, tagging @itsargyle since they suggested taking other YV fans! I'm... Too shy to tag anyone else tho lmao

Anyway, here goes my big infodump on my favorite sunshine boy:

1 - Hey, I'm Félix Torres... Or not, because that's my middle name, and my actual name is Victor. But I'm not that fond of Victor, so I go by Félix!

2 - Victor was my mom's grandpa's name, and Félix is a tribute to my dad, whose name was Feliciano.

3 - Thanks to the acute accent, the correct pronunciation of Félix would be "feh-liks", not "fee-liks". Oh, and the "c" in Victor is mute. It's Vitor. But sometimes even I forget that it isn't supposed to be spelled like the gringos do, haha!

4 - My mom is Brazilian and my dad was Colombian. I was born in Brazil (Aracaju in Sergipe, to be more specific), but have been living in the USA for most of my life now. I used to spend the holidays in Colombia as a kid, but haven't been there ever since dad passed away... I really should pay it a visit again soon, though. It's a real nice country.

5 - I speak native Portuguese, fluent English and intermediary Spanish. I've been studying ASL (as of right now I just know basic stuff like "hi", "how are you?", how to introduce myself... But hey, at least I know the whole alphabet off the top of my head!) and French too, but it has been hard to find some free time... And when I do have it, I always end up drawing, crafting, cooking... Duolingo's owl wants to eat my ass.

6 - Speaking of which, these are my favorite hobbies! Drawing and painting are main passions in life, though. I've been in love with art as far as I can remember. I was in a few-years-long hiatus when it came to painting, only came back to it recently, but have been drawing non-stop ever since I was a little boy!

7 - When it comes to crafting, I enjoy many aspects of it... I've been really into papercraft these days. Origami, paper dolls, collages... But I also really like jewelry making and fabric painting (even if I find it so damn hard, haha!). I just love personalizing things in general. Sometimes, I see a piece of furniture, have an idea and just have to put my personal touch.

8 - I also know how to sew, but I can't say that I'm a big fan. I've tried crochet once, per example, and almost fell asleep on the couch. It's just a bit boring to me... But I'll gladly sew back a button or fix a hole if you ask nicely!

9 - And, last but not least, I love cooking! Not as much as I love to eat, but anyway. I picked up cooking as a way to deal with my pyrophobia and to bond with my uncle (he owns a restaurant!), and really took a liking to it... And modesty aside, I'm damn good at it!

10 - Speaking of which... I'm a bit of a bottomless pit when it comes to food! I'll eat (mostly) anything, am willing to try (mostly) everything and am hungry 24/7. Please, feed me.

11 - My favorite food is kind of specific, but: I love Thanksgiving pies. And breakfast foods. But anything that's chicken or has corn is also very damn good.

12 - I don't really like fruits. Most of them feel either bland (apples taste like NOTHING!) or straight up gross. I hate, HATE peach. Mango, guaba and pineapple too. Disgusting. I'm team vegetables all the way. Lemon and watermelon are the only ones that get a pass.

13 - My favorite ice cream favorite is chocomint!

14 - When it comes to drinks... I like coffee, as long as it has milk and unholy amounts of sugar (hate bitter coffee, as contradictory as it is). And while I'm not too big on alcoholic drinks, I like champagne.

15 - I also like biking, but, much like studying ASL and French, I don't have enough free time nowadays to really get into it again... But I try to bike every weekend I can!

16 - As a kid, I was in singing classes! I really enjoyed it and was pretty decent at it, but nowadays I do it just for fun. Love singing and listening to music around the house while doing other things.

17 - I have eight tattoos on total: Flower sleeves on both arms (featuring a clock among the flowers on the left arm and a bird on the right), music player symbols on the left side of my chest, "keep going" on the right side, an anchor on my upper back, a sun and a crescent moon on my lower back, a sea monster's tentacles going through my right hip and a paper plane on my left ankle!

18 - I also have a bunch of moles. On my face, on my back and on my chest. I used to be embarrassed by them, but nowadays, not nearly as much.

19 - I have been dyeing my hair blonde ever since college. I'm actually a brunette! I like being a blondie, but I'm considering going back to my roots... My hair is screaming for help. [He goes back to being a brunette and lets his hair grow after the events of Escape]

20 - Oh yeah, speaking of college... I have a Law degree. And am working on this field. Ya-hoo... Unfortunately, I needed a more lucrative career to support my family. But my long-term life goal is to be able to quit and live from art! And I like to believe I'm almost there.

21 - I pierced my ears in college too! I usually only wear my lucky sun earrings, but if I'm feeling fancy, I can go with a larger one.

22 - I considered becoming an English major for a while, but didn't happen either.

23 - I have a weird love for plaid jackets (of any color, but especially blue ones) and grungy bracelets. If you wanna give me anything that's wearable, going with either of these is the safest bet! Can't ever have enough of these!

24 - My favorite animals are octopuses (I had an obsession with sea monsters as a kid and this love never really died) and peacocks (they're just awesome)!

25 - My lucky number is sixteen, because my birthday is on February 16th, and because if you put "Félix Victor" together, there's a sixteen in Roman numerals right in the middle: XVI!

26 - Also, I'm 30 as of 2024, and... It's terrifying, to be honest. Buuut I'll find comfort on the fact that I look like I'm 20, hehe.

27 - This one will be hard to explain, but... I really like the sun. From summer to sunflowers to sun imageries... I like the sun. And all because of my dad. It's a long history, but yeah.

28 - I have a younger sister, her name is Alice! She's in college right now, she's History major! And... She's my pride and joy.

29 - And I also have five younger cousins: Ariel, Rafael, Leon, Joyce and Mercedes! I love them all, they're like my siblings. [Joyce is actually my Sunflower listener!]

30 - I... Have a... Weird relationship with my mom. It has been getting worse these last few years... Ah, nevermind, I shouldn't have brought this up.

31 - I had three relationships in my life... Well, three and a half, if you count that high school fling, but I digress: My first boyfriend lasted, like, half a year of my freshman year in college. It was nice, we just realized quickly that neither of us were serious. And my second boyfriend... Ergh. Tristan. We began dating in my junior year, and had a pretty messy break-up right after my graduation...

32 - ...But, nearly a whole decade after that, he sent me a DM on Instagram asking me how I was, and I mistakenly thought he became a decent human being. Hell, he was the one who got me my current job. He works in the Marketing department and was kind enough to tell me that Legal was hiring. I thought that we could at least be friends again, but... He's still a pain in the ass, at the end of the day. And still wants me back. ERGH...

33 - ...But, actually, I should thank him for that. Ironically, by trying to get back with me, he got me my third and current boyfriend... And... I won't talk too much about our relationship, but... This is the happiest I've ever been with someone. I mean it.

34 - Ok, how do I say this? I... Have been told that I... Have a pretty high libido. Or, if you want to be meaner, I'm a horny bastard. I... Will not elaborate if that's true or not. [It Is Literally Canonical]

35 - But even if I WAS a horny bastard, I'm a romantic at heart, believe it or not! I like being swept off my feet! I like flowers! I like cheesy pick-up lines! I like cuddles, god, I really like cuddles... Anyway.

36 - I'm a petite lil' guy. I'm 1m69cm tall... Or 5'8ft.

37 - I have ADHD. I was diagnosed when I was 20. I've been taking meds to help with my lack of focus, and it really has been helping.

38 - I also have insomnia. It isn't as bad as it was a few years ago, but it still sucks.

39 - My favorite song of all time is "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" by Foster The People!

40 - My favorite movie of all time... It's a tie between Footloose and Burlesque.

41 - My favorite animated movie of all time is Ponyo!

42 - My MBTI is ENFP, my Enneagram is 2w3, and I'm an Aquarius!

43 - In my opinion, my biggest strengths as a person are that I'm pretty charming, I can get along with nearly any kind of person (given enough time), and that I'm notoriously hard to piss off. As long as you're not messing with my loved ones, it takes A LOT to make me actually angry.

44 - And my weaknesses... Well, I let people get away with stepping all over me pretty frequently... And I'm very restless. And I don't mean only physically, I mean like... Mentally. I feel like I'm a shark: If I stop moving, I'll die, y’know? Oh, I've been told that I can be pretty shameless and a bit nosy... And, welp. I... Can't really deny that.

45 - I hate the cold. I hate winter. I hate snow. Fuck you, northern hemisphere.

46 - I really like sitting on the floor, ever since I was a little boy. It just... Grounds me. No pun intended.

47 - My favorite color is blue, but yellow and orange are also lovely... And I've been getting real fond of red these days. Hehe (Can't believe that it took me this long to say my favorite color, we're on fact 47th...).

48 - I'm a dog person! I never got to have one, though...

49 - I, not-so-secretly, really like cute things. I may or may not have a big octopus plushie on my bed. And may or may not love Pompompurin and Gudetama.

50 - I'm overall pretty confident on my looks... Except for my smile and my laugh. My ex-boyfriend (Tristan) once said that my smile is wide enough to be scary, and my mom said that my laugh is too loud, and I've been restraining myself from truly smiling and laughing out loud in public ever since. But I tend to let go when near people I trust.

51 (bonus!) - I have a very sensitive neck... Now, if I see it as a good thing or a bad thing... Depends on what your intentions are... If you know what I mean.

52 (bonus!)² - I'm also pretty great at typing. My words per minute game is insane, modesty aside.

53 (bonus!)³ - I... Can be a little bit jealous when I'm dating someone. I was never a pain in the ass about it, I mostly just sulk in silence, but... Yeah. It's my toxic trait.

[lycanfuck]

steam-cracked cw rape/cocsa, incest, sibling abuse/verbal abuse

the party raged on around zach as he led lynn through the raucous house. it hadn't taken much convincing at all to get her to go out back with him, which was good, because he was tired of talking to these hicks. he was only here to get laid.

when they finally made it through the back door, zach spotted katie yearwood in the corner of his eye holding up some boy, kissing his neck with her hands up his shirt. he froze when he saw the boy's disheveled ginger hair and realized who it was.

"luka!" zach barked, startling lynn. luka looked at him with unfocused eyes, but it didn't look like he even registered who zach was. he was wasted and looked as though he was about to fall asleep. moreso than usual, anyway. he was only standing because yearwood had him pushed up against house's outer wall.

zach knew it'd been a bad idea to come here knowing luka would show. he'd never seen the kid drink before, and clearly he couldn't handle his liquor. zach told himself that luka wouldn't be his problem tonight - he was going to get laid, and his asshole stepbrother could fend for himself. but seeing yearwood's paws on him made zach want to rage.

"mind your own business," yearwood murmured after half glancing over at zach.

zach strode over and shoved her off luka, who swayed against the wall and fell to his knees. "he is my business, bitch. that's my stepbrother."

"don't be such a wet blanket! you're into it, luka. right?"

zach looked at luka, who dry-heaved once before vomiting into the dirt.

"yeah, he really looks into it," zach mumbled. "get the hell out of here."

yearwood looked pissed, but seemed to make the smart decision not to challenge zach. she shrugged and walked back into the party.

zach looked at lynn, who he'd almost forgotten was there. she was frowning at luka, concerned. "i just saw him not too long ago," she said. "he can't be that wasted… i think he might've taken something. you should get him home."

zach closed his eyes in frustration. of course luka had to ruin his night. he ruined everything. ***

luka slept the whole cab ride home, then woke up when zach tried to pick him up out of the passengers' seat.

"no," he murmured, getting up and walking unsteadily to the front yard. "i'm fine… i feel better."

zach slammed the car door and scowled at him. "well, your timing fucking sucks. couldn't feel better before you ruined my night?"

luka walked into the house, which was fortunately empty, as their parents were out of town for the weekend.

"i don't know what happened," he said. "i only had two."

"you can't handle your shit, that's what happened."

dejected, luka glanced at him before making his way over to their bedroom, through to their bathroom. zach followed suit.

"i'm sorry," he said. "just leave me alone. please."

ungrateful cunt. it was his fault zach had missed out on getting some tonight.

"you fucking owe me," zach said.

luka gave him another despondent look as he swished some listerine around his mouth and spat it into the sink. then, he stumbled back over to their bedroom, keeping his hand on the wall to steady himself.

zach watched him collapse in his bed and turn his back to him. luka did owe him. zach could have left him there to get molested by yearwood, but he didn't. zach didn't want that bitch's hands all over something that belonged to him.

and look at the way luka was dressed: ever since zach had started hurting him, luka normally clothed himself in long-sleeves and baggy layers, which always left zach basking in the knowledge that he had so easily made someone as egotistical as luka hate himself. but tonight he had on a form-fitting tee that clung to his waist and pinched his biceps through the still-long sleeves. his arms were far too fucked nowadays for anything short. he was begging for it, and he would've gotten it from whoever happened to get him alone. it was almost yearwood, but now it was zach, and luka did owe him, so he strode up to the bed and ripped his blankets off him. ***

"no," luka reacted immediately, his voice a hoarse whisper as he curled in on himself protectively. "please don't... i hurt, i can't-"

"you owe me."

both of luka's wrists were grabbed and pinned to his sides as zach straddled his hips. he tried his luck at pulling his arms out of his grip, but zach held him fast as he yanked his pants down. luka wasn't exactly helping him with that, but he wasn't exactly resisting, either. what point would there be? this was happening. it always fucking happened and luka could either make it easy or hard, but it would always fucking happen. after struggling to get luka's limp, discouraged form undressed, zach moved his attention to his own zipper. luka looked up at him, eyes already wet.

"what's the problem?" zach asked, barely meeting his gaze as he unbuckled his belt. "you were about to do this with katie."

"no- i- i wasn't."

"she sure was about to do it to you, then."

luka shook his head. "i- no, i- i didn't want to-"

he quickly gave up trying to rationalize as he watched zach spit in his hand before pumping his cock a few times and bringing it back down between luka's legs.

"no-!" he whined as zach led his cock to his ass and tried to push in. he groaned with the effort as luka begged him to stop, but luka was too tight, and zach was too big. it wasn't working.

zach sucked in air through his teeth - trying to force it in was hurting him, too. he finally pulled away and exhaled in frustration. but luka wasn't relieved. he knew he wouldn't stop. luka's insides had been closing in on themselves over months and months of this torture, an involuntary defence that zach had been commenting on, but it had hardly been an issue until now.

"looks like i have to warm you up after all," zach said, roughly shoving two hardly-wet fingers inside him, making luka yelp and squirm. he pressed his hand against luka's stomach and ruthlessly fucked him with his fingers for a while. the roughness and stretch, combined with the small tear that luka was convinced he had in there, felt like he was chafing at his insides. luka clutched the covers and cried, trying and failing to relax whatever muscle was in charge down there.

zach smiled at him, clearly enjoying the pained noises he was making, staring at his body like a wolf at meat. luka redirected his eyes back up to the ceiling and closed them, trying to go somewhere else in his mind.

zach kept it up and increased the intensity while pushing a third finger in, stretching luka to a point of stinging pain. luka let out a mournful sound between a sob and a sigh as his insides started to flutter around his fingers, increasing the discomfort and continuing to spread the volatile heat throughout his entire body.

"you bite my tongue, or pull any shit like last time, i'm ripping out your stitches," zach said eventually, gathering a fistful of luka's hair before crushing their lips together and thrusting his tongue into luka's unwilling mouth. the alcohol lingering on luka's tongue was bitter as zach's rolled against it, and luka twitched as he felt the other line his cock up with him again.

"take a breath, you crybaby."

luka was shedding hatred like radiation, and he hoped some of it was poisonous. zach's hot breath fell on his trembling lips as pushed in, forcing the head of his cock into luka's tight entrance.

"oh, god," luka whined. "stop- it hurts- think it's going to-"

zach didn't let him finish. he thrust forward, instinctively clapping his hand over luka's mouth as he let out a blood-curdling scream and felt something near his asshole tear. it was like being impaled with a hot poker and no matter how many times zach continued to do this, the awful feeling of being split in half would never get any easier. all he could do was sob and scream into zach's palm. it felt like his ass was trying to push him out, but the boy on top of him was fighting it. winning it. ***

"shit," zach huffed, moving a little and groaning as luka's warm walls squeezed every contour of the first few inches of his cock. "got a ways to go."

luka issued muffled protests into his palm before shrieking with each of zach's thrusts, getting deeper each time. he took in sharp, frantic breaths through his nose and let out chest-racking sobs. he was clearly in a lot of pain, but zach didn't care. luka brought this on himself. plus, it always felt fucking incredible.

taking his hand away, he lowered himself down to luka's neck, sucking and biting at some unmarked spot. fuck, his skin was so tender and perfect. he loved biting and tugging until the other whimpered.

he opened luka's legs wider and pushed them up, making luka's breath hitch as he was folded in half, before zach locked them there with his elbows behind luka's knees. luka always panicked in this restricted position. he couldn't go anywhere. zach started making his thrusts longer and deeper, each one forcing luka to utter out pained noises.

"zach," he begged, his voice crackling with agony. "i'm gonna tear- it hurts so bad- zach- pleas-"

with one savage thrust, zach bottomed out, pressing his cock head up against his stepbrother's g-spot, who howled at that and tense up even more. at this point, luka was only able to get unintelligible words out between gasps and screams.

zach sucked the skin of luka's neck into his mouth as he continued to knock cries and nonsensical syllables out of him, but now, zach was unable to hear anything but the wet sound of their hips connecting and a wild ringing in his ears. he felt his balls start to tighten and the tension in his navel gathering, and luka no-doubt noticed his breathing pick up, as the boy under him began to go lax in relief.

he thrust all the way into luka until his cock was nestled up to the very depths it would go, and zach cried out a little as he came harder than he'd expected to.

with that, he let luka's legs go and collapsed on top of him. he could feel the vibrations of luka's now-silent sobs all the way down to his dick. zach could've stayed here all night, honestly, but that would only give luka way more comfort than he deserved, so he quickly grabbed at his hair and decided on abusing his neck just a bit more, biting and sucking until it left a new bruise. another night of being the only one that had ever been inside his brother. luka was his.

luka said nothing else. he just continued to huff out panicked breaths under him and, every few seconds, tried nuzzling his face into any crook that he could find, but zach wouldn't allow it and luka hated that he needed it. needed any fucking semblance of warmth from the boy who had ruined his body. finally, zach pulled out, dragging out a mixture of blood and cum with it. he was surprised to see the amount of blood luka had left on him. the tissue around his entrance was bleeding, too, as was one of the cuts on his thigh from a stitch popping open.

"hm. tore you up a little."

luka sat up, wincing, looking down at the mess. he wiped his nose with a shaking hand and let out a sob when he saw the amount of blood there.

"you're a fucking monster," he whispered in a broken voice.

"and you're a drunk slut. you wanted to have sex, here i am."

"i wanted to have sex with a girl," luka spat, cringing as he closed his legs. luka knew better than to start running his mouth, and zach wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the fact that he'd already started to talk back, but luka couldn't appear to stop. "i like girls, unlike you who just fucking pretends to."

with that, zach grabbed his throat and slammed him down on his back.

"yeah, you looked real fucking straight just now," he bit, clenching his teeth together as his grip tightened. "no girl could ever love you. understand? i ruined you. you're broken."

the way zach's fingers clamped down on him, luka had no hope of mumbling any protests, though he still tried to claw at zach's hands out of instinct.

"what do you think katie would've said if she saw all your bruises and cuts and bullshit? you're gross and disfigured. you can't seriously think any girl would want you after what i've done to you and what you've done to yourself."

luka struggled against him and continued to scratch but couldn't make zach budge, and his efforts started to weaken as tears fell down to his ears and his face began to change colors.

zach watched panic grow in luka's eyes as he came to grips with the facts. just as his eyes started to close, zach let go and watched him cough and gasp air back into his lungs. he wept into his pillow and curled up into a ball away from him.

"say it back to me."

he couldn't tell if luka was ignoring him or simply didn't hear him over his own crying, so zach took a hold of his hair and made luka face him. "do you hear me!?"

"no girls want me!" he yelled back, throat sounding raw, and was interrupted midway by another harsh sob. "i'm disgusting! just leave me alone!"

"don't tell me what to do."

rolling onto his side to turn away once again, zach let him be this time. he idly observed as luka's blotchy pale shoulders rose and fell with his exhausted sobs and tremors, and kept watch from his own bed until his brother passed out.

[avacynthia]

I'm dying to know — are your portrayals of Cynthia and Barry connected in anyway? If so, what is their relationship like? Do you have any headcanons regarding Cynthia's connection with Dawn, Lucas and or Barry that you'd like to share? What does she think of them?

First off, THANK YOU for the wonderful question ashford!! I really appreciate it. Shoutouts to you, @gogogobarry (me, hee hee), @distortsverity, @timebranded, @dawnedon and ALL the lovely DPPT protags that I've gotten to write with over time.😊

And the short answer is: yes!! Cynthia's relationship with Barry and the other protagonists is something that I've been mulling over since the beginning of time (move over, Dialga)...so I have a few major thoughts on how Cynthia views all of them.

Most importantly, Cynthia views the protagonists' entanglement with Galactic--and the Galactic arc in sum--as her biggest, most shameful failure. She allowed Cyrus to pull the wool over her eyes regarding Galactic's schemes, and almost lost everything as a result, too busy/preoccupied to notice what was happening right under her nose. If she had been more present, could she have prevented the Lake Valor bombing? The creation of the Red Chain? Perhaps. However, Dawn/Hikari, Lucas, and Barry should have never carried any of that burden, or dealt with any of those problems, to begin with. They were just kids.

The guilt--god, that overwhelming guilt--despite her sessions with Fumiko, Riley, and a few scattered (ultimately unhelpful) therapists, those memories (Galactic's scars) still keep her up deep into the night, cursing her shortsightedness. She had been so obsessed with Sinnoh's rise, that she'd lost sight of those--with good intentions and bad--still on the ground.

Though portrayals view them differently, the Spear Pillar/Distortion World events undoubtedly left the young protags with damage. Trauma. Cynthia (champion or not, depending on timeline) now views their collective well-being as her responsibility. If they need to talk, she'll listen, even if she has to rearrange her entire schedule to do so. She's not a hoverer, but she'll make sure to check in on all of them with comfortable regularity, just ensuring that everything's okay. Cynthia owes them that much, at the very least.

Barry's can-do attitude and sunshiny personality are always appreciated, but Cynthia is there to support him all the same, even if that means hearing out some truly wild business pitches or throwing down for an exhilarating rematch. Or ten.

For the player characters, Cynthia remembers feeling truly useless atop the Pillar, bombarded by confusing visions of past, present and future. Within the Distortion, an overwhelmed Cynthia had relied on Dawn/Hikari/Lucas once again, and they triumphed over Cyrus, one last time. (She had asked too much of them then, and she is still haunted by it. She'll never forget the frustrating helplessness that she had felt in that void...)

Nowadays, Cynthia is making up for lost time. Whenever the protagonists (or really anyone) needs her, they'll find a reliable pillar of strength. Attentive, thoughtful, and--though her eyes still wander skyward on occasion--grounded in the moment. A shining inspirational beacon for all of Sinnoh to look up to.

To become stronger, Cynthia has steeled a part of herself, becoming more private and guarded, trying her best to ignore the tantalizing memory of the divine spark that had shocked her atop the Pillar back then. She maintains a selfless vigil over the protagonists and all of Sinnoh, because it is her duty. Because it is her penance.

Cynthia cannot afford to fail again. The weight of a region rests on her shoulders, and she wouldn't have it any other way. She can take this.

She will keep watch.

[infinityactual]

Ngl, being (apparently exactly) half your age is fun because making people about my mom's age feel Old is enrichment for me (love u, have a nice day)

Hey man I love feelin old.

It's funny, growing up undiagnosed autistic and adhd in an abusive, authoritarian household really messed up my perception of what growing up is like. I have since officially cut contact with my abusive family (they didn't even react aside from signing the registered mail receipt lolololol) but even before that, I often thought a lot about what its like being in my thirties.

(Brief mentions of assault and abuse below he cut, nothing detailed just mentions as examples for context. This got a little rambly, I've had a lot on my mind regarding age the last few years.)

And being that old? It's. Not different. The phrase 'the more things change, the more they stay the same' never really made sense to me as a kid, but it hits home nowadays. I'm still me, but between growing and learning as I age and the realization that I'm probably not who I was told I was, it makes sense. I change. But I stay the same. It's like adding extra paint to a canvas. It's still a canvas, but there's more to it now. It will always be a canvas, but it's a canvas that is also different than it was before. It's changed, but it's the same.

My mom is one of those people who (literally at times) beat into me that if you got assaulted or raped or murdered, it was somehow YOUR fault for being too stupid or dressing too provocative or some other bullshit reason, and that I was sooo trusting and sooo stupid that I would probably end up dead before I hit 25.

And being on the spectrum and adhd and...well, a fuckin CHILD, I believed it.

It took three therapists and a psychiatrist, plus pretty much everyone I talk to going "Uh hey [x] isn't normal, that's abuse and you probably have [y] issues" for it to really sink in that my mother was wrong. That happened in 2020, right at the start of lockdown. Almost 5 years later and I still get kicked in the head with past traumas. I'm still sorting everything out. It's gonna take a while.

But I'm 38. Over a decade past the age when I thought I'd be dead. And only this year after deciding not to let the trauma and bad memories surrounding my birthday did I really understand how fucked up it is to fully expect to be dead at a young age without any sort of preexisting issues going on (it's also not a good way to live if you DO have medical issues that could kill you, but that is not what I'm getting into today).

I still feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it's not a 'my death could happen any second' feeling, it's a more insidious 'what if my death comes from my spouse, whom I love and trust implicitly?' thing, with an added feeling of anxiety because on bad brain days I try to look for red flags where there are none.

And the real kicker: that sort of trust was already violated when I was a toddler, possibly younger, and kept being violated till I left home.

It's a lot to think about. Like several boxes of puzzles all dumped on the floor at once. I pick through the pieces, sometimes things click, but mostly it's just a mess.

But I am glad I lived. I'm glad that I am still here to prove that I'm not 'too stupid' to survive. I like being the server dinosaur on Discord. I like being there for younger folks who went through or still are in the shit. Cos I'm proof it gets better. I'm proof that abusers are liars and so are the mental problems abuse instills in a mind. They're liars that tell you horrible things. I argue back. I have gotten into the habit of responding to the thoughts in my mother's voice yelling at me by telling her she can fuck off.

She can fuck off and I'll still be here loving the same shit I did in school. In fact, things I loved have been coming back to me. I'm still me, but I've changed. The only thing adult about me is my age and that I have bills and taxes. I've cultivated patience. Learned that I was never wrong to give kindness and expect it in return. I've grown. And I love being old.

[my-wishful-purpose]

You may not want communication or to confront the ugly truth, but its corpse is practically rotting in whatever room we're both in at the same time. You want me to be honest? Fine. So be it.

I'm tired—exhausted, even—of you. It's always been you and your willingness to turn a blind eye to our festering problems, to get defensive and pissed when I so much as bring anything up anymore. You're tired of me and everything I don't talk about, and I the same. You're tired of my self destructive behavior and how I'm quick to wish to kill myself when I feel as though things are out of my control. I understand that.

You don't get any choices anymore—not that you wanted them to begin with, and I've given you too many to count at this point. If you want me making decisions on your behalf, then I will. Gladly, if I'm being honest with myself here. Therefore, I believe it's best if we take a little break for awhile. Just as a refresher.

There's no real care in your end of the relationship, isn't it? No matter how much I try, you bare your fangs. Such an aggressive stance to take, really. Not that you can help it, given your nature.

I should've known better. I should've known we'd never truly last—I mean, since when has it ever worked out in any other universes?—I should've known that a marriage built on the remains of beer bottles and glasses of wine would end up going absolutely nowhere. Alcohol messed with my mind back then. I don't even know what I was thinking.

Nonetheless, there's no love lost. Well. Not for me, at least. I imagine by the time you read up to this point, you'll either want to snap my neck yourself or you'll be numb while staring at these words. Oh, yes, I know you well. A mix of anger and despair, most likely. I don't hate you. Never have. Not sure if you'll believe me by now, but I've never been quite able to bring myself to hate you, no matter how frustrated I've gotten with you as of late.

Oh well.

I do care, I do love you still. Nothing's been signed, if you're worried about that. I'll leave you to hash out those details if you so wish—Ah, a contradiction to what I mentioned earlier, isn't it? You should know by now that I'm contradictory—but nothing has been set into motion to officially separate us. Furthermore, I've still kept my ring—altough I admit it's hidden from mine and everyone else's view now, since it remains on my person in my pocket nowadays. On a different note, I'm not sure about this whole 'having kids' thing. We're definitely not suited for it, and given how I feel already,,I probably need something to get rid of just to feel something, anything. A void that can be filled with other things—more ungodly alcohol, I presume, since I've been considering it anyways. Wouldn't do any good with children, would it?

You won't like this next one—Oh, but since when have you liked anything I've done?—but when you're in my office, keep your distance. Assumimg I'm still alive after all of this, any area not immediately around me is fair game. You'll still be able to protect me and act as my right hand, even from there. Although... do you even want to protect me at this point? God, I'd rather just have you strangle me to death with your bare hands and take my seat as the boss. Or you could ravage the place to the damn ground. I'm indifferent on what you personally choose. Don't assume my apathy is a constant, though. I'm at my wit's end here.

Lastly, I'd like to apologize. Just in general for everything.

In any case, I hope this... whatever it is... finds you well.

Farewell, Chuuya.

(@yearningfortheend)

. . .

[nerves-nebula]

Ok I've already talked about how your Donnie is just like me fr but Splinter taking all of his things really made me actually think about how my parents would threaten to do the same. I haven't thought about it in a long while but my parent's go to punishment was to threaten to throw away all of my things. They never actually went through with it but there were times when my dad would take a big trash bag and start putting my things in it. All the while my little child self (age 4-12) would be screaming and crying and pulling on him until he would "give in" (they never planned to actually take anything, just traumatize me) and dump everything out on my bed.

It also reminded me of how my mom would go into my room when she was pissed at me and throw shit around. Like, if there was stuff on my floor or on my window seat she would toss it every where, specifically on my bed. She mostly did this if she wanted me to clean my room, because in her mind if she made an even bigger mess then I'd have to clean it up. Jokes on her though because nowadays cleaning my room brings me so many negative emotions that I avoid doing it at all costs. So I forever live in filth >:)

Sorry for rambling but your post really just made me stop and think about how messed up that was. Because for years I thought that all parents must do that from time to time. And since mine never went through with it it must not actually be bad. So it was pretty nice to have someone call out that shitty behavior. Thanks bestie (⁠づ⁠｡⁠◕⁠‿⁠‿⁠◕⁠｡⁠)⁠づ

what is it with moms and traumatizing you into living in filth?? my mom did that too, though not so much later on (she got too busy to care I think) but she'd get really, really mad and be like "ok FINE I'LL DO IT FOR YOU" and rummage through our room "cleaning" for us but really just moving everything around and getting annoyed when we told her to stop cause she didn't know where things belonged/which things were important.

and obviously she'd say then WE should clean our room but like,,, we don't care about it being dirty. you're the one making up this whole issue ??

and its not like HER room was even that much cleaner than ours fasfashdhughdugs

anyway, i've gotten more into like, the ABUSE abuse in this AU recently, but there's a reason I called it neglected turtles and not abused turtles (other than TMNT acronym). i think a lot of the stuff im talking about here happens and people don't recognize it as the abuse it is. i personally relate to the label of neglect more, cause as much as the stuff my parents DID do sucked, a lot of the situation had to do with what they DIDN'T do.

we had food, but weren't always fed. we had bathrooms but weren't really taught hygiene. we had books and could read, but weren't taught the days of the week or the order of the months. and yet we were expected to fully know all of these things anyway.

and i think that's abusive, yes, but i feel like its abusive the way pretending to throw out your kids stuff is abusive. or yelling at them and tossing around their shit is abusive. which is to say, not technically bad enough on its own to get you taken away or anything, but certainly deeply damaging in a way i don't see talked about a lot. so im talking about it. cause its my blog and i want to!

AHH but now I'M the one rambling. idk if what I'm trying to say here makes sense haha, but even if every parent did that from time to time it'd still be shitty.

[calliethetrekkie]

Star Trek TOS S01E11: Miri

Original Thoughts

"Miri was very much one of those ‘don’t watch during a pandemic’ episodes due to it involving a spreading disease and all. Also thinking that maybe this was what inspired Children of the Corn. But yeah, it was meh. Not horrible, but not great either. My biggest issue is how Miri betrayed the group just because she was jealous of Rand. But TBF Jim sweet-talking probably didn’t help and while he DOES have a mostly good reason for it and it was mostly just sweet-talking with nothing gross intended, it just looks SO wrong nowadays. Likely unintentional and they DID need her help to figure out what was going on and her crush on Kirk was the best place to appeal to her and again nothing gross behind anything, but yeah another sign of the show’s age cause that would NOT fly nowadays. But mainly the whole disease thing while we’re nearing a year into the pandemic… didn’t help make me get into the episode. It’s okay, but not one to revisit for a good while."

(Original Post)

Rewatch Thoughts

I've been feeling mixed about coming back to this one. On the one hand, it has one of my favorite Spones scenes ever (I hadn't gotten into the ship yet, hence why the original post doesn't mention it). On the other hand, it's Kirk manipulating a girl who is physically and mentally a young teenager. Do I even need to explain how f-ed up that is? But I expected to hate episodes like Charlie X on rewatch, and I didn't. Plus, I'm watching this as the pandemic has cooled down, at least in comparison to early 2021. So, how did this one fair this time around?

Eeeeeehhhhh?

It's not horrible, but I didn't really care for it either? There's stuff I like, but a lot of it is just... icky. I liked the scenes with the Triumvirate and he overall atmosphere, but most everything else... just didn't do it for me.

Having kid actors can go various ways. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. It worked here, the kids come across as creepy as you'd expect after being stuck alone for 300 years. Which that in and of itself is confusing as heck. I don't know, the scenes do their job I guess, but it's just not my thing. Like I said in the original post, it gives me major Children of the Corn vibes, and that just is not my thing.

There's also the matter of Miri herself. Reading back through my old watchthrough... I was really hard on her, and I shouldn't have been. This is a young kid, whose been alone for who knows how long in an incredibly unstable world where the adults are all dead and others are slowly turning the same way, herself included. Of course she'd be willing to betray the adults because she saw Kirk with Rand. She's a confused child who is being used by said adults. Plus, she's very clearly in denial about the disease, which I failed to take into account the last time. When rewatching this, I just felt pity for the poor girl.

That being said, there are several things with Miri and the kids that I don't like. The implications that puberty means you don't like the stuff you did as a kid is annoying, but I'll let that slide. The biggest issue honestly is Kirk himself. I love the man... but Dear God this might be him at his most awful thus far. I know he's playing into Miri's crush for the sake of saving himself and the others, and he doesn't do anything gross. But even knowing that, it just feels so freakin' wrong. And no, Miri actually being hundreds of years old does not deter anything because she is very clearly still a teenager mentally. Again, I understand why, but that doesn't make it any less uncomfortable to watch.

Really, I'd have probably been fine had they just had the Landing Party beam onto an Earth-like world, unaware that a disease either killed everyone or drove them insane. Then they have to try and figure out a cure to save themselves while dealing with the monstrous survivors and to not lose themselves to the virus. That can still make for a good plot and keep the drama since you could have Kirk and McCoy at each other's throats, Spock being the only one immune/not going insane trying to keep everything together, etc. You can still have the aging virus and the implications as you imagine what had to have happened to the kids without adults and that the survivors are most likely the surviving older kids that have now turned. It could be the ST equivalent of a zombie apocalypse, at least in setting and atmosphere. That would have been a Hell of a lot better than 'Kirk manipulates a 300-year-old teenage girl' and allowed for some good character/thriller drama. I'm just saying.

While I think she has one or two more appearances after this, this is as I recall Rand's last major episode, so I feel that this is a good time to voice my thoughts about her. I really I just feel bad for her. She's crushing on a man who's going to choose to be a captain first, had a really horrible encounter with said man a few episodes ago, and really just thinking about this episode, The Enemy Within, and Charlie X, her time on the Enterprise feels like a nightmare. It's worse if you know why her actress left the show, which makes it all the more disgusting to look back at. I liked Rand well enough, and I'm disappointed that she was wasted like she was. But I also don't know what else she could have done since Spock and McCoy are around for Jim to talk with and otherwise doesn't have much purpose except as Kirk's possible love interest. One that we know he wuldn't be able to commit to. The worst part is that the show really lost nothing when she left, which just shows how much they really didn't care at the end of the day. Hopefully her time later under Sulu's command was better.

Spock and McCoy were the best part of this episode, bar none. They're not as in focus as Kirk, but they have some of the best moments. The scenes with just them and Kirk interacting (and Rand) were fantastic, with Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley bouncing off each other so well. Even small moments like McCoy lingering with the broken tricycle? Such excellent bits that add so much to the characters. Of course the best Spock/McCoy scene, and the best scene of the whole episode tbh, is at the end when McCoy injects himself with the untested vaccine. He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous, but there's no time left, and the episode has made it painfully clear that he's going to be the one who goes insane from the disease first. If it works, then they're saved. If not and he dies, at least they'll know, and he won't be able to hurt anyone. This is such a defining moment for him.

Spock of course disagreed because it was too dangerous, but as soon as he's gone, McCoy does it. Spock checks his vitals before grasping onto his hands, watching his face and staying there even when Jim comes back and even as the marks fade. Watching McCOy is one thing, but holding his hands? Were's the logic there Spock? The two bicker, and bicker even more as the show continues. Even here, Spock couldn't help but try to prod at McCoy (and yes, he started it) just because McCoy said the disease didn't like green blood, but as soon as it looks like the doctor may die? He's right there and doesn't leave him until most likely McCoy regained consciousness, or they were able to beam him up now that he was cured. Now that's a missing scene I'd have loved to have seen. This is the section of S1 where we really start establishing the Spock and McCoy relationship a lot more, and this was by far one of those moments.

But is that enough to make me like the episode as a whole? Mmm... no. There's enough scattered moments to keep it from rating lower than Mudd's Women, but it doesn't make me want to watch it outside those moments either. Even without the pandemic, the episode made me uncomfortable and unlike The Enemy Within, where it's just one or two scenes that happen early on, it doesn't have enough to make me willing to sit through it. There's certainly good in it, but overall? It's a pass for me.

Original Rating: 3/5 Rewatch Rating: 5/10

[My TOS Reviews]

[TOS S1 Reviews]

[Previous Review] / [Next Review]

[incomingalbatross]

Amphibia Platonic Soulmates Ch. 2 (Draft): ✨Communication✨

(Prologue and Ch. 1 on AO3 here)

I've been banging my head against the wall trying to figure out what else this installment needs to feel like a complete chapter to me, but I like what I DO have so for now I'm sharing it as-is.

---

Having a soulmate, it turned out, really did live up to the stories. Over the next couple of weeks, Anne and Sprig fell into an effortless rhythm with each other—getting in trouble, supporting each other, having fun, solving problems, and all as easily as if they could read each others’ minds. Even chores went better!

Of course, this being Wartwood, somebody had to come by and try to dump cold water on them. In this case, even the town weirdo apparently thought they were weird.

“A frog child and a monster from the woods, getting along? So unnatural.” One-Eyed Wally shuddered one last time and wandered off, squeezing ominous tones out of his accordion.

Sprig stuck his tongue out behind his back. “Aw, what does he know?”

Anne nudged him, eyes bright with mischief when he looked up. “Well, we know something he doesn't,” she sing-songed. “Right, buddy?”

“Ha!” Sprig’s annoyance evaporated. “Yeah we do.” He winked.

“And they don't even think we can be friends,” Anne scoffed. “We'll just have to show ‘em all!”

“With the power of FRIENDSHIP. And our deep unspoken bond!”

“Exactly.”

They shared a satisfied nod, perfectly in tune with each other. As always.

---

“But where’s Anne gonna sleep till the basement gets fixed?”

“Ooh! Ooh! That’s easy. She’ll sleep in my room!”

Anne gasped, hands going to her cheeks. “Like sleepovers every night.”

“You know it.” Sprig beamed.

---

Those froggone kids were gonna drive Hop Pop crazy.

Now, it wasn’t that he had any problems with Anne in the usual way of things. Sure, she caused her fair share of trouble, but just in the way rambunctious kid did. She definitely wasn’t a monster with a taste for frog flesh, which had been his main concern, and she’d been surprisingly well-behaved ever since she broke his cane.

And Hop Pop had to admit, it was nice to see Sprig with a real friend his age. That Ivy Sundew used to play with him on occasion, but since the Millipede Incident destroyed the schoolhouse last year and Ivy’d gotten so busy helping her ma at the teashop, they didn’t see so much of each other nowadays. Anne and Sprig, now, were inseparable.

Or they had been. That was just the trouble. Ever since Anne’s room got flooded and she moved in with Sprig, the tempers between those two had been fraying worse than Bessie’s old harness, and neither one of the idiots was even willing to admit there was a problem!

Hop Pop didn’t know why they were so dang set on pretending things were perfect.

---

Sprig was not going insane. He was not.

Sure, being roommates with Anne was…a little more of an adjustment than he had expected. Sure, she stayed up all night with her otherworldly light-box making it too bright to sleep, eating loud snacks while she laughed to herself. Sure, she kept opening the window like she was trying to keep the room at hibernation temperatures. And sure, she never picked up any of her stuff from the floor. But it was fine! Sprig was fine! These were all probably weird human needs he just didn’t understand because they weren’t the same species. The two of them just needed to stick it out and find their groove and they’d be fine.

---

“But we’re friends!” Anne burst out. Hop Pop clearly didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. “We’re SOULMATES!”

His jaw unhinged. “Say whaaaaat?” (It would have been hilarious if everything weren’t terrible right now.)

“We’re soulmates,” Sprig chimed in, eyes welling up pitifully, “and we can’t even share a room together! How are we so bad at this?”

Anne clutched her hair. “I can’t believe I’m failing at being a soulmate after, like, a couple weeks.” It was the worst. She was the worst. They were both the worst—no, that was a super mean thing to say about Sprig, he hadn’t done anything wrong, but sharing a room with him was driving her insane—

“KIDS.” Hop Pop came down the stairs, putting his palms together in front of him, with a very tired look on his face. “First of all, y’can’t fail at bein’ a soulmate. It’s just somethin’ y’are, like bein’ a frog.” He paused. “Or a weird long-leggedy dry-skinned monster!”

“Thanks for the inclusivity, HP.”

“Yer welcome, Anne. Secondly…” He sighed. “Now, I ain’t got personal experience here, but as far as I can see, havin’ a soulmate is just like any other relationship. It doesn’t mean yer gonna get along perfectly all the time. It certainly doesn’t mean yer sleepin’ habits are gonna work with each other!” He looked each of them straight in the eyes, one after the other. Anne gulped uneasily.

“It just means y’can find somethin’ important in each other. But to do that, y’gotta talk! Y’gotta work at it! Just like anything else in this life! Havin’ to talk out some troubles now and then doesn’t mean yer doin’ anythin’ wrong. But actually having the conversation means yer doin’ somethin’ right.”

“…Oh.”

Anne straightened a little, feeling the weight of the world fall off her shoulders. Beside her, Sprig seemed to be feeling the same way.

“So…we shouldn’t worry about not getting along as roomies?” he said hopefully, rubbing one arm.

Hop Pop barked a laugh. “Boy, if you two could get along perfectly all the time I’d be worried about that. Wouldn’t be natural.” He raised the part of his face where his eyebrows should be. “If yer differences didn’t trip y’up, all the ways you’re alike would do it!”

“Whaaaaat?” Anne scoffed, feeling better. “That’s crazy talk, Hop Pop! It was only the ways we were different that messed up the roomie situation.”

“Yeah, being alike is great!”

“Hmm.” Hop Pop looked cynical. “So yer not down here in the middle o’ the night because yer both too stubborn to admit this wasn’t workin’? Or too scared t’risk hurtin’ each other’s feelin’s, even though this situation was driving you both crazy?”

Anne’s mouth hung open for a second. “…Oh.”

“Ohhhhhhh,” Sprig said at the same time.

“Kinda see what’cha mean there, Hop Pop.”

“We may have been stupid in the same ways at the same time,” Sprig chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Havin’ a soulmate is a two-edged sword, kids,” Hop Pop said, turning back toward the stairs. “It means somebody who can understand you better’n anyone—if you both understand yerselves. But it can also mean sharin’ all the same blind spots. Which is why learnin’ and communicatin’ is so important—”

“Yeah, yeah, are we done with the boring stuff now?” Polly interrupted, bouncing up and down on top of his head. “Because I have important questions about this whole soulmate biz. Question one: can you feel each other’s pain??”

“POLLY, NO—!”

---

Later, after Polly had been subdued for the night and Anne had grabbed her blanket and pillows from Sprig’s room, she found herself alone in the living room with Hop Pop. Anne cleared her throat a little nervously.

“So. Um, you’ve actually been really chill about the whole ‘grandson turned out to be soulmates with the alien monster girl he found in the woods’ thing.” Anne chuckled awkwardly. “I…gotta admit, I was a little worried you’d freak out about it.”

“Oh, I’m still adjusting,” Hop Pop assured her, which was actually not reassuring. Then he sighed, and shrugged. “Honestly, part of this is probably the sleep deprivation talkin’, but also? I’m a lot less shocked than I woulda been a couple weeks ago. Yer just a kid, like Sprig, or Polly…now, is it still weird to have a freak o’ nature from another world as a soulmate? Little bit. But I can’t deny you and Sprig are like two scream peas in a pod.”

“…What are scream peas?”

“They’re like regular peas, but they scream. Makes ‘em taste better, somehow! Also a better metaphor fer you’n’Sprig—you do do a lotta screamin’.”

“We do, it’s true!” That made sense.

“Anyway, where was I? …Oh, yes. I can’t deny, it’s a little strange, Anne. But yer just a person, like the rest of us, in a body that happens to be a little stranger’n most. For our world, anyway. I don’t see any reason to kick up a fuss about you’n’Sprig bein’ soulmates—not like either of you decided it, anyway. Just a fact o’ nature, at this point.”

She smiled, feeling warm inside—a good warm, this time, not the suffocating humidity of Sprig’s room. “Thanks, HP.”

“Oh, but I’d still keep it quiet ‘round town fer a bit.” He looked back from halfway up the stairs, frowning. “The townspeople ain’t the most acceptin’ of new ideas—or new people. And they ain’t quite made up their minds you’re not a monster, yet.”

“Good thought, HP.” She flopped back onto the (horrible, horrible, but somehow comfier than it used to be) couch, shooting him a thumbs-up. “That’s what Sprig and me thought.”

“Well, g’night, Anne.”

“Night, HP!”

[weeping-vintage-toes]

I vent way too much on here. Like, I'm sorry, I just need an outlet :,) So I'm venting again - and it's kinda intense. You don't even need to read this.

(Tw: SH & Suicide)

I said in an earlier post that my depression was getting bad again (which is cringe /j). I didn't think it would ever be this bad, though. I am taking care of 2 kids as well as a house cause my mom keeps making excuses on why she's not here. The kids have missed about 2 months of school. It got so bad that the police showed up.

I honestly feel like a failure to my kids. My older brother is a big help, but he's graduating this year. Then, he's moving out right after cause he doesn't wanna be stuck in this shit hole of a home. Can't say I blame him. But that means I'm gonna be stuck here with 2 kids and a house to take care of without a mother figure.

I am failing all except 2 of my classes and can't take care of anyone, not even myself. I can barely even get the energy to wash my face. It's gotten to the point where I only take 1-2 showers a week, when I usually take one every 2-3 days.

I can't cook for shit and the dishes are used up as soon as I wash them. We barely have actual meals cause my mom basically stopped going shopping. She just buys sodas and snacks from the dollar store every week.

I feel like shit all the time, but I can't stop cleaning or doing something around the house cause of how quickly things pile up.

I live with my brother (17), sister (7), cousin (10 m), and mom (if she even counts anymore), and now apparently my aunt is moving in too. I live in a 2 bed 1 bath. There is no room for someone else. I already slept in my moms room with my little sister. (And mom if she's home)

My house is such a shit hole. So, I don't wanna stay there but school is stressful and I cry almost every day there. So, there's literally no escaping my stress and anxiety.

I try and make jokes at school to get away from it all. But it's getting harder and harder to try and keep everything bottled in. I joke about killing myself and shit but sometimes, it genuinely crosses my mind. I would never do it, and those thoughts scare me.

I used to SH about a year ago. It's not some I'm proud of, but it's true. I would like to say I'm clean now, and thankfully, my recovery process was quick. But sometimes I'll catch myself thinking about it. It scares me, but it's happening quite often nowadays.

I have a lot of shit on my plate, and somehow, I'm still supposed to have good grades and stable mental health. My own mother said that I'm definitely not mentally ill. She barely knows who I am anymore.

I'm just so tired. But that doesn't mean I don't have good things in my life. I am so grateful for the two best friends I think I've ever had. They get me through the day, and I love them more than they know. I wish I could let them know just how much I care about them and how much they have impacted my life since I've met them.

I've known one of them for just 2 years, and I only started talking to my boyfriend at the beginning of school. But it feels like I've known them forever. I hope they know how much they really mean to me.

Anyways, sorry for the rant, I've just had those thoughts bottled up for a while and needed to get them out of my system. I've come to find that just talking about my feelings through text is really therapeutic. So that's probably why I talk about my problems so much on here. And it's not like people see these anyways, so it's kinda like my own personal diary that only one other person sees.

So, again, sorry for the long ass rant. I hope you have a lovely night or day. Mwah <3 gn lovelies.

[dreamkitten]

Im new to tumblr, so im sorry if the formatting or anything is weird. But i wanted to post my opinions because i feel like a lot of people have a very narrowed way of looking at things.

Theres a deeper reasoning as to why children crave life pre covid, and by children i mean preteens or teenagers. Im 15 btw.

Ive seen many videos on the internet romanticizing 2016 and 2014 (mainly posted by kids my age), and a lot of people who were teens in that time period think it's absolutely ridiculous.

Even though kids are mainly romanizing the aesthetics, they also crave that feeling that the 2010s had. Things were less expensive and the music was so much more cheerful.

But also, nowadays the internet is much more suffocating. Everything we have is on here, school, photos, friends, hobbies etc. Ive never had the experience of meeting kids in my neighborhood, because we weren't allowed to go outside because of the dangers.

Honestly i blame the internet for that too, although its great that i can see all the crimes and pedophiles in my area, im not allowed to go outside now.

A lot of my friends arent allowed to hang out afterschool, and if they do their parents literally follow them in their car. So i guess i blame strict parents too.

But the world isnt more dangerous, we are more aware of the danger. America is much less dangerous than it was 20 years ago, and yet kids go outside less.

Social media is so toxic now too. although cyber bullying has always been a problem, it feels like ive been seeing an influx of it the past few years. It feels like every video i see has "cringe" or "this just pmo" under it, and i know theres always been comments like this but its gotten so bad that theres no uniqueness in anyones posts.

And because so many children rely on the internet for their style, they aren't unique either. The amount of people at my school that all dress the same is crazy, and i mean its cute, but wheres the personality?

Basically, kids my age are craving a life where the internet is free, and theres less pressure from the outside world. We WANT to hang out with our friends, but we CANT. We want to go to the beach and do cliche 2014 activities but we CANT.

Dont even get me started on how the romantization of over consumption as affected the youth. Especially girls.

People can wear what they like, but 12/13 year old girls typically DONT have have full faces of makeup, new nail sets every 2 weeks, long haircare and skincare routines (when it isn't necessary), and like new shoes every season.. These used to be considered LUXURY, but now because of trends and the pressure to be beautiful, young girls feel the need to conform to these.

some girls do this entirely out of freewill, but what they consume online also contributes to this.

In the early 2010s most people posting were young adults or teens, but now i mainly see young adults and fully grown adults. People with children, have graduated from college, etc.

Not necessarily a bad thing that they post, but kids mimic what they see. And since they are seeing 25 year olds with fake lashes and 17 step haircare routines, they want to do that too.

Which explains the whole "sephora kid thing"

But yeah.. kids want freedom. the 2010s provided that.