#I just think he deserves to be knocked down a few pegs in the romance department

[happypeachsludgeflower]

Does anyone else crave a rom com angst of pei ming getting played and having his heart broken in a John Tucker Must Die scenario??

[justzawe]

Mr. Malcolm's List Actor Zawe Ashton Taps Into The Feminine Mystique [Interview]

After watching her turn as the cunning Julia Thistlewaite in "Mr. Malcolm's List," one might expect Zawe Ashton to be similarly intimidating. She's the kind of scene-stealing performer whose reputation definitely precedes her: Ashton's career spans decades, following the actor-writer-filmmaker from the stage to the screen and back again. It's easy to feel intimidated by the thought of speaking to Ashton (I definitely was), but all that melted away when I sat down to chat with the "Mr. Malcolm's List" star. 

Speaking with Ashton is like making fast friends with a stranger in the place you least expected to. Her thoughts on Regency life and antiheroism are candid, hilarious, and considerably devoid of ego. Ironically enough, it is ego (and a thirst for revenge) that catalyzes the plot of "Mr. Malcolm's List." After Ms. Thistlewaite is humiliated by the titular Mr. Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) — and immortalized in a Regency-era meme — she sets off to knock the bachelor down a peg. She asks her childhood friend, Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto), to pose as Malcolm's perfect woman, only to leave him high and dry once he starts to fall for her. It's the kind of story you'd expect from a '90s-era rom-com, where the stories usually begin with a harmless bet and feature at least one makeover montage. In that kind of story, Julia would be the villain, a cut-and-dry mean girl who gets what she "deserves" before the credits roll. But for director Emma Holly Jones and writer Suzanne Allain, "Mr. Malcolm's List" was not that kind of story.

Not only is Julia a character worthy of redemption (despite her questionable choices), but she's also worthy of a happily ever after. Her subversive arc appealed tremendously to Ashton, who'd never had the chance to star in a period romance before "Malcolm's List." The process was undeniably euphoric for the actor, especially when it came to the film's gorgeous costumes, but not without a few corset-related challenges. "Getting used to seeing your own bosom whilst acting is definitely a journey," Ashton mused. "But also what I love is, again: The sensuality, the feminine mystique that I'm not drawn to necessarily in my own life. I don't think about enhancing my bosom, necessarily. And I definitely will now from now on — for myself, not for anyone else."

I chatted with Ashton about walking the line between hero and villain, and tapping into the iconography of the Regency period.

You've spoken before about your attraction to more extreme characters. Is that what attracted you to Julia?

Well, do you know, I loved ... when I read [the script], I had 24 hours to read and decide and meet with Emma, our director, because two fantastic actresses had not been able to do the role. And Lyvie, I have no ego about that kind of thing because filmmaking is an intricate process that has lots of just twists and turns. But as an actor, the way that you come onto a project is often so influential. So having that very, very short decision time kind of made the decision easier in a way, because you go straight to the heart of things, I think. So I instantly read the intersection of genres present in this film. I'm a rom-com fan, I'm a fan of the new Regency-core journey that we're on as an industry, so that was an intersection that was a tick.

I also was like, "There's something so contemporary about this woman, Julia." We meet her at a point in her life where she's four seasons without a match. Her mother's starting to give her the side eye at every opportunity, reading out the latest matrimonial news at every opportunity. And that's something I think women can really understand, when society starts to kind of close in on you with that messaging of where you're supposed to be at in your life versus where you might be.

And I think I said to Emma in one of our initial interviews — or our only interview — I was like, "She feels like the Regency Bridget Jones." And that's a wonderful place to start. And then she becomes this protagonist. And then she becomes this humbled figure who lets her guard down and finds love and gets that intention that she sets off in the beginning of her life with, which is to marry for love. And I just really embraced the arc of that. I embraced the lightness and the kindness of the movie. We were in the second wave of lockdown and I knew that it was going to be a really wonderful spiritual reset to do something this fun.

And I have a very, very strong intentionality when it comes to supporting first-time filmmakers from underrepresented intersections. So it was just like "tick, tick, tick, tick, tick" in the space of 24 hours. And then I found out who the cast was and then I said, "Definitely. Please yes, I'll do this."

I love that you touched on kindness, because I feel like Julia sort of walks the scorned woman archetype throughout the film and she does make questionable choices, but she's never demonized. At the very end, she's able to find that she is worthy of love and forgiveness — which from a modern perspective, especially for women of color, that was so, so refreshing to see.

I think it's deeply refreshing to see. And you asked about a penchant for extreme characters. I wasn't drawn to Julia's extremes necessarily, but I'm always drawn to walking that line, I think. People in life are complex and I think I have a superpower as an actor for just really not minding if I'm disliked. I think lots of actors really desperately would like to be liked, but I don't know. I'm open to anti-hero-ness. I think they were the characters that I always warmed to as a child, when I was watching animated films or when you were at a puppet show, or just those first formative steps into understanding different creative worlds. I was an Ursula "Little Mermaid" fan. [Laughs]

They have much more fun, to be honest.

I think it's sort of ... you have to do more work as an audience member, and as an actor if you are going to win them over in the end. And of course you can win people over by just being extremely devious, and that's a very delicious experience.

I really love that also we're seeing an antagonist in a film of this genre who is a woman of color, who isn't attempting to be anything other than who she is. I really don't want to ever defang a performance for the purposes of being palatable. I personally don't feel like I make good work if I'm trying to pander to an audience in that way. And I also feel like you don't keep the door open for even more complex interpretations in that space, unless you really commit to walking that line. So I have a penchant for walking the line.

You've spoken about your relationship to secondhand clothes and how vintage has helped you find characters in the past. How did costuming inform your kind of molding of Julia?

Huge. And I'm so glad they have the costumes on show here at Saks Fifth Avenue as a way of representing this film. I love it mostly because there wasn't a huge amount of budget to make a lot of costumes. We really had to kind of do a lot with a little and that's down to our fantastic costume designer, Pam Downe.

Costume is very influential in this film, because I'd never played this era before, the Regency era. It's something that you've watched for such a long time. It has so much iconography attached to it. Stepping into it is a very, very unique experience, because the door has been closed to this genre to me for a very long time. So putting on a bonnet was heaven. I was like, "I feel cute! And I feel aspirational." Putting on the little ballet slippers that they wore at that time, it's extremely ... again, it's just very, very gentle and very ... it has a softness to it that really does transport you from this world to that one.

Also, I feel like there was something really, really fantastic about how sometimes wrong Julia was getting the fashion of that time. Her huge feather that was extremely offensive to Malcolm, I mean ... there was just a wonderful freedom in that to be someone who was presenting this very fashionable high society woman, but without making those fumbles and mistakes that we all make. Because of course, it was a hedonistic time. We don't think of it necessarily as that because we see the slightly more repressed behavior. Then the Victorians came along and corseted the Georgians up for a reason, because it was kind of sexy and out there! It was, again, it had this contemporary edge of a woman who's kind of embracing the fashions of the time and not necessarily always hitting the mark, but having fun with it. There was a huge freedom in that. (x)

[icollectyoursins]

Bruno Headcanons x Reader SFW + NSFW

Anon_From_Hell on AO3 said: “Okay I have several.... not request but more of ideas? Feel free to use them or ignore them. Jotaro being topped by reader? With dick or a strap? Bruno! Bruno headcanons.”

I have had a bit of this written since I started this blog, I just never had enough to it, so I’m glad someone asked for this because Bruno is one of my favourite characters and he deserves the world.

Link to the Bottom!Jotaro here

Have a character, but no idea? Prompt list here!

Looking for more? Master post here!

WARNINGS: Light mentions of protectiveness, gentle Bruno for the most part, dates to the museum, restaurant dates, descriptions of dicks, fingering, mentions of shibari or tying partners up, eating ass, eating pussy, oral in general, spit roast, stand fucking, breeding, pregnancy kink, pegging/fucking Bruno, praise kink (giving), spanking, public sex, sexting.

Word Count: 2387

SFW

Where do I start? He’s a gentleman, of course, especially when he first meets you. He’s not very obvious with his crush on you, but a few can notice that his stare lingers just a little bit longer than usual and his hand hovers in the air for a millisecond after you’ve touched it during an exchange.

Bruno is hesitant to start a relationship with you. His line of work is dangerous, both of you know this, but he really does not want you to get caught up in something you shouldn’t be. It would take a lot of coaxing from you and from members of the group to push him into being comfortable with it. 

Once he does, he’s exceptionally gentle, lightly brushing his hand against yours while you’re walking together before grabbing. During conversations, he’ll put his hand on your back. He won’t show it, but he’s ecstatic about having someone to touch; someone to smile at him with romantic love, not just the usual respectful ones he gets from strangers or gang members. Sweet smiles. It makes him feel so loved.

He is so protective of you. He knows his boys can be a little on the rougher side, so he’s made sure they will all treat you with the utmost respect. Especially when he’s around.

I can’t see him lashing out at you unless you do something really stupid like getting yourself hurt or saying something that sets him off which usually only happens when he’s exhausted. Remind him that you don’t deserve to be yelled at or apologize and he’ll usually do the same. But, for the most part, he’s very relaxed with you.

He’s a busy man, but he schedules everything he does in his day down to the minute. Bruno is impeccable with his organization. He’ll always make sure he has time for you, even if it means pushing things around and bending the rules a bit. He wants to make sure you know that he’s there. He may be busy, but he will always have time for you.

For some reason, I can see him taking you to art galleries or museums for dates. Holding your hand while the two of you walk around admiring the different pieces. If you know anything about something he will gladly listen! Patiently watching you light up about the cute trollop fossil or how beautifully that flower is in that kind of paint and how you would have done this or that to add to it. 

Of course, Bruno will also take you on romantic dates to restaurants overlooking the canal with some of the best food you have ever had, but I think he prefers dates that keep you physically close to him, where he can hold your hand instead of sitting across from you.

He also buys you jewelry, fancy clothes and perfume/cologne. Nothing too over the top, but subtle things that have more meaning to them than flashiness. He’s more likely to get a simple ring with 2 or 3 smaller stones than a giant one that screams attention.

He pays extra attention to the things you look at in stores and has mastered what your “oh, that’s nice” face looks like compared to your “I need to have this, but-” face and will buy whatever you really wanted behind your back, giving them to you as a gift later on when you’ve forgotten about it.

Further into the relationship when you two have moved in, he’ll often wrap his arms around you while you’re cooking, resting his head on your shoulder, or on your back if you’re taller, leaving light butterfly kisses where ever his face is.

I think out of all the adults in Bucci Gang, he’s the most likely to help you with dinner without having to be prompted. Bruno has a sixth sense for when you need him to help, suddenly popping up beside you and cutting vegetables or stirring the pot, giving you a sweet knowing smile whenever you look over. Though, on the weekends, he’s more likely to produce a glass of wine for the two of you while you cook which leads to someone getting tipsier than the other and being kicked out of the kitchen because they’ve knocked over their glass one too many times.

When you’re on the couch, he’ll call you over into his arms or sometimes just pull you into him. He prefers reading a nice book to watching a movie but will sit with you, book in one hand while his other hand plays with your hair or rubs your back. 

Oh, and don’t even get me started on baths together. He installed what is essentially a jacuzzi in your bathroom just so the two of you would have room to be comfortable. Now, the only time you take baths is when you’re together.

Please give this man a massage. He is very stressed and tense, he needs someone to treat him with the same tenderness he gives you. Bruno isn’t one to melt, but he will relax considerably. He’s just more into making you feel good than himself feeling good.

Bruno’s kisses are so sweet. I don’t know how else to describe them. It’s like every ounce of his love and care towards you is put into a spell, which is then put onto his lips and then onto your lips. You never get tired of it. He’s not overly kissy in public, mostly just pecks on the cheek or your hand. In private though, he’s a little more relaxed. 

Favourite places to kiss are usually your lips or neck and shoulder, which often leaves goosebumps down your back and sometimes other things. I honestly don’t think he’s that much into sex. Like, he’ll do it (and well) but I think romance and companionship are more important to him than anything else. If he can trust you, why does he need to do anything else? Your love is more than enough for him.

NSFW

6 1/2″, 2″ thick and pretty. His dick is just... pretty, like the rest of him. I think clean-shaven, uncut maybe?

Alright, look, he’s stand isn’t called Sticky Fingers for no reason. Bruno has been blessed with the magic that is fingering. Just knows exactly where to curl into, where to push, where to pull, swirl, rub, you name it! If you have a vagina he will make you cum multiple times before he fucks you. You know what? Even if you have a dick, he’ll probably do the same. OR he’ll get you really close and then deny, deny, deny. He loves making you writhe and squirm. 

If he makes you cry, he’s a little concerned, but deep down he’s proud of himself. Will always ask you if you’re okay and if you want to continue unless you have already established you’re okay with him making you a complete mess. Maybe he’ll even ask you to wear eyeliner or mascara just to make it run!

This man eats pussy/ass like it’s his last meal. Oral in general is one of his favourite things to do to a partner because he can control it and clearly tell how much you’re enjoying something.

Will 1000% tie you up or use Sticky Fingers to keep you from moving too much. Loves to see you wrapped up in red ropes or silk, unable to move or think because of how much he’s teasing you.

On his more relaxed days, he’ll just use his hands to hold you down or guilt you into staying still. “You want to be good for me, right, cara/caro?”

He loves it when you lose control and clamp (or try to) your legs around him. When you grab his hair and lurch forward to try and encourage him to do more; give you more, but he never does. Not until he wants to.

Oof, but his favourite guilty pleasure? Spit roast with Sticky Fingers. SF eating you out while you try to focus on taking Bruno’s cock in your mouth. Oh, to have you sandwiched in between him and his stand. He would kill to keep you there forever; fucking in and out of you like a seesaw or forcing you to do it yourself.

     Bruno bit his finger to try and keep composure as your eyes rolled back into your head, mouth agape on his length. You looked so pretty like this; visibly fucked out of your mind with his hands tangled in your mess of hair. Sticky Fingers had been lapping over your now soaking wet hole and clit for what felt like ages. Keeping you just on edge. You couldn’t decide what you wanted more, to please Bruno or cum before he wanted you to.

     Sticky Fingers pulled you closer to it’s lips while Bruno thrust his hips forward into the warmth of your mouth, eyelids fluttering as you moaned around him. After a few more minutes, he decided he’d give you your reward finally.

     “Turn around, dolcezza. Come here.” You less than gracefully turned around, feeling some sort of way about not having the constant feeling of his stand on you. Bruno grabs your hips and pulls you onto his aching cock. Both of you moan with the new feeling. “Now, just stay nice and still for me, I’ll take care of you, don’t worry.”

Can we say breeding kink? Yes, yes we can. We all know he’s nasty. He loves filling you up, feeling his seed drip out of you, cleaning it out of you with his tongue. Fucking anything. And if he does get you pregnant? (Assuming there would be no repercussions with the whole mafia thing) He would 100% take the best care of you. Bruno would massage every bit of you, giving you nice soothing baths (I mean, he’d do that anyway, but he’d put extra care into your baths when you were pregnant.)

No matter what size your baby bump was, he would kiss it every moment he got. He’d sing songs to it or read it stories (which you would be more than happy about because that voice).

The thought of you expanding with something the two of you created is so hot to him. Bruno would keep you like that forever if he could. Oh, and the feeling of him inside of you while you’re so full. Oh. He’s drooling. Just looking down on your nice, round belly and then pounding into you. *chefs kiss.* We stan breeding kink Bruno.

Oh, but let’s turn the tables. Fucking his ass. Oooooh, hell yeah. Slowly pressing into him while tying his hands behind his back or above his head. It makes me feel so many things.

I think he likes to stay on the dominant side with a vagina-having S/O, so he’d likely flip the tables if you allow him to. If you are into being more dominant, he is more than happy to stay under you (figuratively and literally.)

On his more relaxed days, or on days when you’re feeling a little down on yourself, expect SO much praise from this man in the bedroom. He’s gonna kiss every inch of you, caress you. This man will do everything to make you feel better about yourself.

Spanking. Would you let this man smack your ass? I would. On his more stern days, he will 100% flip you over his knee and make you count. If you’re into being on top, though, smack his ass. The biggest blush will sprawl across his face. Oh, and then making him count. God, he gets so loud!

     A loud crack on your ass echoed throughout the room. You gripped the pillow in front of you, burying your face in the plush thing to quiet your moans. Bruno tutted above you.

     “You have to count, dear.” His voice was stern and threatening. “Count with my, (Y/N).”

     You poked your head up from the pillow, whimpering. Suddenly, the pillow was pulled away from you and his arm reached across to the opposite shoulder, holding you up. Another smack.

     “One.” 

     You whimpered again, then stuttered out: “o-one.”

     SMACK! 

     “Two.”

     “~Uuuhnn. Two.”

     SMACK!

     “Three.”

     “~Brunoooo,” you moaned out, unable to say anything else. He let out a sound of disapproval. 

     “Oh, cara. That’s not how you count. We’ll have to start over again. Weren’t you taught this in school?” He chided. You could only muster up a quiet whine, mentally cursing this man for having so much power over you, but still-SMACK!- you loved him.

Public sex is something he’ll never openly admit is a turn on, at least not to the gang or anyone else who isn’t his partner. Oh, but brush up against his chest and “accidentally” grope him or lightly tap his ass while passing behind him and he’ll do the anime thing where their eyes go completely dark. Nothing makes him more sexually frustrated than being interrupted by you touching him during a conversation. 

He’ll usually find a closet to hide you two in and then he’ll give you hell in the form of lots and lots of edging. Sticky Fingers, of course, has your mouth zipped closed the entire time, so as much as you want to scream you can’t. 

Sometimes he’ll stick half of you in the other side of the zipper and just kind of use you like that. Doesn’t matter what end, though he does have a soft spot for fucking your throat.

Since we’re talking about zippers. Yeah, I’m saying it. It’s been done to death, but I can’t get enough of it. Zipping off his dick and leaving it in you all day. It’s practical (when in a fight. He doesn’t need to worry about getting sacked if he doesn’t have anything there!), it’s easy, he gets to feel your tight walls around him all day, you get to feel him rub up against every sweet spot in you. Literally no downside. Unless you have to go to the bathroom.

Bruno won’t admit it, but he saved all the pictures you send him in skimpy clothes, lingerie, naked, etc. on multiple devices. Just in case he’s ever at work and needs something to relieve the tension, or on a job in a hotel, or in the bathroom. You get the point.

[peachy-inserts]

bakugou falling for someone/relationship hcs

request: Hawks, kirishima and bakugo falling for someone/relationship headcanons pwetty pwease? *pleading bird eyes"🐓 warnings: Cursing a/n: here’s the blasty boys part, since it’s his birthday!! im also trying a new style of formatting, i hope this is easier for you guys to read and more pleasing to the eye

The hardest part for Bakugou when catching feelings is admitting it to himself. Most likely, you’ll notice before he does; when he’s crushing on someone, it’s visible to everyone but him. He struggles with coping with his own emotions and tends to ignore them out of fear of stepping out of his comfort zone and being rejected

Some may think it would be easy for him to confess to someone, what with his cocky attitude and ‘better than you’ demeanor, but it’s the exact opposite. He’s such.. a broken, messed up person. He uses that exterior to hide and push down how he truly feels so that he can focus on his goals, which are really just another distraction. He’s so bothered on the inside and emotionally just totally fucked up. It’ll take a close relationship with him to develop a romance

Bakugou would certainly fit best with someone different than him, someone who knows how to communicate and help others. It’ll take someone who can give him a little healing therapy and slowly pry him open, all while wearing their heart on their sleeve just to show him how

Bakugou while crushing on someone would be like a whole new side of him. He’d make an effort not to scare you off, offering you help when/if needed and refraining from yelling. It’s almost like a subconscious effort, and comes off surprisingly natural from the hot headed boy

He would certainly try and make conversation with you, trying to ask you questions about your personal life and let you know he doesn’t have any harsh feelings, worried that you may have gotten the wrong idea

The fact that everyone sees him as such a hostile person has really affected his own self image and caused him to feel bound to that persona, scared that he’ll only make things worse if he tries to prove to everyone the person that he really is

Bakugou also would be spending an increased amount of time with you and becoming protective. He’s possessive to a certain extent, and may even linger over you to the point of it becoming uncomfortable. Tell him about it, and he’ll apologize and make an effort to try and back down after a few days of trying to hide from you out of embarrassment

The way I picture Bakugou coming to terms with his feelings is in a sudden moment of revelation, all the pieces finally clicking into place and making sense. I imagine him being someone who falls in love with a close friend over time, instead of jumping into a relationship without any true feelings

The way he would confess would be emotional to say the least. Not an awkward or tense moment, nothing planned, but out of pure circumstance. Maybe someone got hurt, maybe you’re scared, or maybe he’s being comforted. Show him some special attention and affection and it’ll slip out so spontaneously you’d almost think he was joking, but you’ve never seen him looking so heartfelt or speak so genuinely 

The early stages of your relationship would be strange, to say the least. Neither of you are really sure what to do, since most people tend to become comfortable as significant others before confessing their love for them

He tries to cover the basics with you, going out on dates and precariously planned outings, but eventually you both realize that’s not the move for you. He’s more of a secretive person when it comes to personal affairs, and is confident that you don’t need to be wooed to care for him

Besides, he pours all of his trust and effort into your relationship. If going out on a date matters more than any of his other feats, then you’re not the person for him. He has high, cliche standards when it comes to love

I’ve said this once before but he really does devote his entire self to you. He’ll give you his everything and more because he’s confident that you would do the same for him, and would go to great lengths for any period of time for you because of it; he’ll become the most reliable and loyal person in your life

He feels guilty for talking to other people sometimes simply because of how jealous he can be; let him know you trust him and that it’s alright

Speaking of jealousy, he’s so fucking bad about it holy shit. So much as someone shaking your hand makes him tense up and suddenly be in a pissy mood. He’s an angry man when he’s jealous, but never towards you, of course. It’s *other* people he doesn’t trust

Not to mention, his own insecurities holding him back and choking him. His greatest fear is that you’ll suddenly realize that so many other people could treat you way better, make you so much happier-

When he gets possessive, don’t be afraid to knock him down a few pegs and then get to the root of the problem. This is when he’s the most vulnerable, so take advantage and let him know everything is alright. Coddle him, reassure him; he more than deserves it

So not afraid to literally punch someone in the face if they’re making you uncomfortable, or God forbid laying a finger on you. Is by far the most protective lover who won’t hesitate to take any necessary measures to guarantee your safety. You’re the best damn thing to happen to him, and nobody will take that joy away from him

Would certainly, regardless of your gender, size, or whether or not you’re another hero, buy you things like pepper spray and tell you to bring it with you everywhere. A ‘text me when you get there’ kind of guy (even though he himself drives like a dumbass)

I literally get sooooo pissed off when I see people writing about Bakugou and him calling his s/o names, cursing at them and such. Fuck that, that is an abusive behavior and he’s well aware of it. Katsuki Bakugou would never even dare to call you a foul name, not even jokingly. He’s 100% all over sticky pet names like honey and darling

Not a big PDA guy but if he’s jealous, which he literally always is, then he’s all over you. On a regular day he’s a hand on your waist, arm over your shoulder, but when he’s feeling threatened he has no qualms with giving you a deep kiss in front of everyone

He would be so, so, so fucking proud. Hell yeah, that’s his baby; he landed that! While he doesn’t talk about you a whole lot, whenever you do come up he goes off, to the point of annoying his friends. Everyone has to know just how lucky he is, because you truly are a blessing in his life

Put him in his place when he’s being a little too aggressive, show him you aren’t afraid to stick your nose out and are strong enough to stand up for yourself. He’s a great boyfriend, but like anyone else has his flaws and needs to be corrected. Be the person he’s too weak to be, someone he can look up to without rivalry

Bakugou can act like he doesn’t really care, but it’s really important to him that you like his friends and that they like you (although it would be almost impossible for them not to, what with all the great things that he says about you. I can see them being relieved that he has someone to care for him so deeply and someone that he can honestly be open with)

He’s the type of person to see something you might like and randomly get it for you. Not to the extent that Hawks does, because Bakugou is more genuine when it comes to gift giving. It’s about you, not him. 

If you mention off hand that you like something, need this replaced, or think something is cute, then he would surprise you with it no matter how big or small

Dates with him are all or nothing, and don’t happen that often. He prefers staying in with you and enjoying time alone, but still feels like it’s important to treat you every once in a while. Going out with him means you’ll be dressed to the nines and spend the entire evening out in high society

Listen his mom’s a fashion designer, if he wants to help you get dressed or buy you clothes let him! Not only is he good at it, but it means a lot to him that he can share something with you that he excels in

One of his favorite things to do is cook for you, speaking of being good at things. He can communicate his love for you in a way where he doesn’t have to spend money or use his words and still please you. Food is important to him, and used as a comfort between the two of you

Please be patient with him when it comes to telling you how he feels. No matter how long you’ve been together, he’ll always be a man of action rather than words. He proves his love in ways other than romantic speeches, and although he tells you constantly that he loves you, it’s short and brief

»»————-　♡　————-«« Like these hcs? Find the same prompt for:

hawks.

todoroki.

aizawa.

kirishima.

[daydream-believin]

Sure Took You Long Enough, Babe

Summary: (wlw) Reader pulls an all-nighter with coworker Zoe

Warnings: swearing, alcohol, uh i think i remember mentioning people doing drugs, that trademark wlw obliviousness

Word Count: 4374

a/n: g-g-gorlfren... *slaps roof of fic* this baby can fit so many gay fantasy tropes in it. yes, the bars in cali stay open till 4am idk

Your alarm blared it’s cheery tune, startling you awake. Strangely enough, the happy melody never inspired happiness, just rage. Yet, ever the eager beaver, you shot right up and slammed the button as you slid out of bed, not allowing yourself to dilly-dally. As much as you’d like to stay asleep for three more hours at the least, you forced yourself into a good start for the day. Today was the first day of your new part-time job at Hextech, and lucky you, you got the morning shift. Curse of being fresh meat, you supposed. As long as you could make it through the day without getting too terribly hazed, you’d be fine.

Back home in Arcadia Oaks for the summer, you’d needed a new job or you’d go crazy. What were you supposed to do? Relax? Nah. You’d start taking double shifts as soon as you could. It was a bit tricky finding somewhere that would be a good fit for you. Okay, that was a lie. It was a bit tricky finding somewhere that would even be willing to hire you, apparently. Really knocked your pride down a few pegs.

By a strike of fortune, you had been catching up with one of your old high school buddies over coffee yesterday. You know, the one you used to hang out in the graveyard and practice tarot reading with? Yeah, Evan. It was nice to be able to talk to someone who was just as excited as you were that My Chemical Romance was back. When you two ordered, he pulled out that old joke about taking his coffee black like his soul and it still made you laugh as much as it did in high school. Evan was doing good, new boyfriend, new job, new band. You felt happy for your friend. You were happy that he was happy. He deserved it.

After you’d lamented that you couldn’t find work, he told you about how lately he’d been working for that electronic store Hextech. Not subtly named, was it? He’d told you about how it was run by hedgewizards like you two. They only hired through connections, since they were a magical company run by magical people. You, thankfully, had one of those connections. Your buddy put in a good word for you and, just like that, you were in. They put you on the schedule crazy fast. Like, the first shift of the very next day fast. Good. You were going out of your mind having so much free time. Your relatives were starting to ask you *shutter* questions about your personal life.

You looked in the mirror, slicked back your hair into a neat style, and admired how you looked in your new work shirt. Of course, it would eventually join the trophy quilt of old work shirts you were making, but for now it was nice and new. A pretty baby blue, it will go well sewed next to the royal blue Domino’s shirt from last semester. You added about a dozen earrings to your ears as a finishing touch and headed downstairs. After downing your coffee and hastily scarfing down a still-warm blueberry muffin, you kissed your grandmother’s cheek goodbye as you headed out the door. You tossed a crumpled muffin to the crows waiting by the front door. The greedy bastards inhaled every crumb. As much as you loved having a job again, the sun was still asleep when you started your walk to work. Fuck that.

As you walked through the door at Hextech, you were astonished to see the absolute angel who was waiting there for you. An absolute angel who looked kinda hungover, actually. Well, it was 6 AM on a Sunday. The doors didn’t actually open to customers until seven, but you were here at the ass-crack of dawn so she could train you some before throwing you to the customer wolves. Said pink-haired angel introduced herself as Zoe. What a fitting name for someone as cute and feisty as her. You had to catch yourself from staring too much into her striking blue eyes, that reminded you of lightning, pure electricity, before she caught you. And really, they were distracting. It was hard to focus on what she was telling you, which was a bad thing since she was giving you vital information. You forced yourself to focus. As much as you could.

After going over the ropes of working the wizard-bar, she took you through a cool hidden door to show you around the back. The back had such wonderful rooms as the kitchen that someone microwaved fish in yesterday, workrooms, one of which had a poor guy who looked like her never left last night, tinkering away at some techy-thing, the room Zoe introduced as the room she went to scream in, and a common-room type thing with a sick floor to ceiling screen (or was it a window?), depicting a soothing nature scene. She told you that after you had been working in the front for a while and proved yourself, your bosses would move you up to the repairs and phone troubleshooting. Maybe even invention if you were talented enough. That filled you with dread, despite the inspiration it was supposed to be. You had to admit, you knew almost nothing about the technical/repairs side of electronics and you did not belong here. You were more of a coding/hacking type of hedgewizard. You’d have to fake it till you make it. You were sure Zoe could tell you were bullshitting through this, but thankfully she was gracious enough not to call you out on it. Although, you didn’t mind that impish grin that found it’s place on her face.

Damn. You did not need to get involved with a coworker. No matter how enchanting she was. Or how pretty. This was just a summer job. You would be moving back across California for school soon enough and you were not going to do long-distance again. Although, is a few hours really that long? Definitely not as long as your last relationship. Shut up shut up shut up. No. You don’t even know if this chick is into girls, don’t get ahead of yourself. Mmm, she is very pretty though. You can admire from afar. What’s the harm in that?

There was much, much harm. Stars, you had it bad. You had only been at Hextech for a month now and it felt like hell. Perhaps it was hell. Maybe you were dead, and this was your eternal punishment. Damned to forever pine after the loveliest wizard you had ever met. She took a liking to you instantly too, inviting you out for drinks that first night, and every weekend after that. And she’d invited you over to her place for movie nights and to hang out with her friends. Some nights she’d take you to go dancing with her. She’d taken to calling you Baby. Perfectly normal things for gals being pals right. You guessed this is what girl besties do. You wouldn’t know, you’d only ever really hung with guys. Really feminine goth guys, sure, but guys nonetheless. She seemed hellbent on spending time with you. Not that you were complaining, but it just made your emotions stronger. And harder to shove back into the abyss.

~ ~ ~

One Friday night, you two were just chilling up in your bedroom. A rest before one of coworker’s birthday party tomorrow night. Zoe was telling you that she really wanted to try out a new makeup technique. And you told her she could try it out on you. The joy that painted itself across her features is something that will be burned into your memory forever. But not as high a degree of burn as what came next. Zoe straddled your waist, eyeliner pen in hand, and pushed you back against the headboard so she could better reach your eyes. Your breath caught in your throat. You were helpless to do anything but stare at her face that was in super close proximity to yours. You were caught in a trance as you obeyed when she told you to do this or that so she could properly apply the makeup. Her pink lips were pursed in concentration, and her pink banged strayed into her face. Her signature pink style matched the pink of your cheeks. You were sure she could feel your heart pounding, her elbows were on your chest, basically. She moved on to eyeshadow. Weird, you were always an eyeshadow first kinda person but who were you to critique this goddess’s methods. As she rolled on the perfectly matching lipstick onto your lips, you couldn’t help but think about this being an indirect kiss. This lipstick has been all over her lips and now it’s on yours? Stars.

Once she was finished with her masterpiece, she leaned back to take a good look at it. You felt the heat blaze under your skin as her blue eyes scanned your face. Finally, she seemed satisfied and nodded. Zoe helped you up and you went to go check it out in the mirror hanging on your wall. It was brightly colored, garish even, yet perfect, in your opinion. Like Zoe’s personality distilled into something you could wear. She crept up behind you and put her hands on your shoulders as you both admired her skills.

“My best work yet if I do say so, Y/n,” She grinned like a Cheshire cat, “Hmm, I know it’s already like, 3 in the morning and we’re supposed to be relaxing, but we should go and show this off.”

You both had a shift in four hours but you didn’t know how to say no to those eyes. “Alright, Zo,”

You grabbed your jackets on the way out, careful not to wake any of the other inhabitants of the house, but unable to keep the giggles in. Zoe had thought it would be fun to swap jackets, and you weren’t going to say no to that. Her jacket was cozy, black leather, and smelled of her rosy perfume. You never wanted to take it off. When you put it on, her eyes lingered on your form, commenting how good it made you look. You were very thankful for the cover of darkness that hid your flush, rosy like her perfume. You thought she looked marvelous in yours too, but you weren’t as brave in order to say that out loud.

Suddenly you were in some club across town, being introduced to Zoe’s friend Mimi who was working the bar that night. Mimi looked you up and down, then cocked her brows and clicked her tongue, while nodded to Zoe? Who turned pink and angrily said something under her breath to her friend. You couldn’t make out what she said over the music, you were too busy trying not to put too much weight on this interaction. Telling your heart to stop jumping. Jumping just gets you hurt. Mimi snickered as she scurried off to the other side of the bar to fix up your drinks after Zoe finished her rant. She turned back to you and laughed nervously, leaning on the bar.

“That Mimi. What a card.” You nodded in response, not sure what to say.

You three chatted while you sipped at your drinks. Zoe had ordered you something fruity, sweet, and vibrantly colored. It was very tasty, whatever it was. Must have had a high percentage because your head was already fuzzy with just this one. You stopped after finishing it, not fancying being drunk at work, but Zoe got another. Her alcohol tolerance was way stronger than yours. You fucking lightweight. Mimi had started cleaning up since the bar closed soon. Zoe grabbed your hand unexpectedly.

“How about we dance until we get kicked out, Babe?” She said with a sparkle in her eye.

“Uh- y- yeah,” was all you managed to get out before she pulled you over to the dance floor. It was almost vacant, since it was nearing 4am and most people had either moved on for the night, passed out on one of the club’s couches, or were getting their fix in the bathroom. Nice. It was like the floor was just for you two. Zoe was really jazzed, spinning you around to whatever trashy party song was playing. It was infectious. Her energy, not the song. You were having a lot of fun with the pink girl dancing with you. She tossed her hair back laughing at one point. Right then and there, you decided to throw all those things stopping you out the window. If you missed her come fall, you’d just drive the trip to see her. It would be worth it.

The other trio of people who had been dancing left, and now it really was just you two. It would have felt like just you two even if the floor was full. As the current song ended, the DJ looked at you in sympathy. “Alright guys, this is the last song okay, we close in ten.” He switched it to a Viper song.

“OH! I love this song!” Zoe’s smile got even bigger. You didn’t know that was possible. Somehow, she got an energy boost too. You had completely no idea how the firecracker you were with could stay lit well into the morning. If it wasn’t for your manic pixie dream girl here, you’d be groggy by now. She flittered around you, having a blast. It was adorable. She mouthed the words of the song to you, which would have been rather cute if they hadn’t been considerably sexual lyrics. You felt that blush come back for the umpteenth time that night. And she had that impish grin plastered across her face again, like she knew what she was doing. Zoe had gotten closer to you as the song winded down, you hadn’t noticed until it faded out altogether. Your eyes were wide. She booped your nose, giggling. You blinked, surprised. You felt your heart squeeze at how fucking cute that was.

She took your hand again as she pulled you over to go give Mimi a quick hug goodbye before you two left. You still had two and a half hours to kill until your shifts started at six thirty. Zoe’s favourite coffee house wouldn’t be open until five. As much as a nap sounded good right now, you both knew that it would just make you sleepier. And grumpier from being woken up after such a short time. Might as well pull out an old goth kid staple.

“Wanna go hang around in the graveyard?”

~ ~ ~

Zoe tossed her head back laughing so hard she hit the gravestone she was leaning against.

“Oof, you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” She rubbed her head and turned back to look check the name on the engraving, “Sorry Howard.”

“It’s too late, he’s offended now and he’s gonna haunt us,” you snickered, “Nice going, Zo.”

“Don’t worry Baby, I’ve been working on my exorcism skills. You know, since a certain dumbass brought spirits into the party last week.” Ah, Douxie, what a guy. Of course he hadn’t meant to ruin everyone’s night and release those ghosts. It just sort of happened. He was accident prone and you didn’t understand why people trusted him with cursed stuff like that to begin with. Luckily, within the number of wizards gathered, you guys were eventually able to find a way to banish all the spirits before any real harm came of it. It wasn’t a bad way to spend a Friday night. You got to live out your childhood dream of being a ghostbuster.

You looked around. The cemetery wasn’t as spooky as most people thought it was. Sure, there were strange noises, and endless headstones with disembodied names that meant nothing, and creepy mausoleums that cast big shadows in the moonlight, and a creaky gate that swung back and forth whether there was wind or not, but it wasn’t scary. Well, maybe that was just because you’d spent most nights of your teen years here, so you were desensitized to it. Zoe didn’t seem to mind it one bit either.

You glanced up and saw three of your crow friends on the top of the mausoleum across from you and Zoe. If crows could smirk these would be smirking. Fuckers. They were always around whenever you’d go out with Zoe. Watching so they could tease you later. Damn nosy birds. Why did you ever start feeding them. They were even there in a set of three, just to mock you. They may as well be singing “Y/n and Zoe sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

You ignored the crows, pulling out your phone and flipping to your ebook app. Because you know what would make this just like old times? Some dramatic goth poetry. What a way to woo a girl. Zoe was fond of the idea of some poetry reading too. She told you that you could pick. At first you thought to read some Poe, perhaps starting with ‘Serenade’, but decided against it lest the bastards on the roof started demanding you read them ‘the Raven’. It’s happened before. You settled on some Keats instead. And you knew the perfect poem. A poem you could put all your emotions into. The most sapphic poem ever written by a man, in your opinion. If she didn’t feel the same, you could always deny it and say that you were just getting way into character. Either way it was going to make work weird, but you didn’t think you gave a fuck anymore. Here goes nothing.

“Had I a man’s fair form, then might my sighs

Be echoed swiftly through that ivory shell

Thine ear, and find they gentle heart; so well

Would passion arm me for the enterprise:” You took a big gulp of air. Zoe’s gaze was locked on you, and that didn’t make this any less nerve-wracking. You could feel your hands shaking. “But ah! I am no knight whose foreman dies;

No cuirass glistens on my bosom’s swell;

I am no happy shepherd of the dell

Whose lips have trembled with a maiden’s eyes.” With those words, a sudden burst of boldness in your heart caused you to take her hand. Must be the alcohol. Yes, that which hath made them drunk hath made you bold. Zoe didn’t appear to be breathing anymore. You looked back into her electric blue eyes. “Yet must I dote upon thee, --call thee sweet,

Sweeter by far than Hybla’s honied roses

When steeped in dew rich to intoxication

Ah! I will taste that dew, for me ‘tis meet,” Your voice became breathy as you uttered these last verses. “And when the moon her pallid face discloses,

I’ll gather some by spells, and incantation.” You just froze there, breathing. The ball was in Zoe’s court now. Speak of the devil, she was really close, like really close. When did she get so close. You hadn’t realized. She lifted a finger to your face and brushed a loose strand of hair behind you ear. Your breath caught in your throat. She drew closer, your noses touching now. Her eyes slipped down into a half lid. Your eyes flicked to her lips and she watched you. It occurred to you that she was waiting for you to close the gap. So you did.

It was fireworks. Of course, you were kissing a firecracker herself. It was a sweet kiss, but laced with that fire. You both pulled back for air, but quickly returned to each other’s lips. Zoe’s hands drifted down to your hips and she pulled you into her lap, leaning back up against that headstone. And now you were snogging in the cemetery. Mary Shelley would be proud. Howard, however, was probably pissed off for sure now.

Your breaths mingled as you gasped for air. Zoe caressed your cheek, cupping your face. She chuckled, “It sure took you long enough, Babe. I was starting to think I’d have to spell it out for you.”

You all but collapsed back into her arms, exasperated. Stars, it sure did take you long enough, didn’t it. You could hear and feel Zoe’s snort through her chest. You raised back up to gaze into those baby blues. A pang of adoration shot through your heart like one of cupid’s cursed arrows.

“How about I buy coffee, for our first official date?” Zoe agreed to your offer. You got off of her, legs wobbling like a baby deer. Speaking of deer, you were happy to see that the herd that usually hangs out here in the graveyard in the early hours was peacefully grazing around you two. You hadn’t noticed them come in, too busy snogging. You reached out a hand and helped Zoe up. You two brushed the grass off your clothes and gave one last apology to Howard before setting off for the coffee shop. Zoe checked her phone for the time. It was 5:23, you two still had almost a full hour to spend lounging in the coffeeshop before you had to head off to Hextech. Zoe reached for your hand as you walked back to Zoe’s bike. You threaded your fingers together. Something as small as that shouldn’t have felt as nice as it did. But it did.

You completely adored riding on the back of Zoe’s motorcycle. You got to cling to her, arms around her waist, pretending that you were holding her for romantic reasons and not so you wouldn’t fall off a moving automobile. You wouldn’t have to just pretend any longer now. The thought made you giddy. And now that you think about it, that was probably why Zoe had insisted on giving you rides everywhere for the past month. You were so fucking oblivious. It was painful. Thank the stars above she was patient with you. You snuggled further into her back, inhaling that rosy perfume. It truly was intoxicating, Keats. A girl could get used to this.

~ ~ ~

The coffee house barista recognized you two as you walked in and started making your orders that he had memorized. He greeted you cordially as you handed over the cash. He looked down at Zoe’s hand joined with yours, raising his eyebrows teasingly but not saying anything. Did everyone in this fucking town know about you two before you did? You think you might have beaten that Parisian catboy at his own game. How embarrassing.

Zoe got cozy on you guy’s usual couch while you carried over the coffee. After you set the mugs on the coffee table and plopped down, Zoe swung her legs up onto the couch, and over your lap. Didn’t exactly take you by surprise. Zoe often sat like this. You were used to it. Wait, was this also flirting? Stars, you didn’t even know anymore. This was so confusing. She noticed the face journey you had taken with the internal struggle, and grinned, shrugging her arm around your shoulders to ease you. You snatched your cup of the table and downed as much as you could handle before it got too hot. You were still really nervous, despite her being very clear about how she felt, and Zoe thought that was pretty funny.

“So, we’re gonna have to say something to people tonight,” Zoe started.

You just nodded in response. Hopefully this wasn’t going to make anything weird. You hadn’t been working at Hextech long enough to know how the dynamics worked. Maybe someone had been pining after Zoe too and now hated you. Maybe someone was Zoe’s ex and now hated you. Maybe someone was just really homophobic and now hated you. There were plenty of possibilities, you could go on.

“I was thinking we should wear these matching dresses I found last week, and sort of bought already, to double our cute couple factor.” She had murmured that middle part but you still heard it loud and clear. You had to hold back a squeak. That was so sweet. And adorable. She just saw the dresses in the shop and thought to herself ‘I want to wear that with Y/n’? You could die right now. You settled for downing more of that coffee.

“Yes! That’s so cool? I- What color are they?” You didn’t know how to handle this.

Zoe pulled out her phone and leaned over to show you the pics she took of them. They were matching, made of the same brown floral-patterned fabric, but different styles. Either one would go great with Zoe’s leather jacket, which you were still wearing. You’d go for your denim one. Not the purple jacket that currently hung off Zoe’s shoulders. The colors wouldn’t clash but the style of it would. This was going to be awesome, anyways. Matching dresses, telling your friends the best news you’ve had all year, having fun at the party, not having to spend the whole night miserably shoving your feelings aside? You couldn’t wait.

“Which one do you want?” You picked the looser, more flowy one. Zoe was more comfortable with tight stuff that showed off her body. You had a sneaking suspicion she already knew you’d pick that one, and was giving you the illusion of choice. It was sweet, really. Your phone alarm went off, alerting you that it was time to start the walk for work. All the relaxing time was gone. A crying shame, but you’d still get to spend the day with your favourite person just the same, so not truly that big of a loss. Albeit, Zoe didn’t look too pleased to have to go back to work. Laughing, you stood to your feet, and held out your arm for her to link through.

“Shall we go milady?” You two waved to the barista as you headed out the door. “I think you should do our makeup for the party again, really show off this time.” Zoe perked up, excited at the prospect as Hextech neared.

“And I’ll show off my hot new girlfriend too.” There was that damned blush again.

[hecallsmehischild]

Recent Media Consumed

Books

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I have mixed feelings about this book. I am torn between admiring the writing device the author employs and being annoyed by it every time it crops up. The idea is that the writer, Goldman, is actually presenting you with an abridged version of an antiquated Florinese novel while cutting out all the “boring political satire” bits and only keeping the action/adventure/romance portions just like his father did when reading the novel to him as a child. The author character continually interjects himself and this was distracting to me in a way that Lemony Snicket’s work was not (I cannot tell you why). Also there’s an awful lot of uncomfortable racial depictions in the original novel. Also I hated Buttercup’s guts, she truly comes across as someone who doesn’t deserve anyone, MUCH LESS WESTLEY. My end impression was that there are some parts of this novel that really elaborate on scenes in the movie and give an interesting depth to them (for example, we really get to know Inigo Montoya’s father and when he dies, it’s a character that we the reader can mourn as well) but in my estimation, the movie adapted the book marvelously and actually is one of the rare movies that I would say is overall better than the source material.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Second read, I bought my own copy this time. This is such a chick flick book but it’s soul food for me because goshdarnit a novel took fanfiction writing seriously and it’s so comforting to read. It also re-inspires me to keep pegging away at my fanfic.

The Dancing Realms series by Sharon Hinck. Hidden Current and Forsaken Island are written by one of my current favorite Christian fantasy writers. This is her second developed fantasy world, and while there are some things that I didn’t care for as much (I thought some bits of characterization didn’t work as well in this series as her previous one) the world she built is really cool and there are moments in the story where real glimpses of something deep and beautiful bleed through. My favorite set of themes from this work is the damage that can be done by elevating one sort of gift above all the rest OR by losing yourself entirely to your gifting and seeking only the pleasure derived from your gift without any grounding. I’m not synopsizing very well, but it’s worth a read and I look forward to the upcoming third book, Windward Shore.

Momo by Michael Ende. I wish this story were as well known as The Neverending Story, which Michael Ende also wrote. This novel wielded a surgeon’s knife on my fears of being meaningless and wasting my time and my life. It’s one of those novels that really has something important to say about life, I think. I want to add this into my queue of books to read on my Youtube channel, when I get an opening.

Given by Taylor Nandi. The cover looked amazing, and I was intrigued that Wattpad now has its own publishing press. However I was (I really am sorry) disappointed. I had to put it down within a few pages. There is very much a “tell, not show” feel to the writing and I can’t keep on with it.

Movies

Soul. PIXAR KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK AGAIN, REPEAT, PIXAR KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK AGAIN ON BASICALLY EVERY LEVEL. The visuals and character designs were fantastic, the messages beautiful, the characters believable, relatable, and fully embraceable. And every five or ten minutes, Sergey and I would pause and discuss implications and theorize about different parts of the movie and lore which turned a ninety minute watch into a three hour one which made it EVEN BETTER (for me). This is THAT kind of movie. Hats off to you, Pixar.

It’s A Wonderful Life. It must have been well over ten years since I’ve seen this movie. First, I was shocked to see it has been colorized. Second, the colorizing actually helps me catch a few fantastic details I would never have noticed (like Mr. Potter’s giant gold-framed painting of himself in his own office). Also there’s so much adult context I missed watching this as a kid, it’s fantastic to re-watch it and get so much more out of it this time around. I don’t think all “great classics” deserve their crowns, but this one does for sure.

Batman: Hush. Fun! Not much else to say. Just, fun to watch.

Collective films I binge re-watched for whimsy value: Klaus, The Little Prince (recent re-imagining), Mary Poppins Returns, The Lego Move 2.

Shows

24. So I finally finished all (the good) seasons, 1-8. Talk about an emotional meat grinder. This is possibly one of the most well written, well acted TV shows I’ve ever seen in my life, and it just. Never. Stops. Punching you in the gut. I had to take massive cartoon binge-watching breaks in between seasons. But it was worth it. This is an amazing show for many reasons. One of the things that stands out most to me is how it tackles the post 9/11 racial tensions from almost every angle. *announcer’s voice* Now featuring, that time a Muslim was the bad guy, and then that OTHER time when a Muslim was the valiant head of the Counter Terrorist Unit tracking all the terrorists down, and that OTHER time when you were certain someone was being wrongfully accused of terrorism by a dumb racist but it turns out the dumb racist was right and you hated him for being right because he was right but all his reasons were wrong, and that OTHER time the Big Bad was from China/Russia/Africa/our own dang government/our big corporations, and that OTHER time when we got a whole scene of an Imam guiding our protagonist in a deathbed prayer that was so moving I was choking up, etc etc etc. There is no black and white, it is all shades of gray, and every moral you ever held will be challenged in the course of watching this show.

Batman Beyond (3 seasons + Movie). Kinda cheesy, kinda campy, and I will punch the next person who says “Schway” out loud. But it was fun to watch. And some individual episodes were really excellent, I think. Also Re: Return of the Joker movie, HOLY CRAP.

DuckTales (reboot) 3rd season. It felt… like they ran out of ideas? Like they ran out of caring? The first couple seasons were spectacular, but it kind of petered out at the end, there. Still, the first couple seasons were fantastic.

Animaniacs (reboot) 1st season. IT’S TIME FOR ANIMANIACS. THEY’RE STILL ZANY TO THE MAX. IT’S LIKE THEY NEVER LEFT, AND THEIR COMEDY’S STILL DEFT, THEY’RE ANIMANIACS!!!

[authorbarbie]

Dancing With Our Hands Tied (1/?)

Summary: When you first joined The Resistance, you came into contact with several things: brand new equipment to mess around with, your very own work station, and even General Organa herself. But somehow, a charismatic pilot turns out to be the best of them all.

“THERE he is!”

A round of raucous cheers and applause erupted around the cantina, the sound bouncing off the surrounding walls, as Poe Dameron, freshly promoted to the role of Commander, entered the room. He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, holding out his hands bashfully as a sign for his friends to stop, though the grin on his face remained.

“Have a busy night, Commander?” Temmin “Snap” Wexley joked as Poe joined the small group at their table.

“Yeah, we saw you leave with that cute technician last night,” Jessika Pava took a sip of her Batuu Brew with a quirk of her brow. “You guys have your own little celebration?”

Yolo Ziff snorted into his glass, Snap teasingly knocking his shoulder into Poe’s.

“You’re all hilarious, really,” said Poe, unaffected.

“C’mon, Poe,” Jessika continued. “We’re all on the edge of our seats here.”

“Nothing happened,” Poe shrugged, eyes rolling at how the group’s excitement visibly faded.

“Oh,” Karé Kun pouted. “Well, that was disappointing.”

“Why are you all so interested anyway?” Poe swiped Snap’s drink from his hand, ignoring the pilot’s disgruntled ‘hey!’ and took a sip himself. He grimaced as the liquid burned down his throat. “She wasn’t exactly sober so I helped her to her quarters and left. Plus, she wasn’t really my type.”

“What? Hot and single isn’t your type?”

“Hm, let’s see,” Ziff began. “You also said that about that guy back on Tiisheraan, that handsy Twi’lek on Bespin, the—”

“We’re rooting for you, that’s all,” Karé told him, effectively shutting down Ziff’s tangent. “Even a hotshot Commander deserves a little love every now and then.”

“I don’t have time for romance, guys,” argued Poe, jaw set. He was no stranger to flirting — enjoyed it more than the average person, actually — but with the growing threat of the First Order on the horizon, he found no point in going further and growing attached to someone. “I’ve gotta focus on my work, on helping the galaxy. We all do.”

“We’re not saying you have to marry someone, Poe,” said Jessika. “But going out on a date wouldn’t hurt, right? Plus, I don’t remember you ever being so adverse to one-night stands.”

Poe continued to down his drink instead of answering, resulting in a disapproving gaze from every member that sat around the small table.

“I’m telling you, Dameron,” Snap added, matter-of-factly. “One day, you’re gonna meet someone that sweeps you off those damn stubborn feet of yours and you won’t know what hit you.”

“Uh-huh,” Poe agreed, a feeble attempt to end the conversation rather than genuine agreement. “That’ll be the day.”

“Well,” Jessika began to stand from the table with her drink in hand, eyes set on the figure of Kaydel Ko Connix sitting at the bar. “Just because you’ve sworn off cute girls, doesn’t mean I have.”

Watching Jess walk away, Snap wolf-whistled loudly in support, earning a swift kick to the leg from Karé that made the table howl with laughter. More drinks were later shared and the conversation quickly shifted, much to Poe’s relief.

●  ●  ●

It’s safe to say that you were pretty damn nervous.

Your heart was racing, your palms were sweaty and you felt like you might lose the breakfast you had eaten that morning at any given second. Kriff, you prayed you wouldn't. Throwing up all over your first patient’s shoes probably wasn’t the best way to make an impression.

“Hey, calm down,” said the figure next to you, a comforting hand resting on your arm as if she could sense the anxiety rolling off of you in waves. “There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“I know,” you nodded, adjusting your dark tunic for the fifth time since you’d put it on. The white medical services armband stood out against the brown material of your uniform. “Just first day jitters, I guess.”

“Because graduating top of our class wasn’t enough to fill you with confidence?” the same girl, Zella, asked jokingly. The two of you had been close since the Academy; you had lived in the same quarters and studied for every class together. You were more than thrilled when she agreed to join the Resistance with you. Having someone you were already close to nearby helped put you at ease.

“Yeah, pretty much,” you nodded, teeth chewing on the skin of your bottom lip; a nervous habit.

Zella’s retort didn’t get the chance to leave her lips, the words dying on her tongue as two figures entered the room— Hermit Farwell AKA the head of the medical station AKA your new boss.

And General Leia Organa… AKA your boss’s boss and overall galactic legend.

The General's hair was wrapped up in a neat crown braid and under the dim lights, the younger girl could see the shines of grey showing through her usual brown colour, a sign of how long she had been fighting for freedom in the galaxy. She wore a brown vest over her light green coveralls that were tucked into a pair of brown boots, and her face was attentive as she took in the new faces in the room. Despite being the leader of the entire organisation, you noticed that while others had their own badge indicating their commanding roles in the whole affair, her rank wasn't shown anywhere.

"Good morning," the woman smiled and though it was directed at everyone, you felt strangely as though she was speaking directly to you. "I thought I'd stop by to wish our new recruits good luck— not that you'll need it. You're in the perfectly capable hands of Colonel Farwell and you wouldn't be here if you didn't have the ability to handle yourselves. If anyone has any trouble or worries, feel free to find me later. But for now… Enjoy your first shift. The Resistance is very lucky to have you.”

She took her leave shortly after and Colonel Farwell clapped his hands together to gain the attention of the room which had started to buzz with excited chatter.

“You heard the General,” he said. “Grab yourself a datapad and let’s get to work.”

The station jumped into action immediately, pressing their keycards to the screens of their datapads and waiting for their patient files to load. You searched through your own itinerary for the day and steeled yourself with a slow breath.

Your first day as a nurse was about to begin.

●  ●  ●

Poe’s head was pounding.

A couple of days had passed since his little visit to the base’s cantina but he swore he was still feeling the effects of downing one more ice-twist than he likely should have; something that he was currently cursing Snap for coaxing him into. After complaining to BB-8 about the pain yet again, the droid had argued with him back and forth until he finally agreed to visit the med station for some form of relief. The smug astromech currently sat at his feet as he waited to be called in, as if to make sure the pilot followed through on his promise.

Others sat scattered around the waiting area (which was essentially just a few rows of chairs pushed together), each finding their own ways to pass the time. A technician was speaking on his holopad, supposedly unable to stop working even when awaiting medical attention, while a strategist sat with her hand on her stomach, clearly in an uncomfortable amount of pain. Poe himself found his fingers drumming against his knee, voice humming a tune under his breath that he couldn't remember the name of.

"Dameron, Poe?"

Poe continued his melody, about to go into the second verse when BB-8 knocked into his leg to catch his attention and an unfamiliar voice rang out.

"Dameron, Poe!" the voice called again, frustration beginning to seep through.

Poe lifted his head and searched for the source, a charming grin lighting up his face at the sight of you, your eyes squinting as you searched the room for the man who must have been deaf not to hear you. He had been right about you being unfamiliar, he noted as he all but swaggered over to you, lifting a hand into a wave. You said nothing in return, gesturing for him to follow you into your private work area. Poe's eyes scanned your form quickly from top to bottom.

“Take a seat, Commander,” you said, ensuring you used the proper title you had gotten from his patient files. ‘Commander Poe Dameron, top pilot of the Resistance, peak physical condition’ were just a few phrases you remembered.

“Nurse,” Poe grinned, confidence and charm practically exuding from his every pore.

You fought back the urge to roll your eyes, having spent the whole morning dealing with quite a few patients just like him. While some had been kind and quiet, even nervous, others had piled on the compliments until you were ready to push them back out the door. That, coupled with the growing ache in your back from standing so long, had you on the verge of collapsing from tiredness.

“That’s what they call me,” you agreed with a professional tone. “What brings you here today?”

“You mean I needed a reason other than meeting you?” Poe’s eyes lit up with mischief and your skin prickled with irritation. BB-8, who had stuck by his side the whole time, beeped loudly.

“Ah,” you nodded, typing the information into your notes. “So you’ve been doing a little drinking, huh?”

“In my defense, I was celebrating… But I will admit that yes, my head feels like it might explode,” Poe confessed, casting an offended look in his droid’s direction before turning back to you and scratching the back of his neck. His confidence clearly knocked down a peg (by his own best friend, no less), he let out a humble chuckle. “So you speak Binary, huh?”

“That I do. What’s your name, little guy?” you smiled kindly in BB-8’s direction (Poe was only slightly bitter that BB-8 had gotten a smile from you before he had), listening to his reply. “Well, Beebee-Ate, I think my own little Cipher would love you.”

“Cipher?” Poe repeated.

“My droid,” you explained, your hands moving to wrap the blood pressure cuff around his arm and jotting down his results afterwards. “He’s back in my quarters. Figured if he were here on my first day, I’d spend the whole time worrying about him instead of doing my actual job.”

Poe smiled, knowing the feeling of being attached to a droid all too well. “You’re new here, right?”

“I am.”

Poe studied your face as you put the tips of your stethoscope in your ears and pressed the bell against his chest. A small crease formed between your brows, entirely focused as you listened to the steady thump of his heart. Once you were satisfied, you turned back to your datapad. “Yeah, I’d definitely remember someone like you.”

You huffed out a breath, heat creeping up your neck and into your cheeks at his words. Luckily, your back was still facing towards him, face hidden, and you intentionally took longer in busying yourself with his typing up his results.

Even back at the Academy, you had made yourself a promise: no fraternising allowed. You weren’t against the idea of love by any means, but you were well aware of the ominous, growing threat that was gathering out there in the galaxy. You were well aware that war — and casualties because of said war — were inevitable. Hell, it was entirely possible that some of the people you had examined today wouldn’t survive what was coming, and you weren’t about to put your heart on the line just for it to be torn in two. Not when you had the chance to prevent that from happening.

The room fell silent then and Poe allowed it to, being a model patient as you shone a light in his eyes to check his pupils contraction and muttered your final decision to yourself under your breath. He watched as you turned to search through one of the cabinets behind you, eventually finding the bottle you were looking for and quickly reading the label.

“It’s my first day,” you finally said, Poe blinking in surprise at your return to the conversation. “Hold out your hand.”

Poe did so without question and watched as you set two pills in his palm. Filling a glass with water, you held it out for him to take in the other.

“Swallow those now and take two more later tonight if it still hurts. Like your chart says, you really are in peak physical condition,” you waited for him to follow your instructions before passing him the small bottle of remaining pills, pointedly ignoring the smirk on his lips at your comment. “Your hangover should pass soon.”

“Well, thank you for your thorough work…” Poe trailed off and you knew what he was indicating.

“Nurse is fine,” you told him simply.

“Come on, I make it a habit to learn everyone’s name here,” Poe told you, almost pleadingly and he wasn't lying. He really did know the name of every single person in the base, no matter their rank or job. For his own squadron, he had memorised their birthdays, too, and ensured they always received something special when the day came, be it something simple like a small cake or something a little grander, like an upgrade to their ship. “The cleaners, the line cooks, whoever.”

“That’s… very nice of you,” you said genuinely, meeting his eyes over your datapad. He really was quite handsome and clearly, he was aware of it. A square chin with a jawline you were pretty sure could chisel fiberplast, soft chocolate brown eyes that had a warmth to them that reminded you of a fire crackling, full lips with the bottom looking just a little bigger than the top and a tall build that you noticed made him appear confident even when seemingly at ease. It was a shame, really. If you had met him in some other way, at some other time, you probably would’ve fallen for his charm already.

But unfortunately, you hadn’t.

“If you need any more help, feel free to visit again.” Clearing your throat and reluctantly breaking the eye contact, you held out your free hand which he took firmly, giving it a shake. “And congratulations on your promotion.”

“Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you… Nurse,” Poe told you, releasing your hand and turning to leave as BB-8 beeped his goodbyes. Before he had fully stepped out the door, he turned back, the right side of his mouth quirking into the beginnings of a smirk. “I hope we see each other again soon.”

Your gaze softened, brows furrowed together as you gestured around the room which held various medical supplies. “For your sake, I hope we don’t.”

A warm laugh escaped his throat but he said nothing more. And with a wink, he left.

[iamanartichoke]

Responses to Anons. Some of these are a couple of days old and got lost in my inbox, sorry! 

ENDGAME SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT. 

Yeah, I find it very ironic that he was so disdainful of her drinking and running away from her problems in Ragnarok, only to end up doing the same thing. The film really missed the boat on that parallel because they could have explored how their dynamic would change once Thor had a new understanding for what Val lost and, likewise, Val could have helped Thor to recover since she’s been there and knows what it’s like and was able to turn herself around. So much potential wasted. I guess it was more important to show Thor playing video games with Korg and Miek, though. 

I think that the Russos + CH were expecting this Thor to be just as much of a hit as Ragnarok Thor was. The fandom has very strong opinions about Ragnarok and the OOC-ness of everyone and how Thor changes, which is another topic, but for the general audience, Ragnarok was a huge success and most people loved the “new Thor.” I think they got overly confident riding that wave and took it to a whole new level here, but it backfired because this Thor simply isn’t the *same* Thor as he was in Ragnarok. In Ragnarok, he hadn’t yet lost everything. He could afford to be comical because it wasn’t disrespectful of anything (except the previous canon Thor but, again, another topic). Here, they’re using the comedic route as a means to portraying Thor’s PTSD and deep depression, which carries with it unpleasant implications about these conditions as deserving to be mocked. The narrative is saying, “Thor went through hell and didn’t handle it properly and now we’re going to mock him for his coping strategies because we think it will be funny.” It’s incredibly offensive to a lot of people who struggle with these same issues and don’t view them as a joke. Some people thought Thor was hilarious, but it seems that just as many, or more, are really bothered and offended by it. So, yeah. I’m hoping the latter group is more vocal than the former and that CH gets knocked down a few pegs. (I read an article somewhere, and I forget where now or I’d link, but it more or less confirmed that CH had a LOT to do with this Thor’s portrayal.) 

Kind of? He fights pretty impressively in the final battle against Thanos, but since it’s such a huge battle with so much going on, he’s not the focal point and doesn’t have any cool moments like his entrance in Wakanda in IW. After the battle, I think that his acknowledgement of Valkyrie having been “regent” all this time, leading the people while Thor buried himself in his man cave, and subsequently officially giving her the throne, is meant to show that Thor is ready to embark on a new journey that doesn’t involve alcohol or video games, but, it’s pretty underwhelming. 

I am really hoping that this is the direction that the show takes, although I’d want him to explore other realms instead of just Earth. I think, though, that the post-Avengers, pre-TDW Loki is a potential goldmine of character exploration, and we all know Tom would knock it out of the park. I think by this point it’s been established that Canon Loki, the one who died in IW, still has his own timeline intact and we haven’t lost all of his development and the events in TDW. With that intact, I would be interested to see an “Alternate Universe” Loki and see how they explore his redemption in that scenario. So, I mean, the more I think about this, the more I really think it could be a good development for Loki. 

I honestly think that Steve’s ending is complete bullshit. For one thing, as established in the Agent Carter series, Peggy moved on after Steve. She grieved him, yes, but a lot of the first season of that show explored her feelings about him, her grieving process, and her ultimately saying goodbye to Steve and gaining closure. In season two, she has moved on. She is building a career, she’s finally gained the respect of her colleagues (who previously kept shitting on her bc she’s a woman), and she starts a new romance. I think it’s really disrespectful to just toss all of that aside, especially since the movie is blatantly acknowledging that Agent Carter was a thing by having James D’Arcy reprise his role as Jarvis. 

Peggy already earned her own happy ending. She loved Steve, yes, but loving and losing people is a part of life. She grieved her loss, moved on, and had a life and a family. I don’t buy that Steve was her husband all along, which I think is what the movie is saying. It doesn’t make sense whatsoever. It just seems like a total clusterfuck. 

Peggy’s life aside, though, I really don’t believe that Steve would even want to go back in the first place. It feels OOC because it is OOC. Steve’s entire journey has been about him adjusting to being in the present now. He acknowledges that his own time period has passed, and he tries to make a home for himself in this new time period. Furthermore, he literally went to the ends of the Earth and back to save Bucky and to keep Bucky safe after the fact. He developed a genuine friendship with Sam. He had a place with the Avengers. I don’t buy for one second that he would just abandon all of that, not to mention that he would be going back to a past where he knows that HDYRA has infiltrated SHIELD, that Bucky is alive and being brainwashed and tortured, and he wouldn’t do anything about it. It’s one thing to know that you can’t change anything that’s happened in the past; if he saves Bucky, all he’s doing is creating an alternate timeline where Bucky isn’t the Winter Soldier. Canon Bucky would still suffer. So, I get that - but, I find it incredibly hard to believe that he would live happily during a time period where he knows that is actively going on and he can’t do anything about it. I think the guilt of it would eat him alive. “It’s 1960, Bucky’s being tortured, what do you think of these new TV dinner things, should we get new curtains in the parlor?” Like????? It makes NO SENSE. It’s not a satisfying conclusion to his arc. So, tl;dr: I hate it. 

Thank you for the asks! I’m pretty sure I’ve answered everything I’ve gotten, but if I missed something, let me know. 

[szarkais]

1, 7, 11, 20

7. How do they physically engage with other people, inanimate objects, and their environment? What causes the differences between these?

INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE : With other people , it typically depends .   With a normal stranger thats nice , Sylas in return is kind to them , still keeping his guard up of course but being relaxed and showing content towards the stranger .    If the person is confident / dick-ish ,  Sylas has absolutely no trouble with knocking them down a peg and intimidating them  -  its only if they deserve it , you know the type  - super proud , jerkish NPC that try to get away with bullying . Sylas however is VERY  giving / protective over children , he does his most for them without them knowing it , usually by going out at night while the party is sleeping and stealing food/fruits/toys for them . 

INANIMATE OBJECTS :  Hes rather reserved & respectful , he does enjoy playing with his knives however -  usually in the sides of the bar and just idle spinning  /  playing with it .   

ENVIRONMENT : He prefers a more mixed civilized area , he dislikes going in ‘ UPPER / RICH ‘ parts of town .   He is also not the biggest fan of the rich ,  especially those that are corrupt .  Hes very akin to a Robin Hood but sporting leather & black ,  that & hes been framed for the murder of a young boy ,  so hes  been hiding from a few of the larger empires .  If he notices shady people hes much more on ALERT  & ensures his familiar Khan is always soaring above .  If its more of a rural / poor town hes comfortable , knowing very well that the less-likely they are to run into much trouble ,  an eccentric high end town is very uncomfortable for the drow.

11. How are they vocally expressive? What kind of voice, accent, tones, inflections, volume, phrases and slang, and manner of speaking do they use?

VOCALLY EXPRESSIVE :  He can be vocally expression during his charming times or more so when it comes to arguing  ,  however its PRETTY monotone .  His voice is deep , a little scratchy but it holds this HANDSOME tone to it , its enjoyable to listen to on certain ears . Hes polite however VERY straight forward & VERY  blunt ,  he doesn’t use any slang unless it comes to speaking in THEIVES CANT .  His volume of voice is low , subtle but it can become louder and much more angrier the louder / firmer it gets , even unintentionally spatting out undercommon . 

20. What kind of individual relationships do they have with others, and how do they behave in them? How are they different between intimate relationships like friends, family, and lovers versus more impersonal relationships?

Sylas is an orphan , a szarkai .  ( As far as I know , my DM is keeping A LOT hidden about Sylas ... so I have to figure it out when he decides to tell me . )   Being in the undercommon & tortured , he has a hard time communicating or ‘ rommancing ‘  . For example ,  he thinks killing our bards enemy is a way of adoration . ( which is who he has a crush on at the moment . )  He also believes in  giving his drow knife to be a romantic gesture ,  so his romance is much different than a normal elfs or human -  he isn’t aware of that yet .  

Outwardly & non intimate , Sylas is often pretty laid back albeit voices his reason & issues if he has any .  He is not on the best terms with a few in our party due to recent events , so the relationship is strained at best . He is on guard towards them , still speaks with reason but is ready to defend himself even if it means restraining them via magical means or fleeing from the party himself .  

A more intimate relationship with Sylas is having his Familiar Khan ( a large black hawk )  perched on your shoulder or near you when you rest .  He would do intimate gestures such as resting his forehead on your own , or giving a kiss to the knuckles , or even braiding / brushing hair .  This also extends to him being more protective through combat means ,  if something comes up & youre fighting it alone ? Not anymore , hes here to take some hits & aid you .  He also believes in speaking in his native tongue , sweetly , lovingly .   

[stupid-jeans]

how to return home ch5 (Jalton, M)

This is five for real this time, guys! Sorry for the delay...so many random side projects this week!! From the comments, though, I don’t think any of you minded. ;)

(Please note the change in rating!)

Over here on AO3

Chapter summary/notes: Jaz finally actually talks to McG and has a problematic dream about Adam. Gavin is a terrible influence. There is moonshine. Please note the increase in rating!! Thanks again to my lovely beta, @undercoverwatermoon.

McG calls her just as she's setting out on her morning run, and Jaz decides that's as good a reason as any to just walk for the day. Not to mention, it's substantially hotter today than yesterday. Summer comes fast in the south.

"Just checking in," he says. "Don't tell anyone but you're my favorite and I kinda miss having you around."

"I’m everyone's favorite," she says, grinning as affection blooms in her chest. The chasm that had so abruptly formed between them after Elijah's passing had mended. In some ways, she feels like she and McG are closer than ever.

"What can we say? We have good taste."

"I'm sorry, was that a genuine compliment? Are you feeling okay? Maybe you should have your mom check you out," she teases, detouring from her usual path to head to the convenience store instead. She's already sweating and it's barely 8am.

"I'm feeling just fine. Just missed you giving me shit all the time," he chuckles. "So, uh, you talk to Top lately?" She knows instantly that he's fishing. She shouldn't really be surprised, but her cheeks warm thinking about talking to Adam. Dreaming about him.

"We talked yesterday. Why?" At least she's pretty good at keeping her voice neutral. She snags a Gatorade from the cooler and a breakfast bar from the register. Sitting at the bar in the window, she takes advantage of the air conditioning.

"Just wondering is all," McG drawls. She can hear his shit-eating grin from a thousand miles away.

"You talk to Amir lately? Seems like things are heating up between him and Hannah."

The abrupt turnaround has the desired effect of knocking McG down a couple pegs. They spend the rest of the conversation discussing their teammate and his blossoming romance.

She spends the entire walk home trying not to think about Adam.

**

Weekdays, she's mostly alone at the house. Connie volunteers at the library and Dale still works at the bank. Gavin teaches theater at the high school, which isn't out for another week. So Jaz usually takes a nap after lunch.

Without Adam's voice in her ear, her daytime dreams usually stay pretty boring. But for some reason, her talk with McG means she hasn't stopped thinking about Top since the morning. So she drifts off, thinking for the millionth time about kissing him, and it's no surprise where that leads.

Except this time, it's not just kissing. No, this time, his hands slip under her shirt, his fingers sweeping up her sides, following the faint contours of her ribs. He palms her breast unapologetically, like he belongs there--like she belongs to him--and if she had any breath left, Jaz might've begged him to just touch her, to feel what it did to her.

But Adam touching her like this makes her breathless and dizzy, and it's all she can do to arch into his hand as his thumb teases over her nipple. And then his mouth covers the other one, and she thinks she might die, because his mouth is fucking perfect, and she can practically feel the rumble of his groan as his tongue teases her skin. It makes her imagine his mouth other places.

It's that thought that she wakes up to, with a frustrated growl. Her phone is buzzing and for a second, she thinks it might be Adam (that thought definitely makes her blush just now), but it's Gavin's name on the screen.

"I have, like, two minutes. But you, me, moonshine, lake? I'm off in an hour," he says.

"My kinda date," she agrees, hoping she sounds somewhat normal and not like she just woke up from an incredibly hot sex dream about her off-limits boss.

"I'll pick you up. Gotta run. Love you!"

And with him gone again, Jaz is left with a choice: a cold shower or an indulgence in the fantasy her mind had so perfectly crafted. She opts for the latter (though, honestly, it feels a little weird being in Elijah's bed), and slips her hand under her shorts. Thinking of his mouth again, Jaz imagines his tongue against her, teasing over her clit the way her fingers are right now. She pictures his eyes, watching her intently. And in what seems like mere seconds, Jaz is coming apart, shuddering through her pleasure, his name slipping almost too easily past her lips. It's the best orgasm she's had in a really, really long time.

After she's recovered enough to breathe evenly, there's just enough time to pull herself together and take a shower before Gavin shows up to meet her. Jaz thinks about texting Adam, but she has no idea what to say.

**

Going to the lake with Gavin is the perfect distraction. They lay out on the boat in the late afternoon sun, enjoying the quiet and the bottle of moonshine one of Gavin's students had given him as a gift.

"That's a nice perk," Jaz notes, amused, as she takes a sip straight from the bottle. She knows exactly how potent that shit is, so she chases the swig with water a few seconds later.

"What can I say? I have fans."

"I've been meaning to ask, since we spend all this time talking about me, you given any thought to dating again?" She says it carefully, wondering if it's too soon.

"I think about it sometimes," he admits after a pause. "It's not like I think he'd hold it against me, you know? He'd want me to be happy."

"But," Jaz prompts, waiting.

"But what if I'm being selfish?"

"What?" She sits up to look at him. "Why would you ever think you were selfish?"

"Maybe you only get one great love, you know? I had mine. Maybe that's enough."

"And maybe it's not," she counters. "You're 32. Your life isn't over."

"I mean, being a single gay man after 30 is basically death," he says, so dramatically that Jaz can only roll her eyes and sigh at him.

"You won't know unless you try."

"Now you sound like one of those inspirational calendars."

Jaz wonders if she's been spending too much time around Preach.

"Look, you can't just ask me to think about things with Adam and then not be willing to at least put yourself out there," she says. "Just make yourself a profile on Tinder or whatever. It's not like it takes any work."

"Says the girl who's never crafted a dating profile in her life," Gavin challenges.

"How do you know?"

"Jaz. When was the last time you went on more than a hook-up date with a guy you picked up in a bar? Probably somewhere exotic?" He fixes her with a stare that dares her to dispute him.

"Fine," she concedes. "But you're not gonna let a little fear get in your way, are you? I didn't take you for a chicken."

"I should throw you overboard for that."

"Oh, you can try!"

In the end, they both end up in the water, wrestling and laughing until the fight ebbs into comfortable silence, both of them floating and looking up at the sky.

“I’ll give it a try,” he says eventually. “For you. We both deserve to be happy.”

“Yeah. We do.”

Jaz thinks about Adam again, and her cheeks flush. She's grateful Gavin's not looking at her. For now, her secret is safe. She doesn't think it'll last long at all.

**

Her assessment is accurate, because Jaz's secret lasts until after dinner, when she and Gavin crawl into the bed of the pickup with the rest of the moonshine.

"So you've been fussing with your phone all night. What gives?" he asks. She reaches for the bottle and he holds it away from her. "Uh-uh. Answer first."

"I could totally kick your ass and just take it from you, you know that, right?"

"You wouldn't dare hurt little innocent me," he gasps in mock horror, clutching his chest with his free hand, the other still withholding the alcohol. "Spill."

Jaz groans and slumps dramatically against the back of the cab. "I had a dream. About Adam."

"A dream," Gavin echoes. Realization dawns and he sits up, rod-straight, staring at her like he just won the lottery. "A sex dream!"

"Jesus, keep your voice down," she mutters, casting a glance back at the house. She'd be mortified if Elijah's parents heard this conversation.

"Sorry. A sex dream?" He whisper-shouts this time.

"Yes. And it was...really hot, okay? And all I can think about is talking to him again and it's making me insane. Happy now?" Jaz lunges for the bottle and snatches it away from him, taking a healthy sip, only coughing a little after swallowing it down.

"You have to tell him."

"What?!" This time, it's her voice that carries across the yard. "I can't do that. Are you insane?"

"Jaz. Come on. Live a little. If he doesn't respond, then fine. You have, what? Another six weeks to forget about it? But what if he does? You can at least have a little fun," Gavin pleads, giving her a fairly impressive puppy-dog look.

God help her, she actually considers it. And then takes another sip of moonshine. And then picks up her phone and opens her messages.

"This could ruin my career, you know."

"Okay, Drama Queen," he huffs, rolling his eyes.

She stares at her screen and types.

 J: i had a dream about you today.

She hits send before she can chicken out, and then throws her phone at Gavin.

"I can't believe I just did that!"

"You're my favorite person. Have I told you that lately?"

"Oh my God. What if he doesn't text back?" she groans, burying her face between her knees.

"Um, except he just did."

Jaz snatches the phone back from him so fast, she almost drops it.

 A: Oh? What about?

Innocuous. Of course he wouldn't assume anything.

"What do I tell him?" she almost whines.

Gavin takes the phone back and just types 'things... ;)' before showing it to Jaz. She waves him on. It's not any worse than what she'd come up with.

 A: Care to be more specific?

Oh. She swallows. He's playing along.

"Good Lord, you're in trouble now," Gavin laughs, delighted. "And my work here is done for the night. I'll leave you to your late night digital rendezvous. I'll see you at breakfast."

"No! You're leaving me with this? I don't know what to do with this!"

"Honey, something tells me you'll figure it out just fine." He kisses her forehead and hops down from the truck. Carrying his moonshine off into the darkness, he leaves Jaz with her phone.

 J: we were kissing.

 A: I do miss kissing you.

 J: you do?

 A: Yeah. I think about it a lot.

 J: me too, it's why i had the dream in the first place. i haven't stopped thinking about it all day.

 A: Must've been some dream ;)

Did Adam Dalton just wink at her? In text? She feels like a giddy teenager, sneaking secret messages in the dark. It's not terribly far from the truth.

 J: there may have been more than kissing.

 A: That could mean a lot of things...

 J: you were teasing me. under my shirt.

It takes her a good thirty seconds to work up the courage to send it, and then she stares at the three dots that almost instantly appear next to Adam's name. It feels at least twice as long before his text comes through.

 A: Jesus, Jaz.

 J: and then it wasn't just your hands

 A: My mouth?

 J: yeah. and then i woke up.

There was another long pause this time. She's given him the chance to let it go. She's convinced he'll take it.

 A: Was that all?

Her breath stalls and she closes her eyes. The air suddenly feels too warm.

 J: not exactly

 A: Then what?

 J: i thought about your mouth on me...

 A: Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now?

Alone in the dark, Jaz actually whines at that. Somehow knowing she's making him hard makes everything so much more real.

 J: guess I shouldn't tell you how hard i made myself come..

 A: has anyone ever told you you're a tease?

 J: it's been mentioned...you complaining?

 A: Not in the least.

 J: cuz i can just stop...

 A: Don't you dare.

The command in it makes her shift and press her thighs together. She wishes Gavin had left her the damn moonshine.

 J: what should i do instead?

 A: Jaz...

 J: i want you to tell me or i wouldn't be asking.

It feels like several eternities before he responds. Jaz doesn't think any text has ever taken longer.

 A: Touch yourself for me...tell me how wet you are

For the second time today, Jaz gives in. And this thing that's been growing between them morphs  again. There's no going back now. Tonight, Jaz is perfectly okay with that. She'll deal with tomorrow, tomorrow.

[janeykath318]

Leaving Darkness Behind 9

Chapter 9

“What happened?” Chris urgently asked of Phil Boyce who was watching Winona and McCoy trying to soothe a distraught Jenna. She was curled into a ball on the bed, shaking and trembling.

Chris nodded and made his way toward the patient. Winona looked up and nodded at him, pain in her eyes.

“She dreamed you died,” Winona whispered. “You need to convince her otherwise because she’s inconsolable right now.”

“Jen.” He spoke her name as clearly as possible. The trembling slowed a bit. “Jenna Kirk, this is Chris. I’m really here, hon. Please try to calm down, won’t you, Captain?”

The ball of Kirk loosened and Jenna cracked one eye open, peering around. He came closer and stood right in front of her.

“Chris....” she croaked, stretching out a thin arm. “I’m so glad to see you. It was awful.”

“So I heard. But it was not true. I’m very much alive and kicking, like the ornery old mule I am.”

He clasped her hand in his and moved her fingers to his pulse point so she could feel for herself.

Jenna took a shaky breath and finally seemed satisfied, but she didn’t let go of his hand.

“Please don’t ever leave me.” She whispered, a look in those blue eyes that about did him in. “I need you.”

He swallowed hard, willing himself not to read too much into that statement. If she meant it, he was going to have a hard time keeping up the whole denial of his actual feelings. It certainly didn’t sound at all like “I need you as a father figure”, but that could just be his imagination.

“M’sorry I’m always such a wreck when you show up,” she murmured, after a few quiet moments. “It’s getting annoying. I’m supposed to be a strong Captain, not melting down left and right. S’bad for morale.”

“Jenna Kirk, it takes an incredibly strong person to do what you did,” he told her firmly. “I have had more than my own share of breakdowns, believe me. It goes with the territory. Now, will you let the doctor give you something to help you feel better?”

“Okay, But I’m not letting go of you. Part of me is still afraid you’ll vanish into thin air.”

He nodded at Phil, who cautiously approached with a hypo.

“Good, good, Jenna. That’s much better,” he soothed, quickly checking her vitals. “I’m going to give you a hypo to help you rest. You won’t get nightmares with this, I promise.”

“Okay,” Jenna said hesitantly and turned her head to give access to her neck. With a quick hiss, it was done and Boyce was praising her.

“Why do you never take it so well for me?” McCoy grumbled playfully, crossing his arms and looking decidedly jealous.

“Because, he doesn’t try to stab me like you do, Bones,” Jenna said sleepily. “You really have a few things to learn about bedside manner.”

Everyone but McCoy laughed. Jenna’s toying with the Doctor by avoiding checkups and getting the man very annoyed with her was well known to them.

“And that’s the Thanks I get for saving your life? Ungrateful Infant!” McCoy snorted, trying to hide his own amusement.

“Oh, I’m very grateful. I just don’t want you to get a swollen head,” she responded.

“Swollen Head! Like you’re one to talk, Miss Captain Ego!”

Chris watched them banter back and forth, throwing out snide remarks and loving insults. The two of them made quite a duo, and were fiercely loyal to each other. People thought they did it because of sexual tension, but he was pretty sure it was more the deep friendship between them. Well, he selfishly hoped it was friendship, he thought guiltily.

He stayed at Jenna’s bedside until she dropped off to sleep, hoping she’d finally get some uninterrupted sleep.

“How’s she doing overall?” He asked Phil quietly.

“Slower than we’d like,” his friend admitted. “Especially since you’ve been absent lately. I think she responds well to your visits.”

“I wish I could make them more frequent,” Chris replied, apologetically. “We’re swamped at HQ right now dealing with this mess.”

He looked over at Jenna’s sleeping form and again felt that yearning tug to gather her up and hold her close, barring all the nightmares from disturbing her.

Winona saw the expression on his face before he could compose himself. Pulling the sheets up over Jenna’s shoulders, she approached him with a knowing look.

“It’s a hard thing, loving a Kirk. They do the most ridiculous self-sacrificing things and end up hurt a lot. It’s worth it.”

“That’s quite an assumption to make,” he said evenly. “Of course I’m concerned for Jenna. Lots of people are.”

Perhaps he should have actually looked at her when he said that. As it was, Winona was unconvinced.

“Not the way I just saw you look at her. Not even Leonard looks at her like that. Don’t try to fool me Chris. I know you too well.”

“It wouldn’t be a good idea, and I could never burden her with this,” he said firmly. “She’s way out of my league. The chances of her having feelings for someone like me are slim to none.”

“You used that excuse to avoid your feelings for One and totally missed out. Don’t think I don’t have you pegged by now, Christopher.”

Winona poked him in the chest for emphasis.

“Why do you think Jenna was so horror stricken at the thought of your death? Why do you think she calmed down with you around? Why do you think she wouldn’t let go of your hand? Just think about it, Chris.”

His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. Finally, he shook his head and headed toward the door.

“Let me know if this happens again. I’ll try to stop by tomorrow evening. Thanks, Leonard, Phil.”

The two doctors nodded and watched him go, looking at each other ruefully.

“I get the sense he’s got issues in the whole “Love” department,” McCoy observed.

“That’s putting it mildly,” Phil and Winona said together. “He May be one of the legends of the Fleet, but he somehow thinks he doesn’t deserve love,” Winona added.

McCoy winced. He understood that all too well, having been through a divorce that destroyed his self-worth and left him very cynical in the matter of romance.

“If anyone can change his mind, I’d say it’s definitely Jenna T. Kirk.” He proclaimed. “If she decides to go for him, well, it’s pretty much a done deal. We know how she feels about no-win scenarios.”

“More power to her, then,” Phil agreed. “Someone has to knock some sense into that man’s head sooner or later.”

[bookloversreviewer]

“Another brilliantly written winner. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up, you will not regret it.” —Kate Stewart, USA Today bestselling author

Perfectly Adequate, an all-new must-read romantic comedy from Jewel E. Ann, is available now!

Dr. Elijah Hawkins needs … something.

After his wife jumps headfirst into a midlife crisis, he’s left with his young son, Roman, and a lot of unanswered questions.

That something turns out to be a someone—Dorothy Mayhem, nursing student, patient transporter, reckless driver, and emu owner.

Dorothy studies humans, the neurotypical kind, through books and television. Then she emulates their behavioral patterns to fit in with her peers.

But nothing can prepare her for Dr. Elijah Hawkins.

Single dad.

Brilliant pediatric oncologist.

And the sexiest doctor at the hospital.

When his failed attempts at asking her out turn into a string of playdates with his son, Dorothy finds herself unexpectedly enamored with the boy and his father.

And that’s a problem, a huge one, because Elijah’s ex-wife is a famous plastic surgeon—and Dorothy’s idol.

Perfectly Adequate is a beautiful, hilarious, and heart-felt journey along the “human” spectrum.

Download your copy today or read FREE in Kindle Unlimited!

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Excerpt

“You can call me Eli.”

She swallows hard. “I don’t actually think I can.”

“Why not?” I force my gaze away from her mouth.

The second our eyes meet, she averts her attention to her feet. “Because you’re half of the Hathaway-Hawkins duo.”

This is a new one to me. “I’m divorced.”

“I know. I …” She makes an attempt to look at me, but her attention shifts to my temple then maybe my ear. “I mean you’re a brilliant doctor, and Dr. Hathaway is too—so brilliant. God, she’s just phenomenal. Like there are no words. But still … you change the lives of young children. You save them. You’re what every young person entering the medical field can only dream of becoming. You’ve earned the title. I can’t call you by your name. It’s too personal. I don’t know … almost intimate.”

She has Julie on a really high pedestal. Me? Down a few pegs. Sounds about right for my life at the moment. It’s not that Julie doesn’t deserve to be on the pedestal. No matter how much I hate her, I still love her. And her skills as a pediatric plastic surgeon are unmatched. She deserves Dorothy’s admiration.

But I don’t want to talk about medicine, accolades, and saving lives. I know … I know … how terrible of me. Sorry, but I need something for myself. Something personal and maybe a little selfish.

Definitely intimate.

“I don’t need a babysitter for Roman.”

She jerks her head back, giving me her full attention, eyes squinted, gaze locked to mine. “What?”

I trap my top lip between my teeth, drowning in coconuts as my heart races, sending ample blood to all regions of my body. God … I just want—need—to kiss her.

“Oh jeez …” She shakes her head, closing her eyes for a breath. “You invited me to dinner to … flirt.” Her eyes open to their widest point.

A tiny laugh escapes me. I can’t help it. Everything about this woman feels like a rebirth. “I invited you to dinner because Roman really likes you. And I just can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for him. You’re so generous.”

Gah! I suck at this!

What is my problem? Yes. The answer is yes! Yes, Dorothy, I invited you over to flirt, maybe even kiss. And other things …

“Oh.” She takes a step backward, stumbling a bit as the front door catches her, and more embarrassment tints her cheeks. “Well, now I feel stupid. Yes, of course you invited me here because Roman likes me. Duh. Now I just look like an idiot for assuming you wanted to flirt with me. And really, no need to thank me. My generosity is selfish. It makes me feel good to do nice things. That’s all. And really, you’ve bought me coffee and made me dinner again. It’s like I should be thanking you again. But that’s probably weird. So … I’ll just go now.”

Really, really weird shit goes through my mind as she fidgets. Dr. Hawkins is nowhere to be found. Neither is Roman’s dad. Raging-puberty-hormones Eli Hawkins invades my head—both of them really. And I just want to kiss Dorothy. That’s the PG version of my thoughts. Most of them are R-rated. Worse than the R-rating. All I can think about are the ways Dorothy and I can be generous with each other, leading to never-ending thank-you’s that don't involve stationary, replacement scrubs, superhero capes, pasta dinners, lunch boxes … or clothing.

“Should we call it even? No more thank-you’s,” I suggest.

“Okay.” She lifts her gaze, eyes going a little cross-eyed like her focus is centered on the bridge of my nose.

“Okay.” I release a slow breath, but it does very little to relax all of my body. “Can I ask your age?” I’m not sure why I’ve been so chicken about asking her age. I think it worries me that she’s too young, and I’ll feel like a dirty old man having really inappropriate thoughts about her.

“I’m thirty. Why?”

“You just look young.”

“I wear massive amounts of sunscreen.”

I nod slowly.

Just kiss her, you big chicken!

What if she doesn’t want to be kissed by me? Or flirt with me? I internally laugh at the memory of her comment and at myself for being just as awkward. Why does something so simple have to be so complicated?

“I have a forty-five-minute drive home.”

And school the next day. Where is my head?

Oh, that’s right …

“Of course. I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”

“Okay.” She smiles.

I love her okay’s. They feel like more than the average okay.

“I’ll walk you out.”

“Have you not closed all of your rings?” She holds up her wrist, signaling to her watch.

I chuckle. “All rings were closed hours ago.”

“We could track each other. Share our rings. Did you know that?”

Rings. Kisses. Trips to the on-call room for sex.

For the love of God … get your shit together, Elijah!

“Never mind. That’s weird.” She shakes her head, rolling her eyes at herself just before opening the door and scurrying ten steps ahead of me. Her pace gains momentum with the hill of my driveway.

My long strides catch up to her at the bottom of it. She looks both ways and bolts across the street to her car, clicks the locks, and opens her door.

“Goodnight!”

“Dorothy Mayhem … you’re killing me.”

She turns just before ducking into the driver’s seat.

“What do you mean?”

Resting my hands on my hips, I drop my chin in defeat and stare at my untied gray canvas shoes. “What if I did ask you to dinner tonight to … flirt?” I glance up, digging my teeth into my bottom lip on a slight cringe.

Her body remains stoic as her eyes shift from side to side, like she’s been caught on a hidden camera. “Well … then I wore the wrong outfit.” She refuses to look me in the eye.

“I think you look amazing.”

“Yes. But this is a playdate outfit. Maybe even one I’d wear to apply for a babysitter position. It’s fun, but wholesome. Practical and safe.”

I just want to spend one day in her head. Everything about her fascinates the hell out of me. The curiosity gives me such a high.

“Tell me about your flirting outfit.”

“Well …” She clears her throat, keeping her focus on the big hill leading out of my development. And of course … her cheeks are perfectly flushed as she talks to the wind. “Since Romeo was involved, I would have chosen my red dress with white stripes. It hits just below my knees, but it’s strapless. And I would have worn my blue cardigan with it and matching blue wedge sandals with straps that tie around my ankles. Flirty … but appropriate for young eyes.”

“And if Roman wouldn’t have been here tonight?” I stare at the side of her head, wondering if she’ll look at me again before driving home.

She narrows her eyes. “I would have taken off the cardigan after you invited me into your house.”

The picture she paints in my head does all kinds of wicked things to me. Why imagining her in a striped strapless dress has such a physical effect on me is a mystery. It’s not like she suggested showing up wearing nothing but high heels and a trench coat. Dorothy Mayhem possesses her own brand of seduction, and I’m completely entangled in every part of it.

“And in this scenario, would you have kissed me after I walked you to your car?”

She turns completely red. I feel certain even her toes hidden in those blue shoes have to be red. “You’re making fun of me.”

Her comment knocks me back a good ten steps, even if my body remains right next to her. Why would she say that?

About Jewel

Jewel is a free-spirited romance junkie with a quirky sense of humor.

With 10 years of flossing lectures under her belt, she took early retirement from her dental hygiene career to stay home with her three awesome boys and manage the family business.

After her best friend of nearly 30 years suggested a few books from the Contemporary Romance genre, Jewel was hooked. Devouring two and three books a week but still craving more, she decided to practice sustainable reading, AKA writing.

When she’s not donning her cape and saving the planet one tree at a time, she enjoys yoga with friends, good food with family, rock climbing with her kids, watching How I Met Your Mother reruns, and of course…heart-wrenching, tear-jerking, panty-scorching novels.

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