#I'll be lost in a crowd; surrounded by people who like me (and how useful I am) and then alone at night forever till I die

[medicinemane]

Well, I seem to have gotten my minecart system working. No lost carts this time

Just... slowed the whole system way way way down, after a lot of research the best answer seems to be that too many carts too quick overwhelms the hopper, and taking a closer look as I was dismantling things showed me that the observer was managing to send two pulses

So I added my go to comparator decay clock and then with a little work put a falling edge monostable circuit (ie a piston with an observer on it that triggers nothing when pushed but something when pulled back), so basically it's extended when the signal is decaying and only goes off once the signal dies... double pulse from the observer just extends the timer

Still reasonably depressed. I've said it before, I'm just brittle at this point. It's not like some stupid cart system in minecraft is making me want to die... I'm just fucking tired of living, so guess what? This just adds to the list of reasons to fuck off

Nothing I do matters. This doesn't matter in the slightest. I build it more compulsively than with any purpose

I want to finish that mountain base (which is still probably a few years off at least at this pace), and I just kinda want to finish it cause I want to finish it... but can you honestly say that once it's all said and done, that I won't just pass it to my friend who I play with, and then in like 20 years when I'm dead it won't fall victim to digital decay without anyone even having seen it?

Like be honest for a minute, it's not gonna stop me working on it, but be honest and ask yourself... will anyone besides one other person even see it?

I don't need a million fans or something, I'd just like some of the shit I do to matter or last a bit... and nothing does

Tell me a single thing I've done that actually has some kind of meaningful impact... or anything that I'll ever do

[theonottsbxtch]

Your Charles series was so good. And your writing is amazing.

Could you maybe do something where reader is friends with Arthur’s GF- Jade or someone in his friend group and she meets Charles and he literally has a fall in love at first sight moment with her and maybe he becomes a bit obsessed 🫶🏻🫶🏻

LOVE ME, BABY | CL16

an: i did a mix of a smau and written for this one and since i'm moving to france again soon i'm making her french ehehe

jade_distinguinn

liked by yourusername, arthur_leclerc, yourbestfriend and 28,428 others

look who's finally come to visit @/yourusername

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userone: facecard never declines for both of them

usertwo: i need them both

userthree: omg finally getting to see yn in monaco

yourusername: take me to the port, i need to find a sugar daddy

jade_distinguinn: enough.

userfour: they're so pretty

yourbestfriend: it's fine leave me behind, i'll cope

yourusername: you had work??

jade_distinguinn: i tried to pay you to come??

yourbestfriend: shh don't expose me.

userfive: i would commit war crimes to be apart of their friendship

monaco casino, arthur's birthday

The night buzzed with a certain energy Charles knew all too well. The Casino de Monte-Carlo was alive with high society types, gamblers, and tourists, all bathing in the golden glow of the chandeliers. A typical night in Monaco, he supposed, but something about tonight felt different.

Charles had come here to celebrate Arthur’s birthday, content with blending into the backdrop. The Austin Grand Prix was just a week away, and while most people recognised his face, tonight wasn’t about the spotlight. That was Arthur’s role tonight, surrounded by his circle of friends. For once, Charles was glad to slip into the shadows.

He’d just stepped away from the table, heading towards the bar when it happened. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw you, gliding through the crowd like you didn’t belong in all this glitz, as though you were in your own world. Your dark hair fell effortlessly over your shoulders, and the understated elegance of your dress caught his eye. Not flashy, not trying too hard.

Then, in one brief, perfect moment, you brushed against him.

The light contact jolted him from his thoughts, and before he could even react, you turned, eyes wide with surprise.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” Your voice, soft and clear, carried the unmistakable lilt of a French accent.

Charles’s world tilted as your eyes met his. He wasn’t used to this—the sudden quiet that seemed to fill the room, as though all the noise had fallen away in your presence. And yet, here you were, pulling him into that stillness.

You didn’t look at him the way people usually did. There was no spark of recognition, no polite nod that said, I know who you are. Just calm, curious eyes, waiting for a response.

Charles cleared his throat, his usual confidence faltering. “Yes… sorry, I—”

“Are you alright?” you asked, a faint smile playing at your lips, almost teasing.

He couldn’t help but laugh softly, surprised by how easily you handled the situation. Handled him. That never happened to Charles Leclerc. People usually fumbled over their words, especially in places like this where Formula One drivers were practically worshipped. But you? You were treating him like he was just another guy in a suit, standing in your way.

“I’m… Charles,” he managed, extending his hand automatically.

You glanced at his hand, but instead of shaking it, you smiled politely and looked past him, scanning the corridor. “Nice to meet you, Charles. But I really need to find the bathroom before I get even more lost in here.”

And just like that, you were leaving. The most baffling part? You still had no idea who he was.

“Uh, it’s just down that corridor to the right,” he said, voice a bit steadier now but still trailing after you as you moved away.

“Thanks.” You shot him one last glance, smiled briefly, and disappeared into the crowd, leaving him standing there with an unfamiliar feeling settling in his chest.

Charles was used to attention. But this? This was different. A fleeting encounter, barely lasting seconds, yet it had left something behind he couldn’t quite shake. You’d treated him like anyone else. Not a celebrity, not a driver—just another person. And that intrigued him more than anything.

With a sigh, Charles turned back towards the bar, trying to push the thought of you out of his mind.

But minutes later, back at the table with Arthur and the others, his thoughts kept drifting. He couldn’t shake the memory of you, couldn’t help but glance at the entrance now and then, half hoping, half expecting to see you again.

And then, there you were.

You moved through the crowd with a quiet confidence, your head held high, walking straight towards the table. Charles’s pulse quickened as you drew closer, your gaze sweeping across the group until it landed on him.

Jade noticed you first, her face lighting up. “Darling! There you are!” She jumped up, pulling you in for a quick hug.

Charles watched in amusement, barely concealing a smirk. You hadn’t recognised him yet, still oblivious to the fact that you’d just met him.

You sat beside Jade, and Arthur leaned over, gesturing towards Charles. “I don’t think you’ve met Charles here, have you?” His grin was wide, completely unaware of the encounter that had already unfolded.

You glanced his way, and for a split second, something flickered in your eyes. But you kept your expression composed, only hesitating for a moment before replying smoothly.

“No, I don’t think I have.”

Charles leaned forward, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. You were good. Playing it off like the two of you hadn’t just crossed paths minutes ago. The fact that you weren’t acknowledging it only made him more curious.

He extended his hand again, this time with a knowing look in his eyes. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise,” you replied, your gaze meeting his directly, a glint of challenge flickering there.

Arthur, still oblivious to the undercurrent between you two, continued on casually. “Charles’s been in Monaco as long as you. Just got back from testing in Italy.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Testing?”

“He’s a Formula One driver,” Jade added, glancing between you and Charles.

Charles didn’t take his eyes off you. He saw the moment of realisation in your eyes, just the slightest widening before you regained your composure. But he caught it. You’d finally connected the dots.

You recovered gracefully, your voice smooth and unaffected. “I guess I’ve been too busy to follow sports.”

Charles let out a low chuckle. You were definitely good at this game. And the best part? You weren’t going to make it easy for him.

“That’s what makes it interesting,” he replied, his gaze steady on you.

Jade quickly pulled your attention to something else, and Charles watched as you turned away, part of him disappointed, but another part relieved. It gave him a moment to take you in fully, to process what had just happened. You hadn’t recognised him—not as a Formula One driver, not as anyone of importance. You’d smiled, thanked him, and carried on.

As the conversation at the table continued, Charles found his thoughts drifting back to you, glancing your way more often than he should. There was something about the way you carried yourself—an effortless kind of allure, unpretentious and completely disarming.

He realised he’d been too quiet when Arthur nudged him, snapping him out of his reverie.

“Charlie, you alright?” Arthur raised an eyebrow, his tone curious.

Charles blinked, forcing a grin. “Yeah, yeah. Just thinking.”

Arthur chuckled, clearly unconvinced. “About your next race or something?”

Charles’s eyes flicked back to you, now laughing at something Jade had said, completely unaware of the fact that you were occupying his mind.

“Actually,” Charles said, lowering his voice so only Arthur could hear, “I was wondering if you could give me her number.”

Arthur looked puzzled. “Her? Really?”

Charles rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Yeah, she’s... different. I’d like to get to know her.”

"Alright, I get it," Arthur said, his voice low enough so the others couldn’t hear. He glanced over at you, then back at Charles, his smile fading into something more serious. "But no can do, mate. She’s Jade’s best friend."

Charles blinked. "What’s that got to do with anything?"

Arthur shrugged, his grin returning. "It means I’m not getting involved. If you want her number, you’re going to have to ask her yourself."

Charles felt a jolt of panic surge through him. "Ask her myself?" The words came out louder than intended, and he quickly lowered his voice when you glanced in their direction. He cleared his throat, trying to appear nonchalant. "I mean, you can’t just—"

"Nope," Arthur cut him off, his expression completely unyielding. "I’m not risking it. Do you know how long it took me to win over Jade? If I mess this up by playing matchmaker and it doesn’t work out, I’m screwed."

Charles groaned inwardly. Arthur’s girlfriend, Jade, was lovely, but he had to admit—Arthur had a point. The last thing he wanted was to stir up any drama, especially with you being Jade’s best friend. But still, the thought of approaching you directly made his pulse quicken.

"You’re really not going to help me out here?" Charles asked, trying one last time.

Arthur grinned like he was thoroughly enjoying the sight of a Formula One driver getting flustered over a girl. "Not a chance. But look at it this way—you’re Charles Leclerc, mate. You can handle it."

Charles stared at him, deadpan. "You realise I drive at 300 kilometres an hour for a living, right? This is way more terrifying."

Arthur burst out laughing, slapping him on the back. "Good luck, mate."

Charles watched as Arthur leaned back in his chair, clearly done with the conversation. He couldn’t believe it. Ask her myself. He glanced at you again, and his heart did that strange, unfamiliar thing where it skipped a beat. This was insane.

But there was no way around it.

He took a deep breath and downed the rest of his drink, trying to steel his nerves. The next race was nothing compared to this. Alright, he thought, just go over there and act normal. But even as he thought it, he knew ‘normal’ was the last thing he’d be able to pull off around you.

How had this become the hardest thing he’d ever done?

charles_leclerc

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celebrating 24!

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userone: my fav grid siblings

usertwo: oh my who are the girls at the end?

arthurleclerc: merci frero

userthree: i want to know what a leclerc party is like

jade_distinguinn: @/yourusername we got put on blast in that final picture

arthurleclerc: @/charles_leclerc eyes

jadedistinguinn: what?

arthurleclerc: nothing mon amour

userfour: i wish i was there

userfive: happy birthday arthur!

yourusername: oh god i look awful

charles_leclerc: i think you look quite the opposite actually

texts between jade and arthur

jade's apartment

You were lounging on the sofa, the late afternoon light filtering through the blinds, casting soft, golden streaks across Jade’s apartment. She was curled up in the armchair across from you, scrolling through her phone and sipping tea. It was one of those rare, lazy afternoons where nothing was pressing, and the air was filled with the comforting hum of nothingness. A perfect break.

“So, what are you and Arthur up to tonight?” you asked absently, flicking through the channels without much interest.

Jade glanced up, shrugging. “Not sure yet. He mentioned something about Charles going to England tomorrow for testing, so we might just go out for dinner and come back unless he wants to go and see Charles.”

Before you could respond, there was a soft knock at the door.

“That’ll be him,” Jade said, setting her cup down and stretching.

You got up to answer the door, opening it to find Arthur standing there, a familiar cheeky grin on his face.

"Alright, ladies?" he said, stepping into the apartment with the ease of someone who's done it a hundred times before. He gave Jade a quick kiss on the cheek before plopping himself down beside her on the armchair, completely at home.

"Hey, Arthur," you said, sitting back down on the sofa. "Heard Charles’s off to England tomorrow? Are you going to see him tonight?"

“Yeah,” Arthur says, leaning back and draping his arm across the back of Jade’s chair. “Got some testing to do, nothing major, just a quick day trip, so we’ll be home tonight.”

“Must be exhausting,” you commented, more out of politeness than anything. Formula One life sounded glamorous, but you couldn’t imagine the constant travel.

Arthur chuckled. “Yeah, he’s got a crazy schedule, that one. Actually…” He hesitated for a moment, shooting a glance at Jade that you didn’t catch, then continued, “Charles is looking for someone to dogsit while he’s away. Just for the day, really. His usual sitter fell through.”

You blinked, surprised. “Charles has a dog?”

“Yeah, a small dachshund. Leo. Sweetest thing you’ve ever seen,” Arthur said, his voice casual but you missed the slight edge of anticipation that lingered beneath his tone.

You glanced at Jade, who was suddenly very interested in her tea, and shrugged. “I could do it. I’ve not got any plans tomorrow anyway, and I’ve been wanting an excuse to get out for a walk. Might be nice to have some company.”

For a brief moment, neither Jade nor Arthur said anything. It was like they’d frozen, and you were about to ask if you’d said something weird when Arthur cleared his throat.

“Yeah? That’d be brilliant,” he said, flashing a quick smile at Jade before looking back at you. “Charles will appreciate that. Leo’s great, really. You’ll get along.”

You nodded, thinking it was no big deal. “Happy to help. I love dogs.”

Jade set her cup down a little too carefully, and you missed the look she shared with Arthur—a quick, knowing glance, a barely-there smile. It was the kind of look that was exchanged between people who were clearly up to something, but you were oblivious, already thinking about what you’d need to bring for Leo’s day out.

Arthur leaned forward, grinning now, clearly pleased with how smoothly things were going. “I’ll let Charles know. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning and drop you off at his place?”

“Perfect,” you said, pulling your knees up to your chest and settling back into the cushions. “I’ll make sure Leo’s well looked after.”

Arthur and Jade shared another glance, but you were too busy scrolling through your phone now, thinking about where you’ll take Leo for a walk. Maybe the park nearby?

Jade stretched, standing up and nudging Arthur’s arm. “We should probably get going, yeah? Need to go pick something up from your mother’s salon.” she said, clearly making something up on the spot.

Arthur jumped to his feet, playing along smoothly. “Right, yeah, can’t forget about that.”

You waved them off, entirely unaware of the little conspiracy brewing right under your nose. “See you tomorrow, then.”

As they left, Jade turned back, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You’ll love Leo, trust me.”

“Looking forward to it,” you called back, smiling.

yourusername

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dog sitting duties

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userone: omg is that leo??

usertwo: chat if they date, my glock is finna be locked and loaded

userthree: is that charles' place??

arthurleclerc: my nephew is so adorable

userfour: i want to be her so god damn bad

userfive: i must have been the worst sort of person in my past life WHY IS THIS NOT ME

jade_distinguinn: cutest ball of fluff ever

usersix: parents?

charles_leclerc: thank you for this

charles' apartment, late at night

Charles dragged his suitcase behind him, feeling the familiar ache of travel settle into his muscles. The testing had gone well, but the flight back from England had drained him more than usual. All he could think about was getting home, maybe grabbing a quick bite to eat, and collapsing into bed.

As he unlocked the door and stepped inside, something felt off. Normally, Leo would be at the door within seconds, his tail wagging like crazy, eager to greet him after any amount of time apart. But today, there was no thundering of paws, no excited whining. The house was still, unusually quiet.

“Leo?” he called out softly, frowning as he dropped his bag by the entrance.

No response.

His concern grew as he walked further into the living room, the sight before him making him stop in his tracks. There, curled up on the sofa, was Leo—and beside him, fast asleep, was you. Your head was resting on a cushion, and Leo’s small dachshund head was draped lazily over your legs. Both of you looked completely peaceful, completely unaware of the world.

Charles blinked, feeling something in him soften at the sight. He’d forgotten for a moment that Arthur had mentioned you’d offered to look after Leo while he was away. Seeing you there, though, sprawled out on his sofa, completely at ease with Leo beside you, was… unexpected. But in the best possible way.

A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he quietly stepped closer. Leo’s ears flicked up as he noticed Charles, but the dog didn’t move, simply blinked sleepily before resting his head back on you, clearly not ready to leave his comfortable spot. Charles chuckled under his breath. Traitor.

His eyes moved back to you. You were still in your casual clothes, one arm draped across your chest, your breathing soft and steady. He felt his chest tighten, this strange warmth creeping up on him as he stood there watching. He could see why Leo hadn’t come rushing to the door—you were good company, after all.

Charles sighed quietly, rubbing the back of his neck. As much as he wanted to crash right there on the sofa himself, beside you, he knew you’d be more comfortable in a bed. He hesitated for a second before moving closer, carefully reaching down and gently sliding one arm under your legs and the other under your shoulders. You stirred slightly as he lifted you, but didn’t wake, your head leaning into his chest as he carried you through the apartment to his bedroom.

You felt light in his arms, your face peaceful as he laid you down on the bed, tucking the covers around you carefully. His heart gave an unfamiliar lurch as he stepped back, watching for just a moment as you settled into the blankets, still fast asleep.

Charles smiled softly to himself, shaking his head as he quietly left the room, closing the door behind him. He glanced back at the sofa where Leo had curled up, already resuming his nap. “Looks like I’ll be taking your spot tonight, mate.”

text between yn and jade

charles' apartment, following morning

The first thing you felt was warmth. Your body was cocooned in softness, the kind of comfort that made you want to sink deeper into sleep. But something didn’t feel right. You blinked your eyes open slowly, expecting to see your familiar surroundings—the sofa, Leo, maybe even your shoes kicked off somewhere on the floor—but instead, you were in a bed.

You sat up quickly, blinking against the morning light streaming through a nearby window. Your heart skipped a beat as you took in the room around you. This definitely wasn’t your apartment. The walls were unfamiliar, the duvet softer than yours, and the faint scent of something cooking wafted through the air. Panic settled in your chest.

The events of yesterday start rushing back. Leo. Charles. You’d agreed to dogsit while Charles was in England for testing. You must have fallen asleep on the sofa—but how did I end up in bed?

Oh no. Did Charles put me here?

You felt a rush of mortification as the realisation hit. He must have carried you. Carried you. Heat rose in your cheeks as you glanced around the room, suddenly very aware of the fact that you were lying in his bed. His bed!

Throwing off the covers, you swung your legs over the side of the bed and stood up, running a hand through your hair. You didn’t even know what time it was, but it felt later than it should be. God, how long have I been asleep?

You headed towards the door, trying to shake off your embarrassment as you stepped out of the bedroom and made your way into the main part of the apartment. The smell of food grew stronger, and as you rounded the corner, you froze.

Charles was standing in the kitchen, barefoot, wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants, and flipping something in a frying pan. His back was to you, but there was no missing the fact that he was shirtless—completely shirtless. The morning light caught on his tanned skin, highlighting the defined muscles of his back and shoulders. Your brain momentarily short-circuited, and you stood there like an idiot, staring.

Oh God, this is so much worse than I thought.

He turned around, catching sight of you standing there, and smiled, completely unfazed. “Morning.”

You blinked, feeling the heat rush to your face again as you tried to form coherent words. “Uh… morning.”

He set the pan down and wiped his hands on a nearby dish towel, seemingly unaware of your internal struggle. “I hope you slept alright. Sorry if I startled you by moving you to the bed, but I thought you’d be more comfortable.”

Your heart was still racing, and you were pretty sure you were about three shades of red at this point. You fumbled for a response, trying to keep your eyes from drifting back to his very toned, very bare torso. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to just… fall asleep on your sofa like that.”

Charles chuckled, clearly amused by your flustered state. “No problem at all. You looked comfortable, and Leo clearly wasn’t moving anytime soon.” He nods towards the dog, who was lying by the kitchen, tail thumping lazily against the floor.

You let out a breath, still feeling a bit mortified but tried to compose yourself. “I just… I didn’t realise I was that tired.”

“No harm done,” he said, waving off your apology. “I’m actually glad you stayed. Saved me from dealing with an overly energetic dog first thing in the morning. He pawed at your door to join you last night and only came out 20 minutes ago, all calm.”

You managed a small laugh, feeling slightly less awkward now, though your eyes kept darting to his chest before you forced them back up to his face. Focus.

Charles seemed to notice your discomfort, his smile softening. “I was just making some breakfast. Do you want to join me?”

You blinked, caught off guard by the invitation. “Breakfast?”

“Yeah, the thing people eat at the start of the day?” he said sarcastically and casual, as if this whole situation was perfectly normal. “I’m making eggs and toast, nothing fancy. But you’re welcome to stay.”

Your stomach betrayed you by rumbling softly, and you realise you hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before. Despite the lingering embarrassment, the idea of sitting down with him, maybe getting to know him better, didn’t sound half bad.

You nodded, feeling yourself relax a little. “Yeah, okay. I could eat.”

Charles grinned and gestured to the kitchen island. “Great. Grab a seat, I’ll get you a plate.”

yourusername

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"nothing fancy" and "just eggs and toast"

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userone: LEOOOOOOO

usertwo: that last pic gIRL??

jade_distinguinn: oh no the charles fans found you

yourusername: fuck

jade_distinguinn: good luck

userthree: who is she omg?

userfour: i think she's arthur's girlfriend's bestfriend from paris?

yourusername: yo that is insane, how did you find out i'm from paris

arthurleclerc: i'm sorry for what's about to happen

yourusername: THERE IS WORSE??!?

userfive: she is gorgeous

usersix: idk who i want more

charles_leclerc: if you were impressed by this, wait until you see what dinner consits of

yourusername: are you inviting me to dinner?

charles_leclerc: only if you say yes

yourusername: yes

userseven: WE ARE WITNISSING HISTORY

twitter

charles' apartment, one night

The evening sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting a warm, golden glow over the apartment. Charles had insisted on cooking dinner for the both of you, despite your half-hearted protests. Now, the smell of something delicious—a mix of garlic, herbs, and roasted vegetables—filled the space, making your stomach rumble.

You were seated at the small dining table, watching as Charles moved around the kitchen with surprising ease. He wasn’t wearing a shirt again, but this time you’d had a little more time to get used to it. It wasn’t helping your concentration, though. Every time he turned to grab something or stir a pot, your eyes seemed to betray you, drifting toward the defined muscles of his back, the curve of his arms as he worked.

He caught you staring once or twice, shooting you a quick, knowing smile, which only made you look away, cheeks burning.

“Alright,” he said finally, bringing over two plates and setting them down on the table. “Hope you like pasta.”

You glanced at the dish in front of you—perfectly cooked spaghetti, tossed with olive oil, garlic, and roasted tomatoes. “It looks amazing,” you said, genuinely impressed.

He sat across from you, pouring some wine into your glass with a teasing smile. “Thought I’d try to impress you.”

You laugh, taking a sip of the wine. “Consider me impressed. You didn’t strike me as the cooking type.”

Charles leaned back in his chair, smiling lazily. “What, just because I drive fast cars for a living, I can’t handle a kitchen?”

“Well, yeah,” you tease, twirling some pasta around your fork. “It doesn’t really scream ‘domestic life,’ you know?”

He chuckled at that, but there was a soft, almost thoughtful look in his eyes as he watched you. “Fair enough. But there’s more to life than cars, you know.”

You take a bite of the pasta—perfectly seasoned, of course—and nod. “I’ll admit, you’re a man of surprises.”

As the conversation flows, you start to relax, the initial awkwardness of the morning fading away. You tell him about your time in Paris, about how you’ve been studying film and journalism at university. Charles seems genuinely interested, leaning forward slightly as you talk.

“So, you’re a filmmaker then?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Hopefully one day,” you say with a laugh. “I still have a year left at uni. Right now, it’s more learning than making.”

Charles takes a sip of his wine, considering. “What kind of films do you want to make?”

You pause, twirling the wine glass in your hands. “I think... films that make people feel something. You know? I want to tell stories that resonate, that make people look at the world a little differently. Journalism’s the same for me. It’s all about storytelling.”

He watches you as you speak, his gaze intense but soft, like he’s taking in every word. “That’s... really cool,” he says, his voice quieter now. “I think the world could use more of that.”

You smile, feeling a strange warmth spread through you—not just from the wine, but from the way he looks at you, like he’s genuinely interested in who you are, not just the surface-level stuff. “Thanks. I leave tomorrow, though, back to Paris to finish my term.”

There’s a brief silence, and for a moment, the lightness of the conversation shifts. Charles sets his glass down and leans forward, his eyes not leaving yours. “You don’t have to go tomorrow, you know.”

You blink, surprised. “What?”

He shrugs, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I mean, what’s a few more days? Stay a little longer. We can get to know each other better.” His tone is light, but there’s something deeper in his eyes—a hint of something more serious, more intent.

You hesitate, your mind racing. Stay longer? You’d planned to leave tomorrow, get back to your routine, your studies… But the way he’s looking at you now, the thought of leaving suddenly feels less appealing.

“I—” you start, but Charles interrupts, his voice dropping a little lower, his gaze never wavering.

“Look, I know we just met, but… there’s something here, right? Between us?”

The words catch you off guard, and your heart skips a beat. You weren’t imagining it, then—this pull between you two, the way your pulse quickened whenever he was close, the way your eyes kept finding him without meaning to.

“I don’t know,” you say softly, feeling your heart race. “Maybe…”

He stands up then, walking around the table slowly, his eyes locked on yours. Every step closer makes your breath catch in your throat, the room seeming to shrink as the distance between you disappears.

When he’s standing in front of you, he reaches out, his fingers gently tilting your chin up so that you’re looking right into his eyes. “Stay,” he says again, his voice almost a whisper now. “Just a little longer.”

Your pulse pounds in your ears as you meet his gaze, your heart caught between indecision and desire. You open your mouth to say something—anything—but before you can, his lips are on yours.

The kiss is soft at first, almost tentative, but then it deepens, heat flooding your body as you feel his hands slide around your waist, pulling you closer. Your hands move instinctively, finding their way to his chest, the warmth of his skin under your palms sending a thrill through you.

The rest of the world falls away, leaving only the feeling of his lips moving against yours, the taste of wine still lingering, his breath warm and steady. When you finally pull back, your forehead resting against his, you’re both breathing a little heavier, your heart pounding in your chest.

He looks down at you, his eyes dark and full of something that makes your knees feel weak. “Stay,” he whispers again, his voice rougher now, more urgent.

And suddenly, leaving feels like the last thing you want to do.

You stare up into Charles’s eyes, still catching your breath from the intensity of the kiss. His forehead is still pressed gently against yours, and the weight of the moment is thick in the air, like the world’s holding its breath along with you.

His hand moves to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing softly along your skin. You can feel the warmth radiating from him, his chest rising and falling a little faster than usual, mirroring your own heartbeat. He leans in again, his lips just a whisper away from yours, and his voice is low, thick with desire.

“Say yes,” he murmurs, his breath warm against your lips. “Stay, just a little longer.”

You swallow, your pulse pounding in your ears, your body still buzzing from the kiss. It feels impossible to think straight with him this close, with the way his touch sets your skin on fire. But then, as his fingers slide down the side of your neck, his lips just barely grazing yours, you make your decision.

“Yes,” you whisper.

His lips crash into yours again, more intense this time, like the word had unleashed something in him. His hands slide down your back, pulling you closer until there’s no space left between you. You gasp into the kiss, your arms instinctively wrapping around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair as the world blurs around you. The only thing you can focus on is him—his warmth, his touch, the way his mouth moves against yours like he can’t get enough.

Charles backs you gently against the edge of the dining table, his lips never leaving yours, and you feel the solid wood press against the small of your back. His hands find your waist again, lifting you effortlessly onto the table. You gasp as he steps between your legs, his body pressing against yours, and you feel every inch of him—strong, solid, and warm.

Your hands slide over his bare chest, feeling the taut muscles under your fingertips all over again. He groans softly against your lips, the sound sending a thrill through your entire body. The kiss deepens, more urgent now, and you feel his hands wander—one slipping up your back, the other gripping your thigh, pulling you even closer.

It’s overwhelming, this rush of heat, of wanting. Your heart pounds harder with every movement, every brush of his lips. His mouth moves from yours, trailing down your neck, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. You tilt your head back, eyes fluttering closed as you let yourself get lost in the sensation.

Then, just when you think you might drown in the feeling, he pulls back slightly, his breathing ragged, his forehead resting against yours again. His hands are still on you, holding you close, like he’s afraid to let go.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” he breathes, his voice husky and low.

You smile, breathless and still dizzy from the kiss. “I think I might.”

He pulls back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and intense, searching yours. There’s a softness in his expression now, something deeper that makes your heart flutter all over again. “So, you’re staying?”

You nod, unable to tear your eyes away from him. “Yes. I’m staying.”

The smile that spreads across his face is slow, but it lights up his entire expression, making something inside you melt. He leans in again, pressing one last soft, lingering kiss to your lips before pulling back and gently brushing a strand of hair from your face.

“Good,” he whispers, his voice low and full of promise. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”

yourusername

liked by jade_distinguinn, arthurleclerc, charles_leclerc and 54,429 others

one more week won't hurt, right?

*tap to load more comments*

userone: GUYS??!??!?!?!

usertwo: is leo about to have a mother?

userthree: THAT LAST PHOTO CHARLES LECLERC HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME

jade_distinguinn: @/arthurleclerc mission acomplished?

arthurleclerc: yes boss 🫡

yourusername: huh??

userfour: can not believe i'm alive during this time rn

charles_leclerc: rumour is you can transfer to UoMonaco

yourusername: charlie you know i can't 🤭

userfive: CHARLIE STOP I CANNOT TAKE THIS I DONT EVEN KNOW THESE PEOPLE AH

usersix: i am sick🤧

userseven: time to start wondering around aimlessly in monaco and pray for the best

the end.

[reysdriver]

Drunk Walk Home | R.L.

You take your drunk boyfriend up to his dorm after a party — remus x fem!reader fluff

warnings: alcohol, remus gets drunk, underage drinking

words: 1k

You had come to the party with your boyfriend, Remus, at the beginning of the night. When you met by your dorm and went down to the Gryffindor common room, you two were almost immediately whisked away from each other by your friends. Remus had gone with James, Sirius, and Peter to play some drinking game, while you hung out with Marlene and Lily. 

You had lost track of time since you had arrived, and likely would have stayed until the morning if it weren't for Remus coming up behind you, gently wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing your neck while you were listening to Lily tell the story of James' latest attempt at wooing her. 

"Hi." You said as a goofy grin strung itself across your face. 

Lily paused her story when she noticed him embracing you. You could smell the potent air of firewhiskey surrounding him and figured that he had lost whatever game he was playing with the other Marauders. 

"Hi, love." He slurred. "I missed you."

"You brought me to this party a few hours ago." You giggled. 

"Maybe, but it feels like it's been forever."

You looked over at Lily and Marlene, who both waved you off, telling you that you should be taking Remus to get some rest. 

"Well, that just tells me we should be getting you back to your dorm for the night."

"No, no. I wanna stay and listen to Lily tell you about how James asked her out. James told us this was finally the time she said 'yes'."

Lily's eyes widened. "He's telling people that? I'm going to kill him! Goodnight, you two. Marls, I'll be back." Lily said as she stormed off to find James. 

"I'm going to go see what she's going to do to him. Goodnight, if you're leaving." Marlene said to you, then followed Lily.

You realised that while they were talking, Remus had let go of your figure. You turned back around to face him. "Alright, come on, we need to get you upstairs." 

 "No, I've barely seen you today, I want to stay here with my girlfriend." He whined. 

"I'm coming with you, obviously." You told him. "Someone has to stop you from falling and hitting your head when you try to go up the stairs."

"I'm not going to hit my head on the stairs." He said, rolling his eyes. 

"No, because I'll be there to stop you."

He looked pensive—as pensive as someone on the verge of blacking out could be, that is—then he looked down at you again. "Okay, fine, I'll go with you."  

You flashed him a happy smile. "Perfect. Do you need to hold on to me while you walk? You can hold my hand." 

"I don't need to, but I will because I love you and I just want to hold your hand." 

"That works for me."

You held your hand for him to take, which he gladly accepted. You lead him through the crowds of students, saying goodnight to all your friends as you passed by them on the way to the dormitories.

You went slowly up the stairs to make sure Remus didn't fall, but it was relatively easy since he held onto the wall as he trudged up to his room.

You opened the door and let the two of you into his dorm.

"Okay, c'mon, love." You said, closing the door behind you. "You've got to get changed and ready for bed."

You turned around, going to grab the water bottle from his nightstand to give to him, when you felt Remus' familiar lips on your cheeks, kissing you from behind.

He spun you around, his lips staying on your jaw.

"Remus, what are you doing?" You asked him softly.

"What does it look like?"

"Something you shouldn't be doing tonight." You told him.

He sighed and stood up straight. "I can't kiss my beautiful girlfriend?" 

"Not when you're drunk and you need to sleep." 

"I don't need to sleep, you need to sleep." He pouted.

You rolled your eyes slightly. "Yes, I'll be going to sleep too."

"With me?"

"Do you want me to stay the night?"

You looked up into his eyes and saw a hopeful twinkle in his eyes as his lips curved into a faint smile.

"I always want you to stay with me." 

"Okay, well then, take a big drink of water for me, change out of your whiskey-soaked clothes, and get ready for bed, and I'll stay here."

You watched as he walked over to his nightstand, taking a swig from the water bottle. 

"Will you read to me?"

You smiled, happy Remus was still in want of your company, even in his inebriated state. 

"If you do the rest of the things I asked, then, of course. Do you need help with any of it?"

He shook his head, then stopped when it obviously gave him a stinging headache. "No, no, you just sit down all pretty like always and find the book you'll read to me."

He turned around and gathered a pair of plaid pyjama pants as you grabbed a book from his bedside table and settled under his blanket. He cursed himself out several times while he was getting ready when he stumbled or hit himself on some inanimate object, but he still insisted he didn't need help. 

You waited a few more minutes for your boyfriend to get changed and clean himself up before he walked over to meet you under the covers of his dormitory bed. 

You looked over at him with a cute grin as you held out your hand for him to take as he laid down. "Hi, Remmy." You whispered. 

"Hi, love." He said as he crawled into the bed beside you. He laid his head on your chest and you began to comb your fingers through his sandy brown locks, holding the book in one hand.

"Do you want me to start reading now?" You asked quietly, pressing a kiss atop his head.

"Start whenever you'd like." He said, already half asleep in your arms.

[allgoldenelite]

Translation of various things surrounding DDT 8/25 (Ibushi's return match)

It's a long one, so click to read it all after the cut

On the mic after the match, Ibushi said:

In these 20 years I've been wrestling, there truly were times when I didn't know if I liked pro wrestling or not. Coming back to the DDT ring and being able to have a match here, it really made wrestling seem fun again. But my love for wrestling is still only at 60%. It's not enough for 100%, but from now on I will get into the ring in AEW and DDT and gradually find my own true wrestling style that's fun to me. Endô, let's have a singles match next. I'm always waiting.

Kôroku Yuya:

I was no match that presence that changes the atmosphere of where he is just by being there, or that aura he has. It was a good experience to get a taste of Ibushi Kôta live like that. But I have to defy him, don't I? There are many passionate guys among the rookies in DDT right now that you don't even know about. Remember that. Thank you for the nice inspiration.

During their backstage comments, Ueno and Mao were more critical of Ibushi coming back to DDT. Ueno said:

We're here right now because Ibushi built the history of DDT. But him coming back to DDT is nothing amazing. What is Ibushi going to do in DDT? What are we going to do in the future? That's [what I want you to] look at. I lost but I'll go forward.

And MAO said:

The guys who had their dreams together with Ibushi Kôta, they can't forget the era in which they dreamed together with him, they'll chase after the shadow of that time their entire lives. How do you think we've been feeling when we built our own era after that?! I don't care about Ibushi this Kôta that, but 'that time' is over! We are the now! We lived through the hard times, and even after DDT was picked up by CyberAgent when the numbers were low, they were still a bit low after that—that the numbers are finally looking good again, that's thanks to the era we built! Don't take us for idiots! You middle-aged lot, don't give yourself up to the 'golden star syndrome'. Wake up. We are the current generation.

To which Ibushi said:

A return to DDT after a long time I'm dead tired, but it felt like something nostalgic, something new. I'm going to physically stay a heavyweight for a bit... It was fun, but, well, I don't have any interest at all in the criticism? inferioty complex? of the rest of the roster and I don't want to get involved with that at all, so I'm going to ignore it. It crossed my mind if [he?] is going to do that kind of wrestling again, but Endô has really grown!"

Oh, these people are the aces? I guess they're from a generation I'm not familiar with [typo]. Either way I'm tired of superfluous jealousy so if this repeats I can always fade out, and also please get bigger crowds again, in the future I won't accept that kind [typo] of jealousy even if it's in wrestling. I'll leave I got AEW too"

And then Ueno had this to say (reposted by MAO and Chris):

For me it's not at all like that. Neither myself nor MAO has any kind of criticism of you or feels inferior to you, Ibushi. It's simply about the problem with the stance of those people who share their opinions. If you could, I'd implore you to watch our backstage comments again. I'm sorry it's about us, but please forgive us if our language is rough. I think the fact that [people] feel nostalgic about the DDT that you built under Takagi, and what the current you is going to build in DDT from now on, are two completely different things. Please don't just look at the past, but at DDT as it is now, as a promotion, as the individuals. It's not just about what's happening right now. The present continues a bit into the future. That's our DDT, us who're living in the now. The DDT the way I see it. It's extremely sad to see this as jealousy or inferiority complex or something like that, that's just unfortunate. I'll show [people] everything I've acquired as a human being. I think that if we can't shift our focus because there are other places, then that's the last stop for us as we are now. If you are born of Takagi Sanshirô and wrestling is fun for you to experience, then please experience DDT until you've had enough. Please don't give up on yourself or others. It's all in DDT. If singles are easier to do then let's have one immediately. We're the children of Takagi Sanshirô, so let's enjoy this. It'd be a waste [not to].

Chris:

At the end of the day, pro wrestling is a fight, so if someone snaps at you, you should snap back. I think no one is expressing petty jealousy, and I think if you think that we are then you have a pretty narrow world view. And the people who are blindly agreeing with that kind of misunderstanding aren't helping the situaton, either. DDT is a kind place with kind people, so let's enjoy this together. If it's not from the heart we won't get anything out of it, after all.

Mita Sayoko:

When Endo asked Ibushi, 'Ibushi, do you love pro wrestling' and Ibushi answered in his actual voice, 'I do', I remembered that time in 2013 at the show in Ryôgoku when Dieno and Ibushi, after their singles match, had this back-and-forth: 'Ibushi, why do you wrestle?' 'Because I love it'.

[the actual back-and-forth took place before Ryôgoku, and went like this:]

Dieno: “Thank you very much for so thoroughly and utterly smashing me to pieces for daring to think I could win even a little bit. Oh, damn it! Ibushi, can I ask you something? Why are you wrestling?” Ibushi: “Because it’s fun.” Dieno: “What a coincidence. [I feel so] too. One more, why are you in DDT?” Ibushi: “Because I love it, because I love it here.”

Ibushi also replied to the first post in this thread:

I really was so lost that I weighed in my mind whether I loved it or hated it. A lot of things raced through [my head]. When I asked myself how I would feel if I didn't have pro wrestling anymore right now, I knew definitely that if it went away I would regret it. I've only ever had like, one regret in my life, but this one I would regret! So then I said, "I do [love it]."

[back to Mita:]

Endo belongs to the last generation in DDT who were deeply influenced by Ibushi, and Ibushi's not just the wrestler who inspired him to become a wrestler but 'someone I will always look up to'. I'm really glad that they each came up through an era when pro wrestling is unbelievable and that I could see with my own eyes the day when they could face each other in a DDT ring [after that]."

And then MAO comes along and throws a fastball at these sentimental feelings. When I saw him yell, "You middle-aged lot, don't give yourself up to the 'golden star syndrome'! Do you have any idea how hard we worked since then?! That era is over!", I felt like I couldn't just carelessly say "I want to see a match with Ibushi and the DNA generation after him" anymore,

and furthermore I knew that Ueno, who had lost his championship and had been made to talk about Ibushi only after his match, was [also] thinking, don't take us for idiots, so I trudged home, thinking around in circles about everything.

Dieno on his blog (this was the free part, there is also a paid one):

First, I should say, 'Welcome back'. This is probably putting the assclusion first, but let me talk about what's great about Ibushi in DDT. It's his degree of madness. That he's a psychopath. If you forgive the crass expression, the guy is insane. But because he has an unbelievable talent for wrestling, people pay attention to him, whether it be because of his moves of his physicality or his unique, hard work, and as a result he was successful in major promotions as well, not to speak of how accepted he was. Although he went to a major promotion, his madness didn't fit in there. That's all this is about. We will never know how much Ibushi was worried when he left DDT. Some people maybe even think it wasn't good. Well, a lot happened. Sorry, but I don't care about that. What does he mean to me? That's the only basis by which I judge Ibushi.

So then he returned to DDT yesterday (8/25). He made sure to dress up in madness. I think his injuries and ring rust did have an effect on him. But this was Ibushi at his most 'Bussan' to me. The same way Endô is 'Tecchan' to me. Ibushi was 'Bussan'.

I don't care if he himself agrees or not. If he's going to be a heavyweight wrestler than he's going to get bigger for that and a build a body he can use for that. I think he will adjust that himself in the future. As far as yesterday is concerned, I think it's enough that he showed up as 'Bussan'.

I guess I'll go into detail? This is jumping around in the timeline a bit, but somehow Endô made his challenge after the main event. It feels like before that he was looking at himself and checking what it was that he himself needed right now. Through the match with Ibushi. His question to Ibushi after the match was probably also part of that. In other words 'Do you love pro wrestling?' You get it, right? Tecchan was asking himself that. In reality the answer was already there. Because he was asking that inside a wrestling ring. But for him, that was probably the last piece needed [to make his] challenge. 'I wrestled because I love wrestling. But sometimes it was difficult in wrestling. Would I continue to love wrestling despite that?' That led to him declaring his challenge after the main.

Kôroku. I'm glad he got a taste of Ibushi before the others. I don't know how Ibushi is going to wrestle for DDT in the future. But I could see him wrestling in matchups that are meaningful. Consequently I guess he won't really wrestle those with shorter careers we call rookies. Thus it's a valuable experience that shouldn't be wasted. And on top of that. Of course, I don't know if this is the correct answer. I don't know, but if I had been Kôraku, I think I would've said 'This guy is crazy' during the match. After all, he tried to asphyxiate him. So I get the feeling that he acted in this kind of position in the match. And by doing so [Kôroku] became a key person of the match. But I don't know if it's the correct way to go to repeat that over and over. It changes depending on how you want to be perceived. Wrestling is hard.

Akito controlled the match. At the very least he did for our team. Akito's control of the chaos was very effective when it came to how excessively often it was Ibushi's turn, even though this was his return match after injury. There was a way everyone conducted themselves that was like, 'Everyone wants to see Ibushi in this match.' The nerve of this guy to have this kind of important position in DDT, in deed as well as in name. How upsetting to think that, I thought in admiration.

And actually, me and Ibushi. This is important for this match. I was able to predict the fact that Akito would help 'Ibushi's match' along the way I noted earlier, so here I shoved in my story with Ibushi, as is my nature. I thought I would do it as soon as Ibushi made his entrance. I write about this in more detail in the paid part, but I understand where Ueno and Mao are coming from. I guess you could call it a concern for the "current DDT". That's why I brought my story with Ibushi here. I think the result was worth it. We mustn't go back to 8 years ago, after all. Not just the wrestlers in this match. Every wrestler in DDT right now. The whole of DDT, in a way. And neither should Ibushi. We live in the now, facing the future together with the past. ...This is the kind of thing I will get deeper into in the paid part.

[oldiesstationlover11607]

heyyyy 😋😋

as promised, i am back with a new halloween idea since the last one was SO STINKIN CUTEEEE

so im thinking RAB tyler x reader at a halloween party! like stereotypical-college halloween-frat-party type scene. (maybe reader and tyler coincidentally showed up in matching costumes lol)

tyler and reader arrived separately, but they both go to Ohio State Uni and have some classes together, so they've seen each other around. which is why they're immediately taking refuge in each other's company the wholee time. theyve both been abandoned by the friends that dragged them to that god forsaken party in the first place, and neither of them are drinking or smoking or anything, and the music sucks.

flirty banter ensuesss

and i know youve been experimenting with smut, SO i'll let you take the reins on this one a bit more.

either tyler and reader forget to leave room for jesus during the party and decide to take refuge in a bedroom together (smirk)

orrr tyler shows reader his music and they go back to his studio together for a cutesy, fluffy, musical bonding moment

can't wait to see how it comes out!!!

take care of yourself!! 🫶🏼

🕸🕸🕸🕸

Ghostbuster - Tyler Joseph x Reader

Warnings: None lol - no smut bc i wanted to keep it cute

Word Count: 2019

A/N: I literally cannot wait for this vampire fic i've got planned and this was a great warm up! keep requesting halloween stuff before it's too late!!

It was one of those chaotic nights at Ohio State in October, Halloween parties scattered across campus. But somehow, I found myself at one of the bigger and louder parties–something high school senior me would never have imagined. It was the kind of party where I’d expected to be hanging out with my friends and having a good time. But no one told me that my so-called friends would ditch me the moment they saw a dance floor crowded with zombies and vampires–though I wasn’t too surprised, vampires were the best dancers. 

I stood at the edge of the main room, arms crossed, trying not to visibly cringe at the music blaring old viral hits. The bass rattled my bones, a thudding pulse that did nothing to improve my mood. My favorite holiday was turning out to be a bust despite the amazing modern queen of hearts rocker costume I’d thrown together. I was so proud of it but none of my friends understood the reference.

I was mentally debating whether I could sneak out without anyone noticing when I spotted him. Tyler. I’d seen him around campus and in a couple of my english classes despite campus being big. He was quiet, didn’t talk much, but there was something about him that always intrigued me. Maybe it was the fact that he was always scribbling in that notebook of his, or the way he seemed to get lost in thought even when the professor was droning on about literary theory. He was standing awkwardly by a wall across the room, tugging at the sleeves of his shirt. He was dressed as a Ghostbuster, of all things, and somehow the outfit looked just right on him—oversized jumpsuit, clunky proton pack, and a slightly bewildered expression like he’d rather be anywhere else. I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Tyler, in his quiet, introverted glory, standing amidst the chaos of a college Halloween party, looked almost comically out of place.

I hesitated, debating whether I should go talk to him. We’d only ever exchanged a few words in class, the typical “do you have the notes?” or “what did you think of that reading?” kind of conversations. But something in me felt drawn to him tonight, maybe because I knew exactly how he felt—trapped in a place where we didn’t belong, surrounded by people who didn’t really see us.

Before I could second-guess myself, I started making my way over, weaving through a mess of slutty witches. When I reached him, he looked up, his brown eyes wide with mild surprise.

“Hey,” I said, trying not to sound as awkward as I felt. “Busting ghosts solo tonight?”

His lips twitched into a small smile. “Yeah, you know, it’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

I laughed, the sound bright and unexpected, even to me. “Well, you’re doing a great job standing guard by this wall. Any ghost sightings yet?”

“Not yet,” he said, leaning back slightly as if relaxing in my presence. “But I’m staying vigilant.”

“Good call.” I tilted my head, giving him an exaggerated once-over. “Love the costume, by the way. You went all out.”

He looked down at himself, shrugging with a bashful smile. “It was either this or going as a sad college student who got dragged to a party he didn’t want to go to .”

I chuckled. “That’s a little too real. Ghostbuster is a better choice.”

“And you’re the, uh, Queen of Hearts?” he asked, his gaze drifting over my costume. “But... cooler. More punk.”

“Exactly!” I said, a grin spreading across my face. “You’re the first person to get that all night.”

He smirked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I have an appreciation for good costumes. And you definitely pull it off.”

“Thanks.” We stood there for a second, just smiling at each other, the noise of the party fading into the background. It felt... easy, natural, even though we barely knew each other. And then a thought struck me, and I couldn’t help but blurt it out.

“Hey, this is going to sound crazy, but... want to get out of here?”

His eyebrows shot up. “Like... leave?”

“Yeah.” I gestured around at the rowdy crowd and pulsing lights. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly having the time of my life here. We could— I don’t know, grab a coffee or just go for a walk. Somewhere quieter?”

Tyler hesitated, glancing around as if weighing his options. Then he looked back at me, something softening in his gaze. “You know what? Yeah. Let’s do it.”

A few minutes later, we were outside, the crisp autumn air biting at our skin as we stepped away from the thumping bass of the party. The street was lined with other groups of costumed students milling about, some shouting and laughing, others huddled together in quieter conversations. But for the first time all night, I felt like I could breathe.

Tyler walked beside me, hands shoved into his pockets, the plastic proton pack bouncing lightly against his back. We didn’t say much at first, just strolled aimlessly through the leaf-covered streets, the noise of the party fading behind us. After a few blocks, we found ourselves at a small park tucked away between campus buildings, its winding paths lit by dim streetlights and the faint glow of jack-o’-lanterns set out along the walkway.

“Wow, this place is cute,” I murmured, taking in the rows of glowing pumpkins and the few scattered benches. “Never knew it was here.”

“Me neither,” Tyler said softly, his gaze sweeping over the scene. “I guess we’re both discovering new things tonight.”

We wandered over to a bench near the center, where a particularly intricate pumpkin carving of a haunted house flickered softly. Tyler glanced at it, then looked at me, a curious smile on his lips.

“So, what made you pick the Queen of Hearts? You don’t seem like the ‘off with their heads’ type.”

I laughed, sitting down on the bench and crossing my legs. “It’s more about the aesthetic. I wanted something bold, something that stood out, but with a twist. Plus, I had to wear a crown at some point in my life, right?”

“Right.” He nodded seriously, but his eyes were sparkling with humor. “And you look good in one.”

“Thank you,” I said, tipping my imaginary crown at him. “Now, what about you Mr Buster? I mean, besides the obvious ‘saving the world’ angle.”

He shrugged, settling beside me on the bench. “I like old movies. The classics. Ghostbusters just felt... I don’t know, nostalgic? Plus, I already had the jumpsuit from last year.”

“Recycling costumes?” I teased. “I’m not sure if that’s very ‘heroic’ of you.”

“Heroes have to be practical, too.” He grinned, then looked down at his hands, which were resting on his knees. “Honestly, I just didn’t want to be something flashy. I’m not really a... center-of-attention kind of guy.”

I nodded slowly, understanding more than I expected to. “No, I get that. But still, you came out tonight. That’s more than a lot of people would do.”

“Yeah, well.” He looked up at me, his expression thoughtful. “Maybe it wasn’t a total waste.”

The way he said it, so quietly, made my heart skip a beat. I swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous in a way I hadn’t been before. This was more than just two classmates killing time together. There was something here, something I wanted to explore, even if it scared me a little.

“So, what do you usually do, if not parties?” I asked, shifting the conversation slightly to steady myself.

Tyler leaned back, his gaze turning distant for a moment. “I, uh... I spend a lot of time making music. Writing songs, recording. It’s kind of my escape, I guess.”

I perked up, curiosity sparking. “Really? That’s awesome. I always wondered what you were scribbling in that notebook during class.”

He smiled, a little sheepishly. “Yeah, it’s mostly lyrics. Stuff I don’t really show people.”

“Can I hear some of it?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, but I didn’t want to take it back.

Tyler looked at me, eyes wide, then glanced away, biting his lip. “Maybe. I mean, if you want to. My studio’s not far from here.”

My heart jumped. Studio? “You have a studio?”

“More like a basement with some equipment,” he said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. “But... yeah. I could show you, if you’re interested.”

I didn’t even hesitate. “I’d love that.”

The “studio” turned out to be in the basement of an off-campus house Tyler shared with a couple of other music majors. The room was small but packed with gear—guitars leaning against the walls, a keyboard set up in one corner, and a laptop surrounded by mics and cables on a desk covered in sheets of scribbled lyrics. It smelled faintly of old books and coffee, and it was a little messy, but it was cozy, too. I could see pieces of Tyler in every corner.

“Sorry, it’s kind of... chaotic,” he said, glancing around with an embarrassed smile.

“I like it,” I said honestly, stepping further inside and taking it all in. “Feels... lived in.”

Tyler relaxed a little, moving over to his computer and opening up a file. The sound filled the small space like magic. Then he glanced up at me, his expression shy but open.

“Mind you this is super rough, and I–”

“It’s good,” I interrupted and he nodded, smiling to himself. 

His voice, soft and warm, filled the room, and the melody wrapped around me like magic. The song was raw, beautiful, and filled with a mix of longing and hope. As he sang, I felt like I was seeing a side of him that no one else had—the real Tyler, not the quiet guy from class.

When the last note faded into the air, I just stared at him, completely speechless.

“That was incredible,” I finally managed, my voice full of awe.

He ducked his head, a blush creeping up his cheeks. “Thanks. I wasn’t sure if you’d like it.”

“I did. I definitely did.”

He looked up at me, a small, genuine smile tugging at his lips. For a moment, we just sat there, grinning at each other. Then, the room fell into a comfortable silence, the kind that didn’t need filling with words. It felt... nice.

Tyler scratched the back of his neck, glancing at me shyly. “So, um... I know it’s getting kind of late, but... if you don’t want to go back yet, you could stay a bit longer? We could, like, listen to more music or just... hang out?” He hesitated for a beat, then added, “I think it’d be cool to get to know you better.”

My heart did a little flip at the invitation. “I'd love to.”

His smile widened, and then, as if realizing something, he fumbled in his pocket. “Uh, here—let me give you my number, you know, in case... well, you don’t have to leave right away or anything, but just in case.”

I grinned as we exchanged numbers, the moment feeling so sweet and simple, like it was the beginning of something special. I added him on social media too, our phones pinging softly as the connections were made.

As we settled back in, the music softly playing in the background, Tyler glanced over at me, his voice soft. “So... you want to stay the night? I mean, not in a weird way—just, we can keep listening to music and hanging out. No pressure, but... I think it'd be fun.”

My heart warmed at the offer, and I nodded, smiling at him. “Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

And just like that, what had started as a chaotic, disappointing night turned into one I knew I’d remember forever. Sitting there with Tyler, in his cozy makeshift studio, with the soft hum of music around us, I felt like I’d stumbled into something unexpected and wonderful. And I didn’t want it to end anytime soon.

//

REQUESTS OPEN

[scarlettjohanssons-mistress]

Anything Scarlett x reader 🥰

One night, or maybe more

Warnings: First meet, fluff, night adventure

Word count: 1.1 K

Pairing: Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

Prompt: Scarlett meets a girl who makes her feel like one more person, so, she invites her to spend a fun night with her all over town.

Requests: OPEN

[Main masterlist] [Actors and actresses masterlist]

*Story based, partially, on real events*

"Ok, anyway, can you explain why I'm helping you choose clothes for a celebrity-filled event?"

My roommate and friend, Clara asked as she helped me get every last piece of clothing out of my closet.

"I already told you, my classmate from Italian literature class, Veronica, was invited to the party thanks to her Youtube channel, and since her best friend canceled, she thought of inviting me" I said as I began to connect the iron for the hair

"Wow, who do you think you know?"

"I don't know, I might know Henry Cavill himself" I joked, knowing that he would not be present at the party.

“Girl, never say never” She slapped my arm playfully “What do you think of these pants and this shirt with the back uncovered? It looks party-worthy, it's sexy and elegant. It's an 'I'm a bitch, but I'm an expensive bitch '”

We both laughed, but, she was somewhat right, it was worthy of a party the magnitude of tonight's.

"Clara, you are magnificent"

———————————————————————————

To say that it was a party full of celebrities was an understatement for the amount of famous people that were in that place. Figures like Jennifer Aniston, Chris Evans and even Madonna were present at the party, enjoying a cocktail.

"Wow, when you said famous, I didn't think it would be so many famous" I joked with Veronica

“I know, I didn't expect this quality either” she returned the joke, suddenly someone approached her and began to speak in her ear until she walked away “hey, I have to go interview the person who invited us; I hope I won't be long"

"Do not worry it's alright"

"Don't get lost" she said goodbye with a wink and a squeeze to my right arm

"No" I returned the smile seeing how he began to walk away "I'll stay here"

My gaze began to travel all around me, feeling a little self-conscious about the people, the noise and the great amount of talent that surrounded me, making me feel small, like a little ant.

Trying to get that feeling out of my body, I decided to walk to the small bar and ask the bartender for a drink.

———————————————————————————

After sitting for a long time, taking drink after drink, I felt like a body collided with my back.

"Forgiveness"

I turned my head just to see that famous blonde hair, green eyes and that big smile.

Holy crap, Scarlett Johansson had bumped into me!

She ordered a drink, but surely she felt my gaze on her body, so she returned the gaze, causing me to look away and bow my head.

"I've never met you before, are you new to the guild?"

I turned my head, just to confirm that her question was directed at me.

"No, they invited me" I saw how her look changed, so I hastened to answer again "but don't worry, I'm not here in fan mode. Just… you know, I coming to party”

"Well, thank goodness" she laughed, placing a hand on my bare shoulder. "Well…"

"Y/N, my name is Y/N."

"Well, Y/N, what's a girl like you doing here?"

“I just came to accompany a classmate from the university…”

"University? What are you studying?"

"Literature"

“That sounds interesting… where do you study?”

"Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude, but why would an Oscar-nominated actress like you take an interest in the life of a college girl?"

She took the glass that had been brought to her and toasted my drink, forgotten on the bar.

"I'm just… interested in the life of a pretty girl"

The conversation was only going up, it didn't even seem like she was talking to one of the biggest stars on the planet. We were just two women having a light flirt as we got to know each other more and more. Until, little by little, the room became more and more crowded, making the conversation more difficult to carry.

"Damn, people are starting to tire me out" Scarlett began to complain, as she took the last sip of her drink "Do you want to get out of here?" she ask

"Where?"

"I know a place where we can have fun" she took my right hand, forcing me to get up from my seat and guiding me to the exit of the place.

Taking me on a late night adventure.

———————————————————————————

Scarlett took me on an express tour of New York City, she knew I hadn't had the chance to meet her in the few days of my stay, so she showed me everything there was to see. I took some photos in Times Square, we went through the art museum, we bothered a guard at the Empire State and I even took some of the statue of liberty. When I least wanted to realize it, Scarlett had brought me to the door of what looked like a school.

"What are we doing here?" I asked, watching as she brushed aside the vines to reveal a hole through which we could pass.

"Come, trust me"

And even so, without knowing her at all, beyond a public figure, still, I trusted her.

I got into the school and let her guide me to the pool and watching how she began to undress.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I started laughing at the strange situation I was getting myself into.

"Do you want to swim?" When she was in her underwear, she quickly got into the pool, laughing and swimming until she was close to me again. "Did you know that I studied here?"

“Really?” I asked as I began to remove my pants "Turn around, I don't have a bra"

"If you want you can wear my shirt"

I took off my own blouse to put on Scarlett's and get into the pool. We both started playing and swimming.

When I least wanted to realize it, Scarlett's lips were on mine, in a heated kissing session, but with her hands holding my cheeks, trying not to bother me. She was just trying to be gentle with me, with soft but constant kisses; until the noise of my phone interrupted us. I quickly got out of the pool and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?" asked Veronica

"Damn, I left the place, but I'm coming back now"

"I'll wait for you. You have 20 minutes to arrive”

"It's fine"

and hung up

"I have to go" I said as I began to dry myself and put on my own clothes.

Without realizing it, Scarlett got out of the pool and hugged my hips from behind.

"When I could see you?"

"You have my phone" I laughed "Just dial me and you could send a private plane for me" I joked with her, causing her tender laughter

"Maybe I will." she kissed my cheek.

"See you then" I kissed her lips.

"See you"

Note:

I don't know if I can post these days, but if I don't post before December 24, I'll do it until December 28, so… MERRY CHRISTMAS!, LOVE YOU VERY MUCH. Thank you very much for making this year a wonderful year. I love you (I know I already said it, bear a little more of my love) ❤

I hope you enjoy it

I appreciate the reblogs, the likes and the comments

taglist: @littlebitchsposts

message me or send an ask to be added to my taglist!

[myadalastdon]

DECEIVED EMOTIONS .

Kyle spencer X female reader

Part one

1.4k words

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ [𝚈/𝙽 𝙿𝙾𝚅] ࿐ྂ

"Hey can you stand here for me? I need to use the bathroom right quick." My roomate hayden told me. I nodded. I tried pulling my dress down a little. Because it was too short and tight. I hate wearing tight revealing clothes.

I normally wear baggy clothes. But my friend hayden said that you can't go to a frat party with baggy clothes on. So she gave me one of her dresses from out of her closet.

Which were slutty and short. I feel so disgusted. I don't know why we are here. She says that i need to have fun and catch a dick. I really wanna go home. Parties aren't my scene.

While standing here alone. My eyes scanned my surroundings. There were people dancing. No they were literally bumping and grinding on the dancefloor.

I shook my head. Walking through everyone. I never been to a party. Yes i'm a sophomore in college and i never been to a party. Not even in high school.

I know it's embarrassing but i just don't do parties. I looked around in awe. This is interesting. I saw a ice sculpture. It looked real nice.

I also felt eyes on me. It was a boy. He was staring at me. I didn't feel creeped out or anything. He was just staring at me like i was the only one in the room. I stared back at him.

We were staring at each other through the ice sculpture. He was cute. But definitely not my type. I smiled at him. He smiled back at me.

I walked away to find somewhere to sit down. I was tired of standing. I made my way through the crowd of people. I was so lost. So i just stood in front of the stairwell.

While standing there. The same boy that was staring at me walked up to me with a cup in his hand. Is he following me? How did be find me?

"Hey. I thought you looked thirsty." He says, handing me the cup that was in his hand. I let out a chuckle.

"Is that your superpower. You can sense hydration?" I said. He smiles at me. "One of them."

"Ah a frat boy right? I think frats are full of fascists." I said crossing my arms. The blonde hair boy let's out a laugh.

"I don't mind being reduced to a stereotype, but... i'm on a scholarship." He tells me. He was so cute. The question is why is he talking to me. There are much prettier girls around here dancing. "My mom lives down in the ninth ward. Besides, didn't you come here with a movie star?"

I laughed. "Yeah. What does that supposed to mean?"

He shrugs his shoulders. "I dunno. I'm kyle by the way. You must me be?.."

"Y/n." I added. He had his hand out for me to shake, i shook his hand. God his hands are soft. We were talking about random stuff.

"Really? How come i never see you around here?" He asked. I shrugged my shoulders. "I just stay out the way, i guess."

"Wow." He says.

"I don't wanna talk about me anymore, okay?" I said. He was a frat boy. And i know how they are. They like to talk to you till they get into your pants. And i'm not letting that happen ever.

"You're the first hot girl. I ever met. Who doesn't want to talk about herself." Kyle says to me. "There's got to be something wrong with you."

I laugh. He does have a point. But I don't trust him. I have to remember he's a frat boy.

He covers his face. "I know. You have a boyfriend."

"No, I don't." I answered. I sighed deeply. "Kyle i like you. But it's not gonna work out. Have you seen my friend?"

He sighs. I walk away so i can find hayden. I looked everywhere for her all around this house. I walked back to where kyle was.

"Hey, I can't find her anywhere." I said letting out a breath. "What, you think she ditched you?"

I scoffed.

"I'll look around upstairs. Hang on." He says, patting my shoulder. I just stood there and waited for him. "Hey, i looked around everywhere. She isn't up there."

Hearing yelling. "Nevermind. I know where she is."

He grabs my hand. We walked through the crowd of people. And there was hayden. She was sitting on someone's lap. There was a group of people sitting on the couches.

"There she is! Y/n we we're playing truth or dare. C'mon girl." She gets up from the boy lap and grabs my arm.

"We're gonna have so much fun! I see you met kyle." She smirks. We sat down on the couch.

"These are my friends. Autumn, brittney, and heidi." Hayden introduces me to her friends. I waved at them. "Hey." I said shyly.

"Where did the boys go? We're supposed to be playing truth or dare." Autumn whined.

"Relax. They went to go grab some drinks." Heidi assured. A few minutes and the boys had came back. I met them and they seem cool.

"So who's up first?" One of the frat brothers asked. His name is tyler. He is an asshole.

"Kyle." Everyone says. He lets out a sigh. "Okay what?"

"Truth or dare." Derrick asks him. "Truth." Kyle answers. He eyes derrick for a couple of seconds.

"Is it true that you actually banged peyton last year?" He asked kyle.

"Dude no. That never happened." Kyle says, he picks up a cup that was full of beer and chugged it.

Ew.

"Okay now its y/n turn." Hayden turns to me. All eyes were now on me. I swallowed a lump of salvia.

"I'll do the honors of asking her." Heidi smirks. Something was off about her. I don't like it not one bit.

"Fine. Whatever." I muttered. "So y/n truth or dare?"

"Dare." I challenged. Everyone around me gasped. "Okay. I dare you to make out with kyle for one minute."

My eyes widened. "I'm not doing that."

"Yes you are. It's either that or go skinny dipping in the pool." She smirked with her arms crossed. I'm not skinny dipping in no cold ass pool. And I'm definitely not taking my clothes off even though it feels like I don't have any on.

"Fine i'll kiss him." I said sighing. "Okay. I'm going to set a timer on my phone for one minute. Now get to kissing."

I bit my lip nervously. "You don't have to do this." Kyle whispered in my ear.

"It's fine." I assured. I never kissed anyone before. Well i kissed someone in grade school. It was more of a peck though. And it was spin the bottle.

I grabbed him by his collar pulling him towards me. We were now facing each other.

"The timer starts now." Heidi says quickly. Kyle stared into my eyes, then smashed his lips into mine. The kiss started off slow. Our eyes were closed.

We kissed in sync. His lips glided over mine smoothly. His hands also moved down to my waist. My head tilted. We kissed slowly and his lips were soft.

I felt the sparks between the kiss. I also felt safe. His fingers tips pressed against my skin. I never felt so safe and his touch made me wanna risk it all.

My heart was beating with excitement.

Before his tongue could slide into my mouth. We were interrupted by the timer beeping.

"OKAY STOP!" Heidi yelled. She was laughing. We opened our eyes and kyle smirks at me. I blushed. My cheeks were a rosy color.

"That was nice." He smiles at me. His eyes weren't dark anymore. They were just his regular eye color. Chocolate brown.

"Yeah." I agreed. Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I bit my lip. His eyes gazed at me for a couple of seconds.

"And you're a really good kisser." Kyle complimented. He wipes my lip gloss from his lips.

"Thank you. It was my first time." I blushed. His eyes widen. "Wow."

The whole night we played truth or dare. I'm surprised nothing got too wild. It was fun. I sat next to kyle the whole time. For some reason i felt safe around him.

"Okay guys. We have to get going." Hayden said letting out a yawn. I could agree with her. "Come on y/n lets go. I wanna sleep."

I'm so glad we are roommates. While getting myself up from the couch. Kyle grabs my arm. "When will i see you again?"

"I don't know. You'll have to find me pretty boy." I tell him, then tapped his nose. He bits his lip. "Okay that's fine by me."

"See you around kyle." I said. "See you around y/n."

He let's go of my arm. And smiles at me.

With that. Hayden and i. Leave the frat house. Kyle and that kiss we shared was all i could think about.

[mustachedmushroom]

eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Oinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Oute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-

if this post gets 5k notes before december 15th i will do my geography presentation (and present it infront of my class) before the due date

[sharkchanic]

But some of them don't. - How'd you get back? - Poodle. You did it, and I'm glad. You saw whatever you wanted to see. You had your "experience." Now you can pick out your job and be normal. - Well... - Well? Well, I met someone. You did? Was she Bee-ish? - A wasp?! Your parents will kill you! - No, no, no, not a wasp. - Spider? - I'm not attracted to spiders. I know it's the hottest thing, with the eight legs and all. I can't get by that face. So who is she? She's... human. No, no. That's a bee law. You wouldn't break a bee law. - Her name's Vanessa. - Oh, boy. She's so nice. And she's a florist! Oh, no! You're dating a human florist! We're not dating. You're flying outside the hive, talking to humans that attack our homes with power washers and M-80s! One-eighth a stick of dynamite! She saved my life! And she understands me. This is over! Eat this. This is not over! What was that? - They call it a crumb. - It was so stingin' stripey! And that's not what they eat. That's what falls off what they eat! - You know what a Cinnabon is? - No. It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up... Sit down! ...really hot! - Listen to me! We are not them! We're us. There's us and there's them! Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning? There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me! You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee! - Thinking bee. - Thinking bee. Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! There he is. He's in the pool. You know what your problem is, Barry? I gotta start thinking bee? How much longer will this go on? It's been three days! Why aren't you working? I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about. What life? You have no life! You have no job. You're barely a bee! Would it kill you to make a little honey? Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you. Martin, would you talk to him? Barry, I'm talking to you! You coming? Got everything? All set! Go ahead. I'll catch up. Don't be too long. Watch this! Vanessa! - We're still here. - I told you not to yell at him. He doesn't respond to yelling! - Then why yell at me? - Because you don't listen! I'm not listening to this. Sorry, I've gotta go. - Where are you going? - I'm meeting a friend. A girl? Is this why you can't decide? Bye. I just hope she's Bee-ish. They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena? To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream! Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering. A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events? No. All right, I've got one. How come you don't fly everywhere? It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster. Yeah, OK, I see, I see. All right, your turn. TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane! You don't have that? We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease. Oh, my. Dumb bees! You must want to sting all those jerks. We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us. So you have to watch your temper. Very carefully. You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust. Oh, my goodness! Are you OK? Yeah. - What is wrong with you?! - It's a bug. He's not bothering anybody. Get out of here, you creep! What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular? Yeah, it was. How did you know? It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit. You've really got that down to a science. - I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue. - I'll bet. What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this? How did this get here? Cute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select? - Is he that actor? - I never heard of him. - Why is this here? - For people. We eat it. You don't have enough food of your own? - Well, yes. - How do you get it? - Bees make it. - I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it! There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing! - It's organic. - It's our-ganic! It's just honey, Barry. Just what?! Bees don't know about his! This is stealing! A lot of stealing!

"god, how long is this-"

[the-art-in-arthesia-is-loud]

"My Disappointment Is Immeasurable and My Day Is Ruined."

THW TITLW IS A JOKE BUT THE WHOLE THING UTC IS NOT 💀

———

"Ah, so you're the God of Light."

This is an unexpected kind of greeting that Hikaru would get, but nonetheless, he got it.

Maybe visiting Aegle City isn't that much of a good idea. A lot of the citizens seem to be very hostile of him. He doesn't exactly know why, though. He has been...very out of touch with whatever is going on in the living world.

"Uh...why yes. That is me." Hikaru awkwardly responded to the lavender haired man standing before him. The man, who is dubbed 'The Aegleseeker' by many of the people in this city, gave him a rather sour look. He seems rather disappointed in the God for whatever reason. Hikaru still isn't sure why, either.

Oh Amazing Mighty, if only Tessi or Fate could've at least filled him in on what the hell happened here.

"You. I have a lot of things to say to you." The Aegleseeker said, his voice tone indicating that he isn't fucking around. There's no point in fucking around here, anyways. The atmosphere between the two is already tense enough to make the both of them go into serious mode. "I guess I can understand. I don't...exactly know what happened in this place, so maybe if you could fill me in—"

"What do you mean, "you don't know what happened in this place"? You're a God. You should know by now. God sees all, they say." Aegleseeker cuts in, not sparing anymore time to voice out his concerns. "When Aegle City lost its light, you didn't even do shit. "I don't know what exactly happened here!", my fucking ass."

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know! Not even The Testifier herself told me anything about whatever the hell happened here!" Hikaru explained, but it doesn't seem like The Aegleseeker is buying it. "Hmph, you shouldn't be relying on the other Gods to even KNOW what the fuck happened to this place! Are you dumb or what?"

"No, I'm not! How would I even become a God in the first place if I was dumb?" Hikaru asked. Aegleseeker sighed. "Look, listen—" "No, YOU listen! You're the God of Light! You're supposed to be the one who helps the city of literal light! When Aegle City didn't even have any light in it, who provided it? Nobody!"

"And who brought light back to the city? Me, right? Not you. You didn't even do shit. I shouldn't even call you a God if you're not even doing anything about that." Hikaru only remained silent, nodding his head as a way to tell the other man he understood everything he said. Now that Hikaru thinks about it, he does feel bad.

"Alright, alright. I'll admit it, I am in the wrong here, and because of that, I'd like to apologize." He spoke, which caught Aegleseeker's attention immediately. The man only glared at the God, there is clear disappointment in his eyes. "I...I am a bit disappointed in you, and I get that you actually finally admit that you're wrong and you do want to apologize, but..."

The Aegleseeker paused for a bit, before inhaling. "...Not even an apology can make up for not being with us when we truly need it." "Then what can I do?!" Hikaru then frantically asked. He just wants to make up for it. But if an apology wouldn't work, then what would?!

"Nothing."

The answer was simple, yet it hurts Hikaru a bit.

He can't do anything.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter to me anymore. Arguing with you even further about this will only make me feel even worse, so I'll be taking my leave now. As for everyone else, you..."

Aegleseeker's words can only fade out as Hikaru's thoughts get clouded with that one word.

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

"Nothing."

...

"Nothing..." He muttered, and before he even realized it, the large crowd surrounding him and The Aegleseeker have moved on with their day.

And Aegleseeker himself is no longer near him.

[kandadiff]

Taste of Venom : The Red Room

~

Walking into the red light of The Red Room, made me tense with Anxiety. The bouncer let us in right away and I'm surprised he didn't send away the people desperate to make it in the exclusive club.

Inside, the music pumped onto the dance floor that was lined with various members of the Red Dragon. "We're surrounded." Nate whispered and while I didn't like him. He was right. I looked up at Negan but before I could say anything he shook his head ending it. I knew he thought of this, which is why Rio was also here with Makayla on his arm.

I thought about how much I would miss her and then my thoughts flashed to the knitted mask in my bag. I brought all three in case, quickly stuffing them in my purse before Negan or Simon could notice. I could bring her. But what about Katya?

I sucked in a deep breath seeing Jennie walking towards us. "G's in the VIP section, I can bring you there."

"You guys go." I said looking up at the looming black rails that cut the VIP section away from everyone else. "I'm going to go to the bathroom first."

"Are you sure?" Negan eyed me and I rolled my eyes.

"🌶I'm not going to leave." I whispered harshly at him. "🌶I'm going to pee. Can I do that, warden?"

His jaw tightened at my words but he gave a curt nod and followed Jennie. I waited for them to be lost in the crowd before I made my way over to the bar. If I was going to do this I needed something to at least calm my nerves.

"Bay Breeze in a tall glass please." I say pulling out my purse for money.

"Min," a familiar deep voice chimed in next to me "its on me." I looked up seeing Seunghyun looking at me from the end of the bar. the bartender nodded, moving to make the drink and I gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you." I mumbled and he motioned to the seat next to him. I hesitantly sat down. I watched the bartender mix the various juices and liquor into mixers until he was done. He handed me my drink and after accepting a thank you from the both os us. He left us alone. I wasn't sure what to say so I didn't sat anything, instead tracing patterns on the glass.

"I need to ask you a question," he said then chuckled "well maybe two." I nodded and turned to face him. He sighed and looked at me for a few moments, flashes of our past coming to the surface of my mind.

"Ask me anything." I said taking a sip of my drink. "I'll tell you the truth."

"Am I going to hear news tonight that is going to upset people here?" he asked and I knew he knew. I mean it was obvious. Gd might have called the meeting under the guise of just talking with his friend but I knew it was an apology - just like the note said. I knew if GD heard rumors then he definitely told TOP about them as well. Even though the pregnancy rumor was fake - Negan did come here to announce our soon to be marriage despite the possibility that it would bring a war.

"Yes." I answered truthfully.

He nodded and took a deep drink of his scotch. The ice clinked in the glass as he put it down. "Are you happy?"

I chuckled in spite of myself and mimicked him - taking a deep drink of mine. "No."

That answer simmers between us for a few moments until my eyes spot Simon not to far away looking at me. I stood up but before I could thank him for the drink he stood up, blocking Simon from my view. He looked down at me forcing me to look up at him.

"Do you need help?" He whispered.

My heart melted at his soft tone and I stood on my tip toes, throwing my arms around his neck and he pulled me into a tight hug. "I don't know." I whispered to him.

"If you need it, you have it."

"Come on, kid." Simon's voice interrupted us. TOP let go of me and and eyed Simon who did the same to him. "We have to go." I nodded following him upstairs.

~

GD wanted to speak about business later, obviously preoccupied by something on the dance floor - though, I couldn't tell exactly who he was looking at. The boys went to speak privately leaving me with Draven, Katya and Makayla sitting at a booth, Hoodie joined us, sitting next to me wearing sunglasses. I never asked her about when she did - I knew what it meant when she did. Under those she was sporting a black bruise around one of her eyes. It was quiet between us, each of us deep in thought. I thought about who I would bring - then thought for a minute. Fuck it. I'm bringing whoever the hell I want. I couldn't choose between the three of them. Fuck it, Maddy too. She could do better than Nate.

"Listen." I said looking around and pulling out the three masks. They all looked at me then down at the table confused. Before they can interrupt I keep talking. "The music is going to cut off for some fake technical issues." I keep my voice low and lean in to the girls. We all go to the bathroom and some people are supposed to come and get us from here, we're supposed to wear the masks but we don't have enough and im not choosing two people between all of you. We all go or none of us go. Before you ask, I'm not sure who is behind it but we are supposed to go with some girl named ... umm" I open my purse for the note but it is Katya that speaks up.

"Clara." Katya said with a small smile. " We're supposed to wait until we hear 'FUCK YOU' in a song and she's going to lead us to another exit." She reaches into her purse pulling out her own mask. "I got a note too and I don't know who it is but fucking anything is better then this."

"Wait did everyone get one?" I asked reaching for hers, feeling the material. It was the same.

"Me too!" Makayla squeals throwing her down on the table. "Oh god, I'm relieved I don't have to do it myself. I was so scared. Someone named Joechella is supposed to bring us to the person who wrote the notes."

Draven puts out her cigarette and smiles pulling out her own. "Anyone knows who it could be?" Hoodie fingers the materials and I giver her one of mine, bringing a small smile to her face.

"Who connects us all?"

"The xo's make me think its Lux." Draven admitted.

"Or adi." Katya shrugged and I sighed.

"Well we'll find out soon enough." I said stuffing the masks back into my bag.

~

[profoundlyluckyfox]

And that's not what they eat.That's what falls off what they eat!You know what a Cinnabon is?No.It's bread and cinnamon and frosting. They heat it up...Sit down!...really hot!Listen to me!We are not them! We're us.There's us and there's them!Yes, but who can deny the heart that is yearning?There's no yearning. Stop yearning. Listen to me!You have got to start thinking bee, my friend. Thinking bee!Thinking bee.Thinking bee.Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee! Thinking bee!There he is. He's in the pool.You know what your problem is, Barry?I gotta start thinking bee?How much longer will this go on?It's been three days! Why aren't you working?I've got a lot of big life decisions to think about.What life? You have no life!You have no job. You're barely a bee!Would it kill you to make a little honey?Barry, come out. Your father's talking to you.Martin, would you talk to him?Barry, I'm talking to you!You coming?Got everything?All set!Go ahead. I'll catch up.Don't be too long.Watch this!Vanessa!We're still here.I told you not to yell at him.He doesn't respond to yelling!Then why yell at me?Because you don't listen!I'm not listening to this.Sorry, I've gotta go.Where are you going?I'm meeting a friend.A girl? Is this why you can't decide?Bye.I just hope she's Bee-ish.They have a huge parade of flowers every year in Pasadena?To be in the Tournament of Roses, that's every florist's dream!Up on a float, surrounded by flowers, crowds cheering.A tournament. Do the roses compete in athletic events?No. All right, I've got one.How come you don't fly everywhere?It's exhausting. Why don't you run everywhere? It's faster.Yeah, OK, I see, I see.All right, your turn.TiVo. You can just freeze live TV? That's insane!You don't have that?We have Hivo, but it's a disease. It's a horrible, horrible disease.Oh, my.Dumb bees!You must want to sting all those jerks.We try not to sting. It's usually fatal for us.So you have to watch your temper.Very carefully.You kick a wall, take a walk, write an angry letter and throw it out. Work through it like any emotion: Anger, jealousy, lust.Oh, my goodness! Are you OK?Yeah.What is wrong with you?!It's a bug.He's not bothering anybody.Get out of here, you creep!What was that? A Pic 'N' Save circular?Yeah, it was. How did you know?It felt like about 10 pages. Seventy-five is pretty much our limit.You've really got that down to a science.I lost a cousin to Italian Vogue.I'll bet.What in the name of Mighty Hercules is this?How did this get here? cute Bee, Golden Blossom, Ray Liotta Private Select?Is he that actor?I never heard of him.Why is this here?For people. We eat it.You don't have enough food of your own?Well, yes.How do you get it?Bees make it.I know who makes it! And it's hard to make it!There's heating, cooling, stirring. You need a whole Krelman thing!It's organic.It's our-ganic!It's just honey, Barry.Just what?!Bees don't know about this! This is stealing! A lot of stealing!You've taken our homes, schools,hospitals! This is all we have!And it's on sale?! I'm getting to the bottom of this.I'm getting to the bottom of all of this!Hey, Hector. You almost done?Almost.

if this gets 1k notes (it won't) i'll put away the 7 baskets of clean laundry that have been piling up on my bedroom floor for weeks and weeks. it's been 3 months. come on guys. 1k. or at least 500.

[foolforharrry]

Coachella

POV: You meet Harry Styles at Coachella

This is the first chapter of my new book called Strawberries & Memories

Here is the info/chapter index for Strawberries & Memories

If you guys wanna check out my other works, here's my masterlist

I just met Harry freaking Styles.

Now, you may wonder how this wonderful, life-changing, crazy experienced happened to someone like me. And I'll get to that in just a minute.

But first I'm going to tell you one thing. My throat fucking hurts.

- 4.5 hours earlier –

"He'll be on soon, right?", Dom elbows me to get my attention.

Ouch.

I put my phone back in my wine-red, leather pocket, ignoring the sweat making my hands clammy with nerves and the nervous excitement making my chest tingle as well as the slight annoyance towards Dom. The elbow was a little too much "I think so."

"You're totally freaking out, babe." "I am not.", I argue, scowling at him for calling me out.

Of course, I'm freaking out. It's him. Who on earth wouldn't be buzzing with excitement? We haven't been standing around here sweating our butts off for me not to be excited.

There is actually no feeling I can properly compare to being surrounded by hundreds upon hundred people who are all here for the same reason I am. No matter the different lives and stories, there is one thing we all have in common.

Dom pinches my side, looping his arm around my waist before he leans in to whisper in my ear, "You don't think he is going to spot you and call you backstage to fuck you, do you?" The mocking tone of his voice has me rolling my eyes, squirming away from him to the best of my abilities. But the tight crowd surrounding us makes it more difficult than I anticipated.

"Shut up, will you?" I don't have the patience for him to be making fun of my 17-year-old self and her fanfiction phase. "I regret ever telling you about that."

I can practically hear the smirk when he pulls my body back to his side, "If you don't go home with him, there is always room for you in my bed."

"You wish you were that lucky, don't you?", I remove his hand from my waist firmly by his wrist, patting his pale cheek condescendingly.

He doesn't get the chance to cover up the disappointed look on his face. Because as he opens his thin lips to do just that, the lights go out and the angel-like sound of the intro has over one hundred thousand people yelling and cheering in pure excitement.

Myself included.

My ears are ringing with a combination of the insane, deafening volume of everyone around me and the adrenaline pumping through my veins.

But I swear my heart stills in my chest and the world stops spinning when his face is suddenly on the big screen and his voice is booming through the speakers.

"We're going for it! Are you ready!"

I'm not sure whether I'm alive right now or in heaven.

I think heaven might be more realistic seeing as a literal angel is making his way down the catwalk. Pink leather pants hug his long legs perfectly. The cheeky H S on his ass still has me pinching myself as well as the strawberries on the front of the pink vest.

I can barely spot him from where I'm standing, so I am thanking whoever invented TVs for the massive screens with him splayed out all over them.

The intro to what I'm assuming is Kiwi has a chill running down my spine. The drums and guitars feel like something simply out of this world.

It feels like they're tapping into something powerful and compelling. In a way that you can't do anything but just try to absorb it the best you can.

Never mind that he is punching the air, holding a water bottle in one hand as he waits for his cue to throw the water it holds at. Spinning in circles as he lets himself get lost in it all again.

"This is so cool.", Dom exclaims excitedly. But I don't even turn to look at him, too enthralled by the literal rock star getting ready to soak the crowd. It feels like everything is moving in slow motion as the water is being thrown. The droplets fly everywhere on the beat before the bottle follows.

It's the most surreal feeling bubbling in my stomach watching him like this. In real time. To literally be able to feel the music reverberate through my body. The vibrations in my chest from the deafening bass. This is literally a dream come-

"Ow! What the fuck?"

A sharp throb shoots through my forehead out of nowhere. My hand flies up to hold the painful spot underneath my bangs, something hard dropping on my shoe. I can feel tears starting to form along my waterlines.

That shit fucking hurts.

I manage to squeeze myself down to a crouch, cursing under my breath when I start.

Dom taps my shoulder, and I meet his eye seeing the concern evident in his. So I give him a small smile in hope it reassures him that I'm fine. It does the trick when he goes back to screaming and watching the show.

What the fuck was that?

I would have assumed it was someone's elbow or something apart from the fact that it was something small and hard. And it was fast.

There was no way I could've seen it coming.

Thankfully the dizziness subsides pretty quickly. I scan the ground for the culprit responsible, spotting it almost instantly. Something small and made out of some sort of metal is reflecting the lights by my feet.

I pick it up before standing upright again, thanking the girl who takes a step to the side to give me enough room to do so just as the song actually starts and realisation slaps me in the face.

"She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes..."

I have seen this before.

"This is fucking insane! Anna! Why aren't you freaking out?"

I snap my head in Dom's direction, "Huh?" He rolls his eyes playfully, "You're being weirdly calm for someone who just saw Harry Styles leave the stage."

"Oh."

People dressed in bold colours and feather boas are bumping into me as they all start leaving now that the artists they came here for are done with their set.

I should probably join them. Leave now before the traffic gets too bad and all the cabs and taxis are gone.

But all I can think about is the fact that I am holding Harry Styles' ring clutched tightly in my fist and I don't know how to return it to him. The hard edges of the Lion shaped jewellery dig into my soft skin because of how tightly I'm squeezing it.

"I have his ring.", is all I can breathe out. It's what's been bouncing around in my mind ever since I picked it off the ground. I couldn't even take in the last two songs he performed.

Dom's eyes widen in surprise as his mouth drops. "You- his ring?", he points at the stage with crew members milling around and taking the set-up apart. "Are you saying you have Harry Styles' ring?"

I swallow hard and nod.

"Oh. My. God." Dom grabs my shoulders in his large hands, shaking me with every word, "Bitch! You know what this means right? You can sell this on eBay or something and get rich! Or you can get famous on it! This is huge!"

It takes me a second to let his words sink in. But when they do, I shake his hands off me, aware of the disgusted look plastered on my face.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you, Dom?" I take a step back, not wanting to have him near my personal space anymore. Unintentionally holding onto the ring a little tighter. I cut him off when he goes to defend himself, "No, Dom. Don't even try to tell me I'm being dramatic. He is a person who lost something valuable. I'm not going to fucking steal his ring. Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"He's rich. It's not as if he can't afford to buy a new one."

I can't even believe my own ears. And so instead of entertaining this conversation any further, I turn on my heel and walk against the stream of people still trying to leave grumbling to myself, "Buy a new one? Why don't you just buy a new dick after I cut it off?"

Now how the fuck do I do this?

"Just wait right here and I'll be back in a few minutes, yeah?" "Don't you want-"

I stop mid-sentence when I realise he's not going to be able to hear me considering he's already jogging down the hallway.

If I thought I was nervous before, that's nothing compared to the nerves wracking through my body right now making my head spin.

Where the fuck did Jeff run off to? He didn't even take Harry's ring with him. Maybe he lost his mind or something?

After I left Dom alone, which might have been a little bit mean if I'm honest. But so is suggesting what he did. Who even does that? It was not very treat people with kindness of him. He was also starting to creep me out a little bit.

Anyways, after leaving him there I must have asked just about 15 different people how the fuck to return the ring or who I could talk to before someone could actually point me in the direction of his manager.

I didn't want to just leave the ring. With some random crew member. They may very well have just kept it to themselves the same way Dom suggested I do.

There is a slight chance I'm overthinking this.

I was honestly shocked when Jeff actually took the time to talk to me and listen to what I had to say. Especially when he didn't snatch the lion ring out of my hand without even looking at me twice.

But instead, he brought my hand open hand up to his face so he could inspect it closer before he thanked me profusely for finding him. He then told me to just wait right here and not move.

I look down at myself. The high-waisted red, leather pants that hug my body tightly before flaring out at the bottom may not have been the best choice of clothing for the hot weather. But they made me feel confident enough in myself to wear the black, glittery bralette I've had laying around in my closet forever. I didn't put on the black, knitted cardigan I brought until a few minutes ago.

It was way too warm to wear it earlier. People seriously don't joke when they talk about how hot it gets in massive crowds.

Cutting my hair short for this might be one of the smartest choices I've ever made.

"Let's go."

I'm snapped out of my head when Jeff speaks, standing in front of me with a smile plastered on his face. "Go where?"

Jeff starts walking back in the same direction he jogged towards earlier, leaving me no choice but to trail after him as I adjust the strap of my tote bag on my shoulder. He answers my question, making me stop in my tracks. "He wants to thank you in person."

And that's when my heart starts beating harder in my chest. It can't be. "Who?"

"Harry."

He says it like it's no big deal. Like it's nothing.

Which it probably is to him. But I think he is forgetting that not everyone is lucky enough to meet their idols.

Does he know I'm a fan? He must've, right? I would think my 'Treat People With Kindness' tote bag would give it away.

Maybe I should throw my bag away? If he thinks I'm crazy I might cry. Although, that might happen regardless.

I can already feel myself starting to freak out the more I think about it and the further we walk. I will not freak out. I can't freak out. I am completely chill.

Sucking in a deep breath, I force back my tears and catch so I can quickly catch up with Jeff just as he stops outside a plain door with a piece of paper hung on it.

A piece of paper with a name I've read so many times written on it.

Oh. My. God.

Someone should give me an award for being able to keep my breathing almost steady. At least I'm not hyperventilating. Or on the floor sobbing when Jeff knocks on the door. Normally I wouldn't have ruled out the potential need for an inhaler.

That's a fucking achievement if I've ever known of one.

"One second."

The words are muffled, but I recognize that voice through the wall. There is actually no way this isn't a dream.

Shoot me now.

One second later the door swings open. The fucking door opens and I am praying internally to whatever God there is that I don't faint. Looking at my shoes is the best way to make sure that doesn't happen.

So looking at my shoes is what I do. It would be pretty embarrassing if I passed out in front of Harry Styles.

Sadly, I don't get to distract myself very long with the barely visible little scratch on the top of my right boot when a hand is blocking my view.

I look from the outstretched hand to the face of the person it belongs to, my eyes trailing along the length of his arm and over his shoulder before settling on his eyes. His eyes that are looking right at me.

Am I the only one getting dizzy?

I blink. Hard. To make sure I'm not hallucinating before I raise my trembling hand to shake his. My heart is hammering so hard inside my ribcage that I'm convinced he would be able to hear it beating if he tried hard enough.

"Hi. I'm Harry.", he introduces himself, happily shaking my clammy hand.

It should be illegal to look that good and act this normal. But nevertheless, I offer him a small smile, "I'm Anna." Again. Everyone praise me and how fucking steady my voice is. "Where did Jeff go?"

"I told him to go home to his wife." Harry lets go of my hand, stuffing it in the pockets of his grey sweats. As he blows out a chunk of air as if he was nervous.

I get a little distracted just looking at him for a minute. I don't know why I would've thought he'd look completely different when he's right in front of me, but he doesn't. He just looks ten times prettier than any camera lens would ever be able to capture.

I honestly don't know how long I was just staring at him like a creep, but when he scratches the back of his neck I realise that he probably just wants his ring back and doesn't need a 24-year-old anybody gawking at him forever. I turn my palm up with the ring in the middle, holding it out for Harry to take. "Here's your ring. I'm sorry if it's a lil sweaty. It was warm. And I held it pretty tight so I wouldn't-"

My rambling dies in my throat when Harry carefully takes the ring out of my palm, his fingertips brushing against my skin before he slides the ring back on his pinkie finger where it belongs. His broad shoulders sag in relief when he does.

"Can I hug you?"

I feel my face screw up in confusion, and Harry notices. "If you're comfortable, can I give you a hug?"

Is the sun hot?

Not really knowing what else to say, I nod, awkwardly holding my arms out for him. He chuckles shaking his head before he loops his arms around my back tightly, bending down to make up for the height difference. I hug him back trying to match the strength he uses.

I need to work out more.

My nose is immediately filled with...him. As of right now the only distinct smell I can make out is something soapy. With a tinge of vanilla. It would probably cost more than my apartment. But I can't help but find it just as comforting as the warmth his body expels.

That might be in my head though.

I don't know how long we stand here, swaying back and forth ever so slightly, but I'm sure as hell not moving.

I can hear his steady heart beating in his chest and it makes me unable to wipe the disgustingly wide smile off my face. Harry Styles is hugging me.

"Thank you so much, Anna.", he says genuinely. "I don't know how the hell you found it. Or why you didn't keep it."

He pulls away slights, keeping his hands on my upper arms while keeping eye contact. I have to crane my neck to be able to keep it up.

God, his eyes are beautiful.

"I know a lot of people would've. Either to sell it or whatever assuming I would just buy myself a new one. Or that it didn't have some kind of sentimental value. Which for the record, it does. But you gave it back. It means far more than I can ever tell you." My heart breaks a little when he talks because I know it's true. Dom proved that when I told him I had the ring and his first suggestion was to sell it on eBay.

I don't really know what to say, genuinely taken aback by the sincerity in his voice. It's making it really hard not to start crying like a crazed woman. His accent is also making my head spin, so all I say is; "You're welcome."

A beat of silence passes before he pulls me in for another hug. "I don't know how to ever pay you back."

I laugh, jokingly suggesting, "Follow me on Instagram and we're even."

When I feel his shoulders tense for a second, I instantly want to snatch the words from the universe and shove them back down my throat and pretend they never existed. I probably offended him. It was just supposed to be a stupid joke.

When he once again takes a step back, I am certain he is going to have me arrested or something, but instead, he fishes his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me with a cheeky smile on his lips after unlocking it.

I stare at the search bar on his Instagram in shock. My eyes flick down to his profile picture in the bottom right corner before I swallow hard. That's not the profile picture for @harrystyles.

I've looked at @harrystyles' profile picture. A few times.

I gather myself quickly, quirking an eyebrow at him, "Harry Styles has a finsta? Never would've guessed."

He rolls his eyes at me. "Where else would I put all my nudes?"

I cackle, slapping my hand over my mouth in embarrassment immediately as blush spreads on my cheeks.

But nevertheless, I find my account and hand the phone back to him.

"And here I thought you'd have a burner account for sugar daddies."

"I met Harry Styles. Did you know that?", I tell the taxi driver for the 4th time. I forgot his name, but in my head, I've been calling him Pierce. "He also hugged me. More than once. Plural."

He told me his name 15 minutes ago, so I don't want to ask again and make him feel like I didn't listen. But I'll settle on naming him for the collection of piercings he wears.

How a person would willingly have a needle put into their face that many times, I don't understand.

I don't really expect an answer considering he's kind of the silent type. From what I've observed at least. So I'm surprised when Pierce gives me a response, "Oh?" I'm not even offended by the fact that he didn't even look at me through the rear-view mirror.

I take that as an invitation.

So I tell him all about how I had a ring hit me and then realised it was Harry's. I tell him about my struggle to get the ring back to him and how that lead to Harry Styles being right in front of me and talking to me. I tell him how Harry smells even better in person than I could've ever imagined.

I tell him how Harry and I actually talked for a while before he invited me to go out for drinks to celebrate. I lastly tell him about how I had declined because I didn't want to intrude. He had looked a little disappointed but said he understood.

It might sound like I'm bragging. I promise I'm not. This is just me processing to the poor man who got stuck driving me back to my hotel. But there is one thing I don't tell him.

I don't tell him about how Harry Styles now follows me on Instagram. From his secret, private Instagram. And I don't tell him about how I just got a notification about a message request from him.

I do squeal though. Like a freaking teenage girl.

Props to Pierce. He didn't even flinch. In fact. His face has been emotionless throughout my whole storytime.

Ok. Not everyone is an enthusiastic listener.

He nods at my outburst. "Cool."

Hey. That's a response, right?

I'm about to ask him about how his day has been when it dawns on me that I haven't really been including him in the conversation. However, just as I'm opening my mouth he pulls the car over, telling me we're here.

I thank him for the ride and pay for the ride before I practically run through the lobby. All I can think about on the elevator ride to my floor is that I have a DM from him waiting for me. My phone might as well be burning a hole in my pocket.

He might just be texting to ask me to never ever speak a word about him to anyone ever. If that's it, then I'll pretend that Pierce never existed.

That wouldn't be mean right? I mean, I couldn't really call him and ask him to never mention a word about what I told him in his cab or anything. Considering I forgot his name the minute he told me about it. Not that I think he really cared about any of it.

The second I'm inside the hotel room, I'm kicking off my boots, groaning when my feet are finally free and allowed to breathe after being trapped in those things the whole day. Quite literally.

How people walk around like this in heels, I am never going to understand.

When my phone vibrates in my back pocket again, I panic, tripping over my own feet in my hurry to get it out of my pocket, barely managing to catch myself on the nightstand in this tiny, musty hotel room.

Fuck tight leather pants.

My heart is once again hammering in my chest. But for very different reasons since my life damn near flashing before my eyes.

If this keeps happening, my heart is probably going to pack her bags and give out way before I turn 30. I couldn't really blame it. I hate physical exercise too.

I hold my phone to my chest, sucking in deep breaths to calm myself down again before I sit down on the bed. The mattress creaks under my weight when I do, and I am internally cursing myself for cheaping out on the hotel room.

Right now, I kind of wish I would have taken Dom up on that offer of his. He did not cheap out.

I'd just steal the bed. He could've slept on the floor or couch. But since I walked away from him after he was a complete ass of a human being it's a little too late for that.

I can't be frustrated with Dom right now. Not when my phone vibrates for the third time.

This is going to be a long night.

-

Chapter 2

[bitchkay]

"If I was the court of darkness mc" usually ends with something dissing the mc which I will 9/10 agree with

But let's be real, if I was the mc, if I was actually in that world, in Saligia, in her situation

I either wouldn't take shit seriously, be mentally unstable or a menace to society--

Nah cus you drop me --ploop-- into this new ass world and the first people I see are these mfs, half of them wearing mediocre ass outfits (we're NOT gonna talk about Roy's sleaves-- LYNTS BOOTS- 🤭) and they on my ass bout "who are you", "where you from" WHO ARE YOU⁉️⁉️

Nah yall out here tryna kiss me when I don't even know yall names I'M SWINGING‼SWINGING- FUCK ALL YALL FR--

But on the flip side, imagine I just wake up, don't know where I am, scared cus I don't know where I am, and I'm just approached by literal strangers asking me what's my name, where am I from, how'd I get here, imma start crying- NAH CUS- I'm already confused, more then just lost, literally been transported to a place I know nothing about, and yall crowding me??? trying to interrogate me??? Please back up. No I'm being so serious cus the situation is already an overwhelming one, being an anomaly in a place I'm foreign to, the feeling of being lost, not knowing shit or why it happened, just confused on all levels, and while my mind is already scrabbling cus I was literally transported to another realm yall gonna come up to me like I'm not already having a crisis and start asking me questions??? I will literally have a mental breakdown right then and there. Deadass.

However😏

Shit the mc was like 'this has to he a dream cus ain't no way' imma be like 'bet this a dream? Imma fuck shit up😈' even after confirmation that it isn't a dream imma still act up I'm surrounded by hot guys and pussy tight pussy clean pussy fresh-- the princes fangirls?? I'm either fighting them or entertained like damn I did that, what I do next, I'd have sex with Fenn almost right off the bat just to see what the hype is about, I mean yall bitches so cock drunk over this man you think I wouldn't wanna know why, lemme see what yall talking about, I'D FUCK WITH GUY SO HARD, I talk back. Plain and simple, if he rude imma be rude back, I REFUSE TO SUBMIT, if guy pisses me off one too many times, I'm swinging, prince or not, I'll kick in his testicles, I'd teach Rio curse words and how to use them, I'd take this opportunity to begin my hoe era, no ones safe😈😈

[dawntheduckrb]

Alright I've been home for a bit and have had a chance to cool off

This isn't going to be a sermon summary in the same way I've done before (which I haven't forgotten about, by the way! I'll get around to them eventually). I mentally checked out for most of service once the subject was mentioned (because it's the same thing every time it's brought up), so this is more me screaming at the sky to a god who doesn't listen (personal vent, if you don't want to read I will definitely understand)

Lots of non-proofread words ahead, be warned

For context, I go to a church that my mother works at. It's one of those mega-churches, but to be fair, it's a little more dialed down than what's seen online. Not great, but marginally better? Point is, it's very easy to feel disconnected from people when you're in such a crowded setting, so our church bends over backwards to make sure people attend small groups. These are groups of five to ten people who meet regularly to read the bible and do studies and host prayer circles. They also have seperate sermons aside from the Sunday morning ones that are divided by age; much to my dismay, there is one specifically for college students. Even worse, it is hosted at my university specifically, in a neighboring building to the art facility :/

My mom has forced me to meet the leaders of the college group, and now they can recognize me on campus (and have done so, repeatedly). Ever since I've started, I've gotten a ton of pressure from both my parents and those leaders to attend that campus service. I've dodged my way out of it by scheduling classes on the day they decide to meet each semester, but I don't know if that will work out this semester. All of this background to say....

Today's sermon was on community. The importance of fellowship with other believers. Like I said, I mentally checked out today so I can't give a whole lot of depth on today's sermon, but they've given this same spiel before. Short version is, your faith can only be strengthened by talking with others like you about it. When you join a small group of people, you get a circle of people that will pray for you over everything, as well as people to study the bible with and deepen your love for god. These people can help you, and you can help them in that same way (they also imply here that by not joining a group, you are withholding god's love from others, which is selfish and un-godly).

What was different today was the addition of what happens if you don't join a small group.

"Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him."

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer

They used this to explain that Satan pulls you away from god if you aren't in constant community with other people, using your isolation to tempt you and to place doubts about god in you.

It almost makes you wonder why you have to be exclusively surrounded by people like you in order for you to keep your faith strong. Surely this wouldn't be a dire necessity if the bible alone is god's perfect word? It shouldn't be able to be interpreted by one individual in a way that would warrant being corrected by other believers, right? It should be so convincing that you wouldn't need incessant reminders of it to believe it, right?

That doubt is just critical thinking, and you can only get that in self reflection, and they know that. They know it, and they want to keep people from being alone long enough to step back and realize how none of the bible adds up.

Being confined in these circles have created people that are so lost in the word of god that they truly believe dinosaurs are a myth. The bible only allows the world to be 6,000 years old, so the dinosaurs were obviously made up. And if that argument fails, then people lived at the same time as dinosaurs and they died because of the fall of man. It's insane.

Only being able to communicate with people in your organization is how brain washing happens, and if that's the only thing that lets people stay in the faith, maybe it's not a faith worth keeping.

...

I've never felt more like myself since leaving the faith. I find it easier to stand up for myself, because I'm not longer constantly telling myself I'm a disgusting person and deserve death for minor transgressions against the word. I don't want to go back to small groups, because I don't want those thoughts to reappear. Wish me luck going forward, because I don't think I'll be able to avoid going to that college sermon much longer without my parents catching on that I've left the faith. Because I've been forced to meet the leaders in that division, I can't fake going; they'll know if I showed up or not, and can report it back if it don't go.

It's been getting a bit too much to handle in the duck household. Today I was told that god is the most important thing in our lives, and we need to prioritize him over everything. Including classes and work. They really want me to attend that weekly sermon, whether I have classes/homework to do or not.

The other week I was scolded for asking them to wish me luck on my exams. I was told, "we shouldn't be asking for luck. You need to be praying and on your knees for god. Wishing luck is bad faith." Now, I'm never obligated any luck wishes, I couldn't care less whether or not they actually said it. But, to say that saying good luck... is bad??

I've been beyond pestered to "read this study", to "watch that biblical movie", to "stop listening to that pagan music and really appreciate the gospel."

"Take this commission, it's for the church and you can meet other people at the church this way. Use your talents for the glory of god."

"Dawn, can you believe what the transgenders are pushing now? It's too far, it's Satan at work in this world, jesus is coming soon, he has to be, this is disgusting. It's gross."

I know this is all making me a stronger person, and in the end, I am somewhat grateful for that. I just wish the joy I get from spending time with my family didn't come with this as a package deal. It hurts :')

Sunday doodles (and weirdly colored duck)

[tomhardyspinkyfinger]

31 and 90 for Tommy Conlon pls 🥺 i love how u write Tom's characters, you're really talented <3

"Look it was really fun at first, but I just think we're better off seeing other people! But I'll never forget you, thank you for being in my life." Thank you for being in my life? What kind of asshole would do this?

Oh, my boyfriend that's who. Ex.. I guess.

"Mark, are you really breaking up with me right now?" I questioned in shock. The bar was packed... with all of our friends. Mark broke the news to me as I sat on the barstool looking like a moron. He felt that being surrounded by our friends would make this easier for me to accept. Luckily, no one seemed to know what was going on.

"Listen sweetheart, we just aren't right for each other! And I think-" I slid off the barstool and wormed my way through the crowds to get away from the entire situation. Some of our friends smiled and said hello, some starting conversation.

I needed to do something drastic, right now.

I scanned the bar until a man sitting at the end of the bar nursing a beer caught my eye. He was jaw droppingly handsome, and he would do perfectly. I sat next to him and tapped his shoulder.

"Hello, If I ask you to kiss me in front of all these people, will you do it?" I questioned blatantly. His eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" He spoke, quite clearly caught off guard. I let out a sigh.

"See the guy at the other end of the bar looking this way?" The man nodded. "That's my boyfriend of five years, he just broke up with me in a bar filled with our friends so I would take the news well." I explained. The man grimaced.

"Jesus. What does that have to do with me?" He questioned.

"Well, I've spent five years of my life tied to one man, I lost all of those crazy mid-life experiences of hooking up with random strangers and being spontaneous. So, if you'd be so kind, I would like you to kiss me right here, right now." I shrugged, the drinks I had earlier giving me courage. The man set his beer down and turned to face me, looking for my approval. I nodded and he brought his lips to mine, the feeling making me moan lightly.

I could feel eyes on us, I'm sure my friends were widely confused, but I just didn't care. After kissing this unknown man, he pulled away and swiped my bottom lip with his thumb.

"Anything else I can do for you?" He questioned.

"Yeah, actually. Care to be my first one night stand?" I questioned, making myself appear as confident as possible. The man with the plump lips stared at me for a beat, before turning and hailing down the bartender.

"Put her drinks on the tab under Tommy, and could you ring us a cab?"