#also Bill’s heart is stuck in the 80s

[soleildoesart]

POV the shitty cover band at the local dive bar finished their set and asked if they could use the pool table (You’re clearly still in the middle of a game)

more 1999 au! Who should I draw next?

[sweetbuckybarnes]

Who is This?: Chapter 1

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: Bucky had a wife during the 40s, she was left heartbroken after the telegram arrived (missing, presumed dead). It's surprising when 80 years later, she was working behind a bar in Madripoor of all places!

Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Bucky followed Sam and Zemo into a loud bar, he immediately wanted to turn around and go home, why had Zemo demanded he go back to being the Winter Soldier (even if it was one night)?

The sound of heavy drums and guitars also deafened his hearing, a song he had come to learn was The Wild Boy by a band called Duran Duran. A few bartenders and waitresses were walking around, there was only one who stuck out to him - a dark-haired young woman who reminded him too much of his departed wife.

His heart breaks even more, thinking of the woman he had left behind, his girl. The love of his life. Bucky doesn't think he will ever 'get over' her.

The way the young woman walked, carrying a tray of empty glasses (before being tossed an empty bottle by a patron), was so similar to the way his girl walked in the hole-in-the-wall diner she worked in.

She wasn't quick enough to duck under the bar before they got to the door leading upstairs (which was coincidentally next to the bar), Zemo was talking to the bouncer. "Excuse me, gentlemen," the young woman said, squeezing between the back of Zemo and the front of Bucky. Which is when he got a good look at her face.

There she was.

His girl. His wife.

He couldn't even say anything to her, as he was taken upstairs and away from his girl. He could only hope he would be allowed back in at the end of the night to see her.

Y/N Barnes made her way behind the bar, glancing up at the TV where the Kansas City Chiefs were currently playing the Buffalo Bills at Arrowhead Stadium, then down at her phone which showed the live score of the Dodgers game against the San Francisco Giants.

She had been a long-time Dodgers girl, even after she found out they had moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles.

"Did you see the way he was looking at you?" Yasmine asked, pushing a dry Martini in front of a 26-year-old woman.

Y/N looked up from the glasses she was putting in the dishwasher. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"One of the men who went upstairs. The way he was looking at you," Yasmine fans her hand for dramatic effect. "I would drop my panties for him in a millisecond."

"Like you don't do that every night."

Yasmine rolled her eyes and served the next half-drunk who had come to the bar.

"Don't listen to her," Anastasia told her, rolling her eyes as Yasmine flirted with her current flavour of the week.

"It's not often I do, darling," Y/N replied, fiddling with Anastasia's curls for a second, before spotting a patron. "What can I get for you, darling?"

He hung off the bar, obviously far too drunk to understand what was going on. "Another beer and your phone number," he slurred.

She shook her head, reaching over and grabbing him another beer. As far as the boss of the bar (whoever that was) was concerned unless they were unconscious- why should you stop serving them? Y/N thought it wasn't right, but no matter how often she voiced this - she was shut down.

She set the beer in front of him and then went to the register to add it to his bill (good thing she currently has his credit card behind the bar).

"Oi, sweet cheeks!" He calls, but Y/N doesn't pay attention looking over at Yasmine and Anastasia with a raised eyebrow. "Sweet cheeks! I asked for your number."

Y/N replied by simply raising her hand proudly displaying her engagement and wedding rings to the drunk. It was only a small diamond (given Bucky worked on the docks before he was deployed), and the plain band she inherited from her great-grandmother.

"What's the matter with that 'un?" He hiccups. "He got you costume jewellery or somethin'?"

Y/N shook her head. "I'm going into the back for a moment," she tells Aidan.

Little did the drunk patron know, all those years ago, this was the date she was handed the telegraph - putting in such blunt words. Her James was missing, they presumed him to be dead. It breaks her heart that they never got to have a proper funeral.

"You alright, honey?" Elizabeth (another one of the waitresses) asked, she had been outside on her break. Elizabeth was the only one who knew her true age and about her James.

"It's the day I found out James was missing," Y/N said, before bursting into more tears.

Elizabeth wrapped Y/N up in a hug, everyone oblivious to the fact that Y/N's presumed dead husband was now running through the bar, flocked by Sam and Zemo, and into the alley behind the bar.

When Bucky was sure Zemo, Sam and Sharon were asleep, he slipped out of the safe house and into the night - determined to find out if the woman he saw in the bar was that of his (presumably? should be?) dead wife.

He eventually made his way to the front door of the bar, the bouncers had long since gone home. He could see lights on in the building and just about make out words being spoken thanks to the Super Soldier serum running through his veins.

He grasped the handle and gave it a push, the door hadn't been locked, as it gave beneath the slight push.

He could see three young women sitting on the bar, a man who was counting the money from the register and another man who was dancing.

The young woman sitting closest to the bar, had golden curls hanging around her head. "Mark, you didn't lock the door!"

The man dancing, Mark, looked over at Bucky, eyes widening when he saw the size of Bucky. "I say we just serve him, then lock the door behind him."

As the bartenders and waitress argued amongst themselves, Bucky's eyes never left the woman in the middle. It looked as if she had been crying. "Babydoll?"

The woman stopped giggling, tipping her head back to normal and looked at him, before dropping her glass as tears welled up in her eyes. "James?"

The curly-haired woman gasped, setting her glass down and giving Y/N a push off the bar.

Bucky held his arms out to catch her as her feet landed on the floor. He couldn't stop looking at her big eyes, he'd always loved her big expressive eyes. He always knew how she was feeling by just a look in her eyes.

"James? Is that you?" Her hand came out slowly, and shakily, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her.

"Hi, babydoll," Bucky smiled, tears starting to fall down his cheeks, a heavy sob held tightly in his chest at the moment in time. As soon as her fingers met his skin, Bucky let out a heavy sigh of relief, reaching over and pulling her into his arms. Y/N's arms dug themselves away from his chest and up around his neck before her hand soon started fiddling with his hair.

The couple stood there for a moment, finally finding their slice of peace. Some came barging into the bar, and the dark-haired woman who had been sitting on the other side of Y/N practically demanded Mark lock the door before the Hounds of Baskerville came in.

Y/N was so happy to finally have her James back in her arms, but there was a whirling sound she couldn't let go. "What's that noise?"

Bucky looked from his wife to his arm and back to his bride. "I'll explain everything to you later, but... I lost my arm, and I now have a prosthetic one," he tells her, letting go of her for a moment so he could take his glove off and show her the black and gold Vibranium one he had made.

"Ok, James. It's a good thing you gave me this," she reached beneath her top and pulled a ring out from beneath, hanging from a chain. "Before you were deployed."

Bucky smiled, cupping her face so he could kiss her. Bucky pulled away chuckling a little. "Babydoll, will you please put my ring back on?"

She reached behind her to unclasp the chain, and slid Bucky's band off, "if it doesn't fit we'll get it resized."

"I don't care what size it is, as long as you put my ring back where it belongs," Bucky almost growled, a piece of him falling back into place with the ring back on his finger.

The next morning - Sam, Zemo and Sharon came into the living room, seeing Bucky sleeping on the sofa (Sam was expecting this, after being told by Steve), however, there was a lump lying next to Bucky they didn't recognise.

Sam slowly makes his way over, gently easing down the thick blanket lying over Bucky and the lump.

Lying there, practically on top of the 'bionic staring machine' was a young woman.

"Did he somehow pick up a girl?" Sam whispered. Sam and Sharon were trying to be quiet - however, Zemo (who didn't care) started clattering around the kitchen, causing Bucky to wake up in a start, which then caused the young woman to look up with tired owl-like eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" Bucky nearly demanded, keeping his arms wrapped around his companion.

Sam raised his eyebrow. "I could ask you the same question, Barnes?" Sam looked at the young woman in Bucky's arms. "Who is this?"

Bucky looked down at her, Sam watched as a smile grew on his face. "This is Y/N. Y/N Barnes. My wife."

[deconstructthesoup]

First thoughts on a Fantasy High Dead Boy Detectives AU:

Ayda is in Edwin's role as the brains of the agency and the ghost from 1916 who escaped Hell. Her father was wealthy enough that she was able to go to a private all-girl's boarding school, but as the only Black girl at the school---who was also visibly queer and neurodivergent to boot---she was treated as an outcast, right up until she got sacrificed in a prank gone wrong. Now that she's escaped, Ayda uses the skills she's picked up and her love of mysteries to help out her fellow ghosts, though she's... not exactly the best at processing her feelings. Especially when those feelings involve her partner in solving crime.

Fig is in Charles's role, because there's no better fit for our lovely, heart-on-her-sleeve punk than the lovely, heart-on-his-sleeve punk---and let's be real, Fig is the most 80's Bad Kid. She attended the same boarding school as Ayda (just, y'know, seventy decades in the future), and while she fell in with the popular girls easily, it didn't take long for them to turn on her once she stood up for someone they were bullying... and, well, that led to her death. While Fig acts carefree and wisecracking, she carries a lot of guilt with her over the fact that she'd written off her family once she found out that Gilear wasn't her real dad, and not only did she never get to reconnect with them, but the experience was jarring enough that she made a lot of bad decisions, which led to equally bad relationships.

Adaine is in Crystal's role as our favorite psychic that is full of rage and anxiety. Her "David" is Penelope, who posed as a cool, older girl who gave Adaine the attention that she was lacking at home---and eventually became her first girlfriend, though that relationship was... not great. Now without a lot of her memories, Adaine's stuck with the Dead Girl Detectives, much to Fig's delight---and Ayda's, eventually. She gets over her jealousy way quicker than Edwin did. While Adaine wasn't a "make someone walk into traffic" kind of person pre-amnesia, she did carry over a lot of bitterness that curdled into something worse when she got swept up into the popular crowd, so... yeah, Fig and Ayda are kind of a blessing for her.

Figuring out the Niko equivalent was a bit harder, but I eventually settled on making her Lucy. She kind of fits the bill of someone who has a lot of sadness but is still unflinchingly kind, and between the pale hair and being dead-but-not-really-dead... yeah, Lucy's wonderful, and it means if I ever write this, I get to figure out who she is as I write her. Also, her dandelion sprites are Kipperlilly and Ruben, because I thought that'd be hilarious.

Thinking more into that, I decided that Sam would be a pretty good Jenny, seeing as she's got the bitchy-yet-loving energy that we all need. She's tired yet protective, closed off yet oddly kind... it works. Even though her style's more of a, uh "mermaid academia" type than goth, I think she'd make a really good Jenny.

And here's where you're gonna have to hear me out... Kristen is the Cat King, or rather, the Cat Queen. As tempting as it is to make her the church girl lesbian who's just come out and is struggling in a small town, I really wanted to hone in on her energy in Junior Year---a confident, easygoing, and hella flirtatious butch who's still a total mess underneath her swagger. I like to think that she was a human girl living in a religious family once (say, when settlers first arrived in Port Townsend), but she got really into witchcraft and wound up devoting herself to the cats, becoming an otherworldly being with nine lives as a result. As it stands, Kristen is hella fun, even if most of what she does is cause trouble.

With that in mind, Kalina was really the only character who I felt matched up with Ester's energy---except for Aelwyn, of course, but seeing as she's Adaine's sister and all, it didn't feel quite right. It could also tie in with Kristen's backstory---say, maybe Kalina was the person who taught Kristen about witchcraft, Kristen wound up getting the better end of the deal, and Kalina's still burnt out about two hundred years later. And in an irony of ironies, that resentment led Kalina to have a wolf familiar instead of a cat... who is, of course, our lovely girl Tracker. (Yes, Tracker has been turned into a girl before, and yes, she and Kristen are exes.)

I'm not quite sure who I want the Night Nurse to be, and you can tell that I'm saving roles for Gorgug, Fabian, Riz, and Ragh in case we meet characters like them in season 2---though, I have been fiddling around with the idea of Riz being an angel and a former agent of Heaven who Ayda and Fig have basically adopted into the agency. This is a first draft, so... yep!

[metalheadsforblacklivesmatter]

Things about America that would give Europeans a heart attack.

Many Americans are expected to drive AN HOUR to work every day. Europeans don't even visit their mom regularly if she lives 30 minutes away.

We measure distance traveled in time. Because sometimes driving 15 miles can take as long as driving 45 miles. How long you'll be in a vehicle is most important.

Zoning laws. Many of us actually do like to walk. Our major cities were designed by automotive lobbyists to force us to buy cars.

Food deserts. There's some places in America with literally zero grocery stores within 5 miles of your home.

Hospital bills. 1 emergency room visit can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Not to mention the $15,000 of you need an ambulance.

Mental health. You can be forced into grippy sock jail against your will. Then stuck with a bill that costs tens of thousands of dollars when you get out.

Speaking of medical bills. Credit reports. Remember that medical bill that costs tens of thousands of dollars? That goes on your credit report if you can't pay it. Which makes it harder to rent, buy a house, buy a car, or get a credit card.

Retirement. You can't get social security until you're 62 and social security isn't enough to live on. You're supposed to be saving money to retire on, on top of that. And based on your family's health history and cost of living. It's not unusual to need $1-2 million to retire. And it's not unusual for people to have to work into their 80s.

College. A hundred thousand dollars in student loan debt isn't unheard of and many Americans are never able to pay it off in their lifetime because interest is like 5-8%. Also. That goes on your credit report.

Minimum wage. I don't necessarily believe that Europeans would be shocked that minimum wage doesn't cover the cost of living here. But there's people that live here that are suprised to find out our minimum wage is $7.20. I've gotten into arguments over this, several times. If Americans don't believe it, how can I expect a European to?

Lack of public transit. Only like, major cities have public transit, and only a few of them have reliable public transit.

Lack of labor unions and union busting. Many European countries like France will go on nation wide strikes if an oligarch sneezes wrong. Companies in America will shut down business in entire states if the unions are getting too strong. Honestly I'm kinda surprised that we don't strike more.

Lack of paid vacation time. In a lot of countries 6 weeks is like normal. My last job I got none. And people legitimately didn't believe me when I said I had to work on Christmas or not get paid (yeah, it was a desk job). Again. If Americans can't believe it. Why would I expect Europeans to? Also I feel like Europeans would just die from the burnout because it's not uncommon for Americans to literally work themselves to death.

No. For real. I have people mad at me because I couldn't go to a family friend's wedding because they didn't believe I didn't have labor day off.

-fae

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Scottish playwright and screenwriter Stephen Greenhorn born on September 5th 1964 in Fauldhouse,West Lothian.

Stephen grew up in Fauldhouse in West Lothian, studied Physics at Heriot Watt before switching to Strathclyde University where his English Lit degree included a life-changing Theatre Studies option. For the practical part, he wrote a play, Heart and Bone, which won him a Fringe First, since then he hasn’t looked back.

His first professional writing was for BBC Radio Scotland in the late Eighties, after which he concentrated on the theatre for a number of years. Greenhorn moved into television with a 1996 episode of The Bill. He then worked on programmes like Where The Heart Is and Glasgow Kiss, before creating the long-running soap opera River City for BBC Scotland. He also wrote episodes of Dr Who while David Tennant was playing the tenth incumbent.

At the same time, Greenhorn was developing the acclaimed stage musical Sunshine On Leith, which he later adapted as a 2013 film. The background to this was his friend the theatre director James Brining saying ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a big, Scottish musical?’ It stuck with him Green horn says “We thought of finding a composer to write the songs, but it was hard to find a compatible soul. So, we reckoned on using the works of a Scottish band. But they often use many different styles. And the songs just wouldn’t lend themselves to a narrative.”

Greenhorn struggled to find such a back catalogue. Until... “One night I was sitting in my flat in Glasgow, having a few drinks and listening to The Proclaimers' first album....” His (slightly?) addled brain screamed out to him ‘Oh my, God, these guys have written about everything. About finding love, losing love, being a parent, being a child, politics, community, home . . . I was so excited.” Yet, given he was also a little tired and emotional, Greenhorn feared the lightbulb would burn out during the night. “To remind myself, I wrote the words ‘Proclaimers' musical’ on the back of my gas bill, and went to bed,”

The next morning, the bulb had indeed gone out. But a glance at the missive from Scottish Power brought it all back. And some deep listening to Proclaimers' albums offered up clues about the storyline, which became a tale of two squaddies returning from the Iraq war to their home in Leith. It’s about lost loves, holding together relationships and community, with a searing backdrop of NHS cuts and nods to gentrification.

Two years later the show launched in Dundee, and it coincided with the Proclaimers having a Number One hit, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). Then came the film, which attracted a younger demographic and very good reviews.

His television work has included Echo Beach and Marchlands; the latter was a supernatural drama starring Alex Kingston, who had played River Song in Doctor Who. During the Twenties, Greenhorn scripted two episodes of Dalgliesh before being reunited with Tennant on an installment of Around The World In 80 Days.

Greenhorn’s most recent stage work was one half of Tracks of the Winter Bear, a double bill of plays shared with a new piece penned by Rona Munro, and seen at the Traverse. There should be at least one other new play due as soon as he can finish it.

“It was good to do Tracks of the Winter Bear,” Greenhorn says, “just to remind myself that I was a playwright who accidentally ended up writing for film and telly.”

Stephen is currently working on an adaptation of Deprtment X for Netflix, from a Danish original.

[strawberrycamel]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

The rules are: Answer the 15 questions and tag 15 of your mutuals.

Thanks @kinglazrus for the tag :D

1. Are you named after anyone? Technically yeah

2. When was the last time you cried? about a month ago i think; i was sitting in a pretty empty Tim Horton's and teared up about something or other that i've since forgotten about

3. Do you have kids? nope!

4. What sports do you play/have played? Track and Field, Softball, and Basketball briefly.

5. Do you use sarcasm? Me? Sarcasm? Never. ( :3 )

6. What's the first thing you notice about people? oh god dude i dont know, probably whatever's the most colourful thing on them

7. What's your eye color? Brown

8. Scary movies or Happy endings Happy endings pls. I can't handle scary movies at all.

9. Any talents? uhhhhhhhhhhh i dont think so

10. Where were you born? Canada

11. What are your hobbies? Writing, doodling, reading fic & fiction books, watching anime. Also playing a handful of very specific games.

12. Do you have any pets? no, BUT my cousin has a dog and he is a very sweet boy and i love him with all my heart

13. How tall are you? 5'7 and a half. or smth like that

14. Favourite subject in school Writer's Craft and. Accounting. [HEAR ME OUT, high school accounting classes were hella easy so i NEVER had homework to take home because i always got it done in class and then it was just. idk. weak sauce so most of the time i was goofing off.]

Runner ups are Marketing and International Business because I had the same teacher for that class and he didn't give a shit if you were late or absent or w/e, but if you were going out for food or something, he'd give you some cash and ask you to bring him some coffee and we were all chill. He let me use his empty classroom to eat lunch in too aaa. Mr. M you were quite literally the best. [Also, one time, despite being the Good Student and also taking the bus to school, the student council president was like "hey you wanna go to Tim's" and I was like "yeah sure" because I was playing it cool but genuinely. Ditching school to go to Tim's during school time as a high schooler was such a magical experience. okay im done now]

Favourite university class was Participatory Media and Communication hands fucking down, very specifically the assignments were always amazing and mostly carte blanche and the topics did not shy away from the harsh stuff and encouraged lots of discussion and analysis on the people and groups we were reading about. like, learning about the origins of BLM Canada, analyzing parts of The Finkelstein 5 by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah and Boys Go To Jupiter by Danielle Evans, the AIDS crisis in Canada, or how black queer people faired during the 80s. There was other stuff, but uh, *cough* those four bits really stuck with me for totally no reason whatsoever <- black queer person who likes learning about and discussing black, queer, and black queer history

15. Dream Job? shit man idk. whatever pays the bills and i don't hate completely. i dont really like the thing i majored in anymore, but woodworking/carpentry seems cool

Tags! @kawaiijohn @echoghost1 @sheepheadfred @goliath-de-senfina-sango @princessfanonanona @redead-red @ectoplasmicsoda @ln-ofx @grub-xd @ghost-pasta @themockingcrows @bubblegumbeech @redajcted @glorious-typo @basedstoutland

(feel free to join in or ignore)

[sarahk4]

80's Songs That Remind Me Of Each Party Member

I shared all of the songs on my 80's playlist between the six members of the Party! There's a few that are on more than one list and some lists are longer than others cause I feel like I have more similar music taste to some than others!

If you would of put any of them anywhere else let me know, I'd love to hear what you think ♡

MAX

Running Up That Hill- Kate Bush

Every Breath You Take- The Police

Time After Time- Cyndi Lauper

I Wanna Dance With Somebody- Whitney Houston (Also in Will & El's lists. Imagine them hanging out dancing to it. Like sleepover)

Girls Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper

True Colours- Cyndi Lauper

Heaven Is A Place On Earth- Belinda Carlisle (I imagine Nancy as a Belinda Carlisle fan too and they bond!)

I Get Weak- Belinda Carlisle

World Without You- Belinda Carlisle

Leave a Light On- Belinda Carlisle

Super Trouper- ABBA (I feel like Joyce loves ABBA and it rubs off on all the kids)

Chain Reaction- Diana Ross

Material Girl- Madonna

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now- Starship (Lumax ♡)

Angel- Madonna (S3 sleepover scene)

Wouldn't Change A Thing- Kylie Minogue

True Blue- Madonna (Max would be the biggest Madonna fan)

Like a Prayer- Madonna

La Isla Bonita- Madonna

Like a Virgin- Madonna

Express Yourself- Madonna (I feel like all the girls would like this one)

On and On and On- ABBA (Also on El's list. They would love it)

I Think We're Alone Now- Tiffany

Edge of Seventeen- Stevie Nicks

Stuck With You- Huey Lewis and The News (Also in Lucas's list cause I love Lumax)

Fame- Irene Cara (Also in El's list)

We Got The Beat- The Go-Go's

LUCAS

Every Breath You Take- The Police

I Want To Know What Love Is- The Foreigner

Footloose- Kenny Loggins

The Way You Make Me Feel- Michael Jackson

Man In The Mirror- Michael Jackson

Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go- Wham

Endless Love- Lionel Richie and Diana Ross (He's a romantic! Would constantly try to make Max duet with him)

If I Could Turn Back Time- Cher (Also on Dustin's list. Would be their mutual guilty pleasure they hide from the others)

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now- Starship (Also on Max's list. They're adorable)

Waiting For A Star To Fall- Boy Meets Girl

Lay All Your Love On Me- ABBA

Mary's Prayer- Danny Wilson

Opposite's Attract- Paula Abdul

Stuck With You- Huey Lewis and The News (Also in Max's list cause I love Lumax)

Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Bonnie Tyler (He and Dustin would do dramatic performances of it)

Love Shack- The B-52's

Everywhere- Fleetwood Mac

WILL

Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears

Should I Stay Or Should I Go- The Clash

I Wanna Dance With Somebody- Whitney Houston (Also in Max & El's lists. Imagine them hanging out dancing to it. Like sleepover)

A Little Respect- Erasure (I feel like Joyce would love this one too)

(I've Had) The Time Of My Life- Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes

The Winner Takes It All- ABBA

Under Attack- ABBA

Who Loves Ya Baby?- Debbie Gibson (Will and El would both love Debbie Gibson)

Electric Youth- Debbie Gibson

Together in Electric Dreams- The Human League

Love Changes (Everything)- Climie Fisher

Alone- Heart

How Will I Know- Whitney Houston

Walking on Sunshine- Katrina & The Waves (Also in El's list)

EL

Mickey- Toni Basil

I'm Still Standing- Elton John

Holding Out For A Hero- Bonnie Tyler

I Wanna Dance With Somebody- Whitney Houston (Also in Will & Max's lists. Imagine them hanging out dancing to it. Like sleepover)

Girl's Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper (El would love bubblegum pop!)

9 to 5- Dolly Parton

I Know Him So Well- Elaine Paige

Slipping Through My Fingers- ABBA

What A Feeling- Irene Cara (I feel like Nancy would have really similar music taste to El which is where she finds most of these songs)

Material Girl- Madonna

Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi- Kylie Minogue (Bubblegum pop!)

It's No Secret- Kylie Minogue

I'll Still Be Loving You- Kylie Minogue

The Loco-Motion- Kylie Minogue

I Should Be So Lucky- Kylie Minogue

On and On and On- ABBA (Also on Max's list. They would love it)

Uptown Girl- Billy Joel

Out Of The Blue- Debbie Gibson (El and Will would both love Debbie Gibson)

Electric Youth- Debbie Gibson

We Could Be Together- Debbie Gibson

Xanadu- Olivia Newton-John

Morning Train (Nine to Five)- Sheena Easton

Crazy For You- Madonna

Fame- Irene Cara (Also in Max's list)

I'm So Excited- The Pointer Sisters

Walking on Sunshine- Katrina & The Waves (Also in Will's list)

DUSTIN

Neverending Story- Limahl

Africa- Toto

The Best- Tina Turner

All Night Long- Lionel Richie

Careless Whisper- Wham

Islands In The Stream- Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers (Idk why this reminds me of him but it does)

If I Could Turn Back Time- Cher (Also on Dustin's list. Would be their mutual guilty pleasure they hide from the others)

(I Just) Died In Your Arms- Cutting Crew

All Out Of Love- Air Supply

Love In The First Degree- Bananarama

Somewhere In My Heart- Aztec Camera

Don't Dream It's Over- Crowded House

The Boys Of Summer- Don Henley

Total Eclipse Of The Heart- Bonnie Tyler (He and Lucas would do dramatic performances of it)

Don't Stop Believin'- Journey (Steve would love it too which is where Dustin would pick it up)

Take On Me- A-Ha

MIKE

Don't You (Forget About Me)- Simple Minds (This song just screams Mike to me)

The Power Of Love- Huey Lewis and The News

Summer of '69- Bryan Adams (He would be a massive Bryan Adam's fan)

Just Can't Get Enough- Depeche Mode

Heroes- David Bowie

Can't Fight This Feeling- REO Speedwagon

The Longest Time- Billy Joel (He, Will, Dustin and Lucas have tried to do this whole song themselves at least once)

Tell Her About It- Billy Joel

Danger Zone- Danny Loggins

Need You Tonight- INXS

Little Lies- Fleetwood Mac

Glory Days- Bruce Springsteen

The Whole Of The Moon- The Waterboys

Livin' On A Prayer- Bon Jovi

Don't You Want Me- The Human League

This is just my opinion and if you have another opinion, I'd love to hear it ♡

[justplainwhump]

Ridley Dies AU: Turning Point

The Ridley-Dead-AU, everyone. I shall tag these who commented on it, plus the Dany tag list: @distinctlywhumpthing @whumping-on-the-ridge @queenofthenoobs @ocean-blue-whump @just-horrible-things @whumpymirages 

Ridley, B and Leo belong to the wonderful @hackles-up

[Dany masterpost]

Cw for (obviously) major character death and thoughts about it. Very vaguely implied past noncon. BBU (vaguely mentioned). Whumpee married to (dead) whumper. Blood. Thoughts about killing a loved one.

He's dead.

Ridley Lordin is dead. His body is still warm, his  brown eyes still open, empty, staring into nothing. There's a hole between them, slightly asymmetric, towards his right eyebrow. The hole is ridiculously small. Like his ridiculously small gun. Like he is a ridiculously small man. 

I don't know where my thoughts come from. I feel like I'm stuck here, stuck in the present, stuck in this moment, with the cool metal of the small gun trembling in my hands, and warm blood soaking the carpet under my bare feet.

The hole is bigger at the back of his head, of course.

I feel sick.

Next to his body, his cellphone vibrates once. It must've slid out of his pocket. New message. Leo. 

Ridley Lordin is dead, but Leonardo Luciano is still alive.

My head is spinning. There's only one thing I know. I have to leave the city before he finds out.

I step forward. The carpet is sticky. Mingled in his beloved 80s rock music are the smacking sounds of my steps. 

I take his wrist, pausing as my gaze falls on our hands. His wedding band next to mine, his perfect skin next to the scars crossing the back of my hand. "Fuck you," I whisper, repeat the last words I said to him. Probably the first ones, too.

I almost have to laugh, even though I don't know why. Nothing of this is funny. Still, it feels ridiculous.

I place his thumb on the phone's sensor to unlock it. 

Love you. Looking forward to date night. I'll text you when I leave here. Special project needing a little more attention tonight.

Date night. Tonight. Here.

There's even less time than I hoped. 

Without another glance at my husband, I walk into the office, leaving a trail of bloody footprints. I don't bother. Leo will know everything, anyway.

I know the layout of Ridley's office by heart. I've spent countless hours on his lap, even more crammed under his desk, keeping him warm. I know where he keeps his laptop, his paper files, his special thumb drives. I pack them all, throw them into a large briefcase. 

There's a stack of bills in his safe, less than I hoped, but it'll do for a start. I add it to the pile. I also know his credit card pin. I'll be able to get more.

Ridley's phone vibrates again. A photo. Leo's  special project, in what must be excruciating pain.

My stomach twists, as I reply with a chain of heart emojis, just as Ridley would.

I can't help her. I can't help anyone but myself.

Not even -

My gaze goes to B, sprawled over the couch, barely breathing. He's still unconscious, bleeding on his head, his arms, his chest, from the brutal blows Ridley rained down on him.

For me.

He'd punished him for me, because his wife can't have bruises in public, but his pet can. Because he knows B matters more to me than anything else.

There's a tear running down my face. I don't fight it. It's ironic. I wanted to save B, but instead I destroyed everything for him. B can't live without Ridley. He'll fall apart. He'll tear me apart, for what I did. And then, Leo will torture him to death, for his failure.

If I'm clever, if I'm quick, and with a whole portion of luck, there's a chance at freedom waiting for me, just outside.

B can never be free.

There's only one thing I can do for him.

"I love you, B," I whisper. "Thank you for everything. I... I wish it had ended differently."

I lift the gun and point it at his heart, blink back the tears.

"I'm so sorry."

[Next]

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

WICKED GAME - by @wonderbatwayne & @not-so-mundane-after-all-97

Fandom: DC Titans

Pairings/Relationships: Dick Grayson/Kory Anders, Dick Grayson & Rachel Roth, Kory Anders & Rachel Roth, Rachel Roth & Garfield Logan, Graysonfam

Chapter: 16/16

Rating: Mature

Summary:

Everybody plays a game. Every move counts, anyone, can be a player. Some play dirty, some play nice, everybody's got eyes on the main prize.

In a world of deception, money, and power, where women are forced to dance with the devil in the name of survival, where men need to break their oaths to do the right thing, Dick Grayson is on a mission to win. A man with a plan, with a goal and a target. Trigon Azarath needs to be eliminated by any means necessary. He's been playing a very long and calculated game, and it has to stop now.

But what happens when a little ballerina with raven hair and a guarded heart, a girl who shouldn't even exist for all he knows, spins the table on him like the pirouettes she does on stage? When a woman with green eyes and a bloody past sets his world ablaze instead of being just a step on the road to victory? Will sticking to the rules be worth the outcome?

It's a wicked game to play, indeed.

Rhi:

And with that we draw final curtains on Wicked Game. I'm still in awe we created this, we brought it to life and you all supported us by devouring every crumb and screaming about every plot twist. You are truly amazing. Wicked Game isn't just mine and Mundi's... It belongs to everyone who loves these characters and these relationships as much as we do. Thank you for the incredible ride you've given us, all the love week to week. We couldn't ask for better friends and readers!

But there is one very special person I want to thank. My writing partner in crime. The person who breathes the heart of this story. The wonderful, the brilliant, the insanely talented Mundi. This story wouldn't exist without her. I wouldn't be half the writer I am without her. Thank you bestie, for making this collab such a dream, for always encouraging me to push beyond my limits and always cheering me on.

We've played a Wicked Game with you all these past 16 weeks but now the game is over! I guess we all won!

Mundi:

Well, game's over. It's honestly mind blowing this thing actually exist, I still to this day look at his fic, at all the ramblings and brainstorming and I can't believe we did this. But what's more important is that we did this for YOU. This amazing, wonderful fandom that deserves the whole world, our friends from far away who were right here with us on this special journey. Your reaction to this story, the way it was received, it exceeded our hopes and expectations by miles!!! Every laugh, every cry, all the screaming and all the therapy bills thrown at us, we'll cherish that forever. My heart is in shambles right now because the ride is ending, but I'm also so so so thankful to all of you for joining us on this roller coaster. The best friends we've ever had, the best audience we could have hoped for. THANK YOU.

And of course I have to take off the crown and bow down low to my partner in crime. Rhi, my darling, if it wasn't for you, that little scene of Dick seeing his baby girl as a ballerina in a different universe would still be stuck in the back drawer of my brain. You breathed life into it and helped me nurture it and grow it into this magnificent thing. It was an expierence of a lifetime and I will never forget it, I'll be in my 80s still remember every little detail of this adventure. You are incredible. I've learned so much from you, I've grown as a creator, as a writer and as a person because of you. To find a person who clicks with you so easily, who rides on the same frequency as you and loves the art they make and the show they make it for just as much as you do is sometimes a miracle, but it happened to me and I will never be able to fully express how much that means to me. Here's to you, to you brilliant, unbelievable talent and to this friendship that will last as long as Tumblr and ao3 are breathing and LONG AFTER THAT.

And that's a curtain call on Wicked Game. Roll the credits, check the scores. And then... Play it all over again.

@undertheknightwing @legendsofentity @mejacinta @meetmeunderthestarrynight @escapism-through-imagination @lady-stirling @grocerylines @xburningbluex @ambelle @ffiamgoku @greatthingssmallworld @garsfavouritejacket @redhairgreeneyes1 @halliwellextra @happilyshanghaied @jerriandtheirfanfics @koryvndr

[saturniandragon]

Right, story time.

(long read warning)

April 2001, I was born. My sister was 4 years old at the time, now we're a family of 4. Not too wealthy, not too poor. The average Indonesian family, I would say. We had a PS1 console, that was my favorite item in the house that time :)

Then fast forward 13 years. Or maybe it was 15... I forgot already. Anyway, whenever I got home from school I would get random heart palpitations. So it became my routine at least once every couple of days to sit down on a couch for 5-10 minutes, staring at particularly nothing, just to get my heart rate down.

Fortunately this time period was also the year I discovered trance music. Specifically vocal trance music. Although I didn't know it was called trance music until I was 17. And weirdly enough this kind of music really helped because of its calming quality, so I kept listening and tried to find more.

And no joke, one music in particular really got me high. Like I was smoking weed or something. I was like oh cool, I can do drugs in music form :) Then my new hobby was to go into my room, turn off the lights, plug headphones and lay on the bed, press play and get lifted to another dimension (lol).

And then I was 19 years old. A little bit of beef happened between me and my dad (personal matter, won't disclose). I guess my body couldn't handle the stress and the weird heart palpitation thing was back. Stronger than ever, I almost couldn't breathe because of it. Couldn't stand up straight. Probably on the brink of passing out completely.

My mom took me to the ICU in local hospital, had oxygen pipe connected to my nose and whatever cable things that the medics used to monitor my vitals. That was the most medical apparatus attached to my body at once. Then I guess I either fell asleep or actually passed out on the hospital bed, woke up a few hours later and transported to the patient dorm.

My mom said the bill was covered by insurance so I didn't have to think about it too much.

1 day before I was discharged, my dad visited. Told me one thing that he has never told me once in 19 years. I was born with a minor defect, and it was either in my lung or my heart. One of the two.

Between 2001 and 2003 my parents were prescribed for a list of medications for me. Although unfortunately the cost was so high that the medication process couldn't be completed, and it halted for a few months.

Then I guess the economy improved, or whatever happened in southeast Asia in the 2000s. My parents could finally get enough medications to restart the process and actually complete it this time. And all was good.

My dad thinks the interrupted medication process eventually caught up to me more than 10 years later, even though it was completed on the second try.

Conclusion, I'm stuck with this weird arrhythmia thing. With no cure for it, since it's not enough to be classified as asthma. And I don't use inhalers.

Lately I've discovered that it's mostly triggered by stress, anxiety and depression. Three things that I also have :) And now day by day I try to limit everything that can potentially cause too much stress and anxiety.

But on the plus side, I've also discovered trance music still has the calming effect to tone down the symptom, so that's one of the things keeping me going until today. Also lemon water.

Thank you for reading <3

Bonus:

Since high-stress situations can potentially trigger my arrhythmia, I've taken fps games very slowly, doing everything the stealth way. Stealth archer in Skyrim, and stealth sniper in Far Cry 3/4. Stealth playstyle allows me to take my time and be patient with everything, do things in my own pace.

(fuck you Dragon Age for not enabling me to be a stealth archer /j)

This also explains why 80% of my Elder Scrolls characters are all a variation of archer, and 100% of my Far Cry gameplays I've always defaulted to a sniper rifle when trying to capture outposts, either with or without a suppressor.

[burnedbyshoto]

this isn’t any hate at all but what’s ur response to this? i’m curious.

mmm well tbh I’m not sure why this needs my response because i’m one of hundred of thousands 18+ content creators within the bnha fandom who strictly doesn’t want minor interaction. but you want my opinion and my opinion is what you shall get.

in case you did not watch the tiktok linked above, i’ll give you a rundown of what it was. a person standing in front of the camera with a judging, puritan look on their face with an audio clip of children screaming-singing as the text on the screen reads:

with of course a caption reading: that’s something that will never make sense to me.

okay! so content of the video is covered! now for my opinion :)

the person is of course free to feel however it is they wish to feel (I did not look anything about about the content creator nor do I wish to so I will use gn pronouns in case) but we should all be vividly and extremely aware that I do not agree.

there’s obviously a certain type of disconnect between their thinking and my thinking. whereas they give a puritan, human right to fictional characters, I say fuck these pixels and make them anything and everything you want them to be. I will not continue fighting this battle of how fictional characters have no rights because they aren’t human. if they want to believe that these characters are somehow affected by works where they are noncon’d or killed or thrown into the ocean then that’s on them. I believe that this shit will never harm the characters because they’re fake, and so long as I warn the actual living humans who are reading my content, I am in the right.

“shouto breathed in deeply, but too deeply, and snorted a peanut, killing him instantaneously.”

OH NO! SHOUTO IS DEAD!

“shouto revived because his cock is too fat and god gave him another shot.”

oh LOL! spoke too soon! he’s alive!

how can he die and instantly revive? oh I don’t know cuz he’s not real! that’s it!

now let’s talk about adults within fandoms, especially in fandoms that garner a lot of children/less than 18 year olds attention.

imma say this while laughing because i’m sorry but minors and even adults who try to be cool fandom moms for the children have this mindset that if you say “18+ minors dni” that means immediately you have to be a porn hub central. more often than not, these accounts probably do have porn and smut and what not, but it’s not the only reason. there are some very strong and obvious adult content. drugs, alcohol, abuse, and things like marriage are very adult like topics. now i’m not trying to say that minors don’t experience these things, but when someone is simply talking about how they want to go smoke some weed or go drink, they don’t want to see minors on their page liking shit, commenting shit, or whatever.

minors have the habit of either saying they agree which is awkward as an adult or being this puritan shit that screams about how sex is bad, drugs are worse, alcohol is a sin, and how fictional characters are hurting and are in abusive and toxic relationships because you wrote or drew deku taking kacchans dick up his ass.

some adults also need to do this to protect themselves. it’s a warning that what’s on their page, what’s on their content is a clear and unmissable symbol that this isn’t for kids even if the content of the show is aimed for kids. we should all know that by the time you reach your 20’s that you’re not going to wither off and die, that you’re not going to be stuck in the kitchen or in the office, we are aware that taxes and bills don’t take years of concentration to do, and that adults whether they are 25 or 80 have hobbies and interests outside of work.

fan content is something that many people love to do. adult women have been the pioneers and trailblazers to things such as 18+ content for years. as adults, trust me when I say that we don’t want to simply write fluff and one shot romances with only a sweet soft buildup. of course there are people who do that, and that’s all good, but adults are allowed to do whatever the hell they want to with anime characters because they simply do not exist.

I have a major lady boner for todoroki shouto, midoriya izuku, and bakugou katsuki all three of which are technically minors within their universe, so you will hear me once more say that I am not within their universe, they are not human, therefore my works do not and will never hurt them. for that I am able to write 18+ content and because of previous minors who have come onto my blog waving puritan flags and “you’re too old for this get a life” flags, I deemed it best to put up the 18+ minors dni because they were now infringing on my ability to create content in the light hearted way I want to do. if you look back at my content, they all have adult themes to them, even if it isn’t smut. I am just past the bump in the road where I feel like I need to direct my things at people who are simply unwilling to see my work and scream bloody murder in my ears & will gladly take on all adults who want to spew bullshit about how fictional characters are real and can feel things.

that’s my opinion. feel free to agree or disagree. but the original creator is a straight up acting like a gate keeping puritan. let people create what they want for fiction, even if you don’t agree.

[oldsmobile-hotdogs]

Questions for crossover jatp ghosts crossover fic: I hope Julian and the sunset curve boys talk about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Yugoslav wars that happened when they were alive + Bill Cilnton. I wonder what pat and the band would talk about considering that they would of been kids when pat died? Do you think Julie would think of Les Mis and Hamilton cos Thomas and Kitty are from about the same time period as those musicals? I hope Julie calls Fanny Mary poppins.

Anon, or "Mimi", or "Lulu", or, heck, maybe even "Carl Birtles": Update: Not Carl Birtles. Carl Birtles sent me an ask and is cool, actually.

Stop. Right now. I'd say stop while you're ahead, but you are so far away from ahead at this point it's laughable.

For everyone confused, this is that "commenter from AO3" I joked about making a 2017-esque story time video about.

A couple days ago I uploaded the first chapter of a Julie and the Phantoms/BBC Ghosts crossover fic.

You know what? I’m gonna promo it here bc it’s my callout post and I can shill if I want to: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30681704/chapters/76661471

It was generally very well received and I've had a blast interacting with readers.

Except for this.

Honestly, there's so much to get into, so I’m putting it under a cut:

This was their first correspondence (email notif bc I deleted the comment, the deletion to be explained later):

(Funnily enough, the links very much do not work on AO3, making the comment only more jarring)

I gave you *so much* benefit of the doubt when I saw this comment, and assumed that maybe you're an ESL user, just very enthusiastic to share ideas, and I pretty much said so in my reply, but know that at that point I'd already had friends- who fucking know about this, don't you dare think you're getting me alone- tell me that you were being very demanding.

Below was my reply (another email notif):

I'm gonna be honest, I think I responded really well to what I was given, and now that I'd replied, I was pretty certain the situation was dealt with. You, evidently, didn't agree, as shown by your reply to my reply:

A word of advice: when replying to someone, at least pretend like you read what they wrote.

At this point I'm left wondering two things:

What do they expect from me, if a general reply is not it?

How much more shit do they have waiting to tell me to put in my- reminder, JATP/BBC Ghosts crossover, rated T, comedic- fic?

In order to avoid finding out either, I freeze the thread on AO3. I'm liveblogging all of this on Discord.

It's then that I notice that the username on AO3 isn't clickable, so even if I wanted to block or report them I couldn't. I assume, therefore, that they've deactivated, and since them seeing their comments gone and getting angry was the only thing stopping me deleting the comments, I delete the comments.

It's also at this point I see "Mimi" never left kudos. I guess I don't deserve praise until I mention "Bill Cilnton".

There's relative calm for a short amount of time, until I get another comment:

This one is much kinder than the others and doesn't mention any specific, weird, historical events, so the extent to which I think this is "Mimi" is debatable, but bestie I'm weirded out enough that anything that even uses the enter bar unnecessarily and misses out conjunctive words like "because" and "and" is going to activate fight or flight. Update: Carl Birtles is not Mimi or Lulu. Carl was just being genuinely kind and I misinterpreted it and that's on me.

However, "Carl"'s case is not helped by the fact I can't click his account either, that AO3 offers me the ability to report it as spam, and that guess who replies to "Carl"'s comment: Update: Carl, having done nothing wrong as he has, is therefore also a victim in the situation that is being replied to by Lulu. It would seem Lulu is trying to correct??? some of Carl's commentary.

You must think I didn't get a 7 on my English Literature GCSE because you seem to underestimate my ability to compare two texts.

So clearly this is "Mimi", who has also just replied to "Carl". "Lulu" is also deactivated, and I've fallen off the end of my tether, let alone reached it, at this point so I mark it as spam. "Carl" gets to stay bc he said the idea for the crossover was good. Update: Carl also gets to continue to stay because I have it on good faith that he's a stand-up dude.

So at this point you've readily admitted through your inability to shake up your writing style to using at least one sockpuppet to convince me to talk about the "Yugoslav wars".

If "Carl Birtles" is the real(-est) of them, and "Mimi" and "Lulu" are the sockpuppets, by the way, I have questions and ideas about what you do on your free evenings and I want them neither confirmed nor answered. Update: This is slanderous and I want to apologise wholeheartedly to Carl for making assumptions about him and judging his character. Once again, he is not Mimi or Lulu. He's just a normal, cool guy.

And now you come to me, on the day of my daughter's wedding on a different platform, leave me an anon ask in the exact same format as you're so fond of, and expect any different ??

Well, yeah, then I guess I'll give you special treatment this time.

Here's exactly why I will never include anything you have told me to include:

Julian and the Phantoms discussing the Berlin Wall would be highly inappropriate for the largely fluffy, cracky tone of my fanfiction, especially given how recently the event occurred, how many Eastern Germans still experience prejudice to this day because they were born within the old borders of the DDR, and because of how nuanced this, essentially proxy war, was and how ill-informed a huge amount of the world is on the actual factors in play during this time and the Cold War in general.

Julian and the Phantoms will not discuss Yugoslavia dissolving, nor the fallout and conflict that resulted, because it was genocidal. There is nowhere I can fit Julian, pantsted, casually asking Luke “hey do you remember when the Herzegovinas were killed en masse by the Serbs?” Not gonna happen.

They won’t discuss Bill Clinton because all of them know who the current world leaders are: they don’t have amnesia, they’re ghosts. The fic is also rated T, so it would be inappropriate to make any explicit reference to “sexual relations”. None of them play saxophone.

Julie wouldn’t think of Les Mis or Hamilton because Thomas is Regency, not French Revolution, and Kitty is Georgian, not Colonial.

Julie won’t be calling Fanny Mary Poppins because she is perpetually stuck in a white dress, doesn’t wear a hat, doesn’t own an umbrella or a purse and was not the nanny or housekeeper of Button House.

The ghosts will not discuss the marvels of modern transportation or how long it would’ve taken to cross the Atlantic on dinghy because the ghosts have seen Friends. The house irl is on a flight path. They know airplanes exist. Alison and Mike pulled up in a car.

I will probably have the phantoms and Willie talk to Pat and Julian about being from the ‘80s and ‘90s. That I will actually probably do.

The Captain will not mention FD Roosevelt because, again, they all know who the current world leaders are, and I doubt he expects a ‘90s pop punk band to have any insider knowledge on the man.

It was interesting to think of the phantoms’ grandparents having been alive during WW2. I wasn’t lying. But there is nearly nothing I can do with this information.

But above all: both sets of ghosts have already adapted to modern life. Because the shows are shorter, and meant to actually be able to fit jokes in them.

If you want to see any of this, write your own damn fic. I don’t own the concept of a JATP/BBC Ghosts crossover.

What you will not do, “consonant-vowel-consonant-vowel”-nim, is hound me on multiple accounts and then change platform to hound me again. I’m absolutely not having it.

I have never received an interaction quite like this before, and I cannot help but wonder if this is because this is my first work in the Ghosts/HH/Them There/Six Idiots/Yonderland/Bill fandom: that this is where you primarily camp out.

So it’s at this point I ask the Them There/Six Idiots fandom if they have/if they know anyone who has had a run-in with this person or thinks they may have, or if anyone perhaps even knows who this is? Maybe I’m just one of many. Maybe this is a necessary fandom evil I was unaware of.

This experience has left me royally freaked out, as one might imagine, especially since my anxiety in general has been acting up due to it being exam season. I want to thank everyone who’s read my rambles on Discord and on here and even listened to them irl and offered support from the bottom of my heart.

I’ve enabled comment moderation on the fic. I will continue to write it, and I will put exactly what I, and only what I, want in it.

Believe it or not, I wanted to do literally anything else today.

Anon: Fucking Leave Me Alone.

Update: Just reiterating: Carl is not Mimi or Lulu. Carl is a cool dude and I want to sincerely apologise for having brought him into this mess, passing judgment on his character, and making him feel like he should stop practicing English online.

[nahimjustfeelingit-writes]

Imagine:

Erik walks in on his homeboys sister stepping out of the shower and she is embarrassed/ has a huge crush on him.

Warnings: Smut. Flash back.

Micheal and Yara.

Two siblings from Oakland who decided to get an apartment near Telegraph Ave so that Yara could study at Berkeley. Yara is currently studying Art History there and she will be graduating in May at the age of 21. Micheal, her older brother, is into graphic design and web development so he works for a small company creating websites for Architectural businesses. He also does free lance work on the side to earn extra cash so he can afford living in their expensive apartment. Micheal and Yara’s parents are divorced. Their father lives in San Francisco city and their mother lives where Micheal and Yara are with her new husband in Alameda County. Yara used to live with her mother but she didn’t get along with her step father. Micheal brought up the idea of sharing an apartment to Yara since his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Evette decided that she didn’t want to move in with him. 

Currently, Micheal and Evette are arguing about Micheal's whereabouts last Friday evening. Yara was trying to take a nap in her room before her late shift at 9:00 PM as a bar tender. Tossing and turning in her bed covered in fluffy white sheets, Yara groaned loudly before throwing her sheets back, temples pounding with a tension headache that Yara tries to sooth by massaging them but it doesn’t work. Only in a Metallica T-shirt, Yara grabs a pair of Champions sweatpants from her dresser, sliding her feet in her canary yellow UGG slippers, and walking out of her bedroom. Yara’s eardrums damn near bust when she stepped into the hallway of the apartment. Rubbing the cold from her eyes, Yara walked out into the living room area coming face to face with the source of the commotion.

“STOP LYING!” Evette, Short, petite, reminded Yara of Keyshia Cole because of her bright red hair and nose piercing, tossed a decorative pillow at Micheal from across the room. Micheal caught it with his quick reflexes before placing it back on the couch. He didn’t appear bothered at all by Evette’s screaming and hollering.

“Evette, I ain’t got nothing to lie about. I told you, I was with my boy, Erik. He’s back in town for a little while before he goes back to the Military,” Micheal spoke with a flat tone, eyes bored.

“I don’t believe you. I think you were with some girl. I think you’re out here sticking your dick in some other bitch. When I find out, I’m beating both of yall ass, for real,” Evette threatens Micheal with one of her long acrylic hot pink nails almost jabbing him in the eye. 

“This ain’t the first time you accused me of cheating,” Micheal ran his hands down his face, “It’s really getting on my nerves, Evette. The constant trying to go through my phone, picking fights with me, the insecurities. What do I have to lie about? I could have dropped you years ago but no, I care about you too much to do that. Now, I’m just tired of you acting like a damn child.”

“Ahem,” Yara clears her throat.

Micheal and Evette turn towards her.

“Do y’all mind taking this shit somewhere else? I have to work tonight and I can’t sleep with all this yelling.”

“Hi to you too, Yara,” Evette spoke sarcastically.

“Bitch, don’t give me attitude. Do you pay the bills in here?” Yara has her fists balled up like she was ready to hit Evette. Evette simply laughs, staring at Yara like she’s a joke before turning her attention back to Micheal.

“My bad, little sis, Evette was just leaving-“

“WHAT?” Evette’s voice grew loud again.

“You heard me. Bounce. If you don’t trust me I can’t deal with you, Evette.”

Evette folds her arms across her perky chest, “Do you actually mean it this time around or will you be calling me tomorrow night asking to come over? you are famous for that shit, Mike.”

Micheal groans, “I don’t know right now. All I know is I need you to leave so I can clear my head, you know what I’m saying?”

“Okay, clear your head, GOTCHA,” Evette turns around, practically stomping to the door, “Lying ass piece of shit.”

“Don’t slam the door either!”Micheal yells.

BAM!

“Yeah,” Micheal closes his eyes to calm himself.

“You’re better than me. I feel like following her and kicking that bitch down the steps. You need to drop her, Mike. Do you even see what’s going on?”

“Nah, baby sis, tell me what’s up? What am I NOT seeing?”

Yara tilted her head at Micheal with sad eyes. Micheal shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t understand what Yara was trying to tell him without using words.

“You can be so damn thick-headed sometimes,” Yara threw her hands up matter-of-factually, “Evette is cheating on you, Mike. She’s just trying to give you a reason to end things so she can continue fucking whoever she is fucking without you knowing.”

“Wait...what?” Micheal says with disbelief.

“You’re Girl? The love of your life? She’s fucking someone else, Mike.”

Micheal blinked at Yara with bewildered eyes.

“Listen, fool, while you’re sitting there stuck on stupid, Evette is driving to a dick appointment trying to think of a plan B to get rid of yo’ ass. Just end it with her. The shit is toxic. I don’t even want a nigga to step into my personal space after witnessing the shit you and Evette go through.”

“If Evette is cheating on me...” Micheal didn’t finish his sentence but Yara knew her brother would bring hell to earth if he caught Evette fucking another man. As much as they bickered and broke up, Evette was her brothers first real love. He wouldn’t admit it, but Micheal would be heart broken.

“Then I’m going to whip her ass,” Yara said in her brothers defense, “Nobody fucks with my bro like that.”

“I’ll let you beat her ass too.”

Yara kisses her brothers forehead, “I’m going to go back in bed, I am so exhausted with school- hold up, did you say that you were with Erik?”

“Yeah,” Micheal said whole scrolling through his phone, “He’s back for a little while.”

“I haven’t seen Erik in, like, three years?”

“Yeah, it’s been a long ass time. I thought he forgot about us,” Micheal laughs, “He’ll be here later if you want to catch him before you go to work.”

“Mama was asking about him a few days ago,” Yara says recalling the conversation they both had when she went to visit her. Micheal and Yara’s mother always pulled the photo albums out whenever they came to see her. The photo album she brought out when Yara came over was Micheal’s prom photos. Micheal and Erik went to prom together their senior year.

“Look at Erik! Wasn’t he so skinny?!” Yara’s mama says.

“Yeah, mama, he was swimming in his suit.”

Yara’s eyes twinkled when she stared at Erik’s photo. Her first ever crush. The guy she kissed on a whim when she was 18 and he was 24. Yara felt so embarrassed. Erik simply gave her a kind smile, hugging her tightly. She felt like a silly child. Erik was a grown man. Ever since then, Yara hadn’t seen Erik.

“You Aight?” Micheal looked over at Yara with a smirk.

“I’m fine.”

Yara couldn’t stop thinking about her brothers friend who used to spend the night when they were kids. His friend who wore only a pair of basketball shorts when he slept. His friend who used to stand in Yara’s doorway to her bedroom teasing her.

“You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“No, I’m not,” Yara looked off to the side.

“When you look away like that it’s a sign that you’re lying. You ain’t gotta tell me, it’s probably some nasty shit that I really don’t want to know anyway.”

“Shut up, Mike,” Yara rolls her eyes, turning away to walk back to her room with her middle finger raised behind her, directed towards her brother.

——————

A few hours later:

Erik Stevens stepped off of the elevator within Micheal and Yara’s apartment building on Telegraph Ave. kinky fro freshly shaped up and a new fit and shoes on his feet, Erik checked his text message from Micheal that informed him of what apartment it is.

“9C,” Erik places his phone back inside of his jacket pocket, eyes searching from left to right before spotting the crisp white door with a bronze letter C on it and a tiny peep hole. Erik knocks, the gold Piaget watch on his right wrist making a loud tapping sound against the surface of the door. In under two seconds, Micheal opens the door, a broad smile on his handsome chocolate face when he noticed who it was.

“What’s up, cuz?” Micheal gave Erik dabs, “I ain’t expect you to be over this early, bruh, you good?”

“I’m good, I just needed to get away from CeCe. You know she offered for me to stay at her new place instead of a hotel.”

“You know you have to tell me about all of that, right?” Micheal jokes, holding his door open further for Erik to enter. Erik steps inside, his eyes admiring the urban styled apartment. It was Boho vintage with different shades of browns, greens, and reds. The living room was decorated and furnished with cream colored walls, Urban photographs of Oakland, cactus plants, a standout leather sofa set in a dessert brown color accompanied with khaki colored patch work leather ottomans and an elegantly modern coffee table featuring a round metal tabletop in a brushed, antique brass finish. 60 inch flat screen TV, an acacia wood credenza that Erik was sure is filled with old 70s and 80s records.

“Shit, let me take my shoes off, I don’t want to mess up this nice carpet,” Erik kicks his shoes off near the front door.

“You can put them in that shoe rack right there if you want. Yara got that from the thrift store about a week ago.”

Erik looks up at Micheal with expectant eyes, “Little Yara? She lives with you? what happened with Evette?”

“Long story, bro, Yara and I decided to get a place together close to Berkeley and I work for that new company I was telling you about last weekend so we can commute easier. Plus, you know moms live near us too.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, what is little Yara studying at Berkeley?”

Micheal smiles like a proud older brother, “Art History. She wants to become a Curator.”

“I’ve always seen her working in a museum. She loves history so much,” Erik reminisced with a slight smirk, “Is she here?”

“Straight back there-Wait.”

Erik was ready to rush back to see her.

“Let me see if she’s decent. She gotta work in about a few hours.”

“No problem, bruh, I’ll chill out here.”

Erik watches Micheal walk to the back of the apartment where the rooms are. Taking a seat on the leather couch, Erik strokes his beard, thinking about Yara. He hadn’t seen her in three years. He wondered how different she looked. By different he meant mature and filled out like a women. Back when she was just 18 years of age, Yara was so petite and athletic since she played Lacrosse, braces on her teeth, and so sweet and innocent. From what Micheal told Erik last weekend when they went out to a Hookah bar for Boys night, Yara gained weight. Micheal joked about it, typical sibling teasing, but Erik wished he could have seen a picture. Now, his mind went back to when Yara kissed him the night of her graduation party before Erik left to start his JSOC training. He honestly didn’t know how to respond. Yara looked like her world came crashing down when he didn’t reciprocate the same feelings. She was much younger than him, Erik has her by six years. She was 18 and he was 24. Yeah, Yara was legal but it still felt weird. He always knew little Yara had a crush on him and he surely didn’t want Micheal to know about it.

“She’s still asleep,” Micheal walked back out with a generous bag filled with an eighth of top-shelf weed, “You want to smoke a blunt and tell me about this bitch named CeCe?”

———————

Yara. Don’t forget. The history project is due tomorrow night. Since you’re group lead, you have to submit it.

Yara rolls her eyes at the group chat she was in with her fellow History classmates. That assignment was the last thing on her damn mind. Yara closes her Mac, stretching her curvy body out like a cat before getting up from her comfy bed. Like a strong wind, the smell of kush hit her nose. Yara noticed that her bedroom door is cracked. Micheal must have come to check on her. Yara slips on a pair of Champion Reverse Weave drawstring shorts that were folded on the end of her bed in a pink color, bed hair and all, walking out of her room and towards the living room. When she entered the hallway, two male voices could be heard. It finally dawned on Yara who the other male present could be.

Erik.

Yara walks to the bathroom, deciding to wipe her face off and brush her teeth. She still needed to shower but that could wait until she ate something. Admiring her hair, Yara reaches up to pull her hair tie from her curly hair, fluffing it out and shaking her head so it wouldn’t look like she just rolled out of bed. Yara then brushes her teeth, using her water closer afterwards. Satisfied, Yara takes in a deep breath to try and calm the butterflies in her stomach before walking out of the bathroom and towards the living room area.

“So, you’re telling me that CeCe is trying to hook you up with someone? why are you there?”

“You know she likes playing match made in heaven. CeCe is cool, Mike, I know me and her used to fuck around before I left but it ain’t even like that now. Just a friend helping out a friend. No big thing.”

Micheal chuckles, “E, I know you, man. You had all that pussy around you to play with and you ain’t have a taste? Nigga-“

“Like I said, nah. I don’t want that anymore or her friend she’s trying to get me with. Her friend just wants to know how the dick CeCe used to get is really about. You can look at me like that all you want. Everything is temporary. I’m shopping for a house right now-“

“You can just sleep on our couch-“

“I’m too big for this fucking couch,” Erik laughs, “Once my house is built from the ground up, you’ll see that it was all worth it. And you know I can’t stay with our other friends they gon’ get me caught up and I don’t need to be in jail.”

Erik takes a puff of weed before handing it over to Mike.

Micheal accepts the weed, instantly smoking it before letting the smoke out from his nose, “You’re a changed man, E. Got a house in the works, left the hood to pursue your dreams of being this J.I Joe motherfucker,” Erik playfully jabs Micheal in his ribs, “Seeiously, man, I’m proud of you. Wait until Yara sees you, bruh.”

Erik licks his lips before raising a single brow, “What you mean by that?

“She ain’t gonna believe this the same Erik from three years ago. What you do? Get inside of the same machine as Captain America?”

“Funny, nigga.”

Yara didn’t reveal herself just yet. She just wanted to hear him talk. Erik’s voice definitely appeared deeper. Raspy, then husky, then deep and gruff. When he genuinely laughed it was still just as light as before. Yara peeked out into the living room. A tiny gasp escaped her mouth. Kinky fro, muscles, facial hair, and tiny scars on his arms is what she noticed first. Micheal was right, this was Erik 2.0. Then, whenever he talked; those lush lips moving, Yara saw gold canines in his mouth. He looked so rough and scruffy. The Military definitely made him harder.

“Yara, stop being nosy!” Micheal yells. Yara almost jumped where she stood. She was so in tune with her thoughts that she hadn’t realized how close she’d gotten into the living room.

“Shut up Mike!” Yara fired back. With nervous eyes, Yara looked over at Erik. He didn’t speak, all he did was look fixedly at her with his eyes wide open. It was as if time stood still and she was the only thing that mattered in that room. Even the weed in Erik’s hand could burn to ash.

“Hi, Erik,” Yara couldn’t stop herself from grinning when Erik smiled at her with his dimples.

“Little Yara, what’s going on girl!” Erik hands Micheal the blunt back before standing from the couch, walking over to Yara with his arms outstretched for her to give him a big hug. Yara walks up to Erik, giggling nervously before bringing her arms around his waist, squeezing him. Erik rocked Yara back and forth while his chin rested on top of her curly head. Erik then brings his lips down to kiss Yara’s forehead before pulling her away to get a good look at her.

Heart shaped face, dimple in her chin, glittering eyes fringed with long eyelashes that reminded him of maple syrup, silken skin like cinnamon, ebony ringlets that made her thick but arched brows pop, lips full and glossy with a prominent Cupid’s bow. Erik’s eyes burned with desire when he gazed at Yara’s voluptuous, curvy, ample, and generous body. She really filled out from the last time he saw her. Mike can joke all he wants but Yara looked...

Erik covered his eyes with his hands, a suppressed laugh escaping his mouth before he opened his arms wide for her to hug him again. Yara giggles, stepping back into his embrace again to accept his hug. He smelled like patchouli. Tall, brawny, chiseled, broad-shouldered, and hulking, Yara couldn’t get over how comfortable she felt within Erik’s embrace. The deep baritone of his voice made her shiver.

“Look at you girl, all grown up. Crazy how that happened in three years, right?”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Yara turned her face away timidly, “So, how is the Military treating you? I mean...” Yara looks Erik up and down with a shake of her head, “It seems like it’s treating you nice. Go hard or go home, right?

“Treating me like I’m a piece of shit but it’s worth it,” Erik laughs, “The Military transformed me.”

Yes it did

“You do look great, I almost didn’t recognize you sitting on that couch. The hair, the muscles, the scars...”

Yara looked at them, her hand extending out suddenly to touch a row of scars that looked freshly raised against his skin.

“Don’t.”

Yara jolted upright, her hand jerking away. His voice and the look he gave her had her shrank in front of him.

“Shit, my bad, girl. You don’t want to touch these. Bad memories. That’s all, little Yara, I’m sorry.”

“It’s...it’s okay,” Yara steps away, shifting from one foot to the other, “Good to see you though, Erik.”

“You too, girl,” Erik scratched his beard before reluctantly turning away from Yara to take his seat next to Micheal on the couch. Yara watched him walk away while tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. The way they greeted eachother felt so different. Erik wasn’t only physically changed, He’s mentally changed too.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready for work?” Micheal stretched his slender tattoo covered arms above his head.

“Yeah, but I’m hungry so,” Yara rubbed her hands on her thighs to get rid of the sweat before walking away and into the kitchen. Yara finally exhaled when she entered the kitchen after holding her breath while walking past Erik. The kitchen was open and you could peek into the living room. Erik was sitting directly across from Micheal staring straight ahead at Yara while smoking his blunt. He tilted his head at her while half listening to Micheal talk about Evette. Yara turned her face away, grabbing a loaf of wheat bread from the counter to make herself a PB&J sandwich.

“Little sis, what you cooking up in there?”

“Nothing for you,” Yara spread strawberry jam on her bread, “Why don’t you order in?”

“I was thinking about it, E, I’ma make a liquor run real quick, you want anything?”

“I got some good stuff in the car I can grab, you aint gon’ drink it so don’t even ask.”

“Yeah, I like my own shit,” Micheal stood from the couch, walking towards the back of the apartment to his room. It was silent minus the low TV and Yara washing the butter knife she used to make her sandwich. Erik leaned back into the leather couch, crossing his arms over his solid chest. He watched Yara walk over to the trash can to toss a paper towel in the trash that she most likely used to clean up crumbs or spilled jam. Erik has a great view of Yara’s thick ass bending over, her drawstring shorts raising up her thighs and getting caught between her ass cheeks. Such a beautiful sight has Erik’s brows knitted as he gave her a once-over. At that particular moment, Yara looked back at him as if she could feel his eyes boring into her.

“Hi.” She spoke in a trembling tone.

“Hi, back,” Erik says suggestively.

“Did Mike leave yet?”

“Nah-“

“Aight, I’ll be back, y’all good? Need anything?” Micheal was back with a hoodie on, a dad cap, and a pair of vans on his feet.

“Can you stop by that corner market that sells those organic fruits? I want some mangos.” Yara yelled from the kitchen.

Micheal grabbed the door knob, pausing, “I’m making a liquor run too.”

“Oh! I want some Hypnotiq.”

“Cool, you, E?”

“We can order in when you get back, I’m good.”

“Bet, I’ll be back.”

Micheal exits.

“Mike still just as skinny as he was since the last time I saw him” Erik laughs.

“Yeah, he can eat but it goes nowhere. Me, I gained all the weight in the world.”

Erik gave Yara a dismissive wave of his hand, “Girl, you look good. Ain’t nothing wrong with the weight you put on.”

Yara giggles, popping a green grape in her mouth, “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Erik craned his neck to try and see her, “Why don’t you come in here and eat. Over there hiding and shit from a nigga.”

“Okay,” Yara got up from the dining room table, walking through the kitchen and entering the living room. She decided to sit her plump bottom on the floor while using one of the leather ottomans as a surface for her grapes and half eaten sandwich.

“So, how have you been?” Erik asked while rolling a new blunt.

“I’ve been doing just fine. Ready to graduate honestly.” Yara nervously rubbed her shoulder before gazing at Erik, “You?”

“Busy, busy, busy,” Erik’s onyx eyes landed on hers before looking back at his blunt, “Just traveling, training, that’s about it.”

“Oh,” Yara massaged the back of her neck, “Does those scars have anything to do with it?”

“Partly, yeah.”

“I see,” Yara admires them, “They look...they don’t look like typical scars.”

“That’s because they’re not.” Erik spoke in a flat tone.

“Let me just, stop asking,” Yara laughs awkwardly.

Erik chuckles, “It’s not a subject I rather talk about with you, Little Yara.”

“I understand. I won’t pry.”

“Cool,” Erik takes a hit of his blunt, cheeks blowing out as they filled with smoke, “Seeing anybody?”

“Nope. I haven’t for the past three months. Been trying to stay focused. Men are a distraction.”

“Y’all women are too,” Erik laughs, smoke escaping his nose.

Yara cocked her head, “So, my guess is you aren’t seeing anyone either.”

Erik licks his lips, “I don’t have time for that.”

“Does that include sex too?”

Erik clapped his hands together while chuckling, “Ahhhh, shit, Yara, did you just ask me about my sex life? Are you having sexxxxxxx?!

“I did. And I’m grown, ERIK, so yes, I’m having sex,” Yara gave a half shrug while rolling her eyes.

“21, right? I remember when I was 21. Legally can drink now and everything. Too bad you still can’t hang with us,” Erik chuckles.

Yara gave Erik the finger, “fuck you, don’t play with me like that.”

“I’m just saying, I remember you graduating high school the last time I saw you. Now you’re in your 20s, barely.”

Yara lowered her head, “Will you always remember me like that? Like DAMN, I did grow up, nigga.”

Erik noticed the attitude in her voice, “You’re mad at me?”

“Just annoyed,” Yara stood up, grabbing her food, “I’m gonna eat in my room so I can look over this project I have to submit tomorrow. I’ll see you later, Erik.”

Confused, Erik watched Yara practically storm away. He didn’t understand why his words offended her so much. It’s just what Erik is used to. He’s used to seeing Yara so young not a 21 year old adult. It was all still so new to him. Deciding not to chase after her, Erik gets up from the couch to retrieve his shoes so he could grab his drink from his car.

———————

Yara couldn’t even focus.

She was really bothered by Erik’s comments.

It was mainly because every time he cracked jokes she thought about her kissing him. He probably cracked jokes about that too. Clearly, Erik couldn’t look past the fact that Yara is Mike’s little sis. She really thought he was past that when he first laid eyes on her. She could tell what a look of lust was in a man’s eyes since Yara often receives that look. Erik’s eyes were gleaming with desire and attraction. He almost looked shocked that it was Yara. Then, the way he looked her up and down. His eyes damn near gaped when she noticed him staring while she was in the kitchen. Pupils flared and all. Now, it was as if he was trying to hide the attraction he has towards her after three years. Yara was disappointed honestly. She always thought the next time she ever saw Erik they would honestly re-do that kiss and possibly have sex. If Yara had the choice to go back and lose her virginity it would have been with Erik.

Glancing at her phone, Yara noticed it was around 7:45 PM. Luckily, the bar she worked at wasn’t too far from her. Yara didn’t drive so she usually walked or caught an Uber. Lifting from her soft and fluffy floor cushion, Yara grabs her white cotton towel and soap sponge to take a shower. Leaving her room, she could hear Erik watching a basketball game. Yara closes her bedroom door, walking across to the bathroom, closing the door behind her softly. She began to undress, stripping her clothes from her body into a wrinkled pile on the floor near the sink. Opening the medicine cabinet, Yara grabs her Dove sensitive skin body wash and exfoliating spin brush. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about Erik being in the living room right now while she was naked in the bathroom. There was no way Yara could ignore the growing dampness between her legs. She hadn’t been wet to the thought of Erik in a very long time.

Luke warm water running, Yara pulled the tribal patterned shower curtain back, stepping inside carefully not to slip on the the shower mat, then closing the curtain behind her. Yara forgot to pin her hair up but she needed to wash her hair anyway so she allowed it to grow wet while she wet her body completely. Grabbing her exfoliating brush and the body wash, Yara applied the body wash to her curvy body, turning on her brush and in a circular motion, began to cleanse her skin from the neck down. She had a separate skin care routine and a spin brush for that as well. Yara lifts her leg on the side of the tub to wash behind her thighs, the warm water running down her ass and to her pussy. Yara felt extra tingly between her legs. She didn’t have time to rub off in the shower and she forgot her favorite vibrator in her bed room. Groaning, Yara tried to ignore it as best as she could while scrubbing the top of her feet.

————————

Erik sat cross-faded with his eyes sitting low. The basketball game was just background noise for him. Bored out of his mind, Erik really wanted to go and talk to Yara. He didn’t want to approach her on some awkward shit but at the same time he missed talking to her. Erik remembers how he used to talk and goof off with Yara from her doorway when they were younger. Micheal is very long-winded and sitting on the couch will eventually lead to Erik falling asleep. Erik leans forward on his elbow to peek down the hall where Yara’s bedroom is located. The hall was brightly lit from the light and he couldn’t tell which room was hers exactly. All the damn doors looked the same.

“Fuck it,” Erik places his phone on the coffee table, rising from the couch and making his way down the hall. Hands in his pockets, Erik approaches the first door. He knocks, no sound, twisting the knob and opening the door. It was Mikes room. Erik closes the door, walking further down the hall and approaching a door to his right. The light was on, he could tell from the glow beneath the door. Erik knocks, no sound. He grabs the brass knob, twisting it, then opening. Standing there, Erik’s chest rose and fell with rapid breaths. His mouth hung open and his eyes went round as if they were about to fall out of their sockets. He gawked at the sight of Yara before him. A sight he never imagined in a million years he would see up until now.

Yara was arched over the bathtub with her ass pointed straight out at Erik. Erik could smell cleaning products; Fabuloso from what it smelled like. The water in the tub was on full blast as Yara cleaned the porcelain. Her body was still wet and she had a T-shirt wrapped around her hair. Yara’s ass jiggled each time she scrubbed the tub out. She wasn’t aware of his presence. Erik was so stunned by her naked body and the fact that he walked in on her that he couldn’t even speak.

Too late.

Yara lifts her body up, turning to place the scrub brush on the floor near the tub, her eyes catching Erik standing within the entrance to the bathroom. Yara felt as if her heart was leaving her body. Shell-shocked almost. Now, her breasts were revealed to him. Large, big brown areolas and nipples soaking wet and dripping, curvy waistline glistening with water down to her waxed mound and thighs. Pretty toes painted white with a tattoo of a rose on her left foot. Yara looked appetizing. Yara bit her lip bashfully, eyes glossy as if she wanted to cry from embarrassment, her hands reaching out to the toilet to grab her folded towel. Yara presses her lips together to try and stop her lower lip from trembling and eyes her looked heavenward.

Yara spoke with a shaky voice, “I-Why didn’t you knock? Erik?”

Erik didn’t respond. His eyes were ablaze staring straight at her face. He felt turned on but at the same time he felt guilty. Luckily, Yara couldn’t see how fat and long his dick had gotten within his jeans. She couldn’t hear him, maybe he should have knocked harder. Yara’s hands were shaking and she couldn’t meet his eyes. She was overly embarrassed and not at all prepared. Yara crosses her thighs, pressing the towel further into her chest.

“...I knocked. I should have knocked again. Shit, Yara, I’m sorry-“

“Just-it’s cool,” Yara sized Erik up before rolling her eyes, “Can’t go back now, yeah?”

“I’m so fucking sorry, Yara,” Erik felt like shit, “I’m so so so sorry, Yara.”

“Erik, stop with the apologizing,” Yara drew in a long breath.

“I’m just gonna go,” Erik turns away, walking out of the bathroom. Yara stayed rooted to the spot, her hand pressing further into her chest to calm her rapid heart beat. As always whenever Yara felt embarrassed, she sighed before laughing quietly to herself. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Yara shook her head at what just happened. She was afraid to even look Erik in his eyes now. He saw her in full on nudity. Not in her panties and bra, not in a swimsuit, not wrapped with a fluffy towel, no, fully naked.

Twirling a strand of hair that fell from under the T-shirt, and chewing on her cuticles, Yara gathered herself before leaving the bathroom. She places the cleaning products back in its designated basket under the sink before grabbing her sponge. Yara walked out of the bathroom, entering the hallway and her eyes disobeying her as she nervously glanced into the living room. There seated on the couch with his eyes focused on her, was Erik. Like a magnet, Yara couldn’t pull her eyes away. It was as if he waited to see her leave.

Yara raised a hand in greeting.

He waved.

Yara hung her head, a small smile on her face.

Erik did the same thing before looking at her again.

“I hope this doesn’t make it weird between me and you,” Yara says.

“Never,” Erik spoke with his deep voice, “it could never be weird with you.”

Yara licks her lips, eyes set with long lashes blinking slowly at Erik.

“What are you thinking?” Erik asks while leaning forward on his elbows.

“I’m...I...just-forget it-“

“Nah, tell me.” Erik pushes his eyes searching.

“Mike will be back soon, I have to get dressed.”

“He ain’t back yet,” Erik tilts his head at her, “Don’t be so shy. It’s me, Erik.”

“But it’s what I’m thinking that I shouldn’t be,” Yara crosses her ankles in front of her while staring at her toes.

“Well, I wanna know.”

Yara fidgeted with her fingers before looking up at Erik through her lashes, “I was thinking that I’m glad you saw me like that. I’ve always wanted you to see me like that. Sorry I stormed away like I did earlier.”

Erik swallows spit, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Erik has to look away himself, scratching his nose. He wasn’t prepared for that response at all. Little Yara always wanted him to see her naked. He knew she had a school girl crush on him. No wonder why she didn’t rush to cover herself even though she still looked embarrassed.

“No worries, ma. Uh,” Erik scratches his dreads, “So...you’ve always wanted me to see you naked?”

Yara toyed with a lock of hair, “Yeah...” she spoke with her voice barely above a whisper.

“You shouldn’t talk like that, little Yara, you’ll get yourself in trouble.”

They way he said that sounded so dangerous like fucking with him was the last thing any women would want to do. But Erik didn’t understand, that was ALL Yara wanted to do. He was back, if she didn’t make a move now he would be gone again.

“It’s been a while since you’ve seen me, Erik, I dabbled in trouble,” Yara spoke with a honeyed tone.

“Maybe you should get in that bedroom before Mike gets here then,” Erik says with a sly smirk.

“Yeah, maybe,” Yara giggles before letting out a sigh,

“Bye, Erik.”

“Bye, Yara.”

She didn’t want to move. She really wanted Erik to get up and follow her into her bedroom.

“What you waiting on?” Erik says inclining his head towards the bedroom, “Get in there, little Yara.”

“Come with me?” Yara says before she could even stop herself.

Erik’s eyes dropped and his lips parted. Eyes fully closed now, he clenched his jaw to try and calm his dick. Too bad it was already growing stiff in his jeans. The way she told him to come with her. Such a tempting little thing. Nothing he expected Yara to ever say to him. She’s right, she definitely is a grown women now. Erik wondered what that body could really do.

“I’m-im Sorry,” Yara’s brows creased, eyes cast down at her hands, “I’m being a little too bold right now.”

Erik looked towards the door, then back at Yara. He took in the sight of her barely able to keep that towel around her body.

“You mean what you said? You’re not playing games?” Erik asks with a serious tone, “Cuz if I get up off this couch and come with you, you’re getting all of me, girl.”

“I know,” Yara bites her bottom lip, “I know what I want.”

The way her lips pouted and her eyes looked up at him all innocent caused Erik to stand up slowly from the couch. Erik drew his lower lip between his teeth hands in his jeans pockets before stepping forward. Yara’s lower lip trembled and her breath came out in short gasps. Standing directly next to her now, towering over her with his large intimidating frame, was Erik looking down at Yara with awe transforming his face. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Yara began to walk forward towards her bedroom. Yara twisted the handle, turning to face Erik before opening the door. Erik followed her into darkness, Yara turning to face him with timid eyes. Erik raised a single brow at her, silently asking her if she was sure about this. Yara swallows spit before nodding her head slowly. Erik licks his lips before closing that door behind him, the light that illuminated the hallway disappearing.

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[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Scottish playwright and screenwriter Stephen Greenhorn born on September 5th 1964 in Fauldhouse,West Lothian.

Stephen grew up in Fauldhouse in West Lothian, studied Physics at Heriot Watt before switching to Strathclyde University where his English Lit degree included a life-changing Theatre Studies option.  For the practical part, he wrote a play, Heart and Bone, which won him a Fringe First, since then he hasn’t looked back.

His first professional writing was for BBC Radio Scotland in the late Eighties, after which he concentrated on the theatre for a number of years. Greenhorn moved into television with a 1996 episode of The Bill. He then worked on programmes like Where The Heart Is and Glasgow Kiss, before creating the long-running soap opera River City for BBC Scotland. He also wrote episodes of Dr Who while David Tennant was playing the tenth incumbent. 

At the same time, Greenhorn was developing the acclaimed stage musical Sunshine On Leith, which he later adapted as a 2013  film. The background to this was his friend the theatre director James Brining  saying ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could do a big, Scottish musical?’ It stuck with him  Green horn says  “We thought of finding a composer to write the songs, but it was hard to find a compatible soul. So, we reckoned on using the works of a Scottish band. But they often use many different styles. And the songs just wouldn’t lend themselves to a narrative.”

Greenhorn struggled to find such a back catalogue. Until... “One night I was sitting in my flat in Glasgow, having a few drinks and listening to The Proclaimers' first album....”  His (slightly?) addled brain screamed out to him ‘Oh my, God, these guys have written about everything. About finding love, losing love, being a parent, being a child, politics, community, home . . . I was so excited.”   Yet, given he was also a little tired and emotional, Greenhorn feared the lightbulb would burn out during the night. “To remind myself, I wrote the words ‘Proclaimers' musical’ on the back of my gas bill, and went to bed,”

The next morning, the bulb had indeed gone out. But a glance at the missive from Scottish Power brought it all back. And some deep listening to Proclaimers' albums offered up clues about the storyline, which became a tale of two squaddies returning from the Iraq war to their home in Leith. It’s about lost loves, holding together relationships and community, with a searing backdrop of NHS cuts and nods to gentrification. 

Two years later the show launched in Dundee, and it coincided with the Proclaimers having a Number One hit, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). Then came the film, which attracted a younger demographic and very good reviews.

His television work has included Echo Beach and Marchlands; the latter was a supernatural drama starring Alex Kingston, who had played River Song in Doctor Who. During the Twenties, Greenhorn scripted two episodes of Dalgliesh before being reunited with Tennant on an installment of Around The World In 80 Days.

Greenhorn’s most recent stage work was one half of Tracks of the Winter Bear, a double bill of plays shared with a new piece penned by Rona Munro, and seen at the Traverse. There should be at least one other new play due as soon as he can finish it.

“It was good to do Tracks of the Winter Bear,” Greenhorn says, “just to remind myself that I was a playwright who accidentally ended up writing for film and telly.”

Sunshine on Leith, with a wee revamp and songs added,  is currently playing at the  Pitlochry Festival Theatre until October 1st.

[winterbirb]

care to elaborate on the reasons you like him

Because he's a pathetic rat bastard man and I say that affectionately like I'm insulting a cat, if anyone else insults that cat I'm gonna throw hands.

(Oh my god look at that smile, his eyes,,,)

Ok I got 4 hours of sleep last night, buckle up.

Oh and I forgot to mention this in the prev answer but basically he's this kickass PR-manager/dramatic emo guy.

It's complicated. I have reasons but it's hard to explain them, y'know?

I learned abt him in the Hell Season of 2020 (Somewhere between Sept-Dec, when things were just... so bad). This means that 1. I was already in the 2020 mindset and so I didn't have the same reaction as some people pre-2020 who seemed to blame all the chaos in the world, or at least their new knowledge of the chaos, on him or something 2. I missed all of the smear campaigns against him by not learning about him in 2011-2016, ergo, I don't see him as an evil mastermind who's puppeteering the innocent Medvedev and I also don't see him as the man who single handedly destroyed Ukraine and/or American democracy.

Well, so far I'm just listing reasons I don't dislike him. The guy's controversial.

I like him because he, and other people around him, have built this air of mystique and intrigue, painting him as some shadowy machiavellian figure. But like smoke and mirrors, that picture disperses once you look closer and give him the benefit of the doubt. He's just a guy, an interesting guy, but just a guy who got pulled into the craziness of the 90s/00s. He wasn't raised in one of those establishment politician families. He went to uni for a year, dropped out, later went to theater school for three more years, got in a fistfight and got expelled, started working for Khodorkovsky in the mid/late 80s when they were both only 21-22, and that's how he got pulled into the madness of the 90s.

He's very overdramatic, grandiose. I mean, in the 2000s, there's basically this 30-something emo guy running around the Kremlin. He quite literally wrote and performed rock lyrics with a band in 2003 and 2006. So he funded political organizations with Kremlin money, so what? He was transparent about where the money came from, and, well... it was the 00s. Iraq. Do I need to say much more? There wasn't going to be true liberal democracy in Russia, I think he was a closet liberal, but understand, the conditions in Russia at the time were the perfect conditions political scientists cite as what causes the rise of Fascism. Okay, I don't really feel like going into a tangent about conditions in Russia in the 90s/00s on this post, I can explain more if you want bc it's important to understand what they were, and how the world we want isn't always the one we get/have to make practical decisions in.

And in 2008 Putin's two terms ran out so he needed someone to be president so he chose Medvedev, who was loyal and unambitious. Medvedev was more liberal, and he ended up stepping on a lot of siloviki's toes with his anti-corruption, pro-freedom of expression policies. And so they started bitching about him. But when Putin became president again in 2012 (after massive protests after after announcement in 2011 which Slava was blamed for and demoted), Surkov still stuck by Medvedev, until he resigned a year after the 2012 inauguration, supposedly because the Administration was being too hard on the Government (now led by PM Medvedev) about not meeting policy goals, and so Slava took the fall. But apparently he was pidsed about a corruption investigation into a tech project Medvedev poured his heart into. So, he resigned.

By the way, I heard somewhere that he opposed the "homosexual propaganda" bill, which also got him in trouble, because the 2011 protests convinced Putin and the siloviki to go for a more conservative route. The propaganda bill ended up only being passed after Slava resigned (resigned may 8th 2013, bill passed early June 2013).

He was rehired September 20, 2013 as a top political aide to the President, and I'm hoping that's bc someone at the Kremlin realised that they needed his advice re: things like the propaganda bill, which was predictably extremely unpopular. Also, turns out a bunch of asshole conservative siloviki are shit at PR, who woulda thunk?

One of his new duties was being an aide abt Ukraine, which has gotten him blamed for Everything Bad In 2014 but that's stupid for reasons I could get into but don't really want to unless someone already knows about: GRU, FSB/Siloviki mindsets, Yanukovich, Poroshenko, Strelkov (Girkin)'s role, John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov, Victoria Nuland, the geopolitical situation in Ukraine, etc. Most people don't care about any of those factors or how each person has influenced things. So instead they just paint a picture of Surkov as this machiavellian asshole who destabilized Ukraine.

So obviously I think he's given a lot of unfair treatment. But what's interesting about a lot of Western articles about him presenting him as this Machiavellian villain is that they almost always mention a funny joke he made, or his fashion sense, or how people have complimented his hands, his eyes, his smile.

Also, he's relatable af. I'm also a rat bastard disaster. I think the way he uses PR is hilarious. It's getting american capitalists Big Mad even though he's an Americanophile blatantly appropriating American political campaign techniques.

In 2017 he looked unhealthy in a photo and was surprised that people cared about his health. This is after he'd been used as a punching bag for more than a decade.

[lihikainanea]

what’s the plan for tiger and bill’s halloween costumes this year? (i could definitely see them going as brad and janet from rocky horror) i also hc that every year, bill buys tiger some raunchy costume to wear the night of and halloween becomes one of his favorite holidays for that reason lol. -🧚‍♀️

oh GODDDDDDDD I LOVE THIS HOLIDAY. I love them and this holiday because there are so many options.

Remember Bill’s sweet, adorable Merida kink? Tiger indulged it once in a real naughty way but if she got the beautiful dress and emerged from the room as a legit Merida, Bill would fucking die. He’d be stammering and stuttering the whole night, turning red. Maybe he goes as the Momma Bear? Oh fuck, my heart.

Or like, tiger dresses as an olympic pole vaulter and Bill is...the pole.

They do a hot take on Shrek and Fiona where Bill is Princess Fiona.

Tiger is one of the Charlie’s Angels and Bill is Creepy Thin Man.

Tiger dresses as a dead Viking, arrows all stuck in her, and BILL GOES AS CUPID in his tighty whities and wings and eventually replaces all of tiger’s fake bloody arrows with his heart suction cup ones and tells everybody she was killed by lOoOoOoOoOve.

They go full 80′s and Bill dresses as David Bowie in his amazing years--god he’d make a great Bowie.

But like...I need Bill in drag. Oh god how I need Bill in drag. I love this Rocky Horror idea. 

Maybe he just gets a huge banana suit.

Maybe tiger, lacking creativity one year, slaps on a tail and some black pointy ears and goes as a cat. Bill rolls up as her scratching post.

One year he slaps a name tag on that just says “Alex.”

Tiger emerges from the room, and Bill looks at her quizzically.

“You’re...a toe?” he asks, she quirks a brow.

“No,” she snaps, “Hand me those name tags.”

She scribbles in black sharpie, and when she slaps the name tag on her forehead Bill nearly dies: VALTER.

“Keepin’ it in the family this year,” she says.