#and I hate you if you continue to support it

[debonairprincesposts]

well hello! what do you think about jason’s tits (those that he does not assume that are very big titties)?

Well my dear reader! I think that his tiddies don’t get enough attention. Like- imagine this:

Jason and you are just chillin’ on the couch and you wanna lay your head on a soft surface of sorts. And what do you know! His tiddies are just within reach. So, you just plop your head on there and pretend that you don’t know what your actions are doing to him. You can hear his heartbeat speeding up (he told you once before how sensitive his chest is and you just happen to put your head extremely close to his nipple. So your cheek is just moving his shirt where it lays as it just barely grazes his skin and it’s making him shudder and squirm in his seat. You smirk to yourself at his reaction).

Another time is when you feel kinda stressed and wanna just squeeze something. So, you just come up from behind him while he’s minding his business in the kitchen, and just casually cup his pecs and start squeezing and massaging them and playing with his nipples from over his shirt, twisting, pulling, and pinching while he subtly (it’s not subtle to you at all, you can read him like an open book) shakes and lets out little gasps where he stands and starts to lean against the counter for support as if to will himself to not completely submit to you and let you take him right then and there on the kitchen floor.

It’s gotten to the point where every time he spots you in the vicinity, he prepares himself and expects you to just come up from behind him and start your assault on his tits. (he doesn’t hate it, he’d just like a warning when it happens)

Every time you compliment him on having such plush, soft tits while teasing him, he quietly whines saying that they’re not tits or something (it doesn’t take long to convince him otherwise.)

I think it would go something like this:

“Look at how wonderful these are,” you say as you squish them together. You’re sat atop his lap as he lays back on the couch, shirt off. “I could play with these all day. Such pretty tits, don’t you agree, Jason?”

His breaths come out in soft gasps as you continue to twist and pinch at his chest.

“Not tits,” he gasps out while lightly shaking his head, “They’re not.” He’s tightly gripping onto your waist as you unhurriedly grind atop his groin which causes a soft mewl to escape his lips.

You grin at his reaction and grab one of his hands and place it on one of his tiddies and squeeze.

“Yeah, they are.” You say as you use your other hand to guide his chin to make him glance down. “Look at them, Jay. Aren’t they pretty?”

His face is red at he looks down at his chest, his breath catches in his throat as he takes a proper look, full of hickies and bright red bite marks from your previous ministrations. Your grinding isn’t helping at all. He might come in his pants if you keep that up. He moans as you keep up with your actions. Curious if you could get him to cum from just touching his chest and light pressure on his groin.

A reedy sound brings you back to the present (the color on his chest from your attention was distracting.) Lost in your thoughts from admiring your work. He looks mesmerizing. Eyes dilated so much that you can barely spot the teal of his irises, his eyes appearing almost completely black. His face is practically the color of his helmet, it’s almost impressive. Shudders leave his body as he completely sinks back onto the couch.

You use the hand that grasping his chin to point it to the side as you lean in to leave more bruises on his neck, your grinding unfaltering. His moans increase in volume as you bite and suck on his sweet spot right at the juncture between his neck and shoulder.

The hand that’s on your waist twitches, his mouth opens in a silent moan as he gasps loudly while throwing his head back on the back of the couch as he gives a full body shiver, cum staining the inside of his pants.

You stop your actions as you take a minute to admire the fucked out look on his face.

You lean your face close his ear as you say, “Think your tits are pretty now, Jay?”

He shivers from the air brushing against his ear. He nods with a quiet whine, sounding out an almost inaudible “uh-huh”, unable to get any more words out.

You grin in victory, “There you go.”

“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

I think I went over board. It was only supposed to be a few sentences long.

Didn’t even know I could write like that.

Anyway! Hope that answers your question!

[mr-mercutio]

So here's something that I have learned about patriarchy I want to share: patriarchy is designed to benefit PATRIARCHS. Being the male "head of the family." It's about power and status and hierarchy. To be a patriarch you have to be in charge of others - generally your family. That includes other men! There's no real way to actually escape this, but the closest thing to escaping it for men is to become patriarchs themselves.

My dad was raised in a very strict and traditional catholic household. My opa (his dad) was very much The Head of the Family - even more so because he immigrated to Canada and his father wasn't around, so there was no one above him. He expected obedience from his wife and children, including his two sons, and that was just The Way of Things.

My dad suffered under this quite a lot. And he did the big hippie thing of vowing not to be like his dad - and to his credit, he did try in many ways not to repeat the same mistakes his dad did when being my dad. But the problem is that he still bought into the system of patriarchy. And the only real way to have power in that system is to be a patriarch. So that's what he became. He got a wife and had kids and expected them to defer to him the way he had to defer to his dad. He expected the cycle to continue, but now in his favour.

Problem was that no one else in my immediate family was fine with that. My mom eventually checked out of that. I cut my dad out of my life about 8 years ago. My sisters barely speak to him. We said no, you don't get to control us like that just because you're The Man of the House. You don't get to dictate our lives to us, to tell us how to behave and what's allowed and what isn't, especially as adults. It was chafing enough as kids, but as an adult he still had this expectation that we'd all still defer to him. He would always be right the same was his dad was always right.

And that worldview of his extended to everything outside the family as well - that's why he buys into men's rights nonsense and is anti-choice and thinks the world is too woke. Because he sees that people aren't willing to just prop up the system, and it means he doesn't get the power from it that he was promised. When he was young, it was clear that if he just held out and did what he was told, he would one day be King. And now he doesn't have that and hates it.

I've cut him out of my life because it's been too difficult to stay connected to him. He's hurt me too much and I can't be okay with him anymore. But I'm SAD for him because he's been screwed over by this system just as much as most people I know. Not in the same ways, but still very palpably. But he'll never acknowledge that the problem is the system and not everyone who refuses to follow it. For him, everyone who says no to patriarchy is just wrong and a traitor to how people should live, and he refuses to see that he doesn't benefit from this system because it's a BAD system. It crushed him and remolded him into something to prop itself up, and that's heartbreaking.

The people who support patriarchy are rarely the ones who are actually truly benefiting from it. Yes, men definitely get privilege from the system because it's designed to put men over everyone else. But very few men in the system actually manage to escape the hierarchy of the other men over top of them who make their lives miserable.

If you can, be kind and try to understand and help. It's too late for me and my dad - there's too much bad blood there now and I tried to help for too long without success. I still hope for his sake that he finds a better way to be happy. But there are lots of men out there who would blossom and thrive if they could let go of the idea that patriarchy is going to make them king - and there are more chances than ever that they CAN understand that. Try to give them that chance.

I want there to be fewer MRAs. Do you want that too? Do you want to know what helps us get there, from a feminist perspective?

You may not like my answer: acknowledge that sexism can affect men. Recognize that, although the patriarchy generally privileges men, they are also subject to restrictive gender roles that are harmful to them (shunning all things “feminine,” not showing emotions, being protectors/strong, never admitting being victims of SA/IPV, having to “earn” their manhood, etc.).

Give young men a place other than the right-wing manosphere to be heard about the issues they experience. If these grifters are telling them “only we understand how hard it is to be a man, the left hates you for your gender” and they look to the left and see “men claiming they have ‘problems’ are losers who just hate women, all men are trash,” do you think they’re going to be drawn towards or away from feminism?

Before you leave an angry response: no, this does not mean to center men instead of women in feminism, it just means including them at all. No, it is not “coddling” men to treat them with human dignity, you can and should continue to hold them (and every other gender) responsible for unpacking sexist beliefs. No, this does not mean it is every individual woman’s and feminist’s responsibility to prioritize men’s issues, it just means at the least not shutting them down when they do speak up about sexism. No, it is not “not all men-ing” to point out that “men are trash” sentiments hurt the feminist movement rather than helping it. Ask questions before you make accusations on this post, please. I have been abused by men too, I get it, this isn’t easy to hear.

[justmymindandstuff]

sweetest flame - Aemond Targaryen x Reader

summary: Alicent invites to a gathering in the Red Keep. Aemond usually hates these kinds of distractions, but today is different. He knows you will be there. Now he just needs enough courage to talk to you.

words: 2.815

warnings: none

AO3 // English is not my first language// not proofread// hope you have fun with this little Aemond fic. 🧡

request are open // main masterlist// hotd masterlist

Aemond sits in his chambers, tapping his foot on the floor. He is waiting for his mother. Every passing minute increases his nervousness. His palms are slightly sweaty, and he wipes them on his pants. Pull yourself together! His chamber doors opens and Alicent enters the chambers of her younger son.

Her expression is a bit tense, and Aemond realizes that she is mentally prepared for a discussion. She believes that he will only attend today's feast under protest. Aemond sometimes thinks that his mother forgets that he is not like Aegon. Aemond knows his duties. Alicents gaze passes over him.

Aemond becomes uncertain for a moment. He didn't put on the clothes that Alicent had chosen for him, yet he is dressed in one of his better attires. Maybe even a bit too fancy for this occasion. Maybe he should have worn what his mother had picked out after all?

"Are you ready?" she asks after a moment, smiling warmly.

This evening, a small celebration is taking place. Viserys had summoned a few of the Lords from the Reach and the Stormlands to King's Landing to discuss a new tax system. These Lords, and especially their wives, need to be taken care of. Alicent despises this kind of distraction. She could use her time more wisely. Nevertheless, it is her duty as Queen to entertain the guests. And as prince and princess, it is her children's duty to support her in this.

"Yes, Mother." Aemond rises from his chair and goes to his mother. Together, the two walk through the halls of the Red Keep to the nursery. At his hip his sword clinks with every step. He holds himself upright and proud. Ser Christon had allowed him to wear real steel on his belt only a few days ago.

The door to the nursery opens. Helaena and the governesses take care of the twins.

Aemond goes to his sister and picks up Jaehaera. His niece babbles happily and reaches for his hand. Aemond can't help but smile.

"Where is Aegon?" Alicent asks after a brief glance.

"I don't know. Not here," replies Helaena shrugging her shoulders.

"It was clear he would slip away," says Aemond. Aegon has the talent to disappear whenever he is faced with an obligation he doesn't like. None of his siblings expected him to attend this celebration today. Where Aegon is today is not important to Aemond.

"Come on now," urges Alicent, clapping in her hands. "The guests are waiting."

Aemond kisses Jaehaera's forehead before he says goodbye and hands her back to her nursemaid.

The little family makes their way to the festival hall.

"I expect the best behavior from you. The Lords are already irritable because of the increased taxes." Aemond doesn't care about that. For today, there is only one thing that matters. He feels his palms getting sweaty again. Aemond takes a deep breath and tries to calm himself down. Now is not the right time. The assembled Lords and Ladies bow before the royal family before the music resumes and the celebration continues.

"Behave yourselves. And remember. We are a family. One unit." Alicent reminds once more.

Aemond nods seriously. He knows that it is important to appear as a family at court. No matter what disputes are happening inside their house. The Targaryen dynasty must appear united to the outside world. But he doesn't have the head for all these problems right now.

Aemond lets his gaze sweep over the people. But he does not see what he wants to see.

"In the back rightside." Helaena suddenly whispers next to him.

Aemond's head snaps to her. His older sister smiles knowing, then links arms with their mothers and follwos her to the guests.

Aemond turns his head. For a second, he fears Helaena has made fun of him. But then he sees you.

You stand between your sisters and listen to the conversation. Dressed in an elegant gown in the colors of your house. Your hair falls freely over your shoulders, with only a bit of jewelry keeping some strands out of your face. You laugh at something your sisters said, and Aemond's heart skips a beat at the sight. How would it react if you would smile at him?

You arrived at the Red Keep five days ago. Your father followed the King's summons to King's Landing and, of course, brought all his unmarried daughters with him. Just like all the other lords. The Red Keep is filled with beautiful young Ladies. Normally that annoys Aemond. He was busy with training when you and your family arrived. When you got out of the carriage and he saw you for the first time, he almost tripped over his own feet. Criston's next sword strike hit him directly. His shoulder still hurts a little, the bruise is still there.

He has never seen anyone so beautiful. Aemond couldn't take his eyes off you. You on the other hand didn't even notice him.

Since that moment, Aemond can't get you out of his head. He constantly thinks about you. He is constantly looking for you. If he catches a glimpse of you, his day gets instantly better.

He just hasn't gathered enough courage to talk to you yet. Aegon has already made fun of Aemond. But he doesn't care. His brother doesn't know what he's talking about anyway.

Aemond notices how his hands are getting sweaty again. Nights long he has pondered about what to say to you. How he should speak to you. But now that an opportunity has come, his mind is blank. He looks around and waves over a servant who hands him a glass of wine. He can drink to gain a little courage, but the rest he has to find within himself.

It wasn't hard to find out your name. But he couldn't find out anything about your interests through Keep Gossip. You like to stay with your sisters.

One of the young Lords approaches you and your sisters. A feeling of unease spreads through Aemond as you speak with him. A smile from you and the young lord begins to turn red. Aemond would most like to stab him with his sword.

Gods, what's wrong with him? He hasn't spoken a word to you yet, and still, he feels a hot rage at the sight of you talking to another lord. Aemond watches as you shake your head and the Lord leaves. He cheers inwardly. But then a cold fear runs down his spine. What if you also reject him? It would be humiliating. But he worries much more about his heart than about his wounded pride.

Aemond tries to push the thought of your rejection away and rather tries think about what he will say to you.

In that moment, Aemond wishes he were more like Aegon. Aegon finds it easy to approach people, to talk to them. To win people over, to strike up a conversation. Aegon makes it look effortless. Aemond can't do that. He never knows what to say. He hardly engages in conversation with young ladies. He always overthinks what he says.

Aemond can train, strengthen his body, master his weapons, learn languages, history. All of that Aemond can achieve through discipline. But he can't force anyone to like him. You would certainly find him boring. What interesting things does he have to say? Or probably not attractive either. Why would such a beautiful Lady like you find him attractive? After all, he is mutilated. He is missing an eye. Whether you will find him repulsive.

Aemond lightly shakes his head to dispel these thoughts. He has already played it all through in his head a thousand times. Thought about thousands of different reactions. Now it's time to find out the reality.

He has sworn to himself that he will speak to you today. Aemond drowns his wine.

Restlessness and uncertainty spread in his gut as he takes the first step towards you. He stops again. Maybe it wasn't a good idea after all. He should turn around and disappear into his chambers. The trouble he will get with his mother is preferable to being rejected by you.

He could also take Vhagar for a flight. His old lady would surely laugh at him if she could see him like this. Aemond discreetly wipes his sweaty hands on his pants. He takes a deep breath. You can do this! If he can claim Vhagar for himself, the largest dragon of their time, then he can also approach a maiden! Even if this maiden is as beautiful as you are. Enough now. Aemond can do it. He remembers the feeling of being with Vhagar and finally manages to bring himself to go to you.

As he approaches you and your sisters, your conversation falls silent, and you look at him, quiet and curious. Under no circumstances can he speak to you in front of all your sisters. That's way too embarrassing.

A dance. He has to ask you to dance with him. Then you can talk in peace. Or just be silent. Depending on how much courage Aemond has left after he spooke to you.

He swallows hard before he says your name. Surprised, you look at him. Your beautiful eyes sparkle, and Aemond just stares at you for a moment before he realizes he needs to say more. He clears his throat and notices how his cheeks are slightly turning red.

"A dance, my lady?" he asks, extending his hand to you. He notices that they are sweaty again. Your gentle smile widens a little.

"Gladly." you say and reach for his hand. You have to notice how sweaty it is. You don't let anything show.

Aemond remembers his dance lessons and leads you onto the dance floor. He tries to ignore the giggling of your sisters behind you. He places his hand on your hip and begins to lead you through the dance. Up close, you are even more beautiful. Even your scent is stunning. Of course, your dance steps are elegant and precise. He didn't expect anything less from you. You are still smiling even though Aemond still doesn't know what to say now.

"You dance very well, my prince." you suddenly say in a soft voice. Then you lower your gaze. Aemond notices the hint of red on your cheeks. His heart begins to race."

Aemond. Call me Aemond, please," he says suddenly without thinking. His voice almost cracks. Embarrassing. But when you smile at him, his tension eases slightly.

"Aemond," you say, as if to try his name on your tongue. He has never heard anyone say his name so softly.

"You dance very well too." he returns the compliment. Now he doesn't know what to say again. "Do you like the Red Keep?" he asks therefore. He would rather talk about your interests, thoughts, passions, and hobbies. What you wish for in life, which places you would like to travel to, what makes you happy. But that would be too much for your first conversation, he knows that. He's not an idiot. Nevertheless, the need to know everything about you is growing within him.

"Yes, it's very nice here. I have never been away from home. That makes it all even more exciting," you reply. The song is over, the dance is finished. But neither of you makes any move to leave the dance floor again. Aemond's hand moves from your hip to your back, and he pulls you just a little bit closer to him. His fingerstips tingle slightly. You don't protest instead you follow the steps of the next dance. Aemond almost has to exhale in relief. He searches for your next conversation topic. He wants to take this opportunity to get to know you as much as possible.But you suprise him because you keep talking.

"You probably can't understand that. After all, you can go anywhere with your dragon whenever you want. Have you already visited many places?" you look at him with interest.

Aemond could jump up and down excitedly. You asked him a question, want to know something about him. Him of all people. He needs a moment to calm himself before he can answer.

"I am often in Old Town with my brother, and Vhagar and I have flown all the way to Essos before. Of course, I also travel a lot in the Crownlands."

"Where do you like it the most?"you ask.

"The honest answer is a bit boring." he is sure that you think he liked it best in a distant, foreign place.

"I don't think anything about you can be boring. Please give me an honest answer."

Aemond hesitates for another second, he feels the heat in his face again, yet he answers honestly. "I prefer to be here in King's Landing." With my family. I like it the most when I´m with my family." he should have come up with something cooler, more interesting. Your reaction surprises him. You grip his hand a little tighter and smile at him openly.

"I also prefer to be with my family," you reply then. "Even if they sometimes get on my nerves. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers. It can get quite exhausting at times. But never boring. Oh gods, I'm rambling. That probably doesn't interest you at all. I'm sorry." your voice gets a little faster and you bite your lip.

"No, please. Don't apologize. It interests me."

"Really?" you ask hesitantly.

"Yes. I can understand it. My siblings annoy me sometimes too. Especially Aegon."

"Big brothers are the burden of our existence," you say and then laugh at your own joke. Your laughter sounds like the melody of a choir. Aemond has never heard a more pleasant sound. "I'll definitely have to listen to a lot of shit later because I danced with you. They are all so terribly curious."

For a moment Ameond is worried that you regret accepting his offer for a dance. "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble."

"Oh no. I didn't mean that I will get in trouble at all. It's just." you interrupt yourself and look down. "It's embarrassing."

Now Aemond definitely wants to hear it.

"It doesn't have to be embarrassing for you. I will not judge you."

You take a deep breath before looking at him again. "It's just. Well, you are a prince and you caught my eye, and I might have gushed about you a little bit in front of my sisters," you admit, but you can't hold his gaze. Your cheeks and neck turn dark red as you look away, embarrassed.

Aemond can't believe his own ears. He would most like to cheer while butterflies dance in his stomach. You have talked about him. Him of all people. Especially since you are as beautiful as the morning sun. He can hardly believe his luck."I noticed you too," he admits now to ease your embarrassment a bit.

Surprised, you look at him. Your lips form a surprised "o." Aemond has the urge to lean forward and touch your lips with his. But he can't do that. It would be inappropriate and improper. Quickly, he dispels the thought of your lips on his.

"Really?" you ask a little uncertainly.

"Really." he assures you. As a matter of facts he had been thinking about you constantly over the past few days. "That's why I asked for a dance. I've been thinking for days about how to approach you."

You laugh gently again. "And I was thinking about where I could best cross your path. I even got lost in the Red Keep once because of it." Now he has to laugh too, and you join in.

Aemond wants nothing more than to dance with you all evening and hear you laugh. But you are interrupted by the voice of one of your sisters. She calls your name and gestures towards the door. You roll your eyes in annoyance.

"My big sister. Since we've been here, she's acting like she's in charge. She wants us to get back to our chambers. I guess I have to go."

Aemond cannot banish the disappointment from his face, but he also notices that you seem a bit downcast that your conversation has ended so abruptly.

"Have a good evening, Aemond," you say, then turn to leave.

"Wait." he says quickly. He can't just let you disappear again so easily now. "May I accompany you on a walk tomorrow? At Blackwater Bay, perhaps?"

You beam at him. "Yes, very gladly." then you go to your impatiently waiting sisters. Aemond takes a deep breath. That went better than he had dreamed. It wasn't so hard after all.

With pounding hearts and light steps, he sets out to search for his sister Helaena.

[band--psycho]

Sevika x Fem!Reader - Before Things Changed

So this is based off a request from @arevik2345 who requested an enemies - lovers trop with Sevika; but I decided to change it slightly to the lovers -enemies - lovers trope! (So don't worry there will be at least 4 parts to this series)

This is my first Sevika story so please be kind, reblogs are always welcome and greatly appreciated!

Requests are still open so if you have any ideas/requests, you're more than welcome to send them over (thank you to everyone who's requested a story so far, I'm working my way through them!)

I hope you all enjoy this! Thank you all for the continued support!💛

I do not give permission for any of my works to be copied or translated onto this site or other platforms!

Sevika Masterlist / Arcane Masterlist / Join My Taglist

Warnings: Overthinking!reader, mentions of loss, smut, fingering, overstimulation, dominating!Sevika, edging (18+)

You knew Sevika was angry, you could feel it radiating off of her even when the two of you arrived  home. 

You didn’t agree with what she said to Vander, about him being weak; but you understood why she’d said it.

Having the Enforcers down in the Lanes was making everyone uncomfortable. 

The disrespect the Enforcers showed everyone down here was horrible, but it wasn’t Vanders fault, the Enforcers were just arrogant shitheads. 

You also knew that Vander meant what he said, when he said that he would protect anyone in the Lanes; he wasn’t just protecting the kids because they were his kids, he was protecting them because they were from the Lanes.

Though you did have to admit that you could see how people were coming to this conclusion. 

“Don’t you think you were a bit harsh to Vander?” You asked Sevika softly from the sofa, watching as she grabbed a bottle of alcohol from the cupboard. 

“No,” Sevika answered bluntly, taking a large swig of the drink before sitting down next to you. 

A soft sigh left your lips as you shuffled slightly in the seat so that you were closer to her. 

“He’s just trying to do what he thinks is right,” you countered back, grabbing the bottle from Sevikas hands and taking a few sips of it before handing it back to her. 

“He’s wrong,” she stated bluntly, taking the bottle back from you

“He’s just trying to protect us." 

Sevika let out a small scoff at your words; as she turned to look at you, “You agree with him?” 

You did. 

Vander was your friend. 

You trusted him

Besides, you weren’t a fighter; not like Sevika..

You didn’t like the Enforcers, that was a fact. 

But you knew what another uprising meant. 

It meant that there was a risk of losing people you cared about…

It meant that you could lose Sevika. 

And you didn’t want that. 

So no, you didn’t want the uprising to happen. 

Did that make you a coward? 

Probably. 

But you didn’t care. 

You’d already seen enough death, suffered enough loss, that the thought of losing her, made your heart feel heavy.

“You know what happened last time…” you began, reaching out and tentatively stroking her arm, your eyes meeting hers, “I just don’t want to lose you.”

You watched  as a small grin grew on her lips as she placed the bottle down on the table beside her. 

“You worry about me so much, angel,” she hummed, savouring how delicate your fingers felt on her skin as she leaned in closer to you, “But you’re never gonna lose me.”

You wanted to believe her words; and put this down to your mind just jumping to the worst case scenario as it so often did.

But this wasn’t one of those scenarios. 

And no matter how much you wanted to trust the woman in front of you, you couldn’t. 

She was a skilled fighter, but that didn't make her untouchable. 

Your thoughts were halted when you felt Sevikas lips softly kissing up your arm.

“Sev, what are you doing?”

“Getting you outta your head,” she breathed, her lips trailing kisses up the side of your neck.

You hated how she could do this. 

How she could distract you from your thoughts with such ease. 

“Just relax, baby,” she whispered, her lips now only inches away from yours; as she ran her other hand under your oversized tshirt and up your chest to your breasts, “let me take care of you,”

 it was almost embarrassing how easily you complied with her orders. 

“Sevi,” you whined in response, laying back on the sofa,  the anticipation of her touch making your core ache with desperation. 

You needed her.

Needed her touch. 

Her lips. 

Something. 

Anything. 

You were so desperate for even the slightest touch.

It was all you could focus on. 

Sevika was all you could focus on; your thoughts and worries from earlier drifting further to the back of your mind with every blissfully torturous touch she left on your skin. 

“That’s it baby, just focus on me,” she praised, noticing how your body was squirming slightly beneath her, a clear sign to her that you needed more. 

“So needy,” she smirked with satisfaction. 

She’d barely even touched you and you were already a mess. 

She knew what she was doing to you; and she couldn’t help but revel in it. Revel at the little noises that were falling from your lips with every little touch she left on your bare skin; revel in how fucking beautiful you looked right now, with a look of desperation forming in your eyes.

Sevikas hand, the one that had been on your chest was now slowly drifting down to the place you craved to be touched the most. 

Even in the dimly lit room, you noticed a twinkle in her eyes as her thumb softly massaged your swollen clit. 

You could’ve cum just from that single touch alone; and you almost did, until Sevika quickly withdrew her hand from you. 

There was no denying that Sevika found it addictive, seeing you like this. 

But she needed to see more. 

That’s why she made such quick work of effortlessly removing your panties and oversized shirt  from your body, tossing them aside, so you were completely naked beneath her. 

She couldn’t take her eyes away from you; she was just staring at you, completely captivated. 

You opened your mouth, to beg her to just touch you; but your words morphed into a loud moan when she pushed two fingers inside your dripping pussy. 

You attempted to cover your mouth with your hand, but Sevika made short work of pinning both of your hands above your hand; her fingers pumping inside you at a relentless speed, ensuring to hit your sweet spot every time. 

“Need to hear you, angel,” she whispered in your ear before lightly biting the crook of your neck, eliciting another moan from you. 

You’d lost track of how many times you came. 

All you knew was that it was enough times to make your head feel all woozy. 

But Sevika didn’t stop; she just kept going. 

She kept pushing you over the edge again and again and again.

“Sev-Sevi-”you panted as you came down from another high, “I can’t-”

Sevikas pulled her fingers back to the entrance of your pussy, her thumb (unbeknownst to you) hovering over your clit once again. 

“Awh have you had enough, baby?” She teased, kissing the side of your mouth, flicking your sensitive nub with her thumb lightly, “I think you should be a good girl and cum for me again.”

You were so far gone; lost in the bliss of your countless oragasms, that you couldn’t deny her. 

Especially not when her fingers started pumping in and out of you again. 

Her words mixed with the fast pace of her fingers in conjunction with the occasional taps on your overstimulated clit, had your back arching once again.

“Sevikaaa fuck,” you moaned as she sent you tumbling over the edge of your own pleasure.

“Such a good girl,” Sevika praised against your skin, before placing a delicate kiss on your lips as she removed her fingers from your core. 

“So beautiful,” she whispered to you, making a tired chuckle fall from your lips. 

Beautiful? 

You were certain you looked a complete and utter mess. 

Despite your thoughts, Sevika just continued to whisper those words to you, as she pressed her lips over the bite marks on your neck as she laid next to you on the sofa, your legs intertwining with each others.

You were completely and utterly exhausted and you could feel yourself slowly drifting off to sleep, but you fought to keep your eyes open and yourself awake, desperate to give Sevika the same pleasure she’d given you. 

But when you went to touch her, she lightly grabbed your hand, halting your movements.

“Sevika-”

“Shh, just relax baby,” she muttered, pulling you closer to her. 

“But what about you?” You whispered softly as your thumb rubbed small circles into the back of her hand. 

“This was about getting you to relax,” she stated, nuzzling her head into the crook of your neck. 

You could’ve argued with her; but one, you knew that was going to be like fighting a losing battle and two, you were too tired to disagree with her. 

It only took a few minutes for sleep to take a hold of you; meanwhile Sevika was still awake. 

She understood your worries about another uprising; but things were getting out of hand now and someone had to do something about it, to protect the Undercity. 

Sevika thought Vander was that man, until tonight, now she doubted he was, which meant she needed to find someone who could do the job Vander couldn’t do. 

Tagging:

@xacatalepsyx @barbersjoy @conretewings @the-lone-librarian @cass-brightwood @fortune-fool02 @arielpanda1 @mothratic @simping-ella @stickyrice5096 @levis-butterfingers @lesbianinyourarea @vvampirelust

[mr-ys-phantasma]

🌙 Moon Phases 🌙

Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 2074

Finale I - part 2/3 (Agatha X Reader X Rio ending):

As the fight continued, you could only watch; eyes getting misty at the sight. You did not want to see anyone getting hurt, especially Agatha, who so stubbornly kept fighting.

You gasped weakly when you saw one of Rio's attacks sending her back. The feeling in your stomach got worse when you saw Agatha spitting out blood as she stubbornly stood up, not giving Rio the satisfaction of defeat.

Deep breaths only caused you more pain, but you had to, as you tried to gather all of your mental strength to remain in control. Your hand was firmly placed against the wound, your white magic trying to heal you but failing to do so; the dagger far more powerful than anyone expected.

Seeing Rio and Agatha fighting made your heart beat painfully, each beat causing more aches within. You hatd seeing them at each other's necks when you knew deep down, they still had feelings for one another... and you had for them.

They did not deserve to hate each other until the end of time or fight until one of them was about to die; in this case, Agatha.

You slowly started to stand up, adrenaline the only thing helping as your legs felt weak; the shock of the attack still affecting your body but not your mind, since the safety of your lovers was far more powerful.

Your grip on Billy's arm tightened, using him as an extra support to get and remain up; for the last thing you needed was to fall.

"What are you doing?" Billy asked, looking at you in surprise. He stood up fast, ready to catch you in case you fell back but also, passively wishing to stop you from doing anything reckless. "You should be healing."

You took a moment to answer, each breathe causing you pain. "I can't. It's Rio's knife," you answered vaguely.

Your hand went to the handle, and you braced yourself before pulling the dagger in one quick move. The action made you gasp, hands shaking as you dropped the knife.

You brought your dominant hand on your chest, white magic coming alive beneath your finger. You tried your best to hold the bleeding, reduce it, and stop yourself from dying on the spot.

It worked faintly, but the blood kept coming out, no longer the dagger existing to block it and keep you alive.

You felt the familiar warmth of fresh blood coming from an open wound, but it did not phase you. You had your plan in mid, and that was the only thing you cared about.

Billy looked at you, a continuous support while he tried hard not to look at your bleeding wound. "What do you mean? You will die if you try to move." He argued, hoping somehow he could ensure you would not die on him.

Honestly, he could not bear losing you too; especially in such an unfair and unjust way. You of all witches deserved to survive and live, not fall victim to centuries old fuel between Agatha and Rio.

You offered him a weak smile. "Even my powers have limits, and so does my time here."

He had no words to argue, seeing you so determined despite the fact you were about to die. All he could do was to ensure you were okay as you took the first step forward; eyes always locked on the two lovers locked into this heated, never-ending battle.

You started slowly walking toward Rio and Agatha, not caring about the risk that their wild energy would and could hit you.

Your time, like you had told Billy, was limited. You didn't have a lot of time to act, and every second paasing was vital.

Each step felt heavier than the one before it. Each breath was laboured and brought up pain. The bleeding was not stopping, you're magic was not capable of helping you somehow heal while you were pushing your body to its limits.

Rio and Agatha did not take notice of you approaching until it was too late. Green and purple magic had come alive in their hands, but both froze when they spotted you.

This thing, perhaps, was your only chance to actually interfere, and you took it by the horns.

You let go of your world and focused all the magic you could gather in your hands. You could feel how quickly it was draining you, siphoning all of your energy and power.

Yet, you kept going, and when you felt it was enough; you stopped holding back..

Your white magic exploded all around you, forming a powerful sphere of white energy. It not only lifted wind, dust, and debris but also sent the two lovers on their backs; effectively stopping them from attacking one another.

Congratulations, you had managed to stop them both from trying to kill one another. However, at what cost?

A strong cough escaped you, blood staining your hand that had subconsciously moved in front of your lips. Your powers started giving up on you, and you had to bend one knee to try and save yourself from a nasty fall.

"Y/N!" Billy called your name in worry, so close in rushing to you.

Seeing you this weak and pale, worried both Rio and Agatha; who stood up and were recovering from your spontaneous blast.

Rio was the first to speak. "Get back, Y/N!" She shouted, seeing you trying hard to remain in the middle.

Agatha joined right after. Rio's words snapped her from the initial shock. "Get away from her!"

Their words started to tire you, your patience running quite thin since you were so close to bleeding out to death. You were tired, you were wounded and most likely about to die...

So you would not spend your last moments watching them fight and argue.

You managed to stand on your legs again, though you were unsure for how long you would manage.

"I swear I will keep blasting you until you both stop!" You snapped at them and brought your hand to wipe the blood from the edges of your mouth. Your other hand was still pressed against your wound, though to no avail; blood staining your hand and dress with no intention of stopping. "I don't care what happened between the two of you in the past... I don't care how Little Nicky got involved..." You took in a pained breath. "But I refuse to let you kill each other, over such stupid past and grudge.

And with those words, you could no longer remain standing. Your legs buckled in, knees supporting all your weight as they were forced on the rough ground.

The white in your eyes disappeared, your trusty powers abandoning you faster after the outburst.

Agatha and Rio acted on pure instinct, dropping everything they did and thought as they rushed towards you. They knelt by each side of you, arms spreading to hug and hold you; preventing you from falling forward.

Their presence was comforting to you as you felt yourself getting weaker. With the last bit of your strength, you brought your hands around each of their necks and pulled them closer to you.

"You two better make amends, or I swear... I will come back and haunt you both, " you joked weakly.

You could tell the ending was close, but this time, you were not afraid. You welcomed it, knowing you were in the arms of the two women you loved.

Rio and Agatha did not seem to take your words lightly, and both hugged you tightly. Agatha was the one failing to hide back her tears, her bottom lip faintly trembling.

Rio was better at being in control, perhaps because it was her you would see soon as she took your soul to the next plane. Yet the fact remained that she was not fully okay with you dying, so stupidly none the less.

As Rio and Agatha kept you closer; their hands met behind your back. In a silent moment of common grief and support, they let their fingers interlock.

"You stupid naive girl," Rio said, inhaling your scent as she buried her face into your shoulder.

Agatha hesitated to speak, afraid her voice would crack. "Sugar..." she whispered.

The whole sight brought tears into Billy's eyes, leaving him standing there as you slowly accepted death, and so did your lovers.

You closed your eyes, a few tears escaping as you held them close; feeling them together once again. Your feelings for both went crazy and you wished to kiss them one last time, but you feared you would collapse if you let them go.

As you three remain there, hugging one another; your breaths started to sync, your hearts beating as one as the faint light of the moon was casted on you.

Suddenly, your white magic started to come alive beneath your fingers, starting faint but slowly growing in intensity. The same seemed to happen to Rio and Agatha, one magic influencing the other; bringing it to life without the consent of their casters.

At first, it was so faint that no one noticed, but then this new feelings started to be shared within the three of you. This new combined power started to surge through their bodies and yours, a sweeter and more favourable wind picking up.

Your eyes opened wide as you felt your chest wound burning, and only then did you notice the show of colours taking place all around you.

Rio's green and black magic was alive, wrapping around the three of you, but it was not alone. Agatha's purple had joined into the mix, along with your white one; creating beautiful harmonised combinations as they kept moving around you like live creatures with a life of their own.

Once your fellow witches took notice, they gasped and pulled back; with you copying them.

Colour had returned to your once pale cheeks, eyes glowing with life. Your wound was covered by a mixture of this triple magic, quickly stopping the bleeding and sticking up.

"The wound..." Agatha exclaimed, being the first to notice it.

Rio notices it too, but there is obvious confusion on her face. You were literally with one leg over and now... you were glowing with life, your magic returning and boosting you stronger than ever before.

Then, the answer came, and it all clicked into place. "The power of the three." she looked at Agatha, a smirk of victory on her lips. "I told you she could be part of it."

Once again, you were confused on the topic of discussion; clearly, I had missed quite a few things that you needed in order to catch up.

Agatha always found you rather adorable when you had that innocent and confused expression on your face.

She cupped your cheek gently. "I will explain later, sugar."

With their help, you slowly got up; feeling better than before, but you could go for a long nap.

As you turned to face Billy, you almost got tackled by him as he rushed to hug you. He truly thought he had lost you for a moment, and now here you stand, all healthy and healed.

"How is this possible? Thought you couldn't heal the wound," he said and pulled back, looking at you for answers.

You could not help but smile. "Alone, I couldn't. Together, we could."

Agatha chose to help enlighten the poor boy who had yet so much to learn. "The power of the three. Three witches magically bonded like no other, it enchants and boosts each other's powers."

Billy nodded and looked at Agatha, and then he dared to look at Rio. "So what now?"

It was your turn to look at Rio, holding her and in yours. "Please, let's end this." Rio hesitated to answer, evident in her dark eyes. "Come on, Rio. We will all die sooner or later. Why must you take us now? "

Rio remained silent for a moment, clearly debating the topic in her mind. In the end, she let out a small sigh of defeat.

"Very well," she agreed and lifted a single digit. "One life," she emphasised. "No more cheating death, no more body jumping."

Billy and Agatha did not have to be told twice to nod their heads, more than happy to leave with their lives.

Agatha looked at Rio and offered a sweet smile. "Thank you, my love."

[thegalleonsnest]

UPDATE 11/19/2024

Currently, the forced opt-in policy update to Grok hasn't been implemented. So, you are still able to technically opt in/out of the grok data collection in the settings. Personally, I do not trust twitter or Elon, so really, I'm still posting only cropped art on twitter, and I'm in the process of deleting 99% of my twitter history. I have no trust/love for the site anymore.

However, personally speaking, considering the state of twitter after last month, and during the US election, a large number of users have either deleted/locked their accounts and/or moved to Bluesky. Engagement on twitter is at an all time low, to the point that several popular artists I follow on twitter have made a comment on how starkly lower it's all been since this last migration.

And because the majority of users who left aren't really elon musk fans or people with right wing views, the algorithm on the site has made it much, much easier to be given right winged content/rage bait, and even if a tweet is as simple as expressing concern over something, top replies are most often extremely aggressive behavior or musk apologist. The overall vibe of the site is purely rancid beyond repair at this point. Like twitter's been bad, but it's never been THIS bad cause holy shit, I feel like I'm taking severe psychic damage anytime I do anything more than check my notifications or make a tweet.

Besides twitter, I do wanna clear up potential misinformation/doom posting about Bluesky. Some people have been claiming that Bluesky is no better than twitter when it comes to data collecting/scraping which is simply not true. Here is a post from Bluesky themselves explaining how they have no intention to use or train generative AI

They're using basic AI systems that are VERY common on a lot of websites/social medias that are used specifically to tailor to your tastes specifically, and to assist in content moderation. (I hate that AI is such a huge buzzword right now, cause it can get easily mistranslated and misunderstood with Gen AI vs basic AI operating systems)

However, currently as is and as far as I'm aware, Bluesky does not offer any real protection against AI data collection from outside sources. So just like any site on the internet, whatever you post is at risk of being scarped by Gen AI machines. Like mentioned in the original post, Cara is a site built on fighting against AI and offers protection services and outright bans Gen AI content. Another site like Inkblot also bans AI content in general (The site's been out of beta for about 2 years now and is entirely user supported. It's still rough around the edges but it's got big potential)

So it's best for now to continue to Glaze and/or Nightshade your work to protect your artwork as you post it across the internet.

OK since I haven't seen too many people talk about this since twitter news usually strikes pretty fast over here whenever e'usk does anything ever, let me give ya'll the run down on two things that will go live on NOVEMBER 15TH and why people are mass migrating to Blue Sky once more; and provide resources to help protect your art and make the transition to Blue Sky easier if you so choose:

The Block function no longer blocks people as intended. It now basically acts as a glorified Mute button. Even when you block someone, they can still see your posts, but they can't engage in them. If your account is a Public one and not a Private one, people you blocked will see your posts.

They say because people can easily "share and hide harmful or private information about those they've blocked," they changed it this way for "greater transparency." When in reality, this is an extremely dangerous change, as the whole point of blocking is to cease interaction with people entirely for a plethora of reasons, i.e. stalking, harassment, spam, endangerment, or just plainly annoying and not wanting to see said tweets/accounts. or you know, for 18+ accounts who do not want minors interacting with them or their material at all (There is speculation saying these changes are specifically for Elon himself so he can do his own kind of stalking, and honestly, with the private likes change, it lowkey checks out in my opinion)

Also, this straight up goes against and may violate Apple and Google's app store policies and also is straight up illegal in Canada and probably other countries as well.

If this ACTUALLY goes through, twitter will only be available in select countries, probably exclusively in the US, which would collapse the site with the lost of users and stock, and probably be the last push it needs to kill the site. And if not, will be a very sad and exclusive platform made for specific kinds of people who line up with musk's line of thinking.

2. New policies regarding Grok AI and basically removing the option to opt out of Grok's information gathering to improve their software.

And anything you upload/post on the site is considered "fair game" with "royalty-free licenses" and they can do whatever they please with it. Primarily using any and all posts on twitter to train their Grok AI. A few months ago, there was a setting you can opt out of so they couldn't take anything you post to "improve" Grok, but I guess because so many people were opting out, they decided to make it mandatory as part of the policy change (This is mainly speculation from what I hear).

So this is considered the final straw for a LOT of people, especially artists who have been gripping on to twitter for as long as they can, but the AI nonsense is too much for people now, including myself. Lot's of people are moving to Blue Sky for good reason, and from personal experience, it is literally 10x better than twitter ever was, even before elon took over. There is no algorithm on there, and you can save "feeds" to your timeline to have a catered timelines to hop between if your looking for something specific like furry art or game dev stuff. It's taken them a bit to get off the ground and add much needed features, but it's genuinely so much better now

RESOURCES

Project Glaze & Cara

If you're an artist who's still on twitter or trying to ride it out for as long as you can for whatever reason you have, do yourself a favor and Glaze and/or Nightshade your work. Project Glaze is a free program designed to protect your art work from getting scrapped by AI machines. Glazing basically makes it harder to adapt and copy artwork that AI programs try to scan, while Nightshade basically "poisons" works to make AI libraries much more unstable and generate images completely off the mark. (These are layman's terms I'm using here, but follow the link to get more information)

The only problem with these programs is that they can be resource intensive for computers, and not every pc can run glaze. It's basically like rendering a frame/animation, you gotta let your pc sit there to get it glazed/nightshade, and depending on the intensity and power of your pc, this may take minutes to hours depending on how much you wanna protect your work.

HOWEVER, there are two alternatives, WebGlaze and Cara

WebGlaze is an in browser version of the program, so your pc doesn't have to do the heavy lifting. You do need to have an account with Glaze and be invited to use the program (I have not done so personally so I don't know much about the process.)

Cara is an artist focused site that doubles as both a portfolio site and a general social media platform. They've partnered with Glaze and have their own browser glazing called "Cara Glaze," and highly encourage users to post their work Glazed and are extremely anti-ai. You do get limited uses per day to glaze your work, so if you plan on doing a huge backlog uploading of your art, it may take awhile if your using just Cara Glaze.

Some twitter users have suggested glazing your art, cropping it, and overlaying it with a frame telling people to follow them elsewhere like on Bluesky. Here's a template someone provided if you wanna use this one or make your own.

Blue Sky Resources and Tips

So if your a twitter user and your about to realize the hellish task of refollowing a massive chunk of people you follow, have no fear, there's an extension called Sky Follower Bridge (Firefox & Chrome links). This is a very basic extension that makes it really easy to find people on Bluesky

It sorts them out by trying to find matching usernames, usernames in descriptions, or by screen name. It's not 100% perfect, there's a couple people I already follow on Blue Sky but the extension could not find them on twitter correctly, but I still found a huge chunk of people. Also if your worried that this extension is "iffy," they do have a github open with the source publicly available and the Blue Sky Team themselves have promoted the extension in their recent posts while welcoming new users to the platform.

FEEDS and LABELS

OK SO THE COOLEST PART ABOUT BLUESKY IS THE FEEDS SYSTEM. Basically if you've made a twitter list before, it's like that, but way more customizable and caters to specific types of posts/topics. Consolidating them into a timeline/feed that exclusively filled about those particular topics, or just people in general. There's thousands to pick and choose from!

Here's a couple of mine that I have saved and ready (down below). Some feeds I have saved so I can jump to seeing what my friends and mutuals are up to, and see their posts specifically so it doesn't get lost in reposts or other accounts, and also specialized feeds for browsing artists within the furry community.

The Furry Community feeds I have here were created by people who've built an algorithm to place any #furry or #furryart or other special tags like #Furrystreamer or #furrydev. They even have one for commissions, and yes you can say commissions on a post and not have it destroyed or shadow banned. You are safe.

If you want, and I highly recommend it to get visibility and check out a neat community, follow furryli.st to get added to their list and feeds. Once your on the list, even without a hashtag, you'll still pop up in their specialized feeds as just a member of the community there. There are plenty of other feeds out there besides this one, but I feel like a lot of people could use one like this. They even got ones for OC specific too I remember seeing somewhere.

And in terms of labels, they can be either ways to help label yourself with specific things or have user created accessibility settings to help better control your experience on Blue Sky.

And my personal favorite: Ai Imagery Labeler. Removes any AI stuff or hides it to the best of it's abilities, and it does a pretty good job, I have not seen anything AI related since subscribing to it.

Finally, HASHTAGS WORK & No need to censor yourself!

This is NOT like twitter or any other big named social media site AT ALL, so you don't have to work around words to get your stuff out there and be seen. There are literally feeds built around having commissions getting and art seen! Some people worry about bots and that has been a recent issue since a lot of people are migrating to Blue Sky, but it comes with any social media territory.

ALSO COOL PART,

you can search a hashtag on someone's profile and search exclusively on that profile as well! You can even put the hashtag in bio for easy access if you have a specialize tag like here on tumblr. OR EVEN BUILD YOUR OWN ART FEED FOR YOUR STUFF SPECIFICALLY!

So yeah, there's your quick run down about twitter's current burning building, how to protect your art, and what to do when you move to Blue Sky! Have fun!

[bestofmultiverse]

Between the pages || 5

Aubrey plaza x fem!reader

"Whatever our struggles and triumphs, however we may suffer them, all too soon they bleed into a wash, just like watery ink on paper. A love like this is a dream.”

– Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

A/N : Idk if it good but i kinda felt like being sappy here.

1 • 2 • 3 • 4

The interview seemed to be going well, Y/N thought, watching from behind the scenes.

Aubrey had a knack for charming people with just one smile. She was relaxed as she spoke to Drew about her upcoming project, her confidence radiating in every word. Y/N felt her heart skip a beat as Aubrey flirted playfully (Y/N couldn’t blame her—it’s Drew Barrymore, for crying out loud!) and teased her fans with a casual grin that always left her weak in the knees.

Drew seemed to enjoy the banter, too. The two of them joked effortlessly, with Drew throwing in a few personal questions—ones Aubrey had agreed to answer beforehand. Y/N could sense the moment she’d been both dreading and anticipating inching closer.

Their relationship.

For some reason, even after months, people couldn’t seem to let it go. The world was fascinated by the unlikely pairing, endlessly dissecting it. Y/N figured it was because she wasn’t famous, nor did she live a very public life. People were either intrigued by her anonymity or bitter, labeling her a gold-digger.

Her social media was private, her career was far from glamorous, and even when her future book will be finally published—her own book, not just something she’d co-edited—she knew she’d still be considered “ordinary” next to Aubrey. She wasn’t an actress, a model, or an influencer. She was just a small-town girl who, somehow, had caught the Aubrey Plaza’s attention—and love.

A montage of pictures suddenly appeared on the screen, paired with Drew’s next question. Y/N watched nervously.

The first photo showed her lying on top of Aubrey on their couch, fast asleep with her face buried in Aubrey’s stomach. Aubrey, meanwhile, was smiling like she’d won the lottery. The second image was a messy selfie of them covered in eggs and flour, laughing with huge, silly grins. The last was from a Marvel party they’d attended together: Aubrey’s hand rested possessively on Y/N’s waist as they leaned in close, noses almost touching. Y/N had a crinkle in her nose, clearly giggling at something Aubrey had whispered.

From her seat, Y/N noticed Aubrey shift slightly, sitting a little straighter. It was subtle, but Y/N could tell—her girlfriend was nervous.

“So, there are a lot of rumors about your relationship,” Drew began warmly. “It’s not new news, but somehow it’s still keeping people on their toes. How do you feel about that? And how’s your girlfriend handling it?”

Drew’s tone was light, like a friend genuinely curious, not a journalist digging for a scoop.

Aubrey smiled softly. “How do I feel about it? Well… I’ve had a few relationships in my life—some public, some less so. Most were great in their own ways. But honestly, this one? This one’s it for me. She’s my person, and I’m happy. I just wish people could be more supportive of that.”

She paused for a moment, glancing briefly behind Drew to catch Y/N’s eye. When she saw Y/N’s encouraging thumbs-up and grin, Aubrey’s smile grew.

“But I get it,” she continued. “People wonder, they talk—and that’s fine, I guess. It’s part of the package deal. I just wish the hate wasn’t part of it. It’s one thing when it’s the media. Neither of us cares what some sleazy tabloid writer thinks. But when it’s from people who call themselves fans? That stings. For both of us.”

Drew nodded, her expression understanding. “Do you think addressing it will change anything? Or are you worried it might even get worse?”

Aubrey shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not counting on this fixing anything. God, I hope it doesn’t get worse. But even if it does, we have a great relationship. I’m crazy about her, and that’s all that matters.”

She glanced over at Y/N and winked, making her laugh softly.

“Aren’t you a sweetheart,” Drew teased, grinning.

The conversation moved to lighter topics, including Aubrey’s notorious pranks on set and an embarrassing story about the time she accidentally walked into the wrong bathroom at an awards show. The tension from earlier melted away as they both dissolved into laughter. Y/N knew fans would love this part. Aubrey seemed lighter, too, like addressing the issue had lifted a weight off her shoulders.

After the interview aired, the two decided to ditch their phones for the evening. They curled up on the couch in Aubrey’s apartment, embracing the quiet.

Y/N rested her head on Aubrey’s shoulder, sighing contentedly. “Well, that wasn’t a complete disaster,” she teased.

“Disaster? That was amazing,” Aubrey replied, reaching over to run her fingers through Y/N’s hair. “And I killed it, if I do say so myself.”

Y/N snorted. “Humble as ever.”

“Hey, it’s not bragging if it’s true.” Aubrey smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to Y/N’s temple. “Besides, you were the real MVP, giving me that thumbs-up when I needed it. You’re my rock, you know that?”

“Stop. You’re making me blush,” Y/N mumbled, hiding her face against Aubrey’s neck.

“Good. You’re cute when you blush.”

They stayed like that for a while, wrapped up in each other, the world and its noise fading away. For now, all that mattered was the warmth of the moment and the peace of being together, on their own terms.

The morning light crept into Aubrey’s apartment, highlighting the lazy entanglement of limbs on the couch. Y/N stirred first, groaning softly as the realization dawned that they’d fallen asleep there. Aubrey, half-awake, tightened her arm around Y/N’s waist.

“Don’t move,” Aubrey murmured, her voice husky with sleep. “You’re my pillow.”

Y/N chuckled, brushing her fingers through Aubrey’s messy hair. “We’re not even in bed. My neck is going to hate me for this later.”

“It’s a small price to pay for cuddles,” Aubrey countered, pressing her face into Y/N’s shoulder.

The moment was warm and serene, but the peace was short-lived. Y/N glanced at her phone on the coffee table, her curiosity getting the better of her. Against her better judgment, she reached for it.

As soon as she unlocked it, her screen lit up with notifications. Dozens of missed messages, tagged posts, and news alerts. A quick scroll through Twitter showed one trending topic: #AubreyAndYN.

“Oh no,” Y/N muttered, biting her lip. “Aubrey, we’re trending again.”

Aubrey groaned dramatically, flopping onto her back like a starfish. “Of course we are. Can’t the world leave us alone for one day?”

“It’s… different this time,” Y/N said hesitantly, scrolling further. “Look.”

Curiosity piqued, Aubrey sat up and leaned over Y/N’s shoulder. What they found was unexpected.

Instead of the usual nasty gossip or conspiracy theories, the feed was flooded with supportive messages and heartwarming edits. Fans had clipped moments from the interview, adding captions like, “Aubrey loves her GF so much, I’m crying 🥹” and, “Finally, they addressed the haters. Good for them!”

A particularly popular tweet featured the marvel party photo that had appeared in the interview. It was captioned, “Find someone who looks at you like Aubrey looks at Y/N. Relationship goals!”

Y/N scrolled further, finding more positive reactions. One user wrote, “I wasn’t sure about them at first, but seeing Aubrey defend her GF so fiercely? Respect.”

Another said, “Y/N’s clearly the happiest thing to happen to Aubrey. Why can’t we just let them be in love?”

Aubrey raised an eyebrow, amused. “Wow. Are we in the Twilight Zone? Where’s all the hate?”

“There’s still some,” Y/N admitted, gesturing to a few bitter comments. “But it’s… quieter than usual.”

Aubrey grinned, clearly pleased. “Looks like our plan worked. I told you people just needed to see how awesome you are.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smile. “Sure. It’s totally because I’m awesome, not because you publicly declared your undying love for me on live television.”

“Well, that didn’t hurt,” Aubrey teased, wrapping her arms around Y/N’s waist and pulling her close. “Maybe I should do it more often.”

Y/N laughed, leaning into Aubrey’s embrace. “Let’s not push our luck.”

They spent the next hour scrolling through the posts, laughing at memes and reading comments aloud. By the time they set their phones down, the tension from the day before had all but disappeared.

Later, as they sat at the kitchen table, sharing a plate of pancakes Aubrey had lovingly burnt on one side, Y/N felt a strange sense of calm.

“You know,” she said, spearing a piece of pancake with her fork, “it’s kind of nice seeing people be supportive for a change.”

Aubrey nodded, sipping her coffee. “Yeah. Feels weird, though. Like, are we actually allowed to enjoy this?”

“I think so,” Y/N said with a small smile. “We deserve to enjoy it.”

Aubrey reached across the table to take Y/N’s hand, squeezing it gently. “We do. And for the record, I don’t care if we’re trending, ignored, or completely forgotten. As long as I have you, I’m good.”

Y/N’s cheeks flushed. “You’re such a sap.”

“You love it,” Aubrey shot back, her grin mischievous.

“Unfortunately, I do.”

They spent the rest of the morning laughing, teasing each other, and stealing bites of pancake from the same plate. No matter what the internet thought of them, they were happy—and that was all that mattered.

[elstattoo]

Beyond Friends: Ellie Williams x Reader

☆*:.｡.

MDNI, MEN DNI!

Summary: You confess your feelings to your best friend Ellie, and oh, you go down on her!

WC: 2.6k

Warnings: head (e receiving), top! reader, sub! ellie, sorta dirty talk, praise

Authors Note: I finally finished this after like 5 days. I lost motivation to be honest… but I hope it sounds okay :’) need more subby ellie 😩

You had thought it over and decided today was the day, the day you’d finally confess your feelings for Ellie. The constant avoidance of your feelings ate at your every being until you finally arranged a time to sit down and tell Ellie.

You couldn’t believe it yourself, that you finally had to courage to do this. It could make or break your friendship, you hoped if she didn’t return your feelings you could move past this.

But really, how could you? If she didn’t return then you’d feel so ashamed.

Your heart almost broke at the thought as you continued your walk to Ellie’s apartment. The cold Wyoming winter breeze caused you to walk faster, while the light snow from the day before crunched under your feet, and you hugged your coat closer to yourself. Gripping onto any warmth you could.

Warm breaths of air made their wade out of your mouth, the cool air catching clouds of your breath before disappearing.

You saw the outline of Ellie’s apartment building, you gulped and sped up to make it to the safety and warmth of the building.

At the same time, you felt resistance to want to enter her building. You’d be there, and then finally have to tell Ellie the truth.

Your body craved heat, so you pushed past it and opened her building’s door. You could feel a pit of anxiety in your stomach pressing the button to her apartment, it beeped, signaling you could enter.

Ellie lived on the 2nd floor, so taking the elevator from floors one to two added to your unease. How could you compose yourself before you saw Ellie? Somehow, you wanted to look at ease.

With a soft ‘ding,’ the elevator doors opened as you clicked the button. You made your way in, the doors closing behind you and you hit the button for floor two. The smooth motion of the elevator carried you upward, the silence only broken by the soft murmurs of the machinery as it ascended to the second floor.

You found your body tingling with anticipation and your mouth ran dry. Anxiety continue to course through you as your mind started to race with the worst possible scenarios. You couldn’t shake off the dismay that clawed at your insides, making you wonder what the next few moments would bring.

The sound of the elevator arriving at Ellie’s floor brought you out of your thoughts, you exited the elevator. Your eyes skimmed down the apartment numbers, finally arriving at Ellie’s door.

You stood in front of her door, your heart pounding obnoxiously loud in your eardrums as you prepared yourself for what was to come. Many outcomes could come of confessing your feelings good or bad. Ellie had always been your rock, the person you confided in and leaned on for support through life’s highs and lows. The idea of losing Ellie’s presence in your life was almost too much to bear, and a wave of grief washed over you at the thought.

Taking a deep breath, you knocked gently on Ellie’s door. You heard shuffling in her apartment before she opened the door. Her smell filled your nostrils, and she greeted you in her usual flannel, grey sweatpants hung on her hips, and a smile spread across her freckled cheeks.

“Hey! You finally made it, come in,” she uttered, pulling you in for a brief hug.

The embrace made your heart swell, your nose pressed into her neck, her scent more intoxicating than before. Ellie smelled of pine and freshness, her hugs always comforting and warm. You never wanted to let go, so when she did you almost felt yourself visually frown.

“Yeah, I’m glad we could hang out,” you breathed out.

Ellie could sense you were tense her hand still on your shoulder, she could easily read you. She hated you feeling bad, she licked her lips before speaking. “Hey, what’s wrong? Is it what you wanted to mention wanting to talk about?”

Your eyes made contact with hers, her eyebrow raised in concern. Her touch burned into you, you couldn’t lie to her. You had to be honest.

“Yeah, can we sit down?” Your voice was soft, vulnerability-laced in your tone.

Ellie nodded, and you both walked over to her couch. She sat down, across from you. Concern still etched on her features, she so badly wanted to reach out and grasp your hand but she refrained from doing so, deciding space was best for now.

You cleared your throat, anxiety flowing throughout your veins. You’ve felt unease since you asked for this conversation to happen. You’ve kept your feelings hidden for the sake of your friendship, but she deserved to know.

“Ellie…” you started, voice still meek and quiet. “I know from what I’m going to tell you… it’s going to change things between us.”

Hearing you utter such words sent a shiver through Ellie’s body. What did you possibly mean? She gulped, continuing to let you speak.

The jacket that still was huddled around you was now all too warm in her apartment, you shimmed it off. You brought your hand up to hers, interlocking them and squeezing her hand before continuing.

“It’s nothing you’ve done,” you assured her. “Ellie… I have feelings for you..” It was out in the open and you felt yourself somehow grip her hand a little harder. Almost scared she’d disappear now that you’d shared your feelings.

Realization hit Ellie, her mouth opened as if she were to speak before closing again. She licked her lips, pausing and thinking about everything you just said. You returned her feelings, after so many years of constantly telling herself she needs to get over you and here you are…. Returning her feelings.

A warm pink lightly flushed Ellie’s cheeks, “Y/N…” she whispered. Her body moved closer to yours, her hand squeezing yours back. “I have feelings for you too… I’m in love with you,” she smiled cheekily.

The air suddenly felt different, it was as though everything shifted when those words left her mouth. Now it was your turn to sit there with your mouth hung open, your eyes widened, and Ellie watched you closely. She found your reaction amusing, ultimately she didn’t understand why it never crossed your mind that she liked you… more than a friend

Ever since Ellie and you became friends, you shortly realized your feelings for her were more than a friend. You longed for her to feel the same way, and now you both realize you had felt the same way for each other the whole time.

Your heartbeat sped up, you felt it pumping rapidly in your eardrums before you spoke. “I’m so happy you do, Ellie. I’m so in love with you,” you smiled softly back.

Ellie’s eyes immediately softened when she saw the smile on your face, her touch gentle as her hand reached up to cradle your cheek. She could feel her face warming up, and she couldn’t help but lick her lips.

With a soft, heartfelt tone, she spoke, “You have no idea… how happy that makes me. I, never thought my amazing best friend would ever reciprocate my feelings,” she mumbled.

You responded with a playful eye roll, squeezing her hand in response. “You’re my amazing best friend, Els. That, I, so happen to be in love with,” you grinned gazing lovingly into her eyes.

Ellie’s body moved closer to yours, her thumb gently tracing your cheek in a lazy yet affectionate manner. You reasoned by leaning into her touch, relishing the sensation of her fingers against your skin. As your eyes fluttered shut for a brief moment, it was as if you were trying to commit her touch to memory before you opened them again. You felt the ping of desire to see her freckled face, so your eyes opened. Your voice dropped to a low whisper as you leaned closer, saying her name in a soft, yearning tone. “Ellie…”

Her eyes doe green eyes darkened a little hearing you whisper her name so pretty. She always loved how you said her name, more than anyone else. “Yeah, pretty?” She replied, her eyes fixed on your lips.

You noted her shifted focus, her eyes elsewhere. You felt a surge of confidence and bit your lip gently before speaking. “Please kiss me…” you pleaded, the desire for her out taking the anxiety you once felt. You were overcome with love and warmth for her, you needed her close, and the need to feel her lips against yours became unbearable.

Ellie felt the plea course through her, stirring a tingle to her core. She held your cheek, looking into your eyes before quickly connecting your lips again. She responded with a test kiss, before pulling back then connecting your lips in a deeper, more intense kiss. You softly moaned against her lips, which sent another wave of heat over her body.

Unexpectedly, you swiped your tongue swiped against her lower lip. Ellie quickly opened her mouth allowing your tongue in her mouth, now it was her turn to moan. Ellie moaned softly at the slick feeling of your tongue against hers, it made her grow impossibly hotter and the need for you grew stronger.

Ellie acted quickly, moving her hands to swiftly move you onto her lap, causing you to gasp in surprise. You look down at your new position, a small giggle escaping your lips before her hand cupping your cheek, pulling you in for an intense, deep kiss.

Your eyes immediately closed at the feeling, and you eagerly kissed her back with the same passion. The years of pent-up and need surged your actions forward, fueling the kisses as they grew more fierce. Neither you or Ellie stopped.

Ellie’s hands once on your clothed waist cascaded underneath your shirt, her touch sending a shiver running through your entire body. You needed more. No, you craved more.

For a brief moment, your lips pulled away from Ellie’s as you caught a breath of fresh air after the heated make out session. You eyed Ellie, taking soft pants before you adjusted your body. Your shifting caused Ellie to groan, the sound catching you off guard.

“Ellie… I want to go down on you,” you softly muttered, tone so soft that she almost didn’t catch what you said.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the idea, she pictured it in her head so many times, the idea of you in between her thighs, going down on her… It had those pretty green eyes of hers rolling in the back of her head.

“Do it,” Ellie spoke without a second thought.

An almost sickening grin spreads across your face as you push Ellie to lie back on the couch. Eagerness and the need to touch Ellie overdriving any other senses you had. Ellie eagerly bucked her hips upwards, desperate to create some sort of friction.

“Ellie, baby,” you tutted at her. Clicking your tongue before moving off her body completely. Ellie glanced up, and a whine escaped her lips feeling your warm body leave hers.

“Why’d you get up?” she questioned, tone laced with obvious confusion.

Before she could utter another word, you unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down her legs. Leaving her in just her boxers, Ellie felt small under your watchful gaze. She laid there, in front of you, in just her boxers and her shirt.

Ellie’s body was a sight that was going to be engraved in your head for the rest of time, not that you minded. You situated yourself between Ellie’s thighs, your eyes ranking from her plush thighs to her clothed chest.

Too many clothes… “Ellie…” you hummed, voice sickly sweet like a piece of dessert. “Let me take care of you,” you battled your eyelashes at her.

“Take everything off if you need to, just… please,” Ellie felt the impatience dripping off her tone. She didn’t care anymore how she looked, she wanted you, no, she needed you.

Her legs shuffling with you in between them caused you to glance down at her boxers, a distinct wet patch visible. You sucked in a breath, eagerly pulling the garment down her legs.

“You’re fucking soaked, Els. Take your shirt off for me, yeah?” Your lips left light feathering kisses as you kissed up her thigh. She felt herself shake, still trying to keep an eye on you as she tore her shirt over her head.

“Y/N… you’re killing me baby please do… something,” she choked out. You happily bite your lip, before making your way down to where she needed you most.

“Gonna take care of you, Els,” you spoke, before diving straight into her pussy. Your fingers teased lightly at her clit, before your tongue shoved itself in her tight hold.

The feeling of your tongue entering her caused her to moan loudly, clutching your hair lightly, watching as you ate her out.

“Goddd.. Fuck…” Ellie panted, eyes tightly shut in pure bliss. You worked your tongue further inside of her. Ellie’s grip on your hair tightened, not that you minded.

You hummed in her pussy, which caused Ellie to groan loudly. “Fuck… yes eat my pussy… yes! Oh my fucking god!” Ellie whined, grinding her pussy against your mouth.

Your tongue nor fingers ever faltered, this edged you to keep going and go faster. You hardhsly circled her clit with your fingers.

Ellie tasted fucking divine, and you wanted more of her. You wanted her to cum so hard on your tongue and to lap up every last drop of cum she had to offer.

“Keep begging. Be my good girl, Els,” you muttered in between kitten licking her pussy. Then you went crazy, your fingers not stopping over her sensitive clit, and your tongue never stopping.

Ellie’s head dug more into the couch, she felt herself slipping away and close. She grabbed onto the side of the couch, gripping it tightly when she feels your head roll back and forth curling your tongue inside her pussy, you felt an animalistic urge to make her cum. To make her reach that peak… because of you.

The sounds of moans and wetness mixed, it was so dirty, the mere sight of you working her on the edge of her couch was fucking dirty.

All Ellie could see in her vision was white, “Fuck! I’m cumming don’t stop! Please!” Ellie whined out, moving her pussy back and forth against your mouth.

You moaned, shoving your tongue in her tight hole, she clenched around your tongue, cumming hard. Her legs shook around your head and tightened, fingernails digging into your scalp. She moaned your name so loudly, panting hard as you eased out whatever last drops you could.

You removed your hand from her abused, puffy clit. Ellie panting hard, you got up between her thighs and kissed her hard as she lay there. She just looked so fucking hot finishing around your head like that.

Ellie moaned, tasting herself on your tongue as you guys kissed for a few minutes before pulling away. You gazed at her freckled cheeks, tinted red, and her forest green eyes… your heart squeezing in your chest.

“Els, I love you so much,” you whispered, leaning down and kissing her forehead.

She grinned even bigger if possible, she pulled you against her again. “I love you, so glad this happened,” Ellie huffed, still breathless from her intense orgasm.

“Me too… You’re so pretty,” your hand reaching up to her cheek. “I’m so happy you’re mine.”

Ellie’s heart swelled, the title and possessiveness of you calling her yours made her so happy. She smiled, “Course, I’m yours,” she leaned into your soft touch.

You both lay there, Ellie holding you against her and you holding her. Both of you are finally happy, and finally together.

—

♡taglist: @bambifresita

[ellouchi]

Yet again I see people mischaracterizing Jimmy as some jerk who lashes out on people for no reason and berates them for anything minor like where did you get this from did you actually read any dialogues in the game????????

Jimmy really only threw one shade at Daisuke, he didn't think he was spoilt rich kid he just said he was covered by his parents because he had support system unlike all of them grown up adults. Most of times Jimmy just awkwardly slid off silly things Daisuke said, like the ladies comment or when they were mixing the drink. Daisuke actually trusted and listened to Jimmy throughout the game (to his own detriment unfortunately). Jimmy sent him to the vent because he was the captain and he wasn't going to do the dirty job obviously and if the Swansea somehow woke up Jimmy could shift the blame like he had already got away with. Even when eventually things went to shits we don't see him blaming Daisuke because Jimmy recognised that it was his decision to send him there. Jimmy didn't want to fatally injure him, he tried to "fix it later" which didn't help at all and Jimmy felt guilty about it.

Jimmy treated Anya dog shit half the time it's true but not to the extent some people make it to be. He loves control, he has said so to Curly's face, to ours and that's why he made sure to put her down and belittle her. That's why he (potentially repeatedly) sexually assaulted Anya — because rape is form of power play, he didn't even want her sexually. Initially, Jimmy didn't hate Anya, he just didn't like her and the feeling was mutual. He continued to do bare minimum for her, like when checking up on the crew. If I had to guess how Jim viewed her by the end, then he most likely found her inferior, incompetent, always putting work on his shoulders (or responsibilities he didn't want (pregnancy)), together with being paranoid of her having the potential to ruin his life. That's why he got so pissed off when he saw her crying to Swansea, very likely having already told another person of what he has done. (I'm 100% sure he holds the grudge for telling Curly, who then rushed to "fix things", making Curly seem like a responsible captain which Jim hated.)

Jimmy never made any attempts at understanding or sympathising with Swansea. He knew him longer than Daisuke yet the latter understood him better. Jimmy probably thought that Swansea was an old grumpy man who hated everyone and everything. As the game went on Jimmy just considered Swansea to be nothing but a selfish drunkard (due to immediately assuming he was hoarding cryopod to himself). After the vent incident who Jim blames for the absence of medicine? If Swansea wasn't so stubborn (for like, few times) Jimmy wouldn't have need to spend prescious recourses on him. He could have saved Daisuke instead and fix his fuck up but Swansea ruined it twice. Swan doing arguably the right thing by putting out Daisuke out of his misery only solidified his role as a villain and a threat in Jimmy's eyes, that's why probably as a revenge (for not giving him enough time to think) he went for the gun instead of cryopod like Swansea allowed him to.

And finally Curly. Honestly this deserves a separate book on it's own at this point. It's almost 3 a.m. here so I'll only mention some stuff. Jim aggressively lashes out twice on-screen, first time because he literally lost his dream job, listened to Curly "bitching about having said dream job" and couldn't come face to the fact that Curly was "abandoning him while also looking unscratched from the fall of the ladder" while Jimmy will return to his struggle of life (he didn't even know about the pregnancy yet...). Second time was when Anya endangered Jim's new status as a captain and like I mentioned reminded him that she could fuck up his life even more. Feeling like he was losing control, Jimmy beat up poor Curly who was stripped out of said control by non other than Jimmy. Finally, he was violent off screen by destroying Polle, out of frustration, irritation from the thing, and/or hatred and resentment for the company (que "Pony express is dead" line). In one instance he says "He's mocking us" which confirms that it's about Jimmy's ego.

In conclusion STOP MAKING MY SHITTY CHARACTER SHITTY IN THE WRONG WAYS. This isn't even a full blown analysis of Jimmy's character but accumulation of posts I read and conclusions I came with.

Focus on his already preexisting shitty qualities stop making up new ones ffs signing out.

[drdemonprince]

do you have any advice on navigating a friendship with a former abuser? they are pretty open about their past when asked although not incredibly initially forthcoming about it, which I think is understandable if maybe not the most,, idk,, straightforward I guess. But I do truly believe they’ve mended their ways and try really hard to do right by themselves and other people, but they’ve garnered a lot of vitriol from their former community (and with reason!!) but that community tries to, rightfully, make sure everyone knows about this person’s past, and I have a lot of guilt around being friends with them even though I do believe that they’re different now, I wouldn’t be friends with them if I didn’t believe that. Anyways, I guess im curious if you have any advice or experience with how to navigate any kind of relationship with someone who has done a lot of prior harm, while also trying to honor and respect the people who they have harmed?

I think that people in that situation are in really desperate need of community, most of the time. It is very difficult to work on yourself when pressure to excise you from every social group follows you everywhere you go, and the stories of what you've done have morphed into an entity that exists entirely outside of you, your victims, or anyone who was actually privy to the abuse that you committed.

It's very reasonable for people affected by the abuse & their allies to want nothing to do with such a person, of course. But there sometimes becomes a broader community norm of penalizing anyone who associates with the abusive person in any way whatsoever, and when you're already struggling with entitlement, boundary issues, loneliness, impulsivity, and self-hatred, as so many abusers do, it's hard not to spiral out further from being rendered that radioactive.

I think by being friends with this person you're doing something important. It is far easier for people to grow when they have social incentives to do so and emotional support. In the care of other people, we see our worth reflected. We learn more about who we are and who we *can* be through the interplay of ours' and others' various selves.

I think the best thing that you can do is to offer a space to this person in your life, if you continue wanting to, and building small spaces for them to find connection with people who are okay with that and feel comfortable doing so. Bring the person along with you into new spaces where they can help people and receive help in turn, without constantly being defined by their most horrible actions. Bring this person along with you to somewhere they've never been, with people who have no issue with them -- do a shift together at the local mutual kitchen or community garden, for instance, or a book club, or include them in a cultural practice that you participate in, and share that with them. Do jail support together, or mail books to prisoners. Take both of you outside of your everyday social context and allow them to exist in a new way, in new relations to others -- including people who, like them, have experienced social ostracism and struggle.

While you're doing that, observe them and see how they're doing. Talk with them afterward about how they feel, and anything they're finding difficult. I will trust your judgement here that the person seems fundamentally changed. Just being there and involved in activities alongside them will help you be on the lookout for any red flags, and I do think there is a degree of responsibility on your part to ensure you're not putting anyone else in danger by being around them, but you can do this in a light, nonjudgmental way, and let them grow into that trust that you're offering.

I have witnessed firsthand how healing it is for people like your friend to slowly realize that suddenly there are people that like them, now, and open up to them, when everybody shied away from them or hated them before. I do think that if someone is committed to no longer being abusive or boundary violating around others, they eventually do need to feel that they are accepted by some community, and seen as on par with anybody else. They can't be treated as lesser or more suspect for their entire lives in every social context. The communities they've already harmed shouldn't have to provide them with that acceptance and room to grow. But I think somebody should.

As always, keep an eye on your own feelings and make sure that this isn't too exhausting for you. By keeping the formerly abusive person separate from the groups they've harmed, you should be able to minimize the blowback you get for spending time with them. Not all of our friends need to be friends with one another, and not every social group in our lives has to make contact. It's okay to include your friend in a running group with a few other people you met volunteering but then keep their name off the guest list for your birthday party because associates of their victims will be there. If your friend is truly contrite over their actions, they will understand and respect that some people will never want to be around them -- and most reasonable community members should understand that who you associate with independently of them is not their business.

There may be some people who take a really hard line stance and expect everyone to ostracize the former abuser no matter what, and so you might be criticized or lose friendships with such people. But so long as you are helping to give the former abuser some social connection that is separate from anybody they've hurt, and you're not pressuring anyone to be around them or doing any apologism for them (which it sounds like you have no interest in doing), then you are not doing a thing wrong, and I think it's beautiful to give someone that space in your life. Navigating this stuff with grace, respect, and compassion is a skill that a lot more of us will eventually have to develop than we realize, I think. Life is long, and over the course of it, people change a great deal and do a great many things they regret. We need to be able to move through these things together somehow.

[gothamite-rambler]

Stephanie: I hate my dad.

Jason: I said "Hey." And you responded with that.

Stephanie shrugged, crossing her arms.

Stephanie: Screw him, he sucks.

Jason shrugged, deciding to continue the conversation.

Jason: I'll bite, what's one issue you have with him?

Stephanie: That man went from game show host to criminal. I could've had Alex Trebek, but I got the game show version of the Riddler! Like how was I dealt such a bad hand in life?!

Jason (lighting a marijuana rolled joint): Stephanie, I don't want to downplay your issues, but your mom isn't a criminal or insane, she's Catholic, but like the less annoying ones. You work for Batman, he pays you monthly to risk your life which you enjoy and you became a Robin and then Spoiler to spite your dad... Also you're a blonde white girl. That last part is privileged based.

Stephanie (stumped): I... Okay, but my boyfriend dumped me!

Jason: You're friends with him now!

Stephanie: It still stings! I like Bernard too, but like... We could be a throuple!

Jason chuckled dryly taking a long drag from his joint.

Jason: Let's ask him, Tim?

Tim had been sitting in a lounge chair minding his own business and drinking coffee.

Tim: I told you it's not you, it's me and I meant it.

Stephanie: And I told you, you were one of the few boyfriends who didn't take something important from me!

Jason (chuckling): Like the one who stole your car keys and crashed the car into a Starbucks?

Stephanie: Don't remind me. That's not even how you protest a company! And why do they usually steal my car?!

Stephanie's shoulders slumped as she groaned. Jason rolled his eyes while patting Stephanie's shoulder in a half-supporting manner.

[seitmai]

Since then, you and Steve have found other ways to carve out moments together amid the whirlwind of the campaign. Usually it’s quick conversations in the back of the campaign bus or on the plane. It's not ideal, but it's something, and you find yourself looking forward to these small pockets of time more than you'd care to admit.

I love that they make these little moments for each other 🥰

Some of the key staffers silently hate it because every minute of strategy time is invaluable, so you and Steve pledged to only steal up to thirty minutes, and Bucky and Sophia take it in stride as one of their new duties to help protect that time because if the Roger and Rogers happy couple campaign approach is the M.O. now, then they argue that the happy couple needs alone time to stay a happy couple.

Yes, Sophia and Bucky having their back 👏🏻

You enjoy the more serious conversations as much as you enjoy the more superficial topics because both ends of the spectrum allow you to simply engage and learn each others’ personalities and histories and opinions. Sitting in the back of the bus on your way to a rally, you’re exchanging takes on Star Wars (you had grown up watching them in very distinct trilogy stages where Steve had seen the first two trilogies in his initial pop culture catch up phase), when there’s a surge of noise and activity at the front of the bus.

Aw that's so cute 🥰

Another collective cheer goes up from the staff. You feel Steve's hand tighten slightly on your shoulder, and when you look up at him, you see a mix of emotions playing across his face - pride, excitement, and a touch of humility.

🥹🥹🥹

"Of course," you say, admiring his level-headedness even in this moment of triumph. "But we should take a moment to celebrate this moment."

He needs those reminders

You listen to his directives and reminders, but while you do so, you realize the kiss you just shared is the first lip lock between you and your husband since the wedding, and there’s a bit of warmth that pools in your chest. You resist the pull you feel to look at him.

🥰🥰🥰

He chuckles softly. "A little," he admits. "But it's a good pressure. Motivating." You nod in understanding. The weight of expectation has grown even heavier with Santos's support even though it’s only been a matter of hours, but you can see the determination in Steve's eyes. He's ready for this part of the challenge.

He sure is

Steve turns to you one last time, his eyes soft. He reaches out and squeezes your hand briefly, a gesture of solidarity and support that sends a flutter through your chest. You squeeze back, drawing strength from his touch.

I get a flutter in my chest just reading this 🥰

That’s the moment you and Steve step out onto the stage, hand in hand, and the deafening roar of the crowd drowns out your names entirely. The lights and the energy spike the excitement and adrenaline, and it’s another moment in this campaign - and the second one of the day - that you know you’ll remember for a lifetime.

Together they can do everything 🥰

“Are you coming for my job, Mr. Barnes?” Jake asks, taking a seat at the table as well. Bucky huffs a laugh, “No, sir. The last thing I would want is to be in charge of a circus like this.” Jake nods in agreement. "What I wouldn’t give to have seen Johnson’s reaction to the news,” he says, referring to the other campaign manager, the rival that the DNC pushed over him for this presidential campaign cycle.

Circus is an accurate description 😅

“You and Mrs. Rogers,” Jake tacks on. Steve raises his eyebrows, but looks to you. This is the second time you’ve been brought in as a specific element to move the campaign forward.

Like a secret weapon 🤭

You feel a flutter of nervousness at the mention of more intimate interviews, but you nod in agreement. "Of course, whatever helps the campaign." Jake continues, "We're thinking of setting up some joint interviews, maybe even a day-in-the-life style piece. Show the public the real future First Couple, beyond the campaign speeches and rallies." Steve reaches over and takes your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We can do that," he says, his voice steady and reassuring.

I would eat those interviews up!

Steve turns to you, a tired smile playing at his lips. "Just thinking about how surreal this all is," he says softly. "A few months ago, I was trying to lay low in this century, keep out of the spotlight. Now..." He trails off, shaking his head slightly. You nod, understanding. "Now you're vying to become the leader of the free world with every minute of your life under a microscope," you finish for him. "Yeah," he breathes out. "But at least it’s not every minute." You pause, key card in hand, considering his question. "It's... intense," you admit. "But I'm okay. Better than okay, actually. This whole experience, as crazy as it is, feels important. And I think we’re both getting stronger at this campaign thing every day." Steve's eyes soften as he looks at you, a mix of admiration and concern in his gaze. "You've been amazing through all of this," he says quietly. "Now it’s hard to imagine doing it without you."

🥰🥰🥰

"Listen," he says, his voice low. "I know we're both exhausted, but... do you want to come in for a bit? Just to talk, or... I don't know. It feels like we haven't had a real moment alone in-” “Ever?” you finish for him. Steve winces. “Yeah.” You shift slightly. “I don’t know, it’s so late.” Steve nods, understanding in his eyes. "You're right, it is late. We should both get some rest."

Nooo, this was going so well!

Red, White & True: Fort Wayne, Toledo, Detroit [4/?]

Characters/Pairings: Steve Rogers x curvy Millennial Female!Reader, Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes Word Count: 4.2k Summary: A campaign day with stops in three cities in three states ends up being a game-changer you weren't expecting, and not only for the campaign.

Content/Warnings: marriage of political convenience, slow burn

Notes: This takes place in a post-Endgame scenario where Steve stays and generally most of TFATWS happened.

Previous Chapter | Series

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[SEPTEMBER 21 - MORNING - FORT WAYNE, INDIANA]

After your first and only attempt at a private, non-business breakfast between you and Steve in the dining area next to the hotel lobby the morning after dinner at the Santos house, your staff and the Secret Service detail on Steve forbade you from trying anything like that ever again. Six a.m. was early, but there were far too many early bird guests showing up for breakfast as well, only to find a presidential candidate and former Avenger amongst the self-serve breakfast buffet and excited chaos had ensued. Even if the personnel around you hadn’t forbidden it, it had been immediately clear the privacy you used to expect in in a public setting was gone.

Since then, you and Steve have found other ways to carve out moments together amid the whirlwind of the campaign. Usually it’s quick conversations in the back of the campaign bus or on the plane. It's not ideal, but it's something, and you find yourself looking forward to these small pockets of time more than you'd care to admit.

Some of the key staffers silently hate it because every minute of strategy time is invaluable, so you and Steve pledged to only steal up to thirty minutes, and Bucky and Sophia take it in stride as one of their new duties to help protect that time because if the Roger and Rogers happy couple campaign approach is the M.O. now, then they argue that the happy couple needs alone time to stay a happy couple. Sophia only thinks it’s tending to the needs you have as newlyweds embedded in the campaign circus to have normalcy as a couple. It’s only Bucky who knows the truth (and Sam).

A single day on the presidential campaign trail always felt like at least two days of a regular life, but it often feels more like three or four days, especially on multi-city days, which were starting to become more and more common as it got closer to the first Tuesday in November. But this highly saturated time flow makes it so that the time you and Steve have started intentionally spending time together is having a marked effect on your relationship.

You enjoy the more serious conversations as much as you enjoy the more superficial topics because both ends of the spectrum allow you to simply engage and learn each others’ personalities and histories and opinions. Sitting in the back of the bus on your way to a rally, you’re exchanging takes on Star Wars (you had grown up watching them in very distinct trilogy stages where Steve had seen the first two trilogies in his initial pop culture catch up phase), when there’s a surge of noise and activity at the front of the bus.

You and Steve both glance towards the front of the bus, where a commotion has erupted. The noise level rises as staffers huddle around someone's phone, their voices intense, but strangely you can’t tell if it’s leaning more towards excitement or concern. You strain to hear what's being said, catching snippets of "breaking news" and "can't believe it."

Bucky's voice cuts through the clamor, slightly louder than the rest. "It can wait," he insists firmly. "We're almost at the venue."

Your heart rate quickens, anxiety creeping in at the edges of your mind.

You start to rise, but Steve places a hand on your arm. "Let's give it a minute," he says softly. "If it's urgent, they'll tell us."

You nod, settling back into your seat, but you can see the tense energy now in Steve’s body. You can almost see the gears turning in his mind, trying to anticipate what the clamor could be about.

After another moment, you arch your eyebrow at Steve. “The anticipation is going to kill both of us back here,” you say earnestly. “If we’re nearly at the venue anyway, we can table this and get back to more Star Wars at lunch.”

Steve huffs a laugh and agrees, and you pop up out of your seat again, and Steve follows as you quickly make your way to the front.

“What’s happening?” you ask, drawing the attention of the staff to you and Steve.

“Santos endorsed Steve!” Elsa trills. You’ve never seen her this happy.

You feel a surge of excitement and pride. The Santos endorsement is huge - you know it is without question a game-changer for the campaign. You turn around to look at Steve, a massive smile beaming from your face, enthusiasm you see mirrored right back from him. You don’t know if you reach for him or he reaches for you because it’s so quick, but your lips crash together, your stomach flips, and the staff cheers around you. It ends as quickly as it began, and the two of you turn back to the others, eager for more details.

"When did this happen?" Steve asks, his voice steady but tinged with excitement.

Sam, who'd gone back to scrolling through his phone, looks up. "Just now. Santos made the announcement over his Instagram, and it's already dominating the news cycle."

"What exactly did he say?" Steve asks, placing a hand on your shoulder as he moves in closer behind you, leaning over to look at Sam's phone.

Sam clears his throat and begins to read: "After careful consideration and having had the opportunity to speak with Captain Rogers, I believe he is the right person to lead our nation forward. His integrity, vision, and commitment to public service are exactly what we need in these challenging times. I am proud to endorse Steve Rogers for President of the United States."

Another collective cheer goes up from the staff. You feel Steve's hand tighten slightly on your shoulder, and when you look up at him, you see a mix of emotions playing across his face - pride, excitement, and a touch of humility.

"This is huge," seasoned campaign mastermind Jake finally weighs in, his usual stoic demeanor cracking slightly to reveal a hint of a smile. "Santos's endorsement would carry a lot of weight for any candidate, especially with moderates and independents, but it not only brings your first major endorsement, it’s a resounding statement for a former president to break from his party to endorse an independent."

You nod in agreement, your mind already racing with the implications. The Santos administration is still widely respected, and their endorsement could sway a significant number of voters.

Steve nods, his expression a mix of gratitude and determination. "It is," he agrees. "But we can't let it go to our heads. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Of course," you say, admiring his level-headedness even in this moment of triumph. "But we should take a moment to celebrate this moment."

You imagine it was always on Jake’s mind that an endorsement would be the best case scenario from a private dinner at the Santos home, but Steve had been very vocal to everyone involved - from the campaign side to Santos and his people - that for him the opportunity was only to be able to spend time with a former president. You had certainly gone into it without any agenda, grateful, even, for one night where you weren’t politic-ing.

The bus slows to turn into the loading bay area of the venue, and Jake calls everyone to attention to get the staff focused back on the rally only minutes away. You listen to his directives and reminders, but while you do so, you realize the kiss you just shared is the first lip lock between you and your husband since the wedding, and there’s a bit of warmth that pools in your chest. You resist the pull you feel to look at him.

[SEPTEMBER 21 - AFTERNOON - TOLEDO, OHIO]

The energy in Toledo's Huntington Center is electric as you and Steve make your way through the bustling backstage area for the second major campaign event of the day. The arena, usually home to hockey games and concerts, has been transformed into a political rally venue, with red, white, and blue banners adorning every available surface. The air is thick with anticipation, and you can hear the growing roar of the crowd beyond the curtain.

Staffers rush past, clipboards in hand, headsets firmly in place. You catch snippets of conversations about crowd size, security measures, and last-minute speech adjustments. The Santos endorsement has injected a new level of excitement into an already charged atmosphere.

As you approach the holding area, you spot Bucky conferring with the head of security, his expression serious as he nods along to whatever information he's receiving. Sam is nearby, phone to his ear, likely coordinating with media outlets eager for comments on the endorsement.

You can hear the low rumble of the crowd, punctuated by occasional cheers and chants of "Rogers! Rogers!" The excitement is palpable, and you can feel your own adrenaline starting to surge.

Steve turns to you, his eyes bright with excitement but also a hint of nervousness. "Ready?" he asks, his voice low enough that only you can hear.

You take a deep breath, smoothing down your blazer. "Let’s do this," your reply and this simple exchange is becoming tradition every time the two of you are about to step out in public now. It’s nice starting to have things like this, things that are yours. "How about you? Feeling the pressure after that endorsement?"

He chuckles softly. "A little," he admits. "But it's a good pressure. Motivating."

You nod in understanding. The weight of expectation has grown even heavier with Santos's support even though it’s only been a matter of hours, but you can see the determination in Steve's eyes. He's ready for this part of the challenge.

Suddenly, Jake appears at your side, clipboard in hand. "Two minutes," he says briskly. "Steve, they've added a few lines to your speech to address the endorsement. The changes are on the monitor.”

Steve nods, quickly scanning the teleprompter nearby. You watch as his eyes move rapidly across the screen, absorbing the new information. His ability to process and adapt on the fly never ceases to amaze you.

"Got it," he says, turning back to Jake. "Anything else?"

"Hit the key points as you always do," Jake replies. "And maybe throw in a line about unity, given the cross-party nature of the endorsement."

As Jake steps away to confer with another staffer, you feel a gentle touch on your arm. You turn to see Sophia standing beside you, a reassuring smile on her face.

"You've got this," she says softly. "Both of you. Just be yourselves out there."

You return her smile, grateful for her steady presence. "Thanks, Sophia. We'll do our best."

The stage manager approaches. “Thirty seconds,” she announces.

This is it. Another pivotal moment in the campaign, perhaps even more significant than you'd initially realized. You take a deep breath, steeling yourself.

Steve turns to you one last time, his eyes soft. He reaches out and squeezes your hand briefly, a gesture of solidarity and support that sends a flutter through your chest. You squeeze back, drawing strength from his touch.

The stage manager starts counting down. "Ten seconds!"

You can hear the crowd's excitement building to a fever pitch. The announcer's voice booms through the arena, introducing you and Steve. Your heart races as the curtain begins to part.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your next President and First Lady…”

That’s the moment you and Steve step out onto the stage, hand in hand, and the deafening roar of the crowd drowns out your names entirely. The lights and the energy spike the excitement and adrenaline, and it’s another moment in this campaign - and the second one of the day - that you know you’ll remember for a lifetime.

[SEPTEMBER 21 - EVENING - DETROIT, MICHIGAN]

The clock on the wall of the dimly lit campaign office reads 11:47 PM, but the energy in the room belies the late hour. The makeshift headquarters, hastily set up in yet another hotel conference room, buzzes with activity. Staffers huddle around laptops, their faces illuminated by the blue glow of screens, while others engage in hushed conversations, gesticulating animatedly as they dissect the day's events.

You sink into a worn leather armchair, feeling the weight of the day settle into your bones. The town hall here in Detroit had gone well - better than well, actually. The momentum from Santos's endorsement earlier in the day had carried through, infusing the crowd with an infectious enthusiasm. They had been engaged, asking thoughtful questions that Steve had handled with his characteristic blend of sincerity and statesmanship. But now, in the quiet aftermath, exhaustion tugs at the edges of your consciousness.

Despite the strain of a three-location-day catching up with you and everyone else, you can’t deny that there’s a different, very palpable sense of possibility hanging in the air. The campaign has always been optimistic, but there was a bit of a silent agreement in the air to ignore the fact that Steve Rogers - no political background and no political party - was a dark horse swimming upstream. The first nod from outside camp Rogers wasn’t a golden ticket to victory, but the news media was already discussing Steve in a different tone - giving more legitimacy in coverage rather than curiosity in coverage. With only six weeks left, it is not enough to win 270 electoral votes, and although that was the dream, it was never the realistic target. The target from the beginning was to get enough votes to keep either of the other two candidates from taking the majority and be a major player in that battle, making a case to be seriously considered if you could get the election turned over to the Congress to decide.

A Santos backing was the serious foot hold to take this scenario from a possibility to a probability.

Steve sits across from you, his brow furrowed as he reviews the daily notes Jake’s deputy campaign chairman has prepared and distributed.

You watch Steve as he reads, marveling at his ability to maintain focus after such a long and eventful day. His eyes move methodically across the page, occasionally pausing as he considers a particular point. Even in this state of concentration, there's an aura of quiet strength about him that never seems to fade.

"Anything notable?" you ask, your voice slightly rough from the day's speeches and conversations.

Steve looks up, a tight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Just the usual - poll numbers, upcoming events, media coverage. But there's definitely been a shift since this morning."

You nod, understanding the implication. “The Santos effect.”

"Jake's team is already planning how to capitalize on the momentum."

You get the same notes as well but prefer to read them once you’re back in your room. Steve hands you the page he’s been pouring over, and you lean forward to take and then study it. A comfortable silence falls between you, broken only by the muffled sounds of the staffers working. The new trends and polling numbers aren’t just good, they’re great.

Bucky takes a seat next to Steve, clocking you both looking into the daily report. “This kind of shift is good,” he says, “but now we just need to see it carry over and build from here on out.”

“Are you coming for my job, Mr. Barnes?” Jake asks, taking a seat at the table as well.

Bucky huffs a laugh, “No, sir. The last thing I would want is to be in charge of a circus like this.”

Jake smiles, and Steve and Bucky aren’t looking at him anymore, but you see the deeper look on Jake’s face. You’ve seen it on him before, it’s the look when he’s considering an idea - hisown or one suggested by the team - that he sees serious potential in. Even if he protests, Jake clearly sees potential in Bucky.

You would have to admit that you agree. Bucky understands Steve, and as he's stood shoulder to shoulder with him through this campaign, he's proven to be an invaluable asset. His strategic mind, honed by years of military experience, often provides insights that complement Jake's political savvy.

"Speaking of circuses," Jake says, voice louder, "let’s bring it in, folks.”

The rest of the key staffers all grab seats or press in around the table, and then Jake begins the end-of-day meeting. “We need to discuss tomorrow's schedule. The media's going to be on us far more seriously, and we need to be prepared for that shift in the tone of questions."

Steve nods, his expression serious. "What's the plan?"

"Engaging and not dry, but policy, policy, policy. We've got three major network interviews lined up for tomorrow morning. Steve, you'll be doing those. We want to capitalize on this momentum, but we also need to be careful not to appear too cocky."

"Understood," Steve replies.

"We've also got a strategy session scheduled for noon," Jake continues. "We’ve been reassessing our messaging in light of the Santos endorsement, but we want to see what it looks like after the burst from day one. We should have options for you to decide on then.”

You nod, understanding the delicate balance Jake is trying to strike. "What about the afternoon?"

Jake flips through his notes. "We've got a rally scheduled in Lansing at 3 PM. After that, we're heading to Chicago for a fundraiser in the evening."

Steve leans forward, his elbows on the table. "And what about the other candidates? Any word on their reactions to the endorsement?"

Sam speaks up. "Both camps have been relatively quiet so far. They're likely scrambling to adjust their strategies. We can expect some pushback tomorrow, though."

“I imagine we’ll see the Dems will be particularly cagey. They won’t want to look like a party divided,” Elsa explains, “but the reality is that one of their favored sons did just speak out and split where their support was supposed to go. The GOP-leaning media outlets are already gleefully stirring up chaos on their end, but nothing from their campaign yet.”

Jake nods in agreement. "What I wouldn’t give to have seen Johnson’s reaction to the news,” he says, referring to the other campaign manager, the rival that the DNC pushed over him for this presidential campaign cycle.

“After this initial new surge with policy,” Elsa takes over, “we want to redirect the narrative to you, Steve. We know America votes for people as much as they vote for policy. In about three days, we’re going to push heavily down the middle of the country and then make a swing across the southern states leading into the next debate. With that, we’re thinking about a series of casual, intimate interviews, more insight into your character, showing you’re not just the figure from history books or Avengers action over the last dozen years, but enough of a regular guy that they could have a beer with you.”

Steve nods, “All right.”

“You and Mrs. Rogers,” Jake tacks on.

Steve raises his eyebrows, but looks to you. This is the second time you’ve been brought in as a specific element to move the campaign forward.

You feel a flutter of nervousness at the mention of more intimate interviews, but you nod in agreement. "Of course, whatever helps the campaign."

Jake continues, "We're thinking of setting up some joint interviews, maybe even a day-in-the-life style piece. Show the public the real future First Couple, beyond the campaign speeches and rallies."

Steve reaches over and takes your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We can do that," he says, his voice steady and reassuring.

Jake clears his throat. "Excellent. Now, let's talk about debate prep. The next one is coming up fast, and we need to be ready for the next level of scrutiny."

The meeting continues for another hour, with strategies being discussed and assignments doled out. By the time Jake calls it a night, it's just past 1 AM. As the staffers begin to file out, you feel the full weight of exhaustion finally hit you. Luckily your room is only a few floors and a short walk above you.

Steve stands up, stretching slightly. "Ready to call it a night?" he asks, walking around the table and offering you his hand.

You nod gratefully, allowing him to pull you to your feet. As you gather your things, you can't help but feel a mix of excitement and apprehension about the days ahead.

As you and Steve make your way to the elevator, you can feel the exhaustion settling deep into your bones. The day's events replay in your mind - the unexpected endorsement, the electrifying rallies, the late-night strategy session. It's all a blur of excitement and intensity.

The elevator doors close, leaving you and Steve alone for the first time since this morning. In the quiet confines of the small space, you lean against the wall, letting out a long breath.

As the elevator ascends, you find yourself studying Steve's face. Despite the long hours and constant pressure, he still looks composed, though you can see the fatigue in the slight slump of his shoulders and the faint lines around his eyes.

"Penny for your thoughts?" you ask.

Steve turns to you, a tired smile playing at his lips. "Just thinking about how surreal this all is," he says softly. "A few months ago, I was trying to lay low in this century, keep out of the spotlight. Now..." He trails off, shaking his head slightly.

You nod, understanding. "Now you're vying to become the leader of the free world with every minute of your life under a microscope," you finish for him.

"Yeah," he breathes out. "But at least it’s not every minute."

The elevator dings, signaling your arrival at your floor. As you step out into the hallway, Steve places a gentle hand on the small of your back, guiding you towards your room. The touch, though light, sends a wave of warmth through you.

"How are you holding up?" he asks as you reach the door. "This can't be easy for you either."

You pause, key card in hand, considering his question. "It's... intense," you admit. "But I'm okay. Better than okay, actually. This whole experience, as crazy as it is, feels important. And I think we’re both getting stronger at this campaign thing every day."

Steve's eyes soften as he looks at you, a mix of admiration and concern in his gaze. "You've been amazing through all of this," he says quietly. "Now it’s hard to imagine doing it without you."

His words send a flutter through your chest. You're about to respond when you notice a slight shift in Steve's demeanor. He glances quickly down the hallway, then back at you, a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"Listen," he says, his voice low. "I know we're both exhausted, but... do you want to come in for a bit? Just to talk, or... I don't know. It feels like we haven't had a real moment alone in-”

“Ever?” you finish for him.

Steve winces. “Yeah.”

You shift slightly. “I don’t know, it’s so late.”

Steve nods, understanding in his eyes. "You're right, it is late. We should both get some rest."

You feel a pang of regret at the slight disappointment you see flash across his face. "Maybe we can carve out some time tomorrow?" you suggest, not wanting to leave things on a down note.

"Definitely," Steve agrees with a soft smile. "We'll make it happen." But you see his expression is more closed off, and wonder if you’ve now taken two steps back.

There's a moment of awkward silence as you both stand there, neither quite ready to say goodnight.

Finally, Steve clears his throat. "Well, goodnight.”

"Goodnight," you reply.

As Steve turns to head to his own room, you slip your key card into the door and enter your suite. Once inside, you lean against the closed door, letting out a long sigh. The truth is, there is a big part of you that wanted nothing more than to spend more time with him, away from the prying eyes of staff and security. But you're also acutely aware of the need to maintain boundaries, especially given the unique nature of your arrangement.

Your phone vibrates in your pocket, and you pull it out to see there’s a message from Sophia with some questions she needs you to make decisions on for the morning. You send off your reply, then mindlessly fall into your nighttime routine, decompressing from the day, getting ready for bed, and tucking in with your tablet. You go over the daily debrief and ready notes for the campaign, and then move on to your Kindle app and fall asleep before finishing even two pages, alone.

next part: coming 11/22

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[patriottruth]

Some really good news from Democrats in Congress: Senate Leader Schumer and the Senate Democrats are going full-throttle from early morning into late night sessions to confirm all of President Biden's federal judges. There are many MAGA tears and tantrums about this.

They've confirmed 219 Biden-nominated judges since January 2021, there are only 42 more unfilled judge openings in the entire United States, and it's looking like Senate Democrats might get all of those filled with President Biden's judges before Democrats lose the Senate majority. That'll slam the door on Republicans appointing any more lifetime federal judges, including attempting to pack the Supreme Court (which would be impossible, anyway, without a Republican President).

Democrats in the House of Representatives are quickly losing patience with House Republicans overplaying their hand, as usual. House Democratic Leader Jeffries put them on notice today for their radicalized hate agendas against elected Democrat Representatives.

President Zelensky is calling for a strong response from allies after putin escalated with Ukraine by firing a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile into the Dnipro region. putin has been counting on donald trump handing him Ukraine with a big bow around it. Imagine his disappointment when donald trump's insurrectionist disqualification is enforced by House and Senate Democrats, he continues being permanently disqualified from holding any federal or state office ever again, and Ukraine continues receiving the maximum U.S. support possible.

I just wanted to send out another big thank you to everyone who is liking, reblogging, and sharing the donald trump insurrectionist disqualification reminders with everyone you can, and to everyone who is engaging in this fight for American democracy by contacting your elected representatives in Congress, Democratic Leaders Schumer and Jeffries, Marc Elias and Democracy Docket, and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. In addition to apparently reducing the amount of MAGA trolls here on Tumblr, you're also neutralizing their votes, their hatred and intolerance, and you're denying them their ethnic cleansing and genocide wishlists. And on top of all of that, you're preventing putin from rebuilding the Soviet Union and dragging the world into World War 3.

So, again, THANK YOU so, so much to everyone for literally making the world a much better and less hateful place!

And then this just happened while I was typing up this message:

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Don't reblog Billy or H*rringgrove with my posts. I hate that guy. I despise that child abusing, racist motherfucker. I'll gladly dance and spit on his grave. You may support domestic violence, but I don't. I would never put Steve Harrington in a position where he ends up being abused by his partner. It's fucking disgusting. Billy nearly killed Steve, and he enjoyed doing it, too. The look of pure enjoyment on his face as he continued to beat on an unconscious Steve. . .my God, why would you ship Steve with a monster like that? I mean, the only reason why Billy didn't kill Steve was because Max stopped him before he could. Yeah, that's a great partner for Steve. Even if Billy managed to redeem himself and survive, that man would still be too broken to be put into any sort of romantic relationship. I hate H*rringgrove with every fiber of my goddamn being. Steve deserves better than someone who nearly killed him. . .I wonder if you would still be singing Billy's praises if he had managed to not only kill Steve but Lucas as well as Max and all the other kids as well. He couldn't leave any witnesses alive. The Duffers wrote him specifically to be a monster like Brenner. It's astounding how you continuously excuse all of Billy's evil, vile disgusting behavior. You can say all you want that it's because Billy was abused but you don't care at all about that because if you did, you'd care that Max got abused by Billy, you'd care that Lucas was thrown against the wall by Billy, you'd care that he threatened to run over the kids in order to force Max to agree with him, you'd care that he nearly killed Steve. Steve was the one protecting Max, NOT Billy. Billy didn't step up until s3 when all the good had to be dug out of his head by El. If it hadn't been for El rooting around in his head, Billy never would have realized he was the problem. You can say all you want that Billy is abused, but I'll never believe that you actually give a shit that he was, considering all the bad he's done that you continue to ignore. I believe that Billy is definitely attracted to Steve, but it's an automatic turn-off for Steve to see someone hurt children, and that's canon that Billy Hargrove did that. The only way Steve would sleep with him was if he was forced to. It doesn't matter if Billy did try to be a good guy after season 3, Steve wouldn't be comfortable with it.

[geminislays]

Breakfast for Dinner

THIS AU HAS BEEN EATING ME ALIVE! SO HERE'S THIS!!

1,121 words; Trail's Gone Cold AU; Etho and Gem; approx. 7mo after the expedition.

Knock knock.

Etho rolled over to face his sister, who stood in the doorway to his bedroom. Gem's hair was pulled into a single braid that she'd draped over her shoulder. She twirled the end of it with her fingers, leaning against the door frame.

"Dinner's almost ready- I made your favorite," she said softly. Etho nodded, moving his blanket to the side to make it easier to stand. Immediately, the chill that had taken hold of him in the cave descended on him. Not that it had ever left him- the ice in his bones was just another inescapable fact of life since the expedition. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he caught Gem watching him carefully. Seeing that he'd noticed her, his younger sister gave a somewhat forced-looking smile, turned, and returned to the kitchen.

For a moment, it was as if a harsh breeze had hit him. Gem had been... weird... since he'd come back. After Tango's and Pearl's celebrations of life had come and gone, there had been a little while where things almost felt like they used to. Etho knew Pearl's death had hit Gem particularly hard. She had lost her best friend and her first long-term partner in one fell swoop- and that was without adding Tango to the equation.

He stood, feeling all the blood rushing to his legs. It nearly made his knees buckle, but he gripped the post of his bed frame tightly and managed to support himself while he acclimated to standing. As he rounded the corner of the hall that led to the living and dining rooms, he drew the sides of his hoodie more tightly around his body in a futile attempt to warm himself. From the kitchen, a warm, cheesy smell was wafting towards him. Etho nearly fell from the force with which he slammed his shoulder into the door frame to the kitchen.

"Damn this eye."

Shaking his head, he pressed on, nearly body-slamming Gem, who was coming back in from the dining room.

"I heard a big slam- are you okay?" she asked nervously, eyes scanning Etho's face. He nodded. "Just me being clumsy," he said, putting on his best approximation of a smile. He wondered if it looked as fake as it felt.

Turning his attention back to the wonderful smell in the air, he made his way to the table. He perked up a bit at the sight before him. Breakfast for dinner. He took his usual place at the table. Gem smiled - "this one looks real-" as she sat down what Etho hoped was the last of the food she'd prepared. There was already a huge array of plates- bacon, sausages, cheese-covered eggs, toast cut into triangles, a bowl of oatmeal, several fruits, and now a plate of waffles- and his appetite was far smaller than it had been before the expedition.

Having finished her work in the kitchen- "Thank goodness," Etho thought- Gem took her own usual place at the table, looking vaguely expectantly at her brother. "What's she waiting for?"

He leaned forward and took a piece of toast. At this, she smiled again, reaching for the sausages. "Is she worried I'm not eating?" He hated how worried he made her.

"I shouldn't have left the others. If I'd stayed down there, at least she wouldn't have to fuss over me while grieving."

Etho grabbed the bowl of oatmeal, dipped the corner of his toast into it, and took a small bite. Gem snorted softly, trying to hide her laughter. "Don't laugh at me, Gem. You've known me your whole life, you already know I'm weird." He hadn't seen Gem look so happy- so normal- since before-

Etho stopped himself. "Let her have this."

They both continued eating, Gem only pausing to take sips of orange soda. She hummed quietly, almost imperceptibly, as she ate, wiggling slightly in her chair. Etho only noticed it because he'd known Gem her whole life. He found himself mirroring her smile.

"This is why you had to run. You selfish idiot."

The toast Etho was holding fell from his hand, landing on the table with a crisp shhk. Gem stopped mid-sip.

"You good?" Her voice echoed slightly, reverberating in Etho's head. As quickly as the feeling of being underground again hit him, the ice chill in his veins shocked him back to the present, where his hand currently hung in midair, trembling violently. Stopping for a second then shaking his fingers purposely this time, he looked back up at Gem.

"Yeah, you know my hands don't.. feel properly anymore. Just didn't realize I was losing my grip on it."

She only looked suspicious for half a second, but Etho saw it. "Okay." There was an edge to her voice that he didn't like.

He could feel his hands begin to tremble again. He shoved them into his pockets rubbing them against the lining for warmth instinctively. Logically he knew he wasn't going to feel it if they ever did warm up- his nerve damage from the cold and the sculk was extensive. He looked at Gem, who seemed to be chewing her words before she spoke. He couldn't bear to hear pity in her voice, so he spoke before she could.

"I think we should go back to the cave."

Gem's face went blank with shock. Her large round eyes studied his face, worry creeping across her features. "Sorry? I thought you just said you think we should go back to the cave. Surely, I misheard you."

Etho swallowed. He wasn't sure where that had come from. The last thing Etho wanted was to return to that freezing maw of the earth. But something sung in his chest when he thought about it again.

"I want to find them. Maybe Pearl found Tango and led him towards the entrance before they-" he paused. Gem had a look of utter horror on her face now, but the thought kept rushing out. "They're probably close to the entrance."

Gem pushed her plate away. It clanked loudly, making Etho jump.

"Absolutely not. We are not even going to have this discussion, Etho, you are not going back into that place." Gem crossed her arms, brow furrowed. "Our best friends died down there, and you got so sick you can barely get out of bed. That cave is evil, Etho. The answer is no."

Etho paused. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. "You're right. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. You're right." The cold in his bones made him shake even more. It seemed to seep even deeper into his body, if that were even possible.

Despite his fear of returning, something was calling to him.

[AN: the blue and red text are his Warm and Cold Thoughts (this is how i imagined etho thinking about the cave and the others. the cold thoughts being due in part to the cave and the sculk he's absorbed as well as his survivor's guilt, and the warm thoughts being influenced by his memories from before the expedition and his interactions with gem, who is untouched by the cold.) also shoutout to @wasyago for this incredible au]

[ratfuck]

every day. every single fucking day is just one personal travesty after another. I stuck around and refused the allure of self-destruction on others' behalf, on the words of others' that it will get better. I've stuck around and found that it was never worth it, and feel as if I am forced to stay alive for those who depend on me against my desire for rest.

Im not the same person I was years ago, and I won't be able to be that person again. I've withdrawn from my hobbies and art, the connections I've established with others have disappeared. My sense of humor has been replaced by a deep cynicism for everything around me. I have nothing to my personhood anymore

My job is pushing me to the brink. I fucking loved my career in art and design and I now just resent every amount of effort to try and change my life for the better for the past 10 years. 9 long months of struggle and pain searching for another good video job after being laid off from the "forever job" I was given last year and I end up at a place that simultaneously pays me the lowest I have ever been paid in my life while demanding the most fucking labor I have ever done. I do the work of an entire department: including digital strategist, social media manager, account manager, multimedia specialist, videographer and editor, graphic designer, and animator, and am being paid $19 an hour. I was making $32 an hour at my last job on qualifications alone just doing multimedia and video. Every week I travel hundreds of miles to single handedly film, edit, and photograph advertising content for dozens of clients. The content I deliver is outstanding and they still refuse to pay me a living wage. I am supporting 2 adults on top of myself with my peanut salary and have nothing left over to invest in the future. No amount of fucking praise from my bosses is equal to paying me what im fucking worth

What remains of my family is falling apart. My dad is medically committing suicide by refusing a heart surgery. That fucker ruined my childhood and adolescense, never supported me in my life, beat me, humiliated me, and continuously picks on and belittles me for who I am, and he's taking the easy way out and presenting his decision as a big final "fuck you" to me. My mom's health is failing, and my remaining grandparents are doing worse

My medical issue is escalating. My phantom pain syndrome fucking flares up every day now. The bleeding from my eye socket is getting worse and worse. I can see the implant bulging out and tearing through my flesh. Every time I cry, I cry actual tears of blood. My pillowsheet is stained ruined by the uncontrollable bleeding pouring out from my face at all times. I will never be able to wear a prosthetic eye again, and will be permanently scarred and forced to wear eye patches for other people's comfort. People are so fucking insensitive about it. I am so tired of the stupid pirate jokes or being told it makes me look scary.

I fucking hate being transgender, specifically I hate the experiences I have had with others who I'm supposed to feel fellowship with. I am so fucking tired of meeting trans women who present normal at first, and as soon as I show vulnerability I'm being fucking raped, I'm being used for financial gain, for housing, for drugs. Most I've met at this point have turned out to be fucking emotionally unstable sociopaths or some pathetic cretin who just wants someone to manage their fucking miserable shit life for them while they jerk and fuck whats left of it away. I have not felt this fucking alienated from any other community or identity I am part of, fucking dumbass cis people in my life have treated me with more inclusivity and respect than the trans people in my life. I still am getting stalked online by a couple of these fuckers for choosing to cease contact. I just want to fucking knife every one of them who just hits me up for pointless sex or for me to cuck them with their stupid fucking girlfriend

The miscarriage fucked me up so hard. I still think about it. Its been years. The fucking pandemic and that COVID-19 infection control job fucked me up. Seeing fucking hundreds of corpses in months and seeing them fucking getting stuffed with cotton balls soaked in antiviral chemicals and their faces sewn shut and then stacked in a fucking trailer every week isnt good. Escorting a grieving family to say goodbye to their dying kid fucking plugged up with tubes in every orafice was something that a fucking 22 year old shouldnt have been exposed to. The amount of people from the public who screamed at me and accused me of being part of some fucking NWO conspiracy and getting a fucking gun raised at me with no fucking repercussions for them. I witnessed so much fucking death and human suffering in such a short fucking time and absolutely no fucking validation for these experiences and I'm expected by family and peers to just continue on like it was a fucking hiccup. Losing the uncle that encouraged me to finish college and built me my car to COVID to cap it all off is just the final 'fuck you' from the universe, from God, for surviving through that nightmare

I know posting this is a fucking mistake, I hate revealing myself and being open about my life. I fucking have no other outlet for these feelings though. my friends don't fucking give a shit or check in on me. I have no more desire to explore myself through art. I have no hobbies or interests that are compelling enough anymore to distract me from feeling like im in constant misery. I don't want other people's pity, I want to be able to scream in anger and hate and lament at the life I am OBLIGATED to live

I know that by posting my feelings, im only inviting the vermin who waste their time encouraging me to kill myself to escalate their rhetoric, and use my vulnerabilities against me. You can't hurt me, not when I died years ago