#and for all the people who say “we can’t let alw win something”

[flame-x]

Anyone hating on either of these musicals in the comments or tags needs to GROW THE FUCK UP. It’s a tumblr poll. You’re not a child in the playground who wants to feel big in front of the other kids by bullying another kid for liking something you think is stupid or weird. You literally DO NOT NEED TO SHIT ON AND BULLY other people for liking something!! Even if you don’t like it!! Newsflash, there are real people behind these urls who DO NOT deserve to be made to feel like shit over! liking! a! piece! of! media!

So take your hate and go fuck yourself. It’s ridiculous and frankly, a waste of time and energy because nobody gives a fuck because it’s a tumblr poll

[whataboutmyfries]

Russian Roulette

Okay, okay. I am fully aware that it has been an absolute AGE since the last chapter but Life(tm) got in the way of this one and I'm so sorry it's getting to you so late.

Additionally, I hope you guys are aware that minimal editing has happened here.

@lumosinlove thank you so much for letting us mess around with your characters!!

~

Chapter 5

Logan slammed another cup of coffee to the table, running a hand through his already dishevelled hair. “Shit,” he breathed. “This is….this is probably enough for us to completely wreck their operation”

Finn leaned further back in his chair, blinking at the stacks of paper spilling onto the desk; about as much surprise as he’d show in front of Leo. “It is.”

Leo looked utterly unfazed as he sipped from his cup, closing his eyes at the feeling of the hot caffeine sliding down his throat. He rubbed at his eye, fixing the other one on Finn, then on Logan. “Will you do it then?”

Logan and Finn exchanged a glance. “I think you already know the answer to that.”

Leo studied the two of them before dipping his head in a nod of thanks. His voice was hoarse when he spoke again. “Thank you. For all of this.”

Finn waved him off, taking a long sip from his coffee. “Mm, I was wondering if you’d ever come around and show us that brilliant magic of yours.”

Logan laughed. “Forget magic. How would you feel about a game of cards?”

Leo’s eyes glittered “oh darlin’, I’m going to beat your asses.”

And damn if Leo didn’t deliver on his promises. An hour later, the three of them were sat around the table, staring intently at the cards spread over the wood. Finn tossed his knife, the blade making complicated swirls around his fingers as he caught it.

“You’re gonna have to do better than that to win nutty.” He chuckled; not even turning his head as he threw the knife at the dartboard.

Leo didn’t have to look up from his cards to know it’d hit the bullseye.

“Remind me again, which one of us is the magician here?” Leo drawled, eyes twinkling with mischief as he threw down his card.

Logan and Finn groaned, slapping down their cards in exasperation. Leo had won. Again.

“How does he do it?” Logan groused, pouting at the table, pulling one of Finn’s knives free of the wood.

Leo laughed, reaching behind Logan’s ear. And with a complicated twirl of his fingers, he unfurled a fan of cards

Piercing blue eyes looked over the top of the cards and Leo winked at the both of them.

“Magic.”

~

Three am found them sprawled around the room fast asleep. Mugs and cups and pots of coffee on every imaginable surface, papers spilling onto the floor. Leo blinked his eyes open to warm sunlight, shoving his face off the desk. Disoriented, he blinked his eyes frantically, trying to make sense of his surroundings. His eyes landed on a halo of red, and the memories of the previous night came back to him; only to immediately be ignored in favour of the beautiful boy in front of him. Finn’s head leaned back against the couch, exposing the column of his throat, the freckles there mapping constellations onto the creamy skin. Leo wondered if maybe Finn would ever let him trail shapes into those stars; if he tried hard enough, Leo was sure he could trace a wonky version of his namesake onto the alabaster skin. Unable to help himself, his eyes trailed upwards, crimson eyelashes fluttering against high cheekbones like trapped birds searching for a freedom he wasn’t sure he could offer.

He ripped his eyes away, his traitorous heart beating furiously against his ribs. It proved an even bigger mistake to look away because his eyes found smooth tan skin instead. Logan was almost devastating in his beauty when he slept, Chocolate-y hair shimmering in the early light. Sunshine dripping like honey from aristocratic cheekbones and hazel curls. Leo’s thoughts went into overdrive, his brain offering him vague snippets of poetry and literature in a futile attempt to describe the beauty of gods. The sunlight threw shadows across their faces, casting them in stark relief, and Leo’s heart all but crawled out of him to repent.

His heart was beating so loud it honestly surprised him that the two of them hadn’t awoken. This was a mistake. He never should’ve come here, let alone stay the night. Cursing his idiocy, he got up on cat-soft feet and gathered his things, chiding himself for letting down his guard so easy. He saw himself out, sparing one last look for the ethereal beings asleep on the couch. And as Leo let the door fall shut; he failed to realise that he’d been so caught up in cursing his mistakes; he hadn’t noticed hazel eyes trailing him on his way out.

~

Logan— on the other hand— woke to Finn’s feet sliding out of his lap. He knew he was home. He was safe. The syrupy darkness of sleep pulled him back under. Finn woke him again with a hand to his shoulder, the distinctive smell of coffee taking over his senses. Still drowsy, he grinned, a hum rumbling through him. Finn laughed, ruffling his hair.

“I don’t remember adopting a cat, but I can’t say I dislike it.”

Logan shoved at his knee with a socked foot, grumbling incoherently, though the smile on his face rather took away from it.

“Shhhhh it’s too early for your stupid face.”

“So no coffee for you then? More for me I guess”

“Touch my coffee and I’ll punch you”

“Oh shut up, you like my face too much to punch me.”

Logan blinked one eye open. “Who said I was punching you in the face?”

Finn laughed, nudging Logan’s cup closer to him. “Touche.”

Logan took the mug, nursing the warmth of the ceramic between his palms. “You know, that may be the only french thing that sounds halfway decent in that accent of yours.”

Finn flipped him off over the rim of his mug, drinking deeply. “Drink your sugar crash and leave me alone.”

Logan raised an eyebrow “Is that what we’re calling it now?”

“It is the sole cause of diabetes in this world and I am willing to die on this hill.”

Logan huffed, shoving papers out from under him so he could shift his feet up onto the couch. The events of the previous night still weighed on him. Lizard had given them….everything. Every detail, every nook and cranny of the snake house was documented. He’d left no stone unturned.

And he’d lost everything, anyway.

“Harz, he’s given us everything we were looking for.”

Finn nodded, “He did, didn’t he?” He gave Logan a look. “What do you want to do about it?”

Logan shrugged a shoulder, staring absently out the window. “We said we’d help.”

“You know you don’t have to follow through, you don’t want to do it, we don’t do it.”

Logan met his gaze, Finn’s sharp edges smoothed into something softer by the early sun. “I want to. It just…..” He trailed off with a vague gesture.

Finn hummed. “I think I know what you mean. But, Lo, we don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do, okay? The second you want to drop it and leave, we leave, yeah?”

Logan swallowed past the lump that formed in his throat. His chest full to the brim with a feeling he’d come to describe simply as ‘Finn’. It was ephemeral and fleeting but felt like warmth; it felt like coming home. It was the feeling of waking up to find a blanket thrown over you, the feeling of a mug of steaming cocoa pressed into your hands on a bad day, the feeling of sunshine after tumultuous storms. It was the feeling of Finn, joyful and constant and forever ready with a bright smile or dry wit.

Logan smiled at his friend, shoving at Finn’s knee with his foot. “Awww, look at that. You might care about me after all.”

Finn shot him a look, the only warning he gave Logan before tackling him to the couch. Logan let out a somewhat aborted choke-squeal as he fought to get Finn off of him, wrestling his tickling fingers away from him. Logan cackled when Finn yelped overbalancing and falling onto the carpet—followed shortly by Logan, who had been too busy laughing to notice that Finn had grabbed him in a desperate attempt to stop his fall. They both lay on the floor, gasping for breath between peals of laughter, shoving at each other playfully.

Finn let his head drop to a side, catching Logan’s gaze. “You know…..It’s not like we have much to do today….”

Logan grinned “Ice cream and movies all day?”

“You know it.”

~

To put it quite simply, Leo’s brain refused to leave him alone. His smile was more facade than anything else, his beloved cards feeling clumsy and distracting in his hands. His train of thought had derailed almost an hour ago, his body running completely on autopilot as we walked the streets of Gryffindor.

They’d said yes. They’d said yes, and now Leo was going to be working with them. For a considerable amount of time. He couldn’t afford to throw something like this away on some fickle feeling, much less fickle feelings for a mob boss of all people. There was too much at stake.

Leo revealed the card in his hand with a flourish, the gasps of the people around him little more than background noise as he slipped through the crowd, surreptitiously pocketing a couple of fifties he certainly didn’t have before. He strolled unnoticed through the city, checking his watch as he went. He was early. good. He slowed his pace, watching passers-by go about their lives as he marvelled at the busy streets. It never stopped amazing him; the fervour that filled the city. Every street and bend so rife with potential, the possibility of wonderful things just itching to happen.

Like anyone else, Leo was wont to miss his home, the sprawling fields and endless forest of the countryside, but there was nothing quite like Gryffindor, with its skyscrapers shoved next to beggarly hovels and the hum of activity and excitement haunting every corner.

As his thoughts wandered through the city, his feet carried him to a familiar street lined with cafes and charming little stores. He ducked into one of them— a quaint bookshop, the well-worn sign hanging at the door proclaiming its availability to its patrons. The tiny bell above the door announced his arrival, the chime sounding through the magical place.

Leo had always thought that walking into Moony’s was like stepping through a portal to another world. Most bookstores were organised, neat. Books lined from A-Z subject to subject. Not Moony’s. Moony’s was a labyrinth. An explosion of literature and colour and homely comfort in every direction. Books covered every imaginable surface in the store, the shelves full to bursting. Haphazard piles of literature graced the floor, leaning against potted plants and comfy little armchairs scattered across the place. The books were stacked layers deep, some piles reaching as far as the ceiling, teetering precariously alongside narrow walkways. Leo loved it. The smell of tea and well-loved paper wrapped around him like a blanket as he walked to the checkout. An indignant meow drew his attention to the plush armchair, the stacks of books leaning against its arms fashioning it into something of a floral throne.

“Cheshire! How are you, you stinky little muffin?” Leo cooed, scooping up the ball of fur that had taken up residence on the chair. The cat in question purred happily, head butting Leo’s hand demanding head scratches. The blond laughed, indulging the cat and dropping a kiss onto his fuzzy little nose as he walked to the front of the store. A head full of tawny curls shuffled around under the till, clearly looking for something underneath.

“Found that treasure you’re looking for, Loops?”

Remus jumped, standing up with a smile, nearly knocking his head on the counter in the process.

“Missed me enough to come in early today?”

Leo snorted. “You wish. No, I just finished up quicker today.”

Remus raised a brow. “Sure you did. What’s bothering you Nutty? Tell me things.”

Leo’s chest warmed with affection. He sighed deeply; the singular breath seeming to take some pressure off his bones.

“You remember what went down with Pascal a while ago?”

Remus nodded.

“And that I went to the Lions for help like he said?”

Another nod.

Leo took a deep breath. “Well, they said yes.”

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Drop the Evie essay you wrote

okay so first of all it wasn’t really an essay the way some of my ramblings are, more like just me writing down all of my thoughts in a vaguely coherent manner bc my brain was running too fast to really organize it 

and second of all, just to be on the safe side, these are the potential trigger warnings that I would give for the essay — I don’t know if they all actually come up or not, but better safe than sorry, so proceed with caution!

Potential TWs: being outed, parental neglect, character death (canon), suicide attempts (semi-canon), eating disorders, lots of mental health issues, and lots of general trauma and feelings of never being good enough, and canon typical references to drinking/drugs/partying/etc

so just like a fun fact, Evie’s vitamin water of choice is zero sugar strawberry lemonade and yes i spent too long reading reviews on different flavours all because gossip girl did an entire product placement episode

anyways now onto real thoughts let’s go lesbians let’s go

so okay evie has a... very negative experience with Lily’s various boyfriends and husbands.  When Evie was younger she was always hopeful that this time would be different, that they’d be a family, that her mom would actually stick around, and every single time she’s been let down and left heartbroken.  When her mom starts dating Bart, Evie is very against it but she just can’t be bothered to even try to talk to Lily — Lily will date him, maybe get married, play house, abandon her children, then get divorced, and the cycle will repeat, and Lily will never give a shit about how her children feel about it.  Bart is just the latest rich man for Lily to set her sights on.  Given the overall shittiness of most of Lily’s exes, Evie had figured she would be a lot more vocally against Lily dating again, but Bart... 

Bart himself may terrify Evie, but Evie’s unwavering faith that Chuck will always protect her outweighs that fear, and Evie has long since given up on her mom caring about her opinions so she just takes comfort in the fact that Chuck will be there and tries to just ignore the rest — and the fact that Bart is pretty much always away does help with that.  That being said, she was very distraught when Bart spends season 1 christmas with them, but then Bart’s “present” for her was flying Chuck home for a few days because Lily mentioned that Eric was teasing Evie about being excited about having Chuck as a brother, and he's trying to semi-win over the kids (aka bribe them into accepting him as Lily’s fiancé)

Evie speaks several languages!  She started learning French and Spanish at a very young age, and then picked more up from Lily’s various husbands.  She’s not fluent in all of them but she can hold conversations in eight languages — and four of them were from Lily’s boyfriends (and italian was half pieced together from French and Spanish), and she just keeps learning more because she tries to keep herself too busy to think at any given moment

Rufus is her favourite step-dad by far, but Chuck is her favourite step-sibling (and second favourite sibling, after Eric).  That being said, Bart was surprisingly decent to her because even he quickly figured out that Evie has the innate ability to get Chuck to do basically anything, and he wanted her on his side, only he underestimated how much Evie hates him for treating Chuck like shit — as she says in 2x07, “if you want us to be a family, you should learn how to be a dad”

Evie has a bit of a thing for stealing coats lmao — it’s not unusual to find her stealing Chuck, Eric, Theo, or even Nate’s jackets when she gets cold or starts feeling particularly self conscious.  At the housewarming party she actually gets to bothered by all the media watching her constantly that Chuck goes and gets her one of his blazers to replace the cropped one she was wearing, and she immediately feels a bit more at east

Evie is a jock like it’s understated but she’s on multiple sports teams at school and plays outside of school too — she’s also in dance classes several times a week, along with private vocal lessons, and being part of every theatre production at Constance Billard (musicals and plays), and is on the yearbook committee.  Basically, Evie needs a fucking nap, and with a lot of pushing from Chuck and Eric and Theo (to balance out Blair “do absolutely everything in the name of Yale” Waldorf) she does eventually ease up on her extra-curriculars

She holds far too much power in the Constance-St Jude hierarchy.  She’s a freshman, but it’s well known that Evie is completely untouchable.  Some people (cough Jenny) might try to cross Blair, but no one is stupid enough to go after Evie — she’s not just Blair’s protégée, she’s also under Chuck’s protection.  And when Jenny does try to cross her in season 3 (physical and emotional bullshit, public humiliation, telling the entire school she’d tried to kill herself and had been at Ostroff not “in florida”), well... she learns that even being family won’t stop her entire life from being destroyed

Speaking of Jenny... that’s a very messy relationship — I want to like Jenny, I really do, but I just... don’t so far.  They’re a very sweet relationship early on, neither of them had dated before and they were just really smitten with each other and things were good.  There were definitely some issues because of the Jenny-Blair war, but they’d been okay — or so Evie had thought, until Jenny dumped her by means of introducing everyone to her new boyfriend, Asher.  Then of course there’s the party and Jenny outing her, and then just not talking to her for months until she needs something from them (an in to the White Party).  Eric manages to convince Evie to play nice, but he does so under the impression that Jenny had apologized to Evie — he didn’t know she’d only apologized to him.  Eventually Jenny does apologize and Evie tries to forgive her, and she keeps giving Jenny more and more second chances (especially once they become step sisters), but Jenny really just keeps hurting Evie to get on top because with Blair gone, Evie immediately becomes the new queen, and Jenny cares more about being queen than being nice.  Little does she realize that part of why Evie became queen with no challenge is because she’s nice.

and regarding Evie’s other relationships... so serena was a really good big sister when Eric & Evie were kids — Blair was the responsible sister and Serena was the fun sister, but it was a good balance and it worked.  But when the twins were around eleven and Serena was around 13, she became besties with Georgina Sparks, and everything went to shit.  Serena started getting into partying and drinking and drugs and became just as flighty and unreliable as Lily, which takes a significant toll on the twins’ mental health — side note, one of their therapists at the Ostroff Centre believes that their significant codependency stems from the abandonment issues they have as a result of Lily and Serena just up and leaving them whenever anything “better” comes along.

And unfortunately for the twins, this was around the same time (grade 6) that Theo got sent to boarding school, so really they lost both their sister and their best friend at the same time, and Theo leaving also messed up the overall group dynamics and they half lost Nate too — he was still in their lives but he went from being the dad to Blair’s mom to being more of a big brother, and there was this sort of hole that didn’t get filled until a couple of years later.

And of course, a lot of it then fell to Blair to try to fill that hole and the holes left by Serena and Lily and went from being sort of “mom friend big sister” to “literally the closest thing we have to a mom”, which is also just a lot of pressure for a thirteen year old girl and part of why Blair and Chuck got a lot closer after he ended up becoming their dad was because she finally had someone that she could talk to too.

Also like full disclosure, Chuck never really intended to become their dad.  He started off as a reluctant big brother because he was Nate’s best friend and Nate was the dad friend when they were younger, and Evie just kind of decided that she loved him and like no one can argue with Evie so all of a sudden he was part of the family.  He doesn’t really become dad until the van der Woodsens move into the hotel because suddenly Eric and Evie are just always there, and he doesn’t even realize it until months later, after Serena is gone and he realizes that he’s been skipping parties to like play mario kart and shit with the twins and Blair is just like “lmao yeah buddy you’re the last one to get this memo”

and then there’s this list that I made of the NJBC’s roles in raising the twins and theo back when they were younger

Blair: holds their hands to cross the street, teaches them not to talk to people who wear sneakers or to strangers, teaches them how to dress themselves like respectable people, makes them finish their homework before watching tv, hates all of their nannies and only trusts dorota to take care of them Nate: teaches them to tie their laces and their ties, plays video games and sports with them, helps them with homework and doesn't get impatient when they struggle, lets them use his notebooks to draw in when they're bored Chuck: will destroy anyone who hurts them, teaches them street smarts and how to tell when someone is lying, is the one who lets them do dumb and reckless things because he'd rather they do them when he's there to get in trouble, still refuses to believe that they know what sex is Serena: reminded them that it's okay to have fun and draw outside the lines, stood up for them when lily was being a shit mom and always tried to protect them from the worst of her neglect, came up with games to play when they were sad to take their minds off whatever is upsetting them

And Theo!!!!!!  Theo has been their best friend for their entire lives!  They’ve known him since they were babies and the three of them have always been inseparable!  Like highkey they were just a more functional NJBC lmao, and we love them for it!  Theo getting sent to boarding school was really hard on all three of them but they stayed in constant contact and whenever Theo is back in the city, it’s almost impossible to see them not together.  Theo does know that they were in the Centre, so once he’s back full time, he’s spending as much time visiting them as he can!  Even when Eric and Theo are dating (and later when Evie and Theo are dating), the group dynamics really never change!  It’s still always the three of them, and sometimes Jenny in s1, they’re still each other’s family, and they’re still just a bit too interdependent to be entirely healthy (it’s the trauma and neglectful parents)

on a slightly related note, neither of the twins drink anything other than champagne and sometimes wine, and neither of them touch drugs at all, and it’s entirely because of Serena.  They’ve both seen how much she’s changed since she got into that scene, and especially since ‘liking partying’ turned into ‘alcohol addiction’, and they’re both too afraid of ending up like that to even take the risk.  It’s something that definitely sets them apart from pretty much any of their peers, but they’ve gotten very good at just laughing it off with a “hey, I just don’t want to end up on Gossip Girl tomorrow” which people generally accept

(that being said, Evie did smoke for a while pre-canon bc cigarettes curb hunger, but she hasn’t smoked at all since ending up in the Centre, and once she’s out too many people have an eye on her for her to even try, and she does want to stop)

(TW ATTEMPTED SUICIDE, fairly detailed discussion) so okay the breaking point for the twins... lily had just gone awol again and Blair was away visiting her dad and evie was at the archibalds’ house hanging out with theo, who was home for a weekend, and eric didn’t want to call anyone because lily’s disappearance had left him in a spiral of feeling annoying and like people didn’t really want him in their lives and there wasn’t a specific trigger but instead of the spiral slowing down or evie/chuck/blair being able to pull him out of it, it just kept getting worse until he was slitting his wrist in the bathroom — only Evie had just gotten home and when he didn’t reply to her calling his name, she got freaked out and started looking for him and when she saw him, she just... couldn’t deal.  She called 911 for eric but then she was just in the bathroom and covered in his blood and she didn’t know what to do and she needed to calm down so she grabbed a bottle of valium that she thinks was Lily’s but instead of just taking one pill she ended up taking all of them and downing them with a bottle of vodka serena had hidden — once she realized what she’d done she called Chuck and basically just said “I think I fucked up” and Chuck freaks out (understandably) and rushes to their suite and gets there basically just in time to see both of them being loaded into an ambulance; he claims he’s their brother and rides with them to the hospital where he calls blair, and arranges for his jet to pick her up asap, and then tries (unsuccessfully) to get in touch with lily

[photochoco]

The Protagonist

Leon’s lil bro has a best friend. She’s...too good at Pokemon. She’s never lost a battle, and the normal rules of raising them doesn’t seem to apply to her. It’s a phenomenon Leon himself is all too familiar with, and he will NOT let her feel alone like he did.

--- Leon looked around restlessly. Oh boy. He really was pants with directions, even he could admit that, but he was certain she would be around here, Hop had said as much. He heard a sniffle come from behind a large pile of rocks. 

Ah. 

He peeked around it and saw a familiar beret-topped wave of brunette hair. He silently thanked the Poke’ Gods that his lil bro knew how much his best friend loved to wear berets. The last few times he had seen her, she seemed just as chipper as Hop. But right now she was curled up against the stone, her knees drawn up to her chest and her face buried in her arms. Not at all chipper. 

He knelt down in front of her, cape swishing. “Gloria?”

The young girl’s head shot up, revealing a blotchy face and watering eyes. She sniffled again and hurriedly wiped her cheeks. Leon offered a comforting smile. 

“Hey kiddo. What’s got ya down? Did you lose a battle?” he asked.

Gloria looked away, and Leon wasn’t sure if that was confirmation or not. His worries made him hope it was the case.

“Don’t let it get you down, even the best Trainers have to lose a couple. The important thing is--” “I didn’t,” a tiny voice interrupted the Champion.

“Ah- oh?” “I won. Hope challenged me to a battle again, and I won. Again,” Gloria mumbled.

Leon cocked his head in visible confusion, but his insides were already starting to squirm with long-harbored suspicions. Even still, he played the unwitting one.

“Huh. Well, I wouldn’t think that’d be a reason for tears now,” he said. 

Gloria’s grip on her arms tightened and her brow furrowed. She looked like she was struggling to decide if she wanted to say something.

“...Can you keep a secret?” she finally asked.

“Of course I can,” Leon replied immediately. “I may be garbage with directions, but I can keep a secret.” Gloria took a breath. 

“I think there’s something wrong with me. I don’t think I’m normal. Or maybe my...maybe my Pokemon aren’t normal? Every person I come across who challenges me to a battle, I beat them easily. My Pokemon are always several levels higher than anyone else’s, and they...they level up faster, too. People are always telling me how hard it can be to raise a Pokemon, and how it’s even harder to balance raising a full team of 6. I had a full team of 6 by the first Gym, and I never had any trouble with it! And Hop...every time he fights me, I beat him so easily, even though I know he trains as hard as, if not harder than me. So why am I so far ahead of him? Why am I so far ahead of everybody?”

Her eyes start to water, threatening to spill over. 

“Hop, and two other Challengers, B-Bede and M-Marnie...they all decided to be my rivals so they could beat me someday. And they all have something to gain and lose in this tournament. Marnie wants to help her hometown. Bede was endorsed by Mr. Rose, apparently. He wants to prove Mr. Rose’s faith was well placed. And Hop…” she trailed off, like she didn’t want to say the reason. Leon knew, but he didn’t say anything. He’d known for a while.

“But they haven’t beaten me yet, none of them have ever come close. And I...I d-don’t-- think they ever will. I like my rivals, they’re my friends, battling them is fun. But every time I win, I can see them grow a little more frustrated. Every time I win and they lose, they wonder what they’re doing wrong. I don’t want-- I don’t--”

The tears started to flow now, as fast as the words from the young girl’s mouth.

“W-Wh-hat if they--wh-at i-f they h-h-hate me? What if they d-d-don’t like m-me an-nymore because I-- because I alw-ways win? What if Hop starts to hate me? What if--” “Hey hey hey kiddo, slow down. Take a deep breath c’mon now, you’re gonna make yourself silly. Here.” Leon offered the edge of his cape, and Gloria dabbed at her swollen watery eyes, sniffling. 

“Am I a-- a b-bad person for always wh-wh-winning?” Gloria whispered. Leon sighed.

“No. You’re not a bad person Gloria. But unfortunately, your unusual talent for Pokemon training and battling isn’t normal.” He placed a hand on her shoulder. “You might’ve figured this out already but I think you’re a Protagonist.”

Gloria stiffened. “How did you- how do you know about--” Leon chuckled. “Why do you think I’m the Unbeatable Champion, kid? My battle style of not holding back is because I’m literally incapable of it. Even if I try to hold back, I still win. And lemme tell ya, it has been a blessing and a curse.”

“So...so you knew? About this, about me, being a...Protagonist?” Gloria asked. “Weeelllll...I had an inkling. When I saw all your Gym matches so far, and how easily you won...it reminded me of myself when I was doing the Gym Challenge. At first I thought I just had a talent, but when I started hearing about how other Trainers more skilled than me had lost matches while I hadn’t, I started to wonder if I was more than just talented. And just like you, Raihan and Sonia, my own rivals, never beat me.” Leon seated himself next to Gloria, leaning against the rock. “I understand how difficult this must be for you, Gloria. When I was your age, I sometimes squabbled with my rivals because they grew frustrated they couldn’t beat me, especially Sonia. I think Raihan was just as frustrated, but he’s never really shown it.” He caught Gloria’s distraught look and quickly held up his hands. “W-We’re all still really good friends though, don’t worry! It’s good to have rivals, but we all found other things to strive for other than beating each other in battles. Though her gran initially pushed her into it, I think Sonia really enjoys the work she does now. She was always the smartest of the three of us. The point is,” Leon continued, putting a comforting arm around Gloria’s shoulders, “It’s true, you didn’t ask for this. And it’ll be up to you what you do with this ability, it can be both a blessing and a curse. A double-edged sword, if you will. You can’t lose if you try, but if you don’t try, are you really respecting your abilities and those of your opponents?” “But! If I don’t hold back, they’ll never beat me! It doesn’t matter because I’ll always win, no matter how skilled they get!” Gloria nearly shouted in her protest.

Leon’s mouth twisted and he closed his eyes, clearly thinking hard about his reply. “I’m no good at fancy talk, but think about it like this. You may not think it matters, but your rivals probably look up to you as something to attain. Even if it’s impossible for them, it pushes them far beyond what they would normally be capable of. Even in the world of Pokemon training, like any other craft, perfection is impossible, but something all people strive towards. It’s what we do as humans. People like you and I are just...a little closer than everyone else. But we aren’t perfect either. Think about what you want to use your gift for. After a lot of thought, I decided I wanted to maintain my status as an unbeatable Champion after seeing how inspired it made people.” Gloria’s eyes were still watering and she looked up at him, tearful. Even though she was Hop’s age and less than half Leon’s, she looked very small. 

“...Am I a bad person for feeling so ungrateful like this?” she asked in a tiny voice. “No,” Leon answered immediately. “You’re just a kid, Gloria. I was just a kid, too. And looking back, I wish I had someone to help me understand why I was too good at Pokemon. You’ll always have your mom, and you’ll always have Hop, too. You two rascals grew up together; even when he acts frustrated after losing, he cares about you too much to let this get in the way of your friendship. So chin up, okay kiddo?” 

Leon draped part of his cape over Gloria’s head and offered another grin, this one much wider. Gloria returned it with a watery one of her own. Leon opened his arm out. “C’mere squirt.” Gloria practically fell into Leon’s side, burying her face in the fluffy fringe of his cape and hugging him tightly. 

“You’ll be fine, Gloria. You got your Pokemon, you got Hop, and now you got me, too. If you ever want someone to talk to about this, give me a ring. I’ll always try to make time if you need it.”

Gloria let go and sat up, wiping away the last of her tears. “Think you might have some time to eat some curry? I got some new ingredients,” she said. “Now that sounds like a champion idea! Howsabout you call Hop too, and we can all cook together. The more fans and ladles in the cauldron, the tastier!”

---

A friend and I had this inside joke that all player characters in Pokemon are probably REALLY weird to all the NPC’s because they have BPE (Big Protagonist Energy), like running around wildly, standing in one place for a long time, never emoting, and being ridiculously OP compared to everyone else. It’s often said by NPC’s that raising a team of 6 Pokemon is super hard but as the protag it’s super easy, you also usually don’t lose battles ever if you train enough. (I’ve only lost a battle once to an NPC in all my years of playing.) I then realized that a lot of the qualities of The Protagonist also apply to Leon from SWSH, and I fell in love with the idea of him realizing there’s another Protagonist in Galar, and how he reacts, as detailed in this post here. In my own playthrough I felt pretty bad about constantly beating my rivals with absolutely minimal effort cuz they were really trying and had something to prove from beating me.

So then of course I had to write about him confronting a very conflicted Gloria and comforting her and offering advice, gaining a Baby Sister in the process.  That being said do NOT tag this as LeonxGloria or LeonxYuumi or whatever, this is NOT a ship fic and in this iteration Gloria is a literal kid and Leon is an adult. 

[snarkwriteswrasslin]

sprung spring | take you home; adam page [m]

Prompt Used:

  “I’ll feel much better if you let me walk you home.” + comfort sex + drunk sloppy sex + “Oh my god you’re so much better than the last person I was with.” + A breathy demand: “Kiss me” - and what the other person does to respond. + needy/clingy sex

Notes: 

Okay, so… I have literally… Never… used my given name in a work of fiction before and… ya girl found out it’s hard to write dirty things when the OC has your name. Pure self indulgent smut because fuckkit yolo, I needed this. Some of the dialogue prompted above was changed to reflect the situation these two were placed in, fyi. This is mature content, so nobody under 18+ up in these parts. Also, I owe a serious hug to @heelsamizayn​ & @wrestlingismyguiltypleasure​ because no matter how many times I whined and bitched and got all squirmy whilst writing this, they really kept me going and I love them for that.

Warnings: 

alcohol tw ( it’s the OC this time), clingy unprotected sex, sawwwft!Adam, lots of teasing (and hopefully tension, I was  really trying to play at heightening that here) and yeahhh.. It’s tame. I promise ya’ll… I’m going to write actual harder / filthier prompts, I just�� had a mighty need. Anyway, that’s all the warnings.

Pairing: 

Adam Hangman Page x OFC, Ashley

Ashley narrowed her eyes at the bottle before glancing up at Shane and shaking her head. “I-I’m good.”

“Aw, c’mon hon. It’s just a little drink.” Shane was stepping closer, right in her space all over again. He’d been plying her with drinks and trying to get her to dance or talk to him -or the most annoying request he’d made so far, “Smile, darlin. Ya look prettier when ya do.” and it was starting to rub him the wrong way, the way she kept resisting. She could almost feel it radiating off of him.

Ashley was at that state of drunk where it was more annoying than endearing and now that it seemed to be irritating him that she wouldn’t just give in, it only gave her all the more reason to resist. It wasn’t as if it wasn’t almost cringe inducingly clear what the asshole thought he was doing and she just wasn’t having it.

At all.

Not even slightly.

Rather than even partially entertain his offer for another drink or to go dance with him, Ashley sighed and rolled her eyes in sheer boredom, taking the drink and taking a sip as she scrolled through her contacts list.

As usual, she hovered over Adam’s number in her phone and that loneliness crept in all over again. More pronounced. More tinged with regret.

She found herself missing him so much that before she even realized it, she’d pulled up the text bubble from their last text conversation and she found herself grimacing at the date.

Had they really not spoken at all in nearly 3 weeks?

And then Ashley found herself going back over the last time they had spoken face to face. Before she realized the true depths of her feelings and Adam drunkenly tried to kiss her and in a blind panic, she’d backed away.

Not because she hadn’t wanted him to kiss her, but because she’d been afraid of what might happen if he did kiss her.

And now, Ashley thought bitterly, hugging herself a little as the thought came, I’m lucky to get a Hi, how are you over text out of him..

With a sigh, she finished scanning their last brief text conversation and then, when Shane cleared his throat impatiently, she remembered that apparently, this guy expected her to pay all her attention to him and she put her phone down. Biting her lip, she settled warm brown eyes on the other man.

“I asked ya if you wanted to dance, darlin. They’re kinda playin our song.” Shane chuckled, holding out his hand. When she started to shake her head no, he gave her a sort of put off glare and muttered something to himself about tonight being a complete waste. All his buddies told him not to walk over and try talking to her; they all told him she was bound tighter than molasses from the knees down and every single night she’d come in this week so far, she’d managed to shoot down anyone who thought they might possibly stand a chance of takin her home. I clearly should’ve listened, Shane found himself thinking, because now I’m out fifty bucks and she looks more annoyed with me each second that passes and that real gorgeous chick I know I coulda won over left an hour ago with Greg.

“W-we don’t have a s-song?” Ashley’s brow quirked and she shook her head, holding up her glass. “I-i’m good, actually.” Ashley muttered as she took a long sip.

Moron, do you seriously think I want to dance to this song… with you? Because no. Ashley thought to herself as she glanced around the crowded bar, face falling when she remembered that Adam wasn’t in town right now, he was on the road. When Ashley realized what Shane had just muttered about the night being a total waste, she mildly shrugged. “I-i don’t r-recall askin y-you t-to come up n’ t-try pourin the booze to me, either. Play s-stupid games, w-win stupid p-prizes.”

As Shane grumbled “Fine, suit yourself, darlin. Don’t come lookin for me when it’s late and you can’t find a ride home.” and made his way onto his next target, Ashley let out a long and deep breath, blowing at dark bangs as they flopped right into her eyes, laughing off Shane’s words.

She went back to her phone, scrolling through her contacts.

“Maybe Shayna’s up.” Ashley mused to herself as she pulled up what she thought was a text conversation she’d been having with her friend earlier in the day while they were both stuck in their office working through lunch.

What she didn’t realize -and wouldn’t just yet, was that she hadn’t texted Shayna at all.

She’d texted Adam… The subject of the earlier conversation.

→ First of all, pretty sure I just completely eviscerated this one guy’s poor ego. *eye roll*. Guess whose NOT having the sex right now bc she gets mouthy when she drinks?

→ This bitch, that’s whomst. In my defense, he was the one who kept pouring the drinks to me. I just took ‘em. You know me, guy stood about as much a chance as… Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I chased him off. Like usual when we’re out at this bar.

→ But seriously though.. Maybe it’s the alcohol and the fact that I’m lonely and I’m salty because I’m not getting cuddles rn like youuuuu but…

→ Okay, u were right earlier.

→ It’s late and I’m drunk, otherwise I’d never say that. Maybe a little lonely too. Enjoy your shallow victory and the sex you’re probably getting rn, lmao. ILY Shayna!

→ I know ur probably busy with Samuel - sexy times and all that but… You win. You’re right.

→ I love him and god… I miss him so much it’s making me an even bigger bitch lately, so.. Sorry for that I guess. I wish I’d just… Kissed him back. Climbed him like an actual tree, giant he is… Shoved him against the wall, tangled my fingers in that hair and tugged his mouth against mine. Maybe even rubbed myself against him a lil bit too, just to see if that yummy cologne he wears all the time rubs off. At least then I’d… Well, I sure as shit wouldn’t be sitting here, shooting down pushy douchebag assholes and drinking alone.

→ Anyway, have your moment. I love Adam Page. I always have and it scares the living hell out of me. You were right. Now there’s only one problem… How do I make the big idiot answer my calls?!?

→ don’t answer that rn. Tomorrow… When drunk Ashley isn’t out and doing dumb shit and can think clearly.

→ Okay, no… answer meeee… I just… I need to know what to do here? Pls. I beg of you. If you don’t answer me, I swear to God, I’m gonna wind up drunk dialing.. >.>

–

The cell phone was going batshit crazy on the bathroom counter and Adam mostly ignored it in favor of soaking under a long hot shower. It had been a long drive; made longer by the fact that he was all beaten and banged up from the past few shows but trying to soldier through as usual. Parts of him admittedly ignored the phone because he thought it was most likely one of three people and none of them he wanted to talk to right now.

No, Adam thought to himself, the one I wanna talk to more than anything I can’t talk to now… He sighed as he thought about the way he got too drunk; out of control. He’d tried to kiss her that night and just the sheer look of panic in big brown eyes right before she bolted the hell away in a hurry had been more than enough to make him realize where he stood.

He couldn’t face her after that either, so he’d been keeping a low profile. Trying to distance from… his actions.

Just thinking about it had him both cringing and feeling that raw surge of pain he felt that night all over again, fresh as ever.

She hadn’t texted him or tried calling either, so that only further confirmed his suspicions. And now, Adam thought to himself as the phone buzzed one last time and he stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around his waist after drying off his face, you lost your best friend. The one you could talk to about anything. You messed that up. Being a jerk that night and coming on way too strong.

He picked up his cell phone only halfway glancing at it at first. But when he actually read all the messages, he wound up dropping the phone on the bathroom tiles with a quiet thud. Then he stood there, trying to get his head around everything he’d just read, all the texts from Ashley to what she apparently thought was her best friend Shayna.

About him.

He took several deep breaths and then got himself at least partially together before even attempting to answer the barrage of texts.

← Where are you?

← Are you drunk right now?

At re-reading that her shooting down men when she went out with Shayna was apparently a common thing, Adam let out a few shakier breaths and bit his lip, raising a hand to his head and dragging thick digits through damp hair as he let it sink in.

Blue eyes scanned the next message after hitting send.

← Nevermind, screw it.

← I’ll be there in 10.

← And me and  you? We’re gonna have ourselves a serious talk.

After throwing back on the jeans and tee shirt he’d had on before showering, he grabbed his keys and headed out. He knew the bar she always went to because they’d hung out there on more than one occasion.

“Bastard who was pourin the drinks to her better hope he’s long gone when I get there.” Adam muttered as protective urges reared their head and he found himself more than a little worried. Ashley wasn’t a drinker by any stretch of the imagination. And given the rambling in the texts she thought she’d sent to Shayna just now, it was.. A safe guess that she was at least two thirds of the way to being too drunk to function.

And it had him more than a little concerned because he knew how the guys at this particular bar got when they saw a pretty girl sitting there, drinking alone. His grip tightened on the wheel as he sped towards the bar in question.

When he was in the parking lot, he tried to call her cell phone but it went straight to voicemail. Without wasting any time, Adam killed the engine to his truck and got out, hurrying into the bar, blue eyes darting around all over as he tried to pick her out in the crowd.

Maybe she hadn’t left yet. God, he could only hope.

–

“I-i’m gonna stop you right there. Just because I-i’m a lil tipsy right now..” Ashley stared up at the man who’d taken the seat next to her at the bar after Shane vacated in a hurry earlier. “Don’t mean I want any part of y-you.”

“Aw, c’mon darlin. Pretty little thing like you shouldn’t be sittin here, drinkin all alone. C’mon.”

“I’d a-actually prefer it, if you w-want the honest G-god’s truth.” Ashley waved over the bartender, signalling for more bourbon in her glass. She fixed her eyes on the man and raised the glass to her lips. “Thanks f-for the drink though.”

Before the guy even got a chance to respond, a throat cleared loud; almost protectively, from behind the two. Ashley didn’t even have to turn around to know exactly who was standing behind her, but what she was having trouble grasping in her tipsy state, was what exactly Adam was doing here now.

“Just do yourself a favor and leave, buddy.” Adam stared down the man intently, arms folded over his chest, moving to step closer to Ashley’s stool, lightly pressing against her from behind.

“Adam? W-what the hell?” Ashley drawled, turning on her stool almost immediately, brown eyes locking on him with a questioning gaze. “I… y-you w-weren’t home.” she could feel herself starting to sober up just a little at his sudden appearance. She frowned a little, shook her head sadly.

Adam moved to step between her legs and he leaned in and down, brushing his lips against her own as he muttered quietly and firmly, “Kiss me.” catching her chin with his finger curled beneath it just when she went to look down. “My eyes and mouth are right here, darlin.” Adam coaxed, gazing at her mouth intently.

“K-kiss me, he s-says.” Ashley drawled, biting her lip, staring right back at his mouth just as intently as he stared at hers.

Her hand raised, resting across the back of his neck, fingers tangling in and tugging his hair free from the bun he’d thrown it into, threading through it once she had. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer and her other hand curled in the front of his tee shirt, tugging his mouth down to her level a little better. Once she’d done that, her lips trailed lazily over his mouth, tracing the shape of his lips, making him give a quiet groan and his eyes flutter open and closed. By the time her tongue was slipping past his teeth, his tongue was fighting against it for complete control of the kiss and he’d leaned into her so much that her back was right up against the edge of the bar. His teeth scraped at her lower lip as the kiss deepened, both of them panting for their next breath and dizzy from it.

His hands slid beneath her ass and he scooped her up, not bothering to break the kiss just yet or untangle her from his body. Her legs squeezed his waist harder and she rubbed against him more than a little. Once they were out in the parking lot again, Adam stopped, sitting her on the railing around an outdoor sitting area, pulling her into another deep and almost bruising kiss.

“I-I was just… about to l-leave. Walk.”

Adam chuckled and shook his head no, nodding to his truck. “I’d feel much better if you’d let me take you home, darlin.”

Ashley eyed him, hints of a pout on her lips. “Y-you s-stopped e-even t-talkin to m-me.” she sighed and shook her head sadly, muttering under her breath, “I-it is m-my fault.” and Adam tilted her chin to make her meet his gaze when she looked down, shaking his head. “It’s not, darlin. Not at all.”

“I-I fucking r-ran. S-seriously?” Ashley whined, her legs squeezing at his waist as she wrapped them around him all over again, staring at his chest for a few seconds, blowing out an exasperated breath, because the more she thought about her choice to run the night he finally kissed her, the more it did truly exasperate her. Of all the times to panic… It had to be then. The worst possible one.

Adam chuckled and leaned down, muttering softly against her mouth, “If it makes you feel any better, darlin.. You made up for it. And it drove me crazy, not talkin to ya.”

“G-good.” Ashley giggled and poked out her tongue as she looked at him. “B-because it m-made m-me really cranky. H-holy s-shit, so cranky.” she giggled again, making Adam laugh and scoop her up into his arms, making his way towards the truck. “I know.”

“H-how?” Ashley’s brow raised as she stared up at him, resting her head against his shoulder. “I-I literally o-only told Shayna…”

“You texted the wrong person, actually.” Adam teased as he unlocked his truck, sitting her into the passenger seat. Ashley’s mouth opened and closed and she palmed her face, groaning in sheer embarrassment while laughing softly.

Adam got into the truck, starting the engine and Ashley was raising the console, curling into his side as soon as she’d moved to the middle to sit, tucking her legs on the seat beside her. Adam chuckled, slipping his arm around her shoulders. “You’re awfully cuddly tonight, know that?”

“Mhm.” Ashley purred, her lips brushing against his neck, making him grip the wheel just a little tighter. By now, the embarrassment over what she’d done was melting away and her internal filter -the little she actually possessed to begin with, was at an all time low thanks to having drinks poured into her all night by random and far lesser appealing men. “Is that a b-bad thing?”

Adam bit back a groan and barely resisted bucking his hips as he felt her lips clumsily moving along the side of his neck as she nuzzled into him and chuckling quietly, he gave an answer. “Not at all, darlin. Except for the fact that you’re getting me all sorts of stirred up right now.” he muttered, the truck coasting to a stop beneath the red light a block away from his place. When he did, he turned to look at her, wasting no time in pulling her mouth up to his as his hand went from squeezing her thigh to slipping between them, rubbing her through her jeans as he swore quietly because he could feel how warm she was and it only made him think about how wet she might actually be.

“Maybe t-that’s what I’m trying to do.” came pouring out before she could stop herself from saying it. Not that she would have either way, but she was at least trying to show a little restraint, still partially shocked that he was there and that she’d somehow managed to confess everything to him under the guise of texting Shayna.

Maybe it was a good thing that happened, Ashley thought to herself as she slipped her hand down, trailing it along the inside of his thigh, then up… Sucking in a sharp breath when her hand settled palm down against the bulge already straining and growing, pushing against his jeans. Adam’s hips snapped and he locked eyes with her, biting his lip, the hand between her thighs starting to move a little harder and a lot faster. Ashley rocked her hips against his hand and sucked in a sharp breath as Adam leaned in, teeth tugging at her earlobe and catching as he muttered against it in a whisper, “If that’s so, darlin.. You’re in for it. Just wait.”

“What if I don’t w-wanna wait, hm?” Ashley muttered as her lips brushed against his neck again and Adam’s breath caught in his throat before making the remark aloud, “Got a lot to make up for, me and you.”

“Mhm.” Ashley could feel herself getting wetter and wetter with every single word he said. She knew he had to feel her thighs clenching tighter with each word he said because his hand was currently buried between them, palm down against her dripping and throbbing heat, rubbing through her jeans and by now she’d trapped his hand where it was. A shiver passed through her body as she continued to rock her hips against his hand, a quiet whimper of frustration coming when all that lead to was him, slowing down way too much for her liking at the moment. She pouted up at him and bit her lip as he leaned in, closer and closer, pulling her face towards his.

“Could take all night.” Adam was turning his head slightly, tugging her neck closer as he ghosted his lips along it, the pressure of his hand reaching an almost feverish frenzy as he growled against soft skin, “Maybe even tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Ashley’s eyes fluttered open and shut and she bit her lip, her hips rocking faster to meet his hand and the way it cupped and rubbed at her heat. Just enough to make a little friction, not by any means enough to give the amount of friction she actually craved.

He was teasing her.

Just the thought had her pouting in sheer frustration as she locked eyes with him. “Tease.”

“Ain’t exactly teasing if I know exactly what I’m gonna do to you when I get you home.” Adam pointed out, giving her a smirk. Ashley swallowed hard, breath catching in her throat at his words. Her mouth opened and closed and it had Adam chuckling quietly because this was one of very few times he’d truly seen her with a complete lack of something clever to say in response.

“Cat got your tongue, darlin?” he practically purred the words as his hand started to massage all over again and almost instantly, she started to rock against it more urgently.

“Adam… Fuck.” she gasped quietly, eyes fluttering open and closed as she started to palm at the way he was strained against his jeans.

The light went green and the careful and almost teasing movement of her hand in his lap felt so good that for about half a second, Adam didn’t realize it had.

“Light’s green, Adam.” Ashley’s voice was teasing, she gave a soft giggle as Adam took a few shaky breaths, nodding as he hurried from beneath the green light, turning down the next street. His house was in view, only a few seconds away and yet… It felt like a million miles away.

Almost the second he was parked at the curb in front of it, he was reaching out, pulling her over the console and into his lap, his hands and mouth all over her, mouth latching onto her neck and leaving a string of hickies down the side as he bucked himself into her from below and his hands disappeared up her shirt, slipping beneath her bra before finally getting frustrated at how in the way it was and unfastening it, gripping her breasts in his hands, palming and squeezing at them as he growled against her mouth when his mouth finally rose to meet and conquer her lips again.

He leaned into her so heavily that her back met the steering wheel and the horn in the center, making them both laugh only to have the sounds of their laughter swallowed by a deep and frenzied, needy kiss. The kiss broke and Ashley backed away slightly, biting her lip, wiggling around in his lap, bucking herself right against the prominent bulge strained and about to burst through his jeans. “I think that’s our sign to go inside, Adam.” she muttered the words as she felt her face burning hot and she bit her lip, squirming around in his lap just a little more, harder, desperate to keep the friction going. Adam nodded, killing the engine and getting out of the truck, carrying her up the steps, stopping to unlock his front door, with her body pinned between his body and the door as he did so. Twice he had to grip harder just because she started to trail her lips down his neck and chuckling quietly into the kiss he stole, he gave a triumphant and joking ‘Yee haw’ when he got the door unlocked at last. Ashley gave a soft whimper as he stepped through the door, shutting it behind him and locking it. He sat her down on a sturdy console table that ran the length of the back of his sofa and stepped away to pull off his boots and Ashley took a few deep breaths, tried to pull herself together.

This was really happening.

Finally.

Adam met her gaze as he straightened to stand again and he stepped between her legs, devouring her mouth hungrily, his hands cupping her cheeks and caressing. “You’re sure, right? Because once we cross the line, darlin…”

Ashley gripped his jaw, guiding her mouth back down against his greedily as she whispered needily into the kiss, “Fuck me, Adam. I don’t wanna remember anyone else but you.”

Adam’s teeth clenched her lower lip; tugging. She was clinging to him and it was driving him crazy because there was… Still too much clothing in between them, keeping them apart. He scooped her up off the console table he’d sat her on to take off his boots and started to carry her down the hall, stopping halfway to put her back against the wall, tearing her shirt up over her head, tossing it onto the floor. Ashley tugged impatiently at his tee shirt, finally getting it up and over his head, tossing it onto the floor a few feet away from where her own shirt lie. Adam did away with the pesky bra next, letting it hit the floor softly, an almost primal growl bursting from his lips as he dipped his head low, dancing his mouth over the tops of her breasts, leaving behind beard burn and littering soft skin with bites with each time his mouth connected with her bare skin.

Ashley writhed around in his grasp, rocking herself into him, gripping his hips tighter with her legs, whimpering aloud, her head falling back and softly hitting the wall as her eyes fluttered open and shut. Her hand gripped his shoulder, fingertips digging into and dancing over his skin, sending a shiver through his body and making him groan as he glanced up at her, biting his lip. Ashley stared right back, both of them struggling to catch their breath but too caught up in the moment to bother putting a halt to the deep and biting and almost bruising kisses. She took his face in her hands, pulling his mouth deep against her own, her tongue trailing over the outline of his lips before parting them, her body rubbing against him even more frantically. Her hand raised to tangle in his hair and in the process, a photo clattered to the hallway floor noisily.

“Let’s take you to bed, hmm?” Adam’s breath against her skin as he mumbled the words into her neck quietly had Ashley whimpering and rocking against him even more frantically. Adam growled quietly as he bucked himself right back against her, starting the walk down the hall to his bedroom all over again. He kicked it open, a quiet creak of the frame echoing through the stillness as he stepped inside and shut it behind him, tossing her against the mattress as he stared down at her hungrily. Ashley went to raise up, reaching for the waistband of his jeans but Adam pushed her back against the mattress all over again, making her pout and give a frustrated whimper as he chuckled softly and leaned down, hands going down her bare skin, sending goosebumps to it’s surface as he lowered his mouth down, ghosting it slowly over her abdomen before raising to whisper next to her ear, “Uh uh darlin. Let me take care of you.” in a husky and firmer tone.

He started to lazily trail his mouth over bare skin all over again, the blunt of his teeth tugging at her nipples as his tongue circled them and he caught her eye, winking at her, his hands drifting down between them, unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans, lingering to rub and squeeze her cunt before hooking in her waistband to tug her jeans and panties down all at once. Ashley tried to rock her hips upward, desperate to feel any kind of friction, frustrated beyond belief by all Adam’s teasing, but almost the instant she dared it, Adam was on his knees, kneeling in front of her, parting her legs with his hands and ghosting his mouth up the inside of her thigh slowly, occasionally placing a soft bite against her skin.

When her fingers tangled in his hair, he grunted against her skin, grazing his teeth against it, his tongue slowly making a lazy broad swipe upward. Ashley whimpered when she tried yet again to rock her hips against the way Adam had her pinned, just hoping to at least make an attempt to steer him where she needed him most, but he chuckled quietly, the shake of his head that he gave making soft hair brush against her skin and sending a shiver through her body. “I’m holdin you still for a reason, darlin. Now c’mon, be a good girl. Be still and let me take care of you.”

“Adam, please.” Ashley begged, trying again to rock her hips upward, only to pout when she realized just how determined Adam was to hold her in place and tease her relentlessly.

“Be patient, darlin. We got all night.” Adam’s tongue was trailing lazily over her folds as he said it, the taste of her on his tongue making him half growl his words as they left his mouth. He smirked a little to himself when he felt her not only try to rock her hips upward to meet his mouth but her hand curling in the comforter on top of his bed and in his hair, tugging as she whimpered and whined, her cries of frustrated pleasure echoing off the walls of his bedroom and shattering the silence around them.

Her breath caught in her throat as she felt his tongue make a long stripe over one side of her cunt. And then, straight across the middle, finally, another long stripe across the opposite side to which he lazily chuckled “A.” as he met her gaze with a teasing smirk. Ashley rose up slightly, staring down at him, biting her lip as a series of needy whimpers and loud whines left her mouth and her toes dug into the comforter. One long and broad stripe and then another curved stripe had her shivering and arching her back, fingers tangling in his hair as she tugged gently, “Fuck.”

“D.” Adam was at it again with the smirk, lowering his head almost a split second later to get back to what he was doing. His tongue trailed a familiar pattern over her folds and he muttered quietly against her cunt, “A”. and Ashley shivered even more because it hit her what he was doing, spelling out his name. “Adam, please… Need you, baby, please.” she begged almost frantically, desperate to ease some of the ache rapidly building because of all his teasing. Despite the urgent begging, Adam’s tongue rolled lazily, the one slanted stripe required to form one side of the M and then the two stripes required to form the middle of the M and finally, the last stripe. “M.” he groaned as his nose bumped right against her pelvic mound and he buried his tongue as deep in her pussy as he could, tilting her hips upward, pulling her closer to his mouth as he savored the taste of her as it started to fill his mouth. He could feel her body starting to tense up and another smirk came, pressing against her soaked warmth as he started to slow way down on the movements of his tongue. When he felt her fingers tugging at his hair again and noticed that she was digging her toes into the bed too, the smirk on his face grew.

Yeah, he was teasing. Taking his time with her, making this last. He’d waited so long already, now that it was happening, he was just… Really savoring the moment.

“Adam, please!” Ashley choked out, back arching away from the mattress slightly, eyes fluttering open and shut as she tried to keep frustrated tears at bay. When she felt him leaving a string of bite marks on the inside of her thighs, she whimpered and tried to rock her hips against his grip at them to no avail.

“Not yet, darlin. Just a little longer, I swear.” Adam breathed against her cunt as his tongue rolled lazily over the folds before slowly slipping in all over again, starting over with his little teasing torture. Ashley’s grip tightened in his hair and he paused, glancing up at her with lust blown eyes. “Pull as hard as you want while my head is buried between your thighs, darlin. C’mon. I like it.” his tone was firm, almost demanding.

And it only served to make her even wetter, she could feel the wetness coating her thighs, dripping. Adam growled quietly, tongue moving a little faster, flicking over her clit, lingering and trailing a lazy circle, grazing his teeth against the circular bundle of nerves as he chuckled against her, “What’s wrong, darlin?”

“You know what you’re…” Ashley writhed beneath the grip Adam had on her lower body, keeping her legs spread wide for him as his tongue slowly dove into and out of her soaked heat, “doing. Tease.”

“Oh, I’m not teasin at all, darlin.” Adam chucked again quietly, “Just said you better not dare cum yet.”

“Adam, it’s all I want to do! Fucking… ahh, hurts. I’m aching, baby, c’mon… Please?”

Adam continued to lick, adding two fingers and Ashley hissed sharp, her breath catching in her throat, her entire body tensing as she tried to do as she was told and resist the urge to cum. The more teasing she endured at his fingers and mouth, the harder that became.

He could feel her body tense up so tight, the way she was propped on her elbows to watch him had her arms shaking. He definitely felt her toes digging into the comforter by now too. Giving a soft nip to the inside of her right thigh as he stopped for a second or two, he muttered quietly, “Okay darlin. Now.” before raising her hips just a little, burying his tongue back deep inside her, rocking her hips against his face faster, his tongue swirling inside her cunt in a frenzy as he felt her shaking all over, heard her gasping for her next breath as she moaned out loud over and over, her cries of pleasure and his name filling the air and driving him over the edge, making him lick and suck harder, faster. He loosened his grip on her hips and she rocked them against his face almost shamelessly, he muttered quietly against her skin, “C’mon, darlin. Don’t stop.” breathing heavily.

Ashley’s hips started to slow and Adam lowered her legs, crawling up her body after dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, his eyes locked on her intently as he leaned down, pulling her into a deep kiss, breaking the kiss quickly to raise up, his hand lowering and wrapping around his thick length just to trace the tip right over and slightly between her folds, shivering himself in anticipation, growling quietly. His hips pinned her hips against the bed and she dug her nails into broad shoulders as he sank into her slowly, carefully, stopping to kiss her cheeks and mutter against her mouth, “You okay, darlin?”

“Yeah.” Ashley answered, trying to rock her hips against him once she was adjusted to the way he stretched her out and filled her up. Her nails trailed lightly across his shoulders, digging in slightly when he sank into her even deeper, his hips smacking against her hips softly and slowly, placing kisses all over her mouth and face, trailing them down her throat as he muttered lazily, “So sweet I could eat you up.” as he met her gaze and slowly licked his lips. Ashley wrapped her legs around his hips and the new angle had him groaning, his hips sporadically crashing against her own for a few seconds as she took his cock as deep inside her as he could go, buried to the hilt. Her hands moved over his face, raising, dragging through his hair after pulling his mouth against her own for a deep and slow and greedy kiss. The kiss broke and he gave a lazy peck at the corner of her mouth, driving deeper and slower into her as he did and muttering softly, “Gonna get way too used to this, I think.”

“I already am.” Ashley breathed out against his skin, making him shiver. He’d always had a weakness when it came to gentle touches against his neck. The fact that she seemed to be enjoying brushing her mouth against the spot, or gently nipping at it with her teeth only had him giving a quiet growl and slamming himself into her slower and with much longer strokes. When she tried to speed him up, he chuckled and his hands lowered, gripping her hips, holding them so that he controlled the pace as he muttered against the shell of her ear, “What’s your hurry, darlin? We’ve got all night.”

Bleak sunshine was starting to peek through the curtains by now and Ashley giggled softly against his neck as she clung to him and he continued to attempt slowly and deeply fucking her into the mattresses on his bed, “It’s morning, actually.” as her forehead softly bumped against his collarbone and he chuckled as soon as the realization hit him too. “Well then, smarty pants, we have the rest of the day. Either way,” Adam’s mouth trailed lazily over her skin, leaving an erratic trail of marks in it’s wake, “we’ve got nothin but time.”

“You make a good point.” Ashley’s breath caught in her throat as his cock bottomed out, brushing against a spot that felt almost magical with each time he did so. She clung to his body, her moans and whimpers only drowned out by his answering groans and the occasional growl.

“I’m so.. Fuck, I’m so close. Please?” her begging had him giving a soft and quiet laugh, capturing her mouth in a deep and breathtaking kiss as he muttered into it, “Me too, darlin.. C’mon, let go for me.”

He sped up his thrusts, almost frantically chasing his oncoming orgasm as she dug her legs into his sides and her nails into his shoulders, raking them down his back as he growled against her skin, feeling her clench tight around him, feeling her body start to spasm, feeling her biting at his skin gently as he fucked her through her orgasm and straight into his own. He tried to stop but every time he tried, she’d grab hold of his hips and rock against him, begging for more until finally, he was throbbing, emptying inside deep, filling her up as he pressed into her heavily, covering her face in kisses before lazily kissing her mouth and having her deepen it as she breathed against his lips, “ That was amazing.”

“Better than the last guy, right?” Adam was only half teasing, but her answer really went a long way to fully reassure him when as he sank back against the mattress, pulling her on top of him and wrapping his arms around her while staring up, she smiled and gave a soft giggle, nodding as she leaned down and mumbled into his mouth, “You were so much better than the last guy. Ten million times better, baby.” before deepening the kiss he gave…

[atc74]

Anything You Can Do

Square(s) Filled: Girl Power for @spnfluffbingo2019

Warnings: playground antics, flirting, fluff, ahhh, IDK, it’s fun! Implied sex as payment (it’s REALLY not what you think)

Summary: Jared opens his man-child mouth and it’s on! It’s a karaoke battle for the ages and the ladies are in it to win it! But, when this crew shows up, there are no losers!

Pairing: Reader x past OC, Rob x Reader, Jensen x Briana

Word Count: 4455

Written for: @spnfluffbingo2019

Beta’d by: @alleiradayne​ who was crazy enough to support this idea from the beginning and my dear @amanda-teaches​, whom I would be lost without. 

A/N: I wanted to do something really fun and who of us wouldn’t be up for some of this on a Friday night???!!!! All the songs were painstakingly chosen for reasons. There are also some shameless plugs for my boys Louden Swain. 

Also a shout out to my friend Beth @brooksba, who took all the amazing photos found in the graphic below!

It was a rare convention weekend when all the guests showed up on a Friday. The green room was fuller than normal as Jensen, Jared, Rob, Rich, Briana, Kim, Y/N, Ruth and the boys from the band sat around shooting the breeze. The green room always had a relaxed and playful atmosphere and this time was no different. 

“Oh come on! You cannot burp the alphabet!” Jared scoffed as Briana picked up a warm soda from the table and opened it. 

“Why, cause I’m a girl?” she challenged him and the room exploded with the disbelief of all those in attendance that Jared dare say such a thing to her, or any of the women on the convention circuit. 

“Well,” Jared looked around sheepishly, waiting for someone to help him. 

“Nope. You’re on your own with this one pal!” Rich slapped him on the back. “You have awakened the beast.”

“I just mean, you’re little and…” Jared tried to come up with another reason. Christ, Gen was going to kill him when he got home. 

“I may be little but I am fierce, Jarpad,” Briana grinned and chugged the soda. It wasn’t long before a symphony of belches in the form of the alphabet song erupted from her. “Anything you can do I can do better. I can do anything better than you.” She sang as she high fived Kim and Y/N. 

“No, no, no. Not this again,” Jensen chuckled, shaking his head. 

“Oh yeah! I am so down for this. And this time, a wager perhaps?” Rich went into full on emcee mode. “What do y’all say about a battle for the ages? A karaoke battle, if you will. It is Friday after all.” 

“Yesss!” The women shouted. 

“Winner picks the losers costume for the next convention?” Rich continued, knowing he had the ladies all in for this. “Fellas? You gonna back down from a challenge?” 

“Hell no! I’m in!” Matt Cohen raised his hand. 

“Yeah, I’ll do it. I mean, I am a professional,” Rob joined him, making eye contact with Y/N shyly across the room.

“Can’t leave my fearless leader in the wind. I’ll do it,” Mike Borja threw his proverbial hat in the ring, looking at the last three. 

“Don’t look at me! I don’t sing!” Jared backed away slowly. 

Jensen glanced to Jason, then back to the women, all with shit eating grins on their faces. “I’m probably gonna regret this, but okay. Jason and I are in.” 

“Wait, how did I get wrapped into this? I’m not an idiot like Jared!” Jason defended. 

“No, but you are a team player buddy and we need you if we’re going to stand a chance,” Jensen replied, looking to Briana with a wink. 

“Splendid! The rules are simple. I, and only I, will pick your songs. No one else will know what you are singing but me. Now, go. Be gone. Out damn spot!” Rich grinned ear to ear as he pulled out his phone, making the most epic list of his convention career. 

~*~

“Y/N, girl, are you gonna tell him or not?” Briana asked her pointedly when they got to Briana’s room to get ready for the Karaoke Party.

“Yeah, did you see the way he was looking at you?” Kim chimed in. 

“You guys, I just ended a really bad relationship and he’s my friend,” Y/N said. “I don’t want to ruin what we have.” 

“Then don’t. Just ruin him for all other women!” Ruth giggled. 

“Oh my god Ruthie!” Y/N hid her flushed face behind her hands. 

“And may I point out that you didn’t ‘just’ end that relationship. It’s been over for weeks officially,” Kim reminded her. 

“And you gotta get back on that horse sometime. No time like the present I say!” Briana laughed. 

“Come on, Y/N. You’re an overachiever! Just go out there tonight and be amazing; sing your rock song. This is real life, babe and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a leg up on him and he won’t know what hit him!” Kim encouraged. 

“All’s fair in love and war and karaoke battles,” Ruth chirped. “This is how you’ll win the big one, Y/N, ready steady.” 

“Okay, okay okay! I get it. Gosh, you all sure know a lot of their songs,” Y/N rolled her eyes as Briana dragged her in the bathroom to curl her hair. 

“Aha! You know all the songs, too!” Kim shouted. 

“Yeah, yeah,” Y/N smiled at Briana in the mirror. 

“You’re gonna knock his socks off,” she smiled back. 

~*~

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Friday Night Karaoke! Boy oh boy, do we have a special treat for y’all tonight! During some green room antics earlier, a challenge has been issued,” Rich paused, waiting for the audience to quiet some and let him finish his intro. “Tonight, with you good people as witnesses, will be a battle to battle all battles! The ladies versus the men

of Supernatural will battle it out for bragging rights right here on this stage!!” 

The crowd exploded in cheers and applause. Rich drew a slip of paper from the bowl and the first few fans sang their songs to roaring applause. Briana, Kim, Rich, Rob and Matt all joined in on stage for the fun. 

“Please may I get a warm welcome for Miss Y/N Y/L/N!” Rich announced. 

Y/N walked through the curtain, kissing him lightly on the cheek and whispering in his ear. “I know what you’re doing Rich. I’ll get you back for this.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about darlin’. Now go, sing!” Rich shooed her from his side. 

The beat started and Y/N started rocking her body with its rhythm. “Yeah!”

“I’m coming up so you better get this party started!

I’m coming up so you better get this party started!

Get this party started on a Friday night

Everybody’s waiting for me to arrive

Sending out the message to all of my friends…” 

The crowd was going wild, bouncing and singing along as Y/N worked them into a frenzy with her first song of the evening. If this was any indication of how the night would go, she didn’t care who won, she was having a damn good time, and she made sure the crowd was too as she finished her song. 

“Well, well, well, I guess we really got this party started now!” Rich laughed, pulling another name from the bowl. 

“Please give it up for Miss Briana Buckmaster!” Rich shouted as Briana walked forward. 

Briana took center stage in front of the screen. She was holding her breath, praying Rich didn’t pick something lame. When the screen lit up and the music started, she gave it everything, knowing they had this shit in the bag. 

“Step back gonna come at ya fast

I’m driving out of control

And getting ready to crash

Won’t stop shaking up what I can

I serve it up in a shot

So suck it down like a man

So baby yes I know what I am

And no I don’t give a damn

And you’ll be loving it up

Some days I’m a super bitch

Up to my old tricks

But it won’t last forever

Next day I’m your supergirl

Out to save the world

And it keeps gettin’ better…”

From the first word, the crowd was loving it and singing along with her. Jensen watched discreetly from the side of the stage, cursing Jared for opening his gigantic mouth, but loving the view. Man that girl could sing! And the way she moved…mesmerizing, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. It definitely keeps getting better. 

Briana finished off her song and Rich stepped up to announce the next name. “You know, Robby, we’ve been doing this for how long? Four, five, sixty years?” 

“Oh about sixty I think, from how old I feel at the end of a convention weekend,” Rob quipped, the audience breaking out in laughter.  

“And never, in all that time, has this next person ever, ever, graced us with his presence on a Friday night. Did you know that?” Rich asked Rob. 

“Never, ever?” Rob repeated. 

“Never. So without further ado, please welcome to the karaoke stage for the first time EVER, Mr. Jensen Ackles!” Rich stepped away, letting Jensen saunter on the stage. The crowd was deafening and could not believe that Jensen would not only attend the Karaoke party, but actually participate!

“Thanks buddy. Don’t make me make you regret this,” he chuckled as the music started and he shook his head. He looked to the side and made eye contact with Briana, a knowing grin on her face. 

“Revvin’ up your engine

Listen to her howlin’ roar

Metal under tension

Beggin’ you to touch and go

Highway to the danger zone

Ride into the danger zone

Headin’ into twilight

Spreadin’ out her wings tonight

She got you jumpin’ off the track

And shovin’ into overdrive…”

Jensen was never one for karaoke, but loved to sing and did so with everything he had. The song, while not special to him in any way, held a new meaning after tonight. He looked out among the crowd and was energized by them. 

“Out along the edges

Always where I burn to be

The further on the edge

The hotter the intensity…”

Jensen closed out his song with vigor, feeding off the fans, much like he does at a Saturday Night Special Concert. He tossed Rich his microphone and practically bounced off backstage. 

“Robby, I think you know what I’m going to say,” Rich paused for dramatic effect. 

“Rich, I might play God on television, but I don’t know what you’re going to say. I might actually be afraid of what you’re going to say,” Rob turned to face the audience, a knowing look on his face. 

“Well Bobbo, we’re gonna turn it up a notch. Please put your dirty little hands together for the one, the only, Miss Kim Rhodes!” Rich roared and the crowd went nuts. Kim ran out onto the stage, a smile splitting her face from ear to ear. She was always a fan favorite at karaoke and Rich knew with the song he picked, this would be no different. 

As soon as the music started, Kim threw her arms in the air and started stomping her feet along with the beat. 

“County road two thirty-three under my feet

Nothin’ on this white rock but little ol’ me

I’ve got two miles till he makes bail

And if I’m right, we’re headed straight for hell

I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun

Wait by the door, and light a cigarette

If he wants a fight, well, now he’s got one

And he ain’t seen me crazy yet

He slapped my face, and he shook me like a rag doll

Don’t that sound like a real man?

I’m going to show him what little girls are made of

Gunpowder and lead…”

“Come on! I can’t hear you!” Kim screamed. “Let’s make sure everyone knows we’re having a fucking good time tonight!” 

“Well, it’s half past ten, another six-pack in

And I can feel the rumble like the cold black wind

He pulls in the drive, the gravel flies

He don’t know what’s waiting here this time

 I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun

Wait by the door, and light a cigarette

If he wants a fight, well, now he’s got one

And he ain’t seen me crazy yet

He slapped my face, and he shook me like a rag doll

Don’t that sound like a real man?

I’m going to show him what little girls are made of

Gunpowder and lead…”

The decibels were so high, it was a miracle anyone could hear anything after Kim finished, whipping the crowd into an even higher gear. 

“Well, Kim really knows how to put on a show doesn’t she? You think she gets that from Zach and Cody?” Rich turned to Rob, who could only shake his head at his friend. 

“I will end you Speight,” Kim’s voice carried through the PA system. 

“Well Bobbo, I guess it’s your turn!” Rich quickly got back to business. 

“Well this should be fun,” Rob commented, waiting somewhat awkwardly for the music to queue.

Now, the Black Crowes were a good band, a great band, but Rob wasn’t sure if this was the kind of message he wanted to send. But he undoubtedly knew it was exactly the message Rich wanted him to send. 

“Baby here I am

I’m the man on the scene

I can give you what you want

But you gotta’ come home with me

“Girl, you have no idea how into you he is,” Briana cooed, her red lips just inches from Y/N’s flushed cheeks. “I couldn’t have picked a better song myself.” She just smiled, throwing her arm over her friend’s shoulders as she watched Rob work his magic on the crowd, and Y/N.

I have got some good old lovin’

And I got some more in store

When I get through throwin’ it on

You gotta’ come back for more

Boys will come along a dime by the dozen

That ain’t nothing but ten cent lovin’

Pretty little thing, let me light your candle

‘Cause mama I’m sure hard to handle now, yessir'am

Action speaks louder than words

And I’m a man of great experience

I know you’ve got another man

But I can love you better than him

At first Rob felt dirty singing this, knowing Richard’s intent behind it, but by the end, stealing glances at Y/N throughout the song, Rob threw caution to the wind. He ran to the side of the stage and sang directly to her. It was no secret to everyone that Rob had a giant crush on her. It was only lost on her. Maybe he could get her to notice. 

Take my hand don’t be afraid

I’m gonna prove every word I say

I’m advertising love for free

So you can place your ad with me

Boys will come along a dime by the dozen

That ain’t nothing but ten cent lovin’

Pretty little thing, let me light your candle

'Cause mama I’m sure hard to handle now, yessir'am…”

Y/N was blushing furiously, her mouth agape as Kim and Bri led her backstage for her next song. She looked like she could use a stiff drink. Or two. Ruthie was headed out just as they walked in. She winked at Y/N and skipped behind the curtain as Rich called her name. 

Ruth was a great entertainer and sang a fun filled rendition of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, getting the whole crowd involved, even pulling a few fans up on the stage. Mike Borja even joined the fun, then followed it up with ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man. The crowd went wild for Matt Cohen as usual when he came out rapping Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us like a beast and Jason slowed it down a bit with Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down. 

“We’ve got a few more songs for you good people tonight and I know I appreciate you letting these fools take over your karaoke party. Whaddya say we get Jensen back out here?” Rich addressed the screaming fans and it got even louder when Jensen made his way back through the curtain. “Oh Ackles, you’re gonna love this one!”

Jensen gave everybody the most epic bitch face that ever bitched when he realized what song was playing. But, ever the consummate performer, he rolled with it and knocked it out of the park in a way that only Jensen can do. 

This hit, that ice cold

Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold

This one for them hood girls

Them good girls straight masterpieces

Stylin’, wilin’, livin’ it up in the city

Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent

Gotta kiss myself, I’m so pretty

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Called a police and a fireman

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Make a dragon wanna retire man

I’m too hot (hot damn)

Say my name you know who I am

I’m too hot (hot damn)

And my band 'bout that money, break it down

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

Girls hit your hallelujah (whoo)

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

'Cause uptown funk gon’ give it to you

Saturday night and we in the spot

Don’t believe me just watch (come on)

Briana watched from the wings, her skin heating up as she watched Jensen dance his dorky self across the stage, high-fiving fans, slapping Rich on the ass and stealing Borja’s hat. He could never pretend to be grumpy for long, and she got the feeling he was loving the whole experience and getting closer to the fans that the normal concert allows. 

Before we leave

Lemme tell y'all a lil’ something

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up uh

I said uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

Uptown funk you up

“You better go jump on that!” Kim pushed her out onto the stage just as Jensen made his way over to where they were standing. Briana stumbled right into Jensen, but he easily caught her with one strong arm and pulled her with him to center stage. Briana was never a shy one and she wasted no time doing her worst as Jensen finished the song out, his eyes never leaving her  grinding body on the stage next to him. 

Come on, dance, jump on it

If you sexy then flaunt it

If you freaky then own it

Don’t brag about it, come show me

Come on, dance

Jump on it

If you sexy then flaunt it

Well it’s Saturday night and we in the spot

Don’t believe me just watch come on!

“Well that was incredible wasn’t it? Watching two of the world’s most beautiful people get their freak on in front of a couple hundred people? But damn if it wasn’t a good time!” Rich laughed, his body rolling forward as Jensen and Briana made their way off stage. “Oh no Miss Buckmaster! You get that fine ass back here! Might as well bring him with.” 

“Richie, can I at least pick?” Briana pouted, standing close enough so only RIch could hear her. 

“Oh no sweet cheeks! The whole idea was for me to pick the songs!” Rich reminded her. “Besides, the ladies are totally killing it!” 

“Yeah, we are!” she smiled. “Fine. Let’s do this.” 

Briana killed Whitney’s I’m Every Woman, all the ladies coming out to join her, as they tormented the men, Jason even pulling Jared on stage, so he could see how they were getting beat down by a bunch of girls. 

“Brother, it doesn’t matter the competition, women will win every day of the week and twice on Sundays,” Jason slapped him on the shoulder as he headed off stage. “I need a drink.” 

“So Rich tells me I’m up for another one. Hit it Maestro,” Y/N smiled. The music started and she knew she had Rich to thank. This song had become her anthem. He had been a good friend and better listener over the last several months and she was grateful for him, grateful for all of them. She could never picture her life without the crazy family she had found. 

“This is for every single one of you that has been through hell and came out the other side…like a Winchester,” she grabbed the microphone and readied herself. 

“You know the bed feels warmer

Sleeping here alone

You know I dream in color

And do the things I want

You think you got the best of me

Think you had the last laugh

Bet you think that everything good is gone

Think you left me broken down

Think that I’d come running back

Baby you don’t know me, 'cause you’re dead wrong

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Stand a little taller

Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone

What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter

Footsteps even lighter

Doesn’t mean I’m over 'cause you’re gone…”

Y/N laughed as she danced around the stage, much like she did alone in her apartment or trailer. She finally felt like herself again. 

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, stronger

Just me, myself and I

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger

Stand a little taller

Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone

Thanks to you I got a new thing started

Thanks to you I’m not the broken-hearted

Thanks to you I’m finally thinking 'bout me

You know in the end the day I left was just my beginning

In the end

Bouncing around the stage, Y/N closed out the song to a standing ovation and ringing ears. She had never felt lighter. She hugged Rich, giving back the microphone. “Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome, but I ain’t done yet,” he winked at her. “Robbie, you’re up buddy!” 

As soon as the title card hit the screen on stage, Rob groaned internally. The audience picked up the whistling for the first 45 seconds as Rob gave his best friend a piece of his mind, a smile on his face all the while. 

“Rich! What are you doing? You totally set me up for this. I’m going to kill you in your sleep, just so you know!” 

“Ohhh Bobbo, you’ll thank me in the morning and we both know it. Everyone knows it. Now focus and sing Axl!” Rich slapped Rob’s ass before ducking off stage. Rob looked around and caught Ruth and Y/N off to the side, slowly swaying to the tune. 

“Shed a tear 'cause I’m missin’ you

I’m still alright to smile

Girl, I think about you every day now

Was a time when I wasn’t sure

But you set my mind at ease

There is no doubt you’re in my heart now

Said “woman take it slow, and it’ll work itself out fine”

All we need is just a little patience

Said “sugar make it slow and we’ll come together fine”

All we need is just a little patience (Patience)

Mm, yeah

I sit here on the stairs

'Cause I’d rather be alone

If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait dear

Sometimes I get so tense but I can’t speed up the time

But you know love there’s one more thing to consider

Said “woman take it slow and things will be just fine”

You and I’ll just use a little patience

Said “sugar take the time 'cause the lights are shining bright”

You and I’ve got what it takes to make it

We won’t fake it, I’ll never break it

'Cause I can’t take it…”

Y/N left Ruth’s side and strolled to where Rob stood center stage, his hand wrapped tightly around the microphone, his eyes closed as he whistled the quick few notes. When he opened his eyes, he found her right beside him. 

Little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah

Need a little patience, yeah

Just a little patience, yeah

Some more patience, yeah 

I’ve been walking the streets at night

Just trying to get it right

It’s hard to see with so many around

You know I don’t like being stuck in the crowd 

And the streets don’t change but maybe the names

I ain’t got time for the game 'cause I need you 

Yeah, yeah, yeah but I need you

Oh, I need you 

Oh, I need you 

Ooh this time 

Rob looked down at the end of the song, the ballroom booming with cheers and applause, to find Y/N’s hand clasped tightly in his. 

“All you needed was a little patience,” she smiled up at him. 

“If I can’t have you right now, I’ll wait dear,” Rob admitted, a blush creeping up his cheeks. 

“Take it slow and things will be just fine,” she squeezed his hand and they rushed off the stage, only to be besieged by their friends. 

“I knew it!” Kim threw her hands up in victory. 

“Well that took longer than it should have,” Ruth giggled, sashaying back to the refreshments. 

Y/N watched as Jared and Matt both slapped twenties in Jason’s hand. 

“You bet on us?” Y/N asked, a mix of outrage and amusement as she looked among her friends, her hand still in Rob’s. His face was somewhere between pride, joy and shame. 

“Hell yeah we did,” Jensen chimed in. “Now pay up Buckmaster!” 

“I’m fresh out of cash, Ackles. Sorry,” she swayed towards him. 

He grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her to him. “ I can think of plenty of ways you can work it off.” His deep timbre practically a growl before he kissed her. 

Catcalls could be heard out on the stage no doubt. Rich poked his head through the curtain. “I missed it?” 

“Told ya you would!” Kim hollered, holding out her hand. Rich, Mike, Y/N and Ruth all slipped her their payment. “Jas and I cleaned up. Come on folks, first rounds on us!” 

“I guess it was a wager in more ways than one tonight, huh?” Rob chuckled, turning to face Y/N, a smile lighting up his face. 

“Our friends may have bet on us, but I’m still a winner,” she grinned, lifting her chin to meet his baby blues. 

“Yeah? How so?” he asked.

“Well, I’m pretty sure I got the guy, but I am still missing my winnings,” she stepped closer, mere inches separated them and she could feel the heat emanating from his lean body. 

“What winnings are those?” he whispered, closing the distance even more.

“I still need your payment on the Buckles bet,” she reminded him. 

“Oh yeah, what do I owe you again?” he feigned innocence. 

“Let me think,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his in a sweet and slightly heated first kiss. “I think about a thousand more of those would be a good start.” 

“Seems like a steep wager, Miss Y/L/N,” Rob quipped. “But I think I’d like to up the ante.” 

“You’re on. Just remember, anything you can do, I can do better,” she giggled under his steady gaze. 

“It’s going to be a fun weekend,.” Rob mumbled, grabbing her by the neck and kissed her harder this time, leaving her breathless and wanting more. He pulled away, her lips chasing his. “Patience, my dear. Just a little patience.” 

Did you like it? The nicest thing you can do for a writer is reblog their work and tell them, and others, how much you like it!

[sunnysidewrites]

Lawyer!Woozi

Requested by anon: Woozi for lawyer!au Hehe thanks! 

This was one of the more popular choices when yall voted! I was sure that woozi aus weren’t that popular but my street musician au blew up?? as did this au when people voted??? ever since i made this blog you guys have never ceased to amaze me I LOVE YOU ALL!!! I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS PIECE FROM YOUR FAV MOM!!!

warnings: a Manly Jihoon that turns into a Blushy Jihoon with bad jokes

Ok yall im in mock trial so this is some real legit stuffz but i don’t know everything so it’s obviously not completely accurate!

This au got quite a lot of votes, a lot more than i expected

Here we will explore the concept of Manly Jihoon

Let’s get moving!!!!!

You’ve been in your current law firm for a few years now

You ain’t even an attorney you just file papers rip

You’re like i am s O D ON E with this job hahahah :)))))

Your office job is like the typical ones you hear about that make you wanna yawn bc they’re just sO B OR I N G

#savereader2k17

Additionally to your office job, you’re also lowkey a personal assistant for the one and only,,,,,,

You guessed it

Lee Jihoon

The bEST of the best attorneys ever to exist, at least for the defense

We’re talking about high-scale crimes that you would only imagine happening, like big scandalous murder cases in mystery novels and movies

And he always,,,,, aLW A YZZ,,,, wins the case no joke

The last case he worked on took literally months and the trial for it w A S O IN TE N S E HOLY CRAP

You: wow i would so not wanna be that witness on the stand rn

The guy spits out objections left and right and usually the opposing attorney would be almost up to par on his level but we all know jihoon is gonna miss u with that bs

He indirectly tore apart the attorneys on tOP OF SHREDDING APART THE WITNESSES W O W

Bc of this you know exactly how intense and firm jihoon is when it comes to his work

The day he asked you to be his personal assistant may or may not have made you wanna pee in your pants

The most intimidating guy just asked you to be around him more often than you were supposed to, which is never???? um u have an office job????

“Look you seem to be the most trustworthy person here. Like i don’t even trust soonyoung and he’s my fellow coworker for this case” yes it’s bc he trusts you nOT liKE He hAS A CR us H On yO U NO OFC NO T

“hE Y I HE A RD THAT”

“See what i mean??? Always eavesdropping smh”

#letsoonyounglive2k17

Soonyoung: ok,,, if that’s how you wanna play jihoon,,,, you think you’re such a hOtShOt,,,,,,

You: jihoon wheRE DID THAT GUITAR CO M E FROM WE ARE AT A LAW FIRM

Since he’s perfectly aware he’s asking you to do something out of your way that is not part of your job he is willing to actually pay you

You’re lowkey thinking about just being his assistant bc the pay he gives you is lowkey higher than your actual salary rIP IM SORRY READER YOU DESERVE BETTER

For the most part you fetch him his daily coffee and help him file more papers jesus

But this guy is busy 25/8 so you’re on your feet a l o t

“y/n where’s the file i told you to create for brian?”

“y/n can you hand me the case book”

“File this in with the evidence”

“Take a look at the errata and cross these sections out”

You are doing a lot of the tiny things jihoon just doesn’t have time to other than the bulk of the case

You’re like oh de ar,,,, this is my office job 2.0 but i’m moving around more

You’re a little overwhelmed bc you’re experiencing firsthand how serious jihoon’s job is and it isn’t just about objecting to the opposing side

Figuring out how to word your questions so you don’t get objected to is by far the hardest part

Sometimes he would even ask you for advice just for some insight from an outside party

You don’t know every single thing about the law so he explains some of it to you but he’s actually like o H My gOD THEY’RE SO CUTE

“Jihoon what does hearsay mean?”

Jihoon: *combusts* “lol well it’s pretty simple,,,,”

When you’re too busy filing papers and doing other tasks, you are completely oblivious to the little glances he spares your wa Y JESUS

He would be like o m g how does one make crossing things out look sO G O OD

You look up and he pretends he’s reading the case book i fucken see u jihoon

But you don’t and you just resume your work

The biggest case he’s ever worked on is gonna be put to the test

The trial for it is the next day and jihoon is usually the epitome of calm and collected

But when you show up to his office with his coffee he doesn’t even notice you coming in and is running back and forth

“Jihoon??? I have your coffee if you,, still want it,,, you look a lil busy”

“Oh y/n thank you just set it down over there on the table”

As you put it down on his desk you glance around the room and it looks like a tornado came in and turned the room upside down

You don’t wanna pry and be in his way but you’re also like where is the relaxed jihoon from yesterday????

You’re like um,,, is,,, is everything ok??

And he stops for a second to catch his breath and you’re like pL S DON’T YELL AT ME

Shockingly he just sighs

“I reread the case book last night and i caught something pretty strange,,,, and i’ve been trying to dig up more about it in the other witnesses’ testimonies to find anything that slipped”

You’re like oh jesus that sounds stressful but i will be here to help you!!11!!

jihoon is trying to keep his fanboy in check but hOW CAN HE IF YOU’RE BEING THIS CUTE

“Ah..haha… that’s very considerate of you. Actually,,, maybe you can help me”

You’re liKE WHAT OMG THE LEGENDARY JIHOON IS ASKING ME,,,, A NOBODY WITH AN OFFICE JOB,,,, FOR HELP?????

You must have been gawking at him with your mouth open bc he’s like is it that shocking i need help

You shake your head “n-no!!! Tell me what it is GO LISTEN TO THIS BY SF9 BYE and i’ll do it”

And he’s like ,,,,,,,,,,,,, i knew i liked you for a reason -- i mE A N OK PLS GO THROUGH THE TESTIMONIES FOR ME

And you spend a few more hours helping him out

You’ve never seen jihoon this frazzled and it kinda makes you freaked out too bc if he ain’t calm how can you be

You guys finally finish and he lets out a huge breath of relief

“I think,,,, we did it,,,, they can’t weasel out of this!!!”

“That’s good i’m glad i was able to help!!!”

“Yes we make a good team :)”

And yO U’RE LIKE OH,,,,, OMG

“cAN U PLS STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT I’M NOT AN EMOTIONLESS ROBOT”

“Well……………….”

“Wow i’m offended????? Is that what you think of me???????????”

“nO I WAS JOKING I Love how passionate you are about your work and really admire you for always being able to set your mind to something and doing it”

Jihoon is shook to say the least

No one has ever said that to him despite his huge success as an attorney

People compliment him on his work yes but it’s superficial and only empty words

Everyone is always reluctant to actually talk to him bc he’s always so cold and work-oriented

He can see the floating halo above your head

It takes him a while to say something bc now it’s his turn to stare

There’s a strange air of intimacy and you’re trying to control your cheeks from flaring red under his gaze

You suddenly notice how long his eyelashes are--

wAIT STOP YOU DON’T LIKE JIHOON AHAHHA WHAAAAT NOPE

“Did,,, i say something funny?”

“No,,,, not at all,,,,, thank you. That means a lot to me.”

Alert the reader is melting emergency alert

“Would you,,, like to come watch tomorrow?”

You really want to but,,,, your office job,,,,, stacks of papers are piling up on your desk

He senses your hesitance and is like i’ll let your boss know it’s to help me out

You’re like uh does that actually work

“He loves me ok this firm would be in the ground let’s be real”

You: well he ain’t wrong

“Ok well,,,, as long as it’s alright,,,,,, I have to see it through the end with you!!”

Jihoon: i am def gonna need 2 win

The following night comes too soon and you’re in the audience with bated breath

As soon as jihoon announces himself the atmosphere instantly shifts

The opposing attorneys seem to be unfazed and it’s a harsh battle between defense and prosecution

Jihoon brings up the newly found loophole and you can see the witness be like o cr a p gudbyez

And the attorney tries to save their witness during Redirect but even you thought their reputation was ruined

Jihoon is All Smirks for the rest of the trial

As it comes to an end after many many hours, the judge finally speaks about the verdict

And yAY YOUR WITNESS IS NOT GUILTY JIHOON LED THE CASE TO SUCCESS WOO HOO

You wait for him outside of the building as the people are dispersing

It takes a while for him to emerge out from the doors but the second he does you’re like

“oH MY GOSH JIHOON YOU WERE AM A Z IN G!!! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!!!”

He knows he’s used to hearing this but for some reason he turns sO BL US H Y

Instead of replying with his usual “oh thank you, I know” he’s avoiding your gaze

“Oh,,,, it was,,, nothing,,,,”

And you swear you can see hints of pink on his cheeks

You decide to tease him for a bit bc i mEAN THIS IS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY

“Omg jihoon,,, are you blushing????”

“*clears throat loudly* SUFDFSDJLFJF NO WHAT I DO N OT BLUSH we’re going to the nearest pizza parlor”

And he starts tugging your arm and you’re like wH AT I DIDNT EVEN AGREE TO THIS???

He mutters “well the least we could do is celebrate” aND YOU CAN SEE THE TIPS OF HIS EARS SUPER RED

Even in the dark you can see his embarrassment written all over him

You’re like “well this is cheesy aHAH SEE WHAT I DID THERE”

“We’re not going anymore”

“Ok i’m soRRY I WANT FOOD I’M HUNGRY”

“,,,,but not as cheesy as me using this as an excuse to ask you out”

“Well i mean -- wAIT WHAT”

And he’s looking at you expectantly and you’re just trying to Register What Happened

“Oh,,,, well,,,, i wouldn’t mind,,,,,,,,,,”

And he smiles ever so slightly my heart

“How greasy of me”

“Ok who’s the one making bad puns now”

[broadwayhopeful23]

Christine Daae, but She Cries Less

Okay, plot twist: What if ALW’s Christine is not afraid of the Phantom the whole time and cries a lot less to be the strong female character we know her to be? Let me explain: Christine is somewhere between 16 and 20 years old. She is a strong, independent orphan who runs her own life. She stopped believing in angels a while ago. She knows that the Angel of Music is a person, and it's not a coincidence to her that 'the Opera Ghost' acts in her favor. She's confused and unsure, because who IS this angel/ghost/phantom/man and how does she feel such a strong connection to this person who she's never met/seen? In "Angel of Music" she tells Meg about her music teacher, "the angel", because that's how it began and how else is she going to describe it? Yes, at the end, it says "Your hands are cold/It frightens me" but this is where I say that Christine can be afraid and unsure about something without being portrayed as a frightened little girl. Normal people fear things. She obeys her music teacher in dismissing Raoul, and then follows the Phantom so that she can finally learn more about him. She goes willingly to his lair. In "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It", Christine didn't mean to 'attack' the Phantom when she took off his mask, she's just a curious person. Then, after seeing his deformity, she pities his pain. Imagine her delivering her lines in "Why Have You Brought Me Here?" with an unsure but decisively pitiful air instead of crying and being scared. 

Christine's parents weren't around to really teach her that some people are born deformed and that happens. Think of the time period, that’s not really something that was discussed. So when Christine sees the phantom/angel/man with a horrifying face, she has a really hard time comprehending it. Yes, his anger when she unmasks him is frightening, but the iconic moment when she gives back the mask evokes the line from the title song, "I am the mask you wear". Christine's talent, and through her, his music, is the part of himself that he shows the world. (I never understood that part until today, and really, the title song doesn't make ANY sense UNLESS Christine knew that the angel and the phantom/opera ghost were all the same person) Christine is, as many people are, afraid of what she doesn't understand - the Phantom's deformity AND his feelings for her, doubled by her strong feelings for him that she can't identify. Christine has never been in love before. 

Yes, I am 100% Team Raoul when Raoul is played right, and Christine IS in love with him. But she has feelings for the Phantom which are real too, she just can't explain them when she is firstly confused in general about his entire existence - a deformed musician guy living in the basement? Back to "Why Have You Brought Me Here?", her description of his lair is just a description, there's no fear in those words unless an actress displays it. “His world of unending night” - again, he lives in the basement. Christine speaks of her confusion and somewhat aversion towards his face, but immediately returns to how the Phantom makes her feel, and the connection they have with each other through music "But his voice filled my spirit with a strange sweet sound..." She is also of course super disturbed because the Phantom just killed Joseph Buquet and that's really scary, but he was a drunk and a creep - I'll return to this point later. When her and Raoul sing "All I Ask of You" she means every word! 💕 While she may not fully know yet that the Phantom is in love with her (despite the wedding dress - she fainted, and she doesn't definitely look at the mannequin later, so she I think that she forgets about it until “Masquerade” or even the final lair, and thinks that she dreamed that part especially since the bride wore her face) but Christine knows full well that he dislikes Raoul. He did call Raoul "Insolent fool, this slave of fashion". But she decides that Raoul's love - a love of support, protection, and a bit of nostalgia, like a fairy tale - is what she obviously wants over the Phantom's temper and jealousy, despite the feelings she has for him and their connection through music. So when Raoul and Christine get engaged sometime in between acts one and two, it is absolutely what she wants and she thinks that the phantom/angel is hiding from her and the world since he angrily dropped the chandelier and basically told her to leave with Raoul the night of Il Muto. So she knows that not telling anyone about the engagement is the safest plan for Raoul. Especially considering her line to Raoul, post-Buquet's death "We must return/He'll kill you!" So when the Phantom returns during "Masquerade" and says "Your chains are still mine. You will sing for me" she IS scared for Raoul and her relationship with Raoul because the Phantom hasn't given up on his feelings for her. 

And in "Twisted Every Way" she talks about how this time the Phantom will take her to his lair and she doesn't want to go willingly anymore. She thinks that the Phantom doesn't trust her now that she's engaged to Raoul. (Also, since Christine doesn't wear an engagement ring for the rest of act two, did she call off the engagement with Raoul to assuage the Phantom? If so, you go girl! More proof that Christine makes her own decisions) Even though she straight up says "Raoul, I'm frightened. Don't make me do this. Raoul, it scares me. Don't put me through this" she talks about her fear of being kidnapped, but a part of that fear is of Carlotta, Piangi, and the managers in the room who don't give a damn about her feelings and will force her to perform in Don Juan Triumphant. Christine isn't weak, she goes right up to Carlotta's face like "you evil woman" and I've always thought that the line "I cannot sing it. Duty or not" from Christine was actually just her being sassy. Of course she can sing it she’s Christine Daae! With this new perspective on Christine I find that "Twisted Every Way" would be sung rather angry and a little facetious instead of crying and unsteady. She doesn't need that chair! She fainted in the Phantom's lair because she was shocked by a wedding gown with her face in it and then the mannequin moved!! She's not feeling that way now. I think that this is what Christine is thinking: "Am I to risk my life to win the chance to live?" 

Are you guys seriously asking me to do something that I'm super uncomfortable with?!

"Can I betray the man who once inspired my voice? Do I become his prey? Do I have any choice?" 

Can I trap him like that? “Who ONCE inspired my voice”, I'm trying to move on from this guy and our unhealthy relationship, and you want me to confront him??? Just because he's being horrible to you doesn't mean that you can use me as a pawn. More historical context: When the her MALE employers (the managers) tell her she has to perform, no, she doesn’t really have a choice.

"He kills without a thought, he murders all that's good"  

This returns to the point of Joseph Buquet. He was not "all that's good". She just says this part to lie convince everyone that she's playing along and pretending to see their point of view as to why she should be in the opera against her wishes. I especially think this because it leads into "I know I can't refuse, and yet I wish I could".

Then we have rehearsal and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" and then "Wandering Child". Oh boy. She knows exactly who calls out to her at her father's grave but questions his intentions and whose point of view she should be looking through simply by saying "Angel or father? Friend or phantom?" Which role in my life are you playing right now? It's kind of sassy actually.

Angel-teacher

Father-leader

Friend-friend 

Phantom-murderer who loves me

When he picks teacher, she is relieved because they haven't had a music lesson in months. This is a simple joy that she’s missed somewhere deep down. "Wildly my mind beats against you/You resist yet the soul obeys..." She's known for so long that the phantom whom she fears and her angel are one and the same, but she needs some type of comfort from this person who means so much and so many things to her. But then Raoul interrupts. Eh. Jeez, Raoul! Such a hero, but you're preventing major development! Oh well, moving on. 

"Point of No Return" - there's HELLA sexual tension! This is really the first time that the Phantom and Christine have spent 'quality' time together since "Music of the Night", and that was MONTHS ago! She doesn't think for a second that Don Juan is being played by Piangi, she knows the Phantom's voice right away. 

Music IS their main connection...performing HIS music that he wrote FOR her? Especially in such a high stakes situation = 😍😍��🌹🌹🌹🔥🔥🔥

She takes off his hood so that the two of them can finally stop pretending it's Piangi. And then she unmasks him to see his real face when he tells her “share with me one love, one lifetime” because you need to see someone’s full face when they say stuff like that! And the Phantom is trying to finally be heard by the world, through his opera and his love for Christine. It’s time for him to finally be revealed as himself, therefore symbolically revealing his intentions and emotions. Note that following his unmasking, the Phantom has the most constant stage time and says the most that audience has heard from him throughout the whole show. Symbolism for this idea comes from the title song: “I am the mask you wear/It’s me they hear”. I never liked the portrayal of a Christine that unmasked him to be mean. But after doing so, her worst fear comes true, he becomes angry and kidnaps her. 

I've never heard anyone talk about this, and I think it's really important: The line "Have you gorged yourself at last in your lust for blood?" means that Christine either:

1) Doesn't know that the Phantom has killed Piangi. The managers/audience don't discover the body until AFTER she has been kidnapped. She won't find out then until after the final lair. So she may mean by this line that she doesn’t entirely think this, but she suggests that while he left her for those months, he was off killing people and now he’s just back because of his jealousy that he calls ‘love’. She says it just to start a fight and he bites back, not honestly agreeing, but conceding to her bad opinion of him. “That fate which CONDEMNS me to wallow in blood...”. 

OR

2) She had automatically assumed that he killed Piangi in order to play Don Juan and of course she's furious. 

And then the final lair happens and Christine is equally sassy and compassionate. And I also imagine that there is a ton of leftover sexual tension between the Phantom and Christine because they just performed "Point of No Return" and now she's in a wedding dress and she can really look at his face for the first time. It's super unhealthy (he's threatening to hang her boyfriend/ fiancé and that wasn't a surprise move on his part) and the Phantom is not her first choice but she has always had unresolved feelings for him and that's why the "you are not alone" kiss is so passionate. That love is not out of nowhere. 

I also think it’s possible that Raoul tells Christine to give the Phantom his ring back while they are “offstage”. Christine would keep it as a memory of the unfortunate, yet totally deranged, man who fell in love with her and keep it as a sign to show everyone compassion because everyone has a different story, but Raoul hates the Phantom so he’d think it's gross. She doesn't fight Raoul on it, because even though it's a really good lesson, it's also a really toxic memory. And then she leaves with Raoul for their much healthier and very loving marriage. She is slightly traumatized of course, but strong. 

Pretty please comment and ask me questions!!! 

[exitiumparit]

Christine + meta + feminism (because I love you)

@margueritestjust​ || send me meta + word + character for a meta || always accepting tbh

SCREAMS LOUDLY AND INTENSELY

Yo so full stop Christine Daae is one of the first feminist characters ever in historical literature and not just ‘for the time.’ Christine Daae is a feminist gift. I don’t have the time--nor the book available to me at the moment lol--to go through Leroux’s original novel. Also, it’s pretty much a widely accepted that Leroux’s original Christine is pretty fucking feminist. Y’know what’s not?

ALW’s Christine.

And that infuriates me to no end, because while I know people have their preferences of adaptation and source, I feel like the ALW and Leroux are best complimented by each other. So we’re going to break down the musical.

I would agree with ALW’s largest critics that--barring the Anna O’Byrne interpretations of the role--it’s easiest to default to a wispy, feather light Christine within ALW’s context. The musical starts with demeaning Christine for having her head in the clouds during the Hannibal rehearsal. She’s obviously scared, shy, and overwhelmed--which is something I love this Christine for, which is sometimes harder to pick up within the book. At 20--we’re not talking about 16 year old 2004 Christine--she is demure and she is a wallflower. And there’s all of these unuanced opinions about feminist characters that they have to be Strong and Loud and Fierce from the onset, and please, don’t get me wrong, I love those.

But, where I feel like Leroux’s Christine is about the reveal Christine has been strong all along, ALW’s Christine is about watching her grow.

In Angel of Music, when she’s light hearted with Meg, we see a woman with a friend. The conversation immediately fails the Bechdel test, which is sad, yes, but still--we see Christine made that much more nuanced by a girl with her head in the clouds with a friend who has absolutely no idea when her feet are going to touch the ground. Not necessarily a feminist landmark in and of itself, but we have still been presented someone youthful and energetic.

And then we see Christine’s fear for the first time.

There’s this awful fucking narrative on this website that says either (1) everyone should be able to spot an abuse victim and (2) an abuse victim has to fit Certain Standards to be considered one. And, very blatantly, we see Christine is terrified.

CHRISTINE:He's with me even now

MEG:Your hands are cold

CHRISTINE:All around me

MEG:Your face, Christine, it's white!

CHRISTINE:It frightens me,

MEG:Don't be frightened ...

Let me remind y’all what Christine’s face looks like at this point.

And there are many, many moments of Christine showing just how scared she is and then people not pressing and allowing the issue to pass, or explaining it away.

Here’s her face at Raoul’s dismissal (sorry for the shitty screencaps, but you get the picture)

And then when the Phantom appears:

She’s fucking terrified. But, we saw a girl who was able to hide it from everyone, we see a girl laughed at for being spacey, and her trying to tell people she’s scared and not knowing how to explain it and people laughing her away.

And I really love that about the story, because it’s realistic. She’s been brainwashed by her abuser--yes, Erik is her abuser--and people are looking the other way until, later, she actually has to be screaming at them for people to worry about her. She goes missing for days and the managers only care for their bank accounts. The only people asking for Christine are Raoul, Mme Giry, and Meg.

Like. The fuck?

But, honestly--Christine’s abuse is presented in such a way without ever taking away her agency. Because you see her react to everything and you see her disassociate and you see her panic and you see her highs and you see her lows--she’s always actively participating within her own abuse narrative, when so many trap cases like her into the metaphorical high tower.

Moving away from her abuse and recovering, etc--

And I love her relationship with Raoul. I love that Raoul is my imperfect white knight--he doesn’t believe her, he’s incredulous, he’s dismissive, because it’s something that’s hard to believe. But, when she calls him out, when she explains her story, he realizes his errors and apologizes and promises to help her. I’m so sick and tired of people demeaning Raoul for one moment of irrational behavior when you see him grow as a whole throughout the show, from a clueless aristocrat to someone who selflessly will lie down his life for Christine.

And feminsim, to me, is learning. Feminism is growing--Christine letting Raoul in, getting herself help, and Raoul learning how to handle the situation better. It’s a love story for the ages and a healthy one and I hate to see it shit on over and over and over again. And so to see her keep her agency within the rest of the story--and when Raoul makes a mistake again, she still maintains her own control--is feminist. She’s not any less of a character for having a stunning love duet.

And I mean. Like. Superficially, how can you not love these two?

They’re adorable.

They’re flawed and imperfect, but they’re adorable.

But, Christine’s healing is not an easy one.

She’s spent 6 months away from the Phantom and still disassociates hard when he returns. At the thought of performing, she’s panicking and she’s afraid and she’s scared.

 Twisted every way,what answer can I give?Am I to risk my life,to win the chance to live?Can I betray the manwho once inspired my voice?Do I become his prey?Do I have any choice?He kills without a thought,he murders all that's good . . .I know I can't refuseand yet, I wish I could . . .Oh God - if I agree,what horrors wait for mein this, the Phantom's opera . . .?

This isn’t easy, and I love Phantom for it. She’s selfless without being trope like, because she does take the stage in Don Juan, but she still does it with fear. The inner conflict of her having to learn about who he used to be to her--the sole person to pull her out of the depths of her grief--and who the truth of he is--a mass murdering manipulative maniac--is so tangible it’s heartbreaking. And it’s not often enough we get to see how awful it can be for someone to come to grips with I’m in danger and I’m afraid for my life.

Now.

Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

I think, honestly, the argument for ALW Christine being a feminist icon could start and end with WYWSHA + the Final Lair. But, I’m wordy af so I’m going to keep talking.

WYWSHA comes sometime during rehearsals. Christine has gone under months of abuse and people are pulling her every which way, and she sings this last stand to say, no, I’m taking back my own story. We’ve been able to see her struggle with control while all the while keeping her agency, but this is Christine, in my eyes, deciding to save herself.

Wishing you wereSomehow here againKnowing we mustSay goodbyeTry to forgiveTeach me to liveGive me the strengthTo try

No more memoriesNo more silent tearsNo more gazing acrossThe wasted yearsHelp me sayGoodbye

She is taking back her own narrative, taking hold of her grief, and moving forward. When Erik pops up, it’s the first time she is able to really snap out. In Amnita, she rips off his mask to save her own life and others.

And in the Final Lair, she’s had enough. She’s been kidnapped twice and people have died and she refuses to let him control the story any longer.

ChristineThis haunted faceHolds no horrorFor me now...It's in your soulThat the trueDistortion lies...

Later:

The tears I might have shedFor your dark fateGrow cold, and turn to tearsOf hate...

Again:

 I gave my mind blindly!

And, finally, when Christine extends Erik the invitation to his own redemption

Pitiful creatureOf darkness...What kind of lifeHave you known...?God give me courageTo show youYou are notAlone

Which is honestly so important to me. In Erik letting Christine and Raoul go, he’s built his own redemption, out of Christine’s own act of compassion. Christine breaks the cycle of abuse--when she had every right to smite him, to hurt him, to kill him, she instead shows him kindness when she did not have to. But, in her act of compassion, she shows kindness to herself in leaving as well and escaping her own abuse.

And I love her for that. Her kindness saves the lives of many--of herself, of Erik, of Raoul, and she’s given a second chance at a new happiness.

And she’s wonderful for that. She says she doesn’t deserve what she’s been treated as, but without ever losing her heart in the process. She still loves the world and the people within it, but not at a sacrifice to herself. She will not set herself on fire to keep Erik warm, and loves herself more than anything first.

And Christine Daae is a feminist, okay.

[heatherc1212]

Chicago Fire Round Table S5 - Carry Their Legacy

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the latest installment of the Chicago Fire Round Table. Did you all make it through that last hiatus?! Thankfully we don’t have anymore breaks this season but the bad news to that is that we’re coming up on the end of S5 which means the LONG summer hiatus is coming! We still have four eps before that season finale breaks our emotionnal states though so let’s go ahead and dive into this week’s discussion. Here are our thoughts about “Carry Their Legacy” and YAY that we had a pretty full panel of responses this week! =)

1st Responder Award: Congrats to the awesome @sarrabr_4 who is this week’s winner of the 1st Responder Award!!!! =)

PSA: Please remember that none of the pictures or GIFs used in this blog (aside from the 1st Responder Award) were made by me but by other awesome people who bless us with their talents every week. Thanks so much everyone!

DISCUSSION

Q1. Casey reconnected with an old friend, Jason, when his squad helped House 51 but the situation turned tragic when a call went bad for Jason’s team. What are your thoughts on Jason’s story? What are your first impressions of him?      

Sarrabr_4: Well, my first impressions were yay more backstory for Casey and he seems very nice. The whole call scared me and made me sad for squad 6 but something doesn't sound right and I wanna know what. CurlyBuckeye: I liked Jason a lot. His SL is very tragic right now and I do think he's covering for one of the deceased firemen. I hope we will get more of his history w/Casey and some more backstory on Casey as well. Texterlover: I think Jason is a pretty honorable guy. He lied to protect his friend’s legacy so no one would really know what happened. He and Casey are great friends but I feel like there is now going to be tension between them. Lantetrain: I’m really liking Jason as a character and his storyline intrigues me. I'm curious to see how his story plays out. Also, we finally got some more back story about how Casey grew up. MiladyEB: It is interesting to see somebody from Casey’s past and I hope it gives us more info on Casey’s past too. So far I am looking forward to more of his story in the next episode. Tonichelle: First impression is I wonder if this is a one and done storyline or not. It seems pretty wrapped up, but something keeps suggesting there may be more considering the banter at the fire house about him having some stories, and then his comment at Molly's about how they weren't guaranteed to have a good life following their upbringings. But again, that could just be me wanting more back story there. CrazyforSVUPD: I really like Jason. When Casey said hi to him when he first appeared, I smiled. They look like the Sevasey prior to Chicago Fire. I like his story even though it's sad, but it will bring so much more for him. It’s just gonna open up more for him and more for Casey… maybe even a backstory. I've always wondered about his life growing up since we know his mom was in jail when he was growing up. Kwanfan1212: I really liked Jason. He seems like a great guy and I love that Mat inspired him to join the CFD. I also like that he’s known Matt for so long because it means we might get some more back story there. We know a lot about Matt now but he doesn’t share much from his childhood days so maybe Jason can fill in some of those holes. I hope Jason sticks around for a while! =)

Q2. Severide and Anna’s lives took a turn for the worse after we learned that her cancer has come back. Did you agree with what Severide did for her? Are you anxious to see how their story goes?    

Sarrabr_4: I love that her dad reached out to Kelly because he knows how his daughter is but Kelly doing this for her isn't a surprise to me. He's very loyal and you can see that he loves her and he'd do anything for her. CurlyBuckeye: I loved what Kelly did for her. I'm pretty positive Anna will lose her battle with cancer next week and I think that is horrible. To me, this is very similar to when Hallie died and I think that now Stella will be there for him and they'll eventually get back together. Sort of a version of Dawsey's past. Not sure what I think about that if that's what happens. I guess I'm trying to understand why they'd have Anna survive just to turn around and kill her off and break Kelly's heart. I guess to make Severide grow as a person? Sometimes I think the writers are a bit too cruel. JMO. Texterlover: Yes, I'm very anxious. I want to see if she gets through cancer again or if sadly this is the end for Anna. I think what Severide did was super sweet and very honorable. He loves Anna and even though she is going to go through something terrible and she may not survive he is going to stay by her side. Lantetrain: First, it’s heartbreaking to see Anna’s cancer come back but I'm not surprised about Kelly’s reaction because that’s who Kelly is now and Anna brings that out of him. And I would have totally done what Kelly did for Anna. When you really love someone and they are going through this, you want them feel normal and loved. I can't wait to see how it plays out. MiladyEB: I am and I really hope that they can get through this. Tonichelle: Well first of all, I'm just glad that it wasn't just a stupid reason for a break up. I did start to wonder during hiatus if it wasn't due to her cancer coming back, but I'm not happy about it. I hate the decision to make things so dramatic so soon into the relationship. I'm glad he didn't give up, but he didn't bully his way back in either. He genuinely cares, and I'm glad her father reached out to him. Hopefully with both of them as her support system things turn out well... but I'm assuming she'll be toast by end of season... because... well... I kill ships. CrazyforSVUPD: I totally agree with what Severide did for Anna. He’s a good guy and he wants to be there for her. I think it’s about time he gets a real non-sexual relationship. This is meaningful for him. I am slightly anxious to find out what happens but I also just want time to go by slow because I fear next week might be the last we see of Anna whatever that means for her… Kwanfan1212: I never thought Sev would give up on her so I agree with what he did there but I have to admit that I’m not as invested in this story as I thought I would be. They were really cute at first but now I just don’t buy their romance because it seems like it all happened so fast. The long hiatus between the last ep and this one didn’t help that feeling either. I don’t think she’s gonna make it past the next episode and even though I’m not feeling them as a couple much anymore, I know Sev is gonna break my heart. =(

Q3. Dawson and Brett had an interesting adventure in re-training but both passed their tests with flying colors. Did you like this story? Did you want to see more of them dealing with that teacher in the class?

Sarrabr_4: That teacher was hilarious and of course I'd love to see more but not sure how they would fit her in the story, haha. You can tell that the girls are such great team because they aced it and they have a great dynamic, even in class. CurlyBuckeye: I loved Dawson & Brett's re-training. So funny! Gabby was so hysterical and I would've been the same as her, especially the doodling. I think they showed the right amount of time on it. Although, I would've liked to see a Dawsey scene discussing it. Texterlover: I loved the classroom scenes. I thought they were super funny and fun. I also liked when they got their test scores back. Dawson was able to get 100 without paying attention while Brett did all the work and got a 98. Both are amazing scores but I just find it funny how Dawson did better lol. They were like the two types of students in school. Lantetrain: First off, the Brett and Gabby re-training storyline was too funny. Gabby cracked me up. She's was totally like me in high school lol and Brett was so serious but I would have loved to see more of this and see the instructor’s reaction lol MiladyEB: I thought it was funny, being in university myself its very recognizable. Both of them did a great job because their acting made it really funny - oh and I am a shameful don’t-study-still-pass Dawson. Tonichelle: Their story was just a blip and that was annoying. I was expecting far more. I did like the whole test score reveal, though. CrazyforSVUPD: I really loved that story. I wish we got a slight bit more, but it seemed pretty fulfilled. I feel maybe if we got a little more it might have been a tad bit boring. I wasn’t even surprised that Gabby passed the test 100%. That was great! Kwanfan1212: That entire story was hilarious from Gabby being all excited about the potential of a cute instructor to Brett being all serious and studious about the class to their hilarious exchange when they got their scores. It was just fun to watch and I really love these two together! =)

Q4. Connie returned from her leave and the guys had a bet going to see how long the temp, Marcy, would last around her. Were you surprised at how that story turned out? Did their banter about it amuse you or was it annoying?

Sarrabr_4: I was surprisingly NOT surprised that Marcy managed to weather the Connie storm and I loved them together. I hope they both stay, but I can't say no to a good bet, haha. Loved it. CurlyBuckeye: I thought Connie coming back was cute and I love that they are all scared of her! I kind of thought that Marcy would win Connie over. It was a fun side story. Texterlover: I was pretty surprised. I thought Connie would say or do something. We all know Connie and how she usually acts lol. Love her and starting to really like Marcy too. Lantetrain: haha I was totally surprised how that storyline played out. I really thought Connie would eat Marcy alive especially with the looks she was giving Marcy lol but I love the guys’ reactions because they totally know how Connie is and of course they are afraid of her lol MiladyEB: Connie is a hoot. She always makes me laugh but it was nice to see that even after all these years she can still surprise the guys haha. Tonichelle: I love Marcy and I'm glad they've found a place for her in order to stick around. I also love how she got on Connie's good side. The boys better watch out, if they team up they'll be an unstoppable duo! (power to admin staff!) CrazyforSVUPD: I was a little surprised! I expected Connie to scare her off. Marci has been good. At first she showed up as the shy girl that you’d think wouldn’t last, but she did. I liked the story and found it a good part of the show. Kwanfan1212: I was surprised how that turned out but I loved that Connie was so nice to her and threw all the guys off. It wouldn’t shock me if we learned later that she found out about the bet and did that on purpose, LOL ;)

Q5. The house had several different types of rescues tonight. Did any of them stand out to you? Which one was your favorite?  

Sarrabr_4: My favourite was the tunnel because although it was scary, it showcased Casey's amazing leader abilities and made the whole house work as one. The tub one was hilarious though, thanks Otis. CurlyBuckeye: The rescue of the guy in a concrete bath was my favorite! So funny when the guy responded to Otis's light on his helmet and they all played along to calm him down and get him out. Definitely a unique situation. Texterlover: I think the rescues in this episode were very realistic, scary and interesting. I think my favorite would be Casey going in to save the firefighters that were underground. Casey could have died but he risked his life in order to try to help others. Lantetrain: I think the last call was my favourite. It was so intense and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And I was scared for my Casey and his buddy. Thankfully it worked out ok but I really feel bad for Jason, Matt’s buddy who lost some of his firehouse brothers like that. MiladyEB: The one with the guy in the bath tub was honestly pretty funny. We all know Casey is other worldly though ;). But the last one definitely stood out because it was tragic. Tonichelle: Bathtub dude with Aliens wins for me! CrazyforSVUPD: Probably the rescuing of squad 6. Casey jumped in right away which is never surprising because he’s a true hero. He will never let anyone risk their life until he risks his own. It’s always nice to see Casey be there for the ones he loves in his life and his brothers. Kwanfan1212: The one with Squad 6 was intense and scary but that cement covered bathtub guy was hilarious. That one is probably my favorite from tonight’s ep. Thanks Otis! ;)

Q6. What was your favorite scene from Carry Their Legacy? Least favorite scene? Did anything special stick out to you?

Sarrabr_4: Favourite scenes were of Casey with his friend because we know so little of his childhood and I like that glimpse into the past for him. Strong ep as always so it's hard to pick least favourite scenes. What stood out was the final scene with Casey and his friend because it makes us want to know more and for Casey to dig into what happened. CurlyBuckeye: My favorite scenes tonight were the training class ones & Matt showing Jason his wedding ring! For me, the lack of any Dawsey scenes at all stuck out to me and made me bummed. Texterlover: Since there were no Dawsey scenes I'd have to say my favorite scene was when Casey was at the bar with his friend and they were talking about how he was now married and all the other accomplishments Casey now has lol. I thought it was very meaningful to show that even if you have a hard time (like Casey did in his childhood) that you can still achieve great things. I also really enjoyed the Dawson and Brett classroom scenes. I have to say my least favorite scenes were finding out Anna's cancer is back. I may not be Anna's biggest fan but she seems to make Kelly really happy so. Lantetrain: I really liked the whole episode as a whole. It was a change from the last episode and we needed a little breather before we get to the season finale which I have a feeling is going to be nuts. MiladyEB: My favourite was probably Matt and Jason in the bar. Least was also that because Gabby walked in in the background and we didn’t get them interacting, haha! Very excited for the finale now! Tonichelle: I loved the scene where Anna admitted to Kelly she was scared and he didn't do the "it's okay, you'll win" speech, but he just admitted that he's scared too but that he'd be there for her. Great moment there. Least favorite was probably...hmmm... I don't know... it was a pretty great ep. CrazyforSVUPD: Didn’t really have a least favorite part. Season 5 has been so good. There hasn’t been an episode where I’m like, I didn’t like it. I like them all and love a lot of them. I also like Anna and Kelly walking into Med together. Anna saying she’s scared. It really shows how Kelly is going to be there for her. He will help her through anything. When he started tearing when I figured her cancer is back. I cried!!! Great episode. Kwanfan1212: Favorite Scenes: All the ones witih Casey and Jason, especially when Casey was showing off his wedding ring. Least Fave: Finding out Anna’s cancer was back. That was sad. What Stuck Out: There weren’t any Dawsey scenes in this ep. I’m still waiting for them to share that deleted Dawsey and Jason scene at Molly’s....

Old Friends - Long Time No See for These Two

Molly’s Conversation - Bring on Casey’s Back Story!!

*Still wants to see the scene after this one....we can see Gabby walking into the bar where she probably gets introduced to Jason...we’re all about 99% sure this part was deleted from the ep*

Which One Are You...Studious Sylvie with the 98% or Bored Gabby Who Still Gets 100% on the Test?!

What Happened to Jason’s Team?! (Sad Matt Makes Us All Sad...)

Promo for Next Week:

Thanks for reading this week’s blog everyone and I’ll see you next week! =)