#as written by aj

[aswrittenbyaj]

stick and poke

pairing: shuri x black!fem!reader

summary: your time on vacation is slowly coming to an end so naturally you two try to find a way to commemorate it.

wordcount: 2.6k

warnings: this one's for the lovers. rated M for mature. minors dni. partial nudity as well as nipple play (reader-receiving) and a brief moment of impact play (titty-slapping, reader-receiving). briefest mention of a needle (tattooing, obviously). there's a few pet names, but none degrading. not beta'd (that's a warning in itself). let me know if i missed any!

a/n: so this was not on my wip list because i forgot i finished this a lil while back lol. a fun twist on the tattoo shop au that i hope you'll all enjoy. i don't know xhosa so any words in bold are to be assumed as spoken in xhosa. there's one or two words in the actual language and credit for their translation goes to @iinkonde from this post. banner and divider by: me.

you were going to miss this, miss the ease of moving through the day without obligations and responsibilities looming over your shoulder. there was nothing like waking up as you pleased next to the woman you loved while the sounds of waves crashing in the distance calmed your soul. the position of the sun being your only source of time, self-carved notches on the wooden planks of the treehouse wall the only indication of how many days had passed since the two of your arrived at the secluded beach.

there was tranquility in getting away from the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. even as you stared out at the vast water before you from where you sat in the sand, the waves crashing into one another, you tried imagining what life would be like if you never went back. you almost wished it were that simple.

"you still with me, yeah?" 

shuri's voice found you before your eyes found her, the lithe woman approaching from behind, a green coconut in one hand, a bowie knife in the other.

you drunk in the sight of her, midriff peeking between the gap of her cropped white t-shirt and pink shorts that stopped mid-thigh, rich skin sun-kissed with a healthy glow, one that only came from inward peace and happiness. showing off her strength, shuri swung the knife at the tree nut, hacking away at the top with ease, giving you a chance to ogle the way her biceps flexed with the moment.

"always," you replied shamelessly. 

if anything, these last two weeks were proof you didn't need all the riches and privileges that came with being connected to a wakandan royal, romantically or not. you just needed her. you just wanted her. always.

she tried to hide her grin behind the coconut as she took a drink from the opening she created, but you knew her, almost better than you knew yourself it sometimes seemed. there were few reasons her cheekbones would raise towards the sun, why her eyes would crinkle at the corner.

"except when your mind is kilometers away," she retorted, plopping down next to you, her knee brushing yours as she folded her legs pretzel-style beneath her. "no people, no technology, no work to distract you, and i lose you to the ocean!" she chuckled with a shake of her head, sea-salted curls swaying with the movement.

"you could never lose me. you know that. you just like to hear me say it." 

leaning in, your pressed your lips to the corner of her mouth, leaving a sweet kiss as your hand swiped the coconut from her grasp. 

"naturally." she replied in her native tongue. her words were flippant, teasing, but her voice was butter-soft with affection.

"naturally," you repeated in english, tone mocking bumping her bare shoulder with your own before bringing the coconut up to your lips.

the action was clumsy, the timing of your backwards head tilt slightly off, sending the sweet water dribbling in the miniscule gap between your lip and the nut shell. without a care, you drank deeply, your thirst not surprising given how long you had been soaking in the solar rays. your mother would be disappointed in your lack of uv protection, but in that moment, it was the furthest thing from mind.

you could feel shuri's gaze on you as you drank, leaving a path of warmth that felt different than the sun. that was one thing about being here alone with her, without the so-called distractions of life. everything felt acute, supercharged, and oh-so-very intense.

swallowing, you pulled the coconut away, turning to look at her. 

"intoni ingxakhi?"  what's wrong, you asked, your interchanging of english and xhosa becoming more natural every time you used the language.

your wrist bent as your arm raised to wipe the soon-to-be-sticky trail from your cheek, chin and neck, only shuri had beat you to it. instead of answering your question, she leaned in, the flat of her pink tongue sliding across the sensitive skin of your collarbone before trailing up you neck. closing your eyes, you tilted your head more to give her extra room to work with. full lips sucked softly at the moisture on your chin, dragging out a groan from the back of your throat.

coconut forgotten in the sand, you brought your hand up to grip the back of her head, soft curls pliable under the grip of your fingers. finally, her mouth moved to meet yours, but as you leaned in to meet her halfway, she pulled back slightly, your lips brushing against one another.

peeling your eyes open, you saw hers were already waiting to connect, heat stirring deep within her irises. you tempted once more to mold your lips together, but again, she leaned away, just enough to keep it from happening.

"shuri." you murmured your complaint, hooded gaze raising from her lips to her eyes than back again. 

she challenged with a murmur of your name, lips barely moving before finally descending upon yours. 

the sand was going to be a bitch to get out of the dark coiled crown on your head, but there was no stopping you from laying back against the ocean-pebbled surface, shuri's body a welcomed weight atop of yours. legs slotted together, she ground her thigh down against your warm center, a hum of pleasure pressing through lips moving in a synchronic dance only the two of you knew.

your hands resting on her lower back, shuri pulled away to look down at you. palms on the ground at either side of your head held her up so she could take in your beauty, so she could take in the wide set nose and kiss-bitten full lips, the brown eyes that were darkened with desire. 

"bast, you are very beautiful." 

there was something in the way shuri breathed those words out, almost as if she hadn't meant to say them out loud, or at least not loud enough for you to hear them. one hand left the ground to cup your cheek, thumb swiping gently at slope of your cheekbone, following the curve of your jawline before traveled lower, a loose grip around your neck. her fingers tightened, palm flat as you swallowed, the skin of your throat pressing against it. her hand felt like a brand, hot, possessive. if a mark was left in its place, it'd be one you'd wear with pride.

she could've left her hand there for an eons and you wouldn't have protested in the slightest. instead, it continue its course south, fingertips gliding against the melanin rich skin of chest before meeting the rim of your tank top. her index slowly trailed along the rib knit neckline, drifting back and and forth as if she were stuck in idle.

"don't tease me." 

you had barely uttered the sentiment out before she gave into the demand. in a swift action, her second hand met the first and with an easy twist of her wrists, the cotton fabric gave way with an audible tear. the sudden sound stole a gasp from you, one shuri eagerly swallowed with her tongue. she enjoyed getting these reactions from you, reveled in whatever sounds she could make spill from those plum-colored lips. she'd yet to find her favorite sequence and hoped she never would. 

her wandering fingers found your nipples, pinching and rolling it between them as her palms massaged the fullness of your breasts. she plucked them like a bassist did her favorite instrument, with care, with passion, with expertise, before delivering your left breast a sharp slap, drawing out a hiss from between your clenched teeth and a smirk overtop of hers. 

narrowing your eyes, your hands tightened on her waist, rolling the two of you over. as if she already knew of your plan, shuri shifted her weight as well, the two of you spinning several times, garnering a few meters of distance from your original spot before landing in your desired position. the logroll shifted the tension in the air, laughter breaking the heated moment as the two of you caught your breath.

looking down at her, chest bare as your ruined top hung off your shoulders haphazardly, you smiled.

"i love you." 

it wasn't the first time you confessed those three not-so-little words, not that day, not that week, but you meant it as full as the first time you thought it to yourself. the two of you weren't even in the same country at the time. hell, you hadn't even had a conversation in days. instead, you had been watching a live feed on c-span of a united nations conference in your rented apartment.

the camera had panned to some other country's ambassador when you saw her, queen shuri looking regally bored in the background. she wasn't even the one speaking and yet you couldn't keep your eyes off of her. you could've and would've paid the cameraman three-month's salary to always have her in frame, just so you could've seen her for the full duration of the livestream. 

you couldn't help but wonder if that was going to be the life you were heading back to in seven days' time, one filled with kisses in passing and workplace obligations that kept you countries-apart on a consistent basis. finding each other in a world of nearly eight billion people was kismet, but even fate had a funny way of insisting on a more difficult journey for lovers.

"what stole your mind from me?" she demanded softly, pulling you back to the present, the fiery mirth within her eyes dulling as concern filled its space.

with a soft sigh, you shifted, finding a seat in her lap as you straddled her, your bare legs aligning with her muscled thighs. though she remained reclined, shuri brought her knees up slightly, toes wiggling in the sand, one hand settling behind her head, the other resting on the curve of your ass.

"i don't want to leave yet. i know we still have a week of holiday left here, but one week is not enough when i desire an eternity with you."

you ducked your head, for speaking like that always made you a bit bashful. it didn't matter how much you knew shuri loved you or how many times she shared her affection towards you, you still couldn't imagine the queen of wakanda continuing to choose you as her boundless love.

"so then we stay."

an unamused huff of air pushed through your nostrils at her suggestion, one brow raising.

"have you forgotten who you are?" you asked incredulously, your voice raising an octave.

"have you?" 

the tone of shuri's voice forced you to swallow your tongue, to choose your words, your tone a little more carefully. yes, she was your lover in all definitions, but she was still queen of the most powerful nation on land (and most-likely the sea as well, but that was a conversation for another day). if she wanted to stay, you had no doubt she would find a way to make it happen, even if it was just for a little while longer.

"i don't mean to doubt your capabilities. it's just that your people need you home. they only tolerate me. and if they found out you were considering abandoning your duties for an outsider..."

your voice trailed off, teeth sinking into your bottom lip as your shook your head, refusing to finish the sentence.

the two of you didn't talk about your shaky wakandan lineage. sure your grandmother had talked fondly of the wakandan country and its people, but they were only stories, ones that couldn't be proven, not since your war dog grandfather had disappeared sometime after your mother's birth. 

shuri had offer to do some digging, but you had declined, too afraid of the truth drawing a wedge not only between the two of you, but also between you and your family. whether she looked on her own, she hadn't said and you were grateful for the silence on the topic.

"so marry me."

"er...what?"

the turns this conversation had taken was sending your mind into a spin cycle. one minute you were disheartened by the fact that you had to leave her soon and the next you were in the middle of a marriage proposal.

"marry. me."

the chuckle that escaped from between your lips was an accident, a knee-jerk reaction. you had dreamt of those words coming from out of her mouth for months now and to think that they were finally here almost felt too surreal.

almost.

"you're serious?"

sitting up, shuri rested her weight on one hand, leaning in to affectionate bump her nose against yours. 

"how could i not be when i am talking about a lifetime with the love of my existence?"

the unwavering of her stare as she looked into your eyes killed any thought of this being a playful joke to lighten the moment, to ease your worries. your mind decided it was the perfect time to short circuit as you tried to figure out the right thing to say.

"well it wasn't that great of a proposal so..." you said, a cheeky response to try ease the pressure in your chest.

shuri gasped at your gall, fingers digging into your side, sending you into giggles. gasping for air, you tried to squirm away, but she didn't let up nor did she let you get away.

"mercy, queen. mercy," you choked out between your laughter.

chest rising and falling rapidly, you were grateful when she finally let you catch your breath...only for her to steal it away again with the sincerity in her voice with her next words.

"do you want to marry me, nkosazana sam?" she asked her princess, the term of endearment one that melted your heart every time. 

there was only one response to give her.

"yes, i want to marry you." 

you closed the gap between you and shuri, your palms resting on either side of her head while you pressed your lips against hers. pulling away, you couldn't resist one more joke. 

"though you might want to get used to calling me queen."

with one more quick kiss to her lips, you pushed up onto your feet and took off down the shoreline, seafoam brushing your ankles as you splashed long the waterline, your fiancée hot on your heels.

"hold still," you complained seriously, though the cackle spilling between your words didn't help.

"you are literally stabbing me with a needle. there is no 'holding still.'"

the two of you were back up in the treehouse, naked as the day, shuri lying face down on the queen-sized bed, the only luxurious furniture in the space.

you were straddling her again, only this time you had settled down on the plump of her backside, hunched over as you tried to deliver as clean of a stick-and-poke tattoo as you could to her spine. the words "eternally yours" in wakandan glyphs that trailed from the nape of your neck to the space between your shoulder blades were identical to the sentiment you were currently trying to imprint in the same location on shuri's back. 

"well, it's about to say 'eternally yout' if you don't stop wiggling." you dipped the needle in the ink again as you spoke before returning back to the task at hand. "then you'll have to spend a lifetime explaining why the black panther, the fiercest and strongest creature on earth, couldn't even sit still for one measly little tatto- ow!"

before you could finish your sentence, shuri had sneakily reached her hand back to pinch your leg.

"such a brat."  she snarked under her breath as she folded her arm back under her chin, making you chuckle because where was the lie. 

"you love this brat, though," you countered with ease, giving her finished tattoo one final wipe, sitting back to admire your handy work.

"i do. i really do."

[every-aj-needs-an-angel]

Okay this one's been stuck in my head all day but I have absolutely time to write it so please share this vision with me

Try as they might, Steve and Robin couldn't get tickets to Chrissy Cunningham's arena tour, but they could get tickets to a festival she was playing.

The last thing Steve ever wanted to do was go and stand in a muddy field for sixteen hours while they waited for the headline act. But he was pretty sure Robin was in love with her favourite musician, and he wasn't about to deny his best friend a chance at love.

So he helped her make personalised t-shirts because honestly all the other bands in the line-up kinda sounded like they sucked.

His read, "Only Here for Chrissy" on the front and "I'm Steve" on the back and Robin's read "Chrissy, Will You Be My Girlfriend?" on the front and "If Lost, Please Return To Steve" on the back.

And it turned out, as they stood against the barrier in a not so muddy field, on a lovely, warm, but overcast, May day, that even bands that sucked could be fun. Even if it was only because they spent their day with earplugs in, so their eardrums wouldn't combust, bitching about each artist's lack of ability to put notes or an outfit together.

During the lunchtime intermission, the pair made friends with the lesbian couple next to them, Kayla and Jess, who were also eagerly awaiting Chrissy's set and similarly liked to mock those who committed crimes against sound and fashion. Steve was glad to have met them, they were really nice, and he felt better about leaving her to use the bathroom or to fetch food, knowing Robin was in safe hands.

He also felt better about letting her wander off, not that it stopped him from stressing out when she and Kayla had been missing for over fifteen minutes. He spread himself out to keep their places against the railing with his back to the stage, watching the crowd intently. Jess wasn't quite as chatty once they were alone, but she seemed content enough, bobbing along to the band that'd appeared on the stage.

Steve didn't turn back around to face the stage until he spotted the girls heading back towards them, he gave them a wave and turned around to look at the guys who hadn't been attempting to destroy anyone's hearing and was met with the face of the most gorgeous man he'd ever seen. Pretty face, long curly hair tied up in a bun, muscle tee showing off his many tattoos, piercings and chains and glittery Docs; Steve felt himself owl blink and blush.

God's gift to mankind was kneeling centre stage, guitar in hand making the most beautiful sounds Steve had ever heard as his fingers flew over the strings, and it was only when the rest of the band kicked back in that the man looked up, winked directly at Steve, and then jumped back to his feet, spending the rest of the song bouncing around the stage.

Steve only realised his mouth was agape when Robin finally arrived next to him and elbowed him hard in the ribs, giving him the same look she did whenever he was embarrassing in the club. He watched the rest of the Corroded Coffin, according to the backdrop, set in awe. Screaming and clapping along when they wished everyone a great day, throwing picks and drumsticks into the crowd and taking a bow; patting each other on the back as they wandered offstage.

As soon as it was quiet again, Robin wanted to know what the hell was wrong with his face and honestly, he couldn't answer her. He didn't even believe in love, not for himself at least, and he certainly didn't believe in love at first sight. It didn't stop him from spending the next couple of hours watching the faces at the sides of the stage, hoping to catch a glimpse of his new favourite guitarist, though.

As soon as Chrissy hit the stage, Steve got lost, between filming the set and watching Robin trying not to hyperventilate when Chrissy spotted her t-shirt, pointed to her, and giving her a coy little wink, blew her a kiss.

"An old school friend is here with me tonight, and I'd like him to help me out with this next track. Especially for the beauty in the front row, this is Girlfriend!"

The crowd went wild as the beat kicked in, but Steve was still watching Robin because it looked like she'd stopped breathing altogether. That was until she gasped loudly and started smacking Steve in the way she always did whenever she got overly excited; pointing wildly at the stage, and it was only when he looked over he saw Corroded Coffins guitarist bouncing up and down next to Chrissy.

Instead of the black muscle vest and skinny jeans he'd been sporting earlier in the day, he had changed into pale blue board shorts and a baggy white t-shirt that read "Hey Steve!" written in black sharpie with a giant winking smiley face underneath that could only really be seen when he swung his guitar around his back to copy Chrissy's dance moves.

The song ended, and the friends hugged, Chrissy waving him off the stage and calling out, "Eddie Munson everybody!" letting the crowd go wild for her friend before launching into the rest of her set.

By the time Chrissy had actually left the stage, Robin looked exhausted, having screamed and sung and danced herself out. They hung around a bit, said goodbye to Kayla and Jess, wishing them a safe journey home, and they were just taking one last look at the now empty stage when he heard someone yell his name...

[last-of-the-jaded]

Press ‘X’ to Use Guts

[contact-guy]

so I'm reading the Raffles stories

[aj-lenoire]

aww

[loveislandthegame]

i just view FB’s surveys as a way to see hints about what they’re including in the next season (like that enemies to lovers question) because hell would freeze over before they’d actually listen to player feedback, but…

they cannot be serious with this question 😭😭😭 (considering the quality of the recent seasons) the bar for a decent female LI route was at the earth’s core & they still couldn’t clear it

being forced to choose between two wlw LIs as soon as they’re both in the villa because FB is too lazy to code is not fulfilling

watching your LI flirt with other islanders while being like “i have my eye on you too, MC 👀” is not fulfilling (nor was kelly/natasha’s obsessions with finn/stefan)

not being able to actually be with your LI until the literal season finale is not fulfilling. wtf are they thinking ?😭

[introspectivememories]

timbern high school baby project with real babies bc gotham is insane like that and they get paired together and at first it's funny.

two guys raising a baby lol. oh look tim i'm holding our kid! jesus bear, don't fucking shake our baby like like that. darls, darls, take our pic quickly! we're going for jcpenney's family photoshoot vibes. wait why does tim get to sit in the seat? oh cause he's mom? your both guys dipshit, neither of you can be the mom.

and then it quietly gets a little more serious.

hey did you feed the baby? tim, make sure to change the diaper before you leave today. bear can you grab my phone, the baby's sleeping on my chest and i can't move. hey guys, you wanna- shhh! they're sleeping, dont wake them up. what does that have to do with you? bear fell asleep with his head on my lap i can't move now! and why are your fingers in his hair? ....bear likes it.

and then it gets too serious

what the fuck are you buying premium baby food for tim?! we dont have that kind of money! oh sorry that i wanted our kid to be properly fed! and it's not like you're doing anything! oh the extra job i work is nothing now? that's not what i said! then what did you mean? you're never home! tim-. when was the last time you read to the baby? when was the last time you changed the diaper, gave them food, burped them? i cant do this alone. i'm tired bear. im sorry baby, i guess i was too caught up in making sure you guys would have what you needed i lost sight of what was important. i'll make it up, i promise. this weekend, you, me, the baby, the zoo. how does that sound sweetheart?

and by the end it's too domestic and everyone has noticed

hey are they like... fucking for real now? what? your little goonsquad darla. are they together-together? what the hell are you talking about ty? don't play stupid with me darla. i've known you since 3rd grade. ....no i dont think they're together. darla what the fuck. look at them! bernard has his arms wrapped around tim and he's cooing at their baby from over tim's shoulder! jim caught them slow-dancing with the baby in between them in the band room after school the other day. i know, i know!!! but they get weird when i talk about it and bear's just started feeling okay about it, you know his dad's a piece of shit, and like it's complicated! honest-to-god, i think they'll be like this until the project's over and then they'll go back to normal. normal? dont even ask ty, don't even ask. anyway i'll catch you later, i gotta go be the best aunt ever. .....fuckin weirdos, all three of them.

[onewolfaday]

Wait. Dr. OneWolfADay what do I call you . Have you seen......... Juno Animal Jam? 👀🐺❄️⚧🏳️‍⚧️🌨💙🧊💁

199. "have i seen juno" i was there when they were first revealed

[fox-from-fairytale]

No one at Ericson trusts Clementine with the food

[ilovenarumitsu]

had an icebreaker activity in my psych class today which was "talk about something you're passionate about for 60 seconds" and i kid you not, i started rambling about phoenix wright's backstory for well over 3 minutes and didn't realize i went over the time limit because everyone was really interested especially the bit about dahlia's part in phoenix's life and kristoph gavin

[aswrittenbyaj]

dance for you

pairing: riri williams x Black reader (feminine) summary: it's the first home game of the season and majorette dancer riri is excited to hear the roar of the crowd in the stans. too ad her number one fan is stuck working. wordcount: 3.1k warnings: rated 18+. minors dni. cursing. not beta’d (that’s a warning in itself). let me know if i missed any! dedications & credits: originally inspired by dominique getting ready for carnival in a couple videos that @axailslink posted a few months ago. hbcu!shuri and hbcu!riri live rent-free in my mind so i went with it. not gonna lie yall, i'm not the happiest with this, only because it was supposed to be longer. every time i tried to expand on it, it just didn't feel right to me which is why the ended may feel a bit abrupt. there might be a part 2 in the future (or a stand alone that could be read in connection to this), but for now, i hope you enjoy.

gif conversions, divider, and banner by: me

she looked so fucking gorgeous. 

it was a little after five when you arrived to riri william's on-campus apartment, smirking up at the small yet advanced security camera she had rigged in place of a key. though you were a little skeevy about facial recognition and have your face scanned into the ether, you trusted her...and you loved being able to pop in and out of her place whenever the desire was there.

you didn't have much time before your six o'clock shift, this weekend being mandatory for all bartenders and not to brag, but you were one of brimstone's best. hell, you should've been. you had worked there since you were a freshman, unable to drink, but more than capable of keeping the liquor flowing and charming your way into extra tips.

ending the door, you headed towards the open bathroom door, your feet stopping as did your heart the second your gaze landed on the beauty that was your girlfriend in makeup. your approach had gone unnoticed, riri's eyes closed as her best friend viv continued to pat the beauty blender up her cheekbones, across her forehead, her back to you. 

"oooh, bitch, i'm scared of you," viv had said, giggling as she put down the orange sponge egg, grabbing the setting spray.

a fine mist sprayed from the clear matte bottle, giving your girlfriend's skin a dewy cast. white teeth flashed between nude painted lips as she laughed, the sound your favorite melody. 

you shifted in your position, leaning against the door frame content with watching your shawty get pampered in peace. she didn't always do this. between her classes, "side hustle", and working on her inventions, riri rarely had the time to press pause on life that was long enough to take time out for herself. honestly, the only time she really allowed herself to get dolled up, outside of date night with you, was during football season.

as a fly girl, a majorette on your university's dance team, there were certain level of self-maintenance riri was required to sustain and while during the off-season that meant she was focused more staying conditioned for the next season, the end-of-summer through winter window was when your girlfriend spent more time (and your money) getting her face beat, her hair styled and her nails filled in. 

not that you were complaining. you would never complain about doing something that made her so happy, her inner glow was physically visible to the naked eye. you be able to provide that for your girl? it made you feel favored and fortunate. 

except on nights like tonight.

though subtle, your shift in movement caught her best friend's attention, eyes glancing up at you through the mirror before going back to the task at hand, rocking her weight back onto her left leg.

"looks like i ain't gonna be the only one scared tonight," she said, swapping the setting spray for a black and white circular hand fan, viv flicking her wrist back and forth, the gentle flow of air speeding up the makeup application drying time.

"whatchu mean?" riri asked, her head tilting slightly, perfectly scuplted brow quirking in interest.

"'cause with the way your girlfriend is lookin' atchu right now, anybody try to step to you tonight finna be scared for a whole 'nother reason."

you couldn't help, but laugh, throwing your head back; first, because of viv's commentary, but as always, your attention was never too far from riri. she chuckled before her friend's words fully interlocked cohesively in her mind, eyes opening immediately, knowing exactly where to look to connect with your own. your pink tongue dragged across the plump of your bottom lip as you settled into the full intensity of those brown eyes focusing on you. 

"hi baby," she said sweetly, soft smile spreading into a wider grin. 

it was clear from the alertness in her eyes, she hadn't expected you to stop by. honestly you were pushing it pretty close since it was a ten minute drive to brimstone, and you still needed to head back to your apartment to shower and get dressed, but if you were stuck working all night, surrounded but a bunch of horny, drunk, and high people, you damn sure were gonna make sure you saw your baby first.

hopping down off the bathroom sink counter, she side-stepped viv, arms immediately wrapped around your waist. careful not to ruin her best friend's hard work, you nudged her chin up, full lips coming down to press against hers, supple as always. 

"hi beautiful," you said, pulling back just enough to mumble the words against her duo-tone lips before capturing them with your own again.

"uh, yeah, girl, i'll meet you downstairs in like twenty minutes."

you barely heard viv as she grabbed her things and left, your attention solely on the young woman who had captured your heart a year and a semester ago. her hands toyed with the hem of your shirt, fingers brushing against the velvet of your skin as your hands shifted  to the sides of her head, fingers threading themselves in her microbraids. 

you pressed your lips against hers a couple more times before pulling back a few more inches to just look at her, taking her in. she used to hate when you did that, stared at her like she was the most precious thing in the world, as if just having her here proved the existence of magic and miracles. 

these days, things were different, her gaze now a mirror, reflecting back a love so deep you could free fall in it and never touch to bottom.

"you so damn pretty," you said, shaking your head slightly as if her beauty were an insult, lips curling upwards into a smile at the way she beamed at your compliment.

"thank you mami," she said, leaning up to press a kiss to your jaw before letting you go, turning to clean up the leftover mess on the counter. "so...how long are you mine for?"

her tone was played casual, but you knew how to see beyond the dramatic lightness of her words.

"forever and a day, but..."

you approached her from behind, hands brushing the terry fabric of her robe as they wrapped around her waist.  you buried the rest of your statement in the space between her neck and robe collar.

"...unfortunately i have to leave in, like, five minutes ago."

"right now? are you serious?" 

you didn't even need to glance in the mirror to see the downturn of her lips though she revealed it to you, half turning in your arms to meet your gaze.

"you really can't make it tonight?"

you sighed softly, the slump of your shoulders obvious. you hated to disappoint her.

"i wish i could." your bottom lip poked out for a second, mimicking her pouty facial expression. "brian's making everybody touch the clock this weekend and since i didn't work last night..."

your voice trailed off, hand on her hip smoothing down over the curve of her ass as you leaned back in for another kiss, this one searing with memories of just how the two of you spent your night off. you weren't the only one still drunk off recollection, a throaty moan vibrating against your lips the second they touched hers. 

all too soon, you pulled apart, a sigh falling from between her painted pout, and not the kind of sigh you loved to coax out from her.

"but you have to go."

you could see her trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice, the urge to kick yourself growing stronger.

"i have to go," you confirmed, the hand on her chin moving down to mimic your right, ten fingers splayed against the soft cotton covering her ass. "but text me where you end up after the game. i'll come find you after my shift," you promised, eyes staying locked on hers for a moment longer, waiting for her nod in agreement. 

her eyes fluttered closed as you pressed a kiss to her forehead, right hand coming down to slap her left ass cheek, the contrast in action drawing a gasping giggle from her and a smirk from you as you made your way out her dorm apartment's door.

yeah, you made a mistake coming in to work tonight. it wasn't that it was boring, not per sé, but at 7 o'clock, it was still pretty early. the only people at the bar were those who couldn't get tickets to the game and with a stadium who's capacity sat at 20,000 people, that number of fanatics without was relatively low. 

still, you weren't bored. you'd just rather had been somewhere else. 

like at the stadium cheering your hbcu's football team on at its first home game of the season...and watching the love of your life shake her ass with a touch of class in the sexiest uniform you've seen in your four years of attending. 

the worst part about it was that you hadn't even seen riri wearing it in-person, instead only getting 8-second glimpses of it on the social media stories of her dance sisters. the last one had been a casual version of the fly girl sway, complete with attitude poses and your favorite thing to see her wear, a smile.

fuck, you had to get out of here.

it took you two beer replacements and an appetizer sampler platter to come up with an easy, but fail-proof way to get out of a shift with a guy like brian. it wasn't hard to find him, the older man hiding away in his office, no doubt watching the game's live feed on his laptop.

your knuckles rapped sharply against the door twice, your boss' head snapping up immediately as if he had gotten caught doing something forbidden. he was so busted. you coughed once to hide your amusement.

"uh, hey brian, i know i just clocked in like 2 hours ago, but i gotta go home."

if anyone knew how to frown with their entire face, it was brian. even his nostrils seemed to display disappointment in your words. 

"and why exactly is that?"

"it's personal."

"so is having a job and working your intended shift to totality."

how you didn't roll your eyes at his bullshit was beyond you. instead, you looked away, left then right, weight shifting back and forth as your shuffled on your feet. after the moment of awkwardness you purposely created, you peeked up at him, grimacing.

"so my cycle just started and there's bl-

brian's work-weathered hand came up to stop your sentience from continuing to completion, just as you knew it would. this was a fifty-four year old man who took his tmi very seriously, which made it pretty easy for you to exploit in emergencies like this. 

"just go, but i expect you to prepared to pick up some extra hours next weekend."

the not-so-veiled threat barely made it to your ears the way you rushed back down the hallway, feet squeaking against the titled floor as you narrowly missed a busboy in your haste.  you rounded the corner of the small break room, using the term "room" loosely.  deft fingers spun the silver combination lock, the tumbler dropping the base so you could pull open the creaking metal door and grab your backpack from the bottom. yanking at the ties of your waist apron, you pulled out the folded bills from the front pocket, the meager tips you managed to earn in the almost two hours of your shift, before shoving the apron and your lock into your bag. 

a loud clang sounded in the room as you closed the door, your feet already in motion towards the entryway and then out the back door.

you contemplated whether or not you should change before heading to campus, your work uniform of black jeans and a black fitted black t-shirt not the worst fit in world, but still nothing close to your usual style. a glance at the clock on the dash told you that if you wanted to see riri's lithe form dancing her heart out, the outfit change would have to wait.

it was a good thing you decided to skip it, too, since the parking lots were full. the packed side streets and grass lot parking had you wishing you had finally gotten your motorcycle license.

turning the block the stadium was on, you could hear the roar of the crowd. you wanted to believe it was for your school, but since the opposing team's school was only two hours away, it wouldn't have surprised you in they had fans attending by the bus-load as well.

just as you were able to say "fuck it" and risk parking in front of the two-hour meter parking you knew was located a couple streets over, a bright orange sign caught you attention, the word "media/press parking" in bold, black block lettering. a smirk formed on your face as you cut your wheel in the new direction.  

the roar of the crowd near deafening as the home team gained 20 yard, only 10 more yards to go to widen the score gap with less than two minutes on the clock before half time, . squeezing through the slow walking and talking bodies, your hand gripped tighter the canon dslr camera that hung from the leather strap adorning your neck, backpack straps trapping the "campus media" badge and lanyard close to your chest.

you had never been so grateful to have joined the yearbook club a year ago, an extra curricular supplement to your photography minor. the navy blue and platinum silver badge pretty much let you get behind the scenes of any school event, which you used to your advantage, flashing the plastic card at the security guard blocking the tunnel gates before slipped past him.

you carefully maneuvered your way along the sideline towards the home team's side of the stans, grateful the that violence of the game was taking place at the other end of the field. it would be just your luck that you got all the way here just to get tackled by a defensive player trying to take down a running back. 

honestly, you couldn't care less about the game, about the screaming fans and the hyped up players near the bench waiting to take their turn on the turf. your eyes searched the stands, instead, easily landing on the twelve dancers sitting poised, one leg crossed over the other as the band behind them transitioned into a new tune.

holding up the camera, you took a few test shots of the fly girls, thumbing quickly to adjust the settings before bringing the viewfinder back up to your face. you couldn't help but zoom in, catching candids of your girlfriend as she waiting for the dance captain to start her lead-in. 

glancing over your shoulder to be sure you were still in the safety zone, you refocused on the task at hand. since there were already other campus photographers on the sidelines, you technically didn't have to get photos of the game, but you weren't going to break cover now, not after you busted your ass to get where you were standing in the first place.

you snapped another photo, looking down at the digital screen with a frown, not exactly happy with the aperture priority.  fiddling with the dials, you glanced up at the stands again, head bobbing as your eye caught the dancer next to riri giving her a nudge and pointing in your direction. speedily, you lifted the camera back up to your face, index pressing down repeatedly as you captured her reaction to your presence. shifting the weight of the camera to your left hand, you raised the right, returning her enthusiastic wave before catching the kiss she blew at you with a smirk.

riri was literally glowing.

the energy in the air was electrifying, supercharged, after the Bruisers took the W, keeping them undefeated at the start of the season. thankfully the teams, band, and dancers were allowed to clear the stadium before the fans, event staff such as yourself following behind.

leaning back against the sleek black of your audi r7, you settled in to wait for riri to exit the blue double doors. honestly, you didn't mind letting the thousands of people fight their way out of their spots and onto the road. you were in no rush, giving a polite smile or wave as familiar faces as they cleared the press lot.

the slight bite of the cool breeze stroked against the bareness of your arms, your hands sliding back and forth to warm them despite the perfectly working heaters on the other side of the car door. just as you were about to give in and sit inside, the petite woman emerged from the double doors, her eyes scanning the busy lot until she found who she was looking for.

you.

it was as if a switch had turned on, the way riri brightened up the moment her eyes landed on you. a smile stretched wide across her face. legs kicking dramatically behind her, she half-jogged in your direction, both hands tucked into the kangaroo pocket of her oversized h---  wait, that was your hoodie. as well as your sweatpants, tied tight to her waist though still baggy on her hips.

"you missed me that much you had to steal my clothes?" you asked, pulling her into your arms.

leaning into her, riri's back bowed slightly as you pressed your full lips to hers, arms pulling her in closer as your lips traveled to her chee bones, her nose, her forehead. her laughter stole her breath as she gave it to the wind, pearly whites to the sky as she grinned.

"well i didn't know if you were comin' or not so i had to do what i had to do." she shrugged, eyebrow quirking as she stood bold in her truth, in her blatant desire to have you close.

"well, i'm here now so no substitutes needed, aight?" your hands slide away from her as you moved to open the passenger side door for her. "so where we headin'--yours or mine? i know you prolly wanna shower before we hit up some parties and i damn sure ain't wearin' this shit out tonight."

eyes never leaving her frame, you watched riri glide into the front seat with the gracefulness only a dancer could have. 

"we can head to yours. i think my 90's lakers jersey dress is over there and you got the perfect jordans to go right wit em too." 

there wasn't anything to say to that, nothing to do but to chuckle and shake your head as your fingers pushed the door closed. there was security in the way riri was so confident in her ability to just assume your things as hers. pride would swell in your chest seeing her swimming in your clothes, her healthy appetite and habitual exercise routine aiding in the appearance of her natural petiteness. not to mention that shit turned you all the way on.

it never felt unappreciated in the way her presence carried over into your personal space, not with the way the invitation was always mutual.

[ultimateinferno]

By shear coincidence the pandemic falls within the Ace Attorney time skip since T&T + Investigations games take place in early 2019.

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

It's really disappointing to see the fandom, even Louis fans, mischaracterize him so much. The fact that even self acclaimed fans still see him as "just a funny guy, a jokester. Clem needs a laugh" it really gets on my nerves.

It's worse on fanfics– and as if it couldn't get any worse, for some reason they have Clementine not have any faith in him. Like??? That's literally the base of their relationship?? Clementine sees the real him?? Reliable?? Why are they making her have doubts on his capabilities??

And I blame the game as well– AJ and Clem have like two lines about doubting him and implying he isn't reliable or smart and it makes me maaaad.

oop, I think this ask was a companion to the one I previously answered, so I probably should've answer this one first whoops~

But, yes, I agree. Mischaracterization is inescapable when it comes to fandom since fandom likes to pick out 2-3 traits to boil characters down to... y'know, so that they fit with the same 5 incorrect quotes posts over and over again. Not that I know anything about that from experience. Nope.

And when it comes to my guy Louis I try really hard to just not engage with that, y'know? I've done a lot of research on reddit about the Louis vs Violet debate because I'm a masochist and I hate myself for other things I'm working on, so I've become kinda numb to all the arguments about Louis being Mr. Unreliable Funny Man at this point.

I mean, arguments related to the debate still annoy me, hence why it's a topic I still write about, but it doesn't get under my skin the way it used to.

Also, I haven't read much new clouis fic these days... I've mostly reread the same few that are nostalgic for me. So, reading that some fics apparently have Clem not have faith in him is... a choice? Like, I'd need the context of that to make a full judgement, but still.

As for AJ and Clementine in-game, I'll refer you back to the one I answered before this. Just so that I don't have to rehash it here. Though I'll add that it's not inherently bad for the characters to doubt Louis from a writing standpoint. They need to doubt so that he can subvert their expectations of him, and grow as a character.

But, I also believe that's why AJ having the doubtful dialogue choice at the end bothers people, too.

[imtheiliad]

ive never seen parks and rec but id love to hear about the au

ok idk how much this is going to make any sense without the context of the show lol

anywho this would also probably like fulfill that desire to write a small town au too cause i feel like it wouldn’t work if they worked in LA, i’m not sure about where yet but maybe somewhere else in southern california or something.

so basically buck would be the super positive public servant, working through the bureaucracy of local government. he is being paid to be clipboard buck. he is a menace, but he is also kind and killer at his job. (edit insp. from @ofthedirewolves because i cannot believe i forgot how clipboard buck works so well in this scenario)

and of course we have eddie “human disaster” “who hasn’t had gay thoughts” diaz the stoic and serious (at first glance) state accountant shows up, buck hates eddie on principle, who let him come here and make budget cuts and name him nonessential personnel (the government did)

other characters i have figured out so far— maddie is a nurse in town who is fed up with the ugly pit behind her house and her brother is fighting like hell to get her a gorgeous park instead because it’s what she deserves. ravi the apathetic department intern who is forcefully adopted by buck into menteeship. chimney, eddie’s upbeat work partner hen works with maddie at the hospital while also being the department’s public health liaison. bobby is the department director.

anyway like really it’s mostly just vibes rn lol

[applejuiceyjuice-art]

can you draw exe twitter and tumblr

i love exe

- tumblrs corrupted form, while also being a sexyman thing obviously, leans into his need for control and categorization, which are skills that allowed him to make the master plan to corrupt and gather his lil army (ao3 worked similarly, but much more covertly and “on the ground”)

- twitter leans into his fallen angel/devil aesthetic. we didn’t have many notes for him but if i had to expand on it, i think he could be responsible for spreading the virus the most due to his affiliation with code and have that relate to how ever large and influential his site is, which was why he had that devil form to begin with

[aprilblossomgirl]

-- I don’t know how much further we have to travel before we find our space. We may have to pass difficult curves and crossroads we have to guess whether to go left or right, or how many times we’ll choose to turn back. 

First Kanaphan Puitrakul as Akk. Khaotung Thanawat Ratanakitpaisan as Ayan. Neo Trai Nimtawat as Kanlong. Louis Thanawin Teeraphosukarn as Thuaphu. AJ Chayapol Jutamas as Wasuwat. Pawin Kulkaranyawich as Namo. Ployphach Phatchatorn Thanawat as Sani. | Our Skyy 2 x The Eclipse (2023)