#but I like her bank a lot c:

[drawingeveryutau]

Kyoukine Nairu! Voiced and Managed by Naruru-chan

An active and social young woman, Nairu released December 12th, 2011. Enjoys hanging out with friends, but comes off as introverted and down-trodden to new people. If she sees someone sad or in trouble, she'll do her best to help them.

[what-even-is-thiss]

I worry sometimes about the beautiful fantasy that certain conservative stay at home moms are selling on places like tiktok and Instagram. A lot of them are acting like stay at home moms should never work or do finances or something and that’s just not right.

Both of my grandmothers were stay at home moms but neither of my grandfathers forced them into it. My dad’s mom helped run the family construction business and did some freelance architecture design on the side and my mom’s mom just hated working and worked part time as a teller on and off during times they needed more money. And both of my grandfathers knew how to cook. They didn’t cook most of the time but sometimes the wife is sick or off visiting her parents so you’ve gotta know how to whip up some corn chowder or something for the kids after work.

A lot of “stay at home spouses” or “homemakers” work actually. Including those trad wife influencers or even occasional house husband influencers you see on Instagram and tiktok. Their job ironically enough is being a homemaker influencer. The second that person turns on a camera for money they’re no longer solely working as a homemaker.

The idea that there’s some perfect life you can live where all you do is clean and cook and have perfect little babies is a fantasy. Parenthood involves vomit. Relationships involve disagreements. Most households necessitate having two incomes at some point, especially if your main source of income is a business. Businesses are inconsistent sources of money. Freelance work is an inconsistent source of money. It’s also important to have your own means of financial support in case your spouse decides to stop being a good person someday. It might not happen to you but there’s also no guarantee that it won’t. And a decent person won’t feel threatened by you wanting to have your own means of income because if they’re a good person then generally they shouldn’t have to financially trap you in order to get you to stay with them.

Thankfully neither of my grandfathers turned out to be total pieces of shit but in case they did one of my grandmothers had her investments and architecture and drafting skills to fall back on and the other had years of experience as a bank teller that could’ve gotten her a full time job in most places. And both of these women ended up raising daughters that grew up to have careers.

My mother was also a part time teacher that spent a good amount of her time raising my brother and I when she was alive. But she had her own money and could have left at any time if she needed to and when she died my dad still had all the skills needed to raise us and teach my brother and I how to do basic household tasks.

If your life’s dream is to be a stay at home parent I’m not going to tell you that’s a stupid dream. What I am going to tell you is a) it’s not glamorous and stress-free and you should not expect it to be like that, b) have an escape plan just in case and fully understand what you’re getting into financially, and c) pick someone as your partner who knows how to do basic household tasks even if they won’t be doing them most of the time because you will get sick, you will get tired, you will visit your friends or family and you want someone who can get your kids dressed and cook them dinner in the event that you can’t.

[maiamore]

PASS THE SALT, MR MILLER

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female!Reader - No Outbreak Rating: 18+ | W/C: 4.5k

Summary: Joel finds out the hard way that leaving a pretty girl with blue-balls isn’t the smartest.

Or, Joel fucks you in his garage.

Tags: christmas-y vibes, fucking on Joel’s car, implied age gap,unprotected p in v, grumpy!joel, lots of yearning, squirting, sexual games, brat taming, outdoor sex, creampie

A/N: merry christmas folks! tbh this is just a game of how many fics can I write that has to do with (a) joel's truck or (b) joel yearning. side note, looped Disease - Lady Gaga track on repeat while writing this oops

MASTERLIST | MAIN STORY

Holidays have never really been something you celebrated. Fuck it, your own birthday even. It just wasn’t a priority you considered worth fussing over. Admittedly, your lack of enthusiasm for these events was probably why you ended up avoiding them. You would do the most for the people you loved but never for yourself.

Take Halloween for example. Your friends from Columbia were begging you for a slutty girls' night out, but you’d opted to stay home to help chaperone your younger brother Oscar’s party. Even so far as to set everything up, you’d made sure Oscar had a shot at being the coolest damn guy in his school. Fret not, jobless big sis is there to help ya. 

Of course, it hadn’t gone unrewarded, to put it loosely. All that really happened was some broody hot middle-aged dad jerking off in front of your face. Nothing out of the ordinary.

You found yourself staring at the pale green piece of paper your younger brother, Oscar,  handed you when he came home from school that evening. Eyeing the morbidly cliche design that screamed of some bored old receptionists' handiwork, you tilt it to get a better read.

Oak Ridge High School Annual Christmas Potluck.

Great. Another one. You were often the stand-in for his PTA Meetings in place of your ever so busy parents. While you had your fun with the free buffets and whatnot, you were getting tired of people asking how old you were when you “had” Oscar. 

*Calling all Parent Volunteers. Please Contact Joel Miller at +1 (512) 555 XXX for details. 

Now that got your attention.

Joel Miller. The man who, after that night, weaseled his way into your glorious collection of mental spank bank. Evident in the plethora of stolen nudie mags your mom stashed underneath her mattress—you’d gone as far to dog-ear pages of men who had the slightest resemblance to him. 

You couldn’t get him out of your mind. By him, his dick. All eight fuckin’ inches of pent-up old man dick. 

The desperation in the way he thumbed his slit, coaxing his milky cum into your waiting mouth in your bedroom flashed in your mind like post-traumatic-sex-disorder. You were robbed of a good fuck.

The beeps of your dial-pad echoed embarrassingly loud while you dialled the number on the flyer before fully seeing the idiocy in this move. The line connects after a few rings. 

“Miller. Who’s callin’?”

A shudder runs down your spine. His voice hit you like a freight train, low and gravelly, cutting through the faint clatter of what sounded like construction work on the other end.

Fuck. Fuck fuck. Hang up. Hang–

“Hi.” You blurt out, forcing a higher register in your voice in a desperate attempt to disguise yourself. “I’d like to register. For the Christmas…thing.” There was a pause, followed by the clunk of something heavy and the sound of boots against a hard floor. 

“Right. You’re the parent of…?” 

You clutched your phone tighter when Joel’s voice rang clearer than ever, throat dry as you scrambled to speak. “Oscar.”

He repeats your last name when you offer it, slow and deliberate, like he was trying to place it–a flicker of recognition almost.

“Alright then,” he finally says, the faintest edge of suspicion still lingering.

 “Guess I’ll see ya there.”

—

Impulsiveness was something that fucked Joel over most times. 

Messing around with someone he’d consider uncomfortably closer to his daughter's age than his own settled within him like poison. 

It’d been two whole months since the incident at halloween and he was still hung up over you. He was certain that a pretty girl like you had far better prospects than a washed up crotchety shit like him. 

You plagued his mind every time his fist wrapped around his cock. Every time he’d tried to fuck the stress of working long hours of grunt work at the site. Your soft and sweet expression offered him instantaneous, sticky reprieve. 

Guilt, or something he should’ve been feeling over using your face as masturbation material didn’t quite blare the alarms in his head through post-nut clarities. 

He knew he had fucked up the second he had you on your knees that night. 

You parked your sedan in front of a navy chevrolet in the driveway. Hopping out of the car as you looked up at the quaint home, clean white siding, neatly trimmed lawn. 

You figured by the bustling noise from the backyard that a volunteer offered up their home and all. Generous, you thought. And then you catch it. The worn down navy mailbox that sprawled the letters–

M I L L E R

The swirl that was now your mind dragged painful throbs in your head. To be in his own backyard felt stalker-ish even for you. 

With a weary exhale, you click open the boot of your car. Worrying had to come later, you had to formulate a game plan for the boxes of fairy lights you somehow had to haul into Joel’s backyard.

With a heaving effort, you propped up two boxes into your arms when the shuffle of footsteps catches your attention, coming from beside the opening garage. 

“Hey! Sorry, could use a little help...” You call out instinctively. 

Only managing to catch a glimpse of a hand bracing against the rickety garage door to shove it all the way up with a loud metallic clang. 

The sound startles you, but not as much as the sight when one of the boxes lifts from your hold, revealing your apparent savior.

The both of you pause, staring at each other in slight shock. Well–for him at least. You had ulterior motives that came delivered to you all wrapped up in worn-out denim.

Joel’s expression was less than welcoming, which in his defense—he wasn’t quite expecting to see his ghost in his own yard. 

“What are you doin’ here?”

The curtness of his voice throws you, but it’s too late to think of turning tail and driving off.

“I’m…one of the volunteers.”

“Sweetheart,” Joel begins, lifting the last box out of your arms like they weighed nothing. “You signin’ up under your mama’s name just to come sniffin’ round’ me? That it?”

“What? No. She couldn’t make it,” you shoot back, a little too quick, a little too defensive. Joel wasn’t buying it, his unimpressed stare making you shift on your feet.

“Uh-huh,” he mutters, already stepping over to your car. With a grunt, he hefted another box from your trunk, the effort drawing a low sound from his chest. 

The bitterness (and arousal) pools in your mouth at the noise he makes. 

Yes. You’d admit. You sniffed out Joel’s trail like some stray, chasing after the smallest crumb of him. It wasn’t irrational for you to think that you deserved some sort of closure. 

His voice cuts clean through your spiraling thoughts. “If you’re expectin’ somethin’, you best stop right there. I ain’t messin’ around.” You grimaced, fumbling for words. 

“I’m just here to help—” 

“S’enough outta you. Stay out of trouble.” He interrupts, not quite looking at you. 

Joel wills himself to flick his gaze anywhere but at you, one look at your face was enough to remind him of the fact, one look was probably enough to pop a damn boner. He sets the boxes down by the patio, knees cracking as he stretches back up with a grunt.

“Get someone to hang ‘em up. ‘Cause clearly,” he says, eyeing your sweater and skirt, “you ain’t dressed to actually help.”

He gives you a short, dismissive nod before turning away, leaving you standing there. Warmth pools your cheeks, feeling foolish to have gone this far for the attention of a man who made it clear that he didn’t seem to give a fuck whether you were here or not.

—

Joel spends the better half of the afternoon hovering around you. 

Approaching you normally was out of the question now that Sarah and the other kids began to flitter into his backyard to help with preparation. His daughter’s presence acted like a highly effective cock-block. Not that he had any business entertaining those kinds of thoughts in the first place.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

Risky didn’t begin to describe it, so he kept his distance. That resolve went straight out the window when he spotted you, half-balanced on a ladder, hanging Christmas lights along the edge of his roof. With candy cane printed panties peeking out from under your skirt—god almighty, Joel nearly doubled over.

You could feel Joel's eyes on you while attempting to hang the lights over the siding. Purposefully going against what he said, purposefully giving everyone a goddamn show. 

"You ever learn how to listen?" 

“I can do it myself.” You shot back. Coyly soothing the back of your skirt. A proper fuck you to him at his insinuation that you’d been here just to man-trap him. Not that the notion did much. 

You felt the ladder steady with Joel’s hold. Effectively blocking everyone else from seeing what you were flaunting. 

"For the love of christ, darlin’, get down." 

“For the love of christ, I’m almost fuckin’ done.” You parroted his words back to him with an annoyed huff. It was hard not to let Joel infiltrate your mind but lack of his attention was eating you up–making you do crazy things, evidently.

With a satisfied huff at the placements, you brought your arms down.

Why did that…feel heavy?

A sharp crackle and metallic clatter fills the air before you fully completed your thought, the chains of lights comes tumbling down. You froze. Lowering your gaze to see the single goddamn twine snagged onto your sweater that you’d effectively yanked down with you. 

The bulbs burst into chaotic pops as they hit the ground, shards of glass scattering like tiny fireworks across the patio, drawing everyone’s attention.

Joel doesn’t hesitate, his hands found your waist as he lifted you off the ladder and set you firmly on the ground to safety with a grunt, his eyes snaps to the shards of glass glinting in the light and the fresh scratches marring his freshly varnished patio.

"You gotta be shittin' me..." He mutters, the irritation sharp in his drawl.  

“Mr Miller…”

Joel held up his palm as a sign to get you to be quiet so he could speak. Damn if you calling him Mr Miller now of all times didn’t make him want to haul your ass up to his bedroom.

Which he might add, seemed conveniently close.

He closes his eyes for a few seconds, pinching the bridge of his nose. "D’you think before you do anythin’ at all? Or do you just act on impulse?" He asks in a sharp and biting tone, looking directly at you as he spoke.

You cock your brow at his words. Surely he wasn’t seriously reacting this way to a couple of broken lights. To mention, your lights.

“What? Think about being a decent person to help?”

"A decent person would've listened the first time when I told you to leave it the hell alone," he snapped, stepping closer. "A decent person wouldn’t have shot me attitude n’ thrown a damn temper tantrum when I told you to get down."  

“What are you getting so bent out of shape for?”

“For starters, you wrecked my patio, darlin’.” He grumbles. Rubbing the back of his neck in the slightest amount of awareness that he’d overreacted, though he’d rather chew rocks than admit it. 

You don’t answer him. Humiliated as is. Your pouty-ness showed in the way you stomped over to get the broom that lay in the corner. He watches you regardless, arms folded taut.

“Goddamned train-wreck.” He mutters under his breath after a long pause, not even giving you the chance to let an apology leave your lips before he turns his heel to leave.

—

You didn’t take it well when people spoke to you like you were stupid. 

An Ivy League degree hung the walls of your room for fucks sake. Who the hell did Joel think he was? As if that wasn’t humiliating enough, you’d tucked your tail between your legs to sweep it all up without a word. The embers that lay dormant were further fanned as time passed. You were pissed.

Joel, on the other hand, begins to feel guilt at the way he’d reacted. Even in the corner of his eyes, he sees you helping set up with the rest of the parents. It wasn’t the behaviour of some reckless nympho he imagined you to be when you stepped foot into his yard. 

You didn’t have to stand there to stand under the sun in the unforgiving Texas heat, refilling lemonade for the parent’s committee. Or entertain Sarah and the rest of the kids. You’d turned his backyard into a damned Christmas Wonderland by the end of the night.

You were a good girl, he figures after a long while of brooding.

And he tries. He tries to approach you to apologize but you didn’t seem to be having it. Going out of your way to swerve at the slightest sight of him near you. Which he gets.

You were over it, really. Chalked it up to his personality being generally the way it was. But what really helped you get over your humiliation? Seeing Joel Miller fucking grovel. 

Which you were acutely aware of with the way he lingered around you, waiting for an opening that you deprived of him.

—

The skies grew to a dusky violet, the backyard gently lit up with the soft twinkle of the fairy lights you’d painstakingly hung up (and re-hung). Lull of familiar Christmas classics playing by the speakers. 

The warmth of the chatter and laughter surrounding the table tugged at your edges, coaxing a reluctant smile to your lips. You weren’t ready to admit it, but the festive mood was infectious.

You sat near the end of the committee’s table, the seat next to you conspicuously empty. The kids–Oscar, Sarah, and their friends were huddled at their own table. You briefly wondered if you should join them instead, given that the current hot topic at your table being mortgage rates.

The thud of a melamine crystal glass landing next to your plate broke your train of thought. You flick your gaze up, your expression hardening the moment you caught sight of Joel dragging the empty chair over next to you and lowering himself into it with a creak.

Without a word, he slides the glass closer to you, taking a sip from his own. His movements were deliberate, careful, like a man trying not to step on a landmine.

Joel wasn’t quite well-versed in apologies, as evident by Sarah’s constant reminders that one of these days he was going to piss a woman he actually fancied. His hand stretches over your lap, unfurling the napkin on the other side of you to drape it over your thighs. 

“Could you pass over the salt, sweetheart?” 

You tilt your head, arching a brow, not moving a muscle. Instead, you shot him a pointed look.

With a heavy sigh and a muttered curse under his breath, Joel stands up, his knees popping audibly as he leaned across the table to grab the salt himself. He slumps back into his chair, setting it down with a huff. How could a little thing like you hold so much anger?

“Done torturin’ me yet?” 

A scoff leaves your lips. 

“Who said I was?” 

“I’m tryin’ to apologise, sweetheart.” You shudder at the manner he whispers the words out. As though it was a secret reserved for just you and him. 

You rest your cheeks on your palms, shooting him an uninterested look. Joel’s eyes darts down to your plate that you were pushing to him. He doesn’t hesitate, reaching over and starts loading your plate up again with generous portions of the dishes spread across the table. The sight of him doing so, quiet and almost reverent, made your chest sing.

Oh this. This you could get used to.

For the next twenty minutes, you’d milked Joel’s newfound contrition for all it was worth. Needed a refill? Joel was already reaching for your glass. Running low on napkins? He was up and grabbing a fresh one before you even asked. You’d even braced yourself for him to snap when you made a fuss over your creaky chair, but to your delight, he stood up and swapped it out without so much as a grumble.

Unfortunately for you, your luck does runs out.

The flutter of your napkin onto the makeshift mat spread across the lawn catches his attention, his eyes darting to the rogue square of fabric before slowly flicking back up to meet your gaze. You leaned back in your chair, looking at him expectantly, lips quirking just enough to toe the line between innocent and insufferable.

Joel’s jaw twitches.

“Fuckin’ pick it up on your own, sweetheart.” his voice was laced with just enough irritation to make your smirk widen. Still, you couldn’t resist one last little prod.

Your legs shifted, one crossing over the other, the toe of your shoe brushing lightly against the denim of his jeans. His eyes darted down to the motion before snapping back up, a muscle in his jaw tightening.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to apologise?” 

Joel shifts in his chair, arms crossing over his broad chest as he gave you a look that sent a shiver down your spine. “Think I settled my debts, crackles.”

You roll your eyes at his taunt, the warning laced in it only served to burn in your gut like uncontrollable lust. You felt yourself grow bored now that he’d ruthlessly cut you off from your only source of entertainment. 

The thrill begins to wane, you’d grown impatient at Joel’s lack of well, giving in. Though the idea, a possibly stupid one, that you might’ve needed to give him a little push crosses your mind. 

With a deliberate stretch, you rose from your seat, leaning over the table to reach for the salt shaker resting comfortably on Joel’s side with a hand placed on his thigh. It was perfectly positioned for him to hand it over to you–if you’d bothered to ask. But that wasn’t the point.

For a moment, he didn’t move. Didn’t speak. His jaw clenched so tight you could see the faint tick of his pulse. Slowly, you eased back into your seat, dragging your fingers in a slow deliberate curve as you went.

The sharp grip of his hand on your wrist came next, firm enough to make you gasp. Joel’s dark eyes locked on yours, his nostrils flaring as he tried to keep whatever storm was brewing behind them at bay.

You pressed your tongue against your cheek, a smirk tugging at the corner of your lips. He’d taken the bait all right. The unmistakable rise against where your hand was placed told you what you needed to know. Hook, line, and sinker.

It doesn’t quite matter to him whether you’d forgiven him anymore. 

With a sharp tug, Joel pulls you up with him. “S’cuse me. This one isn’t feeling too well.” 

The protest dies in your throat when Joel practically hauls you across his yard, away from the nosy glances from the rest of the parents. 

You frown at the dusty old garage he leads you to up front where you’d parked your car. A hand comes up the back of your head to force you to duck underneath the half opened door, cringing at the loud sound it draws. 

You tip your head up to watch Joel grab the edge of the half-opened garage door to full slam it down shut.

Fuck. You felt your cunt clench with the way his sleeves tightened around his forearms, wetting your lips subconsciously at the sight.

“This where you murder me, Mr Miller?”

His jaw ticks at that. There it was again. Mr Miller.

“Shut up.”

You mouthed the words wow as you looked to the side. As though there was a camera you were monologuing to. Joel approaches you tentatively. Backing you up until you feel sturdy metal stop your path. 

A firm slam against the hood you were backed up against causes you to jolt. 

“You’re fuckin’ with me.” He begins. Shifting closer until he had you snug against him and the truck. “You’ve been fuckin’ with me.”

You tilt your head up. Neck stretched uncomfortably to its limit. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Joel sighs. Looking towards the side, as though he might back off and run away again. 

“This ain’t right.”

You frown. Why was he getting cold feet now? You gaze darts to the side, following his line of vision. A frilly pink bicycle parked in the midst of the dusty old boxes stacked up against concrete walls. Some labelled with years of mementos of his daughter growing up. 

Joel groans when he feels a much smaller, soft hand cup against the growing strain on his jeans. “Judging by this, I think you’re full of shit.”

His restraint teeters on the edge. “Don’t.” He grasps around your wrists to stop you, though, he half asses it, barely with the amount of strength he could’ve used if he’d really wanted you to stop.  

You palm against his erection, feeling it quickly harden beneath. You suck in your breath at the way his brows furrowed in concentration, the slight twitch of his lips. A whimper leaves your lips at how receptive he’d been to your touch. 

“You’re trouble.” He manages. Finally meeting your gaze. You can tell he’s conflicted, but the way you cupped around his balls through the denim has him keeling over with a rough exhale. 

He finally gathers enough strength in him to force your hand away from his cock. Just as you were about to whine about it, he flips you over. You steady your palms against the hood of his truck. 

“Gotta be quiet. You understand me?” You nod quickly. Not daring to speak considering how his voice already echoed in the garage even at its softest.

Your elbows move to rest against the dirtied metal. Folding it so you could comfortably rest your head on it. 

Joel lets out a low whistle at the way you bend your hips. Hiking your skirt up slowly. “Fuckin’ hell sweetheart.” He mutters. Thumb swiping against the growing dampness of your panties. 

A dull noise from his zipper is the only other thing you hear when you feel him grind his clothed cock against you. 

“Mr Miller—please.” You breathed out. Your thighs tenses, wiggling your hips higher to relieve the ache you felt. Feeling his hardness prod against your folds. 

Joel sighs softly, thumbing against your clit before you curl into yourself. “Don’t need it.” You breathe out quickly. There’s a pause in his movements before you feel a thumb hook around the waistband of your panties. Dragging it down to your ankles. 

The sound Joel makes at the sight of your slick stringing down the gusset of it makes him wince out audibly. Two fingers gather the slick of your folds, messily dragging it up and down your clit in a repeated notion. His fingers dipping in and out of you with a squelch. You groan out. Hips stuttering at the sensation. 

“Hurry.” You urged.

You feel his other palm carefully twirl around the back of your hair. The breath knocks out of you when he heaves you backwards into his chest with a sharp tug. Fingertips entwined with your locks.

“Been patient with ya all fuckin’ day and ya think you got the right t’rush me now?”

Tears threaten to prick in the corners of your eyes at his tone. You grip around his wrist where he holds your hair. “…hurts” , you whisper, guiding his other hand back to your clit, “..here.”

Joel swallows thickly. He clenched his jaw so damn tight you audibly heard just how hard he ground them. How could he deprive you further when you were begging so sweetly? 

He shucks his jeans down further, guiding his twitching cock out from his boxers. A drawn out groan leaves your lips when he nudges the head of his cock against your soaking pussy. Your moan echoes loudly into the space around you both. 

He growls into your ears. Before you could apologise, your voice gets muffled around the heavy palm that comes to cover your mouth. You whine against it. “Told t’be fuckin’ quiet.” He grits, voice hushed against the side of your head. 

Your eyes nearly roll back at the way he begins to thrust into you with the tip in an effort to get you used to his size. But it didn’t matter. The way his cockhead stretched your pussy out stung. But it was quickly replaced by the nauseating need to be fucked full. 

Joel leans down to trace kisses up your neck before he fully sheathes himself into you. The muffle around your mouth grows tighter to suppress the loud moan. “Shh shh…you’ve got it.” He praises, breathing heavily into your ears. 

The tears trickle directly over his knuckles. He releases the grip he had on your hair, looping around your abdomen. Snapping his hips into you at a punishing pace. You babble incoherently, practically slobbering into his palms, whining about how deep his cock was pounding into you. 

The obscene slaps of where the two of you connected fills the garage, only spurring his need to fill you deep with his come. 

Joel lets out a groan when you clench around his dick like vice. “Fuck. Pussy’s chokin’ me.” His head drops to the dip of your neck. Pressing kisses onto your pulse point. 

“Don’t think I can last much longer.” He admits, dragging his hand–slick with your saliva down to your throat. His head flush against your shoulder blade. He takes a moment to breathe you in. Joel isn’t quite the man he used to be and coming this embarrassingly fast wasn’t on his docket. Least of all tonight. 

You squirm a little at the sensation of Joel’s stubble against your shoulder. A deep exhale leaving your lips. 

“M…me too..” You pant out heavily. Resting your head back against his chest. Joel’s free hand slides underneath your sweater, yanking your bra down. 

A rough palm kneads the softness, tweaking your hardened nipples in a circular motion. “Shit. Mr—…Miller.” You manage. Squirming at how his palm gropes your tits clumsily. You give yourself the final push you needed, your fingers coming down to rub against your clit. 

Joel’s hips stutter at the sensation of your pussy convulsing around his cock, following your orgasm soon after. But he doesn’t stop. He fucks you through it. Both his hands firm around your hips. 

Your hands hastily come up to grab around his wrists. “Wait—stop—…stop.” You gasp out. Joel doesn’t quite register your pleas with how his mind was whirring around wanting to fuck his come deep into you until he feels a warm splatter of your release trickle down his thighs. 

Your bated breaths fill the garage. Mortified, you watch the liquid drip from the radiator grill of Joel’s truck. 

“I’ll be damned.” He muses, earning a warning look from you. Joel shakes his head, a low rumble from his chest makes you feel a little less embarrassed about squirting onto his truck. He turns you around to press a kiss onto the apple of your cheeks. 

“Been meanin’ to get er’ washed. Guess I don’t gotta anymore.”

[comedicjustice]

With people begging to see Pacifica, I thought I’d throw you all a little something.

I’ve also realized that none of you are my writing partner in this. So I need to share with you all my fun little headcanons and the things I’ve rewritten when it comes to this au.

So to start off, Pacifica is a widow. Her husband died when their son was at a young age and so she’s been raising him alone. However her husband’s death also lead to her freedom! Pacifica has a gross amount of money in her bank account so she ended up being the “maddest member of the Northwest clan” through funding all sorts of things in Gravity falls. While still being able to retain her wealth!!

One of the most notable projects she’s funded was for a local scientist, Mabel Pines. Something about studying the local wildlife? Pacifica couldn’t bother herself to remember. Just that she wrote a fat paycheck so Mabel could build some underground bunker to conduct research with her lab assistant.

Pacifica used to be in close contact with Dr. Pines and C, but one day the two just suddenly stopped responding to her. Pacifica doesn’t know the reason and refrained herself from visiting after being ghosted like that. She had a six year old son to worry about.. and a package that arrived on her doorstep.

I’ll go more into the organ freezer that is Bill later, but that’s exactly what she found on her doorstep. A puppet of a boy whose body wasn’t alive, but his mind was filled with fantasy. She recognized the labeling on his body to be a work of Pines and C, so obviously they had entrusted her with this machinery.

Trivia time!!

The northwest manner curse is still placed on the house. Mainly because Pacifica doenst let anyone go in or out of the mansion.

She has a pet chicken.

Definitely more herself in this AU. Still knows how to be prissy and perfect, but a lot more extroverted and nicer to the townsfolk.

Still believes her family founded the town.

She’s an old ass lady but no one can get her exact age out of her. She changes the answer each time.

Sort of wants to visit Mabel’s home, but apparently he’s transitioned and changed his name to Mae? Obviously he wants to start over and that doesn’t include her. Just a bad investment.

Classist without realizing it.

Enjoys video games but only plays stuff from the 80s-90s. She can’t understand the newer consoles.

[teaboot]

💩A💩C💩A💩B💩 there is no nuance to this statement. if you're so worried about your 3 hours of paperwork because someone stole something, dont have a job like that. you arent protecting people as much as you think you are. it's clearly a power trip. please wake up

I'm not a cop, I'm a security guard. I escort employees for bank drop-offs and call paramedics for bathroom OD's. Sometimes I tell people to move their truck out of the handicap stall. One time I got radio'd to the parking lot to handle a seagull that had flown into a lamp post. I once dealt with a lady who left her baby on the sidewalk while she went shopping

[reingkings]

Gi-hun can’t hold grudges, and what that means for Inhun/457.

I was thinking of this the other day. I don’t consider myself to be the type of person who holds grudges, but looking at Gi-hun I feel like he puts me to shame.

Disclaimer: I don’t hate the following characters this is just an analysis.

Example A: Sae-byeok. We all love her in the fandom, but if you think about it– Gi-hun only knew her a couple of days. The first time they met, she stole from him causing him a lot of trouble. When they met again, she didn’t even apologize and was generally rude. And yet, Gi-him was willing to put his life on the line to defend her from 101. And then, he was willing to fight Sang-woo for her. He goes on to take care of her brother for her, too.

Example B: Speaking of Sang-woo, he betrayed Gi-hun pretty early on during dalgona. I think to some extent Gi-hun knew this but he still let it go. He only got angry when Sang-woo pushed the other player during the bridge game, then with Sae-byeok. And yet, even in the end when Sang-woo tried to kill him (and stabbed him through the hand) and he needed the money for his mother’s treatment - he was willing to leave the money so they could both leave alive.

Example C: The loan shark. Dude literally beat him up, humiliated him, and made him sign an agreement to sell his organs. And yet, in season 2, Gi-huh is willing to team up with them and pay them to help find the Salesman.

Example D: Jung-bae. Jung-bae is definitely another favorite, and I think we definitely have a bias towards him, but objectively he was not the greatest friend. For one, he was the one who introduced Gi-hun to horse racing, precipitating Gi-hub’s money troubles. When Gi-hun needed his help, he also didn’t lend Gi-hun money for his mother’s treatment (I don’t think he necessarily was to blame for her death, but it is a huge disappointment). They fell out of contact and reunited in the game, where he betrayed Gi-hun again by voting O. This is particularly cold-hearted when you think about the fact that the money pool would only only climb if more players die the next game. That’s what the O’s bank on. Yet, Gi-hun was never able to stay angry, and trusted him to the very end.

It kind of shows that Gi-hun can’t really distinguish from good or bad, and he is uniquely soft-hearted. If someone kicked while he was down, he would probably apologize.

To someone like In-ho, who pretty much seems to be the opposite of Gi-hun in every possible way, I think this kind of attitude makes him angry. But I think at the same time it’s what causes his obsession. In a self-indulgent evil world with bored rich people, organ traffickers, and cannibals (probably) — a person like Gi-hun is an impossibility.

Therefore, in order to satisfy his curiosity, In-ho has to test the boundaries of Gi-hun’s humanity. He’s willing to indulge Gi-hun without letting him escape. (For example, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the Salesman was at the airport when Gi-hun was ready to leave for America. This has In-ho written all over it). He lets Gi-hun join the games, but he won’t let him keep the tracker. He lets the players vote each round, but ensures the X’s are never the majority. He lets Gi-hun stage a rebellion, but won’t let him succeed.

And yet, In-ho would rather let Gi-hun think he died than reveal to Gi-hun that he is the Frontman – arguably something that would hurt him even more.

Is this subconsciously a way out that he’s leaving himself? He knows Gi-hun could forgive him being a coward, because Gi-hun is capable of forgiving anything.

Or is it something worse. I think if you meet someone that can forgive anything, then the most special existence to that person — isn’t it the one person they are capable of hating?

[ssprayberrythings]

two worlds collide | LN4

lando norris x actress!reader / smau fic 

fc: madelyn cline 

warnings: none, i just enjoy overindulging with fluff 

i got so carried away with this but honestly i’m proud of it so i hope you enjoy. also obx is one of my favourite shows which is why i decided on mads as my f/c so i could incorporate two of my passions !! 

-

yourusername posted on their instagram

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bored of these hotel rooms 

view all comments 

ynismylife: OMG MOM 

iloveynyl: SHES STUNNING 

ynsluvrr: IM DROOLING SHES SO PRETTY 

iloveyn: I WANT TO MARRY HER 

fanofyn: HOW IS SHE SINGLE 

╰ ynismylife: BEATS ME, I WOULD DATE HER IN A HEARTBEAT 

-

yourusername posted on their story  

caption: made it back home in enough time for the race 🏎️

*replies disabled* 

-

madisonbaileybabe posted on their instagram

📍charleston, north carolina 

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the girls are back 

tagged: @yourusername 

view all comments 

obx4life: AH THEYRE BOTH SO PRETTY 

ynfan: Y/N ONE CHANCE PLEASE 

user5: drooling..

user7: cant tell if i want to be them or be with them 

yourusername: i was missing you big time 🫂

╰ liked by madisonbaileybabe 

ynupdates_ posted on their instagram 

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y/n seen out with madison bailey the other night. happy to see the two outer banks co stars hangout even during their time off 

*comments disabled* 

-

yourusername posted on their story  

caption: where could we be going now @yourbestfriend 

╰ yourbestfriend: AH YOUR FANS ARE GONNA GO CRAZY WHEN THEY SEE US THIS WEEKEND 

yourbestfriend posted on their instagram

📍las vegas, nevada  

ynfan, user20, user1 & others liked 

thanks y/n for being famous and taking me with you to cool events ����

tagged: @yourusername 

view all comments 

ynfan: AHHHH THEYRE IN LAS VEGAS 

user2: wish my best friend was famous, must be nice 

ynislife: wait does anyone know if the grand prix for f1 is happening this weekend too? cause y/n is an f1 fan and thAT WOULD BE SO COOL IF SHE WENT 

╰ f1fan: yes the vegas grand prix is this weekend !! 

╰ ynislife: omg OMG omg OMG 

yourusername: you’re welcome, no one else i’d rather have by my side 😘

╰ liked by yourbestfriend 

user7: y/n travels a lot and still manages to look like that? what is her skincare routine 😩

╰ user1: I WAS WONDERING THE SAME THING 

yourusername posted on their story  

caption: this weekend is one for the books i can already tell 🤩

╰ f1: cant wait to see you in the paddock !! 

╰ yourbestfriend: super excited !! 

╰ redbullracing: thanks for joining us as a guest of red bull :) 

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what a great weekend in las vegas full of so much excitement with both of our drivers making podium, getting to see lots of stars come out & once again securing another win under our belt towards that final championship. keep up the good work everyone 🏆

#RedBullRacing #LasVegasGP

tagged: maxverstappen1, schecoperez, gordanramsey, sirrodstewart, yourusername 

view all comments 

ynfan: omg omg omg omg she met max ????

f1fan: Y/N WITH MAX WAS A CROSSOVER I NEVER REALIZED I NEEDED 

f1updates: people in paddock this weekend said Y/N was so happy to be there and was so grateful for the opportunity 

yourusername: thank you again for having me. its a weekend i’ll never forget ! 

╰ redbullracing: thanks for accepting our invitation, hope to see you around the paddock more often ! 

ynismylove: is no one talking about lando being in red bull’s likes ?? is that normal ?? 

╰ verstappenmaxfan: im not too sure now that i think about it 

Max was quietly scrolling on his phone after the Las Vegas grand prix, enjoying some down time before the final race of the season . He was just absently looking on tiktok when he received a phone call from none other than Lando. 

“Lando, mate how are you doing after the Las Vegas grand prix?” Max asked, knowing Lando had been taken to medic after his nasty crash at the recent grand prix 

“I’m good, still a bit sore but I’ve gotten the clear to race in the upcoming race so I’m looking forward to that” Lando explained “Thats not why I’m calling though” he continued 

“Oh. What’s up then?” Max asked slightly confused 

“Y/N Y/L/N was at the Las Vegas grand prix and you met her? How was she? She got invited by Red Bull, how did that work? Is she as pretty in person as she is on social media?” Lando rambled on 

“Lando take a breath” Max chuckled “But yes she was there, invited by Red Bull. I think they just reached out to her and asked if she wanted to come. How is she? Dude I don’t know, she’s nice, kept thanking everyone for the invitation, she told us she’s a massive F1 fan which was cool” Max answered the boys questions 

“And as for her looks, I have a girlfriend however yes she looks the same in person as she does in the media” He rolled his eyes even if Lando couldn’t see him. “Why are you so curious?” He asked his friend trying to understand where all this was coming from 

“She’s been one of my biggest celebrity crushes and I was so looking forward to hopefully getting to meet her when I found out she’d be there but then I crashed” He chuckled slightly at how much he sounded like a little kid “Then I saw you met her and just wanted to see what she was like” He explained to Max 

Max let out a laugh before answering the younger driver “Well Mate, you should have McLaren invite her to the final race of the season, this way you’ll get to meet her” Max suggested “Im sure she’ll accept, I believe she said filming for her show hasn’t started yet so she’s available” He explained to Lando 

“Ohhh maybe I’ll mention it to the admin team” Lando said more as a thought than a concrete response “Anyways I have to go, Oscar and I are filming a PR video. Thanks Max, see you in a couple days” Lando said before hanging up before Max could say anything else 

Max just laughed “Bye to you to” he said out loud before going back to scrolling on his phone. 

-

yourbestfriend posted on their story  

caption: little beach picnic before she’s off again to her next destination 

╰ yourusername: they said i could bring a +1, you can still come 🥺

╰ yourbestfriend: i have back to back shoots or else i would 🥺

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yourusername posted on their story

caption: another day, another f1 race 🧡

╰ yourbestfriend: omg you made it! cant wait to hear all about it! 

╰ mclaren: so happy to have you join us for the last race of the season! 

yourusername posted on their instagram  

ynislife, f1fan, landonorris, mclaren & others liked 

thanks mclaren for inviting me this weekend especially for the last race of the season. i had such a pleasure getting to meet everyone. cant wait for the 2024 season🧡

tagged: landonorris, mclaren

view all comments 

ynfan: OMGGGG SHE WENT TO ANOTHER RACE AND THIS TIME SHE WAS INVITED BY MCLAREN 

f1fan: I’M NOT DOING WELL 

mclarenlove: SHE LOOKS SO GOOD IN ORANGE WOOOO

mclaren: the pleasure was all ours, hopefully we get to see you in our garage more often, orange seems to be your colour 😉

╰ liked by yourusername

landonorris: it was so nice getting to meet you, we should hangout again

╰ user4: wait is this lando flirting? 

╰ user14: LANDO NORRIZ MAY ACTUALLY HAVE RIZ 

╰ yourusername: it was nice getting to meet you too & i’d love to hangout sometime 

╰ ynfanforlife: omMGGGGG WAIT I NEED TO KNOW WHAT LANDO DID IN ORDER TO WIN OUR GIRL OVER 

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yourusername posted on their instagram          

landonorris, oscarpiastri, yourbestfriend, obx, ynylnismylove & others liked 

my life recently on film 🎞️ 

tagged: madisonbaileybabe, oscarpiastri, landonorris, chasestokes, drewstarkey, yourbestfriend

view all comments 

ynfan: OMG OBX X F1 CROSSOVER 

ynxf1lovers: OMG MY FAVES 

yourbestfriend: crazy time in sin city 🎰🍹🪩

╰ liked by yourusername 

chasestokes: living ur best life miss y/n 

╰ yourusername: you know it 😎

f1wagupdates: i know she’s not an official wag but can we make an exception cause i need to see y/n at more races 

╰ user4: AGREED ^ 

╰ ynloverr: A MOOD !!! 

oscarpiastri: youre such a vibe 

╰ yourusername: thank you thank you, i try 

╰ landonorris: send me the film pics, i need them for the .jpg account 

╰ yourusername: you got it ! 

landonorris: i feel so honoured to be featured on here 

╰ yourusername: you should, only the people i really like get posted 

╰ landonorris: is that you admitting you like me? ive been swooned 

╰ yourusername: 🙄

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y/n making her debut on the .jpg account 

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user4: WOOO EVERYONE WAKE UP LANDO POSTED ON THE .JPG ACCOUNT 

landoobsessed: OMGGGG THESE PHOTOS ARE STUNNING 

ynfanforlife: OMG Y/N IS STUNNING AS ALWAYS 

oscarpiastri: its giving soft launch 

╰ landonorris: no its not 

╰ liked by yourusername 

yourbestfriend: UHM Y/N CARE TO EXPLAIN @yourusername 

╰ yourusername: nope..im good 

user4: SO ARE WE ALL FREAKING OUT OR IS IT JUST ME 

╰ user5: I AM TOO 

╰ y/nfan: ME THREE 

╰ user15: ME X4 

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yourusername posted on their story  

caption: 🧡 

╰ yourbestfriend: HELLO???? THIS IS SO RELATIONSHIPY, I NEED DETAILS 

╰ yourusername: ITS NOT A RELATIONSHIP….I MEAN NOT YET 

╰ yourbestfriend: OMGGGGG 

landonorris posted on their story  

caption: this is the best you’re gonna get with a soft launch 

╰ oscarpiastri: is it a soft launch if you’ve already posted her on the .jpg account 🤔

╰ landonorris: get out 

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yourusername posted on their instagram  

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certified lover girl 

view all comments 

yourbestfriend: my best friend is a stunner

╰ yourusername: says you 

obx: consider us certified y/n lovers 

╰ yourusername: i love you guys 

ynfan: SHES GLOWING FOR REAL 

landoandynaremyparents: PLEASE JUST TELL ME YOU AND LANDO ARE DATING SO I CAN REST IN PEACE 

landonorris: no comment, im speechless 

╰ yourusername: youre not slick 

oscarpiastri: Y/N LANDOS REACTION TO THIS WAS PRICELESS, YOU CAUGHT HIM SO OFF GUARD 

╰ yourusername: hehe thanks for the live update 🤭

╰ landonorris: OSCAR GET OUT…again 

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yourusername posted on their story  

caption: when he takes you to paris

*replies disabled* 

landonorris posted on their story  

caption: i brought her to paris 

*replies disabled* 

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kissed by the sun☀️💋

tagged: landonorris 

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yourbestfriend: i’ve never seen you so happy, the “sun” looks good on you 😉

╰ liked by yourusername

ynisthebest: C’MON ARE THEY SERIOUSLY NOT GONNA CONFIRM THIS, ITS SO OBVIOUS THEYRE DATING 

f1fan: I JUST WANT WHAT THEY HAVE 

╰ ynfan: YOU AND ME BOTH 

landonorris: wait when did you take that photo ?

╰ yourusername: when you had a zoom call with the team & you thought i was napping 🤭

╰ landonorris: youre sneaky, i love it 

╰ liked by yourusername  

obxloverr: goals, actual goals 

landonorris posted on their story  

caption: when she makes you dinner >>> 

╰ oscarpiastri: when are you gonna start calling her your girlfriend publicly 

╰ landonorris: when we’re both ready, its fun doing this and seeing how people react, yourself included 

╰ oscarpiastri: 🙄🙄

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yourusername posted on their instagram   

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ask and you shall receive; yes we’re dating 🧡

tagged: landonorris

view all comments 

landonorris: now i can publicly comment on how much i adore you 

╰ yourusername: youre such a simp, i love it, never stop 

╰ landonorris: don’t plan on it 

╰ oscarpiastri: not looking forward to third wheeling once the season starts up again 

╰ landonorris: HAHAHA that sounds like a you problem 

╰ yourusername: OSC IGNORE HIM, WE LOVE YOU 

╰ landonorris: BABEEEEE

yourbestfriend: can he fight ? cause if he hurts you, i go full bestie protective mode 

╰ yourusername: HAHAHAH i appreiciate you, more than you know 

╰ landonorris: i don’t plan on hurting her, you have my word 🫡

╰ yourbestfriend: good answer 

ynfan: THEY REALLY ARE THE CUTEST 

f1wagupdates: NEW WAG, I REPEAT NEW WAG ADDED TO THE LIST!!! 

user4: CANT WAIT FOR THE Y/N PADDOCK CONTENT ONCE RACES START 

user15: I’M SO HAPPY FOR THEM 

landonorris posted on their instagram    

yourusername, f1fan, oscarpiastri, maxverstappen1 & others liked 

found my other half 🫂

tagged: yourusername 

view all comments 

yourusername: never met anyone more into film and photography, other than myself..😍

╰ landonorris: thats why we work 😏

╰ liked by yourusername

f1fan: living for this 

ynfan: STOPPPP 

maxverstappen1: siri play mastermind by taylor swift

╰ landonorris: STOP GET OUT 

╰ yourusername: wait WHAT DOES HE MEAN? TELL ME 

╰ landonorris: no

╰ yourusername: pleaseeeeeeee

╰ landonorris: respectfully, no 

╰ yourusername: 😠

You looked up from your phone, eyeing Lando across the room also on his phone “what is Max talking about?” You asked him this time in person 

“Nothing” he said not looking up from his phone

You got up, going to sit next to him “Babe, c’mon I’m sure it is nothing, I just want to know” you explained, you were just curious 

Lando looked up from his phone meeting your eyes “Okay fine” he said as he locked his phone and turned his body to be facing you “Its really not a big deal but before you and I met, even before you got invited by Mclaren, I reached out to Max cause I had seen at the Las Vegas grand prix you met eachother” he started

“And I was kind of upset, maybe even a little jealous that I crashed out and didn’t get the chance to meet you, so I called Max and asked what you were like” He chuckled to himself, it sounded funnier saying this out loud 

“Okay but why were you upset you didn’t get to meet me?” You asked, not fully understanding what he was getting at

“You were one of my biggest celebrity crushes” He told you a small blush appearing on his face “Which is why when I didn’t get to meet you after Vegas, I may have mentioned to someone on the admin team to reach out and invite you to the last race of the season” He finished 

“Wait so you already had a crush on me before we even met? Lando thats so cute” You smiled at him “I get why Max commented that now, you really were the mastermind, I’m impressed” You smirked 

“Really? You don’t think its weird or anything?” He asked for reassurance 

“Not at all” You told him, moving closer to him on the couch “If you hadn’t have done what you did, who knows if we’d be here right now” You explained smiling at him, Lando returning the same smile 

“I cant imagine not having you in my life” He exclaimed, playing with the rings you had on your fingers “The feelings mutual” You told him leaning in and giving him a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back and cuddling into his side enjoying this moment. 

-

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never stop being mine 🥹

tagged: landonorris 

view all comments 

landonorris: i don’t plan on it, youre stuck with me 🥹

╰ yourusername: sounds good to me 

maxverstappen1: happy everything worked out for you two 

╰ liked by yourusername & landonorris 

ynfan: mom and dad 

f1fan: endgame 

ynislife: our girl found her happily ever after 

obx: y/n we couldn’t be happier for you and feel free to bring him around once filming starts, maybe we can sneak him in as a cameo 😉

╰ yourusername: OMG DONT TELL HIM THAT 

╰ landonorris: WAIT FOR REAL 

╰ yourusername: no they’re joking..

╰ obx: maybe we are, maybe we aren’t, who knows 🤷🏻‍♀️

╰ obxfan4life: the obx admin knows what the fans want 

f1fanxobx: THE F1 X OBX: CROSSOVER OF THE CENTURY 

-

that was so fun to write, i hope you enjoyed it !!

feel free to comment thoughts and/or make requests !! 🫶

[rileyslibrary]

The Log Cabin: Hurt

Synopsis: You and Ghost are on your way towards your shared vacation in Scotland.

Relationship: Simon “Ghost” Riley x GN!Reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Notes:

This is the second part of the story. Here’s Part 1 if you’re interested.

Hurt/comfort.

Render by @gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot.

No warnings. Lots of emotions towards the end, though.

———————————————————————

“You sure?” You ask as you approach a red light.

Ghost closes his eyes and leans back in his seat. He lets out a long and loud sigh behind his mask.

“This is the fifth time you’ve asked if I’m sure,” he protests. “Ask me again, and I will throw you out of the bloody car.”

He won’t do it. He used the exact same threat when you voiced your concerns the third time. You understand him, though; you’re not even on the highway yet, and you’ve been bugging him with your insecurities.

“I’m sorry.” You whisper and lower your head to the water bottle you’ve secured between your thighs.

He turns to look at you, then shifts his focus back to the road as the traffic light turns orange.

“I don’t do charity work when it comes to vacations,” he reassures you and changes gears. “I’m absolutely certain of my decision.”

You drive through the city streets, trying to reach the highway. You look out the car’s window; there are curious glances directed at you from the outside. People look alarmed, old ladies clutch their purses tighter, and fathers hold their children closer.

You can’t blame them; they’re looking at two masked figures in a car filled with tools and gear in the backseats.

“We look like we’re about to rob a bank, don’t you think?” You ask, concerned, as you observe a woman ushering her son into a store upon spotting you.

“Don’t take it off yet,” he warns you. “Wait till we get to the highway.”

He’s right. His face is unknown in the city, whereas yours is, and any identification could link him to you. That’s why he handed you a plain black balaclava before you left the base, ensuring your mutual anonymity. It’s a small city, after all.

“What if we get stopped by the police?” you ask. “Someone might have alerted them.”

He shakes his head. “Unlikely,” he replies. “The police is familiar with me and my car. Many soldiers keep their identities concealed due to the base. Civilians aren’t accustomed to it, that’s all.”

He stops at a zebra crossing and motions with his hand at the people waiting, giving them permission to cross the road.

“Look at them,” he whispers as he watches them successfully reaching the other side of the pavement. “So eager to display their faces, like they’ve never done anything sinister in their lives.”

You look at him from the corner of your eye, wondering if his words hide a twinge of guilt or envy—a yearning for freedom, just like those civilians crossing the street. They are free to walk as they please, while he is doomed to wear a cloth on his face until he’s away from anything human.

You tug at your mask. “It’s getting quite stuffy in here; mind if I...” you say and motion towards the car’s A/C controls.

He shrugs. That’s your “go ahead” sign.

You enter the highway, and he removes his mask. He reaches into the back pocket of his seat and tugs his balaclava there. He scratches his left cheek.

You follow his lead but tuck yours into your door’s side pocket. Now that your mouth is free from obstructions, you can drink water. You open the bottle and drive it into your mouth.

“Easy with the water,” Ghost advises. “We won’t find any stops for the next three hours.”

“Three hours?!” You ask.

He nods, his eyes still fixed on the road, indifferent to your shocked reaction. He reaches into the side pocket of his door and pulls a pair of sunglasses out. He secures them on his face.

“I have never seen you with sunglasses before.” You comment.

He smirks. He looks very handsome when he does that. Not conventionally attractive, though. He has a very rugged, almost weird, to point out beauty. Like those second-hand objects you find in an antique shop; they are bizarre to look at, but you can’t shift your eyes away from them. You want to study and analyse them as closely as possible.

You stare at his profile and notice him looking back at you. He still has that smirk on his face. You divert your attention back to the road.

“Sorry.” You murmur.

He looks ahead and his smile widens.

After some time, you reach your first stop; a service station with a convenience store, and fast food joint. Ghost asks if you want to grab a bite, and you shake your head. In response, he motions towards the side of the gas station.

“Loo’s over there. I’ll refuel the car.”

You hurry to the restroom; the last thing you want is to hinder his program. You better be as fast and efficient as possible.

When you return, Ghost is already in the driver’s seat. You settle into your seat beside him, apologising for your delay. He clicks his tongue.

“You went to the restroom; no need to fret.” He says as he hands you a few snacks he bought from the convenience store.

“For me?” you ask, surprised.

“For you,” he confirms and starts up the engine. “So you don’t start whining that you’re hungry when we are in the middle of nowhere.”

The rest of the trip is beautiful. The landscape shifts profoundly, from the mundane colours of the city to the towering trees that grow denser, with hues of green more vibrant than any photo could capture. The radio plays some mainstream pop music, which doesn’t suit the scenery but makes everything less awkward between you.

Occasionally, you spot a flock of sheep and comment. Ghost doesn’t respond but shifts his gaze from the road to where you’re pointing so he can give you his full attention. He smiles every time, and you wonder whether he’s genuinely happy or just trying to act friendly. Then again, when did Ghost ever try to act friendly? He’s enjoying it as well.

You must have reached the outskirts of civilisation now since the radio has started to make white noise. He switches it off.

Silence. Awkward silence.

“Sorry.” He says, which is very ironic since he was the one who lectured you a few hours ago to stop apologising for things you can’t control. “I don’t have any CDs.”

An arrogant chuckle escapes you. You didn’t mean to come across that way, but there’s no need for CDs; although the car isn’t new, it has built-in Bluetooth. You wonder if he knows it.

“Do you mind?” You ask, showing him your phone.

He looks at it, raising an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses. He must be thinking you’re asking for permission to call someone.

You connect your phone to the car’s Bluetooth and launch Spotify. Music starts playing again. His attention alternates between the radio and your phone.

“Why don’t you look at that!” He remarks. “I knew you could do that; I just never bothered to figure out how.”

“I’ll show you later.” You reply.

“Do you take requests?”

You nod and smile. “What’s your poison, Lieutenant?”

“Johnny Cash.” He replies. “Hurt.”

You nod again, search for the song and press play. You try to enjoy the scenery, focusing on the trees and farms passing by, but Simon’s choice of song wraps around you.

“I hurt myself today

To see if I still feel

I focus on the pain

The only thing that’s real.”

You turn to look at him. He holds the wheel with one hand, his other resting on the car’s window. He leans against it, his face propped on his hand.

“And you could have it all

My empire of dirt

I will let you down

I will make you hurt.”

You want to comment on the song, but your throat feels tight like something’s choking you. You swallow hard.

“What have I become?

My sweetest friend

Everyone I know goes away

In the end.”

Tears fill your eyes, threatening to escape. You don’t have sunglasses like Ghost does. It’s a matter of time until he notices.

“If I could start again

A million miles away

I would keep myself

I would find a way.”

It’s sadness, melancholy—that's what you’re feeling. But is it for Ghost and his poor song choice? Or is it for you?

For your family, your friends, and the vacation you won’t get to enjoy with them? Who are you mourning exactly? He seems to be at peace with his choices. When will this bliss come to you?

Will it ever come to you?

“Hey,” he calls out, and you turn to look at him.

Too late; he already noticed.

“It’s okay,” he soothes you. “Let it out.”

As if you wanted his permission, you begin to cry uncontrollably. You gasp for air. Ghost presses a button on his door which forces your window to open slightly. The crisp air slaps your face, but you focus on the pain, just like the song says. Your nails bite into your palms as you squeeze your fists, and that water bottle falls from your legs onto the car’s floor.

Ghost reaches over, turning the volume higher as if he’s permitting you to cry as much as you want and scream as loud as you please. You turn your head to the side, looking through blurred vision at the colours of green blending together.

He clasps your fist in his hand. You refuse to relax it.

“It’s okay.” He repeats as you pass the blue sign marked with a white ‘X’ that welcomes you to Scotland. “It’s going to be okay.”

Your first unclenches and you open your hand.

———————————————————————

Part 3 (final) this way ->

[redflagshipwriter]

Hot Ghouls Chapter 10 1/2

Masterpost

At 8:00 pm, Danny scraped himself off the counter at his work-study position and gathered up his books. His replacement, Angelica, was already setting up by adjusting the height of the spinning chair in front of the best computer. She was a little older than him, a Junior maybe? She had been his training supervisor.

A patron came up while he was putting his notebooks in his bag. Angelica checked them out, soft beeps marking each book. He hung around a few moments until she finished and the student went out the door.

“Hey, Angie?” He asked. “I saw you're on closing Saturday. I'm on opening.” Danny fidgeted. “Would you be okay with a trade?” He was going to have to stay out late tonight, and there was no way he’d be able to catch up on missed sleep on Friday. He knew from experience that he’d be staggering all Saturday if he really had to be at the library by 8 am.

Angelica blinked and paused for a moment as she thought it over. “Tentatively, it's fine,” she decided. “I'll text you when I know for sure. I have to check with Birdie.”

Danny put his hands up. “Fair enough,” he said agreeably, “I owe you one either way for trying.”

“It's not a problem, I have to work the same hours either way.” Angelica opened up a browser and then started setting up whatever schoolwork she had to keep her occupied until midnight. “Have a good night, Danny. Take care out there. Stay away from banks.”

He promised that he would and then he slouched out onto the dim campus. It was pretty dead at the moment. People were mostly off campus, or in their dorms getting ready to go out for the night, Danny figured. He started the walk home on autopilot.

Danny hadn’t forgotten that he promised Jason he’d focus on their problem, and it didn’t matter that Jason had been kind of a creep about it. It was still high up his priority list.

But the more he thought about it, the more freaked out he was that Waters had managed to do it in the first place. It should have been impossible. There had to be a factor that they didn’t know about, but Danny wasn’t enough of an expert on piercing the veil between life and death to figure that out without tanking his grades. He hadn’t been able to get a hold of Vlad yet, either.

His tentative theories all seemed bonkers. Maybe Waters had gotten hold of some kind of magical focus, or gotten sponsored by someone with a lot of hocus pocus. Maybe Waters was a tool for someone else’s scheme, as opposed to just being a useless tool like usual. It was also possible that Jason was the weird factor. It seemed like a big coincidence, though, that Waters would stumble upon a sacrificial victim who actually was already eligible to reside in the Infinite Realms. Vlad had said it would be possible for a ghost on the living world side to get sent packing by Waters’ bullshit, but that possibility was outright silly. What ghost would A: be in the human world; and B: get caught by Jeremy friggin Waters or even sillier, C: want to get engaged to Danny?

It was a moot point. Jason gave Danny some weird feelings that he suspected might be like, puberty related, but he definitely wasn’t a ghost. Danny could tell that, at least. He was a flashy-dressing biker tough guy. He was probably a community theatre escapee, what with the cherry red helmet with weird face shape molding and his dramatic play to lounge around one of Danny’s regular study spots, but come on. He was just some dude. Kind of a dorky dude, even.

‘Massively hot, though,’ Danny had to acknowledge. He could never let Jazz know. Or Sam. Or Tucker. Or-

He shuddered at the thought of his parents meeting his accidental fiance.

Just, no. The only person he could probably trust around Jason was, idk… Wulf?

“I need better friends,” Danny muttered. He jogged down the final set of concrete stairs that led off campus and into the city itself.

It was debatable as to whether there was any point in going back to his apartment. The backpack on his shoulders wasn’t that heavy. If he went there, he’d basically dump his luggage and change and then have to go…

Danny made a face and fished out his phone. He optimistically changed directions before he could finish typing his request to crash at Jazz’s place for the night. On the one hand, she would know firsthand how little sleep he was going to get. On the other hand, this would shave hours off of his travel.

He was nearly to his sister’s apartment near the main Gotham U campus when she sent back a message.

:( I’m not home tonight, but my roommate is! If you can ghost in without her knowing, go for it! But she really can’t know, I can’t have guests when I’m not there to supervise.

Danny typed up a message with a little emoji robber accusing her of criminal actions before he remembered he shouldn’t bite the hand that let him crash.

You’re saving my entire afterlife, he sent instead.

[archeo-starwars]

You wouldn't happen to have an extensive layout dissection of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Or even a list of all notable and obscure sections of the Jedi Temple? OR or even labelled areas that are public and reserved for only temple residents. Both from canon and legends, please and thank you!!!

The best I managed to find comes from Star Wars Complete Locations - you may check out the whole archived version here. The “zoom in” option is pretty good for reading details. Below the pages (I suppose the best is to open them in new tab for better reading):

As for the list of locations, I recommend wookiepedia's list. Plenty of data, both for Legends and New Canon.

Additional sources worth to check out:

Jedi Temple Locations & Jedi Temple History - both published as official material on star wars.com in regard to prequels and New Canon sources. Pictures and references to various places inside Temple.

Star Wars.com's The Clone Wars episode guide + videoclips from the series, like

A) Jedi Archives Tour (the entrance to one of the most restricted areas of the temple: The Holocron Vault).

B) Layout of Jedi Temple Library (source)

C) Jedi Temple funeral room + environment illustration by Tara Rueping (source)

Old Data Bank for Jedi Temple

HoloNews mentioning "a mob of 20 university students attempted to infiltrate the Jedi Temple" and "managing to get as far as the Second Atrium Lobby"

Star Wars Battlefront (2) game wiki provides some map and location description

and if you have time (and patience) you can watch gameplay from 501st Legion's mission in Jedi Temple for reference, like this one

The wookiepedia's articles should give enough good idea of the rooms, their location and functions, but I'm adding a few source pages:

STAR WARS: FACT FILES #36 provides a lot informations what and where was inside the Temple and some general data about visitors, security, Grand Balcony, Grand Corridor & Towers. Not all is super specific, but worth checking out for sure.

The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia mentions this:

and for Jedi Temple entry:

As for the named locations that are public or reserved for only temple residents, there is definitely a division like that, however I'm not sure if this issue was very well explained. The source gives us some ideas, like for example, Jedi Archives have data accessible only for Jedi with rank of Master or higher (thus most likely separated areas to study). At the same time, Fact Files #25 says that Jedi Archives offers an "excellent resources to researchers, including star-map hologram consoles", but also an access to entire scientific and historical knowledge of the Republic

so non-Jedi were allowed to use Jedi Library/Archives for their own research and work-related needs. We also must remember that the Jedi Order had various scientific branches, including archaeology, exploring unknown regions, and medicine, so logically thinking Jedi worked with other, non-Jedi specialists of many fields.

We also know from various sources, that politicians and important guests were invited for various occasions. We could see in Republic comics series that Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and senator Ask Aak were allowed to listen to Jedi reporting before High Council about his last battle

or attending Jedi Funeral like Duchess Satine and Padme Amidala did for the (fake) Obi-Wan's one or just visiting as a friend/comrade-in-arm

I would need to make more research about this issue as there is plenty tie-in material to Jedi Temple on Coruscant that would take a lot time to study, but at this moment, I think the best is assume how far a non-Jedi may walk into Temple will depend greatly who is that person and what is nature of their business with Jedi.

At the same time, Purge: Seconds to Die has this line "Clone Troopers? This deep in the Temple? Not permitted."

The Jedi was in Archives herself, so it is worth to take into account that clones could have more limited access to Temple than the average guest before war did. At the same time, clone troopers could make a report before Yoda and Mace Windu/High Council, as was presented by Star Wars Tales (Honor Bound):

so it is not like they were outright forbidden to enter the temple either.

Hope it will help!

[edgeray]

Hi Ray! 🍅 Anon here~

Have fun on your holiday and enjoy it to the best you can! Be sure to stay hydrated, the weather is really mental these days.

Just wanted to share a bit of brainrot I had regarding soft Arle, whether or not you choose to make it into a fic is up to you!

Arle with her frame and demeanor is most definitely the Top + Dom in the relationship with reader, but how about when she’s insecure? Seeing reader take care of the children and feeling as though she doesn’t deserve to be as loved as said children, then reader after putting the kids to bed embraces Arle and puts her head against their chest so Arle can hear their heartbeat more clearly while patting Arle and assuring her that they love her for her and that she DEFINITELY deserves to be spoilt… (reader knows Arle too well to not pick up on her tells and knows that Arle’s being harsh on herself)

Or maybe reader writing in to the Tsaritsa (without Arle knowing) to ask if Arle can take a 2 week break just to take care of the children and spend time as a couple (What if!! Tsaritsa was the one who wed them!!! And just closes both eyes and approves time off). Then reader proceeds to spoil Arle in every way possible - breakfast in bed, a warm bath after sparring with the children (no, not that kind of bath, but a fluffy one where Arle gets a shoulder massage and scrubbed clean and gets lots of loving kisses everywhere she’s insecure of), a feast of sashimi and steak tartare for dinner and a soft bed and loving wife in the night. I wanna spoil Arle like that but 😭

Oh! And since Harbingers are like celebrities in Snezhnaya, do you think Arle would have a fanclub there? Think about it! She’s young, has a boatload of money (you CANNOT convince me #4 doesn’t have money when #11 has an unimaginable sum at the bank), can handle kids well (she runs the HotH), and as a Harbinger who fights she probably is ripped (RIP her actual body proportions, they’re limited by Hoyo’s models, nobody is convincing me her body type isn’t like Lady Maria’s from Bloodborne, with abs, guns and muscular. Thighs.)

0 chance that she doesn’t have a line of sapphics lining up for her in Snezhnaya, even with the rumors of her being ruthless and cruel (I mean. If the rumors worked in making people back off. Arle simps like us wouldn’t exist to begin with lmao)… Imagine Arle trying to placate Jealous!Teasing!Reader!! Like Arle coming home on Valentine’s day a bit late to find reader teasing her about having a new lover meanwhile Arle was actually out buying a new dagger for reader to protect themselves with… reader being melodramatic because she knows and trusts Arle enough that Arle would never do anything like that (and Arle knows but plays along)

R: “Oh, woe is me! My wife came home late on Valentine’s with a dagger to end our relationship, whatever should I do?”

Arle: “My love…”

And if the children are around? They’d be busy either pretending they didn’t see anything or resisting the urge to claw their eyes out or handing each other eye bleach. Sending condolences to Lyney when one of the younger children ask something along the lines of

“Brother Lyney, do you think we’ll have another sibling soon if Father and Mother are this loving with each other”

(I headcanon that Arle does teach them sexuality education but not until they’re 10 and before that the older children tell their younger siblings that children pop into existence when Papa and Mama love each other lots)

I’m so sorry this is getting really out of hand but Arle has me in a brainrot when I should be focusing elsewhere 💀

Rest Your Worries, Lax Your Heart

(Arlecchino x GN! Reader)

A/N - Thank you, I did have a fun vacation :). Wow that is a lot and I love every single bit of this ask 🍅 anon. It'd be unfair if I just wrote one part and not all of them, so what did I do? Combined all of them as best as I can, but of course some details had to be omitted/changed because of that–hopefully you don't mind. I'm a fucking genius. Also considering that Arle has an anime, but never got a beach episode, this is said beach episode. This took so long because this turned out to be pretty self-indulgent (I'm sure you know which scene it was). This is a long boi, way over what the request range is supposed to be, but hope this is worth it? Somehow, my brain was able to focus for at least like… 4 hours. Started this at 23:00 something, and it's nearly 04:00. 🍅 anon, I enjoy your asks, so I hope you personally enjoy this one :)  Content warnings / info - a bit of suggestiveness, reader is referred to as ‘Mother’ but is otherwise gn!, 3.2k words 

It took a lot of back and forth over the span of four months, writing to the Tsaritsa, but you had finally been able to arrange this without the knowledge of your husband. The Archon, generous as she is, approved of your proposal for a two week long break without much pushback or questioning, saying that loyalty was rewarded and as one of her more productive Harbingers, Arlecchino’s efforts warrant her a break. All the Tsaritsa asked for was the general details of the vacation: when, where, and the activities you would be doing, which was easy enough to answer to. Surprisingly, she bought an entire section of the Sumeru coast along with a sizable cabin for the two of you and the children for the duration of your respite when you told where you plan on the location being. You're not one to turn down such a gracious offer so you accepted it. As a Pyro user, she would surely enjoy somewhere as warm as Sumeru. 

Currently, you're holding the letter from the Tsaritsa, which contains a direct order from the Archon addressed to Arlecchino to stay at Sumeru. No matter how much you plead for her to rest, your husband only says that she can keep working and for you to not worry. Tracing the envelope stamp, you breathe in deeply before knocking on the door.

“Yes?” Called from beyond the door. 

“Can I come in, Arle?”

“Yes, my love,” she says with a lilt. 

You come in, striding towards her, holding up the back of the envelope while trying to suppress your smile. “This was addressed for you.”

Arlecchino takes it with a bit of suspicion at the crack in your facial expression. Turning it over, she notices the stamp, which is the mark of the word of the Archon. She narrows her brows and takes out a letter opener, taking out the letter with a bit more urgency. You watch her expression morph from confusion to mild shock to indifference again. 

“What does it say?” You inquire her, biting your lip to hide the smile.

“It says that I'm going to Sumeru in three days. For a respite.” She eyes you carefully, her eyes glinting red. “But you seem to know that already.” 

You nod, a smile forming . “I thought… you were working so hard, and you deserve a break. I asked the Tsaritsa if it was possible and she agreed to it, even paying for our stay there.” 

Arlecchino's face flicks to something indecipherable, like there was a hesitation, but it quickly disappears before you can think too much on it. She gets up from her desk chair, strutting to you before wrapping her arms around your midsection, pulling you into an embrace. She presses a tender kiss against your forehead. “Thank you, my dear, for your thinking of me. I'm sure the children would appreciate being out of the House. I'll tell the children about this, and we should begin packing.”  

But does she appreciate it? It's for her, after all. You chew on the inside of your cheek but your smile remains in place.

You tilt your head up to kiss her cheek. “I already packed for us. And I told the kids, already.”

“Hm, that's why they seem so antsy lately. Thank you,” Arlecchino hums. “You picked for us already?”

“Yes. Including your clothes,” you chuckle, deviously imagining her in the attires you picked out for her. At that, she raises her eyebrows.

“Oh? What are you planning, my love?” She teases, seizing your chin in her hands and tilting your head up to lock her eyes with yours. You can't stop the giggle that bubbles out. 

“Nothing too… scandalous…” you answer back. “Don't worry, it's nothing too bad. This is all for you to relax, remember? You've been working so hard, been such a good husband, so…”

You lean forward to kiss her on the mouth. Whispering against her lips, you say, “As your partner, it's my duty to make sure you're happy. Isn't that right?”

If she physically could at that moment, Arlecchino would melt underneath your words. 

—

Upon your arrival at Sumeru, you were glad you picked the outfits that you did. Travel with around twenty kids was difficult, but luckily the older kids, the twins and Freminet especially, helped a lot. Everyone was practically vibrating in excitement, with the exception of Arlecchino, though you knew it was mostly because of how inexpressive she usually was. 

Right? 

Currently, the two of you lay on the sand by the crystal clear waters, enjoying the sight of the children playing. The little ones are playing in the sand, presumably sculpting a castle, and the older ones are either engaging in a heated battle involving smacking a ball around or with Freminent in the ocean. Here, you forget that they’re a part of the Fatui, child soldiers for the Tsaritsa; here, they look like normal children and it makes your heart swell. 

Unfortunately, you're stuck in a dilemma–observe your children and take in their contagious laughter, or ogle your husband who is in the most delicious and mouth-watering attire possible. Underneath her short gray collarless jacket, was a cropped, sleeveless turtleneck that exposed her lower half of her toned stomach, including her v-line. Below are tight, black leggings which do little in hiding her muscular thighs. Everytime you look at her, a flush runs to your cheeks and you find yourself too flustered for your stare to linger because of the growing amount of indecent thoughts. You breathe deeply in an attempt to calm the raging storms of desire in your stomach, distracting yourself by observing the waves and digging your feet in the sand. For the sake of your children, you'd like for your mind to be as pure as possible. 

Blackened arms wrap around your waist, pulling you into a lap. You squeal at the sudden contact. Your husband's mouth hovers beside your ear, hot breath brushing against the shell of your ear. 

“Something interesting?” Arlecchino huskily whispers, making you shudder. One hand strokes over your stomach, invoking shivers from you. You inhale sharply before glancing at Arlecchino's face. 

“Just… watching the waves. It's calming,” you lie quickly, wondering if your racing heartbeat can be felt underneath her fingertips. 

“Your heart says otherwise,” she chuckles, turning your head over your shoulder so she can kiss you. 

After a few moments, you pull away from the kiss, and your eyes flick over to the children in the sand, still tossing around that ball over a net. “Why don't you join them? I'm sure they would love it if their Father joined their game.”

“My dear, I would destroy them,” Arlecchino bluntly remarks, and you chuckle. 

“Fair enough, I suppose.”

The two of you watch them in silence until Arlecchino breaks the silence. 

“I like what you picked for me.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Your reaction is adorable.” 

Something white-hot pricks the back of your neck. “I-I'm glad you like it. I like it too,” you stammer out, your abashment evident in your voice. 

“I can tell. Perhaps… you'd like to help me put on sun protection?” Arlecchino teases with a small smirk, removing her jacket off to reveal her lean biceps. “Over the pants, if that's alright.”

This handsome–sexy–woman is going to be the death of you, you’re sure of it. Your heart is going into overdrive, and you would be terrified of going into a stroke if you aren't more focused on your husband's physique. If it's not your heart that's going to kill you, it's the pending combustion inside of you. You squeeze your thighs against one another, pooling heat forming between your legs. 

“Y-yeah, sure,” you manage in between your laboring breathing, getting off of her lap to face her. Spreading the paste in your hand, you first venture over her neck, tenderly rubbing over her throat and then her nape, down to her sides. Her skin is hot to the touch, as expected of a Pyro user, but it somehow retains softness and flawlessness despite all the combat and harshness your husband deals with as a Fatui Harbinger. Still, unlike her composed facial features, you can feel that her pulse is as frenzied as yours–it gives you comfort that you’re not the only one feeling this. Your husband hums with contentment, watching you carefully. 

Next, you slide your hands over to her broad shoulders before feeling down her upper arm, deliberate attention to her biceps. A shuddering breath comes from you as she shifts, extending her arms more out towards you. You trace down the markings of her arm before caressing her inky elbow and forearms. Finally, you get to her wrists. An idea pops in your head as you bring her hands to your lips, kissing her knuckles and rings, giving special focus onto her engagement ring. An amused huff escapes from her, and you glance back at her. Her eyes gleam with such a rare fondness, reserved only for you. 

You glance down at the only part of her that's yet been touched, your stomach churning in itself when you're able to get a closer, longer look. You gulp considerably, your hands shaking slightly as they hover over it. 

A charcoal hand wraps around your wrist, gently guiding your palm to her until it's flushed against her skin. “Don't be shy now, love.” She smirks wickedly and you have the sense to kiss that smile off her face. 

“Shut up,” you murmur meekly, but place both hands on her stomach, your fingertips traversing over every dips created by her well-muscles stomach. It feels like your body will implode at any second now, as her body heat infects your fingers and spreads to the rest of your body. You coat her waist before your touch lingers lower, just above the waistband of her pants. You trace the indent of her v-line, your fingers nearly dip underneath her leggings. Before it can, she stops you, grasping both of your wrists with one hand as she leans in to whisper hotly near your ear.

“Let's save that for later, hm?” 

—

“Lyney, what are they doing?” One of the children inquires, as they point at Mother and Father still by the water. Father remains on top of Mother, seemingly applying sun protection, though Lyney isn't quite sure if their position is truly that… innocent. 

“Oh… Father is just helping Mother, like how I helped with the sun protection on your back,” Lyney quickly comes up with an explanation, looking away from them. 

The child remains silent, observing the older male's expression, before looking back at them once more. “Lyney, you said that when a mother and father love each other a lot, a new child comes right?” 

Lyney isn't sure if he was going to enjoy what comes next, though he has an inkling that he won't. “Yes…” 

“Does that mean Mother and Father will bring us a new sibling soon?”

Lyney sputters, looking to Lynette for assistance. 

—

After a nice day at the beach, Arlecchino takes you and the children to a local restaurant. Luckily, she was able to find one that was relatively empty, so there was no problem with fitting you and your twenty children inside. You find that the two of you rather enjoy Sumeru dishes; while you enjoy the variety of flavors, Arlecchino rather indulges in the spiciness of them. Your favorite is between the tandoori roast chicken and the lambad fish roll. Though, something bothers you during your time at the restaurant.

Arlecchino is an attractive woman; that much is undeniable, and you're well aware of the fact that she's pleasing to both men's and women's eyes. It is a common occurrence for her to attract the sights of those around her, for whatever the reason, though among the women, it is typically out of admiration. Here, this is the case as well, wandering eyes from other customers, and subtle flirting from the audacious waitress. 

After finishing your dinner, you excuse yourself to the bathroom, only to return to the two of them chatting up, although in reality it’s more like a one-sided conversation and Arlecchino is ignoring her– you're well aware of this, but you find the waitress’ presence pervasive. You approach your table quickly, kissing your husband on the cheek before glancing at the waitress.

“My husband and I would like to order dessert. Can you fetch us a menu, please?” You ask, disguising your ire with a practiced smile. Instantly, the waitress's flirtation dies and she walks away. 

You huff at the sight of the woman. “How could you, Arlecchino? After all we've been through? Talking so casually with her when I'm gone?” You jest with a gasp, faux jealousy in your tone once you notice the relieved sigh from her. Her claws release its hold on the tablecloth, leaving behind tattered sheets. 

“Oh, how I've been caught,” Arlecchino responds monotonously, playing along. “My affair with an unnamed, rather plain-featured woman has been discovered.” 

You giggle as her hand finds yours, interlocking with your fingers. “I'm in disbelief, betrayed by who I thought was my true love.”

“Oh hush now, love. Will Baklava buy your silence and heart again?” 

“Perhaps.” 

The House of the Hearth children gag as Mother and Father conciliate. 

—

“Mother, can't we stay up any longer? We're on vacation. Pleaseeeeee,” one of the children pleads as you usher them to bed, pulling the covers over them. 

“It's not healthy for you to stay up. Besides, you have plenty of time tomorrow and the rest of the two weeks to have fun. Your Father and I can't keep watch over you during the night,” you respond with, kissing them on the forehead. 

“What if Lyney or Lynette watches us?” 

“Lyney and Lynette are probably just as tired. When you wake up, we can go to the beach again, does that sound okay?” 

“Okay… good night Mother.”

You hum in delight, caressing their head. “Good night. Sweet dreams.” 

You silently walk towards the door. Arlecchino leans against the doorframe, observing you wordlessly–again, that unreadable expression appears over her, but this time it lingers. You shut the door as quietly as you can, before turning to your husband.

“Is there something you need, Arle?” You inquire. 

She shakes her head. You don't quite believe her, but you don't address it. “I'm going to go take a bath. Get all this sand off of me. Would you like to join me?” 

Arlecchino nods, and soon the two of you are in the bathroom. You let the faucet run, filling the bathtub with water as Arlecchino removes her clothing. It only takes a few moments before the two of you are seated in the bathtub, but it's a change of position this time. Arlecchino sits in between your legs, facing away from you.

“It's been a while since we've bathed like this, right?” You question softly, lightly carding your fingers through her untied hair. 

“It has been,” she merely replies, her voice almost far-away; like there’s something else on her mind. Even though you only face her back, you can tell from her lack of movement that she’s in deep contemplation.

“What are you thinking about, Arle?” Your husband bristles a bit at the question. Even after being married to you for a couple years, she's still unaccustomed to how you can read her so easily, especially when she prides herself in being incomprehensible to others, even her children. 

“Do you… not enjoy this?” You ask hesitantly with a lump in your throat. You know that she knows what you meant by ‘this’– the vacation; the entire notion of taking a break is foreign to Arlecchino, but you hope that she was able to find this beneficial. If she hates this and this vacation is supposed to be two weeks long… you don't want to say you'd be disappointed but you'd hope she'd at least be able to relax from her Harbinger duties. 

Arlecchino is silent for a few moments. “I admit… I am uneased by this, to be so vulnerable and open to assaults now that we're not in the House of the Hearth. I feel unproductive and restless without my usual work. However, at the same time, I can see how beneficial this is to the children, and it is a nice change for once to see them like this. Being able to spend time with you like this is also rather indulgent, but I cannot complain about it.” 

You smile, a weight lifted off your chest as you lean forward to press a kiss against her nape. “I’m glad. This was for you after all.”

“Although I am gratified that the children are able to experience this as well … I cannot see why you would put this much effort for me. After all, I am…” Arlecchino pauses, raising her blackened hands to her view. She doesn’t finish her sentence, but you're able to get a sense of what she’s trying to say, and another weight is placed heavy on your heart. For as confident and assured that Arlecchino likes to present herself, when it is just the two of you, she reveals a rawer, more unguarded side to her. Often, she confides in you how she grapples with why you can so fondly view her, and every time, your heart sinks. How could your husband think this way? 

Laying your chin over her shoulder, you gingerly place both of your hands underneath hers, stroking the inside of her palm with your thumb. “I know where your thoughts are leading to, Arlecchino, and they're wrong. I love you, Arlecchino. You deserve this. You deserve this treatment, you deserve a break, you deserve to be loved. Your curse, your past… it doesn't matter. These hands…” 

You continue caressing her hand with your fingers. “...They are not cursed. These hands are not unloveable. These are the same hands that protect and care for our children. The same hands that hold me. The same hands that please me. They are a part of you, and they aren't evidence that you are a monster. If you are, you wouldn't have me, and you wouldn't have the children.” 

You kiss down along her bare back, gaining shivers from the woman. “Enjoy this, my love, for me at the very least. You are my husband, so let me do my part in loving you. You've done an innumerable amount of things for me and the children, so consider this to be our repayment for you.” 

“That is why I am doing this for you, do you understand?” You whisper against her skin. 

Arlecchino nods, a shaky breath escaping from her. You finish your treatment around her shoulderblades and gesture for her to turn around. When she does, the first thing that you do is kiss her hands, peppering them with as much devotion as you can give them. To you, nothing is more beautiful. 

“You deserve everything and more. Don't forget that, Arlecchino. So let me do this for you.” It isn't an ask. It is a demand from the one person whose authority is higher than the Tsaritsa: you. 

Arlecchino closes her eyes, and lets herself melt into you. 

[elderwisp]

On Repeat - an oc tag

rules are pretty simple, pick as many (or as little) oc's as you'd like and find a song that you relate to them the most! feel free to mention why too! o and tag some more ppl too! that would be cool! i tag: @goldenwaves @acidheaddd @dejasenti99 @earthmoonz @moonfromearth @stinkrascal @matchalovertrait @lynzishell @sirianasims @vicciouxs @gvaudoiin-tricou @smulie @living-undead @pralinesims @lucidicer @literalite @nepotisim @mattodore @madebycoffee @daniigh0ul @changingplumbob @yukikocloud @cinamun @moonwoodhollow @youredreamingofroo @acuar-io @raiiny-bay

deep dive below ⇣

Frances Dubois:

Something about the whimsical instrumentals backed up with the haunting vocals almost reminds me of someone stuck in a loop. There's repetition in the chorus that solidifies that feeling. I also like the juxtaposition of the French lyrics, like the second singer is aware and has a desire to change. When I think of Frances, I envision someone in limbo and part of that is the inability to make a decision. She finds herself stuck, in a way, her anxiety makes the decision for her because doing nothing is something. Whilst Icarus has helped nudge her into making decisions such as aiding her in graduating, speaking to Atlas, and supporting her in her audition. there's still this internal desire to make that move on her own. The first time we see her do that is when she decides to kiss Icarus, which in a way, pushed her back into her loop as it didn't end well. As of current events, she's avoided him since.

↬ sometimes - mattyeux and princess chelsea

Daniella Álvarez:

This song to me encapsulates someone who has had to be independent at a very young age. The beginning opens with spoken lyrics, "She asked me who's taking care of me, I said, 'I take care of me'" and whilst incredibly empowering, there's always that question of how did we get here? Dan is the eldest of two younger siblings. In fact, there's quite the age gap between her siblings and if we look at Valeria, she also looks just as youthful. Dan is the product of an unplanned pregnancy as well as a bit of a narcissistic mother. The disorderly environment in which she's been given, learning to be a caretaker of her siblings and the constant pressure of success has lead her to have self-sufficient character. Whenever I think about her dynamic with her friends, I'm reminded of this scene, and she's the glue that is trying to hold the chaos together.

↬ taken care of - suzi wu

Kai Castillo:

Christ this song is so good. The instrumentals backed up by the vocals, feels a bit somber. Throughout Tessellate, Kai hides behind the fact that he has these feelings towards Atlas and they've started to bubble over into jealousy as Atlas's relationship grows with Kai's sister, Taryn. I also love that there are a lot of comparisons here to Lucifer Morningstar and religious elements. Kai's relationship with his religion is somewhat of a paradox as he is a closeted gay man to his parents, his sister and church. In fact, he does a lot of things that would bring quite a bit disapproval. He's unforthcoming, somewhat suspicious because his secrets have given him a reason to be. His story is of one that falls from grace.

↬ i am the antichrist to you - kishi bashi

Atlas Dubois:

While Paul Julian Banks narrates a song about struggling with addiction, I noticed there's a bit of a different beat in comparison to the rest of Interpol's songs. The tempo is much slower, as if exhaustion has set in and we're barely moving along. When we meet Atlas, it's at the beginning of a fresh start, not really knowing what has happened prior. Slowly throughout, we pull back minor details that entail his complex struggles with addiction. What initially started out as a bit of fun, became all consuming, allowing any given opportunity to be a reason why he should use. The bridge of this song also discuss the contrast between himself and his partner discovering his addiction for the first time. There's also a change in his tone during that that I find to be so neat! It does remind me a bit of his relationship with Taryn. I do know that addiction lasts a lifetime, and that love doesn't solve it all, but I also know that right support is the most important.

↬ rest my chemistry - interpol

[sanseterrer]

I woke up almost at dawn. Outside, the smoke from the chimneys suddenly turned pink, as did the birches in the neighboring yard. A delicate pink, January-like color from my old winter dreams.

After ten, at the eleventh hour, I went for a walk. A little snow fell overnight, roads and isolated puddles froze, and the thermometer showed exactly -5°C. I remember falling asleep at night thinking about the rain, about why it suddenly became very quiet outside. The next minute, I heard a strong sound of raindrops on the window and sill, but very soon everything subsided, and, in all likelihood, the rain turned into the sound of falling snow.

I visited a stream in the village of Ugolevshchyna on the way. I found a small ferry made of branches, and almost fell into a swampy place when I wanted to get closer and take a picture of the view. Looking at the other side of the reservoir, I remembered how I jumped along the banks in the spring with the risk of falling into the water, but with the opportunity to find as many marsh kaluzhnitsa as possible, of which there were a lot that season.

A village dog I had known for a long time followed me relentlessly, barking, almost to the very end of the village. I couldn't even look at the abandoned house in solitude for the hundredth time, which is getting worse and worse every month and year… This time, half of the roof collapsed, which made it much more dangerous to be inside. I found plenty of Soviet-era newspapers on the back of torn wallpaper; nothing remarkable. My memories revolved around the moments when I came here on my birthday, and how I liked the door on the back of the dwelling, its safety, «vitality», and colorfulness against the background of dark greenery after the June rain. I think it hasn't changed its position since those days–it's still slightly ajar. However, you can't move her anymore.

January 3, 2025; part one

[skellish]

Please help a disabled (seeking disability) trans woman keep her apartment!

Hi everyone, my name is Delia, I’m a 25 year old trans woman with several disabilities, such as ADHD, possible autism, BPD, depression, anxiety, CPTSD, chronic fatigue, et cetera. I need real help in order to keep the apartment that I fought so hard to get. I am seeking disability right now, but it is going extremely slowly and I don’t know when I’ll see any help from the government. Let me explain a bit of my situation.

Medicine has never really worked for me, and I recently decided I needed to come off wellbutrin because it was making my anxiety a lot worse, as well as depleting my ability to really feel anything at all, so my doctor recommended I stop and try a new med. I can’t afford to go to the doctor very often so I stopped the medicine a month ago and am going back in September to try something different that will hopefully help.

Essentially, I live in income based apartments and lately, my disabilities have been either preventing or seriously hindering me from getting to my job. I used to work basically full time at my deli job and it became too much due to me being burnt out for like the last 5 years, so I had to cut down. I work three days a week now, and it’s already becoming too much again because of said perpetual burn out and medication withdrawal. I have either been missing work entirely or been late every single day, and they haven’t fired me yet but I fear the worst is coming soon.

Right now, my rent is $372, my water bill is already behind, power bill still needs paying, and I only have ≈$100 in my bank account right now. I am planning to yard sale both this Friday and Saturday, and next, and get some more cash before it is due, which is on the 10th of August. On the 10th, they will serve me an eviction notice to get out by the 20th unless I can get the money.

I am asking here if anyone could spare anything, any amount is immensely appreciated. I have been on my own for a few years now with little to no support, and I've always despised needing or asking for it, but the fact of the matter though is that this is my last Hail Mary to save my sinking ship, and I'm desperate.

I know most folks here are also struggling though, and I hate to make this post, but I am kind of at my wits end in regards to keeping this apartment. This has been my first somewhat stable home in pretty much my whole life and I'm terrified of being forced to move yet again. If I can just get this month’s rent paid, I will be able to find a new, more tolerable job in the meantime while I am seeking disability benefits, and then hopefully keep the ball rolling.

Any amount will help, I am honestly begging and I will appreciate anything anyone can spare, be it a donation or a share.

Update 8-12-24: so we have made some good progress here and I am thankful. Sadly some unforseen expenses had come out, so not exactly where I'd like it, but it is coming along. I've just got 8 ish days left to come up with the rest though, so. I am considering selling my Playstation, and that was unconscionable previously, so things are fairly dire.

V3nm0: @Skellish

C@sh@pp: $Skellish69

Goal: $372

Current: $110 / updated: $190, (still need $182)

[lakesbian]

okay so first thing i like about interlude 3. in the part of the arc prior to it, we see taylor being severely mistreated by an adult PRT member--which pushes her to rob the bank with Great Gusto, wherein she contributes to beating up a lot of largely faceless wards. the sole exception to the lack of characterization the kid cops heroes receive in the pre-interlude chapters is glory girl, who spends a decent portion of the bank robbery trying to lord herodom's perceived wealth and prestige over the undersiders:

“I helped Aegis out of a jam on my way in, so he’s keeping your little friends busy. You should also know that the Protectorate is on their way from a wine and dine with Brockton Bay’s finest at the Augustus Country Club. Can’t speak for them, but I know I’d be royally pissed if some little snots dragged me away from a chance to have the club’s chocolate mousse.”

& tattletale simultaneously reaffirms & puts down this image she wants to present by mockingly calling her "prom queen" &c. and then in interlude 3, when we finally see the personalities behind the masks for the wards, miss militia comes in and says it outright:

“She was kind enough to volunteer to come here and patch you guys up,” Miss Militia told the young heroes, “Can’t send you home with horrible injuries and hundreds of bug bites, can we? That would give away the show.”

the prestige, the purported invincibility and success of being a young hero--it's all a show covering for the fact that they're fundamentally overworked, systematically manipulated child soldiers, being regularly thrown into life-threatening situations & used as weapons to beat down on other systematically abused children (like the undersiders). which goes So well with how a critical turning point in the prior chapter is victoria presenting herself as invincible, only to be deeply wounded by tattletale correctly observing that she isn't.

and letting people see past the facade is something the PRT/herodom at large considers to be worth a chewing out--piggot is mad that glory girl was called because she caused property damage, and property damage is bad for PR. she's less concerned with aegis standing there with a punctured lung than she is the bad PR of kid win not filling out paperwork properly before using a new weapon. and yes, obviously, aegis can't die from a punctured lung or having his retina detached or his ribs snapped--but the image of a teenage boy standing there half torn to shreds while the director reams them all for not being the perfect child soldiers is viscerally grim. miss militia doesn't say "we can't send you home with horrible injuries because that would suck and be unhealthy for you," she says "we can't send you home with horrible injuries because that would give away the show." bleak!

[saintwrld]

Money and Love

pairing: shuri x black fem!reader

theme: Daddy Panther meets her lovely sugar baby.

summary: as if life wasn't rainbows and butterflies enough for you, it just got a little more complicated. you try to survive but a certain panther graciously offers her hand to you.

warnings: lots of brand names bc i can, innocent!reader,  panther!shuri, reader's protective and toxic parents, possessive!shuri, cocky!shuri, slight smut, thigh riding, praise kink (from Shuri)

word count: 8.7k words (just walk with me y’all)

translations: sthandwa - love, entle - pretty/beautiful, nkosazana - princess

saints's notes: hello everyone! the lovely @playgurlxoxo came up with this amazinggggg idea so i decided to attempt it 🤭. This is for my people who love a good sugar daddy/sugar baby trope so I hope i reach some people standards. also, can you tell that i love wizkid? no? great!

hope you enjoy!

edit: it took me WEEKS to finish it so y'all better like it! also if there are typos, ignore them!!

taglist: @taiiunknown , @playgurlxoxo, @abenomeiiii, @pinkwright, @verachii, @vampzxi, @izrinmabel1 , @marsology, @inmyheadimobsessed , @heejayy , @prettymrswright , @pantherheart, @sapphicvqmpires, @sariiwritingg, @mbakuetshurisprincess, @zayswriting.

Picking at the warm vegetables on your plate with the food, you listened to your parents converse about your study timetable and how it would need to be adjusted now that your aunt is coming to visit soon.

"I'm telling ya, her grades will be intact whether Melissa is here or not. What you do need to control is your raggedy little sister and she's going to behave in my house. My daughter will graduate from that university with my money in the bank." Your father snapped at your mother the moment she mentioned her younger sister.

Looking at the ticking clock on the wall and seeing the hands hit 2:45. Growing up, that would be your three hour warning mark to finish up any homework and take your ass right to bed to wake up at the crack of dawn because your father wanted you to study. Your friends were your books and maybe your two neighbours, Leilani and Justine.

"I told you, Marcus. You better respect my sister when she gets here. You acting like you the only person contributing money into this home. I work too damn hard to not be given credit." Your mother scoffed, stuffing a mini potato in her mouth as she rolled her eyes at your dad.

He simply sighed, looking at you with the same anger that he held for your mother. The moment you were born, he knew you would inherit everything from your mom and he loathed that. Your mom never told him that she was having a girl and that only pushed him to raise you to be his carbon copy with smarts and it confused you as a child. You cooped yourself up and became 'their precious little angel', staying away from everything the normal kids were doing.

I mean, you only got a phone after your 18th birthday and it only stopped being monitored months ago, giving you freedom to try and find yourself. However, you never gave yourself a chance to explore your personality. You even do college online because of what your parents taught you which is to stay away from people because they all have bad intentions.

"Y/n, take that phone of yours and go outside to take a walk. We need this to be a conversation for grown people." He ordered, immediately making you stand up and take your plate to clean it up. After stepping out of the kitchen, you quickly walked to your room to get changed. Looking at your reflection in the mirror, you looked pretty decent with a light pink knit sweater with a pair of jeans with air force ones.

Heading to the front door, you heard your mother's booming voice from the dining room. "Don't go anywhere near some boys. You already look like a target for them." Rolling your eyes, you took the spare house keys and slammed the door shut as you stood on the porch. You could hear the complaints from your parents but you could care less about anything they have to say.

Your current mood was caused by a realisation you had earlier. You have no money neither do you have any financial freedom. There are things you wish you could do but you knew your parents held you back but they're right, the world wasn't a safe place even if they are superheros protecting the universe.

Shaking your head out of your thoughts, you gently knocked on the oakwood door, feeling your hands trembling. As the door opened, her deep ginger hair peeked through the door and a grin was painted her face as she recognised who was at her doorstep.

"Hey neighbour!" Your good friend and neighbour Leilani, greeted you enthusiastically with her arms open, ready to hug you. You accepted the hug and let go once she invited you inside her home.

"Hey Lei..."  You trailed off, admiring her house. It was the complete opposite of what yours was because of the multiple plants adorning her walls and windows along with the vibrant colours of her furniture and how different objects were shaped differently, definitely reflecting her calm yet energetic nature.

Seeing them stop in their tracks in their emerald green kitchen, she turned back to face you with a concerned look on their face. "Nope, I will not allow you to be sad in my house. What's wrong?" Lani ran back to your side and gestured for you to sit on the large couch facing the huge tv.

"It's just," you started, plopping down on the soft couch. "I feel so...weird. People my age are doing things that would put my parents in a coma. I understand why they do what they do but it would be nice to do something for myself for once, y'know?" You whined. All your friend did was nod.

"Look, you probably don't wanna hear this but you need to start doing shit for yourself." She replied, seeing you physically cringe at the curse word. "This friendship is the most independent thing you have going for you. Hell, you even do college online because they asked you to." Leilani turned to face you completely.

"My question to you is what do you want for yourself? And don't even think of mentioning your weird ass parents." She commented, making you cut your eyes at her at the subtle insult directed to your parents.

What do you actually want for yourself? First thing that comes to your mind is freedom but you couldn't betray your parents like that. They sacrificed so much for you but if you think about clearly, the insults and bullying from them was unnecessary because you did everything they asked of you. You couldn't go to school because they wanted you to stay home. You couldn't find your own fashion sense because they claimed it was that of whorish behaviour when behind their backs, you gawked at the gorgeous women who were independent and rich on the one app you were allowed to have, Pinterest.

You envied those women. You hated how they could dress freely as they wanted to, you hated how they spent their money on beautiful bags, vacations and diamonds. You hated the smiles on their faces when holding the expensive bag with the shortest mini skirt on. You hated how you wanted to be just like them. You wanted to be a luxurious babe who had as many shoes as there were diamonds on her cuban link.

And oh, how you wanted to be loved. How you want to show off the flowers you had randomly gotten from your significant other. How you wanted to film your reaction to receiving your dream car. How you wanted to keep your relationship private from the world. And most definitely how you wanted to be treated like a princess both physically and sexually. You knew you had no experience in anything involving things that were in the bedroom. The only way you could express such was reading erotic books in the library far from home but then again, you couldn't bring yourself to read past kisses.

You wanted to be rich. You wanted to be loved. You wanted to be happy. You wanted to be free.

You just didn't know where to start.

"I want to do whatever I want." You answered, seeing a smile spread across Leilani's face. She motioned her hand for you to continue. "I want to be able to go out and be social. I wanna form friendships and relationships. I want to be free, Lani." You expressed, feeling tears prick your eyes at the realisation of your dreams.

Leilani stood up and reached her hand out to you. "Wanna start now?" She smirked. Your small smile dropped from your face along with your shoulders.

"I can't," You hesitated. "I don't have anything. They took my whole allowance and put it in my dad's pocket to go towards the church." You explained. Lani's smile widened even more. She took out her phone to text someone. "That's okay, Justine and I have been waiting for this day."

"Waiting? What are you talking about?" You said, still sitting. You were too scared to stand around in people's houses, your parents said it was rude.

"We are taking you to rebel against your parents. Just give them a bit of a heart attack when we get back." She smirked, aggressively typing her phone. You couldn't even respond because you were so shocked. Justine and Leilani were the wildest people you knew, constantly experimenting with tattoos, piercings and all sorts of clothing.

Maybe this is what you needed in order to start your journey into freedom.

-

The sun was beaming in your face as you sat in the passenger seat of Justine's car, driving down roads that had shops you'd only dreamt of buying from. The bass of the music had the windows slightly vibrating and your two friends sang along loudly to some rappers who you obviously weren't familiar with. Drake and 21 something. Yeah, that sounded about right.

You couldn't help but bop your head along as the beat of the song was hitting against your chest, the melody slowly becoming one of your favourite sounds.

As the song was coming to an end, Justine lowered the volume. "How you feel about piercings?" She questioned, coming to a halt at the red light. You turned your head to show her the frightened look on your face when you heard what sounded like revving from the car next door. Looking at it from your side, it looked matte black with tinted windows. However, you couldn't tell what it was because Justine was fangirling over it.

Slumping back in your seat as it sped away, your friends started discussing it. "Ayo, wasn't that a Mansory?!" Leilani exclaimed from the back seat. "I just know that shit cost a good couple millions." Justine smiled and sped up a little to catch up with the car but it was too far. Holding on to the handle on the car and gripping onto the seatbelt felt like the safest thing to do.

"Man, I love doing that. Anyway, y/n. You ain't answer the question." Justine changed the topic so quickly, you couldn't feel yourself nod, seeing the wide smiles on their faces.

Parallel parking her car in a few seconds seemed effortless as Justine parked in front of a edgy looking parlour, 'V's Secret'. "Okay! Now y/n, remember to enjoy yourself. It's okay to be nervous and if you need anything, just call us. Just don't forget what we discussed." Lani said, leaning forward and looking at me. I nodded and took a deep breath.

"Uh thanks guys. I guess I-i'll see you guys later." You stuttered, clutching onto the small purse Leilani gave you since you didn't have any and you were too scared to go back home anyway so you just agreed to go with your friends.

You got out the car and waved to your overly excited friends who slowly drove off as they watched you step onto the pavement. This would be your first step into your new life, one that wouldn't be controlled by your parents. You surprisingly agreed to their plan of roaming around and window shop, getting food by yourself and anything else you could do with the money they had given you to 'jumpstart your new life' as they said.

Eventually facing the tattoo and piercing shop and taking another deep breath, you enter with fake confidence, gaining the courage to speak to someone, anyone than your friends and parents.

-

Exiting the shop, you wiped the last of your tears as you held a smile on your face. Grabbing your old, barely functioning phone from the purse, you looked at yourself and admired your nose piercing. It may have been small but you absolutely loved it. So much so that you hadn't been paying attention to where you were going. As if time was slowing down, you collided with someone else and watched your phone fall out of your hands, falling apart as it hit the floor.

Muttering out a few apologies, you kneeled down to collect your absolutely destroyed phone and saw a tattooed and ring-clad hand enter your vision. Looking to the side of the hand, you could see a bright orange bag with blue straps, with you immediately recognising it as 'Louis Vuitton'.

You couldn't pinpoint where you had seen the tattoos on the person's hand but they seemed extremely familiar. "No, please forgive me. I wasn't focused." A low, slightly deep accented voice assured. The accent. It all started to click for you on who exactly you bumped into. Lifting your head to look at the woman, you internally freaked out.

Queen Shuri of Wakanda. The Black Panther was in your presence, helping you. This is the same woman who you had to do an extensive project on in order to get the highest grade for your class. This was the woman who you were incredibly intimidated by whenever she would make eye contact with the camera whenever you were watching her interviews. This was one of the wealthiest and smartest people on earth. She was also what your peers would call your 'gay awakening'. She was one of the most powerful people in the world and she's helping you.

She stood up at the same time as you and the height difference was evident as she towered over you. Looking at the hand extended to you held your phone, it was definitely not going to work after that fall. Still holding an apologetic look on her face, Shuri covered the phone with her hand and held eye contact with you.

"Again, I feel absolutely terrible. Do you mind if we could go replace it?" Shuri suggested. Finally snapping out of it, you furrowed your eyebrows. "O-oh I can't make you do that. I-it's okay, Your Majesty." You hesitated to decline. From the minimal reports you had on the woman in front of you, you knew she didn't take no for an answer.

Her eyes slightly lowered and she tilted her head a little, still keeping the eye contact. You couldn't even feel her taking the phone from your hand. "I insist." She smirked and you felt a drop in your stomach as you could see a glimpse of something  gold resting on her teeth.

"Okay." You whispered as she nodded and held your hand in one hand and the LV bag in the other. She began walking slowly in order for you to match her pace. "If I may ask, what is your name?" She spoke up as she still held your hand. She knew very well that people could see her and immediately recognise her but no one dared to question it.

Giving yourself a chance to observe her, you noticed that she wore a black compression shirt with black cargos paired with sneakers that looked to be from Nike. The cuban link rested on her collarbones shone brightly as the sun reflected on the diamonds. Her earrings were matching with the beaded bracelet on her wrist and on the other sat a silver and gold watch with a dark green face.

"It's Y/n, Your Majesty." You muttered, feeling the eyes on you as you walked with Shuri. You two looked completely different from each other and you knew that. She looked powerful, holding her head high and not being bothered by the stares but you, however, were an anxious mess. Today was going to be simple with you just doing one or two things that were out of your comfort zone but to be walking with royalty was just out of this world.

If your parents caught wind of this, you would be in trouble. Worse than what you could ever imagine.

Seeing Shuri slow down her pace made you halt your steps as you stopped by a car. A car that you somewhat recognised as the one that Justine and Leilani were screaming over. It was truly beautiful when it's parked in front of you. The sharp edges of the design fit Shuri and her current vibe. The car was huge and looked expensive. Shuri watched as you gawked at the car, fascinated by you. The sense of innocence you carried and how you had spoken to her as if you had feared her.

She did not want you to be afraid of her and her status however the innocent look in your eyes sparked something within her. How she wanted to protect you and keep you all to herself because the world would be far too cruel to you. The way you just are boosts her ego to a level she didn't even know existed. She wanted to spoil you with all the money she had. She couldn't get you to be with her yet so she'd lure you in with something that clearly caught your attention very quickly: money.

She unlocked the car and immediately opened the car door for you to which you thanked her as you entered the car that smelt like heaven. The scents of vanilla, sandalwood and a hint of chocolate hit your nose in the most pleasant way. Looking at the rest of the car, you noticed that the stitching on the seats was yellow with the logo replaced with a panther and there were stars on the roof. The dash of the car was black with a hints that you're inside a Lamborghini. Not just any, a customised version for the queen of Wakanda.

She entered the car very quietly, making sure to not startle you during your observation. You watched as her tattooed hand lifted the lever and press 'start', hearing the car roar as she got ready to drive, fastening her seatbelt and her reaching over to fasten yours. Her face was inches away from yours, smelling her perfume and looking at her neck tattoos, drove you crazy. The same feeling you had when you looked at her the first time definitely increased because of her kind gesture. You unconsciously clenched your thighs together, seeing her subtly smirk at you.

"Your name is beautiful. May I apologise once again for your phone." Shuri mentioned, seeing you shake your head in disagreement. "Seriously, there's no need to. I was at fault mostly because I wasn't looking, Panther." You assured, immediately slapping your hand over your mouth as you looked away from her.

Panther?! Why did you call her that?!

"So I'm guessing we're on nickname basis already? I haven't even gotten the chance to introduce myself, sthandwa." She teased, turning the steering wheel to finally drive into the main road. "I-I know that." You muttered making the woman next to you chuckle.

"Can I?" She asked, with you immediately nodding your head. She took note of your eagerness around her. How cute.

"I'm Queen Shuri of Wakanda and also the Black Panther. Do you mind telling me about yourself?" She suggested to which you turned to face her. How were you going to do this? You couldn't reveal your entire life story to her but then again, she's the only person you've met outside of your neighbourhood. You felt protected with Shuri.

"I'm..y/n and I'm a broke college student who just recently got a nose piercing." You said and she looked at you. Looking into your eyes then nose then lips and back to your eyes again. "The piercing suits you." She complimented you and you couldn't help but blush at her words. "Thank you." You whispered as you hid behind your sweater paw.

As if time sped up, the car had stopped and Shuri was climbing out of it to open the door for you once again. You looked at your surroundings once you stepped outside and it was the Apple Store. Knowing how expensive the phones and accessories were, you immediately turned to plead with Shuri to not enter but she gave you a look, lowered eyes with a teasing smile that definitely shut you up.

Walking into the store, you noticed it was empty with employees standing around, gawking at the two of you. Shuri stopped at a particular table with the latest phones on display. Looking at her confused, she pointed to the phones. "Choose the one you want, entle." She smirked. You shook your head slightly, placing your hand on hers. "Shuri, I can't. This is too expensive-"

"I don't take no for an answer, nkosazana. Please, be my guest and choose other things if you want." She looked around the shop and you saw how the workers literally looked away if she faced them. As you looked back at the phones, Shuri went to the employees to introduce herself to every single one of them, displaying her kindness. As much as she has power, she would never want anyone to be scared of her.

-

Tapping her Kimoyo beads onto the machine and hearing a ping, the employee bagged up your items and gave them to you as Shuri gave you a smile, displaying her grillz. Holding your hand as you two walked out of the store, she greeted everyone goodbye to which they responded back enthusiastically.

You placed the bag in the back seat and entered the passenger seat once again. You felt hot. You kept fanning yourself and using your sweater as a fan. You knew it was because of Shuri. The way she spoke to the employees, the way she held your waist when you had wandered to get a cheaper phone but she wouldn't allow it, wanting you to have what you desired. The way she smiled at you when she was talking to other people. The look she gave you when you thanked her as they rang up your items.

She started driving towards the direction of where you met her. "Would you like a change of clothes? I noticed it in the store." She smiled. "I couldn't possibly do that to you. What you spent on me is more than enough and I'm forever grateful." You gestured to the bag sitting in the backseat.

"Y/n. I truly don't mind doing it all over again. Is that okay with you, sthandwa?" She turned to face you as she stopped at a red light, lifting your chin slightly with a finger. Looking into her eyes, you could tell she was serious.

You pondered over what she just said to you. "So, you are suggesting that you wanna continue spending money on me? Why?" You questioned and she gave a cheeky smile.

"Why not?" She responded and continued driving. You slouched down into the passenger seat in disbelief. Was this going to get you in trouble? Looking at Shuri for some sort of clarification that this is actually happening, you noticed the way she drove. Effortlessly driving with one hand whilst the other is relaxed, ready to shift the Lamborghini into sport mode and in that moment, it made your attraction to her more obvious even though you thought you were being discreet.

Your increased heartbeat heightened her panther senses greatly. Shuri could see you shyly turn away from her whenever she made eye contact with you and she definitely saw the way your face brightened up every time you would see stores like Gucci or Chanel as you two drove past them.

"But.." You sighed, not sure whether to say anything to Shuri or not but there was a sense of comfort you felt with her and it urged you to tell her. It was also for your own good as you kept thinking back to your parents and what they would think of your actions.

"Mhm?" She hummed.

"It's just that...my parents aren't very..nice people. They won't accept any of this, they don't even want me going outside the house! How am I gonna hide these gifts? Oh my goodness, how am I gonna get home?!" You panicked. You've said too much and now, Shuri's going to judge you. Your parents always warned you about talking too much.

You tried breathing in and out, trying to calm your mind clouded with negative thoughts, insults your mom would hurl at you for easily getting into someone's car and how your father would lock you inside your room for even staying out this long.

You had been so out of it, you didn't realise that Shuri had stopped the car on the side of the road and was on your side of the car in seconds. She opened your car door and immediately held your face in her hands. "Hey hey, it's okay, it's okay." Shuri whispered as she tried to look into your eyes which were flowing with tears. You wrapped your arms around her neck as you melted into her touch. Shuri's scent had filled your nose, easing your nerves as your tears slowed down.

"Please look at me, entle." She pleaded. Lifting your head with embarrassment, you looked into her beautiful dark eyes that held sincerity and..adoration. "How about this? Let's go shopping for anything you want. Would that make you happy?" Shuri suggested and you looked at her with wide eyes again.

"You would do that for me?" You asked and you swore you saw Shuri's eyes darken as she stared into yours. "In a heartbeat, sthandwa." And that right there confirmed that you were now her sugar baby.

-

Stumbling onto Leilani's porch with multiple shopping bags, you knocked and waited for your neighbour to answer her door. Shuri was standing next to you, hoping to help you inside. The pretty Lamborghini was sitting in front of Leilani's house to not get you in trouble which you were most definitely in.

Looking over at your home, you noticed the lights were still on but you kept seeing figures in your room. It was probably your parents doing an 'inspection' as they call it where they check for anything that seems out of your character, such as you writing anything other than school work or even a fictional book.

Even though Shuri tried her best to calm you down throughout the day, you couldn't help but panic. You disrespected your parents. You completely disobeyed them and you knew you were in for it. They would most likely lock you up in your room however, there was a part of you that didn't care. You were happy. Even if this was the only day you would ever be free, you got to spend it with Shuri who you were forever grateful for.

Oh, Shuri. You trusted her with everything you had. How you finally voiced your feelings about your parents and how you realised that you weren't like other people your age. Shuri knew you hadn't recognised your sheltered-ness away from the world yet you yearned to be out there and completely change your perspective on life to that of a rich and free woman. She wanted to be the one to do that for you. To show you how fun life can be, to corrupt you a little, to make you feel good and to spoil you rotten.

Before you could lift another finger to knock on the door again, it swung open and revealed Leilani, wearing the same outfit as earlier and barely focusing on the people in front of her and shouting at whoever was in the living room.

"Yeah yeah, just scroll through the shows Justine! I think it's- Oh my god, y/n! You're alive! How'd you..get..here?" Lani's speech trailed off completely as she let go of your face and stared at who was standing next to you with utter surprise.

"Uh-I-uh" She stammered. She never does that. Hearing commotion from the front door, Justine also made her way there only for her to be shocked just like Leilani. "Is this real?" Justine whispered to you whilst looking at Shuri. "It is very much real however I do have to leave now. It was nice to meet you..." Shuri began, trailing off by asking for their names.

"Leilani!" "Justine!" They both shouted, making Shuri smile. "I'm Shuri. Just making sure that Y/n gets home safely. Have a good rest of your evening," She introduced herself then turned to you. "Sthandwa, I'll see you tomorrow." She kissed your forehead and waved at your starstruck friends as she walked to her car, revving it as she drove down the street.

You turned back to your friends with a smile on your face and they immediately dragged you and the shopping bags inside before screaming their lungs out. "Was that the fucking Queen of Wakanda?!" "She was on my damn porch!" Leilani looked at you and that's when you knew you were in for a long night with your friends.

"Girl, we said a nose piercing, not half of Beyoncé's closet!" Justine picked up the bags and looked at the labels. "Bitch. She's got Gucci, Chanel, Rick Owens, Ysl, Balmain, Burberry, Dior and is that...is that Valentino?!" Leilani joined Justine in looking at the 13 bags sprawled out on the floor.

"Wait a damn minute. Shuri bought all this for you?" Justine asked you and looked into your eyes. You instantly started feeling bad. "Oh, was she not supposed to? I can call her and tell her to take them back-" "NO!" Your friends simultaneously shouted, causing you to flinch at the noise. "Sorry, what we meant to say was that these are your things. Queen Shuri bought them for you so you don't have to return them, okay?" Leilani then explained and you nodded.

"Do you wanna tell us about your day? After getting the piercing, what happened?" Justine asked as she led you guys to the living room couch. "Oh! I dropped my phone and she offered to buy me a new one and so she did and bought me other things from the Apple Store. Then I had a little panic attack but she helped a lot then took me out for lunch then we went shopping. Can you believe all she had to do was walk in and the stores would stay open for us? She then offered to do this again and she's seeing me again tomorrow." You rambled.

Taking a deep breath, you calmed yourself down and looked to your friends who were still in shock. "Dude, she basically asked you to be her sugar baby." Now, you were a little confused. "What's that?" You asked.  "In hindsight, you get paid by someone to spend time with them and in return, they spoil you with whatever you want." Leilani explained, causing you to stay silent.

Would that be a problem for Shuri if anyone found out?

"Anyways! Let's go choose an outfit for you! Did she say you could be comfortable?" Justine stood up and questioned. "She just said to be myself and wear whatever I want." You answered making their smiles grow larger.

-

Adding the glue to your false eyelashes, Leilani gently stuck the natural-looking minks on. Opening your eyes, you looked at yourself in the mirror, you admired what you saw. It was still your face, just with a little makeup on, the girls giving you a natural look. Your hair was styled so beautifully, Leilani creating the long braid effortlessly with two curls in front of your face.

The dark green khaki mini skirt was pleated with ease, the colour scheme working nicely as your white knit sweater looked effortlessly put together with platform Rick Owen sneakers gracing your feet. The Dior earrings were exposed due to your hairstyle which also didn't hide the cuban link you had on. You loved Shuri's one so she decided to get you your own.

"Ah! You look so pretty!" Justine complimented you and you had the biggest grin on your face. You felt beautiful and that made you happy. Just the whole day had you feeling amazing. After bonding with your friends and them fawning over your clothes and your new lifestyle, you went back home empty handed and said to your parents that you went to the library and they believed you. You finally lied to them and it felt good. Doesn't mean you're going to did it all the time but it felt good.

This morning, they had decided to leave the house to you for the weekend as they're leaving for a church event and they knew you had a paper due soon (that you've already completed). You immediately informed your friends and they made it their mission to get you ready for tonight.

Picking up your new phone from Leilani's vanity, you noticed a notification from Shuri and that she was 10 minutes away from your location however she sent that message ten minutes ago. Your eyes widened and you rushed to look outside the bedroom window to see a g wagon and Shuri leaning against it. The panther could feel you looking at her from the window and she smiled at you, making you squeal as you grabbed your mini Lady Dior bag.

Before opening the front door, you looked back to your friends to give them both hugs as goodbyes before making your way out of the door to meet Shuri. Leilani shouted her supportive words as she leaned on her porch, as if she's watching her child leave to go on a date.

"Hiii!" You elongated the greeting towards the panther who sported a toothy grin, reaching her hand out to you to be held. Observing her, you noticed you both went a familiar route with your outfit. Shuri looked casual with a red Diesel sweater and black cargo, finished off with red nike dunks. You noticed that you both wore the chain and it made your heart jump. "Hello Y/n. Did you say bye to your friends?" She asked and you nodded. She nodded as well and opened the car door for you, struggling to get into the large car and eventually using the step of the car.

The trip to your destination was unfamiliar however, Shuri was dedicated to making you feel comfortable and decided to play a bit of music but kept it soft enough to keep conversation with you. Driving into the entrance of the restaurant, you were absolutely mesmerised by the exterior of it all. It looked like an luxury hotel with a valet in front and you were so excited to even step foot in such a place. Putting your focus back in front of you, a forest green Rolls Royce Cullinan entered your vision and you were absolutely stunned, looking to Shuri who was smiling at your reaction.

"Remember I was talking about it yesterday? I didn't think it existed! It's so pretty!" You gushed at the car once again. Shuri had noticed your fascination with cars as you spent the afternoon with her yesterday and how you had pointed out the Cullinan because of its stature and its design. You also pointed out that you knew how to drive but your parents basically forbid you from driving in case you ever thought of leaving them. Shuri kept the information and changed the subject as she noticed your mood change at the subject of your living situation.

"I wonder if the owner just bought it because it looks brand new." You thought out loud, seeing the car reverse-park into the space next to Shuri's g wagon. You wondered why she didn't use the valet workers to park the car but you brushed it off as she helped you out of the car.

"Is this a contract?" You asked after you swallowed the last of your pasta al forno. Shuri nodded before speaking. "It's to set rules for this arrangement before we continue with it. Just read through it then tell me what you think." She said, taking a sip of her cocktail as she looked at you. Although you had changed your look for this date, she found you absolutely stunning. She adored how your eyes lit up at anything that interested you and how you took a deep breath whenever entering a new place as if you're reassuring yourself that you're actually doing something. And your smile. How she wished she could engrave the image of your smile in her mind. It lit up every room you walked and it made Shuri's heart melt everytime. How you cling to her arm at the slightest stare people give you two as if you feel safe with her and she loved it. She hadn't told anyone about you as if you were too good to be true.

You leaned your head closer to the single piece of paper, reading every word in your mind unless you had questions for her. " 'According to your availability, you can accompany me to Wakanda and possibly any other event.' Are you sure?" You asked the panther. She placed her fork down and nodded. "You could ask anytime to join me and I will fly you out if you're not with me. However, you won't be using any airplanes most of the time." Shuri stated and the sheer thought of travelling with her made you rub your thighs together. Just being around her made you feel things you've never felt before and you needed some sort of release.

Reading over the financial aspect of the contract, it stated that you would be getting your own bank account and on each meeting you have with her, you would get ten thousand dollars every single time. You audibly gasped when you read that. Lifting your head to make eye contact with Shuri, she gave you the smallest smirk, clearly amused by your stunned expression.

"What's wrong, sthandwa?" She asked, "Is it too little? We can discuss the price." The royal suggested, knowing all too well what she was doing. "Too litt- Your majesty, this is way more than enough. What am I gonna do with so much?" You pondered, continuously looking back at the contract in front of you.

"Whatever your heart desires. And please, don't be afraid to ask me for anything that you want. I want to do this for you, okay?" Shuri held her hand out to you on the table and you hurriedly put yours on top. You couldn't come up with any words for her. This was something that could happen in your wildest dreams and it was right in front of you.

"Read the rest of the contract then let me know your thoughts." Shuri took a sip of her drink again and you couldn't help but looking at her throat as the drink went down. Everything about Shuri right now made your body tingle however you couldn't voice that to her, you didn't want to think of her touching you yet or how your underwear was getting damp at the thought of her caressing your body with her tattooed hands.

"Y/n?" Shuri called out to you. You perked your head up once again. "Huh? Oh! T-the contract yes" You stuttered, internally panicking that she caught you zoned out. You could only imagine what she would say if she knew what you were thinking about.

"Are you okay, entle? Are you nervous?" When asking the second question, Shuri's tone dropped slightly, giving you shivers down your spine. Shaking your head at her and deciding to focus on the paper in front of you, it shows that you've reached the physical section of it. The contract stated that there would be sexual contact within the arrangement but only when you are comfortable enough to begin with it. Reading the sentence caused your face to heat up more than before and it caught the attention of Shuri who just smirked to herself. It had also stated that if it there were to be any romantic feelings involved, to not be afraid to act upon them. "Romantic?" You muttered. "It's normal for people to gain a romantic connection. If it so happens within this arrangement, there won't be an issue." Shuri answered. You took in her words and felt a pull in your stomach that felt pleasurable.

"I see you're near the end. Would you like me to adjust anything for you?" She asked, batting her pretty eyes at you as if she wasn't the cause of your lower body...issues. You gave a slight nod. "Um, I know i-i'll be comfortable with it but I only have one question for you. Is it okay if someone like...you were to have an arrangement with me like this?" You pondered. Was this even allowed?

"Y/n. As much as I don't want to sound like a narcissist, I am the queen of Wakanda and I'm allowed to have my own fun at times." Shuri expressed to you. All you could do was nod at the panther's words of subtle cockiness. You had more that you wanted to say but your body betrayed you as you released the slightest of a whimper. You were holding the hem of your skirt tightly, avoiding all eye contact with Shuri as you were filled with embarrassment.

Shuri looked at you with amusement, seeing you folding so quickly at her words. As much as she wanted to take you right then and there, she refrained because she knew she had a surprise planned for you. "Look at you, all flustered. Just from my words, nkosazana?" Shuri commented, leaning against the chair as she observed you.

She couldn't wait any longer. She needed to do something for you, anything to see you all over her. Calling her name out loud when you-

"Come with me, baby. I have something for you." The panther rose to her feet, going over to your side of the table to help you up. Keeping the eye contact between the two of you, she took your hand and began to lead you out of the private seating of the restaurant.

"Wait Shuri. What about dinner?" You looked back at the table to see your empty plates left there. "I had already payed for everything before I picked you up." She commented, giving a nod and smile to the waiter who entered the section to clear out the table. People in the restaurant weren't afraid to stare at the royal and the girl with her but seeing Shuri hold herself up with confidence was the hottest thing you've ever seen, her giving acknowledgment to the employees only.

Walking out of the restaurant and onto the walkway to the parking lot, she wrapped her arm around you to keep you as close to her as she could. Reaching her G-wagon, you grew confused as you turned to her only for her to have an object in her hand that wasn't there before.

You looked at the beautiful Rolls Royce once again, seeing the RR statue lift from the hood of the car. The car's lights blinked once and you were a little scared that the owner of the car would see two people just standing in front of it. Shuri took your hand again and placed the object in your hand, looking down to see car keys with the logo of the forest green beauty.

Realising what was going on, you snapped your head towards the royal who had the most beautiful smile on her face as she watched your reaction to her gift. "You got me my dream car?" You whispered as you stepped closer to her, inhaling her addicting scent.

"For when I'm not around and you just feel like getting out of the house." Shuri said, looking into your eyes seeing the slightest hint of tears brimming. You wrapped your arms around her waist, bringing her even closer to you. She reciprocated the hug and it was a silent moment between the two of you, something that will never be forgotten.

She lightly tapped your lower back, causing you to lift your head to look up at her without letting go of the hug. "Let's go see inside. I added a few touches to make it special for you." Shuri mentioned, turning both of your bodies towards the car whilst keeping her arm around you. "Thank you." You whispered to her and leaned close her face to give a kiss on the cheek, already missing the feeling of your lips.

Running towards your brand new car, you opened the driver's door and hopped in with the door closing by itself. The seat was adjusted for you and you held onto the steering wheel with the silver stitching. Looking across the dashboard, it was as if marble had been placed there above the compartment area. Studying the seats, they had the same stitching as the steering wheel and the seat head had your name in cursive instead of the classic RR. The backseat of the vehicle had two gifts, one from Hermes and one from cartier with the prettiest bouquet of flowers behind them. Finally looking up the ceiling, you noticed the infamous stars on the ceiling. Looking at Shuri sitting comfortably in the passenger seat, you felt the feeling from the restaurant come back as you see Shuri gazing at you.

"Entle," She called out, with you responding with a hum as you looked anywhere else but at her piercing gaze. "Look at me." She commanded. Giving yourself the courage to, you met her eyes that had seemed to darken.

She patted her thigh, encouraging you to climb over to her side of the car. You lifted your legs over the middle of the car, hovering over the thigh she had tapped. Reaching for your hips, she held them and slowly brought you down to completely sit on her. You whimpered at the contact your core made with the material of her pants. "Do you want me to make you feel better?" She taunted, Shuri had gotten wrapped around her finger. She had barely touched you and you had only sat on yet you could feel your release as she spoke those words.

You hurriedly nodded, holding her shoulders for support to get you ready. "I need words, my love." "Yes, please Shuri." You pleaded. You were on the verge of tears at this point and the royal had barely lifted a finger. Dragging her hands up your thighs, they landed on your ass, slightly grabbing onto the flesh causing you to lean forward. The gaps erupted from you quickly as your underwear dampened even further.

Holding the space between your ass and your hips, Shuri slowly guided you as she rocked you back and forth making you release stutterted moans. "Let me hear, mama. I wanna hear that sweet voice." She praised, making the slick from your core travel onto her pants. "Oh my-" You cut yourself off, unable to form words when you felt her hand creep into your underwear, slowly massaging your clit.

"Please, panther." You moaned out, rocking a little more faster to chase your release. Shuri looked at your fucked out face as she lightly touched you. She began laying kisses on your exposed neck, careful to not make any marks. Kissing up your jaw until she reached your face, she looked at your parted lips before leaning in to bite your lower lip. You whined at the action, feeling the familiar pull in your stomach.

Finally placing her lips on yours, she gently guided you into the kiss, holding your face in her hands. You continued to chase your orgasm while focusing on the kiss. Occasionally pulling away to give you pecks, she kissed you again with you feeling the curls of her hair brush against your face. Indulging in her lips, Shuri sped up her movements on your clit as you felt your legs begin to slightly shake, knowing you were finally getting the release you've been craving.

Releasing a loud moan when your orgasm has washed over, you panted and looked at Shuri in a dazed state. "You did such a good job, sthandwa. C'mere." She praised once again, pushing you closer to her by the arch of your back. She pecked your lips then held your hips to keep you steady on her thigh.

"Are you up for lunch tomorrow?" She suggested and you nodded, blushing at the thought of what just transpired. "We leave for Paris in the late morning then." She finalised, making you widen your eyes. "What? Isn't Paris at least 16 hours away from here?" You asked the royal who seemed to find your confusion amusing.

"Now that you're with me, you'll experience things a little differently. France is a 3 hour flight on the Talon ship. And don't even bother packing, we'll buy things that side, okay?" Shuri smiled, seeing your stunned expression.

That's when you knew that your life had changed forever.

Bonus scene!

"Y/n! Get yo ass down here!" You heard your father's shrill voice scream at the top of his lungs. Rolling your eyes, you made your way downstairs holding the Hermes Kelly bag that Shuri had bought for you on your first date.

Hearing your mother gasp loudly as you ascended down the stairs was enough to suck the air out of the room. You looked down to your outfit and saw the reason for her dramatics. Your maxi dress had cut outs on the sides of it along with the plunging neckline showing off your chest. Not to mention the dress fitting your body tightly. The Burberry cap had covered the top of your head which held beautiful goddess braids.

Your parents had stayed at the church event and eventually travelled with the church for a few more days before coming home to find a Rolls Royce sitting in their driveway. Thinking that it was probably a neighbour, they had thought nothing of it, assuming you were at the library once again. Returning home at the crack ass of dawn from your spontaneous Paris trip with Shuri, you hadn't shown face to your parents until the next morning which is right now.

"Who's goddamn Rolls is that outside my house?! I asked that man across the street and he said it's not his. Why is it here?" He yelled out, noticing you hadn't flinched at his tone. Giving him a bored look, you answered. "It's mine. Now if you excuse me, I have to go somewhere." Walking towards the front door, you heard your mom screaming. "Who bought you such an expensive car and why the hell are you dressed like that, young lady?!"

Opening the door, you walked out and before closing it completely, "Someone will come pick up my things later on today. Bye!" You shut the door and ran to your car, immediately starting. Hearing your phone buzz as you begin to drive, you asked Siri to display it on your screen in the car.

Panther 🤍

How do you feel about coming to Wakanda with me? :)

hope you enjoyed!